Studio sidelines Clint Eastwood swan song 'Juror #2'



Courage is contagious.

Dennis Quaid hit the publicity trail for “Reagan” a few months back, never hiding the fact that he supports Donald Trump in the November election. It’s the kind of statement that can stop a career cold, even when the star in question has decades of audience goodwill — as Quaid has.

Now it’s Zachary Levi’s turn.

The “Chuck” and “Shazam!” star just threw his support behind Trump at a Reclaim America tour. He did so with grace and patience, making sure not to attack or alienate those who disagree with his presidential choice.

Call him the anti-De Niro.

Will he pay a price for his decision? Perhaps. He noted that possibility in his comments. If enough Hollywood Trump supporters stand up, there’ll be too many to cancel.

Pop punk's potty mouth

Was it something Billie Joe Armstrong said?

The Green Day lead singer is in hot water for dissing Sin City from a concert stage.

“We don’t take [expletive] from people like [expletive] John Fisher. ... I hate Las Vegas. It’s the worst [expletive] in America."

Did he not see the fountains of the Bellagio? C’mon!

Fisher owns the Oakland Athletics, the baseball franchise picking up stakes and moving to Vegas next season. That apparently got the attention of two Vegas radio stations, which pulled Green Day music from their lineup.

It’s either a silly radio stunt or a sign that the left’s snowflake sensibilities are spreading.

Either way, Green Day shouldn’t be too sore about it. The band indirectly supports censorship via its pro-Democrat posturing. Should the Harris-Walz ticket win come November, radio station bans will seem quaint by comparison.

Cringe watch

Elections have consequences. So do presidential endorsements. We’ve already seen Taylor Swift’s brand take a hit following her Kamala Harris embrace. Now we’re learning that Netflix got jolted after its CEO wrote a $7 million check to the Harris ticket.

Netflix subscribers left in droves after Reed Hastings’ move went public. The ensuing cancellations nearly tripled in the U.S. following the announcement.

Maybe Netflix can do some damage control by endorsing a “Tiger King” sequel? Joe Exotic is tan, rested, and ready ... assuming you can sneak cameras into his jail cell.

Forgot about Drea

If you’re gonna burn bridges, you might as well bring all the gasoline.

“Sopranos” alum Drea de Matteo is taking that message to heart. The veteran actress keeps trashing her Hollywood peers as part of an ongoing media tour.

Why? She has no new TV show or movie to promote. She’s just mad as hell, and she’s not gonna take it any more. She’s a former liberal who swallowed the whole red pill in recent months. That explains why she skewered celebrity culture during a no-holds-barred chat with Fox Business.

“I think the American dream is on hold. I feel like Hollywood is dead. The music industry is dead.”

“There’s no cultural, artistic movements speaking out about [modern life]. ... You don’t see fine art — there’s usually protest art about wars and censorship. And we’re stagnant right now.”

The anti-war arts movement is MIA, no doubt. The only rebellious art is coming from the conservative counterculture. Think Five Times August's Fauci-skewering “Sad Little Man” and Five for Fighting's poignant anti-Hamas ballad “OK (We Are Not OK)."

Warner Bros. skimps on Clint

Is this any way to treat a legend?

Clint Eastwood’s new film, “Juror #2,” has been shrouded in secrecy for some time. Now, finally, we have a trailer. Will the movie be released as part of an awards season push? By all appearances, no. World of Reel reports it's set for a limited release on Nov. 1 with no plans for an expansion.

Yet.

Eastwood, 94, has suggested that this will be the last film of his iconic career. His previous effort, 2021’s “Cry Macho,” proved underwhelming. And that’s being gracious.

“Juror #2” offers a solid cast (Nicholas Hoult, J.K. Simmons, Toni Collette, and Kiefer Sutherland) and a feisty premise. A juror in a murder trial realizes the critical role he played in the case before him and how his future could be tied to the verdict.

If anyone deserves to ride off into the cinematic sunset with one final winner, it’s Clint Eastwood.

FACT CHECK: Did JD Vance Admit To Having A ‘Rent-A-Dog?’

FACT CHECK: Did JD Vance Admit To Having A ‘Rent-A-Dog?’

A viral video shared on X claims to show 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance admit he has a “rent-a-dog.” HOLY CRAP: How weird is it #1: @JDVANCE has a “rent-a-dog”. How weird is it #2: @JDVance admits its a “rent-a-dog” and the dog is to “… make me seem like […]

Should raising children be a qualification for public office? Here's what to consider



Does the experience of raising children confer an advantage on those seeking positions of public leadership?

