As the Biden administration has avoided confronting Islamic Houthis in Yemen aligned with Iran who are impeding navigation in the Middle East‚ two of the world’s largest container shipping lines —both of which have had ships attacked by the Islamist group —announced on Friday they have paused transits through the Red Sea. Maersk‚ whose ship Gibraltar was attacked on Thursday‚ stated they would instruct ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait‚ which connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea‚ to pause their journeys “until further notice.” Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd AG announced they would pause their ships’ journeys until Monday‚ “then will decide for the period after.” Maersk is the second largest container shipping company by volume‚ according to the Financial Times‚ while Hapag-Lloyd is the fifth largest‚ according to Marine Insight. After three years of a feckless Iran policy‚ the Biden Administration has effectively lost control of the Red Sea. pic.twitter.com/bCW0RaZcen — Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) December 15‚ 2023 “The moves will pile pressure on the US and its allies to improve security along one of the world’s most important trade corridors to avoid undermining the global economic recovery‚” Bloomberg News opined. On Friday‚ two Liberian-flagged ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait were attacked from Houthi-controlled Yemen. A ship owned by Hapag-Lloyd called Al-Jasrah was hit. “While the Houthis are pulling the trigger‚ so to speak‚ they’re being handed the gun by Iran‚” U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “It’s an international problem. It’s going to take an international solution‚ and we’re working with allies and partners on that‚” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks stated Wednesday. Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammed-Reza Ashtiani said the U.S. “will face tremendous problems” if they move forward with a plan to protect ships‚ adding‚ “No one can maneuver in a region that we dominate.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told President Joe Biden that if the U.S. does not take action against the Yemen-based Houthi terrorists‚ Israel will‚ as the Houthis have targeted shipping vessels with ties to Israel. Numerous U.S. defense officials told POLITICO that Biden’s approach to dealing with the situation was problematic because by trying to avoid escalation‚ the opposite is happening. “Near to immediate term‚ where are the strikes on [Houthi] targets?” said Marc Polymeropoulos‚ former CIA official‚ on social media. “Need to see this ASAP.” Retired Vice Adm. John Miller‚ the former commander of U.S. 5th Fleet‚ told POLITICO that the U.S. was “not taking this seriously” because these attacks “have gone largely unanswered.” “We’re not deterring anybody right now‚” Miller said. Ryan Saavedra contributed to this article.

Brad Paisley and his wife‚ actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley‚ announced they have opened a free toy store ahead of the holidays for kids in the Nashville area. The 51-year-old country singer and his wife have opened “The Toy Store” which offers free toys for 400 families this season‚ giving parents — who might not otherwise be able — the chance to give their kids a special gift for Christmas‚ Parade reported. “The emotional aspect of being able to give your child something your child wanted versus just something to sort of get you through the holidays‚ that’s such a load off the minds of somebody who maybe didn’t think they were going to be able to do that‚” Paisley told the Associated Press of the shop. “People come on hard times and we want this to be a safe‚ welcoming place for everybody‚ whether you’re volunteering or whether you’re needing the services‚” Williams-Paisley added. “It’s just a community and we’re all in it together.” Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley Provide 400 Families with Holiday Gifts Through Free Toy Store https://t.co/ACuVoP0WLR — People (@people) December 12‚ 2023 In a video posted on Instagram‚ the singer talked about when they launched their year-round free grocery store called “The Store” in Nashville in 2020‚ their goal was to eventually “do a Christmas Toy Store for kids and parents to have the same experience of shopping with dignity and choice‚ but in an extra-fun way.” “Seeing it happen was magical‚” he added. “The look on the faces of these kids was worth every bit of effort. Thanks to all who helped make this happen. Hopefully just the start!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP He also thanked the great companies who he said generously donated toys. Brad and Kimberly said despite all this good news‚ they could still use more help with their free grocery store as the cost of groceries keeps going up. “We’re still not serving everybody that we want to serve. Food insecurity is on the rise‚” Williams-Paisley told the AP. “The USDA just released its report saying 17 million households in this country are facing food insecurity and that’s on the rise from 2021.” Related: WATCH: Brad Paisley Drops In On Founders Of ‘Black Or White‚ Have A Beer’ Movement‚ Sends Tons Of Beer

