President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden headed to Hollywood this weekend for a Democratic fundraiser.
Outlets in Southern California are warning of massive traffic delays due to the presidential motorcade expected through the area.
President Biden to visit L.A. for Hollywood fundraiser: Brace yourself for traffic headaches https://t.co/CARYlFGW0D
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) December 8, 2023
“For security reasons, there is no advance announcement to the public regarding ramp closures related to a visit by a U.S. president or vice president,” said Caltrans spokesperson Marc Bischoff. “The LAPD or other enforcement personnel make rolling closures at ramps along a motorcade route, with no advance announcement to the public.”
"Bischoff recommends that motorists check traffic information, including the Caltrans website, prior to leaving for their destination," it added.
"Lunch Bucket" @JoeBiden Turns to his rich #Hollywood Elite friends like @robreiner for Fundraiser as Job Approval Craters to Lowest of Presidency https://t.co/aF4XAXP2qe via @HeyItsDavidNg #Breitbart #Democrats #Oligarchs
— Joe Allen 🇮🇱 (@RangerJoe79) December 8, 2023
"On Friday, Joe Biden will rub elbows with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, and Shonda Rhimes, who are among those co-hosting a glitzy Los Angeles party where Hollywood big shots will rain money on the 81-year-old president," Breitbart News reported.
"Other co-hosts will include former Paramount boss Jim Gianopulos and mega-producer Peter Chernin. Tickets will go for as much as $500,000. For a cool $25,000, you will get access to a photo line," it continued.
As President Biden arrives in L.A. for a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser, the LAPD is warning protesters that "violence of any kind will not be tolerated." The department promising stepped-up enforcement. How the president's visit could impact you. This morning at 6 from ABC7 pic.twitter.comd/JF5qmEC8qd
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) December 8, 2023
"As President Biden arrives in L.A. for a star-studded Hollywood fundraiser, the LAPD is warning protesters that 'violence of any kind will not be tolerated,'" ABC 7 reported.
"The department promising stepped-up enforcement," it noted, pushing back after several pro-Palestinian protests at recent political events.
The trip comes as Biden could face an impeachment inquiry vote in the House in the coming week over allegations related to international business deals involving his son Hunter Biden.
The move also comes as Biden seeks to deal with a dropping approval rating and low poll numbers with primary voting beginning in Iowa next month.
The trip could cause more than traffic problems for Americans, however, as the fundraising is expected to fund his campaign push for a second term in 2024.
"The View" co-host Joy Behar was left speechless by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's comments about Hillary Clinton.
The remarks from the puppet called Behar for wanting to "sniff" the former Secretary of State's chair.
#TheView's Joy Behar was shocked when Triumph The Insult Comic Dog joked that she wanted to "sniff Hillary Clinton's chair." https://t.co/3pB7xBG5KJ pic.twitter.com/u1tSDVnbS1
— Decider (@decider) December 9, 2023
"Behar pointed out that the last time she saw Triumph was at her birthday party last year, asking the furry puppet, 'Did you have a good time?'” according to Decider.
Triumph replied, “Oh, that was tremendous. I was at Joy Behar’s 80th birthday party. I performed. Oh, what a night it was. It was open bar and open casket. Joy, you and I both got so drunk we were fighting over who got to sniff Hillary Clinton‘s chair."
‘Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’ hilariously shreds ‘The View’ co-hosts on their own show https://t.co/iR0p98L4S9 via @BIZPACReview
— Dr. Kenneth Warner (@wrestlerkw7) December 10, 2023
“Why do you keep saying my age?” Behar asked, looking slightly miffed.
“Joy, you realize you’re 81, you’re old enough to run for president… and to watch The View!” Triumph quipped. “You’re right in the demographic of The View now!”
‘Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’ Hilariously Skewers Ladies of ‘The View’ https://t.co/GKWJqq8OpF
— The American Tribune (@TAmTrib) December 9, 2023
"I love The View. It’s inspiring, it’s empowering. It’s a place – women feel safe here, except from other women," Triumph later stated.
Triumph appeared to be referencing Meghan McCain, who claimed it was a toxic workplace after she left in 2021. Triumph wasn’t done with Behar quite yet," the outlet noted.
Behar has often been critical of conservatives, including attacks against former President Donald Trump, while also supporting Democrats like Hillary Clinton in her role on the television program. She has largely also supported President Joe Biden, despite his many gaffes and concerns over his age and cognitive health.
