As the family of a North Carolina man hit and killed in a hit-and-run last year awaits the sentencing of the suspected illegal immigrant who drove the car, the victim’s mother is calling out what she sees as a double standard in the justice system.  Twenty-year-old Michael Archuleta, known to loved ones as “Little Mike,” was struck and killed by a motorist on November 13 while riding his bike in Brunswick County. Archuleta had almost made it to his family’s driveway when the suspect, Maria Concepcion Cardona Alejo, allegedly hit him with her 2002 Toyota Sequoia. Alejo allegedly fled the scene of the accident, but was arrested three days later and charged with felony hit-and-run and driving without a license. Archuleta’s mother, Emily Carpenter, told The Daily Wire it’s “not fair” that her son — who had recently scheduled an appointment to get his driver’s license — was killed by an illegal immigrant repeatedly charged with unlicensed driving. “She was in their courtrooms ten times and they knew that she was just going to keep doing it [breaking the law] because all she has to do is pay her little bit of money and then go down the road,” Carpenter said.  Between 2009 and 2021, Alejo was given a citation at least seven different times for driving without a license and was slapped with small fines for the infractions. In a 2020 incident, Alejo was pulled over for failing to stop at a flashing red light, along with not having a valid driver’s license, and was fined $50.  According to the Brunswick County Sheriff’s booking report, Alejo is a Mexican national. She posted bail a few hours after being detained. Only a few local outlets reported on Archuleta’s killing and Alejo’s arrest in November, and the story has gone unreported since then.  An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman told The Daily Wire that he could not confirm if Alejo is in the United States illegally because she was bailed out of jail before ICE could issue a detainer request. In order for ICE to issue a detainer, a suspect must be interviewed by an agent in person to determine his or her status.  But Carpenter told The Daily Wire that she was informed by the district attorney’s office that Alejo is an illegal immigrant. The grieving mother blasted the system of justice that allows an illegal immigrant to “habitually break the law” with little consequence. Alejo is expected to plead guilty to the fatal hit-and-run at her sentencing hearing in North Carolina Superior Court on August 26, according to the Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus County District Attorney’s Office. Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you. The morning after the fatal hit-and-run, Archuleta’s father, Mikie, was taking the family dog outside when a neighbor boy yelled to him, “Your son is dead in the ditch,” Carpenter recalls. “So my husband goes running down there — with my youngest 10-year-old son following behind him — and he jumps into the ditch and my son is hard and cold.”  “I’ve been numb ever since,” Carpenter added. “I couldn’t live there anymore because my son died in that ditch.”  Carpenter said her son was riding his bike back from a friend’s house when he was killed, adding that Archuleta’s bike had reflectors and that he was wearing a brightly colored sweatshirt. Archuleta was developmentally delayed, which put him slightly behind his peers on milestones such as graduating high school and learning how to drive.  WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI Carpenter said she has been disappointed with the district attorney’s handling of the case, saying the assistant district attorney assigned to prosecute her son’s alleged killer is “not even trying” to seek a proper sentence. The district attorney’s office told The Daily Wire it could not comment on the ongoing case. When asked if it could confirm that Alijo is in the country illegally, the DA’s office told The Daily Wire to seek that information from federal authorities.  Archuleta enjoyed working with his hands and planned to become a mechanic. Carpenter said her son was a “ladies’ man,” and that she was looking forward to the day she would become a grandmother to his children. Archuleta’s family faced more tragedy earlier this year when Mikie Archuleta’s cousin, Nicholas Simpson, was killed in a hit-and-run by another alleged illegal immigrant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Illegal immigration and the border crisis have become top concerns for voters heading into the 2024 election as border encounters have skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. In the past year, many have expressed outrage after Americans Laken Riley, Ruby Garcia, Jocelyn Nungary, Rachel Morin, and Matt Carney, were allegedly murdered by migrants who had crossed the border illegally. Carpenter and her family, like the families of those Americans killed, continue to await justice for a loved one.  Asked what Carpenter believes would be a proper sentence for Alijo, she told The Daily Wire, “She gave me a life sentence. I have to deal with this pain the rest of my life.”  

