bmy88 logo

Unlike most true crime documentaries, Chiefsaholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing (now streaming on Amazon Prime Video) was lucky enough to have first-person access to the perpetrator in-between his malfeasances. Director Dylan Sires hung out with Xaviar Babudar while he was on bail following his arrest for a string of high-profile bank robberies, and before he jumped bail, prompting a multi-state manhunt. Why would Babudar agree to be in the film in the first place? Well, he’s a bit of an attention hog: He’s a Kansas City Chiefs superfan, famous among the team’s diehard followers for his head-to-toe wolf costume and viral social media presence, where he was known as “Chiefsaholic.” His fellow Chiefs nuts always wondered how Babudar could afford to travel across the country and buy premium seats to all the away games and, well, here’s your answer, fishbulb: The hundreds of thousands of dollars he stole funded his excursions. And the story only gets wilder and more complex from there. CHIEFSAHOLIC: A WOLF IN CHIEFS CLOTHING : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT? The Gist: Feb. 12, 2023: Super Bowl Sunday. The Chiefs are playing the Philadelphia Eagles for all the marbles. We hang out with Babudar in a hotel room as he watches the game on TV, wearing a shirt bearing the likeness of Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and an ankle monitor. He seems more worked up about the game than the fact that he’s facing a cumulative 350 years in prison for 19 counts of armed robbery for snatching $846,000 from banks and allegedly laundering $1 million – so there’s no questioning his true fandom, and anyone who invests a bit too much of themselves in the success of a sports team (guilty!) can relate, because when YOUR TEAM is playing, the rest of the world just drops away for a couple of hours. Anyway. Now we jump back to Dec., 2022. We hear 911 audio from a bank employee in Bixby, Oklahoma and watch police bodycam footage outlining a chase. Babudar held up a credit union and took off on a bicycle, and eventually was apprehended on a suburban street with a backpack full of cash and a bb gun. Who is this guy? Just ask a bunch of lovable weirdos who paint themselves red every Sunday during football season, or host obsessive Chiefs podcasts, or hop in their Chiefs-themed party buses and tailgate their asses off. They know him as Chiefsaholic, the guy in the wolf costume who turns up at every game and posts crazy memes and fan videos on twitter to tens of thousands of followers. We meet one fan who says she couldn’t wait to see his pregame video post every gameday. Everybody knew Chiefsaholic, that he was a gregarious personality who hated hated hated the Las Vegas Raiders, but nobody really knew who he was. When his Twitter account went silent in Dec. of 2022, and he didn’t show up at games, people got worried. Was he sick? Was he dead? Was he (cough) in jail? At this point, the doc starts filling in some of Babudar’s biography. He’s homeless, living out of his car. His father abandoned his family, and he and his brother ended up being taken away from his mother, who committed many petty crimes. His criminal record included a handful of misdemeanors for theft. And he was a serial gambler. One Chiefs fan tells a story of how Babudar bet $80,000 on a game, lost, and didn’t seem to be bothered by it. Now we meet Michael Lloyd, the bail bondsman who read Babudar’s story of childhood hardship and posts his $80,000 bail – the family stole to feed themselves, Lloyd says, justifying his decision, although it’s worth noting something not mentioned in the film, namely, that a bail bondsman makes a percentage of the bail amount, so he stood to score a solid payday for springing Babudar. This catches us up to Babudar in the hotel room watching the Super Bowl with more than just his happiness at stake – we learn he stands to score $155,000 because, prior to the season and his arrest, he bet on the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl and Mahomes being named MVP. It’s no secret that both of those things happened. And this is when Lloyd starts to sweat heavily beneath his pasted-on toupee. A guy facing a zillion criminal charges with a pocketful of cash is what you call a flight risk. And if a client bolts, the bail bondsman becomes a bounty hunter, and is on the hook for the $80k and at threat of losing his license if he doesn’t haul in the fugitive. And bolt is exactly what Babudar does. What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Chiefsaholic is like the documentary How to Rob a Bank crossed with Patton Oswalt-plays-a-toxic-New-York-Giants-fan fiction film Big Fan . Performance Worth Watching: Instead of highlighting what a slippery weirdo Babudar’s lawyer is, let’s acknowledge Payton Garcia, the Iowa credit union teller who gamely and confidently represents all the people the robber traumatized by pointing a gun at them. Memorable Dialogue: The cop who nabbed Babudar, L. Sanchez, rubbed it in: “I’m a Raiders fan,” Sanchez said. “A Raiders fan just arrested you.” Sex and Skin: None. Our Take: Many true crime docs tend to sensationalize their stories, but this one doesn’t need to. It’s pretty sensational on its own, and Sires capitalizes on its twists and turns, shifting from following Babudar to being embedded with Lloyd as the bail bondsman, with a good chunk of change on the line, hunts his bounty. Lloyd tails Babudar’s mother and brother, who are also homeless and living out of a car, waiting for them to leave the vehicle so he can tag it with a tracking device or search through their trash for clues. (A weird sideplot almost emerges here, as Lloyd and Sires fail to suss out why Babudar’s family members visit various Targets and WalMarts so frequently; Lloyd finds return receipts in their garbage, leading one to assume that they’re perpetrating some petty fraud.) So Chiefsaholic isn’t just a retrospective documentary full of talking heads and archival footage – Sires renders it visually and dramatically dynamic, mixing in Lloyd’s on-location stakeouts (Dylan is present when Lloyd finds Babudar’s abandoned ankle monitor in the hotel room), reenactments and police footage. It’s tense and fascinating, and worries that the film wouldn’t justify its two-hour runtime were unfounded. Thematically, the story is quite the rich milieu: The portrait of extreme fandom doesn’t tell the whole story, but part of Babudar’s motive to rob banks surely had something to do with it; his gambling (which Babudar calls “an addiction” at one point) and family history play significant parts too. Social media toxicity is part of the film’s narrative, as Babudar’s online admirers leapt to defend him despite his fairly cut-and-dried guilt. Dylan also lucks into a subplot about the questionable ethics of bail bondsmen who stand to capitalize on springing volatile criminals from jail, although they do assume significant risk. And just when the doc risks becoming a sympathetic platform for Babudar, the other shoe drops and we’re subject to Garcia’s story of the emotional trauma she suffered; the mother of two feared for her life during the robbery, and couldn’t return to work afterward, a firsthand account that immediately punctures the flimsy and desperate defense put forth by Babudar’s lawyer, who insists that “nobody was hurt” during the robberies. This is a fascinating, well-constructed documentary. Our Call: Chiefsaholic is such an excellent film, it doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with the rest of the true crime dreck out there. STREAM IT. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.bmy88 logo 。

