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Rupert Everett is revealing the dark side of Hollywood’s body-image pressures.The veteran actor said years spent trying to sculpt the perfect leading-man physique have left him dealing with serious physical consequences decades later.”I ruined myself. Now I’m almost crippled as a result,” Everett confessed to The Guardian.SYDNEY SWEENEY SHARES HOLLYWOOD’S DISTURBING BEAUTY DEMAND WHEN SHE WAS 16 YEARS OLDThe “My Best Friend’s Wedding” star, 67, noted that years of intense weightlifting in the 1980s and 1990s have left him dealing with lasting health issues.He explained how he neglected key aspects of training that could have helped protect his body from injury.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS”I could never be bothered to do all those things, like stretching, which were necessary for lifting weights, because your tendons get tighter and tighter,” Everett said.BILLY BOB THORNTON ABANDONS HOLLYWOOD’S EXTREME BODY TRANSFORMATION DEMANDS AFTER HEALTH CONCERNS”So boring. I didn’t do any of that. So now my demise will be musculoskeletal, I think.”Before Everett hit the weights, he found another way to bulk up his appearance.The British actor confessed he secretly wore custom-made bodysuits designed to make him look bigger, stronger and more muscular — even on movie sets.”I met these two queens in Tufnell Park [north London] who made bodysuits, and they made me a false bottom, false calves, false shoulders, false everything.” Everett explained. “Yes [I wore them], in everything.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERAccording to Everett, the custom-made enhancements helped him display the image he felt was expected in the entertainment industry at the time.When asked whether directors were aware of the bodysuits, Everett said that he kept the secret to himself.”No! I’d go into the fittings for the costumes with all my things on,” he replied.Fox News Digital has reached out to Everett for comment.Everett has built a decades-long career spanning film, television and theater, earning acclaim for roles in projects including “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “An Ideal Husband” and “The Madness of King George.”

