Tropical Storm Erin intensified to become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, with Caribbean residents bracing for what forecasters warn could become a dangerous Category 3 storm as early as Sunday.
The National Hurricane Center confirmed Hurricane Erin reached sustained winds of 75 mph Friday morning, with the storm currently located approximately 460 miles east of the nearest Caribbean islands, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/hurricanes/tropical-storm-erin-expected-strengthen-first-atlantic-hurricane-2025-rcna225175" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NBC News reported</a>.
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Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Erin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Erin</a> Advisory 17: Erin Becomes the First Hurricane of the 2025 Season. Expected to Pass Near Or North of the Leeward Islands On Saturday. <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb">https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb</a>
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1956367281778253889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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According to the <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2025-08-14-tropical-storm-hurricane-erin-caribbean">Weather Channel</a>, next week, &#8220;Erin is expected to pass between North Carolina and Bermuda,&#8221; with several northern Caribbean islands likely impacted, and forecasters are noting there remains some uncertainty regarding the hurricane&#8217;s impact on the U.S. East Coast.
&#8220;Erin is turning toward the west-northwest as it strengthens. This path will take Erin toward progressively warmer waters, which, in tandem with low wind shear, should allow Erin to become a major hurricane this weekend as it makes a close brush, or travels just north of the Caribbean islands,&#8221; The Weather Channel added.
Given its current trajectory through warm water in the open ocean, the National Hurricane Center projects Hurricane Erin reaching Category 4 status as early as next week.
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JUST IN: Erin has been upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
It is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season.
Erin is forecast to become a Major Hurricane late weekend/early next week, topping out as a Category 4. <a href="https://t.co/FeSdBfnHWd">pic.twitter.com/FeSdBfnHWd</a>
— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MyRadarWX/status/1956367640659734666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for several Caribbean islands, including Anguilla, Barbuda, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, and Sint Maarten, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours, Fox Weather <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/prep-file-hurricane-erin-becomes-first-hurricane-2025-atlantic-season">reported</a>.
The system is forecast to dump between two and four inches of rain in its early stages, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to six inches, potentially triggering flash/urban flooding, landslides, and mudslides across the northernmost Leeward Islands, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, and southern and eastern Puerto Rico, per NBC.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
The disturbance that eventually became Hurricane Erin caused significant destruction in the African Cabo Verde islands earlier this week. Images from the island of São Vicente showed extensive flooding with muddy water rushing through streets and damaging homes, killing multiple people, per Fox Weather.
Emergency management officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are urging residents to review hurricane plans and secure emergency supplies despite forecasts showing the storm&#8217;s center remaining offshore.

National Hurricane Center Monitors Tropical Storm Erin

First 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Barrels Toward Caribbean, Forecasters Warn Of Rapid Intensification

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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) confirmed Friday it will cease operations after Republicans in Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in federal funding for the organization, which has been a primary financial source for NPR and PBS.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/01/cpb-npr-pbs-corporation-public-broadcasting">said</a> in a statement.
The organization notified employees that most staff positions would be eliminated by the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
“CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care,” Harrison added.
Founded in 1967, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a nonprofit tasked with doling out government funds to local radio and TV stations around the country.
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The CPB had already been approved for $535 million in government funding this year before the funding was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-house-delivers-trumps-9b-cut-to-global-aid-and-public-broadcasting-gets-final-approval">clawed back</a>, with millions of dollars going directly to NPR and PBS, to the anger of many conservatives.
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN &amp; MSDNC put together,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taking-back-control-senate-votes-to-claw-back-9b-from-foreign-aid-public-broadcasting">said</a> in a post on Truth Social in mid-July.
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As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-funded-pbs-show-pushes-93-anti-trump-bias-study-finds">reported</a>, a Media Research Center (MRC) study found the taxpayer-funded PBS program “Washington Week with The Atlantic” consistently exhibited a staggering 93% negative bias against Republicans and the Trump administration over three months, despite claiming to provide “objective” political coverage.
“The panelists spent 83 minutes opining on Republicans, focusing on Trump and his administration, in 93% negative fashion (77 minutes negative, six minutes positive),” the MRC report reads.
House Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-american-airwaves-gop-lawmakers-grill-nprpbs-execs-over-institutional-bias">grilled</a> NPR chief executive Katherine Maher in July on the organization’s bias against conservatives, focusing in particular on the cover-up of the Hunter Biden laptop story during the 2020 election, which Maher attempted to backtrack on.
Former NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner, who resigned after publishing an essay critical of the network’s leftward shift, was referenced by Republican lawmakers as further evidence of the outlet’s bias, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/npr-editor-who-accused-network-of-liberal-bias-resigns">reported</a>.
In a text message to The New York Times, he wrote that he believes the organization should “openly acknowledge and embrace its progressive orientation” and decline federal support, contradicting Maher’s claims of NPR’s supposed objectivity.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will cease all operations by January 2026, in a major blow to both broadcasters.
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US-BUSINESS-NPR

