Given Wednesdays White House press briefing ran less than 40 minutes‚ its abbreviated state largely made it uneventful aside from a truly comical Doocy Time having left the ever-inept Karine Jean-Pierre even more incoherent than usual and‚ on the other end of the spectrum‚ taxpayer-funded National Public Radios (NPR) Asma Khalid pled for Israel to suffer consequences for its war against Hamas.Foxs Peter Doocy first question dealt with a little-discussed but important topic to national security: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).[S]o‚ you guys started draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and help with the Putin Price Hike a few years ago. Said You were going to refill it. But now it doesnt seem like thats happening. Why‚ he asked.Jean-Pierres stammering‚ stumbling answer was one for the ages:Well‚ from I believe the Department of Energy is is responsible for for that particular component is refilling refilling that‚ so I would refer to the Department of Energy. I know there are certain components to that and how they were going to move forward and refilling refilling it. Uh I they would have had more specifics on that for you.Doocys remaining time focused on the Biden border crisis‚ starting with this query that left Jean-Pierre playing dumb and asking for more information: And why isnt federal immigration law tougher on border crossers who come here and are accused of serious crimes?Given Jean-Pierres befuddlement‚ Doocy explained more: Theres this story in New York an eight-person crew of border crossers found with drugs and guns. Six of them now are out on bail. Does President Biden think policies like that are making the country safer?Jean-Pierre ducked‚ citing this example as being an active case‚ so dont want to comment on an active case‚ but anyone found guilty and weve been very clear about that anyone found guilty of a crime should be held accountable and that the Biden regime has been very‚ very clear about that.Doocy last question touched on the lefts pro-crime tendencies: So‚ more generally then‚ do you guys think that some big cities in this country have liberal DAs that are too soft on crime?Of course‚ Jean-Pierre also refused to answer other than reiterating her previous answer and declining to speak to every state or city here.Khalid immediately followed Doocy and made sure to represent the pro-Gaza‚ anti-Israel (so‚ pro-Hamas) voice that applies to a small subset of the country:Your tax dollars at work.....NPR';s Asma Khalid: [Y]ou heard the President being outraged strike on aid workers. In the past‚ the president has also referred to indiscriminate bombing. I';m wondering if you can articulate why‚ thus far‚ there has been no consequences [for pic.twitter.com/QgF4A6adkp Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 3‚ 2024Khalid wasnt satisfied‚ so she kept pressing (which was more than NPR would on caught dead doing for a conservative or Republican cause) (click expand):KHALID: Can you articulate why there have been no consequences thus far for any types of behavior that the President has been outraged by?JEAN-PIERRE: Hey‚ look‚ weve had we are having conversations with the Israeli government. Weve been very clear about that. Those conversations have been tough. Weve been very public about those conversations. On this particular instant [sic]‚ there will be an investigation. There is an investigation currently happening. The President has said he wants it to be swift. He wants it to be comprehensive‚ and he wants to be there to see accountability to bring account account right to bring accountability. He said that in his statement‚ and he wants to make sure that it is public. So‚ were going to let that process move forward and‚ you know‚ You said it yourself. The President also has been publicly clear here about what how he feels about what he has seen. We do not want to see innocence civilians die here. We do not want that and were going to continue to be clear and have those conversations from the President on down with our counterparts in in the Israeli government and those conversations iditions are tough‚ right? You think about Rafah the Rafah operations. Weve been clear about that how where we stand that a military operations [sic] is not the way to go. There are alternative ways of getting those Hamas operators in Rafah. Thats why we had a meeting a virtual meeting on Monday. Thats where were going to have an in-person meeting with Israeli government. The person take the President takes this very seriously. He wants to make sure that innocent civilian lives are protected‚ including those humanitarian aid workers who are out there and‚ yes‚ hes outraged and hes heartbroken by what happened yesterday and were going to have those conversations with the Israeli government as we have been. Its going to continue.This back-and-forth went on a few more rounds as Khalid even interrupted to whine shes privately asked Biden officials about as to whether Biden has personally met with anyone who had been to Gaza since October 7.Gee‚ what happened then‚ Asthma? And whose fault is it that Gaza looks far different than it did prior to October 7?Jean-Pierre offered plenty of platitudes about the Arab American