Excerpts Fantasy Read an Excerpt From Prashanth Srivatsa’s The Spice Gate Amir, a young man born with the ability to travel between the eight kingdoms, unravels the power that keeps the world in balance. By Prashanth Srivatsa | Published on July 9, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Spice Gate, a South Asia-inspired debut fantasy by Prashanth Srivatsa, out from Harper Voyager on July 16th. Relics of a mysterious god, the Spice Gates connect the eight far-flung kingdoms, each separated by a distinct spice and only accessible by those born with a special mark. This is not a caste of distinction, though, but one of subjugation: Spice Carriers suffer the lashes of their masters, the weight of the spices they bear on their backs, and the jolting pain of the Gates themselves.Amir is one such Spice Carrier, and he dreams of escaping his fate of being a mule for the rich who gorge themselves on spices like the addicted gluttons they are. More important than relieving his own pain, though, is saving his family, especially his brother, born like him with the unfortunate spice mark that designates him for a life of servitude.But while Amir makes his plans for freedom, something stirs in the inhospitable spaces between the kingdoms. Fate has designs of its own for Amir, and he soon finds himself drawn into a conspiracy that could disrupt the delicate dynamics of the kingdoms forever.The more Amir discovers truth and myth blurring, the more he realizes that his own schemes are insignificant compared to the machinations going on around him. Forced to chase after shadows with unlikely companions, searching for answers that he never even thought to question, Amir’s simple dream of slipping away transforms into a grand, Spice Gate–hopping adventure. Gods, assassins, throne-keepers, and slaves all have a vested interest in the spice trade, and Amir will have to decide—for the first time in his life—what kind of world he wants to live in… if the world survives at all. Chapter 1 A man who offers you tea without ginger is more miserly than one who doesn’t offer you tea at all.— Morsels of a Bent Back, Volume 1 Amir stood within the ring of erected stones encircling the Spice Gate in the midst of the saffron fields. The spicemark burned on his throat, sensing his proximity to the arch. Karim bhai shuffled next to him, stoic as ever, hair ruffled, beard unkempt, age wrinkling his forehead. He held a pinch of turmeric in his hand. Amir counted the others. Forty Carriers in all. Twenty each to Vanasi and Halmora. Squatting beside tilted sacks or perched on cartons filled to the brim with saffron, cardamom, and rhubarb, and vials of honey and crates of rosewood. Jhengara, the accountant, whistled an old tune at the front of the queue, a stack of papers beneath his arm and an anxious tremble that was visible twenty feet away. Amir shivered. Because no amount of experience could settle the nerves when it came to walking through the Spice Gate. Not for the first time; not for the thousandth. It loomed ahead like a monstrous archway upon a pedestal, dressed in gray marble and ancient stone, its base withered and swamped withcreeping vines that twisted around the pillars in a gnarled choke hold. But what caught Amir’s attention as always was that swirling tempest beneath the arch, a veil like a melted mirror that held a storm within its prison. The soul of the eight kingdoms ran through its crevices. A soul I want no part of. Buy the Book The Spice Gate Prashanth Srivatsa Buy Book The Spice Gate Prashanth Srivatsa Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget “Salaam,” Karim bhai greeted one of the chowkidars. The guard waved a pike in their direction, its tip grazing Amir’s elbow. Karim bhai raised his hands in supplication and continued. “If you’d be so kind to tell us what we’re waiting for?” The chowkidar shrugged and moved away. Amir clenched his fists but prevented himself from prodding the chowkidar further. There was added security by the Gate today, and Hasmin, the chief of the chowkidars him- self, stood by the Gate’s arch, casting a derisive frown at the column of Carriers waiting to sift through. Amir whispered in Karim bhai’s ear, “Don’t tell me that now, of all times, they got a hunch about Ilangovan prowling Vanasi.” He was careful to temper the tension in his voice as he mentioned the most wanted man in the eight kingdoms. Karim bhai sounded far less anxious. “They can pursue him all they want. But make no mistake, in those Mouth-cursed towers, I’d no sooner find a dropped cardamom.” It ought to have allayed Amir’s fears a little. But as a bowler of Raluha, as a gatecaste Carrier of the eight kingdoms, his fortunes, like those of Karim bhai, flickered like a candle about to be extinguished. And there’s never been enough wax to begin with. Ilangovan was a source of light for Amir and the