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Trump to American workers: Let them pay for the war

On the eve of the French Revolution, the ill-fated Queen Marie Antoinette is said to have responded to reports that the peasantry could not afford bread with the remark: “Let them eat cake.” The story is almost certainly apocryphal, but it captured the moment—the arrogance and cluelessness of an aristocracy that had lost all connection to the conditions of life of the masses, even as it presided over mounting social misery and the approach of revolution.

Donald Trump’s statement this week belongs in the same historical register. Asked whether he considered the impact of the US war against Iran on “Americans’ financial situations,” the bloated gangster-president replied, “Not even a little bit.”

There are moments where the reality of social relations is made clear, and Trump’s statement is one of them. He made his comments as he was leaving the White House to travel to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump tried to frame his remarks in the context of the danger of an Iranian nuclear weapon. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran—they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody,” he said.

The imminent danger of an Iranian atomic bomb has been the “big lie” peddled by the White House since the beginning of the war. The threat is universally dismissed by commentators with any knowledge of Iran, as well as by the US military-intelligence apparatus. There is no reason to believe that Trump believes this fairy tale either—especially given that he claimed that last summer’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities had “totally obliterated” them.

That leaves Trump’s declaration that he does not care about the impact of the Iran war on the cost of living for American working people to stand on its own. He said it, and he meant it. The American ruling class demands that the working class pay the cost of this war.

Trump’s claim that he doesn’t think about the financial position of any American is of course a lie. He thinks constantly about the financial position of the billionaire oligarchs, his sole constituency, the social layer which spawned him. This was on display as Air Force One landed in Beijing, carrying Trump and many top aides, as well as a Who’s Who of American capitalists—Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone, Boeing CEO Robert Ortberg, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, and CEOs of Cargill, GE Aerospace, Goldman Sachs, Micron Technology, Qualcomm, Visa and others.

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MI County Clerk Anthony Forlini Finds 198 MORE Non-US Citizens Summoned For Jury Duty From SOS Benson’s Driver’s License Database—11 Were Registered to Vote

Macomb County Clerk Anthony G. Forlini is exposing what Michigan Secretary of State and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson desperately wants to hide…

Non-citizens on her corrupt voter rolls.

While Michigan’s Secretary of State continues gaslighting the public with claims of “no evidence” of non-citizen voting, Forlini’s office just dropped more damning numbers proving the system is wide open to abuse.

According to Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini’s May 13th press release, in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 198 non-U.S. citizens were summoned for jury duty and forced to self-report with green cards and other proof that they are not American citizens and ineligible to serve. Of those 198, 11 had been registered to vote in Michigan’s Qualified Voter File (QVF) at some point — and a shocking seven remain listed as ACTIVE right now.

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Fmr Newsom top aide admits guilt in fraud scheme, takes plea deal

Dana Williamson, a former top aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom, pleaded guilty to federal fraud and tax charges as part of a plea deal agreement following accusations that she stole campaign funds from gubernatorial candidate and former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra.

Williamson, who served as former chief of staff for the California governor from 2022 to 2024, appeared at the Robert T. Matsui Courthouse in Sacramento, California on Thursday. While there, she entered a guilty plea to charges including conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), according to Eastern District of California court documents.

“Dana Williamson and her co-conspirators weaponized public trust for personal gain. They stole from a campaign account, fabricated contracts, filed false tax returns, and lied to federal agents … No title and no political connection places anyone above the law,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel in a statement.

The former aide was arrested last November on 23 counts tied to what prosecutors described as a scheme to steal $225,000 from one of Becerra’s dormant campaign accounts to fund her personal expenses, including a $150,000 birthday trip to Mexico, tens of thousands of dollars spent on Chanel and Fendi handbags and an HVAC system for her home.

Prosecutors also accused her of conspiring with Becerra’s former chief of staff Sean McCluskie and lobbyist Greg Campbell to move the money from Becerra’s dormant account to pay for McCluskie’s wife’s no-show job after Becerra was elected head of the HHS under former President Joe Biden, according to prosecutors.

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‘Killshot’ Is Coming For Earth Warned CIA Remote Viewer Before Recent Death

A retired US Army major and former CIA-linked remote viewer issued stark final warnings of a devastating solar “Killshot” before his death in March, claiming the current period of heightened solar activity could trigger infrastructure collapse on a global scale.

Retired Major Ed Dames, who participated in the US government’s classified remote-viewing programs during the Cold War, described the event as enormous solar blasts that would knock out power grids, communications and essential services, potentially leading to millions of immediate deaths and widespread societal breakdown.

Dames died at age 76. In his last recorded interviews he tied the timing directly to Solar Cycle 25 and the recent passage of comet C/2023 A3.

whether psychic phenomena, particularly remote viewing—the claimed ability to perceive distant or hidden targets mentally—could be used for espionage.

