Convicted murderer Erik Menendez has been denied parole after months of speculation that he might be walking free.
The California Parole Board held a ten-hour-long hearing on Thursday to discuss the case to determine if the 54-year-old still posed “a threat to society.” Menendez was found guilty of the 1989 murders of his parents, Kitty and Jose Menendez. His older brother, Lyle, 57, was also found guilty and will have a parole hearing on Friday.
Erik is not eligible for another parole hearing for three years.
“While we respect the decision, today’s outcome was, of course, disappointing and not what we hoped for,” several members of the Menendez family said in a statement, per <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/erik-menendez-california-parole-board-hearings/">CBS News</a>. “But our belief in Erik remains unwavering, and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves. We will continue to stand by him and hold to the hope he is able to return home soon.”
The board heard statements of support from members of the Menendez family, but it wasn’t ultimately enough to convince the panel to grant Erik parole. 
“Two things can be true. They can love and forgive you, and you can still be found unsuitable for parole,” Parole Board Commissioner Robert Barton said, as the outlet noted. “I believe in redemption, or I wouldn’t be doing this job. But based on the legal standards, we find that you continue to pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.”  
<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>
Barton also noted that the decision was swayed by Erik’s behavior in prison, which included multiple violations, such as inappropriate behavior with visitors, drug smuggling, misuse of computers, cell phone usage, and violence. The parole board commissioner said they were forced to evaluate all of the convicted felon’s behavior and chances of reoffending, not just his likelihood of committing murder.
The Menendez brothers insist that the killings of their parents were justified, claiming they endured sexual, emotional, and physical abuse from their father.
After they were initially sentenced to life in prison without parole, a Los Angeles judge resentenced both brothers to 50 years to life in May, making them eligible for parole. 
Judge Michael Jesic said he had given the case “long thought.” While the judge described Lyle and Erik’s crime as “absolutely horrific,” he added that, in his opinion, they’ve been rehabilitated while incarcerated for the past three decades.
“Life without parole gives an inmate no hope, no reason to do anything good. And I give them a lot of credit. It’s remarkable what they did when they had no hope of getting out,” Jesic said.
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, a Democrat often described as “the godfather of progressive prosecutors,” initiated the resentencing process before losing his re-election bid to Nathan Hochman. In March, the new DA filed a motion to withdraw the resentencing petition, saying the self-defense claims were nothing but “lies.” 
“The Menendez brothers have failed to come clean with the full extent of their criminal conduct, their cover-up, their lies and their deceit,” Hochman said in May.

Erik Menendez

Parole Denied: Convicted Killer Erik Menendez Stays Behind Bars

Erik Menendez Denied Parole After Speculation He Was On Track For Release

California

Courts

Murder

News

U.S.

