Ben Stiller ripped online after making 2024 presidential endorsement
Actor Ben Stiller received a mixed reception online after he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that her candidacy has brought “change” to the Democratic Party.
“Just very excited about moving forward and all the energy and excitement that’s around this movement right now,” Stiller said in a video interview posted by journalist Nicholas A. Ballasy that has since gone viral online. “That’s why I’m here, because it’s time for change and it seems like it’s happening.”
Stiller and other Hollywood celebrities, including actor George Clooney, have endorsed Harris as President Biden’s successor as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president.
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When asked if Harris could keep up her momentum after the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Stiller responded that she would.
“For sure,” he said, adding that the election is “going to be close but everyone’s motivated to work and make it happen.”
“And she and Tim Walz are just incredible candidates,” Stiller said.
Ballasy posted the video of his interview with Stiller on his account Wednesday. The video quickly circulated online, gathering criticism from some political commentators.
“Actor Ben Stiller says he’s voting for Vice President [Harris] because it’s time for ‘change,'” he wrote.
“It is unbelievable. [Stiller] is voting for [Harris] because he wants a change from the current administration, and because he feels excitement,” Canadian professor Gad Saad wrote. “A parasitized mind that is facing a terminal illness of the capacity for human reason.”
“There will be no change,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X Wednesday. “It’s literally the Biden-Harris administration right now. Why didn’t she push for any change for the last 4 years???”
CLOONEY, HOLLYWOOD LINE UP BEHIND HARRIS AS CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS AND CASH POUR IN
Hollywood played a key role in Harris’ ascension from Biden’s running mate to the top of the ticket for the Democratic Party.
Clooney called on Biden to step aside from the 2024 campaign in a July 10 op-ed in The New York Times. He then threw his support to Harris in July after Biden dropped out of the presidential race.
“President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again. We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest,” Clooney said in a statement to CNN’s Jake Tapper.
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Stiller did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
In 2008, when Barack Obama was running for president, he flat out lied about opposing gay marriage based on his deep Christian beliefs. We know this because in a book published in 2015, former senior adviser to the president David Axelrod described Obama, after such a speech, complaining to him, “I’m just not very good at bulls—ing.”
It turns out he actually was pretty good at it. Today the American people have to ask themselves how good Vice President Kamala Harris is at B.S. as she seeks to transform herself from a San Francisco progressive into a blue-dog centrist Democrat.
Now, Obama had an advantage here. It was mostly only the gay marriage issue where his pretend conservatism seemed completely out of whack with his history as a progressive community organizer. Harris is seeking to reverse half a dozen positions.
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If you have been following them as they go by, Kamala has flip-flopped on building a wall, fracking, Medicare-for-all, reimagining the police, and banning gas-powered vehicles. So far, from what we know, she has not officially registered as a Republican.
Voters, especially Republicans and independents, are naturally a bit suspicious about whether Harris really believes any of these things after a decades-long political career of opposing them, and this is where the great lie of Barack Obama can tell us a lot, not just about Harris, but about Democratic voters.
The funny thing about Obama’s weird stance against gay marriage, on which he suddenly evolved in office, is that nobody, especially Democrats, really believed it. I will never forget conversation after conversation with loyal Obama acolytes in which they said, “he doesn’t really think that, he just has to say it to get elected”
If the past is prologue, it is very likely that many, maybe even most Democratic voters don’t believe Harris has changed all these positions, but they are OK with it so long as she wins and reverts to her progressive self.
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It reminds me of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 138, in which a pair of lovers with an age gap aren’t quite honest with each other about it, but make it work, the final couplet singing:
Put another way, as long as they are in on the prevarication, Democrats will let a few, or in this case, a whole lot of whoppers fly.
And sure enough, when Axelrod penned his memoir he spilled the beans. Of course, Obama never opposed gay marriage, but in the primary he needed to dominate the Black vote, which was resistant to the movement, and in the general he needed religious independents.
One would think that this kind of abject lying to the American people is something one would never speak of again once it worked, but instead, Axelrod brags about it, and hey, it worked, right?
Now think about just how many former Obama aides and officials are crawling around the inner circle of the Harris campaign. It sure looks like they are returning to this duplicitous, say anything playbook to get the new gal over the finish line.
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It may be that the friendly news media will also give Harris’ merry-go-round of policy positions an uncritical pass as base Democratic voters smile inside, knowing they are also in on the game, but independents and undecideds may not be so unflinchingly credulous.
