The mother of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was murdered by a repeat offender out on no-cash bail in North Carolina, appeared tearful at the State of the Union (SOTU) address as she was recognized by President Donald Trump.

NYPD officers were hurt by fanatics throwing ice and snowballs at their heads. Some had to go to the hospital for facial injuries. It was a large mob of angry leftists. You can watch the clip here. Mamdani made a joke of our officers being treated disgracefully. All he saw was a snowball fight that […] The post It’s OK Now to Injure Police with Snowballs & Ice in NYC appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger used her State of the Union response to hammer President Donald Trump on everything from tariffs to border policy. The talking points weren’t invented, but they told a version of the story with some important chapters missing.  Hours before Spanberger delivered her remarks, the White House released a detailed statement outlining what it described as her long record of opposing tax relief, border security, and law enforcement positions that directly undercut her claims. Spanberger blamed rising costs on Trump’s trade policies, she estimated American families have paid more than $1,700 each in tariffs since he took office, which is in the range of other reported estimates. But the White House noted that Spanberger’s record showed no better, she opposed President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced taxes for roughly 80% of American taxpayers, and supported Biden-era multi-trillion-dollar spending packages that economists warned would fuel inflation. Governor Spanberger also said, “Even though the Supreme Court struck these tariffs down four days ago, the damage to us, the American people, has already been done.” It’s worth noting, however, that the Supreme Court said the president exceeded his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when imposing sweeping tariffs, however, the court’s action did not nullify all tariffs instantly and wholesale, nor did it directly issue refunds or immediately undo all tariff collections. The ruling focused on the procedural basis for the tariff authority, not on a blanket cancellation of all trade levies, in fact, Trump has reinstated tariffs, invoking his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Spanberger also accused Republicans of supporting “massive tax hikes,” yet her own record on taxes in Virginia tells a different story. Since taking office in January, the Democratic majority in the Virginia General Assembly, working closely with Spanberger, has introduced dozens of new tax proposals, including measures to create new income tax brackets and expand taxes on investment income, potentially pushing the commonwealth’s top rate on investments to 13.8% — higher than even California’s. Then Spanberger blamed Republican legislation, specifically the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” for threatening rural hospitals and stripping healthcare access. While rural healthcare access is a documented problem, primary data shows the issue long predates current congressional action. The American Hospital Association, for instance, reports that rural closures have occurred steadily and have been driven by structural challenges in rural healthcare delivery, with some of the highest closure numbers occurring while President Barack Obama was in office and during the COVID pandemic. On public safety, Spanberger leaned heavily on her background as a former federal agent and CIA officer, portraying herself as a defender of law enforcement while accusing the Trump administration of unleashing “poorly trained federal agents” who arrest citizens without warrants. Yet the White House statement highlights that Spanberger voted against the Secure the Border Act, supported pathways to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, and twice voted to terminate President Trump’s national emergency declaration at the southern border. As governor, she also ended Virginia’s cooperation agreement with ICE, halting information sharing with federal immigration authorities. But what she fails to mention is that there have been no Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, or court findings confirming systemic illegality. Beyond that, immigration enforcement operates under civil, not criminal, warrant standards. While Spanberger accused Trump of “sowing fear” through immigration enforcement, the administration countered that her policies prioritized illegal aliens over public safety, citing her refusal to condemn a Washington, D.C., crime bill that reduced penalties for violent offenders. Spanberger said Trump is “ceding economic power and technological strength,” “bowing down to a Russian dictator,” and “making plans for war with Iran.” Those assertions bundle three distinct policy areas, none of which have verifiable wholesale policy reversals in official treaties or policy documents as implied. The Trump administration has maintained sanctions and export controls on Chinese entities; however, recent trade rulings have directly challenged the presidential authority to impose tariffs without an explicit congressional grant. So, in a roundabout manner, it’s been the Democrats who have been ceding U.S. economic leverage against China. In Russia and Iran, U.S. policy continues to involve sanctions and diplomatic pressure.  To conclude the pre-buttal response, the White House said, “Tonight, while President Trump highlights the successes of his America First agenda in slashing costs, revitalizing manufacturing, securing our borders, and delivering real relief — Spanberger’s response will only underscore her party’s commitment to the failed lunacy Americans rejected.” Spanberger closed her address by urging voters to “reject this chaos” and return Democrats to power. But the contrast between her rhetoric and the documented record highlights the central tension of her response: sweeping claims delivered with certainty, while the underlying policy history tells a more complicated story. As Republicans argue, the question is not whether Americans are frustrated; it is whether Spanberger’s record reflects the affordability, public safety, and restraint she now claims to champion.

