Candidate and commentator Steve Hilton defended President Donald Trump at a debate and said that he and Trump would work together to “lower gas prices” should voters elect him governor of California.

Six candidates faced off Wednesday night in the first California gubernatorial debate since Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) exited the race under a cloud of sexual misconduct allegations, including claims of sexual assault.

Two GOP candidates — Ex-Fox Newser Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — took the stage with four Democrats: Porter, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Biden HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

The Nexstar debate was moderated by anchors Nikki Laurenzo of FOX40 and Frank Buckley of KTLA 5.

In one exchange, Buckley confronted Hilton over Trump’s low approval among Californians and asked “Are those Californians wrong?”

Hilton stuck by Trump and cited gas prices among the areas his relationship with Trump could be a benefit:

FRANK BUCKLEY: You said you were deeply honored to recently receive President Trump’s endorsement. That’s despite the fact that 62% of Californians disapprove of the job he is doing.

Are those Californians wrong? You have 60 seconds.

STEVE HILTON: One of the proudest days of my life was the day I became an American citizen. It happened in a ceremony right here in San Francisco. So it is a deep honor for me to be endorsed by the President of the United States.

And here’s the thing that’s gonna help every Californian when I’m governor, is that we will have a constructive relationship and partnership with the federal government, which would be the case, I would hope, for any party in that situation.

So that we can make things better in California, work with the president and his administration to manage our forests better, to harvest the timber so we can build the single-family homes we need for our young families.

To work to increase California energy production as he wants to do so we can lower gas prices.

To fight the fraud in our government so we can cut spending and cut taxes.

To work to enforce our immigration laws in all these areas and more.

It will benefit every Californian to have a Governor who is a partner on these issues with the President and his team.

Watch above via KTLA.

The post Trump Ally At Debate Says He and Trump Will ‘Lower Gas Prices’ If He Wins CA Governor’s Race first appeared on Mediaite.

Google Meet's "Take Notes for me" feature is one particularly useful implementation of AI. When you're on a video call, Gemini can dictate what's being said, offering summaries and highlights of the conversation. That way, your attention doesn't need to be split between the conversation at hand and writing down notes to remember key points later: You can just check the notes that are automatically generated as a Google Doc once the meeting is over. It's the kind of feature that sells me more on the whole "AI assistant" thing, rather than something trying to order me a coffee.

Of course, video conferencing isn't the only time dictation can be useful. An in-person meeting can benefit from the same perks as a virtual one: Why bother with scribbling down notes on paper or typing away on a laptop when your phone can transcribe the chat on your behalf? I've started using the Voice Memos app on my iPhone for the task, for example, since it's easy to record both audio and an automatic transcription of the conversation. If you're a regular Google Meet user, however, you now have a similar option in your app of choice: Meet's Take Notes for me feature now supports live, in-person meetings as well.

How "Take Notes for me" works in person

As noted by 9to5Google, here's how it works: You open the Google Meet site or app on your device, but rather than start a call, you can use the new "Take Notes for me" option to task Gemini with transcribing and summarizing your discussion. You can hit "Pause" at any time to pause dictation, and "Stop" followed by "Stop taking notes" to end it altogether. You can also transition to a video call if you want to conference in someone who isn't in the same room as you. And, just as with a Google Meet call, Take Notes for me will automatically save the meeting notes in a Google Doc.

This feature started as an Alpha-only option but is now rolling out to more Workspace plans. Your admin may need to activate it on their end, but following that, you should be able to start recording your own conversations.

Try an alternative to Google Meet's in-person dictation

This feature won't appear for any Google account not tied to a Workspace plan. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives out there if you don't have "Take Notes for me" available to you in Google Meet. It won't be a perfect match, since Google Meet integrates with your Google account and does more than just transcribe the call, but there are other options worth considering.

As I mentioned, I really like using Apple's built-in tools: Voice Memos can generate automatic transcriptions, which you can save to Apple Notes. But if you don't have an Apple device or you prefer another option, PCMag has a series of recommendations, including Otter.ai, GoTranscript, and Rev.

(AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) was defiant this week as reporters pressed him on the various accusations he’s facing and why he hasn’t resigned from Congress when several others have done so under similar clouds of controversy.

While speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Mills was flat-out asked, “Why haven’t you resigned?” in response to others giving up their positions in Congress. The video was captured and shared by MeidasTouch.

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress this week after she was found guilty of 25 out of 27 ethics violations for embezzling millions of dollars. The Department of Justice in November also charged Cherfilus-McCormick, her brother, and others with stealing COVID relief funds and campaign violations. She’s denied all wrongdoing.

Eric Swalwell, another Democrat, also resigned and dropped his California gubernatorial campaign amid accusations of sexual misconduct, including rape and drugging. He’s also denied those allegations.

Finally, Texas Republican Tony Gonzales also announced he was leaving Congress as he was facing an expulsion vote over an affair with a staffer, who later committed suicide.

Asked why he hasn’t resigned in “response” to this wave of resignations, Mills made it clear he believes his situation is completely different.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a resolution this week seeking to expel Mills. The congressman is facing numerous allegations. The House Ethics Committee is investigating him for violating campaign finance laws, sexual misconduct, and more.

