The New York Times, potentially on behalf of the intelligence community, sent out an email asking questions meant to frighten Americans. Rep. Keith Self sees it as a setup. The questions suggest they don’t trust Donald Trump with the nuclear codes. The Times doesn’t want Donald Trump to have the nuclear codes, but they allowed […] The post Rep. Self Says NY Times Is Setting Traps for Donald Trump appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Podcast giant Joe Rogan may have waited until the 11th hour to give his full-throated endorsement to President-elect Donald Trump, but he said on a recent episode that he had decided weeks earlier that he had to get involved. Rogan explained to guests Shane Gillis, Ari Shaffir, and Mark Normand that even though his general assessment was that “politics are gross,” there was one thing that Vice President Kamala Harris did that convinced him he couldn’t simply sit the 2024 presidential election out. WATCH: Joe Rogan got involved in the Presidential race because he was radicalized by Tim Walz: “You’re telling me that you don’t care if someone is a liar? You don’t care if they lie about their military rank, where they served? You don’t care if they lie about being an assistant? You… pic.twitter.com/lb1EhyClgE — Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) December 3, 2024 “I wanted to stay out of the presidential election s*** because it’s so gross,” Rogan began — but than he said that when Harris chose Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), he felt like he had to say something. “This is so nuts. When that Tim Walz guy — it’s so nuts that guy was going to be the vice president. You’re telling me this whole thing is fake then. You’re telling me that you don’t care if someone is a liar? You don’t care if they lie about their military rank, where they served, you don’t care if they lie about being an assistant, you don’t care if they lie about Tiananmen Square? There are just too many things,” he said. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE “This is so crazy. You would get fired if you were an assistant manager at a f***ing oil change company. Jiffy Lube would fire you!” Rogan continued. Walz was accused of adding embellishing details to his military record — prompting Vice President-elect and Marine Corps veteran JD Vance to accuse him of “Stolen Valor” — as well as lying about where he was when students clashed with the Chinese government at Tiananmen Square. He also repeatedly suggested that he and his wife had relied on in vitro fertilization to have children when they had not, among other things.

Time is money, and the Department of Government Efficiency might have a low hanging fruit in its quest to save both. DOGE, an outside advisory group led by Trump allies Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, has expressed interest in abolishing Daylight Saving time in the United States as part of their broader crusade to cut government waste. Daylight Saving time (DST) is observed between the 2nd Sunday of March to the 1st Sunday of November – every year Americans move their clocks forward, then back, in an effort to maximize the number of waking daylight hours. Advocates of DST have argued that it boosts economic efficiency by decreasing the need for artificial lighting and encouraging people to spend more time outdoors – however, a meta-analysis of several dozen studies conducted by Stanford University in 2021 found that DST only reduced energy consumption by ~0.34%. A 2008 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that DST might actually increase energy consumption by as much as 1%. Meanwhile, the arbitrary shift forward or backward by an hour complicates international travel and can cause scheduling errors for travelers or businesses who aren’t used to observing the change. The economic costs of disrupting American’s sleep schedules by moving the clock forward an hour could also be quite high – one study by Chmura Economics and Analytics linked the DST time change to a consistent increase in heart attacks, workplace injuries, and a drop in workplace productivity. The study estimated these side effects cost the American economy $434 million dollars every year. Recently, Musk and Ramaswamy have both suggested that they would support getting rid of DST. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE “Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!” Musk said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in response to a user who requested the end of DST as a birthday present. “It’s inefficient & easy to change.” Ramaswamy responded. It’s inefficient & easy to change. — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 27, 2024 DST is a relatively recent phenomenon in the United States – while the U.S. briefly observed it during both World Wars in an effort to save power, moving the clocks forward and backward by an hour wasn’t standardized until 1966. Hawaii and most parts of Arizona already do not observe DST, and there have been mounting efforts to stop the annual time change in recent years. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), another Trump ally whom the President-Elect nominated to become Secretary of State, sponsored a bill to stop the regular time changes (“The Sunshine Protection Act”) in 2018, 2021, and 2023. More than a dozen senators from both parties co-sponsored the most recent edition of the bill. “This ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid,” Rubio said. “Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support.”

