In 1970 David Bowie was a one-hit wonder‚ but The Man Who Sold The World helped him recalibrate his sound and vision‚ setting him on a path to becoming a decade-defining artist

A man has been arrested at the Colorado Supreme Court building after reportedly shooting out the windows and inflicting “extensive damage‚" as well as threatening a security guard at gunpoint.

Former President Donald Trump has appealed a ruling by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state that has disqualified him from running for office in the state.

New federal charges for Senator Menendez. He took luxury items to say nice things about Qatar. In addition to helping Egypt in exchange for financial reward‚ Senator Robert Menendez is facing new federal charges for using his position to benefit Qatar. Menendez‚ 70‚ was charged by federal prosecutors with accepting bribes from Fred Daibes‚ a […] The post Sen. Menendez Faces New Federal Charges appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The “Aquaman“ sequel continues to struggle as Warner Bros. “Wonka” has not only dominated the Christmas box office‚ but now the New Year weekend as well. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” has earned‚ as of New Year’s Day‚ $81.8 million. The original 2018 film made $215.4 million over the same time period as it was on its way to $1.2 billion at the global box office‚ The Hollywood Reporter noted. The Jason Momoa-led film has had a poor showing at the box office following its release on December 22‚ coming in way under expectations after earning $27 million over the Christmas weekend and another $23.5 million over the four-day New Year weekend. The DC superhero sequel and final movie from DC’s Extended Universe appears to be doing slightly better overseas where the James Wan movie has earned $173.6 million as of Monday‚ according to Box Office Mojo. Box Office: ‘Wonka’ Beats ‘Aquaman 2’ in Final 2023 Matchup https://t.co/AYr465yfxt — Variety (@Variety) December 31‚ 2023 However‚ the clear winner over both holiday weekends has been the Timothée Chalamet-led backstory of the famed fictional chocolatier Willy Wonka. It is the latest remake based on the 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl. The original novel’s first film adaptation was 1971’s “Willy Wonka &; the Chocolate Factory‚” starring Gene Wilder as Wonka. A 2005 remake directed by Tim Burton starred Johnny Depp as Wonka. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP After the long Christmas weekend‚ “Wonka“ brought in $102.5 million domestically‚ Variety reported following its release in mid-December. The movie brought in another $29.5 million at the domestic box office after New Year’s day‚ bringing the film’s total to $140.2 million as of Monday‚ THR noted. Warner Bros. also released another film over the holiday‚ the Broadway musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel “The Color Purple.” The film has had less time than the rest after it opened December 25 with $18.5 million. After the New Year holiday weekend‚ the movie’s current domestic total now stands at $47.2 million domestically. Despite the millions earned at the box office‚ the numbers for the top movies in the country pale in comparison to the last few years‚ Deadline magazine noted. In 2021‚ Marvel’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home‚” and “Avatar: The Way of the Water” in 2022 both cleared $30 million in a single day after Christmas. Related: ‘Aquaman’ Sequel Has Disappointing Christmas Opening‚ Bringing In Just $40M

A suspected “emotionally disturbed” New York man crashed a car into an Uber leaving a concert in Rochester on New Year’s Eve‚ leaving two dead and more injured. At around 12:50 a.m.‚ Michael Avery‚ 35‚ from Syracuse‚ drove a rented Ford Expedition‚ a large SUV‚ toward a crowd leaving a rock concert by the band Moe at the Kodak Center. About 1‚000 people were leaving the venue. Avery crashed into an Uber carrying a couple‚ who both died‚ according to police. The Uber driver survived and was transported to the hospital. The cars also hit three pedestrians and injured a total of nine people. “The force of the collision caused the two vehicles to go through a group of pedestrians that were in the crosswalk and then into two other vehicles‚” Police Chief David Smith said at a press conference Monday. Both cars erupted into flames‚ and it took the fire department close to an hour to put out the fire. Police found at least a dozen gasoline canisters in Avery’s car and on the ground in the area. The bomb squad and the joint arson task force both responded to the scene. The crash was investigated as potential domestic terrorism — although‚ so far‚ authorities said they have found no evidence it was an act of terror. Police Chief Smith said they had found no evidence that Avery acted on “political or social biases.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “So far we’ve uncovered no evidence of an ideology and no nexus to terrorism‚ either international or domestic‚” FBI agent Jeremy Bell said Tuesday at a news conference. Avery died of his injuries at the hospital around 8 p.m. on Monday. Police reportedly searched his hotel room in Rochester and found a suicide note and journal‚ although it is not yet clear what information those items contained. “Obviously I would have been liking to stand at this podium to deliver ‘Happy New Year’ and smile and say good news. But unfortunately today we don’t have good news because we have several individuals whose families’ lives are changed because they will not be here to bring in 2024‚” Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said at Monday’s press conference. Avery’s family members told police they suspected he had bipolar disorder‚ although he had never been diagnosed. The suspect had not had any prior contact with law enforcement‚ police said. The rock band performing at the concert venue released a statement expressing their “profound shock and sadness” at the deadly incident.

