Sportscaster Al Michaels is out of the booth for NBC’s NFL playoff coverage. NBC Sports Vice President Greg Hughes confirmed that Michaels would not be part of the network’s playoff broadcasts this postseason‚ the New York Post reported. NBC will televise three playoff games in January. Michaels‚ 79‚ and former head coach Tony Dungy were criticized for a lack of enthusiasm when they called a playoff game last season when the Jacksonville Jaguars came from behind to beat the Los Angeles Chargers‚ the Post noted. Sportscasters Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth from “Sunday Night Football” are set to call two of NBC’s playoff games‚ while the third will be crewed by NBC’s top college team‚ Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge‚ along with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen‚ the Post noted. From @TheAthletic: NFL broadcasts will be without Al Michaels’ classic commentary voice for this season’s playoffs. Michaels‚ 79‚ has called 11 Super Bowls. https://t.co/mHN9ryU7Mz — The New York Times (@nytimes) December 13‚ 2023 Michaels was a staple of ABC’s “Monday Night Football” coverage and then later on NBC for its football coverage. More recently‚ he took over doing play-by-play announcing when pro-football moved to Amazon Prime Video for “Thursday Night Football.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The move reportedly had been in the works for a while‚ the Post noted. However‚ when Michaels was asked about the possibility in November‚ he referenced his contract. “It’s in my deal‚” Michaels told the Post. “Where are you hearing that from? That’s part of my deal. Are you hearing something that I’m not hearing?” NBC previously replaced Michaels on “Sunday Night Football” with Tirico. Michaels is now tied with the late-former legendary sportscaster Pat Summerall for calling 11 Super Bowls on TV. The sportscaster is known for some legendary sports calls‚ including his historic “Miracle on Ice” at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid in 1980‚ when the U.S. Olympic hockey team shocked the world and defeated the Soviet Union. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” Michaels said.

Hunter Biden’s public statement on Wednesday may have been designed to sway public sentiment in his favor‚ but according to at least one MSNBC guest‚ his “dramatic public relations effort” may not have the desired impact. NBC News’ Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles spoke with anchor Ana Cabrera after the younger Biden — who was supposed to appear Wednesday for a closed-door deposition — defied a congressional subpoena and instead stood just outside the House Sergeant-at-Arms’ reach and gave a press conference. “I think it was very telling‚ just the fact that he wouldn’t cross over into the House side of the Capitol‚” Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) told The New York Post. “If he had‚ the Sergeant at Arms could have arrested him and made him come and be in front of the committee.” Biden stood on the Senate side of the Capitol and complained that Republicans were mocking his addiction and recovery‚ and attacking him for political purposes. He then left the Capitol grounds without complying with the subpoena‚ prompting Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) to say that the House would pursue contempt charges against him. “There’s no doubt that this was a pretty dramatic public relations effort by Hunter Biden to show that he was here and ready to answer questions from the Oversight Committee and their investigation into his father and his business dealings and whether or not the two are connected‚” Nobles told Cabrera after Biden’s appearance. “But to be clear‚ that’s not what the committee was looking for today. They had asked him to appear under subpoena in a closed-door deposition to answer their questions about his business dealings and whether or not they connect to his father‚” Nobles continued. “And they said at some point later they would be willing to allow him to testify publicly.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “And so this was an effort by Hunter Biden to show that he has nothing to hide‚ that he’s willing to answer those questions‚” he said. “But it’s probably not going to move House Republicans who‚ as you rightly point out‚ are prepared to vote on an impeachment inquiry later today and have said that if Hunter Biden did not appear for that deposition‚ which was taking place in a completely different part of the Capitol campus than where I’m standing right now‚ that they would be prepared to move to contempt of Congress charges against him.” Reps. Jordan and James Comer (R-KY) addressed Biden’s remarks after he left Capitol Hill as well‚ disputing his characterization of the investigation and pointing out how Hunter Biden’s story had changed over time with regard to how involved his father‚ President Joe Biden‚ may have been with his questionable foreign business dealings. “We’ve never mocked his addiction‚” Comer said. Jordan pointed to something Biden said in his press conference — namely that his father had not had any “financial” involvement in his business dealings — noting that it was a long jump from his initial claims that his father had never been involved at all in his business. .@RepJamesComer on Hunter Biden: "We've never mocked his addiction." Rep. @Jim_Jordan on Joe Biden: "He's been involved‚ just not financially. That is a huge departure from everything they have said now for the last three-and-a-half years." pic.twitter.com/FPCLrKqhlp — CSPAN (@cspan) December 13‚ 2023