According to a report from the Washington Post, police wanted to arrest Mills last year over the alleged assault of a woman. Body camera footage and documents revealed that a lieutenant ordered officers not to arrest Mills after his accuser changed her story after speaking to Mills.

The congressman has denied all wrongdoing.

“Can you tell me what criminal or civil charges I have been charged with?” Mills asked this week.

Mills acknowledged he’s “under investigation,” but said he’s not facing the same sort of accusations.

“But they were under investigation for what? Sexual misconduct with a staffer or Hill staff,” Mills said, then correcting that he wasn’t facing a “restraining order” related to his case, but a “social media injunction.

“So is everyone on the floor who has a restraining order, even temporary where you don’t get to actually repel against it, should they all leave?” Mills asked.

He continued, “If you look at the history, in 250 years, so six people, three of which were civil war crimes, two of which were convicted felons under a federal indictment, and [George] Santos. So what is the actual precedent? If you’re going to actually ask the question, you should know the answer.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stood by Mills this week, saying the congressman has denied all accusations of wrongdoing and he’s entitled to his due process.

“He has said that all of these allegations are untrue,” he said. “He is working through that. There is a due process that he is allowed and they’re going through that process as have all the other members.”

The post Cory Mills Defiant as Reporters Grill Him on Accusations and Refusal to Leave Congress: ‘Why Haven’t You Resigned?’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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As tick populations grow (thanks, climate change) and tickborne diseases like Lyme become more widespread, tick checks have become routine for a lot of us. But do you really know what it means to “check yourself for ticks”? Chances are, you’re missing some important parts of the process.

You only need a tick check when you've been in the woods

Are you conscientious about tick checks when you're camping, but only when you're camping? Ticks live in more places than just the woods, and most parts of the US have at least one species of tick around. Check these tick maps from the CDC to get a sense of whether they’re in your area and which species of ticks to look out for. Dog ticks are found just about everywhere. Some tick species are only found in the eastern half of the country, and then there are the Rocky Mountain ticks and the western blacklegged ticks out west.

Ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, the CDC notes. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I always thought of the woods and farm fields as the places you pick up ticks. But years later, I now know there are ticks in my own backyard, as well as parks and other areas that don’t fit the stereotype I had in my head. I’ll do a tick check whenever I’ve spent time near tall grass, leaf litter, woods, or brush—which includes pretty much anywhere I go in the summer. Don’t forget to check your kids for ticks, too.

Skipping the shower

If you think of a "tick check" as an isolated chore, it's easy to forget. But if you make sure to take a shower after you've been outdoors, that both gives you an opportunity for a thorough check as you're undressing, and possibly wash off ticks even if your check wasn't so thorough (or if you forgot to do it entirely). The CDC points out that taking a shower within two hours after you get home from an outdoor outing has been shown to reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease, and probably also reduces your chances of other tickborne diseases as well.

Ticks crawl around for a few hours before they find a place to attach, so there’s a good chance that un-attached ticks will wash off during the shower whether you see them or not. As a bonus, you also have several hours to wash off the oils from poison ivy before it begins to trigger a rash. A shower is always on my to-do list after coming home from a trail run. The other benefit of taking a shower after you get home is that it gives you a chance to get naked—and that’s when the real tick check begins.

Missing critical areas of your body

The first place I always check is my lower legs. Ticks need to stay close to the ground while they’re waiting for a person to walk by, so you won’t find them climbing trees and dropping down from above—that’s a myth. They chill on the ground, then climb a stalk of grass, then if they haven’t found a victim they will return to the ground to rehydrate for a bit. That means they’ll usually contact your lower legs first, so if you just got back from your hike, check your ankles, shins, and knees first.

But over the course of the next few hours, they’ll climb upwards. It’s not uncommon to find ticks on your upper body or even in your hair, if they've had enough time to climb. So check these harder-to-see spots, which I’ll list from bottom to top:

• The backs of your knees

• Between your legs (use a mirror...sorry!)

• Inside your belly button

• In your armpits

• Behind your ears

• In your hair

A mirror or a partner can help you to see those out-of-the-way places. If you have kids, check them over while you help them get ready for a shower or when you do a diaper change.

Not knowing what you're looking for

Look up the species of ticks that live in your area, and make sure you know how big they are and what they look like. Ticks grow as they go through their life cycle, with the smallest being about the size of a poppyseed. Adult ticks can be anywhere from the size of a sesame seed to a corn kernel, depending on what species they are and whether they have fed.

Before ticks attach, they crawl around, and you might mistake them for other kinds of bugs (and vice versa). There are lots of little bugs you can pick up from outside that aren’t ticks. If you want to take an educated guess at whether the little guy you found is a tick, check the number of legs. Ticks are arachnids, so they have eight legs.

You may find an attached tick during your check—or, if you’re unlucky, sometime the next day after you should have done your check. An attached tick doesn’t usually hurt. You might just notice a little scab or mole where there wasn’t one before, and when you take a closer look at it, it’s got legs. Ew. Go get the tweezers or your handy-dandy tick removal device. (I’m partial to the TickKey.)

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Once a tick is done feeding, it will drop off. If you have a pet dog and don’t keep up with their flea and tick medication, you may occasionally find what looks like a gray or green corn kernel in the dog bed. That’s what this is. A tick that is not attached to you isn’t usually a health risk if you find it in your house; chances are, it will dry out and die. But just to be safe, you can launder any clothes or bedding in hot water and/or put them in the dryer on high. Next time, keep your pet up to date on tick control medication, and do those tick checks on everybody when you get home.

