A Maryland high school principal promoted a “Palestinian” walk-out even after the faculty sponsor of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) warned that students involved allegedly threatened to “bring Hitler back” and “kill the Jews‚” according to emails obtained by The Daily Wire. Though the head of the MSA pleaded with Pamela Krawczel‚ principal of Paint Branch High School in Maryland’s Montgomery County‚ to condemn the calls to mass murder‚ Krawczel refused‚ the emails show. “I really don’t think that it would be appropriate to send out another email to address the behavior of two students‚” Krawczel wrote. The administration later asked one of the students if he made the alleged remark and he denied it‚ and they took the word of the student over the teacher and took no further action. The records contain no evidence that Krawczel followed Montgomery County Public Schools’ (MCPS) “hate-bias” policy‚ which requires the principal to notify police and make a report to the central office upon receiving a verbal or written report of an allegation. The emails show that at 12:52 p.m. on November 10‚ Krawczel announced the walkout in an email‚ saying all absences were excused. “There was a student-led walkout that took place in front of the school during 4th period. Paint Branch students demonstrated to voice their concerns about the conflict in the Middle East‚ in support of the Palestinian people. Participation in this demonstration was optional (not mandatory) and was approved by school leadership earlier this morning. Absences due to participation in the walk-out are excused… Paint Branch staff were present to ensure that this was a positive‚ peaceful‚ and respectful event. Paint Branch High School supports student-led advocacy‚” Krawczel wrote. Minutes later at 1:11‚ the faculty sponsor of the MSA‚ Brooke Meshel‚ informed the principal that‚ in reality‚ the event had included anti-Semitism and calls to violence. “I am proud to have supported these students in their exercise of free speech and gathering the community in support of a cause. However‚ I did hear one comment from a student saying ‘we should bring Hitler back’ and another student say ‘Kill the Jews’. I would like an additional email stating that such comments are not tolerated… As educators we MUST undo years of teaching of hate against those who were once persecuted for who they were and what they believed. This of course includes the Jews.” The principal shrugged off the entreaty. “I really don’t think that it would be appropriate to send out another email to address the behavior of two students. We can certainly address the comments made by those two students‚” Krawczel wrote at 1:24 p.m. At 2:15 p.m.‚ after knowing of the alleged calls to genocide‚ Krawczel wrote an email to all staff praising the organizers as “fantastic‚” even while acknowledging that the offer of unexcused absences had made it seem like a large number of students supported the cause because many simply wanted to skip class. “It was a very eventful week here at PB that ended with a peaceful student-walk out. We estimate that around 500 students participated in this walk-out‚ some who were committed to the cause and others who had their own reasons for missing class‚” she wrote. Krawczel received two emails from the district headquarters that day on the question of whether she was required to give excused absences to students. The first said it was “best practices” for the principal to tell students what “consequences” there would be for participating in the protest‚ specifically including an unexcused absence. The second said the school system’s rulebook says that “[a]ny walk-out or departure from campus during the instructional day will be treated as an unexcused absence‚ given the disruptive impact on school operations.” The principal’s post-walkout email to staff‚ however‚ said “the students who planned the protest did a fantastic job advocating for their cause‚ while also advocating for respect for all people.” By then‚ Meshel had evidently met with the principal to discuss how anti-Semitic the protest had been‚ and she seemed shocked that after the discussion‚ Krawczel sent the positive message. “Forgive me Ms. Krawczel‚ but I don’t see a comment about what we spoke about in your office‚” she immediately replied. Karwczel doubled down‚ sending the message praising the protesters for a “fantastic job” to all parents at 3:50 p.m. There is little evidence that a vigorous investigation was initiated into the alleged comments‚ and no students were disciplined. Assistant Principal Tim Bangerd wrote to Meshel at 2:20 p.m.