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GREG GUTFELD: Biden has finally begun making some public appearances to disprove the notion that he's dead
So, after being criticized for avoiding the media, Joe Biden has finally begun making some public appearances to disprove the notion that he's dead. And who did he start with? Howard Stern. That's right. "The King of All Media" interviewed the "Petrified of All Media." It was a weird appearance for Fart Man, and Howard Stern didn't look that great either. But what an appearance it was. Of course, Joe had trouble hearing the questions, not because of his age, but because Howard had his head so far up the president's a** it was muffled. It wasn't an interview, it was a Lewinski. The only thing missing was a blue dress and an actual president.
It's a clear indication that the king of all media is now the queen of all BJs. Hey, you know, maybe Stern got a sex change because all I saw when I looked at this interview was one giant p****. Who knew the Stern Show would be a safe space for spineless, babbling geriatrics and also Joe Biden? But what was really notable was how Stern lapped up all the lies. Joe spinned more yarn than Mother Goose on crystal meth. But that's the Dems' dilemma- hide Joe and have him look demented, or let him talk and remove all doubt. He's full of more hogwash than Joy Behar's bathtub. First of all, Joe lied about how he got busted at a protest while standing on a Black family's porch.
JOE BIDEN: He said, Joey, remember? True story. He said remember when there are desegregating Linfield, the neighborhood with, you know, 70 homes built in white suburbia. And I told you, and there was a Black family moving in, and there was people who were down there protesting. I told you not to go down there. And you went down. Remember that? And you came and got arrested by standing on the porch with a Black family.
HOWARD STERN: Right?
JOE BIDEN: They brought you back, the police? I said, yeah, mom, I remember that.
BIDEN ROASTED FOR AGREEING TO DEBATE TRUMP ON HOWARD STERN: ‘HIS HANDLERS MUST BE FURIOUS!’
You know, whenever he says, "true story," that's a tip off. I bet the mom recalls this differently. Back then, she remembers him saying, you know remembers herself saying, will, someone please tell that White kid to get off our porch? He keeps sniffing our baby's hair. Of course, no one can find a record of this arrest. They tried. Biden also claimed to have been a runner up in state scoring in football.
HOWARD STERN: I don't think a lot of people know that you were a star receiver in high school. You were like the first string guy. You were the guy who caught the ball.
JOE BIDEN: Runner-up in state scoring. You know.
HOWARD STERN: Wow.
Oh, man. Stern knows his life story better than he does. But I suppose the best evidence Joe Biden played football is the brain damage. Stern then asked another phony question about being a lifeguard.
HOWARD STERN: Did you ever save anyone's life when you were a lifeguard? Was anyone ever drowning?
JOE BIDEN: Yeah.
HOWARD STERN: You did?
JOE BIDEN: Yeah, well, half a dozen times. Usually younger kids, you know? But uh...
HOWARD STERN: You do the thing with the whistle and then jump in in the bathing suit?
JOE BIDEN: Yeah, you got it.
Yeah, half a dozen kids. Remember the good old days when Howard Stern interviewed more intelligent people who could maintain a line of thought, you know, like crack whores? Stern then told Biden that the president had had a very cinematic life. You have the movie Pinocchio. And what's up with Stern? It feels like he became everything he used to hate. But maybe this is all he really wanted. The role of the everyman was just an act, a conduit for acceptance by the elites who used to hate him. Then there's Joe saying how, as a senator in the 70s, he was named the most eligible bachelor.
JOE BIDEN: It's like when I when I met, when I met Jill, I was when I lost my family. I got put in that ten most eligible bachelor's list.
HOWARD STERN: Because you were a United States senator. You were a catch.
JOE BIDEN: And so, and a lot of lovely women. But women would send very salacious pictures, and I'd just give them to the Secret Service.
