Thursday, June 25, 2026
GOP hard-liners outline anti-abortion, military funding demands for party-line bill - Live Updates - POLITICO
In the letter, the members also told Johnson the next bill should eliminate clean energy tax credits — something they pushed for in the first reconciliation bill last year. The lawmakers are also asking for reforms to health care, the removal of certain firearm-related taxes and “responsible short-term funding for key government personnel and services” to prevent another government shutdown ahead of the midterms...
It could have been a peace summit. Instead, Trump clashed with senators inside ‘intense’ meeting. - POLITICO
The president arrived determined to prosecute his grudges against the Republican lawmakers who have opposed him...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/24/donald-trump-senate-lunch-00974397
Millions of stars light up largest and most detailed shot of Milky Way’s centre
“This data fires the starting pistol in a new age of exoplanet discovery, where we go from knowing about 6,000 exoplanets to finding more than 100,000 across the galaxy.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/24/stars-galactic-bulge-milky-way-euclid-telescope
Hegseth’s budget sales pitch falls flat with GOP lawmakers - POLITICO
Some of the president’s biggest supporters in Congress expressed concern about the impact of increased military spending on the national debt…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/24/hegseth-republicans-defense-budget-skepticism-00973978
Chinese supercomputer leapfrogs best US machines to be ranked world’s fastest
China’s LineShine debuts at number one in Top500 – a list sometimes viewed as a national measure of global tech prowess…
Congress passes the largest housing affordability bill in decades — and Trump cancels the signing : NPR
The bill, called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, passed 358-32 in the House. The Senate approved it Monday with similarly overwhelming bipartisan support...
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/23/nx-s1-5867575/congress-passes-housing-affordability-bill
SCOTUS Gave the Government a “Blank Check” to Weaken Due Process for Green Card Holders – Mother Jones
In a 6–3 decision signed by Justice Clarence Thomas, the conservative supermajority held that border officers don’t need to have “clear and convincing evidence” that a lawful permanent resident committed a crime involving moral turpitude—a vaguely defined immigration law term that can cover a wide spectrum of crimes generally involving intent to defraud or cause bodily harm—before jeopardizing their rights and ability to stay in the country. In other words, agents at the border have just been given exceptional discretion to bypass protections generally afforded to green card holders...
Michigan Senate candidate McMorrow accuses Trump of keeping Canada-US bridge closed to help donor
McMorrow argues that Trump is blocking the bridge because “the billionaire family that owns the other bridge gave him a million bucks."
That claim references the Moroun family, owners of the privately held Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. Federal campaign finance records show Matthew Moroun donated $1 million to Trump's super PAC earlier this year...
Trump administration loses appeal over access to personal information of Michigan voters
Michigan can keep a lid on the personal information of registered voters. That is the ruling from a federal appeals court. It is the latest defeat for the Trump administration, which has been trying to get key details from dozens of states. The court says the release of birth dates, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers is not covered by a federal law cited by the U.S. Justice Department...
WATCH: Under proposed rule, USPS won't deliver mail ballots to states that don't provide voter rolls, postmaster general says | PBS News
Postmaster General David Steiner told a Senate committee Wednesday that, if a proposed rule is adopted, the U.S. Postal Service would withhold mail ballots from states that do not hand over to the federal government lists of people who have requested absentee or mail ballots...
Crisis pregnancy centers questioned about ectopic pregnancy tactic : NPR
This week, Campaign for Accountability, a nonprofit watchdog organization, sent a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James requesting that her office investigate whether crisis pregnancy centers in New York are fraudulently advertising to women about their ability to diagnose ectopic pregnancies.
"By leading patients to believe that their services are adequate substitutes for medical diagnoses, [crisis pregnancy centers] may cause women to forgo comprehensive medical care, resulting in their suffering grievous bodily injury," reads the letter, shared exclusively with NPR…
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/24/nx-s1-5860744/crisis-pregnancy-centers-ectopic-abortion
Senators revive push for AI labels - Live Updates - POLITICO
“People deserve to know whether or not the videos, photos, and content they see and read online is real or not,” Schatz said in a statement. Curtis touted the 31-page bill as having “commonsense transparency standards” to help consumers make informed decisions and discourage fraudsters from using AI for deception.
