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Feds Issue Bombshell Warning on Trump's Attack on Our Rights

(Daily Beast) As President Trump’s primetime address to the nation on Thursday draws near, former senior FBI and intelligence officials told the Daily Beast that what he touts as a speech emphasizing the importance of “free and fair elections” will, in fact, be part of an attack on democracy itself. Trump has announced a 9 p.m. Thursday speech, demanding TV airtime—which they have yet to promise—for what he claims is a matter of national importance. But to those who have worked at the pinnacle of law enforcement, something else is afoot.

BumRushDaShow

Border czar warns there will be more 'bloodshed' unless Democrats 'shut their mouths'

(The Independent) President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has warned that there will be more “bloodshed” unless Democrats “shut their mouths.” Following the back-to-back fatal shootings of a Colombian native in Maine and a Mexican man in Houston by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Trump administration has tried to shift the blame onto Democratic leaders who have been educating immigrants on their rights.

Zorro

Two-thirds of Americans find groceries unaffordable, Post-Ipsos poll finds

(Washington Post) Americans are feeling worse about the price of groceries than they were before the war with Iran began, a Washington Post-Ipsos poll finds. About two-thirds, or 66 percent, of Americans say they would describe the cost of groceries as unaffordable, up sharply from the 45 percent who said the same thing in February before the conflict started.

BumRushDaShow

Vance wanted military helicopter to fly his son to a golf lesson: report

(The Independent) Vice President JD Vance sought last week to use a military helicopter to ferry himself and his son across Washington for a golf lesson, one of a number of allegedly unusual travel requests that has left the Republican’s security detail “fed up,” MS Now reports. The alleged travel plans aboard Marine Two were ultimately canceled due to weather, but Secret Service agents nonetheless discussed it among themselves unhappily, according to the outlet. Past vice presidents have had Secret Service agents drive their children to activities, rather than use military hardware, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per hour to operate.

KS Toronado

Thursday's Condensed News Cartoons

BumRushDaShow

DOJ cannot provide unredacted Epstein files for New Mexico probe

(Detroit News) The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday it was prohibited by law from releasing unredacted files on Jeffrey Epstein requested by New Mexico, escalating a feud with state officials investigating the late sex offender. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez released a letter on Tuesday accusing the DOJ of deliberately obstructing the state's criminal probe of Epstein by failing to hand over the files. “Federal law, court orders, and privacy protections for victims and witnesses do not allow us to release millions of unredacted documents," a U.S. Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement. "We will continue to follow federal law and the court orders that are in place."

RandySF

CA-GOV: Xavier Becerra opens up a 25-point lead

(ABC News) Democrat Xavier Becerra opens up a 25-point lead against Republican Steve Hilton in the race to become California's next governor. In a new poll tonight, Becerra receives 61% support from those polled while Hilton receives 36%.

Shipwack

U.S. Mint Produces A $1 Coin Bearing Trump's Face To Help Celebrate America's 250th Birthday

(Huff Post) The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The final design for the commemorative coin, being released in the fall, was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. But the finished product unveiled Wednesday differs from that version in a few aspects, including that it is not made of gold but rather has a gold finish.

BumRushDaShow

Blue Angels conducting review after jet flies over Florida beachgoers

(ABC News) Officials with the U.S. Navy's elite Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron said they're conducting a review after social media footage showed a jet flying low over a crowd of beachgoers in Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning. "During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas," the statement said, calling it a "low-altitude pass."

RandySF

Trump Says He'll Seek to Replace Immigrant Truck Drivers With Veterans

(NY Times) President Trump said on Wednesday that his administration was cracking down on unauthorized immigrant truck drivers and would seek to replace them with veterans.“We are going to take our veterans; we’re going to teach them a lot about driving trucks,” Mr. Trump said, to take the place of drivers without legal immigration status, which he claimed without providing evidence were causing many accidents.

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The use of force has become a 'default tool' for ICE officers, a new report finds

13 min ago - Published Jul 16, 2026 9:30 AM In the aftermath of two killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in just over a week, a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union documents widespread use of force by the federal agency. The re ... (LAist/NPR)

Trump's Board of Peace drops full Gaza recovery plan in favour of tiny pilot scheme

42 min ago - Revised plan aims to ‘keep something going’ amid fears Netanyahu may gamble on new all-out offensive before Israeli elections The Gaza recovery plan being pursued by Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) has shrunk dramatically from an a ... (The Guardian)

After Blue Angels low flyover, acting Navy secretary says: 'No firings'

49 min ago - July 16, 2026 at 4:44 p.m. EDT A Blue Angels fighter jet buzzed a beach in Pensacola, Florida, during a Wednesday morning practice run, sending shrieks through a crowd of onlookers and umbrellas flying into the air. The incident, which followed two ... (Washington Post)

