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Jul 13, 2026 - World

Add to the growing list of conservatives who have been turned off by Vice President JD Vance: influential Jewish donors with deep pockets who are furious about his criticisms of Israel.According to a report from Politico, Vance is facing a brewing rebellion from powerful Republican donors and pro-Israel activists who view his foreign policy positions as a betrayal of the party's traditional unwavering support for the Jewish state.The tension centers on Vance's role in brokering a ceasefire agreement with Iran and his public criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government—stances that have alarmed major GOP fundraisers who helped bankroll Donald Trump's return to power."It's hard to find any support for him at all in the Jewish community," said Eric Levine, a prominent Republican bundler and board member of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told Politico.According to the report, high-profile conservative voices have begun openly questioning Vance's leadership on Israel. Media personality Mark Levin condemned the Iran memorandum of understanding, while former NCAA basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced he won't support Vance's anticipated 2028 presidential bid unless he "breaks" with Tucker Carlson, who has split from the Republican Party.Multiple pro-Israel GOP insiders, speaking anonymously, told Politico there is widespread concern about Vance within their networks. "There's angst among a significant majority of pro-Israel Republicans, Christians and Jews alike," one major donor said. "Overwhelmingly, I'm seeing unease, and it could be even worse than that."The friction threatens to fracture the Republican coalition as Vance positions himself as Trump's likely successor in 2028—an election expected to shatter fundraising records. Politico is reporting that Vance's credibility problems with pro-Israel conservatives extend beyond his Iran diplomacy. Last fall, after leaked messages showed Young Republicans praising Hitler and making Holocaust jokes, Vance dismissed the incident, calling it kids "doing stupid things." During a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi, Vance failed to challenge a student who claimed Judaism was inherently hostile to Christianity and questioned why America supports Israel."When I talk to people in the pro-Israel space about Vance, the Turning Point event comes up in almost every conversation," one veteran GOP strategist involved in pro-Israel advocacy told Politico.

Jul 13, 2026 - World

The decision by the Trump administration to go after New York Times reporters with subpoenas after they reported on the critical vulnerabilities with a Qatari plane gifted to the president was hammered on MS NOW on Monday morning. Appearing on “Morning Joe,” an incensed Jim VandeHei, founder of Axios, claimed the decision to fly the luxury jet into the Middle East put the president and the nation at risk. Then he blasted conservatives who are applauding the DOJ investigation.MS NOW contributor Katty Kay prompted VandeHei with, “Jim, you and I were talking during the break about how this seems like overkill from the White House to issue these subpoenas. Is this just because the president was embarrassed about the reporting when we knew that this plane wasn't ready in a defensive capacity?”“Yeah, I think it's both dumb and dangerous, right?” he shot back. “It's dumb in that it was pretty widely known that this aircraft wasn't up to the standards of Air Force One. That usually goes to a two-year period of being built and being vetted, and everybody knew that this was gifted by the Qataris. Everyone also knows that the Iranians are trying to actively assassinate the president of the United States, and he's in the Middle East.” "And so this idea then is that you go after the reporters — and they wrote about it after the fact — the only way you'd actually have a plausible case is if you put the president's life at risk or you really jeopardize national security because you reported it before it happened,” he continued before repeating, “They reported it after it happened.”“And anybody out there who's like, ‘Oh, yeah, but oh, it's the New York Times, I hate the New York Times,’ again, you have to always think about imagine that the other party does this,” he cautioned. “Any time that you don't like a story, that you send agents of the federal government to their home to try to intimidate them because they wrote something that made you feel uncomfortable, that was actually authentically, really, really important to the safety of the president of the United States, whether you like him or not, matters profoundly. And so when you start doing these things, you start normalizing these things, and if anybody cheers it, you better cheer it when they come after you.” - YouTube youtu.be

