Chicago Cubs Fan Smacks Young Man Upside Head for Refusing to Stand for National Anthem in Viral Video

By Jordan Conradson Jul. 22, 2026 12:00 pm

A young man refusing to stand for the National Anthem at Wrigley Field during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins got some sense beaten into him, captured in a viral video.

In the clip, an older man standing behind the seated fan repeatedly tells him to stand for the Anthem.

But when the younger fan refused to stand and turned his head away, the man smacked him in the back of the head, prompting him to stand.

“What was that for?” the man said after being struck. The older fan appeared to respond, “Stand up. Just shut up.”

The two exchanged some more words as offended bystanders also intervened.

Via Fox:

The fans reportedly resolved the incident, and the younger fan did not ask security to take any action, according to a statement from the Cubs.

“We encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played,” a Cubs spokesperson said, noting that their code of conduct still “prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior.”

Per NBC:

In a statement, the Cubs said security officers spoke to the fan who had been struck, and he told the team the matter had been “resolved” and that he did not wish for any further action to be taken.

“The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games,” a Cubs spokesperson said. “While we respect the rights of individuals to decide for themselves, we encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played. At the same time, the safety and security of our fans is our top priority. We expect all guests to treat one another with respect and to follow our Fan Code of Conduct, which prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior. Our security team spoke with the fan who had been struck. He indicated that the matter had been resolved, he did not want to have anyone ejected from the ballpark or any further action taken, and we respected his wishes.”

In response to a request for comment from NBC, Chicago police said no officers were called to the ballpark, and no report was filed due to the incident.

Chicago Cubs Fan Smacks Young Man Upside Head for Refusing to Stand for National Anthem in Viral Video

By Jordan Conradson Jul. 22, 2026 12:00 pm

A young man refusing to stand for the National Anthem at Wrigley Field during Sunday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins got some sense beaten into him, captured in a viral video.

In the clip, anolder man standing behind the seated fan repeatedly tells him to stand for the Anthem.

But when the younger fan refused to stand and turned his head away,the man smacked him in the back of the head, prompting him to stand.

“What was that for?” the man said after being struck. The older fan appeared to respond,“Stand up. Just shut up.”

The two exchanged some more words as offended bystanders also intervened.

Via Fox:

The fans reportedly resolved the incident, andthe younger fan did not ask security to take any action, according to a statement from the Cubs.

“We encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played,” a Cubs spokesperson said, noting that their code of conduct still “prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior.”

Per NBC:

In a statement, the Cubs said security officers spoke to the fan who had been struck, and he told the team the matter had been “resolved” and that he did not wish for any further action to be taken.

“The National Anthem is an important tradition at Chicago Cubs games,” a Cubs spokesperson said. “While we respect the rights of individuals to decide for themselves, we encourage every fan to stand, if they are able, and to remove their caps while the anthem is being played. At the same time, the safety and security of our fans is our top priority. We expect all guests to treat one another with respect and to follow our Fan Code of Conduct, which prohibits physical confrontations and threatening behavior. Our security team spoke with the fan who had been struck. He indicated that the matter had been resolved, he did not want to have anyone ejected from the ballpark or any further action taken, and we respected his wishes.”

In response to a request for comment from NBC, Chicago police said no officers were called to the ballpark, and no report was filed due to the incident.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/07/chicago-cubs-fan-smacks-young-man-upside-head/

https://rumb.le/v7d3p0c

(1)LIVE updated 9 minutes ago

Trump vows strikes on Iran infrastructure, Tehran threatens regional energy sites

Summary

• Iran’s joint military command said the Strait of Hormuz remained closed and warned that regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure would be targeted if the United States carried out President Donald Trump’s threats against Iranian infrastructure.

• US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacks a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran violated the Islamabad memorandum of understanding by attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,rejecting Tehran's interpretation of the agreement.

• Three explosions were heard near Sirik in Iran’s southern Hormozgan Province on Wednesday.

• Jordan's military said on Wednesday its air defenses intercepted and shot down four of six missiles launched from Iranian territory, while the remaining two fell in remote, uninhabited areas without causing casualties or material damage.

(2) 1 hour ago

Iran’s president praises Pakistan’s regional diplomacy

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Pakistan’s efforts to reduce tensions and promote regional peace and stability during ameeting with the country’s new ambassador in Tehran on Wednesday.

