Biden slammed by some Republicans after announcing $100 million in aid for Gaza and the West Bank



During his trip to Israel, President Joe Biden announced $100 million in aid for Gaza and the West Bank.

A post on the @POTUS X account claims that there will be "mechanisms in place so this aid reaches those in need — not Hamas or terrorist groups."

But multiple Republican politicians have suggested that the aid will end up in the hands of terrorists.

"Aid to the Gaza Strip is what Biden is prioritizing today? This aid will of course be commandeered by Hamas. No taxpayer dollars should be sent to Gaza. Stop funding jihad!" tweeted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is currently running in the GOP presidential primary.

— (@)

"Under present circumstances, 'humanitarian assistance' = resupply for Hamas terrorists. President Biden continues to embolden Iran and its terror proxies," GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas asserted.

"Not a single dollar of U.S. aid should go to Hamas-controlled Gaza until all hostages, including AMERICANS, are safely released," Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fl.) said in a tweet.

"Biden announced $100 million in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. He might as well have announced $100 million in aid to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad," Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee declared in a post on X.

Some Democrats have expressed support for the president's move to supply the aid.

"I applaud and support President Biden’s decision to provide significant humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. Any legitimate response to the Hamas violence must strive to avoid civilian harm and civilian targets," Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois declared in a tweet.

Earlier this month, Hamas invaded Israel and perpetrated shocking atrocities, including the murder of children and the taking of hostages. Militants in Gaza have been firing rockets toward cities across the Jewish state, according to the Associated Press, and Israel has been carrying out airstrikes against the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the country "will obliterate Hamas"

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Woke 'Exorcist' reboot flops, franchise could lose studio hundreds of millions

Woke 'Exorcist' reboot flops, franchise could lose studio hundreds of millions



The latest take on the "Exorcist" franchise could end up costing its studio hundreds of millions of dollars if subsequent movies don't turn a larger profit after the first iteration failed to land big numbers at the box office.

“The Exorcist: Believer” opened to a disappointing $27 million in its opening weekend, Hollywood in Toto reported, with Deadline noting that not even the devil himself could have helped the movie attract audiences.

Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie just 58%, while critics gave it an abysmal 23%.

"A lack of new ideas — and scares — make this an inauspicious start to a planned new trilogy," a synopsis read. As well, CinemaScore gave the movie just a "C" grade.

"The editing in this movie was obnoxious," said critic Jeremy Jahns, noting that the "forgettable film" threw loud noises at the audience "that just assault your senses."

The film focused on two different families but essentially ignored one, making it feel "like two different movies," Jahns added.

While $27 million would normally be nothing to scoff at, the reboot comes on the heels of Universal studios buying the rights to the "Exorcist" intellectual property for $400 million in 2021.

With a plan for three movies, the first film had a modest budget of $30 million. However, the expectation that the movie would blow previous iterations out of the water certainly could not have been based on the performances of previous films.

No "Exorcist" sequel has performed like the original, which brought in over $230 million domestically. “Exorcist II: The Heretic” made $30 million; “The Exorcist III” garnered $26 million; and “Exorcist: The Beginning” took in $41 million.

"Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist” made a shocking $251,495 in theaters off its $30 million budget in 2005.

#ExorcistBeliever is a $30 million film that opened w/ $27 million. However, they (foolishly) promised a trilogy and paid $400 million for rights. It's an IP for the sake of IP mistake and was in 2021 a show of force when Netflix was setting money on fire for sport. #BoxOffice
— Scott Mendelson (@Scott Mendelson) 1696780466

The studio did its due diligence seemingly in every way, aside from its social justice-inspired diversity angle. It hired producer Jason Blum, who successfully produced horror films like "Get Out" and "M3GAN," and David Gordon Green, who recently directed new installments of the "Halloween" franchise. The three remakes garnered nearly $500 million in total revenue.

The "Exorcist" franchise isn't as simple as needing to make $133 million per film to justify its purchase, however, as the deal was reported to take talent fees, buyouts, back ends, and producer fees into account.

The plan is allegedly to leverage the intellectual property across theme parks and different branding opportunities.

However, on its surface, the new film is yet another flop in the world of woke Hollywood remakes.

