by Martin Jay, Strategic Culture: The failed talks between the U.S. and Iran surprised no one. But what is surprising is how there seems to be no safety catch on Trump’s foreign policy. Except Lebanon. What did we just witness when the talks between the U.S. and Iran failed? For many, the whole show was […]

from DollarVigilante: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

Ten House Republicans just crossed the aisle and voted with every single Democrat to pass a bill extending deportation protections for over 330,000 Haitian nationals. The vote was 224-204. President Trump has already signaled he will veto it. Let that sink in. While the Trump administration has been working to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, arguing the designation “contradicts U.S. national interests,” a group of GOP members decided to join the progressive wing of the Democrat Party and go around their own leadership to make it happen. The bill, HR 1689, would extend Haitian TPS through 2029. It was forced to the floor through a discharge petition led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, the same progressive Democrat who has called for abolishing ICE. She needed 218 signatures to bypass Republican leadership, and she got them. Senator Katie Britt of Alabama was not impressed. She made it clear exactly where this bill is headed next. This is dead on arrival in the Senate.Temporary Protected Status is just that: temporary. Beyond that, 91% of all Haitian TPS holders entered the country illegally. In the last election, the American people rejected mass migration policies that effectively grant amnesty to… https://t.co/eim5EUE3AA— Senator Katie Boyd Britt (@SenKatieBritt) April 17, 2026 Britt is right. The bill has virtually zero chance in the Republican-controlled Senate. And even if it somehow squeaked through, President Trump would veto it in a heartbeat. So who are the 10 House Republicans who voted for this? CBS News reported on the full list of Republican crossovers: Seven Republicans broke ranks across procedural and final votes. Discharge petition signers included Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Lawler of New York, and Don Bacon of Nebraska. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, Carlos Gimenez of Florida, and Kevin Kiley of California supported the floor procedure. Mike Carey of Ohio, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, Rich McCormick of Georgia, and Mike Turner of Ohio voted for final passage. Rep. Mike Lawler highlighted a contradictory policy: “The State Department itself says Haiti is unsafe for Americans to travel to,” creating what he called a logical inconsistency with deportation plans. Three of the ten are from Florida, where large Haitian communities could factor into midterm races. Two are from Ohio. The political calculus is obvious, even if the timing is terrible. And Pressley? She was celebrating like she just won the Super Bowl. WE DID IT! We forced the House to pass our extension of TPS for Haiti.This is a victory in our long-fought battle to protect the dignity & humanity of our Haitian neighbors.To our Haitian family in the MA-7th and across this country, this one's for you.On to the Senate. https://t.co/HknDUsG7C8 pic.twitter.com/JLtMI0AMkn— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) April 16, 2026 Newsweek detailed the arguments some of these Republicans used to justify their votes: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said nursing homes in her district would lose skilled and dedicated staff if TPS is not renewed. “These are Haitian immigrants who are working, paying taxes and contributing to our economy and fulfilling a healthcare need,” she said. Rep. Don Bacon argued that removing TPS would cost 350,000 healthcare workers their jobs during serious workforce shortages. “Deporting people who are here legally and contributing seems unconscionable,” Bacon said. Here is the full list of Republican members who voted with Democrats: Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Lawler (NY), Don Bacon (NE), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Nicole Malliotakis (NY), Rich McCormick (GA), Mike Turner (OH), Mike Carey (OH), and Mario Diaz-Balart (FL). California independent Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with Republicans, also voted yes. The irony here is thick. The bill closely mirrors legislation that Secretary of State Marco Rubio himself authored back in 2019 when he was still a senator. But that was a different political moment, and the Trump administration has made it clear that extending TPS for Haitians is not on the table. The bottom line: this bill is going nowhere. Senator Britt called it “dead on arrival” and she is almost certainly correct. But the 10 Republicans who crossed the aisle just handed Democrats a talking point and gave their own voters a reason to question their loyalty. With midterms on the horizon, that is a bet some of them may come to regret.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Thursday that his country would be ready for a potential attack from the United States, CBS News reports. President Trump said “very soon” that this “great strength” will bring a “new dawn for Cuba.” “We’re going to help them out with Cuba,” he said. Watch below: NOW – Trump says very soon the "great strength" of the American military will create "a new dawn for Cuba." pic.twitter.com/EW3kjmaoqC — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 17, 2026 CBS News shared further: Earlier this week, Mr. Trump said his administration could focus on Cuba after the war in Iran ends. With Cuba’s crisis deepening as a result of a U.S. energy blockade, Díaz-Canel said that he does not want U.S. military aggression to come to Cuba. He said that the country will be prepared to fight back if it happens. “The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,” Díaz-Canel said. He spoke as tensions remain high between the two countries, at a rally commemorating the 65th anniversary of a historic speech by the late leader Fidel Castro during a crisis with the United States. Mr. Trump said earlier this week, “We may stop by Cuba after we finish with this,” he said. He described the island as a “failing nation” and asserted that it’s “been a terribly run country for a long time.” Trump previously said that Cuba is “at the end of the line.” “They have no money. They have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time,” he added. WATCH: President Trump Says Cuba Is In Its Last Moments Of Life, Will Topple Very Soon! Meanwhile, a USA TODAY report alleged the Pentagon is quietly "ramping up" an operation against the Caribbean nation in case Trump gives an order to intervene. JUST IN - U.S. military preparations underway for a possible Pentagon-led military operation inside Cuba, should Trump give the order.https://t.co/1ycINHfAuH — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 15, 2026 USA TODAY wrote: The directives appear to be an escalation of recent tensions between the United States and Cuba that began in January when the Trump administration curbed oil shipments to Cuba as part of a broader campaign to force sweeping political changes on the communist-run island. In a statement to USA TODAY the Pentagon said it plans for a range of contingencies and remains prepared to execute the president’s orders as directed. Reports of the plans to escalate first appeared on Zeteo's Substack and made the rounds on Capitol Hill and across Washington. The United States and Cuba acknowledged they are in the early stages of trying to find a way out of the crisis, but it's not clear how much each side is willing to compromise. In March, USA TODAY reported the two countries had been in discussions to sign a possible historic economic deal that would thaw relations. Even as the Trump administration's attention has shifted to the Iran war, tensions between Washington and Havana have escalated in recent weeks. Trump has suggested he expects soon to have the "honor" of "taking Cuba, in some form," adding, "Whether I free it, take it − I think I can do anything I want with it." On April 13, Trump told USA TODAY at the White House, “We may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” referring to ongoing conflict with Iran.

