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Happy Sunday, everyone! Grab your favorite hot beverage of the morning, be it tea, coffee, or hot chocolate – or help yourself to the pitcher of mimosas. Make sure you grab a muffin or some coffeecake, or maybe one of the cheese bagels (if the kids didn’t eat them all).
Welcome to the kitchen table, which is loud and noisy and sometimes food gets dropped on the floor, but a happy dog is always willing to assist with the cleanup. I am playing stand-in host for this Sunday morning, and with the official start of fall, all the pumpkin things are making their appearance. On the baking agenda later will be trying out this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake recipe. But before we get there, let’s talk about things.
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In a move that likely surprised no one, Project Veritas shut its doors last Wednesday, apparently out of funds to continue operations. The last big story that Project Veritas broke was the Pfizer director, Jordon Walker, telling a “blind date” all about Pfizer allegedly pursuing “gain of function” research for the COVID-19 vaccine, and then having an absolute meltdown when he discovered that he had been caught in a sting. Right after that, founder James O’Keefe was put on leave by Project Veritas, and then he quit the organization. The reasons for O’Keefe’s ouster have never been made crystal clear, though there were allegations of hostility toward staff and money mismanagement. This all happened last February. Project Veritas then decided to sue O’Keefe (who has started his own new company, O’Keefe Media Group) in late May for breaking “a nondisparagement clause and other parts of his employment contract during his messy exit from the organization,” along with making accusations about using the company money for private expenses. But with O’Keefe gone, the money issues should have stopped, right? Apparently not.
According to a letter titled “Reduction in Force” that was sent to Project Veritas staffers by HR director Jennifer Kiyak on Wednesday, the organization is putting all operations on pause amidst severe financial woes.
“In the interest of preserving the possible future existence of Project Veritas we need to put operations on pause and, as communicated since the Spring, another Reduction in Force (“RIF”) is necessary,” Kiyak wrote.
Six staffers were laid off from the embattled organization this week, sources said, including all remaining journalists and one development associate. One former Project Veritas staffer said just 11 people remain on the non-profit’s payroll, including CEO Hannah Giles.
Kiyak wrote in the letter that the group cannot “carry the present staff count any longer” and reminded those being laid off of their nondisclosure agreements.
And then whoever was left at Project Veritas decided to serve paperwork to James O’Keefe the next day.
WATCH: Project Veritas attempts to serve James O'Keefe a lawsuit one day after announcing it was suspending all operations indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/F9LmYQ6Iny
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) September 22, 2023
This time, it’s not entirely clear what Project Veritas wants, or if this is a summons for the previous lawsuit.
O’Keefe said the documents were “a summons in civil action” from “United States District Court” for a lawsuit titled “Project Veritas vs. James O’Keefe.” Jay M. Wolman, Counsel at Randazza Legal Group in Connecticut represents the plaintiff.
“We’re not sure what these attorneys have to say for themselves, participating in an effort to silence journalists and get a federal judge to issue an injunction to shut me up and to shut all of you down. It’s unclear what Randazza and Jay Wolman are thinking,” O’Keefe said.
The drama continues, and will likely continue for some time in court. But Project Veritas shutting down is no shock – James O’Keefe was the face of the organization, and when he left, the donors left with him.
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Yesterday, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. held a dedication ceremony for four new stained glass windows, entitled “Now and Forever,” which are supposed to celebrate “racial justice.” These windows were placed where stained glass windows of Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson had been before. The Lee and Jackson windows were placed in 1953, a joint effort between the United Daughters of the Confederacy and a Cathedral donor who wished to help “reunite North and South,” according to the National Cathedral’s website. In the grand scheme of things, this wouldn’t be such a big deal (the Lee and Jackson windows are, as of 2021, on loan to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture for an exhibit there) – except that the social justice movement has been very erasing every single mention of the Confederacy wherever they can find it, right down to erasing Robert E. Lee’s horse Traveller. And in its place, the social justice narrative of the moment must reign.
