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Major Retailers Are Offering Summer Deals to Entice Inflation-Weary Shoppers

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FILE - Cashiers process purchases at a Walmart Supercenter in North Bergen, N.J., on Feb. 9, 2023. Retailers, including Walmart and Target, are stepping up discounting heading into the summer of 2024, as they hope to offer frustrated shoppers some relief from higher prices and entice them to open their wallets.(AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
(AP) — Americans who spent Memorial Day scouting sales online and in stores found more reasons to celebrate the return of warmer weather. Major retailers are stepping up discounts heading into the summer months, hoping to entice inflation-weary shoppers into
Target, Walmart and other chains have rolled out price cuts — some permanent, others temporary — with the stated aim of giving their customers some relief. The reductions, which mostly involve groceries, are getting introduced as inflation showed its first sign of easing this year but not enough for consumers who are struggling to pay for basic necessities as well as rent and car insurance.
The latest quarterly earnings reported by Walmart, Macy’s and Ralph Lauren underscored that consumers have not stopped spending. But multiple CE0s, including the heads of McDonald’s, Starbucks and home improvement retailer Home Depot, have observed that people are becoming more price-conscious and choosy. They’re delaying purchases, focusing on store brands compared to typically more expensive national brands, and looking for deals.
“Retailers recognize that unless they pull out some stops on pricing, they are going to have difficulty holding on to the customers they got,” Neil Saunders, managing director of consulting and data analysis firm GlobalData, said. “The consumer really has had enough of inflation, and they’re starting to take action in terms of where they shop, how they shop, the amount they buy.”
While discounts are an everyday tool in retail, Saunders said these aggressive price cuts that cover thousands of items announced by a number of retailers represent a “major shift” in recent strategy. He noted most companies talked about price increases in the past two or three years, and the cut mark the first big “price war” since before inflation started taking hold.
WHERE CAN SHOPPERS FIND LOWER PRICES?
Higher-income shoppers looking to save money have helped Walmart maintain strong sales in recent quarters. But earlier this month, the nation’s largest retailer expanded its price rollbacks — temporary discounts that can last a few months — to nearly 7,000 grocery items, a 45% increase. Items include a 28-ounce can of Bush’s baked beans marked down to $2.22, from $2.48, and a 24-pack of 12-ounce Diet Coke priced at $12.78 from $14.28.
Company executives said the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer is seeing more people eating at home versus eating out. Walmart believes its discounts will help the business over the remainder of the year.
“We’re going to lead on price, and we’re going to manage our (profit) margins, and we’re going to be the Walmart that we’ve always been,” CEO Doug McMillon told analysts earlier this month.
Not to be outdone by its closest competitor, Target last week cut prices on 1,500 items and said it planned to make price cuts on another 3,500 this summer. The initiative primarily applies to food, beverage and essential household items. For example, Clorox scented wipes that previously cost $5.79 are on shelves for $4.99. Huggies Baby Wipes, which were priced at $1.19, now cost 99 cents.
Low-cost supermarket chain Aldi said earlier this month that it was cutting prices on 250 products, including favorites for barbecues and picnics, as part of a promotion set to last through Labor Day.
McDonald’s plans to introduce a limited-time $5 meal deal in the U.S. next month to counter slowing sales and customers’ frustration with high prices.
Arko Corp., a large operator of convenience stores in rural areas and small towns, is launching its most aggressive deals in terms of their depth in roughly 20 years for both members of its free loyalty program and other customers, according to Arie Kotler, the company’s chairman, president and CEO. For example, members of Arko’s free loyalty program who buy two 12-packs of Pepsi beverages get a free pizza. The promotions kicked off May 15 and are due to end Sept. 3.
Kotler said he focused on essential items that people use to feed their families after observing that the cumulative effects of higher gas prices and inflation in other areas had customers hold back compared to a year ago.
“Over the past two quarters, we have seen the trend of consumers cutting back, consumers coming less often, and consumers reducing their purchases,” he said.
In the non-food category, crafts chain Michaels last month reduced prices of frequently purchased items like paint, markers and artist canvases. The price reductions ranged from 15% to up to 40%. Michaels said the cuts are intended to be permanent.
DO THESE CUTS BRING PRICES BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS?
Many retailers said their goal was to offer some relief for shoppers. But Michaels said its new discounts brought prices for some things down to where they were in 2019.
“Our intention with these cuts is to ensure we’re delivering value to the customer,” The Michaels Companies said. ”We see it as an investment in customer loyalty more than anything else.”
Target said it was difficult to compare what its price-reduced products cost now to a specific time frame since inflation levels are different for each item and the reductions varied by item.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks consumer prices, said the average price of a two-liter bottle of soda in April was $2.27. That compares with $1.53 in the same month five years ago. A pound of white bread cost an average of $2 last month but $1.29 in April 2019. One pound of ground chuck that averaged $5.28 in April cost $3.91 five years ago.
WHY ARE COMPANIES CUTTING PRICES ON SOME ITEMS?
U.S. consumer confidence deteriorated for the third straight month in April as Americans continued to fret about their short-term financial futures, according to the latest report released late last month from the Conference Board, a business research group.
With shoppers focusing more on bargains, particularly online, retailers are trying to get customers back to their stores. Target this month posted its fourth consecutive quarterly decline in comparable sales — those from stores or digital channels operating at least 12 months.
In fact, the share of online sales for the cheapest items across many categories, including clothing, groceries, personal care and appliances, increased from April 2019 to the same month this year, according to Adobe Analytics, which covers more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites.
For example, the market share for the cheapest groceries went from 38% in April 2019 to 48% last month, while the share for the most expensive groceries went down from 22% to 9% over the same time period, according to Adobe.
HOW ARE RETAILERS FUNDING PRICE CUTS?
GlobalData’s Saunders said he thinks companies are subsidizing price cuts with a variety of methods — at the expense of profits, at the cost of suppliers and vendors, or by reducing expenses. Some retailers may be using a combination of all three, he said.
Saunders doesn’t think retailers are raising prices on other items to make up for the ones they lowered since doing that would bring a backlash from customers.
Target declined to disclose details but said its summer price promotion was incorporated into the company’s projected profit range, which falls below analysts’ expectations at the low end.
GPM Investments, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ARKO Corp. said its suppliers are funding the convenience store promotions.