The Stanley Cup Final got off to a hot start on Tuesday night with a wild shootout between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights, with the latter coming away with a 5-4 win.It was a back-and-forth affair with Carolina scoring on the first shot of the series from Nikolaj Ehlers, who tacked on another later in the period for good measure.But Vegas battled back to tie and then take the lead, and it was Tomas Hertl who potted what proved to be the game-winner.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!That was noteworthy because it was his second game-winner in three games.TOMAS HERTL SCORES GAME-WINNER AS GOLDEN KNIGHTS RALLY TO BEAT HURRICANES IN GAME 1 OF STANLEY CUP FINALWhat’s wild is that earlier this postseason, Hertl was in the midst of a 29-game goal drought.Hertl’s former San Jose Sharks teammate, Joe Pavelski, was shocked to hear that stat during Game 3 of the Golden Knights’ series against the Anaheim Ducks.”I knew he wasn’t producing a lot, but I mean, I didn’t know how much, I guess,” Pavelski told NHL.com. “Then I heard one of the announcers say 29 games, and I was like, ‘What?’ But then they said how many chances he’s been getting.”So, Pavelski picked up his phone and called his former teammate.”My old teammate called me, Joe Pavelski, and he actually helped me a lot,” Hertl said according to Sportsnet. “He’s a great goal scorer who has gone through a lot. He kind of called me and talked to me about just what to do, and I think the next day it was done; I got my first goal.”Hertl scored in Game 4 against Anaheim, then again in Game 5.Then came the game-winning goal in Game 3 against the Avalanche, and now another against Carolina.This is one of those things you need if you want to win the Stanley Cup, but you just have to get lucky: you need guys to heat up at the right time.Hertl is doing it, and so is center Brett Howden, who leads the team with 11 goals this postseason after scoring 12 through 58 games in the regular season.Pavelski said he didn’t do anything special when he called Hertl, but sometimes a quick pep talk is all it takes.”I didn’t do anything special,” he said. “I just reached out more or less just to check in as a friend. He was already playing good enough to produce more than what had gone in for himself. It was just reminders of a couple little things he could do, and he’s just been really good.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., lashed out at towel-clad Republican staffers outside the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s (DSCC) headquarters this week after they confronted him and other top Dems over their support for scandal-plagued Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.Video obtained by Fox News Digital shows the Republican protesters, including staffers from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), dressed in towels to mock a sexually suggestive Kik profile photo of Platner that showed the Democratic Senate hopeful shirtless with a towel around his waist.”Do you support Graham Platner even though he’s on Kik?” one protester asked Sanders outside the DSCC headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Platner and other top Dems were seen entering and exiting to meet with the embattled candidate ahead of his June 9 primary.Platner’s campaign has been dogged by controversies, including a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up, resurfaced Reddit posts that blamed rape victims, pushed racial stereotypes, mocked a Purple Heart veteran, and encouraged political violence, among other controversial comments on the popular blogging platform.WATCH: DEM SENATORS EXCUSE PLATNER’S CONDUCT AT CRISIS HUDDLE WITH EMBATTLED MAINE CANDIDATEMeanwhile, Platner’s issues continued just days ahead of his primary after it was reported Platner had exchanged sexually-explicit text messages with other women during his marriage and had an active Kik profile featuring a shirtless mirror selfie with a towel around his waist, a photo GOP staffers appeared to mock outside the DSCC by showing up in towels. Kik is an anonymous messaging app linked to child exploitation cases, which child-safety groups have criticized as a “predator’s paradise.”Chants of “Platner is a creep!” and “Delete your Kik!” alongside signs that read “PEDO PLATNER MESSAGED KIDS” could be seen in video of the demonstration caught by Fox News Digital.”Are you with the Republican party?” Sanders shot back in response to the protester’s question about Platner’s Kik account.CORY BOOKER ADMITS GRAHAM PLATNER ‘HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER’ FOLLOWING LATEST SCANDAL”It doesn’t matter,” the protester returned before Sanders lashed out about Republican “morality” amid the heated back-and-forth.”Are you talking about morality and corruption? With President Trump?” Sanders shouted at the protesters as he pointed back at them. “Have a nice day,” he said before walking off.Fox News Digital has found no evidence that Platner communicated with minors on Kik. The controversy surrounding the account centers on the app’s child-safety reputation, the sexually suggestive profile photo and its emergence alongside separate reporting about Platner’s sexually explicit messages with women during his marriage.Meanwhile, Platner has disputed portions of the reporting surrounding his personal life, while his wife has criticized the disclosure of private details about their marriage. He has also apologized for past online comments and said the tattoo, which he has since covered, was obtained years ago without knowledge of its Nazi associations.The confrontation outside the DSCC underscored the increasingly public effort by Republicans to turn Platner’s controversies into a liability for national Democrats, including Sanders and other top party figures who have continued to stand by him ahead of Maine’s June 9 Democratic Senate primary.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Although the Justice Department on Tuesday nixed plans for a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” the concept of such a fund could still move forward in Congress.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has proposed establishing a process to compensate individuals wrongly targeted by the federal government by using legal mechanisms already in place under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday that the Trump administration would not move forward with its Anti-Weaponization Fund, the establishment of which was included in a recent settlement between President Donald Trump and the Internal Revenue Service over leaked tax records.
The fund, as announced, garnered skepticism even from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Democrats claimed the money would go to protesters at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, whom Trump pardoned in January 2025.
Graham admitted the fund, as rolled out by the administration, was “untested,” but maintained the need for victims of government lawfare to receive compensation.
“While I appreciate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statement that the proposed weaponization fund will not be moving forward, I am still of the firm belief that there are many victims of the weaponized Biden Justice Department throughout this country,” Graham said in a post on X Tuesday, barely an hour after Blanche addressed the House panel.

