Colin Gray, the father of the accused Georgia school shooter, Colt Gray, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a slew of charges, including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.

Update to the Article about Pete Hegseth Pete Hegseth responded to a woman’s allegations in 2017, and we have more information from the report. The Police Report The police report said that Jane Doe told law enforcement she “woke up in the morning and took a shower before going to work. The incident involving Hegseth […] The post Update on the Smearing of Pete Hegseth appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Shortly after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrew his name from consideration for attorney general, multiple political commentators suggested that President-elect Donald Trump nominate a conservative Supreme Court justice for the position. Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for AG after being tapped by Trump for the position, saying it was “clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” The move came as the House Ethics Committee weighed releasing a report on alleged sexual misconduct by Gaetz. Conservative commentators floated Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito for attorney general, a move that would also open up a seat for Trump to appoint someone to the nation’s highest court. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices in his first term. “Trump could put Justice Alito up for Attorney General and then fill the SCOTUS seat,” wrote Katie Pavlich. In a follow-up post, Pavlich added, “Or:” next to a GIF of Thomas. Or: https://t.co/j6tXbmM4kr pic.twitter.com/pralJXF1UK — Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) November 21, 2024 Steve Deace of The Blaze floated Thomas for the position in the second Trump administration. “Appoint Clarence Thomas attorney general, and then fill his seat on the Supreme Court with either Ted Cruz or Ron DeSantis,” Deace said. Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown also endorsed the idea of nominating Thomas for AG. “Double Win! President Trump appoints Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito, strong defenders of the Constitution, as his Attorney General. Then, he can immediately nominate a new US Supreme Court Justice!” Brown wrote on X. Make America Great Again! ?? Left’s meltdown continues.” ?Double Win! President Trump appoints Clarence Thomas or Samuel Alito, strong defenders of the Constitution, as his Attorney General. Then, he can immediately nominate a new US Supreme Court Justice! Make America Great Again! ?? Left’s meltdown continues. pic.twitter.com/xfsemfPgwG — Sam Brown (@CaptainSamBrown) November 21, 2024 MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ Other names that have been floated for attorney general include Attorney Mark Paoletta, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump only has a few positions left to fill in his new cabinet. Some of his picks, including Gaetz, have caused a stir on Capitol Hill and in legacy media newsrooms. Decorated veteran Pete Hegseth, the nominee for Defense Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, and Tulsi Gabbard, the nominee for Director of National Intelligence, have all come under fire after being tapped by Trump.

As the debate between trans activists and more mainstream Americans rages on, HBO reps have released a statement on the network’s decision to keep “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling involved in upcoming projects despite her being labeled a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) by the Left. The British-born author holds mostly liberal views but draws the line at affirming trans-identifying men as women, a position that has inspired a heap of backlash and boycotts over the past several years. Still, Rowling has stood firm and repeatedly reiterated her stance. Leftist “Harry Potter” fans and several stars from the film franchise have denounced Rowling for her beliefs. However, HBO issued a statement to Variety calling her contribution to the network, which spans more than 20 years, “invaluable” and reinforced its commitment to collaborate with her as it moves forward to adapt Rowling’s book series into a TV show. “We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve and acceptance,” the statement said. “J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.” HBO chief Casey Bloys had a similar take during a press event on November 12, Variety noted, saying that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director” and that her stance on transgender issues “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff” for the “Harry Potter” series, which is slated to be released on HBO in 2026. The campaign to denounce Rowling began in 2020 when the author tweeted, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.” MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+ She’s been outspoken about her beliefs ever since, frequently posting about the topic, including the controversy over trans-identifying men competing in women’s sports.  Rowling recently reacted to late-night host John Oliver’s remarks on the topic, writing in an X post, “With a straight face, the ‘believe the science’ guys will say ‘actually, we don’t yet have enough data to say whether men and boys are stronger and faster than women and girls’. The ‘be kind’ crew can’t see what the issue is. ‘Why are you bothered, it only affects a tiny minority of females?’” She added, “If you want to tell the world you’re happy to watch females suffer injury, humiliation and the loss of sporting opportunities to bolster an elitist post-modern ideology embraced by a minute fraction of the world’s population, fair enough; you’re allowed your opinion. But if you’ve just told girls they don’t deserve fair sport, maybe rethink using all too real and common sexual predation against young women as a punchline for your ‘edgy’ closing joke.”