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'Donald Duck': Trump, who skipped 2nd GOP presidential primary debate, targeted by competitors



Seven Republican presidential hopefuls gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday night to participate in the second GOP presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle.

Debate participants included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Candidates were required to meet polling and fundraising thresholds in order to be eligible to participate in the debate.

Former President Donald Trump, who remains the clear primary frontrunner, skipped the event on Wednesday night after previously skipping the first GOP presidential primary debate last month. Trump delivered a speech in Michigan on Wednesday night.

During the debate, DeSantis and Christie called out Trump for skipping the event and for the trillions of dollars of debt the U.S. piled on during his White House tenure.

"Donald Trump is missing in action. He should be on this stage tonight," DeSantis declared. "He owes it to you to defend his record where they added $7.8 trillion to the debt. That set the stage for the inflation that we have."

Later during the event, Christie looked directly into a camera and addressed Trump, claiming that the former president skipped the debate because he is "afraid" of appearing at the event and defending his record. "You're ducking these things," he said, adding that if Trump continues to do so, people will call him "Donald Duck."

— (@)

Pence said that as president he would approach Congress about passing "a federal expedited death penalty for anyone involved in a mass shooting" so perpetrators "meet their fate in months, not years."

Haley blasted Ramaswamy, telling him, "every time I hear you, I feel a little bit dumber for what you say."

— (@)

Later during the debate Ramaswamy advocated for reducing "the federal employee headcount by 75%."

DeSantis said that he rejects the notion "that pro-lifers are to blame for midterm defeats."

At the end of the debate, Dana Perino, who was one of the debate moderators, said that if all the candidates on the stage remain in the race, Trump will clinch the GOP presidential nomination. She instructed the candidates to write down which of their competitors on the stage "should be voted off the island." The candidates declined to do so.

The next GOP presidential primary debate is slated to take place in Miami, Florida in November.

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FDA rules ingredient in Benadryl, Robitussin, and Sudafed 'is not effective' and may pull products from shelves



A review by the Food and Drug Administration declared that a common ingredient in over-the-counter cold and flu medication is not effective and could cause big brands to have to reformulate their medicine.

A two-day review by an FDA panel ruled that phenylephrine, the most common active compound in many brands of cold medication, is "not effective" at standard or high doses compared to a placebo, the Daily Mail reported. The ruling only applies to oral formulations of the ingredient.

Products that could be pulled off shelves or would need to be reformulated include: Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion, Sudafed PE, Robitussin Peak Cold Nighttime Nasal Relief, Vicks Nyquil Severe Cold and Flu, Advil Allergy and Congestion Relief, Tylenol Cold and Flu Severe Day & Night, and more.

FDA officials reportedly presented data that claimed the drugs that use the ingredients generated $1.8 billion in 2022.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a board member for Pfizer, complained on X that the decision could drive up the costs of medicine for consumers.

“This is a shame. At FDA we looked closely at this question in [2005/2006] when pseudoephedrine was forced behind the counter, concluding phenylephrine was active. Now cold sufferers may have even fewer accessible options, driving up healthcare cost,” Gottlieb said.

"If FDA expands use of new path created by reform of over the counter drugs to now proactively remove established OTC drugs from market in absence of safety concerns, need a clear process and rationale for how public health is being advanced and unintended consequences mitigated," he added.

If FDA expands use of new path created by reform of over the counter drugs to now proactively remove established OTC drugs from market in absence of safety concerns, need a clear process and rationale for how public health is being advanced and unintended consequences mitigated
— Scott Gottlieb, MD (@Scott Gottlieb, MD) 1694533789

Phenylephrine was reportedly patented in 1927 and came into medical use in 1938. It was approved in the 1970s as a way to shrink blood vessels in the nose to relieve nasal and sinus congestion.

However, the FDA documents stated that there is less than 1% bioavailability of the drug after it passes through the metabolic system, "meaning that in addition to lack of an efficacious dose, an appropriate dosing interval for oral [phenylephrine] has not been established."

Simply put, when taking phenylephrine orally, the drug is rendered almost completely ineffective after it is broken down in the patient's stomach, according to the FDA review.

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Tucker Carlson to host first presidential forum of the 2024 GOP primary season, for which Blaze Media and the FAMiLY Leader are teaming up



Blaze Media is joining forces with the FAMiLY Leader to present a presidential candidate forum hosted by Tucker Carlson.

