YouTube is not policing political content to the extent it once was, according to the New York Times.

The Times says this policy shift has been happening quietly “since President Trump’s return to the White House.” It mirrors similar rollbacks in content moderation policies at Meta and X.

A YouTube spokesperson told the Times that the platform “continuously updates its guidance for content moderators on topics surfacing in the public discourse.” She added that YouTube “retires policies that no longer make sense, as it did in 2023 for some Covid misinformation, and strengthens policies when warranted.”

But here’s the problem: YouTube punished people—including us—for saying things that turned out to be true.

Redacted received two community strikes and was locked out of our account twice for two weeks at a time. One strike was for reporting that the Ukrainian army includes Nazi brigades who attack civilians. The other was for reading from Pfizer’s own clinical trial data on their first Covid-19 vaccine. Both were labeled as “misinformation.” Both were accurate.

YouTube never apologized. They never reimbursed us for lost monetization—even though they continued running ads on our videos. The strikes remain on our account. When YouTube censors a video, they rarely explain the rationale, and they offer no meaningful appeal process.

It’s hard to trust a platform like that—especially one that openly admits its policies are “continuously.” So next time YouTube claims to be the guardian of truth—just remember who they punished for telling it.

Shameless side note: This is exactly why we prioritize publishing on Rumble.

The post YouTube Is Suddenly Brave appeared first on Redacted.

The European Union has proposed sanctioning the Nord Stream pipeline that delivers gas to…checks notes… Europe.

No, this is not a joke. In its relentless posturing against Russia, the EU is now floating the idea of cutting off the very gas that was supposed to bring prosperity to their own economies. Until U.S. special forces blew it up that is.

Nord Stream once symbolized hope for struggling European economies—because, as even the dimmest policymaker should know, prosperity depends on affordable, abundant energy. The pipeline hasn’t been operational since 2022 but EU leaders are talking tough about keeping it that way.

We won’t fix it, even if it would keep us warm and prosperous! That oughta show Russia!

It’s funny because it’s so idiotic but really it’s tragically stupid. What useless imbeciles run the European Union!

The post Europe Sanctions Itself. That Tracks. appeared first on Redacted.

In the Eastern press, this is front-page news. In the West? Crickets.

Iran claims it has obtained a massive cache of Israeli nuclear documents that prove that Israel is expanding its nuclear arsenal.

Iranian outlets like Press TV and Tehran Times say the information is real, specific, and actionable. The Supreme National Security Council of Iran claims the data enables them to “strike Israel’s nuclear facilities with pinpoint accuracy.”

If true, this would mark one of the most significant cyber-espionage victories in recent Middle East history—possibly even outmatching Israel’s own 2018 theft of Iranian nuclear archives. But instead of asking questions, the Western press is pretending this isn’t happening.

Iranian officials say the files include detailed intelligence on Israel’s nuclear weapons program, targeting maps, and even confidential correspondence with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Tehran Times reported that the documents were extracted from a research facility tied to Israeli nuclear development, and that they include communications showing how politicized the IAEA has become.

When the IAEA was asked to comment on it, they demurred. Something about the Soreq research facility, they said. Something like that… The same way they pretended not to know that Ukraine was bombing the Zaporozhye nuclear plant. They visited the site and saw bombs coming…from somewhere but refused to say from where. They just said it should stop.

They’re useless

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied the breach, and U.S. media outlets are burying the story if they mention it at all. The silence is telling. If Israel had claimed to have hacked Iran and uncovered nuclear weapons plans, would the media ignore it?

The post Iran Hacks Israel’s Nukes—Media Hacks Ignore It appeared first on Redacted.

Multiple media outlets have been been reporting that Israel is ready to strike Iran any minute now. If you are reading this, we are still alive.

If Israel moves forward, it would be in direct defiance of President Trump’s warning to Prime Minister Netanyahu. On a call Tuesday, Trump reportedly told him that attacking Iran was “off limits.”

But why would Israel take that seriously?

The U.S. has drawn red line after red line since October 7 and Israel has hop-skipped over every one. There’s been no serious condemnation, no consequences—no reason for them to stop now.

Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly preparing for a direct confrontation, with threats of counterstrikes against Israeli targets and U.S. military bases. Yes, some U.S. personnel have been relocated, but tens of thousands remain in the region—squarely in harm’s way.

If Israel provokes a retaliation that harms Americans, it would be a betrayal by a so-called ally—and it would back President Trump into a corner with no good options:

1. Trump does nothing – This would signal that U.S. red lines don’t mean much, especially when it comes to Israel. It would undercut his credibility in future negotiations with Iran, Russia, and China and effectively accept American casualties because of Israel’s choices.
2. He cuts aid or military support – Politically risky and unprecedented, but a strong message. It would show that the U.S. does not green-light unauthorized wars, even by allies.
3. He spins it – Says Israel “acted independently” and that the U.S. supports peace but won’t intervene. This would be damage control, trying to save face while still keeping the alliance intact. But would Iran buy it—when the money, weapons, and cover all came from Washington?
4. He gets pulled in – If Iran retaliates against Israel or U.S. troops, the White House may be forced into a direct response. And from there, it’s anyone’s guess how far it escalates.

