Iran fights to keep grip on Hormuz as US, Gulf allies carve new shipping route

Rubio privately admits Iran deal may not be 'likely' in tense closed-door meeting: report

A Republican congressman pushed back on Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Trump administration's Iran agreement during a private House briefing Monday, and Rubio conceded the negotiations may go nowhere.Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) questioned why the U.S. would even attempt to deal with Tehran, according to a source on the call who relayed the exchange to reporter Mychael Schnell of MS NOW."I don’t understand the MOU from the standpoint of trying to come to an agreement with the country that has never been compliant with anything they’ve done in the past,” McCormick said, per the source. He added that lifting pre-war sanctions "just shows them that they're victorious," and said: "I just don't understand why we'd even consider dealing with these people in any sort of good-faith agreement."The briefing, led by Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, followed the 14-point memorandum of understanding Trump signed June 17 to halt the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and open a 60-day window for talks on sanctions and Iran's nuclear program.Rubio responded that Iran is already doing things it would never have done, and argued the U.S. should judge Tehran by its actions rather than its statements, per the source. He also lowered expectations."No one is here under any illusion that this is easy, or even likely, in some cases… There's a reason why this has been going on for 47 years, but we’re gonna give it an opportunity," Rubio said, per the source.McCormick's skepticism echoes the alarm that greeted the deal's sanctions concessions, and lands as the ceasefire frays, with U.S. forces striking Iran again last week.

JD Vance's new scheme to salvage his political future 'would do Nixon proud': analyst

Vice President JD Vance revealed the new scheme he has cooked up to salvage what's left of his political career during a recent talk at the Nixon Presidential Library, according to one political analyst. David A. Graham, a staff writer at The Atlantic, argued in a new edition of "The Atlantic Daily" newsletter that Vance's comments about Watergate being a 12-hour news story today were revealing for all of the wrong reasons. Vance may have been trying to make a point about the state of the American media, but instead exposed that he is cozying up to President Donald Trump's corrupt side as he seeks a way to take the MAGA reins once Trump leaves office. "If it’s true that Watergate wouldn’t make a dent today, that is a reason to lament the fallen state of politics, not to conclude that Watergate was just fine," Graham wrote. "This would be a powerful argument coming from the vice president, who has worried about what he sees as insufficient morality in American society and has said that his role is 'to try to apply moral principles in ways that get the best outcomes,'" he added. "Instead, Vance has concluded that his best chance at political advancement is to hitch himself to the corrupt and unethical Trump. Such cynicism would do Nixon proud."Vance's comments were made at a time when analysts have called out multiple deals the Trump administration struck that appear to financially benefit the president and his family. For instance, the New York Times reported on a mining deal in Kazakhstan involving Trump's sons, Don Jr. and Eric, that could also net Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's family a financial windfall.

Beyond bias: What the media are not telling us

'Will American voters learn in time to prevent what these people intend for this country?'

'Foolish': Republican warns of new 'calamity' Trump created by going after immigrants

A Republican lawmaker slammed the calamity the Trump administration has created by revoking Temporary Protected Status for thousands of immigrants. Last year, the Trump administration abruptly revoked TPS for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, a move that impacted approximately 356,000 people currently living in the U.S. The order was swiftly challenged, but the Supreme Court recently ruled that President Donald Trump has the authority to unilaterally revoke TPS, an opinion that stunned many legal analysts. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) slammed the decision during a new interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead." "As I have stressed to the administration for over a year, while I don't dispute the president's ability to end TPS ... it is foolish to do it at this moment because we are going to create a calamity within our own health care system as a result," Lawler said. Lawler, whose district includes one of the largest Haitian immigrant populations in the U.S., noted that many of these immigrants work in health care, caring for the elderly and disabled. He added that he's asked the administration to instead extend work visas to the immigrants, some of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades. Lawler also noted that it would be dangerous to send Haitian and Syrian immigrants back to their home countries, which raises a host of questions about the timing of the move. "The fact is, from a humanitarian standpoint, it is disastrous to send them back home at this moment, and it will have a profound negative impact on the American people," Lawler said.

Democratic primaries in Colorado mark latest fight over party's direction

One week after Democratic insurgent victories in New York, the focus is now moving to Colorado, where challenges in a trio of races are threatening candidates backed by the party establishment.

Socialists take fight west, target Colorado in latest bid to oust Democratic Party establishment

Democratic Socialists of America target Colorado primaries as DSA-backed Melat Kiros challenges Rep. Diana DeGette in Denver's 1st Congressional District.

U.S. Power, Not International Law, Determines Whether the Strait of Hormuz Is Open

It has been historically open because the regime in Tehran understood that America would not tolerate Iranian restrictions.

This New Socialist Candidate Says Roads, Schools, and Firefighters Prove America Is Already Socialist