I have a confession to make: I’m utterly smitten with The Free Press. Maybe you heard me confess this before. I’ll continue to sing their praises. Forget about NYTimes, NPR, The Economist and other papers, once great, now painful to read. The FP daily emails will have you covered if they say anything notable.

Simply put, TFP daily emails are like a beacon of sanity in an otherwise somber news landscape. The FP is where exceptional writers let their hair down. While other outlets might have you believe that “despair” is the only thing to report on, TFP’s Friday emails are a reminder that the world is filled with so much more. We are not all lost. They’re not afraid to tackle the hard truths with a smirk, standing firm on the side of secular rights over virtue signaling. It's this blend of brutal honesty and humor that has me hooked.

In their latest TGIF dispatch, TFP touched on the ever-thorny issue of sex policy—a subject I, too, have ventured into with my recent post about Florida stripclubs. At this rate, I’m convinced my blog is an elaborate scheme to sabotage any future employment prospects. [/j] Why stop now? Given my libertarian leanings (short of being an absolutist), I find myself caught between the need for certain legal safeguards and laughing at others. It’s OK to yuk some yums. Specifically, no to permanentally damaging women and no to encouraging identity theft by asking people to upload IDs to dodgy websites.

Original link 1: https://nypost.com/2024/03/17/us-news/web-searches-for-vpns-swell-400-in-texas-as-pornhub-blocks-access/
Tl;dr: New York Post reports on a sudden surge in VPN searches in Texas as a reaction to Pornhub’s new access policies.

Original link 2: https://www.thereset.news/p/breaking-lawmakers-in-the-gambia
Tl;dr The Reset News reports on The Gambia attempting to repeal laws regarding female genital mutilation. TFP noted that despite the vote, the law will not be repealed unless it overcomes legal hurdles.
Follow Yashar Ali | The Reset, who runs a substack covering diverse topics: https://www.thereset.news/

INB4: (From ChatGPT) Saying "The Gambia" instead of just "Gambia" is the correct usage because the country's official name includes the definite article "The." This naming convention is rooted in its geographic characteristics. The Gambia is named after the Gambia River, which flows through the middle of the country. The use of "The" helps to distinguish the nation from the river itself. It's similar to how we say "The Netherlands" or "The Bahamas," where the definite article is part of the official country name, emphasizing its unique geographical or historical identity.

Web searches for VPNs swell 400% in Texas as Pornhub blocks access

Chris Nesi; March 17, 2024, 3:31 p.m. ET

Don’t mess with Texans when it comes to porn.

Google data reveals a sudden rise in search traffic in Texas for VPNs just days after Pornhub and other affiliated adult websites pulled out of the Lone Star State over its new law requiring all users to verify their age by providing a government-issued ID.

VPNs, or virtual private networks, allow Internet users to encrypt their connections and obscure their locations to access region-restricted content. The subscription-based services have become increasingly popular in recent years, usually costing only a few dollars per month.

Since Pornhub blocked access in the state March 14, a VPN is now the only way to visit the site within Texas’s borders. Google Trends show a more than 400% spike in search interest for the term “VPN” in Texas in the immediate days that followed, according to Variety.

Dallas-Ft. Worth topped the list of Texas metros with the jump in VPN Google searches, followed by Houston, Austin, Waco-Temple-Bryan and San Antonio, the outlet said.

The anti-smut law was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June 2023 but didn’t take effect until last week because of a legal challenge.

It requires online publishers whose content is more than one-third “sexual material harmful to minors” to verify the age of every website visitor by checking their identification.

The law was set to take effect Sept. 1 but was initially struck down by a federal judge on First Amendment grounds after a lawsuit brought by the Free Speech Coalition, an advocacy group which included Pornhub’s Canadian parent company Aylo Holdings.

Then last week, a federal appeals court overturned the lower court’s decision and upheld most of the law, putting it into effect. Rather than comply with it, Pornhub blocked access to its site statewide.

“Until the real solution is offered, we have made the difficult decision to completely disable access to our website in Texas,” reads a message posted on Pornhub and other adult sites in its network.

