Information on the "IKE DIKE" Coastal Barrier July 13: One America News Network: Texas faces new "life-threatening" flash flood warnings in numerous counties, halting search and rescue efforts Heavy rains prompted new flash flood warnings for Central Texas, including already devastated parts of Kerr County, were issued on Sunday, pausing rescue teams who continue to search for the 170 individuals still missing from the July 4th floods. Numerous areas in Texas, including areas along the Guadalupe River were issued "life-threatening flash flood" warnings, just 9 days after flooding in the same region left at least 129 dead. Journalist Nick Sorter shared footage from the Lampasas River in Kempner, Texas, which reportedly rose "33 feet in just four hours." July 13: NewsMax: Kentucky Church shooting, trooper wounded, perp dead Multiple people were injured Sunday in a shooting at a Kentucky church after the suspect shot and wounded a state trooper, authorities said. After shooting the trooper, the suspect fled, ended up at Richmond Road Baptist Church in southwest Lexington, where there were multiple injuries. The suspect was killed. The trooper and others were being treated at a nearby hospital. The extent of the injuries was not immediately known. July 12: The New York Post: GAO; Secret Service failed in Butler, PA attempted assassination plot Senior-level Secret Service officials failed to share "classified threat information" related to Donald Trump with those assigned to protect him during the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he was nearly assassinated, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports. They found the classified intelligence had been presented to Secret Service officials a full 10 days before the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, PA, but the agency's "siloed practice for sharing" sensitive information resulted in few being aware of the threat against Trump's life. "[T]he Secret Service had no process to share classified threat information with partners when the information was not considered an imminent threat to life," the GAO report read. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made the GAO report public this week. July 12: Breitbart News: ICE officer arrest nearly 1,400 criminal aliens in Houston Area Immigration and Enforcement Operations (ICE) officers arrested nearly 1,400 criminal aliens in the Houston area in June. Officials said these criminal aliens include 32 child predators, nine murderers, one illegal alien convicted of hijacking an airplane, and 16 cartel or gang members. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers assigned to the Houston Field Office arrested 1,361 criminal aliens during the period. These illegal aliens had been convicted of, or were charged with, criminal offenses after illegally entering the United States. Officials say that 32 of these criminal aliens were convicted of sex crimes against children, nine more were convicted for homicide-related offenses, and 16 were documented members of a transnational gang or drug cartel. One of the criminal aliens has a previous conviction for hijacking an airplane from Cuba to Key West, Florida, officials disclosed. July 12: The Gateway pundit: AG Bondi fires over twenty DOJ employees connected to J6 investigation Attorney General Pam Bondi has reportedly fired more than 20 Department of Justice employees who were involved in investigating the January 6 protest and the case regarding Donald Trump's handling of classified documents. Friday, at least 20 employees from Special Counsel Jack Smith's team were let go, including two prosecutors, seven support staff members, and U.S. Marshals. Axios reports the firings are part of a purge aimed at clearing DOJ of attorneys and support staff who took part in Smith's prosecution of Trump for Jan. 6 and possessing classified documents unlawfully. The new dismissals bring the total Smith-related firings to about 35. About 15 more could face termination. July 11: The Daily Caller: MAGA not buying AG Bondi explanation of Epstein documentation Attorney General (AG) Pam Bondi addressed the missing minute in Jeffrey Epstein's jailhouse footage at a Trump Cabinet meeting Tuesday, sparking renewed scrutiny from MAGA. Bondi fielded several questions from a reporter regarding the memo's release, Epstein's possible ties to intelligence and missing footage from the jailhouse video. "Your memo released yesterday on Jeffrey Epstein left some lingering mysteries. One of the biggest ones is whether he ever worked for an American or foreign intelligence agency." "So, could you resolve whether or not he did? And also, could you say why there was a minute missing from the jailhouse tape?" a reporter asked. "The video was not conclusive, but the evidence prior to it was showing he committed suicide," Bondi said. "And there was a minute that was off the counter, and what we learned from the Bureau of Prisons is every night they redo that video, so every night the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing," she added. A DOJ memo reportedly indicates there was no "incriminating 'client list,'" and Epstein died by suicide. July 11: The Gateway Pundit: Obama-appointed judge blocks Big Beautiful Bill's defunding of Planned Parenthood (PP) On Friday evening, US District Judge Indira Talwani reaffirmed her order blocking President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill that barred Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. Talwani issued an amended TRO that the judge believes complies with current requirements. Trump's DOJ argued that the judge issued a TRO without notice. Talwani issued the TRO and set a preliminary injunction hearing for July 21. "This Temporary Restraining Order shall remain in effect for fourteen days, unless vacated, modified or extended by the court," the judge wrote. Planned Parenthood sued the Trump Administration over its funding cuts written into the newly-passed reconciliation bill. With that legislation becoming law, it is hard to understand the judge's, or Planned Parenthood for that matter, having a legal basis for stopping the elimination of federal funding for the abortion provider. PP contends that the reconciliation bill will restrict access to "high-quality affordable health care." However, the Administration contends that even without funding for PP there are other women's health care providers who can provide health services without offering abortions. July 11: One America News Network: ICE arrests 200 (10 unaccompanied minor children) on arijuana farm raid Federal immigration authorities conducted coordinated enforcement operations at two licensed cannabis cultivation sites in Southern California Thursday, discovering 10 minors and detaining "about 200 individuals" without papers who are suspected of being illegal aliens. Additionally, DHS stated that "ICE and CBP Law Enforcement" had to "dodge literal bullets from rioters" who were seemingly forewarned about the operation. "Federal law enforcement officers executed criminal warrant operations at marijuana grow sites… During the operation, at least 10 migrant children were rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking. Federal officers also arrested approximately 200 illegal aliens from both sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo (California)," DHS reported. Footage circulating on social media recorded agents deploying non-lethal munitions to disperse angry crowds near the Glass House Farms facilities July 10: Fox News: SECDEF cuts red tape in U.S. drone production This week Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued new orders to fast-track drone production and deployment, allowing commanders to procure and test them independently and requiring drone combat simulations across every branch of the military. In a pair of memos Hegseth rescinded legacy policies that he believes restricted innovation. For the first time, commanders with the rank of colonel or captain can independently procure and test drones, including 3D-printed prototypes and commercial-off-the-shelf systems, as long as they meet national security criteria. They can also operate and train with drones immediately, bypassing traditional approval bottlenecks, and are even authorized to test non-lethal autonomous UAS in controlled environments. This effort is reportedly part of an aggressive push to outpace Russia and China in unmanned warfare. July 10: Fox News: WAPO CEO urges those staffers who disagree with the paper's new direction to leave Washington Post publisher and CEO Will Lewis is urging staffers who don't "feel aligned" with the paper's new direction to take a buyout and leave. In a memo sent to staff Wednesday, Lewis touted the Post's "reinvention journey" it has taken in recent months, including its "reimagining" of its opinion pages that "champion American values" among other company initiatives. "The moment demands that we continue to rethink all aspects of our organization and business to maximize our impact," Lewis wrote in the memo. "If we want to reconnect with our audience and continue to defend democracy, more changes at The Post will be necessary. And to succeed, we need to be united as a team with a strong belief and passion in where we are heading." "I understand and respect, however, that our chosen path is not for everyone," he continued. "That's exactly why we introduced the voluntary separation program. As we continue in this new direction, I want to ask those who do not feel aligned with the company's plan to reflect on that." July 9: Breitbart News: Jewish Democrat lawmakers sound the alarm on Zohran Madani: "A Huge Problem" Jewish Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill are sounding the alarm on Democratic Socialist New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, pointing to his refusal to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada" or recognize Israel as a Jewish state, especially at a time when antisemitism is on the rise in the United States. "To not be willing to condemn the term 'globalize the intifada,' it just demonstrates his callous disregard for antisemitism, terrorist activity," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said. "Anyone that I care about couldn't possibly distance themselves from him more," Wasserman Schultz, the first Jewish woman elected to represent Florida in Congress, added. "It's really terribly disturbing and potentially dangerous." In addition to failing to denounce the saying "globalize the intifada" or agreeing that Israel is a Jewish state, Mamdani has also supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement [both of which are against US antiboycott laws] and accused Israel of an apartheid after Hamas' October 7, 2023, terrorist attack. "When you have a prominent candidate who is giving permission to use dangerous rhetoric that potentially incites violence and incites people and creates a permission structure to fan the flames of violence? That's just completely unacceptable," Wasserman Schultz said. July 9: One America News Network: USDA to ban China and other nations unfriendly to the U.S. from owning U.S. farmland U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins stated on Tuesday that Chinese nationals, along with other foreign adversaries, will no longer be allowed to purchase farmland in the United States — under the newly announced National Farm Security Action Plan. Rollins cited national security and food security threats for the reasoning behind the change. As a result, the USDA has already canceled seven agreements with foreign adversaries, removing a total of around 70 individuals affiliated with the contracts. The USDA is also in the process of removing 550 other foreign entities as well. Today we are taking this purpose and our American farmland back," Rollins stated. "American agriculture is not just about feeding our families but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating dangerous vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us." "The farm's produce is not just a commodity, it is a way of life that underpins America itself. And that's exactly why it is under threat from criminals, from political adversaries, and from hostile regimes that understand our way of life as a profound and existential threat to themselves," she contended. July 9: News Max: Biden's doctor refuses to answer Congressional questions about the President's term in office President Joe Biden's former White House physician refused on Wednesday to answer questions as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into Biden's health while in office. Dr. Kevin O'Connor invoked his rights under the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee, his attorney and lawmakers said. The committee subpoenaed O'Connor last month as part of a sweeping investigation into Biden's health and his mental fitness as president. Republican committee members claim some policies carried out during Biden's term through the use of the White House autopen may be illegitimate if it's proven the Democrat was mentally incapacitated for some of his term. Biden has strongly denied that he was not in a right state of mind at any point while in office, calling the claims "ridiculous and false." David Schertler, one of O'Connor's lawyers, said the doctor had "no choice" but to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights in testimony before the committee. Schertler cited both O'Connor's responsibilities to protect patient privacy as a doctor and the Justice Department's ongoing investigation into Biden's use of the autopen. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Oversight chair, said O'Connor's refusal to testify made it "clear there was a conspiracy." "The American people demand transparency, but Dr. O'Connor would rather conceal the truth," Comer said in a statement. July 8: The NY Post: FBI opens criminal investigation into potential wrongdoing by John Brennan and James Comey DOJ sources have said former CIA Director John Brennan under the Obama Administration and former FBI Director James Comey under the Obama Administration until he was fired by Donald Trump are facing potential criminal investigations for potential wrongdoing related to the Trump–Russia probe, including allegedly making false statements to Congress. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly referred evidence of wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for potential prosecution. The sources said that the referral was received and said a criminal investigation into Brennan was opened and is underway. DOJ sources declined to provide further details. It is unclear, at this point, if the investigation spans beyond his alleged false statements to Congress. Regarding Comey, DOJ sources had indicated an investigation into the former director is underway, but could not share details of what specifically is being probed. The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI's view of the duo's interactions as a "conspiracy," which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. July 8: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS clears the way for reductions in force and restructuring of Federal agencies The Supreme Court on July 8 lifted a lower court order that prevented the Trump administration from carrying out job cuts en masse and restructuring federal agencies. The new ruling lifts Clinton-appointed U.S. District Judge Susan Illston's May 22 order that temporarily stopped large-scale layoffs known as reductions in force from moving forward while the litigation continues in the lower courts. The Supreme Court said in an unsigned order that the district court blocked the government's actions based on the lower court's view that President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14210 and a memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget were "unlawful." The EO ofFeb. 11, was created to implement the Workforce Optimization Initiative of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The order directed all agency heads to work with DOGE to reduce staffing and limit hiring. "Because the Government is likely to succeed on its argument that the Executive Order and Memorandum are lawful — and because the other factors bearing on whether to grant a stay are satisfied — we grant the application," the high court stated. July 7: The Washington Times: Always looking for someone to blame; Massive flash flood in central Texas White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt chided lawmakers and others who blamed resident Trump for the deadly floods in central Texas that claimed at least 91 lives. She said that the National Weather Service (NWS) "did its job despite unprecedented rainfall." "Unfortunately, in the wake of this once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and some members of the media. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning," Leavitt said during a White House press briefing. She said the NWS in Austin released forecasts and warnings between July 3 and 4 before the flash flood hit. "Any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed," she contended. "The administration's focus will be on giving the victims in their communities the support they deserve during these recovery efforts in this tragic time." Senator Schumer, drawing as straws, has demanded that the Commerce Department's inspector general investigate vacancies at the NWS offices and whether staffing shortages contributed to the death toll. Unfortunately for Senator Schumer and other Democrats who need to find someone to blame, Tom Fahy, the Legislative Director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) confirmed that both the San Angelo and the Austin NWS offices were fully staffed and releasing flash flood advisories two days prior to the July 4th disaster. July 9: Fox News: LA Mayor tells ICE get out of town Federal agents, accompanied by members of the National Guard, conducted an immigration raid in Los Angeles Monday, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to heavily criticize the move, calling it "outrageous" and "un-American." The operation targeted an area near MacArthur Park, an area with a large immigrant population, in the city's Westlake neighborhood, which is heavily Hispanic and has a heavy MS-13 influence. U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen on horseback in the park along with other law enforcement agencies and military-looking vehicles were stationed in the area. Fox News Los Angeles reported no arrests were made. Bass, who has been a vocal opponent of immigration raids in the city, appeared at the scene and demanded to speak with ICE leadership. "They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!" Bass said at the scene. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino said he was the official on the phone with Bass, who demanded the raid be stopped. "I don't work for Karen Bass," Bovino said. "Better get used to us now, because this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles." July 7: The Daily Caller: Fired USAID employees teaming up to combat Trump agenda Fired officials of the shuttered U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department are teaming up in an effort to combat Trump as they worry about what they term the "future of democracy" under his leadership. The State Department moved to cut USAID, with the agency officially closing its doors July 1. Now former USAID and State officials are teaming up to find ways to undermine Trump, ganging up together to hold workshops on the topic of "noncooperation" to help build a community willing to engage in minor rebellious acts and perhaps eventually a national strike, former officials said. "Take it from those of us who worked in authoritarian countries: We've become one," a current federal official said. Of course, the fact that they were laid off might have something to do with how they view the situation; different from those who elected the current administration. July 7: The Gateway Pundit: How can a judge issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on a bill passed by both houses of Congress and signed by the President? A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a provision in the "Big Beautiful Bill" that barred Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood. US District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued a TRO and set a preliminary injunction hearing for July 21. Planned Parenthood sued the Trump Administration over its funding cuts written into the newly-passed reconciliation bill. The House passed the Bill last week and President Trump signed in on July 4th at the White House. "Everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care. That's what we've been fighting for the last century — and we'll never stop," President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson said. Of course, the fact that the law now shuts off 80% of Planned Parenthood's funding (taxpayer's money) and that it was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law may, in the long run, be a hurdle that it very hard to clear as the suit winds its way through the legal system. Johnson said this is an "unlawful attack." On what? There are other providers who serve women's health issues without providing abortions. The judge said the TRO will remain in effect for fourteen days, unless vacated, modified or extended by the court." It is likely the Trump Administration will bump the TRO up the appellate process and, according to many legal sources, it will win. July 6: NewsMax: Dems fighting against budget reconciliation bill engage in fearmongering Congressional Democrats, while fighting against Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill," once again engaged in the fearmongering that is making the American people lose faith in these detractors, former Gov. Chris Sununu R-NH) said Sunday. "It's a mistake that the Democrats repeat time and time again," he contended. 