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Gabbard Releases Docs Showing Fauci Funded Wuhan Research That Sparked COVID Pandemic
Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released never-before-seen declassified documents on her final day in office. The files show that Dr. Anthony Fauci directed millions of taxpayer dollars through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Intelligence community assessments often followed his recommendations. The documents also detail Fauci’s efforts to suppress the lab-leak theory and manipulate related intelligence. Gabbard stated that these actions contributed to the pandemic that caused widespread hardship. She accused Fauci of lying to Congress in 2024 under oath about his involvement in discussions with intelligence officials. Whistleblowers reported retaliation for challenging the handling of the virus origins. The release aligns with ongoing transparency efforts under the Trump administration.
🏛️ News & Politics
Unwilling to Address SAVE ACT, Senate Passes Resolution Condemning Xi Jinping for Crimes Against Humanity
The U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 444 by voice vote on June 16, 2026. The measure condemns Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping for a pattern of deceit that undermines peace and security, along with orchestrating crimes against humanity. Sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the resolution highlights CCP actions including the cover-up of the COVID-19 outbreak originating in Wuhan, which contributed to over one million American deaths; continued failure to curb fentanyl precursor exports despite pledges, fueling a deadly U.S. overdose crisis; trade violations after joining the WTO; espionage and cyberattacks such as the Equifax breach; and human rights abuses ranging from the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre to forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience and genocide against ethnic minorities. It expresses support for the Chinese people and urges the use of tools like Global Magnitsky sanctions to hold CCP officials accountable.
DOJ Charges Minneapolis Antifa Network in Conspiracy to Target ICE Officers
Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment on June 16, 2026, charging 15 individuals with conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers and related offenses. The defendants, members and associates of Direct Action Minnesota and linked antifa groups such as the Black Cat Workers Collective, allegedly organized violent blockades, used vehicles and shields to obstruct access, hurled objects at law enforcement, surveilled and stalked ICE officers, and followed them to their homes during operations at the Whipple Federal Building in January and March. U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen described the network as highly organized, with training in aggressive tactics, and emphasized that the charges target criminal conduct rather than protected speech. Twelve defendants were arrested that day, one was already in custody, and two remain fugitives.
Pakistani American Democrat Donor Arrested in $38 Million Medicaid Adult Daycare Scam in Brooklyn
Pervez Siddiqui, a 78-year-old Pakistani American businessman and longtime Democrat donor who owns multiple pharmacies and serves on Brooklyn Community Board 13, was arrested on June 16 along with seven co-conspirators. Federal prosecutors accuse the group of running a Medicaid kickback and false billing scheme from 2019 through late 2025 at two Brooklyn adult daycares, APNA Adult Daycare and Ashiana Social Adult Daycare. They allegedly recruited Medicaid recipients with cash payments, signed up people who rarely or never attended, including some who had left the country, submitted tens of millions in fraudulent claims, created fake sign-in sheets that exceeded capacity limits, and laundered kickbacks through shell companies using disguised payments labeled as gifts, dividends, or even laddu. Siddiqui has hosted fundraisers and met with prominent New York Democrats, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The scheme allegedly defrauded the program of about 38 million dollars.
North Carolina Audit Exposes Nearly 50 Million Dollars in Unemployment Fraud
North Carolina’s Office of the State Auditor released two reports on June 17, 2026. The audits found that the Department of Commerce’s Division of Employment Security issued 168.8 million dollars in unemployment benefit overpayments from April 2021 through March 2025. Of that total, 47.2 million dollars were fraudulent. The division recovered only 12.2 million dollars of the fraud-related overpayments. The state’s improper payment rate reached 22 percent over the period. This figure exceeds the federal 10 percent limit and the national average. North Carolina has failed to meet federal timeliness standards for first unemployment payments for years. In the latest review period from July 2024 through November 2025, 28 percent of first payments were late. State Auditor Dave Boliek highlighted the issues as a longstanding problem that burdens taxpayers.
