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* CORONAVIRUS NEWS * Mass protest in Vienna against Austria’s controversial COVID restrictions * Saudi Arabia reports 53 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death * Bahrain reports first case of omicron * Navy commander fired over vaccine refusal PreviousPauseNext Arab News * Arab News PK * Arab News JP * Arab News FR Monday . December 13, 2021 SEARCH FORM Search * Saudi Arabia * News * The Place * The Space * Who's Who * Road To 2030 * KSA Today * Middle East * World * Business * Corporate News * Media * MEDIA POWER LISTS * Lifestyle * Art & Culture * fashion * Offbeat * Travel * Entertainment * Food & Health * The Six * Books * Opinion * Editorial * Sport * Research & Studies * Research Papers * YouGov * Deep Dive * Preachers of Hate * Podcast * Saudi Arabia * News * The Place * The Space * Who's Who * Road To 2030 * KSA Today * Middle East * World * Business * Corporate News * Media * MEDIA POWER LISTS * Lifestyle * Art & Culture * fashion * Offbeat * Travel * Entertainment * Food & Health * The Six * Books * Opinion * Editorial * Sport * Research & Studies * Research Papers * YouGov * Deep Dive * Preachers of Hate * Podcast SEARCH FORM Search * Latest News * Business & Economy * Saudi Arabia * Lifestyle * KSA, Egypt sign anti-corruption deal * Saudi Arabia takes longer view of oil price in budget calculation: Finance minister * PIF to exceed Q2 objective with assets under management of $480bn * Jennifer Lopez stays true blue to Arab designers in Elie Saab gown * Jennifer Lopez stays true blue to Arab designers in Elie Saab gown * Saudi Fransi Capital to pay $13m dividends to Bonyan REIT * Ajlan & Bros acquires $213m Riyadh real estate scheme for 4000 homes * Turkey’s Tarfin secures $8m in pre-Series round * Positive budget response by the Saudi stock market, TASI, Nomu up: Opening bell * Education takes biggest chunk of Saudi public spending in 2022 PreviousPauseNext YOU ARE HERE * Home * Google disrupts cybercrime web infecting 1 million devices Google disrupts cybercrime web infecting 1 million devices /node/1982871/media GOOGLE DISRUPTS CYBERCRIME WEB INFECTING 1 MILLION DEVICES People are silhouetted as they pose with laptops in front of a screen projected with a Google logo, in this picture illustration taken in Zenica. (REUTERS file photo) Short Url https://arab.news/nkuff Updated 08 December 2021 AFP December 08, 2021 05:05 50266 GOOGLE DISRUPTS CYBERCRIME WEB INFECTING 1 MILLION DEVICES * Google said the network includes about one million Windows-using devices worldwide for crimes that include stealing users’ credentials, and has targeted victims from the United States, India, Brazil and southeast Asia Updated 08 December 2021 AFP December 08, 2021 05:05 50266 WASHINGTON: Google said Tuesday it has moved to shut down a network of about one million hijacked electronic devices used worldwide to commit online crimes, while also suing Russia-based hackers the tech giant claimed were responsible. The so-called botnet of infected devices, which was also used to surreptitiously mine bitcoin, was cut off at least for now from the people wielding it on the Internet. “The operators of Glupteba are likely to attempt to regain control of the botnet using a backup command and control mechanism,” wrote Shane Huntley and Luca Nagy from Google’s threat analysis group. Large technology companies like Google and Microsoft are increasingly pulled into the battle against cybercrime, which is conducted via their products thus giving them unique understanding of and access to the threats. Google said the network includes about one million Windows-using devices worldwide for crimes that include stealing users’ credentials, and has targeted victims from the United States, India, Brazil and southeast Asia. The company also filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court against Dmitry Starovikov and Alexander Filippov seeking an injunction to block them from wrongdoing on its platforms. Cybersecurity experts first noticed Glupteba in 2011, which spreads by masquerading as free, downloadable software, videos or movies that people unwittingly download onto their devices. However, unlike conventional botnets that rely on predetermined channels to ensure their survival, Glupteba is programmed to find a replacement server in order to keep operating even after being attacked, says Google’s lawsuit. Because the botnet web combines the power of some one million devices it possesses unusual power that could be used for large-scale ransomware or other attacks. To maintain that network, the organization “uses Google advertisements to post job openings for the websites” carrying out the illegal work. The hackers also used Google’s own services to distribute the malware — the Internet giant took down some 63 million Google Docs and terminated over 1,100 Google accounts used to spread Glupteba. The botnets can “recover