Day 401

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. –George Orwell, 1984.

Independent analyses suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cost taxpayers roughly $135 billion as of spring 2025 due to workforce cuts, rehiring costs, and lost productivity. While DOGE reported cutting over $145 billion in potential spending by July 2025, separate reports indicate its actions created at least $21.7 billion in wasted taxpayer money.

Dan Bongino had John Solomon on his show today and Solomon made an interesting prediction: That Trump will soon unveil evidence that foreign powers meddled in the 2020 election, which will result in John Thune ultimately caving on the filibuster and the Save America act will get passed. "I think Donald Trump is going to change the narrative in America. I think he is going to change some Senators minds... He is going to start revealing some of the intelligence that was kept from the American people. And we're going to see that our foreign adversaries have monkeyed around with our (election) system more than we knew... And I think when Senators realize their state could have been targeted... there is going to be a different debate in America... I think there's some big, significant, and very troubling revelations about the vulnerabilities of our elections that the President is about to unveil on the American public."

Republican lawmakers pretending that the SAVE Act isn't a huge problem for married women are either lying or haven't actually read the bill. Mike Rounds said a marriage certificate is a valid form of ID. It is not.

Republicans, Braced for Losses, Push in Congress for More Voting Restrictions. A strict voter identification measure is part of a broader legislative effort to amplify President Trump's false claims of widespread fraud.

Trump vows voter ID requirements for the midterms, 'whether approved by Congress or not'. The president said Friday on social media that if Congress failed to approve legislation mandating voter ID, he would issue an executive order.

A Case Against 6 Democrats Lacked Urgency. Then Came Calls for an Indictment. Prosecutors have been caught between President Trump's insistence that they undertake weak or baseless cases and the necessity of going to court.

Stephen Colbert criticizes 'crap' statement from CBS over unaired interview. Colbert told his audience he was "surprised that this giant global corporation would not stand up to these bullies."

Administration Targets Noncitizen Voting, Despite Finding It Rare. The intensified push is part of an all-fronts effort to insert federal law enforcement into the machinery of American elections before the midterms.

Homeland security officials, at the direction of the White House, are intensifying efforts to investigate voting by noncitizens in pursuit of President Trump's baseless claims that illegal voting by undocumented immigrants is a rampant and insidious threat.

Day 402

Grand Juries Tend to Defer to Prosecutors. Not in This Justice Dept. Case. A case against six Democratic lawmakers is an example of the chaos that has roiled the department as it grapples with President Trump's erratic demands.

Justice Dept. Acknowledges 52 Court Order Violations in New Jersey

A large banner of President Donald Trump was hung outside of the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, DC, on Thursday, emphasizing the White House's control over the nation's top law enforcement branch that once pursued criminal prosecutions against him.

Russian family who complained of mistreatment in ICE facility is released after 4 months

The family's lawyer had sought their release on medical grounds. They were freed from detention days after NBC News brought attention to their case.

Day 403

US ECONOMY GREW AT MUCH SLOWER PACE IN FOURTH QUARTER OF 2025, NEW GDP REPORT SAYS

Cuba Nears Collapse as a New U.S. Blockade Strangles the Country

Former Prince Andrew's Arrest Upends Royal Effort to Move Past His Scandal

As Trump Weighs Iran Strikes, He Declines to Make Clear Case for Why. Rarely in modern times has the United States prepared to conduct a major act of war with so little explanation or public debate.

Supreme Court strikes down Trump's sweeping tariffs, upending central plank of economic agenda

HEGSETH RAILS AGAINST 'GODLESS LEFT' IN POLITICAL SPEECH TO CHRISTIAN CONVENTION

House Speaker Mike Johnson has denied a request from Democrats and the family of Jesse Jackson Sr. for the civil rights icon to lie in state at the United States Capitol, according to journalist Roland Martin.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer's husband has been banned from the department's headquarters in Washington after he allegedly sexually assaulted two female staffers.

Trump administration moves to detain refugees awaiting green cards. A CNN investigation reveals that immigration officers are detaining hundreds of US citizens under 18 USC 111. But when those cases make it to court, many are falling apart.

Twelve days after President Trump called him "a real Loser," the American freeskier Hunter Hess said, "it was probably the hardest two weeks of my life."

Bodyguards for Azerbaijani president, in town for Trump's Board of Peace, attack protesters in DC

Trump is claiming that he does not need to work with Congress on his tariff policy. That is at odds with the opinion just issued by the Supreme Court.

Q: "What did you mean a moment ago when you said the Supreme Court was swayed by foreign influence?"
Trump: "I think that foreign interests are represented by people that I believe have undue influence, they have a lot of influence over the Supreme Court."
President Trump says he will impose a 10% global tariff on top of those remaining in place after Supreme Court ruling striking down emergency tariffs
"In other words, I can destroy the trade. I can destroy the country. I'm even allowed to impose a foreign country-destroying embargo. I can embargo. I can do anything I want, but I can't charge $1. Because that's not what it says. And that's not the way it even reads. I could do anything I want to do to them, but I can't charge any money. So I'm allowed to destroy the country, but I cannot charge them a little fee. I could give them a little two-cent fee, but I can not charge under any circumstances. I cannot charge them anything. Think of that. How ridiculous is that?"

President Trump said he disagrees with the Supreme Court's interpretation of the emergency powers act he used to impose sweeping tariffs.

Day 404

Bridge Owner Donated $1 Million to MAGA Group Before Trump Blasted Competitor. The PAC and the White House say the donation had nothing to do with President Trump's tirade against a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

In Washington D.C., not much had changed about East Potomac Golf Links course over the decades until one day last October when some dump trucks showed up. The trucks were sent by the White House. They were carrying mud. The trucks drove onto the golf course and, somewhere between the fourth and ninth holes, began dumping mounds of the stuff. Tiny bits of rebar, wiring and specks of white plaster poked out from the piles. Turned out it was the remains of the East Wing, which President Trump had demolished days earlier. His destruction of one piece of Washington history heralded his destruction of another.

The Supreme Court struck down Trump's tariffs. Now comes the hard work of issuing refunds

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump's biggest and boldest tariffs. But the justices left a $133 billion question unanswered: What is going to happen to the money the government has already collected in import taxes that have now been declared unlawful?

ICE is quietly buying warehouses for detention centers and leaving local officials out of the loop At least 20 communities with large warehouses across the U.S. have become stealth targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement's $45-billion expansion of detention centers.

ICE estimates the new plan for processing and detention facilities will cost about $38.3 billion and will be paid for with funds Congress allocated through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

Newly released records show a US citizen was shot and killed in Texas by a federal immigration agent last year during a late-night traffic encounter that was not publicly disclosed by the Department of Homeland Security.

Amazon's tax bill plunges after GOP tax cuts. The 87 percent drop is largely due to a more generous depreciation break in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.'

Republicans' tax cuts shaved billions off Amazon's tax bill, new government filings show.

The company says it ran a $1.2 billion tax bill last year, down from $9 billion the previous year, and even as its profits jumped by 45 percent to nearly $90 billion.

That's largely because of the generous new depreciation breaks GOP lawmakers included in their One Big Beautiful Bill, something that's particularly important to Amazon which - in addition to maintaining a vast infrastructure for its ubiquitous delivery business — has been spending billions to build out artificial intelligence data centers.

BREAKING: Trump FDA retreats from plan to ban artificial colors in food.

TN bill would allow death penalty for women who have an abortion

Day 405

"THERE'S A TIME WHEN YOU HAVE TO STAND UP AGAINST A PRESIDENT THAT ACTS LIKE HE'S A 12-YEAR-OLD AND EVERY EVENT IS HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY." KENTUCKY GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR

Countries That Made Deals for Lower Tariffs Are Left in the Lurch In Asia, countries that rushed to reach deals with the U.S. before the Supreme Court decision now face the reality that they may have been better off waiting.

Despite a Supreme Court Rebuke (and Data), Trump Is Still Betting on Tariffs

Denmark Rejects Trump's Plan to Send Hospital Boat to Greenland. Denmark's defense minister said Greenland did not need health care assistance, a day after President Trump said he planned to send a "great hospital boat" to the island.

In October 2024, the Georgia secretary of state's office launched an investigation after receiving numerous reports from residents across several counties saying they'd received partially prefilled absentee ballot applications from Musk's America PAC.

Last year, Buffalo native Elizabeth Fago donated $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC that supports President Trump. Twenty days later, her son, Paul Walczyk, was granted a full pardon, wiping out a pending 18-month prison sentence and erasing a $4.4 million restitution order.

Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to demand that Netflix "immediately" fire former UN ambassador and board member Susan Rice or "pay the consequences." "She's got no talent or skills - Purely a political hack! HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK."

Day 406

The European Union Hits Pause on Its U.S. Trade Deal

Binance Employees Find $1.7 Billion in Crypto Was Sent to Iranian Entities. The world's largest crypto exchange pledged to crack down on crime. But internal investigators continued to find evidence of potential violations.

Mexico Is on Edge After Military Operation That Killed Cartel Boss. Officials said at least 62 people died in the raid and its aftermath. After the death of the cartel's leader, violence spread across the country.

The only passenger in the car when an ICE officer shot and killed an American citizen in Texas last year had planned to speak up and contradict the government's account of the shooting. But the passenger, Joshua Orta, died in an unrelated car crash on Saturday.

Day 407

House Rejects Air Safety Bill After Pentagon Opposition. The bill would have required aircraft to carry advanced location-tracking technology that officials said might have prevented a collision near Washington last year.

Bruised and Unpopular, Trump Seeks a Reset at the State of the Union President Trump will deliver his State of the Union address tonight, aiming to regain public support after a tumultuous first year back in office.

Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump. A woman's unverified accusation that Donald Trump assaulted her when she was a minor is in the files. But several memos related to her account are not.

Day 408

Lawrence Summers Will Resign From Harvard After Epstein Revelations. Mr. Summers, Harvard's former president, had been on leave after revelations about his relationship to Jeffrey Epstein.

Surgeon General Nominee Deflects When Pressed on Vaccines and Autism. Critics say Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer and entrepreneur, is unqualified for the role.

A look at Trump's false and misleading claims in his State of the Union speech On inflation, immigration, tariffs and war, he presented a frequently distorted account as he claimed a "turnaround for the ages" and myriad achievements that don't pass scrutiny.

Day 409

Kansas informs trans residents their driver's licenses become invalid on Thursday. Tennessee House passes bill allowing businesses to not recognize same-sex marriages

U.S. and Iran Resume Nuclear Talks as Risk of War Looms. The U.S. has built up a massive military presence around the Middle East and near Iran's borders, while Iran has vowed retaliation if attacked.

Trump's Push for Election Power Raises Fears He Will 'Subvert' Midterms

President Trump appears to be undermining Americans' faith in the outcome, at a moment when Republicans face an uphill climb to keep control of Congress.

The Trump administration's proposed new rules for Affordable Care Act plans next year would shift more health care costs to Americans, with much higher deductibles that could lead to larger medical bills.

Day 410

President Donald Trump is directing federal agencies to stop using tech from Al company Anthropic, which has resisted its use in weapons and surveillance.

Trump Says He's 'Not Happy' With Progress of Iran Talks. The president expressed his negative view of the status of nuclear talks as he weighed military strikes against Iran.

RFK Jr. suggests Americans can save money on high grocery prices by eating liver or "cheap cuts of meat" instead of steak

Trump hinted at a possible "friendly takeover" of Cuba, saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is negotiating with the Cuban government

Day 411

U.S. AND ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN. Trump Calls for Overthrow of Government. Tehran Retaliates, Firing Missiles at Israel and U.S. Bases in Region

Trump touted support for gun rights but has defended restrictions in court. The Treasury Department has terminated its collective bargaining agreement with unionized workers employed at the Internal Revenue Service, the agency said Friday, in an escalation of President Donald Trump's push to exert more control over the federal workforce.

Trump Considers National Emergency to Take Control of US Elections as Democrats Predicted to Win 2026 Midterm. A draft emergency order could dramatically expand presidential influence over federal voting rules.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. is in talks with Havana and raised the possibility of a "friendly takeover of Cuba" without offering any details on what he meant.

Kash Patel's Girlfriend Seeks Fame and Fortune, Escorted by an F.B.I. SWAT Team. Former F.B.I. officials say Mr. Patel beefed up field office staffing near his girlfriend in Nashville and ordered a team to ferry her on errands and to events.

Day 412

Buffalo Toronto Public Media to Sell 94.5 FM Frequency Amid Federal Funding Cuts

The U.S. military says three service members have been killed and five seriously wounded in the Iran operation.

Florida suddenly cuts off 12,000 people from receiving their HIV meds

Measles is costing the U.S. millions of dollars. The true losses can't be counted. As vaccination rates decline, the economic consequences will increase, research suggests.

Hundreds of protesters stormed the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday over the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least nine people were killed and about two dozen were wounded in violent clashes with police and paramilitary forces.

At least 153 people including children have died after a reported strike hit a school in southern Iran, according to Iranian officials.

Gaza's only non-Israeli exit is shut again. After joint Israel-US strikes on Iran, Rafah was closed, a move that deepens Palestinian isolation amid devastation and aid shortages

Trump hangs giant banner of Charlie Kirk on the Department of Education.

Secretary Hegseth announces we will be halting attendance at all Ivy League and similar educational institutes - will soon announce "top to bottom" review of all military war colleges

Oil Prices Jump 10% After Iran Attack, Pointing to Economic Risks How long prices remain high will depend on what the United States, Israel and Iran do next.

Trump says 'we expect casualties' after Iran strikes but 'in the end it's going to be a great deal for the world'

At least 115 people, most of them likely children, were killed in a strike on a girls' elementary school in Iran on Saturday, health officials and state media said.

Day 414

3 U.S. FIGHTER JETS "MISTAKENLY SHOT DOWN' BY KUWAIT, U.S. MILITARY SAYS

Israel Responds to Hezbollah Rockets; Iran Fires at U.S. Targets in Gulf. The escalation heightened fears that the spiraling war — which began with a massive U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran — could draw in more countries across the region.

Oil Prices Jump After Iran Attack, Pointing to Economic Risks How long prices remain high will depend on what the United States, Israel and Iran do next.

The U.S. military reported Monday morning that a fourth U.S. service member, who was seriously injured in the initial strikes in Iran, has died

Labor Secretary's Tenure Marked by Frequent Travel and Internal Tumult. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is under investigation internally after allegations of misconduct and misuse of department funds.

In northeast Georgia, a hospital closed its maternity ward. In rural New Hampshire, a community health center shuttered. And in lowa, a Des Moines hospital system laid off dozens of employees and closed a clinic. All these providers cited President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy agenda package, which slashed more than $1 trillion in federal support for health care, as a factor in their decisions.

Stocks fell at the open of U.S. trading as investors weighed a jump in oil prices amid escalating turmoil in the Middle East.

Congressional staff were told by Trump administration officials in private briefings Sunday that Iran was not preparing to launch a preemptive strike against U.S. interests based on U.S. intelligence reports, four people familiar with the briefing told ABC News. This conflicts with what President Trump and senior Trump administration officials said over the weekend.

The administration officials said there were indicators the Iranians could launch a preemptive attack against U.S. forces and allies in the region.

Trump may have ordered a deadly military strike on a girls' elementary school in Iran because the Pentagon was using an out-of-date map. At least 175 people, including dozens of young girls between seven and 12, were killed Saturday in an attack on a southern town miles from Tehran.

