“California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing Fox News, seeking $787 million in damages for allegedly falsely accusing him of lying about a key phone call with President Donald Trump before the deployment of the National Guard. The complaint, filed in Delaware Superior Court on Friday and obtained by SFGATE, alleges Fox News knowingly fabricated statements and doctored footage to falsely brand Newsom a liar. The governor is seeking $787 million in punitive damages, a nearly identical figure to what Fox paid Dominion Voting Systems in its 2023 settlement, as well as a court order barring Fox from continuing to post or broadcast the contested segments. ‘Freedom of speech does not grant the right to knowingly fabricate false and intentionally poison our democratic processes,’ the complaint reads.” (06/27/25)
“The Senate blocked an effort Friday to prevent President Trump from taking future military action against Iran without authorization from Congress, less than a week after he directed strikes aimed at the country’s nuclear capabilities. Senators voted 47-53 largely along party lines against the war powers resolution. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the lone GOP lawmaker to vote with Democrats. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), an ardent backer of Israel, voted with Republicans. Fifty-one votes were needed for it to pass.” [editor’s note: The previous attack, and any future attacks, are illegal without a congressional declaration of war. The success or failure of the “war powers” resolution doesn’t change that – TLK] (06/27/25)
“Astronomers studying a distant galaxy cluster stumbled upon ancient radio signals that might hold clues to the formation of the early universe. While studying the distant galaxy cluster known as SpARCS1049, astronomers detected faint mysterious radio waves, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and available on the pre-print server Xrxiv. The discovered radio waves, which took 10 billion years to reach Earth, originated from a vast region of space filled with high-energy particles and magnetic fields. These vast clouds of high-energy particles are known as a mini-halo. A mini-halo has never been detected this deep into space before, according to the study. Mini-halos are described in the study as faint groups of charged particles. These groups are known to emit both radio and X-ray waves. Mini-halos are typically found in clusters between galaxies.” (06/28/25)
“Israeli soldiers in Gaza told Haaretz that the army has deliberately fired at Palestinians near aid distribution sites over the past month. Conversations with officers and soldiers reveal that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds to drive them away or disperse them, even though it was clear they posed no threat. … According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, 549 people have been killed near aid centers and in areas where residents were waiting for UN food trucks since May 27. Over 4,000 have been wounded …. the Military Advocate General has instructed the IDF General Staff’s Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism – a body tasked with reviewing incidents involving potential violations of the laws of war – to investigate suspected war crimes at these sites. In a statement released following publication of this exposé, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected the claims, which they called ‘blood libels.'” (06/27/25)
“In a letter to faculty and staff, Stanford University announced $140 million in budget cuts for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year, which it said will require staff layoffs. ‘This is difficult news to share,’ university President Jon Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez wrote in their letter on Thursday. ‘… We face significant budget consequences from federal policy changes.’ President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ passed by the House on May 22, proposes a 21% tax on some universities’ endowments, which would apply to Stanford, and would be an increase from Stanford’s current rate of 1.4%, according to student newspaper the Stanford Daily. If it becomes law, the change could represent an estimated $750 million tax annually, a significant hit to the university’s operating budget, according to the publication.” (06/28/25)
“Authorities are investigating a fatal home invasion shooting in Scott County. Deputies responded to a reported break-in on County Highway 244, where they found a homeowner had shot and killed an intruder attempting to forcibly enter the residence. Preliminary reports indicate the homeowner fired four shots, all striking the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say the homeowner’s actions appear justified in self-defense.” 906/27/25)
“China on Friday signaled it would approve the export of rare earth minerals to the US, hours after White House officials said the two sides had reached a deal, in what would be a major breakthrough following weeks of negotiations over US access to the key materials. Rare earths – essential in everything from everyday electronics to fighter jets – had become a key focus of trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies in recent weeks as their tit-for-tat tariff escalation morphed into a supply chain struggle.” (06/27/25)
“Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke his weeklong silence Thursday, claiming in a televised speech that his country had secured a victory over Israel and delivered a ‘slap in the face’ to Washington. Hours earlier, Iran’s government also approved legislation to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, a move that will stymie efforts to assess the damage from U.S. airstrikes and monitor uranium enrichment. ‘The Islamic Republic emerged victorious and, in return, delivered a harsh slap to America’s face,’ Khamenei said after eight days of silence.” (06/26/25)
“A Denver judge on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction blocking Colorado Gov. Jared Polis from ordering certain state employees to comply with an ICE subpoena for personal information about undocumented children and their sponsors. The ruling delivers a legal setback to Polis and a win for whistleblower Scott Moss, a top labor official in the governor’s administration, who sued to block the disclosures. … ICE’s administrative subpoena, issued in April, sought names, home addresses, wages and more for 35 Colorado-based sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children. The purpose, it claimed, was ensuring minors released to sponsors were safe. Polis initially resisted complying but reversed course weeks later, ordering staff to turn over documents or risk ‘immediate discipline or termination,’ court records allege.” (06/26/25)
“Israeli opposition politicians have rejected Donald Trump’s call for the cancellation of the long-running corruption trial of his ally Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the US president of interfering in Israel’s judicial system. The US president posted a lengthy diatribe against the trial, describing a ‘ridiculous witch hunt’ that was an ‘unheard of … horror show’ and showering praise on Netanyahu for his leadership of Israel during the short war with Iran that was ended by a ceasefire on Tuesday. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Yesh Atid party, said Israel was grateful to Trump for support in the recent conflict, during which US planes dropped massive bombs on two Iranian nuclear facilities, but criticised ‘interference in the legal process’ and suggested that Trump was offering support to Netanyahu before pressuring the Israeli leader to make concessions to reach a new ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza.” (06/26/25)
