The Vietnamese police have saved over 400 cats from being trafficked and slaughtered in Southeast Asia’s underground cat meat trade. This comprises one of the biggest feline rescue operations in Vietnam’s history.
Along with the 400 living felines, the Ho Chi Minh City police found 80 cat carcasses frozen in coolers. Nine people have been arrested for alleged involvement in a &#8220;criminal group specialising in stealing and collecting cats,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20yzm58vk3o">said</a> BBC News, citing the official newspaper of the city’s police department.
The cats were reported to be emaciated, traumatized, and stuffed into cages. An unknown number of the animals died after being rescued because of the poor conditions they were in. A few of the cats were pregnant and have since given birth in police custody.
“The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat across the country, and the fate of most is to end up at a slaughterhouse or restaurant to be killed and eaten,” <a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/en/news/hundreds-cats-seized-ho-chi-minh-city-police-largest-cat-meat-bust-vietnam">said</a> Phuong Tham, the Humane World for Animals Viet Nam country director. “Thankfully these survivors escaped that fate but this large seizure and the swift actions of the police are a welcome step in the crackdown that is badly needed on this trade.&#8221;
The cat meat trade is not illegal in Vietnam, but distributors are required to gain permits proving a cat’s origins. However, many black market sellers see this permit process as a nuisance and resort to stealing cats on the streets from owners, and trafficking them across borders to Laos, Cambodia, and China.
Additionally, one kilogram of cat meat sells for about $2.70, which according to statistics from the agrifood market data website Selina Wamucii, is costlier than a kilogram of <a href="https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/vietnam/chicken-meat/">chicken</a> ($1.80) but much cheaper than a kilo of <a href="https://www.selinawamucii.com/insights/prices/vietnam/beef/">beef</a> ($8.11). This gives black market sellers an opportunity to provide a relatively cheap and accessible meat to consumers with a moderate profit margin.
The animal rights organization Humane World <a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/en/campaign/ending-viet-nams-dog-cat-meat-trades">estimates</a> that over one million cats are “stolen, trafficked and brutally slaughtered for their meat” every year in Vietnam. 
The arrest has coincided with a rising support among younger generations and pet owners to end the cat meat trade entirely, with Humane World reporting 71% approval for the banning of cat meat consumption and trade. 
The Vietnamese government is planning on instituting more legal protections for cats and cat owners.
Cats are eaten most commonly in Vietnam during the Lunar Month for good luck, as animal rights organization Four Paws USA <a href="https://www.fourpawsusa.org/campaigns-topics/campaigns/end-the-dog-and-cat-meat-trade/the-truth/where-the-cruelty-happens">reports</a>.

Humane World Foundation

Police Save 400 Cats From Gruesome Fate

animal rights

Animals

pets

trade

Vietnam

Hany Farid has declared that artificial intelligence image generation has reached a point where it can fool even the world’s greatest experts, including himself.
Farid is a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information and the senior faculty adviser for the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. He is widely considered to be the world’s leader in digital forensics and image analysis. But according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/us/ai-deepfake-hany-farid.html">report</a> from The New York Times, Farid is struggling to pick up on some AI-generated content.  
Farid has noticed that AI has improved dramatically at mimicking real shadows, projectile trajectories, plant life, human faces, and sound, removing many of the clues that digital forensics experts relied on to detect deepfakes.
“I don’t trust anything. Every image I see, I’m drawing lines for shadows and doing geometry in my head, trying to figure out what I’m looking at. It’s over,” Farid said. “Within a year or two, our whole visual system will be utterly useless.”
Farid has collaborated with Microsoft to <a href="https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/news/2020/hany-farid-leads-microsoft-project-detect-child-sex-predators">create</a> PhotoDNA, software used by many major tech firms to detect child sexual abuse material. Additionally, Farid worked with the U.S. military to create scanning software to detect deepfake videos before the 2020 election, according to an article originally published in The Los Angeles Times.
Farid told The New York Times that he is frustrated with how Big Tech is rapidly developing AI with no concern for the repercussions and hopes to retire from the scene and move to a farm in Vermont. 

“I can’t stand this place anymore,” Farid said. “These major tech giants will burn everything to the ground as long as they’re making a profit. They’re not interested in anything that’s going to slow them down.”
According to cybersecurity firm DeepStrike, deepfake files have <a href="https://deepstrike.io/blog/deepfake-statistics-2025">increased</a> dramatically from 500,000 in 2023 to 8 million in 2025, coinciding with a 3,000% increase in fraud attempts worldwide. 

