Kamala's private calls SPARK questions
Kamala Harris confirms she privately spoke with New York City mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani as questions swirl about her political future and Democratic strategy. The discussion also examines new Fox News polling and what it could mean for upcoming Senate races
(Why can’t Kamala disappear?)
3:23
https://youtu.be/2CGq0KyQc1k
VERY FRUSTRATED': Trump RAMPS UP pressure on NATO allies
President Trump expresses frustration with NATO allies over their cooperation and military spending. US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker previews next week's summit in Turkey, where Iran talks and F-35 sales to Turkey will be key topics
5:54
https://youtu.be/iS6RtBevjUg
How the Iran War Ignited a Clash Between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed President Trump earlier to cripple Iran. But as Iran asserted its power, the prince urged a cease-fire, and is now pursuing his security priorities.
President Trump and his military commanders were in a bind.
They had announced the start of a new mission to help guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had effectively closed early in the war. U.S. naval and air power would ward off any Iranian attacks during a tentative cease-fire, the commanders said.
But U.S. Central Command was caught by surprise when officials from Saudi Arabia said American forces could not use the kingdom’s air space for the mission, which the Pentagon was calling Project Freedom. The Americans had not consulted the Saudis.
That set off a flurry of tense and urgent phone calls between Washington and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the leader of Saudi Arabia. An outraged Mr. Trump spoke with him on May 4, the first day of the operation, and on the next two days as well, U.S. officials said.
Vice President JD Vance talked to the prince in a separate call, as did Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law. Marco Rubio, the White House national security adviser, spoke to his counterpart.
But the crown prince stood his ground, fearing that the American plan could reignite war. The Trump administration was forced to shut down Project Freedom less than 48 hours after it had begun.
“They had lost confidence in the administration, and they thought if they let the U.S. use their airspace, they would get hit even harder by Iran,” said Hussein Ibish, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
The all-hands campaign by the White House to sway Prince Mohammed, which has not previously been reported, and other crucial moments during the war revealed American and Saudi officials becoming increasingly at odds over how to approach security in the region, particularly with regard to Iran and Israel.
And more and more, the Saudis see the U.S. government as unreliable and even on occasion a risk to Gulf Arab nations.
Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Saudi Arabia has tried to chart a middle course to protect its interests. It gave military and diplomatic support to the United States, and was attacked by Iran.
But the kingdom has also opposed Mr. Trump at critical moments, flexing its muscles when it sensed greater dangers resulting from American and Israeli aggression.
As Mr. Trump tries to navigate diplomacy with Iran, with a focus on Tehran’s nuclear program, Saudi Arabia continues to carry out its own initiatives, veering away from American priorities and moving to strengthen ties with other nations. That includes Pakistan and China, which helped broker a diplomatic opening between the kingdom and Iran in 2023. The Saudi foreign minister is visiting China this week
Because of that opening, Saudi officials are speaking directly to their Iranian counterparts about Iran’s control of the strait, missile arsenal and support for regional militias — all of which the Saudi leadership considers to be a bigger threat than the nuclear issue.
Prince Mohammed has carried out the balancing act all year. He laid out the risks of war to Mr. Trump before the conflict started, then later urged the American president to continue the fighting to destroy the Iranian government, according to people briefed by U.S. officials. (Saudi Arabia has denied this.) But as Iranian power persisted, Prince Mohammed pushed for a settlement…
(https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/us/politics/trump-saudi-crown-prince-iran.html?
user avatar
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
🚨JUST IN: Columbus, Ohio has BACKTRACKED and will NOT raise the Somali flag to "celebrate Somali independence" today — Columbus mayor spokesman
This comes after they DELETED a post that sparked mass outrage
"A social media post created by a city department falsely stated that City Hall would raise the Somalian flag in recognition of Somali Independence Day. While the City recognizes and respects the aspirations of people around the world to live in freedom, this post was inaccurate and has been deleted." — per Columbus Dispatch
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2072415070353506680
John Fetterman Reveals ‘the One Thing’ That Would Make Him Leave Democratic Party
Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) revealed that “the one thing” that would make him leave the Democratic Party would be if it became an “anti-Israel party” and if denying Israel’s “right to defend itself and to exist” became “a formal part of our platform.”
