U.S. forces conduct more strikes against Iran; House member describes Bill Gates' Epstein testimony.
'Thank God this ghetto hack lost her primary in a landslide. What a freaking loser. Her next career will be 'community organizer' or something, racebaiting in a Texas ghetto'
Donald Trump’s latest boast should concern Americans far more than it reassures them.Trump announced on social media that he has passed three cognitive decline tests while mocking former presidents for supposedly never taking one. He framed the tests as proof of his fitness and mental sharpness. In reality, his comments highlight the fact that the United States still has no meaningful standard for evaluating the cognitive fitness of its presidents. For years, I have advocated for routine cognitive testing for all presidential candidates and sitting Presidents. That position was never about Donald Trump specifically, nor Joe Biden, nor any individual politician, but about the presidency itself. The presidency is one of the few jobs in America where advanced age does not require objective evaluation. We require airline pilots, surgeons, and military personnel to undergo cognitive and physical health assessments. Fighter pilots have their executive functioning tested. Yet the President and Commander-in-Chief of the United States, who oversees all military operations and nuclear capabilities, faces no standardized cognitive screening requirement.Public concern is bipartisan and substantial. Polling from Healthcare for Action found overwhelming support for cognitive testing for elected officials,regardless of political affiliation.. Americans recognize that aging affects everyoneCognitive decline is not a moral failing or a partisan issue, but a medical and human reality.I understand how closely cognitive health is tied to physical health. Conditions affecting blood flow, cardiovascular function, and sleep can influence memory, judgment, and processing speed. Cognitive changes often emerge subtly, appearing as repetition, confusion, impulsivity, or difficulty handling stress.When the lifeline of our country depends on one person, the slightest impairment, whether physical or cognitive, matters. One of the most commonly discussed assessments is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, known as the MoCA. The test evaluates memory, attention, language, and executive function. It is not designed to diagnose dementia on its own, but is a validated screening tool that can identify whether further evaluation is warranted.However, passing a MoCA is not equivalent to proving exceptional cognitive fitness. It’s simply a baseline screen. Bragging about passing one, like President Trump has done, is comparable to boasting that you passed a standard vision exam while renewing your driver’s license. It may be reassuring if concerns exist, but it is hardly definitive evidence of superior functioning. If cognitive testing becomes treated as a performative talking point, we will lose an opportunity to establish a serious public health standard. The goal needs to be transparency and trust, not scoring partisan victories.The American public has spent years watching uncomfortable debates over aging and mental acuity among political leaders. Voters are often asked to ignore what they see with their own eyes. Critics argue that cognitive testing could stigmatize aging, but I disagree. Avoiding evaluation fuels suspicion and misinformation while honest assessment respects both candidates and voters. Others claim voters alone should decide whether a candidate appears mentally fit. But voters already rely on mandatory disclosures in other areas such as financial status.. Transparency strengthens public trust. Cognitive health should not be any different simply because discussing it makes politicians uncomfortable. None of this is about disqualifying older Americans from leadership. Age alone does not determine competence. Some individuals remain extraordinarily sharp well into their 80s, while others experience meaningful decline much earlier. The only responsible approach is objective evaluation. Trump is correct about one thing: cognitive testing is now part of the national conversation. But instead of using the issue as another political taunt, we should finally treat it as a serious institutional question. The presidency demands mental endurance, judgment, and clarity. Voters should never have to guess whether those qualities are intact. They deserve to know.
The president added: "You know why? Because as soon as this war is over... it's going to come down like a rock."
Controversial candidate Graham Platner won the Democratic nomination in Maine's Senate race, but a new analysis found the party doesn't even need him to win to take back control of the U.S. Senate.The Iraq war veteran won his primary race and will face off against Republican Sen. Susan Collins despite allegations of mistreatment by past girlfriends, sexually explicit text messages sent to other women while he was married, questionable comments posted online and getting a tattoo of a Nazi symbol – but CNN's Harry Enten said his campaign is not essential for Democrats. "So that that is the mathematical equation, right?" Enten said. "They need a net one, two, three, four seats. That is what they need to net, and I think that there is this idea out there that if Graham Platner doesn't win in Maine, then it screws the Democrats. That is not true at all. Yes, it may make it more difficult, but they have a real path, even without winning in Maine.""Why don't we just take a look at some polling in some key states, right, some state polling in GOP-held seats," Enten continued. "These are states that Donald Trump won by double digits, but look at this: The Democrats and the average polls are actually slightly ahead. Sherrod Brown in ohio, he's up by three points. He's, of course, the former senator lost the seat back in 2024. How about in Texas, which has not elected a Democrat to the United States senate since 1988? What do we see here? We see James Talarico, again, a small lead well within the margin of error. But the average poll, he's up three points.""So in two states we have polling out in the last few weeks, last few months, when you average it all together, where you actually have Democrats ahead again within the margin of error, but up by three points in two states that Donald Trump won by double digits just two years ago," he added.Platner winning in Maine would obviously help Democrats regain the Senate majority, Enten said, but he said President Donald Trump's unpopularity gave them other paths to victory."If we wind out the map, right, a puncher's chance, at least a 20 percent chance that the Kalshi Prediction Markets, people putting their money where their mouth is, in terms of Democrats winning at least a 20 percent chance, look at this," Enten said. "There are seven GOP-held seats, so the map is actually really wide this year. It has widened out, which is not a big surprise when the president of the United States has an approval rating, if he's lucky, averaging about 40 percent. If you look at most of the polls, it's under 40 percent. Bottom line is, the map is wide. Democrats have a path without Maine. Yes, Maine helps them, but they have a clear path without it." - YouTube youtu.be
Primary day wrapping up in Maine as voters grapple with Graham Platner's scandals; U.S. launches retaliatory strikes against Iran.