Now that human detection systems are failing, experts are fighting fire with fire by using AI to combat AI deepfakes, such as the AI-powered <a href="https://zinc.cse.buffalo.edu/ubmdfl/deep-o-meter/">Deepfake-O-Meter</a> and Farid’s own company, <a href="https://www.getrealsecurity.com/teams/labs/pr-hany-farid">GetReal Security</a>.
Additionally, experts are advocating for new standards for digital photography to make it easier to determine a photo’s authenticity. 
For example, the Content Credentials movement is <a href="https://contentcredentials.org/">advocating</a> for a pin to accompany digital photos that will allow viewers to “determine the method of creation” for a photo “and see a record of editing history.”
Copyleaks, an AI content-detection platform, has <a href="https://copyleaks.com/blog/5-most-common-types-of-video-deepfake-scams">detailed</a> five major emerging deepfake scams potentially jeopardizing Americans&#8217; well-being.
Celebrity scams utilize deepfakes of famous people to promote products, while catfishing scams involve deepfaking a beautiful person to manipulate lovers into giving money or personal information. 
Fake security footage is being used to prosecute innocent people, and scammers are using AI voice changers to make people believe a loved one has an emergency and is asking for help. 
In the political realm, scammers are making fake videos of political candidates making controversial claims they never actually made.

Changing face using AI generated deepfake technology concept

World’s Best Deepfake Expert Can’t Detect AI Videos

Artificial Intelligence

Deepfake

Fake News

Misinformation

scams

A recent study suggests that ultra-processed foods could be responsible for declines in attention and cognitive function.
The <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260608040017.htm">study</a>, which was published in Alzheimer&#8217;s &amp; Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment &amp; Disease Monitoring last week, analyzed over 2,100 individuals and found that ultra-processed food consumption was linked to worse attention and mental processing. Ultra-processed foods <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10260459/">add</a> artificial ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, whey protein, flavor enhancers, and chemical-based preservatives. 
The study showed that even modest increases in ultra-processed foods, such as adding a bag of chips to one&#8217;s diet, had negative cognitive effects. 
&#8220;For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food a person consumed, we saw a distinct and measurable drop in a person&#8217;s ability to focus,&#8221; the study states. &#8220;In clinical terms, this translated to consistently lower scores on standardized cognitive tests measuring visual attention and processing speed.&#8221;
The study was led by Dr. Barbara Cardoso from Monash University, one of the top 40 research universities worldwide, in partnership with researchers at the University of São Paulo and Deakin University.
Other studies from <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/cutting-back-on-ultra-processed-foods-linked-with-lower-dementia-risk">Harvard University</a>, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39863327/">Framingham Heart Study</a>, and one from <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9857155/">Brazil</a> have shown that ultra-processed foods increase dementia and Alzheimer’s risk and overall cognitive decline. However, these studies analyzed people from general population cohorts, which include people with unhealthy diets. The new study from Monash University shows that even those with a healthy Mediterranean diet also suffer from the cognitive side effects of consuming ultra-processed foods.
&#8220;Food ultra-processing often destroys the natural structure of food and introduces potentially harmful substances like artificial additives or processing chemicals,&#8221; Dr. Cardoso said.
&#8220;These additives suggest the link between diet and cognitive function extends beyond just missing out on foods known as healthy, pointing to mechanisms linked to the degree of food processing itself,&#8221; she added.  

Ultra-processed foods make up large proportions of the diets of developed countries, consisting of the majority of the total dietary energy for the average person in America, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Most foods go through some sort of system of processing, whether that be for drying, crushing, freezing, bottling, refining, or pressing, and these processes are mostly benign as they do not add any extra sugars, oils, or fats, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition, a Cambridge University Press journal. 
Ultra-processed foods, however, &#8220;are typically high-energy-dense products, high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt, and low in dietary fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals,” the study adds. Ultra-processed foods often include fast food, soft drinks, salty snacks, frozen meals, and plant-based milks found in vegan products.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made the fight against ultra-processed foods a central part of his MAHA movement. In a &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHO-TrjKJtI">60 Minutes</a>&#8220; interview earlier this year, he called ultra-processed foods “poison” and stated they were the cause of America’s obesity. Kennedy has also instructed the HHS and the FDA to phase out artificial dyes, a major component in ultra-processed foods.

Bowl of Potato Chips on Brown Background

Some Of America’s Favorite Foods Could Be Accelerating Its Cognitive Decline

Food

Health

MAHA

Jerome Winston Parker, a black supporter of convicted killer Karmelo Anthony who recently went viral for taunting a white Austin Metcalf supporter outside the Collin County Courthouse, was arrested this week on an outstanding warrant for unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to records obtained by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/man-viral-karmelo-anthony-courthouse-confrontation-arrested-murder-trial">Fox News</a>.
Parker became a widely discussed figure during the murder trial after videos circulated online showing him confronting supporters of Metcalf, the 17-year-old whom Anthony was convicted of killing.
One of the most highly circulated clips showed Parker arguing with an older white man outside the courthouse. During the confrontation, Parker <a href="https://theshaderoom.com/jerome-parker-winston-weapon-karmelo-anthony-protest-viral-video-shade-room/">accused</a> the man of harassing a black woman and being homophobic while repeatedly challenging him and attempting to provoke a response. 
In one widely shared <a href="https://x.com/JLRINVESTIGATES/status/2064684087139279245">video,</a> Parker is seen shouting, dancing, and taunting the man from inches away. 
 
