Appearing as a guest on Tuesday's Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN‚ New York Times foreign affairs columnist Tom Friedman delivered some flaky analysis of the war in Gaza as he pushed for Israel to offer a "free pass" to Hamas terrorist leaders if they turn over the weapons and leave the country after releasing all their hostages. He even suggested that Israel might release Palestinian terrorists held in its prisons as part of the deal. Discussing the current pause in fighting as Hamas releases hostages back to Israel‚ the liberal Times columnist declared that he hopes Israel does not resume the war: ...there's been a lot of talk about‚ Anderson‚ you know‚ "Are you for the ceasefire or not for the ceasefire?" and I'm hoping in the next few days that really morphs into a different discussion: Are you for an end of this? Okay‚ not just a ceasefire. Because you got -- you got‚ what‚ almost two million‚ you know‚ Palestinians in Gaza‚ you know‚ basically uprooted in a -- in a humanitarian crisis.     He continued:  It's just unimaginable for me that Israel is going to be able to‚ sort of‚ restart this war -- go after Khan Yunis -- take care of those people in a humanitarian way -- I think we really need to be talking about a conclusion. You know‚ maybe Israel says‚ "Look‚ you know‚ here's a free pass for all the Hamas leadership -- go to Turkey‚ go to Qatar -- whoever wants to leave‚ turn in your weapons‚ return the hostages -- we'll give the Palestinian prisoners a release. After Friedman suggested that Israel get Arab countries to help put a new government in control of Gaza‚ host Cooper followed up by asking "what's in it" for Hamas to agree to such a deal‚ leading to the liberal columnist to suggest that Hamas actually cared about the civilian population before catching himself and admitting that they do not: "Yeah‚ I would just -- what's in it for them is that obviously the survival of the -- so many people in Gaza -- so many Palestinians whom they claim to represent. We know that they don't really care about them -- they never would have started this war --" Cooper jumped into to remind viewers that Hamas wants Palestinians to be killed by Israel as part of the terrorist group's strategy: "Right‚ I mean‚ isn't martyring people -- isn't having civilians killed sort of part of their -- part of the plan?" Friedman then talked about the possibility of Israel releasing all its Palestinian prisoners‚ and then undermined himself by admitting that "I don't claim to have any particular insight" about how Hamas might react: Yeah‚ that may be‚ but I think that they're in a position now where they have visited so much destruction on their people for now so little. I think they have to in their own minds be thinking about‚ "How do we show something for this?" If they can pull off a giant release of all 6‚000‚ you know‚ Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails for the hostages -- a kind of all for all. At least they'd have something to show for that terrible destruction that they have invited on their population. So I have a feeling they have to be thinking about a lot of this. This ceasefire probably wouldn't have lasted this long‚ Anderson‚ if all they were doing is just getting ready for the next round. But who knows? Maybe they are. I don't claim to have any particular insight‚ but it just feels like the chemistry around this story is changing... Cooper predicted that he could not see Israel continuing its military campaign into the rest of the Gaza Strip‚ and cued up Friedman to talk up the push for new talks for a two-state solution. Friedman put all the blame on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the "far right" for the lack of an agreement even though Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to meet with Israeli leaders almost continuously for the last 14 years. Transcript follows: CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 November 28‚ 2023 8:12 p.m. Eastern ANDERSON COOPER: Perspective now on where this truce might lead and what might happen if and when hostilities come to a longer-term end. Joining us for that‚ New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. In addition to being a three-time Pulitzer prize-winning journalist‚ he's also the best-selling author of‚ among other titles‚ From Beirut to Jerusalem. So‚ Tom‚ I mean‚ after this massive bombardment‚ weeks of fighting‚ Hamas still in control in Gaza -- still able to be organized enough to hand over hostages they've taken. What does that tell you about the reality of Israel achieving its stated goal of destroying Hamas? THOMAS FRIEDMAN‚ NEW YORK TIMES FOREIGN AFFAIRS COLUMNIST: Well‚ obviously‚ it's incomplete‚ Anderson‚ and I think some very big decisions are going to be -- have to be made‚ you know‚ by Israel if the hostage exchange expires. It sounds like Bill Burns -- our CIA director -- and his colleagues in Qatar are really looking for a way to buy more time and get hostages released in return for Palestinians in Israeli prisons. And‚ you know‚ there's been a lot of talk about‚ Anderson‚ you know‚ "Are you for the ceasefire or not for the ceasefire?" and I'm hoping in the next few days that really morphs into a different discussion: Are you for an end of this? Okay‚ not just a ceasefire. Because you got -- you got‚ what‚ almost two million‚ you know‚ Palestinians in Gaza‚ you know‚ basically uprooted in a -- in a humanitarian crisis.  