community but wouldnt say yes or no out of respect for private meetings.To see the relevant transcript from the April 3 briefing‚ click expand.White House press briefing [via ABC News Live subfeed]April 3‚ 20241:25 p.m. EasternPETER DOOCY: First‚ the so‚ you guys started draining the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and help with the Putin Price Hike a few years ago. Said You were going to refill it. But now it doesnt seem like thats happening. Why?KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Well‚ from I believe the Department of Energy is is responsible for for that particular component is refilling refilling that‚ so I would refer to the Department of Energy. I know there are certain components to that and how they were going to move forward and refilling refilling it. Uh I they would have had more specifics on that for you.DOOCY: Okay. And why isnt federal immigration law tougher on border crossers who come here and are accused of serious crimes?JEAN-PIERRE: So um are you speaking of a specific case?DOOCY: Theres this story in New York an eight-person crew of border crossers found with drugs and guns. Six of them now are out on bail. Does President Biden think policies like that are making the country safer?JEAN-PIERRE: So I want to be really careful. Thats an active case‚ so dont want to comment on an active case‚ but anyone found guilty and weve been very clear about that anyone found guilty of a crime should be held accountable. We have been very‚ very clear about that and if they if a person poses a danger to the community‚ they should be detained pretrial.DOOCY: So‚ more generally then‚ do you guys think that some big cities in this country have liberal DAs that are too soft on crime?JEAN-PIERRE: Look‚ what I will say is‚ Im not going to speak to every state or city here. I its not for me to speak to. We have been very clear about this. Anyone who commits a crime and is found guilty needs to be held accountable. Thats what this President believes‚ and we are certainly very much. We welcome local law enforcement support and cooperation and apprehending and removing individuals in this country who pose a risk to our national security or also public safety. If they are found guilty. They should be held accountable. Thats our thats where we stand on this. [TO KHALID] Go ahead.ASHMA KHALID: Thank‚ Karine. Two questions‚ one is you heard the President being outraged strike on aid workers. In the past‚ the president has also referred to indiscriminate bombing. Im wondering if you can articulate why‚ thus far‚ there has been no consequences and why there are no consequences? So‚ beyond JEAN-PIERRE: So I want to be clear. Its its not me‚ referring to that. this is the Presidents statement. Im just lifting up the statement from last night where he says KHALID: Yeah‚ and I understand that.JEAN-PIERRE: I am outraged and heartbroken. The first the first basically line part of the first line of the Presidents Presidents statement from last night‚ and it speaks for itself and he talked about how he talked about how theres more that needs to be done to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.KHALID: Can you articulate why there have been no consequences thus far for any types of behavior that the President has been outraged by?JEAN-PIERRE: Hey‚ look‚ weve had we are having conversations with the Israeli government. Weve been very clear about that. Those conversations have been tough. Weve been very public about those conversations. On this particular instant [sic]‚ there will be an investigation. There is an investigation currently happening. The President has said he wants it to be swift. He wants it to be comprehensive‚ and he wants to be there to see accountability to bring account account right to bring accountability. He said that in his statement‚ and he wants to make sure that it is public. So‚ were going to let that process move forward and‚ you know‚ You said it yourself. The President also has been publicly clear here about what how he feels about what he has seen. We do not want to see innocence civilians die here. We do not want that and were going to continue to be clear and have those conversations from the President on down with our counterparts in in the Israeli government and those conversations iditions are tough‚ right? You think about Rafah the Rafah operations. Weve been clear about that how where we stand that a military operations [sic] is not the way to go. There are alternative ways of getting those Hamas operators in Rafah. Thats why we had a meeting a virtual meeting on Monday. Thats where were going to have an in-person meeting with Israeli government. The person take the President takes this very seriously. He wants to make sure that innocent civilian lives are protected‚ including those humanitarian aid workers who are out there and‚ yes‚ hes outraged and hes heartbroken by what happened yesterday and were going to have those conversations with the Israeli government as we have been. Its going to continue.KHALID: Yeah and if I can also go back to something that was asked earlier about the presidential meeting with any aid workers or anybody whos been inside of Gaza since October 7. I mean‚ it is a question