Not having a plan for what to do when you find a tick

If you find a tick crawling on you, that's easy—wash it off, brush it off (if you're outside), or squish it and throw it in the trash. But what if you find one that's already attached? That's when you have to know the right way to remove a tick.

Forget the blown-out matches, soap, or alcohol—you don't want to do anything that makes the tick release itself, since they'll vomit their stomach contents into your bloodstream, which worsens the risk of catching a tickborne disease. Instead, pull the tick off your skin with fine-tipped tweezers, or with a specialized device like a TickKey or Tick Twister. I keep a TickKey in my bathroom at home, and bring another with me when I travel. You just slip the little keyhole slot over the tick, and pull—something even most squeamish folks can probably handle.

The View star Sunny Hostin insists she has “psychic abilities” — even if her political predictions haven’t really backed that claim up in recent years.

Hostin told the rest of the View crew she is a clairvoyant on Tuesday, after co-host Whoopi Goldberg read a report that said one in five Americans believe they are psychic. Goldberg noted there were five of them sitting around the table, and Hostin quickly raised her arm to signal she was the show’s resident medium.

Meanwhile, co-host Joy Behar was ripping off jokes. “One psychic — and four psychos,” she quipped, drawing a big laugh from the crowd.

Hostin then got serious, explaining how at the age of 5 she made a prediction that proved she was a psychic.

“I believe that I have psychic abilities,” she said. ” I grew up very poor, and I dreamt a number. And my grandmother was like, ‘We are going to play that number’… and my entire family won, based on that number.”

Hostin then crossed her arms and acted like it was guaranteed proof of her fortune-telling abilities. She then told the gang that she has had” other dreams and they have come true.”

Some of the women let out “oohs,” while Goldberg shot back, “And that’s why you think you’re psychic?”

“Well, my grandmother — now I’m going to start sounding crazy, my grandmother had psychic abilities,” Hostin said. “And she also told me that I had the gift.”

If that’s the case, it hasn’t helped Hostin with some of her predictions over the last few years. Like when she said Vice President Kamala Harris would beat Donald Trump in a “blowout” in 2024, or when she said Trump would get locked up for his alleged hush money payout to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

The segment on Tuesday was brief and tongue-in-cheek, or at least it seemed like Hostin was joking a bit. Watch for yourself above via ABC.

The post The View’s Sunny Hostin Swears She Has ‘Psychic Abilities’ — Even if She Sounds ‘Crazy’ first appeared on Mediaite.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Rumors are swirling on Capitol Hill about a potential “October surprise” from the Supreme Court that has some Senate Republicans and their aides hopeful for a last-minute surge in voter enthusiasm on their side of the aisle.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton dug into the topic in a lengthy article on Monday, quoting several Republicans and some anonymous aides about the possibility that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito may retire just in time for a high-profile confirmation battle – much like the one over Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 that helped flip some Senate seats.

“It seems like it could happen,” one senior Republican aide told Bolton. “We’ll get somebody confirmed. The fight will be interesting.”

President Donald Trump poured gasoline on the fire surrounding the rumors of a Supreme Court fight last week when he told Fox’s Maria Bartiromo that he’s prepared to name new justices. “It could be two, could be three, could be one. I don’t know — I’m prepared to do it,” Trump said in the Wednesday interview.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told Bolton that a SCOTUS fight could be just what the doctor ordered for the GOP to find some new energy. “If we did have a Supreme Court vacancy, obviously that would be a galvanizing issue for Republicans,” said Cornyn, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who is in a tough reelection fight himself against MAGA primary candidate Ken Paxton – Texas’s controversial attorney general.

Cornyn qualified his remarks, however, adding that “Alito’s been great” and making clear, “I don’t give Supreme Court justices advice.”

Bolton also spoke to Brian Darling, a GOP strategist and former Senate aide, who further laid out the stakes. “If there was a Supreme Court vacancy and there was a nomination battle going into October, it would have the whole agenda change,” Darling told The Hill. Bolton added of their conversation:

Darling said a Supreme Court battle would “shift” the focus of Senate races and “may motivate MAGA voters to get reengaged and show up to vote.”

“An October surprise is when some issue comes up that people aren’t expecting that completely changes the debate,” he added. “That clearly is something that would be welcomed by the Trump administration going into the midterms.”

Two embattled Democratic incumbents, Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), held slight leads over their Republican opponents heading into the confirmation fight but wound up losing. They both later blamed the high-profile battle over Kavanaugh for impacting their races.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) also spoke to Bolton about a potential Supreme Court vacancy before the midterms, saying he’s “seen the articles” and added, “the rumor started somewhere.”

“Depends on their health,” Kennedy said of Alito, who is 76, and Justice Clarence Thomas, who is 77. “I don’t know where this rumor came from; it may well be true,” Kennedy concluded.

The post ‘It Could Happen’: Rumors Swirl of ‘October Surprise’ to Save Senate GOP Majority first appeared on Mediaite.