No. Senators don't get as Secret Service detail. Joe Biden didn't get one until, 2008, and he showed them his gratitude by swimming nude in front of them in the pool. You can read that headline there. I'm too lazy. So you gotta wonder who Joe was actually giving these pictures to. Are there a bunch of retired Senate ushers with photos of Liz Warren wearing only a feather? But I gotta say, man, Howard Stern's the only guy that makes Seth Meyers look cutting-edge. I mean, he really did reinvent himself. He went from being a funny a**hole to just a boring a**hole.
So Joe's next stop, the White House Correspondents Dinner. The drink of the night was vinegar and water because that's what you serve at a douchebag convention. Now, the event is held in a huge ballroom in D.C., which is ironic, since there's never been anyone spotted there with a pair of balls. Thousands of media, politicians and needy celebs gathered to tell each other how great they are. It's like working for Kim Jong Un. A bunch of weak, scared people pretending to like a tyrant so they don't get eaten by his dog. The event was hosted by Colin Jost, whose claim to fame is banging Scarlett Johansson. But if that's your claim to fame, you should claim that fame, I get it. But from the podium, he did what was expected. He made a few jokes with those directed at Joe or the non-Fox media, having all the sting of a knock- knock joke.
It's hard to say which had less real teeth- Stern's interview, Colin's jokes, or Biden himself, but the weakest part was how Jost had made his comedy turn into a preachy devotional to Biden. His jokes weren't meant to be funny at all, just to express amazement over how it could be possible that America would prefer Trump to Joe. As for the prez, he received a standing ovation for managing to stand. Although his speech was the usual combo of shouting weird grins and shots at Trump. Why repeat him? You heard him before, but the story is what you didn't hear on Stern or in DC. And that's what's happening in and to America.
No wonder they'd rather joke about Trump, who isn't president. It's hard to make jokes about violent crime, war, crippling inflation, mental illness, squatting, homelessness, illegal immigration, fentanyl overdoses, trans militancy, and, of course, American hostages. But whether you're Howard Stern or Joe Biden, it's just better to seclude yourself from the rabble surrounded in wealth, comfort and power and hope the rest of America won't notice. But we do.
In a way, Stern and Biden are a lot alike, masquerading as men of the people, they actually find people gross. But if it's any consolation, the feeling's mutual.
Charlotte shooting: 4 law enforcement officers killed, 4 injured as US Marshals Task Force served warrant
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Four law enforcement officers were killed, and four other officers were wounded by a suspect opening fire in a warrant-related gunfight in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday afternoon.
The shooting began when a U.S. Marshals Task Force attempted to serve a warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon. During a Monday evening press briefing, authorities said the recipient of the warrant was the one who initially opened fire. That suspect, who was later identified as 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes, Jr., was killed in the shootout, police said.
Hughes was also wanted for two counts of felony flee to elude out of Lincoln County, North Carolina, according to Charlotte police.
Police believe two shooters may have been involved. They said two persons of interest, a 17-year-old and a woman, were taken to the police station for further investigation.
3 LOUISIANA OFFICERS WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE IN STANDOFF WITH SHOOTING SUSPECT, POLICE SAY
"We have two people of interest at the police station that are being questioned right now," Police Chief Johnny Jennings said during the presser. "And we have confirmed that the individual that was set up that we were serving the warrant on was the individual who fired the initial shots and was deceased in the front yard at the end of all of this."
Three officers from the U.S. Marshals Task Force – one deputy and two task force officers – were killed in the shootout. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) confirmed to Fox News Digital that an officer from its department also died from his injuries later Monday evening.
A total of eight law enforcement officers were shot. Three CMPD officers and a U.S. Marshals Task Force officer were injured and are still recovering from their wounds.
At a press conference before the fourth death was announced, Jennings called the incident "the most tragic one that I've been involved in."
"I've been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for 32 years. I can't remember an incident where three law enforcement officers were [injured] and also three that were killed in the same incident," he said.
The CMPD initially reported that "numerous" officers were shot at the scene in the 5000 block of Galway Drive, which is in the Shannon Park neighborhood.
All officers who were injured were transported to hospitals. At 2:23 p.m., police confirmed that a SWAT team was on the scene and urged residents to stay inside their homes.