A year with Javier MileiD ear Heloise: I wanted to write in concerning not using rugs and towels at animal shelters. I have to wonder what sort of “shelter” is being offered to dogs and cats where it gets so cold and wet that the cloth can freeze. Not to mention the possibility of the poor animal freezing to death! Are they saying these indoor animals are being kept outside? Or are their facilities not being properly heated and dry? This is shocking to me! I hope they can explain themselves. — Frank F., Ventura, California Frank, the letter was referring to feral cats and other outdoor animals. Shelter cats and dogs usually have a better situation than those that are born wild or mistreated by their owners. In my opinion, no animal should be kept outside in the winter if they have owners with a warm house. Sadly, there are too many abandoned cats and dogs that have no one to look after them, making their existence difficult and their lives short. Straw is the best solution to helping these animals stay warm, provided that there is plenty of straw to snuggle in for warmth inside of some type of enclosure. There are a variety of such houses for animals online, and most aren’t expensive. — Heloise Dear Heloise: I often use paper-towel rolls and toilet-paper rolls to keep artificial flower stems together. I also cut them lengthwise to put on gift-wrapping paper rolls. If the paper roll is too thin to keep a cardboard roll on, then I use a rubber band to secure the roll. Your readers have given me so much I can use. I thank you and thank them, too. — Jackie, Colorado Springs, Colorado Jackie, I like your cardboard roll ideas. Lately, I’ve received several letters stating that readers use the cardboard roll in paper towels and toilet paper to start a fire in their fireplace. Some also use a toilet roll of cardboard to gather a number of loose cords together. Others use a paper-towel roll to wrap tree lights around when putting them into storage. All of these are great ideas, as well. — Heloise Dear Heloise: Our glass pie plates wouldn’t get clean, so my husband had the successful idea to use a ceramic cooktop cleaner! The pie plates are sparkling now! — Connie B., Universal City, Texas Dear Heloise: My mom was never really happy with any gift I gave her. Since she relied on Social Security, money was tight, so I started to give her a goody box. I usually used an empty paper box and filled it with toiletries and products that I knew she used. I also included postage stamps and gift cards for car washes. She would love her goody box and looked forward to it every year. One year, my aunt was visiting from the old country at Christmas, so I made up a smaller box for her. I found out that she loved a certain brand of canned corn, so I included six cans. She was over the moon! It was also easy for me, as I would add things to the box all year long, making it easier on my time and budget. — Liz N., via email Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Issues, Challenges that Shaped Telecoms Sector in 2024DZS Inc. director Matthew Bross acquires $875 in common stock