(3) 1 hour ago

Iranian student sentenced to 10 years over January protests

An Iranian appeals court has upheld a 10-year prison sentence against 22-year-old computer science studentAli Sanei on alleged national security charges, including “cooperation with Israel.”

Sanei was arrested in March after taking part in the nationwide protests in January and was transferred to Greater Tehran Prison.

(4) 2 hours ago

US redirects nine ships, disables one as part of Iran blockade

US forces have redirected nine commercial vessels and disabled one as of Wednesday as part of Washington’s blockade against Iran, which came into effect on July 14, US Central Command said in a post on X.

(5) 2 hours ago

Trump attends return of four US soldiers killed in Iran war

US President Donald Trump attended a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday for four US service members whose flag-draped caskets were returned to American soil after they were killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East.

Three of the service members were killed on Friday when an Iranian missile struck their sleeping barracks at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. They were First Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, 25, Sergeant Angel S. Rampersad, 28, and Private Isabella Gonzales, 19, all assigned to US Army air defense brigades.

Sergeant Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, was killed on Sunday in a separate incident in Erbil, Iraq, during the controlled detonation of an attack drone.

(6) 2 hours ago

IRGC outlet denies Tehran strikes

IRGC-affiliated Fars News said

no location in Tehran province was struck early Wednesday, saying explosion-like sounds in parts of the capital came from the use of “new heavy artillery air defense systems.”

Iranian state media said Tehran’s air defenses had detected and destroyed a “hostile drone” early Wednesday.

(7) 3 hours ago

Video: Rubio says Iran is not serious about diplomacy, US will keep striking

Iran does not appear serious about a negotiated solution, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that Washington remains open to diplomacy but will continue protecting commercial vessels and degrading Tehran's ability to target global shipping. Speaking at an ASEAN meeting in Manila on Wednesday, Rubio said other countries should join the effort — "we don't need them to, but they should, because they're more impacted by it than we are."

Iran does not appear serious about a negotiated solution, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that Washington remains open to diplomacy but will continue protecting commercial vessels and degrading Tehran's ability to target global shipping. Speaking at an ASEAN…

pic.twitter.com/1osd2DvqTB — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 22, 2026

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202607186178

1-6 articles

(1) 3 hoursHouthis prepare to attack ships near Bab el-Mandeb, US-led naval group says

Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have completed preparations to attack ships transiting the southern entrance to the Red Sea, a maritime security group led by the US Navy said.

“Sources close to the group stated that the Houthis have completed preparations to attack shipping, including the deployment of missiles and drones positioned near Bab el-Mandeb,” the Joint Maritime Information Center said Tuesday in a notice to mariners.

(2)EU aviation agency warns airlines to avoid Jordanian airspace

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency on Wednesday asked airlines not to operate in Jordanian airspace after Iran struck Jordan and other US-allied Persian Gulf states in the renewed conflict.

(3)Pakistan seeks $10 billion US fund after mediating Iran talks - Reuters

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilization facility, following Islamabad’s role in brokering talks over the Iran war, Reuters reported, citing two sources briefed on the matter.

Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb made the request in a letter delivered during a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday, Reuters cited a US official as saying.

In the letter, Islamabad asked for the creation of a Bilateral Exchange Stabilization Support Facility between the United States and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion, with a maturity of up to five years, the report added.

(4)Iran will target regional infrastructure if US strikes bridges, power plants - IRGC outlet

Iran would strike regional infrastructure, including bridges and energy facilities in which the United States has interests, if Washington targets Iranian bridges or power plants, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday, citing a military source.

The remarks came in response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to strike an Iranian bridge or power plant for every ship targeted by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran has an iron will to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and will under no circumstances allow the Strait of Hormuz to once again become a source of threat against Iran,” the source added.

The source also said the United States “should have become fully convinced” over the past 10 days that “Iran strikes wherever it chooses,” adding that “any potential gamble by Trump will once again end in his disgrace.”

(5)US Embassy warns of organized crime violence in Israeli cities

The US Embassy in Jerusalem said Wednesday it was monitoring reports of increased violence linked to rival Israeli organized crime groups, primarily affecting parts of Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Herzliya.

The embassy urged US citizens to remain alert, avoid areas with police activity and follow instructions from local authorities. It said the embassy and its Tel Aviv branch office remained open for routine and emergency consular services.

