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.”

Republican state lawmaker wants Omar records after fraud arrest
State Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, chair of the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Oversight Committee, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that the arrest of Abdikerm Eidleh shows the importance that communications between Omar’s office and Eidleh to be made public. “He’s clearly a very important player in this, and we should understand what his communications were with Ilhan Omar’s office,” Robbins said.

Poland halts MiG transfer to Ukraine amid worsening Warsaw-Kyiv ties 
Poland will not send its remaining MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of a deal announced in January that was expected to bring 14 Soviet-made aircraft to Kyiv in exchange for drone technology for Warsaw. In an interview with Polish TV on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland will not transfer its remaining MiG fighter jets to Ukraine because Kyiv did not follow through on the cooperation agreement.

EPP wants to turn screws on migration 
“My opinion is that many staff of DG HOME seem content with the implementation of the migration pact, and this is not enough,” said Detlef Seif, an MP from the centre-right CDU party of Friedrich Merz.
This includes an “explicit right” for countries to reject asylum claims where migrants are being “instrumentalised” at the external borders. The EPP also reiterated its support for controversial return hubs, permitted under the EU’s new ‘returns’ regulation.

Rising anti-Hezbollah voices in Lebanon hope to break Iranian proxy’s power 
Voices of opposition to and outright disdain for Hezbollah in Lebanon have been amplified more than ever, with many politicians and activists publicly supporting the agreement with Israel as a last-ditch effort to save the country. The agreement signed last week between Beirut and Jerusalem has emboldened accusations against Hezbollah for dragging the beleaguered country into several devastating wars, including the latest one that ended last month.

US Ambassador Waltz accuses Iran of ‘global blackmail’ in heated UNSC exchange 
A sharp exchange unfolded at the United Nations on Thursday as U.S. Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz accused Iran of “global blackmail” during an emergency Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Iranian strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait, even as President Donald Trump has remained largely silent on the latest escalation. Speaking before the UNSC, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani urged members to “refrain from convening a meeting that risks undermining ongoing [MOU] efforts.” Waltz responded with a blunt rebuke. “Let me remind you where you are,” he said. “This is not Tehran. This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations Security Council. You will not silence this body.”

Israel365 to Convene Middle East Summit in Jerusalem as Region Enters a New Era
Elie Mischel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, and leading political analyst Amit Segal are among the prominent figures expected to take part in the second Middle East Summit, which Israel365 will host in Jerusalem on July 9 — a high-profile gathering convened as Israel, having remade itself over nearly three years of war into a regional superpower, now stands at the center of events reshaping the entire Middle East.

The FBI is directing hundreds of analysts to its probe of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election
The FBI has asked its field offices across the country to dedicate more than 200 staffers to its investigation of the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County. A memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press calls for the FBI to “surge” 260 investigative analysts and staff operations specialists to the effort, which it described as a “priority investigation.”

Greek Jewish groups liken anti-Zionist patrols to Nazi stormtroopers
Greek Jewish organizations, backed by major international Jewish groups, sharply condemned the far-left anarchist group Rouvikonas after it organized what it called “anti-Zionist patrols” through the streets of Thessaloniki, saying the radical groups are intimidating Jews and Israelis and are similar to Nazi-era assault squads.

On his way out, UNRWA chief faces calls for criminal probe into Hamas infiltration
UN Watch, a prominent watchdog organization critical of the United Nations, has called on Secretary-General António Guterres to waive the legal immunity of outgoing UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, arguing that the longtime UN official should face criminal investigation over allegations that he enabled an agency increasingly infiltrated by Hamas.

Netanyahu best suited as next prime minister, likely to form new gov, new poll suggests
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “best suited” to serve as prime minister, according to a poll released on Thursday. The survey found that 53.3% of respondents said that Netanyahu is most fit for the role, more than twice as suitable as his closest challenger Gadi Eisenkot at 26.5%.

