Trump to Iran: ‘Time is running out’

Financial Times: Donald Trump has warned Iran that “time is running out” to reach a deal to avert US military action as he said a fleet of ships was ready to undertake a mission he compared to Washington’s operation in Venezuela. Writing on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, the US president reiterated that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran”, adding that “it is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose”. He also warned that any attack would be greater than the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June. “Like with Venezuela, [the fleet] is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump wrote, in a reference to this month’s US capture of strongman Nicolás Maduro. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president added. “As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!” (Financial Times). Ed Morrissey: That is a significantly more aggressive posture than Trump has displayed in the weeks since his red line on shooting protesters. Trump initially planned a military response, but changed his mind when his advisers could not provide one that would prove “decisive” to the fate of the regime. Since then, Trump has offered Iran talks about their nuclear-weapons programs and oppression, but Trump has not gotten the response he desired, at least to this point. Most of Iran’s responses have been bellicose in nature, threatening to defeat the US in any war…. Tick. Tock. If action comes, it will likely be before the start of next week. Trump likes weekends for these kinds of actions, but since that’s pretty well known now, perhaps we will see something happen sooner rather than later.  (Hot Air).

CNN Takes Up Iran Propaganda

A damning indictment of our legacy media. David Strom: The regime is tottering and facing a massive and imminent threat of intervention from the United States. What to do? Call CNN. Open Source: “A CNN correspondent in Tehran appeared captivated by the Iranian government’s carefully staged billboards and messaging, while reportedly failing to address the thousands of deaths in recent days.” Because of course they would. Aside from Al Jazeera or the BBC, who could possibly be a more reliable ally of a repressive Islamist regime than CNN? Add in the fact that Iran is facing a threat from the dread Orange Man and partnering with the Ayatollah—who is currently cowering in a bunker, by the way—and propping up the Iranian regime is a natural fit. You have to love the entire setup. The backdrop—defying the United States!—is perfect, the “man on the streets” (better yet, woman on the streets!) interview, and of course, completely ignoring the protests or any of the actual context is totally on-brand (Hot Air). Readers will remember that CNN has also opened a Qatari bureau, funded by Qatar (CNN).

Trump Warns Minneapolis Mayor Frey: ‘He is PLAYING WITH FIRE!’

The Minneapolis Mayor met the Border Czar Tom Homan early this week. On Tuesday Mayor Frey recounted: I also made it clear that Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, and that we will remain focused on keeping our neighbors and streets safe (Frey). Trump responds: This is after having had a very good conversation with him. Could somebody in his inner sanctum please explain that this statement is a very serious violation of the Law, and that he is PLAYING WITH FIRE! (Truth). The mayor may not be able to understand his category error: He has not been asked to enforce federal immigration laws. He’s been asked to allow federal forces to do so, unobstructed. And—when a person of interest is already in custody—he’s been asked to simply hand the individual over.

Attorney General Bondi Arrives in Minnesota: 16 Arrested

From Bondi: I am on the ground in Minneapolis today. Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement — people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents. We expect more arrests to come. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law (Bondi).

DHS: Three Million Illegal Immigrants Deported

Impressive numbers that would presumably include those who left the nation voluntarily. Fox News: The United States is experiencing negative net migration, according to figures released by the Census Bureau on Wednesday, to the approval of the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security jumped on the news, saying in a statement that its mass deportation efforts had helped achieve that apparent administration goal. “In just one year, nearly 3 million illegal aliens have left the U.S. under the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration,” the agency said in a statement. The Census Bureau reported that population growth slowed significantly over the past fiscal year, increasing by 0.5% or 1.8 million people between July 2024 and July 2025 (Fox News). As we watch the administration navigate tensions in Minneapolis, Ben Domenech warns GOP about walking away from the immigration issue. They should not be looking at DHS Secretary Noem. Domenech: The big question facing Republicans in Washington and across the country isn’t who should run DHS, but how they can respond to the obvious questions about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents are doing their jobs. Coming up with an answer that satisfies voters could decide whether November’s midterm elections allows Trump to continue his transformative agenda — or whether a Democratic tidal wave sweeps a generation of leftist radicals into both houses of Congress. If that happens, it won’t matter who is serving as DHS secretary after November: Whoever it is will be targeted by incoming Democrat radicals for impeachment…. Tired of four years of Biden’s border chaos, voters seized on Trump’s signature issue of law and order. Now, though, Republicans are running away from it. Carping and I-told-you-so’s from weak-kneed senators like Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy is no way to win in November (New York Post).

John Thune: Senate to Vote on SAVE Act—With Photo ID Requirement

“We’ll have that vote.” Passing the SAVE Act before the midterm elections this fall would be a game changer. Senate Majority Leader Thune: It includes right now a requirement that you be a citizen to register to vote, but it doesn’t include a requirement that to vote you’d be a resident. So, in other words, if you’re going to have what we call voter ID or photo ID, when somebody goes into the ballot box to vote, that’s not currently covered in the bill. So that’s being fixed and addressed. And I think the new bill that comes out, hopefully we’ll deal with that. But I mean, at some point we’ll have that vote. I’m for it. I think most of our colleagues in the Senate are, and it hasn’t had consideration in the relevant committee yet, but I know there’s a high level of interest in among members in getting a vote on SAVE Act (Breaking). GOP leaders are pressing to force a vote. Let Democrats go on record as saying they don’t want to protect the vote. Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin: “We’re still living with the consequences of Joe Biden allowing over 10 million illegal aliens to flood into our country,” said Senator Mullin. “Under current law, individuals are only required to attest to their citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Given the heavy influx of illegal aliens who are now living in the United States, the SAVE Act is a necessary precaution to prevent ineligible voters from participating in our federal elections. I urge my colleagues to pass the SAVE Act and support stricter identification requirements for election security” (Mullin).

The High Costs of Russia’s Grinding War on Ukraine

CSIS: the data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains and is in decline as a major power. Since February 2022, Russian forces have suffered nearly 1.2 million casualties, more losses than any major power in any war since World War II. At current rates, combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties could reach 2 million by the spring of 2026. After seizing the initiative in 2024, Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 15 and 70 meters per day in their most prominent offensives, slower than almost any major offensive campaign in any war in the last century. Meanwhile, Russia’s war economy is under mounting strain, with manufacturing declining, slowing growth of 0.6 percent in 2025, and no globally competitive technology firms to help drive long-term productivity…. a close look at the data suggests that Russia is hardly winning and, even more interestingly, that Russia is increasingly a declining power…. While Russia still possesses nuclear weapons and a large military, it does not measure up as a great power in virtually any category of military, economic, or science and technology indicators.54 Russia has suffered the highest casualty rate of any major power in any war since World War II, and its military has performed poorly, with historically slow rates of advance and little new territory to show for its efforts over the last two years (CSIS).

Today: UK Prime Minister Starmer Meets With Chinese Leader Xi Jinping

With grounded concerns that our ally is growing increasingly friendly with the communist power. Independent: Sir Keir Starmer is set to hold pivotal talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, marking a crucial moment in efforts to reset diplomatic relations between the UK and China. The meeting is the second between the two leaders and has been meticulously prepared for the prime minister’s visit…. Later on Thursday, Sir Keir is also scheduled to meet Chinese premier Li Qiang, where a series of new agreements between the two nations are expected to be signed. A significant focus is anticipated to be a joint UK-Chinese law enforcement operation designed to combat illegal Channel crossings by disrupting the supply of small boat engines (Independent).

UK Approves Chinese Mega-Embassy

Starmer’s obeisance towards China is disturbing. BBC: The UK has approved plans for a new Chinese mega-embassy in central London, despite opponents warning it could be used as a base for spying and pose security risks (BBC). Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip (Conservative) damns Starmer for approving the Chinese base of operations: This government has failed again and again to take the action needed. This government failed to place China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. This government failed to properly support the case against two men accused of spying for China on MPs in this House. And now they have shamefully approved plans for a Chinese super embassy. Despite everything China has done on our soil, China has been rewarded with exactly what they want. A super embassy that will be a base for espionage, not just in the UK, but likely across Europe as well. The government has capitulated to Chinese demands…. And, Madam Deputy Speaker, it gets worse because paragraph 8.63 onwards of the inspector’s report admits that China can legally refuse to allow UK authorities to inspect the building during or after construction. So we’re going to have no idea what they’re actually building in there in any event (X).

The 2026 Election and the Redistricting Wars: Who wins?

And—if one party or the other gains, how many seats? First, a summary of which states have redrawn their district lines: As of January 2026: Five states—California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas—had passed a new congressional map between the 2024 and 2026 elections, and litigation had led to a new map in Utah. Three states—Georgia, Louisiana, and New York—had congressional or state legislative maps that were subject to change due to ongoing litigation. Three states—Florida, Maryland, and Virginia—had taken official action toward voluntary redistricting (BallotPedia). Hugh Hewitt turned to Matt Sharpsteen of MxM News: Hewitt: If Florida comes through with five and the votes stay the same as they were in 2024, how many seats would flip? Which way? Sharpsteen: If we look at just Florida, we have the potential for five.…. Hewitt: So when it all shakes out, what happens though? … Sharpsteen: The hope right now is if the Supreme Court rules on VRA [Voting Rights Act], we’re looking at two seats in Louisiana, two seats in Alabama, one seat in South Carolina, one in Florida on top of the other seats that we can go for. We’re looking at over a dozen seats, if VRA goes our way. And it would’ve been up to 20, had Republicans, Republican rhinos in Indiana, Kansas and Ohio would’ve given us the maps that we actually need to deliver for Republican voters. It really is such a shame. I am so glad that President Trump is fighting against some of these Republicans again in Indiana and Kansas and elsewhere who have gone against both Trump and voters (Hughniverse).