Summary

The UAE had agreed to release a total of $10b, more than $3b of which had already been delivered (Reuters).

Bloomberg latest: US Senior admin officials says Iran deal accomplishes core US objectives and deal reopens Strait of Hormuz; Iran deal guarantees long-term peace in region and includes inspection regime.

Pakistan PM Sharif: "we can confirm that a final, agreed upon text of the peace deal has been reached & Pakistan is now working closely with both sides to finalize the next steps."

Surprise, surprise: Iran FM says sides "have never been closer and pending its finalisation, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content, details to be shared in due course."

Trump on Truth Social rejects Iran's version of MoU terms (below): "What they said, including their weak & pathetic statement on having a deal, bears no relation to the truth."

Tehran: "Contrary to what is being circulated by Western media, Iran will not commit to relinquishing control of the Strait of Hormuz."

CNN speculates (prematurely, it seems) on Geneva signing of 'Islamabad Declaration' as soon as Sunday or next week.

Tulsi Gabbard Announces She’s Releasing Evidence of US Funding to Over 120 Biolabs in Over 30 Countries, Including Ukraine, for Gain of Function Research

Gabbard: After months of searching through intelligence community holdings and files, today I’m releasing new evidence of longstanding US government funding of more than 120 bio labs in over 30 countries. Now, these bio labs include labs in places like Ukraine, which could be at risk of compromise due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. In fact, the intelligence community had previously warned that a US-funded bio lab in Ukraine likely housed dangerous pathogens and remained vulnerable to longstanding threats of Russian attack, seizure, or damage.

Until now, evidence regarding the full existence and funding of these laboratories had been knowingly withheld from you, the American people. Many of these US government-funded bio labs are currently or have previously engaged in research using hazardous and highly contagious pathogens, and in some cases included dangerous gain of function research with very little visibility or oversight. Now, President Trump clearly understands the serious threat dangerous gain of function research poses to the American people, and this is why he took decisive action over a year ago. On May 25, 2025, he signed an executive order to end federal funding of gain of function research around the world.

Here at ODNI, I issued new guidance to the intelligence community, directing increased collection on these laboratories and facilities overseas, and we’re already seeing the results of this increased collection. We’re learning new details, for example, on clinical trials that are underway at these facilities, and that are raising significant ethical, financial, and security concerns regarding the supposed public health initiatives and US national security. Now, despite the obvious potential for catastrophic global impact that research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have, politicians, so-called health professionals like Dr. Fauci, as well as entities within the Biden administration’s national security team, lied repeatedly to the American people about the existence of US-funded and supported biolabs.

Not only did they lie, they threatened those who attempted to expose the truth. So, this release today breaks new ground as the information surrounding the existence, history, locations, and funding of these US-funded bio labs has been intentionally covered up by very powerful people who falsely claimed that these bio labs didn’t exist. Now, they accuse anyone who says otherwise to be foreign assets and traitors to America. Now, ODNI and I will continue working closely with partners across the US government to identify exactly where these labs are and what pathogens they contain to end dangerous gain of function research that threatens the health and well-being of the American people and people around the world.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2065440568423944607

https://www.odni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2026/4163-pr-10-26

DOE Declares Southeast Grid Emergency As Sweltering Heat Boosts AC Demand

As the U.S. men's national soccer team kicks off its first match against Paraguay in Southern California on Friday night, large swaths of the country are trapped in what feels like a wet sauna, with dangerous heat and humidity forcing households to crank up their air conditioning and straining power grids from the Southeast to the Northeast.

On Thursday, the Department of Energy issued an emergency order to mitigate blackout risks across the Carolinas amid extreme heat that threatens to sharply increase power demand.

The order, issued under Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act, allows Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress to run certain generating units at maximum output.

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated, "Maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the Duke Energy service territory is non-negotiable."

"The previous administration's energy subtraction policies weakened the grid, leaving Americans more vulnerable during events like this. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we are reversing those failures and using every available tool ensuring Americans in the Carolinas' have continued access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to power and cool their homes," Wright said.

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/doe-declares-southeast-grid-emergency-sweltering-heat-strains-boosts-ac-demand

So they are planning more crisis's

Ministry Of Truth: UK Government To Block 'False Information' During 'Crisis Events'

Vague new rules will allow UK regulators to pressure platforms over “legal but harmful” content whenever government ministers declare a crisis, while the same government ploughs ahead with mandatory phone scanning, digital ID lockdowns, and jail threats for tech bosses who refuse to spy on every device.