"Avoid the area," the police department said. "Many roads are closed for faster ambulance transport. Please cooperate with authorities."
MEMPHIS COP-KILLING SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS OFFICIALS CALL FOR TOUGHER SENTENCES
On Monday afternoon, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper confirmed that his office was aware of the shooting.
"I am in contact with law enforcement concerning the tragic shooting in the Charlotte area, and we have offered state resources to help," Cooper wrote on X.
Former FBI special agent in charge and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker spoke to Fox News Digital about the situation.
"These officers on this U.S. Marshals Task Force are the best and the brightest and the bravest. Each day when you walk out the door for work, you understand you may never make it home," she explained.
"I cannot say it enough - Americans need to back the blue… They aren’t making huge sums of money, but their sacrifices are infinite and priceless."
Parker said violence against law enforcement officers must not be tolerated.
"We must restore full support, respect and honor to those who courageously wear the badge every day and fearlessly carry out their duties," she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for more information.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Curto contributed to this report.
Charlotte residents shocked after 4 law enforcement officers die, 4 others injured in shootout
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte, North Carolina, residents who live just a few doors down from the scene of a deadly Monday shootout are in a state of shock after their quiet neighborhood erupted into gunfire on Monday afternoon.
The shootout began around 1:30 p.m. Monday while members of a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were serving a warrant for firearm possession by a convicted felon. Hours and dozens of gunshots later, authorities confirmed that three task force members and one CMPD officer were fatally shot while four other officers were injured.
"There were just an enormous amount of gunshots and people in our yard and people hiding behind vehicles. Firemen hiding behind firetrucks. It was wild," a neighbor who wanted to be identified only as Sarah told Fox News Digital.
Sarah said she and her husband heard more than 50 gunshots in the middle of what was an otherwise average day.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings confirmed during a Monday press briefing that the suspect whom police were serving the warrant on and who fired initial shots at officers was "deceased in the front yard at the end of all of those."
Police believe two other persons of interest, who were taken to the police station for further investigation, may have been involved in the shootout. One person of interest is a 17-year-old juvenile, police said. The other is a woman.
"I was in a state of shock," Sarah said. "It's really tragic. Those folks go to work every day to protect us, and I don't think there's any time they serve a federal warrant that's just status quo, but I don't think you expect something like this to happen. For their families...it's just crazy."
3 LOUISIANA OFFICERS WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE IN STANDOFF WITH SHOOTING SUSPECT, POLICE SAY
The shootout happened in the 5000 block of Galway Drive, which was closed off by police for the majority of the day.
Another neighbor named Jordan told Fox News Digital that he saw an officer come outside during the shootout and throw up. He also saw a white male who appeared to be deceased and covered in blood being transported into a SWAT vehicle.
"It's a fairly safe neighborhood. Lots of families. We're going to be doing movies in the park and some other things," he said of the area.
MEMPHIS COP-KILLING SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS OFFICIALS CALL FOR TOUGHER SENTENCES
A third neighbor who spoke with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity said the house where the shootout happened was usually quiet. She also saw authorities carrying a bloodied man into a vehicle during the shootout.
FUNERAL SERVICES HELD FOR A CHICAGO POLICE OFFICER FATALLY SHOT WHILE HEADING HOME FROM WORK
"I can't say if it was the officer or a Marshal, but I did see one of them get in the truck but there was blood all over him," she said, adding: "He had on regular clothes. He didn't have one of the uniforms [on]."
A total of eight law enforcement officers were shot. Three officers from the U.S. Marshals Task Force – one deputy and two task force officers – were killed. One Charlotte police officer was killed after succumbing to critical injuries later Monday, and four others were wounded after being shot, including a U.S. Marshals Task Force officer.
CMPD identified the Charlotte officer who died Monday as Joshua Eyer, a six-year veteran of the police department.
Jennings called the incident "the most tragic one that I've been involved in."
