The Soros-backed District Attorney for Alameda County in California and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao are failures. The progressive politicians are on the November ballot to be recalled. Their incompetence has led the residents to regret their votes. To stop the onslaught of crime ravaging the area, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent attorneys to prosecute drug crimes […] The post After Ignoring Crime for Years, Gov. Newsom Takes It On appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Wide open borders, filthy cities replete with tents, needles and human waste, rampant crime, an assassination attempt, endless wars, kickbacks, corruption, drugs and sexual perversion in the White House… The Democrat reign of terror on America must be stopped. Vote them out! ~ James Woods Caveat: We don’t know if this was anything but a […] The post St. Onge on Another Perfectly-Timed Lone Wolf appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Microsoft laid off a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team this year, with a team leader sending an email saying the initiatives were no longer needed. The email, sent earlier this month and obtained by Business Insider, is from an individual whose name has not been released. It is unclear how many team employees were laid off. “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” said the email, which was sent to thousands of employees, according to BI. The email reportedly said the DEI team was eliminated due to “changing business needs” as of July 1. In 2020, following the riots that broke out over the death of George Floyd, Microsoft was one of many companies that pledged to spend millions of dollars to hire more people of color. In June 2020, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent an email to employees saying the company had “committed to take action to help address racial injustice and inequity, and unequivocally believe that Black lives matter.” The company promised to invest $150 million in diversity and inclusion, including doubling “the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.” One year after the pledge, the company released a progress report on its “Racial Equity Initiative,” which included spending millions to work on “justice reform,” increasing broadband access, increasing tech education for students as historically black colleges and K-12 computer programs, and funding tech support for black-led nonprofits. Microsoft now appears to have retreated, at least somewhat, from those efforts – and it’s not the only tech company to do so. Zoom laid off a DEI team earlier this year, saying it would instead work with external consultants from now on, Bloomberg reported. Google and Meta (Facebook) also made cuts to DEI following their 2020 pledges. CNBC reported last year that DEI-related job postings declined 44% in mid-2023 from the same time period in 2022. By November 2023, the job postings had dropped by 23% year over year. The outlet noted that between 2020 and 2021, DEI job postings increased by nearly 30%. Still, Microsoft says its commitments to diversity and inclusion “remain unchanged.” “Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work,” Microsoft spokesperson, Jeff Jones told BI in a statement.

Country music singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress is receiving terrible reviews for her rendition of the national anthem at the MLB Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, on Monday night. The four-time Grammy Award-nominated singer, 32, took to the field at Globe Life Field before the competition began. After her performance, social media exploded with viewers comparing her “Star Spangled Banner” performance to Fergie’s disastrous 2018 attempt and Maya Rudolph performing a parody of the song on “SNL.” “My ears are bleeding. One of the worst national anthem renditions ever,” one X user wrote in response to the performance. “Fergie watching Ingrid Andress claim her crown for worst national anthem of all time,” another echoed. Sports Illustrated writer Alex Carr said, “I’m so sorry, I’m sure Ingrid Andress is a wonderful person, but that was one of the worst national anthems I think I’ve ever heard in my whole life.” The Michigan native’s breakthrough 2019 single, “More Hearts Than Mine,” peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her 2022 single, “Wishful Drinking,” later became her second entry on the Billboard Hot 100. She received Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Country Album (“Lady Like”), and Best Country Song (“More Hearts Than Mine”) in 2021. Andress was also nominated in 2022 for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Wishful Drinking.” Andress’s national anthem performance occurred just one day after she announced new music coming soon.  “Greetings to everyone that has a pulse,” she shared with her 329,000 Instagram followers. “I truly love you all so much. I’ve been absent for a minute, but I’m so stoked to announce that my new single “Colorado 9” comes out on July 24th, pre-save it now (link in bio).” “To celebrate, I’m playing two very special shows, one in Nashville, this Wednesday, July 17th, at Row One, and one in Denver on Wednesday, July 24th, at Globe Hall,” she continued. “Thank you for being here for me even though I’ve been living under a rock. Y’all are the best and I can’t wait to see you at my shows (stay tuned for more show announcements soon).”

Love is in the air in the country music world — and it involves an American Idol engagement! If you’re an avid fan of the hit music competition, then there’s a good chance you’ll remember Garrett Jacobs. He was a fan favorite in season 16, starting off his time on the show strong with It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown. From there, the Louisiana native sung his way to nearly the Top 10. Although he didn’t win, during that time, he did catch someone’s eye. Callista Clark has been performing for much of her life — ever since she was 11 years old, to be exact. This led the music-loving teen to releasing music when she was only 17. Breaking into the music industry can be incredibly difficult, but Clark started off strong. Her lead single, It’s ‘Cause I Am made it to No. 30 on the Billboard Hot Country songs chart. Then, only four years later, she made her debut at the iconic Grand Ole Opry. In other words, the hard work Jacobs and Clark have put into their careers continues to pay off! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Callista Clark (@callistaclark) But as exciting as all of the career milestones have been, their most recent reason to celebrate has nothing to do with the music industry. Rather, it has to do with their love for each other! After privately dating for the last three years, this young couple is officially engaged! They even became official on social media in a sweet post made by Clark. You can see the slideshow of photos in the above post. American Idol Alum Delights Fans With Engagement Announcement to Fellow Country Singer “The day I became a fiancé,” Clark writes in the caption of her post, noting that June 22 is when Jacobs popped the question. “Congratulations — wishing you many happy years ahead. I am lucky enough to have been married 55 yrs so savor every day,” one fan shares in the comments, with another adding, “You two will have such a beautiful life together. Many wishes.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post “American Idol” Fan Favorite Celebrates Engagement To Up & Coming Country Star appeared first on InspireMore.