'The shooting incident last night in Times Square was way beyond reckless'

'This bar is done tomorrow'

'Very likely a violation of DoJ policy'

'This is just primetime for my life'

A cat spent three years to find the perfect home and a kitten to be his lifelong friend. BennettNadijaAbout three years ago‚ Bennett was a tiny kitten at a county shelter‚ the only one from his litter needing a home.He was the runt and weighed less than two pounds. He was wary and had his guard up from the start. Nadija‚ a volunteer for AnimalLuvr's Dream Rescue‚ took him in and began working on socializing him."This little man was not the biggest fan of me‚ regardless of how hard I tried to win him over‚" Nadija shared. Baby BennettNadijaWhen Bennett was with other kittens‚ he seemed more at ease and curious. Watching other fosters play and interact with people motivated him to try new adventures. Slowly but surely‚ he came around."He was such a sweet‚ curious‚ playful guy that loved all his kitty friends‚ even the grumpy cat‚ Marbles." Baby Bennett and his foster friendNadija"After being so afraid of me for so long‚ Bennett and I became good friends. He loved to hang out with me while I cleaned the foster room and followed me all over."Bennett blossomed into a handsome young cat with a soft‚ sleek coat‚ no longer the runt he once was. A few months later‚ he went to his new home‚ thinking it would be his forever. NadijaFast forward to July last year‚ Bennett‚ who was all grown up‚ was returned to the rescue due to an unfortunate situation (no fault of his own or his adopters).He was lost and confused when he was back in foster care and didn't want to be near anyone. Nadija gave him the time and space he needed to decompress. Bennett was returned to the rescue in July last yearNadijaTwo days later‚ Bennett's attitude started to shift. "He allowed me to clean his room without hissing and give him food and fresh water. He even enjoyed some treats and overall looked more relaxed."When he leaned in for chin scratches and offered sandpaper kisses‚ he was back to being his joyful and snuggly self. Slowly but surely‚ he came out of his shellNadijaBennett was ready to find a place of his own‚ but not without a friend. He quickly became a big brother to other fosters‚ cleaning their faces and showering them with cuddles. The kittens put him at ease and made him feel loved.Around that time‚ Nadija took on a trio of tuxedos found in a dumpster. The runt of the litter‚ Rose‚ had an infected eye and was significantly smaller than her littermates. RoseNadijaWith proper treatment and good nutrition‚ her eye improved‚ and her energy levels soared. "She was always purring and wanted to be in my lap and could hold her own against her bigger sisters."When Bennett met the trio‚ Rose came bounding up to him as if she knew he needed a friend. "She spent a lot of time napping with Bennett. She is playful but not as crazy as her sisters and loves to snuggle." Rose and her sisters were found in a dumpsterNadijaAbout six months after he was returned‚ a wonderful family came across his story.They fell head over heels for Bennett and decided to open their home to him and another cat to be his lifelong friend. "Even though they were happy to take any kitty that Bennett wanted‚ we all felt Rose was the perfect fit." They thrived in foster careNadijaThe pair joined their family two weeks ago‚ and Rose's sisters were also adopted together.Rose quickly settled in‚ romping around the place and demanding snuggles‚ while Bennett quietly took refuge in a little cat house. "Rose checked on him and assured him it was safe to come out." Bennett and Rose became best friends and found their forever home togetherTiny Paws FostersBennett and Rose (now Dax) enjoy lounging on the couch‚ wrapping their arms around each other and filling the space with their harmonized purrs.Both were the runt of their litter‚ and both needed extra TLC when rescued. Tiny Paws FostersBennett's heart now feels full with his best friend by his side every day. "I'm so excited for these two to have scored such an amazing home." Tiny Paws FostersShare this story with your friends. More on Nadija's fosters on Instagram and AnimalLuvr's Dream Rescue @animalluvrsdreamrescue.Related story: Cat Makes Guy His Forever Human by Standing on Him After Waiting Nearly Half a Year for a Home

