Republican AGs: Target’s ‘Pride’ collection may violate child protection laws

 Seven Republican state attorneys general warned Target on Wednesday that its LGBTQ-friendly Pride collection may violate child protection laws.

The seven AGs sent a five-page letter to Target CEO Brian Cornell saying state officials are “concerned” that Target’s 2023 Pride collection was “potentially harmful to minors” as it interfered “with parental authority in matters of sex and gender identity, and possible violation of fiduciary duties by the company’s directors and officers.”

“It is likely more profitable to sell the type of Pride that enshrines the love of the United States,” they penned.

The group was led by Indiana AG Todd Rokita, who co-signed the message alongside fellow AGs in Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina.

They wrote that “Target wittingly marketed and sold LGBTQIA+ promotional products to families and young children as part of a comprehensive effort to promote gender and sexual identity among children.”

The letter also cited particularly upsetting pieces in the cheap-chic retailer’s “PRIDE” line.

It pointed to “LGBT-themed onesies, bibs, and overalls, t-shirts labeled ‘Girls Gays Theys’; ‘Pride Adult Drag Queen Katya’ (which depicts a male dressed in female ‘drag’); and girls’ swimsuits with ‘tuck-friendly construction’ and ‘extra crotch coverage’ for male genitalia.”

Seven attorneys general penned a letter to Target CEO Brian Cornell over its 2023 Pride collection that was “potentially harmful to minors.” They also suggested that selling patriotic pride would have been a better bet.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

It’s unclear how the AGs are looking for Target to remedy the alleged threat to child protection laws, such as if they want Target to remove the rest of its Pride collection from shelves.

Target reportedly already pulled some of its LGBTQ-friendly kids clothing from shelves, though it wasn’t clear which pieces ended up being yanked.

Representatives for Target did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The letter also called out a shirt that said “Homophobe headrest” next to a picture of a guillotine, as well as one that read “Transphobe collector” alongside a picture of a skull. 

The AGs also condemned Target for selling items designed by the “self-declared ‘Satanist-Inspired’ brand Abprallen,” which they said “glorified violence.”

The letter was addressed to Cornell, who previously defended Target’s Pride collection as “the right thing for society.”

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“Target’s ‘PRIDE’ campaign was decidedly not an example of excellence in retail,” the letter stated, adding that the boycott it caused also threatened the economic interests of Target’s shareholders.

The backlash from the controversy caused the Minneapolis-based retailer to lose more than $12 billion in market value, the letter noted.

As of Thursday afternoon, Target’s share price dipped another 1.2% to $130.92. Over the past six months, shares are down more than 18%.

“The evidence suggests that Target’s directors and officers may be negligent,” the letter said.

Cornell previously defended the retailer’s controversial collection, calling it “the right thing for society.”

“Target’s ‘PRIDE’ campaign was decidedly not an example of excellence in retail,” the letter stated.

Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

On Fortune’s “Leadership Next” podcast in May, the chief executive was asked about the backlash to “woke” capitalism, which has also engulfed iconic beer brand Bud Light as well as entertainment giant Disney.

“I think those are just good business decisions, and it’s the right thing for society, and it’s the great thing for our brand,” Cornell said.

The Target boss, whose company employs more than 450,000 workers in more than 1,900 locations nationwide, said the company’s strategy is aimed to cater to a diversifying customer base.

He even said the collection “is helping us drive sales” and build “greater engagement,” despite figures that showed Target’s value sank more than $15 billion last month.

The letter concluded by claiming that “certain immutable precepts and principles must always endure so long as America is to remain free and prosperous.”

https://nypost.com/2023/07/06/republican-ags-warn-targets-pride-collection-may-violate-child-protection-laws/

Severed body parts, cartel signs found hanging near Mexico City

 Body parts surrounded by handwritten signs were discovered near a pedestrian bridge outside Mexico City this week — and a violent drug cartel has claimed responsibility.

The severed human leg was first found hanging from a bridge in Toluco on Wednesday, CBS News reported.  

The torso of what is believed to be the same body was then found on the street below, not far from the city center, the outlet said.

The mangled torso, which is thought to have belonged to a male victim between 35 and 40 years old, was discovered alongside handwritten signs from the Familia Michoacana cartel.

