The post How to Help Cats Adapt to a Divorce: Vet Reviewed Techniques & Tips by Chris Dinesen Rogers 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. Divorce is never easy, and it’s even more complicated when pets are involved. Cats like their routines, and they get attached to their caregivers. Unfortunately, significant changes are on the horizon when it comes to divorce. While you can’t eliminate these changes, you can minimize their impact, with planning and cooperation. Hopefully, you can find some common ground with your ex to help your cats adapt to the new situation. Presumably, you both love your pets. They are innocent in this situation, and they also don’t understand what’s happening, although they may have sensed the discord in your home. Your kitties are likely stressed already. Let’s find ways to drop it down a notch. Before You Start Discussing the situation on neutral ground may help you and your ex-partner to figure out a plan. This preliminary conversation requires honesty. You must decide where your cats will fare best. It may be evident that they are more attached to one of you than the other. Consider who will be moving from your home and where your cats will be most content. The best scenario is to minimize the changes they’ll experience. That covers everything from their daily routine to their diet to the household activity levels. Determine which of you can provide these conditions, and make decisions based on what’s best for everyone involved. The 10 Tips on How to Help Cats Adapt to a Divorce 1. Plan the Move If the cats are moving, plan the move carefully. We recommend keeping the household layout as close as possible to normal. Let your cats explore the moving boxes during downtimes, which will allow them to reassure themselves all is well. While moving is disruptive, try to keep things low-key. Loud noises or sudden movements will stress your pets, but planning ahead can minimize them. 2. Board Your Cats or Sequester Them in a Room Boarding or keeping your cats in a closed room may be easier and safer for them while a move takes place. It’ll allow you to focus on the task at hand and the emotions it will likely elicit. It’s a difficult time for you, too, so removing the task of looking after your cats can help relieve some stress. It can streamline the process if you don’t have to worry about your cats’ reactions to the upheaval, or them accidentally slipping out of the house while a door is left open, for example. Image Credit: Iva Vagnerova, Shutterstock 3. Minimize Disruptions We suggest keeping the disruptions to a minimum. Pack room by room to avoid changing the whole house at one time. If you plan to hire movers, refer back to number 2 on this list.  Even the most well adapted cats will find having movers in and out of the house extremely stressful. 4. Leave Some Articles of Clothing With the Person’s Scent If you and the cats are staying put, and your ex-partner is leaving, ask them if they can leave some articles of clothing behind. Familiar scents can calm your kitties while everything else is topsy-turvy. Felines are well-attuned to smell, and the changes may seem less threatening to them if they can ground themselves with a scent that they know and are comfortable with. Image Credit: jajam_e, Shutterstock 5. Expect Your Pets to Be Stressed Change isn’t easy. Don’t be surprised if your pets are upset with the situation. They’d prefer everything to stay the same because it makes them feel secure. Divorce can bring tremendous changes they may be ill-equipped to handle. Be patient with them as they cope with the situation.  Signs of stress in a cat are usually shown by inappropriate urination (urinating around the house or spraying on the walls), inappropriate defecation, over-grooming and/or hiding. 6. Maintain Their Usual Routine Try to keep the household routine as close to normal as possible. Don’t change their diet, litter, or daily schedule, if possible. Let them get used to the other changes while keeping their routine as close to normal as you can. Image Credit: Dora Zett, Shutterstock 7. Use a Pheromone Product Some research suggests pheromone sprays can calm cats and help them deal with stressful situations like divorces. These products replicate scents that can reassure your pets that they are safe despite the changes going on around them. It’s another reason we suggested leaving behind clothing with your partner’s scent! 8. Interact With Your Kitties Try to interact with your cats as normal, even with the disruption in your lifestyle. Remember that your pets will be picking up on the changes in the household, so interacting with them as you always have will reduce their stress levels. Image Credit: Julija Sulkovska, Shutterstock 9. Get Some Interactive Toys Interactive toys are an excellent way to entertain your pets and provide welcome mental stimulation. Cats are intelligent animals. If your partner was the one that played with the cats the most, these products can go some way to making up for that loss. Plus, they’re simply a welcome distraction from all the other chaos that might be going on around the house. 10. Reassure Your Cats We understand the high emotions accompanying divorce. That makes it essential to reassure your kitties that all is well despite the changes. Reassure your pets with attention and playtime. Create positive associations with their new routines or surroundings by using treats and praise. Image Credit: U__Photo, Shuterstock Final Thoughts Pet owners may underestimate the effects of significant life changes like divorce can have on their cats. Felines are attuned to the goings-on of the household. Instinct causes them to react to change suspiciously. Your goal is to make this new chapter as non-threatening as possible to your kitties. They don’t like change, so you must reassure them that it won’t affect the care and attention they will be receiving to make it a smooth transition. Sources https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31086-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0960982219310863%3Fshowall%3Dtrue https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10812279/   Featured Image Credit: Lightfield Studios, Shutterstock The post How to Help Cats Adapt to a Divorce: Vet Reviewed Techniques & Tips by Chris Dinesen Rogers 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.

