American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten resigned from the board of the Democratic National Committee after more than 23 years, citing disagreements with new leadership. “I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more of our communities,” Weingarten wrote in her June 5 resignation letter. Weingarten, who leads the nation’s second-largest teachers’ union, opposed DNC Chairman Ken Martin in February’s election. Upon becoming chair, Martin removed Weingarten from her longstanding position on the Rules and Bylaws Committee. Weeks before Weingarten resigned, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Lee Saunders also stepped down from the DNC. On May 27, Saunders wrote that “public service workers are facing unprecedented attacks,” a challenge which “demands unwavering focus.” “In that spirit, and with deep respect, I must decline your nomination to the DNC,” Saunders wrote, according to The Washington Post. Saunders further explained his decision to resign in a statement to The New York Times, saying, “We must evolve to meet the urgency of this moment. This is not a time to close ranks or turn inward.” “This amounts to the exit of two of the highest-profile union leaders aligned with the Democratic Party,” The New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher posted on X. The two resignations are the latest signs of internal conflict at the DNC. Two vice chairs were voted out last week, including 25-year-old activist David Hogg, whose controversial $20 million project to back younger Democratic candidates over their “out-of-touch, ineffective” incumbent seniors was supported by Weingarten. This caused tension between Hogg and the chairman, who told the Gen Z activist he would have to leave if he wanted to continue with the project. “If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be neutral arbiters,” Martin said. “We can’t be both the referee and also the player at the same time. You have to make a decision.” In leaked video footage of a Zoom meeting, Martin told Hogg, “The other night I said to myself for the first time, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this anymore’…you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.” This feud led to Hogg’s removal, though the DNC claimed the vote was occasioned by a failure to adhere to gender diversity protocols in the previous election. “I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us,” Hogg said. Saunders and Weingarten aren’t the only ones souring on the Democratic Party. According to a recent CNN poll, more than half of “Democratic-aligned adults” say the party is heading “in the wrong direction.” When asked which Democratic leader best represents the values of the party, “More than 30% didn’t offer a name in response.” “No one,” one respondent answered. “That’s the problem.”

