A private jet that crashed upon departure in Bangor, Maine, belonged to top anti-ICE and anti-Trump lawyers who defended illegal aliens. According to the FAA, seven passengers are deceased, and one survived. A crew member survived but is in critical condition. Some early reports say only the crew members were on board, no attorneys. They […] The post Private Jet Belonging to Anti-ICE Law Firm Crashes in Maine appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

In one of the files released by Cam Higby, donor lists from Signalgate are available for download, which suggest the involvement of politicians and foreign leaders. A resources file directs people with money to a website, Stand with Minnesota, which in turn directs donors to a campaign run by Tending the Soil on Chuffed. Chuffed […] The post Signalgate File Includes Foreign Donors to Anarchists In the US? appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

It’s National School Choice Week in America, and the advancement of education freedom is sweeping the country. Governors are opting-in their states to the new federal tax credit scholarship at rapid rates. The scholarship allows taxpayers to contribute up to $1,700 per year to a qualified non-profit scholarship-granting organization and receive a nonrefundable dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Organizations like ACE Scholarships, award scholarships to K-12 students. Federal tax credit scholarships can be used for a variety of educational expenses, including tuition, fees, books, tutoring, transportation, and services for students with special needs. The landmark legislation was fittingly signed into law on Independence Day last year by President Donald Trump as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Already, nineteen states are set to participate in the federal tax credit scholarship, and more are on the way. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen took the lead in late September, signing an executive order communicating the intention for Nebraska to participate in the program. Governor Pillen explained, “This program is a game-changer for Nebraska students and their families, generating funds that will help send students to the school of their choice.” Continuing, he said, “When it comes to educating our kids, we need to ensure that every student is in an environment that allows them to succeed. This program provides that opportunity, and I’m pleased to say that Nebraska will take part.” Going a step further to communicate his full and enthusiastic support, Governor Pillen declared, “I am not opting this in … I am cannonballing it into the state of Nebraska.” Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee, a strong school choice proponent, followed. South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden announced opt-in plans by mid-November, stating, “Our students are the future of our state, and we must equip them with the skills and resources they need to thrive. Parents should have the freedom to choose the learning environment that sets their kids up for success.” Additionally, Governor Rhoden noted, “My goal as Governor is to support innovation — not stand in the way. So, we will continue to champion policies that expand the freedom to learn for our students.” Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images In December, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the first Democratic governor to declare his intention to opt his state into the federal tax credit scholarship, said, “I would be crazy not to.” A spokesman for Governor Polis explained that the tax credit creates an “immense opportunity for Coloradans to support students in our state, but only if we opt in.” That’s a key point because taxpayers nationwide can contribute up to $1,700 annually to a scholarship-granting organization, but scholarships can only be awarded to students in states that have opted in by the governor or a designee. Individuals residing in states that aren’t opted in may still contribute to a scholarship-granting organization in another state and receive the dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,700. For this point alone, all governors nationwide — regardless of political party — should opt in so that students in their state benefit from the contributions of residents of their state. Governor Polis is right — Governors “would be crazy not to.” Texas Governor Greg Abbott was the next to declare intention to participate. Governor Abbott has worked relentlessly to advance school choice in the Lone Star State. After calling multiple special legislative sessions in 2023 and then in 2024, voters ousted several Texas House of Representatives members who had voted against school choice. Governor Abbott signed universal school choice into law in 2025. By mid-December, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry joined the early round of governors to opt in to the federal tax credit scholarship. In Governor Landry’s words, it “is yet another way we’re expanding opportunity and helping every child reach their full potential.” But when January hit, the floodgates opened with governors opting their states in one right after another. First with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, followed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Idaho Governor Brad Little, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. This week, during National School Choice Week, it’s anticipated that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a leader when it comes to education freedom for families, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt will make announcements. Not to be left out, look for the remaining Republican governors to add their states. They include New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Vermont Governor Phil Scott, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon. Additionally, there are 22 remaining Democratic Governors yet to opt in who would be wise to allow students in their states to benefit from scholarships funded by taxpayer contributions, recognizing that participating costs the states nothing. The typical claim that school choice takes money from public schools falls not only flat but is entirely false, as it’s a federal tax credit. With the federal tax credit scholarship opt-ins combined with seventeen states — West Virginia, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Idaho, Wyoming, Texas, Indiana, and New Hampshire — enacting universal school choice over the past five years, education freedom is advancing across America. It’s picking up speed and not poised to slow any time soon — all to the benefit of families, freedom, and the future of our nation. * * * Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, is considering litigation against the anti-ICE activists who disrupted a Sunday worship service on January 18. The DOJ arrested three activists who disrupted the service: Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly. Federal authorities charged them under a law that bars obstructing access to houses of worship and related conspiracy statutes for interfering with constitutionally protected religious rights. DOJ officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and civil-rights leadership, framed the action as enforcement of federal protections for places of worship, emphasizing that disrupting a service violates federal law. Bondi stated, “If you protested and went into that church on the Sunday and you terrorized the parishioners, we are coming after you. … We are coming after you if you participated in that. I don’t care who you are. If you’re a failed CNN journalist, you have no right to do that in this country. We don’t live in a third world country. We’re going to protect our houses of worship in this country.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon echoed, “The JusticeDept will identify & hold accountable every person who unlawfully interrupted this church service. @AGPamBondi  and I will not tolerate harassment of Americans at worship—especially from agitators posing as ‘journalists.’” Renee Carlson, General Counsel for True North Legal, which represents the church, told Fox & Friends on Monday morning, “What I would say here is we have a situation where rights were violated, those rights have to be protected, and there is a law here that can be accessed to ensure those protections. We are thankful that the Department of Justice is moving swiftly to make sure that happens, and the church will continue to evaluate their legal options to make sure that churches in Minnesota, and especially Cities Church, are protected.” Last week, Carlson issued a statement in which she said, “The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children. There is no ‘press pass’ to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services. The Constitution protects citizens from threats against fundamental rights by the government, but it also requires government to protect those same rights when they are jeopardized by private actors.” Doug Wardlow, director of litigation for True North Legal, added, “The First Amendment protects the God-given rights of every American to assemble and to worship God. It does not give anyone the right to invade a church and terrorize worshippers. That’s a federal crime: the FACE Act prohibits intimidating or interfering with people worshipping in a church. It is outrageous that, instead of doing their jobs and protecting Minnesotans’ rights, state officials like Keith Ellison choose to mock the invasion of a church. … We are thankful for the Justice Department’s swift action, and we are exploring all legal options to protect the church and prevent further invasions.”

