As part of its "historically friendly relations," a number of Russian naval ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will visit Cuba this week, the country's administration announced last week.

Authoritarian EU chief Ursula von der Leyen claims carbon is a pollutant, and Europeans must pay for it, so they can’t afford to pollute. This would affect US air travel. “We all know if we want to keep global warming below the tipping point of 1.5°, we need to cut global emissions, and there’s a […] The post Authoritarian EU Chief Demands Carbon Taxes appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” made waves at the box office over the weekend after a fairly slow start to the summer movie season.  The film beat revenue projections, bringing in $104 million globally, which includes $48.6 million at the international box office. That number is 58% higher than Memorial Day weekend’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Story,” per Deadline. “Ride or Die” is the fourth installment in the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence-led franchise. It was released by Sony Pictures, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. This is Smith’s first major release since the infamous slapping incident at the 2022 Oscars, which tarnished the actor’s reputation in Hollywood. “Ride or Die” was already in production at the time of the slap and ultimately went on with a $100 million production budget.  It was made public ahead of time that the film would reference the Oscars debacle. Smith’s character, Mike Lowrey, gets slapped repeatedly by Martin Lawrence’s character, Marcus Burnett. Lowrey is having a panic attack, and Burnett smacks him in the face multiple times to snap him out of it. Arbi and Fallah acknowledged that the slapping was intentional.  “Well, I think you know, if you watch the movie, you see that there are some parallels between what’s happening in the movie and real life,” they told UNILAD in an interview. “You know, there’s — it’s almost like a meta experience that that Will in the character of Mike Lowrey goes through with some themes.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “So obviously, it had something, there is a connection between real life and the story of the movie in the movie itself,” the pair went on.  The critics seemed to appreciate the addition, too. Variety reviewer Owen Gleiberman called the slapping scene a “direct reference” to the Oscars, further describing it as “a kind of pop exorcism.”  “It’s ‘punishing’ Smith, making cruel fun of his transgression, and just maybe, in the process, allowing him to crawl out from under the image of it,” Gleiberman wrote.  New York Post reviewer Johnny Oleksinski wrote, “The best part of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ arrives near the end of the film when Martin Lawrence slaps Will Smith in the face and yells ‘bad boy!’ What a shame that it’s fake.” Smith was banned from the Oscars for ten years after storming onto the stage and slapping host Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

NBC reporter Gabe Gutierrez voiced some concern on Monday that the Israeli Special Forces mission — which resulted in the rescue of four hostages — could stall ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. Gutierrez joined “The Today Show” host Hoda Kotb during Monday’s broadcast — just two days after Israel announced that they had liberated four of the hostages that Hamas had taken from the Nova music festival on October 7th — to discuss what, if any, involvement the United States had had in the operation. WATCH: NBC via reporter Gabe Gutierrez DECRIES the rescue of Israeli hostages from Hamas because it HURTS Biden’s ability to negotiate with terrorists: “Still, there are concerns that Saturday’s rescue may hurt efforts to reach a ceasefire and free the remaining hostages.” pic.twitter.com/hmXE12xDNu — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 10, 2024 Gutierrez explained that the U.S. had not been involved in executing the mission, but had offered intelligence to assist the Israelis. “The Biden administration confirmed the U.S. did not participate militarily in the rescue operation but the U.S. provided intelligence in support of it,” Gutierrez said, before pointing to the fact that the civilian casualties — 274 by Hamas’ “count” — could make it harder to get the terrorist group to agree to a ceasefire. “Still, there are concerns that Saturday’s rescue may hurt efforts to reach a ceasefire and free the remaining hostages, including the eight Americans – three of which are believed to have been killed,” he said, adding that the United States had considered negotiating with Hamas directly in order to get the remaining American hostages back. “Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region today to try and secure a deal, but the rescue will likely make his efforts even more difficult and that’s why the administration may negotiate directly with Hamas to release the remaining American hostages if the current proposal fails, according to U.S. officials,” Gutierrez continued. “They say this latest rescue only strengthened Netanyahu’s determination to keep pushing for military operations in Gaza instead of pursuing a ceasefire. One senior administration official calling this a very real option, citing the fact that Hamas could have an incentive to deal directly with the Americans because it would strain relations between the U.S. and Israel and possibly put even more pressure on Netanyahu.”

