There have been several documented incidents involving self-driving cars in California going rogue lately.  Earlier this month in San Francisco, two Waymo taxis collided. Then the situation became more complicated when a third Waymo autonomous vehicle arrived at the scene and stopped, resulting in a three-way “Waymo standoff” that became funny social media fodder.  The drivers on the road that day were less amused as the street was blocked until Waymo reps arrived on scene to break up the mess.  Days later, a San Francisco man recorded the frightening moment a Waymo self-driving vehicle he was riding in pulled out onto the road and into the path of another car, almost causing a collision. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “I already almost got into a car accident. Oh my God. I am never doing this again,” Chris Rogers said in a video clip.  “The other car absolutely had the right of way, and there was no way for me to fix the situation. I would’ve been forced to endure a really bad car accident,” Rogers told Storyful, adding that it was his first – and probably last – experience with a self-driving car. “Thank God the other driver was a human being and managed to swerve at the last moment,” he added. Also this month, a Waymo robotaxi went viral after it rolled straight through a police standoff in downtown Los Angeles. Bystander video shows the driverless car turning directly beside several police vehicles with their lights flashing, even as a suspect lay on the pavement. Near misses and crashes might not be as common in Waymos when compared to human drivers, but now there’s a new danger to contend with. Most recently, a Los Angeles woman checked the trunk of a self-driving taxi and discovered a man hiding inside, per MotorBiscuit.   The incident occurred near MacArthur Park in the Westlake District of Los Angeles. The woman said she ordered the Waymo for her daughter. In a TikTok captioned “This was real life and not a skit,” she can be heard recounting what happened to authorities. “Why the f*ck are you in the trunk?” the woman can be heard asking the man in a TikTok video.  “I’m trying to figure this out. This sh*t won’t let me out,” he replied. “They just put me in it.” “Who put you in it?” she asked.  “The people,” he replied. Police responded but did not arrest the man as he technically committed no crimes, FOX 11 News noted.  A Waymo spokesperson made the following statement on the incident, per CBS LA News: “We’re committed to keeping our riders safe and earning the trust of the communities where we operate. This experience was unacceptable, and we are actively implementing changes to address this.”  Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., which offers on-demand transportation in select cities across the United States, including Austin, Phoenix, and Atlanta. Waymo claims its cars have 90% fewer accidents compared to human drivers.

The Michigan Republican-controlled House used a little-known provision in state law to cut $645 million in government funding, including slashing multiple left-wing causes, last week. The cuts were a major move for Republicans who are up against a Democrat-controlled state Senate and a Democratic governor that have pushed for bigger state budgets and a more expansive state government. Republican House Speaker Matt Hall told The Daily Wire that the cuts came after Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked for an extension on $2.7 billion that had been earmarked under a previous budget, but had not been spent by the end of the fiscal year. “We had the opportunity using this law to cut more spending before Whitmer was able to put it into her slush funds,” Hall said. The State Budget Office, which is controlled by Whitmer, sent letters to the House and Senate budget committees, requesting an extension on the $2.7 billion in funding that was not used, Bridge Michigan reported. The GOP-controlled House budget committee opposed many of the programs in the Whitmer administration’s funding request and decided to send $645 million back to the state’s general fund. Hall accused Whitmer and Democrats of requesting “a lot more money than they need” for the budget extension, adding, “And then they keep the money and they work-project it into their slush fund, so they have it for years.” The biggest cut was $159 million to Whitmer’s Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund. The fund, which Whitmer created with the approval of the state legislature in 2024, matches federal grants with the state’s job creation goals. Another target of the Republican cuts was the Community Enhancement Grants, which were denied nearly $103 million. Some of the money from the grants has gone toward a festival in Detroit to celebrate diversity, according to WWMT News Channel 3. The Community Enhancement Grants were combined under one line item, meaning Republicans had to cut all of them to slash funding for the grants that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Other priorities that were among the Republican cuts included over $1.2 million for a program aimed at stocking public bathrooms with feminine hygiene products. Hall told The Daily Wire that the program also requires boys’ bathrooms to be stocked with tampons. Republicans also slashed funding for some of Whitmer’s green energy projects, such as her goal to build electric vehicle chargers along the coast of Lake Michigan. Another department that took a hit from the cuts was the Office of Global Michigan, which housed a program that Whitmer used to make government handouts available to illegal immigrants. The Office of Global Michigan, which lost around $1.3 million in the cuts, is also riddled with diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Michigan Democrats blasted Republicans over the cuts, calling them “cruel” and “disgusting.” Democrats specifically called out cuts to the RxKids program, which helps some parents pay for their children’s prescriptions. Democrats also blasted Republicans for making cuts to “Wigs for Kids,” which provides wigs and other services for children going through cancer treatments. Democratic state Rep. Will Snyder said the GOP cuts were one of the most “unprecedented displays of cruelty that I’ve ever seen during my time here in Lansing,” according to Michigan Advance. “This budget instrument was never intended for this purpose, and using it with such haste and scale proves the dangerous nature of crossing pre-existing and long standing-lines, even if (it was) potentially legally permissible,” Snyder said. “We are just now beginning to understand the full scope of these disgusting actions.” “There’s a special place in hell for someone willing to yank money away from moms and babies 15 days before Christmas,” said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Winnie Brinks. “I hope Matt Hall takes this holiday season to look within himself and reevaluate what exactly he’s doing here.” Democratic leaders also suggested that they could pursue legal action to prevent the massive cuts. Hall brushed off the criticism from Democrats, arguing that the state could still use some of the other government funding in its “slush fund” to put toward charities, such as Wigs for Kids. “We can reappropriate funds that have a good purpose. We can come back through a supplemental budget, and we can put it back to use,” Hall said. “But I think the Whitmer administration should come in and they should explain to us where every one of these dollars is going. Something they wouldn’t do when they were trying to prevent us from making the cuts.”