This conversation hit a fever pitch when a clip resurfaced of Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, telling Tucker Carlson about the childless status of many prominent Democrats.

"We’re effectively run in this country via the Democrats via our corporate oligarchs by childless cat ladies ... the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. How does it make any sense that we have turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?” Vance said.

The left's reaction has centered on three critiques of Vance's position.

First, leftists argue it's unfair to those unable to have children. Second, they claim it's a suggestion that a childless person is less capable of making long-term wise and moral decisions. And third, they declare that it's none of your business. People can choose whatever unique life choices they want.

The problem of the younger person — or childless person without a stake in the future — making self-interested decisions is a plague on our modern politics.

But I’d like to take a step back and explore how a biblically minded Christian might see the question of whether children play a unique role in making someone qualified for public leadership. Because, fair or unfair to those who are single or physically unable to bear children, the Bible in both the Old and New Testament links a person’s family life to his or her fitness for governance.

While listing the qualifications for appointing a council of elders for governance, the apostle Paul writes, “If someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?” (1 Timothy 3:5 ESV).

Likewise when listing the qualifications for an official position of serving, Paul mentions that deacons must “manage their children and their own households well” (1 Timothy 3:12 ESV).

Some have asked: Does this mean that single people are not able to hold these positions? Does this make a childless person — like the apostle Paul, who wrote these statements, or Jesus Christ, who was celibate and single — unqualified to sit on a council of elders?

I would answer yes, Paul and Jesus are not appropriate candidates for these two positions.

This understanding that certain lifestyles align with certain positions is deeply offensive to Western culture because we tell children from the earliest age possible, “You can be anything you want to be,” and we see the ability to attain certain positions as not primarily a matter of service or role but of identity.

However, this modern lens is not the lens used in ancient times or in the scriptures.

The pathway to become a village elder in ancient cultures and in certain places in the world today begins in the home. In a village, everyone can see the fruit of every parent’s management in how those subjected to it are fairing.

This is why Jesus quotes the ancient proverb, “Wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7:35 ESV). The word “all” is important in this proverb. Fathers and mothers with multiple children have to manage the very tricky circumstances of a variety of personalities, and if, despite this enormous challenge, all of their children are thriving under their leadership, then their wisdom is justified.

But the second element that explains why raising children qualified someone for governance was their season of life. The Greek word for elder, like the English word, literally means “old man.” In other words, we want those who have fewer years ahead of them and have a huge stake in the future of the village through their growing number of grandchildren to make decisions and set the policies for our community. A younger man, on the other hand, might be more worried about himself and what he can gain when making decisions for the whole village.

The problem of the younger person — or childless person without a stake in the future — making self-interested decisions is a plague on our modern politics. We can all see how it has become the norm, and it's one of the factors responsible for Congress' abysmal approval rating in recent years as we’ve grown to suspect politics to be a game of every person out for him or herself.

So as we consider the variable of raising children as a qualification for leadership, there are three buckets that most positions on this topic fit into.

Bucket #1: Having successfully raised healthy, happy children gives no indication as to someone’s qualification for leadership.

This seems to be an extreme position, and my guess is that many Democrats are moving to this position, not because they are unable to see the benefits that the experience of parenting may give to a candidate, but because admitting these benefits is unfair to those who cannot or have chosen not to have children.

In other words, they are more concerned about their perception of fairness than fitness for leadership.

I’m concerned by the prospect of more and more people who have never ruled a household but who nevertheless rule over millions of other people’s households.

Bucket #2: Having successfully raised healthy, happy children is one of many variables and is an achievement that ought to be considered in that candidate’s favor.

This seems to be a moderate position, and it's difficult to imagine someone arguing in good faith and refusing to admit that this should play some role in evaluating a candidate's fitness for office.

Then there is a third, more extreme position.

Bucket #3: Having successfully raised healthy, happy children is a necessary qualification for public leadership.

This appears to me to be too narrow of a position in pluralistic society.

My position and the position being described by JD Vance sounds like it fits broadly in Bucket #2. Vance was pointing to the trend of childless leaders as a troubling development — not arguing they be banned from public office.

I’m concerned by the prospect of more and more people who have never ruled a household but who nevertheless rule over millions of other people’s households.

Finally, for those who have chosen to be childless and to put a political career above family life, it’s fair to ask why they’ve made that decision. Perhaps there are good reasons for making that decision — but let's hear them.