gatecaste. Amir just needed it to hold steady a while longer. Or, better yet, go shine some- where else, far away from Vanasi. Of course, Amir was not certain if Ilangovan was even in Vanasi—no one could ever really know where he’d be when he was not in the Black Coves; the renegade Carrier was as much a spirit as a pirate. But there was one thing Amir was certain was in Vanasi: the Jewelmaker’s Poison. And much as he desired to meet Ilangovan, now was not the time. In fact, the time would only come if he could get his hands on the Poison, and it would be a gatecaste irony, where one desire was upset by the appearance of another. No—he would get the Poison. It had to be in Vanasi. He’d sacrificed three fortnights’ worth of spices to be certain. He’d climbed enough vines, delivered enough contraband, and crawled on enough rooftops to know that the Jewelmaker and his elusive Carnelian Caravan were supplying the Poison to the denizens of the upper levels of Vanasi’s bramble-choked towers. And all Amir needed was one vial. Karim bhai must have sensed the trepidation in his voice, the vacancy in his eyes as his thoughts plunged into darkness. “Ho, pulla. Are you sure you’re up for this?” Amir blinked. “What? Oh, yes—of course, yeah. What do you mean, bhai! I have to do this.” He immediately regretted those words. Making it a compulsion sounded insensitive of Karim bhai and the other bowlers, who harbored no desire to upend their fates. Or at any rate put their lives at stake for it. But Ilangovan had. He had broken free. Karim bhai chuckled. “So much for not wanting to be like your father. You remind me of Arsalan in more ways than one.” “Is that what you think I am? Delusional?” “It’s not very far from reckless, pulla. The line between them blurs as you get more desperate.” Amir forced himself to not think of his father. He raised his head stiffly, to regard the mountains looming beyond the Spice Gate, and the dense hold of trees hugging their bellies. Beautiful and treacherous, the stench of death in the air and the promise of darkness. No, he was nothing like his father. Unlike Appa, he had a plan. “The Jewelmaker is in Vanasi,” he said. “I am certain. I will have the Poison in my hands before nightfall, bhai.” “By the Gates I hope you do.” “Don’t worry about me,” said Amir. “Just give my letter to Harini.” Karim bhai, who had begun cleaning his teeth with a bristled leaf, clicked his tongue. “She’s going to be upset you’re not on the roster for Halmora today.” “I have explained it all in the letter. Just ensure she reads it.” “I will do what I always do: deliver. But remember, pulla,” warned Karim bhai, “if the thronekeeper of Halmora finds out his daughter is reading letters sent to her by a bowler of Raluha, things will get ugly real soon, and this whole dream—of joining Ilangovan, of getting your mother and Kabir to the Black Coves—it disappears.” Amir had thought about this possibility too many times to be truly bothered by Karim bhai’s warning. “She’s not like the other throne- keepers.” At that, Karim bhai laughed. “If I had a peppercorn for every time the abovefolk thought that of themselves—” “No, she truly is not. It’s not her saying this but me. I trust her. Ten years of carrying, twenty years in the Bowl. Do you think I do not know the thousand ways the abovefolk discriminate against us? Do you think, after the lashes, after the stink, the seclusion, I would consider opening my heart to one of the abovefolk, to a princess of Halmora, if I was not certain?” “You’re certain of a lot of things today, pulla.” Karim bhai continued chewing the leaf, massaging his teeth as he did so. “I fear for these assur- ances you’ve got going on in your head. It reeks of having control over one’s lives. And we? Pulla, we’re not the ones in control. We’re not bred to be certain of anything except the pain of passing through the Gates.” Amir wanted to argue further—and the Gates knew he was tired of repeating his arguments to Karim bhai day and night as the years rolled by—but at that moment, the line of Carriers began to shuffle ahead. Jhengara the accountant’s tune intensified as a signal for the Spice Trade to begin. Hasmin’s eyes trailed each Carrier as they picked up the sacks and lifted the crates to place them over their heads. Amir swung his own sack over his back and staggered ahead, his head low, his gaze fixed on the back of Karim bhai’s feet, the coarse, fissured skin, the garb of dirt, only a feeble image of the end of the day shimmering in his mind. At one point, Karim bhai stumbled, and Amir groaned. A whip fell on the old Carrier, and he dropped the sack with a wince. Karim bhai lowered himself to the ground, wheezing, one hand twisted to massage his back, and the other pulling the dropped sack closer to him. Amir’s eyes widened as Hasmin loomed behind the old Carrier, a snarl on his face that he