Five Senate Democrats staged a Pride-themed night of “guerrilla theater” Monday at the Kennedy Center to protest changes to the institution under President Donald Trump. Nothing says “resistance” like secretly booking a Pride concert at the Kennedy Center and calling it a “talent show." ?Senate Democrats and Hamilton’s producer staged a Pride-themed protest at the @kencen Monday night to oppose Trump-backed reforms. Let me explain: pic.twitter.com/39XL5IXwb8— Elise McCue (@EliseMcCue) June 24, 2025 Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., booked a space at the venue earlier this month under the pretense of a “talent show,” failing to disclose the event’s true nature. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii were also part of the event. The 90-minute show was a gay pride concert, featuring performances of songs from Broadway shows and LGBTQ monologues. Notably, the show was produced by Jeffrey Seller—the Tony Award-winning producer of Hamilton—who previously canceled the hit musical’s engagement at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, citing “the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of [Trump’s] recent takeover.” A statement from Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller. pic.twitter.com/yTLlrzFAHW— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) March 5, 2025 “This is our way of reoccupying the Kennedy Center,” Seller said in an interview with the New York Times before Monday night’s event, titled Love is Love. “This is a form of saying, ‘We are here, we exist and you can’t ignore us.’ This is a protest, and a political act.” In response, Richard Grenell, the Trump-appointed president of the Kennedy Center—and an openly gay man—issued a statement criticizing the event, especially as it relates to the hypocritical nature of Hamilton’s involvement. “I cannot begin to understand what business it is of Mr. Seller or [Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda] how audience members vote or how it could possibly be relevant to the sacred relationship between performers and ticket holders, but they’ve made it clear that they won’t perform for audiences that might contain Americans who disagree with them on matters irrelevant to the arts.” Statement from Ambassador Richard Grenell, President of the Kennedy Center:I'm disappointed to learn that Hamilton Producer @jseller and Hamilton Creator @Lin_Manuel are working with Democratic Senators and the New York Times to boycott the Kennedy Center, refusing to perform…— The Kennedy Center (@kencen) June 23, 2025 The Kennedy Center was slated to host a weeklong “Tapestry of Pride” event earlier this month to coincide with the World Pride festival in Washington, D.C. but scrapped the entire event at the last minute. In February, Trump announced his plan to gut the President Joe Biden-appointed Kennedy Center board of trustees, appoint himself as chairman of the board, and purge woke performances from the institution’s lineup. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” Trump said in a February Truth Social post. “The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” The post Democrats Stage ‘Guerrilla Theater’ Pride Show Inside Kennedy Center in Protest of Trump appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Southern Baptist Convention—the largest Protestant denomination in the world—had their annual meeting this month in Dallas, Texas. The most internally controversial issues involved a potential amendment on female pastors, abolishing the Convention’s public policy arm, and a push for total financial transparency for SBC entities. All these initiatives were voted down, but one successful resolution is inviting national controversy.  The Convention passed a resolution titled On the Harmful and Predatory Nature of Sports Betting. The resolution speaks to the moral evils of gambling and sought to “condemn sports betting in all its forms.” It cited the “biblical principles of stewardship, work, and integrity.” And likewise called for gambling corporations to cease their work and even for the government to “curtail” the practice. The resolution passed with a large majority and little debate—and rightly so.  While gambling is an ancient practice, with the advent of online sports betting, the SBC resolution is timely—and necessary. In 2024 the legal sports betting industry generated $13.71 billion in revenue, taking in nearly $150 billion worth of bets, according to the American Gaming Association’s annual report. Both these numbers represent a significant increase from the previous year.  But the volume of online bets is not the only concern. Sports betting also preys disproportionately on young men. In 2023 the National Council on Problem Gambling, citing an NCAA study, reported that 58% of 18- to-22-year-olds had engaged in sports betting. Furthermore, a study by the Lancet medical journal found that over 26% of adolescents who bet on sports “exhibited gambling disorder symptoms.”  The Guardian calls this the “normalization of a taboo.” But Southern Baptists are right to go further in their language. Sports betting poses threats not only to churches but to society at large and ought to be abolished.  The recent boom in online sports betting can be traced back to 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that banned commercial sports betting in most states. This ruling paved the way for online markets to emerge legally. Such markets have come to dominate the sports industry, even having entire stadium complexes named after them. One can scarcely make their way through any televised sporting event without being bombarded with ads begging them to place money on their favorite team or players.  Betting is not only advertised aggressively, these gaming companies also seek to incentivize that first bet—what they hope will be the first of many. The Wall Street Journal reports: “Online sports betting companies enlist celebrities, offer free bets and dole out perks to promote a tantalizing possibility: winning.” The Journal is right. That possibility of winning is tantalizing—just out of reach.   