06/10/26
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, June 10th.
National Iced Tea Day
Fun fact… although iced tea punch, a drink made with 4 cups strong-brewed green tea, 1 cup brandy, 1 cup dark rum, ½ cup sugar, and the juice of a lemon, was invented in 1810, it wasn’t until 1823 that the first non-alcoholic iced tea was documented.
Wild. Normally it’s the opposite.
How great is iced tea though?
And now, the news.
Update: Iran
Starting in Iran, where Tuesday started with the news that a US Apache helicopter went down on Monday and that the two crew members were successfully rescued.
At the time of the announcement, it wasn’t clear whether the helicopter went down by Iranian fire, a mechanical error, (or a secret third thing!).
But of course, Trump took to Temu Twitter and said it was Iran’s fault and that US armed forces would retaliate.
However, an official speaking with AP News on the condition of anonymity said the helicopter collided with an Iranian drone. So yes, Iran was involved. However, that same official noted that it’s not clear whether that was intentional.
But with a ceasefire as fragile as a soaking wet piece of tissue paper (I can’t stress this enough – that’s a very famous saying!), Trump couldn’t possibly be bothered to worry about a little thing like details!
And so, following that, the US armed forces carried out a series of strikes on Iran, with Iranian state media reporting hearing explosions on several Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iranian’s Foreign Minister said the country “will leave no attack or threat unanswered,” and warned: “Leave our region if you want to be safe.”
So… I guess Trump’s guess that this thing is two weeks out from being done was… optimistic?
You know Trump, ever the optimist!
House Dems Outmaneuver Johnson
-via CBS News
On Tuesday, House Democrats, with the help of 20 House Republicans (can you believe it?) forced, and passed!, a vote on something called the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would amend the National Labor Relations Act to require employers to start contract negotiations with newly-certified unions within 10 days of a written request as well as setting a timeline for mediation and laying out next steps if no agreement is reached after 90 days.
Unions baybeeeeee
It’s TBD if the Senate will take it up, though Republican Senator Josh Hawley (remember that guy? He lifted his fist up in support when the insurrectionists were doing insurrection?) introduced a similar bill in March of 2025.
That bill has 2 Republican and 13 Democratic cosponsors.
A fun little fact is that this bill was launched on a discharge petition, which is a way to force a bill out of committee and straight to the floor, even if little Mikey J tries to stop it.
So this is, once again, a reminder that, no matter how you feel about his politics (and good luck guessing how I feel about his politics. I really keep my feelings about everything close to my chest. You’ll never know how I feel about politics, who should be on the EGOT track, or whether I think DC is on the right track with their Superman IP)… wait sorry, hang on, I got off track.
No matter how you feel about his politics… the thing about Mike Johnson is, at the end of the day, at the end of his day, at the end of his career… that dude is very very bad at his job.
And that… is hilarious.
ICE Funding Heads to Trump
-via CNN
After months and months and months of fighting, House Republicans sent a $70 billion immigration enforcement package to Trump’s sticky desk for a signature with too many letters than are actually in his name (oh please, you just know that desk is sticky… crumbs and Diet Coke and Adderall (ALLEGEDLY) but I feel like he dips it in ketchup to make it tastier for him).
This will now fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE and CBP, for the remainder of Trump’s term.
The $70 billion no longer includes $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom.
Relax! He will continue to complain and look for another way for someone to dance with him to make up for the fact that no one would in high school. I mean, um… something about security or whatever.
In the House and the Senate, the vote was along party lines except for Alaska’s Lisa Markowski, who voted against it.
Along. Party. Lines.
Oh everyone’s real worried and everyone’s real brave before it comes time to cast the ballot against Trump. And suddenly… they fall in line to Dear Leader.
Cutie Kevin Kiley, the guy who was a Republican in California and was the only House Rep that showed up the work the whole time the House was shut down, but is now an Independent, also voted against.
And now that he’s an Independent, I feel a lot better about saying – Kevin Kiley… you’re a little cutie (I’m being respectful because he’s married). Little swoop in his hair and little morals in his soul.
Anyway – the vote was along party lines but hey guess what – 438.
That’s 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats.
We’re fighting for every. Single. One. Of them.
Every.
Single.
One.
Of them.
Election Results
-via NY Times
Tuesday was election night in America… my favorite!
Let’s run it through because we’ve got a few fun ones!
In Maine, Graham Platner won the Democratic primary to oust the perpetually concerned Susan Collins for Senate.
Platner came to the primary with some serious Samsonite but Maine voters chose him.
That’s the deal. They looked at him. Looked at his opponents and chose Platner. And if his past is truly in his past, and if we, as he said in his speech, believe that we can change and right the ship as a nation, we have to also believe that we can personally change.
So here’s hoping he’s truly changed and that Maine voters stick with him. Because they, and all of us, deserve better than Susan Collins.
Okay so… in Maine, it’s Platner v Collins.
In South Carolina, Nancy Mace, the Republican House Rep who once used poster boards to air personal grievances against fellow Republican House Rep. Mills, accusing him of domestic violence and lying about his military service record. She also called out Eric Swalwell for what everyone now knows, and took the floor for an hour to accuse her ex-fiancé and three others of "heinous crimes against women.” The men denied the allegations, sued her for defamation, and a gag order was issued. Following that, two other women came forward.
People are complicated though and if you don’t know Mace from that, you might also know her from that… when she wasn’t fighting for women’s rights that way, she was fighting against them by first being vaguely socially moderate on LGBTQ+ issues before moving to being the Rep obsessed with who’s in which bathroom.
Anyway – people are complicated but elections are not. Mace has lost her primary.
And in California, Republican Steve Hilton will take on Xavier Beccera for governor of the 4th largest economy in the world.
Hey – Steve Hilton is like… you know… don’t vote for him for governor, probably, or whatever.
Knicks in… a Certain Amount
-via The Athletic
And finally, hey – after the entirety of Madison Square Garden, minus a few dorks!, booed Donald Trump on Monday night, the Knicks lost to the Spurs in game 3, 111-115.
Hey here’s something – last year, the Chiefs were playing the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Trump famously hates Taylor Swift because once she was like “hey think about who you vote for before you vote” and I think, though I don’t know for sure because it’s not well publicized, that she goes with a Chief’s player, so Trump obviously wasn’t rooting for the Chiefs. The Chiefs were trying for a three-peat. Trump was at that game and… and they lost.
And then the next year the Hawks lost to the Patriots. And that’s not a part of this but it’s just really nice to remember.
Anyway, the next game is tonight at 5:30 PM America’s Finest City time.
(Speaking of sports… I’m FINE with the fact that the Padres are 34-31 and 8 behind some other team that I don’t need to talk about right now but dang do I love the city where they live. And frankly I think loving a team, regardless of their wins, builds character. I’ve got character out the wazoo… I don’t even need a ring. That’s for sure.)
And that’s it. That’s the news.
I’m proud of the Padres.
And Angel City Footie Club. Whatever. We’re sitting low on the table and we’re proud of it.
And also the San Diego Wave. And not because they’re in 1st place! Just because, you know… America’s Finest City. I’m interested. I’m open. I’m supportive.
But more than that.
Because I’m interested. I’m supportive. But it’s all unquestioning and without asterisks…. I’m proud of you.