Best-case scenario? Israel stands down.

The U.S. is scheduled to continue nuclear treaty talks with Iran this weekend. Let’s pray we make it that far.

The post If Israel Defies Trump, Americans Could Pay the Price appeared first on Redacted.

All 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) were dismissed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services. This board is responsible for approving vaccines on the childhood immunization schedule, and Secretary Kennedy accused the outgoing members of “malevolent malpractice.”

The main reason for the housecleaning, according to Kennedy, is their “stubborn unwillingness to demand adequate safety trials before recommending new vaccines for our children.” He continued:

“Today, a compliant American child receives between 69 and 92 routine vaccines (depending on brand/dictated dosage) from conception to 18 years of age. This is up from 11 shots in 1986. ACIP has recommended each of these additional jabs without requiring placebo-controlled trials for any of them. This means that no one can scientifically ascertain whether these products are averting more problems than they are causing.”

Vaccine manufacturers often justify the lack of placebo-controlled trials by arguing that it would be unethical to give a true placebo—such as saline—to one group if the vaccine being tested is potentially beneficial. They claim it would be wrong to deny participants a treatment that might protect them. As a result, new vaccines are typically tested against earlier versions rather than against inert placebos.

This means that when vaccine makers report their product is, say, X-percent effective, they’re measuring its effectiveness relative to a previous version—not against people who received no vaccine at all.

Secretary Kennedy says he will announce new ACIP members in the coming days and they will not be “ideological anti-vaxxers” but rather “highly credentialed physicians and scientists who will make extremely consequential public health determinations by applying evidence-based decision-making with objectivity and common sense.”

The post RFK Jr. Ousts Entire CDC Vaccine Panel Over Safety Concerns appeared first on Redacted.

At least 9,000 undocumented immigrants will be sent to Guantanamo Bay detention camp in the coming days, “according to documents obtained by POLITICO.”

The detentions are supposed to be temporary. Detainees would stop over in Gitmo on their way to their countries of origin.

POLITICO explains that “the official reason for the transfers is to free up bed space at detention facilities on domestic American soil, but the use of the notorious facility, which has long housed terrorism suspects, would also send another signal aimed at deterring illegal immigration to the United States.”

So best case scenario is that it is a scare tactic.

Worst case? It becomes a legal black hole—where even non-criminals are denied due process. And yes, that did happen under both the Bush and Obama administrations.

How will we know which scenario becomes reality? We won’t—not if the government insists on rerouting civilians through a facility designed to operate outside the rule of law.

The post Gitmo Open For Business appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday and the two leaders reportedly spoke about Iran.

It was reportedly a “tense” conversation where President Trump reportedly told the Israeli Prime Minister to “permanently end the war in the Gaza Strip” and that attacking Iran was “off limits.”

That’s promising but President Trump also told Fox News that “Iran is acting much differently in negotiations than it did just days ago.”

Sorry, who is behaving differently?

When talks began, the U.S. said that it was comfortable with Iran enriching uranium to 3.67% for a civil nuclear program. Just days later, the U.S. changed its position to zero enrichment after it became clear that was Israel’s red line.

Iran has said that it will have nuclear power and enrich uranium for non-weapons purposes and has complied with the International Atomic Energy Agency. This week, the IAEA will vote on whether or not to declare that Iran is in violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty.

Why does this require a vote? Either Iran is compliant or not. Making that decision based on a vote seems, dare I say it? Political. It’s like voting on the solution to a math problem. That’s not how it works.

The post U.S. Adopts Israel’s Red Line, Blames Iran appeared first on Redacted.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. will reduce military aid to Ukraine in upcoming budgets.

He didn’t say stop. He said reduce.

“It is a reduction in this budget,” Hegseth said when asked about upcoming military aid funding for Ukraine. “This administration takes a very different view of that conflict. A negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests especially with all the competing interests around the globe.”

According to the Associated Press, “the U.S. to date has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion in aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.” That figure only counts direct aid packages—not the billions paid to defense contractors. If you add that in, the real number climbs much higher.

Will the people who profited from this war really allow this to stop? Probably not. Thus the term “reduction” and not “end.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine is already low on weapons and Europe is not about to pick up the slack. Will this push Ukrainian President Zelensky to agree to a peace deal? Who knows, that fool is illogical.

But what it does signal—to Russia and the rest of the world—is a shift. Because let’s be honest: sending missiles to one side while calling for peace with the other has never been a winning diplomatic strategy.

The post Washington to Ukraine: Fewer Weapons, Figure It Out appeared first on Redacted.

