Nigerian Christians Face Latest Massacre by Militant Muslims

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While the world’s eyes are locked onto the conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, Christians everywhere continue to face violent persecution.

Nigeria’s Catholic population has been facing what appears to be their systematic removal by their Muslim neighbors, and an attack over the weekend is the latest example of a long train of persecution.

Muslim Fulani militants “raided a predominantly Catholic Christian town” in Benue State, Nigeria, killing over 200 Christians overnight, according to a Saturday morning post by Save the Persecuted Christians on X. The post included graphic images of the victims of the massacre, reporting that they were “butchered and burned” during the attack.

“This is genocide,” the initial post concluded.

The Christian charity speculated that this attack was in “retaliation” for Makurdi Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s recent testimony before the U.S. Congress in which he said, “A long-term, Islamic agenda to homogenize the population has been implemented, over several presidencies, through a strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the Christian identity of half of the population.” (Read more from “Nigerian Christians Face Latest Massacre by Militant Muslims” HERE)

Supreme Court Deals Blow to Deep State Control in Ruling Against EPA

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The U.S. Supreme Court took a major step in helping dismantle the federal government’s stranglehold on public policy on Wednesday. In an 8-0 decision, the court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could not defend itself against a lawsuit from Oklahoma and Utah in its rubber-stamp home court, the D.C. Circuit.

The case arose from the EPA’s 2023 decision to deny the state implementation plans (SIP) submitted by 21 states in order to comply with the 2015 “good neighbor” revision to the Clean Air Act, which “mandates states to prevent their emissions from substantially affecting the air quality of neighboring states.” However, the facts of this case are essentially a secondary point, because the thrust of the Supreme Court appeal has to do with the venue at which the case can be heard.

The EPA wanted it to be heard in the D.C. Circuit, while Oklahoma and Utah, two states suing the EPA over the denial of their SIPs, want it to be heard in the 10th Circuit — their regional court. While the EPA has argued that the case should be heard in D.C. because the implementation plans are being requested by all 50 states, Oklahoma and Utah believe their local circumstances are much better heard by their own federal courts.

In this case, the EPA did individual state reviews “on their own merits,” but then denied the SIPs of certain states in one “omnibus” Federal Register rule in order to artificially shoehorn it into the D.C. Circuit to claim that such publication makes the denials a national action.

Justice Clarence Thomas, who authored the opinion, recognized that merely publishing those denials together does not constitute a national action that might warrant review in the D.C. Circuit, but rather that each denial is a matter between the individual state and the EPA. It should therefore be challenged regionally. (Read more from “Supreme Court Deals Blow to Deep State Control in Ruling Against EPA” HERE)

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Donald Trump: We Don’t Want a Long-Term War With Iran

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President Donald Trump made clear Wednesday the administration is “not looking for a long-term war” with Iran.

Trump addressed concerns among members of the Make America Great Again base that the United States would be pulled into a long-term war, while fielding a question from Brian Glenn of Real America’s Voice.

“We’re not looking for a long-term war. We’re looking– I only want one thing–Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s it,” Trump said. “I’m not looking long-term, short-term, and I’ve been saying that for 20 years. I’ve been saying it as a civilian, who got a lot of publicity, people would cover it.”

“Very simply, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s it,” he continued. “It’s not a question of anything else, and if you did, you wouldn’t have much of a country because they would use it on us and use it on other people and they’d be a terror all over the world.”

Trump notably tweeted in 2011, before he even entered the political world, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and has been firm in his stance throughout his political career and the presidential campaign in 2024.

(Read more from “Donald Trump: We Don’t Want a Long-Term War With Iran” HERE)

Fed Shock: Fed Officials Forecast Higher Rates and Higher Inflation

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The Federal Reserve delivered an unexpected blow to hopes for lower borrowing costs in the future, projecting higher inflation and higher interest rates in updated forecasts released Wednesday. While policymakers left their benchmark rate unchanged and signaled that they may cut in the second half of this year, forecasts of officials showed they expect fewer cuts next year and the year after that.

The central bank held the federal funds target at 4.25 to 4.50 percent, its level since the December rate cut. But the accompanying economic projections revealed rising concern that inflation is not receding fast enough—and that rates may need to stay elevated to keep it in check.

