Top DEI official's word salad meltdown when asked if she supports legalized drug dealing By JOE HUTCHISON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:53 GMT, 13 December 2024 | Updated: 22:00 GMT, 13 December 2024 e-mail 6 shares 14 View comments Canada 's top DEI official struggled to answer a simple question about whether she supports legalizing drug dealing. Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion & Persons with Disabilities, was being grilled by Conservative MP Jamil Jivani over the current liberal governments policies. Jivani had been quizzing the official over the countries Black Justice Strategy, a document to help them tackle anti-black racism in the justice system. One of the suggestions put forward was the decriminalization of the possession of a 30-day supply of drugs of hard drugs. After frequently asking Khera if she supported that policy, she refused to give a straight answer. Jivani continues: 'Your government calls this history making and a milestone for black people in this country. 'I think it's fair for black people to look at it, and say is this what you want intend to do to our communities. 'Do you intend to decriminalize a 30 day supply of drugs in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion. Why is this such a difficult question to answer?' Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion & Persons with Disabilites, seen here, was being grilled by Conservative MP Jamil Jivani Jivani had been quizzing the official over the countries Black Justice Strategy, a document to help them tackle anti-black racism in the justice system Amazingly, Khera responds: ' Mr. Chair, clearly the member does not understand what diversity, inclusion and equity actually means.' Jivani quickly goes on the offense and quotes an EDI expert who said in a statement that EDI programs had made anti-Semitism worse in the country. He continues: 'Who deserves equity and inclusion in your mind?' She gives a stock response, saying: 'My goal is to ensure we are creating equal opportunities for every single person in this country. 'That takes fundamental changes to our institution to do that work, you have to be deliberate about that change.' Jivani continues to try and interrupt her comments, saying: 'You can keep trying to filibuster if you like.' After the chair of the panel interrupts, Jivani is allowed to continue with his questioning. He adds: 'So when a university student from our country says that diversity, equity and inclusion is disadvantaging her community, you response to that is "well I'm just going to keep making these blanket fluff statements?" Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a fireside chat with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce in Halifax Monday Dec. 9, 2024 The Drug User Liberation Front hand out clean, tested doses of drugs at a demonstration demanding the legalization and regulation of safe alternatives to the toxic street drug supply in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada April 14, 2022 'She's asking you clearly, how do you decide who deserves equity and who deserves inclusion? Why are there Canadians who feel excluded by your DEI framework.' Clearly rattled, she then repeats a similar statement that she delivered at the start of their exchange, saying: 'The honorable member does not really understand. 'He does not understand that there are systems in place, that anti-black racism, systemic racism is a real thing.' He shared the video of their interaction to his X page, saying: 'The top DEI official in Canada shows exactly what the DEI industry is all about. Superficial, empty, hollow virtue signaling.' Since he shared the video he has been inundated with comments from people attacking Khera over her word salad. One person commented: 'Well done Jamil, she showed her colors and where she stands in pushing division politics under the guise of compassion.' Another added: 'Please tell me when Conservatives take over, all these DEI Ministries and programs will be removed and all those working in them will be fired.' Changes around drug policy have been rolled out across the country in the last few years, following a rise in opioid deaths since the pandemic. In 2022, British Columbia passed a law decriminalizing the small-scale possession of certain drugs including cocaine and MDMA until 2025. They hoped that the policy change would help reduce overdose deaths by easing a fear of arrest by those who need help. Canada Share or comment on this article: Top DEI official's word salad meltdown when asked if she supports legalized drug dealing e-mail 6 shares Add commentHartwater Aesthetics® Expands Team
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'Democracy and freedom': Jimmy Carter's human rights efforts in Latin AmericaMCKINNEY, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hartwater Aesthetics ® , a leading medical aesthetic brand, announced an expansion of its clinical and leadership team with the addition of a new aesthetic provider and a new practice manager at its location in McKinney, TX. The Hartwater Clinical team is joined by Tiffany Byres , LMA, a licensed Medical Aesthetician, Certified Laser Technician, and Laser Safety Officer with 13 years of experience in the plastic surgery and medical aesthetics space. Byres brings to Hartwater an extensive knowledge of skin care techniques and protocols as well as expertise with numerous laser technologies and other treatments to provide top-quality care to patients. Joining the leadership team as Practice Manager is Lauren Parker , an experienced operational and sales leader in the beauty industry. Parker will oversee daily operations at the practice and ensure the continued delivery of a seamless, patient-focused experience. This growth reflects Hartwater's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional care and innovative services to its patients. The team expansion marks an exciting new chapter for Hartwater Aesthetics ® as it continues to set the standard for medical aesthetic care. About Hartwater Aesthetics ® Hartwater Aesthetics ® is a premier medical aesthetic practice offering industry-leading treatments for the face, body, and skin. It is home to a team of world-class aesthetic providers and uses the most state-of-the-art technology to offer patients the highest quality of care available. Media Contact: pr@h artwatera esthetics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hartwater-aesthetics-expands-team-302337620.html SOURCE Hartwater AestheticsWASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers, meet your latest lobbyists: online influencers from TikTok. The platform is once again bringing influencers to Washington, this time to lobby members of Congress to reject a fast-moving bill that would force TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company to sell or be banned in the United States. On Tuesday, some influencers began a two-day advocacy event in support of TikTok, which arranged their trip ahead of a House floor vote on the legislation on Wednesday. But unlike a similar lobbying event the company