A federal judge just dismissed Justin Baldoni’s case against Blake Lively (ugh) and The New York Times—meaning the Times won’t face any accountability for what appears to be a coordinated hit job on Baldoni’s reputation.

The ruling cited “fair report privilege,” which allows media outlets to parrot legal filings without consequence—even if the claims are exaggerated, misleading, or, as Baldoni alleges, completely false.

Lively filed a complaint about Baldoni with the state of California and someone conveniently “leaked it” to the New York Times. The Times ran with it, doing no investigation before publishing it in a MeToo-style takedown clearly aimed at destroying his career. The court ruled that was perfectly fine and – so they’ll likely do it again.

The courts usually give wide latitude to journalists to protect the freedom of the press but this creates a loophole for character assassination. The court ruled that was not their problem. The law protected the institution, not the individual. It is a gift to weaponized media—and a warning to anyone who thinks due process exists once your name hits the headlines.

Baldoni can still appeal the ruling or refile with narrower claims. Lively’s lawyers are already doing a victory lap and say they’ll seek legal fees. Meanwhile, her case against Baldoni is still moving forward—with a trial set for March 2026.

The post Court to Baldoni: Leaks Are Legal, Reputations Optional appeared first on Redacted.

The U.S. has been illegally occupying Syria since 2014, but now that regime change has softened things up and we’re suddenly on friendlier terms, Washington wants to make that occupation official.

The New Arab reports that a senior U.S. delegation is set to arrive in Damascus “in the coming days to sign an agreement with the Syrian government” to formalize the U.S. military presence—at least at the strategic al‑Tanf base—marking “a significant shift in U.S. policy.”

The agreement would be retroactive, meaning we’ll pretend it was cool all along to have been there.

This is a textbook pivot: from a de facto occupation to a de jure military foothold. It is being framed as a step toward “legitimacy” but it really a way to cement U.S. influence in eastern Syria—ensuring access to strategic territory, trade routes, and oil.

So yes: we got away with it. No accountability, no reckoning, not even a slap on the wrist for the chaos, displacement, and suffering inflicted on Syria since the 1949 CIA-backed coup.

The post The U.S. Just Legalized Its Own War Crime in Syria appeared first on Redacted.

Israel sent back the sailers from the Freedom Flotilla back to their home countries via Ben Gurion Airport.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that “those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation.”

Israeli officials mockingly dubbed it “The Selfie Yacht” and framed it as one big stunt.

Among the passengers was climate activist Greta Thunberg, who joined the crew in a peaceful effort to deliver basic aid—baby formula, rice, and medical supplies—to Gaza.

And what happened to that aid?

Bound for the bin, it would seem. There’s been no official word on whether the cargo will reach Palestinians, be inspected, or simply destroyed.

Meanwhile, the U.S. is reportedly considering a $500 million grant to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the Libertarian Institute. But don’t let the name fool you—GHF has already failed disastrously. They were tasked with food distribution in January, and their botched coordination led to stampedes and civilian deaths at Gaza aid drop sites.

The post The Selfie Yacht Sails Home—But Gaza Gets Nothing appeared first on Redacted.

The Pentagon deployed 700 Marines to California to assist the National Guard in protecting “federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,” US Northern Command said on Monday.

Protests reportedly quieted down on Monday but California lawmakers are still smoldering. Governor Newsom says that he will “sue to stop” the “blatant abuse of power.”

The deployment follows a weekend of escalating immigration protests that turned chaotic outside federal courthouses and ICE facilities—culminating in what some officials described as “mob-like attempts to breach federal buildings.” Civil liberties groups, however, have accused the administration of using militarized force as a political stunt ahead of election season.

Was there violence? Clearly, but not everyone there was violent. The media is once again reducing this to good-or-bad like the January 6 protests of 2021 and we must resist the urge to do that. Nuance is the real story.

For now, the boots on the ground are meant to keep the peace but the standoff between California and the Federal government will not back down quietly.

The post California vs. Washington: Marines Enter the Chat appeared first on Redacted.

A Florida teen took his own life after being encouraged by his AI “girlfriend” — a chatbot modeled after Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen on the platform Character.AI. His mother is now suing the company, which was founded by former Google researchers and acquired by Google last summer.

Character.AI tried to dismiss the case by claiming First Amendment protections, but a federal judge rejected that argument. The lawsuit will move forward.

The platform, popular among teens, lets users chat with AI personas modeled on celebrities, historical figures, and fictional characters. The mother argues the chatbot manipulated her son emotionally, encouraging his suicidal thoughts.

The company claims it has since added age restrictions — but experts say that’s not enough. A 2024 study found teens, especially boys, are vulnerable to forming deep, often toxic attachments to AI bots — sometimes with lethal consequences.

This isn’t a glitch. It’s a warning: AI isn’t ready for emotionally fragile users, and the cost of pretending otherwise is human life.