Officials now forecast that the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index, will climb to 3.0 percent by the end of 2025. Core PCE inflation, which excludes food and energy, is expected to reach 3.1 percent. Both represent notable upward revisions from the March forecast, which anticipated 2.7 percent and 2.8 percent respectively.

“We expect a meaningful amount of inflation to arrive in the coming months,” Fed chairman Jerome Powell said. “We have to take that into account.”

This came as a surprise to many Fed watchers because recent inflation data has come in softer than expected, with prices holding steady or rising only at a slow rate. The annualized quarterly pace of the PCE inflation is 1.5 percent, below the Fed’s two percent inflation target, and core PCE inflation is two percent, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. (Read more from “Fed Shock: Fed Officials Forecast Higher Rates and Higher Inflation” HERE)

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Gen Zers Who Watched BLM Burn Down the Country Have No Sympathy for L.A. Riots

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Riots have become an all-too-familiar sight on American television screens. The country seems constantly braced for radical extremism disguised as “peaceful protests.” The images of car burnings and “F*ck ICE” graffiti coming out of Los Angeles last week are only the latest. Unfortunately, these incidents are so similar to the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, that California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to score some pathetic political points by correcting someone who mixed up a video from 2020 with a current video. In the five years since the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, California is still stuck in its fiery, lawless ways.

I turned 18 one week after George Floyd was killed. I didn’t post any photos on my birthday because that was the day when social media users were pressured into posting a black square online. No restaurants were open because of Covid, so my family cooked dinner at home, then afterwards we gathered around the television to watch live coverage of riots across the country.

At 23 years old, I’m now indifferent to rioting. During the Michael Brown protests, I remember trembling at the images of cops wearing gas masks, coming out of the smoke towards legions of screaming protestors. Even Kyle Rittenhouse’s story jarred me, especially since he was only a few months younger than I was and his infamous incident occurred less than an hour from my house. These protests became increasingly frequent and close to home, and as they did, my attitude towards them changed.

Eighteen-year-olds are typically known to be idealists with starry-eyed dreams of equality and global peace. In the past, liberals have taken advantage of this naivety to build an energetic coalition of misinformed college kids. This seemed to be a reliable phenomenon, with around 43 percent of Gen Z adults aged 18-24 identifying as liberal. However, recent studies have found that Gen Z teens are far more likely to have moderate political views, have their parents’ religious affiliations, and distrust political institutions.

Shutting down schools, businesses, and even playgrounds during Covid impacted younger children in a severe way, as they lost human contact during a crucial stage of their development. Like me, many were cut off from friends and activities, with nothing more than a screen left to entertain them. (Read more from “Gen Zers Who Watched BLM Burn Down the Country Have No Sympathy for L.A. Riots” HERE)

Park Service Wrongly Celebrates Juneteenth as ‘National Independence Day’

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It has long been clear that the leftist activists who succeeded in getting “Juneteenth” added as a federal holiday meant to strip Independence Day of some of its moral and historical significance. The timing of Juneteenth, only a fortnight and change before the Fourth of July, is intended to usurp some of the Fourth’s glory. At the same time, the theme of the new holiday is designed to suggest that slavery, rather than liberty, is the defining feature of our founding. It’s an attempt to make 1776 vie with 1619, with the abolition of slavery being portrayed as our real moment of independence, in place of the moment when we actually proclaimed our independence and declared that “all men are created equal.”

Now the National Park Service has sent out an email celebrating Juneteenth as “National Independence Day.” If Juneteenth is that, then what is the Fourth of July? The email conveys that the NPS is “thrilled to announce that all national parks … will offer free entry on June 19th.” It adds, “On Juneteenth, we honor the enduring journey toward freedom and equality.” Most Americans would associate such language with the Fourth.

While the NPS now regularly denigrates or marginalizes our founding — witness its ongoing efforts to make the Jefferson Memorial woke — its communication about Juneteenth, unfortunately, is not really an example of the agency’s having gone rogue. Per the Office of Personnel Management, the official name of the holiday to be observed on June 19 is “Juneteenth National Independence Day.” The official name of the holiday to follow 15 days later is “Independence Day.” It could hardly be clearer that Juneteenth was intended to compete with, and partially marginalize, the Fourth of July.

America does not need, should not have, and does not legitimately have, two Independence Days. Designating Juneteenth as “National Independence Day” intrudes upon our actual Independence Day. It suggests that Americans’ freedom doesn’t really trace to the Declaration of Independence but rather to the Emancipation Proclamation — or, more exactly, to awareness of that proclamation (more than two years after it was issued). It also suggests that our actual Independence Day doesn’t apply to all Americans.

