Glenn reacts to Oliver Anthony's POWERFUL testimony on 'The Joe Rogan Experience'
Oliver Anthony can’t stop winning.
The viral sensation recently made an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast and chose to read verses from the Bible as well as to tell Rogan how he found his faith in God.
Glenn Beck couldn't be more thrilled.
“I think what Oliver Anthony just did is what our preachers are failing to do,” Glenn tells Stu Burguiere.
“It’s all gobbledygook. It doesn’t feel real to so many Americans,” he adds before playing a clip of Oliver on Rogan’s podcast.
Rogan asks Oliver what inspired him to pick up the Bible, and Oliver says he did so after a “breakdown moment.”
“I just felt hopeless, like almost the way a child feels hopeless when they, you know, like you can’t find your parents or something,” he says.
Glenn notes that what Oliver has done through this admission is let Americans know that, through God, anything is possible.
“This is a guy, just weeks ago, [who] was feeling just like that. Just weeks ago. That’s in itself a miracle,” Glenn says.
Oliver continues explaining his faith to Rogan, saying he decided to give up his ego and make God the focus of his life instead of himself.
“I just tried to let my ego and everything that I was, just let that go,” Oliver says.
Glenn believes that Anthony’s first step toward sobriety and giving it all up to God is the same as the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous.
“What’s he doing right here? This is the first step of Alcoholics Anonymous. First step: I give up. I can’t do it. I completely give up. God, I give it all to you. We’ll just call it, start fresh.”
“This is why AA works. Because it’s so obvious, it’s natural,” Glenn adds.
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BuzzFeed News to shut down permanently
The online media and entertainment company BuzzFeed, best known for revolutionizing ways of making stories go viral on social media by harnessing the emotions of social media users, has officially decided to shutter its news division, founder and CEO Jonah Peretti has confirmed.
On Thursday morning, Peretti emailed a memo to BuzzFeed staff, informing them that many of their colleagues would soon be laid off as part of a larger company restructure. "While layoffs are occurring across nearly every division, we’ve determined that the company can no longer continue to fund BuzzFeed News as a standalone organization," Peretti's email read in part. Approximately 15% of the entire BuzzFeed workforce will lose their jobs in this latest round of layoffs, Peretti said.
Peretti also admitted in the email that, among his other financial missteps at the company, his "love" for the "work and mission" of BuzzFeed News led him to "overinvest" in that particular BuzzFeed division. He also explained that he was disappointed in the "big platforms" that failed to provide support for BuzzFeed News and its "premium, free journalism purpose-built for social media," but he did not specify which "big platforms" he held responsible for his company's decline.
\u201cHere's the full memo to BuzzFeed staffers from @peretti.\u201d— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1682003062
In addition to the loss of its news division, BuzzFeed will also lose two of its top executives. Chief operating officer Christian Baesler and chief revenue officer Edgar Hernandez will both depart the organization soon as well.
BuzzFeed Inc., founded in 2006, has fallen on hard times in recent years. A special-purpose acquisition company helped take BuzzFeed public in December 2021, but shortly thereafter, the value of BuzzFeed stock tumbled from about $10 a share to less than $1. Just a few months after going public, BuzzFeed began reducing its news division workforce.
At that time, NPR reported that "BuzzFeed News is unprofitable" but continued stumbling along, mostly because of high-profile stories and awards. In December 2016, BuzzFeed was the first outlet to publish the infamous Steele dossier, the dubious predicate for years of investigations into whether former President Donald Trump had colluded with Russian leaders to steal the 2016 presidential election. Five years later, BuzzFeed News won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the detention of Uyghur Muslims in Chinese concentration camps.
Despite the prestigious accolade, BuzzFeed's revenue continued to decline due to COVID, an economic recession, which greatly impacted the tech industry, a "decelerating advertising market," and changes in audience and platform demands, Peretti's memo claimed.
Though BuzzFeed News will soon be gone, BuzzFeed Inc. will still have an affiliated news source since it owns HuffPost and will now use HuffPo, which is "profitable," as its "single news brand," Peretti's memo said. BuzzFeed will also continue to integrate with Complex, another online media company targeted toward American youth.
This is a developing story.
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The Washington Post has reportedly placed journalist David Weigel on a one-month unpaid suspension after he apologized last week for retweeting 'an offensive joke' about women
Washington Post reporter David Weigel, who apologized last week for retweeting a joke, has been slapped with a one-month unpaid suspension, CNN has reported, citing two unidentified individuals familiar with the issue.
"I am out of the office and will return on July 5," an automatic reply from Weigel's email account noted, according to Fox News.