It used to be that senior officers in the U.S. military made a point of staying out of politics. At least in public‚ they focused their attention solely on foreign enemies who could threaten the United States. George Marshall‚ the Army officer who became secretary of defense under Truman‚ famously refused to vote in any election‚ for any candidate. That kind of thinking was the norm‚ and you can see why. Once the military starts trying to pick fights with domestic enemies‚ things can get very third world‚ very quickly. In just about a half century‚ we’ve come a long way from George Marshall. Leaders like that are now very hard to find in the Pentagon. In their place‚ we have men with names like “Bree Fram.” Bree Fram is a colonel in the Space Force‚ which is part of the Air Force. Based on his public appearances‚ Fram’s main credential is that he likes to dress up as a woman. And he devotes the vast majority of his time to political campaigning on behalf of trans activists. A couple of weeks ago‚ for example‚ Fram headlined a forum sponsored by Fortune Magazine. It was an event entitled‚ “Fortune’s Most Powerful Women of 2023.” And naturally Fram‚ as a middle-aged adult man‚ took the stage. He insisted that the military and major corporations have no choice but to hire more crossdressers. Indeed‚ our national security depends on it. Watch: “Inclusion is a national security imperative‚” @SpaceForceDoD’s Lt. Col. Bree Fram (@BFram3) tells #FortuneMPW. “We can’t leave that talent that’s going to revolutionize business behind.” https://t.co/hAdZBAPjCx pic.twitter.com/z8a7lZqKYZ — Fortune MPW (@FortuneMPW) October 11‚ 2023 Yes‚ we fight using brain power. Which is why‚ says Bree‚ it is important we get more brains that are mentally ill involved in the military. This will make us safer. It will make the country stronger. Why is that the case? How can it be the case? Well‚ he never explains that. And can’t explain it‚ because it’s nonsense. Be that as it may‚ if you go on Bree Fram’s social media you’ll find he was just promoted by the Pentagon for relentlessly pushing this kind of propaganda. So this is what the Defense Department wants him to be doing‚ even though nothing he said makes any sense whatsoever. By the way‚ the people who don’t “feel safe to speak up‚” to use Bree Fram’s language‚ are not the trans activists. It’s the people who recognize that putting a wig on a guy‚ or cutting off his penis‚ doesn’t magically transform him into a woman. Those are the people who are afraid to speak up‚ because then they’ll be fired for it. That’s true in every major corporation in this country. It’s also true in the military. No one wants to tell the truth‚ or else they’ll be destroyed. Unlike what Bree Fram is complaining about‚ this self-censorship — this denial of reality — is definitely a national security threat. As a general rule‚ you cannot defend yourself and your nation in reality unless you are living in reality yourself. Trans-identified people have trouble living in‚ accepting‚ or understanding reality. That’s why they identify as trans. They are a demographic that suffers from serious mental illness at a rate dramatically higher than the general population. They’re a much greater risk to the military for that reason alone — not to mention that most of these activists hate this country and want to destroy everything it stands for. And yet we’re being instructed‚ by trans activists like Bree Fram‚ that we shouldn’t be allowed to say anything like this out loud. If we do‚ we’re told we’re supposedly the ones who are endangering national security. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show And that’s just scratching the surface of what Bree Fram has been saying. He’s also openly criticized state legislatures that have passed bills trans activists don’t like. In March of last year for example‚ Fram tweeted a meme of a Star Trek actress mouthing the words “Are you f-ing kidding me‚” in response to what Fram called‚ “all the anti trans legislation being introduced and passed in so many states.” So here we have a colonel‚ working for the U.S. Armed Forces‚ publicly condemning legislation that was passed by conservative voters by overwhelming majorities in several states. There are many more posts like this on Fram’s social media feeds. This isn’t just inappropriate. Coming from the military‚ it’s threatening and completely intolerable. These are people with the most advanced military equipment on the planet. They have the power to kill people they don’t like. Therefore‚ we decided a long time ago that they answer to civilian leaders. They don’t get to push their politics on us. That’s not their job. If they start doing it‚ they should be fired immediately. That’s the actual “national security threat” here. But as far as I can tell‚ outside of social media accounts like Libs of TikTok‚ Republicans haven’t reacted to this at