(6)Trump says Iran will pay ‘heavy price’ for killing US soldiers

US President Donald Trump said Iran would “pay a heavy price” for killing American soldiers as he departed for Dover to attend the dignified transfer of US Army service members killed in the Iran war.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202607186178

>>24855962

7 -11 articles

(7)Video: Rubio says Iran spent 'every penny' on missiles, not its people

Iran is facing runaway inflation and high food costs after two decades of spending "every penny" on sponsoring terrorist groups and building missiles and drones rather than on its own country, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday at the ASEAN meeting in Manila, Philippines. Rubio said Iran's military infrastructure had suffered tremendous damage and its missile and drone capability was now "greatly diminished," describing the arsenal as a conventional shield Tehran had intended to hide behind while pursuing a nuclear program.

Iran is facing runaway inflation and high food costs after two decades of spending "every penny" on sponsoring terrorist groups and building missiles and drones rather than on its own country, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday at the ASEAN meeting in Manila,… pic.twitter.com/7v29vfndj7— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 22, 2026

(8)Saudi crown prince condemns Iranian attacks on Kuwait

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday condemned continuing Iranian attacks on Kuwaiti territory during a phone call with Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s foreign ministry said.

He expressed Saudi Arabia’s “strong denunciation and condemnation of this brutal aggression” and affirmed the kingdom’s “full solidarity with Kuwait,” the ministry added.

(9)Trump threatens strikes on Iran's infrastructure over ship attacks in Hormuz

US President Donald Trump said the United States would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Tehran attacked a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.

“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT, including those located next to, or in, the Capital City of Tehran,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

(10)Bahrain says it intercepted several Iranian aerial attacks

Bahrain’s military said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed several Iranian aerial attacks on Wednesday and that its forces remained on high alert.

“Iran continues its systematic aggression through its heinous attacks targeting civilians in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the Bahrain Defense Force said in a statement.

“The deliberate use of missiles and drones to target civilians and private property constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,” the statement added.

(11)Iran says strategic missile production never stopped

Iran's armed forces said on Wednesday that production of the country's strategic missiles had continued throughout the 40-day war and after the memorandum of understanding was signed.

"There was never any halt in the production of our strategic missiles during the 40-day war or after the other side violated the memorandum of understanding," armed forces spokesperson Abolfazl Shekarchi said.

"Missiles are moving directly from production to operational use while replenishing our stockpiles," he said.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202607186178

Iran’s bragging is not a good strategy with the Trump Admin

>>24855937

John F Kennedy Jr

@John_F_kJr

🚨Barack Obama was JUST SPOTTED AGAIN IN LONDON, UK LEAVING HIS RECENTLY PURCHASED MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOME. The Obamas not only recently purchased this home in The UK… They have also moved a large chunk of their assets into the country. With a federal indictment of Barack Obama related to his leadership role in Russiagate said to be dropping at the beginning of the new year, this begs the obvious question: Are the Obamas planning to make a run for it and become fugitives from justice under the protection of a liberal government in The UK whose leader they have a close personal relationship with? The answer is even more obvious:

That is exactly what they are planning to do…Barack Obama is going to try to escape justice as he has done his entire life. He is a CLEAR AND PRESENT FLIGHT RISKand it is long past time for the Trump administration to seize his passport and put him under 24/7 surveillance until the grand jury returns an indictment in the southern district of Florida.

President Trump needs to communicate to Prime Minister Keir Starmer that any attempt to harbor Obama in The UK will result in SWIFT AND HARSH SANCTIONS on our so-called “ally”.ARREST OBAMA NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!

Full post and video!

https://x.com/John_F_kJr/status/2079958769446814182

Articles from 9 hours ago.

(1)No internationally operated merchant ships are transiting Strait of Hormuz - CBS

No large, internationally owned and operated merchant vessels are currently transiting the Strait of Hormuz despite the waterway remaining physically open, the head of a maritime risk management company told CBS News on Wednesday.

"There's nothing physically obstructing the navigation of any vessel willing to transit the strait, and there are vessels that trade locally and are entirely unaffected by everything that's going on; however, if we're talking about large ocean-going, internationally-owned and operated merchant vessels, nothing is going through," Dimitris Maniatis, CEO of Greek maritime risk management company Marisks, told CBS.

The US military's Central Command said on Tuesday that "despite Iranian aggression, the Strait of Hormuz remains open for commercial vessel traffic," while acknowledging more than 30 Iranian attacks on commercial vessels that it said had endangered mariners and undermined freedom of navigation.

