Economic D-Day unleashed on Iran, allies
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a press conference yesterday announcing Operation Economic Outcast, a financial counteroffensive against Iran. The aim is to sanction or otherwise pressure every nation or organization into ceasing all trade with the Islamic Republic. Said Bessent, “Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone.” The economic toll of sanctions and the ongoing naval blockade of the nation have had notable effects. The Iranian currency has taken a dramatic nosedive, and even its own public-facing figures are voicing concerns. However, the White House is still noticeably avoiding tensions with China by not targeting any China-based trade. It remains a question whether the only truly decisive blow will come from driving China and Iran apart.
Darline Graham’s primary is today
South Carolinians will vote today in a primary runoff election to decide the Republican Senate nominee. The race is between Senator Darline Graham, the younger sister of the late Lindsey Graham, and Congressman Ralph Norman. Graham lacks political experience, which was made glaringly evident during her debate with Norman, but she has still been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Norman is a member of the House Freedom Caucus who has promoted fiscal responsibility and spending cuts. He’s been outspent by Graham and a super PAC, but he has focused his campaign on highlighting her lack of experience. The question is whether Trump’s endorsement alone is enough for Graham to secure the party nomination.
NYC supermarkets sue Mamdani for city grocery stores
Two lawsuits were filed Monday in New York City challenging socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to operate city grocery stores at a loss. The Multicultural Business Coalition alleges in state court that Mamdani’s plan will violate their civil rights. The immigrant-led business group says it is unable to compete with prices set 30% below market standard and that the group is “historically discriminated against.” The second similar lawsuit alleges that the city-run stores would be the equivalent of allowing retail giant Walmart to operate in the city, with even steeper discounts, forcing many New York grocers out of business.
State Dept. cracks down on fraudulent asylum cases/birthright tourism
Up to 200,000 foreigners who have sought or received asylum in the U.S. may soon find their business and tourism visas revoked per a new Trump administration plan. B1 and B2 visas are issued to those seeking a short-term stay in the U.S., but the Trump administration has identified large numbers of people who applied for permanent asylum upon reaching U.S. shores. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau commented, “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.” Birthright tourism has also become a focus of the State Department, with a recently launched Birth Tourism and Prevention Task Force already having revoked over 750 visas.
Cracks in Clancy narrative start to show
Forensic psychologist Kirk Heilbrun took the stand during the Lindsay Clancy murder case, and his testimony may fundamentally alter a case that debates the effect of mental health in a capital crime. Heilbrun ruled out acute psychosis as a cause, saying, “The way she described this as happening is that she heard a voice that she’d never heard before, experienced a hallucination, and she’s never experienced it since. But she only experienced it for the 18 minutes or so that it took to [commit the crime].” He argued, “That would be a very, very unusual pattern or manifestation of how this kind of thing comes about. Very unusual.” While this might be explained by several different medical conditions or drugs, it seems horrifically convenient that the alleged hallucinations only took place during the short amount of time it took to murder three children.
El-Sayed displays absurd platform
Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed laid out his radical leftist agenda during an interview with Fox News. Host Jesse Watters challenged El-Sayed with questions about Sharia law, transition surgeries, and taxing the rich. El-Sayed linked spurning Sharia law with white supremacy and contended that the Constitution protects freedom of religion. When Watters asked about surgeries for gender-confused kids, El-Sayed equated castration with circumcision. He also dodged defining his stance on men in women’s sports by asserting that conservatives care more about culture-war issues than about economic concerns. El-Sayed argued that billionaires would remain financially secure even with higher taxes and criticized the wealthy top 1%. His household, however, reported earning $686,000 in 2025. “Do you want to drive on good roads, or would you rather have a billionaire make a second billion? That’s what Mike Rogers wants,” El-Sayed said, taking a shot at his Republican rival.
DHS to make H-1Bs pricey
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently announced a DHS plan to charge a $103,265 fee for H-1B visas. “DHS believes that U.S. employers, if required to pay an additional $103,265 fee when filing an H-1B cap-subject petition, would be less likely to hire an H-1B worker over a qualified and highly skilled American worker unless the need is legitimate and they have no alternative for obtaining the specialized skills of the employee,” Mullin explained. The U.S. hands out 85,000 H-1B visas annually. The new visa fee is based on data showing that companies that hire foreign workers through the H-1B program pay them, on average, 16% less than they pay American workers. The idea is that this fee would help level the playing field, making it more financially attractive for companies to hire Americans.
Iran puts bounty on Barron Trump
A three-minute video aired on Iranian state TV aimed at attracting an assassin to take out Barron Trump, Donald Trump’s youngest son. The AI-generated footage showed clips of a hooded hacker hunting for data alongside clips of Barron playing Xbox. The video demonstrated Barron being tracked at various locations and on social media platforms, as well as plans to breach his Secret Service detail. The video’s narration offered a $10 million bounty. This is nothing new, as the Iranians have made similar videos targeting President Trump and Melania and have spent years planning assassination schemes. Federal authorities have often thwarted Iranian hit squads operating inside the U.S. IRGC assets who have been charged by the DOJ have admitted in court they were ordered by Iran to arrange political assassinations against U.S. officials, including Trump.
Marijuana addiction
A new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that, following state laws legalizing marijuana, there has been a 97% rise in addiction symptoms for adults aged 40-50. The researchers reported that the abuse of the drug has nearly doubled from 3.3% in 2017 to 6.5% in 2025. The study observed a correlation between marijuana abuse and when “people consume large amounts, use marijuana longer than expected, feel unable to stop, persist in dangerous circumstances, suffer withdrawal symptoms, or quit their responsibilities.” The study revealed record highs of daily cannabis use among young people aged 19-30, which has increased from 6.9% in 2015 to 11.8% in 2025. The research confirms what many warned would happen: With 30% of all cannabis users addicted, marijuana use has become a major health problem.
More impeachment TDS
Texas Democrat Congressman Al Green put forward another article of impeachment against President Trump yesterday, accusing him of mishandling ICE and covering up “unjustified killings.” Green has a history of losing his temper with Trump; in March, he interrupted the president’s State of the Union Address by yelling. The congressman has introduced articles against Trump five times before. The House rejected all of them. Republicans control both the House and the Senate, so an impeachment likely won’t advance this time either. The White House responded to Green’s resolution by telling him to be thankful for Trump’s immigration policy because it reduced violent crime.
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.