The other day‚ I briefly talked about a racially segregated holiday party that was just thrown by the mayor of Boston‚ Michelle Wu. In case you missed it‚ the mayor’s office only wanted to invite the non-white members of the Boston city council to the event. They wanted to exclude all the white people. To that end‚ the mayor’s staff sent out a bunch of emails addressed to “electeds of color‚” which is yet another example of the fact that Leftists are simply incapable of speaking English. They’re well on their way to creating their own language at this point. But there was a problem with this party. By mistake‚ the mayor’s office sent out invitations to all of Boston’s city council members‚ including the white devils. It wasn’t just “Electeds of Color” who got an invite‚ seven white people got one‚ too. In an administration that cared about the Constitution‚ or basic morality‚ this would be a highly embarrassing episode. The mayor would apologize for discriminating on the basis of race and resign. But that’s not what happened in this case. Instead‚ Wu apologized — not for the discrimination‚ but for accidentally sending the invitation to white people. She says that was the only error she made. Watch: The mayor also clarified that this “Electeds of Color” party has been going on for several years‚ and it’s only now been discovered because of the mistake that her staff made. So rest easy‚ the racial discrimination is nothing new. That’s the position of the mayor’s office. Whatever you make of that‚ there are a few legal experts who have suggested it might violate Massachusetts law‚ which doesn’t allow government officials to use city resources to enforce racial segregation. The Massachusetts Public Accommodations Act bars officials from‚ “making any distinction‚ discrimination‚ or restriction in admission to or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race.” This event was held at the Parkman House‚ which is owned by the city‚ although it’s not open to the public. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show Maybe that’s the “out” here. Maybe the mayor can say that it’s legal to discriminate on the basis of race‚ as long as it’s in a city building that isn’t a “public accommodation.” That still doesn’t address the question of why Wu was so intent on keeping white people away from this event.  It’s especially strange given that Wu has a white husband. You might be tempted to think that Wu just wanted to attend a holiday party without her husband around. Maybe that’s what’s going on here. She also has two half-white children — are they allowed to be at the party for half the time? Is that how that works? But this is not a completely satisfying explanation‚ mainly because it does seem that the mayor has a deep-seated disdain for white people‚ at least in general.  For one thing‚ just a year ago‚ Wu cracked a joke about how many “white” problems she’s had to deal with in the city. Watch: “I’m getting used to dealing w problems that are expensive‚ disruptive &; White”. -Boston Mayor Michelle Wu #Boston‚ @MayorWu has finally shown her true colors. This isn’t funny. This is disgusting. #ShameOnWu @CotterReporter @TuckerCarlson @HowieCarrShow @DoctorTurtleboy pic.twitter.com/eFTWomIH3O — Boston First Responders United (BFRU) (@BostonFRU) March 20‚ 2022 This is the point where you have to wonder how someone like Michelle Wu became the mayor of a city like Boston‚ given that she clearly hates most of the city’s residents based on their skin color. In fact‚ even though the white population in Boston is declining‚ it’s still one of the whitest major cities in the country. And yet it has‚ arguably‚ the most anti-white mayor in the country. How does that happen? Well‚ not a lot of people are asking that question right now‚ even in Boston. As I mentioned yesterday‚ even white members of the city council — the very people that Wu excluded from the holiday party because of their skin color — are mostly shrugging this whole episode off. They’re suggesting it’s an isolated incident‚ as if that would somehow make racial segregation acceptable. But it’s not an isolated incident‚ not even close. You don’t hear a lot about it‚ but explicit anti-white discrimination is no longer unusual in this country. I’m not talking about racial bias‚ or affirmative action admissions‚ or racial preferences in hiring and promotions. Everyone knows that’s been going on. I’m talking about policies — in government‚ universities‚ and school systems — that overtly ban white people from participating. This is a real problem. It’s not just happening at the mayor’s holiday party in Boston. Racial segregation has made a comeback in this country in a big way. You just don’t hear very much about it. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP Right now‚ for example‚ a school district in Illinois is segregating its English and math classes by race. At Evanston Township High School‚ black and Latino students go into one classroom when it’s time to learn English‚ calculus‚ and algebra. Whites and Asians go into a different room. This is the kind of program that legal experts say is clearly unconstitutional. If anyone sued‚ it would be struck down immediately. But people aren’t interested in suing‚ at least not yet. So the program will continue. They even have a name for this whole system of racial discrimination. The school board calls it “AXLE” — for “Advancing Excellence‚ Lifting Everyone.” As shocking as this sounds‚ it’s nothing new for Chicago. A couple of years ago‚ Chicago’s mayor at the time‚ Lori Lightfoot‚ announced that for one day‚ she wouldn’t talk to white reporters. She just straight-up said that she didn’t want to deal with them. Again‚ there was mostly a collective shrug from reporters in the city. Watch: Lightfoot never apologized for that. And why would she? She understands that in Chicago — the third biggest city in the United States — open anti-white race hate isn’t just tolerated‚ it’s popular. Again there are many more examples. In the wake of George Floyd’s overdose‚ Rice University students demanded the construction of a literal “Black House” on campus‚ along with segregated housing. And last year‚ the New York Post reported that an off-campus housing co-op at U.C. Berkeley had banned white people from the common areas. This is a five-story building called the “Person of Color Theme House.” Here’s an excerpt from the house rules: Many POC moved here to be able to avoid white violence and presence‚ so respect their decision of avoidance if you bring white guests. … White guests are not allowed in common spaces. In fact‚ some white guests weren’t allowed at all. As one student reported‚ “‘[I] was not allowed to let my dad enter the house because he’s white.” If you’re wondering where Berkeley’s administration stood on all of this‚ the answer is that they support it. Anti-white hatred is endemic at the university. Three years ago‚ in the summer of George Floyd‚ a third-year student named Seth Smith was shot in the back of the head‚ execution-style‚ while he was out for a walk. Smith’s killer was a black career criminal who mocked Smith for being white when he was arrested. How did Berkeley administrators respond to this incident? The chancellor released this statement: “Many of you may have had a close relationship with Seth and are feeling a sense of loss and disbelief. Others‚ like many of us‚ are experiencing stress‚ grief and anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic and the recent murders of George Floyd‚ Riah Milton‚ and other Black Americans.” In other words‚ sorry about the white kid who just got murdered. But isn’t the death of George Floyd — a felon with no connection whatsoever to Berkeley — also really upsetting? That’s what they said. Imagine being one of Seth Smith’s friends or family members and seeing that email. You’d understand the message immediately‚ which is that white people don’t matter. This is a message that Berkeley has communicated a lot recently‚ in various ways. For example‚ the university recently held a blacks-only graduation ceremony. They’ve been doing this every year for a while now‚ but earlier this year one clip went viral. Watch: This is state-funded segregation. And there are many more examples of it‚ outside of the Bay Area. As of 2019‚ more than 75 universities in this country offer black-only graduation ceremonies. The actual number by now is probably much higher. Harvard still hosts “affinity celebrations” for graduates‚ which are subdivided by skin color. White people‚ of course‚ are the only racial group that doesn’t get one. What’s important to keep in mind is that none of these incidents were national scandals‚ although they obviously should have been. In many cases‚ the people being discriminated against don’t seem to mind that much. Those impacted by these policies could file lawsuits and‚ even in our court system‚ easily win them. A lot of this stuff just isn’t remotely legal. But nobody challenges it. Nobody sues. Nobody even objects‚ most of the time. And because of that ambivalence‚ “racial equity” is rapidly becoming what it was always going to become‚ which is the return of racial segregation. 

