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Trump Eyes Iranian Assets for Gulf Allies' Reconstruction
The U.S. will attempt to redirect Iranian assets to Gulf states for rebuilding and repairs of damage caused by Iran, a source familiar with the matter said, as Tehran followed up a wave of strikes against Kuwait and Bahrain with further drone launches.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess costs for damage inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran, the source said on Saturday, adding the U.S. will consider using Iranian assets for repairs of any future destruction as well.
The disclosure came a day after Mohsen Rezaei, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, told CNN that a peace deal to end the three-month-old war hinged on the release of $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen by the United States.
NEGOTIATIONS APPEAR STALLED
The source did not specify what kind of assets the Treasury was examining. The language used to describe the new measures did not appear limited to frozen assets.
The threat to redirect Iranian assets could create a new irritant to a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which was tested again this weekend with strikes by both nations.
Peace negotiations appear to have stalled, although a minister from mediator Pakistan traveled to Tehran on Saturday with a letter for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, both in the Strait of Hormuz, early on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran that U.S. Central Command says posed a threat to maritime traffic. Two more Iranian attack drones that were threatening shipping in the strait were shot down, the U.S. military said late on Saturday.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said it retaliated against U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, and Kuwait's army said it engaged seven ballistic missiles that passed over residential areas, resulting in material damage but no casualties.
In Bahrain, sirens sounded and residents were urged to seek shelter. Kuwait and Bahrain condemned the strikes.
Iran later said it had hit U.S. bases in both countries with ballistic missiles, but the U.S. military said six missiles were intercepted and a seventh did not reach its target.
OPEC+ EYES ANOTHER OUTPUT HIKE, BUT WAR THWARTS SHIPMENTS
The U.S. and Iran have engaged in largely indirect negotiations for an interim deal to halt the three-month-old war that would leave issues including Iran's nuclear program to further negotiations.
But a deal has remained elusive while the two sides have periodically skirmished.
Tehran wants access to billions of dollars in oil revenue, waivers on sanctions on crude exports, the lifting of a U.S. blockade on its ports and leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively blocked the waterway, where about a fifth of global oil traffic transited before the war.
President Donald Trump is facing mounting domestic political pressure due to rising gas prices to bring the unpopular war to an end. He told NBC that while most of Iran's drone and missile manufacturing facilities had been destroyed, the Iranians still had access to about a fifth of their missiles.
"They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say percentage wise, maybe 21% to 22% of their missiles. It's a lot of missiles, but it's not what it was when we first attacked," Trump told NBC News' "Meet the Press" program, according to excerpts released by the network on Friday.
The conflict has driven up oil prices and fueled inflation around the globe. OPEC+ is set to agree on Sunday a fourth increase in oil output targets in as many months, three sources in the oil-producing group said, even though the war is still preventing several of the group's members from pumping more.
Israel's military said on Sunday it had intercepted two projectiles that crossed into Israeli territory from Lebanon. The attempted attack came a day after Lebanon said two army officers and a soldier were killed in an Israeli strike on a military vehicle in south Lebanon.
Dems Keep Imploding With Khanna's Unbelievable Defense of Platner - and What He Said About Schumer
As we reported on Friday, there were some good, bad, and really ugly reactions to the latest revelations against the Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, Graham Platner.
The ugliest may have been that of Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17). He acknowledged The New York Times story, said the allegations were "wrong and toxic," but argued that Platner had "sought redemption."
"The people of Maine deserve a senator who is going to stand up to the billionaire class, against genocide, and for the working class," Khanna said. And he was still going to support Platner at his rally in Bar Harbor, ME, on Friday.
But if you thought that was bad, Khanna managed to make it even worse at the rally for Platner and in his subsequent comments. This is another level in attempting damage control.
"No one should make excuses for his past relationships, some of which were toxic and volatile, and no one on our side should attack any of the women who came forward," Khanna said.
"You know why? Because Democrats believe in respecting the equality and dignity of women. And we always will," he insisted.
He claimed Platner also hated "misogyny" and "took accountability" for things he previously said and did. "And he's worked to be a better man, a better human being."
Khanna then attempted to blame sending Platner and others to war for why he acted as he did, saying that it "broke" thousands of men. "Sometimes I think we're broken as a country," Khanna said.
