25 States Sue over Trump’s New Tariffs, Calling them ‘Pretext’ to Replace His Old Ones

/0 Comments/in , /by

Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February.

The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat.

“After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Joining New York in the lawsuit announced Monday are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. (Read more from “25 States Sue over Trump’s New Tariffs, Calling them ‘Pretext’ to Replace His Old Ones” HERE)

Trump Lashes out at Big Oil for ‘Making too Much Money’ During Iran War: ‘They ought to give some of that back’

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Trump bristled Monday at Big Oil’s huge windfall amid the war in Iran, arguing that the country’s largest oil companies should give some of their record profits to the American public.

“I don’t like it,” Trump said in the Oval Office, when asked about the eye-popping earnings reported by ExxonMobil and Chevron last week.

ExxonMobil reported making $14.5 billion in the second-quarter of 2026 – double what it made over the same period of time last year – and the $12 billion Chevron raked in was the most the company has made in a single quarter in six years.

Their soaring earnings came as the Iran war pushed oil prices at times to above $100 a barrel – and gasoline skyrocketed up to an average of $4.56 per gallon this spring.

“They’re making too much money, okay, based on a shortage,” Trump fumed.

“I don’t like it, and I should be the last one to say it because I’m a big free enterprise guy,” he continued. “Nobody bigger.” (Read more from “Trump Lashes out at Big Oil for ‘Making too Much Money’ During Iran War: ‘They ought to give some of that back’” HERE)

Iran Denies Reports of Peace Talks with U.S.: Only Talking to Oman

/0 Comments/in , /by

By Breitbart. The Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed during its regular briefing on Monday that its officials were not engaged in any direct negotiations with the administration of President Donald Trump, but rather working out a plan for the Strait of Hormuz with the government of Oman.

The statements out of Tehran followed President Trump announcing this weekend that he had allegedly planned a major military strike on Iran, but canceled it to allow for more peace conversations with the rogue terrorist state. Trump described the alleged agreement to end hostilities as “imminent,” requiring a pause in American military action for it to be completed.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told reporters that Iran is engaged in negotiations, but only with neighboring Oman on how to manage the Strait of Hormuz. As a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and America that began in February, Iranian armed forces have maintained a campaign of belligerent action against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, significantly damaging the ability for neighboring Gulf states to sell their fossil fuels and sending oil prices skyrocketing worldwide.

“Stating that there had been no third party in the talks with Oman, he [Baqaei] noted the issues related to the United States and its implementation of commitments would be reviewed later, in accordance with the circumstances,” the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Monday. The spokesman described the talks with Oman in optimistic terms, but insisted Washington played no role in them.

Baqaei reportedly stated that Iran was “not negotiating with the U.S. at the moment.” (Read more from “Iran Denies Reports of Peace Talks with U.S.: Only Talking to Oman” HERE)

______________________________________________________

Trump gives Iran ‘last chance’ to sign deal before ‘decapitation’ — sets target date for Strait of Hormuz to reopen

By New York Post. President Trump declared on Monday he’s giving Iran one “last chance before decapitation” – betting on lucky No. 13 for his final ultimatum.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump claimed negotiations are underway to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as Tuesday after he called off a large-scale “World War II” intensity military operation over the weekend to give Iran a final chance to avoid destruction.

“This is a last chance,” Trump said. “This is the last chance for them to sign a good document.”

“I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” he added.

The president has given Iran at least a dozen chances since the war began on Feb. 28, threatening strikes or imposing deadlines for major actions by Tehran only to reverse course or extend time limits, according to a review by The Post of prior statements. (Read more from “Trump gives Iran ‘last chance’ to sign deal before ‘decapitation’ — sets target date for Strait of Hormuz to reopen” HERE)

Seven Dead after Ukrainian Drone Strikes Popular Russian Beach

/0 Comments/in , /by

At least seven people, including three children, have been killed after a Ukrainian drone crashed onto a popular beach on the Russian Black Sea coast, according to Russian authorities.

Another 40 people were injured after a drone crashed into the busy holiday resort near the town of Gelendzhik on Monday.

Footage on social media shows the moment the drone veered towards the beach before slamming into it and causing a large explosion, which sent people fleeing from the water.

Officials said 17 people were rushed to the hospital following the incident and a specialist medical disaster team had been dispatched to the scene of the explosion.

Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of Russia’s ‌southern Krasnodar region, which includes the resort, described the incident as a tragedy. (Read more from “Seven Dead after Ukrainian Drone Strikes Popular Russian Beach” HERE)

US Military Fighter Jet Crashes At Air Base, Pilot Ejected

/1 Comment/in , /by

A U.S. military F-35 stealth fighter jet crashed near the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California Friday, causing the pilot to be ejected.

“The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the U.S. Marine Corps announced, according to The Associated Press (AP). The aftermath of the crash was captured on film from several angles, which depict smoke coming from the area of the wreckage site somewhere in a California dirt tract inside the base. . .

A concrete worker close to the scene named Wade Lott told The AP that he witnessed the military air mishap while he was on his way to work.

“It just blew up, it was crazy,” said Lott, 36, who watched from his truck as two jets descended toward the runway together.

(Read more from “US Military Fighter Jet Crashes At Air Base, Pilot Ejected” HERE)

Major University Requires ‘Business Suit And Proper Shoes’ Under New Dress Code For Students

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Tuskegee University announced plans to roll out a new dress code this upcoming semester at the historically black college.

The dress code announcement came directly from the top in an email to students from Tuskegee University President Dr. Mark A. Brown. “The Student Handbook requires students to arrive on campus with a business suit and proper shoes for a business meeting,” the email read.

