Mark Duplass isn’t a household name. He just happens to have a household face. The actor/producer has been all over our screens in recent years‚ including co-starring in Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” and popping up in “The Mindy Project‚” “Paddleton” and FX’s “The League‚” to name just a few high-profile projects. Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images You’d think he has it all – a bustling Hollywood schedule without the perils of A-list fame‚ the respect of his community‚ and the ability to tell stories on his own terms via his production company. That’s both right and wrong. Duplass has been sharing his mental health journey on Instagram‚ and it might come as a shock to those assuming his life teems with happiness. Most stars use the platform to peddle products‚ promote their latest films‚ or just connect with admirers. Duplass has something else in mind. He’s been revealing his struggles with depression and anxiety in ways that strip the veneer off his celebrity life. Today I am feeling a little sad. Can I say that and be okay with it? And not spend the day in fear that this small sadness will grow into a sadness monster that might take me down? Maybe I can even be grateful for the ability to hold this sadness (not run from it) and place it next to some hope I’ve been nurturing. And just let them co-mingle for a bit‚ like nervous strangers at a dinner party. And just kinda see what happens. Because‚ as many of you know‚ sadness is not the same thing as depression. Sadness is a feeling I’m grateful to feel. Sadness we can work with. So yeah. I’m a little sad. And a little hopeful. That’s… pretty good. How are you feeling today?   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Mark Duplass (@markduplass) It’s a far cry from his dude bro character on FX’s “The League‚” which ran for five seasons and celebrated the kind of male bonding that eschews therapeutic talk. Here’s another example: The sheer amount of things I can do/see/experience/consume on a daily bases [sic] has increased drastically in my lifetime‚ and I don’t think it’s made me happier. When I look back at some of the most wonderful moments in my life‚ they were surprisingly super small. The quiet of a long winter hike and the delayed gratification of eating my homemade 62 cent peanut butter and jelly sandwich once I reach the summit….This epically small stuff is the easiest to access‚ and it’s really lifting me up right now. I hope it might do something similar for you.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Mark Duplass (@markduplass) At times his updates are gently positive and life-affirming. Then he might share some of the singer-songwriters who have helped him through rough patches with their art‚ like Cassandra Jenkins‚ The Milk Carton Kids‚ Adrianne Lenker and The Paper Kites. They’re not household names‚ either‚ but here’s betting some of Duplass’ followers will be investigating their music sooner than later. It’s not a one-way conversation‚ a chance for a celebrity to wax on about his emotional state. His deeply personal essays inspire plenty of feedback from fans and those eager to hear his latest updates. Mental health professionals also weigh in‚ cheering his efforts to connect with followers in a way above and beyond the celebrity circuit. He’s also using Instagram to chat with mental health professionals from the nonprofit group To Write Love on Her Arms about his feelings and how they can collectively help others. Plus‚ these social media events raise money for “mental health scholarships‚” and he’s offered to donate up to $10‚000 toward the cause. He’s not alone in his Hollywood struggles‚ of course.  For every star who publicly confesses about their past sins‚ others genuinely share their personal struggles. Robert Downey‚ Jr. helped build the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the ground up‚ but before flying high as Iron Man he struggled with severe addiction issues. He even spent time in prison before conquering his demons‚ and he’s been open about his struggles along the way. Actor Michael J. Fox turned his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis into a foundation that raises millions to battle the incurable illness. Another star who appears to have it all is Angelina Jolie. She’s an Oscar-winning actress whose wealth and fame have been secure for decades. Yet she recently admitted to The Wall Street Journal Magazine that she loathes living in the public eye and longs to move to a more authentic place rather than spend time in Los Angeles. When I was starting out‚ it wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public‚ to share so much. … It’s part of what happened after my divorce. I lost the ability to live and travel as freely. I will move when I can…I grew up in quite a shallow place. Of all the places in the world‚ Hollywood is not a healthy place. So you seek authenticity. Celebrities routinely virtue signal on social media and via fawning interviews. It’s empty blather‚ for the most part‚ opinions that change few hearts and minds. Sometimes‚ the stars are just posturing for the next gig with their pre-packaged opinions. What Duplass‚ Downey Jr.‚ and Fox have done is different. It’s personal and substantial‚ the case of stars using their bully pulpit to make a difference in the lives of others. That’s real star power. * * * 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. The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

