Trump Plot to Steal Thomas Massie’s Staff Revealed

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The extraordinary lengths President Donald Trump allegedly went to keep his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein out of the spotlight included trying to poach the staff of a GOP nemesis.

Rep. Thomas Massie claims key members of his team were offered more prestigious jobs in the Trump administration in an effort to stall legislation that would have forced the Department of Justice to release all documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, according to The Atlantic.

The Kentucky libertarian told the magazine there was a “360-pressure campaign” from the Trump administration to derail his push for a congressional vote on releasing the so-called Epstein files last summer—pressure so intense it rippled across his entire orbit.

Most notably, Massie recalled multiple instances in which his staffers were offered administration posts or lucrative private-sector roles. One employee, he told The Atlantic, received an offer that would have doubled his salary just weeks before the House was set to vote on releasing the files.

“Did it ever occur to you that they might be offering you this job to basically make me less effective?” Massie said he asked the staffer. The aide, who turned down the job, replied, “That’s what my mom said.” (Read more from “Trump Plot to Steal Thomas Massie’s Staff Revealed” HERE)

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GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to having affair with ex-aide who burned herself to death: ‘I made a mistake’

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Embattled Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, who just advanced to a runoff in his Texas district’s primary election, admitted on Wednesday that he had an extramarital affair with a staffer who later fatally set herself on fire.

“I made a mistake, and I had a lapse in judgment,” Gonzales said during an interview on “The Joe Pags Show,” a day after Tuesday’s Republican House primary election.

“And there was a lack of faith,” the congressman continued. “And I take full responsibility for those actions.”

Gonzales indicated that he has “reconciled” with his wife since the May 2024 affair with his late staffer, married mom Regina Santos-Aviles.

“I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has,” Gonzales said.

“When you make mistakes like this, it’s never easy. It humbles you,” he added. (Read more from “GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales admits to having affair with ex-aide who burned herself to death: ‘I made a mistake’” HERE)

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How Israel ‘Chain-Ganged’ The Trump Administration Into War Against Iran

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After several days of shifting and sometimes contradictory justifications from the Trump administration for why it launched a war against Iran over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday finally gave the real reason: Israel forced us into it.

“It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone, the U.S. or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond against the United States,” Rubio said. But later he added this: “We knew there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher numbers of those killed. And then we would all be answering questions about why we knew that and didn’t act.”

Later in the day, Speaker Mike Johnson said pretty much the same thing, that, “This was a defensive measure … If Israel fired upon Iran and took action against Iran to take out the missiles, then [Iran] would have immediately retaliated against U.S. personnel and assets.”

These remarks from Rubio and Johnson would seem to confirm recent reporting from the New York Times, which published a lengthy account Monday chronicling how President Trump decided to go to war. The article opens with this line: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel walked into the Oval Office on the morning of Feb. 11, determined to keep the American president on the path to war.” It goes on to explain that amid weeks of U.S.-Israeli planning for war, Trump administration officials had begun negotiating with Tehran over the future of its nuclear program, “and the Israeli leader wanted to make sure that the new diplomatic effort did not undermine the plans.”

Netanyahu, who has been candid about his decades-long desire to draw the United States into a war against Iran, was successful in this effort. The diplomatic talks with Iran faltered and Trump gave the go-ahead to launch strikes that immediately took out Tehran’s entire leadership, effectively bringing about a decapitation of the regime.

Why did it happen? Not necessarily because of our decisions, but because of Israel’s. According to the Times’ reporting, just hours before President Trump’s State of the Union address last Tuesday, Rubio and John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, briefed congressional leaders from the so-called Gang of Eight about ongoing negotiations with Iran and the possibility of strikes if those talks failed. “In the briefing, Mr. Rubio argued that, no matter if Israel or the United States struck first, Iran would respond with a powerful barrage of weapons against U.S. bases and embassies. It was logical then, Mr. Rubio said, that the United States should act in concert with Israel, since America would be dragged in anyway. And Israel, Mr. Rubio said, was determined to act.” (Read more from “How Israel ‘Chain-Ganged’ The Trump Administration Into War Against Iran” HERE)

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Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report

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The son of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the frontrunner to replace him as supreme leader, according to reports.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is currently favored to take control of Iran by the country’s Assembly of Experts, a powerful body of clerics that makes the decision, the New York Times reported while citing sources close to the deliberations.

Other outlets – including Israeli media and Iranian opposition channels – were reporting early Tuesday that Mojtaba had already been selected, though Iranian state media has not confirmed anything.

The report was widely being picked up by Israeli media but had not been confirmed by Iranian state mouthpieces.

Mojtaba was at first believed to have been among the 40 top Iranian aides killed during the Saturday strike that took out Iran’s highest-ranking cleric. (Read more from “Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report” HERE)

Simple Snack Could Help Lower LDL and Support Heart Health, Study Reveals

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A simple handful of pecans each day could deliver heart-health benefits, a new study found.

The research, done by the Illinois Institute of Technology and published in the journal Nutrients, analyzed more than 20 years of studies exploring how pecans affect heart and metabolic health. The study was a review of existing research, not a new clinical trial, and examined 52 studies conducted between 2000 and 2025, including trials involving human participants.