Prominent Democrats who once argued misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh warranted investigation and public
He also posted on X in response to a reporter that "we should not attack the women who told their story or journalists."
This is demonstrably delusional about the Democrats in general, and in this case specifically. He's saying no should attack any of the women coming forward - even as the guy he supports is doing just that.
Not only has Platner not taken accountability for all the behavior alleged, but he's slammed the whistleblower campaign person who came forward to reveal the sexting texts. He also attacked the media for "journalistic malpractice."
In an interview with Chris Hayes on MS NOW, Platner also attacked his ex-girlfriend, who came forward, as "politically motivated".
“Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated.”
He also said she was lying about the abusive behavior she alleged.
“She’s lying about that, that’s what you’re saying?” Hayes asked Platner. “Yes, that is not true,” he replied.
Party of women.
On top of that, Khanna laid the blame for Platner's behavior at the foot of his service, saying that "broke" him and thousands of others. That's insulting to veterans who performed admirably, and managed not to do any of these vile things.
Khanna used to be considered a moderate, but he apparently has thoughts about 2028, and thinks he needs to bend to the Left to break away in the Democratic field.
This is a moment that is likely going to come back to haunt Khanna:
Oh, and let's not leave out this moment. Paging, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Khanna said he would call for Schumer to step aside, something Platner had also said in the past. Yet Schumer debased himself this week, continuing to support Platner.
I'm sure that's going to go over well.
Hegseth Remembers Those Who Fought During 82nd D-Day Commemoration at Normandy
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was in France to mark the anniversary of D-Day on Saturday.
Hegseth took his family with him, and he met with World War II veterans who were there to be honored in Normandy for the 82nd anniversary.
The Washington Post and some on the left seemed to be trying to make bringing the kids into a "thing."
Did these folks ask any questions when members of the Biden family were accompanying Biden regularly on trips?
But this was a non-controversy with Hegseth, since he was paying for the family. What a great learning experience for the kids.
Here's Hegseth also recognizing the grave of an unknown soldier.
This is what he was doing:
Hegseth posted Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's letter to the troops that day.
June 6, 1944 pic.twitter.com/X5WWu6YUyZ— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) June 6, 2026
Hegseth also delivered remarks honoring the approximately 160,000 Allied troops, 73,000 of whom were Americans :
"Eighty-two years ago today, the survival of Western civilization hung in the balance. Dark forces had swept across Europe. Hitler boasted that his [coastal defensive] Atlantic Wall was impenetrable. But our enemy made a fatal miscalculation: they underestimated the unbreakable will of the American fighting man," Hegseth said early in his remarks.
As we face an increasingly complex threat environment, we apply the lessons from 82 years ago learned on these beaches: strong allies, each fully committed to doing their part, win wars," he said. Hegseth further explained that the men who fought and died at Normandy were part of a war fighting alliance where every partner brought its "full measure of industry, courage and sacrifice," as opposed to "empty slogans" and "lavish summits." "Each nation pulled its weight; each nation bled. America will lead — and we must — but capable allies must be right there with us, shoulder to shoulder, in the breach, when it matters," Hegseth said. [....[ "We forgot that freedom is not free. We forgot that peace is not wished into being. It is bought with purpose, with honor and with strength. The men who landed on these beaches knew this; the question we ask ourselves is, do we?" Hegseth said.
Hegseth also met with some U.S. service members to tell them that they were clearing the way to help them do the best job they could do, and that he and the president had their backs.
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) June 6, 2026
He does a pretty good imitation of President Donald Trump.
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) June 6, 2026
Texas Rangers to Hold 'Faith and Family Night' Instead of Caving to LGBT Pressure
The Texas Rangers have made the decision to stand up to the woke mob and will not be hosting any pro-LGBT events for the month of June, referred to by many as “Pride Month.”
The Rangers appear to be the only MLB team with the courage to buck the gay pride trend, as they are the lone club to refuse to post any pro-LBGT content as of now. The team further decided that they would stand on the side of Christians and have opted to host a “Faith and Family Night” on June 18.
