Salem News Channel

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says it is carrying out another round of strikes on Iran after the Islamic Republic attacked ships in Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. The announcement on Wednesday came hours after President Donald Trump threatened to unleash more military action against Iran after saying that the Iranian attacks signaled the end of the ceasefire.

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The U.S. Postal Service is once again raising the price of "Forever stamps" and other postal rates. On Monday the stamps will increase in price by 4 cents. Stamps will now cost 82 cents each. The increase to offset rising operational costs as the post office continues to lose money. Forever stamps purchased prior will continue to work.

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance discussed anti-fraud initiatives during a visit to Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the United States on Saturday with a campaign-style speech that repeated his calls for new voting restrictions, warned that "communists" could gain ground in the country and cycled through what he touted as his achievements. After a storm-related delay of nearly two hours, Trump appeared on the National Mall in Washington to deliver a speech that mixed broad appeals to patriotism with pointed attacks on perceived ideological threats at home and abroad. Trump lauded American achievements such as war victories, the lunar landing and the Wright brothers' pioneering flight, as well as the U.S. system of government in general. But he also urged Congress to pass stalled legislation that would limit mail ballots and require proof of citizenship to register to vote, said he had "wiped out" Iran's military and cautioned against a rise of communism in the United States. TRUMP WARNS OF COMMUNIST 'CANCER,' WHITE NATIONALISTS APPEAR "We like to stop a threat like that immediately and before it begins. It's like a cancer – you've got to cut it out and you got to cut it out fast," he said. The Republican president has in the past repeatedly referred to left-wing Democratic candidates who have won a string of primary elections as "communists," though he did not explicitly do so on Saturday. Before Trump, presidents generally avoided in-person appearances at July 4 celebrations, but he has blurred the line between official commemoration and campaign-style politics. Aside from a similar address that Trump gave in 2019, no U.S. president has delivered a July 4 speech on the Mall since 1951. Visitors had waited hours to get into the event, contending with stepped-up security and temperatures that reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius). The record-breaking heat wave forced the cancellation of several parades and other events in the area. Authorities ordered an evacuation when a line of thunderstorms approached, forcing spectators to shelter in nearby museums and government buildings before they were allowed to return. Trump had said this week he would "make a really long speech" for Saturday's rally "just to show that I can do anything." Instead, it lasted less than 40 minutes, far shorter than many of his past speeches. Other visitors included the white nationalist organization Patriot Front, which marched through the capital earlier in the day and rode on Metro trains serving the region. Police said they had not received any reports of violence. The Trump administration's Freedom 250 group has largely sidelined a nonpartisan body set up in 2016 to handle the 250th anniversary and has fenced off much of the 1.5-mile (2.4-km) Mall for a "Great American State Fair" featuring attractions such as a Ferris wheel alongside displays by conservative groups and defense contractors. TRUMP SEEKS TO REVAMP CAPITAL Freedom 250 says the fair aims to showcase the people and innovations that make the U.S. "the greatest nation on Earth." Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many performers scheduled to appear dropped out, citing concerns about partisanship. Trump opened the event with a rally on June 24. Crowds were sparse at first but have swelled in recent days, forcing visitors to wait in entrance lines that stretched several blocks. Gift shops and restaurants at the Smithsonian Institution museums near the event reported near-record sales on Friday, said Frank DiGiovine, a Smithsonian executive. Other activities with Freedom 250 branding include a faith rally featuring mostly conservative Christian speakers, and multiple sports events, including a card of mixed martial arts bouts on the White House grounds for Trump's 80th birthday on June 14. An IndyCar race in Washington is scheduled for August. The Freedom 250 organization also sponsored "Freedom Trucks" that critics say paint an overly religious version of American history and gloss over issues such as slavery and racial injustice. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans, including three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans, think the events celebrating the country's 250th anniversary have grown too political. Trump has sought to remake wide swaths of the capital city ahead of the 250th celebration, with mixed results. Many fountains and statues have been renovated, but problems have beset a much-touted $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool. Security cameras and soldiers now stand watch over its peeling paint and algae-fouled waters.