A newly released Bud Light commercial featuring comedian Shane Gillis is getting positive feedback from viewers as it subtly targets edgy, progressive advertising and champions the common man. The ad spot is called “Wrong Commercial.” In it, Gillis poses as a regular guy who was scheduled to be in a beer commercial at a bar but instead finds himself in an over-the-top artistic perfume ad shot in black and white — which also features a model holding a snake and a rock star guitarist trying to hand him a fistful of sand.  Gillis reacts as any normal person would, questioning his co-stars with one-liner quips, until the camera cuts to the alt-rock character who was supposed to appear in the perfume ad sitting in a bar enjoying a plate of wings and a Bud Light. Gillis has become the new face of Bud Light. The controversial comedian is best known for being fired from “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 after decades-old comments he made were deemed “offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable.” He returned to host the sketch comedy show in February 2024. Gillis has been described as politically moderate, which makes him appealing to conservatives in the leftist-dominated comedy space. He’s known for making jokes about both sides.  The new Bud Light ad wouldn’t have been noteworthy years ago when the beer brand was known for clever advertising. But everything appears different in the wake of the Bud Light scandal that led to the biggest successful conservative boycott ever. Former Anheuser-Busch VP Alissa Heinerscheid decided that Bud Light’s image was “fratty” and “out of touch.” This led to the brand sending a promotional can to trans-identifying activist Dylan Mulvaney, who publicized it on social media.  The resulting backlash cost the brand more than $1 billion in lost revenue and lost them their title as best-selling beer. The Bud Light debacle is considered one of the worst marketing fiascos in history. Now as they work to rebuild the brand, this commercial appears to mock woke advertising. It was released the same week as the brand re-launch of Jaguar, which is being scorned for being overly pretentious and most crucially, for not having any cars in it. Reactions to the “Wrong Commercial” are mostly positive, though many fans say it’s not enough to overcome Bud Light’s past sins. “Big fan of Shane. There may be redemption in your future,” one commenter wrote. “Pretty good. Probably should have shaved 10 seconds off it. You want people to enjoy it and feel a tinge of nostalgia but not linger too long on why they rejected you. I give it 7/10. But you need to keep doing better to win back your base,” another person wrote. “I see your [sic] trying Bud Lite and I appreciate it,” a third person said. 

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced last September that he was leaving the Democratic Party, saying it had lost its way. Now he’s under consideration for a prominent position in President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet, The Daily Wire has learned, and he may be forced to defend a surprisingly woke record. Johnson is being pitched to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, multiple Trump world sources told The Daily Wire. Earlier this month, he published a Fox News opinion piece titled “I’m the mayor of Dallas. My switch to the GOP last year should have been a wake-up call for Democrats.” In the piece, he says “voters are sick of a Democrat Party that prioritizes pandering over policy, political correctness over political action, and concern with personal identity over individuals’ real needs.” On Fox & Friends @Johnson4Dallas discussed how @GOP mayors across the country are excited to work with @realDonaldTrump to deliver on the promise of making our cities great again. pic.twitter.com/BsMaQuJbNg — Republican Mayors Association (@GOPMayorsAssn) November 20, 2024 But the piece does not address where Johnson stands on some of the key issues that drove Americans to vote for Trump, including gender ideology. And Johnson’s social media is littered with his criticisms of Trump’s policies, as well as promotion of gender ideology and the “Black Lives Matter” movement — including a proclamation proclaiming June 5 as a George Perry Floyd Remembrance Day in Dallas. In January 2017, Johnson sent a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott asking him to denounce Trump’s so-called “Muslim Ban.” In June 2017, he argued that former FBI Director James Comey was far more credible than Trump. In September 2017, he mocked the notion of “reverse racism” and critiqued Republicans’ focus on affirmative action. In October 2017, he claimed that a Trump presidency is “everything we feared,” arguing, “stay woke,” and “resist.” In March 2018, he praised Adam Schiff for condemning the Austin bombings, claiming that Schiff was “saying and doing what our president [Trump] simply will not,” and tacking on the hashtag, #BLM. He’s called Trump’s policies “reckless” and “embarrassing,” repeatedly argued Trump is “unfit for command,” and repeatedly accused Trump of seeking to dismantle Barack Obama’s legacy. Re @realDonaldTrump Exec Order: “If you stick a knife in my back 9 in & pull it out 6 in, there’s no progress. If you pull it all the way out that’s not progress. Progress is healing the wound…they haven’t even pulled the knife out much less heal the wound.” Malcolm X #txlege — Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) June 20, 2018 Since joining the Republican Party, Johnson, who did not respond to a request for comment, has become a vocal Trump supporter. He congratulated Trump on his “decisive victory” and said he was “looking forward to working with [Trump] to make Dallas and our nation safer, stronger, and more prosperous.” The Dallas Morning News reported on November 6 that Johnson was seen at Trump’s victory party on election night, questioning whether Johnson was angling for a position within the Trump administration.  