WASHINGTON—As the Trump administration debates protections for in vitro fertilization, a new poll shows that more than half of Americans want to prioritize solving the root causes of infertility before using IVF as a first-line treatment. The polling strikes at the heart of many debates over restorative reproductive medicine, given that many women seek IVF treatments when they experience infertility. President Trump has promised to “make it easier for loving and longing mothers and fathers to have children.” As part of that promise, he called for policy recommendations for “protecting IVF access and aggressively reducing out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment” in a February executive order. New polling from the Heritage Foundation and JLL Partners found that Americans do support access to IVF — but not as it currently exists in the United States. For example, the polling shows support for limiting the number of human embryos created and implanted at one time, as well as strong dislike for destroying human embryos. Under current law, there are very few protections for human embryos — or even IVF patients themselves. Trump signs an executive order expanding access to IVF. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) And more than half of Americans, the polling found, believe the government’s priority should be treating the root cause of infertility, rather than using IVF as a first line of treatment. “Some doctors focus on trying to diagnose and treat the causes of infertility (such as hormonal imbalances, miscarriage, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, or other underlying health conditions) while others recommend IVF as an early approach to infertility,” the poll asked. “In your opinion, which approach should be prioritized?” Fifty-four percent of respondents said that they wanted to prioritize treating the root issue that is causing the symptom of infertility, while 6% said that they wanted to prioritize using IVF as a first-line treatment. Twenty-six percent said they wanted a combination of both, and 13% said they were unsure. Those sentiments were also shared across key audiences polled, dubbed “IVF Switcher” and “Soft IVF” — those who are unsure or somewhat supportive of IVF and those who were supportive of IVF at the start of the survey but became unsure or opposed by the end, respectively. These groups were chosen, according to the pollsters, to understand how IVF concerns and risks have fared with the public. Among IVF Switchers polled, 51% want to prioritize treating the root cause of infertility, 8% want to use IVF as a first-line treatment, 19% want a combination, and 21% are unsure. Among Soft IVF respondents polled, 52% want to prioritize treating the root cause of infertility, 9% want to use IVF as a first-line treatment, 20% want a combination, and 19% are unsure. The findings are significant given the growing infertility crisis. Nearly 18% of the global adult population experiences infertility, and among American women, infertility rates are also alarmingly high. Women across the country are grappling with endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal imbalances, and more, while men struggle with low sperm count, erectile dysfunction, diet, lifestyle, and other environmental factors. Some experts, like Heritage Foundation’s Emma Waters, argue that infertility is a symptom of underlying reproductive health conditions that need to be treated, but a lack of research often prevents couples from improving their fertility and, often, starting families. Waters argues that expanding access to treatments optimizing male and female reproductive health, or Restorative Reproductive Medicine, will “make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies,” as the president has promised. “Infertility is not a diagnosis in and of itself,” explains Dr. Monica Minjeur, director of communications for the International Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine. “We know infertility points to chronic underlying conditions, typically with at least 4-6 factors involved. When we identify these factors, we can provide effective treatment to help optimize fertility for healthy outcomes of mom and baby.” The Institute’s president, Dr. Phil Boyle, argues that “couples struggling with infertility are best served when they receive a comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and restorative treatment to optimize their health and natural reproductive function.” This messaging has resonated with some female lawmakers throughout the United States. In Arkansas, Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the “Reproductive Empowerment and Support Through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act” into law in April. That legislation is modeled on a bill crafted by Waters and Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Natalie Dodson, establishing a framework for restorative reproductive medicine and a series of medical protocols to treat the root causes of infertility and reproductive dysfunction. At the time Sanders signed the legislation, Dodson described the bill as “critical to addressing the nationwide infertility and reproductive health crisis by directly helping the women of Arkansas access much-needed restorative reproductive medical techniques.” In recent weeks, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi and Republican Congresswoman Diana Lynn Harshbarger of Tennessee each introduced the Reproductive Empowerment and Support through Optimal Restoration (RESTORE) Act, legislation that sought to build support for American couples affected by fertility through restorative reproductive medicine. Hyde-Smith argued at the time that the bill reflects the goals of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which significantly bolstered the president’s 2o24 campaign. “So many couples of today’s childbearing-aged generations face an uphill battle with fertility struggles that are complex and unique to every woman and man,” Hyde-Smith shared. “The holistic fertility policy promoted through the RESTORE Act aims to treat the root causes of infertility, many of which stem from chronic conditions and environmental factors that are the focus of President Trump’s MAHA movement.” “If we are going to truly support women and men who are ready to embrace parenthood,” she added, “then we should promote substantive fertility solutions that ensure access to restorative reproductive medicine—fully healing couples and empowering them with autonomy over how they start and build their families.” Harshbarger similarly emphasized that “having children is one of God’s greatest gifts,” adding, “we should be empowering modern medicine and investing in solutions that address the root causes of infertility to bring hope to prospective parents.”

A black juror in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial in Manhattan was dismissed on Monday due to “lack of candor.” U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned the 41-year-old man’s ability to follow instructions, especially considering how he had given different answers about where he lived. The man had indicated that he lived in both the Bronx and New Jersey, according to The New York Times.  Prosecutors called out the fact that Juror #6 said in conversation that he was cohabiting with his girlfriend in New Jersey. This didn’t match up with what the man said during jury selection, which was that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée. Judge Subramanian said he had “concerns about his candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the panel,” per The Hollywood Reporter.   “There’s nothing that the juror could say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle,” the judge said on Monday. Subramanian decided that the juror would be dismissed and replaced with an alternate, who is a 57-year-old white male accountant from Westchester County, New York, the outlet noted. Combs’s defense team argued that the dismissal is unfair because the juror being dismissed is black, calling it a “thinly veiled effort to dismiss a black juror.” The judge rejected that claim. “To be perfectly clear, from the outset of this proceeding to the current date, there has been no evidence and no showing of any kind of any biased conduct or biased manner of proceeding from the government,” he said. Combs, 55, is on trial on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force and coercion, and transportation for prostitution. The trial began on May 12 and is expected to last eight weeks. Over the past six weeks, prosecutors have presented more than 18 witnesses, including the rapper’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and former assistant Jonathan Perez. They have all described violent, drug-fueled group sex events called “freak‑offs” and coerced participation during these parties. Comb’s defense team is focused on proving that all sexual encounters were consensual. If convicted, the Bad Boy Records founder could spend the rest of his life in prison.  

Protesters cheered as children shouted obscenities during the “No Kings” demonstrations on Saturday. In Washington, D.C., footage from The Daily Caller shows a young boy saying “F*** Trump” into a microphone. The crowd cheered while the mother appeared surprised by the leftist rallying cry her son had recited. ? Little kid says “f*ck Trump” during ‘No Kings Day’ rally (mom tries to stop him) How do YOU feel about this? pic.twitter.com/0AziSHfFIX — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 14, 2025 Leftists held more than 2,000 “No Kings” protests nationwide on Saturday. In Portland, Oregon, the protests became violent as a mob stormed an ICE facility, injuring four federal officers, the New York Post reported. Another video from The Daily Caller from a Los Angeles protest shows a young girl beating a piñata that resembled President Donald Trump while onlookers cheered. ? Currently in Downtown LA: pic.twitter.com/cnUvHUkwRu — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 14, 2025 Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles after anti-ICE riots had taken place in Paramount, California, and a section of downtown Los Angeles. Rioters looted businesses downtown and burned Waymo robotaxis. The protests calmed after L.A. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for most of downtown, with local law enforcement arresting people who defied the order. Trump took credit on social media for the protests calming down, praising the Marines and the National Guard. “Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job,” Trump said. “They all worked well together, but without the Military, Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years.” Trump recently authorized ICE to increase deportation efforts in large Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, The Daily Wire reported. “These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens,” Trump said.

Less than a month after rumors began to circulate that At Home could be in trouble financially, At Home Group Inc. officially filed for bankruptcy. The Trump administration’s tariffs appear to have been the nail in the coffin for the retailer that relies heavily on Chinese imports. According to a news release, the Texas-based retailer plans to maintain business as usual during the bankruptcy proceedings. With nearly $2 billion in debt, At Home entered a Restructuring Support Agreement to save the home decor retailer. With more than 250 stores nationwide, closures would be a blow to the industry. At Home Leaders Feel Confident About Moving Forward After Bankruptcy At Home Chief Executive Officer Brad Weston feels optimistic about the retailer’s future. He shared his enthusiasm in a news release. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement with our lenders, which represents a critical and positive advancement of our work to best position At Home for the future,” he said. “Over the past several months, we’ve taken deliberate steps to strengthen the foundation of our business – sharpening our focus, elevating our customer value proposition, and driving operational discipline. These efforts are aimed at delivering sustained sales growth, optimizing our inventory management, improving efficiency, and enhancing overall profitability. While we have made significant progress advancing our initiatives to date, we are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs. The steps we are taking today to fully de-lever our balance sheet will improve our ability to compete in the marketplace in the face of continued volatility and increase the resilience of our business for the long term.” According to Furniture Today, At Home plans to close the following 25 locations. New York: Rego Park, Bronx California: San Jose, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Pasadena, Chico, Foothill Ranch, Sacramento, Long Beach Florida: North Miami Minnesota: Rochester Washington: Bellingham, Yakima New Jersey: Middletown Township, Ledgewood, Princeton Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Massachusetts: Shrewsbury, Dedham Illinois: Peoria, Crestwood Virginia: Manassas, Leesburg Montana: Billings Wisconsin: Wauwatosa This story’s featured image is by Red Herring via Shutterstock. The post Major Home Goods Chain To Close Dozens Of Locations After Filing Bankruptcy appeared first on InspireMore.

'Only picking up steam'

'uniquely unsuited'

New polling released on Monday shows Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda, notably tackling the mass intake of ultra-processed foods, receives broad support across party lines. The survey, conducted by NBC News, found that 35% of respondents believe that the food industry was to blame for America’s chronic health issues, […]

'Demands extraordinary judicial action'

"Are you saying Donald Trump is ... leadership?"