According to The Daily Mail, an Iranian official told Fars News Agency, which is aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that there is “no direct or indirect contact with Trump.” The unnamed source said Trump backed down after “hearing that our targets would include all power stations in West Asia.” Iranian Major General Abdollahi said: […] The post Tehran’s Chilling Warning of a New, Secret Weapon [They Haven’t Used?] appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Egregious wait times at airports have quickly become all the rage — quite literally — as traveler frustration boils over, but the severity varies widely from one airport to another. While some airports are reporting delays of six hours or more, others are moving travelers through security in six minutes or less. Why? The answer lies in staffing models and privatization. During the government shutdown, private contractors continue to be paid through pre-funded contracts, while federal TSA employees are not. As a result, many TSA officers have called out or quit, while privately staffed airports remain largely unaffected. On Sunday, more than 10% of TSA agents called out nationwide. New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) saw the highest rate, with 42.3% of agents absent. “This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent,” said Lauren Bis, acting assistant DHS secretary. Roughly 20 airports in the United States participate in the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which allows private contractors to handle security screening instead of federal TSA officers. Most travelers do not even notice the difference. The private contractors are held to the same standards as federally employed officers. Unlike TSA, private screeners are paid through pre-funded federal contracts, meaning their compensation is not disrupted during a government shutdown. TSA officers, however, are paid directly by the federal government and can be affected when funding lapses. Dr. Evette Richards, who flew from one of the private contractor airports in Kansas City, Missouri, told the Daily Wire she had a smooth experience.  Here’s the not-so-surprising reason your airport may have a longer wait time than others… pic.twitter.com/Bim0GhwMuy — Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) March 23, 2026 “I walked right in,” she said. “I believe our airport has contract TSA, so we are not in the long lines and the difficulties other people are experiencing, and hopefully we can get that resolved quickly because all those individuals [federal TSA employees] working without pay is just unbelievable.” The partial government shutdown started on February 14, when the Department of Homeland Security’s funding expired. That meant February marked the last paycheck for TSA agents. They won’t see one again until Congressional Republicans and Democrats can agree on funding. Democrats will not fund the department without limitations and oversight placed on ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Republicans want DHS funded without those conditions. TSA is simply caught in the crosshairs. Amidst the drama, President Trump turned up the temperature by deploying ICE agents at fourteen airports on Monday to assist TSA. But funding DHS does not seem to be the president’s top priority for Congress. Trump said Congress should focus on passing the SAVE Act, which would require voters to bring legal identification to the polls. He even suggested Congress should forgo Easter to get the legislation done.

A North Austin church attended by Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) is drawing increased attention amid his U.S. Senate campaign, with church leadership citing both heightened visibility and security concerns. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where Talarico has been a member since childhood, has recently hosted and is continuing to promote a series of events that include political organizing and activist training sessions. Pastor Jim Rigby told congregants in a Facebook post that the attention surrounding Talarico’s campaign has led to an increase in both positive engagement and “hostile press” and negative communications. “Because we have also received some hostile press and an influx of negative communication, we have temporarily hired plain clothes security as a safety precaution,” Rigby wrote, adding that the church is considering longer-term safety measures. Among the events promoted by the church was a gathering tied to the “No Kings” protest movement, which took place Sunday, June 22, following the church’s morning service. “Join us this Sunday following the 11:00 service in the sanctuary as we prepare together for the upcoming No Kings protest,” the church said in an event listing. “We’ll review key materials and relevant training, set up shared communication channels … and close with a digital safety training.” The session included guidance on “personal privacy, protest device recommendations, and best practices for keeping yourself safe,” according to the church’s website. A third wave of “No Kings” protests is scheduled to take place nationwide on June 28, including an event in Austin planned from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT. The church has also advertised a self-defense seminar, coached by a man described as “a martial artist trained in boxing, MMA, and traditional disciplines.” The event, open to the public, notes that instruction will incorporate “gender-neutral and body-affirming language.” Rigby has not replied to The Daily Wire’s request for comment on the training at the time of publishing. Talarico, an Austin Democrat, is running in a high-profile Senate race that will pit him against either Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton or Sen. John Cornyn, depending on the outcome of the Republican primary runoff. Conservatives have highlighted Talarico’s public statements about Christianity, such as abortion being a biblical teaching and that God is nonbinary, arguing that his views are out of step with many Texas voters. Talarico, who began pursuing a master of divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 2022, has defended his positions as grounded in his faith. He has also criticized Republican-backed policies, including a Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public schools, describing such measures as inconsistent with Christian teaching. Talarico has said he aims to “reclaim Christianity for the Left,” framing his political positions as rooted in biblical principles and social justice concerns. His approach reflects a broader trend within mainline Protestant denominations that have aligned with progressive political priorities. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the denomination to which St. Andrew’s belongs, has experienced decades of membership decline, falling significantly from its peak in the mid-20th century, even as more theologically conservative Presbyterian groups have reported growth in recent years. As Talarico’s Senate campaign gains national attention, his home congregation will likely continue to be viewed not just as a place of worship, but as a venue where faith and contemporary political activism intersect in highly visible ways.

In a society that loves to “blur the line” between man and woman, the result can be a strenuous casting process that might almost postpone production. Take FX’s “Love Story.” In the new show, viewers embark on the romantic yet tragic story of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, America’s most beloved couple in the 1990s. Ever known for their iconic fashion and good looks, choosing the right actors was indeed going to be a high task at hand. Executive producers Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson shared with People that selecting Sarah Pidgeon to play Bessette was a swift and easy choice: she “jumped out and stole the role” and immediately “won our hearts.” But the same could not be said for Kennedy. “We were three weeks away from shooting and we still [had] not cast him,” Simpson said. “We’d seen every male actor between the age of 25 and 38.” “We were about to shut down production and pause because we couldn’t find him,” he added. The show’s creator, Connor Hines, admitted he even sought out people on the street and at the gym to come read for the role.  But the problem wasn’t that they didn’t like their interviewees, Simpson said. There was something else missing. “Part of it was just that sort of ’80s, old school masculinity — a man with hair on his chest, sort of Richard Gere, Tom Selleck — the classic chiseled looks,” he said. “We’re not making those guys anymore, for some reason, and he really needed to have that.” In a GQ article, Simpson elaborated further: “It’s these men with broad shoulders and they are in shape, but they’re in shape because they’ve been throwing a football around, not because they’ve been working on every muscle in their body for a Marvel movie.” “We live in a world of electrolysis men, and it was a real challenge to find that sort of guy — a guy that women and gay men are attracted to, but also guys want to hang out and have a beer with.” Something needs to be said if even Hollywood starts admitting there’s a masculinity problem. The producers retraced their steps and considered the self-tapes they had already received, pulling out 13 new guys to come in and read. To their luck, Paul Anthony Kelly was among that group. “You’re crazy if you don’t cast him,” Simpson recalled a makeup artist saying as she walked past. Beyond his similar look to JFK Jr. — tall height, handsome, and yes, even chest hair — Simpson said Kelly had an “ease and charm” about him that was immediate. After a chemistry read with Pidgeon, there was no doubt the producers had found their Kennedy. Now, Kelly is marking his first major debut and becoming his own American heartthrob.

Do you agree with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about the world? Are you convinced that America ought to surrender its global power to a multipolar order? If so, you might be a Quisling, a fifth columnist, an America Laster. There are plenty of them. They’ve spent years lying about America, about our history, about our foreign policy, about our enemies, about our allies. In the end, the only unifying feature of their bizarre amalgam of conspiracism and untruth is an agenda; an agenda to reduce America’s role in the world. Let’s talk about the America Lasters, the people who play defense for Iran, Russia, and China, but who go on offense against the allies who fight alongside the United States. What do these people want? What is their actual agenda and why? Why do they so despise America’s dominant role in the world? To understand the America Lasters, first we have to understand a basic reality: They are liars. They are lying about the nature of reality, and they have to lie because their lies are the only path toward American defeat, particularly in the current conflict with Iran. I’ve been saying for weeks that those who most ardently oppose President Trump’s action are at best misinformed, and at worst, lying on behalf of the Iranian regime. Since the beginning, they have argued that Iran was not a true threat to America or her interests; that President Trump was bamboozled into the war by lying, nefarious Israelis and domestic American voices, that all of this with regard to Iran is overblown, or even that Israel is the bad guy with regard to Iran. Over the weekend, Iran blew that entire narrative up. Iran demonstrated full-scale that all of their defenders were useful idiots or America Lasters. The fools who claim that Iran posed no threat beyond the immediate region? They were parroting Iranian lies. Just a few weeks ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi — who is likely not long for this non-72-virgin world — announced that Iran had limited its own missile range to 2,000 km, roughly 1,200 miles. That would make Iran a threat to the Middle East, but not to the heart of Europe. Top American officials at the time warned it was not true. Senator Tom Cotton said to CIA director John Ratcliffe last week: Iran has always had a space launch program, which is flimsy cover for the first part of that intercontinental missile program. I haven’t seen any Iranian astronauts in space lately. And second, they have medium-range ballistic missiles, which already have a reentry vehicle. So if you crudely married those two technologies together, I’ve heard some analysts say that Iran could have had a functioning intercontinental missile to threaten the United States in as few as six months. Would you agree with that assessment? Ratcliffe replied: You’re right to be concerned about Iran’s development of longer range ballistic missiles, Senator. If Iran were allowed to develop IRBM ranges, which is 3,000 km, it would threaten most of Europe. Over the weekend, American officials announced that Iran had launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S. airbase in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is 4,000 miles away from Iran. What does that mean? Virtually all of Europe is in Iranian ballistic missile range, based on the attempt to hit the Diego Garcia airbase. The Iranians appear to have been lying, which is not a shock because they lie all the time, whether it is