Actor Tim Allen recently criticized DEI constraints on television shows, saying sitcoms need to be funny to succeed. The 72-year-old “Home Improvement” alum made the comments during an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday.  Allen told Maher he didn’t believe DEI policies should have any bearing on the creative process.  “My wife says, ‘Why do you keep saying that?’ And I said, ‘Somebody told me I was like the Tom Brady of sitcoms.’ When they asked me to do a third [show], I said, ‘I thought they were kidding,’” the comedian told Maher. “I don’t know whether my generation… because all the people that I know that I would make it with are either dead or not the right gender, you know, they’re all light-skinned European older men. And that doesn’t fit the DEI thing that everybody wanted. They wanted, you know, a potpourri of —” Maher jumped in, saying one solution was to have “DEI in the cast.” “I didn’t want to get into that. I didn’t want to patronize people. If you’re going to do a sitcom, it’s just got to be funny. You got to have some drama,” Allen went on. The podcast host agreed, saying diversity wasn’t the “only virtue.” “Not everything in America has to look like Angelina Jolie’s Christmas card, you know, sometimes, and it’s always OK in reverse. It’s like if there’s something where it’s just an all-black cast — and good, I’m all for it. I’m not complaining about it,” Maher continued. The host went on to question CBS’s 2020 goal of increasing BIPOC representation in its writers’ rooms.  “I thought, what if the show they’re writing is about a polka band in a ski town?” Maher said. “I love people of color, and I’m so glad that things are better than they used to be for people of color, but you know, it shouldn’t intrude on the creative process to the degree it has in this town,” Maher said. “It has intruded on the creative process. And by the way, lots of people of color agree with that because they want the creative process to be pure, too.” Allen currently stars in the CBS sitcom “Shifting Gears,” which follows a father trying to reconnect with his adult daughter. Besides appearing on the well-known ‘90s series “Home Improvement,” he also starred in the popular ABC sitcom “Last Man Standing” (2011-2017). 

The Capitol Police officer who shot unarmed Ashli Babbitt on January 6th has been running an unaccredited daycare from his home for over a decade, raising serious questions about oversight and accountability. Troubling Pattern of Poor Judgment Michael Byrd’s operation of an unaccredited daycare facility represents another example of questionable decision-making from the officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt. Since 2008, Byrd and his wife Kaleska have run the childcare business from their Maryland home, with a June 2025 state inspection showing four enrolled children. The facility remains unaccredited, raising concerns about standards and oversight for someone entrusted with children’s safety. OMG Capitol police officer Michael Byrd who shot unarmed Ashli Babbitt on January 6th, reportedly has a taxpayer funded daycare in his home run by his wife… Because of course he does… pic.twitter.com/QLKw885wUf — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 6, 2026 Federal Funding Questions Demand Answers Maryland receives approximately $190 million annually in federal HHS childcare funding, yet facilities like the Byrds’ operate without proper accreditation. While state officials claim accreditation isn’t required for federal funding eligibility, this loophole undermines accountability measures that protect both children and taxpayers. The timing couldn’t be worse, as Minnesota’s “ghost daycare” scandals have already exposed massive fraud in federal childcare programs. Disciplinary History Raises Red Flags Byrd’s track record extends far beyond the controversial Babbitt shooting. He was previously disciplined for leaving his service weapon unattended in a bathroom, demonstrating a pattern of careless behavior with serious safety implications. Despite this “significant” disciplinary history, he received a promotion to captain in 2023, along with substantial taxpayer-funded compensation and security benefits following the shooting incident. Ashli Babbit was shot on January 6, 2021 by Capitol policeman, Michael Byrd. Ashli died shortly after being shot. Michael Byrd has continued to live with his wife and run an extremely “successful” daycare. @paulsperry_ reports that the Byrds daycare has been running… pic.twitter.com/DCGbhoWeOv — Sup Mario Bro (@SupMarioBro) January 6, 2026 Accountability Crisis in Law Enforcement The daycare revelation underscores broader concerns about accountability within federal law enforcement agencies. Byrd continues to claim he “saved countless lives” by shooting the unarmed Babbitt, yet operates a childcare facility without meeting basic accreditation standards. This pattern of avoiding responsibility while benefiting from taxpayer resources exemplifies the institutional protection that shields problematic officers from consequences. Patriots deserve better oversight of those sworn to serve and protect our communities. The Trump administration’s decision to settle with Babbitt’s family for $5 million and grant her full military honors represents long-overdue recognition of the injustice. However, questions remain about how officers like Byrd continue operating businesses with questionable compliance while facing no meaningful accountability for their actions. NEW: Maryland records indicate that U.S. Capitol Police Capt. Michael Byrd and his wife, Kaleska, have run a unaccredited home daycare (license #255727) since 2008. A June 2025 inspection showed four children enrolled. The daycare operates in a high-income area while… pic.twitter.com/YkQLX8Q71j — Digital Gal (@DigitalGalX) January 6, 2026 Sources: Social Media Erupts Over Report Capitol Police Officer Michael Byrd and Wife Ran ‘Unaccredited’ Daycare Michael Byrd Unaccredited Daycare Center in MD Cop Who Killed Ashli Babbitt Has Significant Discipline US Set to Pay Family of Ashli Babbitt Killed by Police Jan 6