(2)US struck Iran's Larak Island, Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim says

Revolutionary Guards-affiliated Tasnim News said the United States launched a missile strike on Iran's Larak Island in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, with residents reporting a loud explosion near the island.

Tasnim said authorities were assessing the extent of the attack, the exact impact site and any damage. It said no official details had been released on the type of projectile used, its origin or the extent of any damage.

(3)Saudi Arabia sounds emergency alert in Dammam

Saudi Arabia activated its national emergency alert system in Dammam on Wednesday and urged residents to follow safety instructions, the Civil Defense said.

The Civil Defense said later that the danger in Dammam had passed, but urged residents to continue following safety instructions.

(4)Bahrain sounds sirens, urges people to seek shelter

Bahrain sounded warning sirens on Wednesday and urged citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place, the Interior Ministry said.

(5)Iran says it targeted King Faisal and Prince Hassan air bases in Jordan

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they targeted the King Faisal and Prince Hassan air bases in Jordan, where US forces have operated, saying they struck facilities used to prepare F-15 fighter jets and MQ-9 drones.

The Guards said they hit "an F-15 preparation hangar" and "a drone preparation hangar," where "eight brand-new MQ-9 drones still in their packaging were completely destroyed before assembly," while "two others outside the hangar sustained heavy damage."

They also said an attack on a helicopter hangar caused "major damage to two heavy US helicopters" and that "a number" of US personnel were killed and wounded in a strike on an accommodation facility.

Iran is lying to the world but most especially for their people

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202607186178

President Trump Delivers Remarks from Marietta, Georgia– 3:00pm ET Livestream

July 22, 2026 Sundance |

President Donald Trump gives remarks at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga, on the topic of Trump savings accounts.

Livestream Links Below.

WATCH LIVE: President Trump delivers remarks about 'Trump Accounts' at Georgia high school

Still going

https://www.youtu.be/-my7zkY1qI0

Damn I’m just an hour from Marietta, but I’m not able to drive now and it’s too late!

‘No amnesty!’: Migrant farmworker bill opens major rift within GOP

Prominent immigration hawks are furious over a proposal that would open a path to temporary legal status for undocumented migrants who work in the agriculture industry.

Rachel Shin

Conservatives are savaging Republican-led legislation as a “betrayal” of the party’s immigration agenda, and mobilizing President Donald Trump’s base to tank a yearslong effort aimed at helping farmers.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, and the House Freedom Caucus’bloc of hard-right lawmakers are piling on against the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, a bill introduced by veteran House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson.

Thompson, a nine-term Pennsylvania Republican, is proposing a path to temporary legal status for some farmworkers who entered the country illegally — language that has won support from industry groups and dozens of House Republican cosponsors. But it has infuriated immigration hawks who characterize the legislation as stabbing “Trump’s deportation promise in the back.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/no-amnesty-migrant-farmworker-bill-opens-major-rift-within-gop-01007072

NASA’s Isaacman isn’t asking the GOP for more money

NASA wants to return to the moon and go even further,but the new agency head said he’s got the cash to get there.

By AUDREY DECKER and MIA MCCARTHY

07/22/2026, 4:13PM ET

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman spoke to an influential group of House Republicans on Wednesday —but he didn’t make a pitch for more money when he walked through his agency’s ambitious plans for space.

“I’m not here asking for money,” Isaacman told GOP members during the weekly Republican Study Committee lunch, according to five people who were in the room. RSC Chair August Pfluger(R-Texas) also confirmed Isaacman’s comments while leaving the meeting Wednesday.

Isaacman’s reassurances come as NASA juggles a number of high-profile missions in the next few years, including returning humans to the moon, building a new Mars spacecraft and a lunar outpost. The NASA administrator had been set to speak to the group earlier in the year, but that meeting was canceled because of scheduling issues.

Isaacman has said in the past that the agency“does not have a topline problem” — pointing to the nearly $25 billion Congress gave the agency in 2026, plus $10 billion in the reconciliation package passed last year. He pointed to the GOP megabill as helping NASA boost its space exploration endeavors, according to three members in the room, who, like others, were granted anonymity to discuss the internal meeting.

The White House proposed a 25 percent cut to NASA’s budget in its 2027 request, but House appropriators have already released a draft bill that would restore the agency’s topline to its current level.

