Trump Says Iran Has Agreed to No Nuclear Weapons

President Donald Trump said he had secured guarantees from Iran that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as reports emerged he had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Tehran.

Any tweaks to the proposal could prolong even further an agreement to formally end the Middle East war and open the Strait of Hormuz maritime route after weeks of efforts to secure a deal despite fractious rhetoric and the occasional flare up of armed conflict.

The New York Times and Axios media outlets reported on Saturday that Trump had sent back a new framework to be considered by Iran with "tougher" terms, though it was not immediately clear what that entailed.

Trump has said his priorities for any deal include stopping Iran from any nuclear weapon development and re-opening the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

"The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he told his daughter-in-law Lara Trump in an interview broadcast on her Fox News program on Saturday night.

 

 But Tehran has previously cast doubt on Trump's assertions and the parties appeared far apart on their key priorities.

Iran has said it requires the release of $12 billion in frozen assets before it moved to substantive talks on issues such as its nuclear program and called earlier Trump comments that its enriched uranium -- a precursor for nuclear weapons -- would be destroyed "baseless", according to Iranian media.

Tehran has also insisted that Lebanon must be included in any end to the war despite ongoing fighting, with Beirut accusing Israel of a "scorched-earth policy" as its forces advanced and carried out further airstrikes it says target Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

After Trump and US officials earlier said they were on the brink of striking a deal, he struck a less urgent tone and hinted at renewed military action in the Fox interview.

"I'm in no hurry," he said. "Slowly but surely we're getting, I think, what we want and if we don't get what we want, we're going to end in a different way."

- Flare ups -

That echoed comments from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth who said at a defense summit in Asia on Saturday that Washington was "more than capable" of restarting the war if necessary.

Though daily strikes throughout Iran and the Gulf have stopped since Tehran and Washington struck a temporary ceasefire in April followed by historic talks hosted by Pakistan, bursts of armed conflict have continued.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards had shot down a US military drone "about to enter Iranian territorial waters to conduct hostile operations", Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported, an incident that has not been confirmed by the United States.

Earlier in the week, the worst fighting since the fragile ceasefire broke out when US forces carried out strikes on the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, countered by retaliatory fire from Iran.

Nevertheless diplomacy has continued with Trump under pressure to reach an agreement that would lift US and Iranian competing blockades around the Strait of Hormuz that have choked international oil supplies and threatened the global economy with rising prices.

After Trump said on social media that Tehran would charge "no tolls" on ships passing through the strait once the blockades were lifted under any deal, Iranian news agency Fars cited sources saying "no such clause appears in the text of the agreement."

 Iran's ISNA news agency on Saturday cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi as saying a plan "to implement Iran's management and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz will soon be approved by parliament."

- Expanded Lebanon operations -

Israel's military issued evacuation warnings for more villages in south Lebanon on Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had pushed more than 30 kilometres (20 miles) into the country.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment", and called for "a swift and real ceasefire."

Israel's military confirmed it was expanding its ground offensive in a statement released early on Sunday, saying "a significant number" of its forces had advanced past the Litani river and were carrying out expanded operations against Hezbollah in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki area.

A truce between Israel and Hezbollah began on April 17 but has never been observed, with both sides accusing each other of violating it.

In early March, Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes, prompting Israel to carry out near-daily air raids in Lebanon and launch a ground invasion.

Israel and Lebanon began direct talks in April, with a fourth round expected in the coming week.

 

Dems' Latest Reaction to Trump DC Clean-Up Explains Why Everything Was Such a Mess

Democrats and liberal media seem to be constantly taking issue with anything President Donald Trump does, regardless of the merits of his actions. 

 But they've now truly jumped the shark with their Trump Derangement Syndrome when they're objecting to Trump cleaning up fountains and monuments around Washington, D.C. 

Our sister site Townhall reported on some of the interesting reaction. 

Here's the account that used to be the Kamala Harris Headquarters account, terming things like spending on the Reflecting Pool, Trump "vanity projects." 

