A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago. The new amount is roughly half the $667 million that […] The post Greenpeace Fined Hundreds of Millions for Pipeline Eco-Terrorism appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

A broad coalition of business associations representing hundreds of companies as diverse as Apple and Walmart united to call on Congress Thursday to immediately reopen the government. The coalition warned that with each day of the shutdown, “the larger and more durable the economic damage becomes — and some of it might never be recovered.”  Top CEOs from hundreds of major U.S. companies also warned of potential irreversible economic damage. Representing virtually every sector of the economy, from airlines, banking, hotels, manufacturing, software, real estate, and travel, the associations estimated that the ongoing shutdown costs the nation between $10 and $15 billion in lost output per week.  While the joint statement avoided taking a political stance, the groups urged lawmakers to “avert further economic disruption” by reopening the government immediately. The associations proposed a compromise to negotiate major policy issues in a longer-term funding package rather than a continuing resolution.  House Democratic Minority Whip Katherine Clark explained why Democrats want to negotiate now rather than for a longer-term funding package. “I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and, of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark said in an interview with CNN last week.  Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to DailyWire.com/Subscribe to join now. The standoff on Capitol Hill centers on health care funding. Democrats refuse to back the Republican-led continuing resolution (CR) unless it includes an extension of ACA tax credits. The credits were established in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act and were temporarily enhanced and expanded in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans maintain that health care discussions can begin after the CR is passed.  House Speaker Mike Johnson told The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, “To President Trump’s great credit, he is doing everything possible to protect families and keep vital services running.”  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer disagreed.  “Republicans own this shutdown,” said Schumer. “Every job lost, every family hurt, every service gutted is because of their decisions.” Last week, the White House released statements from leaders in the aviation industry urging Congress to reopen the federal government.  President of NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots Pedro Leroux said, “It is indisputable that our system is less safe today than it was on Oct. 1 when the shutdown began.” Air-traffic controllers are among the many federal workers currently working without pay. Others include government employees,  military service members, Capitol police, and thousands of third-party contractors whose payments halted when the shutdown began.   In response, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to divert funds previously allocated for research and development to paychecks for the military. Trump also claimed an unnamed “friend” gave $130 million to pay service members.  Next, the shutdown hits SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is projected to run out of funds on Saturday.  “If there are any Democrats out there who care about the damage this shutdown is doing, then I have a bill at the desk,” stated Senate Majority Leader John Thune.  The bill is “a clean, nonpartisan CR to fund WIC, SNAP, troop pay, air traffic controller pay, farm programs, housing assistance, national defense, and more.”  Shortly after Thune’s statement, the Senate adjourned, pushing shutdown conversations to next week.

