Things are really ramping up in The Last of Us’s world. Just days ago‚ news broke that Kaitlyn Dever is officially playing Abby in the second season of the videogame adaptation. And now two more characters have been cast: Young Mazino (Beef) as Jesse‚ and Isabela Merced (Madame Web) as Dina—who plays a central role‚ especially for Ellie (Bella Ramsey) According to Variety‚ Dina is “a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit.” Series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann say she’s “warm‚ brilliant‚ wild‚ funny‚ moral‚ dangerous and instantly lovable‚” which is quite a combination. But game players know what these sentences aren’t quite saying‚ and just how important she is to Ellie. Merced’s film credits include Transformers: The Last Knight‚ but her most visible roles are yet to come: She’s Anya Corazon in Madame Web‚ above‚ and will be Superman: Legacy‘s Hawkgirl. As for Jesse‚ he’s “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own‚ sometimes at terrible cost‚” according to Variety. Mazino is currently an Emmy nominee for his work on the miniseries Beef‚ in which he plays the younger brother of Steven Yuen’s character. The Last of Us is created and showrun by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The second season begins production next month.

Radio Silence‚ the team behind the recent installments in the Scream franchise‚ has another movie on the way‚ and this one involves the tables getting turned on some kidnappers who abduct the daughter of crime lord. That apparent child‚ you see‚ is a monster. And yes‚ I mean in the literal sense. Here’s the movie’s official synopsis: After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure‚ all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion‚ the captors start to dwindle‚ one by one‚ and they discover‚ to their mounting horror‚ that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.  As the trailer makes clear‚ dear sweet Abigail is… a vampire (or vamperina‚ as my colleague so astutely pointed out)! Abigail also apparently likes to play with her food‚ as the kidnappers are all purposefully locked inside with her while she presumably murders them‚ one by one. It also seems that the movie leans in on the vampire trope a bit‚ with references to Twilight‚ Anne Rice‚ and True Blood thrown in for good measure. Abigail was directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Scream‚ Scream VI)‚ and another thing it has going for it is a stellar cast. The film stars Melissa Barrera (Scream‚ In the Heights)‚ Dan Stevens (Gaslit‚ Legion)‚ Kathryn Newton (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania‚ Freaky)‚ William Catlett (Black Lightning‚ True Story)‚ Kevin Durand (Resident Evil: Retribution‚ X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Angus Cloud (Euphoria‚ North Hollywood) as the kidnappers and Alisha Weir (Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical‚ Darklands) as Abigail. And Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian‚ Breaking Bad) also appears‚ as the dude who locks the kidnappers in a creepy house to meet their doom. I know we only have the trailer to go on right now‚ but my bet is this movie is either terrible or utterly amazing. Or both! We’ll find out when Abigail premieres in theaters on April 19‚ 2024.