While I appreciate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s statement that the proposed weaponization fund will not be moving forward, I am still of the firm belief that there are many victims of the weaponized Biden Justice Department throughout this country.
To suggest nothing…
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 2, 2026

The House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government issued a 2024 report that asserted the administration of President Joe Biden pressured social media companies to suppress opposing viewpoints, retaliated against whistleblowers at the FBI, conducted financial surveillance of political enemies, and targeted parents at school board meetings.
“To suggest nothing happened and that the Biden DOJ did not weaponize the law against Americans is inaccurate. However, creating a new system that is untested is problematic,” Graham continued.
Joe Biden delivers remarks on the soul of the nation, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, at Independence Square in Philadelphia. (Official White House photo by Adam Schultz)
“Therefore, I am proposing that we create a weaponization fund that will be available to those who can prove their claim against the federal government through the Federal Tort Claims Act,” Graham continued in the post. “We have a legal system already in place for people to make claims against the government. That does not need to be reinvented.”
The Federal Tort Claims Act is a statute that allows individuals to bring limited lawsuits against the United States government in federal court for matters such as personal injury or property damage. The special law is necessary because the federal government has sovereign immunity from litigation.
“However, it is imperative that we allow people with meritorious weaponization claims to come forward and receive compensation through this fund,” Graham said in the post. “We have to recognize there was a wrong that must be made right if you can prove your claim through the existing process.”
The idea of the fund emerged as part of the legal settlement in the case Trump v. IRS.
In that case, the president, his son Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization LLC had sued the Treasury Department and the IRS in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida following the leak of their tax returns. As part of the settlement, the plaintiffs were to receive a formal apology but no monetary payment or damages.
The plaintiffs also agreed to the establishment of the Anti-Weaponization Fund in exchange for dropping pending litigation related to the 2022 FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property and the Justice Department’s investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government.
The Justice Department said the Anti-Weaponization Fund was based in part on a legal precedent set by the Obama administration in the Keepseagle case. That administration created a $760 million fund to address claims of discrimination against the federal government over several decades.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]

Gold Dethrones The King: ECB Confirms Barbarous Relic Has Overtaken Treasuries As Top Global Reserve Asset

In what can only be described as the latest humiliating blow to the crumbling Pax Americana, gold has officially overtaken US government bonds as the world’s top reserve asset.

The FT reports that, according to a fresh report from the European Central Bank released Tuesday, bullion now accounts for 27% of global central bank reserves at the end of 2025 – up sharply from 20% the prior year.

US Treasuries, once the untouchable king of the reserve world, have been knocked down to 22% from 25%. The euro’s share remained flat at 15%.

This isn’t some organic portfolio rebalancing. It’s a full-scale de-dollarization revolt years in the making, turbocharged by Washington’s own weaponization of the dollar.

“Geopolitical tensions continue to drive strong central bank demand for gold,” wrote ECB President Christine Lagarde in the report – in the driest possible bureaucrat speak while watching the system she helped build slowly circle the drain.

Central banks are now sitting on more than 36,000 tonnes of gold — nearly matching the peak hoarding levels seen during the final days of the Bretton Woods system (38,000 tonnes). You know, back when money was still somewhat tethered to reality.

The message from the periphery is crystal clear: trust in the US dollar as the ultimate reserve currency is eroding fast.

The catalyst? The same one we have been screaming about for years – the reckless weaponization of SWIFT and dollar reserves.

After Washington froze Russia’s FX reserves following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, every finance minister from Brasília to Beijing got the memo: Never let them do this to us.

The numbers tell the story of quiet desperation.

China, Poland, Turkey, and India have been the most aggressive gold stackers since 2022.

Even Tether, the stablecoin giant, became the single largest buyer in 2025, slurping up over 100 tonnes.

Because nothing says “we believe in the system” like parking your balance sheet in physical gold while issuing dollar-pegged liabilities.

Of course, there are cracks in the narrative.

Turkey – after aggressively buying 220 tonnes post-2022 – executed one of the largest reserve drawdowns in recent memory in early 2026, selling or lending out 130 tonnes amid the fallout from the Iran war.

Even gold bugs sometimes need liquidity when things get spicy.

Still, the broader trend is unmistakable.

While dollar-denominated assets still make up 42% of reserves overall, the trajectory is brutally obvious to anyone not drinking the mainstream financial media Kool-Aid.

Gold’s surge wasn’t just about central bank buying (which slowed modestly to 850 tonnes in 2025 after multiple 1,000+ tonne years). It was supercharged by the metal’s explosive rally, smashing through $5,500 per ounce earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the ECB couldn’t resist patting itself on the back, noting the euro’s “gradual but steady” gains in international usage, with euro-denominated debt issuance hitting record highs and massive capital inflows into euro assets.

Translation: At least someone still wants our funny money… for now.

The bond market’s loss is gold’s gain – and history suggests this kind of shift rarely ends with a whimper. When central banks themselves start treating Treasuries like a fading brand and gold like the ultimate insurance policy, the writing is on the wall for the dollar’s exorbitant privilege.

The only question left is how much longer the music can keep playing.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 06/03/2026 – 16:40

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed his past clash with Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s newly tapped acting intelligence chief, after senators pressed him Wednesday over reports that he once threatened to punch him at a dinner party.”Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch them in the face,” asked North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday, referencing reports from 2025 that Bessent threatened Pulte during a dinner. “No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his ass,” the secretary quipped. The exchange during the Treasury’s budget hearing renewed scrutiny of earlier reports detailing a clash between the two men, coming just days after Trump announced that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director would take on one of the government’s most sensitive national security responsibilities.DEM LASHES OUT AT BESSENT DURING HEATED COMMITTEE HEARING EXCHANGE: ‘EXCUSE ME’Reports at the time found that Bessent allegedly accused Pulte of undermining him with the president and threatened to punch him in the face while at a dinner in September. But as senators pressed him about Pulte’s elevation to acting director, Bessent downplayed the flared tempers and revealed that he called Tuesday to congratulate him.”Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,” responded Bessent when asked if he was comfortable with Pulte’s appointment.When asked at the time about the alleged dinner quarrel, Bessent commented in September that it is not unprecedented to have Cabinet members to have physical altercations. “Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling,” Bessent said in a CNBC interview.DC DINNER TURNS CHAOTIC AS CODEPINK ACTIVISTS CORNER TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: ‘BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS’Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down last month to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCEPulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the new post.Bessent also made headlines in April 2025 for an alleged face-to-face with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk.The two men reportedly entered into a shouting match while in the West Wing over who would lead the IRS, Axios reported at the time.Democratic lawmakers have expressed their disagreement with the Pulte pick, calling his qualifications into question.”Trump’s appointments of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.”What exactly are Bill Pulte qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.He added, “What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be.”Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department and DNI for comment.

A South Carolina detective was arrested and fired after he allegedly pointed his department-issued firearm at a fellow officer inside a police station, with a report citing an arrest warrant alleging the confrontation stemmed from the officer microwaving fish in a communal microwave.Michael Debiase, 46, was a detective with the Myrtle Beach Police Department. He was arrested June 2, and charged with pointing and presenting a firearm at a person.The New York Post reported, citing an arrest warrant, that Debiase allegedly pointed the weapon after becoming upset about another police officer microwaving fish at the station.The Myrtle Beach Police Department announced that it had “separated employment” with Debiase following an internal investigation into the incident.MASSACHUSETTS POLICE OFFICER SHOT BY COLLEAGUE DURING SERVICE OF RESTRAINING ORDERAccording to a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page, the alleged incident involved Debiase “removing his department-issued firearm from its holster while in the PD briefing room and pointing it at another officer.”The department did not specify whether the firearm was loaded.”He was placed on administrative leave immediately following the incident while investigations were conducted by the Myrtle Beach Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Based on information learned during the Office of Professional Standards investigation, several policy violations were identified,” the statement said.The department said its employees are entrusted with “professionalism, integrity, sound judgment, and respect for others.”DALLAS POLICE EMPLOYEE FIRED AFTER ALLEGEDLY LYING ABOUT COLLEGE DEGREE”This incident does not reflect the values demonstrated by the men and women of the Myrtle Beach Police Department every day. However, it does demonstrate our commitment to accountability and our willingness to address conduct that falls short of our expectations,” the statement continued.”The Myrtle Beach Police Department takes violations of policy and professional standards seriously. We remain committed to maintaining the trust of our community by holding our employees accountable and ensuring they uphold the high standards expected of those who serve the City of Myrtle Beach.”According to South Carolina law, pointing a firearm at another person is a felony punishable by a fine determined by the court or a prison sentence of up to five years.MINNESOTA PROSECUTOR CHARGES ICE AGENT IN GUN INCIDENT AS SAVANAH HERNANDEZ CASE REMAINS UNCHARGEDDebiase was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County and released several hours later, according to court records. No bail was set.A representative for the Myrtle Beach Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.Debiase is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 14.