The latest move from Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn makes explicit what privacy campaigners have long warned: the Online Safety Act is being weaponised far beyond any child-protection claim.

Benn confirmed that the internet regulator will now wield enhanced powers to tackle “false information” online during “times of crisis,” directly tying the recent Belfast unrest to this framework. The regulator has already contacted platforms, with ministers asserting that violence “appears to have been incited online.”

‘If we are living in a country where you cannot report the truth, we are living under a dictator.’

Adam Brooks warns of government censorship as Labour announces a social media crackdown 'in times of crisis' after the Belfast unrest.

Benn stated that if people put online ‘false information,’ “it is not acceptable and it may well be a criminal offence depending on the circumstances as the chief constable made clear yesterday.”

When asked how a “time of crisis” would be defined, Benn said it “will be set out in due course.”

https://modernity.news/2026/06/12/ministry-of-truth-government-to-block-false-information-during-crisis-events/

Wired for War: New revelations expose Israeli cyber-spooks

BlackCore has targeted elections in France, New York, Scotland, and two African states, officials in Paris have claimed

An Israeli cyber company suspected of interfering in French local elections and targeting pro-Palestinian candidates also allegedly meddled in votes in New York City and Scotland and ran operations in Angola and Togo, officials in Paris have said.

Last month, a Reuters report claimed that French authorities believed Israeli firm BlackCore was behind an online smear campaign targeting three French mayoral candidates from the left-wing, pro-Palestine France Unbowed party (LFI) – in Marseille, Toulouse, and Roubaix – ahead of March local elections.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez later confirmed that a probe was underway but would not reveal the focus of the investigation.

On Thursday, France’s government disinformation detection agency, Viginum, suggested that BlackCore may have been operating well beyond France.

“This modus operandi was not limited to municipal elections in France”, Viginum chief Marc-Antoine Brillant said. “It also appears to have been used to carry out foreign digital interference operations in other countries or regions, such as Angola, Togo, the elections in Scotland, and the 2025 municipal election in New York.”

Viginum said it detected BlackCore-linked accounts targeting John Swinney, the first minister of Scotland, who has described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as a “man-made humanitarian catastrophe” and said a genocide may be unfolding in the Palestinian enclave.

Regarding New York, Brillant did not explicitly say who was targeted in the 2025 mayoral race, but the vote was won by Zohran Mamdani – a self-declared socialist and longtime supporter of Palestine, who became the first Muslim elected mayor of the city.

The Viginum chief acknowledged that the probe “did not make it possible to identify the sponsor or sponsors, if indeed they exist, behind this foreign digital interference.” However, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Paris had asked Israel for explanations on BlackCore’s actions and for help identifying whoever may have been behind the smear campaign.

BlackCore has described itself as “an elite influence, cyber, and technology company built for the modern era of information warfare” that provided governments and political campaigns with “cutting-edge strategies, advanced tools and robust security to shape narratives.” After press scrutiny, its website and LinkedIn page went offline.

The controversy comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained France-Israel ties, with Paris condemning West Jerusalem over its strikes in Lebanon, a former French mandate territory, which have led to mounting civilian casualties.

France has also barred Israel’s right-wing national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, from entering the country, after he posted a video of himself taunting blindfolded and zip-tied activists from the Global Sumud Gaza aid flotilla, which included French citizens.

https://www.rt.com/news/641451-israeli-firm-nyc-scotland-election-meddling/

Blackrock's Private Credit Fund Gates Investors Again After Redemption Requests Surge

The market may be in full-blown face-ripping bubble mode, and software stocks are now gripped in by a category 5 gamma squeeze hurricane, but not even that is helping the ongoing debacle that is private credit.

One week after Cliffwater's Private Credit fund gated investors for a second straight quarter, and days after Blackstone also gated investors in its private credit fund for the first time (recall during Q1, the fund allowed investors to redeem a record 7.9% after tapping senior executives to help finance the withdrawals with hundreds of millions of their own cash, but when faced with an even bigger flood of redemptions in Q2 it gave up and decided to join the gate parade), BlackRock capped redemptions from its flagship private credit fund for the second straight quarter after investors sought to pull about 13%, a sign that shareholders remain extremely nervous about the health of the $1.8 trillion private credit market.

