Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Bret Baier today that they just killed Iran’s Chief Intelligence Officer and his deputy in Tehran. He told Baier on his Sunday News show that they decided to act because Iran had enriched uranium to make nine nuclear bombs. All they had to do was weaponize them. He noted […] The post Netanyahu: They Just Killed Iran’s Chief Intel Officer & His Deputy appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Elizabeth Warren Slams Army Tribute—And The Excuses Dems Give Might Just Win Gold In Hypocrisy Olympics

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys had a profound impact on the music industry. Brian’s death on June 11 broke the hearts of those who loved him, including John Stamos. For years, John’s played with the Beach Boys and tearfully shared his heartbreak with Entertainment Tonight. He told ET he was with Mike Love, Brian’s cousin, when he learned of his death. John Stamos was with Mike Love for his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 12. John remarked to ET about Brian Wilson’s impact on his life. “Without Brian Wilson, life would be a mistake. I mean, his music has been part of my DNA, and the beauty and the happiness and the joy and the optimism and the positivity that I’ve gotten from their music has made who I am.” @entertainmenttonight ??? ???? ????? where John Stamos would be without Brian Wilson.  The musician gets choked up while crediting Brian and The Beach Boys for enriching his life with “happiness, joy, optimism and positivity” #johnstamos #brianwilson #thebeachboys #beachboys ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight – Entertainment Tonight John Stamos Loves That He Introduced A New Generation To The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson Many Full House fans learned to love Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys because of Uncle Jesse. That means a lot to John. “One of my greatest honors is when someone comes up and says, ‘I got turned on to the Beach Boys because of you and ‘Full House.’ It’s the greatest gift that I could have given back to them,” John said. John Stamos fans loved hearing him speak so highly of his friend Brian Wilson. “John Stamos made a lot of us fall in love with The Beach Boys, a fan shared. This person sent condolences writing,  “John was the first person I thought of when I heard he died. So sorry for your loss.” “I was 13 years old ’embarrassed’ to be at a Beach Boys concert with my parents so I was sulking (singing every song under my breath)- then Uncle Jessie walked out on stage- I LOST MY DANG MIND!!! I didn’t realize they were actually friends outside ‘Full House!’ lol Couldn’t be a pouty teen after that,” a fan recalled. This story’s featured image is by Lester Cohen/Getty Images. The post John Stamos Tearfully Shares How Brian Wilson Changed His Life appeared first on InspireMore.

'I understand completely'

The dog tag ID belonging to a fallen World War II soldier has been returned to his family 80 years after his death. Joseph L. Gray was one of 31 servicemen who died in April 1945 when their plane, a B-17 Flying Fortress, crashed into a hill on the Isle of Man. In 2010, around […] The post Dog Tag of Fallen WW II Soldier is Returned to Family 80 Years After His Death appeared first on Good News Network.