Fabulous unveiling today at National Cathedral of glorious “Now & Forever Windows” by Birmingham native Kerry James Marshall depicting resilience of African Americans & nation’s struggle with racism. Accompanied by powerful original poem by Elizabeth Alexander, “American Song.” pic.twitter.com/4boa7Mz7l3
— Leslie Proll (@LeslieProll) September 23, 2023
The entire event dedicating the windows was livestreamed, complete with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reading Martin Luther King.
The dedication service was attended by many clergy from the Washington area’s historically Black churches, as well as leaders of social justice organizations. The prayers, Bible readings and brief speeches were interspersed with gospel music and spirituals, as well as the contemporary song, “Heal Our Land.”
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, read excerpts from the Rev. Martin Luther King’ Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” from 1963.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she read from King’s famed message while jailed in Alabama. “The goal of America is freedom. … We will win our freedom.” A week earlier, she had spoken at the 60th anniversary of Birmingham church bombing that killed four young Black girls.
The new windows, titled “Now and Forever,” are based on a design by artist Kerry James Marshall. Stained glass artisan Andrew Goldkuhle crafted the windows based on that design.
In the new work, African Americans are shown marching — on foot or in a wheelchair — from left to right across the four windows. Some march in profile; some directly face the viewer with signs proclaiming “FAIRNESS” and “NO FOUL PLAY.” Light floods in through the sky-bright panes of white and blue above the figures.
I have always found it weird that in a country that deliberately made sure there would be no “state religion,” we have this odd institution that is neither church nor government, yet gets used under the guise of both. Still, I look forward to the social justice warriors learning that the tomb of Woodrow Wilson is inside the National Cathedral, and demanding that he be disinterred and moved once they “discover” his racist policies. What fun that will be. First any mention of the Confederacy, then any presidents who owned slaves, and then any presidents who were racists. Pretty soon, we won’t have any history left except George Floyd.
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In the future, everyone will be cancelled for 15 minutes, instead of being famous. Also, never take pictures with famous people, lest you be eventually accused of knowing them, EVER.
I imagine not many are seeing the caption for the photo either. News to me 🙁 pic.twitter.com/N6O02yJa4F
— Paul Morrison (@chessclubgringo) September 22, 2023
Hmmm, maybe I should have put popcorn out this morning as well. The horror, the HORROR. Ken Burns with Justice Clarence Thomas AND the late David Koch??? Burns was quick to say that he just took the photo, that’s ALL.
A spokesperson for the documentarian said while Koch had funded one of his projects, he has no relationship with Thomas. “Around ten years ago, Ken was stopped and asked to take a photograph with a Supreme Court Justice and David Koch, who was a supporter of public television and would later provide some funding for his film, ‘The Vietnam War.’ So he took the photo, as he has done with many, many others. Other than the taking of that photograph and innocuous pleasantries, that’s the extent of his contact with Justice Thomas,” the spokesperson told Variety. The photo appeared Friday when ProPublica published an investigation into Thomas, revealing he attended at least two donor summits for the right-wing billionaire Koch brothers.
The ProPublica story is yet another attempt by the left to try and dig up anything on Clarence Thomas. It’s just hilarious that they accidentally kneecapped Ken Burns in the process by revealing that he took Koch money. Burns will likely be forgiven quickly, but the left will never stop trying to “get” Justice Thomas.
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And with that, our little Sunday coffee klatch comes to a close for yet another week. May you all find meaning and joy in this coming week, and may our Jewish friends have a blessed Yom Kippur, which will begin at sundown tonight. Cheers, everyone!
Featured photo: author’s personal photo, all rights reserved
GWB says: who wished to help “reunite North and South,”
Note the effort has gone from uniting to dividing.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court
Note the latest black man to sit on the Supreme Court wasn’t there. He doesn’t count.
demanding that he be disinterred and moved once they “discover” his racist policies.
Puhlease. He was the first Progressive Hero of the State. He will simply be “rehabilitated.”
Pretty soon, we won’t have any history left except George Floyd.
It’s called Year Zero, and it’s been in use by totalitarians everywhere since they’ve existed. I’ve always thought it was interesting Marxists were fond of it, since it was very much a Divine Right of Kings sort of thing.
Guest spot? Or trying to horn in on Darleen’s action? 😉
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