https://www.politifact.com/article/2026/jul/16/president-trump-address-nation-speech-election/
Friday, July 17, 2026
As oil company profits surge so do U.S. calls for windfall profit tax : NPR
The world's top 100 oil and gas firms made $30 million every hour in excess profits during the early days of the U.S-Israeli war with Iran. That's according to an analysis by the environmental nonprofit Global Witness and the Guardian...
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5845818/oil-prices-windfall-tax-iran-war
The Manosphere and Christian Nationalist Roots of Hegseth’s “Low-T” Fixation – Mother Jones
Yet the notion of a testosterone crisis in need of treatment is not backed by science, says Adriane Fugh-Berman, a professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Screening for testosterone levels isn’t always accurate, she wrote in an email to Mother Jones, because in otherwise healthy men, levels can fluctuate dramatically... What’s more, she says, “there is very little evidence that administration of testosterone can help symptoms.” The drawbacks of overprescribing testosterone are considerable; adverse effects include blood clots, fractures, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, kidney problems, infertility, and, adds Fugh-Berman, “let’s not forget testicular shrinkage.”… …
the National Center for Health Research, a medical product safety advocacy group, wrote that testosterone therapy “does not improve strength or physical ability” and that “there is no established relationship between ‘Low-T’ and most of the symptoms that testosterone is being promoted to treat.” Testosterone, the group warned, “is not a fountain of youth or vitality.”
But that doesn’t stop online influencers from claiming it is exactly that. Gram’s team wrote in the study abstract that the “low-T” posts they analyzed “prey on men’s insecurities about relationships and sexual performance” to sell “testosterone products for improving the masculine self without supporting evidence.”
In addition to the manosphere, another influence on Hegseth’s fixation on masculinity may be his spiritual leader, Doug Wilson, the self-proclaimed Christian nationalist Idaho pastor who preached at the Pentagon earlier this year. Wilson has opined extensively about the virtues of “biblical masculinity,” which he has called “cultural gluten.” Without a patriarchal society led by manly men, he wrote in his 2023 book Mere Christendom, “the cookie just crumbles to pieces in your hand, and is tasteless on top of that.” In a 2020 YouTube broadcast, Wilson declared, “A masculine message is not going to be declared by effeminate men. We have a real crisis in masculinity.” In a February interview with Military Times, Wilson noted, “We should do everything we can do to keep women out of combat roles.”…
How Trump might try to relitigate 2020 — and the facts he’s up against - POLITICO
Many of the specific claims Trump might make in his primetime speech have been evaluated before...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/trump-speech-2020-election
Trump's address may focus on the 2020 election. Here's what to know about foreign interference, voting security | PBS News
In 2016, Russian agents used hacking and disinformation campaigns in an attempt to tilt the election in Trump's favor, government reports have shown. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, tasked with investigating it, found no criminal coordination between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
There are multiple safeguards protecting elections from foreign interference, including regularly audited paper records for 98% of votes cast in almost every state, Norden said.
The Trump administration has cut back on election security efforts launched during his first term, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. In a 2020 post-election tweet, Trump fired the head of CISA, Chris Krebs, after the agency released a statement that affirmed the election's security...
Todd Blanche Just Opened the Door to a National Abortion Ban – Mother Jones
The 19th-century law made it a federal crime to mail, possess, give away, or sell “obscene materials”—including items used for abortion. Parts of the law relating to birth control were repealed in 1971, but Comstock was never repealed in its entirety. When abortion providers started prescribing pills to patients in states where abortion was banned thanks to “shield” laws, anti-abortion activists argued that this was a violation of the Comstock Act. Project 2025 also called for criminal prosecutions of abortion pill providers under Comstock, though the document only references the law by statute number, not by name.
In response, a December 2022 opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel said it was not illegal for the U.S. Postal Service and other carriers like FedEx and UPS to deliver abortion medications to states that ban abortion, and that Comstock did not apply unless the sender intended pills to be used unlawfully. That interpretation has reassured abortion providers that they can prescribe pills across state lines without fear of federal prosecution...