CHICAGO POLICE ID SUSPECT WANTED IN MURDER OF OFFICER LUIS HUESCA, OFFER $100K REWARD
"I've been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for 32 years. I can't remember an incident where three law enforcement officers were [injured] and also three that were killed in the same incident, as well as one in critical condition and additional that were shot and injured," he said.
One CMPD officer remains in critical condition.
2 CENTRAL FLORIDA DEPTIES WOUNDED, SUSPECT DEAD AFTER PUBLIC PARK GUN FIGHT
"Today is a tragic day in Charlotte. Anytime a member of law enforcement is killed or injured in the line of duty, the whole profession hurts," Jennings said in a Monday statement. "My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers as well as the other officers who were shot, including 4 of our own CMPD Officers. The bravery of these officers and all other officers who responded to the scene is unmatched."
10 WOUNDED IN SHOOTING AT FLORIDA PARTY VENUE, SHERIFF SAYS
He continued: "In the face of danger, our people stepped up, committed to their oath to protect and serve. The days, months and years that follow this senseless tragedy will undoubtedly be difficult. But I couldn’t be more proud of how our local, state and federal first responder agencies came together today, and I’m confident that’s what will carry us through."
The U.S. Marshals Service said in a Monday statement that their "hearts are heavy tonight for the lives shattered by today's horrific shooting in Charlotte, NC."
"We mourn the loss of our Deputy and two Task Force Officers. We are grateful for all the support, and we keep the families and colleagues of all officers involved, in our thoughts," the agency continued.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Curto contributed to this report.
SEAN HANNITY: Biden's walking a tightrope despite his bad balance
Fox News host Sean Hannity highlights President Biden's slipping poll numbers amid economic pressure and a split base Monday on "Hannity."
SEAN HANNITY: Now, as tensions are rising across the country, the president, a self-proclaimed healer of souls, has gone noticeably missing and quiet. He desperately needs his radical base to show up for him in November. So, Joe has been trashing Netanyahu and Israel while trying to ignore the hate-filled protests of the left. He's trying to walk a tightrope. And as we all know, well, Biden does not have very good balance in any regard.
Anyway, now he's falling in the polls in a major way. Don't take it from me. Let's look at this. A brand-new poll from CNN. Donald Trump has now opened up a whopping six-point lead nationwide, nearly double the margin of error. When you throw in the third party candidates, Donald Trump's lead swells to nine points. The key driver behind these numbers? Well, the economy and immigration.
According to the same CNN poll, 66% of voters disapprove of Joe Biden's handling of the economy. And it is not just fake news CNN. Let's look at the CBS poll from three key battleground states, showing that a large plurality of Americans believe they would be much better off financially if Donald Trump wins in November. In Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, an overwhelming majority of voters believe the economy was better under Donald Trump. Most believe the economy has gotten worse since the end of the pandemic.
And that's not all. Donald Trump has now pulled ahead when it comes to an important question. Who better understands people like you? They can't answer are you better off than you were four years ago? Now, this is all on the heels of last week's Bloomberg morning console polls showing Donald Trump winning six out of seven swing states. And don't forget Gallup. They have a poll out finding that Joe Biden is the least popular president in modern history the last 70 years. Meanwhile, a new Harvard/Harris poll also finding that Trump is leading nationwide and both a head-to-head matchup with Biden and a three-way matchup against Biden and RFK Jr.
And get this, the polls show that 57% of Americans believe that Democrats are, quote, using the legal system in biased ways to take out a political opponent. And 64% indicated that Biden's cognitive decline is getting worse every single day.
The polls now are so bad that during a podcast featuring Biden, Clinton and Obama, actor Jason Bateman suggested that Joe, why don't you go on Hannity's program for an hour and defend your great record? But instead of providing a thoughtful answer, well, he needed his former partner, Barack Obama, to step in, leading to a lot of questions.
Really? How much influence does Obama have over Joe Biden? You decide.
New York DA issues apology after being caught berating police during traffic stop: 'I'm disciplining myself'
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley released a public apology on Monday for her conduct during a heated traffic stop that went viral.
