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For a couple years in the early stretch of the Obama administration, Kal Penn quit acting for politics. It wasnt exactly a smooth transition. During an appearance on the podcast The New Abnormal, the actor whos promoting his new book You Cant Be Serious (and still awaiting Cardi B to officiate his wedding) opened up about how he managed to embarrass himself in front of both the former president and the former First Lady.

First there was Barack. Penn had been invited by his House co-star Olivia Wilde to an event for the him in 2007. He wanted to impress the then-presidential candidate, so he asked him about his thoughts on biofuels, paraphrasing an article hed recently read on how using corn could drive up food prices in developing nations.

He gave me that smirk and he goes, oh yeah, I read that article in Foreign Affairs too, Penn recalled. If you had read my website carefully you wouldve seen that Im proposing investing in corn-based ethanol as a bridge to cellulosic ethanol so that we can make fuel from things like our grass clippings and the leaves that we rake in our front yards. And he gives me another smirk and walks off and Olivia is loving every f*cking minute of this. Shes like, you just got schooled by Barack Obama.

Penn left the event so impressed with Obama that he joined his campaign and, late, his administration, ditching acting for about a year to become the associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. But before he landed that gig, he tried to get another D.C. jobby applying through change.gov like everyone else. He never heard back, of course.

At another Obama event, he wound up speaking with Michelle Obama, and he decided to tell her about his blunder.

I told her I put my rsum on change.gov like the email said and she looked at me like I was the biggest idiot in the whole world and I realized probably how ridiculous it sounded, Penn remembered. She was so weirded out by this she called the president-elect over and then looks at me and says, Tell him what you just told me.

I said, Well, sir, you know, I did apply for a job at the White House in case there was anything that I would be qualified doing. And he looks at me and says, Who did you apply with? And then I was like oh God, this again. I said I applied on change.gov. And unlike his wife he smirked at me and it was the same idea though, the smirk was like, God, you idiot and he said something like, Why didnt you reach out to anybody?

The next day he got a call offering him the gig that would briefly take him away from Hollywood. But the experience of humiliating himself in front of both Barack and Michelle taught him a lesson: My biggest takeaway from that experience was Im a gigantic idiot.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Originally posted here:
Kal Penn Once Embarrassed Himself In Front Of The Obamas - UPROXX

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder

Paul Morigi | WireImage | Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump "probably" will be indicted on criminal charges along with officials in his White House as part of a Justice Department investigation of efforts to reverse the 2020 election results nationally, ex-Attorney General Eric Holder said in an interview Thursday.

But Holder suggested that before that happens, Trump is more likely to first face possible criminal charges from the Georgia state prosecutor who is investigating attempts by Trump and his allies to undo President Joe Biden's win there in 2020.

Holder, who led the Justice Department during the Obama administration, made those predictions during an interview with the SiriusXM Urban View satellite radio show Joe Madison The Black Eagle.

Madison asked Holder whether he would seek to indict Trump if he still were attorney general.

Holder demurred, saying he did not have access to all the material that the Justice Department currently has regarding Trump.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during the pro-am prior to the LIV Golf Invitational - Bedminster at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster on July 28, 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Cliff Hawkins | Getty Images

But he told Madison that, based on his experience as a federal prosecutor who filed public corruption cases against elected officials, as "more evidence is elicited, you will see people start to cut deals."

"My guess is that by the end of this process, you're going to see indictments involving high-level people in the White House, you're going to see indictments against people outside the White House who were advising them with regard to the attempt to steal the election," said Holder.

"And I think ultimately you're probably going to see the president, former president of the United States indicted as well," he said.

The Justice Department reportedly is presenting evidence and testimony before two federal grand juries in Washington, D.C., one of which is eyeing a plan by Trump's lawyers and others to have so-called fake electors claim that the then-Republican incumbent won the election in their individual states.

Read more of CNBC's politics coverage:

The other grand jury is investigating events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, when a mob of Trump supporters interrupted for hours the confirmation of Biden's Electoral College win by Congress.

Pat Cipollone, who served as Trump's White House counsel, has been subpoenaed to appear before one of those grand juries, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.

For weeks after the November 2020 popular election, Trump falsely claimed that he defeated Biden and argued his Democratic opponent's Electoral College victory was based on widespread ballot fraud in several swing states.

The former president since leaving the White House has continued to dispute the 2020 election results and has said that the investigations into his conduct and that of his allies are politically motivated witch hunts.

Holder in his interview said the pace of the Justice Department investigation into election meddling is likely to proceed in the same way that a character in the Ernest Hemingway novel "The Sun Also Rises" answered when another character asked how he went bankrupt: "Gradually, then suddenly."

"I expect you're going to see the pace of this investigation or these investigations pick up," Holder told Madison.

But Holder also said that he expected the Justice Department to "go dark" and not take public action in the case until after this fall's midterm elections.