more quickly from disruptions, making them that much harder to shutdown. We are working closely with industry and government as we combat this type of behavior,” Google said in a blog post. Topics: Google Hackers RELATED 2269 Middle-East IRAN-BACKED HACKERS ACCUSED OF TARGETING CRITICAL US SECTORS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q&A: Carla DiBello talks Maskoon, Red Sea Film Festival and Saudi Arabia’s ventures into film /node/1985601/media Q&A: CARLA DIBELLO TALKS MASKOON, RED SEA FILM FESTIVAL AND SAUDI ARABIA’S VENTURES INTO FILM Updated 12 December 2021 TAREK ALI AHMAD December 12, 2021 18:04 1066 Q&A: CARLA DIBELLO TALKS MASKOON, RED SEA FILM FESTIVAL AND SAUDI ARABIA’S VENTURES INTO FILM * Arab News speaks to Maskoon producer Carla DiBello on the upcoming short film at the Red Sea International Film Festival Updated 12 December 2021 TAREK ALI AHMAD December 12, 2021 18:04 1066 Arab News How would this film starring an American in Saudi Arabia differ from any other of the types of films that are usually set with a Western protagonist inside an Arab or Middle Eastern country? Carla DiBello How is it different? First of all, Paris Verra she's an aspiring actress. She's lived in LA for many years and she's been living in Saudi for the last two years. And how it's different, I would just say it's more just kind of showing people the relatability. We have our first-time Saudi director, Lina Malaika, who we've been mentoring for the last few years, collaborating with David Darg, who's an Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning director. And this is a project that we've been speaking about for a while. We've always wanted to do something in Al-Balad (in Saudi Arabia) as nothing really has ever been filmed there. Arab News What would you say about the location that gives it its unique filmability? Carla DiBello I think the history behind it is so special. You know, being in this historical district, which is also the same place that the first ever Red Sea Film Festival is taking place in. And it's just something so magnetic about the area. So, just being able to showcase this to the world. It's kind of the old and new in Jeddah to kind of see what that contrast is. I mean, you have Formula One, where people got to really experience the corniche, and the beach and the water. But you also have this contrast of Al-Balad with so much history. Arab News What can you tell me about working with the Saudi director and working with the Saudi assistant directors, let's say, or crew on the ground? Carla DiBello So I mean, this is something we've been really passionate about for the last probably four and a half years. So we found the first-ever Formula E documentary and Diriyah. And our structure has really been, you know, handpicking young Saudi filmmakers and young Saudi creatives to come on board with our team, which is experienced producers and directors, and really we need them and they need us. So, it's always been a very productive collaboration. Lina, specifically, we have been working with her for the last three and a half years, just kind of teaching her the business, and she's been working closely with our director. So for her, to be able to give her the ability to let this run its course, has been just exciting to watch, because she has the tools now and the experience from our Western crew in the US. So I think this is just the, you know, the beginning of a new era of how well foreign productions work with Saudi productions, crews. Arab News Why choose a thriller film in the beginning, rather than a different genre? Carla DiBello You know, I think I think a lot of stuff that we've been doing in the Kingdom has been very, you know, documentary style. We've worked a lot with all the different ministries, from Ministry of Sports to Ministry of Culture, and we really wanted to, you know, kind of have something diversified where we can show another side of Saudi and these very rich stories that exist that maybe the outside world doesn't know about. So we're launching a platform at the end of the month called Arabia+, which will be Middle East stories told in English to a global audience. And I feel like with the 2030 vision and everything that's being developed, and how closed off the Kingdom has been for so long, it's really a great opportunity to use this platform to showcase rich stories that people don't really know exist, like Maskoon playing on the beliefs of the djinn.There's so many books around it and about it, but people from my world or coming from the UK or the US wouldn't really know these stories existed. So they are filming a lot of productions now in Saudi, which is great. But I think we're at a point now where we want to really develop homegrown stories, and work with local talent to really showcase that we have our own stories. I've been here for so long, and I've been coming to the Kingdom since 2013, and I've