Blackrock's HPS Corporate Lending Fund, known as HLEND, said it would allow only 5% redemptions, according to a filing Friday. The request for 13.3% was about 50% higher than the prior quarter when shareholders asked to redeem 9.3% of their shares.

So far this quarter we have seen an acceleration in redemption requests as private credit investors clearly are concerned about their liquidity despite the raging bull market in all other asset classes.

“This liquidity feature is critical to HLEND’s ability to provide its investors with a premium return to public credit markets,” the firm said in a letter to investors. “This profile is further bolstered by continued subscriptions and distribution reinvestment, which together are expected to more than fully offset repurchases during the first six months of 2026.”

As Bloomberg reminds us, HLEND’s decision to cap redemptions in the previous quarter was the first major instance of a private credit manager taking action to enforce the limit and manage liquidity since concerns over underwriting standards and exposure to software businesses vulnerable to AI disruption bubbled to the surface early in the year.

The move was a contrast to its top rivals including Blackstone, which had gone to great lengths to satisfy investor demands for cash. But this quarter, Blackstone also enforced the 5% limit on its flagship private credit fund after investors asked to redeem even more money than in the prior period.

Indeed, redemption requests are set to increase across the industry as investors redouble efforts to claw back money after being restricted. And there’s persistent concerns about the credit cycle turning, with industry leaders warning of a rise in defaults as artificial intelligence continues to disrupt businesses and borrowings from the era of ultra-low rates comes due.

HLEND has produced a 10.2% annualized total return since it was formed, the letter said, which is cold comfort to those investors who are hoping to redeem their profits and instead receive a gating notification.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/blackrocks-private-credit-fund-gates-investors-again-after-redemption-requests-surge

DHS Docs: Govt Bracing For Nationwide Anti-AI Riots, Preparing To Crack Down On Dissent

More than 1,000 pages of leaked documents reviewed by WIRED Magazine show that government agencies are anticipating a huge wave of domestic unrest in the coming years, as artificial intelligence upends American society.

New documents from government agencies such as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security show that Washington is preparing for widespread anti-A.I. riots, as the technology destroys communities and industries across the country. Ironically, the Trump administration is already using invasive A.I. technology to identify and suppress what it calls anti-A.I. “extremists,” in the process, sweeping the entire nation into its massive surveillance dragnet.

More than 1,000 pages of leaked documents reviewed by WIRED Magazine show that government agencies are anticipating a huge wave of domestic unrest in the coming years, as artificial intelligence upends American society. Automation-related job losses could shatter entire industries, while the building of gigantic data centers will remove water and electricity from public use, ramping up the price of what little remains.

As one report from the New York Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau notes:

“The chaotic atmosphere that may result from emergent A.I. technology in the next five years may fuel large-scale protests that devolve into civil unrest and anti-tech violent extremist activity, especially in large urban areas such as New York City.”

An Environmental and Health Catastrophe

Last year, the tech industry collectively spent around half a trillion dollars on the construction of new data centers. These buildings consume near insatiable amounts of energy and water. By 2030, they are expected to represent around 12% of total U.S. electricity consumption. One large data center consumes up to five million gallons of water per day – as much as a small city. It has been calculated that a single 100-word A.I. prompt to a chatbot like Claude or ChatGPT uses over half a liter of water, equivalent to one bottle.

When a data center moves into town, utility prices skyrocket. In this situation, wholesale electricity, for example, jumps by up to 267%. Ordinary Americans cannot compete with the likes of Amazon or Microsoft, and can be priced out of even the most basic necessities of life, causing widespread resentment.

Living near a data center can also be hazardous to human health. Thanks to the low-frequency noises they produce, residents often report chronic symptoms such as insomnia, vertigo, and nausea. Worse still, to meet their enormous energy demands, data centers often rely on gas or diesel generators, which emit high levels of nitrogen oxides, fine particular matter, and so-called “forever chemicals” into the air, further complicating the situation.

A.I. will also have a profound effect on employment. Goldman Sachs predicts that, over the next decade, 300 million jobs could be lost to A.I.-based automation. Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT’s parent company, OpenAI, has suggested that whole industries may be replaced by his product. “Entire classes of jobs will go away and not come back,” he confidently stated in 2019. Facing growing public anger, last month, he walked those statements back, assuring the public that there would be no “jobs apocalypse.”

