James O’Keefe, the Project Veritas founder and longtime pro-MAGA activist, published a clip on Thursday of a Trump Justice Department official claiming that Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to prison “to keep her quiet.”

In the clip, an off-camera woman asks Joseph Schnitt, an acting deputy chief of special operations, about the Epstein Files and Maxwell – a convicted sex offender and Jeffrey Epstein accomplice.

“But those files do exist,” noted the woman.

“Yeah, thousands and thousands to page through. They’ll redact every Republican or conservative person in those files, leave all the liberal, Democratic people in those pages,” Schnitt replied.

“I think they visited that Maxwell person. Kind of also involved,” presses the woman.

“Transferred to a minimum security prison too recently, which is against BOP policy because she’s a convicted sex offender. They’re offering her something to keep her quiet,” Schnitt claimed.

O’Keefe then discusses the tape, adding, “That was the acting deputy chief of the Office of Enforcement Operations, Joseph Schnitt, telling a stranger about the FBI and DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. Schnitt, who works at a high level inside the Department of Justice, goes on to comment on the inconsistent statements, special treatment of Ghislaine Maxwell, and the blatant backtracking on promises of transparency.”

O’Keefe also shared a statement from the DOJ on the tape, which appears to verify its authenticity:

Joseph Schnitt had no role in the Department’s internal review of Epstein materials. He has confirmed as much to leadership and we plan to publish his written statement to that effect when we have it. In his own words, the comments Mr. Schnitt made were based on “what he learned in the media” and he “has no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Maxwell other than what was reported in the news. These comments have absolutely zero bearing with reality and reflect a total lack of knowledge of the DOJ’s review process. The DOJ is committed to transparency and is in compliance with the House Oversight Committee’s request for documents.”

Project Veritas has long been known for its undercover-style video clips, which critics have claimed in the past are deceptively edited to portray a specific narrative. O’Keefe now works through his own media company.

Controversy has swirled around Maxwell in recent months following her move from a low-security federal prison in Florida to a minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, which has several perks and amenities. The move came following Maxwell’s meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche – who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal attorney. The Trump administration has been working to distance itself and the president from Epstein, following a July memo claiming none of the Epstein conspiracy theories are true, which enraged many in the MAGA base.

Democrats accused the Trump DOJ of potential witness tampering by moving Maxwell. “These actions raise substantial concerns that the Administration may now be attempting to tamper with a crucial witness, conceal President Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offenders, and coax Ms. Maxwell into providing false or misleading testimony in order to protect the President,” wrote House Democrats in a letter to the DOJ in mid-August.

The DOJ later put out an email purportedly from Schnitt saying he met the woman on a dating app and repeating the claim he knew nothing about Maxwell’s transfer.

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The post Pro-MAGA Activist Publishes Clip of Trump DOJ Official Saying Ghislaine Maxwell Was Moved to ‘Keep Her Quiet’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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It's impressive how far TCL has been pushing the limits of QLED technology. The QM7K is its latest mid-tier QD-Mini LED smart TV and it offers great value for your money. Right now, the massive 85-inch QM7K is marked down 40%, bringing its price down to $1,499.99 (originally $2,499.99), the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. The 85-inch QM6K, which is the more affordable version, is 30% off right now.

The QM7K is better in every way than the QM6K except for color accuracy. It has better contrast, brightness, gaming specs, black levels, processing, and other specs, but the QM6K is still a great option for those on a tighter budget.

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I personally tested the QM7, which is a slightly older model of this TV, as well as the more budget QM6K, and I can tell you TCL is not skimping out on these TVs. They feel and look truly premium. This QM7K is no different. Its highlights are a bright panel, making it great for sunlit rooms. It has deep blacks and almost no light bloom, giving it that premium picture quality. Gamers will appreciate the 144 Hz native refresh rate and 288 Hz support panel with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, making it a smooth experience. Since it's a Google TV, it has hands-free Google Assistant and Google Cast, which makes streaming almost anything from your phone or computer a breeze. It can also do the same for iPhones with AirPlay.

If you're a color stickler, you might notice that the colors run a little warmer out of the box, according to PCMag's "excellent" review, but that's something you can edit easily in the picture settings. If you want a massive, bright, colorful smart TV with that "wow" factor, get the 85-inch Class QM7K, but if brightness is not as important to you, consider the 85-inch QM6K. Either option is a great TV for a killer price.

Alex Griffing

Newsmax filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Fox News, accusing the right-leaning outlet of acting as a monopoly and pushing out its competitors.

“But for Fox’s anticompetitive behavior, Newsmax would have achieved greater pay TV distribution, seen its audience and ratings grow sooner, gained earlier ‘critical mass’ for major advertisers and become, overall, a more valuable media property,” alleged the complaint.

