Top US Security Official Quits, says Iran did Not Pose Immediate Threat

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A top security official in U.S. President ​Donald Trump’s administration resigned over the war in Iran on Tuesday, saying the country had posed no imminent threat ‌to the United States.

Joe Kent, who headed the National Counterterrorism Center, is the first senior official in Trump’s administration to resign over the conflict, now in its third week.

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear ​that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote in a ​letter posted to social media.

Some experts have said an imminent threat would be required for the United ⁠States to launch a war under the international law of war.

Kent’s letter to Trump included “false claims,” said White House spokeswoman Karoline ​Leavitt in a statement. (Read more from “Top US Security Official Quits, says Iran did Not Pose Immediate Threat” HERE)

‘I Think It’s Terrible’: President Trump’s Extreme Disappointment In ‘Oldest Ally’ Britain Letting America Down

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President Donald Trump says he feels vindicated in his years of questioning the fidelity of America’s Western alliances because when he did call them to rally around the flag, they refused to answer, saying nations like Britain should have rightfully come with enthusiasm.

The United States is encouraging countries whose economies rely on the free flow of global commerce to stand up and take a hand in preserving maritime security, President Donald Trump said on Monday afternoon, expressing his distress at America’s most cherished allies turning away from Washington’s call to rally around the flag. Stating the U.S. military had already destroyed all of Iran’s conventional military capability and that the Strait of Hormuz — through which a great deal of the world’s annual oil production flows — now needs an international policing effort, President Trump said many countries are more dependent on the region than the U.S.

He said: “We strongly encourage other nations whose economies rely on the Strait far more than ours. We get less than one per cent of our oil from the Strait, and some countries get much more. Japan gets 95 per cent, China gets 90 per cent, many of the Europeans get quite a bit… so we want them to come and help us with the Strait… numerous countries have told us they are on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t”.

While President Trump said several times that he didn’t want to name names and risk embarrassing or endangering America’s allies by outing them as security volunteers or shirkers, he dropped several hints. He said, for instance, of one country that declined America’s invitation: “We have some countries where we have 45,000 great soldiers protecting them from harm’s way”. According to recent Department of War figures, the only countries with U.S. deployments of that scale are Germany and Japan, and both have rejected participation. (Read more from “‘I Think It’s Terrible’: President Trump’s Extreme Disappointment In ‘Oldest Ally’ Britain Letting America Down” HERE)

‘Fake News’: FCC Chair Warns Broadcasters To ‘Operate In The Public Interest’ Or Risk Loss Of License; FCC Warns Broadcasters over Iran War Coverage

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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned media outlets Saturday that they may lose their broadcast licenses if they insist on running “fake news” content.

Carr wrote in an X post he was giving broadcasters who were “running hoaxes and news distortions ‐ also known as the fake news” the chance to “correct course before their license renewals come up.” His warning came in response to a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump slamming “the Fake News Media” for what he called an “intentionally misleading headline” about U.S. Air Force planes reportedly hit by an Iranian missile strike.

“The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman wrote in his post. “And frankly, changing course is in their own business interests since trust in legacy media has now fallen to an all time low of just 9% and are ratings disasters.”

The FCC chief was likely citing a Gallup survey released in September 2020 which showed that only nine percent of U.S. adults had “a great deal” of trust in mass media to report “the news fully, accurately and fairly.”

“The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves,” Carr continued. “It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news.”

(Read more from “‘Fake News’: FCC Chair Warns Broadcasters To ‘Operate In The Public Interest’ Or Risk Loss Of License” HERE)

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FCC warns broadcasters over Iran War coverage

By Salon. As the war between the United States and Iran enters its third week, a new front in the conflict is emerging at home: a battle over how the war is covered by the media.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters this week that news outlets must accurately report on the war or risk regulatory scrutiny tied to their broadcast licenses. The remarks came after Donald Trump accused major media organizations of misleading the public about the administration’s military campaign against Iran.

Carr said broadcasters operate under a legal obligation to serve the “public interest” and suggested that networks spreading what he characterized as inaccurate reporting about the war could face consequences when their licenses come up for renewal.

The warning followed a series of posts by Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social, where the president told supporters that coverage of the war was “wrong” and urged Americans not to believe reports circulating in the press. Trump has repeatedly accused news outlets of distorting details about the scope and effectiveness of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.

