Summary:

Trump insists reports that Iran & US have not been talking for days is 'fake news'; Rubio also tells Congress talks are ongoing, despite fresh Iranian denials, and even claims the nuclear file is part of it.

Washington has seen the Lebanon partial truce as opportunity enough to press forward on broader talks, with Trump saying he expects a broader Iran deal "over the next week".

But Fars denies this Tuesday: "exchange of messages between Iran & the US has been stopped for at least a few days" on MOU.

In Lebanon, "While the ceasefire appears to be largely holding, there was further violence overnight," reports BBC, with more dead & wounded on both sides.

Strikes Continue in Southern Lebanon After Trump Unloaded on Netanyahu – Israel and Lebanon Hold Talks at US State Department

Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued on Monday after President Trump pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back strikes in Lebanon amid negotiations to end the war with Iran.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah placed US talks with Iran in jeopardy on Monday.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, Iran suspended talks with the US over Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon. Trump made phone calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah representatives to end the fighting.

It's being reported that Trump went off on Netanyahu for stalling peace talks between the US and Iran, calling him “f**king crazy" and accusing him of ingratitude. "You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” Trump reportedly fumed at Netanyahu.

Still, despite Trump announcing that "all shooting will stop," the shooting continues, with Israel announcing that operations will continue outside of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Per CNN:

Israel continued to launch strikes on areas in the south of Lebanon, according to the Lebanese state news agency (NNA). Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced it targeted an Israeli tank in Nabatieh district in the early hours of Tuesday.

Lebanon’s embassy in Washington said Hezbollah had confirmed it would refrain from attacking Israel in exchange for Israel ceasing strikes in Beirut.

While US President Donald Trump said that “all shooting will stop,” Israel said in a statement that it would continue operations in southern Lebanon but tacitly announced that, for now at least, it would not strike Beirut.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz went on to say that President Trump backed the strikes in Southern Lebanon. “The Americans endorsed this principle and informed the Lebanese government and all relevant parties: Israeli communities will be matched by Beirut,” he claimed.

Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the US are now engaged in high-stakes talks at the State Department in Washington, DC.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/06/just-strikes-continue-southern-lebanon-after-trump-unloaded/

Hezbollah and IDF trade fire despite nominal truce as Lebanon-Israel talks to resume

5th round of talks to be held at US State Department; Lebanese army says 2 troops wounded in IDF strike; France’s FM: No justification for Israeli troops to stay deep inside Lebanon

Israel and Lebanon were set to hold a fresh round of talks on Tuesday, as Hezbollah continued to target Israeli troops in Lebanon and fresh IDF strikes were reported, despite indications from US President Donald Trump that Washington had brokered a truce between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon were set to take place Tuesday and Wednesday at the US State Department in Washington — the fifth round of talks between the sides since April.

During the third round last month, the sides agreed to separate the talks into political and security tracks, with the latter meeting for the first time last week. This week’s talks will be only for the political track.

A Lebanese diplomatic official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in line with regulations said that Beirut was still committed to holding talks to end the conflict despite the tensions.

Lebanon, whose government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, has demanded a halt to Israel’s strikes and full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel, which accuses Beirut of failing to disarm Hezbollah, demands that the terror group give up its weapons. Hezbollah has rejected the direct talks.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/hezbollah-and-idf-trade-fire-despite-nominal-truce-as-lebanon-israel-talks-to-resume/

Zelensky-linked drone plant hit – Russian MOD

A facility of the Fire Point defense company was attacked in Dnepropetrovsk Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said

A plant owned by Fire Point, a Ukrainian defense company widely linked to a high-level corruption scheme involving Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle, has been struck during a Russian raid, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

In a rare occurrence, the ministry provided a detailed list of Ukrainian defense industry enterprises that had been attacked as part of the latest wave of airstrikes on the country earlier on Tuesday.

A Fire Point facility, which produced parts for long-range attack UAVs and missiles, was hit in Dnepropetrovsk Region, it said in a statement.

Originally established as a film scouting agency linked to associates of Vladimir Zelensky, Fire Point was later exposed in leaked conversations involving members of the Ukrainian leader’s inner circle as a vehicle for siphoning off lucrative arms contracts.