DOT drops bike lanes, speed cameras from list of proven road safety measures : NPR
WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation is doubling down on its campaign against "DEI bike lanes," as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called them in a social media post earlier this month…
The FHWA says the changes to its website, which have not been previously reported, are part of a broader review of safety countermeasures to ensure they align with current DOT policies and the administration's priorities. But critics say the Trump administration is undermining safety strategies that have already been proven to work…
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5893672/dot-bike-lanes-speed-cameras-safety-measures
Trump Firm Announces Shocking New Money Grab | HuffPost Latest News
“He’s selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president,” said Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law and an expert in government conflicts of interest rules. “It’s yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself.”…
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-truth-social-posts-charge-sell_n_6a59489be4b042a7aac61bbb
What ICE Didn’t Say About Its Latest Killing – Mother Jones
The agency is no longer even claiming its officers feared for their lives...
New ACLU report says ICE uses force by default : NPR
"My first thought is it's a little embarrassing for this information to be gathered, aggregated, analyzed and shared by the ACLU instead of the Department of Homeland Security," says Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina.
"Living in a democracy means that the government is doing a good job when and only when we the people say it's doing a good job. And that requires a certain degree of transparency about the nature of governmental operations," he added...
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5891834/ice-use-of-force-aclu-report
The Only Research Center For Disabled Parents Is Losing Federal Funding – Mother Jones
In May, the White House Office of Management and Budget, led by Project 2025 architect Russell Vought, released a proposal that, if finalized, would have the federal government arbitrarily terminate grants and involve political appointees more deeply in the grantmaking process…
State agencies issue permits for Line 5 tunnel under Straits of Mackinac; other permits sit in queue
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said the tunnel plans underwent a comprehensive review and meet regulatory and statutory requirements, including a mitigation plan for impacts to wetlands and cultural resources.
The agency review concluded that "the public and private need for the proposed activity outweighed other public interest criteria." As a condition of the permit, Enbridge will be required to submit an improved wetland mitigation plan to address wetland impacts…
TrumpRx only offers some brand-name drugs for sale to consumers : NPR
Pfizer does offer its blockbuster pill Xeljanz for inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis for $1,518 on TrumpRx, as much as a 53% discount off the brand-name price. But Xeljanz is now also available as a generic, called tofacitinib, which can be purchased for about $30 for a bottle of 60 tablets for patients paying out of pocket on Mark Cuban's Costplusdrugs.comwebsite...
House Dem challengers are printing money - POLITICO
Seven of the 10 best-fundraising House candidates across competitive districts were Democratic challengers, according to a POLITICO review of filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission late on Wednesday. All seven outraised the GOP incumbents they are facing in the 2nd quarter...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/house-dem-challengers-are-printing-money-01000665
Lafayette Park permanent fencing proposal worries protesters : NPR
Pearl said it might, paradoxically, make it easier to convey his message, since more fencing would have the practical effect of funneling tourists into an even smaller area. But he's upset about the symbolism of the White House — which is funded by taxpayers — being further closed off from the public it is supposed to serve.
"What this fencing represents, to me, is the worst of what the new attitude toward politics represents. And that is imperialism, fascism, dictatorship," Pearl said. "Because what dictators do is isolate themselves from the people they rule. That is not, for me, the way democracies can possibly work."…
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/16/nx-s1-5893465/dc-lafayette-square-park-permanent-fencing-proposal
Touted as a "game changer" by former President Joe Biden, Michigan silicon chip manufacturer closing
SK Siltron spokesman Joe Guy Collier said the company originally expanded manufacturing in the U.S. to meet what was then growing customer demand for a specialized product used in electric vehicles.
“Significant changes in the EV market have created sustained challenges for the silicon carbide wafer business,” said Collier...
Thousands of Private Schools Take Public Money, Operate With Little Scrutiny — ProPublica
In this recent expansion, private schools have opened in farms and barns, addiction treatment centers, co-working spaces, people’s homes and parks, ProPublica’s review of 13 states found. A West Virginia family opened a school at the family fun center they operate. It’s next to the waterpark, mini golf course and go-kart track…
One Michigan-based company that launched last year to encourage churches to tap into public funds refers to these programs in its promotional videos as “God’s new gold mine.”…
It’s common, for example, for both new and established religious schools to refuse to admit (or to expel) students who say they’re gay, who condone homosexuality or whose parents are gay. One school noted on its website that it is “permitted to discriminate on the basis of religion in accordance with our Statement of Faith.” Many schools decline to enroll students with disabilities. An Alabama school that opened this past fall says it will expel students who have HIV, gonorrhea or syphilis...
