The European Commission says it wants to protect free speech but admits it will decide what Google, Facebook, and X censor. Now, the public has discovered that the EU’s top censorship official, Thierry Breton, is a former French defense contractor specializing in mass spying and censorship. He is behind the totalitarian censorship demands. Thierry Breton […] The post The Totalitarianism and Mass Censorship We Feared Is Here appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump in Florida dismissed the prosecution on Monday. Judge Aileen Cannon sided with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department. The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, which can be […] The post Documents Case Against Trump Is Dismissed Over Jack Smith’s Appointment appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

In their latest court filing, attorneys for convicted murderer and fraudster Alex Murdaugh argue that his 40-year sentence for financial crimes violates his Eighth Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. In April, Murdaugh pled guilty to 22 counts of fraud and other financial crimes after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Afterward, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison, even though he and prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel for a 30-year sentence to run concurrently with Murdaugh’s 27-year sentence for state financial crime and consecutive life sentences for the murders of his wife Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. Murdaugh appealed the sentence, and his new filing argues that the lengthy sentence constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and is effectively a life sentence, given Murdaugh’s age, WCSC reported. Murdaugh, who is 55, is required to serve at least 85% of his sentence, which amounts to 34 years. But Murdaugh’s life expectancy is only another 24 years, according to the Social Security Administration. Murdaugh’s filing says the state guidelines should have sentenced him between 17 and 22 years for the crimes and cites three similar cases with median sentences of 17.5 years. Judge Gergel sentenced Murdaugh to the longer term, stating in his ruling that Murdaugh stole money from “the most needy, vulnerable people.” This included a client who was left without the use of his arms or legs after a crash and a trust fund for children whose parents had been killed in a car crash. Murdaugh pleaded guilty to stealing millions of dollars from his previous law firm and its clients and, in addition to prison time, was ordered to pay more than $8 million in restitution to his victims. “Trust in our legal system begins with trust in its lawyers,” U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said in a statement at the time. “South Carolinians turn to lawyers when they are at their most vulnerable, and in our state, those who abuse the public’s trust and enrich themselves by fraud, theft, and self-dealing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The sentencing hearing almost didn’t happen, as prosecutors filed a motion the week before trying to back out of their plea agreement with Murdaugh, claiming he failed a polygraph test and was, therefore, lying about where the money was spent. The federal government based its attempt to revoke the plea agreement on the failed polygraph test but asked the courts not to release the results. Murdaugh’s attorneys filed a motion last week opposing the federal prosecutors’ request. “To allow the Government to publicly accuse Murdaugh of breaching his plea agreement while also allowing the Government to hide all purported evidence supporting that accusation from the public would violate the public’s right to the truth,” Murdaugh’s attorneys, Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian, wrote in their motion, according to CNN. Polygraph tests are not permitted as evidence in court because they are unreliable. The attorneys argued in court documents that the polygraph Murdaugh failed was not reliable because the administrator admitted to Murdaugh that he had just tested Joran van der Sloot, who admitted to killing Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005. “There are legitimate questions as to whether the Government intentionally manipulated the results to void the plea agreement and achieve the prosecutors’ stated desire to ‘ensure that he’s never a free man again,’” the attorneys wrote previously, according to the Associated Press.

