Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress on Tuesday that the US assesses the new al-Qaeda-linked Syrian government could collapse within weeks and that the country could descend into “full-scale civil war.”

Rubio made the comments at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, where he explained the administration’s rationale for engaging with Syria’s new de facto leaders, who the US helped put in power, despite their al-Qaeda roots.

Rubio recently met with Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, Syria’s new foreign minister, in Turkey. According to Turkish media reports, Shibani was a founding member of the al-Nusra Front, Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate that eventually rebranded into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the offensive against former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and took power in Damascus in December 2024.

“The bad news is that the transitional authority figures, they didn’t pass their background check with the FBI. They’ve got a tough history and one that we understand,” Rubio said.

“If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed that it would not work out,” he added. “In fact, it was our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they’re facing, are maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse.”

Rubio said that a collapse would lead to “a full-scale civil war of epic proportions. Basically, the country splitting up.”

Rubio’s testimony came after President Trump announced he planned to lift sanctions on Syria and met with the country’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who was the leader of the al-Nusra Front and later HTS.

A civil war does appear to be brewing in Syria as HTS-affiliated jihadists have carried out massacres of Alawite civilians in western Syria and have also been clashing with Druze fighters around Damascus. In recent days, government forces have also launched raids against ISIS.

Syria has also faced heavy airstrikes from Israel since the regime change, and the Israeli military has invaded and seized territory in southern Syria. Sharaa has signaled that he’s willing to normalize relations with Syria to obtain sanctions relief from the US, but Israel appears more interested in continuing its occupation and bombing campaign in the country.

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said Wednesday on Newsmax that President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system would give the United States military a “big advantage” over China.

“This would give us a big advantage if we can shoot down all the Chinese nuclear warheads and their warp speed missiles that they have as well,” Marshall told “National Report.” “That would just put our military at a big, big advantage. But to me, this is a defensive weapon as far as the United States has been concerned. Look, we don’t want to rule the world. We just want to make sure our families are safe and secure. I think this will be a great investment. $175 billion is what the president’s going to spend on this probably. Think about this. We spent $200 billion in Ukraine and I don’t know what that did for the safety of American citizens.”

Beijing is reportedly “seriously concerned” about the U.S. Golden Dome missile defense shield and the Chinese foreign ministry called on Washington to abandon development of the $175-billion project that Trump announced on Tuesday.

This takes me back to my boyhood, when they announced the shot for the moon, going to the moon,” Marshall said. “And this is something that Americans can rally around together, that we can cheer for together. We don’t have the technology to complete this yet. It looks next to impossible. I would put this way ahead of any purpose of going to Mars for America right now. So, I think this is a good investment. It’s going to make Americans safer. That’s what President Trump promised us. He said he’s going to make our families safer and more secure, so I’m behind it. I’m excited about the technology. There’ll be so many other benefits from this technology going forward as we develop this.”

Marshall also weighed in on the budget reconciliation package Republicans are trying to push through the House, saying the bill “is not perfect,” but “we’re getting there.” He called the legislation “the first step towards a balanced budget.”

“If, when we pass this bill, it’s going to mean $1,000 per month more money in hardworking Americans’ pockets, that’s a big deal,” he said. “You live on $60,000, $80,000 a year, and I’m going to give you $1,000 more each month to help feed your family … maybe get a new fishing boat eventually as well. That’s always been my dream, is to have a nice fishing boat. I thought about this this weekend during a baseball game: If this was a baseball game, the House is going into the seventh inning and we’re going to have to bring our closer in sooner than expected, so we’re going to bring in Donald Trump. … If it wasn’t for President Trump, this doesn’t happen. But I do believe in Speaker Johnson, President Trump. They’ll get it across the finish line, send it over here and we’ll make the bill even better.”

Newsmax

Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.

The Israel Defense Forces is entering a new, intensified phase of “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” in the Gaza Strip, aimed at decisively defeating Hamas, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir announced on Tuesday.

“This is a war we did not choose, but one that was forced upon us on the dark day of Oct. 7,” said Zamir, referring to the 2023 massacre and cross-border assault by Hamas terrorists that launched the current conflict. He emphasized the military’s objectives: returning the hostages, dismantling Hamas’s capabilities and ending its rule in the coastal enclave.

“We are operating according to a predetermined plan and are now moving into the next stage. Hamas will pay the price for its refusal. It will face the full force of our firepower,” said Zamir. “We cannot defend ourselves unless we remove the threat clearly and decisively from the other side of the border.”

Zamir acknowledged the heavy toll of the war, but reaffirmed his commitment to the campaign. “We are in a long, multi-front war — one we did not choose. We are facing a complex and difficult period, but a better time will come at its end,” he said.

The chief of staff also addressed Gaza’s civilian population, stating, “We are not the ones who brought this destruction upon you… Hamas is responsible for starting the war. It is responsible for the difficult situation of the civilian population.”