Corporation For Public Broadcasting To Shut Down After Trump, Congress Pull Federal Funding

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Newly declassified intelligence documents released Thursday revealed Hillary Clinton personally approved a campaign plan to &#8220;smear&#8221; then-candidate Donald Trump with false Russian collusion claims to distract from her email scandal during the 2016 presidential race.
Special counsel John Durham uncovered the information during his multi-year investigation into intelligence activities during the 2016 election.
The <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/895553887/Declassified-Durham-Annex-Released-by-Chairman-Grassley#download&amp;from_embed">intelligence</a>, released Monday by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), came from two memos obtained by the Obama administration containing &#8220;confidential conversations&#8221; between members of the DNC and George Soros&#8217;s Open Society Foundations before the 2016 election.
According to the declassified files, Clinton personally approved a plan proposed by her foreign policy advisor, Julianne Smith, to &#8220;smear Donald Trump by magnifying the scandal tied to the intrusion by the Russian special services in the pre-election process to benefit the Republican candidate.&#8221; Smith was later appointed to serve as Ambassador to NATO under President Joe Biden.
One stunning email written by Open Society Foundations Senior Vice President Leonard Bernardo, dated July 27, 2016, stated: &#8220;HRC [Hillary Clinton] approved Julia&#8217;s [sic] idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections. That should distract people from her own missing email, especially if the affair goes to the Olympic level.&#8221;
&#8220;The point is making the Russian play a U.S. domestic issue,&#8221; Bernado continued, adding, &#8220;In absence of direct evidence, Crowdstrike and ThreatConnect will supply the media, and GRU [Russia&#8217;s foreign intelligence arm] will hopefully carry on to give more facts.&#8221;
Durham’s team spoke with analysts and officers who assessed these emails were likely authentic. The special counsel&#8217;s team believe the emails, apparently from Benardo, were a &#8220;composite&#8221; of emails hacked by Russian intelligence from U.S. think tanks.
The Clinton campaign&#8217;s plan included &#8220;raising the theme of &#8216;Putin&#8217;s support for Trump'&#8221; and pushing public opinion to &#8220;equate&#8221; the Russian leader&#8217;s influence campaign with actual election infrastructure hacking. It also involved distributing &#8220;the necessary information through the FBI-affiliated … technical structures … in particular, the Crowdstrike and ThreatConnect companies, from where the information would then be disseminated through leading U.S. publications,&#8221; according to another email from Bernardo.
The email predicted that the FBI would &#8220;put more oil into the fire&#8221; of the Russia collusion narrative, with Obama even <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/31/us-news/hillary-clinton-approved-plan-hatched-by-campaign-aides-to-smear-trump-with-russia-collusion-declassified-docs/">considering</a> shutting down the bureau&#8217;s investigation into Clinton&#8217;s emails, according to the New York Post.
&#8220;Smith was, at minimum, playing a role in the Clinton campaign&#8217;s efforts to tie Trump to Russia,&#8221; Durham concluded.
Senator Chuck Grassley <a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/newly-declassified-appendix-to-durham-report-sheds-additional-light-on-clinton-campaign-plan-to-falsely-tie-trump-to-russia-and-fbis-failure-to-investigate">said</a> in a statement: &#8220;Based on the Durham annex, the Obama FBI failed to adequately review and investigate intelligence reports showing the Clinton campaign may have been ginning up the fake Trump-Russia narrative for Clinton&#8217;s political gain, which was ultimately done through the Steele Dossier and other means.&#8221;
&#8220;The American people deserve the full, unfiltered truth about the Russia collusion hoax and the political abuse of our justice system it exposed,&#8221; FBI Director Kash Patel stated, characterizing it as &#8220;one of the most shameful frauds ever perpetrated on the American public.&#8221;
The Russia collusion narrative dominated headlines for years during the first Trump administration. It led to multiple investigations, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller&#8217;s probe, which ultimately found no evidence of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The Inauguration Of Donald J. Trump As The 47th President

Hillary Clinton Greenlit Russia Hoax To Hide Email Scandal, Declassified Docs Reveal

