Zelensky Willing to ‘Personally’ Meet With Putin in Istanbul, but Demands Ceasefire Before Talks

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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he would be willing to “personally” meet with Vladimir Putin for peace talks in Istanbul next week, but he continued to demand that a ceasefire be established before negotiations begin.

Following meetings with the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom in Kyiv to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, President Zelensky and his European counterparts called for a “full, unconditional ceasefire” starting on Monday for 30 days.

In a counter-proposal, Russia’s Vladimir Putin proposed direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv for the first time since 2022. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that he would be willing to host the parties again in Istanbul next week for a potential redo of failed talks held there in the immediate aftermath of the Russian invasion.

Responding to the proposal on Sunday, Zelensky wrote on X that he would be willing to meet with Putin in Istanbul but demanded that a ceasefire begin on Monday as a prerequisite for such talks.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.” (Read more from “Zelensky Willing to ‘Personally’ Meet With Putin in Istanbul, but Demands Ceasefire Before Talks” HERE)

DOJ Investigation Into Anti-Catholic Law Is Latest In Series Of Actions Defending Religious Liberty

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has stepped up its defense of religious liberty under the Trump administration.

In the past several months, the DOJ has filed statements of interest in land use cases for churches, helped launch a task force to “eliminate” anti-Christian bias and opened an investigation into an “anti-Catholic” law in Washington.

The DOJ opened an investigation Monday into a Washington law that forces Catholic priests to disclose information received in the confessional related to child abuse or neglect. The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson on Friday, explicitly excludes “members of the clergy” from an exemption for reporting information obtained as a result of “a privileged communication.”

Bishop Thomas Daly of the Spokane Diocese said priests would remain “committed to keeping the seal of confession – even to the point of going to jail” after the law was signed.

“Washington’s new law forces priests to choose between violating their faith or breaking the law,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote Monday on X. “That’s unconstitutional.” (Read more from “DOJ Investigation Into Anti-Catholic Law Is Latest In Series Of Actions Defending Religious Liberty” HERE)

There’s One Reaction to US-China Trade Deal That We Should All be Looking Forward to Seeing

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Donald Trump is the stuff of nightmares for liberal America. At every turn, he just owns them. They’re so biased and filled with animus that their allies in the media launch their manufactured narratives that always get shredded by facts and reality.

They said the tariffs aren’t working. MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle looks especially stupid since two significant deals between the UK and China were hashed out this week.

The border is now secure, but the initial ‘it’s not going to happen’ moment was from the first Trump presidency, where failed diplomat John Kerry said the Abraham Accords would never become a reality. It did. It’s a tradition: whenever a liberal makes a prediction, it’s almost always wrong.

The one reaction I want to see is MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle who decided to go all-in on Trump being all talk and how tariffs were a failure. You got wrecked today, Stephy. Obliterated. Her muted response had ‘tail tucked between legs’ vibes.

(Read more from “There’s One Reaction to US-China Trade Deal That We Should All be Looking Forward to Seeing” HERE)

Pope Leo’s Older Brother Revealed to Be Massive Trump-Supporting MAGA Patriot, Praised JD Vance, Elon Musk

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The brother of newly elected Pope Leo XIV has been revealed to be a huge Trump supporter who has praised both Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance. The revelations come following the end of the conclave, which ended in Cardinal Robert Prevost becoming the next head of the Catholic Church.

According to Facebook posts from Lou Prevost, the older brother of Pope Leo XIV, is a huge supporter of Trump and a patriot. Following the second assassination attempt on Trump’s life from Ryan Routh in September, Prevost wrote online, “They tried to take President Trump out again. How does this happen?”

“I wonder who is so afraid of him becoming President again that they want him dead. He must know and have some real dirt on some people. Just makes one imagine what they were trying to find when they raided his home for supposedly stolen and classified documents if they’re willing to kill for it. Lord, protect him and keep him safe,” he added.

In another post, he detailed the many reasons why he was voting for Trump in the 2024 election against former Vice President Kamala Harris.

After the debate between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Vice President JD Vance, Prevost wrote on Facebook, “JD was phenomenal debating Tim Walz and the moderators. Very knowledgeable and well spoken. He will make a great VP and then, a great President.”

(Read more from “Pope Leo’s Older Brother Revealed to Be Massive Trump-Supporting MAGA Patriot, Praised JD Vance, Elon Musk” HERE)

White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China

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The White House announced Sunday that the United States had reached a trade deal with China but said details wouldn’t be released until Monday.

The breakthrough was announced after two days of talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators in Geneva.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emerged from the talks saying “substantial progress” had been made toward de-escalating an all-out trade war between the two economic superpowers.

“The United States has a massive $1.2 billion trade deficit. So the president declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs,” Mr. Greer said. “We are confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency.”

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng told reporters that negotiators had agreed to establish a “trade consultation mechanism.” He said the two sides “have taken important steps to resolve differences through equal dialogue and consultation,” according to state news agency Xinhua. (Read more from “White House Says Trade Deal Struck With China” HERE)

Trump Set to Receive $400M ‘Flying Palace’ From Qatar to Use as Air Force One: Report

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President Trump is set to receive a “flying palace” Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family, which he will use as Air Force One, according to a report.

Trump, 78, intends to use the aircraft — called the most luxurious private jet in the world — as an interim presidential jet while Boeing completes the next generation Air Force One fleet following years of frustrating delays and cost-overruns.

The jumbo jet, valued at $400 million, will then potentially be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation as the president leaves office, sources told ABC News.

The Republican leader appeared to confirm that he will accept the plane in a Truth Social post Sunday night in which he called Democrats “World Class Losers” for criticizing the arrangement.