Krescent Dune lives a tough life on a colonised island‚ a place where the native population has been reduced to certain specific roles‚ none of which benefit them or their community in any way. Her parents were miners‚ which much of the island’s population is forced to be‚ risking their lives for a mineral that makes the island of Kar Atish valuable to its powerful colonisers. But Krescent’s parents committed a crime that has haunted her for years since their death‚ so all she wants is to earn passage off this island. The only way she can achieve this (while avoiding the mining community who actively resent her for her parents’ crimes) is to fight all sorts of monsters and beasts in an underground gladiatorial fighting ring. Set in the same world as Tanvi Berwah’s earlier novel‚ Man Made Monsters‚ Somewhere in the Deep is a South Asian inspired standalone fantasy novel that takes place entirely on an island that is only mentioned in passing in the first book. It may expand on the world created in the first novel‚ but it holds its own as an independent story. When Krescent kills one useful monster too many‚ she’s forced to accept a quest to act as protector for a team of people being sent off by the lead overlord known only as the Collector‚ on a search into the island’s deepest caverns‚ well below where any mining excavation has ever taken place‚ further along than any human has ever returned from. The Collector leads the Landers—people from Sollonia‚ the biggest island of the archipelago that includes Krescent’s home Kar Atish. The Landers have simply taken over‚ as colonisers do. They are an “upper caste of rich‚ powerful people who seem to hold [Krescent’s] world in their fists‚” and decided the inhabitants of Kar Atish needed “regulation‚ turning us all into prisoners in our own home.” It is the island’s underground store of zargunine that attracts the Landers‚ “an unknown substance mixed with gold… more valuable than the blood that flows in [our] veins.” Buy it Now To control this substance‚ the Landers decide that everyone who was not one of them was “of a lower caste‚ a Renter‚ by birth.” Kar Atish’s people are forced to work for the Landers‚ in a feudal-style system that pushes an unending generational debt onto most‚ tears families and communities apart‚ and drives them to extreme labour for a very meagre and often dangerous existence on their own homeland‚ while the Landers’ live well‚ the rich getting richer. “Our island’s blood and stone builds their lands‚” points out one of the characters‚ reminding us that this is a colonised capitalist world‚ near impossible to break free from. The Landers practice the classic divide and rule tactic of the British Raj‚ by providing some people with more resources than the rest‚ isolating them from their community but keeping them reliant on their work‚ so that their own people forget that the division itself was the point‚ “so they forget who the real monster is.” While groups of people do band together to protect each other as best they can‚ the entire system is set up to ensure the Renters will always be trapped under the Landers’ rule‚ for as long as they live on Kar Atish. The island itself is host to endless terrors in the warrens; it is where the monsters Krescent fights emerge from. It is also the liminal space between the island’s colonised present existence and its mythic past‚ a place where earlier civilisations lived and possibly thrived‚ where perhaps a people known as the Children of the Shade still exist‚ free from the Landers’ rule. To venture into the depths is a dangerous‚ harrowing task‚ but Krescent is adamant about getting the job done‚ having her debts waived‚ and getting off Kar Atish to start a whole new‚ anonymous life (as she tells us‚ quite often).  All this is made much more complicated by Rivan‚ Krescent’s childhood best (and only) friend (and potential love interest)‚ misguidedly immersing himself in her quest‚ her two worst (human‚ but angry and violent) enemies joining the search party along with a crew of strangers who all have their own agendas‚ and an unending supply of terrifying creatures from the depths of the island just waiting for some action. It’s a brutal journey to the centre of Krescent’s world‚ full of violence and suspense and well… monsters and madness. Somewhere in the Deep is well written‚ mostly well paced‚ and only repetitive at times (though that’s mostly caused by how often we hear Krescent’s inner dialogue on how desperate she is to get off Kar Atish‚ and how complicated her feelings for Rivan are). It does feel like it is written as a treatment for a Netflix TV show (this seems to be a trend for quite a lot of quest fantasy novels from India recently)‚ but that can be fun. The writing is strong‚ visual and almost episodic‚ the many action scenes are set up well‚ the character reveals are neatly foreshadowed—well controlled and timely‚ if not particularly surprising. The book’s strength lies not in any of this though‚ but in the background on which the plot rests‚ that of South Asia’s colonial history‚ feudal control and the divide and rule policy that make the world of Somewhere in the Deep a claustrophobic‚ heavy and dark one. Somewhere in the Deep is published by Sourcebooks Fire. Mahvesh loves dystopian fiction and lives in Karachi‚ Pakistan. She writes about stories when not wasting much too much time on Twitter.

Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 Reloaded finally brings Ranked Play into the game. You can now take on the challenge of playing like you’re in the Call of Duty League…that is if you can unlock MW3 Ranked Play. How to start playing Ranked Play in Modern Warfare 3 The only way to participate in Ranked Play in Modern Warfare 3 is to reach at least level 55. Hit 55 once and you’re eligible to play Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play. If you haven’t quite hit level 55‚ you need to get back to grinding XP. Related: All Ranked rewards in Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) What are the Ranked Play rules in Modern Warfare 3? Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play is interesting because it is 4v4 matches of Search &; Destroy‚ Hardpoint‚ and Control that mirror the strict esports level of play that the Call of Duty League (CDL) enjoys. Since Ranked Play follows CDL rules‚ some Killstreaks‚ Equipment‚ and weapons are restricted. There is grace in Ranked Play in ...

