Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) defended a recent video — during which she encouraged members of the military to question orders in real time — by tossing those same service members under the bus. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, had joined five military veterans in making the video that circulated a few weeks earlier. In it, they called on service members to remember that they had the right and the responsibility to refuse to act on unlawful orders — all while heavily implying that such orders either would be or had already been given by President Donald Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth. During a recent interview, Slotkin claimed that she’d only made the video because an overwhelming number of military members had reached out to ask about it. WATCH: Elissa Slotkin claims Democrats made the ‘illegal orders’ video because a slew of military personnel were coming to them with concerns for months: “I don’t know if this is legal. I don’t know if I’d be held accountable later after this administration. I can’t get a straight… pic.twitter.com/Fe2AMPvMRg — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) December 8, 2025 “I mean, we made that video three weeks ago or whatever it was, certainly not thinking that the president would go high and right as we say at the Pentagon on it like that,” Slotkin said, suggesting that Trump’s response — to a video telling service members to potentially ignore his orders — had been the one thing that was out of line. “There was so many people coming to us who were on active duty, recent veterans, family members of service members, who were coming to us individually and saying two things,” she continued. “One, ‘I’m concerned I’m going to be sent in uniform to an American city — you know, like L.A., Chicago, Memphis — and I’m going to be asked to do things I either don’t think are legal, or I’m not trained for, and what do I do?'” “And then this fall, it really turned, and it became a lot of people who were involved in the operations around the Caribbean asking those same things,” she continued. “‘I don’t know if this is legal? I don’t know if I’d be held accountable later after this administration. I can’t get a straight answer about whether this is legal or not. What do you think we should do?'” “We were hearing that for months,” she added, “So that’s why we made the video.” Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who also participated in making the video, is facing additional scrutiny for his role since he is the only one who is a retired service member and therefore still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

Eight members of a Philadelphia youth football team, the United Thoroughbreds, were arrested in Polk County, Florida, after allegedly stealing merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Goods store while in town for the Prolifix Sportz National Championship. The teens, all ages 14–15, had traveled from Philadelphia to Davenport for the title game against the Coco Tigers. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the group Ubered to the store on the morning of December 6 and carried out a “systematic” theft involving 47 items valued at more than $2,200. Sheriff Grady Judd said the teens split into two groups: one boy bought a single item to obtain a Dick’s shopping bag, while the others selected items to steal. The buyer then met the rest of the group inside, and they filled the bag with stolen merchandise, including hoodies, gloves, and football accessories. Store staff watched the alleged thefts unfold in real time on surveillance cameras and notified law enforcement. Judd emphasized that “you can’t go anyplace that you’re not on camera,” noting that the group appeared to believe they were getting away with it. When deputies detained the teens, their coach, Raekwon (Raynone) Bynes, 29, arrived at the store and reportedly pleaded with officers not to arrest them. He then attempted to persuade the store manager not to press charges. According to Judd, the coach dismissed the seriousness of the alleged crime and asked deputies, “Don’t you have anything better to do?” The sheriff criticized Bynes for failing to hold the teens accountable and for allowing them to leave their lodging unsupervised. Parents were contacted following the arrests. “I don’t know if these all were starters or not,” Judd commented. “But I can tell you that we were finishers. We arrested them. We took them to the Juvenile Assessment Center. And we put them in lockup.”  “I don’t know how you do things in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” he remarked. “But in Polk County, Florida, we lock you up for stealing for being a thief. … We didn’t choose to arrest you. You chose to be arrested. And that’s the way it is.” “And for the coach, you’re way off base here, buddy,” he declared. “Way off base. You’re the ultimate loser. If you’d been coaching these kids upright, if you knew where they were, if you didn’t allow them to Uber away, they would have played in a ball game Saturday night.” All eight teens were charged with felony retail theft (over $750) and conspiracy to commit retail theft, then transported to a juvenile detention facility. Though later released, they will be required to return to Florida to face the charges. Authorities said none of the juveniles had prior records. Judd publicly identified the suspects during a press conference, adding that their actions likely cost the Thoroughbreds their championship opportunity. With eight players jailed, the team lost the title game 26–6 to the undefeated Coco Tigers. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also commented, saying the group had “picked the wrong state — and the wrong county.” They picked the wrong state — and the wrong county. https://t.co/NexPk1Zvux — Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 9, 2025   Sheriff Judd contrasted the disciplined, successful Coco Tigers with the arrested teens, stressing that Polk County has a zero-tolerance policy for theft. “If you don’t steal, we’re your new best friends,” he said. “If you steal, we’re your worst enemy. Merry Christmas.”

