Asked by a reporter about Catholics in Europe believing that Islam is a threat to Christianity and whether they were right, Pope Leo XIV <a href="https://x.com/SlimWiggy/status/1996425827454763287">responded</a> by saying they were often people who were against immigration and should be less fearful.
“All of the conversations that I had during my time both in Turkey and in Lebanon, including with many Muslims, were precisely concentrated on the topic of peace and respect of people of different religions,” Pope Leo stated, adding the understatement, “I know that as a matter of fact, that has not always been the case.”
“I know that in Europe, there are many times fears that are present, but oftentimes generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race,” he declared. “And in that sense, I would say that we all need to work together. One of the values of this trip is precisely to raise the world’s attention to the possibility that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible.”
The pope turned to Lebanon, which was a beautiful country in the 1960’s, but started to be torn apart with the entrance of the Palestine Liberation Organization, headed by Yasser Arafat.
As <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/op_eds/2025/05/06/lebanons-ossified-left-and-its-stance-on-palestine/">FDD</a> has noted:
<blockquote>
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded at a conference in East Jerusalem in 1964 under Jordanian sovereignty. The organization started recruiting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, training them, arming them, and launching attacks across the southern border with Israel, inviting Israeli reprisal. Lebanon’s Christian establishment was enraged, saw the Palestinian militias as a threat to the sovereignty of the Lebanese state, and sided with global capitalism against the PLO and the now-defunct Eastern Bloc. Christians thus became Lebanon’s Right.
Meanwhile, many Lebanese Muslims took the side of fellow Muslim Palestinians and their armed factions. These Lebanese connected with the world’s leftist organizations and governments and emerged as the country’s Left. By the time the Lebanese civil war ended in 1991, the Muslim Left had prevailed over the Christian Right.
</blockquote>
“I think one of the great lessons that Lebanon can teach to the world is precisely showing a land where Islam, Christianity are both present and are respected and that there is a possibility to live together, to be friends, “ the pope pronounced. “Stories, testimony, witnesses that heard even in the past two days of people helping each other, Christians with Muslims &#8212; both of them had their villages destroyed, for example &#8212; of saying, we can come together and work together. I think that those are lessons that would be important also that we heard in Europe or North America that we should perhaps be a little less fearful and look for ways of promoting authentic dialogue and respect.&#8221;
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
Pope Leo’s perspective would seem to be at odds with Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who wrote in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/50582876">Hope for the World: To Unite All Things in Christ</a>, “If you really understand Islam, you understand that the Church really should be afraid of it.”