'US will run Venezuela'

'The Western Hemisphere is our first line of defense'

'It’s written all over that phony face of yours'

'still runway for folks to get in this race'

'Shocking racial slurs'

Books Young Adult Spotlight Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H for January & February 2026 A new year means new books! By Alex Brown | Published on January 6, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share The new year means we have a new crop of young adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels. Despite the short days and long, cold nights, horror is in a downswing for the time being, replaced mostly by thrillers. Vampires are (temporarily?) out, dragons are in. And, as I have had to type on every Most Anticipated list for the last year or so, the stranglehold romantasy has on publishing continues unabated. There are also some intriguing queer stories coming in January and February that seem tailor made specifically to my interests, so thank you very much for that! Science Fictional If All the Stars Go Dark by S.G. Prince (Godwin Books; January 20, 2026) Upon graduation, Keller lands his dream job as a gunner for the Legion. His pilot partner, Lament, keeps him at arm’s length, but as much of a bummer as it is, Keller throws himself into his work anyway. He and his new crew get into hot water when they investigate a strange space substance that attacked the last gunner. Space opera plus romance equals lots of adventure-y fun. Postscript by Cory McCarthy (Dutton Books for Young Readers; February 17, 2026) In sharp contrast to the HEAs/HFNs that dominate in romantasy, this is a true dystopian story. The world West and Emil live in is hard and getting worse by the day. There is no deus ex machina or Chosen One to save the day. Six years ago the apocalypse happened and now these two young men are pretty much all that’s left of the human race. They wander the Massachusetts coastline with Emil’s dog, searching for dwindling resources and trying to survive as long as they can. It’s a love story at the end of the world.  Magic with a Twist Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro (Page Street YA; January 20, 2026) Stuck as a seventeen-year-old forever, Callum will only be free after performing 666 tasks for Lucifer. One day, Lucifer agrees to wipe Callum’s debt clean and free his soul, all for the price of transporting an alchemist across the pond. But of course, once Callum gets to know Auggie, trading his own life for Auggie’s becomes an impossible choice. A necromancer hunting Auggie, an undead witch, and a winged cat complicate matters. Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean (Love Me Tomorrow #1 — Sarah Barley Books; February 3, 2026) After making a wish at the Tanabata festival, Emma, who doesn’t believe in love, starts receiving mysterious letters. The anonymous author claims to be her true love writing from the future. At first she doesn’t believe them, but they quickly become impossible to ignore. Who is this mysterious suitor? Is it someone she already knows or someone she hasn’t yet met? Call of the Dragon by Natasha Bowen (Call of the Dragon #1— Random House Books for Young Readers; February 10, 2026) In a world of dragon gods, Moremi finds herself unexpectedly claimed by both Yida and Dam, something that isn’t supposed to be possible. It’s a good thing she is, because the king and his wicked advisor Addaf launch a coup to overthrow the dragon gods. Now Moremi, her friend Nox, and her nemesis Zaye have less than a week to save the world with a cleansing ceremony… if Addaf doesn’t catch them first. Outcasts, Outlaws, and Rebels A Wild Radiance by Maria Ingrande Mora (Peachtree Teen; January 20, 2026) A queer and neurodivergent romantasy reimagining of the War of the Currents was not on my 2026 bingo card, but I’ll take it. Josephine, imbued with the power of radiance (electricity magic), leaves the orphanage where she was raised, House of Industry. As punishment for constantly breaking rules, she’s packed off to the distant countryside town of Frostbrook to work as a Conductor. There she meets Julian and Ezra, two young men who tug on her heart.  