Hollywood’s upper crust turn against Biden as political turbulence intensifies
Hollywood elites with previous support for President Biden are turning on the Democrat’s re-election efforts after a damaging debate performance triggered concerns over his mental competency.
Biden’s physical and mental fitness were called into question after the first presidential debate in June, sparking calls from voters, Democratic members of Congress, and donors for the party to select a new nominee to take on former President Trump in November.
Netflix co-founder and megadonor Reed Hastings, who has given millions to Democratic candidates, including Biden, is one of the most recent staunch Hollywood donors to switch gears and call for Biden to drop out of the race.
“Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” Hastings told the New York Times in a statement.
MULTIPLE RANKING DEMOCRATS ON HOUSE COMMITTEES WANT BIDEN TO STEP ASIDE
Star Trek screenwriter Damon Lindelof, a self-described “lifelong Democrat,” said Biden’s debate performance was “disappointing, upsetting, terrifying” before calling for the party to select a new nominee.
While he noted previous support for Biden, Lindelof suggested imposing “economic sanctions” on the Democratic Party until the president is replaced on the 2024 ticket.
“When they text you asking for cash, text back that you’re not giving them a penny, and you won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket,” Lindelof wrote in a column for Deadline. “I propose a DEMbargo. No checks written. No ActBlue links clicked. For anyone.”
COMER REVEALS WHITE HOUSE PHYSICIAN WAS INVOLVED IN BIDEN FAMILY BUSINESS DEALS, DEMANDS HE TESTIFY
Lindelof has given hundreds of thousands to the party over the years, with public records showing donations to the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee and candidates such as Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
Disney heiress and film producer Abigail Disney offered a warning to Democrats if Biden is not replaced as the nominee.
“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” she told CNBC after the debate. “If Biden does not step down, the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.”
Actor and Democrat donor Rob Reiner also joined the chorus of voices on Sunday calling for Biden to withdraw from the race.
“It’s time to stop f—ing around. If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity,” Reiner wrote in a post on X. “It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”
Hollywood agent Ari Emaunel said he believes that Biden “is not the candidate anymore” and that donors are already moving their money away from his campaign.
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“Well, I’m p—ed off at the Founding Fathers. They had the start date of 35. They just didn’t give us the end date,” Hastings said at the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival. “I’ve talked to a bunch of big donors, and they’re moving all their money to Congress and the Senate. I mean, I can’t believe we’re in this situation.”
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban, who said he will still vote for Biden if he remains the Democratic nominee, revealed on X after the debate that he is “open to the discussion to replace Biden and/or Harris.”
Biden has doubled down on his intentions to stay in the race amid calls to suspend his re-election bid, recently telling a 4th of July crowd at the White House that he is “not going anywhere.”
Biden’s former press secretary makes admission about president’s interview fiasco
MSNBC host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki admitted Sunday that President Biden’s recent interview may not be enough to help her former boss.
Psaki opened her show remarking on Democratic figures beginning to call on the president to step down following his disastrous debate against former President Trump back in June. In the week following the debate, Biden sat down for an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos to try and push back against the critics.
However, Psaki noted, it probably wasn’t enough to turn the tide.
“I would say it went just okay for the president,” Psaki said. “In many ways, people watching saw what they wanted to see, because for some, he looks better than he did at the debate. He did. He was more clear. He seemed much better prepared to make his case against Trump. There were also some moments — not just one — that did not go well.”
THE EYEBROW-RAISING MOMENTS FROM BIDEN’S ABC INTERVIEW: DOING THE ‘GOODEST’ JOB HE CAN
She remarked that Biden seemed “in denial” about the state of the race against Trump and did little to assure his supporters about his stamina.
“When the interview ended, it left us all in this sort of purgatory for the moment. It was better than the debate, not a home run at all. Even if it was a home run, one interview definitely doesn’t have the capacity to change the perception out there of 72% of voters, according to a CBS poll, who do not believe that Biden has the mental or cognitive health to serve. Even the White House and the campaign know that,” Psaki said.
During her monologue, Psaki also stated that the “panic” within the Democratic Party has not died down with most people unsure about the next step.
