A Wisconsin man who had faked his own death and fled the country has been charged after returning to the United States. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday regarding the American taxpayer funds given to the Taliban, in addition to the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, following months of back-and-forth fighting.

Virulently anti-Israeli British Muslim Member of Parliament, Iqbal Mohamed, defends the Islam-approved custom of first cousin marriages. BREAKING: The anti-Israeli British Member of Parliament Iqbal Mohamed just spoke out against a law that would ban first cousin marriages in the UK. He tells other lawmakers they should try to step into the shoes of people […]

According to Nielsen data, the Comcast-owned MSNBC channel is down 46% compared to the first 10 months of 2024. They were the most vicious and dishonest about Donald Trump and his allies. Maybe people are just sick of the hate. CNN, which has long battled ratings swings dictated by news coverage, is down 33% after […] The post MSNBC Hits Record Lows From Its Previous Record Lows appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The man President-elect Donald Trump picked to lead the FBI in his second term gave a bullish outlook in response to current Director Christopher Wray announcing his plan to retire. “We look forward to a very smooth transition at the FBI and I’ll be ready to go on Day One,” Kash Patel told reporters on Wednesday during a visit to Capitol Hill. Pres-elect Trump’s pick for FBI Dir, Kash Patel, reacts to Dir Wray’s resignation: “We look forward to a very smooth transition at the FBI and I’ll be ready to go on day 1” pic.twitter.com/m1ZqW5q30n — Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 11, 2024 Wray revealed earlier in the day that he intended to continue serving as FBI director until the end of the Biden administration in January and then step down. “[T]his is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” Wray said. Trump has criticized Wray, whom he picked to head the FBI during his first term, over issues such as crime and the raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate amid a documents inquiry. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE In a post to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump celebrated Wray’s decision not to stick around for the remainder of his 10-year term atop the bureau. Trump marked what he called a “great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” He also said Patel is the “most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History” and is “committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice” return to the U.S. Patel, a former House staffer who served in high-level national security positions within Trump’s first administration, has been meeting with GOP senators about his FBI bid. This week, Sen. Tom Tillis (R-NC) shared photos of his meeting with Patel, called Trump’s pick “the real deal,” and said he looked forward to supporting his nomination. CNN reported Patel said senators have been “wonderful” and he aims to earn their “trust and confidence” as well as “restoring law and order and integrity to the FBI.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) recently told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he expects Patel will be confirmed by the Senate, which will be controlled by the GOP next year.

CNN’s ratings continue to struggle, falling behind cable channels like the Food Network and Hallmark Channel following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election. Despite a busy news cycle with Trump cabinet announcements, the murder of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson, and chaos in Syria, the ratings were dismal for the network’s primetime shows like “Anderson Cooper 360” and “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” during the week of Dec. 2, Fox News reported. The evening lineup averaged a total of 367,000 total viewers between 8-11 p.m. In comparison, Fox News averaged 2.5 million total primetime viewers last week. The audience for CNN wasn’t just less than Food Network, Fox News, and Hallmark Channel, but also MSNBC, ESPN, Freeform, TNT, Discovery, INSP, Hallmark Mystery, TLC, TBS, History, HGTV, USA, and Paramount. In fact, it came in 17th in cable in primetime, the outlet noted.  CNN just lost in the ratings to…Food Network!! The news outlet finished in 17th place among all cable stations last week in primetime. It wasn’t like it was a slow news cycle either. There was the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, the manhunt for the killer, the… pic.twitter.com/pPXiU2Xi7I — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 11, 2024 In the coveted age demographic of 25-54, the news was even worse for the Ted Turner-founded network, with only 67,000 average viewers, the outlet noted. This put CNN behind channels like TV Land, MTV, Adult Swim, Nick at Nite, and Comedy Central in the key demographic. Fox News Channel, in comparison, averaged 280,000 viewers during primetime last week in the key age demo. Reacting to the news, Charlie Kirk said it was one more sign that legacy media was done. “This is devastating for the legacy cable news media,” Kirk wrote on X. “People are rejecting them and turning to resources like ‘The Charlie Kirk Show,’ Bongino, Megyn Kelly, Joe Rogan, and War Room.” “And they’re coming to X for real-time breaking news,” he added. “We are living through a dramatic tectonic shift that will change the course of history.” The news comes after CNN and MSNBC’s ratings had already plummeted after Trump’s landslide victory against Vice President Kamala Harris in the election last month, as previously reported. According to Nielsen data, coverage of Trump’s election victory throughout the day on CNN on Thursday — just after the election — brought in 419,000 total viewers and in the key age demographic, just 91,000 viewers, Mediaite noted. Over on MSNBC, the network had a total for the entire day of 596,000 viewers — and in the coveted age demographic, a total of 71,000 viewers. Year over year, CNN’s audience was down 40 percent, while MSNBC’s numbers were also down 23 percent. Related: MSNBC And CNN Ratings Plummet Following Trump’s Landslide Victory