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My house has precisely one outdoor area, which makes it precious. It’s the only spot where we can hang out outside without actually leaving. Since I’m a dedicated introvert who enjoys fake conversations with his cats more than real conversations with people, that’s incredibly important. As a result, I put a lot of time into keeping the deck comfortable and in good repair.

A few years ago, I replaced some of the composite decking with new pieces that didn’t quite match the original color, so I painted the decking to keep things uniform. This past winter was pretty rough on the deck, though, which was starting to look a little worn:

My deck before the paint job, looking a little sad. Credit: Jeff Somers

The time had obviously come for a fresh paint job. I chose a lighter color this time and went shopping for the tools I’d need. A roller and a brush? Nope. A regular, cheap push broom and a bender pad.

How to paint a deck with a broom and a bender pad

Here’s all I needed to paint my deck: A paint tray, a can of floor and patio paint, a broom, and a bender pad:

My paint tools for this project. Credit: Jeff Somers

Painting your deck with a push broom is a lot easier than using a paint roller or a brush. A 10-inch push broom pretty generally covers two deck planks, and the bristles work the paint into the crevices much more efficiently than a roller, requiring fewer passes to get good coverage. And a bender pad is just a flexible, handheld tool that slips easily between tight spaces that need to be painted—like the spaces between deck boards.

Using these two unusual tools, I banged out this paint job in about an hour from start to finish. First, I cleaned the deck using a stiff brush to scrape away any dirt that had crusted on it. I scraped any loose paint away and let the deck dry out thoroughly. Once it was dry, I grabbed the broom and got to work. The key is to choose a push broom with flexible bristles—if they’re too stiff, you won’t get good coverage.

Using the broom to paint the deck. Credit: Jeff Somers

I alternated between painting the top of the boards and working on the spaces between with the bender bar. Instead of working a sloppy brush in between the boards, the bender pad smoothly pads the sides of the boards, leaving a clean, near-perfect coat. In retrospect, I should have started off by painting the sides first so I didn’t have to twist myself into pretzels at times because the boards were all wet with paint, but that’s a lesson for another time.

Using the bender pad on the deck. Credit: Jeff Somers

The broom and bender pad combo made painting the deck super easy and fast. If you’ve got a deck you want to paint or stain, forget the rollers and brushes and use a broom and a pad instead. You won’t regret it. Here’s the finished result:

My deck after the paint job. Credit: Jeff Somers

Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo confronted FBI Director Kash Patel on whether he has “any information to verify” President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

In a contentious exchange on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures, Bartiromo noted how much talk there has been on this subject from the president and allies like Patel — and questioned whether there’s any action coming.

“Every time I see President Trump, he says this repeatedly, that the election was rigged in 2020,” Bartiromo said. “I mean, he says it all the time. We all know that. And it’s almost getting lost because he says it so much. You’ve been at the FBI now 14 months. Have you done anything about that? And do you have anything to tell us about that.”

Here was Patel’s response:

“Absolutely, Maria. Look, I’ve been with the president nearly since day one on this. As I told you earlier, I was the one that led the effort with folks like Trey Gowdy, Johnny Ratcliffe, and Devin Nunes to expose the corruption that tried to thwart President Trump’s first presidential election run. And we saw the FISA abuses there. And I lived through it and the media came at me then too. That just shows you that when you’re over the target, you keep pummeling the target because the media is gonna try and pummel you.

“We are not going to take this and have not taken this laying down. We did already indict former director Comey, and that’s going through the judicial process, but we also at this FBI. Even though we uncovered what we uncovered back in the House Intel days, I had to come in here and find rooms that they hid from the world. I had come in here to find access on our computer systems in restricted and prohibited case files that they purposely put in places for no one to see and find. We have found all this information. We are working with our Department of Justice partners. And I am never going to let this go.

“Because they not only have personally attacked the presidency of the United States and President Trump, but they tried to thwart our elections and rig the entire system. And that is not something that is going to stop on, that is something I’m going to allow on my watch.

“But you just have to remember, they built this diseased temple over 20 and 30 years. We’ve got all the evidence. I can announce on your show that we’ve got the information we need. We’re working with our prosecutors at the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, Todd Blanche. And we are going to be making arrests and it’s coming and I promise you it’s coming soon.”

But Bartiomo was not sated by the director’s response.

“Well, Kash, hold on,” Bartiromo said. “Because when you started this interview, you said, ‘Maria, you and I have been working together for a long time,’ and this is exactly what you were referring to. You were on my show repeatedly, talking about the Russia collusion story, and our audience wants to know why there’s never any accountability. But specifically, the question that I asked you was about election integrity, and whether or not you have any information to verify what President Trump says all the time, which is the election was rigged. That’s what I asked, Kash.”

Patel apologized and claimed he “misheard” Bartiromo’s original question. He then said, “what we are doing is folding that into our entire conspiracy case, and we will let the prosecution speak for them. But we have the information that backs President Trump’s claim, but because it’s an ongoing prosecution and investigation, I can’t get ahead of the DOJ and the president. But President Trump speaks truthfully when he says that, and that’s what I’ve been telling you about.”

He added, “stay tuned this week, you might see a thing or two.”

Watch above, via Fox News.

