Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was put on the spot Thursday when he didn’t definitively rule out becoming the next chair of the Federal Reserve.

Bessent on Thursday joined CNBC Money Movers for a wide-ranging discussion. When the topic got to President Donald Trump’s ongoing feud with current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, host Sara Eisen brought up speculation that Bessent was a candidate to succeed him. She asked the secretary if it would even be possible to occupy both roles.

“Your name gets floated out there,” Eisen said. “You have some odds on Polymarket of being the next Fed chair. Can you be a Fed chair and a Treasury secretary at the same time?”

In response, Bessent stressed that he was happy with his current role.

“Well, I think it hasn’t been done since 1930-something,” the secretary said, adding, “And I’m very happy in my job here. I think we have lots of good candidates for Fed chair. We will start working on that in the fall. We’ve been busy. The president’s been doing peace deals, trade deals, tax deals — and we are landing the plane on all of those — so we’re going to have more bandwidth after Labor Day.”

Eisen, however, noticed that Bessent didn’t explicitly rule it out.

“That was not a no — I just want to point out — on the double job,” she said. “Very interesting.”

Bessent simply remained silent until it was time to end the segment seconds later.

Watch above via CNBC.

The post ‘That Was Not a No!’ Trump’s Treasury Secretary Doesn’t Close the Door on Also Becoming Fed Chair first appeared on Mediaite.

SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly minced no words in her evaluation of the jury’s verdict in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial on Wednesday, calling it “fucking ridiculous” that Combs was found guilty on only two of the five counts he had been charged with.

The jury returned a verdict that found him guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, and not guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy, as well as two counts of sex trafficking.

After reading from reports about how Combs had seemed “grim” on Tuesday, but was “energetic and relieved” after hearing he had been, and the judge musing that he assumed Combs wouldn’t want to remain in the Brooklyn prison where he was being held, Kelly lost it.

“Oh, it’s all just so chummy inside the courtroom for this disgusting pervert, female abuser who I can’t believe is about to roam our streets again. I’m sorry, I’m disgusted by this verdict. This is fucking ridiculous! I just find it absolutely outrageous the amount of crime that this guy just got away with,” began Kelly. “I believe he committed arson. He definitely battered Cassie [Ventura]. He battered Jane, too! The statute of limitations for battery in Los Angeles, California is one year! One year! So if they didn’t charge him for battery within one year, and they couldn’t because he bought the tape and it remained hidden thanks to those security guards out there, then they could never charge him with that again. There’s no question, he dragged her back into that hotel room. Why wasn’t that kidnapping?”

She continued:

They only talked about the kidnapping of Capricorn Clark, who was his sort of main assistant because she said he grabbed her and made her go with him over to Kid Cudi’s house. There’s no question he broke into Kid Cudi’s house, in my view, and that he opened up the Christmas presents, and locked the door in, and made a threat. There’s not question in my mind he was behind the arson of Kid Cudi’s car and there was proof, plenty of proof to prove that. No, okay, there was female fingerprints they found on that, the firebomb that was left there, the Molotov cocktail, and the prosecution said there’s no question he didn’t do it himself, but he said, “I’m going to bomb Kid Cudi’s car,” it’s in writing! Cassie Ventura emailed her mother saying, “Oh my God, he’s threatening to bomb his car,” and two weeks later it got bombed. “Oh gee! It was just some third party who also had-”

It’s just like the proof was there — the beatings, the threats that if they didn’t go back into those room and get off with these male escorts, that they were gonna get beaten. The testimony from that Daniel Phillip, who was the male escort, who heard Combs abusing Cassie behind the door, and she was screaming, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” as he heard him slapping her. Get back out there. She came back out. She was shaking. She got back into the escort’s lap. Physically shaking, she was so scared, to the point where that guy couldn’t perform sexually because this was so horrifying to him. What in the actual f went on in there!?

— —

The post ‘This Is F*cking Ridiculous! Disgusting Pervert!’ Megyn Kelly Goes OFF on ‘Absolutely Outrageous’ Diddy Verdict first appeared on Mediaite.

