Even though Democrats caused an affordability crisis, they claim they will make everything affordable. They say that one word – affordability – helped Zohran Mamdani win his election and those of more than 20 politicians in special elections across the country. The problem for Republicans is that they do not know how to message the […] The post The Democrat Affordability Crisis That Republicans Don’t Talk About appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

'Evidence that I wish we’d had at the beginning'

'Crockett said herself no Texas Democrat is beating John Cornyn'

'Jeff's a comedian who needs to be remembered'

'Clearly three sips too deep into the Holiday Spirits'

News Horror Letterboxd Video Store’s Launch Lineup Includes One of 2025’s Best — and Hardest to Find — Horror Movies This will probably be your first (and maybe only) chance to see one of the best horror movies of 2025. By Matthew Byrd | Published on December 10, 2025 Photo: Letterboxd Video Store Comment 0 Share New Share Photo: Letterboxd Video Store The new Letterboxd Video Store launched today, and its launch lineup includes one of the best horror movies of 2025 that you almost certainly haven’t seen. I know, I know. Another place online to rent videos? Is that what the world needs right now? That’s certainly debatable, though the Letterboxd Video Store has a few things going for it. Most notably, it’s run by Letterboxd (the website that we’re all trying to get people to talk to us about in real life), which means it’s curated by some of the finest film nerds on the internet. Part of that curation process involves the inclusion of special “shelves”: two, regularly rotating collections of movies largely intended to spotlight underseen films and even films that are otherwise unavailable (or difficult to find) elsewhere. For instance, the first two Letterboxd Video Store shelves are “Lost and Found” and “Unreleased Gems.” The former features movies that aren’t otherwise available in the regions the Letterboxd Video Store is releasing them, and the latter highlights what are referred to as “underseen underdogs with stellar community ratings.” The movies featured in both include Sore: A Wife From The Future (a romantic twist on the time loop concept from Indonesia), Poison (director Todd Haynes’ shocking sci-fi horror anthology), and Before We Vanish (a subversive take on the alien invasion genre). To be honest, I can’t vouch for every film in the early Letterboxd Video Store collection, nor can I say you should spend the $3.99 to $19.99 (!) it costs to rent them. However, there is one movie that I must highlight simply because this may be your first and best chance to see it: Director Alex Ullom’s 2025 horror movie It Ends. It Ends follows a group of friends who get together for what may be the last time before they part ways and enter (relative) adulthood. At one point, they decide to go on a brief road trip to get some food. The trip proves to be anything but brief, though, as they find themselves stuck on what seems to be an infinitely repeating road in the woods. Trapped and seemingly surrounded by forces they can hear just off in the distance, they try to keep it together as they inevitably argue over what (if anything) they can do about their surreal situation. It Ends is one of the rare pieces of Gen-Z horror media that seems to both speak directly to that generation while tying their anxieties into the worries of previous young adults and the broader supernatural story at play. In other words, it does an incredible job of operating as a clever and unnerving horror film while subtly giving you a lot to chew on in terms of its characters who are quite literally stuck in life and unsure if the road ahead will offer any relief. It Ends premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest festival, but hasn’t really been made available anywhere else. For that matter, there’s no indication it will be made available anywhere else outside of the Letterboxd Video Store. So, if anything in the above description piqued your interest, and you have the time, money, and desire required to give this new platform a shot, I’d certainly recommend checking it out. [end-mark] The post Letterboxd Video Store’s Launch Lineup Includes One of 2025’s Best — and Hardest to Find — Horror Movies appeared first on Reactor.

