Posts on Saturday, June 20, 2026

As he prepared to sign his “memorandum of understanding” with the Islamic dictatorship of Iran, President Trump again insisted that his deal was much different than that of his predecessor, President Barack Obama. He’s right — it’s probably worse. Obama’s treaty did not prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, it simply punted the issue down the road in exchange for cash. Trump’s agreement has the same vague promises, the same payouts, but with the added twist that Iran can and will take the world hostage by shutting the Strait of Hormuz at will. On Friday, just days after the signing of the MOU, Iran moved to close the Strait,

Two political dynasties flamed out in Maine’s ranked-choice gubernatorial primaries earlier this month. Republican Jonathan Bush, the nephew of former President George H. W. Bush and a cousin of former President George W. Bush, was eliminated from contention following the sixth round of tabulation. On the Democratic side, Angus King III, the son of Sen. Angus King (D-Maine), was eliminated following the first round. Democrat Hannah Pingree — the former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and the daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) — and Republican Bobby Charles will compete this fall to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, the Maine Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Friday.

The Trump White House is lashing out at some of its most reliable allies as a bitter civil war erupts on the right over the administration’s controversial Iran agreement. Conservative commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon became the latest target Friday after she blasted the deal as an “utter humiliation” for the US and accused Vice President JD Vance of unfairly attacking Israel while defending Tehran. Within hours the official White House rapid-response account on X unloaded on the conservative pundit in a pair of scathing posts. “The only humiliation here is Batya desperately begging for an additional brain cell because her failing TV show—

A former hospital executive siphoned at least $14 million from a health system and used company money to bankroll a lavish lifestyle that included a $109,000 Beverly Hills baptism celebration for his son, according to a bombshell lawsuit. Michael Sarian, the ousted founder and former CEO of Healthcare Systems of America, was accused of diverting millions of dollars from hospitals in Florida and other states into personal accounts, family trusts and other unauthorized uses while the facilities struggled to pay bills and maintain operations. The lawsuit, which was first reported by the Miami Herald, alleges Sarian treated company accounts as his personal piggy bank,

Virginia’s Democrat Governor Abigail Spanberger has chosen and LGBT activist who has fought against protections for girls’ bathrooms to sit on a state board that directly influences related policies. During the election, Spanberger regularly dodged questions on this issue when asked by reporters. No we know why. Her decision to appoint this person to this role just shows that Democrats have not changed at all. They are not budging on this issue and will go right back to where they were before the 2024 election the instant they retake power.

You know the sensation - the annoying feeling of continually having to swat away swarms of gnats that insist on circling your summer BBQ fixin's. It serves as an especially apt metaphor for Democrats and anti-ICE leftists (but I repeat myself) ahead of Father's Day cookouts this weekend. Things have been heating up at Newark, New Jersey's Delaney Hall detention facility in clashes between ICE agents and the protesters. RedState's Nick Arama wrote about violent disturbances that stretched across two nights in late May:

Republicans are largely skeptical that President Trump’s deal with Iran will deliver a geopolitical win, but they are bullish about its impact on the midterms, with gas prices already dropping. One national Republican operative described feeling “relief” after the agreement, pointing to positive reactions from markets. Oil prices have fallen to their lowest point since the war began at the end of February following the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran this week. Brent Crude, the international oil benchmark, sat at $79.53 per barrel on Thursday, while West Texas Industrial, the U.S. benchmark, was at $76.55.

The cackhanded pursuit of Net Zero by Ed Miliband and his predecessors has left Britain having to pay France and other countries to take excess power off our hands for a significant portion of the year. The Telegraph has more. It’s the Ed Miliband paradox: why does Britain have among the highest power prices in Europe when we have so much electricity that suppliers have to pay customers to use it? It was a question repeated across the energy industry last week after power prices briefly turned negative, meaning customers and countries abroad were paid to use surplus electricity generated in Britain rather than having to pay for it.

Thursday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, announcing a six-month review of American force posture and funding relating to NATO as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to build “NATO 3.0.” In 2026, the U.S. is forced by geopolitical necessity to prioritize deterring China, a monumental effort that will require a shift in resources and a change in force posture, with the U.S. moving forces and funding into the Pacific.

The chief medical examiner for New York City reportedly determined the death of Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) executive Kendal Ascher was related to a cosmetic procedure. His death was due to acute respiratory failure because of pulmonary embolism linked to foreign material following cosmetic filler injections, the New York Post reported, citing the city medical examiner’s statement Tuesday. (snip) His husband, William Howe, attempted to assist, but Ascher tragically died in his arms.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as a leader and a candidate forged his reputation disapproving of Donald J. Trump, but his own approval rating in his state has now dipped below that of the president whom he has consistently targeted. The former vice presidential candidate continues to lose support over revelations of the massive fraud scandal that was underway during his watch, Fox News Digital reported.