New reporting reveals the Trump admin has used $67,000,000 of National Parks entrance fees to fund Trump's vanity projects in DC.

This includes the painting of the Reflecting Pool, which he doled out to a MAGA contractor for $7,000,000. pic.twitter.com/Cskjv7gqXA

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) May 28, 2026

Then here was the NY Times. 

Two hilarious things about this big New York Times “exclusive” today.

1) since when does the New York Times care about government spending?

2) why is it a bad thing to use revenue to do something that is unquestionably a good thing? pic.twitter.com/bCToISnx3c

— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) May 29, 2026

There are some funny and instructive reactions there. 

First, Democrats call the actions "vanity projects." What's happening here? The Trump administration is using National Park Service (NPS) fees to...wait for it... take care of NPS properties. Oh, the horror! That's one of the things for which the fees should be used. So why is this even a "story"?

— Corey Inganamort 🪚🌴🪚 (@TheBirdWords) May 28, 2026

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READ MORE: All It Takes Is a New President: Take a Look at DC's Columbus Circle Then and Now

Epic Fail: White House Slams Getty Over New Blue Pool Coating

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Second, the fact that the Democrat account that was connected to Kamala Harris 

 

doesn't understand that explains how things have fallen into such disrepair. They didn't give a darn that the Reflecting Pool was choked with garbage or if the fountain at Columbus Circle 

 

wasn't working for years (and Joe Biden went by it for years to take the train back to Delaware). They don't give a darn that Columbus Circle was covered in graffiti. They failed to do their jobs, and they dare to grouse about Trump doing his? They should look in the mirror and feel shame, but I don't think they have the capacity for that anymore. 

Third, aren't these the same folks who wasted money like it was going out of style? From pouring money out to Ukraine to fraud, when did they ever really check spending? They spent endless amounts without caring. Now we actually have an administration putting a stop to the rampant mismanagement of money. Another example of how we are so much better off that Kamala Harris lost. 

Decline is a choice, and it's one that Democrats have made for years. 

Trump is literally following through on fixing things, as we are about to celebrate our 250th birthday. And that's a good thing. 

 

This Is the Way: Watch NJ State Police, Feds Take Down the Newark Anti-ICE Crew and Their Camp

We reported earlier on some of the action happening at the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark on Friday night. 

Nick Sortor went undercover into their encampment, and you can get a good view of how extensive the endeavor is, and it raises a lot of questions about who is behind the funding of this specific action, especially when ICE agents are being assaulted and threatened. 

 But things were getting way out of hand with the clashes and the threats against the ICE agents. Democrat New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who was one of the politicians who had shown up earlier in the week trying to get into the facility, said she was going to try to set up "free speech protest zones." She still tried to blame ICE, but it was clear she realized that the chaos the activists were creating was killing the Democrats' political attack on ICE and the Trump administration. 

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READ MORE: An Undercover Look Into the Camp the Anti-ICE Crew Set Up in Newark

Mikie Sherrill Tries a Desperate Pivot After Coddling NJ Anti-ICE Rioters, and No One Is Buying It

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The New Jersey State Police marched in soon after and set up barriers to prevent the activists from interfering with the operations of the facility. I think it's safe to say the activists were not happy at all as they assailed the police with curses and insults. 

 

Warning for graphic language in the following videos:

🚨 BREAKING: Leftist rioters are absolutely LOSING it as New Jersey State Police show up outside ICE Newark in FORCE to put up barriers for a “free speech zone”

The pressure is WORKING! Keep it up! 🔥

Massive concrete barricades are now being placed in the road, where leftists… pic.twitter.com/DApNS1yKXZ

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 29, 2026

But the effort to curb the activists failed. The NJSP had to move in, and they even had horses. 

