This is why I keep saying we must be vocal and show our displeasure with companies that pull back out of fear. We must voice it also with our money. I used to shop Target, but until they reverse their polices I won’t spend a dime in any of their stores. I know you can search and there are websites that show pro-LGBTQ+ stores and those who betrayed the LGBTQ+. But the right learned from the protests and tactics used by the LGBTQ+ in the past. We were vocal, we were loud, we worked both behind the scenes with companies and we made it clear we have disposable money to shop. A lot of gay people still do. Hugs
Murray is a Forbes news reporter covering entertainment trends.
Nearly two-fifths of corporations plan on scaling back engagement for LGBTQ Pride Month this June, an uptick from the same survey last year, while another two-fifths said their support would remain unchanged, according to a survey of corporate executives by Gravity Research, as some LGBTQ Pride organizations nationwide report fewer corporate sponsorships than past years.
Some Pride organizations have reported corporate donors have scaled back funding this year. (Photo … More
Getty Images
Key Facts
Of the 49 executives surveyed from Fortune 1000 companies, those who said they were pulling back on Pride support cited pressure from conservative activists and President Donald Trump, who has signed executive orders gutting diversity, equity and inclusion and targeting the transgender community.
Of the 39% of companies who said they would reduce Pride Month engagement this year, 43% said they would reduce external shows of support, which includes having a visual presence at or financially sponsoring Pride marches, offering a Pride merchandise line, updating social media branding and partnering with influencers for Pride-themed sponsorships.
Fewer respondents, 19%, said their decreased engagement for Pride would be internal, including internal communication with employees about commitments to equality and offering employee resource groups.
About 41% of the companies surveyed said their support for Pride will remain unchanged this year, while the rest responded “don’t know” or “haven’t decided.”
Last year just 9% of companies told Gravity Research last year they would alter their Pride Month engagement plans.
Crucial Quote
Gravity Research president Luke Hartig told Forbes the survey “reveals just how dramatically the cultural and political tides have turned,”stating two-fifths of companies scaling back Pride Month engagement “would’ve been unthinkable just five years ago.” Hartig said, though, “most are holding firm internally, continuing to show up for LGBTQ+ employees and allies via events, partnerships with ERGs, and reiterating workplace inclusion.”
What Did Corporate Leaders Say About Reducing Pride Month Engagement?
One corporate leader told Gravity Research their company would reduce their acknowledgement of Pride Month on social media to “minimize public visibility that could trigger attention.” An unnamed corporate executive at a Fortune 500 consumer staples company told Gravity Research it has “reduced risk across all heritage month events” by “focusing internally and doing what’s right for our people and not necessarily shouting to the world about it.” Some executives told Gravity Research they are preparing talking points in response to their Pride Month activities, including one financial executive, who said their company has provided HR employees with prepared responses for employees who question its Pride Month support. The financial executive also said their company is planning to take a “more conservative approach to how we are acknowledging Pride month on our social media channels.”
Surprising Fact
Business-to-consumer companies (71%) are more likely than business-to-business companies (53%) to prepare for Pride Month-related backlash, Gravity Research reported, which it says shows “increased public pressure and threat of consumer backlash.”
Which Pride Organizations Have Lost Corporate Sponsors?
Some of the United States’ biggest Pride organizations have said corporate sponsors pulled back financial support this year. Anheuser-Busch, the alcoholic beverage company that battled a wave of conservative backlash in 2023 over a partnership between Bud Light and transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, declined to support St. Louis Pride in 2025 after more than 30 years of sponsorship, St. Louis Pride said in an Instagram post. San Francisco Pride organizers told Forbes Anheuser-Busch also declined to support the organization this year, as did previous sponsors Comcast and alcoholic beverage company Diageo, representing a loss of $200,000 in corporate sponsorship funding. Pride Houston’s board of directors told Forbes some corporate sponsors reduced support by as much as 75%, totaling $100,000 in lost funds. Chris Piedmont, media director for NYC Pride, told Forbes some corporate sponsors have scaled back budgets, though he did not name specific companies. The loss of funding has led some organizations to turn to crowdfunding, including St. Louis Pride and Twin Cities Pride in Minnesota, which cut ties with Target after the company walked back its diversity, equity and inclusion measures in January.