— The details: The legislation would compel AI providers to visibly label videos, audio and images generated using artificial intelligence and embed machine-readable disclosures within such content. It would also require AI developers to collaborate with all major social media platforms to make users aware of shared content’s authenticity...
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/24/congress/senate-revives-push-for-ai-labels-00974818
‘Hugely Troubling’: A Former Wall Street Regulator Is Getting Nervous - POLITICO
She pointed to a simple measure of banks’ capital levels — one that considers how much debt they’re taking on without factoring in what kind of risks they’re taking — that suggests megabanks’ capital buffers are now roughly where they were in 2009. It’s unclear where the next threats to the financial system might come from. Bair is less worried about crypto, for instance, than she is about turmoil in private credit markets, where lenders that aren’t banks make riskier loans to businesses. But the whole point of capital is that it’s intended to guard against the unexpected.
And right now, she’s worried that regulators are letting their guard down...
Israeli former leaders and security chiefs threaten legal action over ‘Jewish terrorism’
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has clear policy of ignoring the crimes of Jewish terrorism, and in many incidents soldiers from the regional defense units and [settlement] security squads are themselves involved in the crimes of Jewish terrorism,” the letter said.
Since 2020, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, at least a quarter of whom were children, UN data shows. No one has been charged over any of these deaths.
The attacks jeopardise Israeli security because they risk spurring Palestinian revenge attacks or even an uprising, or intifada, against Israeli occupation, the group warned...
Kennedy Center judge orders tarp and programming update : NPR
The tarp and scaffolding on the center's front portico went up after the Kennedy Center's administration slow-walked the court-mandated removal of President Trump's name from the front of the center and from all digital materials, which was supposed to happen no later than June 12. Workers removed the lettering overnight into the following morning, hours after the federal court's original deadline, and covered the center's sign with a tarpaulin...
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/24/nx-s1-5869578/kennedy-center-tarp
Judge tosses DOJ lawsuit against four New Jersey ‘sanctuary cities’ - POLITICO
The Department of Justice lacks the standing to challenge “sanctuary” immigration policies in four New Jersey cities, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, handing the Trump administration a striking setback after more than a year of litigation...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/24/new-jersey-tosses-doj-lawsuit-sanctuary-cities-00975065
The EPA Relied on an Influential Glyphosate Study Even After Learning Monsanto Was a “Ghost Writer” – Mother Jones
The US Environmental Protection Agency has known for nearly a decade that an influential 2013 scientific paper that concluded glyphosate is safe was actually ghostwritten by developer Monsanto. But the agency never informed the public and continued to rely on it, according to an EPA memo obtained by Mother Jones and revealed here for the first time...
Jared Kushner Helped Make This Mess in Iran While Making a Mess of Money – Mother Jones
Kushner proselytized Bibi’s claim that Iran was weeks, if not days, away from building a nuclear weapon—a view widely dismissed by nuclear experts—and appeared naive as to how the Iranians negotiate. His antipathy toward Tehran was no secret. According to author Andrea Bernstein, Kushner bonded with the dictator of the United Arab Emirates over their mutual loathing of Iran long before the UAE began bankrolling his firm. But Trump wasn’t troubled by his team’s inexperience, ineptness, or conflicts of interest. Kushner, Netanyahu, and the other Iran hawks got their way, resulting in America’s greatest humiliation on the global stage since the Iraq War...
Washtenaw County asks for federal immigration lawsuit to be dismissed
“It's just Washtenaw County telling the federal government, ‘We're not going to do your job, and if you want to do your job and do immigration enforcement, you can, but you can't do it with our county's resources,’” said Philip Mayor, deputy legal director at the ACLU of Michigan...
‘Extremely overwhelmed’: apartment renters face rising tide of fees
Guardian investigation: Renters at apartment buildings operated by industry giant Greystar complain they’re deluged by ‘unfair’ and ‘inflated’ fees. The company denies these claims….gif?width=620&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jun/24/apartment-renters-rising-fees
Trump wants $88B for Iran war, disaster aid in emergency request - POLITICO
Many Democrats, who oppose the war and contend the conflict is illegal, are almost certain to object to spending such a substantial sum.
