The Trump administration has delivered the strongest real wage growth for blue-collar workers in over 50 years — up 1.7% in just five months, according to Treasury data. That’s better than any president since Nixon, and even tops Trump’s own first term.

But for how long? All of this progress could be wiped out if the U.S. enters another unwinnable war in the Middle East. Will these economic gains be wiped out by a war economy?

If the conflict with Iran escalates, oil prices could double, or even quadruple — sending gas past $6 a gallon and dragging wage growth down with it.

So the question isn’t just how good the numbers are now — it’s whether the administration will risk burning it all for another foreign war.

The post Boom or Bust: Will Trump’s Wage Gains Survive a War with Iran? appeared first on Redacted.

There’s a bipartisan antiwar movement brewing — and it just solidified with the introduction of a War Powers Resolution to stop unauthorized military action in Iran.

Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna filed a concurrent resolution this week that would require the President to withdraw U.S. troops from hostilities in Iran unless Congress formally declares war.

This isn’t symbolic. It’s a legal trigger under Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution — a rare move that says: no more blank checks for war.

Congress hasn’t declared war since 1942. Every conflict since — Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya — was launched under vague Authorizations for Use of Military Force, executive orders, or NATO justifications.

The Massie–Khanna resolution is a last-ditch effort to restore constitutional order — because if war is coming, the American people deserve to see exactly who voted for it.

Democrats have mostly marched in lockstep with Republicans in backing Israel’s attack on Iran. But a few have spoken out — including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib. Even activist David Hogg has joined the chorus.

Maybe the antiwar wing of the party is waking up. Or maybe they see an opportunity — a chance to capitalize on Republican warlust and flip the midterms.

After all, Trump won reelection on an antiwar platform and has betrayed that promise. Obama won on an antiwar platform — and then killed thousands with drone strikes, toppled Libya, expanded Bush’s wars, and launched new ones in Syria, Yemen, and Somalia.

So the question is: Do Democrats mean it this time — or are they just stepping into the antiwar vacuum for political gain?

And can Congress actually pass this resolution — especially when so many members still reflexively back Israel, no matter the cost? Probably not. Even though Democrats passed something exactly like this in 2020, they won’t now.

Support for Israel remains the default position in Washington. Defense contractors bankroll both parties. And the political class is in full wartime posture — waving flags, spiking oil, and labeling dissent as unpatriotic or worse.

But this resolution matters — because it forces a vote. It puts names on the record. And it cracks open the bipartisan shield that usually protects endless war from scrutiny.

The post New Bipartisan Resolution Aims to Stop U.S. War with Iran appeared first on Redacted.

Could Russia bring peace between Israel and Iran — where the U.S. refuses to even try?

Russia has accused Israel of “pushing the world toward a nuclear disaster.” A statement from the Russian foreign ministry said this:

“The ongoing intensive attacks by the Israeli side against civilian nuclear facilities in Iran are illegal from the point of view of international law. They pose unacceptable threats to international security and push the world to a nuclear disaster, with its consequences being felt everywhere, including in Israel. Russia is calling on Israel’s leadership to come to its senses and immediately stop air raids on Iran’s nuclear installations that have guarantees from and are inspected by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency.”

China has echoed Russia’s call for de-escalation, warning that the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities risk triggering a broader regional war. Also this week, 11 countries — including China, Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cuba, and Venezuela — issued a joint condemnation of the Israeli strikes, emphasizing that Iran’s nuclear sites remain under IAEA oversight and are protected under international law.

Will Israel pay any mind?

President Trump had indicated that Russian President Putin may be the next best party to negotiate a peace but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed that bluntly: Israel doesn’t appear interested in peace — from anyone.

The post Russia and China Warn: Israel’s Strikes on Iran Could Trigger Nuclear Disaster appeared first on Redacted.

The U.S. has jumped headfirst into war with Iran — and there’s no exit strategy in sight. Reuters reports that additional American fighter jets have been deployed to the Middle East. President Trump has dismissed the idea of a ceasefire, a tacit admission that this is his war.

Civilians on both sides are under siege. Air raid sirens are blaring across Israel, and even Iranians who oppose their own regime fear no one is coming to save them.

The original premise — stopping Iran’s nuclear program — is falling apart. The White House released a timeline showing President Trump repeating his belief that Iran has a bomb. But repetition doesn’t make it true.

Even CNN admits that U.S. intelligence assessments found Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and was “up to three years away” from the ability to produce or deliver one. It confuses me when they tell the truth but maybe they didn’t want to wait 20 years to walk back the war lies this time.