Suggestions of treason rocked Canada last week after a report said members of its Parliament were “witting” accomplices in foreign election meddling efforts. The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), composed of lawmakers given top-level security clearance to conduct a sensitive investigation into foreign influence, released a report last week suggesting that some Canadian lawmakers worked with foreign agents in potentially treasonous ways, according to POLITICO. The report says that the lawmakers involved are unlikely to be found guilty of a crime over what the investigation uncovered because of the difficulty of producing classified information in criminal courts for prosecution. NSICOP found that certain Canadian lawmakers were or are “‘semi-witting or witting’ participants in the efforts of foreign states to interfere in Canadian politics.” The allegations against the lawmakers include accepting financial or community support mobilized on behalf of foreign missions, providing foreign agents with information on Canadian lawmakers, and sharing privileged information with foreign agents. “[T]he most prolific actor” among foreign influencers was China, according to The New York Times. India was the next most influential actor. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government have come under heavy criticism in the wake of the report. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the main opposition to Trudeau, called for the unnamed lawmakers at the center of the report’s allegations to be made known to the Canadian people. “The national security committee indicates there are members of this House that have knowingly worked for foreign hostile governments,” Poilievre said last week, according to POLITICO. “Canadians have a right to know who and what is the information — who are they?” Government officials have resisted calls to make public the names of lawmakers facing accusations. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said that such a move would be irresponsible and a violation of the Security of Information Act. “My colleague knows full well that no responsible government would disclose names involved in specific intelligence situations,” LeBlanc said last week in response to a Conservative lawmaker. “It is not entirely accurate of him to claim that a responsible government, one that focuses on the security of Canada and our democratic institutions, would do such a thing.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) hit the back of another car on an interstate over the weekend, causing the driver of the other car to be treated at a hospital for their injuries. The incident happened just before 8 a.m. on Sunday as the two were traveling in the area of I-70 and I-68 in Hancock, Maryland. Local media reports said that Fetterman was driving a Chevrolet Traverse and that he struck the back of a Chevrolet Impala. Fetterman and his wife, Gisele Fetterman, were both taken to a hospital to be treated for their injuries. The senator reportedly had a minor shoulder injury. The driver of the Impala was also taken to the hospital in an ambulance to be treated for their injuries. No status update was available on the driver. Police have not officially said what caused the car accident as the incident is currently under investigation. “On Sunday morning, John and Gisele were involved in a car accident with another driver,” Fetterman’s office claimed in a statement, according to FOX 29. “Out of an abundance of caution, they were evaluated at a local hospital. John was treated for a bruised shoulder and they were discharged that afternoon. They are doing well and happy to be back in Braddock.” Fetterman has struggled with various health-related issues after he suffered a serious stroke in 2022, including crippling depression that led to him staying in a hospital. During his campaign, Fetterman repeatedly refused to debate Dr. Mehmet Oz (R) as he sought to limit voters’ exposure to him following his stroke, which has impacted aspects of his cognition, hearing, and speech. He later debated Oz right before the election but did not perform well. The Washington Post Editorial Board slammed his campaign at the time for “concealing from the public for two days after his stroke that he had been hospitalized.” “It waited weeks longer to reveal a more complete picture of his medical history, including that he had been diagnosed in 2017 with cardiomyopathy. Mr. Fetterman had a pacemaker with a defibrillator implanted after the stroke. The campaign’s response to questions about Mr. Fetterman’s health is to point to a doctor’s note, released more than 14 weeks ago, which said ‘he should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem’ if he takes his medications and exercises.” The Editorial Board said that Fetterman pointing to a 4-month-old doctor’s note was “not good enough” and that he “should release his medical records for independent review.” This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was all class when she reacted to being left off the roster for Team USA this summer at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. In a clip posted on X, the WNBA rookie was asked by reporters about not making the team and the level of disappointment she had about it. Clark responded that she had none and only wished those who made the cut the best of luck. “Honestly, no disappointment. I think it just gives you something to work for,” Clark told the press. “That’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that and hopefully, when four years comes back around, I can be there.” Caitlin Clark takes the high road here on getting left off the Olympic team, but I honestly can’t think of a dumber move for a sport trying to grow its fan base than this. Whine about no attention for decades, finally get it, and then blow it like this: pic.twitter.com/WyXUPzpX0q — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 9, 2024 “I’m excited for the girls that are on the team,” she added. “I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way — me being on the team or me not being on the team.” “I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold,” Clark continued. “I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it will be fun to watch them.” Fever coach Christie Sides told reporters that when the 2024 WNBA drafted guard learned the news that she wasn’t on the team, she said Clark told her, “[T]hey woke a monster,” Newsweek noted. “The thing she said was, ‘Hey, Coach, they woke a monster,’ which I thought was awesome,” Sides said. “She’s young, she’s going to have so many opportunities in the future.” Not everyone was as gracious as Clark about the snub. Sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith slammed the move and said it was a case of “idiocy.” “This is about what I will personally label ‘The Idiocy of Team USA Women’s Basketball.’ How dare you make this decision,” Smith said. “It’s stupid. I want all the ladies on this squad to know every single one of y’all deserve it. Caitlin Clark does not deserve a spot ahead of any of the players on this roster — if we’re talking just basketball. You know we’re not.” “It was a stupid decision,” he added. “Because it compromises what your ultimate goal is, which is to elevate the WNBA brand. How could you be that idiotic and not make that call, when throughout history, Team USA has been, in part, about marketing? It’s dumb, period.” Barstool’s Dave Portnoy went viral when he posted about the move, calling it dumb and more. “Hey dummies, for the first time in the history of basketball you have arguably a player who is the most popular player in the world,” Portnoy said in a clip posted on X. “And you leave her off the Olympics team?” “It’s not only a showcase for her. It’s for the sport and the other WNBA players who are on this team. How dumb, how braindead, how idiotic do the people running this thing have to be?” he added.  Clark could still make an appearance at the Olympics if a player gets injured resulting in an alternate making the team. However, in the past, alternates have never been announced, so there’s no indication of whether she’d make that short list, ESPN noted.