The post How Can I Talk With a Vet When It’s in the Middle of the Night? 5 Ideas & Online Vet Options by Jessica Kim 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. Cats are curious animals, and they tend to have active periods at night. This can cause them to get into accidents or get injured, and it can be difficult to contact your veterinarian because their clinic is closed in the evening. Fortunately, there are several options that you can choose from if your cat happens to get sick or injured in the middle of the night. It’s best to be prepared for accidents and injuries, so make sure to read through our tips and ideas to ensure you have an action plan for any midnight incidents your cat may get into. The 5 Ways to Talk to a Vet When It’s the Middle of the Night 1. Talk to an Online Veterinarian You may be able to connect with a vet very quickly by using an online veterinary care service or a vet telehealth app. Online vets and vet telehealth apps usually operate 24/7 because they’re meant to be a resource for moments when you can’t get a hold of your usual vet. They also offer video consultations so that the vet can visually examine your cat and provide effective care instructions. Online vets can also let you know if your cat needs to go to an emergency animal hospital, or if you can wait until the next morning to visit your vet. Most vet telehealth apps do require subscribing to a monthly payment plan, so it’s best to create an account beforehand so that you can get in touch with a vet as soon as possible. You can find some companies, such as PangoVet, that offer individual consultations and charge per consultation. Speak To a Vet Online From the Comfort of Your Couch! If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price! Click to Speak With a Vet 2. Contact a Nearby Emergency Animal Hospital You don’t necessarily need to drive to an emergency animal hospital to receive care. You can call a hospital’s 24/7 triage line and talk to a veterinary care professional. They’ll ask some questions, and depending on your cat’s condition, the hospital will let you know if your cat requires immediate emergency care. Because emergency situations are stressful, make sure to have the contact information for several emergency animal hospitals near you. Then, you don’t have to spend extra time searching for contact information and checking the distances between the hospital and your home. 3. Call Your Vet’s Office Some vet clinics have a 24/7 triage line and may have an on-call veterinarian to answer calls late at night. Even if your vet clinic doesn’t offer this service, it can still be helpful to call. Often, the voicemail message will include the contact information of nearby emergency animal hospitals. It may even give you the option to leave a voicemail message so that someone can return your call in the morning. Image Credit: SvetikovaV, Shutterstock 4. Contact Your Pet Insurance Company If your cat has pet insurance, you can try contacting your pet insurance company to see if they offer a pet telehealth service. Many companies will partner with a vet telehealth company and offer discounted or free 24/7 consultations as a customer benefit. If you anticipate using vet telehealth frequently, ask pet insurance companies if they offer online vet consultations when shopping for pet insurance. This can help you save on consultation costs and ensure you get connected to an online vet as quickly as possible. 5. Call an Animal Poison Control Hotline If you believe your cat is sick due to ingesting something harmful, you can contact an animal poison control line, such as ASPCA Animal Poison Control or Pet Poison Control. The specialists on the line will be able to confirm if your cat has eaten something toxic and whether they can be treated at home or if they have to go to an emergency animal hospital. Please note that these services often charge a small fee. Before you call an animal poison control line, make sure you have important, relevant information prepared for the specialist. Information such as what your cat ingested, how much they ingested, and how much time has passed will be helpful. If your cat has ingested a product, make sure to provide the brand name and ingredient list. When It’s Time to Go to the Vet It’s better to be safe than sorry, so if your cat is sick at night and it’s causing you to worry, take them to an emergency animal hospital right away. While some cases of sickness may not require immediate medical attention, some signs of illness do require an emergency hospital visit without calling a vet first. For example, any severe wounds, eye injuries, bleeding, and broken bones will require immediate care. Cats that experience seizures or convulsions should also be taken to the hospital right away. Urinary blockages are urgent matters because they can cause acute kidney failure. So, if your cat is frequenting the litter box but they’re not producing urine or producing very little urine, it’s best to get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible. It’s also important to be familiar with signs of shock. Shock can be caused by significant trauma, internal bleeding, heart failure, or sudden blood loss. Shock occurs when your cat’s blood pressure drops to life-threatening levels. Cats experiencing shock can have a rapid heart rate with a weak pulse, pale or white gums and lips, and cooler body temperature. Signs of shock must be taken seriously, and cats must receive treatment right away. Image Credit: Natali _ Mis, Shutterstock Conclusion When your cat gets into an accident in the middle of the night, it’s best to get in contact with an online vet or emergency animal hospital. If you choose an online vet service or vet telehealth app, make sure to create an account beforehand so that you can connect with a vet as quickly as possible. Severe health issues and accidents do require immediate care. So, if you sense that your cat is experiencing something severe or life-threatening, it’s best to skip the phone call and take your cat to emergency care so that they can get treated as soon as possible. Featured Image Credit: Maxim Artemchuk, Shutterstock The post How Can I Talk With a Vet When It’s in the Middle of the Night? 5 Ideas & Online Vet Options by Jessica Kim 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.

