Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the United States agreed to provide at least 15 years of “strong” Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine, with the possibility of extending the security guarantees even further.

Ukraine reportedly tried to attack the home of Russian President Vladimir Putin with around 91 long-range drones. President Trump thought peace was “closer than ever before,” but that was before the bombing. Both sides are playing us. In this case, Ukraine and its allies in the EU are doing everything they can to sabotage peace […] The post Ukraine Attacks President Putin’s Home appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Illinois just gained another data point for its reputation for public corruption. New revelations found that nearly 400 state employees improperly obtained federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans intended to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic. PPP was created as part of the CARES Act to provide federally backed, forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was signed into law on March 27, 2020. According to the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General, investigators found “reasonable cause” in 378 PPP-fraud cases involving state workers through June 2025 — about three-quarters of all cases reviewed, the Chicago Tribune reported. More than 200 employees resigned or were fired, and some have been referred for criminal prosecution. Workers across major agencies — including Human Services, Corrections, and Children and Family Services — collectively received over $2.8 million in fraudulent loans, often using fabricated businesses or false income claims. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships The inspector general sharply condemned the conduct, stressing that public employees are expected to protect — not exploit — taxpayer funds. One state worker claimed she misunderstood the loan as debt consolidation; another admitted paying a stranger to fabricate a fake business application. The Illinois Attorney General’s office has secured guilty pleas in several cases, typically resulting in probation, restitution, or community service — including a Human Services employee who obtained $49,000 for a nonexistent catering company. The problem extended beyond the state government. Cook County watchdogs documented 65 PPP-related findings, most resulting in resignations or firings. The Cook County sheriff’s office reviewed 163 cases, sustaining violations against 62 employees. Chicago’s inspector general initially flagged nearly 1,000 potentially problematic loans involving city staff and has so far found nine substantiated cases, with more investigations ongoing. These scandals unfolded against a national backdrop of widespread PPP fraud, with federal watchdogs estimating tens of billions lost and the Department of Justice charging thousands of defendants while seizing over $1.4 billion in stolen relief funds. Illinois’ recurring ethical failures have measurable social costs. The Archbridge Institute’s Social Mobility Index ranked Illinois 40th in the nation — and the worst in the Midwest — partly due to persistent perceptions of corruption, including both illegal bribery and “legal” pay-to-play politics through campaign money and influence-trading. “The perception of the state’s corruption is one factor that dragged it down,” Illinois Policy reported. “The social mobility index measures perceptions of corruption using the 2018 Corruption in America Survey, which ranks Illinois among the most corrupt states in the country in both legal and illegal corruption – legal corruption describing a culture of pay-to-play in the form of campaign contributions made to or endorsements of a particular politician in exchange for favors or influence.” Even as leaders stress that most public employees act honorably, the breadth of PPP fraud involving government workers reinforces Illinois’ stubborn image as one of America’s most corruption-ridden states — an image that, evidence suggests, drags down both governance and the state’s broader prospects for upward mobility.

Fans are overwhelmingly disappointed by the penultimate episode from season five of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.”  Complaints about the episode titled “The Bridge” range from bad acting to tired plot lines, but the scene catching the most attention is the awkward moment when one of the main characters, Will (Noah Schnapp), decides to come out as gay to his friends before gearing up to battle the show’s mythical monster villain, Vecna. “Woke ruins EVERYTHING,” one X reaction said. “Netflix decided to RUIN their most popular show of all-time, Stranger Things, by focusing their final season on Will coming out as a homosexual, promoting the propaganda that Will’s superpowers are because he’s ’embraced his sexuality’ & the villain telling Will that his friends won’t like him if they find out he likes dudes.” “How did Stranger Things go from such a great show to the only way they could defeat Vecna is if Will tells everyone he’s gay first,” another person agreed. During the scene in question, Will gathers his friends together and admits, “I don’t like girls.” They proceed to form a group hug and seemingly downplay the upcoming battle to save the world. Will explains that the monster convinced him to keep his sexual identity hidden all this time.  Season five of the series initially had a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes before the release of the latest episode. Now it’s dropped to 56%. The episode also has a record-low 5.4/10 rating on IMDb, which is even lower than the notoriously despised season 2 episode, “The Lost Sister.” Schnapp had an emotional reaction to the scene he revealed during an interview with Tudum.  “I was really nervous to see how [the Duffer Brothers] would write it, because it was obviously so important for me. And I remember when they sent out the script for Episode 7 for that scene. I read it alone in my room, and I was crying, and it really resonated with me,” the actor said of his character coming out.  Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “I texted them, and I was like, ‘This is great. This is awesome.’ I didn’t know if they were ever gonna write that story for Will. They could have just left it up in the air, so getting to finally see it happen was amazing.” The “Stranger Things” actor, who is also gay, said he felt the scene on a personal level. “I hope it touches everyone — not just queer people — and makes them feel emboldened and empowered to be who they are and be proud of who they are,” he told Tudum. “That goes back to the heart of our show: What makes you unique is your superpower.” The two-hour series finale of “Stranger Things” premieres on Netflix and in select theaters on New Year’s Eve.

