CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with author and film expert Jeremy Arnold on Friday to discuss his book “Christmas in the Movies,” although at one point Tapper admitted the “real reason” he brought Arnold on was to discuss “Die Hard.”

After an introduction and a discussion of Arnold’s book, which includes chapters on Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life“ and even a James Bond film, Tapper turned to “Die Hard.”

“Let’s get to the real reason I had you here, which is just the definitive proof. You have settled the argument. “Die Hard” is in this. It gets its own chapter. “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. I’m glad it is now official. Explain why in your view. Because there are I don’t know what to call them skeptics. Let’s let’s be polite and call them skeptics who say “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie. Obviously, it is. Explain why,” Tapper asked.

“Well, first of all, when people say “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie and the other side must be insane for thinking it is,” Arnold replied, adding:

What that dispute is really about is definition. Both sides are defining the term Christmas movie very differently. And so for someone, it may really not be a Christmas movie, and that’s fine for them. But for the rest of us, it is. And the reason I think it is that it begins as the most common type of Christmas movie, which is some version of a dysfunctional or estranged family trying to reconcile on Christmas. In this case, John and Holly McClain.

“Holly, I’d like to note. Her name is Holly,” Tapper interjected.

“Yes. Changed from the source material, right? Her name was Stephanie. So that is the story that is happening before the terrorists come and take over Nakatomi Plaza. And what that does is it grounds the audience to see the whole movie that follows through the prism of this Christmas-time family reconciliation story,” Arnold replied.

“And a Christmas miracle if I might say,” Tapper added.

“Right, there are references to Christmas all throughout the movie and the dialog and the visuals on the soundtrack. Sound Effects. Christmas,” Arnold responded.

“Oh, no, I’ve got a machine gun,” added Tapper, agreeing.

“Exactly. Christmas, I think, does a lot to lighten the tone of “Die Hard 2.” It’s a violent movie, but it’s not cruel or unpleasantly violent. It’s it’s cheerful and joyful, and that connects it to the season too,” Arnold noted, as Tapper then rolled a clip from the movie.

After the clip, Tapper added, “So one other point I’d like to make about the “Die Hard,” it being a Christmas movie. And honestly, I could do 2 hours just on this topic, is the key moment of the film where John McClane is, and again this movie’s been out for a little while, so I’m sorry, but spoiler alert, when John McClane saves the day, saves his wife, kills Hans Gruber and another bad guy, he’s only able to do it because of the presence of presents. There are Christmas presents there and he uses the tape. I’m not going to give more than that away, but obviously definitionally this could not have happened, this miracle. Any other holiday.”

“Right. It definitely makes us aware of that connection in that moment,” Arnold replied, adding:

And here’s the thing. If “Die Hard,” we’re set at another time of year. The story could still work. You could still have this story. But what Christmas does it, it enhances all these emotions and rituals that we recognize as linked to the season and intensifies them. You know, Christmas does that to the highs and the lows. It’s A Wonderful Life is powerful because the despair that Jimmy Stewart feels is so greatly enhanced by the fact that he’s feeling it at Christmas time. “Die Hard.” It could work on a day other than Christmas, but it would not be the same movie.

“Well, if it were Arbor Day, then he wouldn’t have had the Christmas tape,” Tapper jested, wrapping up the interview.

Watch the full clip above via CNN.

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Republican Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu hit back at former President Donald Trump this week after the former president attacked him on his Truth Social platform.

“FAKE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL WAS RELEASED ON BIRDBRAIN. JUST ANOTHER SCAM! RATINGS CHALLENGED FOXNEWS WILL PLAY IT TO THE HILT. SUNUNU NOW ONE OF THE LEAST POPULAR GOVERNORS IN U.S. REAL POLL TO FOLLOW,” Trump wrote Friday in all caps screed.

Trump was apparently incensed by a new poll from American Research Group showing Nikki Haley with 29% support against Trump’s 33% in the upcoming New Hampshire primary. The result reflects a surge for Haley, which came after Sununu endorsed her in the GOP presidential primary. Fox News’s Fox & Friends covered the poll on air Friday morning, clearly getting the attention and raising the ire of Trump.