all. They don’t seem to care that a senior military officer is a cross-dressing political activist. They haven’t called on Bree Fram to resign or be fired or anything like that. In fact‚ the opposite is happening. Republicans are taking Bree Fram’s advice. That brings us to what happened Friday‚ in the waning moments of 2023. On that day‚ Ohio Governor Mike DeWine took a break from celebrating the made-up fake holiday Kwanzaa to veto House Bill 68. This bill would have prohibited doctors in the state from prescribing cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers to children. The bill also would have prohibited boys from playing in girls’ sports. It passed overwhelmingly in the Ohio House (by a vote of 62 to 27) and in the Ohio Senate (by a vote of 24 to 8). These are margins so large that they’d allow the legislature to override DeWine’s veto‚ but he went ahead and vetoed it anyway. In a 30-minute press conference the other day‚ Mike DeWine explained his reasoning. I’m going to present DeWine’s argument as thoroughly as I possibly can‚ because this has to be addressed. He is parroting trans propaganda‚ for the most part without even questioning it. The only way to stop this insanity is to confront it. Here’s the first key claim DeWine made during the press conference: So Mike DeWine begins with a variation of a common argument you hear from trans activists‚ which is that parents always know what’s medically best for a child. Of course‚ trans activists don’t actually believe this. That’s why they want to empower school districts to hide children’s so-called “gender identity” from their parents. It’s also why they’re allowing minors to take these sterilizing drugs without parental involvement in states like California and Washington. But even if DeWine and trans activists actually did believe what they’re saying‚ the argument still fails. That’s because common sense — and basic moral intuition — tell us that chopping off a healthy girl’s breasts‚ or castrating and sterilizing a boy for life‚ is not only wrong but a moral atrocity that cries to the heavens for vengeance. Yes‚ parents have a right to raise their children. But they don’t have a right to mutilate them. It doesn’t matter what the parents say or what doctors say. Some things are wrong because they’re obviously wrong‚ regardless of your title or position. This is an obvious point‚ which is why DeWine tries to head off the argument‚ by saying that in this case‚ parents and experts agree that these procedures are medically necessary. And he says he can think of no other example where the state has banned procedures on children‚ where both parents and medical experts agree they’re necessary. It’s a remarkable statement from the governor‚ given that it was less than a century ago children were getting lobotomized in this country. Parents and medical experts thought that lobotomies were a great idea‚ so they happened at scale. Walter Freeman traveled around psychiatric hospitals in the U.S. in the 1950s‚ sticking spatulas in peoples’ brains. One of his patients was a 12-year-old named Howard Dully‚ who was lobotomized because his stepmother demanded it. Several decades later‚ Dully told NPR‚ “I’ll never know what I lost in those 10 minutes with Dr. Freeman and his ice pick.” Lobotomies aren’t performed in this country anymore. Many states have imposed restrictions on all forms of “psychosurgery‚” and any doctor who performs a lobotomy would probably be bankrupted in a malpractice lawsuit. But Mike DeWine has apparently forgotten all about that. He has absolute trust in parents and doctors again. Anything they agree on must‚ automatically‚ be legal in the state of Ohio. What’s interesting about this argument is that‚ as DeWine himself points out‚ these parents have given their reasons for opposing the bill — and their reasons have nothing whatsoever to do with medicine. Watch: DeWine begins by saying that parents have told him they had to “transition” their children or else their children would have committed suicide. That’s not a medical judgment. That is‚ at best‚ a parent acting out of pure desperation and caving to the worst form of emotional blackmail imaginable. And like most judgments made out of desperation‚ it’s a very bad one. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP For one thing‚ as I’ve pointed out a thousand times‚ the claim that children need to be transitioned in order to stop them from killing themselves is belied by the fact that for most of human history no children were transitioned and also no children were killing themselves because of it. It is only in the last few years that this “need” has arisen‚ which means the need is an illusion. We have to destroy the illusion‚ not give in to it. But DeWine has no problem with this. He says that because he met with a handful of parents‚ who tell him sterilizing hormones saved their kids’ life‚ that he’s convinced they must be right. What’s extraordinary about this is that‚ at the beginning of his press conference‚ DeWine claims he talked to detransitioners‚ and people who regret getting these hormones at a young age. He never explains why he disregarded their concerns‚ and sided with the handful of parents he spoke to. In Ohio‚ they’re legalizing the sterilization of children based on a handful of selective anecdotes. That’s where we are. This gets even weirder when you listen to the rest of DeWine’s press conference‚ where he explains he has no data at all to suggest that sterilizing children actually improves their well-being. Watch: So we have no evidence to suggest that any of these “treatments” are helping kids. The governor admits that. In fact we have a lot of evidence it’s hurting them‚ as he says. And that’s why DeWine doesn’t want to authorize surgeries on minors. But at the same time‚ he’s fine with legalizing procedures that will sterilize children — against the will of the people of his state — even though he acknowledges there’s no science to justify it. He’s green-lighting child butchery‚ by his own admission‚ so he can collect more data on how it affects children in 20 years. “Let’s just castrate the kids now and check in 20 years to see if it worked out.” That’s his argument. It’s so ghoulish and so completely illogical that it’s hard to believe it’s real. But that’s what he said. So if you’re a sane person‚ you’re left wondering: What could possibly explain this? It’s always worth laying out the case against the medical abuse of children‚ but we all know that DeWine doesn’t actually need to be told any of it. It’s well established. DeWine is a contemptible weakling and a pathetic coward but he’s not actually psychotic. He’s only pretending to be in this case. The question is why. Why is he telling legislators to scrap this bill following his veto‚ in favor of some vague administrative regulations that mean basically nothing? The first answer probably has something to do with the campaign contributions that DeWine receives from the very organizations that perform this butchery. The Daily Caller is reporting that “[From] 2018 to 2023 … the governor received $40‚300 from the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA)‚ Cincinnati Children’s‚ Nationwide Children’s Hospital and ProMedica Children’s Hospital‚ all of whom support transgender medical care.” These are the same children’s hospitals that‚ in his press conference‚ DeWine said he had consulted before vetoing the bill. But the governor never disclosed any of these payments during the press conference. So that’s conspicuous‚ to say the least. There’s also the fact that under DeWine‚ Ohio has resumed working with the Centene Corporation‚ even though they just settled with the state on charges they defrauded Medicaid. Various local news outlets have pointed out that one of DeWine’s longtime friends is a lobbyist for Centene‚ which incidentally‚ also claims that “gender-affirming care” is “medically necessary.” Is this corruption? Undoubtedly it is. But it’s also not a complete explanation for what we’re seeing in Ohio. This is a cancer that’s spread far beyond one governor’s office. DeWine represents the Republican establishment‚ and the establishment will always do the bidding of the LGBT lobby when push comes to shove. We’ve seen that all over the country‚ repeatedly. Obviously there was the gay marriage debate‚ where the Right folded virtually overnight. But there are many more recent examples. There’s the case of Spencer Cox‚ the Republican governor of Utah‚ who recently introduced himself to a roomful of children by giving his preferred pronouns. In 2021‚ the Republican governor of South Dakota‚ Kristi Noem‚ vetoed a bill that would have banned men from competing in women’s sports. That same year‚ the Republican governor of Arkansas‚ Asa Hutchinson‚ vetoed a bill that would have banned so-called “gender affirming” treatments on minors. The state legislature later overrode that veto‚ but that shouldn’t have been necessary in the first place. For the sake of thousands of children‚ we need a similar veto override in Ohio‚ immediately. But that can’t be the end of it. If the leaders of the conservative establishment want anyone to believe they can conserve anything‚ they should start by explaining why Bree Fram is allowed to lecture us‚ in uniform‚ about the importance of hiring mentally ill crossdressers. Then the Republican Governors Association should explain why so many governors are ignoring what the vast majority of their constituents want. If the leaders of the establishment Right can’t do any of this — and honestly‚ they probably can’t — then they serve no purpose. They are every bit as spineless and pitiful as Mike DeWine. And if there’s any resolution worth making in 2024‚ it’s that we need to be done with these useless cowards once and for all.

