👋 Good morning, and welcome back. Fox News as a corporation and Fox News as a news outlet are entirely different. Many of us were shocked that, amid sweeping vaccine mandates during the pandemic, Fox News had implemented vaccine requirements on its employees. It did this as its hosts were adamantly criticizing the mandates. There’s more news coming out about Fox—this time on its stance regarding the culture war and transgenderism in particular.
Today the team is covering:
🗳 Donald Trump’s 2024 promises,
🤔 Fox News’s liberal workplace policies revealed,
🪖 The U.S. military is overpaying for weapons,
➕ And everything else you need to know.
—Ari
POLITICS
Donald Trump’s promises if he’s elected
Most recently: Leading Donald Trump’s list is a controversial pledge to pardon many of the January 6 protesters convicted of federal offenses. On international affairs, the former president intends to promptly mediate a resolution for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The border: Trump wants to leverage the U.S. military against drug cartels in Mexico and street crime.
Pro-natal policy: He has also suggested baby bonuses to promote a baby boom and the establishment of 10 "Freedom Cities,” built from scratch on federal land.
Education: Trump plans to exert more federal control over higher education, aiming to dismiss "radical left" officials accrediting universities, incentivize the abolition of teacher tenure, cut college administration roles, and remove diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Crime: He aims to purge "Marxist prosecutors," or weak-on-crime, George Soros-funded prosecutors.
Intelligence reform: He wants to institute an auditing system to ensure U.S. intelligence agencies aren’t conducting domestic surveillance and has called on congressional Republicans to "defund" the Justice Department and FBI.
The deep state: Trump is also proposing sweeping changes to the federal workforce, advocating for the president to have the authority to hire and fire federal workers at will, a move aimed to "clean out" officials he regards as disloyal.
Transgenderism: Trump proposes a DOJ investigation into Big Pharma and hospital networks for potential cover-ups about long-term side effects of "sex transitions." He threatens to exclude providers offering gender-affirming care from Medicaid and Medicare.
Gun control: Trump supports a national concealed carry reciprocity, which would allow those with a concealed carry permit from their home state to enjoy the same privilege nationwide.
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INDEPENDENT MEDIA
The coming months are going to be interesting in conservative media. Why?
It may not be overtly apparent, but many of the most popular conservative outlets have their 2024 allegiances set in stone because of political ties. Some are preparing to channel their resources into undermining Trump, while others have DeSantis in their crosshairs. Honest coverage of the two candidates will be rare.
We stand apart from these narratives — focused only on the truth. We don't dine with politicians or participate in the hidden camaraderie that always clouds the truth in news reporting. We're outsiders in a landscape often dominated by insiders.
But building an independent news outlet isn't easy, and it requires believing in the truth and financially supporting it. That's why we're asking you to become a paid reader today and help us continue our efforts. In return, you'll get access to some of our best reporting with our Upward+ coverage (including in-depth 2024 analysis).
For only $6.99/mo or $60/yr (20% off), you can help us continue researching and covering the most important stories for you. You can upgrade here. We can’t do it without you.
—Ari
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
Pentagon
🪖 The U.S. military is overpaying for weapons from defense contractors, CBS investigation finds. As the Biden administration forks over hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to military contractors, it continues to pay grossly inflated prices. One former defense official attributed this to the fact that there are now so few major companies to supply weapons to the U.S., so the companies take advantage. About half of the Pentagon’s budget for the next fiscal year will be paid to defense contractors.
📃 Nebraska bans most abortions at 12 weeks of pregnancy and child sex changes. Both restrictions are the result of one bill that Gov. Jim Pillen signed yesterday. The ban on sex changes applies up to age 19, and the 12-week abortion ban leaves exceptions for sexual assault or rape, medical emergencies, and incest. Nebraskans under 19 may only receive transgender treatments after a “waiting period” in which a therapist determines that their gender dysphoria is “long-lasting and intense.”
📈 The cost of rent in the U.S. is growing faster than income. Data show that the median rent requires 29.6 percent of the average American’s monthly income and that prices are dozens of points above income growth across the country. The good news is that it’s a slight improvement from last year when the median rent cost a whole 30 percent of the average monthly income for the first time.