You always knew Lady Elaine Fairchilde would sow chaos on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood when she uttered the incantation “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang!”Lady Elaine was the mischievous puppet on the show who bore a resemblance to Rod Stewart. She often waved around her boomerang if someone in the Neighborhood of Make Believe ticked her off, and she would literally flip the neighborhood upside down with her “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang!”That’s where we stand with things these days on Capitol Hill.The vote margins are really tight in both the House and Senate. Republican lawmakers are frustrated with the President over the war and the economy. That’s to say nothing of the now-abandoned $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. Then there are lawmakers who the president helped unseat in their primaries: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La. And now President Trump is insisting on a primary challenge against Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Col., in 2028 over her support of Massie, and he didn’t back Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, who ended up losing his primary, too.HOUSE GOP TENSIONS ERUPT AS REPUBLICANS TURN ON EACH OTHER HEADING INTO YEAR’S ENDWe haven’t even gotten into various skirmishes between the President and retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., over the January 6th riot, or the investigation into former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. And there are pockets of resistance within the party from Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine — with the latter facing a competitive re-election bid this November.With all of that, there is a “disaffected caucus” of Republicans now serving on Capitol Hill.In addition, some Senate Republicans are seething at the White House actively working against Cornyn and Cassidy. Some congressional Republicans on the ballot this fall are now trying to put some real estate between themselves and a president growing unpopular within his own party on Capitol Hill.Senate Republicans are forging ahead to finally fund ICE and Border Patrol. Threats to attach language to curb the anti-weaponization fund derailed those efforts in late May. Republicans now believe they can keep everyone in line and pass that bill without lawmakers abandoning ship. Republicans may struggle to pass an additional measure focused on reducing the cost of living, cutting taxes, reducing gas prices, paying for the war in Iran or even funding the government this fall. Lawmakers have to approve a renewal of a controversial spy program known as FISA Section 702 before mid-month. But that’s grown more complicated after the president installed Bill Pulte — who has no background in national security — as interim Director of National Intelligence.This is why some Republicans believe that the legislative process could be stymied.These disgruntled Republicans could make things pretty hard for the GOP brass and President Trump the rest of the year. And like Lady Elaine Fairchilde on Mr. Rogers’ show, any one of them could proclaim “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang” and turn the entire Congressional neighborhood upside down.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., spoke with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday. The South Dakota Republican says Blanche was “very definitive” about the end of the compensation fund. Thune said he thought that it would help clear the way to pass the ICE/Border Patrol bill.REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN”I’m not guaranteeing that happens yet. We’re still continuing to have conversations with our members,” said Thune. “Everything comes down to a function of math. It’s ‘Do we have the votes? Do we have 50 votes to execute on on getting a bill like that across the floor?’”Johnson met with President Trump on Monday and discussed the weaponization fund which threw Capitol Hill into a tizzy two weeks ago.”I believe that it is off the table for consideration,” said Johnson about the fund.The Speaker communicated to the president how the fund made passage of an ICE/Border Patrol bill exponentially more challenging.”I told them that it was a difficult prospect right now given our vote tallies,” said Johnson.Blanche was declarative when testifying about the DOJ budget request before the House Appropriations Committee.”We are not moving forward with the fund, period,” said Blanche.TRICK OR TREAT: CONGRESS FACES ‘CHAMBER OF HORRORS’ AS GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEADLINE LOOMSBut Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., wasn’t convinced.”Is there any way that you could put this in writing?” she asked Blanche. “I think they would love to be reassured that this fund will not progress.””I’m not trying to be flippant with you. I’m just saying. I’m telling you it’s not (moving forward),” replied Blanche.Meng asked if she could have something on paper.”There’ll be a transcript of what I say here so that will be in writing,” said Blanche.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wasn’t impressed by the announcement, either.”Trump has not killed this slush fund. He has not revoked the special tax immunity he gave himself and his family. He has not ended the corruption. He hit a temporary roadblock. That’s it. Any toothless promise by Trump is worthless. His promises are worthless. The only way to end this scheme is abolish it by law,” said Schumer.HOUSE GOP FEARS PRIMARY LOSERS COULD JEOPARDIZE RAZOR-THIN MAJORITYAt his hearing, Blanche reiterated that President Trump’s “settlement agreement” with the IRS over the leak of his tax returns remains intact.This infuriated Democrats.”You just gave the President’s family of tax immunity to the tune of about $100 million,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel.And that’s where the GOP’s disgruntled caucus may come in.Congressional Republican resistance to President Trump has grown in recent weeks. For instance, Cassidy cast the pivotal ballot allowing a procedural vote on an Iran war powers measure to forge ahead. This came after Cassidy lost his Senate primary to Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., and former Rep. John Fleming, R-La.That said, lots of lawmakers rarely deviate from their customary political convictions – even if they’re on their way out the door. Over the years, I’ve had a number of people suggest to me that various Members might be willing to vote for this or that in a lame-duck session after they either lost or are retiring. However, history shows they don’t change. Lawmakers usually remain loyal to their convictions and constituents – even as they exit. They don’t suddenly support something or oppose something – just because they are short-timers and their vote could help the party or their leadership.By the same token, lawmakers with one foot out the door don’t undergo a magical conversion if they’re angry at losing and vote one way or another for spite.But rarely have we had a Congress where the votes in both bodies are so marginal. And even if it’s just a lawmaker or two who strays, it wouldn’t take much to pull a Lady Elaine Fairchilde, holler “boomerang-toomerang-soomerang” and turn Capitol Hill upside down.