Key Background
Some companies have faced backlash among conservative activists in recent years for their support for LGBTQ pride, notably Bud Light, which lost its spot as the top beer in the United States after facing a consumer boycott over its partnership with Mulvaney. Within about a month of the Bud Light boycott, which began in April 2023, Bud Light’s sales were down 26% compared to the year prior. Other companies that faced online attacks and boycotts included Nike, which also partnered with Mulvaney in 2023, and Target, which sparked outrage for selling a swimsuit marketed for trans women. In response to backlash, Target removed some of its LGBTQ pride items from stores. Target has faced renewed boycotts in recent weeks after it joined a wave of companies walking back diversity, equity and inclusion standards, angering critics who viewed the company as a longtime LGBTQ ally. Target’s foot traffic in stores has been down year-over-year for 11 straight weeks, beginning with the week after it dropped DEI commitments in January, Retail Brew reported.
China canceled 12,000 metric tons of United States pork shipments amid a high-stakes trade standoff between the superpowers, according to data released Thursday.
The move represents the biggest cancellation of pork orders since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and stalled economies around the world, Bloomberg News reported.
China, behind Mexico and Japan, was the U.S.’s third-biggest market for pork in 2024, importing some 475,000 metric tons valued at more than $1.1 billion.
China is the world’s biggest producer of pork, accounting for nearly 50 percent of global supply at around 57 million metric tons, according to the USDA. The U.S. was ranked third at 11 percent with 12 million metric tons.
President Trump shook the global trading system by imposing sweeping tariffs earlier this month on dozens of countries. He slapped a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods coming into the U.S., prompting China to fire back with its own 125 percent duty.
China said Thursday that the U.S. is not engaged in talks to come up with a new trade deal, a characterization that Trump rejected later in the day.
“They had meetings this morning, and we’ve been meeting with China. And, so I think you have … as usual, I think you have your reporting wrong,” Trump told reporters Thursday.
After the tariff hikes, China inked two agricultural trade agreements with Spain, for pork and cherries, as Beijing looks to strengthen relations with European countries, Reuters reported.
U.S. pork imports are now facing a 172 percent tariff, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said, according to Bloomberg News.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went off on the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff amid a search for a leaker at the Pentagon, according to a report published Thursday in The Wall Street Journal.
The paper said Hegseth was “rattled” after word got out last month that the Pentagon was set to briefElon Musk on China, where the Tesla CEO has three factories. President Donald Trumpdenied the report the next day. However, Axios later reported that Trump had canceled the briefing while asking, “What the fuck is Elon doing here?”
During his search for the leaker, Hegseth erupted at Admiral Christopher Grady, who was then the acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
“I’ll hook you up to a f——-g polygraph!” Hegseth shouted at the admiral, the Journal reported, according to two people familiar with the interaction. The secretary demanded proof that Grady was not the source of the Musk leak. Grady was never polygraphed. Hegseth reportedly threatened others with a polygraph test, including Lt. Gen. Doug Sims, the Joint Chiefs director.
The report is just the latest trouble for Hegseth. After a slog of a confirmation fight that ended with the vice president casting the tie-breaking vote, the secretary has only provided his detractors with fodder. Last month, it was revealed that Hegseth shared looming plans for airstrikes in Yemen with more than a dozen administration officials in a Signal group chat. This week, it was reported that he shared the same plans in another chat with his wife, brother, and lawyer. It was also reported that Hegseth set up a makeup studio at the Pentagon to be used ahead of television appearances, which Hegseth denied. Last week, Hegseth lost four staffers amid what one Pentagon official called “chaos” at the department. And on Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Hegseth used “an internet connections that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer,” according to two sources.
