Category Archives: Freedom

When Zack Snyder departed his Warner Bros. tentpole Justice League in 2017, it spelled the end of the filmmakers long run with the studio. Even though he resurrected his vision with Zack Snyders Justice League on Warner Medias HBO Max, after seven films with the studio, he and his wife, creative partner, and producer Deborah Snyder opted to bring their next film to Netflix.

Theyd long hoped to make Army of the Dead, an ambitious zombie heist film, at Warners, but Deborah said they have no regrets in creating this new partnership. When Netflix stepped in to make the film in 2019, it offered a big budget, a greenlight for two more franchise entries, and the kind of creative freedom not often on offer in a world gone mad for existing IP. And then there was the data.

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I got absolutely no information from HBO Max or Warner Bros. None, she told IndieWire. Im getting a lot more indication [from Netflix about Army of the Dead], a lot more sharing of information in terms of indicators that are looking good. They wont be reporting box office because its not really about the box office for this were in 600 theaters but I think the idea was more, this is a big film and they want to eventize it.

While a theatrical run was never in the cards for Zack Snyders Justice League, Army of the Dead rolls out in 600 theaters today, a week before it hits Netflix. Snyder sees it as a win-win: having something new to play on the big screen can help theaters, while also giving eager fans the chance to see it early.

It helps the movie theaters to drive people there, but it wasnt about having to make a certain amount of money, she said. For us, its about people liking it and seeing it and wanting to see it.

And while Snyder is an unabashed fan of the theatrical experience, she recognizes that many studio films the kind she and her husband used to make for Warner Bros. only happen if theyve got existing IP (and existing fanbases) behind them. For Army of the Dead, an original story that Zack Snyder had been trying to make for over a decade, Warner Bros. couldnt offer what Netflix could.

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I dont think would have been made had it not been for Netflix, Snyder said. What a streaming service like Netflix is doing is allowing stories to get told that wouldnt be getting told. Warner Bros., for so many years, we couldnt figure it out with them. When we decided to make it, they had the opportunity to do so [with us], but [Warners] couldnt offer us the same budget that we could get to make it [at Netflix]. Everyone has to make these safe choices and I feel with the streaming services, theyre a little bit more bold and brash, and I think thats really good for filmmakers.

Netflix was also willing to do something few studios would: greenlight a franchise, including two films and an anime series, right out of the gate. The film prequel, Army of Thieves, was filmed during the pandemic (directed by Army of the Dead co-star Matthias Schweighfer, who also stars in it) and will hit Netflix later this year. Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, the anime series, Snyder has developed alongside Jay Oliva and will reunite most of the films cast to give voice to their characters. Snyder himself directed two episodes of the series.

Thats not something that would happen in the studio world, she said, particularly with a new story and universe like the one her husband and co-writer Shay Hatten created with Army of the Dead.

If youre thinking about creating exciting new IP, and you wait until the [first] movie comes out and its successful, youre waiting years before you can say, Okay, go ahead, lets pull the trigger on a prequel. Lets pull the trigger on an animated series,' she said. Everybodys waiting on the sure bet and sometimes you have to take that chance, and they were willing to do that. The studios dont want to make that investment until they know its a sure thing. Whats been exciting is for Netflix to say, Yes, we want you to create a franchise, we believe in this and we like what were seeing. I felt like it was a real partnership.

Asked if there was anything cut from the film like an alleged sequence involving a zombie penis that Snyder missed, she was resolute: With this one, everything really that I wanted to see, I got to see.

That even included a nod to Zack Snyders Justice League, which didnt exist when the Snyders shot Army of the Dead in summer 2019; it didnt even seem like a possibility.

When we were making the film, we never thought that [the Snyder Cut of] Justice League would actually happen, so we put the film canisters of Justice League in the vault that they open up, Snyder said. At the time, it was never a possibility. That was a fun one.

Asked if the Snyders view Netflix as their new homebase, Snyder demurred. Well have to see, she said. Its great to be able to not be tied to a single studio, but at the same time, weve had this amazing relationship with our executives, with our marketing department. We like staying with people when its a good partnership and you feel mutually supported. So I really hope to do a lot more with Netflix.