Jul 13, 2026 - World

Sam Neill, the popular New Zealand actor whose career spanned five decades and encompassed more than 150 film and television roles, has passed away in Sydney. The actor, best recognized for portraying paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant across multiple "Jurassic Park" installments, was 78.His family shared the news through a social media announcement, noting that Neill "passed with the dignity that has characterized his whole life" while surrounded by loved ones, The New York Times reported.Neill had battled angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma following his diagnosis in early 2022.Originating in Northern Ireland before relocating to New Zealand during his childhood, Neill launched his acting journey in the late 1960s, becoming known for his striking appearance and distinctive vocal delivery.His body of work included critically acclaimed New Zealand features such as "The Piano" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople," popular entertainment franchises including "Thor: Love and Thunder," and the acclaimed British drama series "Peaky Blinders."Australian political leaders paid tribute to Neill's cultural impact, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighting the actor's connection to the country, writing on X: “Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that gave strength to his every performance.”

Jul 12, 2026 - World

A former CIA officer on Sunday floated a disturbing new theory about when late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) actually died.Reports indicate that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest at his Washington, D.C., residence late Saturday night, and that he was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital later that night. However, the timeline of events leading up to Graham's death didn't make sense to former CIA officer Charles Johnson, who floated a new theory about when Graham died in a new Substack essay. "This is total bulls---!" Johnson wrote about the official story of Graham's death. Johnson noted that Graham had traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 10, which makes the timeline of his death harder to believe. "So, let’s go [through] the timeline," Johnson wrote. "Senator Graham arrived in Kyiv between 09:45 [and] 10:45 local on July 10th. The train he took from Poland departed Warsaw at 18:15 hours local on July 9th. It was an overnight train. To arrive in Poland in time to take the 18:15 train, Lindsey would have departed Dulles International Airport at around 0700 local on July 9 — the flight from Dulles to Warsaw is 9 hours.""So, Lindsey Graham arrives in Kyiv by 11 am (sic) Friday morning. He meets with Zelensky and tours a drone factory. Then we are asked to believe that he returns to Washington, D.C., after spending less than 24 hours on the ground. Again, I call bulls---!!" he added. Additional details of Graham's trip made it seem likely that he actually died in Kyiv, possibly while he was traveling back to the U.S., Johnson noted. "The earliest train back to Warsaw departs Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi at 07:40–08:00 on the 11th and arrives Przemyśl Główny in the afternoon (~17:00–18:00). That is at least nine hours. That would make it roughly 1100 hours in Washington, D.C.," he wrote. "Let’s assume he has an hour to get to the airport and the plane takes off at 1900 hours local from Poland. The flight going west takes 10 hours… This means the earliest the plane could have landed at Dulles is midnight on the 11th. That is 3 ½ hours after Graham reportedly died at home," Johnson added.

Jul 12, 2026 - World

Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) sudden death reverberated across the globe on Sunday as world leaders reacted to the news. Graham died late Saturday night after a "brief and sudden illness," according to his office. It is believed that Graham suffered from cardiac arrest before his death. President Donald Trump described the late Senator as "one of the greatest people and Senators that I have ever known." Leaders of American-allied nations reacted to the news on Sunday, offering condolences to Graham's family and colleagues. However, the mercurial senator's death also sparked a more terse reaction from America's enemies, particularly inside the Kremlin. "He worked tirelessly to strengthen sanctions, in close coordination with the E.U.," Ursula von der Leyen, the E.U. commission president, remembered in a post on X. "A determined and fearless leader. He will be deeply missed." "Throughout his career, he stood resolutely in defense of democracy and freedom, most recently and particularly with Ukraine and its people," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X. "I offer my condolences to Senator Graham’s family, friends, and all those who served alongside him."Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, also thanked Graham for his staunch advocacy for Ukrainians defending their country against Russian aggression. "We will always be especially grateful for the recognition of our people and words of admiration for the courage of Ukraine’s defenders," Zelenskyy noted in a post on X. "America and the world have lost a determined leader."Graham's death sparked a much different message inside Russia's Kremlin and among the Putin regime's propagandists, The Daily Beast reported. Alexey Pushkov, a Russian lawmaker who represents Putin's party, called Graham "bloodthirsty" in a Telegram post shortly after his death, according to the report. Kremlin propagandist Sergei Mardan added that the Russian people "certainly won't miss him," the report added.