'If you vote for this bill, people will die … if you vote for Trump, democracy will end. If you don't support the Green New Deal, we're going to lose our coastlines.'" Such methods, Sununu said, can only be justified if there is evidence to back up the claims, but "nothing ever backs it up." And then, he added, "the American people lose complete faith in the Democrat Party. They lose complete faith in the arguments that they're trying to make." The Democrats, he contended, are "leaderless. All they have is, If you support Republicans, you're hurting America.'" "You're hurting yourselves, people, with all that kind of nonsense. So again, I don't know why they do it, [but] I hope they keep it up." And now that the bill has been signed into law, that will lead the way to more bills, Sununu said. "Even Trump is talking about a conservative immigration reform bill coming down the road. I think that's a great idea. I always tell conservatives, get the tough stuff done on our terms. Don't wait for the Democrats to be in power. So, this bill is really critical. I don't love everything that's in it," the former governor said. "I don't think everyone does, but that's OK. It lines up the legislative successes that this administration will need going into the 2026 election." July 6: The Daily Signal: Speaker Johnson reveals the Budget Reconciliation Bill is just one of three he expects to shepherd through the House While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed after a lengthy and tense period, there will be even more reconciliation bills to follow in the coming months, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said. "We have been planning a second reconciliation bill for the fall that would be attached to the next fiscal year, and then, potentially one in the spring," Johnson shared. "That's my plan: three reconciliation bills before this Congress is over" in 2026. He said is all in an effort to "deliver that American first agenda" which the people elected Congress to do. July 6: NewsMax: SEC-TREAS; US is close to numerous trade deals, expect announcements in the next week or so The United States is close to clinching several trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline when higher tariffs kick in, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, predicting several big announcements in coming days. Bessent said the Trump administration would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the U.S. doesn't have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on April 2 and then suspended until July 9. According to the Secretary, if some of our trading partners fail to move things along, then on August 1 our tariff schedule will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. "I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly," Bessent said. The U.S. Treasury chief said the Trump administration was focused on 18 important trading partners that account for 95% of the U.S. trade deficit. But he said there had been "a lot of foot-dragging" among countries in getting closure on a trade deal. Trump has repeatedly said India is close to signing a deal and expressed hope that an agreement could be reached with the European Union, while casting doubt on a deal with Japan. July 6: The Gateway Pundit: Proof of Citizenship in order to vote in Federal elections The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a "Statement of Interest" in a Wyoming legal case that will have national repercussions. A "Statement of Interest" is an "amicus filings that are filed in federal and state trial courts across the country. Filing such briefs has become a key litigation strategy for federal civil rights enforcement." DOJ made the filing in a lawsuit defending Wyoming's legitimate interest securing its voting process from fraud by requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. A DOJ Press Release said, "Wyoming's documentary proof of citizenship law is a mechanism to enforce laws that prohibit non-citizen voting and ensure that only eligible voters cast ballots." "It is a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, and it is important that the American people have confidence in the integrity of our elections." said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Gates of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. "Requiring documentary proof of citizenship is common sense and ensures that only citizens vote." The "Equality State Policy Center" is challenging the Wyoming Secretary of State, Chuck Gray, in his enforcement of State Law that requires proof of citizenship to vote. Similar legislation was introduced in the Tesas Senate but unfortunately was stopped by the Texas House Republican leadership. July 5: Fox News: Eight illegals deported on Independence Day DHS announced that eight criminal illegal aliens were deported to South Sudan on Independence Day, after what it called "weeks of delays by activist judges" that left ICE officers stranded and at risk. DHS said, "ICE deported these eight barbaric criminal illegal aliens who are so heinous even their own countries will not accept them." The deportation effort had been blocked by a series of lower court rulings, which the Supreme Court overturned July 3, granting the Trump administration's motion to enforce its third-country removal policy. July 5: The Daily Caller: Texas ICE agent shot in the neck, suspects in custody Texas police officer was shot in the neck late Thursday night during an apparent coordinated attack outside an ICE detention facility. Just before 11 p.m., officers from the Alvarado Police Department responded to reports of a suspicious person near the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas. Upon arrival, officers encountered what appeared to be an armed individual, and when one officer attempted to engage, several suspects allegedly opened fire and struck the officer in the neck, police said. The officer was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Worth, treated, and later released. Law enforcement said multiple armed suspects were taken into custody after attempting to flee. A federal source told CBS News that eight people were arrested, with some reportedly wearing body armor. Officials are still investigating a motive. July 5: Breitbart News: It's Portland again as activist protestors and rioters take to the streets Protests in Portland, Oregon, on Friday opposing President Donald Trump and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency erupted in chaos, according to multiple reports. Several people involved in the protests reportedly organized a "caravan" that went from an ICE facility located in "South Portland to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington." KOIN reported that earlier in the day demonstrators involved in the "protests outside the Portland ICE facility" reportedly "clashed with federal officers." Antifa reportedly committed an arson attack at the ICE facility in Portland. July 4: The Gateway Pundit: Planned Parenthood defunded, but only for one year After 18 years of fighting, Congress finally tells Planned Parenthood: "Go fund yourselves." After nearly two decades of relentless pro-life activism, the day has finally come: Congress has stripped Planned Parenthood of nearly $500 million in federal funding, cutting approximately 80% of its taxpayer-backed budget. It's a thunderous victory for the pro-life movement and a devastating blow to America's largest abortion provider. Fueled by a conservative base that refuses to remain silent, Congress acted — and even though the measure only lasts one year for now, it sets a historic precedent. For the first time in decades, Planned Parenthood has suffered a defeat on Capitol Hill. Planned Parenthood is already mobilizing to recover. Reports on the ground indicate that they're doubling down on university campuses, targeting students with grotesque promotional tactics, like "two-for-one abortion coupons" during back-to-school fairs. With their federal funding slashed, they'll be even more aggressive in hunting for paying customers. July 4: Fox News: Budget Reconciliation signed by the President (Not auto-penned!) President Trump signed his $3.3 trillion "big, beautiful bill" on Friday, after the House passed the final version of the measure Thursday to ensure it arrived at the president's desk by his self-imposed July 4 deadline. The bill includes key provisions that would permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporates new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. Before signing the bill, the president said the bill would "fuel massive economic growth" and "lift up the hard-working citizens who make this country run." Trump claimed the tax cutting provisions were the " largest tax cuts in the history of our country. … After these kicks in, our country is going to be a rocket ship economically. We've delivered no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors. … It makes the child tax credit permanent for 40 million American families." Unfortunately, the measure also increases the debt limit by $5 trillion which many hardline conservatives found it hard to swallow. July 4: The Epoch Times: History repeats itself 1980s and today Between 1982-84 Toshiba Machines of Japan supplied machine tool software that required a license from the US Department of Commerce. The software was the key that allowed U.S. submarines to reduce the noise of their propellers, making this quieter than their advocacies. Toshiba-Kongsberg was fined only $14,000 for this violation, a violation that allowed the USSR to retool their own submarines, making them more difficult to detect and causing the U.S. to reportedly to spend $30 billion to help detect the presence of quieter Soviet submarines. [See YouTube Video of the case] Fast forward to today. A California-based chip designer, Alpha & Omega Semiconductor (AOS), has agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle a probe over its unlicensed exports to sanctioned Chinese company Huawei. In a June 27 order published on Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said that in 2019, AOS sent about 1,650 foreign-made power controllers, smart power stages, and related accessories from the United States to Huawei in 15 shipments, without securing export licenses. AOS is required to pay the fine within 30 days or the company will face interest and administrative charges and could lose its export privileges for one year (by being put on the BIS denied parties list). On May 16, 2019, the BIS added Huawei and 68 of its non-U.S. affiliates to the Entity List. Companies seeking to export to these entities were required to apply for licenses. BIS applied a license review policy of "presumption of denial," meaning license applications were denied by default. In violation of U.S. policy AOS shipped approximately 600 sample products between May 28 and June 7, 2019, in four batches to Huawei via an AOS affiliate in China, so Huawei could test whether the products met its needs. Wednesday, AOS said the company is pleased that the five-year-plus investigation ended "with only limited administrative export control charges." Once again, companies violating U.S. export controls appear to only be getting a slap on the wrist for not complying with U.S. law. July 4: Fox News: SECTREAS; Big Beautiful Bill will spark economic boom/prosperity The same issues that drove the Founders to declare independence from the Crown in 1776 drove 77 million Americans to the polls in 2024: heavy taxes, weak leadership, and an overreaching government numb to the needs of its citizens. President Trump won in a landslide victory by offering powerful solutions to each of these problems. He is the American people's declaration of independence from business as usual in Washington. The president seeks to serve "the forgotten men and women of America." And the One Big Beautiful Bill, which he signs into law today, is central to that mission. This historic legislation will make life more affordable for all Americans by unleashing parallel prosperity—the idea that Main Street and Wall Street can grow together. The One Big, Beautiful Bill represents the priorities of the new Republican Party, which includes millions of working-class Americans who once called themselves Democrats. This bill builds on the blue-collar renaissance started by President Trump. Since President Trump took office in January, blue-collar wages have increased 1.7%. This represents the largest increase in working-class wages to start a presidency in more than 50 years. For comparison, working-class wages decreased during the same period under every single president since Richard Nixon with only one exception—President Trump in his first term. July 3: The Washington Times: Bush-appointed Judge finds OMB didn't have the authority to pull webpage information about transgender issues Here we go again, a George W. Bush appointed federal judge has ruled that the White House budget office didn't have the power to order agencies to take down web pages that included information about transgender issues. Judge John Bates ruled Wednesday night that Trump never specifically gave OMB that power. Bates said OMB doesn't have independent powers in the law to do it either, so the agency's action "exceeded its statutory authority." "This case involves government officials acting first and thinking later," he wrote. His ruling erases OMB's guidance to agencies and also deletes actions taken by agencies that followed the OMB directives. Perhaps an easy fix is for the President to sign an executive order requiring the actions taken by OMB. Certainly the President has the authority as the head of the Executive Branch. July 3: The Daily Caller: SCOTUS to Biden-appointed Judge; You're out of order! The Supreme Court shot down a district court judge's bid to circumvent an order allowing the Trump administration to resume third-country deportations. Though the Court cleared the path June 23 for the administration to quickly deport illegal migrants to countries not specified in their removal orders, Biden-appointed District Court Judge Brian Murphy claimed hours later that one of his orders preventing the deportation of eight migrants to South Sudan remained in effect. In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court agreed Thursday that Murphy violated its order, noting the "only authority" he cited was the dissent. "Our June 23 order stayed the April 18 preliminary injunction in full," the majority held. "The May 21 remedial order cannot now be used to enforce an injunction that our stay rendered unenforceable." The Trump administration previously urged the Supreme Court to clarify its order, accusing Murphy of "unprecedented defiance" of the high court's authority. Murphy's ruling was "a lawless act of defiance that, once again, disrupts sensitive diplomatic relations and slams the brakes on the Executive's lawful efforts to effectuate third-country removals," the administration wrote June 24. July 3: Breitbart News: The Budget Reconciliation Bill passes the House; is on its way to the White House for a July 4th Presidential signature President Donald Trump's big, beautiful bill is enroute to the White House, the culmination of months of work by the President and his team and the realization of scores of campaign promises. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed the House Thursday afternoon 218-214, with the only Republican no votes from Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY). Republicans successfully met Trump's Independence Day goal – belittled as unrealistic by the establishment media – clearing the path for a bill signing ceremony Friday that undoubtedly will be one for the ages. The bill, which codifies into law much of what Trump has done through executive action and unlocks much more that required Congressional approval, may be considered by history as Trump's crowning achievement. The legislation manages to include almost every campaign promise Trump made on his "Shermanesque march" through all seven swing states, delivering wins conservatives never could have dreamed of during the Barack Obama or George W. Bush administrations. The bill not only extends or makes permanent Trump's 2017 tax cuts — including no taxes on tips, overtime, or social security – but delivers on Trump's signature issue of border security. July 3: Politico: Progress being made on passage of Budget Reconciliation Republicans' "Big, Beautiful Bill" is one vote away from Donald Trump's desk after clearing a key procedural hurdle that sets up a floor vote Thursday morning. Pulling an all-nighter two days after senators did the same, House Republicans were finally able to unite on the test vote around 3:30 a.m. Thursday — closing out a six-hour voting window that might have been extraordinary if the previous vote hadn't been held open nine hours for similar reasons. The discord inside the House GOP centered on Senate changes to the bill, which first passed the House in May. Senators piled on more tax cuts and made changes to safety-net programs, creating a two-front debate for House whips. In the end the rule (that sets up how a bill will be handled on the House floor) was adopted 219-213. This was favorable since the previous day there were about twenty House Republicans who questioned if they could vote for the measure. The breakthrough came after hours of meetings between GOP leadership and holdouts, exploring what executive actions or other promises could assuage hard-line fiscal hawks who were incensed about the Senate-passed bill's budget deficits. July 2: One America News Network: SECDEF hosts Argentinian Defense Minister United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Argentinian Defense Minister Luis Petri at the Pentagon on Wednesday. The Minister eagerly announced that Argentina and the U.S. will continue to build on their more than 200-year relationship. SECDEF announced Argentina's request to purchase a U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon and 8×8 Stryker armored vehicles. During the meeting, he also emphasized that China not only poses a threat to the U.S., but to Argentina as well. China could be a strategic or economic threat to Argentina in several key areas, depending on the lens through which the relationship is viewed. While China is a major investor and trade partner for Argentina, there are concerns surrounding how this dynamic could undermine Argentina's sovereignty, economic stability, or geopolitical alignment. The CCP has lent Argentina billions through loans, infrastructure projects, via the Belt and Road Initiative, and currency swaps with the People's Bank of China. Many warn that this could lead to "debt-trap diplomacy," where Argentina could face pressure to align its policies with Chinese interests to maintain access to credit or avoid default. July 2: The Washington Examiner: Legal wranglings continue in efforts to slow down the Trump agenda The Trump Administration is asking the SCOTUS for legal permission to fire three Democratic-appointed members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission after the move was blocked by a lower court. Biden-appointed District Court Judge Matthew Maddox previously ruled that Trump's termination of Mary Boyle, Alexander Hoehn-Saric, and Richard Trumka Jr. was unlawful. He argued that the firings went against the provision that a president could only fire commissioners for neglect of duty or malfeasance. Solicitor General D. John Sauer is now taking the matter to the nation's highest court. This latest episode represents just another move by leftwing Democrat-appointed judges to slow down Trump's actions through raising legal barriers every step of the way. July 2: Fox News: Another day, another Democrat-appointed judge blocks Trump agenda in attempts to stop or slow the Trump train's advance A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Trump's