A tweet on TheBlaze Twitter account indicates that the company will be streaming the Friday event live on BlazeTV and the BlazeTV YouTube channel.

— (@)

The livestream on the BlazeTV YouTube channel is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. According to the video description on the BlazeTV YouTube channel, Carlson will speak "one-on-one" to various GOP primary contenders, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, author and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

"Blaze Media is teaming up with The FAMiLY Leader to bring you the first presidential forum of the 2024 Republican primary season, hosted by Tucker Carlson," the video description states. "Following the presidential forum, stay tuned for a special episode of 'Glenn TV,' with an intimate conversation with Tucker Carlson that you don't want to miss."

The FAMiLY Leadership Summit is slated to take place in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday.

Polling indicates that former President Donald Trump is trouncing the rest of the GOP primary field while DeSantis trails in a distant second place.

The first Republican presidential primary debate will take place on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In order to be eligible to participate in the debate, candidates must meet certain criteria, including polling and fundraising thresholds, and they must pledge to support the eventual GOP presidential nominee.

You can watch the event on Friday here:

Blaze Media Presents: The Summit www.youtube.com

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Ron DeSantis says he's surprised Donald Trump is attacking him 'from the left,' explains why he's not an 'establishment Republican'



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he is running in the 2024 presidential election on Wednesday, directly challenging former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.

Following the announcement of his White House run, DeSantis engaged in a media blitz, including an interview with Glenn Beck about how he would dismantle the deep state.

During an appearance on Newsmax, DeSantis sternly repudiated accusations that he is an "establishment Republican."

DeSantis told Newsmax host Eric Bolling on Thursday:

How many establishment Republicans would have sent illegal aliens to Martha's Vineyard? How many establishment Republicans would have stood up against Disney? How many establishment Republicans would have signed the bill that I just signed to ban land purchases from people affiliated with the CCP in the state of Florida? We're now being sued by the ACLU for that. How many establishment Republicans would have leaned in to support our children against the pronoun Olympics. We banned the pronoun Olympics in our schools, we're the first state to do that. How many establishment Republicans would have banned gender transition surgeries for minors? We not only would take the doctor's medical license, we'll put the doctor in jail if they are mutilating minors. So on every issue, that kind of the old guard of the Republican Party would have shied away from it a New York minute, I'm not only leaning into them, I'm winning against the media and against the left. You know, we say, 'Florida as the place where woke goes to die, because we've defeated the left on all these fronts. And my pledge if I'm elected president after two terms we will leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history.
\u201cThis Ron DeSantis counterpunch to the label "establishment Republican" is pure gold:\n\n"How many establishment Republicans would have sent illegal aliens to Martha's Vineyard? How many establishment Republicans would have stood up against Disney? How many establishment Republicans\u2026\u201d
— Scott Morefield (@Scott Morefield) 1685068012

DeSantis also addressed the barrage of attacks that Trump has levied against him.

I think that some of the things he's been attacking me on, I've been a little surprised at, because he's attacking me from the left, and that really wasn't the Donald Trump from 2015 and 2016. I mean, he was a hard charger leaning in on all the issues very edgy on conservative issues, and it was part of the reason he did so well. But when he's taken Disney's side against me, I just kind of wonder like, okay, I get he wants to hit me, but don't take the side of a multinational corporation that wants to sexualize kids. He's also hitting me against voting against immigration amnesty.

DeSantis said he took an "America first" approach regarding amnesty.

"I'm not sure what his strategy is, but I think he's taking positions that are a little bit different than four or five years ago," he stated.

\u201cRon DeSantis hits back at Trump's attacks: "He's attacking me from the left, and that really wasn't the Donald Trump from 2015 and 2016 ... I get he wants to hit me, but don't take the side of a multinational corporation that wants to sexualize kids."\u201d
— Scott Morefield (@Scott Morefield) 1685065261

DeSantis also accused Trump of "running to the left" during an interview with Tennessee radio host Matt Murphy.

"It seems like he’s running to the left, and I have always been somebody that’s just been moored in conservative principles,” DeSantis said of Trump.

"These will be interesting debates to have, but I can tell you, you don’t win nationally by moving to the left," the Florida governor continued. "You win nationally by standing for bold policy. We showed that in Florida. I never watered down anything I did."