President Donald Trump clarified details about the new trade deals with the European Union (EU) and China in an interview on Tuesday, including floating the possibility of 35% tariffs on EU goods and stating that he intends to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Goods from the EU <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-art-of-the-trade-deal-here-are-the-countries-that-have-reached-agreements-with-america">initially</a> faced 30% tariffs under Trump&#8217;s Liberation Day tariff plan, but – after reaching an agreement in late July – an agreement was made for 15% on exports such as vehicles and medicine, among other products.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1952733095259472349">explained</a> on CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box&#8221; that EU exports would be slapped with 35% tariffs if the Union did not follow through with the terms of the agreement. Critics have objected to the trade deal, which they say lacked the &#8220;teeth&#8221; to enforce the agreement.
Included in the trade agreement, the European Union committed to purchasing $750 billion worth of energy from the United States and investing an additional $600 billion in the U.S. economy. Trump added that &#8220;They gave me $600 billion and that&#8217;s a gift. … They gave us $600 billion that we can invest in anything we want.&#8221;
Trump also floated plans to re-shore <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/trump-says-pharma-tariffs-could-eventually-reach-up-to-250percent.html">pharmaceutical</a> manufacturing from countries like China and Ireland to the United States by increasing tariff rates to 250% over a few years, which is one of the most dramatic moves to address the lack of domestic production of necessary medicines. 
Trump&#8217;s deal with the EU is still in the final stages of completion. On Tuesday, the EU announced that it would be suspending its retaliatory tariffs in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/e-u-to-suspend-retaliatory-tariff-on-u-s-for-six-months-as-massive-trade-deal-is-finalized?author=Reuters&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=E.U.+To+Suspend+Retaliatory+Tariff+On+U.S.+For+Six+Months+As+Massive+Trade+Deal+Is+Finalized">statement</a>.
A spokesperson said, &#8220;The EU continues to work with the U.S. to finalize a Joint Statement, as agreed on 27 July. … With these objectives in mind, the Commission will take the necessary steps to suspend by 6 months the EU&#8217;s countermeasures against the U.S., which were due to enter into force on 7 August.&#8221;
The president also clarified his plans to meet with Chinese President Xi. He said he intends to meet with Xi only after China and the US agree on the terms of a trade deal.
&#8220;I&#8217;ll end up having a meeting before the end of the year, most likely, if we make a deal,&#8221; Trump said in the interview. &#8220;But we&#8217;re getting very close to a deal. We&#8217;re getting along with China very well.&#8221;
Many questions arose about Trump&#8217;s plans to finalize the deal with China after multiple news outlets <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-xi-aides-discussed-autumn-us-china-leaders-meeting-sources-say-2025-07-20/">reported</a> that Trump was pushing for a meeting with Xi. Trump insisted on TruthSocial and in interviews that he had no plans to reach out to Xi for a meeting because, as he said, &#8220;China is very reliant on the United States.&#8221;
Although Trump continues to move around the deadlines for other countries to reach a trade deal, consumer sentiment continues to increase, according to a report by the University of Michigan, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/consumer-confidence-climbs-as-trump-pushes-ahead-with-tariffs?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Consumer+Confidence+Climbs+As+Trump+Pushes+Ahead+With+Tariffs">reported</a>.
&#8220;Perceptions of this month&#8217;s economic developments were similar across the political spectrum; Republicans, Independents, and Democrats all saw some minor increases in sentiment this month,&#8221; the University of Michigan stated.
Trump&#8217;s tariff rollout, which lays a baseline of 10% on all countries with a trade deficit with the U.S. and a varying percentage on others that have struck a deal, will go into effect on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-drops-new-tariff-plan-on-eve-of-trumps-trade-deadline?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=White+House+Drops+New+Tariff+Plan+On+Eve+Of+Trump%E2%80%99s+Trade+Deadline">August 7</a>.