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Texas Republicans proposed a new congressional map Wednesday that would create five new GOP-leaning districts in a move to maintain the party’s slim House majority ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The redistricting plan targets districts in South Texas with growing Hispanic Republican support and aims to solidify the party&#8217;s slim House majority. If passed, the new lines would flip the Texas delegation from 25-13 in favor of the GOP to 30-8.
President Trump <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trumps-texas-sized-redistricting-dreams-politics-desk-rcna218981">advocated</a> for the redistricting effort earlier this month, pushing for &#8220;a very simple redrawing&#8221; to &#8220;pick up five seats.&#8221;
Under the proposal, several Democratic incumbents would have their districts carved up or eliminated. 
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TEXAS GOP PROPOSE CONGRESSIONAL MAP ELIMINATING 5 DEMOCRATIC SEATS <a href="https://t.co/zUgfKjHG0c">pic.twitter.com/zUgfKjHG0c</a>
&mdash; NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsWire_US/status/1950565448942068074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Representatives Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, who narrowly won reelection in 2024 despite Trump carrying both districts, would see their districts redrawn to favor Republicans by 10-point margins. The map also <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/new-congressional-texas-map-redistricting-00483086?utm_content=politico/magazine/Politics&amp;utm_source=flipboard">eliminates</a> three Democrat-held seats in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, replacing them with districts that Trump won by 15 or more points.
In Houston, leftist Rep. Al Green&#8217;s Ninth Congressional District would be combined with the vacant Democratic-held 18th, creating a new 61% Hispanic district further east that Trump would have carried by 15 points, according to Politico.
Cook Political Report Senior Editor &amp; Elections Analyst Dave Wasserman identified a &#8220;clear&#8221; Republican strategy shown in the new map.
&#8220;Bottom line: it&#8217;s clear what Republicans&#8217; strategy is here. Create as many solid Trump seats as possible while *increasing* the number of Hispanic-majority seats by population, even though Hispanic *voters* will be well south of 40% of the electorate in several of them,&#8221; Wasserman <a href="https://x.com/Redistrict/status/1950575922903654900">said</a> on X.
Democrats have vowed to fight the redistricting effort on multiple fronts. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is set to meet Texas Democratic lawmakers in Austin to discuss potential responses, including the possibility of denying Republicans a quorum by walking out of the special session.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has threatened retaliatory action, suggesting he would redraw his state&#8217;s maps to counter the GOP&#8217;s Texas plan — a move that would require bypassing California&#8217;s independent redistricting commission.
&#8220;Donald Trump asks for 5 seats and Greg Abbott automatically bends the knee. The 2026 election is being rigged,&#8221; Newsom <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1950575761448124564">posted</a> on X. &#8220;California won&#8217;t sit back and watch this happen.&#8221;
Vice President JD Vance responded, blasting California&#8217;s already &#8220;outrageous&#8221; gerrymander.
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The gerrymander in California is outrageous. Of their 52 congressional districts, 9 of them are Republican. That means 17 percent of their delegation is Republican when Republicans regularly win 40 percent of the vote in that state. 
How can this possibly be allowed?
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1950581570173354396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Texas legislature will consider the plan during a 30-day special session ending August 19. The redistricting committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on the proposed map this Friday.

President Trump Tours Devastation In Texas After Deadly Flash Flooding

Texas Republicans Drop New Congressional Map That Would Flip 5 Democrat Seats Red

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Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins announced Monday his entrance into the Georgia Senate race, vowing to &#8220;steamroll the radical Left&#8221; and deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda.
The second-term congressman is challenging Senator Jon Ossoff, who narrowly won his first term in 2020 shortly after the January 6 riots, edging out GOP incumbent Sen. David Perdue in a runoff election. Ossoff is <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-mike-collins-launch-key-battleground-state-bid-flip-democrat-held-senate-seat">seen</a> by many in the GOP as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat incumbent in 2026, as Trump carried the state in 2024, according to Fox News.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn&#8217;t Georgia,&#8221; Collins says in his campaign launch video posted on X. &#8220;Jon Ossoff does not represent Georgia&#8217;s values and has attacked our state&#8217;s best interests at every opportunity. He&#8217;s voted to raise taxes on Georgia families, supercharge inflation, open our Southern Border, and allow men to play women&#8217;s sports.&#8221;
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I&#8217;m in. <a href="https://t.co/Bxhm4e8jp2">pic.twitter.com/Bxhm4e8jp2</a>
— Mike Collins (@MikeCollinsGA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeCollinsGA/status/1949786569759482010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Collins, a prominent Georgia businessman elected to the House in 2022, is a close ally of President Trump and features audio of the president praising him in his launch video.
&#8220;Mike Collins. Mike, you were fantastic. He loves this state, and he took this very personally,&#8221; Trump says in the clip.
Collins highlights his work on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law">Laken Riley Act</a>, legislation that strengthens detention capabilities for federal officials dealing with undocumented immigrants charged with crimes like theft and burglary. The legislation was named after a 22-year-old nursing student who was murdered by an illegal immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia campus in February 2024.
The bill, which Collins sponsored, was the first piece of legislation Trump signed into law during his second term.
Collins, whose family owns a trucking company, promises to &#8220;send a trucker to the U.S. Senate to steamroll the radical left, deliver on President Trump&#8217;s America First agenda, and put the people of Georgia back in the driver&#8217;s seat.&#8221;
Collins enters an increasingly competitive Republican primary. Rep. Buddy Carter has already announced his candidacy, with both candidates <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5423594-gop-primary-georgia-senate/">courting</a> Trump&#8217;s endorsement, according to The Hill. Other candidates, such as former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, are also rumored to be considering a run.
Ossoff has been building a substantial war chest, reporting double-digit fundraising hauls over recent quarters, as he prepares for what will likely be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in 2026, alongside North Carolina, after former Governor Roy Cooper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-former-gov-roy-cooper-runs-for-senate-turning-north-carolina-into-2026s-key-battleground?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Leftist+Former+Gov+Roy+Cooper+Runs+For+Senate%2C+Turning+North+Carolina+Into+2026%E2%80%99s+Key+Battleground">announced</a> his run on Monday.

