Georgia's political landscape faces a significant shift as speculation grows around potential Republican candidates for the upcoming Senate race.
According to Daily Caller, Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced Monday his decision not to pursue a Senate campaign against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in the 2026 election, citing personal and family considerations.
The two-term governor's announcement comes after intense lobbying efforts from top Republican leadership, including National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Tim Scott and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who traveled to Atlanta in April to persuade Kemp to enter the race. GOP operatives had considered Kemp their strongest potential candidate to challenge Ossoff's seat.
National Republican Senatorial Committee Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez emphasized the party's confidence in finding a competitive candidate despite Kemp's decision. She highlighted Ossoff's voting record and his alignment with President Biden's agenda as vulnerabilities that Republicans plan to exploit.
Senate Leadership Fund chairman and former Colorado Senator Cory Gardner echoed this sentiment. He criticized Ossoff's legislative record and expressed confidence in Georgia's deep bench of Republican leaders.
The committee remains optimistic about converting the seat, pointing to Ossoff's consistent support of Biden administration policies as a potential weakness in the conservative-leaning state.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has emerged as a serious contender for Ossoff's Senate seat. The controversial congresswoman is reportedly considering a campaign launch following Kemp's announcement.
Republican Representative Mike Collins signaled his interest in the race, announcing plans to discuss the opportunity with President Trump. Collins had previously suggested that a Kemp candidacy would have resulted in an easy victory for Republicans.
Representative Rich McCormick also left the door open for a potential Senate run, describing himself as a "moneyball kind of guy" when discussing political opportunities.
Republican officials cite Ossoff's positions on key issues as major campaign focal points. Senate Republican-aligned groups have particularly emphasized his stance on immigration policy and gender issues in sports.
The NRSC leadership stated:
While Jon Ossoff is running to impeach President Trump, Republicans have a number of strong candidates who can build a winning coalition to add this seat to President Trump's Senate Majority
Former Senator Gardner added:
Whether it's his liberal record of supporting open borders, forcing girls to compete against biological men in women's sports, or voting for the Biden Agenda 100% of the time, Jon Ossoff has completely failed to represent the people of Georgia and is the most vulnerable Senate Democrat in America
Governor Brian Kemp's decision not to pursue Georgia's Senate seat in 2026 has initiated a cascade of political maneuvering within the Republican Party. The announcement has prompted several prominent Georgia Republicans, including Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mike Collins, and Rich McCormick, to consider launching their campaigns. The race is expected to be highly competitive as Republicans aim to capitalize on what they perceive as Ossoff's vulnerabilities, particularly his consistent support of Biden administration policies and progressive stances on various issues.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris drew significant attention during her visit to one of Manhattan's most exclusive establishments alongside her husband, Doug Emhoff.
According to the New York Post, the former vice president's evening at The Polo Bar on East 55th Street involved an extensive security detail of Secret Service agents and a convoy of up to seven SUVs, ahead of her anticipated Met Gala appearance.
Harris and Emhoff's visit to the Ralph Lauren-owned establishment showcased the continued high-level security measures afforded to former vice presidents.
The couple engaged with patrons at the venue, where securing a reservation requires a month's advance planning. Their presence at the upscale venue attracted attention from onlookers and fellow diners.
President Biden's executive order has granted Harris an extended period of Secret Service protection, continuing through July 2026.
This 18-month extension surpasses the typical six-month protection period usually provided to former vice presidents. The arrangement could potentially be modified through an executive order by President Trump or voluntarily declined by Harris herself.
The taxpayer-funded security detail demonstrated the extensive resources required for protecting former high-ranking government officials. Law enforcement sources indicate that former vice presidents typically receive a smaller contingent of personal protection agents.
The security measures implemented during Harris's visit highlighted the ongoing protocols necessary for safeguarding former administration officials. The presence of multiple SUVs and agents reflected the comprehensive nature of Secret Service protection operations.
The Polo Bar maintains its reputation as one of New York City's most sought-after dining destinations. The establishment enforces strict dress code regulations, prohibiting casual attire such as t-shirts, athletic wear, beachwear, hoodies, hats, and ripped jeans.
The venue's exclusivity is reflected in its pricing structure, with a corned beef sandwich priced at $36. The wine selection includes premium offerings, notably the Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, which commands $14,500 per bottle.
The restaurant's reservation system operates on a monthly release schedule, making it one of Manhattan's most challenging venues to access. This system maintains the establishment's status as a preferred destination for celebrities and high-profile individuals.
Harris's Polo Bar visit served as a precursor to her scheduled appearance at the prestigious Met Gala. The former vice president's presence in New York City demonstrated her continued engagement in high-profile social events following her departure from office.