executive order that sought to prevent migrants crossing the border from seeking asylum or applying for withholding of removal in the U.S., a major blow to Trump as he looks to further enforce his broad immigration crackdown. U.S. District Judge Randolph Daniel Moss, an Obama appointee, said Trump's Jan. 20 proclamation, which sought to block all migrants "engaged in the invasion across the southern border" from claiming asylum or seeking withholding of removal, exceeds his authority — siding with the ACLU, who brought the suit on behalf of several migrant's groups and 13 asylum-seekers earlier this year. The group urged the court in February to block Trump's proclamation from taking force, arguing that the action was "as unlawful as it is unprecedented." Moss said Wednesday that Trump "lacks the inherent constitutional authority" to supplant federal statutes governing removals. The case, yet again, is likely to be appealed to the SCOTUS. July 1: The Gateway Pundit: FBI blocked 2020 investigation into Chinese Mail-In Voting Scam to Protect Chris Wray Who Likely Lied to Congress On Tuesday Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released new information from declassified documents that reveal the FBI blocked an investigation into the allegations that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manufactured thousands of fake driver's licenses and shipped them to the US in a scheme to help Joe Biden win the election by fraudulent mail-in votes. The FBI hid the investigation in order to protect dirty FBI Director Chris Wray who had lied to Congress about the election. According to Kash, the communist Chinese were involved in a plot to create thousands of fake mail-in ballots in 2020 using fake voter registrations. And to be clear, many of the mail in ballots were put into unmanned drop boxes where registrations and identifications were never verified. Patel said it should be clear that China was not creating fake ballots to assist Donald Trump. The Chi-Coms detested Trump for what he had done to their economy. Trump was the only US president in decades to take on the Chinese Communist Party. China was helping Old Joe Biden win the election. July 1: One America News Network: Former NYC resident [Trump] endorses Mayor Adams for reelection Donald Trump seemingly offered an endorsement of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' re-election bid on Tuesday, while simultaneously issuing a stark warning to Democratic socialist and mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani — threatening arrest should he obstruct Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. "I helped him out a little bit," Trump said, referencing the DOJ's move to dismiss Adams' federal corruption case. "He had a problem, and he was unfairly hurt over this question. That was a Biden indictment." Trump said, 'Don't feel bad. I got indicted five times!'" Meanwhile, Trump has also escalated his criticisms of Mamdani, warning that the 33-year-old communist/socialist mayoral candidate can face incarceration if he defies the ongoing illegal immigration enforcement [ICE] efforts. "We'll have to arrest" Mamdani, if that happens, Trump asserted. July 1: Fox News: The Department of Justice issued a memo directing US attorneys to "prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings" The Department of Justice issued a memo directing US attorneys to "prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings" as part of an effort by the Trump administration to crack down on crime. The memo from Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate states that denaturalization cases against "individuals who pose a potential danger to national security, including those with a nexus to terrorism, espionage, or the unlawful export from the United States of sensitive goods, technology, or information raising national security concerns" are one of the key priorities. "The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government's ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport," Shumate wrote. "The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a person's United States citizenship if an individual either 'illegally procured' naturalization or procured naturalization by 'concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation,'" he added in the June 11 directive. July 1: The Daily Caller: Another Biden Judge issues injunction to stop Trump firing of unneeded federal workers A Biden-appointed federal judge ruled on Tuesday that President Trump must put a stop to the mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose granted 19 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia a preliminary injunction, first sought in May, stating that the states had proved that "irreparable harm" had been caused by the cuts. The ruling applies to terminated employees in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Tobacco Products in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) among others. DeBose contended "The executive branch does not have the authority to order, organize, or implement wholesale changes to the structure and function of the agencies created by Congress." [See related story] July 1: NewsMax: Reconciliation bill squeaks by in the Senate, faces challenges in the House Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation bill (The One Big Beautiful Bill Act) on a tie vote (50-50) with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie. But the outcome is still in doubt. Reportedly more than 20 House Republicans are threatening to tank the measure. The Senate made changes to the bill, many in order to curry support from members like Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). It also increased the debt limit from the House's $4 trillion to $5 trillion. All the Republicans like making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent and allocating funding for border security, defense, and domestic energy production, but "Our bill has been completely changed. ... It's a non-starter," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) says he plans to amend the bill by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting the original House bill language. It's evident that some concessions will need to be made and if that happens it's doubtful it will reach the President's desk by the self-imposed deadline of July 4th because any changes to the bill will require it to go back to the Senate again. June 30: Fox News: Budget Reconciliation Bill heads into final stages as Senate holds a marathon session to get the job done Lawmakers wrapped up several hours of debate on the budget reconciliation bill that began Sunday afternoon and petered out early Monday morning. The next hurdle is the marathon "vote-a-rama," when lawmakers on either side of the aisle can submit an unlimited number of amendments to the bill. Senate Republicans will use the time to further change and mold the bill to keep their supporters in razor thin majority, while Democrats will inflict as much pain, and burn as much time as possible, with amendments designed to kneecap or outright kill the legislation. The debate is largely a predictably partisan affair filled with floor charts, impassioned gesticulating fists and pleas to either pass or nuke the bill. June 30: NewsMax: Six GOP Senators still in doubt about Budget Reconciliation Bill There could be as many as six Republican senators opposed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act budget Reconciliation), enough to sink the legislation in the upper chamber, dealing a massive blow to the signature legislation of President Trump's second term. Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have stated their intent to vote against the bill, meaning the GOP can only lose one more vote to get the measure passed because Democrats are steadfastly opposed. At least a half-dozen Republicans were still reportedly undecided Monday. because several issues that could make or break their decisions had not been resolved. Efforts are being made to carve out special provisions in order to gain votes from particular members. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) wants to exempt her state from having to fund a share of nutrition assistance payments financed entirely by the federal government. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have demanded a vote on an amendment that would slash Medicaid further, by changing the formula used to determine what share of the program's bills are paid by the federal government. Susan Collins (R-ME) has not yet committed to supporting the bill and plans to offer an amendment to raise the tax rate for the most affluent Americans back to what it was before the 2017 tax cuts were enacted. Time will tell how this all works out, meanwhile the Democrats are standing back and watching as the Republicans continue to fight among themselves. June 29: The Post Newspaper: Efforts to seize the American Dream History instructs us about the natural gravitation of the few to seek power or wealth at the expense of the masses. Thomas Jefferson said if you "Trade liberty for safety or money and you'll end up with neither." In our day things seem no different. The American stabilizing factor resides in the existence of a predominant middle-class. This group possesses powers of self-reliance. Some government leaders have sought to overthrow the middle-class's thirst for independence. But there was a fly in their ointment, Donald J. Trump. His win in 2016 turned their plans upside down. People wanted to make their own decisions, not have the unelected "deep state" bureaucrats make decisions for them! Then in 2020 the Democrats took back control bringing back attacks on our basic freedoms on steroids such as: mandates for unwanted electric vehicles, banning gas appliances (stoves and water heaters), and the invasion of millions of illegal immigrants. But with Trump back in office there are some possible corrective actions available, such as: eliminate birthplace citizenship; have the census only count U.S. citizens for apportioning Congressional representation; eliminate free healthcare and education benefits for non-US citizens; and by penalizing companies who hire illegal immigrants. June 29: The Gateway Pundit: Schumer's gambit backfires as clerk reads the definition of what a woman is Despicable Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) stunt to have the entire 940-page "Big, Beautiful Bill" read may have blown up in his face today after his party got exposed to a basic biological fact. The Senate last night advanced Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" to a full debate. In response, Schumer vowed to take a delaying tactic to make the overworked Senate clerks read the entire 940-page bill word for word. Imagine what Schumer and his Democrat colleagues will do when the clerk gets to the provision that define what a woman (female) is. The bill "For the purposes of paragraph three, the term female means someone who naturally has had, will have… …the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization." June 28: The Washington Times: Senate Republicans rewrite House budget bill and prepare to vote thereon Senate Republicans unveiled an updated 940-page version of President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" late Friday with hopes of holding a procedural test vote to begin debate on the bill Saturday. The updated bill reflects changes made by multiple Senate committees throughout the week to bring the measure into compliance with the chamber's rules for budget reconciliation, the filibuster-proof process Republicans are using to advance the bill. • They tweaked Medicaid provisions and added money to help rural hospitals weather the cuts, gave Alaska a carve-out from cost-sharing in the food stamp program for states that mismanage benefit payments, added restrictions to the sell-off of federal lands, and created a new funding incentive for states to adopt a 10-year moratorium on regulating AI. • The update also includes a long-awaited compromise on the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT. It would temporarily raise the cap on the SALT deduction to $40,000, with minor gradual increases through 2029 to account for inflation. However, the cap amount phases down for anyone earning more than $500,000. In 2030, the cap would drop back to $10,000 with no income limitation, which is the provision under current law that's set to expire at the end of this year. • Some changes are designed to win over holdouts who had concerns about the initial version, but it's not yet clear whether the updated product will secure enough votes. GOP leaders cannot afford more than three Republican defections. Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, has said he will vote "no" because of the $5 trillion debt limit increase in the bill. And on Friday, Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina Republican, said he would oppose the bill if provisions to overhaul Medicaid did not substantially change. The updated bill includes a key tweak to the phase out of clean energy tax credits designed to win over fiscal conservatives and President Trump, who wanted to repeal all of President Biden's "green new scam" subsidies. Subsidies will be cut off for new solar and wind projects if they're not "placed in service" by the end of 2027. While it's not the full repeal Mr. Trump and conservatives wanted, it does at least ensure they'll end during his presidency. The original Senate bill used a less strict standard for the projects to begin construction, ensuring the subsidies would be available for years after Mr. Trump's presidency ended. June 28: The Epoch Times: Dems choose to delay action on Budget Reconciliation by requiring all the language of the bill be read aloud in the chamber Senate Democrats are preparing to force the full reading of the nearly 1,000-page Republican tax and spending package on the Senate floor, a move that could delay consideration of the Trump-endorsed bill by at least half a day. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) confirmed the Democrats intend to invoke their right to demand that clerks read aloud the entire legislative text of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act if Republicans secure a vote to proceed to debate. The procedural gambit threatens to temporarily slow Republican momentum, just as Senate GOP leaders were hoping to move swiftly into a marathon amendment session, known as a vote-a-rama, after a procedural vote clearing the way for floor debate. GOP leaders spent Saturday working to secure backing from key holdouts, even as several senators made their positions clearer. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) each signaled they would support advancing the bill, citing last-minute changes unveiled Friday that addressed some of their earlier concerns. June 28: NewsMax: ICE arrests more than doubled since Trump took office Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests have more than doubled across 38 states since President Donald Trump took office, with the agency averaging over 665 administrative detentions per day through June 10, up from fewer than 300 daily arrests in 2024. According to recent data, ICE has arrested more than 20,000 people in Texas and over 11,000 in Florida and Puerto Rico since Jan. 20. A FOIA-sourced report shows ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division immediately ramped up activity to fulfill the administration's goal of deporting millions of unauthorized immigrants. "We intend to enforce the law fully and rigorously," said Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and the driving force behind the administration's immigration policy who in May set a daily target of 3,000 arrests. Following Miller's directive, ICE arrests climbed to an average of more than 1,100 per day in early June, prompting agents to detain migrants at routine check-ins and immigration court hearings. June 27: The Times of Israel/Reuters: 12 war; Israel killed more than 30 Iranian military leaders and 11 nuclear scientists Israel killed more than 30 senior security officials and 11 senior nuclear scientists to deliver a major blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions, a senior Israeli military official said on Friday in summarizing Israel's 12-day air war with Iran. In the United States, an independent expert said a review of commercial satellite imagery showed only a small number of the approximately 30 Iranian missiles that penetrated Israel's air defenses managed to hit any militarily significant targets. "Iran has yet to produce missiles that demonstrate great accuracy," Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at the CNA Corporation specializing in satellite imagery, said. In Israel, the senior military official said Israel's June 13 opening strike on Iran severely damaged its aerial defenses and destabilized its ability to respond in the critical early hours of the conflict. The Israeli Air Force struck over 900 targets and the military deeply damaged Iran's missile production during the war that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire, the official said. June 27: The NY Post: SCOTUS; Decision on power of federal district courts sparks major disagreement between Justices Ever watch paint dry? For most the release of SCOTUS decisions is like unto that! But in the Birthright Citizenship where the court was dealing with the breath of authority of federal district courts to invoke nationwide injunctions a verbal slugfest arose between Justices Barrett and Jackson. The decision was one of the biggest of the term. The Court moved to free the Administration from an onslaught of orders from district judges seeking to block the President in areas ranging from the downsizing of government to immigration. But it was the departure of the normally staid court analysis that attracted the most attention. Jackson, the most junior justice effectively accused her colleagues of being toadies for tyranny. It proved too much for the majority, which pushed back on the overwrought rhetoric. Justice Barrett had clearly had enough with Jackson's rhetoric and so she let loose with "[E]veryone, from the President on down, is bound by law." Ibid. That goes for judges too. We will not dwell on Justice Jackson's argument, which is at odds with more than two centuries' worth of precedent, not to mention the Constitution itself. We observe only this: Justice Jackson decries an imperial Executive while embracing an imperial Judiciary." In other words, the danger to democracy is found in judges acting like kings. Barrett explained to her three liberal colleagues that "when a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too." June 27: NewsMax: SCOTUS; Maryland parents can pull their children out of lessons that use LGBTQ books The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Maryland parents who have religious objections can pull their children from public school lessons using LGBTQ storybooks. The justices reversed lower-court rulings. The high court ruled that the schools likely could not require elementary school children to sit through lessons involving the books if parents expressed religious objections to the material. The decision was not a final ruling in the case, but the justices strongly suggested that the parents will win in the end. The court ruled that policies like the one at issue in the case are subjected to the strictest level of review which nearly always dooms them. The justices have repeatedly endorsed claims of religious discrimination in recent years and the case is among several religious-rights cases at the court this term. The decision also comes amid increases in recent years in books being banned from public school and public libraries. June 27: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS finishes up term with several landmark decisions The U.S. Supreme Court released the final orders scheduled for the 2024–2025 term before the going on their summer break. Here is a summary of some of their decisions: • Birthright Citizenship | Universal Injunctions: The court ruled 6-3 (Barrett authoring the decision) that the policy shouldn't go into effect immediately and failed to address its constitutionality. However, it narrowed the scope of district court nationwide injunctions, restricting the ability of lower courts to impose nationwide injunctions, thereby allowing several of the Administration to move forward. • Affordable Care (Obamacare) Act: The court issued another 6-3 ruling upholding the constitutionality of a panel created by the Affordable Care Act that makes rules requiring insurers to cover preventive medical services such as cancer screenings without cost to patients. The decision reversed a lower court order that had said that members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has a role in choosing what services can be covered under the law, were appointed in an unconstitutional manner. • Texas Mandated Age Verification – Pornographic Websites: The court rule 6-3 to uphold a Texas law that mandates that pornographic websites verify that visitors to their websites are aged 18 or older. Justice Thomas wrote the majority's opinion, with Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson dissented. Thomas wrote that protecting children from sexually explicit material online justifies the burden that age-verification places on adults accessing those sites. • Service Fee to fund libraries, rural area, and schools; In a 6–3 decision, the court reversed an appellate court ruling that struck down the Universal Service Fund, which allows a charge to be added to Americans' phone bills to help fund phone and internet services in libraries, rural areas, and schools. The Federal Communications Commission collects the money from telecommunications providers, which pass the cost on to their customers, in order to subsidize those services. A majority of justices agreed that ending the fund could be devastating for millions of people. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, and Thomas dissented. • Opt-Out of LGBTQ+ Storybooks in Schools: In yet another 6-3 decision, the court ruled Maryland parents who have religious objections can pull their children from public school lessons using "LGBTQ+ inclusive" storybooks. • Minority Congressional Districts in Louisianna: The court also declined to rule in a dispute involving a Louisiana electoral map that increased the number of minority congressional districts in that state. They argued that the case can be argued again. In due course, the Court will issue an order scheduling argument and specifying any additional questions to be addressed in supplemental briefing," said the brief order, which was unsigned. As a result, Louisiana's map will remain in effect until the case is decided. Thomas dissented in the case, writing that the Supreme Court has "an obligation to resolve such challenges promptly" over congressional redistricting matters. June 26: The Daily Signal: Tuberville; Fire the Senate parliamentarian Senator Tommy Turberville (R-AL) called for the firing of the Senate parliamentarian Thursday over her ruling against a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to prevent illegal aliens from accessing Medicaid. "The woke Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid (D-NV) and advised Al Gore (D-TN), just struck down a provision banning illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens," Tuberville wrote. The "big, beautiful bill," as President Donald Trump calls it, would fulfill a number of campaign promises, such as extending his 2017 first-term tax cuts and funding border security. Tuberville thinks the parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough — essentially the Senate's rules arbiter — is taking a hatchet to the 10-year fiscal package. "Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected by the people. Her job is not to push a woke agenda." MacDonough has the authority to decide whether provisions in the budget reconciliation process follow Senate rules. In such cases, she is invoking the "Byrd Rule" which is generally intended to restrict the process to budgetary policy only. The rule is named for then-Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WVA) who was the rule's main sponsor when it was adopted in 1985. The firing of MacDonough would not be unprecedented. It was done 2001. The parliamentarian serves at the pleasure of the Senate majority leader who can fire her at any point June 26: One America News Network: Rumors; Democrat leaked the initial classified damage assessment of the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities Democrats are being accused of leaking the preliminary Pentagon intelligence assessment that indicated the damage caused by the U.S. strike on Iranian facilities was less severe than what was publicly announced. The leaked preliminary report from the Defense Intelligence Agency, which Trump maintains only covered information from an early assessment, without acknowledging the damage done by U.S. B-2 bombers, claimed that Iran's nuclear program was only set back "by months" — contradicting comments made by the 47th president on the day of the attack, June 21st. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a joint Pentagon–FBI criminal probe is underway, describing the leaked paper as a "restrike report" used internally to assess whether additional strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were needed. If there is enough evidence to prove who actually leaked the classified information there are indications DOJ might go for a criminal indictment against that individual. Certainly, his or her security clearance will be pulled. June 26: Fox News: Decisive Action: Massive fraud uncovered by DOGE moves Administration to launch investigation into 15 years of abuse in an agency Dems tried to shield from DOGE Following the uncovering of a massive bribery scandal at USAID, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is ordering a full audit of all government contracting officers who have exercised grant-awarding authority under the agency's business development program over the last 15 years. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the scale of the USAID fraud is a "damning reflection of systemic failures in oversight and accountability." She further said that the fraud "was not an isolated incident." In response, Loeffler instructed Associate Administrator Tre Pennie, who oversees government contracts awarded by SBA, to "act decisively" to crack down on any potential similar abuses in their agency; instructing Pennie to immediately initiate a full-scale audit of the agency's awarding officers back to 2010. June 26: The Daily Signal: SCOTUS: States may exclude Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court decided Thursday that South Carolina can legally block Planned Parenthood facilities from receiving Medicaid funding. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, In order to receive federal funding through Medicaid, states must submit to the secretary of health and human services a "plan for medical assistance." These plans must satisfy more than 80 separate conditions Congress set out in the law. The federal government has provided, on average, about 57% of the funds to implement Medicaid, with states making up the rest. Citing a state law prohibiting the use of funding for abortion, South Carolina announced in July 2018 that Planned Parenthood could no longer participate in the state's Medicaid program. The state also ensured that women's health and family planning services are available through other clinics. The state has 140 federally qualified health clinics and pregnancy centers. June 25: Fox News: DNI Gabbard debunks legacy media reporting of attack on Iran nuke sites Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard pushed back forcefully on Wednesday against what she called the "propaganda media," accusing them of selectively leaking classified material in an attempt to undercut Donald Trump's handling of the high-stakes Iran strikes. Gabbard confirmed that "new intelligence" has verified the destruction of Iran's key nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan in last weekend's bombing campaign. She criticized recent press reports relying on leaked intelligence assessments that downplayed the scale of the damage. "The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with 'low confidence') to try to undermine President Trump's decisive leadership," she said. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, now serves as Trump's DNI, has become a key public voice defending the administration's national security posture during the growing Israel-Iran conflict. June 25: The Daily Signal: Trump's DOJ joins suit against state requiring the disclosure of things discussed during confession A newly enacted law in Washington state that forces priests to reveal the details of their members' private confessions under penalty of fine or imprisonment is illegal and violates the core rights guaranteed to every American, says the Justice Department, as it joined a lawsuit to overturn the measure and restore religious liberty. The bill enacted by an overwhelming Democrat-controlled legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson (D-WA) singles out priests as mandatory reporters if they hear a member admit to child abuse or neglect during confession — which church officials say must be held in absolute secrecy for the believer's sake. While the state exempts other professions or classes of citizens, such as attorney-client privilege or the doctor-patient relationship, it specifically threatens clergy who refuse to rat out penitents with 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and a possible civil liability on the first violation. "Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said. "Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington [state] to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges." June 24: Fox News: Damage assessment from weekend US attack on Iranian nuclear sites President Trump has asserted the military's weekend strike against Iran "completely and totally obliterated" its nuclear weapon-making capabilities, there are still questions about whether the ground-penetrating "bunker buster" bombs used to attack Iran's key enrichment sites were enough to stop the rogue country from developing a nuclear bomb. In a report released last week there were questions whether "bunker buster" bombs are actually capable to fully destroying the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow. Fordow, which Trump said was "gone" now following the strike, is considered central to Iran's nuclear weapon-making capabilities. It is difficult to determine the extent of below ground destruction from photos because the facility's hundreds of centrifuges are too deeply buried in order to make an accurate determination. However, because of the massive shock wave that would have been sent by the Massive Ordnance Penetrators the centrifuges at the Fordow site were likely damaged or inoperable. Centrifuges are "very delicate" and the kind of shock wave coming from the MOPs would at least most likely put them out of commission and if any did survive the blasts, they would probably be inaccessible to the Iranian authorities for months. Additional intelligence would be needed to make a final determination of the strike's success. June 24: Breitbart News: After Trump victory Biden Admin. rushed through $90+ Billion in "Green Energy Loans" U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is slamming the Biden administration for what he calls an "absolutely infuriating" last-minute spending spree, revealing that more than $90 billion in green energy loans were pushed through by the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office in the weeks between President Donald Trump's 2024 reelection and his January inauguration. This exceeds the total loan volume issued (43 Billion) by the office over its 15-year history the Secretary contended, and that was done in the 76 days between Election Day and Inauguration Day. The Loan Programs Office was originally designed to support innovative energy technologies. But Wright argued the process has become politicized. "The government in general has not been a great picker of winners and losers because they don't look at businesses. Governments look at politics." June 24: The Gateway Pundit: Former Biden aide admits she controlled the President's autopen Ex-Biden official Neera Tanden admitted under oath to the House Oversight Committee during a closed-door testimony on Tuesday that she controlled Joe Biden's autopen. As the Director of Domestic Policy Council, she admitted she was authorized to use Joe Biden's autopen between October 2021 to May 2023. The Washington Examiner reported that she testified she was also authorized to direct the autopen, however, she denied manipulation or abuse. The Examiner reported that while she was serving as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, she was given authority to wield the autopen. She said she "was responsible for handling the flow of documents to and from the president" and was authorized to direct autopen use during her tenure when she was serving as staff secretary and senior adviser to Biden. She was the White House Staff Secretary when Joe Biden signature was autopenned on pardons from a golf course in the US Virgin Islands. June 24: The Daily Signal: Rouge Judge defies SCOTUS, contending his injunction on third party deportations stands District court judges aren't just striking down President Trump's orders, arguably taking presidential power on themselves but in at least one case, a district judge appears to be openly defying the Supreme Court itself. On Monday the SCOTUS issued a stay on a lower court's injunction against the DHS attempts to deport illegal aliens to countries other than their original home countries. Even so, Brian Murphy, a Biden appointed district court judge who took office a month prior to Trump taking the oath of office issued an order within hours after the SCOTUS stay, acting as though the high court had not thrown out his initial injunction. DHS clapped back with a blistering filing asking SCOTUS put Murphy in his place. "The district court's ruling of last night is a lawless act of defiance that, once again, disrupts sensitive diplomatic relations and slams the brakes on the executive's lawful efforts to effectuate third-country removals," DHS said Tuesday. "This court [SCOTUS] should immediately make clear that the district court's enforcement order has no effect, and put a swift end to the ongoing irreparable harm to the executive branch and its agents, who remain under baseless threat of contempt," DHS said. June 24: The Daily Caller: ICE nabs Iranian Army Sniper who is in the country illegally Amid the fallout of U.S. airstrikes at several Iranian nuclear facilities, the Trump administration arrested a reported "Iranian Army sniper" living unlawfully in the country. DHS reported that ICE agents arrested 11 Iranian illegal migrants over the past weekend. Among those arrested in the nationwide sweep included Ribvar Karimi, who reportedly served as an Iranian Army sniper for roughly four years and was allegedly carrying an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card at the time of his arrest. "Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden's fraudulent parole programs or otherwise," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Tuesday. "We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are," McLaughlin continued. "We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland." June 24: Judicial Watch: Stolen Identities provide a loop-hole in the E-Verify system Federal authorities have uncovered widespread identity theft at a meat processing plant that used the E-Verify tool to screen 100% of its staff. A recent ICE worksite enforcement operation at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, Nebraska busted over 70 illegal aliens who were using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to unlawfully obtain wages, health benefits and employment authorization, according to the agency. The criminal identity theft scheme left "more than 100 real victims to face devastating financial, emotional and legal consequences," ICE said. Incredibly, Glenn Valley Foods was reportedly 100% compliant with the E-Verify system that screens new employees using records from various agencies to confirm candidates are in the country legally. The web-based system claims to match information provided by new hires against Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operates it because the agency is responsible for administering the nation's lawful immigration system. The program is available to employers in every state. Federal contractors and subcontractors must use E-Verify to vet workers. June 23: Fox News: Trump announces ceasefire between Israel and Iran Donald Trump declared Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire after missile exchanges, claiming the '12-day war' will end following a phased implementation over 24 hours. "Officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the ceasefire and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official end to The 12-Day War will be saluted by the World," Trump added. Trump praised both countries for their "Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence" to end what he called "THE 12 DAY WAR." Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official also confirmed the ceasefire deal. June 23: NewsMax Money: U.S. crude oil drops $3 a barrel after Israel-Iran truce announced U.S. crude futures fell on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week as U.S. President Donald Trump said a ceasefire has been agreed between Iran and Israel, relieving worries of supply disruption in the area. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $3.05, or 4.45%, to $65.46 per barrel. June 23: One America News Network: SCOTUS rules Trump can deport illegal aliens to third party countries The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration's policy, stating that it may deport convicted criminals to nations other than their home country. The 6-3 Supreme Court decision marks a major victory for President Donald Trump's immigration policy, allowing the administration to move forward after a federal judge temporarily blocked the policy back in April. The ruling by the conservative majority will remove the legal barriers blocking the path for millions of illegal aliens from being removed from the United States. The news follows after U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy accused the Trump administration of violating his previous order to suspend deportation flights to third-party nations, previously explaining that individuals ordered for deportation should have 10 days to dispute the decision to allow "an opportunity to explain why such a deportation will likely result in their persecution, torture and/or death." Meanwhile, Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that Murphy's previous ruling infringed on Trump's federal power to conduct policies he ran on. Sauer explained that the Trump administration is attempting to deport "some of the worst of the worst," which is why many of their home countries are "often unwilling to take them back." June 22: The Post Newspaper: Righting a Terrible World Stage Freedom-loving Americans are faced with difficult choices. For those who are paying attention, the outcome is clear. "Sanctuary states" like California are a picture of what lies ahead if actions aren't taken to halt really bad decisions made by past administrations: unstainable debt, high taxes, bankruptcy, the destruction of our nation as we know it and a dominate philosophy of voiding individual freedom and choice. Here are some possible corrective steps: - Eliminate birthplace citizenship, only children born to those legally in the U.S. should qualify; - A census that only counts U.S. citizens and apportions Congressional representation accordingly; - Eliminate free healthcare and education benefits for non-US citizens; and - Penalizing companies who hire illegal immigrants. June 22: NewsMax: Pentagon reveals details of raid on Iran On Sunday the Pentagon revealed new details of its secret "Operation Midnight Hammer" attack on Iran's nuclear sites: • The Pentagon says at 2:10 a.m. local time, the lead B-2 bomber dropped 2 GBU-57 bunker buster bombs on the first aim point at Fordo. • 14 total massive ordinance penetrators were dropped on Iranian targets, followed by Tomahawk missiles. • It was the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history. • 75 precision guided weapons were used during the operation. • More than 125 U.S. military aircraft took part in the mission. • The Pentagon says it deployed several deception tactics over Iran as it moved to strike nuclear facilities. • The U.S. is unaware of any shots fired by Iran at U.S. warplanes on their way into Iran's airspace. • Iran's surface-to-air systems did not see the U.S. planes throughout the mission. • The initial assessment indicates all three nuclear sites sustained extreme damage and destruction. The Pentagon reports U.S. forces in the region remain on high alert. June 22: The Epoch Times: Things to know about U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear sites -- Iran's Key Nuclear Sites 'Obliterated' -- President Trump said during an address to the nation that U.S. strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" three key Iranian nuclear facilities -- Trump Threatens 'Far Greater' Attacks If No Peace – The President threatened Iran with "far greater" attacks if the regime refused to make peace. -- US Worked With Israel – Donald Trump confirmed the United States worked with Israel, taking a moment in his address to the nation to thank Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. -- Iran's Atomic Agency Vows to Continue Program -- The Iranian Atomic Energy Organization said it plans to continue the development of its "national industry," an apparent reference to its nuclear development. -- Some Lawmakers Want Congressional Authorization -- While some lawmakers have been supportive of Trump's authorizing the strikes, others want congressional authorization before any additional actions are undertaken. June 21: NewsMax: US attacks three Iranian nuclear sites; calls for peace The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, directly joining Israel's war aimed at decapitating the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. President Trump was the first to disclose the strikes. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear sites. The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. The amazing thing about the raid was that the Iranians didn't know the aircraft were there until the bombs started exploding. All the U.S. aircraft returned to their bases without incident. In addition, 30Tomahawk missiles were fired from U.S. submarines over 400 miles away. The Tomahawks were in the air before the B-2 bombers dropped their payload but didn't actually strike their targets until the bombers had cleared the area, showing the planning and timing that went into the operation. June 21: Breitbart News: Illegal El Salvador alien evades ICE with help of activists An illegal alien from El Salvador wanted in Italy for child rape remains on the loose after activists in Denver thwarted ICE agents from arresting him. ICE in Colorado revealed Friday that their agents were trying to detain Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a criminal alien who was convicted of child rape in Italy, when members of a local anti-ICE group alerted him to their presence. "During our surveillance of Leon, members of Colorado Rapid Response arrived on scene and alerted him to law enforcement's presence, which allowed him to escape arrest," ICE stated. "Groups like this interfere with ICE's ability to keep communities safe." ICE shared a Facebook post from the group, written in English and Spanish, alerting its followers to ICE's presence in the area and the type of vehicle agents were using. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston previously vowed to station police officers to block ICE agents from carrying out deportations, and a report showed that the city has spent over $356 million in taxpayer dollars on services for migrants. A 2017 Denver ordinance limits officials from cooperating with ICE. June 21: The Gateway Pundit: SCOTUS hands Trump a temporary win in battle over tariffs The US Supreme Court on Friday handed President Trump a temporary win in the battle over his tariffs. The high court denied a request to expedite a tariff challenge from the toy companies suing Trump. The companies tried to leapfrog the lower courts and take the tariff fight directly to the Supreme Court. The companies argued that President Trump doesn't have the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to unilaterally impose tariffs. The Supreme Court denied the request to expedite the challenge, giving President Trump the standard 30 days to respond. Last month a three-judge panel at the US Court of International Trade ruled President Trump exceeded his authority to unilaterally impose tariffs under IEEPA. The Trump DOJ immediately appealed the ruling. A federal appeals court then temporarily reinstated the tariffs. June 21: Washington Examiner: In what turned out to be a "fake" B-2 Stealth Bombers appeared to be on their way to Guam! Six B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Airforce Base in Missouri appeared to be flying west toward the Pacific on Saturday morning as President Trump deliberated over whether the United States will join Israel in its efforts to cripple Iran's nuclear sites. Multiple outlets reported the flights based upon publicly available flight tracing data and air traffic control records. A handful of flight trackers on social media have indicated that their likely destination is a U.S. Air Force base in Guam. DOD however declined to disclose the actual destination of the aircraft. The bombers were reportedly refueled following their initial launch in Missouri, suggesting that they could be loaded with a heavy payload. Each B-2 aircraft has a capacity of two 15-ton bunker-buster bombs — weapons experts say could be critical in targeting Iran's main nuclear site Fordow. June 20: The Daily Caller: SCOTUS sides with oil companies challenging California's electric vehicle mandate The Supreme Court sided Friday with oil companies seeking to challenge California's electric vehicle regulations. In a 7-2 ruling, the court allowed energy producers to continue their lawsuit challenging EPA's decision to approve California regulations that require manufacturing more electric vehicles. "The government generally may not target a business or industry through stringent and allegedly unlawful regulation, and then evade the resulting lawsuits by claiming that the targets of its regulation should be locked out of court as unaffected bystanders," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion. "In light of this Court's precedents and the evidence before the Court of Appeals, the fuel producers established Article III standing to challenge EPA's approval of the California regulations. June 20: The Daily Signal: Judge throws out case meant to squash Trump policy against Columbia University In an opinion Monday, Trump appointed New York federal district court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil not only denied the preliminary injunction sought by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), she threw out their lawsuit against the Trump administration entirely. In the case, the pro-Hamas AAUP sued the Trump administration over its withholding of $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University. It also sought to prospectively enjoin the administration from terminating or otherwise pausing another $5 billion in grants and contracts. In her opinion, Vyskocil wrote "With no apparent sense of irony, lawyers for an organization called 'Protect Democracy' insist that a district court judge should order the Executive Branch immediately to restore the flow of taxpayer dollars to an elite university, which funding Defendants represent is inconsistent with the priorities of the duly elected President of the United States." The judge also noted that Columbia University, the institution to receive the funds was not a party to the case. June 20: Breitbart News: Chinese Coast Guard uses water cannon against Philippine government vessel near contested shoals A Chinese Coast Guard ship attacked a Philippine government vessel near the Scarborough Shoal Friday, using a water cannon to drive the Philippine ship out of waters claimed by China. The shoal is a small, rocky land mass about 120 nautical miles west of the Philippine Island of Luzon. The entire formation covers less than 60 square miles. Both Beijing and Manila claim to own the shoal and its surrounding waters. The Philippine claim is based on historical maps and documents that trace the history of the Scarborough Shoal as a Spanish colonial possession, and then a Japanese conquest during World War II. One of the key pieces of evidence is a map drawn in 1734 that unambiguously depicts the shoal as part of the Philippine Island chain. When the U.S. held sovereignty over the Philippines, the Scarborough Shoal was part of its administrative territory, so when the Philippines became independent in 1946, the new government felt the Scarborough Shoal was naturally part of the package. The shoal is located within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines. The Chinese disagreed, making claims based on even older 14th-century maps that the Scarborough Shoal, and indeed virtually all of the South China Sea, are Chinese territory. An international tribunal rejected China's expansive claims in 2016, but Beijing simply ignored the court ruling and began taking over much of the region by force. The Philippines is primarily interested in the Shoal as an excellent fishing ground, and as a place where fishermen can take shelter from bad weather. Chinese fishermen also covet those fishing grounds, and there are untapped oil and gas reserves nearby. June 20: The Times of Israel: Israel has destroyed more than half of Iran's launchers, ahead of schedule, will hit all nuclear sites with or without US help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday evening that Israel is "ahead of schedule" in its military campaign against Iran, exceeding prior expectations and poised for further success. Netanyahu said Israel has destroyed at least half of Iran's missile launchers, eliminated key military leaders, is targeting paramilitary forces and will hit all of Iran's nuclear sites — including the heavily fortified Fordo nuclear facility. "We are ahead of the schedule we set, both in terms of timing and results," he said, nearly a week after Israel launched what it says is a preemptive campaign to neutralize an existential nuclear threat from Iran. "The work has been outstanding," Netanyahu said, explaining that he decided on the plan when a series of IDF operations left Iran's strongest proxy, Hezbollah, "on its knees" toward the end of last year, and it became clear that Iran "was racing toward a nuclear capability." June 20: Fox News: US Navy deploys missile firing destroyers into the Eastern Mediterranean The U.S. Navy now has deployed five Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean, according to U.S. defense officials, marking a significant increase. Earlier this week, the U.S. had just one in the eastern Mediterranean. Following Israel's attack on Iran, the U.S. had two positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean off the coast of Israel, which helped protect the country by shooting down incoming missiles from Iran. June 20: The Epoch Times: Obama Judge halts Admin from blocking Harvard's hosting of foreign students, many from China who are studying in critical national security areas An Obama appointed federal judge in Massachusetts has halted the Trump administration's effort to block Harvard University from hosting international students. In a June 20 decision, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs granted a preliminary injunction blocking the DHS and other federal agencies from implementing the revocation of Harvard's authorization to host foreign students and scholars. The case stems from an announcement last month by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, declaring the termination of Harvard's foreign student authorization, known as the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. She said Harvard's leadership had created an unsafe campus environment by letting pro-terrorist, anti-American agitators harass and assault people, many of them Jewish students. She also said the school collaborated with "individuals linked to China's defense-industrial base" and "Chinese universities tied to military advancements" in critical research areas. June 19: One America News Network: Law enforcement raid in Fort Worth nabs 76, 278 illegal weapons, nearly 50 lbs. of narcotics Seventy-Six individuals, including suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang-affiliated illegal aliens, were arrested by law enforcement officials following a two-month operation, which also saw the seizure of hundreds of illegal firearms and close to fifty pounds of illicit drugs. The operation, dubbed "Operation Showdown," was the result of collaboration from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in Fort Worth, Texas. "Our intention was to reduce violent … " d Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson for the Northern District of Texas said. "The removal of 76 gun and drug traffickers from the streets will have a lasting impact on this city. They are no longer out there pedaling their guns and their drugs, which would have led to more and more crime." Fifty-six of the individuals arrested are now facing federal drug charges for allegedly trafficking mass amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl. In addition, all of the individuals are being charged with illegal firearm-related crimes. June 19: The Gateway Pundit: Obama-appointed judge puts temporary hold on Trump's DOT from withholding grant funding from sanctuary cities A federal judge Thursday issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump Administration from withholding funding from cities that refuse to cooperate with ICE. US District Judge John J. McConnell said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy lacked the authority and his directive was vague and unconstitutional. Twenty Democrat attorneys general filed a lawsuit in response to Secretary Duffy's April order that required states to comply with federal immigration enforcement action in order to receive transportation funding and federal grants. The attorneys general argued in court this week that Congress already approved the funds. As mentioned previously [LINK] if Congress in appropriating funds mandated that said funds be spent, then the judge's decision makes sense. However, if the Congressional appropriation only says the funds are available, but not mandated, then the Administration is not, it is argued, required to spend the funds and may withhold them. Judge McConnell sided with the Democrat AGs and issued a preliminary injunction Thursday. June 19: Breitbart News: Assaults on ICE agents up 500% encouraged by Democrats "The Department of Homeland Security released new data revealing that ICE law enforcement is now facing a 500% increase in assaults while carrying out enforcement operations," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin disclosed. McLaughlin pointed to the recent arrest of Roberto Carlos Munoz, an illegal alien and convicted child sex offender, who dragged an ICE agent 50 yards with his car as he attempted to evade arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota. "Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender. Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens," McLaughlin said. He also called out the Democrats such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Boston, Massachusetts, Mayor Michelle Wu; Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; and Los Angeles, California, Mayor Karen Bass for their seemingly threatening statements against ICE agents. June 18: Fox News: Trump mulls over use of bunker-busting munitions on Iran's remaining nuclear weapons facility President Trump said it was up in the air whether he will sign off on military strikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities — comments that came as his administration weighs U.S. involvement in the growing conflict between Israel and Iran. Trump told reporters outside the White House on Wednesday that he had not ruled out whether the U.S. will strike Iranian nuclear facilities but said that the coming days or the "next week is going to be very big." "Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this that Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "This is just not a threat you can have. And we've been threatened by Iran for many years," Trump said. "You know, if you go back and look at my history, if you go back 15 years, I was saying we cannot let Iran get a nuclear weapon. I've been saying it for a long time." June 18: The Epoch Times: DHS updates protocols for Members of Congress and staff access to ICE detention facilities The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued new guidance for both congressional staff and members of Congress to access U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities. The updated protocol requires congressional staff to provide a minimum of 24 hours' advance notice before visiting ICE detention centers and mandates prior coordination for any visits to ICE field offices, which the agency says are not covered by congressional oversight protections under federal law. While the new policy acknowledges FY2024 Appropriations Act protects lawmakers' right to visit ICE detention facilities without notice, it outright blocks access to ICE field offices for members of Congress and congressional staff unless pre-approved by DHS. There will still be opportunities for lawmakers to arrange visits to ICE field offices, and they will have to submit requests at least 72 hours in advance. Only those who are approved for visitor engagement will be allowed to participate. Further, even though lawmakers have the right to visit detention facilities without notice, DHS reserves the right to temporarily deny access based on "exigent circumstances," such as operational conditions or security considerations DHS said. June 18: One America News Network: SCOTUS allows Tennessee gender dysphoric medical restrictions statute to stand On Wednesday the Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision, upheld a Tennessee law restricting certain medical treatments for gender dysphoric children, finding that the statute does not constitute unlawful discrimination. The central question in the case was whether Tennessee's Senate Bill 1 — legislation that "prohibits all medical treatments intended to allow 'a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex' or to treat 'purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity'" — violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The statute bars the permitting medical professionals to administer puberty blockers and hormone therapies aimed at facilitating gender transition in minors. The law also subjects healthcare providers in Tennessee who continue to offer such treatments to gender-dysphoric minors to potential civil penalties, including fines, lawsuits, and other forms of liability. June 18: News Max: More Lawfare; Biden appointed Judge rules EPA cannot cancel $600 million in Biden issued grants A Biden appointed federal judge ruled the Environmental Protection Agency's terminating $600 million in environmental justice grants which Biden issued for low-income areas was unlawful. The ruling comes as the EPA is appealing another decision that its terminating $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants was also unlawful. The budget reconciliation bill passed by the House has proposed revoking funding for both grant programs. Some of the funding ($2.8 billion) was funded under the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act for community organizations to provide block grants to seek solutions to pollution. In February the EPA terminated the grants, seeking to halt environmental justice work as part of actions against DEI programs. Judge Adam Abelson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled on Tuesday that the EPA's termination of these grants violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Abelson contended that the Administration must spend the funds appropriated by Congress. The questions as to whether the executive branch must spend funds, even if they run afoul of current policy is winding its way to the Supreme Court for a decision.At issue is whether Congress mandated that the funds be spent or whether they appropriated the funds only for a specific use. If it is the latter and the Administration in just choosing not to spend the funds – as opposed to reallocating them for something else – then it is likely that the judge's decision will, like so many other such rulings, will be overturned in the appellate process. [See Related Story] June 17: The Gateway Pundit: Obama-appointed judge finds FL AG in contempt for enforcing state's anti-illegal immigration statutes A federal judge held Florida's Attorney General in contempt of court for enforcing the state's anti-illegal immigration laws. Last month Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told an Obama-appointed judge he will not order state authorities to halt enforcement of immigration law. US District Judge Kathleen Williams issued an injunction claiming Florida's (state) law violates the Supremacy Clause in the Constitution in response to a lawsuit filed by the anti-American ACLU. Uthmeier asked state law enforcement to continue to enforce immigration laws even though the judge issued an injunction barring them from doing their jobs. Under the threat of contempt, AG Uthmeier refused to back down to the judge. "That law does nothing more than exercise Florida's inherent sovereign authority to protect its citizens by aiding the enforcement of federal immigration law," Uthmeier said. "I'm just not going to do that. We believe the court has overstepped and lacks jurisdiction there, and I will not tell law enforcement to stop fulfilling their constitutional duties." Judge Williams denied Uthmeier's request to pause her injunction while he appealed it to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Williams subsequently held Uthmeier in contempt of court and ordered him to file bi-weekly reports detailing whether any arrests, detentions or law enforcement actions have occurred. June 17: The Washington Times: NYC Mayoral candidate arrested by federal law enforcement for obstruction New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate, was arrested by federal agents Tuesday as he tried to protect a migrant from arrest by federal agents, refusing to back away and demanding to see a warrant. Agents warned him he was obstructing them, then handcuffed him and hustled him into an elevator, all while he denounced them for it. "You don't have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens asking for a judicial warrant," he said. He was released hours later, walking out of the federal building with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to say he'd heard charges weren't being brought, but he would fight them if they are. The U.S. attorney's office said it was still investigating the incident. Lander is the latest prominent Democrat to tussle with Homeland Security in recent days. June 17: Fox News: President moves oversight of Artic base in Greenland to US Northern Command from Europe as worldwide tension rise In a strategic move, President Trump has ordered that US installations in Greenland be transferred from the U.S. European Command to the U.S. Northern Command, tightening America's grip on Arctic defense at a time of escalating global conflict. The Pentagon confirmed the shift Tuesday, saying it brings Pituffik Space Base, the northernmost U.S. military installation, under Northern Command's jurisdiction. The base, located north of the Arctic Circle, is critical to U.S. and NATO missile warning and space surveillance operations. The shift comes amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran and underscores the Trump administration's focus on reinforcing national defense infrastructure and responding to emerging threats in the Arctic region, where both Russia and China have shown growing interest. Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, has long been a strategic location for missile detection and tracking systems. It is operated by the U.S. Space Force and plays a pivotal role in the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) mission. June 17: News Max: FBI: Chinese involved in 2020 election interference plot: FBI Director Kash Patel says he has turned over documents detailing "alarming allegations" of interference by the Chinese Communist Party in the 2020 election to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA). "The FBI has located documents which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election, including allegations of interference by the CCP," Patel said Monday. "I have immediately declassified the material and turned the documents over to Chairman Grassley for further review." He reported that the intelligence report raises concerns that the Chinese allegedly mass-produced fake U.S. driver's licenses to further a scheme to use fraudulent mail-in ballots for then-Democrat nominee Joe Biden. The intelligence reports, dating back to August 2020, reportedly were not investigated but instead recalled from intelligence agencies. Then-FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that there were no known foreign interference plots before the 2020 election, in which Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump. Grassley has raised concerns that the intelligence reports were dismissed rather than being fully vetted. June 16: The Daily Signal: 9th Circuit stays Newsom case to stop federalization of the CA National Guard It took the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals only a few hours to block a lower court's ruling against President Donald Trump's federalization of the California National Guard in the Los Angeles riots. The appeals court acted expeditiously because Trump was so clearly in the right, according to Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation. "Look, what the president did is something he is statutorily authorized to do, much less looking at his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief," von Spakovsky said. He cited 10 USC 12406, which allows the president to call the National Guard—which ordinarily falls under the purview of state governors—into federal service in three circumstances: invasion or threat of invasion, rebellion or threat of rebellion, and if the president cannot execute U.S. law with regular forces. Clearly the third reason applied in this case as officials of the State of California sat on their hands while thugs, looters, and protestors looted and burned businesses in the city. June 16: Fox News: Israeli new anti-missile system brought to play against Iranian missile barrages; It worked! The Israeli Navy intercepted eight Iranian drones using the "Barak Magen" and its long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor, which were launched from an Israeli navy Sa'ar 6 missile ship, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. John Hannah, senior fellow at The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) said Monday that the new air defense system "significantly enhances" the air and missile defense architecture of Israel's navy. "The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel's highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture – which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world," Hannah said. June 16: CBS News: Minnesota shooter taken into custody Vance Boelter, the man who authorities believe shot two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses in politically motivated shootings early Saturday morning, is now in custody. He now faces charges of murder and attempted murder. Law enforcement officials said Boelter, 57, was taken into custody after being located in the woods near his home in Green Isle, in Sibley County, on Sunday night. Hennepin County court records show Boelter is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder. He is due in court Monday afternoon. June 15: The Post Newspaper: Garcia back in the US but not how he expected; The Gods Must Be Crazy! There was a movie in 1980 about a tribal people who lived peacefully in the Southern African Desert. They were a happy people until one day an airplane inadvertently dropped a Coke bottle into their midst. From their perspective it came from the gods and the movie is about the chaos that ensued. We believe that "The Gods Must Be Crazy" is an apt description regarding the man from Maryland who was deported to El Salvador and who is now back in the United States. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in the United States, but he can hardly be thrilled about it. He has been returned not for a simple removal hearing before an immigration judge, but for a trial on federal criminal charges that could result in a lengthy prison sentence, followed by his immediate removal back to El Salvador. A Federal Grand Jury indictment is the last thing Garcia wanted. June 15: One America News Network: Federal law enforcement officers injured by rioters who attacked a Portland ICE field office Multiple police officers were injured in Portland, OR, Saturday night as violent rioters threw projectiles at an ICE facility, leading to numerous arrests. At least three arrests were made after rioters engaged in violence against law enforcement officials and property destruction following a protest early Saturday afternoon. Portland police declared an unlawful assembly near the I facility as evening neared, warning that non-lethal munitions and crowd control measures would be used if necessary. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that despite multiple warnings, violent rioters lobbed fireworks, smoke grenades, and rocks at law enforcement as they attempted to break into the federal facility. "Portland rioters are violently targeting federal law enforcement and we won't sit idly by and watch these cowards," she contended. "Secretary Noem's message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." At least four officers were injured in the attack, and federal law enforcement officials were able to fight off the rioters to secure the building. June 15: News Max: Former Federal Prosecutor; Trump's deployment of National Guard was legal and followed the law President Trump was following federal law in ordering National Guard troops into Los Angeles without the consent of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and an appeals court made the right decision to postpone a block of his actions, former federal prosecutor Doug Burns said Sunday. "There are specific statutes in Title X, of all places, that authorize a president to employ the National Guard over the objection [or] without the consent of a governor," Burns said. "So, I think when they flesh it out in court, the government is going to be arguing those Title X sections very calmly and clearly." The test is when there is civil unrest or a rebellion, and "there's a lot of evidence to support the notion that it was civil unrest," Burns contended. Still, the arguments may become moot if the Los Angeles protests die down as "there won't be anything to really litigate," he concluded. June 14: One American News Network: Minnesota: Person of interest in murder of state legislator and his wife sought by authorities Vance Luther Boelter, a former appointee of Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), has been identified as a suspect in connection with the assassination of a state lawmaker and the shooting on another. Authorities have stated that Boelter, 57, is being sought by police for his alleged involvement in the attack. According to the Minnesota Africans United website, Boelter is the CEO of the Democratic Republic of Congo-based Red Lion Group and Praetorian Guard Security Services. Authorities reportedly discovered a "manifesto" listing the names of other politicians and a stack of papers stating "No Kings" in reference to the nationwide anti-Trump protests inside a vehicle believed to be tied to the gunman. Walz announced during a press briefing on Saturday that State Representative Melissa Hortman (D-MN) and her husband Mark have died in a shooting that "appears to be a politically motivated assassination." State Senator John Hoffman (D-MN) and his wife, Yvette, were both shot multiple times and are out of surgery, and Walz said he was "cautiously optimistic" both will survive. June 14: News Max: Israel significantly damages two Iranian nuclear sites Iran's Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites were significantly damaged due to Israeli strikes on the two facilities, an Israeli military official said Saturday. The official said that it would take more than a few weeks for Iran to repair damage at the two sites, adding that the strikes also killed nine senior nuclear Iranian scientists. Israel attacked over 150 targets in Iran with hundreds of munitions, the official said, adding that the aerial road to the Iranian capital Tehran was effectively open. He said that Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel, most of which were intercepted. June14: Fox News: Nation celebrates Flag Day and Army's 250 birthday with parade in nation's capital President Trump delivered remarks Saturday evening at a historic military parade honoring the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and Flag Day. "Every other country celebrates their victories," he said. "It's about time America did too — that's what we're doing tonight.""As we celebrate tonight, we also think of the hundreds of thousands of Army soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice for our nation and selflessly laid down their lives in every war, from the revolution to the war on terror, to the Gold Star families with us today," he said. He called the Army's most famous leader, Gen. George Washington, an "indomitable commander" and laid out many of the major American victories from the Revolution onward: Gettysburg, Guadalcanal, Shiloh, San Juan Hill, the Argonne trenches and the Afghan mountainsides. Through them "the Army has forged a legacy of unmatched courage, untold sacrifice, and unequaled and undying glory," Trump said. June 13: The Gateway Pundit: USAID official pleads guilty to receiving $1 million in bribes A USAID official and three government contractors pleaded guilty to a decade-long bribery scheme involving over $550 million in contracts, according to the Justice Department. According to court documents, beginning in 2013, USAID official Roderick Wilson agreed with corporate executive Darryl Britt to receive bribes in exchange for Watson's influence to award contracts to a small business named Apprio and its subcontractor Vistant. Watson received more than $1 million in bribes to steer no-bid contracts to Apprio and Vistant. A race-based government program that allowed 'socially and economically disadvantaged businesses' to bid on contracts made this massive scheme possible. June 13: Fox News: Iranian conflict could open the door to a regime change Michael McCall (R-TX) said the current conflict with Israel and Iran could be a singular opportunity for Iranians to overthrow their authoritarian Islamic government. "Now that their top leadership has been taken out, if there's ever a time for the people to rise up against this theocracy, I would think the conditions are set," he said. McCaul was part of a group of lawmakers in the Middle East late last month. Part of that trip was in Israel, where the congressional delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others. "I think this is the perfect opportunity – it would have been better if, I don't know what level of coordination took place, but I mean, when an event like this happens – to have this theocracy that's in power, out of power, and liberate the people of Iran," McCaul said. "The majority do not like the Ayatollah. There's a real opportunity for that to just end." June 13: The Washington Examiner: Iran retaliates against Israel with waves of missiles Iran retaliated against Israel for its attack with over 100 ballistic missiles, and has battered the Jewish state with three barrages so far. The United States has jumped into the fight to help Israel shoot down Iranian missiles while maintaining distance from Israel's initial attack. Just before 6:00am local time Saturday, Iran began its third round of attacks against Israel. Explosions were heard in the skies above Jerusalem. "An additional barrage of missiles was launched toward the State of Israel," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. First responders said several people were injured. The IDF additionally said the Israeli Air Force shot down three drones that were supposedly launched from Yemen. Iran had begun a second attack just after 1:00 a.m. local time earlier in the day. Loud explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem minutes after the Israeli military warned that it had identified incoming missiles. The Israeli military later said dozens of Iranian missiles were intercepted in a third missile barrage. Footage shows that civilian areas, such as downtown Tel Aviv, have been targeted in Iran's strikes. Israel targeted only military sites and personnel involved in Iran's nuclear program. June 12: The NY Post: Clinton appointed judge orders CA National Guard to be returned to CA control; we'll see if CA Gov them on duty in order to quell riots A federal judge Thursday ordered the Trump administration to "return control" of thousands of National Guard troops that had deployed to Los Angeles to quell anti-ICE riots to the state of California. Senior San Francisco US District Judge Charles Breyer issued the order after hearing arguments from attorneys from the Justice Department and California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the Democrat had sued the feds over dispatching roughly 4,000 Guard members to protect federal officers carrying out immigration enforcement operations. "At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not," Breyer wrote. June 12: The Washington Examiner: US Senator from California not recognized as he threateningly approaches DHS secretary, removed from press conference and handcuffed until they identified him Several Democratic lawmakers marched to Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson 's (R-LA) offices after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was wrestled out of a Department of Homeland Security press briefing and handcuffed Thursday. Padilla's detainment, which came after he rudely interrupted a press conference given by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, immediately lit a partisan fuse in Congress, with Johnson saying the "behavior, at a minimum, rises to the level of a censure. Video shows the California Democrat approaching Noem as she was speaking, with security already wrestling with the senator as he began, "Madam Secretary, I want to know why you insist on exaggerating and embellishing—" before being pushed back toward the exit. Padilla can be seen resisting these efforts. As security wrestled with the senator, who was still attempting to move in Noem's direction, Padilla told them to take their hands off of him, identifying himself and saying he was there to ask questions before being pushed through the doors and into the hallway outside, where footage showed him being brought to the ground and cuffed. It is possible officials at the press conference either did not recognize California's senior U.S. Senator or didn't hear himself identifyng himself due to noise in the room. Once ID'd he was released. June 12: The Epoch Times: FBI arrests man for supplying suspected rioters in LA The FBI has arrested a man accused of "Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders ... for distributing face shields to suspected rioters," according to Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California. On Thursday morning, agents from the FBI's Los Angeles office arrested Alejandro Theodoro Orellana, who was allegedly seen handing out the shields on June 10. "We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in organizing and/or supporting civil disorder in Los Angeles," he wrote. Essayli's post included a link to live footage from Fox 11 Los Angeles, which zoomed in on a box of equipment branded as a "Bionic Shield" being handed out. Those face shields are available for sale on Amazon.com at prices ranging from about $30 to $55. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino responded to Orellana's arrest by saying "He chose poorly. Choose wisely." June 12: The Daily Signal: Israel attacks Iran nuclear facilities overnight [ongoing story] Israel carried out strikes against Iran Thursday evening. The Israel Defense Forces "launched a preemptive, precise, combined offensive to strike Iran's nuclear program," the IDF wrote on X. "Dozens of IAF jets [some outlets say up to 200 aircraft were involved] completed the first stage that included strikes on dozens of military targets, including nuclear targets in different areas of Iran," the IDF said just before 4 a.m. Friday morning in Jerusalem. "Today, Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the Iranian regime are an existential threat to the State of Israel and to the wider world." The IDF added that Israel "has no choice but to fulfill the obligation to act in defense of its citizens and will continue to do so everywhere it is required to do so, as we have done in the past." June 11: The NY Post: Biden aides may have committed a crime with the President's Auto Pen Aides to President Joe Biden committed "crimes" by using the White House autopen to sign official orders and pardons without his knowledge, President Trump suggested in a podcast interview. "The people who ran this country were radical left lunatics … They didn't want [Biden]. They wanted Bernie Sanders," Trump said in the interview. "I think for the first two weeks [after Biden took office], they were really, really disappointed. They couldn't even believe it," the president added. "And then they realized that you had somebody that didn't know what he was doing. They could do anything they wanted, because the autopen was the power." "That's a crime to do that to the country," Trump went on. "Well, number one, I really believe it was a crime because I don't think he knew he was doing it. I think that people took over the autopen. They got things signed that shouldn't have been signed. June 11: The Washington Examiner: Appeals court temporarily blocks judges order requiring due process for Venezuelan migrants The Trump administration notched a procedural legal victory Tuesday after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a judge's order requiring the government to offer due process to nearly 140 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador earlier this year. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an administrative stay halting an order by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who had given the administration until Wednesday to outline a plan allowing the deportees, who were in the U.S. illegally, to challenge their removal from the United States. The migrants are being held in an El Salvador prison following their March 15 deportation under the Alien Enemies Act. The appeals court ruling does not address the merits of the case but buys time for the court to consider the Trump administration's appeal. Briefing is scheduled to continue through June 18. Boasberg had previously ruled that the Constitution requires some form of due process, regardless of the men's alleged criminal ties. But the Justice Department pushed back, arguing that since the migrants are now in Salvadoran custody, U.S. courts have no jurisdiction and cannot compel the administration to retrieve them or intervene in a foreign country's detention practices. "The separation of powers prevents this Court from ordering the Executive to retake custody from El Salvador," DOJ attorneys wrote in their emergency motion, calling the judge's order "unprecedented" and a threat to national security and foreign affairs. The D.C. Circuit's temporary pause is just one piece of a broader legal battle over the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act, with a separate case set for argument later this month at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans. June 11: The Washington Times: US pulling non-essential personnel out of the middle-east as tensions rise with Iran The U.S. is pulling nonessential military and diplomatic personnel from across the Middle East and evacuating families of American service members from bases throughout the region as tension mounts over Iran's nuclear program, the Pentagon and the State Department said Wednesday. Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh, the Iranian defense minister, said Tehran will strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East if nuclear talks fail and Washington launches an attack on the Islamic republic. "In that case, the U.S. will have no choice but to leave the region, as all of its bases are within the reach of the Iranian military and they will not hesitate to target all of them in their host countries," Gen. Nasirzadeh said. Tensions in the region have been rising in recent days as talks between the U.S. and Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program appear to have hit an impasse. The talks seek to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing U.S. economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic. resident Trump said the U.S. will not allow Tehran to continue its nuclear enrichment, which could lead to nuclear weapons. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected that position. The president said in an interview released Wednesday that he was losing confidence that Iran would agree to stop enriching uranium. June 11: The Daily Caller: Democrat-leaning labor union tied to anti-ICE protests/riots A pro-Democrat labor union's San Francisco chapter hired an admitted sex offender to a top position after she served jail time for child sexual abuse at a California high school. Noelia Linares, a business agent at SEIU Local 87, pleaded "no contest" in 2018 to sex crimes involving a minor. The plea stems from a 2017 arrest. Linares' group is part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a national organization that backs Democratic political campaigns and helps migrant workers avoid deportation. SEIU helped spark protests in Los Angeles that led to days of rioting after one of its leaders was arrested for allegedly obstructing immigration raids with supporters. "The SEIU's decision to hire a sex offender to leadership shows just how extreme the union has become," American Accountability Foundation (AAF) President Tom Jones contended, adding the SEIU's hiring choice "is a window into the union's true priorities." June 11: The Epoch Times: Trump announces US-China trade deal framework; 55% tariffs on Chinese goods, China to provide US with rare earth minerals Donald Trump said the United States has reached a deal with China as both sides wrapped up their trade talks in London. In an announcement the president confirmed that the agreement will ensure that China supplies the necessary rare earths and full magnets. In exchange, the United States will allow Chinese students to attend its colleges and universities. "We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%," the president said. The deal will be subject to final approval by Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who joined U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer overseas, said U.S. tariff rates on Chinese goods will not change again. June 11: Fox News: Senate Subcommittee looking into group reportedly supporting LA riots Hawley wrote a letter to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on Wednesday, saying the organization may have an "alleged role in financially and materially supporting" the LA protests and riots which he described as "coordinated." "Who is funding the LA riots? This violence isn't spontaneous. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime & Terrorism, I'm launching an investigation to find out," Hawley said. The letter, to CHIRLA Executive Director Angelica Salas, notes that "credible reporting" has indicated that the organization has provided "logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions." "Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities," Hawley said. June 10: The Washington Free Beacon: LA businesses fed up with lack of leadership; rioters just want to loot and pillage Los Angeles business owners railed against looters who raided their stores as anti-ICE riots continued to rage through the city. "This is so ridiculous. This doesn't look like they're protesting for ICE or anything. They are doing [it] just for the looting of the stores. I saw they're breaking into the Apple store. They're breaking into the Adidas store. This is not them doing protest [sic]," said Monty, who owns Bargain2Perfumes. Another Los Angeles business owner, Paul Scrivano, said people are "sick and tired" of the city's weak leaders, whom he called "children." "These people don't care. The only way it's going to stop is if many troops come in, round them up, put them in the back of trucks, and bring them into a cell," Scrivano said. "We've got a lot of empty jail cells here in Los Angeles. We need to put them in jail cells, as many as we possibly can. If it's thousands, it's thousands." June 10: News Max: Johnson; Not my lane but perhaps we should tar and feather Newson House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) suggested an archaic form of punishment on Tuesday to deal with California's Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom's pushback against the Trump administration's efforts to maintain order in Los Angeles. When a reporter asked Johnson, "Do you believe that Newsom should face consequences in a legal way?" the speaker responded: "That's not my lane. I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that." June10: The Gateway Pundit: Who operated the Biden Autopen President Trump suggested Biden's Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco was one of the autopen operators. Trump made the remarks on Tuesday during an Oval Office briefing on wildfires. Trump said Joe Biden's autopen – and whoever operated the autopen… like Lisa Monaco – facilitated the invasion of illegal immigrants. Monaco initiated the lawfare investigations into Trump during the Biden tenure. In response to a reporter's questions about on going ICE operations the President said, "Yes. We're moving murderers out of our country that were put here by Biden, or the autopen… the people or whether it's Lisa Monaco, or whoever operated the autopen… We're not going to let them stay… I can inform the rest of the country that if they [riot], they will be met with equal or greater force." June 9: The Daily Caller: Democrats made their bed with Jan 6th, Now they may have to lay in it Violent mobs of masked insurrectionists. Rocks hurled at law enforcement. Foreign flags triumphantly waved around a burning car. These aren't scenes from a war-torn foreign nation, but from this month's Los Angeles melee. Democrats took to social media to express their indignation. Not at rioters, but at Donald Trump for mobilizing the National Guard to quash the riots. Former Vice President Kamala Harris decried the deployment as a "dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos." However, do we recall Harris' response to the events of January 6, 2021. She praised the "brave officers who defended our democracy" against a "violent assault" by "insurrectionists." Democrats gleefully called for the prosecution of January 6 protestors, including a 72-year-old great-grandmother who spent about 10 minutes walking around the U.S. Capitol. The prison sentences and life-ruining misdemeanor fines were a clear message to the American public: "If you share political sympathies with these protestors, you are an enemy of the state." Now, Trump faces an actual violent mob of insurrectionists hell-bent on defying the law. The left has (inadvertently) delivered Trump the perfect opportunity to act appropriately. June 9: Fox News: Trump deploys Marines to protect federal property and personnel in Los Angeles A battalion of 500 U.S. Marines are mobilizing to Los Angeles to respond to anti-immigration enforcement riots. The Marines will be tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel, according to a senior defense official, and the deployment is open-ended. The Marines will not be carrying out a law enforcement role, but it's unclear what their use of force rules are if protesters throw things or spit at them. June 9: News Max: Los Angeles officials afraid to act against rioters Donald Trump said Monday that Los Angeles public officials were "afraid" to act as riots began to spread following a series of Immigration and Enforcement raids last week in the area. "Thank goodness we sent out some wonderful National Guard," Trump said"They've really helped. A lot of problems that we're having out there. They were afraid to do anything, and we sent out the troops, and they've done a fantastic job. So, I want to thank them very much." A day after Trump deployed California's National Guard to Los Angeles — over the objections of Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, who have insisted they have the situation in hand, L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell reportedly admitted his officers were "overwhelmed" by the scale of the riots, which have continued for four straight days in response to ICE's crackdown on illegal immigration. June 8: The Gateway Pundit: Treasury Secretary warns Newsom (D-CA) he could face federal charges for threatening to withhold federal tax payments Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of plotting what amounts to criminal tax evasion, warning that the Democrat governor is endangering both the fiscal integrity of the nation and the legal standing of countless California businesses. The accusation came after Newsom went full meltdown mode on Friday, threatening to withhold tens of billions of dollars in federal taxes from Washington, D.C. — after reports surfaced that Donald Trump is preparing to cut federal funding to the far-left state over its radical policies and out-of-control universities -- specifically the University of California and California State University, in response to the institutions' failure to combat rampant anti-American and antisemitic activity on their campuses. Under federal law (26 U.S. Code § 7201), anyone who "willfully attempts in any manner to evade or defeat any tax" is guilty of a felony offense. Newsom's suggestion could be interpreted as incitement to widespread lawbreaking—an extraordinary development from a sitting U.S. governor. June 8: News Max: Huckabee; Trump has every right to yank protestor's visas Donald Trump is right to revoke visas for the anti-Israel protesters at the nation's universities and for others who come to the America to promote violence and antisemitism, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview. "People who come to the United States as a visitor are there under the privilege, not the right, to be there," he contended. "Nobody has a right to be in someone else's country. I don't have a right to go anywhere in the world and say, 'I want to come and denounce your country, denounce what you do and stand for.' They'll send me out of there in a heartbeat." He added that as an American citizen, he has the right of free speech, but said that "someone who comes there, who is not a citizen of the United States, does not have the right to say things that not only are hurtful, but that are dangerous to Jewish people or, for that matter, to anybody." Huckabee continued, "This past weekend, when the guy in Boulder, Colorado, threw Molotov cocktails at mostly older people, you know, one of the people critically injured was a Holocaust survivor, for God's sake. Think about that. She survived the Holocaust, came to America to live in peace, is at a peaceful rally, and this guy attempts to murder her by burning her up with a Molotov cocktail. Does this guy deserve to stay in the United States? No!" June 8: The Washington Times: Federal Judge upholds Trump's right to fire employees at PBS A federal judge on Sunday shot down a demand for reinstatement by three members of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting whom President Trump fired in April. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee to the court in Washington, said that even with only two members left, the board is able to keep operating. As of now, it also has maintained its independence from the president, as called for in the law. He said that still leaves open big questions about the fate of the board, but Mr. Trump's firings don't trigger them. CPB's main job is funding public radio and television stations. Under the law, it is not considered a government agency but rather a nonprofit chartered by Congress. It does receive more than $500 million in federal taxpayer funding to dole out to those stations. June 7: The Daily Caller: Trump deploys National Guard in Los Angeles after anti-ICE riots Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles Saturday as riots over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids rocked the city. The riots began after ICE raided a Home Depot in Los Angeles County. The White House condemned the rioting Saturday night. "In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California. These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "In the wake of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester. The Trump Administration has azero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. These criminals will be arrested and swiftly brought to justice. The Commander-in-Chief will ensure the laws of the United States are executed fully and completely." Meanwhile One America News Network reports FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after protests erupted at several locations across the Los Angeles area. DHS officials reported that over 800 people gathered to protest the detention of dozens, including the president of a local trade union. A DHS official said the huge group broke into the first layer of a federal law enforcement building in Los Angeles and spray-painted automobiles with graffiti. "The Right to assemble and protest does not include a license to attack law enforcement officers, or to impede and obstruct our lawful immigration operations," Bongino wrote. Continuing, Bongino said, "You bring Chaos, We'll bring Handcuffs!" "The days of chaos ruling the streets are over. Either obey the law, or go to jail, there's no third option," he added. June 7: Fox News: Turley; "Maryland Man" back in the U.S. but not how he expected The "Maryland Man," as mainstream media calls Kilmar Abrego Garcia, is back in the United States, but he can hardly be thrilled about it. He has been returned not for a removal hearing, but for a trial that could result in a lengthy prison sentence, followed by his immediate removal back to El Salvador. After the issuance of the federal grand jury, the United States is likely the last place on Earth that Garcia wanted to visit. His "mistaken" removal drew irate orders from a Democrat-appointed federal judge, and many argued that the Trump administration should have simply brought him back for what seemed an easy case for removal after a hearing. But with all the court challenges, visits by Democrat members of Congress, and media attention Garcia came under scrutiny and Federal Grand Jury which issued an indictment, thereby allowing the Administration to end the controversy on its own terms. Rather than yielding to the challenged orders, it simply brought Abrego Garcia back to stand trial. Someone once said "one day on the cover of "Time," next day doing time." Sometimes notoriety can be your undoing. The Federal Grand Jury indictment accuses Garcia of repeatedly beating his wife, of over a hundred instances of human trafficking, instances of gun and narcotics smuggling, and being a member of MS-13 -- a designated terrorist organization – over a period of nine years, not to mention that he has been in the U.S. illegally. Ironically, in light of this indictment, any criminal defense attorney worth his salt would have opposed Garcia's deportation to the United States from El Salvador. Instead, Abrego Garcia will face a much longer possible criminal sentence. He will eventually then be deported to El Salvador regardless of the outcome of the criminal prosecution. Abrego Garcia He will get due process, but make no mistake about it, it's not what he or his Democrat allies expected! June 6: One America News Network: Putin responds with swarm of 400 drones and 40+ cruise/ballistic missiles; Hitting civilian targets Russia launched a large-scale assault using drones and ballistic missiles deep into Ukrainian territory, killing at least four people, in what appears to be retaliation for Kyiv's unexpected drone strike last week that reportedly destroyed a third of Russia's strategic bomber fleet. The attack from Moscow included a swarm of over 400 drones, along with 44 ballistic and cruise missiles, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The aerial strikes were reportedly felt throughout Ukraine, including the capital city of Kyiv, injuring around 50 Ukrainian civilians — according to emergency services. Unlike the earlier Ukrainian attack which hit military and key supply routes, the Russian response reportedly hit civilian targets. June 6: The Washington Free Beacon: Harvard Law Review strikes out at student who leaked information The Harvard Law Review retaliated against a student editor for allegedly leaking documents to the Washington Free Beacon and demanded, as part of the journal's disciplinary process, that he request their destruction. The demand came as the law review was under a document retention order stemming from multiple federal probes, raising questions about whether the journal was also trying to interfere with a government investigation. On May 13 DOJ told Harvard it was investigating reports of racial discrimination. A week later, the law review instructed a student who was cooperating with the government in that investigation to round up the documents he'd allegedly shared. The student was told to "[r]equest that any parties with whom you have shared Confidential Materials … delete or return them to The Review." The instruction, conveyed by the law review's disciplinary committee on May 20, came as the it was investigating the student for allegedly leaking documents to the Free Beacon, whose report on the law review's racial preferences had triggered probes by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services in addition to the Justice Department. People who participate in such probes are protected from retaliation by federal law. But two days after he was told to round up documents, it informed him that he would be receiving a "Formal Reprimand" in his law review file. Jason Torchinsky, a former official in the Justice Department's civil rights division, said that Harvard's actions verged on witness intimidation and could get the law review in even deeper trouble with the government. June 6: News Max: Supreme Court allows DOGE to access Social Security data The U.S. Supreme Court Friday by a vote of 6-3 permitted the Department of Government Efficiency, a key player in President Trump's drive to slash the federal workforce, broad