Zamir reiterated the IDF’s adherence to Israeli and international law, rejecting any claims questioning the army’s conduct. “Any statement that casts doubt on the integrity of our actions or the morality of our soldiers is baseless,” he said.

His comments come as Israeli forces intensify operations across the Gaza Strip. On Tuesday, the IDF confirmed it had killed Moataz Deeb, Hamas’s aerial force commander in northern Gaza, in a targeted airstrike. Deeb was involved in directing UAV and rocket attacks against Israeli targets, according to the military.

In recent days, the IDF has struck over 100 terrorist targets in Gaza, including weapons depots, underground infrastructure, and armed operatives. Forces from the 401st and Givati Brigades have advanced in northern Gaza neighborhoods, while the 215th Brigade has hit more than 30 terrorist sites.

IDF kills Nukhba terrorist involved in Oct. 7 attack

The IDF said Wednesday afternoon that it had eliminated a Hamas Nukhba terrorist who took part in the Oct. 7 massacre, as part of intensified operations in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF and ISA are continuing to eliminate Nukhba terrorists who infiltrated Israel and participated in the October 7th massacre,” the military said. “IDF troops, based on IDF and ISA intelligence, are continuing operational activity against the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, dismantling terrorist infrastructure sites, and eliminating terrorists as part of Operation ‘Gideon’s Chariots.'”

According to the IDF, Mohammad Shahin, a Nukhba terrorist in Hamas’ East Jabaliya Battalion who infiltrated into Israel and participated in the brutal Oct. 7 massacre, was struck and eliminated.

Over the past 24 hours, the Israel Air Force struck more than 115 targets across the Gaza Strip, including “launchers, military structures, tunnels, terrorist cells, and additional terrorist infrastructure sites,” the military stated. The Israeli Navy also carried out coordinated strikes in northern Gaza in cooperation with ground forces.

Jewish News Syndicate

As the cognitive incapacity of Joe Biden gains increased scrutiny, it is well worth remembering the efforts of the team behind Joe Biden, which includes team Obama, went through in order to provide cover for the issue.

COVID and ‘social distancing’ provided the justification, but they built a stage because Joe Biden was always a Potemkin President:

…

Was Joe Biden really unaware that he had metastatic prostate cancer and unlikely to survive when his team announced his reelection?

Or is it more likely the plan was for Joe Biden to win in 2024, then reveal the cancer, step down and Kamala Harris would be installed.

The problem that cropped up in their ‘best laid plans’ was not the cancer in 2024, but rather the scale of the cognitive decline becoming more obvious…. and that led to a quick change in approach.

Everyone in DC knew.

No one in Washington DC did not know.

…

What exactly was in those “classified” files kept in Joe Biden’s garage and storage room at Penn?

Notice how we were never told what the “classified” information was all about?

Back in 2008, Senator Joe Biden was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In that position, Biden held oversight over the Dept of State.

In early 2008, the U.S. State Department had a data breach into the passport office, later discovered to have been carried out by John Brennans’ firm The Analysis Corp. {GO DEEP}. At the time of the State Dept breach John Brennan was working for the Obama campaign and the passport records accessed by his firm belonged to Barack Obama. [You decide what the motive was.]

As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden was intimately involved in the subsequent investigation. A few months after the investigation was triggered, Barack Obama announced Joe Biden would be the Vice-Presidential nominee.

Does that answer the question?

Sundance, Conservative Treehouse

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., called up the bipartisan bill for immediate passage, and no senator objected. The measure now goes to the House.

WASHINGTON — In a surprise move, the Republican-led Senate quickly passed the “No Tax on Tips Act” on Tuesday, giving its official stamp of approval to an idea that has gained traction since President Donald Trump campaigned on it in 2024.

The legislation would create a new tax deduction worth up to $25,000 for tips, limited to cash tips that that workers report to employers for withholding purposes on payroll taxes. The tax break is also restricted to employees who earn earn $160,000 or less in 2025, an amount that will rise with inflation in upcoming years.

It was introduced in January by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and a bipartisan group of cosponsors including Nevada’s two Democratic senators, Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez

Rosen brought the bill up in the Senate for a “unanimous consent” request on Tuesday, which means any individual senator can block it. The process is typically used for more mundane matters, and bills are routinely called up and thwarted by an objection. Consequential tax bills usually follow a more complex process. But in this case, none of the other 99 senators objected to Rosen’s proposition, which led to the legislation passing.

“Nevada has more tipped workers per capita than any other state. So this bill would mean immediate financial relief for countless hard working families,” Rosen said. “‘No Tax on Tips’ was one of President Trump’s key promises to the American people, which he unveiled in my state of Nevada. And I am not afraid to embrace a good idea, wherever it comes from.”