Mike Demkiw, executive director of the Republican Mayors Association, said at the time that Johnson was focused on continuing to serve Dallas. Johnson also appears to be a staunch proponent of gender ideology, repeatedly arguing in defense of so-called “transgender youth,” meaning minor children who believe they are transgender, and he has positively used the word “woke” on a number of occasions as he describes his colleagues and friends. “The [Texas legislature’s] bathroom bill forces vulnerable transgender Texans to be singled out and subject to further discrimination,” he tweeted in July 2017 with a transgender flag graphic that read “PROTECT TRANSGENDER YOUTH,” adding with a hashtag, “Y’all Means All.” In another post made the same month, Johnson posted a graphic from the radical Southern Poverty Law Center and tagged a number of prominent LGBTQ groups that support transgender procedures for children, including Equality Texas, the Human Rights Campaign, and the ACLU of Texas. Screenshot, X. When protestors filled the Texas Capitol in March 2017 to protest the legislation, which protected women’s spaces from men who identify as women, he tweeted, “I am proud of those standing up for Texas in opposition to the bathroom bill. This is what democracy looks like.” In May 2018, he boasted in a social media post about his bill to “prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” saying that the bill “made it further than it ever had in the legislature.” “Next year,” he said, “I hope it will finally pass. LGBTQ Texans have waited long enough.” As mayor, Johnson created an “anti-hate” advisory council in Dallas, arguing that “nobody should feel uncomfortable or unsafe in Dallas because of who they are, because of their race or ethnicity, their sexual and gender identity, their religion or their national origin.” He even issued a proclamation in 2021 proclaiming an “International Transgender Day of Visibility” in the city. International Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation. Johnson’s office confirmed receipt of The Daily Wire’s press inquiry but did not address The Daily Wire’s questions.

With former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) withdrawing from consideration to become President-elect Donald Trump‘s attorney general on Thursday, journalists immediately began to explore whether Gaetz could return to the House next year to serve the two-year term that he won in the November election. Gaetz, a four-term congressman, resigned from Congress last week shortly after Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Justice. In his resignation letter that was read aloud by the House clerk, Gaetz indicated he did not intend to serve the fifth term voters had just given him by a 32-point margin. .@RepMattGaetz resignation is read in the House of Representatives: "I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration." pic.twitter.com/8SpMffRYjJ — CSPAN (@cspan) November 14, 2024 “I hereby resign, as the United States Representative for Florida’s First Congressional District, effective immediately, and I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump administration,” Gaetz wrote to the House speaker. Sources told CNN that the way Gaetz worded his letter leaves room for him to be sworn in at the beginning of the next Congress, which starts in January. In a post to X, Fox News’ Chad Pergram similarly reported that his news outlet was told that the part of Gaetz’s letter about his future plans was not binding. It appears a key element is Florida Governor Ron Desantis’ administration not setting up a special election to determine a successor to Gaetz. DeSantis said last week he instructed Secretary of State Cord Byrd to announce a schedule for special elections for seats held by Gaetz and other Trump picks, but Byrd has yet to do so. Further strengthening the case for a comeback, CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane reported on X that a House aide said: “Florida officials sent federally-required election certifications to the Clerk of the House confirming who was elected to serve during the 119th Congress. Matt Gaetz’s name was included in that list.” It’s unclear whether Gaetz will try to retake his seat. DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern said, “You’d have to ask Gaetz,” when asked if the governor expects Gaetz to vacate his seat next congress, according to the publication, Florida Politics. Since ending his bid for AG, Gaetz has not publicly shared any plans. Would there be implications if Gaetz returns? Per MacFarlane’s source, Gaetz might get the last office available because the room lottery for incoming members is done. And, as noted by a Tallahassee lawyer who spoke to Bulwark reporter Marc Caputo, the House ethics report on Gaetz is “waiting for him if he goes back.