The post Fox’s Maria Bartiromo Battles Kash Patel on Trump’s Rigged Election Claims: ‘Our Audience Wants to Know Why There’s Never Any Accountability’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Despising President Donald Trump is not a good enough reason for Democrats and “Never Trump” Republicans to suddenly embrace a particular politician or pundit, CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp argued during Saturday’s episode of Table for Five.

She made her case after CNN played a clip of Pete Buttigieg saying Democrats should embrace Republicans who have turned on Trump, arguing the party’s message “cannot be ‘I told you so'”; CNN also played a clip of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) telling Pod Save America’s Tommy Vietor that Trump fan-turned-hater Marjorie Taylor Greene deserves some “credit” for being “done” with the president.

Cupp said she isn’t down with it.

“I don’t like this conversation where it’s like, well, ‘shouldn’t we give them credit?’ No! no! No credit, No credit!” Cupp yelped. “It’s the 11th hour. It’s the 11th hour of this. He is a lame duck. He is gone in two years. What took you so long?”

Her co-panelist and fellow Never Trumper John Avlon got a kick out of Cupp as she was going off.

“I have been out in these streets since 2015 opposing this un-American, anti-democratic, fascistic garbage. And while at the same time, these people that they’re mentioning, the Marjorie Taylor Greenes — name them, it’s a long list —  they have been defending it for fun, for money, for clicks, for fame.”

She continued, “Not all converts are created equal. We — it’s not just for Democrats to decide, it’s for Never Trumpers who are conservative as well — to decide we should not be aligning with people who are losers, liars and grifters who have only come to see the light because either it’s politically expedient or it’s profitable or whatever.”

Cupp’s remarks come after Greene and Trump have been trading shots for months now, following Greene initially splitting with the president last year when she complained he wasn’t doing enough to release files related to convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. Trump branded her a “traitor” afterwards and said she is “very dumb.” 

The ex-lawmaker has continued to bash Trump as well, including when she called for the president to be removed via the 25th Amendment earlier this month.

Watch above via CNN.

The post CNN Never Trumper Warns Against Embracing ‘Losers, Liars, and Grifters’ Like MTG first appeared on Mediaite.

Phil Mattingly hosted CNN’s Inside Politics in Dana Bash’s absence on Friday, where he lauded the new TMZ Washington Bureau that launched this week.

“We made it to Friday, and that includes a new Capitol Hill team,” Mattingly began. “TMZ, who embarked on a new beat this week: the intersection of pop culture and politics. And well, here’s a short sampling of their chase this week.”

Mattingly rolled tape on a TMZ reporter asking Robert F. Kennedy Jr., “Secretary, what did you do with the raccoon’s dead penis? Where is it now?” and another reporter chasing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), saying, “I’m from TMZ. Could I just ask you about the bubble wand, sir?”

“Mario, we’ve already talked,” Mattingly said to panelist Mario Parker. “I’m very ‘pro’ this. I’m all about it. What do you think?”

“The more the merrier,” Parker said. “Hey, I saw Ted Cruz walking down the hallways, as well. They were asking him, trying to get him to weigh in on the Pope versus President Trump. He wouldn’t budge at all.”

“Hey, the more the merrier in the hallways,” Parker added.

Alex Gangitano agreed.

“I think the stress level on Capitol Hill has gone up a little bit, and that’s good,” Gangitano said. “Why not like get some more people in there to ask questions? I think TMZ has a different pulse on what people are interested in versus other reporters have who have been doing this in DC, in our bubble here, for maybe longer. So ask some questions that maybe we’re not asking. Why not?”

Gangitano echoed Parker in adding, “The more the merrier for reporters.”

“I couldn’t agree more. I am all for it,” Mattingly said. “I think also them showing how we do our jobs better than we probably do will be really valuable for a lot of people. But hey, there’s no group of 435 people in America that deserve the TMZ treatment more than lawmakers,” Mattingly said.

He added, “Pass some stuff and maybe I’ll change my mind. That’s just my — sorry, it’s Friday. I can have an opinion, right?”

Watch the clip above via CNN

The post CNN Panel Weighs in On TMZ’s New Washington Bureau: No ‘Group of 435 people’ Deserve ‘The TMZ Treatment’ More first appeared on Mediaite.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Thursday got into it with Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought over his use of “Department of War” instead of Department of Defense.

In September 2025, President Donald Trump declared the Department of Defense would renamed to the War Department. The federal government had the War Department until 1947, when President Harry Truman split up the various branches of the armed forces and renamed the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense. The change back to the War Department, Trump said, was meant to reflect his administration’s goal of rejecting a “wokey” or “politically correct” approach to foreign policy.

On Thursday, Vought was in Capitol Hill to testify on Trump’s 2027 budget request. After bickering about tariffs, Kaine pivoted to Trump’s proposed DOD budget. That’s when he decided to confirm with Vought that Department of Defense was the correct name. The exchange continued:

KAINE: I’ve heard you go back and forth between talking about the investment in the Department of Defense or the Department of War. Now, just for everybody here, legally the name of this department is the Department of Defense, correct?

VOUGHT: It’s the Department of War.

KAINE: And why do you say that?

VOUGHT: Because that’s what the president and his team has renamed it–

KAINE: And there’s a statute that calls it the Department of Defense. The president did an executive order saying the Department of War was a secondary title in September of 2025. Have you been instructed to use the phrase the Department of War?

