WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🇺🇦 Trump sets 50-day deadline for Russia peace. President Trump warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not end the Ukraine war within 50 days, the US will impose 100 percent tariffs on any country trading with Russia. European NATO allies also agreed to fund American-made weapons for Ukraine, channeling billions into US defense. The move both pressures Russia’s trading partners and boosts American industry.

🗽 Cuomo stays in NYC mayoral race as an independent. After losing the Democratic primary to socialist Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo announced he will run as an independent. Cuomo said, "Only 13 percent of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November, and I am in it to win it." Now, Cuomo and Eric Adams will be running as independents, potentially fracturing the moderate vote and increasing the likelihood of a Mamdani victory.

👮 ICE arrests 1,361 illegal aliens in Houston. ICE and Texas law enforcement arrested over 1,300 illegal aliens in June, including a convicted plane hijacker, nine murderers, and 32 child predators. Many had re-entered the US after deportation. The scale and severity of these arrests highlight the ongoing risks posed by repeat offenders slipping through the system.

📹 A pro-Democrat group is funding teams to confront ICE. The “Save America Movement” has raised over $750,000 to fund mobile teams that follow and film ICE raids in California. This comes as assaults on ICE agents have jumped sevenfold in 2025. The campaign blurs the line between activism and interference, raising new concerns over law enforcement safety.

INSIDER RADAR

Laura Loomer accuses Tucker Carlson of sabotage

Insiders behind the paywall: Laura Loomer, Tucker Carlson, JD Vance, Charlie Kirk, Kevin Hassett, and Chris Wright.

HOAX TRACKER

“Innocent university professor kidnapped by ICE”

QUICK AND IMPORTANT

• The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to continue firing Department of Education employees and proceed with plans to dismantle the agency.

• More than 20 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration over its freeze of $6.8 billion in K-12 education funding.

• 40 ice cream makers pledged to remove artificial food dyes by 2028, supporting RFK Jr.’s campaign against additives.

• Former President Barack Obama urged Democrats to “toughen up,” stop “whining,” and “stand up for free speech” even when it’s difficult.

INSIDER EXCLUSIVE

MAGA bails on Pam Bondi

Attorney General Pam Bondi provoked fury among prominent conservatives after a Department of Justice and FBI memo claimed that no "client list" of Jeffrey Epstein exists, directly contradicting her past statements…

Read Now →

THE MAIN STORY

Joe Biden admits to not approving individual pardons

_WHAT’S HAPPENING_

In a newly released New York Times interview, former President Joe Biden admitted he did not personally review every individual case in the mass clemency orders issued during the final weeks of his presidency.

Instead, his staff used an autopen to sign off on thousands of pardons and commutations, including preemptive pardons for political allies and family members. Biden claims he approved the broad categories and standards, while aides made the calls on specific individuals.

_THE FACTS_

• Biden’s staff used an autopen — a machine that replicates one’s signature — to sign 25 clemency warrants between December 2024 and January 2025.

• Two of those warrants covered nearly 4,000 people, including 2,500 convicted of crack cocaine offenses.

• Biden admitted he did not review each name, only the criteria for eligibility.

• Staff secretary Stefanie Feldman managed the autopen and executed the signatures based on internal “blurbs” claiming Biden had approved them.

• However, most of the aides who wrote those blurbs were not present when Biden allegedly gave oral approval.

• The day before Biden left office, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients emailed final approval for autopen use on a list of pardons, including for Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley.

• President Donald Trump has called the autopen use a “crime” and accused Biden’s aides of running the presidency without his knowledge.

• The DOJ and House Oversight Committee are investigating whether Biden’s mental decline was covered up through the use of an autopen.

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stated he is reissuing his criminal referral of Dr. Fauci to the DOJ.

_OUR INSIGHTS _

The GOP’s uphill battle to nullify pardons

Insights behind the paywall: Biden admin. decision making and the president’s absolute pardoning power.

_JOIN THE DISCUSSION_

Should Republicans continue pursuing prosecutions for individuals like Dr. Fauci, who had pardons granted via autopen?

MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER

How left and right outlets frame Trump’s new pressure on Putin

Mentioned behind the paywall: The New York Times, NPR, Fox News, and The Washington Free Beacon.

_THE DAILY DEBATE_

_POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY_ 

Which of Mahmood Mamdani’s views do you find most troubling?

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 💣 Suicide bombers = soldiers (251)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ⛑️ Humanitarian aid = Western imperialism (36)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🪖 Allies and Nazis share same goals (158)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🇮🇱 Jewish state shouldn't exist (365)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (Comment) (94)

Note: We received a few messages from readers saying they only saw the first three poll options. As a result, these results may be skewed. We're looking into the issue to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

_POP QUIZ_

🔎 Tip line: See something the media won’t touch? Got a story from your campus, community, or company that needs exposure? Send tips, questions, or ideas to [email protected].

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