The impact of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown is continuing to intensify, leading to frustration from Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who is the only Democrat to support funding the department as it currently stands. “We all have to acknowledge that this shutdown had no impact, zero impact on ICE, all of the funding was already in place there from the Big Beautiful Bill that I did not vote for,” the Democrat told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on NewsNation this week, and the comments were later shared by the Republican National Committee Research account. “Why punish all those TSA agents and all the other people under the DHS umbrella just because the base demands that we just shut it down, knowing, absolutely knowing it will have no impact on ICE,” he added, acknowledging in a CBS News interview that he does support reforms to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Negotiations on federal immigration enforcement tactics have stalled, as Democrats want to see drastic changes to policies, including the end of masking for agents and the use of judicial warrants to make many immigration-related arrests. “Democrats are ready to fund TSA. Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund CISA. Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund FEMA. And Coast Guard. Republicans are blocking it,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) posted to X on Thursday evening. A Senate “test vote” failed 51-46 on Thursday to potentially fully fund the department, which covers agencies like TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA in addition to ICE and Customs and Border Protection, according to Fox News. Meanwhile, TSA agents are working without paychecks as of Friday, which is leading to more callouts and longer lines at airports throughout the country, like Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday morning. “They’re not getting rich doing these jobs. They live paycheck to paycheck,” Ken Cuccinelli, a former top Homeland Security official in President Donald Trump’s first term, told The Daily Wire earlier this week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters this week that the “impacts of not funding DHS are real, and they’re in an unsustainable position,” noting that it’s been over two weeks since the White House sent Senate Democrats a counteroffer. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) is considered the lead negotiator for the Republicans on the shutdown, but she’s noted that Democrats have not been cooperative. “Four different times this afternoon, Republicans offered a 2-week funding stopgap for DHS to reopen and ensure hardworking Americans get paychecks,” Britt posted to X on Thursday. “Each time, Democrats responded with bills that not only defund law enforcement, but defund TSA, Secret Service, Coast Guard, FEMA and more,” she added. The Daily Wire reached out to Schumer’s office and the White House for comment.

Florida Republicans just passed a sweeping voter integrity bill aimed at safeguarding the state’s elections — with one key timeline detail. The Republican-controlled Legislature pushed the measure through Thursday, sending it to Gov. Ron DeSantis after it cleared both chambers in largely party-line votes. The Florida House approved the bill 77–28, while the Senate passed it earlier in the day by a 27–12 vote. The legislation is modeled on President Donald Trump’s SAVE America Act, a federal proposal that would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. The measure requires proof of citizenship during voter registration and expands coordination between election officials and state agencies responsible for confirming eligibility. DeSantis praised the legislation after lawmakers sent it to his desk, saying the move would further cement Florida’s reputation as a national leader on election security. “Although Florida has already enacted much of what the federal legislation contemplates, this will further fortify our state as the leader in election integrity,” DeSantis wrote on social media. Florida already bans non-citizens from voting — a prohibition voters added to the state constitution in 2020. The new legislation builds on that rule by tightening how the state verifies citizenship during the voter registration process. State Sen. Erin Grall, the Republican sponsor of the legislation, said lawmakers must continue strengthening election protections where vulnerabilities exist. “What is our tolerance for fraud and lack of integrity?” Grall said during debate. State investigators have previously uncovered instances of non-citizens registering or casting ballots. A report released last year by Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security said investigators reviewed more than 800 potential cases and identified nearly 200 individuals believed to have illegally registered or voted. Many of those cases were referred to law enforcement. The legislation also includes additional election changes, including a provision preventing college students from using student identification cards when voting in person. One key timeline detail appears in the legislation itself. The proof-of-citizenship requirement would not take effect until 2027, meaning it would not apply to the 2026 midterm elections. The delayed rollout gives state agencies and local election supervisors time to update voter registration systems and coordinate verification procedures before the new requirements begin. The bill now heads to DeSantis’ desk for his signature.