Fox News hit back in a statement saying, “Newsmax cannot sue their way out of their own competitive failures in the marketplace to chase headlines simply because they can’t attract viewers.”

Newsmax’s suit accused Fox of three specific tactics it allegedly uses to push out competitors. “Fox employs at least three anticompetitive means to exclude competing providers of right-leaning video content from the market. First, Fox imposes explicit or tacit ‘no-carry’ provisions on distributors, conditioning access to its commercially critical content on distributors’ concession not to carry other right-leaning news channels like Newsmax and others.”

“Second, it imposes financial penalties on distributors if they carry Newsmax or others by requiring the distributors to carry and pay high fees for Fox’s little-watched channels like Fox Business. Third, Fox inserts a suite of other contractual barriers into its carriage agreements intended to prevent Newsmax and others from competing. These tactics constitute unlawful restraints of trade and flow directly from Fox’s unlawful monopolization of the Right-leaning Pay TV News Market,” read the suit.

Newsmax is seeking an injunction to stop Fox from continuing its allegedly exclusionary contracts with distributors and wants three times the amount of damages it believes it sustained as a result of being suppressed.

Fox News has long dominated the cable news ratings, and its show The Five is one of the most-watched programs on television. Newsmax has seen its audience grow in recent years, following a sudden but temporary spike in ratings following the 2020 presidential election, but it remains far behind in viewers compared to Fox, MSNBC, and CNN.

This is a breaking story and has been updated.

The post JUST IN: Newsmax Sues Fox News Alleging Monopoly Abuses first appeared on Mediaite.

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Google's September Pixel Drop is here. While the update doesn't ship with a ton of new features, what is new here is going to be quite obvious. If you have a Pixel that can run Android 16, your phone is going to look and act quite different. Plus, if you have Pixel Buds Pro 2 or a Pixel Watch, there are some new updates to explore as well.

Google says that these updates are rolling out starting today, though they will continue "over the next few weeks." As such, you might see some of all of the features hit your devices today, but don't be surprised if they take more time to appear.

Material 3 Expressive

Back in May, Google announced Material 3 Expressive, the company's latest design language for Android. Material 3 Expressive has new UI elements, text styles, bright colors, and fresh animations, and while it's not a total design overhaul, it's not a particularly subtle update, either. It also comes with some additional features, like new iPhone-style Calling Cards for Google's Phone app.

This new design launched first with Google's Pixel 10 line of phones, so if you bought one, you've already experienced it. However, if you're still rocking an older Pixel, you no longer need to wait to try out Material 3 Expressive. Google announced that the new update is rolling out to Pixel 6 and newer, including Pixel Tablet, starting today.

Adaptive Audio

If you have a set of Pixel Buds Pro 2, you're getting a pretty big update later this month. Google will be rolling Adaptive Audio, a feature that analyzes your surroundings and adjusts audio levels accordingly, to these earbuds. Google doesn't go into much detail here, but it seems similar to Adaptive Sound, which is available on previous Pixel Buds devices. Google also highlights "Loud Noise Protection," a feature that "protects" your ears if you encounter a loud sound. Again, few details here, but it sounds like Pixel Buds Pro 2 will limit the audio levels coming through the buds when something like a siren passes by.

Google Maps updates for Pixel Watch

I feel like smartwatches could be the ideal navigation device. When you're on the move, you don't really want to be looking at your phone all the time to see when the next turn is. Instead, I'd rather glance at my watch, and keep my eyes on my surroundings.

To that point, Google's latest Pixel Drop makes navigating with a Pixel Watch a bit easier. Now, you can start walking or biking directions on Google Maps on your phone, and your Pixel Watch will automatically pick up navigation. That way, you can set your course on your Pixel, put it away, and be on your way.

Podcast host Don Lemon interviewed a veteran in a “F–K TRUMP” shirt as another man in a giraffe suit passed by during a march to the Capitol with opponents of President Donald Trump.

Lemon was on the ground Tuesday for a special edition of The Don Lemon Show podcast that tracked the “Remove the Regime” protest, organized by For Liberation And Resistance Everywhere (FLARE) and the Removal Coalition and featuring vocal Trump critic Rep. Al Green (D-TX).

The event began at Union Station and proceeded with a march to the Capitol complex. The group is then staging a protest in front of the White House on Tuesday afternoon, focusing on the Epstein Files.

Along the way, Lemon was flanked by the ‘F Trump’-shirted Louis Bracy and another man in a giraffe costume, for some reason. The host never got to ask the giraffe dude what was up, but Mr. Bracy gave him an earful about Trump:

DON LEMON: How are you, sir?

LOUIS BRACY: Thank you. I love the show. I watch it religiously.

DON LEMON: Thank you.

LOUIS BRACY: You need me on as a guest.

