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An attempted assassination of senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shakes Colombia and revives the ghosts of political violence.

This Saturday, June 7, 2025, an attack shook Colombia and reignited fears of a past marked by political violence and drug trafficking.

Senator and presidential pre-candidate for the Democratic Center party, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot in the head while attending a campaign event in the Fontibón district of Bogotá.

The incident, which left the politician in critical condition, has sparked a national debate about the country’s security and stability.

According to multiple media reports, the attack occurred around 5:00 p.m. at El Golfito Park, in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogotá, during a political event organized by the Democratic Center. Uribe, 39, was shot multiple times from behind by an armed individual.

Reports vary on the number of bullets fired, with sources citing between two and six shots—at least one of them hitting the head or neck.

Videos shared on social media capture the moment of panic following the shooting, showing Uribe covered in blood as he was rushed to Clínica Colombia.

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DACA Recipient Imprisoned in U.S. for Purchasing Guns for Mexican Cartels

A Mexican national under the DACA program has received a significant prison sentence for his involvement in a firearms trafficking scheme. Mario Elier Leal, 22, was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for leading a straw purchasing ring supplying weapons to Mexican cartels. The sentencing took place in McAllen, Texas, overseen by Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane.

Leal had pleaded guilty to the charges in 2024, admitting his role in the illegal operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office detailed that Leal will face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence, as he is not a U.S. citizen. His status under DACA allowed him to remain in the U.S. despite being brought in as a child illegally.

Prosecutors revealed Leal recruited individuals to purchase AK-47-type rifles, which were then smuggled into Mexico. At the time of his arrest, authorities seized three rifles acquired through two young Americans legally able to buy firearms in Texas. Although the court documents did not specify which cartel received the guns, the Gulf Cartel controls the area south of McAllen.

Leal confessed to paying $300 to each participant who bought guns for him, exploiting a loophole in U.S. laws that barred him from purchasing them himself. Federal officials suspect that at least 13 additional weapons were either purchased or in the process of being obtained for Leal. This case highlights the ongoing challenges of gun trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The connection to the Gulf Cartel, though not explicitly stated, raises concerns about the porous nature of the border in terms of illegal arms smuggling. The Gulf Cartel has long been a dominant force in the region, and activities like Leal’s only serve to strengthen their grip. Authorities are keen to reinforce the legal measures that prevent such trafficking.

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Kamala Harris Sides with the Violent Mob, Condones Riots as Thugs Burn Cars, Block Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles

We sure dodged a bullet.

Failed presidential hopeful Kamala Harris released a statement on the ongoing Los Angeles riots on Sunday evening.

Rather than calling for the anti-ICE rioters to stop defacing property, assaulting police and federal agents and blocking the freeway, Kamala Harris condoned the violence.

Rioters are carrying Mexican flags as they burn down cars.

Anti-ICE illegals threw projectiles at law enforcement officers.

Later Sunday the rioters took over the 101 freeway at exit 2/A/Union Station (Alameda Street) in downtown LA.

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Trans military colonel issues defiant message after being booted from post as Trump ban takes effect

One of the military’s highest ranking transgender officials is speaking out after being placed on administrative leave as part of the Trump administration’s ban on trans troops.

Colonel Bree Fram, who came out as transgender in 2016 when the initial ban on trans troops was lifted, was an astronautical engineer in the US Space Force and was the Pentagon‘s division chief for requirements integration.

She posted to Instagram Friday saying ‘I have been officially placed on administrative leave, effective tomorrow, pending separation’ after the Supreme Court ruled the ban could go ahead. 

Fram – whose profile picture on the social media app is an LGBT rainbow version of the Space Force logo – defiantly spoke of sobbing as she pinned medals on three of ‘my folks’ in her last official act in service.  

‘The last salute broke my heart in two and the tears flowed freely even as I have so much to be thankful for and so many amazing memories.’

Fram detailed the day she came out in 2016, telling a story of how her teammates responded to the announcement by shaking her hand and, one by one, saying: ‘It’s an honor to serve with you.’ 

She also spoke about a similar experience last week, when she announced at a joint staff meeting that she was leaving and that she no longer met ‘the current standard for military excellence and readiness.’ 

‘A room full of senior leaders, admirals and generals, walked over to me and the scene from 2016 repeated. They offered those same words, now tinged with the sadness of past tense: ‘It’s been an honor to serve with you’,’ she said.

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‘We’re already in World War III,’ says national security expert

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently warned that China poses an “imminent” threat to Taiwan and urged Asian allies to boost their defenses. The People’s Liberation Army is “rehearsing for the real deal,” said Hegseth at a security conference in Singapore.

