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Speaker Johnson Warns of Mini-Mamdani Socialists Seizing Control of Democrat Primaries
House Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the rise of far-left candidates winning Democratic primaries across the country on June 24, 2026. He highlighted several nominees with extreme positions, including California candidate Mai Vang, who has refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, New Jersey candidate Adam Hamawy with reported past ties to terrorists and calls to abolish ICE and DHS, and New York socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who advocates abolishing borders, police, and prisons while supporting the eradication of Western civilization. Johnson noted other examples, such as candidates who have expressed support for decriminalizing certain activities or voiced apologies for their race and background. He described these as mini-Mamdani figures, referencing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and stated that socialists and Marxists have taken full control of the Democratic Party. Johnson urged Americans to recognize the threat and wake up to the fight to save the Republic.
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Trump Clashes With Senate Republicans in Tense Capitol Lunch Meeting
President Trump met with Senate Republicans at a closed-door lunch on Capitol Hill on June 24, 2026. The session followed his abrupt cancellation of a planned signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill. Trump vented about Iran policy and four GOP senators who supported a Democratic war powers resolution limiting his authority. He directed particular anger at Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, with whom he exchanged heated words, including yelling over a past impeachment vote. Trump also revisited his two impeachments and related grievances while pressing for passage of the SAVE America Act on election integrity. Sen. Rick Scott hosted the lunch, where Trump warned that failure to advance the bill could hurt Republican turnout in November. Senate Majority Leader John Thune remained mostly silent, and few senators interjected as Trump dominated the discussion.
Obama-Appointed Judge Permanently Blocks Trumpâs Proof of Citizenship Voting Requirement
A federal judge on June 24 permanently barred the Trump administration from implementing most provisions of its first executive order on elections that included a requirement for documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Boston-based US District Judge Denise Casper, an Obama appointee, ruled that the Constitution does not grant the president specific powers over elections. She converted a prior preliminary injunction into a permanent ban. The order also addressed related efforts, such as restrictions on counting mail ballots received after Election Day. The Department of Justice plans to appeal the decision. President Trump signed the executive order in March to safeguard election integrity and prevent non-citizen voting in federal elections.
Trump Cancels Housing Affordability Bill Signing to Prioritize SAVE Act
President Donald Trump canceled a scheduled signing ceremony for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on June 24, 2026. He stated that the measure would wait until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, which he described as a national emergency focused on election integrity through voter identification and proof of citizenship requirements. The housing legislation aimed to address affordability by cutting red tape on construction, incentivizing local innovations, and imposing limits on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes. Trump downplayed the billâs immediate importance relative to securing elections and other priorities like lower interest rates.
Illinois Sanctuary Policies Let Undocumented Teacher Walk After Aiding Deadly Gang Shooting
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 32-year-old Giovanna Mercedes Moreno Occhipinti, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant and former teacher in an Elgin, Illinois, suburb school. Authorities say she drove two Tren de Aragua gang members to a Chicago house party on December 2, 2024, where the gunmen killed three people and injured several others. Chicago police found multiple weapons in her car after the incident and arrested her on weapons charges days later, yet sanctuary policies led to her release without notifying federal immigration officials. Cook County prosecutors declined to pursue charges against her. ICE took independent action and arrested her on May 13, 2026; she remains in custody at a Kentucky detention center. She had entered the United States in October 2021 on a Visa Waiver Program and overstayed her authorization. Illinois officials have declined to identify the specific school where she taught.
Postmaster General Steiner Defends Mail Ballot Verification Against Senate Democrats
Postmaster General David Steiner sparred with Senate Democrats during a June 24, 2026, hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Democrats criticized a USPS proposed rule tied to President Trumpâs executive order on mail-in voting. The rule would require states to provide lists of mail voters and unique barcodes for ballots to create a participation list. Steiner stated that USPS would not deliver mail-in ballots to states refusing to comply. He described the measure as improving efficiency and security, noting that similar barcode practices already exist in states across the political spectrum. Democrats, including Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, called the approach coercive and an overreach that nationalizes elections. All Senate Democrats signed a letter urging the withdrawal of the rule.
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Mamdani-Backed Socialists Sweep NYC Congressional Primaries
Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani backed three far-left congressional candidates who won their Democratic primaries on June 23, 2026. Firebrand Darializa Avila Chevalier pulled off an upset over five-term incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New Yorkâs 13th District with a narrow lead. Former City Comptroller Brad Lander defeated two-term Rep. Dan Goldman in the 10th District. State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez won the open 7th District seat. The victories came despite low voter turnout of roughly 10 percent among registered Democrats. The candidates campaigned on positions including opposition to Israel, calls to abolish ICE, property seizures from landlords, and resetting U.S. relations with Israel. Mamdani touted the results as advancing his affordability agenda and expanding socialist influence toward Washington.
Paige Cognetti Resurfaced Video Exposes Dreams of Disarming Police and Citizens
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, the Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvaniaâs 8th Congressional District, appeared in a resurfaced 2020 virtual town hall video advocating for a gun-free society modeled on Japan. She stated she would love to reach a point where neither police officers nor citizens carry firearms. Cognetti, who lived in Japan for a couple of years, described the lack of guns there as lovely and something that would be a great reality for the United States. She repeated similar sentiments in an interview with the Black Scranton Project, expressing a desire for officers without holsters or guns. The comments come as she seeks to flip the seat blue while facing criticism over crime issues in Scranton.
