Opinion

President Joe Biden has reportedly expressed his frustration towards certain members of his own party and admitted that he harbors some anger towards former President Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer, among others.

The 81-year-old President has stated that he is frustrated over the fact that Obama did not tell him to his face that he should not run for Office in the 2024 election, Knewz.com has learned.

Biden has reportedly expressed his feelings to a couple of his close aides, according to anonymous sources close to the matter.

Biden’s primary “grudge” against the former Commander-in-Chief is that he did not reach out to the President personally regarding his concerns with the Biden Presidential campaign.

It has been reported that although President Biden and former President Obama have maintained a close interpersonal relationship even after the latter’s departure from the White House, there has been political tension brewing between them of late.

Biden’s performance at the June 27 Presidential debate saw noted Democrats and party supporters call for the 81-year-old to take himself out of the running for the elections in November.

While Obama came out in support of the incumbent President’s candidacy on X, formerly known as Twitter, right after the disastrous debate performance, he had been notably quiet ever since.

Furthermore, it has been reported that “Biden has long thought that Obama’s staff looked down upon him and the president’s aides still bristle when Obama allies like David Axelrod or the Pod Save America cast criticize the incumbent.”

On the other hand, the Obamas endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris when her presidential campaign was in its nascent stages later in July.

Reports also suggest that those close to the current President were somewhat ticked off when Obama favored Hillary Clinton on the Democratic Presidential ticket in 2016 over Biden—who was the Vice President at the time.

Sources close to Biden have further stated that although Biden is coming to terms with withdrawing from his re-election bid, he is not feeling particularly friendly towards Pelosi.

It has been reported that Pelosi had been instrumental in Biden’s decision to not run for Office in 2024, pressing him about polling data and indicating that he did not have much hope of winning the upcoming Presidential election.

A senior White House employee has reportedly revealed that Biden currently views Former House Speaker Pelosi as a “ruthless” individual who knows how to set aside personal relationships to keep the Democratic Party in power.

Notably, Biden has been a longtime friend of Pelosi.

Pelosi also reportedly intended to go public with Democratic polling purportedly showing the amount of support actually behind the incumbent President if he decided to stay on the Presidential ticket.

“Nancy [Pelosi] made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way… She gave them three weeks of the easy way. It was about to be the hard way,” a partisan familiar with the situation was quoted as saying.

In a recent interview with the New Yorker, the Democratic representative of California admitted that she has “never been that impressed with [Biden’s] political operation,” and maintained that she was only looking to place a “winning” candidate on the Democratic Presidential ballot.

Pelosi has time and again clarified that her goal in this upcoming election is to make sure Republican candidate Donald Trump never gets to “set foot in the White House again.”

A new study shows that President Joe Biden’s approval ratings have dipped to their lowest yet.

In the poll released by the Associated Press (AP) and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), 33% of American adults say they approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, and just 24% believe that the national economy is doing well.

These low approval scores come at a time when inflation is high and home loan interest rates currently hover around 6.9%, making it challenging for individuals to buy new homes.

Another sore topic is Biden’s handling of immigration. In the 2022 budget year, which ended in September, agents apprehended immigrants a record 2.38 million times at America’s Texas border.

Employing a measure referred to as Title 42, Donald Trump’s administration used coronavirus restrictions which allowed American border patrol officers to turn away foreigners; however, these restrictions recently ended.

The new AP-NORC survey also showed that Biden has received low approval ratings for his handling of migration and gun policy, with only 31% saying they approve of the president’s performance on those issues. Even amongst Democrats, the survey discovered that only about half approve of his handling of immigration and firearms.

This comes in the wake of this month’s shooting at an Allen, Texas shopping center in which eight victims were killed and seven were injured.

Overall, 40% of those surveyed say they are happy with how Biden is doing his job.

Biden recently returned from Japan, where he attended the yearly G7 summit. While there, he canceled planned trips to Papua New Guinea and Australia in favor of returning to the U.S. earlier to focus on economy-related talks with Republican lawmakers, as there are high stakes at play. 

It is believed that a default on U.S. federal government financial debt could severely affect the global economy, per AP.

The poll surveyed 1,174 adults from April 29 to May 3, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Michael J. Fox who rose to popularity in NBC’s 80s sitcom Household Ties recently shared his ideas on where his renowned character, young Republican Alex P. Keaton, would stand politically in today’s environment. 