If you want to rule over us, we have a right to know why you chose not make the sacrifices required to raise a family.

Ultimately, I hope we can all agree that we need fewer leaders who use public office to fill a void in their identity and more leaders who see public office as the next and perhaps final stage in a long progression of successful leadership roles that began in the home, continue in the workplace, and conclude in service to the public.

'Not a woke company': Trump backs Bud Light as beer brand drops star-studded Super Bowl commercial



Bud Light released a new Super Bowl commercial featuring its biggest spokesmen on the same day that President Donald Trump expressed his support for the brand.

Still attempting to recover from its 2023 marketing fiasco with alleged transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch's Bud Light received support from the 45th president.

Commenting on his platform Truth Social, Trump called Bud Light's failed promotion a "mistake of epic proportions" for which a "very big price was paid."

Indeed, Bud Light lost billions and its parent company's stock tumbled, but Trump asked if the brand deserved another chance.

"Anheuser-Busch is not a Woke company ... [it] spends $700 Million a year with our GREAT Farmers, employ 65 thousand Americans, of which 1,500 are Veterans, and is a Founding Corporate Partner of Folds of Honor, which provides Scholarships for families of fallen Servicemen & Women," Trump stated.

"Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance? What do you think? Perhaps, instead, we should be going after those companies that are looking to DESTROY AMERICA," he added.

Trump's endorsement may be tied to his reported significant investment in Anheuser-Busch InBev, however. According to data reviewed by the Independent in 2023, the former president owned between $1 and $5 million in stock under an account called "DJT Trust — Investment Account #2."

Business Insider noted the same, citing a 100-page disclosure form filed with the Federal Election Commission on April 14, 2023.

The positive words also came at the same time Anheuser-Busch lobbyist Jeff Miller was set to host a fundraiser for Trump. As reported by MSN, the beer giant paid Miller's firm $260,000 in 2023.

The fundraiser for Trump has a $10,000 ticket price and reportedly features members of Congress and Republican leaders.

The same day, Bud Light released what is most likely its most expensive commercial in recent history. Employing a galaxy of personalities, the ad featured Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning, a longtime supporter of the brand who has mentioned it in victory speeches.

As well, musician Post Malone made an appearance. The star has publicly drunk the beer for years, even on episodes of Joe Rogan's podcast.

UFC President Dana White was yet another big star in the ad. White is fresh off his public recommendation of the brand after re-signing a prominent sponsorship deal between the beer brand and the UFC.

Filthy rich? Done. One REALLY big bicep? Yes. An epic night out with Peyton Manning, @postmalone & @danawhite? The Bud Light Genie\u2019s here in our Super Bowl LVIII commercial to make it happen
— (@)

Trump's comments echoed White's from October 2023 when the fight promoter was asked how fans would react to a partnership with the recently shamed brand.

"For Anheuser-Busch it was about values, core values for me. I'm at a point in my life and I'm at a point in my career where nothing is just about money any more," White told reporters.

"Almost a billion dollars a year go to U.S. farmers for their crops, for their products; that is right up my alley, that's exactly who I am," White listed. "65,000 Americans are employed by Anheuser-Busch, and thousands of them are vets; right up my alley," he added.

Seemingly the only person missing from the Bud Light commercial was newly signed comedian Shane Gillis. Gillis too is a noted Bud Light consumer, drinking the beer on many of his podcast appearances.

Gillis became a fan favorite for his lack of censorship, knowledge of history, and of course his impression of Trump.

While Bud Light has certainly amped up its efforts to win customers back, the company still has not issued an apology that resonated. An April 2023 statement by Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth fell flat when he stated the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people."

"We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer," he added.

The company did not address any of consumers' concerns surrounding the promotion of gender dysphoria.

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Reaction to GOP debate #3: the good, the bad, and the ugly



Last night in Miami, five Republican presidential candidates faced off in the third primary debate. All were vying to be the #2 contender behind Donald Trump, who’s been the clear frontrunner from the get-go despite skipping every debate.

Dave Rubin, who attended the debate, reacts to what he saw at the event.

Unfortunately (but unsurprisingly), the debate was “not the most inspiring thing ever,” he says.

“My general take is that at this point in where we are at in the world, which is ... a problematic place, Donald Trump needed to be there; we have to have it out with all of these people.”

He needs to “be up there defending his ideas,” especially when it comes to the potential of “World War III, the border, [and] Bidenomics,” he explains.