Though most bettors think they will at least break even over time, the statistics say otherwise. In fact, sports bettors lose an average of 7.5 cents per dollar. This adds up. It also helps to fuel a dangerous addiction, leading to riskier bets and even greater losses over time. The old adage is right: The house always wins. The predatory nature of this industry is exactly why Southern Baptists call for its abolition. This industry doesn’t just affect individuals, but breaks up marriages and families, harming churches and communities. Though the SBC urges “compassionate support and counseling to those struggling with gambling addiction and its consequences,” it nevertheless acknowledges that the government has a decisive role to play to protect individuals.  The resolution urges “our leaders at all levels of government to curtail sports betting and to address its disastrous effects through policy and legislation.”  The sports betting industry is in fact evil, preying on young people and causing addictions that lead to financial strain that breaks up families. Gambling has long been recognized as morally dangerous. It is the government’s role to step in and put an end to this predatory market.  But the responsibility also falls on individuals. The resolution calls upon “Southern Baptists and all other followers of Christ to repent where needed, mourn the ubiquitous presence of sports betting in our culture, and refuse to participate in the sin of gambling.” One messenger to the SBC proposed that this resolution be amended to speak of individuals who “sin through gambling” rather than the close-minded “the sin of gambling”—insisting that betting is not inherently sinful. This is a common sentiment among many Christians and conservatives. The view argues that putting $5 on your favorite sports team and losing is no different from wasting that same $5 on a latte or cheeseburger.   While this argument makes sense on the surface, it ignores the predatory nature of gambling. When one spends $5 on a latte, they receive a good in exchange for their money. When one spends $5 on a bet, they do so in hope that they will make more money. However, this other money comes from the losses of others. Both as an industry and as an individual practice gambling preys on others. Your gain is another’s loss.  Southern Baptists rightly argue that this is a violation of the Golden Rule—to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. No one wants to be taken advantage of, but that’s exactly what the sports betting industry does. It takes advantage of individuals, addicts them to the rush of the game, and soon destroys all that is in its path. In rejecting sports betting, Southern Baptists are not only defending Christian ethics but the social bonds that hold families, churches, and communities together.  We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Southern Baptists Get Sports Betting Right appeared first on The Daily Signal.

He was released and IMMEDIATELY went back to protesting?!

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the agency is launching a campaign to encourage Americans to utilize wearables. “Wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people. We’re launching one of the largest HHS campaigns in history to encourage their use—so every American can take control of their health, one data point at a time,” RFK Jr. said. “It’s a key part of our mission to Make America Healthy Again,” he added. WATCH: Wearables put the power of health back in the hands of the American people. We’re launching one of the largest HHS campaigns in history to encourage their use—so every American can take control of their health, one data point at a time. It’s a key part of our mission to Make… pic.twitter.com/H2ZY9NiTfN — Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) June 24, 2025 From POLITICO: The wearable devices have raised ethics concerns, particularly over how the technology tracks and monitors personal health data. This data is often stored in the cloud and could be sold to companies, advertisers or researchers without an individual’s knowledge or consent, according to the Brown University Center for Digital Health. The health information the devices can store is also associated with a high risk of data breaches and identity theft. And doctors and health experts have mixed views on the potential health benefits of using wearable technology. While some see benefits in monitoring health and empowering patients to take control of their health, some practitioners are concerned about the devices fueling medical anxiety, self-diagnosis and self-medication. The health secretary faced immense backlash for the massive advertising campaign. Unless they have a strict airplane mode which some devices do, where it has no EMF, then absolutely NOT. I know that I’ve interviewed you multiple times about the dangers of EMF and we’ve made a couple dozen Films on the subject over the years. :( — Erin Elizabeth Health Nut News (@unhealthytruth) June 24, 2025 I still remember when apple put a tracer on iPhones to track Covid cases via temperature and “contract tracing” and here we are smh — Lucy, nurse for the people not profits. (@LucciaorLucy) June 24, 2025 C'mon man. This is nonsense. — Toby Rogers (@uTobian) June 24, 2025 bad move. This is more exposure to EMFs, not to mention these devices can be connected to the Internet of Things control grid. — Derrick Broze (@DBrozeLiveFree) June 24, 2025 Bio-surveillance is a hard no @RobertKennedyJr.This is horrifying – I will NOT comply. https://t.co/0VY3jMEyUk — Shannon Joy (@shannonjoyradi0) June 24, 2025 Data mining and surveillance tracking. Nope. Just another huge disappointed by @SecKennedy https://t.co/Llpss9xl6T — Kelly DNP Functional/Integrative