International
Sources say DOJ to investigate PGA merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf
Sources reportedly told the Wall Street Journal that the Justice Department has warned the PGA Tour that it plans to investigate its merger with the Saudi-backed tour LIV Golf over antitrust concerns.
National Review reports that when the agreement was initially announced:
The parties were set to combine their commercial businesses and rights into a new entity. LIV Golf Investments, the firm spearheading the LIV tour, is backed by the Saudi government’s sovereign wealth fund. Over the last year, LIV and the PGA have been entangled in multiple antitrust lawsuits. The merger deal ostensibly was supposed to put to rest the ongoing expensive litigation between the groups.
Monahan, who helped broker the merger and was supposed to head the new enterprise, recently took a leave of absence for medical reasons, the PGA Tour announced. The deal is still on, a Tour official told the Journal.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan earlier this month declared the partnership to be “transformational.” A DOJ probe could jeopardize and threaten to significantly delay the deal. Golfers and fans who favored the PGA slammed the LIV as a so-called “sports-washing” vehicle for the authoritarian Saudi regime to distract from its extensive record of human-rights abuses.
In June 2022, six-time golf champion Phil Mickelson joined LIV despite calling out the tour’s connection to the Saudi government in an interview he claimed was off the record:
“We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates,” Mickelson allegedly told Alan Shipnuck, who wrote an unauthorized biography of the golfer. Mickelson also called the Saudis “scary motherf—ers to get involved with.”
The Guardian, a left-wing media outlet, has taken down Osama bin Laden’s notorious “Letter to America” from its website this week after the words of the deceased terrorist mastermind, responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001, gained traction on social media.
The letter, which had been published on The Guardian’s website since 2002, resurfaced online, causing a sudden spike in traffic. Social media users unearthed and shared the anti-American and antisemitic content, propelling the document to viral status. The Guardian, acknowledging the increased circulation without the full context, opted to remove the transcript.
According to reports from Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for The Guardian stated, “The transcript published on our website 20 years ago has been widely shared on social media without the full context. Therefore we have decided to take it down and direct readers to the news article that originally contextualized it instead.” The outlet declined to provide additional comments on the matter.
Osama bin Laden’s letter, translated into English, justified al-Qaeda’s attacks against the U.S. by citing American actions in Palestine. The deceased terrorist accused the U.S. of supporting the creation and continuation of Israel, labeling it one of the “greatest crimes” that must be erased. Bin Laden’s letter also propagated antisemitic tropes, claiming Jews control American policies, media, and the economy.
The 9/11 attacks, orchestrated by al-Qaeda, resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people and left thousands more injured. The letter’s resurgence occurred as it was shared by social media influencers on platforms like TikTok, with some expressing a change in perspective. Pro-Palestinian activist Lynette Adkins was among those who shared the letter online, prompting discussions and reflections.
The Guardian’s decision to remove the letter from its website underscores the sensitivity surrounding the content and its potential impact, particularly as young individuals across America engage with pro-Palestinian talking points. The episode has sparked debates about the influence of social media in reshaping perceptions and the responsibility of media outlets in disseminating controversial historical documents.
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