Hamas to disarm?
“Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY,” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social yesterday. This news marks a “critical step” in Trump’s 20-point plan that was the framework for ending the war in Gaza. That plan included a rebuilding of Gaza, to be overseen by an international governance group and, importantly, a new government in the Palestinian territory that was not controlled by Hamas. Of course, the big question here is whether Hamas, which has a long history of deception, actually disarms. Time will tell, but on the surface, this does appear to be a positive development for Gaza.

Maine Dem Senate candidate had kids with his (second) cousin
Well, if Maine Democrats were hoping to find a normal candidate to succeed Graham Platner, they haven’t quite succeeded. Troy Jackson, the new hope for Democrats to unseat longtime incumbent Susan Collins, is second cousins with his high school sweetheart turned mother of his children. Jackson does not appear to have married Lana Pelletier, referring to her as his longtime partner, but new reporting shows that the couple who have raised two adult sons are both descendants of the same great-grandparents, Thomas Pelletier and Edith Thibodeau. Jackson hails from the small remote town of Allagash, which has long been rumored to have family trees that tangle rather than branch. Second-cousin marriages are legal in all 50 states and are not considered to increase the risk of birth defects, but for many Americans, cousin marriage crosses the line.

Wisconsin’s loony governor’s race
Democrats in purple Wisconsin are desperate to ensure that the Cheese State’s outgoing governor, Tony Evers, hands power to another Democrat, but it’s a messy race that is giving the Republican candidate a fighting chance. A once-crowded field of candidates for the Democrat nomination has narrowed after former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes dropped out just ahead of bombshell reporting that he had abused his position within the party to have intimate relationships with young women. Barnes stopped just short of endorsing radical Democratic Socialist candidate Francesca Hong, saying, “It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.” Republican Tom Tiffany is likely eager to face off against a radical like Hong, who has failed to distance herself from official DSA policies like the abolition of the Senate.

U.S. inks deal with Ukraine to manufacture drones
The drones that have been so effective in helping the besieged Ukrainian people to fend off Russian aggression are coming to America. Preliminary documents have been signed in an agreement that will allow the Pentagon to test Ukrainian systems as a fuller “drone deal” is worked out between the two nations. Ukrainian Defense Drones, a U.S. company, has chosen to build its first major American assembly of Ukrainian F-Drones in Holland, Ohio. The decision was sparked by a Pentagon prototype order under the Drone Dominance initiative. The assembly in Ohio is expected to create at least 300 jobs and generate $18.4 million in the Buckeye State. Drone Dominance is expected to field 200,000 one-way attack drones by 2027, with the first phase aiming to build 30,000 drones at no more than $5,000 per unit.

California hands out meth pipes
In the name of denouncing the racist war on drugs, California created drug hubs free from monitoring by law enforcement. Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom began the Harm Reduction Initiative, which teaches drug use to make it “safer” and keep addicts alive. Harm reduction policies include syringe services for people who inject or smoke meth and fentanyl. Nonprofit care campuses receive millions of dollars in taxpayer funding to provide homeless services in Los Angeles. Along with handing out food, the tax money goes to giving addicts drugs instead of helping them get clean. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, crime has surged in the neighborhood around Skid Row Care Campus: four murders and over a thousand police calls in the last year. This comes after President Trump mandated a review of those federally funded sites.

CNN poll: one-third of Dems identify as Democratic Socialists
Across the nation, Democratic Socialists are seeing new momentum at the polls. Roughly a third of Democrats and left-leaning adults now identify as Democratic Socialists, CNN found. Ever since Zohran Mamdani became the mayor of New York City, more candidates describe themselves as socialists, including Diana DeGette in Colorado. Upcoming primaries will test whether the trend will swell beyond Democrat strongholds into states like Wisconsin. The poll showed that, compared to the average Democrat, Democratic Socialists are younger, more likely to be white, more motivated to vote, more positive toward the Democrats, and more negative toward the Republicans. They earn less, argue for deeper reforms, and strongly believe the U.S. shouldn’t support Israel. Oddly enough, non-Democratic Socialists are comfortable with the idea of socialist candidates holding office.

Wisconsin brewery offers free beer upon Trump’s death, loses license
Recently, a brewery in Wisconsin owned by a leftist activist named Kirk Bangstad advertised that it would give out free beer “all day long, the day [Donald Trump] dies.” Another of Bangstad’s social media posts reads, “Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle.” Now, Bangstad has been informed by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue that his license is being revoked, although the reason cited was for alleged tax violations. Bangstad claims the tax allegation is bogus; he has promised to fight and has asked for funding to help pay the court costs.

Trump may pull Blanche nomination
With Republican Senators Thom Tillis and John Cornyn holding out on voting to confirm President Trump’s attorney general nominee, Acting AG Todd Blanche, Trump has weighed pulling his nomination. “I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump posted on social media yesterday. At issue for both Cornyn and Tillis is ensuring that the $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was part of the IRS settlement with Trump, is completely and officially dead. Meanwhile, a number of Republican senators who believe Blanche is the man for the job are pushing to get Cornyn and Tillis on board, as there is no guarantee that Republicans will maintain majority control of the Senate following the midterm elections.

Spain doesn’t have Trump’s border
Yesterday, thousands of African migrants swam from Morocco to Ceuta, a small Spanish territory on the North African coast. At least 34 migrants died trying to cross the border by drowning or by stampede on the beach. Most of the invaders were young men, but videos show women and children as well. Earlier this month, Spain’s supreme court ruled that migrants crossing by sea cannot be deported immediately. That ruling likely caused the migrant surge. The leader of Ceuta urged the government to send military help as arrivals increase. The government, however, refuses to declare a national emergency until the migration flow risks national security. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain is “mobilizing all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normalcy as soon as possible.”

Headlines

• Hunter Biden says he’s too broke to own a car or phone in deposition over unpaid legal fees (WFB)

• Canadian citizen in Florida charged with illegally voting in seven U.S. elections (Washington Times)

• Father of Georgia mass shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison (Washington Examiner)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.