Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate for president, talked about how a part of an interview where he said there’s “no vaccine that is safe and effective” was “misused” on Friday.

“I said that on Lex Fridman[’s] podcast,” Kennedy said on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday. Host Maher agreed with him.

Kennedy explained, “And, it was an answer to a question that Lex had asked me about, ‘Are there any vaccines’ — and if you go back and look at this, ‘cause that statement has been misused, I would never say that.”

He continued, “What I said was, he asked me ‘Are there any vaccines that are safe and effective?’ And I said, ‘It appears like some of the live virus vaccines, appear to be both safe and effective.’”

“And then I said, ‘There are no vaccines that are safe and effective,’ and I was gonna continue that sentence, ‘If you ask for the product to be measured against other medical products with placebo-controlled double-blind studies.’ Lex interrupted me.”

In a podcast episode from July 2023, Kennedy said that “some of the live virus vaccines are probably averting more problems than they’re causing,” when asked if he could “name any vaccines that” he thinks “are good.”

“There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective,” Kennedy continued before Fridman started speaking again.

Kennedy has been criticized in the past for his anti-vaccine views, even by his own family. His niece, Maeve Kennedy McKean, and siblings former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D) and former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) wrote in a Politico column from 2019 that his anti-vaccination work is “wrong” and “dangerous.”

Kennedy told Maher during the Friday night appearance that he is not “anti-vaccine,” but that the label is a “way of silencing” him.

“I’m called that because it’s a way of silencing me, but I have said for 17 years, I’m not anti-vaccine. I just want good science. People should be able to make informed choices,” Kennedy said.

“I am against vaccine mandates,” Kennedy added.

Vice President Harris talked about how people criticize her laugh in an interview coming soon.

She said people often like to make fun of famous people when they trip or fall, and they also talk about her laugh.

“In particular, sometimes they’ll show me little things that just amuse me,” she said.

She explained that the women in her life, especially those sitting around the kitchen table, were always laughing.

She said she would never stop laughing because of this.

“I have my mother’s laugh. And I grew up around a bunch of women in particular who laugh from the belly,” she said.

She advised others who face criticism to not let other people’s opinions change how they act.

“Don’t be confined to other people’s perception about what this looks like, and … how you should act in order to be right,” she said.

The full interview, focusing on her time in the White House as the first female vice president, will be shown on “The Drew Barrymore Show” on Monday.

The Biden administration is taking a big step to fight climate change by making new rules for power plants.

These rules will finally reduce the amount of carbon pollution coming from the biggest source of pollution in the country, which is great for the environment and for investing in clean energy.

President Biden has been doing a lot to fight climate change. Besides fixing the power plants, he’s also encouraging clean energy manufacturing in the heartland, setting rules to reduce other types of pollution, and making cars and trucks cleaner.

If we do all of this right, we could cut greenhouse gas emissions a lot by 2030, which is really important for our planet’s future.

But things weren’t looking so good when Biden first became president. The previous president didn’t care about climate change and actually made things worse by supporting fossil fuels.

Biden has worked hard to change that, making the United States a leader in fighting climate change instead of being left behind.

There’s still more to do, though. The new rules for power plants are a good start, but we need to do something about existing gas-burning plants too. And Biden needs more time to finish what he’s started because the other option isn’t good for the planet at all.

The last president didn’t care about climate change and even said he would make things worse if he got elected again.

Biden has been using science to guide his decisions about climate change, which is really important. Climate disasters like heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires are getting worse, and we need to act fast to stop them.

Biden’s plan to invest in clean energy is working, but there’s still more to do to make sure our planet stays safe for the future.

U.S. intelligence agencies are saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not have planned for Alexei Navalny to die when he did, according to a new report.

The Wall Street Journal said that U.S. agencies believe Putin probably didn’t give the order for Navalny to be killed in February, but it doesn’t completely let him off the hook.

Officials at the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the State Department’s intelligence unit have all agreed on this.

Navalny was a Russian opposition leader known for fighting corruption and Putin. His death at 47 in a remote Arctic penal colony shocked the world, and many blamed Putin right away.

