President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to fast-track the reclassification of cannabis, which would pave the way for the Food and Drug Administration to study its medicinal uses. “This is really something having to do with common sense,” Trump said in the Oval Office before signing the order. The order does not make […] The post President Trump’s EO Fast-Tracks Reclassification of Pot appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

New York will allow the legalization of medically assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Governor Hochul and state legislative leaders announced the agreement to pass the bill. It will be in effect next year. Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul plans to sign the proposal next year. She noted that she added “guardrails” in the bill in […] The post Good News! You Can Kill Grandma in New York appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Doctors who perform transgender procedures on children across the globe may soon be unwelcome in the United States thanks to new legislation proposed by a North Carolina Republican. Rep. Addison McDowell introduced a bill Thursday that would block the entry of foreign doctors who have put American children on cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers or performed transgender surgeries on them. The proposal, first shared with The Daily Wire, would also bar the entry of foreign doctors who are members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a radical organization that has promoted transgender procedures for kids.  “There is no reason Washington should look the other way while American kids are harmed overseas,” McDowell told The Daily Wire. “This bill draws a clear line – if you participate in the mutilation of American children, you are not welcome in this country.” The push comes as there have been reports of parents leaving the United States with their children to pursue such procedures because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on radical transgender ideology.  “This is about protecting kids, plain and simple,” McDowell added. “If a procedure is so extreme that it’s restricted in states here at home, we shouldn’t allow foreign actors to profit from it and then come back to the United States like nothing happened. American children deserve protection, not loopholes.” Republican Reps. Tim Moore (NC), Josh Brecheen (OK), Randy Weber (TX), David Taylor (OH), and Marlin Stutzman (IN) are co-sponsoring the legislation, titled the “Protecting Children From Foreign Mutilation Act.” “Foreigners who perform irreversible gender transition procedures on our children are not welcome here. Congress must continue our work to shield our children and families from falling victim to the Left’s gender ideology, and I’m proud to support the Protecting Children from Foreign Mutilation Act,” Taylor said. The legislation would also bar entry into the United States from those who operated a clinic, hospital, or pharmacy that facilitated “chemical or surgical mutilations” of American citizens. It would also allow for revocations of current visas granted to pro-trans doctors and WPATH members.  WPATH has long faced criticism over its Standards of Care policies, which have no minimum age recommendations for minors to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys. The standards also suggest that males under the age of 18 can have vaginoplasties, a procedure where a fake vagina is made using genital tissue. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships The bill would also create a reporting mechanism that allows people to report doctors or others who have facilitated these treatments, to aid the State Department in carrying out the ban. An exemption from visa restrictions would exist for whistleblowers who have spoken out against transgender procedures.  If the bill becomes law, Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be required to produce a report detailing the actions being taken to enforce it and the number of doctors barred from entry under the act. The legislation is backed by the American Principles Project, a conservative organization that fights for traditional American values.  “Voters gave Republicans a mandate to fix the Democrats’ immigration mess and root out evil from our health care system,” American Principles Project President Terry Schilling told The Daily Wire. “The Protecting Children from Foreign Mutilation Act does both,” Schilling said. “American families deserve the very best care delivered by ethical doctors, not glorified butchers bearing dubious diplomas.” The Department of Health and Human Services moved Thursday to cut off all funding from hospitals that do transgender procedures on kids. That came after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted Wednesday to ban transgender procedures on minors and punish doctors who perform the procedures. 

The Kennedy Center board voted unanimously Thursday to rename the Washington, D.C., performing arts venue The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, The Daily Wire has learned. Trump had teased the possibility of renaming the center, which he has made a focal point of his second administration. It is unclear how or when the renaming will become official. Earlier attempts have been made to rename the center. In July 2025, Missouri GOP Rep. Bob Onder introduced the “Make Entertainment Great Again” Act, which proposed renaming the entire complex the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts. Later that month, the House Appropriations Committee approved an amendment to rename the center’s main Opera House after First Lady Melania Trump. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships President Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, objected to the name change, citing a 1983 federal statute that prohibits additional memorials or plaques in the public areas of the Kennedy Center. The statue stated, “There is established in the Smithsonian Institution a bureau, which shall be directed by a board to be known as the Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the ‘Board’), whose duty it shall be to maintain and administer the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and site thereof as the National Center for the Performing Arts, a living memorial to John Fitzgerald Kennedy … the Board shall assure that after December 2, 1983, no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” “Plain reading of the statute makes clear — YOU CAN’T DO THAT,” Schlossberg, 32, wrote on Instagram. “Law prohibits renaming Kennedy Center.” In early 2025, President Trump ousted the Board of Trustees and named himself Chairman of the Board and appointed Richard Grenell as interim executive director. Trump wrote, “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.” Grenell stated, “Corporations don’t want to fund an all-lesbian cast of Othello.”