States Move to Limit Access to H.I.V. Treatment. Citing shortfalls in federal support, about 20 states are toughening eligibility requirements for patients in drug assistance programs.

The Trump administration has decided to drop its lawsuits against four law firms with ties to Democrats and other foes of the president.

Detainments at the federal immigration facility in Batavia have surged in recent months, pushing the average daily population well past its 650-bed capacity.

The increase is being driven by people with no criminal convictions - who now make up about four out of every five detainees. The shift reflects a broader state and national trend as immigration enforcement ramps up. A closer look at what the data shows — and how it compares to the Trump administration's stated priorities.

The Department of Homeland Security has warned of potential lone-wolf and cyberattacks amid the ongoing strikes in Iran, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards say the Strait of Hormuz will be shut and any ship that tries to pass will be set on fire

Reacting to a report from Wall Street Journal that there are growing fears of weaponry shortages looming for the Pentagon after Donald Trump ordered an assault on Iran, a retired general claimed the war planners may have made a major miscalculation.

The first US service members to die in the war with Iran were killed in a direct hit on a makeshift operations center in Kuwait. The death toll is now six.

Trump says: "We don't want people who can't love our country voting in elections"

Supreme Court Blocks California's Trans Student Policies. The court sided with a group of Christian parents who challenged the policies, which they say require schools to hide students' transgender status from their parents.

"Figures like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon, who has explicitly compared Canada to Ukraine, see Canada as a bastion of decadent liberalism in the West that must be broken and subdued, one way or another." -John Last

Day 415

Just days before the United States launched a major military operation in Iran, FBI Director Kash Patel fired a dozen agents and staff members from a counterintelligence unit tasked with monitoring threats from Iran, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

US embassies in Jerusalem and Qatar issued statements on Tuesday saying they could not help Americans leave the Middle East.

U.S. shuts two embassies after drone attacks; Israel strikes Tehran and Beirut

Israel bombs assembly building used for election of Iran's new supreme leader

Kristi Noem refuses to retract remarks calling Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists

Stocks Fall and Oil Prices Surge on Warning of Extended War

Trump Administration Appears to Renew Fight Against Law Firms The Justice Department appeared to abruptly change its position after telling a court a day earlier it would abandon its defense of targeting the firms.

NANCY MACE UNDER INVESTIGATION BY HOUSE ETHICS PANEL FOR ALLEGEDLY OVERCHARGING CONGRESS FOR HOUSING COSTS

Without any clear message coming from the White House with regard to the purpose of the Iran war, U.S. military commanders have turned to Jesus, apparently telling American troops that the so-called "Christian" war is "biblically-sanctioned."

U.S. Consulate in Dubai on fire following a drone attack by Iran. Nearly 900 people have been killed in the fighting in the Middle East so far.

Trump's letter to Congress justifying the strikes on Iran outlines no imminent threat to the U.S.

Rubio walks back his suggestion that Israel forced the United States' hand in Iran strikes.

Pentagon tells Congress Iran had no plan to strike US first

Roughly 20% of Paramount's $110B bid for Warner Bros. is backed by Arab sovereign wealth, fueling debate over which foreign entities should have a stake in U.S. media. Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar are jointly investing $24B in the mega-merger. The Gulf rivals are setting aside their differences to diversify beyond oil and expand their digital influence. "Would you spend that kind of money to just be a silent partner? I doubt it," said Dubai-based media consultant Mazen Hayek.

Day 416

US loses nearly $2 billion worth of military equipment amid its attacks against Iran

Turkey Says NATO Shot Down Iranian Missile Heading to Turkish Airspace

An Attack on a NATO Member Could Pull More Countries Into the Fighting

How the Iran War Is Choking Off the World's Oil and Gas. One-fifth of the global oil supply and substantial amounts of natural gas travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a no-go zone for many tankers.

How Kennedy Is Trying to Revamp Medical School. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tapped into an old debate about how much doctors should know about nutrition. Some of his ideas concern medical experts.

Six service members are reported to have been killed in Iranian counterattacks. Four died in a drone strike in Kuwait, the military said.

Day 417

The United States and Ecuador launched the joint operation against organized crime groups on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Southern Command.

President Ousts Noem as Homeland Security Secretary (I never thought the Leopards would eat MY face)

States Sue to Stop Trump From Reviving Steep Tariffs

Israel Threatens More Strikes in Lebanon as Crisis Spills Beyond Iran. Israeli evacuation orders in Beirut's suburbs prompted panic.

President Trump says he wanted to be involved in picking Iran's next leader.

The Semantic Gymnastics of Republicans Trying to Avoid Saying War. Mission? Hostilities? Don't call it a war, say G.O.P. lawmakers grappling with the political and legal challenges of the operation in the Middle East.

Iran war spreads as European nations drawn further in Dow tumbles by more than 1,000 points as Iran conflict spills beyond the Middle East

'Call of Duty' video game footage mixed with real video from Iran operations in clip released by White House

The White House is denying Noem's claim in testimony to the Senate earlier this week that Trump signed off on a $220 million ad campaign encouraging undocumented immigrants to self-deport. "POTUS did not sign off on a $220 MILLION dollar ad campaign. Absolutely not," a White House official said.

Iran is "confident' it can counter a potential U.S. ground invasion, foreign minister says. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke Thursday from Tehran in an exclusive interview with "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Llamas.

Trump administration criticized as thousands of Americans are stranded in war zone

U.S. officials - and the president himself - have struggled to explain why the government wasn't better prepared for the consequences of Iranian retaliation.

Lindsey Halligan Is Under Investigation by the Florida Bar. The actions of Ms. Halligan, who as a U.S. attorney brought criminal cases against President Trump's enemies, are under review by the organization that licensed her to practice law.

Mortgage rates hit 6% as Iran war spooks bond market traders

Asked if Americans should worry about Iran retaliating against Americans on U.S. soil, President Donald Trump responded, "I guess.” Trump Says 'I Guess' Americans Should Worry About Iran

Day 418

U.S. forces likely bombed an Iranian elementary school on Feb. 28 during an operation targeting a nearby military base, a New York Times analysis of official statements, satellite imagery, social media posts and verified videos suggests. It is the deadliest known episode of civilian casualties since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran — and no side has yet taken responsibility.

The US economy lost 92,000 jobs last month, far worse than expected.

Thousands Flee Bombardments; Israel Says It Is Also Hitting Tehran. The strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs were the heaviest Israeli attacks since a 2024 war with the militia. Israeli air defenses were battling new missile launches from Iran.

Dow falls 600 points after Trump comments spike oil, surprise job loss in February

Americans stranded in the Middle East say the State Department hotline Marco Rubio told them to call plays a recorded message warning: "Please do not rely on the U.S. government for assisted departure or evacuation at this time."

Pardon Industry Offers Rich Offenders a Path to Trump. Spending at US retailers unexpectedly fell in January as consumer confidence languished

The Department of Justice on Thursday released three previously withheld FBI interview reports from 2019 related to a woman who made uncorroborated allegations that she was abused by Donald Trump in the 1980s, when she was a minor.

When asked by Time if Americans should be worried about Iran attacking them at home, Trump responded: "I guess."

President Donald Trump said there will be no deal with Iran until "unconditional surrender," adding the US and allies will work to "bring Iran back from the brink of destruction" following the appointment of "acceptable" leaders.

Major drugmakers raised the prices of popular brand-name drugs, including those that made deals with the Trump administration to lower costs.

Senate Democrat Pushes to Investigate Noem for Perjury. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Democrats had evidence to suggest Kristi Noem lied under oath during a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

So far the war in Iran has cost an estimated $5.5 billion.

That's roughly $1 billion per day.

$41,666,667 per hour.

Jan. 6 rioter gets life in prison for sexually abusing two 12-year-olds after Trump pardon

As oil prices hit $90 a barrel and U.S. gasoline prices jumped from $3 to $3.32 a gallon in a week, a Labor Department report on Friday showed employers unexpectedly shed jobs in February and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. Private-sector employers added fewer than 300,000 in all of 2025, making it the worst year, excluding the 2020 COVID-19 shock, since 2009, the report showed.

Trump Is First Modern President to Take U.S. to War Without Public Support. In an interview with CNN on Monday, Trump professed that Iran's attacks on American allies in the Gulf were "probably the biggest surprise" - despite the fact that just about every country in the region had warned his administration that Iran would surely attack them in retaliation for an American assault.

Trump's parting gift to Noem: A suggestion that she lied under oath

The secretary of the Miami-Dade Republican Party ran a group chat where members fantasized about killing Black people, and he's refusing to resign.

Abel Carvajal started a WhatsApp group last fall for conservative students at Florida International University. Within three weeks it was overflowing with the n-word, used over 400 times, alongside antisemitic slurs, misogyny, and open worship of Nazi ideology.

These aren't anonymous trolls. The participants included lan Valdes, president of FIU's Turning Point USA chapter, and Dariel Gonzalez, a former recruitment chair for FIU's College Republicans, the next generation of GOP leadership in one of America's most important swing counties.

Russia is providing Iran with intelligence about the locations and movements of American troops, ships and aircraft, according to multiple people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue, the first indication that Moscow has sought to get involved in the war.

Day 419

Israel Says It Has Launched New Strikes in Iran. President Trump issued a new threat to hit Iran hard, despite Iran's president promising to tone down attacks on some Persian Gulf neighbors.

Gas Prices Continue to Surge in U.S., Rising 14% in a Week. Soaring oil prices suggest that more increases could be in store for American drivers. Diesel, jet fuel, and other refined products are also becoming much more expensive.

Trump has privately shown serious interest in U.S. ground troops in Iran. The president has focused on a small contingent of U.S. troops for specific strategic purposes rather than a large-scale invasion, sources say.

US attorney general Pam Bondi instructed the FBI to place bounties on trans activists promoting "radical gender ideology," a leaked memo suggested.

Day 420

The first week of the US military campaign against Iran has cost roughly $6 billion, Pentagon officials told Congress, with about $4 billion spent on munitions and advanced missile interceptors, Anadolu reports. According to the New York Times, about $4 billion of that total alone was spent on munitions expenditures and advanced interceptors designed to shoot down Iranian missiles.

A US service member has died from wounds received in a March 1 attack in Saudi Arabia, raising the number of American troops killed in Iran war to 7.

Although the Trump administration has discontinued the government's annual food insecurity report, dismissing it as "fear mongering," statistics show that the problem of hunger persists. According to the USDA, almost 48 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, don't get enough to eat on any given day.

Day 421

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., the president's sons, are backing a new drone company that is vying to meet fresh demand from the Pentagon and fill a hole left by the administration's ban on new Chinese drones in the U.S.

Oil Prices Spiking as Mideast Fighting Sparks Energy Crisis

Iran's Choice of Leader Signals Defiance

Stocks in the U.S., Asia and Europe fell as oil prices rose on fears of a prolonged U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as Iran's supreme leader.

U.S. Missile Hit Naval Base Beside Iranian School, Video Shows The evidence contradicts President Trump's claim that Iran was responsible for a strike at the school that killed 175 people, most of them children.

The conservative broadcaster caused uproar on Sunday when it showed footage of a December 2025 dignified transfer rather than the one honoring six U.S. soldiers recently killed in Kuwait. The big difference: Donald Trump dared to don his own merch— a white-and-gold USA baseball cap—for the funereal procession that took place over the weekend, an exploitative fashion faux pas that was apparently too egregious for the network to air.

Talks to advance President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said

Fox News apologizes for showing old video of a hatless Donald Trump at a dignified transfer ceremony. Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington. The 26-year-old Kentucky native has been identified as the latest U.S. soldier killed in action during the U.S.-Iran war. 

Trump Is Trying to Bully Oil Tankers to Sail Through a Conflict Zone

The White House has posted videos combining real footage from the war in Iran interspersed with footage from movies and video game clips, and phrases like "wasted" over images of explosions.

The video, posted Thursday, includes clips from superhero movies, as well as clips from anime films, "Top Gun," and "Braveheart" before clipping to video of strikes on Iran.

Toxic rain mixed with oil rains down on Tehran as expanding war threatens new global shock

Dr. Oz says Obamacare enrollment may be ‘too high’ https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/dr-oz-trump-obamacare-aca-insurance-fraud-deductible-plans-rcna262468

Donald J. Trump • @reaDonald Trump
If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again - Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them - But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure to automatically register men for the Selective Service, updating requirements for the first time in decades.

Day 422

Shots were fired at the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto on Tuesday, the city's police force said. No injuries were reported.

Nearly 700,000 Flee Israeli Strikes in Lebanon. Lebanese leaders and aid groups warned of a growing humanitarian crisis.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of extensive strikes in Iran.

Unlike Past U.S. Conflicts, Iran Attack Is Opposed by Most Americans.

Trump Makes 'Most Blasé Admission of a War Crime by a US President in History' - Critics blasted Trump as "sadistic" for justifying attack on unarmed Iranian ship, which killed over 100 sailors, because it was "more fun" for US forces than capturing it.

Exclusive: As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say. About 140 US troops wounded in Iran war, 8 severely, Pentagon says

Pentagon burned through $5.6B in munitions in first 2 days of Iran war

Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of all crude oil, according to two people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue.

Day 423

The Democratic National Committee is suing the Trump administration for some clarification on any plans to send armed federal agents to polling places amid the president's threats to "nationalize" elections.

US military spent $9 million on crab legs and lobster in the months before Iran war

Kansas revoked 1,700 transgender drivers' licenses. Some are leaving the state. The state's move to retroactively cancel licenses and birth certificates is part of a nationwide escalation of restrictions on the legal recognition of transgender people.

The Trump administration has moved to give the government legal guardianship over homeless veterans, which could include involuntary or institutional mental health and drug addiction care.

In Tehran, hope for change turns to panic: 'They are turning the country into ruins' The war's impact has been most severe in the capital, a bustling, densely packed metropolis home to some 10 million people.

Florida Republicans pass bill empowering Ron DeSantis to oust local officials who support LGBTQ+ Pride

Day 424

"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind" -George Orwell

Day 425

6 Killed in Crash of U.S. Refueling Plane in Iraq, Military Says

Trump Removes Sanctions on Russia to Help Oil Flow Amid Iran Conflict

The FDA on Tuesday approved a generic medication for a rare brain disorder, while walking back statements by President Trump that the drug showed great promise for people with autism.

Lawmakers in at least nine states have introduced measures asking the Supreme Court to overturn its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which granted same-sex couples nationwide the right to marry, or codify marriage as being between a man and a woman. These states are Michigan, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

A year after lowa stripped gender identity from its civil rights code, Kim Reynolds signed a law barring cities and counties from restoring protections for trans residents.

As deadly tornadoes tore through the Midwest and Plains last weekend, state and local search-and-rescue crews rushed to the devastated areas to look for survivors. It wasn't until the teams deployed that they realized they were operating without a critical tornado-tracking tool typically provided by FEMA.

Suspended U.S. Sanctions Add a Political Win to Russia's Economic Gains. Kremlin officials said the American move, which Europe opposes, showed that Moscow could not be dislodged from the center of global energy markets.

The Oklahoma House voted to ban pride flags from government buildings and to block transgender people from updating their birth certificates on the same day.

U.S. economy expanded at sluggish 0.7% in fourth quarter

ICE detained a boy with severe autism for more than 80 days, leaving him disoriented and afraid. The Trump administration has detained more than 900 children for longer than the 20-day limit allowed under a decades-old legal settlement.