WASHINGTON, DC – JAN 09: Representative Mike Collins speaks at

Pro-Trump Rep. Mike Collins Jumps Into Georgia Senate Race To Unseat Leftist Jon Ossoff

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Former North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper jumped into what many predict will be the most competitive race of the 2026 midterms on Monday, announcing his campaign for the U.S. Senate in a video posted to social media.
&#8220;I never really wanted to go to Washington … but these are not ordinary times,&#8221; the former governor said. “I thought on it and prayed about it, and I’ve decided: I want to serve as your next United States senator, because even now, I still believe our best days are ahead of us.”
Cooper&#8217;s entry comes after incumbent GOP Senator Thom Tillis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tillis-buckles-to-trump-threat-wont-seek-reelection">announced</a> last month he wouldn&#8217;t seek reelection following President Trump&#8217;s public attacks on his vote opposing a motion to advance the Big, Beautiful Bill, which was signed into law on July 4.
Cooper, who served as North Carolina&#8217;s governor from 2017 to 2025, enters the race as a formidable candidate — a two-term governor who won statewide elections in 2016 and 2020, while Trump carried North Carolina, according to POLITICO.
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I have thought on it and prayed about it, and I have decided: I am running to be the next U.S. Senator from North Carolina. <a href="https://t.co/jXvuioO1T0">pic.twitter.com/jXvuioO1T0</a>
— Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyCooperNC/status/1949801503801155964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The former governor&#8217;s announcement, combined with Tillis&#8217; exit, has bolstered Democrats&#8217; otherwise slim chances of retaking control of the Senate, where Republicans currently maintain a 53-47 majority.
Cook Political Report <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings">rates</a> North Carolina as Democrats&#8217; only &#8220;toss-up&#8221; pickup opportunity, while listing Susan Collins&#8217; Maine seat as &#8220;Lean Republican.&#8221; Republicans have their own &#8220;toss-up&#8221; chances in Democrat-held seats in Georgia and Michigan — both states Trump carried in 2024 — meaning Democrats are likely to hold just 49 seats even in their best-case scenario.
Cooper brings a proven ability to appeal to swing voters and donors that Democrats desperately need, but also an extreme record that has drawn <a href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article311488761.html">criticism</a> from conservatives.
During his tenure, he vetoed multiple Republican-backed bills, including legislation banning trans surgery for minors and a bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. His handling of COVID-19 restrictions sparked controversy, with many Republican lawmakers accusing him of government overreach.
Republicans quickly dismissed Cooper, with the National Republican Senatorial Committee branding him a &#8220;Democrat lapdog.&#8221;
&#8220;North Carolina wants a senator who will champion working families, safety, and American values, not an incompetent, far-left career politician like Cooper who will wreck everything they care about,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/28/roy-cooper-north-carolina-senate-campaign-00479710">said</a> NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez, per POLITICO.
Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley is expected to announce his bid in the coming days, although he has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-endorses-two-america-first-candidates-in-battle-for-senate-control">received</a> an endorsement from President Trump.
Lara Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lara-trump-steps-aside-clearing-path-for-rnc-chairmans-senate-bid">cleared</a> the path for Whatley&#8217;s candidacy, announcing last week she would not seek the seat. Whatley previously served as the North Carolina Republican Party chairman before assuming leadership of the RNC under President Trump.

