Presidential candidate‚ the donor’s choice‚ Nikki Haley‚ is suspected of being a liberal running as a Republican. Unearthed video footage exposes Haley saying she originally had trouble deciding whether to run as a Democrat or Republican. This reminds me of John McCain‚ who had the same difficult decision. Haley‚ 51‚ was born in South Carolina […] The post Nikki Haley Didn’t Know If She Was a Democrat or Republican appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Hertz‚ one of the largest rental car companies in the U.S.‚ is dumping tens of thousands of electric vehicles from its fleet‚ citing low demand and high repair costs. “The dramatic about-face‚ after Hertz announced plans in 2021 to buy 100‚000 Tesla Inc. vehicles‚ underscores the waning demand for all-electric cars in the US‚” Bloomberg News reported. “EV sales growth slowed sharply over the course of 2023‚ rising just 1.3% in the final quarter as consumers were put off by high costs and interest rates.” U.S. consumers have had serious concerns about the electric vehicle market ranging from the price of the vehicles and the serious lack of charging stations throughout the U.S. to electric vehicles experiencing dramatic losses in their driving range during weather conditions that feature extreme cold or heat. “The elevated costs associated with EVs persisted‚” Hertz Chief Executive Officer Stephen Scherr said. “Efforts to wrestle it down proved to be more challenging.” The company hopes that its decision to sell off 20‚000+ electric vehicles better balances “supply against expected demand of EVs‚” it said in a regulatory filing. Morgan Stanley analysts said told Reuters that Hertz’s move should be a warning to the entire auto industry about the reality of the electric vehicle market‚ that they are not that popular and expectations for their growth need to be significantly reduced. The news comes after nearly 4‚000 auto dealers across the U.S. said in a letter to President Joe Biden late last year that his push to make two out of every three new cars sold by 2032 electric was highly unrealistic. While there were good options for people wishing to buy electric vehicles‚ “the reality‚ however‚ is that electric vehicle demand today is not keeping up with the large influx of BEVs [Battery Electric Vehicle] arriving at our dealerships prompted by the current regulations. BEVs are stacking up on our lots.” The dealerships said they’ve seen a drastic shift in demand for electric vehicles in just the last year and that they are arriving on their lots faster than they can be sold despite “deep price cuts‚ manufacturer incentives‚ and generous government incentives‚” the letter said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Mr. President‚ no government agency‚ no think tank‚ and no polling firm knows more about the automobile customer than us‚” it continued. “Some customers are in the market for electric vehicles‚ and we are thrilled to sell them. But the majority of customers are simply not ready to make the change.”

It’s the first day back from the Christmas holidays. Your 12-year-old son comes down the stairs‚ ready for school. You take a second look. He’s in a skirt‚ heels‚ and lipstick. Do you have a right to ask him to change? Under new proposals in Scotland‚ you could face criminal penalties if you ask him to do so repeatedly – on “at least two occasions.” Perhaps your son‚ in retaliation against your repeatedly expressed concerns‚ reports you to local authorities. He feels “distressed‚” he says‚ because you are being “controlling‚” or “pressuring” him to “act in a certain way.” According to the draft “conversion therapy ban” opened to public consultation this week‚ you’ve now met the threshold – you’re accused of adopting a “coercive course of behaviour in the context of conversion practices.” Your crime carries a potential penalty of up to seven years imprisonment; or an unlimited fine; or both. As if parenting Gen Alpha wasn’t challenging enough. Since the early public introduction of the concept‚ bans on “conversion therapy” have undergone a radical evolution at the hands of politicians and activists. Once explained as a necessary protection from electro-shock chairs and other abuses‚ activists have now expanded the concept dramatically to one that is far more opaque. Physical abuse has long been illegal‚ and obviously‚ rightly so. But now‚ as evidenced by the proposed new law‚ a ban on “conversion therapy” seeks to restrict something even more far-reaching – the act of basic parenting. The law would allow social workers and state authorities to interfere in the relationship between parent and child in an unprecedented way. This follows an ideological pattern of Scotland’s famously “woke” government set long in the tooth. Citizens will remember the attempt throughout the 2010s to assign every child in Scotland a “named person” – a personal government official with access to private information‚ set to swoop in as a substitute parent. The overreaching scheme was brought down in court. But it’s clear that in Scotland‚ “mother” (or father) is far from trusted to know best. EDINBURGH‚ SCOTLAND – JANUARY 10: Emma Roddick‚ Minister for Equalities‚ Migration and Refugees‚ leads a debate in the Scottish Parliament on The Impact of UK Government Asylum Policy and Legislation in Scotland. (Photo by Ken Jack/Getty Images) Certainly‚ we need social care systems in place to rescue children from truly abusive situations. But the ability of a parent to advise‚ raise concerns‚ persuade‚ teach‚ and discipline a child is paramount in raising the next generation. Instead of being supported to play their role well‚ parents are placed under a terrifying‚ and well-founded‚ fear of losing their children or being locked up in prison‚ all the while navigating the extreme sensitivities of a child who may be struggling with a wide range of issues. The number of kids now identifying as “trans” is skyrocketing – especially amongst girls‚ and kids with autism. Any evidence they’ll be better off with an alter-ego gender is‚ at best‚ supremely contested. And the potential damage they can inflict upon their bodies in the process is severe. Aren’t those who push kids down a path of such significant transition the ones truly guilty of practicing “conversion therapy”? Confusion abounds. Fear mounts. Scotland could well be fast becoming the hardest place to raise a family in the West. And what of the kids? As parents self-censor to avoid banishment‚ a generation is raised having never heard the word “no.” If there is no real discussion‚ objection‚ or concern raised to decisions they make at home‚ how will they possibly cope in the world at large‚ where a diverse and tolerant society requires that they hear other views than their own?  Children are not adults. Who knows where we’d all be today if we’d been empowered too early to make life-changing decisions? And parents are not children. The vast majority are committed to doing the job of raising their children well. Many hold firm‚ science-based beliefs in the immutability of biological sex. Many have committed to steer their child away from an ideological path potentially leading to severe bodily harm and permanent‚ life-altering decisions. Common sense is not a crime. Mums and dads might not be perfect‚ but the state is a terrible parent. * * * Lois McLatchie Miller is a Scottish commentator and spokesperson for Alliance Defending Freedom UK. Follow her: @LoisMcLatch The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. 