Minnesota Students Sue University Over Policies Forcing Transgender Pronouns as Sexual Harassment
Students at the University of Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit against the university on June 18, challenging multiple policies on sexual harassment, gender identity, pronouns, and discrimination. The policies treat refusal to use preferred pronouns or express dissenting views on biological sex as potential sexual harassment or discrimination, applying to students, faculty, staff, and guests, including invited speakers. Student Jackson Barrick stated that nearly 20 complaints have been filed in the last two years under these rules, creating an environment where students fear discipline for using biologically accurate language. The suit, brought by Young Americaâs Foundation with the Southeastern Legal Foundation, argues the policies violate First and Fourteenth Amendment rights by compelling speech, imposing viewpoint discrimination, and using vague standards that chill expression on topics like sex-separated facilities and immutable biological sex. Plaintiffs seek declaratory and injunctive relief, nominal damages, and attorney fees, citing precedents like a Sixth Circuit ruling against similar pronoun mandates.
Appeals Court Blocks California Law Hiding Student Gender Issues From Parents
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order blocking key parts of California Assembly Bill 1955. The law had allowed students to prevent schools from notifying parents about gender confusion or social transitions even when parents inquired. The panel acted after the Supreme Court in March emphasized longstanding parental rights precedents in a related case known as Mirabelli. The court found that affected parents face irreparable harm and are likely to succeed on claims that the law violates their due process rights to direct their childrenâs upbringing and mental health decisions. The preliminary injunction applies to the plaintiffs from Huntington Beach. Lawyers involved described the ruling as confirmation that states cannot force schools into secrecy against parents.
Democrat Henchman âWarnsâ MLK Niece Alveda King Over SPLC Testimony
During a June 9 2026 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Southern Poverty Law Center, Alveda King the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. testified that the organization profits from racial division by allegedly funding informants within white supremacist groups to inflate threats and boost donations. King compared the practice to historical deception involving the Ku Klux Klan and interrupted questioning to call it fraudulent. Ranking Democrat Jamie Raskin warned King that she was under oath and that her statements could expose her to defamation claims from the SPLC. SPLC interim CEO Bryan Fair denied maintaining a domestic terrorist list and deflected many questions by citing ongoing legal proceedings related to a Justice Department superseding indictment. Republicans highlighted the groupâs labeling of conservative Christians and figures like the late Charlie Kirk as hate groups while downplaying leftist violence.
đ International
Experts Urge Caution Over Iran Proxy Hezbollah Terror Group With American Blood on Hands
Foreign policy experts are advising the Trump administration to exercise extreme caution regarding Iranâs primary terror proxy, Hezbollah, amid ongoing US-Iran negotiations. Hezbollah remains inseparable from the Tehran regime as its forward-deployed military arm and crown jewel asset, created and sustained by the IRGC Quds Force since 1982 with billions in funding, training, and embedded commanders. The recent US-Iran memorandum of understanding addresses ending hostilities in Lebanon in its first clause without naming Hezbollah directly, but experts like Lisa Daftari emphasize that treating the group as separate from Iran is a fiction the regime exploits. Hezbollah has a long history of killing Americans, including the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing that claimed 241 US lives, attacks on embassies, support for Iraqi militias that killed over 600 American troops, and more recent involvement in the torture and death of a Lebanese-American hostage. Additional voices such as Bill Roggio, Walid Phares, and Jonathan Conricus stress Hezbollahâs jihadi ideology and role in regional aggression, warning against concessions that could allow it to regroup while calling for pressure to dismantle its influence in Lebanon.
US Airstrike Takes Out Senior ISIS Leader in Syria
US Central Command announced that a precision airstrike carried out on June 19 in northwestern Syria killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, a senior leader in the Islamic State group. The strike formed part of ongoing American operations to disrupt and eliminate terrorists who plot attacks against the United States or its interests abroad. CENTCOM emphasized continued collaboration with regional partners to address remaining ISIS elements and prevent threats to the homeland and allies. Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, stated that forces remain committed to rooting out ISIS remnants to achieve its enduring defeat. The group has recently increased activity in Syria, including claims of attacks since February, despite its earlier territorial losses.
Iranian Agents Who Lived in Australia Directed Antisemitic Attacks in Sydney and Melbourne
Australiaâs spy chief revealed that Iranâs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used two agents who had previously lived in Australia to orchestrate antisemitic arson attacks. One Iran-based Australian citizen, a senior IRGC Quds Force operative, directed the firebombing of Lewisâ Continental Kitchen, a kosher restaurant in Sydneyâs Bondi area, in October 2024. A former Australian resident living in Iraq but working for Iran directed the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in December 2024. The IRGC employed complex networks of proxies and intermediaries to conceal its role in these operations aimed at Jewish targets.
EU Parliament Committee Advances Digital Euro Plans
The economic and monetary affairs committee of the European Parliament approved a draft regulation on June 23 for the European Central Bank to develop a digital euro. The central bank digital currency would function as an electronic form of central bank money available for online and offline payments. It aims to reduce reliance on non-European payment providers such as U.S. firms handling a large share of card transactions and to modernize the euro for everyday use while keeping physical cash as legal tender. The proposal includes holding limits set by the European Commission on ECB advice, no interest on holdings, and safeguards for banks and privacy. Lawmakers could begin negotiations with the European Council and Commission next month, with final approval targeted by the end of 2026 and a possible launch in 2029 after a pilot phase.
Iranian Singer Gets 74 Lashes for Performing in Public Without Wearing Her Hijab
An Iranian court sentenced 29-year-old singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of her production team, including musicians, to 74 lashes each. The punishment stems from a December 2024 livestreamed YouTube concert where Ahmadi performed the patriotic song âAz Khoone Javanane Vatanâ in a sleeveless dress without a hijab. Authorities later filed charges over the video, which gained millions of views, resulting in additional penalties of a two-year travel ban and a two-year prohibition on artistic activities. This case highlights the strict enforcement of hijab rules and restrictions on female performers under the Islamic Republic, where women face bans on solo singing before mixed audiences and must comply with morality laws both in public and online.