The program originated amid Cold War concerns that the Soviet Union was investigating similar psychic capabilities. 

Dames, who had served in Airborne Infantry and later as a tactical electronic warfare officer, transferred into the remote-viewing unit after studying biophysics and Mandarin at UC Berkeley. 

He maintained that remote viewers sometimes supplied intelligence unavailable through conventional means.

The Stargate Project was, at least officially, shut down in 1995 after official reviews claimed it had not delivered reliable operational value.

In one of his last interviews, recently released, Dames stated: “Right now we’re at the beginning of the solar cycle. 25 Solar Max. Solar Max should last for about two years, and the sun’s doing unprecedented stuff. There are more solar spots than there have been in the last 20-something years.”

He continued: “I predict that this Solar Max will be the beginning of the kill shot sequence. But more, more interestingly, intriguingly, the comet C/2023 A3 that’s in the sky.”

“The timing of that appearance and the orbit exactly matches this passing space body with this huge event called the kill shot looming ahead,” Dames further suggested.

“This comet, we described as a passing space body. We didn’t know what it was, a planetoid or a comet, either one that is concomitant with the initiation of the kill shot sequence, and this comet, the trajectory and the timing is a perfect match,” he urged.

Dames warned of the practical consequences of such an event, “You wake up and there’s no power and there’s no water and there’s no gasoline, it’s going to be a bad nightmare scenario. That’s what you’re going to be confronted with. The government is not going to help you.”

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CNN, Network Which Stoked COVID Fears Constantly, Warns Against ‘Calm-Mongering’ on Hantavirus

CNN, the network that helped bring you the fear-mongering which prolonged the worst parts of the last pandemic, would like you to know that they’d like a sequel and would you please stop “calm-mongering” about hantavirus?

In a ludicrous story about the Andes strain of the disease — the first (and hopefully only) outbreak of which appeared on a cruise ship called the MV Hondius, which docked in the Canary Islands and transferred patients back to their country of origin — CNN noted that people were being too goshdarn normal about things while noting that “still-fresh memories of the loss and disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic” might be affecting our response.

Yes, whatever may have given you that idea, CNN?

That call for masking was in 2023, for those of you who didn’t check the date.

Anyhow, CNN bills itself as “The Most Trusted Name in News,” but its tagline really should be Rahm Emanuel’s timeless motto: “Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste.” So, even though there are three people dead out of 11 confirmed or suspected cases, according to World Health Organization data as of Wednesday, that didn’t mean it wasn’t time for a piece with a title like “Hantavirus is not Covid-19, but ‘calm-mongering’ risks triggering post-Covid anxiety.”

It’s the “calm-mongering” that poses the biggest risk to these people, with CNN averring that “some health experts say that at points, the messaging has been overly confident and too willing to dismiss the possibility of a threat.”

Ah, yes: The return of “some health experts”! I missed you, fellas. Can you get the Faucinator out of retirement to do his “I am the science!” bit?

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Meta launches WhatsApp ‘incognito’ mode to address privacy concerns for AI chats

Meta Platforms said Wednesday it’s rolling out an “incognito” mode for WhatsApp users to have private conversations with its AI chatbot, a move intended to ease privacy concerns about sensitive information that users share in chats.

The social media company said in a blog post that incognito chat mode provides a way to have private, temporary conversations with Meta AI, its artificial intelligence assistant that’s been available on WhatsApp for a few years.

Messages will be processed in a “secure environment” that even Meta can’t access, won’t be saved by default and will disappear when exiting a session, Meta said.

Generative AI systems have been dogged by privacy concerns because the large language models that underpin these systems are trained on vast troves of data, sometimes including personal information provided by users themselves in their conversations with AI chatbots.

Rival chatbot makers already have some privacy features. Google’s Gemini chatbot has the option to disable chat history and opt out of allowing one’s data to be used in training its AI models. ChatGPT has similar controls.

Meta says it’s rolling out incognito chats because users often ask chatbots sensitive questions or include private financial, personal, health or work data in their questions.

“We’re starting ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems, and it doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, told reporters.

Incognito chat mode has safety features to prevent the chatbot from answering questions about harmful topics, Cathcart said.

It will “steer the user towards helpful information if it can and then refuse (to answer) and eventually even just stop interacting with the user completely,” Cathcart said.

Users will only be able to type in questions and get text responses; they won’t be able to upload or generate images. They’ll also have to confirm their age because Meta doesn’t allow users under 13 on its platforms.

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Billionaire Democrat Donor Who Bankrolled Swalwell Breaks Silence After Surprise Arrest

Billionaire and Democrat donor Stephen Cloobeck was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on suspicion of felony charges of attempting to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness from testifying after a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts – who until recently was a major financial supporter of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D) failed campaign for California governor, was booked into custody in West Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records. He was later released on $300,000 bail.

In a terse statement to the California Post, a press representative for Cloobeck said of the arrest: “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.”