In an interview with Variety, Fox stated that he thought the character would have abandoned the Republican Party long before Donald Trump became President and the January 6 Capitol debacle.

“He would have left” Fox stated. “I don’t think Alex would even see Republican and Democrat now. He’d see normal people and crazy, fascist weirdos.”

On Family Ties, Alex P. Keaton was depicted as a big fan of Republican Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and routinely read The Wall Street Journal and enjoyed Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser. 

However, Fox told Variety that he was often a “jerk” throughout the show’s run, harshly critiquing scripts with the producers.

In the brand-new documentary Still, which is set to start streaming on Friday on Apple TV, archival footage shows Fox grilling the sitcom’s writers about one of their scripts. 

“You simply wish to slap me. You just wish to go, ‘Shut up, sit down, have a Diet Coke, and unwind and sit in the corner,'” Fox said.

Fox is presently 61 years of age and has been fighting Parkinson’s disease for more than three years. He recently spoke with Jane Pauley on CBS Sunday Morning about his health, admitting that his condition is getting worse and that he does not see himself living to 80.

“I’m not gonna lie, it’s getting harder,” Fox said. “It’s getting harder. Every day gets tougher. But that’s the way it is. I mean, who do I see about that?” (via Breitbart).

Despite his health struggles, Fox stays an active advocate for Parkinson’s illness research study and is recognized for his work and charitable contributions.

In a recent poll, former President Donald Trump has emerged as the favorite over current President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 general election matchup. 

The results are nothing short of bad news for the Biden administration as the survey suggests Trump is leading by a 7-point margin. 

According to the survey, respondents were asked questions regarding their preference between President Biden and former President Trump, which included an option to vote for someone else or not vote at all.

The survey revealed that among those who “definitely” prefer one candidate over the other, Trump leads Biden 36-32. 

But when those who are “probably” voting are added to the tally, Trump’s margin increases to 7 points cumulatively as he holds a 45-38 advantage over Biden. 

The poll further suggests that President Biden would fare only slightly better if Republican nominee Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida were to run against him. 

The president and Governor DeSantis were tied at 32-32 among those who “definitely” backed a particular candidate. However, when the “probably” category is added, DeSantis pulls ahead with 42-37.

The ABC/Washington Post poll also shows that President Biden’s approval numbers have reached an all-time low: Only 36 percent of voters approve of the job the president is doing, compared to 56 percent who do not.

The approval number has fallen by 6 points since February, which is the last time ABC and the Washington Post released a poll, via Mediaite. Trump, on the other hand, holds a commanding lead over President Biden on a key issue – the economy. 

When voters were asked, “Who do you think did a better job handling the economy – Donald Trump when he was president, or Joe Biden during his presidency so far?” Fifty-four percent chose Trump, compared to 36 percent who picked Biden.

The new poll is telling of the former president’s political ambitions. His continued relevance in the Republican Party and popularity with the base continue to be a thorn in the side of the Biden administration.

A new survey has found that more than 6 in 10 Americans are uncertain of President Joe Biden’s mental sharpness and physical health and doubtful of his ability to effectively serve as president for another term. 

Despite being only four years apart in age from former President Donald Trump, the poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News shows that Americans have polarized viewpoints on the two politicians’ capabilities. 

Less than half of respondents felt that Biden has the mental aptitude to be reliable, while as many felt that Biden remained in good enough physical health to effectively complete his current term. By comparison, 54% felt the same way about Trump.

The survey also found that just over 4 out of 10 participants believe both Biden and Trump are too old to serve terms as president. 

The poll reveals that political independents have the most doubts about Biden’s fitness, with 7 in 10 scoring him as lacking in both mental sharpness and physical health, while only a fifth of Democrats indicated similar sentiments. 

The vast majority of Republicans (94%) think Biden has inadequate mental sharpness to be president.

While 26% stated only Biden is too old, and 1% felt the same way about Trump – 28% said neither prospect is too old to serve another term.

Biden frequently deflects concerns about his age with humor, stating that he has gained a great deal of wisdom over the years. 

However, his physical fitness for the job has come under scrutiny, with GOP competitors such as Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley challenging his capabilities. 

Concerns about Biden’s acumen and physical health have been a recurring point of concern in discussions with citizens across the country in recent months, including Democrats who have no interest in supporting any of the GOP contenders, per the New York Post.

