he general in charge of keeping the United States Marine Corps sustained in a fight dismisses the notion that China poses a near-peer threat to the U.S. It's far more serious and will make the currently paused conflict with Iran pale by comparison should the two superpowers come to blows, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka, the USMC Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics. "There is no threat that looms larger than the People's Republic of China," Sklenka said during the 2026 Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington, D.C. "Don't listen to this garbage about them being a near peer. They're a peer because they rival us in nearly every single measure of national influence."
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) told Republican House candidates Wednesday that he plans to suspend next month's primary elections so state lawmakers can pass a new congressional map first, according to two people with knowledge of the calls. The move follows a Supreme Court decision earlier in the day that found Louisiana had unlawfully discriminated by race when it created a second majority Black congressional district under legal pressure. The ruling positions Republicans to gain one or two seats in the midterms as they fight to hold their narrow majority in the House.
In the war's early days, the mismatch played out as one might expect. American forces destroyed much of the Iranian military. Now, however, the contest looks less one-sided. Iran has taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, and its missiles and drones still threaten America's allies in the region. While President Trump seems eager for a negotiated truce, Iran's leaders do not. Somehow, the weaker nation is in the stronger negotiating position. That reality exposes the vulnerabilities in the American way of war. Tactical success has not yielded victory. Mr. Trump's recklessness in conducting the war is one reason. But the problem is bigger than any single commander in chief. The United States has left itself unprepared for modern war.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will appear May 29 for a transcribed interview before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, a panel spokesperson said Wednesday. The announcement came after committee Democrats said they would pursue contempt charges against Bondi after she failed to appear for an earlier deposition as part of Oversight's investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and the Department of Justice's handling of the federal inquiry into the late convicted sex offender. Read more
Conservatives want to police how we talk about Trump"while excusing how the president talks about everyone else. Read more
ICE is not 'NICE'
Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC): "The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages nearly 12 million acres of public land and is the only major federal agency that still prohibits law-abiding Americans from carrying firearms on it. Two dozen House Republicans and I sent the Secretary of the Army a letter this week urging him to finish what Dummkopf Trumpf started and finalize a rule that would allow Americans to carry on Corps lands in accordance with state law."
drudge.com
"The most innocent clues can sometimes help crack a case. The objects [you will see] are all taken from the background of an image with sexually explicit material involving minors. For all images below, every other investigative avenue has already been examined. Therefore, EUROPOL requests your assistance in identifying the origin of some of these objects. We are convinced that more eyes will lead to more leads and will ultimately help to save these children."
Too late for these victims
Oil prices have jumped to their highest since 2022 after a report that the US military is set to brief President Donald Trump on new plans for potential action in the Iran war. US Central Command has prepared a plan for a wave of "short and powerful" strikes on Iran to try to break the deadlock in negotiations with Tehran, news site Axios reported. The BBC has contacted US Central Command and the White House for comment. Read more
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) met King Charles at the 9/11 Memorial site in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday. The pair shook hands and briefly exchanged words. Mayor Mamdani had declined a personal meeting with the King and reportedly wanted to ask the monarch to kindly return the Koh-i-Noor diamond to India, a massive gem that was stolen from a ten-year-old boy during Victorian colonization.
One estimated value of this priceless gem: $20bn
Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities to face charges alleging that an image he briefly shared on social media posed a threat to the life of US President Donald Trump.
The case stems from a 2025 Instagram post shared by Comey, which contained a photo of seashells on a beach arranged to read "86 47". "Eighty-six" is a slang term for "get rid of", and prosecutors allege it encourages violence against Trump, the 47th president.
Comey denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not know what the numbers meant, and accused the prosecution of political motivation.
President Donald Trump has lost his second ambassador to Ukraine in as many years. Julie Davis, the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, has left her role and will leave Kyiv in the next few weeks. Davis replaced Bridget Brink after her departure in April 2025. Davis had become frustrated in the role as a result of differences with the president over his lack of support for Ukraine, three people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth erupted emotionally during his Congressional hearing when California Rep. John Garamendi (D) accused him and Donald Trump of lying to the American people, calling the US aggression against Iran a "war of choice" and a "quagmire." "Shane on you!" the Secretary of War barked without dignity. Meanwhile, acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III testified that the cost of the ongoing US quagmire for the benefit of Israel is estimated to be costing American taxpayers $25 billion so far, as the conflict nears a 60-day mark and impeachment proceedings are underway in the House for Pete Hegseth (H.Res. 935) who is asking Congress to certify the DOD name change to Dept of War.
Operation AIPAC FURY
The Lebanese government has accused Israel of committing mass ecocide over the past several years: "The scale and intentionality of the damage to forests, agricultural lands, marine ecosystems, water resources, and atmospheric quality constitute what must be recognised as an act of ecocide, with consequences that extend far beyond immediate destruction. The environmental damage we face is not simply ecological -- it is a matter of public health, food security, livelihoods, social fabric, and national resilience."
Scorched Earth Policies Like in Gaza
The State Department ordered consular officers to ask every applicant for a visitor, student, or temporary-work visa two new questions: 1) "Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?" and 2) "Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning there?" Applicants who answer "yes" to either must be denied a visa on the spot. The directive-- signed by USSECSTATE Marco Rubio and rooted in a 2025 Donald Trump executive order-- seeks to choke off what the administration calls "asylum abuse" at the front end of the mobility pipeline.
Appeals Court Rules Refugees May Seek Asylum at US Borders
Former Vice President Kamala Harris' support for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary surged to 50 percent in a new survey from the Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll, strengthening her position as the early front-runner if she chooses to run. Read more