Almost a year after the University of Michigan severed ties with a Chinese institution over concerns of national security, over a dozen U.S. universities are still working with Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Now, at least one of those schools is also considering cutting ties with the Chinese university over national security concerns.   The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s relationship with Shanghai Jiao Tong University is currently under review, the Honolulu public university told The Daily Signal.   The central fear is China may exploit its relationship with universities like Yale, Cornell, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the same way it is reported to have done at the University of Michigan, according to a Heritage Foundation expert.   In the case of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, “it would be safer” for U.S. universities “to cut ties at this particular juncture where we must pay closer attention to these critical matters to safeguard our national security from CCP threats,” Anthony Kim, a research fellow in International Economic Affairs at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal.   University of Michigan In January, the University of Michigan announced it would end its longstanding partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, based in Shanghai, China, over Congress raising concern of national security.   Following an extensive investigation into American universities’ relationship and work with China, Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., sent a letter to University of Michigan President Santa Ono at the end of October 2024 warning that “Sanghai Jiao Tong drives the [People’s Republic of China] PRC’s military modernization and intelligence capabilities.”   Through its work and research, Sanghai Jiao Tong makes “significant contributions to the PRC’s most sensitive defense programs, including nuclear weapons, carrier rockets, satellites, nuclear submarines, and fighter jets,” the Congressman wrote to Ono.   A series of national security breaches at the University of Michigan were also discovered to be linked to the school’s research relationship with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, The Washington Free Beacon reports. The breaches included accusations that University of Michigan Students, who are Chinese nationals, took photos of military drills at Camp Grayling, a military training facility in Michigan.   Earlier this year, the Department of Justice charged a Chinese national employed at the University of Michigan with smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen called Fusarium graminearum into the U.S.  Change Is ‘Overdue’ “I think we need a common sense-based step by step approach to untangle what’s been going on with bad, malicious players that have been polluting our academic institutions,” Kim said, adding that the change is “overdue.”  Changes aimed at “stopping academic or other types of espionage or influence operations, particularly from China’s CCP” should include “enforcing stricter transparency for funding …, lowering disclosure thresholds for university grants [and] donations, and holding universities accountable for concealing foreign influence through government-sponsored student groups,” Kim said.   Shanghai Jiao Tong and US Universities The University of South Carolina, which has an exchange program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, says its relationship with the Chinese institution “has been limited to sending a handful of our business students to SJTU for a semester; not part of research-oriented student exchange program,” Jeffrey Stensland, associate vice president for university communications at the University of South Carolina, told The Daily Signal.   The university does not currently have any students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, according to Stensland.   The University of California at Berkeley, which also has a relationship with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, “complies with every single federal law, every state law, and every university policy that together ensure our relationships with foreign countries and entities operate in [a] manner consistent with our national interest,” Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor at the school, said.   Meanwhile, other colleges, such as Drexel University in Pennsylvania, have already ended their program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, but did not specify the reason why.   Northwestern University, Cornell University, University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins University, University of Texas at Austin, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment regarding their current relationship with Shanghai Jiao Tong University or whether their school would consider terminating relations with the Chinese institution over concern of national security.   The post Another University Considers Cutting Ties With Chinese Institution as National Security Concerns Mount   appeared first on The Daily Signal.