The department in a long-standing practice in the months leading up to elections does not tend to file criminal charges or issue statements that might influence the outcome of elections.

"You watch the Justice Department in 2023," Holder said.

"But I think before that, I expect something coming of that prosecutor in Atlanta," he added.

That Georgia prosecutor, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is presenting evidence and testimony to a special grand jury empaneled to investigate possible criminal meddling in her state's election by Trump and his surrogates.

That grand jury has issued subpoenas to a number of fake Trump electors, as well to the former president's lawyers and to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"I think in terms of time, that is the more advanced" investigation, Holder said Thursday.

"The case is in some ways less complicated," he said, noting that Trump is known to have phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state's top election official, on Jan. 2, 2021, and pressured Raffensperger to help find enough votes to overcome Biden's margin of victory there.

"You have the former president on tape saying, 'Find me 11,780 votes,'" Holder said.

"Now people argue: 'What was his intent?'" Holder said, referring to questions about whether Trump had criminal intent in asking such a question.

"Really?" Holder said sarcastically. "Put that before a jury ... Regular people, looking at the evidence, I think, will get to what I think is an appropriate conclusion."

"So my eyes are on Fulton County first. Look at the Justice Department in 2023," Holder said.

Link:
Trump likely to be criminally charged in DOJ election probe along with other former White House officials, Obama AG Holder says - CNBC

More than just being a game, the National football league happens to be an emotionally connected sport for the fans. Sometimes they act crazy to vent their anguish for the teams loss and are often seen crossing their limits. One such incident happened in 2012 when the angry cowboys fans filed a petition to the then-American President Barack Obama to oust Jerry Jones from the executive post following their Thanksgiving loss to the Washington Redskins. This special request was launched for the first time in history when fans appealed directly to the president.

Regardless, the petition cant be held seriously because the Cowboys owner didnt violate any regulations or fudged the taxation rules in the country. According to the Dallas Morning News, per the NFL.com, a resident of Ft. Benning, Ga, has filed a complaint through the White House website to oust Jones from his position.

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It was filed under the Human rights category, making it even more fun. It seems the agenda of this fan was to receive national recognition in the name of the American president.

We, the Citizens of the Great State of Texas, and Dallas Cowboys fans worldwide have been oppressed by an over-controlling, delusional, oppressive dictator for way too long. the fan wrote. Request the Executive Branchs immediate assistance in removal of owner and GM, Jerry Jones. His incompetence and ego have not only been an extreme disappointment for way too long. But moreover, it has caused extreme mental and emotional duress, he added in his petition.

Per the reports, around 412 citizens have signed the complaint asking Obama to consider the issue seriously. Well, it can be considered a note written out of frustration, but the legacy that Jerry Jones left behind is impeccable.

The Los Angeles-born businessman has always been a risk taker in his life. He dared to take his chances in 1989 by investing in a money-losing team and brought fortunes to the franchise. He invested a whopping amount of $140 million and secured the ownership of the team.

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DIVE DEEPER

Jerry Jones Was $50,000 Away From Owning This Historically Undermined FranchiseInstead of Americas Team, The Dallas Cowboys

24 days ago

Rather than pouring money into building the team or hiring star players, he focussed on building the business. He invested billions of dollars in developing the financial ventures of North Texas and attracted other investors across the country to invest in the city. Slowly and steadily, the city of Dallas started evolving on the world map.

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Finally, when the city has completely developed, the brand of Cowboys started growing, and today the franchise is one of the richest clubs in the world. All credit goes to Jerry Jones and his master plan to rebrand the team in the National Football League.

Watch This Story Tom Brady Spills His Secret to Stay Healthy; Shares 6 Simple Steps

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A Petition Was Once Filed Asking President Barack Obama to Free the Dallas Cowboys From the Oppressive Dictatorship of Jerry Jones - EssentiallySports

M. Felix has taken in at least seven refugee families since Texas Governor Greg Abbott started busing migrants to the U.S. Capitol in the spring. The Washington, D.C., resident, who chose to remain partially anonymous, part of the volunteer response to the citys recent influx of people apprehended on Americas southern border, says they have helped mothers who arrived after being assaulted in front of their children, fathers with broken ribs, families that had been dumped on the side of the road in front of Union Stationsometimes in the middle of the night. Felix has slept on their couch while a family of seven sheltered in their home. They have accompanied migrants to medical appointments. They have helped arrivals to D.C. arrange travel to their final destinations.

Felix has been happy to do it; they fled to the United States from the Philippines in the 1970s, they say, and want these new refugees to be similarly welcomed. We need to provide that to them, Felix says. If we dont, we just push the responsibility elsewhere. But the work has also taken a toll on Felix and other volunteer responders, who say the local and federal government have treated the situation as a political hot potato while abdicating their responsibility to address the issue, leaving a network of overworked mutual aid volunteers and small, overwhelmed organizations on their own to assist the nearly 5,000 migrants that have arrived in the city since the busing programs began in April.