President Donald Trump said Monday that he spoke with Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz about rising tensions over federal immigration enforcement in the state, describing the call as “very good.” Anti-ICE protests have escalated in the Minneapolis area in recent weeks following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who was killed by Border Patrol agents during an immigration enforcement operation, and the earlier shooting death of Renee Good, as the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Metro Surge has resulted in thousands of arrests. Earlier on Monday, Trump said that border czar Tom Homan would head to Minnesota to take charge of the federal government’s response. “Governor Tim Walz called me with the request to work together with respect to Minnesota. It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” he wrote. “I told Governor Walz that I would have Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession. The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future. He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I!” he continued. The president went on to highlight cities where an increased federal law enforcement presence has produced results and extended an olive branch to the Democratic governor, who was his party’s vice presidential nominee in 2024. “We have had such tremendous SUCCESS in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, and virtually every other place that we have ‘touched’ and, even in Minnesota, Crime is way down, but both Governor Walz and I want to make it better!” Trump added. Gov. Walz’s office confirmed to The Daily Wire that it was a “productive” call, adding that they want “impartial investigations” of the recent fatal shootings and fewer federal agents in the state. “The President agreed that he would talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is able to conduct an independent investigation, as would ordinarily be the case,” the statement said. “The President also agreed to look into reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and working with the state in a more coordinated fashion on immigration enforcement regarding violent criminals.” “The Governor reminded President Trump that the Minnesota Department of Corrections already honors federal detainers by notifying Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person committed to its custody isn’t a U.S. citizen. There is not a single documented case of the department’s releasing someone from state prison without offering to ensure a smooth transfer of custody,” the statement continued, as DHS has said that roughly 1,360 detainers have not been honored. The comments from the president are an abrupt shift from last week, when he wrote that Walz and Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey “are inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!” The president also pointed out that Minnesota Democrats have faced intense political scrutiny over Medicaid fraud scandals plaguing the state. “Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America,” Trump added. Gov. Walz announced last month that he would not seek a third term amid debate and concerns over alleged fraud.