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the toy industry‚ a leading toymaker has announced the layoff of more than 1‚000 employees just as the holiday season approaches. This decision has raised eyebrows and questions about the underlying reasons for such a drastic measure during what is traditionally the most lucrative time of year for toy manufacturers. The company‚ renowned for its popular brands such as Peppa Pig‚ Transformers‚ Monopoly‚ and Dungeons &; Dragons‚ has been facing a downturn in sales. The CEO cited the first three quarters as particularly challenging‚ especially in the toy sector‚ which is still reeling from the highs of the pandemic era when families turned to board games and action figures to pass the time during lockdowns. TOY MAKER HASBRO TO LAYOFF ANOTHER 20% OF ITS EMPLOYEES IN ORDER TO CUT COSTS OVER WEAK HOLIDAY SALES$HAS pic.twitter.com/Kq2HGfsAS4 — GURGAVIN (@gurgavin) December 12‚ 2023 Speculation is rife that the partnership with Disney may have contributed to the company’s woes. Recent years have seen a decline in the popularity of certain Disney franchises‚ with toys linked to the latest Indiana Jones movie and Marvel offerings failing to meet sales expectations after both films performed poorly at the box office. Social media users have not hesitated to draw connections between the layoffs and the toymaker’s association with Disney. Some suggest that Disney’s recent decisions have negatively impacted other companies‚ including those producing merchandise for its franchises. The reported revenue declines of between 10 and 17 percent year-on-year have only added fuel to this fire. I see many people attacking @Hasbro for the announced layoffs. While the company hasn't done itself any favors with its handling of IPs like D&;D. People need to realize this is also a ripple effect. Hasbro's revenue is in part dependant on Marvel and Star Wars and @Disney has… — CountryGentlman (@Gentlman_Gaming) December 12‚ 2023 Critics have pointed to the broader implications of embracing certain policies and cultural stances‚ implying that the company’s current predicament could be a result of prioritizing diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over business fundamentals. This perspective suggests that such policies may have alienated a portion of the consumer base‚ leading to financial repercussions. The closure of the Providence‚ Rhode Island office marks a significant contraction for the toymaker‚ signaling a shift in the company’s operational footprint. This development has left many wondering about the future of the employees affected by the layoffs and the local economy that benefited from their presence. As the news spreads‚ there is a growing sense of unease among shareholders and consumers alike. Questions are being raised about the strategic direction of the company and whether the partnership with Disney is sustainable in the long term given the current market dynamics. In conclusion‚ the mass layoffs at this iconic toymaker have sparked a debate about the influence of partnerships‚ brand associations‚ and corporate policies on business health. As the company navigates these turbulent times‚ the industry will be watching closely to see how it adapts to changing consumer tastes and market challenges. The coming months will be critical in determining whether the toymaker can bounce back or if this is the beginning of a deeper decline. The post Major Toymaker Faces Mass Layoffs Ahead of the Holidays: A Closer Look at the Causes appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'That's my New Year's resolution‚ is to either cut back or stop drinking altogether'

The video dates back to 2021

'This reporting builds on May 2023 findings'

The video is from 2021

An investigation into the accident was 'immediately launched'

Tekashi told police Yailin hit him with the two-by-four