Actress Dakota Johnson said the top priority in her life is sleeping‚ which is why she does so much of it.  The 34-year-old daughter of celebrities Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson discussed her bedtime habits and other wellness rituals during a recent interview with WSJ Magazine.  “I’m not functional if I get less than 10 [hours of sleep]‚” Johnson told the outlet in an interview published December 11 for the My Monday Mornings series. “I can easily go 14 hours.” “I don’t have a regular [wake-up] time‚” the “50 Shades of Grey” actress explained of how she manages to sleep so much. “It depends on what’s happening in my life. If I’m not working‚ if I have a day off on a Monday‚ then I will sleep as long as I can.” “Sleep is my number one priority in life‚” Johnson added. The celeb also discussed other aspects of her routine‚ including regular meditation. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I meditate every day‚ twice a day‚” she told WSJ. “I do transcendental meditation. I’ve been really into breathwork recently and that’s been helping me a lot with anxiety.” Johnson also said she’s a huge fan of taking baths. “I will get in a bathtub at any moment‚” the celeb went on. “Any time of the day. If in the middle of the day‚ I’m like‚ ‘Oh God‚ what is this world?’ I’ll get in the bathtub. I find water really grounding.” As for the upcoming holidays‚ the actress said things are usually stress free because her family doesn’t observe any traditions. “My family doesn’t really have holiday traditions. We’re kind of free-flowing in that department. We’re all very good at not applying stress to each other to show up or behave in a certain way‚ which I think is really nice‚” Johnson told the outlet.  She added‚ “The holidays are stressful and especially with the world and the state that it’s in‚ just being quiet and spending time with people you love and make you feel good is better than forcing traditions that feel stressful.” The star of Marvel’s upcoming film “Madame Web” has been in a relationship with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin since 2017. She has no children.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri said he’s made it clear to his kids that they won’t have a free ride and that if they want a piece of the entertainment empire he’s created‚ they are going to have to come and take it from him. The 55-year-old who created his Flavortown success on the Food Network told Fox News that he’s told his sons Hunter and Ryder that if they want success‚ they will have to work for it. “I’ve told them the same thing my dad told me. My dad says‚ ‘When I die‚ you can expect that I’m going to die broke‚ and you’re going to be paying for the funeral‚'” Fieri told the outlet. “And I told my boys‚ none of this that we’ve been … that I’ve been building are you going to get unless you come and take it from me‚” he added. Guy Fieri refuses to leave fortune to his kids: You’ll have to ‘come and take it from me’ https://t.co/0HhHTTN4Bj pic.twitter.com/BHSJXneXpL — New York Post (@nypost) December 13‚ 2023 “My youngest son‚ Ryder‚ is a senior in high school getting ready to graduate‚ or you know‚ going to graduate in the spring‚” Fieri continued. “And he’s like‚ ‘Dad this is so unfair. I haven’t even gone to college yet‚ and you’re already pushing that I’ve got to get an MBA? Can I just get through college?'” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The celebrity chef‚ who won the second season of the reality show “The Next Food Network Star” in 2006 then found massive success with his “Diners‚ Drive-Ins and Dives” show‚ making it one of the network’s biggest shows. He recently made news when he reportedly landed a multi-year contract with Food Network for over $100 million. Fieri reportedly signed a three-year contract with the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned channel‚ besting his previous contract with Food Network‚ which is estimated to be around $80 million for three years.  

As Republican presidential candidates make moves and gain endorsements in Iowa and New Hampshire before the first ballots are cast next month‚ one stark reality remains for the trailing GOP hopefuls: Donald Trump’s massive polling lead in both states. In Iowa — a state seen as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ best shot to pull off an early upset — Trump’s lead has grown larger from a week ago as the former president now posts a 30-point polling advantage in the state‚ according to the RealClearPolitics average. Trump’s lead is slightly smaller in New Hampshire‚ where he is ahead of the second-place former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley by 25 points. Haley won a major endorsement in New Hampshire Tuesday night when Republican Governor Chris Sununu publically announced his support for the former South Carolina governor at a campaign event in Manchester. Sununu‚ a strong Trump critic‚ endorsed Haley after spending time with both DeSantis and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on the campaign trail in the first primary state.  Sununu’s endorsement was vital for Haley’s campaign after her rival DeSantis secured the endorsement of Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds last month. Even with the endorsements‚ DeSantis and Haley will need to cover a lot of ground in the next month to be competitive with the former president. The most recent Iowa poll from NBC News and the Des Moines Register gave Trump a majority of the support in the Hawkeye State at 51% to DeSantis’ 19% and Haley’s 16%. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (5%)‚ Christie (3.7%)‚ and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (1%) trailed at the bottom of the pack in the Iowa poll. A Trafalgar Group poll of Iowa conducted at the beginning of the month put Trump’s support at 45%‚ leading DeSantis who came in at 22%‚ and Haley at 19%.  In the latest New Hampshire poll conducted over the weekend by the Trafalgar Group‚ Trump sits at 45%‚ Haley comes in second at 18%‚ Christie comes in third at 14%‚ DeSantis sits in fourth at 11%‚ and Ramaswamy posts 10%.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Trump’s good polling also flows into a hypothetical rematch with President Joe Biden. Trump leads the president by 2.3 percentage points in the RCP average as of Wednesday afternoon. In dozens of national polls on the 2024 general election conducted since the beginning of November‚ Trump has topped most of them‚ posting as big as six-point advantages over Biden in some polls. 