It's just unimaginable for me that Israel is going to be able to‚ sort of‚ restart this war -- go after Khan Yunis -- take care of those people in a humanitarian way -- I think we really need to be talking about a conclusion. You know‚ maybe Israel says‚ "Look‚ you know‚ here's a free pass for all the Hamas leadership -- go to Turkey‚ go to Qatar -- whoever wants to leave‚ turn in your weapons‚ return the hostages -- we'll give the Palestinian prisoners a release. I think we have to really get out of this "ceasefire/no ceasefire" and think about something that gets Hamas leadership out there‚ puts in a new Palestinian leadership and partnership with Arab countries‚ gets reconstruction going‚ the World Bank. I just cannot imagine this going on for more months‚ and I can't imagine the United States and President Biden being able to tolerate that politically. So I'm hoping that's where this discussion starts. COOPER: Why would Hamas's leadership agree to that? I mean‚ they're -- most -- a lot of them are holed up in‚ you know‚ in nice hotels in Doha‚ and even the ones in Gaza -- I mean‚ they are the ones who perpetrated this terror attack on October 7. What's in it for them in that beyond their personal survival? FRIEDMAN: Yeah‚ I would just -- what's in it for them is that obviously the survival of the -- so many people in Gaza -- so many Palestinians whom they claim to represent. We know that they don't really care about them -- they never would have started this war -- COOPER: Right‚ I mean‚ isn't martyring people -- isn't having civilians killed sort of part of their -- part of the plan? FRIEDMAN: Yeah‚ that may be‚ but I think that they're in a position now where they have visited so much destruction on their people for now so little. I think they have to in their own minds be thinking about‚ "How do we show something for this?" If they can pull off a giant release of all 6‚000‚ you know‚ Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails for the hostages -- a kind of all for all. At least they'd have something to show for that terrible destruction that they have invited on their population. So I have a feeling they have to be thinking about a lot of this. This ceasefire probably wouldn't have lasted this long‚ Anderson‚ if all they were doing is just getting ready for the next round. But who knows? Maybe they are. I don't claim to have any particular insight‚ but it just feels like the chemistry around this story is changing‚ and I think‚ as we approach the end of this ceasefire‚ and we contemplate a resumption of this war with the terrible human costs that would be with the uncertainty of victory for Israel. I think there's going to be some fresh thinking here. I sure hope there will be. COOPER: Yeah‚ I mean‚ I don't understand how Israel goes in‚ as you said‚ Khan Yunis‚ and into the south where hundreds of thousands of people have been told to go. I mean‚ where did they‚ you know -- I talked to some weeks ago‚ and they said‚ "Well‚ they can go toward the sea." I mean‚ there's just not a lot of places to go. You've advocated in the past in columns that Israel has to pair military action in Gaza with a new commitment to a two-state solution with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza who seek peace with Israel. Have you seen any interest by Israeli authorities in that? FRIEDMAN: Well‚ the current prime minister is -- Prime Minister Netanyahu -- has rejected the idea because his far right -- the members of his coalition -- the farthest right -- refuse to contemplate any kind of‚ you know‚ cooperation with the Palestinian Authority. But I think this is going to come back very soon because‚ if there is no Palestinian leadership -- a partnership in a transition in Gaza‚ then you're talking about Israel -- a country of seven million Jews -- controlling three million Palestinians in the West Bank and two million in Gaza. That's just unsustainable. And so I think you're going to see some fresh thinking on that as well‚ and it may have to be initiated by President Biden. But when I think of what can happen next‚ Anderson‚ the idea that Israel would resume the full-scale war against Hamas amidst two‚ you know‚ close to two million people already uprooted. I just can't see that happening for any length of time‚ and therefore I hope there will be some real talk not just about ceasefire/no ceasefire -- how do we end this in a way that produces a different government in Gaza? Because Israel is not going to live next to Hamas anymore‚ and the people of Gaza shouldn't have to live under Hamas anymore. COOPER: Tom Friedman‚ thank you‚ appreciate it.

