President Joe Biden's age and mental capacity took center stage Thursday in all the media coverage of special counsel Robert Hur's report on his investigation of Biden's handling of classified documents. But‚ as the dust settles‚ it's important to note that Hur's choice not to indict was not based on...

On a Thursday filled with gargantuan news items‚ one easily might have overlooked the ongoing inanity of Super Bowl week. Beleaguered players enduring asinine questions from media members who have no apparent interest in the game itself amounts to an annual spectacle that for some reason the NFL continues to...

Democratic strategist James Carville is famous for saying‚ "It's the economy‚ stupid." The comic phrase came to being in 1992‚ when Carville was advising Bill Clinton on his successful run for the White House. What was true 32 years ago is true now. The economy is a major player in...

There is a kind of grim satisfaction in hearing our liberal elites admit to something most of us already knew. Even if we wish it wasn't the case. This week's liberal mask slip comes courtesy of MSNBC‚ where Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut let slip that illegal immigrants are...

The Dolmen of Guadalperal‚ also known as the “Spanish Stonehenge”‚ is an ancient megalithic monument located near the town of Cáceres in the Extremadura region of western Spain.

The muffler and catalytic converter are tucked away under the chassis for a cleaner appearance that exposes the 8R’s aluminum swingarm. The Suzuki GSX-8R is the fully-faired sibling of the Suzuki GSX-8S‚ which was just released in 2023. Both bikes are powered by an all-new 776cc 4-stroke DOHC parallel-Twin that can also be found in the V-Strom 800 models. The tubular handlebar from the 8S is traded for a pair of clip-ons on the GSX-8R that are about 2 inches lower and a smidge farther away from a rider‚ and the KYB suspension on the 8S has been replaced with Showa suspension on the 8R. To demonstrate the breadth of capabilities offered by the GSX-8R‚ Suzuki invited us to Palm Desert in California for a ride on rural and mountain roads‚ followed the next day by sessions at a racetrack. Watch the video below to see the 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R in action‚ and read our full review here. 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R Specs  Base Price: $9‚439   Website: SuzukiCycles.com   Warranty: 1 yr.‚ unltd. miles   Engine Type: Liquid-cooled‚ transverse parallel-Twin‚ DOHC w/ 4 valves per cyl.   Displacement: 776cc   Bore x Stroke: 84.0 x 70.0mm   Horsepower: 82.0 @ 8‚500 rpm (factory claim)   Torque: 57.5 lb-ft @ 6‚800 rpm (factory claim)   Transmission: 6-speed‚ cable-actuated slip/assist wet clutch   Final Drive: Chain   Wheelbase: 57.7 in.   Rake/Trail: 25.0 degrees/4.1 in.   Seat Height: 31.9 in.   Wet Weight: 452 lb (factory claim)   Fuel Capacity: 3.7 gal  GEAR UP Helmet: Arai Corsair-X Vinales-5 Replica  Jacket / Suit: Alpinestars Hoxton V2 / Alpinestars Missile Tech Air  Gloves: Alpinestars GPX V2 / Racer High Speed   Boots: Alpinestars Grange / Sidi Mag-1  The post 2024 Suzuki GSX-8R Review | Video appeared first on Rider Magazine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t the only individual former Fox News host Tucker Carlson met in Moscow. According to Semafor‚ Carlson also met NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and Tara Reade‚ a former Biden staffer who accused him of sexual assault. .@maxwelltani scoop: Tucker Carlson met Edward Snowden in Moscow https://t.co/EUvl53fkF1 — Ben Smith (@semaforben) February 8‚ 2024 Per Semafor: The former Fox News host met for hours Thursday with the NSA leaker Edward Snowden‚ Semafor has learned. While the former NSA whistleblower was a regular figure in the press in the years after he fled to Russia‚ he has largely receded from public appearances in recent years‚ citing the desire for wanted greater privacy for his family. The Snowden interview was not for Carlson’s video program‚ but he did tape an interview with Tara Reade‚ a former junior Senate aide who decades later accused President Joe Biden of sexual assault (an allegation he denied). Reade moved to Russia last year after several years of increasingly speaking out in support of pro-Russian policies. #BREAKING Tucker Carlson met with Edward Snowden in Moscow Carlson managed to talk with Snowden and Tara Reade‚ who accused Biden of harassment. “Tucker Carlson has a busy agenda in Moscow: he met with two key American figures living in exile there. Carlson spoke with Edward… pic.twitter.com/1dQH2mDm0u — Jack Straw (@JackStr42679640) February 9‚ 2024 The Daily Beast reports: Snowden fled to Russia for asylum in 2013 after he leaked troves of documents about the agency’s spying habits to media outlets‚ while Reade moved there last year after months of cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime. Carlson’s conversation with Snowden was not for his new digital show‚ according to Semafor‚ though his conversation with Reade was‚ a notable addition considering Carlson’s initially skeptical view of Reade’s claims. (A 2022 interview with Reade left him “completely convinced‚” he said.) Carlson is in Moscow to interview Putin and claimed that Western journalists had not sought the Russian leader’s perspective‚ a lie that has been shot down by numerous U.S. journalists and‚ notably‚ Russia’s top spokesperson. “Oh Daily Beast could not even wait a hot minute after Putin interview to chime in with a smear piece on me‚” Tara Reade commented. Oh Daily Beast could not even wait a hot minute after Putin interview to chime in with a smear piece on me. “Reade moved there last year after months of cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.” https://t.co/E2xn3EIWyz — Tara Reade (@ReadeAlexandra) February 8‚ 2024 Although Edward Snowden lives in exile in Russia‚ the whistleblower said he has “no regrets.” Snowden warned that surveillance technologies used by intelligence agencies have significantly advanced since he sounded the alarm in 2013. “We trusted the government not to screw us. But they did. We trusted the tech companies not to take advantage of us. But they did. That is going to happen again‚ because that is the nature of power‚” Snowden commented‚ according to The Guardian. ‘No regrets‚’ says Edward Snowden‚ after 10 years in exile https://t.co/nrU1j5JWoQ — Annette B. (@DoNotGiveUpHope) February 9‚ 2024 From The Guardian: Edward Snowden has warned that surveillance technology is so much more advanced and intrusive today it makes that used by US and British intelligence agencies he revealed in 2013 look like child’s play. In an interview on the 10th anniversary of his revelations about the scale of surveillance – some of it illegal – by the US National Security Agency and its British counterpart‚ GCHQ‚ he said he had no regrets about what he had done and cited positive changes. But he is depressed about inroads into privacy both in the physical and digital world. “Technology has grown to be enormously influential‚” Snowden said. “If we think about what we saw in 2013 and the capabilities of governments today‚ 2013 seems like child’s play.” He expressed concern not only about dangers posed by governments and Big Tech but commercially available video surveillance cameras‚ facial recognition‚ artificial intelligence and intrusive spyware such as Pegasus used against dissidents and journalists.