 

Media Matters Fires a Dozen Staffers Amidst Federal Probe and Lawsuit

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The European Union has initiated an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. Credit: AP
By 
The left-wing media outlet Media Matters has fired at least a dozen of its staffers as the company currently faces immense pressure from a federal investigation and a lawsuit by Elon Musk, the CEO of X.
As reported by the Daily Caller, several ex-staffers announced their terminations on social media after the decision was made. Media Matters is currently being investigated by Attorneys General Ken Paxton of Texas and Andrew Bailey of Missouri, over allegations of fraud by manipulation of data on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
In addition, X CEO Elon Musk, who purchased the company in 2022, filed a defamation lawsuit against the outlet in a federal court in November. The suit stems from Media Matters’ creation of fake images claiming to show advertisements from big corporations appearing next to posts by alleged “White supremacists.”
“Bad News: I’ve been laid off from @mmfa, along with a dozen colleagues,” said ex-staffer Kat Abughazaleh. “There’s a reason far-right billionaires attack Media Matters with armies of lawyers: They know how effective our work is, and it terrifies them (him).”
“Got laid off, [let me know] who wants research done,” said ex-employee Brendan Karet on X. “On the plus side, no more listening to the dumbest dogshit on earth everyday.”
Media Matters is known for a far-left slant, despite claiming to be non-partisan. It is one of several major left-wing internet-based publications that has taken a massive hit to its credibility and its finances in recent years. Another far-left internet outlet, NowThis, fired half of its editorial team in February, in what the company claimed was a “broader initiative to realign our resources and structure to ensure a long-term sustainable business in the evolving media landscape.”
Other examples include The Intercept, which fired 15 staffers on the same day as NowThis’s layoffs; among those fired was The Intercept’s Editor-in-Chief, Roger Hodge. The Messenger, another startup internet outlet founded in May of 2023, shut down after less than one year in existence.

Lawler: Remove Rashida Tlaib from Congress for Speech at Conference Linked to Terror Group

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.) (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
By Elizabeth Weibel(Breitbart)
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) called for Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) to be “removed from Congress” over a speech she gave at an anti-Israel conference that was linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Tlaib had given a speech at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday. The event that Tlaib spoke at featured speakers who were linked to the PFLP.

Lawler wrote in a post on X that Tlaib “should be removed from Congress immediately.”
“Associating with and speaking before groups that are funded by US designated terrorist organizations is disqualifying,” Lawler added.
Sana’ Daqqah, who was married to PFLP terrorist Walid Daqqah, was the keynote speaker at the conference. Another speaker was Wisam Rafeedie, an activist with ties to the PFLP, according to the National Review:
Among the speakers at the Michigan event was Wisam Rafeedie, an activist associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Marxist-Leninist terror group active in Gaza and headquartered in the Syrian capital of Damascus. The U.S. State Department, as well as Japan, Canada, and the European Union, has designated the PFLP as a terrorist organization.
Daqqah’s husband, Walid, died in April due to cancer while being detained in prison due to him leading a “PFLP operation that kidnapped, tortured, and murdered Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984,” according to the outlet.
During the conference, Tlaib criticized President Joe Biden for his handling of the ongoing war in Gaza and over his support for Israel.
In response to the International Criminal Court issuing a statement that it was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defensive Minister Yoav Gallant, and several Hamas leaders, Biden said what was happening in Gaza was “not genocide.”
Tlaib questioned Biden during her speech at the conference and asked him, “Where’s your red line, President Biden?” The Michigan congresswoman also suggested that people vote against Biden at the ballot box in November.
“We’re not gonna forget in November, are we? The International Court of Justice just ruled that the Israeli government must stop its invasion of Rafah,” Tlaib said. “But, President Biden says what’s happening in Gaza is not a genocide. Where’s your red line, President Biden?”
A November 2023 report from the Canary Mission found that Tlaib was connected to six activists linked to Hamas, the U.S.-designated terror organization behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel which left 1,200 people dead and more than 200 people taken hostage.
Canary Mission can confirm that at least 6 Hamas-linked activists fundraised for Tlaib during her 2018 Congressional campaign: Mwafaq Jbara, Sheikh Muhammad Qatanani, Huwaida Arraf, Salah Sarsour, Rafeeq Jaber and Abdelbaset Hamayel.
Jbara reportedly met with a “Hamas co-found” while imprisoned in a maximum-security jail in Israel and has “called for the death of Jews and praised the terrorist who killed U.S. Army veteran Taylor Force,” according to the outlet.

 

Saudi Arabia: ‘Israel doesn’t get to decide’ on Palestinian statehood

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Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
By World Israel News Staff
A senior Saudi official warned Sunday Israeli opposition to Palestinian statehood would harm rather than help the country’s security, expressing “extreme concern” over Jerusalem’s pronouncements rejecting the two-state solution.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with reporters in Brussels Sunday night, shortly after the Norwegian foreign minister met with Palestinian Authority Premier Mohammad Mustafa in the Belgian capital to hand over diplomatic papers affirming his country’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
Norway is one of three European countries – along with Ireland and Spain – which announced last week it would unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood without a final status agreement between Ramallah and Jerusalem.
The Saudi foreign minister lauded the three European states for their recognition of Palestinian statehood, while claiming the establishment of such a state would serve both Palestinian and Israeli interests.
The unilateral recognition, Prince Faisal said, would “reinvigorate the two-state solution independent of Israel’s position because Israel doesn’t get to decide whether or not the Palestinians have a right to self-determination.”
He added that the diplomatic shift “is not just symbolic,” saying it restored “viability of the two-state solution.”

