President Donald Trump secures increased funding from NATO members, Senate Republicans consider the “Big Beautiful Bill,” and a therapy student blows the whistle with explosive allegations on mandatory training in smut. It’s Thursday, June 26, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:     If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:     The North Atlantic Trump Organization Topline: In a significant foreign policy victory for President Trump, NATO allies agreed Wednesday to his demands that they increase defense spending. President Trump took a victory lap following his successful strikes on Iran and subsequent ceasefire on Wednesday, scoring another feather in his foreign policy cap. For years, Trump has been a vocal critic of NATO, arguing that the United States was being taken advantage of by its allies, who spend far less on defense for the NATO alliance. He arrived at The Hague this week demanding that member states increase their defense spending from 2% of GDP to 5% by 2035, and almost all members quickly agreed. For context, one country — the United States — currently accounts for more than two-thirds of NATO’s entire defense budget. “For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment — and that changes today,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. “President Trump — dear Donald — you made this change possible… we will produce trillions more for our common defense to make us stronger and fairer by equalizing spending between America and America’s allies.” In exchange for that increased spending, President Trump reiterated his commitment to adhering to Article 5, the NATO clause that states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.  Ahead of the summit, Trump said he wasn’t sure where he stood on Article 5, and that it “depends on your definition.” However, once the other members agreed to increase defense spending, the president offered his full support.  The only holdout among the alliance was Spain. The country’s prime minister said 5% was “unacceptable” and would force him to cut social services. Instead, they plan to increase their spending from just 1.2% to 2%. That clearly angered Trump, who said he’d make them pay more in a future trade deal. In a press conference at the summit, the president also refuted reports that Iran’s nuclear facilities only sustained minor damage in U.S. strikes last weekend, reiterating that Iran’s nuclear program was “completely and fully obliterated.” Trump announced that the United States would meet with Iranian officials next week to ensure the country does not continue to pursue a nuclear weapon.   The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Nears Senate Vote Topline: The Senate is set to vote on Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” – will the GOP majority hand the president a win on his signature legislation? The Republican-led Senate is set to vote on Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill this week despite some continued divisions within the GOP. The bill contains many of President Trump’s key policy planks, including increased immigration enforcement and defense spending, a $5 trillion increase to the debt ceiling, his promised ‘no tax on tips,’ and permanent extensions for the 2017 tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term. “It is so important that we get this one big bill, this one big beautiful bill over the line,” Stephen Miran, chairman of the nonpartisan Council of Economic Advisors, told The Daily Wire. “If we don’t, it’s going to be the biggest tax hike in history. It’s going to be a $4 trillion tax hike on American families and American workers.” A key sticking point has been the bill’s pricetag – the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that it would add $3 trillion to the deficit. Supporters dispute that characterization, arguing that the CBO isn’t factoring in the economic growth they believe the bill would create, which they say could result in a net decrease of deficit spending on the order of trillions of dollars over the next 10 years.  “More tax revenues reduce the deficit,” Miran said. “So the best way to reduce the deficit in debt is to grow the economy. …[The] CBO just ignores growth altogether… [and] tariff revenue. Tariffs are bringing in total deficit reduction – hundreds of billions of dollars of revenue every year going forward.” However, some Republican senators remain skeptical and continue to argue that passing the bill would be fiscally irresponsible. “I’m not for raising the debt ceiling by 5 trillion dollars,” Sen. Rand Paul(R-KY) said. “I think that is a mistake to have such a large extension of the credit line to a Congress that has shown disregard for fiscal responsibility. The Republicans have a three-seat majority in the Senate – Vice President JD Vance will presumably break any ties in the president’s favor, but unless Democrats decide to cross the aisle (which appears highly unlikely), the “Big Beautiful Bill” will need the support of at least 50 of the 53 Senate Republicans.   