All it took was a single photo posted by Elon Musk and now Diet Coke is making headlines, again.
“Elon Musk and the hardcore cult of Diet Coke,” the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/11/28/elon-musk-diet-coke/">article</a> proclaimed just after the billionaire businessman shared a snapshot of his bedside table, which included items such as two replica guns, a Buddhist amulet, and four open cans of caffeine-free Diet Coke.
The article goes on to point out other shunned celebrities who enjoy the same beverage, including former president Donald Trump and disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Besides the supposed nefarious associations, the Post paints Coke’s calorie-free version as being unhealthy and addictive.
The history of the brand’s best-selling, yet riskiest product debut is just as fascinating as the tale of Musk buying Twitter.
The original fizzy beverage, Coca-Cola, was created in 1886 by Atlanta pharmacist John S. Pemberton, per <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Coca-Cola-Company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britannica</a>. His bookkeeper Frank Robinson was responsible for naming the drink and coming up with the telltale font style.
Pemberton marketed his new drink as being beneficial for treating many common ailments. At the time, the recipe included cocaine from the coca leaf along with caffeine. The cocaine was taken out around 1903. Even without the stimulant, Coca-Cola became a huge success.
Coca-Cola went strong for decades before the arrival of a new phenomenon in the product line: Diet Coke. It was introduced to the market in 1982 following lackluster sales of Tab soda, which was introduced in 1962 as the company’s version of a calorie-conscious beverage. The slogan, “keeping a tab on your weight” just wasn’t catchy enough and did not reap the benefits of the mighty Coke brand name.
That’s when diet Coke premiered, with pizazz, in 1982. The formulation resulted in a new, smoother flavor that used less phosphoric acid, <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_880981">according to</a> the Smithsonian. 
This diet version was sold using the tagline, “Just for the taste of it, Diet Coke!” All along the Coca-Cola corporation suspected that Diet Coke would cannibalize their Tab sales, but they were so keen on breaking into the diet market with this new product that they took the risk anyway.
Marketers intentionally used a lowercase “d” for the new product, which was the first new beverage to capitalize on the “Coke” name since their flagship product. The company focused on the taste of their new product offering and not on the diet aspect in their initial advertising campaigns, which was another reason for keeping the “d” lowercase and therefore less noticeable.
In no time, Diet Coke outsold Tab. By the end of 1983, Diet Coke became the best-selling diet beverage on the market and the fourth best-selling brand in the overall beverage category, coming in behind Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and 7-Up. 
Over the years, Diet Coke exploded in popularity, becoming the second best-selling beverage from 2011 through 2015. Tab was eventually discontinued in 2020.
Critics of Diet Coke had levied a barrage of claims against the brand, saying it falsely masquerades as a “healthier” alternative to traditional soda, which is usually made with corn syrup sweetener. Instead, Diet Coke is made with artificial sweetener, which has no calories but is composed of chemicals that critics have deemed problematic.
A 2017 Consumer Reports <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/soda/mounting-evidence-against-diet-sodas/#:~:text=Some%20evidence%20has%20also%20suggested,foods%2C%20leading%20to%20weight%20gain." target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> presented evidence suggesting that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can cause inflammation, which is associated with heart disease. The report also claimed that the sweetness of diet sodas such as Diet Coke may “trick” the brain into craving rich, high-calorie foods, which could lead to weight gain that cancels out any calorie deficit created by drinking a calorie-free product.
A Boston University School of Medicine <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/health/diet-sodas-stroke-dementia-study/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from 2017 found that people who claimed to consume at least one can of artificially sweetened soft drink each day were almost three times as likely to have a stroke caused by a blood clot when compared to those who abstained. They were also found three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
But it’s not just ingredients and suspected health risks that the media holds against Diet Coke. While the brand has become synonymous with people seeking to lose weight, it’s also become associated with conservatives thanks to people like Trump and Musk singing its praises on social media and beyond.
As far back as 2013, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/02/republicans-diet-coke/317966/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlantic</a> zeroed in on conservatives as having an affinity for Diet Coke. The article cited a poll that showed Republicans were far more likely than Democrats to prefer the drink, which the writer claimed was at odds with GOP opposition to taxes on sugary soft drinks. More recently, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/11/28/elon-musk-diet-coke/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Post</a> claimed the drink has a cult following that includes former President Trump and Twitter and Tesla boss Elon Musk, who is currently the object of liberals&#8217; ire.
A 2017 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html?_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the New York Times claimed that Trump drank as many as 12 cans of Diet Coke per day. And Musk’s most recent photo wasn’t the first time he waxed poetic over the fizzy drink favorite. In April, the Tesla founder <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1519480761749016577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quipped</a>, “Next I’m buying Coca-Cola to put the cocaine back in.”
While cocaine would be an interesting addition, Musk had previously explained why he swapped out regular Diet Coke for the caffeine free version. During a 2007 <a href="https://www.inc.com/magazine/20071201/entrepreneur-of-the-year-elon-musk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Inc. magazine, Musk said that guzzling up to eight cans of Diet Coke per day plus having multiple cups of coffee eventually got to be too much. 
“I got so freaking jacked that I seriously started to feel like I was losing my peripheral vision,” he told the publication. “Now, the office has caffeine-free Diet Coke.”
But it’s not only conservatives buying up all that Diet Coke. Microsoft founder Bill Gates was rumored to enjoy the beverage with his fast food lunch order and also allegedly requested that his hotel rooms be stocked with a fridge full of Diet Coke.
Former president Bill Clinton was also an avid Diet Coke enthusiast. Clinton even included a signature silver can in a time capsule that’s buried at his official presidential library, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/11/health/diet-coke-trump-health-effects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
And that’s not all. Clinton’s former lover Monica Lewinsky claimed in her memoir, “Monica’s Story,” that Diet Coke played a key role in the affair that eventually led to “Slick Willy” being impeached.
&#8220;We were always concerned about appearances,” Lewinsky <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/portrait030499.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> of what happened after sexual encounters. “I would always leave with a Diet Coke; it looked a little more friendly and less sexual.&#8221;
As much as mainstream outlets try to connect Diet Coke with conservatives, the fact remains that this calorie-free concoction is unbound by politics — or morals.