For its report, the Journal said the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens as President Donald Trump meets with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon’s security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press.
The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth’s use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defense information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance.
Known as a “dirty” internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user’s information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon’s secured connections maintain.
Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if there’s a need to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked.
But the biggest advantage of using such a line is that the user would not show up as one of the many IP addresses assigned to the Defense Department — essentially the user is masked, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with military network security.
But it also can expose users to hacking and surveillance. A “dirty” line — just like any public internet connection — also may lack the recordkeeping compliance required by federal law, the official said.
All three spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.
A ‘dirty’ internet line to use Signal
The two people familiar with the line said Hegseth had it set up in his office to use the Signal app, which has become a flashpoint following revelations that he posted sensitive details about a military airstrike in two chats that each had more than a dozen people. One of the chats included his wife and brother, while the other included President Donald Trump’s top national security officials.
Asked about Hegseth’s use of Signal in his office, which was first reported by The Washington Post, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the defense secretary’s “use of communications systems and channels is classified.”
“However, we can confirm that the Secretary has never used and does not currently use Signal on his government computer,” Parnell said in a statement.
Trump and other administration officials have given Hegseth their full support. They have blamed employees they say were disgruntled for leaking information to journalists, with Trump saying this week: “It’s just fake news. They just bring up stories.”
“I have 100% confidence in the secretary,” Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday about Hegseth. ”I know the president does and, really, the entire team does.”
Secure ways to communicate at the Pentagon
The Pentagon has a variety of secure ways that enable Hegseth and other military leaders to communicate:
— The Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network can handle the lowest levels of sensitive information. It allows some access to the internet but is firewalled and has levels of cybersecurity that a “dirty” line does not. It cannot handle information labeled as secret.
— The Secure Internet Protocol Router Network is used for secret-level classified information.
— The Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System is for top-secret and secret compartmentalized information, which is some of the highest levels of secrecy, also known as TS/SCI.
Hegseth initially was going to the back area of his office where he could access Wi-Fi to use his devices, one of the people familiar said, and then he requested a line at his desk where he could use his own computer.
That meant at times there were three computers around his desk — a personal computer; another for classified information; and a third for sensitive defense information, both people said.
Because electronic devices are vulnerable to spying, no one is supposed to have them inside the defense secretary’s office. Important offices at the Pentagon have a cabinet or drawer where staff or visitors are required to leave devices.
While Signal offers more protections than standard text messaging, it’s no guarantee of security. Officials also must ensure their hardware and connections are secure, said Theresa Payton, White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush and now CEO of Fortalice Solutions, a cybersecurity firm.
The communications of senior government officials are of keen interest to adversaries like Russia or China, Payton said.
The National Security Agency issued a warning earlier this year about concerns that foreign hackers could try to target government officials using Signal. Google also advised caution about Russia-aligned hackers targeting Signal users.
Hegseth’s Signal use is under investigation by the Defense Department’s acting inspector general at the request of the bipartisan leadership of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth pulled the information about the strike on Yemen’s Houthi militants last month from a secure communications channel used by U.S. Central Command. He has vehemently denied he posted “war plans” or classified information.
But the information Hegseth did post in chats — exact launch times and bomb drop times — would have been classified and could have put service members at risk, multiple current and former military and defense officials have said. The airstrike information was sent before the pilots had launched or safely returned from their mission.
___
AP reporter David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.
Copp covers the Pentagon and national security for the Associated Press. She has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, throughout the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Trump signs executive actions on education, including efforts to rein in DEI
The directives include new efforts to curtail DEI programs at colleges, and discipline guidance for public schools.
The judge was to be arraigned that day. Under federal procedures, she would likely appear in U.S. District Court on the day of the arrest. Instead she was sent to an ICE detention facility and denied her due process rights. This is not legal nor right. They refused her rights to due process. She is a citizen. Hugs
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested April 25 by federal authorities who are investigating whether she tried to help an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week, officials confirmed.
