Poll: Majority Say It Should Be ‘Illegal’ for Americans to Prevent ICE From Doing Its Job

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A majority believe it should be “illegal” for Americans to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from doing its job, a recent survey from the Economist/YouGov found.

The survey asked respondents, “Do you think it should be legal or illegal for Americans to attempt to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from doing its job?”

Across the board, most, 52 percent, believe it should be illegal for Americans to attempt to prevent ICE from doing its job. Another 24 percent said they believe it should be legal, and 24 percent remain unsure.

Notably, a plurality of Democrats, 41 percent, believe it should be legal for Americans to attempt to prevent ICE from doing its job in detaining and deporting criminal illegal aliens. Another 33 percent remain unsure, but just over a quarter, 26 percent, believe it should be illegal.

Most Republicans, 80 percent, believe it should be illegal for Americans to prevent ICE from doing its job, and a plurality of independents, 47 percent, agree. Only 22 percent of independents said it should be legal — a sentiment held by just ten percent of Republicans. (Read more from “Poll: Majority Say It Should Be ‘Illegal’ for Americans to Prevent ICE From Doing Its Job” HERE)

Experts Gauge Success of ‘Bunker Buster’ Bombs Dropped by U.S. on Iran Nuclear Sites

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While President Donald Trump has asserted that the military’s weekend strike against Iran “completely and totally obliterated” its nuclear weapon-making capabilities, there are still questions about whether the ground-penetrating “bunker buster” bombs used to attack Iran’s key enrichment sites were enough to stop the rogue country from developing a nuclear bomb.

A report released last week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) explains that the special “bunker buster” bombs the U.S. used in Iran over the weekend that everyone is talking about, known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, might not be able to fully destroy the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow. Fordow, which Trump said was “gone” now following the strike, is considered central to Iran’s nuclear weapon-making capabilities.

Meanwhile, a satellite imagery expert relayed to Reuters that confirmation of below-ground destruction could not be determined via pictures alone, because the facility’s hundreds of centrifuges are too deeply buried in order to make an accurate determination.

“I actually have a little bit of a rosier view on things,” Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, told Fox News Digital. “I think that because of the massive damage and the shock wave that would have been sent by 12 Massive Ordnance Penetrators at the Fordow site, that it likely would render its centrifuges damaged or inoperable.”

Stricker noted that centrifuges are “very delicate” and the kind of shock wave coming from the MOPs would at least put them “out of commission.” She also said if any centrifuges did survive the blasts, it would be likely that they would be inaccessible by Iranian authorities for several months. (Read more from “Experts Gauge Success of ‘Bunker Buster’ Bombs Dropped by U.S. on Iran Nuclear Sites” HERE)

Trump Heads to NATO Summit Demanding ‘Freeloading’ Allies Pay Their Fair Share

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President Donald Trump departed for the annual NATO summit at The Hague on Tuesday, hoping to claim another major foreign policy victory as most NATO allies have already agreed to his demand to boost defense spending after the president called out the European nations for “freeloading” and taking advantage of American military protection.

NATO countries, except Spain, agreed in preliminary talks to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product, a significant increase from the previous 2% target that many allies struggled to meet.

The spending commitment is divided into two parts: 3.5% for traditional military spending, such as air defense and recruitment, while the remaining 1.5% can include infrastructure like roads and bridges that troops could use.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has resisted the spending increase, arguing that it would strain the country’s extensive welfare state.

“We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defence investment, but we are not going to do it,” Sanchez said. In 2024, Spain’s defense expenditure as a share of GDP stood at a measly 1.28%, the lowest of any NATO country. (Read more from “Trump Heads to NATO Summit Demanding ‘Freeloading’ Allies Pay Their Fair Share” HERE)

On Iranian Terrorist Sleeper Cell Threat, Noem Vows to ‘Go After Them Before They Do Anything’

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By The Federalist. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sought Monday to reassure the American people that the Trump administration is actively working to protect the homeland following the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear sites.

“We are continuing to evaluate every single threat and to proactively go after them before they do anything or take any activity,” Noem told The Daily Signal, when asked about the threat of Iranian terrorist sleeper cells in the U.S.