Diet Coke

Diet Coke Is Not Liberal Or Conservative, So Please Stop

Bill Clinton

Coca-Cola

Donald Trump

Elon Musk

Readers Pass

U.S.

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Clinton</a> told a cheering crowd that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republicans</a> want Americans to be “miserable,” accusing the GOP of “making everybody feel like a victim.”
Clinton made the comments on Wednesday at a rally for Democrat congressional candidate Josh Riley in Hurleyville, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a>.
“Republicans are pretty simple actually, and pretty straightforward,” Clinton declared. “They say, ‘I want you to be very miserable, and I want you to be very angry. And I want you to vote for us, and we&#8217;ll make it worse, but we&#8217;ll blame them.’”
“One of Clinton’s rule of politics is — and I’ve got a dozen of ’em, I used to share them all the time to try to lighten things up and also enlighten them — if you scratch nearly anybody long enough there’s still a person down there somewhere,” he continued. “And the Republicans have developed a theory of making everybody feel like a victim they think they can get to vote for them. Everybody’s a threat. It’s always their fault. It’s an us and them world.”
Clinton’s claim that the GOP wants voters to feel like victims comes as the Democratic Party has clung to identity politics for decades, appealing to various groups that they claim have been victimized, including blacks, LGBT people, and other minorities.
Clinton did admit one kernel of truth, acknowledging, “Here’s the truth; we do have too much inflation and we do have too much crime.”
Clinton’s claim that the GOP prefers an “us and them” world has tremendous irony, as President Joe Biden has resorted to divisive language during his presidency. In early September, Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/f-joe-biden-biden-heckled-during-dark-and-divisive-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered a speech</a> that was decried for its dark view of America.
“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said at the time.
“There’s no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans. And that is a threat to this country,” Biden continued. “MAGA Republicans have made their choice. They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth, but in the shadow of lies. Together, we can choose a different path.”
“The whiplash between Biden’s characterization of his political opponents and his calls for ‘unity’ aren’t hypocrisy,” political commentator Inez Stepman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-across-political-spectrum-for-optics-of-divisive-speech-satanic-ghoul">asserted</a>. “He’s communicating that we – those who [dis]agree with his party – are outside the body politic and the bonds of citizenship. A scary speech for a scary time.”

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Campaigns For Re-Election

Bill Clinton Claims It’s The GOP That Wants Americans Feeling Like Victims

Bill Clinton Claims It's The GOP That Wants Americans Feeling Like Victims

New York

Politics

Victim

Abortion, abortion, abortion.
That&#8217;s all the Democrats are talking about in the waning days of the 2022 midterm campaigns.
But if they&#8217;re paying attention to the polls, they&#8217;ll realize that the 1992 presidential campaign motto of Bill Clinton rings true now more than ever: &#8220;It&#8217;s the economy, stupid.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArBOzBgA0k" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArBOzBgA0k" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-58245">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ELECTION WIRE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND POLLING ON THE UPCOMING MIDTERMS</a>
“A lot of these consultants think if all we do is run abortion spots that will win for us. I don’t think so,” James Carville, who ran Clinton&#8217;s campaign and coined the motto, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ragin-cajun-warns-dems-abortion-aint-a-winning-issue">said</a> last week.  “It’s a good issue. But if you just sit there and they’re pummeling you on crime and pummeling you on the cost of living, you’ve got to be more aggressive than just yelling abortion every other word.”
A <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/ipsos-core-political-presidential-approval-tracker-10052022">poll</a> earlier this month laid out the issues Americans most want Biden to focus on.
Economy &#8212; 55% 
Employment/Jobs &#8212; 24% 
Immigration &#8212; 21% 
Environment &#8212; 16% 
Unifying Country &#8212; 15% 
Corruption &#8212; 12% 
COVID-19 &#8212; 9% 
Racial Inequality &#8212; 8% 
International Trade &#8212; 2% 
Other &#8212; 5%
Notice what&#8217;s missing? Abortion.
What&#8217;s more, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) says Democrats are missing the point on crime as they overhype their support of abortion.
“People actually think the Democrats are more extreme in their eagerness to kill babies than Republicans are in their desire to save babies,” he told The <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/exclusive-gop-could-gain-up-to-7-seats-in-senate-50-seats-in-house-gingrich_4814897.html?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_campaign=BonginoReport">Epoch Times</a>. &#8220;Their activists are so intense, and so rabid, and their activists have been giving money, it feels like it’s a good issue for them. But when you go out to the country beyond the hard left of the Democratic Party, it’s in fact, not working for them at all.”
Abortion is “not helping Democrats as much as they think,&#8221; Gingrich said.
A Monmouth University <a href="https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_us_100322/">poll</a> this month found inflation is &#8220;extremely or very important&#8221; for 82% of Americans, but Biden&#8217;s approval rating on the issue is just 30%. Crime is second at 72%, but Biden&#8217;s handling is 32%. And immigration comes in at 67% for voters, but the president&#8217;s approval rating is 31%.
“Democrats are all over the place when it comes to their key issues. This makes it difficult for the party to create a cohesive messaging strategy to motivate its base. Republicans, on the other hand, just have to hammer away at rising prices and ‘the wolf is at the door’ to get their voters riled up,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
“A major problem for Democrats is their base messaging doesn’t hold as much appeal for independents as the GOP issue agenda does. Even though truly persuadable independents are a rather small group these days, this small difference can have a major impact given the expectation that congressional control will hinge on a handful of very close contests,&#8221; Murray said.
Then again, the Democrats don&#8217;t have much to say about their efforts to repair the economy so badly damaged by President Joe Biden, do they?
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Joe Biden