“You ain’t gonna do sh*t, I’m dancing! You ain’t gonna do sh*t, I’m dancing!” Parker repeated while the man remained largely unmoved.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
This was CRAZY! I filmed this yesterday outside the Karmelo Anthony trial. What do you think? <a href="https://t.co/ESHpU3T9Mq">pic.twitter.com/ESHpU3T9Mq</a>
— JLR© (@JLRINVESTIGATES) <a href="https://x.com/JLRINVESTIGATES/status/2064684087139279245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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According to Fox News, Parker was first investigated on June 6 after an alleged unlawful carrying of a weapon incident in the courthouse parking lot during activities related to the trial proceedings. He was arrested on June 9 on the outstanding warrant. His bond was set at $1,000.  

Parker was not the only person arrested outside the courthouse during the highly publicized proceedings. 
Sholdon Daniels, who was a Republican nominee for Texas’ 30th Congressional District before he lost in the May 26 primary, was also arrested on a charge of public intoxication. Daniels, who is black, argued with several Anthony supporters, saying Anthony &#8220;murdered that kid.&#8221;
Video from <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/karmelo-anthony-trial-collin-county-courthouse-arrests-sholdon-daniels">Fox News 4</a> showed Daniels being detained after a confrontation in the courthouse parking lot. During the incident, Daniels appeared to argue with members of the crowd before officers placed him in handcuffs.
Daniels later addressed the arrest on X, <a href="https://x.com/SholdonDaniels/status/2064968608044757122">criticizing</a> delays in the jail release process after bond has been posted.
“One lesson I’ve learned from our criminal justice system: posting bond and actually getting released are often two very different things,” Daniels wrote. “People routinely spend hours in jail after bond has already been approved because agencies are still relying on manual processes, duplicate paperwork, and outdated technology.”
“Texas should establish a statewide digital release system that electronically verifies bonds, notifies the jail instantly, and tracks release times.”
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murdering Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. He has appealed the case.

ANTHONY TRIAL DAY 7_2026_0609

Viral Karmelo Anthony Supporter’s Week Gets Worse

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The Trump administration, in partnership with Amtrak, unveiled a plan earlier this week to renovate the world-renowned Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. 
Penn Station, located in Trump’s hometown of New York City, is the busiest transportation center in the Western Hemisphere. It takes in roughly 600,000 commuters every workday, which is more than the amount of daily traffic at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty airports combined, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-penn-station-trump-reconstruction-7b2eb6ca8f1f32ad591b52066edc59a8">Associated Press.</a> 
But in recent years, Penn Station has become a home for the homeless and violent criminals. The congested transit hub has been in the news recently for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeless-mans-penn-station-stabbing-rampage-wasnt-his-first-attack">stabbings</a>, confirming New Yorkers&#8217; sentiments that the station is no longer safe. 

“It’s a sh*thole,” one law enforcement source <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/08/24/penn-station-shooting-just-latest-in-crime-spike-at-the-terminal/">lamented</a> to The New York Post in 2021. “It’s drugs. They come from all over … Some are just homeless. Now that [Madison Square Garden] is open you’re going to see scalpers, hustlers, and the residual [violence].”
Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) spoke for many New Yorkers when he <a href="https://abc7ny.com/post/penn-station-lirr-tom-suozzi-crime/11403363/">declared</a> in 2021 that Penn Station has become &#8220;a dangerous dungeon,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been coming here for decades. It&#8217;s never been this bad.&#8221; 
President Donald Trump wants to change that.
“The Golden Age of Transportation is coming thanks to President Trump,” <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/historic-again-president-trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-amtrak-and-penn">said</a> U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “He had a vision to transform this dirty, falling-apart station in the middle of his hometown into a state-of-the-art transit hub that millions can enjoy for generations to come. American families deserve a safe, efficient, and clean commute to their homes, jobs, and churches.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
LOOK at what is coming to New York City 🚨👀<a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is transforming Penn Station into the world-class masterpiece it was always meant to be
This isn&#8217;t just a renovation, it&#8217;s a complete, mind-blowing REBIRTH 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/gNyAW2U5AM">pic.twitter.com/gNyAW2U5AM</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/2064425528975634662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The winning design for the remodeled Penn Station was submitted by Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), whose founder Vishaan Chakrabarti has <a href="https://pau.studio/who/">worked</a> on American landmarks such as Columbia University, the East River waterfront, and the street grid surrounding the World Trade Center. 
 