The senator has been unequivocal in his support for Israel and a staunch advocate for the country’s interests in Congress since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since President Donald Trump returned to office, Fetterman has repeatedly criticized fellow Democratic lawmakers’ comments toward the administration and broken with colleagues on some votes – although he votes alongside party lines most of the time.
Despite past reports that Senate Republicans were hoping to flip Fetterman, he has shrugged off the idea of crossing the aisle.
Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Hannity Wednesday night, however, the senator admitted there was one line that, if crossed, would prompt him to leave the Democratic Party, and that concerns Israel.
“My real concern is the Democratic Party is going to put it into the platform, you know, as an anti-Israel party, that Israel does not have the right to defend itself and to exist,” he said. “And the second that becomes a formal part of our platform, that’s the one thing that would push me out of this party.”
“I’m deeply alarmed by the way the Democratic Party is going after Israel and allowing just rank anti-semitism to just flourish, you know, on the left and on the campuses too,” he added.
Fetterman’s comments came as he was pressed on the insurgent wave of progressive and self-described democratic socialist candidates winning primaries, in both Colorado and New York, pushing out long-serving incumbents with campaigns that focus, in part, on opposing U.S. support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
The senator claimed that one thing the new generation of candidates had in “common” was “contempt for Israel” that he said was “essentially” becoming “anti-Semitism.”
(It’s weird because he doesn’t include the US with Israel, doesn’t he not care about US?)
https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/john-fetterman-reveals-the-one-thing-that-would-make-him-leave-democratic-party/
Republican Says Mike Johnson ‘Lies More Than Anyone I’ve Ever Met’ As Chaos Grips House Alex Griffing
Jun 30th, 2026, 4:13 pm
Chaos continued to grip the House GOP on Tuesday as a procedural vote to pass the National Defense Authorization Act was tanked by fourteenRepublicans who refused to advance the desperately needed military funding bill without attaching President Donald Trump’svoter ID bill, the Save Act, to it.
More than a dozen House Republicans tanked a procedural vote for the must-pass defense bill — once again over the GOP’s signature election bill, the SAVE Act.
The House has passed the SAVE Act three times prior,but it lacks the votes in the GOP-led Senate to pass into law. “The SAVE Act has become a recurring source of chaosfor House Republicans, repeatedly derailing procedural votes and stalling unrelated
legislation,” reportedAxios’s Kate Santaliz of the ongoing headache the SAVE Act is causing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Axios listed the Republicans who tanked the vote on the key defense bill needed to ensure the military stays fully funded:
Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (La.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Chip Roy (Texas), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Lauren Bobert(Colo.), Max Miller (Ohio), Victoria Spartz (Ind.), Eric Burlison (Mo.), Andy Harris (Md.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Randy Fine (Fla.), Keith Self (Texas), Mike Turner (Ohio.) and Steve Scalise(La.) — voted against the rule for the National Defense Authorization Act because it doesn’t include an amendment on the SAVE Act.
Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) added some extra vitriol into the mix following the voteand accused Speaker Johnson of lying about allowing a rule to go forward to attach the SAVE Act to the defense bill.
Punchbowl’s Catherine Leffert reported Miller said of Johnson, “There’s one common problem here. It’s always been one person, andfor someone who’s got the holiest tongue in the world, he lies more than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Santaliz concluded her report by notingthat Speaker Johnson appears to be out of options for the momentto get the SAVE Act passed yet again and move forward on other key agenda items. “The path forward for passing the defense bill remains unclear, as does a mechanism for Johnson and his leadership team to move forward on other legislation they’d hoped to pass before the July 4 recess,” she wrote.
https://www.mediaite.com/politics/republican-says-mike-johnson-lies-more-than-anyone-ive-ever-met-as-chaos-grips-house/
Republicans cheat on their election, the same or more dems. Mike has been lying since the start. His religion is his cover.
