Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) turned on his party’s standard bearer Friday night, calling for President Joe Biden to end his increasingly quixotic reelection campaign against Donald Trump.
Brown followed a boilerplate template used by many of the almost three dozen Democrat lawmakers calling for Biden to step aside, first insisting he consulted with constituents before his decision, then rattling off a handful of poll-tested campaign priorities.
“I agree with the many Ohioans who have reached out to me,” Brown concluded his statement. “At this critical time, our full attention must return to these important issues. I think the President should end his campaign.”
President Joe Biden continues trying to stop the bleeding as he loses prominent support, but as he drags down ballot candidates with him, those candidates are turning on him to stop their own bleeding.
Trump’s gangbusters Republican National Convention, culminating in a marathon speech Thursday night –only days after his being shot – stood in stark contrast to Biden’s few stage-managed appearances, triggering a renewed surge of Democrats calling for Biden to resign Friday.
Brown is the latest, but the list is sure to continue growing as powerbrokers press for Biden to resign for the good of the party. The Ohioan had refused to abandon Biden in the days and weeks after his disastrous June 27 debate performance sparked an eruption of questions regarding Biden’s capabilities.
Brown faces Republican Bernie Moreno in November in one of the GOP’s prime pickup opportunities this cycle.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
President Donald Trump’s speech Thursday accepting his party’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention made headlines for three reasons.
1. He told the deeply moving story of his experience of surviving an assassination attempt; 2. He broke the record for length for an acceptance speech, at 92 minutes; 3. He followed UFC president Dana White and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan.
Yet it was also simply a remarkable speech.
Here are 17 notable lines — and not all of them were spoken by Trump. One of them, in fact, was a moment of silence.
I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.
As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me what happened. “Tell us what happened, please.” And therefore, I will tell you exactly what happened, and you’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s actually too painful to tell.
They just, this beautiful crowd, they didn’t want to leave me. They knew I was in trouble. They didn’t want to leave me. And you can see that love written all over their faces.
I’m not supposed to be here tonight. Not supposed to be here. [Crowd chants “Yes, you are.”]
Once my clenched fist went up, and it was high into the air, you’ve all seen that, the crowd realized I was OK and roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before. Never heard anything like it.
So now, I ask that we observe a moment of silence in honor of our friend Corey [Comperatore]. [SILENCE] There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others. This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours. And this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness.
And we must not criminalize dissent or demonize political disagreement, which is what’s been happening in our country lately, at a level that nobody has ever seen before. In that spirit, the Democrat party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system and labeling their political opponent as an enemy of democracy. Especially since that is not true. In fact, I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country.
On this journey, I am deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife, Melania. And, Melania, thank you very much. You also did something really beautiful, a letter to America calling for national unity. And it really took the Republican Party by surprise, I will tell you; it was beautiful. In fact, some very serious people said that we should take that letter and put it as part of the Republican platform.
We beat them on the impeachments. We beat them on the indictments. We beat them. But the time that you have to spend, the time that you have to spend. If they would devote that genius to helping our country, we’d have a much stronger and better country.
It was an honor to select [JD Vance]. Great, great student at Yale. His wife was a student at Yale; they met at Yale. These are two smart people. So J.D., you’re going to be doing this for a long time; enjoy the ride.
And by the way, Wisconsin, we are spending over $250 million here, creating jobs and other economic … development all over the place. So I hope you will remember this in November and give us your vote. I am trying to buy your vote. I’ll be honest about that. And I promise we will make Wisconsin great again.
If you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States — think of it, the 10 worst — added them up, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done. Only going to use the term once. Biden. I’m not going to use the name anymore. Just one time. The damage that he’s done to this country is unthinkable. It’s unthinkable.
And you know who’s being hurt the most by millions of people pouring into our country? The Black population and the Hispanic population. Because they’re taking the jobs from our Black population, our Hispanic population. And they’re also taking them from unions. The unions are suffering because of it.
They’re coming from prisons. They’re coming from jails. They’re coming from mental institutions and insane asylums. I, you know the press is always on because I say this. Has anyone seen “The Silence of the Lambs”? The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’d love to have you for dinner. That’s insane asylums. They’re emptying out their insane asylums. And terrorists at numbers that we’ve never seen before. Bad things are going to happen.