The slate of prominent Irish-American Democrats who gathered to express their support for Kamala Harris struggled to stay on topic. At times, it felt like last Tuesday’s “national organizing call” for Irish-Americans supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign could have been something the Democratic National Committee planned before the country’s Irish-American president took himself off the ticket. But if the event itself felt odd, it was hardly out of place on the Harris-Walz campaign schedule. The campaign has divvied voters up by their race at several virtual events over the last several weeks. “White Dudes For Harris” made a particular splash, as did “White Women For Kamala,” which featured a TikTok influencer who adopted a condescending tone — known as “gentle parenting” on social media — to tell the attendees they should never correct people of color. There are “For Harris” events for every conceivable identity group: black voters, South Asians, Jews, and more. But the event aimed at Irish-Americans seemed particularly awkward in the wake of the Democratic Party’s defenestration of a very-Irish president who is very proud of his heritage. As New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on the call, President Joe Biden was, along with John F. Kennedy, one of the “most Irish-American presidents in the history of our nation.” At one point, the call became a true Kennedy fest when JFK’s grandnephew and niece, Joe Kennedy III and Rory Kennedy, chimed in at the same time. Rory Kennedy told a story about a family rosary that was sentimental to her famous Irish-American political family. Biden sometimes carries a rosary in his pocket and goes to Mass regularly, although he famously flouts the Catholic Church’s doctrine on abortion, gender ideology, and other issues. “In Scranton, Irish Catholic Democrat is one word,” Virginia McGregor, DNC treasurer and national co-chair of Women for Harris said on the call. Biden himself did not join Tuesday’s call, although Murphy said the president would likely be “quoting an Irish poet or two” if he were there. Some of the speakers came armed with jokes. “I think the only thing Donald Trump really understands about Ireland or the Irish culture is the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake every March,” said Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA). “Most important, they’re not weird,” Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) said about Irish-Americans in her swing state district, referencing the recent online barb from Democrats that the Trump-Vance ticket is “weird.” Rounding out the call was a bizarre appearance from actress and singer Lynda Carter, known for playing Wonder Woman in the ’70s, who began her remarks by talking about how she didn’t like her father’s “last wife” trying to cut his bushy Irish eyebrows. Carter also ranted about abortion — at one point appearing to forget the word contraception — and about men who support former President Donald Trump. “He’s really not for those men either because he wants to take away their condoms,” she said. “They want to take reproductive freedom. They want to take away — they want to take away not only our right to choose but, what do you call it? You know. Condoms and all of it. I’ve just lost my way. I get all excited.” Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe quipped that Democrats “need the Irish because God gave us the gift of gab.” “We’re good talkers. There’s no one better at the doors,” he said. “The only problem, when we do door-to-door, we spend too long at each door.” Biden is a “spectacular president,” and Kamala will also be a “spectacular president,” McAuliffe said. Actor Michael Kelly, known for “House Of Cards,” also joined the call and said the country is at an “inflection point.” “Let me tell you, if there is anything that my Irish brothers and sisters know it is how to work,” the actor said of campaigning for Harris. Also joining the call were Reps. Tim Kennedy (D-NY) and Dan Kildee (D-MI). All of the speakers told listeners to sign up for the Harris campaign’s text alerts for Irish-American supporters. Biden “embodied completely” the Irish qualities of working hard and doing what is right when he dropped out of the 2024 race, McGregor, the DNC treasurer said. She also claimed that, “you cannot travel abroad without hearing how our country’s global standing has been restored.” “When you’re at your summer barbecues make sure you have three quick points about why you’re voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” she added. Harris and Tim Walz “share the values of the Irish community” as well, Murphy assured, urging supporters, “let’s leave no shamrock unturned” in supporting the new ticket. “Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, the Irish, unbeatable!” the New Jersey governor said. Editor’s note: Mairead Elordi (née McArdle) is very Irish-American.

