There were plenty of outrageous hot takes from MSNBC during the Republican National Convention, but Rachel Maddow might have had the dumbest. On Tuesday, Maddow saw alt-right and possibly Aryan messaging in VP-nominee JD Vance’s Lord of the Rings-inspired venture capital firm. Maddow was giving her version of Vance’s biograph when she declared, “Like Mr. Thiel, who has named his companies after things in The Lord of the Rings series of J.R.R. Tolkien books. Lord of the Rings is a, sort of, a favorite cosmos for naming things and cultural references for a lot of far-right and alt-right figures within Europe and the United States. Peter Thiel names things after Tolkien figures and places like his company, Palantir, for example.”     Vance, she argued, is similar, “Like his mentor, like Peter Thiel, who had given him all his jobs in the world, Mr. Vance also when he founded his own venture capital firm, with help from Peter Thiel, named it after a Lord of the Rings thing, he called in Narya, N-A-R-Y-A, which you can remember because it’s “Aryan,” but you move the N to the front. Apparently, that word has something to do with elves and rings from The Lord of the Rings series, I don’t know?” If Maddow doesn’t know, why is she talking about it? Just to clarify two things: Vance’s wife is of Indian ancestry, so the idea that his company’s name is some sort of nod to ideas of Aryan supremacy or white supremacism is profoundly silly. Second, Tolkien had no tolerance for such people. In 1938, the German publisher, Rütten & Loening, which was considering translating The Hobbit, asked Tolkien to prove his Aryan ancestry. He wrote back: Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people. … I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride. Perhaps MSNBC should do some basic research before making fools of themselves on national TV. Here is a transcript of the July 17 coverage: MSNBC Republican National Convention 7/17/2024 9:08 PM ET RACHEL MADDOW: Like Mr. Thiel, who has named his companies after things in The Lord of the Rings series of J.R.R. Tolkien books. Lord of the Rings is a, sort of, a favorite cosmos for naming things and cultural references for a lot of far-right and alt-right figures within Europe and the United States. Peter Thiel names things after Tolkien figures and places like his company Palantir, for example. Like his mentor, like Peter Thiel, who had given him all his jobs in the world, Mr. Vance also when he found that his own venture capital firm with help from Peter Thiel named it after a Lord of the Rings thing, he called in Narya, N-A-R-Y-A, which you can remember because it’s “Aryan,” but you move the N to the front. Apparently, that word has something to do with elves and rings from The Lord of the Rings series, I don’t know?

Hollywood liberals like George Clooney can pen political op-eds to their heart’s content. Conservative stars meet in secret, keep their views off social media and fear being outed for not singing from the progressive hymnal. Bottom of Form We saw the latest example earlier this week, something Matthew McConaughey accidentally addressed at Friday’s National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. McConaughey joined the group’s call for better dialogue between Americans in our divisive times. It should start in Tinsel Town, the “Dallas Buyers Club” actor said. Why? Liberal Hollywood doesn’t take kindly to diverse points of view. “My industry has to watch its tongue out of the gate because it’s coming from the left. We have to open that conversation with our opening statements and not invalidate a moderate or conservative at the gate, which we’re guilty of to an extent,” McConaughey remarked of actors and directors weighing in on politics. He could have been referring to Friends of Abe, the secretive group that allowed conservative artists to meet without professional retribution. Or, he might have name-checked Gina Carano, fired by Disney for sharing the “wrong” views on social media. He also could have mentioned a producer on the new Angel Studios’ film “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” The July release recalls the true story of a Christian couple who inspired members of their community to adopt troubled children from the local foster care system.     Actress Letitia Wright of “Black Panther” fame joined the project as an executive producer, but she cried foul when The Daily Wire came on board to help spread the word about the film. The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, star of “What Is a Woman?” promoted “Sound of Hope” on social media by reminding his followers that some adoption groups discriminate against Christians. That apparently caught Wright’s attention. She swiftly apologized for any ties to the conservative Daily Wire via her Instagram account. To be clear, after we completed the production of this film, Angel Studios were brought on board to handle its distribution and they later partnered with The Daily Wire. That was not my decision, and I was not given an update or made aware of this decision. I am in no way aligned or affiliated with The Daily Wire…It’s a shame to see pockets of discourse online take a divisive political turn. This story isn’t about politics, it’s about children. Any conversation that detracts from that is unnecessary and harmful. The Daily Wire’s Jeremy Boreing fired back. The Daily Wire is truly honored to partner with Angel Studios on such an important project. But, such is the intolerance of the modern left that instead of celebrating this accomplishment and all it might mean, one of the film’s producers, Letitia Wright of Black Panther fame, used the occasion to condemn The Daily Wire’s involvement in sharing this message across the country. The film’s director, Josh Weigel and producer Rebekah Weigel apologized for not telling Wright about the partnership. “That was not handled well, and we apologize for putting her in this position,” the pair said in a press statement. The duo still praised The Daily Wire for helping promote the film and its vital message. They also defended Walsh’s message tied to the project. “There are—in fact—real efforts to prevent families of faith from adopting, and this is a pivotal part of the conversation around helping kids who are suffering in a broken system. It’s not about left and right, it’s about right and wrong,” they continued. They’re right. Why would Wright attack her own film? What does it matter that someone with views she may dislike is leading audiences to see “Sound of Hope?” As a Christian, isn’t she worried that people of her faith sometimes can’t adopt children? Context matters. Wright’s backpedal didn’t happen in a vacuum.  During the pandemic, the actress shared concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, an opinion that clashed with progressive orthodoxy at the time.  She explained: “It is not my intention to make anyone upset, nor am I saying don’t take it. I’m just concerned about what’s in it that’s all. Isn’t that fair to question?” She added: “If you don’t conform to popular opinions, but ask questions and think for yourself… you get cancelled.”  She also shot down a rumor at the time that she brought up the subject on the set of the “Black Panther” sequel. She likely understood the stakes in play. Carano similar questioned pandemic orthodoxy and was later fired by Disney, which oversees the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wright understands that questioning vaccine efficacy and being part of a conservative project, no matter how minor said connection is, hurts her Hollywood career. That explains her curious stance. It’s also another depressing data point about Hollywood intellectual intolerance. The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro shares the last word on the kerfuffle.    

