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A New Study Just Confirmed the Left’s Worst-Kept Secret

If you’ve spent any time arguing with liberals online, you already know this. Now there’s a study to prove it.

Decades of research have shown that political conservatives report better mental health and greater happiness than their counterparts on the left. A new study published in the journal Political Behavior takes that finding a step further, finding that “mental illness is emerging as its own political identity and is most heavily aligned with leftist political ideology and causes,” and that it clusters heavily among younger, far-left Americans.

Shocking, I know.

Columbia University’s magazine noted back in 2023 that “American adults who identify as politically liberal have long reported lower levels of happiness and psychological well-being than conservatives.” However, researchers spent years scratching their heads over why. Scholars from the Universities of Florida and Toronto eventually took a crack at it, drawing on four separate studies. Their conclusion? Conservatives tend to have greater personal agency, religiosity, moral clarity, a positive outlook, and stronger self-worth… which are traits consistently linked to resilience and mental health. In other words, having a sense of purpose and taking responsibility for your life is good for you. Who knew?

Professor Lauren Van De Hey of Utah State University has conducted research that connects the mental health gap directly to political identity formation. Her findings were drawn from the 2022 Cooperative Election Study, a large, nationally representative survey administered by YouGov.

“I further find that there is an emerging mental health political identity that is most pronounced among younger (Gen Z) and more liberal Americans,” Van De Hey said.

Roughly half of the study participants who identified as having a mental illness said that identity was very important or somewhat important to them personally. Yeah, that’s a voting bloc in the making.

Van De Hey also found that mental health identity operates differently in politics than physical disability or serious physical illness. “I find that the political predictors and political consequences for the emerging mental health identity differ from those for physical disability and serious physical illness categorization and identification,” she said. The implication is clear: mental health struggles, increasingly worn as badges of identity, carry huge political weight.

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A Requiem for Privacy

When President Donald Trump appointed an obviously unqualified friend, a home builder executive, to be acting director of national intelligence, he inadvertently triggered attention to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The director of national intelligence is the head of the umbrella agency that gathers intelligence from the 17 federal spying agencies and from that data prepares and delivers the president’s daily briefing. Sec. 702, which permits warrantless spying, expires this month.

Trump prefers to receive his briefings directly from the CIA and its foreign colleagues, leaving the DNI as an appendage with little to do. Nevertheless, the DNI employs hundreds of spies and analysts, and most of them have national security clearances that permit them to view the nation’s most closely guarded secrets and to invade anyone’s privacy.

Section 702 of FISA theoretically permits federal agents to spy without warrants or suspicion on foreign persons. In reality, it is used as a fig leaf to spy on Americans.

A few years ago, Department of Justice lawyers persuaded the FISA court secretly to permit the National Security Agency — America’s domestic spies — to spy on Americans with whom foreign persons communicate; even suspicionless Americans whose communications with foreigners are benign; even Americans removed by six degrees from conversations with foreigners.

Before 9/11, no one in law enforcement was permitted access to data obtained outside the restraints imposed by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Those restraints prohibit searches and seizures — in the modern parlance, surveillance and data acquisition — without a search warrant issued by a judge based on probable cause of crime, sworn to under oath. And the warrant itself must specifically describe the places to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

Since 9/11, the wall between surveillance and law enforcement has collapsed even though the feds still maintain that the Fourth Amendment only regulates law enforcement and not surveillance. This wild proposition is defied by the plain language of the amendment, which protects all persons from all government, and by the history of the colonists dealing with British government agents executing general warrants issued by a secret court in London.

Those warrants permitted the bearers to arrest whomever they wished, to search wherever they chose and to seize whatever they found. Under the pretext of looking for evidence of crimes, like failing to comply with the Stamp Act, these agents were truly looking for what the king considered subversive, like a draft of the Declaration of Independence.