A novel in the Young Adult (YA) genre, which was a “Good Morning America” YA Book Club selection, apparently includes graphic sex scenes of necrophilia, threesomes, and rape.  “Sibylline,” written by Melissa de la Cruz, is advertised as “a heart-stopping dark academia romantasy series” in the YA genre. Typically, these books are aimed at middle and high school children, with characters around that same age range. “Sibylline” was published on February 3.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Penguin Teen (@penguinteen) Writer Lauren Uribe for Evie Magazine described some of the graphic content in the novel, which included scenes that seemed to depict the rape of a person believed to be deceased. Uribe noted that in chapter 40, a character named Atticus dies, which is clearly indicated over the course of the chapter by characters Raven and Dorian. Some lines include, “He’s not breathing, he’s not moving,” “He’s dead–Atticus is dead,” “Atticus isn’t breathing,” “But he doesn’t move. Doesn’t wake,” “He’s dead,” and “he’s gone.” In chapter 41, told from Atticus’s perspective, those two characters attempt to bring Atticus back to life by engaging in sexual acts with him. This narrative includes the lines, “Someone is undressing me,” “they are undressing themselves as well,” “Now Raven’s breast is against my mouth,” “Dorian presses his erection against my back,” “Raven’s hands are on my shaft, guiding me, and as I plunge into her, Dorian’s thrusting into me. And the three of us are making love with each other.” The book has been earning mostly one-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, with many readers noting that the themes are inappropriate for children and mentioning that there are no warnings on the book. “[The book’s] audience is children and there are graphic descriptions of sexual acts between characters. Yes, the characters are older. No, they’re not always consenting,” one reviewer notes. “The main three characters participate in a threesome that is graphic, and this book is listed as appropriate for 9th through 12th graders, which is completely insane… If we think that it’s appropriate to market sex let alone a threesome to 12-year-olds there’s a serious problem in this industry,” another person said. “What a piece of filth. Please stop selling this book targeting pre-teen adolescents,” another reviewer shared. “I’m appalled at the gruesome, disgusting material that no child should read. What happens to these characters is beyond horrific and made me want to vomit. Glad I’m able to preview books before giving them to my child. This one ended up in the trash. I hope the author is investigated, because I just can’t understand the perverted imagination it would take to conjure up some of the scenes in this book.” Author de la Cruz is also the author of “The Isle of the Lost” (Descendants) book series, which was later adapted into the popular “Descendants” movies on Disney. Disney/ABC did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Welcome to this week’s episode of “What is John Thune Doin’?” This is the show where we try to answer the questions, “Who is John Thune?” and “What is he doin’?” To answer the first question first: John Thune, a Republican Senator, is the Senate Majority Leader. Now, those of you who aren’t familiar with how our government works may want to know: What does the American Senate do exactly? And the answer is: the American Senate does exactly nothing. And you may say: “Well, if John Thune is the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate does nothing, then what is John Thune … doin’?” Good question. That’s why we’re here. To get to the bottom of this, our reporters met with John Thune for an hour-long interview. Unfortunately, shortly after the interview ended, they realized they hadn’t actually been talking to John Thune, but had instead interviewed the statue of Senator John Clayton in the Capitol Rotunda. In their defense, the statue just stands around all day, so it was an easy mistake to make. Undeterred, our reporters proceeded to go to John Thune’s office, but accidentally ended up in a dark broom closet. There, they began to interview a mop, until they realized that couldn’t be John Thune, because a mop is actually good for something. Like, if your kid spills his juice on the floor, you can clean it up with a mop. Which is actually pretty useful. So definitely not John Thune. But here at the Daily Wire, we don’t stop searching just because we can’t find the answers. In fact, we don’t even stop talking when we can’t find the answers. In spite of all our setbacks, we were determined to learn: What is John Thune doin’? To help us in our search, we developed this handy Q and A. Q: What is John Thune doin’?  A: Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out. Q: But hasn’t President Trump asked John Thune to pass the SAVE America Act, which requires voters to have a picture ID? A: Yes, he has.  Q: And doesn’t the SAVE America Act have the support of, like, a million percent of Americans? A: Give or take a few percentage points, yes, it does. Q: So… What is John Thune doin’? A: You keep asking me that. Look, to be fair, there are some controversial parts of the SAVE Act. For instance, it bans transgender surgery on minors. This is a very divisive issue because, while 100% of Americans understand that sexually mutilating children is a Nazi-level atrocity, as many as 37% believe that pretending it’s okay makes them seem nice. Likewise, while 71% of Democrat voters support requiring voter ID, 98% of Democrat politicians oppose it, because, as Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer has said, “The Democrat party is a criminal organization in which all the criminals are obviously crazy, so if we can’t cheat at the polls, we’ll never win another election.” Q: Wait. Chuck Schumer actually said that? A: Maybe that was a dream I had. I’m not sure. Q: So if the SAVE Act is so popular, why can’t John Thune get it passed? A: Because under the filibuster rule, he needs 60 votes, and the Democrats won’t budge because of what Chuck Schumer said in my dream. Q: So why doesn’t John Thune get rid of the filibuster? A: Ah, because without the filibuster, when the Democrats win back power, they’ll pack the Supreme Court and steal elections by making Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico into states. Q: What will the Democrats do if they win back power with the filibuster in place? A: Then they’ll get rid of the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, and steal elections by making Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico into states. Q: So… what is John Thune even doin’? A: All right, this Q and A isn’t getting us anywhere. To get at the essential nature of John Thune, we’re just going to have to interview another statue. Really, any random piece of marble will do. Or just a rock lying around somewhere. Even an empty space. Personally, I’d be happy to interview an empty space, if only I could find John Thune. * * * This excerpt is taken from the opening satirical monologue of “The Andrew Klavan Show.” Andrew Klavan is the host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire. Klavan is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the Cameron Winter Mystery series. The fifth installment, After That, The Dark, is NOW AVAILABLE. Follow him on X: @andrewklavan. The views expressed in this satirical piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