Pope Leo XIV makes statements on his return from his first foreign trip

Pope Leo XIV Criticizes European Christians Fearing Islam

Christianity

Islam

Pope Leo

Religion

World

The 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS), released by the White House under President Trump, frames his second administration as a decisive restoration of American strength following what he describes as years of drift and weakness.
The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf">document</a> opens with a triumphant narrative of renewal: the border secured through military deployment, the Armed Forces purged of “woke” influences, a trillion-dollar rearmament launched, and NATO allies compelled to raise defense spending up to 5% of GDP — an unprecedented level.
The document also emphasizes a bold direction for the Trump administration. &#8220;It is not grounded in traditional, political ideology. It is motivated above all by what works for America—or, in two words, &#8216;America First,'&#8221; it states.
These measures, alongside the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program under “Operation Midnight Hammer” and the classification of transnational cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, are presented as proof that American power and deterrence have been revived. The strategy positions these moves within a broader “America First” framework — assertive, self-sufficient, and unapologetically sovereign — designed to usher in a “new golden age” of national vigor and global influence.
The NSS justifies this approach by arguing that previous post-Cold War strategies overstretched the United States. According to the document, earlier administrations assumed that perpetual global dominance was sustainable and morally imperative, leading to open-ended commitments, economic dependence, and undue deference to multilateral institutions that eroded U.S. sovereignty.
This overreach, it contends, weakened the nation’s industrial and military foundations while emboldening allies to underinvest in their own security. In contrast, Trump’s leadership is cast as a correction toward realism, prioritization, and disciplined power — using American influence strategically rather than universally. The overarching goal is national rejuvenation through sovereignty, self-reliance, and the strategic use of strength to preserve peace.
At its core, the NSS identifies the preservation of the United States as a free and sovereign constitutional republic as the primary objective of American statecraft. National security is redefined broadly to encompass defense against military threats as well as espionage, predatory economics, organized crime, propaganda, and cultural corruption. Border control and immigration enforcement are elevated to existential necessities, coupled with efforts to reduce migration pressures globally.
The NSS envisions overwhelming military capability supported by an upgraded nuclear arsenal, next-generation missile defenses referred to as a “Golden Dome,” and a modernized infrastructure resilient to cyber or kinetic attacks. The overarching idea is that adversaries must never be able to hold the American economy or homeland hostage.
Economic vitality is treated as the foundation of power, not its byproduct. The strategy calls for sweeping reindustrialization, resilient supply chains, and a wartime-ready defense industrial base. Expanding domestic production — especially in fossil and nuclear energy — is positioned as both a patriotic and strategic act, underpinning prosperity while denying adversaries leverage over critical resources.
Simultaneously, the United States is urged to secure leadership in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing, guarding these sectors through deregulation, investment, and strict protection of intellectual property from foreign theft.
Beyond capabilities, the NSS emphasizes what it describes as a deeper cultural and spiritual renewal necessary for sustained national strength. It asserts that a confident, cohesive, and patriotic society — rooted in strong families, a shared sense of purpose, and respect for historical achievements — forms the bedrock of American soft power. Internal unity and moral resilience are cast as strategic assets in an era of ideological and informational conflict.
Guiding these ideas are a series of principles intended to anchor the Trump-era worldview. Foreign policy, the NSS insists, must be grounded in national interest rather than abstract universalism. Peace is to be maintained through overwhelming power; intervention abroad should occur only when vital interests are clearly threatened; and diplomacy must rest on realism rather than efforts to export American political values.
Guarding sovereignty requires resisting foreign influence operations, transnational censorship, mass migration pressures, and the encroachments of global institutions. Partnerships and trade arrangements must shift toward fairness and reciprocity — most notably symbolized by the demand that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense. Domestic competency, free enterprise, and meritocracy are portrayed as civilizational strengths necessary for innovation and strategic advantage.
From these principles flow the NSS’s regional strategies. The Western Hemisphere is designated the highest priority under a newly coined “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine. It mandates blocking external great powers from gaining footholds, dismantling narcotics cartels, securing migration routes, and consolidating the Western Hemisphere as an American-led economic and security space. Tools include expanded Coast Guard and naval missions, the use of tariffs and trade incentives, and financial mechanisms like EXIM Bank and the DFC to deepen regional investment and counter Chinese and other rival influence.
In the Indo-Pacific — the global arena most vital to U.S. economic and strategic interests — the NSS calls for an unrelenting effort to outcompete China. The United States now regards Beijing as a near-peer rival, demanding reciprocity, fair trade, and technological independence. The strategy focuses on restoring supply chains, defending key technologies, countering economic coercion, and deepening ties with allies such as Japan, India, Australia, and other members of the Quad. Militarily, preserving U.S. superiority near Taiwan and maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea are considered indispensable to global stability.
Globally, the NSS seeks to align the financial and industrial power of America and its partners to counter China’s influence in the Global South through infrastructure investment and the continued dominance of the dollar system. Europe is encouraged to reclaim economic vigor and cultural self-confidence while assuming greater defense responsibility. Middle Eastern policy shifts from intervention to partnership and mutual development, while Africa strategy moves toward leveraging trade, energy investment, and critical mineral cooperation rather than traditional aid.
Taken together, the 2025 NSS conveys a unified vision: a reinvigorated, sovereign America exercising power through economic resurgence, military superiority, technological leadership, and renewed cultural confidence. Its ultimate message is that through disciplined strength and restored national pride, the United States can again define global stability on its own terms.

President Trump Recuperates Amid Questions About His Health And Campaign

‘A New Golden Age’: Trump’s New National Security Strategy Revives ‘America First’

‘A New Golden Age’: Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy Revives ‘America First’