Following the U.S. targeted attack on three Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday, the Trump administration has warned that the threat of the activation of terrorist sleeper cells in the U.S. has never been higher.

While the threat level is high, it is not new, Noem told reporters at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new facility at the Customs and Border Protection’s Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, on Monday.

“We have incredible threats to this country from many nations that are enemies to the United States of America,” Noem told press. “You know, it’s not just Iran, it’s North Korea, Russia, China, consistently every single day are trying to threaten our way of life. So, my job is to do all that I can to protect our country before something bad does happen.”

The U.S. struck Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites over the weekend, dropping more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs from B-2 bombers. The bunker-buster bomb is America’s largest nonnuclear bomb. The U.S. also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles from a submarine, striking Iranian nuclear targets. (Read more from “On Iranian Terrorist Sleeper Cell Threat, Noem Vows to ‘Go After Them Before They Do Anything’” HERE)

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AG Bondi reveals ‘high alert’ status as Iranian nationals roam free in US

By Fox News. Attorney General Pam Bondi was questioned Monday during a House budget hearing about Iranian nationals who entered the country illegally during the Biden administration after the Trump administration warned the conflict with Iran raised threat levels in the United States.

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, asked if the attorney general knew how many Iranian nationals in the United States have been convicted of crimes. Bondi said she was unsure, but that more than 1,000 entered the country during the last administration.

“And I can tell you, we are on high alert, and everyone is looking at that very closely,” Bondi said.

U.S. Border Patrol arrested 1,504 Iranians at the southern border during President Joe Biden’s term, and nearly half of them, or 729, were released into the United States, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection source.

Bondi’s remarks echo those of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which issued a notice one day prior saying that the Iran conflict “is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.” The DHS cited the possibility of extremists in the United States “independently mobilizing to violence” if Iranian leaders were to call for it. The department also said cyberattacks and incidents of antisemitism could increase. (Read more from “AG Bondi reveals ‘high alert’ status as Iranian nationals roam free in US” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

JD Vance Expects Iran, Israel to ‘Keep Shooting at Each Other’ Until Cease-Fire Goes Into Effect

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President Trump does not plan to take further action against Iran following its “failed retaliation” strike on a US base in Qatar Monday night, a military official told The Post.

“As long as it stands, Trump has no intention of retaliating for the ‘failed retaliation,'” the source said, suggesting that tensions in the Middle East will soon de-escalate following Saturday’s US strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities. . .

President Trump announced a cease-fire between Iran and Israel just seconds before Vice President JD Vance’s live interview with Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier on Monday.

This was the veep’s reaction.

“Well, we were actually working on that just as I left the White House to come over here. So that’s good news, that the president was able to get that across the finish line,” Vance told Baier when informed about Trump’s Truth Social post.

“What that means, I think, is we have to talk to Iran and, of course, to Israel, about what the future holds,” the vice president said, noting that Trump “is really trying to figure out” how to “build a long term settlement here to where we can have peace in the region. (Read more from “JD Vance Expects Iran, Israel to ‘Keep Shooting at Each Other’ Until Cease-Fire Goes Into Effect” HERE)

Revealed: TSA Used Loophole to Spy on Conservatives

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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has announced the end of an Obama-era program that involved spying on U.S. citizens — and cost those citizens hundreds of millions in tax dollars a year.

“Today I’m announcing that TSA is ending the Quiet Skies program, which involved having a federal agent follow U.S. citizens as they traveled by air. It was created by Obama in 2012 to supposedly track dangerous individuals, but instead it was weaponized against political enemies such as Tulsi Gabbard,” Noem said in a video posted to social media.

“Since its existence, it has failed to stop a single terrorist attack, while it cost U.S. taxpayers roughly about $200 million a year,” she added.

Independent journalist Breanna Morello has been on the frontlines of breaking this story and has uncovered just how American citizens would end up on these lists.

