The Panama Canal has become extremely poorly managed since the turnover to Panama. Additionally, Panamanians turned over both ends of the canals to Chinese companies, who overcharge for US passage. This is after we built it, bought it, and helped Panama win freedom from Colombia. More importantly, China could easily shut down the canal, which […] The post This Is Why We Must Do Something About the Panama Canal appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Multiple celebrities have posted on social media about losing their homes and communities to the fires causing devastation in the Los Angeles area. The first fire started in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, January 7, and since then multiple other fires have broken out in the region amid dry conditions and high wind speeds. The fires have displaced more than 80,000 residents and destroyed tens of thousands of acres of land and well over 1,100 structures. The affected communities are inhabited by many celebrities. Some have already posted videos and statements on social media about their experiences. Billy Crystal confirmed in a statement to People that he and his wife lost their home in the fire. “Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. We ache for our friends and neighbors who have also lost their homes and businesses in this tragedy,” the statement said.  “Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away. We are heartbroken of course but with the love of our children and friends we will get through this,” Crystal added, noting that Pacific Palisades is a “resilient community of amazing people” and “it will rise again.” A rep for “Scary Movie” star Anna Faris confirmed that her house was also lost, but said, “Anna and her family are safe and very grateful.” Talk show host Ricki Lake posted a photo carousel on Instagram and included a caption saying, “It’s all gone. I can’t believe I am typing these words. After a valiant and brave effort by our friend and hero @kirbykotler_ Ross and I lost our dream home.” JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25 “This description ‘dream home’ doesn’t suffice,” she went on. “It was our heaven on earth…This loss is immeasurable.” Lake concluded the post with prayers for her neighbors, friends, community, and first responders.  Soap opera star Cameron Mathison posted a video of his home on fire, writing, “We are safe. But this is what’s left of our beautiful home. Our home where our kids were raised and where they wanted to raise their own someday.” “Thanks to all who reached out and checked in,” Mathison said. “Can’t respond to all so wanted to give an update here. Sending so many prayers to everyone being affected by these fires.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Cameron Mathison (@cameronmathison) Former reality star Paris Hilton posted on Instagram about losing her Malibu home. “Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience,” she wrote. Hilton added, “This home was where we built so many precious memories. … It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London. … While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family is safe. My heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires.” Actor James Woods broke down in tears about the loss of his home during an interview with CNN. “There was so much chaos, it was like an inferno. Every house was on fire around us,” the actor said. “We were evacuated with the clothes on our back.” “One day you are swimming in your pool, and the next day it’s all gone,” he said. Melissa Rivers confirmed to CNN that her house was also destroyed. “My heart is so broken, not just for myself … it’s a town and it’s wiped off the map,” she told the outlet. “That is the end of everything that belonged to my family and the history of it,” Rivers said of items belonging to her late parents, Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg. “I grabbed my mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad, and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son. … I went for a drawing of hers, rather than a photo. I know I can find the photos, but a drawing I can’t replace.” Grammy Award-winning singer Diane Warren said she lost her home of 30 years, but is grateful that her animal rescue ranch survived. “There’s a rainbow shining on it which I’m taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy,” she posted on Instagram. “The animals and the rescue ranch are OK tho which is the most important thing. Stay safe everyone.” Actress Jennifer Grey’s daughter posted on her Instagram Stories that the “Dirty Dancing” star’s house was “burnt to the ground.”  “Star Trek” star Denise Crosby also shared photos of her ruined home, writing on X, “Yesterday morning I had a beautiful Spanish cottage that gave me endless joy, where I met my husband and raised my son, the only house I’ve ever owned, with fruit trees I grew, with a garden of native plants. Now, ashes. I am heartbroken.” Yesterday morning I had a beautiful Spanish cottage that gave me endless joy, where I met my husband and raised my son, the only house I’ve ever owned, with fruit trees I grew, with a garden of native plants. Now, ashes. I am heartbroken ? #palisadesfire pic.twitter.com/LBYfZoTFgC — Denise Crosby (@TheDeniseCrosby) January 8, 2025 Reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag confirmed that they also lost their home in the fires. Pratt posted a video of their home engulfed in flames, writing in the caption “Nightmare came true.”  He later shared a photo of the burned structure and wrote in the caption, “The one positive sign i saw as our house burned down was our son’s bed burned in the shape of a heart. A sign of how much love was in this house so thankful for all the years and memories there with our family.” “The Princess Bride” star Cary Elwes posted about his home being lost to the fires, writing, “…we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire.” Several other celebrities mourned the loss of their communities. Actress Kate Beckinsale wrote, “My daughter and I lived there for most of her childhood and most of her childhood is gone. Her primary school, every shop or restaurant we used to go to with my parents and Michael’s parents -and devastatingly, most of her friends’ homes. My heart is broken.” She continued, “The Pacific Palisades is a community very unusual to find in Los Angeles, heavy on families with young children and pets. I’m weeping for all of the people and pets involved, so many of them I know. My heart is breaking for the families who have lost everything, and the people and their animals, not to mention the horses and all the wild animals, people’s businesses and livelihoods. This is just like hell.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Kate Beckinsale (@katebeckinsale) Singer Mandy Moore had a similar sentiment. She posted on Instagram that she wasn’t sure if her house had made it. “I’m in shock and feeling numb for all so many have lost, including my family. My children’s school is gone,” she wrote. “Our favorite restaurants, leveled. So many friends and loved ones have lost everything too. Our community is broken but we will be here to rebuild together. Sending love to all affected and on the front lines trying to get this under control.”

