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🚨 Cassidy Sides With Democrats To Push Iran War Powers Resolution Against Trump
Senate Democrats advanced a war powers resolution aimed at restricting President Trump’s military actions against Iran. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who recently lost his primary, provided the pivotal vote to move the measure forward after multiple previous attempts failed. This marked the latest in a series of Democratic efforts, following Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s shift the prior week, with three other Republicans joining in total on this vote. The resolution directs the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran absent formal congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the ongoing conflict’s costs and lack of progress. Sen. Chris Murphy predicted further success if the war persists. The measure faces significant hurdles before enactment, including potential veto by Trump, and one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman, continued voting against it.
Politics & Government
Senate Republicans Finally Leverage Filibuster Rules Overhaul to Confirm Dozens of Trump Nominees
Senate Republicans confirmed 49 of President Donald Trump’s nominees on May 18, 2026. This latest batch installed 60 percent of his civilian picks. The action marked the fourth use of new Senate rules adopted last year. Those changes lowered the confirmation threshold for groups of nominees from the traditional 60-vote filibuster requirement to a simple majority. Democrats had blocked many nominees earlier. Republicans responded by invoking the nuclear option. This adjustment allowed bundled votes on multiple positions at once. The slate included about 20 roles, such as a dozen U.S. attorneys, several U.S. marshals, ambassadors, and officials in the departments of Energy and Transportation. It also featured former New Mexico congressman Stevan Pearce to head the Bureau of Land Management. The rules shift has enabled faster staffing than during Trump’s first term or the previous administration.
Maryland Ballot Blunder Sparks Conservative Push for Federal Voter Roll Audit
Maryland election officials confirmed a vendor error led to roughly 400,000 incorrect mail-in ballots being sent for the June 23 gubernatorial primary. Voters received ballots listing the wrong party’s candidates. The state Board of Elections plans to mail replacement ballots to all who requested them. Maryland’s conservative Freedom Caucus demanded that Secretary of the Election Board Jared DeMarinis release the state’s voter rolls to federal officials for an audit. The group cited risks of duplicate or suppressed votes from the flawed ballots still in circulation. President Donald Trump commented on the incident and called for stronger safeguards like voter ID and proof of citizenship.
Trump Endorses Paxton Over Cornyn in Texas Senate Runoff
President Donald Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race on May 19, 2026. Trump praised Paxton as a loyal America First patriot and MAGA warrior who has delivered for Texas. The move came during early voting in the May 26 runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who had finished first but short of a majority in the March primary. Paxton has pushed to end the Senate filibuster to pass strict voting measures such as the SAVE America Act. Recent polls showed a close contest between the two, with one survey giving Paxton a slight edge. Cornyn holds support from some establishment figures, while Paxton faces past personal and legal challenges, including a divorce filing.
Pelosi Taps Hong Kong-Born San Francisco Supervisor as Her Congressional Replacement
California Rep. Nancy Pelosi endorsed San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan on May 19, 2026, to succeed her in the House after nearly 40 years in the seat. Pelosi, 86, who announced her retirement last November and will leave office in January 2027, described Chan as the leader best prepared to fight for San Francisco in Congress at a time when freedoms are under challenge. She chose Chan over state Sen. Scott Wiener and former congressional staffer Saikat Chakrabarti, who leads in some polls, and dismissed the move as tied to establishment and corporate interests. Chan, a Hong Kong-born supervisor since 2021, welcomed the support and highlighted her personal story of arriving in the city as a non-English speaker. The endorsement came just before the June 2 primary in this heavily Democratic district.
Reagan Library Evacuated as Sandy Fire Rages Through Simi Valley Hills
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, evacuated staff and closed its doors on May 18, 2026, as a fast-moving brush fire dubbed the Sandy Fire spread across hundreds of acres amid windy conditions. The blaze, which started around 10 or 11 a.m. PDT near the 600 block of Sandy Avenue, grew rapidly to over 800 acres with zero percent containment initially reported. Fire officials noted possible ignition from a tractor striking a rock while clearing brush, though the exact cause remains under investigation with no criminal activity suspected. Mandatory evacuation orders covered thousands of homes in southern Simi Valley and nearby areas, while warnings extended to parts of Thousand Oaks and even portions of Los Angeles County. Crews from multiple agencies, including Los Angeles firefighters, deployed ground teams, helicopters, and air tankers for aggressive suppression efforts as at least one structure sustained damage. Winds subsided later in the day, aiding containment, but officials warned of ongoing risks in the fire-prone region.