of also privately posed to some of your colleagues and it feels like a yes or no question whether or not hes actually met with somebody whos been inside. And the reason Im asking is a number of people at the meeting said‚ to their knowledge this was the first time the President had actually spoken to anybody whos been inside of Gaza since October 7. And [inaudible] JEAN-PIERRE: Heres what I can tell you. Hes met with community leaders who are obviously from the Muslim community‚ the Arab community‚ the Palestinian community. I would let them speak for themselves on if theyve been to Gaza. You know‚ I dont have any we dont have any information to share about that. We want to be really mindful that the this meeting and many meetings that weve held had have been private. We want to respect that and so‚ just going to leave it there. I think what is important‚ though like‚ I understand the question.KHALID: [Inaudible] updates JEAN-PIERRE: Wait. No‚ no. No‚ no‚ no.KHALID: from‚ you know‚ what the situation tangibly looks like.JEAN-PIERRE: no‚ I I understand‚ right? I I get what youre saying the importance of hearing from folks who have been on the ground in Gaza. I totally understand that‚ but I think its also important that the President is hearing directly from the community directly from the community who are some of them are personally affected by whats happening in Gaza‚ right? And so‚ the fact that senior White House officials are having those conversations tough conversations is important that the fact that the President has done so as well is important. But I I hear your question‚ but we are also hearing from folks from the community having these sit-down conversations. the community leaders that were here yesterday and met with the President and the Vice President they asked for a working-group conversation and we listened and we made that happen and the President heard directly from them what they are going through‚ what they see‚ how painful it has been for them. So‚ I think thats important as well. We cant we cant not you know um lift that up as well.

The Mar-a-Lago classified documents case continues to sore vex the folks over at ABC News. Judge Cannons ruling against former President Donald Trumps arguments doesnt appear to be enough. The mood is stillsalty.Heres how ABC World News Tonight covered Judge Cannons ruling and response to Special Counsel Jack Smiths filing‚ as aired on Thursday‚ April 4th‚ 2024:DAVID MUIR: Back in this country‚ and a major setback for Donald Trump tonight. A Florida judge rejecting Trump';s attempt to have the classified records case thrown out. Here';s Pierre Thomas.PIERRE THOMAS: Tonight‚ a Florida federal judge rejecting Donald Trump';s effort to get the classified documents case against him thrown out of court. Trump had argued the Presidential Records Act gave him the right to take those classified documents and that the case should be dismissed. Judge Aileen Cannon‚ who Trump appointed to the bench‚ ruling that the case should go forward. But in her ruling‚ the judge also takes a swipe at Special Counsel Jack Smith‚ rejecting his call to explain her controversial suggestion that she might instruct the jury to consider Trump';s claims that the classified documents were his personal property. Smith called that notion ";fundamentally flawed"; and ";wrong‚"; insisting it ";would distort the trial."; He demanded that the judge clarify her intentions. Tonight‚ Judge Cannon refusing to do so‚ writing‚ ";The court declines that demand as unprecedented and unjust."; Judge Cannon suggesting she';s in no rush to resolve a potential clash over jury instructions‚ telling the special counsel he can try to force her hand if he wishes‚ by appealing‚ David.MUIR: Pierre‚ thank you.Just last night‚ correspondent Pierre Thomas was channeling the Special Counsels office‚ complaining about Judge Cannons consideration of issuing a jury instruction with regard to the Presidential Records Act. Thomas laid out the good old critics say with which to smear Judge Cannon and suggest that shes automatically in the tank for Trump. Today‚ she throws the Presidential Records Act argument out the window. And yet Thomas is still mad.The tone of this coverage comes off as outrage over the fact that this Trump-appointed judge would dare refuse to allow herself to be led around by the nose by Special Counsel Jack Smith.Thomas closes his report out by reminding everyone that Judge Cannon is‚ in his view‚ taking her sweet time on a series of rulings‚ among them her decision on jury instructions. But make no mistake. What ultimately underlies this coverage of the Mar-a-Lago documents case is outrage. Outrage over the fact that the case will not go to trial in time to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