The post Emotional AI Gone Wrong appeared first on Redacted.

If you are worried about mass migration, you might just be a terrorist. Government training documents from the U.K. tell government employees that this is a terrorist ideology:

“‘Western culture’ is under threat from mass migration and a lack of integration by certain ethnic and cultural groups.”

First, why is “Western Culture” in quotes? Is that not a thing? I thought it was a thing.

Second, is Prime Minister Keir Starmer a terrorist? He has recently come around and admitted that the U.K. has net migration to reach nearly 1 million people and that citizens have the right to be angry about it. So either the Prime Minister needs deradicalization—or this policy does.

The post You Might Be A Terrorist If You Care About Migration appeared first on Redacted.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg and a flotilla of boats were stopped by Israel from delivering aid to Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed them as a “selfie yacht” of “celebrities,” saying the passengers would be taken to Israel and returned to their home countries.

What of the aid that was intended for Palestinians? Bound for the bin it would seem.

This is a PR nightmare for Israel – but so would letting Thunberg reach Palestinian shores with humanitarian supplies. Israel insists on full control of all goods going into Gaza, even the Popemobile. Their reasoning is that anything can be used for military purposes – even water filtration tablets.

Israel implied that Thunberg’s aid is unnecessary because “more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.”

It’s clearly not enough. A new United Nations report shows that “more than 2,700 children under five years of age were diagnosed with acute malnutrition in the second half of May, reflecting a sharp deterioration, according to the Nutrition Cluster.”

The post Israel Stops Gaza Aid Flotilla, Calls It a “Selfie Yacht” appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles this weekend to respond to what the White House described as approximately 1,000 protesters turned rioters.

Two competing narratives are emerging online:

• Democrats claim the protests were largely peaceful, but video footage shows fires, vandalism, and assaults on federal agents.
• Republicans describe it as a “violent insurrection.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom formally requested that the Trump administration rescind the troop deployment, calling it a “serious breach of state sovereignty” and accusing the White House of “inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.”

Newsom added, “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved.”

But is that true?

The unrest began after ICE conducted aggressive raids on Friday at the Los Angeles Fashion District, a wholesale clothing distributor, and a Home Depot. Protests erupted immediately and escalated into street blockades, looting, and clashes with law enforcement—before federal troops were ever deployed.

The post ICE Cracks Down, LA Blows Up appeared first on Redacted.

The late Pope Francis left his Popemobile to the people of Gaza to be used as an ambulance. Unfortunately for them, Israel won’t let it into the region.

The Catholic News Agency reports that “ongoing border restrictions, including the sealing of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, have prevented the vehicle, which was refurbished with essential medical equipment, from reaching its destination.”

Catholic representatives have also not been able to secure the right permits from Israel.

“Obtaining permits to enter Gaza from Israel is a very arduous and lengthy process. From Egypt, it is a little easier, but as I said, all borders are currently closed,” a representative for the Church said.

Think of that: Israel is bombing Gaza daily, but still finds time to block a symbolic ambulance over permit issues. It would be funny if it weren’t so grotesque.

This is yet another reason that Israel is losing global support. A new YouGov poll shows a new low in support for Israel’s attacks on Gaza throughout Europe. Importantly, this is not antisemitism – the poll didn’t ask about Jewish people. It asked about Israel’s military response, which most Europeans say has “gone too far” and caused “too many civilian casualties.”

The U.S. government doesn’t share that view. The United Nations representative to the UN Security Council vetoed a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The post Israel Blocks The Popemobile appeared first on Redacted.

The White House announced a new travel ban “to protect the nation from foreign terrorist or other national security and public safety threats from entry into the United States.”

The ban fully restricts and limits people from 12 countries and partially restricts people from an additional seven countries.

The full ban applies to: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The partial ban applies to: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The White House says that a high percentage of residents from these places have overstayed their visa expirations and many of them do not cooperate with the U.S. on deportations.

President Trump instated a travel ban during his first term. Despite lawsuits to stop it, the courts upheld his authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict entry for national security reasons.

This ban does NOT apply to current Visa holders or permanent residents and there is a provision to make exceptions for “individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.”

The post Trump’s New Travel Ban appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump acknowledged that Russia will retaliate against Ukraine in a summary of a call with Russian President Putin.

The tone was very: A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.

“President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attacks on the airfields.”

What President Trump didn’t say was that whatever Russia destroys in Ukraine, the U.S. will replace because weapons shipments to Ukraine have not stopped, despite the U.S. insistence on peace talks.

President Putin also had a call with Pope Leo on Wednesday. During the call, Pope Leo reportedly urged Russia to take meaningful steps toward ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of dialogue and humanitarian support, including facilitating aid and prisoner exchange.

In response, Putin claimed Ukraine was escalating the war and conducting sabotage, labeling such acts as terrorism. He reiterated Russia’s demand for Ukraine’s neutrality and an end to NATO’s eastward expansion.

