Iran Suffers Major Losses and Israel is Just Getting Started

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. . .Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday night the operation will go on for days.

The first wave of the attacks did significant damage to the Iranian regime.

Israel has attacked nuclear sites with dozens of fighter jets at locations throughout the country, including the main nuclear enrichment site of Natanz in the southeast of Iran.

(Read more from “Iran Suffers Major Losses and Israel is Just Getting Started” HERE)

Federal Judge Orders Trump to ‘Return Control’ of National Guard to California

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A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to “return control” of thousands of National Guard troops that had deployed to Los Angeles to quell anti-ICE riots to the state of California.

Senior San Francisco US District Judge Charles Breyer issued the order after hearing arguments from attorneys for Trump’s Justice Department and California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the Democrat had sued the feds over dispatching roughly 4,000 Guard members to protect officers carrying out immigration enforcement operations.

“At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not,” Breyer wrote in his order.

“His actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith.”

“That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George.” (Read more from “Federal Judge Orders Trump to ‘Return Control’ of National Guard to California” HERE)

Maricopa Recorder Sues County Board for ‘Unlawful’ Seizure of Election Powers

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The Board of Supervisors running Arizona’s largest county is illegally withholding key resources from the locality’s Republican elections chief that allow him to perform his lawfully mandated duties, a lawsuit filed Thursday claims.

Brought by Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, the legal complaint alleged that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is refusing to “provide the necessary funds for the Recorder to conduct essential duties of his office unless he cedes much of his statutory authority to the BOS and permits the BOS to retain control over the systems and personnel required for the Recorder’s Office to fulfill the Recorder’s statutory functions.” As argued in the suit, “Arizona’s statutes are clear: the Legislature has delegated to the Recorder, and not to the Board of Supervisors, numerous responsibilities for election administration, and the Board of Supervisors has a mandatory duty to fund the Recorder’s conduct of his duties.”

Heap is represented by America First Legal in the matter.

The conflict between Heap and the Maricopa County Board can be traced back to before the former took office in January.

Months after his defeat in Arizona’s July 2024 primaries and weeks before Heap’s eventual victory in the November general election, then-Recorder Stephen Richer — a notable opponent of election integrity efforts — struck a deal with the Board on a new Shared Services Agreement (SSA). As The Federalist previously reported, this new contract effectively stripped key election administration responsibilities and resources from the recorder’s office and gave them to the Board of Supervisors. (Read more from “Maricopa Recorder Sues County Board for ‘Unlawful’ Seizure of Election Powers” HERE)

Longevity Doctor Reveals the Best Diets for Healthy Aging — and the Change to Make at 65

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. . .While protein is essential for muscle maintenance and overall health, eating too much protein — especially at a certain age — could be shaving years off your life.

“Animal proteins are rich in arginine, leucine and contain specific sequences of amino acids that stimulate IGF-1 secretion, whereas an equivalent quantity of plant-based proteins are less likely to trigger the same amount of IGF-1,” Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of the longevity company L-Nutra, told The Post.

IGF-1 is a hormone, primarily produced in the liver, that plays a crucial role in promoting growth and regulating metabolism.

It’s essential for building muscle when you’re young and especially when you’re older, as muscle loss often accelerates over 60. Because IGF-1 levels tend to decline in adulthood, it’s important to maintain a healthy range to support well-being.

“Before age 30, it is considered healthy to consume certain amounts of meat in a plant-based diet,” Antoun said.

“The same applies after the age of 65, when the body’s food absorption capability begins to decrease and muscle becomes an essential organ for longevity.” (Read more from “Longevity Doctor Reveals the Best Diets for Healthy Aging — and the Change to Make at 65” HERE)

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Embattled DNC Vice Chair Decides Not to Run After Diversity Re-Vote Called

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David Hogg, the 25-year-old progressive firebrand, will not compete in the new Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair elections that were decided today after a majority of members voted for a new election.

After three days of submitting electronic ballots, DNC members voted to uphold the Credentials Committee’s resolution proposed by longtime Democratic Party activist Kalyn Free to host a re-election for two vice-chair positions, currently held by Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta. Seventy-five percent of those who cast a ballot voted in favor of the resolution, while 25% voted against it. A total of 89% of DNC members cast a ballot.

“The DNC will immediately move to administer new ballots for the final two Vice Chair positions, one of which must be held by a male and one of which may be held by a candidate of any gender,” said the DNC’s Deputy Press Secretary Nina Raneses. “The election for the male Vice Chair position will commence tomorrow morning at 10:00AM ET.”

With Hogg’s withdrawal, Kenyatta is now the only candidate for the male vice chair slot.

The DNC’s decision is the latest political blow to Hogg, who stirred up intraparty divisions this year for his $20 million pledge to support primary challenges against older House Democrats in safe blue districts he said are “asleep at the wheel” through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve. (Read more from “Embattled DNC Vice Chair Decides Not to Run After Diversity Re-Vote Called” HERE)

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New Evidence Suggests FBI Agent Involved With Crossfire Hurricane Was Foreign Spy

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The U.S. Department of Justice has reopened a case against a former top FBI counterspy. Charles McGonigal was Special Agent in Charge of Counterintelligence at the New York field office. He left the FBI in 2018, joined the massive Brookfield asset management fund as a vice president for global security, and was arrested and convicted in 2023.