And to the entire world, I tell you this, we want our hostages back — and they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price.
We live in a world of miracles. None of us knows God’s plan, or where life’s adventure will take us. … But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God. We have to make the most of every day for the people and for the country that we love.
You have been told to lower your expectations and to accept less for your families. I am here tonight with the opposite message: Your expectations are not big enough.
Here is a link to the full transcript of the speech, courtesy of the New York Times.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson has been retired from the NFL since 2007 but has yet to be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame, and he blames the book and film The Blind Side for his plight.
Anderson thinks the story of NFL player Michael Oher, which lies at the center of the book The Blind Side and the film of the same name, got everyone so excited about players who work the left tackle that any player who plays right tackle has been ignored.
It has been 18 years since any right tackle has been inducted into the Hall of Fame, Fox News reports, and Anderson blames it all on the Michael Oher story, which made headlines in 2006 when a book about his experience was published.
“I think the media had a bias because they didn’t understand the importance of the guys we blocked over there (on the right side) were some of the best rushers of all-time. The whole ‘Blind Side’ thing got taken out because of the movie, and the right side guys got pushed away,” Anderson told Kay Adams on Up & Adams.
He added that up-and-coming kids only want to play left tackle because of the Oher story.
“The kids, their parents, and the media pushing left tackle is a huge deal. But they don’t realize guards are getting paid crazy money right now. It’s definitely changed for the better, I think because these rushers are coming from everywhere now. Right side, left guard, over the center, everywhere,” Anderson added.
As a right tackle, Anderson was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro selection and played 13 years in the NFL, 12 of them with the Bengals.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
Leaders of labor unions are reportedly backing away from President Joe Biden, suggesting they want another Democrat candidate in his place. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), are actively courting support from union workers who are increasingly out of line with the Democrat Party’s upper-middle-class leftism.
On Friday, leaders with Local 3000 of the United Food and Commercial Workers of Washington publicly demanded Biden quit his reelection bid.
“If President Biden continues to demonstrate that he is unable to effectively campaign, and subsequently loses in November, the advances workers have made will be at immediate risk in a second Trump administration,” union executives wrote in a letter to the Washington congressional delegation:
Unions cannot sit on the sidelines while working people are under attack. Working people need a leader who can effectively deliver a strong message between now and November, and then implement that vision over the next four years. We call on President Biden to pass the torch to the next generation. He has much to celebrate over his career of accomplishments fighting alongside working people, but it is time for him to retire with dignity, and campaign as hard as we all will for an alternative candidate. The stakes are simply too high to do otherwise. [Emphasis added]
We urge you, members of our Washington State Congressional Delegation, to call on President Joe Biden to step aside for a new generation of leadership. [Emphasis added]
At the same time, the New York Times reported that United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain mentioned concerns over Biden’s candidacy, as did Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson.
Similarly, Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in a historic moment for the GOP. In his speech, O’Brien noted that his union is eager to work with Republicans like Trump and Vance, who are open to the plight of union workers.
“President Trump had the backbone to open the doors to this Republican convention, and that’s unprecedented,” O’Brien said. “No other nominee in the race would’ve invited the Teamsters into this arena.”
Afterward, O’Brien made a point to note that he has yet to be invited to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to speak, and the union has not yet endorsed in the presidential election.
Trump and Vance are actively courting support from the nation’s working and middle class — including union workers and union households in historically Democrat communities that are increasingly disenfranchised by the left.
“Today, our cities are flooded with illegal aliens. Americans are being squeezed out of the labor force, and their jobs are taken,” Trump said in his RNC speech. “By the way, you know who’s taking the jobs, the jobs that are created? One hundred and seven percent of those jobs are taken by illegal aliens … they’re also taking them from unions. The unions are suffering because of it.”
Vance, a fierce populist-nationalist, also made a pitch to union workers in his RNC address.
“We need a leader who’s not in the pocket of big business but answers to the working man, union and nonunion alike,” Vance said. “A leader who won’t sell out to multinational corporations but will stand up for American companies and American industry.”