Israel mocks Tehran as funeral for Khamenei begins
While international delegations and local leaders assembled in the Iranian capital to honor the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Israel’s official Persian-language social media presence openly derided the proceedings. The online mocking coincided with a major gathering on Friday inside Tehran, where dignitaries viewed the coffin of Khamenei. The late leader was eliminated on February 28 during a coordinated military strike executed by the United States and Israel. The State of Israel’s official Persian-language account on X posted an inquiry targeting the state funeral, writing, “Seriously, what did they put in that coffin?” Hours later, the same account published another message targeting the crowd size: “Many people come too – not to mourn, but to make sure he’s really dead.”

October 7 trials: How Israel is preparing for the largest terror prosecution in its history
There has not yet been a full accounting for the events of that day in a criminal courtroom, but a special law has been enacted, over NIS 1 billion approved, and work has begun at Atarot in northern Jerusalem, where a dedicated military tribunal is slated to be built. Construction is only one part of a project in which the harder work is this: Prosecuting hundreds of defendants for crimes across dozens of locations. This will need to be done while using a vast and developing record of evidence, a potentially enormous witness pool, classified materials, security arrangements, and a legal framework with few domestic parallels.

‘Male And Female’: It Took The Highest Court In The Land 45 Pages To Explain What Jesus Said In One Sentence
In Matthew 19, the Pharisees, always trying to trap Jesus, cornered Him on the subject of marriage and sexuality. He replied, “Have you never read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” This week, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its majority opinion on women’s sports and the definition of sex, spent 45 pages explaining that “females and males have inherent physical differences relevant to athletic performance.” What Jesus said in one sentence took the highest court in the land 45 pages to explain. But there is a reason.

Israel’s Armenian Genocide Recognition Sparks Turkish Anger Ahead Of NATO Summit
Turkey has condemned Israel for recognizing the Armenian Genocide, the systematic killing of some 1.5 million Armenian Christians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I, ahead of hosting next week’s NATO summit. The dispute comes as Turkey faces renewed scrutiny over its human rights record and an ongoing crackdown on opposition politicians and independent media.

Tim Walz Pardons Illegal Immigrant Convicted of Sexually Assaulting 10-Year-Old Girl, DHS Blasts Decision
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other members of the state’s Board of Pardons approved clemency last month for a Laotian national whose criminal conviction previously placed him at risk of deportation, according to state records. The pardon was granted June 10 to Tou Lue Vang, 42, after a recommendation from the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission. The board, which includes Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, has final authority over clemency decisions. DHS didn’t hold back in its criticism of Walz and the state of Minnesota:

FBI Mole Wore Wire Inside Newsom’s Inner Circle: Lawyer
A mole working for the Biden FBI was secretly recording Gavin Newsom’s inner circle before the agency expanded its corruption probe into the California governor and his wife, according to a bombshell report by the NY Post. Democrat insider Alexis Podesta, a 45-year-old Sacramento consultant and Newsom appointee – no known relation to John Podesta – secretly taped conversations for the FBI as early as June 2024, while Joe Biden was still in the White House,

Justice Department Sues California Over Glock Ban, Handgun Roster
The Justice Department (DOJ) on July 1 sued California over its ban on “machinegun convertible pistols” and its “handgun roster.” The law bans the purchase of Glock pistols and guns with similar firing mechanisms, according to a DOJ press release. The handgun roster limits the handguns California citizens can legally buy. The DOJ claims both are unconstitutional. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation known as Assembly Bill 1127 in October 2025 to prohibit licensed firearms dealers from selling, transferring, or delivering “semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols.” The law went into effect on July 1, the same day that DOJ sued.

Venezuelan Earthquakes and the Hidden Cost of Socialism
It appears the massive destruction from these quakes may stem from decades of corrupt socialist rule, where private enterprise has been stifled and public graft in awarding building contracts has been the order of the day. Damage from the quakes is yet another reminder of the hidden costs of socialism, beyond the gulags and firing squads.

