Americans can’t afford to buy homes and they struggle to pay rent. Most of the problem is due to bad government policies‚ and some is due to Vanguard and BlackRock buying up real estate for profit. There is a new bill to cure all our problems. Along comes Rep. Adam Smith and Sen. Jeff Merkley […] The post New Feel-Good Bill to Get Wall St Out of Our Housing Market appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron recently revealed some secrets from making his epic historical drama “Titanic‚” including the reason he intentionally cast short extras. The Canadian-born director explained his thought process during an interview with the Los Angeles Times for the film’s 4K remastering home video release. “The scale of everything was beyond anything we could imagine in terms of our prior experience. At the time we thought‚ wow‚ there’s no way this movie could ever make its money back. It’s just impossible. Well‚ guess what?” Cameron told the outlet. “Titanic” cost a whopping $210 million to produce ($337 million adjusted for inflation)‚ making it the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release in 1997. This causes a lot of concern in the industry‚ with many insiders calling the filmmaker crazy for spending so much. But even with the massive budget‚ Cameron said they did cut costs where they could.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “We only cast short extras so it made our set look bigger‚” Cameron explained. “Anybody above five foot eight‚ we didn’t cast them. It’s like we got an extra million dollars of value out of casting.” The “Titanic” gamble did pay off in a big way. Over its lifetime‚ the movie made $2.2 billion‚ making it the highest-earning film of all time until Cameron’s “Avatar” was released in 2009. The director said he stands by putting in the funds to make the movie‚ which is what made it so successful. “If the studio had had their way‚ they would have cut the entire ship sinking‚” Cameron told the LA Times. “The smartest thing we did was do the sinking last. It wasn’t because of strategy — it was simply because you sink the set last because otherwise it doesn’t look so good the next morning when you bring it back up.” Cameron had previously weighed in on the infamous door controversy. Fans have been speculating for decades whether there was enough room on the floating door to save both Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet). He assured movie fans that while there may have been enough physical room‚ the door would not have stayed afloat with both adults on it.  “We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all‚” Cameron told The Toronto Sun in 2022. “We have since done a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie‚” he continued. “We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water. We tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was‚ there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive.”

The ground is shifting rapidly beneath elite universities. Once-generous donors have rescinded almost a billion dollars in donations‚ and this may be only the beginning after the disastrous performance of several Ivy League presidents in a recent congressional hearing. The University of Pennsylvania’s president Liz Magill has already been forced to resign‚ and Harvard’s Claudine Gay‚ who is facing charges of plagiarism‚ is likely next. The House Committee on Education and the Workforce has announced a full investigation of Harvard‚ MIT‚ and UPenn‚ which could expand to other schools. It seems that disgust with elite universities is felt almost universally‚ as everyone from billionaire hedge-funders like Bill Ackman to grandstanding politicians to Elon Musk pile on.  But it is important to remember that the most significant problems with academia have existed for decades and permeate nearly all universities — elite or not — in the U.S.  The recent extreme political zealotry of Ivy League campuses should be no surprise to anyone who has spent even a modicum of time at one of these schools‚ much less so if one has attended a class there. The only surprise in all of this is that it has taken so long for donors to notice there is something seriously‚ alarmingly amiss at modern American universities. Even putting aside the current Israel-Palestine controversy‚ academia has over the past several decades undergone a profound transformation from a classical institution of learning to a laboratory for all manner of “woke” political activism and extremism. Far too many professors and college administrators see themselves as progressive frontline fighters in an ideological war‚ indoctrinating the young to transform society with radical but empty notions of Critical Race Theory and “DEI”; a victim-focused‚ infantilizing new MeToo feminism; a naïve Marxism; and an inexplicable hyper-focus on fringe issues like transsexuality. Sit in a modern college class where these sorts of topics are discussed and you will see they are often non-negotiable orthodoxies‚ not up for actual debate. It is long past time for the ivory tower’s benefactors to awaken to the reality of what the modern university has become and the effects that experimental‚ faddish cultural theories floated in university classrooms and campus-wide policies have on society when widely disseminated. As students graduate and attempt to carry those theories into the real world‚ a kind of woke “Children of the Corn” dynamic occurs in which the adults reap what they thoughtlessly sowed to the youth‚ as those youth now make unreasonable and counterproductive demands on nearly every major societal institution. Another problem with academia that is now being exposed is its illegal hiring practices. Nearly all college departments discriminate against whites‚ men‚ and heterosexuals in favor of those from “marginalized” groups. Ackman recently reported that Harvard President Claudine Gay was selected in a process in which white male candidates were automatically screened out of contention. This happens for nearly all faculty and staff positions now and has been going on for decades‚ but in recent years the situation has worsened considerably.  