Israeli strikes killed over 100 Lebanese children since the start of the war

Inflation was higher this year even before the war lifted gas prices

Man who attacked Michigan synagogue lost relatives in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, official says

Former Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller is going scorched earth on President Donald Trump after getting booted from a White House religious post .. saying the "witch hunt" against her tramples the very free speech he once defended on her behalf.

Today gas price average: $3.64

Democrats have now flipped a district in a special election for the 10th time since President Trump returned to office. If alarms weren't already going off for the GOP ahead of this year's midterms, they certainly are now.

A Marine expeditionary unit with 2,200 Marines aboard three U.S. Navy amphibious ships is being ordered to the Middle East, according to two U.S. officials.

Kennedy Center's President Is Leaving After Tumultuous Year Since Richard Grenell was appointed by President Trump, the arts center has endured a wave of cancellations and departures.

Melania Trump Says She's a Visionary' Who's 'Often Alone at the Top' at Women's Month Event

Trump Women's Month speech: "I did not read - I cannot prepare - if I prepare my speeches I won't time to get things done. You ever hear that? I cannot prepare. So I did not know who the hell I was speaking to, but I walked in and I saw this beautiful woman with the blonde hair."

Judge blocks subpoenas against Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The order was the latest failed effort by U.S. attorney Jeanine Pirro to prosecute Trump's perceived political enemies.

Trump just threatened to take Iran out with a nuclear bomb. "We could take Iran out this afternoon. We could take them out in an hour and they'd never be able to build their country back."

Five U.S. Air Force refueling planes were struck and damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday

Day 426

White House says 'no one cares' after Trump's hate speech sparked UN 'human rights violations' . "This United Nations assessment is just as useless as their broken escalator"

State Department slashes fee to renounce US citizenship by 80% to $450

War has already displaced nearly a million Lebanese, and aid groups warn of a humanitarian crisis

As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn't work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in a decade.

2 DOGE staffers say 'no' regrets for people losing income, didn't reduce the deficit

Jared Kushner Solicits Funds for His Firm While Working as Mideast Envoy President Trump's son-in-law is trying to raise $5 billion or more from foreign governments and others for his private equity firm.

Videos and satellite images show Iran's drone army puncturing U.S. and allied defenses. An NBC News analysis of 30 videos and satellite images shows Iranian drones are presenting a new type of struggle for the U.S. and its allies.

U.S. Tells Citizens to Leave Iraq After Second Attack on Embassy. An Iran-backed militia claimed an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

President Trump urged other nations to help escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Judge Rules Lawmaker Must Be Allowed to Join Kennedy Center Board Meeting. A judge ordered that Representative Joyce Beatty be given access to planning documents and have the chance to oppose changes at next week's board meeting.

F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters' Licenses Over War Coverage. The comment from Brendan Carr came on the heels of a social media message from President Trump criticizing the news medias coverage of the war with Iran.

Day 427

Public health experts warn that several Trump administration policies like weakening air-pollution rules and cutting health programs could lead to more lung disease and premature deaths.

US workers are finding it difficult to afford basic necessities as the president claims 'the economy is roaring back'

January 21, 2025

Gas average: $3.12

Eggs: $3.52

Inflation: 2.7%

Gold price: $2755

……

March 15, 2026

Gas average: $3.70

Eggs: $2.68

Inflation: 2.5%

Gold price: $5,023 

Trump urges US allies to send warships to Strait of Hormuz

Energy secretary says Americans could feel relief on gas prices in 'a few more weeks' (note from the future: it does not)

Day 428

Trump Criticizes Allies for Rebuffing His Appeals for Military Assistance

MeidasTouch posts: No. No. And no again. Japan says it is not considering sending warships. Australia says it will not send naval ships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. These are the same allies Donald Trump is now asking to help bail him out after launching a reckless and unlawful war and claiming the United States had already "won." For the past year, Trump has insulted our allies, threatened them, undermined alliances that took generations to build, and treated diplomacy like a reality show stunt. Now that his disastrous decisions have destabilized the region and global shipping lanes, he's suddenly begging those same countries for help. They're turning him down. This is the predictable result of Trump's foreign policy: alienate allies, destroy trust, and turn the United States into a global pariah state. Strong alliances were one of America's greatest strengths for decades. Trump managed to shred them in record time-and now the world is responding accordingly.

Trump's Threat to Delay Summit With Xi Casts New Shadow Over China Relations. President Trump warned that he could postpone a meeting set to begin in just over two weeks if China refuses to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump went to war without preparing the public, seeking U.N. approval or even consulting allies. But they will have to pick up the pieces.

In Tense Meeting, Dr. Oz Pressed Medical Societies on Trans Care for Teens. Most groups defended their support for medical intervention. But the Society for Plastic Surgeons broke with the consensus.

Trump says the US does not know if Iran's supreme leader is "dead or not"

Trump reiterates unhappiness with UK for lack of assistance in Iran war

This DHS Official Oversees the Security of Federal Elections. He Wants to Ban Voting Machines. David Harvilicz, who co-founded a firm with a 2020 election denier, oversees voting machine security for the Department of Homeland Security while the Trump administration is relitigating the president's baseless claims that the 2020 vote was stolen.

Veterans Who Depend on Mental Health Care Keep Losing Their Therapists Under Trump. Hundreds of mental health professionals have left the Department of Veterans Affairs since President Donald Trump took office, leaving staff "at a breaking point" and some veterans waiting as long as six months for help.

Amid Crowded Skies, FAA Kills Rule Aimed at Regulating Space Junk. The agency once said that pieces of space debris "pose a significant risk, but the Trump administration has backed off a rule that would have required companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX to remove rocket parts from orbit within 25 years of launch.

Dead by June: Trump drops jaws by revealing Republican's terminal diagnosis' in course of Kennedy Center press conference

Venezuela's 600% inflation undercuts Trump's boasts of revival. Life has only gotten harder for Venezuelans in the two months since Trump removed Maduro from power.

On Saturday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke broadcasters' licenses over their coverage of the war, escalating the administration's campaign to silence reporting it doesn't like. The trigger was Trump's Truth Social post accusing the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other outlets of "wanting the U.S. to lose the war" after they reported that Iranian missiles struck five U.S. refueling tankers in Saudi Arabia. The very next day, Trump said on Truth Social he was "thrilled" that Carr was "looking at the licenses" of what he called "Highly Unpatriotic News Organizations."

U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access A draft State Department memo outlines ways the Trump administration may ratchet up pressure on the African country by ending health support "on a massive scale."

Judge Strikes Down Kennedy's Vaccine Policies. Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government did not base its decisions on science.

Trump: "I do believe I'II be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor."

Q: "Taking Cuba?"

Trump: "Taking Cuba in some form, yeah...I think I could do anything I want with it."

Day 429

Afghan Officials Say at Least 400 Dead in Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul. The attack hit a drug rehabilitation facility, Afghanistan said, suggesting that civilians were among the victims. Pakistan said it had targeted a weapons depot.

NEW: President Trump said Monday he spoke to a former president about bombing Iran. It appears he did not speak to any of the four former presidents. (Spoiler. He was talking about himself.)

At least seven people in three states, including young children, have been sickened by E. coli food poisoning linked to cheddar cheese made from raw milk, federal health officials said.

Joe Kent, a Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official, Resigns Over the Iran War. Mr. Kent is the first Trump administration official to quit in opposition to the conflict. He said pressure from Israel had pushed the president into war.

Pulled Into War, Gulf Countries Face the Limits of U.S. Security Guarantees. Barraged by Iranian attacks and questioning the value of security ties with the U.S., Gulf countries have turned to Ukraine, Australia and Italy for help.

Saudi Arabia reached out to Ukraine, a nation with experience fending off Russian drones modeled on Iranian ones. The United Arab Emirates got help from France and Australia. And several Gulf governments asked Italy to provide anti-drone and antiaircraft systems.

The Gulf's authoritarian leaders, close American allies, have long questioned the value of their American security guarantees. Now, they are in the cross hairs of a regional war that their ally, the United States, started. And complaints about the limited value of American protection are growing louder.

'A direct hit for consumer prices': Diesel surges past $5 a gallon. Fresh food, freight shipping, mass transit, construction and deliveries all cost more when diesel prices rise.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said that the economic toll that American consumers are feeling as a result of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is "the last of our concerns right now."

Day 430

Mullin says uniformed officers would only go to polling places if there is a "specific threat". Intel report doesn't mention threats to US elections for first time in years

Trump has new plan to 'rebalance' media to force them to air more patriotic programming, according to FCC chair

Food inflation in the United States inched higher to 3.1% in February 2026 from 2.9% in the prior month. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.4%, after a 0.2% increase in the prior month. Food Inflation in the United States averaged 3.46 percent from 1914 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 36.70 percent in May of 1917 and a record low of -34.30 percent in June of 1921. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Day 431

Energy prices soar as attacks on Middle East gas facilities escalate Trump threatens to "blow up" world's largest gas field, as Israeli strikes spark Iranian retaliation and fears further economic shocks

U.S. Is Considering New Steps on Oil as Attacks Rattle Energy Markets Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. could release more oil from its reserves as it scrambled to avert a sustained energy crisis set off by the war.

War in Middle East Poses Economic Threat to Europe and Asia Inflation and its consequences for growth are an increasing concern for countries where memories of the 2022 energy crisis are fresh.

Saudi Official Warns Patience Is Limited as Iranian Attacks Barrage Kingdom. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister, said Saudi Arabia was prepared to take military action if necessary, after waves of missile and drone attacks.

'Go Big and Go Loud': Inside the Justice Dept.'s Push to Prosecute Protesters. Prosecutors have struggled to prove in court what the president has said in public: that a network of leftist activists presents a threat to national security.

Trump Vowed to Crack Down on Fraudsters, but He's Pardoned Dozens

Cuba Is Going Dark. Cuba is facing a historic electricity crisis. Blackouts have gotten worse, and on some nights the entire island is plunged into near total darkness.

Tulsi Gabbard dodges questions on her Iran war views at worldwide threats hearing Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee questioned the Trump administration's claims that Tehran posed an imminent threat.

FBI conducting leak investigation into former Trump official who resigned over Iran war. A source told NBC News that the probe began before Joe Kent, a longtime Trump ally, announced his resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to pay Corey Lewandowski. Lewandowski, who denies the claims, was an adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

In a Cuban hospital, patients and doctors are hard hit by outages and fuel shortages. The sick are being left in the dark and medicine is at risk of spoiling as Cuba's economy takes a hit from Trump's oil blockade of the island.

Trump's ICE Raids Upend South Texas Construction Industry

Gas prices in UK and Europe soar after strikes on energy facilities in Qatar and Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the US's war aims are "unchanged" and "on target" after Donald Trump accused Iran of "unjustifiably" attacking Qatar.

Tennessee GOP advances bill that would create public list of trans Americans.

Two companies with ties to Kristi Noem's inner circle raked in millions of dollars from government contracts, Politico reported Thursday. Safe America Media, which was formed just eight days before it received a massive $220 million ad contract, received at least $15.2 million from a 12 percent commission, according to an internal DHS memo and three people familiar with contracts. The second firm, People Who Think, received at least $7.7 million from its 10 percent commission on a portion of the $220 million, according to the memo. The memo noted that there was only a "limited competition" for the contracts, due to an "urgent and compelling need," and that the commission rates were beneath industry standard.

College Republicans group is suing the University of Florida after the college disbanded the group when a photo of its secretary, Dylan Estella, doing a Nazi salute went viral.

Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Hegseth to 'finish' the job. The defense secretary said "family after family" of service members killed urged the administration to "not stop until the job is done."

Trump Jokes About Pearl Harbor in Meeting With Japan's Leader. President Trump needled Japan's prime minister about the World War II attack, as she widened her eyes and appeared to take a deep breath in the Oval Office.

Day 432

The national debt just crossed $39 trillion-almost doubling since Trump vowed to erase it

A top disaster response official has used violent rhetoric, shared conspiracy theories and said he once teleported to a Waffle House.

The bill would make it illegal to flush abortion or miscarriage remains down a toilet "to protect both human dignity and America's water systems."

BREAKING: Tennessee Republicans advance bill that would create public registry of all transgender residents.

Judge Rules That R.F.K. Jr. Overstepped on Transgender Care. The ruling provides temporary relief for 21 states seeking to stop the Trump administration from ending federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-transition care.

U.S. speeds up deployment of thousands more Marines and sailors to the Middle East

The Trump administration is suing Harvard University, alleging the school violated Jewish students' civil rights in the latest escalation of the government's year-long campaign against the Ivy League school.

Fed Reserve Chair Says Trump's Policies Mostly to Blame for Inflation

Kash Patel admits under oath FBI is buying location data on Americans

CBS News Radio is being shuttered and all CBS News Radio anchors are being let go

U.S. Prosecutors Are Investigating Colombia's President, a Onetime Trump Foe. The Justice Department is examining whether President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has ties to drug traffickers.

White House Unveils A.I. Policy Aimed at Blocking State Laws

Fears of an all-out Israeli invasion mount in Lebanon. More than 1 million have been displaced by Israeli air attacks and ground operations in southern Lebanon.

The Russell 2000 small business index enters a correction, tumbling 10% from its peak as investors grow nervous a lengthy war could damage the economy.

Trump's Justice Dept. Seeks to Drop Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor's Death

Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional. It was a victory for The Times, which filed suit challenging the rules. The judge also ordered that the Pentagon restore the press passes of seven Times journalists.

Day 433

Iran threatened Friday to target recreational and tourist sites and insisted it is still building missiles almost three weeks into U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed a slew of Tehran's top leaders.

Iran fires missiles toward US-UK base in Indian ocean, Iran's Mehr says

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has struck down the Pentagon's press access policy, finding it violates the First and Fifth amendments of the Constitution.

Trump administration seeks to move ahead with removing Abrego Garcia to Liberia

The U.S. national debt crossed $39 trillion for the first time this week. $1 trillion was added in just the last 5 months

Paolo Zampolli, a longtime friend of Donald and Melania Trump, asked a top ICE official to have the mother of his son detained, The New York Times found. Zampolli told the official that it would help him in a custody battle. The ICE official agreed to help.

The VA lost about 700 social workers and 500 psychologists and psychiatrists over the course of 2025 — a significant change for an agency that was adding mental health staffers nearly every month leading up to Trump's return to office.

United Airlines plans to cut less popular flights — including mid-week and overnights - until the fall, in response to surging fuel prices triggered by the war in Iran, CEO Scott Kirby said in a company memo.

Roberts Muller dies at 81. Trumps responds:  “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

More than 400 TSA officers have quit since shutdown began TSA employees have been working without pay during a partial shutdown of DHS over demands to reform immigration enforcement.

Day 434

Donald J. Trump * @realDonaldTrump

Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT

Tehran Is Defiant After Trump Threatens Power Plants. President Trump said that he would "obliterate" Iran's electricity plants if it did not open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

Israel Orders Military to Intensify Demolitions in Southern Lebanon Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed troops to destroy more bridges and buildings in southern Lebanon, stoking worries that Israel could expand a military-controlled buffer zone there.

Cuba's deputy foreign minister says it is preparing for possible U.S. 'military aggression'. Carlos Fernández de Cossío insisted that negotiations about regime change were not on the table amid talks with the Americans.