After undergoing an annual physical earlier this year, Biden’s doctor confirmed in a memo that he is a “healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully carry out tasks of the presidency.” 

In contrast, the physicians who treated Trump while he was in the White House revealed limited information about his medical records. 

Trump’s doctors concealed major details about his bout with the Covid-19 infection in 2020, making his condition seem far less serious than it was at the time, while his annual medical records revealed that he was at risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Washington Post-ABC News survey was conducted in April 2023 among a random nationwide sample of 1,006 U.S. grownups, with 75% reached on cell phones and 25% on landlines. The poll’s overall results are relatively accurate as its margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 portion points.

Residents and homeowners in Beverly Grove, a high-end Los Angeles area known for upmarket shopping and expensive dining are voicing their concerns over a growing homeless encampment. 

The informal community lies along San Vicente Boulevard, just south of the Beverly Center and not far from the city of Beverly Hills. 

The tents of the settlement are said to be deterring customers from shopping in the high-end location where the cost of a one-bedroom apartment or condo in the area rents for about $2,200 a month. 

Beverly Grove residents and business owners claim that drug sales, fights, and fires, are common problems at the encampment. They also note the tents are a significant cause of issues, making it difficult for individuals to feel safe while strolling through the area.

Further alarming local business owners, a shopfront’s window was recently smashed and the owner, obviously distraught, has developed a simple strategy of visiting recently elected Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass every day until the issue is fixed. 

Another shopkeeper in the area claimed that the homeless people are damaging vehicles and have tried to break into their company vans on numerous occasions. 

When the police were questioned regarding the matter, they claimed that the destitute moved when requested, but they returned as quickly as an hour after.

The growing encampment has also led to public nudity, with one incident of a naked woman lying on a sofa in the middle of the street. 

“I saw the couch one day out there, and I think, ‘Oh my God,'” a business owner named Debra stated. “The next day, I came back and see she’s all over the couch, and she’s just naked” (via Fox News).

Homelessness continues to climb in several Los Angeles areas, with a study from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in 2022 estimating that 69,144 people were residing on the streets in LA County, a 4.1% increase from 2020. 

In an effort to resolve this issue, local authorities have been scrambling to come up with a solution. 

Nevertheless, no clear plan has come to light.

Darryl Barwick, 56, who was on death row since 1986 begged for compassion and kindness before he was executed at Florida State Prison. 

When he arrived in the cubicle, he said, “I can’t explain why I did what I did. It’s time to apologize to the family…I’m sorry,” and pleaded the cases of others, particularly those still in their teens, asking for the authorities to show passion and kindness.

These words tugged at the heartstrings of anti-death penalty advocates like the French Coalition Against the Death Penalty (FCADP) and Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP), and drew protests.

Barwick had fried chicken, beans, and Coca-Cola as his last meal on Wednesday before he was brought into the death chamber. He had previously phoned and apologized to the victim’s family before receiving a sedative at 6:02 PM.

After the sedative took effect, Barwick lost consciousness, and the warden checked his eyes, shook his shoulder, and called his name. When none of this transpired, the lethal fluid was injected into his bloodstream. 

Barwick had been on death row for almost four decades, and none of the victim’s relatives were present to witness the execution.

According to the case files, Barwick watched 24-year-old Rebecca Wendt sunbathing next to her swimming pool before following her up to her apartment, where he killed her in 1986. He stabbed her 37 times, and when the trial required a reason for his actions, he submitted that he did not want to go back to jail.

He claimed that it was his initial plan to rob her but she fought back – and that is why he repeatedly stabbed her.

At the time, Barwick had been out of prison for less than three months for raping a 21-year-old at knifepoint, per AP NEWS.

In 1992, his sentence was overturned, and he was given a retrial, only to be found guilty this time – unlike the first, there was a unanimous jury vote for the death penalty.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Barwick’s final appeal for a stay of execution on the same day, and he was pronounced dead at 6:14 p.m. following a lethal injection.

On a holidaymaker’s recent visiting Scotland’s Loch Ness, he claimed to have captured an image of the fabled monster, Nessie, with his camera. 

The man, John Payne, 55, from Newport, Wales, was staying at the Foyers Roost guest house with a view of the water when he spotted a mysterious shape with a “huge” neck floating on the loch on April 9. 

Keeping an eye on the anomaly, he quickly reached for his camera and took several snaps.

Later that day, Payne went down to the loch, but the creature was nowhere to be seen. 

