Maphine Fogel, whose son has been in a Russian prison for three years, said it was “gut-wrenching” to see that her son was not included in Thursday’s prisoner exchange, to say nothing of not receiving a call from the Biden administration  “The exchange yesterday was really gut wrenching,” Fogel told The Daily Wire. “When there were that many prisoners being exchanged, I thought he would surely be one of them… It’s just not a good feeling at all.” Malphine Fogel, whose son has been in a Russian prison for 3 years, says she was devastated that he was excluded from the prisoner exchange. She also says she never even heard from Biden. Trump met with her before his rally in Butler, PA and promised to free her son if he wins. pic.twitter.com/iEgxOPQIjA — Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) August 2, 2024 The 95-year old is advocating for her son to receive “wrongfully detained” status, which would empower the United States government to provide financial support for Marc’s medical care and other needs. On Thursday, Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, in what is being called the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War. Gershkovich spent over a year in Russian prison on trumped-up espionage charges. Whelan had been detained in Russia for six years. Marc Fogel was given a 14-year-prison sentence for possessing medical marijuana, for which he had a prescription from an American doctor. While the Biden-Harris Administration strongly advocated for the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner—who was imprisoned for the same crime—Fogel said she has heard nothing from the White House Maphine worries the White House is ignoring her son because he is not as famous as other prisoners. “I have not heard anything from President Biden or even anybody in the State Department,” she said. “Brittney Griner, I can see why they would want to get her out, but I think they’re ignoring the ordinary people who are also being held.” Fogel said her son’s release is paramount because he has had three spinal operations and is in poor health. While Fogel has never heard from President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, she has met with former President Donald Trump, who told her he’d do everything he can to free her son if he wins the election. “He wanted to know all about Mark,” Fogel said.  “I gave him all the details, and he said, ‘if I get in, I will get him out’ and he pointed his thumb up towards the sky and he seemed very sincere.” Fogel added that she told Trump to remember her son’s name. “He repeated it, and I think he would know it today,” Fogel said. Fogel was scheduled to take to the stage with Trump after meeting with him before the Butler, Pennsylvania rally when a would-be assassin fired at Trump. Fogel, who was about 25 feet away from Trump when the shots rang out, was immediately assisted by Republican lawmakers in attendance who helped her shelter and then flee. Fogel said she wants people to know that while others were released, her son is still imprisoned and his situation is becoming dire.“He’s losing hope, and so are all of us, his family.”

'You are not going to answer the question'

Four bidders pursued the locker in a 20-minute bidding battle

Authorities speculate that the men might have been involved in protecting operations that smuggle migrants

If you have never seen Aerosmith live in concert, it seems that you have lost your chance. Today, the band announced that the group will no longer be playing live concerts because of a permanent injury to Steven Tyler’s vocal cords. They will not be completing the 2024 Farewell Tour that was postponed because of Tyler’s injury. It’s all over. This is extremely sad news for Aerosmith fans. As we’ve written on this site many times, we believe Aerosmith is probably the greatest American rock band of all time. To hear the news that they will no longer be touring The post Aerosmith Retires From The Road For Good appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

Burt Reynolds became a Hollywood legend in his own right with an acting career that spanned almost 60 years. After his breakout role in 1972's Deliverance, Reynolds would later take on iconic roles in The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights, and more. A lot of major Hollywood actors even owe it to Reynolds, who turned down major roles that made them stars as big as he was. Source

