The treaty oft Versailles in 1919 ended World War I, and piled a deep burden on Germany that resulted in WW II.
Too bad, they did arrange the room like it was in 1919.
Friday, June 19, 2026
You Knew This Was Going To Happen
[Political Analysis]
Is the U.S. backing out of the Iran agreement?
The optics of the Iran war have shifted, leaving Trump with what appears to be a defeat. He has always needed to be seen as the “top dog,” but now he is being viewed as a loser.
The reflection pool has turned green.The anti-weaponization slush fund was blocked.Immigration policy was overturned.The Kennedy Center rebranding failed.
Things have not been going well for Trump.
Now people are calling the MOU a surrender document. Even more damaging for the author of “The Art of the Deal” is the growing sentiment that President Obama’s treaty was better than Trump’s. Trump invested significant political capital in presenting this agreement as a major achievement and an improvement over previous Iran diplomacy, but that narrative is now unraveling.
Criticism is coming from multiple directions: some argue the agreement gave Iran too much, while others say the military campaign failed to achieve its stated objectives. Now he is hearing that he lost the war, and his ego cannot accept that. Even many Republicans in Congress see it as a bitter pill to swallow.
I believe Trump will pivot to domestic issues, targeting groups like the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, and other minorities. When he is backed into a corner, he tends to go on the offensive against those with less power to push back.
Expect more posts about “unemployment fraud” on his X platform. You may see crackdowns on blue cities over alleged fraud that is more likely due to administrative or billing errors rather than actual wrongdoing.
You may also see a wave of anti-trans legislation—anything to distract from the situation in the Middle East.
Trump has blurred the lines between politics, personal branding, media presence, and business interests more than any recent president, and this is increasingly becoming a liability for him.
Updated: 9:45AM
Thursday, June 18, 2026
He Is Politicizing Everything
The Trump administration is now “weaponizing” unemployment insurance, cutting it off to blue states that don’t kowtow to him.
By Nick VivianiFOX 5June 17, 2026The U.S. government wants states to do more to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in their unemployment insurance programs and is threatening to withhold federal dollars until they do.Big picture view:Letters from the Labor Department were sent to the governors of every state warning that, if they do not crack down on their unemployment programs, administrative funds would be withheld. The move is the latest action by President Donald Trump’s administration to combat fraud and waste in state programs.What they're saying:"We are officially putting governors on notice," Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said in a statement Wednesday. "The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars — no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences."The backstory:The Labor Department blamed poor oversight, outdated technology, weak identity verification, and lax control for "allow[ing] unprecedented fraud to flourish." Its statement cited examples from California, Illinois, and New York to show how hundreds of millions of dollars have been reportedly lost to fraud, improper payments, and mismanagement.
Funny how they all Blue states named.
Back in April,
President Donald Trump on Friday said Vice President JD Vance will focus on investigating fraud in Democratic-run states in his new role as "fraud czar.""His focus will be 'EVERYWHERE,' but primarily in those Blue States," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, singling out California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine and New York.
First it was ICE going after blue states, now it is unemployment insurance being framed as fraud in blue states. But as usual, they offer no data to back up their accusations.
Acting secretary Keith Sonderling threatens to withhold administrative funds from states for first time in historyThe GuardianMichael SainatoWed 17 Jun 2026Keith Sonderling sent letters to 53 states and US territories demanding action to “combat waste, fraud, and abuse” within the unemployment insurance program, threatening to withhold administrative funds from states for the first time in history.“We are officially putting governors on notice,” said the acting US secretary of labor. “The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars – no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences. This department is no longer afraid to use every lever available to ensure taxpayer money is protected.”The agency did not provide data on fraud or alleged fraud in unemployment systems, but highlighted three Democrat-led states – California, New York and Illinois – and made claims about each.
The article also noted that much of the so-called “fraud” is actually billing and payment error.
The Department of Labor also claimed that New York loses an estimated $2m a day in unemployment insurance fraud and improper payments, but did not differentiate between the two. They also cited that Illinois had improper payments of $320m, at a rate of 14%.Improper payments are not fraud, rather are most often cited as due to antiquated technology, with an estimated improper payment rate of 14.9% across the US.
This is the Trump administration’s typical MO: make broad, attention-grabbing accusations that dominate headlines, but are not supported by clear data.
Friendly news outlets like Fox News plaster it all over their headlines: “Massive Fraud Crackdown.” What they don’t mention is that much of it is billing error and that states are actively pursuing actual fraud cases. But they don’t mention that.
I also want to point out that states are going after fraud:
It is not as though the states are doing nothing. Much of the data the federal government is using comes from the states themselves. This is nothing more than grandstanding.
And you know darn well that if the feds do this the courts will overturn it like they did with the ICE and CBP fake claims. The courts blocked him in cutting funding to Sanctuary Cities. When he cut funding to states' Welfare & Social Services programs. When he tried to cut Public Health & Research. So if he goes through with these threats I foresee the court blocking him again.
Judge Shopping?
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health has a leading role in determining how gender-affirming care is provided.PoliticoBy Simon J. Levien06/17/2026The Federal Trade Commission is suing the leading transgender health care group in federal court. The agency argued on Wednesday that the World Professional Association for Transgender Health made “deceptive claims” in its health care guidelines for transgender children. The group’s members include psychiatrists, surgeons, pediatricians, endocrinologists and primary care doctors who work with transgender patients.The FTC, like the Health Department, has been on a monthslong legal tear to clamp down on providers and hospitals that offer gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming care refers to medical interventions for minors experiencing distress that their bodies do not align with their gender identity.