🚗 House Republicans condemn Biden’s proposed climate regulations for auto dealers. A coalition of 151 House Republicans sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency criticizing its proposed restrictions on tailpipe emissions from various vehicles. The proposals are seen as an attempt to force a transition to electric vehicles. Dealerships would have until 2027 to make the adjustments.
PROGRESSIVISM
Fox News’s liberal workplace policies revealed
Fox News building in New York City
What’s going on? A new report by The Daily Signal revealed Fox News’s surprisingly progressive policies: Employees can use bathrooms and wear clothes aligning with their gender identity and must refer to each other by their preferred names and pronouns. Fox is facing backlash for imposing the same “woke” policies on their own workers that they criticize other companies for.
The policies: The controversial guidelines are outlined in a January 2021 handbook. It cites the LGBT organization the Human Rights Campaign’s definitions of terms like “gender-fluid” and “gender non-conforming” and outlines a “Workplace Transition Plan” that provides transitioning employees with time off for sex-change treatments.
Fox’s motivations: Fox’s guidelines align with regulations in New York City, where Fox is headquartered, and California, where many Fox employees work. Both states require that employers use their employees’ preferred names and pronouns and allow workers to use the bathroom of their choice. Fox has also attained a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index for years, which measures workplace LGBT inclusivity.
Other controversies: The media company previously drew backlash for using female pronouns for biological males like TikToker Dylan Mulvaney and swimmer Lia Thomas and for airing a June 2022 segment praising a child’s transition. According to former Fox employees interviewed by The Daily Signal, Fox host Tucker Carlson had to fight to host Matt Walsh, a popular critic of transgender ideology.
Viewers’ concerns: Many conservative Fox viewers have expressed irritation at the traditionally right-leaning media company’s apparent shift to the left, with its criticism of Donald Trump, the firing of Tucker Carlson, and now these guidelines. Some believe Fox’s ownership cares more about money than the conservative values the network claims to support.
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FROM UPWARD+
Overdose deaths rose last year crossing, still no decisive action from Biden
Overdose deaths in America marginally increased in 2022, exceeding the 100,000 mark for a second time, according to federal estimates. The 2022 figure stood at 109,680, a slight increase from the 109,179 deaths reported in 2021. The persistence of these devastating figures underscores the persistent threat posed by fentanyl in illicit drug consumption, namely its potency and pervasiveness.
What’s being done: Efforts to tackle this crisis are focused primarily on…
Note: This is a small excerpt from our most recent Upward+ coverage.
🔗 Paid readers can read it here.
📖 Free readers can read it with a 7-day free preview here.
IN THE LOOP
🗳️ Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced his run for president yesterday. Donald Trump wished him “good luck” in a Truth Social post, adding that “Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable.”
🤥 Only 44 percent of Americans still believe that the Trump-Russia collusion hoax was real, down from 53 percent in 2020, according to Harvard/Harris polling. Fifty-six percent correctly believe that the hoax and the related Steele dossier were, in fact, fake.
🇺🇦 U.S. experts say that Ukraine would have to overcome several technical obstacles before its pilots could fly F-16 fighter jets.
💰 Tucker Carlson sent a cease-and-desist letter to a PAC that has been raising funds to encourage him to run for president in 2024.
🚨 Target's newly released “LGBT Pride” collection includes “tuck-friendly” wear and rainbow-colored onesies, in the same section as pride attire for infants and children, stirring the original controversy.
POLL
Do you trust Fox News?Poll results will be in tomorrow’s newsletter. |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
What do you think should be done regarding the FBI?
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🟩 No changes (1%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 📝 Marginal reform (2.8%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔎 Sweeping reform (49.4%)
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️ ❌ Shutdown and replaced (46.7%)
“The FBI has been harmful for most of its history. Its peccadillos in the Trump era are minimal next to the pain (and, sometimes, death) it brought to people on the left in decades past. Perhaps we just don't need a national police.”
“The head of the beast must be dismantled. Sweeping reforms are not the top of my list as I believe the corruption runs deep. It may need to be shut down and replaced, but not under the current administration! ”
“Shut down and NOT replaced. The federal government operated just fine by relying on state/local law enforcement until 1908. Like all remnants of progressive politics, it should be openly and publicly done away with.”
✍️ Today’s newsletter was written by Ari, Hudson, and Joanna and edited by Alyssa.
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