One thing that continues to surprise me is just how big the US economy is, at least in nominal aka US dollar terms. The map above shows you could split the US economy in 3 and it would be the #1, #3 and #4 biggest economies.
The FBI warns that the nefarious cybercriminal group Scattered Spider' is expanding its targeting to include the airline sector. Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware. Hawaiian Airlines and WestJet both confirmed they were recently victims of a cyberattack by unspecified assailants. The FBI said it is working with aviation partners to address the activity, but that it has not impacted airline safety so far. The Scattered Spider hacker group has previously been linked to cyberattacks across different company sectors, including an attack that shut down MGM Resorts' systems for over a week in 2023. Meanwhile tens of thousands of East Coast flyers face a travel horror show after the FAA implemented ground delays at LaGuardia and JFK airports, cancelling least 180 flights. The nightmare comes as travelers gear up for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Read more
Lara Trump " who declined to run for North Carolina Senate four years ago " is at a crossroads again amid Sen. Thom Tillis' announcement that he won't seek reelection. Now, the younger Trump " who has previously had ambitions to hold elected office " is at a crossroads again amid Sen. Thom Tillis' announcement that he won't seek reelection. And while she weighs her options, the rest of the state GOP is at a standstill. "The field is gonna be frozen," said one political operative close to the White House. "She has the right of first refusal." Read more
Wealthy Kentucky business executive Nate Morris entered the race to succeed Mitch McConnell in the United States Senate, casting himself as the only political outsider in the field and an unwaveringly loyal supporter of President Trump. He announced his candidacy on a podcast hosted by the president's son Donald Trump Jr. The race is expected to be among the biggest and most expensive Republican primary battles of 2026. On his campaign website, Mr. Morris says he opposes "all forms of amnesty" for undocumented immigrants and wants to end birthright citizenship. He says he supports Mr. Trump's tariffs and wants to cut federal funding for schools and universities that "try to indoctrinate our kids with woke propaganda." The GOP Senator hopeful stated "We need a hard stop on immigration, right now." Link: Twitter. Read more
When political scientist Seth Masket shared this story on Bluesky yesterday, I couldn't believe it was real. The right-wing Washington Times reported that at a press conference at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, Trump revealed that he had given Iran permission to bomb the U.S.'s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation for the American bombing of their nuclear sites. "They said, We're going to shoot them. Is one o'clock OK?' I said it's fine," Trump said. "And everybody was emptied off the base so they couldn't get hurt, except for the gunners." I poked around for other major coverage of this extraordinary admission, and landed only on a transcript of the press conference. And yes, amid a characteristically meandering monologue, Trump actually said that he let a foreign adversary bomb an American military installation.
There were no survivors in a plane crash behind a house in Howland on Sunday morning, according to local authorities. It happened around 7 a.m. between Spring Run Road and King Graves Road NE " just two miles away from the end of the runway at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna. The plane was carrying two experienced crew members and four passengers. The identities of the crash victims have not yet been released. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the plane was a Cessna 441 " a small twin-engine plane.
In his latest attack on the press, Donald Trump called out another reporter by name for writing unflattering investigative pieces on the president and his business ventures. Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday, "Not that it really matters, but a terribly untalented writer for badly failing Forbes Magazine, Dan Alexander, who probably can't get a meaningful job in the business, has written so inaccurately about me that it is ridiculous." Alexander's latest article focused on the Trump Organization's "dishonesty" over the size of its properties " an issue that was central to New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud lawsuit against Trump in 2024 that resulted in a $355 million judgment against him, effectively barring him from doing business in the state. Read more
This new case was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of New Hampshire, ACLU of Maine, ACLU of Massachusetts, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Law Caucus, and Democracy Defenders Fund on behalf of a proposed class of babies subject to the executive order, and their parents. Read more
A man was arrested by Capitol Police on Sunday after interrupting the Senate debate on President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill," shouting from the Senate Galleries that the lawmakers are "horrible." Allen D. Rogers, of Florida, was arrested for unlawful conduct after he refused to obey officers' orders to stop the disruption, according to police. "At approximately 7:00 p.m., our officers arrested a man who started being disruptive in the Senate Galleries," police said in a statement.
A hacker working on behalf of the Sinaloa drug cartel infiltrated cameras and phones to track an FBI official in Mexico investigating the drug lord El Chapo, then used data from that surveillance to kill and intimidate potential sources and witnesses the agent was meeting with. The hacker had observed people going in and out of the US Embassy in Mexico City and identified "people of interest" for the cartel, including the FBI Assistant Legal Attache (ALAT), and then was able to use the ALAT's mobile phone number to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data, associated with the ALAT's phone. Link: justice.gov. Read more
Colleen McCormack of Pembroke, MA, was relaxing in her outdoor hot tub when she captured on video a mystery object floating in the sky about 9PM Wednesday. McCormack got her phone out and recorded video of the unusual scene. "It looked like it was on fire or something and it was just coming down really fast," McCormack said. "I have no idea what it could have been." The FAA said there were no reports of debris in the area. Officials declined to comment on the video. "My heart was pounding because I just looked up," McCormack said. "I'm like oh god what is about to happen right now?" The witness said she expected to her a loud sound when the object hit the earth, but there was no noise after it disappeared from view. "It was really quiet. You couldn't like really hear anything. That's why I was just like more confused. When stuff flies over all the time, you hear it," she said. Read more
Two other Democrats have now joined Kirsten Gillibrand in falsely accusing the Muslim mayoral candidate for New York City of supporting calls for violence against Jews. Read more
A major Haaretz investigation confirms Israeli soldiers in Gaza were ordered to shoot at unarmed Palestinians gathering near food distribution sites " even when they posed no threat. Soldiers described the areas as a "killing field," noting: "There's no enemy, no weapons. IDF officers say the killings aren't isolated mistakes but part of a pattern dubbed "Operation Salted Fish" " the Israeli version of 'Red Light, Green Light.' "We shoot, they run, we shoot again," one soldier said. "This is our communication." At least 549 Palestinians have been killed and over 4,000 wounded near these aid centers since 27 May. Many were waiting for UN food trucks. Testimonies reveal Israeli commanders instructed troops to open fire on civilians approaching aid sites before they opened or after they closed " using machine guns, mortars, and grenades. Soldiers described systematic live fire, including from tanks. Read more
What a difference.
Dubai, known for its glittering skyscrapers and opulent lifestyle, hides a disturbing trend beneath its luxury facade: the emergence of degrading "Porta-Potty" parties. These events, thrown by wealthy individuals, lure young models and influencers with promises of large sums of money, lavish gifts, and upscale hotel stays. However, the reality behind the glitz is one of extreme sexual degradation, potential physical harm, and legal risks for the women involved. Read more
To those of us who are not wrapped up in the cult of personality surrounding Donald Trump, it's easy to tell that he's becoming more and more like a dictator.