California Municipal Councilmembers Defy Voter Recall Sparking Legal Standoff in California
Voters in Avenal, California, overwhelmingly recalled Mayor Alvaro Preciado and three city councilmembers in a special election on April 28, with each recall receiving at least 75 percent support over concerns about fire protection changes. Kings County certified the results in May. The ousted officials, including the mayor and councilmembers Leticia Gamez and Pablo Hernandez, have refused to leave office. They argue the county lacked authority to conduct the election and that only the city could do so. The dispute escalated at a June 11 council meeting where the recalled members voted to remain in power and approved the city budget despite a restraining order attempt by recall supporters. California Attorney General Rob Bonta authorized a quo warranto action on June 18 to challenge their right to hold office, clearing the path for a superior court lawsuit. The small San Joaquin Valley city of about 13,000 residents, with a large Latino population and economy tied to agriculture and a state prison, now faces ongoing court battles and public tensions.
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Minnesota Schools Prioritize Muslim Holiday Over Traditional Christian Observances
Rochester Public Schools in Minnesota approved adding Eid al-Adha to its 2027-28 calendar in a 4-1 vote. The district cited higher student absences on the Muslim holiday as the main reason. Superintendent Kent Pekel noted that absences jumped from an average of around 1,682 students in May 2026 to 2,354 on Eid al-Adha. This change will extend the school year by one day and follows the replacement of Christmas and Easter breaks with generic winter and spring breaks. Board member Justin Cook opposed the move. He raised concerns about applying the same standard to other religious holidays and potential conflicts with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. Some residents spoke out at the meeting. They called the decision an abomination and questioned the unequal treatment of faiths.
Virginia Governor Appoints Activist Opposed to Girls’ Bathroom Protections
Virginia Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger appointed Kellen MacBeth, founder and president of Equality Arlington, to the state’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board on May 22. MacBeth has led efforts urging school districts to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and facilities matching their gender identity rather than biological sex. His organization pushed back against reversing such policies amid federal pressure and opposed legislation requiring schools to notify parents when a student identifies as transgender or to allow parental opt-outs from related classroom instruction. The board advises on economic, educational, and health issues affecting LGBTQ+ Virginians, with at least 15 of 21 nonlegislative members required to identify as LGBTQ+. The appointment follows Spanberger’s gubernatorial campaign, during which she presented as a moderate and avoided direct answers on transgender participation in girls’ sports and access to female-only spaces.
Mexican Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Raping Corpse on New York City Subway
A Manhattan judge sentenced 44-year-old Mexican national Felix Rojas to five years in prison on June 18, 2026. Rojas pleaded guilty to charges including attempted rape and grand larceny after he sexually assaulted the body of 37-year-old Jorge Gonzalez aboard an R train near the Whitehall Street station in Manhattan in April 2025. Gonzalez had lost consciousness and died of natural causes nearly three hours earlier on a subway bench. Prosecutors said Rojas noticed the motionless man, rummaged through his pockets and belongings while robbing him, pulled down his pants, and raped the corpse for more than 30 minutes. He paused the assault whenever the train approached stations or other passengers entered the car, pretending nothing was happening. Rojas turned himself in weeks later after seeing surveillance images released by police. He is a repeat illegal entrant to the United States dating back to 1998. The sentence includes 15 years of supervised release afterward, after which immigration authorities plan to seek his deportation, though New York City sanctuary policies may complicate that effort.
DSA Forms Paramilitary-Style ‘Red Rabbits’ Network for Street Actions
The Democratic Socialists of America launched the Red Rabbits Security Commission at its 2025 national convention to build a nationwide security apparatus supporting protests and direct-action organizing. Organizers selected the name as a reference to the novel Watership Down, aiming for an innocuous image while rejecting more overt options like National Vigilance Committee over concerns about appearing to endorse vigilantism. The group trains members in skills including de-escalation, Stop the Bleed first aid, firearm safety, unarmed self-defense, and protest marshaling, such as crowd management, blocking intersections, and using umbrellas against opponents. Chapters in places like Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Tucson, Austin, and Portland share tactics ranging from martial arts and evacuation planning to working with allied radical organizations. Panel discussions revealed preparations tied to a stated goal of supporting a national uprising against federal agents and police brutality, raising questions about the DSA’s 501(c)(4) tax status, given the militant focus.