🚨 BREAKING: MAJOR BRAWLS ONGOING OUT HERE AT ICE NEWARK WITH NJ STATE POLICE

FLASHBANGS AND TEARGAS ARE EVERYWHERE

RIOTERS ATTEMPTING TO USE FENCES TO DEFEND THEMSELVES BUT ARE FAILING pic.twitter.com/Bc1DQkRNHc

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 30, 2026

This was a great moment when they gave the activists 15 minutes to clear out the huge camp that RedState reported on earlier. Let the scramble begin!

🚨 BREAKING: MASS PANIC is happening outside ICE Newark as NJSP order leftists to disperse their camp immediately

They’re FRANTICALLY scrambling clear their camp

This should’ve happened DAYS ago. But our pressure is WORKING! 🔥 https://t.co/LUzCA7MPJM pic.twitter.com/w7i2uH5g2q

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 30, 2026

You can see a sign in there that they "refuse" to let ICE detain 1,200 "immigrants" at the facility. They object to illegal aliens being detained there at all. They had a lot of people there. 

You can see the troopers hitting one of the tents. Again, the activists were not happy campers. They were upset that things might have been taken, and they were frantically looking for stuff. 

They tried to rebuild after the NJSP left, but then the federal Special Response Team (SRT) rushed out and took it all apart again. 

They looked pretty defeated right here after having to deal with the NJSP and the Special Response Team (SRT). The Department of Homeland Security praised what could be done, with the assistance of state and local law enforcement. 

 

Black People Are Not Children, Nor Are They Special

To hear Democrats talk about black people is a mix of arrogance, racism and more condescension than could be crammed into the Grand Canyon. What do I mean by that? It’s pretty simple, really: the left simultaneously insists black people are perpetual victims with economic hardship thrust upon them by “systemic racism” and the sole builders of everything good and superior to everyone else. None of it is true, but all of it is designed to manipulate. Democrats, even black Democrats, treat the average black American like they’re a child and special; neither is true. They’re just people, like everyone else.

“We are descendants of kings and queens” is a regular mantra from leftist activists who happen to be black. Separate awards shows, categories of movies, music, and television have been created, segregated school dances, fraternal organizations and graduations – Democrats do love segregation, don’t they? – are the norm now.

Democrats will insist that reparations are due to every black person because of slavery, and, even though it’s been more than 150 years, the aftermath of the discrimination Democrats imposed after they lost the Civil War.

“This country was founded on racism” might as well be a bumper sticker the DNC gives away with every donation. But it wasn’t. The lie about “400 years of oppression” is meant for one purpose and purpose only: to manipulate people into not questioning why, after generations of blind loyalty to the Democrat Party, the state of black people in America has, on average, not improved much compared to every other group.

If the United States was founded on racism, and the “system” is racist, and it’s all part of a grand scheme of white supremacy, how is it that whitey has been surpassed in average income by various groups of brown people? Did the Founding Fathers forget to oppress people from across Asia and India? Seems like a major flaw in a diabolical plan and otherwise meticulous plan, doesn’t it?

It's stupid, to put it bluntly. But it works.

Morons in Los Angeles tell people they’re voting for an incompetent Mayor’s reelection because of “black pride,” and it’s perfectly normal. The city is full of homeless junkies, human feces, and more fraud than can even be measured, and someone has “pride” in that because of skin color?

The New York City “Public Advocate” whines about the inability of black people to afford to live in the city after generations of slavish loyalty to the party that made it so, then lies about black people not being able to vote in the south, and it’s treated as normal and true.

The Democrat Party has ruined so many black lives, you’d think they’d made a bet to see if they could. The intact black family is rarer than an honest politician, and it is by design. Less than 15 percent of the population commits almost half the murders and is half the murder victims in the country, and the last time the Democrat Party said anything about any of it was when a junkie overdosed in police custody after trying to pass off counterfeit cash.

Now we have “teen takeovers,” which are largely targeted looting and micro-riots, and all you ever hear about the perpetrators is that they’re “teens.” Any other characteristics shared by a large percentage of the mob?