The Supreme Court just delivered a major win for American energy companies, and it wasn’t even close. In a unanimous 8-0 ruling on Friday, the justices sided with Chevron and other oil and gas companies in a closely watched case out of Louisiana. The decision effectively dismantles a $745 million jury verdict against Chevron and sends the case back to federal court. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the opinion for the court. And in a notable twist, Justice Samuel Alito sat the entire case out, recusing himself because he owns stock in ConocoPhillips, the parent company of one of the defendants. Here’s the reaction:

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Rep. Greg Casar thought he had a great gotcha question for Secretary Kennedy. It didn’t work out well. Casar: Have you met with, again, have you met with any of the 1.4 million people who have lost their health insurance just this last year from dropping off of Obamacare. Have you sat down and talked to those folks about the fact they won’t have their health insurance? Kennedy: They’re almost all illegal immigrants. I wonder if Democrats have met with any of the 14 million Americans who lost their private health insurance policies thanks to Obamacare? Democrat Rep. Greg Casar: “Have you met with any of the 1.4 million people who have lost their health insurance just this last year?” RFK Jr.: “They’re almost all illegal immigrants.” BOOMpic.twitter.com/Y8RqjqJmaB — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 17, 2026 The post Almost All the 1.4M People Who Lost Health Insurance Were Here Illegally appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Incredibly biased left-wing, very left-wing ‘journalist’ Christiane Amanpour claims she was a major in the army without ever being in the army. She thinks a press pass is a dog tag, and somehow she became a major. That’s not a joke. Amanpour wrote in a post, “I recall my dog tag in the first Gulf War had the rank of major… the very same rank [as Secretary Hegseth]. Just sayin’.” It’s all in her mind, but don’t worry, Christiane, we will make you the first fake major in the Clown World Army. She is our first fake major in our fake army. Who made her a major? here we have Christiane Amanpour randomly claiming to have been a major in the U.S. military https://t.co/nOOlXQDslD pic.twitter.com/SiRD0wspOq — Jerry Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) April 17, 2026 Grok said she was not in the army and was not a major. She is a nothing. This is a case of Stolen Valor. Christiane is the golden hack of the left. I don’t really know why Amanpour said it other than that she was dehumanizing Secretary Hegseth. Jerry Dunleavy wrote: I am told Amanpour may have been referencing a press ID she was given during the Gulf War, which listed the fake administrative rank of “major” for access purposes, which is actually more insane, becuz she is comparing that to U.S. troops who actually achieve the rank of major… Amanpour is just being her usual nasty self. On second thought, we don’t want her in Clown World. The post Christiane Amanpour Thinks She Was a Major in the Army, We’re Worried About Her Mental State appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

'absolutely bizarre situation'