Former Biden White House Press Secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki took her book tour to the Wednesday taping of CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she declared that her history as a Democratic official makes her more qualified to be a host. Meanwhile, she also praised her former boss for halting weapons shipments to Israel. Colbert asked, “I watch your show, I mean, I enjoy it. I just—I would just imagine that, especially as we get closer to the election, that tension's going to be greater for you to stay objective, even if you actually believe in the objectives of the president of the United States.” Psaki downplayed the concerns because her views are well known, “That’s true, but I don't think my views of Donald Trump are a secret. I don't think yours are either, if I'm being honest.”     Wondering if there was a difference, Colbert retorted, “But, I’m not a journalist and I’m not—you know, I’m a professional clown.” The late night comedians have this bit where they want to be political influencers and view their jokes as a more entertaining and thus more effective way to make a political point than a 5,000-word essay that nobody reads, but whenever someone calls them out on it, they revert back to the clown posture. Ironically, Psaki undermined this conceit, “Yeah, I think you’re way more than that, you’re informing the public.” Getting back to her own show, she continued, “I think people who are watching my show, I hope, and this is the North Star we always talk about on our team is, do people come away with a better understanding of a person?” She also claimed, “I don't think it’s a secret, I don’t try to make it a secret. I worked for not just Joe Biden, I worked for Barack Obama, I worked on three presidential campaigns. That’s part of my story. I think I can bring a lot of insights to the public about how these things work, about how campaigns work, and also what’s actually at stake in this election.” Colbert wondered if she could be critical of Biden, but naturally he chose an issue from Biden’s left, “Is there something that you could inform the audience about that might be something that you feel like the Biden Administration is not doing correctly right now? … Much is being made of the fact young voters are turned off to President Biden, especially in light of his continued support of Netanyahu with the tragedy that’s going on in Gaza right now in response to the tragedy of October 7.” Psaki hailed recent news that Biden is halting weapons supplies to Israel, “I do think that there is some leverage we are all seeing being used. Should it have been used earlier? I think the answer is yes to that, but we are seeing them hold back on the sending of weapons. That’s actually a significant sign given that the United States and Israel has a long-standing connection on military support where the United States is a big provider of that.” After Colbert asked if that has happened before, Psaki rolled on, “Not many times before. It has happened before, but not many times before, but that is a significant step. Prime Minister Netanyahu, I would say, is someone who Joe Biden has had a tricky, challenging, difficult relationship with for some time.” Challenging? Yes, but because Netanyahu refuses to outsource Israel’s security to Biden’s Israel-hating base that he is now desperately trying to appease and because Democrats have gotten mad at Netanyahu for the war's length despite their demand he not attack Hamas in Rafah. Here is a transcript for the May 8-taped show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 5/9/2024 12:05 AM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: I watch your show, I mean, I enjoy it. I just—I would just imagine that, especially as we get closer to the election, that tension's going to be greater for you to stay objective, even if you actually believe in the objectives of the president of the United States. JEN PSAKI: That’s true, but I don't think my views of Donald Trump are a secret. I don't think yours are either, if I'm being honest. COLBERT: But, I’m not a journalist and I’m not—you know, I’m a professional clown. PSAKI: Yeah, I think you’re way more than that, you’re informing the public. I think— COLBERT: Then I’m not doing my job very well. PSAKI: I think people who are watching my show, I hope, and this is the North Star we always talk about on our team is, do people come away with a better understanding of a person? Maybe it’s Joe Biden, someone running for office, maybe it’s a governor, and an issue, and/or an issue. So, is there an issue misconstrued out there that I can help explain? I don't think it’s a secret, I don’t try to make it a secret. I worked for not just Joe Biden, I worked for Barack Obama, I worked on three presidential campaigns. That’s part of my story. I think I can bring a lot of insights to the public about how these things work, about how campaigns work, and also what’s actually at stake in this election, so— COLBERT: Is there something that you could inform the audience about that might be something that you feel like the Biden Administration is not doing correctly right now? Some constructive information that they wouldn’t even mind hearing from you. For instance, how about outreach to young people right now. Much is being made of the fact young voters are turned off to President Biden, especially in light of his continued support of Netanyahu with the tragedy that’s going on in Gaza right now in response to the tragedy of October 7. PSAKI: Well, I would say, obviously I haven't been in there in two years, but I have worked in diplomacy, I worked for the former secretary of State. I do think that there is some leverage we are all seeing being used. Should it have been used earlier? I think the answer is yes to that, but we are seeing them hold back on the sending of weapons. That’s actually a significant sign given that the United States and Israel has a long-standing connection on military support where the United States is a big provider of that. COLBERT: Has the United States done that many times before? Withheld the weapons? PSAKI: Not many times before. It has happened before, but not many times before, but that is a significant step. Prime Minister Netanyahu, I would say, is someone who Joe Biden has had a tricky, challenging, difficult relationship with for some time.  People don't always see that, that it isn’t often talked about, but in terms of, to go back to your original question about what they could be doing differently, it’s very hard and difficult to explain the nature of diplomacy. It’s just very hard to talk about what’s happening behind the scenes sometimes because if you do, you’ll ruin the diplomatic talks and the conversations, but outreach and connection and listening to young people and hearing from them is certainly an important part of that. He is going to talk to Morehouse University, he is going to do the commencement address there in a couple weeks. That’s a good step. They could be doing more of that and I think that’s an important part of their outreach that they’ll have to do over the next couple months.