“Join us for a special afternoon of community, connection, and celebration,” the advertisement for the event read. “Tickets purchased through this offer include an exclusive experience featuring personal testimonies from Rangers players Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Cody Bradford, Jacob Latz, Jalen Beeks, and others, sharing how faith impacts their lives both on and off the field.”
Other upcoming events from the Rangers include a Military Appreciation Night on Jul 4 and a First Responders Day on July 12.
19 Ohio Retailers Face Sanctions in Joint SNAP Fraud Enforcement Operation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) and the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit (OIU) have issued violation notices to 19 alleged fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers across Ohio.
On June 3 and 4, 2026, OIU and FNA – working alongside the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) – issued formal violation notices to 19 SNAP retailers across Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, kicking off the enforcement process that holds bad actors accountable. These retailers are charged with committing blatant SNAP fraud, including exchanging benefits for cash, alcohol, tobacco and other illegal items. Charges include:
A Cleveland convenience store trafficking more than $14,000 in SNAP benefits—stealing from taxpayers and families in need.
A Columbus retailer exchanging more than $800 in benefits for $300 in cash and trading SNAP benefits for a glass bong and bottles of wine, items that have no place in a food assistance program.
A Columbus retailer accepting SNAP benefits for beer, which is not and never has been allowed for purchase with SNAP benefits.
Potential penalties for these charges range from prolonged suspension to permanent disqualification from SNAP as well as significant monetary fines.
This week’s enforcement sweep is part of an ongoing USDA-Ohio partnership that has already resulted in criminal convictions for SNAP retailer fraud. For example, during an OIU and FNA investigation, a Cleveland retailer trafficked more than $17,000 in SNAP benefits for cash with undercover agents.
Further investigation revealed significant additional fraud. The owner was convicted of trafficking, money laundering, and theft, sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution.
“This joint operation was vital in disrupting these illicit schemes. Not only will these retailers face repercussions from the Food and Nutrition Administration, but OIU has taken further action as well, both administratively and criminally,” said OIU Senior Enforcement Commander Greg Croft. “Because several of these businesses also held liquor permits, it allowed us to hold them accountable on multiple fronts by issuing administrative citations against their permits for the illegal use of benefits.”
Fighting fraud means holding criminals accountable while also protecting our most vulnerable neighbors and the American taxpayers who support them. https://t.co/T8UzS0T8IW— White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud (@WHFraudTF) June 6, 2026
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 4, 2026
This federal-state collaboration demonstrates the Trump Administration’s whole-of-government approach to protecting vulnerable families who participate in SNAP and the American taxpayers who fund it.
Each year, FNA evaluates tens of thousands of retailers and conducts nearly 50,000 undercover compliance visits to identify and stop SNAP fraud.
At the state level, OIU investigates retailers that fraudulently accept benefits and others who illegally acquire and misuse SNAP benefits. OIG is a proud partner to both in the whole-of-government effort to investigate SNAP fraud in Ohio. All three agencies share a zero‑tolerance approach and a commitment to protecting SNAP for participants and taxpayers alike.
War of words ignites over Trump admin rebuke of British police after teen bled to death in handcuffs
A war of words has erupted between U.S. and British officials after a young Briton with a bright future bled out in handcuffs as police took him into custody on suspicion of making racial remarks, only to learn later that his killer fabricated the allegation.
The State Department issued a harsh rebuke Thursday night amid online outrage stemming from the stabbing of Henry Nowak, and Vice President JD Vance was quick to pile-on, claiming the incident proves that western civilization is at risk.
"Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline," the State Department wrote Thursday in a viral post on X. "They must be rejected across the West. The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time."
Freshman student Henry Nowak was stabbed many times by Vikram Digwa who used an eight inch ceremonial knife in December 2025. Digwa was found guilty of murder in late May. (Hampshire police handout.)
In December 2025, Nowak was returning home from a night playing soccer with friends in the southern England city of Southampton when he encountered 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh man of Indian heritage wearing a turban and carrying a long ceremonial knife.
Nowak was later handcuffed by police after Digwa claimed the student was racist against him, and police refused to believe him when he said he was stabbed. He died while in police custody.
"Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit," Vance wrote on X in a lengthy post addressing the overseas crime.
"His murder is as tragic as it is enraging," the vice president continued. "He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it."
