Chris Cillizza, ex-CNN and Roll Call reporter, posted an interesting thread about Tim Walz. His critique of Tim Walz was scathing, although not scathing enough, and accurate. “The election ended 3 weeks ago. Enough time has passed. We — or I — can now safely pronounce that the Tim Walz VP pick was a dud. […] The post Cillizza on Tim Walz, Misremembering, Mediocre at Best, Nonentity appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Police in New York City arrested about 20 people on Thursday after anti-Israel protesters tried to stop the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Protesters interrupted the parade by jumping in front of the Ronald McDonald balloon, stopping it before police in the area converged on and arrested them, according to the New York Post. The protest, booed loudly by onlookers, marked the second consecutive year anti-Israel demonstrators have obstructed the parade route. Videos of the protest circulating on social media showed protesters lined across the street with a banner that said “Don’t celebrate genocide” and called for an arms embargo against the Jewish state. The protesters can be heard shouting “free, free Palestine.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Parade watchers can be heard chanting “U.S.A.” The crowd can be heard cheering as police moved in to arrest the demonstrators. Cops quickly swarmed in to make mass arrests when anti-Israel protesters tried to ruin the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade again. pic.twitter.com/1VCzxxD0L1 — New York Post (@nypost) November 28, 2024 ?New: Free Palestine protesters tried to shut down the Macy's NYC Thanksgiving Parade pic.twitter.com/ttU0IPANoD — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) November 28, 2024 The disruption delayed the parade for about five minutes, according to ABC 7. Formal charges against the protesters arrested are still pending. New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams warned against protesting the parade on Wednesday. “I really want to take the moment to tell those grinches that believe they are going to disrupt the parade that it is not going to happen,” Adams said. “Just like how we responded last year, we are going to be on top of those who attempt to interrupt the parade in any way possible.” Last year, a group of protesters were arrested at the Macy’s parade after they jumped over barricades and glued their hands to asphalt in the middle of the parade route. Protests against Israel picked up after October 7, 2023, when the terror group Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking hundreds more captive. About 100 captives are still believed to be held by Hamas. Israel launched a war against Hamas in Gaza and has since faced pressure and attacks from numerous terror groups in the region, as well as from Iran, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terror.