“The questions I know I’m getting from text messages from friends, from family are twofold: What’s going to happen and what is the best path forward?” Psaki said. “And I’m not going to sit here this afternoon and tell you I know the answer to either question.”
Regarding Democrats keen on replacing Biden, she warned that any alternate path would need to start soon since the Democratic National Convention and the election are fast approaching.
REP. SCHIFF EXPRESSES DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER BIDEN CAN BEAT TRUMP: ‘DEBATE RIGHTFULLY RAISED QUESTIONS’
“The clock is ticking. That’s just a fact,” Psaki said.
Psaki previously worked as the White House press secretary under Biden until May 2022. Shortly afterward, she was hired as an MSNBC contributor before finally hosting her own show “Inside with Jen Psaki” in 2023.
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Moment Russian hypersonic missile hits children’s hospital in ‘genocidal’ blitz
A massive Russian missile attack across Ukraine on Monday has left at least 31 dead and more than 150 injured, officials say, with one projectile slamming into a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now vowing to “hold Russia accountable for its acts of terror and Putin for ordering the strikes.”
In a series of messages posted on X, Zelenskyy said more than 40 types of missiles struck the cities of Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Slovyansk, and Kramatorsk, damaging apartment buildings and infrastructure as well.
“Now that the hospital has been damaged by a Russian strike, there are people under the rubble, and the exact number of casualties is still unknown,” Zelenskyy said while describing the current situation at the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. “Right now, everyone is helping to clear the rubble – doctors and ordinary people.”
CHINA’S XI URGES WORLD POWERS TO FACILITATE DIRECT DIALOGUE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
Zelenskyy described the facility as one of the most “important” children’s hospitals in Europe and one that has been “saving and restoring the health of thousands of children.”
“Every time there are attempts to discuss peace with him, Russia responds with attacks on homes and hospitals,” Zelenskyy declared.
“This is why we can only force Russia into peace, and we can only achieve this together with everyone in the world who truly seeks peace,” he also said. “This requires sufficient support, determination, truly joint action, and defense – shoulder to shoulder.
Strikes in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s birthplace in central Ukraine, killed 10 people and injured 47 in what the head of city administration, Oleksandr Vilkul, said was a massive missile attack, according to The Associated Press. Seven people were killed in Kyiv, authorities said.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 16 people, seven of them children, were injured at the children’s hospital.
PUTIN STRESSES PEACE ONLY AFTER UKRAINE’S SURRENDER
On the hospital’s main 10-story building, windows and doors were blown out and walls were blackened, the AP reports. Blood spattered the floor in one room. The intensive care unit, operating theaters and oncology departments all were damaged, officials said.
The attack also forced the evacuation of the hospital and its temporary closure. Some mothers carried their children away on their backs, while others waited in the courtyard with their children as calls to doctors’ phones rang unanswered.
Marina Ploskonos said her 4-year-old son had spinal surgery Friday.
“My child is terrified,” she told the AP. “This shouldn’t be happening, it’s a children’s hospital,” she said, bursting into tears.
Ukraine’s Security Service said it found wreckage from a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the site and had opened proceedings on war crime charges. The Kh-101 is an air-launched missile that flies low to avoid detection by radar. Ukraine said it shot down 11 of 13 Kh-101 missiles launched Monday.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian defense plants and military air bases and were successful. It denied aiming at any civilian facilities and claimed without evidence that pictures from Kyiv indicated the damage was caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile.
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The attacks unfolded a day before the U.S. is scheduled to convene a NATO summit in Washington, D.C.
The president of the National Education Association (NEA) was mocked over the weekend for giving a “totally unhinged” speech that reminded critics of a comedy skit from a famous American TV show.
NEA President Becky Pringle banged on the podium, flailed her hands in the air and screamed about winning “all the things” repeatedly at the NEA’s Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly (RA) in Philadelphia. X critics compared the moment to an iconic scene with Dwight Schrute from “The Office.”
During the screechy speech, Pringle called for transformative social justice change in the education system in the pursuit of equity.