The post UK Cat Chipping Law: What Is It & What You Need to Know (Vet-Verified) by Matt Jackson 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. Click to Skip Ahead What Is Microchipping? UK Microchipping Law The Benefits of Microchipping The Microchipping Procedure Changing Details What to Do If You Lose a Microchipped Cat FAQ It’s been on the cards ever since dog microchipping became compulsory in the UK, and as of June 2024, it is now a legal requirement that all pet cats in England are microchipped before they reach the age of 20 weeks. Breeders do not need to chip cats before selling them, but most rescues will do so and incorporate the price of chipping into adoption fees. Owners not only enjoy the benefits of following the law, but they can enjoy an increased chance of being reunited with a lost cat much sooner than if the cat was not chipped. What Is Microchipping? When a cat is microchipped, a small microchip inside medical glass is inserted just under the skin, typically between the shoulder blades. If the cat goes missing and is recovered by a vet or a rescue, they will be able to scan the cat. Scanning the cat gives a microchip ID (a unique serial number) that can be checked against the relevant microchip database, which contains contact details for the cat’s owners. The owner is called, and they can be reunited with the cat, typically within a matter of hours, rather than days. It puts less pressure on rescues and shelters and ensures quicker reunion of lost pets and concerned owners. Image Credit: Ivonne Wierink, Shutterstock UK Microchipping Law Before 2024, around three-quarters of pet cats in the UK were believed to be microchipped. While this represents a large majority of the feline population, it still meant that around 2.4 million pet cats were not microchipped. The government introduced a new law that came into effect in June 2024 and that required all owners in England to microchip their cats before they reached 20 weeks of age. Owners who fail to have their cats chipped face fines of up to £500 and might find it difficult to reclaim their cats in some cases. Currently the law is only applicable to cats in England, and is not compulsory for free living cats with little or no human interaction such as feral cats. The Benefits of Microchipping The main benefits of microchipping a cat are: Easier for Rescues and Shelters – Typically, when somebody finds a lost or stray cat, their first port of call is a local shelter or rescue. This puts a lot of pressure on the rescue, and it means they end up housing, feeding, and caring for the animal. If the cat is chipped, they will usually be returned to their owner within a matter of hours and after one scan and a quick phone call to the owner, making it much easier for rescues. More Chance of Cats Being Returned Home – Sadly, when cats go missing, they can travel a long way from their home, which makes the search for a lost cat very difficult. If the cat is chipped, there is a much greater chance of it finding its way home. And, if the worst has happened, a vet or warden will be able to inform the owner what happened to their cat. Although heartbreaking, that means they can stop looking. Owners and Cats Are Reunited Sooner – Finding a lost cat means putting up posters, calling rescues and shelters, and knocking on neighbourhood doors. It can take several days or longer before a cat is returned. If a cat is found, most people will take it to a local shelter, where it will be scanned, and if it has a chip, it can be back in its home within a matter of hours rather than days. Avoid Fines – Failing to microchip a cat can land the owner a fine of up to £500. Paying the £30 chipping fee not only helps ensure the quicker return of the cat if it gets lost, but it can also save the owner having to pay a £500 fine. The Microchipping Procedure Microchipping is a simple and relatively painless procedure. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and consists of a small, electronic chip enclosed in a cylinder of medical glass. It is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades with a needle, usually by a vet. Although the needle is larger than most injections, it is quick and fairly painless, similar to a normal injection. The procedure takes a few seconds, there’s usually no need to even shave the area, and the cat can go straight home after the chip has been inserted. Image Credit: Evgeniy Kalinovskiy, Shutterstock Changing Details Once the chip has been inserted, details of the new owner are sent to whichever company manages the microchip database. If the cat is rehomed, the old owner needs to contact the database company to have them register the new owner’s details. If the owner changes their address or phone number, they need to have the details updated on the database. What to Do If You Lose a Microchipped Cat If you lose a cat that has been microchipped, you should still look for the cat. Check buildings like sheds and garages and call around and check with neighbours. You should also check that database details are current, and you can start to ring around rescues and shelters. Also check with local vets, because some people will take cats they find to the vets rather than shelters. Frequently Asked Questions Can I Get My Cat Chipped for Free? There are some charities and animal organisations that will microchip cats for free, but most vets charge a fee to carry out the procedure. Charities might offer the service for free to owners who are on low incomes or in receipt of certain benefits, and it is worth checking if you believe you might be entitled. How Much Does Microchipping a Cat Cost in the UK? Costs vary from one vet or one location to the next, but the microchipping process typically costs between £10 and £30. It might be possible to get the procedure for free, and most rescues and shelters ensure all of their cats are microchipped before they are adopted out. There may be a fee if you ever need to change the address or phone number details that are stored on the database, but the company should make you aware of these charges when you join. What Should I Do If I Find a Chipped Cat? If you find a lost or stray cat, take it to a local vet or animal shelter. They will be able to scan the cat to find a chip and then locate the owner using the details stored on the microchip database. You might be asked to hold on to the cat until the owner is located, but most vets and shelters will keep hold of the cat during that time. Image Credit: Eillen, Shutterstock Does a Microchip Prove Ownership of a Cat? A microchip is not treated as absolute