There is just no support, says Bianca Vazquez, a leader in the mutual aid response. Were crowdfunding a resettlement effort.

The busing program is part of Abbotts controversial Operation Lone Star border mission, which is reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice for potential civil rights violations. It was implemented in April as a kind of protest against what the Texas governor called the Biden border disaster. Its a volunteer policymigrants processed by the Department of Homeland Security must choose to board the busesbut some migrants have reported they were promised there would be support and resources waiting for them in Washington, and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested in July that some migrants had been tricked into participating. (Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who instituted a similar program in May, have denied misleading asylum-seekers.) In any case, the GOP governors are exploiting migrants to make a political point about federal immigration policy under President Joe Biden, shifting a humanitarian crisis at the border to the nations capital.

Local organizers have been frustrated for months at what they say is a vacuum of leadership among officials in D.C. as about 4,700 migrants and 153 buses have arrived from Texas and Arizona as of the end of July, according to the mutual aid network. But their outrage escalated last week when Bowser called for the National Guard to help bring the situation under control, which aid volunteers condemned as a militarized response to a humanitarian crisis that could further traumatize vulnerable migrants. When you are met with the military, Vazquez recalls one migrant telling her last week, you are treated as militants.

Bowser has aligned herself with Governor Abbott, Vazquez says, warning that activating the National Guard could be used as justification for the hardline immigration policies of the right-wing governors. It really, to me, emboldens and cosigns the cruelty of Governor Abbott and Governor Ducey, Vazquez tells me. We could prove that a community response is possible. This is an opportunity to show what welcome looks like and what it is to be a sanctuary city.

Immigrant rights advocates decried the policy when it was announced in spring, as did the White House: I think its pretty clear this is a publicity stunt, thenPress Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at the time.

But the program has continued, with what has appeared to be little formal government action amid the influx, aside from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants that have helped support SAMU First Response, one of the nonprofits that is helping the arriving asylum-seekers. But the current FEMA grants are not nearly enough to help the humanitarian group, which can only respond to a small fraction of the buses arriving, and it has not received meaningful support from the District government, according to D.C. Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau. Cities across the borderlands have shown real leadership in ways to provide local responses to migrants, Nadeau, chair of the councils human services committee, cowrote in a letter on July 14 to Bowser. Now that the border has come to D.C., it is our responsibility to meet the moment.

Bowser responded to the letter by saying in a news conference that D.C. wont be able to bear the responsibility for the arriving migrants and that it is a federal issue that demands a federal response. But Amy Fischer, a core organizer with the mutual aid network and a volunteer with Sanctuary DMV, says the mayor is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars, including in federal funds, that could be used to provide a more humane reception to the arriving migrants.

Bowsers office did not respond to Vanity Fairs request for comment.

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GOP Governors Have Successfully Created a Migrant Crisis in Washington, D.C. - Vanity Fair

August 5, 2022 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border, stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas, and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to more than 290,700 migrant apprehensions and more than 18,000 criminal arrests, with more than 15,400 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 325.9 million lethal doses throughout the state. Texas has also transported over 6,500 migrants to the nation's capital--and now New York City--since beginning the busing mission in April to provide much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities.

Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden's open border policies.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott Announces First Bus Of Migrants Arrives In New York City

Governor Abbott today announced the arrival of the first group of migrants bused to New York City from Texas. New York City will now be a drop-off location with Washington, D.C. for the busing strategy as part of the Governor's response to the Biden Administration's open border policies that are overwhelming Texas communities.

"In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City is the ideal destination for these migrants, who can receive the abundance of city services and housing that Mayor Eric Adams has boasted about within the sanctuary city, said Governor Abbott. I hope he follows through on his promise of welcoming all migrants with open arms so that our overrun and overwhelmed border towns can find relief."

Read the Governor's announcement.

Governor Abbott Invites Mayors of NYC, D.C. To Texas Border

On Monday, Governor Abbott sent a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, inviting the mayors to visit Texas southern border to see the humanitarian crisis firsthand. With President Bidens open border policies continuing to invite record-high numbers of illegal immigrants and transnational criminal activity into Texas communities, the Governors migrant busing mission has provided much-needed relief to overwhelmed local communities along the border.

"As Governor, I invite you to visit our border region to see firsthand the dire situation that only grows more urgent with each passing day, and to meet with the local officials, who like yourselves, realize this matter deserves immediate federal action, reads the letter.

Read the full letter.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Discusses Democrat Mayors Reaction To Texas' Busing Strategy

In an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity, Governor Abbott pointed out the hypocrisy of the New York City and Washington, D.C. mayors, who were unconcerned about the influx of illegal immigrants when it only affected southern border states like Texas. With buses of migrants arriving in her city, D.C. Mayor Bowser last week requested assistance from the National Guard in managing newly arrived migrants into her city.

