Trump's Religious Liberty Commission Provides Alarming New ReportA Friday report from the Trump administration's Religious Liberty Commission advocates for ending the separation of church and state."Americans must know their rights and stand with courage when those rights are challenged," the report reads. "To preserve this freedom, we must build bridges, not walls, between the City of God and the City of Man. If we do so, we will pass on a free and prosperous nation to the next generation"The 14-chapter report provides a series of recommendations, including increasing the role of religion in government, schools and public life.The report urges repealing the Johnson Amendment, a provision in the U.S. tax code that prohibits non-profits, including religious institutions and charities, from participating in political activities."The Administration should advocate for the passage of federal legislation, such as the Free Speech Fairness Act, repealing the Johnson Amendment as an unconstitutional restriction on the religious speech of houses of worship and faith-based nonprofits," the report reads. The report was released the same day the Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education added parts of the Bible to a list of required reading for millions of students. Latest Live UpdatesTaxpayers Footed The Bill For Trump's Granite Revamp Of West Wing Colonnade: The AtlanticPresident Donald Trump's revamp of an outdoor pathway at the White House that connects the presidential residence to the West Wing was paid for with tax dollars, a new report in The Atlantic says.National Park Service budget documents obtained by The Atlantic show that the corridor work was part of a larger $1.3 million project at the White House that repaired adjacent masonry and replaced some hardware on nearby doors. The total taxpayer bill for the granite walkway was $689,232, the report says.The documents also revealed that much-needed repairs at national parks across the country were deferred, with more than 900 Park Service projects going unfunded. Meanwhile, spending in the Washington, D.C., area has expanded, the report said.In March, when CBS White House Correspondent Ed O'Keefe asked Trump how the colonnade project was being funded, he replied: "Uh, paid for by me."Read more at The Atlantic: California Republican Steve Hilton Distances Himself From Trump's Rigged Election ClaimsCalifornia Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton dismissed President Donald Trump’s claim that the state primary election was rigged until Trump made a phone call to the U.S. Attorney asking for a “favor.”“Honestly, I have no idea about any of those conversations. I haven't spoken to the President or the U.S. Attorney,” Hilton, who was endorsed by Trump and advanced to California's November runoff election, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday. Hilton said that he “had teams looking at everything, and we didn't see anything that would give us cause for concern. I don't know whether the resources of the Justice Department will turn anything up, but we don't see anything that was a problem.”Hilton also took the time to explain that the larger issue is that the vote count process should be done more efficiently, while also maintaining accessibility and trust. “There's clearly something we need to fix about the system that means that it's so slow,” Hilton added. “We can make the system faster while retaining people's confidence in it and keeping the accessibility of voting, which is incredibly important.”California Appeals Court Upholds Harvey Weinstein's Rape Conviction But Says He Must Be ResentencedAn appeals court on Friday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2022 rape and sexual assault conviction in California, but ordered his trial judge to resentence him.A three-judge panel from the California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously issued the decision.Read more:Rubio: Lebanon-Israel Pact Disarms Hezbollah, Strengthens Lebanon, And Returns Israel To Its BordersThe framework for peace signed between Lebanon, Israel and the U.S. on Friday includes $100 million in humanitarian aid and the creation of a trilateral military group for Lebanon that will help implement the countries’ agreed-upon conditions, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement that offered few details.“This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hizballah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed,” he said.As part of the agreement, a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) will be created and facilitated by the U.S., he said.The U.S. will also contribute $100 million in unspecified humanitarian assistance in coordination with the United Nations. It will also “reimburse the [Lebanese Air Force] with more than $30 million under existing authorities and appropriations to support the President’s vision for an enduring peace in Lebanon,” he said.