The request for tens of billions of dollars in extra war spending comes as Trump pushes for a record-breaking $1.5 trillion military budget, a roughly 50 percent hike from this year’s level. Democrats have balked at the historic request as wasteful and criticized Trump and Republicans for simultaneously pushing to slash domestic programs…
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Trump's war powers rebuked by GOP-led House & Senate
The Senate adopted a resolution directing the president to remove military forces from the conflict with Iran, a significant rebuke to Donald Trump and a strong message that the war lacks support in Congress. Democrats have repeatedly forced votes to limit Trump’s war powers in both the House and the Senate – a campaign that has gradually picked up more GOP support in recent weeks, drawing the president’s ire.
GOP Sens. Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy joined Democrats in voting for the resolution, while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against it. The final tally was 50-48.
Trump’s acting intelligence chief fires dozens of staff members – report
According to CNN, which was first to report the firings on Monday, political appointees with ties to Gabbard were among those purged. ABC News reported that cuts to the National Terrorism Center were expected to be particularly large.
CBS reported on Tuesday that more than 50 career and political staff members had been dismissed, with six individuals fired and 45 “sent back to their home agencies”…
“My guess is based on his past experience, it’s going to be another hot, steaming pile of Doge shit,” Tillis, who is retiring, continued. “I think he’s an incompetent sycophant and not the right person to lead DNI, and you’re undermining ultimately what the confirmed administrator should be doing.”…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/23/director-national-intelligence-staff
The Supreme Court Deals Major Blow to Congressional Authority – Mother Jones
Even though the Constitution says no such thing, the Roberts Court declares that Spending Clause legislation can only be enforced against violators who consent to be held liable, in the same way a contract is only valid of both parties consent. Under the court’s new holding, if, as in this case, prison guards violate RLUIPA, Congress’ only enforcement mechanism is to withdraw the prison’s funding. It’s a cramped vision of Congressional authority that could ultimately allow states and individuals to overrule Congress’ ability to govern.
The Democratic appointees found the notion ridiculous. The Spending Clause gives Congress the “power to legislate, not merely to negotiate,” read Jackson’s dissent, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. “The Court reduces some of Congress’s greatest legislative achievements—federal laws that secure civil rights, environmental stability, healthcare, and more—to nothing more than the wheelings-and-dealings of an especially wealthy private party.”…
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/supreme-court-congress-landor-spending-clause/
Mystery of hit on Tren de Aragua leader: is US making Venezuela safe for mining?
Experts suspect the strike in Venezuela also had the parallel purpose of preparing the area for investment by mining companies.
The Orinoco Mining Arc holds not just gold, but rare earths and critical minerals such as nickel, copper, bauxite and coltan that are vital for industrial and military production.
Since January, the Venezuelan regime has passed a mining reform to open the sector to foreign private capital, while the US has issued licenses allowing US companies to carry out transactions involving Venezuelan-origin gold...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/23/venezuela-tren-de-aragua-assassination-mining
Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over LA sanctuary city policy
“This order reinforces the well-established principle that local governments have the authority to decide how to use their personnel and resources,” Feldstein Soto said in a statement released on Monday.
