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We have officially crossed the Rubicon of political psychosis.With the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks squaring off, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott went completely rogue and dropped a digital war crime on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s timeline.The man posted a fully commissioned, AI-generated fever dream of himself catching Vince Carter air in a Spurs uniform just to put Hochul in a body bag at the rim.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!It’s deranged, aggressively disrespectful, and pure car-wreck appeal.You physically cannot look away.Abbott paired the high-flying graphic with a caption that read, “Spurs about to dunk on Knicks like Texas has been dunking on New York. Go Spurs Go.”GOV. KATHY HOCHUL’S ATTEMPT AT DUNKING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S NEW YORK KNICKS FANDOM BACKFIRESWhile the alien emoji was a nod to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, the post itself was a direct response to Hochul committing one of the most heinous sports blunders in recent memory.In an attempt to take a swipe at President Donald Trump’s New York sports credentials ahead of the Finals action between the Spurs and Knicks, Hochul tried to challenge Trump’s hoops knowledge during a news conference.KNICKS FANS SEND NYC INTO CHAOS AFTER FRANCHISE REACHES FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999: ‘”I’d ask him to name the starting lineup of the 1993 championship team and see how he does,” Hochul told reporters with total confidence.There was just one massive problem with the Democratic governor’s routine.The 1993 Knicks did not win a championship.TRUMP SAYS HE THINKS HE’LL ATTEND NBA FINALS GAME AS KNICKS CLOSE IN ON LONG-AWAITED CHAMPIONSHIPPatrick Ewing and company were famously eliminated by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.The Knicks haven’t actually hoisted a trophy since 1973, a painful reality that virtually any New York sports fan could tell you.Critics pointed out that Hochul invented a fictional championship ring just to score a cheap political point against Trump.Naturally, Abbott saw the massive basketball brick from his New York counterpart and decided to run the fast break.Hochul practically served the chance for a poster moment on a silver platter.Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela 

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it carried out “self-defense strikes” against Iran over the weekend.”U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island this weekend,” a press release noted.The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM continued.”No American service members were harmed. CENTCOM will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,” CENTCOM’s release added.

Christian Pulisic is considered to be one of the best American-born soccer players in the world and is expected to be a major part of the U.S. national team’s run in the upcoming World Cup.It’s why the goal drought going into a friendly against Senegal was absolutely bizarre. Pulisic hadn’t put one into the back of the net since Dec. 28 when AC Milan defeated Hellas Verona in a Serie A match.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!He got the weight off his back on Sunday when he scored in the 19th minute of the U.S. match against Senegal.”Now maybe we can stop talking about it,” he said after the match.The Americans won, 3-2, despite Sadio Mané tying the match early in the second half. Folarin Balogun put the U.S. ahead in the 62nd minute.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMPulisic was scoreless in his final 19 matches for AC Milan. The score also ended an eight-match scoreless streak while playing for the U.S. national team.”I felt this confidence, like I have played really well in recent months, but all everyone seems to want to worry about is goals. So, hopefully, we can stop talking about it,” Pulisic said. “We have games ahead and I have to be ready.”US SOCCER LEGEND CLINT DEMPSEY PREVIEWS TEAM’S WORLD CUP CHANCES, DISCUSSES ‘RESPONSIBILITY’ TO GROW THE GAMEPulisic added that it was a relief to finally get the goal.”The performance of Christian, for 45 minutes, was really, really good,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “He still has the potential to improve. But I think it is the way that he is training from day one. (The) way he played for 45 minutes was the habits that he created last week. Every day training with this attitude, with this commitment, with this energy. I think now we need to try to extend (it) until 90 minutes.”I am happy for him also because after a long time, a few months, he scored again. Obviously, that is important for our players in the preparation to the World Cup.”The U.S. will play Germany in its next friendly on Saturday. Then, it’s off to its first World Cup Group D match against Paraguay.Watch 3 Days of the FIFA World Cup for Free after 5/18 or before. Start your free trial or try it free.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

US Adult Cigarette Smoking Rate Hits Another All-Time Low

Via Headline USA,

The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 11 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released this week.

Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death.

The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were based on survey responses from more than 24,200 adults. In the survey, CDC officials defined current cigarette smoking as smoking at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime and now smoking every day or some days.

In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, due to cigarette taxes, tobacco product price hikes, smoking bans, public education campaigns and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public.

In 2024, the percentage of current adult smokers fell below 10% for the first time. Last year, it was 9%, according to the new survey.

The use of electronic cigarettes has been inching up among adults, but has held about steady in 2025, at about 7%.

“The continued decline in smoking is a monumental public health achievement that has saved millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs,” said Yolonda Richardson, president and chief executive of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and research organization.

Richardson said current smoking-prevention efforts have been set back by cuts President Donald Trump’s administration made that eliminated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health and its “Tips from Former Smokers” advertising campaign.

She cited estimates that the “Tips” campaign alone helped more than 1 million Americans quit smoking and saved over $7.3 billion in healthcare costs.

“This critical work must be restored and sustained to continue reducing smoking-related disease, death and healthcare costs nationwide,” Richardson said.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 06/01/2026 – 05:45

A special counsel team has determined former President Yoon Suk Yeol had prepared to declare martial law since late 2023, about a year before his failed bid in December 2024, officials said Monday.

South Korean stocks extended a rally to a fresh all-time high Monday, driven by strong gains in stocks related to artificial intelligence.

Five workers were killed and two others injured Monday after an explosion and fire at a Hanwha Aerospace defense facility in Daejeon, officials said.

As a physician, former member of Congress, and former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I have spent much of my career focused on policies that improve health outcomes. I have also seen the toll of smoking up close. I lost my father to what I often call “Lucky Strike lungs.” That experience has stayed with me — and it underscores a simple fact: smoking remains one of the nation’s most serious and persistent public health challenges.Yet in Washington, there is a growing habit of talking about smoking as if it were yesterday’s problem. It is not. Roughly 25 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and far too many have been left out of the public health conversation. That is the central message of “The Forgotten Smoker,” a new white paper from Philip Morris International U.S. (PMI U.S.) that urges policymakers to confront a reality they too often overlook: progress has stalled for millions of Americans still at greatest risk.From a physician’s perspective, these Americans are not abstractions. They are patients, parents, workers, veterans and neighbors. Many have tried to quit more than once. Many know the risks all too well. But understanding the danger and overcoming addiction are not the same thing. If we are serious about reducing smoking-related disease, our policies must reflect the lived reality of adults who continue to smoke instead of assuming the problem will solve itself.A more effective approach starts with a straightforward public health principle: the greatest harm comes from combustion. The FDA has recognized that tobacco and nicotine products exist on a continuum of risk, with cigarettes at the most dangerous end and smoke-free alternatives generally posing lower health risks than continued smoking. That matters. For adults who do not quit nicotine entirely, moving away from cigarettes can still be a meaningful health intervention.CIGARETTE SMOKING IN AMERICA PLUMMETS TO HISTORIC SINGLE-DIGIT LOW, NEW STUDY FINDSUnfortunately, that message is still not reaching the people who need it most. The FDA can make real progress by authorizing smoke-free products through its rigorous scientific review process, but that progress means little if patients never hear about it — or if their clinicians do not feel prepared to discuss it accurately. As a physician, I find that especially troubling. Regulatory action matters, but communication is what turns regulatory action into public health impact.We can see the consequences in the data. A national survey of 1,565 U.S. healthcare practitioners commissioned by PMI U.S. and fielded by Povaddo LLC found that 47% mistakenly believe nicotine is a carcinogen, while another 19% are unsure. The fact is, nicotine itself does not directly cause cancer.The same survey found that 69% want the FDA to share clinical evidence on the role smoke-free products can play in harm reduction, 68% want clear guidance on counseling patients who want to move away from cigarettes, and 95% say they would share FDA-provided information with patients. That is not a marginal finding. It is a clear signal that clinicians want credible, practical tools — and that the FDA is uniquely positioned to provide them.DISPOSABLE VAPES MORE TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC THAN CIGARETTES, STUDY SHOWSThat confusion does not stop at the clinic door. “The Forgotten Smoker” research found that misinformation about nicotine and relative risk is widespread: 52% of Americans incorrectly believe nicotine itself causes cancer, and 73% mistakenly believe all tobacco and nicotine products are equally harmful.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONYet the public also understands there is unfinished work. When presented with the scale of continued smoking, 79% say more should be done to reduce smoking-related harm. In Washington, that should be seen for what it is: both a warning and an opening to act.What should happen next is fairly straightforward. The FDA should equip clinicians with practical, plain-language guidance they can use now — materials developed with input from practicing physicians that explain what the agency has authorized, what that authorization does and does not mean, and how to have evidence-based conversations with adult smokers trying to move away from cigarettes.It should say plainly and repeatedly what drives the greatest health risk: smoke, not nicotine. It should make authorization decisions understandable to non-experts and bring that science into exam rooms, where patient decisions are often shaped. And it should speak directly to adult smokers in ways that meet them where they are, especially populations that remain overrepresented among those who continue to smoke, including older Americans and veterans.Good public health policy meets people where they are, uses the best available evidence, and gives both patients and clinicians the tools to act. The forgotten smoker has been overlooked for too long. Washington should stop looking away.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DR. TOM PRICE