James Madison and his colleagues who drafted the Fourth Amendment surely knew that history and shared the near universal colonial revulsion at general warrants. Hence the requirements in the amendment for probable cause of crime sworn to before the warrant-issuing judge, and specificity in the warrant itself.

All of this was crafted to outlaw general warrants, and protect all persons in America from warrantless government assaults and invasions of their “persons, houses, papers, and effects.”

Now, back to FISA. FISA was crafted in reaction to President Richard Nixon’s use of the CIA and FBI for warrantless domestic surveillance purposes. This was spying on Americans — opponents of the Vietnam War and Nixon’s political opponents — which as we all now know came crashing down on Nixon in the Watergate scandal.

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Bakari Sellers Calls Elon Musk a White Supremacist, and All Hell Breaks Loose

A CNN panel meant to discuss extraordinary wealth lurched far off the rails Friday night when one commentator went into full-on slander mode on Elon Musk, who became the world’s first trillionaire this week. He’s been getting attacked from the left for his success because that’s what the left does.

Well, that and fantasize about spending other people’s money, which is exactly what CNN contributor Cari Champion started with.

“If you spent a million dollars every single day, it would take you more than 2700 years to spend a trillion dollars,” Champion said. “What you could effectively do with a trillion dollars is get rid of global poverty. You could end world hunger, you could cure major diseases like malaria, and you could completely transition the global energy sector to renewables. The fact that he has this type of money only tells me that his power will be more prevalent and that I could not — I cannot guarantee someone like this man would use his power for good.”

Then Bakari Sellers took things further. After blaming Elon Musk’s influence for USAID cuts that he claimed killed thousands of women and children, Sellers leveled a charge that sent the panel into a frenzy: “Elon Musk is a white supremacist who believes in things like the —”

Criminal defense attorney Arthur Aidala jumped in. “Oh, boy,” Aidala said.

“I wasn’t even finished a sentence,” Sellers shot back.

Scott Jennings had a warning ready for Sellers. “You may need a lawyer when this is over,” he quipped.

Sellers pressed on. Musk “believes in things like the Great Replacement Theory,” he said.

But Aidala pushed back hard. “Considering we have about 12 defamation cases in my office right now,” he said, “before you start throwing things around like someone’s a white supremacist — I would win that case.”

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Flesh-Eating Screwworm Outbreak Threatens Texas Cattle Industry as Critical Sterile Fly Facility Faces Multi-Year Delay

A dangerous New World screwworm outbreak has been confirmed in Texas livestock for the first time in decades, raising serious concerns for the already struggling cattle industry, while an important domestic sterile fly production facility remains years away from full operation.

The Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the first case in early June in a calf in Zavala County, Texas.

Additional cases have since been detected in cattle and a goat in Texas, and in a dog in New Mexico.

“This is believed to be an isolated case; however, because the dog’s recent travel and exposure history remain unknown, USDA and state partners have initiated inspection of additional animals in the dog’s home and increased outreach in the area while continuing to investigate the animal’s movement history,” the USDA said in an announcement.

The parasite, whose larvae burrow into the flesh of warm-blooded animals and feed on living tissue, poses a major threat to livestock, wildlife, and potentially pets.

While no human cases have been reported in the current outbreak, the screwworm can infest people in rare instances.

The U.S. cattle industry herd is already at its lowest level in 75 years due to droughts, high feed costs, and other factors.

The added expense of increased monitoring, quarantine measures, and treatment for infected animals is expected to further strain operations and could push beef prices higher for consumers.

According to a wire from Nerve News, “The most effective method to combat screwworm involves breeding sterile flies to disrupt the parasite’s reproductive cycle. However, a facility under construction at Moore Air Base in Texas will not begin producing sterile flies until November 2027, with full capacity not expected for several years. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins acknowledged the delay, stating that the US will not be able to eradicate the parasite until the facility reaches full production, but expressed optimism about containment efforts.”