This is total bonkers!
“Medical organizations must follow the science, disclose conflicts and put patients first,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a news release praising the FTC’s action.The agency alleged that WPATH’s trans care recommendations violate the FTC Act by misleading parents and patients about the necessity and efficacy of these treatments. The FTC filed its complaint in the federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside several red states, which joined the suit: Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas.
Ah... now I see. RFK Jr. has his two cents in this politically motivated attack on WPATH. And this appears to be a spinoff from a British investigation.
The Trump administration has pointed to a British government review that found the evidence supporting gender-affirming care’s efficacy is weak, and produced its own study arguing the same. The administration supported Tennessee’s defense of its law barring gender-affirming care for minors in a Supreme Court case last year that Tennessee won 6-3.
So why Texas and not Washington, D.C. to file the case? Because the FTC had recently received an unfavorable ruling from Judge Boasberg in D.C. in related litigation involving WPATH. Meanwhile, down in Texas, they had a very good chance of getting a judge that Trump appointed... and they got Judge Mark Pittman! Who is he?
- In 2022, Pittman struck down the Biden administration's student-loan forgiveness program,
- In April 2023, Pittman issued the first major ruling in the case seeking to suspend the FDA's approval of mifepristone,
And of course the Republican states are jumping on board... The Advocate writes;
The Federal Trade Commission, joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas, filed the lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health in federal court in Texas. The complaint alleges that WPATH made deceptive or unsubstantiated claims about the safety, effectiveness, medical necessity, and evidence base for puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for young people.
It doesn't look good for us!
I'm not a legal expert, but I believe that this case is mainly to show the MAGA base that they are tough on us. The grounds they are basing their case on have been called novel and aggressive. What are its chances of succeeding? I give it a 50/50 chance to win in the Supreme Court. They seem to be essentially trying to reclassify medical consensus and clinical guidelines as "commercial marketing." It is an aggressive stretch of consumer protection law designed to bypass the traditional medical boards and go straight for the financial and legal jugular.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
My Worry
Trump is in a slow meltdown… everything he touches is falling apart!
👉 The Kennedy Center went down in flames in court.👉 His pièce de résistance—the ballroom—has costs skyrocketing… $300 million! $500 million! Now the estimate is over $600 million.👉 His arch is being challenged in court.👉 The Reflecting Pool, once blue, is now green!👉The big one… the Iran situation. He caved and surrendered!
Everywhere you look in the news, the top article is about the MOU. Many news outlets are pointing to the fact that President Obama’s treaty was better than Trump’s MOU.
I am concerned that he might take drastic action to counter a perception of weakness. He is a loose cannon and might do anything.
As a trans woman, I am worried that he will take it out on us.
Good Luck
The EEOC doesn't believe in discrimination!
Shepard Scalf said in an EEOC filing that a parent complained to the district that he was transgender.The AdvocateMathew RodriguezJun 16, 2026Shepard Scalf, a Florida teacher who is intersex, is alleging in a new Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filing that his school district fired him because they perceived him as transgender. Scalf was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, per the Monday filing.In the filing, Scarf claims that, at the same time he was fired, he was told that his performance as a Language Arts teacher at Patriot Oaks Academy in the St. Johns County School District was “exemplary,” and that there was no “merits-based justification” for his termination. Scalf taught sixth grade and had been newly hired for the 2025-2026 school year.“At the same time, the district knew both that I have a male gender identity (they gave me a placard saying ‘Mr. Scalf’) and that I was assigned female at birth (based on my employment paperwork),” Scarf wrote. “I therefore believe this termination was based on the perception that I am transgender.”
Hey! The Republicans don't care about the little details like he is intersex, all they see is he is not like them. He is different... therefore unacceptable to them.
Per the filing, the letter from Asplen claimed that, due to Scalf being a first-year teacher, his employment was “probationary” and could be dismissed without cause. The letter said he would be placed on temporary leave following a board meeting. Scalf says he was given the choice to accept the probationary release or voluntarily resign. Scalf resigned after being told by the union rep that a resignation would be better for his future career prospects than a termination, according to the EEOC filing.[...]After his resignation, Scalf says he received evidence that his termination was due to a parent complaining that he was transgender, per the filing.
It will be a hard uphill battle with Florida and Trump's EEOC
“Heya Joe… who wonna da Second World War, you so smart?”
Those words are from Firesign Theatre's “How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You’re Not Anywhere at All” and to paraphrase them... “Heya Don… who wonna da Second Iranian War, you so smart?”
So … let me get this straight:
- The official numbers say the war cost around $25–30 billion but estimates put it as high as $100 billion.
- It is estimated that ~1,400–1,700 Iranian civilians were killed including ~120 schoolchildren killed in the one missile attack on the school.
- At least 13 U.S. service members killed and ~380 wounded
- And what it has done to our allies in the region is beyond calculations.
What Trump did not get...
❌ No regime change (Iran’s government remains intact)
❌ No confirmed dismantling of Iran’s missile program
❌ No full shutdown of Iran’s proxy networks
❌ No permanent or fully verified nuclear rollback
❌ No decisive military defeat of Iran
What Iran got...
✅ Sanctions relief on oil exports
✅ Return to global oil markets
✅ Partial access to frozen assets
✅ Easing of shipping and maritime restrictions
✅ Potential reconstruction and investment prospects of $300 billion dollars in loans
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