‘Kill your local Republican’: Commie WI DSA Transgender Democrat Activist Calls for ‘Trans Jihad’
A Wisconsin Transgender Democrat DSAer is urging leftists to “Kill Your Local Republican” and calling for the left to wage war. He calls it “Trans Jihad” and says Republicans and MAGA should have to live in fear of being killed. He’s a former staffer for another transgender DSAer running for office in the state.

‘Male And Female’: It Took Highest Court in the Land 45 Pages to Explain What Jesus Said in One Sentence
In Matthew 19, Jesus replied, “Have you never read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” This week, the U.S. Supreme Court, regarding women’s sports and sex definition, spent 45 pages explaining that “females and males have inherent physical differences relevant to athletic performance.”

Parasite Outbreak Hits 17 States, CDC Ignores Border Link
A tropical parasite causing weeks of diarrhea has sickened at least 145 people in 17 states & hospitalized 20. The CDC can’t find a common cause — but they & major outlets haven’t asked the obvious question about how open borders & unvetted agricultural supply chains fuel the spread. Michigan is hardest hit at over 300 cases.

U.S. Must Prepare for War with Russia, Says Intel-linked Globalist.
News has focused on the Middle East, but the war in Ukraine has intensified, & spillover potential has increased. Evidence suggests globalists are fomenting escalation. Writers for Council on Foreign Relations say the US should prepare to join Europe in eventual war against Russia. A Russia spokesperson said the conflict is heading toward world war.

Mamdani Delivers Anti-America Speech for The Nation’s 250th Birthday
The New York City mayor sat at a desk to commemorate America’s semiquincentennial, and the socialist wasted little time turning the occasion into an anti-America lecture. He told his audience they each hold “the power to determine what America means,” then spent the rest of the speech explaining what it means to him, and it was mostly bad.

Mamdani the Fraud: New York Cuts Power During Heat Wave to Bronx Jewish Neighborhood
As New York baked under another summer heat wave, parts of the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx, home to a large Jewish community, lost power after Con Edison shut off electricity to protect its equipment.

Islamized Dearborn, Michigan: We Have Completely Surrendered a City in America
West Warren Avenue now hosts massive Shia Ashura processions – crowds dressed in black, Arabic banners, tents, food stalls, and vehicles flying Islamic flags while traffic stops. This is the same corridor where crowds have openly chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

Islam Conquers Woodbridge, Virginia: Building Its Barracks for Sharia
Another show of force in the Old Dominion. Shia Muslims marched through the streets of Woodbridge in a full Ashura Juloos on June 29th, flags flying, chants echoing, the ritual unfolding on public roads. They started and ended at the construction site of their new mosque and Imambargh complex on Prince William Parkway.

Islamization of Red-State Georgia: Shia Group Building Permanent Enclave in Lilburn While Republicans Stay Silent
A Shia organization in Lilburn, Georgia wants a much larger religious center described as a “new permanent home” for their growing community and mourning rituals. They say donations will give spiritual rewards. At a mosque there, adults and children rhythmically beat themselves in mourning for a 7th-century battle in Karbala.

Islamization of America’s Courts: California Put a Man Who Sued for Sharia Finance on Superior Court Bench While CAIR Celebrates
In 2024, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad stood in an American mosque and laid out the plan in plain English for the Muslim community’s long-term takeover of American institutions. It was not a religious sermon. It was a strategic roadmap for institutional capture – and it specifically targeted the legal system and the judiciary.

Texas Rep. Keith Self Declares Sharia ‘Stands in Irreconcilable Conflict with Western Civilization’
Rep. Self is a West Point graduate, retired Army Lt. Colonel, Special Forces/Ranger, former Collin County Judge, and now one of the bravest voices in Congress. A man who has never stopped serving – from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the front lines defending our Constitution here at home.