The words were used against her in the segment voiced by a puppet that refused to hold back in criticizing the host during her own show.
The jokes struck conservatives with delight, calling out some of her past attacks against others in a surprise turn of events targeting the longtime host. The segment left Behar stunned and her co-hosts seeking to redeem the program in a quick recovery after the puppet prankster's damage that quickly turned viral online following the on-air comments.
Pro-abortion activists were livid over the weekend after the Texas Supreme Court made a bombshell ruling that blocked a lower court's order.
According to Breitbart, the state's high court blocked a ruling from a lower court that would have allowed a woman who was 20 weeks pregnant to have her unborn baby aborted.
Democrat Travis County District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble had originally issued a temporary restraining order against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) and other officials who fought to block the abortion procedure.
Paxton asked the state's high court to intervene, which resulted in blocking the order "without regard to the merits" of the case.
Dallas-based Kate Cox, a mother of two, enlisted the help of the Center for Reproductive Rights to fight to be able to terminate her pregnancy.
Cox took legal action to attempt to obtain an abortion after doctors told her that her unborn child has "Trisomy 18, otherwise known as Edwards syndrome."
In her lawsuit, she argued that "her pregnancy may not survive to birth, and if it does, her baby would be stillborn or survive for only minutes, hours, or days."
The Texas Supreme Court stepped in late Friday to stop a 31-year-old mother from having an abortion after a lower court judge gave the green light. Doctors say her fetus is not viable and carrying it to term could threaten her life. @eschulze reports. https://t.co/8seWc5CM2n pic.twitter.com/CZsxNgsM5U
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) December 10, 2023
Breitbart noted:
The complaint also states that Cox had been to three different emergency rooms within a month due to “severe cramping and unidentifiable fluid leaks.” The lawsuit alleges that her history of having two prior cesarean surgeries means continuing the pregnancy “puts her at high risk for severe complications threatening her life and future fertility, including uterine rupture and hysterectomy.”
Her physician stated that Cox's request for the abortion fell within the medical exemption rules of Texas abortion laws. Doctors can be prosecuted if an abortion is performed that doesn't fall within those standards.
The Texas AG argued that proper procedures were not followed at the hospital in obtaining the proper clearance to perform the abortion under the rules of current state law.
"It appears she has not sought a second opinion from a colleague at your hospital to determine whether they agree with her that Ms. Cox qualifies for the medical exception. Nothing in the TRO (temporary restraining order) compels you to waive your hospital’s long-standing policies for determining whether a patient, including Ms. Cox, qualifies for the medical exception to Texas’ abortion laws," Paxton wrote.
The lawsuit, depending on how it ultimately settles, could set a precedent for similar cases in other states with strict abortion laws.
Other women have filed lawsuits against the state in attempts to obtain abortions.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is endorsing former President Donald Trump in 2024.
This is one of two recent, big announcements from McCarthy. The other big announcement is that he is retiring from Congress.
McCarthy announced his retirement in an op-ed that he recently wrote for the Wall Street Journal. And, McCarthy announced his endorsement of Trump during a recent interview with CBS News.
This all comes after McCarthy was recently ousted from the House speakership position.
During the interview, McCarthy said, unambiguously, "I will support the president. I will support President Trump."
This came as a surprise to some because McCarthy and Trump have not always seen eye-to-eye. In addition to this, Trump supporters played a large role in McCarthy's ouster. But, nonetheless, McCarthy is supporting Trump in 2024.
The former House speaker, during the interview, was also asked whether he would accept a cabinet position from Trump should Trump win in 2024 and offer him such a position. McCarthy answered in the affirmative.
"In the right position, look, if, if I’m the best person for the job, yes," McCarthy said.
He added, "Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies. I, we, worked together to win the majority. But we also have a relationship where we’re very honest with one another."
McCarthy's Journal op-ed is titled, Kevin McCarthy: I'm Leaving the House but Not the Fight. It was published on Dec. 6, 2023.
"No matter the odds, or personal cost, we did the right thing. That may seem out of fashion in Washington these days, but delivering results for the American people is still celebrated across the country. It is in this spirit that I have decided to depart the House at the end of this year to serve America in new ways. I know my work is only getting started." McCarthy wrote.
McCarthy did not reveal what he has lined up, but he did say that he "will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office" and that he is "committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders."
McCarthy went on to provide more hints about the direction of his future, writing, "It often seems that the more Washington does, the worse America gets. I started my career as a small-business owner, and I look forward to helping entrepreneurs and risk-takers reach their full potential. The challenges we face are more likely to be solved by innovation than legislation."