Iranian court denies retrial for Jewish man facing execution; Jews raise $1.5 million to spare his life

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Arvin Ghahremani (Telegram/Screenshot)
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Despite international advocacy on behalf of a Jewish man facing execution, Iran denied the request for his retrial.
Advocates for Nathaniel Ghahremani said he killed a Muslim man in self-defense after he ran at him with a knife.
Iran is governed by Sharia law, which provides harsher punishments for non-Muslims who kill Muslims than in incidents when both parties are Muslim.
Arvin Natanel Ghahremani was involved in a 2022 brawl in the city of Kermanshah.
Court transcripts indicate that Ghahermani was working out at a gym when he was confronted by seven men, one of whom owed him money.
One of the mob, identified as Amir Shokri, stabbed Ghahermani with a knife. Shokri was killed after Ghahermani wrested the knife away and fought back in self-defense.
Ghahermani was convicted by a local court of being an “accomplice to the intentional murder of a Muslim” and for “intentionally inflicting nonfatal injuries.”
He was immediately sentenced to death by hanging, which cannot be appealed under Iranian law.
The only way to avoid capital punishment for the killing, under Iranian law, is if the defendant acquired forgiveness from the dead man’s family, something they refused to grant.
Iran International wrote, according to the IHRNGO, “the decision places Ghahremani at immediate risk of execution, underscoring a judicial process marred by oversight and lack of fair representation.”
Beni Sabti, who was born in Tehran and is an Iran expert for the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel told The Jerusalem Post, “In these last days and weeks, there have been international efforts to release him and get the Muslim family to forgive him and turn the execution to a prison term.”
He added, “Jews in the US and other countries raised funds amounting to over $1.5 million, including an offer of an apartment and the building of a mosque in the name of the dead Muslim man. It seems that they did not agree.”
Sabti explained, “I am not surprised. Most of the time, the regime and judiciary system do not cooperate with the person who is going to be executed.”
He added, “They enjoy it and do not care. They do not do anything to the change verdict.” Sabti emphasized, “In any hour we can hear the news that he can be executed.”
WATCH: EUROPEAN MUSLIMS CALL FOR GLOBAL CALIPHATE
He added that the Iranian regime can “say to a family he will be executed on Wednesday and the family comes on Monday and they say he has already been executed. This is Iran.”

NY Times: Migrant Hotels Make Visiting New York City More Expensive than Ever

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The luxury Row NYC Hotel n Midtown is a 1300-room hotel on Eighth Avenue. Photo Credit: tripadvisor.com

John Binder(Breitbart)

The cost of illegal immigration is bearing out in the Big Apple and tourists are the latest to foot the bill.

New York City is more expensive than ever to visit, primarily due to Mayor Eric Adams (D) converting tons of hotels into shelters for newly arrived migrants, the New York Times reported Saturday. As Breitbart News has chronicled, Adams currently has about 65,000 migrants living in more than 16,500 hotel rooms across New York City.

The result has been skyrocketing hotel room costs for tourists who pay the price while hotels, often owned by the largest conglomerates, are raking in up to $185 per hotel room per night, whether migrants are staying in the room or not.

“The average daily rate for a hotel stay in New York City increased to $301.61 in 2023, up 8.5 percent from $277.92 in 2022, according to CoStar, a leading provider of commercial real estate data and analysis,” the Times reported:

During the first three months of 2024, when prices traditionally dip, the average stay was still 6.7 percent higher than during the same time period last year: $230.79 a night, up from $216.38 in 2023. [Emphasis added]

About 135 of the city’s roughly 680 hotels entered the shelter program, with many congregated in Midtown Manhattan, Long Island City in Queens and near Kennedy International Airport — all traditional magnets for tourists. Participating hotels are paid up to $185 a night per room, according to the city. Not a single one has converted back into a traditional hotel. [Emphasis added]

…

Beginning in late 2022, the city entered into a contract of up to $980 million with a hotel trade group to pay hotels that decide to shelter migrants under its “Sanctuary Hotel Program.” City officials said the hotels receive between $139 and $185 a night per room, whether or not the room is occupied, guaranteeing them a fixed stream of income. (Those rates do not include money the city is spending on food and other services for migrants; there have also been reports of hotels being paid more than $185 a night.) [Emphasis added]

Today, New York City — a city of almost nine million residents — has fewer than 122,000 available hotel rooms for tourists to compete for. Over the next three fiscal years, New Yorkers are projected to pay about $10 billion for migrants arriving in the city.

Like hotel rooms, rents have continued to soar across New York City as waves of migrants pour in undeterred by the prospect of being jobless and in shelters.

Most recently, Bloomberg reported that rents in New York City are “so high that only five percent are affordable for the average salary.”

“Soaring rents and high upfront costs mean that fewer than 5 percent of New York City apartments were affordable for the average local worker last year,” Bloomberg reported:

New Yorkers earned on average just under $89,000 last year, meaning they could afford up to $2,216 per month on housing without spending more than 30% of their annual income, according to a new report by Zillow Group Inc.’s StreetEasy and tech:nyc. Factoring in average upfront costs, which includes the first month’s rent, a security deposit and broker fees that amounted to $10,454 last year, the average worker could only afford 4.4% of rentals on the market without breaching that affordability threshold, the report said. [Emphasis added]

Despite illegal immigration sending hotel and housing costs to record highs, Adams has pleaded with President Joe Biden to more quickly get work permits to migrants who arrive at the nation’s southern border and are subsequently freed into the United States interior.

Experts have previously told Breitbart News that handing out work permits en masse to newly arrived migrants would serve as a pull factor for more illegal immigration at the southern border rather than a deterrent.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter here.

Elon Musk’s xAI Says It Has Raised $6 Billion to Develop Artificial Intelligence

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(AP) — A group of investors will put up $6 billion to fund development of artificial intelligence by Elon Musk’s xAI.

The company said on its website Sunday that the Series B funding round will be used to take xAI’s first products to market and speed up research. xAI said it has made “significant strides” during the past year in developing the technology, which will continue in the coming months.

Investors in the latest round include Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, Fidelity Management & Research, Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal and Kingdom Holding.

Musk wrote on the social media site X that before the investment, xAI had a valuation of $18 billion.

The funding should help Musk’s company compete in a race to develop artificial intelligence against Microsoft and Open AI, which created Chat GPT.