Brady McCarron, spokesman for U.S. Marshals Service in Washington, D.C., confirmed Dugan was arrested at about 8 a.m. at the Milwaukee County Courthouse and is in federal custody. Under federal procedures, she would likely appear in U.S. District Court on the day of the arrest.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X about the arrest. He later deleted the post.
“Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week,” Patel wrote. “We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest.”
Multiple Milwaukee County judges confirmed that the arrest took place at the courthouse. Chief Judge Carl Ashley confirmed the incident in an email to courthouse officials.
Officials have not yet identified the defendant whom she is accused of assisting, but it appears to be Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican immigrant facing three misdemeanor battery counts. He was in Dugan’s courtroom on April 18 for a pre-trial conference.
Flores-Ruiz, 30, is listed as being in ICE custody at Dodge Detention Facility in Juneau, according to the federal online detainee locator system.
Sources have told the Journal Sentinel that ICE officials arrived in Dugan’s courtroom on the morning of April 18. When they went to the chief judge’s office, Dugan directed the defendant and his attorney to a side door in the courtroom, directed them down a private hallway and into the public area on the 6th floor.
Last week’s arrest marked at least the third time in recent months that federal immigration agents have come to the courthouse with arrest warrants. In March and early April, two people were arrested by ICE officials in the hallways of the courthouse.
This is a breaking story and was updated with new information. More updates are coming.
and Scottie posts from Meidas Touch. Here’s a snippet, with more on Adam Parkhomenko’s Substack, which can be read for free.
How MeidasTouch is Fixing a 2024 Dem Problem– And Why Legacy Media Isn’t (sic) Cheering by Adam Parkhomenko
A few months ago, Joe Rogan and his podcast audience numbers were thought to be untouchable. Read on Substack
It’s not all bad news.
Media evolution is the story of one industry disruption after another. Printing press. Radio. Network TV. Local TV. Cable TV. The internet. Websites. Blogs. YouTube. Podcasts. Social media. Substack (hey, that’s us!)
The turnover at which today’s shiny media delivery object becomes yesterday’s news is accelerating – a thrilling development for some, but a daunting one for many more and, of course, democracy. Players who think ahead, understand tech, know their audience and potential audience, make bold decisions and keep revenue flowing are best positioned to compete as the media industry continues to adapt.
Nimble media players who blend compelling and breaking content with regular programming, eye-catching graphic design, quick-yet-professional video editing, a mix of humor and real-talk, low overhead, strategic advertising and round-the-clock revenue generation while breaking corporate and editorial bottlenecks will emerge at the forefront of the media race. Call it doing everything, everywhere, all at once. Succeeding in today’s media landscape takes a special touch.
You might even call it a… MeidasTouch.
The Meiselas brothers, co-founders of The MeidasTouch Network. (Photo credit: Variety)
Yes, Rogan’s Big Audience Boosted Trump’s Prospects
There is no question that Joe Rogan dominated the podcast space in the 2024 campaign. And there is no question that Donald Trump’s prospects of returning to the Oval Office while under four indictments and pending sentencing for 34 felony convictions was boosted by Rogan’s support of Trump and well-timed show appearances by Trump campaign principals.
Donald Trump’s two hour, 58 minute and 50-second appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) on October 25, just 11 days before Election Day, has 58 million views on YouTube. Some views were after Election Day, of course, but you get the idea… a lot of people saw it.
JD Vance’s three hour, 17 minute and 21-second interview on JRE on October 31, five days before Election Day, has 20 million views on YouTube. That’s far more people than should ever suffer the misery of watching JD Vance.
Notably, the Trump campaign dispatched Elon Musk for his own two hour, 38 minute and 40-second appearance on JRE the day before the election. Musk’s interview has 20 million views on YouTube.
