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Harris Courts Socialist NYC Mayor Mamdani Ahead of Possible 2028 Run
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed a recent phone call with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The two discussed the future of the Democrat Party and have stayed in touch over recent months. Harris reached out shortly after Mamdani-backed progressive candidates won key primary races in New York. She has also met with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and engaged with pro-Palestinian activists from the Uncommitted Movement. These steps come as Harris considers another presidential bid following her 2024 loss to President Donald Trump. Mamdani described the outreach positively and noted appreciation for Harrisâs engagement with progressive voices.
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DOJ Launches Crackdown on Birth Tourism Schemes
The Department of Justice directed federal prosecutors nationwide to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of birth tourism schemes. This move came hours after the Supreme Court struck down President Trumpâs executive order on birthright citizenship. Officials plan to pursue charges such as visa fraud, money laundering, identity theft, and wire fraud against foreign nationals who enter the United States under false pretenses on tourist visas to give birth and secure automatic citizenship for their children. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald issued a memo emphasizing coordination with the Department of Homeland Security. The department aims to protect the integrity of U.S. citizenship by targeting operators who exploit immigration laws, describing the practice as a national security concern in some cases.
House Democrats File Impeachment Resolution Against Education Secretary Linda McMahon
House Democrats led by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon introduced articles of impeachment against Education Secretary Linda McMahon on June 25, 2026. The resolution accuses her of unlawfully transferring multiple offices and programs from the Department of Education to other federal agencies, including the Department of Justice for civil rights duties and the Department of Health and Human Services for special education responsibilities. Democrats claim these actions violate congressional authority since only Congress can dismantle the department created by statute and that McMahon made false statements to lawmakers about the moves. The effort has 16 Democratic cosponsors but faces long odds in the Republican-controlled House. McMahon responded that the impeachment push shows Democrats prioritize bureaucracy over fixing chronic failures such as low test scores and wasteful spending exceeding three trillion dollars since 1980 while only one third of children read proficiently. The transfers are part of broader Trump administration steps to reduce federal oversight and shift control toward states and more effective agencies.
Trump Announces First Ever Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas
President Donald Trump announced on June 30, 2026, that the Republican National Committee will hold the partyâs first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on September 9 and 10. Trump described the event as a historic first for the GOP, calling Dallas one of his favorite places and promising a rally like none other featuring hardworking Americans, innovators, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, first responders, and job creators. The gathering aims to celebrate the America First agendaâs successes, including tax relief measures, border security improvements, safer communities, energy dominance, and broader economic gains, while building momentum ahead of the November midterm elections where Republicans seek to maintain control of Congress. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters called it a Trumpapalooza that will highlight the presidentâs accomplishments and unite the party. Democrats have opted not to hold a similar event this cycle.
California Bans Sell-By Dates on Packaged Foods
California implemented a new law on July 1 that prohibits consumer-facing sell-by dates on most packaged foods manufactured on or after that date. The measure under Assembly Bill 660 standardizes labels to just two phrases. Best if Used By indicates peak quality and flavor. Use By signals a food safety deadline. State officials aim to reduce consumer confusion that leads to edible food being discarded prematurely. The law allows shortened versions like BB and UB on smaller packages. It exempts items such as eggs and infant formula. Retailers may still use coded sell-by dates internally for stock rotation. Manufacturers and stores must comply or face restrictions on selling non-compliant products in the state.
FOX Los Angeles, The Daily Mail
John Brennan Sues Trump Administration to Lock Down Investigation Records
Former CIA Director John Brennan filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on July 1, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He seeks a court order requiring officials to preserve all documents and communications related to ongoing Justice Department investigations into his role in the Russia probe during the first Trump term. Brennan claims the probes target him for alleged grand conspiracy and false statements to Congress, and he wants the records available to defend against any potential charges on grounds of vindictive prosecution. The suit names President Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others. Brennanâs lawyers cite concerns over the governmentâs record preservation practices and reference Trumpâs past criticisms of Brennan. No criminal charges have been filed yet against him.
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Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros Ousts 15-Term Incumbent Diana DeGette in Colorado Primary
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Coloradoâs 1st Congressional District on June 30, 2026. Kiros a 29-year-old lawyer PhD student and first-time candidate secured approximately 49 percent of the vote to DeGetteâs 43 percent with most ballots counted. Kiros, who immigrated from Ethiopia as a baby, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders and left-wing groups including Justice Democrats. DeGette a longtime progressive who had held the Denver-based seat since 1997 faced criticism from the left despite her own record on issues like Medicare for All. The outcome reflects continued progressive challenges to Democrat incumbents in safe blue districts.
DSA Leaders Embrace Communist Caucuses in Party Leadership
Leaders within the Democratic Socialists of America hold significant influence on the groupâs National Political Committee through membership in internal caucuses that openly advocate Marxist and communist principles. The Red Star caucus, which counts multiple NPC members including co-chair Megan Romer among its ranks, states its goal as abolishing capitalism to achieve communism and building toward a revolutionary situation modeled on historical precedents like the Bolshevik Revolution. The Marxist Unity Group also has several representatives on the NPC and promotes orthodox Marxist ideas aimed at overthrowing the existing order. Other caucuses such as Bread & Roses emphasize forced redistribution and expropriation, while a Libertarian Socialist member has publicly declared the DSAâs aim as communism. These alignments have drawn attention amid recent primary successes by DSA-backed candidates, highlighting the ideological makeup of the organizationâs governing body.