Musk announced formation of the company in July of last year and released its artificial intelligence chatbot called Grok in November.

2,300-year-old gold ring found in Jerusalem’s City of David

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A 2,300-year-old gold ring found at the Givati Parking lot excavation in the City of David. Credit: Asaf Peri/City of David.

(JNS) A gold ring dating from the early Hellenistic period set with a precious stone was recently found in the joint Israel Antiquities Authority-Tel Aviv University excavation in Jerusalem’s City of David.

The 2,300-year-old ring was discovered by Tehiya Gangate, a City of David excavation team member.

“I was sifting earth…and suddenly saw something glitter,” she recounted. “I immediately yelled, ‘I found a ring, I found a ring!’ Within seconds everyone gathered around me, and there was great excitement,” she said, adding, “This is an emotionally moving find, not the kind you find every day.”

The ring was manufactured by hammering thin pre-cut gold leaves onto a metal base. Stylistically it reflects the common fashion of the Persian and Early Hellenistic periods, dating from the late 4th to early 3rd century BCE and onwards.

The finds at the excavation “are beginning to paint a new picture of the nature and stature of Jerusalem’s inhabitants in the Early Hellenistic Period,” said professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University.

“Whereas in the past we found only a few structures and finds from this era, and thus most scholars assumed Jerusalem was then a small town, limited to the top of the southeastern slope (“City of David”) and with relatively very few resources, these new finds tell a different story: The aggregate of revealed structures now constitute an entire neighborhood,” he added.

“They attest to both domestic and public buildings, and that the city extended from the hilltop westward. The character of the buildings—and now of course, the gold finds and other discoveries—display the city’s healthy economy and even its elite status,” he said.

“It certainly seems that the city’s residents were open to the widespread Hellenistic style and influences prevalent also in the eastern Mediterranean Basin.”

The ring will be exhibited to the public at the free “Jerusalem Mysteries” conference hosted by the Israel Antiquities Authority on Jerusalem Day, June 5.

Exchanging Truth for Myths, George Floyd’s Deceptive Legacy

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American Express’ “wokeness” reportedly began following the murder of George Floyd. Photo Credit: Facebook

(American Greatness)  May 25 marked the fourth anniversary of the death of George Floyd while in police custody. As expected, numerous politicians, activists and the corporate media have been actively beating the drums of outrage just in case anyone had forgotten the long summer of rioting over Floyd’s death in 2020.

The official narrative is that Floyd was murdered by a racist police officer named Derek Chauvin, simply for having the wrong skin color.

This narrative is furthered by self-serving “fact checks” from politicized outlets like PBS, USA Today, the New York Times and and NPR.

However, it’s a narrative that doesn’t stand up well to even modest scrutiny.

John LeFevre offers a reality-based alternative to the version of George Floyd as a sainted individual murdered by white supremacists.

LeFevre points out that, far from being an innocent bystander, singled out for his skin color, Floyd was a repeat offender who had been to prison 8 times for drugs and armed robbery.

What brought Minneapolis police in contact with Floyd on that fateful day was the suspicion that he had just committed multiple felonies including trying to pass a counterfeit 20 dollar bill.

Floyd’s original coroner’s report showed no evidence of suffocation or strangulation and his autopsy revealed a lethal amount of fentanyl in his system as well as clear evidence of heart disease.

Nevertheless, the myth persists that officer Chauvin deliberately killed the man by kneeling on his neck.

Floyd’s family graciously took a $27 million settlement from the city of Minneapolis before Chauvin’s trial had even concluded.

But the bigger story remains how so many well-funded and well-organized riots broke out simultaneously across the entire nation, causing billions of dollars in damages and numerous needless deaths.

In the years since Floyd’s death, police departments have faced ongoing calls for their defunding, even as crime continues to rise in many cities.

It’s possible to acknowledge the tragedy when a person succumbs to the results of his own bad decisions and yet resist the urge the twist the narrative in hopes of some perceived political advantage.

The politicians, activists and pundits who continue to push the lionization of George Floyd are being deceptive at best and outright evil at worst.

Gun battle breaks out between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers near Gaza border

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An Egyptian soldier gestures to a helicopter. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
An Egyptian soldier was killed Monday after a gun battle erupted between IDF and Egyptian troops stationed on the border separating Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
It is unclear what initiated the gunfight, though Israeli military sources told Hebrew-language media outlets that the incident was sparked by Egyptian soldiers who opened fire on IDF troops, prompting the Israeli soldiers to return fire.

The Egyptian soldiers reportedly shot at an IDF engineering corps unit operating on the edge of Rafah.

The Israeli army has launched an investigation into the incident, an IDF spokesperson said.
Egypt confirmed that one soldier was killed in the gun battle, adding that Cairo has opened its own probe into the shooting.
“The Egyptian Armed Forces are conducting an investigation through the competent authorities regarding a shooting incident in the border area in Rafah, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel,” the Egyptian army tweeted Monday.

A report by i24NEWS claimed that two Egyptian soldiers were killed Monday, with several more wounded.

Israeli security officials contacted their Egyptian counterparts to halt the shooting.
Last year, a 22-year-old Egyptian police officer, Muhammad Salah Ibrahim, opened fire and killed three IDF soldiers on the Israeli-Egyptian border.
Ibrahim was reportedly carrying a copy of the Koran with him at the time of the attack, along with several handguns, multiple knives, and additional ammunition – suggesting that he was possibly intending to carry out a larger attack within Israel.

Several months later, on October 8th, a gunman shot and murdered two Israeli tourists in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria.

The gunman was later apprehended by local police, and claimed he was carried out the shooting after he was provoked and lost control of himself.
Earlier this month, a dual Canadian-Israeli citizen, Ziv Kiefer, was shot and murdered while visiting Egypt for business.