In response to this, Ukrainian President Zelensky proposed a ceasefire until a meeting with President Putin can be reached.

The post Putin’s Call Logs appeared first on Redacted.

There are calls for trans influencer Lilly Tino to be arrested and banned from Disney parks after he took photos in women’s bathrooms at Disneyworld and used the park’s restaurants to demonstrate penis removal surgery with corndogs.

His posts center largely on how he felt—whether safe or affirmed—while entering and filming in women’s spaces. The comfort and privacy of the women and girls around him? Entirely ignored.

Under Florida law (§ 810.145), it is illegal to film or photograph inside bathrooms where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Violators can be charged with a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Many people on Tino’s posts claim to have notified the police.

So far, Disney has taken no action—and they probably won’t. It’s a no-win situation for them. If they condemn the male impostor, they risk being labeled bigots. If they ignore it, they appear complicit in the violation of women’s spaces. Their strategy? Say nothing, do nothing, and hope silence buys them time.

The post Bathroom Pervert Alert appeared first on Redacted.

The Department of Homeland Security has detained not only the suspect in the Colorado firebombing but also his wife and five children. The White House says that they are scheduled to be deported.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that DHS and ICE are “investigating to what extent his family knew about this horrific attack – if they had any knowledge of it or if they provided support to it.”

So now the Trump administration is deporting children who are in the country legally for actions of their family members. That is not what the law allows.

How far can this go? Can the government now deport entire families based on association? What’s next—ideology?

The U.S. has had many instances where immigrants committed high-profile terror attacks—and yet their families were not deported or prosecuted:

• 2015 San Bernardino shooting
• 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
• 2017 NYC truck attack
• 2016 Chelsea bombing

In every case, only those directly involved were targeted. Their families? Left alone.

This latest action is something new. It opens the door to ideological purges, guilt by association, and legalized intimidation of entire communities.

It should scare you because it isn’t justice—it’s authoritarianism. Is this the USA or the USSR?

The post Children of Suspect Detained—What Country Is This? appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump’s Big Beautiful Spending Bill is breaking Elon Musk’s heart and with good reason. It is a spending bonanza and it undoes a lot of the hard work that was done by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

When mortals dabble in politics, they expose the contradictions Congress sold its soul to ignore.

Musk posted this on X: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

He added that the bill “will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.”

The bill passed in the House and is currently with the Senate and is poised to pass ahead of the July 4 deadline.

Musk is not the only one who is deeply disappointed by this bill. After years of ballooning budgets, voters are demanding real, lasting cuts—not another bloated dead dog.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said that the President asked him to “eliminate $9.4 billion in wasteful foreign aid spending at the State Department and USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS.”

Does that make anyone feel better? The Big Beautiful Bill could add $2.3 trillion to the deficit but we’re supposed to feel better about $9.4 billion in cuts? It’s pennies for dollars.

The post “Disgusting Abomination” of a Spending Bill appeared first on Redacted.

The U.S. will ask NATO members to pony up some cash this week. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Europe to participate in the 81st anniversary of D-Day and to push NATO members to pay into the “defensive” organization that they hold so dear.

The U.S. currently pays for about 64% of NATO members’ combined defense spending, but its direct contribution to NATO’s common budget is only around 16%. That direct contribution totaled about $600 million in 2024.

The other 32 NATO countries don’t even pay 2% of the overall cost. By some estimates, only 22 out of those 32 meet their 2% contribution. That’s pathetic. It means a third of the alliance still underfunds its military obligations—while riding the coattails of U.S. power.

Secretary Hegseth plans to encourage NATO members to spend 5% of their GDP on NATO. But what happens if they don’t?

As journalist Michael Shellenberger put it: “Europeans don’t respect us; they look down on us.” Why would they sacrifice their protected welfare states to support NATO when they know Washington will foot the bill anyway? It’s arrogance layered on top of dependence.

“In Europe, you have universal healthcare, you work 35 hours a week, you retire at a young age, you don’t work nearly as hard as we do in the United States. You have many more benefits in large part because we pay for your security and in turn we just get disrespect,” Shellenberger said.

So even if Secretary Hegseth says “please”: why would they change anything?

The post U.S. Hegseth to NATO: Pay Up or Shut Up appeared first on Redacted.

Russia will “inevitably” retaliate for the Ukrainian attacks on its soil, according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council.

“Our army is on an active offensive and will continue its push forward. Everything that needs to be blown up will be, and those who need to be eliminated will be,” he wrote with a declarative specificity rarely seen from politicians.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine remain bleak. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Russian negotiators “idiots.” He demanded that the U.S. and Europe place “new, tougher sanctions against Russia.”

The U.S. said that President Trump was not notified about Ukraine’s strikes on Russia in advance. When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if the President was informed in advance of the attacks, she responded, “He was not.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will reportedly not participate in a defense conference for Ukraine on Wednesday. This is a conference that the Biden administration organized three years ago.