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from consideration to become President-elect Donald Trump‘s administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). “To have been nominated by President-Elect [Trump] to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime,” Chronister said in a statement posted to X. To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully… pic.twitter.com/bvNF8m9Bh4 — Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) December 3, 2024 “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” he added. “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling.” Chronister concluded: “I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.” Trump announced on Saturday that he nominated Chronister, who was appointed by then-Florida Governor Rick Scott to be the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County in 2017, to become DEA administrator in a statement that lauded the sheriff for his awards and record of service. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE “As DEA Administrator, Chad will work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE LIVES,” Trump said in a statement. “Congratulations to Chad, his wife Nikki, and two wonderful sons!” However, Chronister faced blowback from some conservatives over a number of issues, including the 2020 arrest of Florida pastor Rodney Howard-Browne for allegedly defying social distancing orders during the COVID pandemic, pressing his deputies get the jab, and releasing 164 inmates in a bid to reduce the risk of spreading COVID in jail. “This sheriff ordered the arrest of a pastor for holding services during the COVID panic,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said in a post to X. “He was tapped by Trump to head the DEA. Glad to see him withdraw from consideration. Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution.” Another of Trump’s picks, now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), withdrew from consideration to be U.S. attorney general last month amid some GOP pushback and the House Ethics Committee weighing the release of a report on alleged sexual misconduct. Gaetz has denied the claims. Trump then selected former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to take on the role.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When winter arrives, it’s not just the snowy roads that make life difficult; your windows could be home to an unwanted visitor: mold. Condensation is the unpleasant phenomenon that occurs when warm interior air hits cold window panes. As the air cools, it releases moisture in the form of droplets, which accumulate around your windows and create an excellent damp environment for mold to develop. If this sounds like a seasonal headache you’d rather avoid, there’s some good news: a simple bowl of salt could be the ally you didn’t realize you needed. Why salt is your secret weapon Salt is useful for more than just flavoring fries or de-icing your driveway. It is also a moisture magnet. In fact, this brilliant technique first gained popularity in the United Kingdom, where people swear by placing bowls of salt near their windows to absorb excess rainwater. The science is simple: salt naturally absorbs moisture from the air, lowering humidity and reducing condensation. Simply find a bowl, fill it with salt, and place it on your windowsill. For larger windows, use a larger bowl—nothing fancy, just enough to cover the space. But there’s a catch: salt has a saturation point. Once it has absorbed enough liquid, it will begin to clump, and you may notice the bowl becoming somewhat damp. That’s your cue to replace it with fresh salt and continue the moisture-fighting magic. Teamwork: salt and ventilation for the win While salt can accomplish a lot, it is hardly a miracle worker. Consider it your dependable sidekick, but not the entire solution. Proper ventilation is the real MVP for preventing mold growth over the winter. Here are some simple techniques to keep air moving: • Regularly open windows to circulate air and prevent moisture buildup. Even small cracks can help • Check window vents for proper operation. • Turn on the bathroom extractor fan, especially after a steamy shower. • Be aware of indoor drying: Avoid drying clothes or boiling water without lids, as they might increase air moisture. By combining appropriate ventilation with moisture-absorbing salt bowls, you can create a double barrier against mold, keeping your home warm, dry, and safe throughout winter. The bottom line A tiny bowl of salt can have a big influence on combating moisture and mold. Just remember to keep an eye on the salt, refresh it as needed, and let ventilation do its part. With three easy steps, your windows will thank you.The post Why you need to place a bowl of salt by your window this winter first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Cervical cancer fatalities among young women in the United States have dropped dramatically, marking a significant public health breakthrough. A new study, published in JAMA on the 27th of November, found that mortality rates for women under the age of 25 fell by 60 percent between 2013 and 2021. This discovery is a significant milestone and offers hope for a future in which HPV-related malignancies become increasingly infrequent. “We had a hypothesis that since it’s been almost 16 years [since the vaccine was introduced], we might be starting to see the initial impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer deaths,” says Ashish Deshmukh, an epidemiologist at the Medical University of South Carolina. “And that’s exactly what we observed.” While the vaccine’s direct impact cannot be definitively proved (the study did not monitor individual vaccination histories), the timing of the decline is consistent with the vaccination era, offering strong circumstantial evidence. Unpacking the role of the HPV vaccine Approved in 2006, the HPV vaccination targets a virus that causes up to six types of cancer, including cervical cancer. Deshmukh and his team examined nearly three decades of cervical cancer mortality data, divided into three-year intervals. From 1992 to 2015, cervical cancer deaths among young women declined gradually by around four percent every three years, a trend likely driven by improved screening and preventive measures. However, beginning in 2013, the decline became noticeably more dramatic, with mortality rates dropping by over 60 percent by 2021, to just 0.007 fatalities per 100,000 women. “They’re seeing this precipitous drop in mortality at the time that we would be expecting to see it due to vaccination,” says Emily Burger, a health economist at the University of Oslo. “This study is really supporting that conclusion.” These findings are consistent with a 2023 Journal of the National Cancer Institute study, which revealed no cervical cancer cases among women who received the vaccine at ages 12 or 13. What does this mean for the future? Deshmukh points out that, while cervical cancer is uncommon in women under the age of 25, the findings provide an optimistic taste of what is possible if vaccination rates rise. “The impact we are seeing is a [preview] of what we might observe in the next 20 to 30 years if we continue to improve vaccination rates,” he says. Women in their 30s and 40s, who have a considerably greater incidence of cervical cancer, have an enormous chance to reduce their fatalities. Burger concurs, highlighting the larger implications: “Ultimately, we hope we are preventing mortality and death [with the introduction of vaccines].” Challenges to vaccination rates and the path forward Despite the promising figures, HPV vaccination rates in the United States have plateaued in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact, with coverage for teenagers aged 13 to 17 increasing only marginally, from 77 percent in 2022 to 76 percent in 2023, according to the CDC. “When we look at HPV vaccination coverage in the U.S., we haven’t reached our goal,” Deshmukh says. The Department of Health and Human Services hopes to achieve 80 percent coverage by 2030, a goal that is still within reach but requires greater dedication. Critical efforts include raising awareness of the vaccine’s benefits, eliminating myths, and expanding access to healthcare. This is especially crucial as the full potential of the HPV vaccine becomes more apparent. “We have to do better in terms of improving vaccination rates,” he says. The sharp drop in cervical cancer fatalities among vaccinated young women demonstrates what is feasible — but getting there requires action now. Source study: JAMA—Cervical cancer mortality among US women younger than 25 years, 1992-2021The post HPV vaccination shows promise in reducing cervical cancer deaths among young women first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'Cooperate and be candid'

'Sign of great hope for the nation'

Hmm

'Respectfully withdraw from consideration'