ballistic missiles, their nuclear program, or their support of terrorists. What would a world with a burgeoning Iranian nuclear program with intercontinental ballistic missile capacity look like? That is precisely the threat laid out by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu over the course of the last several years, that Iran had already developed missiles that could threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America. We were told by the America Lasters that all of this was untrue. But their lie was invalidated by the fact that there was a long-range missile that was aimed at Diego Garcia, which is thousands of miles from Iranian territory. The America Lasters, people who actually really do despise America’s history and her present, are openly siding with China and Russia, just as they have with Iran in the current conflict. Tucker Carlson recently told The Economist, “We can no longer be the sole author in terms of commerce of anything. We have to share power with China … because of their scale.” Tucker’s guests make this argument all the time, and just as often they are Chinese propagandists. Take, for example, Jeffrey Sachs, a true globalist shill, basically an unofficial spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party. He said: In many ways, the United States cannot compete with China, certainly on manufacturing production across a wide range of industries; can’t compete with China in a wide range of diplomatic areas; and this is very disruptive. It probably would be intrinsically disruptive, because this is a change of power and a change of the international order. And I think we all feel that it’s not the temporary phenomenon, but really the end of the U.S.-led geopolitics and even more fundamentally, the end of the Western-led geopolitics. Carlson consistently repeats Sachs’s messaging, and he did so over the weekend while interviewing a man he called a prophet. This Chinese propagandist said: What I would do is basically sit down, everyone, including Russia, China, Iran, and say it’s time for a new world order where we are partners in this relationship. … Now what we want to do is open a dialog where everyone is respected, where America is no longer the bully, but a winning partner in creating a new economic order that benefits everyone and not just a few. “I think that’s the wisest possible advice and probably the only path that preserves civilization,” Carlson responded. “The one country standing in the way of that is Israel.” So Israel — that tiny country in the Middle East, not the United States — is the one that’s blackmailing America into not giving up its global power? Right. It’s important to recognize what he is talking about when he calls for what you might call a “new world order”: a partnership between the United States, China, and Russia to restructure global economics to “not benefit a few.” If you don’t find that alarming, it’s because you are full-scale ignoring what Tucker Carlson is saying. To understand why the America Lasters seem to have power in the online space, we have to understand that the America Last philosophy is rooted in a deep conspiracism about the United States. Here’s the point: To the untrained eye — the eye of a normal American who grew up in America, who loves America, who was born in America — a world with more American power is a better world, a freer world, a more prosperous world. When I say “untrained,” I mean a non-conspiratorial eye. I might look at the increase of power of America since World War II and see overall, unprecedented economic prosperity, the defeat of the Nazi empire and the Soviet Union, the spread of democratic values, and the spread of economic freedom. America Lasters — on the Left and the Right —see something else: a worse world since World War II, a world of evil American capitalism destroying local communities, of “racist military might” overwhelming people of color everywhere. The story of the world since World War II in the left-wing America Last perspective is a world of unending tragedy: The failure of the Marxist dream of the Soviet Union, the collapse of a “fairer” vision to the reality of free markets, the emptying out of left-wing thought in favor of neoliberalism, while on the Right, the American Lasters see a worse world since World War II as well: a world of evil American capitalism emptying out the communitarian world of real America, a world of American imperialism spreading vile secularism abroad, a world of false meritocracy providing cover for an emptying out of so-called “heritage Americanism” decided by bloodline rather than American ideals. Those are ideals that they consider a sham and a ruse. This would be why America Lasters are fully in favor of the destruction of American power abroad. But to destroy American power, first, you have to change American minds. To do that, you have to explain that a world of increased American power is actually terrible, darker, and more evil. And to make that claim, you have to believe a bunch of conspiracies. You have to believe that American meritocracy is actually a lie, that the Declaration of Independence is a lie, that in reality, America is run by a secret coterie of evildoers who manipulate systems and events for their own specific, insular benefit.  