Army of the Dead is in limited theaters now, and will hit Netflix on Friday, May 21.

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Warner Bros. vs. Netflix: Streamer Gives Creative Freedom, Data, and Real Partnership to the Snyders - Yahoo Entertainment

Friday, 14 May 2021, 11:25 amPress Release: ACT New Zealand

ABill introduced to the UK Parliament this week sharesthe same goal as my Members Bill and should be debatedhere in New Zealand, says ACT MP Dr JamesMcDowall.

Free speech on campus iscritical. Fostering the ability of students to discuss anddebate ideas is an essential part of higherlearning.

My Bill, The Education (Freedom ofExpression) Amendment Bill will ensure tertiary educationinstitutions like universities are funded by taxpayers forthe purpose of freely and openly discussingideas.

Speakers shouldnt be de-platformed bypeople who dont agree with them.

Tertiaryeducation institutions are required by the Education Act1989 and the Bill of Rights Act 1990 to uphold academicfreedom and freedom of expression, but it is currently not acondition of funding that institutions adhere to theserequirements.

Essentially, there are noconsequences if an institution actively inhibits freedom ofexpression without legitimate cause.

Its greatto see the UK moving in the right direction with thislegislation which has thesame goal as my MembersBill.

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If there really is anyone out there who feels genuinely panicked about what cancel culture' is doing to our precious freedoms, then maybe they should just take a deep breath, look hard at who has allegedly been cancelled and see if they can detect any trace of a lasting cancellation effect. Chances are, the alleged cancellees will be doing just fine. By and large, they will be people who do not lack for a public platform never have, never will and the downstream effects of being cancelled will almost invariably be trending towards zero... More>>

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Freedom Of Expression On Campus Must Be Protected | Scoop News - Scoop.co.nz

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John Butler performs shows in Christchurch and Auckland this weekend.

John Butler always has an appreciation for the freedom music affords his life, but right now he is incredibly grateful for the freedom and connection between Australia and New Zealand.

Australias highest-selling independent artist, American-born Butler performs two shows in New Zealand this weekend, on Friday night at Christchurch's Isaac Theatre Royal and at Auckland's Powerstation on Sunday.

Travelling internationally without the need to be in quarantine is an incredible luxury.

It is an honour and privilege to live in this part of the world where we can actually do this. We are so lucky, he says.

READ MORE:* What's on: Event highlights in tautahi Christchurch* Culture Calendar: All the unmissable events in Auckland for the month of May * Grammys 2021 winners: The complete list

He will perform songs from his extensive back catalogue, including the John Butler Trio's multi-award winning seventh album, Home, which hit the ARIA Charts at number 1 upon release.

The Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions lead to the cancellation of BluesFest at Byron Bay this year, which he was headlining, but the silver lining was the time off-stage afforded him a rare opportunity to focus on his art and create new songs.

He started playing guitar at 16 and was busking, playing instrumental songs by the age of 21. Now hes 46 and has a busy family life.

I have travelled constantly for the last 20 years so not being on tour has been a break in many ways, Butler says.

It has allowed me to focus on making the art rather than performing the art.

In his home studio he has been self-producing and self-engineering a new body of work.

It has been an immense learning curve but, I have enjoyed putting it together ... making my own little world.

I have to bend and morph to what the song wants, whether that is guitar, if it wants to be a drum 'n bass song ... I contort to the song, that brings out a million and one ways to approach it. I just sit in my studio trying to figure out what it wants ... I sit in my studio and try and serve the song.

STUFF

Kiwis welcome Australians to New Zealand, as the first flights from Australia arrive after the opening of the trans-Tasman travel bubble.

On his new songs he has mined themes of the human condition.

Life has been a mixture in the past year. I lost my dad ... one kid has graduated from school. Beautiful moments and tragic moments and everything in-between like most people, he says.

