CBS News Promotes Merchandise for “No Kings” Protests


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance 

When the pretenses drop completely, we see CBS news promoting “Merch” for “No Kings” protesters.

I don’t ever want to hear a word about corporate media pretending to be unbiased and apolitical.

[SOURCE]

This official promotion for the protest groups comes as CBS is still in litigation for a lawsuit from President Trump as an outcome of their fabricating a response for Kamala Harris during a pre-election day interview.  Unreal…. well, not really, but sheesh.

USAID Official and Three Corporate Executives Plead Guilty to Decade-Long Bribery Scheme


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance

The Justice Department has announced that a USAID official named Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, and three corporate executives, Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland; Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, and Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, have pleaded guilty to a decade long scam involving bribery using USAID funds and awarded government contracts.

Roderick Watson took bribes and directed over $550 million to the three USAID contractors.  [SEE DETAILS HERE]

DOJ – […] According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives.

The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme. (read more)

Remarkable Online Poll Highlights 90 Percent of Respondents Do Not Want USA Involved in Israel War Against Iran


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance

President Trump supporter Charlie Kirk presented a poll question on his Twitter account asking, “Should the US get involved in Israel’s war against Iran?”  Almost a half million responses and the outcome is almost 90% saying no.

[SOURCE]

There is obviously a significant majority of MAGA Republicans who do not want the U.S. military involved in more foreign conflict.

Also, it’s obvious this is not a scientific poll and more of a ‘sense’ amid the people who use Twitter; people who are often the strongest political influence voices for American politicians; but still, that is quite a remarkable outcome.

Border Czar Tom Homan Discusses In-Depth Border Security and Deportation Operations


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance 

Border Czar Tom Homan appeared for a podcast discussion with Dr Phil.  Homan makes a strong point about the “customs” aspect in Customs and Border Patrol and outlines how it was customs enforcement that backstopped the reason for the ICE raid in Los Angeles.  There was a money laundering operation underway that had long been investigated.

“Dr. Phil and Border Czar Tom Homan break down the major LA raid targeting cartel-linked businesses, sparking protests and debate. They discuss a major multi-agency operation in Los Angeles targeting criminal enterprises in the garment industry. Homan explains how ICE, DEA, FBI, IRS, and other agencies collaborated to serve search warrants, uncovering $80 million in undeclared imports, $17 million in unpaid tariffs, and arresting 41 undocumented immigrants.

The operation, part of a larger investigation into money laundering and cartel activity, sparked intense protests and clashes outside targeted businesses. Homan discusses the challenges of balancing law enforcement with public outcry, the new zero-tolerance policy for interference, and the importance of transparency about the broader criminal context of these actions.” WATCH:

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9th Circuit Court of Appeals Blocks District Judge Restraining Order – President Trump Remains in Control of CA National Guard


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance

Last night U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a ridiculous temporary restraining order (TRO) removing President Trump’s control of the California National Guard [SEE RULING HERE]. Charles Breyer is the 83-year-old younger brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

What made the TRO ruling transparently ridiculous was: (A) the state of California never requested a TRO; and (B) the citations Breyer used to underpin his decision were all left-wing media reports about the events.  The facts, his facts, underpinning his judicial opinion, were wrong.

Those who follow judicial writing will note that using media reports as citations inside judicial decisions is a common attribute of Lawfare operations. Factually, it seemed unlikely District Judge Breyer even wrote his own ruling; it reads like something from Norm Eisen or Mary McCord.

This morning, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked Breyer’s order just hours after he issued it [SEE RULING HERE].

The appellate intervention retains the power of President Trump as commander in chief over the California national guard. The appeals court set a Tuesday hearing on the full context of the matter, thereby ensuring Trump’s deployment will remain in place at least into next week.

California – […] The appeals court’s short-term block came after an urgent plea from the Trump administration for a ruling before midnight in Washington, saying Breyer’s decision represented a dangerous affront to Trump’s power as commander in chief to protect federal interests.

[…] The sweeping nature of Breyer’s decision [made it] vulnerable on appeal. When the state’s lawyers filed an emergency motion Tuesday seeking Breyer’s intervention, they asked only for a temporary order prohibiting the federalized National Guard troops from engaging in law enforcement or accompanying immigration officers in the field. However, the judge ruled much more broadly, declaring Trump’s order federalizing the Guard to be unlawful and ordering that those forces be returned to California’s control.

In his order, Breyer agreed that some of the protests had been accompanied by unacceptable violence. But he said the law and Constitution require far more significant degrees of violence to justify deploying the military to enforce civil laws. (read more)

President Trump Releases Statements Following Israeli Attack on Iranian Nuclear Capabilities and Leadership


Posted originally on CTH on June 13, 2025 | Sundance 

President Trump released a series of statements earlier this morning as Israel continues to execute operation Rising Lion and strike Iran.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP –  “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.”

“Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!” [source]

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP – “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to “make a deal.” They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” [source]

Also, VIA CNNI just spoke with President Donald Trump on the phone. The President told me the US supports Israel and called the strikes on Iran last night “a very successful attack.”

“We of course support Israel, obviously and supported it like nobody has ever supported it,” Trump said during our brief phone call.

“Iran should have listened to me when I said – you know I gave them, I don’t know if you know but I gave them a 60-day warning and today is day 61,” he added.

“They should now come to the table to make a deal before it’s too late. It will be too late for them. You know the people I was dealing with are dead, the hardliners,” the president said. He would not specify which people he was referring to.

Asked if this was a result of Israel’s attack last night, President Trump responded sarcastically: “They didn’t die of the flu; they didn’t die of Covid.” 

Several senior Iranian officials have now been killed, including CGRI General Salami, Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and senior nuclear scientist Fereydoon Abbasi.

CNN’s security analyst Beth Sanner said that removing Salami is akin to taking out the US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff: “You can imagine what Americans would do,” she said.

[The killing of Salami has infuriated the Persians, but the allies say they are following the Genoa convention.😂]

RISING LION

♦ “Israel’s Mossad spy agency smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of Friday’s strikes that were used to target its defenses from within, according to an Israeli security official.

The official said that “a base for launching explosive drones was established inside Iran and that the drones were activated during Friday’s attack to target missile launchers at a base near Tehran.”

Israel had also “smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems,” the official said, adding that Israel had deployed strike systems on vehicles.” (more)

♦ Significant intelligence was collected and surveillance was carried out to incriminate senior Iranian security officials and nuclear scientists who were eliminated.

Alongside this, a covert operational campaign to damage Iran’s strategic missile array. The Mossad carried out a series of covert operations in Iran, which were intended to damage Iran’s strategic missile array and its air defense capabilities.

As part of their activities, Mossad agents implemented significant moves to introduce special weapons on a large scale, deploy them throughout Iran, and launch them towards the attack targets in a precise and effective manner.

These are three different operations:

First, in central Iran, squads of Mossad commando fighters operated to deploy operational systems of precision-guided weapons, in open areas near the location of Iranian surface-to-air missile systems (SAM).

With the beginning of the Israeli attack, in parallel with the air force attacks throughout Iran, the systems were trained and activated, and the precision missiles were launched directly at the targets at once and with great accuracy.

In another operational campaign to thwart Iran’s air defense capabilities that threaten Israeli fighter jets, the Mossad, in secret operations, planted sophisticated attack systems and technologies on vehicles. With the start of the surprise attack, the weapons were launched and completely destroyed the targets of the attack – the Iranian defense systems.

In the third campaign, the Mossad established a base of explosive drones that were infiltrated into the heart of Iran long before the attack by Mossad agents. During the Israeli attack, the explosive drones were activated and launched at the surface-to-surface missile launchers (SGMs) located at the Asfaqabad base near Tehran and that pose a threat to strategic targets and Israeli citizens. (source)

Secretary Rubio Draws Distinct Underline of “Unilateral” – First Round Attack Leadership, Second Round Underway


Posted originally on CTH on June 12, 2025 | Sundance 

According to most information flowing from the region, a second wave attack from Israel us underway (or just completed).  The first wave targeting was the Iranian military leadership and nuclear scientists, the second wave hitting the nuclear installations.

We could tell from the initial targeting, the IDF were not targeting hardened installations, they were targeting people who run them where they live in the middle of the night.  This appears to be confirmed by ground reporting of residences being the target with highly strategic Mossad agents on the ground doing major intelligence activity to identify the targets.  It appears Israel was very successful (but still really early).

That approach also establishes the baseline for internal Iranian political opposition to push for regime change.

The second wave of Israeli targeting then goes directly at the nuclear installations.  This approach also makes sense.  First round takes out the brain power, second round takes out their hardened facilities (much more difficult to eliminate).

As the operation proceeds, we now turn focus to the U.S. interests, and this is where we use hindsight to last Sunday’s Camp David meeting.

Secretary of State / National Security Advisor Marco Rubio emphasizes Israel is acting “unilaterally,” without USA support.  President Trump proactively and strategically emphasizes his preferred approach of “diplomacy.”

Some will doubt, but I would draw your attention to Trump’s relay of the call with Vladimir Putin last week. Obviously, President Trump understood Israel was on the cusp of taking some ‘unilateral’ action, albeit with a likelihood of a head’s-up to USA of approximate timing (Sunday Camp David as a proactive ‘get us prepped’ agenda).

