The DoJ under Pam Bondi has kept close watch over everything each member of Congress looks at in the Epstein files. Bondi also downloaded at least one  congress member’s Internet search history. It appears to violate the separation of powers. Bondi is a liability. The Tracking of Epstein Files Representative Nancy Mace, speaking with Rob […] The post Big Brother Bondi’s Tracking Congress appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

(Photo Courtesy: Open Source)Valentine's Day is upon us once again and "inquiring minds want to know" what was this day like for you?  Did you hand out cards and/or candies to your classmates?  Were you more reserved and held off to the near, dear, and perhaps childhood "love of your life"?  Did you hand your parents a heart shaped, crayon-filled heart?  Were you the introvert/shy person?As an adult, I can easily see it as another marketing ploy for the card and candy industries.  Included in that vein, it's a good restaurant or date night plus up for those venues as well.Recalling back to my youth, I remember the candied hearts with little red lettering and multiple, short-hand messages.  I remember my mother buying the bulk cards and small boxes of those candied hearts to hand out to everyone within my small, combined grade classroom at the Clearfield Alliance Christian School.  Many years, I can equally recall making cards for my mother and occasionally my sister (I was usually prodded to do this, haha).  In my younger days, I gave one to my dad as well.As I became older, I realized that my mother's birthday was only a few days after Valentine's, so I'd be creating two cards or going with my dad to purchase a birthday gift or perhaps a box of chocolates for her, but saying it was from my sister and I.Here's where the story becomes a little more daring...at least in my mental picture frame.  If you'll recall Memory Jogger: Early Crushes, I had two dear crushes that I had a more heartfelt close-hold (no pun intended) towards.  Being a teenager, handing out about ten cards and candies (remember, very small private school) was no longer the cool thing, therefore I withheld those gifts to the more important women, or crushes, in my life.  Obviously, my mother and sister received their Valentine's cards and gifts, however the other two were reserved.  I'll point you to the podcast to listen to whom the other two ladies were.What I will tell you of those two crushes is I'd mail a card to one of them, being that she was a celebrity, whom I treated somewhat like a penpal.  She would get a letter included, telling of what I was up to, how I was impressed with her career and that I was able to see her nearly every Friday (clue 1).  You caught me!  You knew it was Staci (Stacy) Keanan, haha!The other crush was closer to home and while a penpal on many occasions, I would call her often and even take her out to the local Pizza Hut or simply drive around portions of the county.  No!  No "hanky-panky" happened, just enjoyed one another's company while listening to a custom mixed tape with the WQYX liners (clue 2).We all have tales and memories of this occasion.  As a child, were you handing out the cards and candies?  Were there special people that received a hand-made card or a more personal "heart" drawing?  Towards your teenage years, did you only reserve those hearts for select individuals?  Did you make it a date night, by chance?  Did you have the crushes that were more of a close-hold or perhaps you pulled off a "secret admirer" episode, secretly delivering unnamed cards in their locker vents or tactfully planting them in their coat pocket or backpack pouches.

A federal court picked a U.S. attorney for upstate New York—then the Trump Justice Department fired him within hours, igniting a fresh constitutional tug-of-war over who really controls federal prosecutions. Judges Appoint Kinsella, DOJ Fires Him Within Hours Federal judges appointed Donald Kinsella to run the U.S. attorney’s office in the Northern District of New York, a step courts can take when an interim appointment expires, and the Senate-confirmed slot remains vacant. Within hours, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Kinsella’s removal in a public social media statement, arguing that judges do not choose U.S. attorneys and that the Constitution assigns that authority to the president. The rapid reversal left the office’s leadership status unclear. The public nature of the dismissal added fuel to an already tense separation-of-powers fight. The administration’s position, as stated by Blanche, frames this as a straightforward Article II issue: prosecutors who represent the United States should be selected through the executive branch’s appointment power. Critics in the judiciary, however, have pointed to Congress’s vacancy statutes and limits on repeated “acting” appointments, saying those rules exist to prevent end-runs around Senate confirmation and to protect the legitimacy of prosecutions. The Sarcone Disqualification and the Letitia James Subpoenas The Kinsella episode sits atop an earlier controversy involving John Sarcone III, the Trump-aligned interim U.S. attorney who preceded him. A federal judge disqualified Sarcone after concluding the administration used a procedural approach to keep him in the role beyond the typical 120-day limit for interim service. That ruling also quashed subpoenas issued to New York Attorney General Letitia James that Sarcone had signed, a significant development because it created immediate legal risk for investigative steps taken under a disputed appointment. Judge Lorna Schofield’s written opinion captured the core judicial concern: when the executive branch “skirts restraints put in place by Congress” and then uses that power in politically sensitive investigations, it risks acting without lawful authority. The Justice Department has appealed Schofield’s decision, meaning the underlying dispute is not settled. For voters who care about constitutional structure, the key point is less about personalities and more about whether prosecutions—and subpoenas—can be undermined later if a court finds the appointing authority was invalid. A Wider Pattern: New Jersey and Virginia Rulings Raise the Stakes New York is not the only battleground. In New Jersey, an appeals court upheld the disqualification of Alina Habba after a dispute over extending an interim appointment. In the Eastern District of Virginia, a judge found Lindsey Halligan’s interim appointment unlawful under the Appointments Clause, then tossed indictments she obtained against former FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Letitia James. Other districts, including Nevada and California, have experienced similar friction over interim leadership and the length of time “acting” officials can remain in place. What This Means for Accountability, Due Process, and Constitutional Limits The practical consequence of these clashes is instability—both inside U.S. attorney offices and for the public expecting consistent enforcement of federal law. When courts question a prosecutor’s legal authority, defendants can challenge indictments, targets can contest subpoenas, and cases can be delayed or dismissed. From a conservative, rule-of-law perspective, that is a serious problem: strong enforcement depends on a clean constitutional process. The administration’s appeals may clarify the lines, but until then, uncertainty can weaken public confidence and complicate legitimate investigations. US attorney in New York appointed by judges is quickly fired by White House | Just The News https://t.co/iPjJC38T4E — Angie (@angie_anson) February 12, 2026 The political overlay is impossible to ignore because some disputed actions have involved high-profile figures like Letitia James. Still, the research available here does not establish motive beyond what courts and officials have stated; it chiefly shows an institutional conflict over appointment authority and statutory limits. If the executive branch wants maximum control without legal risk, the durable path is Senate-confirmed U.S. attorneys. If courts keep finding appointment violations, future prosecutions could face continuing challenges—exactly the kind of procedural chaos that frustrates citizens who want equal justice applied consistently. Sources: US attorney appointed by federal judges in New York abruptly fired by the Trump administration. DOJ Fires Acting US Attorney in NY Who Judges appointees Battle over US attorneys continues after DOJ fires new prosecutor appointed by judges

