Catastrophic typhoon hits Pacific island of Rota
A typhoon – with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane, the highest on the scale – has moved into the Pacific island of Rota. The US National Weather Service, NWS, warns of “catastrophic damage and (a) life-threatening situation.” Typhoon Bavi has had wind gusts of up to 97 meters per second. (217 mph)

My Response to Media Smear of Ark Encounter’s 10-Year Anniversary
In just a few days, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ark Encounter. … It’s going to be a great event. So how did local media report on the 10th anniversary of the largest tourist attraction in Northern Kentucky? Well, the Cincinnati Enquirer has in recent times been hostile toward our ministry and has repeatedly “reported” on anything to do with us in an extremely biased way. Take the headline they chose for their story on our anniversary: “Why Astronauts Are Coming to Celebrate ‘Anti-Science’ Ark Encounter.” (What a headline!)

Rand Paul: Anthony Fauci’s Pardon ‘Has to Be Challenged’
During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) argued that former Biden health adviser Anthony Fauci’s pardon had to be challenged given recent revelations showing his involvement in so-called gain-of-function research that may have led to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kentucky Republican also questioned whether former President Joe Biden was aware of the details of Fauci’s circumstances.

Trump demands loyalty from NATO allies ahead of summit, threatens to quit alliance again
For Secretary General Mark Rutte, there is no shortage of challenges ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. After demanding higher defense budgets from other member states, US President Donald Trump is now demanding “loyalty” from his allies – or he is once again threatening to leave the alliance. Trump has long criticized European NATO countries for not spending enough on their own defense, an issue that was largely resolved at last year’s summit in the Netherlands, when members agreed to increase their defense budgets. NATO countries were shaken when Trump threatened to take over Greenland from Denmark.

Mojtaba Khamenei missing from Iran’s Supreme Leader funeral ceremony
Three sons of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are attending the funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Sunday, but his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who has succeeded him, is not in attendance.

Some Lebanese Christian villages ‘asked to be annexed to Israel’, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel for protection from Hezbollah, a claim made as he reaffirmed that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe May Have Found the Missing Piece Behind the Sun’s Hottest Mystery
For decades, scientists have tried to understand why the Sun’s outer atmosphere reaches temperatures between one and three million degrees Celsius while the visible surface remains around 5,500 degrees Celsius. Traditional explanations have centered on interactions between electrons, ions, magnetic fields, and plasma waves, particularly kinetic Alfvén waves, … The new research proposes that another participant has been hiding in plain sight.

Man Vanishes After Mysterious Experiments With Quantum Physics
A 78-year-old man, whose friend told law enforcement had been working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory on quantum physics experiments related to the question of “matter existing in two places simultaneously,” has mysteriously gone missing. Countless netizens deployed their tinfoil hats after Anthony Chavez, a retired HVAC technician who was allegedly assisting a quantum physicist at the facility, was reported missing in May of last year, as NewsNation reports. According to law enforcement documentation obtained by Los Angeles Magazine, police had recovered his “car, wallet, cigarettes and handwritten journal at his home” after he vanished into thin air. Investigative journalist Lauren Conlin told NewsNation that Chavez “specifically” worked on quantum physics that investigated “being in two places at once.”…. intriguing elements surrounding the case. Chavez’s disappearance occurred just over a month before Los Alamos administrative assistant Melissa Casias was reported missing. Her remains were eventually found earlier this year in a New Mexico national forest with a handgun nearby.

‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
Japan is taking lessons on “new ways of warfare” gleaned from the Ukraine and Iran conflicts and making them its own, with the government considering making “new ways of defense” a key tenet of revisions to the country’s security policy. But it is also aiming to win public support for its military buildup in the ostensibly pacifist nation, a goal that is evident in the verbal gymnastics officials have performed as the term “new ways of defense” (atarashii mamorikata) — as opposed to “new ways of warfare” (atarashii tatakaikata) — becomes more prominent in briefings, speeches and official documents.

