For the first White House press briefing since the Thanksgiving holiday‚ it was the ultimate contrast of stupidity vs. substance. In the one corner‚ longtime far-left White House correspondent and African-American activist April Ryan lobbied the ever-inept Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to have President Biden discuss “the black agenda” with Stevie Wonder. In the other corner‚ Fox’s Peter Doocy actually decided to challenge Jean-Pierre and the administration by standing up for Americans who continue to struggle with inflation.     Ryan cut to the chase with her hackery‚ saying she “had an in-depth conversation with Stevie Wonder last night‚” but was interrupted by others in the room (journalists and/or White House staff) laughing at this train of thought. She then lashed out‚ saying “it’s a serious question.” She then noted that‚ as part of their conversation‚ he “request[ed] a meeting with the President” because “[h]e’s very concerned about the black agenda falling along the wayside and issues like laws of 50 years ago that are now being abolished or gutted‚ to include issues like the Voting Rights Act‚ what happened in Arkansas last week‚ affirmative action — Supreme Court — as we’ve seen it‚ ban on books‚ and...the Congo”. Ryan made this demand because‚ in her opinion‚ Wonder’s been so influential in American politics given he’s “met with presidents‚ um. throughout history” and helped ensure the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The exchange was clearly planned in advance with Jean-Pierre as she had a long‚ canned answer in her binder‚ starting with the insistence that “[w]hat you just laid out...is incredibly important and so‚ we take that very‚ very seriously here” with Wonder having “made tremendous‚ tremendous contributions to the civil rights movement and also voting rights”. After a long‚ winding answer an “equity agenda” being central to the White House‚ Ryan followed up with a hilariously unfortunate line about Wonder “looking at this issue courting black males” (click “expand”): RYAN: But Steve Wonder is not alone in this thought. JEAN-PIERRE: Obviously‚ yeah‚ yeah. RYAN: He’s not alone in this thought. He’s very upset and he’s even looking at this issue courting black males. I mean‚ he just wants to have a conversation with — do you — is the President amenable as he is a leader as he has met with other presidents on major issues of rights‚ humanitarian rights‚ as well as civil rights? JEAN-PIERRE: And look‚ you’re right. It’s not just an issue that Mr. — Mr Stevie Wonder has‚ right? As you know‚ we’ve met with civil rights leaders‚ multiple times...So‚ we’ve taken this very seriously‚ very seriously. That’s why we’ve taken the actions that we’ve had throughout the past almost three years in this administration...[W]hen you think about his economy‚ what he’s put forth on his agenda and policy‚ when you think about all the policies that he’s put forth‚ there’s always been equity at the center of that. So‚ this is something he takes seriously. Again‚ I don’t have anything to share about a meeting with Mr Stevie Wonder‚ but‚ obviously‚ this is something that both the President‚ the Vice President‚ also the First Lady‚ take incredibly seriously...You see that in the actions that we have taken‚ whether it’s policy actions‚ whether it’s speaking out and speaking up about what we’re seeing from Republicans‚ extreme Republicans...and what they are trying to do in taking away voting rights or what we’ve seen from the Supreme Court justice and taking away‚ uh‚ taking away‚ certainly‚ affirmative action‚ which we think is incredibly important‚ and we’re going to continue to speak to that. As Jean-Pierre moved on‚ the bitter‚ tightly-fixed mask-wearing Ryan blurted out thanks “for taking the question seriously.” As one of the few adults in the room‚ Doocy took the reins‚ asking Jean-Pierre if she could honestly believe that “when people were home for Thanksgiving‚ catching up with their family members‚ they were saying to each other‚ ‘can you believe how much more affordable things have gotten?’” Jean-Pierre ducked other than to say the White House “take[s]” the feelings of Americans “very seriously” and aren’t “a joke to us” since Biden “talks about it in a very personal way”. Then‚ without saying it explicitly‚ Jean-Pierre argued they shouldn’t be feeling that way because “the data shows that the economy is improving” with “households remain[ing[ in a strong financial position” and “at a record high” Doocy followed up with another hardball: “But why do you think it is that when you say the economy is improving‚ and President Biden says the economy is improving that a majority of Americans outside of this building are not buying it?” Jean-Pierre blamed it entirely on Donald Trump‚ so Doocy fact-checked her by noting Trump’s