On these songs Ive been thinking about the human condition mainly, externally and internally ... micro and macro, its very fractal. The world without is just a reflection of the world within. Our relationships with each other are all about the relationship we have with ourselves.

While in New Zealand he hopes to reconnect with friends from Trinity Roots but wont have time for any sightseeing.

For me, just actually performing again ... it's very freeing. I will give my take on myself, the world and art.

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John Butler talks about art and freedom ahead of New Zealand shows - Stuff.co.nz

Good morning! Its me again, as Donald and I traded days due to the whole Thursday night D.C. United game this week thing. Weve got some DCU news, some Washington Spirit, a little NWSL, and some looks at two clubs who made mistakes. Lets get into it:

Shot for a shot: DC United hosts vaccine event | WTOPIf you havent gotten your Covid vaccination yet, you can get it done tonight at Audi Field, and the first 100 people to do so get a ticket to a future game.

Heres your pre-game thread of tweets from Uniteds pre-game press conference, with a couple of modest injury updates included:

Meet the Washington Spirits Newest Investor: Alex Ovechkin | Washington City PaperStill quite wild that this has happened.

Inside the meeting where Columbus Crew fans were shown the clubs rebrand: Im just shocked and appalled | The AthleticThe number of times Crew supporters were told things that are demonstrably not true by Crew ownership/employees feels like a sign of the times. You know the vibe: were doubling down on... a thing theyre actually moving away from. Just a colossally dumb thing to do, on top of being dishonest.

The battles for control through Atlanta Uniteds rapid ascent and sudden backslide | The AthleticA different sort of oof here, as it sounds like Atlanta Uniteds initial success is a little more about money and luck than it is about a brilliantly-run club.

NWSL minimum and maximum salaries, team caps each rise 5-10% in 2021 | Equalizer SoccerDetails on the NWSLs minimum and non-allocated maximum salaries going up, and this years overall salary cap.

Debinha named MVP of 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup presented by Secret | NWSLsoccer.comDebinha was the last player left off of my ballot (we were asked to put our top three choices forward), but you can make a case for her for sure.

I need breakfast and a good stretch, so thats it for me. However, Ill leave you with one last bit on our returning insect overlords:

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Wednesday Freedom Kicks: Covid-19 vaccinations at Audi Field, Alex Ovechkin talks Washington Spirit, and more - Black And Red United

The Freedom 500 Pay-Per-View Event

So, you wanted this, and this is how youre gonna get it! Figure out which one of your friends is going to foot the bill. Then click the buy ppv button above and create your account. Remember, this is ONLY a PPV event no spectators!

On the day of the event, get all your buddies together and come back to this page. Log in and youll be able to watch the event right here. For a better viewing experience you can hook up your laptop to a TV or airplay it to a monitor. That way your friends arent leaning over your shoulder spilling Mountain Dew on your laptop.

Below are some ways you can get help if youre having any issues viewing the PPV event or have questions regarding your account. The best and easiest way to get help is to use the Customer Service chat by clicking on the little red circle in the bottom left of the page.

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Freedom 500 with Cleetus McFarland at the Freedom Factory

ROCHESTER, Mich., May 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Metro-Detroit based Arterra Realty announces Cap Cash program allowing agents to receive their entire commission cap back.

Arterra Realty's annual commission cap is $20,000. Once their cap is reached, agents automatically earn 100% commission for the remainder of their anniversary period. This cap is strategically calculated to provide Arterra Advisors with access to top performing programs not included at most brokerages.

These programs include lead generation, personalized support and mentorship opportunities, revenue sharing, in-house marketing services, product-focused training, and more. In addition to complimentary listing signs and office access, Arterra could save agents over $4,500 annually in professional photography fees.

"We want to put more money into the hands of our agents, our Cash Cap program does just that." Vito Terracciano, CEO & Founder

After meeting the requirements for the Cap Cash program, agents then qualify to receive the $20,000 they have contributed toward their commission cap back in monthly payments.