“We’re not going to be able to eradicate it until we’ve got the couple hundred million more flies coming in, but we will be able to contain it,” Rollins said.

Once complete, the facility is expected to breed up to 300 million sterile flies per week.

In an effort to contain the outbreak, quarantines have been placed in multiple Texas counties, and surveillance efforts have been expanded.

USDA APHIS has begun releasing sterile flies in affected areas using existing inventory from Panama and Mexico.

Canada has implemented temporary restrictions on certain livestock imports from Texas as a precaution.

The USDA urged, “While not common in people, if you notice a suspicious lesion on your body or suspect you may have contracted screwworm, seek immediate medical attention.”

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NYC Erupted in Violence After Knicks Clinched First Title in 53 Years, 63 Arrested, 10 Cops Injured, School Buses Torched and Shooting in Times Square

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, the New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought on Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

What began as jubilant celebrations across Manhattan quickly spiraled into widespread violence, with the NYPD reporting 63 arrests overnight into Sunday morning as crowds turned destructive in Midtown and Times Square.

Large crowds of tens of thousands of unruly fans and rioters gathered north of Madison Square Garden between Fifth and Ninth Avenues as the game concluded and after the final buzzer.

According to the NYPD, the groups refused to disperse, blocked major streets and avenues for hours, climbed light poles, traffic lights, scaffolding, and vehicles, lit fireworks in dense crowds, engaged in physical fights, and hurled bottles and other objects at police.

Much of the violence and chaos was captured on camera by independent journalist Nick Sortor, who was posting clips to X in real time.

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CDC Awards Pfizer $1.24 Billion For COVID Vaccines For Kids And Adults

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent decision to award Pfizer $1.24 billion for COVID-19 vaccines has renewed debate over the government’s continued investment in mRNA technology.

The contracts, awarded on June 1, include about $735.7 million for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines and nearly $505.3 million for adult doses for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Critics say the funding reflects a continued commitment to vaccines associated with high rates of serious injuries and deaths, and a lack of adequate safety testing and monitoring.

Public health experts argue the investment is necessary to protect vulnerable populations and prepare for future outbreaks.

The latest contracts come as mRNA technology expands beyond COVID-19.

A recent review in Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics found that mRNA-based therapeutics were identified in more than 550 registered clinical trials. The authors reported that more than 90% of the projects involved mRNA vaccines and that most products remain in early-stage testing before broader adoption.

‘Unnecessary and often harmful injections’

The procurement of monetary resources signals that federal officials intend to continue investing heavily in mRNA technology despite declining public demand and ongoing controversy over vaccine safety monitoring, critics say.

Jeffrey Tucker, president and founder of the Brownstone Institute, told The Defender there was “no scientific justification” or “market demand” for the latest mRNA vaccine funding.

“This raises a serious question concerning how these captured agencies really work,” Tucker said. “We are talking about vast amounts of tax dollars flowing to support unnecessary and often harmful injections.”

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Outrageous: Rice University Offers Course on Taylor Swift Analyzing “Whiteness” and “Nationalism”

In the latest in waste of money on courses at American schools according to Campus Reform, “Rice University, a private research university in Houston, Texas, is offering multiple courses centered on pop star Taylor Swift, including one class examining far-left themes such as “American nationalism and whiteness” through Swift’s lyrics and public image.”

“Rice will offer “COLL 118 Mastermind: The Taylor Swift Eras” this fall, in which students will analyze Swift’s albums as “primary texts” and examine “how a single artist can shape global culture and shift industry standards.”

If you find this absurd you are not alone. Yet again the universities are offering woke courses lacking academic rigor.

The class is focused on Swifts musical trends genres as well as her ownership dispute over her master recordings.

If this wasn’t irrelevant enough “Rice is also listing a second Swift-focused course in its 2026-27 catalog titled “COLL 167 Miss Americana: The Evolution and Lyrics of Taylor Swift.” This seminar course will focus on Swift’s songwriting alongside discussions about “femininity and gender,” “politics and social impact,” and “American nationalism and whiteness.”