President Trump

Trump Reveals Trade Plans With China, EU Following Massive Deals

Trump Outlines Next Steps In Trade Plans With China, EU Following Massive Deals

European Union

Tariffs

trade

Trump Administration

In what&#8217;s being praised as another &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-jr-targets-ultra-processed-foods-in-latest-move-to-maha">Make America Healthy Again</a>&#8221; win, a growing number of states have been approved to limit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">food stamp</a> purchases to healthier options, cutting out sugary drinks and candy.
Agriculture Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-amnesty-trump-usda-chief-address-deportations-of-illegal-farm-workers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooke Rollins</a> on Monday authorized waivers from another six states asking to limit purchases with food stamps &#8212; known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The latest states to join the MAHA trend are West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.
In total, 12 states are now approved to limit food stamps since President Donald Trump took office in January and tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. &#8212; the figurehead of the MAHA movement &#8212; to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Below are the 12 states making these cuts:
Arkansas: Soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice, other unhealthy drinks, and candy will be barred from food stamps purchases by July 2026.
Colorado: By March 2026, SNAP will restrict soft drink purchases.
Florida: Soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts will no longer be permitted food stamp purchases by January 2026.
Idaho: Soda and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Indiana: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Iowa: By January 2026, taxable food items in the state, which will include most candy, soft drinks, and prepared foods, will be restricted. 
Louisiana: With a target date of January 15, 2026, the state will ban the purchase of soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy with SNAP.
Nebraska: Soda and energy drinks will be restricted by January 2026.
Oklahoma: Soft drinks and candy will be restricted by January 2026.
Texas: By April 2026, sweetened drinks and candy will be barred from SNAP purchases.
Utah: Soft drink purchases will be barred by January 2026.
West Virginia: Soda will be restricted by January 2026.
Kennedy on Tuesday reaffirmed his message that taxpayers should not be forced to pay for unhealthy foods like soda and candy, which he says are fueling the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and making Americans sick.
&#8220;We are spending $405 million a day on SNAP and about 10% is going to sugary drinks, and if you add candies to that, it&#8217;s about 13-17%.&#8221;
&#8220;We all believe in free choice,&#8221; the secretary emphasized. &#8220;We live in a democracy &#8212; people can make their own choice about what they are going to buy and what they are not going to buy. If you want to buy a sugary soda, you should be able to do that, but the U.S. taxpayer should not pay for it.&#8221;
&#8220;U.S. taxpayers should not be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes,&#8221; RFK added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Secretary RFK Jr. says he is officially moving to BAN food stamps from being used for soda
FINALLY!
&#8220;The U.S. Taxpayer should NOT be paying to feed the poorest kids in the country food that will give them diabetes.&#8221;
&#8220;We are spending $405 MILLION a day on SNAP..… <a href="https://t.co/jjsmZ8DrGE">pic.twitter.com/jjsmZ8DrGE</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1952449669163839580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-can-food-stamps-buy-junk-food-how-doge-could-save-billions-and-maha">Why Can Food Stamps Buy Junk Food? How DOGE Could Save Billions And MAHA</a>

Texas Bill Would Mandate Warning Label “Not Recommended For Human Consumption” On Some Foods

More MAHA Wins: 12 States Cutting Soda, Candy From Food Stamps

MAHA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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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

Congress

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Mainstream Media

Media Bias

Poltiics

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

2026 Midterms

Gavin Newsom

Greg Abbot

Politics

Redistricting

Texas

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

Elections

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)

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, secured a major court victory last Thursday when a judge ordered a mental evaluation that could lead to a new trial.
Ibarra, 27, was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley">guilty</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley, who he murdered after she went jogging at the University of Georgia in Athens.
According to court documents, Ibarra&#8217;s defense attorneys <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/07/us-news/laken-rileys-killer-jose-ibarra-gets-major-win-for-possible-trial-redo/">claimed</a> he &#8220;lacks the mental capacity to understand the nature and object and proceedings&#8221; and is &#8220;suffering from congenital deficiency which could render the client incapable of preparing a defense and standing trial,&#8221; per the New York Post.
Judge Patrick Haggard ordered a &#8220;prompt evaluation&#8221; to determine if Ibarra was fit to stand trial last year and whether he can assist with his current appeal.
“The mental competence of [Ibarra] has been called into question, and this court has found it appropriate for an evaluation to be conducted at the public expense,” the order reads.
Prosecutor Sheila Ross noted in court filings that there was no evidence during the trial suggesting Ibarra wasn&#8217;t mentally competent, though she didn&#8217;t oppose the evaluation and instead left the decision up to the Judge.
Ibarra, a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, waived his right to a jury trial, and Judge Haggard sentenced the illegal immigrant to life in prison without parole.
Ibarra had illegally entered the United States during the Biden administration&#8217;s border crisis, having been detained in El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released after approximately one day.
Riley&#8217;s brutal murder shocked the University of Georgia campus and garnered national attention amid heated debates about immigration enforcement.
In January, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-signs-laken-riley-act-into-law?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Signs+Laken+Riley+Act+Into+Law">signed</a> into law the “Laken Riley Act,” which requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
The mental evaluation is set to take place either at the Georgia Department of Corrections or at a designated hospital facility. No timeline has been established for when the evaluation results might be available or how quickly the court will rule on potential next steps.
If the mental evaluation finds Ibarra was not competent during his original trial, his defense team could petition for a retrial, potentially setting aside his life sentence and reopening wounds for Riley&#8217;s family and community.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Judge Grants Laken Riley’s Killer A Path To Possible Retrial

