Milo Yiannopoulos, a Breitbart editor and defender of the alt-right, tested the limits of how far his provocations could go after the publication of a video in which he condones sexual relations with boys and laughs off the seriousness of his own relationship at age 17 with a Roman Catholic priest aged 29.
On Monday, the organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) rescinded their invitation for him to speak this week.
Simon & Schuster said it was canceling publication of his book Dangerous after standing by him through weeks of criticism of the deal.
Breitbart itself was reportedly reconsidering his role amid calls online for it to sever ties with him.
The board of the American Conservative Union, which includes veterans of the conservative movement like Grover Norquist and Morton Blackwell, made the decision to revoke Yiannopoulos’ speaking slot and condemn his comments.
“We initially extended the invitation knowing that the free speech issue on college campuses is a battlefield where we need brave, conservative standard-bearers,” American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp said in a written statement.
Regarding Yiannopoulos’ comments, Schlapp called them “disturbing” and said Yiannopoulos’ explanation of them was insufficient.
Yiannopoulos is a marquee contributor to Breitbart News, where he serves as senior editor.
He has amassed a fan base for his stunts and often outrageous statements.
However, by Monday afternoon, his future at the Web site was being intensely debated by top management.
Until now, Yiannopoulos had emerged as something of a hero to many who saw in him an eager and willing combatant against a culture they believed was too politically correct.
He became a star at Breitbart and earned the admiration of Stephen Bannon, who was its publisher before becoming chief White House strategist for US President Donald Trump.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was