The scenario begins to become self-evident when you consider that President Trump redirected 20,000 patriot defense missiles from Ukraine to Israel, much to the chagrin and anger of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as expressed June 9th.  Which also takes us into the conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under this scenario, Camp David on Sunday would likely be a coordination meeting between President Trump, Secretary/NSA Marco Rubio and top military officials where the topic was getting our interests prepared and shifted as the administration knew this week something was going to happen with Iran.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday the U.S. moves personnel and non-essentials into a more secure and stable environment.  Friday, Boom.

Back to Putin.

What type of communication President Trump had with Vladimir Putin about Iran -as the current status was fluid- will likely never be known; however, we can be generally certain President Trump expressed a proactive tone to President Putin of his administration NOT wanting military conflict over the issue of Iranian nukes.

Transparently, President Trump would know Putin’s strong likelihood to repeat that sentiment to the leadership of Iran, which would be the impetus and motive for the discussion segment about Iran.  [Review with hindsight]

From President Trump’s perspective, he wants a diplomatic solution, but he is politically committed to supporting Israel regardless of his agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch IDF strikes.   However, if Netanyahu is going to punch his opposition, he better knock him out, because Trump is not going to expand U.S. involvement in collateral consequences.

Netanyahu has to approach the attack from this framework of Trump.

The context would be, President Trump is resigned to the intransigent demands of Bibi along with the annoying background cheers from the USA coliseum crowd in DC cheering for the battle.  President Trump then hands Putin a pair of brass knuckles and warns him again (Camp David), if the opponent gets up – the primary focus of Trump is going to be defending team USA, not Bibi.

Netanyahu organizes his IDF strikes to hit the Iranian leadership first, then go after the installations.

A regime change would be the ultimate denuclearization, and -in this scenario- that could also help Trump vis-a-vis pressure on Putin’s mindset.

That’s the 30,000 review so far.

Unfortunately, back home we’ve now got the pro-Palestinian crowd fired up with the anti-ICE crowd, both essentially the same under different agendas depending on the rage du jour.   That’s what we will likely see on “No Kings Day” Saturday, June 14.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Gives Speech Outlining Attacks Against Iran – Operation Rising Lion


Posted originally on CTH on June 12, 2025 | Sundance 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech outlining the motives and intentions of the IDF attacking Iran to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons from Iran.  “Operation Rising Lion”

Within the speech, Netanyahu alleges Iran were close to being capable of creating a nuclear weapon within one-month or one-year.  President Netanyahu promises the liberate Iran and become their friend as soon as the Iranian regime is replaced. Within the speech tone, Netanyahu does not sound confident.  WATCH:

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OK, DEEP BREATH. What to watch for?

If Steve Witkoff still goes to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday, that means: #1 Rubio’s use of the word “unilateral” was *extremely* diplomatic; #2 President Trump is not happy with Bibi, and #3 Israel is on truly their own!

It Begins – Israel Has Launched “Preemptive Strikes” Against Iran


Posted originally on CTH on June 12, 2025 | Sundance

Tehran is 7.5 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. 

As was widely expected, overnight in Tehran, Israel has begun a series of what it calls “preemptive strikes” against Iran. Iranian state media outlet IRNA reported repeated explosions could be heard in Tehran.

VIA CNN – Israel has launched what it is calling a “preemptive strike” against Iran and declared a state of emergency, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz.

“Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz said in a statement.

Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv following the announcement.

The U.S. did not provide any assistance or have any involvement in the Israeli strike, a U.S. official told ABC News. (read more)

Sirens were sounded in Israel as the nation prepares for long-planned counter attacks from Iran to begin.  Three hours before the Israeli strikes began, President Trump released a statement saying, “We remain committed to a Diplomatic Resolution to the Iran Nuclear Issue! My entire Administration has been directed to negotiate with Iran. They could be a Great Country, but they first must completely give up hopes of obtaining a Nuclear Weapon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Iran had previously vowed to strike at both Israeli and USA targets if they were attacked.  The attack is taking place around 3:00-4:00am local time on Friday the 13th in Tehran.   The National Day of Rage in the USA is scheduled for Saturday, June 14th.  The anti-Israel protesters will now likely align with the anti-deportation protesters and things could get dramatic in the USA.

There are reports of approximately a dozen sites inside Iran being targeted.  Everything is very fluid at the moment.

President Trump emissary Stephen Witkoff was previously scheduled to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday and discuss Iran’s response to a recent American proposal for a nuclear deal.  Against the backdrop of the Israeli attack, the meeting is now unlikely.

President Trump Takes Questions from Media Following Auto Bills to Remove Impact of California Regulations


Posted originally on CTH on June 12, 2025 | Sundance

President Trump signed three congressional resolutions related to former President Biden-era electric vehicle standards, blocking California’s electric vehicle sale mandates and diesel engine rules. At the conclusion of the bill-signing, President Trump responded to questions from the assembled press pool. [Video at 57:42 – prompted] The question about illegal alien farm workers is around 01:14:00

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