He reiterated how a top priority of the Trump administration is working to preserve western civilization by stopping mass migration.
Vickrum Digwa was found guilty at Southampton Crown Court of murdering university student Henry Nowak by stabbing him five times with a Sikh kirpan ceremonial knife on Dec. 3, 2025, in Southampton. Digwa falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist attack after the stabbing. (Press Association via AP Images)
Vance's post drew an immediate response from across the pond.
"In recent days we have seen people trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets," a Downing Street spokesperson said.
"The Nowak family are grieving after Henry’s horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes," the statement continued. "Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country."
Nowak filmed the initial encounter before his death, where he called Digwa a "bad man."
"I am a bad man," Digwa replied, taking offense to the comment. He then stabbed the student five times, including a fatal wound to his chest. What came next sparked worldwide outrage while Digwa, now convicted of murder, was on trial in May.
Body cameras worn by officers show Digwa alleging racial abuse and claiming Nowak removed his turban. The police took Digwa's word, and handcuffed Nowak when they located him. Footage shows Nowak lying on the ground, repeatedly telling officers he couldn't breathe.
When Nowak told officers he had been stabbed, one is heard dismissing him with: "Don't think you have, mate."
The young student bled to death in police custody.
It was later revealed that Digwa called his mother, Kiran Kaur, who arrived at the crime scene before the police so she could take the murder weapon to their family home and hide it. She was recently found guilty of assisting an offender and will be sentenced July 17.
Digwa was sentenced on June 1 to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years.
Carrying knives in Britain is a heavily regulated practice, and certain types of knives are banned entirely. Digwa's knife was considered an exception due to his religious beliefs, which also fanned the flames of the controversy surrounding the murder.
British law has a provision allowing Sikhs to carry kirpans, which are ceremonial religious knives. In Digwa's case, he was carrying an eight-inch blade.
The country's tightening speech laws have also come to the forefront, with critics arguing that police in Nowak's case were too blinded by the report of racism to notice he had been mortally wounded. Since the Online Safety Act of 2023 took effect, swaths of Britons have been jailed for internet posts deemed racist by authorities.
Police eventually apologized for the way the stabbing was handled.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a dedication ceremony for an annex building at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi on May 23, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP)
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Miss., also responded amid the controversy.
"Britain has a regime willing to jail people for tweets, but unwilling to protect its own citizens from bleeding out in the street," he said in response to the State Department's post. "Henry Nowak deserved better. That is what civilizational decline looks like. This is the future the Left is trying to import. We have to stop it."
So did SpaceX founder and former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, who posted multiple times about the case.
"Send the video to everyone you know showing how heinously Nowak was treated by the police in his dying moments and how the police cravenly kowtowed to his murderer," he said in one post that was viewed 28 million times. "Legacy mainstream media, same ones who wrote about George Floyd millions of times, are dead silent about Nowak."
"The West has created an utterly evil state religion where an accusation of 'racism' is the gravest offense that can be committed, even worse than rape or murder!" he said in another, "So if police show up at a crime scene and a British boy is bleeding out and an immigrant says the British boy is racist the cops will cuff the dying British boy."
Bolton's Plea Deal Sparks Outcry: Is Justice Truly Blind in D.C.?
Court filings show Bolton is scheduled for a re‑arraignment on June 26 in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, where he is expected to enter his new plea; that date will finally force a public accounting of what critics and partisans have been talking about in the echo chambers. The spectacle of a former national security adviser reduced to a guilty plea is a moment of reckoning — and a test of whether justice in America is blind or selective.
Reports indicate the plea deal dramatically narrows the case and could allow Bolton to avoid prison time, which is exactly the kind of outcome that fuels justified public cynicism about Washington’s two-tiered justice system. Conservatives should be clear-eyed: we want accountability, but we also want it applied evenly, not reserved for political enemies or waved away for the connected.
Against this backdrop, President Trump has announced he will nominate acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve as the permanent head of the Justice Department, a move meant to lock in an attorney general who understands the need to defend the rule of law rather than weaponize it. Conservatives who have watched a politicized DOJ under prior administrations see Blanche as a corrective — someone who will prioritize impartial enforcement and protection of citizens’ rights.
