Red Lobster, a popular American seafood chain, has abruptly closed approximately 100 locations around the United States. “As of Tuesday, 90 locations in 27 states were listed as ‘closed’ on the restaurant’s website,” The Hill reports. According to reports, locations in Florida, Iowa, Illinois, and New York suddenly shuttered this week. The company is preparing to file for bankruptcy due to rising costs. WATCH: Biden’s Build Back Better. Red Lobster abruptly closes at least 50 restaurants, including 14 in NY and NJ. 56 year old restaurant chain considers filing for bankruptcy due to rising costs. Yet, Democrats want you to think that Biden is doing a great job! pic.twitter.com/IdQHNFBsOI — I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) May 14, 2024 The Hill reports: “I was just notified by one of our local Red Lobster managers that after 31 years of serving our community, without notice, their parent company laid off the entire crew and closed the restaurant effective immediately,” Danville, Illinois Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. wrote in a Facebook post. “This is despite the fact that they were rated number 15 out of over 600 stores for customer service & satisfaction last year.” The beleaguered seafood chain will be auctioning off the contents of 48 locations, according to a TAGeX brands, a restaurant supply liquidator. It’s not clear if there are any plans to reopen the restaurants not listed. Nexstar reached out to Red Lobster for more information about the closures but didn’t receive a response as of publishing time. Red Lobster owner Thai Union Group announced in January 2024 that it was looking to sell its stake in the brand, citing the impact of a “combination of [the] COVID-19 pandemic, sustained industry headwinds, higher interest rates and rising material and labor costs” on profits. #Bidenomics. https://t.co/CcnjH1pnay — Carol RN *Miss Rush & the Gipper* (@pasqueflower19) May 14, 2024 “Red Lobster has abruptly closed at least 99 locations across the country with restaurants shutting their doors in at least 27 states,” ABC News noted. #BREAKING: Red Lobster, the largest U.S. seafood restaurant chain known for its seafood and famous cheesy biscuits are getting ready to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy as early as next week after suddenly closing dozens of restaurants. pic.twitter.com/vgl260108j — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 15, 2024 Per ABC News: The popular seafood restaurant chain began eyeing Chapter 11 to consolidate debts last month. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the company is now expected to file for bankruptcy “as early as next week,” according to people familiar with the matter. The decision comes just months after a major investor blamed Red Lobster’s fumbled “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” promotion for costing the restaurant chain millions in losses. During an earnings call last year, Red Lobster’s former Thailand-based investor, Thai Union Group, shared that the menu promotion contributed to its more than $11 million third quarter operating loss. Ludovic Garnier, Chief Financial Officer for Thai Union Group, told ABC News this week, “Something which was different from our expectation is the proportion of the people selecting this promotion was much higher compared to expectation.”

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1 men’s golfer, was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, after an incident with police near the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week’s PGA Championship. Scheffler reportedly faces four criminal charges, including second degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony. “Traffic outside the golf course had been stopped after a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET,” ESPN reports. “World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has been detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club. The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla. The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car,” reporter Jeff Darlington explained. WATCH: Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested: https://t.co/8UPZKvPCCf pic.twitter.com/9Tbp2tyrJh — Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) May 17, 2024 Per ESPN: Maj. Jason Logsdon of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections told ESPN that Scheffler was released at 8:40 a.m. ET Friday without bail. He arrived at Valhalla less than an hour before he was scheduled to tee off at 10:08 a.m. ET. “This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” Scheffler said in a statement. “It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. “Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.” According to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, Scheffler was trying to drive around the crash scene on a median. A police officer instructed Scheffler to stop, but Scheffler continued to drive about 10 to 20 yards toward the entrance. What the heck is going on right now? Scottie Scheffler arrested trying to get into Valhalla?! pic.twitter.com/a3coox510t — sam stone (@sam_rock_stone) May 17, 2024 “In a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the officer wrote that Scheffler disregarded his verbal instructions, accelerated his car forward and dragged the officer to the ground, causing pain and swelling to his left knee and wrist,” USA TODAY stated. USA TODAY reports: Scheffler was arrested just before 6:30 a.m. and booked into jail roughly an hour later, according to online records published by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections. He is being charged with second degree assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic. By 9:15 a.m., Scheffler had been released from jail and arrived at Valhalla. He tied off less than an hour later and birdied the first hole. (Tee times were delayed by almost 90 minutes Friday due to the traffic accident.) Louisville police did not immediately reply to messages from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment and more information on the circumstances surrounding Scheffler’s arrest. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Jesse Kelly and Sean Spicer discuss the growing possibility that the Democratic Party will dump Joe Biden at their national convention this summer. Donald Trump thinks they will. “I don’t think they’ll have a choice,” said the former President. Will Democrats dump Joe Biden if his infirmity increases? President Donald Trump says yes.@JesseKellyDC has been predicting this all along. He discusses with @SeanSpicer. pic.twitter.com/oxcB1Mg1wl— The First (@TheFirstonTV) May 17, 2024