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
For Brian Cashman, the decision sounded straightforward.
With Jasson Dominguez waiting in the wings at Triple-A, the Yankees are sticking with Alex Verdugo in left field as they head down the stretch of a playoff race.
“It just comes down to, what’s best to help us win games?” Cashman said Friday at Wrigley Field. “It’s as simple as that.”
And in the Yankees’ view, that means Verdugo.
“I think he’s playing good baseball right now,” Cashman said. “He’s playing much better than he had been. Just comes down to, is that the best route to go? That’s how we’ve got it set up currently.”
The Yankees are sticking with Alex Verdugo. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
After being one of the worst-qualified hitters in the big leagues from mid-June to mid-August, Verdugo has started to get more results of late.
He entered the day batting 14-for-41 (.341) with a .796 OPS over his last 11 games, then went 1-for-3 with a walk in the Yankees’ 3-0 win over the Cubs.
But overall this season, the pending free agent had posted just a .652 OPS (in 567 plate appearances), which ranked the sixth-lowest among 134 qualified hitters.
Verdugo has provided mostly strong defense in left field, though Cashman said he thinks Dominguez — a natural center fielder — is a “good defender” too.
Cashman indicated that Verdugo’s experience — as opposed to throwing a rookie into the middle of a playoff race — does not factor into the decision.
Jasson Dominguez playing for the Yankees on Sept. 6, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Dominguez, who has missed time this year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and then with a strained oblique, continues to be in the conversation, according to Cashman.
The 21-year-old switch-hitter entered Friday batting .313 with a .868 OPS and 15 steals in 41 games at Triple-A this season.
“Jasson is doing everything he needs to do right now and Verdugo is playing better baseball recently,” Cashman said. “The evaluations that we’re having with our field staff and player development staff, front office staff, is just what is going to give us the best chance to win. As of right now, we’re staying pat with what we’ve got.
“But we’re always in a position to change our minds at some point, too.”
The GM reiterated that if the Yankees are going to call up the top prospect, he needs to be playing every day.
Brian Cashman at a Yankees game on July 24, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Obviously if he’s that guy, then he shouldn’t be sitting the bench,” Cashman said.
But if Dominguez is “that guy” the Yankees believe he is capable of being, then he would seemingly be able to help this roster, which entered Friday 30-38 since having the majors’ best record on June 14.
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“I think fans care about us winning,” Cashman said. “If we’re not winning, they want something that potentially could change that up. That’s the attachment. It’s no different in any other sport. If it’s not playing up to [its] capabilities and the possibility of something might be better, then of course, slamming the fists down and demanding it and wanting it and, ‘Let’s just change it up.’ I get it. I understand that.
“It doesn’t mean our conversations aren’t taking place or have already taken place or continue to take place. They do. But obviously we’re charged with deploying what we think is the best right now and that’s what we’re doing. We certainly have the right to change at some point if we felt that was in our benefit. But right now, this is what we’ve got here.”
Paul Harrell, known for his YouTube page dedicated to gun safety education and firearm reviews, died following a battle with pancreatic cancer — and broke the news to fans himself.
In a video titled “I’m Dead” that was posted on Tuesday (Sept. 3), the 58-year-old explained that he had recorded the announcement on Dec. 20, 2023, and had instructed Brad Nelson, his editor and manager to “publish it upon [his] death.”
“So if you’re watching me, I’m dead,” he shared.
According to E! News, Harrell had shared the news of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis on his YouTube channel in June 2023. However, as he elaborated upon in his death announcement video, they caught the cancer “early, but not as early as [he] had thought.”
“And it has spread faster than I thought it would,” he continued. “You may have seen me recently using this crutch when I told you I broke my hip. Well, it wasn’t because I was injured in any kind of accident, it was because the cancer spread to my bones, the bones crumbled [and] my hip fractured.”
He gave viewers his “sincere apologies,” saying that he “had hoped that [he] would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years.”
“I am really glad to have had this opportunity to do all of the stuff we have done,” he told viewers. “I really hope that it’s been helpful. I really appreciate you watching, commenting, and participating. And I have probably very few regrets in what we’ve done here. I think we’ve been, for the most part, successful. I hope you agree.”