Here’s how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could make the first debate stage under stringent Biden-Trump rules

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Independent Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks as Michael Smerconish hosts a SiriusXM Town Hall with Democratic Presidential Candidate RFK Jr. at The Centre Theater in Philadelphia, Penn., on June 5, 2023. (Lisa Lake/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
(AP/ TJV additional reporting) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long argued that the biggest hurdle of his presidential campaign is the perception that independent candidates can’t win. He has looked to the debates as a singular opportunity to stand alongside Joe Biden and Donald Trump in front of a massive audience.
But to make the first debate stage, he’ll have to secure a place on the ballot in at least a dozen more states and improve his showing in national polls in one month.
With a famous name and a loyal base, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could play spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that leaves Kennedy very little time to qualify for the first debate.
Instead of having until September to get on enough state ballots to qualify for a debate, Kennedy now has about a month, AXIOS pointed out, whereas Perot had until September  in 1992.
Publicly, Kennedy is expressing confidence that he will make the stage.
“I look forward to holding Presidents Biden and Trump accountable for their records in Atlanta on June 27 to give Americans the debate they deserve,” he posted on the X platform.
CNN has said candidates will be invited if they’ve secured a place on the ballot in states with at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum needed to win the presidency, and have hit 15% in four reliable polls published since March 13. The criteria mirror those used by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonpartisan group that has organized debates since 1988, except the commission’s first debate would have been in September, giving Kennedy more time.
Kennedy doesn’t appear to have met the polling criteria yet, although he has reached 15% or higher in at least Three polls meeting CNN’s standards.
Axios pointed out:
What to know about the 2024 Election
The ballot access hurdle is even tougher.
State officials have confirmed Kennedy’s place on the ballot in Delaware, Oklahoma and Utah, which have just 16 electoral votes between them. In California, Hawaii and Michigan, minor parties have selected Kennedy as their nominee, in effect offering up existing ballot lines, though the states have not formally affirmed Kennedy’s position. Adding them would bring Kennedy’s total to 89 electoral votes, though it’s not clear that his position in those states would meet CNN’s criteria.
Kennedy’s campaign says he has collected enough signatures in Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, states with 112 electoral votes in total. But he has either not submitted the signatures or they have not yet been affirmed by state election officials.
Those states still only add up to 201 electoral votes.
Independent candidates like Kennedy face a labyrinth of laws that vary wildly from state to state but generally require hundreds or thousands of signatures and compliance with strict deadlines.
The patchwork of laws is littered with pitfalls. And the Democratic National Committee has pledged to scrutinize Kennedy’s submissions for mistakes that could keep him off the ballot or at least tie up his campaign’s time and money.
Kennedy, in turn, has resorted to secrecy and creative tactics in a sort of cat-and-mouse game to get on the ballot before his critics can thwart him. In California, Delaware and Michigan, Kennedy allied with little-known existing parties and received their nominations. In Hawaii, he formed his own political party to nominate him, and he’s pursued a similar strategy in Mississippi and North Carolina.
Elsewhere, he’s waiting to turn in signatures until the deadline to limit the time for critics to pore over them in search of errors. Getting on the debate stage next month would almost certainly require him to change his strategy and submit the petitions he’s sitting on as soon as possible.
Signatures are due in New York by May 28, which would get Kennedy 28 votes closer if they’re affirmed in time. He could then try to make an all-out push in a bunch of states with relatively easy requirements — many require 5,000 or fewer signatures, but they generally don’t bring many electoral votes — or focus on bigger states, such as Illinois with 19 electoral votes or Florida with 30.
Further complicating matters, some states aren’t yet accepting filings from potential independent candidates and won’t before the first debate.
Kennedy’s vice presidential nominee, Nicole Shanahan, who is divorced from Google co-founder Sergei Brin, committed $8 million from her personal fortune for ballot access, the campaign announced Thursday, declaring their $15 million effort “fully funded.”

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Israel: Civilians killed by fire that broke out after Rafah strike

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Palestinians inspect damage after an Israeli airstrike in Al-Mawasi, west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90.

(JNS) Noncombatants were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on Sunday night due to a fire that broke out after the attack, an Israeli government spokesperson said on Monday.

The Israel Defense Forces earlier said that it was investigating Palestinian media reports that dozens of Gazan civilians were killed and wounded in the strike on a Hamas compound in the city’s northwestern Tel Sultan section.

The targets of the strike were named as Yassin Rabia, the head of Hamas’s Judea and Samaria headquarters, and Khaled Nagar, a senior official in the terrorist group’s Judea and Samaria wing.

The IDF spokesperson said earlier that the strike was carried out in accordance with international law, was based on intelligence and executed using precision weaponry. However, the spokesperson continued, “The claim is known that as a result of the attack and a fire that broke out in the area, a number of non-involved people were injured. The incident is under investigation.”

The IDF announced on Monday afternoon that the military advocate general ordered a probe into the incident led by the General Staff’s investigation mechanism—an independent body that is not subordinate to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

“The mechanism is investigating the circumstances of the deaths of civilians in the area of ​​the attack. The IDF regrets any injuries to those not involved in hostilities,” the army statement said.

Rabia and Nagar carried out terrorist attacks in the early 2000s in Judea and Samaria that killed and wounded Israeli civilians and soldiers, the military said. They also transferred funds for terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria and planned and directed attacks there.

The Left’s Insane Hatred Of America Peaked Right Before Memorial Day

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Justice Alito (AP)

By Mary Rooke (Daily Caller)

While everyday Americans were preparing to celebrate Memorial Day with patriotism and somber remembrance of our heroic veterans, the left was once again revealing their unbridled hatred for the greatest country on Earth.

Progressive journalists are focusing on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. as they launch unrelenting attacks over his use of classic American flags, including the “Appeal to Heaven” flag flown under George Washington, which became one of the most recognized emblems of the American Revolution.

The left recently found out that two years after Alito’s wife flew the American flag upside down on Jan. 6, a symbol that America is in distress, the family flew the “Appeal to Heaven” flag at his New Jersey beach home. The liberal journalists are hoping their onslaught of attacks will increase the chances that Alito will recuse himself from the Jan. 6 cases.