Sununu hit back at the idea that he is unpopular in his own state, where his approval rating has actually long made him one of the most popular governors in the U.S.

“One of us has never lost an election,” Sununu wrote on X/Twitter in response to Trump.

“The other currently polls at 40% in NH and apparently doesn’t know how to turn his caps lock off,” Sununu added referring to Trump’s low approval rating in the state. He concluded with the hashtag: #WhyAreYouSoObsessedWithMe.

Sununu also included a screenshot from a poll showing him as the 4th most popular governor in the U.S. with a 64 percent approval rating.

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Bill Maher, the political satirist who hosts Real Time with Bill Maher on Max, is trusted more by the American public than several other high-profile names in the media, according to a new poll from WPA Intelligence obtained by Mediaite.

According to the survey of 1,000 respondents, which has a margin of error of 3.1%, Maher is trusted by a larger proportion of the country than former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, podcaster Joe Rogan, and even CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

Maher, whose name is recognized by 77% of the country, is trusted by 40% of all respondents and 52% of those who said they were familiar with him.

Both Rogan and Carlson had slightly higher name IDs than Maher, at 80% and 81%, respectively, but had gained the trust of a smaller portion of both their audiences and the country more generally.

Rogan is trusted by 36% of respondents and 45% of those familiar with him, while Carlson is trusted by 35% of respondents and 43% of those who know him well.

Tapper is by far the least well-known of the bunch; just 53% of the public said they knew who he was. As a result, his trust rating with all respondents was also the lowest at 23%, but his rating among those familiar with him was sandwiched between Rogan and Carlson at 44%.

The poll follows a similar one reported on by Mediaite Thursday that suggested that far-right, Trump-cheerleading influencers like Tim Pool and Jack Posobiec are not nearly as influential as their large social media following might suggest.

According to that survey, just 3% of Republicans trust Posobiec and only 1% trust Pool. Even among the demographic that would intuitively be most sympathetic to the pair — Trump voters who get most of their news online — their trust ratings stand at just 6% and 3%.

The pair of surveys provides an interesting look at the increasingly fractured political media landscape and what kinds of sources Americans trust to deliver them accurate information within it.

If you’re curious about choking during sex, you’re not alone. A 2020 national probability survey of Americans aged 18 to 60 years found that 21% of women reported having been choked during sex with 20% of men reporting they had choked a partner during sex. With “Choke Me Daddy” memes making the rounds on social media and beyond, it’s not surprising that the survey also found that adults aged 18 to 29 engage in choking at much higher rates than older adults.

Although choking, also known as erotic asphyxiation, might heighten curiosity and arousal for some, it’s not without its risks. Here’s what you need to know to ensure your safety and have a good time.

Why would someone want to be choked during sex?

“Choking, erotic asphyxiation, or—as it’s known in the kink community—breath play, is an activity in which a partner (or oneself, as in autoerotic asphyxiation) restricts the airflow of someone’s breathing by adding pressure around their throat and windpipe,” says Lisa Finn, Babeland’s sex educator.

Finn says choking can be really hot for a number of the same reasons that any more “risky” form of play, especially BDSM play, can be.

“There’s the adrenaline of the danger behind it, pain for pleasure, the physical sensation of pressure and lightheadedness, and the sort of primal and aggressive energy of being handled in a more assertive way,” she says. “One of the biggest appeals of choking we hear about is the exchange of power. The emotional and physical aspect of taking control over or surrendering and having a release from control with something that could really hurt (or even kill) and the trust and intimacy that goes with that.”

When it comes to the physical effects of choking, Finn says the sensation of being choked sends a spike of adrenaline through our system and “kicks the sympathetic nervous system (aka, the danger response, like fight or flight) into gear. Paired with the high-like lightheadedness and an already heightened state from arousal, this can have effects like added intensity or even a sort of euphoric sensation to orgasm.”