The House of Representatives has approved its annual defense bill, which includes language banning taxpayer funding for transgender procedures that may result in the sterilization of children. This year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House of Representatives Wednesday by a 281 to 140 vote, authorizing almost $900 billion in spending. Two hundred Republicans and 81 Democrats voted for the NDAA, and 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voted against it. Section 708 of the NDAA states that “medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18.” The Daily Wire first reported this language on Saturday. Democrats and left-wing activists have argued that transgender procedures for children are “life-saving” and prevent kids from committing suicide. Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have vehemently pushed back against these claims, pointing out that these procedures can sterilize children, and argue that the military’s goal is to defend the United States, not to transition children. “Today’s NDAA is a step toward restoring our armed forces by rejecting the woke agenda and refocusing on military readiness,” said Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas. “This bill bans TRICARE coverage for sex-change surgeries for minors, authorizes National Guard deployments to secure our southern border, and provides a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted personnel.” “While this bill is a net positive, it’s not perfect,” he added. “Thankfully, we will soon have a new Commander-in-Chief who will take the necessary steps to complete what this bill started, fully restore our military’s focus on strength and readiness, and completely end the woke agenda across the federal government. This bill is just the beginning of the work that needs to be done.” On Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the NDAA provision a “critical and necessary step” in the fight against “radical gender ideology.” (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to support procedures and treatments that could permanently harm and sterilize young people,” Johnson told The Daily Wire on Saturday. “In this year’s NDAA, we’re taking a critical and necessary step to protect the children of American service members from radical gender ideology and experimental drugs.” He further promised: “House Republicans will continue to take action to protect America’s kids.” But House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member, Adam Smith (D-WA), called the bill “bigoted against the trans community,” claiming it undermined the bipartisan bill. “The medical profession has no dispute that in some instances, this treatment is crucial to the health and well-being of our children,” he claimed. “And we are now denying that to the children of servicemembers.” Democratic Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who chairs the House Equality Caucus, told POLITICO that “Big Brother, big government attacks like those just don’t belong in this bill,” arguing that Republicans prioritized “right-wing extremist dogma over national defense.” And Republican Congressman Mike Rogers said Tuesday that he disagrees with the move to ban transgender procedures for military children in the NDAA, arguing that President-elect Donald Trump could resolve the issue upon taking office. “My preference would have been that we just let the president, on Jan. 20, deal with these,” the Alabama Republican told The Hill’s Emily Brooks, “which he’s already indicated he’s going to do.” Trump “is going to stop all these social, cultural issues from being embedded as policies,” he added. “So my point is, I don’t know why this is in the bill when Jan. 20, it’s a moot point.” But the language has garnered praise from advocates opposing irreversible transgender transition procedures for children. American Principles Project president Terry Schilling celebrated the news of the legislation’s passage in a Wednesday statement, saying:  “We are grateful for the principled leadership of Speaker Johnson in ensuring this important protection was included in the bill. And we urge Republican leaders in both chambers to continue to prioritize this issue, both for the remainder of this Congress and especially in the next one. Voters this November gave the GOP a mandate to act — now they must follow through.”

The Voice crowned its champion on December 10, and rookie coach Michael Buble brought home a winner. Sofronio Vasquez took home the top prize, and his couch couldn’t be more excited. Sofronio wowed the judges with his first note.  He received a four-chair turn during the blind auditions after his rendition of Rose Royce’s I’m Goin’ Down. He ultimately chose Michael as his coach, which proved to be the right move. Together, the pair made magic, and Sofriono looked forward to the end. The eventual Voice winner told People on December 9 that he’d be happy no matter the outcome. “We’re just going to celebrate that this was a very, very good run for The Voice and we really felt that we are loved by the production and no one is superior… we are all loved. [It’s] in America’s hands for tomorrow,” he said. “The Voice” Winner And His Coach Performed an Incredible Duet Sofronio and Michael’s rendition of Who’s Lovin’ You? was a soulful duet that made fans happy. The pair clearly love and respect one another. A fan shared on YouTube, “Thank you America for voting fair and square. Congratulation Sofronio! Well-deserved win. Thank you Michael Buble, you’re simply the best.” “They both made history. First-time coach and first-time winner. Nice work for both of you. Congrats team Buble and Sofronio for winning The Voice USA 2024,” a fan pointed out. This person loved the win. “Michael Bublé really kept his promise to Sofronio, trusting him from day 1. He made the right decision to go with coach Bublé.” Moments before Carson Daly named Sofronio The Voice winner, Michael said to him, “My Filipino brother, you are the hope of so many people… it has been such an unbelievable journey to be here with you.” This story’s featured image can be found here. The post Watch The Season 26 “The Voice” Winner & Michael Buble’ Sing The Perfect Duet appeared first on InspireMore.