Political will ‘all that is needed’ for new crossing points, UN’s Stewart says

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An Argentine court on Tuesday dropped aggravated sexual assault charges against two professional French rugby players accused of raping a woman after playing a match in the country earlier this year. The judge in Mendoza, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of the capital, Buenos Aires, dismissed the case against the 21-year-old athletes, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jégou, citing insufficient evidence. “The facts under investigation do not constitute a crime," the court said. The explosive case began in July, when a 39-year-old Argentine woman filed a police complaint alleging that she was beaten, choked and repeatedly raped by the rugby players in their Mendoza hotel room. The rugby players have admitted to having sex with the plaintiff — whom they met at during an alcohol-fueled club night after their July 7 victory against Argentina’s Pumas — but insisted that the encounter was consensual. They were held in preventive custody, then placed under house arrest, for a month. The defense said the dismissal reinforced their faith in the justice system. “I think it will be a turning point,” Germán Hnatow, an attorney representing one of the two players, told Radio Mitre Mendoza, a local radio station. "There are many false accusations in terms of sexual crimes, in terms of gender violence, which cause harm.” The plaintiff can appeal the ruling. She has not said whether she intends to and her defense lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Over the past few months, the case slowly unraveled as the defense punched holes in the woman’s description of events. Citing questionable evidence presented before the court — including WhatsApp voice messages the plaintiff sent to her friend joking and boasting about the rough sex she had with them — the prosecution in September approved the athletes' return to France under certain conditions . The plaintiff's lawyer has explained any inconsistencies in her account as the result of her “shock and extreme stress.” She underwent physical examinations as part of the investigation and was found to have an acute bleeding ulcer and other injuries that she claimed were related to her assault. Dragging on for several months, the investigation has stunned the French rugby world. The French Rugby Federation expressed its “relief and satisfaction" with the judge's decision. It said the athletes, who had been suspended due to the seriousness of the allegations, would be eligible to return to the national team “if their sporting performances allow for it.” It wasn't the only scandal to hit the touring French team during its stay in Argentina. The federation separately fined and suspended French fullback Melvyn Jaminet for 34 weeks over a racist outburst that he posted on social media. The federation said that this close shave with the law served as a reminder “of the need to create new conditions to prevent and avoid risky behavior in high-level rugby, in order to train responsible and exemplary players.” Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-americaChad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the DEA, withdraws name from considerationDuvet know it's Christmas? From cozying up near the washing machine to spooning below a human-shaped punching bag - Brits share their temporary sleeping arrangements ahead of family festivities

Penn State lands No. 1 Pa. prospect in last-minute 2025 recruiting win over MichiganNoneSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer clears the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath, attorneys for plaintiffs in the civil suit said Tuesday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer clears the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath, attorneys for plaintiffs in the civil suit said Tuesday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The conclusion of a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer clears the way for a related civil lawsuit by relatives of the deceased woman and efforts to depose the actor under oath, attorneys for plaintiffs in the civil suit said Tuesday. At a news conference in Los Angeles, victims’ rights attorney Gloria Allred said that the parents and younger sister of deceased cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were disappointed that prosecutors won’t appeal the dismissal of an involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin. The criminal charge against Baldwin was dismissed halfway through trial in July on allegations that police and prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense. Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during a rehearsal in the movie “Rust” in October 2021 at a film-set ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baldwin, the lead actor and coproducer, was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired. Allred said Hutchins’ relatives are determined to pursue damages and compensation from Baldwin and “Rust” producers in New Mexico civil court, and want Baldwin to answer questions under oath in the proceedings. Hutchins’ widower and son previously reached a separate legal settlement. “With the withdrawal that was made public yesterday, we are now able to proceed with our civil case,” Allred said. “Clearly, the rights of Alec Baldwin were protected, but the due process rights of the victims — Halyna Hutchins and her parents and her sister — were violated.” Allred said she’s ready to prove that Hutchins had a close relationship with her parents and sister — a prerequisite for seeking civil damages. In November court filings in the civil lawsuit, Baldwin denied allegations that he was negligent or at fault in the shooting of Hutchins and sought to suspend the case. Attorneys for Baldwin could not immediately be reached Tuesday. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Allred read a statement from Hutchins’ sister, Svetlana Zemko, that said, “Mr. Baldwin must be held accountable.” In April, a judge sentenced movie weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed to the maximum of 1 1/2 years at a state penitentiary on an involuntary manslaughter conviction in Hutchins’ death. Allred condemned New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez for declining to appeal the dismissal of the criminal charge against Baldwin, calling him “the Grinch who stole Christmas” at the Christmas Eve news conference. Torrez spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez defended the decision in an email, citing “significant procedural irregularities” identified by the judge in the criminal case. “Attorney General Torrez will not prolong the grief and anguish of Ms. Hutchins’ family in the vain attempt to salvage the compromised criminal case against Mr. Baldwin,” Rodriguez said. “There are other victims’ families in Santa Fe County and across New Mexico who are awaiting justice, and our energy needs to be devoted to supporting those cases on appeal.” Advertisement Advertisement