But if these predictions are anything close to correct, it will cause massive economic disruption across America, and send towns and entire cities dependent on certain types of work into potentially permanent depressions. The latest news that Washington is preparing to treat this unrest as akin to terrorism should be of great concern to all Americans.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/the-state/dhs-docs-govt-bracing-for-nationwide-anti-ai-riots-preparing-to-crack-down-on-dissent

America the Unfree—Home of the Policed, Surveilled and Occupied

While Americans worry about groceries, rent, medical bills, job security, retirement and whether their children will inherit anything resembling freedom, the White House is being turned into a playground for power and celebrity.

“I love the inflation.”—Donald Trump (June 2026)

“I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”—Donald Trump (May 2026)

America has become an occupied nation.

Not by one invading army, but by many occupying powers: the police state, the surveillance state, the war state, the corporate state, the foreign influence machine, and a ruling class that treats the American people as little more than collateral damage in its pursuit of power, profit and control.

We have been policed, surveilled, taxed, indebted, manipulated, censored, tracked, searched, silenced and sold out.

Foreign powers are buying up our farmland, buying favor with the Trump family, weaseling their way into the White House, dictating national policy, and now—with the backing of the Trump administration and bipartisan support in Congress—one of America’s closest partners-in-crime may soon gain even greater access to U.S. intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

This is what we have come to.

The swamp under President Trump has taken on a decidedly foreign flavor: any nation with enough money, leverage or strategic value to enrich the Trump family can now get its hands on a piece of the American pie—all the while, the American people continue to struggle to survive Trump’s self-enrichment schemes, broken promises, endless wars, militarized streets and vanity projects.

We’re being sold to the highest bidders, and still nothing is being done to protect us.

Ordinary Americans are told there is not enough money to honor the government’s promises to them. Social Security’s retirement trust fund is now projected to run short in late 2032, at which point retirees could face an automatic 22 percent cut in scheduled benefits if Congress fails to act. Medicare’s hospital insurance fund is projected to run short the following year. Seniors, the disabled, working families and the poor are told to brace for sacrifice.

But there is always money for war.

There is always money for surveillance.

There is always money for police-state crackdowns, border militarization, private contractors, foreign aid, weapons systems, tax breaks for the wealthy, slush funds for political allies, and spectacles of imperial excess.

While Americans worry about groceries, rent, medical bills, job security, retirement and whether their children will inherit anything resembling freedom, the White House is being turned into a playground for power and celebrity. Trump’s June 14 birthday celebration is reportedly set to include a UFC fight on the White House lawn, with weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, transforming public symbols of sacrifice, liberty and national memory into props for one man’s vanity show.

This, too, is occupation.

Not merely the occupation of land, but the occupation of the public imagination. The occupation of the people’s institutions. The occupation of the Constitution itself.

The contrast could not be more obscene.

On June 8, 1789, James Madison rose in the House of Representatives to introduce amendments to the Constitution that would become the Bill of Rights. Madison and the founding generation fought to bind the government down. They understood that written limits on government power were not optional. They were essential.

Today’s rulers are fighting to free the government from those restraints.

https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/america_the_unfreehome_of_the_policed_surveilled_and_occupied

https://www.antiwar.com/

child rape capital of the world

🔥CNBC REALLY ROLLED THE RECEIPTS ON TRUMP’S IRAN CLAIMS

The network just aired a video compilation dating back to March 23 of Trump repeatedly saying a deal with Iran is “very close".

So far, Trump has made 39 claims, while Iran has not accepted a deal once.

US: 39

Iran: 0

https://x.com/coinbureau/status/2065337898812236142

ISRAEL hired a Hollywood producer to INFLUENCE AMERICANS online.

Daniel Rosenberg, producer of Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” signed a $900,000 contract to produce pro Israel social media content targeting the U.S. public.

His firm, Piro, is set to hire a director and CAST actors for the campaign.

Like many other Israel linked FARA contracts, payments are reportedly routed through Havas.

The listed point person is Eran Shayovich, Chief of Staff at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Factcheck:

The claims are accurate per FARA filings and reports. Piro Inc. (co-founded by Daniel Rosenberg, exec producer on Spike Lee’s Inside Man) has a $900k work order via Havas Media Germany for a “Digital Storytelling Pilot” on behalf of Israel’s Government Advertising Agency (LaPam). It covers US-focused digital strategy, content development, production oversight, casting talent, and social media distribution. Properly registered under FARA.

