☕ Daily Brief: Disney's Culture War Retreat
Also, the feds shield Big Pharma from accountability
Editorial Team
December 19, 2024
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🛡️ Feds shield Big Pharma from accountability. The Biden administration quietly extended liability protections for vaccine makers through 2029, ensuring Big Pharma remains untouchable as reports of severe side effects and trial failures continue to surface. Some believe the liability shield extension is tied to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to release information questioning vaccine safety and effectiveness, potentially leading to lawsuits.
🚨 Trump’s assassin was charged for almost killing a little girl. Ryan Routh, accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump, was charged with attempted felony murder in Florida after a multi-car crash that occurred during his escape critically injured a six-year-old girl. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody also accused federal authorities of obstructing the state’s investigation by blocking access to evidence and witnesses.
📱 TikTok is taking its fight to the Supreme Court and seeking Trump’s support. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is appealing to the Supreme Court and wants Donald Trump to block the app’s looming US ban, set to take effect on January 19. The Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s case on Jan. 10, while Trump, now an unexpected ally thanks to TikTok’s role in his election success, has signaled he may consider intervening.
🐦 California declared an emergency as bird flu spreads. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency over an H5N1 bird flu outbreak that has spread to dairy cattle on Southern California farms. While no human cases have been reported in the state, the virus has infected cattle in 16 states and recently caused the first severe human case in Louisiana.
WHAT WE’RE HEARING
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), responding to a CNN reporter’s question about Congress receiving a pay raise, shot back, “Half of your listeners are not there anymore, and you’re still getting the same paycheck.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) exploded at independent journalist Nick Sotor, calling him a “f****ng lying piece of s**t” and a “pathetic bottom feeder” for accusing Crenshaw of “spearheading the effort” for Congressional pay raises.
Donald Trump is reportedly “totally against” Congress’ continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos was reportedly “apoplectic” and “humiliated” over having to settle a lawsuit with Donald Trump.
Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro called attention to the fact that the Wisconsin school shooter had been in therapy because of her parents’ recent divorce and remarriages.
NARRATIVE TRACKER
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IN THE LOOP
Americans’ confidence in the judicial system is at a record low of just 35 percent; a 24 percent drop in four years.
CNN’s primetime viewership has plummeted over 50 percent since the election.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 1,100 points after the Federal Reserve indicated it may maintain higher interest rates than investors expected for 2025.
University of Pennsylvania Professor Amy Wax is threatening legal action against the university for alleged race discrimination unless it lifts the sanctions imposed on her. You can read more about Professor Wax in her recent interview with Upward News.
Teach kids more economics than most congressmen understand with The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil. It brings Leonard E. Read’s classic essay to life. Learn how millions cooperate in a free market.
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CORRECTION
In yesterday’s article, we reported that a 2nd-grader called 911 to report the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin. It was later discovered that the caller was a 2nd-grade teacher, not a student.
Corrections are included in newsletters for transparency.
CULTURE WAR
Disney retreats in the culture war by cutting a transgender storyline
Disney’s Pixar decided to remove a transgender storyline from its upcoming animated series Win or Lose, stating that such topics are better left for parents to discuss “on their own terms and timeline.” The decision marks a shift from the company’s previous efforts to integrate LGBT themes into its projects and implement what one Disney executive producer described as her “not-at-all-secret gay agenda.”
The fallout from conservative backlash has shown companies the high cost of straying too far into polarizing cultural debates. Target and Anheuser-Busch, for instance, faced boycotts after embracing LGBT messaging in their branding.
Target's reputation score, which had been climbing steadily, nosedived in 2023 after it carried gay pride month merchandise in its stores, prompting the retailer to pull back some items following public outcry.
Similarly, Anheuser-Busch suffered a steep decline in public perception after using transgender-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote Bud Light; the resulting boycott may have cost the company about $1.4 billion in lost revenue. Corporate pandering to progressive ideologies alienated large portions of their customer base, hitting companies where it hurts most: their bottom line.
Disney’s rebound in reputation among Republicans signals a significant shift in the ongoing culture war, where conservatives are finally starting to gain the upper hand. After losing favor with conservatives due to its criticism of Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, Disney's renewed efforts to appeal to a broader audience have paid off.
Right-wingers celebrated Disney’s decision to back off the transgender messaging. Pop culture commentator Mary Morgan lauded the move, saying, “We cyberbullied the Disney corporation into no longer grooming children.”
Conservative podcaster Ben Shapiro, who has been railing against Disney’s radical messaging for years, proclaimed that the company is “beginning to realize that the American people are not in favor of this sort of radicalism."
If Vice President Kamala Harris had won the election, it is possible that Disney and other corporate giants, like Amazon and Meta — which have both recently made major contributions to Donald Trump — would not have backtracked on their left-wing priorities.
Though the culture war is far from over, Trump’s victory sent a stark message that Americans are more interested in returning to normalcy than embracing controversial ideologies.
COMMENT OF THE DAY
“How about common sense? 1. Ban video shooting games. A 9 year old has already eliminated 500 “targets” before breakfast. 2. Get your kids off social media which would lessen bullying. 3. Get the family back in church to increase the value of human life. What we are doing doesn’t work.” — David H
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OUR QUESTION TO YOU
📊 Who do you think overstepped the most with LGBT promotion?Results will be in Monday's newsletter |
POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY
📊 Which of these is most important to curbing school shootings?
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 🔒 School Security (508)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🏡 Better Parenting (767)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🚩 Red Flag Laws (33)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🔫 Gun Control (15)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Other (Comment) (152)
🔒 School Security: “If the schools have armed security, along with physical security measures, the shooters will have a far harder time in committing these acts.” — Anonymous
🏡 Better Parenting: “If parents are actually having conversations with their children on a regular basis and actually have real, open, and honest relationships with their children, they would be able to tune into aberrant thoughts and behaviors of their children. They would more clearly see "red flags" and get their children the help they need. — J.C.
🤔 Other: “The media needs to stop sensationalizing it then you won't have copy cat shooters looking for attention.” — Anonymous
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