proof of ownership, but if a dispute arises, it may be presented as evidence, and it can help ensure that your cat is returned to you in the event of theft. Can I Microchip My Cat Myself? Microchipping a cat means injecting the microchip under the skin of your cat and the procedure needs to be carried out by a professional, who will also register the microchip details as part of the procedure. You should not attempt to carry out the procedure yourself. Conclusion Microchipping helps ensure that lost cats are reunited with their owners sooner and it can also help alleviate the burden from rescues and shelters. Since June 2024, it has been a legal requirement that all pet cats in England are microchipped before they reach 20 weeks old. Failing to have a cat microchipped can lead to a fine of up to £500 and it will delay the return of the cat to you, in the event they go missing. The procedure is quick, painless, and inexpensive, and it can be carried out by your cat’s vet with the details being given to a recognized cat database company. Sources https://www.gov.uk/government/news/treasured-pets-now-safer-as-microchipping-for-cats-becomes-compulsory https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/microchipping-cats-what-you-need-to-know https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/neutering-and-vaccinations/microchipping-your-cat https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-cat-microchipped   Featured Image Credit: Lucky Business, Shutterstock The post UK Cat Chipping Law: What Is It & What You Need to Know (Vet-Verified) by Matt Jackson 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.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The Biden-Harris administration has deployed a little-known hiring mechanism to staff key divisions of the Department of Justice ahead of the 2024 election, according to documents provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation by Protect the Public’s Trust. Hundreds of people, primarily lawyers and judges, have been appointed to the Environmental and Natural Resources, Antitrust, and Immigration Review divisions of the DOJ using its “Schedule A” hiring authority since President Joe Biden took office, documents shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation by Protect the Public’s Trust show. Schedule A hiring does not require appointments to be made on the basis of merit and appointments do not expire at the end of the current president’s term, meaning these bureaucrats will stick around even if former President Donald Trump takes office in 2025, according to the Office of Budget and Management. The hiring process is intended to benefit people with “intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities or psychiatric disabilities” but it can also be used to staff specialist positions as chaplains, scientists, and attorneys or to fill critical hiring needs, according to federal regulations. “The Biden-Harris administration and its allies have already signaled their intent to hamstring their successor and prevent a future president from reversing their agenda,” Protect the Public’s Trust Director Michael Chamberlain said in an advance copy of a press release shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Exploiting non-competitive hiring authorities to fill career civil service positions could be just another component of this scheme. It’s no wonder that the public’s trust in its government has all but disappeared.” The DOJ used Schedule A to hire well over 100 immigration judges for its Immigration Review division, per the documents. Immigration judges are responsible for deciding “whether a noncitizen may remain in the United States or must leave the country,” according to the DOJ. At the end of the 2020 fiscal year, around when Biden took office, immigration courts had a backlog of roughly 1.3 million cases, according to the DOJ. That number had ballooned to 3 million under the Biden-Harris administration, PBS reported in January. “The administration is also using Schedule A to install immigration judges—again, outside of the normal merit-based system—who will rule on cases of those in a position to benefit from the administration’s immigration policies,” Protect the Public’s Trust’s press release reads. The DOJ also used Schedule A to hire a massive glut of trial attorneys for its Environmental and Natural Resources Division, which is responsible for enforcing environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. The division focuses on climate change, environmental justice, and defending the interests of Native American tribes, according to its website. “The ENRD is a vital office in advancing the Biden-Harris administration’s energy and climate policies, and the placement of Biden-Harris loyalists is a means to defend those policies even if a future Trump (or other) administration seeks to change them,” according to Protect the Public’s Trust. The DOJ also took the opportunity to use Schedule A to beef up its Antitrust Division with an army of trial attorneys, according to the documents. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan has adopted an aggressive stance to antitrust enforcement, bringing action against Amazon, Meta, Kroger, Microsoft, and Nvidia, among others. “Until recently, antitrust enforcement was a relatively technical and non-partisan division,” Protect the Public’s Trust’s press release reads. “But the Biden-Harris administration’s increasingly aggressive implementation has sparked complaints of politicized enforcement.” Protect the Public’s Trust characterizes these DOJ appointments as one pillar in a broader effort to “Trump-proof” the federal government ahead of November’s election. The Biden-Harris administration has advanced a federal rule that would make it more difficult for the president to fire career bureaucrats. Employees at the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to a new contract in May that will allow them to avoid being fired so long as their work is conducted with “scientific integrity,” Politico reported. An army of left-of-center civil society organizations, like the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigration Law Center, are also rapidly drafting litigation to counter actions taken by a possible second Trump administration. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division both denied Protect the Public’s Trust’s records requests. The DOJ did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post Biden-Harris Admin Rapidly ‘Trump-Proofing’ DOJ as Election Looms appeared first on The Daily Signal.