A Course You’ll Remember In Therapy Topline: A California psychology student training to be a therapist is blowing the whistle on alleged ideological bias and required sexual disclosure in therapy training. The following story is not appropriate for younger readers. Naomi Epps Best, a 26-year-old graduate student at Santa Clara University, decided to go public with allegations against her university’s psychology counseling program. Best says she was required to write a sexual autobiography and was subjected to gratuitous smut in one of her required classes, “Human Sexuality.”  “I immediately discovered in the syllabus sadomasochistic erotica, a crassly written pornographic illustration guide, and the final exam was an eight to 10 page comprehensive sexual autobiography: ‘When did I start masturbating? Chronicle my sexual past and present.’ I requested an accommodation not to complete this sexual autobiography and I was denied. I went up the chain to the professor, the chair, the dean, the provost, the president, the Title IX office, the campus ministry office and the ombudsman and I was met with institutional indifference to my ethical concerns.” Best later asked for an accommodation she heard had been offered to Muslim students – the ability to take the course remotely. Instead, she said the professor asked to meet with her and promised that there would be no required sexual disclosure and everything would be professional. “In this new class, I was required to write something down anonymously about something I disliked about my breasts or my genitals. We watched bondage videos, tutorial videos… there’s an argument to be made that therapists should be aware of the breadth of human sexual practices, including BDSM. I am not contesting that. But the manner in which this material was presented was promotional. It was actually a promotional video for a sex dungeon. And when the video ended, the professor said, ‘So what do you think? Who wants to try it?’ There was no clinical framing.” The Daily Wire reached out to Santa Clara University for comment. A spokesperson stated that the Human Sexuality class has been taught with a similar approach and assignments since the mid-1990s. They added that “we do not agree with many of the student’s public assertions about the class” and that “people who were present” dispute Best’s characterization of classroom discussions and course content.

'CNN knows better'

This hurt my heart

It’s never been easier—or harder—to advertise online. On one hand, you’ve got tools at your fingertips that can launch a campaign in seconds. On the other, those same tools have made it possible for everyone to do the same. As AI floods the internet with content, ads, and automated outreach, the digital space is noisier […]

'I want more female bomber pilots'

From a country that’s typically in the news for hurting whales comes the story of a mass-stranding event with a happy ending. Around 60 pilot whales, known locally as grindhvalur, were found stranded on Ólafsfjörður beach last Sunday. Locals and emergency crews rushed to the remote area in a desperate effort to save the mammals, […] The post Dozens of Whales Saved by Locals After Mass Stranding on Icelandic Beach appeared first on Good News Network.

News awards Sierra Greer Wins the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Annie Bot By Molly Templeton | Published on June 26, 2025 Author photo: Dittmeier ©2023 Comment 0 Share New Share Author photo: Dittmeier ©2023 Sierra Greer has won the 2025 Arthur C. Clarke Award for Annie Bot, published in the UK by The Borough Press and in the US by Mariner Books. Greer receives a trophy and £2025. The Clarke Award is given to the best science fiction novel published in the UK in the previous calendar year. Tim Hunter, the Clarke Award Director, said in a statement, “This year’s shortlist explored themes of planetary crisis, non-human intelligences, and technology run amok. Concepts that would have enthralled readers in the times of Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells or, of course, Sir Arthur C. Clarke, but refreshed and reimagined for the 21st century by our six nominated authors. But what might we be reading in the post-human future? A concept we’re still struggling to imagine even as it looms over our lived reality. Perhaps, if we ask nicely, Annie Bot might just show us the way.” Writing in The Washington Post, Charlie Jane Anders said of Annie Bot, “All the best stories about artificial intelligence hinge on identity: Do our memories define us? Do our bodies represent who we are? Annie Bot, astonishingly, finds new ways to ask these well-worn questions.” The other finalists this year were Private Rites by Julia Armfield, The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, Extremophile by Ian Green, Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Thirteen Ways to Kill Lulabelle Rock by Maud Woolf. This year’s judges were Dolly Garland and Gene Rowe for the British Science Fiction Association, Nic Clarke and John Coxon for the Science Fiction Foundation, and Glyn Morgan for the SCI-FI-LONDON film festival.[end-mark] The post Sierra Greer Wins the Arthur C. Clarke Award for <i>Annie Bot</i> appeared first on Reactor.