President Joe Biden smirked and refused to answer questions from reporters on Wednesday when pressed about his son‚ Hunter Biden‚ defying a congressional subpoena. Biden’s remarks came after Hunter Biden skipped a closed-door deposition with congressional investigators‚ likely paving the way to contempt of Congress proceedings that House Republicans have been threatening if he did not comply with the subpoena. At the end of giving remarks at a National Infrastructure Advisory Council event‚ Biden asked reporters to step out. A reporter shouted at Biden‚ “Mr. President‚ should your son have defied the subpoena?” Biden smirked at the question and refused to answer. WATCH: Q: "Should your son have defied the subpoena?" President Biden does not respond. pic.twitter.com/RJvMkGLwO2 — CSPAN (@cspan) December 13‚ 2023 Back in 2021‚ Biden was asked by reporters if people who defied congressional subpoenas should be criminally prosecuted by the Department of Justice. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Yes‚” Biden said. FLASHBACK to October 2021: Reporter: “Mr. President‚ what’s your message to people who defy Congressional subpoenas… Should they be prosecuted by the Justice Department?” Joe Biden: “Yes”pic.twitter.com/dAG8mMyacr — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 13‚ 2023 Hunter Biden‚ who is facing numerous criminal charges in two separate indictments‚ claimed that the House committee’s investigation was “illegitimate” and full of “distortions‚ manipulated evidence‚ and lies.” “For six years‚ MAGA Republicans‚ including members of the House committees who are in a closed-door session right now‚ have impugned my character‚ invaded my privacy‚ attacked my wife‚ my children‚ my family‚ and my friends‚” he claimed. “They have ridiculed my struggle with addiction‚ they have belittled my recovery‚ and they have tried to dehumanize me‚ all to embarrass the image of my father‚ who has devoted his entire life to public service. For six years I have been the target of the unrelenting Trump attack machine‚ shouting‚ ‘Where’s Hunter?’” “Well‚ here’s my answer‚” he continued. “I am here. Let me state as clearly as I can: My father was not financially involved in my business‚ not as a practicing lawyer‚ not as a board member of Burisma‚ not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman‚ not in my investments at home nor abroad and certainly not as an artist.”

MSNBC host Joy Reid attempted to set a rhetorical trap for her guest — an Israeli official — and ended up mired in it herself when she suggested that Israeli forces would employ a different strategy if they were targeting Hamas terrorists in Israel rather than in Gaza. Reid set up the question to Mark Regev‚ former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom‚ asking whether Israel would “drop 2‚000-pound bombs” on a hospital inside their own borders to take out a Hamas leader — with the implication being that Israel cared less about collateral damage and the possibility of civilian casualties when the civilians were Palestinians. Joy Reid proposes a ridiculous hypothetical to an Israeli official asking: If Hamas's top leader in Gaza "was hiding in Israeli territory‚ hiding in a hospital there…would Israel drop 2‚000-pound bombs on that hospital?"In reality‚ the IDF used ground forces to take al Shifa. pic.twitter.com/Ed61urkzrk — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 12‚ 2023 “Let me ask you this question‚” Reid began. “If you were to discover‚ the Israeli military were to discover that Yahya Sinwar‚ who is the Hamas militant who planned the 10/7 attacks‚ was actually hiding in Israeli territory‚ hiding in a hospital there with his militants‚ with his men — would Israel drop 2‚000-pound bombs on that hospital?” “We probably — if it was inside Israel and we had control of the ground‚ we’d send in our special forces as we have in the past when you’ve got sort of terrorist situations‚ and we would eliminate him‚” Regev replied. “And you would not do that in Gaza‚” Reid doubled down‚ again implying that Israeli forces were not taking care to minimize civilian casualties. “We actually — no‚ we have. We have sent ground forces into Gaza‚” Regev pushed back. “We’re losing soldiers in very difficult firefights between us and the Hamas terrorists. We will reach Sinwar‚ it’s only a matter of time.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Reid quickly moved to accuse Israel of a “violation of the Geneva conventions‚” arguing it was a war crime to force captured Hamas terrorists to strip down to their underwear. Regev pushed back on that as well‚ telling Reid‚ “So‚ can I say that the reason they have been asked to strip‚ except for their underwear‚ is because Hamas‚ of course‚ has been one of the pioneers of the use of explosive vests. And we have had too much experience with people from Hamas blowing themselves up and in the process‚ killing Israelis around them. And that we would ask people who have surrendered to strip off temporarily. That is a necessity of difficult combat with a terrorist group that has used this tactic repeatedly in the past. Too many Israelis have died from Hamas terrorists who have exploded themselves with explosive vests.” Israel Defense Forces did‚ as Regev said‚ send special forces operators in on the ground to execute the raid on Gaza’s Shifa Hospital that took place in mid-November. In addition‚ multiple sources have confirmed that Israel Defense Forces have repeatedly taken great pains to avoid civilian casualties whenever possible.