NYGOP Backed Robert Smullen Voted With Radical Left on Key Bills
Robert Smullen, a New York State Assemblyman backed by the NYGOP and seeking the Republican nomination for New York’s 21st Congressional District to replace Elise Stefanik, cast votes aligning with left-leaning legislators on several measures. These included establishing the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, appointing a chief sustainability officer for climate efforts, establishing the Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Program and Fund, mandating LGBT training for healthcare workers, repealing loitering laws related to prostitution, and adopting gender-neutral language in state statutes. Smullen also supported the Adult Survivors Act, later used in a lawsuit against President Trump. President Trump has endorsed Smullen’s primary opponent, Anthony Constantino. The NYGOP has spent resources opposing Constantino through mailers, while Smullen faces criticism over a past tax fraud arrest and a solar farm project on his property that received taxpayer benefits.
🌐 International
Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Bolsters Trump’s Iran Peace Efforts
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after a flareup of deadly fighting that killed at least 18 people in Lebanon from Israeli strikes and four Israeli soldiers. The truce took effect around 4 p.m. local time. United States and Qatari mediators helped broker the agreement with Iranian assistance following exchanges of fire that had postponed planned US-Iran talks in Switzerland. The ceasefire supports a key condition in the recent memorandum of understanding signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to end broader regional conflict that began earlier this year. Israeli forces had struck over 80 Hezbollah targets in response to militant attacks while maintaining positions in a buffer zone. Reactions in Israel included criticism from officials questioning the deal’s impact on pressure against Iran.
Starmer’s Future in Jeopardy After Burnham’s Strong Makerfield By-Election Victory
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham won the Makerfield parliamentary by-election on June 18, 2026, securing 24,927 votes and 54.8 percent of the total for a majority of 9,231 over Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, who received 15,696 votes and 34.5 percent. The result, announced early on June 19, allows Burnham to return to Westminster and positions him to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for Labour Party leadership. Burnham described the outcome as a turning point and Labour’s “final chance to change,” criticizing 40 years of trickle-down economics. Starmer pledged to fight any leadership contest while urging party unity, as several Labour MPs pushed for a swift resolution to avoid prolonged internal conflict ahead of the next election. Reform UK performed strongly in second place despite a new right-wing party, Restore Britain, splitting some votes. Turnout rose to around 59 percent.
Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Assault on Moscow Oil Refinery
Ukrainian forces struck Moscow with nearly 200 drones on June 18, 2026, in one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since the war began. The barrage targeted the Kapotnya oil refinery on the city’s southeastern outskirts for the second time in three days and caused significant damage, including a powerful explosion that blew the lid off a storage tank. Thick black smoke billowed over the area, and residents reported oily soot falling as black rain while Moscow’s four major airports shut down, temporarily disrupting flights. Russian officials said air defenses intercepted most drones, but some reached the facility, which supplies a large portion of the capital’s fuel needs. Ukraine described the strikes as justified retaliation for Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Russia pledged massive retaliatory strikes in response.
US Probes German Drug Pricing Policies for Unfair Trade Practices
The United States Trade Representative initiated a Section 301 investigation into Germany’s pharmaceutical pricing practices. USTR Jamieson Greer announced the probe on June 18, 2026, citing evidence of persistent underpayment for innovative pharmaceutical products that burden or restrict US commerce. Officials expressed concern over Germany’s fast-tracked legislation to further reduce spending on new medicines amid efforts to address healthcare costs. The investigation will gather evidence through public comments starting June 25 and a hearing in September. It follows months of unsuccessful talks with German counterparts and could lead to tariffs if the practices are deemed unreasonable or discriminatory.
Trump Administration Flags Risk of Top Chip Tool Reaching China
The Trump administration expressed concern that one of ASML’s advanced extreme ultraviolet lithography machines may have reached China in violation of longstanding export restrictions. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick raised the issue directly with ASML executives in recent meetings. These EUV tools represent critical technology for producing the most advanced semiconductors used in artificial intelligence and other high-tech applications. ASML stated that it has never shipped an EUV machine or any specially designed components for such machines to China and maintains strict tracking of its equipment. The development highlights ongoing efforts to limit China’s access to cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing capabilities amid broader national security priorities.