Queen of Faces by Petra Lord (Queen of Faces #1 — Henry Holt and Co.Books for Young Readers; February 3, 2026) In Caimor, people can transfer their souls into fake bodies. To save her from a terminal illness as a child, Ana’s parents put her in the only one they could afford, a defective model. Eight years later, the male body Ana’s trapped in is falling apart. Her last hope of stealing a better form is lost when she’s captured by the principal of an elite magic school. Either she works for him as a mercenary, dispatching rebels trying to take down the oppressive political system, or he has her arrested and executed.  Thrills & Chills To the Death by Andrea Tang (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; February 10, 2026) Sam vows revenge on the man who killed her brother in an illegal duel. That man also happens to be the father of Tamsin, a young woman who will do whatever it takes to win his respect. Their mutual desperation puts them on opposite sides of a duel, with Tamsin taking on dueling master Lysander Rook and Sam acting as Rook’s assistant. This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Gray Remix by Elle Grenier (Feiwel & Friends; February 17, 2026) Do you want a trans remix of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray? Of course you do! It’s 1867 and Dorian is miserable as the sole heir to their family’s estate. They meet the artist Basil who paints a stunning portrait of Dorian, displaying them in a light they’ve never seen themselves in before. Basil offers Dorian the confidence to explore the queer underbelly of London, and take to it like a fish to water. The deeper they sink, the more Basil’s painting changes. Competitive Streak The Swan’s Daughter: a Possibly Doomed Love Story by Roshani Chokshi (Wednesday Books; January 6, 2026) Two cursed teens work together to break destiny. Demelza is a veritas swan, a young woman with the ability to sing the truth out of her audience but also doomed to never be able to fall in love without losing her heart or freedom. Prince Arris is doomed to be murdered by his bride thanks to a curse from a sea witch, and his only way out is to find his true love. They meet at the palace and form an alliance—she’ll weed out the murderous suitors competing to marry him and he’ll protect her from a wicked wizard—in this fairy-tale-esque fantasy.  Heart’s Gambit by J.D. Myall (Heart’s Gambit #1 — Wednesday Books; February 3, 2026) In the 1860s, two teens tried to escape their enslaver, the witch Sabine, but she captured and cursed them instead. While they now have their freedom, they cannot be around each other without wanting to fight. While they have magical powers and the ability to travel through time, in every generation one child from each family must fight to the death with their life feeding Sabine’s immortality. This year, it’s Emma and Malcolm’s turn at the Gambit. Can their love defeat systemic oppression? Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow (Feiwel & Friends; February 3, 2026) Immortal teens Calamity and Darling are competing for a mentorship from the prestigious Mortal Outcome Council. Calam guides clients to tragic endings while Darling dabbles in happily ever afters. Whoever exerts the most influence over mortal client Lucy wins the mentorship, but after a series of unlucky events they must pose as an engaged couple and win her over without magic. This is comped as The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella. Immediate preorder. Immediate.  Death Is Not the End It Lurks in the Night by Sarah Dass (Rick Riordan Presents / Disney Hyperion; January 27, 2026) A high school senior takes her friends on an adventure that turns deadly. Every year, Erica, Lystra, Pearl, and Maya sail around the Caribbean, leaving their cares behind them for a few days. Tragedy strikes when they’re grounded on a haunted island and Erica winds up dead. Or so they thought. A few days later, Erica returns home seemingly alive but very much not well. If you know anything about Caribbean folklore, you know Maya is about to have the fight of her life. They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours (Wednesday Books; February 17, 2026) Horror-obsessed Simone plans a rager for her 18th birthday. At a cabin near Doll’s Head Lake, she anticipated scary stories around a campfire and creepy pranks. Instead she accidentally murders her best friend Kira. The ghost who haunts the lake, a witch called Regret, offers Simone a deal she cannot refuse: break the curse binding her spirit and she’ll resurrect Kira and erase all of Simone’s many regrets; fail within the two-week time limit and Kira’s life is forfeit. The post Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H for January & February 2026 appeared first on Reactor.