The horror genre and comedian Rodney Dangerfield have something in common. Neither gets much respect. Sure, audiences flock to horror movies as much as any genre over the decades. We turn cinematic serial killers like Art the Clown, Freddy Krueger, and Jason Voorhees into pop culture icons. The films rarely get a once-over when it’s time for awards season. This time it’s different. And it’s not just about golden statuettes. Horror kept this year’s box office afloat in 2025, a year that saw a shocking number of commercial duds litter movie houses. Think Robert De Niro’s “The Alto Knights,” Disney’s “Snow White” and Robert Pattinson’s “Mickey 17” as prime offenders. Multiple horror movies will be vying for the year’s biggest prize – the Best Picture Oscar. They may come up short to “One Battle After Another,” a prestige film that sends the exact message progressive Hollywood craves in President Donald Trump’s second term. Stop ICE at all costs. Still, these horror entries matter, and they may scoop up a golden trophy or two before the dust settles. It starts with director Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” an unconventional vampire movie that doubled as an exposé of early 20th century racism. The film hit theaters in April, with forecasters wondering if its large budget ($90 million) might preclude it from making a profit. Most horror movies are made for a fraction of that amount. Credit: Warner Bros. The film opened big and expanded its audience week after week, wrapping its run with a gaudy $279 million stateside haul. Critics and crowds alike rallied behind it – witness the film’s dueling Rotten Tomatoes’ scores – 97% “fresh” from critics, 96% “fresh” from general audiences. Now, it’s front and center in the current Oscar race, with experts predicting nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and maybe Best Actor for Michael B Jordan in a dual role. Coming in a close second is director Craig Zegger’s “Weapons,” a deliriously original film about a town where an entire class of children disappeared overnight, save one. What happened? Is the class’s teacher (Julia Garner) to blame? The film’s core mystery is told via multiple perspectives, adding layers to the eventual shocks.  Credit: New Line Cinema. Once again, critics and customers hailed the film (Rotten Tomatoes – 93/85) and the box office sales soared ($151 million). The price tag? A modest $38 million. The film’s Best Picture chances are less secure than “Sinners,” but creepy co-star Amy Madigan is a lock for a Best Supporting Actress turn for her memorable turn as Aunt Gladys, and Best Screenplay honors are also likely. And then there’s “Frankenstein.” Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro brought the classic monster story back from the grave via Netflix. His take on the property earned him a Best Picture nomination from the Golden Globes, and Oscar love may shortly follow. Del Toro’s brand matters to Academy voters, and he treated the pulpy material with a keen idea for the humanity within the reconstructed monster. Imagine not one or two but three horror films gracing this year’s Best Picture nomination list? The last time horror had such a prestigious close-up was when 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” swept that year’s Oscars ceremony, netting five statues (including Best Picture). The year’s box office picture is another, murkier matter. Yes, the numbers are up from 2024, but that’s hardly something to crow about. This year’s domestic box office is up 1%, but the industry battle cry “survive until 2025” when more populist films were lining up for release didn’t quite transpire. Don’t blame horror movies. Not only did “Sinners” and “Weapons” pull their weight (“Frankenstein” barely played in theaters before jumping to Netflix), but other horror hits stunned Hollywood. The fourth film in the “Conjuring” series, “Last Rites,” made $177 million and a total of $494 million globally. That made it the most profitable film in the saga. “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” the first film in that lo-fi saga since 2011’s “Final Destination 5,” made $138 million in the U.S. alone and revived the franchise. That film also included an emotional farewell to horror favorite Tony Todd, who knew he was gravely ill when he shot his final scene for the series. Recent horror hits include “Black Phone 2” (a respectable $77 million US to date), “28 Years Later” ($70 million US) and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” (a $64 million opening weekend). Why is horror having a moment? Start with a new crop of directors who know the genre well, from Coogler and Cregger to Osgood Perkins (“Keeper,” “The Monkey”) and Jordan Peele (“Get Out”). Horror films don’t require starry casts and can be made on a shoestring budget. Plus, when they insert the obligatory left-leaning messages, it’s embedded in the scares, not force fed to us in lectures. Audiences crave the unfettered escapism the genre offers. We’re living in a divided age, but political ideology mostly gets left behind when settling in for a horror film. Jump scares don’t ask audiences how they vote. And while video games and social media keep cutting into the theatrical pull, there’s nothing like being scared silly in the dark with a group of like-minded strangers. It helps to savor some A-plus films that respect that reality. * * * Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at HollywoodInToto.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire. Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships

Actor James Woods is mourning the loss of his friend, Rob Reiner, and calling out anyone who is less than sympathetic to Reiner’s murder. Some conservatives have posted about Reiner being an outspoken liberal and a Trump critic. But Woods, a conservative, insists that doesn’t change how much sympathy the world should have. “Rob literally saved my career and really put me back on track in a way that was so important and rewarding in my life. He really fought for me when a studio didn’t want me in a movie,” Woods said during a Fox News appearance Monday night, saying he fought for Woods to get a role when the studio didn’t want him. “I went from really being basically out of a job to getting an Academy Award nomination, and I give all the credit to Rob.” The longtime actor became emotional several times while speaking with host Jesse Watters on “Jesse Waters Primetime.” “I judge people by how they treat me, and Rob Reiner was a godsend in my life. We got along great, we loved each other… He was always on my side,” Woods continued, “When people would say to me, ‘What do you think of his politics?’ I would say, ‘I think Rob Reiner is a great patriot. Do I agree… on many of his ideas on how that patriotism should be enacted, to celebrate the America that we both love? No. He doesn’t agree with me either, but he also respects my patriotism. We had a different path to the same destination, which was a country we both love.” “Because you disagree with people doesn’t mean that you have to hate people,” he added. Woods also mentioned the compassionate way Reiner responded to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, which stood in stark contrast to many of his Hollywood comrades. “I knew Charlie Kirk, I supported him… people said such horrible things, and Rob did not,” Woods told Watters. “When people say horrible things about Rob right now, I find it, quite frankly, infuriating and distasteful. Did I agree with his politics? I did not. Did I love him as a friend, as an artist, as an icon of Hollywood, and as a patriot? I most certainly did, and I am just absolutely devastated by this terrible event.” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships Reiner and his wife, Michele Reiner, were murdered on Sunday. President Trump has been criticized for his reaction on Truth Social, which said Reiner “passed away, together with his wife, Michele, reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS.” Trump doubled down during a press conference on Monday. “I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned. … I thought he was very bad for our country.”

Interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the daughter of an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor injured in the Bondi Beach massacre blasted the network, along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, for their handling of the tragedy. “He’s 86; he’s a Holocaust survivor,” she began. “He’s a survivor of antisemitism in the ex-Soviet Union. He grew up tough, my dad. He came to Australia and brought us here because he didn’t want my mother and I to go through the same experience. And we didn’t for many years; we didn’t for many years — until October 7, 2023.” James Glenday, co-host of News Breakfast, the ABC’s flagship morning TV program, tried to skate past the horrific massacre with this lame question: “How are you feeling right now, because there’s some really good things happening in this community, like a lot of people are coming together.” “We’re so appreciative of that, yeah,” she acknowledged, then responded to the insipid question, repeating: “How are we feeling?” Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships She offered a rhetorical question to the government after the murders: “Is this what you wanted? Is this enough now? Will you listen to us? Albanese, Wong, will you listen to us? Will you actually do something? Will you actually — Don’t have to stand up and say anything because we don’t believe you anyway.” Then she directly challenged the interviewer, his network, and the media in general: “And ABC, I’ve gotta say, will you cut out the biased reporting? Mainstream media, will you cut it out? Will you actually let us have a voice? Because we feel that part of the reason that the Jewish people have experienced such a massive change in Australia toward us — I’m Aussie. I’m Aussie. I’m not a religious Jewish girl but since October 7, since all the hatred that’s been thrown at us, I’ve started to wear my Magen David (star of David) because I’m Jewish and if you have something to say, you can say it to me.” “And ABC, please stop with the biased reporting,” she concluded. ??? Her dad is an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor. He is in hospital after being injured at Bondi beach. That ABC talking head James Glenday asks, ‘How are you feeling right now… ?’ OUCH! He got a well-deserved smack!! Good on that lady. She didn’t miss #THEIRABC pic.twitter.com/rZ9XMYEV7u — JILL (@1Swinging_Voter) December 15, 2025 Last July, Australian MP Andrew Wallace slammed Albanese and Wong, stating after the release of the Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism: “I am staggered that it has taken this long for the Albanese Government to finally prioritise the safety and dignity of Australia’s Jewish community. Let’s be clear: the kind of antisemitic hate this plan seeks to address are violent attacks on synagogues, harassment of Jewish students, and the open spread of hate symbols and rhetoric on our streets, which has been amplified since October 7, 2023. That’s nearly three years that this Government has sat on its hands while Jewish Australians were threatened, abused and intimidated in their homes, their schools, and their places of worship.” “The Albanese Government has been dragged kicking and screaming to this point,” he continued.

Doors, everywhere, slammed shut