NEW: Trump Announces Debate Agreement -- On His Terms

Retired Gen. H.R. McMaster is out with a new book detailing his time as former President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, and while the book is not by any means an ode to Trump, it is also not the typical anti-Trump book that MSNBC’s Morning Joe has become accustomed to. On Tuesday’s show, the assembled cast admitted after their interview with McMaster that this “surprised" them. Early on in the interview, McMaster lamented that the Trump campaign has trashed the book because “there's a lot positive about President Trump in here, especially about his disruptive nature and my observation is, having been on the receiving end of a lot of policies and strategies developed in Washington, it made no sense to me overseas when I was serving in Kabul and in Baghdad and, you know, Trump disrupted a lot of what needed to be disrupted.”     From McMaster’s perspective, “the story in the book is also about how he is so disruptive that he disrupts himself, and he becomes the antagonist in his own story. So, this is not, you know—this is not a warning about President Trump. This is informing readers about, you know, the president's character and personality, how that interacts with, you know, the real challenges that we faced, all of which are live issues today.” Later on in their interview, co-host Jonathan Lemire asked, “You have said you wouldn't serve in a Trump term. Are you going to vote for him?” McMaster replied, “I’m not going to answer that question… You know, I think it is really important to have a bold line between the military, even retired military, and partisan politics.” There were also less flattering recollections of Trump and after the interview, co-host Katy Kay asked Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson about the conflict she was in McMaster’s answers, “And what is the role of somebody in H.R. McMaster's position? And he called on his, kind of, military background and said, well, it's not the role of a military officer to say who you should vote for. But I thought that he's trying to, kind of, thread a needle there, I thought.”     Robinson agreed, “Yeah. I think I'll go further. I think there's just a stark contradiction in the position that he's taking… he details these episodes and incidents that are really frightening and at the very least, unsettling and question the man's fitness to hold any office, much less be commander-in-chief. And so I don't think there's a tight rope there. I think if that's what you're going to tell us, then you should own up to the fact that that's what you're telling us.” Lemire then turned to Mike Barnicle, “This is someone obviously, of  decorated military service, and we thank him for that. But should he have gone further and made this book more of a warning about what a second Trump term could be?” Barnicle, like the rest of the crew, had a hard time believing that someone he respects so much and who is a scholar-soldier that wrote the book on the Vietnam War could hold a nuanced opinion on the guy they think is simply the worst, “I was stunned, stunned at one excerpt verbally that he indicated just during the interview with you with regard to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.” He continued, “Where Donald Trump thought he could win his way with Putin by offering him a free room at Mar-a-Lago, whatever, that his personality would dominate Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin is one of the most dangerous people in the world. And the president of the United States thinking that he can win him over with a smile and a meal or whatever Donald Trump thought was shocking to me, hearing that from General McMaster. We've had other generals. General Barry McCaffrey, General John Kelly, other generals speak out adamantly about the dangers, the dangers of a second Trump administration and I thought General McMaster sort of toed the line on that, and I was surprised by it.” Barnicle must not have been paying attention too closely. It is true McMaster criticized Trump’s belief that he could be the one to get Putin to change, but he added that just meant “there is a lot of continuity between George W. Bush and his initial approach to Putin and Barack Obama and his initial approach to Putin” and Trump. One could add Morning Joe regular host Joe Scarborough and current President Joe Biden to that list as well. As it was, McMaster would go on to hype how Trump supplied Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. Here is a transcript for the August 27 show: MSNBC Morning Joe 8/27/2024 6:40 AM ET JONAHTAN LEMIRE: Talk to us about what we can find in this book. Your day-to-day experiences in his White House H.R. MCMASTER: Sure. Well, hey, I think it is a missed opportunity for the Trump campaign because, you know, there's a lot positive about President Trump in here, especially about his disruptive nature and my observation is, having been on the receiving end of a lot of policies and strategies developed in Washington, it made no sense to me overseas when I was serving in Kabul and in Baghdad and, you know, Trump disrupted a lot of what needed to be disrupted.  But the story in the book is also about how he is so disruptive that he disrupts himself, and he becomes the antagonist in his own story. So, this is not, you know — this is not a warning about President Trump. This is informing readers about, you know, the president's character and personality, how that interacts with, you know, the real challenges that we faced, all of which are live issues today.  