Last week, Weigel retweeted a post that said, "Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it’s polar or sexual."
Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez shared a screenshot of Weigel's retweet and sarcastically remarked, "Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!"
\u201cFantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!\u201d— Felicia Sonmez (@Felicia Sonmez) 1654274227
Weigel undid his retweet and issued an apology: "I just removed a retweet of an offensive joke. I apologize and did not mean to cause any harm."
Washington Post chief communications officer Kristine Coratti Kelly reportedly issued a statement last week that said, "Editors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated."
\u201cWaPo chief spox @kriscoratti issues statement on @daveweigel's retweet of a sexist joke, which he has since apologized for: \u201cEditors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated.\u201d\u201d— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1654279964
Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon has publicly offered Weigel three months of pay if the reporter takes back his apology, reshares the joke, and leaves his job.
"Wapo put @daveweigel on unpaid leave for a month because of a joke? Dave, I’m offering you 3 months' salary to retract your apology, repost the joke, and quit. Have some respect for yourself," Dillon tweeted.
Sonmez has also taken issue with tweets posted by Jose A. Del Real of the Washington Post.
In response to Sonmez's post about Weigel's joke retweet, Del Real tweeted, "Felicia, we all mess up from time to time. Engaging in repeated and targeted public harassment of a colleague is neither a good look nor is it particularly effective. It turns the language of inclusivity into clout chasing and bullying. I don’t think this is appropriate." In another tweet he added, "Dave’s retweet is terrible and unacceptable. But rallying the internet to attack him for a mistake he made doesn’t actually solve anything. We all mess up in some way or another. There is such a thing as challenging with compassion."
In a tweet on Monday evening, Sonmez wrote, "It's hard for me to understand why the Washington Post hasn't done anything about these tweets, in which one of its employees mischaracterizes his own actions and accuses a colleague of 'clout chasing and bullying' for publicly objecting to sexism. Is this who we are?"
\u201cIt's hard for me to understand why the Washington Post hasn't done anything about these tweets, in which one of its employees mischaracterizes his own actions and accuses a colleague of "clout chasing and bullying" for publicly objecting to sexism.\n\nIs this who we are?\u201d— Felicia Sonmez (@Felicia Sonmez) 1654567486
'Coward': Schumer boasts that he refused to debate Tucker Carlson — but Tucker gets the last laugh
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer boasted Tuesday that he declined a request from Fox News host Tucker Carlson to debate a letter the New York Democrat sent top Fox News executives.
What happened?
On Tuesday, Schumer sent a letter to Fox leadership demanding the network "immediately cease the reckless amplification of the so-called 'Great Replacement' theory."
Schumer claimed the white supremacist conspiracy theory "has been injected into the mainstream" of American discourse because of "a dangerous level of amplification" by Fox News. Schumer did not cite any evidence to corroborate his claims. In fact, he only pointed to an Associated Press poll and a New York Times investigative story on Carlson.
Still, Schumer told Fox leadership, "I implore you to immediately cease all dissemination of false white nationalist, far-right conspiracy theories on your network."
In a letter to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Fox CEO Suzanne Scott, and Fox president Jay Wallace, Chuck Schumer says he urges Fox News to "immediately cease the reckless amplification of the so-called 'Great Replacement\u2019 theory\u2026"pic.twitter.com/9FbUYrMtBi— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1652801535
After Schumer sent his letter and railed against Fox News on the Senate floor, Carlson's team reached out to him and invited him to debate the letter on Carlson's nightly show. But, for reasons unknown, Schumer declined the invitation.
".@TuckerCarlson invited me on his show tonight to debate the letter I sent to @FoxNews. I'm declining. Tucker Carlson needs to stop promoting the racist, dangerous ‘Replacement Theory’," Schumer boasted.
.@TuckerCarlson invited me on his show tonight to debate the letter I sent to @FoxNews.\n\nI'm declining. Tucker Carlson needs to stop promoting the racist, dangerous \u2018Replacement Theory\u2019.— Chuck Schumer (@Chuck Schumer) 1652810316
What was the reaction?
While Schumer's stance may have won him brownie points within his tribe, the decision to reject Carlson's invitation left many others scratching their heads.
After all, if Carlson is promoting racism and Schumer is on the "right side" of the issue, why would he refuse the opportunity to enlighten Carlson and his more than 3 million nightly viewers?
- "Why would you be afraid to debate Carlson if you really believe you have the facts, politics and morality on your side?Oh wait," one person said.
- "Nothing says 'I have courage in my convictions' quite like refusing to discuss them publicly," one person mocked.
