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Democratic Socialists Reveal Sweeping Platform to Remake U.S. Government Structure
The Democratic Socialists of America released its updated “Workers Deserve More!” platform. This outlines major changes to the U.S. system of government. The proposals include eliminating the Senate, selecting the president and Supreme Court by Congress instead of independent branches, granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants, defunding the Department of Defense, which it calls the Department of War, closing overseas military bases, ending economic sanctions on adversaries, and overhauling policing and prisons by abolishing what it terms the carceral forces of the capitalist state. These ideas aim to shift power toward a single legislative body and expand social programs while pursuing public ownership in key sectors. The platform reflects the group’s growing influence in Democrat primaries as seen in recent New York races where its endorsed candidates defeated establishment figures.
🏛️ News & Politics
Detroit Investigation Uncovers Over 26000 Absentee Ballots Counted Without Required Envelopes in 2020
A citizen-led review of absentee ballot materials obtained via FOIA from Detroit’s 2020 election found that more than 26,901 ballots were processed and counted without the legally mandated accompanying envelopes that include voter signatures and clerk time-date stamps for verification. Investigators, including volunteers working with Yehuda Miller, Phani Mantravadi of Check My Vote, and reporter Patty McMurray, examined over 155,000 envelopes provided by the city against qualified voter files and reported a deficit compared to the 174,384 absentee ballots officially counted in Detroit. Michigan law required each absentee ballot to be returned in a sealed envelope signed by the voter, with the ballot number matching the envelope for chain-of-custody purposes. The team noted the envelopes were disorganized upon receipt and completed data entry and cross-checks over several months, tying findings to voter records on a public platform.
Trump Protests Housing Bill Over Stalled Voter Security Measure
President Donald Trump announced he will not sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act now on his desk. He cited the Senate’s failure to advance the SAVE America Act as the reason for his protest. The housing legislation passed Congress with strong support, including a 358-32 vote in the House and an 85-5 vote in the Senate. It aims to increase housing supply by cutting red tape, speeding up construction, limiting large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, and boosting affordability measures. The bill was transmitted to the White House, setting a 10-day window for action. Without a veto, it stands to become law automatically at midnight Friday. Trump had previously expressed support for the measure but linked its signing to progress on voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements in the SAVE America Act, which polls strongly among Republicans.
Biden Federal Judge Tells DHS To Ignore Order From Trump-Appointed Colleague On Immigration Database
A federal judge appointed by President Biden on July 8 ruled that the Department of Homeland Security must continue to keep key features of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system disabled despite a conflicting order from a judge appointed by President Trump the day before. Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan rejected the Trump administration’s request to pause her earlier June order that blocked bulk uploads and Social Security number lookup functions in the database, which states use to verify citizenship and immigration status for voter rolls and professional licenses. She described the Florida ruling by Judge T. Kent Wetherell II as erroneous in significant ways, noting it only applied to a settlement with four states and did not override her nationwide injunction based on privacy law violations. The clash leaves DHS caught between two court directives, with states seeking to restore access for election integrity checks while privacy advocates argue the upgrades risk exposing Americans’ data and erroneous voter purges.
Trump Terminates Election Assistance Commission Members After Supreme Court Ruling
President Trump terminated the remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission on July 9, 2026. This action followed a landmark Supreme Court decision that expanded presidential authority to remove officials from independent agencies. Democratic commissioners Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland received termination emails from the White House. Republican Vice Chair Christy McCormick resigned, while a fourth commissioner, Donald Palmer, had left earlier in April. The move leaves the bipartisan panel that provides guidance on election administration, voting systems, and standards without any commissioners. A White House official stated that Trump reserves the right to remove individuals not aligned with securing elections and ensuring every legal vote counts, citing the recent Slaughter ruling. The EAC, created after the 2000 election dispute, assists states with best practices and certification but holds no direct enforcement power. Democrats expressed concerns about potential impacts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Fetterman and McCormick Launch Joint Fundraising Committee
Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and Republican Sen. Dave McCormick have formed a joint fundraising committee called Common Ground PA. The bipartisan PAC, filed with the Federal Election Commission this week, will split contributions between the senators’ campaign committees and leadership PACs. This unusual cross-party effort highlights their ongoing collaboration on Pennsylvania priorities despite partisan differences. It comes as Fetterman faces declining approval among Democrats in his party while gaining favor with Republicans.