been gone for three years and‚ while inflation has slowed‚ prices are still increasing (click “expand”): JEAN-PIERRE: So here’s the thing. When we walked into this administration‚ the economy was on a tail — a tailspin. That is the fact because...the Trump administration‚ because of how they dealt with — dealt with COVID and the pandemic because they didn’t have a comprehensive plan. The President came in. He passed the American Rescue Plan‚ which was able to get the economy back on its feet‚ which is able to open up small business. Small businesses were able to open up. Schools were able to open up and we understand what Americans have been feeling. And we understand what Americans have been feeling over the last 2‚ 3 years. It’s going to take some time. We get that. It’s going to take some time. But it does not take away how we have seen the economy getting back on its feet. We actually had to fix the problem that we saw that the last administration left us. DOOCY: But almost three years in office. Inflation is up over 17 percent since President Biden came here. And you’re saying that it’s still Trump’s fault? JEAN-PIERRE: Inflation — inflation — Inflation is moderating because of the actions that this person — this President has taken. Because — DOOCY: Doesn’t that mean that —  JEAN-PIERRE: — because — DOOCY: — prices are still going up slower? They’re still high. JEAN-PIERRE: — it’s going down. The prices are going down...I just talked about last week how turkey prices — the cost for turkeys is going down‚ the cost for eggs is going down...because of the President’s action that he’s taken. And if you think about gas prices‚ it’s down by a $1.70 cents since its peak — since its peak because of the actions that this President has taken. So‚ we understand that people are still not feeling it. We get that....And let’s not forget what Republicans are doing...They’re trying to increase health care costs. They want to get rid of Medicare. They want to get rid of Social Security....They want to make sure the millionaires and billionaires are actually getting the benefits‚ right? And so‚ that’s no — that’s not our way. Our way is to build the middle class from the bottom up‚ middle out‚ and the President believes in‚ that he talks about it. You’re going to hear him talk about it in about an hour and that’s gonna be our focus. During John Kirby’s portion of the briefing‚ Nadia Bilbassy-Charters of the Saudi Arabia-funded Alarabiya had questions from‚ of course‚ the pro-Palestinians camp‚ including this one: There was reports saying that the President said that he’s sorry and disappointed in himself after meeting with the Muslim leaders. Do you think that the President could have done more to show sympathy towards Palestinian civilians or be seen as even handed? To see the relevant transcript from the November 27 briefing‚ click here.

A Colorado mother entrusted her 2-year-old son to the care of a babysitter with whom she was on friendly terms in early September. A few hours later‚ Stefanie Reichert learned via text message that her baby boy‚ Giovanni‚ "had gone lifeless after a bath." When the mother arrived at the hospital‚ she couldn't believe the extent of Giovanni's injuries. The babysitter‚ McKinley Slone Hernandez‚ 25‚ was arrested Friday on a charge of felony child abuse. While Hernandez has reportedly admitted to being impaired on the night in question‚ she has not yet accounted for why the toddler's entire body was covered with bruises‚ why his brain was bleeding‚ and why his eyes were swollen shut. "She won't admit to anything‚" Reichert told KDVR-TV. "All she's said is she was drinking‚ and he got hurt in her care." Reichert said that Hernandez was a friend of hers who had on previous occasions watched her son as well as other children at an unlicensed child care facility at her home. The mother figured Sept. 1 would similarly go smoothly. However‚ just hours into the evening‚ she "received a text message from the suspect saying I needed to rush to St. Anthony's Hospital because my son had gone lifeless after a bath." Giovanni had been airlifted to the hospital to undergo a series of life-saving surgeries. "Once I saw him and all the 50 doctors standing around him‚ I had to leave the room because it was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life‚" said Reichert. The mother told KUSA-TV that doctors had to remove a part of her son's skull due to bleeding on the brain. Mortifying photographs of the boy's injuries show a sickle-shaped scar across the child's shaved head. According to a GoFundMe page created to help with the boy's medical expenses‚ Giovanni was intubated and sedated early on so that his brain could recover. After several operations and weeks at spent at the hospital‚ Reichert indicated on Sept. 20‚ "Giovanni has been beating all