The DOJ's response came in the final hours of a court-ordered deadline to remove redactions in at least a dozen documents or "show cause" why it could not. read more
Iran's ambassador to Beijing said China and other friendly nations will be granted "special considerations" when Tehran determines the level and nature of service fees charged to ships using the Strait of Hormuz. Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the critical waterway for energy supplies is now a matter of "national security" in the aftermath of the four-month US and Israeli war on the Islamic Republic. As such, "there will be new arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz with the collaboration and cooperation of the state of Oman," he said.
Vice President JD Vance's appearance at a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. military drew widespread online attention after a joke aimed at former President Joe Biden failed ... read more
The devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 will have long-term implications for the country's already weak government, which, in the eyes of many Venezuelans, has failed to deliver in an hour of national catastrophe. But the Venezuela crisis also presents a first big test for President Donald Trump's National Security Strategy.
President Donald Trump topped a poll asking Americans to name the worst person in their history ... read more
Related ...
CT exhibition presents unexpected stories of the Revolutionary War
ctmirror.org
... The first thing visitors at the exhibition will likely notice is a tall blue panel featuring a framed piece of paper covered in spidery cursive. When they step closer, a label will inform them that this document is Connecticut's version of the Declaration of Independence " a resolution signed by the General Assembly 20 days before July 4, 1776.
"Connecticut's Revolution," an exhibition curated by the Museum of Connecticut History to commemorate the America's 250th year of independence, opens July 4 and will be on display until July 9, 2027. According to Jennifer Matos, the museum's administrator, it is the largest exhibition the museum has installed in decades. ...
Trump and Republicans return to communist attacks against Democrats ahead of the midterm elections
courthousenews.com
... President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans are reviving a line of attack against Democrats heading into the midterm elections: They're communists.
In just the past week, Trump has issued dark warnings that members of the Democratic Party's ascendant left are communists who want to "completely destroy the traditional American way of life" and even engage in assassinations. Vice President JD Vance has similarly called out communism as a political shift that is "something we haven't seen in the U.S." House Speaker Mike Johnson has decried "radical candidates" who are "self-described, self-identifying Marxists."
The GOP's ideological focus conflates democratic socialism, which often centers on securing universal healthcare, higher taxes on the wealthy and stricter corporate regulation, with communism, under which private ownership is largely eliminated. It has been building since Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, won the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor last year. ...
White House says there'd be 'no better addition' to Mount Rushmore than Trump ahead of 250 celebration
abcnews.com
Belgian diamond group that won tariff relief gifted Trump a lavishly encrusted ring
www.newsnationnow.com
... Dozens of diamonds spell out two giant letter T's next to the Stars and Stripes and "1776" and "2026." Dozens more frame the numbers 45 and 47 in the shape of Superman's logo. A diamond-winged eagle carries a ruby shield and clutches an olive branch of emeralds, below a radiant "250" and atop the phrase "250 YEARS USA" etched in 18-karat gold.
All told, 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies encrust the watch-sized gold ring presented this week to Bill White, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, to give to U.S. President Donald Trump ...
In September, AWDC said it had "succeeded in securing a zero percent import tariff" on Antwerp's annual export of more than $2 billion of polished diamonds to the U.S. A spokesperson for the group said on Thursday that the AWDC provided "input" to the European Commission as it negotiated with Trump on a broad deal on tariffs in 2025, but did not itself lobby the administration. ...
Bessent on Trump's crypto earnings: "I don't think there's an appearance problem"
www.cbsnews.com
... In an exclusive interview with CBS News on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he doesn't believe the recent disclosure of President Trump's billions in crypto earnings is problematic for the president.
"I don't think there's an appearance problem," Bessent told CBS News anchor and MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady regarding Mr. Trump's earnings. ...
How Trump took over America's 250th
www.politico.com
... America turns 250 on Saturday. But the celebration Americans will see isn't quite the one organizers spent the last decade planning.
For nearly 10 years, the bipartisan, congressionally chartered America250 envisioned a once-in-a-generation civic commemoration built around history, service and local communities.
One America250 planning document imagined transforming the tiny Badlands town of Medora, North Dakota -- population roughly 150 -- into a living museum recreating Theodore Roosevelt's frontier experience.
It hoped to draw 250,000 visitors for a nationally televised celebration on July 1 featuring A-list performers, immersive historical programming, a drone spectacular and, ultimately, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library's grand opening.
Instead, the opening went on this week with President Donald Trump -- but without America250.
"The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library was one of America250's first signed partners and we have been supportive since before its groundbreaking," an America250 spokesperson told Playbook. "However, America250 is not participating in the opening ceremonies."
The spokesperson said America250 had hoped to support the opening if it received an additional $25 million in federal funding. That money never came. ...
Of the $150 million Congress appropriated for America's 250th festivities, organizers expected to receive roughly $100 million but have received just $25 million to date.
Into the void stepped Freedom250, the organization aligned with Trump's White House Task Force 250, which became a principal partner for the library opening. A similar story unfolded 1,600 miles away in Washington.
The Smithsonian Institution had spent years planning a monthlong Folklife Festival on the National Mall " an ambitious gathering that would have brought together traditions like Burning Man and Farm Aid alongside local and regional festivals from across the U.S. and its territories.
Instead, that space on the National Mall this month was used for Freedom250's Great American State Fair, forcing Smithsonian to take the festival nationwide, partnering with more than 40 existing festivals across the country. ...
@#13 ... Communism, the state owns the means of production. I shall repeat, ThE STATE OWNS EVERYTHING. Who's been trying to have THE STATE own businesses lately, eh? ...
You mean like this?
OpenAI proposes 5% stake to Trump administration to ease Washington pressure
www.cnbc.com
or this...
The US takes a 10% stake in Intel as part of Trump's big tech push
www.cnn.com
etc...
More from the article ...