had come to loathe. “Ho, that wasn’t necessary!” Amir protested. Yet Hasmin ignored him and, like a predator patiently enjoying the struggles of its prey, watched Karim bhai pick himself up, and the sack with him. Karim bhai almost fell again, teetering against the weight of saffron. Any temerity, any social capital Karim bhai had built over five decades of carrying, vanished in that moment as he enslaved himself to the tenets of his duty. That’s all that remained once stripped of the brittle comforts to which the bowlers had clung to. That frenetic moment of picking the spice-laden sack and hoisting it upon their shoulder—that was the only permanence. That, and the aroma of spices that surrounded them, of course. If not for the sack on his back, Amir would have stood erect, with his chest out, and glared at Hasmin. He’d have spat at him if there were enough saliva in his mouth. Fortunately, he could do neither. Remember, you need the Poison. Keep your mouth shut. For a moment, Amir wondered if Hasmin would grab him and shove him to the ground. Or perhaps, cup him under his chin and crush the bones of his jaw. Wishful thinking. What Amir got was, instead, a projectile of mucus right in his face. All the wealth of a hydrated body, conjured in that working of tongue and cheek muscles. Hasmin would sooner parade naked in front of the bowlers than touch one of them. But whip them? Spit on them? That he did without compunction. Amir, who needed both hands to cling to the sack, felt the spittle dribble down his cheek and along the line of his throat where the spice- mark rested, and could do nothing about it. Even looking the chief of the chowkidars in the eye could be seen as an act of defiance. Jhengara’s tune ended. A whistle from the Gate broke Hasmin’s glare. The second signal had arrived. Carriers shuffled ahead. Hasmin spat once more, this time so Amir had to sidestep the wad as it smacked into the dirt at his feet. The chief bellowed for the Carriers to maintain their line. A low breeze wafted in the scent from the saffron fields, stalks swaying, bulbs frolicking. The rest was clockwork. Amir trudged on, not trying to be too eager. Usually, he would scurry to the end on all the duties—all except Halmora, when he’d always be excited to meet Harini. With those other deliveries, he’d hope against hope that, by the time his chance came, Hasmin would hold him back; announce that there had been a mistake, that the Carriers who had been ferried ahead were sufficient to complete the trade. That he, Amir, could return home, no harm done. But in his ten years of carrying, he had never been blessed with such fortune. Now, though, he wanted to get through. Needed his fortune to keep Hasmin from holding him back. Once Karim bhai sprinkled turmeric on the veil and disappeared through the Gate to Halmora, Amir took a deep breath and a step forward, his head spinning as the swirl beneath the arch shimmered with a steady thrum. A thrum that hammered into his bones. A thrum he wanted to stop screaming in his ears. He adjusted the sack of saffron and hoisted it higher over his shoulder. It was amazing to think that such tiny strands or ground bits of a seed could weigh so much, but stuffed into a burlap until near-bursting, it was enough to bend the strongest back—which Amir could hardly claim to have. He gritted his teeth but said nothing as Hasmin poured some of the powdered leftover nutmeg on Amir’s extended palm. His key through the Gate. His mind wobbled. He was not sure if the scent on Hasmin’s person was of orange or ginger. Amma would know. The jumble continued, the Gate making it hard for him to focus. A lash fell on his back. He yelped. One of the chowkidars screamed at him to keep moving. He swallowed hard and stopped a retort from escaping his mouth. The gatekeepers were only doing their jobs, yet in the presence of Hasmin, they appeared like extensions of him, like poisonous tentacles tethered to a heartless monster. “I better not discover that you have strayed from the spice trail,” Hasmin growled, low enough for Amir to hear, then nudged him up the steps. Hasmin’s shadow eclipsed any warmth Amir might have felt as the Gate’s essence vibrated in his chest even louder. Amir climbed the seven steps to the Gate, panting as his sack threatened to drag him down. When he was within a foot of the arch, he opened his fist and cast the nutmeg into the veil. The mirror shimmered violently, jerking and shuddering, dispelling a wave of heat—l ike masala thrust into boiling water—before transforming into a rippling shade of golden brown. It pulled the air toward itself, like a vacuum. The Gate worked. Amir had no choice. He lifted his chin and stepped through, giving himself to the spice god, and as always, the great Gate tore him apart. Excerpted from The Spice Gate by Prashanth Srivatsa. Copyright © 2024 by Prashanth Srivatsa. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The post Read an Excerpt From Prashanth Srivatsa’s <em>The Spice Gate</em> appeared first on Reactor.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. As the US presidential election draws closer, Republicans and Donald Trump have come out with some key policy pledges, with the big picture message described as “a return to common sense” when it comes to tech. Among problems like the economy in general, geopolitics, and a variety of trends influencing society, the platform mentions central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), cryptocurrencies, freedom of speech, government involvement in censorship, and AI development. This party platform was adopted by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and offers promises of reversing some of the most controversial policies endorsed and executed by the current White House. One is the effort to push for the introduction of a digital dollar (CBDC) – a centralized digital currency that opponents have for a long time rejected as yet another tool to further limit and weaken people’s financial independence and privacy while adding more building blocks into the foundations of mass surveillance. The way the platform frames this is as Republicans being dedicated to finding future economic progress for their country by becoming a leader in what the document calls emerging industries – but clearly stating that a CBDC does not qualify. What does, according to the platform, are decentralized cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and here the RNC vows to at once end Democrats’ “unlawful and unAmerican crypto crackdown” and, at the same time, oppose a (US) CBDC. Supporting Bitcoin, the GOP platform states means defending the right to mine the cryptocurrency. Addressing the issue of government meddling in people’s economic sovereignty, the document declares that the party will defend “the right to self-custody of their digital assets, and transact free from government surveillance and control.” The Biden administration’s AI Executive Order is dismissed as “dangerous,” while a pledge is made that Republicans will back AI development that is based in free speech, and “human flourishing.” By contrast, the Biden order is seen as putting roadblocks in the path of AI innovation, while at the same time imposing “radical left-wing ideas on the development of this technology.” And then there’s what some Republicans have shown as a “weaponized government” under the current White House – specifically, one striving to impose ideology and allow for the government to join forces with private tech giants to stifle lawful speech, using this as a political weapon against opponents. “We will declassify government records, root out wrongdoers, and fire corrupt employees. We will ban the Federal Government from colluding with anyone to censor lawful speech, defund institutions engaged in censorship, and hold accountable all bureaucrats involved with illegal censoring. We will protect free speech online,” the GOP platform states. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Trump Announces Plans To Reject CBDCs, Promote Free Speech in AI, Ban Government Censorship, and Defund Censorship Institutions appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Emerson: Trump Ahead of Every Possible Democrat Candidate

The eco-fanatics at Politico and The New York Times exploited a Republican Senator’s death to grave-stomp over his climate change skepticism.  How many Politico reporters does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Who knows, but we do know it took four to write an insane, grave-stomping July 9 headline: “Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, who called climate change a 'hoax,' dead at 89.” The first paragraph of the piece was no better. In fact, it was about as cringeworthy as it gets. “Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican who once brought a snowball onto the Senate floor as a brazen symbol of his denial of climate change, died on Tuesday. He was 89 years old.”  Compare Politico's treatment of Inhofe to its flowery 2019 obituary for Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro and its priorities become clear: "Cuba’s Fidel Castro, who defied U.S. for 50 years, has died." Politico's ghastly report on Inhofe begs the question why any editor(s) using their prefrontal cortexes would okay this for publication. Apparently, someone at Politico had some kind of epiphany because its asinine headline was changed soon after the piece was published.  But Politico wasn’t alone. The New York Times followed suit with its own outrageous attack against Inhofe’s climate views in a separate obituary. “James M. Inhofe, Senator Who Denied Climate Change, Dies at 89,” The Times’s boorish headline read. The Times smeared Inhofe in its first paragraph as “arguably Washington’s most prominent denier of the established science of human-generated climate change.”  