When it comes to prepping and survivalism, I’m a straight shooter, and I like to tell people the truth about these topics. I believe being honest is the way to go because you avoid creating high hopes and expectations for those new to these “lifestyles.” The post How to know you’re in danger in a crisis appeared first on Survivopedia.

Two weeks before the 2016 election, I unwittingly played a bit part in Stormy Daniels’ shakedown of Donald Trump. I ran FoxNews.com as Stormy and her cohorts pushed us to write a story about her affair with him.Here’s a behind-the-scenes story that few people know.Stormy's actions were textbook extortion, which, unlike records violations, is an honest-to-goodness felony in New York.Team Stormy wasn’t after a Pulitzer. They were after a payday, and they were using the media as leverage to force Trump’s hand in the final stretch before Election Day.Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer, had already promised to pay Stormy $130,000 to keep her mouth shut about the alleged fling from a decade earlier. But he was stalling on cutting the check as negotiations dragged on. She was smart enough to know that Trump often stalled payments forever, and that if, as most expected, he lost the 2016 race, she’d never see a penny.So, Stormy’s crew started shopping the story to outlets like us at Fox, Slate, and others. They knew we would contact the campaign for a response, which we did, and that it would ramp up the pressure on Cohen to finally pay up.Stormy herself, the porn actress at the center of it all, refused to go on the record and was publicly still denying the dalliance. Her manager was the only one willing to confirm it, with just two words: “It’s true.” That's all she would say. And even that had to be on background.In this circus, everyone had a stage name. Stormy's real name is Stephanie Clifford. Her pal trying to broker the deal was a skeezy blogger named Nik Richie, real name Hooman Karamian, who ran a revenge site called TheDirty.com.Even their fake names had fake names. They showed an unsigned contract, supposedly a proposed settlement agreement from their lawyer, which named Trump and Stormy with aliases of “David Dennison” and “Peggy Peterson.” It was bizarro world but in retrospect made perfect sense.The gambit worked. Once Cohen finally caved and made the payment, Stormy’s team immediately went dark and ghosted all the media outlets they’d been stringing along.We were miles away from publishing anything, though. In the weeks after Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” audio went public, there was no lack of women claiming they had, in fact, had their lady bits grabbed by Trump. Yet, way back in 2016, some news organizations still required things like “facts” and “proof.”Given Trump’s love for bling, the story certainly didn’t seem unreasonable. But considering Stormy’s public denials and legal threats, we needed actual corroboration like emails or, well, anything. Yet, the only thing they offered was that unsigned document, not even written on letterhead. It was such a no-brainer, I never even ran it by my bosses.Since then, Fox News and I have gotten a ton of flak for supposedly “protecting Trump,” a charge never made against the other literal outlets with the story. Some even suggested it was an illegal in-kind donation to Trump's campaign, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), never one to be bullied by the First Amendment, even tried to get the Fox reporter’s working notes to start his very own media circus.There is no one to root for in this sordid saga.Stormy, of course, deserves jail, along with her friends. Her actions were textbook extortion, which, unlike records violations, is an honest-to-goodness felony in New York. And despite her $130,000 hush money payday, she still blabbed. Now, she’s reaping the rewards again with worldwide fame, which certainly can’t hurt her “acting” career.And let’s not forget Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who deserves to be behind bars himself for grotesquely abusing his power. He’s a prosecutor in reverse, routinely letting criminals walk, yet springs into action when people defend themselves against thugs. On the side of the thugs, naturally.Bragg’s obscene targeting of Trump, using cockamamie legal theories, could only work in a Democratic stronghold with a judge who’s part of the scam. Judge Juan Merchan is a Democratic activist in a black robe, completely complicit in this farce while pretending it’s about “justice.” He’s choreographing a political show trial. If there is any justice, he would end up bunking with Bragg.Finally, a word about Trump himself. He’s not guilty of the nonsense criminal charges against him, but he’s definitely guilty of a heap of bad judgment. Records violations aside, he was the one who brought Stormy into his life, then had his sleazy lawyer Michael Cohen unsuccessfully clean up the mess. If you grade a man by the company he keeps, Trump gets an F.Here’s where I’m supposed to bemoan a nation addicted to scandal and spectacle, but I just can’t. The TV show is just too entertaining. It brings to mind another show, the final episode of “Seinfeld,” when the entire cast landed in jail. There, the judge rendered his verdict with a short speech: “Your callous indifference and utter disregard for everything that is good and decent has rocked the very foundation upon which our society is built. I can think of nothing more fitting than for the four of you to spend a year removed from society so that you can contemplate the manner in which you have conducted yourselves.”