Inflation cooled in November, coming in lower than what economists predicted, a win for President Donald Trump as he becomes more aggressive in his messaging on the economy. The consumer price index report released on Thursday shows that prices rose by 2.7% year-over-year, a drop from the 3% rate shown in the most recent report in September. The 2.7% rate is the lowest overall inflation reading since June and surprised experts who predicted that inflation would jump above 3%. The Trump administration celebrated Thursday’s report and pointed to another metric, which shows that key services inflation has fallen to its lowest level since March of 2021. The key services inflation gauge, which takes out housing and energy costs and is closely tracked by the Federal Reserve, also came in at 2.7%. “Thanks to @POTUS’ pro-worker economic policies, inflation has fallen to the lowest level since March of 2021,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “The facts are clear: President Trump is making progress to fix the affordability crisis caused by Biden and deliver relief for hardworking Americans.” Zooming in on specific items in the consumer price index, food increased 2.6% year-over-year, while energy jumped 4.2%. Electricity was up 6.9% over the past year, and natural gas was up 9.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s report comes after the federal government did not release a consumer price index report in October due to the record-breaking government shutdown. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Harvard Economics and Public Policy Professor Ken Rogoff told CNN that he was “surprised” by the inflation report. “It was a better number than anyone was expecting,” Rogoff said, adding, “People were expecting it to be above 3%. It was well below 3%. I think the president will take this as good news. The investors will think that interest rates will get cut more. So, it was positive news. There’s no other way to spin it.” The stock market also reacted positively to the news, with the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all making gains on Thursday. Trump has been focusing on his economic messaging in recent weeks as the Republican Party gears up for the 2026 midterm elections. The president has blasted Democrats over their focus on the so-called affordability crisis, which he calls a “hoax” and argues that his economic policies are fixing the “mess” that he was left by former President Joe Biden. Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, touting his economic policies and announcing a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 for American service members. During his address, Trump also highlighted his aggressive immigration policies, arguing that the illegal immigrants who flooded the country under Biden had a negative impact on the U.S. economy. Trump is set to visit North Carolina, an important battleground state in the upcoming midterms, on Friday for the next stop on his tour, bringing his economic message directly to his supporters. North Carolina will be the second stop on Trump’s economy tour after he visited Pennsylvania last week.

An illegal immigrant given a New York commercial driver’s license allegedly caused a fatal crash while driving behind the wheel of a tour bus. Chinese illegal immigrant Yisong Huang, 54, allegedly killed a 31-year-old truck driver and injured several others in Tennessee on December 9 while he was distracted by a video on his phone, according to the New York Post. The latest collision is part of a recent, larger string of crashes involving illegal immigrants behind the wheel of heavy trucks and buses. “Far too many innocent Americans have been killed by illegal aliens driving semi-trucks and big rigs. And yet, sanctuary states around the country have been issuing illegal aliens commercial driver’s licenses. The Trump Administration is ending the chaos,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement regarding the latest crash. “The brave men and women of ICE are working nonstop to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and off our roads.” After the crash, Huang failed an English proficiency test, which is required by the federal government in order to obtain a commercial driver’s license, according to DHS. Huang crossed the border illegally in 2023, when federal authorities reported a massive surge in Chinese migrants entering through Mexico, DHS said. Border Patrol agents swiftly released him into the country, and he was later granted a work permit and social security card. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed that Huang received the license on April 11, 2025, after he presented federal documents, according to the New York Post. The state agency denied that the license was issued unlawfully. After a series of recent crashes involving illegal immigrants carrying commercial driver’s licenses, the Trump administration has commenced a nationwide crackdown on states issuing them. The federal government has also instituted new changes to testing requirements, including enforcing a rule that testing must be conducted in English. A recent federal audit of New York’s issuance of commercial driver’s licenses found that more than half were issued unlawfully, according to the Department of Transportation. As a result, the Trump administration has threatened to withhold roughly $73 million in federal funding from the Empire State. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Experts have told The Daily Wire that the issue metastasized when the Biden administration began handing out work permits “like candy” to illegal border crossers while taking a lax approach when it came to commercial driver’s license testing requirements. The issue is also attributed to third-party testing sites, which certify new drivers independently. “There’s no good checks and balances, to be perfectly honest with you,” Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, previously told The Daily Wire. “A lot of states allow third party testing to do the CDLs and I would say that’s how most of these people get through,” he said.

