Daily Archives: March 13, 2022

New Zealand barbecue champion takes his grill skills to global competition – Stuff

Posted: March 13, 2022 at 8:26 am

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Cantabrian Dean Davis will be heading to Fort Worth, Texas next week to compete in the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) World Championship.

Well done is not a phrase in Dean Davis vocabulary at least not when it comes to steak.

Cantabrian Davis is heading to Fort Worth, Texas to fly the New Zealand flag in the Steak Cookoff Association (SCA) World Championship from Thursday to Sunday.

He is one of two Kiwis that will be representing Aotearoa on the world stage against some of the worlds top barbecuing talent, after qualifying by winning two New Zealand based competitions and receiving a golden ticket invitation to compete.

This is the eighth year of the competition and the SCAs largest World Championship to date.

READ MORE:* Kiwi teen is one of the world's best steak cooks - and he's sharing his tips* Christchurch chef heading to Texas after winning steak-cooking competition* The AM Show's Mark Richardson makes Duncan Garner honour vegan vow

Being able to cook a perfectly medium-rare steak is the bare minimum by the competition's judging criteria, which assesses marble, flavour, final appearance, texture and more to decide which steak is the best cooked steak in the world.

Davis began competing in barbecue just two years ago after discovering the New Zealand steak-cooking community on Facebook.

He came dead last in his first ever steak-cooking competition, but refused to be deterred.

I was gutted... it gave me a boot up the arse.

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Grill or sear marks are an important part of the steak-cooking judging criteria.

His next steak-cooking event resulted in him earning a solid second place, before securing two first places and thereby guaranteeing his invitation to the United States for the world champs.

Youve got to back yourself. If you come last, you come last.

Davis has been barbecuing over hot coals since he was seven years old.

This will be his first time in the States. He said he was looking forward to exploring Texas, the home of barbecue, during any downtime he has around the competition.

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Davis was given his golden ticket to attend the World Championships after winning a local competition.

He was also so cautious of becoming infected with Covid-19 (he needed to return a negative test before leaving) that he took his children out of school a week out from his departure.

He isolated himself for weeks leading up to his flight.

Ive been so paranoid... Ive tested myself twice a day for the past week.

While Covid-19 had made things difficult, Davis was still grateful to be able to attend the competition, and noted that many other New Zealand cooks, who wouldve travelled in normal times, were unable to go.

Returning his final negative test before departing would turn all the feelings of nerves into excitement, he said.

ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff

A first place at a New Zealand Steak Cookoff Association competition earns one a golden ticket.

Davis raised money to get himself to Texas, including by running a barbecue masterclass at the Woodend Tavern in North Canterbury and selling branded caps and hoodies.

Hes also sponsored by Silver Fern Farms, who donated ribeye steaks for Davis to practice with, the same variety that will be cooked at the competition.

I couldnt do it without the support, he said.

Its the 2nd best feeling after winning Lotto.

New Zealands two representatives at the World Championships are both from Canterbury.

Davis and Troy Bilbrough of popular fast food joint Bacon Brothers will represent New Zealand.

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Niue reports its first-ever case of Covid-19, a traveller from New Zealand – Stuff

Posted: at 8:26 am

Niue, one of the only countries to remain Covid-free throughout the pandemic, has recorded its first case of the virus.

The person, a traveller from New Zealand, arrived on a flight on Monday.

They are now in quarantine.

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The tiny Pacific Island country of Niue has recorded its first-ever Covid case. (File photo)

The person was double vaccinated and boosted and had returned a negative PCR test and rapid antigen tests prior to boarding their flight, a statement from the office of premier Dalton Tagelagi said.

READ MORE:* Covid-19: Cook Islands records first community case* Covid-19: Risk of Delta-variant to Niue low as government considers flight cancellations* Countries with no Covid-19 cases: The places that avoided coronavirus completely (so far) * Covid-19: Niue reaches herd immunity, with 97pc of eligible population vaccinated

On the flight were 26 other passengers, who also tested negative prior to departure.

Niue Government/Supplied

Niue's premier Dalton Tagelagi says the countrys high vaccination rate is a point in its favour. (File photo)

Niue, which has a population of just under 2000, vaccinated 97 per cent of its eligible population in 2021.

Our extremely high vaccination rate is another factor in our favour, as it slows the spread of transmission and reduces the health impacts in those who do contract this virus, the statement said.

All officials that are deemed to have come in close contact with the case are currently in isolation and will be closely monitored and tested according to protocol.

