Last month, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department released a draft report highlighting threats to religious freedom, and left-leaning activist groups revealed the very need for the report in suing to silence the commission’s message. President Trump signed an executive order in May 2025 establishing the Religious Liberty Commission, tasking it with producing a report on the foundations of religious liberty, as well as its impacts on American society, current threats it faces, and strategies to preserve it. In February, however, four left-leaning activist groups that support LGBTQ activism—Interfaith Alliance and its president Rev. Paul Rauschenbush, Muslims for Progressive Values, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Hindus for Human Rights—sued, asking a court to block the commission’s proceedings. While a judge rightly dismissed the lawsuit, this leftist lawfare echoes the LGBTQ activist claims that conservative Jews and Christians who try to live out their faith are engaging in bigotry. The Leftists’ Legal Claims Represented by Democracy Forward, the groups claimed the commission violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, a law that demands committees such as the Religious Liberty Commission be “reasonably” balanced. How was the committee unbalanced? The leftists said the committee “contains no members who represent the perspective of a non-‘Judeo-Christian’ religious tradition.” They faulted commission members for arguing that “religion, specifically what they would term ‘Judeo-Christian‘ values, should be promoted by the government.” Most revealingly, the groups also cried foul because “each member of the commission has expressed the view that the law should protect the exercise of religious beliefs over the civil rights of minority groups.” The groups also say the commission’s final report will force them to “divert further resources to advocate for pluralistic democracy and fight back against extremists who would privilege those who hold a narrow set of Judeo-Christian beliefs.” The Judge’s Ruling Judge John P. Cronan, a Trump appointee, rightly struck down these claims. He ruled that the law is exceptionally broad in allowing presidents to select members of committees, and he cited a previous ruling finding that Congress intended such committees to be balanced not according to religious beliefs but by “the members’ employment status and background.” Cronan faulted the plaintiffs for cherry-picking quotes in order to claim that commission members would privilege “Judeo-Christian” views over other beliefs. He also rejected the notion that the commission must represent all religious minorities. “It is not clear where the logic of plaintiffs’ argument ends,” Cronan wrote. If the commission is not fairly balanced because it doesn’t include a Sikh, though census data show there are only 70,000 Sikh Americans, “does President Trump need to appoint adherents from every single religious denomination in America?” The commission heard testimony from more than 100 witnesses, including two Muslims, two Hindus, and one Sikh. The Effort to Silence Traditional Faith This lawsuit both sought to silence the Trump administration’s message on religious freedom and, ironically, proved the truth of that very message. The commission heard testimony from Svitlana Roman, one of the parents who challenged a Maryland school district’s LGBTQ+ books program, which did not allow parents to opt their children out of sexualized lessons. It heard from Jennifer Mead, the Michigan mom whose 11-year-old daughter was “transitioned” by school officials behind her back. It heard from Shea Encinas, a fifth grader who was forced to read to a kindergarten student a book promoting transgender identity. The plaintiffs’ complaint reflects a view that religious freedom claims should yield when they conflict with favored understandings of sexual orientation and gender identity. Their arguments echo the prosecution of Christian baker Jack Phillips, who refused to bake a custom cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding. They echo the law that sought to penalize Lori Smith, a Christian graphic designer who would not create websites for same-sex weddings. In each of those cases, the Supreme Court struck down an attempt by the state of Colorado to force conservative Christians to endorse LGBTQ beliefs. LGBTQ activists defended these efforts as protecting the “civil rights of minority groups,” but the Supreme Court rightly saw them for what they were—violations of the First Amendment. President Trump rightly highlighted how LGBTQ activism threatens religious freedom, and pro-LGBTQ activist groups sought to silence his administration’s report. These activists are free to publish their own reports disagreeing with the commission, but that’s not what they sought to do here. Instead, they aimed to prevent the administration from issuing its report. The Left’s lawfare failed to block the truth this time, but don’t expect these activists to give up anytime soon. They’ll need quite a few more defeats at the Supreme Court before they reconsider trying to force their ideology on the rest of us.