A prominent black radio show personality reportedly feels “burned” over his past support of Vice President Kamala Harris. Charlamagne tha God‚ the co-host of “The Breakfast Club” who was born Lenard Larry McKelvey‚ spoke to POLITICO about his break with Harris after her nearly three years in the White House. “I’ve learned my lesson from doing that‚” he told the news outlet. “Once they got in the White House‚ she … kind of disappeared.” Charlamagne reportedly explained that he does not think the Biden administration has done enough to tackle mental health awareness‚ a topic that came up as he appeared on the campaign trail with Harris in 2019 when she was a presidential candidate‚ and promote criminal justice reforms that include addressing marijuana offenses. “When I give people my word like: ‘Yo man‚ I think we should be supporting Kamala Harris for vice president … because she’s going to hold it down.’ When we say those things and people don’t see her holding it down‚ that causes issues‚” he said. Charlamagne added‚ “‘Damn‚ you told us to vote for [them].’ Do you know how many people say that to me all the time?” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP A little more than two years ago‚ Harris erupted during an interview when Charlamagne asked her who was the real President of the United States. After an aide to Harris tried to cut the interview short‚ claiming that there was an audio problem‚ Charlamagne pressed‚ “Is it [Sen.] Joe Manchin or Joe Biden‚ Madam Vice President?” To which Harris responded‚ “Come on‚ Charlamagne. Come on. It’s Joe Biden.” Charlamagne quipped‚ “I can’t tell sometimes‚” after which Harris shot back‚ “No‚ no‚ no‚ no‚ no‚ no‚ no. No. It’s Joe Biden. And don’t start talking like a Republican about asking whether or not he’s president. And it’s Joe Biden … and I’m vice president and my name is Kamala Harris.” POLITICO noted that Charlamagne does not expect Harris or President Joe Biden to appear on “The Breakfast Club” during the current election cycle in which they are seeking a second term amid poor approval numbers and dropping support among black voters.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre complained on Tuesday that it was “shameful” for the governors of border states to transport illegal immigrants to cities and states that have declared themselves “sanctuary” jurisdictions. Jean-Pierre made the comments during an appearance on CNN as she kicked off 2024 from the White House: “The busing of migrants‚ the putting them on flights‚ it is shameful that that is occurring. And instead of — if the governor really wants to deal with this issue‚ he should talk to the senators in his state.” WATCH: WH Press Secretary: "It is shameful" to send illegal aliens to sanctuary cities pic.twitter.com/8LZVvN6OHS — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 2‚ 2024 Critics were quick to point out the fact that if the federal government had been doing its job in enforcing immigration law‚ there would be far fewer illegal immigrants in the country — and that by declaring themselves to be sanctuaries‚ leaders in those cities and states had opened the door for exactly what has been playing out. “No one likes to be confronted with the negative ramifications of their choices‚” Greg (@harmfulopinion) reminded them via X. No one likes to be confronted with the negative ramifications of their choices. — 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 (@HarmfulOpinion) January 2‚ 2024 “Shameful to have Democrat voters face the consequences of the policies they supported‚” Rita Panahi agreed. Shameful to have Democrat voters face the consequences of the policies they supported 😭 https://t.co/06ASZYmR3A — Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) January 2‚ 2024 “Hypocrisy alert‚” Tom Moore posted. “Sanctuary city mayors welcomed the Fed Funds with open arms and the virtue signaling‚ but not the responsibility that actually comes with caring for illegal aliens. WH Press Secretary KJP parrots feigned outrage in support of liberal mayors.” Hypocrisy