Donald Trump

National Security

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Friday to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115667445871563304">announce</a> with typical gusto that he had “approved TINY CARS&#8221; to be manufactured in the United States.
“I have just approved TINY CARS to be built in America,” Trump wrote. “Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries. They can be propelled by gasoline, electric, or hybrid. These cars of the very near future are inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient and, quite simply, AMAZING!!! START BUILDING THEM NOW!”
Trump’s directive came just two days after <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/what-they-are-saying-president-donald-j-trump-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy">unveiling</a> his administration’s “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” initiative — a sweeping reset of federal fuel economy standards designed to roll back what he called the Biden-Buttigieg “illegal backdoor EV mandate.” The new plan, Trump argued, would free American families from inflated car prices driven by government coercion and environmental overreach.
The announcement sparked fresh debate after Trump <a href="https://gearjunkie.com/motors/trump-kei-cars-statement">elaborated</a> that he wanted to see the kind of ultra-compact “tiny cars” popular in Japan and South Korea in the United States — effectively endorsing kei cars, the pint-sized, lightweight vehicles that dot Asia’s urban streets. “They’re really cute,” Trump said, likening them to the classic Volkswagen Beetle and praising models by Honda and Toyota.
Trump told Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “clear the regulations” so automakers could begin production immediately.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
The reality is complex. Under existing law, kei cars can only be imported if they are 25 years old, and even then, individual states often block their registration. They routinely fail to meet federal safety and emissions standards — rules governing everything from crumple zones to axle width. Legalizing them would require a massive overhaul of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or special exemptions — processes that can take years. Even if permitted federally, states could still ban their operation on public roads.
Industry analysts also question whether there’s a viable American market for such microcars. Compact vehicles already make up less than 10 percent of new car sales, with American consumers favoring trucks and SUVs. Thirty percent may say they’d consider a small car, but only four percent ever buy one. Meanwhile, retooling plants to build kei-class vehicles would demand billions in new investment for uncertain returns.
Still, Trump’s pitch — equal parts populism and nostalgia — hits a familiar chord: freedom of choice, affordability, and defiance of regulatory elites. Whether the dream of “cute, tiny cars made in America” materializes or fades like past promises of cheap, simple mobility remains to be seen. But with average car prices now approaching $50,000, there’s no mistaking the political potency of promising that freedom really can fit in a smaller package.

Japan Mobility Show Press Day

Trump Launches ‘Tiny Car’ Revolution, Says It Will Give Americans Affordable Wheels

Auto Companies

Economy

Executive

Politics

tiny cars

At Kent State University in Ohio, an a cappella group that claims to oppose discrimination reportedly enforced a policy that barred white students from even auditioning for certain solos — then moved to discipline a member who dared question it.
Emails obtained by <a href="https://www.campusreform.org/article/exclusive-kent-state-cappella-group-bans-white-students-solo-auditions/29047">Campus Reform</a> showed that Vocal Intensity A Cappella limited solos in one song strictly to “people of color,” arguing that allowing white students to audition would amount to “cultural appropriation.” The rule didn’t sit well with Mark Phillips, a three-year member and the group’s beatboxer, who asked the group’s executive board how that policy squared with Kent State’s own ban on racial discrimination. Phillips wrote that while he respected concerns about authenticity, “Art, music, and culture are meant to be shared and celebrated, not gatekept,” and that the strongest performance should win.
For raising that question, the board accused Phillips of violating the university’s anti-discrimination policy — the very policy meant to prevent the kind of race-based exclusion he was objecting to. The board placed him on probation and ordered him to appear before the entire group in a disciplinary hearing where he would “plead his case” and potentially face permanent removal.
The board doubled down in follow-up correspondence, reiterating that the solos would remain restricted to black students unless reversed by a vote. The planned hearing involved closed-door proceedings, time-limited speeches, and even guidelines for immediate expulsion should the group choose removal. If kept, Phillips would have been placed on months-long probation.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
That structure stands in stark contrast to Kent State’s written rules, which explicitly forbid racial discrimination and retaliation against students who challenge it. The university’s policy <a href="https://www.kent.edu/policyreg/university-policy-regarding-unlawful-discrimination-and-harassment">states</a>, “This policy prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, age, and protected military or veteran status. Retaliation for reporting or participating in the complaint process is also prohibited.”
It also clashes with Ohio’s recently enacted Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, which bars race-based advantages in public universities.
Phillips ultimately resigned and called the disciplinary process a “performative ambush” aimed at punishing him for opposing discrimination. In his resignation letter, he wrote, “Denying opportunities based on skin color is discrimination by definition.”
Speaking to Campus Reform, Phillips said, “What I really want is for people to bring common sense back and stop pretending that people of color are oppressed in this country. I want people to realize that we are meant to celebrate what we have in common instead of dividing and fighting over our differences.”
The Daily Wire reached out to Kent State for comment.