Hollywood is mourning the death of popular fitness guru Richard Simmons at the age of 76, just one day after celebrating his birthday.  The Los Angeles Police Department found Simmons unresponsive in his Hollywood Hills home on Saturday after his housekeeper called 911. The celebrity appears to have died from natural causes, and no foul play is suspected, per ABC News. Simmons, known for his over-the-top enthusiasm and joy for life, is being celebrated by the Hollywood community. “My heart is broken with the loss of this super special human,” former television talk show host Ricki Lake wrote on X. “May he RIP. #richardsimmons I loved him so so much.” Fellow fitness star Denise Austin also posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram. “I am heartbroken, as he is someone l have known and started the aerobics business with over 40 years ago,” she wrote alongside photos of herself with Simmons. “Every time we were together we had so much fun… filled with hugs, laughter and tears.” “I’ll never forget Richard singing through the hallways, hugging my daughters and even sending me a letter when my mom passed,” Austin added. “I cherished our friendship – and I can’t believe I just reached out less than a month ago.” Actress and leftist activist Jane Fonda shared, “Richard Simmons always wanted people to feel good and be happy. He would go out of his way to make people happy. I often wondered if maybe nobody had made him happy when he was a little boy.”  Fonda went on, “I hope he felt the love so many were sending him these last years. I hope it made him happy. I read he died peacefully in his sleep in his very white home. Rest in Peace, Dear Richard.” Actor Pauly Shore also shared kind words about the late fitness star. “I just got word like everyone else that the beautiful Richard Simmons has passed,” he wrote.  “I hope you’re at peace and twinkling up in the heavens,” Shore added. “You’re one of a kind, Richard. An amazing life. An amazing story. They broke the dolphin shorts when they made you. Rest in peace, my friend. Rest in peace.” Richard’s brother, Lenny Simmons, shared a statement about his death on social media.  “I don’t want people to be sad about my brother. I want them to remember him for the genuine joy and love he brought to people’s lives,” he said. “He truly cared about people. He called, wrote, and emailed thousands of people throughout his career to offer help.” “So don’t be sad. Celebrate his life. He was very excited about all of his upcoming ventures he was working on,” Lenny wrote. “We are in shock. Please respect the family at this difficult time.” Simmons was best known for his “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” aerobics videos in the 1980s. He became intent on helping others lose weight after becoming obese as a young man and then working to get in shape. The workout star had stayed out of the spotlight for the past decade, leading to speculation from fans about what he was up to.  The celeb raised eyebrows in March when he posted a cryptic message about dying following a skin cancer diagnosis. “I have some news to tell you. Please don’t be sad. I am …. dying,” he wrote in a social media post at the time, as The Daily Wire previously reported. “Oh I can see your faces now. The truth is we all are dying. Every day we live we are getting closer to our death.” “Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest every single day,” he continued. “Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) provided The Daily Wire with an exclusive first reaction to the dismissal of special counsel Jack Smith‘s classified documents case against former President Donald Trump on Monday. The news broke as Johnson was speaking with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. “It’s the right result. We’ve had lots of consternation about this in the House, of course,” Johnson told The Daily Wire. “We’ve been ringing the bells about Jack Smith and how inappropriate the whole thing was and it’s really gratifying to see a court rule that.” Johnson further stated that he was looking forward to reading District Court Judge Aileen Cannon’s order, which said Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional. “This news broke while I was doing an interview with Ben Shapiro just a few moments ago,” Johnson added. “So, um, it’s really good news. Not just for President Trump and our party, of course, but for the country.” Trump, who is expected to reveal his vice presidential pick and formally receive the GOP’s presidential nomination at the convention, also responded to the dismissal in a post to Truth Social. He made reference to surviving an assassination attempt over the weekend and the other legal matters he faces while seeking another term in the White House. “As we move forward in Uniting our Nation after the horrific events on Saturday, this dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts — The January 6th Hoax in Washington, D.C., the Manhattan D.A.’s Zombie Case, the New York A.G. Scam, Fake Claims about a woman I never met (a decades old photo in a line with her then husband does not count), and the Georgia ‘Perfect’ Phone Call charges,'” Trump said. He continued, “The Democrat Justice Department coordinated ALL of these Political Attacks, which are an Election Interference conspiracy against Joe Biden’s Political Opponent, ME. Let us come together to END all Weaponization of our Justice System, and Make America Great Again!”