But not for espionage. McGonigal quickly pled guilty to corruption-related crimes. He is serving six-and-a-half years in federal prison.

His prosecution and admission seem suspiciously tidy.

McGonigal was part of the FBI’s discredited CROSSFIRE HURRICANE “counterintelligence” operation led by his boss, Peter Strzok, against Donald Trump and his supporters in 2016.

As the former senior spy-hunter at the Bureau’s largest field office, McGonigal barely defended himself from charges relating to illegally accepting money from Albanian businessmen tied to that tiny country’s intelligence service, and for ties to a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

He received a light sentence and $40,000 fine. (Read more from “New Evidence Suggests FBI Agent Involved With Crossfire Hurricane Was Foreign Spy” HERE)

Federal Court Says Christian-Owned, Women-Only Korean Spa Must Allow Trans-Identifying Males

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A federal appeals court ruled against a Christian-owned traditional Korean spa in Washington, stating that the women-only business must allow the patronage of transgender-identifying males.

The owners of Olympus Spa, a women-only business with locations in Lynnwood and Tacoma, sued the state in 2023, claiming their First Amendment rights would be violated if they were forced to allow transgender-identifying males to enter, MyNorthwest reported Thursday. The spa only allows “biological women,” and excludes men and preoperative transgender-identifying males (those who have not undergone sex change surgeries).

The Washington State Human Rights Commission argued that the spa’s policy violated Washington’s Law Against Discrimination, which has been broadly interpreted to include “gender expression and identity.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed with the commission, stating that the state did not violate the spa’s rights to freedom of religion, speech, and association.

“The spa’s religious expression was only incidentally burdened,” Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote in the majority opinion, claiming that limits on the spa owner’s free speech were necessary to eliminate discrimination.

“We are not unmindful of the concerns and beliefs raised by the Spa. Indeed, the Spa may have other avenues to challenge the enforcement action. But whatever recourse it may have, that relief cannot come from the First Amendment,” she added. (Read more from “Federal Court Says Christian-Owned, Women-Only Korean Spa Must Allow Trans-Identifying Males” HERE)

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UPDATED: GOP Sen. Rand Paul Accuses the White House of Being ‘Incredibly Petty’ After Being Disinvited to the Annual Picnic

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By Newsweek. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky excoriated the White House and President Donald Trump on Wednesday after saying he and his family had been disinvited from the annual White House picnic. . .

Paul suggested he was snubbed from the picnic because of his staunch opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Trump-backed reconciliation package that’s under debate in the Senate.

The proposal delivers on Trump’s top priorities, including more funding for immigration and border security and cementing the tax cuts that were implemented as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Paul is among a handful of congressional Republicans who have vehemently opposed the fiscal plan, with the Kentucky senator saying he will only consider supporting it if it does not raise the federal debt ceiling. (Read more from “GOP Sen. Rand Paul Accuses the White House of Being ‘Incredibly Petty’ After Being Disinvited to the Annual Picnic” HERE)

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Senator Rand Paul has been “Un-uninvited” to the White House Picnic

By Ryan King. President Trump publicly offered Paul (R-Ky.) the chance to attend Thursday night’s congressional picnic, held on the South Lawn, after the lawmaker claimed he had been snubbed.

Paul, 62, told reporters that he attempted to retrieve his tickets Wednesday but was informed that he wasn’t invited, prompting him to accuse Trump of being “incredibly petty” over Paul’s opposition to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight,” Trump clarified on Truth Social Thursday. “He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be?”

“Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, one of the greatest and most important pieces of legislation ever put before our Senators & Congressmen/women. It will help to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! I look forward to seeing Rand. The Party will be Great!”

Paul has been the most prominent opponent of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the Senate, having voted against the blueprint for it earlier this year due to his concerns about its impact on the national debt. (Read more from Sen. Rand Paul being re-invited to the White House HERE)

Walmart Heiress Christy Walton’s Anti-Trump Ad Fuels MAGA-Led Call for Boycott of Retailer

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Walmart could become the target of a MAGA-led boycott after an heiress to the retail fortune funded a full-page ad in the New York Times promoting a nationwide protest movement against President Trump.

The ad, run by the “No Kings” movement, calls on Americans to “mobilize” on Saturday — Flag Day and Trump’s birthday — in order to “reject authoritarianism.”

Trump is planning to hold a massive military parade in Washington, DC on that day.

The heiress, Christy Walton, is the widow of John T. Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

Though she holds no active role in Walmart’s operations, she retains a roughly 1.9% stake in the company and has an estimated net worth of $19.3 billion, according to Forbes.

The “No Kings” movement is planning roughly 1,500 protests nationwide to counter Saturday’s military parade — but notably absent from the list of protest sites is DC. (Read more from “Walmart Heiress Christy Walton’s Anti-Trump Ad Fuels MAGA-Led Call for Boycott of Retailer” HERE)

Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel

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The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.”

A State Department official told the Washington Examiner, “President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.” (Read more from “Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel” HERE)

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