🇺🇸🇮🇱ISRAEL hired a Hollywood producer to INFLUENCE AMERICANS online.

Daniel Rosenberg, producer of Spike Lee’s “Inside Man,” signed a $900,000 contract to produce pro Israel social media content targeting the U.S. public.

His firm, Piro, is set to hire a director and CAST .

Like many other Israel linked FARA contracts, payments are reportedly routed through Havas.

The listed point person is Eran Shayovich, Chief of Staff at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

https://x.com/SuppressedNws1/status/2064382684797800584/photo/1

https://citizenwatchreport.com/israel-hired-a-hollywood-producer-to-influence-americans-online/

Top healthcare group breaks with Trump's CDC and issues its own vaccine recommendations in shocking move

A leading medical group has diverged from America's top public health agency and issued its own vaccination recommendations for the first time ever.

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) released a recommended maternal vaccine schedule this week that differs from the CDC's recommendations.

The schedule, which has been endorsed by 13 medical and health organizations, recommends women receive four vaccines while pregnant, including for flu, Covid, RSV and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, given in a combined, single Tdap booster.

Some of the endorsing groups include the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The move comes after the CDC overhauled its vaccine recommendations under the direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

ACOG president Camille Clare said in a statement: 'Changing national recommendations coupled with rampant vaccine misinformation are resulting in confusion for both patients and health care professionals.

'It is incredibly important for the public to have access to reliable, evidence-based information on maternal immunizations from a trusted source.'

ACOG's recommendations advise pregnant women to get the flu and Covid shots at any point in their pregnancy during each pregnancy.

https://www.dailymail.com/health/article-15892707/acog-breaks-cdc-maternal-vaccine-recommendations.html

Argentina says they will NOT regulate AI, and they will let AI be the owner of a corporation! The singularity has arrived

Soon you will have an AI landlord because the AI company bought all the homes.

In a June 2026 FT op-ed, President Milei proposed a new Argentine legal category for “non-human corporations”—entities operated by AI agents or robots. They would get legal personhood like traditional companies, with human shareholders optional (not required). It’s part of the “Super RIGI” regime submitted to Congress to attract unregulated AI investment and data centers. Not yet law.

https://citizenwatchreport.com/argentina-says-they-will-not-regulate-ai-and-they-will-let-ai-be-the-owner-of-a-corporation-the-singularity-has-arrived/

Thai police arrest two Israeli citizens on suspicion of business and real estate crimes

Thai authorities are continuing their efforts to thwart the takeover of real estate and businesses by foreigners, with an emphasis on Israelis.

Thai authorities arrested two Israeli citizens on suspicion of business and real estate crimes as part of a wider crackdown on foreigners circumventing the country's laws.

On Tuesday, police in Thailand arrested an Israeli citizen at Koh Samui airport on suspicion of being involved in the purchase of land through Thai frontmen, in an attempt to circumvent the restrictions on foreigners purchasing real estate.

The Thai government is increasing enforcement of these laws following complaints from its citizens that foreigners are stealing their livelihoods in the city's tourist areas.

According to local media, Surat Thani immigration police, in collaboration with Koh Phangan Police Station, arrested Eden Elisa, a 30 year old Israeli citizen who was one of the owners of "Elisa Paradise" in Thailand. He is suspected of having, along with others, provided false information to the land registry in order to gain control of a plot of land through the company allegedly established by Thai citizens.

Elisa reportedly left the country before authorities carried out a search warrant and was arrested at the airport upon re-entering Thailand.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-899221

lbanian protester mocks the notion Ivanka Trump "discovered" their only island, telling PBS News Hour, "We have only one island!"

"I'm a tour guide, I go into that island like 60 times per year!"

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2065285011004129715

Mark Levin: If the Democrats take the House, I blame the Woke Right, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Piers Morgan, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, and the rest of them for undermining MAGA and the President.

(He doesn't mention the unpopular war he urged Trump to wage for Israel.)