Meanwhile, Trump has dismissed the findings of his own intelligence officials, saying he “thinks” Iran has a bomb — despite zero evidence.

“Think” is now a foreign policy doctrine?

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is reportedly being shut out of briefings. Weeks ago, she publicly testified that the U.S. intelligence community did not believe Iran had a bomb. Now, there are whispers she may resign. And who could blame her?

Gabbard is one of several independent voices who helped re-elect Trump — now apparently exiled alongside Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. Is this a calculated chess move — or a brutal betrayal of those who dared to believe President Trump’s antiwar promises?

The post Trump’s War Gamble: Betraying His Antiwar Base for Another Middle East Escalation? appeared first on Redacted.

The owners of the Dominican Republic nightclub that collapsed during a star-studded party knew the building was unstable and they threw the party anyway.

More than 200 people were buried alive when the roof caved in, killing famous athletes, musicians, and guests in what officials now say was a completely avoidable disaster.

According to the government, siblings Antonio and Maribel Espaillat overloaded the roof, made illegal structural changes, and ignored clear warnings hours before the event. One of those warnings? Chunks of debris falling from the ceiling.

They went ahead with the April 8 bash anyway.

They face multiple lawsuits, and authorities have seized their assets. Given the sheer number of victims, the case is expected to drag on for some time.

The post They Knew It Could Collapse—and Threw the Party Anyway appeared first on Redacted.

ProPublica says it saw secret U.S. documents showing El Salvador’s President Bukele protected gang leaders from U.S. prosecution—and diverted USAID money straight to the gangs his government claimed to be fighting.

According to the report, an international task force investigated USAID money they believed to have been laundered into MS-13. And while Bukele was publicly playing tough on gangs, key suspects that the U.S. wanted for extradition or prosecution disappeared and extradition requests were ignored.

Officials now allege that high-ranking MS-13 figures were quietly released, relocated, or shielded—in exchange for calm on the streets.

So where are those gang leaders? No one knows. They’re gone. Up in smoke.

The story hinges on classified memos, diplomatic cables, and off-the-record sources. But none of that is public. ProPublica says that they have the proof but we don’t see it.

Maybe it’s true. Maybe it’s spin. It is convenient that U.S. intelligence has this information on a leader that they’ve openly clashed with but those clashes involved prosecution of bad guys who have in fact disappeared and USAID does have a long history of facilitating drug violence under cover of foreign aid.

The post Did Bukele Funnel U.S. Aid to MS-13? appeared first on Redacted.

“One war at a time.”

That’s what Abraham Lincoln reportedly said in 1861, when asked whether the Union should provoke a second front with Britain while still fighting the Confederacy.

Today’s version might be: One fake peace effort at a time.

The U.S. has quietly postponed peace talks with Russia over the war in Ukraine—probably because it’s too busy pretending to want peace in the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that U.S. negotiators canceled the next peace talks. She said, “As of today, the next meeting within the framework of bilateral consultations on eliminating ‘irritants’ to normalize the operation of diplomatic missions of both countries has been canceled at the initiative of the American negotiators.”

I guess the war in Ukraine will just have to tread water for a while. People are still dying but…that’s how it goes sometimes.

The post Too Busy for Peace? U.S. Puts Russia Talks on Ice appeared first on Redacted.

President Trump warned the civilian population of Tehran to “immediately evacuate.”

In a social media post, he wrote: “Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Before Trump’s message came a similar warning from Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee, who issued a “final warning” to residents of Zone 3 in Tehran. He urged civilians to evacuate, stating that the Israeli army would soon “operate in this area, which in recent days has been used by the Iranian regime for military activity, including underground facilities.”

Underground facilities. Just like in Gaza. What do you know.

Israel bombed an Iranian news station while they were on the air. Iran says Israel has killed at least 224 people since the attack began on Friday.

This is terrifying.

The U.S. President is publicly warning that another country—not the United States—is about to unleash hell on a capital city where at least 9 million civilians live. Why is he doing this bidding?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel is going to do whatever it wants in this new war with Iran – just like they do in Gaza. He says that he hasn’t ruled out assassinating the Ayatollah. He added that the U.S. “is helping,” that he speaks to President Trump daily, and that Trump “will decide on what is good for America.”

Will he?

The post Trial Begins for Gay Couple Accused of Raping and Killing Adopted Baby appeared first on Redacted.

A gay couple in England will stand trial this week for raping and murdering their adopted baby, just 13 months old. The baby died in 2023 but the two men will appear in court on Monday.

