Even for the shameless Joe Scarborough, this was shameless. Today's top story is, incontrovertibly, Joe Biden's pardoning of his son Hunter, and Ol' Joe having repeatedly lied in promising not to do so.  But on today's Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough was unwilling to describe the pardon as even one of the two top stories of the day, saying instead that numbers one and two were Trump's nominations of Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth. Jonathan Lemire hit the usual MSNBC notes. The Patel pick was "a nod to the extreme right-wing portions of Trump base, the Steve Bannon ultra-MAGA sector." Mika Brzezinski went along with Scarborough's lineup, also consigning the pardon story to third place.  A full 43 minutes into the hour, Mika teased the pardon segment, promising the show would be back from a commercial break in 90 seconds. But when Morning Joe returned--surprise!--no pardon talk, just more kvetching about Patel and Hegseth! Instead of leading with Biden's pardon and his lies about it, Scarborough buried the story 52 minutes deep into today's show. And even when he—finally— got around to the subject, the pusillanimous Scarborough didn't opine a peep about the pardon and Biden's lies about it, hiding behind his panelists who hashed it out. There was no outrage over the pardon or Biden's lying before the election that he wouldn't issue a pardon. There was merely pallid analysis of how the Justice Department felt about it, and how the Biden family was pained by the prosecutions.  At the end of the pardon segment, Scarborough couldn't resist circling back to his prized subject of the day, teeing up former Obama US Attorney appointee Joyce Vance to warn of the "dangers" of the Patel appointment. Scarborough's craven performance was presumably part of his effort to rehabilitate his reputation as a dependable toady of the liberal establishment, after having received harsh criticism in lib corners for his pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago after the election to kiss the Trump ring. Jimmy Stewart, star of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, with its iconic filibuster scene, would have been impressed by Scarborough's 51-minute filibuster to put off a discussion of the Biden pardon.  Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 12/2/24 6:00 am ET MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, expressing his support for current FBI Director Christopher Wray, after Donald Trump announced over the weekend he will nominate loyalist Kash Patel to that position, one which shouldn't normally even be open for a nomination. We'll have the latest about that controversial selection from the President-elect. Also ahead, we'll dig into newly-surfaced allegations against Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, as reports of whistleblowers have surfaced detailing years of troubling behavior. And we'll go to President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, who is set to be sentenced later this month on federal tax evasion and gun charges. JOE SCARBOROUGH: We've got a lot of great guests straight ahead to talk about the two big stories this morning. One, of course, Kash Patel. Two, the breaking news overnight regarding Pete Hegseth--more information. We'll also get to the Hunter Biden pardon, later.   . . .  MIKA: Still ahead on Morning Joe, we're going to get to President Biden's controversial decision to issue a full and unconditional pardon to his son Hunter, and the swift reaction from Capitol Hill. We're back in 90 seconds. . . .  SCARBOROUGH: Joyce, before we let you go, I do want to ask you about your concern about Kash Patel possibly being the FBI Director. Again, a possibility. Donald Trump would have to fire Christopher Wray first, as he said, he wants to do. But then, he's talking about putting in somebody who has promised to jail judges, jail journalists, go after people inside the Justice Department who did not go along with the 2020 conspiracy theories about stolen elections. What are the dangers of putting in somebody that has promised us he's going to jail journalists if they didn't go along with the Stop the Steal conspiracy theory?        

Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York suddenly seems eager to help deport criminal illegal aliens under a second Trump administration but wants to help other migrants in her state stay put.On Tuesday, Hochul held a press conference in Queens, where she was asked about the deportations President-elect Donald Trump has promised to conduct after taking office next month. In her response, Hochul pledged to be "the first to call ICE" on illegal aliens who commit other crimes."If someone breaks the law, I’ll be the first one to call up ICE and say, 'Get them out of here,'" she said."There are other people who commit crimes or are known to be criminals before they arrived here. When those are identified, I'll be the first one to help get rid of them," Hochul added. "I don't want them here. I don't want anybody terrorizing my citizens."Assembly member Catalina Cruz ... a 'formerly undocumented' immigrant, rushed to Hochul's defense, insisting that Hochul really is a friend to illegal immigrants — or, as Cruz called them, 'law-abiding undocumented Americans.'Though she spoke emphatically about the need to deport illegal aliens who broke the law to steal into the U.S. and then went on to commit other crimes, she switched to a more conciliatory tone when discussing other migrant groups living in New York. She noted the "difference in categories of individuals" and expressed interest in helping those granted Temporary Protected Status and those "with legal papers, like they came and they’re seeking asylum.""I want them to get the proper work permits. I want them to keep their temporary protective status if that’s what they have. I want to make sure that they’re part of — contributing to society while they’re here," she explained, according to the National News Desk. "That’s separate from people who are criminals.""Those who come here legally — we want to get them jobs. I have 460,000 open jobs in the State of New York."Many New York activists and Democrats were shocked by Hochul's rhetoric regarding illegal immigrants.Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, begged Hochul not to assist with Trump's "dangerous games." "Now more than ever we need leadership from Albany," he said. "We need New York’s elected officials to stand up for and defend all of our immigrant neighbors."Assembly member Catalina Cruz, whom City & State New York described as a "formerly undocumented" immigrant, rushed to Hochul's defense, insisting that Hochul really is a friend to illegal immigrants — or, as Cruz called them, "law-abiding undocumented Americans.""Given the work my office has done with this administration, I have no doubt that these statements lacked context and dimension," Cruz said in Hochul's defense. "I know that she will remain dedicated to advancing the goal of assisting those individuals and families that have come to New York with hopes and dreams of a better life for themselves and their families."In the last several years, some 200,000 so-called "asylum-seekers" have moved to New York, and City & State New York reported that as of July, as many as 875,000 total "unauthorized" persons may be living there. Citing the Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy, City & State New York claimed that the "undocumented" immigrants living in New York are "contributing to the state’s economy." However, the outlet made no mention of the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on housing and feeding them.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Former Democrat turned independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont publicly endorsed the Department of Government Efficiency, a new agency in the upcoming administration aimed at reducing the bloated bureaucracy. President-elect Donald Trump announced that tech mogul Elon Musk will be at the helm of the department alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. While the department received a lot of expected praise from conservatives, Sanders also came out in support of DOGE.'Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of "DOGE" for a very long time.'"Elon Musk is right," Sanders said in a Sunday post on X. "The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions.""Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud," Sanders continued. "That must change."Trump announced on November 12, just one week after his landslide victory, that Musk and Ramaswamy would be leading the department. "Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies - Essential to the 'Save America' Movement," Trump said in a statement on November 12. "It will become, potentially, 'The Manhattan Project' of our time," Trump continued. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time. To drive this kind of drastic change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before."Trump also detailed that the department will exist only through July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The coach of San Jose State University women's volleyball team blamed the forfeiture of games over a transgender player as the source of hatred toward the team, not the fact that the women's team has a man playing on it.Coach Todd Kress, who has never publicly disagreed with or condemned the male athlete playing (Blaire Fleming) on his women's team, made the claims after losing the Mountain West Tournament final on Saturday.He began by stating his school followed all the rules."I will not sugarcoat our reality for the last two months. Our team prepared and was ready to play each match according to established Mountain West and NCAA rules of play. We did not take away anyone's participation opportunities," Kress wrote.Kress has continuously stated that forfeits by other teams — which totaled five other schools — took opportunities away from the girls on his team but has failed to mention why the other schools forfeited in the first place."Sadly, others who for years have played this same team without incident chose not to play us this season. To be clear, we did not celebrate a single win by forfeiture. Instead, we braced for the fallout," the coach told Fox News. "Each forfeiture announcement unleashed appalling, hateful messages individuals chose to send directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff and many associated with our program."SJSU qualified for the MWC tournament with a first-round bye after putting up its best start in program history. After Boise State refused to play against SJSU for a second time, they went straight to the final where they lost to Colorado State University."Our team played their hearts out today, the way they have done all season. I want to recognize and thank our seniors — Alessia [Buffagni], Chandler [Manusky], Brooke [Bryant], Brooke and Blaire — for their tremendous efforts on the court all season long. They have all helped us to get where we are," Kress added.'We've had meetings, and it's a lot of just checking in on Blaire.'Kress called the past season "one of the most difficult" he's experienced and said "ensuring the overall safety and well-being" of his players has been his priority.That is not how SJSU player Brooke Slusser described the treatment of the team during an exclusive interview with Blaze News in September, however."We've had meetings, and it's a lot of just checking in on Blaire. ... We were like 'what about us?'" Slusser said.Coach Kress has remained consistent in not addressing the obvious root of the problem at SJSU. In October, he called it "completely ridiculous" that players on his team were receiving "messages of hate," while adding that the forfeits "hurt" SJSU athletes.According to an SJSU assistant coach, who has since been suspended, Kress has even filed complaints against his own athletes for speaking out against the team's male athlete.Kress has allegedly filed at least one Title IX complaint against Slusser on the basis that she has referred to Fleming using masculine pronouns during media interviews. Kress allegedly described this as a threat to the rights of trans women.Former NCAA swimmers gave remarks on Kress' latest stance, including Riley Gaines who notoriously competed against male swimmer Lia Thomas."Ah, yes. Blame the women for wanting safe and fair sport. Not the narcissistic man. One man's feelings > all women's safety," Gaines wrote on X.Kaitlynn Wheeler, who was on the same Kentucky swim team, wrote, "SJSU coach defends male in women's volleyball & then calls the women 'hateful' for forfeiting to protect their safety & fairness. Women are 'hateful' but a man in their sport is 'brave'? This is pure misogyny & gaslighting of female athletes."SJSU officials and Kress have not responded to Blaze News' requests for comment on multiple occasions.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Scott Jennings, the much-lauded conservative contributor for CNN, did not hold back criticisms on Monday for President Joe Biden and his defenders after he pardoned his son Hunter Biden for any federal crimes committed within the past 10 years.Jennings was on CNN with host John Berman and contributor Karen Finney, who worked on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. Jennings stated Biden's decision to pardon his son after saying multiple times he would not do so went along with President-elect Donald Trump's argument about the nation's two-tiered justice system.'He's drained every ounce of credibility from every surrogate.'"Joe Biden is leaving office, making the strongest possible case for Donald Trump that anybody could possibly make it, and that's that our government and our justice system is of, by, and for the elites and nobody else. He ran to banish Trumpism from our political system in this country, and he has left it politically and now institutionally the strongest possible political force in this country," Jennings said.When Jennings noted everyone in the United States "except the most partisan, brain-rotted people" will be outraged by the pardon, Finney took issue with being called "brain-rotted." After Jennings told Finney to stand up for herself and not defend Biden, Finney replied she has no issues with the pardon."Are you fine with the lying? Are you fine with him sitting before the election all year and lying to the American people? Are you fine with the lying about it?" Jennings asked. "I don't think that he was lying. I think he made a decision after the fact and decided this was the right thing for him and for his family. Period. Full stop," Finney said, prompting Jennings to laugh out loud."He's drained every ounce of credibility from every surrogate. If Karine Jean-Pierre had an ounce of self-respect, she'd get off the plane in Africa today — where they're going so he can avoid the press — and resign. He's drained all of her credibility and everybody else who's defended this. It's draining. Draining for everyone," Jennings continued.As Blaze News has reported, the younger Biden has a pass on any crimes committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024, meaning it not only lets him off the hook for his felony conviction on gun charges and for his felony tax offenses, but it also overlaps with the Bidens' dealings with the Ukrainian company Burisma, where Hunter was appointed director in 2014.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Released earlier this year to stellar reviews and only rising since, city-building simulator Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic has set its sights on new lands. While the base game centers around building a Soviet republic from the ground up, the new World Maps DLC lets you bring socialism to new shores, including the British Isles, France, and even North Korea. Yes, you can build your own Soviet republic in North Korea. Continue reading Soviet city builder Workers and Resources adds North Korea and more in map DLC MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city-building games on PC, The best management games, The best strategy games