‚ “Thank you very much for sharing your concerns regarding [redacted]. I have spoke [sic] with this student regarding these comments and have collected his written statement. If I am in need of anything else regarding Daniel and this topic‚ I will be in touch.” Christopher Cram‚ a spokesman for MCPS‚ did not provide The Daily Wire with any evidence that Bangerd had requested more information from Meshel‚ and would not say whether any steps were taken to identify the student who allegedly said he wanted to kill all Jews. “An investigation was conducted and was found that NO student made that statement (or anything like it). The one student Ms. Meshel could identify denied making that statement and there were no corroborating witnesses‚” he said. He did not respond to a follow-up question about whether it is MCPS policy to take the word of a student over that of a teacher—particularly one who‚ as faculty sponsor of the MSA‚ seemingly had little motive to lie. Posing a challenge to the students’ credibility‚ the emails indicate that the student president of the MSA made a misrepresentation to the group’s own faculty sponsor‚ telling Meshel the night before that the club was not sponsoring the walkout before others later revealed that “the officers of the MSA here did organize it.” MCPS’ Hate Bias Incident Reporting Procedures require that “whenever a student or staff member makes a verbal or written report of a hate incident to an administrator‚ administrators must make a verbal report to police‚ conduct a Behavioral Threat Assessment‚ and the principal must contact [the Office of School Support and Well-Being]. OSSWB must create an incident report in Synergy and notify Student Welfare and Compliance.” The public records request showed no such email from Kawczel to OSSWB‚ and Cram would not say that an incident report existed. Asked why Kawczel praised the protest after being informed of the remark‚ Cram said it was because “It seemingly didn’t occur‚” even though she praised the event after being informed of the remark but before there was time for an investigation. Top district officials such as Assistant Superintendent Lance Dempsey were on site for the protest‚ and Cram said that none of them reported hearing anti-Semitic comments‚ even though Meshel reported hearing two and the protest’s public Instagram account featured pictures of them standing with signs like “Victory to Palestinian resistance.” Related: Teachers Union Official Compiled List Of Nearby Wealthy Jews‚ Calling Them ‘Gluttons And Thieves’

Selena Gomez said she’s once again going off social media “for a while” to focus “on what really matters” after speculation about her conversation with Taylor Swift at the Golden Globes went viral. The 31-year-old actress/singer shared a video of her boyfriend‚ Benny Blanco‚ and wrote on an Instagram Stories post dated January 9 that‚ “I’m off social for a while. I’m focusing on what really matters‚” E! News reported. Her departure follows numerous headlines speculating that her animated chat with Swift and Keleigh Teller at the awards show allegedly had to do with Hollywood couple Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet. .@taylorswift13 chats with @selenagomez during a break at the 2024 #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/DN8gx95EUn — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 8‚ 2024 Initial speculations surfaced online that the chat was allegedly about Selena being denied a chance to snap a picture with Chalamet because Jenner said no‚ according to E! News. Others — including lip reader Jeremy Freeman — speculated the photo denial was due to the actor himself saying no. A source close to Gomez told People Magazine the singer was “absolutely not referencing anything about Timothée or Kylie.” “It’s not true she went up to them and asked for a photo‚” the insider told E! News. “She never saw them.” When the speculation continued to make headlines‚ the former Disney Channel star broke her silence and adamantly denied it. “Noooooo I told Taylor about two of my friends who hooked up‚” Gomez wrote in response to an E! News Instagram post. “Not that that’s anyone[s] business.” Chalamet also hit back at the rumors and said that there was no bad blood between Jenner and Gomez. “They’re all good‚” the “Wonka” star told TMZ. Gomez recently made headlines when it appeared she made comments about the possibility that her music career is coming to an end. During the singer’s appearance on the latest “Smartless” podcast‚ Gomez talked about how she has “one more album” in her before she closes the door on her singing career‚ E! News reported.  “I started having a lot of fun with music and then touring was really fun‚” the pop singer said. “But I was doing my TV show [‘Wizards of Waverly Place’] at the same time‚ and I just found it really fun‚ so I just kept going.” “But the older I get‚ the more I’m kind of like‚ ‘I would like to find something to just settle on‚” she added. “I do feel like I have one more album in me‚ but I would probably choose acting. I am gonna wanna chill because I’m tired.” Related: ‘I’m Tired’: Selena Gomez Does More Than Hint At End Of Music Career