The latest earnings reports from America’s top tech companies reveal that Silicon Valley is going all-in on artificial intelligence, sometimes in spite of users’ concerns. Financials from Meta, Microsoft, and Google released Wednesday show that all three companies beat experts’ earnings and revenue expectations. On earnings calls, all three companies pointed to increased AI investment, and increased spending in general. Google parent company Alphabet raised spending by about 7% for the year, Microsoft discussed spending above their original goal of 42% this year, and Meta discussed aggressive and substantial investment, but did not provide a specific number. “Across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, our AI recommendation systems are delivering higher quality and more relevant content, which led to 5% more time spent on Facebook in Q3 and 10% on Threads,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. “Video is a particular bright spot, with video time spent on Instagram up more than 30% since last year.” This week also brought good news for the AI sector across the board. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday told investors that he doesn’t see a bubble in the AI space, noting that artificial intelligence companies “have real earnings and business models,” rather than just “ideas.” As if to underscore that point, Nvidia, a major player in the AI space, became the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization, reaching $5 trillion in value. This is good news for Big Tech. But is it good for America? Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to DailyWire.com/Subscribe to join now. Beneath the AI hype and rosy growth numbers, Meta’s latest financial filing reveals something darker: the company is facing tens of thousands of lawsuits alleging its apps are addictive and harmful. “Beginning in January 2022, we became subject to litigation and other proceedings alleging that Facebook and Instagram cause ‘social media addiction’ in users.” The company noted the lawsuits are ongoing and that a “favorable outcome” for the company cannot be assured.  “Substantially all of our revenue comes from advertising,” Meta reported to investors, noting that prominent revenue streams depend on users staying on Instagram and Facebook. “Advertising revenue could be adversely affected by decreases in user engagement, including time spent on our products.” With AI investment accelerating across big tech, the coming quarters will show whether the technology continues to drive growth, as well as how companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Google balance innovation, profitability, and potential public scrutiny. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Do you agree with the Apostle Paul? That was the question police asked Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen repeatedly over the course of 13 hours of interrogation over a social media post she made featuring a Bible verse.  Six years ago, Räsänen found herself in a small room being questioned after she shared a Bible verse from the book of Romans detailing the Christian understanding of sexuality. After she shared the verse, she was charged with hate speech and dragged to the police station for numerous rounds of questions about her beliefs.  “It was a very, very absurd and surreal experience,” Räsänen said on Thursday when asked by The Daily Wire to describe her experience. “I was sitting in a small room in a police station. I had the Bible on the table and the police were asking me very theological questions.” She said that she was asked about the meaning of Romans and about the concepts of sin and shame in the Bible. Räsänen said she was brought in for questioning three times for a total of 13 hours, leading to a joke that she was “going to have a Bible study” at the police station, she said.  Räsänen said her experience reminded her of stories she heard about Christians being persecuted by the Soviet Union.  “Those stories that I had heard from these communist countries,” she said. “So I was so shocked that something like that could happen in Finland, in a country that has long roots in Christianity and rule of law and freedom of speech and faith.” After each interrogation, she was given two weeks to delete her social media post and apologize. She refused each time.  “I said that I do not apologize… because it’s not my opinion, it is what the Word of God says,” Räsänen said.  She is a member of the Lutheran Church and was previously Finland’s Ministry of the Interior, meaning she once oversaw the police who interrogated her. Her case is now before Finland’s top court and comes after she was unanimously acquitted in 2022 and 2023 by lower courts. She faces two criminal charges for “agitation against a minority group.” Räsänen’s case was heard on Thursday by the Finnish Supreme Court. She was represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom International and criminal defense lawyer Matti Sankamo.  Räsänen outside the Supreme Court/ Alliance Defending Freedom International. In a press call after Thursday’s hearing, Sankamo said that it appeared that prosecutors had changed the primary focus of their case against Räsänen. Also on trial is Bishop Juhana Pohjola, a Lutheran church leader who published a pamphlet in 2004 written by Räsänen defending the Christian view of marriage as between one man and one woman. Prosecutors have called for Pohjola to pull the pamphlet from circulation.  “The Christian message of marriage and sexuality has been taught for two millennia, and it should never be considered a crime to speak what Christians have always believed,” he said ahead of the hearing.  Both Pohjola and Räsänen face a hefty fine if they lose their case. The charges they face could come with prison time, though prosecutors have not requested that punishment.  Paul Coleman, the executive director of Alliance Defending Freedom International, said that losing the case could make countless other Christian materials considered criminal.  “We’ve not yet seen a case reach the highest court of a land where actual theological concepts like sin are considered hate speech, or where the words of the Bible are being put on trial,” he said Thursday. “And so again, if the prosecutor is successful, then that will set a new low, really, for freedom of expression in Europe and specifically for Christians.” A verdict in the case is not expected until spring 2026, but Räsänen is hopeful that the result will be a resounding win for freedom of religion and speech.  “The main question in this whole process is, the heart of this trial, is the question of whether teachings related to the Bible can be presented and whether it is still permissible to agree with the Bible, even when they contradict the main ideology of the society,” she said.

Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR) insisted on Thursday that the Republicans had included a “poison pill” in the Continuing Resolution that would reopen the government — but when pressed, she appeared to be unable to identify what exactly that might be. Bynum, appearing on C-Span as the shutdown hit the 30-day mark, claimed that Republicans were trying to pull something over on the American people and that the CR — which has been widely regarded as “clean,” with no changes to anything — necessarily included hidden agenda items. WATCH: Democrat Rep. Janelle Bynum: “Any bill that Republicans have put forth, there’s always been a poison pill.” C-SPAN: “What were the poison pills of the clean CR?” Democrat Rep. Janelle Bynum: “You are trying to shift the responsibility to Democrats.” pic.twitter.com/avD3qs2MMt — TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 30, 2025 “They did have a clean CR vote on September 19th in the House,” the C-Span host pointed out. “Did you vote for it?” “I disagree with your characterization and want to make sure that we’re very clear about [what] Republicans have been doing,” Bynum protested. “Any bill that they’ve put forth, they’ve always had some extra stuff to it, there’s always been a poison pill to it, so I disagree with your characterization.” The C-Span anchor pushed back: “What were the poison pills in the clean CR — the continuing resolution, you say it’s not clean — that was voted on in the House in mid-September?” Bynum ignored the question entirely, and leaned into the camera to make her next point. Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to DailyWire.com/Subscribe to join now. ”Here’s what’s important,” she said. “I think what you’re trying to do is shift the responsibility to Democrats.” Just hours earlier, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had gotten himself into a similarly uncomfortable exchange on CNN. After he claimed on Wednesday that Republican leaders had not been willing to have a conversation with Democrats in order to bring the shutdown to an end, anchor Kaitlan Collins confronted him with his own admission that he’d spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) earlier that day. Over the next two minutes, Jeffries admitted that he had spoken to Johnson — and that Johnson had been the one to reach out to him rather than vice versa. He also admitted that although nothing was resolved, the pair had discussed things “in the ballpark” of the shutdown.

