The infamous Access Hollywood tape of Donald Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women has resurfaced, with many Gen Z voters rediscovering it. Young people are using TikTok to react to the footage, expressing shock and encouraging others to view it. Despite the seeming desensitization of the public toward Trump’s countless scandals, Gen Z’s fresh perspective serves as a reminder of the severity of his past indiscretions. The author urges not to forget the multiple allegations against Trump, including him being found civilly liable for sexually assaulting journalist E. Jean Carroll and accused by at least 21 other women. The author concludes by highlighting the potential power of a new generation of political actors, underscoring the need for continued remembering and reckoning.
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New York author and journalist Michael Wolff has released audio tapes disputing Donald Trump’s claims of lack of association with late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. These tapes were released as part of the Fire and Fury podcast series and were recorded during a 2017 discussion about Epstein’s biography, according to Wolff. Epstein disclosed the dynamics of Trump’s inner circle, and his close relationship with Trump. The tapes revealed how Trump pit his advisors and officials against each other. In response, Trump’s team accused Wolff of lying and making false claims about their former leader.
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Donald Trump is reportedly experiencing anxiety and sleep loss due to his concern over polling numbers as he hopes to return to the White House. Trump has been pressuring his staff to work harder to ensure his victory against Vice President Kamala Harris on Election Day. Some of Trump’s fears were alleviated when his chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, produced a memo suggesting that he was in a stronger position to win the election compared to past campaigns, but there are concerns that bias could be influencing these results. Trump is not the only one in his party worried about voter turnout and the numbers, with Republican figures stressing the importance of male voter turnout in ensuring a Trump win. Meanwhile, Harris’s campaign team predicts a narrow win for her come Tuesday.
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A female Iranian student was arrested after stripping off her clothes at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran. The act was a protest against an alleged assault by security forces over her improper hijab. The student was said to be further assaulted during arrest, and the incident has since gone viral on social media. The arrest comes in a context of increased enforcement of strict dress codes for women. Despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denouncing such policies during his campaign, ongoing measures such as facial recognition systems at university entry gates reinforce the wearing of hijabs.
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Shasta County in Northern California has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Jessica Long and her nine-year-old daughter over the confiscation and butchering of their family pet, a goat named Cedar. The lawsuit claimed that deputies wrongfully executed a search warrant to seize Cedar, who the young girl had raised as part of a county fair farm animal care program. Despite Long offering to pay for any costs and requesting the goat not be slaughtered, officials led the animal away. The settlement is the first step in resolving the long-running dispute, though questions still remain over who arranged for the goat’s confiscation and slaughter. The litigation against Shasta District Fair employees and a 4-H volunteer is ongoing.
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Liz Cheney is urging former president George W. Bush to speak out against Donald Trump. During an interview on The New Yorker Radio Hour podcast, she stated that she can’t explain why Bush hasn’t spoken out yet, but she thinks it’s time he does. Cheney’s comments were recorded before Trump made controversial comments about her. Cheney’s father, former vice president Dick Cheney, served under Bush and has expressed his disapproval of Trump, declaring he should never be trusted with power again. However, Bush has kept silent on Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric.
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TGI Fridays has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The company intends to use the bankruptcy process to explore alternatives to ensure its long-term viability. The process will affect the parent company, which operates 39 restaurants, but not its franchisees. The company secured funding to allow all locations to continue operation while it navigates bankruptcy. The chain, which began in 1965, experienced significant financial struggles from the pandemic and never fully recovered.
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Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director under Donald Trump, expressed strong resentment towards his former boss in an interview, saying he would like to confront Trump physically if not for the president’s Secret Service protection. Scaramucci, known also as the Mooch, was only in the White House for 11 days and had no previous qualifications for his position. Despite this and going through a scandal involving a taped phone call with a New Yorker reporter, he claims it was not the reason he was fired. Since leaving the White House, he has rebranded himself as a political heavy-hitter through the British podcast The Rest is Politics: US. Despite understanding why some would vote for Trump, Scaramucci condemns the president as racist and a fascist.
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Pastor Gus Booth from Warroad Community Church in Minnesota drew criticism for blending politics and religion during a recent sermon. Strongly condemning the Democratic Party from the pulpit, Booth expressed support for the Republican Party and urged congregants to vote accordingly. The sermon drew mixed reviews, with some appreciating Booth’s words and others finding them shocking and distressing. The pastor’s actions have stirred debate over the legality of his actions, as churches are tax-exempt and are not legally meant to influence political views. However, Booth believes he retains his right to freedom of speech, even inviting an IRS investigation, as he has been sending recorded sermons to the IRS for years.
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The United Nations special rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, has withdrawn from a Montreal conference that included the founder of a designated terror group, Samidoun. Charlotte Kates, founder of Samidoun, had been set to participate in the inaugural “Coordinating Council 4 Palestine” conference. Albanaese’s withdrawal followed outcry from Jewish leaders over her plans to speak at the event, given her alleged antisemitic remarks and planned involvement with a terror group leader. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has asked for her dismissal from her UN role, and there have been calls to bar her from entering Canada. Kates, based in Vancouver, is a leader of Samidoun, which was designated a terror entity by Canadian and US authorities due to ties with another terror group.
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John Q. Hosedrinker