“During the period the Appeal to Heaven flag was seen flying at the justice’s New Jersey house, a key Jan. 6 case arrived at the Supreme Court, challenging whether those who stormed the Capitol could be prosecuted for obstruction,” The New York Times reported. “In coming weeks, the justices will rule on that case, which could scuttle some of the charges against Mr. Trump, as well as on whether he is immune from prosecution for actions he took while president. Their decisions will shape how accountable he can be held for trying to overturn the last presidential election and his chances at regaining the White House in the next one.”

 “The disclosure about the new flag is troubling, several ethics experts said in interviews, because it ties Justice Alito more closely to symbols associated with the attempted election subversion on Jan. 6, and because it was displayed as the obstruction case was first coming for consideration by the court,” the outlet adds.

Far-left outlet Slate also jumped into the ring to sound the alarm over Alito’s flags with a piece hilariously titled,”Alito flag scandal: The second one is even scarier than the first.”

Slate argues that the “Appeal to Heaven” flag is “even scarier” than Alito’s flying the upside-down American flag because it’s a call to God to help heal America, and thus, it “means praying for the intervention of God’s forces on earth.” And as we saw with the outrage against Harrison Butker’s graduation address, if there is anything the left hates more than America herself, it’s Christianity.

Despite Alito being a Catechized Roman Catholic, Slate spends the piece equating the “Appeal to Heaven” flag as a symbol of charismatic Christianity and Christian nationalism.

“The spread of this symbol among various political conservatives shows just how much the Appeal to Heaven flag has caught on with Christian nationalists, defined as those who abide by the (ahistorical) belief that the United States was founded as an explicitly Christian nation and needs to be reclaimed as one. (A Christian nation can mean many things, but at its core, it means a government that operates by Christian values, with an explicit privileging of the Christian faith above other religions),” Slate wrote.

“Others interpret it as a symbol that God backs their specific conservative, Christian visions for the country. And it is also, now, inextricably linked to the violence of Jan. 6 and the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results,” the outlet continues. “Some conservatives have pointed defensively to the flag’s origin in the Revolutionary War to justify the Alitos’ actions. The idea that the symbol is pulled from U.S. history could grant the flag a veneer of democratic legitimacy—but no one should confuse it for a contemporary democratic symbol. It’s a resurrected emblem, with a uniquely theocratic twist.”

“Regardless, anyone who owns one of these flags knows the most basic message behind it: America needs to be re-won for God. It involves Trump. But the goal will outlast him,” Slate states. (ROOKE: Biden Paints Morbid Picture Of Black College Grads’ Future In Speech Meant To Uplift Them)

In the left’s haste to find a reason to attack what appears to be Alito’s simple patriotism, Slate, The New York Times and others didn’t bother checking whether the “Appeal to Heaven” flag was flown at protests or within movements outside of the “scary” Christians.

Michelle Lhooq wrote a Substack piece called “MIDNIGHT JOYRIDE” that glorified the Black Lives Matter protests. The piece focused on an all-night rave in D.C. hosted by BLM supporters in Black Lives Matter Plaza. The featured image of her post is a D.J. working his booth in front of various signs, including a prominently displayed “Appeal to Heaven” flag.

These publications hate Christianity so much that they are willing to continue to destroy American idealism and patriotism in order to keep the faith out of the mainstream. Their attacks on Alito are not only because they want to sow doubt and confusion about whether he can give an unbiased ruling based on the facts of cases related to Trump or Jan. 6; it’s that they want any mention of Christianity or emergences of it in a positive way to be immediately equated to radicalism and stomped out in its infancy.

This Memorial Day, Americans should be looking at the left’s insanity and treating it as laughable attempts to denigrate the greatest country ever created. Only in America can you find a government created by the people, for the people, with the acknowledgment that it is not the government that bestows our inherent rights but God himself. These rights are protected by our laws and brave veterans who answer the call to risk their lives for these freedoms we hold dear.

While the left is intent on taking these rights away and turning America into a Communist country, for the moment, she is still free. Until that changes, Americans will continue to wave her flag, salute her veterans and pray for the dead.

German police stop Muslim terror attack on synagogue

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German police officers (dpa via AP/Roland Weihrauch)
By Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage Magazine
We hear a lot of talk about “Islamophobia”, but the proportion of Muslim terror plots against other people’s houses of worship is incredible and a truly global phenomenon.
There are so many that all you can do is say, “here’s another one.”
And here’s another one.
German authorities said on Friday that they have arrested two men suspected of plotting a knife attack on worshippers at a synagogue in the southwestern city of Heidelberg, The Associated Press reported.
The pair discussed “the killing of one or more visitors in the attack on the synagogue followed by death as martyrs, whereby the two persons wanted to be shot to death by police,” authorities said in a joint statement quoted by AP.
The two suspects are German citizens, with the 18-year-old also holding Turkish nationality, authorities said. Their names were not released.
One of the Muslim men tried to attack the police.
The 24-year-old, armed with knives, was shot during the search around three weeks ago when he ran towards a police officer and did not respond when spoken to.
He was injured. According to earlier statements by investigators, the suspect suddenly fled out of a window with several kitchen knives during the operation.
There he deliberately threw a knife at a police officer and ran towards him with other knives.
He was doing what his religion taught him to do. And these two men were far from alone. There is a reason this keeps happening over and over again, and it’s not about Israel or even Jews. It’s about Islam.
The sooner we come to terms with that reality, the sooner we can intelligently address the situation

Israel is Losing the Battle for Public Opinion

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Israel is Losing the Battle for Public Opinion

By: TJVNews.com

The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that began on October 7th has been marked not only by physical conflict but also by a significant battle for public opinion. Unfortunately, Israel’s efforts in this sphere have been notably ineffective, revealing a deeper, longstanding inadequacy in its strategic communication and public diplomacy. This failure is not a recent phenomenon but rather a continuation of historical missteps, particularly in addressing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has sought to isolate Israel on multiple fronts.

To understand the root of these failures, one must look at the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, established in 1999 under the leadership of Rabbi Michael Melchior. With a modest budget of approximately $2 million, the ministry aimed to foster better relations between Israel and the Jewish diaspora, combat anti-Semitism, and create educational and experiential programs about Israel..  This initiative was recognition of the need to engage and mobilize the global Jewish community in Israel’s defense on the international stage. However, to say that this kind of paltry budget could ever possibly serve to accomplish the lofty objectives set for it by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs is beyond ridiculous.