Crime

Georgia

Illegal Immigation

Laken Riley

Tren De Aragua

An influential Arab leader in Hebron, the West Bank’s largest city, is facing violent threats after proposing to break from the Palestinian Authority and join the Abraham Accords as an independent emirate seeking peace with Israel.
A source close to Sheikh Wadee’ al-Jaabari told The Daily Wire that the leader has received several violent threats since declaring his intentions in an interview with <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/new-palestinian-offer-peace-israel-hebron-sheikh-emirate-36dd39c3">the Wall Street Journal</a> published on Saturday.
Al-Jaabari, 48, is a leader of Hebron’s most influential clan, representing hundreds of thousands of Arabs in the area. He is reportedly backed by 21 other sheikhs who together represent about 554,000 people in the Hebron region, which has a population of roughly 700,000.
Despite the threats, al-Jaabari and his allies believe they have the Palestinian Authority outmanned and outgunned, thanks to his militia and the backing of the other sheikhs’ followers, according to the source.
The sheikhs told the Journal that it would take between one day and one week to remove the Palestinian Authority from Hebron.
The sheikh’s announcement comes just ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-to-visit-the-white-house?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Israeli+Prime+Minister+Benjamin+Netanyahu+To+Visit+The+White+House">meeting with</a> President Donald Trump. The sheikhs hope to gain support from both leaders for their new approach to achieving peace.
In a blow to the idea of a two-state solution, al-Jaabari signed a letter to the Israeli government outlining a path for peace and recognizing Israel as a Jewish state. 
“We want cooperation with Israel,” al-Jaabari told the Journal. “We want coexistence.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Veterans+Injured+In+Grenade+Attack+While+Distributing+Aid+In+Gaza">AMERICAN VETERANS INJURED IN GRENADE ATTACK WHILE DISTRIBUTING AID IN GAZA</a>
The sheikh is known for breaking from the anti-Israel model of the Palestinian Authority and is often friendly to Israelis. In any such agreement with Israel, the sheikhs would prioritize fighting terrorism.
The letter, addressed to Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat, was signed by four other leading sheikhs, many of whom remained anonymous in the Wall Street Journal article but are also facing violent threats.
“The Emirate of Hebron shall recognize the State of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people,” the sheikhs wrote in the letter, according to the Journal. “[A]nd the State of Israel shall recognize the Emirate of Hebron as the Representative of the Arab residents in the Hebron District.” 
The establishment of an Emirate of Hebron would separate the Hebron region from the Palestinian Authority, which has never recognized Israel as a Jewish state.
Al-Jaabari says the Palestinian Authority, which is centralized in Ramallah, “doesn’t represent the Palestinians” and that the traditional clan governance of the Arab people in the region is a more sustainable alternative.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-has-been-clear-for-14-years-that-iran-cannot-have-a-nuclear-weapon?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Has+Been+Clear+For+14+Years+That+Iran+Cannot+Have+A+Nuclear+Weapon">TRUMP HAS BEEN CLEAR FOR 14 YEARS THAT IRAN CANNOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON</a>
As an independent emirate, al-Jaabari envisions his region would join the Abraham Accords to pursue peace and economic cooperation with Israel. His plan calls for Israel to initially grant 1,000 work permits to Arabs from Hebron, many of which were revoked after Hamas’s October 7 attacks. Al-Jaabari hopes that the number will eventually grow to 50,000. He also plans to pursue the creation of a joint economic zone near the Israel-Hebron security fence to employ tens of thousands.
In response to the letter being brought to light, other members of the al-Jaabari family <a href="https://x.com/khaliljeries/status/1941885184934035556?s=46&amp;t=ghpHusspWPjTMisXwpsMaA">disavowed the sheikh</a> Sunday night, noting that he currently lives outside of Hebron.
“The Al-Jaabari family has long been rooted in the defense of Palestinian national principles, including the right of our people to self-determination and the protection of our land from the river to the sea,” the family members wrote, adding that they call on the public to not engage with al-Jaabari. 
Shortly after, the sheikhs supporting the Emirate of Hebron released a <a href="https://x.com/ElliotKaufman6/status/1941920513292406935">statement</a> accusing al-Jaabari’s extended family members of being “institutionally connected to the PA,” according to Wall Street Journal reporter Elliot Kaufman.
“This response stems from a natural and understandable concern that if Sheikh Jaabari’s initiative fails, the PA-aligned connections of certain leading members of the large clan could be severely damaged, potentially causing irreversible harm to the already fragile social fabric.”
The statement goes on to note that the “vast majority” of the al-Jaabari family “stand firmly behind Sheikh Wadee’ Jaabari and his historic, just, and necessary initiative to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and establish the Hebron Emirate.”
In a second statement, the sheikhs claimed that the Palestinian Authority has been in “complete panic” and has been arresting their family members to avoid making their intentions to make peace with Israel public.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-epa-employee-charged-with-threatening-jews-attempting-to-provide-guns-and-money-to-isis?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=California+EPA+Employee+Charged+With+Threatening+Jews%2C+Attempting+To+Provide+Guns+and+Money+to+ISIS">CALIFORNIA EPA EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH THREATENING JEWS, ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE GUNS AND MONEY TO ISIS</a>
Israelis living in the West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria, have praised the idea of an Emirate of Hebron. 
“This is a break in the narrative of the Palestinian Authority,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fulfilling-biblical-prophecy-group-of-israelis-restore-king-davids-family-tomb">Yishai Fleischer</a>, the international spokesperson for the Jewish community of Hebron, told The Daily Wire. “These sheikhs are putting their lives on the line for this plan.”
Fleischer praised the group for refusing to tolerate terrorism, a stark difference from the Palestinian Authority’s “pay to slay” program, which has paid terrorists and their families for committing suicide attacks on civilians, including Americans.
“This plan is the end of the rule of the thuggish PA that tortures people and brainwashes kids to jihad,” Fleischer added.