PAU <a href="http://pau.studio/work/pennsylvania-station-renewed/">lamented</a> in a statement that the original Pennsylvania Station was a “Beaux-Arts masterpiece designed by McKim, Mead &amp; White” that was destroyed “in an act of extraordinary civic vandalism,” leading to the creation of a modern “subterranean station that has long been unsafe, undignified and unable to meet the demands of a growing city and region.” PAU seeks to fix the ailing station with their new design.
“For PAU, the project represents an ‘architecture of memory’—one that draws from historical precedent without replicating it,” the PAU statement said. “The proposal seeks to unite sustainability, durability, public utility, and civic grandeur in a station designed to serve future generations, while addressing the errors of the past.”
Justin Davidson, New York Magazine’s architecture critic, has stated that the architecture will also make Penn Station more navigable and accessible. 
“What the plan does accomplish is it clears away columns from the congested platforms and adds escalators, so commuters don’t have to stand in line to exit or rush to board in the few minutes between the platform announcement and departure,” Davidson <a href="https://www.curbed.com/article/trump-penn-station-redesign-pau-hok-art-deco.html">observed</a>. 
“An orderly grid of wide, high-ceilinged concourses, all on one level, replaces the multilevel ant farm of today, making the station safer and less stressful for its 650,000 daily passengers. The 18-wheelers serving Madison Square Garden, which now trundle in, back out, and cause gridlock on the street, will move through the building’s innards and stay out of sight.”
The designs will also include a presidential seal featuring Trump’s name. 
The project is projected to cost between $7 to $8 billion, mostly financed through federal grants to Amtrak, together with some private financing, federal loans, and potentially some funds from New York City. They plan to break ground at the end of 2027. In the meantime, the Department of Transportation is open to hearing public feedback on the proposed designs.
The Trump administration unveiled its Penn Station design after other renovation successes, including restoring the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-trump-trolls-libs-with-ai-pic-of-him-lounging-in-lincoln-memorial-reflection-pool">Lincoln Reflecting Pool</a> and cleaning up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-administration-to-fix-d-c-s-troubled-union-station">Union Station</a> in Washington, D.C.

The historic hall of Penn Station in New York city with the American flag

The Transit Hub That Shapes America’s First Impression Is Getting A Reboot

Amtrak

Department of Transportation

designer

Donald Trump

New York City

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Transportation

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The Canadian Parliament is poised to pass a bill that would ramp up restrictions on so-called hate speech and remove religious protections in a move that concerns conservatives and Christians whose worldview stands in opposition to the LGBT ideology. 
Canada&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/45-1/bill/C-9/third-reading">Combatting Hate Act</a>,&#8221; or Bill C-9, targets so-called hate crimes such as the public display of the Nazi swastika and other terrorist symbols, and it also increases the punishment for “intimidation” around places of worship and safe places. But also buried inside the bill is a controversial section that removes Canada&#8217;s religious exemption for so-called hate speech. Some worry that the bill could be used to silence Christian expression that opposes gay marriage.
The bill passed the country&#8217;s House of Commons in March and was adopted by the Senate last week. It was then sent back to the House of Commons to resolve amendments made in the Senate, and it is expected to be accepted without opposition and be signed into law by the governor general.
Canada&#8217;s Liberal government made an <a href="https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/proposed-restrictions-on-religious-freedom-bill-c-9/">agreement</a> with the secular Bloc Quebecois, a party devoted to Quebecois nationalism, to include in the bill a section that removes the religious exemption clause to hate speech that is currently in Canadian law code. With the removal of the religious exemption, people can be prosecuted for hate speech even if “the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opinion based on a belief in a religious text.” 

Josh Dehaas from the Canadian Constitution Foundation <a href="https://theccf.ca/bill-c-9-has-passed-heres-what-you-need-to-know/">warned</a> that the bill could even target the reading of certain scripture passages due to the removal of this religious protection. 
“It is unlikely passages from religious texts read on their own will lead to criminal charges,” Dehaas stated. “The Crown would need to believe that the intention of reading the text was to incite hatred, promote hatred or promote antisemitism.”
&#8220;However, with the defence now removed, certain passages from religious texts could now lead to charges depending on the context including when they are read, where they are read, and what other words are used when they are read,&#8221; he added. 
The Canadian Supreme Court has made a test for hate speech by looking for &#8220;hallmarks of hatred.&#8221; The &#8220;hallmarks&#8221; include calling a specific group a “powerful menace,” accusing “a group of carrying out secret conspiracies to gain global control or that they are plotting to destroy western civilization,” calling a group “liars, cheats, criminals and thugs,” labeling a people group “subhuman,” or blaming a group for the problems of society. 

The bill does include at least one protection against abuse, requiring the approval of the provincial attorneys, so the charge cannot be weaponized by local police.
Hillsdale assistant professor Dr. John Petrakis, an expert in comparative political systems and Canadian and American law, told The Daily Wire that the Canadian Supreme Court would likely defend bill if it becomes law, following its decision in Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott, in which the court upheld a penalty for a man who spread anti-gay pamphlets.
&#8220;It is difficult to predict exactly how these legal changes will operate in practice, and whether people might be able to challenge them on constitutional grounds (freedom of speech and freedom of religion,)&#8221; Petrakis declared. &#8220;I will say that the Court&#8217;s Whatcott decision should make one pessimistic. The courts are likely to dismiss constitutional challenges by saying that the laws and their application to specific cases are &#8216;reasonable&#8217; limitations to constitutional rights.&#8221; 

Petrakis said that with the advent of this new legislation, Canada will likely emulate countries such as Great Britain in their crackdown on reported hate speech.
&#8220;My overall take is that Canadian free speech law and culture is much less robust than the U.S., though more robust than Western Europe, but that this new law will reinforce our trend away from American-style speech culture towards the European version,&#8221; Petrakis said.
The Senate sponsor of the bill, the Honorable Kristopher Wells, <a href="https://theprogressives.ca/in-the-senate/speeches/third-reading-of-bill-c-9-an-act-to-amend-the-criminal-code-hate-propaganda-hate-crime-and-access-to-religious-or-cultural-places/">described</a> his experience working with the “Jewish, Muslim, Asian, black, indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ communities,” stating that their universal plea to the government is that “they do not feel safe, do not feel seen and do not feel the law is there to help them at their time of greatest need.” 