alert ‼️ Sanctuary city mayors welcomed the Fed Funds with open arms and the virtue signaling‚ but not the responsibility that actually comes with caring for illegal aliens.WH Press Secretary KJP parrots feigned outrage in support of liberal mayors 🙄 https://t.co/RKQNL0l3Dj — Tom Moore (@junogsp7) January 2‚ 2024 “I mean they asked for it. That’s not even being slightly caustic‚ it’s precisely what announcing yourself as a sanctuary city is‚” Robert Patrick Lewis said. I mean they asked for it. That's not even being slightly caustic‚ it's precisely what announcing yourself as a sanctuary city is. https://t.co/P6Z3q0iWsG — Robert Patrick Lewis (@RobertPLewis) January 2‚ 2024 “Oh KJP. These ‘sanctuary cities’ have decided‚ in violation of our Constitution and human trafficking laws‚ that they would indeed harbor‚ aid and abet human trafficking and illegal alien criminals. So as long as [Joe Biden] wants to leave our border wide open‚ ‘sanctuary cities’ are the only logical place to send them‚” another replied. During the same interview‚ Jean-Pierre claimed that President Joe Biden had done more in two years than other presidents had in two terms. WATCH: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: "This president has done more in three years than any other president has done in two terms!" 🤔 pic.twitter.com/jlG49tIQAv — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 2‚ 2024

Kim Davis‚ the former Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in 2015 on gay marriage‚ must pay $260‚104 in fees to attorneys who represented a couple‚ a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Despite Davis’ attorneys arguing that the fee request by the same-sex couple’s lawyers was excessive‚ U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning said that the former clerk’s lawyers exaggerated and “belie[d] logic‚” the Lexington Herald-Leader reported. The $260‚104 in attorneys fees is in addition to $100‚000 in damages a jury ordered Davis to pay David Ermold and David Moore‚ a couple who won a lawsuit against her last September. Davis’ attorneys are expected to appeal Bunning’s ruling. “They sought to vindicate their fundamental right to marry and obtain marriage licenses‚ and they did so‚” Bunning said of the couple. The ruling is the latest in a more than eight-year legal struggle for Davis‚ an evangelical Christian who was the county clerk in Rowan County‚ Kentucky‚ in 2015‚ shortly after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges‚ which ruled that same-sex couples are guaranteed a right to marry under the U.S. Constitution. Davis made headlines after the decision when Ermold and Moore walked into the Rowan County Courthouse followed by journalists and protesters‚ seeking to obtain a marriage license. To avoid issuing any marriage licenses to gay couples‚ which Davis said was against her religious convictions‚ she refused to hand out marriage licenses to any couple. After entering the courthouse in September of 2015‚ Ermold asked Davis “under whose authority” she refused to issue a marriage license‚ according to The New York Times. “Under God’s authority‚” she responded. Davis was then jailed for five days for contempt of court‚ and the gay couple’s marriage license was issued by a deputy clerk after Davis’ name was removed from the form while she was behind bars. The former county clerk was also sued by another gay couple whose license she denied‚ but a separate jury didn’t award them any damages‚ WKYT reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Davis lost her re-election bid in 2018 to Democrat Elwood Caudill Jr. by eight percentage points‚ Fox News reported. Ermold‚ one of the men to whom Davis refused to issue a marriage license‚ also ran in the primary against Caudill Jr. in 2018‚ but came up short. After his primary loss‚ Ermold said he would prefer Davis win the election over Caudill Jr. “I just want him to lose. I would rather Kim Davis win‚” Ermold said. “At least Kim Davis has the integrity to stand up for what she believes in. Elwood Caudill is a liar.”