Kent State

Kent State Singing Group Bans White Students From Solos, Disciplines Member Who Objected

Ohio

Racism

Whiteness

Minnesota’s leftist Democratic Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan erupted against President Trump, launching a broadside that sounded more like a social media influencer’s meltdown than the words of a sitting state executive.
After Trump scorched Minnesota’s Somali community over allegations of massive welfare fraud and ties to terrorism, Flanagan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR0z4DGidic/">posted</a> on Instagram to sneer: “You know, this vile, racist stream of consciousness from a President ‘Old Man Yells At Cloud,’ you’re disgusting.”  She filmed herself cruising down Lake Street — the heart of the local Somali community — praising it as “beautiful,” “the fabric of our state,” and promising to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with immigrants “no matter what.”
On November 21, Trump wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115590786862216464">Truth Social</a>: “Minnesota, under Governor Waltz, is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity. I am, as President of the United States, hereby terminating, effective immediately, the Temporary Protected Status (TPS Program) for Somalis in Minnesota. Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It’s OVER!”
For Flanagan, Trump’s blunt warning about fraud and exploitation was “vile” simply because it offends progressive sensibilities. Yet what Trump highlighted has been <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/minnesota-welfare-fraud-somalia-al-shabaab">meticulously documented</a>. During Governor Tim Walz’s tenure, billions in taxpayer funds have vanished into fake nonprofits and shell companies, much of it allegedly tied to Somali-run operations that have misused Medicaid and housing aid. Confidential law enforcement sources have confirmed that some of the stolen money has made its way to Al-Shabaab, the al-Qaeda-linked terror group destabilizing East Africa. As one independent contractor investigating the scandal put it, “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”
Instead of reckoning with that shocking reality or demanding accountability for the theft and possible terrorism financing under her own administration, Flanagan turned her indignation on Trump. It’s a deflection pattern that’s become her political brand.
Flanagan’s outrage over Trump also fits neatly with her history of progressive posturing. In 2023, Flanagan boasted about signing Minnesota’s “Trans Refuge Bill” and other radical measures as proof her state championed “love” and “freedom.”
After a transgender-identifying shooter tore through a Minneapolis Catholic school earlier this year, Flanagan was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-gave-this-death-cult-sanctuary-minnesota-lt-gov-blasted-after-annunciation-school-attack">reminded</a> that she once <a href="https://x.com/1Nicdar/status/1960801919946879431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1960801919946879431%7Ctwgr%5E12feb75e6aaf661bb370cfee162a975be77867f4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fyou-gave-this-death-cult-sanctuary-minnesota-lt-gov-blasted-after-annunciation-school-attack">wore a “Protect Trans Kids” shirt</a> featuring a dagger graphic. Flanagan was absolutely shredded online with comments like these:
<blockquote>
Their blood is on your hands. You gave this death cult sanctuary.
Culpable. It’s on your watch with your encouragement.
You cannot escape responsibility for this no matter what platitudes you post. You own this.
&#8220;terrifying act of violence.&#8221; So carefully sterilized, as if it were just some random person attacking other random people. No mention of &#8220;hate&#8221;&#8211;one of your favorite words for every act of humanity you don&#8217;t like, even though we already know it was entirely about hate. Hate that people such as yourself&#8211;in a position of leadership for an entire state of Americans&#8211;have ENCOURAGED.
</blockquote>
Flanagan’s fury isn’t about defending Minnesota’s integrity; it’s about defending a narrative. Faced with evidence of shocking corruption and chaos under her party’s watch, she found it easier to lash out at Trump than confront the rot at home.

Candlelight vigil held for victims of Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

Minnesota Dem Goes On Unhinged Rant Defending Somalis From Trump

Minnesota Lt. Gov Calls Trump 'Vile, Racist ... Old Man Who Yells At Cloud'

Minnesota

Peggy Flanagan

Somalis

A packed and emotionally charged zoning board meeting this week in Hoover, Alabama, ended with <a href="https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2025/12/heated-alabama-zoning-meeting-ends-with-rejection-of-islamic-school-plan.html?outputType=amp">unanimous rejection</a> of a proposal to relocate a Muslim K-12 school.
The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission <a href="https://hooversun.com/news/hoover-zoning-board-votes-against-islamic-academy-in-meadow-/">voted</a> 7-0 to deny rezoning the property on Corporate Drive from office use to accommodate the Islamic Academy of Alabama, citing concerns about traffic congestion, adherence to long-term city development plans, and the precedent such a zoning change might set. The meeting drew nearly 200 residents, filling the city council chamber and spilling into hallways as opponents voiced their objections — some focused on practical issues, others on cultural unease.
The potential move has sparked both practical and cultural debate in the community.
Several residents insisted their opposition stemmed from concern over already clogged roads. Meadowbrook resident Nancy Cooper pointed out that six schools serving more than 5,600 students already feed traffic into Highway 119, often turning it into what she called “a parking lot.” A petition opposing the plan gathered over 1,700 signatures. “It’s not about religion,” said resident Jeff Wilson, who started the petition. “It’s about traffic.”
Some attendees held signs warning of an Islamic “100-year plan” and comparing Hoover’s future to the Muslim-majority city of Dearborn, Michigan. Others openly suggested the school’s presence would drive away business or hurt property values.
The last speaker read a prepared statement in which she said Muslims had implemented a “long-term cultural takeover” in Britain, drawing applause. Commission Chairman Mike Wood interrupted to say that what she was saying was not germane to the discussion, saying, “We are here to look at whether this school was appropriately placed. We’re not here for that. I’m sorry. We’re not going to listen to that.” Some members of the crowd yelled in response, coming to the woman’s defense.
Though Monday’s vote is only advisory, it sends the proposal to the Hoover City Council, where a final decision will be made.

COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 23 SEC Baseball Championship Quarterfinals – Mississippi vs Arkansas

Alabama Town Blocks Islamic Academy From Expanding

Alabama

Muslim

Roughly 200 celebrities, including Sting, Paul Simon, Richard Branson, Margaret Atwood, Mark Ruffalo, and Ian McKellen, issued an open letter for Israel to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/03/leading-cultural-figures-call-for-release-jailed-palestinian-leader-marwan-barghouti">release</a> the convicted murderer and terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who reportedly served as the leader and commander of the Al-Aqsa Brigades that murdered over 1,000 Israelis during the Second Intifada.
The statement reads: “We express our grave concern at the continuing imprisonment of Marwan Barghouti, his violent mistreatment and denial of legal rights whilst imprisoned. We call upon the United Nations and the governments of the world to actively seek the release of Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison.”
Barghouti, 66, was convicted on five counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2004. Barghouti was found responsible for a June 2001 attack in which a Greek monk was murdered, a January 2002 terror attack on a gas station, a March 2002 attack at Tel Aviv’s Seafood Market restaurant, where three people were murdered, and a car bomb attack in Jerusalem.
In 2017, The New York Times was harshly criticized by many people, including Yair Lapid, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, for publishing an op-ed by Barghouti while failing to inform readers that he had been convicted of five counts of murder and was implicated in four other terror attacks.
“He was the leader of the second intifada before his arrest in 2002,” Jamestown <a href="https://jamestown.org/marwan-barghouti-will-palestinian-prisoner-pursue-an-agreement-with-israel/">reported</a> of Barghouti.
Israeli Brigadier-General Yossi Kuperwasser <a href="https://jcfa.org/who-is-marwan-barghouti/">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>
Barghouti was the leader and commander of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the key terror component of Fatah that carried out many terror attacks throughout the Second Intifada. He was also the leader of the umbrella organization of the Islamic and national forces, which oversaw the entire range of terror activity during those years, and served as coordinator between the different organizations. &#8230; Documents captured by the IDF in “Operation Defensive Shield” (April 2002) shed light on Barghouti’s involvement in commanding the terror efforts under Arafat. In those documents, Barghouti asks Arafat to authorize payments to several lists of Fatah terrorists, while he himself was approached by local commanders who asked him to authorize payments to terrorists from their units.
</blockquote>
According to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070703195937/http://212.150.54.123/casualties_project/stats_page.cfm">data</a>, during the Second Intifada, 764 of the 1,010 Israelis murdered in attacks from September 2000 – 2005 were civilians.
Just between May 2001 and May 2002, prior to the bombing at Hebrew University, there were these massacres: five Israelis murdered by a suicide bomber at the HaSharon Mall in May 2001; 21 Israelis murdered by a suicide bomber at the Dolphinarium Discotheque in June 2001; 15 Israelis murdered by a suicide bomber at Sbarro’s Pizza in August 2001, including six children and a 31-year-old woman who was the only child of her parents and was five months pregnant; 11 Israelis murdered in a bus bombing on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem on December 1, 2001; 15 more Israelis murdered the very next day in a Haifa suicide bombing; 11 more Israelis murdered in a bus attack 10 days later in Immanuel; six Israelis murdered in an attack at a bat-mitzvah in January 2002; 11 more Jews killed in an attack on a yeshiva in March 2002, including a five-month-old child; 11 Jews murdered in a bombing at Café Moment in March 2002; 30 Israelis killed as they celebrated Passover in Netanya on March 27, 2002; 16 Israelis murdered in a suicide bombing four days later at the Matza restaurant, and 16 Israelis murdered in Rishon LeZion in May 2002.