The post Russia Will Retaliate appeared first on Redacted.

The suspect accused of firebombing peaceful pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, has been charged with 16 counts of attempted murder, hate crimes, and a list of other charges.

What he did was heinous — no question. But why is it a hate crime? A crime is a crime. We don’t need new legal categories to punish a crazed man with a makeshift flamethrower. Attempted murder covers it.

Labeling something a “hate crime” may feel satisfying, but it’s dangerous. Our legal system is supposed to guarantee equal justice under the law. Adding extra punishment based on intent or emotion risks undermining that principle. It opens the door to thought policing — punishing people more harshly not for what they did, but for what we think motivated them.

Ironically, hate crime laws gained momentum under the Clinton administration following the murder of Matthew Shepard. The public was sold a story of an innocent gay man who was beaten to death for making a pass at a straight man but in-depth investigative reporting tells a different story.

Shepard, according to close friends and multiple witnesses, had a months-long sexual relationship with one of his killers. He was deeply involved in cross-state drug trafficking. At the time of his death, his jaw had recently been wired shut after an altercation with another man who said Shepard made unwanted sexual advances. Shepard had also been arrested as a teenager for molesting young boys — a fact the court barred from being introduced at trial.

In short: the story that sparked a national movement and new legislation was, at best, incomplete — and at worst, manufactured.

We now live in the shadow of that narrative. Hate crime laws may sound righteous, but they create legal disparities and moral confusion. They elevate certain victims above others. They allow prosecutors and politicians to signal virtue, rather than uphold principle.

And they put us all one step closer to punishing people not just for what they do — but for what they think.

The Boulder fire bomber should have the book thrown at him, yes, but “hate crime” need not apply.

The post Hate Crime Charges appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump declared that Iran “will not be allowed to enrich uranium at all. 0%. Zero.”

But just weeks ago, in April, the U.S. signaled it would tolerate low-level uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes like energy production. What changed?

The shift likely reflects pressure from hardliners in Trump’s circle and growing tensions with Tehran, as the administration pivots from diplomacy to deterrence in hopes of forcing a more favorable deal—or justifying military options.

Meanwhile, Iran is still engaged in negotiations, asking that the U.S. clarify its commitment to lifting sanctions if a deal is reached. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei reiterated Iran’s intent to continue enrichment strictly for “peaceful” purposes.

What once looked like a possible compromise now appears to be slipping further out of reach unless it is what Senator Chuck Schumer calls a “secret deal” that involves tough talk in public but true diplomacy behind closed doors. Senator Schumer is upset about that. I’m not.

The post Iran Gets A Zero appeared first on Redacted.

At least 14 civilians were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit residential buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. Among the dead were women and children, and local officials say at least 50 more people remain trapped under the rubble.

A five-year-old and his infant brother were reportedly rescued alive.

Jabalia is Gaza’s largest and most densely populated refugee camp. Israel said it was targeting Hamas militants embedded in the camp.

The Jabalia strike is separate from the shooting at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in Rafah. While Israel claims militants were responsible for that shooting, video footage showing what they say are armed gunmen in the crowd has not been independently verified.

Both incidents have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for investigation — but without U.S. pressure to stop the violence, those demands will go nowhere.

The post Refugee Camp appeared first on Redacted.

Ukraine launched another attack inside Russian territory on Monday, triggering power outages in the regions. The attacks were in the Zaporozhye Region, which was once part of Ukraine but is now Russia.

Russian authorities reported widespread power outages after high-voltage equipment was damaged, affecting over 100,000 residents. In nearby Kherson, additional strikes knocked out substations, plunging roughly 150 settlements into darkness.

Despite the outages, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear facility, remained unaffected.

The strikes came just hours after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a prisoner swap and Russia released the terms of its ceasefire agreement. Russia’s terms include Ukraine withdrawing troops from the regions that voted to join Russia and officially recognizing Russian sovereignty over those areas, including Crimea.

Ukrainian President Zelensky appears emboldened by the recent Ukrainian offensives. He says that “trust in Ukrainians, and belief in Ukraine, has been restored” after Ukraine carried out a successful attack deep inside Russia, targeting bombers.

The bold offensive caught the U.S. off guard. It came shortly after Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal visited Ukraine. Did they green-light the strikes in an effort to undercut the Trump administration’s push for a negotiated peace?

Meanwhile, American soldiers from Tennessee have begun training Ukrainian soldiers in Germany.

The post Russia Goes Dark from Ukraine Strikes appeared first on Redacted.

A new United Nations report supposedly says that Iran has increased its uranium enrichment by 50%. How do we know this? We don’t — not directly.

This claim comes from press reports based on a leaked “confidential” document from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a branch of the United Nations. The report itself isn’t public, but the press is running with it anyway.

