UK to Ban 'Palestine Action' After the Group that Vandalized RAF Planes Last Week

On Monday, CBS Mornings Plus interviewed Emily Pennington, a writer, photographer, and advocate against President Trump’s recent cuts to the National Park Service (NPS), who lashed out at the Trump administration as "vindictive towards the national parks” and warned of the significant hit the parks would take in the coming month: Right now, the National Park Service has about 16 percent fewer full-time employees than they did just a year ago, and 39 percent fewer seasonal employees, which are the backbone of the summer operations of the national parks when they get really busy and they need extra restroom cleaning, gate operators, people working in different food and beverage operations. So yeah, it's a really staggering time for the parks right now.     While layoffs may have an impact on national parks, the concerns raised by Pennington and others should be tempered. Part of the difficulty of accurately assessing the situation was the lack of official information given about layoffs. The NPS had not provided an official count of employees let go at each park or what roles any former employees held. However, based on publicly crowdsourced information, the number of employees lost at each national park had been found. According to the information gathered, only seven out of the 63 national parks had lost more than 10 employees. 41 of the parks had five or less layoffs; 16 of those had none. While the budget cuts are certainly hard for those who were laid off, they currently pose no clear threat to the state of the National Park System. Some of the employees Pennington listed, such as those working in food and beverage operations, are not federal employees and would not be touched by the cuts. Still, Pennington tag-teamed with co-hosts Vladimir Duthiers and Adriana Diaz to lay out plans for how visitors can combat the effects of these budget cuts: I would say just be very, very aware of leaving no trace, making sure you bring extra, maybe, toilet paper and hand sanitizer because the restrooms literally might not be cleaned as often as usual this year. Going early, like, plan a cool sunrise hike or sunrise scenic drive. That way you're not impacting the gate during the very, very busy, you know, late morning/early afternoon hours, things like that. Of course, there was no evidence that bathrooms would be cleaned less than usual or that entry gates would be understaffed. With the lack of information available on the firings, such statements are purely conjecture intended to spread fear over Trump’s budget. Duthiers lamented that America had strayed from President Roosevelt’s vision for our national parks: It feels almost as if we are so far removed from what Teddy Roosevelt planned and intended for us with national parks with the way that we behave now. (...) I do encourage everyone to go back and read what Teddy Roosevelt wrote about why he was creating these national parks. Interestingly, what Roosevelt had to say about national parks included very little mention of the NPS. In fact, the NPS was not even founded by Roosevelt. He only protected the land. Rather than increase spending on the Department of Interior, he, much like Trump today, reduced it, moving the Forest Service to the Department of Agriculture to better manage natural resources and make government spending more efficient. Budget cuts to the National Park Service were far from an attack on the natural resources of the United States, nor should they be cause for concern. Layoffs are typical in any organization, and the NPS can and will adapt and allocate its resources to meet any challenges that may arise. Luckily, the natural beauty of the parks will still be there, even if getting through the entry gates takes a little bit longer. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read. CBS Mornings Plus June 23, 2025 9:43 a.m. EST VLADIMIR DUTHIERS: Welcome back to CBS Mornings Plus. Allow us to channel our friends at CBS Sunday Morning with a mini moment in nature. That is old faithful at Yellowstone National Park, one of many parks Americans are visiting this summer. But some parks are feeling the strain of staffing shortages and budget cuts, with potentially more to come. Writer and photographer Emily Pennington visited all 63 national parks and shares stories from her journey in her memoir, Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America's National Parks, and she joins us now to share some insider tips. Good morning! EMILY PENNINGTON: Good morning. It's great to be here.  DUTHIERS: Good to have you. So we are entering the travel season now. It's going to be very busy. You've reported on the impact of budget cuts, the shortages. It feels almost as if we are so far removed from what Teddy Roosevelt planned and intended for us with national parks with the way that we behave now. PENNINGTON: Yeah, I mean, originally the national parks were literally set up to be for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people. And right now, unfortunately, we're seeing an administration that's being a bit vindictive towards the national parks. Right now, the National Park Service has about 16 percent fewer full-time employees than they did just a year ago, and 39 percent fewer seasonal employees, which are the backbone of the summer operations of the national parks when they get really busy and they need extra restroom cleaning, gate operators, people working in different food and beverage operations. So yeah, it's a really staggering time for the parks right now. ADRIANA DIAZ: So it's going to feel a little different possibly for tourists who want to visit these parks this summer. What are your insider tips, having visited all of them, for anyone wanting to visit a park this summer with their family, what should they bring? What should they do? What should they keep in mind? PENNINGTON: Yeah, absolutely. Well, because there are a lot of staffing cuts and budget cuts as well to the National Park Service, I would say just be very, very aware of leaving no trace, making sure you bring extra, maybe, toilet paper and hand sanitizer because the restrooms literally might not be cleaned as often as usual this year. Going early, like, plan a cool sunrise hike or sunrise scenic drive. That way you're not impacting the gate during the very, very busy, you know, late morning/early afternoon hours, things like that. DUTHIERS: You know, I do encourage everyone to go back and read what Teddy Roosevelt wrote about why he was creating these national parks… (...)