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Given the volume of video game adaptations out there, it's kind of shocking how few of them are any good. The Last of Us managed to break through in a big way, becoming a critical hit as well as a buzzy audience favorite. It has done The Walking Dead one better in its portrayal of our zombie-infested future (well, in this case, our fungal future).

The show's third season is confirmed, but still without a release date—and given the way these things go, I wouldn't expect it to arrive before 2027. In the meantime, here are 10 shows you'll enjoy if you find yourself missing Joel, Ellie, Dina, and all the rest of your post-apocalypse pals.

Silo (2023 – , two seasons)

No zombies here, but this futuristic neo-noir (kicking off, as it does, with a murder mystery) is of a piece with the dystopian post-apocalypse vibes you'll encounter on The Last of Us. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who gets wrapped up in an investigation involving the local sheriff (played by David Oyelowo). The usual stuff—except that the characters all inhabit a massive silo, 144-levels deep, protecting the remaining 10,000 humans from the allegedly poisoned world above. Those running the silo have managed to convince everyone left that only strict adherence to rules and procedures will keep them safe from the dangers outside. Like The Last of Us, it's a prestige drama that incorporates elements of horror, mystery, and science fiction to tell very human stories about fear and control. You can stream Silo on Apple TV+.

Silo (2023 – )

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Chernobyl (2019)

If the gloomy aesthetic of historical drama Chernobyl seems familiar, it's no accident: both shows come from writer/director/producer Craig Mazin, and they really do feel like two sides of the same coin. Of course, the one is dystopian fiction while the other is based on a true story, that of the titular 1986 nuclear meltdown in Ukraine. From its opening moments, there's a sense of creeping dread that only increases as the series goes on and, as in Last of Us, the personal becomes political as the failing Soviet culture of deception, censorship, and obfuscation first contributes to the disaster, and then hinders the response to it at every turn. Luckily we don't have to deal with that sort of political incompetence and institutional collapse in modern day America! You can stream Chernobyl on HBO Max or buy it from Prime Video.

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American Primeval (2025)

Mark L. Smith, screenwriter of The Revenant, created this historical-fiction miniseries, which may well give you as sense of the tone. Set during the 1857 Utah War—an armed clash between Mormon settlers and the U.S. government—the show stars Taylor Kitsch as Isaac, a mountaineer who, against his better judgement, agrees to help shepherd a disabled boy and his mother (Betty Gilpin), who is wanted for the murder of her husband, across an unforgiving landscape. The harsh setting and haunted nature of the characters will be familiar to The Last of Us fans, as will the sense that other people are a greater threat than the wilderness. You can stream American Primeval on Netflix.

American Primeval (2025)

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Kingdom (2019 – 2021, two seasons and then some)

Another series that tackles zombies (or the "infected") from a wildly different perspective, Kingdom is set in a fictional version of Korea in the 17th century and follows a struggle to contain a viral outbreak in the years after a series of Japanese invasions. With real historical trappings, it flips the themes of The Last of Us on their head in many regards—we haven't encountered much in the way of formal political authority in that HBO series, whereas Kingdom is almost entirely focused on the elite, the destabilizing influence of the outbreak on the ruling dynasty, and how decisions made at the top carry down to the population at large. The zombie plague is initially believed to be smallpox, which serves as a reasonably good analogy, and the show deftly combines horror and medieval-esque political intrigue, making it something wholly unique to either genre. It's based on a webcomic series authored by show creator Kim Eun-hee, and is Netflix’s first original South Korean series. You can stream Kingdom on Netflix.

Kingdom (2019 – 2020)

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The Underground Railroad (2021, miniseries)

The harrowing miniseries, based on Colson Whitehead’s award-winning 2016 novel, blends real history with fantasy (or, at least, a sense of magical realism) to imagine the historical Underground Railroad as a literal railroad, rather than metaphorical one. Thuso Mbedu stars as Cora Randall, and enslaved woman from Georgia who is working her way up through the subterranean network, with each episode representing a different stop. Helmed by Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins, the series offers lush production values and is often gorgeously filmed, and feels incredibly evocative of the experience of someone like Cora—a young woman traveling through an unfamiliar, and almost entirely hostile America. The Underground Railroad makes a strong case that the dystopian trappings of of The Last of Us have long been a reality for many Americans. You can stream The Underground Railroad on Prime Video.