Templates-25

Prominent West Bank Sheikh Faces Violent Threats After Proposing Peace With Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu

Donald Trump

Gaza

Hamas

Israel

Middle East

Palestine

Palestinian Authority

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the news network deliberately misrepresented the timeline of a phone call between him and President Donald Trump to make it appear the governor lied about their communication.
The lawsuit, first <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/newsom-sues-fox-news-defamation-case-00429168">reported</a> by POLITICO, centers on Fox News&#8217; coverage of a June 7 phone call between Trump and Newsom during anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County. President Trump said he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">deployed</a> thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the area to quell the violence despite the governor&#8217;s objections, but local officials say they are there to protect federal buildings and federal workers.
The dispute arose when Trump claimed on June 10 that he had called Newsom &#8220;a day ago.&#8221; Newsom subsequently denied any recent contact, stating: &#8220;There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn&#8217;t even know who he&#8217;s talking to.&#8221;
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No more lies.
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.<a href="https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB">https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKoRaxHRDW">pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1938587950704677237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fox News then ran a segment on Jesse Watters&#8217; program that Newsom&#8217;s claims &#8220;willfully distorted&#8221; the timeline to the network&#8217;s viewers. According to the lawsuit, Watters aired a deceptively edited video that juxtaposed Trump&#8217;s &#8220;day ago&#8221; claim with call logs obtained by Fox host John Roberts showing the call occurred on June 7 — three days earlier, not one day as Trump had claimed. Newsom accuses the network of falsely claiming he lied about the phone call and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-6563">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
&#8220;If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump&#8217;s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case,&#8221; Newsom said in a statement to POLITICO, referencing Fox&#8217;s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
&#8220;I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine,&#8221; the governor added.
Fox News dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, writing, &#8220;Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.&#8221;
In Fox News&#8217;s initial reporting on the disputed call, headlined &#8220;Trump brings receipts he called Newsom amid LA riots as California gov claims there wasn&#8217;t &#8216;even a voicemail,'&#8221; the network did <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail">include</a> Newsom&#8217;s clarification that the call was from &#8220;3 days ago&#8221; rather than the &#8220;day ago&#8221; Trump had claimed.
POLITICO notes that defamation cases brought by public officials face a much higher legal standard than those filed by private citizens. Newsom has indicated he would retract the lawsuit if Fox News issues a formal retraction and Jesse Watters delivers an on-air apology.

California Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Challenging Trump Tariff Authority

Newsom Targets Fox News With Dominion-Sized Lawsuit Over Trump Phone Call Dispute

Defamation

Fox News

Lawsuit

Los Angeles

National Guard

Riots

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine in a Thursday press conference with Defense Secratary Pete Hegseth provided a detailed description of the American strikes and released video showing how bunker-buster bombs crippled Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities.
Caine revealed that the United States military had developed the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, better known as bunker buster bombs, more than 15 years ago, specifically with Iran’s nuclear program in mind.
He showed several military graphics and videos showcasing exactly how the bombers were to inflict extensive damage at Iran&#8217;s Fordo nuclear site.
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Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine demonstrates how GBU-57 MOPs work: &#8220;Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won&#8217;t see an impact crater because they&#8217;re designed to deeply bury and then function &#8230; All six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/iQs3oWcJ4X">pic.twitter.com/iQs3oWcJ4X</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1938215092128231753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“All six weapons at each vent at Fordo went exactly where they were intended to go. A bomb has three effects that causes damage: blast, fragmentation, and overpressure,” Caine said. “In this case, the primary kill mechanism in the mission space was a mix of overpressure and blast ripping through the open tunnels and destroying critical hardware.“
Thursday&#8217;s press conference comes after the Trump administration accused CNN, The New York Times, and other legacy media outlets of attempting to torpedo the success of the strikes, quoting a leaked preliminary assessment that said the attack only set Iran’s nuclear program back by months.
“The majority of the damage we assessed based on our extensive modeling was a blast layer combined with the impulse extending from the shock. Imagine what this looks like six times over,” Caine added.
The media asked Gen. Caine if he was pressured to provide a rosy assessment of the destruction at Fordo, to which he pushed back, “No, I have not, and no, I would not.”
The U.S. strike on Fordo primarily focused on two ventilation shafts as the “primary point of entry into the mission space,” Caine said.
“In the days preceding the attack against Fordo, the Iranians attempted to cover the shafts with concrete to try to prevent an attack,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I won’t share the specific dimensions of the concrete cap, but you should know that we know what the dimensions of those concrete caps were. The planners had to account for this. They accounted for everything.”
“The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon, and the main shaft was uncovered. Weapons two, three, four, five were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in the mission space. Weapon number six was designed as a flex weapon to allow us to cover if one of the preceding jets or one of the preceding weapons did not work. There were six on each side.”
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/thejointstaff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thejointstaff</a> Chairman General Dan Caine describes the devastating weaponry dropped on Fordow in last Saturday&#8217;s strikes: <a href="https://t.co/Ol9SE9rmvN">pic.twitter.com/Ol9SE9rmvN</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1938214162812879293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Pete Hegseth – Dan Caine holds a joint press conference in DC

WATCH: Gen. ‘Razin’ Caine Unveils Footage Demonstrating Fordo Collapse After Devastating Iran Strike

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