The most consistent findings related to cholesterol.

People who regularly ate pecans showed improvements in total cholesterol and LDL, often referred to as “bad” cholesterol, compared to those who did not include nuts in their diets. Some studies also reported healthier triglyceride levels.

Pecans are rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber and antioxidants, which are nutrients commonly associated with improved cardiovascular health, the researchers noted. (Read more from “Simple Snack Could Help Lower LDL and Support Heart Health, Study Reveals” HERE)

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CIA Station in Saudi Arabia Housed Within US Embassy in Riyadh Hit By Iran Drone Attack: Report

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A suspected Iranian drone strike hit the CIA station housed within the US Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, according to two people familiar with the matter quoted by The Washington Post. The US and Saudi Arabia confirmed that two drones struck the embassy compound but did not disclose that the CIA’s station was affected.

An internal alert from the United States Department of State, obtained by The Washington Post, said the attack “collapsed” part of the embassy’s roof and “contaminated” interior areas with smoke. The notice said the compound had sustained “structural damage” and that personnel “continue to shelter in place”. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and there was no indication that any CIA staff were injured.

While the reported strike represents a setback for the agency’s operations in the kingdom, former CIA officers said such disruptions can be managed.

“Drawdowns are a part of the business,” one former officer who served in the Middle East said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the agency’s work. “The local liaison relationship is so tight I think the Saudis will roll out the red carpet” to accommodate personnel, the former officer added. “There’s a lot of redundancy built into these things.”

Iran has long viewed the CIA as a hostile actor, citing Washington’s covert backing of the 1953 military coup that removed the country’s elected prime minister. (Read more from “CIA Station in Saudi Arabia Housed Within US Embassy in Riyadh Hit By Iran Drone Attack: Report” HERE)

China Is Refusing to Help Iran Fight, but Is Offering This Instead

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As we enter the fifth day of Operation Epic Fury, few people — outside of Democrats and their Leftist allies — are really going to bat for the Iranian regime.

This includes China, who is reportedly not going to offer Iran, a major supplier of oil to the communist nation, any material support. China does, however, offer Iran “moral backing.”

We suppose that’s better than offering them cheap, ineffective military equipment. After all, failed Chinese-made radar helped the U.S. capture Nicolas Maduro back in January.

Iran is hoping so.

That’s more accurate.

(Read more from “China Is Refusing to Help Iran Fight, but Is Offering This Instead” HERE)

Even GOP Senators Rip Noem Over $220M Taxpayer-Funded TV Ads — Starring Her

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Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem was ripped by even GOP senators Tuesday over her agency shelling out $220 million in taxpayer funds for TV ads — starring her.

Noem, 54, appeared on Capitol Hill for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing involving oversight of her department, and the whopping cost of the ad campaign targeting illegal migrants quickly took center stage.

“How do you square [cuts to DHS contracts] with the fact that you have spent $220 million running television advertisements that feature you prominently?” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said.

Noem replied, “Sir, the president tasked me with getting the message out to the country and to other countries with putting commercials out that if they were in the country illegally, that they needed to leave.”

The incredulous Republican said he couldn’t believe President Trump would have approved of the costly ad strategy.

“I’m not saying you’re not telling the truth. It’s just hard for me to believe,’’ he said. (Read more from “Even GOP Senators Rip Noem Over $220M Taxpayer-Funded TV Ads — Starring Her” HERE)

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Michigan Imam Mourns ‘Beloved’ Khamenei, Says He Was Martyred by ‘Wretched Hands,’ Slams U.S. Strike as ‘War Against Justice’

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A Metro Detroit imam publicly praised Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “martyr” in remarks delivered during a Ramadan program at his mosque amid joint U.S.-Israel operations in Iran and the death of the brutal dictator.

On Saturday in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mohammad Ali Elahi, spiritual leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom, delivered a eulogy for Khamenei during a livestreamed event at the mosque, as reported by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

lahi, an Iranian-born cleric who emigrated to the United States in 1991 and established the Islamic House of Wisdom in Metro Detroit, described the death of Khamenei as a profound loss and condemned U.S. military actions that preceded it.

Lamenting what he called the “depths of the tragedy,” Elahi characterized the “evil” and “ugly” operations in Iran as “a war against justice, against humanity, against morality, against legality, [and] against truth.”

(Read more from “Michigan Imam Mourns ‘Beloved’ Khamenei, Says He Was Martyred by ‘Wretched Hands,’ Slams U.S. Strike as ‘War Against Justice’” HERE)

Pentagon Identifies Four of Six U.S. Army Casualties During Iran Strikes

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The Department of War (DOW) publicly identified four of the six U.S. Army casualties following the strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The four identified were Army Reserve Soldiers serving in support of Operation Epic Fury, with ages ranging from as young as 20 to as old as 42, including one woman.

Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.

All those identified reportedly “died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack.” They were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa.

(Read more from “Pentagon Identifies Four of Six U.S. Army Casualties During Iran Strikes” HERE)