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Ex-senator warns Trump faces 'biggest problem' yet in Iran: 'They can't fix this now'
Former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) shredded President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on MS NOW's "Morning Joe" Wednesday, for rushing headlong into a war in Iran without any idea why they are doing it or what they are going to do now that it's happening."You said on Armed Services, these are issues you've thought a lot about," said anchor Jonathan Lemire. "Give us your take now about these mixed messages from the administration as to why this war even began. But more than that, it seems so very clear there's not a plan for the day after, including President Trump yesterday, in a moment, perhaps, of unexpected candor, said it sort of dawned on him like, oh, he was asked who could follow the Ayatollah as Supreme Leader? And he's like, oh, well, I guess the worst case would be someone who's just as bad. It's very clear there's no plan for the next day.""Yeah, I mean, we have a very muddled why and when, and I don't care what the administration does now," said McCaskill. "They have been incompetent in one of the most important things a government must do when going to war, and that is having clear rationale for an attack, clear rationale for lives lost, clear rationale for why it happened when it happened. And they can't fix this now. This is muddled beyond recognition.""But more importantly, there's the 'what now' question," McCaskill continued. "And in the 12 years I sat on the Armed Services Committee, I spent a lot of time on contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I can tell you that the 'what now' is the biggest problem of all. We have no idea whether someone even more extreme is going to take over Iran. And if they do, what now? We have no idea whether the government will have any even wisp of democracy involved. And if it doesn't, then what now? We have no idea if the plans will be to immediately reconstitute whatever they need to do to get nuclear power. And then what now? So the lack of planning here, in terms of the day after is stunning."McCaskill concluded by taking a swipe at what she sees as Hegseth's infantile view of military force."I never thought I would hear the Secretary of Defense talk like my 12-year-old grandson saying that our enemy is quote-unquote, 'toast,'" said McCaskill. "The way he discussed this was not serious. It was not somber. It was almost gleeful. And frankly, I think that is startling to most Americans. I found it startling, the tone that he took in this press conference. I get it that he thinks this is all about killing people and showing lethality and supporting the warriors. And certainly we must support our warriors. But the tone of it was, in my mind, inappropriate for this moment in history." - YouTube www.youtube.com
Puerto Rico police say armed suspect opens ambulance door and kills injured man
Police in Puerto Rico say an armed suspect flung open the door of an ambulance and fatally shot a man who was being treated by medics for bullet wounds he received during a shooting earlier in the U.S. territory’s capital
Claims of 'rediscovered' Michelangelos unsettle Renaissance experts
An independent researcher has asserted that a marble bust of Christ in a Roman church is by Michelangelo
Putin hosts Hungary's foreign minister for energy supply talks as war in Mideast causes disruptions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó for talks in Moscow
Brazil's Supreme Court orders the arrest of former head of Banco Master
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the arrest of former Banco Master chief Daniel Vorcaro in a widening probe into alleged bank wrongdoing and intimidation
2 men on trial on charges they spied on Hong Kong diaspora in the UK
Prosecutors in London say a former Hong Kong police officer and a U.K. border official acted on behalf of the Chinese government as secret law enforcement or intelligence agents in Britain
London police arrest 3 men on suspicion of spying for China
London police say they have arrested three men suspected of spying for China in violation of the U.K.’s National Security Act
Carney says he backs strikes on Iran 'with some regret' as world order frays
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says he supports the strikes on Iran “with some regret” as they represent an extreme example of a rupturing world order
Cuba charges six exiles with terrorism in wake of deadly speedboat attack
Detainees accused of coming from the US with intent to sow chaos and attack military units on Communist-ruled islandCuban prosecutors have formally charged six people with crimes of terrorism after a US-flagged speedboat was involved in a deadly shootout with Cuba’s coast guard last week.The US-based Cuban defendants are accused of packing a boat with weapons and heading toward Cuba in hopes of destabilising the government in Havana. Continue reading...
US military launches operation in Ecuador to combat drug trafficking
US Southern Command said joint mission with Ecuador involves ‘decisive action’ against illicit drug traffickingUS and Ecuadorian forces have launched joint operations to combat drug trafficking, the US Southern Command said on Tuesday, but neither side gave more details.Southern Command, which encompasses 31 countries through South and Central America and the Caribbean, said in a statement on X that the “decisive action” was aimed at combating illicit drug trafficking. Continue reading...
Iranian-Americans seethe at Trump over 'loss that can't be undone'
Iranian-Americans are irate at President Donald Trump for delivering a "loss that can't be undone" during the recent bombing campaign. Early Saturday morning, U.S. and Israeli forces coordinated more than 100 bombing strikes across Iran, a campaign that killed dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and multiple high-ranking military and political leaders, according to reports. The campaign also destroyed cultural sites such as Tehran's Grand Bazaar, which has operated for more than 500 years, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Golestan Palace, according to the National Iranian American Council. NIAC President Jamal Abdi told Raw Story in a statement that it's clear Trump's decision to bomb Iran will not "deliver security or freedom" for the Iranian people. "There was a diplomatic path that could have addressed U.S. security interests without this catastrophic loss of life," Abdi said. "That path was rejected, and the Iranian people, American troops, and the entire region are now paying the price. And seemingly, our President couldn’t care less, and will continue to bend to the whims of a foreign rogue actor." One of the most galling aspects of the bombing campaign was that a primary school in Minab was one of the first targets struck, which killed dozens of school children. The attacks have also given Iran's brutal regime "pretext" to continue cracking down on the people Trump expects to rise up and form a new government, NIAC warned. "Inside Iran, a nationwide internet blackout is now in effect, and senior officials have issued new threats against any expression of dissent," the organization said. "Leading Iranian human rights voices like Narges Mohammadi remain imprisoned, raising the alarm about the safety of additional political prisoners like those in Evin, both from Iranian government execution and foreign strikes."
Enraged Trump threatens banks trying to 'undermine' his agenda
President Donald Trump had a searing response Tuesday to the banking industry, saying that banks were trying to "undermine" controversial legislation he has touted. Trump has pushed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins, also known as the GENIUS Act. The bill seeks to create a legal framework for stablecoins, or digital assets whose value is tied to a physical asset like fiat currency or gold. It has support from the crypto industry, which considers the bill an important step toward mainstreaming digital assets.Trump attacked banks, calling them out and claiming that if the United States doesn't act quickly to pass the cryptocurrency bill, China would benefit and make America less competitive. Negotiations between the White House and the crypto and banking industry were underway, with representatives weighing in over the bill's language, according to CoinDesk.He shared the following on his Truth Social platform:"The Genius Act is being threatened and undermined by the Banks, and that is unacceptable — We are not going to allow it. The U.S. needs to get Market Structure done, ASAP. Americans should earn more money on their money. The Banks are hitting record profits, and we are not going to allow them to undermine our powerful Crypto Agenda that will end up going to China, and other Countries if we don’t get The Clarity Act taken care of. The Genius Act was the U.S.A.’s first big step to make the United States the Crypto Capital of the World, and getting The Clarity Act done is the next step to finish the job and, most importantly, keep this big and powerful Industry in our Country. The Banks should not be trying to undercut The Genius Act, or hold The Clarity Act hostage. They need to make a good deal with the Crypto Industry because that’s what’s in best interest of the American People. This Industry cannot be taken from the People of America when it is so close to becoming truly successful. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