Romy and Jake Reiner issued a joint statement from the family on Wednesday, marking the first time they’ve spoken publicly since the brutal murders of their parents, acclaimed Hollywood director Rob Reiner and producer Michele Singer Reiner. “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends,” Jake, 34, and Romy, 28, said in the statement first published by TMZ. “We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” the statement continued. “We now ask for respect and privacy, for speculation to be tempered with compassion and humanity, and for our parents to be remembered for the incredible lives they lived and the love they gave.” The statement came within hours of the first court appearance for their brother Nick, 32, who was arrested on Sunday and charged on Tuesday with two counts of first-degree murder, with special circumstances attached because there were multiple murders and he allegedly attacked with a deadly weapon. During Reiner’s brief court appearance on Wednesday, he was seated behind glass and wore a suicide-prevention smock. The judge quickly ruled that no photos or videos could be taken of him during the proceedings. Reiner, who was arrested hours after the bodies of his parents were found, did not enter a plea, and after confirming that the accused understood he was waiving his right to a “speedy” arraignment, the judge granted a continuance, pushing the arraignment until January 7, 2026. He has retained high-powered defense attorney Alan Jackson, whose prior clients include actor Kevin Spacey and disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

As a part of the beloved boy band One Direction, Niall Horan topped the charts as one of the biggest pop artists of the 2010s. He and bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and the late Liam Pain saw their success grow rapidly after coming in third on Simon Cowell’s The X Factor. After competing on reality TV himself, it only made sense for Niall Horan to lend a hand as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. Niall first joined the show for seasons 23 and 24, then took a break before coming back for season 28. During his most recent run, Niall accomplished something no one’s ever done before. Niall Horan is the First Coach to Go Undefeated on “The Voice” On the December 16 finale, Aiden Ross took home the big win. This was also a win for coach Niall Horan, who is now undefeated on The Voice. Niall successfully coached a team member all the way to the top, rivaling Blake Shelton’s threepeat, in seasons 2, 3, and 4. But since Blake lost season 1 to coach Adam Levine, helping Niall to make history. Following the big win, Niall shared his excitement with Parade. “It’s amazing,” he told Parade. “I’ve been so lucky with the artists that I’ve gotten to work with on the show.  That’s been a big one – from Gina to Huntley to Aiden — it’s been incredible. The teams that I’ve been able to curate over the three seasons that I’ve been here have just been incredible, and America’s just been so good to us. They’ve really stood up when we needed them and voted me the winner three times.” Fans of The Voice loved seeing Niall Horan and Aiden Ross as the winners. “Oh I’m so happy for this guy! He’s been my top pick ever since his audition! Yay!” A fan shared. “Niall going 3/3 is wild,” another person wrote. This story’s featured image is by Trae Patton/NBC via Getty Images

When it comes to fast food, it seems we’re all in our chicken era. Restaurants like Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Burger King all poured big bucks into their chicken menus to stay ahead of the competition. Taste, quality, and price all remain significant factors for families trying to budget, but who still like an occasional meal they don’t have to cook themselves. Yelp put together its 2025 Most Loved Brands list, and chicken pecked its way to the top. But if you’re thinking Chick-fil-A or KFC, you’re not even close. Foodbeast reports Dave’s Hot Chicken is America’s favorite. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DavesHotChicken (@daveshotchicken) Dave’s Hot Chicken is a Relatively New Brand With locations all across America, Dave’s Hot Chicken is truly a fan favorite. The brand began in California in 2017 and specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken. Not only is Dave’s America’s favorite brand, but it also ranked second on Yelp’s 2025 Top Chicken Sandwich Chains list and number 28 on its 2025 Fastest Growing Brands. “In a year defined by price sensitivity, earning customer loyalty is more important than ever. Customers count on businesses to deliver their favorite menu items as expected or to complete services reliably every time. This dedication to quality sets the Most Loved Brands apart, driving great reviews and, most importantly, repeat visits. Every day, we see purchase-ready Yelp users reward outstanding experiences with positive feedback, and ongoing business. With millions of buying decisions made on our platform daily, Yelp’s data offers unique insight into the brands that keep customers coming back,” Sarah Chang, Yelp’s vice president and head of enterprise sales, shared in a release. According to the company website, three friends in their twenties “scraped together $900 to sell Dave’s Hot Chicken in a Los Angeles parking lot. “But thanks to Instagram, people came. And tasted. And came back with their friends. Then, the buzz brought a reporter from EATER/LA. He took a bite of his first Dave’s Hot Chicken tender, and our world changed. The next day he posted, ‘East Hollywood’s New Late Night Hot Chicken Stand Might Blow Your Mind,’” the website boasts. This story’s featured image is by Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images