South Korea martial law: Canada, other countries urge caution to travellers

GameStop's GME.N shares jumped on Thursday after a cryptic post from meme stock influencer Keith Gill, who shot to notoriety after his online personas and bullish bets on the video game retailer sparked a trading frenzy among mom-and-pop investors. Gill posted a picture of a Time magazine cover with a computer screen on social media platform X. Following his post, GameStop's shares spiked, being last up 13% in late afternoon trading. Known as "Roaring Kitty" on YouTube and "DeepF***ingValue" on Reddit's RDDT.N popular WallStreetBets, Gill was a key figure in the so-called "Reddit rally", in which GameStop stock surged 1,600% at one point in Jan. 2021, crushing hedge funds that had bet against the videogame retailer. On Thursday, about 300,000 GameStop options contracts had changed hands by 2:14 p.m. (1914 GMT), at about 1.5 times the usual pace, according to data from options analytics firm Trade Alert. Meme stocks: Dogecoin soars on Trump's presidency win. Here's why that's not just a fad. Invest wisely: Best online brokers The stock's 30-day implied volatility — how much traders expect the shares to move around over the short term — jumped to a 3-week high of 132%, up from 93% in the previous session, data showed. Contracts betting on the shares finishing above $30 by Friday were the most actively traded options, with some 32,000 of them traded by late afternoon. Gill resurfaced on social media earlier in 2024, after a three-year hiatus leading to a deluge of excited messages from his followers, many of whom have likened the social media phenomenon to a David who took on Wall Street's Goliaths and won. The meme stock rally in 2021 was set off by Gill's posts on WallStreetBets subreddit about the gains he had made on his investments in the highly shorted firm. The rally spread to other highly shorted stocks including AMC AMC.N as Reddit users banded together to squeeze bearish hedge funds, costing them billions in losses and drawing scrutiny from U.S. regulators. The entire episode inspired Craig Gillespie's 2023 movie "Dumb Money". Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru and Saqib Iqbal Ahmed in New York; Editing by Alan Barona

Join us live from Arizona for a Fiesta Bowl preview with Boise State, Penn State sports reporters

Florida Lawmaker's Party Switch Increases Republican Supermajority in the HouseNone