Senate Republicans seem unlikely to budge on funding for the Department of Homeland Security as a partial government shutdown approaches on Friday. Democrats have called for DHS funding to be held up unless there are serious strings attached related to immigration enforcement amid tensions in Minnesota rising higher after the shooting of Alex Pretti. The House already approved spending bills, but they are not in Washington this week, so changes that would be made would need to be sent to them – likely triggering a shutdown in the interim. “Democrats want to shut down the government—again—unless ICE is defunded. Not a chance,” the Senate Republicans account posted on Monday morning. “There can be no mob veto on enforcing the law.” However, much of the funding for the president’s immigration goals was already approved in the One Big Beautiful Bill in July, including more funding for the border and hiring more ICE personnel. Still, many Democrats believe that scrutinizing DHS funding would be necessary to reforming federal immigration operations. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has indicated that he will be leading the charge in “rejecting this DHS spending bill,” according to a recent social media post, and he’s called on DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to be fired. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – a key Democrat who helped end the government shutdown in the fall over the Affordable Care Act subsidies – wants the DHS funding to be “separate” from the five other spending bills to avert another closure and for the House to come back in session as “reforms” to the department are debated, according to Punchbowl News. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) posted to X an unofficial list of demands if the DHS bill returns to the House, including ICE and CBP exiting Minneapolis, “full, independent investigation into the killings,” “no more detaining and deporting U.S. Citizens” and no masks for immigration authorities and “mass arrest quotas and warrantless arrests end.” On Sunday, a White House official told The Daily Wire on background that “Democrats were equal partners in negotiating these bills, which are the product of a bipartisan, collaborative process.” “Now, after a week spent celebrating their successes in the process, and in the midst of a winter storm, they’re holding emergency response funding hostage to score political points. We hope cooler heads prevail, and the country does not have to endure another damaging shutdown,” the official added. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire that a holdup on the department’s funding would create hurdles with emergency management and TSA. “While politicians in the Senate play games with Americans’ safety, they are blocking vital DHS funding that keeps our country secure and its people safe—from TSA and FEMA to the US Coast Guard and Border Patrol,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “This funding supports national security and critical national emergency operations, including FEMA responses to a historic snowstorm that is affecting 250 million Americans. Washington may stall, but the safety of the American people will not wait.” The Daily Wire reached out to several GOP lawmakers who have called for an investigation into Pretti’s death, and asked if that has influenced their stance on DHS funding. Sen. Pete Ricketts’ (R-NE) office pointed to his post on X, stating that his “support for funding ICE remains the same” while calling for “prioritized, transparent investigation.”

A  bookstore owner from Minneapolis who has joined an “economic blackout” to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement likened ICE to Nazi death camps, saying, “I’m not saying they’re putting people in ovens — yet.” On CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper noted, “Hundreds of businesses statewide have closed in solidarity, joining in a so-called economic blackout. One of those businesses participating is an independent bookstore in Minneapolis called Moon Palace Books and the co-owner, Jamie Schwesnedl, joins me now. Jamie, why was it important for you and your wife to close your bookstore today?” “Well, Jake, we can’t do business as usual right now anyway because our city has been invaded by masked gunmen kidnapping family members and friends and neighbors of ours to send them to concentration camps,” Schwesnedl replied. “Additionally, there’s a lot of businesses in our area that have staff or customers or owners who are afraid to come to work, afraid to come in and shop. People are closing down today and we felt like it wouldn’t be kind or fair for us to stay open. So we’re closing in solidarity to help send a message.” “I’m not here to defend ICE, but I’m not a big fan of people using the term concentration camp to describe detention camps,” Tapper protested. “That has a very specific meaning in terms of people that —” “I understand that,” Schwesnedl responded. “But they take people to Fort Snelling here, which literally was built as a concentration camp. And Alligator Alcatraz, which I think we can all agree is a concentration camp. Not saying they’re Dachau, I’m not saying they’re putting people in ovens yet, but these are concentration camps.” CNN guest implies ICE will soon start to “put people in ovens” pic.twitter.com/Nieyp5FrRO — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 26, 2026 Schwesnedl’s outrageous comparison of ICE to Nazis mocks the horrific mass murder of six million Jews and millions of others committed by the German Reich during World War II and their deadly efficiency at doing so. The elite of society joined in the Nazis’ mass murder, whether engineers, scientists, lawyers, bankers, or doctors. In just one example, in October 1941, SS architect Walter Dejaco drafted Auschwitz’s first industrial crematorium, applying professional precision to mass murder. His designs solved the Nazis’ central logistical problem: not how to kill Jews, but how to dispose of bodies at scale. The crematoria and gas chambers he helped design could incinerate thousands daily, mostly Jews. Historians argue Dejaco was “more effective at killing” than guards, because his architectural efficiency made genocide feasible.