Medicine (@kacdnp91) June 24, 2025 Our next Surgeon General @CaseyMeansMD has a wearables company. https://t.co/pils7gdssB — Mary Talley Bowden MD (@MdBreathe) June 24, 2025 “My vision that is every American is wearing a wearable within four years." RFK Jr This is definitely not my vision. I wonder who is influencing his vision. You do not need wearables to MAHA. https://t.co/m9IRwIcYje — Dr. Kat Lindley (@KLVeritas) June 24, 2025 Detailed real-time biometric monitoring of everyone in the United States is a “key part” of the Make America Healthy Again mission https://t.co/YR9KmRgT3u pic.twitter.com/NMX1EooBWr — 12 Ball (@BoltzmannBooty) June 24, 2025 Unbelievable. This is about data gathering, surveillance and control. https://t.co/O4pDrCdkrR — Taylor Hudak (@_taylorhudak) June 24, 2025 Per Becker’s Hospital Review: He contrasted the expense with Ozempic — a diabetes and weight-loss medication that costs over $1,000 per month — and argued that wearables could be a more cost-effective solution. “If you can achieve the same thing with an $80 wearable, it’s a lot better for the American people,” he said. Still, experts have flagged concerns about the privacy risks and uneven health benefits of wearable devices. The Brown University Center for Digital Health warns that personal health data collected by these tools can be stored in the cloud and potentially sold to advertisers, companies or researchers without the user’s knowledge. This data can also be vulnerable to breaches and identity theft.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) criticized Fox News and political commentator Mark Levin for comments he directed at her on social media. “Marjorie Taylor Green, shameless nitwit,” Levin said following Greene’s comments about the strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites. “How incredibly dumb is this Marjorie Taylor Green? She doesn’t know anyone in America who has been a victim of crime or killed by Iran? You mean the thousands of Americans, especially military personnel, killed and maimed by the Iranian terrorist regime?” he added. Marjorie Taylor Green, shameless nitwit. How incredibly dumb is this Marjorie Taylor Green?  She doesn't know anyone in America who has been a victim of crime or killed by Iran?  You mean the thousands of Americans, especially military personnel, killed and maimed by the Iranian… https://t.co/eqx3ztGUHr — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) June 23, 2025 “I don’t know anyone in America who has been the victim of a crime or killed by Iran, but I know many people who have been victims of crime committed by criminal illegal aliens or MURDERED by Cartel and Chinese fentanyl/drugs. Almost everyone in our country can relate to this fact,” Greene said. “However America has not dropped bunker busters on the Cartel’s sophisticated drug tunnels, launched tomahawks on massive cartel poisonous drug operations, or gone to war against the cartels international terrorists networks,” she continued. “Neocon warmongers beat their drums of war and act like Billy bada***s going to war in countries most Americans have never seen and can’t find on a map, but never find the courage to go to war against the actual terrorists who actually do kill Americans, invade our land, and make BILLIONS doing it day after day, year after year,” she added. My thoughts on bombing Iran. I don’t know anyone in America who has been the victim of a crime or killed by Iran, but I know many people who have been victims of crime committed by criminal illegal aliens or MURDERED by Cartel and Chinese fentanyl/drugs. Almost everyone in our… — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) June 22, 2025 Full text: My thoughts on bombing Iran. I don’t know anyone in America who has been the victim of a crime or killed by Iran, but I know many people who have been victims of crime committed by criminal illegal aliens or MURDERED by Cartel and Chinese fentanyl/drugs. Almost everyone in our country can relate to this fact. However America has not dropped bunker busters on the Cartel’s sophisticated drug tunnels, launched tomahawks on massive cartel poisonous drug operations, or gone to war against the cartels international terrorists networks. Neocon warmongers beat their drums of war and act like Billy bada***s going to war in countries most Americans have never seen and can’t find on a map, but never find the courage to go to war against the actual terrorists who actually do kill Americans, invade our land, and make BILLIONS doing it day after day, year after year. I’m 51 years old. I’m GenX. I’ve watched our country go to war in foreign lands for foreign causes on behalf of foreign interests for as long as I can remember. I was in 10th grade when Desert Storm started and my father before me was sent to Vietnam, another senseless foreign war. America is $37 TRILLION in debt and all of these foreign wars have cost Americans TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS of dollars that never benefited any American. American troops have been killed and forever torn apart physically and mentally for regime change, foreign wars, and for military industrial base profits. I’m sick of it. I can easily say I support nuclear armed Israel’s right to defend themselves and also say at the same time I don’t want to fight or fund nuclear armed Israel’s wars. Nor any other country for that matter. I’m sick of funding foreign aid and foreign countries and foreign everything. I want to fund American interests and issues. I want GREAT trade deals so American businesses and people can afford goods and be successful. I want low inflation and low interest rates. I want American construction, housing, and manufacturing to BOOM. I want Americans to be rich and have security in their future. I want my children’s generation to HAVE A GREAT FUTURE!!! My kids are 22, 25, and 27. It pisses me off beyond comprehension that my children’s generation can’t afford to