The Republican Study Committee, the biggest coalition in the GOP conference, has fielded previous pitches from Trump administration officials for additional funds. Rep. Brad Knott (R-N.C.), who was at the meeting,said he believed Isaacman is “the only member that came before us that has ever said we do not need any more money.”

Isaacman also gave updates on several of the upcoming NASA projects, including the Artemis program, which aims to land U.S. astronauts on the moon in 2028.

“He’s got such a vision for how to achieve space dominance, to compete with adversarial nations and the Chinese Communist Party, to bring American pride into the space race and to do it at a cost that is reasonable,” Pfluger said in an interview after the meeting.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a long time advocate for space exploration, also attended the lunch.Pfluger added that Gingrich gave credit to Isaacman and President Donald Trump for leading the charge into space.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/nasa-budget-isaacman-gop-01008503

Trump’s pick for No. 2 post at OMB clinches approval in committees

Senate Republicans are working to confirm the nominee atop the “nerve center” of the federal government.

Jennifer Scholtes

07/22/2026, 9:49AM

President Donald Trump’s nominee for the No. 2 position at theOffice of Management and Budget scored committee approval Wednesday as Senate Republicans work to confirm him.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Budget Committee both voted to advance the nomination of Hal Duncan to serve as deputy director of the White House agency known as the “nerve center” of the federal government.

Duncan has been serving in the role in an acting capacity since late last year, when Trump nominated then-Deputy Director Dan Bishop to serve as a U.S. attorney. Duncan has also worked with many Republican lawmakers during his tenure as an OMB liaison to Congress since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.

“I’ve got confidence he’s the right person for the job,” Senate Budget Chair Ron Johnson(R-Wis.) said, noting that he has worked with Duncan over the past year on plans to reduce fraud and waste in federal programs — as well as improve agency management — by tapping the $100 million Republicans gave OMB last year in their initial party-line package.

Democratic lawmakers have a different take, accusing Duncan of completely ignoring their inquiries during his time as associate director of Legislative Affairs at OMB.

“He just absolutely stonewalled any form of bipartisan cooperation or information,” said Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the Budget Committee’s top Democrat. “So having really performed miserably in his former role, I certainly am not going to support him in this role.”

During his Senate vetting this summer,Duncan said he couldn’t rule out the use of any “fiscal tools,” including the pocket rescission tactic OMB employed last yearto unilaterally cancel billions of dollars in foreign aid without Congress’ consent. The nominee has also expressed an eagerness to finalize the Trump administration’s plans to put political appointees in charge of approving or scrapping awards for federal grants.

Lawmakers in both parties have raised concern about the impending regulation to change the grant approval process. Most notably, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) called this month for White House budget director Russ Vought to nix part of the proposal and extend the deadline for public comment, which closed last week.

Democrats have noted Duncan’s relative inexperience compared to other former top OMB officials, many of whom served as undersecretaries of other federal agencies or members of Congress before taking on the role. Duncan graduated with a bachelor’s degree less than a decade ago and worked as a Republican congressional aide before joining OMB last year.

“It’s a position of immense responsibility,” Merkley said. “And his resume and his testimony raise serious concerns.”

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/omb-nominee-advances-01007549

Democrats are evil!

Senators vote to advance Lake, Mastriano nominations

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) had threatened to block the two Trump nominees ahead of the hearing.

Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing

A Senate committee voted along party lines Wednesday to advance the nominations of both Kari Lake and Doug Mastriano for diplomatic posts, despite threats from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to block the two high-profile nominees.

All 12 Republicans voted to advance both Lakeand Mastriano, sending their nominations to the Senate floor.The 10 Democrats on the panel all voted against moving the nominees forward.

Cornyn, who sits on the committee, threatened Tuesday to sink the nominations of Lake and Mastriano for ambassadorships in Jamaica and Slovakia, respectively — unless he receives reassurance from the Trump administration that it will release funds set aside for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Cornyn said in the hearing that the White House had agreed to release some of the funding for the program, known as PEPFAR.

Asked about Cornyn’s statement that the Trump administration had acquiesced to his request, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said “President Trump expects his well-qualified nominees to be swiftly confirmed.”

PEPFAR is credited with having saved millions of lives globally before the White House slashed its funding as part of its crackdown on foreign aid.

Cornyn has been leveraging his vote in recent weeks to force the White House’s hand on various issues, following a primary defeat in May after Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The four-term senator has gotten a taste for bucking the White House, telling POLITICO, “it’s kind of fun.”