“Bill C-9 is our answer to those responses,” Wells stated. “It is an opportunity for Parliament to say, with unwavering moral clarity and with the strength of criminal law, that our country sees you, Canada will stand with you and hate will not be tolerated in this country.”
One section of the bill creates a separate hate crime offense for an “offense &#8230; motivated by hatred based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, color, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.” Previously, the charge of a hate crime could only be used to extend the sentence for a crime, but this bill creates it as a separate, punishable offense.
Wells argued that Canada needs a separate hate crime offense after claiming to witness a rise in so-called hate crimes against the LGBT community. 
“Drag storytimes are protested; pride flags are burned or removed from municipalities and schools; and 25% of adolescents in Canada have experienced at least one form of cyberbullying, with trans and non-binary adolescents almost twice as likely to be targeted,&#8221; Wells said. 
“Bill C-9 corrects this by creating a dedicated hate crime offence, ensuring that when someone wilfully commits a criminal act motivated by hatred against an identifiable group, that motivation is recognized as the very essence of the wrongdoing,” he added.
The bill also prohibits the public display of a symbol that “is principally used by, or principally associated with, a listed entity.&#8221; This bans hosting the flags for <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#2025-02-20-7">designated</a> terror organizations, such as the Palestine Liberation Front, the Taliban, and Al Qaida, and gangs such as La Mara Salvatrucha, along with far-Right groups such as the Proud Boys.
The bill seeks to prevent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-hamas-protesters-chant-allahu-akbar-as-they-tear-down-and-burn-american-flags-hamas-is-coming">terrorist demonstrations</a> like the pro-Hamas demonstrations in the United States, where Left-wing rioters shouted “Allahu Akbar&#8221; and burned the American flag in response to a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

LGBTQ2S+ Protest In Edmonton

Canada Poised To Escalate Crackdown On Christian Resistance To LGBT Ideology

Canada

Free Speech

Freedom of Religion

Hate Crime

Hate Speech

The recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worries-spread-as-ebola-outbreak-hits-grim-milestone?row=0&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">Ebola outbreak</a> in Africa has received a lot of media attention in recent weeks, but there is a potentially deadlier pandemic sweeping across Africa: cholera. 
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, officials have confirmed 115 deaths out of 598 confirmed cases of Ebola outside the U.S. since the outbreak started in early May. In comparison, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/all-topics-z/cholera/surveillance-and-disease-data/cholera-monthly">reported</a> 3,596 new cholera cases and 176 deaths in Africa since the end of April. 
The reason cholera is underreported is that the disease has affected Africa and parts of Asia for centuries. 
Cholera is one of the world&#8217;s deadliest diseases and has swept the globe with seven pandemics since its discovery, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera">World Health Organization</a>. The current outbreak has lasted for 65 years since starting in Southern Asia and has since gone worldwide.
“Researchers estimate that there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths from cholera worldwide each year,” the WHO reported.
The symptoms of cholera can be even more painful and more quickly lead to death than Ebola symptoms.
Cholera is a disease that triggers rapid, uncontrollable diarrhea that can cause severe dehydration, internal organ failure, and death of infected patients within hours if left untreated.
Ebola, on the other hand, causes internal bleeding. It can take between 2 and 21 days for an infected person to begin showing symptoms, and symptoms can continue for weeks.
Though Ebola does have a higher fatality rate than cholera, studies show that treatment in the United States can significantly lower the chance of death.
“Death rates [for Ebola] drop sharply with intensive supportive care, the kind that keeps patients hydrated and their blood pressure and oxygen stable,” <a href="https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/news/commentary/how-worried-should-you-be-about-ebola">UC Berkeley Public Health</a> reported. &#8220;During the 2014 West Africa outbreak, mortality ran 40 to 70 percent across affected countries; for the small number of patients evacuated to Europe and the U.S., it was closer to 20 percent.”
Ebola, unlike other viruses such as COVID-19, is not airborne but spreads through contact with a contaminated person’s bodily fluids. In Africa, the disease has spread rapidly due in part to local burial customs that dictate that a whole tribe should bury the dead.
Cholera spreads through contaminated water. Thus, while Ebola spreads from person to person, entire villages can contract cholera at the same time due to using a single source of contaminated water.
Cholera has also been increasing in Africa in recent years. Conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with earthquakes and natural disasters, have harmed the water infrastructure in Africa, causing more people to resort to cholera-infested sources.
“Reported cholera cases rose by 5% and deaths by 50% in 2024 compared to 2023, with more than 6000 people dying from a disease that is both preventable and treatable,” the WHO <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/12-09-2025-cholera-kills-more-people-for-second-consecutive-year-while-prevention-and-treatment-available">stated</a>. “Conflict, climate change, population displacement, and long-term deficiencies in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure continue to fuel the rise of cholera.”