At the beginning of the season, I did a podcast with my good buddy, Geoff Clark. We picked our winners and discussed a variety of things from the NBA. There was talk about MVP and who would finish where, but I took the Thunder to win the NBA Championship. I doubled down with that at the beginning of the playoffs. I then tripled down on them by saying they would win Game 7 at home. I was wrong, and now we have the Knicks and Spurs in the NBA Finals.Getting to the postseason is half the battle, so let’s take a little bit of a look at how teams got here, then the matchups, and ultimately, my pick for who wins and the series spread.The Knicks were the third seed in the Eastern Conference at 53-29. They had a strong season, but I wouldn’t exactly say it was overly impressive. They were just 22-19 on the road in the regular season, and that, to me, is an indicator that a team might not be very good. Role players tend to play worse on the road, but there is more to it than just that. It can be a sign of a lack of focus or something else, as well. Whatever it is, they’ve been fine in the postseason, going 12-2 with their two losses by a combined two points.The Spurs had a much more difficult trip to get here, but their regular season saw them go 62-20 and secure the No. 2 seed in the conference. They have home court advantage here, and were 32-8 during the regular season at home. They have, however, lost three games at home this postseason. The Portland Trail Blazers took them to five games, the Minnesota Timberwolves (an ailing team) took them to six games, and the Thunder lost in seven. The Thunder were also missing their second-best player and a very good role player.2026 NBA FINALS PREVIEW: NEW YORK KNICKS VS SAN ANTONIO SPURS BEST BETS FOR SERIES, MVP PLAYER PROPSI’m not trying to diminish the Spurs’ accomplishments, but they didn’t exactly beat 100% healthy teams, and they struggled while doing it. If the Knicks had that happen to them, everyone would be discrediting them. The Knicks did get their own share of luck, now playing a team that went seven games in their previous series for the third straight time.Rest is a big advantage, but that doesn’t always mean everything. The Spurs are young, so I really don’t see fatigue being much of a factor. Keep in mind, this Knicks team also has a lot of miles on it, having played in the Conference Finals two years in a row, and having been under Tom Thibodeau who runs players into the ground for a few years. Despite playing just 14 games this postseason, the team has played a lot of hoops over the past few seasons.In terms of matchups, I expect to see Stephon Castle guarding Jalen Brunson. He’s the key to slowing the Knicks offense. Victor Wembanyama will be against Karl-Anthony Towns and do his best to help off and change Brunson’s drives, just as he did against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The key, in my opinion, is that OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges have to win their matchups. De’Aaron Fox hasn’t been a big scorer for the Spurs, but he brings that speed element that can be extremely difficult to deal with.NBA FINALS BETTING GUIDE: WHY JALEN BRUNSON AT +140 IS THE BEST POINTS LEADER VALUE IN THE SERIESThe benches are fairly even, but the Spurs do have Keldon Johnson, who won the Sixth Man of the Year, and they have Dylan Harper. This team actually just has an embarrassment of riches if we’re being honest.We’ve seen the key to beating the Spurs – when the Thunder were knocking down their outside shots, they pushed the Spurs to the brink. When they weren’t, they struggled to score. Even in Game 7, one guy, Cason Wallace, was the lone bright spot for the Thunder role players as he was knocking down triples. So what is the Knicks’ weakness? I don’t know that they have one. I’ve said this before, but Brunson is not as good as Gilgeous-Alexander, and he struggled in the series against the Spurs.This is going to be a tough matchup for both teams. Both of them will be inexperienced here. The more emotional team and the tired team should be the Spurs. However, in the NBA Cup, we saw the Knicks find ways to attack them. At the same time, the Spurs were the better team for three quarters of the game. That’s how I see this series. We may look back on it and say, the Spurs were the better team for most of the games, but the Knicks closed it out. I’ll take a shot and upset the entire New York fan base by taking them to win the series, but I also like the Knicks +1.5 games at -140.