OPEC+ Approves Another Oil Output Increase As Hormuz Exports Start To Recover
OPEC+ agreed a further increase in output targets from August, the group said in a statement on Sunday, ‌adding to global supply at a time when oil prices are falling due to the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports. Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman adjust production and reaffirm commitment to market stability. The oil-producing cartel, which recently lost the UAE as a core member, agreed during an online meeting to increase quotas by 188,000 barrels per day from August, on top of similar increases for June and July.

Canadian Jewish groups organize relocation tours as antisemitism surges 
Jewish organizations in Canada are increasingly helping families explore emigration as antisemitic violence reaches record levels, with informational tours to destinations such as Panama and Oklahoma drawing growing interest from those who no longer feel secure in the country. Canada, home to the world’s fourth-largest Jewish community, has experienced a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years.

Israel faces constitutional crisis as gov’t rejects Supreme Court ruling
Netanyahu government unanimously votes to refuse to recognize the Supreme Court ruling on the state media regulator, setting up a constitutional crisis between the judiciary and executive branches. The proposal, brought by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, states that the government will not accept any decision, approval, appointment or action taken by the council if it does not meet the minimum membership threshold set out in statute.

IDF eliminates two Hamas commanders in Gaza
In two strikes in Gaza last week, the IDF eliminated the terrorist Muhammad Najib Ashour, a Nukhba platoon commander in Hamas’ military wing, and the terrorist Tamer Saeed Abu Nakhal, a cell commander in Hamas’ military wing. The two terrorists, who were involved in advancing attacks against IDF troops, posed a threat to the troops and were subsequently eliminated in precise strikes.

Khamenei seeks to purge infamous ‘Judge of Death’ to consolidate judicial power – report
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei plans to appoint a new chief justice of Iran, anti-regime London-based outlet Iran International reported last week. Sources told Iran International that the current Chief Justice, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, is expected to be replaced at the end of his first five-year term. The same sources said that the decision is not part of judicial reform per se, but rather part of a broader power restructuring following the recent war; the new supreme leader is seeking to align Iran’s various power centers more closely with his personal vision.

Is Destructive Socialism In America’s Future? Not If We Reclaim Our Past
Last week, headlines were filled with reports of socialist candidates gaining ground in major American cities. Fifty years ago, that would have been almost unimaginable. Today, however, socialism is becoming an increasingly influential force within the Democratic Party. Is this America’s future? Not if we reclaim our past. Crossing the threshold of the 250th anniversary of America, this is the perfect time to ask what made our country the freest and most prosperous nation in history.

Trump offers to help Putin find deal with Ukraine, also speaks with Zelenskiy
U.S. ​President Donald Trump, speaking to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by telephone for nearly 90 minutes, offered ‌to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments made public early on Sunday. Ushakov said Trump made the offer during the call on Saturday, U.S. Independence Day, in the context of his participation next week at ​the NATO summit in Turkey.

10 Very Strange Things That Occurred On the 4th of July This Year
I don’t think that it was a coincidence that so many unusual events took place on the exact day that we celebrated the 250th birthday of America. Perhaps you disagree with me, and that is okay. But I think that most of you will agree that this was certainly not a normal Independence Day.

111 Million U.S. Adults Do Not Have a Job, and America Spends More Than a Trillion Dollars Per Year on a Social Safety Net for Them
The number of Americans out of work right now is far higher than at any point during the Great Recession – 111 million Americans – and we’re spending over a trillion a year on the social safety net supporting them. We can’t afford to do this; the national debt has already reached 39 trillion dollars, and it is growing at an astounding rate.

Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong Running for Wisconsin Governor Pushed ‘Abolishing the Police’ and Schmoozes with Antisemitic Twitcher Hasan Piker
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong is a member of Democratic Socialists of America and believes in every deviant plank of the Democrats’ platform. She has aligned with antisemite Hasan Piker and is a true acolyte of the Red/Green Alliance.

Iran caught building underground nuclear facility while negotiating with US 
Continued activity at Iran’s underground Pickaxe Mountain complex is fueling new concerns over Tehran’s compliance with its nuclear agreement with the United States, with a Washington-based nuclear watchdog citing fresh satellite imagery and the continued absence of international inspections at the site.