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Fallout (2024 – , renewed for second and third seasons)

Like The Last of Us, Fallout is a rather shockingly effective video game adaptation, albeit with a lot more color, vibrancy, and quirky humor (in the world of Fallout, the aesthetic of the 1950s hung on for a lot longer than it did in ours). The background is a little complicated, but not belabored in the show itself: It's 2296, on an Earth devastated two centuries earlier by a nuclear war between the United States and China. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) emerges from the underground fallout shelter where she's lived her entire life in order to find her father, kidnapped by raiders. The aboveground wasteland is dominated by warring factions, each of which considers the others cults and believes that they alone know the correct way forward for mankind. Amid this conflict, the landscape is also overrun by Ghouls, Gulpers, and other wild radiation monsters, with Lucy just about the only human with any lingering belief in humanity. You can stream Fallout on Prime Video.

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The Leftovers (2014 – 2017, three seasons)

The premise of The Leftovers is brilliantly subdued: Around 2% of the world's population disappears without explanation, and it's enough to upend just about everything. Politics have adapted to the new normal, religions have collapsed and reformed, and families have had to make peace with the inexplicable loss of loved ones. The first season revolves around the Garvey family. led by Kevin (Justin Theroux), a sheriff whose wife (Amy Brenneman) left him to join a cult, while subsequent seasons broaden the scope to bring in other characters in other locations. Showrunner Damon Lindelof also co-created Lost, and the two series share some similarities (including a relatively grim tone), but where Lost spun out of control, The Leftovers recognizes that complex plotting and the search for answers really the point. You can stream The Leftovers on HBO Max.

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Z Nation (2014 - 2019)

Where The Walking Dead and The Last of Us made prestige television out of the zombie apocalypse, this SyFy channel original is all about zombies as a campy, gory good time. Things kick off with a soldier who’s been tasked with transporting a package across country. The package in question is actually a human being, a survivor of a zombie bite who might be able to help create a vaccine (sound familiar?). The show comes from the schlock-masters at The Asylum, purveyors of infamous B-movies like Sharknado, which should tell you all you need to know about the tone. You can stream Z Nation on Tubi, Peacock, Shudder, and AMC+ or buy it from Prime Video.

Z Nation (2014 - 2019)

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Station Eleven (2021, miniseries)

The miniseries, based on the Emily St. John Mandel novel, was released at either the best time or the worst possible time—the story of a flu pandemic dropped on HBO Max right in the middle of the first wave of COVID. The show follows Kirsten Raymonde, a young stage actor whose performance in a production of King Lear is cut short by the onset of a virus with a 99% fatality rate. We meet Kirsten as a child at the outset of the pandemic, protected by reluctant caretaker Jeevan (Himesh Patel); we then jump 20 years into the future, and a world very much changed. It’s a slow burn, but ultimately, the series makes a moving case for the value of art, even (or especially) in moments when survival is on the line. You can stream Station Eleven on HBO Max.

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The Decameron (2024)

I'm going a bit out on a limb with this one, ans it's entirely unlike The Last of Us in tone, and lacks any zombie analogues whatsoever. Nonetheless, I think it's a near-perfect thematic match. This funny, very dark, but surprisingly humane show loosely adapts Giovanni Boccaccio's 14th century short story collection with hints of Bridgerton-esque swagger. With the plague ravaging Florence, a bunch of nobles and attendants make their way across a dangerous landscape to hole up in a countryside villa to wait out the emergency while draining the liquor supplies. Rules and mores are turned upside amid in this small-scale apocalypse, particularly by servant Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who kind of accidentally kills her lady on the way to the villa and then decides to take her place. Despite being about how hell is other people, the show makes for an entirely addictive binge experience. You can stream The Decameron on Netflix.