Trump’s full interview was the second most-watched JRE YouTube video of all time, bested only by a 2019 interview with Bob Lazar and Jeremy Corbell. The UFO confab has nearly 64 million views. (snip-MORE)
I read a theory on Facebook yesterday, which means there was heavy research behind it (sarcasm), that Trump only hired morons because they would provide distractions from all the Trump Fuckery he’s implementing. I think that might be a bonus, but I don’t agree with it.
I think Trump only hires morons, not because they’re morons, but because they’re all sycophants and none will challenge his Trump Fuckery. For the love of God, Kristi Noem even got the Melania hairstyle. I’m kinda shocked JD Vance didn’t get it too.
We’ve gone over the idiot picked from Fox & Friends in the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, inadvertently leaking classified intel, so let’s discuss the puppy-murdering idiot at Homeland Security.
Kristi Noem had her purse snatched while at Capital Burger in Washington, DC. Surveillance footage showed the suspect purposefully moving close to Noem as he zeroed in on her Gucci bag near her feet.
A source said the thief, dressed in dark clothing, sat down at an empty table next to Noem with his back facing her and used his left foot to slide the bag away. He surveyed the restaurant before eventually picking up the bag, covering it with his jacket, and leaving.
He was a smooth criminal, but ya ain’t gotta be that smooth to steal from a Trump dummy.
Country mouse still has a lot to learn about living in the big city (knock on wood since I’m still in Chicago), and one of the things you should know is to keep your bag in your vision. For example: My backpack, which my iPad, passport, keys, and other items is in right now, is sitting on the chair right across from me in this Starbucks while I write this.
See? No one’s gonna steal my Mocha Frappe either.
So Kristi doesn’t know how to traverse the big city, but what’s her detail’s excuse? While Noem was dining with her family, who still hasn’t alienated her despite the puppy killing, the Secret Service inside the restaurant keeping an eye on things. Well, most things.
The thief managed to swipe Noem’s purse right in from of her, the Secret Service, and every member of those yee-haw fuckers she calls her family. This must be a criminal mastermind. If the government catches him, I suggest they hire him. He can teach the Secret Service how thieves steal from MAGA morons.
But what’s interesting is what was inside Noem’s Gucci bag, as it included a Louis Vuitton Clemence wallet, her driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, DHS access badge, makeup bag, blank checks, and about $3,000 in cash.
Ya know, if a Russian, North Korean, or Chinese spy wanted to access our government, they don’t have to do none of that Tom Cruise Mission Impossible crap. They would just need to snatch Kristi Noem’s purse…or just wait for Pete Hegseth to share classified intel on a chat app, or for Trump to Tweet it or hand it to Russians in the Oval Office.
But what was Kristi doing with $3,000 in cash? Did the thief also steal her pager? Paging Director Dumbass! A DHS spokesgoon said, “Her entire family was in town, including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts.”
Hey, country mouse. Have you ever heard of a bank card? Even the food trucks in DC take them. Try the Venezuelan food truck by the L’Enfant Metro station. It’s amazeballs.
Sure, we should all keep some cash on us, because you never know, but $3,000 is a bit much. And why is she carrying blank checks? Hardly anyone takes checks anymore, and everyone should be advised not to take checks from Trumpers. Elon’s probably still waiting for Trump’s check to clear for the Tesla he purchased on the White House lawn.
Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN law enforcement analyst and former Secret Service agent, said, “If necessary, the Secret Service will need to make operational changes on how they deal with these types of private events moving forward.” If anything, it’ll be necessary for the Secret Service to adjust and realize they’re guarding very stupid people now, people who aren’t smart enough to keep their stuff in their sight.
Wackrow also said Noem remains “at higher risk for targeted threats, both by foreign and domestic actors, and just her public profile alone makes her a symbolic target.”
Well, she’s a higher target now that everyone knows how stupid she is.
Chicago note: After my deadlines were met yesterday, I was free to go exploring. I got a meatloaf sandwich at a place where the waiters insult you.
Daniel Bice
Scottie's Playtime 