lived, obviously, in Dubai for the last eight years and a lot of times we bring out these huge Hollywood, big-budget productions but there's really no story about the actual location. Arab News Where would you kind of source these stories? Are these people who have written scripts or short narratives that you can adopt? Carla DiBello What we've been doing, which is maybe not the regular way to go about it where a normal production company would actually go and source different scripts. And, you know, I think it's just been us working so well with local young filmmakers and hearing it from them, how they grew up, certain beliefs that took place in different areas. I mean, we were filming in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Rijal Almaa, all these remote places that even Saudis have never visited. So I think in every place we've been, whether it's with a tour guide, or a young kid that lives there, or a young filmmaker that we're working with, or someone on our crew, that we're really learning these stories firsthand that are actually authentic, and we just help them develop it. 0 seconds of 44 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Seek %0-9 Live 00:00 00:44 00:44 Arab News What can you tell me about the atmosphere at the first ever Red Sea Film Festival? Carla DiBello Well the atmosphere was, I mean, it was definitely history in the making. I think Saudi, as a country, should be very proud. I don't think I've personally ever visited - and I've been to a lot of film festivals - and it really reminded me of Cannes Film Festival like back in 2008. You know, where everything was just so glamorous, and that old Hollywood feeling, which I feel certain festivals have kind of shifted a bit but I think they really did a good job at getting the right people, showcasing their work and just the area alone was a historical moment. Even pulling up to the red carpet and seeing all the - before you enter Al-Balad, seeing all the old shops, where some of these these workers - because we've actually gone in and spoken to them before, have been here for 20, 30, 40 years. And for them, to be able to see limousines and black cars and women in gowns and red carpets and flashes going off which is probably like nobody could have imagined it. Arab News What can you tell me about what's next after Maskoon? Carla DiBello So we have a few things in development. We're starting on a TV series with the Ministry of Culture called “Seven Wonders of Saudi” which we already shot a trailer to. And that's kind of, you know, a very like Anthony Bourdain-style TV series, where we kind of went around to all these different places again, like AlUla, Abha, Rijal Almaa, Al-Souda, and just speaking to the locals. There we went to Farasan Island diving, we met with a woman who's never left Farasan Island and Jizan and cooked for us in her backyard. So we're just really trying to find very authentic, rich stories to tell that have never been told before. And in March, we're planning to shoot the Formula One, again, that's taking place here. And we're really focused on Arabia+, and allowing Arabia+ to be a home for filmmakers in the Middle East to showcase their work to a global audience, as well as creating our own original content of Middle East stories told in English. 0 seconds of 3 minutes, 26 secondsVolume 90% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Seek %0-9 Live 00:00 03:26 03:26 Arab News Where and when can everyone watch the film? Carla DiBello We'll have it exclusively launching after the premiere on Arabia+, so we'll be in parallel launching Arabia+, and someone can go and watch it there. It's a free streaming platform. So we'll have it there. And we have about three screenings, I believe in Vox Cinemas. Topics: Carla DiBello RELATED 1838 Lifestyle DIRECTOR FATIMA AL-BANAWI PUTS ON A FASHIONABLE SHOW AT THE RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5962 Lifestyle REVIEW: RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TITLE ‘FARHA’ IS A DEVASTATING LOOK AT WAR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal anti-terror unit investigated journalists: Watchdog /node/1985361/media FEDERAL ANTI-TERROR UNIT INVESTIGATED JOURNALISTS: WATCHDOG A U.S. Department of Homeland Security plaque is displayed a podium as international passengers arrive at Miami international Airport where they are screened by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Nov. 20, 2020, in Miami. (AP) Updated 12 December 2021 AP December 12, 2021 04:58 3703 FEDERAL ANTI-TERROR UNIT INVESTIGATED JOURNALISTS: WATCHDOG * Rambo complained to Yahoo News that Customs and Border Protection has not stood by him and that he has been unfairly portrayed in news reports Updated 12 December 2021 AP December 12, 2021 04:58 3703 WASHINGTON: A special Customs and Border Protection unit used sensitive government databases intended to track terrorists to investigate as many as 20 US-based