You can’t solve a problem if you don’t define the problem accurately. You also can’t solve a problem if you don’t view it as a problem, and Democrats do not view these as problems; they are byproducts of the policies and mentality Democrats created in order to ensure the black vote remains in their column, no matter what. The only way to “fix” the problem is to undo the Democrat policies and lies that created it, and they can’t do that, as they have nothing else to offer.

And you can’t do anything until you inject a little bit of important reality into all of it. The United States did not invent slavery, nor was slavery unique to the United States. The US, in fact, was the destination for a tiny percentage of African slaves, most of whom went well south of our border. Slavery in Africa existed among black tribes long before whitey came along, and the internal slave trade in Africa was conducted almost exclusively by black people. Also, slavery of black people, by black people, still exists in Africa today.

Whitey fought wars against Democrats to end slavery, and Democrats have been lying about it ever since. Because it wasn’t really about race – every race of people has been slaves – it’s about power and control.

Think about what Democrats are advocating for and how unpopular things like open borders, letting criminals out of prison, and mutilating the genitals of children actually are. Is there anyone lining up to have their daughter pummeled in a sporting event by a boy or denied a college scholarship in the name of mental illness indulgence? No.

Convincing people they can’t get ahead because of some rigged system is the most evil thing since Democrats own the people they’re working to convince. Water isn’t concerned about the fish; it just is. The “system” doesn’t care about or even notice people; it simply is. But lying is easier than admitting your policies have hurt people, that your education system has failed people, and that your power is dependent upon those failures continuing.

As white liberals riot to get illegal alien criminals out of custody and away from the deportation process, ask yourself who their victims were and are likely to be in the future, if Democrats get their way. Black people hurting helps Democrats, so Democrats are going to continue to hurt black people. They’ll do it by continuing to treat them like children and telling them they’re special for existing.

No one is special for existing; what individuals do or don’t do while existing is the only thing that sets any of us apart from each other. Democrats live in fear of that truth getting out, as reality does them no favors.

I’m reminded of the line from The Usual Suspects, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Well, the greatest trick Democrats ever pulled was convincing people they’d completely screwed over that somehow that was “protection” from Republicans who somehow would have made it worse. How it could’ve been made worse is never explained…

 

Platner Maintained Sexually-Suggestive Profile on 'Predator's Paradise' App Known For Child Exploitation

Democrat candidate for Maine U.S. Senate Graham Platner has had a long history of sexual deviancy unearthed over the course of his political campaign. It’s previously been revealed that Platner has engaged in bouts of masturbation in public restrooms, had phone sex on a network compromised by the Taliban, and cried over the closure of a Thailand prostitution tax-loophole.

A recent report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that Platner has an account on an anonymous messaging platform known for playing host to countless sexual predators, Kik.

 Platner’s account, which goes by the username phustle0331, remains active today. His chosen avatar is a mirror selfie where an individual appears to be dressed in nothing but a bath towel. The tattoos featured on the individual match tattoos that Platner had as recently as October when he conducted an interview with a local ABC affiliate, confirming that he is the individual pictured. Further, the username matches that of private Instagram account associated with Platner as well as his infamous Reddit account.

Platner’s Kik account, which he later admitted was his to the Wall Street Journal, was created on June 26, 2016. By that time, Kik has already garnered a strong reputation as a platform rife with predators seeking to sexually exploit children. Several cases received widespread attention, including a 2016 sting operation that resulted in the arrests of more than 2,600 predators. The issue was considered so prevalent that the New York Times published an exposé on the dangers the app posed to children.

Maine, the state Platner hopes to represent, has especially faced issues with residents using the platform to prey on children. In June of last year, one man received a sentence of 30 to 60 years for producing videos of children being sexually abused for users of the platform. Another case from September revealed that a man would attend children’s sporting events to obtain photos he would later sexualize through an AI generator.

Experts estimate that 70 percent of the anonymous messaging platform's users are aged 13 to 24. Recent rule changes to the app prohibit minors from accessing the app, but there is currently no age verification to ensure that users are actually adults. To this day, the app has been considered a “Predator’s Paradise.”

