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The contest for CD-5 is going to result in a conservative congressman, regardless of the outcome.If incumbent Democrat Josh Gottheimer, captaining a multi-million dollar campaign warchest, is returned to office, the congressman frequently bashed by CD-5 based progressive groups as being a Republican-in-all-but-name (he isnt) will serve another two years.Following re-districting, the new CD-5 will have more of a Bergen County orientation, although there is still plenty of territory in Passaic and Sussex Counties to be represented.This change may require a slight ideological shift left for Gottheimer, but the congressman who prides himself on being a bipartisan champion, should remain, for the most part, a case of what you see is what you get.

Love him or hate him, there are no surprises when it comes to Gottheimer.He wont be aligning himself with The Squad and hes not a Bernie Bro but that doesnt mean the CD-5 Republicans wont throw everything they have at him.

The question is, which of the Republicans will be the one to do it?

They say to win the Republican nomination, you lean to the right; to win the election, you lean to the left.In the purple region of north-east New Jersey, that is certainly a truism.Looking at CD-5s Republican primary candidates, they seem to be swaying together in almost perfect synch.Nick De Gregorio, a former marine who saw action in Iraq and Afghanistan, is the Bergen County Republican Organizations favorite.The Fair Lawn father-of-two is running against Frank Pallotta, a businessman and banking executive whose resume includes Phil Murphy-familiar turf such as Goldman Sachs, but also Morgan Stanley.He has also founded financial firms of his own, including one which focuses on Canadian residential assets.

Also in the race is Sab Skenderi, a libertarian Republican from Wyckoff, Gottheimers hometown.Skenderi was a Ron Paul delegate when the former congressman made his last bid for the presidency a decade ago.

Fred Schneiderman, who earlier said he was undaunted by his poor showing with the BCRO, cited family matters anddropped out of the race.

Pallotta tried to unseat Gottheimer in 2020, besting John McCann in the primary and coming up 45% to Gottheimers 53% in the general.Bergen County establishment support for Pallotta fizzled out in the years since.De Gregorio swamped Pallotta in the BCRO vote for the line, taking 69% to go up against Gottheimer.Passaic County, however, went for Pallotta.

The exchange between Pallotta and De Gregorio turned sour.The latter accused the former of denigrating his military service in saying that Pallotta was better qualified for the job.Pallotta countered, saying he did not mean any disrespect to De Gregorios military background, but that his background in finance made him the better choice for handling CD-5s economic challenges.

By their own words, from policy perspectives, De Gregorio and Pallotta seem very similar.The Englewood Cliffs debate, (which did not include Skenderi, a candidate who most likely wouldve shown some interesting deviations from Republican Standard) demonstrated that they both essentially agreed with President Bidens commitment to stand by Taiwan, but took swipes at Biden anyway.They both agree with the idea of concealed carry and their interpretation of the 2ndAmendment.Both believe that parents should have input on what kind of potentially controversial gender-identity material is taught in classrooms, although that is a state issue and they are running for a federal office.

Pallotta touted his NJ Right to Life endorsement and posited himself as the ultimate pro-life choice between the two, but De Gregorio is on the same page, saying he would support a bill to ban third trimester abortion, and require parental notification if a minor is to have an abortion.

On border security and immigration, they seem to be in lockstep; likewise in support of SALT deductions, using the tried-and-true Republican talking points of high taxation and how expensive New Jersey is to live in.Few people can argue that.

All in all, there does not appear to be all that much daylight between the two candidates as far as policy goes.

Pallotta, who calls himself an outsider and a reformer, although his financial background shares some similarities with former Governor Corzine and Governor Phil Murphy, has put himself forward as the guy with the best resume to take over Josh Gottheimers job.He claims he has the business expertise to address CD-5s biggest issues, which he says are fiscal onesClinton strategist James Carville said it crudely but accurately in 1992, Its the economy, stupid.Pallotta also has tried to make lemonade from 2020 electoral lemons, asserting that he has traveled around the district and is campaigning on behalf of the whole, while trying to frame De Gregorio as having his focus just on Bergen County.

De Gregorio, younger than Pallotta, is new to politics and is a politically fresh clean slate.By touting his experience as a Marine Corps officer, he says that he is the man best equipped for the task.He also characterized himself as a suburban everyman, concerned for the well-being of his family and those of other families with young kids.