Trump tapped Lake and Mastriano for ambassadorships in May, part of a broader trend of selecting his acolytes and family members to diplomatic posts. Meanwhile, 107 of 195 total ambassador slots remain unfilled.

Both Lake and Mastriano are staunch Trumpallies who waged failed gubernatorial bids in battleground states, Lake in Arizona and Mastriano in Pennsylvania.

Lake was tapped to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media last year following two statewide losses in Arizona — first to Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2022 and then to Sen. Ruben Gallego in the race to replace former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in 2024.At the agency, she oversaw the dismantling of Voice of America as part of the Trump administration's broader federal workforce overhaul.

Those efforts were ultimately thwarted in court, when a federal judge ruled in March that Lake’s tenure atop the agency was improper due to her lack of Senate confirmation.The same judge later the Trump administration to reinstate staff members who had been placed on leave under Lake’s purge.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), ranking member of the Foreign Relations committee, reiterated concerns voiced by Democrats at Lake’s prior hearing before the panel, citing her work at USAGM and attempts to dismantle VOA.

“She is not an appropriate representative of the United States government,” Shaheen said.

Trump’s selection of Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator, for the diplomatic role was seen at the time as a way to undermine a growing write-in campaign for him in the Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial primary. The campaign, which Mastriano supported but was not involved in, was becoming a headache for Republicans this spring as they tried to advance their preferred pick, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/senators-vote-to-advance-lake-mastriano-nominations-01007556

The most corrupt in the government is the Senate, the house is a short distance behind.

U.S. Secret Service official: ‘Threat environment is the highest we’ve ever seen’

PUBLISHED WED, JUL 22 20262:11 PM

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Dan Mangan

@IN/DANMANGANCNBC/

KEY POINTS

• A senior U.S. Secret Service official said the “threat environment” for the agency’s protectees, who include President Donald Trump, “is the highest we’ve ever seen.”

• There have been about 10,000 cases involving threats to government officials, including Supreme Court justices, so far in 2026, the official said. That represents a 40% increase in such cases over the same period last year.

• The briefing came ahead of Friday’s rescheduled annual dinner for the White House Correspondents’ Association at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington. Trump is set to attend.

• The WHCA dinner in April was interrupted when a gunman stormed through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton. The man, Cole Tomas Allen, faces charges of trying to assassinate Trump.

A senior U.S. Secret Service official said Wednesday that the “threat environment” for the agency’s protectees, who include President Donald Trump, “is the highest we’ve ever seen.”

“What we’re seeing now is something I’ve never seen before,” said the senior official, who spoke to reporters at a background briefing on the condition that they not be identified by name before a public briefing.

There have been about 10,000 cases involving threats to government officials, including Supreme Court justices, so far in 2026, the official said, according to a pool report of the briefing by MS NOW.That represents a 40% increase in such cases over the same period last year.

“They’re increasing in volume and complexity,” the official said, a week after Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a House subcommittee that the threat level to her and other federal judges “is really high.”

The Secret Service has seen the number of mental health committals of people suspected of making threats to protectees spike by a factor of 10,according to the official.

The briefing came ahead of Friday’s rescheduled annual dinner for the White House Correspondents’ Association at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington. Trump is set to attend the event.

The WHCA’s originally scheduled dinner was abruptly suspended in April when a man armed with multiple weapons tried to storm past a security checkpoint inside the Washington Hilton Hotel as Trump was attending the dinner.

The man, Cole Tomas Allen of California, was tackled by Secret Service officers before he could get into the ballroom where Trump and other top administration officials were. Allen has been charged with trying to assassinate Trump.

Matthew Quinn, the Secret Service’s deputy director, when asked by a reporter at the public part of the briefing how concerned the agency is about the threat of drones being used to attack protectees, said, “Very.”

“Look, the threat’s real,” Quinn said. “Look at Ukraine …. It’s just a matter of time before it comes to the United States.”

But Quinn also said that the White House is “very safe from attack.”

“The technology that we’re deploying, and not just at the White House, at all protected sites, is cutting edge right now,” he said.

“The threat continues to get tougher and tougher, you know,” Quinn said. “You’re talking fiber-optic controlled drones now, dark drones. So it’s a constant chase to keep up with it. But we’re doing a tremendous job to stay ahead of the threat, especially at the White House.”

On Tuesday, Trump was asked by a reporter at the White House if he feels safe, considering what have been several attempts on his life.

