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New Poll Suggests Jewish Americans Feel Isolated As Antisemitism Grows

Arianna Hooker — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 06:00:36 -0700

A new poll finds that most Jewish adults feel isolated and unrepresented during a time when antisemitism is a growing concern in America. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research surveyed 1,022 Jewish adults and found that many believe prejudice against them is a serious problem and that they do not feel represented by political leaders. Sixty-three percent of Jewish-Americans said that prejudice against Jewish people is an “extremely” or “very” serious issue in the U.S, according to the poll. Seventy-seven percent of Jewish people believe that there is more prejudice against them in the last three years after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, the poll found. Only 38% of all U.S. adults feel that prejudice against Jewish people is a serious problem, according to the AP. Fourty-one percent of Jewish adults said that the Democratic Party supports the Jewish community “not very well” or “not well at all,” according to the polls. Only 15% of felt they are supported well by the Democratic Party. However, an overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans identity as Democrats, per the AP’s poll. Sixty-six percent of Jewish adults cast votes for former Vice President Kamala Harris and 33% voted for President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. Thirty-six percent said that supporting Israel is very important to them, according to the polling. “I don’t really feel comfortable in leftist circles anymore. I just want to be an Jewish American who has a connection to Israel. But I feel like I can’t do that. And it’s very frustrating. And sometimes a little scary,” Yahm Levin a Jewish Democrat from Los Angeles said. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who has been a vocal critic of Israel is more supported among Jewish adults than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Trump, according to the poll. Fourty-four percent of Jewish adults view Mamdani somewhat or very favorably while 39% view him unfavorably. Six in ten Jewish adults have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Netanyahu while one-third of them view him somewhat or very favorably according to the polls. Trump is viewed with 29% of favorability, according to the polling. Jewish adults feel the Republican Party supports the Jewish people more than the Democratic Party by one percent point, according to the poll. Twenty-one percent say they feel Trump supports the Jewish people well. In several interviews Jewish adults state that their Jewish heritage does not mean they want the U.S. government to provide unconditional support of Israel. Four in ten Jewish adults say the United States is too supportive of Israel while three in ten think the U.S. government is not supportive enough, according to the Associated Press. The poll was conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs and surveyed 3,040 adults from June 11-17. Of that 1,022 of the people surveyed were Jewish. The respondents were categorized as Jewish if they said their religion was Jewish, or if they are religious unaffiliated but considered themselves Jewish because of their ethnic, cultural, or family background. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points and the margin for Jewish adults is 5.0 percentage points.

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$225,000,000 In 'Hideous' Fraud Schemes Found Across US Schools, Report Alleges

Arianna Hooker — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 05:30:21 -0700

A new report from the State Financial Officers Foundation and Open the Books uncovered nearly 90 alleged fraud schemes involving roughly $225 million across American schools since 2019. The report alleges that school districts have been embezzling funds, creating fake invoices and then pocketing the money, lying about student enrollment numbers to collect more aid, bid-rigging and receiving kickbacks. The SFOF and Open the Books reviewed the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s semiannual report to Congress between 2019 and 2026 — finding that fraud has taken place in 24 states and Puerto Rico. “All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous. The findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader, especially since they only scratch the surface of the problem,” SFOF CEO OJ Oleka said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Indiana schools received $44 million more funding from the state than they should have by inflating their enrollment numbers between 2016 and 2018, according to the report. Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy faced fraud schemes from four individuals within the educational institution including the founders, a director of one school, the superintendents, and an operations manager. The four directed millions of dollars to fraudulent companies controlled by the founder and they also fired an employee who attempted to inform the state education department about the fraud. The schools closed in 2019, and the quartet was charged by the Department of Justice is 2024, per a press release from the department. “These schemes within public schools arguably hit us where it hits more: America’s future leaders. Every dollar wasted on fraud never makes it to the classroom where its urgently needed. Student outcomes will continue to suffer until we clean up both fraud and administrative overhead. In one instance, the per-student fraud rate was enough to fund a semester at a charter school,” John Hart, CEO of Open the Books said in a statement to the DCNF. In Florida’s Broward County, Public Schools Information Officer Anthony Hunter allegedly steered $17 million of taxpayer funds to a friend’s business without going through the required bidding process and then personably benefitted from the funds, according to the report. From 2015 to 2019 Hunter allegedly guided the funds to David Allen, a Georgia resident, and his company Education Consultants, Inc, according to the report. A statewide grand jury indicted Hunter in 2021 for bypassing the bidding process for school equipment and giving business to his friend. However, in 2024 a judge dismissed the indictment arguing that the state grand jury did not have the jurisdiction over the case because the alleged crimes only occurred in Boward County Florida, according to the report. “This report is a good reminder that America doesn’t necessarily need more laws-we need to enforce the existing laws on the books. Every dollar siphoned out of the education system by self-interested grifters is a dollar that’s not furthering a child’s education at a time when student achievement and proficiency are at a frightenedly low point. We don’t need more money in education- we need more accountability so that finite funds get into classrooms,” Nicole Neily, President of Defending Education said in a statement to the DCNF. In Texas, Houston Independent School District had two individuals who allegedly led a six million fraud scheme centered around school district construction and ground maintenance contracts in exchange for cash bribes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in home remodeling, according to the report. Chief operating officer of Houston Independent School District, Brain Busby, and Contractor Anthony Hutchinson were indicted by the Department of Justice including five other school officials who pled guilty to conspiracy charges. The five individuals conspired with Busby and Hutchinson by accepting bribes, per SFOF and Open the Books’ report. Busby and Hutchinson attempted to interfere with the federal criminal probe when they heard it was happening. Authorities searched the two individuals’ homes in 2020 and discovered $186,000 in cash to be forfeited. “Since June 2023, we have made it a priority to eliminate waste and most importantly, now every decision we make is focused on closing student achievement gaps, preparing students for the future, and supporting teachers,” Superintendent Mike Miles of Houston Independent School District said in a statement to the DCNF. In 2025, Michael David Baker, former maintenance director of Boone County Schools in West Virginia pleaded guilty to defrauding the school district out of $3.4 million. This amounted to over one thousand dollars per student being stolen. The money was used on personal vehicles, equipment, and home improvements on his residence, the report found. He falsified documents by making it look like the school was receiving large amounts of hand soap, trash can liners, and face masks from Rush Enterprises, according to the Office of Inspector General Report. Prosecutors allege that when Rush Enterprises received payment the owner wrote checks to Baker to have a share of proceeds. Eighty percent of the products that were ordered were never delivered between November 2019 and December 2023, according to the report. “But between teacher unions and activists infiltrating the classrooms to push activism, and misuse of funding for schools, parents are right to be skeptical of their school systems,” Alleigh Marre, Executive Director of the American Parents Coalition said in a statement to the DCNF. “With more than $230 million in taxpayer dollars being squandered for frivolous items outside of curriculum and resources, students are losing out on important chances to learn core competences like reading, math, science, and opportunities for critical thinking,” Marre’s statement added. Of the 20 largest school districts only three schools were included in this report, whereas dozens of smaller school districts turned up their reports. The problem of education funding unfolds as America is in a deepening affordability crisis, according to the report. Roughly one in three low-income families spend 95% of their income to meet basic needs. For these households every dollar that is spent on fraud could have been a dollar improving their child’s education.