The other passengers had returned a negative Covid-19 test in Niue, but would be monitored and retested on day 3, the statement said.

We have expected this virus, we have prepared for it, and we are ready to contain its spread. We have remained vigilant; we have caught this case and now I ask you to remain vigilant too.

As we all know, the best defence against this virus is by keeping calm, working together, and making use of all the health and safety precautions that we know make a real difference in protecting us all from Covid-19.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are just eight other countries that have not reported any Covid-19 cases most of them in the Pacific.

The others are Tuvalu, Tokelau, Saint Helena, Pitcairn Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Turkmenistan and North Korea but officials have doubts about the veracity of the last twos claims.

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Best Online Casino Affiliate Program | PlayAttack Affiliates

Posted: at 8:24 am

PlayAttack is a trusted casino affiliate program behind top-converting online gambling brands SlotV Casino, Frank Casino, and Mr Bit Casino.

All thecasino brandsrepresented by our affiliate program have established themselves in the iGaming industry and operate under the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) license and the Romanian National Office for Gambling (ONJN) license. SlotV and Frank Casino hold a Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) license on top of it.

PlayAttack itself is also licensed by the Romanian National Office for Gambling (Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc). The affiliate programs license Number is 1421/29.07.2021.

Our affiliate program has been nominated for the AskGamblers Awards in the Best Partner category for two years in a row and has made the shortlist for the Global Gaming Awards London 2021 in the Affiliate Program of the year category.

We are on the constant lookout for like-minded affiliates who know how to drive traffic to casino brands.

Were interested to hear what youve got up your sleeve.Drop us a message at [emailprotected] if you want to know more about our affiliate program and discuss our possibilities together.

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Affilka adds UK-licensed The Phone Casino to its affiliate …

Posted: at 8:24 am

Affilka by SOFTSWISS has signed a new partnership with The Phone Casino,the affiliate marketing platform announced on Tuesday. Resulting from the newly announced deal, The Phone Casino has now joined the list of operators that have partnered with SOFTSWISS platform.

The Phone Casino is one of Affilka partners to have received permission from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) to operate on the UK market. It is owned by Small Screen Casinos, an independent operator and a B2B provider of software and solutions to the gaming industry.

According to Affilka, as part of the cooperation, The Phone Casino will be able to strengthen its brand position and find new ways for promotion through its affiliate program, Small Screen Casinos. At the moment, The Phone Casino uses Profit and Loss tracking tools and reporting, but is planning to expand this list to include the payment systems in the near future.

"I am pleased to announce that The Phone Casino and Affilka are launching the Small Screen Casinos affiliate program, which will be a great and effective tool for casino development and growth, said Anastasiya Baravaya, Product Owner at Affilka. Affilka offers user-friendly and easy-to-use affiliate and player solutions. With our platform, The Phone Casino will be able to analyze player behavior and use this knowledge to drive their business.

Affilka will leverage its status as one of the leading solutions for affiliate management in the iGaming market as part of the partnership, SOFTSWISS explains. The platform helps promote casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms with affiliate programs that are customized for each client.

This, in turn, helps organize affiliate activities based on business requirements, collect detailed player statistics, and optimize marketing costs. SOFTSWISS platform enables operators to manage affiliate partners across multiple brands, and permits to analyze player ROI from partners.

Affilka by SOFTSWISS is set to utilize a series of tools in the partnership. These include built-in payment processing (Neteller, Skrill, Cryptoprocessing and Bank transfer), and detailed partner and player reports available within the affiliate program interface in CSV, JSON and XML formats as well as via the API.

The platform further provides simple management of banners and affiliate landings and a flexible commission constructor (RevShare, Hybrid, CPA and CPL), SOFTSWISS explains. Affilka also features many postbacks options, and a single affiliate program for multiple brands and products.

"We are proud to announce the evolution of our bespoke platform, by integrating with SOFTSWISS and Affilka. SSC is now able to offer affiliates the chance to participate and promote our product in multiple markets, commented Taj Ratta, Co-Founder of Small Screen Casinos Ltd. The Affilka platform gives our partners transparency and further allows them to leverage SSC's successes and by giving them a real competitive edge when promoting SSC's brands.

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Which Type of Players Are Eligible to ‘Exclusive’ Casino Bonuses? – Amico Hoops

Posted: at 8:24 am

Online gambling has become an increasingly popular pursuit over recent years, especially in relation to the global pandemic which forced people away from public entertainment spaces and into their homes. Online gaming provided a social connection to people in a time of social isolation. As a result of this, weve also experienced a growth in the number of online casinos. Operating in a highly saturated market has meant that online casinos have to work hard to set themselves apart from the competition. One way of doing so is by offering potential customers exclusive casino bonuses as a way of attracting them to a particular online casino.