MIDEAST-PALESTINIAN-REFUGEES

200 Celebrities Call For Release Of Palestinian Terror Chief Who Helped Lead Second Intifada

Israel

Marwan Barghouti

Palestinian

terrorist

Defense analysts and technologists have noted that the legacy media coverage of drone failures reflects a deeper misunderstanding of how America has historically developed advanced military systems — and why failure-based <a href="https://www.piratewires.com/p/yes-blowing-shit-up-is-how-we-build">testing</a> has long been essential to U.S. security.
Recent reporting from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/anduril-industries-defense-tech-problems-52b90cae">The Wall Street Journal </a>and<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-defense-firm-anduril-faces-setbacks-drone-crashes-2025-11-27/"> Reuters</a> took aim at defense-tech firm Anduril, highlighting test failures ranging from crashed drones to an engine-damaging nail discovered after a ground run of the company’s experimental unmanned jet.
The scrutiny comes as Anduril accelerates work on autonomous systems for the Pentagon, including loitering munitions, counter-drone platforms, and a next-generation “Collaborative Combat Aircraft.” According to reporters, the company has encountered issues during Navy exercises, experienced drone failures in Ukraine, and seen fiery mishaps on U.S. test ranges. The tone of the coverage suggests a pattern of dysfunction.
But defense experts argue the opposite: the tests reveal a healthy development pipeline operating the way America’s most successful Cold War programs once did.
Historical precedent strongly supports that view. In 1957, General Bernard Schriever — the architect of the U.S. ICBM program — watched the Thor missile explode just inches off the launch pad. Several subsequent tests ended in a similar fashion. Yet rather than treating those failures as scandalous, contemporaneous media framed them as inevitable steps in the rapid creation of systems meant to counter the Soviet threat. Thor’s problems directly informed the Minuteman program, which achieved a successful test flight within four years and became one of the most consequential deterrent weapons ever fielded.
Other iconic programs followed the same pattern. The CIA’s CORONA spy satellites failed 12 times before returning reconnaissance film that altered the strategic balance of the Cold War. Early Sidewinder missile tests regularly missed targets; a test pilot joked the missile flew off “like a big-assed bird.” Tomahawk cruise missile prototypes repeatedly crashed during demonstrations, prompting the Secretary of Defense to remind reporters that testing exists precisely to expose design flaws.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
Against that backdrop, observers say today’s intense focus on Anduril’s failed test flights — many of which occurred during intentionally aggressive trial conditions — reflects a shift toward a risk-averse, slow-moving defense culture that critics argue has already delayed major modernization programs. Anduril itself has emphasized that rapid iteration is central to its model, noting that it tests “five days a week, nearly 52 weeks a year,” and that failures are “intentional” opportunities to accelerate learning.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey stated bluntly on X, “We aren&#8217;t going to change. We aren&#8217;t going to slow down. That is exactly what they want us to do, exactly what our competitors want, and the opposite of what building safe, powerful, cost-effective weapons actually looks like.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We aren&#39;t going to change. We aren&#39;t going to slow down. That is exactly what they want us to do, exactly what our competitors want, and the opposite of what building safe, powerful, cost-effecfive weapons actually looks like. <a href="https://t.co/bQ9J9YgSaZ">https://t.co/bQ9J9YgSaZ</a>
&mdash; Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1996057619388301530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The larger concern, experts warn, is that media narratives portraying routine developmental setbacks as alarming may inadvertently push the defense sector toward even greater caution, mirroring practices that historically hindered rivals like the Soviet Union. In an era of rising Chinese military capability, they argue, discouraging aggressive testing risks slowing innovation at the precise moment the U.S. can least afford it.
From this view, criticizing failure-focused testing doesn’t expose a national security problem — it helps create one.

Anduril Founder Says Defense Supply Chain Must Split From China

Crashed Drones From Defense Startup Highlight American Ingenuity, Not Failure

Legacy Media Targets Anduril’s Crashed Drones—But History Shows Failure Is How America Innovates