Often those on hiring committees are told not to document these illegal practices in writing‚ but in their meetings and deliberations the hiring committee members openly discuss the need to choose a candidate from a marginalized group‚ and everyone on these committees understands they will bend over backward not to select a straight white man. Yes‚ straight white men are hired sometimes‚ but only in cases in which they are so far ahead of the other candidates as to make any other choice blatantly absurd. (And even in some of these absurd cases the lesser-qualified candidate is still chosen‚ as we see with Harvard’s president.)  Another issue to underscore here is the political significance of dissertation preferences in faculty hiring. Most hiring committees — particularly in the liberal arts — select candidates based on how fashionable and politically correct their subjects of study are‚ and this is discerned from their dissertation and publications. Certain topics that are politically incorrect are automatically dismissed. So do not believe for one minute that politics is not a significant factor in hiring decisions.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP The problems with academia extend way beyond the campus climate and hiring practices. For example‚ at most universities half the courses are taught by poorly-paid‚ part-time adjunct instructors or grad students‚ nearly all of whom make less money than restaurant waiters. Even at Ivy League schools like Harvard‚ an unacceptable percentage of courses are not taught by full-time top-tier professors.  Even more confounding is the administrative bloat in nearly all universities. Over the last two decades the number of administrative positions in academia have exploded — including thousands of new DEI positions‚ many enjoying salaries in the six figures. Most tuition money‚ student loans‚ and donations pay for administrators and buildings‚ most of these largely superfluous and even counterproductive to real education.  Shockingly‚ the deterioration and ideological zealotry of academia did not have a negative effect on its fundraising until now. The money rolled in without slowing‚ often from staunch capitalists‚ traditional families‚ religious individuals‚ and successful businesspeople who should have been more skeptical of an institution that increasingly generated a distaste for all of those very things. It is often surprising how ill-informed (and uninterested) most donors are about the deterioration of the academy and the degree to which extreme orthodoxies have infected nearly every aspect of the university‚ from the classroom to the administration. Sure‚ there’s still a lot of legitimate learning taking place and some value to the college experience‚ but it is mixed with considerably more nonsense than it once was and permeated with an ideological agenda that‚ even when subtle‚ is almost palpable. And it’s often not very subtle. If this recent controversy serves as an ideological wake-up call to the ivory tower and to those who pay its bills‚ that will be a good thing. Kristen Lacefield is a former lecturer of English and film at TCU and holds a PhD in English literature and media studies from the University of North Carolina. She also produces videos and podcasts for YouTube as “Colonel Kurtz.” The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Daily Wire. 

The nominees for the 2024 Golden Globes were announced Monday morning. Unlike the Oscars‚ the Globes select the best of movies and television shows. This awards ceremony also separates film genres‚ with categories for best comedies and best dramas. The show has not yet announced a host for the 2024 show. After some controversy about the lack of diversity and ethical practices of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)‚ the group responsible for the Globes‚ and resulting boycotts‚ the group took a pause in 2022. In 2023‚ comedian Jerrod Carmichael was the host. According to a report from CNN‚ Chris Rock and several other prominent celebrities have declined to host the Golden Globes. The awards show is scheduled to air on January 7‚ 2024. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Here is a complete list of the nominees: Best Motion Picture‚ Drama “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple Original Films/Paramount Pictures) “Maestro” (Netflix) “Past Lives” (A24) “The Zone of Interest” (A24) “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) Best Picture‚ Musical or Comedy “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures) “American Fiction” (MGM) “The Holdovers” (Focus Features) “May December” (Netflix) “Air” (Amazon MGM Studios) Best Director‚ Motion Picture Bradley Cooper — “Maestro” Greta Gerwig — “Barbie” Yorgos Lanthimos — “Poor Things” Christopher Nolan — “Oppenheimer” Martin Scorsese — “Killers of the Flower Moon” Celine Song — “Past Lives” Best Screenplay‚ Motion Picture  “Barbie” — Greta Gerwig‚ Noah Baumbach “Poor Things” — Tony McNamara “Oppenheimer” — Christopher Nolan “Killers of the Flower Moon” — Eric Roth‚ Martin Scorsese “Past Lives” — Celine Song “Anatomy of a Fall” — Justine Triet‚ Arthur Harari Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture‚ Drama  Bradley Cooper — “Maestro” Cillian Murphy — “Oppenheimer” Leonardo DiCaprio — “Killers of the Flower Moon” Colman Domingo — “Rustin” Andrew Scott — “All of Us Strangers” Barry Keoghan — “Saltburn” Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture‚ Drama  Lily Gladstone — “Killers of the Flower Moon” Carey Mulligan – “Maestro” Sandra Hüller – “Anatomy of a Fall” Annette Bening — “Nyad” Greta Lee — “Past Lives” Cailee Spaeny — “Priscilla” Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture‚ Musical or Comedy Fantasia Barrino – “The Color Purple” Jennifer Lawrence – “No Hard Feelings” Natalie Portman – “May December” Alma Pöysti – “Fallen Leaves” Margot Robbie – “Barbie” Emma Stone – “Poor Things” Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture‚ Musical or Comedy Nicolas Cage — “Dream Scenario” Timothée Chalamet — “Wonka” Matt Damon — “Air” Paul Giamatti — “The Holdovers” Joaquin Phoenix — “Beau Is Afraid” Jeffrey Wright — “American Fiction” Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture  Willem Dafoe — “Poor Things” Robert DeNiro — “Killers of the Flower Moon” Robert Downey Jr. — “Oppenheimer” Ryan Gosling — “Barbie” Charles Melton — “May December” Mark Ruffalo — “Poor Things” Best Supporting Actress‚ Motion Picture  Emily Blunt — “Oppenheimer” Danielle Brooks — “The Color Purple” Jodie Foster — “Nyad” Julianne Moore — “May December” Rosamund Pike — “Saltburn” Da’Vine Joy Randolph — “The Holdovers” Best Television Series‚ Drama  “1923” (Paramount+) “The Crown” (Netflix) “The Diplomat” (Netflix) “The Last of Us” (HBO) “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+) “Succession” (HBO) Best Television Series‚ Musical or Comedy  “The Bear” (FX) “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+) “Abbott Elementary” (ABC) “Jury Duty” (Amazon Freevee) “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) “Barry” (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series‚ Drama Pedro Pascal — “The Last of Us” Kieran Culkin — “Succession” Jeremy Strong — “Succession” Brian Cox — “Succession” Gary Oldman — “Slow Horses” Dominic West — “The Crown” Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series‚ Drama  Helen Mirren — “1923” Bella Ramsey — “The Last of Us” Keri Russell — “The Diplomat” Sarah Snook — “Succession” Imelda Staunton — “The Crown” Emma Stone — “The Curse” Best Actress in a TV Series‚ Musical or Comedy  Ayo Edebiri — “The Bear” Natasha Lyonne — “Poker Face” Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” Rachel Brosnahan — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Selena Gomez — “Only Murders in the Building” Elle Fanning – “The Great” Best Actor in a TV Series‚ Musical or Comedy  Bill Hader — “Barry” Steve Martin — “Only Murders in the Building” Martin Short — “Only Murders in the Building” Jason Segel — “Shrinking” Jason Sudeikis — “Ted Lasso” Jeremy Allen White — “The Bear” Best Supporting Actor‚ Television  Billy Crudup — “The Morning Show” Matthew Macfadyen — “Succession” James Marsden — “Jury Duty” Ebon Moss-Bachrach — “The Bear” Alan Ruck — “Succession” Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd — “Succession” Best Supporting Actress‚ Television  Elizabeth Debicki — “The Crown” Abby Elliott — “The Bear” Christina Ricci — “Yellowjackets” Smith-Cameron — “Succession” Meryl Streep — “Only Murders in the Building” Hannah Waddingham — “Ted Lasso” Best Limited Series‚ Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television  “Beef” “Lessons in Chemistry” “Daisy Jones &; the Six” “All the Light We Cannot See” “Fellow Travelers” “Fargo” Best Performance by an Actor‚ Limited Series‚ Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television  Matt Bomer — “Fellow Travelers” Sam Claflin — “Daisy Jones &; the Six” Jon Hamm — “Fargo” Woody Harrelson — “White House Plumbers” David Oyelowo — “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” Steven Yeun — “Beef” Best Performance by an Actress‚ Limited Series‚ Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television  Riley Keough — “Daisy Jones &; the Six” Brie Larson — “Lessons in Chemistry” Elizabeth Olsen — “Love and Death” Juno Temple — “Fargo” Rachel Weisz — “Dead Ringers” Ali Wong — “Beef” Best Original Score‚ Motion Picture  Ludwig Göransson — “Oppenheimer” Jerskin Fendrix — “Poor Things” Robbie Robertson — “Killers of the Flower Moon” Mica Levi — “The Zone of Interest” Daniel Pemberton — “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” Joe Hisaishi — “The Boy and the Heron” Best Picture‚ Non-English Language  “Anatomy of a Fall” (Neon) — France “Fallen Leaves” (Mubi) — Finland “Io Capitano” (01 Distribution) — Italy “Past Lives” (A24) — United States “Society of the Snow” (Netflix) — Spain “The Zone of Interest” (A24) — United Kingdom Best Original Song‚ Motion Picture  “Barbie” — “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas “Barbie” — “Dance the Night” by Caroline Ailin‚ Dua Lipa‚ Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt “She Came to Me” — “Addicted to Romance” by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” — “Peaches” by Jack Black‚ Aaron Horvath‚ Michael Jelenic‚ Eric Osmond‚ and John Spiker “Barbie” — “I’m Just Ken” by Mark Ronson‚ Andrew Wyatt “Rustin” — “Road to Freedom” by Lenny Kravitz Best Motion Picture‚ Animated  “The Boy and the Heron” (GKids) “Elemental” (Disney) “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Universal Pictures) “Suzume” (Toho Co.) “Wish” (Disney) Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television Ricky Gervais — “Ricky Gervais: Armageddon” Trevor Noah — “Trevor Noah: Where Was I” Chris Rock — “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” Amy Schumer — “Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact” Sarah Silverman — “Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love” Wanda Sykes — “Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer” Cinematic and Box Office Achievement “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Disney) “John Wick: Chapter 4” (Lionsgate Films) “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One” (Paramount Pictures) “Oppenheimer” (Universal Pictures) “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (Sony Pictures) “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Universal Pictures) “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” (AMC Theatres)

Rapper Cardi B said she has split from her husband‚ Migos rapper Offset. “I’ve been single for a minute now‚” the singer said in a clip on Instagram Live which Pop Crave reshared on X. “But I have been afraid to like—not afraid I just don’t know how to tell the world. But I feel like today has been a sign. The last time I got on Live I kind of wanted to tell you guys‚ but I didn’t know how to tell you‚ so I changed my mind. But it has been like this for a minute now. I just took it as a sign.” Cardi B said she was hopeful for the future. “I wanna start 2024‚ like‚ fresh‚ open‚” she said during the Live. “I don’t know. I’m curious for a new life‚ for a new beginning. And yeah‚ I’m excited.” Cardi B reveals that she is single‚ no longer with Offset. https://t.co/9ikYQOGH3i — Pop Crave (@PopCrave) December 11‚ 2023 Rumors have been circulating for some time that the couple might be breaking up after the two unfollowed each other on Instagram. Cardi B‚ whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar‚ also posted a message on her Instagram stories about “outgrowing” relationships.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “You know when you just out grow [sic] relationships‚” the “Bodak Yellow” singer shared on December 4‚ “I’m tired of protecting peoples feelings…I GOTTA PUT MYSELF FIRST!” Cardi B and Offset have had a tumultuous relationship for years. They have broken up several times‚ including filing for divorce in 2020 before calling it off. The pair married in a secret ceremony in 2017 and later broke up in 2018 after the birth of their daughter‚ Kulture‚ amid rumors that Offset had been unfaithful. The pair also have a son‚ Wave‚ who was born in 2021. “Of course we went through some challenges‚” Cardi B told E! News of her marriage in November 2021. “We had to get to know each other better. But I feel like I’ve never been happier. I really feel like [it’s] not even just like marriage‚ it’s the family‚ the unity‚ the friendship that we have‚ the ‘I have your back‚ you have my back.'” The couple is known for buying each other lavish gifts and posting them on social media‚ including luxury jewelry‚ clothing‚ cars‚ property‚ refrigerators stuffed with cash‚ and even a giant check for $2 million. 

One boy’s biological family became his chosen family when he wrote a letter to his aunt asking her to adopt him. The young man was told to read his message aloud on camera so that the video could be sent to Aunt Sarah. However‚ what he didn’t know was that his relative was actually in the room with him! She snuck in behind him shortly after he began to read the touching letter. “Since Mom and Dad left‚ you’ve been like my superhero‚” he said. “Imagining you as my mom feels pretty darn amazing.” Screengrab from Funny Bone 956/TikTok He continued‚ “I know being my legal mom comes with responsibilities‚ but I promise to do my best and make you proud. I wanna be part of your family in every way. You show me what family really means‚ and I can’t think of anyone better to call my mom.” When the boy finished reading the letter asking his aunt to adopt him‚ he was told to turn around. He couldn’t believe it when his saw Aunt Sarah standing right there behind him! “Of course I’ll be your mom‚” she said‚ wrapping her nephew in a sweet hug. Aunt Sarah signed the paperwork to become his legal guardian right then and there! “This is the best day of my life‚” said the boy. Watch the video below to see the heartwarming moment this young man got a new mom! @funny..bone..956 Directed by V posted this video decided to share #adoptme #adoption #adopt ♬ original sound – Funny Bone 956 You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Orphaned Boy Reads Note Asking His Aunt To Adopt Him — She Was Standing Behind Him The Whole Time! appeared first on InspireMore.