What are the hand signals he’s using in the picture? Weird
‘I’m Not Sure I Agree’: Stephen A. Smith Pushes Back on Birthright Citizenship Ruling
Zachary LeemanJul 2nd, 2026
Stephen A. Smith pushed back on the Supreme Court’s ruling on birthright citizenship, which rejected an executive order from President Donald Trump.
On his Straight Shooter show, Smith ran through recent rulings by the Supreme Court, including the 6-3 decision that struck down a Trump executive order and essentially reaffirmed the 14th Amendment.
The president and other Republicans have pushed back on the ruling and called on Congress to act to take down the law giving citizenship to almost anyone born on United States soil.
Smith said he understood the court’s decision, but added he has no problem with the law being “challenged.”
He argued:
I’m not sure I agree with that decision. The Constitution’s the Constitution and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution says what it says so I get that part, but if folks are coming over here unlawfully and illegally, intending to give birth on American soil just to ensure that the child is an American citizen, I don’t have a problem with that being challenged. And I’m a support of migrants. I think those who are here should be left to be here unless they’re committing lawless acts, but you’ve got to control the borders. You have to. Every other nation does it. We should be able to do it too.
Trump’s executive order denied citizenship to babies born to parents in the country illegally or who are temporary residents.
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the court’s opinion. “We keep that promise today.”
Trump demanded Congress take action following the court’s decision.
“The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process,” he wrote on Truth Social. “No long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary! Congress should start TODAY to work on ending expensive and unfair to our Country, Birthright Citizenship. They will have my Complete and Total Support!”
(He says Americans are hurting is that a lefty view)
https://www.mediaite.com/media/podcasts/im-not-sure-i-agree-stephen-a-smith-pushes-back-on-birthright-citizenship-ruling/
'The old politics are gone': Steve Bannon on the democratic socialist wave
Trump's former White House chief strategist argues the U.S. is in a transformational political moment — and leadership in both parties are way behind.
Megan Messerly07/02/2026 05:55 AM EDT
Host of the War Room, Steve Bannon speaks during CPAC at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center on March 27, 2026 in Grapevine, Texas. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Steve Bannon isn’t gloating about being right about politics’ ongoing transformation. He’s worried Republicans haven’t figured out how to respond.
Last fall, the former White House chief strategist told POLITICO that Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win should be “flashing red lights” for the right, a warning Republicans flirted with and then waved off as mostly a New York story. Even after three Mamdani-backed candidates won Democratic primaries in the city last week, the argument still held: New York is New York.
Then, on Tuesday, Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old, Bernie Sanders-backed democratic socialist, beat an incumbent Democrat who has been in Congress longer than Kiros has been alive — in a Denver primary.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/02/the-old-politics-are-gone-steve-bannon-on-the-democratic-socialist-wave-00985060
Germany: Ukrainian national charged over Nord Stream blasts
Matt Ford with Reuters, ARD
23 hours ago
A Ukrainian national has been charged in relation to a series of explosions which severely damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2022.
The suspect was detained in Italy on a German arrest warrant in August 2025 and extradited to Germany
A Ukrainian national has been charged in relation to a series of explosions which severely damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2022.
German federal prosecutors have filed charges against a Ukrainian national over a series of Nord Stream pipeline blasts in September 2022, German media reported on Wednesday.
Public broadcaster ARD and newspapers Süddeutsche Zeitung andZeit named the accused as Serhii K. , who was detained in Italy on a German arrest warrant in August 2025 and extradited to Germany.
The 50-year-old Ukrainian soldier from Kyiv is accused of leading a team of seven accomplices in the operation which destroyed three of four key Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
The pipelines transported Russian gas to Europe, but were not in use at the time.
K. is also accused of attacking civil energy infrastructure, considered a war crime under international law, as well as causing an explosion and destroying infrastructure, German media reported.
He has denied involvement and his lawyer told the Reuters news agency that he was confident his client would be acquitted.
What do we know about the evidence against the defendant?