TOPSHOT-SUDAN-CONFLICT-HEALTH-CHOLERA

The Pandemic Nobody’s Talking About — And It’s Not Ebola

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Pandemic

World Health Organization

An ex-Marine fought off four armed teenage robbery suspects in Maryland this week after one of them pointed a gun at him while he was working on his truck.
The confrontation happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday in Oxon Hill, just outside Washington, D.C., according to reports.
Video obtained by <a href="http://facebook.com/FoxNews/videos/four-teens-allegedly-tried-to-rob-a-former-marine-at-gunpoint-outside-his-own-ho/993407659719786/">Fox News</a> shows four hooded teens approaching Jheyco Borda as he worked on his vehicle.
One of the teens allegedly demanded Borda&#8217;s keys, phone, and valuables while pointing a handgun at him. 
After a brief standoff, Borda grabbed the teen&#8217;s arm and threw him to the ground.
The other suspects initially fled, but one returned and attempted to reengage before being tackled by Borda&#8217;s brother, who rushed in to help.
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According to <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/former-marine-fights-off-armed-teen-robbers-oxon-hill">Fox 5,</a> the firearm discharged during the struggle and struck Borda&#8217;s truck. 
No injuries were reported.
Prince George&#8217;s County police later took all four teens into custody. 
 
Marines are trained to maneuver and escape from hostile situations through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape schools. Borda had reportedly been trained in hand-to-hand combat.  
The <a href="https://dcwitness.org/everyone-thinks-youth-crime-is-increasing-d-c-witness-data-shows-why/">D.C. Witness</a> reported that teen crime in the D.C. area has been on the rise. According to the outlet, “the percentage of homicides and non-fatal shootings perpetrated by youth aged 15-to-20 almost doubled in the three years from 2021 thru June 2024.”

Woman inside her car being threat with a gun.

Teens Tried To Rob An Ex-Marine. It Didn’t Go As Planned.

Crime

Marines

Teenagers

teens

Washington D.C.

Washington DC

Lego has unveiled a massive new model of Barcelona&#8217;s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica, a release timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the death of its chief architect, Antoni Gaudí. 
The set contains 12,060 pieces, making it the largest Lego set ever released, according to the company.
“The new set captures the evolving story of Barcelona’s most iconic landmark, with the building steps mirroring the basilica’s actual construction sequence,” Lego <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2026/june/lego-architecture-sagrada-fam-lia-set-unveiled">said</a> in the statement. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Lego Architecture Sagrada Familia revealed!
12060 pieces / $799.99 / £649.99 / 1st a November 2026<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Lego?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lego</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Legonews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legonews</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/Legoleaks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legoleaks</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/architecture?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#architecture</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/SagradaFam%C3%ADlia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SagradaFamília</a> <a href="https://t.co/t3HrbmSP0s">pic.twitter.com/t3HrbmSP0s</a>
— Brick Built Blogs (@BlogsBrick) <a href="https://x.com/BlogsBrick/status/2062520774313840830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“The build begins with the foundational Apse and Crypt, moves through Gaudí’s original Nativity façade and the dramatic Passion façade, before rising into the grand naves, Western Sacristy and six iconic towers. The final stage brings the model together with the Eastern Sacristy and the Glory façade.”
The release comes as the real Sagrada Familia approaches a major milestone of its own.
Construction on the basilica began more than 140 years ago and has continued ever since. According to <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/06/04/gaudis-sagrada-familia-finally-shakes-off-its-incompletable-tag-as-pope-prepares-to-inaugurate-tallest-and-final-tower">The Art Newspape</a>r, Pope Leo XIV is expected to bless the newly completed Tower of Jesus on June 10, the centennial of Gaudí&#8217;s death.
&#8220;The inauguration marks the symbolic completion of the church, though work is expected to continue for another decade,” according to the outlet.
The Sagrada Familia is the latest religious landmark to receive the Lego treatment. In 2024, the company released a model of Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the world&#8217;s most renowned Catholic landmarks, during the reconstruction of the famous Paris church. The move signaled a willingness to create sets based on prominent religious sites.
The new set was designed by Rok Žgalin Kobe, who has also worked on Lego versions of the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Trevi Fountain, and other architectural icons. 

The Sagrada Familia Lego set is available for preorder for $799.99 and is scheduled for release on November 1.
&nbsp;

Barcelona, Sagrada Familia

A Catholic Work Of Architecture Is Set To Become Largest Lego Set Ever

Catholic

Catholic Church

Catholicism

Catholics

Lego

Notre Dame

Notre Dame Cathedral

Spain

Toys

The internet has been up in arms about one of the biggest Lego scandals in human history, involving a record-breaking Lego set and accusations of corporate greed, content farming, and police irresponsibility. 
 