journalists, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press reporter, according to a federal watchdog. Yahoo News, which published an extensive report on the investigation, also found that the unit, the Counter Network Division, queried records of congressional staffers and perhaps members of Congress. Jeffrey Rambo, an agent who acknowledged running checks on journalists in 2017, told federal investigators the practice is routine. “When a name comes across your desk you run it through every system you have access too, that’s just status quo, that’s what everyone does,” Rambo was quoted by Yahoo News as saying. The AP obtained a redacted copy of a more than 500-page report by the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general that included the same statement, but with the speaker’s name blacked out. The border protection agency is part of Homeland Security. The revelations raised alarm in news organizations and prompted a demand for a full explanation. “We are deeply concerned about this apparent abuse of power,” Lauren Easton, AP’s director of media relations, said in a statement. “This appears to be an example of journalists being targeted for simply doing their jobs, which is a violation of the First Amendment.” In its own statement, Customs and Border Protection did not specifically address the investigation, but said, “CBP vetting and investigatory operations, including those conducted by the Counter Network Division, are strictly governed by well-established protocols and best practices. CBP does not investigate individuals without a legitimate and legal basis to do so.” An employee at Storymakers Coffee Roasters, a small storefront shop Rambo owns in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood, said Saturday that Rambo was not immediately available to comment. He lives in San Diego. The new disclosures are just the latest examples of federal agencies using their power to examine the contacts of journalists and others. Earlier this year Attorney General Merrick Garland formally prohibited prosecutors from seizing the records of journalists in leak investigations, with limited exceptions, reversing years of department policy. That action came after an outcry over revelations that the Trump Justice Department had obtained records belonging to journalists, as well as Democratic members of Congress and their aides and a former White House counsel, Don McGahn. During the Obama administration, federal investigators secretly seized phone records for some reporters and editors at the AP. Those seizures involved office and home lines as well as cellphones. Rambo’s and the unit’s use of the databases was more extensive than previously known. The inspector general referred possible criminal charges for misusing government databases and lying to investigators, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute Rambo and two other Homeland Security employees. Rambo complained to Yahoo News that Customs and Border Protection has not stood by him and that he has been unfairly portrayed in news reports. “What none of these articles identify me as, is a law enforcement officer who was cleared of wrongdoing, who actually had a true purpose to be doing what I was doing,” he said, “and CBP refuses to acknowledge that, refuses to admit that, refuses to make that wrong right.” Rambo had previously been identified as the agent who accessed the travel records of reporter Ali Watkins, then working for Politico, and questioned her about confidential sources. Watkins now writes for The New York Times. Rambo was assigned to the border agency unit, part of the National Targeting Center in Sterling, Virginia, in 2017. He told investigators he initially approached Watkins as part of a broader effort to get reporters to write about forced labor around the world as a national security issue. He also described similar efforts with AP reporter Martha Mendoza, according to an unredacted summary obtained by Yahoo News. Rambo’s unit “was able to vet MENDOZA as a reputable reporter,” the summary said, before trying to establish a relationship with her because of her expertise in writing about forced labor. Mendoza won her second Pulitzer Prize in 2016 as part of a team that reported on slave labor in the fishing industry in Southeast Asia. Dan White, Rambo’s supervisor in Washington, told investigators that his unit ran Mendoza through multiple databases, and “CBP discovered that one of the phone numbers on Mendoza’s phone was connected with a terrorist,” Yahoo News reported. White’s case also was referred for prosecution and declined. In response, AP’s Easton said, “The Associated Press demands an immediate explanation from US Customs and Border Protection as to why journalists including AP investigative reporter Martha Mendoza were run through databases used to track terrorists and identified as potential confidential informant recruits.” It was Rambo’s outreach to