Dunderheaded Democrats Have Completely Forgotten ‘It’s The Economy, Stupid’

Dunderheaded Democrats Have Forgotten 'It's The Economy, Stupid'

2022 Midterms

Economy

Inflation

James Carville

Way back when Bill Clinton was president, CNN was known among critics as the &#8220;Clinton News Network.&#8221;
The once facts-first news network would rarely target Clinton and often completely ignore events detrimental to the Democrat.
But all that was supposed to change under new leadership. CNN in August canceled &#8220;Reliable Sources,&#8221; parting ways with host Brian Stelter, one of the most fierce critics of former President Donald Trump and Fox News.
The new CEO, Chris Licht, told employees then that &#8220;this is a time of change and I know that is unsettling. There will be more changes and you might not understand it or like it all.&#8221;
Reports emerged that Licht planned to take the network back to the days when it (mostly) just covered the news. &#8220;According to the story that’s emerged so far,&#8221; Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2022/06/05/a-cnn-insider-sets-the-record-straight-on-the-new-chris-licht-era-at-the-network/?sh=3341f5ee4e1d">wrote</a>, &#8220;the new guy among other things thinks audiences have had enough of the breathless play-by-plays of nonstop crises.&#8221;
&#8220;And that there needs to be less white-hot resistance programming. Fewer panels with vituperative and partisan guests. A more measured tone in general, overall,&#8221; wrote reporter Andy Meek, citing a &#8220;CNN insider.&#8221;
So much for that story.
CNN decided not to air President Joe Biden’s gaffe last week in which he called for a congresswoman to give her praise.
On Wednesday, Biden delivered a speech at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, D.C. He recognized those involved in the effort, including Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN).
In his shout-outs, Biden said: &#8220;Jackie, are you here? Where&#8217;s Jackie? She must not be here.&#8221;
She wasn&#8217;t there because Walorski is dead. She died, along with three others, in a head-on car crash on August 3.
Biden, 79, had clearly forgotten that Walorski had died, even though on the day of her death, the White House released a statement from the president mourning her.
“Jill and I are shocked and saddened by the death of Congresswoman Jackie Walorski of Indiana along with two members of her staff in a car accident today in Indiana,” Biden said at the time.
CNN did not report the story on its broadcasts. “CNN completely ignored it on the air, did run a couple of online articles,&#8221; Fox News media reporter Howard Kurtz <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/news/foxs-howard-kurtz-calls-out-msnbc-and-cnn-for-ignoring-bidens-wheres-jackie-gaffe-imagine-if-it-had-been-donald-trump/">said</a> during a panel discussion on &#8220;MediaBuzz Sunday.&#8221;
“There was no mention of this on MSNBC, and there was no mention of this on the air on CNN,” he said. Then Kurtz posited an interesting scenario: “Imagine if it had been Donald Trump.”
While the story quickly disappeared in the mainstream media, it&#8217;s worth noting that Biden, who turns 80 next month, is the oldest-ever president and has the codes to America&#8217;s nuclear weapons.
Republicans haven&#8217;t let the story die, though. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pointed out that even the lapdog media in the White House briefing room barraged Biden&#8217;s spokesman with fierce questions.
&#8220;Joe Biden’s diminished capacity is so blatantly obvious that even the White House Press corps couldn’t hide their concern,&#8221; Cruz said on Fox News. &#8220;That’s how you know it’s bad.&#8221;
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre claimed Biden mentioned the congresswoman&#8217;s name simply because she was &#8220;top of mind.&#8221;
But Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who served as White House physician for both Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, called for Biden to take &#8220;a cognitive test.&#8221;
&#8220;In yet another pathetic display of incompetence, Joe Biden not only thought my departed colleague was alive, but he also had his puppet-master, Karine Jean-Pierre, deny he was confused,&#8221; Jackson said in a statement.
&#8220;It doesn’t take a neurologist to realize he’s in serious cognitive decline. The American people know what’s going on here, and they don’t think the Commander-in-Chief is capable of doing his job,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;It’s past time for White House staff and the liberal media to stop shielding him from questions about his mental acuity and demand he answer my call for a cognitive test,&#8221; Jackson added.
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), a practicing surgeon and vice chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus, said these &#8220;kinds of senseless gaffes have become par for the course for this president.&#8221;
&#8220;The American people can see that Mr. Biden’s mental acuity is certainly in question,&#8221; he told Fox News Digital. &#8220;What’s more disturbing to me, however, is the way in which this White House continues to deceive and misdirect the American people on a daily basis.&#8221;
&#8220;It appears there is nothing the White House won’t do to cover up for a failed president and a failed administration,&#8221; Murphy added. &#8220;The American people clearly deserve better.&#8221;
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Bernard Shaw