Upon closer scrutiny, he noticed that the photos showed a mysterious creature floating on the surface, and he realized just how similar his photo was to other pictures of Nessie. 

So rare was his sighting in the area that even the locals working at the hotel were shocked. Payne noted that the mysterious shape must have been large in size, given the distance from his accommodation to the loch.

He stated, “You wouldn’t have been able to see a bird or anything from that far away – it had to be something large.” Describing it, he explained, “It was like a huge neck.” He apparently zoomed his camera in, waiting to see if the creature would reappear, giving him a second opportunity at a shot, and much to his delight, it did, per Edinburgh News.

Payne is not the only one to have seen the “monster” making its rounds in the loch. According to Eoin O’Faodhagain a local in the area, he had seen it 20 times since 2017 and is convinced beyond all doubt of its existence.

The Loch Ness Monster has been the stuff of legends for centuries, with many stories of a mysterious creature with a long neck and dinosaur-like features floating around the Scottish loch. Despite interest from folklorists around the globe, conclusive evidence has never been found. 

And despite numerous sightings and expeditions in search of the creature, there has yet to be any conclusive evidence that proves the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. Be this as it may, many continue to believe in its existence and this new photo is just another reason to keep searching.

Side note: On this day (May 2) 90 years ago the first sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was made.

Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly has expressed his commitment to maintaining the seal of confession, stating that priests in Washington would opt for jail time if it meant avoiding breaking the seal. 

Bishop Daly made these comments in response to Senate Bill 5280, which calls for legal protection for priests who refuse to report abuse they have learned about during a confession. 

The original bill passed the Senate with an exemption for confession testimony and legal protections for the seal. However, the House added an amendment to end the legal protections for the seal, potentially requiring priests to break the seal or face jail time.

Bishop Daly’s letter to the Diocese of Spokane declared that “the sacrament of penance is sacred and will remain that way in the Diocese of Spokane.” 

Daly went on to say that the diocese is taking the issue seriously, working with lawmakers on crafting a bill that both protects children and maintains the seal of confession. 

If the House accepts the Senate’s version of the bill, it will go to the governor’s desk. If the House insists on its amendment or offers another alternative, the bill will go back to the Senate, potentially prolonging the conflict between civil and canon law.

Canon law makes the seal of confession “inviolable,” or unbreakable under any circumstance. According to Canon 1386, a priest who directly breaks the sacramental seal incurs an automatic excommunication. And, even if a priest were to break a seal indirectly he would “be punished according to the gravity of the [offense],” per NCR.

In his letter, Bishop Daly emphasized that this is not a new conflict, saying “the state of Washington is not the first governing body to attempt to criminalize our commitment to keep the seal of confession sacred.” 

While the issue remains contentious, religious freedom advocates warn that legislation that infringes on the seal of confession could be challenged in court as a violation of the First Amendment’s protections for religious freedom.

In addition to Washington, lawmakers in Delaware and Vermont have also introduced bills that could limit the seal of catholic confessions during their respective legislative sessions currently ongoing.

If there is anything to Isaac Newton’s prediction in 1704, then the world as we know it only has 37 years left. 

Newton, who broke a considerable amount of ground in physics and mathematics, believed that the world we live in will come to an end in 2060. 

He arrived at this conclusion based on his studies of the Bible and other religious texts. Thus, his estimations forecasted that in the middle of the 21st Century, Christ would return and rule for a millennium, and the Jews would develop a long-lasting Kingdom on Earth. 

In his old English writing style, Newton noted: “It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner.”

While scholars and students of Newton’s work have known about this prediction for centuries, current polling indicates that the number of people believing humanity won’t make it through the 21st century has grown, and approximately one in seven individuals believe that the world will end within their lifetime. 

Newton specialist Stephen D. Snobelen said, “For many, the revelation that Newton was a passionate believer who took biblical prophecy seriously came as something of a shock” (via The Daily Star)

Be that as it may, other researchers over the last few years have also been making similar apocalyptic predictions, one of whom is a scientist, Sir Martin Reese, who declared in his book, “Our Final Hour,” that mankind has only a 50-50 chance of surviving the 21st century. 

Although end-of-the-world forecasts have existed for centuries, Newton’s prediction carries weight due to his significant contributions to science.

It is also noteworthy that this forecast is one among many that have emerged throughout history, per the Daily Star.