Judge Arthur Engoron will not allow former President Donald Trump to make his own closing argument in his New York civil business fraud trial on Thursday after Trump was reportedly planning on speaking in court.  One of Trump’s attorneys previously told Engoron that the former president wanted to speak during the closing arguments‚ a source told The Associated Press. But in an email Wednesday afternoon‚ Engoron informed Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise that since he did not hear from Trump’s team “by the third extended deadline (noon today)‚ I assume that Mr. Trump will not agree to the reasonable‚ lawful limits that I have imposed as a precondition to giving a closing statement above and beyond those given by his attorneys‚ and that‚ therefore‚ he will not be speaking in court tomorrow.”   Trump’s lawyers had objected to Engoron’s insistence that Trump speaks only to “relevant” matters if he gives his own closing argument‚ the AP reported. In an email Kise sent to the judge 20 minutes before noon on Wednesday‚ Trump’s attorney told Engoron that he “was not allowing President Trump‚ who has been wrongfully demeaned and belittled by an out of control court‚ politically motivated Attorney General‚ to speak about the things that must be spoken about.”   Engoron shot back in an email 14 minutes later‚ writing‚ “I won’t debate this yet again. Take it or leave it. Now or never. You have until noon‚ seven minutes from now. I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS.” NEW: Judge Engoron says Donald Trump can't deliver closing statements at his NYC fraud trial tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/IUziOwS5Hj — Erik Uebelacker (@Uebey) January 10‚ 2024 Trump’s civil business fraud trial began after New York Attorney General Letitia James‚ a Democrat‚ filed a lawsuit against the former president and three of his children in September 2022. The suit alleges that Trump‚ along with Donald Trump Jr.‚ Eric Trump‚ and Ivanka Trump‚ misled the value of his company’s assets in financial statements “over 200 times in 10 years.” Initially‚ James sought $250 million in fines for Trump‚ but according to a brief filed last week‚ James is now asking the judge to fine Trump more than $370 million.   CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Trump previously called Judge Engoron a “deranged‚ Trump-hating judge.” Engoron has donated thousands of dollars in political contributions to Democrats‚ according to campaign finance records. He has already rescinded some of Trump’s business licenses in New York‚ and the judge is expected to come to a verdict in the civil business fraud trial by the end of the month.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) predicted this week that the odds of former first lady Michelle Obama becoming the Democrat’s presidential nominee in 2024 are basically a coin flip at this point as President Joe Biden struggles in the polls and she has recently started doing more media interviews. Cruz made the remarks during the most recent episode of his “Verdict” podcast with co-host Ben Ferguson while discussing Michelle Obama’s recent remarks about how she was “terrified” about what could happen in 2024. Cruz said that Michelle Obama was “basically is like pitching her qualifications‚ like everything she knows‚ because she was married to Barack Obama when he was president‚ and still is today that she‚ like knows everything the President needs to know.” “And you’re right‚ it does feel a little bit like a pitch of‚ ‘hey‚ guys‚ I’m here‚ I’m ready. I can step in‚ and I’m willing to do it‚'” he continued. “And so‚ I would change as I said‚ my assessment a couple of months ago was the odds of Michelle being the nominee were 35%. Based on this interview‚ I would change those odds from 35% to 45%. I still think it is slightly more likely than not that Biden remains the nominee‚ but I think it’s 55/45. I think it is almost a coin flip.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Cruz warned that Michelle Obama would be a serious threat to run against because of how she is perceived by the public and how the media portrays her. “She is a dangerous‚ dangerous‚ dangerous nominee because the First Lady has a patina of Teflon‚ she’s not perceived as overly partisan‚ she’s not perceived as combative‚” Cruz said. “Now‚ I think she’s incredibly partisan. I think she’s more partisan than Barack is and was as president‚ but look‚ if you look at the polling numbers‚ Michelle Obama is the most popular woman on the face of the planet. And that’s just objectively true. And a First Lady is protected by that‚ particularly a first lady that had eight years of the media and Hollywood just singing her praises.”