Unlike Politico, The Times only needed one author to paint itself as a collective of thoughtless climate ignoramuses. The Times, however, didn’t recognize the insanity of its headline as Politico did, and it remains unchanged as of the publication of its article. Inhofe’s former staff director Andrew Wheeler blasted Politico and The Times for their utterly disrespectful treatment of the former senator in comments to MRC Business. “It’s a sad commentary of modern life when some people rush to speak ill of the dead. It’s even worse when it’s the so-called mainstream media like the New York Times, and it’s particularly vile when they only speak ill of Republicans,” Wheeler said. In Politico’s case — despite changing the initial barking mad headline —couldn’t be stopped, and proceeded to cast Inhofe as a comic book pollution villain stemming the tide of progress for Gaia’s faithful acolytes: One of the GOP’s most vocal critics of environmental regulation and the science of climate change, Inhofe held vast sway over environmental policy during his time as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — not only through his use of the gavel, but through his cultivation of staffers who went on to take key positions at EPA during the Trump administration and worked to roll back those rules Inhofe long maintained that climate change was a ‘hoax,’ going so far as to include it in the title of a 2012 book on the matter. Politico is the same publication that hyped actually blocking the sun to save the planet from the climate boogeyman, so it’s no wonder it couldn’t resist dinging the legacy of a dead senator because he didn’t genuflect to the media’s pagan climate gods. Conservatives are under attack. Contact Politico at 703-647-7999 and The New York Times at 1 (800) 698-4637 and hold them to account for exploiting Senator Inhofe’s death to push nutty climate propaganda.   

The cast of ABC’s The View circled the wagons on Tuesday to express how “pissed off” they are that some people are calling for President Joe Biden to step aside while downplaying his lousy debate performance as the result of what happens when you’re 81 years old or when you’re “trying so hard to tell the truth.” Even co-hosts who were more open to discussing Biden’s issues were quick to point out that their support for him has not diminished. Joy Behar was not feeling particularly joyous at the coverage of the two candidates, “I wasn't here yesterday so, I was watching television all week and I'm a little tired of all the Biden-bashing that's going on. I'm pissed off at it, frankly. There is a lot of Biden bashing going on and no calls for this sexually abusive felon to step down.”     That launched a debate between Behar and Alyssa Farah Griffin over whether that last part was true with Farah Griffin pointing to herself as proof that it isn’t. After Sara Haines tried to switch gears, Behar continued, “And wait, I’m not finished. Well, let’s go back to the debate for a second, all right. Everybody keeps calling it a disaster, a disaster. You know why Trump was better at it, because he lies. He practiced his lies for two or three years already. That guy, all he did was spew lies that we've heard over and over and over again.” Trying to explain away Biden’s debate performance, she added, “When you're telling the truth like Biden was trying so hard to tell the truth, it doesn't come as easily. It's so easy to just rehearse and practice your lies and then spew them in a debate the way he did. That was what was going on there. I don't -- I'm sticking with Biden at the moment because I feel that he's our best choice and who wants to vote for Trump? Even his wife can't stand him at this point.” Some Democrats want to abandon Biden the same way a sailor would abandon a sinking ship, but Haines claimed such discussions are not just practical politics, but proof Democrats are better people than Republicans: I'm sticking with Biden up until the very end regardless, but I think these conversations absolutely have to happen. I agree with Jon Stewart. Shut up and sit down, or whatever people say to everyone that are critical of this, I think are dismissive because falling in line is what the Republicans do. We've talked at this table over and over about the wow cowardliness of the GOP in standing up against Trump, in fact, they bend the knee at his every wish. The Democrats have always been better than that and have debates, they disagree and do it publicly and out loud.     