You know, from the competition with China and Russia, Iran's aggression and use of, you know, this axis of aggressors in the Middle East, and the threat from North Korea. You can go on, Venezuela, all the issues that we're confronting today, we confronted in that first year of the Trump administration and this is mainly a story about how I was trying to help a disruptive president disrupt what needs to be disrupted. LEMIRE: So, one of the themes in the books is how Trump’s inexperience and hubris and susceptibility to flattery, in your estimation, really weakened the U.S. national security or our position on the world stage, no more so with Vladimir Putin, president of Russia. As you saw it up close, what do you think that was? Can you explain the nature of that relationship. MCMASTER: Yeah, this is something I tried hard to explain in the book, I say, at one point I came home, and say “Oy vey, I can't figure this out.” But here is how I see it. I see in some ways there is a lot of continuity between George W. Bush and his initial approach to Putin and Barack Obama and his initial approach to Putin. Both of them were hopeful that, hey, “I'm the one. I'm the one who can establish a better relationship. I can convince him that, hey his future is with the west, it's with Europe.” And maybe ameliorate his behavior, so forth. Trump was under that same delusion. You know, because his great confidence in his own ability to, you know, make a big deal with somebody and what I told the story in the book about is, I would tell — this is the best liar in the world. Right? He has aspirations, he has objectives in mind to go far behind anything in relation to us and so we can't try to placate Putin. The only thing that Putin respects is strength, you know? … LEMIRE: You have said you wouldn't serve in a Trump term. Are you going to vote for him? MCMASTER: Well, you know, I’m not going to answer that question, Jon, and I tell the story in the book, right, I took the oath of service at age 17 on the plane at West Point and I followed George Marshall's example, who has been one of my heroes. I read child, you know, youth biographies of him and everything. You know, I think it is really important to have a bold line between the military, even retired military, and partisan politics. Not politics in terms of political competitions and diplomacy and national security affairs. But, you know, I don't think any American needs, you know, an old general to tell them how to vote, you know, so, I’m somebody—my editor actually, who's a great guy, said “this book needs to be a warning.” I'm like, no, I want this book to inform, not to warn. That's the purpose of the book. … KATY KAY: Gene, the other thing I thought was interesting about that conversation is how far he is willing to go and how far he is not willing to go in criticizing Donald Trump. EUGENE ROBINSON: Yeah. KAY: And what is the role of somebody in H.R. McMaster's position? And he called on his, kind of, military background and said, well, it's not the role of a military officer to say who you should vote for. But I thought that he's trying to, kind of, thread a needle there, I thought. ROBINSON: Yeah. I think I'll go further. I think there's just a stark contradiction in the position that he's taking. I do understand the reluctance and reticence of retired generals, and certainly serving generals, to speak out on politics, what he calls partisan politics. The military, you know, serves whichever party is in office and whichever president is in office, and civilian control is certainly a hallmark of the way this country has always operated and should always operate.  But that said, there's a difference between, you know, partisan politics and the future of the nation and national security and things that a retired general, I think, should and does care about and so on one hand, he says get over it. On the other hand, he details these episodes and incidents that are really frightening and at the very least, unsettling and question the man's fitness to hold any office, much less be commander-in-chief. And so I don't think there's a tight rope there. I think if that's what you're going to tell us, then you should own up to the fact that that's what you're telling us. LEMIRE: Yeah. Mike Barnicle, I know you were listening to that conversation. Eager to get your thoughts and this is someone obviously, of  decorated military service, and we thank him for that. But should he have gone further and made this book more of a warning about what a second Trump term could be? MIKE BARNICLE: Well, Jonathan, first of all, I have not read the book. I have enormous respect for General McMaster. He’s a brilliant guy. His book on Vietnam, Dereliction of Duty, is something I think every military officer has read. He’s a graduate of West Point. He’s got a PhD from North Carolina-Chapel Hill and I was stunned, stunned at one excerpt verbally that he indicated just during the interview with you with regard to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Where Donald Trump thought he could win his way with Putin by offering him a free room at Mar-a-Lago, whatever, that his personality would dominate Vladimir Putin. Vladimir Putin is one of the most dangerous people in the world. And the president of the United States thinking that he can win him over with a smile and a meal or whatever Donald Trump thought was shocking to me, hearing that from General McMaster. We've had other generals. General Barry McCaffrey, General John Kelly, other generals speak out adamantly about the dangers, the dangers of a second Trump administration and I thought General McMaster sort of toed the line on that, and I was surprised by it.