USC leaders canceled the valedictorian’s commencement speech and then scrapped the ceremony due to safety concerns following the arrest of 93 protesters.

Wake the Fact-Checkers! Biden Served Up an 'Unchecked Whopper' About Inflation in CNN Interview

Do you know about the time that the USA went against Israel and the Western powers in the Middle East? Here, Andrew Patterson tells us about the 1956 Suez Crisis, when the US did not support Britain, France, and Israel’s ambitions against Egypt. A picture of Egyptian military vehicles that have been damaged in the Sinai Peninsula. The Suez Canal Crisis was like a high-stakes poker game of global power. Imagine Egypt’s leader, Nasser, suddenly nationalizing the Suez Canal, basically a lifeline for world trade. This move freaks out London and Paris, sparking a secret buddy-up with Israel to snatch it back. Then struts in the USA, led by Eisenhower, looking to shake up the global power playlist. It was a showdown that not only reshaped the Middle East’s role in the Cold War but also turned the US into the surprise superhero for Egypt against the old-world colonial vibe. Diving into the Suez Crisis, we see the US playing the role of an unlikely hero, championing Egypt in the epic struggle to shake off colonial chains.The Suez Canal’s a big deal—key for shipping oil and goods, and in the 1950s a colonial chess piece for way too long. Enter Egypt's bold move to nationalize it. This wasn't just about owning a canal; it was Egypt shouting from the rooftops that they were done being a pawn in the global game of thrones.During the Cold War's peak, with the world split between capitalism and communism, the U.S. hit a fork in the road. Under Eisenhower, America ditched its old gunboat diplomacy for a surprising new look: anti-imperialism. Suddenly, the U.S. started sounding like it was rooting for the underdog, aligning its playbook with nations tired of colonial hangovers. It was a game-changer, showing the world that the U.S. was ready to mix things up and support countries carving out their own destinies. The Eisenhower DoctrineEisenhower's foreign policy was like walking a tightrope—with the U.S. juggling the need to curb Soviet spread while ditching the old-school, imperialist tactics of its European buddies. The Eisenhower Doctrine of 1957 was his way of saying, "We've got your back" to Middle Eastern countries fighting off communism, but the Suez Crisis was the real litmus test, pushing the U.S. to flex its anti-imperialist muscles sooner.In 1956 Egypt's President Nasser Declaring the canal as Egypt’s own was a game-changing moment, throwing down the gauntlet against old colonial shadows and ushering in a fresh chapter of independence and self-rule. Old Powers ColludeBritain, France, and Israel didn't waste any time cooking up a military response. Their plan? Israel would kick off an invasion, with British and French troops jumping in under the guise of keeping the canal open. But let's be real, their eyes were on the bigger prize: knocking Nasser off his pedestal and taking back the canal. This move was straight out of the old colonial playbook—an attempt to turn back the clock to a time when gunboat diplomacy and empire-building were the order of the day.When Britain, France, and Israel moved on Egypt, the U.S. threw a curveball by condemning the invasion, stunning its usual pals. This was a loud and clear signal from America: the days of imperialist playbooks were done. Eisenhower and crew, sticking to their anti-imperialist guns, viewed the invasion as a potential spark for a much larger fire, possibly drawing the Soviet Union into a broader conflict that could destabilize the Cold War's delicate balance. New