2024 Democratic National Convention: Day 4

Leftist Former Gov Roy Cooper Runs For Senate, Turning North Carolina Into 2026’s Key Battleground

Abortion

Transgender

President Trump has filed a federal libel lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, and two Wall Street Journal reporters, court documents revealed on Friday.
According to the docket <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/18/politics/trump-wall-street-journal-jeffrey-epstein?Date=20250718&amp;Profile=CNN&amp;utm_content=1752873493&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">filed</a> in Miami federal court, Trump is suing for libel, assault, and slander following a Thursday Wall Street Journal article claiming a 2003 birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included a sketch of a naked woman was authored by President Trump.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=hp_lead_pos7">claimed</a> that it had obtained a “letter bearing Trump’s name” that was included in a birthday book created for Epstein.
The Journal notably did not include an image of the alleged letter, and President Trump said on Thursday that he “will be suing the Wall Street Journal, NewsCorp, and Mr. Murdoch, shortly” over the “fake” story.
“The Wall Street Journal, and Rupert Murdoch, personally, were warned directly by President Donald J. Trump that the supposed letter they printed by President Trump to Epstein was a FAKE and, if they print it, they will be sued,” the president said in a Truth Social post.
Trump said that Rupert Murdoch, owner of News Corp, “stated that he would take care of it.”
“But, obviously, did not have the power to do so,” Trump added.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-sue-wsj-over-fake-epstein-letter-orders-bondi-to-unseal-testimony?author=Daily+Wire+News&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+Sue+WSJ+Over+%E2%80%98FAKE%E2%80%99+Epstein+Letter%2C+Orders+Bondi+To+Unseal+Testimony">reported</a>, although Trump and Epstein were friendly for several years when they both lived in New York City, there is no evidence that Trump was involved in any of Epstein’s criminal wrongdoing. Epstein was not accused of sexual relations with young girls until 2005, about a year after Trump kicked him out of his Mar-a-Lago club and the two had a falling out.

President Trump Departs White House For Florida On Tuesday Morning

Trump Files Massive Libel Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over ‘Fake’ Epstein Letter

Courts

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Wall Street Journal

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified documents Friday revealing that the Obama administration changed intelligence assessments after the 2016 election to create a narrative of Russian interference, despite earlier intelligence community findings that Russia &#8220;did not impact&#8221; the election through cyber activities.
The intelligence community concluded before the election that Russia was &#8220;probably not trying … to influence the election by using cyber means,&#8221; according to the declassified records <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-admin-manufactured-intelligence-create-2016-russian-election-interference-narrative-documents-show">obtained</a> by Fox News. However, following Trump’s unexpected victory over Hillary Clinton, their tone appeared to have changed.
“On Dec 8, 2016, IC officials prepared an assessment for the President&#8217;s Daily Brief, finding that Russia ‘did not impact recent U.S. election results’ by conducting cyber attacks on infrastructure,” Gabbard wrote in a thread on X. “Before it could reach the President, it was abruptly pulled ‘based on new guidance.’ This key intelligence assessment was never published.”
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🧵 Americans will finally learn the truth about how in 2016, intelligence was politicized and weaponized by the most powerful people in the Obama Administration to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>, subverting the… <a href="https://t.co/UQKKZ5c4Op">pic.twitter.com/UQKKZ5c4Op</a>
&mdash; DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271402971312514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The presidential brief prepared for President Obama on December 8, 2016, stated: &#8220;We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure,” noting that any Russian activities &#8220;probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates.&#8221;
The brief concluded that it was &#8220;highly unlikely&#8221; Russian interference &#8220;would have resulted in altering any state’s official vote result.&#8221;
&#8220;Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes,&#8221; it stated.
The FBI raised immediate objections to the brief and requested that its publication be delayed until the bureau could address its concerns. Under then-Director James Comey, the FBI drafted a formal &#8220;dissent&#8221; to the original briefing.
Subsequently, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence postponed internal publication of the Presidential Daily Brief, citing &#8220;new guidance&#8221; as the reason for the delay.
Just one day later, on December 9, a meeting was called in the White House Situation Room to discuss Russian election interference with top officials, including then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Following this meeting, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper threw out the old analysis and tasked intelligence leaders with crafting a new assessment &#8220;per the president&#8217;s request,&#8221; detailing &#8220;tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.&#8221;
Gabbard revealed: “According to whistleblower emails shared with us today, we know Clapper and Brennan used the baseless discredited Steele Dossier as a source to push this false narrative in the intelligence assessment.”
Intelligence sources told Fox News the new report “was based on information that was known by those involved to be manufactured i.e. the Steele Dossier or deemed as not credible,&#8221; and the CIA had previously dismissed it as filled with &#8220;internet rumor[s].&#8221;
By January 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that &#8220;directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months,&#8221; the ODNI office told Fox News.
Intelligence officials told Fox News they consider the assessment to have been blatantly &#8220;politicized&#8221; after it &#8220;suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election.&#8221;
&#8220;The information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government,&#8221; Gabbard told Fox News. &#8220;Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people.&#8221;
&#8220;No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,&#8221; Gabbard said. &#8220;The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it.&#8221;
Gabbard concluded: &#8220;As such, I am providing all documents to the Department of Justice to deliver the accountability that President Trump, his family, and the American people deserve.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-SECURITY-INTELLIGENCE-FBI-OBAMA-COMEY