Looking at the numbers, according to the FEC as of March 31, De Gregorio had $454,466 cash on hand to Pallottas $83,216.Gottheimer had $13,071,464 to put to use.De Gregorio assailed Gottheimer, saying that he is afraid, and has been interfering with the Republican Primary on behalf of his 2020 rival, Pallotta.Pallotta denies this and says, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Gottheimer is actually afraid of him, and trying to erode at his base of support.

So, in essence, De Gregorio and Pallotta seem to agree more than they disagree on the issues, so Republican voters should be reasonably content with whomever the winner is.Each candidate also agreed to support the Republican nominee as well, echoing one another in saying that defeating Gottheimer was more important than their own victory.Bold rhetoric, indeed, but perhaps comforting for CD-5s casual GOP rank and file.Where they do disagree appears to be on themselves: specifically, matters of qualification and experience.They also seem to disagree as to whom Gottheimer is more worried about, but that is a given.Ultimately, the voters will determine whether Gottheimer goes for a second round against his banking executive rival, or head to head with the combat veteran determined to carry the flag forward and victoriously plant it on election day.

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Who Will Face Gottheimer? - InsiderNJ

(Photo by MyWestNipissingNow.com staff)

The MyWestNipissingNow.com newsroom reached out to all the candidates that will be on the ballot for the June 2 provincial election to get their thoughts on the issue that matters in the riding.

Each week leading up to election day, we will publish a story with each candidate answering a question that residents have as they head to the polls.

According to social services and municipal agencies, homelessness, opioids, mental health and addictions have all been intertwined into a major issue affecting communities and constituents right across the riding. What is your partys plan, including concrete actions, to deal with this complex issue?

John Vanthof Ontario New Democratic PartyNew Democrat John Vanthof says if elected, his party would put mental health services available under OHIP, so everyone would have access.Vanthof says that would make many services available to many families in our riding and Ontario who cant currently afford help. Vanthof says thats not right in our society, and publicly funded services would help in the long-term dealing of the addictions and mental health crises.

Gary Andrade New Blue Party of OntarioNew Blue Candidate Gary Andrade says pop-up clinics, and bringing mental health experts to the north are not quick fixes, but would help people get on the right track.He says it is a long process, but getting more people trained in the mental health field, and bringing them north is a start.Andrade says we also cant be lock people up again. He says locking people in their homes for two years was damaging, and people who were on the fringe before the pandemic, saw their symptoms worsen. He says looking at decisions the government made, training more people, and having more services available would all help alleviate these issues.

Kris Rivard Green Party of OntarioGreen candidate Kris Rivard says mental health is health, and we need to treat it that way.Rivard says the Green Party is proud of its mental health plan. He says the plan would make care more affordable, accessible and comprehensive for anyone who needs it.He says the Greens plan includes a 3 digit crisis hotline, so people can access care right at home. He says childrens mental health care waitlists would also shorten by increasing funding. He says the Greens would also create a mental health and addictions ministry, which would help health care providers and constituents simultaneously.Rivard says all these services can be funded through legal cannabis sales, as well as revoking the license plate sticker gimmick, which he says takes $ 1.2 billion away from the provinces budget which can be allocated towards these services.

Eric Cummings Ontario Libertarian PartyOur ridings Libertarian Candidate says government programs and services have failed when dealing with these issues.He says its time to take a regional approach to deal with these issues. He says a short-term plan would include safe consumption sites, and providing more resources to family and frieds of individuals dealing with addictions, mental health or homelessness issues. For the long-term, Cummings says he would support making housing more affordable and reduce unemployment in the riding.

MyWestNipissingNow.com was unable to reach other party candidates prior to publishing but will update this list when we do.

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Provincial candidates sound off: homelessness, opioids, mental health and addictions - My West Nipissing Now