NEA TEACHERS UNION SPENDING $140K FOR ‘ENEMIES LIST’ OPPOSITION RESEARCH OF GROUPS TURNING UP HEAT ON SCHOOLS
“To unite not just our members, but the nation to reclaim public education as a common good, as the foundation of our democracy, and then transform it into something it was never designed to be—a racially and socially just and equitable system,” Pringle said. “We worked hard to rid ourselves of a tyrannical, deceitful, and corrupt White House, but the reality is that the seeds that were sown during that horrible season continue to germinate.”
“We are the ones who help shape the heart of this nation’s hope and dreams. We are the ones who hold steadfast to the belief in the plausibility of the possible. We are the heirs of all who did this work before us. We must keep going. NEA Delegates, we can do this work. We must do this work,” she added.
“Our students are depending on us to win all the things,” Pringle said, while continuing her screechy pitch. “All the things! All the things! All the things.”
Critics, such as school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis called her speech “off-the-rails” and compared it to a scene from “The Office.”
“These power-hungry control freaks think they own your kids. They’re in a cult that worships government and detests parents. It’s time to defund teachers unions and allow the money to follow the child,” Corey DeAngelis told Fox News Digital. “Becky Pringle pulled a Dwight Schrute. She is off-the-rails and desperate to maintain control over the minds of other people’s children.”
NEA SOCIAL JUSTICE TRAINER ADMITS CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN K-12 DESPITE CLAIMS BY UNION BOSS BECKY PRINGLE
The creators of Dwight’s speech based his over-the-top performance upon real speeches by Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
“Blood alone moves the wheels of history!” Schrute said in the episode. “It has been a lifetime struggle. A never-ending fight. I say to you, and you will understand that it is a privilege to fight! We are warriors!… Rise and be worthy of this historical hour! No revolution is worth anything unless it can defend itself! …We must never acquiesce, for it is together, TOGETHER, THAT WE PREVAIL!
Critics said Pringle’s speech carried similar screechy riffs and mannerisms. Pringle proposed transforming the education system with social justice.
“Her overwrought, hyper-partisan tirade amounted to an advertisement for school choice,” said Heritage Foundation research fellow, Jason Bedrick, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS’ UNION BEGS FOR CASH AFTER BEING FORCED TO HANDOVER $300K FOR ILLEGAL STRIKE
“During her speech, Pringle claimed the NEA would ‘continue to embrace the profound trust that has been placed in’ them. Apparently, she hasn’t seen the polls showing record-low public trust in public schools,” he added. “Even Pringle’s over-the-top, Dwight Schrute-like theatrics can’t distract from her union’s role in the dismal state of education in this country, from keeping schools closed for far too long during COVID, to shielding bad teachers from accountability–all at the expense of students’ learning.”
Political consultant, Matt Dole, reached a similar conclusion, believing the fictitious Schrute was Pringle’s “speech coach.”
It wasn’t the first time critics drew the comparison.
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During last year’s RA speech, the National Review’s Jack Crowe said, “Pringle believes she’s a revolutionary; that is the only conclusion to be drawn from the truly unhinged speech she delivered.”
“Channeling Dwight Schrute, Pringle urges her colleagues, not to raise the nation’s embarrassing reading and math scores, no, but to ‘fight for freedom,’ the National Review added.
Fox News Digital contacted the NEA for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Inside Livvy Dunne’s surprise for her baseball star boyfriend after he lands major deal
Olivia “Livvy” Dunne could not have been more ecstatic to find out her boyfriend, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Paul Skenes, made the NL All-Star team after just 10 starts in his big league career.
Dunne wanted to surprise Skenes with a small celebration of pizza and champagne after the news dropped on Sunday, as MLB released the pitchers, reserves and complete rosters for the All-Star Game, which will be held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on July 16.
The LSU gymnast posted several times on social media about Skenes’ All-Star selection, which made MLB history as he was the first player ever to be selected No. 1 overall and then granted All-Star honors the following year.
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First, Dunne simply shared MLB’s post about Skenes being selected for the game, captioning it, “he’s an ALL STAR!”
She then revealed in a second Instagram Story that she had a surprise being cooked up for Skenes – gold letter balloons that spelled out “ALL STAR” with the pizza and champagne on the kitchen counter.
PIRATES ROOKIE PAUL SKENES MAKES MLB HISTORY AFTER GETTING SELECTED TO MLB ALL-STAR GAME
Dunne, sporting a long black dress in her TikTok video, gave a look at the surprise she had in store for Skenes.