Boss New RulesBreaking with tradition, the U.S. stood firm against old friends Britain and France, plus Israel, over their joint military move. Eisenhower didn't just talk a big game; he backed it up with the threat of economic sanctions against Britain, who at the time was pretty much banking on U.S. financial aid.In this era, the U.S. didn't just stand by; it dove into some serious diplomacy to stop the fighting. By defending Egypt's right to manage the Suez Canal, the U.S. was basically broadcasting a new rulebook to the world: national sovereignty was in, and old-school colonial aggression was out. This stance was a global announcement, especially aimed at the Soviet Union, that the U.S. had zero patience for imperialist antics, even from its best buddies.The U.S. used the United Nations as a stage to rally global opinion. By advocating for a resolution that demanded a ceasefire and the retreat of the invaders, America emerged as a peacemaker, pushing for diplomacy over force. This move not only boosted the U.S.'s rep as a champion of international law and the UN but also showed it as a superpower ready to back smaller nations against colonial leftovers.The crisis ended with Britain and France yielding to the pressure, mainly from the U.S., and pulling out their troops—a win for Egypt and a face-palm moment for the European duo. The landscape of global politics was forever altered. This wasn't just about who controlled a crucial waterway; it was a turning point, signaling the end of European colonial clout and the beginning of an era dominated by U.S. influence. The retreat of British and French troops, nudged along by the U.S., waved goodbye to the age of empires stretching their borders too far.The U.S. walked away taller, having stuck to its guns on national sovereignty and a clear no to go-it-alone military moves—a big leap from the days of showing force first and asking questions later. Emerging with a reputation for valuing sovereignty and shunning solo military ventures, the U.S. marked a departure from centuries of Western might-makes-right tactics. For Egypt and Nasser, it was a clear win, boosting Nasser's standing as an anti-colonial hero and igniting nationalist passions beyond the Middle East.The crisis also reshaped global power balances, underscoring the dwindling might of Britain and France while spotlighting the Middle East as a self-determining region, increasingly important on the world stage, often with superpower support or interference. Reflecting on the Suez Crisis, we're reminded of diplomacy's value, the importance of supporting the underdog, and the dynamic forces that mold our world. It's a narrative of transformation, confrontation, and hope for a fairer international community. Andrew Patterson is an amateur history enthusiast who writes for https://easternchronicles.me/ , a website dedicated to Middle Eastern history, Travel writing & archeology.

Tens of thousands of people welcomed the Olympic torch Wednesday in the southern French city of Marseille, marking another milestone in the lead-up to the Summer Games in Paris.

TikTok said Thursday it would start using a technology aimed at helping it label images and video generated by artificial intelligence and uploaded to the video sharing service.

Elon Musk had admitted that one of his biggest worries is the fall of civilization - and yet he listens to podcasts about that scenario to help him fall asleep at night.

The family of a 23-year-old Black U.S. Air Force airman who was fatally shot by sheriff's deputies at his off-base apartment in Florida last week will join civil rights attorney Ben Crump for a news conference Thursday calling for transparency in the investigation.