buy a house, can’t afford insurance, and have little hope for their future!!! Americans are exhausted by all of this and rightfully so. I can also support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started. That’s not disloyalty. Critical thinking and having my own opinions is the most American thing ever. Because contrary to what brainwashed Democrat boomers say, Trump is not a king, MAGA is not a cult, and President Trump has surrounded himself with people who once disagreed with him and even ran against him for President. Also the same Democrats in Congress that are all of sudden clutching their pearls about Trump bombing Iran FULLY SUPPORTED AND VOTED TO FUND Dementia ridden Biden’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and stood by Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Hypocrites is all they are and they are just desperately trying to find solid ground to oppose Trump on because so far they’ve failed at grasping anything yet. Now what has been done is done and Americans now fear Iranian terrorists attacks on our own soil and being dragged into another war by Netanyahu when we weren’t even thinking about any of this a week ago. We don’t know what the future holds and I pray for the safety of all people and an end to the constant demand for America to go to war. Enough is enough. “MTG, God are you stupid. And you keep banging your head against the wall. Thankfully, POTUS ignored you and hit the Iranian nuclear sites. You seem very upset about it.  I’m not going away. You’re on my radar,” Levin said. MTG, God are you stupid. And you keep banging your head against the wall. Thankfully, POTUS ignored you and hit the Iranian nuclear sites. You seem very upset about it.  I’m not going away. You’re on my radar. — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) June 24, 2025 “This is extremely sick and disturbing. Please read to the end. Mark, you have the exact same tone and language that the psychopaths use that send me death threats every single day. You should be fired from Fox News. And shame on Fox if they condone this. Let me introduce you to my friend Jesus,” Greene responded. This is extremely sick and disturbing. Please read to the end. Mark, you have the exact same tone and language that the psychopaths use that send me death threats every single day. You should be fired from Fox News. And shame on Fox if they condone this. Let me introduce you… https://t.co/twsWLwkQU3 — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) June 24, 2025 Full text: This is extremely sick and disturbing. Please read to the end. Mark, you have the exact same tone and language that the psychopaths use that send me death threats every single day. You should be fired from Fox News. And shame on Fox if they condone this. Let me introduce you to my friend Jesus. He says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” Jesus is the messiah. Jesus is the one and only son of God. Jesus was put to death on a Roman cross and died as a one time sacrifice for our sins. Jesus is the lamb of God. You can read about Jesus in Isaiah 53:5-12. Jesus will return one day and the those that did not recognize him will mourn. He will bring everlasting peace to all the Earth and his kingdom will have no end. Jesus also says, “pray for your enemies.” I will do my best to pray for you. But I will be watchful now. There was once a great President that the American people loved. He opposed Israel’s nuclear program. And then he was assassinated. I am for peace. I oppose war including wars Israel wages. Should I feel that my life is in danger now too? What about President Trump who strongly rebuked Israel this morning for continuing to attack Iran? Greene also criticized Levin and Fox News during an appearance on OAN’s The Matt Gaetz Show. Per Mediaite: Reacting on OAN’s The Matt Gaetz Show to Levin’s repeated rants against her, Greene complained, “I can’t believe that Fox News allows one of their hosts to go around and call me names on his social media. That is so unprofessional and it really speaks to what kind of media company Fox News is.” She continued: Mark Levin, obviously, he was a NeverTrumper from the beginning. He hated Donald Trump. He was totally against him and tried to stop him from becoming president, but yet now somehow Mark Levin is the voice of MAGA? I don’t think so, Matt. You and I, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, all of us have been fighting hard to stay on these America First policies and stay out of foreign wars. We’re MAGA, we’re the voice of MAGA, and the people totally agree with us. So, you know, it doesn’t matter what Mark Levin actually has to say. People don’t watch his show. I don’t know anyone that watches his show, and his screeching is absolutely unbearable, but I think Fox News needs to reel him in, although I won’t expect much out of them. Greene concluded, “I think that’s a media company that would love to share propaganda on their network all day long because it brings in the views. Nothing like scaring the American people with another foreign war to get people to watch the news 24 hours a day.” Watch Greene’s full interview with Matt Gaetz: MUST WATCH: I joined @MattGaetz to break down the regime change push in Iran and the poison pill AI moratorium buried in the One Big Beautiful Bill. I stand with President Trump, oppose foreign wars, and won’t vote to strip states of their rights to protect jobs from AI. pic.twitter.com/WQrDf2TAtu — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) June 24, 2025

Why Aerosmith Kicked Megadeth Off Tour

Karmelo Anthony, the now 18-year-old who admitted to fatally stabbing student Austin Metcalf at a Texas track meet, has been indicted by a grand jury with first-degree murder.

The House, including a majority of Democrats, overwhelmingly voted to reject Rep. Al Green’s move to impeach President Donald Trump over his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.