Turns Out Voters Actually Favor Reason Over Rage Bait. Go Figure

Tony Marsh — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:30:33 -0700

After some 40 years in politics, I’ve learned to be suspicious of revolutionary new campaign formulas that promise victory. Sure, politics changes. Ideologies rise, technology evolves, coalitions shift. But most of the rules that determine successful campaign strategies have proven remarkably durable. As an example, it’s a given that everything in politics is compared to something else. Most of the time voters don’t get their ideal candidate, they get to pick the least egregious option. Here’s another. Tactics matter, but message is king. In truly competitive elections, clever ads and high-octane turn-out operations can’t rescue a candidate who has nothing useful to say. To be sure, some of the old assumptions have shown their age. As biases harden, and polarization intensifies, the differences between candidates seem less important than the enthusiasm of their base. How else to explain the recent Democrat predilection for socialist over almost equally far left progressive choices. Character once counted. No longer, at least among the highly partisan. But in our long history of campaign politics, the most enduring rule in the campaign playbook is now being called into question. The rule is this: emotion beats reason, always. Anger defeats facts. Fear overwhelms evidence. Tribal instincts trump persuasion. Shockingly, a recent survey from America’s New Majority Project clearly suggests the emotion-over-reason rule is now on a collision course with something unprecedented: a wave of voter exhaustion. Those Americans not obsessed with ideological extremes are tiring of the near constant manipulation foisted on them by the purveyors of modern political practice. They’re tired of being yelled at. Tired of every disagreement being treated as a moral failure. And perhaps most important, tired of being asked to suspend common sense in favor of escalating outrage. The survey’s findings are striking. The survey tested competing messages on some of the most contentious issues facing the country. What it revealed is that candidates who anchor their messages in verifiable facts and draw documented contrasts with their opponents consistently outperform those who rely on purely emotional attacks. According to the survey, a fact-based approach to messaging delivers a 5 to 9- point advantage overall, and up to a 14-point advantage with independent voters. In a midterm environment where competitive districts are decided in the narrow band between 48% and 52%, that kind of advantage could mean the margin of victory. This survey should give every political wannabe and campaign operator pause. Because if these results hold, then one of the oldest commandments of politics is being overwhelmed by a growing demand for something far less visceral, but infinitely more valuable. Credibility. It makes sense if you’re one of those Americans who don’t wake up in the morning looking for reasons to hate your neighbor. Chances are you’re less interested in the most outrageous insult than in trying to make sense of a noisy world. You just want someone who will treat you like an adult. The survey showed believability is strained when attack messages aren’t backed up with evidence. In fact, even the most outrageous attacks never exceeded 52% believability across any issue tested. By contrast, more dispassionate messaging that compared the verified positions of two candidates achieved far higher believability. On the issue of biological men in women’s sports, the contrast message reached 65% believability, the survey’s single highest score. On welfare reform, 61%. Healthcare, 59%. When a message cited a specific vote, named a specific bill and suggested voters look it up themselves, it transforms an allegation into evidence. Consider the split-test messaging on taxes: Fact-anchored contrast: “I voted for HR1, the Working Families Tax Cut Act, stopping a $1,700 tax increase for a typical American family. My opponent voted against it. You don’t have to take my word for it—look up the vote yourself.” Attack: “Democrats voted to steal $1,700 straight from hardworking families—hammering seniors, taxing tips and overtime. Same old pattern. Working Americans pay the price.” The less inflamed contrast message earned 55% believability and a +19 net vote advantage. The more emotional attack message scored only 48% with a net +14 benefit. It’s the more credible way the message is phrased, not the issue itself, that produced the gap. Not surprisingly, the survey identifies Independents as those most likely to be moved by credibility. On healthcare, the contrast message produced a +26 net vote advantage among independents versus +12 for the attack: a 14-point gap, the survey’s largest independent framing differential. On taxes, the gap was 11 points. Helping propel the reason-over-emotion voter mind-set is the advent of near instant access to information. During focus groups conducted alongside the survey, participants repeatedly said they intend to fact-check what politicians say. Not later. Right then and there. That’s a massive game-changer. Until the smart phone, candidates could make claims knowing voters had neither the time nor ability to verify them. Today, verification is just a few clicks away. In short, honesty has become a competitive advantage. Tell me what you did. Tell me why you did it. Show me the evidence. Treat me with respect enough to let me decide for myself. While the survey shows the previously reliable emotion-trumps-reason rule is breaking down, it proves the durability of another rule many campaign professionals seem to have forgotten. Believability matters because trust matters. And once earned, trust remains the most potent force in politics today. Tony Marsh is a 40-year veteran of professional political consulting and media production. In the U.S., Marsh has served as a senior consultant for more than 300 Republican campaigns at every level of public office including 6 presidential campaigns. Marsh generally serves as a strategic communications consultant specializing in messaging, audience targeting, and creating compelling marketing and advertising that delivers the messages to the audiences. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Op-Ed: The Weight of a Word

Joe Weiss — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:41:37 -0700

This story was written out of concern for how easily words can lose their weight when used without reflection. In recent years, certain words that once carried the full gravity of human suffering have been spoken casually, oftentimes carelessly, in moments of anger or disagreement. Perhaps chief among them is the word “Nazi” -- a word rooted in one of the darkest chapters of human history, and one I personally believe should never be detached from the reality it represents. What happens when a word like that becomes unmoored from its meaning? What does it cost us when we use a term born from atrocity as a casual insult? What do we stop seeing in one another when we allow language to flatten human beings into labels? This story imagines a man forced to live a truth behind the word he used so easily. It is not meant as political commentary, but as a reminder of something deeply human: that dehumanization begins with language, and that the words we choose shape how we see -- and fail to see -- the people around us. If this story restores even a fraction of the weight that a word once carried, or prompts a moment of pause before it is spoken again, then it has accomplished what I hoped it would, and especially honors the memory of those who endured what it truly meant. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” -- Proverbs 18:21