The evening highlighted the intersection of political figures and exclusive social venues while emphasizing the ongoing security considerations for former administration officials. Harris's movements through Manhattan showcased the logistical complexities involved in protecting former vice presidents, even as they participated in public events.
A sophisticated hacking incident targeting TeleMessage, a government-approved messaging platform, has raised serious concerns about the security of communications used by Trump administration officials.
According to Daily Caller, an unidentified hacker successfully breached TeleMessage's modified version of Signal, accessing archived communications and exposing sensitive data belonging to multiple federal agencies and financial institutions.
The breach occurred through a vulnerable Amazon Web Services endpoint, compromising data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and various crypto lobbyists. The incident has drawn particular attention due to National Security Advisor Mike Waltz's recent public use of the service during a cabinet meeting.
The hacker, speaking about the ease of the breach, provided a concerning assessment of TeleMessage's security measures:
I would say the whole process took about 15-20 minutes. It wasn't much effort at all … If I could have found this in less than 30 minutes then anybody else could too. And who knows how long it's been vulnerable?
TeleMessage, an Israel-based subsidiary of U.S. company Smarsh, markets its platform as a solution for archiving encrypted communications while maintaining compliance with federal regulations. The company modifies popular encrypted messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram to meet government archiving requirements.
The compromise revealed extensive data, including group chat contents, direct messages, phone numbers, email addresses, and internal credentials from TeleMessage's backend system. Nearly 750 names and contact details associated with CBP were exposed in the breach.
The breach exposed conversations related to cryptocurrency legislation, including real-time discussions about legislative whip counts. These communications mentioned Democratic Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Kirsten Gillibrand, revealing sensitive political strategy discussions.
The exposed data also included metadata from financial institutions like Coinbase and Scotiabank, compromising the contact information of current and former employees. While cabinet officials' messages remained secure, the breach affected various government agencies and private sector entities using the platform.
This security incident follows recent controversy surrounding Waltz, who accidentally added Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing Yemen military operations. The inadvertent exposure of his TeleMessage use during a White House meeting initially drew media attention to the platform.
TeleMessage's modification of Signal effectively removes the app's core privacy feature of end-to-end encryption by introducing a third-party archive server between sender and recipient. This compromise between security and regulatory compliance has sparked debate about the effectiveness of such solutions.
The White House has maintained that Signal is an approved app for government use, but has not clarified whether modified versions like TeleMessage's fall under this authorization. The company has since removed content from its website following media coverage of the breach.
Neither TeleMessage nor White House officials have provided immediate responses to requests for comment about the security incident.
The TeleMessage platform breach has exposed significant vulnerabilities in government-approved communication systems designed to balance security with regulatory compliance. A hacker managed to access sensitive data from multiple federal agencies and financial institutions through TeleMessage's modified Signal platform in just 20 minutes. The incident has sparked concerns about the security of government communications, particularly affecting Trump administration officials who rely on the platform for secure messaging while maintaining compliance with federal archiving requirements.
President Trump takes decisive action on controversial virus research linked to the COVID-19 pandemic through a new executive order.
According to the New York Post, Trump signed an executive order Monday prohibiting all federal funding for gain-of-function research in China, Iran, and other nations lacking proper oversight of these experiments. The move comes more than five years after the COVID-19 outbreak, which U.S. intelligence agencies believe likely originated from a laboratory accident.
The executive order targets experiments that enhance the infectiousness of viruses and bacteria, with particular focus on research similar to that conducted on bat coronaviruses by EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The order also implements a temporary pause on all research involving infectious pathogens and toxins until new enforcement policies are developed.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the signing a historic moment, marking the end of federal government funding for gain-of-function studies. He explained that these experiments, also known as dual-use research, had been intermittently conducted from World War II until 2001.
The order deputizes the National Institutes of Health and other agencies to identify biological research that could threaten public health or national security. It also tasks the FBI and HHS with identifying potential threats similar to the Wuhan laboratory situation.
NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya emphasized that most scientific research would continue normally under the new restrictions. He noted that gain-of-function experiments, which make pathogens more virulent and transmissible to humans, pose unnecessary risks.
Federal officials have struggled to track the full extent of gain-of-function research conducted in China and other nations. A Department of Defense Office of Inspector General review discovered at least seven grants totaling more than $15.5 million that went to research organizations in China through subrecipients.
The NIAID, then under Dr. Anthony Fauci's leadership, and USAID channeled over $1.4 million in grants through EcoHealth to the Wuhan laboratory between 2014 and 2021. This funding supported a project titled "Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence."
EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak testified to Congress last year about the organization's involvement, admitting that Chinese biosafety regulations were less stringent than U.S. standards. He also acknowledged limited access to the Wuhan Institute's genomic data.
Sen. Joni Ernst praised Trump's decision, emphasizing her long-standing opposition to sending taxpayer dollars to China for what she termed "sketchy pseudoscience." The FBI, Energy Department, and CIA have all indicated that a laboratory leak was the most likely explanation for the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to HHS Secretary Kennedy, the research ban addresses serious concerns about biological weapons development. He cited China's ongoing work with AI and CRISPR technologies, along with similar programs in Russia and Iran.
Trump's executive order received support from various government agencies and officials who have been critical of previous oversight failures. The Pentagon's internal watchdog highlighted significant data limitations in tracking such research funding.
President Trump signed this landmark executive order to prevent potential future pandemics originating from laboratory accidents in countries with inadequate safety protocols. The order specifically targets gain-of-function research in China, Iran, and other nations while implementing stricter oversight measures for biological research that could impact public health or national security. The FBI and HHS will collaborate to identify and prevent emerging threats similar to the Wuhan laboratory situation, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy regarding potentially dangerous scientific experiments conducted overseas.
A former Bush administration housing official has made extraordinary claims about a secret network of underground facilities built by the U.S. government.
According to the New York Post, Catherine Austin Fitts, who served as assistant secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President George H. W. Bush, alleges that approximately $21 trillion in taxpayer money was secretly channeled into building elaborate underground "cities" designed to shelter the wealthy and powerful during catastrophic events.
Fitts, now 74, made these claims during an appearance on Tucker Carlson's podcast, where she detailed an extensive network of roughly 170 bunkers constructed across the United States since 1998. She suggests these facilities extend beyond mainland America, with some reportedly situated beneath the ocean along U.S. coastlines.
Fitts bases her assertions on a 2017 report by Michigan State University economist Mark Skidmore, which identified substantial "unauthorized spending" within the Departments of Defense and Housing and Urban Development between 1998 and 2015.
The former housing official claims these underground facilities are interconnected through an advanced transportation system and powered by classified military technology. She specifically referenced unexplained aerial phenomena as potential evidence of this secret energy system.
During her podcast appearance, Fitts suggested these installations serve multiple purposes beyond emergency shelters, including hosting what she termed a "secret space program."
The concept of government bunkers is not without precedent in American history. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex, currently operated by the U.S. Space Force, stands as a testament to Cold War-era preparedness.
From the 1950s through the 1990s, a classified congressional bunker operated beneath West Virginia's Greenbrier resort, designed to house the entire Congress during potential catastrophes.
These historical facilities demonstrate the government's long-standing commitment to continuity of operations during national emergencies.
Fitts' interview with Carlson ventured into more contentious territory beyond the bunker allegations. She expressed views about COVID-19 vaccines containing DNA-modifying ingredients and suggested the existence of a global conspiracy involving mind control.
While speaking to Tucker Carlson, she provided this explanation of the alleged secret energy system:
I'm convinced that this energy exists. If you look at a lot of the really fast ships, flying around the planet, they're not using classical electricity.
The former investment banker suggested these facilities are not limited to U.S. territory, claiming similar installations exist worldwide.
Former Assistant Secretary Catherine Austin Fitts' claims about a $21 trillion underground network of cities have added to ongoing discussions about government preparedness and classified installations. While she presents no concrete evidence for these allegations, she points to economist Mark Skidmore's 2017 report on unauthorized government spending as supporting documentation. The controversy highlights the historical reality of government bunker programs while raising questions about current classified infrastructure projects and their potential purposes.
A federal judge's decision on a contentious North Carolina Supreme Court election race has placed Democratic Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin at the center of a heated legal battle.
According to Newsweek, U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, a Trump appointee, blocked Republican efforts to throw out over 60,000 ballots in the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election, effectively securing Democratic incumbent Justice Allison Riggs's victory.
The ruling comes after Griffin initiated legal proceedings following his narrow defeat in the election, where Riggs maintained a lead of 734 votes out of more than 5.5 million ballots cast. The contested ballots primarily involved military and overseas voters who either failed to provide proper photo identification or had never resided in the United States but claimed North Carolina residency through their parents.
Judge Myers emphasized that removing votes six months after Election Day would violate citizens' due process and equal protection rights. His decision directly challenges recent state appeals court rulings that sought to invalidate thousands of voter ballots deemed ineligible.