The question they are asking is not so much why Harris has done this parade of about-faces — after all, once you lie about a position it is easy to manifest some fake explanation for it — their reasonable question is, “does she really mean it?”
History tells us that she does not, it tells us that just like Barack Obama before her, she will take any position, no matter how absurdly it conflicts with everything she has ever said, for just a few more votes.
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Obama and the Democrats never paid a price for his lie about gay marriage, they even laugh about it. But perhaps the bill has now come due, perhaps the voters remember, and perhaps they will not simply accept this time that Kamala Harris pinky swears that all of her politics have changed in 40 days.
If so, it is a comeuppance sincerely deserved, if somewhat delayed.
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American Olympian who went viral during the Paris games has clear pick for president
Nobody appeared to have more fun at the Paris Olympics than American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher.
Maher went viral consistently on social media for her TikTok videos and dominated on the field as she helped lead the rugby sevens team to a bronze medal over Australia.
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As her popularity grew, Maher was awarded with a photoshoot for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. The photos were released Wednesday showing her posing in a bathing suit with her bronze medal.
Maher, seemingly comfortable talking about anything, was also ready to make an official presidential endorsement.
“I think it’s going to be cool because there is an opportunity to have female representation and to change this country in a way that I think will benefit us,” she told SI. “… That’s a Kamala Harris endorsement.”
Maher told the outlet that abortion and contraception rights were among the issues important to her. Maher was born in Vermont.
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“I have enough money that if I didn’t need an abortion, I could raise a baby myself,” she added.
“If I wanted to get abortion, I could do that. So I have that privilege (but) it scares me about the other girls. I have options and I want to remember that, my followers don’t all have that. And so it’s like for me, but also mostly for them.”
Harris and Dems have criticized former President Donald Trump’s stance on abortion. Harris said in her DNC speech that he and “his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication, abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.”
However, the Trump campaign has repeatedly affirmed that a future administration intends to leave abortion policy decisions to the states.
This intention to back off from the abortion issue following the overturn of Roe v. Wade is reflected in the official Republican Party platform published last month.
“We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process and that the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights,” the draft reads.
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However, for the first time in 40 years, the document makes no mention of a federal abortion ban, which Trump has emphasized that he opposes.
Multiple people injured on flight on its way back to the United States from vacation hotspot
A United Airlines flight traveling from Cancun to Chicago was diverted to Memphis, Tennessee, after the plane encountered “a brief period of severe turbulence” that left one passenger hospitalized and six others injured, officials say.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-900, landed safely at Memphis International Airport around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration told FOX Business.
“United Flight 1196 diverted to Memphis [Wednesday] afternoon after encountering a brief period of severe turbulence while the seatbelt sign was on,” the airline said in a statement. “Paramedics met the aircraft at the gate and transported one passenger to the hospital.
“We’re grateful to our crew for their efforts to ensure the safety of our employees and customers,” it added.
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United Airlines told FOX Business that the plane was carrying 172 passengers and 7 crew members and eventually arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport later that evening.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 41.33 | -0.81 | -1.92% |
Data from the flight tracking website FlightAware shows the plane circling briefly over northern Mississippi before landing in Memphis.
The FAA says its “crew reported severe turbulence over Louisiana” and that it is now investigating the matter.
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The Memphis Fire Department said six people onboard the plane declined medical treatment after landing in Tennessee, according to The Associated Press. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.
The incident comes as a study by the University of Reading in the U.K. has found that clear-air turbulence has increased in regions around the world. Over the North Atlantic, which is one of the busiest flight routes, the total annual duration of severe turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020.
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Moderate turbulence increased by 37%, and light turbulence increased by 17%. All the increases were consistent with the effects of climate change, according to the study, which was published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Residents live in fear as armed gang roams building allegedly taken over by migrants
Potential gang activity was caught on surveillance camera in a Colorado apartment building after what one former resident calls “no accountability” kept law enforcement from assisting.
The video shows many men armed with handguns, and one with a scoped rifle, bursting through the door of the apartment complex for unknown reasons.
The group appears to be Tren de Aragua, or TdA, a transnational gang based out of Venezuela. The gang, with reportedly 5,000 members, has a motto of “real until death,” or “real hasta la muerte.”