Actor George Clooney compared entertainment studio Paramount to a "mom-and-pop" shop after a massive entertainment merger will see the company swept up in an $8 billion sale.Clooney was asked in a recent GQ interview if he was invested in the outcome of the sale, given its history and the fact that it means there is one less studio hiring actors.'It's all getting eaten up by big Walmarts and Amazons around the world.'"Paramount’s one of the great original studios," Clooney said. Paramount was founded as the Paramount Pictures Corporation in 1912."But some of it you just have no say in it. Because the business, it's all getting eaten up. It's like everything — it's all getting eaten up by big Walmarts and Amazons around the world. Our version of mom-and-pop shops in a small town is Paramount."Clooney's idea of small business may not be everyone's. Paramount Global's 2023 revenue was just shy of $30 billion.Still, this was enough of a decline to send shares tumbling — and prompt the company to start shopping for offers.The upcoming merger has already resulted in nearly 2,000 job cuts at Paramount Global and the shuttering of its television studios, the Los Angeles Times reported.The studio is responsible for popular show "Reacher" on Amazon's Prime Video, as well as other shows like Roku's "The Spiderwick Chronicles."Paramount Global's parent company, National Amusements, will be purchased by Skydance Media and other investors for $2.4 billion, along with another $1.5 billion in cash to pay off debts, and an additional $4 billion to buy off remaining Paramount shares.Clooney reminisced in his interview about how studios "developed stars" in the past but added, "We kind of were at the very end of that, where you could work at a studio and do three or four films, and there was some plan to it.""I don't think that’s necessarily the case anymore. So it's harder for you to sell somebody something on the back of a star."The 63-year-old added that it's a "great time as a young actor" due to the plethora of television shows being made.Clooney most recently made headlines after making an about-turn following a fundraiser for Joe Biden in May 2024. The actor praised the president at the successful event that brought in over $28 million for the Democrat's presidential campaign. Clooney quickly changed course in July 2024, however, penning an op-ed in the New York Times that claimed Biden could save democracy by stepping out of the presidential race. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A diversity, equity, and inclusion training video posted online allegedly showed a NASA engineer expressing guilt over not being equally welcoming to all races.The video begins with the supposed engineer discussing her desire to "create spaces where people can be all they want to be."The woman then said she regretted not making her projects as inclusive as possible.'All of these things can really limit the way we go about doing our work.'"And in doing this work of examining my own intentions and my own actions and their impact, I can see that there's so much more that I could have done to make the projects I've led equally welcoming to black, indigenous, and people of color as the white people they have engaged.""I feel a lot of shame and regret about that," the woman continued. "So I'm looking forward to today's event and to this whole series as steps in my personal and professional journey to make my work more anti-racist and therefore more effective in reaching my aspiration," she added.The video then cuts to a slide in a lesson plan with the heading "white supremacy culture," which focuses on words and phrases such as "fear of open conflict," "objectivity," and even "individualism."A person leading the discussion is heard saying how these terms are more important to white people and, as such, are a product of white supremacy."All of these things can really limit the way we go about doing our work, and they can really limit the way we are able to connect with communities that come from different cultural backgrounds that don't value these things the same way that white supremacy culture values them."The date of the unearthed video, posted by Tenet Media, is unknown but reflects other lesson plans revealed by the Wall Street Journal in 2022.The outlet pointed to NASA training regarding "allyship," which described the term "African American" as making black people feel excluded as if the word meant "other."The lesson plan went on to claim that being "colorblind and gender-neutral" is limiting. "Over the years, we have been taught to act as if we are colorblind and gender-neutral and that no differences exist between people. But these efforts actually limit us," the lesson claimed.The slideshows were pointed out by an X user, who noted one of the training modules included a 45-minute session (requiring 50% attendance) regarding "unconscious bias & micro-messages" and "equity & privilege."NASA is entrenched in some of the most extensive diversity training of any government entity. Each sector of NASA seems to have its own DEI mission statement on top of an exhausting amount of planning and resources.NASA's Astrophysics Science Division, for example, published a breakdown of its demographics in 2022 to promote equity and inclusion. The results showed that the majority of the division is still male (64%) and white (54.1%). The second-highest demographic is actually "foreign national" at 12.2%, while "Asian" was third-highest with 10.2% representation.The space agency's dedication to diversity has, of course, not helped its latest mission on the Boeing spacecraft known as the Starliner. The vessel has been in space for about 12 weeks after what was supposed to be an eight-day mission.After weeks of delaying announcements about how crew members might return home, NASA finally admitted that it will rely on SpaceX's Crew Dragon to bring them home no earlier than February 2025.While crew members learned they would be spending at least an extra nine months in space, Boeing announced that its Starliner spacecraft would be returning to Earth in an uncrewed mission. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump campaign senior official Corey Lewandowski told Glenn Beck that former President Donald Trump would use a debate to expose Vice President Kamala Harris, just as he exposed President Joe Biden. Lewandowski made the comments while being interviewed by Beck, co-founder of Blaze Media, on his radio show Tuesday. Beck asked him to comment on Harris' lack of experience and policy prescriptions when Lewandowski said she would be exposed at the upcoming debate. 