Anduril

Defense

Legacy Media

Palmer Luckey

Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid out the crisis at America’s southern border and the growing danger emanating from Venezuela during a candid exchange with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday night.
Rubio blasted Venezuelan socialist President Nicolás Maduro&#8217;s regime, calling it a failing dictatorship that is funneling chaos toward the United States. The secretary of state said that Maduro &#8220;suckered Joe Biden,&#8221; but added, “They’re not going to sucker Donald Trump.”
Rubio noted that more than eight million Venezuelans have fled the country, overwhelming neighbors and adding to the migrant flow reaching America’s doorstep. But he stressed that the conversation can’t stop at humanitarian collapse. The sharper danger, he argued, is the Iranian foothold inside Venezuela, a reality the media rarely touches. He explained that Iran’s IRGC — and even Hezbollah — have entrenched themselves in South America, with Venezuela serving as one of their “anchor” sanctuaries.
Rubio also discussed the unavoidable limits of vetting migrants with a level of sobriety absent from most political rhetoric.
&#8220;You can only vet information that exists,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So it is possible that in many cases, there are things about these people that you just don&#8217;t know, and no matter how much you vet them, you just don&#8217;t have certain information.&#8221;
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
Rubio explained that in many corners of the world — especially countries overrun by terrorists or lacking functioning institutions — documentation is nonexistent or impossible to verify. He warned that someone with no extremist record could be pulled into ideology once inside the United States, particularly if they struggle to assimilate or are vulnerable to propaganda in their native language. The Afghan national who allegedly shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., last week — killing one and wounding the other — was &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspected-national-guard-shooter-was-radicalized-through-connections-in-afghanistan-noem-says">radicalized</a>&#8221; through connections he maintained in Afghanistan after coming to the United States, according to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
&#8220;The bottom line is there is no effective way to allow hundreds of thousands of people to enter any country in the world and not face consequences,&#8221; Rubio added.
Turning back to Venezuela, Rubio said the Biden administration made a major mistake by believing that Maduro could be negotiated into good behavior.
&#8220;The Biden administration made a deal with Maduro. No one talks about this,&#8221; Rubio told Hannity. &#8220;He made a deal with Maduro. Here was the deal: Maduro asked that his nephews – convicted drug traffickers – be released from U.S. prisons. He asked that his chief money launderer, his money man, his bag man, be released from U.S. custody before he stood trial. In exchange he promised to hold free and fair elections. He got the nephews back, the drug dealers. He got the bag man back. And he never did the free and fair elections.&#8221;

President Trump Hosts Philippines President Marcos At White House

‘They’re Not Going To Sucker Donald Trump’: Rubio Crystal Clear On Venezuela, Immigration

Immigration

Iran

Marco Rubio

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

At a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins delivered a sweeping update on the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), revealing what she called “rampant fraud” and announcing a dramatic escalation in the administration’s effort to force state compliance with federal oversight.
Rollins said that under the president’s tenure, “about 800,000” Americans have already moved off SNAP, a program serving 42 million people, and she argued the trend underscores the need to restore integrity to a system she said has been “abused for far too long.”
Rollins detailed new findings from the department’s data-matching initiative — an effort she said was repeatedly obstructed by blue states. “We found 500,000 people receiving benefits more than twice,” she said. “We had a couple of people receiving benefits in six states.” She noted that in February, USDA asked all 50 states to submit their SNAP recipient data so the federal government could help identify fraud. Twenty-one states, including California, New York, and Minnesota, refused. As a result, Rollins announced the administration will withhold federal funds from those states beginning next week unless they provide the data and “allow us to partner with them to protect the American taxpayer.”
The secretary also contrasted the current crackdown with the previous administration, stating that President Biden — “working to buy [the] election a year ago,” in her words — expanded the food-stamp budget by 40 percent.
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
The confrontation over state cooperation intensified in mid-November when Rollins <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dead-men-dining-trump-admin-uncovers-astonishing-number-of-deceased-people-getting-snap-benefits?utm_source=chatgpt.com">disclosed</a> an alarming figure: 186,000 deceased individuals were receiving SNAP benefits, a number she said far exceeded the initial estimate of 5,000 in a single month. Rollins explained that on her first day in office, she asked states to share basic personal data for all SNAP recipients — names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses — asserting the information was needed both to identify fraud and to ensure benefits were not going to illegal immigrants. She claimed Democrats opposed data-sharing because, in her view, their political strategy “depends on protecting illegal aliens.”
According to Rollins, 29 mostly red states complied, and the fraud numbers identified so far come only from those data sets. “Can you imagine when we get our hands on the blue-state data?” she said. She argued that full transparency will enable USDA to rebuild the program from the ground up, require every recipient to reapply, and make certain SNAP is reserved for Americans who “literally cannot survive without it.”