February 8‚ 2024 was a wild and crazy news day. It began with the sound of unified Supreme Court skepticism toward Colorado removing Donald Trump from the ballot. Then special counsel Robert Hur announced he wouldn't prosecute Joe Biden for misusing classified documents... because jurors would sympathize with a well-meaning elderly person who can't remember when he was Vice President. This prompted a surprising Biden press conference‚ and an angry Biden deepened the optical problem‚ when he confused Mexico with Egypt in the last questioned he answered. CNN's M.J. Lee drew the worst anger when she noted Biden would say "Watch me" when his acuity was challenged‚ and the American people watched‚ and most of them think he's not up the job.Biden yelled "That is your judgment! That is not the judgment of the press!"  Associate Editor Nick Fondacaro joined the show to describe how all this unfolded in prime time and on Friday morning.  While some journalists tried to defend Biden and attack Robert Hur‚ many realized that Biden has a real political problem on his hands‚ and he's made it worse. There was often a mix of worrying about Biden's problem and making excuses‚ like CBS reporter Ed O'Keefe claiming "Who among us hasn't screwed up those two countries before?" Egypt and Mexico?? Finally‚ we had to discuss The View co-host Sunny Hostin discovering through the PBS genealogy show Finding Your Roots that her ancestors were slaveholders -- not only that‚ but they moved several times -- from Spain to Curacao to Puerto Rico -- to keep holding their slaves. So how would Hostin change her position on demanding reparations for slavery? She wouldn't budge.  Enjoy the podcast below‚ or wherever you listen to podcasts.   

Some 1‚000 Black pastors nationwide are reported to have weighed-in to pressure President Joe Biden to force a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. According to one pastor‚ the war “has evoked the kind of deep-seated angst among Black people that I have not seen since the civil rights movement.” And per another‚ regarding the Palestinians‚ “we see them as a part of us ... They are oppressed people. We are oppressed people.” Indeed‚ in a Gallup poll at the end of November‚ 61% of white adults expressed approval for the Israeli military action taken in Gaza‚ whereas only 30% of “people of color” expressed approval. Unfortunately‚ much of what is driving opinion on this issue among many Black Americans is very bad‚ confused information. The Hamas attack in Israel‚ resulting in some 1‚200 deaths‚ was targeted to Israeli Jews. On Sept. 11‚ 2001‚ our country was attacked‚ resulting in almost 3‚000 deaths. However‚ in tiny Israel‚ with a population of 9.8 million‚ 1‚200 deaths equate to over 40‚000 in our country. Nevertheless‚ despite a far lower relative casualty rate on 9/11‚ our country was in shock and outrage‚ and we went to war in Afghanistan to attack the source. That war resulted in 176‚000 deaths‚ 46‚319 of which were civilians. The death toll in Gaza is now a little over 27‚000. Israelis take no joy in this. But there is no choice. Hamas shields their bodies and infrastructure among civilians — even in hospitals. Just as no one questioned our country going after those who attacked our homeland in 2001‚ why should anyone question the justification of Israel going after those who threaten daily their lives and existence? How many of these Black pastors identifying with the Palestinians saying “They are oppressed‚ we are oppressed” have any idea of the history of the region and of the conflict? Oppression means having no choice. Choosing to live in squalor because of refusal to take responsibility for one’s life is not oppression. These pastors might consider doing some homework and learning that Israel was founded by Jewish immigrants‚ motivated to return to their historic homeland after many‚ many years of oppression and persecution. This came to a peak in the Holocaust when 6 million Jews — 40% of all the Jews in the world — were murdered by the German Nazis. Jews returned to their historic homeland‚ worked and built‚ despite ongoing Arab hostility to their settlements. The situation was resolved by the United Nations in 1947. The U.N. voted to partition the area into two states — a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews said “yes.” The Arabs said “no.” And then they attacked. Despite endless attacks and war‚ Israelis have shown what taking responsibility for one’s life means. They built from nothing a modern country that today has per capita GDP higher than most European nations. Saying no and choosing war‚ as the Palestinians have done‚ is not oppression. It is stupidity and irresponsibility. I would remind readers again that Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. The Palestinians then could have started to build. They were free to do it. Instead‚ they elected Hamas and started more rounds of endless attacks against Israel. The latest and most horrible being what happened on Oct. 7. We see now the more than 300 miles of high-tech tunnels in Gaza that have been constructed since Hamas took leadership‚ at a cost of hundreds of millions‚ with the sole objective to attack Israel. Despite billions in aid‚ resources in Gaza have been focused on eliminating Israel‚ not on improving quality of life and building a future for Palestinians. I would remind these progressive Black clergy of the sad but accurate observation of former Israeli prime minister‚ Golda Meir‚ that “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book‚ “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.