City Publishes Pride Month ‘Emergency Preparedness Guide’

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Annapolis Office of Emergency Management (OEM) posted an “Emergency Preparedness Guide for LGBTQ People,” which includes many standard emergency items (medication, important documents) as well as chest binders, packers, and wigs.

In a post to their Facebook page made Tuesday morning, OEM compiled a list of the most important safety steps, specifically for LGBTQ people. “This #PrideMonth, OEM is sharing practical steps for LGBTQ+ residents to prepare,” OEM says in the caption of their post. This can include “building support networks, identifying safe spaces, managing medical needs, and packing essential supplies.”

Some of the recommendations are useful to the general public, such as preparing medication, gathering important documents, hygiene supplies, and medical contact information. However, the guide recommends gathering chest binders, packers, cosmetics, wigs, and hormonal medication.

The guide also highlights the difficulties for people “who rely on gender-affirming clothing.” The guide recommends taking breaks for people wearing “chest binders” on hot days.

[Photo credit: Facebook]

“Our role in Emergency Management is to ensure that our residents and businesses are prepared,” OEM told the Daily Caller. “Because June is Pride month, we felt there was an opportunity to address some of the unique challenges faced by some members of the LGBTQ community.” (Read more from “City Publishes Pride Month ‘Emergency Preparedness Guide’” HERE)

Jeff Bezos Claims AI Boom Will Create More Jobs Than It Kills

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Amazon founder Jeff Bezos claimed Wednesday that the artificial intelligence boom will actually result in labor shortages, multiple outlets reported.

Bezos suggested during a talk at the VivaTech technology conference in Paris that he disagrees with concerns that AI technology will make human workers “redundant,” Reuters reported.

“I ​know there’s a lot of concern that many people have, including many smahrt people, that AI ​is going to make humans redundant and so on,” Bezos said, according to the outlet. “I totally disagree with this point of view. And I think, in fact, AI is going to create a labor shortage.”

Bezos’ comments come amid mounting fears among some American workers that AI may take their jobs. A Reuters/Ipsos survey ‌released on June 10 found that 53% of Americans were concerned that AI would take jobs in their household.

The U.S. technology industry announced 38,242 job cuts in May, according to a report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. The announcement marked the biggest monthly loss for the sector since August 2024. Technology is leading 2026 reductions in force by a large margin, the report found. (Read more from “Jeff Bezos Claims AI Boom Will Create More Jobs Than It Kills” HERE)

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Fast-Food Chain Overtakes Chick-Fil-A As Highest Rated

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Chick-fil-A no longer sits atop the fast-food world in terms of customer satisfaction, a new American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) found.

Jersey Mike’s debuted at the top of the quick-service restaurant category with a customer satisfaction score of 84 out of 100 in the ACSI Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2026, ending Chick-fil-A’s 11-year run as the leader, according to a press release. Chick-fil-A held steady at 83 and slipped to second. Customers rated Jersey Mike’s well for fresh ingredients, menu range, and value. The company’s Franchise Finance Document (FDD) showed it added 238 net new locations last year, QSR Magazine reported.

“Quick-service restaurants remain steady for the third straight year at an ACSI score of 79, but the industry’s story this year is change at the top,” the study reads.

Jersey Mike’s built its rise on speed and convenience, with a business model leaning on order throughput, off-premise convenience, and heavy digital use, according to the ACSI. The New Jersey sub chain runs a “fairly narrow” menu, and the index credited the brand’s model as friendly to franchisee success. (Read more from “Fast-Food Chain Overtakes Chick-Fil-A As Highest Rated” HERE)

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Rand Paul Welcomes Iran Deal: ‘This War Must End’

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) welcomed the Iran deal that President Donald Trump signed on Wednesday, calling for the war’s end.

The senator shared his thoughts on the deal in an X post on Wednesday.

“I’ve spent my career warning against regime change wars, nation-building, and endless military entanglements. The same voices now attacking Trump’s Iran deal are the architects of every failed intervention of my lifetime. This war must end. I stand with President Trump on peace,” he wrote.

(Read more from “Rand Paul Welcomes Iran Deal: ‘This War Must End’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Leaked and Classified Situation Room Talks Demand a Criminal Probe from ‘Furious’ Trump

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. . .Reports are surfacing that White House aides are suddenly alarmed over the likelihood that top secret conversations on national security were taped and leaked to the New York Times.

