Country music has been more popular than ever over the last decade. Continue reading…

J.J. Spaun was born and raised in the Los Angeles suburb of San Dimas. He was the unlikely winner of the U.S. Open golf tournament Sunday. At 34 years old, he had only one PGA championship win before winning the most difficult tournament in all of golf. He started the tournament just one shot behind the leader but promptly bogeyed five of the first six holes of the final round Sunday, putting him seemingly out of the competition. Then heavy rain came, pausing the tournament for over an hour. When he returned to the course, he did so with a renewed focus, roaring back with four birdies on the back nine while other golfers faltered in the harsh conditions. On the final hole, he miraculously sunk a 64-foot putt to win. Surprisingly, he became only the second golfer in history from LA County to win a major golf tournament (Colin Morikawa is the other; Tiger Woods is from Orange County). But that is not what makes him a hero. He is a hero because of what he did the night before. Spaun is the father of two young daughters. The night before the final round, when most golfers in contention are on lockdown focused exclusively on the task at hand, Spaun was with his wife, dealing with a very sick child. His two-year-old daughter had caught a stomach bug and was vomiting all night. At 3 a.m., while his competitors were deep asleep, he went off to find some medication for his daughter. He got in his rental car and drove from the suburbs to downtown Pittsburgh to find an open CVS pharmacy. On Father’s Day morning, he put his own need for sleep and preparation on the eve of the most important day of his professional life to fetch an over-the-counter remedy he hoped would help his sick little girl. After his win, he admitted the rough night may have contributed to his very shaky start. “It was kind of a rough start to the morning. I’m not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos,” he said. He clearly put his chances of winning in jeopardy with his sleepless night. LA is in desperate need of heroes. It has been mired in crises, from COVID-19 lockdowns to George Floyd riots to the explosion in homelessness and crime to disastrous wildfires to budget deficits and now, to more violent protests. We have lots of celebrities but often fail to recognize our real heroes. We oftentimes lose sight of what really matters. Too often the talk is about who is born “privileged.” The only privilege that exists is the privilege of being raised by a loving mother and loving father, which, sadly, now seems to be the exception, not the rule. But on this Father’s Day, a day in which we are supposed to honor fathers, Spaun put his responsibility as a father ahead of his self-interest in winning a golf tournament. In the end, he was rewarded with one of the most coveted trophies in golf and a loving hug from his daughter, who is now feeling just fine. The post Fatherhood Takes Precedence Over PGA Win for Golfer J.J. Spaun appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Some people really choose to be this miserable

A federal judge ordered the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to restore grants the agency terminated for research on gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion, calling the cuts ‘void and illegal.’ U.S. District Judge William Young ruled the agency violated federal law by arbitrarily canceling over $1 billion in research grants. NEW: Federal judge rules President Trump's cuts to over $1 billion in NIH diversity research grants "void and illegal." – Reuters pic.twitter.com/AVJ9NveEY8 — Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) June 16, 2025 Per Reuters: Young said he was reinstating grants that had been awarded to organizations and Democratic-led states that sued over the terminations. And the judge indicated that as the case proceeds he could issue a more sweeping decision. “This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community,” said Young, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan. “Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I’m going to do it.” Referring to the termination of grants for research related to issues involving racial minorities, the judge said he had in four decades on the bench “never seen a record where racial discrimination was so palpable.” US District Judge William Young said the termination of NIH grants for research on diversity-related topics by the Trump administration was 'void and illegal,' and accused the government of discriminating against minorities and LGBT people https://t.co/MP7udEBGHO pic.twitter.com/xro0eGI3d8 — Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) June 16, 2025 Axios reports: The NIH cut nearly $3.8 billion in grants to U.S. institutions, with Massachusetts losing more than $1.2 billion, per estimates from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The second-hardest-hit state, New York, lost $590 million, per AAMC. Attorneys representing researchers in several states said the funding cuts were “arbitrary” and singled out cuts affecting racial minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people. Thomas Ports, a Justice Department attorney representing the Trump administration, said some grants have been renewed, while others are not “scientifically valuable.” But Ports didn’t explain how the Trump administration was defining DEI and the harms they say DEI-related research causes. After Ports read an NIH statement saying DEI-related studies “are often used to support unlawful discrimination,” Young said, “I see no evidence of that.”