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The Democratic Party's Identity Crisis

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In this discussion, the complexities and contentious nature of the Iran nuclear deal are explored, focusing on the skepticism surrounding Iran's commitment to the agreement. The conversation highlights Iran's history of deceit, their use of roadside bombs against U.S. soldiers, and the severe impact on innocent lives. The speakers express deep-seated distrust towards Iran, suggesting that a deal may not be feasible due to their past actions and intentions. The discussion underscores the importance of vigilance and the potential need for alternative approaches to ensure national security. This insightful conversation offers a critical perspective on the ongoing conflict and the challenges in reaching a satisfactory resolution.

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NUUK, July 8 (Reuters) - Greenlanders attending a traditional kayaking championship in Nuuk rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed call for U.S. control of the Arctic island on Wednesday, saying its future should be decided by Greenlanders themselves. Speaking at a NATO summit in Turkey's Ankara, Trump this week renewed his demand to gain control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, arguing it was important for U.S. national security. At the kayaking championships in Nuuk harbour, where competitors performed rolling manoeuvres in the water by flipping their kayaks upside down and back upright, spectators said Trump was focused on the island's natural resources rather than the wishes of its people. "He only thinks of commodities and oil," said Frederik Larsen, 72, a pensioner born in Greenland. "I think we can manage without him." Public school teacher Birgithe Geisler, 60, said Greenland belonged to Greenlanders. "No one else should decide for us," she said. Hans David Ezekiassen, an instructor at the Greenland Maritime Center, was more blunt. "I think it's shit, to put it mildly," he said. "He can't even control his own country, so why must he try to take over other countries?" Andy Thon, 49, an engineer and member of Qajaq USA participating in the championships, said Greenland was already on a path towards greater autonomy with Denmark. "With Denmark, they're making their way towards full autonomy and the U.S. wouldn't need Greenland as a strategic point if the U.S. was playing nicely with our allies," he said. Trump's remarks drew fresh pushback from Danish and Greenlandic leaders. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Wednesday that repeated calls to take over the island did not change the fact that Greenland is not for sale.

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NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday authorized the payment of a multimillion-dollar verdict to magazine writer E. Jean Carroll to satisfy a 2023 civil verdict in which a jury found President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan ordered the disbursement of nearly $5.8 million to the former Elle magazine advice columnist, representing the original $5 million verdict plus interest. The funds had been held in escrow while Trump appealed the verdict, but the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29 declined to take up the Republican president's case. None of the nine justices, including three appointed by Trump, noted dissents. Trump appealed Kaplan's order to the federal appeals court in Manhattan, less than an hour after the judge issued it. "The American People stand with President Trump as they demand an immediate end to all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded travesty of the Carroll Hoaxes," a spokesperson for Trump's lawyers said in a statement. Lawyers for Carroll had no immediate comment. TRUMP'S LAWYERS WARN OF 'WEAPONIZATION' OF LEGAL SYSTEM In a Tuesday night court filing, Trump's lawyers said Carroll should wait to collect damages until after the Supreme Court reviewed Trump's renewed bid to overturn the verdict. The lawyers said Trump would be irreparably harmed and face "unrecoverable loss" if Carroll fulfills her stated intention to give away the money, because once she does the money likely could not be recovered. They also said letting Carroll recover, only to have the Supreme Court grant a rehearing, would "undermine public confidence in an orderly judicial process" at a time when Trump's supporters and some critics, according to his lawyers, voice "concerns about politically motivated weaponization of the legal system." Trump submitted a petition to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to rehear his appeal. The Supreme Court rarely takes up appeals after initially turning them down. TRUMP PLANS SECOND APPEAL Carroll, 82, and Trump, 80, have battled in court for nearly seven years, after Carroll first publicly accused the president of raping her around 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan. Trump has rejected Carroll's claims as a hoax and "con job," denying he knew her and saying she made up the alleged rape to help sell her memoir. Jurors awarded Carroll $5 million based on a Trump denial in 2022, though they did not find that Trump raped her. A different jury in January 2024 ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages based on his original denial in 2019, which occurred during his first White House term. Trump has said he deserves presidential immunity for that denial. Last September, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan declined to throw out the $83.3 million verdict. Trump plans to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court, and his lawyers said a successful appeal could undermine the basis for the $5 million verdict. Carroll has accused Trump of stalling both lawsuits to avoid accountability.