So Much For CNN Moving Away From Its Hardcore Liberal Bent

Fox News

Jackie Walorski

Karine Jean-Pierre

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Clinton</a> (D) told CNN this week that there was a limit to how many migrants the U.S. can take in before the country experiences a severe disruption which flies in the face of what other Democrats have advocated for.
Clinton&#8217;s remarks come after U.S. Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/calling-biden-number-of-arrests-of-illegal-immigrants-reaches-record-one-year-high">detained</a> 203,598 immigrants who entered the United States from Mexico in August. If that rate of illegal immigration continues, over 2.3 million arrests would have been made between the end of September 2021 and September 2022, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/09/19/us-border-patrol-arrests/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Washington Post.
Clinton told podcast host Fareed Zakaria, &#8220;There is a limit to how many migrants any society can take without severe disruption and assistance, and our system is based much more on an assumption that things would be more normal.&#8221;
Clinton&#8217;s remarks come after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-responds-to-illegal-immigration-crisis-we-have-more-than-enough-to-care-for-everyone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that the U.S., which is tens of trillions of dollars in debt, “is the wealthiest nation in the world and we have more than enough to care for everyone.&#8221;
Clinton noted that the immigration challenges the U.S. faces now are drastically different than how the situation was when he was growing up.
&#8220;It’s an old story, but now you&#8217;ve got the largest number of refugees since World War II because of Syria and now Ukraine and other problems,&#8221; he said.
Clinton also made sure to attack Republican governors for shipping illegal immigrants to deep-blue sanctuary cities throughout the country that only have to deal with a fraction of what Republican areas in the south have to deal with.
&#8220;What’s happening in Venezuela, more than 2 million refugees pouring into first Colombia then nearby countries, has created unprecedented new challenges and meanwhile provides opportunities for stunts like Gov. Abbott’s — sending his refugees to some place that he thinks is advocating for a broad-minded policy that it doesn’t have to live with,&#8221; Clinton said.
The former impeached president claimed that DeSantis sending illegal immigrants to Martha&#8217;s Vineyard &#8220;may come back to haunt him a little bit.&#8221;
DeSantis has strongly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-shreds-claims-that-illegal-immigrants-were-falsely-lured-into-going-to-marthas-vineyard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed back</a> against any claims that the illegal immigrants were tricked into going to Martha&#8217;s Vineyard after Democrats falsely accused him of engaging in kidnapping and human trafficking.
“I think if you look, the folks that are contracted, not only do they give them a release form to sign, they actually give them a packet and in that packet included a map of Martha’s Vineyard,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;So it was obvious that that’s where they were going and they gave that to them.”
“And here’s the thing, it’s all voluntary, because it’s just the type of thing where we think that’s the right way to do it,” DeSantis continued. “I mean, I think that if the states could send, I would send back to Mexico or back to the home country. But here we are doing it voluntarily, they sign a release, and then they get a packet. So they did get a packet that had the map of Martha’s Vineyard. And they’re also treated, you know very well with all this, I mean, they’re treated well with meals and everything.”
“What’s not humane, is what Biden is doing, he’s given a false promise, the border’s open, luring people to come here for political purposes, and then basically cutting these people loose and leaving them high and dry,” DeSantis continued. “What he should say is, ‘our border’s not open. You know, there’s ways to apply to come to this country, but just simply barreling across the border is not one of them.’ And I think you can trace all this back to him coming to office and reversing President Trump’s policies, not because Trump’s policies were wrong, it was all just a big virtue signal, because they don’t like Trump. So they have to do everything the opposite of him.”

Bill Clinton Breaks From Some Democrats Over Illegal Immigration

Border Crisis

Florida

Illegal Immigration

Ron DeSantis

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Clinton</a> and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink discussed the Environmental, Social, and Governance (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG</a>) movement during a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.
A <a href="https://twitter.com/WillHild/status/1572298056720080896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">panel event</a> featuring Clinton and Fink, as well as Unilever CEO Alan Jope and United Nations energy co-chair Damilola Ogunbiyi, highlighted the role of corporations in advancing a pivot to renewable energy through ESG, which has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/firm-launches-asset-that-will-tell-corporate-america-to-put-profits-before-politics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">garnered criticism</a> for mingling left-wing politics with generating profits for shareholders.
“I want to thank you for urging people to consider the social impact of their investments, and to try not to just go for a quick rate of return if it’s damaging to society,” Clinton told Fink, whose company manages over $8.5 trillion in assets.
BlackRock has taken “voting action on climate issues” against 53 of its portfolio companies in 2020 while putting 191 others “on watch,” according to its investment stewardship <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/literature/publication/our-commitment-to-sustainability-full-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. Jope remarked that his company adopted sustainability standards in an effort “led” by BlackRock — which currently maintains a 0.43% share in Unilever — and called the firm “one of the finest commentators on sustainability and what companies should be doing.”
Beyond arguing that firms should operate on behalf of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/esg-the-invisible-fist-of-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stakeholders</a> such as employees, suppliers, and community members in addition to their fiduciary responsibility toward shareholders, Clinton mentioned the need to decarbonize the global economy. “How are we going to get from where we are now to where we need to go?” the former commander-in-chief asked Fink.
“We’re seeing evidence every day that climate risk is investment risk,” Fink claimed, referring to the movement of crop production as a purported result of heat and droughts. “People are waking up to that, and that’s created this tectonic shift.”
The panel discussed slower rates of green energy adoption in the developing world, where residents rely upon fossil fuels at higher levels than citizens of developed nations. Fink called for “changing the charters” of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, both of which exist to stabilize the global economy in the case of financial crises, to accelerate decarbonization at a cost of $1 trillion per year.
“There’s huge pools of capital, but that capital is just not equipped to be taking the first loss piece,” Fink explained. “It’s up to the equity owners of these agencies — basically the G20 — and they have to have the desire to [be] doing this, instead of just the words.”
Fink also claimed that rising oil and gas prices are making renewable energy products, which are typically more costly to produce, comparatively less expensive. “We are certainly seeing the green premium shrink quite considerably. So the amount of investment dollars that are going into new decarbonization technology is accelerating.”
Members of the Biden administration have advanced a similar argument. “The more pain we are all experiencing from the high price of gas, the more benefit there is for those who can access electric vehicle[s],” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-buttigieg-tells-americans-how-they-can-channel-their-pain-at-the-pump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> two months ago, while Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-lays-out-the-only-way-to-avoid-high-gas-prices-and-its-not-producing-more-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contended</a> that “as long as our nation remains overly reliant on oil and fossil fuels, we will feel these price shocks again.”