The Saber V2 is a powerful weapon you can get your hands on rather early in Blox Fruits. It has excellent damage at both close and long range‚ making it the perfect melee weapon for both PvP and PvE. There is a short but detailed quest that goes along with getting the original Saber‚ but once you have it‚ the rest is simple. How to get the Saber Related: How to get the Cursed Katana in Blox Fruits Before you try and get the Saber V2 in Blox Fruits‚ you will first need to get the original version to upgrade. Here are the steps you must follow. Screenshot: YouTube/Gameskeys Head to Jungle Island and press the five green squares located around the map. Once you have pressed all five‚ head to the center of the jungle‚ where you will find an island in the lake. Here you will find a torch. With the torch‚ head to the Desert area. Look for an abandoned house in the desert area. You will be able to enter this with the torch you pi...

Vile Powder is a useful item in Terraria that allows you to spread Corruption and summon the boss for the biome. It also is a useful ingredient. But how do you craft it‚ and can you make it in Crimson worlds‚ too? Getting Vile Powder in Terraria Vile Powder is available in a Corruption Terraria world. Throwing one will spread Corruption on the natural blocks that it touches. You can also throw it on a penguin‚ a goldfish‚ and bunnies into their nasty Corruption Counterparts. Vile Powder is more commonly used as an ingredient for the Bloody Spine or the Poisoned Knife‚ the former being needed to spawn the Eater of Worlds boss. You can find Vile Powder as a drop from enemies‚ although you can craft it to skip the fighting. To craft Vile Powder‚ all you need is one Vile Mushroom‚ which can be found dotted around the Corruption. They will grow back‚ so you can wait for more to spawn in if you can’t find any. Simply hit it to break it‚ and it&;...

It’s unclear anymore whether New York Times propagandist-in-chief Paul Krugman actually believes the pro-Bidenomics psycho-babble he spits out or if he’s just trolling at this point. Krugman tried bridging the gap between his illusion of a goldilocks Biden economy and the disgruntled‚ inflation-rattled consumers who aren’t as deluded as he is in his latest 1‚108-word hot take‚ “Is Poor Economic Sentiment All About MAGA.” In Krugman’s distorted view‚ Americans struggling to make ends meet against the increasingly tenuous cost of living squeeze is just a mirage. “The more I look into it‚ the more I’m convinced that much of what looks like poor public perception about the economy is actually just Republicans angry that Donald Trump isn’t still president.” Yeah‚ go with that Krugman. [Emphasis added.] Surely‚ it has nothing to do with the fact that the typical American household now has to spend at least an extra $11‚434 per year just to maintain the same standard of living they had in January 2021‚ right? As The Heritage Foundation economist EJ Antoni told MRC Business mocking Krugman’s take: “Sure‚ people should feel good about the economy because an authoritarian in his ivory tower told them to be happy.” In true Krugman style‚ the pseudo-economist doubled down on his absurd claim that 2023 was somehow “one of the best years ever” for the U.S. economy. “Last year was a very good one for the U.S. economy. Job growth was strong‚ unemployment remained near a 50-year low and inflation plunged‚” Krugman claimed. “Plunged” is a funny way of saying prices‚ as of December‚ were over 17 percent higher than they were since Biden took office. The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 11 that it “is now less affordable than any time in recent history to buy a home‚ and the math isn’t changing any time soon.” Also‚ five and eight million people are now missing from the labor force‚ which Antoni told MRC Business was “artificially reducing the unemployment rate.”   