For perspective on the dire prospects of war, WorldNetDaily interviewed national security expert and retired Army Lt. Col. Darin Gaub, who observed that experts have been talking about the “imminent” threat from China for many years. “I’m not discounting the possibility [of China invading Taiwan], but I’m also going to be realistic and say the Chinese military is not ready for that scale of conflict.”

Rather, said the former UH-60 Black Hawk pilot who spent time working strategic intelligence in the Pacific theater, the Chinese military’s “primary role is to police its own people, not necessarily invade foreign nations.”

While there is no formal treaty obligating the U.S. to defend Taiwan, there is enough legal basis through the Taiwan Relations Act for the U.S. to assist the small East Asian country against military threats from China. Thus, Gaub agreed, the U.S. would very likely support Taiwan’s efforts to deter the Chinese regime from the use of force to gain control of the archipelago.

And though some experts fear an escalation to World War III should America engage militarily, Gaub said, “We’re already in World War III.” The U.S., he explained, is long past concerns over an “imminent threat” from China, as America and most of the free world are already at war, minus any overtly hostile military action on the part of the Chinese Communist Party.

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Trump administration to pull $4 billion from California high-speed rail funding

The U.S. Department of Transportation says it plans to revoke $4 billion in federal funding for California’s high-speed rail project, citing what it calls “no viable path forward.”

The announcement came Wednesday in a 310-page report that outlines concerns about the project’s ballooning costs and delays, claiming the California High-Speed Rail Authority does not have the capacity to deliver the early operating segment by 2033 as planned. The DOT gave California 37 days to respond and correct the issues before the funding termination becomes final.

Voters initially signed off on California’s ambitious plans for a bullet train in 2008, with promises to connect the greater Los Angeles area to the Bay Area by 2033. It was originally expected to cost $33 billion, but now, estimates range between $89 billion and $128 billion.

Construction began in the Central Valley in 2015 but has incrementally progressed.

“Fifteen years, $16 billion, not one high-speed rail track has been laid. the waste, the abuse and the mismanagement of this project has called for this investigation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online video.

Transit policy experts acknowledge the project faces major financial hurdles. Sebastian Petty, a senior advisor at SPUR, said the project is struggling to deliver on promises made to voters, largely due to limited funding.

“It puts pressure on what are already fairly scarce state dollars for transportation. So if, California is going to continue to invest heavily in the high-speed rail system, it puts pressure on the availability of that funding for transit operations uses potentially for other transit capital projects in the Bay Area,” Petty said.

Supporters, including state lawmakers, argue the delays are frustrating – but cutting federal funding would worsen the situation. Gov. Gavin Newsom has previously vowed to fight back, insisting the project will move forward and federal dollars will be recovered.

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Cory Booker on LA Riots: “We See Peaceful Protests”; Smears Trump Supporters as “Cop Killers” 

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) appeared on Meet the Press Sunday morning where he called the illegal immigration riots in Los Angeles “peaceful protests” and smeared Trump supporters as “cop killers” over police deaths that occurred after the January 6 Capitol riot.

The only person confirmed to have been killed as a direct result of violence on January 6, 2021, was unarmed Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt who was shot and killed by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd inside the Capitol.

Booker was interviewed by host Kristen Welker (transcript excerpt):

KRISTEN WELKER:

Welcome back. Joining me now is Democratic senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker. Senator Booker, welcome back to Meet The Press.

SEN. CORY BOOKER:

Thanks so much. Good morning to you.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Good morning to you. Thank you for being here. I do have to start with President Trump saying he plans to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles to deal with the protesters there. The president bypassing the governor and federalizing the Guard himself. He says he did so because Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass refused to act against the unrest. What is your response to President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard?

Look, since years before I was born, law enforcement knows it’s good when there’s cooperation and coordination. For the president to do this when it wasn’t requested, breaking with generations of tradition, is only going to incite the situation and make things worse. We are now at a point where we have a president who sat back and did nothing as people stormed our Capitol, viciously beat police. And then when those people who viciously beat police and led to some of their deaths, therefore, cop killers, were convicted by juries, he then pardoned them all. So for him to be talking to anybody right now about responsive law enforcement to protect people is hypocritical at best.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But–

SEN. CORY BOOKER:

The reality is we see peaceful protests launching in Los Angeles. And again, any violence against police officers should not be accepted. Local authorities can handle that. But remember, a lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos and confusion by arresting people who are showing up for their immigration hearings, who are trying to abide by the law. He’s arresting them. You see this in communities that are Republican, Trump supporters being outraged that he’s raiding kitchens and arresting people, high schools and arresting people, who are not what he said he would do, which is focus law enforcement resources on violent criminals and people that are a danger to other Americans.

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Area 51 Cover Story Raises More Questions than Answers

The US Department of Defense has released a report claiming the Pentagon ran a decades-long misinformation campaign to hide classified operations at Area 51. However, this newest confession of lying to the public begs the question: is the story of a cover-up just a bigger cover-up of something more mysterious?