The America Last Movement relies on unchecked conspiracy theorizing, conspiracism run amok. And that conspiracy is not just on the rise, it’s on an exponential rise. It’s no shock that all these figures on all sides of the American Last movement are radically anti-Israel, because Israel actually is a powerful ally acting in concert with the United States. Israel has spent decades building its military power, sharing intelligence and tech with the United States, destroying incipient threats to the West from the Iraqi nuclear reactor back in the 80s to the Syrian nuclear reactor in the mid-2000s to Iranian proxies, and now the Iranian government. And all these people despise Israel for it. Hassan Piker, Tucker Carlson, and the propagandist for the Chinese government are all on precisely the same page. How little must you think of America to believe that China and Russia ought to have more influence in the world and that this would somehow be better for the world and America? American hegemony is the best thing for the world. It is we who keep the trade routes open, ensuring freedom of the seas and the trade that provides the lifeblood of the global economy. It is we who stand down the world’s most evil regimes, achieving the world’s most dangerous weapons. It is we who support the rise of allies who share our values. It is we who prevent the spread of perverse cancerous power emanating from imperialist tyrants of communist and fascist persuasion. The alternative world, the one the American Lasters want, is dominated by the same people who ran the One-Child program, and who currently throw dissidents in prison to linger and die, like Jimmy Lai. A world run by people who currently chuck their political opponents from the roofs of buildings, or poison them with nuclear materials, as the Russians have done, while allying with regimes that murder people who oppose radical Islam and support radical Islamic terror all over the world. America First has nothing to do with America Last. And it shouldn’t.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is testifying against his former roommate in a federal trial exposing how Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro allegedly purchased influence with Trump administration insiders through a $50 million secret lobbying scheme that violated foreign agent registration laws. Former Allies Square Off in Miami Courtroom The federal trial of David Rivera opened March 23, 2026, in Miami with prosecutors alleging the former congressman secretly worked for Venezuela’s socialist government while leveraging his Republican connections. Rivera and Rubio once shared a Tallahassee home when both served in Florida’s legislature, with Rubio rising to House speaker. That relationship now places Rubio in the uncomfortable position of government witness against his old friend. The 11-count indictment, unsealed in 2022, charges Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer with laundering money and failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. $50 Million Contract Masks Influence Operation Prosecutors contend Rivera secured a $50 million contract from Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA through its U.S. subsidiary Citgo in 2017, using it as cover for illegal lobbying. Rivera allegedly arranged access to the White House and Exxon executives for Venezuelan media tycoon Raúl Gorrín, who served as conduit to Maduro’s government. The scheme included facilitating meetings at Rubio’s D.C. residence on July 9, 2017, and coaching Rubio before a Trump meeting two days later. Former Texas Representative Pete Sessions even traveled to Caracas for a secret Maduro meeting arranged by Rivera and Gorrín. Of the contract amount, approximately $20 million was paid, with $3.75 million funneled to a yacht company tied to Gorrín. Encrypted Chats Reveal Code Words and Cash Demands Evidence includes encrypted messages from a chat group labeled “MIA” where participants used code words to discuss the operation. Maduro was referred to as “bus driver” while money became “melons” in their communications. After Rivera’s meeting with Rubio, he messaged contacts stating there would be “no turkey” without financial support, prosecutors allege. Gorrín, charged separately with bribing Venezuelan officials, allegedly received funds through the arrangement. Rivera’s defense claims he performed legitimate work for Citgo as a U.S. company and pursued regime change efforts against Maduro, not support for the dictator. A parallel civil lawsuit argues Rivera delivered little actual work for the massive payments received. White House Chief of Staff Linked to Venezuelan Figures The defense attempted to subpoena Susie Wiles, now serving as Trump’s White House Chief of Staff, regarding her lobbying firm’s work for Gorrín. Ballard Partners, where Wiles worked, lobbied for Gorrín’s Globovisión media company without registering under FARA. Prosecutors successfully blocked the Wiles subpoena in January 2026, and the judge sealed related materials. The defense also sought testimony from Maduro himself, knowing he would invoke his right to remain silent. No charges have been filed against Rubio or Wiles, though their involvement highlights how foreign influence penetrated Trump’s inner circle. This case raises serious questions about who was really shaping America First policies while patriots thought they were draining the swamp. Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela https://t.co/N1Gm1Q3pqN — Daily Breeze (@DailyBreezeNews) March 23, 2026 Rivera’s checkered past includes a 2012 scandal funding a spoiler candidate, with charges ultimately dropped in 2025, plus uncharged investigations into campaign finance violations and gambling operations. For Miami’s Cuban-American exile community, which fled socialism and views Maduro as an existential threat to freedom in Latin America, the allegations represent a profound betrayal. The trial exposes gaps in FARA enforcement that allowed GOP operatives to profit from a regime publicly condemned by the administration they advised. Rubio’s backchannel communications with Gorrín were framed by prosecutors as occurring amid threats from Venezuelan official Diosdado Cabello, suggesting the contacts served both policy and personal security purposes. Whether Rivera faces conviction on all counts or successfully argues he was working toward regime change rather than regime support remains to be determined as testimony continues. Sources: Rubio to testify in trial of former roommate accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela – ABC News Trump Allies Rubio and Wiles Ensnared in Venezuela Lobbying Scandal – National Today Former Ally of Rubio in Florida Facing Charges for Acting as Unregistered Foreign Agent for Venezuela – Latin Times The Miami Trial Exposing Foreign Influence in Trumpland – The Lever

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