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces will be allowed to continue to occupy southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not disarm, according to Reuters.Newsom Slams Billionaire Tax Proposal After It Qualifies For California BallotCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he'll vote "no" on a November proposal to temporarily increase taxes on billionaires in the state to counter federal cuts to healthcare for low-income people."I understand the anxiety driving the wealth tax proposal in California," Newsom posted on his Substack Friday, a day after the proposal officially qualified for the ballot."But I’m voting no because this measure dedicates almost all of the revenue it raises to a single category of state spending," he continued. "It ignores our public schools, as the California Teachers Association has rightly pointed out, by failing to provide sustainable funding that our communities, parents and children deserve."The proposal would tax the net worth of billionaires in California by 5%, allowing them to pay off the tax over five years. Newsom expressed concern that billionaires will leave the state over the temporary tax increase."You may not be able to pick up and move to Texas or Florida to shelter your income from taxation, but I promise you that billionaires can, and do," Newsom wrote. "Wealth is movable, and it shops for the state with the lowest taxes." Research shows that past tax increases by states have not led to wealthy residents leaving.Newsom argued that there should instead be a national billionaires' tax."So here is what I support: A national billionaires’ tax," Newsom wrote. "A true minimum tax on billionaires — a modern Buffett Rule — that ensures the people at the very top pay at least the tax rate their own workers pay." Petitioners for the state's proposal collected around 875,000 signatures needed to place it on the November ballot. Progressive politicians including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have come out in support of the measure."The billionaire class no longer sees itself as part of American society,” Sanders said at a Los Angeles rally in February. "They’re saying there’s nothing you can do about it. Well, we’ve got some bad news for them, starting right here in California."Trump Tries To Wrap His Head Around Rent Control And Simply CannotAt the urging of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City recently enacted a freeze on rent-regulated apartments in the city, and President Donald Trump simply cannot fathom it.“They’re basically confiscating their property,” Trump marveled, incorrectly, while speaking to the crowd at the Faith & Freedom Coalition in Washington, D.C.“These buildings will soon turn into ghettos and slums and everybody will continue leaving New York,” Trump continued, willfully ignoring the fact that people often leave New York because rent there is too expensive.Trump then proceeded to predict that rent control will spread throughout the country “like an uncontrollable form of cancer” and “the country itself will be taken down. It will be third world. And it’s happened many times before.”Trump on Mamdani Rent Freeze: What the mayor doesn't say is that these buildings will soon turn into ghettos and slums, and that everybody will continue leaving New York. And as this spreads throughout the country very much like an uncontrollable form of cancer. The country… pic.twitter.com/EJccGtPfPC— Acyn (@Acyn) June 26, 2026Rubio Says Israel, Lebanon Have Reached Framework Peace AgreementIsrael and Lebanon have reached a framework agreement to achieve “lasting peace and security” following discussions in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday.“It's the beginning of the beginning. There is a lot of work ahead,” Rubio said after helping mediate the talks. “We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand the importance of it. How vital it is, and we are honored to have played a part in this together.”Details about the agreement were not immediately shared publicly.Officials from both sides have spent several days working to find a resolution that would end fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon.Trump Keeps Pushing Baseless Claim Of Rigged California ElectionPresident Donald Trump on Friday again baselessly suggested, without any evidence, that the recent Lost Angeles mayoral election was somehow rigged because Trump’s pick, conservative reality TV star Spencer Pratt, didn’t win in the deep blue city.“You know what’s happened? They’re cheating,” Trump falsely claimed. “The kid won, or he was certainly in the top two.”Trump said Pratt should have fought the results because “in my very strong opinion, that was a rigged election.”Trump on Spencer Pratt: The kid won or was in the top two. He went away quietly. We didn't go away quietly, but he shouldn't go away quietly. He should protest because it was rigged. pic.twitter.com/5xYmQixjBb— Acyn (@Acyn) June 26, 2026Trump Jokes About The Last Time He Was At The Hilton And Someone Tried To Shoot HimPresident Donald Trump is at the Washington Hilton this afternoon, delivering remarks at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 policy conference.Trump was last at the venue in April, when a man with a gun charged through a security checkpoint the floor above the ballroom hosting the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.The man was charged with the attempted assassination of the president. “I remember this place,” he told the crowd Friday, chuckling to himself. “Not so long ago, I remember. Hopefully we’ll have a little more pleasant experience. I remember this room very well.”Venezuela Death Toll Exceeds 900 With More Than 51,600 Listed As MissingThe death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 920, the country’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez announced Friday afternoon.In addition to the deceased, 3,360 people are injured and 172 people are known to be trapped, he said.A total of 1,423 building structures were impacted by the quakes, including 383 buildings, 13 hospitals, and 25 shopping centers, he said.A website listing people reported missing by loved ones stated more than 51,600 people are still unaccounted for.See All Updates