Cloobeck cut ties with Swalwell following multiple allegations of sexual assault – but not before the now-former congressman recorded a bizarre apology video from inside his swanky mansion.

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SCOTX Chief Justice Jimmy Blacklock Torches Rogue Dallas Judge’s Insane COVID Mask Mandate in Courtroom – Demands She Scrap It by Friday or Else

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice James “Jimmy” Blacklock has demanded answers from a Dallas County judge accused of requiring masks and intrusive health disclosures as a condition of entering her courtroom.

In a sharply worded May 13 letter, Chief Justice Blacklock warned Dallas County Court at Law No. 1 Judge D’Metria Benson that he is “aware of no legitimate basis” under Texas law for conditioning access to a public courtroom on a mask mandate or heightened health screening.

The letter, obtained Tuesday, gives Benson until 5 p.m. Friday, May 15, to either clarify that no such policy exists, explain the legal basis for the restrictions, or withdraw them entirely.

“It has come to my attention that you may be requiring people entering your courtroom to wear facemasks and to divulge intimate information about their health,” Blacklock wrote.

He added:

“If this is true, please carefully reconsider whether you have legal authority for these actions.”

Blacklock pointed directly to the Texas Constitution, citing Article I, Section 13, which guarantees that “all courts shall be open.”

“I am aware of no legitimate basis on which a Texas judge may condition a person’s presence in a courtroom on a mask requirement or on a heightened health screening,” the Chief Justice wrote.

That is a stunning statement from the state’s highest judicial officer—and one that signals Texas’ judicial leadership may be increasingly unwilling to tolerate lingering COVID-style mandates years after the pandemic emergency ended.

Blacklock also invoked Rule 10(f) of the Rules of Judicial Administration, which gives the Texas Supreme Court authority to direct lower courts to amend or withdraw local rules, standing orders, or policies deemed unfair or unduly burdensome.

The Chief Justice’s letter was prompted by reports that Benson’s courtroom may be enforcing mask requirements and requiring visitors to disclose private health information before entry. Blacklock cited reporting by The Texas Lawbook regarding attorney Mark Curriden’s challenge to the policy.

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Fairfax County Democrat Prosecutor Exposed for Dropping Charges Against Illegal Alien Accused of Kidnapping 4-Year-Old Girl

Fairfax County, Virginia, Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano (D) dropped charges against an illegal alien accused of kidnapping a four-year-old with the intent to sexually assault her after the prosecutor’s office attempted to offer him a sweetheart plea deal, Rep. Brian Knott (R-NC) revealed on Thursda

During a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing, Knott noted the case of Hyrum Baquedano Rodriguez, an illegal alien from Honduras, with multiple prior convictions for burglary and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In June 2023, Rodriguez was arrested in Fairfax County after allegedly breaking into an apartment and attempting to kidnap a sleeping four-year-old girl.

According to police, Rodriguez broke into the girl’s room while she was asleep. When the toddler’s mother heard her crying, she entered the room and alleges her daughter told her a man grabbed her and then ran away.

After his arrest, police said the illegal alien’s fingerprints were found in the girl’s bedroom.

By May 2025, Descano’s office sought a plea deal with Rodriguez in which a criminal court judge would be barred from sentencing him to more than two years in prison. The judge overseeing the case rejected the deal, suggesting that the sentence was far too lenient.

When the judge rejected the plea deal, Descano’s office dropped the charges against Rodriguez. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were able to arrest the illegal alien before he reoffended.

“A disgusting, perverted individual preying on children — you dismissed the case,” Knott told Descano. “As the father of two young girls, one of whom is five, that is as shameful as anything I have seen. Quit defending the indefensible … it’s shameful. You’re a coward.”

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Warren Whines As Senate Banking Committee Advances Crypto CLARITY Act, Two Democrats Break Ranks

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on a 15–9 vote Thursday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D‑Md.) joining all 13 Republicans to move the sweeping crypto market structure bill to the full Senate.

The Clarity Act is the Senate’s bid to build a federal framework for digital asset trading, stablecoins and intermediaries, splitting oversight between the SEC and CFTC and setting registration, disclosure and compliance rules for exchanges, brokers and custodians. It now advances alongside a related bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, with the two texts expected to merge before a floor vote.

Chair Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) cast the markup as a turning point after years in which crypto firms operated in what he called a “regulatory gray zone” under “outdated rules.” 

He said the bill aims to protect consumers, keep innovation in the United States and “close the doors that criminals, terrorists and hostile regimes have tried to exploit,” after months of cross‑party talks that expanded the draft by more than 200 pages.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑Wyo.), who leads the committee’s digital assets panel, called the Clarity Act “the hardest piece of legislation” she has worked on across decades in state and federal office. She described it as a “case of first impression” that tries to fit new asset types and software into a regulatory code built for earlier markets.

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