Clinton Global Initiative September 2022 Meeting – Day 1

‘Climate Risk Is Investment Risk’: Bill Clinton And BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Make Bold Claims About Woke Investing

Bill Clinton And BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Make Bold Claims About Woke Investing

BlackRock

Investors

Wokeness

Former President Bill Clinton addressed the death of former prosecutor Ken Starr on Sunday in an awkward reaction.
Starr died a week ago at the age of 76. The attorney was known for leading the investigations into Whitewater and Clinton&#8217;s affair with Monica Lewinsky.
&#8220;[Starr] never filed a charge on Whitewater but put your presidency, your second term, upside down,&#8221; CNN&#8217;s Fareed Zakaria said to Clinton. &#8220;Do you have any thoughts? Any reflection?&#8221;
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Former Pres. <a href="https://twitter.com/BillClinton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillClinton</a> on the rise of populism: part 4 of our interview <a href="https://t.co/nYTWjXO8DX">pic.twitter.com/nYTWjXO8DX</a>
&mdash; Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) <a href="https://twitter.com/FareedZakaria/status/1571566221690130434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Well, I read the obituary, and I realized that his family loved him,&#8221; Clinton said. &#8220;And I think that’s something to be grateful for, and when your life is over, that’s all there is to say. But I was taught not to talk about the people that — I have nothing to say.&#8221;
Lewinsky, a former White House intern whose affair with Clinton became public during his presidency, offered her own response to Starr&#8217;s death last week in a Twitter post.
&#8220;As I’m sure many can understand, my thoughts about Ken Starr bring up complicated feelings,&#8221; Lewinsky wrote. &#8220;But of more importance, is that i imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him.&#8221;
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as i’m sure many can understand, my thoughts about ken starr bring up complicated feelings… but of more importance, is that i imagine it’s a painful loss for those who love him.
&mdash; Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaLewinsky/status/1569804404928258049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Lewinsky later became the executive producer of the 2021 HBO Max documentary &#8220;15 Minutes of Shame,&#8221; which investigated America&#8217;s culture of public shaming. She also served as a producer for &#8220;American Crime Story: Impeachment&#8221; on FX, which highlighted her relationship with the former president detailed in the Starr Report.
The 1998 Starr Report was a document presented by the attorney to Congress that included sensitive details regarding the relationship between Clinton and Lewinsky and argued for the president&#8217;s impeachment. Clinton was later impeached but acquitted by the Senate.
In 2020, Starr served on former President Donald Trump&#8217;s legal team during his first impeachment trial. The attorney argued against Trump&#8217;s impeachment based on allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Instead of a once-in-a-century phenomenon, which it had been, presidential impeachment has become a weapon to be wielded against one’s political opponent,” Starr <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/480115-starr-makes-trump-team-debut-we-are-living-in-an-age-of-impeachment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Senate during his words on behalf of Trump.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ken-starr-former-federal-judge-and-clinton-investigator-dies-at-76" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Starr died in Houston at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center of complications from surgery, according to a statement from his family.
“We are deeply saddened with the loss of our dear and loving Father and Grandfather, whom we admired for his prodigious work ethic, but who always put his family first,” Starr&#8217;s son Randall said.
“The love, energy, endearing sense of humor, and fun-loving interest Dad exhibited to each of us was truly special, and we cherish the many wonderful memories we were able to experience with him. He is now with his Lord and Savior,&#8221; he added.

‘His Family Loved Him’: Bill Clinton Breaks His Silence On Ken Starr’s Death With Awkward Reaction

Bill Clinton Breaks His Silence On Ken Starr’s Death With Awkward Reaction

Monica Lewinsky

Sex Scandal

Ken Starr, a former federal judge who later led the investigation that resulted in former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Bill Clinton&#8217;s</a> impeachment, died on Tuesday. He was 76.
Starr died in Houston at Baylor St. Luke&#8217;s Medical Center of complications from surgery, according to a statement from his family.
Starr was appointed as a judge to the federal courts by former President Ronald Reagan and he served as Solicitor General under George H.W. Bush.
Starr was best known for his role as independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation into the Clintons, which started out focusing on real estate investments and ended up with Clinton&#8217;s impeachment after the House charged him with perjury and obstruction of justice for lying about his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
At 37, the former federal judge became the youngest person to ever serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and many thought Starr would eventually end up on the Supreme Court. Starr&#8217;s investigation of Clinton, however, likely ended any hopes of his appointment to the nation&#8217;s highest court.
During the investigation, the White House <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-bill-clinton-impeachments-district-of-columbia-obituaries-214ac9a73c640f9caf745e50cd2b6f83" target="_blank" rel="noopener">painted</a> Starr as a right-wing fanatic who was investigating Clinton at the behest of Republicans. “The assaults took a toll,” Starr said of the Clinton administration&#8217;s attempts to taint his work. “A duly authorized federal law enforcement investigation came to be characterized as yet another political game. Law became politics by other means.”
Starr is survived by his wife of 52 years, Alice Mendell Starr. He is also survived by his three children, Randall P. Starr, Carolyn S. Doolittle, and Cynthia S. Roemer, and nine grandchildren: Grace, Christiana, Hewson, and Sandhana Doolittle; William and Charlotte Starr; and Sienna, Madison, and Colton Roemer, the family said. Starr is also survived by his sister, Billie Jeayne Reynolds, and brother, Jerry Starr.
&#8220;We are deeply saddened with the loss of our dear and loving Father and Grandfather, whom we admired for his prodigious work ethic, but who always put his family first,&#8221; Randall said. &#8220;The love, energy, endearing sense of humor, and fun-loving interest Dad exhibited to each of us was truly special, and we cherish the many wonderful memories we were able to experience with him. He is now with his Lord and Savior.&#8221;
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