Harrell signed off with the following: “So as always, don’t try this at home, and thanks for watching.”
The video, which clocks in at six minutes and fifty seconds in total, eventually cut to Harrell’s brother, Rob Harrell, who said that he is “heartbroken to announce that what you heard is true.”
“It was his wish that I maintain his legacy through this channel by continuing to put out high quality educational content with the flare we all know and love from him,” he iterated.
On behalf of himself and the crew, Rob requested that subscribers give them “some time to process the death of [his] brother and find the best way to honor his memory.”
“I thank everyone in advance for your patience and understanding, and we will give channel updates as we move through this together,” he noted.
Nelson also shared a message with fans, praising Harrell as “a very generous, kind guy [who] told the best campfire stories” and who has “positively influenced many people’s lives, including [his] own.”
While he said they “are going to be continuing his legacy by uploading videos on this channel, eventually, and continuing to educate people the way that Paul did,” he also assured viewers that they can continue Harrell’s legacy “by sharing [their] knowledge with people and [their] enthusiasm for firearms and the outdoors, and just by being curious and striving to learn new things like Paul did.”
That’s the grim total racked up by Kerri Bedrick — the monstrous mom who killed her 9-year-old son with her allegedly meth-fueled driving — before her atrocity.
She caught a 57th suspension,lasting until her case ends, during her arraignment this week— but that comes as little more than a mockery after the devastation she caused.
Bedrick was driving the wrong way on the Southern State Parkway in the wee hours of an August night when a cop tried to stop her.
Rather than pull over, she sped up to escape — driving almost five miles in the oncoming lane and hitting 100 mph as the cop desperately pursued (driving with the traffic).
Then she caused a four-car crash that fatally injured her boy.
The question is: How on earth did someone with almost five dozen license suspensions get anywhere near a car?
Let alone near enough to commit on-the-road murder — for that’s what it was, morally: No different than pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger.
No matter her eventual sentence in court, where she potentially faces criminal counts of (among other crimes) aggravated vehicular homicide and manslaughter.
How much more warning could the cops and local officials need that this woman was a danger to herself and others?
Her lawyer is taking the line that this was a “tragic accident.”
No: It was the fruit of Bedrick’s own sociopathy and the inability of our legal system to seemingly get anything right.
Fine: Bedrick possibly faces 25 to life if convicted of the vehicular homicide.
But it’s far too late for her son.
New York state lawmakers love to drone on about safety and prevention.
Where are they on a legal regime that leaves clear menaces like Bedrick free to kill and maim?
Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager had a candid yet hilarious conversation about getting involved with their kids’ classrooms during a recent broadcast of Today.
The hosts watched a TikTok from an exasperated mother who shared that she preferred to donate money to her kids’ classrooms than volunteer in other ways.
“I relate to her and I feel bad because I, also, was a teacher,” Bush Hager admitted. She said she always recommended that parents who wanted to get more involved should check in with the teachers. “But I understand what she’s saying. Being a class mom is real stressful.”
Kotb then asked her co-host, “I’ve never been a class mom. What do you do when you’re a class mom?”
“Well, I’ve never been one either,” Bush Hager replied, causing Kotb to laugh.
Later in the discussion, Bush Hager said it was “amazing” that some mothers can get involved with their kids’ classrooms, but added that it can lead to some “internalized” guilt. “I’m trying not to feel bad about just being average,” she said.
“My kids like to say, ‘Mom’s not a class mom, mom could never be a class mom,’” Bush Hager recalled. “And [my daughter] Mila’s like, ‘Don’t worry, I’m in sixth grade, I don’t want you to be one anymore.’ But in first grade it would have been great.”
Kotb, who recently moved to the suburbs from New York City, said she wanted to “try to get more involved.”
Photo: NBC
“Wait, don’t say that so loud, someone might hear you!” Bush Hager joked in return. “What kind of involvement, like a bake sale?”
Kotb explained, “You know, we keep talking about the importance of community. I think that’s important to have. And I realized I never really had that when it comes to the school stuff because we’ve been so busy and there is something kind of cool about that.” She then added to Bush Hager, “Don’t make me feel pressured. Now I feel like I have to do everything.”