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(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

CNN fired back at President Donald Trump on Tuesday for threatening to prosecute the network over its reporting of a new ICE-tracking app.

The day before, CNN ran a segment about the creation of ICEBlock, an app used to track the movements of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the area. At the time of the reporting, there were more than 20,000 users on the app — with a large portion of users the users in Los Angeles.

Hours after that report, Trump Border Czar Tom Homan called for the Justice Department to investigate CNN for “pushing” the app. He also called the segment “disgusting.” The CNN report on the app made clear that it was “controversial.”

The next day, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed that they intend to prosecute CNN over the reporting. Those comments were made during a visit to “Alligator Alcatraz,” the new migrant detention center located in the Florida Everglades.

On Tuesday afternoon, CNN released a statement standing by its reporting, “This is an app that is publicly available to any iPhone user who wants to download it. There is nothing illegal about reporting the existence of this or any other app, nor does such reporting constitute promotion or other endorsement of the app by CNN.”

The post CNN Fires Back at Trump Prosecution Threat: ‘There Is Nothing Illegal About Reporting’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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With Prime Day looming on the horizon and Target, Walmart, and Best Buy jumping on the early holiday sale bandwagon, it can be a little overwhelming to commit to where to spend your money. However, something that has stayed consistent over the many sales has been Amazon device prices during the early sales. One of those Amazon devices with a record-low price (only for Prime members) is the 75-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, currently $569.99 (originally $1,099.99), the lowest price it has been according to price-checking tools.

75" Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED

$569.99 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $530.00

Get Deal

Get Deal

$569.99 at Amazon

$1,099.99 Save $530.00

The Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED launched in 2022, and it's much better than the older Amazon Fire TV 4-Series. The main difference is that it's a QLED display, which provides better backlight and colors than an LED (it's also one of the best budget QLEDs TV of 2025). It also has Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, which adjusts picture quality based on ambient lighting, and HDR10+ Gaming, which gives a smoother and more responsive gameplay while maintaining picture quality.

When you're not using this TV to watch your media, you can use its Fire TV Ambient Experience to do many other things, like keep track of security cameras, control lights, adjust thermostats, and view your reminders or calendar. You can read about these and other useful features in PCMag's "excellent" review.

This TV works great for a room that won't get too bright, since it only has 474 nits of brightness. You'll still be able to see it fine with windows open on a sunny day, but it won't get as bright as other TVs. If you're in the Alexa ecosystem, you'd be able to get the best value out of this Fire TV.

Everyone’s vision of what retirement looks like is different. Some dream of traveling the world, while others look forward to an afternoon nap that lasts decades. The one thing an increasing number of people agree on? It's a challenge to afford retirement in the United States.

Only half of Americans have retirement savings at all, and most who do don’t have nearly enough stashed away in them to actually live on. In fact, more than 17 million Americans over the age of 65 are financially insecure. Meanwhile, the cost of living in the U.S. keeps going up, even as safety nets like Medicaid are having their strings cut. Put that all together and it’s no surprise that a rising number of folks are looking into retiring abroad, to countries where their dollars will stretch a lot further.

Just because the cost of living is low doesn’t mean a country is a great choice for retirement, however. You need to find a balance between cheap living and other factors, like healthcare and security. Plus, you have to find countries where the income requirements for residency are low enough for your small nest egg to qualify you to move there—and if you’re going to rely solely on Social Security payments in your retirement, you need countries where the cost of living falls below the average payment, which is currently $1,976.

After considering all those factors—and recognizing that every person's needs are different—here are eight countries where you can retire on the cheap and still live well.

Costa Rica

A single person can live on about $900 per month (not counting rent) in Costa Rica, which is considered a modern, stable country with an excellent healthcare system. There’s already a robust expatriate community of Americans living in there, which can make for a softer transition if you don’t speak Spanish well and/or haven’t lived abroad before. Of course, all those expats are also pushing the cost of living up, so don’t assume your budget will work indefinitely, but it's still going to be significantly cheaper than almost anywhere in the U.S.

