Mark Rutte’s 5% Fantasy: NATO Tries the Hard Sell

President Trump announced that a deal with Iran has been reached and the Strait of Hormuz would be opened immediately. Iran, however, does not appear to be treating the matter as a finalized deal. A statement from the Secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council indicates that additional steps remain before any final agreement is reached. “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding will be officially held on Friday, June 19,” according to the statement. “Negotiations for a final agreement will be postponed until after the other party has fulfilled its obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding.” It is significant that Iran has acknowledged the framework of a deal but it is not in fact a done deal. Iran’s conditions continue to include Lebanon, meaning Israel must cease its bombing campaign and military operations there. As he has on multiple occasions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a

Protests broke out in Kiev this weekend with Ukrainians protesting President Zelensky and his endless war and corruption. The protests reportedly began when a man faced forced conscription from police while walking down the street. Ukrainians surrounded the man and pushed police back, chanting “Shame!” The protest grew until police used tear gas on the crowds to disperse them. Forced conscription has been happening in Ukraine for over three years but Western media ignores this due to its love affair with Ukraine. Ukrainians do not want to be used to defend Zelensky’s war; they want peace. As the war drags on with no peace deal in sight, frustration appears to be spilling into the streets. What began as an attempt to stop one man’s conscription quickly turned into a broader display of public discontent.

Thursday morning, President Trump declared that “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT“. Hours later, Trump posted that he had discussions with the highest level of Iranian leadership, and that “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved.” Later that day, Trump announced to reporters that “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran.” That sounds promising, if it wasn’t for the fact that Iran’s Foreign Ministry has said that “no agreement has been reached.” And there are claims that the discussions being publicly described by Washington never even occurred. Does this all sound familiar? One day, we’re told victory is near. The next day, we’re told Iran is ready to surrender. Then reports surface that a deal is

According to multiple Skid Row residents, votes for Karen Bass were going for as little as two dollars during the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election. Allegations of vote-buying emerged in a series of TikTok interviews. In the videos, residents described being offered small sums of money to fill out ballots. One woman, who said she was paid $2, stated, “They come out here all the time.” Another resident, Rene Johnson, said she received $5. Exploiting some of Los Angeles’ most vulnerable residents for votes certainly paints an ugly picture of our political system, doesn’t it? The allegations are just the latest controversy surrounding Bass. She faces criticism over a city plagued by homelessness, crime, and deteriorating conditions, and continued backlash over her handling of the devastating Palisades fires. Even her own brother is suing the city she runs after losing his Malibu home in the fire. You’d think a string of controversies

Inflation has been steadily climbing and is now at its highest level in three years, thanks to the United States’ refusal to pull out of Israel’s war with Iran. The situation mirrors what happened under President Biden, when billions of taxpayer dollars were poured into the war in Ukraine. Now it’s the same story all over again, just a different president, a different country, but with an even greater economic impact. According to the latest Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices in May 2026 are sky-high, up 4.2 percent compared to May 2025. Of course, no one needed a government report to know inflation is bad. Every trip to the grocery store is a real-life inflation report. Grocery prices are up 3.1 percent, while restaurant prices have increased 2.7 percent, which means it could be cheaper to eat out than cook at

The United States has begun launching new airstrikes against targets inside Iran. According to CENTCOM, U.S. forces struck multiple locations in Iran after President Trump authorized additional military action. Explosions were reportedly heard in Sirik, Qeshm Island, Minab, and Isfahan as tensions between Washington and Tehran continued to escalate. The justification? CENTCOM claimed the attacks were “self-defense” and were launched in response to Iran’s “unwarranted and continued aggression.” It’s hard to buy the “self-defense” narrative when, earlier that day, Trump said the U.S. was close to a deal while also promising to “hit them hard.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a similar message, stating that the U.S. would “strike Iran with full force today.” It’s the same contradictory rhetoric we’ve heard time and time again: “We’re close to a deal” on one hand, yet “we’re going to bomb the sh#! out of them” on the other. It makes no sense at all. At this