What are the risks of being choked during sex?

While it might be considered erotic by some, choking during sex can also be lethal with autoerotic asphyxia being estimated to cause 250-1,000 deaths per year in the United States.

“Choking is extremely dangerous, and if you don’t do it correctly, you can give someone permanent brain damage or even kill them,” says sexologist Marla Renee Stewart, sexpert for Lovers sexual wellness brand and retailer.

That is why she highly suggests taking a class on choking to ensure that your lover is safe and that you are utilizing correct techniques.

“It is considered Edge Play for a reason,” Stewart says. “You need to decide if you want to do an air choke or a blood choke. I highly suggest the former because it is easier for people who are new to kink and it’s really about the restriction of breath, rather than restriction of blood flow to the brain. With a blood choke you can squeeze the very important interior and exterior jugular veins. So this is why I think this kind of choking should only be reserved for those who are familiar with extreme play and the safety precautions necessary. You also need to have safety guards in place such as safe words, gestures, and knowledge around warning signs that you are harming someone.”

For someone who has experienced trauma and wants to introduce choking into their sex life, Stewart recommends going to a kink-aware and trauma-informed coach, therapist, or counselor first and then going to someone who is experienced at using kink to transform the trauma in people’s lives. Ideally, she says it would be great if these were two different people to work together to “ensure that you are getting the care you need. In addition, making sure that you are educated about the various aspects of choking and knowing how to do it properly. I believe going slowly and integrating various aspects of choking is best and to do this over time.”

What are some important things people need to discuss before they introduce choking?

First and foremost, Finn says, scene negotiation and safety are essential, as they are with any BDSM acts, but especially one that can be as dangerous as breath play, which has some serious physical risks like injury, brain damage, or even death.

“There are emotional and mental risks to this kind of play as well,” she says. “Being choked without warning or discussion, feeling like the experience is one-sided, or any way of having breath play go outside of your boundaries can be terrifying and traumatic.”

Finn recommends taking the time to discuss this with your partner and knowing what it is about choking that turns you on is essential here, too. Are you into the physical sensation? Do you want your choking to be aggressive or tender? Is a “struggle” part of the dynamic of the roleplay, or is that a sign that something is wrong?

“Having misaligned expectations in any intense scene can lead to a less pleasurable or even downright uncomfortable experience, physically and emotionally,” Finn explains.

Second, Finn suggests making a safeword and a safe action (or “safe gesture”).

“A safeword is a word that you can call out that communicates the need for all action to stop for any reason, and is especially important during intense play like this,” she says. “When you are choking your partner, you should not be reaching the point where they cannot speak. That’s a sign that you’ve passed a line of physical safety.”

However, if you or your partner get to that point of not speaking because of airflow obstruction or if there’s any other reason someone may be unable to clearly speak or clearly hear when a safeword is used (for example, if there’s loud music, if a partner may go non-verbal, if a partner is hard of hearing) it’s essential, she says, to have a safe action in addition to a safeword. Some examples for safe actions that Finn recommends include: squeaking a toy, dropping a set of keys, tapping your partner twice (“tapping out”), or raising an open palm in a “stop” gesture.

If your partner becomes non-responsive, it’s key to stop all play immediately and seek medical attention.

(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) has struck an independent tone in recent weeks, distancing himself from the hard left, progressive wing of his party — which helped put him in office.

The one-time progressive stalwart, enthusiastically endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has explicitly declared he no longer adheres to the label and is simply a Democrat, citing his stances on immigration and Israel as key breaking points with the left wing of his own party.

Fetterman spoke with the New York Times for an article published Thursday about the break and made clear he not only has no regrets, but he blames the progressive movement from breaking with him and what he calls his common sense approach to issues.

The Pennsylvania Democrat known for his gym shorts and hoodies, told the Times that as the left continues to demand “purity tests” he gave up on calling himself a progressive.