Whether you are new to the world of online gambling or an old hand at the slots, it is essential to be aware of the type of player that is eligible for these types of bonuses before jumping in.

Apart from the mandatory T&Cs and wagering requirements every player should look into, there is also the question of eligibility when it comes to certain bonuses on offer. Remember, just because theres a promotion available, this doesnt automatically mean you can benefit from it. Even if youre a loyal player at an online casino, exclusivity comes with certain conditions, and you should also keep in mind that it varies from one operator to the next.

Here are a few things worth noting when determining whether you are the type of player eligible for an exclusive casino bonus:

When you start getting into online gambling, youll realize there are all sorts of bonuses intended to attract potential players to a particular online casino. Exclusive bonuses differ markedly from standard bonuses in that they arent offered by the casino directly but by an affiliate program. Exclusive bonuses are intended to motivate players to promote the casino more efficiently, so they receive an additional boost on their winnings.

It is important to note that exclusive bonuses can only be claimed once a player has fulfilled the requirements set by the affiliate program. Exclusive bonuses usually come in the form of a code made up of a sequence of letters or numbers that need to be entered when creating an account with a particular casino. The nature of a specific exclusive bonus will depend on the agreement between the casino and the affiliate program but could involve free spins, cash, access to VIP rooms for a limited time period or cashback.

Exclusive bonuses arent all that common, so players really need to read the terms and conditions to ensure they are eligible. Firstly, youll need to find out about the wagering requirements. In the case of many exclusive bonuses, these are pretty high and difficult to get, so youll need to decide if you are the type of player that is able to meet these.

Another point to take note of when reading the terms and conditions on an exclusive bonus is how long the offer is valid. Youll find that many of these exclusive bonuses are only available for a limited time period, and youll need to check that you will be able to achieve the wagering requirements with this period in order to take advantage of the offer.

While the growth of online casinos has removed the obstacles usually associated with geographic boundaries by allowing people to play their favorite games from almost anywhere in the world, the terms of specific exclusive bonuses are limited to people based in a certain location. This may be related to laws in a particular territory or limits set by the affiliate program; in any case, it is worth noting whether the players eligible to benefit from the bonus need to be based in a particular country.

In short, exclusive bonuses that certain casinos offer are markedly different from most standard bonuses or welcome offers, which are available almost everywhere. The terms and conditions on exclusive bonuses are set by an affiliate program rather than the online casino portal itself.

The requirements on some of these exclusive bonuses can also be somewhat restrictive to limit the number of players that can benefit from them. That said, the opportunities to win big using these bonuses are great, so it is certainly worth investing some time learning about the requirements to see if you are eligible.

By the same token, ensuring that you understand exactly who is the type of player eligible to benefit from exclusive bonus at each individual online casino will be vital as it will save you time, effort and disappointment in the long run and ensure you know exactly what to expect when it comes to claiming your winnings.

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Hard Rock Casino attracts big bucks in short month – The Times of Northwest Indiana

Posted: at 8:24 am

Even a shorter than usual month can't stop the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana from extending its dominance of the Region's gaming market.

Data released Friday by the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) show Hard Rock in February was the highest earning casino in the Hoosier State for a fifth consecutive month once again surpassing the perennial earnings leader, Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, for "win," or revenue after paying successful bettors.

Hard Rock's win from slot machines and table games totaled $31.6 million for the month. That was a 4.7% increase compared to its January win over 31 days and 12.8% more than Horseshoe's February win of $28.7 million, which was up 2.5% compared to January, according to the IGC.

Matt Schuffert, president of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, which last year replaced Gary's former Majestic Star casinos, said "despite only having 28 days February produced one of our strongest months since we opened last May."

"This was the first month we led the northern half of the state in both slot volume and slot win, and we continue to grow our table games business, posting our largest table games drop month with only 28 days," he said.

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"Although we continue to dominate the baccarat business, we posted very strong growth in many other game types, particularly in blackjack and craps."

Schuffert expects the momentum to continue when the Hard Rock sports book opens in the weeks ahead. In addition, he said Hard Rock is ramping up its live entertainment in March and April, both in the 1,950-seat Hard Rock Live venue, and on Friday and Saturday nights in the "legendary" Hard Rock Caf and Council Oaks bar.