“So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” he wrote. (Read more from “Trump Set to Receive $400M ‘Flying Palace’ From Qatar to Use as Air Force One: Report” HERE)

Filing: Smartmatic Hid Meeting With Dem Megadonor Who Financed Its Suit Against 2020 Election Reporting

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Smartmatic, the electronic tabulator company suing Fox News for alleged defamation following the 2020 election, failed in a February court hearing to disclose a meeting with Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman, newly unsealed court documents allege.

Following the 2020 election, both Fox News and Newsmax “hosted commentators who aired concerns that tabulators were not secure, were vulnerable to voter fraud, and had possibly changed Trump votes to Biden votes,” as described in these pages by Logan Washburn. Smartmatic sued, arguing the comments amounted to defamation. Fox previously settled a suit with Dominion Voting over similar allegations while Newsmax recently settled with Smartmatic for $40 million, according to NBC.

As Washburn reported, Fox had previously expressed concerns about a “deep-pocketed ‘third party’ behind the suit” — allegations that Smartmatic denied in 2023, according to Reuters. But reporting from The Washington Post revealed Hoffman invested millions in Smartmatic, as the company sued news outlets for their reporting about the 2020 election. In July 2024, the Post reported that Hoffman had “connected with Smartmatic chief executive Antonio Mugica through friends of friends” and was “boosting” its lawsuit against Fox.

According to a newly unsealed filing, Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica met with “politically-motivated investors … to discuss the company’s financials and investment prospects.” That’s “a fact that Smartmatic withheld from this Court on February 5, 2025,” says the document, which was initially filed under seal with the New York State Supreme Court in April before being unsealed this week.

“After that meeting, Hoffman and [his adviser Dmitri] Mehlhorn infused Smartmatic with $25,000,000 to fund its litigation against Fox and publicly declared that Smartmatic could be a ‘$400 million’ company but for the alleged defamation,” the filing continues. (Read more from “Filing: Smartmatic Hid Meeting With Dem Megadonor Who Financed Its Suit Against 2020 Election Reporting” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Inside China’s Massive Tariff-Dodging Scheme That Kills Its Competition

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In 2016, the U.S.-China trade war forced Beijing to negotiate. Tariffs crippled Chinese factories, major U.S. retailers like Walmart and Costco halted orders, and container shipments stalled. China conceded. But in 2025, when the U.S. imposed a 145 percent tariff expecting similar results, Beijing didn’t flinch. There was no panic, no economic distress, no concessions. Why? Because China had a secret card this time.

Over the past decade, China has built a decentralized export machine: more than 1 million cross-border e-commerce companies shipping directly to U.S. consumers via platforms like Amazon, Temu, and Shein. This army bypasses traditional retail channels, pays no income taxes, evades tariffs, and undercuts American businesses. Here’s how they do it — and why tariffs alone can’t stop them.

How They Game the System

Unlike in 2016, Chinese sellers no longer rely on U.S. retailers’ purchase orders. They ship container loads of goods directly to consumers, systematically undervaluing them on customs declarations.

Chinese e-commerce companies exploit U.S. customs through sophisticated tactics centered on non-resident importer (NRI) structures and delivered duty paid (DDP) clearance. These methods, often facilitated by logistics firms and customs brokers, shield sellers’ identities and minimize duties.

Here’s how it works: Brokers register NRI entities and post bonds for Chinese sellers, clearing goods and delivering them to Amazon fulfillment warehouses. They declare low container values to avoid scrutiny and sometimes misclassify goods as other items to secure a lower tariff rate. Many brokers are Amazon-affiliated (SPN, Send, Ship Track). Platforms like AMZ123.com list hundreds of such providers. Large sellers register multiple NRIs, splitting shipments among them. If one NRI is flagged, only that bond is lost — a minor business expense. (Read more from “Inside China’s Massive Tariff-Dodging Scheme That Kills Its Competition” HERE)

Democrats Claim ICE Agents ‘Roughed Them Up.’ Body-Cam Footage Says Otherwise.

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Several New Jersey Democrats claimed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents got “rough” with them on Friday, but body-cam footage told a very different story.

The incident unfolded outside Delaney Hall, a detention facility housing criminal illegal aliens in Newark, New Jersey, as several House Democrats (New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson-Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez) pushed past security and demanded access to and oversight of the facility.

According to reports, the protesters waited outside the gate until it was opened for a vehicle transporting detainees, at which point they rushed through the gate. Democratic Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also participated in the breach and was arrested.

On Saturday, after the Garden State Democrats claimed that they’d been manhandled and roughed up by the ICE agents, the Justice Department released body-cam footage of the clash between protesters and officers.

WATCH:

(Read more from “Democrats Claim ICE Agents ‘Roughed Them Up.’ Body-Cam Footage Says Otherwise.” HERE)

Judgment Day for ‘Teacher of the Year’ Who Had Sex With Elementary Students

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Jacqueline Ma, a former San Diego County “Teacher of the Year,” has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two of her elementary school students.

The 36-year-old ex-educator pleaded guilty in February to multiple felony counts, including lewd acts on a child and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Ma taught fifth and sixth grade at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City. Her arrest in April 2023 followed a report from a concerned parent who discovered explicit messages between Ma and her 12-year-old son.

Investigators later uncovered a pattern of grooming and abuse involving another boy, aged 11, dating back to 2020.

According to the New York Post, the grooming occurred over a 10-month period.

During the sentencing hearing on May 9, Ma tearfully acknowledged her crimes, stating, “I ripped away their childhood. Instead of following the path of what a teacher should be, I let my selfishness override the boys’ best interests.” (Read more from “Judgment Day for ‘Teacher of the Year’ Who Had Sex With Elementary Students” HERE)