The Weight of a Word

He was known for the force of his speech, considered a leader. Not because he was always right, and not because he was always calm, but because he spoke as though conclusions had already been reached and argument was only the act of delivering them aloud. In the circles he moved in -- political demonstrations, protests, and increasingly radical public confrontations -- certainty was prized above hesitation, and he had become fluent in the fine art of certainty. Over time, language in those circles hardened. Opponents were not merely wrong; they were defined in moral extremes. And one word became common currency, repeated in chants, slogans, and accusations hurled across barricades and crowds. “Nazi.” It was used freely, almost casually at times, as if it had been drained of its historical weight and repurposed as a catch-all for anything perceived as oppressive or unjust. He used it too. It came easily in moments of anger or urgency, a verbal finality that ended discussion before it could grow complicated. He did not think of what it had once meant in its full, unbearable reality. Not in any sustained way. Few of his fellow demonstrators did. The word had become something spoken outward, not examined inward. But language, once loosened from restraint, does not remain confined to intention. It accumulates consequence. And sometimes it returns as experience. It happened after one of those nights. The protest had begun with conviction and ended in chaos. Voices had escalated, bodies had pressed too close together, and by the end there had been shouting, pushing, sirens in the distance, and the lingering burn of adrenaline long after the event itself was over. He left alone, walking through a nearly empty parking structure. The concrete held the heat of the day but released it unevenly, so that pockets of warmth and cold shifted without pattern. His footsteps echoed too loudly in the concrete silence. Then he heard another set of footsteps behind him -- they were heavy. Measured. Unhurried. Bootsteps. The sound of hard soles on concrete, echoing cleanly in the emptiness. Jackboot-like, though he could not say why that association came to him so sharply. He stopped and turned. No one was there. Only fluorescent light, steady and indifferent. Only silence that felt artificially quiet. Then the world suddenly shifted. There was no dramatic break, no visible rupture. Instead, perception began to fail in stages. Sound thinned first, as though distance had been forced between him and everything around him. Color drained. Then the sense of continuity -- the feeling that he was moving through a stable, coherent world -- began to dissolve. He reached for a wall to steady himself and found that even touch failed to anchor him. And then there was nothing that could be called familiar at all. He woke on frozen earth. The cold struck instantly, cutting through fabric, through skin, through breath itself. The air carried a bitter, almost inhuman quality, as though it had been stripped of anything that could sustain life. Beneath it was a faint, sickly odor he could not place, but something in him recoiled from it as if his body recognized what his mind could not yet name -- something so extreme, so outside the boundaries of humanity, that thought itself refused to complete the idea. He tried to move and realized his clothing offered almost no protection. Striped fabric hung loosely on his body, mismatched worn-out shoes on his feet were insufficient against the freezing air that went through him with relentless precision. Around him, men were already moving. Not freely, but under instruction. The sky was low and colorless. The ground beneath him was hard with frost. Even sound seemed subdued, as though the cold itself absorbed excess noise. He stood slowly. No one acknowledged confusion. No one offered explanation. There was only expectation. And failure to meet the instruction had immediate consequences. The first time he did not respond quickly enough, he was struck. There was no warning. No anger in the act. Only correction delivered with practiced brutal efficiency. He fell into the iron-hard frozen ground. The impact was sharp, but what followed was worse -- the way the cold seemed to enter the pain and amplify it, as if even suffering was intensified by the environment itself. A guard stood over him. Young. Ordinary in appearance. Not a figure of theatrical evil, but something subtly more disturbing: familiarity without emotion. The soldier had not felt like a stranger in the way one expects. The guard carried instead the unsettling sense of someone whose story was somehow bound to his own story -- like a face he might have seen in a protest line. “Up,” the guard said. So, he stood. Not standing was not an option. Over time he learned that survival was not endurance in the heroic sense, but reduction. Becoming less visible. Less responsive. Less present. Less human. Anything that required additional attention increased the risk. The days blurred into cycles of exhaustion, pain, hunger, and unrelenting cold. Even rest did not restore warmth, only paused its loss. He began to notice that many of the people around him were already diminished in ways that could not be explained by exhaustion alone. They were still alive, but only in the narrowest sense of the word. It was during one of these days, while being moved between work details, that he first heard her name. “Anna.” It was spoken quickly, almost absentmindedly, as though names still had practical function in a place that no longer treated people as individuals. The sound cut through the noise of movement in a way that made it linger in his mind longer than it should have. Later, he saw her. She was smaller than most, weakened by conditions that did not discriminate but still affected bodies unevenly. She stumbled under the weight assigned to her and fell forward into the frozen ground. No one reacted. Not because they were cruel in any personal sense, but because reaction itself had become dangerous. He moved without thinking. He reached her before she fell completely and steadied her, pulling her back to her feet. For a moment, she looked at him as though assistance was something she had forgotten how to interpret. “Anna,” he said, almost reflexively, using the name he had heard earlier. Her eyes widened slightly at the sound of it. For an instant, hearing her own name awakened a forgotten truth: that she was more than a number, more than a prisoner. She was a human being. “Don’t look at them,” he added quietly. She nodded. He shifted part of her burden onto himself. A guard saw. The moment tightened. Then it broke. Not into relief, but into consequence. The guard struck him. Hard enough that the world tilted sideways for a moment, hard enough that pain arrived not as sensation alone but as recognition of vulnerability. He stumbled, nearly falling again. “Move,” the guard said. He helped the girl anyway. She leaned in close, voice barely audible, trembling with something that was not only exhaustion. “Nazis,” she whispered. Not as an accusation, not as command -- just disgust. As recognition of what surrounded them. Of what controlled everything here. The word did not land like ideology. It landed like their current nightmarish truth. And for that, he was left with pain that would not remain in the present alone, lingering like a thought he could never silence. It was not shouted. It did not need to be. It functioned as classification. As justification. As permission. He did not understand its placement in that moment, not fully, but he understood its finality. He helped the girl anyway. That night, the pain and humiliation deepened. He lay among the silent bodies who no longer had the strength to speak. Breathing itself became measured, controlled, rationed. Pain returned in full force, not as memory but as repetition. The blow from the guard was not something that ended with the moment; it continued internally, as if his body refused to accept that it belonged to the past. The man in the bunk beside him spoke once, barely audible. “You see it now, and it will not leave you.” He did not respond. Because response required a version of himself that no longer felt stable enough to exist. The return came without warning. It came quietly, as memory loosened its grip and the present slowly returned to him. No sound. No light. No transition that could be clearly identified as passage. And then-- Fresh air. Smooth concrete. The low hum of fluorescent lights. He was back in the parking structure. He dropped to his knees gasping before he understood he had been standing. For a long time, he could not move. People noticed him but pretended they hadn’t. Eventually, he stood again, slowly, as though part of him still felt elsewhere. Months passed. He spoke less, choosing words with new caution. Language had become unstable. Words no longer felt neutral. They carried weight he could not ignore. At another protest, he saw her again -- or thought he did. She stood at the edge of the crowd, no longer young. Time had passed across her face in a way that felt impossible given what he remembered. Older now, but the presence was unmistakable. When she acknowledged him, the sound cut through everything. “You helped me,” she said. He looked at her for a long moment. “Anna.” The name came naturally. She nodded. “You were there,” she said quietly. “I remember… something about helping a girl. Not clearly, not like a real memory. But if you mean… there… it was you.” She held his gaze. Then she said something that made the air feel heavier. “You don’t fully understand what you were inside of when you used that word so easily.” He frowned slightly. “What word?” “The one you used to turn people into something you could strike without thinking.” Silence stretched. Then she added, more softly, almost as if she were describing something that still hurt to speak aloud: “You’ve stood inside what it means when people do that. When they Nazi others into something less than human. When they make it something they can do, instead of something they can understand.” The phrasing struck him strangely -- not as grammar, but as truth bending language around itself. He felt something tighten in his chest. “That’s not possible, none of that could have happened.” he said. “I know what I remember. What you remember was given to you for a reason.” And then, as she stepped back into the movement of the crowd, she said the final thing he would ever hear from her: “Don’t ever speak it as if its history doesn’t exist.” And she was gone. He never used it again. Not because it was forbidden. But because it no longer behaved like a word in his mind. It behaved like a place he had once been taken inside of and never fully left. And sometimes, in the quiet, he would hear footsteps where none existed. Or feel cold that did not belong to the present. And he could no longer tell with certainty whether what he had experienced had been history, punishment, a vision, or something else entirely. Only this remained consistent: Some words do not describe the world. They open it, and you do not come back unchanged. And once you have been inside what they open-- you do not get to speak them lightly ever again.

House Republicans Call for Investigation Into Mamdani Administration's Possible Violation of Federal Law

Jack Davis — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:34:41 -0700

A member of Congress wants the Department of Justice to take a look at possible shenanigans by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani surrounding a proposed meeting with an Iranian ambassador. “Mamdani doesn't speak for America. President Trump does," Rep. Addison McDowell, a Republican from North Carolina, posted on X. "Today I led a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate whether Mamdani’s Administration violated the Logan Act by engaging in unauthorized communications with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he posted. “Undermining national security has serious risks, and the mayor of New York should know better than to meddle in our foreign affairs during the height of negotiations between the White House and Iran,” McDowell said in a statement on his website. “The Department of Justice needs to look into Mamdani's office and ensure they are not acting as rogue agents to the detriment of America's national security," he added. "Mamdani does not speak for America. President Trump earned the public's trust to ensure the safety and security of the United States,” he said. The letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, signed by 13 Republicans in addition to McDowell, noted that Commissioner Ana María Archila, the leader of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, “had scheduled a July 7 meeting with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani.”