However, despite these noble goals, the ministry was temporarily closed in 2007, and its responsibilities were transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office. This closure was indicative of a broader issue: a lack of consistent and coherent strategy in addressing the challenges Israel faced globally. The intermittent nature of the ministry’s existence and its limited budget undermined its ability to make a substantial impact.

Moreover, a problem that has existed for decades is the selection of Israel’s diplomatic corps; those people chosen to represent Israel around the world at consulates and embassies. Chief among the serious issues surrounding these foreign service personnel is that a great many of them are not fluent in English and are totally incapable of establishing effective contacts with the media. Be it in New York City, Washington or any city in the world, creating an efficacious media apparatus must be Israel’s main priority.


It is also noteworthy to mention that many Israeli foreign service personnel, particularly in New York City have been selected to serve not because of their stellar credentials or serious work ethic, but because of reasons that are highly suspect. In other words, the consulate and embassy personnel are those that Israel desires to place abroad as they are considered malcontents, trouble makers and those with an agenda that roils the Israeli establishment. As such, the personnel, once stationed in New York or elsewhere do not take their jobs seriously as was evidenced on previous occasions when diplomatic personnel hit the New York City night life scene with frequent appearances at the trendiest clubs and discos, Some had brushes with law enforcement, which reflected quite negatively on Israel’s image.

The BDS movement, launched in 2005, has aimed to exert economic, cultural, and academic pressure on Israel to achieve various political goals. Despite its significant impact, the Israeli government’s response has often been reactive rather than proactive. Instead of crafting a comprehensive and positive narrative that highlights Israel’s contributions to the world and its legitimate security concerns, the response has often been defensive, focusing on debunking BDS claims without offering a compelling counter-narrative.

This failure to effectively counter the BDS movement’s narrative has allowed the movement to gain traction, particularly in academic and cultural institutions. The movement’s success lies in its ability to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in simplistic terms of oppressor and oppressed, a narrative that resonates strongly with audiences unfamiliar with the complexities of the situation. Israel’s inability to present a nuanced and positive image of itself has led to increasing isolation and criticism.

Over a decade ago, the current Israeli UN ambassador Gilad Erdan them held the position in the government as Minister of Interior as well as heading up the Diaspora Affairs ministry. At that juncture, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs which was tasked with promulgating an effective public relations campaign has a $24 million budget to ensure its success. Unfortunately, no such campaign was undertaken due to infighting within the government and Erdan’s involvement in it.

During the 2023-2024 conflict with Hamas, the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs attempted to step up its efforts by organizing delegations of security personnel from the Baltic states, Brazil, and Belgium to help combat anti-Semitic attacks. Additionally, in response to the global rise in anti-Semitism, the ministry allocated $2.2 million for protecting Jewish institutions and programs in Jewish schools.

While these efforts are commendable, they are reactive and limited in scope. The failure to communicate a positive and cohesive narrative during the conflict has resulted in widespread criticism and a lack of support from the international community. The ministry’s initiatives, though well-intentioned, have not addressed the root issue: the need for a strategic and positive communication campaign that can shift public opinion in Israel’s favor.

In January 2024, a report by the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University called for the dismantling of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. The report criticized the ministry as being politically motivated, lacking vision, and promoting few initiatives. It recommended that the ministry’s responsibilities be transferred to the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, echoing sentiments from Israeli diplomats who believed the ministry was ineffective.

This critique highlights a fundamental problem: the lack of a coherent and well-resourced strategy to combat anti-Semitism and improve Israel’s global image. The ministry’s limited budget and political motivations have hampered its ability to carry out its mission effectively.

To address these ongoing failures, Israel needs to overhaul its approach to public diplomacy. This involves not only better funding and organization but also a shift in strategy. Israel must focus on proactive and positive messaging that highlights its democratic values, technological innovations, and contributions to global welfare. This includes creating compelling content that resonates with diverse audiences while effectively utilizing digital platforms to disseminate this content.

Moreover, there needs to be a concerted effort to engage with and educate the international community about the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, countering simplistic narratives that paint Israel in a negative light.

Israel’s ability to manage its image and narrative on the global stage has been consistently under scrutiny, particularly during conflicts such as the 2023-2024 war with Hamas. A critical element missing from Israel’s public diplomacy efforts is the effective engagement with Jewish media outlets worldwide, which could serve as powerful allies in shaping public perception. This failure reflects broader issues within Israel’s “hasbara” or public diplomacy strategy, which have long been criticized by both Israeli officials and Jewish media leaders.

Eylon Levy, a former Israeli government spokesperson, criticized the current state of Israel’s public diplomacy as “improvised,” highlighting the absence of a structured civilian communication effort. Levy emphasized the need for formalized and institutionalized communication channels that can operate effectively both in crisis and in peacetime, according to a report on The Jewish Insider web site. This ad-hoc approach has hindered Israel’s ability to build and maintain productive relationships with Jewish media outlets, which are crucial for disseminating Israel’s perspective and countering negative narratives.

Jewish media outlets, both in print and electronic forms, have expressed frustration with the Israeli government’s lack of engagement. Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of the Forward, pointed out that while Jewish media are often at the forefront of addressing anti-Semitism and providing nuanced coverage of Israel-related issues, there is a disconnect in their relationship with the Israeli government​, as was reported in The Forward. This disconnect limits their ability to receive timely and accurate information, which is essential for breaking major news stories and for the purposes of effectively countering misinformation.

Israeli media have also scrutinized the government’s messaging strategy. Haaretz, a prominent left-wing Israeli newspaper, has been critical of the government’s failure to maintain a consistent and effective public relations campaign. The publication highlighted instances of misinformation and inadequate responses to negative press, which have contributed to Israel’s struggles in the information war​, according to Newstral.