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to glare at President-elect Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama as the two men chatted amiably ahead of the funeral of the late President Jimmy Carter. The three attended Carter’s state funeral on Thursday and sat alongside other former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The spouses of all were also present, except for Obama’s wife Michelle. Trump and Obama appeared to joke with each other ahead of the ceremony. A C-SPAN camera caught Obama smiling and laughing at a remark from Trump. The presidential pair continued to nod along and talk as the camera rolled. Harris sat a few feet in front of Obama and Trump. At one point, she turned back to look at the pair before turning forward again and appearing to let out a sigh. NEW: Donald Trump seen cracking jokes with former President Barack Obama at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in Washington D.C. Kamala Harris was seen looking back as the two men appeared to be getting along. pic.twitter.com/dHrB2m7GZi — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 9, 2025 Only on rare occasions are all living U.S. presidents seen together, giving the American public an opportunity to glimpse how the exclusive group interacts with each other. JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25 Carter’s funeral ceremony took place Thursday morning in the Washington National Cathedral. From there, Carter’s body will be transported to Plains, Georgia, Carter’s hometown. Another ceremony — this one invite-only — will be held at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter’s body will then be transported to his home for a U.S. Navy flyover in honor of Carter’s military service and for his time as commander-in-chief. He will be interred next to his wife, Rosalynn, after a private graveside ceremony. Carter died on December 29, several months after turning 100.  In a unique twist, Carter’s funeral ceremony featured posthumous eulogies from former President Gerald Ford and former Vice President Walter Mondale. Both men wrote eulogies for Carter before they died that their sons, Steven Ford and Ted Mondale, delivered. 