With the 2024 presidential election cycle in full swing‚ the group No Labels has announced that it will not field a presidential ticket.";Today‚ No Labels is ending our effort to put forth a Unity ticket in the 2024 presidential election‚"; a press release noted. ";Americans remain more open to an independent presidential run‚ and hungrier for unifying national leadership‚ than ever before. But No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged‚ so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.";With former President Donald Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden poised to face off this year‚ and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also in the mix‚ a potential ticket featuring candidates backed by No Labels would likely have struggled to gain traction.";We have been working since 2010 to organize citizens across America and members of Congress through the Problem Solvers Caucus‚ which we created to push back on the extremes in our politics and push forward solutions to Americas biggest problems‚"; the press release noted.";Post-election‚ No Labels will be prepared to champion and defend the values and interests of America';s commonsense majority. We will also bring our citizens and leaders together for a summit to discuss the path forward for our community and our nation. Suffice it to say that this movement is not done. In fact‚ it is just beginning‚"; the press release declared.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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New radiocarbon analysis of five dugout canoes found on the bed of Lake Bracciano 20 miles northwest of Rome have revealed the vessels are between 7‚500 and 7‚000 years old‚ the period when the first farmers migrated from the Near East throughout the Mediterranean‚ establishing communities in central Italy. The results‚ published in the journal PLOS ONE‚ identify the vessels the oldest Neolithic canoes in Europe.They were discovered at the submerged site of La Marmotta‚ a Neolithic lakeshore village rich in archaeological remains including 3‚400 piles supporting the dwellings‚ walls‚ roofs‚ floors and hearths. Found at a depth of about 26 feet under 10 feet of sediment‚ the anaerobic conditions protected the copious organic remains from decay and boring critters. The remains of domestic livestock (mostly sheep and goats‚ a few cattle and pigs)‚ two canine species and a large number of wild animals attest to the communitys herding‚ hunting and fishing practices. Botanical remains were plentiful too‚ a variety of cereals‚ legumes and fruits‚ both cultivated and foraged. A wide variety of wood‚ basketry and textile utensils were unearthed‚ including spindles‚ bows‚ sickles and adzes.The five canoes were unearthed in a series of excavations between 1992 and 2006. Each canoe was associated with one of the dwellings. The boats are exceptional for their large size the largest is 36 feet long and for the advanced techniques used in their construction. Canoe 1‚ for example‚ has four transversal reinforcements carved in a trapezoidal shape that would have strengthened the hull and improved the handling of the boat. It also has three T-shaped mounts on its starboard side pierced with 2‚ 3 and 4 holes. They were placed at regular distances and were likely used to fasten ropes‚ perhaps to a sail or a stabilizer or maybe even a second boat to create a catamaran.These canoes at La Marmotta‚ and the occupation of many islands in the eastern and central Mediterranean during the Mesolithic and particularly the early Neolithic periods‚ are irrefutable proof of the ability of those societies to travel across the water. This is enormously significant‚ because all the canoes found at European Mesolithic and Neolithic sites are associated with lakes and therefore with sailing in those waters.In the case of La Marmotta‚ the size of the lake (it is now 9.3km across‚ but must have been smaller in the Neolithic as the shore was 300m from its current position) barely justifies the large size of a canoe nearly 11m long. It is therefore possible that they were used to cover the 38km from Lake Bracciano to the Mediterranean Sea along the River Arrone. In this way‚ the canoes were used both in the lake and on the sea.The significant nautical skills needed to build and operate the boats sheds new light not just on Neolithic seafaring‚ but also on how these communities were structured.There must have been people who knew how to choose the best trees‚ how to cut the trunk and hollow it by burning out its middle‚ and how to stabilise the dugout with transversal reinforcements on its base‚ or perhaps by the use of side poles or even parallel canoes in the form of a catamaran. To achieve this they made a series of amazingly modern artefacts‚ such as the T-shaped objects with two‚ three or four holes. These canoes and nautical technology are undoubtedly reminiscent of much more recent navigation systems. This shows that many of the major advances in sailing must have been made in the early Neolithic.This technical complexity must be linked to social organisation in which some specialists were dedicated to particular tasks. The canoes can only be understood in a context of collective labour overseen by a craftsman who was in charge of the whole process: from cutting down the tree to launching the canoe in the lake or in the sea. These communities would therefore be well-structured in the organisation of labour‚ since collaboration would have been necessary to build the houses‚ make the canoes‚ procure raw materials from their sources several hundred kilometres away and put in practice certain agricultural tasks.

Nobody panic.