The Russian Federal Prison Service said Navalny felt sick after a walk and passed out. An ambulance came, but they couldn’t save him.

Navalny had been in prison since 2021 when he returned to Russia after being poisoned, which he said Putin did. Putin denied it.

Leonid Volkov, a longtime ally of Navalny, disagreed with the U.S. intelligence assessment. He said those who think Putin didn’t know about Navalny’s death “clearly do not understand anything about how modern-day Russia runs.”

The Journal said the U.S. intelligence assessment looked at a mix of information, including secret intelligence, public facts, and how Navalny’s death affected Putin’s reelection.

The sources didn’t say if the U.S. figured out how Navalny died, but it was reported that he died from “sudden death syndrome,” which is a general term for various heart problems.

The big question on everyone’s mind: Can the president, or specifically, Donald Trump, be prosecuted for a crime? This seems like an easy one. According to those who closely analyze texts, there’s nothing in the Constitution that says the president is above the law. The people who wrote it knew how to give immunity if they wanted to, but they didn’t. Simple, right?

Even those who study history agree. Back in 1789, the idea wasn’t to have a president who could do whatever he wanted. The president was meant to follow the law, not break it. That’s what the founders believed, case closed.

The only relevant case is from 1982 when Richard Nixon was sued. Nixon fired someone for telling the truth, and the court said Nixon couldn’t be sued for money but could still face criminal charges. So, there’s a precedent, end of story.

But during the recent Supreme Court discussion, it felt less like a legal debate and more like a political showdown. The case is supposed to be about Trump trying to change election results illegally, but Justice Alito didn’t want to talk about that. Justice Gorsuch talked about making rules for the future, which scared people.

Then Justice Thomas joined in, even though his wife was linked to the January 6th riot. It’s confusing why he didn’t step back. He seemed to excuse Trump’s actions by bringing up past presidents’ shady plans. It’s moments like these that make people see judges as politicians in robes.

The justices seem worried about how their decision will affect future presidents, even though nothing like this has happened before. Trump says if presidents can be prosecuted, they’ll be scared to make tough decisions. But in over 200 years, no president except Trump has faced charges while in office.

Even Nixon knew he wasn’t above the law, despite saying otherwise. Some think it’s better for the country to pardon a former president than to put them on trial. But letting Trump off the hook sets a bad precedent.

If the Supreme Court doesn’t act soon, Trump could use this as a win. Legal experts think if the case goes back to a lower court, it might never see the light of day again. This would be a blow to democracy and the rule of law. And without saying it directly, the Supreme Court would be protecting Trump.

If the court’s discussion is anything to go by, history might remember them as the ones who let a dictator take over our democracy.

The countdown has begun for Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan, set to launch on June 30, as transit officials have confirmed.

This initiative will introduce a $15 toll for the majority of drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street during daytime hours. Different rates will apply for larger vehicles, while nighttime entries and motorcycles will enjoy reduced fees.

Envisioned to generate $1 billion annually, the congestion pricing program aims to bolster public transportation for the city’s sizable daily ridership of 4 million.

Janno Lieber, CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), emphasized New York’s reliance on mass transit, with over 90% of commuters accessing the central business district via walking, biking, or public transit. The goal is to enhance New York’s status as a mass transit hub.

Advocates highlight the dual benefits of congestion pricing: not only will it raise funds for improving buses and subways, but it will also curb pollution by discouraging car travel into Manhattan.

Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, stressed the urgent need to address the climate crisis through measures like congestion pricing.

However, critics argue that the fees will burden commuters, who already contend with bridge and tunnel tolls, and could drive up prices for essential goods transported into the city by trucks.

Despite opposition, congestion pricing is set to make history as the first program of its kind in the United States. A lawsuit filed by New Jersey over the plan remains pending, but Lieber expressed optimism about its resolution.

The tolling system will kick off at 12:01 a.m. on June 30, with a late-night fee of $3.75 for early entrants, before escalating to the full $15 toll at 9 a.m. Low-income drivers can seek congestion toll discounts via the MTA website, while exemptions are available for disabled individuals.

Conservative writer Jonah Goldberg said Vice President Kamala Harris was the “worst political decision” made by President Biden. He shared this during a talk on CNN’s “The Chris Wallace Show.”