Lawmakers Continue Work On Capitol Hill As Shutdown Drags On

Trump Admin Warns Blue States: Give Us Food Stamp Data Or We Cut Off Funds

brooke rollins

Food Stamps

Secretary of Agriculture

SNAP

Scientists may have <a href="https://www.space.com/astronomy/black-holes/have-gravitational-waves-provided-the-first-hint-of-primordial-black-holes-born-during-the-big-bang">detected</a> the first tantalizing hint of primordial black holes, which are thought to have formed in the initial moments after the Big Bang.
The excitement centers on a cosmic gravitational-wave signal recorded on November 12, 2025, when the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA (LVK) network issued an automated alert for an unusual event. Unlike the hundreds of black hole and neutron-star mergers routinely observed since 2015, this signal appeared to involve at least one object far too light to be any known stellar remnant.
Ordinary black holes form when massive stars collapse, and neutron stars also arise from stellar cores; both types of objects have masses roughly equal to or greater than the Sun. The November 12 signal instead pointed to a sub-solar-mass compact object, something astrophysics cannot easily explain.
This has led to speculation that the lighter component might be a primordial black hole, a long-theorized relic born directly from density fluctuations in the ultra-hot plasma of the early universe — long before stars existed. These exotic objects could span a huge mass range: from far lighter than a paperclip to hundreds of thousands of solar masses.
If they exist, primordial black holes could influence cosmic evolution and even account for dark matter, the mysterious invisible substance that makes up most of the universe’s mass but does not interact with light.
The scientific reaction, however, remains cautious. LIGO member Christopher Berry <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15344573/Scientists-primordial-black-holes-big-bang.html">highlighted</a> the event as a potential subsolar source but emphasized the possibility of a false alarm. For an event this unusual, the estimated false-alarm rate — about once every four years — is too high to claim a discovery. Noise artifacts often mimic faint or atypical gravitational-wave signals. Researchers are searching for any accompanying electromagnetic flash, but the localization region spans an enormous patch of sky, making such follow-up nearly impossible.
Even so, the possibility is captivating because primordial black holes have never been observed despite decades of theoretical work. Some could have evaporated through Hawking radiation early in cosmic history, while larger ones might survive today. A merger between two such objects would produce exactly the kind of signal LIGO and Virgo detected. Yet without additional events, scientists may never be certain whether S251112cm was real or merely a glitch.
Experts say the best path forward is to wait for more detections — something future upgrades to LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA are expected to enable. If similar signals appear, they could provide the first direct evidence for primordial black holes and offer crucial clues to the nature of dark matter.

Tour Of LIGO Lab’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation Site Following  Discovery Of Gravitational Waves

Observatories Detect First-Ever Cosmic Signal From Elusive Primordial Black Hole

Gravitational-Wave Observatories Detect Possible Signal From Elusive Primordial Black Hole

Black Holes

Dark Matter

Outer Space

In a move that drew near-uniform support on the House floor, lawmakers on Monday advanced a blunt, unambiguous message: those who took part in the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities in Israel will not set foot in the United States. The “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act of 2025,” introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), <a href="https://www.jns.org/house-passes-bill-to-bar-deport-oct-7-perpetrators/">sailed through the House</a> by voice vote—without objection—underscoring just how little patience remains in Washington for loopholes that allow terrorists to slip through America’s immigration system.
McClintock’s bill takes direct aim at anyone who “carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to or otherwise facilitated” the brutal rampage Hamas launched on October 7, 2023, a massacre that left more than 1,200 Israelis—children, infants, seniors—slaughtered for the crime of being Jewish. The bill explicitly includes members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and it arrives with 18 Republican co-sponsors, including Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), and Ann Wagner (R-MO).
Democrats signaled support but quibbled with the method. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) insisted that members of Foreign Terrorist Organizations are already barred from entering the United States, and argued that Congress has historically avoided naming specific attacks in the Immigration and Nationality Act—even after 9/11. McClintock countered that there is precedent, pointing to the Nazi Party and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), whose members are explicitly blocked under American law. “Does anyone seriously argue that we should repeal the sanctions against persons who aided and abetted the Nazis’ Holocaust?” he asked. “If not, why oppose extending the same sanctions to the Nazis’ would-be modern-day successors?”
50% off DailyWire+ annual memberships will not return for another year, so don’t miss this deal! Join now at <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="http://dailywire.com/cyberweek" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://DailyWire.com/cyberweek" data-sk="tooltip_parent">DailyWire.com/cyberweek</a>.
The timing of the bill’s passage wasn’t accidental. It comes on the heels of the shocking <a href="https://x.com/EFischberger/status/1979143145632772553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">arrest</a> of Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, a Gaza-born operative accused of helping coordinate the October 7 attacks, then waltzing into the United States on a fraudulent visa. According to federal prosecutors, al-Muhtadi organized fighters in Gaza, moved behind the first wave of terrorists entering Israel, and sent messages instructing attackers to “bring the rifles” and “get ready.” His phone even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/us/fbi-hamas-attack-louisiana.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uE8.zTMe.8-olRlhIWLLf&amp;smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare">pinged</a> an Israeli cell tower on the morning of the assault. Yet he made it into the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in 2024 and was later found working at a restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana.
For McClintock and his allies, that case alone is all the justification America needs. The bill now moves to the Senate—where an earlier version languished—and House Republicans are making clear they won’t accept another failure to act.

Menu

Hank Berrien