Platner's campaign has claimed that he candidate has deleted the app from his phone, but had failed to deactivate it.

The predator-app using Platner, who is the favorite to receive his party’s nomination, is just days from his primary election. He is expected to face off against Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November in what is one of the most-watched races this cycle.

 

Dead voter allegation fuels concerns about voting safeguards as blue state official turns herself in

Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan

 Illinois GOP Chairman Bob Grogan is calling on a Democratic Waukegan city official to resign after prosecutors said she submitted her dead mother’s vote-by-mail ballot, a case conservatives say exposes broader concerns about mail-in voting and voter-roll safeguards even though the ballot was caught before it was counted.

A Waukegan, Illinois alderman, Sylvia Sims Bolton, turned herself in on Wednesday after prosecutors said she submitted her dead mother’s vote-by-mail ballot during a March primary election, which has resulted in two charges, including one Class 4 Felony.

According to the Office of the State's Attorney in Lake County, Illinois, a vote-by-mail ballot for Mary Sims, Bolton's late mother, was issued in the first tranche of ballots to go out from the Lake County Clerk's Office in February. Just days later, however, the same office processed the cancellation of Mary Sims' voter registration after receiving notification of her passing from the Illinois Department of Public Health via the state's Board of Elections voter registration system. 

 After the ballot was dropped by Bolton at an official ballot drop box, it went through the county's established security and verification protocols, which flagged that the voter's death record was processed prior to the ballot being submitted and ultimately spurred the sheriff's office investigation leading to the charges against Bolton.

PA WOMAN CHARGED WITH TRYING TO REGISTER DEAD PEOPLE, INCLUDING OWN FATHER, TO VOTE

A picture of the Illinois state flag is seen next to Illinois Alderman Sylvia Sims Bolton's mugshot. (Getty Images/Lake County State's Attorney Office)

"A dead person voting, that you're actually aware that they're dead, is the easiest voter fraud to find. It's like somebody leaning over the cash register and grabbing the cash out of the till," Grogan told Fox News Digital. "But the complicated stuff, the behind-the-scenes stuff, that’s something that is harder to find … This is a one-off incident and if fraudsters do it right, it could be many, many more votes like this."

Election integrity advocate Jason Snead, who runs the Honest Elections Project, added that the Bolton case "plainly shows that voter fraud occurs."

"Mail ballots are especially vulnerable, which is why they should be secured, should never be mailed without a specific request from the voter, and should always be verified before they are tabulated. This case also shows how essential it is to maintain clean voter rolls," Snead said. "Had the list maintenance process been slower, it is possible this illegal vote would have been counted before the fraud was discovered. Unfortunately, too many states — particularly blue states — actively resist commonsense safeguards, which begs the question: how many other illegal votes have slipped through the system?"

A press release from the Lake County State's Attorney Office indicated that "all ballot envelopes" get reviewed through automated systems designed to flag irregularities that may require additional review.

Readability issues due to barcode problems, ballots being submitted for the wrong election, ballots that were previously rejected, and ballots associated with a canceled voter registration record, are all examples of irregularities that might be flagged. Other, less obvious irregularities, include whether a ballot is overweight or underweight.

TRUMP CALLS FOR DOJ PROBE INTO MARYLAND MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR, SUSPECTING 'CORRUPT' GOV WES MOORE TIES

Poll workers process ballots at an elections warehouse outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 8, 2022.  (Ed Jones AFP via Getty Images)

The investigation into Bolton, who represents Waukegan’s Ward 1, began in March, and she turned herself in on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for Rinehart's office. She has been charged with one count of Mutilation of Election Material, a Class 4 felony, for allegedly knowingly falsifying election material, and one count of Disregarding Election Code, a Class A misdemeanor.