'She wants to change all the rules here, because she's afraid to debate Donald Trump.' "Nobody honestly believes her idea was no tax on tips. Right? Nobody believes that she is actually for the border wall. Nobody believes that she doesn't think Biden economics is what the process is going forward. People do believe, and they should, that she wants to have price controls. She is a Marxist, on a good day," he said. "The problem is the media has covered for her, just like they covered for Joe Biden's cognitive decline, until the American people saw it with their own eyes when he went on the debate stage," Lewandowski said. "And they're gonna see it with Kamala when she has to debate Donald Trump." He went on to criticize Harris for trying to change the rules of the debate that Trump had agreed to previously with Biden. "Glenn, you know this. She wants to sit down to the debate. She wants to bring notes to the debate. She wants to have a hot mic on the debate so she can say, 'I'm speaking, let me finish, Mr. Trump,' which is the business that she pulled last time," he continued. "We have already agreed to the rules of the debate," Lewandowski continued. "She won't do a Fox News debate. She wants to change all the rules here, because she's afraid to debate Donald Trump." Lewandowski was briefly the manager for Trump's 2016 campaign and was brought back on as a senior adviser for the 2024 election. Here's the video of Lewandowski's comments: — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Pennsylvania high school plans to suspend and start the process of expelling the 15-year-old daughter of a Moms for Liberty member more than a year after the teenager reported a threatening message she found written on her desk, according to the Federalist.The decision to punish the teen, whose name was withheld by the publication because she is a minor, coincided with a tense school board meeting, according to the child's mother, Tricia Plank. The meeting, at least in part, related to an ongoing Moms for Liberty lawsuit that is attempting to block the Biden-Harris administration's proposed rule changes to Title IX, which would allow men to compete in women's sports. The Plank family is mentioned in the Moms for Liberty complaint. 'If the powers-that-be genuinely thought that these kids were threats, they shouldn't have waited fifteen months to file charges.'The May court filing states, "Presently, Ms. Plank's children express views about gender identity and transgenderism while in school. To date, they have received scrutiny from teachers and administration but have not received any reprimands or been disciplined for their speech."In February 2023, the then-13-year-old discovered writing on her desk in pencil that read, "I will bomb this school." Also written on the desk was the word "Gun," with an arrow pointing to the word "Dead," the Federalist reported.The teen, the last of three students who used the desk during the school day, reported the threatening graffiti seven minutes after arriving in the classroom, according to a police timeline based on the surveillance footage.She told the Federalist, "I didn't realize that it was on my desk until the teacher was done talking, and she told us to clear our desks. And then once I moved my binders and stuff, then I saw it, and then I raised my hand and I told her."She further noted that she could not have written the message because it was in cursive, and her class was never given the option to learn cursive writing.The school principal and vice principal questioned the two other students who also used the desk, and both stated they had not observed any writing earlier in the day. The teen who reported the graffiti was never questioned, according to the Planks. The police concluded the Planks' daughter was the one who jotted down the threatening message and then made the decision to report her own wrongdoing, the Federalist reported. However, the incident and the looming threat of any repercussions for the alleged crime seemed to ultimately blow over for the remainder of her eighth-grade year. The teen then entered high school, where she participated in tennis and track and field. Phillip Plank, the teen's father, has coached her in tennis since she was young. She has previously earned a county champion title. However, a week after Moms for Liberty filed the lawsuit to stop changes to Title IX, the school suddenly revived the threatening graffiti case.The Planks' daughter is now facing pending charges of terroristic threats and institutional vandalism in the juvenile justice system after a handwriting analysis found that she was "capable of having produced this text."In the middle of summer vacation leading up to the teen's sophomore year of high school and 72 weeks after the reported incident, the principal called the Planks to notify them that the school would move forward with the plans to suspend and expel their daughter. Tricia Plank, who joined the school board in December 2023, asked to meet with the superintendent to request that her daughter's suspension wait until after the tennis season so as not to hurt her college prospects. The superintendent agreed to pause the suspension to allow the teen to participate in tennis.In August, the school board held a meeting that turned contentious over a discussion about sexualized literature in the school library. Both Tricia Plank and the superintendent attended the meeting but held opposing views on the issue.The following day, the school's attorney contacted the Planks' lawyer, Paul B. Royer, informing him that the school would be moving forward with their daughter's suspension and expulsion, preventing her from playing tennis.The Planks called it "coincidental timing."Several days before the teen found the graffiti on her desk, her younger sister was accused of a similar, unrelated incident. The then-11-year-old girl was reportedly in the school bathroom with several other students. A bomb threat was written on the wall, but no one saw who transcribed it. The girl faces similar charges from police and the school for the incident. Royer told the Federalist, "My clients look forward to defending themselves and letting both the juvenile justice system and school disciplinary procedure play out.""The evidence will show that these kids never threatened anyone, were never a threat, are not currently threats, and if the powers-that-be genuinely thought that these kids were threats, they shouldn't have waited fifteen months to file charges," he added.The superintendent did not reply to a request for comment from the Federalist.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!