Oprah Winfrey defended her use of weight loss medication on occasion‚ saying “obesity is a disease” and is not due to a person’s lack of willpower. The 69-year-old billionaire TV personality has publicly discussed her weight loss struggles for decades. She most recently shared her thoughts during an interview with People that was published Wednesday. “It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years‚” she said of the media’s fixation on her fluctuating weight over the years. “I have been blamed and shamed‚ and I blamed and shamed myself.” Winfrey said that after “five decades” of obsessing over losing weight and “believing willpower” was her “failing‚” she experienced a turning point after undergoing knee surgery in 2021. “After knee surgery‚ I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends‚” the TV talk show host told People. “I felt stronger‚ more fit and more alive than I’d felt in years.” Of her eating habits these days‚ Winfrey said‚ “I eat my last meal at 4 o’clock‚ drink a gallon of water a day‚ and use the WeightWatchers principles of counting points. I had an awareness of [weight-loss] medications‚ but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it. I now no longer feel that way.” “I was actually recommending [the medication] to people long before I was on it myself‚” she added. Winfrey said she changed her thinking about the use of weight loss medication during a panel discussion called “The State of Weight‚” which is part of Oprah Daily’s “Life You Want” series. “I had the biggest aha along with many people in that audience‚” she said of doing the panel in July. “I realized I’d been blaming myself all these years for being overweight‚ and I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control.” “Obesity is a disease. It’s not about willpower — it’s about the brain‚” Winfrey told People.  As for using weight loss medication herself‚ the media mogul said she let go of “shame” when she started using it. She also didn’t disclose which specific one she’s been using.  “I now use it as I feel I need it‚ as a tool to manage not yo-yoing‚” Winfrey told the outlet.  “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier‚ in my lifetime‚ feels like relief‚ like redemption‚ like a gift‚ and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I’m absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself.” She explained how she utilized the medication ahead of Thanksgiving‚ for example. “Because I knew I was going to have two solid weeks of eating‚” Winfrey said‚ adding that “instead of gaining eight pounds like I did last year‚ I gained half a pound.” “It quiets the food noise‚” she said.

A Seattle high school teacher allegedly marked a student incorrect on a quiz for several gender identity questions‚ including for saying that “only women can get pregnant.” The quiz about “understanding gender vs. sex” was administered by a 10th grade Ethnic Studies World History teacher at Chief Sealth International High School‚ Fox News reported. One boy in the class marked the statement‚ “all men have penises‚” as true‚ but the teacher marked that answer incorrect. The boy also marked as true the statement‚ “only women can get pregnant‚” but the teacher again marked his answer as incorrect. The quiz also included the questions‚ “When someone uses ‘they/them’ pronouns‚ what does that mean about their gender identity?” and “True/false: Transgender people are gay.” The Seattle Public Schools district acknowledged that a “knowledge check quiz” was given to students in the high school’s Ethnic Studies class about two weeks ago. However‚ the district said the quiz grade did not affect students’ final class grade. “SPS remains committed to fostering inclusive environments that encourage the exploration of contemporary issues‚ particularly the examination of power systems such as racism and patriarchy. This dedication extends to providing a space for thoughtful exploration and dialogue on these issues‚” the district said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The district also said that the course description for the Ethnic Studies class “underscores that students will be ‘investigating … the global economy‚ society‚ and culture.'” The student’s mother‚ who said she identifies as a moderate liberal‚ expressed her “frustration and anger” to the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “I keep trying to wrap my head around how it is legal to teach inaccurate information and force students to answer against their beliefs or receive negative scores‚” the student’s mother told the outlet. The mom said she is “proud of him because he refused to answer against his beliefs (which are medically and scientifically accurate‚ or at least used to be).” The mom also accused teachers of calling her son names‚ including “f****d and racist” and a “product of the patriarchy that teaches young boys not to care about anything.” The school denied that any name-calling occurred. “Claims that the student was called names have not been reported to SPS. We have confirmed with [the] school’s principal that this is the first reference to any name-calling‚” the district said. Gender identity has become a hot button issue in public schools over the last several years‚ with parents across the country expressing concerns about curriculum content.

What a very fascinating movie — as both an American and Floridian