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher has said on several occasions that he worries about President Joe Biden’s ability to best former President Donald Trump in November — and after Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump, he suggested the race was all but over. During a stand-up show just hours after a gunman opened fire at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — leaving two dead, including the shooter, and three more wounded, including the former president — Maher lamented the fact that every new development seemed to be tilting in Trump’s favor. Maher shared a video of his reaction to the situation, captioning it, “The opening of my comedy show last night a few hours after the shooting if anyone wants to know my thoughts.” The opening of my comedy show last night a few hours after the shooting if anyone wants to know my thoughts…. pic.twitter.com/bMov0INLEr — Bill Maher (@billmaher) July 14, 2024 Maher began by saying he would not use such a horrific event as a punchline to attack Trump. “I unequivocally denounce [the shooting], I don’t care what you think about that. Not funny. I’m sure that there will be jokes that people will make because they hate him so much that they wished it went the other way. Not for me,” he explained. Maher went on to say that if photos were to decide the election, the image of Trump with his fist in the air — seconds after he was literally shot — would put an end to any contest. “When I saw that photo today of him with the blood streaming down his face — I don’t want to say the election’s over but … Anything can happen in an election,” Maher said. “Jesus Christ … MAGA nation finally has its full martyr. They loved it when he went to jail. The mug shot. I gotta say, he’s insane and a criminal. But that mug shot? F***ing nailed it.” ”And he [reacted to the shooting] like he rehearsed it! [Got it on] take one! There will be idiot conspiracy theorists who will say, ‘Oh they planned it.’ He gets grazed and the other guy gets [killed] — that’s so Trump,” Maher continued, remarking that he believed Trump to be the luckiest man alive. “It’s going to work for him. I can see the memes now — ‘the man the libtards couldn’t kill.’ Biden can’t get through a debate and a bullet can’t stop Donald Trump. It almost doesn’t matter who the Democrats put up now.”

You may have noticed quite a few food recalls recently. This week, however, there has been an influx in vehicle recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued multiple this week, resulting in nearly 500,000 recalled vehicles. This applies to multiple brands and vehicles. Luckily, there’s no reason to fret. While finding out that a recall has been made can be distressing, the fact that there’s a recall means that the problems have been identified and are being solved. With that said, below you’ll find helpful info to ensure that your vehicle is safe. And, if one you own is on the list, you’ll find details on what you can and should do about it. To get started, here is a list of the brands involved in this recall: Honda, BMW, and Chrysler. Keep scrolling to find out the cause of each recall, which vehicles are affected, and what action you can take. Y S / Unsplash For the Honda recall, some vehicles may be missing a tire identification number, also called a TIN code. As a result, there’s a higher risk of a crash due to unrecognized recalled tires. The only vehicle impacted is the 2024 Honda CR-V. In order to remedy this problem, dealers will inspect and replace your tires, as necessary, for free. You can also call Honda’s customer service for more info: 1-888-234-2138. Car Recall Spans Three Popular Brands — Here’s What You Need to Know to Stay Safe BMW’s recall was issued because original steering wheels may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel. These are equipped with an inflator that can explode during deployment. When this happens, sharp metal fragments can severely injure or kill passengers. Here is a list of the recalled BMW vehicles: 2006-2011 323i 2006-2011 325i 2006-2012 325xi 2006-2012 328i 2006-2012 328xi 2006-2011 330i 2006-2011 330xi 2009-2011 335d 2006-2011 335i 2006-2011 335xi As a result, mechanics will inspect and replace airbag modules as needed. This will come at no cost. Owners of these vehicles can also contact the BMW customer service here: 1-800-525-7417. Chrysler Issues Two Recalls on Several Vehicles Lastly, Chrysler has issued two separate recalls. The first has to do with incorrect tire information on labels. Some may reflect incorrect info on tire pressure and size. As a result, your vehicle could have inflated tires or the incorrect size installed, increasing the risk of crashing. The vehicles affected are the 2017-2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia and the 2021-2024 Afla Romeo Stelvio. Dealers will resolve this issue for free. cottonbro studio / Pexels Secondly, some belt buckle switch sensors may be improperly connected. As a result, front seat air bags may not deploy. Dealers will also correct this mistake for free. But you can also contact customer service for the brand at the following number: 1-800-853-1403. The following are the affected vehicles: 2017-2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2018-2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2019-2023 Fiat 500X 2019-2023 Jeep Renegade 2024 Fiat 500E If you want to be extra thorough about ensuring your vehicle is safe, you can search NHTSA’s database based on your vehicle identification number (VIN). Stay safe, everyone! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Multi-Brand Car Recall: Nearly 500k Vehicles Recalled Across Several Companies appeared first on InspireMore.