At the first-ever live-streamed Cabinet meeting from Camp David, Vice President JD Vance, leader of the administration’s new anti-fraud task force, announced record-breaking levels of fraud against the American people. “We have identified $230 billion of fraud that’s being perpetrated against the American people, and we have halted $56 billion,” Vance announced at Friday morning’s Cabinet meeting led by President Donald Trump. “The level of corruption and fraud that took place under the Biden administration was unprecedented,” Trump said following Vance’s announcement. While Vance confirmed they identified $230 billion in fraud, he said it’s hard to get it back or track it down once it’s “out the door.” But now that it is identified, Vance said they can stop it from happening again. .@POTUS is on the ground at Camp David, where he'll soon hold the first ever live, televised Cabinet meeting.The most transparent President in history! pic.twitter.com/w84KKgGXmp— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 31, 2026 “This really has required a whole administration approach to try to tackle fraud,” Vance continued. He thanked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins for their help uncovering fraud. “The level of corruption is incredible,” Trump continued. He cited Minnesota, California, and Maine as the states with the highest levels of corruption. “We’re going to keep on working at it because we believe the American people deserve to have their money spent as you, the Congress, have directed,” Vance said to Trump. .@VP: "Just since the beginning of the Fraud Task Force that I started under @POTUS' leadership and direction, we have identified $230 billion of fraud that's being perpetrated against the American people, and we have halted, already, $56 billion of that. It's sometimes hard,… pic.twitter.com/ZRn3aVUvUf— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 31, 2026 In addition to the $230 billion in fraud already uncovered, Vance also announced that Trump is set to announce 17 new anti-fraud actions later Friday. Vance said these actions will total more than $300 million saved for the American people. On Thursday, as first reported by the Daily Caller, the Department of Justice uncovered $350 million in alleged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud across the southeastern United States. Vance thanked Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald and the National Fraud Enforcement Division at the DOJ. “My message to the fraudsters is this: Our team is getting bigger, our resolve is getting stronger, and your time is getting shorter,” McDonald said at the announcement. Just last week, the Treasury Department and Secretary Scott Bessent, working with Vance, implemented new guardrails to prevent fraud. The department created a new screening system to detect federal payments being sent to dead people. Already, the system has stopped almost $100 million that had been marked to be sent to those who are deceased. Camp David, the presidential retreat center, is one of the most private facilities in the country and is rarely, if ever, seen by the public. This was the first Camp David Cabinet meeting livestreamed to the American public, highlighting the administration’s promise of transparency.

We are over halfway through the year, and Chinese military activity has been uncharacteristically low in the Taiwan Strait. This trend is unlikely to continue. Previous analyses by the Heritage Foundation allow us to make a prediction based on past events: Be prepared for the possibility of an increase in Chinese military activity. Over the past few years, Heritage Foundation scholars have tracked Chinese military presence and drills around Taiwan. Notable increases in military activity have predictably occurred in tandem with political activities for years. Chinese crossings of the unofficial “median line” in the Taiwan Strait—a commonly-understood boundary intended to separate the Chinese and Taiwanese militaries—have been rapidly increasing since 2020. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has long denied the existence of the median line, but previously Chinese forces had largely observed and respected it in practice. By one count, prior to 2020, the Chinese military had only crossed the median line four times. In August 2020, following a visit to Taiwan by then-Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, two Chinese fighter jets crossed the median line. The following month, after a visit to Taiwan by U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, China sent an unprecedented force across the median line: 19 combat aircraft including fighters, bombers, and anti-submarine warfare planes. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman stated that the drills were aimed at deterring interference by “external forces” and Taiwanese separatists. An even more severe response followed then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s August 2022 visit to Taiwan, when the PLA sent aircraft across the median line approximately 300 times. Even more importantly, the Pelosi visit marked the beginning of a “new normal” of elevated, coercive Chinese military activities around Taiwan. Screenshot of Chinese Military Activity Near Taiwan showing PLA activities from January 2025 to the present/The Heritage Foundation Why the Suppression of Chinese Military Activities? Last year ended with Beijing’s “Justice Mission 2025” exercises, which took place from December 29-30. A PLA spokesperson said that the exercises were a response to the December 18 announcement of a new U.S. arms sales package to Taiwan. China’s Senior Col. Shi Yi stated that the drills served as a “warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces.” However, the period between late January and mid-March 2026 saw a notable dip in total PLA activity, as highlighted