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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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ICE agent who killed man in Biddeford identified as former Maine law enforcement officer

4 min ago - ICE agent who killed man in Biddeford identified as former Maine law enforcement officer An ex-wife told the Press Herald that David Brouillette called her and admitted he was the ICE agent who shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. Upda ... (Portand Press Herald)

Killer ICE agent's ex-wife throws him under the bus

25 min ago - The ex-wife of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who fatally shot 26-year-old Colombian man Joan Sebastian Guerrero came forward to the Portland Press Herald to reveal her story about him — and it wasn't good. According to the report ... (Raw Story)

Todd Blanche meets with Epstein survivors after key GOP senator's ultimatum

27 min ago - Updated Jul 16, 2026, 6:12 PM ET PUBLISHED Jul 16, 2026, 9:14 AM ET Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday afternoon as he attempts to shore up support for his nomination as attorney genera ... (CNN Politics)

White House says Donald Trump will attend World Cup final

47 min ago - Donald Trump will attend Sunday's World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. "We look forward ⁠to the final match on Sunday, and I know ‌the president ‌looks forward ... (The Guardian)

Trump wants a permanent fence around the D.C. park known for White House protests

54 min ago - Updated July 16, 202612:34 PM ET WASHINGTON — The Trump administration wants to permanently fence off a park near the White House that has long served as a gathering place for protesters. Some worry it will soon become even harder to make their ... (NPR)

Election denial activists briefed at White House ahead of Trump's primetime speech

1 hr ago - Election denial activists briefed at White House ahead of Trump’s primetime speech The session, convened by Cleta Mitchell and closed by nondisclosure agreements, presented material one attendee described as recycled from conservative media. Jul ... (ms.now/news)

Canada will not share bridge tolls with US until debt repaid, Carney says

1 hr ago - Canada will not share with the United States toll revenues from a new $4.7 billion bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, ‌until Canada recoups its initial investment, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday. The delayed ... (Reuters)

Brooklyn Defender Services union goes on strike

1 hr ago - July 16, 2026 By Noah Powelson Over 500 attorneys and legal staff at the city’s second-largest public defender organization went on strike Thursday. Unionized staff at Brooklyn Defender Services – which has about 500 attorneys representing ... (Queens Daily Eagle)

Iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell linked to cyclospora outbreak

1 hr ago - PUBLISHED Jul 16, 2026, 5:52 PM ET Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and sold at some Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a source familiar with the investigation said Thursday. Cases of t ... (CNN Health)

Tillis goes scorched-earth on SAVE America Act, threatening to stall it

1 hr ago - 07/16/26 12:32 PM ET Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), a retiring Republican who has become one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration in his party, delivered harsh words for President Trump’s top-priority voter ID legislation on the Senat ... (The Hill)

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

2 hrs 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

2 hrs 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'

2 hrs 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

2 hrs 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

3 hrs 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

3 hrs 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

3 hrs 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

3 hrs 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

3 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

4 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)