After The View made embarrassing headlines last week with moderator Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Sunny Hostin suggesting that it was worse to be black in America than live in Iran, ABC News seemingly appointed chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl to be their babysitter during Monday’s discussion of the U.S.’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Karl kept the cast on the rails as they peppered him with questions about the constitutionality of the strikes and why President Trump kept them a secret. “I'm happy to have you here, believe me,” fill-in moderator Joy Behar told Karl, as they shared a seemingly nervous laugh. It’s worth noting that Behar had clashed with Hostin last week as the two argued over how dangerous Iran was and whether or not they should be hit militarily. Conveniently overlooking how Trump had said he would make a decision on striking Iran “within” two weeks, Behar bemoaned how quickly Operation: Midnight Hammer had come. Karl had to explain that the deadline was partially a ruse and partially sped up because “the Iranians were not engaging at all” in negotiations: BEHAR: Okay. He was going to give diplomatic negotiations more time to play out, and then less than 48 hours later, this attack was under way. So what changed and what was he actually trying to accomplish here? KARL: I mean, look, the two weeks measure was clearly a bit of a head fake. I mean, not entirely, I wouldn't say the decision was finally made. All indications are that he didn't actually make the decision to so-called pull the trigger until Saturday, you know, and then the attack commenced. But obviously all the wheels were already in motion. (…) He really wanted that moment. I mean, I think he thought he could have a Kim Jong-un movement with the supreme leader of Iran and have a big deal right before the bombs were going to drop. The Iranians were not engaging at all and he made the decision.     Behar continued to bemoan the suddenness of the strikes. She even question why Trump would want to keep the strikes secret: BEHAR: So why did he keep it a secret for the surprise version? KARL: I mean, absolutely the diversion. You saw the way that -- all indications were that B-2s were flying towards Guam. Everybody thought, okay, so we're getting in position to be ready. They wanted to have some element of surprise. Let's face it, there wasn't that much an element of surprise, I mean, this had been in the works for a long time, but to have the final moment be a surprise. Seemingly ignorant of the concept of “breakout time” for nuclear proliferation, Hostin griped to Karl about Israel had been warning about Iran for 30 years. She even suggested “nothing” had changed in that time period. Karl had to explain to her that four president (Democrats and Republicans) understood that Iran having nukes was a threat, and what had changed was Iran’s weakness: HOSTIN: Yeah. Since 1995, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is either two years ago, three years away, two weeks away. I mean, he has been saying that for decades. What has changed? Nothing! KARL: Well, look. What changed here is the opportunity and the belief that the Iranians were weak. That a strike could be effective. Look, four presidents – and I’ve covered all of them – saw the Iran nuclear program as a severe threat. Four presidents contemplated military action against it and held back. Donald Trump has done what they haven't done. But these plans have been in the works, have been drilled, have been examined and they felt there was an opportunity. The Iranian air defenses had been taken out, the Iranian proxies in the region the Hezbollah, the Houthis had been weakened. This was a chance to do it.   Hostin whines that she thinks Trump striking Iran's nuclear sites in unconstitutional and "is certainly a clear violation of international law at the very least." Karl points out that "president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of… pic.twitter.com/TSxbPa068Z — Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) June 23, 2025   Following a commercial break, Hostin was back and complaining about how Trump was violating the Constitution and “international law” with his strikes. Karl had to walk Hostin through how the past several presidents conducted military strikes without the approval of Congress: Well look, constitutionally Congress has the power to declare war. The War Powers Act would make it seem very clear, you need to have congressional approval on this. BUT, president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of Congress. And Congress under Democratic and Republican leadership has complained the president is violating the War Powers Act. This is not new. I mean, I go back, I covered Bill Clinton and the military strikes against Kosovo back in 1999. “We’ve been using the [2001] AUMF to authorize every military strike in about 25 years. So, Congress can't be feckless and then mad when they don't like the outcome,” co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin chided. The decision to have the cast pepper Karl with question likely save ABC the embarrassment of having their co-hosts (particularly Hostin) spout off out of pocket. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View June 23, 2025 11:04:07 a.m. Eastern (…) JOY BEHAR: I'm happy to have you here, believe me. So, on Thursday the White House said that Trump was going to make a decision on Iran within the next two weeks. That's what he said. Remember that? JON KARL: Two weeks. BEHAR: Okay. He was going to give diplomatic negotiations more time to play out, and then less than 48 hours later, this attack was under way. So what changed and what was he actually trying to accomplish here? KARL: I mean, look, the two weeks measure was clearly a bit of a head fake. I mean, not entirely, I wouldn't say the decision was finally made. All indications are that he didn't actually make the decision to so-called pull the trigger until Saturday, you know, and then the attack commenced. But obviously all the wheels were already in motion. In fact, the wheels were in motion a full week beforehand. Shortly after the Israelis made their attack the previous Friday, the President saw it as a sweeping success. I mean, he was very excited about it. I spoke to him that morning and he said, this is excellent. He was no longer saying the Americans weren't involved, he was taking credit for American weaponry being part of it. He was clearly ready to go, but there was a last-minute push for some kind of a diplomatic resolution. He really wanted that moment. I mean, I think he thought he could have a Kim Jong-un movement with the supreme leader of Iran and have a big deal right before the bombs were going to drop. The Iranians were not engaging at all and he made the decision. BEHAR: So why did he keep it a secret for the surprise version? KARL: I mean, absolutely the diversion. You saw the way that -- all indications were that B-2s were flying towards Guam. Everybody thought, okay, so we're getting in position to be ready. They wanted to have some element of surprise. Let's face it, there wasn't that much an element of surprise, I mean, this had been in the works for a long time, but to have the final moment be a surprise. (…) 11:07:18 a.m. Eastern KARL: By the way, I've been covering the Iran nuclear threat, I hate to say it, for literally two decades. And during much of that time, the sense is that Iran was months away from having a bomb. SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah. Since 1995, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Iran is either two years ago, three years away, two weeks away. I mean, he has been saying that for decades. What has changed? Nothing! KARL: Well, look. What changed here is the opportunity and the belief that the Iranians were weak. That a strike could be effective. Look, four presidents – and I’ve covered all of them – saw the Iran nuclear program as a severe threat. HOSTIN: Yes. KARL: Four presidents contemplated military action against it and held back. Donald Trump has done what they haven't done. But these plans have been in the works, have been drilled, have been examined and they felt there was an opportunity. The Iranian air defenses had been taken out, the Iranian proxies in the region – ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Are weak. KARL: - the Hezbollah, the Houthis had been weakened. This was a chance to do it. (…) 11:17:14 a.m. Eastern HOSTIN: Well, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called into question the constitutionality of Donald Trump's actions. He bypassed Congress, potentially violated the war powers resolution. I believe this is certainly a clear violation of international law, at the very least. Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries accused the President of misleading his country as to his intentions. What do you think are the possible ramifications that President Trump could face for arguably overstepping his authority? KARL: Well look, constitutionally Congress has the power to declare war. The War Powers Act would make it seem very clear, you need to have congressional approval on this. BUT, president after president after president has launched military action without the approval of Congress. HOSTIN: Yeah. KARL: And Congress under Democratic and Republican leadership has complained the president is violating the War Powers Act. This is not new. I mean, I go back, I covered Bill Clinton and the military strikes against Kosovo back in 1999. Again -- HOSTIN: That’s why I think that's more of an international law violation. KARL: But, you know, look. It's a Republican Congress right now and he is not getting any blow back within his own party with the exception of Tom Massie. BEHAR: So, what's the good of having it then if they all violate it? KARL: Well, that’s a great question! I mean, that’s – FARAH GRIFFIN: We’ve been using the 2003 AUMF to authorize every military strike in about 25 years. So, Congress can't be feckless and then mad when they don't like the outcome. KARL: Yeah. So, that was after 9/11, Congress passed this Authorization of Military Force against -- it was supposed to be against Afghanistan for harboring Al Qaeda and has been used over and over and over again. (…)

We’ve got a new, fun interactive series called Worst Media Take of the Week, where you — our loyal NewsBusters visitors and MRC supporters — get to vote on which leftist journalist or celebrity had the worst media take of the week.   Much appreciation to all who voted last week via NewsBusters and the MRC’s various social media sites (Facebook, Instagram and X.com).   The results of the Worst Media Take of the Week are in and the winner is… Whoopi Goldberg! The co-host of ABC’s The View routed the competition with 78 percent of the vote! Goldberg took first place for claiming it’s worse to be a black person in America than to live in Iran. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta finished in second place with 16 percent of the vote. MSNBC analyst Eugene Robinson finished dead last with 6 percent.  The following is a montage of all the nominees:      WINNER (78 percent of the vote)   Whoopi Goldberg: It’s Worse to Be Black in America Than Live in Iran Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin: “I think it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is in Iran.”Co-host Whoopi Goldberg: “Not if you’re black!”— ABC’s The View, June 18.   SECOND PLACE (16 percent of the vote)   Jim Acosta Bashes Trump’s “Kim Jong-Un Birthday Parade”  “The President of the United States is a danger to this country. Full stop….Even people in the Republican party were afraid to show up at his birthday parade, the dictator Kim Jong-Un birthday parade that he tried to have….One of the images I took away from the weekend that really stayed with me were those military veterans....who had fought in World War II and said, ‘we defeated fascism the last time. I’m here to do it this time.’”— Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta at Center for American Progress, June 17.   THIRD PLACE (6 percent of the vote)   Eugene Robinson: “No Mandate” For Trump’s “Proto-Fascism” “You had 5 million people in demonstrations around the country against what President Trump is doing. What it brought to mind to me was a number that….Joe Scarborough mentioned earlier, 1.5 percent. That was the margin between the 77 million votes that Donald Trump got and the 75 million that Kamala Harris got. And it’s not this overwhelming mandate for proto-fascism.”— MSNBC analyst Eugene Robinson on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, June 17.   Thanks again to all who participated!    Funded by James P. Jimirro

While oil markets had been showing fear of a possible retaliatory attack from Iran, the missile attack on U.S. bases actually elicited a positive response.Iran issued a very limited and almost symbolic response when it fired 11 missiles against bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday. No one was hurt, and some reports say Iran informed Qatar ahead of time.'The market is pricing in a scenario where things de-escalate gradually.'Crude oil markets had ramped up their futures prices after tensions escalated in the Middle East and put oil trade at risk, but after seeing the scale of the response from Iran, markets responded positively and futures prices dropped.U.S. crude oil dropped by 4.1%, and Brent crude oil prices — a global benchmark — fell by 4.35%, according to a CNBC report.The Dow Jones meanwhile jumped by 300 points, signaling a positive response to the attacks.The markets likely saw the limited attack as a de-escalation of tensions, as Iran signaled that it needed to save face but did not want to antagonize the U.S. any further.Brent had previously jumped by over 5% as a result of the U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear capabilities.“The market is pricing in a scenario where things de-escalate gradually,” said Rystad Energy geopolitical analyst Jorge Leon to CNBC.RELATED: Rubio warns Iran against 'suicidal' closing of Strait of Hormuz; Vance says retaliation will be met with 'overwhelming force' Leon went on to warn that Iran could still roil global markets if it chose to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key trade waterway.“The worrying thing is that the other extreme scenario where there is a threat to close the Strait of Hormuz is still realistic,” he said. “Things could go south very, very rapidly.”On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Iran that such a move would be "suicidal" because closing the strait would hurt the U.S., but it would also damage other countries that would turn on Iran. About 20% of oil trade, or 20 million barrels, flows through the strait, according to the Energy Information Administration.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

CBS has released a report detailing the FBI’s intensified surveillance of Hezbollah sleeper cells in the United States — and the timing of their release could not be more curious.Kyle Shideler, a senior analyst for the Center for Security Policy, is well-versed in these sleeper cells and has a theory as to why the FBI is warning Americans about them.“One of the things to pay attention to is the tricky semantics of sleeper cells," Shideler tells BlazeTV host Jill Savage and Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson. "When you’re talking about a sleeper cell, are you talking about a group of terrorists who completely blend in with the American mainstream, are not otherwise observable, and then just one day receive a coded radio message and go blow things up?”“That’s usually not how it works. I’m not saying it can’t happen, but typically what we see from cells inside the United States linked to terror groups is that they’re actually very active. They’re usually engaging in propaganda, they’re engaging in fundraising, they’re engaging in recruitment, especially when you’re talking about Hezbollah,” he continues.These sleeper cells, Shideler explains, like to “buy up U.S. military hardware like night vision goggles” and ship them out of the country.“So do you think the CBS report is a genuine scoop, or is this a strategic leak linked to something larger going on?” Peterson asks Shideler.“My instinct is it’s a strategic leak,” Shideler responds. “Someone inside the FBI or the DOJ either wants to make sure that everybody knows that they’re doing their job, which part of your job is not letting everybody know what you’re doing, so fail on that part.”The other reason they might have strategically leaked this information is to “play into a narrative that if Donald Trump should decide to act, we are likely to be hit here.”