According to reports, investigators discovered that K. led the sabotage team and was in command of the sailing yacht Andromeda, from which the attack was allegedly carried out.
Investigators reportedly discovered traces of the military explosives HMX and RDX on the Andromeda.
Of K.'s seven alleged accomplices, one has reportedly since been killed during Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
K. was arrested on August 21, 2025, in the Italian province of Rimini. Following his transfer to Germany on November 27, 2025, a German judge executed the arrest warrant the next day and he has been in pre-trial detention in the northern city of Hamburg since.
The evidence against the defendant is reportedly considered to be overwhelming. For instance, K. is alleged to have incriminated himself in intercepted phone calls made while in custody in Italy pending extradition.
He fought for months against his extradition to Germany and at one point went on hunger strike, claiming mistreatment.
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as controversial as ever
How is the operation alleged to have worked?
Following the extradition, a ruling issued by Germany's highest criminal court described how investigators believe the operation in the Baltic Sea unfolded.
According to the findings, K. and his accomplices – a skipper, an explosives expert, and four deep-sea divers – boarded the Andromeda in the port of Wiek on the German island of Rügen no later than September 8, 2022.
The vessel had been chartered for several weeks by an intermediary.
The team reportedly attached four explosive devices equipped with time-delay fuses to the gas pipelines on the seabed near the Danish island of Bornholm, at depths of up to 80 meters.
According to the details provided, the devices consisted of high-performance military-grade explosives capable of massive destruction and designed to detonate even at great depths, which they did on September 26, 2022.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Nord Stream: Germany's thwarted dream of energy security
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-ukrainian-national-charged-over-nord-stream-blasts/a-77791335
Moscow comments on ‘unsettling’ theft of Pushkin monument in Germany (PHOTOS)
Berlin’s anti-Russian rhetoric may have inspired the crime, the Foreign Ministry has suggested
Published 2 Jul, 2026 13:0
The recent theft of a bronze monument to iconic Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in Germany has sparked concerns in Moscow that state-backed efforts aimed at eradicating Russian culturein Eastern Europe are spilling over into other countries.
The crime occurred sometime between last Friday and Saturday, according to the administration of Hemer, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, which on Tuesday offered €1,000 ($1,140) for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
The Russian Embassy called the theft “unsettling,” stressing thatthe monument “has for years served as a symbol of the importance of Russian cultural legacy in Germany.” Diplomats from the Russian Consulate General in Bonn andmembers of the Russian-German communityvisited the site in the town park last month.
The monument was a gift from Shchyolkovo, Hemer’s sister town in Russia, and was created by local artist Grigory Pototsky. It was unveiled in September 1994.
Images from the scene showed an empty stone base with the remains of the steel framework that used to support the poet’s statue. Hemer officials said its sheer weight suggests that several individuals had to use power tools and an escape vehicle to steal it.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the incident echoed the “war onmonuments” in Poland and the Baltic states, aimed at removing sculptures dedicated to the Soviet contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II,as well as the Ukrainian government’s crackdown on Russian culture.
“One hopes the [Pushkin] monument will be found and returned to its place. Otherwise, German officials who encourage Russophobia would be condemning themselves,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Moscow views the campaigns in Eastern Europe toremoveRussian wartime monuments as part ofan attempted rehabilitation of local Nazi collaborators.
In Ukraine, mass vandalism and the removal of monuments after the 2014 Western-backed coup initially targeted Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. However, it has sincegrown into a state-backed purge of Russian cultural landmarks, such as the monument toCatherine IIand her royal aides in Odessa in 2022 and the statue of writer Mikhail Bulgakov in Kiev earlier this year.
Dozens of monuments to Pushkin have been dismantled throughout Ukraine as part of the campaign.
(Kiev has to pretend the Neo Nazis are not a danger to Russia and Europe and the world. It seems there are number of politicians in the EU, that have gotten over believing Kievs lies and know, Kiev started this war.)
Link to article https://www.rt.com/russia/642488-pushkin-monument-theft-germany/