A group of Arabs from the Middle East and North Africa were deeply disturbed after viewing 47-minutes of Hamas’s October 7 atrocities during a screening at the Israeli consulate in Boston‚ Massachusetts. “I was shocked — I couldn’t breathe‚” Fatema Al Harbi from Bahrain told The Daily Wire. “I cried most of it.” The group is part of a delegation meeting with American leaders and advocating for peace under the organization Sharaka‚ which was founded after the Abraham Accords. Members of the delegation included individuals from Syria‚ Lebanon‚ Bahrain‚ Saudi Arabia‚ and Morocco. ARAB PEACE ACTIVISTS REACT TO RESTRICTED HAMAS MASSACRE VIDEO COMPILATION While much of the footage has been circulated online‚ the compilation does not blur faces of dead or alive adults‚ and includes videos that have not been released publicly. The consulate did not allow video cameras or cell phones in the screening room. “I thought I saw enough on social media‚” said Al Harbi‚ who is also the Sharaka’s Gulf affairs director. “There were more horrific acts and barbaric acts towards civilians — people sleeping in their beds.” In total‚ the video shows over 120 bodies including children‚ videos of beheadings‚ houses and people set on fire‚ unarmed people shot at point blank range and more. “I thought the worst I’ve seen in my life is what ISIS has done in Iraq and Syria‚” Rawan Osman who is Syrian and Lebanese said. “I have never imagined saying I’ve seen something worse.” A group of Arabs from the Middle East speak at an event during their trip to the United States to advocate for peace in the Middle East. (Photo by: Consulate of Israel to the Southeast) Osman‚ who has lived in Syria and Lebanon‚ said the glee that Hamas fighters had in the video while they executed and beheaded people made them worse than ISIS. “They were so joyful and cheering over dead bodies and they were parading bodies without clothes‚” Al Harbi‚ who is Muslim‚ said. “That’s not the Islam that I knew my whole life.” VIDEO: Inside The Day-Long Terrorist Siege On Israel’s Sderot Police Station Osman said  the hardest part of the video for her was a scene of a father appearing to jump on a grenade to save his children in a bomb shelter. “I’m a mother and I could relate to the fear‚ the dread the father and the children were feeling‚” she said. “The moment the boys realize that their father has been killed and the way the terrorists react to that‚ they’re just pushing them around‚ like move on.” Two Kfar Aza homes‚ one with shrapnel holes in the ceiling from a grenade and another with blood on the walls. “I think his childhood ended that moment‚” Osman said of one of the children that was heard wishing to be dead in the video after his father was killed. WATCH: Inside The Israeli Kibbutz Where Dozens Were Murdered By Hamas The footage has left journalists and lawmakers in tears during other screenings. Nearly every person from the Boston group was crying while watching the footage. During the debrief one man had to leave and no one was making eye contact with each other. “I couldn’t contain myself‚ I had to go out‚” Youssef Elazhari from Morocco said. “I’ve seen most of the videos‚ but seeing them all together gets to you. I had to change the air and cry a bit.” Each house ion a particular street in n Kfar Aza faced a different fate. Some were entirely burned‚ some had bullet holes‚ others still have blood on personal items. Elazhari said the section showing videos from the Nova music festival massacre was the hardest for him because he likes to attend similar events in Morocco. “I know how happy people are at these types of events and how much they want to be with their community that is full of love‚” he said. “But Hamas just wanted to kill them without even knowing who they are. “In Morocco‚ Palestine is considered a noble cause but they don’t know who they are championing‚ they don’t know s***‚” he said. Elazhari added that he is not surprised by Israel’s response in invading Gaza. “Hamas killed people and took hostages. That’s just telling the Israelis ‘come to my house and look for them‚’” he said. “Hamas has no concept of failure: if you kill someone it’s glory‚ if you die‚ it’s also glory. There’s just no end.” Osman said it’s frustrating when Hamas denies the atrocities. “An Israeli was decapitated with a small knife and then his head was taken away‚” she said recounting what she saw in the video. “I think that’s enough proof.” GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images Al Harbi said she doesn’t think the video would convince some people who hate Israel of the atrocities even if it were to be released publicly. Meet The American Cowboys Who Rushed To Israel To Fill In For Farmers Called Up To Fight Hamas “I think some people don’t want to accept the reality and don’t want to give credits of what actually happened that day‚” she said. “It’s a different kind of war happening.” With the horrific scenes burned into her mind‚ Al Harbi said she will continue to advocate for peace. “Seeing the bodies without without their heads and and seeing children crying over their family’s bodies … I think those scenes will always stick in my mind‚ and I think that will help me always to advocate for peace‚ that no children‚ no woman‚ no father deserve to to see such scenes‚ no matter what their religion or nationality‚” she said. Osman said she has no plans to stop advocating for peace and against Hamas. “I have seen the horrific scenes coming out of Gaza‚ but I also do not allow them to confuse me‚” she said. “I do remember what happened on the 7th of October — who instigated this war — and as a mother‚ as someone who grew up in the Middle East‚ as someone who has family across the Middle East and many friends in Israel‚ I cannot carry on living as if something hasn’t happened.”