A House panel is pressing the State Department to be more forthcoming in a prove into alleged government censorship that is also the subject of a lawsuit brought by The Daily Wire. GOP lawmakers‚ who are looking into whether the government funded private entities to discredit small businesses and their owners over their political speech and views‚ sent a letter on Monday to James Rubin‚ coordinator of the agency’s Global Engagement Center (GEC)‚ contending the organization’s previous delivery of information to Congress “appears to be incomplete” with dozens of awards doled out in recent years seemingly omitted from the tranche. “The GEC award recipients revealed in its partial production have caused enough concern that the Committee is requesting more detailed information to understand the reality and scope of what these companies are using taxpayer dollars for‚” wrote Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX)‚ chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Oversight‚ Investigations‚ and Regulations. “The GEC’s initial production was provided to the Committee over five months after the requested due date of June 21‚ 2023. The result was a five-page spreadsheet; there is no reason the GEC would need one month per page of production. The Committee needs all relevant documents to ensure all American small businesses are able to compete online without interference from the federal government‚” they added. On its website‚ the GEC touts how it is focused on “proactively” leading interagency efforts to counter disinformation and propaganda from foreign adversaries. But Republicans suspect the center is surreptitiously propping up activities that suppress free speech at home‚ particularly on social media as has been illustrated by the “Twitter Files‚” and they have talked about pulling taxpayer dollars from the GEC. The Daily Wire reached out to the State Department seeking comment on the letter. A deadline of January 22 was given for the additional documents and information requested by the lawmakers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton‚ a Republican‚ joined with The Daily Wire and The Federalist last month in suing the State Department‚ accusing the government agency of funding censorship technology designed to bankrupt domestic media outlets with disfavored political opinions. The lawsuit seeks to put a stop to the alleged effort to boost censorship organizations that regularly target conservative media outlets with the stated goal of limiting ad revenue. The New York Times published a report last month that said Rubin rejected claims that his organization censors Americans’ comments online. “What we do not do is examine or analyze the U.S. information space‚” he said. Also noted in the article was how the Supreme Court is poised to weigh in on a broader social media censorship case brought by the GOP attorneys general from Missouri and Louisiana in the spring following an appeals court panel ruling that said there was “no indication that State Department officials flagged specific content for censorship‚ suggested policy changes to the platforms or engaged in any similar actions that would reasonably bring their conduct within the scope of the First Amendment’s prohibitions.”

Harvard University will host a summer program where students will be briefed on “settler colonialism” at a Palestinian university that called for “glory to martyrs” after the October 7 terrorist massacre in Israel and has a student body that overwhelmingly elected a Hamas-affiliated bloc to run its student government. The embattled Ivy League institution’s “Palestine Social Medicine Course” will send Harvard students to Birzeit University in the West Bank‚ according to the program’s website. It explains that the “three-week intensive summer course is designed to introduce students to the social‚ structural‚ political‚ and historical aspects that determine Palestinian health beyond the biological basis of disease.”  Harvard faces mounting criticism for its response to blatant anti-Semitism on its campus since the Hamas terrorist attack. Several Harvard students told The Daily Wire they were concerned about their school’s relationship with Birzeit University‚ given its history and alignment with terrorist groups.  