VOUGHT: No, there’s an executive order that goes through–

KAINE: OK, you’re just voluntarily complying with this whimsical cosplay!

Although Trump signed an executive order to rename the department, the change has to be made official through congressional approval. At the time of writing, the chances of that happening were unlikely.

Watch above via C-SPAN

The post Tim Kaine Battles Trump Cabinet Member for Saying ‘Department of War’ Instead of DOD: ‘Whimsical Cosplay!’ first appeared on Mediaite.

If you've ever started a new workout routine with the best intentions only to find yourself skipping sessions by week two, you're not alone. I'm the type to get trapped in the same cycle of burnout, where I go hard for a couple of weeks, feel exhausted, feel guilty, and repeat. For me, what finally broke that cycle wasn't a new gym membership or a fancy fitness app, but a simple scheduling hack: the "3-3-3 rule." I'd seen this rule applied it to general productivity, and all the same principles can apply to your fitness habits, too. Here's how you can use the 3-3-3 rules to structure your workouts and create a habit that sticks.

What is the 3-3-3 rule?

The 3-3-3 "rule" (or "method," or "gentle suggestion") is essentially a weekly workout framework built around three types of movement, each done three times per week:

• Three strength training sessions. This includes lifting weights, bodyweight circuits, resistance bands, whatever builds muscle and challenges your body.

• Three cardio sessions. This includes running, cycling, swimming, jump rope, a dance class—what counts as "cardio" is up for debate, but here, I think of it as anything that gets your heart pumping.

• Three active recovery days. This includes light walking, yoga, stretching, foam rolling, and so on.

And yes, I realize this math adds up to nine intentional days of movement across a seven-day week. Here's the thing: You do double duty some days, or skip workouts here and there, or adjust to a nine-day cycle, because the point isn't rigid scheduling. The point is rhythm over a strict structure. For me, the 3-3-3 rule provides a sense of momentum that's flexible enough to fit into real life, but consistent enough to actually stick to.

Why the 3-3-3 rule works for me

Before I get into how the 3-3-3 rule helped me specifically, let's talk about why so many workout plans fall apart in the first place. I believe most of them make two classic mistakes. The first is doing too much, too soon. You go from zero to six days a week at the gym, you get burnt out, and the whole thing unravels. The second mistake is having no real structure at all—just vague intentions, like "I'll work out when I can," which never materializes into anything real for a lot of people.

For me, the 3-3-3 rule solves both of those problems. It gives me enough structure to build habit and momentum, but not so much intensity that my body and brain feel overwhelmed. I personally adore running, but I struggle to motivate myself to lift weights; the 3-3-3 rhythm here helped me find a middle ground between those two workouts. When I know I have three strength sessions to hit in a week (or nine-ish day cycle), I can look at my calendar and find three slots without too much drama or dread.

There's also plenty of breathing room built into the plan, which was the biggest game changer for me. I used to have the (toxic) thought that my rest days were wasted days, which is a mentality that led to either overtraining or complete inactivity with pretty much no middle ground.

Plus, there's something psychologically satisfying about the number three. I know and love the rule of threes in photography, comedy, survival tips, and all over the place.

How to make a 3-3-3 workout schedule work for you

The 3-3-3 rule has a ton of wiggle room for customization. Here are some ideas for how you can approach it:

For strength days, pick a format you actually enjoy. That might be a full-body circuit, a push/pull/legs split, or a class at your gym. (Boxing, anyone?) Your focus on these days should be a progressive challenge—push yourself, yes, but don't obliterate yourself.

For cardio days, variety helps. Mix a longer, easier effort with a shorter, more intense session (like a 20-minute interval run). I know I'm biased, but cardio really shouldn't feel like punishment.

For recovery days, resist the urge to "make them count" by sneaking in extra work. The whole point is to let your body consolidate the gains from your harder days. Walk, stretch, breathe, and trust the process.

Another practical tip: Pick a night to map out your 3-3-3 week ahead of time. You'll probably find that the week arranges itself pretty naturally once you're looking for those nine windows.

The bottom line

As always, consistency should always be your priority in fitness. If you've been struggling to find a rhythm, if your past workout plans have always fizzled out around week three, give the 3-3-3 rule an honest four-week try. Maybe start with a 1-1-1 month! After all, the 3-3-3 rule isn't a hack to totally transform your physique, but I do think it can provide something way more valuable. Finding a routine that works for you—like the 3-3-3 rule works for me—is the first step to make exercise a reliable, sustainable part of your life.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gave Pope Leo XIV some advice amid his ongoing feud with President Donald Trump: if you’re going to comment on political matters, “you should expect some political response.”

Johnson weighed in on the Trump-Leo beef while speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

“Listen, I’m not one to criticize clerics and religious leaders. We defend free speech and we certainly defend the free exercise of religion. And you know, a pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want,” Johnson said. “But obviously, if you wade into political waters, you should expect some political response, and I think the pope’s received some of that.”

He then took issue with something the pope said during his Palm Sunday address in late March. Pope Leo — while speaking to tens of thousands of Catholics in St. Peter’s Square — said Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.'”

Johnson on Wednesday said the pope’s biblical interpretation was a bit off:

I was taken a little bit aback, just honestly, frankly, by something that was said. I think he said several days back that something about “Those who engage in war, that Jesus doesn’t hear their prayers,” or something.