"Not only do I have the opportunity to earn 100%, but I can get my cap refunded in cash. In addition to many other benefits, I am immediately making tens of thousands more at Arterra and don't have to wait to reap the benefits of hitting my cap. I like that I can get my cash back and invest in the stocks of my choice, rather than wait three years to see the benefits of one chosen for me." Haig, Industry All Star and Arterra Real Estate Advisor

Other Arterra compensation plans include revenue sharing paid out on a per-transaction basis, Founder's Pool program sharing 10% of annual corporate profits, $1,000 recruiting bonuses, commission loyalty offering up to 90/10 splits, and more.

Compensation and Culture Can Co-Exist. If you are looking to earn more money in your career with a culture that cares, Arterra may be the right fit for you.Apply online to schedule a meeting with the Arterra founders today.

SOURCE Arterra Realty

https://www.weare.arterrarealty.com

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Freedom To Invest In Your Future: Cap Cash Is King When It Comes To Real Estate Compensation - PRNewswire

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CHILLICOTHE - For three days, the community will get the chance to see an exhibit that honors thefallen from Lima Company, whichlost 23 men in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as Eyes of Freedom comes toYoctangee Park.

When the Lima Company, Third Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment (Lima 3/25), lost 23 men it was the most combat losses of any infantry unit since theVietnam war.

Eyes of Freedom features life-sizeportraitsof the 23 Lima Company Marines and Navy Corpsman who lost their lives fighting overseas, although "their eyes reflect the thousands of men and women who have given their lives and served our nation," according to the exhibit website.

The boots of the fallen 23 stand at the base of their portraits, making the exhibit even more personal.

(L-R) Sara Duvall and Johna Pulver check to make sure each boot is paired correctly as they are set up and ready to be presented for the Eyes of Freedom Exhibit on May 5, 2021. Duvall lost her son Corporal Aaron Reed in 2005 due to a roadside bomb. (Photo: Robert McGraw/Gazette)

At the center of the exhibit is a statue of a soldier hunched over, staring at the dog tags of those he has lost.

Executive Director Mike Strahle, a veteran of Lima 3/25, served with the Columbus-basedunit during its deployment to Iraq starting in January 2005.

"Once we hit the ground in Iraq, we were on the offensive, going town to town, house to house, trying to find the insurgency and gather information about who was trying to hurt Americans and who was bullying the local Iraqis there," said Strahle.

On May 11, 2005, Strahle was badly injured when a roadside bomb blew up a vehicle he was in, killing six other men who were also in the vehicle.

He sustained severe injuries from shrapnel to his legs, stomach, chest, and arms as he was thrown from the vehicle. The most severe damage was to his intestines, he said.

On Aug.3, 2005, another roadside bomb hit an amphibious assault vehicle, killing 11 Lima Company marines and three crew, as well as an Iraqi civilian interpreter. Only the pilot of the AAV survived, sustaining severe burn injuries.

This was to be the largest roadside bombing sustained by coalition forces in the Iraq War.

"Suddenly our local unit here in Columbus, comprised of mostly all local guys, mostly Ohio residents, it was front-page news," he said.

Artist Anita Miller heard about the tragedies that befell the company and wished to help the grieving families of the fallen Marines.

Two months later, she awoke in the middle of the night with a vision of the completed memorial standing in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda. Miller worked for the next two and a half years on her idea, bringing it to life.

"It was really that picture that sort of hovered in front of me, I saw it in the statehouse rotunda - people walking around, looking at the paintings, seeing the candles and the boots and people leaving flowers and notes," she said. "In a flash, the whole thing disappeared and I saw people moving in, dismantling it, and taking it on the road- I thought, oh, a traveling exhibition, that's cool."

On Memorial Day 2008 the Lima Company Memorial was unveiled in the Statehouse Rotunda.

Strahle was present, along with other Lima Company Marines who survived the tour.

By 2011, with the help of Wilmington-basedR+L Carriers, Miller was able to bring the exhibit on the road.