Doorley shared a pre-recorded apology video saying she is taking "full responsibility" for her behavior during a traffic stop last week that was caught on video.
"Last Monday, I failed you and the standards that I hold myself to. And for that, I am so sorry. What I did was wrong, no excuses. I take full responsibility for my actions," Doorley explained in her video.
"I was dealing with three homicides that occurred on the weekend, I watched a video where an innocent cab driver was executed, and I was still reeling from a frightening medical concern that my husband received that afternoon," Doorley continued.
NY DA BERATES POLICE OFFICER, IGNORES COMMANDS DURING TRAFFIC STOP: 'I DON'T REALLY CARE'
Doorley, a Republican who reportedly switched her enrollment from the Democratic Party in 2015, was caught driving 55 mph in a 35 mph zone in the town of Webster, New York, on April 22.
The district attorney did not pull over, and an officer followed her with lights and sirens roughly a half mile away to Doorley’s home, records show. The video, obtained by WXXI and other outlets through a Freedom of Information Act request, shows an officer walking up the driveway and into Doorley’s garage, where she parked her vehicle.
In the video, the officer asks Doorley to cooperate, but she refuses.
As the exchange with the officer grew heated, Doorley called Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier, asking him, "Can you please tell him to leave me alone?"
"I don't really care," she said at one point.
"If you give me a traffic ticket, that’s fine. I’m the one who prosecutes it. Just go ahead and do it," Doorley says. The officer responds, "I just don’t understand the hostility. I understand you’re coming home from work."
At one point during the exchange, Doorley calls the officer an "a--hole," and tells him to "get out of my f---ing house," as the officer is heard saying that she keeps defying his commands to come outside.
Following the release of the video, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is seeking a state investigation and is referring Doorley to the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct "following the release of police bodycam footage showing her claiming she is above the law, attempting to use her public office to evade responsibility, and acting unprofessionally towards a police officer simply trying to do his job."
"District Attorneys are responsible for prosecuting criminal and traffic offenses, and must perform their duties with the highest ethical standards," Hochul said in a statement previously obtained by Fox News Digital.
The governor added that Doorley was "acting in contravention of her responsibility as a District Attorney and undermined her ability to hold others accountable for violating the law," adding, "We are deeply grateful to the men and women of law enforcement who put on a uniform each day to protect the safety of all New Yorkers."
Doorley acknowledged her actions and issued a statement on Thursday claiming she "was driving home following a busy day at work" and admitted "that I was not paying attention to my speed on Phillips Road in the Town of Webster."
BOEBERT 'TRULY SORRY' AFTER CAUSING DISTURBANCE AT DENVER THEATRE THAT WAS CAUGHT ON VIDEO
"I acknowledged that I was speeding and I accepted the ticket. By 1:00 p.m. the following day, I pled guilty and sent the ticket to the Webster Town Court because I believe in accepting responsibility for my actions and had no intention of using my position to receive a benefit. Nobody, including your District Attorney, is above the rule of law, even traffic laws," Doorley said.
During her video, Doorley offered another apology to the officer she berated and acknowledged that her behavior was wrong.
"But we all have bad days and stress, and it was wrong for me to take it out on an officer who was just doing his job," she continued. "While I previously apologized to him, I will say it again, I’m sorry. Police already have a tough job and that day, I made this officer’s job harder."
Doorley continued and apologized to the community, saying she was going to "make this right."
"If one of my assistant district attorneys had acted this way, I would’ve disciplined them. So I’m disciplining myself. I will take ethics training to remind myself that professionalism matters. I’ve been humbled by my own stupidity, and I am fully to blame. I will make this right," Doorley said in her video.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Influencer bashed for running Brooklyn Half Marathon without registering, mocks critics before issuing apology
A social media influencer received a load of backlash after posting herself crossing the finish line of the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon on Sunday despite not signing up for the race.
Alexa Curtis, 26, posted an apology on X, where she said the post was "meant to be inspirational."