Regardless of Trump’s absence, there was plenty to dissect from the other five candidates.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who Dave thinks mostly “[insults] everybody,” opened up “guns blazing” with a declaration about the state of the Republican Party and Ronna McDaniel.

“We've become a party of losers,” said Ramaswamy, adding that there’s “a cancer in the Republican establishment.”

“Since Ronna McDaniel took over as chairwoman of the RNC in 2017, we have lost 2018, 2020, 2022 ... [and] we got trounced last night in 2023,” he said before suggesting that McDaniel immediately resign.

He then set in on one of the moderators, Kristen Welker, who he accused of being part of “the corrupt media establishment.” “Think about who's moderating this debate. This should be Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk ... asking questions that GOP primary voters actually care about and bringing more people into our party, [but] we got Kristen Welker here,” he criticized.

“The Trump-Russia collusion hoax that you pushed on this network for years — was that real, or was that Hillary Clinton made-up disinformation? Answer the question. Go,” he fired at Welker.

“That’s good Vivek,” laughs Dave.

Unfortunately, Ramaswamy’s next move took a turn for the worse.

Pointing to Nikki Haley and her path to becoming “a multi-millionaire,” he asked the crowd, “Do you want a leader from a different generation who's going to put this country first, or do you want Dick Cheney in three-inch heels?”

The crowd was “just not into it,” says Dave, adding that Vivek is hypocritically “the same guy who says, ‘Oh, we shouldn't have these scripted insults.”’

Nikki Haley, however, was quick to throw a jab back.

“I am telling you, Putin and President Xi are salivating at the thought that someone like that could become president,” she countered, pointing at Vivek, who takes more of an isolationist approach to foreign policy, before launching into her own ideas regarding what the U.S. should be involved in.

“Here is a freedom-loving, pro-American country that is fighting for its survival and its democracy,” she said of Ukraine. “No, I don't think we should give them cash, I think we should give them the equipment [and] the ammunition to win.”

“The idea that Ukraine is freedom loving, pro-American” is a bit far-fetched, according to Dave, especially since “it's very unclear what's going on there” and is “much more muddled” than, for example, the “unbelievably horrific attack” launched against Israel, who is our ally.

Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley were just getting started though. They also hurled insults at each other over the subject of TikTok, which Vivek thinks was created essentially to target the youth, who make up the majority of TikTok users.

While Dave acknowledges the validity of Vivek’s argument, the reality is “TikTok is Chinese spyware,” he says. Not to mention “the amount of pro-Hamas propaganda is 15x the pro-Israel stuff on TikTok because ... China is going, ‘Boy, this is a pretty good way of going after America.”’

Ron DeSantis was another candidate who stood out, even though he was, and usually is, “somewhat scripted,” Dave admits, but “if you want someone who does what they say they're going to do [and] has a really good track record ... then I think he is your guy.”

Haley was quick to attack the Florida governor with accusations that the state’s Economic Development agency, where DeSantis serves as chairman, “said Florida is the ideal place for Chinese businesses” and the fact that DeSantis owns a company that manufactures “Chinese military planes.”

DeSantis, unphased, responded with a succinct, “I abolished that agency that she’s talking about ... and we banned China from buying land.”

“We’ve recognized the threat, and we’ve acted swiftly and decisively,” he added, as the crowd applauded and cheered.

Dave calls Nikki’s strike a “weak line of attack” on DeSantis because “it is 100% true ... Florida has banned the CCP, has banned the government of China from buying land in Florida; they've closed some other institutions, like nobody has done more on this [than DeSantis],” he says.

Ukraine was another subject where Dave thinks DeSantis performed well.

“We are not going to send your sons and daughters to Ukraine,” he told the audience, but “I am going to send troops to our southern border ... terrorists have come in through our southern border, [and] I'm going to shut it down ... and I’m going to deport the people who’ve come, particularly under Biden ... from the Middle East.”

He also criticized Biden’s demand for $105 billion, much of which is intended to “pay pensions for bureaucrats and salaries” of Ukrainian officials, which he said “is a totally ridiculous use of American tax dollars.”

“Most of the money is money to process more illegal aliens into this country,” he criticized.

Dave applauds DeSantis’ plan, calling it “solid stuff.”

To hear Dave’s full analysis of last night’s third GOP primary debate, watch the clip below.


Want more from Dave Rubin?