Once he came home, he was all smiles as he saw what Dunne had ready for him. They both hugged in the kitchen, celebrating another milestone moment in what has been a fantastic start to Skenes’ baseball career.
Skenes, 22, made his MLB debut on May 11 this season against the Chicago Cubs, when he set down seven hitters by strike out over four innings. Since then, he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, using his electric stuff on the mound to generate a 2.12 ERA over 10 starts.
Skenes flashes a triple-digit fastball on the radar gun with filthy breaking pitches that has troubled big league hitters as much as it did in college with the Tigers.
Skenes has struck out 78 hitters already, while walking just 12 over 59.1 innings.
“You definitely can’t expect it,” Skenes said of his All-Star Game bid, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think it’s just a product of being present and doing the work that it takes, that kind of thing. The expectation was definitely to win the national championship when we were there. That was the only thing that we wanted to do.
“But in terms of getting drafted first overall, getting called up whenever I was called up, and now the All-Star game, there were no expectations for me. It’s kind of just about doing as much as I can and allowing others to make the decision for me.”
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Skenes and Dunne both hope this is just the first of many to come, but they are certainly making the best of this moment, one they surely will not forget as the All-Star Game fast approaches next week.
Disney lovers outraged by new theme park rules targeting the handicapped
It has been three months since Disney announced changes to disability access for guests at its theme parks, and now some disabled guests are demanding action.
The changes went into effect May 20 at Walt Disney World in Florida and June 18 at California’s Disneyland. Disability Access Service (DAS) is a free service that allows those with disabilities to get a return time for attractions rather than wait in a standard line.
It used to be much easier for guests to get DAS accommodation, but now, those who previously enjoyed the greater accessibility are being left out.
“I was recently denied the Disability Access Services here at Disneyland,” Charisma Mangahas, a 25-year-old Disneyland annual passholder diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2018, said in a June 27 TikTok video that has gotten more than 1.7 million views.
DISNEY PARKS WILL ISSUE LIFETIME BANS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIE ABOUT DISABILITIES
While sitting in her wheelchair and her trache connected to a vent, she made the recommendation that Disney allow disabled guests who do not qualify for the DAS program to be able to purchase an annual Lightning Lane that will allow them to skip standby lines.
Mangahas told FOX Business she had used the DAS pass before, “but now with the policy changes, all I’ve experienced with DAS is stress.”
“DAS is intended to accommodate only those Guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar disorder, are unable to wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time,” the websites for both parks state.
Previously, DAS was indicated as for “guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to a disability.”
In addition to the specification for those who qualify for DAS, Disney also changed the procedure for requesting the service.
Currently at Walt Disney World, all DAS registrations must occur via virtual video chat as soon as 30 days in advance of a park visit.
At Disneyland, guests applying for DAS can either use a virtual chat or a dedicated “accessibility services” window for same-day requests.
Mangahas says the day she recorded the TikTok video, she had waited on the phone for nearly three hours for the online process before she asked her sister to drive her to the park to do the required interview in person. She said she waited at the accessibility services booth for an hour before talking to a cast member prior to a “third party interviewer.”
She said a Disney cast member told her she was not denied the DAS but was provided with other accommodations, and it was up to her to take it. She said she was told she could purchase Genie+ services if she would like – a service that “offers even more convenience and flexibility, starting at $30.00 USD per ticket per day,” the Disneyland website states.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 97.99 | -0.62 | -0.63% |
DISNEY ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO DISABILITY ACCESS FOR GUESTS AT ITS THEME PARKS
Mangahas is not the only disgruntled parkgoer.
“I have lupus, pots & ptsd,” a TikToker wrote in response to Mangahas’ video. “Due to fainting spells, long waits are hard for me. I’ve been denied just because I don’t look sick. I can’t believe they aren’t helping people who are clearly disabled.”
“My mom who has stage 4 cancer and is unable to wait in lines was denied too (even though she got DAS before),” another wrote on TikTok.
An online petition shows nearly 24,000 people are asking for disabled people to stop being excluded from the California and Florida parks with the new policy.
