According to sources for The Washington Post, President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and warned him not to escalate his war against Ukraine while stressing that the United States has forces in Europe. Trump spoke to NBC on Thursday; the media outlet reported that Trump said he had spoken to about 70 world leaders since his election victory, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin congratulated Trump on his electoral victory on Thursday, saying, “His behavior at the moment of an attempt on his life left an impression on me. He turned out to be a brave man. … He manifested himself in the very correct way, bravely as a man.” He added that Trump’s statements “about the desire to restore relations with Russia, to help end the Ukrainian crisis, in my opinion, deserves attention at least.” MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ “Trump’s initial calls with world leaders are not being conducted with the support of the State Department and U.S. government interpreters,” the Post complained, adding, “The Trump transition team has yet to sign an agreement with the General Services Administration, a standard procedure for presidential transitions. Trump and his aides are distrustful of career government officials following the leaked transcripts of presidential calls during his first term.” “President Trump won a historic election decisively and leaders from around the world know America will return to prominence on the world stage,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, stated. “That is why leaders have begun the process of developing stronger relationships with the 45th and 47th President because he represents global peace and stability.” “Trump talked during his campaign about how he sees everything through deals, that he can make a deal that will lead everyone to peace. At least he talks about peace, not about confrontation and the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, calling Trump “less predictable” than President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and adding that it was “less predictable to what extent Trump will stick to the statements he made during the election campaign. Let’s wait and see.” In September, speaking in North Carolina, Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine war, “Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now. If they made a bad deal it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years. … What deal can we make? It’s demolished. The people are dead. The country is in rubble.”