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The American Fifth Column
Vance Reveals DOJ Probe Into Ilhan Omar Over Alleged Immigration Fraud
Vice President JD Vance stated during a White House press briefing on May 19, 2026, that the Justice Department is actively investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar for possible immigration fraud. Vance noted the long-standing questions about her past marriages, including claims that her second husband was her brother, but stressed he did not want to prejudge the outcome. He added that officials would examine the matter, pursue prosecution if evidence of a crime emerges, and ensure equal justice under the law. Omar’s chief of staff dismissed the claims as false. The allegations have persisted since her 2018 congressional campaign and tie into broader scrutiny of her family ties and Minnesota benefit fraud issues.
Maine Democrat Senate Hopeful’s Old Reddit Posts Detail Porta-Potty Masturbation and Phallic Graffiti Praise
Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner from Maine posted explicit comments years ago on Reddit under a now-deleted account. In a 2017 post on a military forum, he described needing to masturbate every time he sat in a portable toilet because the blue water smell conditioned him from his service. Four years later in 2021, he offered a detailed appreciation of crude penis graffiti spotted in another porta-potty while deployed, calling the drawing beautiful, engorged, veiny, and headed toward penetrative glory. These revelations add to prior controversies over his old online remarks that included criticism of police, rural white Americans, and other edgy topics, which he has repeatedly disavowed as not reflecting his current views as a Marine veteran and small business owner.
Civil Liberties Group Challenges Illinois Gun Permit Mandate In Federal Court
The New Civil Liberties Alliance filed a federal lawsuit on May 19, 2026, against Illinois officials, including State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, and Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke. The suit targets the state’s Firearm Owner’s Identification Card Act. This law requires residents to obtain a FOID card from the Illinois State Police before purchasing or possessing any firearm or ammunition. Plaintiffs Christopher Laurent and Kim Dalton seek guns for home self-defense but refuse to apply for the card. Plaintiff Justin Tucker holds a card yet objects to carrying it at all times and renewing it. The complaint argues the requirement violates the Second Amendment by conditioning a core right on prior government permission. It also claims a breach of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause by shifting the burden of proof to citizens in an administrative process that can take weeks or months. Violations carry criminal penalties. Illinois is one of only two states with such a universal licensing mandate for firearm possession.
Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate Faces Scrutiny Over Southern Poverty Law Center Ties
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor as a Democrat. Republicans in the state House passed a resolution questioning her past work with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Benson served as an undercover investigator for the group early in her career and sat on its board from 2014 to 2018. This period overlaps with allegations that the SPLC funneled millions to extremist figures it was supposed to monitor. A recent federal indictment against the organization prompted Michigan House Resolution 313. The measure urges Benson to release any records she holds on the SPLC’s operations and alleged payments to individuals tied to hate groups. It also asks her to address her specific role there. State Republicans say Michiganders deserve transparency given the serious claims. Benson’s campaign has defended her record as one of fighting extremism and advancing civil rights.
Jayapal “Fearporns” That Trump Team’s Immigration Moves Could Lead to Broader Denaturalization Push
US Rep. Pramila Jayapal spoke at the Muslim Public Affairs Council and described immigration enforcement as a testing ground for the Trump administration. She stated that success against immigrants could lead to extending similar measures to all people, citing ongoing denaturalization efforts. Jayapal criticized ICE and CBP as unconstitutional agencies that terrorize communities, including US citizens, legal residents, and visa holders, while detaining over 70,000 people nightly in facilities ruled illegal by many judges. She highlighted racial profiling, the return of policies like the Muslim travel ban, restrictions on asylum and TPS, and a Cato Institute study claiming the administration cracked down on legal immigration twice as much as undocumented entries. Jayapal expressed hope to chair the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee if Democrats gain control after the November elections.