Wallace talked about findings from focus groups. One group by Republican Voters Against Trump found swing voters don’t like Harris. Another group by the Democratic National Committee said some people don’t like her.

Goldberg, from “The Dispatch,” thinks Harris’s likeability issue could hurt Biden’s chances in the next election. He said, “She’s a big drag. She was arguably Biden’s worst political decision.” Goldberg also mentioned concerns about Biden’s age, saying people worry if he can complete his term. So, the Vice President’s role is crucial.

Goldberg suggested that Democrats shouldn’t pick candidates from strong blue states unless they’re like Obama. He thinks Harris struggles to connect with the center or right, only speaking to the party’s base.

Tech journalist Kara Swisher, part of the discussion panel, said Harris’s approval rating might not matter much because she won’t be replaced. She mentioned that people didn’t think much about Mike Pence or Dan Quayle.

Wallace added that Harris’s role might become more significant due to Biden’s age. Swisher thinks Harris won’t be swapped out, and replacing her would cause a big issue.

Former President Trump criticized Utah Senator Mitt Romney and endorsed Trent Staggs as a possible replacement.

Trump called Romney a “total loser” in a post on Truth Social and praised Staggs for being “100% MAGA.”

He highlighted Staggs’ experience as a successful entrepreneur and mayor of Riverton, emphasizing his ability to create jobs, tackle inflation, and secure the border.

Trump expressed confidence in Staggs’ support for American energy, the military, veterans, and the Second Amendment.

Romney, who has often criticized Trump, announced his retirement from the Senate, stating that it’s time for newer leaders to take charge.

Staggs, the current mayor of Riverton, Utah, was one of the first Republicans to announce his candidacy for Romney’s Senate seat. He welcomed Trump’s endorsement, expressing gratitude for the support.

Approximately 100 people were arrested at Northeastern University on Saturday morning during a protest supporting Palestine, the university reported.

The university’s police department, along with local law enforcement, began dismantling an “unauthorized encampment” on the Boston campus early Saturday. The encampment had been set up at Centennial Common earlier in the week, and the protesters were instructed to leave.

State Police officers from Massachusetts started arresting non-student protesters and removing some of the encampments in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“What began as a student demonstration two days ago was infiltrated by professional organizers with no affiliation to Northeastern,” the university said in a statement on X, a social media platform.

“As part of clearing the site, approximately 100 individuals were detained by police,” the university stated.

The school clarified that students who showed a valid Northeastern ID were let go and would face disciplinary proceedings within the university, not legal action.

“Those who refused to disclose their affiliation were arrested,” the school added.

The university explained that it took action to dismantle the protest encampments after “virulent antisemitic slurs” became part of the protests.

“We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on our campus,” the university’s statement read.

“We’re here because our university refuses to even address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that the Genocide against Palestinians had created,” the group said on Instagram. “Northeastern refuses to cut ties to weapon manufacturers doing business with the Israeli military.”

Northeastern later confirmed that Centennial Common was “fully secured,” and campus operations had returned to “normal.”

People are protesting the way the media talks about the war between Israel and Hamas during this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. The dinner is attended by President Biden, top government officials, and journalists who cover them.

The protestors are unhappy with how President Biden’s administration is handling the Israel-Hamas war and how the mainstream media reports on it.

Near the Washington Hilton where the dinner is happening, people are chanting “Free, free Palestine” and calling for a “ceasefire.” Videos on social media show these protests.

The feminist group Code Pink plans to “shut down” the dinner in protest. They say the dinner has turned into a platform that supports the administration’s actions.

The group believes that the U.S. media tells stories that are against Palestinians and ignores the wrongdoings of Israel.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says that since the conflict began on October 7th after a terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel, at least 97 reporters and media workers have been killed.

In April, a group of Palestinian reporters wrote an open letter asking other reporters to boycott the dinner. They believe that attending the event with President Biden and Vice President Harris would make it seem like they support the administration’s actions.

They think the dinner promotes media manipulation and goes against journalistic ethics.

The dinner has been criticized for a long time for mixing journalists with the people they are supposed to report on.