President Joe Biden has endangered U.S. troops and “emboldened” terrorists in the Middle East by impeding military aid to Israel, 48 Republican senators said in a letter to the White House on Friday.  The lawmakers accused Biden of “accommodating Iran and its terrorist allies” by delaying some shipments of military supplies to the Israeli military in recent months. His administration previously said it was concerned that Israel would use the weaponry in densely populated areas while fighting Hamas terrorists in Gaza.  Republicans, however, stressed that the threat of Iran-backed groups such as Hamas has grown since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when the Islamist group invaded Israel and committed the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.   “While your administration delays,” the lawmakers wrote, “Hamas continues to wage war against Israel, the Houthis continue to attack in the Red Sea, and Hezbollah continues its onslaught in northern Israel.” “This [past] weekend, Hezbollah fired Iranian-made missiles into northern Israel, murdering 12 children and injuring dozens in the single deadliest attack on that part of the country since October 7,” the senators noted.  “Your stalling tactics are endangering our greatest ally in the Middle East and jeopardizing the lives of our American service members stationed in the region,” they charged. “We urge you to use every available emergency authority to expedite the physical delivery of all weapons and ammunition to Israel that have been approved by Congress.” The White House did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment before publication.  The letter, signed by all but one of the 49 Senate Republicans, comes amid fears of military escalation in the Middle East and retaliation against Israel for the killings this week of two top terrorist leaders. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has previously taken positions opposing U.S. aid to Israel, was the lone Senate Republican not to sign the letter, the Jewish News Syndicate reported.  Israel assassinated Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Lebanon with an airstrike on Tuesday, less than a week after the Lebanon-based group fired missiles into an Israeli-occupied region of Syria and killed 12 children on a soccer field.  On the same day, Israeli intelligence detonated a bomb in Iran’s capital, Tehran, that killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.  The assassinations prompted the two terrorist groups and Iran to vow revenge against the Jewish state. The White House reacted to the news of Haniyeh’s killing on Wednesday by lamenting that it won’t “help” its chances of securing “a cease-fire deal.”  “We’re obviously concerned about escalation,” National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby told reporters.  The post Terrorists ‘Emboldened’ by Biden ‘Stalling’ Aid to Israel, GOP Senators Say appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Amid talk of Kamala Harris’ veepstakes, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro faces renewed scrutiny for how he addressed sexual harassment allegations against a key member of his Cabinet.  Last year, the Democratic governor’s office paid $295,000 in tax dollars to settle the complaint of an employee there who claimed Shapiro’s legislative affairs secretary, Mike Vereb, sexually harassed her.  A women’s organization has called for the vice president to take the case into consideration as she chooses a running mate. Separately, a related public records lawsuit was filed last month.  Shapiro’s office should have done a better job preventing sexual harassment, said Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the National Women’s Defense League.  “As the Harris campaign and the Democratic Party consider their options for vice presidential candidates, we urge them to consider the handling of past complaints of sexual harassment inside the Pennsylvania governor’s office,” Davidson Tribbs said Wednesday in a public statement.  “The American people deserve to know that, if called to a higher office, Gov. Shapiro will do more to ensure the safety and dignity of employees, volunteers, and constituents in his office,” she said. In May, the employee filed a complaint against Vereb with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Vereb resigned from Shapiro’s Cabinet in September, shortly before the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the complaint. Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward, a Republican, criticized the governor last week in a post on X.  “Women are not props,” Ward wrote. “Don’t use me to rationalize mishandling of @GovernorShapiro sexual harassment scandal. It’s not over. Case filed recently in Commonwealth Court against Office of the Governor for more information.” Women are not props. Don’t use me to rationalize mishandling of @GovernorShapiro sexual harassment scandal. It’s not over. Case filed recently in Commonwealth Court against Office of the Governor for more information. https://t.co/JWHnPizedx— Kim Ward (@KimWardPA) July 25, 2024 The separate lawsuit, filed July 14, seeks more information under Pennsylvania’s public records law.  The case first became public after media requests made under Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law. However, the governor’s office has withheld many of the requests.  The plaintiff in the lawsuit is the Pennsylvania news site Broad+Liberty. When Shapiro’s office didn’t deliver on requests for records, the news outlet took the case to the Office of Open Records, or OOR. The agency ruled partly in favor of the news outlet and partly in favor of the governor’s office.  