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Chicago takes top spot ahead of 9 other Democrat-run cities on list of America's most rat-infested cities



America's top-50 rattiest cities were announced Monday by the pest-control company Orkin. For the ninth year in a row, Chicago clinched the top spot, beating out nine other Democrat-run cities. Los Angeles jumped to the #2 spot, while New York City fell to #3.

"Rattiest" cities ranked 4-10 are as follows: Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Denver; Detroit; and Cleveland, Ohio.

The list is based on new extermination services rendered between Sept. 1, 2022, and Aug. 31.

Gold-medal rat hole

A Block Club Chicago and Illinois Answers Project investigation found that Chicago has chronically failed to keep up with rat complaints. It received over 50,000 complaints in 2022 and has already seen 38,742 complaints in 2023, as of Oct. 13.

Streets and Sanitation indicated the problem worsened during the pandemic, reported WFLD-TV.

Even when the city gets around to intervening, its efficacy leaves much to be desired. For instance, it has issued 117,000 rat-related tickets amounting to $153 million in penalties since 2019, but still has $126 million in ticket debt outstanding.

Facing a worsening trend, the city's inspector general's office indicated it would audit the Bureau of Rodent Control and investigate "multiple complaints about the efficiency and effectiveness of the City's rat abatement program."

Leftist Mayor Brandon Johnson'srecommended budget would allocate $14.85 million to the Bureau of Rodent Control for the 2024 fiscal year. The budget documents also noted that the bureau's full-time staff will increase slightly from 114 to 118.

The proposed 118 rodent bureaucrats will be tasked with addressing the spread of the Norway rat, Chicago's only species. The Norway rat females reportedly can spawn 50 offspring per year. Their female offspring can, in turn, reproduce just months after birth. Block Club Chicago cited zoologists who suggested two rats could turn out several thousand more inside a year.

Tommy Lawler, a Chicago resident in Clearing's Chrysler Village, told Block Club Chicago he encountered 10 rats just cutting his friend's front lawn.

"They looked like they were in a fricking resort," said Lawler. "One of them was in a puddle like he was doing the doggy paddle or something. They were afraid of nothing! They didn’t care."

A McKinley Park resident complained to the city in April 2020 that rats had been eating her 76-year-old mother alive.

Not only do rats carry diseases, but they chew through car wires, power lines, and various structures.

Despite multitudes of rats chewing up Chicago, Rodent Control Deputy Commissioner Josie Cruz told WBEZ in April that Chicago's response to rats was "on the right track."

"I just feel like we're moving forward," said the rat czar of America's rattiest city. "As long as we're continuing with our preventatives and continue doing our education and contacting people."

Silver-medal rat hole

Prior to the pandemic, Los Angeles was already facing a rat problem.

A year after a rat-linked typhus outbreak, former San Diego mayor and prospective gubernatorial candidate Carl DeMaio sounded the alarm in 2019, saying, "California is being overrun by rodents – and without immediate emergency action by state and local government, we face significant economic costs and risk a public health crisis."

DeMaio cited a report by his group, Reform California, which claimed the problem was "directly related to the elimination of effective rodent control methods and a spike in the homeless population."

The city, which has lost recourse to another effective rat poison on account of Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest ban, has only seen its vermin problem worsen since.

Packs of rats have been filmed parading around in broad daylight. They have invaded schools, closing at least one. Earlier this month, merchants along Olvera Street indicated their livelihoods were at risk on account of infestations.

"Part of the problem here is there is such a bureaucracy the way the city operates," Edward Flores, owner of Juanita's Cafe, told KTLA-TV. "There doesn’t seem to be any staffers here that are tasked with gathering them up."

According to Flores, the homeless encampments littered throughout the city are full of human waste and food, feeding the problem.

KNBC-TV reported that this year, 75,518 homeless people were counted in Los Angeles County.

Bronze-medal rat hole

New York City, which dropped one spot, has claimed some recent success in addressing its rat problem, citing a sizeable drop in 311 calls about rat activity in July across the city. The drop appears to have been a relatively easy feat, given that the city set a record for rodent sightings in 2022.

"New Yorkers may not know this about me — but I hate rats," said Mayor Eric Adams. "It's still early, but these numbers show what we're doing is working and that we are moving in the right direction. Every food scrap that we keep out of the trash and every black bag that we keep off the street is a meal that we’re taking out of a hungry rodent's stomach. It takes all of us to win the war on rats, so I encourage New Yorkers to keep composting, keep putting your trash in containers, and I hope to see you out there at one of our 'Anti-Rat Community Days of Action.'"