Eric Mansell, along with his son Bryan, reportedly <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/05/28/bricks-minifigs-salem-oregon-clarity-and-resolution/">collected</a> a Lego Star Wars collection consisting of 780 boxed Lego sets and 1,200 rare figures as an investment for his grandchildren. The collection was reportedly priced between $60,000 to $200,000. 
 
The family gave the collection to Bricks and Minifigs, an after-market Lego reseller, to sell on consignment. But when the store changed hands, the new owner refused Mansell access to the collection and denied even having it. 
 
“All you have to do is let me in back. We can go that route or we can go to court,” Mansell said he told the store owner, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wscQpkcwgNU">adding,</a> “And the guy there just looks at me, crosses his arms and goes, ‘Let me tell you what’s going to happen. If we go to court, we’re going to drag this thing out so long and you’re going to end up spending so much more money than your collection is ever worth or what you ever would have gotten out of it, then it ain’t worth it, man.’”
Bricks and Minifigs denied &#8220;knowingly&#8221; stealing the Lego collection, stating, “The actual origin of this dispute lies in an unauthorized, local consignment arrangement between an independent former franchisee of the Salem store and the Mansell family.” The company stated that the collection was not even in the store when Johnson and Brandon Best took it over, as the collection was moved to an &#8220;offsite secure location.&#8221; 
Bricks and Minifigs stated that it found between $2,000 and $5,000 worth of the sets in the store that could possibly belong to the Mansell family. It stated, “We offered to return these items to the Mansell family though BAM had no legal obligation to do so, but it was refused.”
“Neither corporate nor the incoming owners (Josh Johnson and Best) ever took, sold, or concealed this collection,” the company added, claiming that inventory logs show the collection was already missing at the time of the takeover of the franchise.
Ben Schneider, who is known on YouTube as Reckless Ben, brought the case to the public&#8217;s attention after he sought to help the family get compensation for the massive Lego set. Schneider even went to the Bricks and Minifigs store to look into the case, but the police were called and he was ordered to stay off the property after being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wscQpkcwgNU">accused</a> of harassment. Schneider was also accused of trespassing after he attempted to go to the office of Ammon McNeff, the CEO of Bricks and Minifigs.
After Schneider reportedly tried all forms of discussion with Best and his business associate Joshua Johnson, he managed to win a default judgement in a small claims court against them for the Legos. However, Best and Johnson closed the Bricks and Minifigs store shortly after the controversy erupted.
Schneider then tried to personally sue Johnson and Best to recover the money, but said he had difficulty having a good faith conversation and serving the court papers required to personally sue. 
Schneider said he waited outside Johnson’s house away from his property so he could talk with him about the lawsuit while not being accused of trespassing. Johnson reportedly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxZPfj8AlmY">refused</a> to leave his property and called the cops multiple times on Schneider, one time allegedly accusing him of having heroin in his car, which turned out to be false. 
After Schneider was released on bail, the police later raided the house where Schneider and his friends were staying. The police arrested them all, and Schneider accused officers of dislocating his arm in the process.
Schneider and his friends were interrogated, and the police tried to keep Schneider in jail with no bail, but a judge allowed him to go. When Schneider was reportedly notified that there was another bail out for his arrest on the pretext that he was a physical threat to Johnson, he fled to Mexico to wait until things were sorted out.
In response to the ongoing problem with Schneider, Mansell, Johnson, and Best, Bricks and Minifigs filed a lawsuit against Schneider for conducting a harassment and extortion campaign against Bricks and Minifigs in Utah and Oregon. The company also <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/05/28/bricks-minifigs-salem-oregon-clarity-and-resolution/">released</a> an official statement defending their side of the story.
The Bricks and Minifigs website has called Schneider and his content creator friends “zealous online profiteers” who have been engaged in “viral mischaracterizations” and &#8220;sensationalization&#8221; of their actions, and the actions of Johnson and Best.
Bricks and Minifigs also denied receiving verifiable copies of the signed contract, receipts of payment to the Mansell family, and a true listing of the inventory. It also said the store was closed “because our staff — including local teenagers — faced severe real-world safety hazards, targeted in-person stalking, and explicit bomb threats driven by viral videos.”
The American Fork Police Department posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcVmSQpIPRY">video</a> detailing its perspective on the events, including previous claims about harassment, stalking, forging of signatures, and theft of Legos. The police department also stated it wanted to stop Schneider&#8217;s attempt to contact Johnson about the Legos because Johnson &#8220;reported that he was going to shoot someone as a result of the ongoing harassment.&#8221;
Schneider has also issued a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YEzhDn0jY8">response</a> to the police video, stating that the police raided &#8220;my house for stealing the Legos when there&#8217;s an overwhelming amount of evidence that Josh stole the Legos&#8221; and that the police &#8220;redacted everything&#8221; that supported Schneider in the body cam footage, saying that the reason was &#8220;to protect the victims.&#8221;
Schneider also started a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-bryan-recover-his-lego-collection">GoFundMe</a> to help the Mansell family recover the cost of their collections and to pay for legal fees as he is considering suing Best, Johnson, and the police department.
Most recently, Bricks and Minifigs released a statement <a href="https://bricksandminifigs.com/blog/blog/2026/06/04/bricks-and-minifigs-salem-joshua-johnson-brandon-best-resignation/">declaring</a> that it was permanently closing their Salem location, parting ways with Johnson and Best, and &#8220;personally reached out to Bryan Mansell and family to meet, to review documentation revealed in the investigation, and to come to a mutual and positive resolution.&#8221;