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A three-judge panel on Wednesday denied a request from the Kennedy Center's board to restore President Donald Trump's name to the institution while the board appeals an earlier ruling that dubbed the name change illegal and had it rescinded. It's another setback for the board of trustees, of which Trump is chairman, in a saga that began earlier this year when the Kennedy Center became: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The conspicuous addition, and ensuing legal battle, became symbolic of Trump’s broader push to imprint his legacy — and, in this case, his actual name — on the nation's capital in his final term. The panel of judges wrote Wednesday that the board of trustee's request "failed to show how they will be irreparably injured” if Trump's name remains off the building through the appeal process. The board had argued that the removal “threatens to impede" fundraising efforts, but the judges found that claim came without the support of “specific facts or evidence.” The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. “His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people,” said U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio who filed the lawsuit. "Now it is time for the Trump administration to accept this, comply with the law, and take the tarps down.” She was referring to tarps hung on scaffolding that had obscured the removal of Trump's name, and which still veil that part of the building's marble facade. When Trump first took office in 2025, he replaced the Kennedy Center's board of trustees, who then named him chairman. His name was quickly added to the building. A federal judge then ruled that the name change was illegal, prompting the ensuing legal battle.

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ANKARA/WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday informed his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa that he had decided to remove the country from the U.S. list of designated state sponsors of terrorism. "I promised to remove all barriers stopping you from rebuilding your country, and very soon, you will finally be able to do so," Trump wrote in a letter to Sharaa seen by Reuters. "We have U.S. companies ready to invest in Syria and help make your country greater and more prosperous than ever before," he added in the letter that a senior U.S. administration official said was handed to al-Sharaa after their meeting in Ankara on Wednesday. Trump said he had notified Congress which will now conduct a 45-day review before the decision can take effect. The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports and certain financial transactions. Last month Trump signed an executive order terminating a U.S. sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system. Several Saudi firms are planning billion-dollar investments as part of Riyadh's efforts to support its recovery, while other Gulf states have also pledged financial assistance. Trump on Wednesday complimented Sharaa, who was a commander of Al Qaeda's Nusra Front in Syria before cutting ties with the group in 2016. He then led a coalition of Islamist rebel factions in late 2024 to topple Assad. Trump has encouraged Sharaa's actions against the Islamic State militant group in the region. "He's respected by everybody, including me," Trump said.

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The fatal shooting of a Houston man by a federal immigration officer Tuesday marks at least the eighth death during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement campaign, and the first fatality amid a newly intensified push by the administration to carry out its mass deportations agenda. Department of Homeland Security officials said in a statement that Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, ignored commands while trying to evade arrest during an enforcement operation. They say he attempted to ram his car into an agent, who opened fire in self-defense. Araujo's family said he was on his way to work at a construction job. He died on the way to the hospital. The fatal shooting drew immediate criticism from immigrants rights groups and some Democrats who called for an independent investigation and for all footage, communication and evidence to be preserved. Video footage in several previous shootings has called into question the accounts of federal officers, though no immigration officers have been charged in those fatal encounters.

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Trump not Happy with Iran: Is the MOU Dead?

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With Rich Goldberg, Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Residents and hotel guest are slowly being let into cordoned off Manhattan streets, after columns buckled and floors sagged at an under-construction apartment building, triggering widespread evacuations and street closures over concerns about a collapse. Crews worked through the night to shore up a massive development at the site of the former headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Mayor Zohran Mamdani confirmed Wednesday that there had been no additional movement in the building since it was deemed stable late Tuesday night. But he said four area buildings remain under full evacuation orders. Some normally busy midtown streets also remain closed.