The Silent Battle statue is the centerpiece of the Eyes of Freedom Exhibit.(Photo: Robert McGraw/Gazette)

Miller connected with Strahle at a bike event Strahle was running called Bikes for the Brave, asking if he or any other Lima Company Veteran might be interested in helping to book events.

"It was like a rocket took off," said the Marine veteran. "All of a sudden, each event was leading to more events and just being viewed by the public rapidly was generating our schedule."

The exhibit has done nearly 30 events a year for the last decade, barring last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, the Eyes of Freedom exhibit added a tribute to veterans dealing with PTSD, survivor's guilt, grief, and the myriad of trauma resulting from war,in the form of the "silent battle" sculpture.

"At events around the country, we continued to meet with people strongly dealing with and managing PTSD and needing an outlet for their own suicide prevention," Strahle said.

Miller decided to add a physical representation of that struggle and be proactive in engaging veterans who are struggling, connecting them to resources where they can.

"You can tell when you're standing there if people have been touched by suicide," she said. "You can see it in their posture, especially when they embrace the sculpture and break down crying, you can guess that they've lost someone."

Miller said that the pose of the statuewas inspired by a conversation with a veteran, who told her of the unerasable memory of a friend sitting against a wall after a mission, holding the dog tags of friends he had lost.

"He said, if you portray that, you won't need to explain anything," said Miller.

Strahle says he himself struggles with trauma from his time at war. "I don't know that I realized how much I am still actively taking care of those thoughts and taking care of myself until last year when my full-time job, and therapy if you will, was one and the same and taken from us," he said.

The exhibit will be in Chillicothe from Thursday toFriday in theYoctangee Park Armory from 12 to 8 p.m. On Saturday, the exhibit will also be part of a walking tour honoring Ross County residentswho fought and died from the Revolutionary Warto the modern day conflicts.

The walking tour will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. starting at the World War Imemorial at the intersection of Paintand Water streets.

The Joseph Ogle Company, militia reenactors of the Revolutionary War, will demonstrate firearms and speak about the lives of Revolutionary War soldiers. A list of all known Revolutionary War Soldiers will be handed out to visitors. The War of 1812 and the Civil War will be also represented.

Those participating in the tour will then walk toVeteran's Memorial Park on Yoctangee Parkway. Local high school students and members of local veteran's groups will be on hand to present information on those who died in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Medal of Honor recipients from Ross County.

The information is collected from a book being written by Robert Leach, VFW District 12 commander and a former Colonel with the US Army 75thRangers.

The high school students have been given much leeway in how to present the information, from dressing in period clothing and acting as the veteran in question to simply reading information from a sheet, said Leach.

The tour will concludeat the Yoctangee Park Armory, where the public can view the Eyes of Freedom exhibit free of charge. This stop will also honor the four Ross County residentswho gave their lives in the global War on Terror.

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Eyes of Freedom exhibit coming to Chillicothe - Chillicothe Gazette

The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders reports that "journalism, the main vaccine against disinformation, is completely or partly blocked in 73% of the 180 countries ranked by the organization."

Thirty-two journalists around the globe were reportedly killed last year. Already this year, in Afghanistan in an episode enough to make one cry three young women employees of a local TV station in Jalalabad were gunned down by the local Islamic State affiliate. That was after a 26-year-old woman presenter at the same station named Malalai Maiwand was shot dead in December.

Can you imagine the courage it takes for young women (and men) to continue to work in journalism in Afghanistan, or civil war-torn Myanmar? Or Belarus? Or in many African nations? Or to keep trying to present real news in the handful of independent online or provincial outlets that still exist in Russia? (The many brave independent Chinese journalists who once functioned in print and online are almost completely silenced.)

Yet, today's main threat to press freedom in the United States is more insidious than grisly murders. And it undermines the very future of our democratic system.

I refer, of course, to the growth of an alternative media universe, amplified by President Donald Trump, that attracts a sizable portion of the American public into its own news silo and feeds them a constant and hypnotic "news" diet of outright lies.

This cuts to the heart of how we define press freedom.