Watkins that led to the inspector general’s investigation. While he ostensibly sought her out to further his work on forced labor, Rambo quickly turned the focus to a leak investigation. Rambo even gave it a name, “Operation Whistle Pig,” for the brand of whiskey he drank when he met Watkins at a Washington, D.C., bar in June 2017. The only person charged and convicted stemming from Rambo’s efforts is James Wolfe, a former security director for the Senate Intelligence Committee who had a personal relationship with Watkins. Wolfe pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with reporters. In the course of conversations with FBI agents, Rambo was questioned extensively about his interest in Watkins. He used the travel records to confront her about her relationship with Wolfe, asserting that Wolfe was her source for stories. Watkins acknowledged the relationship, but insisted Wolfe did not provide information for her stories. Rambo said Watkins was not the only reporter whose records he researched through government databases, though he maintained in his interviews with the FBI that he was looking only at whether Wolfe was providing classified information. Rambo said he “conducted CBP record checks” on “15 to 20 national security reporters,” according to a FBI summary of the questioning that was contained in the inspector general’s report. New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades-Ha said new details about the investigation of Watkins raised fresh concerns. “We are deeply troubled to learn how US Customs and Border Protection ran this investigation into a journalist’s sources. As the attorney general has said clearly, the government needs to stop using leak investigations as an excuse to interfere with journalism. It is time for Customs and Border Protection to make public a full record of what happened in this investigation so this sort of improper conduct is not repeated.” Watkins said she, too, was “deeply troubled at the lengths CBP and DHS personnel apparently went to try and identify journalistic sources and dig into my personal life. It was chilling then, and it remains chilling now.” Topics: Department of Homeland Security RELATED 4764 World HACKING VICTIM SOLARWINDS HIRES EX-HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL KREBS AS CONSULTANT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24596 World US HOMELAND SECURITY WARNS FRESH COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS COULD SPARK VIOLENT ATTACKS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Netflix celebrates Arab cinema with 58 regional films /node/1985121/media NETFLIX CELEBRATES ARAB CINEMA WITH 58 REGIONAL FILMS Updated 11 December 2021 Zaira Lakhpatwala December 11, 2021 17:35 1134 NETFLIX CELEBRATES ARAB CINEMA WITH 58 REGIONAL FILMS * The 58 films come from 47 different filmmakers and include heavyweights of the region's film industry Updated 11 December 2021 Zaira Lakhpatwala December 11, 2021 17:35 1134 DUBAI: Streaming giant Netflix launched a new catalogue of 58 films in a push to celebrate Arab cinema, bringing the best of the region to the global stage. “This collection is another way we're celebrating the breadth and beauty of Arab cinema. We're proud to give these masterpieces a home on Netflix and showcase the best of the Arab world to a global audience,” Nuha El Tayeb, director of content acquisitions, Turkey, Middle East & North Africa at Netflix, told Arab News. The 58 films come from 47 different filmmakers, including heavyweights of the region's film industry like Nadine Labaki, Annemarie Jacir, Elia Suleiman, Hany Abu-Assad and Ziad Doueiri, among others. Many of the movies were selected to represent their country in the Oscar submissions for best international feature film, spanning different parts of the Arab world and covering Egyptian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Jordanian and Iraqi stories. “We really hope the younger generation also enjoys this collection, as it represents a piece of history and culture that has built collective pride for the Arab world over the years. The stories, filmmakers, people, and countries represented in this collection reflect the depth and diversity of unique experiences from the Arab world, and we can’t wait to give the world a peek into this incredibly diverse yet tightly knit region,” El Tayeb said. The films’ plots range across stories of love, romance, family, friendship, childhood, war, separation, big dreams and ordinary lives. The collection went live on Dec. 9 at www.netflix.com/celebratingarabcinema. Topics: Netflix RELATED 1868 Lifestyle NETFLIX MUSICAL ‘TICK, TICK...BOOM!’ A MAGICAL MIX OF GREAT ACTING, SONGS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special 3315 Media NEW NETFLIX DRAMA OPENS OLD WOUNDS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey’s Erdogan says social media a ‘threat to democracy’ /node/1985046/media TURKEY’S ERDOGAN SAYS SOCIAL MEDIA A ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ Updated 11 December 2021 AP December 11, 2021 12:24 1082 TURKEY’S ERDOGAN SAYS SOCIAL MEDIA A ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ Updated 11 December 2021 AP December 11, 2021 12:24 1082 ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described social media Saturday as one of the main threats to democracy. Erdogan’s government plans to pursue legislation to criminalize spreading fake news and disinformation online, but critics say the proposed changes would tighten restrictions on free speech. “Social media, which was described as a symbol of freedom when it first appeared, has turned into one of the main sources of threat to today’s democracy,” Erdogan said in a video message to a government-organized communications conference in Istanbul. He added: “We try to protect our people, especially the vulnerable sections of our society, against lies and disinformation without violating our citizens’ right to receive accurate and impartial information.” Turkey passed a law last year requiring social media platforms that have more than 1 million users to maintain a legal representative and store data in the country. Major social media companies, including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, have since established offices in Turkey. The new legislation would make the dissemination of “disinformation” and “fake news” criminal offenses punishable by up to five years in prison, according to pro-government media reports. It also would establish a social media regulator. Most of Turkey’s major media companies are under the control of the government, leaving social media as an important outlet for dissenting voices. Freedom House’s Freedom on the Net report, published in September, characterized Turkey as “not free,” noting the removal of content critical of the government and the prosecution of people posting “undesirable” commentary on social media. Topics: Turkey Erdogan social media threat RELATED 2113 Business & Economy TRUMP’S SOCIAL MEDIA VENTURE SAYS IT HAS RAISED $1BN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2615 Media FACEBOOK WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS TRANSPARENCY NEEDED TO FIX SOCIAL MEDIA ILLS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Biden makes late-night TV debut as president /node/1984996/media BIDEN MAKES LATE-NIGHT TV DEBUT AS PRESIDENT Updated 11 December 2021 AP December 11, 2021 05:58 3073 BIDEN MAKES LATE-NIGHT TV DEBUT AS PRESIDENT Updated 11 December 2021 AP December 11, 2021 05:58 3073 NEW YORK: Joe Biden on Friday used his first late-night television talk show appearance as US president to highlight his infrastructure bill — and laugh off his flagging approval ratings. Biden’s appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” is the first by a sitting president since Barack Obama, and comes as the White House seeks to highlight the recently passed bill for upgrading the nation’s tattered transport networks. Despite its passage, Biden’s approval ratings have sunk to the low 40 percent area, in part due to the spike in inflation. Asked by host Jimmy Fallon if he pays attention to approval ratings, Biden dead-panned: “Well, not anymore.” “I’m joking. I was paying attention when it was in the mid-60s, but when it’s in the mid-40s I don’t pay attention,” said the president, to laughter from the studio audience. Biden’s appearance by remote video comes after his predecessor President Donald Trump declined invitations for any late-night talk shows as president. Obama frequently used programs hosted by Fallon and rivals such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert to speak to the wider US public. Fallon opened the show by joking the pair would “discuss the economy, the infrastructure bill, and break down the first two episodes of the ‘Sex and the City’ reboot.” Fallon managed one barb about inflation figures, claiming he had earlier asked the president how excited he was to appear on the show on a scale of one to ten. “He said ten. But six without inflation.” But during the interview, Fallon allowed Biden to set out policies including his landmark $1.8 trillion Build Back Better plan to improve social services and fight climate change, which faces a tough road in Congress. Wearing a suit and tie, and seated in front of a festively decorated mantlepiece, Biden also urged Americans to get booster shots and highlighted steady declines in the unemployment rate. “We do have inflation on things that in fact matter in people’s lives” such as gas prices, said Biden. “It’s going to come down,” he promised. The interview — in which Fallon praised Biden for “bringing class back to the office” of the president and asked “does anyone really understand how hard your job is?” — ended with the talk host being invited over to the White House for dinner. 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