Trump has yet to comment on McCarthy's retirement.
A Democratic pollster says that former President Donald Trump is receiving a higher approval rating from the Democratic Party's base than President Joe Biden.
The pollster is Stan Greenberg.
Greenberg, who is also a political strategist, said as much on Friday during an appearance on CNN's Outfront.
This comes after Greenberg recently conducted a poll of thousands of voters who are located in battleground states.
The segment began with guest host John King, saying:
Tonight, quote, "This is grim." Those are the words of the veteran Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg . . . Greenberg who teams up with James Carville at the Democracy Corps, found that among voters who usually make out the Democratic base - young voters, Black voters, Hispanic voters, Asian voters, LGBTQ voters - get this, all of them collectively gave Donald Trump a higher approval rating than President Biden.
King went on to ask Greenberg why the situation is so "grim" for Biden. And, the answer appears to be that the polls are showing that Biden does not have the support of his base for 2024.
"But the grim is in the fact that the base is the problem. That you have a - you know, we're behind in this race, in the base, approval of the president is lower than that of Trump, you know, in the base. And, probably the hardest part about that is that if the issues at play, it's not just we're not doing well now and inevitably the structure of that race, you know, will come back," Greenberg said.
He continued, "I think we're dealing with issues of prices, wages not keeping up with inflation. We're talking about crime. We're talking about the border. So, we're dealing with -- you were dealing with issues that are eroding our people on the issues."
Greenberg went on to try to claim that, despite the bad polling, there is "a path forward" for Biden.
The Wall Street Journal has just released its own poll showing that Biden's approval rating is at an all-time low. According to the Journal, Biden's approval is currently at only 37%.
Real Clear Politics currently has Biden's average approval rating at 39.8%. So, the Journal's finding is a couple of points below the average.
Another big finding from the Journal's poll is that Trump, in a hypothetical 2024 matchup with Biden, is beating Biden by a tally of 47% to 43%.
Perhaps even worse news for Biden is the fact that just about all of the polls seem to be going in the wrong direction for him. He is getting weaker, while Trump is getting stronger.
Suffice is to say that, if the polls are to be believed, then it is looking less and less likely that Biden will be reelected in 2024.
A mid-century American pop music icon and singing sensation, Lola Dee, passed away on Thursday at the age of 95, according to the Daily Caller.
The news of the popular 1950s singer who was known for her voice and stage presence was first shared by her publicist and producer.
She is said to have passed from natural causes while residing in a nursing home facility in Hinsdale, Illinois, a suburb on the west side of her hometown of Chicago.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lola Dee was born in Chicago in 1928 as Lorraine DeAngelis and began performing in local amateur talent contests at the age of nine.
She first gained national attention for her singing on an ABC radio show known as "Teen Town" and then later was signed by ABC as a staff vocalist after performing for a while on a Chicago-based radio show known as "National Barn Dance."
That led to her being signed to a multi-year deal with Chicago-based Mercury Records in 1950, where she was paired with the Al Trace Orchestra and proceeded to produce several hit tunes and formally cement her status as a national pop music icon for the era.
According to Variety, as part of her five-year deal with Mercury, the singer adopted the stage name of Lola Ameche and, in collaboration with the Al Trace Orchestra, recorded and released the 1951 Billboard chart hit song "Pretty Eyed Baby," followed by another hit song titled "Hitsity Hotsity."
Over the next few years, the singer and the orchestra would go on to record and release at least 20 other popular tunes in the swing music genre.
As the rock and roll genre began to become a thing, however, Mercury decided to make some changes and repackaged the singer with a new name, Lola Dee, and newly dyed blonde hair, and shifted her over to a subsidiary label known as Wing Records.
It was under Wing Records that Dee recorded and released a cover of a tune by the Platters -- "Only You (And You Alone)" -- that would ultimately sell more than a million copies.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the singer, under both stage names of Lola Ameche and Lola Dee, also toured widely during her heyday in the 1950s, often in conjunction with a band fronted by Ralph Marterie, who would later become her manager.
Per Variety, she would perform live alongside popular figures like Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, and Johnnie Ray in clubs and theaters across North America, Central America, and South America, as well as across the Pacific Ocean in places like Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore.
The singer eventually returned home to Chicago and worked for a time on WGN up until the late 1970s, when she stepped away from her musical career to care for her ailing mother who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, with her final live performances coming in 1978 in the form of the National Anthem ahead of home games played by the Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dee had a secondary post-music career as an executive hotel concierge and is solely survived by a son named Barry.