Israel Thought It Could Spur Rebellion Inside Iran. That Hasn't Happened. President Trump backed an Israeli plan to ignite an internal uprising in Iran and bring the war to a swift end. His hopes have so far been dashed.

Day 435

'No Tax on Overtime' falls short of expectations for many workers. Workers are discovering that a new overtime tax break is proving less generous — and more complicated — than expected.

WASHINGTON-Confirming the suspicions of many in the international community, on Monday Donald J. Trump revealed that intelligence played "no role" in his decision to go to war with Iran. "People keep asking me about intelligence," he told reporters on Air Force One. "I made this call with no intelligence whatsoever."

"Quite frankly, every decision I've ever made in my life I've made without intelligence," he boasted. "Intelligence is for losers." Trump added that "I don't trust people who have intelligence, which is why I love Pete.”

Justices Appear Poised to Reject Mississippi Law on Late-Arriving Ballots. The Supreme Court could invalidate state laws that allow mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive later.

In California, a Republican Sheriff Seizes Ballots, Prompting Criticism Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a candidate for governor, recently took possession of more than 650,000 ballots as part of a fraud probe. Election officials say his investigation is baseless.

Iran Disputes Trump's Assertion of Very Strong Talks'. President Trump said he was postponing strikes on Iran's power plants until Friday, but Iran cast the claim as a ploy to soothe markets and to buy time.

Air Traffic Audio Suggests Confusion Before Deadly LaGuardia Crash. A collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck killed the plane's two pilots. The audio indicated the tower was dealing with an earlier incident.

TRUMP ADMIN WILL PAY A FRENCH COMPANY $1 BILLION IN TAXPAYER FUNDS TO NOT BUILD WIND FARMS

Trump rejects off-ramp to fund DHS as airport delays worsen. Under a proposal pitched to Trump, Republicans would offer to reopen all of DHS except ICE and fund the agency separately.

ICE agents in plain clothes forcefully detained a woman at SFO on Sunday night while her young daughter watched, setting off controversy across the Bay Area.

Day 436

Trump voted by mail in Florida special election despite his rhetoric opposing it

Minnesota Prosecutors Sue for Access to Evidence in Shootings by Agents. The federal government has refused to provide even basic information about the three shootings during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, including two that were fatal.

Young U.S. Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years. Artificial intelligence could reshape work, but for now a low-hire, low-fire labor market is the main impediment for young people seeking employment.

The U.S. Said It Helped Bomb a Drug Camp. It Was a Dairy Farm. The Times visited a village where the U.S. and Ecuador said they destroyed an armed group's training camp. Residents said it was actually a dairy farm.

Trump approves deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers to the Middle East, sources say The news comes as the president touts ongoing negotiations with Iran, claiming "they gave us a present" related to the Strait of Hormuz.

Nonverbal 5-year-old who met Ms. Rachel over Zoom is released from ICE detention. Gael's parents said their son's health deteriorated while at the detention center, and he often struggled to eat.

Breaking News: The U.S. is said to have ordered about 2,000 paratroopers to the Middle East to give President Trump options as he considers diplomacy with Iran.

Based on reporting and election tracking, Republicans have not flipped a single Democratic-held state legislative seat since Trump won the 2024 election, while Democrats have now flipped 30 Republican-held seats over the same period, as of late March 2026.

The Republican Party gave the first-ever "America First award" to President Trump.

Trump Calls for Law Cracking Down on Crime and 'Rogue Judges' Ahead of the midterms, President Trump told a Republican gathering that he wanted to go after repeat offenders and "rogue judges that are criminals."

Day 437

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum confirmed on Wednesday that the United States recently brought back $100 million worth of gold from Venezuela. The disclosure arrived alongside a damning characterisation of American actions in the country, an invasion, the kidnapping of Venezuela's leader, the installation of a puppet government, and the pillaging of the nation's resources. Burgum drew a direct historical comparison to fascist regimes of the 1930s, and warned that the gravity of what has occurred is already being dangerously normalised.

Trump's Signature to Be Added to U.S. Dollars, a First for a Sitting President

Trump is baffled that Iran won't end the war he started

Gulf countries under fire as Iran lashes out

Trump pauses promised attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure until April 6. The president said he'll agree to an Iranian government request to delay attacks on power plants by 10 days.

Trump Administration Begins Investigations Into Three Medical Schools. The Justice Department's demands for admissions-related data from Stanford, Ohio State and the University of California, San Diego, represent a flex of federal power.

Trump: I used a mail in ballot. You know why? Because I'm President of the United States, I did a mail in ballot for Florida because I felt I should be here. Reporter: But you were in Palm Beach?

Day 438

Florida bans sociology from core curriculum at state universities

Hegseth Strikes Two Black and Two Female Officers From Promotion List. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's highly unusual decision to remove officers from a one-star promotion list has spurred allegations of racial and gender bias.

Kennedy's Vaccine Agenda Hits Roadblocks, Diminishing His Clout Robert F. Kennedy Jr's vaccine skepticism is posing challenges for the Trump administration. Top jobs are unfilled, and a court blocked his vaccine schedule changes.

Senate Votes to Fund Most of D.H.S. in Bid to End Airport Crisis. The bill excludes funding for ICE and the Border Patrol but restores it for federal airport security workers. The House could consider the package today.

Pete Hegseth's office told the Army that Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events, according to the New York Times. Hegseth's chief of staff made the comment while criticizing Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll for placing Major General Antoinette Gant in command of the Military District of Washington, DC.

At least 303 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war with Iran as the conflict nears its one-month mark, according to a U.S. official. Of those wounded, 273 have returned to duty and 10 were seriously wounded, a U.S. official said.

"Shameful': Trump Threatens to Redirect Student Loan Borrowers to Most Expensive Repayment Plans. More than 7 million borrowers booted from a Biden-era loan forgiveness program will have to quickly switch to a new plan using a system that's been backed up for months.

Day 439

Deaths in ICE Custody Are Growing. 'They Let Him Rot in There? As the number of immigrant detainee deaths has increased, conditions in detention facilities across the U.S. are coming under more scrutiny.

A Record Number of T.S.A. Employees Called Out on Friday

There are now over 50,000 American soldiers in the Middle East, per the New York Times

Day 440

President Donald Trump on Sunday suggested his priority in Iran is taking control of the country's oil industry as he weighs next steps one month into the war he launched with Israel.New U.S. Missile Hit Iranian Sports Hall and School, Analysis Shows

The Pentagon used missiles untested in combat in an attack that . civilian sites near a military compound on Feb. 28, according to video examined by The Times and weapons experts.

Trump Claims Progress in Talks to End War, Then Again Threatens Attacks. President Trump warned that if a deal was not struck, the U.S. would respond by "completely obliterating" Iranian energy infrastructure targets.

Trump's Ballroom Design Has Barely Been Scrutinized. Architects Say It Shows.

Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order at Supreme Court Splits Conservative Scholars. Before President Trump's order to limit birthright citizenship, there was widespread agreement that the 14th Amendment guaranteed citizenship for U.S.-born babies.

T.S.A. Pay to Resume, but ICE Could Remain at Airports, Homan Says

Tyler Perry gave TSA workers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport $1,000 gift cards to help them financially and boost their morale. Over the weekend, those workers were asked to return the gift cards by the Trump administration. 

Justice Dept. Watchdog Has Gone Silent, Lawyers for Whistle-Blower SayLawyers for a fired Justice Department lawyer say the agency's inspector general appears to have ignored at least 20 different requests to scrutinize misconduct.

President Donald Trump said late Sunday that the U.S. military is "building a massive complex" under his controversial new White House ballroom.

College Republicans Director Said Return of Slavery Would Be OK

Alex Pretti's Death Came After Insane Stephen Miller Order. Stephen Miller allegedly urged Department of Homeland Security agents to "force confrontations" with protesters in Minneapolis in order to win a "PR battle."

Nursing home owner Joseph Schwartz was convicted of Medicare fraud and sentenced for the $39 million scheme - but just three months into his sentence, Trump pardoned him. Schwartz had paid lobbyists nearly $1 million to secure that pardon.

Day 441

More than 400 hospitals across the U.S. are at high risk of closing or cutting services because of the Medicaid cuts in President Trump's "big, beautiful bill," according to an analysis from the watchdog group Public Citizen.

US gas prices hit highest level since 2022 as Iran strikes a tanker off Dubai coast

Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on conversion therapy aimed at LGBTQ youth. Justices reached an 8-1 decision in favor of Christian talk therapist Kaley Chiles, who argued the ban violated her First Amendment rights.

All of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.

You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil! President DJT

Private-sector hiring hits lowest rate since 2010

Judge Halts White House Ballroom Construction. President Trump most likely did not have authority to replace entire sections of the White House on his own, a judge wrote.

President Trump signs an order directing the creation of a national eligible voter list, a move expected to face swift legal challenges.

Day 442

House and Senate Republicans Reach Deal to End Homeland Security Shutdown. The plan does not include any of the restrictions on immigration enforcement that Democrats have demanded.

C.D.C. Pauses Testing for Rabies and Роx Viruses. The diseases were removed from a list of tests the agency conducts for state and local health departments. Experts worry that with drastic staff reductions, the testing may not resume.

Key Justices Appear Skeptical of Limiting Birthright Citizenship. A victory for the administration would bar children of undocumented immigrants from automatically being Americans.

Trump Attends Supreme Court Oral Arguments in a Presidential First President Trump's presence in the court puts him face to face with justices whom he has tried to bully and intimidate.

Placing U.S. Troops in Middle East Hotels May Violate Laws of War

Trump claims Iran's president wants a ceasefire, Iran says that's 'false'

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch asked the administration's lawyer whether Native Americans are considered birthright citizens under the Trump administration's test. "Ah, I think so, if they were lawfully domiciled here," Sauer replied. "I'm not sure —I have to think that through."

Day 443

Bad, and very boring singer, Bruce Springsteen, who looks like a dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon, has long had a horrible and incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, sometimes referred to as TDS. The guy is a total loser who spews hate against a President who won a Landslide Election, including the popular vote, all Seven Swing States, and 86% of the Counties across America. Under Sleepy Joe and the Dems, our Country was DEAD, and now we have the "hottest" Country, by far, anywhere in the World. MAGA SHOULD BOYCOTT HIS OVERPRICED CONCERTS, WHICH SUCK. SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. AMERICA IS BACK!!! President DJT

Trump expected to impose new tariffs on certain pharmaceutical drugs

Markets Recoil After Trump Threatens to Escalate Attacks Against Iran

In his address, President Trump also repeated his threats to hit Iranian infrastructure, including electrical plants, unless a deal was struck.

Breaking News: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Gen. Randy George, the Army's chief of staff, a move that reflects growing hostility between Hegseth and the Army's leadership, military officials said. Senior Army officers reacted with anger and frustration to the dismissal, characterizing it as the latest blow to the service.

Austria closes airspace to US military

Rival Nations Seize On Choke Points to Counter Trump

From Iran to China, President Trump's global aggression has encouraged other countries to search for new ways to pressure the U.S. economy.

People in the ultraconservative corner of the internet are pushing to repeal 19th amendment, the legislation that made women equal citizens and allowed them to vote, in favor of "household voting" - where one family is represented only by a husband's vote.

CDC pauses lab testing. CDC of rabies, monkeypox and J other diseases. The pausing of lab testing comes in the wake of the dramatic downsizing of the CDC in the last year through layoffs, retirements, resignations and the nonrenewal of temporary appointments.

Day 444

White House Seeks $1.5 Trillion for Military Spending. The giant proposed increase would be offset in part by steep cuts to domestic programs, some of which the administration describes as wasteful.

Trump Struck Iran. Now American Farmers Are Paying the Price. The economic fallout of the war in Iran is pushing farmers to the brink as the price for fertilizer soars just before planting season.

As H-1B Visa Program Changes, Skilled Foreign Workers Consider Leaving U.S. With the Trump administration cracking down on the program, foreign professionals are debating whether to stay and build careers or quit the American Dream.

Trump warns U.S. 'hasn't even started' after strike destroys Iranian bridge. Eight people were killed in the strike on the B-1 Bridge between Tehran and Karaj, Iranian media said.

Pete Hegseth has intervened in military promotions for more than a dozen senior officers. There are concerns that the defense secretary is blocking promotions over race, gender or affiliation with the Biden administration, sources said.

Iran shot down a U.S. fighter jet, and a rescue and recovery mission is now underway, U.S. officials confirmed.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ousted the Army's top uniformed officer and two other generals, the Pentagon said Thursday without giving a reason for the departures while the United States is waging a war against Iran.

TRUMP WANTS $152 MILLION TO REBUILD AND REOPEN ALCATRAZ AS A SECURE PRISON

White House Seeks 40 Percent Increase in Military Spending. President Trump's $1.5 trillion budget request for 2027 would be the highest level of military spending in modern history if approved by Congress.

Trump Seeks $152 Million to Begin to Turn Alcatraz Back Into a Prison

Trump is seeking to pay for his new $1.5 trillion military budget by cutting the following:

$510 million - Grants for farmers and agricultural research
$82 million - Loans for rural small businesses (Fully eliminated)
$61 million - Support for farmers and food markets (Fully eliminated)
$240 million - School meals and food education for children abroad (Fully eliminated)
$659 million - Community building grants
$47 million - Support for minority-owned businesses (Fully eliminated)
$449 million - Economic development grants for communities
$1.6 billion - Weather forecasting, fisheries, and coastal protection (NOAA)
$993 million - Scientific research and technology standards
$150 million - Support for American exports and trade
$2.2 billion - Broadband and internet access programs
$8.5 billion - Funding for public schools
$1.5 billion - Vocational training and adult education (Fully eliminated)
$2.7 billion - College access and higher education support
$15.2 billion - Roads, bridges, and infrastructure projects
$1.1 billion - Home energy efficiency and clean energy programs (Fully eliminated)
$1.1 billion - Scientific research funding
$386 million - Environmental cleanup programs
$150 million - Cutting-edge clean energy research
$4 billion - Help paying home heating and cooling bills for low-income families (Fully eliminated)
$768 million - Refugee resettlement assistance
$819 million - Care and shelter for migrant children
$775 million - Local anti-poverty programs (Fully eliminated)
$5 billion - Public health programs, mental health services, and disease prevention
$5 billion - Medical research (NIH)
$129 million - Healthcare quality and safety research
$356 million - Emergency preparedness and disaster response
$1.3 billion - FEMA community disaster preparedness grants
$707 million - Cybersecurity protection for critical infrastructure
$52 million - Airport and transportation security
$40 million - Protection against chemical and biological weapons threats
$53 million - Funding for homeland security operations
$3.3 billion - Community development block grants for local neighborhoods (Fully eliminated)
$1.3 billion - Affordable housing construction grants (Fully eliminated)
$393 million - Programs to reduce homelessness
$529 million - Housing assistance for people living with HIV/AIDS (Fully eliminated)
$489 million - Housing and services for Native American communities
$60 million - Enforcement of fair housing and anti-discrimination laws
$658 million - Homebuyer and renter counseling services (Fully eliminated)
$45 million - Renewable energy development programs (Fully eliminated)
$1.7 billion - Grants for local law enforcement and public safety
$20 million - Civil rights mediation and legal access programs (Fully eliminated)
$1.6 billion - Job training for at-risk youth (Fully eliminated)
$234 million - Worker safety and labor protection programs
$101 milion - Enforcement of equal pay and workplace anti-discrimination laws
$46 million - Programs to combat child labor and forced labor abroad
$315 million - Democracy and anti-corruption programs abroad
$486 million - Grants for public transit projects
$4.2 billion - Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
$372 million - Airline service for rural and small communities
$145 million - Grants for sustainable and equitable infrastructure
$204 million - Loans and investment for underserved communities
$1.4 billion - IRS taxpayer services and enforcement
$100 million - Air pollution monitoring and reduction programs (Fully eliminated)
$1 billion - EPA grants to states for environmental protection
$2.5 billion - Clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure funds

Day 445

2 U.S. Jets Go Down in Middle East and One Crew Member Is Missing. A search is underway for a U.S. airman who ejected from a downed jet. Its second crew member was rescued. Another combat plane crashed in the Gulf region and its pilot was rescued, officials said. (where did this guy go?)