Legoworlds in the Bomann-Museum Celle

GRAND THEFT LEGO: How One Man’s ‘Star Wars’ Collection Set The Internet Ablaze

Corporate America

Corporations

Corruption

Gen Z

Internet

Oregon

Star Wars

Utah

Federal immigration authorities detained dozens of workers and arrested company officials during a major raid at a South Carolina manufacturing plant this week, the culmination of what state officials described as a years-long investigation into the employment of illegal immigrants.
The operation, <a href="https://www.foxcarolina.com/2026/06/04/ag-48-detained-by-ice-operation-burnstein-von-seelen-6-indicted/">dubbed</a> “Operation Ghost Story,” targeted Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville, a city roughly 86 miles from Columbia. Authorities said 48 workers were detained and are being investigated for potential immigration violations. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨HOLY CRAP!!!
An absolutely MASSIVE operation is underway as ICE has SURROUNDED a casting company in rural South Carolina.
A criminal search warrant is currently being executed for the alleged hiring of illegal aliens&#8230;
There are literally HUNDREDS of people in handcuffs!!! <a href="https://t.co/lcBLPj7cKn">pic.twitter.com/lcBLPj7cKn</a>
— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) <a href="https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2062293719945019527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Officials also announced criminal charges against plant manager Christopher Ramey and human resources coordinator Sandy Willis. The two are accused of conspiracy, identity fraud related to employment, and forgery. 

Four additional defendants were charged with supplying fake identification documents that workers used to obtain employment. One of the defendants, Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia, is currently at large and wanted by authorities.
ICE partnered with the Department of Homeland Security, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Abbeville and Greenwood County Sheriff&#8217;s Offices, the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and other state and local agencies in carrying out the operation.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark A. Keel <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/ice-raid-employees-arrested-south-carolina-business/71493075">called</a> this raid “the direct result of an exhaustive, years-long investigation.”  
 
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said the operation demonstrates the state&#8217;s commitment to enforcing immigration and identity fraud laws.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wilson stated in a press conference. “If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you.”
Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings manufactures precision pieces for major corporations such as General Electric, General Dynamics, and Siemens.

Immigration Advocates Demonstrate And Clash With Officers Outside Delaney Hall Detention Facility In Newark

Years-Long Probe Leads To Major ICE Raid At Manufacturing Plant

Department of Homeland Security

homeland security

illegal alien

Illegal Immigation

illegal immigrant

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Immigration

Law Enforcement

law enforcements

Police

South Carolina

The State of California takes longer than anywhere else count votes thanks to its prioritization of inclusivity over speed in elections. 
California has the largest population of registered voters in America, totaling around 23.2 million, and it makes it as easy as possible for them all to vote, at the expense of timely counting. 
California passed legislation in 2021 to send mail-in ballots to each registered voter in a push for making voting accessible to all Californians.
&#8220;Our priority is trying to maximize participation of actively registered voters,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/why-california-takes-weeks-count-votes-lorida-fasters/">said</a> Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, who wrote the bill. &#8220;What that means is things are a little slower. But in a society that wants immediate gratification, I think our democracy is worth taking a little time to get it right and to create a system where everyone can participate.&#8221; 
 
Mail ballots are notorious for slowing down elections, as each ballot needs to be individually opened and each requires extra validation steps.
Although California allows absentee ballots to start to be <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/vote-counting-process">processed</a> 29 days before Election Day, California law <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-elec/division-3/chapter-1/section-3020/">accepts</a> mail-in ballots up to seven days after Election Day if they are postmarked or timestamped before or on the day of the election. It can take a whole week for the state to determine how many ballots have been cast in the first place.
California does <a href="https://voteriders.org/states/california/">require</a> ID to register to vote, but it does not require any identification when voting in-person or absentee.
Instead of using ID, California election officials <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/us/politics/california-election-delayed-results.html">compare</a> the ballot’s signature to one on file, which is a process that can take much longer than using an ID. Many of the ballots have errors, which can draw out the election as voters fix their mistakes. 
 
Ballot curing is the process of correcting errors in a ballot. California is one of <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Cure_period_for_absentee_and_mail-in_ballots">24 states</a> that both allow for ballot curing and allow for curing after election day. 
While most states <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-15-states-with-signature-cure-processes">require</a> that the ballot be cured within a week after election Day, California allows voters to wait until two days before election certification to fix their ballots, which could be weeks after election day.
California’s lengthy election process can be seen with the highly-contested <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-candidate-advances-in-heated-l-a-mayors-race-second-spot-still-up-for-grabs?row=0&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">Los Angeles mayoral race</a>, with only 63% of the vote counted by the day after the election. The results of the race are not expected to be confirmed for days, if not weeks.

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Blake Schaper