The Honourable Kenneth W. Starr (a.k.a. Ken Starr), former

Ken Starr, Former Federal Judge And Clinton Investigator, Dies At 76

Death

Hillary Clinton

Impeachment

A well-followed internet sleuth believes he has uncovered evidence that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/damning-new-details-emerge-in-ex-fbi-agents-role-in-shutting-down-hunter-biden-laptop-probe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> could be sitting on potentially explosive secret records involving dead sex trafficker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jeffrey-epstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Epstein</a>.
The anonymous <a href="https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Techno Fog</a>, an self-described lawyer and writer who has nearly 400,000 followers on Twitter and also writes a popular <a href="https://technofog.substack.com/p/the-fbi-is-hiding-epstein-records">Substack column</a>, says a recent response to a Freedom of Information Act request indicates the beleaguered bureau may be hiding something. Techno Fog sought all records relating to any interviews the FBI had done with Epstein.
“The records responsive to your request are law enforcement records; there is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records, and release of the information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,” was the answer he said he received, which he posted online.
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We asked the FBI for the Jeffrey Epstein interview transcripts.
The FBI response: providing the Epstein records would interfere with law enforcement proceedings.
Either the FBI is lying or something is up. (Bet on FBI lies&#8230;)<a href="https://t.co/izwxxdo3KV">https://t.co/izwxxdo3KV</a>
&mdash; Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) <a href="https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status/1568362532028514315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Epstein, the mysterious creep who kept a bevy of underage girls at his Caribbean island compound,  who was known to socialize with powerful leaders and luminaries including former President Bill Clinton, died under mysterious circumstances in 2019 while being held at the Manhattan Correctional Center on sex trafficking charges. Officials ruled his death a suicide at the time.
The FBI has acknowledged through prior records releases that Epstein had been an informant.
“Epstein has also provided information to the FBI as agreed upon,” read a note in a document the bureau released through its information “vault” in 2018. That cooperation likely referenced the financier’s help with an investigation into defunct investment bank Bear Stearns, where he once worked.
<div id="attachment_435637" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-435637" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-435637 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-864x576.jpg" alt="Jeffrey Epstein entertained rich and powerful politicians and celebrities on his private compound, dubbed &quot;Pedophile Island.&quot;" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/09/GettyImages-1155250660-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Jeffrey Epstein entertained rich and powerful politicians and celebrities on his private compound, dubbed &#8220;Pedophile Island.&#8221; (Marco Bello/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
In his latest Substack column, Techno Fog says he made the FOIA request because he suspects Epstein and the FBI worked together on other occasions. He wrote that the bureau’s denial of his request is a tacit admission that the bureau indeed has other records, and he cast doubt on the idea they were being protected as part of an ongoing probe.
“It’s more likely that the Epstein records might embarrass the FBI,” Technofog wrote. “The DOJ and FBI have been known to abuse the FOIA law enforcement exemption to hide investigative materials from public release. We’ve seen them do it. And they’re doing it again.”
In the wake of Epstein’s death, only his longtime consort, Ghislaine Maxwell, who procured girls for him, has been charged with any crimes related to his operation. She was convicted of child sex trafficking last year and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. But no one who partook in the bacchanals on Epstein’s private jet and island pleasure dome has been named by law enforcement or brought to justice.
&#8220;We’re exceedingly doubtful that the release of the Epstein records would &#8216;interfere with enforcement proceedings,'&#8221; Technofog write. &#8220;Ghislaine Maxwell has been convicted and Epstein is dead. The only potential tie might be from a grand jury investigation into &#8216;<a href="https://technofog.substack.com/p/ghislaine-maxwell-has-been-convicted" rel="">other possible co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein</a>.&#8217; But that was from the summer of 2020 and we rightly assume no charges were brought against whoever was being investigated.&#8221;

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FBI Hiding Potentially Explosive Records On Jeffrey Epstein, Internet Sleuth Claims After FOIA Denial