“What they used is a program called Evade, which was another Obama program that was started. And what they did is they used Evade to add people to the TSA terror watch list,” Morello tells BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” (Read more from “Revealed: TSA Used Loophole to Spy on Conservatives” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Grocery Giant Announces It Will Close Dozens of Locations Across the US

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U.S. grocer Kroger is planning to close dozens of stores by the end of next year.

The massive Cincinnati-based grocery store chain made the announcement on Friday. It operates thousands of supermarkets and pharmacies across the nation and is planning to close 60 stores in the next 18 months, a first-quarter 2025 earnings report said.

While the report said the company’s profits “exceeded our expectations,” Director Ron Sargent said in an earnings call that the company reviewed areas not meaningful to its future growth and determined that closing the stores “will make the company more efficient.”

“Unfortunately, today, not all of our stores are delivering the sustainable results we need,” Sargent said on Friday. “To position our company for future success, this morning, we announce plans to close approximately 60 stores over the next 18 months.”

The report said the closures cost Kroger a $100 million impairment charge. (Read more from “Grocery Giant Announces It Will Close Dozens of Locations Across the US” HERE)

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Trump Announces Ceasefire in Iran-Israel ’12 Day War’

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President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire,” after 12 days of ongoing war between the two countries.

“CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final mission!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World. During each CEASEFIRE, the other side will remain PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL,” Trump added.

Trump continued to offer his congratulations to Israel and Iran for having agreed to a ceasefire “on the assumption that everything works as it should.”

(Read more from “Trump Announces Ceasefire in Iran-Israel ’12 Day War’” HERE)

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Poll: Majority Say Democrats Should Take ‘Wait and See Attitude’ Toward Trump’s Actions

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A majority say Democrats should take a “wait and see attitude” toward President Donald Trump’s actions rather than immediately opposing everything he does, a June Harvard-Harris survey found.

The survey asked respondents, “Do you think Democrats should oppose everything that Trump is doing or should they take more of a wait and see attitude towards his actions?”

Across the board, a majority, 58 percent, said they want Democrats to take more of a wait and see attitude toward Trump’s actions. Another 42 percent said they want Democrats to oppose everything Trump does.

Predictably, options vary across party lines. Most Republicans and independents — 82 percent and 61 percent, respectively — believe Democrats should take a wait and see approach to Trump’s actions. However, most Democrats, 71 percent, said they want their fellow Democrats to oppose everything Trump is doing. Only 18 percent of Republicans agree with them, as do 39 percent of independents.

Similarly, the survey asked respondents if they believe Democrats should “oppose Trump on tariffs and trade policy or see how his initiative plays out over the next few weeks.” (Read more from “Poll: Majority Say Democrats Should Take ‘Wait and See Attitude’ Toward Trump’s Actions” HERE)

Health Insurers Pledge to Reform Major Process That Stood in Way of Patient Care

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Roughly three-quarters of the nation’s health insurance providers signed a series of commitments this week in an effort to improve patient care by reducing bureaucratic hurdles caused by insurance companies’ prior-authorization requirements.

Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the new voluntary pledge from a cadre of insurance providers, who cover roughly 75% of the population, during a press conference Monday. The new commitments are aimed at speeding up and reducing prior-authorization processes used by insurers, a process that has been long-maligned for unnecessarily delaying patient care and other bureaucratic hurdles negatively impacting patients.

“The pledge is not a mandate. It’s not a bill, a rule. This is not legislated. This is a opportunity for industry to show itself,” Oz said Monday. “But by the fact that three-quarters of the patients in the country are already covered by participants in this pledge, it’s a good start and the response has been overwhelming.”

Prior-authorization is a process that requires providers to obtain approval from a patient’s insurance provider before that provider can offer certain treatments or services. Essentially, the process seeks to ensure patients are getting the right solution for a particular problem.

However, according to Oz, the process has led to doctors being forced to spend enormous amounts of man-power to satisfy prior-authorization requirements from insurers. He noted during Monday’s press conference that, on average, physicians have to spend 12 hours a week dealing with these requirements, which they see about 40 of per week. (Read more from “Health Insurers Pledge to Reform Major Process That Stood in Way of Patient Care” HERE)