In a short timeframe, Republicans in Congress are attempting to legislate on an issue that has challenged them for over a decade—health care. At the end of the year, President Joe Biden’s COVID era boosts to premium tax credits are set to expire. Democrat messaging on the issue has repeatedly accused Republicans of taking away Americans’ health insurance, putting pressure on Republicans to act before year’s end. Now, Republicans are scrambling to present an alternative to the tax credits—which they say more closely resemble direct subsidies to insurance companies, are vulnerable to widespread fraud, and have produced market distortions and inflation. The Senate‘s Menu of Options Thursday is set tobe a tremendously important day for this health care fight as Senators will have the option of advancing two bills.  One is the Democratic proposal to simply extend the enhanced credits for three years.  The other is the Republican-backed overhaul from Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho, which would allow the credits to expire.  There had been other Republican proposals to choose from, such as Sen. Rick Scott of Florida’s bill, a somewhat similar proposal which would allow states to opt out of more elements of Obamacare, enabled consumers to shop across state lines for plans. It additionally would reinforce President Donald Trump’s 2019 health care price transparency executive order. Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, has introduced companion legislation in the House. Cassidy and Crapo’s bill would put in place of premium tax credits new health savings accounts that would have funds deposited by the Department of Human Health and Services (HHS). The funds could not be used for abortion or gender transition procedures. Additionally, the Cassidy-Crapo bill would widen plan options for consumers and include provisions to prevent taxpayer funds from going to illegal immigrants and transgender procedures. “This program desperately needs to be reformed, the Democrats have decided, ‘We’re not going to do anything to reform it,’ and so we’ll see where the votes are on Thursday,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said at a Tuesday press conference. “But we will have an alternative that we will put up that reflects the views of the Republicans here in the United States Senate.”  Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images) Neither bill is likely to get the 60 votes necessary to be advanced to a vote on a floor, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has already expressed his opposition to the Cassidy bill, but Thursday’s floor action is a chance to get the ball rolling on health care legislation. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told reporters Tuesday that what has to come after the likely standstill is good faith negotiation from both sides. “Hiopefully further negotiation” comes next, he said, “so we can get to some sort of a compromise that can get 60 votes.” A House Divided In the House, where some Republican rank-and-file have recently complained about the chamber not being in the driver’s seat of policy creation, leadership has not yet unveiled its exact proposals.  However, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed Wednesday that he would be advancing a package to tackle the issue.  The Republican conference is split between numerous views on the matter, with some advocating an extension of existing subsidies, and others advocating their complete overhaul. “Some are talking about that,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters when asked if his some of his members favored a short-term extension of the subsidies. House Republicans had held their weekly conference meeting Wednesday morning. “But there were members on the other side of that issue as well,” Scalise said. “And again, when you got a very narrow majority, if less than a handful of members are on the other side of an issue, it’s not going to make it through our conference.” Republican members of the House ways and means Committee—a key committee dealing with taxation issues—indicated that they would not be able to stomach a proposal which would simply extend the Obamacare credits as they left the conference meeting. “This is absolutely destroying the health care system,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said of the credits system. “The CEOs are making 80, 100 million dollars a year while a family of four can’t afford their premiums.” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images) Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., who chairs ways and means, told reporters that he will not go along with a health care plan tailored to credit recipients—who, although numerous, are only a subsection of the wider American population. The recipients are, in accordance with the eligibility structure of the program, generally people under 65 who do not receive insurance coverage from an employer but are also not impoverished enough to receive Medicaid. “Options on healthcare have to be focused on lowering the cost and premiums for every single American, not just the ones on exchanges,” Smith told reporters in a heated tone. “And so I’m glad that people are started to have that discussion and putting the timeframe on when things happen. That’s up to leadership to decide, but I will not support policies that don’t lower healthcare costs for all America” The Abortion Angle A number of pro-life provisions in GOP healthcare proposals are under pressure because of Democrat opposition. While this opposition does not matter much in the House, Democrats will ultimately need to vote with Republicans on a healthcare package to overcome the upper chamber’s filibuster. Speaker Johnson made clear that House Republican proposals will include pro-life provisions in response to a question from The Daily Signal on Wednesday. “Look, it’s an important principle. The Republicans always stand by the Hyde provisions,” Johnson told The Daily Signal on Wednesday. “It’s been a tradition in our law forever. We do believe in the sanctity of human life and we think it’s important that taxpayer dollars not fund abortion. This is a well settled principle of ours.” ‘It’s Important Taxpayer Dollars Don’t Fund Abortion:’ Johnson Says House Republicans Plan to Advance Pro-Life Provisions in Healthcare PackageAs @SpeakerJohnson prepares to advance a health care package to overhaul Obamacare premium subsidies, he tells @GCaldwell_news the… pic.twitter.com/hJVnS3bkgU— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 10, 2025 Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told reporters that abortion, specifically the issue of whether to include a pro-life “Hyde” provision to the package, is causing issued in the House. “The real problem is the Hyde amendment issue, and I would urge that our groups that support us look at the big picture here. We either have incremental wins or we lose everything,” Murphy said. Asked if he meant incremental wins should be sought specifically on pro-life issues, Murphy told The Daily Signal, “Well, that’s part of it, but also, we can do about 15 things, really, that lower the cost of care in the United States… The whole insurance industry in the United States is something that is not replicated across the entire world. It’s an aberration, and it absolutely needs complete reform.” A Do-Or-Die Situation There is a growing Republican consensus that they must act decisively on health care and insurance policy quickly, or Democrats will take the reins on the matter. “If we play small, we’ll lose the elections,” Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., said. “We have to do overhaul of this engine that is sputtering, of the unaffordability among health care.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is already attempting to sow dissent in the Republican caucus, having filed a discharge petition which, if it gathered enough Republican signatures, would force a vote on his bill to extend the subsidies for three years. There also appear to be Republican-led efforts to circumvent leadership. Punchbowl News reported Wednesday afternoon that moderate House Republicans are filing a discharge petition to force a vote on Democrat Rep. Jared Golden of Maine and Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania’s bill to extend the subsidies for two years. With midterms approaching, Democrats attempting to stoke the fires of dissent, and Republicans eager to fight back, it appears vital for House Republican Leadership to deliver on popular health care legislation. The post Republicans Engage in Do-Or-Die Health Care Push appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The incredible artists who were awarded Kennedy Center Honors Sunday night rose above partisan rancor and helped showcase the universal appeal of President Donald Trump’s valiant efforts to restore America’s cultural jewel.  Trump made history as the first president to host the Kennedy Center Honors, an event founded 48 years ago to give lifetime achievement medals to iconic artists.  I spoke with several of the honorees, who included actor-director Sylvester Stallone, singers George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford, along with rock band KISS. Each said that art is unifying, universal, and should be free from partisan tribalism. “I think it’s nonsense,” KISS musician Paul Stanley told The Daily Signal about critics trying to vilify Trump and artists who accept Honors under Trump’s presidency. “And it’s almost embarrassing, because this isn’t a political event. This is a celebration of the arts, and I don’t believe that any other people who have gotten these accolades were asked who they voted for or what their political beliefs were.   “So, to suddenly spring on us the idea that that should push us one direction or another really, I think, eclipses the idea that the arts are what are being celebrated and what all of these people have brought to the public in their own way. I think everybody should just calm down.”  Before the show, Trump told the press the Honorees were chosen from a list of about 50 names. Trump also told The Daily Signal that next year’s Kennedy Center programming for the America 250 Celebrations would also include tributes to some of the country’s most prominent UFC fighters.  This year, under Trump’s leadership as board chair, Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million—the highest haul for Honors ever raised and nearly double the $12.7 million raised last year under former President Joe Biden.  “I’m an actor. I’m non-political,” Crawford, most noted for playing the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Phantom of the Opera,” told The Daily Signal. “[Trump]’s an enthusiastic fan of the music, and I’m here for the audience that has been kind to me since we’ve been in America.”  Crawford, 83, who is British, complimented America for its artistic vibrancy and “great freedom.”  “I saw the original cast of ‘West Side Story,’ and that changed my life, to see that energy,” Crawford said. “We didn’t do musicals like that in England … I love the freedom. But it took a lot of bravery to be like that in England. So, it was good when I got over here and worked in ‘Hello, Dolly!’ I had that freedom to be that way.” “Good art isn’t political, and I think maybe what’s happened in the past is that it’s not been great art, not been great shows,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told The Daily Signal before the Honors show. “It’s pretty hard-pressed to go, ‘We’ve got right-wing music.’ That doesn’t really exist. It’s just good music, and [Trump]’s looked to this facility, the Kennedy Center, and said ‘I want to bring in the best artists and the best shows.’”  Clearly, people are hungry for artistic programming that appeals to all Americans and veers away from woke partisanship like under Biden. “I think no matter what the president does, people will try to criticize him, which is too bad,” Duffy continued. “If you love the performing arts, then you have a president who cares about it the way that he does, who wants to find donors to give to this facility and the Congress to give money to make it great, then you should celebrate that. But because he does it, they get angry. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.  “But again, I think the Left can’t wrap their heads around Donald Trump doing something for a facility that they actually like. They should just stop and say, ‘Thank you, Donald Trump, you are amazing. Well done.’”  Kari Lake, senior advisor to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, told The Daily Signal Trump is revitalizing the Kennedy Center for all Americans.  “Arts are a place where we can escape, where we can walk away, we can walk into a theater, we walk into a venue and we can turn off any animosity we have, let go of our politics and it doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat, Republican, American, another nationality,” Lake said. “You sit down and listen to Mozart. You listen to a symphony—you escape. And so that’s what it should be about.”  Carrie Sheffield is author of “Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness” and program manager of Healthy Faith.  We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Kennedy Center Honors Continues Trump Momentum to Unify Americans Through Art appeared first on The Daily Signal.