odds! ... The power of prayer is a real thing and we are just so blessed to be this far and so soon!" This week‚ Reichert noted that a Thanksgiving procedure fusing Giovanni's skull back together had been successful. While the boy can be seen in recent pictures wide-eyed and alert‚ he still requires additional surgeries and faces a difficult uphill battle toward recovery. While the nature of Giovanni's injuries is unmistakable‚ it's not clear precisely how the damage was inflicted or why. "I make up scenarios in my head all the time for the injuries he sustained‚ so I wish I knew‚" Reichert told KDVR. The Thanksgiving arrest of Hernandez brought the family some solace‚ but Reichert doesn't think the felony child abuse charge goes far enough to address the harm caused. "I feel so relieved‚ but I also feel like she should be charged with more. I feel like it's attempted murder‚ she almost killed my child‚" said the mother. Hernandez is being held on a $100‚000 cash bond. She was still in custody as of Monday and is due in Jefferson County Court on Dec. 20. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Republicans continue to win in the polls but then lose all the important elections. Rather than forcing innovative changes and forward-looking strategies‚ the response from the broader conservative industry is to celebrate … with more polls.“We’re winning! Donald Trump is going to win the primary and run the table in all the critical states against Biden! Just wait for next November and everything will be OK!” In other words‚ we don’t need a facelift‚ a leadership change‚ or a messaging upgrade. Now for a reality check. We cannot afford to continue with this delusion. We cannot keep thinking we already have the ball in the end zone when we don’t. During the 1993 Super Bowl‚ Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett famously celebrated before he got the ball into the end zone‚ only to have the ball stripped from him by Buffalo Bills wide receiver Don Beebe. In that case‚ the Cowboys already had a massive lead‚ so the Lett blunder was merely symbolic. But in our case‚ we are the ones losing big-time and cannot afford to satiate our imperative to achieve with symbolism or‚ worse‚ junk polls. Conservatives spent much of 2022 anticipating a red tsunami in the November elections based on nothing more than junk polls. Despite the unpopularity of the Biden presidency‚ the malaise around the world‚ and record inflation‚ Republicans bucked all political science trends by losing a Senate seat and two governorships‚ as well as several state legislative chambers. If not for reapportionment in places like Florida and an overperformance by Lee Zeldin in New York‚ Democrats would have kept the House. This was the GOP’s third loss in a row. But … we had won the polls!So as conservatives continue to celebrate auspicious polling data‚ let’s review the polls headed into the midterm elections last year. Here is the rate of underperformance by each Republican candidate relative to the final RealClearPolitics poll average headed into the election: And here are the key governor’s races in 2022: Notice how Republicans dramatically underperformed in the most critical races‚ especially considering we are a closely divided country. When you look at the final polls headed into the home stretch‚ the margin of error is even more dramatic because the polls showed Republicans building momentum in the final days. Republicans overperformed by a mile in one U.S. Senate race‚ bucking the national trend. That was in Florida‚ where the governor was the driving political force in the state and‚ of course‚ overperformed in his own re-election. The lesson of the 2022 midterms was quite clear. We had one man who eschewed the establishment and Donald Trump’s personal flaws‚ and he resonated big-time. But instead of looking for new horizons‚ our movement chose to embrace the status quo because who needs to win elections when you can keep winning polls?And win polls we have! We’ve spent the past year reassuring ourselves that everything will be fine in 2024 because‚ after all‚ the polls show Trump beating Biden across the board.Meanwhile‚ back in the real world where elections matter‚ Republicans have woefully underperformed in nearly every special legislative election this year‚ despite the flagging economy and a highly unpopular Democrat in the White House. In 21 of 27 special elections through September of this year‚ Democrats have overperformed Biden’s 2020 margins by an average of seven points. This culminated with big losses earlier this month in the off-year elections in Virginia and Kentucky and several other places. Republicans believe they don’t need to switch strategies because Trump is ahead of Biden in the RCP average by 2.3 percentage points. So what? The midterm elections showed