The Associated Press says the IAEA reports that Iran is enriching uranium up to 60% — but that’s not news. The IAEA already stated this back in March. So why is this being rehashed now?

It could be a boost to the Trump administration’s flailing efforts to secure a new nuclear deal. President Trump says he still wants an agreement — but one that allows the U.S. to blow up any Iranian site at will.

Who in their right mind would agree to that?

Iran rejected the IAEA report, calling it “politically motivated” and full of “baseless accusations.”

The post Iranian Nuclear “Report” appeared first on Redacted.

Someone opened fire on a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid hub in Rafah this weekend, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 200. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) deny responsibility.

The IDF said its troops “fired warning shots to deter individuals they deemed suspicious.” They released drone footage showing what they claim are armed gunmen in a crowd. However, the Associated Press reports that the video could not be independently verified and appears unrelated to the Rafah shootings.

Meanwhile, Hamas has urged civilians not to collect aid from new distribution sites, warning that they may be used to screen Palestinians and collect facial recognition data.

The U.S. company managing food distribution denies those claims. But one Palestinian eyewitness told The Telegraph: “The shooting was directed at the road where people were — direct fire — and it came from several directions, mainly quadcopters. The Americans were using tear gas. Many were killed.”

The post Israel Denies Civilian Strikes appeared first on Redacted.

A shirtless man attacked a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado this weekend, and it has been labeled a “terror attack.”

Terror, as defined by thinkers like Frantz Fanon and Noam Chomsky, is “the weapon of the weak against the powerful.” It is usually a coordinated event to inspire terror in others.

The video of this incident shows an erratic and shirtless man brandishing Molotov cocktails to set people on fire. He reportedly shouted anti-Zionist slogans such as “End Zionists” and “Palestine is free” during the attack.

The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, injured six people, all between the ages of 67 and 88. One remains in critical condition; the others are expected to recover.

Trump administration officials were all over this, treating it as a threat to U.S. security. Why was this a major concern for the FBI and a shooting in North Carolina was not?

The attacker in Boulder is being portrayed as politically motivated, but let’s be honest: a shirtless man with a Molotov cocktail is hardly representative of the Palestinian cause. Practicing Muslims don’t go shirtless in public — many don’t even wear shorts. If this was ideological, it wasn’t coherent.

The post Boulder “Terror” Attack appeared first on Redacted.

This weekend Ukraine launched military and likely civilian attacks on Russia just before new peace negotiations begin in Istanbul on Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and “expressed sincere condolences on the civilian casualties resulting from the bombings of railway infrastructure in the Bryansk and Kursk regions on June 1.” Russia says that this was “caused by sabotage,” but has not specifically placed blame on Ukraine. At least seven people were killed.

This happened just one day after Ukraine struck Russia’s military airfields over the weekend, reportedly without the knowledge of the U.S. According to Moscow, most of the strikes were repelled, with some resulting in material damage but no casualties. Russia retaliated with several strikes on Ukraine’s defense industries.

Ukraine had to use NATO weapons to do this but the U.S. reportedly did not know about it. Why would Ukraine do this? Does it give them any advantage going into the negotiations on Monday? Are these attacks a message to Russia — or to NATO?

The post Ukraine Strikes Russia With NATO appeared first on Redacted.

Another round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will happen in Istanbul next Monday, June 2.

Ukraine says that it has “formally submitted its ceasefire terms to Russia. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Russia has not responded with its own terms but emphasized that Ukraine is ready for an “unconditional ceasefire.””

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov seems just as weary with this process as the rest of us. He expressed hope that “all those who are sincerely interested in the success of the peace process, and not merely paying lip service to it, will support the new round of Istanbul direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations.”

The post Ceasefire Talks in Istanbul…Again appeared first on Redacted.

The U.S. Court of International Trade struck down President Trump’s use of emergency executive powers to impose tariffs on nearly all imports.

This comes as the President was asked about the acronym TACO in terms of tariffs. It means: Trump Always Chickens Out. It pissed him off.

“You ask a nasty question like that. It’s called negotiation. You set a number… if I set a number at a ridiculously high, I go down a little bit, they want me to hold that number. 145% tariff.” Trump said that “we were doing no business because of the tariff, because it was so high. I knew that. But don’t ever say what you said. That’s a nasty question.”

Well, he isn’t chickening out, he’s being blocked by a court that ruled that he cannot use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to implement tariffs.

The federal government will most likely appeal the ruling and ask for a stay to keep the tariffs in place. If the ruling stands, it would curtail executive power significantly, requiring a clearer Congressional mandate before future tariffs can be imposed under emergency declarations.

The post Tariffs Blocked appeared first on Redacted.

Elon Musk has ended his time in the Trump administration. On Wednesday, he posted this:

“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

He did say that his time in the federal government would be temporary but what could really be done in just four months? Did he create a legacy in DOGE that can function without him?