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📢 The American Fifth Column
NYC Official’s Iran Meeting Plan Halted by State Department
Commissioner Ana María Archila of New York City’s Mayor’s Office for International Affairs scheduled a meeting with Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, for July 7 at 11 a.m. at 2 United Nations Plaza. The meeting included two other senior officials from the office. State Department officials learned of the plan without prior notice and met with the Mamdani administration to address proper conduct. The meeting was canceled afterward. Archila reportedly did not inform Mayor Zohran Mamdani about the planned engagement beforehand. She received a reprimand and instructions to cancel it. A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs confirmed that the meeting did not and will not take place. This incident highlights the office’s focus on engaging with officials sharing the administration’s leftist views, which extends beyond its original mandate of exchanging best practices with global cities, attracting foreign businesses, and maintaining neutral relations with the diplomatic community in New York.
Illinois Counties Advance Push to Break from Chicago Dominance
Voters in seven additional Illinois counties will decide this November whether to support measures exploring separation from Cook County to form a new state. Coles, Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Macoupin, Monroe, and Saline counties join 33 others that have already approved similar nonbinding referendums by wide margins. State Rep. Brad Halbrook cited frustrations with policies from Springfield such as the SAFE-T Act, gun control measures, social issues, and more than 60 new taxes added under Gov. J.B. Pritzker as driving the effort. Halbrook has proposed a resolution urging Congress to recognize 101 counties as the 51st state, while neighboring states like Indiana have shown interest in absorbing some counties. Pritzker has dismissed the movement as a stunt, though supporters argue it reflects deep urban-rural divides and a desire for local control.
Illegal Alien Firebombs Two Queens Churches After Multiple Releases by NYC Authorities
A 36-year-old illegal alien from Guyana named Yogesh Sayrange allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at two Queens churches and an ambulette service late Wednesday night. Surveillance video captured him lighting and hurling the incendiary device at the front gate of Iglesia Bautista El Mesias Baptist Church in Ozone Park just before midnight, where it exploded on the ground. He then walked less than a mile to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Woodhaven and threw a second device at its entrance around 12:08 a.m. Thursday. Investigators say he also targeted Exclusive Ambulette Service Transportation Corp. Officers arrested him minutes later at a nearby deli and recovered two more Molotov cocktails from his backpack. He reportedly told authorities he had planned to continue. Sayrange had been arrested twice in June on armed threat charges, including one involving a metal-knuckle knife and another with an ax, but was released each time under local policies. He faces prior links to a June 25 firebombing of a Brooklyn smoke shop and at least seven other arsons. Federal authorities identified him as living in the U.S. illegally despite his claims of a pending DACA renewal.
Rubio Announces Deportation of Convicted Child Rapist Pardoned by Walz
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that federal agents deported Laotian national Tou Lue Vang, a convicted child sex offender, after revoking his legal status in the United States. Vang had been convicted in Minnesota of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl between 2002 and 2005. He attempted to bribe the victim with $10 to stay silent and invoked cultural norms to justify his actions during police interviews. An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2006, but execution was delayed for years due to Laos being recalcitrant on repatriations. Minnesota’s Board of Pardons, including Gov. Tim Walz, unanimously granted Vang a pardon on June 10, 2026, just before his scheduled deportation. Rubio noted the pardon had shielded Vang temporarily, but the administration acted to remove the foreign criminal who posed a threat to American children.