Hunter Biden, who was criminally indicted in September on federal felony gun charges, was just hit with another federal criminal indictment on Thursday, this time for an assortment of alleged tax law violations.
When the maximum possible sentence is considered for each count filed by Special Counsel David Weiss, the president's son faces a combined total of up to 42 years behind bars, according to Breitbart.
That number could potentially rise even further, as the special counsel's years-long investigation reportedly remains "ongoing" and there is the real possibility that Biden could face additional indictment with even more prospective prison time over other alleged criminal acts and wrongdoing.
A Thursday press release from Special Counsel Weiss revealed that a federal grand jury had returned a nine-count criminal indictment against Hunter Biden over alleged tax law violations that occurred between 2016 to 2019.
The president's son is alleged to have "engaged in a four-year scheme in which he chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019 and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns."
As such, he faces three felonies for filing false tax returns and tax evasion as well as six misdemeanors for failure to file returns and failure to pay what was due during that period.
If convicted on all counts and given the maximum sentence for each one, Biden faces up to 17 years in prison for his purported tax crimes.
In September, Special Counsel Weiss announced that Hunter Biden had been criminally indicted in his home state of Delaware on three federal firearm charges related to his fraudulent and illegal purchase of a handgun in 2018, when he is alleged to have lied about his admitted drug abuse on the federal form to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Those three charges include "making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance."
If convicted on all three counts, Biden faces up to 25 years in federal prison.
The New York Post reported that Special Counsel Weiss' announcement of the tax-related indictment made it clear that "the investigation is ongoing," which prompted speculation that additional federal criminal charges could still be forthcoming in the years-long probe of the president's son.
The most likely additional federal charges Hunter Biden could face would be violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act concerning his questionable foreign business dealings and alleged influence-peddling, with the accusation being that he was working on behalf of the interests of foreign entities and governments without adhering to certain federal regulations and disclosure requirements.
Such charges would arguably be the most serious, both in that FARA violations are punishable by up to five years in prison per each count as well as that Biden's alleged FARA violations could implicate his father in potential criminal wrongdoing.
That said, FARA violations come with a five-year statute of limitations, and the Post noted that most of Biden's questionable conduct that might have violated the FARA statute occurred beyond the last five years during the time that his father served as vice president, meaning Biden could likely only be charged for alleged violations that occurred during and after 2019.
President Joe Biden recently impersonated a little girl in what some are referring to as "his creepiest moment yet."
The incident, according to the Daily Caller, came during Biden's recent speech at the Tribal Nations Summit.
Take a look for yourself here. The incident takes place at around the 12:30 mark of the video.
Right before Biden began the impersonation, he was trying to claim that he has restored various protections for tribal lands.
"At the same time, preserving important and ancestral Tribal lands, I restored protections from my predecessor — gutted by my predecessor at three national monuments: Grand Staircase and Beers Ear — Bears Ears," Biden said.
It was at this point that he took a tangent and began to impersonate a little girl whom he claimed to have met on a plane. He did so by pronouncing all of his "r's" as one would pronounce "w's."
The president said:
And, by the way, you know how that happened? I was in a plane, and a little girl came up to me. She said, "Mr. Pwesident" — (laughter) — "can you take care of Beaws Ears?" (Laughter) And, I said — I said, "Can I…" I thought she said can I take care of her ears. (Laughter.) And, I said, "What, honey?" And she said, "Beaws Ears. It’s really important!" And, guess what? She was dead right, and we did take care of it.
We'll leave it up to you, the reader, to determine whether this is a legitimate story or another one of Biden's made-up stories.
Besides making up stories, Biden is also well-known for having countless awkward encounters, especially between women and children. And, some of these encounters have been caught on camera.
There is, for example, this infamous encounter:
President Joe Biden grabs a young girl by the shoulder and tells her “no serious guys till your 30” as she looks back appearing uncomfortable, secret service appears to try to stop me from filming it after Biden spoke @ Irvine Valley Community College | @TPUSA @FrontlinesShow pic.twitter.com/BemRybWdBI
— Kalen D’Almeida (@fromkalen) October 15, 2022
There is also the incident that just took place in November, when Biden interrupted his speech to tell a 6-year-old girl that he loves her ears.
As the Daily Caller's Kay Smythe put it, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that letting small children around Biden will likely result in them being sniffed, touched, and have to deal with some weird statement."