JUST IN: NBC and ABC Will Not Air Trump's Primetime Address Live

58 min ago - NBC and ABC will not be airing President Donald Trump's planned national address this evening, multiple reporters shared Thursday and Mediaite has confirmed. Instead, both networks will show the speech on their streaming platforms. There is precedent ... (Mediaite)

Senate GOP isn't sold on Mike Johnson's budget blueprint

1 hr ago - 07/16/2026 11:53 AM EDT Senate Republicans are pouring cold water on the House GOP's $95 billion blueprint for a new party-line spending package.Their skepticism is a reality check on Speaker Mike Johnson's ambitious pledge that the Senate will adopt ... (Politico)

'Horrific crimes': Oregon senator introduces second Epstein Files Act

1 hr ago - Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) helped introduce a bill on Wednesday, aiming to hold the United States Department of Justice accountable for its handling of the Epstein files. A group of lawmakers, led by Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY), introduced Hous ... (KOIN 6 TV News, Portland, OR)

CBS News wants to take 'middle ground' on airing Trump's speech as network chiefs wrestle over whether to carry it live

1 hr ago - Stelter said in his Reliable Sources newsletter Thursday that he has been told CBS may take a “middle-ground” approach by quickly editing clips of Trump’s address to air shortly after, rather than playing the whole speech live. The net ... (Independent)

Trump's teleprompter operator under investigation for insider trading, sources say

1 hr ago - Posted 1 hour and 52 minutes ago and last updated 1 hour and 22 minutes ago The federal agency that regulates prediction markets is investigating President Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator for potential insider trading, according t ... (Scripps News)

Truth Social to sell banks 'fastest' access to Trump's posts

2 hrs ago - July 16 (Reuters) - Trump Media & Technology Group has unveiled a paid-for, licensed data feed that will give banks and trading firms "the fastest" access to posts from influential Truth Social ‌accounts, such as President Donald Trum ... (Reuters)

Federal panel reviews park fencing plan and White House visitor screening center

2 hrs ago - July 16, 2026 10:16 AM PT WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is proposing to improve security around the White House by putting up a fence around nearby Lafayette Park to help limit public access when law enforcement authorities determine do ... (Los Angles Times/AP)

At least 1 person has died as Texas flooding forces evacuations and rescues, governor says

2 hrs ago - UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Rescuers saved dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes from catastrophic flooding in Texas while many more fled to higher ground Thursday across a region still recovering from devastating floods just a year ag ... (AP)

Trump ignores Congress as he pours granite over White House lawn: report

2 hrs ago - July 16, 2026 6:21AM ET President Donald Trump is ignoring Congress, zoning laws and airspace regulations as he pours granite over a White House lawn to build himself a helipad, the New York Times reported Thursday morning. The unusually speedy wor ... (Raw Story)

Short sellers load up against SpaceX as stock drops below IPO price

3 hrs ago - Short sellers are rapidly increasing their bets against SpaceX, driving bearish positioning to nearly one-third of the company’s public float as the struggling stock hovers below its IPO offering price. About 185 million SpaceX shares are now so ... (CNBC)

Trump fires U.S. attorney in Washington, Roger Rogoff, on heels of court appointment

3 hrs ago - July 16, 2026 / 10:21 AM EDT Washington — President Trump on Wednesday fired Roger Rogoff from his post as the top federal prosecutor in Seattle shortly after federal judges in the area installed him in the role. Acting Attorney General Todd Bl ... (CBS News)

Prices already spiking at Trump's mysterious gas stations that promised cheap fuel

3 hrs ago - Story by Frank Landymore • 3h • Liberty-loving patriots who got themselves amped up about president Trump’s new gas stations are in for a rude surprise. When the White House announced the “Freedom Fuel” network last week, ... (msn.com)

Rubio launches global effort to target left-wing extremistsRubio launches global effort to target left-wing extremists

3 hrs ago - Jul. 16, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host delegations from 65 countries Thursday for a summit on what the Trump administration describes as a resurgence of far-left political terrorism. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and W ... (MS NOW News)

'Scared s-tless': Republicans brace for Trump's primetime speech

4 hrs ago - 07/16/2026 04:45 AM EDT President Donald Trump is promising to reveal “really big news” on election security. Many Republicans wish he wouldn’t. The president’s speech, expected to be delivered in prime time Thursday from the Whi ... (Politico)

Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if US hits power network, sources say

4 hrs ago - Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat to global energy supplies. ... (Reuters)

Kalshi to allow bets on clinical trials, FDA decisions

5 hrs ago - Prediction market platform Kalshi will start taking bets on the outcomes of clinical trials and FDA regulatory reviews, it said on Thursday, making drug-development odds public for the first time. The ‌new markets will be launched in part ... (Reuters)

Canadian diplomats in U.S. face gun violence, housing woes: audit

5 hrs ago - An internal government audit of Canadian diplomatic missions in the U.S. completed late last year found staff faced safety risks and problems with accessing health care — more than a year after a union flagged those same issues. “U.S. citie ... (GlobalNews)