Politics

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Images/InstagramFemale royal fighters have always been powerful totems in art and history.Be it the woad-stained Boadicea, the dragon-taming Daenerys Targaryen, or Elizabeth I donning armor to rally the troops when the Spanish Armada threatened the English coast in 1588, the combat-ready queen or princess is an icon redolent with powerful symbolism.Now, however, a new generation of “warrior princesses” are emerging in a European continent forced into a dramatic reappraisal of the importance of military service by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine arriving on its doorstep.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyWhile Donald Trump stands trial over his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, Fox News and other outlets are giving her disgraced former lawyer Michael Avenatti—incarcerated for stealing millions from his own clients—loads of free airtime.But victims of the fallen Newport Beach litigator aren’t happy he’s back in the spotlight.“He’s a crook, he’s a criminal, and he doesn’t deserve it,” said Greg Barela, a former client who testified against Avenatti in a federal fraud case in California.Read more at The Daily Beast.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyIf you want to understand why Donald Trump could win in 2024, look no further than Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. These three top Republican voices who previously condemned Trump now say they plan to vote for him again this November.Let’s start with McConnell, who on Sunday (re)asserted that he would be voting for Trump for president. McConnell’s reason? “Because the voters of my party across the country have made a decision. As the Republican leader of the Senate, obviously, I’m gonna support the nominee of our party.”Keep in mind, following Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, McConnell said that “Trump’s actions preceding the [Capitol] riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,” and that “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyFrench actor Gérard Depardieu was ordered to stand trial for allegedly sexually assaulting two women on a film set three years ago, marking the latest legal escalation for the 75-year-old movie star who has become a central figure in France’s #MeToo movement.The announcement coincides with a years-long battle between Depardieu and more than a dozen women who have accused him of sexual assault throughout his career. The allegations span nearly two decades and 11 production sets. Some of the women, which include actors, make-up artists, and production staff, have reportedly alleged that Depardieu made lewd remarks and groped them.Paris prosecutors announced Depardieu will face trial in October on Monday, just hours after the actor waltzed out of a police station in Paris’s 14th district where he had reportedly answered questions about the allegations against him.Read more at The Daily Beast.

NewsmaxPresident Joe Biden’s eating habits are no longer just the subject of Fox News host Jesse Watters’ invaluable scrutiny, after Newsmax host Eric Bolling grew increasingly angry Monday with the president eating salad at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend.Bolling, channeling his inner Sean Hannity, concluded his opening monologue by saying that Biden isn’t fit enough for the job he holds.“Here is the president of the United States, the man with the nuclear codes at his fingertips, grappling with a bowl of lettuce. He can barely feed himself,” Bolling insisted, instructing his audience to watch a clip of Biden eating.Read more at The Daily Beast.

NBCGiven the speed at which the news cycle is moving these days, it would be impossible for a late-night host to take a two-week vacation and not miss some pretty major stories; like a former president dozing off during a certain, historic criminal hush-money trial—and more than once.It’s a lesson Seth Meyers learned the hard way this month, but he was back with a vengeance on Monday and ready to recap all the wildest news stories he missed. While Donald Trump’s courtroom siestas were an obvious topic of conversation for the Late Night host to catch up on, he was much more interested—and outraged—in Kristi Noem’s bizarre decision to write about the time she murdered her puppy.In a new memoir, aptly titled No Going Back (which likely sums up her chances of being named Trump’s running mate), the South Dakota governor described the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket as “untrainable,” “less than worthless… as a hunting dog,” and “dangerous to anyone she came into contact with.”Read more at The Daily Beast.

Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesOne of the three winners of the record-breaking $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is a 46-year-old immigrant from Laos who has been battling cancer for the last eight years.Speaking to the press at the Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem on Monday, Cheng “Charlie” Saephan said he and his friend, Laiza Chao, 55, went in together on a batch of tickets that contained the winning numbers. Saephan and Chao will split the money, with Saephan sharing his half with his wife, Duanpen, 37.They are taking a lump sum payment of $422 million after taxes, according to the Associated Press.Read more at The Daily Beast.