CBS Chief Legal Analyst Jan Crawford sharply decimated claims from the Left that the conservative-leaning Supreme Court is corrupt, describing such narratives as “patently false” and “dangerous.” In November, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) called the Court dishonorable, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “We’re committed to driving down the high cost of living, to fixing our broken health care system and, at the same period of time, cleaning up the corruption that exists in Washington, D.C., in the Congress, at the Supreme Court and, of course, with the Trump administration, the most corrupt administration in American history.” “I just want to be precise,” Blitzer cautioned. “You say the Supreme Court has been corrupt? Is that what you’re saying?” “Yes, what I’m saying is that the outrageous behavior by individual justices like Clarence Thomas and Justice Alito and the failure to have an ethical code of conduct is corrupt. These are the only people in the country who can operate above the law,” Jeffries answered. “There is a narrative that the Supreme Court is corrupt,” Crawford said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “We saw that emerge in the wake of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. And now we see it, that they’re ‘in the tank for Trump.’ Not only is that narrative overreported, it is patently false, and it is dangerous for the institution and the public’s faith and confidence in the rule of law.” “This is a conservative Supreme Court,” she stated. “It has been a conservative Supreme Court for 20 years. People can disagree and do disagree with their opinions, but it’s profoundly wrong to call it – or say corruption where there, in fact, is none.” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “What’s underreported is any understanding of what this court’s been doing for the past 20 years,” she explained. “Its views of its role, vis-à-vis the other branches. How it sees the law. How it’s trying, in its focus, to restore some kind of accountability and our constitutional structure. Again, this is a court that is functional. It is consistent. They are nine justices. They don’t necessarily see the Constitution the same way by any means or how to interpret federal law. There’s a struggle over the proper way to interpret the Constitution. But that is as it should be. And I think as we approach our 250th anniversary of this country, it’s important to think about the court and their rule of law as the justices are doing, especially if we hope to keep democracy intact.” “That’s a big statement, Jan, if we hope to keep democracy intact,” host Margaret Brennan responded. “My goodness.” Undaunted, Crawford replied, “If we lost — if the public loses confidence in the rule of law, I don’t know what that means for democracy. And that’s why I think some of the rhetoric about corruption is so, so profoundly irresponsible.” “And it causes threats,” CBS News correspondent Scott MacFarlane pointed out. “Oh, yes. Which, again, I mean the justices are under tremendous (pressure), and federal judges as well,” Crawford concluded. On @FaceTheNation @JanCBS Crawford scolded the press corps in naming her “under-reported” story of the year: “There is a narrative the Supreme Court is corrupt. We saw that emerge in the wake of the Dobbs decision…and now we see it that they’re in the tank for Trump. Not only… pic.twitter.com/2rPcXbEnvQ — Brent Baker ???? ?? (@BrentHBaker) December 28, 2025

This year’s Retailer of the Year award skipped the corporate chains and landed with one of the country’s most trusted family-operated companies, Natural Grocers. Store Brands, a trusted industry website that tracks innovation and performance in private-label retail, announced the news on December 29th, saying the company’s dedication to affordable, healthy, high-quality items and expansion of its private-label products made it stand out among the competition. Natural Grocers responded to the award in a statement, writing, “Being recognized as Retailer of the Year by such a trusted publication within the industry is a proud moment for our team and a testament to the thoughtful work we do every day for our customers and communities.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Natural Grocers (@naturalgrocers) While the company has been in business since 1955, it wasn’t until 2016 that it launched its private-label items, which include household goods, foods, body care products, and supplements. “Our private-label products are more than affordable options—they represent our values in action,” Raquel Isely, vice president of marketing at Natural Grocers, said. “Being recognized as Retailer of the Year by such a trusted publication within the industry is a proud moment for our team and a testament to the thoughtful work we do every day for our customers and communities.” Last year, Sprouts Farmers Market took the crown for Retailer of the Year. In 2023, Sam’s Club was the winner. Kroger and H-E-B have also earned the title. Natural Grocers is based in Lakewood, Colorado, and operates 168 stores throughout the Southwest, Midwest, and Mountain West. This story’s featured image is by Ninthgrid via Pexels.

'Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end'

Absurd...