The news outlet then sued in state court. “Petitioners respectfully request that this Honorable Court enter an order reversing the OOR final determination, in part, and directing the Pennsylvania office of the governor to provide petitioners with copies, including unredacted copies, as applicable, of all responsive records exempted by the OOR, along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court,” the lawsuit says.  Shapiro’s office didn’t respond Friday to an inquiry from The Daily Signal.  However,  Shapiro spokesperson Manual Bonder previously said: “Complainants and defendants often settle litigation for reasons not related to the validity of the underlying facts and claims.” The Harris campaign did not respond to an inquiry for this story. The post Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Handling of Sexual Harassment Case Scrutinized During Veepstakes appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) is furthering its mission to counteract Big Tech’s stranglehold on speech by starting to rollout its new TV streaming service, Truth+. Committed to reinstating the public’s voice and freedom on the internet, TMTG already operates Truth Social, a platform specifically designed to offer refuge from the prevailing climate of censorship enforced by major tech conglomerates. The rollout of Truth+ marks TMTG’s expansion into streaming media. The transition began with the migration of its beta streaming from Truth Social to a newly-established content delivery network (CDN). This initial rollout phase will first make streaming accessible via the web to all users, with subsequent availability on Android and iOS platforms expected. Following a test of the CDN’s implementation, users will find a new Truth+ icon within the Truth Social app, providing direct access to the streaming service. This feature will allow viewers to consume content either through distinct channels or a picture-in-picture (PiP) mode while navigating the social platform. An update will be necessary for iOS users to access this service, while Android and web users can do so without additional downloads. The streaming lineup will initially feature channels dedicated to news, commentary, weather, as well as lifestyle and entertainment, with plans to gradually include more programming and family-friendly material. TMTG’s CEO, Devin Nunes, highlighted the company’s vision for a censorship-free media environment. “First, we created Truth Social to provide a safe harbor for free speech on the Internet,” Nunes remarked in a statement. “Now, we’re establishing a reliable home for great TV content that is neglected by the big corporations or is at risk of cancellation—and we are securing our own tech stack and hardware infrastructure to make our new CDN uncancellable. I look forward, in the near future, to launching many enhancements and adding great, new content to the platform.” Future phases of Truth+ will introduce advanced streaming applications integrated with Truth Social, featuring an interactive 14-day electronic guide, instant catch-up TV, network DVR, video on demand, and capabilities for in-home TV streaming. TMTG’s pioneering streaming technology is built on its own infrastructure, ensuring that it remains independent and resistant to suppression by Big Tech. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Trump Media’s New Truth+ Streaming Platform Takes Aim at Big Tech and Mainstream Media Control appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. An updated version of what critics refer to as the AI censorship bill, Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act (NO FAKES Act) has been introduced by senators Chris Coons, a Democrat, and Republican Marsha Blackburn. The goal of the bill – that first saw the light of day last October as a discussion draft – is to ban what it calls unauthorized digital replicas while providing exemptions for parody, satire, use in documentaries, and other forms of generated content that should fall under the fair use rule. The entertainment industry is happy with the legislative proposal, with support pouring in from Disney, the Motion Picture Association, Recording Industry Association of America, SAG-AFTRA, agencies, and more. SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild), which wants a likeness act at the federal instead of the state level as is the case now, backed the bill, mentioning the need to protect intellectual property and performers’ likenesses and brands. We obtained a copy of the bill for you here. But prominent digital rights group, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), is unconvinced that these exemptions will work in real life, and fears that the bill, if passed, will result in limiting free speech. The EFF noted that the House has its own version of the bill, called NO AI FRAUD, whereas Senate’s proposal – which explicitly refers to property rights (not protected by Section 230, and removed from the House bill) – would allow anyone to sue anybody else for creating their “digital replica” – i.e., a new, computer-generated image, voice or visual likeness. The EFF doesn’t like this definition, calling it “broad,” while the right is given to people (that would be, celebrities), other holders of rights to their likeness, heirs 70 years after their death, but also retroactively, to those who have already died. That the bill ultimately has to do with money (hence such enthusiasm in the entertainment industry) is one thing – but its potential to at the same time provide another avenue for undermining speech is another. The EFF sums up one of its misgivings, over the bill’s exemptions, as not being overly meaningful – “if you have to pay a lawyer to figure out if they apply to you, and then try to persuade a rightsholder to agree.” If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post AI Censorship Bill Raises Free Speech Concerns appeared first on Reclaim The Net.