The GOP-led House approved a rule on Thursday that failed to pass less than 24 hours earlier amid a revolt against Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) by small group of Republicans over spending and border security that appears to have abated for the moment. A resolution to allow consideration of a trio of unrelated measures secured a simple majority largely along party lines with only one Republican‚ Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL)‚ voting against it and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) voting “present.” Six other GOP members did not vote. In a post to X‚ Luna blasted the roughly $1.6 trillion “topline” spending deal Johnson struck with Democrat leaders in Congress for fiscal 2024 appropriations legislation. “FACT: [President Joe] Biden’s $1.6 trillion proposal is a debt bomb for future Americans. Senate Republicans‚ it’s time to defend our children’s financial freedom‚” she said. Luna also demanded the passage of legislation that solely focuses on border security‚ posting to X‚ “Congress. Needs. A. Stand. Alone. Border. Bill.” At the moment‚ bipartisan Senate negotiators are hashing out deal that ties border reforms to aid for U.S. allies such as Ukraine. After 13 Republican lawmakers — including Luna and Roy — joined with all voting Democrats to defeat the same resolution on Wednesday‚ Johnson met with the holdouts earlier on Thursday. Following the meeting‚ some members told reporters that Johnson would back out of his spending deal with Democrats and a new plan would be drawn up. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP But the speaker said otherwise. “I’ve made no commitments‚” Johnson insisted‚ noting that conversations were ongoing. Speaker Johnson quells the rumors that he is considering renegotiating the deal reached with Schumer “I’ve made no commitments” pic.twitter.com/vOWWdXWHs4 — Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotcnn) January 11‚ 2024 Time is of the essence as lawmakers race to come up with a dozen appropriations bills with — at least for now — the $1.6 trillion topline figure in mind. A government shutdown looms as a two-step continuing resolution (CR) passed in November funds certain federal agencies through January 19 while others would get money through February 2. The Democrat-led Senate has begun the process of passing another stop-gap measure‚ just in case. The House GOP uprising against leadership seen on Wednesday was reminiscent of the revolt a small group of Republicans waged against then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) last year‚ which ended in him losing the gavel. Roy has said he won’t rule out using the “motion to vacate” mechanism against Johnson — the same one that led to the no-confidence vote resulting in McCarthy’s ouster — as he voiced objections to the topline spending deal and pushed for border security reforms in line with a sweeping bill the House passed last year that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) refuses to consider. Johnson‚ who is working with a razor-thing GOP majority‚ indicated that he is not concerned about facing a similar fate as McCarthy. “I don’t think I’m in any jeopardy of being vacated. It’s not something I walk around and think about‚” the speaker told Fox News.

Fox News host Harris Faulkner and her guest — former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer — suggested on Thursday that a “hot mic” moment involving former Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.) may not have been entirely accidental. Both Faulkner and Fleischer appeared to be in agreement that a veteran politico like Christie — who has served both in elected office and as a political commentator — was not likely to be caught unaware by a live microphone. “First of all‚ if you care about your political party and you’ve been in politics as long as Chris Christie‚ do you really not know that mic is not hot?” Faulkner asked‚ according to a report from Mediaite. “I mean‚ I don’t know. I guess we’ll never know. I refuse to believe that until he tells that publicly. And what he said was explosive against those other two candidates.” “Yeah‚ I mean it really shows that he thinks he is the only one. The fact that he won’t endorse anybody else‚ and obviously won’t endorse Donald Trump‚” Fleischer agreed. “The cynic makes you think‚ now maybe he’s going to try to pivot back to President Trump after being the one who denounced President Trump.” “Or even Biden‚ the way he was talking!” Faulkner suggested. “Well‚ I don’t think that’s happening‚” Fleischer laughed‚ arguing that Christie was more likely to push a third party than to endorse President Joe Biden. “The real place to keep your eye out for Chris Christie is No Labels. Is he going to be the one who now tries to carry the No Labels mantle‚ and maybe that reads to that hot mic moment. He knew what he was doing and he’s going to try to set himself up for a run down the middle.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Just before Christie announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his own presidential campaign‚ he was allegedly caught on a live mic trashing opponent and former Governor Nikki Haley (S.C.). He also seemed poised to attack Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL)‚ but the feed cut out before he finished his sentence. “She’s gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it. She’s not up to this‚” Christie said of Haley‚ adding‚ “DeSantis called me‚ petrified that I would …” before the mic cut out.