put together last March when talks of a TikTok ban reached a fever pitch, this year’s effort appeared more rushed as the company scrambles to counter the legislation, which advanced rapidly on Capitol Hill. Summer Lucille, a TikTok content creator with 1.4 million followers who is visiting Washington this week, said if TikTok is banned, she “don’t know what it will do” to her business, a plus-sized boutique in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It will be devastating,” Lucille said in an interview arranged by the platform. The legislation is drawing unusual support in Congress In an unusual showing of bipartisanship, a House panel unanimously approved the measure last week. President Joe Biden has said he will sign the legislation if lawmakers pass it. But it’s unclear what will happen in the Senate, where several bills aimed at banning TikTok have stalled. The legislation faces other roadblocks. Former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, who holds sway over both House and Senate Republicans, has voiced opposition to the bill, saying it would empower Meta-owned Facebook, which he continues to lambast over his 2020 election loss. The bill also faces pushback from some progressive lawmakers in the House as well as civil liberties groups who argue it infringes on the First Amendment. TikTok could be banned if ByteDance, the parent company, doesn’t sell its stakes in the platform and other applications it owns within six months of the bill’s enactment. The fight over the platform takes place as U.S.-China relations have shifted to that of strategic rivalry, especially in areas such as advanced technologies and data security, seen as essential to each country’s economic prowess and national security. The shift, which started during the Trump years and has continued under Biden, has placed restrictions on export of advanced technologies and outflow of U.S. monies to China, as well as access to the U.S. market by certain Chinese businesses. The Biden administration also has cited human rights concerns in blacklisting a number of Chinese companies accused of assisting the state surveillance campaign against ethnic minorities. TikTok isn’t short on lobbyists. Its Beijing-based parent company ByteDance has a strong lobbying apparatus in Washington that includes dozens of lobbyists from well-known consulting and legal firms as well as influential insiders, such as former members of Congress and ex-aides to powerful lawmakers, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will also be in Washington this week and plans to meet with lawmakers, according to a company spokesperson who said Chew’s visit was previously scheduled. Influencers descend on Washington But influencers, who have big followings on social media and can share personal stories of how the platform boosted their businesses — or simply gave them a voice — are still perhaps one of the most powerful tools the company has in its arsenal. A TikTok spokesperson said dozens of influencers will attend the two-day event, including some who came last year. The spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about how many new people would be attending this year’s lobbying blitz. The company is briefing them ahead of meetings with their representatives and media interviews. Lucille, who runs the boutique in North Carolina, says has seen a substantial surge in revenue because of her TikTok page. The 34-year-old began making TikTok content focusing on plus-sized fashion in March 2022, more than a decade after she started her business. She quickly amassed thousands of followers after posting a nine-second video about her boutique. Because of her popularity on the platform, her business has more online exposure and customers, some of whom have visited from as far as Europe. She says she also routinely hears from followers who are finding support through her content about fashion and confidence. JT Laybourne, an influencer who also came to Washington, said he joined TikTok in early 2019 after getting some negative comments on videos he posted on Instagram while singing in the car with his children. Laybourne, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, said he was attracted to the short-form video platform because it was easy to create videos that contained music. Like Lucille, he quickly gained traction on the app. He says he also received more support from TikTok users, who reacted positively to content he produced on love and positivity. Laybourne says the community he built on the platform rallied around his family when he had to undergo heart surgery in 2020. Following the surgery, he said he used the platform to help raise $1 million for the American Heart Association in less than two years. His family now run an apparel company that gets most of its traffic from TikTok. “I will fight tooth-and-nail for this app,” he said. But whether the opposition the company is mounting through lobbyists or influencers will be enough to derail the bill is yet to be seen. On Tuesday, House lawmakers received a briefing on national security concerns regarding TikTok from the FBI, Justice Department and intelligence officials. ____ AP Journalist Didi Tang contributed to this report. ___ This story was originally published on March 12, 2024. It was updated on December 23, 2024 to clarify a quote by TikTok content creator Summer Lucille. Haleluya Hadero, The Associated PressUPI – Google Doodle included a four-minute video revealing some of the website’s most searched-for topics of 2024. Subjects included the rise of country music, Canadian singer-songwriter Celine Dion’s triumphant return after a health scare, the 2024 summer Olympics, the accomplishments of basketball greats Caitlin Clark and Steph Curry, gymnast Simone Biles, K-pop band Stray Kids, pop star Sabrina Carpenter, Thailand’s adorable baby hippo Moo Deng, Inside Out 2, the solar eclipse and Northern lights and the re-election of Donald Trump, artificial intelligence and Hurricane Helene. “This animated Doodle celebrates some of 2024’s Breakout Searches – the moments that truly defined the year and had the whole world searching for more,” Google said. “From major breakthroughs in science and technology to unforgettable performances that captivated the world, these Breakouts reveal what captured our collective imagination. “They tell stories of triumph, surprise, and innovation, like the awe-inspiring Northern Lights displays, the rare cicada emergence, and the breathtaking eclipse that united skywatchers everywhere.”
Larry Hogan says dozens of drones flew over Maryland home: ‘Entirely unacceptable’
WASHINGTON − Former President Bill Clinton was hospitalized at the Georgetown University Medical Center “for testing and observation after developing a fever,” his chief of staff announced Monday. “He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Clinton, 78, campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race. He was hospitalized for a urological infection that later developed into a blood infection known as sepsis in 2021. This is a developing story and will be updated .