Speaking of the DeSantis campaign announcement on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk that was temporarily plagued early by technical glitches, Trump declared the event to be a "disaster."

Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!"

He added, "I know Ron. The way he handled his announcement, he will handle the country!"

Trump also claimed that DeSantis had "zero chance of winning the Republican primary for governor of Florida before a man named President Donald J. Trump endorsed him."

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Scott Baio moves family out of 'third-world' California after 45 years, now living his 'best life' in 'free' Florida



Actor Scott Baio had lived in California for 45 years. However, the living conditions became so deplorable that the "Happy Days" actor felt compelled to move his family across the country to "free" and "fantastic" Florida.

Last week, Baio revealed that he was selling his $3.85 million home in Woodland Hills, California.

Baio blamed crime, high costs, and third-world conditions for forcing him to relocate to Florida.

Baio recently cited a 2022 report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority that estimated "69,144 people were experiencing homelessness in L.A. County at that time, a 4.1% rise from 2020, and 41,980 people were experiencing homelessness in the City of L.A., up 1.7% from 2020."

During an appearance on "Watters World" on Tuesday, Baio said that California had devolved into a "third-world country."

"Between the homeless defecating on the sidewalk, doing drugs on the sidewalk in the middle of the day, illegal aliens all over the place, laws means nothing, crime is out of control, graffiti on everything, and all my tax dollars I don't know what they go for," Baio explained.

He told host Jesse Watters that his family is "afraid to go to the mall."

"Above all else, safety is the issue," Baio told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo. "If you don't feel safe, it's not worth living in the town that you're in."

"It's become a city and a state where the victims are the criminals and the criminals are the victims," he added. "I just had enough of it, and it's unfortunate because it's a beautiful place."

Baio said he didn't want to leave California because he has family and friends there, but he was forced to leave the "hellhole" that California had become.

Baio recommended that Californians "vote differently" to help change the environment of California.

"I would vote for a Democrat if they were going to fix some of this stuff," the actor said. "I would. But I don't think the other side would ever vote for a Republican to fix it."

The "Charles in Charge" actor revealed that he moved his family to the west coast of Florida.

Last month, Baio shared a photo on social media of him and his wife on a Florida beach with the Gulf of Mexico in the background. He captioned the photo: "Living our best life in Florida."

\u201cLiving our best life in Florida.\u201d
— Scott Baio (@Scott Baio) 1682012852

The Baio family are currently living in a condo in Manatee County until their home in Bradenton is finished being constructed.

Renee Baio, the wife of Scott Baio, told the Herald-Tribune, "I chose Manatee County for various reasons. It's close to Anna Maria Island, Siesta Key, and I love the small town feel and values of Manatee County and I support mom-and-pop businesses and would like to keep them thriving."

Renee was thrilled that their daughter Bailey was adapting so well to Florida, where she is winning golf tournaments.

She wrote on Twitter, "Never in my life did I think we would be changing our whole lives for our daughter to jump 'all in' on her dream! I will miss my new kitchen and our friends, however, this is a very exciting journey we are on."

Other Hollywood celebrities have moved out of California, including Mark Wahlberg, Rob Schneider, and Joe Rogan.

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Scott Baio speaks out on ditching California for Florida: 'We didn't feel safe' www.youtube.com

Actor Scott Baio is leaving California, selling $3.85 million mansion — and pulls no punches explaining why



Actor Scott Baio, best known for his role on "Happy Days," announced that he is leaving California.

Baio explained on social media that he will leave California over the ongoing epidemic of homelessness and crime in Los Angeles, which is driving up prices and diminishing public safety.

"After 45 years, I'm making my way to finally 'exit stage right' from California," Baio announced on Twitter.

He cited data gathered by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority showing that there were nearly 70,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County in a survey taken last year. The same survey showed there were more than 40,000 homeless people living in the Los Angeles city limits. It is the largest homeless population in the country.

\u201cAfter 45 years, I\u2019m making my way to finally \u201cexit stage right\u201d from California. \n\n\u201cThe most recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022.\u201d\u201d
— Scott Baio (@Scott Baio) 1683125477

"This brings down property value," Baio said of the homeless problem. "Also no consequences for crime that is rampant, making things higher in price and it’s just not a safe place anymore."