in a Heritage Foundation analysis at the time. By late March, PLA activity levels around Taiwan began gradually increasing, though remaining below the average trendline. One theory is that this subdued activity was related to substantial purges in the Chinese military, exacerbated by concern over the growing prospect of a U.S. conflict with Iran, as U.S. troops began gathering in the Middle East. Another political factor may have been Cheng Li-Wun, leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, accepting an invitation by Beijing to visit China in early April—the first visit made by a sitting Kuomintang (KMT) leader since 2016. The KMT Chairperson subsequently made a two-week trip to the U.S. in early June, and it did not appear to trigger any spike in total Chinese air force (PLAAF) and naval (PLAN) activities. Likewise, military activity remained low during the May 14-15 Trump-Xi summit in Beijing. Following that summit, PLA activity gradually increased, while remaining below average levels in 2025. There was a brief increase in PLA activity on June 4, featuring 25 sorties that crossed the median line, and 10 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan. This coincided with the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. On that day, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated, “I sincerely ​hope that ​China ​can face ‌up to the June 4 incident of 37 years ago, acknowledge the truth, ‌soothe the ​pain, and ​open ​the door ‌to reconciliation and dialogue.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio also released a press statement on June 3, noting: “On June 4, the world marks 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square.” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning responded, stating, “China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to the U.S. distorting historical facts, smearing China’s political system and ​development path.” However, the spike in PLA activities was short-lived. Regional engagements by American allies may also trigger PLA activity spikes. In late May, Japan and the Philippines announced negotiations to delimit their overlapping exclusive economic zones. China condemned the discussions as “completely illegal and void,” yet there was not a significant spike in military activities. On June 21, Taiwan announced live-fire combat drills, but that too saw only a modest spike in PLA activity that quickly returned to low levels. What to Expect for the Rest of 2026 We may see a spike in provocative Chinese Coast Guard activity moving forward. China’s Coast Guard announced on July 5 that its ships would conduct “law-enforcement patrols” east of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean. This follows the introduction of a 2021 Chinese Coast Guard law that authorizes deadly force. After former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s 2023 visit with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, China’s Fujian Maritime Safety Administration announced a Taiwan Strait operation including patrols and “on-site [vessel] inspections.” In 2024, the CCG conducted an illegal boarding of a tourist boat near Taiwan’s Kinmen Island. The PLA has historically launched new exercises in response to the announcement of new arms sales, as was the case with Justice Mission 2025. We expect that trend to continue. Alexander Tah-ray Yui, the Taiwanese Representative to the U.S., when asked on June 11, 2026, about the pending $14 billion US arms sale to Taiwan, expressed confidence that the package would move ahead. A few key dates later this year could also affect the frequency of Chinese military activities in the second half of 2026. These include the possibility of several Trump-Xi meetings as well as key anniversaries. Given that the previous Trump-Xi summit took place among lower levels of activity, we may see similarly suppressed activity around China-U.S. summits. August 1, or the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese armed forces (PLA Day), is a day to watch, and PRC Founding Day on October 1 will closely follow Xi’s White House visit. In 2025, the eves of both PLA Day and PRC Founding Day saw increases in PLAAF and PLAN activity, as well as PLAAF sorties that crossed the median line. Taiwan’s National Day is celebrated on October 10. President Lai’s 2024 National Day speech caused a stir in Beijing. In it, he asserted that “the Republic of China [Taiwan] and the People’s Republic of China are not subordinate to each other” and “the People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan.” This prompted heavy criticisms of Lai by the PLA Daily, accusing him of advocating for a “new two-state theory.” The PRC initiated exercise Joint Sword-2024B in response, which practiced a “key port blockade,” and aimed to show that the PLA could block energy imports. It also saw the Chinese Coast Guard played a more prominent role in blockade operations. President Lai notably adopted a more moderate tone on his October 10 speech in 2025, emphasizing the economy, avoiding publicly naming external hostile forces, and avoiding the phrase “mutual non-subordination,” with cross-strait issues being brought up only toward the end of his speech. No Time for Complacency China’s creeping military coercion against Taiwan continues. However, thus far, 2026 has witnessed a relative lull in coercive Chinese military activities around Taiwan. This is likely driven by a combination of factors, from the ongoing Iran war to the relative diplomatic détente between Xi and Trump, from purges of Chinese senior military leadership to no announcement of new Taiwan arms sales, and Beijing courting the Taiwanese opposition KMT. However, we expect this lull to be temporary, and we expect the PLA to resume its elevated pace and continue to push boundaries in provocative new ways before the year ends.