Writer Faith Moore has just made her fiction debut with her new novel‚ "Christmas Karol‚" which is a reimagining of the classic Dickens tale but instead of miserly Scrooge‚ we get a careerist mom whose stinginess is not about her wallet but her time. Faith appeared on "Girlboss‚ Interrupted" last week to discuss her inspiration for the novel: how the troubles of modern motherhood often revolve around our inability to sit still. It’s one of my favorite episodes and really gets to the heart of modern women’s dilemma. Leaving aside economic considerations (which are real‚ but require another episode entirely)‚ why can’t we relax in motherhood? Why isn’t motherhood considered “enough”? What’s so hard about it‚ anyway? Our modern Scrooge is the beleaguered Karol Charles‚ who does not have time for ghosts. It’s Christmas Eve‚ and she’s at the office. Sure‚ her kids thought she’d be making cookies with them back at home‚ but this is important. This is what it means to “have it all.” Then‚ a familiar cough from the adjacent room jolts her out of her work. It can’t be possible. Marley is dead. She has been for years. With Marley’s death‚ Karol is now running their law firm by herself. But she still strives to live by her best friend and law partner’s creed: the job makes the money‚ and the money buys the things that make your family happy. Working all the time is a sacrifice Karol has made willingly. However‚ Karol’s life takes a drastic turn when she falls outside of the Rockefeller Center and has to be hospitalized. But something is wrong with this hospital. There’s a ghost in the waiting room and another magical visitor in the lobby. With them‚ Karol revisits long-forgotten memories and begins to unravel the truth about her current situation — and a future that is anything but cheery and bright. Karol’s journey through her past‚ present‚ and future reveals a difficult yet liberating truth: it is far better to have what matters than to “have it all.”

Jenna Ortega is only 21 years old‚ but she’s already making big waves in Hollywood‚ and not just because she’s a “well-loved actress.” Ortega‚ best known for playing Wednesday Addams in the popular Netflix series "Wednesday" and Tara Carpenter in the last two "Scream" films‚ recently announced that she would “no longer be reprising her role in the upcoming ‘Scream’ film.” Unfortunately‚ there’s been little explanation regarding her decision to part ways with the role. However‚ Ortega’s departure comes at a most uncanny moment. “The day before it was announced that Jenna Ortega would not be returning to the next ‘Scream’ film‚ it was also announced that her co-star Melissa Barrera had actually been fired from the franchise‚” says Lauren Chen. The event‚ which has been trending on X‚ is so “politically charged because [Barrera] wasn't let go for anything like inappropriate behavior on set or some crazy personal drama that was causing her to downward spiral‚” explains Lauren‚ but rather for an “Instagram story post weighing in on the current conflict in the Middle East.” Barrera posted: Following the actress' dismissal‚ Spyglass Media released the following statement: “Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form‚ including false references to genocide‚ ethnic cleansing‚ Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crossed the line into hate speech.” Lauren finds this response interesting‚ considering “Hollywood has slowly but surely been ramping up the political propaganda in their films and their series‚” and actors these days are constantly “posing as activists.” Further‚ the issue over the conflict in the Middle East has people divided‚ even in Hollywood. But the real question is‚ does Ortega’s departure have anything to do with Barrera's dismissal? Naturally‚ many are suspicious that the actress’ decision to walk is her way of taking a stance against cancel culture or possibly even agreeing with Barrera's comments. However‚ according to reports‚ Ortega dropped the role “due to her busy filming schedule on the second season of Netflix's ‘Wednesday’ and wrapping on filming for ‘Beetle Juice 2.’” “That’s not what social media is buying‚” says Lauren‚ however. “A lot of people on X specifically are completely convinced that actually Ortega leaving the project was a sign of solidarity with her co-star” and are “applauding” her decision as a means of “standing up against censorship and bullying.” “Whatever the real reason for Ortega’s departure‚ I think we can't deny that all of this is just going to hurt the next ‘Scream’ film‚” Lauren says. Want more from Lauren Chen?To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty‚ pro-logic‚ and pro-market commentary on social and political issues‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The founder of an organization pushing social justice through the arts was shot and killed by a homeless woman in Los Angeles‚ police said. The Los Angeles Police Department said officers were called to a residence on Alandele Avenue on Monday evening at about 6 p.m. When they arrived‚ they found 33-year-old Michael Latt wounded by a gunshot. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead hours later. Police said that a 36-year-old homeless woman named Jameelah Elena Michl remained at the scene and was arrested for the alleged murder of Latt. Investigators said her car is being processed because they believe that's where she was living when Latt was killed. Latt is the CEO and founder of "Lead with Love‚" an activist organization intended to promote "women and artists of color." His website said he had worked with Netflix‚ the Sundance Film Festival‚ and celebrities like the rapper Common. He supported the Black Lives Matter movement on posts to his Instagram account. Michl is being held on $3 million bail after being charged with murder. KTLA said a review of law enforcement records showed Michl had no previous criminal history. Latt's next door neighbor Avarie Shevin told KTLA she was shocked over the incident. "I'm heartbroken‚" she added. “I was looking out my window and saw a female standing in the walkway with her hands up and they took her into custody.” She said her neighbor was always very pleasant to her. “He is a super sweet guy‚” Shevin said. “He and his girlfriend lived there with a dog and a cat. He’s just very mellow. I can’t wrap my brain around what could’ve happened that caused him to be shot and killed. I keep picturing his face and I cannot believe he has passed.” Here's more about the death of Latt: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California faced a raft of pushback on social media in response to his claim that tax cuts have caused America's enormous national debt. The lawmaker also listed war as a reason for the debt.Khanna asserted that the four causes of the nation's debt are‚ "Reagan's tax cuts‚" "Bush's tax cuts‚" "Trump's tax cuts‚" as well as "Bush's overseas wars.""We don't need a fiscal commission to study it. Everyone knows Johnson's fiscal commission will recommend cuts in Social Security &; Medicare. Instead‚ we need to end the tax breaks for the ultra-rich and make a moonshot investment in American industry‚" he claimed. — (@) The U.S. national debt has grown to a staggering sum of more than $33 trillion dollars.GOP Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana rejected Khanna's assessment about the cause of the gargantuan debt. "Rep. @RoKhanna is not correct: the national debt was caused by reckless spending‚ cronyism and spinelessness of politicians in Washington D.C. We must save promised programs for seniors and middle class from destruction by looming disastrous tax increase leading to socialism‚" Spartz declared in a tweet.Others also pushed back against the congressman's comments."Or maybe the govt is too big?" Rob Schmitt wrote."You idiots in Congress spending more than you stole from us in taxes is how we ended up with eleventy gazillion dollars in debt and an increasingly worthless currency‚" Sean Davis tweeted."Our government consistently spends trillions of dollars it doesn't have and their excuse for $30T of debt is that they haven't stolen enough of our money‚" Michael Seifert posted."Tax cuts aren't government expenditures. My income isn't the government's money. Defense spending is not the predominant spending problem. The debt is from Medicare‚ Medicaid‚ Social Security‚ and other exorbitant social redistributionist spending programs. Full stop‚" Ben Shapiro wrote."So the average American's credit card debt isn't due to overspending‚ but failure of their employer to pay them more. Democrat logic‚" Jenna Ellis posted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Tech billionaire Elon Musk lashed out at companies that stopped advertising on X‚ the platform formerly known as Twitter‚ in an interview Wednesday. Musk has been targeted by Media Matters‚ a left-wing activist organization that tries to pressure advertisers to stop partnering with right-wing and conservative companies. He was being interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin at the DealBook Summit in New York City when he made the comments. "Don't advertise‚" he said about the advertisers. "You don't want them to advertise?" Sorkin asked quizzically. "No‚" Musk responded. "What do you mean?" Sorkin asked. “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising‚ blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself!” Musk said. Sorkin appeared to be stunned by the response‚ so Musk repeated it. "Go. F***. Yourself." he added‚ emphasizing each word. "Is that clear? I hope it is." He then appeared to imply that his followers would boycott the companies that tried to blackmail him. “The whole world will know that those advertisers killed company and we will document it in great detail‚” Musk added. He also apologized for posting what some people called an anti-Semitic meme on X that he later deleted. “I’m sorry for that tweet or post‚” he said. “I tried my best to clarify‚ six ways to Sunday‚ but you know at least I think over time it will be obvious that in fact‚ far from being anti-Semitic‚ I am in fact philosemitic.”He also called it “one of the most foolish if not the most foolish thing I’ve ever done on the platform.” Earlier in November‚ Musk followed through on a threat to file a lawsuit against Media Matters and accused them of manipulating data in order to make it appear that advertisements appeared next to white supremacist hashtags on the platform. Angelo Carusone‚ the president of Media Matters‚ responded to the threat with a brief statement. “Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be‚ Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate‚” said Carusone. “Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified. If he does sue us‚ we will win.” Here's the video of Musk'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!