Blanche has already signaled a willingness to pursue investigations into political operatives and to take aggressive steps the previous regime dodged, actions that have unnerved the coastal elite but energized ordinary Americans who longed for someone in the DOJ who fights back for them. If confirmed, Blanche should focus on restoring credibility, enforcing laws without fear or favor, and ensuring that every American — from pundits to presidents — faces the same legal standards.
This is a moment for patriots to demand consistency: applaud the enforcement of the law against a high-profile figure, but insist the same vigor be applied to every corner of the swamp. The country deserves a Justice Department that protects national security, defends the Constitution, and stops being a political cudgel; if Todd Blanche can help deliver that, conservatives should get behind the effort while keeping pressure on the courts to finish the job.
Democrats' Election Integrity Under Fire: A California Scandal Unfolds
Newly unsealed warrants provide a glimpse into why conservatives smell a rat: prosecutors and investigators leaned on prior affidavits and alleged discrepancies in audit logs and ballot handling stretching back to earlier election cycles. Those court documents make it plain that this isn’t just idle chatter from commentators — there are paper trails, claims about chain-of-custody, and enough loose ends to justify an honest, transparent inquiry rather than immediate dismissal by partisan officials.
As votes trickled in during the recent primary count, Republican figures and even the White House cried foul over slow counting and alleged irregularities, while much of the mainstream media reduced the controversy to partisan noise. The refusal by some counties to publish full ballot tallies on election night and the inconsistent handling of drop boxes and ballot envelopes are the sorts of administrative failures that inevitably breed suspicion and should be fixed before they poison public confidence.
This California episode is not isolated: federal prosecutors and conservative legal groups are pursuing election-integrity cases and claims across multiple states, which suggests there are systemic vulnerabilities that need addressing. Whether you call it an organized scheme or a series of sloppy administrative lapses, the end result is the same — too many Americans now wonder if elections are being run by rules that favor one party over another, and that doubt corrodes democracy itself.
Voters tried to respond: Proposition 50 and similar reform efforts have been floated to tighten up envelope designs, chain-of-custody procedures, and ballot transparency, reflecting public hunger for clear, enforceable standards rather than opaque processes run by political appointees. If rules were robust and uniformly enforced, skeptics on both sides would have less to gripe about, and confidence in winners — whichever party they represent — would be restored.
Conservatives are right to demand more than reflexive denials from entrenched Democrats and friendly officials: accountability means unredacted records, witnesses under oath, and prosecutions where crimes are proved, not press releases and backroom settlements. The country cannot tolerate a two-tiered system where one party’s errors are shrugged off while the other’s are prosecuted; if we love the Republic, we insist on rules that are clear, equally applied, and vigorously defended.
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Report: Iran World Cup Team Issued Visas to Compete in US
Players from Iran's World Cup team have been granted visas to enter the United States, Reuters reported on Friday.
A White House official confirmed the news to Reuters, offering that the players had received their visas overnight, shortly after Iranian ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh had said they didn't have them late Thursday.
Visas may not yet have been extended to technical and administrative staff, according to the Fars news agency, a semi-official outlet aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Fars did not cite a source.
Regardless of that outcome, the players can now play.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Iran moved their base of operations to Tijuana, Mexico from their original plan of Arizona due to concerns over the continued conflict between Iran and the United States in the Middle East.
"Iran's participation in the World Cup -- even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy -- shows that Iran seeks peace," Pasandideh said.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
expressed to Washington lawmakers that the country would not allow entry to individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. That would include Mehdi Taj, president of Iran's soccer federation, who was previously denied entry to the country in December. Taj is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran are in Group G for the World Cup along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Iran's opening match will be against New Zealand on June 15 in Inglewood, Calif., before playing Belgium on June 21 (Inglewood) and Egypt on June 26 (Seattle).
'Didn't Age Well': Newsom's Press Office Gets Inconvenient Update About Trump's Reflecting Pool Project
Just like everything else President Donald Trump takes on in Washington, D.C., there's been a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth among The Usual Suspects regarding the restoration of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
After teasing a massive clean-up back in November, Trump confirmed in April that he would proceed with renovations to the pool, citing a friend of his from Germany who visited and commented on how bad it looked:
"He said, 'it's filthy, dirty. The water is disgusting looking. It's not representative of the country,'" Trump recalled during a White House event Thursday on drug prices. [...] "Right now, it's got no water in it because it was in terrible shape. It was filthy, dirty, and it leaked like a sieve for many years," Trump said in the video. "So I actually went over, went with Secret Service and a group of people, and I took, took a look at it."