Jeffrey Epstein

Beyoncé’s album “Renaissance,” released just three weeks ago, has already been through many iterations.
First, there was the “ableist slur” controversy. News about “Renaissance” was almost overshadowed by Beyoncé’s inclusion of one controversial word on “Heated.” This word was so bad that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/01/arts/music/beyonce-lyrics-heated-changed.html">major</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/08/02/beyonce-spaz-slur/">news</a> <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2022/08/beyonce-renaissance-lyrics-ableist-slur-removed.html">outlets</a> didn’t even include it in their headlines about the drama. The offending lyric? “Spazzin’ on that a**, spazz on that a**.” 
No, the legacy media hasn’t suddenly become concerned with sexual content in pop songs. The word in question was “spaz.” Disability rights advocates complained, and Beyoncé’s team swiftly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harmful-way-beyonce-says-shell-remove-lyric-from-album-following-backlash">issued</a> a statement saying, “​​The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.” (Ironically, this exact drama played out a couple of months ago with Lizzo, who also <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-language-police-are-after-lizzo">chose</a> to have a song rewritten after backlash over the same word.)
Controversy over, listeners could now enjoy the queen of pop’s new album free from problematic content. Just kidding. “Renaissance” is full of music samples, brimming with the influence of “queer” and transgender artists, much to the excitement of <a href="https://ew.com/music/beyonce-renaissance-tribute-to-black-queer-culture-ball-scene/">entertainment writers</a>. But when Beyoncé indirectly referenced Kelis’ hit song “Milkshake” on “Energy,” the singer complained.
As BBC reports, both songs were <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-62405039">updated</a> on streaming services to remove their respective offenses “just five days after ‘Renaissance’ was released.”
Given Beyoncé’s apparent flexibility with her own music, it’s no surprise that yet another person went looking for a lyric change. This time, it was Monica Lewinsky. 
Tweeting out an article about the “spaz” controversy, Lewinsky <a href="https://twitter.com/MonicaLewinsky/status/1554129582755721216">wrote</a>, “uhmm, while we’re at it… #Partition.”
In Beyoncé’s song “Partition” (yes, the one from 2013), the singer crudely references former President Bill Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky, saying, “He Monica Lewinski&#8217;d all on my gown.” A year later, Lewinsky objected to the lyric in an article for Vanity Fair, <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2014/05/monica-lewinsky-speaks">writing</a>, “Thanks, Beyoncé, but if we’re verbing, I think you meant ‘Bill Clinton’d all on my gown,’ not ‘Monica Lewinsky’d.’”
But that was the early 2010s, an age in which artists weren’t cowed by Cancel Culture into changing their music every time someone got offended, rightly or not. (Now, thanks to internet culture and the explosion of streaming over CDs, it’s easier than ever to quietly acquiesce, edit, and pretend the drama never happened.)
Nearly a decade after “Partition” came out, Lewinsky is now hoping to get the lyric change she wants, and why shouldn’t she? It’s almost too easy to act as a censor these days.
But Beyoncé, Lizzo, and other artists who change their lyrics at the behest of their fans have put themselves in a difficult position. Whether they meant to or not, they are now in the business of explicitly choosing winners and losers in their lyrics. Certain people or groups are allowed to complain and be listened to. Others just have to suck it up.
It was always the case that you could complain about song lyrics. Only recently has it been so easy for your complaint to be heard, accepted, and used to implement an accommodation to your preference within a matter of days.
And there are plenty more lyrics on “Renaissance” to which listeners might object. After bragging about “votin&#8217; out forty-five” on “Energy,” the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-news-blog/2012/dec/21/beyonce-jamie-foxx-antigun-campaign">gun-control advocate</a> sings, “I just entered the country with Derringers / &#8216;Cause them Karens just turned into terrorists.” Where are the protests about gun control? For that matter, where are the protests from Karens?
If Beyoncé (or her team, who’s really in charge of responding to these silly outrages) were to address Lewinsky’s tweet, the singer could argue that the statute of limitations has expired. It’s been nearly a decade, for goodness’ sake. You have exactly five days to stir up a Twitter mob about your personal grievance, and after that, you’re done!
But as woke culture’s Overton window swiftly shifts — even “woman” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bette-midler-gets-attacked-as-a-terf-after-saying-women-are-being-erased-due-to-terms-like-birthing-people-people-with-vaginas">isn’t an acceptable word</a> anymore when “birthing people” will do — who knows what will become problematic years, even months, down the line. After all, once a punchline, Lewinsky has become widely recognized as a <a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/11/15/18095050/monica-lewinsky-clinton-affair-tv-series-interview">potential #MeToo victim</a>. It’s not very intersectional for <a href="https://time.com/3181644/beyonce-reclaim-feminism-pop-star/">noted feminist</a> Beyoncé to poke fun at Lewinsky.
The underlying irony in all of this comes from the title of Beyoncé’s latest album: “Renaissance.” The word <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renaissance">references</a> “a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity,” presumably one that includes a debate of ideas in which both sides present their arguments, not one in which one side complains of hurt feelings and the other side plays along out of fear.
Now that Beyoncé has changed her recent music — not even once, but twice — there’s no way listeners will let her get away with another “mistake.” Expect Beyoncé’s next album, and musical albums from other artists, to go through a few early iterations after their release until they’re appropriately sanitized.
Even then, not everyone will be happy. So if she wants to start choosing who has a legitimate right to victimhood, Beyoncé owes everyone an apology.

Fry – Beyonce Owes Everyone An Apology

Beyoncé Owes Everyone An Apology: How ‘Renaissance’ Opened A Pandora’s Box Of Victimhood

Beyonce

Cancel Culture

Intersectionality

Music Industry

Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maxwells-epstein-friendship-may-have-been-a-mistake-but-it-was-not-a-crime-her-defense-says-in-closing-arguments">former girlfriend</a> and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maxwell-caused-deep-and-lasting-harm-to-young-girls-prosecution-says-in-closing-arguments">Maxwell</a> was sentenced to prison on Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan sentenced Maxwell to 20 years in prison and imposed a $750,000 fine.
&#8220;A sentence of 240 months is sufficient and no graver than necessary,” the judge stated, saying that Maxwell&#8217;s criminal activity was &#8220;extensive.&#8221;
Prosecutors had hoped for a sentence of at least 30 years, while Maxwell&#8217;s defense had hoped for just four or five years in prison for their client. If her sentence is shortened for good behavior, Maxwell could be released from prison in her late 70s.
Maxwell was found guilty by a jury in December on five of six <a href="https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-maxwell-257">counts</a>, including sex trafficking of an individual under 18 and transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in “illegal sexual activity,” along with three conspiracy charges. She pled not guilty to all counts.
The former international socialite was a close confidant of Epstein for decades and managed his Florida estate. The two were frequently seen cavorting with billionaires, presidents, and members of the British royal family before they were disgraced. Maxwell remained the well-connected investment manager’s companion for decades even after their nebulous romantic relationship appeared to fizzle in the late 1990s.
Epstein was found dead at 66 in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 before the well-connected and wealthy financier could go on trial for his alleged decades of grooming and sexual abuse, including rape, of young girls in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The lurid details of his alleged sex ring include accusations that he procured underage girls for prominent men on his private island in the Virgin Islands, Little St. James.
Maxwell was arrested on July 2, 2020, when federal investigators discovered her hiding out in a New Hampshire mansion after virtually disappearing following Epstein’s death. She was held in a Brooklyn jail without bail because the judge deemed her a flight risk.
Between 1994 and 1997, Maxwell, “assisted, facilitated, and contributed” to Epstein’s abuse of minor girls even though she and Epstein both knew their victims, one of whom was just 14, were underage, according to the indictment against her.
Her trial in Manhattan federal court began in November.
The prosecution in Maxwell&#8217;s trial painted a picture of a pair of fully-grown adults, Maxwell and Epstein, who were “partners in crime” and had a “playbook” for targeting minors and sexually abusing them.
“Ghislaine Maxwell was dangerous. She was a grown woman who preyed on vulnerable kids,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said in closing arguments.
The defense attempted to cast doubt on the credibility of Maxwell’s accusers, saying the women have “contaminated” memories. The defense also tried to assign selfish motives to nearly all the government’s witnesses, saying the women are motivated by money in going after Maxwell decades after the alleged abuse occurred.
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard from four of Maxwell’s accusers, several former Epstein employees, a psychologist specializing in sexual abuse, and a memory expert that Maxwell’s defense called, among others.
One of Maxwell’s accusers, a woman testifying under the pseudonym “Jane,” testified that Epstein and Maxwell abused her together when she was just 14 years old. Maxwell took her on shopping trips, asked her about her life, and discussed sexual topics with her, “Jane” said.
Three other women who say they were groomed or abused by Maxwell also testified. One woman, Annie Farmer, who testified under her full name, said Maxwell massaged her naked breasts when she was 16.
Dozens of other women have also accused Epstein of grooming and sexual abusing them when they were minors.
Another prominent accuser, Virginia Giuffre, accused Maxwell of grooming her for Epstein’s abuse when she was a 16-year-old spa attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach (Trump reportedly later <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/510604-book-claims-trump-barred-epstein-from-mar-a-lago-after-financier-hit">banned</a> Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 for harassing another member’s teenage daughter). Giuffre said the sexual abuse she suffered included lessons on Epstein’s oral sex preferences. Maxwell accused her of “obvious lies,” and Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation.
During a deposition in that case, Maxwell claimed she had never given Epstein or anyone else a massage, a claim prosecutors said was a lie. Prosecutors also said she lied about whether she knew Epstein had sex toys and whether she knew that he engaged in sexual activity with anyone other than herself and two other women.
The sex trafficking trial that ended in December prompted speculation that incriminating information could potentially come to light about some of the high-profile names connected to Epstein, such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Bobby Kennedy Jr., and former Sen. George Mitchell. However, the trial revealed little new information about Epstein’s circle of friends.
Initially, Maxwell vehemently maintained her innocence, even blurting out at a pre-trial conference, “I have not committed any crime.”
On Tuesday, Maxwell struck a more subdued tone when she addressed the court before her sentencing.
&#8220;The terrible impact on the lives of so many women is difficult to hear and even more difficult to absorb, both in its scale and in its extent,&#8221; Maxwell said.
However, she placed the blame squarely on Epstein, implying that she too was manipulated by him.
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and fooled all of those in his orbit,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell (1)