Last Tuesday, voters in six states decisively rejected ballot measures that would have brought ranked choice voting to future elections. In Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon, RCV went down in flames. National groups spent millions on campaigns promising RCV would enhance democracy and empower the people, angling for an election day triumph. Instead, the voters handed them a rout. Adding insult to injury, Alaska appears on track to repeal RCV after using it for just two years. Missouri, meanwhile, became the first state to ban it at the ballot box, and the eleventh state overall to bar RCV. In fact, the number of states to ban RCV more than doubled this year. Ranked choice voting, a complex scheme, seems better suited to a laboratory than a voting booth. It eliminates the “one person, one vote” principle and asks voters to rank multiple candidates for each race. If no candidate gets a majority, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their ballots are redistributed to the voter’s next choice. This process repeats until someone claims a majority. Voting takes longer with RCV. Voters must learn about and rank numerous candidates in multiple contests on each ballot. Counting ballots also takes longer, as final tabulations can’t begin until all ballots are received, and some states allow mail ballots to arrive after Election Day. Some states lack voting systems that can handle this process; Idaho’s secretary of state estimated the cost to replace the state’s equipment at $40 million. The results are difficult to audit and just as hard to explain, especially when ranked choice voting catapults candidates who got the second- or third-most votes into office after numerous rounds of elimination. In fact, RCV is so confusing that the wrong winner can be certified. That actually happened in Oakland, California in 2022. The one thing RCV does reliably is push politics to the left, particularly when this scheme is paired with California-style jungle primaries. That’s the system Alaska uses, and in the special congressional election of 2022, more voters cast ballots for Republicans but Democrat Mary Peltola went to Congress.  Small wonder, then, that left-wing megadonors decided to push RCV nationwide despite its obvious flaws. They built up an array of organizations to lobby, petition, and ultimately to campaign for ranked choice voting. Those efforts culminated in ballot measures in six states, fueled by an astonishing $99 million, or nearly $30 for every $1 spent in opposition. Nearly half of that extraordinary sum came from groups tied to liberal billionaire John Arnold and his wife, Laura. The pair spent at least $39 million propping up ranked choice voting measures this year alone. What did these donors get for their millions? Not much. Nearly 70% of Idahoans voted against RCV. Colorado and Oregon, both liberal states, rejected the measures by double-digit margins. And in the presidential battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, ranked choice voting went down harder and faster than Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, nearly 69% of Missourians voted to proactively ban ranked choice voting. In Alaska, the Arnolds and other RCV megadonors poured in almost $15 million to defend the scheme against a repeal effort. Despite that, the repeal vote is winning as ballots continue to come in. Washington, D.C., was the only bright spot for RCV advocates, where a citywide ballot measure passed by wide margins. That may not be the win proponents imagine. After all, “they use it in the swamp” isn’t much of a rallying cry. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ Is this the end of ranked choice voting? It should be. But with the left, there is no such thing as a permanent defeat. In fact, RCV has endured expensive, high-profile failures before—a $10 million loss in Massachusetts in 2020, for instance—only to rebrand the scheme as “instant runoffs” and “open primaries,” and spend 10 times as much this year. RCV backers are already promising they will be back, even telegraphing they will focus instead on lobbying state legislatures to impose the scheme that voters just decisively rejected. So much for all their talk about “democracy.” Lawmakers would be wise to head that effort off by banning ranked choice voting next year, instead. Left-wing billionaires spent millions trying to buy a new form of democracy that would cater to their politics and interests. Fortunately, the American people spoke loud and clear: our election system is not for sale. * * * Jason Snead is the executive director of Honest Elections Project Action. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) who retired in December 2022, reportedly got $15,000,000 in taxpayer-funded security services — after he retired. The services were provided between January 4, 2023, and September 20, 2024. The government watchdog organization Open The Books, which states its mission is to “work hard to capture and post all disclosed spending at every level of government – federal, state, and local,” found the evidence in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Marshals service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) via a Freedom of Information Act request, a new report states. Open the Books’ Deputy Policy Editor Amber Todoroff and The Dossier investigative journalist Jordan Schachtel reported that money covered “Salaries and benefits for deputies and administrative personnel assigned to Fauci’s protective detail; costs related to transporting Fauci, and law enforcement equipment.” The MOU acknowledged that there was a possibility that the contract could be extended. MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ “From 2019 to 2022 he was the highest paid federal employee,” Todoroff and Schachtel noted, adding, “Fauci retired from the federal bureaucracy with a record $480,654 salary. In 2022 Open the Books estimated his pension would be about $355,000 per year, adding to the considerable fortune of $11 million amassed over his 54 years of government service.” “We could find no other cases of a former federal employee receiving this level of protection,” they noted succinctly. In April 2023, Fauci said in an interview that people should stop blaming public health officials for mistakes that were made during the pandemic. CNN’s Christiane Amanpour asked Fauci what he thought he and the scientific community “got wrong” with the policies that they pushed and implemented. “What are the real takeaways, the real lessons for public health?” she asked. “I think we have to get away from the blame game because so many of the things that you have mentioned were unknowns at the time,” Fauci responded. “It’s so easy.” “This is really big time Monday morning quarterbacking here, which is what it is,” he claimed. “So, rather than have a blame game, and that’s one of the things that we have to stay away from because there were things that happened and it was a moving target and there were things that you did not know at the time and you had to, out of necessity, make a decision.” RELATED: Dr. Fauci On Mistakes Made During The Pandemic: ‘We Have To Get Away From The Blame Game’

'I shared how deeply humbled I am to accept his nomination'

'That is really unusual'

'I’m willing to personally escort Dave McCormick into the Capitol'

An extraordinary woman from Texas has claimed a Guinness World Record thanks to her generous heart, and a little help from some other organs. Alyse Ogletree has set the world record for the most amount of breastmilk donated by a single person—2,645.58 liters—or just about 700 gallons. It was a record she had previously broken […] The post Texas Woman Sets Record for Donating Almost 700 Gallons of Breastmilk appeared first on Good News Network.