“I think that’s the subtext to the timing of the leak,” Shideler says.And while most Hezbollah sleeper cells are “fundraising and propaganda cells,” Shideler believes there is cause for concern, as there’s “good evidence that many of them do have some level of military training.”“What they would be capable of could vary broadly,” Shideler warns. “Anything from large-scale vehicular IEDs to small-scale small arms attacks, suicide vest bombings, anything in between.”Want more from 'Blaze News | The Mandate'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Police in Michigan said the mother of the suspect accused of opening fire at a suburban Detroit church on Sunday is a member of the church — and that the suspect attended services there in the last year.Wayne Police in a news release said they received multiple 911 calls just after 11 a.m. Wayne is about a half hour southwest of Detroit.'We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members.'A witness told police he saw the suspect driving erratically in a silver SUV in the parking lot of CrossPointe Community Church after which the suspect parked the vehicle. The suspect — a white male wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest — was retrieving guns from his car and headed to the church, police said.Police said minutes later, more calls poured in — this time saying the suspect was firing shots and that a church member driving a pickup truck hit the suspect.Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: "He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church."What's more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening. Police told Blaze News that this photo shows the vehicle that a church member used to hit the shooting suspect. The shooting suspect reportedly fired repeatedly at the vehicle.Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty ImagesUpon hearing the gunfire, police said the church security team locked the church's front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing life-saving measures, police said.One member of the church's security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.Kelly told the Detroit News the attacker didn't enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven't yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.Police said an investigation has identified the shooting suspect as 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan. Romulus is about 12 minutes south of Wayne.Police said the suspect was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.The suspect's mother is a member of the church, police said, adding that he attended services there two or three times over the course of the last year.Police said a search warrant was executed at the suspect's residence where additional rifles, several more semi-automatic handguns, and an additional large amount of ammunition were seized and confiscated.Police said the suspect had no previous contacts with Wayne police or criminal history — but police added that the investigation suggests he may have been suffering a mental health crisis. Deputy Chief Carter added to Blaze News that the image of Browning shown above is not a mug shot but rather his driver's license photo.Police also said in its news release that there is no evidence that the act of violence was connected with the Middle East conflict.In addition, police confirmed that a livestream video of church members reacting to gunfire indeed shows Sunday's incident: A Wayne resident on Monday recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn't immediately apparent to him."I heard everything," the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding that "I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church."The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he "thought it was construction" and "then I go to my job and see police cars." He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was "really sad.""I know people who go to the church," the man told Blaze News, adding that they're dealing with some trauma but are managing it. Police said about 150 people were at a special Vacation Bible School service when the suspect began shooting, the Detroit News said, adding that Strong said more children than usual were in attendance.“We are grateful for the quick actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting,” Strong told the Detroit News. “I would add that the church parishioners and staff members were trained in responding to emergency situations, which also saved lives.”Strong told the Detroit News the suspect's motivation is not yet clear.Church members launched a security team about 10 years ago in the wake of violence committed at other places of worship around the country, Kelly added to the Detroit News while noting that CrossPointe hadn't received threats of violence.Kelly added to the Detroit News that children in attendance Sunday were "doing good" and that members were being mutually supportive: "We will be convening our leadership to put a formal plan in place for the aftermath." It isn't clear when the church will resume holding services.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The week of June 16, 2025: Indigestible food taxes, the dollar, SALT, auto, drones, and much, much more.

He Sleuthed It Out: Keith Olbermann Claims Trump Only Bombed Iran Because 'He Has Lost America'

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