Krugman also conveniently neglected to mention that the U.S. government had “overstated” job growth in 2023 by a whopping 439‚000 jobs. The New York Post noted that the gross overstatement meant the “job market is not as healthy as the government suggests.” Not only did Krugman NOT disclose any of these factoids‚ he showed he was determined to bury his head in the sand: “Indeed‚ weak consumer sentiment may be almost entirely about MAGA.” [Emphasis added.] Antoni ripped Krugman for once again deceiving his readers. “If that’s the kind of scholarship emanating from a Nobel Laureate‚ then the award is more a marker of hubris and arrogance than achievement.” Krugman chalking up Americans’ discontent with Biden’s decrepit economy to partisan politics is typical for the guy who spent the inflation crisis trying to brainwash readers into believing the price squeezes were “transitory.”  Krugman even went as far to suggest that even though Republicans and Democrats tend to view the economy differently depending on whether one of their own occupies the White House‚ the left is more objective. “Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to say that the economy is good when their party holds the White House and bad when it doesn’t.” Yes‚ Krugman actually wrote that. This is the same leftist Krugman who haphazardly claimed the markets would “never” recover if then-candidate Donald Trump were to win the 2016 election and doom-mongered about a “global recession.”  As for the overwhelming number of independents who have soured on the Biden economy‚ Krugman hubristically just told readers to forget about that statistic. “What about independents? Never mind. True independents‚ voters without partisan leaning‚ barely exist; data for independents is basically an average of voters who think like Democrats and voters who think like Republicans.” Of course he would just try to discount voters not affiliated with any party‚ because a Bankrate survey found in November 2023 that 59 percent of independent voters have expressed that their economic situation “has deteriorated since 2020‚” according to Fox Business. The numbers‚ it seems‚ just didn’t suit Krugman’s narrative‚ so he bypassed them. If you're wondering why Biden doesn't get credit for inflation coming down‚ this is why. People don't notice changes in the rate of change when the rate of change is already high. — 𝐉𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 ☧ (@Jay__Cost) January 11‚ 2024 But Krugman’s nonsense didn’t stop there. He all but outright suggested that survey respondents who were denigrating the Biden economy to pollsters were lying about their real economic plight. “As I and many others have pointed out‚ consumers’ behavior doesn’t match the grim answers they give pollsters: Actual consumer spending remains strong.” Antoni blistered this take by Krugman‚ asserting‚ “For Krugman to assert that the price level has nothing to do with people’s views on the economy‚ especially when the price level is rising faster than earnings‚ is absurd.” Naturally‚ Krugman also didn’t bother mentioning anything about Americans’ credit card debt situation. A recent Bankrate analysis found that 49 percent of credit card holders have been carrying debt month-to-month‚ a drastic increase from the 39 percent figure in 2021. And Americans’ total credit card debt is at a record $1.08 trillion. In other words‚ consumer spending amidst high prices makes more sense in light of this context‚ but Krugman chose to bury it. Krugman also tried to make the story of Americans’ bout with inflation an issue of supply shocks‚ which Antoni nuked: If the 40-year-high inflation under Biden were truly due exclusively to things like supply chain disruptions‚ as Krugman is alleging‚ then the removal of those problems should have not only reduced inflation rates‚ but reduced prices as well. But prices have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Instead‚ they remain almost 18 percent higher than when Biden took office. Krugman continues to display his elitism by telling the common man to not believe your lying eyes or your empty wallets.  As Antoni noted‚ “The economic recovery under Biden has been extremely unequal across income strata‚ with wealth and income gains going disproportionately to those who were already better off. For the vast majority of Americans‚ their real incomes are lower today than two‚ three or four years ago. They are going into debt at an alarming rate. Housing is unaffordable‚ and the American dream of homeownership is dead.”  Conservatives are under attack. Contact The New York Times at 800-698-4637 and demand it distance itself from Krugman’s nonsensical Bidenomics propaganda.   .   