Jeffrey Epstein’s Ex-Girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To Prison

Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To Prison

Bill Gates

Child Sex Abuse

Ghislaine Maxwell

minors

Sex Trafficking

Sexual Abuse

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced late Tuesday afternoon that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She noted that her symptoms were mild, a fact that she attributed to the vaccine, and she encouraged everyone else to make sure that they got the vaccine and available booster shots as well. She then asked for some movie recommendations to keep her entertained while she rode out the illness.
&#8220;Well, I&#8217;ve tested positive for COVID. I&#8217;ve got some mild cold symptoms but am feeling fine. I&#8217;m more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness. Please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven&#8217;t already!&#8221; Clinton tweeted.
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Well, I&#39;ve tested positive for COVID. I&#39;ve got some mild cold symptoms but am feeling fine. I&#39;m more grateful than ever for the protection vaccines can provide against serious illness. Please get vaccinated and boosted if you haven&#39;t already!
&mdash; Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1506397903765581836?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Clinton went on to say that her husband, former President Bill Clinton, had also been tested and was negative.
&#8220;Bill tested negative and is feeling fine,&#8221; she said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1506397904919056385">second tweet</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s quarantining until our household is fully in the clear. Movie recommendations appreciated!&#8221;
Clinton is just the most recent in a string of high-profile Democrats who have tested positive for the virus.
Former President Barack Obama announced just over a week earlier that he had tested positive and was experiencing a mild scratchy throat. He too used his announcement to promote the vaccine and booster shots.
&#8220;I just tested positive for COVID. I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative,&#8221; Obama <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1503092299173089288">tweeted</a> on March 13. &#8220;It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.&#8221;
And Tuesday morning, just hours before Clinton made her own announcement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-jen-psaki-tests-positive-for-covid-19-will-miss-bidens-europe-trip/">announced</a> that she had tested positive for the second time.
&#8220;Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President’s trip to Europe,&#8221; she tweeted, noting that President Joe Biden had tested negative and was not considered to be a &#8220;close contact&#8221; by the standards outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President’s trip to Europe.
&mdash; Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1506324577814827021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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NPR noted that this is not just Psaki&#8217;s second bout of COVID — it is also the second time a positive COVID test has prevented her from traveling overseas with President Biden.
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive for COVID-19.
It&#39;s the second time that Psaki has tested positive for the virus, and the second time she will miss an international trip because of it. <a href="https://t.co/wCMTv4pIGO">https://t.co/wCMTv4pIGO</a>
&mdash; NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) <a href="https://twitter.com/nprpolitics/status/1506391528041820168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It&#8217;s the second time that Psaki has tested positive for the virus, and the second time she will miss an international trip because of it,&#8221; NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2022/03/22/1088075082/jen-psaki-tests-positive-for-covid-19?utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=politics&amp;utm_source=twitter.com">reported</a>. &#8220;Last fall, the press secretary tested <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/10/31/1050984596/white-house-press-secretary-jen-psaki-reveals-she-has-covid-19">positive just ahead of Biden&#8217;s trip</a> to the G-20 summit in Rome.&#8221;
Biden is scheduled to travel to Brussels, Belgium, and Warsaw, Poland, on Wednesday. He will be meeting with NATO allies amid fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin — whose occupation forces are <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/we-were-surrounded-ap-journalist-details-harrowing-escape-from-besieged-city-of-mariupol/">continuing their brutal invasion</a> of Ukraine — might not stop at once he reaches their borders.

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