This Thanksgiving, Catholics across the nation have extra reason to celebrate. On election day, Catholics resoundingly rejected the most anti-Catholic presidential ticket in American history. By the largest margins in nearly 50 years, Catholics voted instead for President Trump and JD Vance’s promises to restore optimism and hope on an array of issues that Catholics hold dear. Basking in electoral success, it’s easy to forget what transpired over the past four years, and what could have come next had the election turned out differently. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris notoriously governed as the most pro-abortion administration in United States history. The Harris-Walz platform went further, making abortion a leading issue of their campaign, promising to ban all state laws protecting women and vulnerable children, making even late-term and post-birth abortions the law of the land. A prospective Harris-Walz administration promised to escalate this persecution, threatening any person or institution that stood in their way. In the final month of the campaign, Harris inexplicably declared that Catholic foundational beliefs on the sanctity of life and fundamental protections for conscience and religious freedom would be targeted, effectively putting Catholic schools, religious orders, hospitals and charities in jeopardy. Harris’ running mate Walz was no better, doubling down on his radical record as Governor of Minnesota, where he was exposed for trying to silence reporting on the number of babies left to die after botched abortions. Lest we also forget, the Biden-Harris administration weaponized government agencies against Catholics in an Orwellian fashion that Harris and Walz would have only intensified. Late last year, the FBI Richmond Field Office was exposed for labeling traditional Catholics as potential domestic extremists, and circulated memos to multiple field offices advising agents to set trip wires, and to surveil Catholics attending religious services. While undercover agents embedded in Catholic choir lofts joined in the singing of sacred hymns, pro-abortion vandals firebombed and vandalized pro-life organizations and Catholic churches with impunity. And then there was Biden-Harris’ FBI and DOJ’s lopsided application of the FACE Act – and their aggressive use of it against peaceful pro-life advocates – making clear they viewed Catholics and pro-life citizens as enemies of the state. Elderly Holocaust survivor Eva Edl, among many others, was arrested for her prayers, while Mark Houck’s home was raided, forcing him to beat back charges that could have landed him in federal prison for decades. Meanwhile, Jane’s Revenge and other pro-abortion domestic extremists eluded responsibility for their terrorizing of pro-life organizations across America. Catholics got the message. Kamala Harris had no time nor tolerance for Catholics and our way of life. Her decision to skip the traditional Al Smith dinner was only made worse by her decision to submit an off-color, humorless video featuring SNL actors mocking Catholic school girls. Her snub of the traditional fall charity dinner only confirmed Catholic skepticism given Harris’ extreme record of anti-Catholic bigotry – most notably, her implication that holding to Catholic beliefs is disqualifying for federal office.  Conversely, President Trump’s resilience despite ongoing attacks, smear campaigns, and trials inspired many anxious Catholics, who believed the former President understood their plight on a personal level, from the humanitarian catastrophe at the border to the cost of food and housing, to parental rights, religious freedom, and the enthusiasm around children’s health with Making America Healthy Again.  Aside from his pivot to leaving the question of abortion to the states, Catholics remembered who stood up to intense opposition to nominate and help confirm three new Supreme Court justices who joined a court majority to overturn Roe v. Wade – a goal sought by Catholics and countless pro-life advocates for over 50 years. Trump likewise championed religious freedom as president and candidate, repeatedly affirming his respect for Catholicism. He even attributed surviving an assassination attempt to God. And unlike Biden, Trump’s Vice President JD Vance is a devout Catholic who has sought to conform his public life consistent with Catholic teachings. Trump likewise staunchly defended parental rights, standing up to progressive efforts to undermine parental oversight of their children’s health when it comes to gender ideology. Catholic parents should be relieved that Trump opposes the indoctrination of their Pre-K through 8th grade school children with explicit LGBTQ+ ideology; they also should expect the Trump/Vance Administration to end the discrimination against Catholic parents in foster care. In addition, Catholic parents – especially those stripped of custody of their underage children — will benefit from Trump’s fierce opposition to life-altering transgender surgeries on children. Further, unlike the Biden-Harris administration, Trump will defend Catholic parents who object to the violation of women’s privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms, along with the assault on women’s sports. Biology and sanity were on the ballot in November, and thanks be to God, won. Finally, Trump has pledged to continue fighting to build an economy that prioritizes American workers and families – an issue that led to a historic surge in support among Hispanic voters. The effects of Biden’s reckless government spending in the aftermath of COVID sent the price of groceries, gas, and rent soaring. The ensuing economic strains were felt keenly by families nationwide, most especially by young families struggling to buy a home, or to absorb skyrocketing prices on nearly every good and service. Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, not just for the gift of freedom, but for the gift of God’s Providence that has unmistakably marked our nation from the beginning. We also give thanks for those that protect us from harm, who defend our American way of life, and for leaders willing to defend our nations rich traditions and heritage, starting with our most fundamental freedoms. As we celebrate this Thanksgiving, however, we must remember that our work is far from done. I am proud to have held led CatholicVote and our efforts to elect Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. We stand ready to assist the new administration in the coming months and years. But if we are to truly make America great again, perhaps the best place to start is by giving thanks. * * * Brian Burch is the President of CatholicVote. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Nothing will stop Jimmy Fallon from riding a float in the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day Parade, not even “Waver’s Elbow.” The comedian spoke with People ahead of the big event and shared that he’d just gone to the doctor because he’d been having elbow pain for about a year. It turns out Jimmy has just been happily greeting his fans for too long. “[The doctor]  said, ‘I think you have golfer’s elbow’ and I was like, ‘There’s no way.’ I don’t really golf that much — I golf four, five times a year or something — I go. But maybe I think I got it from waving,” he said. “I think I got it from the waving on the float.” “I think maybe the Queen [of England] has had this ailment,” Jimmy laughed. “I’m one of the few people that have wavers elbow, but I’ve had it for a year, and I still have it. It still hurts.” Jimmy Fallon Has Been Part Of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade For A Decade This year marks 10 years of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades for Jimmy Fallon. He and The Roots are one of 28 major acts set to perform. Before he dazzles fans with his music, he’ll wave all the way to Herald Square. “You can’t stop me from waving,” he joked. “When you see me waving this year, just know that I’m giving 110%. You don’t even have to wave back,” he continues. “I don’t care. It’s my job — in fact, I’d rather you not, I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.” Jimmy Fallon and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will brighten the streets of New York City from 8:30 am to 11 am CT. This story’s featured image is by Noam Galai/WireImage. The post Jimmy Fallon Isn’t Letting His Injury Keep Him From The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade appeared first on InspireMore.

'Compelling evidence of Combs’s propensity for violence'

After a pod of more than 30 pilot whales stranded themselves on a New Zealand beach, over a thousand volunteers and professionals alike organized to save them by carrying them back out to sea on sheets. The sheets were suspended from the prow of a boat operated by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DoC). The […] The post More Than 30 Stranded Whales Rescued in New Zealand by People Lifting Them on Sheets appeared first on Good News Network.

My Thanksgiving Disaster, and Why I Am Still Grateful

The 1900s-era weapon had been in its flesh for some time.