Later, Whoopi Goldberg had another excuse why Biden had a bad night: these things just happen, “Look, he's 81. He's 81. And he did have a bad night, just like I have bad nights, like you have bad nights, and you can't plan a bad night. A bad night sneaks up your butt and takes you like a puppet and messes up your night and that happens and all of us have had them.” Goldberg claimed she was sticking with Biden because, “I want the guy who cares about America, not the guy who's telling me that he's going to be the free world – the leader of the Free World that he doesn't believe in. He doesn't believe in a free world.” Sunny Hostin challenged her, “Would you worry about Joe Biden if you found that his —  that he had cognitive issues?” Goldberg had a difficult time answering the question because, as she started musing about the second debate, Farah Griffin interrupted to point out that it would be too late to switch candidates by that point, which led to more crosstalk amongst the hosts. Ultimately, Goldberg was unmoved, “Cognitive issue, whatever it is, if he falls down and faints.” Here is a transcript for the July 9 show: ABC The View 7/9/2024 11:05 AM ET JOY BEHAR: I wasn't here yesterday so, I was watching television all week and I'm a little tired of all the Biden-bashing that's going on. I'm pissed off at it, frankly. There is a lot of Biden bashing going on and no calls for this sexually abusive felon to step down. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: That's actually not true though. BEHAR: Oh, come on. I don't see anybody in the right-wing telling Trump— FARA GRIFFIN: I’ve been doing it for four years. I testified against him. The fact that the public decided not to agree with it, I can't help. But there are so many people who have said he’s not fit— BEHAR: What Republican is asking that he step down? Tell me. FARAH GRIFFIN: There's a bunch of disenfranchised Republicans— SARA HAINES: You guys are segueing right into— BEHAR: And wait, I’m not finished. Well, let’s go back to the debate for a second, all right. Everybody keeps calling it a disaster, a disaster. You know why Trump was better at it, because he lies. He practiced his lies for two or three years already. That guy, all he did was spew lies that we've heard over and over and over again.  When you're telling the truth like Biden was trying so hard to tell the truth, it doesn't come as easily. It's so easy to just rehearse and practice your lies and then spew them in a debate the way he did. That was what was going on there. I don't -- I'm sticking with Biden at the moment because I feel that he's our best choice and who wants to vote for Trump? Even his wife can't stand him at this point. HAINES: Well, I think that -- I'm sticking with Biden up until the very end regardless, but I think these conversations absolutely have to happen. I agree with Jon Stewart. Shut up and sit down, or whatever people say to everyone that are critical of this, I think are dismissive because falling in line is what the Republicans do. We've talked at this table over and over about the wow cowardliness of the GOP in standing up against Trump, in fact, they bend the knee at his every wish. The Democrats have always been better than that and have debates, they disagree and do it publicly and out loud.  ... WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Four years ago everybody was pissed at Joe because they said “You messed up. You said this.” Look, he's 81. He's 81. And he did have a bad night, just like I have bad nights, like you have bad nights, and you can't plan a bad night. A bad night sneaks up your butt and takes you like a puppet and messes up your night and that happens and all of us have had them.  I'm sticking with Joe because, A, I believe he's been doing a really good job, and as I said yesterday, when you show me, when you show me where he's not doing the work, where he's not performing, I don't care if he can talk on camera, I don't care, I want to make sure that the stuff that I care about and that many people care about, whatever side of the aisle you're on, he's trying to do it for America. I want the guy who cares about America, not the guy who's telling me that he's going to be the free world – the leader of the Free World that he doesn't believe in. He doesn't believe in a free world. BEHAR: No. GOLDBERG: I want the man who believes in a free world and you know what else I want, what? SUNNY HOSTIN: Would you worry about Joe Biden if you found that his  —  that he had cognitive issues? GOLDBERG: If I find on Thursday -- look who's got the issues now? If it turns out at the second – HOSTIN: Debate. FARAH GRIFFIN: It’s too late then, it’s September. There’s no chance to— GOLDBERG: Well, no, it's never too late for the people to make the decision. It is not our decision, it is not their decision. FARAH GRIFFIN: But how? [crosstalk] GOLDBERG: If he is having issues. HOSTIN: Cognitive. GOLDBERG: Cognitive issue, whatever it is, if he falls down and faints – [crosstalk] BEHAR: By the way, if Trump wins, he’ll never leave. He’ll still be bitching about “it was rigged.”