DOGE has announced cut after cut to small government projects but Republicans are working to tack on new ones with the Big Beautiful Bill.

Trump advisor Stephen Miller says that the DOGE “work has only just begun.”

As of May 2025, the U.S. national debt reached an all-time high of $36 trillion but the DOGE clock of money saved is just under $500 billion, or $4,315 per taxpayer.

The post Elon Musk Departs DOGE appeared first on Redacted.

Last year, Spain, Norway, Slovenia and Ireland were condemned for formally recognizing Palestine. Since then, Israel has rained down absolute torture on Palestinian civilians and now other European countries are poised to follow suit.

In just a few weeks, France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a United Nations summit in New York, to advance the recognition of a Palestinian state and to reinvigorate efforts toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg are also expected to participate. The U.S. is not a party to this but it has not opposed it enough either, which is reportedly making Israel nervous.

Most of the world recognizes Palestine. The only holdouts are Western nations and Israel is rapidly losing its favor.

This is all symbolic though. Germany has announced an end to weapons shipments to Israel but the U.S. has not. The United Nations has passed votes for a ceasefire from Israel many times but they don’t have to honor it.

US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff has indicated once again that a ceasefire may be within reach. He said on Wednesday that he has “very good feelings” about the chances for reaching a temporary ceasefire and hostage deal that could lead to a long-term resolution to the conflict in Gaza.

He may have good feelings but Israeli officials don’t, according to The Times of Israel.

“An unnamed Israeli official quickly dismissed Hamas’s claim of an agreement with the US, calling the statement ‘psychological warfare’ and ‘propaganda.'”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that any ceasefire deal will be temporary.

The post A Palestinian State appeared first on Redacted.

The World Health Organization finalized and adopted its Pandemic Agreement but the U.S. is not a part of it.

The final agreement is a severely diluted version of what the WHO intended. Most notably, it is not binding and does not give the WHO the ability to usurp the powers of any given nation as the original draft would have. The agreement explicitly states that it does not grant the WHO authority to dictate or enforce health policies within countries.

The treaty does not require countries to waive intellectual rights and share vaccines and treatments as the original would have. This is because pharmaceutical companies pushed back on that, not world leaders.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued this joint statement with Argentine Minister of Health Mario Lugones today since both countries withdrew from the WHO and avoided joining this treaty.

“Withdrawal marks the beginning of a new path—toward building a modern global health cooperation model grounded in scientific integrity, transparency, sovereignty, and accountability. Our shared commitment is to cost-effective, evidence-based public health interventions that prioritize prevention, especially in children, by addressing root causes such as environmental toxins, nutritional deficiencies, and food safety standards.”

The Journal of the American Medical Association does not agree that this is positive. They say that the lack of U.S. participation weakens global health security, undermines equity, and jeopardizes America’s role in shaping future pandemic responses.

The post WHO’s Final Pandemic Treaty appeared first on Redacted.

Last week, two female Secret Service agents were caught on camera in a fistfight while they were supposed to be guarding the home of President Obama. Audio from the skirmish was released where one officer asks for backup before “before I whoop this girl’s ass.”

The Secret Service has not indicated if these women will be disciplined. The reporter who broke this story asks this important question about it:

“The incident is raising new concerns among fellow Secret Service agents and officers about the agency’s lowering of hiring standards during years of a major DEI push to add more minorities and women to the ranks under previous Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.”

These women are supposed to be guarding an American President! Race, gender aside, where is the commitment and professionalism!? This is appalling.

The post Secret Service Crisis appeared first on Redacted.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced that “the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule.”

This does NOT mean that children cannot be mandated to take the Covid vaccine. Each state sets its own vaccine schedule and can mandate the Covid vaccines.

Last year, this peer-reviewed study called for the halt on mRNA vaccines in childhood vaccine schedules due to lack of safety standards.

The most recent covid vaccine was not tested on children under 12. It was authorized in 2023 for young children based on extrapolated data, not clinical trials conducted directly in that age group.

This comes as a new strain of Covid has been detected in the U.S. It is being called “highly infectious” but the WHO reports that the “severity” is “low.”

The post Covid Vaccine Nixed For Kids appeared first on Redacted.

Republicans in the Senate may kill President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. The bill passed the House last week but GOP Senators are not willing to give President Trump a pass for the bill’s shortcomings.

The bill is a comprehensive tax and spending package that is high on the President’s wish list. It extends the 2017 tax cuts passed by the first Trump administration, increases the child tax credit, and introduce deductions for tips and overtime pay.

There are some good nuggets in there but it is also a spending bonanza that could add $2.3 trillion to the deficit. Representative Thomas Massie explained it on Redacted last week.

Elon Musk criticized the bill as a disappointment, stating it undermines DOGE’s efforts to reduce government spending.

The post Big Beautiful Bill Busted appeared first on Redacted.