Elon Musk announced he will soon disable his phone number and solely use X for phone conversations‚ video calls‚ and text messages. “In a few months‚ I will discontinue my phone number and only use X for texts and audio/video calls‚” Musk said. In a few months‚ I will discontinue my phone number and only use X for texts and audio/video calls — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9‚ 2024 Musk has made his intentions clear with X‚ formerly known as Twitter. He wants to transform the platform into the ‘everything app.’ “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X‚ the everything app‚” Musk said in 2022. Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X‚ the everything app — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4‚ 2022 X CEO Linda Yaccarino showed off the feature last October. Video calls pic.twitter.com/PXIzrQ8Mz2 — Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) October 26‚ 2023 Zero Hedge noted: X’s feature to make calls is exclusive to Premium subscribers. Nonetheless‚ these subscribers (charged $8 per month) can call any user on X‚ provided the user has previously sent them at least one direct message. If Musk gives up his phone number‚ a major question remains on how the billionaire will deal with the two-factor authentication that some apps and services require. Musk has stated China’s WeChat is a “good model” for X. It’s critical to constantly remind readers Elon Musk’s eventual goal for X is to become the ‘everything app‚’ similar to China’s WeChat. The Chinese Communist Party utilizes WeChat for its social credit system‚ which recently expanded the usage of digital ID and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). WATCH: Elon Musk‚ when he was pursuing purchase of Twitter: ‘We Chat is a good model. If you live in China‚ you live on We Chat. It does everything. A Western We Chat needs to exist‚ whether Twitter is converted or start something new. It needs to happen somehow’ pic.twitter.com/TBoTVysk00 — Maurice Pinay (@MauricePinay) August 10‚ 2023 “My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat. Copy them‚” Musk said. “It’s WeChat and Alipay‚ who built the world first COVID track app and digital/QR code vaccine passport‚” said Songpinganq. “Chinese people were literally on their knees‚ begging Chinese officials to scan/verify their QR codes/vaccine passport.” It's WeChat and Alipay‚ who built the world first COVID track app and digital/QR code vaccine passport. Chinese people were literally on their knees‚ begging Chinese officials to scan/verify their QR codes/vaccine passport.https://t.co/kmnX4sFPy4 pic.twitter.com/3uSFKTw2Ek — Songpinganq (@songpinganq) July 24‚ 2023 Mashable wrote: Elon Musk wants to turn X‚ the platform formerly known as Twitter‚ into an “everything app.” Based on these features‚ private audio and video communication seems to play a role in Musk’s vision just as much as public posts‚ audio chats via Spaces‚ and video livestreaming. X previously launched the audio and video call feature for iOS back in October 2023. It’s unclear‚ however‚ just how much it’s being used. The feature hasn’t caused much of a stir online when it comes to public chatter from X users. Being able to call an X user from the app itself may sound interesting‚ and perhaps it could be useful if you know the user and just don’t have their contact information readily available. However‚ it also seems potentially rife for abuse from spammers and scammers. After all‚ if someone you urgently want to communicate with hasn’t provided you with their phone number or email address‚ there’s probably a good reason why. Currently‚ X users can utilize the feature through their iOS and Android devices only. X users can control who calls them – whether any Premium subscriber can give them a ring or if it’s limited to only users they follow or are in their phone’s address book – by going to their Settings in app and toggling the options in the Messaging section. These controls will likely come in handy in the event that the worst users on X decide to actually start fully utilizing audio and video calls. What’s