A joint statement published by over 30 Jewish media outlets worldwide highlighted the rise of anti-Semitism in the wake of the 2023-2024 conflict and called for better coordination and support from Israeli authorities​,  according to a report in Israel Hayom.  Despite these calls, many Jewish media professionals feel that their potential as strategic partners in Israel’s public diplomacy is underutilized.

Israeli officials and media experts have acknowledged the shortcomings in the current hasbara efforts. Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesperson, noted the importance of a well-structured communication strategy that includes professional, non-military spokespeople who can engage effectively with international and Jewish media. The Jewish Insider reported that Conricus advocated for the hiring of dedicated communication professionals, including social media experts and fact-checkers, to enhance Israel’s ability to manage its narrative​​.

Moreover, Matt Krieger, CEO of Gova10, a strategic communications firm, and the chief communications officer for a campaign to release Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin from Hamas captivity, emphasized the need for a more transactional relationship with key journalists. Krieger argued that building deep, lasting relationships with media professionals is crucial for ensuring consistent and favorable coverage​, as explained in The Jewish Insider report.  This sentiment is echoed by other media analysts who stress the importance of continuous engagement and information sharing, rather than sporadic interactions during crises.

To address these deficiencies, Israel must adopt a more strategic and inclusive approach to public diplomacy. This involves:

Institutionalizing Communication Efforts: Establishing a permanent, well-funded communication structure that operates effectively both during crises and in regular times.

Engaging Jewish Media: Proactively building relationships with Jewish media outlets worldwide, ensuring they have access to accurate and timely information.

Professionalizing Public Diplomacy: Hiring skilled professionals in various fields, including social media, graphic design, and fact-checking, to support a comprehensive and proactive communication strategy.

In conclusion, Israel’s failure to effectively leverage Jewish media outlets is a significant gap in its public diplomacy efforts. By addressing these structural and strategic shortcomings, Israel can better harness the influence and networks of Jewish media to support its messaging and counteract negative narratives on the global stage.

 

 

Movie Review: This is her, now, in space: J.Lo heads to a new galaxy for AI love story in ‘Atlas’

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(AP)Let’s all be clear, if we weren’t already, that when it comes to Jennifer Lopez, it’s about the love story. Always the love story.
J.Lo the pop star, singing about rekindled love on her latest album, “This is Me … Now.” J.Lo the rom-com regular, making movies about seeking love (including the extremely autobiographical film of the same name.) J.Lo the real-life celebrity goddess, in countless headlines about … what else?
Love, for better or worse.
And so if we tell you that now, we have J.Lo in “Atlas,” playing a data analyst who travels to a planet populated solely by evil AI bots preparing to extinguish humanity, well, your only question really should be, “Where’s the love story?”
Glad you asked! Because there is one. It may not be with a human. It may actually be with a computer program. But there is one. Because “Atlas,” an often ridiculous sci-fi epic with dialogue cheesier than a Brie wheel but also an old-fashioned, human heart o’ gold, is a J.Lo movie. Through and through.
We’ll give the filmmakers some credit: “Atlas,” directed by Brad Peyton (“San Andreas”) is timely. And not just because Lopez has been in the news lately, but because the subject is AI — which has been in the news even more than Bennifer, believe it or not.
We begin our story on Earth, way off into the future, at a time where someone can say “Remember there used to be things called smartphones?” and everyone laughs. A montage of news reports informs us that things have not been going well for the human race. AI, created to advance humanity, has turned against it, killing over 1 million civilians.
The evil AI leader is Harlan (Simu Liu), who after turning on humanity has escaped to an unknown location far from Earth. But when an associate of his, Casca, is captured on Earth, the head of ICN, a coalition of nations fighting the AI menace, calls on Atlas Shepherd (Lopez) to help question him. Who better than the woman who’s devoted her life to the hunt for Harlan?
We learn Atlas is not a happy person. Also, she’s addicted to coffee – quad Americanos, to be precise. And she hates — absolutely hates — AI, for reasons unknown.
Anyway, Atlas deftly manages to obtain Harlan’s location from Casca, and soon finds herself begging to join a mission to his far-off planet to capture the villainous bot, with whom she shares a mysterious past connection. At first, mission commander Banks (Sterling K. Brown) objects strenuously, but quickly and rather illogically changes his mind. (Both Liu and Brown deserve much better roles than the generic, lifeless ones they’re given.)
Soon they’re off, to GR-39 in the Andromeda galaxy, where the ICN space rangers fall into a disastrous trap laid by Harlan. It’s here that Atlas meets the most important other person in the movie — well, not a person. It’s her AI software, who proves her crucial ally once Atlas is forced to crash land, in her mechanized battle suit, onto the planet.
The key issue is trust-building. Atlas, as we said, doesn’t trust AI. As the two get to know each other, the software gives himself (he has a “default” male voice) a name: Smith.
Atlas: “Is that really necessary?” Smith: “Names create an emotional reaction.” Atlas: “You’re a computer program.”
The plan consists of finding Harlan, defeating his dastardly plot to destroy humanity and getting off the planet – all while hopefully staying alive. At every step, Smith informs Atlas with all the data at his disposal how precisely desperate the odds are. This results in some amusing banter as Smith, voiced by Gregory James Cohan, “learns” sarcasm and humor.
As for Atlas, she needs to learn how to let down her guard – or rather, her brain walls. Her mistrust of AI leads her to stubbornly refuse (at first) Smith’s entreaties to use the “neural link” — a pathway into each other’s brains — that will vastly enhance Atlas’ chances of survival, combining her analytic capacity with Smith’s data access.
Harlan doesn’t appear until halfway into the movie, and we soon learn something about the tragic past he shares with Atlas. In any case, it’s Smith, not Harlan, that ultimately evokes real feeling from Atlas — and gives Lopez a chance to emote, which she does reasonably well given the mediocre dialogue. You could call it a futuristic triangle: Human, bad AI, good AI.
Who will win out? Our protocol, as Smith would say, doesn’t allow us to give spoilers. But you can guess one idea that emerges shining bright: It’s a four letter word that starts with “L.”
“Atlas,” a Netflix release, has been Rated PG-13 “for strong sci-fi violence, action, bloody images and strong language.” Running time: 118 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
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