President Donald Trump will tout his economic agenda during a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening as Americans continue to express concerns about the cost of living. Trump is expected to speak at 6:00 p.m. ET at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, where he will discuss the Republican Party’s plans to ease the strain on Americans’ bank accounts. The president’s rally-style event will be the first stop on a “travel blitz” to tout the administration’s economic actions ahead of the vital 2026 midterm elections, Axios reported. The economy has come back to the forefront of the political debate ahead of the midterms as voters expressed their concerns about the cost of living during the elections that took place across the country last month. Leftist Democrats had success focusing on economic issues in blue states, such as New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, during their 2025 campaigns. In New York City, voters overwhelmingly elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor after Mamdani focused much of his campaign on helping struggling New Yorkers afford housing, groceries, and transportation. Democrats also won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia, running on similar messaging. Last week, Trump said that Democrats are throwing around the word “affordability” but that “it doesn’t mean anything.” He argued that the so-called affordability crisis is a “fake narrative” pushed by Democrats to score political points. Yet, in the weeks following Democratic election victories, Trump has ramped up his messaging on his economic agenda and taken action to help relieve economic strain for some Americans. The president gave himself an “A+++++” on the economy during an interview with POLITICO that was released on Tuesday. On November 14, Trump issued an executive order rolling back tariffs on certain imported foods, such as beef, coffee, and bananas. On Monday, Trump also provided $12 billion of relief to American farmers who have been affected by his massive tariffs on countries around the world. While the president has rolled back some of his tariffs, he insists that his unprecedented trade actions will energize the American economy and eventually pay off for American consumers. “We’ve got $18 trillion coming into our country,” Trump said, crediting his tariffs. “Biden had less than a trillion for four years, and he was heading south. Our country was falling apart.” The president told POLITICO that he “inherited a total mess” after taking the reins from former President Joe Biden. “Prices were at an all-time high when I came in. Prices are coming down substantially,” Trump said. “Look at energy … energy has come down incredibly. When energy comes down, everything [comes down] … it’s so much bigger than any other subject.” The White House has also focused on falling gas prices around the country, arguing that Trump’s “pursuit of American energy dominance” is helping ease Americans’ pain at the pump. Average gas prices recently dropped to under $3 per gallon in 37 states, with the median gas price in the United States falling to $2.79, according to GasBuddy. The Trump administration also said last week that the president’s massive deportation operation has coincided with housing costs dropping for four straight months. CNBC reported that increased housing supply in the multifamily housing market, combined with slowing demand, “is pushing vacancies up and rents down.” “Prices are coming down. You talk about affordability, the Democrats love to say affordability, but then they never talk about it,” Trump told POLITICO. “They’re the ones that gave us the high prices. I’m the one that’s bringing them down.”