Upstate New York Activist Leader Charged With Funding Palestinian Terror Group
A 37-year-old woman from Irondequoit, New York, named Catherine Beth Washburn was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Palestine Islamic Jihad, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Federal authorities say she sent roughly $30,000 in cryptocurrency through about 80 transfers to an individual who identified as an active PIJ fighter involved in attacks against Israel. Washburn leads the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation, a group formed after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that favors direct action over peaceful protest. Recovered messages show her stating she wished every day were October 7, that she would fight alongside the resistance if in Gaza, that she hated Jews very much, and that she wanted Israel to disappear. She also posed with hand grenades in front of a Hamas flag. The FBIâs Joint Terrorism Task Force executed search warrants and recovered the evidence. Washburn faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
Texas Antifa Members Receive Additional Prison Time for ICE Facility Attack
Judges in Texas sentenced more defendants connected to the July 4, 2025, attack on the Prairieland ICE detention center in Alvarado on July 1, 2026. Rebecca Morgan and Joy Abigail Gibson, who pleaded guilty but did not cooperate, each received 15-year sentences. Seth Edison Sikes, Lynette Read Sharp, Nathan Josiah Baumann, and John Phillip Thomas cooperated with authorities and received reduced terms ranging from about 22 months to just over nine years. Ines Houston Soto went to trial, was convicted, and received a 50-year sentence. The incident involved members of a North Texas Antifa cell who arrived armed, used fireworks to draw out officers, vandalized property, and shot at law enforcement, seriously wounding an Alvarado police officer. This follows earlier lengthy sentences for other participants in the case, which marked the first use of terrorism charges against an Antifa cell.
Vanderbilt Report Exposes Liberal Bias Undermining Humanities Scholarship
A Vanderbilt University report released in early June found that much contemporary scholarship in fields such as history, philosophy, anthropology, music, sociology, and literature has shifted away from disinterested inquiry toward advancing social justice priorities centered on race and gender identity agendas. Commissioned by Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Andrew Martin, the analysis by a panel of scholars concluded that political commitments often pressure researchers to reach predetermined outcomes or suppress findings that conflict with progressive views, such as on biological sex differences. The report linked this trend to declining public trust in higher education, falling humanities enrollments, and graduates entering underemployment. It drew sharp criticism from academics who called the findings overly broad or politically motivated, sparking rebuttals and debate across campuses.
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Iranian Clerics Demand Assassinations of Trump and Netanyahu
Iranâs Assembly of Experts, a powerful body of senior clerics responsible for overseeing the supreme leader, issued a 10-point statement calling for the assassinations of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The group declared the killings a religious duty to avenge the death of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, assassinated earlier in the year during joint U.S.-Israeli operations. Clerics labeled the leaders as deserving of death and stated that any duty-bound person who gains access to them must carry out the act under any circumstances. They also urged regime supporters to protest in the streets and warned that ongoing cease-fire talks with the U.S. serve only as a delay tactic ahead of potential renewed attacks.
Trump Briefed On Full Scale War Options With Iran But Continues Diplomatic Push
President Trump received briefings from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine on options that included resuming all-out military strikes against Iran. Trump has chosen for now to pursue diplomacy instead, believing further attacks could derail negotiations over Iranâs nuclear program and regional stability. Vice President JD Vance warned that the US has options if Iran rebuilds its nuclear capabilities, threatens neighbors, or supports terrorism, while noting recent US actions set back Iranâs program by decades and secured temporary safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Indirect talks continue in Doha, Qatar, involving US envoys and mediators, amid Iranian resistance to direct meetings and disputes over issues like frozen assets and maritime tolls.
Kurdish Clashes Hit Iranian Security Forces in Western Regions
Iranâs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps faced multiple armed attacks in the countryâs Kurdish-majority western and northwestern provinces in late June 2026. Security personnel died in incidents including a claimed assault in Paveh where two IRGC members were killed and two wounded, along with clashes in areas such as Baneh, Marivan, and Mahabad. Kurdish opposition groups including PJAKâs armed wing YRK reported their own casualties while describing some actions as responses to Iranian operations. A newer group called Xore Heva or Sun of Hope took responsibility for one attack, citing retaliation for past protest crackdowns. These events occur as the regime pursues talks with the United States, prompting Kurdish voices to warn that any agreement could bolster Tehranâs repressive apparatus against borderland minorities who have long sought greater rights and autonomy.
US Declines to Renew USMCA Trade Pact With Canada and Mexico
The United States has decided not to renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its current form. Senior administration officials confirmed the move on July 1 during a virtual meeting with their counterparts. The pact covers roughly two trillion dollars in annual trade among the three nations. Under the agreementâs terms, this triggers annual reviews over the next decade while current provisions remain in effect until potential expiration in 2036 unless a new deal is reached. Officials cited persistent trade deficits and insufficient market access opportunities as key reasons for rejecting an extension without changes. The administration plans to pursue negotiations for improvements aimed at better serving American interests.
Syriaâs Sharaa Completes Post-Assad Parliament with Appointed Lawmakers
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa appointed 70 lawmakers on July 1, 2026, to complete the formation of the countryâs 210-member transitional Peopleâs Assembly. Two-thirds of the seats came from selections by regional electoral colleges last year, while Sharaaâs appointees included 15 women, increasing female representation to 21 or 22 total. The parliament, operating under a presidential system with limited powers, will hold its first session on July 6. This step follows the ousting of Bashar Assad in 2024 and tests Sharaaâs pledges of inclusivity after years of conflict that displaced millions and complicated full elections. Critics note the process concentrates influence in the presidency, with some areas like Sweida delayed and questions remaining about minority representation beyond the 10 seats from last yearâs selections.