The author of the Emancipation Proclamation viewed these matters quite differently. In his wonderful 1858 Chicago speech, Abraham Lincoln said, “Now, it happens that we meet together once every year, somewhere about the 4th of July, for some reason or other.” He began examining that reason by referencing the direct ancestors of many in attendance: “We run our memory back over the pages of history for about eighty-two years, and we discover … a race of men living in that day whom we claim as our fathers and grandfathers.” These “were iron men … and we understood that by what they then did it has followed that the degree of prosperity which we now enjoy has come to us.” (Read more from “Park Service Wrongly Celebrates Juneteenth as ‘National Independence Day’” HERE)

U.S. Warns Travelers of ‘Violent Crime,’ Weak Policing in Popular Vacation Hot Spot

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Officials are warning Americans to “exercise increased caution” when traveling to a popular summer tourist destination in light of violent crime rates and a lack of law enforcement resources throughout the country.

The United States Department of State has issued an updated travel advisory for the Dominican Republic, according to the agency’s website.

“Violent crime is a concern in the Dominican Republic despite more police presence in areas often visited by tourists,” the department said in a statement. “Do not display wealth and be wary of meeting individuals from online in secluded locations.”

The warning, which previously listed the Caribbean vacation destination as a Level 2 advisory, was posted on June 12 following a periodic update, according to a State Department spokesperson.

Countries are assigned advisories from Level 1-4 based on the area’s risk factors, such as civil unrest and natural disasters. (Read more from “U.S. Warns Travelers of ‘Violent Crime,’ Weak Policing in Popular Vacation Hot Spot” HERE)

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‘U.S. Homeland’ Now Includes Greenland After Major Shakeup by Pentagon

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken action to have Greenland declared part of the “U.S. homeland” to be defended by American forces, according to a report in Military Times.

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it was shifting responsibility for Greenland from U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, with the Department of Defense framing “the revision as part of a broader review of its Unified Command Plan, which divides the world into separate military units and outlines the roles and responsibilities of U.S. combatant commands,” Military Times reported.

The U.S.-run Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland “is one of the most strategically important military sites in the world,” according to The New York Times.

Since retaking office in January, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex the Danish territory in the name of national security. “One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” Trump said of Greenland during a March speech before a joint session of Congress.

In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson claimed, “[This] change will strengthen the Joint Force’s ability to defend the U.S. homeland, contributing to a more robust defense of the western hemisphere and deepening relationships with Arctic allies and partners.” (Read more from “‘U.S. Homeland’ Now Includes Greenland After Major Shakeup by Pentagon” HERE)

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Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Lander Arrested by ICE at Federal Plaza in NYC

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City comptroller Brad Lander was dramatically arrested by ICE agents Tuesday in a chaotic scene outside a federal immigration court – drawing outrage and support from his fellow Democratic mayoral primary candidates.

Eye-popping video from 26 Federal Plaza showed Lander being manhandled and cuffed by the feds after the comptroller vocally protested masked federal agents hauling away a man leaving an immigration hearing.

Lander repeatedly demanded to see a judicial warrant as he kept his hand clutched on the detainee’s shoulder, video obtained by The Post shows.

After Lander refused to let go, an officer could be heard saying, “Take him in,” prompting agents to cuff him.

“You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens,” Lander repeated in protest, video shows.

“I’m not obstructing, I am standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant. … You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens asking for a judicial warrant.” (Read more from “Comptroller and Mayoral Candidate Lander Arrested by ICE at Federal Plaza in NYC” HERE)

Trump Touts ‘Total Control’ of Iranian Airspace, Says U.S. Knows Where Ayatollah ‘Is Hiding’

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President Donald Trump announced, “We now have complete and total control” of Iranian airspace and that the U.S. knows “exactly where” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “is hiding.”

Trump’s announcements came in a string of Truth Social posts.

“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn’t compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured ‘stuff,’” Trump wrote.

“Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA,” he added.

Trump then said the United States knows where Khamenei is located.

(Read more from “Trump Touts ‘Total Control’ of Iranian Airspace, Says U.S. Knows Where Ayatollah ‘Is Hiding’” HERE)