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) voiced his frustration on Wednesday after most of his party effectively sat on their hands during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, refusing to stand or even applaud issues he believes stretch across party lines. Fetterman defended his own decision to applaud a number of key moments during Trump’s speech, saying he was always going to clap for the things he believed were worth applauding, regardless of the party of the person delivering the remarks. WATCH:

Two heroic off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers patrolling in Minnesota saved the life of a four-year-old boy who drowned after falling into a hotel pool. The young boy’s panicked mother approached the off-duty officers last Friday as they were eating at a restaurant in the Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth hoping they could help save her unresponsive son. The officers jumped to the rescue. The child had been under water for over five minutes after jumping into the pool to find a toy, the local police department said. The agents performed CPR on the child for several minutes before paramedics arrived and he eventually regained consciousness. The Daily Wire obtained a letter the Plymouth Police Department sent to ICE in recognition of their heroic actions, saying the federal officers responded “without hesitation … immediately began CPR and activated emergency medical services.” “The child was not breathing and showed no signs of life,” the letter read. “In a situation like this, the first few minutes of emergency aid and quality CPR are critical. Without the quick response and professional actions [of the officers] the outcome of this event would have likely been tragic.” The department spoke with one of the officers, who they said humbly “tried to downplay” their lifesaving work. “On behalf of the Plymouth Police Department, I want to extend our thanks and gratitude for the efforts [of the ICE officers] in saving the life of a 4-year-old boy … truly excellent work,” the department said. The Department of Homeland Security is also praising the officers for their “heroism and swift action … to save the life of a sweet, innocent child.” “If our agents had not been there and stepped up, this would have been a tragic outcome,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Daily Wire. “Because of their training, these two agents were able to save a life. Our agents are the best of the best. Every single day they put their lives on the line to save American lives. President Trump and Secretary Noem will always stand with our law enforcement. If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them for their service.” Following two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents, the Trump administration ended “Operation Metro Surge,” which deployed thousands of federal immigration agents to Minnesota to arrest illegal immigrants and investigate fraud. The drawdown also came after President Donald Trump’s border czar brokered a deal, securing what he called “unprecedented cooperation” from local authorities who previously refused to work with ICE. ICE still maintains an office in the Twin Cities and continues operations, albeit at a smaller scale.

Someone grab the Zamboni. There is a meltdown happening right now on social media over the United States Olympic men’s hockey team. “It’s a fu*king scary time on hockey twitter right now,” a user posted to X after penning an entire article about their disgust with the men’s team. The team that should be universally celebrated for winning the United States a gold medal in men’s hockey. Instead, they’re being torn apart by people on the Left who expected a group of jocks 10 bottles of booze deep in the locker room after making history to stand up to President Donald Trump for cracking a joke about the women’s hockey team. “I will actually never look at those men the same ever again,” another person on X wrote. “The USA women’s hockey team deserves an apology for so much more.” The men’s team immediately celebrated the women’s accomplishment after their own overtime gold-medal match. Jack Hughes, the golden goal scorer, said the first thing he thought about moments after scoring the winning goal was Megan Keller, who had scored the winning goal for the women’s team. During the locker room celebration, the men’s team can be heard yelling “two for two,” meaning the golden hockey sweep, which marked the first time ever the men’s and women’s teams brought home the top Olympic prize. Still, the hate is piling on because the men accepted the president’s invitation to the State of the Union on Tuesday in Washington, something most would call a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, Greg Cote, host of “The Dan Le Batard Show,” who couldn’t find the back of a mile-long net, called the men’s hockey team a “willing pawn” for attending Tuesday’s State of the Union. “As long as the players realize that, this is an immensely unpopular president with half of the nation. Going to this, to serve as a willing pawn, is controversial,” Cote said Tuesday. The women’s team declined, stating prior commitments. “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” a USA Hockey spokesperson said to NBC News. There are people online comparing the men’s hockey team to January 6 rioters for not denouncing what most considered a joke in real time during a celebratory beer pong game. “It’s so crazy to be so disrespectful of women’s sports when your mom is literally a pioneer for women’s hockey,” another person said. Ellen Hughes, who worked with the Olympic women’s team and is a medal winner herself, was asked about the phone call with the men’s team on Tuesday morning and simply called for unity. RELATED: Unity Over Politics: Ellen Hughes Schools Media After Team USA’s Historic ‘Double Gold’ Sweep “At the end of the day, it’s just about the country,” Hughes said. “I think the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country—people that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side—that’s all both teams care about.” Hockey on X for sure won’t like that completely sane response.