Press freedom advocates and media analysts quickly raised concerns that the comments could signal government pressure on news organizations during wartime. (Read more from “FCC warns broadcasters over Iran War coverage” HEREc)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Man Accused of Crucifying Pastor Begs Judge for Death Penalty

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An Arizona man accused of crucifying a pastor and placing a crown of thorns on the victim’s head has requested the death penalty so everyone “can move on with our lives.”

Adam Sheafe, who is representing himself, asked the judge last week to allow him to enter a guilty plea, so the case can wrap up quickly, saying the legal system was “dragging this out,” according to Fox 10.

Sheafe, 51, is accused of murdering William Schonemann, the pastor of New River Bible Chapel, in April 2025 before mutilating the man’s body. Schonemann was found dead with his arms spread out in his bed and his hands pinned to a wall, authorities said.

The suspect previously confessed to the crime and has never claimed to be innocent.

“From day one, I’ve said I did this. These are the reasons why I did this, and I’m not contesting anything,” he told the court on Thursday, according to Fox 10. “And my speedy trial rights went from five months to basically two and a half years. And we’re dragging this out in the interest of justice.” (Read more from “Man Accused of Crucifying Pastor Begs Judge for Death Penalty” HERE)

Trump Has Plans To Avoid Iranian Refugee Crisis — But War May Make It Inevitable

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Many Americans fear U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran could spark another refugee crisis, but experts say the Trump administration has policies in place designed to prevent that outcome — even if officials have not clearly communicated the strategy.

Researchers with the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) told the Daily Caller that Trump’s war plans, Middle East travel restrictions and the refugee system’s current structure suggest the administration is not preparing to admit refugees at scale and instead expects Iranian migrants in the United States to return home.

“I think it’s safe to say there’s no plan for a wave of new Middle Eastern refugees to the United States of America,” Secretary of the Department of Defense Pete Hegseth said March 5. “I think, as the president has pointed out for a long time, there are a lot of countries in the region who would be capable of providing that kind of support if need be.”

Statements from the administration on this concern have been few and far between, and Hegseth’s admission that he merely “thinks” he is portraying the administration’s goals could signal to skeptics that the administration may not be as coordinated as one would hope.

Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie told Congress earlier in March that “a sustained war with Iran will not stabilize the region, it will radicalize new generations of terrorists, and it will send more swarms of refugees into Europe and the United States.”

Republican Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles joined him in saying that the U.S. cannot take refugees from Iran or the Middle East, saying, “it’s time for them to build their own government and make their land great again.” (Read more from “Trump Has Plans To Avoid Iranian Refugee Crisis — But War May Make It Inevitable” HERE)

Trump Announces One Of His Top Officials Has Breast Cancer

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President Donald Trump announced Monday that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

Trump stated on Truth Social that Wiles will continue to work while she undergoes treatment. She reportedly has an “excellent” prognosis and has decided to begin treatment immediately.

“Susie Wiles is an incredible Chief of Staff, a great person, and one of the strongest people I know but, unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, and has decided to take on this challenge, IMMEDIATELY, as opposed to waiting. She has a fantastic medical team, and her prognosis is excellent!” Trump said.

Trump also praised Wiles for being “tough and deeply committed to serving the American people” despite her current illness. (Read more from “Trump Announces One Of His Top Officials Has Breast Cancer” HERE)

Forbes’ Annual World’s Billionaires List is Full of Jeffrey Epstein’s Cronies — Here’s Who’s in the Files

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Forbes released its 40th annual World’s Billionaires List, and it’s a who’s who of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Since the Department of Justice began releasing records related to the late pedophile on Dec. 19, the rich and famous linked to Epstein have been resigning and publicly apologizing in droves.

Dozens of names on the new 3,428-person Forbes list also came up in the Epstein files, some more than others.

Bill Gates – ranked the 19th richest person in the world with $108 billion — is chief among them. . .

Steve Tisch, chairman of the New York Giants and ranked 1,193rd richest in the world with a $2.2 billion fortune, exchanged several eyebrow-raising emails with the sex predator. . .

