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Taliban Responds To Trump Push To Reclaim Bagram Air Base

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54325633746/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159707159

The Taliban on Sunday responded to President Trump’s push to regain control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, saying the U.S. should adopt “a policy of realism and rationality” while rejecting the move.

“It has been consistently communicated to the United States in all bilateral negotiations that, for the Islamic Emirate, Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance,” Taliban deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat said in an official statement posted on the social platform X.

Fitrat pointed to U.S. commitments under the Doha agreement — which Trump aides negotiated in his first term to end the U.S. presence in Afghanistan — not to “use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.”

Trump in recent days has suggested the U.S. wants to wrest back control of Bagram Air Base.

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.

During a joint press conference in Great Britain with that country’s prime minister, Trump said the U.S. was “trying to get it back” because the Taliban needed things from the United States.

He also highlighted the base’s proximity to China.

“We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said, repeating a campaign message on the Biden-era unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan, during a joint news conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“We’re trying to get it back, by the way. OK, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.

“We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.

“So a lot of things are happening.”

Watch:

Bagram was once the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan during the U.S. war in that country, the longest conflict in American history. It was abandoned in 2021 when the Biden administration withdrew U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

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Report: Hamas Letter To Trump Asks For 60-day Ceasefire Deal To Release Half Of Hostages

By
Madeleine Jackson
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4
President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Thursday, April 17, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Hamas has drafted a letter to President Donald Trump, asking the American president to guarantee a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the immediate release of half of the hostages being detained within Gaza, Fox News reports from a senior Trump administration official and a second source directly involved in negotiations.

The letter is expected to be delivered to Trump this week.

Trump has sought to serve as a peacemaker on the global stage since the beginning of his second presidential term and has previously called for Hamas to release all the hostages it took captive during the heinous Oct. 7, 2023 attack against Israel.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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Trump To Award Ben Carson Presidential Medal of Freedom

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump announced that Dr. Ben Carson will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, noting that there will be a ceremony at the White House to honor him.

    President Trump said on Saturday he will award Ben Carson, his first-term Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

    “We are going to be presenting Dr. Ben Carson with the highest civilian award and honor in our country. It’s the civilian version of the Medal of Honor, which is our highest military award. It’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said in remarks at an event hosted by the American Cornerstone Institute, which Carson founded.

    Trump said he plans to have a ceremony for Carson at the White House but did not specify timing.

    “Congratulations Ben. He didn’t know this. He didn’t know it. I hope he’s happy,” Trump said after making the announcement at the conclusion of his remarks at the American Cornerstone Institute’s Founders’ Dinner on Saturday.

    Carson, a former neurosurgeon, ran unsuccessfully for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016 against Trump. The president then tapped him to serve as HUD secretary. Carson served as the national faith chair for the Trump campaign in the 2024 election.

    Trump recently said he would posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom after he was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at an open-air event at Utah Valley University.

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    Trump Designates Iran-Backed Groups In Iraq Terrorist Organizations

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

    In a decisive move to confront Iran’s destabilizing influence in the Middle East, the U.S. State Department on Wednesday officially designated four Iran-backed Iraqi militias as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). The groups—Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali—have long served as armed proxies for Tehran, attacking U.S. and coalition forces and threatening American diplomats.

    All four groups were previously sanctioned by the Treasury Department as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) in 2023, but the new designations escalate U.S. pressure by invoking additional legal penalties, travel bans, and asset freezes.

    “Iran-aligned militia groups have conducted attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and bases hosting U.S. and Coalition forces, typically using front names or proxy groups to obfuscate their involvement,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the announcement.

    Iran’s Proxy War Network: The Islamic Resistance in Iraq

    According to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), these four militias form the backbone of a Tehran-controlled umbrella organization known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). The IRI surged in prominence after Hamas launched its deadly October 7, 2023 assault on Israel.

    Since then, the IRI has claimed or been linked to hundreds of rocket, drone, and IED attacks on U.S. and allied forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. U.S. officials say the network was responsible for the January 2024 drone attack in Jordan that killed three American service members, marking one of the deadliest assaults on U.S. troops in years.