"I did not realize I would offend so many people," she wrote. "…I had no intention to take anything from anyone or the race: I was running for myself for my mental health. In the future I’ll be sure to look up the rules if I decide to run again."
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Curtis was banditing, otherwise known as running a race without registering. It’s a highly controversial thing to do considering entry frees for races are used to pay for security, medical responders, water and Gatorade during the race, and more.
A portion of registration, which is $125 and up, also go to charity. NYU Langone Healthy is the Brooklyn Half Marathon’s "signature charity partner."
Curtis admitted she didn’t sign up for the race in a lengthy post.
"Just ran 13.1 milles for the Brooklyn half marathon at a 7.43 minute pace," Curtis’s post read. "I didn’t walk at all. I cried during a lot of it. I went to bed at 10 PM.
"I just asked the security where it started and where it ended and jumped in," she said while explaining the hardships she’s had in her life recently. "No one watched me cross the finish line this year.
"When people ask me what being fearless is, it’s like asking security where the race starts and where it ends. Everything in the middle, all the bull***, the pain, the trauma you’re gonna experience in your life is nothing because you started running and you’re not going to stop just because you cross that finish line. You never have it all figured out but you rely on yourself because that’s all you have in life: you."
People who didn’t appreciate Curtis jumping into the race flooded her comments, with one X user saying, "You are a bandit and you stole from this race and this community. These things are expensive and for charity. Shame on you."
Curtis replied to this comment.
"You know I don’t have the energy to reply to this but I’m gonna because last week I refunded a client $17,000 because I was an idiot, didn’t have a contract and she decided she wasn’t ‘happy and desperately needed the money back’ but the last thing I wanted was an American Express dispute to then deal with none of my existing clients to be able to have their invoices processed.
"I worked for free for 2 weeks while running a second business (be fearless) where I constantly lose money yet show up to inspire young women to be fearless who rely on me to.
"So get back to me about stealing – google the definition of it cause that’s what happened to me in business this month not running a half marathon. Hbu? Any wins and losses you wanna mention on twitter?"
Curtis’ publicist told The New York Post that she "decided last minute to participate in the Brooklyn Half."
"It was not intentional that she did not sign up, rather she thought it would be a nice way to help spread the word via her platform about the importance of moving your body/working out and the mind-body connection as well as share some nice awareness for the Brooklyn Half," read the statement, which also pointed out Curtis is visiting from overseas.
"Her participation was meant to be a positive move, and it’s very unfortunate that she is now receiving such negative backlash about something that was to be uplifting for her followers."
NYCRUNS issued a statement to The Post as well, saying a record was made with participants in this race.
"We had a record number of runners at Sunday’s NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half Marathon with over 21,000 official finishers.
"Our top priority is the safety and well-being of every one of those runners, and the bib that every runner wears is their lifeline if a medical issue arises on the course," the statement continued. "It’s dangerous to run in a race without a bib, and it’s also not fair to the thousands of runners who are."
Curtis, a Connecticut native, founded Be Fearless Inc., which is a "reinvented career brand" that aims to "helping you be fearless & the boss of your own life." Curtis has 13,100 followers on X and 23,300 on Instagram.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
A Colombian army helicopter has crashed in a rural area of the country's north, killing 9 soldiers
An army helicopter carrying supplies to troops crashed in a rural area in northern Colombia on Monday, killing nine soldiers on board, the country’s armed forces said.
In a statement, the Colombian military said the helicopter was taking the supplies to the municipality of Santa Rosa del Sur, an area that has recently experienced fighting between the National Liberation Army guerrilla group and the drug trafficking group known as the Gulf Clan.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COLOMBIANS PROTEST AGAINST LEFTIST PRESIDENT'S AGENDA
The military statement described the helicopter crash as an accident.
"I regret the death of the nine passengers on board the army’s helicopter" Colombian president Gustavo Petro wrote on X on Monday. "It was supplying troops…that were conducting operations against the Gulf Clan."