According to the investigation, officials disseminated doctored UFO photographs to nearby residents starting in the 1980s. This is one of several admissions that seemingly debunk specific sightings and material proof of extraterrestrials around Area 51. One retired colonel even stated that his assigned mission was to spread conspiracy theories in order to hide the true purpose of operations at the site, yet there are still eyewitnesses who have described crafts maneuvering in ways not possible with modern technology. These sightings occurred long before and after the height of military testing, meaning it’s possible the US is taking credit for advanced technology that’s not its own.

Ironically, the government’s attempt to end the mystery may have only deepened it. Since the start of congressional hearings regarding UAP a few years ago, the public has met each round of disclosure not with relief but with renewed suspicion. Last year the Pentagon claimed there was no evidence of any cover-up, a statement they’re now contradicting. The more convoluted the official narrative becomes, the more it’s taken with a grain of salt.

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Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the House of Representatives narrowly approved early in the morning on Thursday, May 22, lives up to its name in at least one respect: It is big, weighing in at 1,037 pages and nearly 200,000 words. Since the bill’s final text was not available until 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday, about eight hours before it passed by a single-vote margin shortly before 7 a.m. the next day, it would not be surprising if bleary-eyed legislators overlooked some of its nuances in their hurry to deliver the package that President Donald Trump demanded. As Reason‘s Liz Wolfe notes, at least two Republicans—Reps. Mike Flood (R–Neb.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.)—have publicly admitted as much, saying they missed objectionable parts of the bill when they voted for it.

If Flood and Greene had voted no, it would have been enough to change the outcome. Furthermore, it seems safe to assume that at least some of their colleagues had similar regrets but are too embarrassed to admit that they failed to exercise the minimum diligence that should be expected from members of Congress. But the complaints from Flood and Greene are notable for another reason: They have nothing to do with the bill’s blatant fiscal irresponsibility, the main flaw highlighted by critics such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.), and Elon Musk, who on Tuesday condemned “this massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” as “a disgusting abomination.”

That much was clear prior to the House vote. As Reason‘s Eric Boehm noted the day before Flood and Greene gave their crucial assent to the bill, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that it would add $2.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years—an estimate that the CBO upped to $2.4 trillion this week. Boehm added that “other assessments of the bill” by the Yale Budget Lab (originally published on May 16) and the Penn Wharton Budget Project (published three days later) estimated that it would add “more than $3 trillion” to the debt.

Those are low-ball estimates, based on the unrealistic assumption that Congress will allow Trump-favored tax cuts to lapse toward the end of that period. If “temporary provisions in the bill are made permanent,” Boehm reported, the Yale Budget Lab estimated that it would trigger $5 trillion in new borrowing.

The national debt currently exceeds $35 trillion, including about $29 trillion in debt held by the public, which is about the size of the entire U.S. economy. In January, the CBO projected that publicly held debt would hit 119 percent of GDP by 2035. Two months later, Trump promised to do something about that. “In the near future,” he told Congress, “I want to do what has not been done in 24 years—balance the federal budget. We’re gonna balance it.” But the glaring gap between that promise and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not faze Flood or Greene, whose concerns are much narrower.

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How Palantir Is Expanding the Surveillance State

When people complain about Big Tech, they tend to mean companies like Meta, Google, and X—entities providing free tools and platforms that we can choose whether to use. Much less attention is directed at the tech companies helping the federal government consolidate and analyze data on all of us. Companies like the data analytics firm Palantir, created by Paypal co-founder and Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel.

Palantir has long been connected to government surveillance. It was founded in part with CIA money, it has served as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contractor since 2011, and it’s been used for everything from local law enforcement to COVID-19 efforts. But the prominence of Palantir tools in federal agencies seems to be growing under President Trump. “The company has received more than $113 million in federal government spending since Mr. Trump took office, according to public records, including additional funds from existing contracts as well as new contracts with the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon,” reports The New York Times, noting that this figure “does not include a $795 million contract that the Department of Defense awarded the company last week, which has not been spent.”

Palantir technology has largely been used by the military, the intelligence agencies, the immigration enforcers, and the police. But its uses could be expanding.

“Representatives of Palantir are also speaking to at least two other agencies—the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service—about buying its technology, according to six government officials and Palantir employees with knowledge of the discussions,” reports the Times.

Along with the Trump administration’s efforts to share more data across federal agencies, this signals that Palantir’s huge data analysis capabilities could wind up being wielded against all Americans.

This won’t allow the authorities watch us more so much as it helps them make use of all the data it’s already got on us. But that’s unsettling too.

“The ultimate concern is a panopticon of a single federal database with everything that the government knows about every single person in this country,” Cody Venzke, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, told Wired in April. “What we are seeing is likely the first step in creating that centralized dossier on everyone in this country.”

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