According to the IGC, Hard Rock attracted $52.5 million in table game wagers in February compared to $30.2 million at Horseshoe.

Baccarat was the biggest table game at both the Gary and Hammond casinos. But Hard Rock ($29.8 million) nearly tripled Horseshoe ($10.4 million) in baccarat play, and led in baccarat win with $4.1 million for Hard Rock and $1.4 million for Horseshoe.

Hard Rock also led the state in slot machine play for the second time since opening. Its $223.5 million in slot machine coin-in edged Horseshoe, which posted $221.4 million in slot play last month.

On a per machine basis, Hard Rock outpaced Horseshoe by tallying $13,768 in monthly win from each slot machine compared to $11,380 each at Horseshoe, records show.

According to the IGC, Ameristar Casino in East Chicago saw slot machine and table games win of $18.1 million in February, up 11.1% compared to January, while February's win of $10.7 million at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City also was up 11% on a monthly basis.

Statewide casino win for February totaled $201.3 million, a 5.9% increase compared to the $190.1 million in statewide win recorded in January, and up an astounding 48.5% compared to pandemic dampened February 2021, according to the IGC.

At the same time, data show enthusiasm for betting on sports waned a bit in February with Hoosiers risking just $409.1 million on sporting events.

That was a 22.3% drop compared to the state's record sports wagering handle of $500.1 million set in January.

"As big as the Super Bowl is, there is no substitute for five full weekends of football games, as there were in January. For that reason, February is always a slower month than January," said Jake Garza, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com.

"Still, Indianas sports betting industry remains in excellent shape. The largest sports betting holiday in the U.S. the NCAA Tournament is just ahead. With Purdue, Notre Dame, and Indiana in the mix, and Indianapolis among the hosts, it would not be surprising to see more records fall in March."

As usual, Ameristar Casino led the state for sports wagering handle in February with $121.5 million, primarily through its DraftKings mobile sports wagering affiliate.

Blue Chip once again ranked second with $107.7 million in sports bets last month thanks in part to its affiliation with FanDuel.

Records show Indiana in February collected $59.5 million in tax revenue from slot machine and table game play, and another $1.6 million from settled sports wagers.

The Jacksons are seen in concert at Hard Rock Live at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary.

Jackie, from left and Marlon Jackson dance during the song "Can You Feel It?" at Hard Rock Live.

Tito, from left, Jackie and Marlon Jackson perform at Hard Rock Live in Gary.

Jackie Jackson is seen performing at Hard Rock Live.

Jackie and Marlon Jackson are pictured on stage at Hard Rock Live.

Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson threw a musical party on stage at Hard Rock Live.

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White Hat Gaming new Gaming Corps partner European Gaming Industry News – European Gaming Industry News

Posted: at 8:24 am

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Michael Owen, Derek Johnstone and Rachel Brown-Finnis join esteemed panel as world-famous football gaming company relaunches affiliate program

The Football Pools is celebrating 60 years of its famous Pools Panel with the addition of football icons Michael Owen (Liverpool, Manchester United), Derek Johnstone (Rangers) and the panels first-ever woman expert, former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.

The announcement comes asThe Football PoolsandThe Poolsrelaunches itsaffiliate program, with casino and sportsbook affiliates being offered a range of generous deals to promote both brands to their audiences in the UK.

The trio joins existing member and Liverpool veteran, Ian Callaghan, and will predict the results of postponed matches. They will use their 50 years of expertise, and some strong opinions, to decide the all-important score draws and wins which could help make Pools fortunes.

Michael, who has gone on to become a successful football pundit since retiring from the game in 2013, said he was delighted to become part of a football gaming institution that means so much to fans:

The Football Pools has been a tradition for generations of families and mine is no different. My dad used to do the Poolsand he would even let me get involved in picking some of the games.

Now I can no longer affect results as a player,Im delighted to havebeen asked to sit on the panel to hopefully put my knowledge of the game to use to help others.

John Stevens,Managing Director of The Football Pools and The Pools, said creating such an illustrious new Pools Panel was a fitting way to celebrate its 60thyear.

He said: Since the Pools Panel was set up in 1963, weve had some of the biggest names in the game predicting results.

Our new members represent football from different generations, from both sides of the border and were very proud to have our first ever woman panellist with Rachel. We are confident that weve created a winning team in what is such a landmark year for us.

It is great to be announcing the new Pools Panel at the same time as we are relaunching our affiliate program and looking to engage with new publishers about promoting our brands to their audiences.