Obama Admin Suppressed Intel Showing Russia Didn’t Impact 2016 Election, Tulsi Reveals

James Comey

John Brennan

National Intelligence

Russia

Steele Dossier

Tulsi Gabbard

The U.K. Labour government unveiled a controversial plan this week to lower the voting age to 16 ahead of the next general election, in what many conservatives are calling a blatant attempt to sway the next election in their favor.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform U.K., called the move “an attempt to rig the political system,” but warned they “intend to give them a nasty surprise.” While Labour currently <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2083204/nigel-farage-votes-16-Labour">leads</a> among 16-17-year-olds with approximately 33% support, Reform U.K.’s strong 20% showing suggests the plan could backfire on Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner defended the controversial proposal, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c628ep4j5kno">saying</a>, “I was a mum at 16, you can go to work, you can pay your taxes and I think that people should have a vote at 16,” according to the BBC.
The voting age change would affect approximately 3% of the U.K. population aged 16 and over. Labour insists the reform isn’t designed to benefit their party, with Rayner claiming, “This isn’t about trying to rig votes for a particular party. This is about democracy and giving young people an opportunity to have a say.”
Speaking in a video posted to X, Farage expanded on his criticism of the proposal.
“The problem with this is, not only do half of youngsters not want the vote, but they have to stay at school now until they’re 18,” Farage said in a video shared to X. “The educational establishment is full of left-wing prejudice, is full of anti-reform bias, and frankly, if 16- to 18-year-olds at school are going to be able to vote, we’re going to have to make sure that our education system is teaching kids to make their own minds up and not indoctrinating them.”
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Giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote is an attempt to rig the political system. 
If this goes ahead, Labour could be in for a shock. <a href="https://t.co/CF9GYfRfFP">pic.twitter.com/CF9GYfRfFP</a>
&mdash; Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1945837816727908842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Conservative shadow minister Paul Holmes slammed the policy in the House of Commons, questioning why the “hopelessly confused” government believes “a 16-year-old can vote, but not be allowed to buy a lottery ticket, an alcoholic drink, marry, or go to war, or even stand in the elections they’re voting in?”
Reform U.K. already maintains significant influence among younger demographics on social media, with Farage commanding 1.3 million TikTok followers compared to Labour’s official account, which has just 231,300 followers.
According to Ofcom, 44% of British TikTok users who get news from the platform rely more on “other people they follow” than traditional news outlets.
YouGov polling from June showed that Labour support among 18 to 24-year-olds has dropped by 11% since last year’s general election, while Reform U.K. has seen corresponding gains in the same demographic, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2083263/keir-starmer-voting-age-nigel-farage">per</a> Lotti O’Brien of Express U.K.
The voting age change is part of a broader elections reform package introduced by Starmer’s government.
Other measures include expanding acceptable voter ID to include U.K.-issued bank cards and implementing an automated voter registration system that would share data between government agencies — policies the Conservative Party warns could “undermine the security of the ballot box.”
The government, if the legislation passes through parliament, as anticipated, expects to implement these changes before the next general election, which must take place by 2029, but could be called earlier.

Guests Arrive For The Andrew Marr Show

Nigel Farage Slams U.K. Labour Push For 16-Year-Old Voters, Plans A ‘Nasty Surprise’ For Starmer

Britain

Labour Party

Nigel Farage

Parliament

U.K.

