US Strikes Key Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz

The strikes were on Larak Island in the Strait, one of its narrowest points. The U.S. is looking to eliminate Iran’s ability to deploy any more mines in the Strait. Barak Ravid at Axios: The U.S. military struck Iranian military targets to prevent the deployment of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official said. This is the first known U.S. strike in Iran since late July when President Trump paused a two-week U.S. military campaign in the strait in late July. The U.S. military last week finished clearing all mines from the strait’s main shipping lane. Trump said at the time that Iran has been notified that any ship or boat placing new mines will be “immediately and systematically destroyed.” “There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect,” Trump wrote on Truth Social (Axios).

Iran Strikes US Forces in Jordan

Fox News: Iran began attacking U.S. forces in Jordan on Sunday after American forces struck Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island, a U.S. source told Fox News’ Trey Yingst. No significant impacts have been reported so far, the source said, adding that nearly all incoming missiles have been intercepted so far. The attacks came after U.S. forces struck Iranian missile launchers on Larak Island on Sunday (Fox News). Gunther Eagleman sums up the latest: Iran tried to re-mine the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. hit the launchers on Larak Island. Hours later they sent ballistic missiles at our troops in Jordan. Patriots are knocking them down. Fox source: no significant impact so far. Almost all intercepted. They’ve killed Americans at those same bases before. This is not a drill. Trump’s watching it live. Our guys on the batteries — not some coalition committee. Sanctions are biting. Their own president just admitted it (Eagleman).

Trump Announces Oil Deal With Venenzuela

The deal will give the U.S. access to 65 billion barrels of oil reserves. President Trump on Friday afternoon: The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY! At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer. This Historic Transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity. This Transaction will greatly strengthen the already growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States! (Truth). For context: At year’s end 2025, Venezuela had the most proven oil reserves—at 303 billion barrels. Saudi Arabia was second—at 267 billion. The U.S. is ninth on the list—at 41 billion barrels. This deal, clearly, will alter things considerably (Statranker).

Trump to Canadian Corporations: Come to USA, ‘no TARIFFS!’

The president is clearly not in a mood to compromise with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Trump posted back-to-back on the subject yesterday. First: Let all Canadian Companies that are doing business with America move to the United States, immediately. Many of them are Companies that moved out years ago due to stupid U.S. Leadership. When you move back, there are no TARIFFS! (Truth). Then on tariffs and Canada: One of the Worst Abusers is Canada. I don’t want Canadian cars, I don’t want Canadian parts, I don’t want Canadian anything. They’ve been ripping us off for decades, and it’s going to stop. This should have happened long ago with other Presidents, just as stopping Iran should have happened long ago. They want to be treated like a State, but they aren’t one. I deal with the Leadership of many Countries, but I find Canada to be the worst (Truth).

Canadian Prime Minister Carney in Combat Mode Towards Trump; a ‘wartime-footing government without a war’

It’s unlikely to work out well for them. The reporters covering Carney are noticing a shift—the Prime Minister is really not negotiating. The left-wing Guardian captures it: Near the end of the press conference last Saturday, a reporter made reference to the sombre, combative tone of the speech: “Why does it feel like today Mark Carney is going to war?” The prime minister paused. “We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked,” he said. “We got attacked.” …  Carney’s decision to retaliate against the US has caused some economists, including [Joseph Steinberg, a professor of economics at the University of Toronto], to point out that Canada will take a far more painful blow than the US. For the first time in his career Carney is fully beholden to a wary public, a reality that underscores the clashing of two personalities: the technocrat who understands the economics, and the politician who must contend with the political costs of compromise…. One of Carney’s prescriptions – forging deep relations with like-minded “middle powers” and restructuring to lessen reliance on former allies – has already taken shape in Canada, at a speed and degree to which the pollster David Coletto described as a “wartime-footing government without a war” (Guardian).

Christian Lawmakers Association in Canada Push Trump to Facilitate Expedited Emigration of Jewish Canadians

Antisemitic attacks are disproportionately high—and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is perceived at creating roadblocks in front of the growing numbers who want to flee. Just the News: coalition of Christian lawmakers, faith leaders and civic organizations urged President Donald Trump to establish a legal immigration and humanitarian pathway for Jewish Canadians who fear persecution resulting from rising antisemitism in Canada. In a letter sent to Trump, the National Association of Christian Lawmakers and its partners asked the administration to direct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to develop “lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways” for eligible Jewish Canadian nationals and their immediate family members. The letter pointed to what the signatories described as a growing climate of harassment, intimidation, vandalism, threats and violence targeting Jewish communities in Canada since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. “These numbers represent more than statistics,” the letter read. “They represent families who increasingly question whether they can safely send their children to Jewish schools, worship openly, display their faith publicly, or continue building their lives in communities where they no longer feel secure” (Just the News). Eerie echoes of history as the old hatreds reassert themselves.