“The goal of this ordinance, and of LAPD’s immigration-related policies – which date back to special order 40 in the 1970s – is to encourage victims of and witnesses to crime to feel safe coming forward to seek help from LAPD regardless of their immigration status. It does not obstruct or impede lawful federal immigration enforcement operations.”…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/22/judge-trump-lawsuit-los-angeles-sanctuary-city
Israel continues to commit genocide by targeting children in Gaza, UN inquiry finds
Independent report says by aiming at children Israel is undermining capacity of Palestinian people to exist…
Texas anti-ICE protesters convicted of terrorism charges sentenced to at least 50 years in prison
The defendants in the case are a collection of activists who were loosely affiliated with one another through a local leftwing book club and gun group. During the trial, prosecutors highlighted many of the zines that the book club read as evidence of the conspiracy and ideology that linked the demonstrators. That evidence was met with widespread criticism from legal observers who said that it amounted to criminalizing freedom of speech...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/23/prairieland-ice-protesters-texas-sentenced
Senate Republicans say it’s time to give Trump a reality check - POLITICO
Several GOP senators, including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have objected to the precedent the bill would set by nationalizing election procedures. Test votes on the bill have not garnered more than 48 supporters, though a narrower bill focused on voter ID won 50 votes. That’s still far short of the 60 votes needed to defeat a certain Democratic filibuster...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/22/trump-senate-republicans-lunch-00971303
Mamdani called AIPAC dark money 'monsters.' None of the congressional candidates he's backing seem to care. - POLITICO
“We’re taking on corporate greed. We’re taking on a lobby that has been upholding and supporting a genocide in Gaza now for two and a half years, but has kept so many Democrats silent because they’re worried about a donor base,” Assemblymember Claire Valdez, Mamdani’s endorsed candidate for the seat, said on a Monday episode of “Breaking Points,” a YouTube show focused on news and politics. “The mayor is calling that out, and I think we have to.”…
Gov. Whitmer announces construction of more than 600 affordable rental units across Michigan
More than $18.9 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) will be used to fund the creation of the new rental units…
The program provides tax incentives to developers who build or rehabilitate housing for low- and moderate-income households. These credits help reduce financing costs, making it possible to offer lower rents and long-term affordability…
Judge scraps SNAP junk food rules, dealing a blow to MAHA - POLITICO
“With her solicitation and approval of the pilot projects in this case, the Secretary purports to waive not just a mere administrative or technical obstacle, but the very definition of ‘food’ as it was laid down by Congress,” Berman wrote. “Neither the USDA nor the states can force this square peg into a round hole to avoid the plain language of the statute and the requirements of 2026(k),” referencing the part of the statute that addresses projects to help improve SNAP households’ health status...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/22/judge-snap-junk-food-rules-maha-00970700
Judge RIPS Trump to SHREDS and Delivers FATAL BLOW To Election Scheme
Harry fills you in on a federal judge blocking Trump from creating a national registry of Americans’ private information, including Social Security numbers. You'll want to tune in about this important ruling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGUPvumzX0
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
China hits back at U.S. sanctions on tech giants, restricting its exports to American defense firms | PBS News
The Commerce Ministry said that Chinese companies would be blocked from exporting "dual-use" items to the 10 companies, which include military drone makers and some involved in rare earth mining. Dual use refers to goods that can have military as well as non-military applications.
The ministry said the export ban was both to safeguard China's national security and in response to what it called the U.S. government's "wrongful expansion of its so-called List of Chinese Military Companies."…
ABC encourages viewers to back network amid FCC investigations
Then, a narrator tells viewers: “The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 3o years. Now, the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show. Viewers, use your voice.”…
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jun/22/abc-fcc-investigations
Groups tied to OpenAI and Anthropic are spending big on the midterms : NPR
Around the country, groups associated with AI and tech are trying to influence elections from Senate races to local offices, even as Americans register increasing discomfort with the technology's ramifications for jobs, energy bills and society. AI-focused super PACs have already spent $43.3 million on congressional races this cycle, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign spending…
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/22/nx-s1-5856359/ai-anthropic-congress-spending-openai-midterms-election
‘Blatantly unlawful’: Judge blocks DOJ subpoenas aimed at Tim Walz - POLITICO
In a blistering ruling, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said there was “no doubt” that the subpoenas were issued to damage Walz — part of what he said was a pattern of Trump administration efforts to use criminal process to punish the president’s adversaries...
Judge blocks Trump admin’s database of Americans’ Social Security numbers and citizenship status - POLITICO
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from creating a database of millions of Americans’ private information — including Social Security numbers and citizenship status — saying the administration has fed knowingly inaccurate data to states that are now “actively” and “haphazardly” purging purported non-citizens from voter rolls.