The way to solve the Middle East problem is to leave the Middle East problem. From the madness, a pattern is emerging: barrels are being rounded up in the Americas and the United States is quietly assembling the pieces of a new energy isolationism.It started with “Drill, Baby, Drill,” the long-in-the-tooth bit of campaign rhetoric. Then came the January 2025 National Energy Emergency proclamation. Then the Big Beautiful Bill and rolled-back regs for oil and gas producers and consumers. Then Venezuela and its enormous reserves. And now the lessons of playing with fire in the Strait of Hormuz. The collective result is a reshuffling of U.S. energy access.”Let them all do it. What the hell are we doing it for?” President Donald Trump recently declared, suggesting Europe, China, Korea and Japan should be the ones to open and police the Strait of Hormuz. “We will be helpful, but they should take the lead in protecting the oil they so desperately depend on.” Whatever one’s regard for Trump, the argument that the U.S. goes it alone might just be a reasonable one.Oil markets are a confusing network of alliances, logistics, seaborne routes, pipelines and refining needs. But in the simplest terms: the U.S. consumes 20 million barrels of crude per day and produces 13.6 million. Analysts will say we’re energy independent, but that’s a BTU calculation, not actual barrels. We need more physical barrels to make up the difference, and we’re almost there.STEVE MOORE: FIVE ENERGY TRUTHS THE MEDIA IGNORE AS AMERICA’S OIL BOOM BLUNTS THE IRAN WAR’S IMPACTCanada exports 4.0 million barrels per day to the U.S., Mexico adds 0.3 million, and Venezuela adds 0.44 million. Combined, that’s 18 million barrels a day. As Venezuelan exports rise with the work Energy Secretary Chris Wright is doing there, and Mexican exports return to historic norms, with newly favorable federal leasing in Alaska, the Lower 48, and the offshore Gulf, we’re knocking on the door of actual rather than rhetorical energy independence. Tier One shale acreage may be disappearing, but drilling efficiencies continue to improve, and there’s no shortage of BTU-rich natural gas liquids coming out of the major basins.There are two wild cards: California and New York. Both are oil- and gas-rich, yet, both irrationally flawed in their use-it-but-don’t-produce-it mantra. Stuck in their cognitive dissonance, where they trade policy for poverty, maybe the day will come when ideology finally gets traded in for pragmatism.Rub #1: The floor on oil price profitability isn’t the $50s or $60s per barrel, as pushed by the Trump administration. It’s in the middle to upper $70s. No amount of regulation-off or cutting unnecessary regulations can fix that.TRUMP FLOATS A GAS TAX HOLIDAYRub #2: Trump and Chris Wright term out in January 2029. Should another pairing like former President Joe Biden and former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm take place, the gains made will likely be repealed, canceled, or litigated, as happened with Biden’s illegal suspension of federal lease sales on Day One of his administration. That was Day One of the war on fossil fuels. Don’t think it’s not coming again.Given that much of the production in Western states is on federal acreage, a hard left turn in policy will tank the energy independence we’re building toward. A second push into renewables won’t add the energy we need, surely not with the coming strain of data center demands.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONThe left doesn’t see energy as an all-of-the-above choice, as it needs to be. It agitates against fossil fuels, which, aside from nuclear, are the only means of universal efficiency. Should another Biden take charge, the renewal of state-sponsored climate activism will return us to the same Middle East mayhem we now have a chance to leave behind.Trump and his secretaries are running out of time. Accomplishing true U.S. energy independence has to be done now — meaning more leasing on federal lands and water, a higher rig count, and completing proposed pipelines and refinery expansions. Politicizing low oil prices, as Trump is prone to do, won’t get us there.Reasonable oil prices are neither inflationary nor recessionary. The damage comes when prices go too low, as they were earlier this year, or too high, as they are now. As both the owner of a fracking company and an oil and gas production company, I’ll take the middle every time. Reg-off is good, but it’s negligible compared to necessary prices.The window is open. It won’t stay that way.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAN DOYLE