The post How Cats Respond to the Television: Olga’s Occasional Reactions by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga. Unlike their owners, most cats aren’t fascinated by television, which is probably good because the feline obesity problem would be much worse. Some indoor cats don’t get enough exercise, and if they are glued to the tube instead of chasing catnip mice and racing through their homes, they’ll gain weight. Olga isn’t too interested in watching TV, but sometimes she gets irritated by sound effects and soundtracks. Young Olga’s Courage As a kitten, Olga seemed fearless. She wasn’t easily frightened until the 4th of July, and she ordinarily ignored the stereo and television. If I was too focused on a film, she attacked my feet or climbed to the top of the chair to smack me in the head. Like many young cats, Olga only had two speeds: high gear and park (asleep). Christopher, are you watching Monty Python without me? Her First Response to TV When I moved to a new house with more space, she was almost a year old. I set up a stereo with a powerful subwoofer, and the first movie I watched sent Olga running for cover. The volume was too loud, and the MGM lion’s roar made her hop in the air and run under the bed in the other room. She only reacted to the roar once and determined the sound was not coming from a giant, wild cat. Some animal experts recommend leaving a TV or stereo on when you leave to comfort your pets. Since I’ve never filmed Olga when she’s alone in the house, I’m not sure a nature program or 24-hour feed of the world’s largest aviary would help her separation anxiety. Turn the television off! It’s past your bedtime. Adult Ambivalence She doesn’t bat an ear when she hears bird calls or nature sounds on the television, which is strange since she looks confused and irritated when she hears Pink Floyd’s Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pick. It’s also odd that Olga doesn’t react to the sound of fireworks on television. She freezes in fear when she hears them going off in my neighborhood, but explosions and gunfire don’t phase her when they’re not real. Please turn the volume on the stereo down. It’s disturbing my peace. Deep Bass Annoyance Sometimes, the sound effects from movies grab her attention but rarely make her run away. She doesn’t like the sound of the self-destruct siren at the end of Aliens or the screaming at the beginning of the original House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price. However, the only sound that makes her move closer to the speaker and question her sanity is a low, rumbling bass. David Lynch’s films often include a prolonged rumble to build suspense or lead up to a shocking scene, and Olga isn’t fond of his sound effects. I have to turn down the volume to prevent her from clawing up the subwoofer. As for the images on the television, nothing seems to interest Olga, whether there are songbirds chirping or rodents squeaking. Leaving the TV on may help some cats when their owners leave, but Olga prefers humans to flatscreens. This article is a part of Christopher and Olga's series. Read his previous article: Cat Grooming Challenges: Olga’s Battle With the Brush The post How Cats Respond to the Television: Olga’s Occasional Reactions by Christopher Bays appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

