President Donald Trump and his team had several red lines that they used to justify the US war against Iran. At a press conference on Wednesday, Trump largely brushed them aside.
Benjamin Netanyahu bet that his joint war alongside Donald Trump would topple Iran's clerical rulers and bolster himself ahead of elections at home, as the architect of a U.S.-Israeli alliance that would reshape the Middle East. read more
Florida will soon close Alligator Alcatraz, a highly publicized immigration detention center that opened in the Everglades less than a year ago, according to multiple news reports citing unidentified officials. read more
When the US Department of Justice approved Paramount Skydance's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Friday, a DOJ press release said "a rigorous eight-month investigation led by the [Antitrust] Division's career staff" showed that the $111 billion deal would not harm competition or American consumers.
We've all heard of Microsoft's Flight Simulator, but not everyone has a strong enough machine to run it smoothly. read more
@#4 ... But the next presidential election is a little over 2-years away. Most of what this administration does is going to be immediately reversed. ...
I've heard reports that our European allies are developing the view that the United States is no longer a reliable ally.
Regarding the next presidential election, they are of the opinion ~how can we rely on the United States when 50,000 votes in Wisconsin might cause a drastic change in the direction of the United State?~
Europeans No Longer Rely on US for Security: ECFR Poll 2026
informedclearly.com
... What the ECFR Poll Reveals About European Public Opinion[italics theirs]
Conducted in May 2026 across EU member states including Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands, as well as Switzerland and the United Kingdom, the poll paints a stark picture of European sentiment. The report's authors, Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard, argue that US President Donald Trump's second term -- marked by threats to NATO, plans to annex Greenland, and military strikes on Iran without European consultation -- has fundamentally shattered European confidence in American protection.
Michal van der Toorn, European affairs correspondent, explains the report's central metaphor: 'The comparison is crystal clear: the EU is Kevin and the US are the parents. Because home alone -- that's what we are as Europe.' The reference to the 1990 film 'Home Alone' underscores the sense of abandonment Europeans feel.
Key Findings at a Glance
- - - Trust collapse: Only 11% of Europeans see the US as an ally; 25% see it as a rival or adversary. ...
GOP senator: Trump Iran deal 'tremendous foreign policy blunder'
thehill.com
... Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.) on Wednesday slammed the deal between the Trump administration and Iran, two days before the two sides are set to sign it.
"The details that I've seen so far look ... awful. This will go down as a tremendous foreign policy blunder," Cassidy told Nexstar's Reshad Hudson on Capitol Hill. ...
'It was surreal': British couple describe having warning shots fired near them by Russian warship
www.bbc.com
... Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing 23 miles (37km) off the Isle of Wight in international waters when they came into close contact with the Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich on Tuesday.
Sir Keir Starmer said firing shots into the path of a UK-registered yacht was "reckless" - an incident the Ministry of Defence has described as an isolated one.
Russia's Defence Ministry said the yacht had been on a "dangerous approach" towards the warship but the couple said they were "not on a collision course".
The incident comes days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel on Sunday, in the first operation of its kind carried out by the British military.
Jane Kelvey told BBC Newsnight: "[The warship] gave out five blasts on their horn, which means 'have you seen us?'
"We immediately turned two degrees to port so they could see we had made a deliberate change of course, which meant we had seen them.
"Then a minute or so later they gave another five blasts on their horn, immediately followed by four to five small arms fire.
"That wasn't aimed at us - it was warning fire that went up in the air, we believe."
After the gunshots they steered the yacht 90 degrees to port using the motor, she said.
Russian warships regularly pass through international waters in the Channel, which are separate from UK and French territorial waters. The ships are monitored by Royal Navy vessels.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the Admiral Grigorovich's crew had fired into the yacht's path with rifles after making several attempts to contact the yacht over the radio and launching warning flares and the sailors had acted in "strict accordance with international shipping regulations". ...
Obama administration denies Iran cash payment was a ransom (2016)
www.reuters.com
... The Obama administration said on Wednesday that $400 million in cash paid to Iran soon after the release of five Americans detained by Tehran was not ransom as some Republicans have charged.
The five, including Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, were released on Jan. 16 in exchange for seven Iranians held in the United States for sanctions violations. The prisoner deal coincided with the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran.
At the time, the United States said it had settled a longstanding Iranian claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague, releasing $400 million in funds frozen since 1981, plus $1.3 billion in interest that was owed to Iran.
The funds were part of a trust fund Iran used before its 1979 Islamic Revolution to buy U.S. military equipment that was tied up for decades in litigation at the tribunal. ...
... Trump had pledged to target the "worst of the worst" criminal offenders. ...
Pres Trump [shamefully] lies a lot and oh too frequently.
But the MAGA cult still seems to stand with him.
The rest of the Country, well ...
President Trump Job Approval - Immigration
www.realclearpolling.com
...
RCP Average 5/9 - 6/8
Approve: 44.7
Disapprove: 51.9
Spread: -7.2
...
But one of Pres Trump's main campaign points, beside the economy (and I won't go there for the nonce), was immigration.
And now he seems to be underwater on the immigration issue?
Another view ...
Blue paint peels off Reflecting Pool in viral clip days after Trump's $14M 'upgrade'
www.aol.com