Israel accuses Turkish FM of incitement to genocide
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Friday accused his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, of incitement to genocide after the latter described Israel as “a burden humanity can no longer bear.”

‘Military option still on the table’: Senior Israeli defense officials expected to travel to US
A series of senior Israeli officials are expected to travel to Washington in coming weeks for high-level meetings, as concerns grow over US-Iran negotiations. According to a source familiar with the matter, “the military option is still on the table,” underscoring that Israel continues to view military action against Iran as an option if diplomacy fails.

Pro-Hamas Muslim Migrant Says America Means Nothing Without Migrants
America “means nothing” unless it welcomes all migrants and their versions of justice, says a Fourth of July message from a Muslim migrant now facing deportation for pro-Hamas advocacy at Columbia University and for alleged migration fraud.

Why Negotiating with Terrorist Regimes Such as Hamas and Iran Is a Terrible Idea
Terrorist organizations don’t usually disarm through diplomacy and don’t abandon power because mediators ask politely. They relinquish power only when no longer capable of exercising it. Instead of legitimizing terrorist groups that openly seek Israel’s and US’s destruction, the US should insist on full implementation of its own peace plans.

Dem-witted former Sen. Warren Staffer Attends Ayatollah’s Funeral, Calls Him “Greatest Leader of Our Lifetime”
A former Democratic Party operative who worked on campaigns linked to prominent unhinged left-wing politicians such as Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, and others is a case study in how far-left radicalization can influence those on the left, spiraling dangerously and leading to open championing of leaders of foreign adversaries.

US looks to soften Europe troop drawdown at NATO summit in Ankara 
As questions about the future of the NATO alliance swirl ahead of a key summit in Ankara next week, Washington is expected to use the event to present a series of initiatives to soften the political impact of a reduced US footprint in Europe, Euractiv learned. The United States recently followed through on plans to review its troop presence in Europe, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth advocating for what he has described as NATO 3.0. However, leading US defence contractors are expected to jointly announce a range of defence projects in Turkey on Tuesday, to be carried out in Europe in collaboration with the US government.

“No longer a peaceful rear”: Ukraine reports 1,150% increase in deep strikes as drones continue hitting Russia’s war machine far from the front lines
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS) said they have increased successful strikes deep inside Russian-held territory by 1,150% since the beginning of 2026, as Kyiv continues expanding its long-range drone campaign against Russia’s military and industrial infrastructure. According to the force’s June operational summary, Ukrainian drone operators carried out 2,359 deep-strike missions targeting sites ‘It is a crisis’: 500-2,000 kilometers behind the front line,

Putin under increasing pressure from Ukraine war
Russian President Vladimir Putin is coming under rare public criticism at home, a significant signal of how the pressures from the more than four-year war in Ukraine are hurting the country. Fuel shortages and rising inflation, high-profile attacks against Russian energy infrastructure and cities, and mounting military casualties are prompting prominent figures to start pinning the blame on Putin. “It is a crisis,” said Vladimir Milov, a Russian economist in exile who served as deputy minister of energy in 2002. “What we are seeing right now is an extreme acceleration of public admissions that we are in trouble.”

Russia Has Now Lost More Troops in Ukraine Than in Every War Since World War II Combined, New Analysis Finds
By any historical measure, the human cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered unprecedented territory. Now, a new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that Russia has suffered roughly 1.4 million battlefield casualties, including as many as 450,000 deaths, since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022. If accurate, those losses not only dwarf those sustained by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and Russia’s wars in Chechnya—they exceed the combined military fatalities Russia and the Soviet Union suffered in every conflict since the end of the Second World War.

Kremlin says Putin spoke with Trump by phone about Ukraine ahead of NATO summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, the Kremlin said. They reportedly discussed the situation in Ukraine ahead of an upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. “The presidents, of course, discussed the issue of an agreement in Ukraine,” Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The conversation lasted 85 minutes, and they also talked about Iran and the Middle East, according to Ushakov.

Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 2,954, with thousands still missing
The death toll from the earthquakes in Venezuela at the end of June has risen to 2,954, according to official figures released on Saturday, … In addition, around 16,000 people are now reported to be registered as injured, up from around 12,600 on Friday. The devastation is extensive after the two earthquakes on June 24, and thousands of people are still missing.

Michael Dell celebrates America’s 250th birthday with gift to seed the American Dream for millions of kids
In an Independence Day announcement, tech billionaire Michael Dell and his wife Susan unveiled a “public-private partnership” aimed at giving millions of young Americans a direct financial stake in the nation’s economy. The Dell Technologies CEO took to X on Saturday to announce they are giving $250 each to the first 25 million qualifying American children who sign up for “Trump Accounts.” “This makes every child a shareholder in the greatest prosperity-creating engine the world has ever known — American capitalism,” Dell wrote in an X post.

Trump extols America and rails at communism in U.S. 250th celebration
U.S. President Donald Trump called on Americans to protect the freedoms the nation’s founders envisioned 250 years ago against what he has portrayed as the “communist” threat posed by progressive Democrats, speaking on the eve of Independence Day at Mount Rushmore. “We stand beneath ​the monument of these heroes, a true group of unbelievable people, and we rededicate ourselves ‌to being ‌a nation as big, bold, noble, and as great as these American giants, ​and that’s not easy to do, but we’re going to do it,” Trump said at the granite mountain in South Dakota where the heads of four American presidents are carved. “There is now ⁠a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed ⁠to our way of life and our great success,” he said. “We’re not going to let this happen.”

First $1 Billion, Now $50 Million: Khanna Says Wealth Tax “Must Not Stop At Billionaires”
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) “The tax should not stop at billionaires, it must reach centimillionaires,” Khanna writes, before spelling out exactly what that means: every fortune of $50 million and up, hit with a 2% federal levy on wealth above that line – every year, forever, on top of everything else you already pay. The vehicle is Elizabeth Warren’s Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, which Khanna notes he has cosponsored every single year it’s been introduced. And before anyone reaches for the estate planner: Khanna wants the levy to pierce irrevocable trusts,

Houthis Say Forces ‘Repelled’ Saudi Warplanes From Threatening Iranian Civilian Airliner
Yemen’s Houthis announced Friday that they had “repelled” an attempt by Saudi warplanes to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa airport. Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that Saudi warplanes violating Yemeni airspace were targeted with several air-defense missiles, forcing them to withdraw. “We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against repeating any attempt to violate our airspace or any aggression targeting our country. Such actions will be met with a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea,”

RFK Jr rejects Israel ‘genocide’ claims in one of his most forceful defenses of Jewish state 
For years, despite being a key part of the Trump Administration, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has occupied a political space that often overlaps with progressives who have become increasingly critical of Israel. But this week, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services delivered one of the strongest public defenses of the Jewish state by any member of the Trump administration, forcefully rejecting accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Appearing on Fox News, Kennedy didn’t hedge his words. “If Israel wanted to commit a genocide against Palestinians, they could do it in a minute,” Kennedy said. “It’s doing the opposite.” He’s absolutely right. Truthfully, if Israel’s goal was a genocide, they’re doing a horrible job at it.

Iran caught building underground nuclear facility while negotiating with US
The project could provide Tehran with a fallback option should diplomatic efforts collapse.
Continued activity at Iran’s underground Pickaxe Mountain complex is fueling new concerns over Tehran’s compliance with its nuclear agreement with the United States, with a Washington-based nuclear watchdog citing fresh satellite imagery and the continued absence of international inspections at the site. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has never been permitted to inspect the facility, which is buried deep within Iran’s Zagros Mountains.