Other parts of the body were later found in another neighborhood, also with signs nearby, and police subsequently discovered the remains of a second body scattered on the city’s east side, CBS said.

More body parts were then found in a burning car on Toluca’s industrial north side.

Despite the grisly finds, Mayor Raymundo Martínez Carbajal called for collective calm in the face of possible incursion from the Familia Michoacana.

“The issue of crime brings us all together, and we all have to fight it,” he said.

The cartel, which originated in the Michoacan state in the early 2000s, has wreaked havoc in the State of Mexico and the neighboring Guerrero state for years after being ousted from its home turf.

The city mayor urged collective calm in the face of the violence.

Future Publishing via Getty Images

The group is known for carrying out deadly ambushes on police and local residents, CBS noted.

Last year, the US Treasury Department sanctioned the Familia Michoacana over accusations that the cartel was manufacturing “rainbow” fentanyl pills to target children.

The discoveries of the scattered body parts in Toluca came just one day after authorities found the bodies of four men and two women in the northern city of Monterrey amid a wave of cartel violence.

Displaying severed body parts is one of the more gruesome ways the Familia Michoacana and other gangs try to intimidate their rivals, CBS explained.

Displaying severed body parts is one of the more gruesome ways the Familia Michoacana and other gangs try to intimidate their rivals.

AFP via Getty Images

In June 2021, the outlet noted, two heads and other body parts were left at a polling station in Tijuana on an election day. One year later, six severed heads were found on top of a Volkswagen in Chilapa de Alvarez with a warning sign strung in the trees overhead.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/06/severed-body-parts-cartel-signs-found-hanging-in-mexico/

How Tom Brady-Gisele Bündchen $50M deal crashed with FTX

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen received a pretty penny to join the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, according to a new report.

The future Hall of Fame quarterback — who teamed up with the now-failed crypto company in 2021 — was paid $30 million, “a deal that consisted almost entirely of FTX stock,” the website DNYUZ reported Thursday, while his supermodel ex-wife received $18 million in FTX stock.

The report also states that Brady, 45, and Bündchen, 42, received a small amount of Ethereum, Bitcoin and Solana tokens to trade on the platform, which evaporated amid FTX’s bankruptcy.

The terms of the deal would have required the pair to pay taxes on some of their FTX stock, two people familiar with the endorsement deal told the outlet.

FTX previously confirmed in a press release that the now-former couple — who finalized their divorce in October 2022 — would receive crypto as part of the deal.

Brady signed on to serve as an FTX ambassador while Bündchen was head of the organization’s environmental and social initiatives.

Brady and Bündchen’s shares are worthless now as FTX is bankrupt.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2019 in New York City.

Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried of orchestrating “brazen” years-long fraud, misusing customer funds to benefit himself and his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research.

Brady and Bündchen were named in a class-action lawsuit against FTX for promoting the company, along with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, Warriors star Steph Curry and comedian Larry David.

The lawsuit was filed by FTX retail investor Edwin Garrison, who claimed his crypto account went bankrupt after “being exposed to” the celebrity endorsements.

Tom Brady attends Los Angeles Premiere Screening Of Paramount Pictures’ “80 For Brady” at Regency Village Theatre on January 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Getty Images

Brady, Bündchen, O’Neal and Curry have all participated in promotional material, including commercials for FTX.

The exes appeared in FTX’s 2022 Super Bowl ad.

Bloomberg reported in May that O’Neal was served in the lawsuit during TNT’s coverage of the Heat-Celtics series during the 2023 NBA Playoffs — after months of failed attempts.

Representatives for Brady and Bankman-Fried declined to comment, according to DNYUZ.

Bündchen reps reportedly did not respond to requests for comment.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/06/inside-tom-brady-gisele-bundchens-50m-ftx-disaster/

Madonna allegedly revived with Narcan before being admitted to ICU

 Madonna was allegedly revived with Narcan before she was admitted to the ICU last month.

According to a new report from Radar Online, when the “Material Girl” singer, 64, was found unresponsive at her home on June 24, those who reportedly found her “lifeless body” allegedly administered an injection of Narcan.

The medicine is most commonly used to rapidly reverse a narcotic overdose in an emergency situation. However, the outlet alleges that Narcan was used to combat septic shock — not drug use.

There is no evidence suggesting the pop star overdosed, per Radar.