the polls had a consistently pro-GOP bias that evaporated in the face of actual election results. Nevertheless‚ and despite losing election after election this year‚ Republicans and conservatives continue to salivate over poll numbers. It’s unreal!We need a strategy‚ a vision‚ and a plan. We continue to elect milquetoast Republicans in deep red parts of the country while we lose to Democrats in swing and even light red districts. We can debate who or what is to blame — and it is likely several factors — but clearly the status quo is not working. We have a vivid proof of concept for success with a man who shall not be named‚ but clearly most conservative media are uninterested. So what do we do? Chronicling the decline of the country might be profitable to a select group of right-leaning pontificators‚ but it is calamitous for the rest of us.

Javier Milei — an anarcho-capitalist libertarian — has just shocked the world by winning the presidency in socialist Argentina. Glenn Beck is shocked along with the rest of the world. “He is the exact opposite of really anything‚ any kind of politician‚ that we have seen here that is even close to being president of the United States — even Donald Trump‚” he says. While Milei has been exhaustively compared to Donald Trump by the media‚ Beck and Stu Burguiere don’t believe they’re that alike at all. Stu notes that Milei’s closest similarity to Trump is that “he’s super outspoken” but also describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist‚ “which is not how Donald Trump would describe himself at all.” The new president's plan apparently includes completely uprooting the current state of the Argentinian government and shutting down different government agencies. “Is he going to do those things?” Stu asks‚ adding‚ “I hope so.” Argentinian President Javier Milei isn’t the only freedom-loving winner as of late. On November 22‚ Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom won 37 seats out of 150 in the Dutch government. Like Milei‚ Wilders is painted by the opposition as a far-right extremist. “There’s two people now that the press say‚ ‘Out of control‚ worse than Hitler‚’” Glenn says‚ noting that while the press isn’t fond of them — the world seems to be moving more toward a freedom mindset. “Here’s what you should take away from all of this movement politically‚ cause it’s happening in Europe‚ and it’s happening in South America. It is moving away — hard — from the left and going right‚” Glenn explains. “These guys‚ if they work‚” he continues‚ “this is going to be a huge move for the world‚ back to more freedom and common sense.” Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A top official with the Department of Defense Education Activity was arrested earlier this month in an undercover human trafficking sting. Last week‚ Georgia law enforcement announced that 26 people had been arrested as part of a two-day undercover human trafficking sting conducted by the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. Among those arrested was 64-year-old Stephen Hovanic‚ chief of staff for Defense Department schools in the Americas. The agency is the federal school system for the Defense Department‚ operating schools for military families and Pentagon families. Hovanic is charged with pandering‚ a misdemeanor in Georgia. Law enforcement alleges that Hovanic tried to solicit sex from an undercover officer in a hotel room on Nov. 15‚ WAGA-TV reported. He allegedly told law enforcement that he believed he was paying for a massage — not sex. "Pandering is not a victimless crime‚ as the demand for prostitution drives the sex trafficking market‚" said Sgt. Toby Nix of the Coweta County Sheriff's Office. Hovanic was released from police custody on Nov. 16 after posting bond. DODEA spokesman Will Griffin confirmed that Hovanic is now on a leave of absence from the agency. "We are aware of an alleged incident involving a DoDEA employee in the Americas Region‚" Griffin told Stars and Stripes. "As there are ongoing legal processes‚ it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." Through the operation‚ officers rescued six human trafficking victims. An undercover female officer who participated in the sting explained why the operation was "really important." "This kind of operation is really important to us because‚ number one‚ sex buyers are a huge problem in the industry. Without sex buyers‚ there wouldn't be a market for the females to continue to be victimized‚" she told WAGA. "Second‚ and probably most importantly for all of us‚ is the victimization of these females. There's not a good scenario for them in this lifestyle‚ so the goal is to get them out of this lifestyle." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The day before Thanksgiving‚ the Biden administration announced a new emissions rule that will effectively force states to set greenhouse gas reduction targets in order to receive federal highway funding.The Biden administration’s Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration published a press release declaring that the finalized performance measure will provide a national framework for tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The department noted that the new rule grants states the “flexibility to set their own targets for reduction.”Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg touted the new performance measures for its claimed flexibility.“Every state has its own unique climate challenges‚ and every state ought to have the data‚ funding‚ and flexibility it needs to meet those challenges head on‚” Buttigieg said. “This new performance measure will provide states with a clear and consistent framework to track carbon pollution and the flexibility to set their own climate targets—which we will also help them meet with more than $27 billion in federal funding through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.”The FHWA’s performance management measure will enable the department to “make more informed investment decisions‚” the press release added.Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt claimed that the administration does not expect states “to solve a problem this large on their own.” Bhatt noted that states will not receive penalties for missing their reduction targets.Critics of the new rule contend that it imposes the federal government’s emissions priorities on states by withholding funding. Republican West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito told the Daily Caller News Foundation‚ “Federal overreach to advance a misguided climate agenda has become a staple of the Biden administration.”“The final rule‚ which imposes the performance measure and the requirement to set greenhouse gas targets on state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations (MPO)‚ is just one more example of these harmful regulations‚” Capito added.Republican North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer released a statement last week addressing the administration’s new rule. “As the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee‚ I was intimately involved in negotiating and passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The committee specifically debated whether to grant [the Department of Transportation] this authority‚ and the Committee’s unanimously-passed bill chose not to include this poison pill‚” Cramer stated‚ referring to the requirement for states to reduce emissions for federally funded highway projects.“Once again‚ the Biden bureaucracy is returning to their stale playbook of inventing illegal‚ punitive regulatory schemes‚” Cramer continued. “This final rule is contrary to congressional intent‚ usurps state authority by putting the federal government in the driver’s seat‚ and is fundamentally unworkable in rural states like North Dakota. I look forward to leading a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval overturning it.”A FHWA spokesperson told the DCNF that the timing of the announcement “is not unusual for a significant rulemaking‚ particularly one that received over 39‚000 comments.”“We prioritized making vast resources within the Biden-Harris administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law available to states ahead of asking states to set greenhouse gas emissions targets and measure their progress‚” the spokesperson said.The White House did not respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is finally acknowledging some of the "unintended consequences" of Obamacare‚ according to the Wall Street Journal editorial board.Last week‚ Warren and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) sent a letter to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general requesting an investigation into whether insurance companies are dodging the medical loss ratio‚ a key Obamacare rule‚ to consolidate control in the health care industry and generate sky-high profits.The MLR requires health insurers to spend 80-85% of revenues on medical care and improving the quality of care. The statutory requirement is a "de facto cap on profits‚" the WSJ noted‚ and the Obama administration promised it would benefit consumers.But the rule‚ according to WSJ‚ has inspired insurance companies to buy‚ merge‚ or affiliate with pharmacy benefit managers‚ pharmacies‚ and other key links in the health care supply chain. The result — vertical integration of the drug market and health care industry — has allowed insurers to dodge the MLR by shifting revenues to other businesses in their conglomerate.The result‚ Warren and Braun said‚ is that "[c]onsumers and taxpayers foot the bill for these games through higher insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs."The letter goes on to explain:Just a year after the MLR requirement was put in place‚ UnitedHealth Group formed Optum‚ which now includes a PBM and a specialty pharmacy‚ as well as over 70‚000 physicians. Today‚ UnitedHealth Group sends 25 percent of its medical claim revenue to its Optum subsidiaries – in other words‚ to itself. Similarly‚ in 2019‚ CVS Health sent 13 percent of its profits to its own providers and pharmacies.The calculation is simple. By owning every link in the chain‚ a conglomerate like UnitedHealth Group – which includes an insurer‚ a PBM‚ a pharmacy‚ and physician practices – can send inflated medical payments to its pharmacy. Then‚ by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side – the side that charges for care – rather than the insurance side‚ the insurance line of business appears to be in compliance with MLR requirements‚ while keeping more money for itself.The Wall Street Journal described Warren's complaints about the health care industry's exploitation of the MLR as her "Obamacare epiphany." "It's a familiar story: Big government intervention creates incentives and raises costs that help big business‚ and then politicians demand more government intervention to fix the distortions they caused‚" the board wrote. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A crew of would-be carjackers managed to pistol-whip their victim and take his keys Sunday night in Bethesda‚ Maryland but ran into a little problem when they tried to drive off in the vehicle.Apparently‚ they couldn't drive stick and gave up on their caper‚ WTTG-TV reported.What are the details?Officers were called to the 7200 block of Wisconsin Avenue around 11:55 p.m. after a report of an attempted carjacking‚ the station said.Authorities said the victim was in front of a business when three or four individuals approached him and demanded at gunpoint the keys to his vehicle‚ WTTG said.Investigators said the suspects pistol-whipped the man‚ who ran back into the business‚ the station said‚ adding that the victim told police shots were fired‚ but investigators said no shell casings were found.However‚ WTTG said the carjacking encountered a major roadblock when the suspects tried to drive away: they couldn't operate the SUV because it came equipped with a manual transmission.With that‚ the suspects fled the scene in a different vehicle‚ the station said‚ adding that the victim is recovering from his injuries.Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators‚ WTTG said. Man pistol-whipped by would-be carjackers foiled by SUV with stick shift in Bethesda‚ police say youtu.be Not the first timeSunday's incident was far from the first time crooks tried and failed to carjack vehicles because they didn't know how to drive stick. Just a few for-instances:Last month‚ a 23-year-old armed carjacking suspect in San Antonio‚ Texas‚ ditched the car he tried to steal because he couldn't drive stick‚ got into a getaway car‚ and then actually fired at the victim of the attempted carjacking — who happened to be carrying a gun‚ too‚ and shot back at the crook‚ grazing his head. Soon the mother of the wounded suspect called 911 for her son‚ who was later hospitalized — and then booked for aggravated robbery after investigators put two and two together.Back in March‚ two would-be carjackers in Germantown‚ Maryland — a little over half an hour from the Bethesda incident — came away empty-handed after realizing they couldn't operate the manual transmission vehicle.In October 2021‚ an MMA-trained man fought back against hapless carjackers in Stafford‚ Virginia‚ who still managed to get in his vehicle but couldn't drive away because the crook behind the wheel didn't drive stick. The trio got back into the car they arrived in and were eventually arrested after a dangerous high-speed chase.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Naraka Bladepoint is shaping up to be one of the most eye-catching battle royale games around‚ with its unique aesthetic and martial arts-inspired combat. While it isn't always flawless in execution‚ it's certainly the most stylish fast-based battle royale around. 24 Entertainment's latest announcement speaks to that appeal‚ as it reveals how a whopping 40 million players are slicing and dicing their way to the top in-game‚ marking a massive new milestone for Naraka. Continue reading Steam’s most stunning battle royale game hits massive new record MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best fantasy games‚ Best battle royale games‚ Free PC games

The anchors are believed to date from 800 to 480 B.C.E. and are expected to be recovered from the water soon. The post Two Ancient Stone Anchors Were Just Discovered Off The Coast Of Sicily appeared first on All That's Interesting.