Body Count, Powerwolf and Charlotte Wessels are among the best new metal songs this week. Plus, vote for your favourite!

by Dr. Gennady Shkliarevsky Dr. Shkliarevsky is Ukrainian-born and Professor Emeritus of Bard College in Russian history. American foreign policy has never been particularly tidy.  It has always had its share of inconsistencies, contradictions, and paradoxes.  However, America has never reached a critical point that it faces today.  Its policy is in total chaos that […] The post WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY? appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Actor Chris Pratt expressed his sympathies after finding out about the death of his stunt double.  Tony McFarr, 47, died of undetermined causes on May 13 at his home outside Orlando, per Deadline. The story was originally reported by TMZ and then confirmed on the website of the Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home in Merritt Island, Florida. McFarr’s mother said his death was unexpected, the outlet noted. Pratt reacted to McFarr’s death on his Instagram Stories. The 44-year-old star said he was “devastated to hear about the loss of my friend and former stunt double.” “We did several movies together. We golfed, drank whiskey, smoked cigars, and spent endless hours on set. I’ll never forget his toughness,” the actor shared. McFarr started working as a stunt double in 2011. His credits include “Rock of Ages,” “Teen Wolf,” “The Glades,” “Burn Notice,” and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.” He also worked closely with Pratt, and fans noted the extraordinary physical resemblance between the two. McFarr was the stunt double for Pratt on “Jurassic World,” “Passengers,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” and the 2018 “Jurassic World” sequel, “Fallen Kingdom.”  Pratt and McFarr were friends for years. The Marvel actor posted photos with his stunt double on several occasions, including after filming “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in 2016. “Here’s me and my stunt-man Tony McFarr (also Tommy Harper stunt coordinator and our first AD Lars Winther) on set. Been working with Tony since Jurassic World. Love you buddy! Happy wrap!” Pratt captioned a photo of the two of them in costume. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Here’s a better view,” he wrote in a second post of the duo standing side by side. McFarr also doubled for actor Jon Hamm in the 2018 action comedy, “Tag.” He had small acting roles in projects like “One Tree Hill,” “Burn Notice,” “Army Wives,” and “MacGyver.” Per Deadline, McFarr was a restaurant owner in Florida, with properties including Reel Bowls in Orlando and The Fit Kitchen. The Hollywood stuntman is survived by a daughter, his parents, and a sister.

Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones came to the defense of Harrison Butker amid the backlash his teammate has faced since giving a commencement speech during which he praised his wife for being a “homemaker,” called out President Joe Biden’s support for abortion, and criticized LGBT “Pride month.” In a Thursday post on X, the Chiefs defensive player reacted to a Change.org petition calling for the three-time Super Bowl champion to be dismissed from the team for his “discriminatory” remarks to graduates at Benedictine College. “I love you [Harrison Butker]! My brotha,” Jones wrote in a post that has garnered more than 3.4 million views at the time of publication. And he wasn’t alone. Gracie Hunt, the daughter of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, spoke out on Friday to defend Butker. Speaking to Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” Hunt was asked about the Hunt family’s reaction to the attacks against the kicker. I love you @buttkicker7! My brotha ? https://t.co/sV48gXePHL — Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) May 17, 2024 “Well, I can only speak from my own experience, which is I’ve had the most incredible mom who had the ability to stay home and be with us as kids growing up,” Hunt, 25, said. “And I understand that there are many women out there who can’t make that decision but for me in my life, I know it was really formative in shaping me and my siblings to be who we are.” She also said that she understood “for sure” what the team’s kicker was talking about when he said that his wife would agree that her life “truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother.” “I really respect Harrison and his Christian faith and what he’s accomplished on and off the field,” Gracie concluded. Clark Hunt’s wife Tavia also appeared to come to Butker’s defense when she shared a lengthy post on social media that included a graphic that read, “Who is Happiest, Married Mothers and Fathers, per the latest General Social Survey.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Affirming motherhood and praising your wife, as well as highlighting the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a mother is not bigoted,” Tavia wrote. “It’s empowering to acknowledge that a woman’s hard work in raising children is not in vain. She also cautioned “taking things or parts of speeches out of context. Sound bites overlaid with hateful comments are not what we want to model for our children or others. We need more dialogue (and values IMO) in this country and less hate.” College Football Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz also stuck up for Butker, writing on social media, “Thank you [Harrison Butker] for standing strong in your faith values. Your commencement speech at Benedictine College showed courage and conviction and I admire that. Don’t give in.” During Butker’s speech at the Catholic college, the Chiefs player said, “How many of you are sitting here now, about to cross this stage, and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world. But I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.” “It cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker,” he added.