The body of the final hostage held in Gaza was returned to Israel on Monday. The body of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old special-forces police officer who was killed in action on October 7, 2023, was returned to Israel, ending a long effort to force Hamas terrorists to hand over hostages. Gvili was killed while fighting off Hamas terrorists and Gazan civilians who crossed into Israel, massacring, raping, and kidnapping more than a thousand people near the Gaza border. His body was held captive for 842 days. “We have returned Ran Gvili, of blessed memory, a hero of Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the Knesset. “There are no more hostages in Gaza.” Netanyahu added that the yellow ribbon pin worn by people around the world to draw attention to the hostages held can now be removed. “For ‘the sons have returned to their borders and the daughters have returned to their borders,’” Netanyahu said, quoting the Bible. Israeli Defense Forces’s Southern Command completed Operation “Courageous Heart” to return Gvili after searching since October for his body. His body was found in a cemetery near Gaza City. Footage of the IDF recovering the body of the final hostage. The return of Ran Gvili means all of the hostages are home after 842 days. pic.twitter.com/AvinMQxzPQ — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) January 26, 2026 Gvili’s parents fought tirelessly to keep their son’s name in the news after the remaining living hostages returned in October. They met with Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and other members of his administration. Trump celebrated the news of the final hostage body returning to Israel, congratulating his “great team of Champions.” “Just recovered the last Hostage body in GAZA. Thus, got back ALL 20 of the living Hostages, and ALL of the Dead!” he posted. “AMAZING JOB! Most thought of it as an impossible thing to do.” Gvili was recovering from a serious shoulder injury on October 7, 2023, but left the hospital, put on his uniform, and headed south to join the fight against Hamas. He reportedly helped survivors of the Nova music festival before going to join the fight at Kibbutz Alumim. At 10:50 a.m., he sent text messages saying he had been wounded in the leg. That was the final time his loved ones heard from him. In total, 255 hostages from the Gaza Strip were rescued and brought back home – 168 of them alive and 87 deceased. Twelve Americans were kidnapped, with only eight being freed alive. Gvili’s return marks the first time since 2014 that no Israelis are being held in Gaza. Before Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, four Israelis were already in the Strip, including Hisham al-Sayed, a Bedouin Israeli who crossed into Gaza in April 2015, and Avera Mengistu, who entered in 2014. Both were later released alive in February 2025. Hamas had also held the bodies of the Israeli soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, who were killed in the 2014 war and whose remains were returned in 2025. Many of the hostages who have returned testified that they were held for long periods in dark tunnels and subjected to torture, severe starvation, and physical and sexual abuse.

Actress Kristen Stewart said she’s considering leaving the United States, adding that she would still make films for American audiences, even if it meant “shov[ing] them down the throat of the American people.”  The 35-year-old made the remarks during an interview with “The Times,” in the U.K. Stewart is currently promoting her directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water,” which was shot in Latvia because it “would have been impossible to do in the States.” She condemned President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on movies made outside of the United States, calling them “terrifying.” “Reality is breaking completely under Trump,” Stewart told the outlet. “But we should take a page out of his book and create the reality we want to live in.”  When the interviewer asked if she was planning to continue living in the United States, the actress replied, “Probably not. I can’t work freely there. But I don’t want to give up completely. I’d like to make movies in Europe and then shove them down the throat of the American people.” The president reiterated in September that he intends to impose tariffs to incentivize production in the United States.  “Our movie making business has been stolen from the United States of America, by other Countries, just like stealing ‘candy from a baby.’ California, with its weak and incompetent Governor, has been particularly hard hit! Therefore, in order to solve this long time, never ending problem, I will be imposing a 100% Tariff on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States,” the president shared in a Truth Social post, as The Daily Wire previously reported. In May last year, Trump said Hollywood was dying a “very fast death,” calling incentives from other countries to produce movies outside of the United States “a national security threat.”  “Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” the president said at the time. “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

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