As soon as they have to deal with the real consequences of the crisis, they are up in arms calling for the National Guard when they are only dealing with a faction of what we have to deal with every single day, Governor Abbott said. Were going to keep sending those buses up there until they fully understand, and most importantly, until the Biden Administration does its job to enforce the laws concerning the border."

WATCH: Governor Abbott Stresses Need For Federal Response To Border Crisis

This week, Governor Abbott joined Maria Bartiromo for Fox Nations Broken Border Crisis Summit to discuss how President Bidens open border policies have led to chaos at the southern border. With the Biden Administration undoing President Trumps major border security initiatives, Texas is left responding to the crisis by busing migrants to the nations capital--and New York City. The Governor notes that more than 6,000 people have been bused to Washington, D.C. since the April launch of the mission, but thousands more illegally cross the border each day.

If we could educate more leaders across this country about the chaos caused by the Biden Administration, that would compel the Administration to step up and do its job under the Constitution and enforce the immigration laws that have been passed by Congress, said Governor Abbott.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Rebukes D.C., NYC Mayors' Claims Illegal Immigration Is Texas' Problem

Governor Abbott discussed with Fox News host Jesse Watters the ongoing border crisis and how it affects national security for the entire nation, not just Texas and other southern border states. Following New York City Mayor Adams' claims that Texas bears responsibility for the thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border each day, the Governor invited Mayor Adams and D.C. Mayor Bowser to visit the southern border and see firsthand the magnitude of the chaos created by President Biden's open border policies.

"They're up in arms about a few thousand people coming into their communities over the past few months. In any one sector in the State of Texas, we have more than 5,000 people coming into that sector every single day," said Governor Abbott. "Our communities are overrun."

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Gives Fox Nation Tour Of DPS Drug Warehouse, Describes Coordinated Smuggling Effort

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez participated in Maria Bartiromos Broken Border Crisis Summit and gave a tour of the DPS drug warehouse in McAllen, where bundles of illegal drugs seized by Operation Lone Star are processed by DPS personnel. With dangerous cartels running multibillion-dollar smuggling businesses, Lt. Olivarez explains that once the bundles of packaged drugs are carried across the border they are broken up at stash houses and smuggled further into the country.

What were seeing thats unique from previous years is luring younger, juvenile Americans into criminal activity like human smuggling and drug smuggling because its being advertised through social media platforms, said Lt. Olivarez. Theres a lower prosecution risk for these juveniles, so theyre exploiting that."

Texas National Guard Employ Advanced Assets To Stop Illegal Activities Along Border

The Texas National Guard use an array of assets to prevent, deter, and interdict transnational criminal activity in Texas border region, including advanced optic systems for detecting illegal crossings. The Tactical Response Units (TRU) employ boats to patrol the Rio Grande and respond to criminal activity and illegal crossings. The boat assets are used on water and land, while TRU soldiers communicate with multiple law enforcement agencies. Through tracking tools and radios, the cross-agency communications is crucial to the mission.

We call in our teams and law enforcement to see if they have any suspected traffic coming across and then move up or down river to try to meet the rafts and people, a member of the TRU boat crew explained.

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Shares Update On Border Crisis As Bused Migrants Continue To Arrive In D.C.

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez told Fox News that the communities along the border are completely overwhelmed with the relentless surge of illegal immigrants. He explained how Governor Abbott listened to the concerns of local officials with the migrant busing mission.

I think its a great idea what Governor Abbott has done with inviting these mayors to Texas to see firsthand what were dealing with every day, said Lt. Olivarez. Some of these border communities have a population or 15,000 or 20,000 and theyre seeing 2,000 to 3,000 immigrants who are crossing every single day."

VIDEO: Texas National Guard Soldiers Take Pride In Operation Lone Star Mission

Texas Military soldiers describe their pride in contributing to the Operation Lone Star mission by keeping Texans across the state safe from transnational criminal activity.

This mission is important, because I am out here on the frontlines. We have stopped sex offenders and gang members from coming into our borders, said Senior Airman Gabriel Figueroa. We are protecting our communities in Texas by minimizing the flow of drugs through our borders.

VIDEO: Smuggler Leads DPS Troopers On High-Speed Pursuit In Cloned Work Truck

A smuggler driving a cloned work truck led DPS troopers on a high-speed chase in the Mission area. The smuggler and several illegal immigrants eventually bailed out and ran toward a residence. With the assistance of a U.S. Customs Aircraft Division, the smuggler and seven illegal immigrants were apprehended.

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Operation Lone Star Ramps Up Busing Of Migrants To NYC, D.C. To Provide Relief To Border Communities - Office of the Texas Governor