If you drive a hybrid or an electric vehicle (EV), fly on a modern jet, or expect American weapons to hit their targets, you owe thanks to a small group of elements known as heavy rare earths. For more than a decade, China has been the world’s near-sole supplier. Last year, Beijing shut that door to Western defense companies.Here is my prediction: it is not going to reopen for any industry in the West.Some Western leaders keep treating each new Chinese export restriction as a bargaining chip — leverage to be traded for the right concession at the right summit. That is the wrong way to read what is happening. China is methodically executing a long-term economic and military plan to stop shipping these materials abroad altogether. It intends to send us Chinese-made EVs, wind turbines and robots built with dysprosium and terbium — not the oxides themselves.Who would blame them? Keeping the entire mine-to-magnet-to-manufacturer chain inside China preserves jobs and stability at every link. For the Chinese Communist Party, maximizing employment and minimizing internal dissent is Job No. 1. Denying Western militaries the inputs they would need in a fight over Taiwan, for example, is an added bonus to Beijing.THE CCP CONTROLS THE MOST INTIMATE ELEMENTS OF OUR LIFE. MOST AMERICANS HAVE NO IDEAThe economic logic is the part Western policymakers need to internalize most. A kilogram of dysprosium shipped abroad as a powder earns China a few hundred dollars and employs a handful of miners. The same kilogram, tucked inside the motor of an electric car, helps roll a $40,000 vehicle off a Chinese assembly line.It also employs millions of Chinese workers, from the mine to the smelter to the magnet plant to the auto factory. Multiply that across the seven million vehicles China will export this year, plus its wind turbines, drones, MRI machines and industrial robots, and the choice writes itself. Beijing said as much, out loud, in its Made in China 2025 blueprint: capture the full chain, from rock to robot.Markets are responding rationally to that strategy. Earlier this month, dysprosium oxide sold in China for about $270 a kilogram. In Europe, the same material fetched $1,100 — more than four times as much. Terbium showed the same pattern: $1,145 per kilogram in China versus $4,250 in Europe. Last fall, Beijing quietly cut off terbium sales to private investors, so its own factories could get first call. That is not how an exporter behaves. That is how a country hoarding a scarce resource for itself behaves.TEXAS RARE-EARTH PROJECT AIMS TO CURB US RELIANCE ON CHINA, STRENGTHEN NATIONAL SECURITYThe quiet truth is that China is running short of the heavy rare earths it once had in abundance. Despite holding roughly a third of the world’s total rare earth reserves, its deposits of the heavy varieties — the ones that make high-performance magnets work — have been thinning for more than a decade.To cover the gap, China has been relying on imports from war-torn Myanmar, and even those mines are starting to fade. Every kilogram of dysprosium Beijing ships overseas comes from a shrinking pile.The strategic stakes follow directly from the chemistry. A pinch of dysprosium or terbium, often less than 1% by weight, when alloyed into the permanent magnets that spin inside an EV motor, allows the magnets to withstand engine heat without losing strength. The same magnets steer cruise missiles, point fighter-jet radars and drive the silent propulsion in America’s submarines. Without these two elements, modern weapons and nearly every EV on the road either degrade or simply stop working.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONChina is not weaponizing rare earths to punish the West. It is doing something colder and more durable: deciding that selling raw materials is bad business. The licensing rules, the extraterritorial reach and the on-again, off-again suspensions — these are not random skirmishes. They are the dial Beijing is slowly turning down on raw exports while it turns the other dial up on finished goods made from the same atoms.President Donald Trump clearly sees where this is headed. His administration is working furiously to develop mine-to-manufacturer supply chains in the U.S., including the Pentagon’s early investments in the domestic scandium supply chain. Europe must accelerate its efforts along the same lines.Any plan that assumes we will continue to receive Chinese heavy rare earths — even with a permit stamp — is built on a supply that basic economics says will shrink until it disappears. The Pentagon’s 2027 ban on Chinese magnets in American weapons systems and the surge of new mine-and-magnet projects on both sides of the Atlantic are not protectionism. They are a late but necessary admission that the world’s most important supply chain is being deliberately pulled out from under us.The only question left is whether the West will build its own supply chains in time — or keep waiting for an opening that Beijing has every reason to keep shut.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM MARK A. SMITH