KENTUCKY US SENATE | KENTUCKY STATE SENATE | KENTUCKY US REPRESENATIVE | KENTUCKY STATE REPRESENTATIVE | BOONE COUNTY | CAMPBELL COUNTY | GALLATIN COUNTY | GRANT COUNTY | KENTON COUNTY | MASON COUNTY | OWEN COUNTY | PENDLETON COUNTY | Kentucky's May Primary election was Tuesday. Here are some results:Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul won his partys nomination Tuesday to seek a third term, setting up a campaign of contrasting agendas that pits his vision for limited government against Democratic challenger Charles Bookers support for sweeping health care and anti-poverty programs.The libertarian-leaning Paul coasted to victory over five little-known Republican challengers in his pursuit of another term. Booker, a Black former state lawmaker, defeated three primary opponents to become the latest nominee to try to break Kentucky Democrats long losing streak in U.S. Senate races. The Bluegrass State hasnt elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.Paul, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2016, has gained a national voice in promoting a philosophy of limited government and restraint in U.S. foreign policy. Hes known for going his own way at times in the Senate. Last week, Paul defied leaders of both parties and single-handedly delayed Senate approval of an additional $40 billion to help Ukraine and its allies withstand Russias invasion.The senators libertarian leanings have included denouncing what he saw as government overreach in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul has waged high-profile clashes with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, over the federal governments coronavirus policies and the origins of the virus that caused the global pandemic. He has used those disputes to raise campaign contributions.Booker faces a daunting task in trying to unseat Paul. Kentucky has tilted decidedly toward the GOP and Paul holds a commanding fundraising advantage over his Democratic challenger.Booker gained the nomination after coming up just short in his prior Senate bid. In 2020, his campaign surged as his racial and economic justice message coincided with nationwide protests over the deaths of Black Americans in encounters with police. He barely lost the Senate primary that year to an establishment-backed rival who was routed by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in the general election.Back with the same hood to the holler campaign theme, Booker was the frontrunner from the outset in this years Democratic primary. He promotes such social programs as Medicare for All and a basic universal income, saying it would uplift people from poor urban neighborhoods and struggling Appalachian towns to other corners of the state.Paul, an ardent free-market advocate, sees such social programs as an encroachment by an overly expansive federal government.After years of reinforcing his image as a political outsider, Paul could be on the verge of gaining more influence in the Senate if ultimately reelected to another term. The senator says he is in line to assume a committee chairmanship if the GOP wins Senate control after the November election. The Senate now has a 50-50 split, but Democrats have a slim edge because Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie-breaking vote.Thomas Massie, who is seeking reelection, has won the GOP nomination for Kentucky US Representative.Massie defeated a handful of GOP challengers in Tuesdays 4th District primary. The libertarian-minded congressman represents a district stretching across Northern Kentucky. Massie won an endorsement of former President Donald Trump leading up to the primary.Massie beat out his three challengers, Claire Wirth, Alyssa McDowell and George Washington.Below are all the county races we're following:BOONE COUNTYCAMPBELL COUNTYGALLATIN COUNTYGRANT COUNTYKENTON COUNTYMASON COUNTYOWEN COUNTYPENDLETON COUNTY

KENTUCKY US SENATE | KENTUCKY STATE SENATE | KENTUCKY US REPRESENATIVE | KENTUCKY STATE REPRESENTATIVE | BOONE COUNTY | CAMPBELL COUNTY | GALLATIN COUNTY | GRANT COUNTY | KENTON COUNTY | MASON COUNTY | OWEN COUNTY | PENDLETON COUNTY |

Kentucky's May Primary election was Tuesday. Here are some results:

Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul won his partys nomination Tuesday to seek a third term, setting up a campaign of contrasting agendas that pits his vision for limited government against Democratic challenger Charles Bookers support for sweeping health care and anti-poverty programs.

The libertarian-leaning Paul coasted to victory over five little-known Republican challengers in his pursuit of another term. Booker, a Black former state lawmaker, defeated three primary opponents to become the latest nominee to try to break Kentucky Democrats long losing streak in U.S. Senate races. The Bluegrass State hasnt elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.

Paul, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2016, has gained a national voice in promoting a philosophy of limited government and restraint in U.S. foreign policy. Hes known for going his own way at times in the Senate. Last week, Paul defied leaders of both parties and single-handedly delayed Senate approval of an additional $40 billion to help Ukraine and its allies withstand Russias invasion.

The senators libertarian leanings have included denouncing what he saw as government overreach in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul has waged high-profile clashes with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the countrys top infectious disease expert, over the federal governments coronavirus policies and the origins of the virus that caused the global pandemic. He has used those disputes to raise campaign contributions.

Booker faces a daunting task in trying to unseat Paul. Kentucky has tilted decidedly toward the GOP and Paul holds a commanding fundraising advantage over his Democratic challenger.

Booker gained the nomination after coming up just short in his prior Senate bid. In 2020, his campaign surged as his racial and economic justice message coincided with nationwide protests over the deaths of Black Americans in encounters with police. He barely lost the Senate primary that year to an establishment-backed rival who was routed by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in the general election.