The only rabbi on Harvard’s newly-formed anti-Semitism advisory committee resigned on Thursday amid ongoing controversy about anti-Semitism on campus. “Without rehashing all of the obvious reasons that have been endlessly adumbrated online‚ and with great respect for the members of the committee‚ the short explanation is that both events on campus and the painfully inadequate testimony reinforced the idea that I cannot make the sort of difference I had hoped‚” Rabbi David Wolpe‚ a visiting scholar at Harvard’s Divinity School‚ wrote on Twitter. Harvard University president Claudine Gay announced the formation of the committee in the wake of Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack and a rise in anti-Israel demonstrations on her campus. Members included various faculty members‚ alumni‚ students‚ and Jewish leaders. While Wolpe said he thinks most Harvard students are just trying to pursue education and a career‚ he said Harvard is being consumed with an ideology that demonizes Jewish people. “[T]he system at Harvard‚ along with the ideology that grips far too many of the students and faculty‚ the ideology that works only along axes of oppression and places Jews as oppressors and therefore intrinsically evil‚ is itself evil‚” he wrote. “Ignoring Jewish suffering is evil.” 1/3 Resigning‚ a Hanukkah Message: As of today I have resigned from the antisemitism advisory committee at Harvard. Without rehashing all of the obvious reasons that have been endlessly adumbrated online‚ and with great respect for the members of the committee‚ the short… — David Wolpe (@RabbiWolpe) December 7‚ 2023 “Belittling or denying the Jewish experience‚ including unspeakable atrocities‚ is a vast and continuing catastrophe‚” he added. “Denying Israel the self-determination as a Jewish nation accorded unthinkingly to others is endemic‚ and evil.” Wolpe said he believes some of the issues include herd mentality‚ victimhood‚ and anti-Semitism. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Part of the problem is a simple herd mentality – people screaming slogans whose meaning and implication they know nothing of‚ or not wishing to be disliked by taking an unpopular position.” Wolpe wrote. “Some of it is the desire to achieve social status by being the sole or greatest victim.” “Some of it is simple‚ old-fashioned Jew hatred‚ that ugly arrow in the quiver of dark hearts for millennia‚” he added. On Tuesday‚ during a Congressional hearing‚ Gay dodged a question about whether calling for the genocide of Jews constituted bullying and harassment‚ claiming it depends on the context. Following outrage after a clip of the interaction went viral‚ Gay issued a follow-up statement attempting to assuage the backlash. “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students‚” the university tweeted. “Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community‚ or any religious or ethnic group‚ are vile‚ they have no place at Harvard‚ and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Wolpe‚ who is also the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple‚ related his resignation to the Jewish holiday of Chanukah‚ which begins Thursday night. “In this generation‚ outside of Israel‚ we are called to be Maccabees of a different order‚” he wrote. “We do not fight the actual battle‚ but we search for the cruse of oil left behind.  Remember the oil was to last one night‚ but lasted eight – which means there were seven nights of miracle.” “But of course the first night was the greatest miracle – because the motivation to light the initial candle‚ to ensure the continuity and vitality of tradition in each generation‚ that is the supreme miracle‚” he added. “We are at a moment when the toxicity of intellectual slovenliness has been laid bare for all to see. Time to kindle the first candle.”

New Mexico officials accused Facebook and Instagram of creating a breeding ground for predators who target children for human trafficking — while enabling the distribution of child pornography — according to a lawsuit filed against Meta Platforms and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. According to the 288-page civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in a New Mexico state court‚ the social media giant allegedly exposed young users to sexual content‚ opened the door for adult strangers to contact them‚ and subjected children to the risk of abuse or exploitation. “Meta’s business model of profit over child safety and business practices of misrepresenting the amount of dangerous material and conduct to which its platforms expose children violates New Mexico law‚” the complaint says. “Meta should be held accountable for the harms it has inflicted on New Mexico’s children.” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said his office conducted an “undercover investigation” into the social media platforms that found Facebook and Instagram have certain child exploitative content more than ten times the amount shared on Pornhub and OnlyFans. “Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex‚” Torrez said in a news release. Torrez‚ who specializes in prosecuting internet crimes against children‚ further accused Zuckerberg and Meta executives of failing to implement changes to prevent the sexual exploitation of children on their products while being aware of the severe harm it can cause to users struggling with addiction or other mental health issues. “Despite repeated assurances to Congress and the public that they can be trusted to police themselves‚ it is clear that Meta’s executives continue to prioritize engagement and ad revenue over the safety of the most vulnerable members of our society‚” Torrez said. Meta responded to the allegations‚ stating that the platforms do take precautionary measures to “help root out predators.” “Child exploitation is a horrific crime and online predators are determined criminals‚” Meta told CNBC in a statement‚ adding the social media company uses “sophisticated technology‚ hires child safety experts‚ reports content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children‚ and share information and tools with other companies and law enforcement‚ including state attorneys general.” Meta reportedly said the company disabled more than half a million accounts for violating policies in connection to child sexual exploitation. New Mexico officials seek civil penalties‚ $5‚000 for each alleged violation of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act‚ and an order urging the company from “engaging in unfair‚ unconscionable‚ or deceptive practices.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP State officials reportedly also want Meta to apply effective age verification tools to the platforms‚ improve systems that detect and remove child sexual abuse material‚ and address the issues that allegedly amplify the material. The latest filing against the social media giant comes after the attorney generals of 33 U.S. states filed a lawsuit against Meta and its Instagram social media platform in October‚ accusing the multinational technology conglomerate of contributing to the mental health crisis in American youth by making them addicted to its products and violated federal children’s online privacy and state consumer protection laws. Eight other states and Washington‚ D.C.‚ filed similar lawsuits. Meta said in a statement to outlets that it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe‚ positive experiences online‚ and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.” “We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear‚ age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use‚ the attorneys general have chosen this path‚” the company added. If the states succeed‚ Meta could be forced to pay massive fines and change how it advertises and designs its platforms to the public.