University courses wouldn’t be complete without an attack on traditional gender roles and “Whiteness.”

“Students in the class will examine all 10 of Swift’s albums and complete written responses, participate in classroom discussions, and write a final essay analyzing one of her songs.”

In other words no academic rigor and waste of time.

“While it is listed in the 2026-27 course catalog, Rice has not specified whether the “Miss Americana” course will be offered during the fall or spring semester. The university previously offered the same course in fall 2023.”

The fact that this is being offered in Texas shows wokeness has infultrated schools in almost every region and state.

“The university’s undergraduate tuition cost for the 2026-27 academic year exceeds $70,000. The university estimates the total cost of attendance to be $97,000 after fees, housing, meals, books, and personal expenses are included.”

This is insulting to those paying tuition at these schools.

The cost of tuition is getting higher while the courses become more anti American and less academic.

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Black Commentator Has the Solution for the ‘White People Problem’ in America

I’m exhausted, man. These opinions are outdated, but here we are discussing the Karmelo Anthony case. Anthony fatally stabbed Austin Metcalf in Frisco, Texas, in 2025 during a high school track meet, a case that attracted national attention. Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison. 

It has unleashed a storm of controversy due to the racial overtones of the case. Larry Reid, a Black commentator, went on a tangent about how integration has benefited the Black community, but now it’s time for Black people to return to Africa. It’s the solution to the so-called “white people problem” in America, or something (via Breitbart):

“I want you to begin to think about this America and the white people problem that we have… As a collective, let’s drain this place of its benefits and make our mass exodus and go home and build.”

“Civil rights did not make white people that are infected with whiteness stop being racist. They still raised racist children that run this country to this day.”

“You come from a land that flows with milk and honey. They pulled you out of that land ancestrally and brought you to a place to where your royalty was not recognized. Used your black power, your black mysticism, your African spirituality, and your physiological superiority to build this country and give everybody reparations except you.”

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Judge in Karmelo Anthony Case Calls the Murderer a ‘Nice Kid’

Collin County District Judge John Roach defended his decision to bar cameras and livestreaming from Karmelo Anthony’s high-profile murder trial, calling it “an easy decision” made to protect the fairness of the proceedings, but raised many eyebrows when he called the killer a “nice kid.”

In a post-verdict interview with WFAA, Roach described the now-convicted 19-year-old Anthony as “a nice young man who committed a crime and he understands today more than any day before the consequences of committing a crime like he did.”

Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison last week for the first-degree murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a Frisco high school track meet in April 2025.

The stabbing occurred at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas, when Anthony, who was on school suspension and not supposed to be at the event, approached the tent area belonging to rival Memorial High School.

Witnesses said Metcalf told Anthony to leave, and a confrontation ensued.

Anthony then pulled out a knife he had brought and stabbed Metcalf in the chest, piercing his heart.

Metcalf died in the arms of his twin brother.

Anthony admitted to the stabbing but claimed self-defense. A jury rejected that claim.

Judge Roach explained his camera ban during the interview.

“Yes, it was an easy decision. I’ll tell you why. My primary goal in every case is to make sure the defendant and the prosecution get a fair trial. Period.”

The judge acknowledged that the decision angered some people but emphasized he was not there to make anyone happy. Roach said he had to balance the media’s right to know what was happening with the need to prevent outside commentary or public pressure from influencing the jury or proceedings.

“I know I made people mad, but I’m not here to make them happy either,” he stated. “As long as I follow the law, I sleep well at night.”

Roach pushed back against suggestions of any personal connection to the Metcalf family, saying he would not have recognized Jeff Metcalf, Austin’s father, before the trial.

He defended the jury’s verdict, noting that jurors were selected in accordance with the law, heard the facts presented in court, and rendered their decision.

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