Books Five Books Five SFF Stories About Making Amends People adopt very different strategies when it comes to making up for mistakes. By James Davis Nicoll | Published on June 26, 2025 Daggerspell cover art by Keith Parkinson Comment 0 Share New Share Daggerspell cover art by Keith Parkinson We’ve all been there. We’ve said an unnecessarily unkind word, spurned a plea for help, inadvertently transformed the entire human race into shambling automatons under the control of an eldritch abomination. Such errors are so commonplace as to be beneath discussion. More interesting is the question “What next?” Vow to avoid such missteps in the future? Do you try to make amends? Simply embrace villainy and move into a skull-shaped mountain lair? The possibilities are vast. Here are five works exploring some of those myriad possibilities…1 Swamp Thing #1 by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson (1972) The American government values Alec and Linda Holland’s bio-restorative research. Thus, the converted barn deep in a swamp to which Lt. Matthew Cable delivers the two scientists. The isolated location and regular police patrols will keep the Hollands and their precious research safe from malevolent organizations like the Conclave. A Conclave bomb sends a flaming Alec to his death in the nearby swamp. In his place rises the plant-man Swamp Thing, a monstrous figure imbued with Alec’s brilliant mind. Linda is the next victim, gunned down by the Conclave. To Cable, there is only one possible conclusion: Alec (who was blown up and set on fire) and Linda (who was shot) must have been murdered by the Swamp Thing (who eschews technology). Cable failed to protect the Hollands, but he can at least dedicate himself to seeking revenge (however misguided) in their name. Some readers might wonder about the logic that led Cable to blame Swamp Thing for the Hollands’ deaths. Again: The Swamp Thing doesn’t use technology… not even pants. What I wonder is why Cable kept Linda out at the barn lab after the bombing, given that the location was clearly not secret. Carrie by Stephen King (1974) Carrie White is an unattractive, weird loner. Fellow high school student Sue Snell does not hesitate to join in when the popular Chris Hargensen provokes a crowd of girls to mock a traumatized Carrie in the school showers. Only after P.E. teacher Miss Desjardin berates the bullies does Sue realize that she was, to quote that famous sketch, one of the baddies. Sue resolves to make amends. Sue arranges for her boyfriend Tommy to take Carrie to the upcoming high school prom. Sue and Tommy’s gesture delivers a brief moment of happiness to miserable Carrie. Unfortunately, it also provides mean girl Chris with an opportunity to take revenge on Carrie for Carrie’s part in getting Chris punished. People who have only seen the DePalma film might be surprised that the novel makes it clear very early in the book that the prom did not go well. The dramatic tension doesn’t arise from the sudden veer into horror as Chris discovers why bullying Carrie is a bad idea. It comes from watching how choices—some benevolent, some not—line up to produce the calamity the reader knows is coming. Daggerspell by Katharine Kerr (1986) Despite not knowing her name or precise location, ancient mage Nevyn takes a peculiar interest in finding Jill. Swordswoman Jill hails from the kingdom of Deverry. By the time Nevyn finds her, she is romantically entangled with feudal lord Rhodry. The arrangement between highborn Rhodry and lowborn Jill is a familiar one. Only Nevyn knows that there’s much more to the story. Centuries ago, Nevyn had to leave his one true love Brangwen behind when Nevyn was exiled by his magic-hating father. The result, thanks to Brangwen’s unsavory brother Gerraent, was carnage. Worse yet, reincarnation means old mistakes can repeat themselves. Jill is Brangwen reborn. Can the old mage make up for his well-intended misstep? Or is Jill’s fate already determined? A question neither asked nor answered, as far as I can tell: is the Nevyn-Brangwen-Gerraent tragedy the first iteration of this doomed story, or just the first iteration in living memory? Reincarnation means this story could have been repeating itself for thousands of years. Numamushi: A Fairy Tale by Mina Ikemoto Ghosh (2023) Years ago, the great river snake loved a human woman. The romance ended in madness and murder. Therefore, when the snake saw a burned human child float by, he did not eat the infant. The snake rescued the baby, named him Numamushi, and raised the boy as best he could2. Back when he was a priest, Mizukiyo cajoled young men into joining a pointless war. A surprise inheritance—a mansion abandoned for years after gruesome murders—allowed Mizukiyo to hide from the world. Nevertheless, he is happy to befriend the odd boy, Numamushi. Through no intent of his own, Mizukiyo is the old snake’s doom. How can the former priest make amends for making Numamushi an orphan? I know snakes are not known for their parenting skills, but the great snake is an unusual snake, perhaps even a local god of sorts. In any case, the book’s title does say it’s “A Fairy Tale,” which allows for some liberties with herpetology. The Transitive Properties of Cheese by Ann LeBlanc (2024) Years ago, Millions Wayland’s attempt to fend off a terrestrial bid to limit multies—duplicated minds and bodies—in space as they were on Earth resulted in disaster and mass carnage. Appalled, Wayland retreated from the world. Wayland found contentment as a hermit cheesemaker3. News that the orbital facility in which Wayland cures her artisanal cheeses is scheduled for destruction forces Wayland to reengage with the world. Her intention is to convince business associate Miller to save her precious facility. Instead, Wayland is caught up in a struggle over the fate of the community that Wayland had inadvertently hurt years earlier. Sometimes inspiration for these pieces is nebulous. In this case, it was reading The Transitive Properties of Cheese that made me ponder the problem of making amends. More specifically, it was the friction between guilt-stricken Wayland and supporting character Hattie, who thinks Wayland should leave the past to the past. These are, of course, only five works. Entire libraries are filled with tales about people facing their pasts and trying to make amends. If I overlooked your favorite, please mention it in comments below.[end-mark] I considered mentioning 2008’s Ironman movie, but discussing it led me to rant about specific subset of making amends stories, in which the protagonist is lavishly praised for solving problems entirely of their own creation. That sort of thing deserves its own essay. ︎Numamushi picks up a number of abilities that strictly speaking are the domain of snakes (for basic physiological reasons). Like DC Comics hero Black Condor learning to fly after being adopted by condors, this is a triumph of environment over heredity. ︎Which is to say, a hermit who makes cheese. Not someone who makes cheese out of hermits. ︎The post Five SFF Stories About Making Amends appeared first on Reactor.

Biological males who identify as transgender and take estrogen in order to appear female face myriad health risks, from infertility to diabetes, to testicular and breast cancer, and ultimately to early death, according to a new study. The study, published in the academic journal Discover Mental Health earlier this month, highlights adverse reactions to estrogen, both health risks that have been widely known and “newly identified adverse outcomes.” While activists claim people who identify as transgender may commit suicide if they cannot access these medical interventions, which they call “gender-affirming care,” some studies actually suggest that suicidal thoughts increase among those taking these drugs. “Several recent systematic reviews have found the evidence of benefit to be of low or very low certainty, while some risks, such as infertility, have long been recognized,” the authors, led by Lauren Schwartz of Oklahoma City Psychiatry, write. While even these better-known risks lack “systematic, long-term data,” “the emerging evidence reviewed in this paper points towards additional, less-understood and less-investigated potential risks,” the authors warn. “Consequently, both patients and health care providers are deprived of clinically crucial information necessary for effective risk assessment and management.” More Established Transgender Estrogen Risks It may come as little surprise that injections of the feminizing hormone estrogen may make men less fertile, and the authors cite fertility risks as the first of the “previously recognized risks.” While some studies report that some patients preserved “spermatogenesis” (the production of sperm cells), estrogen often “causes higher proportions of sperm abnormalities,” such as low sperm count and poor sperm movement. These would make it difficult for men to conceive a child. The study also cites research that “consistently indicates” that males taking estrogen and other feminizing hormones “face increased cardiovascular risks” compared to other men. A review of many studies involving over 15,000 males who identified as female found they experienced venous thromboembolism (a blood clot in the veins) 2.2 times more than other men. Another study found that the risk of such clots became 5.1 times higher for men taking estrogen for two years or more and increased to 10 times higher after six years. Another study found that men who identify as transgender face a 30% higher risk of stroke than men who do not. Some studies also suggest that estrogen may worsen men’s thinking ability. A study with a long-term follow-up (average 25.8 years) found that men (ages 56-84) who had been taking estrogen and other feminizing hormones “had lower scores” than other men and women “(matched in education and age) in information-processing speed and episodic memory.” Emerging_and_accumulating_safety_signals_for_the_uDownload ‘Emerging’ Transgender Estrogen Risks The study also discussed lesser-known side effects that deserve more research. A long-term Dutch study tracking men who identified as transgender over five decades found that “the all-cause mortality risk of transgender women on hormones was much higher than the general population.” The survival odds “started to deviate from general population men or women within a few years of starting” to take estrogen and other hormones. The major causes of death included heart disease (21%), cancer (32%), infection-related disease (5%), and suicide (7.5%). An earlier study following 966 men who identified as transgender “found a mortality rate 51% higher than in the general population.” The study also notes evidence that men taking estrogen face a greater risk of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. It also cites evidence that estrogen in males might increase the risk of diabetes, as the hormone may cause insulin resistance. Even men who have one or both of their testicles removed face the risk of testicular cancer, the study found. One study found that men who had at least one testicle removed got diagnosed with testicular cancer at a rate 26.5 times higher than the general population. The authors of that study hypothesized that this might result from “long-term pretreatment with hormones or [drugs that attempt to block the natural onset of puberty].” Men taking estrogen may also face an increased risk of breast cancer. A systematic review found that these men experience breast cancer 22.5 times as frequently as men who do not take estrogen. The study also noted that estrogen may make brain size decrease, though the studies showing this phenomenon had small sample sizes. The authors do not claim to have definitively proven these harms. They conclude by saying there is an “urgent need” for more studies, particularly with “systematic long-term follow-up.” Last week, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law prohibiting experimental transgender medical interventions for minors, euphemistically referred to as “gender-affirming care.” Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services published a report finding that “there is extremely weak evidence that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries have any benefits in children and adolescents with gender dysphoria” (emphasis original). The post Cancer, Blood Clots, Death: Study Exposes Health Risks for Males Who Take Estrogen to ‘Affirm’ Transgender Identity appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—After the U.S. Department of Education designated June as Title IX Month, two female lawmakers are trying to codify a weeklong celebration of the 1972 law protecting girls and women’s sports. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., are introducing a resolution to designate the week of June 23 through June 29, 2025, as ‘‘National Women’s Sports Week’’ to celebrate the anniversary of Title IX and the growth of female athletics.  “Whether it’s growing as a leader, winning a championship, or securing a scholarship to college, sports open doors for young girls,” Ernst said. “I’m proud to lead this resolution to celebrate National Women’s Sports Week. Every girl deserves a level playing field—one based on biology, not ideology—where she has every opportunity to compete and win.” Title IX was enacted into law on June 23, 1972. “Women’s sports have empowered generations of female athletes to compete, lead, and break barriers,” Tenney said. “National Women’s Sports Week is an opportunity to honor that legacy and recommit to protecting equal opportunities for women and girls under Title IX.” The resolution celebrates that Title IX guaranteed women the right to equal athletic opportunities. The inclusion of transgender-identifying men in women’s sports has no basis in biological fact, the resolution says. “Women’s Sports Week is a powerful reminder of what we’ve gained and what we must continue to protect,” said Payton McNabb, an Independent Women’s Forum ambassador who sustained a serious head injury when a transgender-identifying male spiked a volleyball at her head at an estimated 65 mph in a North Carolina high school game in September 2022. “I’m proud to stand with leaders who are boldly defending fairness, safety, and opportunity for every female athlete.” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced a bill early this year that would protect women’s sports. During Tuberville’s 40-year coaching career, during which he coached football at Auburn University, Tuberville said he saw firsthand the doors that Title IX opened for women. “Unfortunately, radical Democrats are slamming those doors in the faces of girls across the country by allowing men to compete in women’s sports,” Tuberville said. “From the court to the gym, these female athletes have left their blood, sweat, and tears out on the field and deserve access to the same scholarships, resources, and opportunities as men.” “National Women’s Sports Week is an opportunity to celebrate women’s success, inspire future generations, and recommit ourselves to ensuring that every young woman has the chance to pursue her athletic dreams,” the Alabama lawmaker continued. To mark the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the Department of Education announced investigations into two apparent violations of the federal law protecting women’s spaces and sports. The Education Department is investigating the University of Wyoming for allowing a transgender-identifying male into the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Its second investigation is into Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado, which allowed its high school overnight field trip accommodations to be determined by gender identity, rather than sex, leading to a male sharing a room with a female. On Wednesday, the department announced it has found the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation in violation of Title IX for allowing males in female sports and spaces. The post EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers Introduce Resolution to Establish ‘Title IX Week’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.