“I feel safe,” the president replied. “Why wouldn’t I feel safe?”

Trump narrowly escaped being killed at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, when gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire on Trump. An audience member, Corey Comperatore, was killed in the attack, and two other people were seriously injured.

Two months later, a Secret Service officer shot at another gunman who was hiding in shrubs on the perimeter of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

That gunman, Ryan Routh, was convicted in Florida federal court last September of trying to assassinate Trump, and of other charges.

Routh is serving a life sentence in prison.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/22/secret-service-threat-trump-white-house-drones.html

House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington speaks during a hearing.

7 HOURS AGO

Arrington, eager to appease fiscal hawks, proposes $28B boost to health fraud busting

The bill’s introduction comes as fiscal hawks are livid over a lack of pay-fors in a major new spending bill.ROBERT KING

07/22/2026, 10:58AM ET

The House Budget Committee chair and five otherGOP lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that boosts funding to fight health care fraud by $28 billion-through 2030.

The Anti-Fraud Fund Act led by Budget Chair Jodey Arrington of Texas and Rep. Blake Moore of Utah is in service of one of the Trump administration’s top second term priorities: targeting government fraud.And it comes at a time when fiscal hawks in the GOP are threatening to oppose new war funding President Donald Trump has requested because of the cost.

Arrington has sought to convince them the administration is doing its part to control the deficit by fighting fraud.

The bill offers an extra $28 billion to the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program, created in 1996 to fund Justice and Health Department investigations and health fraud education.

“This joint DOJ-HHS program has a 7:1 return for dollars saved for every dollar spent,” said Moore in a statement.

He added that the legislation will empower CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz to “bring accountability to Medicare and Medicaid providers.”

Other co-sponsors are Reps. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, Mike Carey of Ohio, Addison McDowell of North Carolina and Jay Obernolte of California.

The legislation comes as HouseRepublican fiscal hawks express wariness about a party-line spending bill Arrington is shepherding. That spending measure would include $95 billion for the Iran war and aid for farmers, as well as other Republican priorities, but no offsets to cover the costs.

It also does not include any extra funding for combating fraud, which Arrington has touted to his committee members as a major cost saver; Vice President JD Vance has echoed that argument.

Arrington also told POLITICO Tuesday he believes the House could put together yet another party-line reconciliation bill later this year — an idea floated by some in House GOP leadership — to assuage lawmakers who are angry their priorities are not in the war funding bill the House is now considering. That later bill could include more funding to fight fraud, he said.

“We have not tens, but hundreds of billions in savings on fraud prevention,” Arrington said. “This is not for this moment. We have to keep this [current reconciliation bill] so clean.”

The later bill could be passed in the lame duck session after the November midterm elections, he added.

The Congressional Budget Office, which determines whether bills save the federal government money, is developing a report to examine how more fraud-busting resources could offset new spending.

The legislation comes as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has ramped up fraud scrutiny in the government health care programs, primarily in blue states. CMS announced on Tuesday it has withheld more than $1 billion in Medicaid funding to both Minnesota and California over what it deems suspect payment claims.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/22/congress/arrington-7-billion-boost-to-health-fraud-busting-01007301

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer Testifies to Senate Finance Committee

July 22, 2026 | Sundance |

It is exceptionally annoying to see the various members of the Senate stand in front of the microphones and discuss the importance of trade policy,while they sparsely attend testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer.

In the prompted segment below (I skipped the insufferable Wyden TDS), USTR Greer is asked about the timeline for the USMCA and notes he is going to Mexico immediately following the hearing. WATCH:

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies on Trump's trade policy agenda — 7/22/2026

The Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing to examine President Trump's 2026 trade policy agenda with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday.

1:35:57

The cognitive dissonance within the Democrats on the committee is stunning.

Senator Bennet worries the USA may lose its position as the world’s #1 exporter of food; at the same time, he waxes philosophically about the U.S. “affordability” of the same food.

Senator Whitehouse worries about the corporations getting the majority of the tariff reimbursements, while saying there’s no way that foreign countries offset the tariffs with subsidies –because that would mean the corporations are getting windfall massive tariff profits due to the Supreme Court….. Which is EXACTLY what has happened, duh!

Folks, our legislative bodies are filled with idiots. We are not sending our best. lol

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/07/22/u-s-trade-representative-jamieson-greer-testifies-to-senate-finance-committee/