- "okay…..but you understand that he is not going to stop, right? So basically you had the perfect opportunity to go give his crowd an alternate viewpoint and said no for literally no reason. Am I missing anything?" another person said.
- "I don't agree with either you or Tucker on everything, but it would be better if you went on and talked in good faith," one person observed.
- "So you’re bragging about making accusations but being unwilling (afraid) to explain or defend them? I think we all know why," another person observed.
- "So you turned down the opportunity to talk to 3.5 million Americans? Well you really showed them. That'll teach them," another person mocked.
- "If @TuckerCarlson is as disgusting as you claim, why would you turn down the chance to prove him wrong in front of millions of his viewers?Oh, because you know you’re full of crap? Got it," another person reacted.
- "Given the chance to confront the person Dems believe to be so dangerous, they opt instead to tweet and send letters. Profiles in courage," another person mocked.
- "Isn't debating someone you disagree with the best way to sort out the issue?How does silencing the other side or refusing to engage help anyone? Seems very counterproductive," one person observed.
Carlson responded to Schumer on his show Tuesday evening, calling him a "coward," and quipped of Schumer's ego, "This is the only media appearance probably in history he's turned down."
Biden admin warns it 'will not be in a position to evacuate US citizens' from Ukraine if Russian invades. Critics compare it to Afghanistan debacle.
The Biden administration warned over the weekend that it "will not be in a position to evacuate U.S. citizens" from Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion, and critics quickly drew comparisons to the administration's previous failures in Afghanistan.
What are the details?
Hundreds of thousands of Russian troops have been massing on the country's border with Ukraine in recent months, foreshadowing a possible invasion. Diplomatic attempts to resolve the tensions so far have appeared to fail.
In response to the military movements, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of family members of diplomats and authorized the departure of some U.S. government employees.
The department previously increased Ukraine's travel advisory status to "Level 4 — Do Not Travel" due to Russia's military threat. In a news release Sunday, the State Department alerted U.S. citizens in the country that the U.S. government would essentially be unable to assist their evacuation in the event of a Russian attack.
"As President Biden has said, military action by Russia could come at any time and the United States government will not be in a position to evacuate American citizens in such a contingency, so U.S. citizens currently present in Ukraine should plan accordingly, including by availing themselves of commercial options should they choose to leave the country," the State Department said.
State Department officials reportedly echoed the same statements to reporters in a conference call.
"We've authorized the departure of some US government employees, but we have ordered the departure of all family members of US government employees at our Embassy in Kyiv. The State Department has also elevated our travel advisory for Ukraine to level four," a spokesman said, according to Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
What was the reaction?
Critics on social media quickly responded by slamming the Biden administration's efforts to help U.S. citizens trapped in war zones, or lack thereof. Many drew comparisons to the administration's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan last year, during which hundreds — if not thousands — of Americans were left behind amid a Taliban takeover of the country.
- "I see a foreign policy pattern," tweeted one critic.
- "Twice in less than 6 months," added Jennifer Cafarell, chief of staff at the Institute for the Study of War.
- Lone Conservative founder Kassy Dillon said, "Afghanistan Round 2."
- Another commenter suggested, "Man this guy sure does love evacuation debacles as countries fall."
- "See a pattern here?" added another.
- "Groundhog's [sic] day," said yet another.
Oliver Jia posted, "The U.S. to its citizens trapped in war zones," followed by a gif of a man throwing up the peace sign before disappearing.
The U.S. to its citizens trapped in war zones: https://twitter.com/JenGriffinFNC/status/1485415912706613249\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/kjGDZ5DzMj— Oliver Jia (\u30aa\u30ea\u30d0\u30fc\u30fb\u30b8\u30a2) (@Oliver Jia (\u30aa\u30ea\u30d0\u30fc\u30fb\u30b8\u30a2)) 1642990074
What else?
Citing British intelligence, the Daily Beast reported on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has plans to install a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv and has identified former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev as a potential front-runner to lead the takeover.
On Sunday, the Biden administration was said to be considering the deployment of thousands of U.S. troops, as well as warships and aircraft to NATO allies in Eastern Europe as a deterrent to Russian action. But some experts said the action would be too little, too late.
Last week, President Biden stunned Ukrainian officials after he appeared to offer an incredibly weak response to Russia's threat in a long, rambling press conference. During the conference, Biden seemed to downplay a potential "minor incursion" by Russia in the coming days.
Ukrainian officials reportedly slammed Biden for effectively giving "the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure."