Hollywood LGBTQ Representation Falls Further After Years of Overrepresentation
The share of major studio releases featuring LGBTQ characters fell for a third consecutive year in 2025 according to GLAAD’s latest study. The group reviewed 225 films from the 10 largest distributors, including A24, Amazon, Apple TV, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Disney and Warner Bros. Only 46 of those films, or 20.4 percent, included at least one LGBTQ character, down from 23.6 percent in 2024 and a high of 28.5 percent in 2023 when representation had climbed well above population proportions. The total number of LGBTQ characters counted also dropped sharply to 112 from 181 the prior year. Family and animated films rated PG or below had zero LGBTQ characters across 19 titles, and none of the 225 films featured a transgender character. Bisexual representation slipped as well. Horror films stood out as one area with some inclusion where several inclusive titles performed well at the box office and mid-budget projects continued to carry much of the representation.
🌐 International
Rubio Pushes Allies to Tackle Antifa and Far-Left Violence
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is working to rally US allies for a coordinated push against Antifa and far-left extremist groups as the Trump administration broadens counterterrorism efforts to address political violence from these networks. Rubio has urged foreign governments to treat certain Antifa-linked activities as an international extremist threat involving assassinations, attacks on infrastructure, and assaults on law enforcement and civilians. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott highlighted the resurgence of violent far-left terrorism with transnational ties. Some European allies have pushed back, downplaying Antifa as a major concern in their countries compared to Islamist terrorism or other issues, while Antifa cells have claimed responsibility for incidents like the fire at a Tesla factory near Berlin.
US Navy Reaffirms Commitment to Free Navigation in Strait of Hormuz Amid Ongoing Threats
The U.S. Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Center stated on July 10 that American forces stand ready to protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, where the maritime security threat level remains severe. No country holds authority to control the waterway or demand transit fees, officials stressed, even as an expanded southern route via Omani waters stays available. Mariners received warnings about potential mines and the need for vigilance, with encouragement to coordinate with U.S. naval authorities though not required. This advisory follows recent attacks on three commercial vessels that unraveled a June memorandum of understanding with Iran, sparking U.S. retaliatory strikes and Iranian responses against American assets in the region. President Trump declared the ceasefire effectively over after the incidents, noting resumed talks with Tehran but rejecting any Iranian claims over the strait. U.S. Central Command has facilitated passage for hundreds of vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil since May, underscoring efforts to counter Iranian assertions and maintain open transit for global energy flows.
US-Iran Technical Talks Persist Despite Recent Strikes
The United States continues technical talks with Iran aimed at resolving tensions even after recent tit-for-tat military actions. A U.S. official confirmed that diplomatic efforts remain active with the goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. This comes after President Trump declared the ceasefire over during the NATO summit following Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. retaliatory strikes on Iranian targets, including around Kharg Island. Regional mediators from Gulf states work behind the scenes to revive elements of a prior memorandum of understanding. Trump criticized Iranian negotiators harshly but indicated that U.S. representatives like Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could keep engaging.
Iran Warns of Targeting Israel Amid Collapsed Ceasefire with US Strikes
Iranian official Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr warned that his country stands ready to strike Israel in retaliation if the United States presses ahead with military action following the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire. Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, issued the statement through state media on Friday after President Donald Trump declared the agreement over due to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The US responded with strikes on Iranian targets, prompting further exchanges including Iranian actions against sites in Gulf countries. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated his forces remain prepared to hit Iran again with greater force if needed, amid ongoing regional tensions.
Pakistani Forces Claim Heavy Toll on Balochistan Insurgents After Deadly Attacks
Pakistani security forces reported killing 75 insurgents in operations across Balochistan following a series of militant attacks that left dozens of security personnel and civilians dead. Insurgents from groups including the Baloch Liberation Army struck a police post guarding a dam project in Ziarat district, killing nine officers in the initial assault and later executing 18 abducted policemen. A separate ambush on a military convoy on a highway claimed 11 soldiers. The military spokesperson detailed counteroperations that neutralized militants while vowing to pursue all involved, their facilitators, and supporters regardless of location. The violence highlights ongoing separatist challenges in the resource-rich but unstable province bordering Afghanistan and Iran.