News ignyte awards Here Are the Winners of the 2024 Ignyte Awards Congratulations to the winners! By Molly Templeton | Published on November 11, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share The winners of the Ignyte Awards were announced on November 8th; these awards celebrate “celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror by recognizing incredible feats in storytelling and outstanding efforts toward inclusivity of the genre.” The awards’ shortlists are selected by a jury 0f 20 readers, reviews, FIYAHCON staff, and previous winners, and for the young adult and middle grade categories, a jury of readers between the ages of 12 and 17 also voted for the shortlist. Voting for the winners is open to all. Congratulations to all this year’s winners! Outstanding Novel: Adult Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon – Wole Talabi (DAW Books) The Water Outlaws – S.L. Huang (Tordotcom) WINNER: The Saint of Bright Doors – Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom) To Shape a Dragon’s Breath – Moniquill Blackgoose (Del Rey) We are the Crisis – Cadwell Turnbull (Blackstone Publishing) Outstanding Novel: Young Adult WINNER: I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me – Jamison Shae (Henry Holt & Co.) That Self-Same Metal – Brittany N. Williams (Harry N. Abrams) Funeral Songs for Dying Girls – Cherie Dimaline (Tundra Books) Beholder – Ryan La Sala (PUSH) Sing Me to Sleep – Gabi Burton (Bloomsbury YA) Outstanding Middle Grade WINNER: Abeni’s Song – P. Djèlí Clark (Starscape) Just a Pinch of Magic – Alechia Dow ‎(Feiwel & Friends) Keynan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew – DaVaun Sanders (Inkyard Press) Lei and the Fire Goddess – Malia Maunakea (Penguin Workshop) The Sun and the Star – Mark Oshiro, Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion) Outstanding Novella Off-Time Jive – A.Z. Louise (Neon Hemlock Press) Green Fuse Burning – Tiffany Morris (Stelliform Press) WINNER: The Lies of the Ajungo – Moses Ose Utomi (Tordotcom) The Mimicking of Known Successes – Malka Older (Tordotcom) Sordidez – E.G. Condé (Stelliform Press) Outstanding Novelette “A Short Biography of a Conscious Chair” – Renan Bernardo (Samovar) “Ivy, Angelica, Bay” – C L Polk (Reactor) “Imagine: Purple-Haired Girl Shooting Down the Moon” – Angela Liu (Clarkesworld) WINNER: “Spell for Grief and Longing” – Eboni J. Dunbar (FIYAH) “Zhuangzi’s Dream” – Cao Baiyu, translated by Stella Jiayue Zhu (Clarkesworld) Outstanding Short Story “Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200” – R.S.A. Garcia (Uncanny) “Window Boy” – Thomas Ha (Clarkesworld) WINNER: “A Witch’s Transition In The City Of Ghosts” – Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe (Beneath Ceaseless Skies) “Lips Like Sugar” – Cynthia Gómez (Luna Station Quarterly) “Thin Ice” – Kemi Ashing-Giwa (Clarkesworld) Oustanding Speculative Poetry “Helen after Helen” – Rasha Abdulhadi (Apparition Lit Magazine) “Imported Entry Into An Android Cosmos” – Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan (FIYAH) “Aborteras del Viejo Mundo | Aborting the Old World” – Claudia Vaca, translated by Brittany Hause (Samovar) “Alternate Rooms” – Nwuguru Chidiebere Sullivan (Nightmare) WINNER: “My Mother, she ate me” – Akua Lezli Hope (FIYAH) Critics Award Aigner Loren Wilson WINNER: Alex Brown Archita Mittra Bookbaddiebri The Blerd Library Outstanding Fiction Podcast PodCastle – The Podcastle Team Old Gods of Appalachia – Steve Shell and Cam Collins Cast of Wonders – The CoW Team Simultaneous Times Podcast (Space Cowboy Books) WINNER: Levar Burton Reads Outstanding Artist WINNER: Rovina Cai Cathy Kwan Paul Lewin Godwin Akpan Dante Luiz Outstanding Comics Team Whisper of the Woods – Ennun Ana Iurov (Mad Cave) Brooms – Jasmine Walls, Teo DuVall, Bex Glendining, Ariana Maher (Levine Querido) Mage and the Endless Unknown – S.J. Miller (Iron Circus Comics) WINNER: Kill Your Darlings – Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, Bob Quinn (Image Comics) Suee and the Strange White Light – Ginger Ly and Molly Park (Abrams Fanfare) Outstanding Anthology/Collected Works Never Whistle at Night – Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Vintage) Night of the Living Queers – Shelly Page and Alex Brown (Wednesday Books) WINNER: No One Will Come Back for Us – Premee Mohamed (Undertow Publications) Out There Screaming – Jordan Peele, John Joseph Adams (Random House) Who Lost, I Found – Eden Royce (Broken Eye Books) Outstanding Creative  Non-Fiction “The H Word: The Fear Horror of Change” – L. Marie Wood (Nightmare Magazine) WINNER: “The Magic is in the Roots: Cultural Reconnection Through Magical Realism – Lysz Flo” (FIYAH) “Symmetry, Horror, and Identity” -Tania Chen (Apparition Lit) “To Every Other Jobu Tupaki After Jamie Lee Curtis’s Oscar Win” – Maya Gittelman (Reactor) “The Substitute” – Yi Izzy Yu (Unquiet Spirits) The Ember Award for Unsung Contributions to Genre WINNER: Sheree Renée Thomas DaVaun Sanders Kate Elliott Kwame Mbalia A.C. Wise The Community Award  for Outstanding Efforts in Service of Inclusion and Equitable Practice in Genre WINNER: Khōréō – The Khōréō Team Voodoonauts Summer Fellowship – Shingai Njeri Kagunda, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, LP Kindred, Hugh “H.D” Hunter Stone Soup: Personal Canons Cookbook – Sarah Gailey Samovar Magazine – Laura Friis, Sarah Dodd and Greg West Awesome Black – Awesome Black Team [end-mark] The post Here Are the Winners of the 2024 Ignyte Awards appeared first on Reactor.