Do you feel uneasy about the economy being just “not right.” Despite what you hear on the national news or from our elected leaders, “the economy is just fine” doesn’t add up. In our real world, prices continue to accelerate, the cost of living climbs, and it’s becoming harder to make ends meet. Far from […] The post The Far Side of Stimulus appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Russian President Vladimir Putin flew to Beijing this week to meet with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping in what was expected to be a perfunctory meeting between the two leaders of the Global South. Most analysts did not expect this meeting to be much more than part of the newly re-elected Putin’s world tour, a perfunctory […] The post This Week’s Historic China-Russia Summit appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Shortly after Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced his nation would formally recognize a “Palestinian state” as of May 28, Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz posted a video proclaiming the Hamas terrorist slogan calling for the complete eradication of Israel. Diaz shared the video, which began with her celebrating Spain’s decision to recognize a “Palestinian state” — across several social media platforms. In the video, she went on to say that recognizing the Palestinians’ right to self-governance was only a first step — and argued that Israel should be held to account for the “genocide” in Gaza. Her caption, translated, reads: “Recognition of the Palestinian State is a matter of human rights and international legality. The situation in Palestine forces us not to stay here. We have to continue working to end the genocide and achieve a ceasefire.” WATCH: El reconocimiento del Estado palestino es una cuestión de derechos humanos y legalidad internacional. La situación en Palestina nos obliga a no quedarnos aquí. Tenemos que seguir trabajando para acabar con el genocidio y conseguir un alto el fuego. pic.twitter.com/Tk3fKZw5V2 — Yolanda Díaz (@Yolanda_Diaz_) May 22, 2024 In the video, Diaz went on to accuse Israel of committing “crimes de guerra” (“war crimes”) and criticized the European Union for continuing to provide aid. She ended the video by parroting the Hamas slogan: “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.” On the same day that Spain announced plans to recognize a “Palestinian state,” Ireland and Norway made similar announcements. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “This would be a terrorist state. It will try to repeat the massacre of October 7 again and again; we will not consent to this. This evil can not be given a state,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response to the news. Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz said that Israeli envoys to Ireland, Spain, and Norway had been called home following the announcement: “I’ve instructed the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors … in light of these countries’ decisions to recognize a Palestinian state.”

The Supreme Court upheld Republican-backed electoral maps in South Carolina in a 6-3 decision on Thursday, arguing that those suing to overturn the maps had not proven they were racially drawn. A lower United States district court previously ruled that maps approved by the Republican-controlled South Carolina legislature were unconstitutional after they were challenged by a chapter of the NAACP and the ACLU. The majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, said that the district court had ruled wrongly and that the maps could stand. “When partisanship and race correlate, it naturally follows that a map that has been gerrymandered to achieve a partisan end can look very similar to a racially gerrymandered map,” Alito wrote. “In other words, the plaintiffs failed to meet the high bar for a racial-gerrymandering claim by failing to produce, among other things, an alternative map showing that a rational legislature sincerely driven by its professed partisan goals would have drawn a different map with greater racial balance.” Alito’s decision was joined by Justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barret, and Brett Kavanugh, with Clarence Thomas adding a concurring opinion. Thomas wrote that the court had no authority to be intervening in disputes over electoral districts. “In my view, the Court has no power to decide these types of claims,” he wrote in his concurrence. “Drawing political districts is a task for politicians, not federal judges. There are no judicially manageable standards for resolving claims about districting, and, regardless, the Constitution commits those issues exclusively to the political branches.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The liberal wing of the court, including Justice Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said they agreed with the lower court in their dissent and said that it was “more than plausible” that South Carolina had done race-based districting. “In every way, the majority today stacks the deck against the Challengers. They must lose, the majority says, because the State had a ‘possible’ story to tell about not considering race — even if the opposite story was the more credible,” they wrote. The challenged map was already slated to be used for the 2024 election due to the ongoing court deliberations over the case.