…[A reporter] had recognized the name of a woman who’d just opened her own private school in the fall of 2025: Tara Salute… A 40-year-old vice president of the local Little League at the time, Salute in 2012 had been charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor after a drunken night at her home with her son’s friend, a sophomore in the district where she recently had taught elementary school. After intercourse, the teenager had snapped photos of her naked body on a futon as evidence…
https://www.propublica.org/article/private-schools-vouchers-growth-florida-arizona-west-virginia
Bless His Heart | A Southern Gospel Satirical Eulogy for Lindsey Graham
In the South, "Bless his heart" doesn't always mean what it sounds like. Sometimes it’s used to show utter contempt, and this Southern gospel satire proves it. Bless His Heart is a satirical eulogy that looks back at Lindsey Graham's public record through the unmistakable voice of a gracious Southern church lady whose manners are impeccable, even when her message isn't. Blending rich gospel harmonies, biting political humor, and sharp commentary on loyalty, hypocrisy, democratic norms, impeachment, the Supreme Court, healthcare, equal rights, and the rise of MAGA, this original parody asks what kind of legacy elected officials leave behind. If you follow American politics, oppose what you see as complicity within today's Republican leadership, or enjoy clever political satire wrapped in classic Southern gospel style, this song delivers a memorable mix of wit, irony, and unforgettable storytelling
‘Enemies of civilization’: top Trump officials attack leftwing activism as 'encroaching darkness'
The conference, convened by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and attended by Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, and Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, was billed as a “ministerial on the resurgence of political violence”, but the focus was solely on crushing leftist violence. It came as Donald Trump ramps up his efforts to label his political opponents, and a rising number of politicians identified with the Democratic Socialists of America as “communists”.
The officials did not mention episodes of rightwing attacks, such as the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/16/political-violence-event-trump-marco-rubio
I loved this apologetic argument... Then I learned history.
I used to use this argument for the resurrection. I don't anymore — and once you understand where the empty tomb stories actually come from, you'll see why. This video responds to a popular apologetic case built on three claims: the empty tomb, early creeds, and eyewitness testimony. I'm focusing on the empty tomb claim specifically — and the problem starts with a simple fact: Paul, our earliest source, never mentions an empty tomb at all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wmxlu8Is5A
LIVE DEBATE [Your God is Fiction] 4-13-2026 (Justin at DZ Debates on YouTube)
BECOME A MEMBER / GET CHEAT SHEET
TIMESTAMPS
17:41 Mike - Marci joins; Christian but doesn’t necessarily believe the Bible; Are natural disasters necessary? Caller is dropped because they aren’t tracking the argument
50:30 John [Norse Pagan] - Breakdown of caller’s beliefs; Every human culture worships something thus many Gods are real
1:10:25 Christian Lane - Genuinely funny because caller’s AI decides to butt in
1:13:13 Tony - Caller slurs and gets kicked
1:16:00 Tonyorbo - Everything has been intelligently constructed by a mind; Atheists have more blind faith than believers; The fact that we are able to come up with solutions to imperfections is proof of God; Caller runs
1:50:58 ty_miller1 - Is the universe eternal? Is the universe expanding?
2:07:28 Sam - M’s joins; Caller is bad faith and does a lot of meta; What is the relationship between mass and energy? Caller refuses to admit he is Muslim
2:30:15 Frags and Coffee - Caller is exploring Islam; M’s and caller talk about Muhammad’s life; What is energy?
2:56:45 Truth in Telos - What are examples of Babylonian and Egyptian texts that accurately guess the future? A deep dive into the kingdoms of Daniel 8
3:50:20 Joel - What non-Biblical evidence do we have for the resurrection? What does the Old Testament say about the messiah (Jeremiah 33)? What contradictions does the New Testament have?
4:20:15 (Joel) - What does Jeremiah 31 say about the Messianic Age?
4:45:33 Isaac Matthews - Does the Bible say Heaven is in the sky? Does God have a body? Is the Earth flat per the Bible?
5:18:25 (Isaac Matthews) - Duncan joins; What did the ancient Jewish people believe? Justin brings receipts; How much of a dumbo is Paul?
5:30:30 (Isaac Matthews) - What did God promise Abraham and how it is related to Jesus? What were Jewish beliefs about the messiah? Who is the suffering servant?Interview:
5:56:35 (Isaac Matthews) - Who wrote the Gospels? What do they say about fulfilled prophecy? Is the Holy Trinity logical?
6:39:35 Nina Baron - Do any of the scriptures resound with the hosts? Is there a higher power that sets order to the Universe?
7:01:15 Superchats and wrap up
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