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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was laughed off the podium this week after dismissing a New York Times poll showing that Americans blame Democrats for the government shutdown.

The unusual scene unfolded just before the shutdown officially began, when Senate Democrats rejected a continuing resolution passed by the House.

“Now I know the leader is going to show a poll that says that Democrats will be blamed for the shutdown,” Schumer said, referring to the New York Times/Siena College survey. “There are many more polls that show Republicans are blamed. The question in that poll is biased.”

“In the New York Times, but it’s biased,” he continued, prompting Republicans across the chamber to erupt into laughter. “I don’t always believe the New York Times … You can be sure of that. Neither do you.”

Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have pushed the Trump administration to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and guarantee taxpayer-funded health care “for all.” Republicans and the White House rejected the proposals, saying Democrats were demanding taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants.

“If you look at the original they did with this negotiation, it was a $1.5 trillion spending package, basically saying the American people want to give massive amounts of money, hundreds of billions of dollars to illegal aliens for their health care, while Americans are struggling to pay their health care bills,” Vice President JD Vance said following a White House meeting with congressional leaders.

While Democrats were divided on whether to shut down the government over their demands, Republicans and independents have remained firmly opposed.

The NYT/Siena poll, conducted just before the Oct. 1 deadline, found that only 27 percent of respondents supported Democrats shutting down the government if their demands were not met.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said Thursday that Democrats bear the blame for the pain of a government shutdown, as President Donald Trump and his budget chief moved forward with identifying federal programs to cut.

“This is the way the system works. This is [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer’s decision, is to hand … the keys to the kingdom to the president,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “He has put himself in that situation, and it’s completely unnecessary. The president takes no pleasure in this.”

Without the measure, agencies have begun contingency plans, delaying payments and preparing to reduce operations, The Daily Signal reported.

Johnson’s remarks came hours after Trump posted on Truth Social that he would meet with Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought, calling him “he of PROJECT 2025 Fame,” to discuss which federal agencies and programs should face cuts.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought … to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.

Under Vought’s direction, the administration has already frozen billions of dollars in funding for New York City subway infrastructure projects. Federal agencies are carrying out shutdown protocols that include delaying payments to employees and reviewing spending priorities against White House policy.

“As you know, whomever is seated in the chair at OMB during the shutdown has to do the same thing,” Johnson said. “We had a 45-minute telephone conference with [Vought] yesterday.

“He talked to all the House Republicans. He takes no pleasure in this … because Russ has to sit down and decide, because he’s in charge of that office, which policies, personnel and which programs are essential, and which are not. That is not a fun task, and he is not enjoying that responsibility,” he added.

Bar’s Front Door Sign ‘Sparks Outrage’, Manager Claims It’s ‘Increased Business’

A Philadelphia Bar’s Patriotic Sign Sparks Debate Over Values and Identity

Originally making headlines in June 2018, this story centers around a visit by journalist Victor Fiorillo to the Old Philadelphia Bar, a longtime local watering hole.

What first caught his attention wasn’t the beer list but a bold sign in the window: “If you’re not proud to be an American, do not bother to come in.”

Despite the blunt message, Fiorillo went inside, purchased a drink, and witnessed an unexpected moment of unity.

Justine Bateman, famous for her role in *Family Ties*, is gaining attention for embracing natural aging at 57. She rejects societal pressures to alter her appearance, refusing cosmetic surgery despite criticism. For Bateman, this choice represents self-acceptance and a bold statement about beauty and identity.

She sees aging as a journey that mirrors life’s experiences—both struggles and triumphs. To her, every wrinkle and line tells a story; removing them would mean erasing part of her personal history. In Hollywood’s youth-obsessed culture, her perspective stands out as both unconventional and inspiring.

While many opt for procedures to maintain a youthful look, Bateman prioritizes authenticity. She believes society’s obsession with youth overlooks the value of aging and distracts from life’s deeper fulfillment. Embracing natural aging, she argues, brings freedom and allows focus on meaningful connections and personal growth.

Bateman warns that the pursuit of eternal youth can strip away individuality. She insists that visible signs of aging make people more relatable and intriguing. By defying beauty standards, she encourages others to view aging as a source of strength rather than a flaw.