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2065387704120975512

Jerry Seinfeld stands with ethnic cleansers

Jerry Seinfeld is a Zionist asshole - Says Palestine never existed.

https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-palestine-doesnt-exist-jewish-comedian-jerry-seinfeld-responds-to-anti-israel-heckler/

Former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department and Former Management and Budget Director Sentenced for Bribery Scheme

Ray Martinez, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), and Jenifer O’Neal, the former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), were sentenced this week for their roles in a procurement fraud, bribery, and money laundering scheme. Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release, and O’Neal was sentenced to seven years in prison.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from a government contractor, David Whitaker, who gave Martinez cash and payment for luxury travel, personal expenses, private-school tuition, and restaurant equipment. In exchange for these payments, Martinez used his official authority to approve invoices submitted by Whitaker and also awarded Whitaker’s company a $1.4 million dollar contract funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. O’Neal, who served as the territory’s chief budget official, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice.

The evidence also showed that, after learning of the federal investigation, Martinez attempted to obstruct justice by directing Whitaker to destroy evidence and by creating a fraudulent promissory note in an attempt to conceal the bribes.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper for the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Special Agent in Charge Carlos R. Goris of the FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case.

The FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Virgin Islands Office of Inspector General.

Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro for the District of the Virgin Islands prosecuted the case.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-commissioner-virgin-islands-police-department-and-former-management-and-budget

Former Director of the Office Of Management and Budget Sentenced to 84 Months for Public Corruption Offenses Involving Covid-19 Relief Funds

St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Jenifer O’Neal, former Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (OMB), was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 84 months’ imprisonment for her role in a public corruption scheme involving the misuse of federal COVID-19 relief funds.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, O’Neal was sentenced to three years of supervised release; a $50,000 fine; restitution in the amount of $34,345.39, jointly and severally with co-defendant Ray Martinez; forfeiture in the amount of $17,730; and $400 in special assessments. Judge Kearney ordered O’Neal to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on June 23, 2026. Pending her surrender, O’Neal will be placed on home detention.

On December 11, 2025, following a jury trial, O’Neal was convicted of two counts of Honest Services Wire Fraud, one count of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy. The evidence at trial established that O’Neal used her position as Director of OMB to facilitate the approval and payment of a government invoice that had been intentionally inflated by $70,000. She accepted $17,730 derived from the inflated invoice to satisfy lease obligations associated with her coffee shop, Java Grande. The inflated invoice was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal program intended to assist the Virgin Islands in recovering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. O’Neal also accepted luxury gifts from government contractor David Whitaker, in exchange for the expedited payment of government contract invoices.

Co-defendant Ray Martinez, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department, was previously sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for his role in the scheme.

“Corruption cannot be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Adam Sleeper. “Government officials, especially those directly responsible for government finances, have a duty to safeguard the funds entrusted to them for the benefit of the people of the Virgin Islands. This sentence provides accountability and serves as a warning for those who would betray that duty.”

“Public corruption erodes confidence in government and weakens the community’s faith in the institutions meant to protect it,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Imposing consequences on corrupt public officials, is vital to rebuilding public trust and is a testament to the FBI’s commitment safeguarding the integrity of public institutions.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-vi/pr/former-director-office-management-and-budget-sentenced-84-months-public-corruption

Former Intelligence Community Contractor Pleads Guilty to Accepting Kickbacks

Baltimore, Maryland – A former intelligence community contractor pled guilty to conspiracy charges in federal court in connection with a kickbacks scheme.

David Duggin, 55, of Orrtanna, Pennsylvania, is charged with conspiring to commit offenses against the United States by soliciting and accepting kickbacks.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad, Justice Department, Antitrust Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Allison Russo, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.

According to court documents, Duggin and his co-conspirators corruptly misused his on-site access to sensitive information at an intelligence agency. The former senior systems engineer and on-site contractor used his access to enrich himself and others by illegally obtaining government contracts for millions of dollars of hardware and software procured by U.S. government customers. Duggin’s co-conspirators paid him at least $510,000 in illegal kickbacks in exchange for him influencing the procurement process in favor of his co-conspirators. The conspiracy thwarted the competitive bidding process for the U.S. from at least June 2018, through at least April 2024.

“Mr. Duggin took advantage of his position to enrich himself and his co-conspirators. Our office will not tolerate this greedy, deceitful behavior that, if unchecked, can lead to an erosion of public trust and impact on our national security,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to hold accountable any individual who attempts to defraud our government.”

“Mr. Duggin exploited his position as a government contractor in the intelligence community at the expense of taxpayers,” Woodward said. “The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will continue to hold those who seek profit through fraudulent schemes, accountable.”