    “The Trump administration broke the taboo during term one when it proved it could name, shame, and punish Iran-backed militias in Iraq without the country devolving into civil war,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the FDD’s Iran program. “Now in term two the administration is upping the ante continuing a campaign of designations against the agents of influence and terror of Iran in Iraq.”

    Popular Mobilization Forces: A Trojan Horse for Tehran

    The four newly designated groups are also part of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—a nominally state-run coalition originally created to fight ISIS, but which has been heavily infiltrated and directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

    “Tehran relies on these militias to literally have a state within a state in Iraq,” Ben Taleblu warned. “Sandwiching these and other Iran-backed terror groups between Treasury Department [Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons] SDN listings and State Department [Foreign Terrorist Organizations] FTO listings, as the Trump administration previously did with their patron, the IRGC, in term one is the right approach.”

    Trump’s Proven Record on Targeting Terror Groups

    This new wave of designations continues the Trump administration’s aggressive posture against Iran and its terror proxies. In 2019, the administration made history by designating the IRGC itself as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—the first time the U.S. had ever used the FTO label on part of another nation’s military.

    That same year, U.S. forces conducted a precision strike in Baghdad killing Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMF and leader of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militia, another group long designated as an FTO.

    Other Iran-backed entities targeted by the Trump administration included:

    • Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) — designated in 2020 for killing U.S. and coalition troops.
    • Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN) — sanctioned in 2019 for its role in attacks on American forces.
    • Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) — designated in 2009, but further sanctioned and struck by U.S. airpower under Trump following deadly rocket attacks.

    These actions sent a clear message that attacks on Americans would carry severe consequences—a doctrine many national security analysts argue helped restore deterrence in the region.

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    Will Trump Take Back Our Panama Canal? Cruz Blows Whistle On Communist Chinese Control

    By
    Donny Ferguson
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    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America,

    U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz met with Panamanian officials about growing Communist Chinese influence over the Panama Canal, a crucial artery for global trade that was built and once controlled by the United States, until it was given away by liberal the-President Jimmy Carter.

    Cruz announced in a statement he “recently traveled to Panama and underscored the Panama Canal’s strategic importance to the United States.”

    Cruz reports he “met with top Panamanian officials, including the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman; Minister of Public Security, Frank Abrego; and Panama Canal Authority Administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales. During these meetings, Sen. Cruz reiterated the growing threats posed by China and other foreign actors seeking to exert influence over the region, threatening both American and Panamanian national and economic security.”

    “The Senate Commerce Committee has primary jurisdiction over the Panama Canal due to its role in the facilitation of global trade and U.S. commerce,” Cruz notes.

    “There is undoubtedly a strong Chinese presence, and I believe a threat to the canal. The purpose of my visit is number one, to try to strengthen the longtime friendship and alliance between the United States and Panama. And number two, I’m the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which, among other things, has jurisdiction over the Panama Canal and the Panama Canal is vital, both to national security and economic security of the United States and Panama,” said Cruz.

    Cruz summarized the long-brewing issue of Communist Chinese control of the Panama Canal and its threat to the United States, writing:

    Previously, Sen. Cruz convened a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to examine the growing number of challenges facing the maritime industry in the region due to capacity limitations and increased transit fees. Sen. Cruz sounded alarms over China’s growing foothold in Panama, which poses a direct threat to U.S. trade. China has exploited Panama’s institutional weakness to evade U.S. sanctions and has taken controlling stakes in critical infrastructure surrounding the Panama Canal. During the hearing, multiple senators raised concerns about Panama’s management of the canal, citing allegations of corruption, suggesting that they may be violating the Neutrality Treaty.

    One week after the hearing, a preliminary deal was announced that would give an American company primary control of Port Balboa and Port Cristobal, which are container ports on either end of the canal. However, the deal has faced delay amid pressure from China seeking to secure a stake in the deal, stalling progress to protect both American and Panamanian interests.

    Sen. Cruz concluded, “China is not America’s friend, and China is not Panama’s friend, and if God forbid, a military conflict emerges between the United States and China, I believe there is an unacceptable risk that China would act to shut down the Panama Canal, which would have a devastating impact on the United States and an even worse impact on Panama…

    “There is strong American interest in expanding and improving commerce and transportation through the Panama Canal. The United States built the Panama Canal more than a century ago and our nations have been close friends for a long, long time. The economies of both the United States and Panama benefit enormously from the Panama Canal, and there are strong American interests in investing in ports on both ends of the Panama Canal and assisting in new infrastructure, whether it is gas pipelines to transport gas from one end to the other, or whether it is building a new reservoir and expanding the ability to ensure there’s

    Judge Tosses Trump’s Lawsuit Against New York Times

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A federal judge on Friday tossed out Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times over its content, calling it a “decidedly improper” effort to attack an adversary.

    A federal judge in Florida threw out President Trump’s lawsuit against the New York Times on Friday, saying the complaint his attorneys filed earlier this week against the newspaper is too long and needs to be truncated to be considered.

    “A complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally or the functional equivalent of the Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner,” Judge Steven Merryday, an appointee of former President George H. W. Bush, wrote in the order, saying his court was not a venue for Trump to “rage against an adversary.”

    A complaint should “fairly, precisely, directly, soberly, and economically inform the defendants … of the nature and content of the claims,” Merryday wrote. “A complaint is not a public forum for vituperation and invective – not a protected platform to rage against an adversary.”

    Merryday gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint of no more than 40 pages. 

    Earlier this week, President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times, accusing the paper of being a virtual “mouthpiece” for the Democrat Party and making an illegal “campaign contribution” in 2024 to opponent Kamala Harris.

    Trump announced the lawsuit late Monday on Truth Social and said it would be brought in Florida. This marks yet another legal action taken by the president against a major media organization after forcing settlements with ABC News and CBS News over the past year.

    “Today, I have the Great Honor of bringing a $15 Billion Dollar Defamation and Libel Lawsuit against The New York Times, one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the History of our Country, becoming a virtual ‘mouthpiece’ for the Radical Left Democrat Party. I view it as the single largest illegal Campaign contribution, EVER,” he wrote. “Their Endorsement of Kamala Harris was actually put dead center on the front page of The New York Times, something heretofore UNHEARD OF!”

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    Report: Trump Expected To Fire U.S. Attorney

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump is expected to fire the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after his office was unable to find incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to sources. 

    Federal prosecutors in Virginia had uncovered no clear evidence to prove that James had knowingly committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home in the state in 2023, ABC News first reported earlier this week, but Trump officials pushed U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert to nevertheless bring criminal charges against her, according to sources.

    Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    The president has reportedly been leaning on federal prosecutors to bring charges against James for alleged mortgage fraud. She has been accused of falsely claiming her house in Virginia as her primary residence despite being legally required to live in New York as an elected official there.

    ABC News reported on Wednesday that Siebert, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was having difficulty finding enough evidence to sustain a conviction against James. On Thursday, the outlet said Trump is expected to fire the prosecutor.

    “Administration officials have told Siebert of Trump’s intention to fire him, sources familiar with the matter said,” ABC News stated. “Siebert’s last day on the job is expected to be Friday.”

    Trump nominated Siebert for the job in May.

    “The decision to fire Siebert could throw into crisis one of the most prominent U.S. attorney’s offices, which handles a bulk of the country’s espionage and terrorism cases, and heighten concerns about Trump’s alleged use of the DOJ to target his political adversaries,” ABC News stated.

    In May, the FBI opened an investigation into the notorious prosecutor. James has denied wrongdoing and called the investigation politically motivated, pointing to her office’s civil fraud case against Trump. That case ultimately resulted in a $354 million judgment against the president, which also bars his

    During her 2018 campaign for attorney general, James publicly stated she intended to pursue legal action against Trump and investigate his business dealings in New York.

    While campaigning, James vowed to shine a “bright light into every corner” of Trump’s “real estate dealings.” Her critics — including Trump himself — would later argue that her civil lawsuit against him was a political witch hunt.

    In announcing the probe, US Attorney John A. Sarcone III took a swipe at James’s 2018 campaign rhetoric about investigating President Donald Trump.