The curriculum content will include hearing from health practitioners‚ academics‚ and activists about various topics including “Settler colonialism and its manifestations in Palestine” and “Health and racism‚” the website adds. A spokeswoman for Harvard defended its program in a statement to The Daily Wire‚ stating that Birzeit “is a public institution governed by an autonomous Board of Trustees with no political‚ religious‚ or sectarian affiliation‚” and that the program was co-developed by the World Health Organization. Birzeit University’s students pledge allegiance to Hamas‚ are arrested for terrorist activities Birzeit University’s student population voted overwhelmingly for a Hamas-affiliated bloc in its student government elections for a second year in a row in May. The Islamic Bloc won 25 of the 51 seats with 4‚481 votes in the race that had a 77% voter turnout‚ according to the Jerusalem Post. The Bloc said its victory proves students favor “the option of resistance” against Israel‚ and disapprove of the Palestinian Authority’s policies. Students of Birzeit University‚ supporting Hamas‚ Fatah‚ and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP)‚ gather for a debate held prior to the Student Council Elections‚ in Ramallah‚ West Bank on May 23‚ 2023. (Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh praised the victory and spoke to participants at its celebrations over the phone‚ claiming the victory shows Hamas is “unbreakable” in the West Bank‚ Middle East Monitor reported.  The campus elections are closely watched as a peek into the political leanings of Palestinians in the West Bank‚ where the Palestinian Authority has not held national elections since 2006. The student government president‚ Abdulmajid Hassan‚ and seven other students were arrested by the Israel Defense Forces during a raid in September‚ according to the university. The group is accused of planning a terror attack to which some of the suspects confessed‚ according to the Times of Israel. Israeli Student Sues Prestigious Art School For Severe Anti-Semitic Harassment David Mills‚ the co-director of the Harvard program‚ condemned the raid during a presentation on the experiences of past participants.  “We condemn the Israeli raid of Birzeit University on September 24th and stand in solidarity with our colleagues at Birzeit University‚” he said. “These raids violate the right of Palestinians to education‚ freedom of speech‚ and freedom of association.” In 2022‚ Birzeit student activists were arrested for helping to launder money from Gaza to Hamas members in Turkey to finance terrorist attacks‚ The Jerusalem Post reported. About 60 to 70 Birzeit students are imprisoned at any given time for security offenses‚ according to a 2017 feature by the Financial Times. Palestinian students from Birzeit University hurl rocks amid clashes with Israeli security forces during a demonstration near the Israeli settlement of Beit El‚ close to Ramallah city in the occupied West Bank‚ on August 17‚ 2021‚ protesting the killing of four Palestinians a day earlier in Jenin in clashes with Israeli security forces. (Photo by ABBAS MOMANI / AFP) (Photo by ABBAS MOMANI/AFP via Getty Images) Stephanie Simon‚ Harvard’s Dean for Communications and Strategic Initiatives acknowledged the student body’s association with Hamas‚ but said it has not affected its program. “Student government elections at Birzeit typically involve candidates affiliated with each of the major political parties in the region‚ including Hamas‚” she said. “These student government elections are not germane to and have not affected the FXB Center’s work with the scholars and students at Birzeit’s Institute of Community and Public Health.” “Nevertheless‚ Harvard Chan School will continue to regularly evaluate the collaboration with Birzeit‚” Simon concluded. Radical university has a history of honoring prominent terrorist alumni Birzeit University‚ widely considered the most prestigious Palestinian university‚ called for “glory for martyrs” on October 10‚ just days after Hamas’ attack on civilians in southern Israel. “Birzeit also expresses its sincere condolences to its staff and students‚ who‚ every day of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip‚ lose loved ones and relatives and calls on the world to halt this onslaught‚” the tweet reads. “Glory for martyrs‚ recovery for wounded ones‚ and freedom for the captives.” The school’s website describes itself as a “thorn in the side of the occupation‚” and says it is “transforming Palestinian higher education through its impact on community awareness‚ culture and resistance.” The university also openly honors prominent terrorists. In 2022‚ Birzeit University’s Sports Education Club hosted an athletic competition named after one of its many prominent terrorist alumni‚ Marwan Barghouti‚ who received his master’s degree in 1998. Barghouti is considered a leader of the First and Second Intifada and was convicted of killing five