Trump administration orders dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service. The headquarters is going to Utah. Every regional office is being shuttered. The research program is being destroyed.

U.S. Races to Find Missing Crew Member as Trump Repeats Threats Over Oil Shipping. President Trump said time was "running out" on his ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel struck a major petrochemical complex in Iran.

Day 446

In Easter message, Pope Leo warns the world is 'becoming indifferent' to violence The Chicago-born pope's rallying cry came days after he publicly called for Trump to find an "off-ramp" to the Iran war.

Donald J. Trump * • @realDonaldTrump • 2h Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Day 447

Loss of health insurance looming for tens of thousands in WNY. On Wednesday, impacted New Yorkers began to receive notifications of their looming coverage cuts, including 42,587 consumers who live in the three congressional districts covering Western New York.

As Trump Ultimatum Looms, Iran Vows to Respond Harshly. Iran said it would respond "crushingly" if President Trump carried out his threats to strike power plants and bridges. An Israeli strike killed an Iranian intelligence chief overnight.

Trump Keeps World Off Balance With Ever-Changing Threats. Global leaders are struggling to find a way to end the American-Israeli war with Iran, and they are spooked about what President Trump might do next.

Newly Obtained Video of Minneapolis Shooting Undermines ICE Account. Prosecutors did not watch video of the nonfatal shooting until weeks after charging the wounded man, an official said.

International Students Remade a College. What's Left When They're Gone? The Trump administration's campaign to curtail international students is not just hitting the elite schools targeted by the government.

REPORTER: How is it taking care of the Iranian people if you are bombing them?
TRUMP: The Iranian people, when they don't hear bombs go off, they are upset.
They want to hear bombs because they want to be free.
(George Orwell enters the chat)

Trump Administration Proposes 23 Percent Budget Cut To NASA, Slashing Its Science Funding By Half

US job growth has slowed sharply over the past year, making it especially difficult for young Americans not just to land their first jobs out of college but even to land internships, often the foundational step in an early career.

Trump Renews Threat of Attacks on Iranian Power Plants and Bridges

Trump says he's 'not at all' concerned about war crimes as he threatens Iran's civilian infrastructure

Education Dept. to Pull Out of Civil Rights Settlements for Trans Students. The Trump administration will terminate multiple civil rights settlements aimed at ensuring transgender students' rights to equal opportunity to an education.

Supreme Court Clears Way for Dismissal of Bannon Conviction. Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to President Trump, was convicted for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6 investigation.

President Trump said he'd demand that the journalist who first reported that an airman in Iran had been rescued reveal how they got that information, and threatened to jail them if they refused.

U.S. marshals waived training rules for Musk's armed DOGE security, emails show. Some members of Musk's security team were allowed to sidestep experience and training requirements, according to the emails.

The Education Department is ending oversight in cases where schools were found to have discriminated against transgender students, reversing years of federal enforcement.

Trump Dramatically Escalates Iran Threat as He Says God Backs Him

Day 448

President Donald Trump said during a press conference on Monday that he would learn Spanish and "run for president of Venezuela" after he was done serving as U.S. president.

Donald J. Trump * • @realDonaldTrump • 2h
A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!

Ron DeSantis signs Florida law to label groups as terrorists and expel student supporters. The governor last year designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhoods as foreign terrorist organizations.

Trump's quotes since the war began:

Mar 3: "We won the war."

Mar 7: "We defeated Iran."

Mar 9: "We must attack Iran."

Mar 9: "The war is ending almost completely, and very beautifully."

Mar 11: "You never like to say too early you won. We won. In the first hour it was over." Mar 12: "We did win, but we haven't won completely yet."

Mar 13: "We won the war."

Mar 14: "Please help us."

Mar 15: "If you don't help us, I will certainly remember it."

Mar 16: "Actually, we don't need any help at all."

Mar 16: "I was just testing to see who's listening to me."

Mar 16: "If NATO doesn't help, they will suffer something very bad."

Mar 17: "We neither need nor want NATO's help."

Mar 17: "I don't need Congressional approval to withdraw from NATO."

Mar 18: "Our allies must cooperate in reopening the Strait of Hormuz."

Mar 19: "US allies need to get a grip - step up and help open the Strait of Hormuz." Mar 20: "NATO are cowards."

Mar 21: "The Strait of Hormuz must be protected by the countries that use it. We don't use it, we don't need to open it."

Mar 22: "This is the last time. I will give Iran 48 hours. Open the strait" Mar 22: "Iran is Dead"

Mar 23: "We had very good and productive talks with Iran." Mar 24: "We're making progress."

Mar 25: "They gave us a present and the present arrived today. And it was a very big present worth a tremendous amount of money. I'm not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize." Mar 26: "Make a deal, or we'll just keep blowing them away."

Mar 27: "We don't have to be there for NATO."

Mar 28: No major quote

Mar 29: Claimed talks were progressing

Mar 30: "Open the Strait of Hormuz immediately, or face devastating consequences."

Mar 31: Claimed a deal was "very close" and that Iran would "do the right thing" Apr 1: "We'll see what happens very soon."

Apr 2: Repeated that a deal was likely, while warning of continued strikes if not Apr 3: "Something big is going to happen."

Apr 4: Said Iran must comply "immediately" or face further consequences.

Apr 5: "Open the fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."

Day 449

International Relief Is Tempered by Uncertainty. Israel declared its support for the two-week truce, but said it had launched the largest wave of strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon since the war began.

Even as They Praise Temporary Deal, World Leaders Are Whipsawed by Trump. The war has damaged economies, roiled politics and underscored a lack of options in dealing with President Trump's whims.

U.S.-Iran ceasefire takes hold as attacks hit Gulf. Three Middle East nations reported new strikes, while Tehran said its oil sites were struck.

Daily Wire: "Iran has continued striking targets well into this morning. At what point are we beyond a grace period?"
Hegseth: "Iran would be wise to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer."
Q: "They're still firing ballistic missiles?"
Hegseth: "Excuse me, why are you so rude?"

Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, per Iranian state media. More than 100 killed as Israel strikes central Beirut after saying Iran truce doesn't apply there

Iran and Gulf Arab countries report new attacks

Pentagon Threatened the Pope After He Criticized Trump

President Trump asked Congress to slash about $73 billion next year across a wide array of domestic agencies and programs, including education, health care, housing and nutrition assistance. He coupled that with a request to ratchet up military spending by more than $400 billion, which would amount to one of the largest one-year boosts in modern history.

The Vatican has shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States after what officials describe as a deeply alarming confrontation with the Pentagon.

A stunning new report — now independently confirmed the publication Letters from Leo — reveals that a top U.S. official summoned the Pope's then-ambassador, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and delivered a stark warning: America has the military power to do whatever it wants — and the Church "had better take its side." Even more shocking, officials reportedly invoked the Avignon Papacy - a dark chapter when secular powers used force to control the Catholic Church — a reference some in the Vatican interpreted as a veiled military threat against the Holy See. The confrontation came after Pope Leo publicly condemned a world driven by "a diplomacy based on force" and a growing "zeal for war" — remarks that reportedly enraged Pete Hegseth Pentagon officials, who viewed them as a direct challenge to the U.S.

The fallout has been immediate and significant. The Vatican has indefinitely postponed a planned U.S. visit. And instead of coming to America, Leo will spend July 4, 2026 in Lampedusa, standing with migrants, a powerful and deliberate rebuke. For the first time in modern history, the Pentagon offered no Good Friday services for Catholics this year.

Journalist Christopher Hale notes: "Earlier this year, Pete Hegseth invited his pastor to speak at the Pentagon. That pastor has called for banning public expressions of Catholicism in the United States."

While tensions escalated behind closed doors, Pope Leo didn't back down. He doubled down. This is an extraordinary moment and one that could reshape the relationship between the United States and the Catholic Church for years to come.

The First Black Air Force Chief. The First Woman to Lead the Navy. The First Woman to Lead the Coast Guard. All Fired by Pete Hegseth in the Last 14 Months

Day 450

President Trump has championed the U.S. steel industry, promising to strengthen it and to impose stiff tariffs on foreign metals to shield manufacturers from overseas competitors. Yet the White House is said to have secured tens of millions of dollars worth of donated foreign steel from ArcelorMittal, a Luxembourg-based firm, for Trump's $400 million ballroom project.

Trump said last October that he had been offered a donation of steel for the ballroom valued at $37 million. Trump's comments came just days before the White House made adjustments to its tariffs that could benefit ArcelorMittal.

US CDC delays publishing report showing COVID vaccine benefits, WaPo reports

U.S. economic growth slowed more than previously expected during the fourth quarter of last year, according to new government data.

Day 451

Inflation Surges as Effects of the Iran War Show in Prices. The Consumer Price Index jumped 3.3 percent in the year through March, reflecting the rising costs for energy and other goods affected by disruptions in the Middle East.

A Record Jump in U.S. Gasoline Prices Is Squeezing Consumers. The cost at the pump made its biggest monthly percentage increase in decades amid lingering tensions over the war in Iran.

Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic is effectively at a standstill despite Iran ceasefire. Uncertainty continues to scramble the global shipping industry, with traffic still low.

The sharply conservative Supreme Court, reshaped by President Trump's three appointees, is the first since at least the 1950s to reject civil rights claims in most cases involving women and minorities, according to an analysis conducted for The Post.

Americans are souring on the economy as the US-Israeli war with Iran pushes up inflation, prompting consumer sentiment to plummet to its lowest level on records going back to 1952.

Consumer prices jumped 0.9% in March as Iran war sent gas prices soaring Inflation hit 3.3%, led by a 21.2% increase for gasoline - the largest one-month increase at the pump since 1967.

Day 452

Researchers reported a 4600% increase in misogynistic phrases, such as "Your body, my choice" and "Get back in the kitchen," on social media following the 2024 election.

Day 453

Trump Says U.S. Will 'Blockade' Strait of Hormuz After Peace Talks Fail.President Trump's comments stepped up pressure on Iran after marathon talks between top Iranian and U.S. leaders in Pakistan ended without a breakthrough.

Pope Leo says he has 'no fear' after Trump labels him 'weak' and 'terrible' in feud over Iran war. The first American pontiff vowed to keep up his appeals for peace, which he said were rooted in the gospel.

Trump Said Other Countries Would Help Blockade Iran. So Far, There Are No Takers.

Day 454

Trump Posted a Picture of Himself as Jesus. Now He's Trying to Explain It Away. The image showed President Trump bathed in divine light and clad in religious robes. He said he thought the image depicted him as a doctor.

Iran Blockade Sets Up a Test of Which Side Can Endure More Pain. President Trump wants to choke offTehran's lifeline by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran is betting his tolerance for political pain is limited.

Day 455

JD Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology. The vice president, who is Catholic, took issue with Pope Leo XIV's statement that disciples of Christ never side with "those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs."

Vance Heckled in Antiwar Protest at Turning Point USA Event

Trump Increased Tax Refunds, but a Political Challenge Still Looms While last year's tax law has raised the average I.R.S. refund, the boost is less than the White House expected - and may not have much impact on voters.

Trump Apparently Thinks Soda Kills Cancer Cells Because 'It Kills Grass'

Day 456

Another Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by President Trump will plead guilty in a separate case involving child exploitation of multiple victims, according to federal court records.

The Trump administration has now abruptly canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities-cutting off care for vulnerable migrant children and ending a partnership that has existed for more than 60 years.

Marjorie Taylor Greene says following attacks from Trump calling her a "traitor", her children received such serious death threats that she reached out to Trump directly, who scolded her & said she's at fault if son is killed.

Democrats Assail Kennedy on Vaccines and Fraud in Budget Hearing. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged that deaths from a measles outbreak in Texas last year could have been prevented by vaccination.

Day 467

Tehran Declares Strait 'Open' After Lebanon Truce, but Trump SaysU.S. Blockade Continues

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to RESIGN

French Widow Detained by ICE in Alabama Is Released After 16 Days

Tufts Student Who Was Held in Immigration Detention Returns to Turkey. Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained for weeks by the Trump administration after co-writing a pro-Palestinian opinion essay, has graduated and returned home.

Texas Restaurants Are Forcing a Reckoning Over Immigrant Labor. Restaurant operators say labor shortages, rising costs and worker fear have prompted an unusual alliance of industry and political leaders in Texas to call for legal pathways to hire immigrants.

Day 468

Trump Says U.S. Officials Will Travel to Pakistan for Talks With Iran. Vice President JD Vance is said to be leading the delegation arriving Monday. Iran, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz, has not confirmed the talks.

Syrian Billionaires Needed a Favor in Washington. They Invoked the Trump Name. The attempt by the Khayyats to influence foreign policy while discussions are underway about potential Trump family deals is an increasingly common feature of the president's second term.

U.S. Installs a Trump Loyalist to Lead 'Grand Conspiracy Case Into Trump Foes. A former lawyer for President Trump's campaign, Joseph diGenova, is said to be planning to split time between Miami and Fort Pierce, where a grand jury overseen by a Trump-favored judge sits.

Muslim Southerners Face a Fresh Wave of Hateful Political Rhetoric. Some Muslim voters were once drawn to Republican positions on family values, but as politicians stoke anti-Islamic sentiment, many feel threatened.

Trump threatens to destroy civilian infrastructure, again, if Iran refuses deal

Trump's approval rating hits second-term low as Americans sour on inflation and Iran war. Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of inflation, an NBC News poll shows, with some cracks emerging in his GOP support.

Life after Viktor Orbán: Hungary's new leader takes on the authoritarian state. Peter Magyar's swift moves reflect his promise to sweep away corruption, cronyism and Kremlin allyship.

Zelensky condemns US extension of Russian sanctions waiver

Day 469

At least 1,000 White South Africans (Afrikaners) Flee the U.S. Despite Trump's Refugee Program, citing High costs, the Political climate, it's too dangerous and quality of life.

With no end in sight to their deployment, National Guard troops roam Washington

Iran vows retaliation after U.S. seizes ship and says no decision yet on new peace talks. JD Vance and other U.S. negotiators are set to travel to Pakistan for a new round of talks, but Tehran's participation is unclear.

Palantir Urges Universal National Service

THE FBI DIRECTOR IS MIA. Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

While carrying out public business for his father-in-law, Jared Kushner "has continued to pursue his private interests and declined to disclose any information about them."

Supreme Court agrees to review a Colorado law to determine if preschools that decline children of same-sex couples may receive state funding.