Amidst Israel’s ongoing war with Iran, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network in Tehran on Monday afternoon, announcing that it was being utilized for military purposes by the Iranian Armed Forces.

It's the U.S. and the Jewish State against the Evil Empire.  The post Glazov Gang: Supporting Israel is Being America First appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with President Trump at the G7 this week and ask to “buy” arms for the endless war in Ukraine. He says he will press President Donald Trump to allow him to purchase additional weapons from the United States when the leaders meet at the Group of Seven summit in […] The post President Zelensky to Talk with President Trump About a New Arms Package appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The lawmaker killer, Vance Luther Boelter, visited other legislator’s homes the night he murdered the Hortmans and tried to kill the Hoffmans. After the shooting at the Hoffmans’ home, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson says Boelter went to a state representative’s home in Maple Grove. However, that lawmaker had been on vacation and was […] The post Vance Boetler Visited Other Lawmaker’s Homes the Night of the Murders appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Tensions between Iran and the West just hit a new high. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has alleged that Iran tried—and failed—twice to assassinate President Donald Trump, citing the former president’s hardline policy against the regime’s nuclear program. Tragedy Unfolds at Anti-Trump Demonstration What began as a peaceful demonstration with thousands of participants in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday ended in chaos and tragedy. Salt Lake City Police responded to reports of gunfire near 151 S. State St. during a “No Kings” protest that had drawn approximately 10,000 people. Upon arrival, officers found one person suffering from life-threatening injuries and pursued a suspected shooter who was also wounded. The victim, later identified as Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, was an innocent bystander participating in the demonstration. Witnesses described scenes of panic as gunshots rang out, with protesters fleeing in all directions and taking shelter in nearby buildings. The incident occurred during one of several nationwide demonstrations organized to protest against President Donald Trump, whom organizers accused of authoritarian tendencies. Prior to the shooting, the event had been proceeding peacefully, with speakers explicitly calling for nonviolence. Appears the Utah “no kings” protest shooting suspect Arturo Gamboa is an anti-Trump BLM leftist activist. Leftist political violence is out of control. Will Democrats condemn it? This must stop. https://t.co/KAqfmRb5rE pic.twitter.com/azhiCdRDlv — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 15, 2025 Suspect Charged and Complicated Circumstances Police arrested 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who has been charged with murder in connection with the incident. According to investigators, Gamboa had no prior criminal history but is accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death. Authorities recovered an AR-15-style rifle, a gas mask, and a backpack at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are complex, as Gamboa was reportedly confronted by protest “peacekeepers” after retrieving the rifle. “Our victim was not the intended target but rather an innocent bystander participating in the demonstration.” Brian Redd Investigators revealed that a peacekeeper wearing a brightly colored vest fired three shots, striking Gamboa but also fatally wounding Ah Loo. This revelation has raised serious questions about the training, authority, and accountability of self-appointed security at protests. Police Chief Brian Redd confirmed that details about the peacekeeping team, including their hiring and training protocols, are under active investigation. Two additional individuals were arrested in connection with the incident, though authorities are not seeking further suspects. Murder suspect at Salt Lake City 'No Kings' protest is a radical leftist. Suspect Arturo Gamboa has spoken about his hatred of the United States and his support of BLM ideology. A Latino radical leftist and alleged Antifa supporter he was a 24-year-old member of the leftist… pic.twitter.com/5GHGBFFiwk — JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) June 16, 2025 Official Responses and Community Impact Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall quickly condemned the violence while praising the rapid police response to the incident. Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Senate President Stuart Adams also issued statements denouncing the violence and supporting law enforcement efforts. The Utah chapter of the 50501 movement, which organized the protest, released a statement expressing shock and condemning the violence that disrupted their event. The tragic incident has sparked renewed discussions about protest safety measures, the role of private security at demonstrations, and whether additional safeguards are needed to prevent similar occurrences. Questions remain about what motivated Gamboa to bring a weapon to the protest and how the peacekeeping team was organized and vetted. As investigations continue, community leaders are calling for accountability while emphasizing that violence undermines the democratic principles that peaceful protests are meant to uphold. Sources: 2 people shot, including suspect in custody, during ‘No Kings’ protest in Salt Lake City, Utah ‘No Kings’ demonstrator dies after being shot at Utah protest, police say