Her stance challenges the notion that aging diminishes beauty or worth. Instead, she frames it as a celebration of life’s journey. Bateman’s confidence in her natural appearance sends a powerful message about self-worth and authenticity.

In an industry that often prioritizes perfection, her refusal to conform is radical. She inspires others to question societal expectations and embrace their true selves, wrinkles and all.

Ultimately, Bateman’s approach redefines beauty, proving that aging can be empowering. Her courage to age naturally encourages a shift in how society perceives growing older—not as a decline, but as a testament to a life well-lived.

Approaching women can be a nerve-wracking experience for many men.

However, with the right mindset and approach,it can become an enjoyable and successful endeavor.

Here are some techniques to help you confidently approach women:Approaching women can be a nerve-wracking experience for many men.

However, with the right mindset and approach,it can become an enjoyable and successful endeavor.

Here are some techniques to help you confidently approach women…

Approaching women can be a nerve-wracking experience for many men.However, with the right mindset and approach,it can become an enjoyable and successful endeavor.READ MORE BELOW

The campaign of progressive California Rep. Maxine Waters has agreed to pay a $68,000 fine after an investigation revealed that it broke many election regulations.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) stated in a batch of documents that the longtime House lawmaker’s 2020 campaign group, Citizens for Waters, violated many campaign finance regulations.

The FEC accused Citizens for Waters of “failing to accurately report receipts and disbursements in calendar year 2020,” “knowingly accepting excessive contributions,” and “making prohibited cash disbursements,” according to one document that appears to be a legally binding agreement that allows both parties to avoid court.
Waters’ committee agreed to pay the civil fine as well as “send its treasurer to a Commission-sponsored training program for political committees within one year of the effective date of this Agreement.”

“Respondent shall submit evidence of the required registration and attendance at such event to the Commission,” the document said.

According to the inquiry, Citizens for Waters took inappropriate campaign contributions from seven persons totaling $19,000 in 2019 and 2020, even though the maximum allowed individual contribution is $2,800.

The committee offloaded those excessive donations, albeit in an “untimely” fashion, the document said.

Waters’ campaign committee also “made four prohibited cash disbursements that were each in excess of $100, totaling $7,000,” the FEC said.

The campaign committee “contends that it retained legal counsel to provide advice and guidance to the treasurer and implemented procedures to ensure the disbursements comply with the requirements of the Act.”

Leilani Beaver, Citizens for Waters’ attorney, wrote to the FEC last year, claiming that the campaign financing infractions were “errors” that “were not willful or purposeful.”

Waters, the leading Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, has been in Congress since 1991.

OpenSecrets was the first to report the fresh movements in the inquiry.

Waters has previously drawn public attention for a very similar thing.

In 2023, a Fox News Digital investigation discovered that Waters’ campaign paid her daughter $192,300 for a “slate mailer” operation between January 2021 and December 2022.

Waters reportedly paid her daughter a single dollar out of thousands for campaign labor.

The FEC dismissed a charge alleging Waters’ campaign accepted improper campaign donations in 2018 by a 5-1 vote.

Waters previously made headlines when she made a series of nasty comments about First Lady Melania Trump.

Waters called on President Donald Trump to investigate and potentially deport First Lady Melania Trump during an anti-DOGE protest in Los Angeles last weekend.

Clips of the rant went viral as Waters suggested that the first lady’s citizenship status- she’s been a U.S. citizen since 2006- should be scrutinized as a means of pushing back on the president’s executive order eliminating birthright citizenship.

“When he [Trump] talks about birthright, and he’s going to undo the fact that the Constitution allows those who are born here, even if the parents are undocumented, they have a right to stay in America. If he wants to start looking so closely to find those who were born here and their parents were undocumented, maybe he ought to first look at Melania,” Waters was seen saying from the stage of a rally in Los Angeles, per a number of videos posted online.

“We don’t know whether or not her parents were documented. And maybe we better just take a look,” the aged congresswoman continued.

Prior to that, she erupted in outrage and screeched her disapproval of both Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk at an event in Washington, D.C.

At a rally held by Democratic lawmakers protesting Musk’s access to information at the Treasury Department, Waters accused him of overstepping his boundaries without the consent of voters during her speech.

“We have got to tell Elon Musk that nobody elected your ass. Nobody told you you could get all of our private information. Nobody told you you could be in charge of the payments of this country,” Waters yelled.