The city has taken various steps to crush the rodent uprising. For instance, in June, Adams announced a new rule requiring restaurants and other food-related businesses to use trash cans with lids, hoping to cut down on the mountains of exposed garbage that had long been feeding armies of rats.

Adams' call to action comes in the wake of the pandemic, during which rodent sightings skyrocketed.

The problem persisted well into this year, such that so-called rat tourism has taken off.

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DC Comics wanted to permanently make Batman black, was told sales would drop to a third, insider claims

DC Comics wanted to permanently make Batman black, was told sales would drop to a third, insider claims



DC Comics wanted to permanently replace the Batman character with a different, black Batman, but was told by retailers that the company should expect a sharp drop in sales, an industry insider reported.

The source spoke to Bounding into Comics under the condition of anonymity and alleged that a contingent of DC Comics made the bold suggestion at the 5G Initiative summit in 2021. The summit was a forum where the company discusses the future of its fifth generation of characters.

This was the same rollout that included a bisexual Superman and a black, female Green Lantern.

The group's alleged idea was to take Lucious Fox, Bruce Wayne's business manager, and permanently have the ongoing Batman titles feature the new, black Batman as the lead.

A portion of the company reportedly thought the character would add an extra layer of diversity to future Batman book lines.

However, Dan DiDio, the co-publisher, allegedly looked visibly stressed and felt like the changes in the new generation of characters were being forced on him.

The source claimed that retailers at the meeting were unimpressed, with one outright stating that publishers should expect an immediate drop in sales, to the tune of one-third their current levels. The explanation was that when comic book readers see a Batman title, they expect to see the character of Bruce Wayne.

DC Comics indeed went on to release "Future State: The Next Batman" book. While it cannot be confirmed that it was a direct result of the meeting, the new plotline was essentially the same, save for the new Batman being the allegedly proposed character's son.

"Tim Fox, son of Lucius Fox is taking the Bat-mantle in DC comics. Tim's Batman will be revealed in Future State: The Next Batman #2 comic on Jan 26, 2021," a DC fan page wrote in 2020.

Introducing the next #Batman - TIM FOX\n\nTim Fox, son of Lucius Fox is taking the Bat-mantle in DC comics. Tim's Batman will be revealed in\u00a0Future State: The Next Batman\u00a0#2 comic on Jan 26, 2021.\n\nIdhi other mediums like games, movies etc ni ela impact chestundo chudali \n#DCComics
— DC World Telugu (@DC World Telugu) 1608210452

The comic received average reviews and reportedly quickly changed directions.

"You have a lot of bad American comic book content. It's terrible," comic publisher Eric July told TheBlaze last year. "Between changing all of these characters, and you have this ridiculous kind of push for social justice, insulting the audience," he added.

July successfully published his own woke-free series, starting with "Isom #1" in 2022, which raised over $3.7 million dollars in a preorder after a stated goal of $100,000. Then "Isom #2" raked in nearly $1 million in preorders within the first 24 hours of its release.

There has yet to be a woke comic book remake that has been as successful as the traditional characters. Even the woke comic genre's most known character, Marvel's Miles Morales, the black teen Spiderman, does not sell nearly as well as the "Amazing Spider-Man." The latter routinely performs at the top of monthly comic book sales in the United States.

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Oliver Anthony soars to #1 on iTunes with blue-collar anthem; Rolling Stone tries to trivialize viral sensation as a right-wing 'screed' with 'Reagan-era talking points'



Breakout music star Oliver Anthony shot to fame this week after his blue-collar anthem exploded across the internet. However, leftwing outlet Rolling Stone took the opportunity to trivialize the viral sensation as simply a country song that "right-wing influencers are losing their minds over."

In just three days, Oliver Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond" has racked up millions of views on YouTube, Twitter, and other streaming services.

Despite being a mostly unknown music artist a mere week ago, Anthony is now dominating the iTunes charts – outpacing established stars such as Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, and Luke Combs. Anthony not only has one song in iTunes top 10 songs, he has an impressive four tracks in the top 10 – "Rich Men North of Richmond" (#1), "Ain't Gotta Dollar" (#2), "I've Got to Get Sober" (#5), and "I Want to Go Home" (#9).

On Friday, Anthony thanked his "awesome" fans for the skyrocketing success.