Basic Stock Investment Training Course 001/2025 Online Class will be opened between 18 January and 15 February 2025 every Saturday with Microsoft Teams Application. This course is to share know-how of the stock market which plays a key role in the development of developing countries through online platforms, listed companies on the exchange, roles of security companies and investment knowledge before buying stocks of listed companies. This course is tailored to those studying economics and finance, interested in stock investment, working for public companies, aiming to work for banking and financial companies and willing to make long-term investments. Daw Kyi Kyi Khin Swe, director of Myanmar Security Exchange Commission, U Saw Mya Aye, deputy director of Myanmar Security Exchange Commission, U Min Thu, Executive Senior Manager of YSX, Daw Phyu Pyar Lin, Deputy Senior Manager, U Thet Tun Oo, Deputy Managing Director of CB Securities Limited, Ma Hnin Wai Zin, Vice President, AYA Trust Securities Co Ltd, U Aung Thein Tun, (Chartered MCSI) Managing Director, Institute of Business & Investment Management (IBIM), U Min Han Tun, (CFA) Co-Founder and Academic Director, Matrix Institute of Professionals (MIP)/ CFA Steering Committee and Dr Sithu Phyo, (CFA) Director, Trust Venture Partners/Myanmar Institute of Business (MIB) will be trainers of the courses. They are also trainers serving the exchange and experts with profound experience in the finance and investment industry. The modules are Legal Structure of Securities Market, Listing on YSX: Criteria and Listing Process on 18 January, Basic Principles of Stock Trading and Overview of Capital Markets on 25 January, Role of Securities Companies and Pre IPO and IPO Process on 1 February, Understanding AML/CFT in Securities Market and Trading Stocks Technically on 8 February and Introduction to Corporate Finance and Introduction to Fundamental Analysis / International Stock Market on 15 February respectively. A virtual link will be sent to the email of the trainees. Presentation PPT, Lecturer Videos, and analysis questions will be uploaded on the YSX Online Basic Stock Investment Training Course 001/2025 Telegram Channel. Trainees can visit and study at any time and save the videos. The trainees must submit answers to analysis questions every week. They can receive a completion certificate with an over 80 per cent grade. Those enthusiastic can register through the YSX Online Booking system https://ysx-mm.com/events/001-2025-online-class/ before 4 pm on 17 January 2025. The course fee is K35,000 which can be transferred to the i-Banking account of KBZ Bank (Kanna Branch) with the Account Name: Yangon Stock Exchange Joint-Venture Company Limited. YSX JV Co Ltd and Account No 21910321900111301, Wave Pay Account (Daw Ei Thinzar Thet, 09 692862428) and KBZ Pay Account (Daw Myint Kay Khine, 09 254 326 388). Individuals can enquire about the course details through 01 371274 during office hours and the YSX Facebook messenger. — NN/KKAppetizers like cheese platters and quick dips, side dishes like roasted carrots or mashed potatoes , and desserts like cookies or brownies can be quick options to prepare in a pinch–but you’ll still need the ingredients. Luckily, some stores are open on Christmas, so you can make a quick run for those last-minute items. If shopping at bulk retailers is your go-to, however, you might be wondering: Is Sam’s Club open on Christmas? Is Sam’s Club Open on Christmas Day? Unfortunately, Sam’s Club will be closed on Christmas Day. This closure allows employees to enjoy the holiday with their families, so if you’re planning to shop there, make sure to get what you need ahead of time. Is Sam’s Club Open on Christmas Eve? While the popular warehouse will—without a doubt—be closed on Christmas Day, Sam’s Club will be open on Christmas Eve. For those who need to stop by on Christmas Eve, though, you’ll want to get in early as the website notes that locations will only be open until 6 p.m. local time. This, however, still gives shoppers a chance to grab bulk groceries, last-minute gifts or kitchen essentials to prepare for holiday celebrations. If you’re unsure what you’ll need for unexpected guests or meal prep, stock up on a few items for quick appetizers or desserts to stay prepared.

PRSA Sierra Nevada Congratulates 2024 Award WinnersNASA Accelerates Space Exploration, Earth Science for All in 2024

Re: Liberals to offer GST break What a joke! Throw the dog a few table scraps! We are sick and tired of your phoney tricks and latest shell game — corruption, scams and scandals ongoing for the past nine years! Jagmeet, do the honourable thing. Put the people ahead of you pension. You are a flip flopping hypocrite. Quit selling Canadians out. We want an election now. Let the Canadian people decide. Greg Snider, Creston,Bhad Bhabie is ready to have more kids! Or is she? That's the question that fans of hers are asking right now following concerning video making the rounds on social media. It appears that her significant other, Le Vaughn, shared the clip to his page and it's got people terrified for the rapper's well-being. We can see where viewers are coming from, as the internet star seems a little scared while answering his questions. "And we're gonna have how many more [kids]?" "Two," Bhabie squeaks out. "When?" Le Vaughn bluntly asks. She takes a gulp and replies, "After my treatment." "What treatment?" he says. Her face and body language changes and she seems a little more settled down. However, this is when things get even more frightening. "After my medicine," Bhad Bhabie reveals. Following her last answer, she looks extremely on edge and uncertain of what is about to happen next. This whole video comes across as a really big job interview and it sounds like Le Vaughn was coaching on her how to respond for the video. To get the full effect of what we are describing, you can view the unsettling clip below. Read More: Best Comments On HotNewHipHop From The Drake & Kendrick Lamar Saga Again, things sort of go back to normal after Le Vaughn appears to joke about having 10 kids in total. Still, fans, especially other women, are noticing some off-putting signs. "I mean I know she is sick but something else seems off.... Is it me or she looks a little scared?" one IG user wonders. Others called back to the messy and still murky alleged physical abuse that Le Vaughn laid on Bhad Bhabie. If you remember, she was severely beat up and bruised following the altercation at their home. One fan fears more of that could be in her future, writing, "That's the look of an abused and scared woman in my opinion. Prayers for her and her child 🙏" We too are hoping for the best, but it will be interesting to see how she responds to these reactions if she so chooses. Read More: Kendrick Lamar "GNX" Review

NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign insist they simply didn't have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump, pointing to “ferocious" political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in the 107-day period after President Joe Biden stepped aside. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign insist they simply didn't have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump, pointing to “ferocious" political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in the 107-day period after President Joe Biden stepped aside. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign insist they simply didn’t have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump, pointing to “ferocious” political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in the 107-day period after President Joe Biden stepped aside. Harris’ leadership team, speaking on the “Pod Save America” podcast that aired on Tuesday, defended strategic decisions over the campaign’s closing days, some of which have faced scrutiny in the weeks since Trump’s decisive victory. Specifically, they defended Harris’ outreach to Republican voters, her unwillingness to distance herself from Biden, her silence on Trump’s attacks on her transgender policies and her inability to schedule an interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan. “In a 107-day race, it is very difficult to do all the things you would normally do in a year and a half, two years,” said Harris campaign senior adviser Jen O’Malley Dillon. David Plouffe, another senior adviser, added, “There was a price to be paid for the short campaign.” The pointed reflections on Harris’ loss came just before she was scheduled to host a conference call with supporters as the party begins a painful process of self-examination. Trump won every swing state and made gains among key voting groups traditionally aligned with Democrats — young voters and voters of color, among them. Harris’ team did not question the legitimacy of Trump’s victory. “We lost,” O’Malley Dillon said. But none of the Harris’ advisers acknowledged any mistakes during the wide-ranging podcast interview hosted by former Democratic operatives. Instead, they indicated that Harris had few options given the compressed timeframe and the broad anti-incumbent headwinds that have challenged elected officials across the world. They also gave Trump’s team some credit. They specifically pointed to Trump’s closing attack ad, which highlighted Harris’ support for taxpayer-funded sex reassignment surgeries for transgender prisoners. “Obviously, it was a very effective ad at the end,” said Harris deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks. “I think that it made her seem out of touch.” The campaign tested several potential response ads but, in the end, decided it was best to avoid a specific rebuttal. “There’s no easy answers to this,” O’Malley Dillon said. Plouffe said he thought the Trump attack ad against “Bidenomics” was even more effective, but he acknowledged that the transgender attacks were not helpful. “She was on tape,” he said. “Surgery for trans people who want to transition in prison was part of the Biden-Harris platform in 2020. It was part of what the administration did, right?” And while the campaign has faced lingering questions about its media strategy, Harris’ team said she actually wanted to participate in a podcast with Rogan, who is among the world’s most popular podcasters and ultimately endorsed Trump. Stephanie Cutter, another Harris senior adviser, said the campaign wasn’t able to “find a date” to make it work. “We had discussions with Joe Rogan’s team. They were great. They wanted us to come on. We wanted to come on,” she said. “Will she do it sometime in the future? Maybe. Who knows. But it didn’t ultimately impact the outcome one way or the other.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Plouffe noted that the campaign offered to do the Rogan podcast on the road in Austin, Texas. Trump ultimately did his interview with Rogan in the podcaster’s studio. Harris’ campaign brass also defended her decision to court moderate Republicans in the campaign’s closing days. The decision has drawn ire from some progressives, who believe Harris should have worked harder to turn out more traditional Democratic voters. “This political environment sucked, OK? We were dealing with ferocious headwinds,” Plouffe said. “So we had a complicated puzzle to put together here in terms of the voters.” He acknowledged some “drift” toward Trump among non-college-educated voters, particularly voters of color, which made Harris’ outreach to moderate voters even more important. “Yes, of course you have to maximize your turnout and your vote share amongst liberal voters if you’re a Democrat. That was a huge focus,” he said. He added, “You’ve got to couple that with dominating in the middle. Not just winning it a little. We have to dominate the moderate vote.” Advertisement Advertisement