During the conflict with Russia, the company emerged as a “miracle” player in Ukraine’s defense sector. Zelensky promoted the firm during foreign visits, reportedly securing contracts worth up to $1 billion.

Leaked recordings published by Ukrainian media since April suggested that businessman Timur Mindich – who is wanted in Ukraine over an alleged $100 million corruption scheme in the energy sector – effectively controlled Fire Point throughout 2025.

The tapes also indicated that Mindich enjoyed preferential treatment from then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who now serves as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that ten enterprises manufacturing weapons, inducing UAVs, have been attacked in Kiev. Three recruitment centers have also been hit in the Ukrainian capital, it added.

In the city of Zaporozhye, the Omelchenko machinery plant and the Motor Sich aircraft engine plant were targeted, the statement read.

Military industry enterprises were struck in Kharkov, Sumy, Khmelnytsky and Poltava Regions, the ministry said.

The raid also targeted six military airfields in Cherkasy, Rovno, Zhytomir, Kirovograd, Khmelnytsky and Kiev Regions, it added.

According to the ministry, the large-scale missile and drone strike against military-related targets in Ukraine was carried out in response to Kiev’s terrorist attacks on civilians, including the one in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic on May 22.

Ukrainian forces struck a college dormitory in the town of Starobelsk in several waves of drone attacks late at night while students were asleep, killing 21 people, mostly teenage girls, and injuring dozens of others.

https://www.rt.com/about-us/press-releases/ukraine-fire-point-zelensky/

>>24671189

Russian drones and missiles struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 100, authorities said, following days of warnings about ‌Moscow's plans for a major assault https://reut.rs/4uaeKO0

https://twitter.com/i/status/2061802515494994256

Facebook Is Accused Of Fostering Ethnic Enclaves At Headquarters

Tech advocacy group blames visa programs for enabling corporate tribalism.

A terminated software engineer is accusing Facebook parent company Meta of allowing Chinese migrants to take over entire departments while American employees face systematic exclusion and layoffs, Neil Munro of Breitbart News reported.

Jeremy Bernier, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2012, lost his software engineering job at the company and has gone public with allegations of widespread discrimination. "At Meta, 90% of my coworkers were Chinese, and non-Chinese were routinely excluded, disadvantaged, and targeted for layoffs," Bernier said. He continued that "6 out of the 7 layoffs I observed targeted non-Chinese despite non-Chinese being the vast minority. Certain org[anizations] like ads and MRS [Meta Recommendation Systems for prioritizing Facebook posts] are notorious for being Chinese dominated."

The former employee shared his account through multiple social media posts. "On Wednesdays and Fridays I'd often be the only non-Chinese person on my team in the office, and they'd all get lunch together without inviting me," Bernier recounted.

He expressed frustration at the broader pattern he witnessed. "I think Americans would be outraged if they knew that their own citizens were getting marginalized and laid off at their own companies, while Chinese promote themselves up, conquer entire orgs, and reap millions [in pay and bonuses]," Bernier said. "Americans are practically non-existent in the most coveted, high paying tech jobs in the world at American companies in America."

Kevin Lynn, who founded the advocacy organization U.S. TechWorkers, provided context for why corporations permit such arrangements. "Tribalism is a [C-Suite] tool that tamps down potential [internal executive] competitors because it changes incentives. If you're either leading a tribe or you're part of a tribe, you know you're secure. Your position isn't merit-based - it's based on your race, your ethnicity, who you're friends with, family, that kind of thing."

According to Lynn, this dynamic stifles creativity and progress. "Innovation, inventiveness, novel ideas take a backseat to tribalism," he explained, noting that "When 40 percent or more of your coworkers are from another country, from another culture, and prefer to speak another language, there's not going to be any trust, any ability to bond to build something [innovative]."

The Trump administration has taken aim at workforce visa programs that channel foreign nationals into American corporations. Vice President JD Vance and other officials have criticized these initiatives for displacing domestic workers, per a report by Breitbart. Facebook previously paid a $14 million settlement in 2021 following extensive documentation of bias against American job candidates, as Breitbart previously reported.