next for X transforming into the ‘everything app’? Payments. “Elon Musk is moving forward with his plans to turn the company formerly known as Twitter‚ now called X‚ into an ‘everything app’ that includes its own payments system. The company in late November was granted three additional money transmitter licenses in the U.S. states of South Dakota (on November 27)‚ Kansas (on November 28) and Wyoming (on November 30)‚ bringing the total number of states where the company is allowed to engage in money transfers to 12‚” Rob Vendetti wrote. “The other states where the company had previously been granted a money transmitter license include Arizona‚ Georgia‚ Iowa‚ Maryland‚ Michigan‚ Mississippi‚ Missouri‚ New Hampshire and Rhode Island. All of the states were licensed this year‚ starting with New Hampshire on June 29‚” he continued. “Arizona‚ Michigan and Missouri were added in July followed by Georgia‚ Maryland and Rhode Island in August‚ and Iowa and Mississippi in September. The registrations are associated with a business named ‘X Payments LLC‚’ formerly ‘Twitter Payments LLC‚’ which will operate the money transfer operations at X. (The name of the license may vary‚ but all would allow X to process payments or move money in the state.) Musk confirmed the additions in a post on X‚ in response to an article by The Street which noted the November 27 addition of South Dakota. The Street’s reporting indicated the company had only been registered in 10 states‚ according to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System’s database. Now‚ the database is showing the most recent additions‚ as well‚” he added. “However‚ Musk has previously spoken about his plans to morph X into a payments platform‚ having earlier detailed his vision for the future of the company shortly after the acquisition. He has described Twitter‚ now X‚ as a place where users would be able to send money to others on the platform‚ and extract their funds to authenticated bank accounts‚ and perhaps later‚ a high-yield money market account that would encourage people to keep their cash in accounts with X. This plan would put X into competition with PayPal‚ a company Musk is crediting with co-founding via its merger with his http: //X.com. With Twitter‚ Musk is hoping to once again complete the vision he had for http: //X.com as a disruptor to the existing banking system. Whether or not that move will also involve crypto is yet to be determined‚ but it’s worth noting that a money transmitter license would be required if X were to support cryptocurrencies. Payments are also tied into X’s broader move into the creator economy‚ where X users with at least 500 followers and 5 million organic impressions on their posts over the past three months can become eligible for ads revenue sharing‚” he noted. X NOW LICENSED FOR PAYMENT PROCESSING IN 12 US STATES: Elon Musk is moving forward with his plans to turn the company formerly known as Twitter‚ now called X‚ into an “everything app” that includes its own payments system. The company in late November was granted three… pic.twitter.com/KwrkFVYUMX — Rob Vendetti (@rob_vendetti) February 3‚ 2024 More from TechCrunch: Of course‚ X’s ability to monetize via ads has taken a downturn in recent days‚ as an advertiser exodus was prompted by Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post on the platform and reports that brands’ campaigns were appearing next to hate speech. As a result‚ X has lost several larger advertisers‚ including Apple‚ Disney‚ IBM‚ Paramount‚ Warner Bros.‚ Lionsgate‚ Comcast/NBCU‚ Walmart and others. The company also lost a deal with Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media‚ which would have seen the celeb tout live audio‚ live video and live shopping on X. Musk lashed out at Hilton after the deal went south‚ but the departures could spell trouble for X’s monetization plans‚ and therefor its creator economy and payments ambitions. The company said it would focus on small business advertisers in the near term and is also planning to make Musk’s new AI‚ Grok‚ available to X’s paid subscribers as another source of revenue.