“It’s just a place where I’m not. I don’t feel like I’ve left the label; it’s just more that it’s left me,” Fetterman told the Times, adding, “I’m not critical if someone is a progressive. I believe different things.”

The Times noted that Fetterman’s break from the progressive movement, which has come under intense fire from many over some recent pro-Palestinian protests that have involved violence, anti-Semitic rhetoric, or property damage, has stunned many of his former critics on the right. “What multiverse is this?” the Times quoted hard-right website Breitbart of posting on their social media while sharing Fetterman’s recent appearance on CNN with Jake Tapper, in which he accused TikTok of “warping” young Americans’ minds to be anti-Israel.

Fetterman spoke to the Times about his support for Israel, saying, “I do find it confusing where the very left progressives in America don’t seem to want to support really the only progressive nation in the region that really embraces the same kind of values I would expect we would want as a society.”

On immigration, Fetterman said, “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have a secured border.”

“I would never put Dreamers in harm’s way, or support any kind of cruelty or mass expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people. But it’s a reasonable conversation to talk about the border,” he concluded.

He briefly discussed his health and the stroke that almost took his life, noting, “What I have found out over the last couple years is that the right, and now the left, are hoping that I die.”

“There are ones that are rooting for another blood clot. They have both now been wishing that I die,” he added, making clear he now sees harsh critics in both parties.

Have you ever noticed iridescent rainbow stains on your driveway after it's rained? What you're seeing is the thin film interference principle at work, and a sign that someone's car is leaking. But before you can address the root cause of the dripping, you need to figure out where it's coming from, and what it is. One of the simplest ways to do that involves a large piece of cardboard and some detective work. I enlisted the help of two mechanics—Jason Farrell, an ASE certified master technician and the editor of Mechanic’s Diary and John Lim, a mechanic and the owner of JB Motor Works—who walked me through the steps of the cardboard test, and how to identify the leaking fluid.

How to use cardboard to identify car leaks

While the cardboard test is pretty straightforward, here are a few things to know that will help you get the most out of the process.

The set-up

Here's what to do:

1. Park: When you've finished driving for the day, "try to park on a flat surface to prevent the fluids from running off the cardboard," says Lim.

2. Wait: As a safety precaution, Farrell recommends waiting for the engine to cool down before getting started.

3. Put down the paper: Place a large, light-colored piece of cardboard underneath the car. "Make sure the cardboard extends beyond the width of your vehicle," Lim tells me. "If possible, use a large piece that can cover the area from the front bumper to the back." Farrell recommends using using heavyweight cardboard.
   
   Most people aren't going to have car-sized pieces of white cardboard sitting around, so you may need to improvise. You could:

   -Tape several pieces of cardboard together—placing the tape on the underside only, if possible.

   -Glue or tape pieces of white paper on top of the cardboard.

   -Use white butcher paper (the kind that comes in a roll) and tape or weigh down the perimeter so it stays in place.

   -Use a light-colored tarp or old sheet.

4. Wait some more: Leave everything in place overnight.

The identification

Check the cardboard (or sheet, or butcher paper, etc.) the following day. "The stained cardboard tells quite a story," says Farrell. More specifically, it will provide two pieces of information: what fluid is leaking, and where it's leaking from.

It's usually easier to try to identify the source of the leak first, while the cardboard is still in place.

"You need to trace the drips or stains on the cardboard back to the car," Lim explains. "The position of the stain on the cardboard should give you a rough idea of where to start looking. However, keep in mind that fluids can drip off one part, hit another, and then fall to the ground, so the leak may not be directly above the stain."

Farrell suggests using a flashlight to illuminate the undercarriage while tracing the leaks, and taking photos of the position and patterns of the stains while the cardboard is still under the car, and once it's out.

Once you pull the cardboard or sheet out from under the car, it's time to take a closer look at the stains.

The fluids

"When reviewing cardboard stains, location, color, smell, and consistency all provide clues to the source," Farrell explains. "For example, oily spots dripping straight down likely come from the oil pan or filter areas. Greenish liquid pooling near the front signals coolant from the radiator, hoses, or water pump. Brake fluid may eat through the cardboard, indicating a leak higher up around calipers or brake lines."