He announced that he would be playing a free concert on Sunday in Currituck, North Carolina. He said more shows would follow, but things would be "slow" because he isn't rushing into things.

— (@)

Tyler Cardon, CEO of Blaze Media, offered to fly Anthony to appear on BlazeTV shows to "help him sell a ton of records."

As TheBlaze previously reported, country star John Rich has reportedly volunteered to produce Anthony's record.

Anthony – who first started writing his own music in 2021 – explained that "Rich Men North of Richmond" was his "first song to get out there that has been recorded on a real microphone and a real camera, and not just on my cell phone."

Anthony said people enjoying his music gave him a new "purpose" in life, and making music will be what he does "at all costs, no matter what."

"I'm going to write, create, and produce as much original, authentic music as I can," Anthony said. "In the hopes that it will at least help somebody out there that needs it."

Anthony, a former factory worker, said "Rich Men North of Richmond" is a scathing musical takedown of politicians in Washington, D.C., who "make life a little more difficult than it should be."

Anthony declared that he sits "pretty dead center down the aisle on politics and always have." He said that "it seems like both sides serve the same master — and that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country."

The singer/songwriter said that both Republicans and Democrats had controversies when they were in power.

In his song "Doggonit," Anthony takes on both political parties: "And Republicans and Democrats, I swear, they're all just full of crap. I ain't never met a good city slicker bureaucrat."

Despite Anthony being in the center politically, the liberal Rolling Stone minimized his amazing story as an artist who is adored by right-wing influencers.

"Right-wing influencers are losing their minds over a new country song that just appeared on streaming services today," the article begins. "'Rich Men North of Richmond' is a passionate screed against the state of the country sung by Oliver Anthony, who identifies as a farmer living off the grid with his three dogs in Farmville, Virginia."

The first paragraph also focuses on Anthony's admitted previous struggles with drugs and alcohol – but he has been sober for over 30 days.

The Rolling Stone writer claims that "Rich Men North of Richmond" is not popular with conservatives because of the struggle and frustration that everyday Americans encounter in a deteriorating United States. Instead, the writer contends, "A look at the lyrics, however, may suggest another reason why 'Rich Men North of Richmond' is appealing to right-wing influencers. Anthony rails against high taxes and the value of the dollar, but also wades into some Reagan-era talking points about welfare."

The writer is also taken aback by the lyrics condemning convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and child sex trafficking.

"The real head-turner though is an apparent allusion to Jeffrey Epstein’s Caribbean island, where the billionaire and convicted sex offender allegedly introduced underage girls to powerful associates," the article states.

The writer says, "He also talks about 'human trafficking,' which he admits is alluded to in the lyrics 'Rich Men North of Richmond.'"

It was just last month that Rolling Stone attacked "Sound of Freedom" – the anti-human trafficking movie that was a surprise success at the box office. Rolling Stone called the film "a superhero movie for dads with brainworms," and, "The QAnon-tinged thriller about child trafficking is designed to appeal to the conscience of a conspiracy-addled boomer."

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Oliver Anthony - Rich Men North Of Richmond www.youtube.com

Teacher charged after 11-year-old student commits suicide at school



A music teacher in Wyoming has pled not guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection to the case of a fifth-grade boy who committed suicide at school earlier this year.

Paul Pine, a fifth-grade student at Carpenter Elementary School in Laramie County, Wyoming, struggled with his mental health during the 2022-23 school year. His mother, Chandel Pine, claimed that Paul had difficulty reading, causing him to be "singled out" by various teachers and staff members, several outlets reported.

Last fall, Paul told his mother that he was having thoughts about killing himself, specifically about hanging himself in the boys' bathroom at school. After that, Chandel Pine contacted school officials and made arrangements for an individualized education program to try and keep him safe at school. The principal also instructed teachers and staff not to permit students to use the restroom unaccompanied.

Even with those protections in place, Paul told a teacher in December that he had brought a knife to school and that he was having "some scary thoughts." Paul's father then came and picked him up from school.

Administrators considered expelling Paul for bringing a weapon to school, and he was kept away from school for more than a week. Three days before Christmas break, he was permitted to return on a probationary basis.

"I emailed the attorney for the school district, and I spoke to the principal many times. I spoke to the superintendent many times," Chandel Pine said. "Eventually, I spoke in front of the Board of Trustees, begging them to not punish my child for asking for help."

