Blaming the GOP for Beer Trauma

For the most part, this was little more than Whitworth avoiding any question with substance. Then, host Tony Dokoupil chimed in to frame a question around how mean conservatives have been on this particular issue:

Given the moment we're in, this moment in America with trans issues at the top of Republican social-- or conservative political agenda, knowing what you know now, if you could go back, would you send this can to this one person again?

Sitting with @CBSMornings today, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth refused to clarify his company's stance on LGBTQ rights and Dylan Mulvaney. https://t.co/g8pTszgfmk

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) June 28, 2023

Democrat Custodial Services – BLOOMBERG

Recommended

No Circular Firing Squads This Time, Republicans Kurt Schlichter

• Not to worry, Mr. President – they'll fix it in post!

It was another day, and as such, it was another instance of President Biden displaying the belts slipping in his brainpan. He was speaking off the cuff about the Ukraine War and, in doing so, had critical words about Vlad Putin. 

Critical words, just not accurate ones. 

BIDEN: Vladimir Putin “is clearly losing the war in Iraq.” pic.twitter.com/8tLwwPNNwO

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 28, 2023

And thus, it becomes another day when the press is sent out to do clean-up duty. Note how Bloomberg detailed Biden's comments mostly accurately but managed to eliminate his error of saying "Iraq." 

“I know he is,” Biden told reporters at the White House Wednesday when asked whether Putin is weaker today. “It’s hard to tell, but he is clearly losing the war,” Biden added. “He’s losing the war at home, and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world.” pic.twitter.com/iaRceC2dQp

— Jenny Leonard (@jendeben) June 28, 2023

Legalized Press-titution – NBC NEWS

• Okay, maybe they DID say those things, but conservatives noticing is the real problem.

After so much denialism regarding gay/trans events involving kids, a number of videos have come out from recent Pride marches showing deeply inappropriate activity around minors. One video showed marchers actually chanting about coming for people's children. While this has been held up as definitive evidence, the NBC News Out & Proud division attempted to defend the marchers. It is very fair to say they failed at it. 

While some in attendance tried to pass off the audio to just select individuals, writer Tyler Kingkaid interviewed an event organizer, and the explanation is actually worse than the video:

To Brian Griffin, the original organizer of the NYC Drag March, if that’s the worst they heard, it’s only because he wasn’t there this year. Griffin said he chanted obscene things in the past, like “Kill, kill, kill, we’re coming to kill the mayor,” and joked about pubic hair and sex toys during marches. People at the Drag March regularly sing “God is a lesbian.”

Then there was this additional nugget that should have had Kingkaid looking things over and just hitting the DELETE button:

The “coming for your children” chant has been used for years at Pride events, according to longtime march attendees and gay rights activists.

NBC News Defends Pride March Chant Targeting Children and Manages to Make Things Far Worse https://t.co/wbm5etAP9J

— RedState (@RedState) June 28, 2023

Glossary Over Things – BUSINESS INSIDER

• These orcas must have a good activist PR division.

It has been an ongoing story that in parts of Europe, the locals have been contending with the reality of killer whales in the region actively sinking boats. Theories abound as to why, but Business Insider instructs us how to describe what is taking place.

One theory emerging is that this is simply a game for the whales. This being the case, we get told that describing these sinkings as "attacks" is improper. We here at Riffed From the Headlines are not sure exactly how offended the whales might become, but what puzzles us more is the list of supposedly less-offense terms to describe things:

So, instead of using the word “attack,” which implies aggressive and violent action, it might be more accurate to simply describe the literal behavior that the orcas are engaging in: such as “striking,” “ramming,” “targeting,” or “hitting” boats.

Stop calling the killer whale encounters with boats 'attacks'. Andrew Trites @ubcmarinemammal said he is concerned that framing the encounters as "attacks" could lead to misunderstandings about killer #whales. https://t.co/hz3QSiG8p5 via @BusinessInsider

— UBC Oceans (@UBCoceans) June 28, 2023

DNC PR Firm – NBC NEWS

• Only the non-invasive procedure is considered radical.

The need by journalists to defend Democrats is so automatic that you almost get the sense that much of the time, it is done without their even being cognizant of the effort. In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs is passing pro-LGBT𝜋 agenda items, and in covering her policies, they take a decidedly un-neutral approach to the items.

Note how conversion therapy is described as "so-called," but the far more intrusive decision to physically modify the body of a youth is simply "gender-affirming care."

Arizona Gov. Hobbs issued two pro-LGBTQ executive orders on Tuesday, banning state support of so-called conversion therapy and allowing transgender state employees to receive gender-affirming health care under their insurance plan. https://t.co/HTBncVtttJ

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 28, 2023

Both Kinds of Standards – THE NEW YORK TIMES

• The implied illegitimacy defies all prior lionization.

The need to downplay or render as inconsequential the spate of whistleblowers coming out with damning testimony about the Bidens continues, and it would be amusing if it were not so pathetic. Let's remember, during the Trump years, anyone coming forward who even somewhat appeared to be a whistleblower was elevated to the upper strata of sainthood and granted all manner of protection from criticism and professional reprisals.

Today, however, those who have come forward with critical words about the FBI, DOJ, President Jose Biden, and his son Hunter and his IRS dealings are regarded as suspicious agents of chaos with questionable character. The New York Times displays this by calling into question their legitimacy by using quotation marks to describe them as "whistleblowers."

In today's lesson of blatantly biased media outlets, the New York Times gives the Hunter Biden IRS whistleblowers the quotes-around-the-whistleblower-word treatment to imply skepticism regarding their credibility and/or allegation. Just incredible. pic.twitter.com/qXVbjyGqBg

— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) June 28, 2023

"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage of the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation, where Brad Slager looks to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.