Satellite photos show scope of damage to Iran
Roughly 250,000 high-resolution satellite images released by Planet Labs offer a detailed look at the damage inflicted on Iranian military infrastructure following Israeli and U.S. strikes, revealing destruction across nearly 800 military sites. According to the analysis, the strikes hit a wide range of military assets, including ballistic missile storage facilities, ammunition depots, naval bases, ground-to-ground missile sites, and other strategic infrastructure. Many locations in Bushehr – including facilities operated by the Iranian government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – appear to have been destroyed or heavily damaged. …

IDF Paratroopers Brigade conducts heavy equipment drill with transport aircraft into combat zone
Soldiers from the IDF Paratroopers Brigade’s 202nd Battalion carried out a drill this week in which the battalion, together with its equipment, was transported on Karnaf and Shimshon transport aircraft to a combat zone. Since the beginning of the war two and a half years ago, the Paratroopers Brigade had not practiced landing a paratrooper force with its heavy equipment in a combat zone using transport aircraft.

Can We Still Ask God To Bless America When So Much Of The Culture Is In Open Opposition To Him?
When I was growing up, my church had a huge Fourth of July celebration. The church service featured hymns like “God Bless America,” honoring service members, and a sermon about how our founders created a nation like no other based on their belief in God. I felt truly blessed to be in a nation where we were free, unlike so many others. But today, it’s easy to feel more ambivalent about such celebrations. Can we really ask God to bless America when so much of the culture is in open opposition to the Bible? Can we sing “God Bless America” mere days after the end of “Pride Month”?

Texas Town of 35,000 Gets 5-Acre Mosque for 1,000 Worshippers Linked to Network Pushing Islamic Infiltration of America
A small Islamic congregation in suburban Texas is building a permanent 5-acre mosque complex for 1,000 worshippers in a town of just 35,000, driven by Islamic end-times theology and tied to networks that openly promote Muslim infiltration of American institutions to advance Sharia influence.

First the Invitation, Then Slaughter: The Truth About Dawah America Is Refusing to Face
While Americans celebrated their independence this holiday weekend, Muslims were openly conducting dawah in the heart of Chicago — the Islamic invitation to submit that, according to their own doctrine, must come before jihad and subjugation.

Syrian FM: Damascus open to meet Hezbollah after Trump said it should fight group
Asaad al-Shaibani met Lebanese gov’t leaders, including President Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. It was Shaibani’s first visit there since President Trump last month raised the possibility of Syrian forces combating Hezbollah in Lebanon.

125 ill in Princess cruise ship norovirus outbreak.
The Ruby Princess was on a 20-day voyage along western North America when 102 passengers and 23 crew members on board reported gastrointestinal illness during the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.

Trump says Netanyahu ‘knows who the boss is,’ as leaders discuss possible White House visit
US President Trump said he has a good relationship with PM Netanyahu, but the Israeli leader knows who’s in charge. “We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is,” Trump told Axios on Saturday. The report comes as Trump and Netanyahu hinted at a possible meeting at the White House soon.

As America Marks Its 250th Anniversary, Debates Rage Over National Identity
Glubb’s pattern warns that internal moral and cultural erosion…precedes collapse more certainly than even external conquest…. As fireworks light the skies, we must ask if this banner anniversary will reaffirm a nation of people with a definable heritage, or accelerate…into borderless chaos. The fidelity to constitutional principles will decide.

Iran’s Regime: ‘No Choice but to Build the Nuclear Bomb’
Iran’s goal seems to be to outlast the current US administration and then openly march toward nuclear bombs. The focus must be on finishing the job: unrelenting pressure and denying the regime any tools that might threaten the world. Anything less perpetuates an Iran openly bent on destruction.

Israel Accuses Turkey of Incitement to Genocide After FM Describes Jewish State as a ‘Burden Humanity Can No Longer Bear’
Sa’ar described Fidan’s remarks as “sickening.” “Dehumanizing the Jewish people as an ‘unbearable burden’ is the classic, horrific language of history’s worst eliminationist regimes,” Sa’ar wrote on X. “The civilized world and Turkey’s NATO allies must unequivocally condemn this explicit call for the erasure of Israel,” he added.

Massachusetts principal apologizes to Arab students after lesson on Holocaust
CAMERA, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis, said in a press release, “It should be common sense that Holocaust education is not an affront to any student’s identity, and it is not something for which a school should apologize.”