Satellite images suggest that Chantal has been organizing and gaining strength. The storm is still asymmetric though, with most of the associated showers and thunderstorms located near and to the east of the center. The Air Force Hurricane Hunters are currently investigating the system and have found that the pressure has dropped to 1007 mb. The plane has yet to sample the area of strong thunderstorms, where the highest winds are likely occurring. The initial intensity is set at 35 kt for now.
The intellectual exodus from civilian universities and military academies alike is concerning, both for the future of American leadership and national security.
Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin wrote a letter urging his state's Democratic governor to take steps to protect rural hospitals from the fallout of Republicans' widely reviled budget bill " which Van Orden voted for. Van Orden's urgent letter, which was dated Wednesday ahead of the bill's Thursday passage, added to the list of Republicans who have effectively acknowledged the legitimacy of widespread fears that Republicans' Trump-backed budget will harm some of the most vulnerable Americans " even as many Republicans have suggested it won't.
This priest is spot on.
Anyone watching the news in recent days may have noticed how the Trump administration, and specifically Donald Trump, seems to be almost celebrating the opening of new prisons.
Donald Trump signs his "one big beautiful bill" today at the White House. Trump goes off on an ill-informed tirade demeaning renewable energy sources like wind. Trump states, "I have never seen a wind farm in China," making the claim that China doesn't produce wind energy. A simple search on the internet shows that China is the global leader in wind energy. Read more
Trump to have a UFC fight on the White House lawn for America's 250th anniversary. Read more
The Defense Department held up a shipment of U.S. weapons for Ukraine this week over what officials said were concerns about its low stockpiles. But an analysis by senior military officers found that the aid package would not jeopardize the American military's own ammunition supplies, according to three U.S. officials. The move to halt the weapons shipment blindsided the State Department, members of Congress, officials in Kyiv and European allies, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. Critics of the decision included Republicans and Democrats who support aiding Ukraine's fight against Russia. Read more
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he plans to host a UFC fight on White House grounds as he kicked off a series of events to mark America's 250th anniversary next year. "Every one of our national park battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250," Trump said at the "America 250" event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on the eve of the Fourth of July, adding: "We're going to have a UFC fight " think of this " on the grounds of the White House." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans, adding that the president is "dead serious." "We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site," A UFC official told CNN, adding they had no additional details to share at this time.
"There is a 70% likelihood that when they get to whatever that university is outside of Illinois, they're not coming back," Pritzker said at a news conference in March. "That's a real problem, so we want to keep our best and brightest in the state."
Happy Independence Day!
During Joe Biden's four years in the White House, MAGA Republicans repeatedly questioned his physical and mental fitness. Donald Trump often described Biden as "Sleepy Joe," insisting that unlike the then-president, he was in excellent health and had a very high IQ.
A rural clinic in Nebraska is shutting its doors after more than 30 years due to mounting financial pressures and looming federal funding cuts tied to Medicaid, ABC affiliate KLKN reported Wednesday. According to the report, Troy Bruntz, president and CEO of the hospital, noted that while the clinic "has been a vital part of our mission to deliver quality healthcare close to home... the current financial environment, driven by anticipated federal budget cuts to Medicaid, has made it impossible for us to continue operating all of our services, many of which have faced significant financial challenges for years."
A national security expert issued a stark warning Thursday night after President Donald Trump's latest phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin was followed by a massive Russian missile barrage over Kyiv. Appearing on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins," Beth Sanner, a former deputy director of national intelligence, didn't mince words as she analyzed the timing of Russia's latest assault on Ukraine " just hours after Trump himself publicly confirmed his call with Putin. "If you look back at every time that he said, Stop, Vladimir' or made a call, he strikes " Putin strikes again within the next day," Sanner said. "I get why this administration wants to keep the dialogue open, but Putin responds every time with a finger."
The move comes after RFK Jr. called top medical journals "corrupt."
There's a reason for the signs covered with black bags popping up at exits along the Merritt Parkway. Crews with the Connecticut Department of Transportation are in the midst of putting up signs that will change out the parkways's old exit numbers for new ones. The change, according to the DOT, was prompted by regulations from the federal government requiring states to use a mileage-based exit numbering system.