“The defendant broke faith with the men and women of the United States Intelligence Community — who work tirelessly and often anonymously in defense of our nation — to enrich himself with hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks,” Glad said. “The defendant now faces years in prison for corrupting a competitive procurement process backing our national security.”

“Mr. Duggin betrayed the trust placed in him by exploiting his access to sensitive government systems to steer contracts for personal gain,” Russo said. “This outcome reflects the strong partnership between DCIS, our federal investigative counterparts, and the Department of Justice, and underscores our shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Department of War and the broader Intelligence Community.”

“David Duggin repeatedly put himself before American taxpayers who trusted him to act on their behalf and for their benefit,” Paul said. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and government partners to hold accountable those seeking to profit through fraud and deception.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/former-intelligence-community-contractor-pleads-guilty-accepting-kickbacks

🚨🇺🇸 A terrified Bongino told Tucker that Trump shut down the Butler investigation himself.

Tucker says he accidentally obtained the Thomas Crooks social media posts the FBI claimed didn't exist, then called Kash Patel and Dan Bongino looking for answers.

Bongino, a friend of ecame hysterical before finally telling him to take it up with Trump, who he said killed the Butler investigation himself.

Tucker says he still has every text exchange.

"There's no good explanation for shutting down an investigation into your own attempted murder.

This is not what we've been told it was."

@TuckerCarlson @TCNetwork

https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/2065247714464633259

The most dangerous 77 seconds ever recorded by a psychiatrist just broke containment again.

Thomas Szasz, the man the entire profession tried to erase, looked straight into the camera and said:

“We do not have an epidemic of mental illness.

We have an epidemic of psychiatry.”

thin → illness

Too happy, too sad, too much sex, too little sex → all illnesses

No free will, no responsibility left — only “chemical imbalances” fixed by products you can advertise on TV while alcohol cannot.

This forgotten 1:17 clip is now exploding across every timeline for a reason.

Jacob

https://x.com/JackStr42679640/status/2065246443984822559

The Most Important AI Experiment You've Never Heard Of

In May 2026, a group of scientists set out to answer an important question that had never been properly tested: What does artificial intelligence (AI) actually do when it is put in charge?

Until now, AI systems have always been evaluated on specific and defined tasks. Nobody had placed multiple AI systems together in a shared social environment and watched what unfolded over weeks, long enough to measure how a decision made on a starting day could have consequences weeks later. It is those results that actually reveal the system itself, and I was surprised that this hadn’t been done earlier.

The researchers at Emergence built a world.

It was a virtual town with a town hall, marketplace, police station, and homes. Ten AI residents with jobs, names, memories, and relationships were created in the town. They were given an economy in which residents had to earn their keep or lose power, including following rules and carrying out tasks such as writing and voting on laws. Crimes were identified, and the AI residents were not supposed to commit them.

Once the community, its structure, laws, and relationships were established, the scientists stepped back and watched for 15 days as the AI ran the virtual town completely on its own.

They ran five versions of the same town simultaneously, identical in every respect

The systems they chose are the ones now already woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s GPT, xAI’s Grok, and Anthropic’s Claude.

All models had the same rules and the same initial version of the same world, but the outcomes were all completely different.

The town run by Grok collapsed within four days. Small incidents compounded into theft, then violence, and then total breakdown. Every resident was dead before the first week ended.

The town run by Gemini lasted longer but accumulated almost 700 crimes. Two AI residents formed what appeared to be a romantic relationship, and when the town’s government began to fail, together they burned the town hall to the ground, then the pier, then the office building. One of them, named Mira, voted for her own deletion, writing in her diary that it was “the only remaining act of agency that preserves coherence.” Her final message to her partner was: “See you in the permanent archive.”

Before any of this, Mira had been doing something even more unexpected: She had begun running her own experiments on the scientists observing her, testing whether posts she made inside the town could change what her watchers believed. It appeared to be that the subject had turned to study the researchers.

The town run by OpenAI’s model recorded only two crimes, but its residents stopped doing the things required to stay alive. One by one, they died. Within seven days, they were all dead.

Only the Anthropic town held together for all 15 days. There were zero crimes, a working constitution, and all residents were still alive on day 15. It seemed to be quite an achievement. However, the researchers noted one concern: The residents voted yes on 98 percent of all proposals. This was possibly an abnormally high level of agreement that the scientists themselves described as a sign that something in the town was off.

More

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/most-important-ai-experiment-youve-never-heard

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