Disney did not immediately respond to a FOX Business request for comment.
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The company announced back in April that guests found to have made false statements in order to obtain Disability Access Services will be permanently banned from its parks.
Mangahas said the support since she posted on TikTok is “amazing” and she has made a couple of new friends.
“It’s the most ambitious thing I’ve done,” she said.
LeBron’s son hit with terrible news following nightmare debut
After struggling in his Summer League debut, Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick Bronny James didn’t suit up for the team’s next game due to knee swelling.
Lakers reporter Mike Trudell posted on X that James is dealing with “trace swelling” in his left knee, and he was held out of the back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors for precautionary reasons.
Lakers fans shouldn’t wait long to see James back on the court, though, as he’s expected to play in Wednesday’s final California Classic Game against the Miami Heat.
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James, who the Lakers took with the No. 55 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, got the start in his first professional action on Saturday night. However, he didn’t have the greatest performance in the 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
James shot just 2 of 9 for four points with two rebounds and two assists over 22 minutes on the court. He missed all three of his three-point shots, and he couldn’t hit either of his two free throws.
LEBRON JAMES RETURNS TO OLYMPIC BASKETBALL WITH 1 GOAL IN MIND: ‘WIN A GOLD MEDAL’
On the defensive end, James collected his first steal of the Summer League, though he posted a minus-15 when he was on the floor.
Dalton Knecht, the Lakers’ first-round pick out of Tennessee, also struggled for Los Angeles. He shot 3 of 12 but went 5 of 9 from the charity stripe for 12 total points over 26 minutes.
The Lakers’ top performer came off the bench as forward Blake Hinson had 17 points after draining 5 of 7 of his 3-pointers and hitting his two free throws.
This is just one game for the young James, son of superstar LeBron James, who is in Las Vegas preparing for the Paris Olympics with his Team USA squad.
James noted during his introductory press conference that he didn’t get “that much of an opportunity” to “showcase what I can really do” during his freshman season at USC. He averaged less than five points per game after getting a late start to his college career due to a cardiac arrest he suffered while working out with the team in July.
James had surgery to repair a congenital heart defect.
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Now, James looks to silence the naysayers and doubters who didn’t believe he should’ve been drafted this year. These games are all about development, and according to ESPN, James should be spending most of the year in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.
WNBA coach pulls no punches in passionate Rookie of the Year case
While the Chicago Sky have been very vocal about Angel Reese as the Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides gave her take on the award for her phenom, Caitlin Clark.
Both rookies have been performing extremely well this season, earning themselves spots in the WNBA All-Star Game later this year in Phoenix.
But their early success has led to the latest debate: who should be named the WNBA Rookie of the Year?
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Following the team’s win against the New York Liberty, Sides was asked if she wanted to take the opportunity to make the case for Clark, who just made WNBA history earlier on Saturday as the first rookie to ever record a triple-double.
Sides was straight to the point, while comparing Clark to a WNBA great in the process.
CAITLIN CLARK MAKES WNBA HISTORY AS SHE NOTCHES FIRST CAREER TRIPLE-DOUBLE
“I’m always going to make a case for my players. First and foremost, she is the most competitive human being I’ve ever met,” Sides said. “I really compare her to Diana Taurasi. She’s always looking to find ways to get better. ‘How can I help the team? What can we do?’
“She found a rhythm tonight. The timing for our players is getting better every game. You know, those passes that she was making early, we just weren’t ready for them. Now, the chemistry is there, the timing is there, and that’s going to keep getting better.”
Clark’s triple-double came on a night where the Fever defeated the New York Liberty, handing the WNBA powerhouse its fourth loss of the season.
Clark finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds over 38 minutes on the court, wowing the hometown fans with her ability to help her team win while racking up stats.
“She just wants to win. To me, she’s going to be my Rookie of the Year every day,” Sides concluded.
Clark leads all rookies in the WNBA in points this season with 16.1 per game, with Reese not too far behind her with 14.1. Clark is also leading rookies in assists, averaging 7.4 per game, as Sides mentioned the increased chemistry she’s found with teammates on the floor.
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The Clark-Reese debate will surely continue throughout the season, as both players keep putting up numbers and helping their teams get better on a nightly basis.