We are not (yet) in a "1984" era, to cite the famous George Orwell novel about a totalitarian society whose members are taught that "freedom is slavery" and "ignorance is strength." The press is still free to report the facts, but an important segment of the media especially on TV, radio, and the internet have chosen to use that freedom to promote an endless stream of falsehoods about public health and political issues.

I needn't repeat here the history of how Roger Ailes and Fox News built a network that looked like (and in the past partly acted like) a news network. However, it soon devolved into a source of radical-right fantasies, from the birther lie about President Barack Obama's birthplace to COVID-19 denial to the continued promotion of the biggest lie of all, that the 2020 election was stolen.

In the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Fox backed off slightly, but small, propaganda-style networks like Newsmax and One America News rushed to capture Foxs defecting viewers. In a race to the bottom, Fox junked some news shows and has gone full bore with its opinion blast of untruths.

We are not talking here of serious debate about controversial questions whether about masking or climate change or critiques of President Joe Biden's policies. We are talking of lies that mislead much of the public.

We have Tucker Carlson telling viewers that Biden wants war with Russia. Or urging them to call the cops if they see a masked child and report "child abuse." Or John Roberts' false claim that Biden wants Americans to cut 90% of red meat from their diet. Along with the constant lies about massive 2020 election fraud that feed the GOP public's pressure for laws to suppress voting.

This constant litany of lies has serious consequences.

A September 2020 Gallup poll reported that only 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they have "a great deal" (9%) or "a fair amount" (31%) of trust and confidence in the media (newspapers, TV, and radio) to report the news "accurately, and fairly."

But the gap between the two political parties is stunning: 73% percent of Democrats reported a great or fair amount of trust while only 10% of Republicans did.

We can surely attribute much of the latter figure to the misinformation promoted by Fox, its imitators, and talk radio. Misinformation on COVID-19 testing and treatments that helped doom hundreds of thousands of Americans. And mistrust of election results that undermines the country and helps our adversaries abroad.

That's why I believe it's necessary to start labeling false media propaganda as a direct threat to press freedom.

As Hannah Arendt, the great expert on totalitarian rule, said in 1974: "What makes it possible for a dictatorship to rule is that people are not informed. If everybody always lies to you, the consequence is not that you believe the lies but rather that nobody believes anything any longer. With such a people you can then do what you please."

Twitter was correct to ban the former president.

Open debate should be welcomed by all sides (including Democratic progressives), but constant, overt lies undermine the republic. Those talking heads from Congress who promote the Big Election Lie should be reprimanded on talk shows when they do so.

To let those lies spread not only undermines press freedom but also promotes civil war.

Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She can be contacted at trubin@phillynews.com.

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National View: Lies are undermining press freedom in the US - Duluth News Tribune

GLEN JEAN, WV (WVNS) Governor Justice along with others from the Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve, the West Virginia DNR, and the Grand National Cross Country Racing Series announced a new event coming to the summit. The Adventure on Freedom Festival will include the West Virginia DNRs 2021 National Hunting and Fishing Days, GNCC racings amateur mountaineer race, and several other outdoor activities.

We want families, friends, supporters of the Summit to come out see the latest and greatest new gear, try the new shot guns, ride the new motorcycles, Director of Business Development Bill Garrett said.

Director of the WVDNR, Stephen McDaniel, said this festival will allow for racing fans to get the taste of hunting and fishing and vice versa.

Anytime that we can pair it with an event like GNCC there is going to be fans of GNCC that have really never had an opportunity to be exposed to hunting and fishing in West Virginia, McDaniel said. So there is just some wonderful synergy there that I think are going to make it a very successful event.

Everyone is excited for the potential boost an event this size will be to the economy of Southern West Virginia.

Its going to impact our communities, impact our hotels, our dining, Director of Visit Southern West Lisa Strader said. The ripple effect is going to be amazing, weve already seen a lot of success from the Spartan event that comes here.

The event is set for September 9-12, 2021. They will also end the weekend honoring the veterans in attendance on the weekend of the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th.

