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Maine Democrat Platner Stands By Mockery of Wounded Purple Heart Soldier
Democrat Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner declined to apologize for a 2019 Reddit post in which he mocked Purple Heart recipient Pfc. Ted Daniels. The post referred to helmet-cam footage of Daniels being shot four times by Taliban fighters in 2012 while acting as a diversion to protect his unit. Platner, under the username P-Hustle, wrote that the soldier was a âdumb motherf-----â who âdidnât deserve to liveâ and criticized his actions in combat. When confronted by a reporter outside a market near his home, Platner pointed to his own military service instead of expressing regret. He stated he completed four tours in the infantry and called any suggestion that he disrespects veterans slanderous.
đď¸ Politics & Government
Congressional Black Caucus Rejects Black Republican Lawmakersâ Applications
The Congressional Black Caucus denied membership applications from four black Republican representatives, including Burgess Owens of Utah, Wesley Hunt of Texas, Byron Donalds of Florida, and John James of Michigan. These lawmakers had sought inclusion in the group that often claims to represent black voices in Congress. Owens and Donalds had previously worked to rename the House press gallery after Frederick Douglass, a noted Republican abolitionist, but faced resistance from caucus members who declined to co-sponsor the measure. Owens highlighted the caucusâs opposition to policies like school choice that he believes would benefit black communities. The representatives argued that the caucus prioritizes party loyalty over racial solidarity. The Congressional Black Caucus did not provide a comment on the denials.
Trump Frames Iran Agreement as Sharp Reversal from Obama Nuclear Path
President Donald Trump stated on May 24, 2026, that ongoing negotiations with Iran for a peace agreement to end the recent conflict are proceeding in an orderly manner. He directed negotiators not to rush the process while maintaining a naval blockade until terms are finalized. Trump described the emerging deal as the exact opposite of the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement, which he said paved the way for Iranian nuclear development. The current framework centers on Iran relinquishing its highly enriched uranium stockpile, forgoing nuclear weapons, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to restore global energy flows. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that any final pact must eliminate Iranâs nuclear threat through dismantling enrichment sites and removing nuclear material. U.S. officials indicated Iran has agreed in principle to these steps in exchange for sanctions relief and blockade lifting.
Kansas Attorney General Announces Push to Prosecute Noncitizen Voters Using Federal Data
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach stated that his office has already prosecuted three noncitizens for casting ballots in state elections. One case involved a former mayor who pleaded guilty. Kobach expects a significant number of additional prosecutions. The cases rely on data from the Department of Homeland Securityâs SAVE program. This program allows states to cross-check voter rolls against records of noncitizens. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab referred potential cases after using this data. Kobach noted that access to the information improved under the current administration compared to the previous one. Two cases remain ongoing. One defendant was a legal green card holder. Another faced deportation after charges. Kobach emphasized that voting by noncitizens, whether legal or illegal residents, violates state law and cancels out citizen votes.
Maricopa County Board Pushes Ahead With Early Voting Drop Boxes Despite It Being Illegal
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved locations for 237 vote centers and 12 monitored drop boxes for the July 21, 2026, primary election during its May 20 meeting. County Recorder Justin Heap sent a letter through his attorney that morning asserting that Arizona law under A.R.S. § 16-542 grants only the recorder authority to establish early voting locations, including drop boxes for early ballots. The board proceeded anyway after disputes with Heap over election administration roles following a prior court ruling favoring the recorder. America First Legal highlighted the move as an unlawful power grab violating the separation of powers, with potential felony implications for unauthorized ballot handling under state statutes. Attorney General Kris Mayes later sided with the supervisors on the drop box interpretation.
California Doctor Convicted In 45 Million Dollar Medicare Botox Fraud Scheme
A federal jury in California convicted Glendale physician Violetta Mailyan of nine counts of wire fraud and three counts of obstruction of a criminal investigation. Mailyan submitted more than 45 million dollars in false Medicare claims for Botox injections that were either never provided or served no medical purpose. She billed for treatments while on luxury vacations in places such as Cabo and Hawaii, on days her clinic was closed, and even for a patient who was incarcerated. Prosecutors noted she received more Medicare payments for Botox than any other doctor in the country. The funds supported an extravagant lifestyle that included luxury vehicles, properties, and a twelve-thousand-dollar antique crossbow. The jury also ordered forfeiture of various assets tied to the scheme. Mailyan faces up to twenty years in prison on each wire fraud count.
DOJ Rolls Out 15-City Tour to Tackle Antisemitism
The Department of Justice launched a 15-city National Awareness and Action Tour through its Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. The initiative aims to increase reporting of antisemitic incidents. It strengthens coordination between federal agencies, local law enforcement, and Jewish communities. It also builds interfaith coalitions and addresses antisemitism in K-12 schools and teacher unions. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the Trump administration will not tolerate antisemitism. Leo Terrell, chair of the task force, will lead the tour and meet with affected communities to develop practical local solutions. This effort follows President Trumpâs executive orders prioritizing antisemitism as a civil rights issue.
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Chicago Police Officers Injured After Vehicle Strikes Them During Teen Takeover On West Side
Hundreds of teens gathered early Sunday morning in Chicagoâs University Village area near Roosevelt and Loomis. Dozens of officers responded to disperse the crowd just before 4 a.m. An 18-year-old driver in a blue sedan traveled westbound in an eastbound lane and struck multiple officers on foot. The vehicle then jumped the curb and hit a pole and fence. Five officers were taken to hospitals in fair condition. Police recovered a weapon from the vehicle and took the driver into custody. Gunshots were reported in the area. No fatalities occurred.