After thousands of migrants flooded Spanish shores from Morocco this week, top American and international policymakers sounded the alarm on the Left’s open-border and amnesty policies. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., has attributed the migrant influx to the previous amnesty policy Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez implemented in February, when he naturalized almost a million undocumented migrants. “In Spain, the wacko prime minister gave amnesty to almost a million Muslim invanders,” Fine said. As a result, Fine added, Sanchez “sent the message that if you get here, you will be rewarded,” claiming that “that is what the Left wants.” Fine added that footage of the thousands of illegal aliens arriving on Spain’s shores reminded him of the American southern border under former President Joe Biden. “This is exactly what happened under Biden,” Fine concluded. “If Democrats are ever allowed to govern again, they will do it again.” Notably, similar to the southern border under Biden, Sanchez failed to mobilize the National Guard or declare a state of emergency to stop the migrant invasion of the country until he caved to public pressure. On X, Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts accused leftist politicians such as Sanchez of undermining the “human dignity” of his own citizens. “You’ll hear a lot about ‘human dignity’ in the coming days from the European Left,” Roberts wrote. “It’s meaningless blather because it’s wholly misplaced. What about the human dignity of the Spaniards? The Pedro Sanchezes of the world could not care less.” In an X post, Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, called this a direct result of leftist policies, which he described as “pure evil.” “These were the actions of Marxist Left Democrats in America,” Owens wrote. “They lost track of more than 300,000 innocent children to traffickers and flooded blue cities with illegal immigrants to gain more congressional seats through future census.” “NO humanity—just thirst for power—PURE EVIL,” Owens concluded. These were the actions of Marxist Left Democrats in America. They lost track of more than 300,000 innocent children to traffickers and flooded blue cities with illegal immigrants to gain more congressional seats through future census. NO humanity-just thirst for power -PURE EVIL https://t.co/tXwFXGRRkE— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) July 31, 2026 Similarly, on X, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said that “if we don’t codify changes [to America’s immigration laws], it will happen again.” “If we don’t freeze legal immigration, we’ll just import this a different way,” Roy said.. Vice President JD Vance also reacted to the news, saying on X, “Thank God @POTUS was elected and our country’s border no longer looks like this.” “These images out of Spain are an unfortunate reminder of the consequences of mass migration and the radical left-wing globalist policies that have enabled the Invasion of the West,” Vance concluded. According to Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News’ White House correspondent, President Donald Trump told her that “if the wrong side gets in,” the United States will look like Spain in three years.” “If the Democrats get in, you will not live a very good life,” the president allegedly told Heinrich. Abroad, the open-border and amnesty policies of the Left are also raising concerns. On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for Spain’s suspension from the European Union’s visa-free Schengen travel zone, which allows EU residents to travel freely among its member states. “We are in the process of bringing together the competent bodies and, once these meetings are over, we are ready to act, including through exceptional measures … such as suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain,” Meloni wrote on X. Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and Finance Minister Riikka Purra on Friday backed Meloni’s proposal to suspend Spain from the Schengen area following the migration crisis in Ceuta.

A coalition of immigrant business owners has threatened New York City with a lawsuit over planned government-owned grocery stores they say will unfairly undermine their businesses. On Monday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would move forward with building a series of government owned grocery stores and promised a 30% discount on certain staple items such as fresh produce, meat and seafood. According to a report by the New York Post, the board of the Multicultural Business Coalition—which “formed earlier this year to create a unified front against Mamdani’s grocery policy”—decided to file a lawsuit to stop the project. The chairman of the group has complained that the Mamdani administration won’t meet with them and hear their concerns about the planned stores. “The mayor doesn’t seem to want to sit down with us,” the organization’s chairman Frank Garcia said in an interview with the Post. Fox News reported that the coalition “is now planning to send a letter to Mamdani’s office in the coming days detailing its upcoming legal plans to protect competing stores, bodegas and other small businesses.” The New York City Chamber of Commerce noted that MBC was created to represent “Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, African, Middle Eastern, Jewish, South Asian, and immigrant constituencies, with particularly strong representation from the New York–New Jersey region.” The chairman stressed that his organization is not launching partisan attacks on Mamdani and the New York City government, but rather is trying to raise awareness of how policies are affecting businesses. “We’re nonpartisan. So we’re going to meet everybody, Republican or Democrat,” Garcia told Fox News. “There was a Democratic Jewish organization. There were others that we’re gonna meet with [along with] civil rights organizations. We’re gonna be with all the different civil rights organizations that are willing to support this and have the funding already to fund this.” The coalition plans to move ahead with the lawsuit if the mayor “does not respond or meet with the organization within the next three weeks,” Fox News reported. The mayor’s office has not commented publicly on the potential lawsuit. The Daily Signal reached out to the mayor’s office about whether officials plan to meet with the coalition but did not receive a reply by publication time. “We are not looking to compete with bodegas or grocery stores when it comes to their ability to survive,” Mamdani said at his Monday press conference announcing the municipal grocery stores. Mamdani ally Gustavo Gordillo, a chairman of New York City’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, dismissed the idea that the stores offering below-market prices on goods would hurt local businesses. “If one publicly owned grocery store that brings prices down in the neighborhood is enough to put someone out of business, then maybe they shouldn’t have been in that business in the first place,” Gordillo said in a recent interview on Fox News.