SANCTUARY CITY’S POLICIES PUSH VIOLENT MIGRANT GANG INTO SUBURBS: ‘IT’S A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM’
TdA is now linked with over 100 crimes across the nation, according to reporting from the New York Post.
Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that “without a doubt that there is sex trafficking now going on” in relationship to TdA’s activities in the city.
“This is organized. They patrol the property with guns visibly, like they’re not trying to hide them. There’s no repercussion. These are ghosts,” said one resident who spoke with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.
The gang has also been seen dealing drugs in the same apartment building, according to this resident.
The resident, who moved out of the overtaken apartment building on Wednesday afternoon with the assistance of City Council Member Danielle Jurinsky and congressional candidate John Fabbricatore, said to Fox News Digital that “I literally had to borrow from everybody I know to get into a new place. And it’s every bit of money I had.”
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She also credits Fox News with her move out of the troubled complex, saying “Through the help of Fox News actually, they connected us with the councilwoman who, Danielle Jurinsky, pulled together all the resources to get us some help and get us out of there.”
Aurora Police released a statement via X, saying “we believe reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated.”
Nearby Denver Police told FOX 31 on Wednesday that they were “not aware” of any apartment takeovers by gangs in the area.
“There’s no safety net for you because the police are not coming. They say, ‘stay inside and lock your doors.’ I have to work! I was paying rent, these people haven’t been paying rent at all. I’ve been paying rent every month for years,” the resident told Fox News Digital.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Aurora City Council Member Danielle Jurinsky said, “In the entire Denver metro area, it has been like pulling teeth to get anyone, the media, other elected officials, to get anyone to acknowledge the presence of this trend and to acknowledge that there is even a problem.”
“I hope [the police] do something because they could have helped me get out. Literally. Their answer for me was, ‘you ever think about moving?’ That’s what they told me when I was like, and I started crying,” recalled the resident.
“There’s no help coming for any of us. The police have checked out. They’re not on our side.”
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Aurora Police sent Fox News Digital the same statement it posted earlier on social media when reached for comment.
Taylor Swift’s close friend and Chiefs star’s wife triples down after Trump support backlash
Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has recently hinted at support for Donald Trump and then defended her stance on social media. She delivered more on that topic Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and former college soccer player appeared to like several comments on her most recent Instagram post that indicated support for Trump.
One of the comments she liked said “TRUMP-VANCE 2024.”
The other comment referenced her recent social media activity that has suggested support for Trump and drawn backlash from those who do not support the former president. That comment said, “Glad to see you aren’t backing down. We are all entitled to our own opinions and shouldn’t be bullied into submission.”
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Kelly Stafford, the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, appeared to like the second comment.
TMZ Sports and the New York Daily News both caught Mahomes’ likes. By Wednesday evening, it appeared Mahomes had unliked those comments.
Mahomes first indicated her support for Trump Aug. 13 when she liked Trump’s Instagram post that outlined the “2024 GOP platform.”
The like ignited a firestorm of backlash against the wife of the superstar quarterback. Among the critics were fans of Taylor Swift, who dates Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Multiple fan pages dedicated to Swift posted the screenshots of the like on social media, condemning Mahomes.
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The model responded to the criticisms on her Instagram story Friday.
“I mean honestly, To be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood,” she wrote. “There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.”
She posted another cryptic message on her social media that may have referenced her recent controversy on Monday.
“Contrary to the tone of the world today….you can disagree with someone, and still love them. You can have differing views, and still be kind,” she wrote Aug. 26. “Read that again!”
Patrick Mahomes has never publicly expressed support for a political figure or affiliation.
He told Time in April he would not speak about who he would vote for in the upcoming election.
“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain president,” Patrick said. “I want people to use their voice, whoever they believe in. I want them to do the research.”
Brittany’s recent social media activity drew praise from conservative political commentator Candace Owens, who defended the NFL wife in an episode of the “Candace” podcast this week.
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“Brittany Mahomes has an attitude. She doesn’t care [that social media is angry], and I am here for it,” Owens said.
“Let someone like a post, which they’re allowed to do because it’s an election, and you are not required to vote one way or the other. And that’s what Brittany Mahomes did. She sure stepped in it. She apparently liked a Trump post.”
Brittany and Patrick were born in eastern Texas and grew up there. They started dating when they attended Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas, when Patrick was the school’s quarterback and Brittany played soccer. Whitehouse is a town with a population of about 8,500 and has a history of voting Republican, according to Data USA.