Axios quotes an administration source as saying, “We’re afraid some of our most sensitive conversations were being recorded, and we have no idea which ones.”

The outlet also writes, “We hear President Trump is furious about the blow-by-blow accounts.”

The president has every right to be furious, but he shouldn’t stop there.

Situation Room meetings are classified, and the mere possibility that details of conversations, including those about the goals and strategy of the Iran war, were leaked demands a criminal probe.

Yet so far, there’s not been a peep from the Department of Justice, despite the fact that Pam Bondi, then the attorney general, and Kash Patel, the head of the FBI, were on speakerphone for one of the secret meetings, according to New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. (Read more from “Leaked and Classified Situation Room Talks Demand a Criminal Probe from ‘Furious’ Trump” HERE)

Complete 14-Point US-Iran Peace Deal Finally Revealed — Kicking off 60-day Clock to do the Hardest Work Yet

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Iran has 60 days to prove it is willing to make peace and change its ways after signing the deal with the US on Friday — and both sides have to hammer out the biggest problems at stake, including whether the Strait of Hormuz remains free for ship traffic, the $300 billion fund to rebuilt Iran and what it will take to permanently list sanctions on the Islamic regime.

The 14-point US-Iran memorandum of understanding — which was finally released in full Wedensday — lays the groundwork for two months of negotiations between Washington and Tehran on the de-proliferation efforts.

President Trump warned the Islamic republic to abide by the agreement or face a resumption of war and destruction. . .

The Iran deal text reads as follows:

1. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other, and ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and other provisions of this paragraph.

2. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.

3. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran commit to negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days extendable with mutual consent.

4. Immediately upon the signing of this MOU, the United States of America will begin the removal of its naval blockade and any disturbances or impediments against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and will fully end the naval blockade within 30 days. During this period, the traffic of vessels will be in proportion to the numbers of pre-war traffic being restored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal.

5. Upon the signing of this MOU, Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start, and considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialog with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf or littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.

6. United States of America undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least USD $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalized as part of a final deal within 60 days. All required licenses, waivers, and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.

7. The United States of America undertakes to terminate all types of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the United Nations Security Council resolutions, i.e. a Board of Governors resolutions, and all unilateral US sanctions, primary and secondary, in an agreed-upon schedule as part of the final deal. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned, and expressed their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.

8. The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons. United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpile enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the schedule mentioned in paragraph seven, with the minimum methodology to be down blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA. The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal. The final deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.

9. Pending the final deal, the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran agree to maintain the status quo. The Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain the current status quo of its nuclear program and the United States of America will not impose any new sanctions and will not deploy additional forces in the region.

10. The United States of America undertakes that immediately upon the signing of MOU until the termination of sanctions, US Department of Treasury will issue waivers for the export of Iranian crude oil, petroleum products, and derivatives, and all associated services, including banking transactions, insurances, transportation, etc.

11. The United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Upon the implementation of this MOU, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiations. Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred, shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designed by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licenses and authorizations accordingly.

12. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran agree that an executive mechanism will be established to monitor the successful implementation of this MOU and the future compliance of the final deal.

13. After signing this MOU, and subject to the beginning of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11 of the MOU, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.

14. The final deal will be endorsed by a binding UNSC resolution.

(Read more from “Complete 14-Point US-Iran Peace Deal Finally Revealed — Kicking off 60-day Clock to do the Hardest Work Yet” HERE)

Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged

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The Federal Reserve held its benchmark interest rate at 3.5 to 3.75 percent on Wednesday and, in Kevin Warsh’s first meeting as chairman, released a policy statement less than half the length of its predecessor, scrapping the forward-guidance language that had anchored Fed communication for more than a decade.

“It is shorter and simpler,” Warsh explained.

The decision was unanimous, 12 to 0. Powell’s final statement on April 29 drew four dissents: Miran wanted a quarter-point cut, while Hammack, Kashkari, and Logan backed the hold but objected to the easing bias the statement carried. Warsh’s statement carries no easing bias—no directional guidance of any kind—and the objections vanished with it.