“The Sopranos” debuted 25 years ago‚ but what makes it a masterpiece is how much older its themes are. In 1827 Goethe wrote a poem that begins‚ “America‚ you have it better.” The German genius ended with the wish that America’s children‚ when they took up the pen themselves‚ wouldn’t write stories about “Knights‚ robbers‚ and ghosts.” He wasn’t just warning Americans to stay away from childish entertainments and fairy tales — though it’s easy to guess what he’d think of “Star Wars” and other Disney products. America was a new land with new promise‚ and Goethe hoped that it would grow up to tell stories that didn’t depend on the bloody feuds and status conflicts of Europe‚ as attractive as those might be to the romantic imagination. Could a new nation‚ born from commerce and ideals of self-government‚ create the kind of art or entertainment that a continent of ruined castles and equally lawless heroes and villains had inspired? There’s a German angle here‚ which is also a “Sopranos” angle: Germany’s knights turned into robbers as the Middle Ages ended and the world of modern commerce began. The warfighters of an earlier age‚ and their ethos‚ were obsolete‚ but they still felt entitled to their old status — and to live off the labor of others. The knights‚ in other words‚ became gangsters. Tony Soprano‚ patriarch of the titular mob family‚ doesn’t know much about history. He gets what little he knows from World War II TV documentaries and Gary Cooper Westerns. He may be Italian‚ but he can’t tell Machiavelli’s “The Prince” from Prince Matchabelli. It’s one of series creator’s David Chase’s smart commentaries on ethnic assimilation that Tony takes for his heroes Cooper and America’s generals in the Second World War. Tony isn’t really Italian at all. He’s not a throwback to the Old World; he’s an American‚ and throughout the series he clashes with fellow mobsters who take Old World myths and values too seriously. Religion‚ family vendettas and honor all count for less than money with Tony. Voltaire and other European philosophers who hailed the triumph of commerce over feudalism made just that point: Instead of fighting‚ men should make money and settle their differences with profit. When one of Tony’s lieutenants is outed as a homosexual‚ the rest of his mob family and a rival gang are outraged and want the man killed. Tony is reluctant — not for any sentimental reason but because Vito is a “good earner.” Paulie Gualtieri‚ the Soprano goon most in love with mafia mythology‚ only annoys Tony with his stories of the good old days‚ and Tony’s equally contemptuous of Paulie’s claims to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. The tragedy of Tony Soprano’s life — not in an objective moral sense but as a character unto himself — is that he’s neither a New World man nor an Old World one. He’s trying to be both but can’t. Late in the series‚ Tony has dreams in which he’s a traveling businessman who’s lost all proof of his identity. At the very beginning of the series‚ Tony is disillusioned by present-day America‚ in which men are no longer‚ like the characters played by Gary Cooper‚ “the strong silent type.” His mob-family heir‚ Christopher Moltisanti‚ lacks self-control: he’s an addict with dreams of making it big in Hollywood‚ a hedonist and escapist — an adolescent‚ not a man. Tony is afraid of his biological son‚ A.J.‚ following in his footsteps‚ but he also finds the boy weak and aimless‚ and A.J. ultimately goes to work for another mobster’s film company. Women don’t do so well in “The Sopranos‚” either. Tony’s daughter‚ Meadow‚ rebels against her father’s old-fashioned attitudes about race and sex‚ and she seems set to become a lawyer or a doctor — but her romances with wimpy modern men fail‚ and by the end she appears fated to become a mob wife‚ if she marries at all. The female psychiatrist Tony sees‚ Jennifer Melfi‚ is a symbol of independent womanhood and she is never drawn into Tony’s world‚ yet she too is missing something and is sometimes attracted to Tony’s simulacrum of traditional masculinity. “The Sopranos” has its flaws‚ and it may or may not be the best television show ever made. But we watch it a quarter-century after its debut‚ and it will be watched another quarter-century from now‚ because it brilliantly dramatizes conflicts as old as America‚ and even older. What does it mean to be a man or woman in a world defined by sexless money? In a modern setting‚ what becomes of all we thrill to and admire about chivalry‚ cowboys and supposedly honor-bound outlaws? America hasn’t yet fulfilled Goethe’s call to find new sources for our stories — but we still have something to gain from the very best tales of knights‚ robbers and ghosts. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

Media softball interviews with Democrats are nothing new‚ but MSNBC Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski’s Thursday interview with First Lady Jill Biden was on a whole different level. As Brzezinski “questioned” Biden about everything from GOP “cruelty” to how great Joe is to 2024 being about democracy itself to abortion she made your church league’s slow pitch pitcher look like Nolan Ryan. Brzezinski began by sounding like she was one of Joe Biden’s speechwriters‚ “There have been Senate races‚ three presidential campaigns‚ eight years of your husband serving as vice president. Unthinkable personal loss‚ and challenge‚ and now democracy is on the ballot. What do you think when you hear people say‚ well‚ I just can't vote for Joe Biden this election? What is it they may not know about him at this point especially when the alternative seems to want to change this nation so radically?” Biden was happy to go along with the free campaign advertising‚ “Throughout all of this‚ you know‚ I saw Joe as steady and calm and resilient‚ and actually I -- when we got here‚ I felt that he knew how to rebuild this country because he had rebuilt our family out of tragedy.”     On the matter of Republicans and their investigations into Hunter Biden‚ Brzezinski again sounded more like a Biden campaign staffer than an interviewer‚ “Does yet another one give you any pause thinking of‚ like‚ the personal health and well-being for both of you? The division in this country‚ the cruelty of MAGA Republicans against your family. Does any part of you once in a while think‚ ugh‚ maybe we bow out?” Biden replied in a way that made it difficult to tell who the difference between interviewer and interviewee‚ “You know‚ that's why I want to go through yet another campaign‚ because I think as Joe says‚ democracy‚ our freedoms are what's on the line‚ and so Americans have a choice. You know‚ they can have strong‚ steady leadership‚ someone fighting for democracy‚ or they can choose chaos and division.” Staying on the Hunter subject‚ Brzezinski wondered‚ “How have you been coping personally with the onslaught of accusations against your husband and your family‚ including and especially Hunter as the focus of a House Oversight Committee hearing holding‚ holding him in contempt‚ obsessing over him showing pictures of him during vulnerable moments in his battle with addiction on the floor of the House. This would crush any family.””     Again‚ Biden would respond by repeating Brzezinski’s language‚ “Mika‚ I think what they are doing to Hunter is cruel‚ and I'm really proud of how Hunter has rebuilt his life after addiction. You know‚ I love my son and it's hurt my grandchildren and that's what I'm so concerned about‚ that it's affecting their lives as well.” Brzezinski then made the profound silly claim that‚ among other things‚ questioning Biden’s competency is a bridge too far‚ “What do you think when you hear Trump Republicans calling it the Biden crime family or--? One congresswoman‚ the Biden crime family sold out America‚ Marjorie Taylor Greene‚ he's a liar‚ he's mentally incompetent and let's not even talk about what ‘Let's Go Brandon’ means and U.S. Senators holding signs that say that.” The first lady then made a curious claim of her own‚ “It’s hard to realize our country isn’t it? I mean to look at it‚ what we used to have and what the other side‚ the extremists have turned this country into‚ I mean‚ we would never see things like that‚ say‚ ten years ago.” No‚ they would have just made slavery references or lead the media in Nazi references. Circling back to the beginning‚ Brzezinski lamented‚ “So democracy is on the ballot and also something has been lost in this last four years or during your husband's presidency as a result of the Trump presidency and that is a woman's right to choose. Women’s health care. How important do you think that should be‚ in a factor‚ for all Americans voting in the next election? It feels like we've slid back. I mean‚ I can’t believe my daughters—” Biden would reply by hyping Joe’s desire to “codify Roe‚” but what has really slid back are MSNBC’s standards for interviewers if it was even possible slide back even further. Here is a transcript for the January 11 show: MSNBC Morning Joe 1/11/2024 8:45 AM ET MIKA BRZEZINSKI: There have been Senate races‚ three presidential campaigns‚ eight years of your husband serving as vice president. Unthinkable personal loss‚ and challenge‚ and now democracy is on the ballot.  What do you think when you hear people say‚ well‚ I just can't vote for Joe Biden this election? What is it they may not know about him at this point especially when the alternative seems to want to change this nation so radically?  JILL BIDEN: Well‚ you know‚ Mika‚ when I was dating Joe‚ one of the things that drew me to him was his strength‚ and I -- at that point‚ he had been through the death of his wife and baby daughter in a car accident‚ and then‚ you know‚ later we experienced the death of our son to cancer.  Throughout all of this‚ you know‚ I saw Joe as steady and calm and resilient‚ and actually I -- when we got here‚ I felt that he knew how to rebuild this country because he had rebuilt our family out of tragedy and I think what people don't see is how hard Joe works every single day‚ that he gets up thinking what he can do for the American people‚ and he does that‚ you know‚ his job doesn't end when we just have dinner together at 7:00.  He's on the phone‚ and he's on the phone with leaders of foreign countries‚ and he's on the phone with his cabinet or he's on the phone with somebody who's lost their home because of a tornado or going through some personal problem. So I see that strength and that resilience and that steadiness every single day‚ and he's unflappable‚ and when I look at the man‚ you know‚ his integrity‚ his character has not changed‚ and he's unwavering. He's unflappable.  … BRZEZINSKI: Potentially another four years in the White House-- BIDEN: Yes. BRZEZINSKI: -- with everything you do here. Does yet another one give you any pause thinking of‚ like‚ the personal health and well-being for both of you? The division in this country‚ the cruelty of MAGA Republicans against your family. Does any part of you once in a while think‚ ugh‚ maybe we bow out?  BIDEN: You know‚ that's why I want to go through yet another campaign‚ because I think as Joe says‚ democracy‚ our freedoms are what's on the line‚ and so Americans have a choice. You know‚ they can have strong‚ steady leadership‚ someone fighting for democracy‚ or they can choose chaos and division.  … BRZEZINSKI:  How have you been coping personally with the onslaught of accusations against your husband and your family‚ including and especially Hunter as the focus of a House Oversight Committee hearing holding‚ holding him in contempt‚ obsessing over him –  BIDEN: Yes.  BRZEZINSKI: -- showing pictures of him during vulnerable moments in his battle with addiction on the floor of the House. This would crush any family.  BIDEN: Mika‚ I think what they are doing to Hunter is cruel‚ and I'm really proud of how Hunter has rebuilt his life after addiction. You know‚ I love my son and it's hurt my grandchildren and that's what I'm so concerned about‚ that it's affecting their lives as well.  BRZEZINSKI: What do you think when you hear Trump Republicans calling it the Biden crime family or--? One congresswoman‚ the Biden crime family sold out America‚ Marjorie Taylor Greene‚ he's a liar‚ he's mentally incompetent and let's not even talk about what "Let's Go Brandon" means and U.S. Senators holding signs that say that.  BIDEN: It’s hard to realize our country isn’t it? I mean to look at it‚ what we used to have and what the other side‚ the extremists have turned this country into‚ I mean‚ we would never see things like that‚ say‚ ten years ago.  … BRZEZINSKI: So democracy is on the ballot and also something has been lost in this last four years or during your husband's presidency as a result of the Trump presidency and that is a woman's right to choose. BIDEN: Yes. BRZEZINSKI: Women’s health care. How important do you think that should be‚ in a factor‚ for all Americans voting in the next election? It feels like we've slid back. I mean‚ I can’t believe my daughters— BIDEN: That’s why we have to keep fighting and we’re—and what Joe wants to do is to codify Roe and that's what we have to do. We have to keep fighting.