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Kentucky's governor has written an open letter to Mitch McConnell asking the Republican senator to disclose more about his condition. There's been three weeks of silence from the 84-year-old McConnell since he was hospitalized June 14 in Washington. And that's led to rampant speculation about McConnell’s prognosis and whether he’ll return to the Senate when it reconvenes next week. Beshear says in a letter Wednesday to the former Senate Republican leader that “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being, and ability to hold office.” McConnell is retiring at the end of his term in January.

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ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters there had been "tremendous unity" at the NATO summit in Turkey and also promised to increase U.S. defense production. "They (European nations) want the American equipment, because it works better," Trump told a press conference. "I provided other leaders with an update on the steps we're taking to rapidly scale up production in the United States. And they wanted to hear that, because they don't really want to get it in four years, five years, they want to get it like in a week."

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WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he will fly from Turkey to Britain on an older Air Force One aircraft, an unexpected switch that raised questions about a retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar that he unveiled only weeks ago as his new presidential jet. The trip to Turkey was the first international trip for the new plane. The switch follows months of scrutiny over the luxury gift intended to serve as a temporary replacement while Boeing struggles to deliver long-delayed next-generation Air Force One planes. Critics questioned the cost, security and pace of the retrofit. Trump said on Truth Social that he would use an older Air Force One plane "for old time's sake" to fly to RAF Mildenhall in Britain while the new plane visits the same base so U.S. service members stationed there can tour the aircraft. The new plane is a Boeing 747 gifted to the United States by Qatar last year and refitted by defense contractor L3Harris Technologies. The jumbo aircraft has been painted in a red, white, dark blue and gold livery chosen by Trump, marking a departure from the longstanding design used on Air Force One for decades. The Qatari jet's acceptance had drawn scrutiny. Retrofitting the luxury plane required security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent eavesdropping, and missile defense capabilities, experts said. Democratic lawmakers estimated the conversion cost more than $1 billion and raised security risks. The upgrades were completed so quickly that some experts expressed concern the plane may not be as secure as the existing Air Force One aircraft. A second aircraft that can operate as Air Force One is always on standby during presidential trips. The Air Force's fast-track effort to ready the jet skipped some planned modifications originally envisioned for the next-generation presidential aircraft in order to deliver an interim version sooner. Officials have said the plane still meets presidential standards, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink saying the service "meticulously evaluated every requirement" while working to speed up delivery. The Qatari jet is serving as a bridge aircraft while Boeing works to deliver two purpose-built 747-8s under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract signed in 2018. That program is now four years behind schedule, with delivery not expected until mid-2028, a delay that could leave Trump without a new, U.S.-built plane before his term ends in January 2029. Costs on the Boeing program have grown to more than $5 billion, with the company booking billions of dollars in charges tied to the project.

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan has been spared from prison for ushering a Mexican defendant out of her courtroom to evade U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A federal judge fined her $5,000 and cited her otherwise law-abiding life in issuing the sentence. Hannah Dugan resigned her Milwaukee County circuit judgeship after her obstruction conviction amid threats of impeachment from Republican legislators. Her lawyers argued that President Donald Trump's administration sought to crush her in an effort to ensure judicial compliance with its sweeping immigration crackdown. She faced up to five years in prison Wednesday, but the judge said what she did was a momentary deviation from a life of public service.

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New Evidence Against Tyler Robinson Submitted

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As the rape and domestic violence allegations against Graham Platner keep piling up, Democrat leaders are scrambling to pull their support . Problem is, the guy already won the primary in Maine—overwhelmingly . Our colleague Scott Jennings called it "subverting the will of the people." . This stinking pile of hypocrisy is a bed the Democrats made for themselves. And now they've got to lie in it. 

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