United Kingdom

Voting

World

Democrats expecting another &#8220;blue wave&#8221; in 2026 should &#8220;hold the phone,&#8221; CNN&#8217;s chief data analyst warned this week, revealing that the party&#8217;s generic ballot advantage has collapsed to less than half of what it was before their historic midterm victories in 2006 and 2018.
CNN data guru Harry Enten delivered the “reality check” to Democrats in a Wednesday CNN segment, noting their current two-point lead pales in comparison to the seven-point advantage they held at this stage before previous wave elections.
“Their lead is less than half, less than half of where it was in either 2017 or 2005 in July of those years – the year before the midterm election,” Enten said, noting that democrats had a generic ballot lead of 7 points in both the 2005 and 2017 midterms, respectively, compared to just 2 points in the leadup to 2026.
The data paints a drastically different picture than what many Democrats might hope for heading into the midterms.
&#8220;Yes, Donald Trump may be unpopular, but Democrats have not come anywhere close to sealing the deal at this particular point,&#8221; Enten told CNN host John Berman, adding that Republicans are &#8220;still very much in the game&#8221; for control of Congress.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Reality check: Dems are way behind their 2006 &amp; 2018 pace on the generic ballot at this point in the cycle.
Ahead by only 2 pt vs. 7 pt in 2006/2018 cycles.
Seat-by-seat analysis actually reveals more GOP pickup opportunities than Dems! Very much unlike 2006 &amp; 2018 at this pt. <a href="https://t.co/CRgXukTjz6">pic.twitter.com/CRgXukTjz6</a>
&mdash; (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1945492536836993510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Enten noted this election cycle more closely resembles 2024 than either of the previous Democratic wave years, telling viewers expecting a Democratic sweep to &#8220;hold the phone.&#8221;
&#8220;At this particular point, this election cycle looks a lot more like 2024 than it does than either 2018 or 2006,&#8221; Enten said based on recent polling from Ipsos and other organizations.
The CNN data guru notes that the Cook Political Report&#8217;s seat-by-seat analysis actually reveals more pickup opportunities for Republicans than Democrats, at a projected net gain of +12 for the GOP.
In July 2017, Cook projected a net gain of +33 for democrats, and they ended up picking up 41 House seats during the 2018 midterms of Trump’s first term.
Midterm elections have historically served as a referendum on the party controlling the White House, and in only one instance in the past half century has the president’s party both held the House going in and managed to keep it: the 2002 midterms, following the 9/11 attacks.
The 2024 election, which Enten cited as most similar to current trends, saw Republicans maintain their House majority, with Democrats netting just a single seat — a stark contrast to the 31 and 41 House seats Democrats captured in the 2006 and 2018 wave elections.

119th Congress Begins Its Term On Capitol Hill

CNN Data Chief Shatters ‘Blue Wave’ Hype: Democrats’ 2026 Lead ‘Less Than Half’ Of Past Midterms

Democrats

Harry Enten

Media

Polls

Republicans

A new poll shows Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holding a commanding 10-point lead in New York City&#8217;s mayoral race this week, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams trailing in fourth place.
The Slingshot Strategies <a href="https://www.slingshotstrat.com/media/slingshot-mayoral-poll-general-election-7-9">poll</a>, conducted between July 2-6, showed socialist Mamdani capturing 35% of registered voters, with former Governor Andrew Cuomo at 25%, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 14%, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams trailing with just 11%.
Adams faces an uphill battle with a dismal 28% approval rating and 62% disapproval. By contrast, Mamdani enjoys a net favorable rating of +4 (40% favorable vs. 36% unfavorable), while even the scandal-plagued Andrew Cuomo outperforms Adams, with 44% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably.
Other polls have found similar results, including a pro-Adams <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/04/us-news/new-pro-adams-poll-still-has-nyc-mayor-trailing-cuomo-by-double-digits/">poll</a> that still showed Mamdani leading with 41%, followed by Cuomo at 26%, Adams at 16%, and Sliwa at 10%.
Adams&#8217; support has collapsed even among his traditional base, with only 16% of black respondents saying they would back the mayor in the general election, compared to 35% for Mamdani and 32% for Cuomo, according to the poll.
The current contest represents a significant fracturing of Democratic power, with incumbent Mayor Adams – who campaigned as a moderate, pro-police Democrat – now being challenged from both the far-Left in Mamdani and the establishment wing in Cuomo.
While Mamdani&#8217;s 35% support is far from a majority, Slingshot founding partner Evan Roth Smith <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/09/us-news/eric-adams-nyc-mayoral-election-chances-are-under-water-poll/">emphasized</a> to the New York Post that the electoral math looks increasingly difficult for Adams.
&#8220;The problem is the ballot is set. And the strongest Mamdani alternative in this poll is Andrew Cuomo, who just lost to him decisively in the Democratic primary,&#8221; Smith noted. “And the Mamdani alternative that seems to have the most momentum as a fresh alternative is Eric Adams, who’s polling barely in the double digits and seems to have lost credibility everywhere in the election.”
Adams has faced widespread dissatisfaction with his administration, which has faced multiple federal investigations and criticism over the handling of the migrant crisis and public safety issues.
Despite being a Democrat, Adams performs best among Republican voters, receiving 26% support compared to Mamdani&#8217;s 7%, although Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa leads that demographic with 43%.
“There’s simply not enough Republican support for someone who is a sitting Democratic mayor of New York,” Smith added. “So it’s really, really difficult when someone is polling at 11% and the ballot isn’t changing to see what the path to victory is.”
Mamdani, a 33-year-old Assemblyman from Queens, has positioned himself as an unapologetic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zohran-mamdani-says-he-has-many-critiques-of-capitalism?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Zohran+Mamdani+Says+He+Has+%E2%80%98Many+Critiques+Of+Capitalism%E2%80%99">socialist</a>. He has advocated for rent control, increasing taxes on the wealthy, and reallocating police funding to social services – policies that have raised concerns among moderate Democrats and the business community.
“You have a large number of largely white, largely outer borough homeowners who are not necessarily Democrats, who are skeptical of Mamdani,” Smith explained. “The problem is getting those voters together behind either Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams seems to still be a pretty tall order, and becomes even more difficult since they’re both in the race.”
Cuomo and Adams have engaged in public <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/zohran-mamdani-leads-general-election-poll-00443469">feuding</a>, with each calling for the other to drop out to consolidate opposition against Mamdani, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-cuomo-falls-to-radical-socialist-zohran-mamdani-in-nyc-mayoral-primary?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Andrew+Cuomo+Falls+To+Radical+Socialist+Zohran+Mamdani+In+NYC+Mayoral+Primary">won</a> the Democratic primary with 56% to Cuomo&#8217;s 44% in the final round of ranked-choice voting.
Adams’ campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro dismissed the poll in a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/09/us-news/eric-adams-nyc-mayoral-election-chances-are-under-water-poll/">statement</a> to the New York Post, saying, “just weeks ago, Andrew Cuomo was ahead in multiple polls and then went on to lose the primary by double digits.”
“The latest Slingshot poll is just another example of how out-of-touch and unreliable political polling has become,” he said.