Two planes following directions from air traffic controllers had a close call near Nashville that put them within a few hundred feet of each other, according to tracking data

Day 470

Trump says he doesn't want to extend ceasefire, ready to resume bombing if no deal A Pakistani official said the country is making "sincere efforts" to convince Iran to take part in a second round of talks.

RFK Jr. defends handling of measles outbreaks. Kennedy pointed to worse outbreaks per capita in other countries, suggesting the U.S. response has been more effective.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigns amid misconduct probe. Civil Rights Group, The Southern Poverty Law Center, Says It Is Under Investigation by Justice Dept.

President Trump is said to be in talks to send Afghans who helped the U.S. war effort to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Vance's Trip to U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Is on Hold. Vice President JD Vance's trip to Pakistan was suspended because Tehran did not respond to American negotiating positions, a U.S. official said.

RFK Jr: Family caregivers should not be paid (authors note: fuck you and the brain worm you rode in on)

President Trump's social media company, which has consistently lost money and struggled with a flagging share price, announced Tuesday that it was replacing Devin Nunes as its chief executive officer.

Day 471

CDC won't publish report showing covid shots cut likelihood of hospital visits. The report, which had cleared the agency's scientific-review process, had been delayed. It now won't be published at all, people familiar with the decision told The Post.

In Virginia Redistricting Win, Democrats Play Hardball. "We cannot bring a stick to a knife fight":

Democrats are increasingly open to measures such as highly partisan congressional maps when the stakes are high.

Iranian Forces Claim to Seize 2 Ships After Trump Extends Truce. Iran said it had attacked and seized two cargo ships near the Strait of Hormuz, state media reported. Both sides were seeking to exert control in the waterway.

Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further, Times Analysis Finds. The National Institutes of Health is funding far fewer grants. A renewed effort to screen for D.E.I. terms and reduced staffing may be contributing to reasons why.

Spirit Airlines nears deal with Trump administration for $500 million rescue package. The struggling discount carrier has filed for bankruptcy twice, and now it's under pressure from higher jet fuel costs due to the Iran war.

Senator presses RFK Jr. on whether Trump authorized HHS resources for 'vanity projects'. Kennedy was questioned about a video of him and Kid Rock working out together, among others.

RFK Jr., the manosphere, and the push to fast-track psychedelics and restrict vaccines. Health officials' eagerness to advance unproven treatments like peptides and ibogaine sharply contrasts with their skepticism of vaccines, health experts say.

Judge tosses Kash Patel's defamation suit against former MSNBC contributor. The judge said that Frank Figliuzzis statement, "when taken in context, cannot have been perceived by a person of ordinary intelligence as stating actual facts about Patel."

Donald J. Trump &@realDonaldTrump

A RIGGED ELECTION TOOK PLACE LAST NIGHT IN THE GREAT COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA! All day long Republicans were winning, the Spirit was unbelievable, until the very end when, of course, there was a massive "Mail In Ballot Drop!" Where have I heard that before - And the Democrats eked out another Crooked Victory! Six to five goes to ten to one, and yet the Presidential Election in November was very close to a 50-50 split. In addition to everything else, the language on the Referendum was purposefully unintelligible and deceptive. As everyone knows, I am an extraordinarily brilliant person, and even I had no idea what the hell they were talking about in the Referendum, and neither do they! Let's see if the Courts will fix this travesty of "Justice." President DONALD J. TRUMP

F.B.I. Began Investigating Times Reporter Over Article on Patel's Girlfriend The bureau weighed a stalking case against the reporter, but decided not to pursue it after concerns among some officials who saw the inquiry as retaliation.

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is leaving the Trump administration "effective immediately," a spokesman for the Department of Defense said. Hung Cao, the Under Secretary of the Navy, will lead the military branch in an acting capacity, the spokesman said. There was no immediate explanation for Phelan's sudden departure, which comes as the U.S. Navy enforces a high-stakes blockade of Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz.

Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court rules. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that Texas' law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion. The ruling is a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools, but it sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future.

Trump's FCC is seeking input on whether or not "transgender and gender non-binary" television programming is "appropriate".

Day 472

The Trump Admin Wants To Test Drinking Water For Abortion And Birth Control Pills

Trump 'Gold Card' Visa Granted to Only One Person So Far, Lutnick Says

The 'Make America Healthy Again' Movement Is Cooling on Trump and Republicans Vaccine skeptics, "organic moms" and environmental activists came together to elect President Trump. But some voters are disillusioned.

RFK Jr. draws backlash for ripping Medicaid programs that pay relatives to care for family. Advocates for disabled people and those who care for them said they were insulted by Kennedy's allegations that the programs are "rife with fraud."

Wildfires rage across Georgia and northern Florida amid severe drought. The fires have destroyed dozens of structures and forced emergency measures, as drought and low humidity fuel dangerous conditions across the Southeast.

Republicans have introduced the following bills to honor Donald Trump:

• Carve Trump's face into Mount Rushmore

• Replace Benjamin Franklin with Trump on $100 bills

• Make Trump's birthday a national holiday

• Conduct "Trump Derangement Syndrome" research at the NIH

• Give Trump a "Congressional Gold Medal"

• Mint a $250 bill featuring Trump's face

• A resolution saying Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize

• Rename Washington, DC public transit from WMATA to "WMAGA"

• Award a "Donald J. Trump Peace Prize" from the State Department

• Honor Trump's efforts to annex Greenland

• Rename the Kennedy Center the "Donald Trump Center for the Performing Arts"

• Rename Dulles International Airport to the "Donald J. Trump International Airport"

• Erase Trump's 2019 impeachment

• Erase Trump's 2021 impeachment

US soldier involved in Nicolás Maduro's capture was arrested for allegedly placing a bet on the operation that made him $400,000 in profits, a source says.

Day 473

War in Iran Has Drained U.S. Supplies of Critical, Costly Weapons

The Pentagon's rush to rearm its Mideast forces makes it less ready to confront potential adversaries like Russia and China, administration and congressional officials say.

Companies, Not Consumers, to Cash In Big From Tariff Refunds Many families felt the sting of the president's now-illegal tariffs, but companies have said little about whether they will share the $166 billion return.

Todd Blanche Targets Trump's Enemies Amid Jockeying to Lead Justice Dept. The acting attorney general's salvo of actions are meant to demonstrate progress on the president's priorities, chief among them payback.

Upstate ICE arrests surge under Trump. An analysis of ICE data shows that most of the apprehensions were of migrants with no criminal record. Policy changes under Trump subjected them to arrest.

Justice Department drops criminal probe of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell

Adviser to Kennedy Had More Than $25 Million Stake in Wellness Company. Calley Means remained president of a company that relied on health savings accounts last year as the Trump administration developed policies to expand them.

Justice Department announces it's readopting the firing squad as a means of execution

Day 474

Trump Confronts Iran's Atomic Stockpile, and His Role in Expanding them. President Trump withdrew from the Obama-era nuclear accord in 2018. But Iran responded with an enrichment spree that haunts the negotiations to this day.

Iran caused more extensive damage to U.S. military bases than publicly known. U.S. bases and equipment across the Middle East came under attack - despite American air defenses - and repairs could cost billions.

A teen and her family fled torture in Congo to resettle in Maine, but then ICE showed up. Olivia Andre, 19, had been in ICE detention for weeks when she heard her sister calling her name. Her family was being held in a separate section of the same facility, she soon learned.

Fed Chair Inquiry May Be Over, but Shadow It Cast Over Central Bank Remains. It will be a challenge to recoup confidence in the Federal Reserve's ability to operate independently from a White House that has tried to bully it.

Trump Says He Dislikes Prediction Markets. His Family Invests in Them. The White House has warned staff not to wager on government decisions, but his family's involvement with these firms undermines the president's message.

AIDS Is Creeping Back Here, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance A once-robust H.I.V. treatment and prevention system, credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives, has begun to crumble in Zambia.

Europe Prepares for a Longer War in Ukraine, With No Strategy to End It. With American dealmakers wrapped up with Iran, neither Russia nor Ukraine has a clear path to victory — or toward a negotiated peace.

Hung Cao, Trump's newly appointed acting Navy secretary, apparently worries that witches and Wiccans are threatening to overtake communities nationwide. Cao replaced former Navy Secretary John Phelan, who was fired Wednesday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But in a 2023 interview, during Cao's failed 2024 Senate campaign for Virginia's U.S. Senate seat, Cao said he was worried that Wiccans and witches had "taken over" Monterey, California.

In a similarly supernatural vein, Gregg Phillips, the president's appointee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Office of Response and Recovery, is a 2020 election denier who repeatedly claimed he was once involuntarily teleported to a Waffle House restaurant 50 miles away. He also said his deceased girlfriend once appeared inside his moving car and lifted it off the road to avoid an oncoming truck.

Trump cancels Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff's trip to Islamabad for peace talks as Iran's foreign minister leaves Pakistan.

Firm Building Trump's Ballroom Got a Secret No-Bid Contract for a Nearby Job (note from the future, it was repainting the reflecting pool blue to the cost of $13.1 million dollars)

The National Park Service increased the value of the contract several times over, in a process that experts said was highly unusual.

DC mistakenly displays Australian flagsahead of King Charles visit

U.S. Mint Buys Drug Cartel Gold and Sells It as 'American'. As prices for the precious metal soar, the industry's guardrails have broken down.

Day 475

California Man in Custody After Shooting at Dinner Attended by Trump. Shots were fired at the hotel hosting the White House correspondents' dinner. Authorities said the attack was carried out by a lone gunman who was brought down by the Secret Service.

Day 476

ICE Arrests of Cubans Skyrocket as Republicans Risk Losing Florida. Trump's deportation campaign is hitting one of the most reliable voting blocs for Republicans.

Gasoline prices in the U.S. hit their highest level in four years on Tuesday as negotiations over the Iran war appeared to show little signs of a resolution.

King Charles Speaks to Congress at a Low Point in U.S.-U.K. Relations

James Comey indicted over seashell photo that officials said threatened Trump. The former FBI director posted a beach photo last year that shows shells in the shape of "8647," which Trump allies portrayed as a threat against the president.

As the Trump administration pressures ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel, the Trump-aligned FCC is challenging the network's station licenses, setting up a legal battle with ABC's parent company Disney.

Day 477

Scientists see Trump's firing of the National Science Board as an attack on research

Since eight years ago when President Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal with Tehran, Iran has accumulated 22,000 pounds, or Il tons, of enriched uranium. But the fate of Iran's stockpile remains a mystery, two months after the United States began a war meant to prevent Iran from ever building an atomic bomb. Biden tried to restore the deal but Iran refused. (this is important to remember)

Supreme Court Deals Blow to Voting Rights Act. The justices, split along ideological lines, ruled that a Louisiana voting map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan accused the court's conservative majority of gutting a landmark law. In her dissent, Justice Kagan says the majority has gutted the Voting Rights Act. She concludes: "I dissent because the Court betrays its duty to faithfully implement the great statute Congress wrote. I dissent because the Court's decision will set back the foundational right Congress granted of racial equality in electoral opportunity."

Pentagon Says, Iran war has costed $25 billion so far. For context, $9.6 billion would end homelessness across America and $5.6 billion a year would make school lunch free for kids across America.

Fed holds interest rates steady

Supreme Court Sides With Anti-Abortion Clinic in Fight Over Donor Records

In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana. These racist justices ruled that the majority Black district, represented by Black Congressman Cleo Fields, is a "racial gerrymander." This gutting of the Voting Rights Act allows racist legislators to eliminate majority Black districts and carve out many more majority White districts, which these same judges won't rule against as a "racial gerrymander." This is all to limit Black representation in Congress.

Day 478

Oil Hits Wartime High Above $120 a Barrel as Standoff Shows No End in Sight. The longer the disruption to Middle East fuel supplies lasts, the risk grows that higher energy costs will feed into broader inflation that could dent economic growth.

How the Voting Rights Decision May Block the Rise of Young Black Leaders. Black Democrats in the South already face steep challenges when seeking political office. But the Supreme Court's ruling could be felt for a generation.

Louisiana will delay House primaries after Supreme Court redistricting ruling, governor says. Primaries under the current map, which the Supreme Court struck down, were slated for May. It's not clear if the delay will affect the state's Senate race.

Justice Department moves to roll back gun regulations as Senate confirms new ATF chief. Gun control groups accused the administration of catering to gun rights activists with loosened regulations they said would make the country less safe.

Federal court won't rehear Trump's appeal of E. Jean Carroll's $83 million defamation verdict against him. The ruling clears the way for Trump to ask the Supreme Court to hear his appeal.

45%. The increase in farm bankruptcies in 2025. That could rise as rural America faces further economic strain stemming from the Iran war.

Megyn Kelly on Trump: "He's not a moral man. He's obviously not the greatest husband in the world. And he's extremely petty and thin-skinned...There's no loyalty in return from Trump. Ever."

Crop Undercount Raises Questions About Reliability of U.S.D.A. Data. Corn estimates were off by 4.5 million acres last year. A lack of survey responses, not job cuts, led to the miss, the Agriculture Department said.

Smog in Phoenix and Salt Lake City? The E.P.A. Is Blaming Asia.

The Trump administration says the cities shouldn't be penalized for unhealthy air because pollution can blow in from abroad. Some experts say that's preposterous.

Day 479

RFK Jr threatens to withhold millions in funding for hospitals that serve Jell-O and other sugary treats

Since Congress Let Obamacare Subsidies Expire, Millions Are Dropping Coverage Many Americans can't afford the higher health insurance premiums that resulted from Congress's failure to extend federal tax credits.

Trump's Plans to Boost Weapons Production Might Not Deliver for Years. While the defense industry has announced plans to make more munitions, much of that expanded production will not quickly kick in.

Republicans Want Tennessee's Last Democratic House District. Republicans sliced Nashville into three G.O.P.-leaning congressional districts in 2022. After the Supreme Court decision on voting rights, Memphis could be next.

FEMA Reverses Job Cuts Made Under Noem. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reversing job cuts that Kristi Noem made as homeland security secretary before she was fired last month.

Iran is accelerating efforts to dig out missiles and munitions. The regime has used the ceasefire to rebuild its military capability to launch attacks if Trump resumes strikes, according to a U.S. official and two sources.

Trump administration claims Iran war has ended, allowing it to avoid congressional approval. They argue that the war has ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April. This interpretation would allow them to avoid seeking congressional approval of military action.

In Gaza, a desperate rush for water trucks persists more than 6 months after the ceasefire

U.S. to Withdraw 5,000 Troops From Germany, Pentagon Says. Officials announced the decision after President Trump expressed annoyance with the German chancellor's remarks about the war in Iran.

President Donald Trump said he considers it "treasonous" for people to say that the United States is not "winning" the war with Iran, despite notifying Congress earlier that the hostilities have "terminated."

Federal Appeals Court Temporarily Halts Abortion Pills by Mail. The court order, in a suit by the State of Louisiana, pauses a Food and Drug Administration regulation that greatly expanded access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

Spirit Airlines could shut down as soon as tomorrow, source says. Trump said the White House gave the airline "a final proposal" for a federal bailout, as other air carriers ready to support Spirit passengers.

Bard College's President Will Retire After Epstein Revelations. The president, Leon Botstein, who had run Bard for 50 years, faced scrutiny after his connections to Jeffrey Epstein proved to be deeper than previously known.

Day 480

Trump's Push for Electoral Retribution Heads to the Ballot Box. President Trump's push to punish political enemies in his party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries in which he's backed challengers.