A video has been leaked of Donald Trump absolutely roasting his political opponents at the golf course — and it's everything you'd hope for from the former president. “How I’d do with the debate the other night?” Trump asked from his golf cart while his son Barron sat alongside him. “Fantastic. Amazing,” an unknown voice responded. “I kicked that old broken down pile of crap,” Trump said. “He just quit, you know. He’s quitting the race.” “I got him out of there,” he continued, adding, “and that means we have Kamala.” And according to Trump, Kamala is a better choice — but that’s not saying much. “I think she’s going to be better. She’s so bad. She’s so pathetic. She’s so f****** bad,” he said, before turning his attention back to Biden. “But can you imagine that guy dealing with Putin and the president of China who’s a fierce person, he’s a fierce man, very tough guy.” “But they just announced he’s probably quitting,” he added, again referencing President Biden. Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” is impressed, calling him the “orange man who’s kind of getting it right these days.” Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Deputy U.S. Marshals assigned to the security detail of Justice Sonia Sotomayor fired their service weapons last week after an armed carjacking suspect apparently threatened one of their lives.In the wee hours of the morning last Friday, at least two deputy U.S. Marshals were sitting in separate unmarked vehicles outside Sotomayor's residence in the Beauregard Condominiums complex located in Washington, D.C., as part of their security responsibilities. Suddenly, just after 1:15 a.m., a silver minivan pulled up nearby, and a male suspect hopped out of the vehicle. The suspect drew a gun, aimed it at a security officer identified only as "Deputy US Marshal Black," and demanded that Black hand over his car, the Daily Mail reported.'In most US cities, juveniles spend the summer hanging out with their friends, working summer jobs, visiting family members. In DC, juveniles carjack.'A statement from the D.C. Metro Police Department indicated that Black then "drew his service weapon and fired several shots at the suspect," and at least one of those shots struck the suspect in the mouth, the Daily Mail said.By that time, a second deputy Marshal had exited his vehicle "and fired his service weapon," though whether any of his shots struck the suspect is unclear. Afterward, Black rendered first aid to the suspect, later identified as 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers of Washington, D.C.Flowers was then transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, but his apparent accomplice did not stick around to assess Flowers' condition. Shortly after the Marshals fired their weapons, "The silver van fled the scene travelling northbound on 11th Street Northwest," said a statement of facts filed in D.C. district court by Deputy U.S. Marshal Tyler Wells.A vehicle matching the van's description was later found, but no other suspect has yet been identified. The weapon allegedly used in the commission of the crime, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson, was recovered at the scene. No Marshals were injured in the incident.Flowers has been charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a large capacity ammunition-feeding device. The case remains under investigation.The Daily Mail noted that Metro PD issued a statement about the Marshal-involved shooting within hours of the incident, but that initial announcement made no mention of the connection with Justice Sotomayor. According to the outlet, Sotomayor's D.C. residence is a two-bedroom, two-bath condo currently valued at over $860,000.In 2013, Sotomayor likened the area to New York's East Village. "It has a touch of the East Village in it," she told the New York Times. "I picked it because it's mixed. I walk out and I see all kinds of people, which is the environment I grew up in and the environment I love."Blaze News reached out to the public information officer of the U.S. Supreme Court for comment but did not receive a response.K. Denise Rucker Krepp, a former elected D.C. official who once worked in the Obama administration, is outraged that violence perpetrated by young people continues to proliferate in her area. "Washington DC, the District of Crime, has a juvenile carjacking problem," she told Blaze News in a statement. "In most U.S. cities, juveniles spend the summer hanging out with their friends, working summer jobs, visiting family members. In DC, juveniles carjack. As was demonstrated last Friday, no one is safe from juvenile carjacking in the nation's capital."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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