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMFor more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday went off on Rep. Ted Lieu for accusing President Donald Trump of falling asleep in cabinet meetings, having a decline in cognitive abilities, and being missing for eight days as the Democrats try to distract the country from the doped-up puppet they installed in the White House.
“You have been at multiple meetings with President Trump. In a moment, I’m going to show you a video of one of these meetings. It is from last December. It’s a cabinet meeting. I’m going to ask you to focus on President Trump, and you will see that he is sleeping while you are talking.”
“Oh my God,” Rubio said, laughing before the clip played. He went on to describe Lieu’s line of questioning as “false” and “outrageous,” telling him, “Show me all the videos you want!”
“That’s false,” Rubio said of the accusation that Trump was asleep. “I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep,” he added joking that it’s a “big problem because he calls me at two in the morning, he calls me at five in the morning.”
Lieu accused Rubio of lying under oath, then proceeded to play another video from a cabinet meeting, where Trump appeared to have his eyes closed briefly, and again accused Trump of sleeping and Rubio of lying.
Lieu continued to play a clip of Trump allegedly sleeping at a Memorial Day ceremony and another where he makes contradictory statements about Iran’s military.
“So, Secretary Rubio, instead of holding North Korean-style cabinet meetings where everyone goes around the room kissing Donald Trump’s ass, I’m going to ask you to come clean with American people and the White House as well. There’s something wrong with Donald Trump’s health or cognitive abilities,” he declared. “There’s a reason he keeps going to the hospital and they keep giving him cognitive tests. We have not seen the President in eight days. The American people deserve the truth.”
It should be noted that Trump gave an hour-long interview to the New York Post yesterday and another to Fox just days prior. While the President has not done any public events recently amid the Iran war negotiations, Lieu’s assertion that Trump has not been seen in eight days is a flat-out lie.
As Rubio attempted to respond to the “absurd and ridiculous” accusations, telling the Congressman he can’t believe he’s being asked about the President sleeping in a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Lieu interrupted, saying, “Just keep lying, Secretary Rubio, just keep lying.”
“The truth of the matter is, we had a cognitively impaired president in office a few years ago,” Rubio fired back, noting again that the President doesn’t sleep.
“I’ve been on foreign trips with the President, that he doesn’t sleep in the whole flight, and everyone else is sleeping on the plane, and he’s, you know, wandering the hallways looking for someone to wake up and talk to. So, I don’t know what you’re referring to, but he has an incredible amount of energy,” he said.
“I’m just telling you, you may not like his policies, you may not like his policies, you may not like the decisions he’s made, but I assure you, this is not a president that sleeps or is cognitively impaired in any way, shape, or form, and, in fact, is incredibly active, much more so in many cases than much younger people that are around him.”
WATCH:

Transcript below:
Lieu: Secretary Rubio, have you been at more than one meeting where President Trump has fallen asleep.
Rubio: That’s false. That’s false. I’ve never seen him fall asleep. On the contrary, the guy doesn’t sleep, which is a big problem, because he calls me at two in the morning, he calls me at five in the morning, and you know, I like to sleep a little bit, maybe not 12 hours, at least six. So, he works— the other day, he was at the Oval Office until 12:30am. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Lieu: I’m going to show you in a moment a video that shows you just lied to Congress.
Rubio: Oh, okay.
Lieu: So, this is a video of a cabinet meeting, literally from last month, where Donald Trump is sleeping while you are talking. Please show this video… You are literally talking about issues of war and peace, and Donald Trump is sleeping right next to you.
Rubio: No he’s not.
Lieu: If Donald Trump cannot stay awake at these important meetings, where the cameras are rolling, imagine what he’s like when the cameras are not there. So, I’m going to ask you, have you been at classified meetings where Donald Trump has fallen asleep?
Rubio: I’ve never been in any meeting where— and the things you’re showing me now, he was not falling asleep, and I think it’s outrageous that I’m before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives, asking questions about sleep!
Lieu: So, you’re lying again, you’re lying consistently to Congress. You’re lying to Congress, Secretary Rubio. So, I’m going to show you another video in a moment.
Rubio: Show me all the videos you want!
Lieu: The president’s inability to stay awake on the job has caused other countries to perceive him differently. They mock him, they see he is weak and he is feeble. This is a video of a French news channel talking about Donald Trump falling asleep at a Memorial Day ceremony. Please show this video… Donald Trump’s inability to stay awake on the job shows that there’s something very wrong with his health of cognitive abilities, and in fact, on a number of occasions Donald Trump will contradict himself in literally the same meeting or interview. In this video I’m about to show, it shows that Donald Trump says the Iranian military is both destroyed and not destroyed at the same time, something that Dina Titus alluded to. Please show this video…
So, Secretary Rubio, instead of holding North Korean-style cabinet meetings where everyone goes around the room kissing Donald Trump’s ass, I’m going to ask you to come clean with American people and the White House as well. There’s something wrong with Donald Trump’s health or cognitive abilities. There’s a reason he keeps going to the hospital and they keep giving him cognitive tests. We have not seen the President in eight days. The American people deserve the truth. I yield back.
Rubio: I don’t even know how to respond to that, other than to tell you that it’s absurd and ridiculous, and I can’t believe we’re in a Foreign Affairs Committee meeting in front of the House, at an important time in American foreign policy…
Lieu: Just keep lying, Secretary Rubio, just keep lying.
Rubio: … answering questions from, supposedly, someone who thinks he’s a medical expert, when he’s not. The truth of the matter is, we had a cognitively impaired president in office a few years ago. That’s a cognitively impaired president, but I don’t like to talk about that, because it weakens America. This president we have, this is a guy that literally doesn’t sleep; he works day and night, long hours, every single day. I don’t know if you haven’t seen him in eight days. I saw him yesterday, I didn’t see him today, but yesterday, because I was in Congress, the day before. I talk to him at all hours of the day and night. He works inhumane hours.
I’ve been on foreign trips with the President, that he doesn’t sleep in the whole flight, and everyone else is sleeping on the plane, and he’s, you know, wandering the hallways looking for someone to wake up and talk to. So, I don’t know what you’re referring to, but he has an incredible amount of energy. I’m just telling you, you may not like his policies, you may not like his policies, you may not like the decisions he’s made, but I assure you, this is not a president that sleeps or is cognitively impaired in any way, shape, or form, and, in fact, is incredibly active, much more so in many cases than much younger people that are around him. Those are facts. I see it every day. You’re not going to agree, because you have another narrative that you want to push, but those are the facts.
The post WATCH: Marco Rubio Nukes Dem Rep. Ted Lieu After He Pushes Hoax About Trump’s Cognitive Abilities and Says Trump’s Been Missing for 8 Days appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.