A recent study suggests that the overall tone of legacy media coverage is so biased that it could be considered election interference. The Media Research Center evaluated the major network coverage of the 2024 presidential race — specifically Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump — in the weeks since President Joe Biden was effectively forced off the ticket by prominent members of his own party. The results, they said, indicated a dramatic bias in favor of Harris — in terms of both the amount of airtime and tone of coverage. Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you. “It’s all part of the media’s massive brainwashing enterprise in support of Kamala,” Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said. “It’s all part of the media’s massive brainwashing enterprise in support of Kamala. According to a new study by @TheMRC” 84% of Harris coverage has been positive – @greggutfeld on @Gutfeldfox. Watch the video for his risque repartee. Study by @RichNoyes: https://t.co/RF8Yi0Eivm pic.twitter.com/leQSx4dslJ — MRC NewsBusters (@newsbusters) August 21, 2024 The bias was apparent first in the amount of airtime given to Harris over Trump between July 21 — the day Biden announced he was leaving the presidential race — to August 17: Harris received 221 minutes of coverage during evening newscasts on ABC, CBS, and NBC. Trump received 133 minutes of coverage during that same period of time. It is important to note the context — namely, that even though the Democratic Party was in upheaval as it changed candidates and then Harris selected her running mate, the timeframe studied also began just after the Republican National Convention and Trump’s selection of Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) to be his VP, and just over one week after he had been shot at a Pennsylvania rally. Still, the coverage of the vice presidential candidates bore out a similar pattern. Over the course of 28 days, Vance saw just over 31 minutes of airtime. Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ VP pick, saw just under 32 minutes of airtime, but he got all that coverage in half the time because the clock did not start for him until August 6. The tone of the coverage showed an even wider gap between the candidates. Evening news coverage included 57 positive comments about Harris and only 11 negative, which translated to a positive spin score of 84%.  Trump, on the other hand, had only 11 positive statements and 86 negative, which gave him a negative spin score of 89%. WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI Again, the same trend continued with the vice presidential candidates: Walz received a 62% positive spin score, and Vance received a 92% negative spin score. In addition to all of that, major media outlets have continued to downplay issues that could negatively impact either Harris or the Democratic Party — while negative stories about Trump or Republicans continue to grow legs. The real question, MRC concluded, would be whether or not the public would see through the “extraordinarily lopsided coverage.”

Adam Sandler confirmed rumors that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who’s been making headlines all year for his high-profile romance with pop star Taylor Swift, will have a cameo in the upcoming comedy “Happy Gilmore 2.” “Travis has… he mentioned it, so we have a nice something for Travis,” the actor said on a Tuesday night appearance of “The Tonight Show.” “He’s gonna come by,” Sandler continued. “He’s a very nice guy. You guys would love him in real life. What a big, handsome guy. Funny and cool as hell. He’s a stud and he’s so funny.” Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you. The actor was referring to comments Kelce made about the movie on an episode of his own podcast in May. Kelce said he was a “huge fan of the Sandman [Sandler]” and would do “anything” to have a chance to appear in the movie. “I didn’t even know there was a job opening on ‘Happy Gilmore 2.’ I’ll be a f***ing extra… anything to get around Happy Gilmore, an Adam Sandler film or set — count me in,” he said at the time.  Kelce’s brother and podcast co-host, Jason Kelce, shut down the rumors, saying there was “no evidence” the cameo was happening. “[No evidence] other than the movie’s getting made and I’m looking for movie deals,” Travis shot back, Billboard reported. “Who knows? Theories can come true. Theories can be true and people just don’t know about it. I might even be in the talking and nobody knows about it, but I could also not be in the talking. I’ll do anything in the movie. I’ll be part of it any way I possibly can.” WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI Netflix announced in May that it was moving forward with a sequel to the 1996 golf comedy “Happy Gilmore,” starring Sandler as the titular character. It’s not unprecedented for Kelce to make an appearance, as the original “Happy Gilmore” featured cameos from sports stars and celebrities, including golfer Lee Trevino, sportscaster Verne Lundquist, and former “The Price Is Right” host Bob Barker. Other Sandler productions included stars such as former NFL greats Lawrence Taylor, Michael Irvin, and Dan Marino, along with former professional wrestlers Bill Goldberg, Steve Austin, and Kevin Nash. Kelce, 34, has already dipped his toes into the world of entertainment. He has a role in the upcoming FX horror series “Grotesquerie” and is hosting the Amazon Prime game show reboot “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” The nine-time Pro-Bowler is also in talks to star in the action comedy remake “Loose Cannons.” There is no planned release date for “Happy Gilmore 2.” The highly anticipated sequel is slated to start filming in September. 