Income requirement: $1,000 per month

Panama

You can get by in Panama for around $800 per month (excluding rent), and the U.S. dollar is an official currency in the country so you don’t have to worry about converting your cash. Panama openly courts American retirees, and offers tons of discounts and benefits to lure them there. You’ll need to apply for a Visa in Panama, you’ll need a Panamanian attorney, and you’ll probably need to learn Spanish, but once you’re there, you’ll enjoy a stable, thriving culture and a relatively easy trip back to the States if you want to visit family and friends.

Income requirement: $1,000 per month plus $250.00 per month for each dependent

France

Believe it or not, one of the world’s top tourist destinations is also a terrific spot to retire. The cost of living (not including rent) is a little higher at about $1,100 per month, but you’ll get access to one of the best healthcare systems in the world for a fraction of what it would cost here. The U.S. also has a tax treaty with France, so your retirement accounts will be taxed at U.S. rates instead of the much higher French rates. France is a complex country, though, so you’ll probably need to hire a French attorney to go through the process of retiring there—and you definitely have to learn some French.

Income requirement: Three times the monthly minimum wage (currently about $2,100)

Malaysia

Malaysia is incredibly affordable—though income requirements are higher, the cost of living for a single person is only around $550 per month (not including rent), and the rents aren’t very high, either. The country boasts a top-notch healthcare system, and English is well-supported there. But be careful: Getting to and from Malaysia isn’t always easy, so you won’t be flitting back and forth between the U.S. and your retirement home. And it’s a pretty hot, humid place all the time, so don’t choose it if you’re looking to avoid sweating.

Income requirement: $2,370 per month, plus about $83,000 in assets

Spain

Like France, Spain isn’t usually discussed as a retirement option—but it should be. Although the income requirement is relatively high, the cost of living (without rent) is a comfortable $850 or so, which gets you access to a beautiful country with a rich culture that also offers very low crime rates, excellent healthcare, and (it probably goes without saying) incredible food and lifestyle.

Income requirement: $2,700 per month.

Ecuador

Ecuador is super cheap, costing about $535 per month not including rent. Plus, its official currency is the U.S. dollar, so you don’t have to worry about exchange rates. If you’re looking for a lifestyle that focuses on natural beauty, this is the place you want to be. The healthcare system is surprisingly great (and affordable, even if you have to pay for private insurance).

Income requirement: Three times the unified basic salary ($470 per month), so about $1,410

Portugal

Portugal is a gorgeous country with excellent infrastructure, terrific healthcare, and plenty of beautiful spots to call home. Not including rent, its cost of living is a slender $805 per month—but note that you won’t qualify for the free national healthcare until you’ve lived in the country for at least five years, so be prepared to pay for private health insurance as well. On the other hand, Portugal revamped its tax system a few years ago to offer 10 years of tax breaks and exemptions to qualifying expats, which might help offset those costs. English is also very commonly spoken, making it an easy place to transition to.

Income requirement: $1,025 per month

Thailand

If you’re pinching every penny, Thailand might be ideal: The cost of living is a super-low $621 per month (without rent), while the healthcare system is excellent (and affordable), and the country is beautiful. Americans will likely be in for a bit of culture shock, however, so it’s likely a good idea to visit the country first to make sure you’ll be able to adjust and actually enjoy your very cheap retirement.

Income requirement: $2,000 per month

(Carolyn Kaster/AP photo/Gallup)

Patriotism is taking a dive.

The number of adults who say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be an American has plummeted to a record low, according to a shocking new Gallup poll.

The poll found that just 58 percent of those surveyed were beaming with American pride. That’s down from 91 percent seen in Gallup’s 2002 figures from the months following the 9/11 attacks.

The findings were a sharp decline from 65 percent two years ago.

The poll also found a generational divide in patriotism, with 58 percent of Millennials and 41 percent of Gen Zers saying they’re “very” or “extremely” proud to be an American. That number jumps to 71 percent among Gen X and 75 percent of baby boomers.

The post SHOCK POLL: Number of ‘Very Proud’ Americans Hits Lowest Point in History first appeared on Mediaite.