Major concerns about Michigan election integrity, hurricane Helene update and saving the first amendment

Keeping it Real, Sunday September 29, 2024

This is my Keeping it Real Show from Sunday, September 29, 2024.

You can watch the entire show below or watch and read the segments below.

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ENTIRE KEEPING IT REAL SHOW— SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2024:

Facebook's 'Zuck Bucks' and Its Impact on Michigan's Elections

In a recent interview with Parker Thayer, an investigative researcher at the Capital Research Center, the ongoing impact of private funding in Michigan's 2020 elections was discussed. Thayer highlighted the role of the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which received $400 million from Mark Zuckerberg. These funds, dubbed "Zuck Bucks," were distributed to local election offices across the U.S., including Michigan, to aid election administration during the pandemic. However, questions arose about how the money was spent.

While the CTCL claimed the funds were for purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure safe elections, Thayer noted that only about 1% of the funds went toward PPE. Instead, a significant portion was allegedly used for get-out-the-vote efforts in Democratic-leaning cities. Thayer cited a disparity in funding, with blue-leaning cities receiving nearly five times more per capita than red-leaning ones.

Thayer also pointed out that while 29 states have since passed laws banning private funding in elections, Michigan has not, leaving the door open for similar practices in future elections. Governor Gretchen Whitmer vetoed legislation intended to ban such private funding in Michigan, sparking continued debate over the influence of private money in public elections.

Thayer emphasized the importance of election integrity and warned that private funding could erode trust in the system, urging Michigan to follow other states in passing legislation to prevent such practices in the future.

92-YEAR-OLD NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN IS SAFE FROM FLOODING

I spoke with Bonnie, a woman from Alabama, who had been desperately trying to reach her 92-year-old grandmother living in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest—a region recently devastated by deadly flooding. After days of uncertainty, Bonnie shared the relief of learning her grandmother is safe. Family members had been able to reach her in time and, in a stroke of ingenuity, kept her breathing machine running by hooking it up to a car battery, ensuring her well-being amidst the chaos.

THEY ARE SAYING THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD

Facebook took this video down on my Facebook page within minutes.

John Kerry's recent remarks at the World Economic Forum reveal a dangerous and deeply misguided approach to the issue of free speech in America. His comments about the growing "dislike" and "anguish" over social media are not just wrong—they’re an outright threat to the principles on which our democracy is built.

Kerry lamented that it's "hard to govern today" because people are self-selecting their news sources, and that the so-called "referees" who once dictated what was fact have been "eviscerated." Let’s be clear: Kerry is advocating for a world where government-approved gatekeepers control the flow of information, deciding what we, as free citizens, can see, read, and share. This is not only elitist—it's dangerous.