Digital PC videogame platform GOG has announced that it is removing both Warcraft: Orcs and Humans and Warcraft 2 from its storefront later this month, at Blizzard's request. GOG adds that is “saddened” to share this news, but will change the policy surrounding its new Preservation Program to ensure games no longer on sale on GOG will remain supported after a delisting. GOG’s removal of both Warcraft games comes after Blizzard surprise dropped Warcraft 1 and 2 remasters on Battle.net earlier this year. Continue reading Classic Warcraft games will be delisted on GOG within days MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best RTS games, Best strategy games, Best fantasy games

How do you solve the Infinity Nikki Whimstar puzzle? The main currency for the Heart of Infinity, Whimstars are the major collectible in Infold’s dress-up game. They’re scattered throughout Miraland, from the deepest caverns to the highest peaks, and it’s up to Nikki and Momo to find them all. While the vast majority can be retrieved with a few careful jumps, one Whimstar puzzle can be a real challenge. The Whimstar puzzle in Infinity Nikki is a tricky knot to untangle – literally. Instead of the classic star shape, these Whimstars appear as a ball of twine. Get too close, and the open-world game’s camera switches to a top-down perspective to reveal a yellow circle on the ground. If you're completely stumped, let us walk you through how to solve it. Continue reading How to solve the Infinity Nikki Whimstar puzzle MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Infinity Nikki codes, Infinity Nikki banners, Infinity Nikki events

What are the best Infinity Nikki outfits? A pro stylist needs a wardrobe suitable for all occasions, and Nikki is no exception. There are over a thousand items of clothing to mix and match in Infold’s dress-up game, and while any combination will do for general exploration, the best outfits will really help you stand out from the crowd in Miraland. Of course, the best outfits in Infinity Nikki aren’t just a fashion statement, they’re also indispensable for beating all the styling challenges in the open-world game. Each piece of clothing is graded from D to SSS according to each style. The highest clothing score has the highest grade, but the values of each can vary wildly. Major pieces like dresses and hair offer dramatically more points than small accessories, but all factor into your outfit’s total score. With this in mind, here are the top-value pieces for the best outfits arranged by style. Continue reading Best Infinity Nikki outfits for all styles MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Infinity Nikki codes, Infinity Nikki banners, Infinity Nikki events

What is Infinity Nikki evolution? Pro stylists are always looking to take their outfits to the next level, and Infold Games has included a way to do just that in its dress-up game. Getting to grips with how to evolve outfits is essential to elevate your best looks beyond off-the-rack, but make no mistake, it’ll cost you. The best Infinity Nikki outfits are real showstoppers. Still, even the most dazzling get-up can feel a bit dated after a while, especially if you’re holding out on Infinity Nikki banners for your wardrobe refresh. That’s where outfit evolution comes in. This Infinity Nikki mechanic lets you exchange growth materials for an alternative look for your favorite five-star and four-star outfits. Here’s how it works. Continue reading Infinity Nikki evolution explained MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Infinity Nikki codes, Infinity Nikki banners, Infinity Nikki events