“The federal government has knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote,” U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan wrote in a 75-page ruling. “This Court cannot stand idly by while that happens.”…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/22/americans-private-information-database-ruling-00969935
‘A matter of life or death’: the activists confronting Congress about slashing HIV funding
The Trump administration’s new Medicaid rules, issued this month as part of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, require millions of low-income Americans to prove they are working, studying or otherwise active for at least 80 hours a month just to keep their health coverage. It’s a paperwork hurdle that could cost 5 million to 10 million people their Medicaid by 2028, the Urban Institute estimates. For the roughly 40% of Americans with HIV who rely on Medicaid at any given time, and the 85% who depend on it at some point in their lives, the new rules could cost them their lives.
“For people with HIV, that’s a matter of life or death, because if your treatment is interrupted, even for a short time, you can lose viral load suppression,” said Virginia Shubert, a senior policy adviser at Housing Works, the New York City advocacy organization dedicated to ending the HIV/Aids and homelessness crises. “It goes beyond the law, and it’s very cruel.”…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/22/us-hiv-aids-funding-cuts-activism
God Is Evil AND Silly (Jon Cohen - Unconvinced on YouTube)
A mix of serious moral critique and complete absurdity as we examine religious claims, apologetics, suffering, divine hiddenness, eternal punishment, and the strange lengths people go to defend impossible ideas.
Believers and nonbelievers welcome.
Just bring arguments.
Timestamps
00:01:34 – Mr. Terrific – Agrees that God is evil and silly, then discusses Yahweh as a violent/jealous deity and the hypocrisy of God condemning sins like wrath, envy, and lust while displaying them himself.
00:07:10 – Vaz – Attempted TikTok call fails when the guest connection hangs and no real discussion begins.
00:08:29 – Indi – Argues that religions spread through evolutionary-style selection while claiming to reject evolution, and warns that governments and religions exploit credulity by flattering people into obedience.
00:12:52 – AJ – Describes becoming Christian at 17, doubting after reading the Bible, joining and leaving the Shincheonji cult, and rejecting a supposedly all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God because of hell and evil.
00:29:08 – Unnamed YouTube caller – Appears in the queue without a name but drops before joining.
00:29:32 – Jayson – Initial audio attempt fails, then he reconnects to discuss being gay and nonreligious in a religious environment, maintaining family relationships, and how religion validates anti-gay prejudice.
00:55:04 – RMH 'NT – Argues that biblical atrocity texts are Deuteronomistic propaganda or later insertions, then debates God, spacetime, Andromeda, causality, and whether a God outside space and time could act at all.
01:16:05 – Nicholas – Briefly disappears from the queue.
01:16:21 – Mick – Briefly joins to ask whether Buddhism is on-topic, then has to leave before the discussion starts.
01:18:05 – Nicholas (return 2) – Reconnects to discuss fear of death after becoming agnostic, Pascal’s wager, hell, meaning without eternity, therapy, and why finite life can still matter.
01:35:47 – Mick (return 2) – Returns to discuss Buddhism, meditation, karma, rebirth, consciousness, and whether practical or psychological insights from Buddhism justify believing its supernatural claims.
01:59:13 – The Kenobi / Alex – Updates the hosts after coming out to his Southern Baptist parents as a nonbeliever, describing a better-than-expected conversation, mutual respect, and exchanging books with his father.
02:07:29 – Redheaded Trouble – Discusses writing about deconstruction, biblical scholarship, emotional manipulation in worship, rapture fear, religious indoctrination, and why teaching children terrifying doctrines is harmful.
02:26:20 – Beef – Asks how to support his wife while she deconstructs; the hosts compare the process to being between two shores and suggest patience, love, support, and recovery resources.
02:40:20 – Nate – Discusses karma as cause and effect, material versus supernatural claims, conscious simulations, creator responsibility, suffering, anti-natalism, and whether creating conscious beings can be morally justified.
02:57:35 – Elizabeth B – Shares struggles with chronic pain, depression, nihilism, doctors, therapy, and trying to find meaning while her body feels like it is fighting against her.
03:11:46 – Lego My Lamb – Talks about magical thinking, heaven, minds without bodies, God as an internal voice, foreknowledge, atrocities, and why divine creation can look like cruel performance art.
03:21:33 – Hotep Nefer Ra – Praises the show and discusses objective versus subjective morality, outdated religious systems, residential schools, and the importance of teaching children critical thinking instead of indoctrination.