people. Birzeit University’s Kamal Nasser Hall is named after a leader of Black September‚ the terror organization responsible for kidnapping and killing 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. On November 24‚ 2022‚ the Islamic Bloc hosted a reception for new students titled‚ “Ayyash’s Army‚” after Birzeit electric engineering graduate Yahya Ayyash. Ayyash is nicknamed “the Engineer‚” according to MEMRI‚ and is known for revamping the production of suicide bombs — he is credited with helping kill nearly 100 Israeli civilians. The event was hosted the day after 22 Israelis were injured‚ and two killed‚ from bombs detonated at a bus stop by terrorists. Hamas Deputy Chief Ismail Haniyeh delivers a speech during the 20th anniversary of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Leader Yahya Ayyash’s death in Khan Yunis‚ Gaza on January 7‚ 2016. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Fathi Shaqaqi‚ a founder of the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad‚ and Ahlam Aref Ahmad al-Tamimi‚ who helped bomb an Israeli pizza shop in 2001‚ are also alumni. At a 2014 prisoner release deal celebration hosted by the Islamic bloc on campus‚ al-Tamimi addressed the crowd through a recorded message in which she reminisced about her time as a student and thanked Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades‚ according to Middle East Monitor. In 2021‚ a parade celebrating Hamas’s 34th anniversary was held on campus — against the school’s COVID-19 gathering restrictions — where masked students wearing the Hamas banner beat up university security guards‚ according to the Jerusalem Post. The school announced it temporarily suspended one student involved. ‘Harvard Does Not Have Our Back’: Rabbi Slams University At Hanukkah Event Attended By Claudine Gay Birzeit University had an official policy banning Israeli Jews from being on campus‚ which came to light in 2014 when a left-wing reporter for Haaretz was removed from a conference. It is unclear if this policy is still in place. “She and her colleagues were afraid‚ she told me‚ that students would break into the conference hall in protest over my presence‚” Amira Haas wrote‚ recounting the incident. “Palestinian citizens of Israel who teach at Israeli universities are not subject to the same policy.” Harvard’s association with Birzeit Harvard launched its relationship with Birzeit University last summer when its FXB Center for Health and Human Rights brought the first group of students to the West Bank for the program.   The program will also include site visits in Israel‚ according to the website. The faculty for the program are all affiliated with the FXB Center‚ including Yara Asi‚ an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida‚ who wrote a letter in November with colleagues calling for a ceasefire and “centering Palestine in the classroom.” Students of Birzeit University‚ supporting Hamas‚ Fatah‚ and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP)‚ gather for a debate held prior to the Student Council Elections‚ in Ramallah‚ West Bank on May 23‚ 2023. (Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Bram Wispelwey‚ who will teach during the program and also teaches at Harvard Medical School‚ published an op-ed in Al Jazeera in November calling the war in Gaza a “U.S.-backed genocide.” He went on to accuse Western doctors of being “collaborationists” with “colonial violence” if they engage in “passive silence.” All of the program’s faculty members — Mills‚ Asi‚ Wispelway‚ as well as two others named Weeam Hammoudeh‚ and Osama Tannous — joined to pen an academic article in 2022‚ claiming that “health equity” for Palestinians “is possible only with the abolition of all oppressive structures that ensure Jewish supremacy and Palestinian inferiority from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.” During the informational webinar about last year’s program‚ one of the 2023 participants said she learned a lot about the social medicine framework on her trip‚ claiming that public health is “inextricable to the ongoing Israel settler colonial project and the ongoing dispossession and erasion from their voices.” The Harvard spokeswoman said that “leadership at Harvard Chan School and the FXB Center unequivocally condemn Hamas’s brutal attacks on Israel and its taking of hostages.” This year’s program is set to take place from July 29 to August 17‚ with a cost of $2‚750 per participant.  Birzeit University did not return a request for comment.  Got a tip worth investigating? Your information could be the missing piece to an important story. Submit your tip today.

Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews claimed on Wednesday that rural Americans were essentially members of a “cult” and would “vote their craziness” if Democrats did not show up at the polls in numbers large enough to prevent them from doing so. Matthews made an appearance during a panel discussion on Wednesday’s broadcast of “Morning Joe‚” joined by fellow panelist and former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) as well as regular hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. He explained that if Democrats wanted to fight back on issues they cared about‚ they would have to make sure they voted in large numbers. WATCH: Chris Matthews and Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe"Voters have to get out there and say damnit: If I'm a young person‚ if I'm a black person if I'm out in the streets‚ I don't trust the cops I've got to vote that way. If I am a woman and I want to protect myself I got to vote… pic.twitter.com/JXRg0kslkw — Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) January 10‚ 2024 Brzezinski began by setting the stage‚ noting that the Iowa caucuses were just days away and primary elections would begin just a short time after. McCaskill noted that caucuses could be awkward for those who are not supporting former President Donald Trump‚ particularly in more rural areas where he is more popular. “If you are not on Donald Trump’s bandwagon‚ if you’re not a member of the cult‚ then you just stay quiet‚” she said — but pointed out just how difficult that could be when there was a caucus rather than a traditional primary. “Everybody sees which — which corner of the room you go to‚ uh‚ who you are joining.” “Iowa is days away. New Hampshire is coming up. And Donald Trump‚ given this conversation‚ even‚ is the clear frontrunner‚” Brzezinski prompted‚ turning the floor over to Matthews. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “You know‚ I think President Biden gave a good speech on Friday. I think he began the conversation about the Constitution and democracy‚” Matthews began. “But I think he has to turn the corner and go to the next step. The reason we love our democracy. The reason we all love it is‚ if we don’t like the government and they’re doing something‚ we can do something about it.” Matthews went on to argue that the most important issue to vote for was civil rights‚ giving a rambling story about the city of Philadelphia to illustrate his point. “You know‚ when I was growing up in Philadelphia‚ there were the black‚ a majority of black‚ majority now‚ they voted‚ they were highly registered voters. They were more registered than the white people. You know why? Because they had Frank Rizzo as mayor. You had a law and order guy‚ and they said‚ this is the only way we can defend ourselves. You had‚ you had black lives‚ this is an early case of that. You have to defend yourself. You have to vote to protect your rights in the Constitution.” “The Bill of Rights was put there by Jefferson and Madison because people said the Constitution and democracy is not enough. We have to write in here our Bill of Rights‚” Matthews continued‚ adding‚ “And I have to‚ and voters have to get out there and say‚ damn it‚ if I’m a young person‚ if I’m a black person‚ if I’m out in the streets and I don’t trust the cops‚ I got to vote that way. And if I am a woman‚ I want to protect myself in my own decisions. I’ve got to vote that way.” He then argued that the 2024 election was likely to be a close one‚ saying that made it even more important for Democrats to get out and vote: “It’s going to be very close in places like Pennsylvania‚ and you’re gonna have rural people out there voting their craziness about the cult‚ so you better be there to match them and you got to be there. Vote against that. And I’m telling you‚ this is really important that you vote for your rights.” “I know it is. And for women especially‚ we’ve already lost many rights‚” Brzezinski said‚ referencing the overturning of the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade. “Fifty years of rights.”

Tom Cruise has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to develop and produce theatrical films‚ per Variety. These new projects will be a mix of original productions and franchise films‚ which will feature the Academy Award winning movie star. The publication noted that the deal is not exclusive and Cruise will still have upcoming projects with Universal‚ Paramount‚ and other studios in the future. It’s been more than 10 years since the last time Cruise did anything with Warner Bros. The actor’s last project with the studio was “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014). Other notable films he’s done with the studio include “Magnolia‚” “Rock of Ages‚” “Interview With the Vampire‚” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Warner Bros. was also the studio behind Cruise’s breakout hit “Risky Business” (1983). Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy‚ who took over as co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group in 2022‚ are the execs behind the deal with Cruise. David Zaslav is also being credited as he’s the one who hired De Luca and Abdy‚ the Variety report noted. “We are thrilled to be working with Tom‚ an absolute legend in the film industry‚” De Luca and Abdy said in a statement. “Our vision‚ from day one‚ has been to rebuild this iconic studio to the heights of its glory days‚ and‚ in fact‚ when we first sat down with [Warner Bros. Discovery chief] David Zaslav to talk about joining the Warner Bros. Discovery team‚ he said to us‚ ‘We are on a mission to bring Warner Bros. back – we have the best resources‚ storytelling IP‚ and talent in the business – and we need to bring Tom Cruise back to Warner Bros!’” They continued‚ “Today‚ that becomes a reality and we are one step closer to achieving our ambition. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Tom back to Warner Bros. and look forward to bringing more of his genius to life on screen in the years ahead.” Cruise also gushed over the partnership in his own statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I have great respect and admiration for David‚ Pam‚ Mike‚ and the entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery and their commitment to movies‚ movie fans‚ and the theatrical experience‚” the “Mission: Impossible” actor said. “I look forward to making great movies together!” Cruise is currently working on the eighth installment of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise with Paramount following the massive success of “Top Gun: Maverick” in 2022.