If convicted on the felony count, Bolton could face one to three years in prison, though Illinois law also allows probation or conditional discharge for Class 4 felonies. The election-material charge also carries a five-year ban on public employment after completion of the sentence. A Class A misdemeanor conviction carries less than one year in jail and a possible fine.

According to the State's Attorney's office, the investigation by law enforcement officials "did not uncover any facts linking these allegations to her city duties," adding that she "is not charged with official misconduct."

A vote-by-mail ballot drop box is shown alongside Waukegan Alderperson Sylvia Sims Bolton, who was charged after authorities alleged she submitted a ballot in her deceased mother’s name during Illinois’ 2026 primary election. (Getty Images and City of Waukegan)

Officials in the State's Attorney's office also noted that they were not aware of any previous investigations related to individuals trying to use the vote-by-mail system to cast a ballot on behalf of deceased individuals.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bolton and her attorney, who declined to comment.

"This case shows the importance of having a well-funded, independent Clerk’s office that also has state-of-the-art technology," State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Clerk Vega and his team followed national best practices in order to detect and report this crime. We must say loudly to people that if you improperly vote for others, you will be caught, investigated, and prosecuted."

Media Circus: How Talarico's Stunt Misled Voters and Fueled Outrage

Watching Scott Jennings cut through James Talarico’s performance was a reminder that conservative voices still know how to call out political theater when we see it. Jennings didn’t fumble—he labeled the CBS-Colbert-Talarico episode what it was: a manufactured moment dressed up as censorship and packaged to raise money and sympathy for a rising Democrat.

The backstory is painfully simple: CBS’s lawyers raised legal concerns about an on-air Late Show interview with Talarico, the network opted against broadcasting it, and Colbert and Talarico turned that corporate caution into a viral spectacle on YouTube. What should have been a routine legal conversation became campaign theater, and the legacy media eagerly amplified the drama for clicks.

Even the head of the Federal Communications Commission called the whole episode a “hoax,” underscoring that this was less about First Amendment martyrdom and more about political optics. When the FCC chairman and sober observers say the narrative was manufactured, patriots should pay attention instead of swallowing the outrage peddled by late-night entertainers.

 Let’s not pretend this is merely an inside-the-Beltway spat—Talarico is now the Democratic standard-bearer in a high-stakes Texas Senate fight, and the publicity stunt only helped him climb the ladder. Conservatives should be skeptical of candidates who recruit sympathy through scripted controversies; winning sympathy for being “silenced” is a cheap way to dodge scrutiny about policy and record.

Scott Jennings did what real journalists and serious commentators should do: he exposed the scam and refused to let the left’s narrative go unchallenged. The media’s reflex is to weaponize every perceived slight into a fundraising funnel, and if conservatives don’t push back hard and loudly, these stunts will keep deciding races and shaping public opinion.

Hardworking Americans deserve honest debate, not manufactured drama. If we value freedom and truth, we must call out political theater for what it is, support voices who will hold the media accountable, and vote for real leadership rather than candidates who bend the narrative to chase clicks and cash.

 

Damon Dash's Downfall: A Cautionary Tale on Accountability and Culture

Damon Dash’s fall from hip-hop mogul to headline fodder has become a cautionary tale conservatives are using to make a larger point about culture and accountability. Once a partner to some of the biggest names in music and film, Dash filed for bankruptcy and listed more than $25 million in debts — a dramatic collapse that can’t be explained away by bad luck alone. This is the sort of hard, unavoidable fact that should make every parent and community leader ask tough questions about leadership and responsibility.

The asset fire sale that followed only underlines the depth of the problem: Dash was ordered to sell parts of his film studio and streaming network to satisfy judgments, and his production company reportedly fetched a laughably small sum at auction as creditors circled. These are not abstract statistics; they are real consequences for a man who once symbolized entrepreneurial success in Black culture. Conservatives rightly point to mismanagement, unchecked ego, and an unwillingness to face consequences as lessons, not to gloat, but to push for real fixes in how we raise leaders.