One of the largest private land purchases for conservation in California’s Bay Area was just carried out to save a historic ranch from being turned into a sand quarry. Before it was called Sargent Ranch, it was the sacred home of the Amah Mutsun Indian Band, and now it’s going to be protected for what […] The post CA Nonprofit Buys 6,100-acres of Sacred Land, Ending 10-year Battle Over Proposed Sand Mine appeared first on Good News Network.

Episode 34 for your listening pleasure! For Recurrent Events, Chad brings up the possible return of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise to Disney, and Ken discusses a film dropping in November to commemorate the The post The Retro Resurgence Podcast – Episode 34 | Top Songs With CITIES and STATES In The Title appeared first on The Retro Network.

Long before they became the unofficial language of school crushes, Sweethearts had already been part of Valentine’s Day traditions for generations. Their roots go back to the 1800s when Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase created a The post Sweethearts: The Sweet Little Messages That Defined Valentine’s Day appeared first on The Retro Network.

Who are America’s public universities really for? A growing backlash argues that domestic students—many with near-perfect test scores—are being edged out in favor of full-pay international enrollments.  Steve Cortes’ new documentary, “The Foreign Student Crisis Destroying American College Admissions,” focuses on the University of Illinois where more than 6,000 Chinese nationals are enrolled at this publicly funded, land-grant school.  Cortes emphasizes that his concern is not about race, but about citizenship.  Stanley Zhong, an Asian American student, experienced the effects firsthand. “He had near-perfect SAT scores, 1,590 out of 1,600, and a 3.97 GPA at a highly prestigious Palo Alto High School,” Cortes said. He applied to UCLA, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Illinois, and was rejected by all three schools. Later, Zhong was hired as a Google engineer.  Cortes poses the question, “What level of untapped talent exists in this country that a combination of DEI and immigration have basically cut out of the loop?”  He is not only concerned about education for American citizens, but also about national security.  He calls the influx of Chinese students “organized infiltration backed by a hostile regime masked as education,” and explained that there have been three students at the University of Michigan caught smuggling agricultural bioweapons and a Chinese engineering student at Illinois Tech convicted of espionage after being recruited by China’s Ministry of State Security.  Marsha McClary is an Illinois native and a mother of five. She explained her frustration both as a taxpayer and as a mother. “A lot of our students cannot get into U of I … and then they have to go out of state and pay higher tuition.”   She continued by saying, “We’re paying a lot of taxes into the university system in the state, and we should be able to take advantage of that as a priority for our students.”  Stephen Kleinschmit, a professor at Northwestern University, explained how many foreign students come to the university with questionable credentials and are unable to speak English.   Many of the applications are careless; applicants sometimes leave the wrong university name on their cover letters or indicate they don’t understand the program they’re applying to.  Kleinschmit also warned of “institutionalized corruption” involving bribing test proctors and even the government itself.  Cortes ended his documentary by giving his solution to the matter: “The total number of foreign students must be capped. One or 2% of total enrollment seems perfectly sensible. The total number of Chinese nationals should be zero, none. Not welcome here. United States schools for United States citizens.”  The post Are US Universities Prioritizing International Students Over Citizens?  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Hmmm. As Welfare Money Dries Up, Luxury Goods Prices Suddenly Drop