The Pools affiliate program is powered by Income Access and allows publishers to promote two of the most established and trusted gambling brands in the UK to their players via a range of tailored commercial agreements and deals.

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Why this author says free speech is needed now more than ever – The Christian Science Monitor

Posted: at 8:23 am

Growing up in Denmark, Jacob Mchangama says he took free speech for granted. So he embarked on a journey through history to discover what free speech really means, not as an empty, abstract principle, but as a practice that matters more than we may understand.

His book, Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media, is a call to protect that ideal ata time when free expression seems to be under scrutiny from all sides. I think we have to look back at what went before, and how hard it was for free speech to become a fundamental value, he says.

Free speech can be messy even harmful at times. For author Jacob Mchangama, the ideals long and robust history proves its worth fighting for.

For Mr. Mchangama, what is needed now is a culture of free speech, which means being tolerant even when its uncomfortable.

Not that we should enforce tolerance by limiting speech, but we have to accept that in diverse societies, people are going to have diverse opinions and thats not necessarily a threat. In many ways, its a bonus. But sometimes people will have diverse opinions that you really, really disagree with. Thats a cost of living in a free and equal society, and its a cost that is worth bearing.

From efforts to ban books to demands for increased monitoring of social media platforms, free speech is under scrutiny. Instead of joining the calls to limit speech, Jacob Mchangama, a lawyer and the executive director of the Danish think tank Justitia, takes the opposite approach. In his book Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media, he calls on historys greatest philosophers and activists from John Stuart Mill to Ida B. Wells to Mahatma Gandhi to serve as chief witnesses in his defense of free speech today. He recently spoke with the Monitor.

What first ignited your passion for free speech?

I was born in secular, liberal Denmark where ... I took free speech for granted. It was like breathing air. Then the cartoon affair when a Danish newspaper published cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad made Denmark the epicenter of a global battle of values over the relationship between free speech and religion, and also forced a lot of people in Denmark to rethink, what does free speech mean? Is it just an empty, abstract principle that we can use in a tribalist manner? Or, does it really matter? And thats why I wanted to look at contemporary-era [free speech] issues through the prism of history because that allows you to get a more detached view of current affairs than if you are caught in the Twitter narrative.

Free speech can be messy even harmful at times. For author Jacob Mchangama, the ideals long and robust history proves its worth fighting for.

What new challenges has social media presented?

Were in a process of migrating from the analog city to the digital city. That means the institutions we built, which sustained us for a long time, are not necessarily as relevant and legitimate in our minds as they used to be. Weve seen a plummeting of trust in traditional media, institutions, and politicians. And I think social media has contributed to that. But I think it would be dangerously misguided to say we need to then abolish or roll back free speech.

What lessons can we take from history on how, and how not, to counteract disinformation and hate speech?

First of all, we have to be aware that what counts as disinformation, hate speech, or other types of harmful speech is likely to change. If you were living in the 17th century, you would look upon deists or atheists as [advocating] the worst kind of disinformation. Many people would think that it was perfectly legitimate to persecute such ideas because no society could stand that allowed such attacks on its foundation. Today, we look at such ideas as pretty uncontroversial. Open democracies have to be very, very careful about limiting free speech. [It can be] intuitively attractive to want to limit free speech because you say, Well, if free speech facilitates concrete harms against our democracies, against minorities, against our institutions, against truth itself, we should limit it. But [even though] free speech may sometimes facilitate harms, [it] does not necessarily follow that restrictions on free speech are an efficient method of countering [them] or that the benefits of limiting certain kinds of speech will outweigh the harms.

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What values help a society to prioritize a free speech culture?

I think we have to look back at what went before, and how hard it was for free speech to become a fundamental value. We need a culture of free speech, which ultimately means that we have to be tolerant as human beings. Not that we should enforce tolerance by limiting speech, but we have to accept that in diverse societies, people are going to have diverse opinions and thats not necessarily a threat. In many ways, its a bonus. But sometimes people will have diverse opinions that you really, really disagree with. Thats a cost of living in a free and equal society, and its a cost that is worth bearing.

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Virginia bill to protect public workers’ free speech heads to governor – KPVI News 6

Posted: at 8:23 am

(The Center Square) Legislation that would allow public sector workers to speak against policy proposals in public hearings passed both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly and will be sent to Gov. Glenn Youngkins desk.

House Bill 384, sponsored by Del. Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, passed with bipartisan support: 72-27 in the House and 26-14 in the Senate. The governor is expected to sign the legislation.