Here are some other tips for identifying various fluids from Farrell and Lim:

• Engine oil generally appears dark brown or black, feels slick, and burns the nose.

• Transmission fluid is usually red or green and slippery.

• Coolant can be pink, green, or yellow, feels slimy, and smells sweet.

• Power steering fluid is clear to light brown, and has a burnt-marshmallow smell.

• Brake fluid is clear to light brown, and feels oily but not slick.

If it looks like you have multiple leaks, Farrell recommends troubleshooting in order of difficulty. "Always start with the simplest leak possibilities before digging deeper, in case it's an easy fix," he says. "Catching problems early by 'reading' that cardboard could prevent thousands in repair bills down the road."

The Colorado Supreme Court decision barring 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump from the state’s ballot was “badly wrong for multiple reasons,” said a former top Trump aide turned sharp critic on CNN.

Speaking with host Kaitlan Collins on The Source, on Tuesday, former national security adviser to Trump, John Bolton, said he believes Colorado’s ruling will be “reversed” by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bolton told Collins that there was no way the intent of the 14th Amendment would have been to make it so any state could interpret what does and does not constitute a federal insurrection, including states that were guilty of it. If that was the intent we’d have to conclude “they were delusional when they did it,” he said.

For that and other reasons he explained, Bolton said that he’d “be willing to bet a small amount of money here that the Supreme Court, if it gets to the merits of this, if it has to, will reverse.”

“There’s no other logical way you can apply this. And it would sow chaos in elections as far as the eye could see,” he said.

Collins made a point of noting that Bolton is not only a Trump critic, but opposes the ex-president’s candidacy. Bolton emphasized he believes Trump is “not fit to be president.” Below is their full exchange:

COLLINS: Ambassador Bolton, when you look at this, this measure that was put in place to to keep former confederates from returning to power, I mean, what do you make of it being used here?

BOLTON: I think it’s completely misplaced. I think this this Colorado Supreme Court decision is badly wrong for multiple reasons. Number one, the 14th Amendment provides that Congress can pass legislation to carry its provisions into effect, which Congress has done on many aspects. It has not put anything with respect to Section Three on the books since just after the Civil War.

Second, the idea that 50 different state courts can can decide a question involving the highest elective office in the executive branch, interpreting the federal Constitution as to what constitutes an insurrection against the federal government is, is incoherent. And I think undoubtedly the Supreme Court is going to have to clear that up.

In terms of what the framers of the 14th Amendment meant. I think I think it’s quite clear that the radical Republicans in Congress who wanted to suppress the secessionist advocates and governments of the Southern states had seceded, would not provide on this critical question of the offices that that are going to be denied to people who broke their oath to the United States, that you’re going to put decision making authority on that in the hands of the states, including the former secessionist states. That, if that was their intention, they were delusional when they did it.

So I’d be willing to bet a small amount of money here that the Supreme Court, if it gets to the merits of this, if it has to, will reverse. There’s there’s no other logical way you can apply this. And it would sow chaos in elections as far as the eye could see.

COLLINS: Well, and I think it’s important for people, maybe if they don’t watch The Source every night and haven’t heard from you since you left working for for Trump when he was president, you have been quite critical of him and the idea that he could be back in office.

But you’re saying that that the way that that should be achieved, if that’s what someone is trying to do here, shouldn’t be through a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court or the U.S. Supreme Court that it should be a decision for the voters? Is that what you’re saying?

BOLTON: Well, ultimately it should be. But if this case – and I do think the Supreme Court will take it — that they they should not let this kind of erroneous decision rest out there because other cases are going to be brought, you can see it already — this has to be something that Congress itself, if they want to enact legislation — which they haven’t done for 150 years — about what the meaning of Section Three is, then it’s not up to the states to make it up as they go along.

Watch the clip above, via CNN.