Joe Biden's attempts to fulfill a major campaign promise to relieve student loan debt took another hit this week when a federal appeals court blocked the Saving on a Valuable Education program, better known as SAVE.On a one-page, unsigned order issued on Thursday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the request of six Republican-led states, including Missouri, to suspend implementation of aspects of the SAVE program while the court considers a more permanent block favored by Republicans. A district judge had already blocked implementation of the other parts of the SAVE program in a ruling last month.Supporters of SAVE, on the other hand, waxed histrionic that the order blocking the implementation of SAVE would upend people's lives, even though the program began offering debt relief only a few months ago.Andrew Bailey, the Republican attorney general of Missouri who filed the emergency motion on behalf of the plaintiffs, celebrated the order as a "HUGE win" for everyday Americans. Bailey called SAVE "illegal" and claimed it was a backdoor means of saddling taxpayers — many of whom never went to college — "with half-a-trillion dollars in Ivy League debt." — (@) "I'm proud to lead from the frontlines on this. In Missouri, we believe in paying our debts and not burdening hardworking taxpayers. Today’s victory is a win for every hardworking American who pays their bills without leaning on their neighbors," Bailey added in a separate statement.Supporters of SAVE, on the other hand, waxed histrionic that the order blocking the implementation of SAVE would upend people's lives, even though the program began offering debt relief only a few months ago."Today’s ruling from the 8th Circuit blocking President Biden’s SAVE plan could have devastating consequences for millions of student loan borrowers crushed by unaffordable monthly payments if it remains in effect," said a statement from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona."This decision threatens the entire federal student loan system and will cause complete chaos and confusion," added a statement from Eileen Connor, president and executive director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending.The Biden administration has tried to ease or outright cancel student loan debt for years after campaigning heavily on the issue in 2020. However, time after time, the courts have overruled many of those efforts. In June 2023, the Supreme Court struck down Biden's attempts to cancel up to $20,000 in loans for qualified borrowers.SAVE was yet another means of trying to achieve a similar end. To date, more than 8 million people have enrolled in SAVE, and over 400,000 of them who had taken out no more than $12,000 originally had their entire debt eliminated. The appellate court order will not affect any debt cancellation that has already been given through the SAVE program.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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Google will launch the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold on August 13th, but the company couldn't wait that long to show them off. That's why it already revealed the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, confirming the leaked designs in the process. Google isn't doing it solely to put an end to the seemingly endless stream of leaks that's spoiling every Pixel 9 surprise. After all, this is a dance we see with every Pixel generation. It's bigger than getting ahead of leaks this year. Otherwise, Google could have teased the handsets back in May at I/O 2024. It's probably all about the imminent launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, which will compete directly against Google's Pixels, including the brand-new Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I'm only speculating, of course, but that's because Google has gone above and beyond revealing the designs. In some markets, it's already teasing a mysterious gift that will be available to lucky buyers who order fast. Continue reading... The post Some Pixel 9 Pro preorders will come with a mysterious gift appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $100 eufy smart lock, Nintendo Switch game sale, 20% off Dreo ChefMaker, $4 smart plugs, more 75+ leftover Prime Day deals you can still shop today 7 ECOVACS Prime Day deals to save money on the ultimate robot vacuums & mops Today’s deals: $140 AirPods 3, $348 Sony 4K smart TV, $50 off M2 iPad Air, $25 light bulb camera, more

A judge on Friday tentatively scheduled Harvey Weinstein's planned retrial on rape and sexual assault charges to begin Nov. 12.