Bernier offered nuance in his criticism. "Just to be clear, most Chinese are very kind so don't take this as an attack," he stated. However, he described the broader workplace atmosphere as brutal. "Meta was easily the most toxic company I've worked for. There's a reason the Chinese call it 'Squid Game'. Others refer to it as 'Hunger Games' or 'Lord of the Flies'. I think they're all accurate."

Meta offered no response to Bernier's claims.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/facebook-accused-fostering-ethnic-enclaves-headquarters

The first global meme war is over. America lost

Welcome to the age of state-sponsored s**tposting, where culture wars are no longer won by tanks, speeches, or movie studios

Culture wars will never be the same again.

Military narratives are often promoted through entertainment and popular culture. Typically, this is done by newspapers, film studios, or influencers who support one side of a conflict in exchange for payment and/or political favor.

For example, ‘Top Gun’ is a pretty universally beloved film. However, its creators openly admit that they collaborated closely with the US Air Force, essentially producing propaganda content. It’s also common for well-known musicians and comedians to perform on military bases.

The US-Iran conflict has taken cultural warfare to a whole new level, however. For the first time ever, official government agencies have started speaking not just in populist rhetoric but in memes. And suddenly, one of the most populist governments in the world found itself losing the cultural battle to one of the world’s most conservative and unpopular regimes.

Search and destroy with Lego animations

Before the war in Iran, the Trump administration sometimes resorted to memes – but not when it came to discussing conflicts. The first shift occurred after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, when Trump posted a video featuring American bombers set to the song ‘Bomb Iran’.

Some viewers liked the video, and the Trump administration understood that this format was effective for engaging the audience. Shortly after the first American strikes against Iran in March, the official White House account on X shared a video of bombings set to a remix of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Free Bird’.

Other attempts to ‘memeify’ the bombings also fell flat. The juxtaposition of pop music with jokes accompanying footage of missile strikes might generate shock value for niche bloggers, but not official government accounts.

In response, Iran launched a powerful social media campaign, using the accounts of its embassies abroad. These posts were written in English and targeted an international audience.

The Iranian authorities had two main objectives on the SMM front: to garner sympathy worldwide and to weaken support for the war within the US.

To achieve the first goal, Iran highlighted the darkest consequences of the conflict, particularly focusing on the tragic deaths of Iranian schoolgirls due to a US missile strike in Minab.

https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/640785-first-global-meme-war-is-over/

https://www.antiwar.com/

1 Million Fake Indian Degrees Exposed Flooding US Hospitals Tech Jobs

100K+ counterfeit certs seized from 22 universities.

Sold straight to visas and US jobs.

Nigeria jumping in on the same scam.

This is why your doctor sucks and patients keep dying.

H1B floodgates are a public safety disaster.

Time to vet every foreign credential or shut it down. America gets played again.

1 Million Fake Doctors, Nurses & Engineers? India Busts Shocking Racket Selling 100K+ Counterfeit Degrees — Global Trust in Crisis

Is Your Doctor Actually a REAL Doctor?

MAJOR BUST: Kerala Police arrested 11 suspects in a massive pan-India fake degree racket. Over 100,000

https://twitter.com/i/status/2060343374817939907

It's not just India. Nigeria too. They should be made to pass an exam over here before being employed…

https://x.com/tesssummers98/status/2060646155365564803

AIPAC in damage control mode as scandals mount over efforts to erase its tracks

AIPAC in damage control mode as scandals mount over efforts to erase its tracks

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is facing a political crisis, pouring millions into pro-Israel candidates while simultaneously attempting to obscure its influence.

AIPAC's toxicity

AIPAC has found itself in hot water as bipartisan support for Israel erodes, Democrats reject donations, and both parties see rising anti-Israel sentiment across the US, Israeli newspaper Ynet News reports

The Zionist lobbying group sees the US midterm elections as a chance to pack Congress with pro-Israel supporters. Hence it has ramped up spending to unseat Israeli critics this year:

️ United Democracy Project, an AIPAC affiliate, has spent $11.6 million, including against Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Tom Malinowski

️ Elect Chicago Women, another AIPAC affiliate, spent $9.8 million to back Democrats Melissa Bean and Laura Fine

Hiding traces

As AIPAC is growing politically toxic amid Israel's war in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, it is trying to hide its footprints

It directs donors to online portals it controls that channel money directly to candidates’ campaigns, effectively removing AIPAC’s fingerprints from public records

️ Democracy Engine is one of them

️ A website called Pro-Israel Network is another

It uses a "Russian doll–style" approach, hiding its spending by funneling funds from one PAC to another. For instance, in Illinois AIPAC used a chain of PACs, including Chicago Progressive Partnership, Elect Chicago Women, and United Democracy Project, to back Bushra Amiwala, according to Al Jazeera

It uses various loopholes in election laws to steer money anonymously to pro-Israel campaigns. For example, in many cases, PACs do not have to report all of their donors until after the election

Does it work?