Christ is King. Satan is real. In a strange way, I'm thankful for both. It's not that I'm happy about the principalities and powers with which we do battle in this fallen world, of course. But I thank God for the wisdom to seem them for what they are. 'Wisdom is the recovery of innocence at the far end of experience.' Satan is real. It's a sentence I would have been embarrassed to speak just a few years ago. Perhaps you're familiar with that famous bell curve meme? At one end you have the simpleton, at the other the genius. The joke is that both extremes believe the simple, unadorned truth: In this case, Satan is real. In the middle we find the educated modern — or midwit. Not for him a crude, three-word fact. Sentences and sentences of hemming and hawing, qualifications and hedges, intellectural frippery. That's where I was for most of my life. That's the sweet spot for the American elite and those who aspire to it. That worldview worked, until it didn't. The first step to acquiring wisdom was realizing I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was. The cover of the the Louvin Brothers' 1959 country gospel album "Satan is Real" regularly shows up on those clickbait lists of weird album covers. It's the kind of goofy kitsch I used to love with an affectionate sense of superiority. It strikes me a little different now. The brothers didn't hire a professional to design the cover of "Satan is Real," and it shows. The image — featuring a 12-foot plywood devil Ira Louvin built himself, backlit by burning, kerosene-soaked tires — has been widely shared for its kitsch appeal. And yet the eerie power and urgency of songs like the title track or “The Drunkard's Doom” can make you wonder if maybe they're right. The Louvin Brothers' homemade hell can't compete with the far more immersive depictions of the demonic offered on today's screens. And yet few of these visions spring from genuine conviction. We don't take evil seriously, especially not supernatural evil. But we're like the obnoxious preteen who's only recently outgrown Halloween, walking through the haunted house and gleefully pointing out how “fake” everything is. Just who is he trying to convince? I remember how easy it was for me to dismiss the notion of supernatural evil. The occult isn’t what it used to be. We’d need the firewood from a thousand Burning Mans to dispatch every witch casting spells on TikTok, but their “magick” tends to focus on self-realization and wellness, like yoga for people with purple hair and face piercings. Child sacrifice in the form of abortion persists, but many of its practitioners are only dimly aware of the death cult they serve. Even the pants-soilingly grueling ayahuasca trips now in vogue don’t seem to pose any eternal risk; all spirits encountered are assumed to have our best interests at heart. Current popular entertainment tends to reflect this shallow and naïve understanding of the unseen world. Rare is the artist who dares remind us of what might really be stake in these lives we lead. This is why the sickening dread evoked by Irish director Liam Gavin's 2016 movie "A Dark Song" is so unfamiliar. Two people meet in a remote farmhouse in rural Wales: a desperate, grieving mother, and the bitter, alcoholic occultist she’s hired to help her contact her recently murdered young son. They begin an arduous, months-long ritual, which writer-director Liam Gavin depicts with painstaking realism. By showing how tedious and grubby the path to damnation can be, "A Dark Song" makes us ponder our own demons and the disturbing possibility that we’re not as in control of them as we’d like to think. Someday we may reach out to remove the mask, only to find that our deepest childhood instincts about what lurks in the dark were right all along. “Wisdom is the recovery of innocence at the far end of experience,” says Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart. I'm grateful every day for a new chance at cultivating this wisdom — and I wish the same for you. Happy Thanksgiving.

Jack Smith’s cases investigating Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election are falling apart — and now he’s stepping down from his position as special counsel before the president-elect takes office. Mark Levin of “LevinTV” isn’t surprised. “You know why? It’s simple. He’s an unconstitutional prosecutor. Donald Trump’s going to fire his ass. All the cases collapse, based on Department of Justice memos,” Levin says. “They collapse, these cases should never have been brought, the case in Florida was rightly thrown out.” “That’s why they were in a rush to get these cases prosecuted. To get him in prison before the election, which also violated numerous Department of Justice rules,” he continues. Now, Levin believes action against the people who sanctioned this needs to be taken. “It’s also my position that the new attorney general needs to dig into this and find out who exactly was responsible for it,” he says, adding, “They did everything possible to affect the election and to destroy Donald Trump’s life.” While the obsession with putting Trump behind bars was obvious from the start, Smith had been hyper-focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election — which is a perfectly normal thing for a candidate to do. “A candidate has every right to try and challenge an election, which means to overturn it. That’s exactly what’s going on in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania today at the behest of Chuck Schumer with their slip-and-fall lawyer Mark Elias,” Levin explains. “They did the same thing in Minnesota to give Al Franken a senate seat to take out Norm Coleman. More than a decade ago, Al Gore challenged the election in court after court in Florida until the Supreme Court stopped it,” he continues. “There’s simply nothing criminal about challenging it, about looking for more votes, about encouraging a state legislature to act, about encouraging a board of elections to act,” he says, adding, “This is the first time it’s been criminalized.” Want more from Mark Levin?To enjoy more of "the Great One" — Mark Levin as you've never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.