One of two men from the country of Jordan who allegedly tried to infiltrate the Quantico Marine Corps base was initially allowed into the country on a student visa, according to a Fox News report. The other man had recently crossed into the country through the southern border illegally despite reportedly being on the terrorist watch-list. The first man was also in the country illegally after overstaying his student visa, Fox News reported, citing Department of Homeland Security sources. The attempted infiltration of Quantico allegedly occurred in May 3, but was concealed from the public until local news outlet Potomac Local uncovered it last week. The Marine Corps then acknowledged that the men–who posed as Amazon delivery drivers and then allegedly defied instructions to stop and drove onto the base anyway–were in the country illegally, but refused to confirm whether one was on the terrorist watchlist. Use of so-called F-1 student visas has grown during the Biden administration, with nearly half a million issued in 2023, an increase of 8.5% compared to the previous year, according to ApplyBoard. The growth came from Africa and East Asia, while numbers from Europe and Latin America shrank. A second class of student visas, M visas, also adds to the numbers. According to DHS data, there are currently 15,000 students from Saudi Arabia, 12,000 from Pakistan, and 12,000 from Iran — more than the number from the United Kingdom. There are 3,500 from Jordan, more than the 2,500 from Israel. Video of campus protests, which have often violated local laws, show many foreign students espousing radical Islamist beliefs, and attempting to influence U.S. policy to be more in line with their own countries. Without the foreign students, the protests and anti-Semitism on campus might not have ever gained a critical mass. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has said that federal law requires DHS to deport foreign nationals who support or endorse terrorist activity. “I write to urge you to immediately deport any foreign national—including and especially any alien on a student visa — that has expressed support for Hamas and its murderous attacks on Israel,” he wrote to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas declined to assure Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) that he would. Authorities have refused to name the two men from Jordan out of “privacy” concerns, Fox News reported. It also denied a public records request for the number of people on the terrorist watchlist who crossed into the country illegally from each country, citing the “privacy interests” of the suspected terrorists.

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) grilled Judge Sarah Netburn during a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, asking her a series of questions about a trans-identifying male sex offender whom she had recommended be sent to a women’s prison. Kennedy asked Netburn, who was nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, about her recommendation — specifically why, despite a history that included raping a nine-year-old boy and a 17-year-old-girl, Netburn would recommend that such an individual be sent to a women’s prison. WATCH: Kennedy: “You’re really a political activist, aren’t you?” Netburn: “I’m not, sir” Kennedy: “Your record demonstrates otherwise.” ??? @SenJohnKennedy This judge belongs nowhere NEAR a courtroom. pic.twitter.com/I4HEpuE0Aj — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 23, 2024 “Do you remember an inmate name William McClain?” Kennedy began, detailing the crimes to which McClain had pled guilty — the rape of a nine-year-old boy and the subsequent rape of a 17-year-old girl. After serving time and being released, McClain was arrested again for sending child pornography to another sex offender. Netburn, after a few false starts, appeared to acknowledge the accuracy of Kennedy’s assessment up to that point. “And then he decided to transition,” Kennedy continued. “He became a female and started going by July Justine Shelby, is that right?” “Yes.” “And Ms. Shelby said, ‘I don’t want to go to a male prison. I want to go to a female prison,'” Kennedy said. “And the board of prisons said, ‘What planet did you parachute in from? You’re going to a male prison, with this kind of record.'” Kennedy then asked Netburn how she came to the conclusion that Shelby should be allowed to serve time in a women’s prison. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I issued a report and recommendation to the district judge,” Netburn said, claiming that medical needs would not be met properly in a male prison. “What were you thinking in saying it’s ‘only hypothetical’ that [Shelby] would reoffend?” Kennedy asked. “You’re really a political activist, aren’t you?” “I’m not, sir,” she objected. “But your record demonstrates otherwise,” he replied.