Congress is seeking testimony from Scarlett Johansson after the Hollywood star accused OpenAI of using a ChatGPT voice that sounded “eerily similar” to her own despite no deal between them. A letter sent last week invited Johansson to appear for a Capitol Hill hearing before a House Technology Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). “You recently expressed concerns via social media about the resemblance between your own voice and that of the ‘Sky’ chatbot, recently released as part of OpenAl’s GPT- 40 update,” Mace wrote. “This hearing would provide a platform for you to share those concerns with House Members, and to inform the broader public debate concerning deepfakes,” she added. Mace’s office told Axios, which first reported the letter on Monday, that Johansson is unable to make the proposed date of July 9 and would likely be available sometime in October. Johansson, who voiced an AI chat system in the 2013 film “Her,” said in May she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” upon the reveal of a ChatGPT voice that sounded “eerily similar” to hers. The actress said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had asked her to provide a voice for the feature, but she declined and so she hired lawyers to reach out to OpenAI when a similar voice feature came out. OpenAI denied its “Sky” voice was an imitation of Johansson’s voice, insisting it was instead developed with a different professional actress using her “own natural speaking voice.” Separately, Altman apologized to Johansson “that we didn’t communicate better. He also said, “Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products.” In ending her statement about the voice controversy, Johansson also called for more work to be done to address issues associated with advancing technologies beyond just artificial intelligence. “In a time when we are all grappling with deepfakes and the protection of our own likeness, our own work, our own identities, I believe these are questions that deserve absolute clarity,” she said. “I look forward to resolution in the form of transparency and the passage of appropriate legislation to help ensure that individual rights are protected,” Johansson concluded.

The Biden administration has unveiled a series of policies aimed at addressing the ongoing housing crisis in the United States, but critics argue these measures may exacerbate existing problems rather than solve them. Key initiatives include significant investments in affordable housing and regulatory changes intended to increase housing supply. One of the cornerstone efforts is the Housing Supply Action Plan, which aims to increase affordable housing stock by addressing regulatory barriers and expanding financial incentives. This plan includes measures to support the conversion of high-vacancy commercial buildings to residential use and incentives for local governments to adopt less restrictive zoning policies​​. Biden came to Nevada to promote his plan to give tax dollars to people facing high housing prices (which would only further inflate the cost of housing). Biden is wrong. The solution to the housing crisis is less government, not more. https://t.co/bUIOKINiOE — Drew Johnson (@DrewForNevada) March 20, 2024 Despite these initiatives, critics, including Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), contend that the administration's focus on environmental regulations over practical affordability measures is misplaced. Rubio specifically criticized new energy-efficiency standards for homes, which he claims could increase costs by up to $31,000 per home, disproportionately affecting first-time homebuyers​. A prime example of ELECTION having CONSEQUENCES! WATCH: Senator Kennedy SLAMS Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Adrianne Todman for Biden’s new energy rules, which are projected to increase the cost of home construction by $31,000, on top of a 28% rise in the… pic.twitter.com/5gV8rxJ659 — I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) May 1, 2024 Furthermore, the administration's broader economic policies, which include significant spending on housing, have been blamed for contributing to inflation. This inflation, combined with rising interest rates, has made it even more difficult for Americans to afford homes​​. The administration's approach also includes a $10,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit and efforts to streamline federal financing for new housing projects. President Biden and his advisors have emphasized the need to "build, build, build" to increase housing supply and reduce costs​. While these policies are intended to alleviate housing shortages, experts argue that without additional federal resources and significant changes at the local level, such as zoning reform, the impact may be limited. The success of these measures heavily depends on local governments' willingness to implement the recommended changes​​. As the 2024 election approaches, the administration's housing policies are likely to be a significant point of contention. With half of America's renters unable to afford their rent and a large portion of would-be homeowners priced out of the market, the effectiveness of Biden's strategies will be closely scrutinized by both political opponents and the public​. The post Biden Administration’s Radical Housing Policies Could Disrupt Market appeared first on The Conservative Brief.