The defendants—Jamie Varley, 36, a schoolteacher, and his partner John McGowan‑Fazakerley, 31—had adopted Preston Davey, who died at a local hospital just months after being placed in their care. The official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but the men have been charged with murder, manslaughter, sexual assault by penetration, child cruelty, and possession and distribution of indecent images. You can infer the level of depravity from the charges alone.

This week’s hearing could reveal more forensic details and expose how this horrifying abuse unfolded.

But the larger social question is this: How did these men get custody of a baby? Was the adoption process so blinded by ideology or institutional fear of appearing discriminatory that red flags were overlooked? And how will this case affect public trust in the vetting of any adoptive parents—especially same-sex couples, who are often defended with blanket assumptions of moral superiority?

This case isn’t just about justice for one child. It’s about whether a system designed to protect the vulnerable is now operating with its guard down—and whether some questions are now being silenced in the name of progress.

The post Trial Begins for Gay Couple Accused of Raping and Killing Adopted Baby appeared first on Redacted.

The Trump administration may be considering 36 new countries to add to the June 4 travel ban, according to The Washington Post.

The additional countries would reportedly include “25 African nations, including significant U.S. partners such as Egypt and Djibouti, plus countries in the Caribbean, Central Asia and several Pacific Island nations.”

The State Department has given these governments 60 days to meet new benchmarks related to passport integrity, identity verification, and cooperation on deportations.

The real-world impact of the travel ban remains uncertain. While it targets nations with high overstay rates, it notably excludes countries in the Visa Waiver Program—many of which produce far more overstays in absolute terms, raising questions about the policy’s consistency and intent.

Canada, for example—despite being visa-exempt—accounts for thousands of overstays each year, far more than many of the countries under consideration. So is the Trump administration planning to take on Canada next? Or is this more about optics than enforcement?

The post Trump Eyes Expanding Travel Ban—But Skips Countries With Higher Overstay Numbers appeared first on Redacted.

For the first time, Israelis are getting a glimpse of what it feels like to live in Gaza.

They cannot leave. They are trapped in a war zone. And they are at the mercy of a government that has no intention of backing down.

Israel has grounded its own citizens, ordering airlines not to fly them out—even as rescue operations begin for others. The message is clear: you will stay, and you will endure whatever comes next.

Gaza has lived under this reality for decades. Now, Israelis are tasting just a fraction of it—and perhaps, for the first time, beginning to understand what it means to be locked in by the decisions of your own government.

Iran has closed its airspace too, meaning civilians on both sides are trapped—Israeli and Iranian alike. Not because they chose war, but because their governments did.

This should be a violation of international law.

Israel attacked Iran—and then immediately declared a state of emergency within its own borders, knowing full well that retaliation was likely. Then it sealed the exits. It grounded all outbound flights. It told its people: you’re not going anywhere.

Now, tens of thousands of civilians—many of whom had no say in the decisions of their government—are trapped in a war zone they didn’t choose. They are not combatants. They are not military targets. But they’re being treated like pawns, held in place while the state escalates a regional war.

If any other nation did this—provoked a war, then prevented its citizens from fleeing—we’d call it what it is: reckless endangerment of civilians. Possibly even collective punishment.

Gaza has lived under this horror for generations. Now Israelis are getting a taste—and it’s not justice. It’s what happens when governments treat people as shields for their ambitions.

The post Trapped by Their Own Government appeared first on Redacted.

It feels like the Trump administration is purposely trying to confuse… everyone.

As soon as Israel attacked Iran on Friday, the administration called the strikes a “unilateral action” by Israel. But the very next day, President Trump claimed he had full knowledge of the strikes—and that they were carried out using U.S. weapons.

Then, not long after, he insisted that the U.S. “had nothing to do with the attack on Iran tonight”—only to follow it with a threat that if “we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran,” the U.S. would respond with “strength and might… at levels never seen before.” And just to cap off the incoherence, he added that “we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”

Who can follow this?

The American people have no clear idea how much of our money has gone into bombing Iran, defending Israel, or preparing for escalation. Israel has openly invited the United States to join its campaign—and no one in the Trump administration will give the public a straight answer about what we’re actually being pulled into.

The European Union has pledged support for Israel but gave lip service to “a negotiated solution.” But Iran pulled out of peace negotiations with the United States for obvious reasons. Who would trust the U.S. now?

President Trump indicated that Russian President Putin may be the next best party to negotiate a peace.

The irony writes itself.

The post Trump’s Mixed Signals on Iran Leave Americans—and Allies—in the Dark appeared first on Redacted.