Back with the same hood to the holler campaign theme, Booker was the frontrunner from the outset in this years Democratic primary. He promotes such social programs as Medicare for All and a basic universal income, saying it would uplift people from poor urban neighborhoods and struggling Appalachian towns to other corners of the state.

Paul, an ardent free-market advocate, sees such social programs as an encroachment by an overly expansive federal government.

After years of reinforcing his image as a political outsider, Paul could be on the verge of gaining more influence in the Senate if ultimately reelected to another term. The senator says he is in line to assume a committee chairmanship if the GOP wins Senate control after the November election. The Senate now has a 50-50 split, but Democrats have a slim edge because Vice President Kamala Harris holds a tie-breaking vote.

Thomas Massie, who is seeking reelection, has won the GOP nomination for Kentucky US Representative.

Massie defeated a handful of GOP challengers in Tuesdays 4th District primary. The libertarian-minded congressman represents a district stretching across Northern Kentucky. Massie won an endorsement of former President Donald Trump leading up to the primary.

Massie beat out his three challengers, Claire Wirth, Alyssa McDowell and George Washington.

Below are all the county races we're following:

The rest is here:
Election results: Winners and losers from Kentucky primary - WLWT Cincinnati

This morning's situation report from the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) offers an account of the senior Russian officers who've either been sacked or are on the hot seat over combat failure in Ukraine:

"In recent weeks, Russia has fired senior commanders who are considered to have performed poorly during the opening stages of its invasion of Ukraine. Lieutenant General Serhiy Kisel, who commanded the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, has been suspended for his failure to capture Kharkiv. Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded Russias Black Sea Fleet, has also likely been suspended following the sinking of the cruiser Moskva in April. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov likely remains in post, but it is unclear whether he retains the confidence of President Putin. A culture of cover-ups and scape-goating is probably prevalent within the Russian military and security system. Many officials involved in the invasion of Ukraine will likely be increasingly distracted by efforts to avoid personal culpability for Russias operational set-backs. This will likely place further strain on Russia's centralised model of command and control, as officers increasingly seek to defer key decisions to their superiors. It will be difficult for Russia to regain the initiative under these conditions."

These firings are in addition to the earlier purge of the FSB, blamed by President Putin for intelligence failures prior to the invasion. The MoD's current situation map shows stagnation in the Donbas and along the Azov coast.

Mandiant this morning published an overview of the Russian information operations it's tracked during the run-up to Russia's war against Ukraine, through the actual invasion, and continuing until now. Senior Analyst Alden Wahlstrom, one of lead authors of this report, said that the research sought to exhibit "how known actors and campaigns can be leveraged or otherwise refocused to support emerging security interests, including large-scale conflict. For years, analysts have documented that Ukraine, a key strategic interest of Russia's, is a testing ground for Russian cyber threat activity that they may subsequently deploy elsewhere.Now,we witnesshow pro-Russia actors have leveraged the assets and campaign infrastructure developed over time (in whole or part) to target Ukraine.

The operations exhibit a mixture of disinformation and disruptive attacks (mostly ransomware, wiper malware disguised as ransomware, and nuisance-level distributed denial-of-service attacks). Defacement of Ukrainian government websites began as early as January 14th of this year, with messages claiming theft and subsequent deletion of data. "The defacements likely coincided with the January deployment of destructive tools PAYWIPE, an MBR wiper disguised as ransomware, and the SHADYLOOK file corrupter against Ukrainian government and other targets." February 23rd, the eve of the invasion proper, saw a repetition of this style of attack. In this case the defacements "coincided with destructive attacks against Ukrainian government targets using the NEARMISS master boot record (MBR) wiper and PARTYTICKET wiper disguised as ransomware." And during the war itself, on March 16th a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy appearing to announce surrender to Russia was distributed over compromised Ukrainian news sites. This incident coincided with another wiper attack: "On the same day, Mandiant identified the JUNKMAIL wiper targeting a Ukrainian organization. The malware was configured via a scheduled task to execute approximately three hours before Zelenskyy was scheduled to deliver a speech to the U.S. Congress."