03:30:35 – Water – Tries to steelman Christian objective morality, arguing that if God shapes everyone’s moral beliefs morality could be universal; the hosts distinguish universality from objectivity and challenge divine command theory.
03:44:08 – Yahweh is God – Defends biblical morality while the hosts challenge collective punishment, David’s census, genocide, hell, blasphemy, virginity laws, and whether perceived revelation could justify atrocities.
04:22:03 – Nkonsinathi – Attempts to explain how people in parts of Africa are raised into religions without knowing their origins, but the connection is too poor to continue.
04:26:13 – Rhyme NT / Rim NT (return 2) – Returns to continue the Andromeda/spacetime argument, but the hosts stop the call when it becomes repetitive and unproductive.
04:28:33 – Adam – Responds to the Andromeda argument, explains why light-travel time does not support a timeless God, and warns that “Yahweh is God” may be a known troll character.
04:35:16 – Aether – Catholic theology/philosophy caller discusses Old Testament violence, hyperbole, God withdrawing protection, kenosis, free will, Satan, natural evil, heaven, and animal suffering.
05:22:49 – Matthew – Shares that his sister recently died and asks how to navigate grief after deconstruction, especially when others use afterlife beliefs for comfort; the hosts advise kindness and emotional honesty.
05:35:37 – Nikosi Nathi / Cosy (return 2) – Returns with a better signal but appears to be asleep or snoring, so the hosts joke briefly and move on.
05:36:12 – Adam (return 2) – Returns to critique Aether’s theodicies, arguing that God remains responsible even if self-limited, then discusses objective morality, divine subjectivity, and Bible jokes.
05:54:53 – Rissa – Thanks the hosts for helping her deconstruct after strict religious schooling, asks about a chat moderation issue, and empathizes with Matthew after losing her brother.
06:01:25 – Ms.interpretations – @Ms.Interpretations briefly checks in, mentions the hosts appearing on her YouTube channel, talks about the thumbnail and link, and says she is preparing for a Europe trip.
06:04:20 – Zeitgeist Omega – Checks in as a supporter, mentions a belief-challenge group, and asks to update his name on the inner-circle wall from Stephan Seymour Jr. to Zeitgeist Omega.
06:11:07 – Indie (return 2) – Returns after audio problems to perform an Al Pacino-style Devil’s Advocate impression as a humorous sendoff.
06:15:36 – Screaming Silence / Richie – Discusses seeing religion differently after deconstruction, wanting siblings out without becoming pushy, religious comments during illness, losing church community, family rejection, nihilism, and wanting religious viewers to see callers as human.
06:41:11 – Joel – Explains the Canadian phrase “Jesus Murphy,” jokes about accents and Canadian regions, and talks briefly about TikTok censoring odd words.
Interview:
Monday, June 22, 2026
Loyalty Kash Bonuses (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Unjustified podcast)
FBI Director Kash Patel may be operating a secret slush fund of taxpayer dollars to pay loyalist agents.
Trump urges Republicans to postpone Jay Clayton confirmation hearings as leverage to pass his voter suppression bill
The Trump Administration weighed suspending habeas corpus and invoking the Insurrection Act after being frustrated by the courts.
Fifteen protestors in Minnesota have been charged with conspiracy to impede ICE officers during Operation Metro Surge.
Plus listener questions.
Interview:
Trump urges Republicans to postpone Jay Clayton confirmation hearings as leverage to pass his voter suppression bill
The Trump Administration weighed suspending habeas corpus and invoking the Insurrection Act after being frustrated by the courts.
Fifteen protestors in Minnesota have been charged with conspiracy to impede ICE officers during Operation Metro Surge.
Plus listener questions.
Interview:
Al and Franklin Foer on Iran, Ukraine, Soccer, and The World (Al Franken Podcast on YouTube)
We’re joined by our longtime friend, Franklin Foer of The Atlantic! We have a deal in Iran or at least an agreement to have an agreement. Even some Republicans are calling this an unconditional surrender. Al and Frank break down the massive concessions, which include a staggering $300 billion to reconstruct Iran, lifted blockades, and Iranian tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. And what does all of this mean for Trump and Netanyahu’s plummeting relationship ahead of the Israeli elections this fall?
Frank also breaks down the war in Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela, and ongoing tensions with Cuba.
Plus, we discuss Frank’s bestselling book, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. It was recently reissued to coincide with the U.S. hosting the World Cup. Frank explains how his views of world soccer have changed since the original publishing and why globalization never brought us the "kumbaya political liberalism" we were promised.
Interview:
Frank also breaks down the war in Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela, and ongoing tensions with Cuba.
Plus, we discuss Frank’s bestselling book, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. It was recently reissued to coincide with the U.S. hosting the World Cup. Frank explains how his views of world soccer have changed since the original publishing and why globalization never brought us the "kumbaya political liberalism" we were promised.
Interview:
US-Iran talks strained as Trump threats spark Iranian walkout
Negotiations expected to continue through the night despite disruption caused by US president’s threat to bomb Iran and kidnap negotiating team…
Trump loyalist Jim Jordan linked to group that received ‘dark money’ from ICE detention contractor
The report found that the American Liberty Foundation, a political action committee (Pac) tied to Jordan, last year received $250,000 in “dark money” payments from Geo Group, the Florida-headquartered company that runs dozens of detention centers on behalf of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the country...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/20/jim-jordan-super-pac-ice-donation
At least seven people killed in Chicago shootings as Trump renews military call
Mayor says ‘violence has no place in our city’ as president criticizes governor for not accepting national guard troops…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/21/chicago-shootings-trump
Key Trump allies and Musk on leaked list for secretive Peter Thiel retreat
Thiel is a secretive and influential billionaire political svengali and tech investor who recently hit the headlines for hosting a series of lectures philosophizing about who the antichrist could be and warning that Armageddon is coming. Thiel has also recently become powerful in conservative politics with close ties to Donald Trump and JD Vance and has helped bankroll Republicans’ 2026 midterm campaigns.
The leaked Dialog list includes governors, senators and congresspeople from both US political parties, leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Japan and prominent opinion writers from outlets including the New York Times, among many others…
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/20/trump-elon-musk-peter-thiel-retreat
FEC filings confirm GOP meddling in Dem primaries - POLITICO
New filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission late Saturday night show both groups got all of their money so far from Conservative Americans PAC, a super PAC founded in 2023 that this cycle has also sent money to the Senate Leadership Fund — Senate Republicans’ super PAC arm — and a host of other Republican groups...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/21/fec-republican-meddling-democratic-primaries-00969281
The white working class knows the American project isn’t working. Here’s why that will never matter to them
Du Bois understood that the racial order required by capitalism could only be maintained if white elites successfully manipulated the white masses against their class alliances with other races. They needed to be goaded into loyalty to a white supremacist planter class that struggled to keep its chokehold on the postwar south. Convincing poor white farmers to side with the wealthy land owners they otherwise begrudged required posing newly enfranchised African Americans as a threat to even the lowest white man’s standing...
LIVE Q&A 3-24-2026 (Justin at DZ Debates on YouTube)
Bring all your questions about the bible, christianity, atheism, etc,. and Justin will answer to the best of his abilities.
Interview:
Sunday, June 21, 2026
Weekly Roundup: Trump's Iran Disaster, JD Vance's Problem, and the Collapse of the Strongman Myth (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)
In this week's Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller unpack the fallout from the Trump administration's Iran deal, the growing fractures within the MAGA coalition, and why Vice President JD Vance appears to be carrying the political burden for a foreign policy debacle.
They examine the deal's similarities to the Obama-era agreement Republicans once condemned, the tensions between America First isolationists and pro-Israel conservatives, and what Vance's comments reveal about the future of the Republican Party. Along the way, they explore how ideas about masculinity, leadership, power, and political performance shape Trump's approach to governing—and why those approaches are increasingly running into reality.
Brad and Dan also discuss the symbolism of Trump's algae-filled Reflecting Pool, the contrast between spectacle and civic leadership, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, and Zohran Mamdani's appearance at the Knicks championship celebration. What do these competing public rituals tell us about the kind of country Americans want to build?
Plus: updates on the launch of Axis Mundi's new daily analysis platform, the Axis Daily Brief, and how you can support independent journalism and public scholarship at the intersection of religion and politics.
Interview:
They examine the deal's similarities to the Obama-era agreement Republicans once condemned, the tensions between America First isolationists and pro-Israel conservatives, and what Vance's comments reveal about the future of the Republican Party. Along the way, they explore how ideas about masculinity, leadership, power, and political performance shape Trump's approach to governing—and why those approaches are increasingly running into reality.
Brad and Dan also discuss the symbolism of Trump's algae-filled Reflecting Pool, the contrast between spectacle and civic leadership, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, and Zohran Mamdani's appearance at the Knicks championship celebration. What do these competing public rituals tell us about the kind of country Americans want to build?
Plus: updates on the launch of Axis Mundi's new daily analysis platform, the Axis Daily Brief, and how you can support independent journalism and public scholarship at the intersection of religion and politics.
Interview:
The American Way is Separation of Religion and State with Freedom of Religious Expression (Warren Throckmorton; The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Formerly Telling Jefferson Lies podcast)
Throckmorton says: 
Randall Balmer joins me for remarks about why he believes America is not a Christian nation and why separation of church and state is the American way.
This is the topic of chapter 6 in my new book The Christian Past That Wasn't. In the book, I cover the topics in this segment as well as the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, The Church of the Holy Trinity v. the United States, and the views of James Madison.
Christian nationalists have significantly distorted the history in this area to reframe and redefine separation of church and state. I go to the primary sources to show readers what the framers said about this important principle.
Interview:
Warren Throckmorton, The Christian Past That Wasn't (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #640)
Warren Throckmorton is an author and speaker specializing in psychology and history.
Now retired, he worked as a psychology professor at a Christian college and produced, wrote, and hosted the critically acclaimed podcast series Telling Jefferson Lies.
Throckmorton is the coauthor with Michael Coulter of Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson. His latest book is called The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History. In it, he investigates a series of Christian Nationalist myths and why they're wrong.
Hemant spoke with Throckmorton about his new book ad Christian Nationalism in general.
Interview:
Brain Surgery (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
Neurosurgeon Dr. Vivekanand Palavali joins us to examine how science unravels near-death and out-of-body experiences. Then, we hear from members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus who are pushing back against Christian nationalism and the false claim that America was founded as a Christian nation.
Interview:
It’s a scam’: Americans express unease over SpaceX’s influence on retirement savings
“I think that the amount is absolutely ridiculous and untethered to the company’s actual value,” he said. “I think it’s abhorrent that my savings and retirement funds are tied so intricately to these tech companies, especially when they cannot be held accountable by investors.”…
“As someone looking to retire in the next five to 10 years, I’m alarmed at big tech’s market consolidation and its impact on my savings and investments. As a human being, I’m distraught that these companies all seem to be run by people with little accountability or moral compass,” he said. “How and why do my finances have to be bound to a racist, narcissistic, baby man who does not seem to care about other human beings? Everything about this is wrong.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jun/19/spacex-retirement-savings-elon-musk
She Needed Emergency Care for an Ectopic Pregnancy. The Religious Hospital said “No.”
When Harmonie Perrone arrived at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Illinois with symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, she knew exactly what treatment she needed. She had been through this before. But because the hospital is religious, it restricted abortion-related care, and Perrone says doctors refused to provide the medication that could have ended the dangerous pregnancy before it became a medical crisis.
Instead, Perrone was repeatedly denied treatment by OB/GYN Dr. Dympna Coll, sent to a Catholic facility that also refused to help her, and forced to seek care elsewhere while the clock was ticking.
By the time she finally received treatment at Northwestern Medicine, the delay had dramatically increased the risks. Ultimately, surgeons had to remove her remaining fallopian tube, leaving her unable to become pregnant without IVF.
Now Perrone is suing Advocate Good Shepherd and Dr. Coll for medical negligence and violations of Illinois law.
But that's not the only lawsuit involved. After Perrone shared her experience on TikTok, Coll sued her for defamation and demanded she take down her videos.
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