The new dress code also bars “revealing clothing in class, to the cafeteria or in official settings like Convocation,” and prohibits “bedroom shoes, bonnets, or du-rags to class or the cafeteria,” according to the email.

The university president assured the coeducational campus community that students will derive long-term benefits from these dress policies.

“The goal here is not meant to restrict you from enjoying the Tuskegee Experience, but to prepare you with a solid foundation for the workforce you will enter once you leave Tuskegee,” Brown noted. (Read more from “Major University Requires ‘Business Suit And Proper Shoes’ Under New Dress Code For Students” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Dem Leader goes Scorched-Earth on ‘Anti-American’ Socialists for Trying to ‘Hijack’ Party

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A leading House Democrat went scorched-earth on insurgent socialists rising within his party, repeatedly telling them to start their own party and accusing them of trying to “hijack” the Democratic Party as a “vessel” for their communist, “anti-American,” open-border platform.

House Intelligence Committee member Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., a leader of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition, told Fox News on Sunday that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is “not Democrats” and rejected the idea that its platform is compatible with the Democratic Party’s.

“Obviously, I’m a very proud, common-sense Democrat, and I don’t think DSA members are Democrats. They’re socialists, right? And I’m all for them having their own party if they want one, but if they’re trying to take over our party, that’s unacceptable to me,” Gottheimer said on “The Big Weekend Show.”

“Their values, their ideas are certainly not in line with ours, and they don’t support our leadership. They’re trying to use the Democratic Party as a vessel for their ideas. And as you heard in some of these conventions, literally, they’re supporting the Communist Manifesto and [Leon] Trotsky, they’re anti-American, they are anti-cop, they don’t believe in borders.”

Gottheimer was referring to man-on-the-street clips of DSA members at the group’s Chicago convention. One socialist said they are organizing a front to get “ICE off our campuses,” while a member of the DSA’s National Political Committee said people such as Gottheimer who call them anti-American do not understand that their platform is the “most American thing you can do.” (Read more from “Dem Leader goes Scorched-Earth on ‘Anti-American’ Socialists for Trying to ‘Hijack’ Party” HERE)

US Manufacturing Hits 4-year High, with AI Buildout a Major Driver of Growth, though Price Volatility Looms: Survey

/0 Comments/in , /by

Manufacturing activity in July hit a four-year high, with massive AI infrastructure investment a major driver of growth — even as industry leaders sounded the alarm over price volatility, according to a survey released Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management’s July manufacturing gauge jumped to 55.6 – expanding at its fastest pace since May 2022 and marking its seventh consecutive month of growth, the survey said.

Any reading above 50 in the ISM’s monthly survey indicates growth while any measure below 50 signals contraction.

Susan Spence, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said increased certainty around President Trump’s tariff policy and hopes for a more permanent deal to end the war in Iran helped encourage the boost in manufacturing.

“My gut is, it’s not just a one- or two-month trend,” Spence told reporters. “Companies are seeing six or more months of these solid demand factors going in the right direction.” (Read more from “US Manufacturing Hits 4-year High, with AI Buildout a Major Driver of Growth, though Price Volatility Looms: Survey” HERE)

Aggressive HOAs are Running out of Money and Foreclosing on More Residents than ever Before

/0 Comments/in , , /by

America’s homeowners associations are running out of money — and patience.

Amid rising insurance premiums, drained reserve funds and increased safety measures in the wake of the Surfside condominium collapse, the country’s hundreds of thousands of homeowners associations are cracking down on delinquent residents.

Even more startling, HOAs are skipping grace periods and handing delinquent accounts over to attorneys.

HOA foreclosures spiked nearly 40% in two years to 6,376 properties in the first quarter, according to real estate analytics firm Attom, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, putting its pace ahead of overall mortgage foreclosure rates.

These foreclosure sales are “like most foreclosures in that they are typically an auction,” attorney Kirk Pearson, who represents homeowners in HOA disputes, told The Post. (Read more from “Aggressive HOAs are Running out of Money and Foreclosing on More Residents than ever Before” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

What Do Pro-2A Groups Think About Trump Admin Defending This Gun Law?

/14 Comments/in , /by

Pro-Second Amendment groups have mixed reactions to the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking a federal judge to grant summary judgement in a legal challenge to the National Firearms Act (NFA).

The reconciliation bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in July 2025 contained provisions that reduced the taxes on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and guns described as “any other weapon” to $0 after the Senate parliamentarian struck language that removed those items from any coverage of the NFA. Some pro-Second Amendment groups have argued that the new figure makes the provisions unconstitutional.

“GOA is already challenging the NFA’s burdensome registration requirements for newly untaxed firearms in federal court in Texas. In both cases, the Department of Justice is defending a law that has no basis in the Constitution, its text, or our nation’s history,” Gun Owners of America Senior Vice President Erich Pratt told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars defending an unpopular and unconstitutional law, the Administration should have sided with the plaintiffs and acknowledged that the NFA violates the Second Amendment.”

While some Second Amendment advocates have expressed frustration over the Trump administration defending some gun laws, notably the NFA, from legal challenges, a top administration official told the DCNF that the criticism was misplaced.

“I understand people have policy differences with DOJ’s enforcement of federal laws, but, in my opinion, and I’ve said this to many gun groups, the appropriate place to launch those policy discussions is in Congress, not with us,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Right Harmeet Dhillon said during a June interview. “We have, I mean, not me, but other people in this building regularly respond to all kinds of litigation on behalf of the United States where I don’t necessarily agree with what we’re defending.” (Read more from “What Do Pro-2A Groups Think About Trump Admin Defending This Gun Law?” HERE)