Mamdani doesn't speak for America. President Trump does.
Today I led a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate whether Mamdani’s Administration violated the Logan Act by engaging in unauthorized communications with the Islamic Republic of Iran. pic.twitter.com/IllAOWsrnF — Congressman Addison McDowell (@RepMcDowell) July 16, 2026

“As you know, negotiations with Iran are in a critical stage. Given its timing, we believe this proposed meeting may have presented significant national security risks,” the letter said. “In light of this, we respectfully ask that the Department of Justice investigate potential violations of the Logan Act (18 U.S. Code § 953) on the part of the mayor’s office. The Logan Act prohibits any unauthorized American citizen from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States." “Mayor Mamdani’s and Commissioner Archila’s actions create a clear conflict of interest with the United States’ strategic military actions in Iran and across the Middle East, warranting further examination by the Department,” the letter continued. “We support President Trump’s effort to shore up American economic and national security interests in the Middle East, and we understand the vulnerable nature of continued peace negotiations,” the letter said. “For that reason, we believe that a formal investigation is necessary to determine whether Commissioner Archila, acting on behalf of Mayor Mamdani, engaged in any unlawful activity or communication with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the letter said. According to the New York Post, the meeting was deep-sixed once the State Department found out what was taking place behind its back. The outlet quoted a source as saying Archila “scheduled it without checking in with anybody.” The planned July meeting was the second Mamdani’s administration sought to have with foreign government officials that was zapped by the Trump administration. In June, Mamdani wanted to meet with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, but the State Department intervened and the meeting was canceled, according to The Washington Post.

Trump Admin Deploys New Military Equipment to Israel with Eye Toward Major Escalation in Iran: Report

Joe Saunders — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:27:54 -0700

One major military development is adding fuel to the projections that the U.S. is prepping for sustained action against Iran. In an exclusive report Friday, the Beltway-centric site Axios broke the news that President Donald Trump's administration is planning to station more refueling planes in Israel -- aircraft capable of extending attacks by refilling warplanes with fuel in midair.

SCOOP: U.S. sending dozens more refueling planes to Israel ahead of possible escalationhttps://t.co/DPFujGBl3f
— Axios (@axios) July 17, 2026

The planes have already started arriving, Ynet reported. The deployments come after Trump was given several options Tuesday for escalating military strikes on Iran, Axios reported. U.S. strikes on Iran have been ongoing for a week amid Iran's intransigence on allowing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that links Persian Gulf oil to the world market. In an interview Tuesday with Fox News, Trump vowed that the pounding would only increase -- and indicated it could be only a matter of days. "Next week comes the power plants, next week comes the bridges," he said. "We’re gonna knock out all their power plants, we’re gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.” That could be taken as simple saber-rattling, but more U.S. Air Force refueling planes heading to Israel is a hint that Trump is running out of patience and a big escalation is coming soon. Citing a U.S. official, Axios reported that on Thursday, the U.S. military bombed at least seven bridges around Bandar Abbas, an Iranian port city "considered a hub" for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps "operations in the Strait of Hormuz." "Ammunition, supplies and reinforcements go through Bandar Abbas to other parts of the strait, the official said," according to Axios. Meanwhile, Iran is engaging in escalation of its own, with attacks on American bases in countries in the region, Axios reported. The Iranian military also attacked public infrastructure in Qatar, Kuwait, and Jordan. U.S. officials think similar attacks are less likely against bases in Israel because Iran is less willing to risk provoking a major attack from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. However, the increased U.S. presence in Israel won't come easily. In a country roughly the size of New Jersey, there's a limit to the number of facilities that can handle the refueling fleet. Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main international airport near the city of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast, was the main base for refueling planes at the beginning of the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury. But at the peak of the travel season, it lacks room for the American military planes as well as commercial passenger aircraft. "The presence of dozens of military aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport for several months has created heavy congestion and at times brought civilian operations close to a standstill," Ynet reported. The refueling planes will be stationed at Israel Defense Forces air bases, according to the outlet.

Don Lemon Claims People Are Begging Him to Run for President and He's 'Totally Serious' About Doing It

Samuel Short — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:22:48 -0700

Ex-CNN host turned podcaster Don Lemon is coming around to the idea of running for president, claiming the enthusiasm for his candidacy is high. The journalist's departure from the network in April 2023 has not seen him leave media altogether. "The Don Lemon Show" on video sharing platform YouTube currently has 1.38 million subscribers who can often hear him riffing about issues relating to race, policy, and of course, his complaints about President Donald Trump. The 60-year-old has also published several books, with his most recent being 2024's "I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America." This has all gone to the former CNN host's head, as his interview with "Can't Be Censored" showed. The podcast's hosts Travis Dhanraj and Karman Wong uploaded their interview with Lemon to YouTube on Wednesday, where the question of his political ambitions arose. "No, but people keep asking me if I'm running for president and I don't know, I might, I'm serious. I don't know, I might because people keep asking me to do it." A simple "no" would suffice, had he actually meant it. Lemon continued assessing the potential candidates, saying, "Some of them are impressive, many of them, most of them are not." He then hit Trump for not holding office before his first term, noting that a lack of political experience was not disqualifying. "I actually think I would be a really good president of the United States." When asked by Dhanraj to clarify, he said he was "totally serious." He went into a monologue about Trump, saying our current president's policies help the upper class -- "his rich friends" -- and that he had "dabbled" in launching a campaign but said he would need to reel in his "potty mouth" for the job. "Do I want to ruin my life by having everything exposed and people even into my business more? I don't know, I mean how much more intrusive and invasive can it be?" "As we get closer to 2027 or 2028, I'll see. I'll decide," he told the hosts, noting he'd been veering in this direction from on-the-ground interviewing. Mark this as one potential Democrat, but one that has a less than 0 percent chance of success. Not to be overly critical, but what substantial reasons did Lemon give for his run? That Trump is bad and people have told him to do it? That's not enough to stand on, as current Democrats are finding out. Complaining about Trump is not enough. What else does Lemon have to run on? He's a homosexual and a black man, and incorporates both into his politics. Again, that won't work, as Democrats are finding out. Lemon is right in that outsiders can sometimes win elections. He's just not one of them.

Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Regulation Becomes Unlikely Election Integrity Rallying Point for Conservatives

Samuel Short — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:10:58 -0700

Add the Olive Garden Pasta Pass to the list of things more secure than our elections. The popular Italian restaurant chain made an announcement Wednesday via social media platform X about a new promotional offer, the aforementioned Pasta Pass. The pass grants 10,000 lucky customers with unlimited pasta after a one-time purchase. According to Kotaku, passes went for $100 and the 10,000 offered sold out within minutes. But there's a catch. For the lucky few, a photo ID is required along with the pass at the time of purchase. That's right. There's more verification for ordering pasta than there is when voting. The question came up after one user replied to the chain to ask if passes could be used by family members. "Question. Are you able to order pasta for family using this pasta pass or is that exclusively for the person with the card at the table. I dont know about it you, but it'd feel really weird with just one person having unlimited pasta while everyone awkwardly waits," the user asked.

Question. Are you able to order pasta for family using this pasta pass or is that exclusively for the person with the card at the table. I dont know about it you, but it'd feel really weird with just one person having unlimited pasta while everyone awkwardly waits.
— Superpowamario (@Superpowamario) July 16, 2026

The response was a no. "No. The Never-Ending Pasta Pass is only for use by the Passholder whose name is printed on the Pass. Passes are personalized and non-transferable. Passholders must present a valid photo I.D. along with the Pass at the time of ordering."

No. The Never-Ending Pasta Pass is only for use by the Passholder whose name is printed on the Pass. Passes are personalized and non-transferable. Passholders must present a valid photo I.D. along with the Pass at the time of ordering.
— Olive Garden (@olivegarden) July 16, 2026

Pasta is a serious business. Olive Garden can't let anyone walk in the door with a pass and get free pasta. It would be the undoing of casual Italian dining as we know it! Another X account replied to say they'd seen enough to know who should be handling election security for the November midterms.

PUT OLIVE GARDEN IN CHARGE OF OUR ELECTIONS!!!
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) July 17, 2026

"PUT OLIVE GARDEN IN CHARGE OF OUR ELECTIONS!!!" the post shouted. Another user noted how bigoted Olive Garden must be for this requirement. How will all of those poor black Americans without an ID get their pasta? "You must hate black people because according to the left it is impossible for them to get ID," this user observed.

You must hate black people because according to the left it is impossible for them to get ID
— CrocodilleJaws83 (@CJaws83) July 17, 2026

Political commentator Robby Starbuck took a more serious tone, noting the contrast between this promotion and Democrat-run states when holding elections. "Olive Garden requires ID to use their never ending pasta pass but most Democrat run states don’t require your ID to vote. So in America, our pasta deals are literally more secure than our elections. Maddening and hilarious at the same time."

Olive Garden requires ID to use their never ending pasta pass but most Democrat run states don’t require your ID to vote. So in America, our pasta deals are literally more secure than our elections. Maddening and hilarious at the same time. https://t.co/nCuyCpVleD
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) July 17, 2026

The Hill put together a list that corroborates Starbuck's claim. Outside of Washington, D.C., there are 12 states that have conditions in which an ID is not required to cast a vote. They are all blue: New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, and New Jersey. Federal legislation to require voter ID -- the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act -- has stalled in the Senate for some time. Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee took the Olive Garden announcement to once again push for its passage. "American elections should not be less secure than Olive Garden’s endless pasta. Pass the SAVE America Act," he wrote on X.

American elections should not be less secure than Olive Garden’s endless pasta.
Pass the SAVE America Act. https://t.co/Aa3BbGg6PU — Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) July 17, 2026

Jokes about pasta aside, this is a sad state of affairs. Democrats are being dishonest. Lax ID laws are not in the spirit of fairness. They are encouraging fraud and undermining the will of the American people.

Trump Admin to Crack Down on Legal Immigrants Using Taxpayer-Funded Welfare

Samuel Short — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 13:01:43 -0700

The Trump administration is set to enact a more discerning policy when deciding if immigrants qualify for legal status -- with the determining factor being how much they rely on the taxpayer. It's the correct decision, as immigrant populations dependent upon the public dollar completely undo the left's argument that they enrich our country. CBS News reported on the matter Thursday, writing that the Department of Homeland Security will likely undo a regulation set by the Biden administration that narrows the parameters for DHS officers when applying the public charge test -- a screening to see how likely applicants will be to need government assistance. That day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed the change in a news release. It reads, "The now-rescinded Biden-era regulation restricted which public benefits DHS could consider, limiting officers’ ability to review all relevant factors as intended by Congress. With this final rule, USCIS officers are empowered to assess all pertinent facts on a case-by-case basis for each applicant." U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services representative Zach Kahler said of the decision, “The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well-being of Americans." CBS News said this is not a novel measure, but a restorative one dating back to President Donald Trump's first term. Now programs like potential use of food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid will be considered in granting green cards. The outlet cited a November 2025 proposal from DHS that indicated around 588,000 adjustment-of-status applicants will be subject to the public charge test, which doesn't include any applying for a visa abroad or coming in through the border. Moreover, the DHS said an estimated 950,000 illegal alien households will disenroll or not enroll for public benefits due to the change. It is not feasible to continue to admit people into our country that cannot contribute to our society. To reiterate an earlier point, the left's fawning over immigrants always defaults back to their supposed economic benefits. The left says they work hard, are consumers, and start businesses. But if these people need taxpayer dollars to live, that argument is null. Note the DHS's figure on disenrollment or anyone deciding not to enroll. This should be the norm. The norm should not be government assistance for immigrants, or Americans for that matter. Government's legacy from the 20th century came by way of former presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson through the New Deal and Great Society. These presidents changed a federal government that was out of sight to one that remains ever-expanding. We have a government to be seen and heard with a bureaucracy beyond anything our founders envisioned. There is a portion of the population that delights in perpetuating government programs. What can they do next? How much can be spent? Where else can they intervene? But the right question is how can we create independent, self-reliant Americans, and immigrants who want to contribute instead of take.

Trump Reveals New Plan to 'Vandal Proof' the Lincoln Reflecting Pool

Michael Schwarz — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:48:58 -0700

President Donald Trump gave an update on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday via social media platform Truth Social. In short, the president declared that he will stay one step ahead of his many bitter adversaries. With the Reflecting Pool drained once again, Trump announced that he now seeks "Vandal Proof" material to prevent future destruction. "The Reflecting Pool, so badly damaged by Deranged Vandals, has been emptied as the massive slash gets repaired," the president wrote. "We got it through the great July Fourth Weekend." Indeed, America's 250th Anniversary celebration went off without incident. Still, Trump focused on those who, in the weeks preceding the Fourth of July, allegedly vandalized the renovated pool. "What kind of animals would do such a thing?" he asked. "We are looking for a Vandal Proof material, but such a thing should not have been necessary. The Scum in Court will hopefully be prosecuted to the MAX."

🔴President Trump just posted this update on the heavily vandalized and damaged Reflecting Pool, calling out the deranged vandals who slashed it and wants them to be "prosecuted to the MAX." pic.twitter.com/Enqj0IpNSx
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 17, 2026

The Reflecting Pool saga began after a visiting friend from Germany complained to Trump that it looked "dark and disgusting." The president responded with a project to paint the pool’s shallow basin "American flag blue." Last month, initial reviews of the completed project drew positive reviews even from some Trump haters. Of course, as stagnant water often does, the Reflecting Pool eventually developed an algae problem. The real problem, however, came in the form of alleged vandalism. Several weeks before the July 4 celebration, the president accused his detractors of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool via chemicals designed to make the new paint peel. Then, a few days later, the U.S. Park Police arrested five people in connection with the alleged vandalism. Meanwhile, Trump threatened severe consequences. "Please remember that there is a 10-year prison sentence for the destruction, or even the attempted destruction, of such things -- Which will be fully enforced!" he wrote on Truth Social. Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced a felony indictment against former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who allegedly damaged part of the Reflecting Pool's sealant. "The evidence shows, and we will prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that Hearn willfully destroyed property at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool," Pirro said. Trump did not say when he expected to see the latest repairs completed.

'Unusual Cluster' of Rare Child Cancer Cases Triggers Calls for Investigation

Michael Schwarz — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:40:29 -0700

Families in Ladera Ranch, California, have experienced a nightmare that they believe could involve toxic chemicals from pesticides. Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, wants the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the matter and determine whether environmental factors explain why so many children in that community have developed rare forms of cancer. "There has been an unusual cluster of pediatric cancers in the Ladera Ranch community," Essayli wrote Thursday on the social media platform X. Essayli asked that the EPA "conduct an appropriate investigation into whether there are any environmental causes, and whether any federal environmental laws are implicated." A letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin accompanied the post. "My office has been made aware of recent reports of multiple pediatric Ewing sarcoma cases within the Ladera Ranch community," Essayli wrote. "Residents are raising concerns about a potential cancer cluster and whether environmental factors may warrant further evaluation. At least six children have been diagnosed with this rare bone and soft-tissue cancer, with one 17-year-old, Brody Matteson, dying after complications during treatment."

There has been an unusual cluster of pediatric cancers in the Ladera Ranch community. I am requesting that @EPA conduct an appropriate investigation into whether there are any environmental causes, and whether any federal environmental laws are implicated. pic.twitter.com/DkRKlZUQ6L
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) July 17, 2026

Indeed, according to KNBC-TV in Los Angeles, the rare cancer cases, as of Wednesday, had reached roughly a dozen. That has made parents like Jessica Keetch desperate for answers. "I think people need to listen and wake up and realize something is happening to our children," Keetch said. "This is not random." Keetch's 18-year-old daughter, Haven, developed a rare cancer called synovial sarcoma. As a result, the teenager had her right foot amputated. "I'll always remember the day," Keetch said. "I'll cry thinking about it because it's the worst day for a parent you can ever have." Megan Matteson, mother of Brody, who passed away in March, recalled the community's reaction to her son's cancer diagnosis. "To have three families that just contacted me right away after Brody was diagnosed was helpful but scary at the same time," she said. Of course, no one knows for certain whether environmental factors caused these rare cancers. The parents, however, have their suspicions. "These are our children. These are our babies," Keetch said. "I raised my children in Ladera, thinking it's safe. Maybe there's no safe community, but if we can do better, we need to do better." No matter the cause, the Ladera Ranch pediatric cancer cluster appears statistically unfathomable. According to KNBC-TV, which cited the American Cancer Society, each year only about 200 to 240 children and teens nationwide develop Ewing sarcoma.

Target Recalls 200,000 Children's Sandals Due to 'Risk of Serious Injury or Death'

Jack Davis — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:34:00 -0700

Target is recalling more than 200,000 children’s sandals, citing a potential risk of injury. The recall covers 211,000 pairs of Cat & Jack Children’s Sandals, which have decorations that can leave a child vulnerable to choking. “The sandals’ decorative pearls can fall off, posing a risk of serious injury or death from a choking hazard,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on its website. “The sandals are tan and have two raffia straps with gold buckles and plastic pearls,” the agency said.

Target is recalling hundreds of thousands of children's sandals due to a potential choking hazard. https://t.co/bFjlwUgf1e
— ABC News (@ABC) July 17, 2026

For anyone unsure of what brand of sandals a child is wearing, the Cat & Jack brand name is printed on the sole of the sandals, the announcement noted. “Consumers should stop using the recalled sandals immediately, take them away from children and contact Target for a full refund. Consumers will be asked to return the sandals to any store or use a prepaid label to return the sandals by mail,” the Consumer Product Safety Commission said. The recall notice said Target has been informed of 23 cases in which the decorative pearls fell off the sandals. No injuries have been reported. The Cambodia-made sandals were sold between January and May. They were available at Target stores across the country and online. On its website, Target said that the sandals were Target Item Number 093-11-3106 through 093-11-3113, or online product number 94807785 through 94807792.

#Recall: Target Cat & Jack Children’s Sandals; The sandals’ decorative pearls can fall off, posing a risk of serious injury or death from a choking hazard. Get refund. https://t.co/tQ9pS3GY2H pic.twitter.com/XzC8zfC1LH
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) July 16, 2026

Target said customers with questions should call 1-800-440-0680 if the sandals were purchased in a store. Anyone who bought the sandals online who has questions can call 1-800-591-3869. “At Target, we’re committed to providing safe, high-quality products for our guests. Target has voluntarily recalled Cat & Jack toddler girls tan 'Sequerah' footbed sandals,” a Target representative said, according to ABC News. The recall is not the only one impacting Target. "Target is voluntarily recalling Up & Up Fragrance Free and Up & Up Fresh Cucumber Scented Baby Wipes following customer complaints of product discoloration, and FDA testing that identified the presence of Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli in product samples," the Food and Drug Administration posted on its website last month. "Use of products contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli may result in serious and life-threatening infections," the FDA warned.

Apple to Raise Prices, Citing 'Unsustainable' Situation

Stephanie Nutter — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:26:48 -0700

Last month Apple, who last year announced a $600 billion U.S. investment over four years, announced plans to raise prices on its products to offset costs, including memory and storage chip price increases, according to Chief Executive Tim Cook. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cook explained that the memory and storage chip supply crunch has been fueled by explosive demand from artificial intelligence companies around the world. Major AI companies (including AI companies also owned by Apple) are purchasing vast quantities of these chips for data centers and advanced computing systems.

Apple will be raising prices on products due to the skyrocketing costs of memory and storage, says Tim Cook.
It's still unclear what products will be getting more expensive, or when the hikes will take place. pic.twitter.com/wkZrbNOFfo — AppleTrack (@appltrack) June 17, 2026

That surge in demand has pushed prices sharply higher over the past year. Apple relies heavily on these components for iPhones, Macs, iPads, and other devices. Cook did not disclose the timing, nor did he reveal which products will see higher prices first. Some estimates suggest future high-end iPhone models could face significant price increases if current trends continue. Cook told the Wall Street Journal, “Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable. We’re doing our best to mitigate the huge increases that are being passed to us, and we’ve been trying to shield our customers from the increases, but the situation has become unsustainable.” “This is a hundred-year flood," he continued. "I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.” The shortage is expected to persist as AI-related demand continues to expand worldwide. Memory manufacturers are increasing production capacity, but the new supply may take years to reach the market. The WSJ article explained:

Memory, also called DRAM, and storage, also called NAND, are like elements of a mid-20th-century office: The memory is a desk that holds all the papers a worker needs to perform a task, while storage is the filing cabinet that holds everything else. Smartphones use DRAM memory to run apps currently in use; they use NAND storage to file away photos and videos, for example.

Cook focused on the DRAM market in particular, saying, “There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases. We definitely need memory pricing and supply to return to reasonable levels for consumer products. That’s the bottom line.” There are three dominant companies in the DRAM memory market, including Samsung, SK Hynix in South Korea, and Micron in the U.S. The NAND manufacturers include those three as well as Kioxia and Sandisk. While these companies are building more manufacturing facilities, Morgan Stanley projected that the suppliers will focus on the specialized AI memory, leaving consumer tech products in short supply. Apple spends tens of billions of dollars a year on memory and storage. Compounding this issue is Apple’s additional need for DRAM to support its updated AI features, including the recently announced “more capable” Siri. Apple's planned price increases underscore how the AI boom is reshaping global semiconductor markets and affecting consumers beyond the data-center debates.

Apple’s American-made advanced servers are now shipping from our new Houston facility to Apple data centers!
These servers will help power Private Cloud Compute and Apple Intelligence, as part of our $600 billion US commitment. pic.twitter.com/maOd3lCGfK — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 23, 2025

On the heels of Apple announcing product price increases based on memory and storage chip supply demand, Fox Business reported that Apple was seeking to purchase memory chips from a Pentagon blacklisted Chinese company. CNBC reported that President Trump explained that Intel, a semiconductor manufacturer, agreed to work with Apple in order to build chips here in the U.S. More recently, Wednesday (15), Yahoo Finance reported that Apple announced a $30 billion agreement with Broadcom, a major American chip manufacturer. The article suggested that this new deal might be the close of an era for the company’s bold embrace of Chinese manufacturing.

Apple seeks to buy memory chips from blacklisted Chinese company https://t.co/OIIjezbc3z
— Financial Times (@FT) June 27, 2026

In a July (8) Press Release, Apple stated that they have “. . been working with the administration and businesses across the U.S. to help create an end-to-end silicon supply chain in America, and today’s announcement advances those efforts.”

Markwayne Mullin Says State Officials Who Refuse to Cooperate to Secure Elections Could Face 'Prison Time'

Jack Davis — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:44:07 -0700

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Millin said officials in states that refuse to support the federal government’s election integrity effort could face serious consequences. In a Thursday night speech, President Donald Trump said a Department of Homeland Security investigation of state that have shared voter information with the federal government revealed the presence of up to 278,000 non-citizens on voter rolls. “I will tell you, the states that choose not to participate with the SAVE program and they choose not to participate in securing the elections, we will make sure that we make those states a priority to look at who voted in their states and hold them, the election officials, accountable,” Mullin said in a video posted to X.

The Daily Caller: Can you ensure to Americans that the midterm elections will be secure?
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “Yes, we can absolutely build confidence in the American people [with our elections], but the states have to do their part.” “The states that choose to… pic.twitter.com/9EXKsBipwf — RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) July 17, 2026

“If the election officials, once we gave them the information they need to secure their elections and they chose not to, then those individuals can also be held accountable by fines, by penalties, and even, depending on how far it goes, prison time,” he said As noted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigraiton Services, SAVE is "an online service for registered federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local government agencies to verify immigration status and U.S. citizenship." Mullin also sent a message to anyone voting illegally, according to the Associated Press. He warned anyone who casts an illegal vote in the coming midterm election, “we will hunt you down, we will find you and we will prosecute you.” Mullin said states who seek grants to support running elections will need to do things Trump's way, according to NBC News.

The Trump administration is "going to make our security enhancements mandatory, meaning that if these states want a grant and they want to be reimbursed to work or to run federal elections, they're going to have to implement security issues," he added.

Mullin’s comments came as he sent letters to four states warning them of non-citizens who are on the states’ voter rolls illegally A DHS news release said letters went to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, New Jersey Secretary of State Dale Caldwell, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, and Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt. “Election security is national security,” Mullin said. “As President Trump announced last night, DHS has identified over 250,000 potential non-citizens illegally registered to vote in just 4 U.S. states. Only Americans should be electing American leaders." DHS said there could be as many as 190,832 non-citizens registered to vote in California; 35152 in New Jersey, 15,903 in Nevada and 14,576 in Pennsylvania. Mullin’s letters called for a response with two weeks and urged state officials to “confirm their intentions to collaborate with DHS in order to ensure free, fair, and honest elections,” the release said. Mullin said the federal effort to ensure election integrity faces obstacles in the courts, where court rulings have prevented the federal government from accessing state voter rolls, according to The Hill.

"Hold the election officials accountable." DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks about steps to be taken to secure election security in America by conditioning funding grants to states. @SecMullinDHS pic.twitter.com/xlaRvcm7sW
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) July 17, 2026

“Activist judges are saying what? They don’t want to secure our elections? Once again, how is this a partisan issue? This shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” he said. “This should be that any judge and any God-fearing individual that loves this country should want to make sure that our elections are secure."

Watch: The Time Gingrich Nailed Turncoat Megyn Kelly's Clinton vs Trump Hypocrisy - 'I Dare You - Say "Bill Clinton Sexual Predator"'

Samuel Short — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:15:13 -0700

Former Fox News host turned podcaster Megyn Kelly was once a vocal critic of President Donald Trump -- later turned ally, now turned critic again. "The Megyn Kelly Show" host, whose channel on YouTube reaches an audience of over 4 million subscribers, seemingly cannot make up her mind about the 45th and 47th president. It's not that Kelly is updating her view on Trump in light of recent decisions by his administration. She's just continuously reconsidering news about him from years ago. Looking back, Kelly was not even consistent in her initial condemnation of Trump. In 2016, when pressed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, she could not bring herself to condemn former President Bill Clinton for his history with women. That year, Kelly was hosting "The Kelly File" for Fox News. Gingrich made an appearance as the media was ablaze over Trump's leaked audio from a 2005 "Access Hollywood" recording in which he made lewd sexual comments about women.

Many people may forget - Or are simply unaware
But I haven’t, I’ve never liked her or cared for her establishment takes. Megyn Kelly has been part of a network railing against President Trump for a decade. Newt Gingrich called her out for it 2016 when she refused to label… pic.twitter.com/ZPh4JVHPrC — SheThinksFreely (@L08818) March 29, 2026

Gingrich pointed out that Kelly was concerned about Trump but noted an electoral victory for his opponent, now-former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would mean her husband would be back in the White House. "We're going to send Bill Clinton back to the East Wing, because after all, you are worried about sexual predators?" Kelly tried telling Gingrich that the poll numbers -- in hindsight, those did not indicate much for 2016 -- were telling us women showed grave concern about Trump. "Do you want to comment on whether the Clinton ticket has a relationship to a sexual predator?" he shot back. Gingrich doubled down, "I dare you, say, 'Bill Clinton, sexual predator.’" Kelly would not, instead saying her show had covered the former president's sexual history, which Business Insider put at a total of five accusers if you include his scandal while in office with intern Monica Lewinsky. "He's not on the ticket," Kelly argued. "He'll be in the East Wing," Gingrich correctly pointed out. Kelly's latest turn on Trump came in May when The Express says she made an appearance on The Hodge Twins' show. This was not Kelly hitting the president for a development this year, just more of the same. "Trump has cheated on every wife he's had... Ivana, his first wife, accused him of raping her," she told the two, delving into a monologue of Trump's marital history. "He winds up with Melania." "If you think Trump's been faithful to Melania, you've got bigger issues than I can solve here."

Seeing Megyn, who spent the last several years proclaiming herself some kind of MAGA queen, now pushing 2016 talking points is hilarious.
I mean, if this was an issue for you, why wasn't it an issue a year ago? https://t.co/qpjUYr7xwi — Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) May 25, 2026

In an episode of her show from April, Kelly did bring her criticisms of Trump regarding more recent events, but it was mostly just lamenting poll numbers -- an older tactic for her. "Trump had his worst poll of his second term, with the AP [The Associated Press] showing just 33 percent of Americans approving of his job performance." She concluded that Trump's support among independent voters has "cratered." "Just 23 percent approve of his overall performance. That ticks up to 30 when it comes to how he's handled immigration and then from there it is all downhill." She proceeded about poor numbers for the conflict with Iran, the economy, gas prices, and more. Author and mathematician James Lindsay reposted the footage to social media platform X from another user, noting the timing of Kelly's reversal. It should not go unnoticed that a fellow ex-Fox host turned podcaster Tucker Carlson has taken the same turn at nearly the same moment.

One of these days, we'll probably find out what caused these people to all go so bad at the same time at exactly the most opportune moment for our many enemies, but in the meantime we can laugh at their broken power over people. https://t.co/7RfQzP6LBR
— James Lindsay, anti-Communist (@ConceptualJames) May 24, 2026

It is as if Trump is no longer needed by conservative stalwarts, so they are keen to dispose of him or revert back to their actual feelings. Criticism can be helpful, but Kelly is simply flip-flopping.

MAGA Declares Fox News Has 'Joined the Fake Media' After 'Strange' Coverage of Trump's Big Speech

Michael Schwarz — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:22:28 -0700

Fox News has largely covered President Donald Trump's war against Iran and his other recent actions in office favorably. When it comes to election integrity, however, the otherwise conservative network appears to prefer radio silence. Late Thursday and early Friday on the social media platform X, users noted that Fox News had shown a "strange" indifference to Trump's election integrity speech, prompting one user to declare that the network had "joined the fake media." In a Thursday primetime address to the nation, Trump announced that a Department of Homeland Security investigation had identified at least 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote in federal elections across the country. Moreover, that number represents only a partial count. "Since Democrat states refused to share their voter files, the real number is actually much higher than that," Trump said. The president also alleged that China, beginning in the 2020 election cycle, "carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China’s illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files." The speech took place against the backdrop of Trump's push for the Senate to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, which would impose tighter election security measures such as voter ID. Members of the Senate, including some Republicans, have balked at the idea of passing the measure. On Fox News' YouTube page, however, as of Friday morning, the overwhelming majority of videos pertained to the Iran War. The same held true for the network's morning show, "Fox & Friends," on X. Viewers noticed. "Fox & friends has joined the FAKE MEDIA protecting the deep state," one user wrote.