The Biden administration’s attempt to rewrite Title IX to allow men in women’s sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms, has been struck down nationwide by a federal court. Twenty-six states sued to stop the regulations from going into effect, and the Supreme Court in August provided a temporary stay of the rules. But now a federal court has blocked the regulations from going into effect for all states – even those that didn’t sue to block the regulations. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, one of the attorneys general who led the charge against the change to Title IX, called the latest ruling a “huge win.” “Biden’s radical Title IX rewrite has been defeated in court again,” Rokita said on X. “For now, Hoosier girls and girls nationwide are protected from biological males being able to infringe on their private spaces. Proud to be a part of the coalition of like-minded AGs fighting for this commonsense outcome.” ?Huge win! Biden’s radical Title IX rewrite has been defeated in court again. For now, Hoosier girls and girls nationwide are protected from biological males being able to infringe on their private spaces. Proud to be a part of the coalition of like-minded AGs fighting for this… pic.twitter.com/Uk66gBMd50 — AG Todd Rokita (@AGToddRokita) January 9, 2025 Riley Gaines, a student-athlete who competed against a male in college swimming, also lauded the ruling. “Huge win for girls and women everywhere!!! This morning, a federal court ruled in favor of reality. Biden’s Title IX rewrite has been vacated nationwide. Common sense is slowly returning,” Thank you, [Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti]!” ?Huge win for girls and women everywhere!!! This morning, a federal court ruled in favor of reality. Biden’s Title IX rewrite has been vacated nationwide. Common sense is slowly returning. Thank you, @AGTennessee! pic.twitter.com/hD9GZu2CMC — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) January 9, 2025 Skrmetti published his own post praising the decision, saying, “The court’s order is [a] resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to speak biologically-accurate pronouns.” Another massive win for TN and the country! This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and vacated the Biden admin’s radical new Title IX rule nationwide. The court’s order is resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the… pic.twitter.com/XsnzSEQvAU — TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) January 9, 2025 Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents some female athletes and Christian educators fighting against Biden’s Title IX rules, called the news “a colossal win for women and girls across the country.” “The Biden administration’s radical attempt to redefine sex not only tossed fairness, safety, and privacy for female students out the window, it also threatened free speech and parental rights,” said ADF CEO, President, and General Counsel Kristen Waggoner. “With this ruling, the federal court in Kentucky rejected the entire Biden rule and the administration’s illegal actions.” JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25 The Biden administration attempted to redefine “sex” as it is defined under Title IX, a statute that prohibits sex-based discrimination at schools that receive federal funding. The Biden administration’s definition of “sex” included “gender identity,” which would allow biological males to compete against women in women’s sports, an unfairness that has already cost hundreds of women scholarships and medal opportunities. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would keep men out of women’s sports, and told radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton in August that he would do so on the first day of his administration. “President Trump just pledged to all of us on @clayandbuck that men will not be allowed to compete against women in sports when he is elected president,” Travis said on X. “He promises to take care of it on day one and end Kamala and Biden’s new Title IX policies allowing this to happen.” President Trump just pledged to all of us on @clayandbuck that men will not be allowed to compete against women in sports when he is elected president. He promises to take care of it on day one and end Kamala and Biden’s new Title IX policies allowing this to happen. — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 1, 2024

Dealing with a cranky toddler isn’t easy, but one dad has a simple trick for evading temper tantrums. His gentle approach works wonders when his young daughter is feeling overwhelmed! Mom caught the sweetest footage of her husband helping the little girl calm down. According to her social media caption, this man’s technique “works 95% of the time.” In the woman’s video, her husband was in the middle of cooking something when their daughter, who was sitting on the kitchen counter, began to cry. Immediately, Dad jumped into action. First, he got the child to focus her attention on him. Then, he applied his signature trick for keeping the toddler from throwing a tantrum. @regularmaddie this works 95% of the time ♬ original sound – regular maddie “Take a deep breath,” the man told his daughter, repeating himself until she followed his example. “Take a deep breath.” Dad guided the little girl through the breathing exercise until she began to calm down. Just like that, the toddler’s tantrum had been totally averted with this simple parenting trick! Mom was very proud of the way her husband handled the situation. “The way he keeps her from going into a tantrum,” she wrote over her footage. This video has received over two million views on social media. Commenters were truly impressed with this dad’s parenting! “Perfect emotional regulation skills right there,” wrote one user. Another added, “Teaching the little to self-regulate is the most amazing gift he can ever give his child.” Here’s another breathing tip for parents with small children. Deep breaths can be really helpful for someone who is feeling overwhelmed at any age, but another mom on social media pointed out that toddlers sometimes need a little extra help with this type of exercise. So, she uses a special visualization trick to guide her son through each inhale and exhale. @kristen_schofield Our Occupational therapist recommended deep breathing exercises when big emotions arrise. Sometimes its hard to conceptualize deep breathing for toddlers, so we smell the flower and then blow out the candle. We’ve been working on this for a few weeks and hes almost got it!! #regulatingemotions #toddlerspeechtherapy #toddlerspeech #regulatingnervoussystem #regulatingemotions #deepbreaths #calmingactivitywithkids ♬ Deep Breath – Gracie’s Corner “Sometimes it’s hard to conceptualize deep breathing for toddlers, so we smell the flower and then blow out the candle,” wrote the woman in her post. It can be pretty frustrating when a toddler throws a temper tantrum, but these breathing tricks should help both young kids and their parents calm down! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Dad Stops Toddler From Going Into Full-Blown Tantrum With Simple Trick appeared first on InspireMore.

'Turns Title IX on its head'

'We have leaders that need to be held accountable'

'Acceptable'

'I will always back the blue'