Some familiar threat actors have been in evidence. APT28 (Fancy Bear, the GRU) has been behind much of the Russian activity, and the allied Ghostwriter operators of Belarus's satellite intelligence and security services have also been active in the Russian interest. The Internet Research Agency, well-known as an election-meddling troll farm, seems also to have resurfaced as "Kiber [that is, Cyber] Force Z," and resumed influence and amplification operations. And there have been the usual covert media outlets working under inauthentic personae. Kiber Force Z's style is as familiar as it is tasteless, featuring a Russian-uniformed Pepe the Frog (an Orthodox cross blasphemously around his neck, a "Z" patch in the place of honor on his left shoulder) calling in an airstrike on Azovstal, occupied by three Azov Battalion soldiers with pig faces. (The Azov boys look better uniformed and equipped than comrade soldier Pepe, who seems a bit slack and devil-may-care in his turnout. Maybe Kiber Force Z realized that President Zelenskyy's casual kit played better than President Putin's expensive clothes, long tables and Ruritanian guards.)

There's also been some nominally hacktivist activity conducted in support of Russia. "Established hacktivist personas JokerDNR and Beregini have remained active in their targeting of Ukraine in the leadup to and since Russias invasion, including through their publication of allegedly leaked documents featuring possible personally identifiable information (PII) of Ukrainian military members.," Mandiant notes, and goes on to observe cautiously, "Additionally, newly established 'hacktivist' groups, whose degrees of affiliation to the Russian state are yet unknown,like Killnet, Xaknet, and RahDit, have engaged in hacktivist-style threat activity in support of Russia, including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, hack-and-leak operations, and defacements." There is, we think, a strong likelihood that these hacktivist personae are operating under the control or at least direction of Moscow's intelligence services.

Russian disinformation has had two sides. One, for foreign consumption, has been in the familiar, tabloidesque, entropic style, intended to darken counsel more than to persuade, that's been a staple of Russian election meddling for the past decade. This line has featured such claims as the discovery of US biowar labs in Ukraine, Poland's systematic harvesting of Ukrainian refugees' organs for sale on the transplant black market, etc. The other has been aimed primarily at domestic audiences, and has emphasized the foreign threat to Russia, Ukrainian atrocities against ethnic Russian enclaves, and, above all, the alleged Nazi cabal that's got to be running Kyiv. These lines of disinformation have been intended to persuade.

The report concludes by offering its take on the outlook for influence campaigns aligned with Russian goals. Russian operators can be expected to continue to push disinformation, with a probable assist from their satellite services in Belarus. China and Iran serve as allies of convenience, retailing Russian themes when it serves those regimes' longstanding anti-Western strategic goals:

"Information operations observed in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine have exhibited both tactical aims responding to, or seeking to shape, events on the ground and strategic objectives attempting to influence the shifting geopolitical landscape. While these operations have presented an outsized threat to Ukraine, they have also threatened the U.S. and other Western countries. As a result, we anticipate that such operations, including those involving cyber threat activity and potentially other disruptive and destructive attacks, will continue as the conflict progresses.

"One notable feature of operations attributed to known actors thus far is their apparent consistency with the respective campaigns established motives. Russia-aligned operations, including those attributed to Russian, Belarusian, and pro-Russia actors, have thus far employed the widest array of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to support tactical and strategic objectives, directly linked to the conflict itself. This is especially beneficial when the facts on the ground shape Russias need to influence events in Ukraine, marshal domestic Russian support, and manage global perceptions of Russias actions. Meanwhile, pro-PRC and pro-Iran campaigns have leveraged the Russian invasion opportunistically to further progress long-held strategic objectives. We likewise expect this dynamic to continue, and are actively monitoring for expansions in their scope of information operations activity surrounding the conflict."

NATO's national coordinators for cybersecurity met yesterday in Brussels, the Hill reports, the first time such a group has convened. The meeting was prompted by the Russian war against Ukraine, and the ways in which it's altered the strategic landscape. "Allies have expressed concern that cyber threats to the security of the Alliance are complex, destructive, coercive, and becoming ever more frequent," a NATO press release said. "NATO is a strong platform to share information, to exchange national approaches and responses, as well as to consider possible collective responses. Allies are also providing practical support to partners, including Ukraine."

Or words to that effect. Hacktivists looking for ways of throwing sand in the gears of Russian governance have established a website (WasteRussianTime.Today, according to Wired's story) where, if you're of like mind, you can place robot calls that connect a couple of Kremlin apparatchiki while you listen in as they try to figure out who called whom. The technology the hacktivist group (which calls itself the "Obfuscated Dreams of Scheherazade") uses is first cousin to that employed by the people who call you about extending your car warranty, or getting credit card interest relief.