Page Six has not confirmed any of the details regarding the alleged Narcan administration. Reps for Madonna did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.

As previously reported, Madonna was found unresponsive in her home last month and was rushed to a New York City hospital.

The mom of six had to be intubated for at least one night before having the tube removed.

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Madonna was allegedly given a Narcan injection when she was found unresponsive last month, Radar Online reports.

Madonna/Instagram

A source told Page Six at the time that she was now “out of the ICU.”

The “Like a Virgin” singer’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary, later shared on Instagram that his client had “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several day stay in the ICU.”

Oseary explained that Madonna was “still under medical care” and that a “full recovery” was “expected.”

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Page Six previously reported that the pop star was found unresponsive in her home on June 24 and rushed to the hospital.

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The “Material Girl” singer’s manager later said she had “developed a serious bacterial infection.”

TMZ reported at the time that the “Material Girl” songstress had been battling a month-long, low-grade fever before being found unresponsive.

The outlet claimed Madonna ignored her symptoms and never saw a doctor because she was focused on getting ready for her upcoming “Celebration” tour, which has since been postponed.

Additionally, sources told Page Six that the Queen of Pop had been “strenuously rehearsing” for weeks and putting in “12-hour days” in preparation for the tour, which was set to kick off in Vancouver, Canada, next week.

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Madonna is reportedly bedridden and recovering at home.

Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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The “Vogue” singer’s children have been supporting her as she recovers.

Instagram/ Madonna
While the seven-time Grammy winner is reportedly bedridden and recovering at home, several of her children have been there to support her with visits.

Last week, her sons, Rocco, 22, and David, 17, were seen arriving at the singer’s Upper East Side apartment in New York City. A few days later, the siblings were spotted leaving Madonna’s residence — despite reports that she is still very ill following her hospitalization.

The “Vogue” singer has yet to publicly address her hospitalization or illness.

https://pagesix.com/2023/07/06/unresponsive-madonna-was-allegedly-revived-by-narcan-before-being-admitted-to-icu-report/

Altria-backed cannabis producer Cronos explores sale

 Cronos Group Inc, the Canadian cannabis producer backed by cigarette maker Altria Group Inc, is exploring options that include a potential sale after attracting acquisition interest, according to people familiar with the matter.

Toronto-based Cronos, which has a market value of C$972 million ($727.54 million), is working with a financial adviser to handle the expressions of interest in a deal from other companies, including U.S.-based peer Curaleaf Holdings Inc, the sources said.

The sources requested anonymity because the discussions are confidential, and they cautioned that no transaction is certain.

Cronos and Curaleaf declined to comment. Spokespeople for Altria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sale talks involving Cronos come at a time of uncertainty for the cannabis industry, as more favorable regulatory regimes in North America have fueled fierce competition among a growing field of companies.

The recreational use of cannabis in now legal in 23 U.S. states. Growing and selling marijuana remains illegal under U.S. federal law, although President Joe Biden's administration has signaled that it is seeking a review on how the drug is classified.

U.S. lawmakers have also been considering making it easier for the cannabis industry to access banking services.

Prior to Thursday, Cronos shares had lost a quarter of their value year-to-date. For the first quarter, Cronos posted a net loss of $19.3 million, compared with a loss of $32.7 million a year ago. Net revenue declined 20% to $20.1 million. Cronos has total cash, including short-term investments, of about $836.43 million, according to its first-quarter report.

Altria, which currently holds a 41% stake in Cronos, invested $1.8 billion in the company in 2019.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-altria-backed-cannabis-producer-185006364.html

Government wants access to your encrypted messages — we must act now to defend privacy rights

 In the recent two decades, the rise of Big Tech has placed Americans under nearly constant surveillance. This is the elephant in every room of our lives. Our phones, computers, Alexa, the web and everything we do online, everywhere we go, is all being tracked. Our relationships, our purchases, our finances, our health issues, our politics, our religious beliefs, our diets — you name it. This data is monetized by commercial interests, stolen by hackers and often shared with governments.

America’s founders declared independence from Britain in 1776 in part to stop unwelcomed authorities from intruding into their private lives. While our privacy has been significantly eroded in today’s brave new digital world, there remains one last refuge. End-to-end encrypted messaging, offered by services like Signal, Telegram, iMessage and WhatsApp (either by default or via upgrades), is the final stronghold of personal privacy.

Collectively used by billions of people worldwide, encryption enables messages to be viewed solely by the sender and recipient, impossible for even the service providers to access. Private, encrypted messaging is critical across the board. It safeguards communications for journalists and their sources; doctors and their patients; government and military; banking; human rights activists; political dissidents; and ordinary citizens who wish to protect themselves against surveillance and data breaches.

All of us have aspects of our lives that we prefer to keep private. There are things you might confide to your spouse, doctor, lawyer or therapist that you would never want revealed to the world.

Even if most of us are not journalists, activists or political dissidents risking the wrath of government authorities, we still all benefit from the work those people do. It’s essential that we collectively protect their efforts and their ability to communicate safely in private.

Privacy is a human right, helping to ensure that individuals are free to express themselves, make decisions about their own lives, and live without fear of discrimination or persecution based on their identity or beliefs.

Now the U.S. and governments around the world are working overtime to conquer this final frontier of privacy. We are witnessing a global push to compel companies to monitor all user content, regardless of whether it is encrypted.

Bills introduced in the U.S., including the EARN IT Act and the STOP CSAM Act, would compel online platforms to identify and remove child exploitation images, whether they are shared publicly or privately. In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Bill makes similar demands. In the European Union, a recently leaked memo revealed that several member nations endorse compromising encryption in order to combat child exploitation.

One impetus behind these bills is understandable. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received nearly 32 million reports of suspected child exploitation online in 2022. Notably, a 2019 investigation found that Facebook was responsible for more than 60 percent of global reports of child sexual abuse material.

In an effort to prevent these illegal images from circulating in private and encrypted messages, proponents of these bills propose implementing software that scans messages on devices like phones and computers prior to transmission. This is known as “client-side scanning.” In effect, this would mean that all messages sent by their billions of users would be scanned and monitored by tech companies — and therefore available for governments to acquire.

There is now significant pushback against this avalanche of legislation. On June 27, Apple became the latest major player to publicly oppose the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill, aligning with Meta (owner of WhatsApp), Signal and more than 80 civil society organizations, academics and experts (myself included) who signed an open letter objecting to the bill. The letter warns that the bill would “force the proactive scanning of private messages on end-to-end encrypted communication services, nullifying the purpose of end-to-end encryption as a result and compromising the privacy of all users.”

Apple has been on both sides of this issue. In 2016, Apple battled the FBI, refusing to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino, Calif., shooters due to concerns this would enable a “backdoor” to widespread privacy breaches. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “I don’t believe that the tradeoff here is privacy versus national security. … We’re America. We should have both.” Fast-forward to 2021, when Apple unveiled its well-intentioned plan to mitigate child exploitation by scanning images shared on its users’ iPhones. A backlash by users and privacy advocates caused the company to reverse course.

Rather than sacrifice encryption to identify illegal activity, there are alternative approaches, such as enabling users to report malicious posts within an encrypted app. This combines effectively with traditional policing techniques. Law enforcement can then acquire search warrants to examine the devices of individuals suspected of criminal activity.

The scanning technology that would be mandated by these bills is often ineffective anyway. For instance, a 2022 report showed that CSAM scanners used by Google falsely accused two innocent fathers of sharing child pornography. Even after both men were exonerated, Google kept their accounts shut down.

In the U.S., there’s also a question of whether such legislation is even constitutional. Academics at Stanford addressed a letter to the Senate expressing concerns that compelled scanning could infringe upon the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. There’s also the case of Bernstein v. the U.S. Department of State, which advanced the idea that encryption is a form of free speech, protected by the First Amendment.

All sides want to solve the problems of encryption. Yet essentially abolishing it via scanning systems creates far more problems than it solves. As we celebrate Independence Day here in the U.S. this week, we must maintain our independence from the prying eyes of governments and stand united against their efforts to eliminate the last stronghold of privacy we have.

Mark Weinstein is a world-renowned tech thought leader and privacy expert. He is the founder of the social network MeWe, which he left in July 2022, and is currently writing a book on the intersection of social media, mental health, privacy, civil discourse and democracy.

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/4081907-the-government-wants-access-to-your-encrypted-messages-we-must-act-now-to-defend-our-right-to-privacy/