NYC Poll Collage

Mamdani Surges To 10-Point Lead In NYC Mayoral Race, Adams Craters To Fourth Place: Poll

Andrew Cuomo

Democratic Party

Eric Adams

Mayor

New York City

Socialism

Zohran Mamdani

A new study released Tuesday found that the taxpayer-funded PBS program “Washington Week with The Atlantic” consistently exhibited a staggering 93% negative bias against Republicans and the Trump administration over the past three months, despite claiming to provide “objective” political coverage.
The study, conducted by the Media Research Center (MRC), analyzed 13 weekly episodes from April through June 2025, finding that panelists devoted 83 minutes to discussing Republicans and the Trump administration with overwhelming negativity.
“The panelists spent 83 minutes opining on Republicans, focusing on Trump and his administration, in 93% negative fashion (77 minutes negative, six minutes positive),” the MRC report <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/clay-waters/2025/07/08/study-pbs-washington-week-roundtable-still-spreading-fear-and">reads</a>.
Even topics where the Trump administration demonstrated success, such as the strike on Iran’s nuclear program, received predominantly negative coverage at 82% unfavorable.
Trump’s Immigration Policy (including the judiciary conflict), the show’s third most-discussed issue pertaining to Republicans, received 100% negative coverage, despite the Trump administration’s significant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/border-patrol-saw-fewer-migrant-encounters-last-month-than-one-single-day-under-biden-homan-says">advancements</a> in border security.
The study reveals that show introductions by moderator Jeffrey Goldberg frequently established an anti-Trump tone from the outset, with examples including: “Most presidents wait until they leave the White House to cash in. President Trump takes a different approach. Crypto deals, hotels, golf courses, 747s, everything is on the table.”
Panel representation skewed heavily toward left-leaning media outlets, with 13 of the 14 news organizations represented leaning Left.
The New York Times led with six different reporters appearing on the program, while the single non-liberal outlet, The Dispatch, had just one representative who “matched the harsh anti-Trump tone” of other panelists, the study says.
PBS’s Washington Week panelists made numerous inflammatory statements, including PBS News Hour correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez claiming the administration “repeatedly emboldened extremists and used hate speech to talk about their political enemies,” and that “normalizing the populace to political violence is a trait of authoritarianism.”
The study notes that PBS, which receives taxpayer funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was established with a congressional mandate requiring “strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature” – a standard the MRC analysis suggests is not being met.
PBS receives approximately $445 million annually through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with American taxpayers footing the bill regardless of political affiliation.
While Republican topics received 83 minutes of coverage that was overwhelmingly negative, Democratic coverage was minimal outside a single episode focused on the Biden campaign exposé book “Original Sin,” which detailed the cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline.
“Virtually all Democratic coverage came from the May 23 special episode on the Biden campaign expose Original Sin,” the study says. “Remove that episode, and the Democrats received a piddling 61 seconds of ‘coverage’ (18 seconds negative, 43 seconds positive), which consisted of fleeting mentions within Trump-related stories.”
The study concluded that the taxpayer-funded program “continues to grossly betray its mandate to the American taxpayer to provide ideological balance” as required by its congressional charter.

2017 Summer TCA Tour – Day 7

Taxpayer-Funded PBS Show Pushes 93% Anti-Trump Bias, Study Finds

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

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Nathan Gay