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Adventure on Freedom Festival coming to Fayette County - WVNS-TV

WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is scheduled to meet on Monday with the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans, as she looks to dismantle opposition to her becoming the next GOP conference chair.

Three congressional sources confirmed the meeting to the Times Union on Thursday. News of the gathering comes as a few Republicans have expressed reservations about the more moderate voting record of Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, as compared to that of incumbent GOP conference Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming.

But in addition to her policy views, Freedom Caucus members want the meeting to ensure they won't be ignored, a source familiar with the situation said. The far-right caucus has had fights with Cheney and has felt sidelined by GOP leadership at other times.

Cheney was not a good listener," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "People just want to make sure Stefanik is a good listener.

CNN reported multiple members of the Freedom Caucus voiced deep reservations on a Wednesday night call about Stefanik as the consensus choice for Republican conference chair even as they conceded she has the votes to succeed Cheney. A House member on the call told CNN the Freedom Caucus has concerns about Stefanik's moderate voting record and her uneven stance on a wide range of issues the group prioritizes, including immigration and LGBTQ rights.

Another source described the Monday meeting to the Times Union as Stefanik's move to "reassure them of her conservative bona fides" and "shore up support."

Stefanik spoke on the podcast of former Trump ally Steve Bannon Thursday to spread a message of GOP unity as she seeks the role, which would catapult her to the number three House Republican position.

"This is also about being one team," Stefanik said. "And Im committed to being a voice and sending a clear message that we are one team, and that means working with the president and working with all of our excellent Republican members of Congress.

Drawing a contrast with Cheney, Stefanik said she would "run with support from the president [Trump] and his coalition of voters."

Cheney is in hot water with the caucus because of her outspoken criticism of Trump and her party's false claims that Trump's 2020 election loss stemmed from widespread fraud. Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and she voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election results.

"We Republicans need to stand for genuinely conservative principles, and steer away from the dangerous and anti-democratic Trump cult of personality," Cheney wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post Wednesday.

Stefanik voted in the opposite way on both matters and has advanced her own debunked claims about the election.

But while Stefanik is the pro-Trump candidate of the two, Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has the stronger conservative record.

A respected conservative group that focuses on taxing and spending issues called Club for Growth announced its opposition to Stefanik's candidacy on Wednesday. Stefanik voted against the 2017 Republican tax law because it enacted a cap on state and local tax deductions, she said at the time.

"Elise Stefanik is NOT a good spokesperson for the House Republican Conference," the group tweeted. "She is a liberal with a 35% CFGF lifetime rating, 4th worst in the House GOP. House Republicans should find a conservative to lead messaging and win back the House Majority."

The conservative group Heritage Action scored her at 56 percent in their last rating, while it rated Cheney at a score of 82. Heritage Action did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Perhaps a nod to these issues, Stefanik sent out a fundraising email to her supporters Thursday night that repeatedly used the word "conservative" and was signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

"As a conservative governor, I am proud to support leaders in Congress who stand up for their principles and our conservative movement," Reynolds said. "She is one of those leaders who will never back down and I believe she is the future of our Republican party and the conservative movement."

Multiple congressional aides told the Times Union that their boss's choice for GOP conference chair will not be about Stefanik's voting record, as much as her ability to fundraise, form a coalition and stay on message.

Stefanik has received the backing of the top two House Republican leaders and Trump. Six other House Republicans sent public statements of support for Stefanik to the Times Union.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who also voted to impeach Trump, is standing by Cheney.

"She stands for truth-telling and integrity, and she isnt afraid to stand for what matters. On Nov. 3 ... Joe Biden was elected president of the United States. On Jan. 6 ... our democracy was attacked by an angry mob who had been fed lies and conspiracies about a stolen election," Kinzinger's spokeswomanMaura Gillespie said. "These are the facts and its important that leaders take responsibility in sharing that truth."

Stefanik is widely believed to have enough support to secure the role of GOP conference chair in a vote that could come as soon as next week.

Cheney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Stefanik will meet with House Freedom Caucus to smooth concerns in her campaign for conference chair - Times Union