When one thinks of Whole Foods, one might think of its selection of cheeses and organic yet processed offerings. Perhaps one thinks of the pizza and all-natural deodorants and lotions. Maybe one thinks of the patchouli that struggles to mask the aroma that comes with all-natural deodorants. (If so, you’re out of luck, though parent company Amazon has you covered.)  What you most likely do not think of, though, is jail. This is a mistake for, unlike patchouli, when it comes to being detained, Whole Foods is there for you.  When talking about Walmart or Target, theft is a given. If your local supercenter switches back and forth from self-checkout to human checkers, theft — or shrink, as it’s known in the retail world — is the real reason. It’s just so easy to bag a few items that didn’t get scanned. Shrink is one of the prices of doing business. Its presence is factored into budgets, both in expected amount and the cost of hiring people to thwart it. General employees are instructed to ignore it thanks to America’s surplus of lawyers. Instead, as is done in Whole Foods, you deploy specialists to combat the problem.  This isn’t new. Back in the mid ‘90s, when I worked at Hastings Books, Music, and Video, which for the younger readers was one of the various places people could go to buy books and music and rent videos before streaming was a thing, we knew our most prolific shoplifters. We could never catch them in the act, though, so they were free to steal with impunity. We didn’t have a Mike, as the Fort Greene Whole Foods does, but we had a Toni. Toni, a former state trooper, never caught them either. It didn’t help that they were certain traveling people who only came through periodically. There were also teenagers who couldn’t afford the latest from Wu-Tang Clan. They were sporadic and small potatoes, though, unlike those who preferred to steal CDs that they would later sell back to us a few months later when they swung back through the area. Most importantly, all of them knew they were stealing. There was no rationalization. For those who end up in Whole Foods jail, it’s all rationalization. It’s not that they can’t necessarily afford “Bonestorm,” it’s that, like punching someone in the dark, they view shoplifting as a victimless crime. This isn’t exactly shocking coming from a collective that thinks Bernie Sanders is correct about millionaires — make that billionaires, doesn’t understand that assets aren’t necessarily walking around money, and just really needs a sushi tray before therapy. The therapist, presumably, does not get stiffed, though this piece in Curbed on Whole Foods jail doesn’t specify. (Journalism is dead.): For years, she had thought of the California rolls, brownies, and protein shakes she stole as a kind of artist’s subsidy while she got her own practice off the ground. But on this particular day, her luck had run out. Astrid was late for therapy and hadn’t eaten, so she stopped in for a quick lunch. As usual, she began her meal in-store, moving toward the door with confidence, while ripping open a sushi tray. Soy-sauce packet between her teeth, one foot out the door, she felt a hand on her arm. As with all the people mentioned in the piece, Astrid is a pseudonym. Her story is amazing. California rolls, brownies, and protein shakes are not exactly sustenance foods. She could have stolen bananas, which I am not condoning, even as some extoll the benefits of shoplifting, which are super healthy and also low cost, but no, Astrid had to go elite. This also gets to the other problems with this attitude. First, shrink is really detrimental to business. In the early days of Walmart, founder Sam Walton gathered a group of store associates around him early one morning. He had a coffee can with $1 in pennies in it. He starts taking pennies out for overhead, utilities, merchandise, payroll, and the other obvious costs of doing business. When he was done with those, only four pennies remained. He then took two of those, explaining that those two cents represented shrink, meaning that despite starting with a dollar, profits only equaled two cents. Walmart famously operates on razor-thin profit margins, usually in the 2-3% range, though. What about Whole Foods? Surely hippie Walmart is pulling Apple-esque numbers, right? Wrong! Whole Foods is operating on … razor-thin profit margins comparable to Walmart. Stealing eye cream, sushi trays, tuna rolls, soft French cheeses, steaks, and the like means the company has to pass its increased costs onto paying customers. In other words, if you see something, say something. The other, and to my mind larger, problem with hipster heists is there is a much better solution, especially for those who are presumably concerned about food waste, climate change, and inequality: dumpster diving. And look, I get it, dumpster diving isn’t as sexy as committing crime, but it is victimless. You don’t even have to call it dumpster diving. Just become a freegan and really lean into “strategies for sustainable living beyond capitalism.” Commit, people! It may even provide your life with enough meaning to get you out of therapy. Will you have to learn to live with bread that’s maybe a little stale, not that I’ve ever had a prototypical freegan give me such a loaf, or strawberries that are a little mushy. Toast the bread. Enjoy fruit when it’s at its sweetest. Wonder why you didn’t go dumpster diving with and learn from your anti-capitalist acquaintance who’s now building a private for-profit space station. You can start tonight. And it won’t even require you to give up Whole Foods, though I’d steer clear of the sushi if I were you. The cover of darkness may be required to become a successful freegan, but if you fly too close to the sashimi, you’re going to feel that punch to your stomach. * * * Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the Cookin’ Up a Story podcast. You can also follow him on X: @rcromwell4 The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.