SNAP’s new work requirements are now on display across all states as of June 1. California, the country’s last holdout, began implementing the updated work requirements set forth in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA) passed last July. The work requirements were rolled out in waves across the country.   Some politicians on the Left and several media outlets claim the work requirements are harmful. Zohran Mamdani is among those sounding the alarm, with a recent X post stating: “Food stamp work requirements don’t create jobs, they create hunger.” He goes on to advocate for public jobs programs and for a guaranteed living wage. In other words, more government dependence.   Rather than the government dependence promoted by some politicians, the work requirements encourage upward mobility. The requirements shift SNAP from being a one-way transfer program to a program designed to help people build the tools to be successful in the workforce, encouraging upward mobility and self-reliance.   Anyone who was eligible for SNAP before the new work requirements remains eligible today, but now some able-bodied adults must fulfill a work requirement to continue receiving benefits.  Prior to OBBA, only adults ages 18-54 without any children were subject to a work requirement. That work requirement is now extended to able-bodied adults ages 18-65 without a child under 14. The requirements say that these SNAP recipients must work, participate in job training, or volunteer for 20 hours per week.   Some pundits say the new work requirements will lead to drastic cuts in SNAP rolls because people won’t be able to fulfill the work requirement or may get lost in the administrative shuffle. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that over the 2025 to 2034 period, the new work requirements will lower SNAP participation on average by 2.4 million per month relative to the January 2025 baseline projections over the same period.  Even with those projected declines in SNAP rolls, program participation would remain at historic highs.  SNAP grew dramatically in recent years. In 2025, an average of around 42 million received SNAP benefits. This is higher than average participation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is well above pre-pandemic levels of around 36 million. In fact, the share of the U.S. population on SNAP—more than 12% of the population—is close to what it was in 2010, during the Great Recession.   There are roughly 7.6 million job openings in America today, and there are other ways for people to fulfill a work requirement besides paid employment. States should work to ensure that people are connected with these opportunities.   Work is fundamental for a purpose-driven, fulfilling life. Not only does it positively affect long-term economic well-being, it also improves the social, emotional, and physical well-being of adults, children, and families. With these new requirements, the country’s languishing welfare system can begin to be transformed into one that promotes human flourishing.

The FBI thwarted a potential attack on Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Tuesday morning. That threat involved the use of explosive-laden drones and snipers and, according to Vice President JD Vance, “some serious coordination.” “On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement posted on X. “And thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multistate operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold.” On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of… pic.twitter.com/PbWkIk1Lr5— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 16, 2026 Five people are said to be in custody, with the total number of suspects involved reportedly numbering 23. A suspect was arrested in Cincinnati, CBS News reported, and investigators obtained Signal chats where the terror plot was discussed, leading to further arrests. According to ABC News sources, some of those involved in the plot allegedly traveled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13, just an hour’s drive to Washington, D.C. The alleged plot involved using explosive-laden drones to hit buildings near the event, forcing a mass evacuation that would steer crowds toward a waiting sniper team. A “second wave” of attackers would then storm the White House gate. According to Fox News, one suspect allegedly told investigators the plotters the goal was to target “capitalist elites,” “billionaires,” and politicians who received money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC. President Donald Trump, at the Group of Seven summit in Evian, France, said he had not heard about the planned attack. Vice President JD Vance said authorities were trying to look at the underground networks that would drive such violence. “Twenty-three people do not get to the point where they’re going to commit a mass terror incident in Washington, D.C., without some serious funding, without some serious coordination,” Vance said in a Fox News interview. “That’s not a few guys doing crazy stuff, that is a coordinated planned terrorist plot,” he said on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” program. Reuters contributed to this report.

This is an adapted excerpt from Delano Squires’ new book “The Vanishing Black Family: How Welfare and Feminism Made Marriage Optional and Children Vulnerable,” out June 16 from Sentinel.  “Raise your hand if you’re married.” This was the opening line in a 1986 CBS documentary on black families in Newark, New Jersey.   Bill Moyers, the journalist who narrated the television special, asked this question to about ten young black mothers sitting in a semicircle. None of the women raised their hands. He continued by asking how many of the mothers would like to be married to the father of their child. One hand went up.   Moyers, clearly seeking to understand the women, asked “Don’t you think you might need help in raising that baby from a man?”   One mother spoke up, and the camera shot also included her baby. The child—who appeared to be a little boy not quite two—looked up at his mother as Moyers asked the question. He was too young to understand his mother’s answer, but the viewers certainly could. “Not really,” she said. “I didn’t have a father.”   You could see how her experience growing up without a father influenced her ultimate conclusion: “Male figures are not substantially important in the family.”  That documentary, “The Vanishing Family: Crisis in Black America,” took an honest look at the breakdown of the traditional family structure in the inner city. Many of the mothers interviewed for the program were on welfare. One of the fathers said providing for his children was the responsibility of their mothers and the government.   According to Moyers, “In cities all over America the traditional family no longer exists. It has vanished and something new is taking its place. Single women and the children they’re rearing alone are the fastest growing part of the black population.”  This scene paints a picture of black family life that some people would rather ignore. Mothers who don’t think men play an important role in the home, dads who come in and out of their children’s lives, and kids caught in the middle of a family drama they had no hand in creating.   While this certainly does not describe every black family, the fact is that 69% of black children today are born to unwed parents. Nearly 45% live with a single mother. This means the traditional family—a husband and wife raising their biological children—has given way to a culture where marriage is obsolete and fathers are optional in far too many neighborhoods.   That needs to change.   Decades of research prove what most people already know: Children raised in homes with their married biological parents do better on a host of outcomes—economic, social, educational—than children raised in other family arrangements, particularly single-parent homes.   No matter the metric, the evidence is clear: A world in which every black child was raised in a loving household with a married mom and dad would do far more to advance racial equality than a new government program or social justice campaign. Marriage matters because families matter and families matter because children matter.   There are only two responses to this reality.   The first is to accept the current state of the black family as the result of complex social, political, and economic forces interacting in ways that are impossible to change. This response consigns more black children to poverty, crime, delinquency, and academic underachievement. Even those who succeed by these metrics will still be left with that painful existential question, “how come he don’t want me, man?”   The second is to pursue the hard work of rebuilding the family, a multi-generational project that requires a cultural commitment to reviving the institution of marriage. Beyond its connection to improved social outcomes, this response will provide more black children with the ultimate privilege: growing up in a loving, stable, and secure home with a married mother and father.  I saw the effects of the second option play out in my own life. As a teenager growing up in New York City, I often wondered why my life and the lives of my friends looked so much different than some of our less fortunate peers. It certainly wasn’t money. Our parents were not rich by any stretch.   The difference is that all of us grew up in homes with parents committed to each other in marriage who raised us according to their Christian faith. Each of us grew up with a father in the home as well as a community of men who took their roles as providers, protectors, and role models seriously. The spiritual foundation our parents laid down in our youth explains why I believe a biblical blueprint is needed to rebuild the black family.  So yes, I am a Christian, husband, and father—in that order and before anything else. But I’m also a black man with a deep appreciation for the template created by African American leaders in past generations. That includes Booker T. Washington’s focus on building and maintaining institutions as well as the moral clarity and conviction of Frederick Douglass.   These men are often characterized as “conservative” in debates about race and politics, but like them, my conservatism is far more concerned with the pursuit of human flourishing in the family, community, and nation than with electoral politics. My work today as a researcher focused on marriage and family reflects these priorities.   This combination of personal experience, professional expertise, and public advocacy are what brought me to this moment and inspired me to write this book.   Thankfully, I am far from the only one who wants to end the injustice millions of black children are forced to endure when marriage becomes obsolete and fathers are seen as optional in the home.   More people are waking up to the truth and know that it is impossible for any group of people to thrive without strong families. They share my desire to see the restoration of the traditional family structure in black America and want every child born into a home with a father and mother who have committed to each other as husband and wife. They want the marriage and family culture that began to unravel in the 1960s but don’t know what must be done today to restore it.  This book is their answer. 