Sen. Susan Collins wins Maine GOP primary unopposed as she seeks a sixth term, facing Democrat Graham Platner in a crucial Senate majority battle.
A Democratic lawmaker hurled a major allegation at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday, one they said amounted to “witness tampering” in the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.Blanche was nominated by President Donald Trump on Monday to serve as permanent attorney general, and during an appearance on CNN, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) was asked whether Blanche’s handling of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) release of Epstein-related files would help or hurt his chances at being confirmed by the Senate.Lynch poured cold water on Blanche’s chances – calling him “unqualified and untrustworthy” – while also leveling the allegation that Blanche had “interfered” with the criminal probe into Epstein’s potential co-conspirators.Last year, Blanche – then deputy attorney general – conducted an interview with Epstein accomplice and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, during which the two spoke “for a few minutes” before the conversation was recorded. Not long after, Maxwell was quietly transferred from her maximum-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security prison in Texas, a move that ran afoul of DOJ policy as it relates to sex offenders.“Todd Blanche's involvement with the Epstein case is disastrous. He actually went and met with Ghislaine Maxwell, took her out of a heavy security prison, gave her a sweetheart deal,” Lynch told CNN’s John Berman.“She never agreed to cooperate. [Blanche] put her in a much more permissive environment [that] has given her extensive privileges. I believe that is witness tampering on his part – he interfered with the investigation! She is less likely to talk to us now since Todd Blanche got involved with this case.”Maxwell has enjoyed extensive privileges at the detention facility she was transferred to in Texas, privileges reportedly not afforded to other inmates that include access to computers, a "security risk not typically allowed,” CNN previously reported. Maxwell has since gushed about her experience at the prison, claiming to be “much happier” there and calling her privileges “fantastic.”Regarding the federal investigation into Epstein, @RepStephenLynch accuses Acting AG @DAGToddBlanche of "witness tampering" and of having "interfered with the investigation.""He's clearly unqualified and untrustworthy" pic.twitter.com/v0MiJXFcxq— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) June 9, 2026
Bari Weiss could be taking over the editorial leadership of another news network.Paramount has begun preliminary conversations with several top media executives about a business-side counterpart to Weiss, the CBS News editor-in-chief, as the company awaits regulatory approval of its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, two sources familiar with the matter told Axios."The search implies that if Paramount Skydance's deal with Warner Bros. Discovery goes through, Weiss would oversee all news editorial across both CBS News and CNN," Axios reported. "Her potential counterpart would manage business operations across both companies."Among the candidates under consideration are NBCUniversal News Group chairman Cesar Conde, CNN Worldwide CEO Mark Thompson and former NBC News president Noah Oppenheim. Paramount had also weighed Ben Sherwood, CEO of the Daily Beast and former ABC News president, and David Rhodes, former CBS News president and current Sky News executive chairman, according to a source familiar with the search.One candidate faces a procedural hurdle. Because Paramount is still awaiting regulatory clearance to acquire WBD, company executives are barred from holding conversations with any WBD personnel — which would include Thompson.Currently, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski serves alongside Weiss, reporting to George Cheeks, chair of TV media at Paramount. Weiss reports directly to Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison.The role being sought would fill a void left by former CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon, who oversaw all business operations before resigning last year ahead of Skydance's merger with Paramount. No direct replacement was ever named.The search comes amid turbulence surrounding CBS News' flagship program "60 Minutes," though a source close to the process disputed recent reports suggesting Weiss' authority could be curtailed."The Paramount brass loves Bari Weiss," the source said. "She has the full confidence of David Ellison, who believes Bari has done a fantastic job as editor-in-chief."The search has not yet concluded. Federal regulators are expected to approve the merger, though attorneys general from California and New York are among a group preparing a lawsuit to block the deal.