A few weeks later, on January 9, Paul was in music class with teacher Amelia Giordano. During class, Paul asked to use the bathroom, and Giordano allegedly granted him permission. Paul was then gone 17 minutes, during which time Giordano and another adult peeked in the open door of the boys' bathroom several times, according to reports of school surveillance footage. The principal then entered the bathroom, saw Paul hanging on a coat rack in a bathroom stall, clearly in medical distress, and immediately attempted CPR.

They managed to revive Paul, and he was then flown to a hospital in Denver. Sadly, he died three days later, just a month shy of his 12th birthday.

In late July, Giordano, 31, was charged with abandoning or endangering a child, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The Laramie County District Attorney’s office claimed in court documents that Giordano "let a juvenile student (Paul Pine) be unattended after safety measures were put in place, contributing to (Pine’s) suicide."

On Thursday, Giordano pled not guilty to the charge and was released on her own recognizance. She is scheduled for another hearing in November. She remains listed as a music teacher at Carpenter and Pine Bluffs Elementary Schools on the district website.

The principal of Carpenter Elementary and the superintendent of Laramie County School District #2 did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.

"We had followed all the safety plans. We’d put our knives, like steak knives, out of the kitchen, all in a safe. I took away all of his charging cords, all of his belts, his flat sheets, everything. Everything that was in the safety plan, I followed to a T to make sure he was safe," Chandel Pine said. "… We expected the school to follow the safety plan."

The family is also considering filing a civil suit against the district.

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Former prosecutor secretly filmed sexual encounters with female defendant: 'That’s my girl'



A former district attorney in Wisconsin will spend more than a year behind bars after he was convicted of filming sexual encounters with women who did not know they had been recorded. At least one of the women was a female defendant whose case the man was handling.

According to reports, 52-year-old Daniel Steffen secretly recorded sexual encounters with two separate victims back in 2018 when he was then an assistant district attorney for Burnett County, Wisconsin, which is located along the state's northwestern border with Minnesota.

An investigation into Steffen's private life began in early 2020, when the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation received a tip about a woman who "openly talked about having sexual relations with a Burnett County Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in exchange for leniency on criminal cases the female had pending in Burnett County," a court document said. The woman, later identified only as Victim #1, eventually admitted to investigators that she had met Steffen in his office in 2018 after she had been accused of violating a restraining order that the father of her child had obtained against her.

After that initial meeting in Steffen's office, Victim #1 claimed that he gave her his personal phone number and that after several days of text messaging one another, the two had had sex at his home. She claimed that they had been intimate on a number of occasions at his home, her home, and at his office "during work hours," the court document said. The woman said that, despite having "several cases pending," she "ended up having to pay a fine."

During an investigation into their alleged relationship, law enforcement seized, among other items, an iPad from Steffen's master bedroom. On the iPad were two videos of sexual encounters between Steffen and Victim #1. According to reports, in each instance, Steffen can be seen deliberately placing the camera so that it would record the bed area. At one point during an encounter with Victim #1, Steffen looked directly at the camera, stuck his tongue out, and winked "several times," prosecutors claimed.

During this encounter, Steffen can also be heard repeatedly asking Victim #1, "Who's in charge?" to which Victim #1 replied, "You're in charge." "That's my girl," Steffen then said, the court document said.

Victim #1 did admit that she had consented to recordings of other encounters with Steffen, but he had used his cellphone on those occasions. She claimed she did not consent to either of the videos recorded on the iPad, and the court document stated, "It does not appear that VICTIM #1 knew she was being recorded."

On the same iPad, investigators also found a recording of a woman, identified as Victim #2, from earlier that year. In February 2018, Steffen had positioned the iPad camera to record the bed and then reportedly filmed his encounter with Victim #2. While the two had sex, Steffen can be heard advising Victim #2 how she might "avoid criminal charges for hitting a mailbox," the court document said. As with Victim #1, it did "not appear that VICTIM #2 knew she was being recorded," the document alleged.

In April of this year, Steffen was convicted of three counts of representations depicting nudity. Though he faced more than 10 years behind bars, on Monday, he was sentenced to 18 months. After his release, he will serve two years of extended supervision and four years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender for at least five years, though some outlets have reported that he will have to register for 10 years. WQOW also reported that his law license has been suspended.

"As he should, the defendant will be serving time behind bars for the crimes he’s been convicted of," said Attorney General Josh Kaul. "Thank you to the team of criminal justice professionals who ensured that justice has been served in this case."

Former Burnett County assistant DA sentenced for filming nude videos without women's knowledge www.youtube.com

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