The new statement runs three short paragraphs. It opens with the rate decision and a pledge to maintain ample reserves, then describes the economy, then addresses inflation. The April statement had buried the rate decision beneath two paragraphs of economic assessment.

Here is the statement in full:

The Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 percent, in support of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. The Committee reaffirmed its policy of maintaining ample reserves in the banking system.

Economic activity is expanding at a solid pace despite elevated uncertainty that owes, in part, to the conflict in the Middle East. Productivity growth and capital investment are strong. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little.

Inflation remains elevated relative to the Committee’s 2 percent goal, in part reflecting supply shocks that have driven price increases in certain sectors, including energy. The Committee will deliver price stability.

(Read more from “Fed Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged” HERE)

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Gay Group Has A Problem With Your AI: It’s Not Gay Enough

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A new report by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation demands AI developers make their products gayer.

The Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) recommends that AI companies censor homophobic speech without removing gay expression. It also takes issue with chatbots relaying information GLAAD considers homophobic.

“Neutrality is no longer an option,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in an attached statement.

The GLAAD report quotes other investigations alleging AI homophobia and stereotyping.

“An investigation by Wired similarly found that several foundation models, including OpenAI’s Sora, tended to portray LGBTQ people as white, young, and with purple hair,” GLAAD said. (Read more from “Gay Group Has A Problem With Your AI: It’s Not Gay Enough” HERE)

Senator Lashes Out at ‘Homophobe” Giants Players Who ‘Defaced’ Pride Night Caps with Bible Verses

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California’s radical gay state Senator Scott Wiener is lashing out at the three L.A. Giants players who refused to wear their team’s Gay Pride uniform caps last week, accusing the players of being “homophobes” and saying they “hijacked” the team’s Pride Night event. He also ripped “MAGA bigots” in his screed.

Weiner, who supports previously pushed state legislation to eliminate criminal penalties for adults caught sodomizing children, posted the attack on Tuesday on his X account against the players who wore Bible verses on their caps instead of Pride night messages.

“On San Francisco Giants Pride Night — also the tenth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre — several players defaced their Pride caps with a biblical passage that has been hijacked by homophobes to ‘take back’ the rainbow from LGBTQ people. The players could have displayed this passage any night of the year but chose to do it only on Pride Night,” Wiener railed.

The state senator then ripped the team for “doing nothing” about the players.

“The Giants, sadly, took no action in response, which is inconsistent with the Giants’ longstanding support for our LGBTQ community,” he exclaimed. “Major League Baseball then warned the players that MLB rules bar defacement of uniforms. The Giants should publicly commit to enforcing rules around uniform defacement and should not effectively create a homophobia exemption to those rules.”

(Read more from “Senator Lashes Out at ‘Homophobe” Giants Players Who ‘Defaced’ Pride Night Caps with Bible Verses” HERE)

Lawmakers Won’t Stop Singing Praises Of Fed’s Favorite Warrantless Spying Tool

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Lawmakers continued pushing Wednesday for the reauthorization of a warrantless spying tool that allows the government to spy on Americans’ data.

Senators appeared frustrated over President Donald Trump’s call to delay U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing to be the next director of national intelligence (DNI), repeatedly stating that Trump added more guardrails to getting Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) passed. Opponents of Section 702 have simply demanded that a warrant requirement be added in exchange for voting to pass it.

Section 702, which expired Friday, allows the government to collect and search American citizens’ data without a warrant if they were in contact with targeted noncitizens located outside of the U.S.

At a Tuesday Senate press gaggle, Senate Majority Leader John Thune called on Clayton to be swiftly confirmed so Section 702 could be reauthorized.

“I hope the [Democrats] will waive that for this and allow us to get this done, because I think that also unlocks the 702 process,” Thune said at the gaggle attended by the Daily Caller News Foundation. “As most of you know, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 702 program is the most successful tool when it comes to keeping people and this country safe, and we are currently lapsed. And that also is unprecedented. And we are lapsed because the Democrats blocked voting, blocked voted against a bipartisan deal that has bene worked out between members here in the Senate and the House, Democrats and Republicans, and so it is now currently not an authorized program. That needs to be changed, that needs to be fixed quickly.” (Read more from “Lawmakers Won’t Stop Singing Praises Of Fed’s Favorite Warrantless Spying Tool” HERE)