@foxandfriends the president of the United States, made a 20 minute speech last night and Fox and friends doesn’t even mention it? Fox & friends has joined the FAKE MEDIA protecting the deep state . Too much to handle a 20 minute speech the president made. #Shame on you.!…
— TIMENOUT (@TIMENOUT) July 17, 2026

"Trump's China election bombshell got barely five minutes on Fox before the channel pivoted back to Iran. A stunning allegation, huge if true, and the coverage window closed almost instantly. Strange," another user said.

Trump's China election bombshell got barely five minutes on Fox before the channel pivoted back to Iran.
A stunning allegation, huge if true, and the coverage window closed almost instantly. Strange.pic.twitter.com/lJIjZPKVpq — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 17, 2026

Indeed, disbelief about the network's lack of coverage was widespread. One user even suggested "that a memo went out probably from corporate."

@FoxNews @MariaBartiromo @foxandfriends it’s now 8 o’clock and it’s obvious that a memo went out probably from corporate down because Fox and friends and Maria Bartiromo both shows had no comment on Trump‘s speech from last evening. Cannot be that. Can they be that afraid of…
— Frank Ferriolo (@Spaceman3810) July 17, 2026

45 minutes into Fox and Friends and zero mention of Trumps speech.
What am I missing?😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 — Phyllis (@Phyllis94584953) July 17, 2026

In April 2023, the network reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion alleged that the network spread false information about the machines and their effect on the 2020 election. The settlement averted a trial in the voting machine manufacturer's lawsuit.

Congress Threatens 'Consequences' After Canadian Incompetence Leaves Big Chunk of U.S. with Dangerous Air Quality

Michael Schwarz — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:16:09 -0700

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, America has maintained a frosty relationship with its neighbor to the north. Needless to say, the heat and smoke from Canadian wildfires will not thaw those relations. According to CBS News, winds have carried hazardous smoke from more than 100 out-of-control Canadian wildfires into the Upper Midwest and Northeast, prompting Republican members of Congress to demand effective action from the Canadian government and to threaten "consequences" should that government fail to take it. Some wildfires also burned in northern Minnesota. The main problem, however, stems from out-of-control fires across Canada -- a problem that seems to recur many summers of late. Thus, according to WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, Republicans Reps. Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain, and John Moolenaar of Michigan wrote a strongly-worded letter to the Canadian government on Wednesday. "We were told last year that this would be treated with urgency," the letter read. "It was not. We were told the causes, chronic under-investment in forest thinning, fuel reduction, and prescribed burns, along with inadequate enforcement against arson, were being addressed." "They were not, or not adequately enough to matter to the people we represent. Provincial leaders have offered excuses instead of results, and in some cases have openly dismissed the health of American citizens as an inconvenience to their own summer. That attitude is unacceptable from a neighbor and an ally." Indeed, on Thursday, officials rated Grand Rapids' air quality as "hazardous." "We are done accepting apologies in place of action," the letter added. "If Canada will not manage its forests to prevent these fires, the United States will look elsewhere, and act on our own, to protect our people. That means our own agencies exploring direct involvement in cross-border fuel reduction and firefighting capacity." "It means reconsidering how much benefit of the doubt this relationship continues to earn on an issue where American lungs are paying the price for Canadian inaction, year after year. Sovereignty comes with responsibility, and the responsibility to prevent a foreseeable disaster from crossing into another country's airspace has not been met," the letter continued. Meanwhile, Rep. Nick Langworthy, a Republican from New York, vented his frustrations on the social media platform X. "Americans should not be forced to breathe hazardous air year after year because Canada refuses to properly manage its forests. This is no longer a one-time emergency -- it’s becoming an annual public health crisis. That is unacceptable," he wrote. Langworthy directed his frustration toward the Canadian government. "Canada must take meaningful action to prevent these catastrophic wildfires and protect both Canadians and Americans," he wrote. "If it refuses to do so, there should be consequences. Our citizens should not be forced to suffer because another nation’s government failed to do its job."

Americans should not be forced to breathe hazardous air year after year because Canada refuses to properly manage its forests. This is no longer a one-time emergency—it’s becoming an annual public health crisis. That is unacceptable.
I am reaching out to Members of Parliament… — Congressman Nick Langworthy (@RepLangworthy) July 17, 2026

Langworthy also shared a clip of a news report highlighting a study that showed Canada's 2023 wildfires "released more carbon emissions than all but three nations on Earth."

Truth! https://t.co/NvouSQfwNu
— Congressman Nick Langworthy (@RepLangworthy) July 16, 2026

According to CBS News, all of Michigan remained under an air quality alert Friday. Elsewhere on Friday, Pennsylvania raised its air quality alert from Code Red to Code Purple. In other words, the hazardous air threatens all groups, not only sensitive ones such as children, elderly, and those with heart or lung problems. On Thursday in western Pennsylvania, roughly 70 miles north of the West Virginia panhandle, the air smelled like burning plastic. Thick haze obscured Appalachian ridges otherwise visible even on cloudy days. The Canadian government's failure to control its wildfires, of course, will not help improve U.S.-Canada relations. Even before taking office in January 2025, Trump spoke of making Canada the 51st U.S. state. The president also targeted Canada with his tariffs.

Declassified Bombshell Reveals Just How Far China Went to Help Biden in 2020

Jack Davis — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:08:14 -0700

A new White House report says China has been stealing voter information files for years, and that America’s intelligence community covered it up. The White House shared multiple declassified but partially redacted documents, including one that said China wanted to flood America with fake IDs that would allow otherwise ineligible voters to support former President Joe Biden in 2020. “Over a period of years starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People’s Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history -- resulting in China’s illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files,” the White House said. “This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare. The intelligence even shows that China assigned a data exploitation unit specifically to this new project,” the White House wrote.

White House declassified emails showing that NSA members deliberately hid intel assessments from President Trump in 2020 that China was trying to influence the election in favor of Biden:
"Deliberately massaged our one pending Presidential Daily Briefing." pic.twitter.com/YqfW0xSXlM — Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 17, 2026

“Members of the Deep State in our intelligence agencies worked to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling -- covering it up from both the President and the American People,” the White House wrote. “U.S. spy agencies began learning about the compromise of voter registration files in 2020, when they discovered that tens of millions of voters’ data in 18 states had been bought, stolen, or hacked by China. Yet those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information hidden,” the report added. One FBI document noted that China wanted to play a role in electing former President Joe Biden. “In late August 2020, the Chinese government had produced a large amount of fraudulent United States drivers licenses that were secretly exported to the United States,” the document said. “The fraudulent drivers licenses would allow tens of thousands of Chinese students and immigrants sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party to vote for US Presidential Candidate USPER Joe ((Biden)), despite not being eligible to vote in the United States,” the report said.

Wow. President Trump just released a BOMBSHELL.
China attempted to manufacture fake ballots for Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/3scdbZXqU6 — Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) July 17, 2026

“China had collected private US user data from millions of TikTok accounts, to include name, ID and address, which would allow the Chinese government to use real US persons' information to create the fraudulent drivers license,” the document added. “The fraudulent drivers licenses were to include true ID number and true address of US citizens, making them difficult to detect. China planned to use the fraudulent drivers licenses to account for tens of thousands of mail-in votes,” the document continued. In a video posted to X, President Donald Trump noted that “members of the Deep State in our intelligence agencies worked to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling -- covering it up from both the President and the American People.”

.@POTUS: Compounding the travesty, the second set of documents we are releasing reveals that members of the Deep State in our intelligence agencies worked to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling—covering it up from both… pic.twitter.com/uFl4D39HaL
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 17, 2026

“U.S. spy agencies began learning about the compromise of voter registration files in 2020, when they discovered that tens of millions of voters’ data in 18 states had been bought, stolen, or hacked by China,” he said. “Yet those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information hidden. They did not disclose it to me as president, and to the best of our knowledge, they did not inform Congress,” he said, calling those who hid the information "rogue bureaucrats."