It is a very well settled matter of Christian theology, there’s something called the “Just War Doctrine” — there’s “a time to every purpose under heaven.”

I think what the president’s comments [and] what the vice president’s comments reflect is their understanding… the stakes are so high. And the situation that we’re facing and the fact that you had the nation that was the largest sponsor of terrorism now having had that ability taken away from them, that means potentially millions of people will be able to keep their lives and not be killed by terrorists. That’s a good thing.”

He added, “I don’t want to get into a theological debate with the pope, I certainly respect the pope, I would just say that these are matters that people of good faith and good sense can debate.”

Johnson’s answer comes after Trump posted a searing social media rant against the pontiff on April 12, blasting him for being “WEAK” on crime and the issue of a nuclear Iran. The president added he was a bigger fan of the pope’s brother, Louis Prevost, because he is a “big MAGA person.”

Trump’s post followed Pope Leo ramping up his criticism of the Iran war last week.

The pope condemned Trump’s threat to wipe out a “whole civilization” in Iran if its theocratic leaders did not make a deal, calling it “truly unacceptable.” He then spoke out against the war three days later, saying “God does not bless any conflict.

Trump declined to apologize for his post against the pope on Monday, saying “there’s nothing to apologize for. He’s wrong!” He then went off on Pope Leo again late on Tuesday night.

Watch Johnson above via LiveNow From Fox.

The post Mike Johnson Suggests Pope Leo Should Have Expected ‘Political Response’ From Trump first appeared on Mediaite.

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Ever since our house flooded in the middle of the night (though thankfully before we fell asleep), my wife and I have been diligent about setting up water alarms all over the house, so we'll receive crucial warning the moment something leaks or backs up.

Well, the other night, the alarm under the kitchen sink went off while the dishwasher was running—and, sure enough, there was water gushing out of the sink drain. Luckily, I was able to turn off the water and clean everything up before it totally ruined my cabinets and floors. I started my investigation into the problem, and about three seconds later, it was obvious: My sink drain had a huge gap in it:

The ginormous hole in my corroded kitchen drain pipe. Credit: Jeff Somers

It was actually kind of amazing—a chunk of pipe was just gone, and what was left was as fragile as tissue paper. I called a few plumbers, but no one could get to me for a few days (plumbers have a very narrow definition of the word “emergency”). I was faced with the prospect of not being able to use my kitchen sink or dishwasher for a while, or risk further damage to my house.

But I had another option: A quick fix with an epoxy putty.

Epoxy putty is an easy, water-resistant solution to leaks

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SEE 1 MORE

Epoxy putties all work generally the same: They contain a resin and a hardening agent, and when these clay-like materials are combined, a chemical reaction quickly hardens them into whatever shape you work them into. There are a few major brands to choose from, including J-B WaterWeld, PC-Plumbing Epoxy Putty, Oatey Stick Fix-It, and Loctite Epoxy Putty. I happened to have some WaterWeld on hand, so that’s what I used to save my kitchen, but any of these products will probably work as well.

How to quickly patch a leak with epoxy putty

The process is pretty straightforward: First, you pinch off as much putty as you think you’ll need (wear gloves—this stuff can irritate your skin):

The two parts of an epoxy putty ready to be combined. Credit: Jeff Somers

Knead the meaterial together, mixing the resin and the hardener until it’s all one color:

Kneading the putty together is oddly satisfying. Credit: Jeff Somers

Now apply the putty to your leak. In my case, I used pretty much the whole package to encapsulate the massive hole in my kitchen drain:

My masterful putty repair kept the kitchen in business until the plumber arrived. Credit: Jeff Somers

Different products will have different working times and hardening times. WaterWeld takes about 25 minutes to set, so you need to work relatively quickly. Luckily, temporary plumbing repairs don’t need to be pretty. I just rolled it onto the drain, pressed it into place, and worked the edges to create a seal. It's important to note that epoxy putty products like this are intended for low-pressure repairs; while they can probably plug pinhole leaks in high-pressure pipes, a repair of this size wouldn't have worked if under any sort of intense water pressure.

WaterWeld cures in about an hour, so after waiting it out, I went ran the water in the sink for a while to test it—and not a drop came out. Then I ran the dishwasher with my water alarm in place, and experienced zero problems. The putty repair held for the three days it took a plumber to show up (to add insult to injury, he wasn’t even impressed with my brilliant temporary fix). In the meantime, we were able to use the kitchen normally without risking further water damage. For a product that costs about $7, that’s not bad.

Billionaire Democrat donor Stephen Cloobeck UNLEASHES on Eric Swalwell after the disgraced congressman announced his plans to resign over sexual misconduct allegations.

Cloobeck says he is LEAVING the Democratic Party over the bombshell accusations, and that Swalwell lied to him… pic.twitter.com/fxop7Nu2ed

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 14, 2026

A billionaire Democratic donor who briefly ran for California governor before dropping out and endorsing Eric Swalwell has announced he’s leaving the party after he was betrayed by the embattled former lawmaker — and he’s not going quietly.

Speaking to a KTTV reporter on Monday, Stephen Cloobeck said he was shocked by Swalwell, who dropped his gubernatorial bid and resigned from Congress after the disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct and rape surfaced.