Not all famous couples begin their relationships in the spotlight. While some meet at fancy galas or on film sets, others have more traditional beginnings. That is the case with Miranda Lambert and her husband, Brendan McLoughlin. This lovestruck duo started with a very old-school romance. Miranda Lambert’s Husband: Where It All Began Instagram Fox News shared that the star opened up on a podcast about her and Brendan’s early days. Miranda Lambert first met her husband on the set of Good Morning America back in 2019. Taste of Country added that Miranda and her band, the Pistol Annies, were there to promote their new album. It was there that she and fellow bandmate Angaleena Presley first spotted Brendan McLoughlin. It is also where they gave him the nickname “hot cop.” From there, the two hatched a plan. They invited Brendan to one of their shows. The catch: They only gave him a single ticket—no plus one for Miranda Lambert’s future husband. On the podcast, Lambert admits, “He came by himself. We met up after, hung out and talked. There wasn’t an agenda… we just talked and kept in touch.” Old School Love When Miranda Lambert said “keep in touch,” most assumed they exchanged emails or phone numbers. However, this star had a different plan. She decided she wanted to be pen pals. Miranda Lambert shared her husband’s reaction to this intimate suggestion. She told Fox News, “We wrote each other literal letters, like old-school. I was like, ‘Do you wanna be pen pals?’ He was like, ‘Letters with a pen?’…He’s eight years younger, so that was really mind-blowing to him.” Despite the age gap and the shock of this old-school romance quiche, Miranda Lambert’s husband agreed to it. Now, they are smitten with one another and happily married. Although they come from different backgrounds—she from Texas and he from New York—the pair have a lot in common. One of Miranda’s favorite things about her husband is that he is not a ‘yes’ person. He will call her out and tell her how things are if he needs to. What a wonderful and romantic way for these two lovebirds to have met, and clearly, it’s a match made in heaven. The source of the featured image can be found here. The post Miranda Lambert and Husband Brendan McLoughlin’s Romance Had Sweet & “Old-School” Beginnings appeared first on InspireMore.

'That's still not enough'

'The closing of a very unicorn and beautiful chapter of our lives'

I know Trump doesn't drink. But it's time for him to crack open a cold one

A determined Lab has found a new home in Georgia after galloping alongside a doggie daycare bus until he won over the driver and found a new home. In Franklin County, the story begins when the driver of the ‘pup bus’ was doing his rounds to bring clients’ dogs to daycare. Coming to a house […] The post Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted appeared first on Good News Network.

News Guillermo del Toro Here’s Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Reading Starter Pack Is Frankenstein Gothic? Guillermo del Toro isn’t sure on that score. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on August 21, 2024 Screenshot: Legendary Pictures Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: Legendary Pictures Guillermo del Toro knows Gothic. The writer-director’s films almost all have some of that ethos, with Crimson Peak (pictured above) being a full-on Gothic experience. In a recent interview with Vulture, del Toro talked about many things, including the Gothic fiction he’s read that has informed his artistic perspective. “I guess I started reading it really, really early, because some people consider Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to be Gothic. I would take a little bit of exception to that, but it doesn’t matter,” del Toro said, adding that by the time he was 11 or 12, he’d already read lots of Jane Austen as well as The Monk by Gregory Lewis and 1764’s The Castle of Oranto by Horace Walpole. While he was still young, the Gothic novels by Ann Radcliffe became available in Mexico, and del Toro inhaled them. “I got addicted to the sort of askew cemetery poetry of those novels, their exoticism and all the coruscated romances,” he shared. Other works that the director touted include the 1864 novel Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, which was adapted into a film that he called “one of the great masterpieces.” He also praised the works of Daphne du Maurier. “In her short stories, there are many more elements that cross into the uncanny, at least. Rebecca is atmospheric and is haunted by an absence, which does not completely qualify it as a Gothic romance, but there are elements of it in the work.” Unfortunately, del Toro wasn’t asked to expand on why he doesn’t think that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is Gothic. He did say, however, that his upcoming film, Frankenstein, would be quite Gothic indeed. [end-mark] The post Here’s Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic Reading Starter Pack appeared first on Reactor.