International
NATO Weighs Hormuz Patrol As Oil Drops On Potential Strait Reopening
Oil prices dropped sharply on reports that NATO is discussing a possible deployment to help reopen the blocked Strait of Hormuz if the waterway remains closed into early July. The alliance has not yet secured unanimous support for the idea, which would mark a shift from its previous stance of staying out until active fighting fully subsides. NATO defense chiefs met this week amid ongoing economic pressure from the disruption, which has curtailed roughly one-fifth of global seaborne oil trade. The development comes against a backdrop of stalled U.S.-Iran talks, recent U.S. seizures of Iran-linked vessels, and President Trump’s calls for allies to step up. Markets viewed the NATO consideration as a signal that commercial shipping through the vital Persian Gulf chokepoint could resume sooner than expected, easing some supply fears.
Putin Arrives in Beijing for Talks with Xi Jinping
Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Beijing on May 19, 2026, for a two-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip marks Putin’s 25th visit to China and coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. Leaders plan to discuss trade, energy cooperation, including progress on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, and other agreements with roughly 40 documents expected. The visit follows closely after U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent summit in Beijing. China and Russia continue to strengthen their partnership amid global tensions.
Bolivia Faces Widespread Strikes and Clashes as Leftist Unions Challenge New President
Socialists aligned with former President Evo Morales, working through the national labor union, highland farmer groups, and other supporters, have sparked over two weeks of general strikes, road blockades, and riots against President Rodrigo Paz’s market-oriented reforms. Demonstrators have clashed with police in La Paz, attempted to storm government buildings, set up barricades, and used dynamite in some cases, disrupting supplies and raising food prices. Paz, elected last year to end nearly two decades of socialist policies that left the country with severe dollar shortages, fuel lines, and high inflation, has accused the protests of links to Morales and drug traffickers while ordering arrests of key leaders on terrorism charges. The unrest highlights resistance to subsidy cuts and austerity moves aimed at stabilizing the economy.
UN Climate Panel’s Shift Away From Extreme Warming Projection
Summary
President Trump posted on Truth Social that the United Nations’ top climate committee admitted its extreme RCP8.5 projections were wrong after years of Democratic warnings about planetary destruction. Researchers updating scenarios for the next IPCC assessment determined the high-emissions pathway, which assumed massive coal expansion and no major energy transitions, has become implausible due to falling renewable costs, policy actions, and actual emission trends. The new framework retires this worst-case scenario and narrows the upper range of projected warming. Trump framed the change as validation against climate alarmism used to justify energy policies and research funding, while scientists noted the adjustment reflects real-world progress in clean energy rather than flawed original modeling.
UN Climate Panel Admits Extreme Warming Predictions Were Implausible
The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group has conceded that its long-used RCP8.5 worst-case emissions scenario no longer holds up as a realistic projection. Researchers updating scenarios for the next assessment cycle determined the high-emissions pathway, which assumed unchecked coal expansion and minimal energy transitions, has become implausible given actual renewable cost declines, policy shifts, and observed emission trends. This adjustment narrows the upper range of expected warming and retires the extreme scenario that underpinned many alarming forecasts. The panel’s own modeling team described the high-end outcomes as no longer viable, marking a quiet retreat from predictions that had driven years of policy debates and research priorities.
Starmer’s Desperate EU Overtures Target Burnham’s By-Election Bid in Brexit Heartland
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has raised the possibility of deeper EU ties, including potential future rejoining discussions, while facing internal party pressure. This comes as Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham prepares for a June by-election in the Leave-voting Makerfield constituency, where he aims to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer’s leadership. Polls show Burnham popular among Labour members yet Starmer’s comments on advancing relations with Europe risk alienating local voters in a seat where Reform UK polls strongly. Burnham has distanced himself from immediate rejoin calls by stating he respects the 2016 referendum result and will not rerun Brexit arguments during the campaign, though he has previously described leaving the EU as damaging. Cabinet ministers push for closer alignment on issues like trade and security without crossing manifesto red lines on the single market or customs union at this stage.