This war started inside Moscow and St. Petersburg, within the power circle of Putin, and thats who we want to annoy and disturb, Wired quotes one of the service's organizers as explaining. So the effort is meant to be irritating, and no doubt it is, but these aren't prank calls in the classical genre, like calling the local smoke shop, inquiring whether they've got Prince Albert in a can, and then saying, "well, you better let him out," or like asking the bartender to page Amanda Huggenkiss. The organizers decided against facilitating such direct interaction (too dangerous to the participants, who might inadvertently reveal their identity or location). What they did instead was to set up a program that would initiate "a VoIP call, automatically dialing 40 of the leaked [Kremlin] phone numbers, and merging the user into a three-way call with the first two Russian officials' phones that connect."

We're of two minds on this. On the one hand, it's difficult to summon much sympathy for robocalling or even hacktivism in general, which have typically been marked by poor control, bad aim, and unintended effects. When Wired tried out the service, they found there were some difficulties connecting two Russian parties. Apparently there are latency issues, which the Obfuscated Dreams of Scheherazade are working on. There are also sources-and-methods issues. Christo Grozev, of Bellingcat, and no stranger himself to prank calls, explained this particular downside to Wired. Whenever something like this becomes public, the whole department changes their numbers, and that's not good for investigations, including journalistic investigations.

On the other hand it's difficult not to appreciate what the Obfuscated Dreams of Scheherazade are doing, at least as conceptual art. So, for your consideration, a thought experiment: what if the prank calls weren't placed by various outraged randos, but by, say, US Cyber Command, known to many as a pretty low-latency outfit. We're fairly sure there must be some Title 10 authority for ordering two-dozen anchovy pizzas for delivery to the Russian President's office. If, that is, you can still get a pizza in Moscow. So we say, Rear Admiral (retired) John ("Jack") Mehoff, call Fort Meade. America has need of you in this hour. (And, General Nakasone, you're welcome.)

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Ukraine at D+84: Five months of cyber and info ops. - The CyberWire

Worse is the unprecedented scrutiny now directed at teachers by parents, political groups, even legislators. Virtually all the people ostentatiously monitoring teachers are people who have no training in education and no experience in a public-school classroom. The unspoken belief underlying such ideological policing is that teachers cant be trusted, that teachers dont deserve to be regarded as the skilled professionals they are. In many ways, todays culture war treats teachers and, increasingly, school librarians as the enemy.

Consider the veteran educator in East Tennessee, fired for teaching his students about white privilege in a class called Contemporary Issues, a course he had taught for nearly a decade without a word of complaint from parents. Consider the assistant principal in Mississippi, fired for reading I Need a New Butt! a funny childrens book, to second graders. Consider the country music star who testified before the Tennessee General Assembly that educators today are predators, akin to a guy in a white van pulling up at the edge of school when school lets out. Consider the candidate in the Georgia governors race who said in a debate, Were going to get rid of kindergarten teachers men with beards and lipstick and high heels teaching our children. Were going to get back to being moral in Georgia.

These stories from the red states make a recent bit of satire from The Onion Teacher Fired for Breaking States Critical Race Theory Laws After Telling Students Shes Black hard to distinguish from real life.

Maybe youre thinking this is all hyperbole, a few isolated incidents in a country with more than three million teachers in public schools. Its not. PEN America, a nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes and defends free speech, has documented the introduction of 185 educational gag orders most related to race, gender, racism and American history designed to control what may or may not be discussed in a classroom. Combined with the more than 1,500 book bans issued in the past 10 months alone, these bills represent an orchestrated attempt to silence marginalized voices and restrict students freedom to learn, according to a statement released last week by PEN.

Not all of these gag order bills have been signed into law, but they have had an unsettling effect on the teaching profession nonetheless. They put teachers on notice: Big Brother is watching you.

And all of this comes on top of the burnout exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, the epicenter of yet another culture war. The pandemic has led to mass teacher absences, contentious mask debates and chaotic plans for how to teach remotely. No wonder a poll by the National Education Association found in January that 55 percent of teachers in public schools are ready to leave the profession altogether.

Many wont, of course. They need the paycheck. They need the health insurance. They may hate the cultural context they now find themselves teaching in, but they love their work. The Achilles heel of schoolteachers, one all too easily exploited by politicians, is that they love their students.

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Opinion | In the Culture Wars, Teachers Are Under Attack - The New York Times