Meanwhile, Los Angeles battled growing crime problems in 2022. From USA Today:

Los Angeles saw an 11% increase in its overall crime rate in 2022, with 60 reported crimes per 1,000 residents last year compared with 54 per 1,000 residents in 2019. The data includes both violent crimes, defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include rape, robberies, armed assault and homicide, as well as property crimes, such as burglary, arson and vehicle theft.

It seems certain that Baio will make good on his promise to leave Los Angeles.

Last month, Baio listed his property located in Woodland Hills, an L.A. neighborhood, for $3.85 million. He purchased the five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home for $1.85 million in 2010.

Anything else?

California is experiencing a problem with residents moving out of the state.

Between April 2020 and July 2022, for example, more than 500,000 residents left, including high-profile celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Joe Rogan, and Matthew McConaughey, among others.

High taxes, crime problems, the homelessness epidemic, and government restrictions, especially those enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, are the primary reasons why people are leaving California.

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People are canceling Fox Nation subscriptions after Tucker Carlson and the network split



In the wake of Fox News Media's surprising Monday announcement that the network and Tucker Carlson would "part ways," many people took to Twitter to announce that they had cancelled their Fox Nation subscriptions.

"FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor," the media giant announced on Monday. "Mr. Carlson’s last program was Friday April 21st. Fox News Tonight will air live at 8 PM/ET starting this evening as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is named."

When signing off on what turned out to be his final program last week, Carlson had apparently expected to return to the air this week, because he said, "We'll be back on Monday."

Many people announced on Monday that they had canceled their subscription to the Fox Nation streaming service.

"I just cancelled my Fox Nation subscription with the note: 'No Tucker Carlson, no Fox Nation subscription. Goodbye.' Who is doing the same?" Scott Morefield tweeted.

\u201cI just cancelled my Fox Nation subscription with the note: "No Tucker Carlson, no Fox Nation subscription. Goodbye." Who is doing the same?\u201d
— Scott Morefield (@Scott Morefield) 1682353966

Many other people tweeted on Monday that they had ditched Fox Nation.

"Just canceled my Fox Nation subscription. No point in having it w/o Tucker Carlson Originals," someone wrote.

"Just canceled my subscription to Fox Nation and promptly turned the channel. Only 3 shows interest me - The Five, Jesse Watters and Gutfled! And I can miss these without a problem. I never missed Tucker. What a loss," someone else wrote.

"Just cancelled @foxnation. They asked why? I said 'Tucker'" someone else tweeted.

"I cancelled my @foxnation subscription tonight. I only watched Tucker’s show. They will not get another penny. Delete them, too," another person tweeted.

\u201cI cancelled my @foxnation subscription tonight. I only watched Tucker\u2019s show. They will not get another penny. Delete them, too. @FoxNews\u201d
— Paige R.\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Paige R.\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1682384687

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Sen. Tim Scott announces presidential exploratory committee: 'I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression'



Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has announced a presidential exploratory committee, a move that indicates he may throw his hat into the ring during the 2024 presidential election cycle.

In a video, Scott, who has served as a senator for just over ten years, condemned radical leftist ideology and offered an optimistic message about the opportunity available in America.

"Joe Biden and the radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness. They're promoting victimhood instead of personal responsibility. And they're indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country. And all too often when they get called out for their failures, they weaponize race to divide us, to hold on to their power," he declared.

"I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. I know it because I've lived it," he said. "I bear witness that America can do for anyone what she's done for me."

"I will defend the Judeo-Christian foundation our nation is built on and protect our religious liberty. I will stand up to Communist China and restore opportunities for hard-working Americans to thrive and prosper. I will fight to give every parent a choice in education so their children have a better chance in life. I will defend our borders and our neighborhood streets," he said. "I will protect our most fundamental right — the right to life itself."

Tim Scott: Faith in America www.youtube.com

Former President Donald Trump, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy have already thrown their hats into the ring, and other Republicans will likely jump into the race in the coming months.

Many GOP lawmakers have already endorsed Trump for president, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not announced a presidential bid, has been endorsed by Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

The first GOP primary debate will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August, the same city where the party will have its 2024 Republican National Convention.

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