Over the course of this week, Richmond will ring with stirring oratory, as it has many times before. But this time it isn’t politicians or patriots who will be offering their opinions. The state capital is hosting the National Speech & Debate Tournament for the first time. The competition brings some 7,000 students from 1,500 schools to debate important topics. It’s billed as the largest academic competition in the country. “We believe in the power of speech and debate to transform lives and shape the future,” Scott Wunn, the executive director of the National Speech & Debate Association, said. “Our mission is to empower young minds to become effective communicators, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens.” More than 100,000 students competed this past year for the opportunity to come to Virginia this week. They took part in speech and debate competitions across the country—there are more than 100 National Speech & Debate Association districts—for a chance to qualify. Students compete in their geographic districts, and each district sends qualifiers to the national tournament. There will be group and individual competitions, which involve giving speeches and engaging in debates. Virginia’s junior senator, Democrat Tim Kaine, kicked off the event on Monday morning. Kaine himself once took part in the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox will receive the 2026 Communicator of the Year award for his “Disagree Better” initiative.  The bipartisan showing fits snugly with the host city’s stated goal: improving the civic debate for generations to come. “Richmond is positioning itself as a next big leader in civil discourse and as a city that believes young people should learn how to disagree with respect, speak with evidence, and participate confidently in public life,” Maggie McVicar, the director of communications at The Richmond Forum, explained. Her organization hosts the nation’s largest Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative and brings internationally known speakers to the state capital each year. The tournament is the culmination of years of work. “In 2018, when we launched the Richmond Forum Speech & Debate Initiative, only 14% of local public middle and high schools had active speech and debate programs,” Heather Crislip, the executive director of The Richmond Forum, said. “Since then, we’ve been able to grow to 90% of high schools and about a quarter of all middle schools. We are the fastest-growing speech and debate initiative in the country.” This week’s sessions will be held all week at locations including the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the Altria Theater, and six area high schools. “Hosting this tournament in Virginia in 2026 connects the founding ideals of free expression and self-government with the young people who will carry those ideals forward,” The Richmond Forum’s McVicar said. “In a state where historic debates helped shape the nation, thousands of students will practice the same essential work by testing ideas, speaking with conviction, and learning how democracy actually functions. It turns an anniversary about the past into a living moment about the future.” Indeed, the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday this year in large part because of the words used by citizens of the Old Dominion. That sometimes meant the written word, as with Thomas Jefferson’s efforts in the Declaration of Independence. It also involved stirring speeches, such as Patrick Henry’s famous words at St. John’s Church in 1775, which included the famous line: “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Henry spoke extemporaneously, and his speech wasn’t published until 1817, many years after his death. Still, the presentation inspired delegates at the Second Virginia Convention to pass Henry’s proposed resolutions, and it put Virginia on a path to independence from King George III. Patrick Henry himself would soon serve as the first governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This week’s speakers probably won’t have such an immediate impact. However, there is no doubt that America’s future leaders will have the chance to speak in Virginia this week, as they so often have in the past. The final rounds will be on Thursday and Friday and will be streamed live. The country will be listening. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is urging Congress to strip a provision from the National Defense Authorization Act that would expand U.S.-Israel defense cooperation, arguing it would elevate Israel’s status above some NATO allies. “We must strip Section 224 from the Pentagon budget,” Sanders wrote on X, accusing lawmakers of “burying a provision in the defense bill that would give Israel more military integration than any NATO ally.” The measure, known as the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” is included as Section 224 of the fiscal year 2027 NDAA. Under the provision, the secretary of defense would be required to designate an “executive agent” to oversee and coordinate joint U.S.-Israel defense technology efforts. These efforts would include research, development, testing, evaluation, integration, and industrial cooperation between the two nations. The provision also calls for expanded collaboration through joint ventures, licensing agreements, and co-production partnerships with Israeli industry. It outlines plans for increased joint training exercises and enhanced information-sharing mechanisms. Israel has heavily relied on intelligence to locate, identify, track, and eliminate radical Islamic terrorist since Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2025, massacre of Israeli citizens, which resulted in the rape, murder, and kidnapping of over 1,000 citizens. The Islamic Resistance Movement also calls for violence against the United States and the West. Areas of cooperation would include counter-drone systems, missile defense, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, cyber and electronic warfare, biotechnology, and defense industrial production. Sanders cited public opinion as a rationale for opposing the measure, claiming that only “16% of Americans support arming Israel without restrictions.” The senator has also voted multiple times to block passage of the SAVE America Act, a voter legislation measure passed three times by the U.S. House of Representatives that supporters say is backed by roughly 70-80% of Americans. Legislation similar to the amendment has already been introduced in the U.S. Senate. In February, before Iran’s attempted military retaliation against Israeli civilians, Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced legislation to strengthen the Israel-American military alliance. “The U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act offers an opportunity to strengthen existing bilateral programs by advancing joint investments such as emerging technologies, defense industrial base cooperation, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology initiatives,” Budd said in a press release.