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL – The Securities and Exchange Commission could make it tougher for shareholders to challenge left-leaning corporate policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as environmental issues, a conservative watchdog group asserts.  SEC Chairman Paul Atkins in November suggested making it easier for corporations to block shareholder proposals from being heard and voted on at annual shareholder meetings.  Atkins, appointed by President Donald Trump in January and confirmed by the Senate in April, also suggested allowing the state where a company is based to decide what is appropriate for shareholder consideration.  However, in a 10-page letter to Atkins shared with The Daily Signal, National Legal and Policy Center President Peter Flaherty argued that conservatives have successfully challenged DEI, and ESG–short for environment, social governance–policies at large, publicly traded companies. Atkins’ proposals could remove the very tools conservatives used to stop these policies, he added. “We share your concerns about the proliferation of proposals that appear to advance irrelevant ideological agendas. However, the solution cannot be to dismantle the mechanism itself,” Flaherty wrote.  NLPC-Chairman Atkins Letter 2025Download Specifically at issue is SEC Rule 14a-8, which is the mechanism for shareholders to submit proposals for a publicly traded company’s annual meeting. The rule also includes guidelines for a company to exclude the proposal from the annual meeting if it is determined irrelevant to the company’s business. Flaherty described the shareholder process as “an explicitly capitalist institution” when “properly constrained.”“It is voluntary, firm-specific, and mediated by the discipline of capital markets,” he wrote. Flaherty warned that the proposed changes to thwart more shareholder proposals would weaken the rights of ordinary investors and could effectively entrench the power of large investment institutions such as BlackRock. The National Legal and Policy Center has pointed to recent conservative victories in pushing corporations such as Target and Cracker Barrel to abandon leftist policies. Numerous other companies rolled back DEI policies in 2024 and 2025, according to Forbes.  The policy change floated would also affect shareholder proposals coming from the left. Yet Flaherty argued that corporate managers are still largely inclined to push these policies, and shareholders need a tool to push back. “When Chairman Atkins suppresses the dissent of shareholders and makes corporate managers less accountable, he is not supporting our side,” Flaherty told The Daily Signal. “The managerial class is overwhelmingly liberal. They know each other, went to the same schools, and serve on each other’s boards.” “Taking on DEI, ESG, and stopping debanking are all part of the president’s agenda,” Flaherty added. “It’s a shame [Atkins] is undercutting our efforts.” In a speech at the University of Delaware in October, Atkins also suggested a shareholder proposal might not be proper for consideration if it isn’t permissible under state law. “State law governs whether a proposal is a ‘proper subject,’” Atkins said, adding that “it is appropriate for the agency to defer to those who practice Delaware law” to determine whether a proposal could be considered there. Then on Nov. 17, the SEC announced a policy change whereby it would acknowledge a company’s intent to exclude shareholder proposals, but would not make a ruling on it. Conservative watchdogs like Flaherty consider that effectively a rubber stamp for the company and a departure from the past, when the shareholder and company would submit legal arguments to exclude proposals and the SEC would decide. Audrey Barr, senior communications advisor for the SEC, declined to comment on the issues raised by Flaherty.  Flaherty noted in the letter that providing more deference to states could give the state of Delaware enhanced influence, since so many companies are incorporated in the state.  The post EXCLUSIVE: Watchdog Warns Trump SEC Chair Could Undercut Fight Against DEI appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Another Wrinkle in the Supreme Court Case on Trans Athletes