Patrick Mahomes has donated $500 to the NFL Players Association’s political action committee, according to Open Secrets. The NFLPA donated $45,000 to Democrats and $35,000 to Republicans, the site says.
Watchdog sheds worrying light on FBI handling of suspected child sexual abuse cases
The Department of Justice released a report Thursday finding that the Federal Bureau of Investigation regularly failed to properly handle child sex crime allegations.
The DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General (OIJ) began working on the report following allegations the FBI mishandled reports against former USA physician Lawrence Nassar.
The OIJ audited 327 incidents out of 3,925 cases opened by the FBI that allegedly involved “hands-on sex offense against a child or similar offense.”
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The audit flagged 42 incidents (13% of all incidents audited) due to the belief they required “immediate attention.”
“Specifically, we found no evidence that FBI employees complied with mandatory reporting requirements to SLTT law enforcement in 47 percent of the incidents we reviewed or to social services agencies in 50 percent of incidents we reviewed,” the report states. “Of the reports that were made, we found that only 43 percent were made within 24 hours, as required by FBI policy.”
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The Justice Department paid $138.7 million settling 139 claims that the FBI failed to adequately investigate Nassar despite years of pleas from athletes alleging abuse.
The report outlines 11 recommendations for the FBI to improve its handling of child sex abuse cases, including monitoring FBI employees’ compliance with mandatory reporting, providing greater clarity on when incidents are required to be marked “Time Sensitive” or handled within 24 hours, and implementation of controls to ensure sex crime notifications are “appropriately documented.”
“Ensuring the safety and security of children is not just a priority for the FBI; it is a solemn duty that we are committed to fulfilling with the highest standards. The FBI’s efforts combating crimes against children are among the most critical and demanding undertakings we do,” the FBI said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.
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“The FBI deeply values the trust the public places in us to protect the most vulnerable members of society,” the FBI statement continued. “We are committed to maintaining the public’s trust by implementing the necessary improvements to ensure the important changes we made to our Violent Crimes Against Children program in 2018 and 2019 have the intended effect of promoting the highest level of compliance and effectiveness.”
OIJ officials are pushing for FBI agents to undergo “additional training, controls, and oversight — including determining an acceptable caseload for agents who work crimes against children cases.”
Federal court resurrects Sarah Palin’s lawsuit against the New York Times
A lawsuit against the New York Times brought by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been resurrected by a federal court.
Palin, a former Republican vice presidential candidate, sued the outlet after it published a 2017 editorial claiming her campaign had encouraged the 2011 shooting of then-Rep. Gabby Giffords. The editorial in question was published on the day of a mass shooting at a congressional baseball practice game.
No such encouragement of connection to the shooting was ever produced — Palin filed suit against the newspaper, alleging staff had intentionally published false information in an attempt to smear her and damage her reputation.
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U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff dismissed the lawsuit in February 2022 in the middle of jury deliberations. He allowed the jurors to finish deliberating and give a verdict, which ultimately favored the New York Times, but lawyers pointed out that individuals on the jury received notifications from the outlet mid-deliberation announcing the judge’s dismissal.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Wednesday overturned that dismissal and verdict, finding that Rakoff made a series of errors that qualify the lawsuit for a retrial.
“We have no difficulty concluding that an average jury’s verdict would be affected if several jurors knew that the judge had already ruled for one of the parties on the very claims the jurors were charged with deciding,” 2nd Circuit Judge John Walker Jr. said regarding the dismissal.
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“We think a jury’s verdict reached with the knowledge of the judge’s already-announced disposition of the case will rarely be untainted, no matter what the jurors say upon subsequent inquiry,” Walker said, addressing claims from jurors that the dismissal and subsequent notifications did not affect their decision.
The court noted several other issues with how Palin’s lawsuit was handled, including restrictions on her claim that editorial page editor James Bennet allowed the unsubstantiated claims against her to politically aid his brother, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.
Palin’s legal team called the ruling “a significant step forward in the process of holding publishers accountable for content that misleads readers and the public in general.”
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“The truth deserves a level playing field, and Governor Palin looks forward to presenting her case to a jury that is ‘provided with relevant proffered evidence and properly instructed on the law,’” lawyer Shane Vogt added.
The New York Times called the ruling “disappointing,” but said it is confident the lawsuit will be dismissed again in a retrial.
Importantly, the appeals court did not find Rakoff biased against Palin and therefore still eligible to preside over the retrial.