Michigan state government agencies must move to 100% “zero-emission” vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040‚ per an executive order signed by Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday. Whitmer’s order requires state agencies to shift the state government’s fleet of around 9‚000 vehicles to electric beginning with light-duty cars by 2033 and moving on to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The governor’s directive came just a week after she signed one of the most extreme green energy bills in the nation‚ requiring utility providers to transition to completely carbon-free energy generation by the end of the next decade. “Michigan is on the cutting-edge of mobility and electrification‚” Whitmer’s executive directive stated. “Our world-leading auto industry is making the switch to electric‚ and we continue to attract battery‚ semiconductor‚ and clean energy investments from other states and nations. We must usher the future of mobility and clean energy into Michigan by winning projects and leading by example in state government.” “Getting this done will help drive demand of Michigan-made electric vehicles‚ lower gas and maintenance costs for the state since ZEVs cost far less to fuel and maintain and reduce air and noise pollution in our communities‚” Whitmer added in a statement. The executive order was short on details about the cost of transitioning the entire state government’s fleet of vehicles to electric. A 2021 report from the Michigan Department of Technology‚ Management‚ and Budget stated that the Michigan government has 8‚788 on-road vehicles‚ which include dozens of buses and semi-trucks. Among the state agencies included in Whitmer’s directive is the Michigan State Police‚ which uses hundreds of coupes and sedans and over 1‚000 SUVs for law enforcement. State agencies can request exemptions from the directive for certain vehicles‚ but must “offer alternative emission reduction options including hybrids‚” according to Whitmer’s press release. Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall slammed Whitmer’s EV directive‚ telling The Daily Wire that the Democrats’ EV and green energy push is hurting the automotive industry and hard-working Michiganders. “Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer’s green energy schemes are accelerating the decline of Michigan’s automotive manufacturing industry‚ and the governor’s decision to replace all of Michigan’s state fleet with electric vehicles is just the latest step on this destructive path‚” Hall said. “Michigan families have determined that EVs are too expensive and unreliable for them‚ which is why these vehicles are just sitting on car lots around the state.” Whitmer said the switch to EVs will help Michigan car manufacturers that are rapidly moving to EV production as the Biden administration pushes American car companies and consumers to get on board with its plan to have “50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.” Of the nearly 9‚000 vehicles operated by Michigan state government agencies‚ only three are electric‚ according to Whitmer’s communications director Bobby Leddy‚ The Detroit News reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The governor’s executive directive is on par with her push for Michigan car manufacturers to embrace EVs as the future of transportation. In February‚ Whitmer announced plans for an EV battery plant in Marshall‚ Michigan‚ saying it is “expected to create 2‚500 good-paying jobs” while helping “support Ford’s goal of producing two million electric vehicles annually by 2026.” That plan‚ however‚ came to a screeching halt in September when Ford paused the construction of the Marshall battery plant. Now‚ Ford says it’s scaling back its commitment to the Marshall plant‚ cutting 800 jobs and over $1 billion. Ford‚ one of Michigan’s “big three” car manufacturers‚ recently received a $9.2 billion loan from the Biden administration intended to help construct three electric vehicle battery plants — none of which are in Michigan — after the motor company projected the EV push would cost it $3 billion in 2023. That projection was bumped up to $4.5 billion in losses over EVs a few months later‚ meaning Ford lost around $32‚000 for every EV it sold during the second quarter of 2023. “Democrats’ artificially accelerated shift to EVs will eliminate Michigan jobs at existing factories‚” Hall told The Daily Wire. “And their mandates for unreliable green energy will lead to higher electricity prices on manufacturers — imposing additional costs on Michigan’s automotive industry that will kill more Michigan jobs and move more manufacturing overseas.”

'Will not be tolerated'

Ahh ... only in the world of hockey

the commission should build a framework that drives toward economic growth

'You don’t think the progressive left has any culpability'