Tucker Carlson: The burning of the Fox Christmas Tree was an attack on Christianity
Fox News host Tucker Carlson called the burning of the Fox News "All-American Christmas Tree" an "attack on Christianity" on his program Wednesday night.
"A Christmas tree is a symbol. It’s a symbol of a specific culture. It’s a symbol of a much-loved tradition that’s hundreds of years old. Above all, it’s a symbol of a religion, the world’s largest. Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity, obviously," Carlson said.
Carlson called the burning of the Christmas tree an "attack on religious observance" and said that if the act had been directed toward any other religious group it, would have been labeled a "hate crime" by the Biden administration.
“The DOJ can tell you precisely how many Qurans were burned last year in the United States, but they don’t keep track of Christmas trees. Why is that? Well, because they couldn’t care less," Carlson continued.
The "All-American Christmas Tree" was a 50-foot Christmas tree that was set ablaze just after midnight Wednesday morning outside of the Fox News building, allegedly by suspect Craig Tamanaha.
A Christmas tree is a symbol. It\u2019s a symbol of a specific culture. It\u2019s a symbol of a much-loved tradition that\u2019s hundreds of years old. Above all, it\u2019s a symbol of a religion, the world\u2019s largest. Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity.pic.twitter.com/enFRpnT0mQ— Tucker Carlson (@Tucker Carlson) 1639014413
Fox News security personnel quickly apprehended the 49-year-old homeless man and handed him over to police.
Tamanaha faces multiple charges, including arson, criminal mischief, criminal nuisance, criminal tampering, criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment.
There has been no reported motive for the act of arson at this time.
Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott announced in a company memo that the tree will be replaced Thursday, and that a lighting ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m. outside Fox Square.
Update: Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott says in memo to staff that the network\u2019s new Christmas tree will be installed by Thursday afternoon \u201cas a sign of resiliance and hope in the face of a horrible act.\u201d Scott says it will be lit live on air during \u201cThe Five\u201d tomorrow.pic.twitter.com/M1orapgAOr— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1639006565
"We will not let this deliberate and brazen act of cowardice deter us. We are in the process of rebuilding and installing a new tree as a message that there can be peace, light and joy even during a dark moment like this,” Scott wrote in her memo to Fox News employees Wednesday.
The lighting of the new tree will be featured on the program "The Five" and hosted by Lawrence Jones and Abby Hornacek, who hosted the original tree lighting ceremony before it was burned down, Scott said.
'No point dying now': 91-year-old goes viral in interview describing COVID-19 vaccine experience
Martin Kenyon, a 91-year-old gentleman from London, has captured the attention of social media, after he delivered a "charming, grumpy" interview to CNN while describing his experience obtaining a coronavirus vaccine.
Kenyon was one of the first to receive the inoculation that became available in the United Kingdom, and he figures, "No point dying now, is there?"
What are the details?
The U.K. began administering a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, which was "developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech," according to ABC News.
A CNN correspondent seeking comment asked Kenyon if he had "perhaps" received the shot, and the gentleman explained that he actually had while delivering an earful on what he experienced.
Kenyon explained that he called the hospital that morning to inquire about receiving the vaccine, and they confirmed that he could schedule an appointment the same day.
"Of course, I couldn't find anybody to damn well park my car, so I was late," Kenyon explained, recalling that once he sat in the waiting line they served "a rather nasty lunch" before he was called in to take the jab.
The reporter asked Kenyon how he felt to be one of the first to receive the vaccine in the country, before Kenyon corrected him and said he was one of the first in the "world."
But the elderly man replied, "I don't think I feel about it at all, except that I hope I'm not going to have the bloody bug, now."
He added, "I don't intend to have it because I have granddaughters and I want to live a long time to enjoy their lives." He said that he has not been able to see his granddaughters much, but "now I'm going to hug them for Christmas."
The CNN correspondent pointed to Kenyon's new vaccination card, indicating that he would be ruled safe 21 days after his inoculation, to which Kenyon explained that was his "intention," reasoning, "Well, there's no point in dying now, when I have live this long, is there? I don't plan to, anyway."
this interview wins the day https://t.co/HtnjnyLZwg— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy)1607440800.0
Kenyon's interview gained wide praise on Twitter, and Politico's Ben White summed up the reactions in tweeting, "I just love that this charming, grumpy Londoner is there to talk about a giant world changing vaccine and he really just wants to whinge about parking and bad food. Classic."
I just love that this charming, grumpy Londoner is there to talk about a giant world changing vaccine and he really… https://t.co/p51FlZ2ETX— Ben White (@Ben White)1607459099.0
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