    The US attorney said James “unethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trump,” and essentially accused her of finding a criminal target without an alleged crime.

    He added:

    We stand prepared to act in the capacity that we need to when and if we are informed there’s a charge to be made. Unlike Letitia James, who unethically ran around the state campaigning on getting Donald Trump… my office conducts itself in a manner that is proper and professional.

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    Trump Says US Attempting Re-secure Bagram Airbase From Taliban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    President Donald Trump said Thursday he is seeking to reclaim control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield, calling it a “little breaking news” and linking the move to U.S. leverage over China.

    “We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said, repeating a campaign message on the Biden-era unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan, during a joint news conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

    “We’re trying to get it back, by the way. OK, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us.

    “We want that base back. But one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.

    “So a lot of things are happening.”

    While Trump did not mention specifics, the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan might seek U.S. concessions in exchange for returning control of Bagram. Potential demands could include increased foreign aid, economic investment, access to military or intelligence support, or diplomatic recognition.

    The historic Soviet-built airstrip was the main base for American forces in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks up until their 2021 withdrawal led to an immediate takeover by the Islamist Taliban movement.

    Trump has long lamented the handover of Bagram Airfield because of its proximity to China. The Taliban leadership has rejected past Trump claims that China is moving in on taking Bagram as an important military air superiority hub in the region.

    “They should refrain from making emotional statements based on unsubstantiated information,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in March when asked for a response to Trump’s claims that China currently controls the air base, according to Voice of America.

    “Bagram is controlled by the Islamic Emirate [Taliban regime], not China. Chinese troops are not present here, nor do we have any such pact with any country.”

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    Trump Calls On Supreme Court For Permission To Fire Federal Reserve’s Lisa Cook 

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Just in…

    President Donald Trump has filed an emergency appeal with the United States Supreme Court seeking to stay a lower court order temporarily blocking the removal of Lisa Cook as governor on the Federal Reserve Board.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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    Trump Announces He Will Designate Antifa As ‘Major Terrorist Organization’

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      A step in the right direction…

      President Trump announced Wednesday that he will designate antifa as a terrorist organization, and is recommending investigations into people who allegedly fund it.

      It’s unclear when the designation will take place, or what legal implications it will have. Antifa — short for anti-fascist — is a loose affiliation of mostly left-leaning activists. 

      “I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “I will also be strongly recommending that those funding ANTIFA be thoroughly investigated in accordance with the highest legal standards and practices. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

      Trump made a similar announcement that antifa would be designated as a terrorist group during his first term in 2020, when the country was gripped by turbulent protests, but never followed through on the threat. 

      Over the last week, the president and conservatives have railed against what Trump has called “radical left political violence” following the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hours after Kirk was killed last Wednesday, Trump vowed to “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”

      Earlier this week, after a reporter asked President Trump if he planned on designating antifa as a domestic terror group, he responded, “it’s something I would do.” He also floated racketeering charges against people that he claimed have funded “agitation.”

      The legal impact of designating a U.S.-based group like antifa as a terrorist organization is not clear. Federal law allows the government to formally label international groups as “foreign terrorist organizations” and criminally charge people who offer support to them, but a similar legal mechanism doesn’t exist for alleged domestic terrorist groups, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

      Over the past five years, Antifa‐affiliated individuals and supporters have been involved in several high-profile violent incidents, including the killing of Aaron Danielson in Portland in August 2020. That occurred after clashes between a pro-Trump caravan and counter-protesters; Michael Reinoehl, who had publicly identified with the Antifa ideology, admitted to shooting Danielson and was later killed by federal law enforcement. Additionally, in 2021 the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon stated that Antifa caused over $2.3 million in damages to federal property in Oregon during riots, not counting damage to state or private property.

      More recently, allegations of arson, vandalism, and attacks on federal law enforcement have been tied to Antifa-aligned groups. In early 2025, for example, federal prosecutors charged 17 people for violent activity associated with attempts to attack and burn down an ICE facility in Portland on July 4. These actions allegedly involved setting fires, confronting federal officers, and destroying property. Some local reports also claim Antifa militants caused more than $1 million in damage during an occupation and vandalism spree at the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.

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