As 9/11 Approaches, New York Governor Dons Hijab, Visits Islamic Center of Imam Who Blamed Jews for Attacks

Someone on Hochul’s press relations team must be saying—or at least thinking: “I’m not sure this is the strongest venue or the visual message to send as the nation approaches the 25^th anniversary of 9/11.” Matzav: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing criticism after appearing in a hijab during a visit to an Islamic center, with critics accusing the Democratic governor of engaging in political pandering and questioning how the gesture squares with the party’s longstanding emphasis on women’s rights (Matzav). Governor Hochul: And I want to thank to his excellency … thank him for welcoming me, making me feel part of the family to our imam and all the other executives part of this organization (Wokeness). The event was at the Islamic Cultural Center School of New York. An important reminder: Sheik Muhammad Gemeaha was the leader of the mosque on 9/11/2001. In the wake of the horror, he said in an Arabic interview: All the signs indicate that the Jews have the most to gain from an explosion like that. They are the only ones capable of planning such acts…. If we take these things into account and look closely at the incident, we will find that only the Jews are capable of planning such an incident, because it was planned with great precision of which Osama bin Laden or any other Islamic organization or intelligence apparatus is incapable… (Imra). Gemeaha quickly fled to Cairo (New York Times). And Hochul feels comfortable there … part of the family.

Over 95,000 Americans Are Asking Mamdani to Stay From the Solemn Commemoration of 9/11

Mayor Mamdani—at least at this point—is planning on ignoring them. The Change.org petition: we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy (Change). Kevin McCullough: Think about that. A man who lost his wife that morning is asking the mayor of New York City not to come…. Referring to what we’re seeing from today’s Democrats: This is something else. A political movement increasingly afraid to say the words “Islamist terrorism” while portions of its own coalition flirt openly with ideas that are hostile to American law, American institutions and, in some cases, America itself. And now we’re having the argument at Ground Zero. That’s what gets me. Ground Zero. There are approximately eight million other places in New York City where politicians can conduct their ideological experiments. Leave this one alone. Because September 11 belongs first to the people who never came home. It belongs to the firefighters whose photographs still hang in firehouses across the city. It belongs to the police officers who walked into hell. It belongs to the children who grew up without mothers and fathers. It belongs to people like Giovanni Galante, who has lived twenty-five years without his wife (Townhall).

California Looks to Pass Legislation Making Muslim Festivals of Ramadan and Hajj State Holidays

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in the state assembly in May. The state Senate is looking to approve the bill before the legislative session ends today (Sacramento Bee). If passed, it is expected that Governor Newsom would sign the legislation. He, too, should don the hijab. Fox News: California could soon formally recognize two of Islam’s most important holy days under legislation that would give state workers greater flexibility to take them off and allow public schools to close in observance of the holidays. The measure, which overwhelmingly passed the state Assembly and is awaiting Senate action, would recognize Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in state law and could soon head to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Assembly Bill 2017, introduced by Democratic San Francisco Assemblymember Matt Haney, passed the Assembly 64-1 in late May. It must clear the Senate before the legislative session ends Monday to reach Newsom (Fox News). The California Family Council was one of the few organizations to speak up: No California statute authorizes public schools to hold exercises celebrating the meaning of Christmas, Easter, or Good Friday. Schools cannot teach the Resurrection or the Nativity. They cannot celebrate Yom Kippur or Passover. Yet, after AB 268 and now AB 2017, public school teachers will be authorized and curriculum-guided to celebrate the end of Ramadan and the Festival of Sacrifice. The asymmetry is written into the law (California Family).

Hasan Piker Is Now the Face of the Democratic Party

And the party’s cowardly efforts to distance themselves from the Maoist—without even naming him—are not going to help matters. Hugh Hewitt: Piker has now gone so “supernova radical” that some Democratic leaders and elected officials have had to rebuke him without naming him — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Elissa Slotkin — and others, like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, have slapped Piker down by name…. There is a quality of frenzy about Piker that repels moderate Americans who love the country and who exist in both parties and as independents. Piker’s Maoist rants and his long list of transgressive assaults on norms are having a cumulative impact on Democrats because Piker, like the DSA as a whole, is understood to be the future of the Democratic Party, not a fringe figure who can’t break onto stages with candidates…. Most voters want a better life for themselves and their families. They don’t want the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution or Mao’s or Castro’s murderous reigns of terror (Fox News). Yes: Hasan Piker really hates America (language warning: Lensman).