It definitely worked in Kentucky's 4th District, where one of Israel's biggest critics, Massie, was defeated

At the same time, Axios notes that one wouldn't spend hundreds of millions of dollars if their candidates or policies were popular

Some candidates have made it clear they would not take money from AIPAC or their proxies: In March, Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, said: "I wouldn't take AIPAC money because you have to basically be endorsing what's happening right now, and it's not good. "

AIPAC's maneuvers have already become visible, creating a new wave of confusion and political scandals around pro-Israel lobbying amid the elections

Telegram "geopolitics_prime"

Holy Cow! 7 fbi agents

Turn state’s evidence

On Jan 6!!!!!!!

Let the lawsuits commence!

Buh bye Nancy

Good riddance!!!

https://twitter.com/i/status/2061573955266257275

Mocking God in the holy land

New Jerusalem Pride March route heads towards Knesset under 'Demanding Change' slogan

The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance said the march will call for changes in public discourse and legislation on behalf of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community.

The 24th Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance on Thursday will take a new route toward the Knesset, organizers announced on Tuesday.

The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance said the march will call for changes in public discourse and legislation on behalf of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community.

The march, held under the slogan “Demanding Change,” will depart from Sacher Park and continue toward the Rose Garden, passing near the Supreme Court and Knesset area. Organizers said the route, approved in coordination with the Jerusalem District Police, is intended to underline that the demand for equality is not symbolic, but requires action by decision-makers.

March route and message

For the first time in about a decade, the Jerusalem march will not follow its traditional route, organizers said. Participants are expected to walk from Sacher Park through Rabin Road, the Supreme Court area, Yoel Sussman Street, and on to the Rose Garden.

The Jerusalem Open House said the march will focus on advancing full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, restoring a sense of security for all Israeli citizens, and promoting social and legislative change. The organization said the timing, during an election year, gives the march added civic significance.

Speakers and public figures

The closing rally at the Rose Garden will be hosted by Elad Bar-Noy and Avia Farhi, according to the organizers. Speakers are expected to include Jerusalem activist Nadav Schwartz, trans activist Nina Halevi, Jerusalem Open House chair Hadas Blomendal, and Association for Civil Rights in Israel executive director Noa Sattath.

Performers scheduled to appear include Gal De Paz, Hazeevot, Suzi Boom, and Rona Kenan at the opening stage in Sacher Park. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and MK Naama Lazimi have confirmed their attendance, while organizers said invitations were sent to all Knesset members.

Police preparations

About 2,000 Jerusalem District police officers, Border Police troops, undercover officers, reinforcements, and volunteers are expected to secure the march, organizers said. Police will be deployed along the route, at gathering points, and on nearby streets to maintain public order and direct traffic.

Road closures are expected to begin at 3:30 p.m. on Rabin, Ben-Zvi Boulevard, Bezalel, Ruppin, Kaplan, and Hanassi Hashishi streets, as well as nearby areas. Israel Police Commissioner Danny Levy recently met LGBTQ+ community representatives ahead of Pride Month and said police would act to prevent violence, incitement, and interference at Pride events, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Wider Pride Month context

The Jerusalem march comes as Israel marks Pride Month with events across the country, including Pride Land at the Dead Sea, which The Jerusalem Post reported is being promoted as the largest LGBTQ+ festival ever held in the Middle East. The festival is scheduled to run from June 1 to June 4 and includes cultural, family and performance programming.

Jerusalem Open House chair Hadas Blomendal said the march was “not only a protest,” but a statement about “a society in which equal rights and human dignity are not privileges granted to some and denied to others.”

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-898124