On Thursday, the Democrat-controlled Senate once again rejected a border security bill that failed to pass earlier this year. “The Border Act,” which got blocked in February when linked to foreign aid, failed to meet the 60-vote threshold as a standalone measure to have the upper chamber invoke cloture and proceed with consideration. Fifty members voted against advancing the bill, while only 43 members voted in favor of moving forward with the legislation, which Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) resurrected in the past week. One of the members who spent months helping to craft the bill, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), came out against how leadership handled reviving the legislation. “I’m making it very clear with my vote that this is a stunt — not an attempt to do anything,” Lankford told Newsmax. “And I’m going to be interested in how many Democrats walk away from this.” Another negotiator, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), delivered a floor speech claiming that Democrats and Republicans have chosen “political theater” over real progress. The bill seeks to tighten up the asylum process and shore up border security to get a grip on the migrant crisis, but many GOP lawmakers argued it would codify President Joe Biden’s “open border” policies. House Republicans warned the bill would be “dead on arrival” if it came their way and instead pushed for the Senate to pass H.R. 2, a more stringent border security bill they passed last year that Schumer has refused to take up for consideration. Immigration is a top issue heading into the presidential election this November. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) released a statement after the vote on Thursday, saying Schumer “should join House Republicans in demanding President Biden reverse course and use his executive authority to finally secure the border and protect American families.” Top Democrats accused Republicans of stopping progress toward a solution. “While the GOP isn’t interested today in getting this done — we’ll keep trying. It’s too important to our national security, our communities, our country,” Schumer said on X after the vote on Thursday. Biden claimed Republicans “do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system,” and said he remains “committed to taking action” to address the issue.

A sacred ceremony turned into a terrifying ordeal when a Florida priest was arrested for biting a woman during Communion. The incident, which has left the community in shock, has raised questions about the behavior of religious leaders and the safety of parishioners. The bizarre incident occurred during a routine Sunday mass at a church in Florida. As the congregation lined up to receive Holy Communion, the priest in question suddenly lunged forward and bit a woman on the hand. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, screamed in shock and pain as the priest continued his bizarre behavior. Central Florida priest bites woman after denying her communion, police say https://t.co/fPLLlsuFQf — Josh Mankiewicz (@JoshMankiewicz) May 23, 2024 According to eyewitnesses, the priest appeared to be in a trance-like state and was muttering unintelligibly. He seemed to have no awareness of his actions and had to be restrained by church officials. The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment while the priest was taken into custody by the police. As news of the incident spread, the community was left reeling in shock. This was not the first time the priest had displayed erratic behavior, and many have expressed concerns about his mental state. Some have even accused the church of not addressing the issue earlier, leading to this disturbing incident. Priest in dispute with woman over communion bites her during Mass, Florida police say https://t.co/jehFvRidtX — Rock Hill Herald (@RHHerald) May 23, 2024 The priest's arrest has also sparked a debate about the emotional and physical safety of parishioners. While many turn to their religious leaders for guidance and support, incidents like this raise questions about trust and accountability. It is essential for religious institutions to have proper protocols in place to ensure the safety of their members. In a statement released by the church, they expressed their shock and regret over the incident and promised to cooperate with the authorities in their investigation. They also offered their prayers and support to the victim and her family. However, this incident has undoubtedly left a stain on the reputation of the church and its leadership. As the investigation continues, many are left wondering what could have led the priest to act in such a violent and disturbing manner. Was it a mental health issue, a momentary lapse of judgment, or something more sinister? Whatever the reason may be, it has undoubtedly shaken the faith and trust of the community. In conclusion, the shocking arrest of a Florida priest for biting a woman during Communion has brought to light important questions about the behavior and accountability of religious leaders. It serves as a reminder that no one is above the law, and institutions must take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their members. Let us hope that this incident leads to much-needed changes and safeguards in the future. What are YOUR thoughts? We want to hear from you! Please comment below to join the discussion. The post Unholy Communion: The Shocking Arrest of a Florida Priest for Biting a Woman during Mass appeared first on The Conservative Brief.