Trump-backed Julia Letlow takes victory in Louisiana GOP Senate primary runoff

English bargoers swarm local pubs for World Cup party after victory over Panama

English revelers turned Manhattan into West Britain on Saturday, packing local pubs to celebrate a 2-0 World Cup victory over Panama. 

The New York Times Declares Victory for Tehran

The New York Times, revered by some as the nation’s premier print media for general news and culture, detested by...

Trump's lawsuit 'backfires': Expert flags 'unintended consequence' exposing president

A defamation lawsuit President Donald Trump filed against the BBC is producing what one observer called an "unintended consequence" — potentially opening the president up to broad discovery about the period surrounding January 6, according to journalist and commentator Aaron Parnas.In his newsletter, the Parnas Perspective, Parnas reported that Trump's $10 billion suit against the British broadcaster appears to be backfiring by giving the BBC an opening to demand records tied to one of the most heavily scrutinized stretches of his presidency.According to new court filings described by Parnas, the BBC is seeking Trump's phone logs, calendars, schedules, diaries, and communications from the period running from around the 2020 election through January 20, 2021. The broadcaster argues that the material is relevant to its defense in the case.Trump's attorneys are pushing back hard, Parnas reported. They have accused the BBC of attempting to use the defamation suit to put January 6 itself on trial, and argue that the discovery demands reach too far.Parnas summed up the irony at the heart of the dispute, noting that a lawsuit Trump brought in pursuit of billions in damages is now exposing him to potentially sweeping discovery about a period he has long sought to keep out of the courts.The dynamic Parnas described is a familiar risk in defamation litigation, where a plaintiff who goes to court seeking damages can find the discovery process turned around to scrutinize his own conduct and communications.It remains to be seen whether the court will grant the BBC's discovery requests or side with Trump's attorneys in narrowing them. For now, as Parnas laid out, the suit has handed the president's legal opponents a potential avenue into records he has fought for years to shield from public view.

Strategist notes evidence Trump admin is in 'transition' amid presidential health issues

Trump has been elevating the role of Vice President JD Vance for a clear reason, according to a political strategist.During a recent podcast episode for The Contrarian, Simon Rosenberg pointed out that recent revelations about Trump's health and Vance's new responsibilities correlate to a plan to prepare the vice president for a transition."Let's just be clear that another example of them potentially preparing for a transition is how much they've elevated Vance in recent weeks," Rosenberg said. "Which is sort of giving him a tryout of the world stage as a symbol of the fact that we could be in the beginning, or they're trying to hedge."Vance was in Switzerland last week to negotiate with Iran on a peace deal. Co-host Katie Phang also pointed to recent reports that Trump had to see 22 specialists during his recent visit to Walter Reed Hospital and that Trump might be the recipient of retatrutide, a powerful weight-loss drug."The White House tried to make it seem like this is a routine thing for a man of his age," Phang said. "I'm sorry, my mom is 83. She doesn't see 22 specialists. Sorry doesn't happen."Phang equated the experimental weight loss drug that Trump may have received to "bariatric weight surgery," and added, "It's that drastic to be able to facilitate weight loss."Rosenberg suggested that if Trump was given access to the drug, it was because "there were very deep concerns about the condition of his heart, and his weight, and that he needed to lose weight rapidly in order to relieve the pressure on his heart, and that he was actually in danger."However, Phang warned, "I don't think a JD Vance has the charisma of a Trump or the cult appeal, but I do think JD Vance could be really bad as president of the United States."Trump's Troubling Health & Mamdani the Kingmaker? by The ContrarianKatie Phang and Simon Rosenberg discuss last night's primary results and the tea leaves around Trump's recent health reportsRead on Substack

Letlow Wins Louisiana GOP Senate Primary, DDHQ Projects

Julia Letlow is projected to win the Republican Senate primary in Louisiana, according to DDHQ.

Trump-Endorsed U.S. Senate Candidate Win GOP Nomination in Louisiana

Trump scores another endorsement win with Louisiana Senate runoff victory

Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow defeats John Fleming in Louisiana's GOP Senate runoff, marking another victory for the president's endorsement power.

Louisiana Democrats pick rural farmer to challenge GOP in uphill Senate bid

Jamie Davis wins Louisiana's Democratic Senate runoff, defeating Gary Crockett to face a steep uphill climb in the reliably red state's Senate race.