The military said the helicopter crashed around 1:50 pm local time. It was an MI-17 Russian-built chopper that is often used to carry troops and supplies.
Two officers were among the victims of the crash, which also included two sergeants and three privates. None of the passengers on the helicopter survived.
JESSE WATTERS: The media is a joke and Biden can't take one
Fox News host Jesse Watters says President Biden cannot take a joke following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on "Jesse Watters Primetime."
JESSE WATTERS: Once a year, politicians, journalists and celebrities get dressed up for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner ... when the president and the press, who theoretically have an adversarial relationship, lay down their weapons and pick up their silverware and give each other a good old ribbing over cocktails and filet.
Biden brought the party back Saturday night but had a hard time breaking bread – literally breaking that piece of bread looked challenging. ... You'd think having dinner with a thousand of your closest friends and entire industry keeping you in office, you'd be in a better mood, but Biden just looked mad that he had to eat salad.
...
The president is still being protected, even at a roast. Joe got on stage and had one good joke. ... The rest of the evening was lame and tame. The president's jokes didn't land, and most of his material wasn't even aimed at the press. Trump was the punchline.
... You're supposed to get up there and roast each other and neither of them did. The president and the press are now a protected class. The media is a joke and Biden can't take one. Barack Obama did 20 minutes on stage. Biden only spoke for six. He didn't bash the media. He actually begged the media to bury Trump.
A retired Catholic bishop who tried to mediate between cartels in Mexico is briefly kidnapped
A retired Roman Catholic bishop who was famous for trying to mediate between drug cartels in Mexico was apparently kidnapped, but was later located and taken to a hospital, the Mexican Council of Bishops said Monday.
The church leadership in Mexico said in a statement earlier that Msgr. Salvador Rangel, a bishop emeritus, disappeared on Saturday and called on his captors to release him.
CATHOLIC BISHOPS IN MEXICO HOSTED PEACE TALKS WITH DRUG CARTEL LEADERS
But the council later said he "has been located and is in the hospital," without specifying how he had been found or released.
Earlier, the council said Rangel was in ill health, and begged the captors to allow him to take his medications as "an act of humanity."
Rangel was bishop of the notoriously violent diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, in the southern state of Guerrero, where drug cartels have been fighting turf battles for years. In an effort later endorsed by the government, Rangel sought to convince gang leaders to stop the bloodshed and reach agreements.
Rangel was apparently abducted in Morelos state, just north of Guerrero. The bishops' statement reflected the very fine and dangerous line that prelates have to walk in cartel-dominated areas of Mexico, to avoid antagonizing drug capos who could end their lives in an instant, on a whim.
"Considering his poor health, we call firmly but respectfully to those who are holding Msgr. Rangel captive to allow him to take the medications he needs in a proper and timely fashion, as an act of humanity," the bishops' council wrote before he was found.
It was unclear who may have abducted Rangel. The hyper-violent drug gangs known as the Tlacos, the Ardillos and the Familia Michoacana operate in the area. Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the crime.
If any harm were to have come to Rangel, it would have been the most sensational crime against a senior church official since 1993, when drug cartel gunmen killed Bishop Juan Posadas Ocampo in what was apparently a case of mistaken identity during a shootout at the Guadalajara airport.
Prosecutors in Guerrero state confirmed the abduction but offered no further details, saying only they were ready to cooperate with their counterparts in Morelos. Morelos, like Guerrero, has been hit by violence, homicides and kidnappings for years.
In a statement, Rangel's old diocese wrote that he "is very loved and respected in our diocese."
In February, other bishops announced that they had helped arrange a truce between two warring drug cartels in Guerrero.
Rev. José Filiberto Velázquez, who had knowledge of the February negotiations but did not participate in them, said the talks involved leaders of the Familia Michoacana cartel and the Tlacos gang, which is also known as the Cartel of the Mountain.
Bishops and priests try to get cartels to talk to each other in hopes of reducing bloody turf battles. The implicit assumption is that the cartels will divide up the territories where they charge extortion fees and traffic drugs, without so much killing..