A federal appeals court reinstated a gag order against former President Donald Trump but it no longer includes restrictions against special counsel Jack Smith.
The change came in the new update as the gag order was reapplied in the Jan. 6 case.
Federal appeals court reinstates but narrows gag order on Donald Trump in his 2020 election subversion case in D.C.
https://t.co/cfb5TV9F5q— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 8, 2023
"The First Amendment unquestionably affords political speech robust protection," wrote Judge Patricia Millett in the unanimous three-judge ruling, according to the Washington Post.
"But there is another fundamental constitutional interest at stake here. The existence of a political campaign or political speech does not alter the court’s historical commitment or obligation to ensure the fair administration of justice in criminal cases."
🚨 Appeals court reinstates Trump gag order in J6 case, but rules Trump can now speak freely about Jack Smith
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 8, 2023
"The ruling upholds a ban on Trump speaking about the participation of witnesses, but removes from the order special counsel Jack Smith as someone off limits," the Post Millennial reported.
"Commentary by attorneys in the case, court staff, and family members, are prohibited 'if those statements are made with the intent to materially interfere with, or to cause others to materially interfere with, counsel’s or staff’s work in this criminal case, or with the knowledge that such interference is highly likely to result,'" it continued.
BREAKING: DC Circuit UPHOLDS gag order against Trump with only a minor change.
"Trump is...an indicted criminal defendant, and he must stand trial...under the same procedures that govern all other criminal defendants. That is what the rule of law means."https://t.co/eH7KyvqcC5
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) December 8, 2023
"The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has officially upheld key parts of the gag order imposed by Judge Chutkan on Donald Trump, including restricting public statements related to the case and made by Trump about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses," Meidas Touch reported.
"Trump is expected to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court," it noted.
The order is part of a series of legal battles Trump faces in his effort to return to the White House next year.
He also faces cases in New York, Florida and Georgia with over 90 total charges against him in a variety of indictments.
The battle is far from over as Trump seeks a rematch against President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
That portion of America's population that preps for disaster often in the past has been limited to handsful of people with electric generators in their garages and basements full of dry and canned foods stacked on shelves.
In other words, a relatively small number.
But it's growing, and the younger populations are leading the way.
That's according to a survey by Finder.com that was profiled in Fox News.
The results reveal that in 2019, only 20% of Americans reported making a disaster-related purchase over the previous year. The most recent year found 29% doing that, with 39% of Millennials and 40% of Gen Zers "reported spending money on disaster prepping in the last 12 months."
Those numbers had spiked during COVID when 45% confirmed such purchases, and among Millennials it was 58% and Gen Zers was 59%.
While the later numbers were down, Fox explained, "Younger Americans appear to be the ones preparing the most for a disaster scenario ahead of 2024, with everything from global pandemics to the upcoming presidential election on their minds."
"In my work, I see young people worried about a repeat of a COVID-type event and the types of disruption it can bring to daily life," explained Chad Huddleston, of Southern Illinois University, in a visit with Fox News Digital.
And Drew Miller, chief of Fortitude Collapse Preparedness, added, "Our people have known for a long time that when there's an electric grid failure or a real pandemic… that people won't go to work, there won't be food, and they'll starve if you don't have preparations."
Patrick McCall, of McCall Risk Group, explained to Fox, "The number of sites I think that were selling these [emergency preparedness] things or the number of places that were offering this type of stuff on the Internet was very scarce [in 2017]. Then we got into COVID, which created its own dilemmas and own kind of prepping in a different bit of craziness, as I would call it."
Several experts suggested concerns over the 2024 presidential election could be a motivating factor.
Miller cited concerns over a "possible civil war" following the election. Democrats, in fact, repeatedly have claimed that democracy will be dead if President Donald Trump is victorious, despite the fact the policies and actions of Democrat candidate Joe Biden, the incumbent, have repeatedly undermined democracy through his agenda to censor ordinary Americans, and impose punishment for thought crimes.
It's also partly because national and international politics are "more chaotic," according to Brekke Wagoner, who runs the Sustainable Prepping social media channel.
"I think for the first time, a lot of Millennials and Gen Zers are realizing how fragile our systems are. We've grown up in a time in which technology has meant we've had grocery stores that were always stocked and you can get anything from Amazon in 24 hours. Then all of a sudden the pandemic and some uncertainties in our national and international politics has made us rethink how all of these systems are not as stable as we assumed," Wagoner said.