Trump's Vision for 'Garden of Heroes' Keeps Getting Bigger and Higher in Cost Plans for the project include formal gardens, reflecting pools and plazas alongside the statues of 250 notable Americans, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

N.I.H. Reinstates Employee Put on Leave After Criticizing Trump Research Cuts

Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the nomination of the wellness influencer Casey Means for surgeon general is the latest setback for the MAHA movement

Spirit Airlines shuts down after rising fuel costs worsen bankruptcy issues. The closure comes after negotiations for federal assistance fell short, and is likely to leave thousands of employees out of a job.

U.S. Fast-Tracks Arms Deals Valued at $8.6 Billion to Mideast Partners. The Persian Gulf countries have faced repeated Iranian attacks. Negotiations for a lasting end to the war are deadlocked.

Manufacturing employment in the United States has experienced a period of net decline over the past year. By the end of 2025, the sector had shed nearly 70,000 to 108,000 workers compared to the previous year.

Abortion Providers Forced to Adapt After Court Blocks Pill Access by Mail. The court's ruling, which is being appealed, reinstates a requirement that patients obtain mifepristone in person, upending abortion access in the U.S.

Day 481

Trump flexes executive power with unprecedented flouting of lower court rulings. The Trump administration has been found in violation of court rulings in an extraordinary number of lawsuits on a broad set of issues.

THE SUPREME COURT KEEPS OVERTURNING PRECEDENT. IT SWEARS THAT IT'S NOT

As the Supreme Court was barreling toward the final weeks of its term last year, Chief Justice John Roberts made a rare public appearance to defend his colleagues from criticism that they were all too eager to kick decades-old precedent to the curb.

Tax dollars used to film a commercial for Kid Rocks tour

George Washington made the original White House design smaller because he didn't want it to look like a palace

Israel Said It's Applying the Gaza Model in Lebanon. This Is What the Devastation Looks Like.Satellite images, photos and videos show the scope of widespread demolitions in southern Lebanon.

Trump Faces the Complicated Reality of a Costly, Unpopular War in Iran. President Trump's predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling.

Trump's war against Iran offers an opening for China Analysis: The Middle East conflict could bolster China's strategic position, pushing some countries to seek its help.

12 places Trump's name or image is being added by the federal government. The administration has made an aggressive push to add the president's name to buildings, battleships, money and websites.

Americans are leaving the country in record numbers, replanting themselves and their families in countries they find more affordable and safe. Immigration to Ireland, Spain, and Portugal from the US has more than doubled in one year.

Top Republicans warnTrump's Germany troop withdrawals send wrong message to Putin. The president said Saturday that there could be more cuts to troops in Europe, telling reporters: "We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000."

UK military says a bulk carrier near Strait of Hormuz reports being attacked

A hidden force is quietly pushing up costs for everything from your summer vacation to your weekly grocery bills: a weaker U.S. dollar. The dollar has fallen about 10% against other major currencies since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, a pullback potentially playing a role in Americans' concerns about affordability.

Russian strikes kill 10 as Zelensky says. Ukraine hits oil tankers and terminal

Justice Dept. Prosecutor Says Inquiry Into Fed Chair Could Be Resurrected. Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, dropped an inquiry into Jerome Powell last month after a federal judge blocked her grand jury subpoenas.

Administration ends funding for fentanyl test strips, baffling public health groups: "It doesn't make sense"

The US national debt now exceeds 100% of the gross domestic product. Trump is spending $1.35 for every $1 we collect in revenue.

More bad news for Bari Weiss' CBS as viewership nosedived in latest Nielsen ratings

Tehran Threatens Ships Over Trump Plan to Break Its Blockade. President Trump said the U.S. would help stranded ships leave the Strait of Hormuz. Iran threatened to attack vessels traveling through the waterway without its permission.

Oil Jumps to $110 a barrel as Iran Resists Trump's Offer to Help Ships Through Strait of Hormuz

U.S. denies Iranian claim that it hit American warship in the Strait of Hormuz.An official also denied claims that U.S. Navy vessels were blocked from accessing the strait after Trump launched a mission to guide stranded ships.

Supreme Court temporarily restores full access to abortion pill. The decision means mifepristone remains available nationwide without an in-person meeting required while litigation continues.

Attacks in Gulf Threaten to Reignite Conflict. The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for attacks, and Oman also reported a strike. The U.S. said it had shot down Iranian missiles and drones and struck six speedboats.

Inspector General Finds Homeland Security Dept. Failed to Secure Phones

Americans Spent $125 Million More on Gas Friday Than They Did a Week Ago

Iran has amassed 11 tons of enriched uranium since Donald Trump pulled out of Barack Obama's nuclear deal with the nation, per The New York Times.

Day 483

Trump Administration Investigates Smith College Over Transgender Students. The Education Department's civil rights arm said admitting "biological males" to the women's college may violate anti-discrimination laws.

70% of white South Africans are returning home from the U.S., driven by high living costs, family ties, and a preference for local lifestyle, despite a U.S. refugee program (launched May 2025) designed to aid their migration. While some cite political issues in the US, many returning to South Africa cite a better quality of life despite crime concerns.

Trump Appointees Roll Back Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws. Interviews and internal documents show that signature civil rights protections in housing are being dismissed as ideologically driven and D.E.I. in disguise.

Republicans Unveil $72 Billion Package For ICE, Trump's Ballroom. Republicans propose $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to secure Trump ballroom. The president said repeatedly that the White House ballroom would be privately funded.

Iran attacked US forces more than 10 times during ceasefire, top general says

F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe. The agency's scientists and data contractors reviewed millions of patient records for studies that were pulled back before release.

Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, a Harvard University medical professor who studies F.D.A. regulation, explains: "At any other time in history, this would be a major scandal that would lead to congressional hearings and resignations of leadership, and I hope that's what happens next."

A federal judge said Tuesday that she was referring a Trump administration lawyer to face an investigation into potential misconduct for withholding key information from her about a case.

A U.S. Secret Service officer was arrested and charged with indecent exposure after he was seen masturbating in the hallway of a Miami hotel, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. The officer was in the Miami area as part of a security detail for an event President Trump was attending over the weekend, Secret Service officials said.

Day 484

Report shows banned non-fiction books doubled over last school year in US. New PEN America report analysed 3,743 unique titles removed from libraries and classrooms and found books about activism and social movements were targeted

As U.S. Debt Hits a Worrying Milestone, Washington Barely Notices. The debt is outgrowing the size of the economy. The president's policies could accelerate America's fiscal headaches, experts say, unless policymakers intervene.

U.S. Awaits Tehran's Response to Peace Proposal An Iranian official said Tehran would reply through Pakistan, a key mediator.

Another Iranian official earlier dismissed a reported proposal to end the war as a "list of American wishes."

Trump Meets Brazil's Leader After Tense Year President Trump is hosting President. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil at the White House. The two men have had a rocky relationship marked by public insults.

Trump Panel Recommends FEMA Respond to Fewer Disasters

Iran imposes new rules for Strait of Hormuz in bid to secure wartime gains. Before the war, the waterway was free for any vessel to navigate. Now Tehran is pressing ahead to formally control it.

RFK Jr. Laid Off All The Cruise Ship Sanitation Inspectors In April. At the direction of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control last month laid off all of its full-time employees in the Vessel Sanitation Program. The program helps inspect, prevent and control the spread of illnesses on cruise ships. According to CBS News, which broke the story. in early April, the cuts "baffled" officials at the agency because the program is funded by the cruise ships themselves, not taxpayer dollars.

U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes as Tensions in Strait of Hormuz Rise Iran targeted U.S. warships, and the U.S. struck sites in Iran, even as Iranian officials said they were reviewing a plan to reopen the strait and end the U.S. blockade.

Day 485

The Trump administration's cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday.

Trade Court Rules Trump's 10% Global Tariff Is Illegal. A panel of federal judges blocked President Trump from imposing the tariff on most imports.

The map would divide up Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen's district into parts 200 miles apart, giving Republicans a 9-0 majority in the state. Cohen's district just so happens to be majority-Black.

The Department of Health and Human Services will notify the State Department of all past-due child support payments over $2,500, and anyone in that group will have their passports revoked.

Elon Musk's DOGE "blatantly used" race, gender and other protected characteristics to execute the largest mass termination of federal grants in the history of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal judge ruled on Thursday.

ABC Accuses Government of Violating First Amendment. The network's argument, made to the EC.C., is the most aggressive posture taken yet by a television network toward the Trump administration.

Justice Alito relied on misleading data to support his claim that "Black voters now participate in elections at similar rates as the rest of the electorate."

Day 486

Saudis feared Trump's Project Freedom would spur Iran to attack, officials say. Washington launched the operation without notifying key Gulf allies first, U.S. officials tell NBC News. Then Trump abruptly canceled it.

Zelenskyy had declared a unilateral ceasefire on Tuesday, but said Russia launched air and ground assaults that day. In response, Zelenskyy said he no longer felt the need to honor the unilateral ceasefire declared by Russia ahead of Saturday's Victory Day parade, which commemorates the Soviet Union's role in defeating the Nazis in World War II.

Lasting U.S.-Iran Truce Is Elusive After Week of Traded Attacks. Both countries said a monthlong ceasefire was holding, despite exchanging fire in recent days, but no breakthrough had been reached in negotiations.

We Determined the Real Damage to U.S. Military Bases. Amid questions about the damage to U.S. assets during the conflict with Iran, a Times analysis of satellite imagery found 18 sites in seven countries were hit.

A staff member on the House China Committee was promised $10,000 for U.S. policy insights, on issues like Venezuela and rare-earth minerals.

Between May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2025, the ALERT Desk tracked 932 anti-LGBTQ incidents in 49 US states and the District of Columbia - the equivalent of 2.5 incidents every day, a 30% rise from the year before. 600+ anti LGBTQ laws were introduced during the same time period.

Day 487

Happy Mother’s Day.

Donald J. Trump * + @realDonaldTrump
The Sleazebag, Radical Left Congressman from the failed State of California, Ro Khanna, should not be allowed on FoxNews unless you have an "anchor" who is capable of disputing his lies, one after another, and closing down his FAKE (Bullshit!) narrative. He is similar, but worse than Hakeem Jeffries, only with a somewhat higher IQ. This morning he tried, on behalf of the Dumacrats, to take credit for the Steel Industry pouring back into the U.S., knowing full well that the Dumbs virtually destroyed it, and | SAVED IT, through strong Tariffs (PLUS!). Our Country was DEAD during the last "Administration," and now it is hotter than ever before. We can't allow the Dumacrats to take credit for this. If elected, they will fully destroy our thriving, and now very respected, Nation. I Will NOT let that happen!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Donald J. Trump * + @realDonaldTrump
Palestinian Chuck Schumer is hiring Eric Holder, famous for handing guns to Mexican cartels under the Barack Hussein Obama administration, as part of a Democrat-led "Election Integrity Group" that will no doubt try to suppress Republican voters, and interfere in our Elections. Furthermore, Marc Elias, a terrible lawyer with a horrible track record, is also involved. This is the same disgusting individual who was responsible for the fake Russia dossier from a foreign nation to meddle in the 2016 Election, which I won in historic fashion. The Democrats are totally unhinged and we will not allow them to threaten the integrity of our Elections. During my Historic Election in 2024, when I won every single Swing State, and decisively won both the Electoral and Popular votes by wide margins, the Republicans had an Election Integrity Army in every single State to preserve the sanctity of each legal vote. We will be doing the same again in 2026, but it will be much bigger and stronger. All Americans should have their voices be heard by casting a vote. Be assured this Election will be fair! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump • 3h
The Radical Left Dumacrats must fail - Our Country is at stake! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Donald J. Trump * • @realDonaldTrump
You could listen to FoxNews all day long, absolutely devour it, but then, when you hear SLEAZEBAGS, like Congressman Ro Khanna,"a wolf in sheep's clothing," LIE, LIE, LIE, AND LIE AGAIN, without any pushback, or competent rebuttal from an anchor, in this case, Jacqui Heinrich, the entire Common Sense dialogue that has been going on all day at Fox is completely obliterated! Why would Fox put SCUM like this on, or others, such as Low Rated Bill Maher, who gains "credibility" by constant referral to him as though he were a Liberal source of "Wisdom," or very Low IQ Hakeem Jeffries, who considers the Supreme Court "illegitimate," and probably hates our Country. No matter how "Fair and Balanced" the day's News at Fox may be, the end result is destroyed by professional Liars, Conmen, and Liberal, Crooked Politicians. This is why MAGA Republicans, who are actually close to 100% of the Party, hate Fox, despite the wonderful contributions made by so many of their great anchors and commentators. Hard to win Elections like this! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Donald J. Trump * + @realDonaldTrump
I "Love" Justice Neil Gorsuch! He's a really smart and good man, but he voted against me, and our Country, on Tariffs, a devastating move. How do I reconcile this? So bad, and hurtful to our Country. I have, likewise, always liked and respected Amy Coney Barrett, but the same thing with her. They were appointed by me, and yet have hurt our Country so badly! I do not believe they meant to do so, but their decision on Tariffs cost the United States 159 Billion Dollars that we have to pay back to enemies, and people, companies, and Countries, that have been ripping us off for years. It's hardly believable! They could have solved that situation with a "tiny" sentence, "Any money paid by others to the United States does not have to be paid back." Why wouldn't they have done so? With certain Republican Nominated Justices that we have on the Supreme Court, the Democrats don't really need to "PACK THE COURT" any longer. In fact, I should be the one wanting to PACK THE COURT! I'm working so hard to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and then people that I appointed have shown so little respect to our Country, and its people. What is the reason for this? They have to do the right thing, but it's really OK for them to be loyal to the person that appointed them to "almost" the highest position in the land, that is, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Democrat Justices always remain true to the people that honored them for that very special Nomination. They don't waver, no matter how good or bad a case may be, but Republican Justices often go out of their way to oppose me, because they want to show how "independent" or, "above it all," they are. I got elected in a Landslide, including winning the Popular Vote, all seven Swing States, an Electoral Colle truthsocial.com Id all U.S. I got elected in a Landslide, including winning the Popular Vote, all seven Swing States, an Electoral College "clobbering," and all U.S. Counties, by 86%, 2,750 to 525. I choose people to help our Country, not to hurt it, and now, based on what I witnessed recently by being the first President in History to attend a Supreme Court session (Which fact was not even recognized or acknowledged, out of respect for the position of President, by the Court - Something which did not go unnoticed by the Fake News Media!), they will be ruling against us on Birthright Citizenship, making us the only Country in the World that practices this unsustainable, unsafe, and incredibly costly DISASTER. I don't want loyalty, but I do want and expect it for our Country. Yes, I have another way of doing Tariffs, but it is far slower, and more laborious than what was just determined, in a close decision, to be "illegal" or "unconstitutional," with three powerful, and highly accurate, dissents! Well, maybe Neil, and Amy, just had a really bad day, but our Country can only handle so many decisions of that magnitude before it breaks down, and cracks!!! Sometimes decisions have to be allowed to use Good, Strong, Common Sense as a guide. A negative ruling on Birthright Citizenship, on top of the recent Supreme Court Tariff catastrophe, is not Economically sustainable for the United States of America! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Trump is going to send out a paramilitary group like ICE to intimidate voters and sow chaos around the midterms. He is TELLING US! This will not be a surprise.