Since that time, the project has come under intense scrutiny over increased costs, a slightly revised timeline, and the need for it all from the same people who wouldn't bat an eyelash over spending billions in taxpayer dollars on a study about the mating habits of the Alaskan ice worm. It has also faced a lawsuit because of course.
The last pool renovation was completed in 2012 under the Obama-Biden administration, cost $34 million, and took two years to complete due in part to significant degradation, leaking, and sinking in the structure, which originally debuted in 1923. It wasn't long after the 2012 renovations were finished before the algae took it over.
According to Trump, the pool project pretty much wrapped up on Thursday, with the only thing left to do - which crews were doing - was to fill it with water over the American Flag Blue paint color that was selected:
In mid-May, the obnoxious press team for California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) decided to take a swipe at Trump over the project, tweeting out this picture as though it was the finished product:
They were, of course, taken to task at the time, but Newsom's critics also took some time to update him and his press team on how the pool looks, just three weeks later:
And more to the point was this reference to California's bloated high-speed rail boondoggle, which is estimated to cost $231 billion, assuming it ever gets completed:
Yeah, between that and the "wildlife crossing" nature bridge (which, as RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar pointed out, is actually a wildfire express lane), I think Newsom and anyone in his office trying to dunk on Trump over the reflecting pool project is stupid on steroids from a PR perspective, because it just reminds people of Newsom's myriad failures and broken promises.
But hey, Newsom's press office, you're doing great. Keep it up.
'Gestating Persons' Day Just Doesn't Have Same Ring to It: NY Lawmakers Send Insane Bill to Hochul's Desk
We’ve written plenty about the “woke mind virus” that has gripped large parts of the United States, especially during the Biden years. The movement prioritizes self-hate and anti-American rhetoric, an all-consuming obsession with race, and extreme gender and sexual policies.
I spoke with RedState Deputy Managing Editor Susie Moore Friday on RedState Radio (be sure to tune in on Sundays at 5 p.m ET), and I opined that the movement seems to be on the decline with the second term of Trump and Americans’ increasing weariness with the endless divisive, aggressive in-your-face demands that you accept each and every one of their wild-eyed proclamations as Gospel. (“That man is a woman! Bend the knee and SAY IT!")
For instance, Pride displays, which originated to stand up for a minority group in the United States, morphed into a month-long celebration where we’re all supposed to watch drag shows and celebrate minors changing their genders. In a major about-face, many corporations are toning them down this year. A number of the festivities have turned into outright pornography on our streets (I’m looking at you, West Hollywood), and we were told that we should not only accept it, but love it, and make sure our kids did too.
Although the woke movement has slowed, it certainly hasn’t died, and like a roach infestation, even if you think you’ve won, it can come back with a bang. The proof in the pudding: the obnoxious new bill passed by both chambers of the New York state legislature that changes the words “mom” and “dad” to “gestating person” and “non-gestating person.”
What fresh hell is this?
This assault on basic logic and common sense is now headed to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, and knowing her, she’ll probably sign it.
Sexual reproduction between a male and female comprises the dominant mode across all known Earth species, and only a tiny few can procreate without two things recognized throughout recorded history: a mother and a father. Humans are not among that minuscule group that can do without. In their obsessive quest for “woke,” however, leftists have long ago abandoned any measure of logic or reliance on science.
None of the facts seem to matter to progressive Empire State lawmakers — take a look at this abject idiocy:
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 4, 2026
🚨This is peak woke ridiculousness. New York Democrats just passed a bill replacing the word “Mother” with “gestating parent” — and “Father” with “non-gestating parent” — in state family court, child custody, and domestic laws. Yes, really. Because apparently “Mom” and “Dad” are too triggering in 2026. Congratulations, New York — you’ve officially made having a baby sound like a sterile medical procedure. Biology erased. Common sense deleted. This isn’t progress. It’s total insanity. Who’s next, Kathy Hochul? (Video: AI)
Later this June, I wish you all non-gestating people with kids a Happy Father's Day — er, I mean, a Happy Donor Day? I don't even know anymore.