The ruling specifically addressed disparities in how overseas military and civilian voters were treated across different counties. Myers ordered the State Board of Elections to certify the results showing Riggs as the winner, though he included a seven-day window for Griffin to appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The judge's decision reflects growing concerns about attempts to alter election outcomes after votes have been cast and counted. His ruling stressed the importance of maintaining consistent election rules to preserve public confidence in democratic institutions.
Following the court's decision, Justice Riggs took to social media to express her satisfaction with the outcome. She emphasized her commitment to upholding constitutional principles and the rule of law in her role in North Carolina's highest court.
Griffin's campaign has maintained a cautious stance, stating that their legal team is reviewing the order and considering their next steps. The seven-day window provided by Judge Myers leaves open the possibility of further legal challenges.
The disputed ballots fall into two main categories: votes from military or overseas voters lacking proper photo identification documentation and ballots cast by overseas voters who have never lived in the U.S. but claim North Carolina residency through their parents.
Judge Myers outlined his reasoning in a detailed court ruling, stating:
The cure process offends equal protection principles because it treats overseas military and civilian voters casting ballots in certain counties differently than others who are identically situated. Permitting parties to 'upend the set rules' of an election after the election has taken place can only produce confusion and turmoil [which] threatens to undermine public confidence in the federal courts, state agencies, and the elections themselves.
A Trump-appointed federal judge has blocked Republican efforts to invalidate over 60,000 ballots in North Carolina's Supreme Court election, effectively preserving Democratic Justice Allison Riggs's victory over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.
The ruling addresses constitutional concerns about voter rights and equal protection, particularly regarding military and overseas voters.
While Griffin's team has seven days to appeal the decision to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the State Board of Elections has been ordered to certify results showing Riggs's 734-vote margin of victory in an election that saw more than 5.5 million votes cast.
A historic transformation unfolds at SpaceX's Starbase facility in southern Texas as residents cast their ballots to establish the aerospace hub as an independent municipality.
According to Breitbart, the incorporation of Starbase as a city received overwhelming support, with 212 voters endorsing the measure while only six opposed, marking a significant milestone for Elon Musk's space venture in the Lone Star State.
The newly incorporated city, spanning approximately 1.6 square miles along the southern Texas coast, will operate under its own governance structure. Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president, secured the position of mayor in an uncontested election alongside two city commissioners who are also employed by the aerospace company.
The establishment of Starbase represents a culmination of SpaceX's long-term investment in the region, which began in 2012 with initial land acquisitions in Boca Chica. The company's commitment to the area intensified in 2024 when it commenced construction of housing developments and essential infrastructure.
The incorporation vote reflects the growing influence of SpaceX in Texas, particularly following the company's headquarters relocation from California to Starbase in July 2024. This move aligned with CEO Elon Musk's broader strategy of consolidating his business operations in Texas.
The development mirrors historical patterns of company towns that were prevalent during the mid-20th century, where corporations maintained significant control over local infrastructure and housing. This modern interpretation of the concept has sparked discussions about corporate influence in municipal governance.
The establishment of Starbase as a city has implications for approximately 500 residents in the surrounding area. Local community members have expressed concerns regarding the environmental impact of SpaceX operations, citing issues such as noise pollution, light disruption, and rocket debris.
Elon Musk, who shared the news on X, has demonstrated his expanding Texas footprint by announcing plans to relocate his social media company X from San Francisco to Austin. These strategic moves underscore the entrepreneur's growing investment in the state.
The Texas Legislature is currently reviewing legislation that would grant Starbase authority to implement specific measures, including the ability to close local highways during rocket launches and restrict access to nearby Boca Chica State Park.
The incorporation vote highlighted the unique demographic composition of Starbase's electorate, with the majority of the 283 eligible voters being SpaceX employees. This characteristic of the voting population has raised questions about corporate influence in local governance structures.
The city's establishment introduces a new model of municipal organization where aerospace industry operations intersect with local government functions. The arrangement provides SpaceX with unprecedented control over local infrastructure and development decisions.
The creation of this specialized municipality reflects broader trends in corporate-driven urban development, particularly in the aerospace sector, where operational requirements often necessitate specialized governance structures.
SpaceX's Starbase facility has evolved from a remote launch site to become Texas's newest municipality, following a decisive vote by local residents. The incorporation as a city, approved by an overwhelming majority of 212 to 6 votes, establishes a new framework for aerospace operations in southern Texas. Under the leadership of newly elected Mayor Bobby Peden and two city commissioners, all SpaceX employees, the 1.6-square-mile city will navigate the complex balance between corporate interests, environmental concerns, and community needs while setting precedents for future corporate-municipal partnerships in the aerospace industry.