DON LEMON: Well, you’re on now. We’re live.

LOUIS BRACY: I’d like to say to the American people that Donald Trump is the most existential threat to America that there’s ever been.

I’ve been protesting against him ever since 2016, and two years before then.

America must get rid of Donald Trump if America is to survive. If we don’t get rid of Donald Trump, America will go down just like Rome and all the other empires before it.

DON LEMON: And so you’re here because of that?

LOUIS BRACY: I’m here because I’m a veteran number, one and I’m opposed to all of his policies that affect people in need.

America should not be a country for the greedy. It should be a country of people of people who are needy. Donald Trump only serves his greedy people his oligarchs and people of that nature. Donald Trump does not serve the regular people, and he’s not even trying to fake it.

Watch above via The Don Lemon Show podcast.

The post Man In ‘F–K TRUMP’ Shirt Marches On Capitol With Don Lemon — And Dude In A Giraffe Suit first appeared on Mediaite.

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It's a good time to be shopping for Kindles. Both of the Amazon Kindle Kids are at their lowest price, and now, the most affordable Amazon Kindle is just $89.99 (originally $109.99), including the newest Match color, which has never dropped to this price before. These deals on used Kindles usually sell out fast, so get one sooner rather than later if you're interested.

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SEE -1 MORE

The Amazon Kindle is the most basic reading tablet from Amazon, and it's the cheapest you can buy, especially after the recent discount. This is the latest model from 2024 that overtook the 2022 model, but there aren't a lot of improvements, according to PCMag's "good" review. This model gets brighter than older versions, but keeps most of the same old features and specs. You get a 6-inch screen in a slim 5.56 oz design, but there is no waterproofing, no warm light, and the processing is slower than other higher-end models. If you want an ad-free experience with the best features Kindle readers can offer, get the Signature Edition. But you'll be paying more than double for it.

If you're not sure if this is the right Kindle for you, you can see if the Colorsoft version is a better fit. We also have a breakdown of every kind of Kindle to help you decide. If you already own the 2022 version, there might not be enough here to warrant an upgrade, unless you just want the latest Amazon has to offer. However, any devices older than that may be worth an upgrade for features like Bluetooth compatibility, which is great for audiobooks.

The screen features a 300 ppi (pixels per inch) display with 94 nits of brightness. I love the amount that you can fit thousands of e-books and the absurdly long battery life. This one is estimated at up to six weeks on a single charge, depending on your use and brightness settings.

(AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) vocally rejected President Donald Trump’s potential use of the National Guard to crack down on crime in his city, telling a crowd of anti-MAGA protestors on Monday he will not stand for “militarized force” being used in the Windy City. His comments come after 53 people were shot in Chicago over the past two days, resulting in seven deaths — a major surge in violence compared to the same time last year.

“No federal troops in the city of Chicago! No militarized force in the city of Chicago! We’re going to defend our democracy in the city of Chicago! We’re going to protect the humanity of every single person in the city of Chicago!”

The 49-year-old Democrat’s comments were made at the “Workers Over Billionaires” protest in Chicago. The 53 people who were shot in Johnson’s city over the past two days is up 70% compared to last year, according to the local ABC affiliate.

MSNBC Reports aired the comments above, before host Erielle Reshef noted Chicago teachers had already been sending letters to parents “acknowledging federal presence could create fear and anxiety around school safety.”

Johnson has made it clear in recent days that he does not want Trump’s help in thwarting crime. On Saturday, Johnson signed an executive order telling Chicago police to not “collaborate” with federal officials on joint patrols, arrest operations, and immigration law enforcement.

“We have not called for this. Our people have not asked for this, but nevertheless, we find ourselves having to respond to this, and we find ourselves in a position where we must take immediate, drastic action to protect our people from federal overreach,” Johnson said. “Protecting Chicago will ensure that every Chicagoan knows their rights, that every single family is prepared, and every part of city government is directed to protect the people of Chicago from federal action.”

President Trump has said he is looking at sending the National Guard into Chicago and other major cities to combat lawlessness, following his crime crackdown in Washington, D.C. last month.

Johnson is not the only prominent Illinois Democrat who is opposed to the idea. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) recently called Trump’s crackdown “a manufactured crisis,” and told CBS News that voters “should understand that [Trump] has other aims, other than fighting crime,” like putting a stop to the 2026 elections.

The president’s approach to crime has received a thumbs up from a majority of Americans, though, according to one major poll this week. The AP-NORC poll showed Trump had his best approval rating ever on Wednesday, and that 53% of Americans approved of his handling of crime.

The post ‘No Federal Troops!’ Chicago Mayor Rejects Trump’s Crackdown as 53 Residents Shot Over Labor Day Weekend first appeared on Mediaite.