Artificial intelligence has been taking the world by storm, beginning a whole new technological revolution that has already influenced tens of millions of Americans and encouraged hundreds of billions in corporate investments. A recent Elon University poll found that over 50% of Americans now use large language models like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, some of the most popular artificial intelligence resources in use. As a student, I can validate these findings. When ChatGPT was released almost three years ago, many of my classmates and I quickly adopted artificial intelligence as part of our daily routine, using it for tasks like summarizing texts and exploring topics that would normally require far more time and effort. My phone now includes a quick access button linked directly to Perplexity AI’s voice mode, allowing me to directly open the app and verbally ask questions or verify comments. An OpenAI report confirms this trend, finding that three in four college-aged users desire to use AI in their education and career. Personally, my work and education has greatly benefited from this technology, as I am able to selectively choose the AI most applicable to my research and generate clear, yet expansive information on any subject that interests me, all without cheating or stealing information. But, as everyone who pays even the slightest bit of attention to the news knows, there are plenty of valid concerns associated with artificial intelligence and its uses. Dr. Peter Sadowski, an Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, has been examining this issue. His work focuses on machine learning and artificial intelligence, specifically how to use these methods to address the most challenging problems in science and engineering. As a teacher, Dr. Sadowski has noticed a massive shift in the way AI has transformed education as we know it. “With these language models, it is just so easy for students to take an assignment and run in through ChatGPT and get results,” he told The Daily Wire. “It can write an essay, it can solve a programming assignment, it can solve math assignments. That is just a huge shift.” In response to this new challenge, Sadowski made some changes to his teaching model. “The first week ChatGPT went live, I immediately abandoned take-home tests, since ChatGPT could just do all the questions … Most schools have some evolving AI guidances and policies, but the best way to learn is to experiment to become familiar with the capabilities of these technologies.” Many schools have introduced AI policies to inform both students and faculty on how to use the new technology responsibly. For instance, my own school, the Franciscan University of Steubenville, introduced guidance on using artificial intelligence, including discussions on its use in the classroom. “The teaching profession has to adapt to these new technologies,” Sadowski said. “We need fair ways to evaluate student learning — more in-class exams, more careful assignments that test student learning beyond what they can do with AI.” While many students like me largely support a responsible integration of AI into academia, sentiments remain divided among the American public, with 42% believing that it will make life worse, according to an NBC News poll. Some have a far darker view of the technology, with a new Yahoo/YouGov poll finding that 53% of the 1,770 individuals polled believe that AI is likely to someday “destroy humanity.” “It’s become so easy and free for students to do this that it’s just shaken up education,” Sadowski said. “In computer science, the process of building something yourself helps you learn to think clearly and break down problems. If you let AI do all your homework, you will miss out on important learning opportunities, and when the AI fails, students get stuck. I see that happening in the classroom.” Despite the possibility of cheating and outsourcing labor through AI systems, I’m optimistic — and so is Sadowski. “In my own field, it takes students a long time to learn these technical skills to make progress on the research side,” he said. “I’m excited about the ability of AI to help student scientists accelerate research. That’s the hope.” * * * Simon Olech is a reporter studying journalism at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Comedian David Spade is calling out a mall in Michigan for hosting a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that intentionally omitted the word “Christmas.” Spade described what happened during a recent episode of his podcast, “Fly on the Wall,” which he hosts alongside fellow comedian and “SNL” alum Dana Carvey.  “I will say that Christmas is taking a little bit of a beating lately. It is December and I saw the other day there was a tree lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree in some dopey mall… but it said tree lighting ceremony, and they were careful not to say the word Christmas during the whole ceremony,” Spade said during the episode. The “Joe Dirt” star did not identify which mall he was referring to, only claiming it was in Michigan. “Why?” Spade went on. “So it’s just a tree? And you go, I would understand if you said, ‘They’re doing the tree lighting at [the mall] or whatever. You go, ‘OK.’ But to consciously avoid that, then what is the tree for?” he continued. “A December to Remember? Is it a Lexus dealership? Why do we have… for the whole month? Isn’t it for Christmas?” Carvey chimed in to say plenty of non-Christians he knew were not offended by Christmas despite it being a Christian holiday. “I’d say stop that bullsh*t,” Spade went on. “They like all things about it, [just] don’t say that word.” Spade said it was ridiculous that establishments were willing to dance around the word without stating it. The podcast hosts also claimed Christmas has been commandeered by the secular crowd anyway. “If you’re of faith, it’s about Christianity,” Carvey said. “But I think at this point in America, it’s just Christmas. It’s a fun holiday. I don’t like the thought police. I don’t like to have words I can’t use.” Spade identified himself as a Christian, but also said he was “more spiritual” when Carvey described him as “lapsed.” The comedian further referenced the current persecution of Christians in African countries such as Nigeria. “We’re taking a beating down in Africa,” he said. “It’s like this is not the year to be Christian. I will tell you that.”