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Why QAnon followers have become fixated on a new date: March 4
February 24, 2021
The startling impacts of former President Donald Trump's presidency and conspiracy theories reach deep into the lives of many families. With the disgraced president out of office, many people are sharing how the QAnon conspiracy theory — built with him at the center and with his support — has torn apart close relationships. And despite the fact that Trump has lost the presidency, which many QAnon believers never thought would happen, many have moved the goalposts and started hoping for his return. In this way, adherents to the delusion believe its vindication is always just a little further in the future.
According to The Washington Post, family members feel that relatives who fall for QAnon become like "cult members or drug addicts, sucked in by social media companies and self-serving politicians who warped their views of reality."
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/conspiracy-theories-qanon-family-members/?itid=hp_mr_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Only identified as "Tyler" of Minneapolis, Minn., one 24-year-old man said that he noticed a distinctive change in his mother during the critical time leading up to the presidential election, and "it kept growing until it felt like she was preaching the Bible to me":</p><p><em>At first, she insisted that Trump, not Biden, would be inaugurated on Jan. 20, and for a while, Tyler held out hope that Biden's swearing-in would jolt his mother back into reality. She would put away her gun and life would return to normal. But, the ceremony in Washington seemed to make little difference at his house in Minnesota.</em></p><p>Now, Tyler has revealed his mother is waiting for March 4—another date being circulated by QAnon believers. So what does the date signify?</p><p>Apparently, QAnon believers are convinced it is the date Trump will become the "new world president," according to Tyler.</p><p>Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash), who also serves as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dc-national-guard-standby-for-potential-qanon-violence-march-4-2021-2" target="_blank">expressed concern about the impending date as the conspiracy theory poses another national security threat.</a></p><p>"Some of these people have figured out that apparently 75 years ago, the president used to be inaugurated on March 4," Smith said, according to Business Insider. "OK, now why that's relevant? God knows. At any rate, now they are thinking maybe we should gather again and storm the Capitol on March 4 … that is circulating online."</p><p>During the interview, Tyler also expressed concern about the upcoming date because he does not believe his mother will snap out of it anytime soon.</p>
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'It's not up to him,' respond critics as DeJoy says he plans to remain Postmaster General for a 'long time'
February 24, 2021
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said during a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday that he intends to remain in his role "for a long time" and added, "Get used to me."
But critics were quick to note that how long DeJoy remains postmaster general is ultimately up to the Postal Service Board of Governors, which is composed of nine Senate-confirmed officials who have the authority to remove and replace DeJoy. The postmaster general does not serve a fixed term.
<p>
Several congressional Democrats have
<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/14/fire-dejoy-he-burns-down-usps-postmaster-general-pushes-plan-slower-mail-higher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">urged</a> Biden to fire every sitting member of the board of governors for their "complicity" in DeJoy's sweeping assault on postal operations and fill the board with officials willing to remove the postmaster general.
</p><p>
The president also has the option of filling existing vacancies on the board to give Democrats a majority—and the votes needed to oust DeJoy. The ACLU is
<a href="https://action.aclu.org/petition/biden-and-senate-protect-post-office" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">among the organizations</a> urging Biden and Democratic senators to do just that.
</p><p>
"It's not up to him," Ari Berman of
<em>Mother Jones</em> <a href="https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/1364632587134713857" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tweeted</a> in response to DeJoy's comments, which came as he attempted to defend the significant<a href="https://oversight.house.gov/news/press-releases/new-postal-service-documents-show-nationwide-delays-far-worse-than-postal" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> decline</a> in Postal Service performance since he took charge last year and implemented <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/15/attempted-murder-your-post-office-outrage-trump-crony-now-heading-usps-moves-slow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">major operational changes</a>.
</p><p>
"Biden can appoint 3-4 new USPS board members, giving Dems a majority that can oust DeJoy," Berman noted.
</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" class="" data-tweet-id="1364625827485409280" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1364625827485409280&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rawstory.com%2Fr%2Fentryeditor%2F2650745703%23&theme=light&widgetsVersion=889aa01%3A1612811843556&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 551px; height: 569px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet">
</iframe>
</div><p>
"DeJoy is daring Senate Democrats to do something about him," <a href="https://twitter.com/cruickshank/status/1364624759837782016" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> Robert Cruickshank, campaign director at advocacy group Demand Progress.
</p><p>
Members of the House Oversight Committee—including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Katie Porter, Rashida Tlaib, and other prominent progressives—are set Wednesday morning to question Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and other witnesses on <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/03/new-bill-aims-scrap-ludicrous-mandate-forcing-postal-service-prefund-retiree" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">potential legislative changes</a> to the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen its performance fall dramatically since DeJoy took charge of the agency last year.
</p><p>
The hearing, scheduled to begin at 10:00 am ET, comes as President Joe Biden is facing <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/14/fire-dejoy-he-burns-down-usps-postmaster-general-pushes-plan-slower-mail-higher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing calls</a> to pave the way for DeJoy's removal by replacing the entire USPS Board of Governors, which <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/10/dereliction-duty-outrage-usps-board-issues-gushing-praise-dejoy-amid-mail-slowdowns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defended</a> the postmaster general last year as he implemented sweeping operational changes that Democratic lawmakers and other critics described as <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/09/09/warren-demands-dejoy-resign-or-be-removed-after-probe-shows-usps-sabotage-led" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">intentional sabotage</a> of the popular government institution.
</p><p>
DeJoy is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/12/dejoys-new-plan-usps-slower-mail-higher-prices-sources-say/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reportedly planning</a> to roll out an additional slate of policy changes that would further slow mail delivery and hike prices for consumers and businesses.
</p><p>
Also set to testify during Wednesday's hearing are USPS Board of Governors Chair Ron Bloom, Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb, American Postal Workers Union president Mark Dimondstein, and others.
</p><p>
Watch live:
</p><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCJqsiC-toM" width="560"></iframe>
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WATCH: Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attack on anti-LGBT discrimination bill gets blown apart in just 30 seconds
February 24, 2021
Responding to Democrats' legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, Georgia GOP Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked the bill, saying that it stands to "violate religious freedoms."
"It says so directly here in the bill in these sections," Taylor said. "It's a shame we aren't reading the exact text because it's the text that matters. It's doesn't matter what you have to say or what I have to say. It's the actual wording."
<p>"This bill, in the text, also specifically talks about with respect to gender identity -- 'An individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender and identity,'" Greene said, reading aloud from the bill. </p><p>"In the text of the bill of the Equality Act, it also says, 'With respect to sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, shall not receive less favorable treatment than other physical conditions,'" Greene continued. "As a parliamentary question, what does that mean? Does that mean that anyone can demand an abortion and it's discrimination to be refused as medical service?" <br/></p><p>That's when Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) clarified things for Greene. </p><p>"It has been held by our courts that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to civil rights laws," Scanlon said. "The Equality Act looks to treat LGBTQ individuals the same way -- or to treat discrimination against LGBTQ individuals the same way as other forms of discrimination, including racial discrimination. So these argument just don't hold water." </p><p>Watch the video below: </p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/diLV3OMMM_o" width="560"></iframe></div>
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