Day 488

Hungry children, canceled benefits: Arizona's food stamp cuts are a warning for America

Under Trump's "big, beautiful bill," families are going hungry as applicants fight to prove eligibility.

The law extends tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations while cutting $187 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as food stamps, over the next decade. Now, the consequences of those cuts are showing up on Americans’ kitchen tables.

President Donald Trump’s policies are amplifying these trends. One year into his second term, his administration has cut programs helping lower-income households while advancing policies benefiting the wealthy and corporations. He’s signed legislation to cut food stamps and Medicaid benefits and put new restrictions on low-income housing assistance and student loans. To cope with higher costs from tariffs, he has suggested Americans buy fewer dolls for their children.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has given billions of dollars in tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy and loosened regulations on banks while easing rules around cryptocurrency, which he’s benefited from personally.

Iran Lists Demands That Trump Deemed 'Unacceptable'. Tehran demanded U.S. war reparations, recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and an end to American sanctions, Iranian state media reported.

Long-Term Energy Crisis Looms as U.S. and Iran Remain in Standoff. Countries braced for more economic woes as oil prices rose and stocks were flat amid no signs of an end to the war. 590,000 buyers paid $59 million for Trump's gold phone — not 1 has shipped and refunds look unlikely

Reflecting Pool Repairs to Cost $13.1 Million. Trump Had Promised $1.8 Million. The Interior Department added $6.2 million to the no-bid contract for repairs to the Lincoln Memorial pool late last week.

Hungry children, canceled benefits: Arizona's food stamp cuts are a warning for America. Under Trump's "big, beautiful bill," families are going hungry as applicants fight to prove eligibility.

Day 489

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to undergo training to recognize tribal IDs following reports of Native Americans being wrongly detained by immigration enforcement.

U.S. Inflation Jumps 3.8%, the Fastest Rate in 3 Years. Consumer prices rose at the fastest rate since May 2023 last month, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by the Iran war made life more expensive for Americans.

Steel Tariffs Are Harming Tin Can Makers and Lifting Food Prices. The cost to put food in cans remains high because manufacturers must still import steel from overseas. U.S. Steel plans to reopen a tin-plate factory.

Consumers Lean on a 'Hamster Wheel' of Credit to Manage Rising Costs. As prices increase for gas, groceries and other staples, more and more households are borrowing to get by.

Inflation Jumps, Oil Prices Rise on U.S.-Iran Standoff. President Trump has declared the cease-fire on "life support," and investors are taking a cautious approach as the economic effects of the war become more apparent.

China Seeks A.I. Independence, Weakening Trump's Leverage Before this week's U.S.-China summit, Beijing reached a milestone in its quest for technological self-sufficiency.

Pentagon Raises Cost of Iran War So Far to Nearly $29 Billion

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are appearing before House and Senate lawmakers.

Kari Lake, Who Led Effort to Shutter Voice of America, Is Named Ambassador to Jamaica Ms. Lake tried and failed to fire hundreds of Voice of America journalists and to cut funding for other federally funded news groups like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Miami Herald Reports 47% of Venezuelans are happy Madura has been deposed. 89% of Venezuelans are unhappy with new leadership under Delcy Rodriguez. 78% say Venezuela is on the wrong track. Disapproval of Rodriguez hit 95% in public services, the economy, democracy and healthcare. 93% reject the United States interference in their country 

In the United States: For the first time in three years, wages aren't outpacing inflation

Dr Oz, while in the White House for Mother’s Day, refers to the US as being “under babied” and must procreate to keep population levels up. 

The White House says they will "identify and neutralize" secular political groups that are anti-American, "radically pro-transgender" and anarchist. It declares Anarchists & Anti-Fascists as a major terror group. Presidential Foreword ends with "We Will Find You and We Will Kill You." 

Reporter: What extent are Americans' financial situation motivating you to make a deal?
Trump: Not even a little bit... I don't think about Americans' financial situation

Reflecting Pool Repairs Appear Uneven and Behind Schedule, Officials Say. Work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool appears behind schedule. President Trump initially said he had picked the contractor, then said he did not know it.

Florida Plans to Close 'Alligator Alcatraz', Vendors Are Reportedly Told The Department of Homeland Security has determined the state-run immigration detention facility is too expensive, and some private vendors have struggled to front costs.

Trump had one of his worst mental health episodes yet last night, posting over 55 times in 3 hours. Here is the list: 

10:15 PM - Accuses Obama of attempting a coup in 2016 

10:15 PM - Says Obama worked with CIA to overthrow Trump 

10:15 PM - Reposts tweet saying Obama is a “traitor” and that he should be arrested 

10:22 PM - Attacks dominion voting systems for 2020 election saying they switched votes 

10:22 PM - Says Fulton County, GA had their 2020 fraud exposed (there was none) 

10:23 PM - Accuses Obama of personally making $120 million from Obamacare (wtf?)

10:23 PM - Cites quack lawyer Sidney Powell on the 2020 election

10:24 PM - Posts fake JFK Jr account that says Obama wiretapped Trump Tower 

10:27 PM - Demands Senator Mark Kelly resign 

10:29 PM - Claims neither Biden nor Harris were in charge of the Biden admin

10:29 PM - Attacks Fulton County, GA again 

10:29 PM - Posts Fox News clip of Rep Ro Khanna 

10:30 PM - Demands Jack Smith be arrested 

10:30 PM - Accuses Obama, Clinton, and Comey of treason

10:39 PM - Reposts a tweet from a MAGA account saying they have secret intel proving Clinton and Obama committed crimes

10:39 PM - Reposts a MAGA tweet saying Hillary Clinton should be sent to Haiti

10:40 PM - Says the DOJ is “working hard” to arrest his enemies for treason

10:40 PM - Reposts a tweet attacking his own DOJ and Todd Blanche for no arrests of political enemies

10:40 PM - Posts a TikTok video of people stealing from a convenience store 

10:41 PM - Posts a TikTok of someone taking a Door Dash order

10:41 PM - accuses Obama, John Brennan, and Clinton of sedition and treason again

10:42 PM - Posts a video of a man on CCTV footage knocking over food a waiter was carrying 

10:47 PM - Calls Obama the “most DEMONIC FORCE” in American politics 

10:47 PM - Posts a tweet from Mike Flynn saying 2020 election wasn’t fair 

10:49 PM - Attacks Dominion again claiming they stole the 2020 election (it wasn’t)

10:51 PM - Reposts a fake Charlie Kirk account that claimed Obama blocked Hillary Clinton from being prosecuted

10:53 PM - Claims Obama was part of Hillary Clinton’s emails in some way 

11:28 PM - Claims a senior Democrat just testified under oath that Senator Adam Schiff leaked classified information 

1:13 AM - Attacks the New York Times for reporting on the reflecting pool

Day 490

Work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington appears behind schedule. Interior Department staffers said that bubbles and small holes appeared in one of the layers meant to waterproof the iconic pool. And uneven application of the tinted waterproofing left the pool mottled in varying shades of blue, government documents indicate. President Trump said that he recommended a Virginia firm because of good work it did on the swimming pools at one of his golf clubs. But Trump did an about-face Tuesday, distancing himself from the company. "l didn't give out the contract, 'Interior' did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities. Secret new assessments say Iran has operational access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that its military remains far stronger than President Trump has asserted.

Trump's FDA chief is out after angering pharma CEOS, vaping lobbyists and antiabortion activists

Grocery prices jumped more in April than they did in nearly four years. Fresh vegetables are over 44% more expensive today than they were three months ago, on an annualized basis.

US freezes Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers

The U.S. now has no confirmed CDC director, no FDA commissioner, no Surgeon General, an NIH director with no medical license. The only doctor/scientist we have in the White House is Dr. Oz.

Top Kennedy Spokesman Resigns in Protest of Move to Allow Flavored Vapes In a letter to President Trump, the spokesman, Rich Danker, said allowing the sale of flavored e-cigarettes would enhance their appeal to children.

Golden Trump statue revealed to cost $450,000. 

Day 491

HONDA JUST LOST MONEY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 70 YEARS. The auto industry's massive pullback from its electric vehicle plans has claimed another victim: Honda, which posted its first annual loss since 1955.

Army cuts training as service is short billions of dollars. The Army faces a shortfall of between $4-$6 billion, one official said.

Top U.S. Military Commander Dismisses Reports of Civilian Deaths in Iran. Adm. Brad Cooper said the destruction of an Iranian school may have been caused by a U.S. bomb, but asserted it was the only civilian casualty incident he knew about.

Supreme Court Allows Abortion Pill Access by Mail to Continue. A federal appeals court ruling against the Food and Drug Administration would have restricted access by mail to mifepristone.

Day 492

Trump Touts Fantastic Trade Deals' With China, but Details Are Scarce. The president left Beijing following a summit with China, during which the two countries sought to stabilize their economic and political relations.

The Buffalo News—Factory employment in the region had a strong run coming out of the pandemic, rising above the 54,000 mark in 2023 for the first time in 15 years. Employment stabilized there for more than a year, but it started dropping in the summer of 2024 and hasn't stopped since.

ICE violently arrested a US citizen and filmed it 'like a documentary', videos reveal

Hantavirus briefing led by penile implant specialist who pushed election conspiracy theories

Day 493

Plthhhh.

Day 494

U.S. Debt Is Now Bigger Than the Economy. That's Not the Real Problem. Washington quickly brushed off a startling milestone in a mounting problem.

Bill Cassidy spent 20 years in public office. One decision led to his demise. The senator lost his primary five years after voting to convict Trump on impeachment charges following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Since the overturning of Roe V. Wade, 400+ women have been charged with "pregnancy related crimes."

Day 495

In March 2025, the Trump administration began offering coal-fired plants and chemical manufacturing facilities nationwide exemptions from long-held environmental regulations. All they had to do was write an email to the White House.

A new report shows reading scores have been dropping sharply all over the country for the past decade, in 83% of school districts. The report calls it a "learning recession," and the biggest fall in scores has happened in Florida. Compiled by researchers at Stanford and Harvard, the annual Education Scorecard focused on grades 3-8.

President Donald Trump is dropping his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, according to court documents, a signal that the administration is preparing to go forward with a plan to set up a $1.8 billion fund that would compensate those who believe they were subject to unfair investigations under previous administrations.

Trump's Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects. With the midterms nearing, President Trump's approval rating has hit a second-term low, according to the latest New York Times/Siena poll.

Humanitarian parole denied for deported parents of U.S. citizen girl with rare brain tumor. In Mexico, the girl's condition has worsened and she's not getting the specialized care she needs, her family said.

Over 100,000 Family Separations in Deportation Push, Report Estimates. The Brookings Institution suggests that federal statistics are an undercount because immigrant parents are not being asked about or not disclosing their American children.

Supreme Court sends closely watched Native American voting rights decision back to lower court

Trump plans to give each insurrectionists $1 million dollars of tax money from his lawsuit against his own administration. This is beyond corruption. 

ICE Agent Charged in Shooting of a Venezuelan Immigrant in Minnesota. The agent is the second federal officer to face felony charges in Minnesota stemming from Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Ill-Prepared, Less Safe: Trump Gutted USAID and Exited WHO, Now Administration Behind The Curve On Ebola Global Health Emergency

In 2023, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34.  Yet HHS, under Secretary Kennedy, is "more concerned about the medical consequences of obesity than they are about the medical consequences of depression and anxiety disorders."

The New York Times on Monday accused the Defense Department of violating the First Amendment by requiring journalists to have an official escort at all times when visiting the Pentagon. The suit is the second time the newspaper has sued over the Trump administration's restrictions on reporters.

Day 496

The Trump administration is proposing admitting more White South Africans, according to an emergency determination sent to Congress.

Trump Threatens Iran and Then Pulls Back, All in the Same Day. President Trump has repeatedly threatened new military action against Iran, only to pull back from resuming fighting in a deeply unpopular, expensive conflict.

Five dead, including two suspects, after shooting at San Diego mosque, police say

Donald Trump is reportedly pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune to fire the Senate parliamentarian after she ruled that Republicans could not slip funding for Trump's lavish White House ballroom into their budget bill, per reporting from NOTUS.

The nonpartisan parliamentarian determined that the proposal violated Senate rules and could not be included in the reconciliation package Republicans are trying to pass with a simple majority. The plan includes roughly $220 million specifically tied to Trump's ballroom project, tucked into a broader $1 BILLION Secret Service funding request.

We tested the Trump Mobile phone. It was 9 months late and no longer 'Made in the USA'. The phone comes pre-loaded with Truth Social and bears an American flag on the back with 11 stripes.

Day 497

The 30-year US Treasury yield just hit 5.2%, its highest level since 2007, rising on worries about persistent price hikes because of the Iran war. Unsustainable government finances and interest rate hike fears have also sent investors pouring out of Treasury bonds. Yields rise when bond prices fall.

Donald Trump made 3,700 stock trades in just 90 days. Wall Street is shocked. Financial disclosures linked to US President Donald Trump reveal more than 3,700 stock trades in just three months, triggering alarm on Wall Street over the scale, timing and potential conflicts involved.

Kristi Noem released 19 prisoners without customary review. Twelve have been charged with new crimes. Three pled guilty to new charges: drug possession, misdemeanor domestic violence, and driving under the influence

Investigators probing San Diego mosque shooting suspects possible writings. The 75-page document is filled with extremist material espousing anti-Islamic, antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ views.

Day 498

I.R.S. Must Drop Audits of Trump and Family. Deal on Compensation Fund Bars Tax Claims Against President. In a document posted on the Justice Department's website, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving President Trump's tax returns.

Senate Votes to Take Up Measure to Force Trump to End Iran War. With four Republican backers, Democrats won a vote to advance a resolution that would force the president to end hostilities or win authorization from Congress.

EPA wants to repeal limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water. If finalized, the proposal would end the Biden-era restrictions for four toxic PFAS compounds and give utilities two more years to comply with limits on two other compounds.

Jan. 6 Police Officers Sue to Block Trump's $1.8 Billion Fund

Trump's $1.8 Billion Fund Tests Constitutional Limits. The deal the president reached with his own subordinates relies on a mechanism created by Congress that legal experts had warned was subject to manipulation.

I.R.S. to Drop Audits of Trump and Family. As part of the Justice Department's deal, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving President Trump's tax returns, that are pending.

Absence of USAID likely slowed Ebola detection and response, former officials say The Trump administration hollowed out USAID last year, but the State Department denied the changes have hampered its response.

Day 499

How the $1.8 Billion Trump Fund May Violate Past Practice and Policy. The fund that could offer payouts to Trump allies who accuse the government of mistreatment is not only highly unusual but also appears to violate the administration’s own policies.

Justice Dept. Charges Former Cuban President in Fatal Downing of Planes. The indictment was an extraordinary escalation of the Trump administration’s multifaceted pressure campaign against Cuba’s Communist government.

‘We’ve Never Been This Bad.’ Eastern Pennsylvania Weighs Rising Costs. With two swing districts, the region from Scranton to Allentown could decide control of the House, and voters are expressing profound economic distress.

Mortgage rates climb to highest level in nine months, threatening to make buying a home even more expensive.

Trump sparks fresh concerns by claiming he may still be president ‘in 2026 or 2032’

Day 500

January 21, 2024

Gas average: $3.12

Eggs: $3.52

Inflation: 2.7%

Gold price: $2755

May 21, 2026

Gas average: $4.57

Eggs: $2.38

Inflation: 3.81%

Gold price: $4504