“I was blown away!” he shouted. “Like blown away. Like, there’s no way I would have endorsed him. It’s such a shock.”

Cloobeck added that the betrayal has led him away from Democrats altogether.

“I am no longer a Democrat! I’m now a libertarian Republican, because that’s what a blue dog Democrat used to be,” he said.

Cloobeck mounted a campaign for governor of the Golden State himself before dropping out in November. He then endorsed Swalwell, saying he was a man of “integrity, focus, and willingness” for the job.

But that was then.

When asked if he was still friends with Swalwell, Cloobeck unleashed on the ex-congressman.

“Eric who?” he said.” Is that clear? Don’t bust the trust. You bust the trust, OK? You don’t exist in my life.”

The post Billionaire Donor Goes Absolutely Ballistic on Swalwell, Proclaims He’s Leaving Democratic Party: ‘Don’t Bust the Trust’ first appeared on Mediaite.

Last week, we learned that the FBI accessed a defendant's deleted Signal messages on their iPhone, even though that user had deleted the app entirely from their device. It wasn't that the FBI was able to find the messages themselves on the device; rather, it turns out they were able to pull incoming Signal texts from the defendant's push notification database. If you're like most people, you probably had no idea devices like the iPhone had such a push notification database, and that it could be used to retrieve deleted messages. Luckily, there's an easy way to protect yourself, and ensure no one can pull sensitive information from this space on your iPhone, or any device that receive sensitive notifications.

It is unclear how the push notifications database works, or whether clearing notifications deletes their info from the database. But we might be able to glean some insight from a blog post by the Objective See Foundation (admittedly from 2018), which highlighted an issue with Signal messages on the Mac. The post reads: "In short, anything that gets displayed as a notification (yes, including 'disappearing' Signal messages) in the macOS Notification Center, is recorded by the OS." It looks like the recent FBI investigation used a similar loophole to retrieve data from iOS notifications.

So, how can you protect yourself? The safest method is to turn off notifications altogether, which will prevent any information from being saved in this database, but that's not practical for most people. Most of us want to be alerted when receiving a new email, message, or an important update in an app. However, you can stop your device from displaying the contents of messages in the notifications, preventing this information from appearing in the database. When you do this, each of your notifications will look something like, "You have a new message," as opposed to: "Pranay Parab: My Netflix password is Lifehacker." Again, it's not clear how this database works, or which platforms have the same database as iPhone, but for the sake of privacy and security, I've listed steps for most major device platforms below:

Protect sensitive notifications on an iPhone

Your iPhone allows you to hide the contents of messages from all of your app notifications. You can enable this by going to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and select Never. You also have the option to disable notification previews for specific apps. To do this, go to Settings > Notifications, scroll down, and tap the name of the app you wish to hide alert previews for. Select Show Previews > Never, and repeat that step with every other app that you want to hide notifications for.

Remove information from the notification database on a Mac

Credit: Pranay Parab

On your Mac too, you can hide notifications previews globally or for individual apps. First, go to System Settings > Notifications. Click the drop-down menu next to Show previews and select Never. This will disable notification previews altogether. Alternatively, you can scroll down, select any app from the list, and click Show previews > Never to disable previews for individual apps.

In case you want to purge notifications from the database on your Mac, you can install the free app called AuRevoir, which was developed by The Objective See Foundation following their findings. It allows you to view and remove all the information stored on your Mac's notification database. You can click View Msgs to see the stored data, followed by Remove Msgs to purge it from your Mac.

Keep sensitive information out of Android's notifications

Although Android has a few different ways to hide notification previews on the lock screen, there aren't too many options to disable these previews when the phone is unlocked. You'll find it easier to disable notification previews from each app's settings page individually, as opposed to looking for a toggle that works across Android.

To disable notifications on the lock screen, go to Settings > Notifications > Notifications on lock screen, and turn off Show sensitive content. You can also enable Hide silent notifications in status bar and also turn off Show silent notifications. There are some granular options available under Settings > Notifications > App notifications, so be sure to check that out too. These settings pages may be different on your Android phone on account of manufacturer customizations.

Clear notification information in Windows

Unfortunately, Windows doesn't have a global setting to disable notification previews, but you can hide previews from the lock screen. To disable notification previews in Windows, open the Start Menu, and click the gear icon near the power button. This will open the Settings app. Go to System > Notifications > Notifications. Disable Show notifications on the lock screen. Next, scroll down and select each app you want to hide previews for, and enable Hide content when notifications are on lock screen.

Beyond this, you're going to have to rely on notification settings within individual apps to disable previews. I've listed a few popular options below.

Hide sensitive content from notification in popular messaging apps

Popular messaging apps allow you to disable notification previews through in-app settings. This is just as effective as using your device's system settings to disable notification previews, but I'm mentioning it here in case your operating system doesn't let you disable notification previews easily:

• In WhatsApp, you can go to the app's settings, tap Notifications and disable Show preview.

• If you're using Signal, tap the profile icon in the top-left corner, and go to Settings > Notifications. Select Show, under "Notification Content." On the next page, the safest option is to select No Name or Content.

• You can also do this in Telegram's settings. Go to Notifications and Sounds > Private Chats, and disable Message Preview. You can do the same thing under the Group Chats page in notification settings.