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reaffirmed her refusal to fully cooperate with the Trump administration’s planned deportations — the same day two illegal immigrants were charged with raping children in Massachusetts. In response to criticism from incoming Trump border czar Tom Homan, Wu — who had previously said she would maintain Boston’s “sanctuary city” status in defiance of the Trump administration, said Wednesday said she had “no intention of rolling out the welcome mat” for the president-elect and his team. “They can say whatever they want about me, but our public safety record speaks for itself: Boston is the safest major city in America,” the mayor said. “Our homicide rates are among the lowest of any city nationally, and gun violence has been at an all-time historic low over the last two years here in Boston” The same day, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s field office in Boston announced it arrested two illegal immigrants for forcibly raping children inclding 42-year-old Billy Erney Buitrago-Bustos of Columbia and 21-year-old Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz of Guatamala. An additional migrant, who was convicted of raping a child in Brazil and sentenced to serve 14 years in prison before fleeing to the United States, was also arrested on Thursday. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey also said she would not assist with federal efforts to deport illegal aliens. Trump’s support in Boston has grown since 2016, when he secured just 14.1% of the vote. Though Boston is still Democrat-dominated, Trump secured 20.4% in November. Wu first commented on Trump’s deportation plan on November 17th, when she told a local news channel she would not cooperate with deportation efforts, citing the fact that Boston was a sanctuary city. “Elections have consequences, and the federal government is responsible for a certain set of actions, and cities — no individual city can reverse or override some parts of that,” Wu said. “But what we can do is make sure that we are doing our part to protect our residents in every possible way; that we are not cooperating with those efforts that actually threaten the safety of everyone by causing widespread fear and having large-scale economic impacts.” Wu stated that under the 2014 Boston Trust Act, the city will not cooperate with resources or personnel on civil immigration detainers unless there is serious criminal activity involved. Mayor Wu “we are not co-operating” with deportations and she suggests that a city may in fact be able to “reverse or override some parts” of federal immigration law, this morning on WCVB “On the Record” #mapoli #bospoli pic.twitter.com/gO8hJJcmz2 — JohnFGately (@johnfgately) November 17, 2024 When asked if Boston is struggling with the migrant crisis, Wu responded that “resources are stretched,” adding that shelters have been at capacity because of “newly-arrived residents.” Boston’s struggle with the migrant crisis made national headlines when migrants used a terminal in Boston Logan Airport as a shelter. Wu added that she is worried about residents who will “retreat into the shadows” and not use city services like schools or call 911 because they fear being deported. Homan responded to Wu in an interview with Newsmax on Monday, questioning her intelligence and stating that she should either help or “get the hell out of the way,” “She’s not very smart, I’ll give her that,” Homan said. “President Trump’s going to prioritize public safety threats. What mayor or governor doesn’t want public safety threats out of their communities? That’s your number one responsibility, to protect your communities, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” Homan responds to Boston’s Mayor: I suggests she read title eight, United States Code 1324 III that says, you can’t harbor or conceal an illegal alien from federal law enforcement. So I hope she don’t cross that line. pic.twitter.com/HUhIF3Y4r5 — Acyn (@Acyn) November 19, 2024 “So she helps us or she gets the hell out of the way because we’re going to do it,” he added. “They can not cooperate, but there are certain laws in place that they can’t cross. And I hope she doesn’t cross it.” Homan pointed to Title 8, United States Code 1324 III, which states that it is against federal law to harbor or conceal an illegal immigrant from a law enforcement officer. Homan also went after Wu and her mentor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in a Monday post on X, where he accused them of driving illegals into their state. He added that Massachusetts would be a “huge focal point when it comes to mass deportations.” It’s true. One of the reasons why rent is so high in Massachusetts is because of the laws fought for by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor, Michelle Wu. Their loyalty lies with driving illegal aliens into their state to give them the affordable housing. While… https://t.co/ze1B6zNUgX pic.twitter.com/CTLtHq1sZO — Tom Homan – Border Czar (Commentary account only) (@TomHoman_) November 18, 2024 “While Massachusetts puts illegal aliens first, the Trump administration will put Americans first!” Homan said.