5th Anniversary of the Death of George Floyd -- The Damage Continues, Part 2

Something fascinating is happening in corporate America.According to data from Gravity Research, 39% of corporations are scaling back external Pride Month engagements in 2025, a sharp increase from last year, when only 9% backed off. Only four NFL teams changed their logos to mark Pride this June, with most remaining silent.Corporations didn’t back away from Pride because of conviction but calculation.But here’s what makes this particularly interesting: Corporate Pride Month activism isn’t some long-standing American tradition. It’s a very recent phenomenon that represents a dramatic departure from how businesses operated for most of our nation’s history.Corporate America’s enthusiastic embrace of Pride Month only became widespread in the last decade.Before 2010, you’d be hard-pressed to find Fortune 500 companies plastering rainbow logos across social media, celebrating drag queens, or embracing “queerness.” This wasn’t because companies opposed LGBTQ individuals — but rather because they understood something fundamental: Corporations exist to provide goods and services, not to take positions on deeply personal matters of sexuality and identity.The data: Americans want corporate neutralityRecent polling reveals that corporate Pride Month activism was never as popular as media coverage suggested.According to the consulting firm Weber Shandwick, 72% of consumers and 71% of employees expect political neutrality in the workplace. In a Pew Research Center survey, 48% said it was either “not too important” or “not at all important” for companies to make public statements on social issues, compared to 41% who thought it was important.These numbers reveal a fundamental disconnect between corporate behavior and consumer preferences. While companies competed to demonstrate progressive credentials, nearly half of American consumers preferred businesses stay out of social and political issues entirely.The traditional understanding: Sexuality is a private matterFor most of American history, corporations and society operated under a simple principle: Sexuality is a private matter.This was based on practical wisdom about what makes for a functioning society and a successful business.Successful companies in the past focused on product quality, customer service, and employee performance. They didn’t make customers’ private lives part of their brand identity. A bakery sold bread, a bank managed money, and a sports team played games. Personal relationships and sexual behavior weren’t part of the public conversation.This approach served everyone well. Employees could focus on work without having private lives become matters of public scrutiny. Customers could purchase goods without navigating their provider’s stance on intimate matters.When sexuality remained private, it retained dignity and personal meaning that gets lost when it becomes part of public performance and corporate branding.When corporations became activistsThe transformation of corporate America into an activist force regarding sexuality represents a fundamental shift. Historically, Fortune 500 companies practiced strategic framing and calculated positioning rather than deep ideological convictions.By 2020, it seemed almost impossible to find a major corporation that wasn’t actively promoting Pride Month or taking public positions on transgender issues. The pressure for conformity was intense. Companies that didn’t participate risked being labeled discriminatory and being attacked, either online or physically.But this represented something unprecedented in American business history. Never before had companies so systematically promoted particular views about sexuality, marriage, and gender identity.This wasn’t about equal treatment under company policy; it was about the active promotion and celebration of specific sexual behaviors and identities.The hidden costs of corporate activismUnfortunately, business leaders failed to anticipate the substantial hidden costs of sexual activism. DEI initiatives often grew outside central compliance functions, creating legal risks.According to employment attorney Michael Elkins, companies face “a catch-22”: uncertainty between “the fear of getting sued for having a program or the fear of getting taken to task by eliminating the program.”Research shows diversity training programs — a cornerstone of corporate activism — often fail spectacularly."The positive effects of diversity training rarely last beyond a day or two, and a number of studies suggest that it can activate bias or spark a backlash," explains the Harvard Business Review.Yet, companies spend millions on these ineffective programs.Additional costs include compliance expenses; legal review; employee relations issues when activism conflicts with worker values; management time diverted from core business; and reputational risks.By contrast, those companies that maintain appropriate boundaries can avoid these costs and focus these and other resources on their mission.The market backlashThe corporate retreat is also the result of the market finally imposing discipline on misguided activism.Anheuser-Busch InBev lost a total of $1.4 billion in sales due to the backlash it received over its partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer. In addition, AB InBev’s stock fell 20% and the Mexican-brewed Modelo Especial dethroned Bud Light as America’s top-selling beer, a title that Bud Light had held for over two decades.Target faced similar financial and reputational consequences and this year has either moved Pride Month products to a less-trafficked area of the store or removed them altogether, citing worker safety concerns.These weren’t just minor market adjustments — they represented massive consumer rejection of corporate sexual activism.Why 'but companies have always taken stands' misses the pointCritics argue that companies have always taken social positions, but this misunderstands what’s different about this “celebration.” Historical corporate social engagement focused on broadly supported community issues: education, disaster relief, economic development, and patriotism.What’s unprecedented here is the systematic promotion of specific views about sexuality and gender identity.The argument that this retreat is a temporary political positioning misses the deeper dynamics taking place. As Forbes contributor Alicia Gonzalez noted, “The corporate retreat in DEI issues is coming from the same companies that swore five years ago that diversity and inclusion were deeply held values. As soon as the political winds changed, they backtracked.”This reveals that corporate activism was based on perceived social pressure — not genuine conviction.Building long-term changeIf approached strategically, the corporate retreat creates an opportunity for decency to be restored to civil society.Consumer action works. Boycotts against Bud Light and Target led eight other companies to abandon DEI policies, including Tractor Supply Co., which lost $2 billion in less than a month.Consumers should actively support businesses that maintain an appropriate focus on their core mission. In addition, consumers must research companies’ positions before purchasing and choose only those that avoid divisive positions. Customers should extend this action beyond boycotts by providing positive support for businesses operating according to traditional principles.Business leaders must return to serving customers effectively, rather than advancing social causes. Companies maintaining institutional focus avoid legal, financial, and reputational risks.Finally, investors should question whether investing according to Environmental, Social, and Governance scores measured by how much divisive social activism the company embraces actually serves shareholder interests. Financial losses at companies like Anheuser-Busch demonstrate that catering to social activist demands will destroy shareholder value rather than create it.Restoring institutional focusWhat’s at stake isn’t just corporate messaging but the nature of the social contract.The traditional American approach favored institutional focus and neutrality. Schools educated children, businesses provided goods and services, sports leagues entertained fans. These institutions were able to serve everyone, no matter their background or political stance, because their mission and business model didn’t require agreement on controversial personal matters.When every institution promotes particular views about sexuality and gender, people with traditional values can’t fully participate in public life.Restoring institutional focus benefits everyone, with LGBTQ individuals judged on performance rather than sexual identity, people with traditional values not forced to choose between convictions and participation, and institutions focused on their core functions.The opportunity before usPride organizations nationwide now face sponsorship challenges. San Francisco Pride has a $200,000 budget gap, Kansas City’s KC Pride lost $200,000 (half its budget), and New York’s Heritage of Pride needs $750,000 after corporate withdrawals.This suggests that corporate Pride Month activism was never sustainable. Market forces have provided a correction that political pressure couldn’t achieve.Now, the goal must be to rebuild a culture where institutions serve proper functions — and personal matters remain private.Success requires market discipline, which means consistently rewarding appropriate focus while imposing costs on divisive activism. Recent conservative boycotts have worked. As Suzanne Bowdey notes, “For once, Americans are making companies think twice about their extreme politics.” Combined with legal frameworks protecting institutional neutrality, this moment could restore proper relationships between public institutions and private life.The data suggests that most Americans are ready for change. The question is whether we’ll build something lasting or celebrate temporary victories while ignoring underlying problems. Corporations didn’t back away from Pride because of conviction but calculation. They never had principles, just profits. When the pressure lifts, they’ll go right back to what they did before as if nothing has changed.If we want lasting change, it has to be built on truth — not trends.This article is adapted from an essay originally published at Liberty University's Standing for Freedom Center.