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It's Bizarre, but Democrats Are Arguing That Trump Is Senile

Progressive groups are organizing more than 100 anti-immigration enforcement protests at Home Depot and detention center locations nationwide this weekend.'All over the country, ICE agents are targeting immigrants in and around Home Depot, attacking and terrorizing workers, customers, and surrounding communities.'The demonstrations are advertised as a “rally/vigil” to honor “all the workers who have been kidnapped by ICE on Home Depot properties.”Organizers accused Home Depot of “becom[ing] ICE’s passive partner,” claiming that the company “has not resisted or condemned these raids.”“Tell Home Depot: ICE Out!” the ads read.The planned demonstrations appear to be in response to the death of Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, a 52-year-old from Guatemala. In August, Montoya Valdez was fatally struck by a vehicle when he ran onto a California highway while attempting to flee the scene of a Home Depot, where federal agents were performing immigration enforcement.The Department of Homeland Security stated that Montoya Valdez was not being pursued by any federal law enforcement agents at the time.RELATED: No, ICE isn’t terrorizing innocent families with social media surveillance Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images“All over the country, ICE agents are targeting immigrants in and around Home Depot, attacking and terrorizing workers, customers, and surrounding communities. The raids are terrifying, chaotic, and sometimes deadly,” the ad for the protest read.Organizers are hosting a Día de los Muertos protest outside a Pasadena Home Depot on Saturday, in honor of Montoya Valdez and two other individuals who died in separate incidents tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, according to Pasadena Now. The local outlet noted that the event will feature an altar, music, and speakers.RELATED: Far-left congressional candidate hit with reality check after allegedly impeding ICE operations Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesThe protests are a part of the Disappeared in America project, hosted by the Public Citizen Foundation, the National Day Laborers Organizing Network, the Workers Circle, and the Detention Watch Network.The George Soros’ Open Society Foundations has made nearly two dozen grant donations, totaling over $6 million, to the Public Citizen Foundation since 2016. It has donated $700,000 directly to the Detention Watch Network and another $835,000 to the Tides Center “to support the Detention Watch Network.”"We aren’t notified that immigration enforcement activities are going to happen, and we aren’t involved in the operations. We’re required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate," Home Depot told Blaze News.Open Society Foundations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Various organizations and leaders related to Black Lives Matter are under investigation for possible fraud, according to sources that spoke to the Associated Press.Sources familiar with the matter told the AP that at least one search warrant has been served and that several subpoenas have been issued in the Department of Justice investigation.The foundation last reported in financial filings that it had amassed over $28 million in assets.The report said that the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc. was one of the groups being investigated. The foundation last reported in financial filings that it had amassed over $28 million in assets.The AP report said the sources spoke to the outlet anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly.While there were no indications of criminal charges yet, the report showed a renewed focus on investigating radical leftist groups by the DOJ. President Donald Trump has declared that law enforcement officials will root out the funding for violent rioting related to politics. A spokesperson for the DOJ declined to comment to the AP report.Support for the group increased after the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody in 2020, but the large-scale rioting across the U.S. in the months afterward led to many turning away from the movement. RELATED: Black Lives Matter issues a new list of demands, including a permanent Trump ban from political office and social media The foundation said Thursday it was not a target "of any federal criminal investigation" in a statement to the AP."We remain committed to full transparency, accountability, and the responsible stewardship of resources dedicated to building a better future for Black communities," reads a statement from the foundation.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Wrong Bill de Blasio Pranks Times of London With Fake Endorsement via Ring Doorbell—Real Bill seethes