access to personal information on millions of Americans in Social Security Administration data systems while a legal challenge plays out. At the request of the Justice Department, the justices put on hold Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander's order that had largely blocked DOGE's access to "personally identifiable information" in data such as medical and financial records while litigation proceeds in a lower court. June 5: Fox News: You can run but you can't hide An early morning raid in Newark, New Jersey is giving criminals a loud wake-up call. The U.S. Marshals out on the streets, serving a warrant for a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member. The feds say the suspect is in the country illegally, wanted for a string of armed robberies on the New York subway system. This is part of Operation Apex Hammer, a one-month statewide violent crime reduction initiative with federal, state, and local partners. The teams working to identify and apprehend gang-affiliated people and other violent offenders with active felony warrants, including MS-13, Tren de Aragua, the Sex Money Murder-Bloods, Rolling 60's Crips, and more. "The United States Marshals Service on a regular basis goes after the most violent fugitive offenders. People that are wanted for murder. People who are wanted for shootings," says the United States Marshal for the District of New Jersey Juan Mattos. Also, out in the streets with the task force was Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. We are doing multiple cases at once to make sure that we clean up as quickly as possible. Violent crime is number one. It is very clear from this administration. That is all we're focused on. So, the politics are done now, and it's honestly been amazing being here," says Habba. Habba and the team waited for the main target to come out of the home and surrender. But he was not there. Instead, three migrants who the feds say are all in the country illegally walked out. Though, the search continues for the TDA suspect. June 5: The Daily Caller: Army hits recruiting target ahead of schedule The U.S. Army hit its recruiting goal for fiscal year 2025 several months ahead of schedule and just in time for its upcoming birthday, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll announced in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. The Army reached its goal of 61,000 new recruits in fiscal year 2025 four months early and just before the branch is set to celebrate its 250th founding anniversary on June 14, Driscoll wrote in the WSJ. The Army struggled to recruit new soldiers throughout former President Joe Biden's one term in office, falling short of recruitment targets in multiple categories between fiscal years 2021 and 2024. Sagging recruitment was a problem across all branches of the armed forces under Biden as his administration's left-wing policies helped dissuade potential recruits from joining the military. In 2022, for example, the Army fell short of its annual recruiting benchmark by about 25%, "Reaching this milestone wasn't easy," Driscoll wrote in the WSJ. "The Army has faced challenges in recruiting and retaining talent in recent years. But thanks to the tireless work of Gen. Randy George, Lt. Gen. Johnny Davis, recruiters, drill sergeants and many others we've turned the tide." June 5: Desert News: SCOTUS surprises watchers with unity decisions Supreme Court justices sent a message to the American public on Thursday: We're not as divided as you think. Of the six rulings that were released, four were unanimous, including the opinions in high-profile battles over reverse discrimination and faith-based tax breaks. Another decision was nearly unanimous, with just one justice peeling away on one part of the ruling. The sixth decision had just one dissent, meaning that nearly all of the justices agreed with the plan to dismiss the case as "improvidently granted." - In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, the court was considering whether members of a majority group, such as straight, white males, should have to meet a higher burden of proof in order to make an employment discrimination claim. The justices unanimously said that members of majority groups should not have to meet a higher burden of proof and sent Ames' case back to the lower courts for reconsideration. - In Smith & Wesson Brands v. Mexico, the court was asked to determine whether the Mexican government could sue seven-gun manufacturers based in the U.S. over their role in unlawful gun sales in Mexico. The Supreme Court unanimously said on Thursday that the Mexican government's lawsuit cannot move forward "because Mexico's complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant gun manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers' unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers." - In CC/Devas (Mauritius) v. Antrix, the justices were considering under what circumstances federal courts in the U.S. can assert jurisdiction over foreign states. The case stemmed from a conflict between a company that's active in the U.S. and a corporation owned by India. The Supreme Court Thursday unanimously ruled that federal courts did have jurisdiction over India in this dispute and reversed a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. - In Blom Bank v. Honickman, the court was considering whether victims of terrorist attacks or their surviving family members could reopen their case against a bank that had allegedly aided and abetted terrorists by providing financial services. The Supreme Court ruled that the people who brought the case did not meet the high standard that must be cleared to reopen the case. June 4: The Galveston County Daily News: Who should set the spending policies of the U.S. government? Who sets the spending policies of the U.S. government?" The Congress or the President? We contend Congress can set the broad parameters, but no president should be precluded from making wise and prudent decisions about how those funds will be spent. In the long-run SCOTUS will need to address this issue. But IF the President is found to have the authority NOT to spend non-mandated appropriated funding, then issues like raising the debt limit could become a moot point assuming the President decides not to spend funds that would increase the federal deficit (i.e., actual spending cuts, but not cuts mandated by Congress). If, on the other hand, he is required to expend all appropriated funds, then refusing to increase the debt limit (i.e., spending cuts) becomes an important issue. June 4: Fox News: Condoleezza Rice; Is Putin becoming unstable as Ukraine strikes Russian targets Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown "more out of control," arguing he is "desperate" to eradicate Ukraine. Asked about reports of Ukraine striking a major supply-linking bridge between Russia and Crimea, Rice called the attack "extraordinary," saying it shows Ukraine can hold Putin accountable for his "aggression." "It shows a couple of things," she said discussing the drone attacks on a third of the Russian bomber fleet; "First, the changing nature of warfare, that you can do this with relatively cheap drones... against the Russian strategic air fleet, which has cost billions and billions of dollars. Secondly, it shows that the Ukrainians are very advanced in what they are doing in their defense industry with the building of these drones and an employment strategy for them." And third, it is an incredible intelligence coup." June 4: The Gateway Pundit: Are they here legally? A federal judge on Wednesday blocked President Trump from deporting the family of the Egyptian terrorist who firebombed Jews in Boulder, Colorado. US District Judge, Gordon Gallagher, a Biden appointee, temporarily blocked the deportation of Mohamed Sabry Soliman's wife and five children. On Sunday Mohamed Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national, fire bombed a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado. Twelve people were injured 12 with Molotov cocktails and a flamethrower. The FBI immediately labeled the attack a terrorist attack and hate crime. Soliman was shouting "Free Palestine" as he attacked the families and children. Soliman was charged with attempted murder. Reportedly, the assailant and his family have overstayed their visas making them eligible for deportation. June 4: The Epoch Times: Columbia University's accreditation may be in question The Department of Education (DOE) claims Columbia University violated a federal civil rights law and thus failed to meet accreditation standards amid allegations of widespread discrimination against Jewish students on campus. Following an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigation, initiated in early February, the department informed Columbia that it had violated Title VI, a federal civil rights law. "[The OCR] notified Middle States Commission on Higher Education (the Commission) that its member institution, Columbia University, is in violation of federal antidiscrimination laws and therefore fails to meet the standards for accreditation set by the Commission," DOE stated. Following widespread pro-Palestinian protests on campus in 2024 after the Hamas terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the department is accusing Columbia of acting "with deliberate indifference towards the harassment of Jewish students on its campus." Trump signed an executive order in April requiring accreditors to be notified of any "noncompliance findings relating to member institutions." While notifications to accreditors can affect the availability of federal and student loans, Columbia also faces other risks if it loses accreditation. Student degrees may be unrecognized by employers or graduate schools, affecting the university's esteem as an Ivy League institution. The Trump administration warned that the "accreditor must take appropriate action" if the university fails to clean up its act. June 4: The New York Post: Trump imposes travel restrictions on nations where vetting is lacking President Trump barred foreign nationals from 12 countries from entering the US over national security concerns. He signed the proclamation Wednesday barring foreign nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entry to the U.S. Additionally, the Trump administration will "partially restrict and limit the entry of nationals" from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. June 3: BBC: Musk calls "One Big Beautiful Bill" a 'disgusting abomination' Elon Musk has hit out at Donald Trump's signature tax and spending bill, describing it as a "disgusting abomination." The budget - which includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and more defense spending while also allowing the US government to borrow more money - was passed by the House of Representatives last month. "Shame on those who voted for it," Musk said in on social media. The tech billionaire left the administration last week after his 130 day special government employee status ran out. The comments mark his first public disagreement with the measure after previously calling the plan "disappointing." The House-passed version of the bill is estimated to increase the budget deficit by trillions of dollars. In a series of posts Musk said that the "outrageous, pork-filled" spending bill will "massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America [sic] citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt". June 3: News Max: Trump wants $9.4 billion in DOGE cuts to foreign aid, media The Wall Street Journal reports that President Trump has sent Congress a $9.4 billion rescissions package targeting foreign aid and public media funding, part of a broader GOP push to roll back previously approved spending and further the administration's agenda of government downsizing. The proposed cuts include $8.3 billion from foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion from public broadcasting, and they may be the first in a series of similar cost-cutting proposals. Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate, can approve the package with a simple majority. However, the measure's fate remains uncertain as debates over the size and scope of government spending continue within the GOP. The package is expected to reinforce Republican support for cost-cutting measures even as some fiscal conservatives have criticized the party's recent tax and spending bill for not going far enough. According to OMB key cuts in the rescissions package include funding reductions for climate adaptation projects, such as $614,700 for coral reef restoration in the Caribbean and $500,000 for electric buses in Rwanda. The Trump administration is also evaluating the use of a controversial tool known as impoundment, which would allow the president to withhold spending without congressional approval. [See Related Story] June 3: The Daily Caller: Are the Biden pardons valid if he didn't personally sign them? Tuesday, Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy held up copies of former President Biden's last minute pardons for his family members and members of the House January 6th Select Committee to ask White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt if the Trump administration views them as valid. Doocy pointed to the "very neat" signatures that appeared to be written by an autopen. After pointing to one with a messy signature, Leavitt said that President Donald Trump's administration is investigating who was really in charge in the previous administration. Doocy contended "Most of the big [pardons] have the same, very neat signature. We would expect that probably to be the autopen. There is one that looks different, it looks authentic, in fact if you look at the last name it looks like the [former] president was having a hard time spelling his last name there. Is this White House of the opinion that the only pardon that would count is one that the president signed himself for Hunter Biden?" he asked. "…very interesting props, if you want to bring them to my office later so I can take a closer look, I would like to do that," Leavitt responded. At issue is the question of did Biden actually authorize the pardons or did someone else do it and if they are auto-penned signatures are they valid? June 2: Fox News: Largest number of ICE arrests ever in Blue state, nets about 1,460 illegals Operation Patriot, the largest ever ICE operation, resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegals, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and child sex predators, in the deep blue sanctuary city-heavy state of Massachusetts. Operation Patriot concluded on Saturday after netting 1,461 illegal aliens throughout the Greater Boston area and the state of Massachusetts, which includes numerous sanctuary jurisdictions. Sources at ICE report that 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges and 277 had final removal or deportation orders. The sources said that all the targeted criminals were roaming the streets of Massachusetts cities freely before being apprehended. June 2: The Gateway Pundit: If leftwing jurists get there way it will be the economic ruin of the United States President Trump said Sunday, "If the Courts somehow rule against us on Tariffs, which is not expected, that would allow other Countries to hold our Nation hostage with their anti-American Tariffs that they would use against us. This would mean the Economic ruination of the United States of America!" A court battle over Donald Trump's tariffs is playing out in a district court, a federal appeals court and the Court of International Trade. A federal appeals court last Thursday temporarily reinstated President Trump's tariffs after the Court of International Trade in New York said Trump exceeded his authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA). The Administration immediately appealed the federal court's permanent injunction. The entire slate of appeals court judges granted an immediate administrative stay less than 24 hours later. "The request for an immediate administrative stay is granted to the extent that the judgments and the permanent injunctions entered by the Court of International Trade in these cases are temporarily stayed until further notice while this court considers the motions papers," the court ruled. June 2: One America News Network: Egg prices down 61% since Trump took office Since Donald Trump took back the White House the price of eggs has dropped just over 61%, according to the latest report. A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed that white large shell eggs are $2.52 per dozen across the country. In comparison to January 21st, which would cost a customer around $6.49 for the same purchase. Trading Economics revealed that eggs were over $8 a dozen at the beginning of March this year. "Shell egg demand posted a slight improvement headed into the Memorial Day weekend but remained well below average in the continuation of a trend that began during the sharp price increases in late winter," the USDA Egg Markets Overview weekly publication said. In April, a study conducted by Clarify Capital said over 30% of Americans had stopped buying eggs due to the outrageous cost. June 1: The Gateway Pundit: Ukraine reportedly takes out over 30% of Russia's nuclear bomber fleet with drones Ukrainian drones on Sunday took out an estimated 36% of all Russian strategic aviation! $2 billion worth of damage! Volodymyr Zelensky announced that 117 drones were used in the strike inside Russia that wiped out dozens of nuclear "doomsday" bombers and other aircraft. Reportedly President Trump was not notified of the attack before it took place – because Trump wants peace and the globalists want World War and the destruction of Russia. The historic attack comes just one day before peace talks resume in Turkey on Monday! This was a very detailed attack that some experts contend could not have taken place without Western assistance. The strikes took place approximately 1,100 to 2,400 miles inside Russia's borders! The BBC reports It's hard to exaggerate the sheer audacity - or ingenuity - that went into Ukraine's countrywide assault on Russia's air force. It's clear that "Operation Spider's Web" was, at the very least, a spectacular propaganda coup. Ukrainians are already comparing it with other notable military successes since Russia's full-scale invasion, including the sinking of the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, and the bombing of the Kerch Bridge, both in 2022, as well as a missile attack on Sevastopol harbor the following year. Judging by details leaked to the media by Ukraine's military intelligence, the SBU, the latest operation is the most elaborate achievement so far. In an operation said to have taken 18 months to prepare, scores of small drones were smuggled into Russia, stored in special compartments aboard freight trucks, driven to at least four separate locations, thousands of miles apart, and launched remotely towards nearby airbases.  June 1: Fox News: Six injured in terrorist attack at event calling for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has charged a 45-year-old in connection with a "targeted terror attack" in Boulder, Colorado Saturday afternoon, where multiple peaceful Israeli supporters were set on fire. The FBI said six people, ages 67 to 88, were injured and taken to the hospital. The suspect, who was yelling "Free Palestine" during the attack, was arrested at the scene without incident. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said the attack is being investigated as an act of "ideologically motivated violence," based on early information, evidence and witness accounts. June 1: News Max: U.S. allies concerned over Chinese, North Korean, and Russian threats China and North Korea's support for Russia in its war against Ukraine has exposed how lines between regions have blurred, and the need for a global approach toward defense, top security officials said Sunday. NK has its troops fighting on the front lines in Ukraine, China has supported Russia economically and technologically while opposing international sanctions. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė told delegates at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premiere defense forum, that if Ukraine were to fall, it would have a ripple effect in Asia and suggested it could embolden China in its territorial claims on Taiwan and virtually the entire South China Sea. "If Russia prevails in Ukraine, it's not about Europe. It's not about one region," she said. "It will send a very clear signal also to smaller states here in Indo-Pacific that anyone can ignore their borders, that any fabricated excuse can justify invasion." French President Emmanuel Macro echoed the same comments. Martin argued that Schumer's remark was made "in a way that many found threatening."

GO TO THE CHRONOLOGY OF NEWS COVERAGE JANUARY THOUGH JUNE 2025