Virgin founder Richard Branson — 1,504th on the Forbes list with $2.8 billion — lives on a private island in the British Virgin Islands a short 20-minute helicopter ride from Epstein’s “pedo island,” and gushed in emails about Russian girls Epstein brought him. (Read more from “Forbes’ Annual World’s Billionaires List is Full of Jeffrey Epstein’s Cronies — Here’s Who’s in the Files” HERE)

Media, 29 Federal Judges Freak Out Over Rude Words In Dissent Attacking Trans Child Abuse

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Judge Lawrence VanDyke pre-emptively nuked corporate-media pearl-clutching in his recent dissent from a Ninth Circuit decision forcing a nude, female-only Korean spa frequented by minors to admit men in the name of “trans rights.”

“Squirm as we might, I think it’s only fair for our court to have a small taste of its own medicine,” VanDyke wrote. “Sometimes, ‘dignified’ words are employed to mask a legal abomination.”

This was part of VanDyke’s defense for opening his dissent with: “This is a case about swinging dicks. The Christian owners of Olympus Spa — a traditional Korean, women-only, nude spa — understandably don’t want them in their spa. Their female employees and female clients don’t want them in their spa either. But Washington State insists on them. And now so does the Ninth Circuit.” He continues:

You may think that swinging dicks shouldn’t appear in a judicial opinion. You’re not wrong. But as much as you might understandably be shocked and displeased to merely encounter that phrase in this opinion, I hope we can all agree that it is far more jarring for the unsuspecting and exposed women at Olympus Spa — someo as young as thirteen — to be visually assaulted by the real thing.

After VanDyke’s dissent was released on March 12, corporate media mimicked his Ninth Circuit colleagues’ fake horror at crude words used to describe abominable realities. (Read more from “Media, 29 Federal Judges Freak Out Over Rude Words In Dissent Attacking Trans Child Abuse” HERE)

Trump DOJ Demands Pause On Another Lawsuit Challenging FDA’s Abortion Pill Permissions

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The Trump administration Department of Justice says women and babies whose lives and safety are threatened by popular abortion pills should have to wait until after U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s review of the popular abortion drug mifepristone to get relief.

The DOJ is redirecting its demands for a court-mandated pause on abortion pill lawsuits from the landmark Louisiana v. FDA case to take aim at Texas and Florida for challenging the FDA’s 2000 approval of mifepristone and subsequent expansions. It is under the Biden administration’s 2023 radical mifepristone permissions that anyone in any state can order mail-order pregnancy-ending pills and complete at-home abortions without medical oversight.

In its memorandum filed on Friday, the DOJ demanded the court “stay this litigation pending the outcome of FDA’s review” or dismiss the complaint altogether.

“Florida and Texas (Plaintiffs) threaten to short-circuit the agency’s orderly review and study of the safety risks of mifepristone,” the memo claims. “They would have this Court set aside the 2000 approval of mifepristone and subsequent actions modifying the conditions of use (including the REMS) and approving generic equivalents — all without the benefit of FDA’s new review of the mifepristone REMS. And if FDA ultimately decides to change course, judicial relief may prove equally unnecessary and disruptive.” (REMS stands for Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies.)

Both U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary pledged to review safety concerns surrounding the most popular abortion drug on the market, including one analysis that found more than one in 10 women who take mifepristone suffer a serious adverse event such as hemorrhage or infection. (Read more from “Trump DOJ Demands Pause On Another Lawsuit Challenging FDA’s Abortion Pill Permissions” HERE)

Trump: Iran’s Military ‘Literally Obliterated’ — Officials ‘Want to Make a Deal’ as Leadership Remains Unclear

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President Donald Trump declared Monday that Iran’s military has been “literally obliterated” by the U.S.-led Operation Epic Fury campaign, while revealing that Iranian officials have been reaching out seeking a deal even as he questioned whether those making contact actually have the authority to negotiate on behalf of a regime whose leadership he says has been largely wiped out.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, Trump said weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes have shattered the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.

“They have been literally obliterated,” Trump said. “The Air Force is gone. The Navy is gone. Many ships have been sunk. Their anti-aircraft is decimated, their radar is gone, and their leaders are gone.”

Trump said the campaign has struck more than 7,000 targets across Iran, crippling Tehran’s ability to project force across the region.

“We’ve achieved a 90 percent reduction in ballistic missile launches and a 95 percent reduction in drone attacks,” Trump said, adding that Iranian missiles are now “trickling in at very low levels because they don’t have too many missiles left.” (Read more from “Trump: Iran’s Military ‘Literally Obliterated’ — Officials ‘Want to Make a Deal’ as Leadership Remains Unclear” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr