The US desperately needs the SAVE Act to protect the next election, but we have to turn some of the GOP, who are against it. If these are your representatives, please call or email and tell them to pass this act – politely, of course. Generally, these Republicans are afraid of disenfranchising voters. It seems […] The post The GOP Senators Who Will Not Vote for the Save Act appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Washington state’s Governor Bob Ferguson refused to answer a reporter’s question when asked about his own daughter competing against a man during a recent legislative session. “Would you support a biological boy competing against your own child?” Brandi Kruse asked the governor. I asked Washington @GovBobFerguson about boys in girls’ sports. He accused me of being “obsessed with trans kids” and refused to answer the question. I’m not obsessed with trans kids. I’m obsessed with truth. pic.twitter.com/X1pxhRxsjf — Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) January 10, 2026 “I understand your obsession with trans kids,” Ferguson replied. According to Kruse, Ferguson has been open about his children and his daughter attending a private school. The governor, however, was visibly annoyed with the question and continued to dodge it. “Look, we live in a world right now where trans kids are going through a lot. So you know, I want to support trans kids. We have a federal government that essentially wants to erase that community. I’m diametrically opposed to that,” Ferguson said. The governor immediately said he was ready for the next question. Ferguson often posts about his kids on social media. Kruse raised the question to the governor because his daughter is a softball player who recently signed to play at the next level at Carleton College. According to Kruse, Ferguson’s daughter attends a private school and hasn’t had to deal with men infiltrating the girls’ sports teams. The same cannot be said for other girls in the state. Veronica Garcia is a biological male who won the 2025 girls’ 400-meter state championship for East Valley High School in Spokane, Washington. Ahnaleigh Wilson spoke out about losing to a biological male in the 2024 Cashmere Junior Olympics regional track meet 1600-meter race in Washington state. According to Washington state’s regulations, students can participate in any school sport that matches their gender identity. This week, for the first time ever, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on two cases involving transgender athletes. Tuesday, the nation’s highest court heard Little v Hecox and West Virginia v B.P.J. RELATED: SCOTUS Leans Toward Protecting Women’s Sports While ACLU Can’t Define ‘Woman’ During the oral arguments, the lawyer representing the trans-identifying athlete from Idaho couldn’t define biological sex. “We do not have a definition for the court, and we don’t take issue with the … we’re not disputing the definition here,” Kathleen Hartnett told the court. “What we’re saying is that the way it applies in practice is to exclude birth sex males categorically from women’s teams, and that there’s a subset of those birth sex males where it doesn’t make sense to do so, according to the state’s own interest.” The Court seems ready to side with the states that have banned men from women’s sports, which would uphold laws in 27 states.

“The Pendragon Cycle” is not just about epic battles and otherworldly magic — it’s also very much a study of human relationships. And one of the most fascinating relationships is the strong yet complicated bond between brothers Aurelius and Uther.  Portrayed in the series by Finney Cassidy and Myles Clohessy, respectively, the legendary figures are at the heart of Stephen R. Lawhead’s Arthurian saga, embodying two completely different paths toward power, loyalty, and destiny. For Cassidy, stepping into the role of Aurelius felt less like a decision and more like something that simply “shook out the way it was supposed to.” “It was kind of between Aurelius and Merlin that I read for,” Cassidy recalled of the lengthy audition process. “But looking back at the project now, when you watch it, and being amongst everyone on set, it was the most perfect casting. There was something about him where there was a bit of me in Aurelius… I felt like I couldn’t have played anyone else.” Clohessy’s draw to Uther came from a different place entirely, as he’s been a longtime fan of Arthurian legend. “I was a huge history buff regarding the whole legend and lore of King Arthur in the first place,” Clohessy said. “I grew up with those tales. And especially being an American, getting to dive into the world of King Arthur and the creation of the Kingdom of Britain … that was really cool.” Both actors immersed themselves in Lawhead’s book to help develop the characters.  “[The books] gave me real depth for the character,” Cassidy said. “You really understood who he was. When you’ve got the adapted scripts and the novel, you can draw your own version of Aurelius.” For Clohessy, discovering the deeper layers of Uther’s story was a revelation, even with his knowledge of the legend. “I had no idea that Uther was essentially King Arthur’s father,” he said. “I didn’t know there was that whole love triangle going on. I thought going in, we were going to be on the same team throughout the whole thing.” That tension between loyalty and resentment defines the brothers’ on-screen relationship. Cassidy described Aurelius as the level-headed opposite of Uther’s brute strength and volatility. “Uther’s very much a hothead, and I’m the one who kind of brings it down,” Cassidy said. “He wants to deal with things with his hands. Aurelius absolutely wants to talk things out. But if it got to the point where he did have to fight, he would. He’s not a pushover.”  Clohessy agreed, noting that their real-life dynamic is surprisingly similar.“Finney is the more level-headed of us as friends, and I’m the more hot-headed brute,” he said.  As for his character, the actor says Uther has a singular focus. “My loyalty is to my brother,” he went on. “And you see in the arguments I have with the other kings, my whole through line … is to make sure my brother is safe and make sure my brother is king. I’m his battle chief. I’m there to support him and to defend him.” The weight of those roles was amplified by the show’s incredible production scale, which both actors credited as being an important component to their performances. Cassidy recalled his first day on set. “You turn up, and there’s 50 horses being dressed, a hundred supporting artists,” he said. “The day they put me in the costume… it instantly felt real.’” Clohessy echoed the sentiment, calling the production value “everything.” “Without it, the show would be nothing,” he said. “They’re ‘Game of Thrones’ level sets. Hundreds of horses, massive locations across Europe. If the scale isn’t there, not only will the actors not be able to dive in, but the audience won’t either.” While epic battles define much of “The Pendragon Cycle,” both actors pointed to quieter moments between the brothers as the most impactful. Cassidy described a scene with no dialogue that resonated deeply. “There was just a look between the two brothers,” he said. “No dialogue, nothing, but it just means everything. They’ve been through a lot. It was my favorite moment of my performance.” Offscreen, that brotherhood translated into real friendship. Both actors agreed that their favorite behind-the-scenes memory was a snow day that shut down production and turned into an all-cast snowball fight. “We ended up having this massive snowball fight,” Clohessy said. “Just acting like total doofuses.” Cassidy said, “Being adults dressed in medieval outfits, having a major snowball fight… that kind of says everything.” “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” premieres January 22, 2026. Early episodes are currently available for DailyWire+ All Access members.