In July 2022‚ a gunman opened fire in a Greenwood‚ Indiana‚ mall. It took him just 15 seconds to kill three people. No doubt‚ he would have killed many more were it not for the quick reflexes of 22 year-old Elisjsha Dicken‚ who efficiently dispatched the assailant with his legally-carried Glock handgun.“He engaged the gunman from quite a distance with a handgun — was very proficient in that‚ very tactically sound and as he moved to close in on the suspect he was also motioning for people to exit behind him‚” said Greenwood police chief James Ison. Not even CNN can find a way to regret Dicken's actions. What it can do is insert this gem of passive-aggressive lib-splaining: "Making Dicken’s heroism perhaps even more remarkable is the fact cases of an armed bystander attacking an active shooter are rare‚ according to data from the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training at Texas State University."And so‚ the usual cycle plays out: armed civilian stops active shooter‚ media steps in (if it even reports it at all) to remind us that the "good guy with a gun" is a myth.Is it‚ though? CNN cites ALERRT‚ which provides the FBI with its data. According to these figures‚ good guys with guns stopped only 4.4% of shooting incidents in recent years. According to economist John Lott‚ who runs the non-profit Crime Prevention Research Center‚ the number is at least 34.4%. Lott contends that errors in reporting and classification keep the FBI's statistics artificially low. Lott's case is convincing‚ and you can judge it for yourself here. At any rate‚ it's unlikely anyone in that mall was second-guessing Dicken's choice to stay strapped. Perhaps Dicken's sensible‚ responsible risk mitigation would be more palatable if we explained it with a metaphor: think of the gunman as one of the unvaxxed‚ spewing COVID cooties at innocent bystanders‚ until our hero courageously draws his N-95 mask ...If you want to mask up while driving a car without any passengers‚ have at it. Just let your neighbors prepare for the worst in their own way. You never know‚ you might be grateful you did. There are a number of American companies making excellent concealed carry bags. (Before making a purchase‚ consider factors such as the size of the bag‚ ease of access‚ security features‚ and comfort for daily carry; and always ensure that the bag complies with local laws and regulations regarding concealed carrying.) Vertx's compact but feature-rich S.O.C.P. Sling easily passes for a regular waist pack. Similarly‚ none of Maxpedition's Prepared Citizen line of backpacks would look out of place on a subway or college campus. 5.11 Tactical's Daily Deploy Push Pack combines cross-body comfort with discreet design. CrossBreed Holsters's ingenious Purse Defender fits inside any purse or handbag‚ while GTM Original makes concealed carry purses stylish enough to satisfy the most fashion-forward "Gun Tote'n Mama."

Dead by Daylight is always improving as Behaviour Interactive listens to the community and takes all feedback into consideration. The game has forever been a cozy haven for us LGBT+ players‚ with the developer's outspoken support for Pride and fans that fit under the diverse umbrella of identities. While rainbow cosmetics are fun‚ we've all waited for more representation among DBD's roster of killers and survivors. Thanks to a new collaboration with Rainbow Six Siege‚ we now have it as the game introduces its first transgender character. Continue reading Dead by Daylight gets its first canon trans survivor‚ kind of MORE FROM PCGAMESN: DBD killer tier list‚ Best horror games‚ DBD codes

The Sims 4 is still going strong with no end in sight‚ as EA produces new expansions and free updates for its base game regularly. For Rent‚ the team's latest pack‚ has all of us Simmers excited to finally play as a true tenant and even a landlord. While City Living lets us live in high-rise apartments and attend regular festivals‚ For Rent is changing the game with a much more communal living-focused experience. It also comes with challenges‚ including every apartment dweller's worst nightmare‚ mold. Continue reading The Sims 4 confirms controversial For Rent feature is “optional” MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Sims 4 mods‚ Best Sims 4 sex mods‚ The Sims 4 cheats

At least eight "witch bottles‚" which were traditionally used to stave off evil spells‚ have been found along the Gulf Coast since 2017. The post ‘Witch Bottles’ Have Been Washing Up In Texas — And Experts Have No Idea Where They’re Coming From appeared first on All That's Interesting.