Thomas Massie Loses Primary to Trump-Backed Ed Gallrein
On May 18, Decision Desk HQ said on X, “Per FEC data, anti-Massie outside spending leads pro-Massie spending $15.5 mil to $10.3 mil.”
This Week in the World Affairs Brief
XI ROLLS OUT THE RED CARPET FOR TRUMP
Trump and his team doesn’t realize it, but history will look back at summits like this one and realize just how high the stakes really were, and how slight the possibility of real success there is for America, in the long term. I’m reminded of other high stakes summits in history. Like the disastrous meeting between FDR and Stalin in Yalta, during WWII. Roosevelt bent over backward to please “uncle Joe,” and turned over all of Eastern Europe to the future control of Soviet Communism. FDR and now Trump fail to realize that Communism is a deadly existential enemy, and their leaders are feigning moderation and will tell you everything you want to hear, as long as they get their way. Trump traveled to Beijing with an entourage of the rich and famous in order to lavish China with future trade deals and hopes to gain China’s help in bringing Iran to heel. Advanced trade with China will be easy, but Xi has his own much bigger ambitions and hopes to mimic Putin’s success in winning Trump over to his side. He also wants to stop Trump from giving advanced weapons to the country they will invade—in this case, Taiwan. But Xi also wants to restore his Iranian oil supply. China’s current president-for-life was the first global tyrant to discover how susceptible Trump was to flattery in Xi’s visit to Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s first term. He promptly tutored Kim Jong Un on how to fool Trump and Kim played as if Trump won him over as a “friend.” By the time Trump visited North Korea, Kim knew he could keep his nuclear program, and has grown it rapidly since. In this latest iteration of Communists fooling a US president, Xi is pulling out all the stops and giving Trump a red carpet welcome no other head of state has seen before. It’s working; Trump came away believing, like Neville Chamberlain before, that he has secured “Peace in our Time” with Red China. To receive a free, one-time sample of this brief, along with options on how to subscribe, click on Request a sample on the left.
Also:
- What Happened to Trump’s Proposal to Iran Last Week?
- Trump is Being Talked into Two Big Mistakes
Daily News
Iran's Chief Negotiator Claims US Seeking To 'Start A New War' - As Trump Curiously Teases 'Final Stages' Of Talks
Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says that Tehran sees signs that the United States is seeking to restart the war Oil tumbles after Pakistan again touts final deal draft text imminent, followed by Trump claiming US in 'final stages' of peace talks with Iran, though Tehran hasn't budged on nuclear issue. Tehran (IRGC) warns next round of war could spread conflict 'beyond the region' - which was cast as a threat. Iran's IRGC Navy says 26 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, transited in the prior 24 hours "in coordination" with Iranian authorities.
Three Supertankers Carrying 6 Million Barrels Exit Strait Of Hormuz
The vessels departed the strategic waterway on Wednesday, after being stranded inside the Persian Gulf for over two months, lending hope to an end to the closure of the strait. The crude cargoes were split evenly among three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) heading to Asian refining hubs.
Global Rush For "Non-Red" Suicide Drones Begins As Taiwan Sees Booming Orders
Four years of war in Ukraine have rewritten how warfare is fought, accelerating the urgent need for low-cost aerial unmanned systems and ground robots. It has also prompted Taiwan to emerge as a supplier of low-cost suicide drones. Taiwan's national news agency, the Central News Agency, reported that a Taichung-based Taiwanese drone manufacturer is now focused on producing a domestically made variant of Iran's Shahed one-way attack drone.
Massie Out: Gallrein Wins Kentucky Republican Primary
With 58% of the vote counted, Gallrein had about 54% to Massie’s 46%, DDHQ reported. Gallrein, 68, is a relative newcomer to politics. He ran a low-key campaign by refusing to debate Massie and generally avoiding the press. His chief selling points were his military service, his endorsement by Trump and his promise to be a reliable vote for the president’s policies.
Memorial Day Gas Demand Surge Collides With Hormuz Shock As $5 Demand-Destruction Line Nears
With the U.S. national average sitting at $4.53 per gallon (according to AAA data) and no resolution yet on a U.S.-Iran peace deal or the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, pump prices risk rising even higher into the holiday weekend as the summer driving season begins.
Iran’s Floating Oil Stockpile Jumps 65% as U.S. Naval Blockade Bites
The number of tankers laden with crude but sitting in the Persian Gulf and near the Strait of Hormuz has jumped since the U.S. initiated in the middle of April a naval blockade to prevent Iranian oil exports and force Tehran into a deal, a Financial Times analysis of shipping and satellite imagery data showed on Tuesday.
New York Governor Signs Bills to Preserve Mandatory Vaccines
New York has, in the past, only mandated vaccines approved and recommended by federal health agencies.
Shooters And Motives Revealed In San Diego Mosque Shooting That Killed Three
The two young alleged gunmen who descended upon a San Diego Islamic facility on Monday -- killing three men and themselves -- have been identified, along with early indications of their motives. Police sources have told multiple outlets that 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez -- driven by hate -- scrawled racist themes on their weapons and carried a gas can emblazoned with a Nazi SS sticker. One of them left a suicide note emphasizing "racial pride."
Trump Endorses Paxton in Texas GOP Senate Race
In a May 19 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Paxton has been loyal to him and is a “MAGA Warrior.” The president said that Cornyn “is a good man,” but was not supportive of him “when times were tough” such as being late in endorsing him for president in 2024.
Pro-Israel Forces Throw Kitchen Sink At Massie Ahead Of Tuesday Primary
In just the past few days, various anti-Massie PACs have filed disclosures indicating another huge load of cash showering down on the race. The Republican Jewish Coalition is spending another $470,000. The misleadingly-named United Democracy Project, which is a PAC affiliated with the formidable American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), revealed more than $950,000 in additional spending. The MAGA Kentucky PAC -- which was created solely to oust Massie and funded by non-Kentuckian Jewish billionaires Miriam Adelson, Paul Singer and John Paulsen -- disclosed more than $1.6 million since May 7.
Net Zero Fearmongering In Tatters After Climate Report 'Implausibility' Ruling
The fallout from the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ruling that computer model high emissions pathway RCP8.5 is “implausible” is only just beginning. Most mainstream media fearmongering stories over the last 15 years need to be moved into the junk file, as do the increasingly shrill sandwich-board pronouncements of King Charles and Sir David Attenborough.
By Targeting Dairy Farmers, ESG Wants to Decide Your Milk
The letter calls it voluntary but if you don't comply, the plant can't take your milk. And if the plant can't take your milk, you're out of business. That's Pathways to Dairy Net Zero in practice. Pathways to Dairy Net Zero (P2DNZ) is presented as a voluntary, science-based initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy producers. In practice, however, it functions as yet another sector-specific implementation of global ESG and net-zero governance.
The Illegal Alien Registered to Vote in Maryland Continues to Uncover Fraud in our Electoral System
The Maryland Freedom Caucus, with the help of the American Accountability Foundation, has uncovered alarming information: Mr. Roberts was a registered voter in Maryland not just once, but twice. Key Information Redacted by State Officials
Trump: Holding Off 'Planned' Attack On Iran At Request Of Gulf Allies, 'Deal Will Be Made'
Trump says holding off on 'planned' Tuesday attack upon request of Gulf states. US denies earlier Tasnim report of agreeing to lift oil sanctions during talks; Trump tells NYP 'not open' to Iran concessions. Trump calls for Iran's total military surrender in Monday morning Truth Social post. Oil rebounds on Tasnim reporting Iranian denial: Tehran "under no circumstances" will negotiate nuclear issue as part of an end to the war. A flurry of (the somewhat typically-timed) Monday opener headlines have pushed oil prices lower, erasing weekend gains, including Al Arabia reporting that Iran is ready to accept a long-term nuclear freeze, instead of full dismantling. Iran has submitted its latest proposal comprising 14-points through Pakistan, amid reports that the US has offered to lift sanctions on Iranian oil during the interim negotiating period.
Almost All Non-Iran Tankers That Entered The Persian Gulf During The War, Have Successfully Exited With A Cargo
Despite a near-halt in daily Hormuz traffic, Bloomberg reports that almost all large non-Iranian tankers that have entered the Persian Gulf during the war appear to have successfully exited with a cargo, underscoring the emergence of a small group of shipowners willing to risk crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
DOJ Creates $1.7 Billion Fund for Victims of ‘Weaponization’
The fund was created in exchange for the president dropping a lawsuit he filed against the IRS.
China Confirms Boeing Jet Deal, Agrees To Cut Select Levies & Expand Agri Trade
China, U.S. Agree To Cut Levies On Select Products, Expand Agricultural Trade China, U.S. Reach Boeing Jet Purchase Agreement U.S. And China Agree To Establish Trade And Investment Boards Trump-Xi Summit Delivers Modest Trade Wins
One Of Russia's Largest Fuel Facilities Spews 'Black Rain' Over Ryazan After Deadly Ukrainian Drone Strike
"An ASTRA OSINT analyst has determined that in addition to two high-rise buildings, an oil refinery in the city was damaged. Photos taken by witnesses were taken near the Olympic Town microdistrict, approximately 4 km from the Ryazan Oil Refinery," one independent Russian outlet wrote.
Pentagon 'Blindsided' As Hegseth Pulls Plug On 4,000-Troop Deployment To Poland
President Trump's earlier previewed controversial troop cuts for the European continent may already be in progress, and could happen more rapidly than previously thought. The US Army has canceled the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland, NBC reports this week. The deployment would have involved over 4,000 soldiers as well as military equipment.
Beijing Showcased Future War Machines While Trump Was In Town
The 11th China Military Intelligent Technology Expo opened Thursday at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, showcasing a lineup of drones, robotic war dogs, grenade launchers, wheeled unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and other modern battlefield technologies. The key takeaway is that many of these once-futuristic war machines have moved well beyond the conceptual stage and are already being tested, fielded, or deployed across multiple Eurasian conflict zones.
Deadlocked At Square Zero: Very First Line Of Iran's Latest Proposal 'Unacceptable,' Trump Says
The first sentence was an “unacceptable sentence, because they have fully agreed no nuclear, and if they have any nuclear of any form, I don’t read the rest,” he said, stressing that he remains unsatisfied with the "level of guarantee from them."
US And China Agree To Establish Trade And Investment Boards As Trump-Xi Summit Delivers Modest Wins
U.S. and Chinese leaders agreed to establish a new "Board of Trade" and a parallel "Board of Investment" during President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing - a summit that ended much as it began: with significant pageantry, warm personal rapport between the leaders, and modest, incremental progress on trade. The new boards aim to oversee bilateral purchases, manage trade differences, facilitate deals in non-sensitive sectors (with roughly $30 billion in goods identified), and provide a standing channel to prevent future escalations without constant high-level intervention.
"Send Us A Tip": U.S. Dangles $15 Million Reward For New Intel On Iran's Drone Network
There is little doubt that Iran's Shahed drone threat has become a major concern, menacing surrounding Gulf states, commercial tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. bases across the region. This backdrop helps explain why the State Department's Rewards for Justice program has now put up to $15 million for new information in connection with an already sanctioned Iranian drone-production network linked to the IRGC-Qods Force.
They Felt Safe in America—Until Beijing Went After Their Parents in China
U.S.-based children of religious dissidents face the same choice they would in China: self-censor, or speak out and risk their loved ones’ safety.
Xi Strikes Aggressive Tone on Taiwan as US Holds Firm on Arms Sales
A source familiar with the talks told The Epoch Times that the administration had expected Beijing to bring up Taiwan at the summit and had already decided to disregard it and move on. And that’s exactly how Trump and his team in Beijing handled it, the person said.
Jury Convicts Chinese American Who Operated China’s NYC Police Station
The New York City branch run by Lu was just one of 30 stations launched on Jan. 10, 2022, by the Fuzhou Ministry of Public Security. Prosecutors said the station was part of a larger campaign of transnational repression to monitor and intimidate Chinese people living abroad.
Bessent's "Suffocating" Iranian Regime Strategy Materializes In Kharg Island Satellite Imagery
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's description of "suffocating" the Iranian regime through economic and financial pressure, whether via sanctions or the US military blockade of the world's most critical maritime chokepoint, now appears to be showing up in the data. New geospatial intelligence indicates that Iran's main crude export terminal has gone quiet, while a separate report suggests seaborne oil exports have effectively been halted for the past month.
Mass Casualty Event After Israeli Airstrikes On Beirut Highway
Another mass casualty event has occurred in Lebanon, as national media says that on Wednesday eight people died, including two children, when Israeli strikes targeted cars on a highway south of Beirut.
Northern Ireland Convicts 78-Year-Old Minister for Preaching Near Abortion Clinic
Northern Ireland is finally safe. Clive Johnston has been convicted and can no longer menace the public. Johnson, 78, is a retired pastor who committed the heinous offense of preaching near the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. That was considered within the “safe access zone” under Northern Ireland’s Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act.