“West Wing” actor Timothy Busfield turned himself in to the Albuquerque Police Department on Tuesday after a warrant for his arrest was issued last Friday. Busfield stands accused of sexually assaulting twin boys beginning when they were 7 years old. Busfield’s attorney, Larry Stein, said his client requested that law enforcement drop the warrant and allow him to turn himself in, but his request was denied.  “He wants to turn himself in because he wants to clear his name and reputation,” Stein said, per NBC News. “He didn’t do anything wrong. These accusations are false as the investigator from the independent law firm found.” Busfield is currently being held without bail, the outlet noted. The actor worked with twin boys, born in 2014, on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” which aired on Fox from 2022 to 2025. Busfield directed some episodes and was named an executive producer, per Deadline. One of the boys identified in court documents as “SL” told APD Officer Marvin Brown that Busfield touched his “penis and buttocks, masking it as play” more than once. The alleged abuse is said to have started with the boys when they were 7 years old, The Daily Wire previously reported. An investigation began in November 2024 when a University of New Mexico Hospital doctor reported his suspicions of sexual abuse and grooming to authorities.  The actor allegedly had the boys refer to him as “Uncle Tim” and tickled them on their stomachs and legs. Busfield responded to these allegations in November and confirmed it was “highly likely” he engaged in “physical contact” with them. “I don’t remember those boys,” Busfield said, per the affidavit. “No, I don’t. I don’t actually, I don’t remember it, if it happened. I don’t remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for me.” The actor also indicated that the twins’ mother was making the claims as a form of revenge for the child stars not being part of the last season of “The Cleaning Lady,” which has since been canceled. Investigators initially didn’t press charges, but the case was reopened in September 2025 when one of the boys reported the alleged abuse to his doctor. The actor faced two previous sexual assault allegations in 1994 and 2012, but was never charged. Before turning himself in, the actor filmed a video proclaiming his innocence, which was later obtained by TMZ.  “Hi everybody, it’s Tim,” Busfield said. “I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque — I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.” “They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it,” he went on. “I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies.” “So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work,” Busfield continued. “I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has sued the state of Minnesota over affirmative action-based hiring practices. “Today, @TheJusticeDept sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies. This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it,” Bondi posted on X, sharing a link to the DOJ’s official press release on the matter. Today, @TheJusticeDept sued Minnesota for using affirmative action to hire for its state agencies. This is discriminatory DEI codified into bad state policy, and the Trump Administration will not stand for it. https://t.co/NcNHMftLwa — Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 14, 2026 “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota challenging Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies implement sex- and race-based affirmative action plans and consider ‘affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions,'” the release stated. “The State’s affirmative action program directs agencies to engage in employment practices that ‘balance’ the sex and race composition of its workforce with the civilian labor force.” The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and asserts that Minnesota’s mandatory affirmative action-based hiring practices violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). “Because staffing is a zero-sum game, when Minnesota gives preferences to employees or prospective employees on the basis of their race, color, national origin, and sex, it inevitably and necessarily discriminates against other employees or prospective employees because of their race, color, national origin, and sex,” the filing stated, in part. Bondi addressed the situation in Minnesota, saying that the lawsuit was just one way in which the DOJ was working from different angles to ensure that the state was not undermining federal policies — whether those policies pertained to enforcing immigration law, investigating fraud, or ensuring that federal efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were not being undermined. “From suing over sanctuary city policies to a wide-ranging fraud investigation, today’s lawsuit is the Department of Justice’s latest effort to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law,” Bondi explained. “Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon — at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division — added, “For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as ‘affirmative action.’ The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step. Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment. There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.'”