Earlier, the current bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, José de Jesús González Hernández, said he and three other bishops in the state had talked with cartel bosses in a bid to negotiate a peace accord in a different area.
Hernández said at the time that those talks failed because the drug gangs didn’t want to stop fighting over territory in the Pacific coast state. Those turf battles have shut down transportation in at least two cities and led to dozens of killings in recent months.
"They asked for a truce, but with conditions" about dividing up territories, González Hernández said of the talks, held a few weeks earlier. "But these conditions were not agreeable to one of the participants."
In February, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he approves of such talks.
"Priests and pastors and members of all the churches have participated, helped in pacifying the country. I think it is very good," López Obrador said.
Critics say the talks illustrate the extent to which the government’s policy of not confronting cartels has left average citizens to work out their own separate peace deals with the gangs.
One parish priest whose town in Michoacan state has been dominated by one cartel or another for years said in February that the talks are "an implicit recognition that they (the government) can’t provide safe conditions."
The priest, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said "undoubtedly, we have to talk to certain people, above all when it comes to people’s safety, but that doesn’t mean we agree with it."
For example, he said, local residents have asked him to ask cartel bosses about the fate of missing relatives. It is a role the church does not relish.
"We wouldn’t have to do this if the government did its job right," the priest said.
In February, Rangel told The Associated Press that truces between gangs often don’t last long.
They are "somewhat fragile, because in the world of the drug traffickers, broken agreements and betrayal occur very easily," Rangel said at the time.
Priests are widely respected but by no means safe in Mexico.
In 2023, a Roman Catholic priest was killed in the western Mexican state of Michoacan. The church’s Catholic Multimedia Center said he was the ninth priest slain in the country in the past four years.
Likely missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels damages a ship in the Red Sea
A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels damaged a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route.
The attack happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The ship sustained damage in the attack, the UKMTO said, though its crew was safe and heading to its next port of call. The agency urged vessels to exercise caution in the area.
IRANIAN-BACKED HOUTHIS CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR US REAPER DRONE CRASH OFF YEMEN COAST
There was "an explosion in close proximity to a merchant vessel," the UKMTO said. "Vessel and crew are reported safe."
The private security firm Ambrey said a salvo of three missiles targeted a Malta-flagged container ship traveling from Djibouti onward to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
"The vessel was targeted due to its listed operator’s ongoing trade with Israel," Ambrey said.
CMA CGM, a Marseille, France-based shipper, had its Malta-flagged CMA CGM Manta Ray due to sail to Jeddah from Djibouti on Monday. However, the shipper said the vessel remained at harbor in Djibouti and could not have been targeted in the incident.
In a statement released late Monday, the Houthis said: "The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out military operations against hostile warships in the Red Sea, of which two American warships were targeted with a number of drones."
The statement said the attacks on ships would not stop "unless the siege is lifted and the aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is stopped."
Meanwhile Monday, the Italian Defense Ministry said its frigate Virgino Fasan shot down a Houthi drone that morning near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
"A missile exploded in the water in the vicinity of the escorted vessel, causing only minor superficial damage," the Italian Defense Ministry said, not identifying the commercial vessel being escorted. "The frigate Fasan and the protected merchant vessel are continuing their southward route as planned to exit the Red Sea."
The Houthis say their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.
Houthi attacks have dropped in recent weeks as the rebels have been targeted by a U.S.-led airstrike campaign in Yemen. Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.
American officials have speculated that the rebels may be running out of weapons as a result of the U.S.-led campaign against them and after firing drones and missiles steadily for months. However, the rebels have renewed their attacks in the past week. Early Sunday morning, the U.S. military shot down five drones in the air over the Red Sea, its Central Command said.
The drones "presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels in the region," Central Command said in a statement.
The Houthis on Saturday claimed they shot down another of the U.S. military’s MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bryon J. McGarry, a Defense Department spokesperson, acknowledged to The Associated Press on Saturday that "a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone crashed in Yemen." He said an investigation was underway, without elaborating.