Secret Service Neutralizes Gunman at White House Checkpoint
A 21-year-old man identified as Nasire Best approached a Secret Service security checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. on May 23. He pulled a weapon from his bag and opened fire on officers. Agents returned fire and struck the suspect. He was transported to a hospital where he later died. A bystander was wounded in the exchange. No Secret Service personnel were injured and President Trump remained safe inside the White House. The incident marks another recent security event near the presidential residence.
Feds Subpoena Leftist Influencer And Activist Over Cuba Aid Run
Federal officials issued administrative subpoenas to Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin as part of a Treasury Department probe into potential violations of U.S. sanctions on Cuba. The requests for information focus on financial records, logistics, and communications tied to their March 2026 participation in the Nuestra AmĂŠrica Convoy, a delegation that delivered supplies to the island. Investigators are examining whether the activistsâ actions, including contacts with Cuban government-linked entities, crossed legal lines under the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, which restrict unlicensed transactions and support for the regime. The inquiry forms part of a wider review of activist networks and foreign influence efforts. No charges have been filed.
Steyerâs Panfering LA Campaign Stop Turns Tense in Leimert Park
Billionaire Democrat California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer held an event at ORA Cafe in Leimert Park last Saturday aimed at black voters. He told the crowd they are owed a gigantic debt and called the black community the moral leader of the United States. After the gathering, angry protesters surrounded his SUV in an alleyway, shouted threats, and demanded reparations. One protester pulled a knife on a campaign staffer during a scuffle. Steyerâs team escorted him to the vehicle for safety, and a California Highway Patrol officer provided assistance to clear the area so he could leave. No injuries or arrests were reported.
Atlanta Housing Official Gets Prison Time for Section 8 Voucher Abuse
Tracy Jones, a former senior vice president at the Atlanta Housing Authority, received a nine-month prison sentence followed by nine months of home detention and fifteen months of supervised release. She also must pay about sixty-six thousand dollars in restitution and a sixty-four thousand dollar fine. Jones used her oversight role in one of the countryâs largest Section 8 programs to enroll family members in the voucher system through fake names and shell companies while renting them a property she owned. This netted her more than thirty-six thousand dollars in improper federal payments. She further obtained over twenty-seven thousand dollars in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting false information about her businesses through another shell company. Jones additionally committed mortgage fraud on the rental property by claiming it as her primary residence in a refinancing application for over two hundred nineteen thousand dollars.
đ International
Taliban Formalizes Child Marriage Rules Under Islamic Family Law
The Taliban has issued a 31-article regulation titled Principles of Separation Between Spouses that recognizes child marriages arranged by relatives as legally valid under certain conditions. The rules state that if a marriage for a boy or girl is arranged by someone other than the father or grandfather, it remains valid provided the spouse is compatible and the dowry is appropriate. A virgin girlâs silence after reaching puberty can be interpreted as consent to marriage, while the same does not apply to boys or previously married women. Children married as minors may seek annulment after puberty, but only through a Taliban-controlled court. The decree approved by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and published in the official gazette also covers divorce procedures for issues like prolonged absence of a husband, apostasy, and specific Islamic concepts such as zihar and milk kinship. It allows husbands to discipline wives without causing serious bodily harm and places women on a restricted legal footing overall.
Russia Launches Hypersonic Oreshnik Missile In Heavy Overnight Assault On Kyiv
Russia conducted one of its largest aerial attacks yet on Kyiv and the surrounding areas overnight. The barrage included hundreds of drones along with dozens of missiles, among them the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile that struck near Bila Tserkva, about 56 miles south of the capital. Ukrainian officials reported at least four people killed and dozens injured, with fires breaking out at residential buildings and other sites from falling debris. NATO scrambled fighter jets in Poland in response to the Russian strikes that also featured Tu-95MS bombers. The Kremlin described the operation as retaliation for Ukrainian actions against Russian targets, while a Ukrainian official called the Oreshnik launch an attempt to intimidate.
Militant Separatists Claim Train Bombing in Pakistanâs Balochistan Kills at Least 24
A blast struck a shuttle train carrying military personnel and their families in Quetta, the capital of Pakistanâs Balochistan province, on May 24. The explosion occurred around 8 a.m. local time near Chaman Phatak station as an explosives-laden vehicle hit one of the carriages. At least 24 people died and more than 50 others suffered injuries. Army servicemen were among those killed. The train was heading from Quetta to Peshawar. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistanâs Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident as a cowardly act of terrorism. The province has long faced separatist unrest over resource issues.
Turkish Police Clear Opposition Party Headquarters in Ankara Standoff
Turkish police entered the headquarters of the main opposition Republican Peopleâs Party (CHP) in Ankara on May 24, 2026. Officers used tear gas and rubber bullets against supporters and officials who had barricaded themselves inside after a court ruling removed the current leadership. The action followed days of tension stemming from an appeals court decision that nullified the 2023 election of Ozgur Ozel as party chair and reinstated his predecessor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Party members resisted the change, viewing it as a politically motivated move to weaken their organization ahead of future elections. Police broke through barricades, cleared the building, and removed journalists from the scene as clashes occurred.
German Taxpayers Shoulder Heavy Migration Tab in 2025
German federal authorities spent âŹ24.8 billion on refugee and migration-related services in 2025. This figure covers housing, social benefits, integration courses, and payments to states and municipalities. Individual states and local governments added their own substantial outlays from local revenues, pushing the combined national total above âŹ40 billion. These expenses exclude added burdens such as higher health insurance premiums for working Germans, increased policing demands, prison costs for foreign inmates, and indirect effects like elevated housing prices and strained public services. The federal contribution includes a flat âŹ7,500 per initial asylum application transferred via value-added tax adjustments. Officials note a âŹ3.2 billion drop from the prior year amid slower asylum arrivals, yet the overall load remains considerable for taxpayers footing the bill.