The bill would ensure that public sector workers do not lose their right to free speech when commenting on current or proposed policies by public institutions during a public hearing. This would apply even if they are speaking against a policy proposal in their workplace. The law is meant to protect the workers freedoms of conscience and expression.

If Youngkin signs the legislation, employers would not be allowed to fire or penalize workers who criticize policies in such hearings. According to the bill, these hearings provide time for public comment, at which point the employee is speaking on his own behalf as a member of the public.

Questions surrounding the constitutionality of punishing a public worker for speaking against proposed policies during a public hearing erupted last year when a Loudoun County gym teacher was suspended from his job after he criticized a proposed transgender policy that was ultimately adopted.

While speaking during the public comment period of a school board meeting, the teacher, Tanner Cross, said he would refuse to call students by their preferred gender pronouns if the pronoun did not match the biological sex of the student. He said he would refuse to affirm that a biological boy could be a girl or that a biological girl could be a boy.

Cross sued the school, arguing the school violated his constitutional right to free speech. Cross and the school reached a settlement, which allowed him to keep his job and prevented the school from retaliating against him for expressing his views about the policy.

The law would not apply to speech that is unprotected by the First Amendment, such as anything that incites violence, is obscene, defamatory or fraudulent or discloses privileged and confidential information.

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Bill Maher Says Liberals Have Changed, Rips Left on Free Speech and More – Newsweek

Posted: at 8:22 am

To those who think political commentator Bill Maher has somehow drifted from his traditionally liberal beliefs, the comedian says it's actually those on the left who have become too extreme in theirs.

That was one of the sentiments made by the talk show host of Real Time with Bill Maher to conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro on a coming episode of Shapiro's The Ben Shapiro Show: Sunday Special.

"Look I haven't changed ... at all. My politics haven't changed. They've changed," said Maher, referring to those on the left of the political aisle.

Newsweek got an exclusive first look at portions of the show featuring the pair in a sit-down hourlong interview discussing topics from Russia's war on Ukraine and how woke politics are alienating Hispanic voters to the coronavirus pandemic, free speech, climate change and the potential plans of former President Donald Trump in 2024.

"... Five years ago, no one was talking about defunding the police. I never heard that phrase five years ago. That's not me changing, that's things changing. I'm reacting to it as I've always been," Maher told Shapiro. "... Letting 3-year-olds decide what gender they are. This wasn't something five years ago. Free speech, you know, used to be a left-wing thing that we were proud of and owned and now that seems to be under attack, so again, I think I've stayed the same."

In recent months, Maher has spoken out more and been critical of progressive policies, which have left some asking whether he has altered his political views.

"... Maher is not the jester speaking truth to power. He is a hypocrite pushing misinformation. If he wants Democrats to win as badly as he claims, he should either get his facts straight or cancel himself," wrote Bill Scher, writer and co-host of the online show The DMZ in a January article of Washington Monthly.

Less recently, some have criticized Maher's comments about learning to live with the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, in 2019, liberal comedian Trae Crowder blamed Maher for pushing the narrative that the more-liberal elites look down on those in rural red states.

In Shapiro's coming episode, a larger discussion between the two focused on identity politics. Shapiro queried Maher about whether Democrats are so tied into a mindset where everybody is described based on their race (as opposed to being part of a broad platform to which anybody can ascribe) that it's skewing their vision and ultimately hurting the party.

"Biden was supposed to be a moderate above all that and he really hasn't governed that way," Shapiro said.

The two also bantered about misconceptions around Hispanic voters.

"Immigration is an issue where the Democrats are really not getting itI mean they're losing the Hispanic vote," said Maher. "... Their conception I thinkand it's wrongis that every Latino in America is thinking, 'Boy, more immigrationthat would be the best thing' and a lot of them are thinking, 'No, I'm here and the last thing I want is someone else coming over whose going to do my job for a little less money.'"

"I wonder when this is going to sink into the Democratic Party leadership," he added.

Maher is also getting into the world of podcasting. On Wednesday, it was reported by Deadline that he would be hosting an hourlong weekly show featuring a range of guests talking about anything, except politics.

For his part, Shapiro said he's appreciative of Maher's political voice.

"Bill Maher is one of the most important voices on mainstream television right now because he's perhaps the only liberal commentator who is willing to stand up to the cultural extremism of the left," Shapiro told Newsweek. "It was a pleasure having him on the Sunday Special. Our conversation is going to surprise a lot of people."

The Ben Shapiro Show: Sunday Special will debut March 12 on The Daily Wire news website for its members. The episode will be available on YouTube or wherever podcasts are available afterward.

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