In my estimation, the woke scourge has been divisive, counterproductive, and toxic, and has not, in fact, helped many of the “marginalized communities” it was supposedly intended to raise up. Instead, it’s now prompting a long-overdue backlash, and that’s because of moronic policies like this one, which attacks the sacred notions of mom, dad, and family. Take a hike, New York wackos — I will always be a father, and you can’t take that away from me with your pathetic attempts to bastardize the English language.
We’ll see if Hochul continues to be a laughingstock of a leader, or if — in the inestimable words of Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy, she "goes to Amazon [to] buy a spine online” — and displays some actual character. If I'm being real, though, were someone to force me to go to Polymarket or some other political betting platform, I’d sadly be putting my bucks down on the former.
New York has just gotten that crazy.
Democrat Paige Cognetti Abandons City While Police Face Off With Would-Be Killers
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, the Democrat so hungry for power that she decided to run for two offices simultaneously, is facing renewed scrutiny for her city’s crime epidemic after two individuals paraded around town threatening to murder citizens during the week.
Under Cognetti’s leadership, Scranton had experienced an unprecedented crime wave. Through the first half of 2024, the city had experienced a greater number of murders than the entire previous year. When pressed by political opponents about her abysmal crime record, Cognetti dismissed her failures and instead blamed outlets for amplifying them, according to Fox News. She further downplayed the her city’s rise in violence, saying that crime was “relatively low” compared to other cities, many of which are also Democrat-run.
The newest incident comes directly from publicly available police reports, however. Officers were told that two men had confronted a victim, with one wielding a “large silver knife” and the other claiming to be armed with a firearm. According to the report, the victim was told by the pair that they intended to find “predators” to “murk.” While questioning the first victim, officers received a call about the pair from a woman who claimed that the pair held a knife to her throat and demanded to know who she was. Another victim at the same location reported having a firearm pointed at his head.
Police managed to find the duo and held them at gunpoint, at which the perpetrators fled. One of the deranged individuals attempted to hide the knife during his escape, but the weapon was recovered. Both individuals were taken into custody after a lengthy pursuit without further incident.
Despite the dangers Cognetti’s police force faced from dangerous armed criminals bent on committing murder, statements from 2020 reveal that the mayor would prefer that her officers be disarmed.
"I do want to get to a point where we don't have to worry about any officers having holsters or guns in them. That is ideally where we get in our whole country," she said in an interview with the Black Scranton Project.
Instead of standing with the officers she would prefer to be without protection, Cognetti will instead be spending her time cozying-up to wealthy liberals at a fundraiser in Chicago instead of handling the crisis at home.
Cognetti is currently campaigning for a contentious congressional seat against Republican incumbent Rob Bresnahan. The race has garnered attention on the national scale, with the NRCC launching a website featuring Cognetti’s failures on crime.
Susie Wiles, WH Smack Down Fake News Report From the Daily Mail
The White House and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles torched a story from the Daily Mail that claimed Wiles planned to leave the White House.
The Daily Mail cited no sources on the record and claimed Wiles was “frustrated by the President’s recent Cabinet appointments.”
— Elina Shirazi (@elinashirazi) June 5, 2026
Wiles called the story a piece of "Friday fiction" and said, "To be crystal clear, I am not going anywhere."
— Susie Wiles (@SusieWiles47) June 5, 2026
Total bullshit. Another fake hatchet job from a wannabe reporter peddling anonymous sources who don’t actually know anything. https://t.co/wqfW8QJvOE— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 5, 2026
— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) June 5, 2026
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 5, 2026
Wiles denies a report on her looming departure. https://t.co/eFECE9dv14— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) June 5, 2026
— Evan Power (@EvanPower) June 6, 2026
Why does the Daily Mail publish totally fake news? It's pure fiction at this point. https://t.co/ZFQGISqLKA— Graziella Pastor (@GraziellaPastor) June 5, 2026
Fake news garbage from the Daily Mail.@SusieWiles isn’t going anywhere. https://t.co/EazxieCde7— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) June 6, 2026
Wiles has played an instrumental role in Trump's White House. She's kept people in line, she's a master communicator, and she fearlessly handles the fake news media.