Legal trouble has piled on with new suits alleging damages to others’ livelihoods, including a multi-million dollar complaint filed as recently as January, which demonstrates how personal scandals ripple outward and hurt ordinary people. When artists, entrepreneurs, or public figures behave recklessly and leave a trail of unpaid judgments and lawsuits, their actions feed cycles of instability in neighborhoods that can least afford it. Conservatives see these legal and financial collapses as proof that accountability matters more than platitudes about systemic blame.

Damon Dash has long enjoyed playing the provocateur, taking aim at media institutions and cultural orthodoxies while casting blame in dramatic terms — remarks that conservative commentators have seized on to question whether cultural leadership inside communities is delivering results. Those critiques are not about identity; they are about outcomes — who is building wealth, protecting families, and teaching kids to work hard. Figures like Officer Tatum and other voices on the right have used Dash’s trajectory as a rallying cry: stop romanticizing celebrity and start rebuilding institutions that actually sustain families and businesses.

 If we care about prosperity for every community, the lesson is plain: celebrate success, but demand responsibility. That means pushing for policies and cultural practices that strengthen two-parent households, encourage entrepreneurship without celebrity worship, and restore respect for law and order so small businesses and kids can thrive. Conservatives argue that welfare of spirit — character, discipline, and accountability — matters as much as welfare policy, and stories like Dash’s make that argument urgent and personal.

Hardworking Americans shouldn’t be silent spectators while celebrity scandals become excuses for failed leadership; they should be the ones building alternatives. Support local institutions that teach skills, mentor youth, and honor the dignity of work; vote for policies that empower families and entrepreneurs rather than subsidize dysfunction; and refuse the easy narratives that let bad actors off the hook. This isn’t partisan chest-beating — it’s a call to action for anyone who wants durable prosperity and safe neighborhoods for the next generation.

 

CartoonDems

 

Automakers Stock Up Ahead of Hormuz Deal

Automakers are quietly building ahead, padding inventories from Asian assembly plants to U.S. dealer lots as the war with Iran rattles the raw materials behind plastics, aluminum, and semiconductor chips.

The bet is straightforward: hold cars on the balance sheet now rather than risk a repeat of the chip-shortage paralysis that left lots empty during COVID.

With a tentative U.S.-Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz still awaiting final approval, the industry is choosing inventory over discipline.

The war has pinched supplies of naphtha, the petroleum derivative used to make plastics, along with the inputs that feed aluminum production and the helium, urea, and ammonia required for semiconductor manufacturing.

Japanese and Korean automakers, which depend on Middle Eastern naphtha, are most at risk from the squeeze.

The shortages have arrived even as a tentative deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz works its way toward approval, a sign that the ripple has already outrun the diplomacy.

Michael Robinet, vice president of forecast strategy at S&P Global Mobility, told an Automotive Press Association audience that the build-ahead trend will likely accelerate through the summer.

The math, he said, is one carmakers normally resist: "If you can get the feedstocks now, and you can find resin to make plastic, and you can find chips that require helium, and you can find urea and ammonia that are required for different operations, if you can find all of that, then they're going to build the vehicle."

Unsold inventory will sit on the books until it moves, but with shortages threatening, a drag on the balance sheet beats empty showrooms.

The hedge is showing up beyond the auto sector.

 U.S. durable goods orders jumped 7.9% in April to $346 billion, the Census Bureau reported Thursday, lifted by a 21.5% surge in transportation equipment that included a spike in civilian aircraft.

Pantheon Macroeconomics chief U.S. economist Samuel Tombs told Axios the headline figure looks temporary, describing it as companies racing to build buffer stocks against war-driven supply disruptions.

The pattern echoes last year's tariff-driven scramble, when manufacturers raced to lock in orders before President Donald Trump's import duties bit.

Whether the Strait of Hormuz deal closes within days or drags into summer, automakers are signaling they would rather absorb the cost of unsold cars than relive 2021, underscoring how fragile global production has remained five years after the chip crunch.