“You just said it out loud, I didn’t make you say anything!” Bush Hager replied.
But the Today hosts agreed, noting that even the “super moms also have it hard.”
Today with Hoda & Jenna airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.
During a trip to Haiti on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $45 million in new humanitarian aid for the Caribbean nation, which has been wracked by violence for years.
He also called for the renewal of the United Nations mandate for the Multinational Security Support, or MSS, mission to combat the armed gangs that dominate much of the capital.
“At this critical moment, you do need more funding. We do need more personnel to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission,” Blinken told a news conference on a rare visit to Port-au-Prince.
The top U.S. diplomat said he plans to convene a ministerial meeting at the coming U.N. General Assembly to encourage greater international contributions to address Haiti’s security, economic, and humanitarian needs.
The MSS mandate is set to expire at the beginning of October. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly exploring the possibility of changing the mission into a traditional U.N. peacekeeping operation, a move that would ease funding, provide more equipment and enable use of military forces rather than only police officers.
Blinken said that while the MSS mission itself needs to be renewed, it also needs to ensure that it is “reliable” and “sustainable.”
“A peacekeeping operation would be one such option. I think there are others,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Blinken’s visit to Port-au-Prince underscores U.S. support for Haiti as the country grapples with gang violence.
On Thursday, Blinken met with Edgard Leblanc Fils from Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council.
“Both concurred on the critical need to make timely advancements on election preparations,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
Apart from Fils, Blinken also held talks with Prime Minister Garry Conille, MSS head Godfrey Otunge and Normil Rameau, head of the Haitian National Police.
The United States and Canada are the top funders of the MSS in Haiti. The first-year estimated cost for the mission is $589 million. The U.S. has already provided $309 million — $200 million toward the MSS mission base and $109 million in financial support.
Gang-related violence and drug trafficking have fueled political instability and insecurity in Haiti, leading to unbearable conditions for Haitians.
At least 80% of Port-au-Prince is no longer under Haitian authorities’ control, with violence spreading to other parts of the country.
In the past year, displacement in Haiti has tripled as gang violence grips the Caribbean nation. The U.N. says at least 578,000 people have been displaced because of violence, including murders, kidnappings and rapes.
The situation is further exacerbated by widespread hunger, with nearly half the 11.7 million population facing acute food insecurity.
After Haiti, Blinken arrived in Santo Domingo later Thursday. His visit follows the start of Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader’s second term in mid-August.
The Dominican Republic will host the 2025 Summit of the Americas, where Western Hemisphere leaders will address shared challenges and policy issues facing the region.
The Chinese government is ending its intercountry adoption program, and the U.S. is seeking clarification on how the decision will affect hundreds of American families with pending applications.
In a phone call with U.S. diplomats in China, Beijing said it “will not continue to process cases at any stage” other than those cases covered by an exception clause. The embassy is seeking clarification in writing from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, the U.S. State Department said Thursday.
“We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoption, and we sympathize with their situation,” the State Department said.
At a daily briefing Thursday, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said China is no longer allowing foreign adoptions of the country’s children, with the only exception for blood relatives to adopt a child or a stepchild.
She didn’t explain the decision other than to say that it was in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions.
Many foreigners have adopted children from China over the decades, visiting the country to pick them up and then bringing them to a new home overseas.
U.S. families have adopted 82,674 children from China, the most from any foreign country.
China suspended international adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government later resumed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the U.S. State Department said in its latest annual report on adoptions.
A U.S. consulate issued 16 visas for adoptions from China from October 2022 through September 2023, the first in more than two years, the State Department report said. It wasn’t clear if any more visas had been issued since then.
In January, Denmark’s only overseas adoption agency said it was winding down operations after concerns were raised about fabricated documents and procedures, and Norway’s top regulatory body recommended stopping overseas adoptions for two years pending an investigation into several cases.
Beijing’s announcement also has followed falling birth rates in the country. The number of newborn babies fell to 9.02 million in 2023, and the overall population declined for the second consecutive year.