“In doing so, we are complying with the law, as we always do, but hope that governments around the world will implement laws that actually protect the safety and security of users.”

In a statement, Aylo Holdings’ vice president of brand and community, Alex Kekesi, said the fight will continue.

“This is not the end. We are reviewing options and consulting with our legal team,” Kekesi said. “We will continue to fight for our industry and the performers that legally earn a living, and we will continue to appeal through all available judicial recourse to recognize that this law is unconstitutional.”

According to Semrush, Pornhub is currently the fourth most popular website in the US, trailing only Google, YouTube and Facebook in site visits.

The Pornhub network includes other adult websites such as Brazzers, RedTube and YouPorn, which have all been similarly restricted in seven other US states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Virginia and Utah.

BREAKING: Lawmakers In The Gambia Vote To Lift Ban On Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Lawmakers took the first major step to reverse the ban on the barbaric practice. Advocates for the ban have three months to convince them to change their minds, but many expect the ban to be lifted.

YASHAR ALI; March 18, 2024

Lawmakers in the West African nation of The Gambia have taken the first significant step to repeal a ban on female genital mutilation (also known as FGM and female genital cutting). 

42 out of 47 of the overwhelmingly male majority National Assembly voted to repeal the ban. 

If entirely passed, it would make the Gambia the first nation to repeal a ban on the horrific and cruel practice that over twenty countries have banned in the past two decades. 

The bill will now face three months of consultations in The Gambia's unicameral parliament, which is a relief to advocates who hope to have more time to convince the government to change its mind. 

Still, many people expect the ban to be passed fully. 

"The bill seeks to uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values," said Almameh Gibba, a member of The Gambia's Parliament who introduced the bill. 

"The use of a ban on female circumcision is direct violation of the citizens' rights to practise their culture and religion," he added.

Gibba's statements are filled with lies. 

Supporters of FGM have often condemned those who refer to this practice as "mutilation" or "cutting," saying it demonizes those who are engaging in a religious and cultural practice. They prefer, instead, to call it circumcision, which is, quite frankly, a nonsensical and false way to describe the practice. 

A majority of Islamic scholars say that FGM is not required, and some have condemned the practice. It is not mentioned in the Koran. 

But it's worth noting that the push to reverse the ban has come from influential Imam Abdoulie Fatty. His incendiary and lie-filled rhetoric has radicalized many men in The Gambia, according to Gambian women advocating for the ban to remain in place. 

The Gambia passed a ban on FGM in 2015, but it wasn't enforced until last year. Even then, it was barely enforced, with just three people facing heavy fines. Since FGM is often inflicted upon girls and women by their family members, cases in most countries that ban FGM are not reported to authorities. 

Countries with bans on FGM include Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Egypt. 

FGM includes several different practices, but the main one involves the removal of external female genitalia, including the clitoris and labia minora. It is often conducted in unsanitary conditions (sometimes with razor blades), has no medical benefit, and has devastating long-term impacts. 

FGM has a devastating impact on girls and women. Immediate risks include severe pain, excessive bleeding, tissue swelling, and death. 

Long-term complications include painful urination, urinary tract infections, scar tissue, keloid formation, and an increased risk of childbirth complications. 

FGM, of course, has a massive impact on sexual health, including a significant decrease or elimination of sexual satisfaction and painful sexual intercourse.

Many girls and women experience symptoms associated with PTSD from the barbaric practice, which includes flashbacks and nightmares. 

Many girls and women face severe depression and anxiety from FGB, particularly since it's often performed on them by relatives. 

A health survey conducted in 2019-2020 revealed that 73 percent of women in The Gambia between the ages of 15-49 had been subjected to genital mutilation/cutting. 

Despite the likelihood that the ban will be reserved, advocates against FGM are vowing not to give up. 

Fatou Baldeh, one of the most well-known and outspoken women's rights advocates, said, "As Gambian men continue to gamble with women bodies and use their bodies as a pawn for political gain, women continue to be resilient, steadfast and focus. We will fight to the end to ensure that girls live free from FGM." 

This is a developing story; check back for updates.