There are some celebrities that we know we’d love if we ran into them on the street. They just exude joy and love. Henry Winkler is one of those people. At 80 years old, Henry makes the best of every single day. He’s always smiling, and we always hear good stories about his interactions with fans. Not only is the man who played The Fonz a nice guy, but he’s also got some happy feet. Henry Winkler stopped by the Jennifer Hudson Show recently and danced his way right onto the set. His smile and interactions with staff show just how much fun he had. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Jennifer Hudson Show (@jenniferhudsonshow) Henry Winkler Can Dance Staff sang a song about Henry Winkler set to the tune of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl and he just couldn’t help but dance. He then sat down with Jennifer, and the pair talked about his recent induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. She called Henry’s speech “amazing” and “emotional.” Henry Winkler told Jennifer Hudson he felt honored to be in a class of such amazing inductees. As always, he treated the interview with class and love. His fans most definitely noticed. They loved listening to Henry Winkler speak and watching him dance. “He used this moment meant to celebrate him to bring attention to his son’s work. What a classy man and proud father,” a fan wrote. “A national treasure. Glad he getting his flowers while he is still here. It was a time to be alive watching him as a child,” another person agreed. Seeing Henry Winkler dance, smile, and entertain means a lot to fans who’ve followed him for years. “He is a special icon for every one around the world specially for those who grow up in the 80s, ‘Happy days’ the fonze, something that always give you a smile, just like is real smile, God bless you dear Henry, keep shine and keep smile, every time I watch you in the screen some magical memory or a feeling from my childhood comes alive,” a fan commented. This story’s featured image can be found here.

We all know that 2025 was not the year for Uncle Herschel and his boss Julie Felss Masino. The Cracker Barrel CEO made some huge changes that people hated. There was so much consumer backlash over logo changes and restaurant redesigns that Cracker Barrel officially made changes and announced no more remodels for 2026 and beyond. The story proved that if it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it. Having said that, every brand in the world has to evolve and make changes at some point if it wants to survive, even Cracker Barrel. But it seems the brand learned a valuable lesson in how to make those changes. @crackerbarrel Move over hot honey, meet Spicy Maple. Our syrup you love, with a kick. ♬ original sound – Cracker Barrel Cracker Barrel Has Big Plans for 2026 According to a news release, Cracker Barrel will make some changes in 2026, mostly to menu items. The company has a new winter offering, Meals for Two, starting at just $19.99. In addition, Cracker Barrel will bring back both the beloved Hamburger Steak and Eggs in The Basket. These offerings are in addition to a new Spicy Maple sauce. “Winter calls for comfort and connection, and nothing delivers that better than the classics,” Thomas Yun, Cracker Barrel VP of Menu Strategy and Innovation, shared in a news release. “Bringing back Hamburger Steak and Eggs in The Basket was an easy choice. Not only are they timeless favorites with deep roots on our menu, but they’re also among the most requested dishes from our guests. These dishes are uniquely Cracker Barrel – rooted in tradition and loved for generations – and we’re thrilled to bring back classics our guests know and love, made the way they remember.” Cracker Barrel will also offer limited-time menu items in 2026. For winter, fans can enjoy a Breakfast Burger, Southern BBQ Wings, Grandma’s Sampler, Steak & Eggs, and Broccoli Cheese Casserole. The Meals for Two offer is available now until May 3, 2026, for dine-in customers only. This story’s featured image is by JetCityImage.

Most consumer tech promises to make life easier. Few actually change habits. Robot vacuums, for all their progress, still leave people grabbing paper towels when a drink spills or a pet track in mud. That gap is exactly what xLean is targeting as it is preparing to debut its new cleaning robot, the xLean TR1, […]