• Speaker Johnson says Trump admin can’t tap contingency fund for SNAP: The $5 billion SNAP contingency fund cannot legally be used to fund SNAP during a government shutdown. The contingency fund exists to cover funding gaps when an appropriation falls short of a situation’s needs, specifically when a natural disaster increases the nutrition assistance a region needs. The fund cannot be used when no appropriation has been made for SNAP, as in this case, because the Democrats refused to pass a continuing resolution. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has incorrectly stated that the fund can be used. When presented with the legal issues, Jeffries argued that Republicans have found money for foreign policy, so they can find money for SNAP. House Speaker Mike Johnson has pointed out that Democrats can still secure SNAP funding by ending the shutdown.

• Autopen report: Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released their 100-page report detailing Joe Biden’s prolific use of the autopen, accusing his White House of using it to cover up Biden’s mental decline. The report states, “Faced with the cognitive decline of President Joe Biden, White House aides — at the direction of the inner circle — hid the truth about the former president’s condition and fitness for office.” The report argues that many of his supposed decisions should not carry the force of law, and it calls on the Justice Department to open an investigation. Biden’s White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, who invoked the Fifth Amendment for all questions during his sworn deposition, came under significant criticism in the report. Committee Chair James Comer called for an investigation into O'Connor by the DC Health Board of Medicine, with the possibility of yanking his medical license.

• Woke artist mutilates Stonewall Jackson statue: While Democrats are going apoplectic over Donald Trump’s renovation of the White House’s East Wing with the addition of a large ballroom, condemning his actions as destroying history, they ignore the actual vandalization of American historical monuments. Case in point is a Stonewall Jackson monument in Charlottesville, Virginia. The bronze statue of the Confederate general astride his horse was taken down, chopped up, and reconfigured into a new “sculpture” by artist Kara Walker to fight racism. What it looks like now is best described as a twisted metal monstrosity of man and horse. It displays no beauty, craftsmanship, or higher inspiration. But the Left sees this as “justice.” In truth, it’s neither art nor historical commentary. It’s just an ugly display of deluded, self-righteous, self-indulgent vandalism.

• Eric Swalwell comes down with Ballroom Derangement Syndrome: Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell is not a shining example of a congressman at the best of times, but demanding the next Democrat president destroy the new ballroom is pushing the envelope. Swalwell posted on X, “Don’t even think of seeking the Democratic nomination for president unless you pledge to take a wrecking ball to the Trump Ballroom on DAY ONE.” The hysteria over Trump’s White House construction has reached a fever pitch, apparently outranking even other Democrat shibboleths like universal healthcare. The Leftmedia has left no stone unturned in its attempt to generate outrage over the construction, even mourning the destruction of a tree dedicated to Warren G. Harding. Even former Biden staffers are struggling to maintain the proper level of outrage, with a former Jill Biden spokesman saying the takedown of the East Wing is sad but “probably needed.”

• Maine Nazi tattoo candidate’s second campaign manager quits: After just three days on the job, Maine Senate candidate Graham Planter of Nazi tattoo infamy had his second campaign manager quit. Planter’s first campaign manager, Genevieve McDonald, quit following revelations of the candidate’s past racist and anti-cop social media posts. Planter’s second campaign manager was longtime friend Kevin Brown, who explained his decision to suddenly leave the position after learning on Friday that he had a baby on the way and that he needed to take time to focus on his family. Planter, whom Sen. Bernie Sanders has endorsed, is in a tight race with Gov. Janet Mills for the Democrat nomination to take on Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins.

• Newsom blasts Trump admin over decision to send election monitors to CA: The Department of Justice is sending federal election monitors to polling sites in key elections — news at six. It seems like a non-issue to have monitors present at a polling site to ensure election integrity. Still, for some reason, Gov. Gavin Newsom is having a meltdown over the DOJ’s decision to send federal monitors to five key California counties and one in New Jersey ahead of important November elections. Newsom says the move is voter intimidation and “a bridge too far.” It’s hard to imagine why this is an issue if election law is being followed.

• Trump signs rare-earth deal with Japan: President Donald Trump and Japan’s first female Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met on Tuesday and signed an agreement outlining a plan for joint U.S.-Japanese investment in rare earth minerals. Rare earths are critical for the manufacturing of high-tech products from computer chips to EVs. The agreement states that the two nations will identify and invest in new rare-earth mining projects in their respective countries. The nations will also work to reduce onerous and time-consuming regulations that have hindered the development of rare-earth industries. China is the current world leader in rare earths, from mining to manufacturing, but the U.S. and Japan say they plan to coordinate with “like-minded partners” such as Australia and the EU to break the Chinese near-monopoly.

• Musk launches Wikipedia competitor: Given Wikipedia’s blatant leftist bias, a reality documented by the platform’s co-creator, Larry Sanger, it comes as little surprise that a wealthy truth seeker and free speech advocate like Elon Musk would want to do something about it. In that vein, on Monday, Musk announced the launch of his online AI encyclopedia, Grokipedia, as a less biased alternative to Wikipedia. Grokipedia, which in design looks similar to Wikipedia, will harness its AI tech to deliver more factually accurate information. For example, the Grokipedia entry on gender states, “Gender refers to the binary classification of humans as male or female based on biological sex….” By contrast, Wikipedia states, “Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender.”

• K-12 smartphone ban sees students’ test scores improve: Early reports show that smartphone bans in public schools are improving performance and student participation. Imagine — getting rid of a massive distraction helps students concentrate better. The Washington Times reports, “A working paper published this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that, starting in 2023, Florida students who were required to put away their phones during instructional time showed ‘significant positive effects’ on standardized test scores.” This paper builds on many teacher surveys demonstrating similar results, especially in states that have implemented smartphone bans for the entire school day. More than half of states have restricted phone use. This is becoming a bipartisan issue with left-leaning teachers unions endorsing bell-to-bell bans. In a 2024 survey, the NEA found that 83% of teachers favored banning student phones all day, while 90% supported banning them at least during instructional time.

• Bill Gates is slowly backing away from climate cultism: The upcoming COP UN climate summit is usually an excuse for climate cultists to drive hysteria about global disaster, but that movement might be losing steam. Even billionaire Bill Gates is now urging a shift away from disasterism and toward improving lives in the present. In a letter published Tuesday, Gates urged a pivot to issues that have the “greatest impact on human welfare.” Perhaps he’s finally admitting that anti-growth, anti-energy policies are among the most self-destructive actions wealthy nations have ever taken. Or maybe he just noticed that even Greta Thunberg has shifted away from climate change and wants to flee a sinking ship.

Headlines

• Anarchist arrested for alleged $45,000 hit on Pam Bondi (NY Post)

• College fires staffer who said ICE agents should be “wiped out” (PJ Media)

• U.S. Navy Sea Hawk helicopter, F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet go down in separate South China Sea incidents (Fox News)

• New musical mocks wokeness by reimagining Anne Frank as “pansexual Latina with non-binary lover and neurodiverse family” (Not the Bee)

• Humor: Nine historical objects Trump destroyed in the East Wing (Babylon Bee)

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