In March, Wiles announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Top prosecutor: 'Multiple election fraud investigations underway' in Calif.
An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 05, 2026 in City of Industry, California.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli
announced on X that federal authorities are investigating alleged voter fraud in California and will conduct a “comprehensive audit” of the state’s voter rolls. The effort will be carried out by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
On Friday, Essayli, who heads operations for the Los Angeles-based federal prosecutor’s office, highlighted a May voter fraud plea agreement to showcase ongoing enforcement. Essayli explicitly confirmed that his office, in coordination with FBI Los Angeles, has “multiple election fraud investigations underway” across the Golden State following Tuesday’s primary election.
Yes. There is evidence of election fraud in California. Here’s a case we charged just last month. More investigations are underway. https://t.co/sdvTPuTpXk— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 5, 2026
Mike Sanchez, a spokesperson for the county registrar-recorder revealed that the agency was notified on Thursday evening “that the U.S. Attorney’s Office would send an Assistant U.S. Attorney to the Ballot Processing Center to observe ballot processing activities.”
“The individual arrived this morning, was provided an overview of the public observation program, and participated in a walkthrough of the ballot processing operations,” he continued while noting that the process of counting ballots is open to public observation.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber revealed that as of Thursday evening, county election officials have processed 5.6 million ballots, while an estimated 3.6 million additional ballots remain to be tallied.
The slow vote count has drawn sharp criticism from Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton (R-Calif.), who released a statement calling the delay a “shambles” that is “absolutely shameful for our state.”
Hilton then went on to target outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), demanding that the administration should deploy state resources to accelerate the counting process and guarantee verified results by next Thursday.
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) June 4, 2026
The governor’s office quickly dismissed the demand, labelling it a political stunt.
“It’s concerning that a candidate for Governor doesn’t know the Governor has nothing to do with counting ballots,” Newsom’s deputy director for rapid response Brandon Richards stated, noting that county officials independently manage the canvas.
According to the Associated Press, with 64% of the total votes counted as of Friday evening, Hilton holds a narrow lead with 26.6% of the vote. Xavier Becerra trails closely behind at 26.5%, while Tom Steyer is in third place with 20.8%.
Maine Dem Candidate's Nazi Tattoo Scandal Sparks Outrage
Graham Platner, a Marine veteran turned Democratic candidate, has admitted he once had the offending chest tattoo and now says he covered it, claiming it was a drunken mistake during leave in Croatia years ago. That explanation rings hollow to working patriots who understand personal responsibility and the long shadow that symbols of evil cast over public life.
More troubling are the reports that suggest this was not an innocent oversight: journalists have uncovered past social-media posts and remarks in which Platner appeared to defend Nazi imagery among servicemembers, raising the question of whether this was ever truly ignorance or an ugly, hidden sympathy. When evidence points toward willful poor judgment, voters deserve the truth — not party spin or stonewalling.
Even as troubling facts mount, establishment Democrats rushed to prop him up, with prominent figures publicly endorsing or downplaying the scandal rather than demanding full transparency and an unequivocal disavowal. This reflexive cover-up from the left is exactly why Americans distrust Washington; loyalty to a brand should never trump basic decency and national honor.
There are voices inside the party calling it out, and those dissenters deserve notice, but the broader willingness of Democratic leaders to shield a candidate with such baggage exposes a dangerous double standard. If the roles were reversed, and a Republican showed the slightest whiff of extremist symbolism, the media and the left would be screaming for resignations and investigations — not muted statements and calendar invites.
Conservatives and patriotic independents should not be confused or complacent: this is about preserving the moral clarity that has guided this nation through its darkest hours. We must insist on candidates who honor American service and history, who understand why certain images are unforgivable, and who are worthy of the trust of voters and veterans alike.
If Democrats want credibility, they should start by holding their own accountable instead of reflexively protecting them; the American people deserve parties that put country above politics. Hardworking Americans know what’s at stake — our flag, our history, and the character of those who seek to lead us — and we will judge every politician by that standard.