The bill now goes to the House, where Republicans have been seeking to include a version of the proposal in their sweeping party-line package for Trump’s agenda. But the broad Democratic support for the idea gives GOP leaders options, including the possibility of passing it separately and removing it from broader legislation to lower the cost or spend the money elsewhere.

“Whether it passes free standing or as part of the bigger bill one way or another, ‘No Tax on Tips’ is going to become law and give real relief to hard working Americans,” Cruz said on the floor. “So I’m proud of what the Senate just did, and I commend Democrats and Republicans, even at a time of partisan division, coming together and agreeing on this common sense policy.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also celebrated passage of the legislation on Tuesday, crediting Rosen.

“Working Americans — from servers, to bartenders, delivery drivers, and everything in between — work hard for every dollar they earn and are the ones who deserve tax relief, not the ultra-rich,” Schumer said in a statement. “While President Trump and Republicans push tax breaks for billionaires and stick the middle class with the bill, Senate Democrats are standing strong to protect America’s working families.”

By Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp

Americans celebrating Memorial Day by hitting the road will likely be paying the cheapest gas prices since 2003.

GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, said Tuesday that it forecasts the national average price of gasoline to be $3.08 per gallon on Memorial Day. That would make it the cheapest since 2021 in nominal terms. After adjusting for inflation, it would be the lowest since 2003.

This is not expected to be short-lived. Prices of gasoline are expected to average around $3.02 per gallon between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with prices falling below three dollars on some days.

That’s likely to bring cheer to the 69 percent of Americans who plan on taking a road trip this summer.

“American road trip culture remains resilient,” GasBuddy said in a news release announcing their 2025 Summer Travel Survey.

Last summer, the national average price of gasoline was $3.58 per gallon on Memorial Day. This year’s lower price reflects increased oil production that has lowered crude oil prices. A barrel of Brent Crude, the global standard for oil prices, is currently priced at $65.07, down significantly from the $83.71 a year ago.

GasBuddy’s calculation that this year will see the lowest Memorial Day gasoline prices since 2003 excludes 2020, when gasoline and oil prices went into free fall thanks to pandemic measures that discouraged travel.

The low price of gasoline is a major political coup for President Donald Trump. On the campaign trail last year, Trump repeatedly said that a Trump administration would lower energy prices and lower gasoline prices. Democrats, including Cory Booker, attacked Trump for promising to bring down energy prices. Booker described Trump’s promise with profanity that can be paraphrased as false excrement.

Trump, however, gets the laugh last on this as Americans get cheaper gasoline in time for the summer road trip season.

BREITBART

FBI Director Kash Patel said Sunday night that a “wave of transparency” is coming to his agency, accusing the FBI of running cover for Hillary Clinton for nearly a decade — but that it’s all finally coming to an end.

Sitting alongside FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino for a Fox News interview on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Patel explained how the Bureau is now heading down a long road toward rebuilding trust with the public after years under the microscope for its activities related to powerful Democratic politicians, theories about J6 involvement, and its infamous investigations into President Donald Trump.

But it was Patel’s discovery of how the FBI participated in manufacturing Crossfire Hurricane, the investigation into Trump’s so-called collusion with Russia, that drove home the point for him that the government was always “weaponized” against Clinton’s enemies.

“You asked in the beginning how the FBI was weaponized,” he said to host Maria Bartiromo. “Well, the FBI hijacked the constitutional responsibility of the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, and James Comey and others specifically decided what cases to prosecute and not prosecute. Don’t believe me? Go to the videotape in the Hillary Clinton investigation.”

“We don’t decide prosecutions, and neither does any agent or intel analyst. We have great partners under Attorney General [Pam] Bondi. We work with them and discuss the matter with them, but the prosecutorial decision is with them,” he said.

In the near future, Patel added, the FBI will be publicly detailing the lengths that former agents went to perpetuate the baseless allegation that President Trump colluded with Russian agents to influence the 2016 election.

“That’s how vindictive and vicious the former leadership structure here was. Not only did they bastardize the FISA process and lie to the American public, they withheld and hid documentation and put it in rooms where people weren’t supposed to look,” Patel said.

“It’s a good thing we’re here now to clean it up, and you’re about to see a wave of transparency… Just give us about a week or two.”

Patel and Bongino’s wide-ranging interview with Fox News centered on reforms taking place at the Bureau as well as their preparations to release the final batch of documents related to the 2019 death of Jeffrey Epstein.

Cutting remarks by Patel were reserved for his own agency, which he accused of “intentionally failing the American public” by orchestrating the “biggest D.C. deception game” ever played.

Under the leadership of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, and Peter Strzok, trust in the FBI fell to an all-time low, Patel asserted, and it will take years to build that brand back up.

“They said the FBI was the most storied institution for law enforcement, and it was, and it will be again very soon,” Patel declared while also suggesting that former leaders abused taxpayer dollars by hiding evidence from the courts.

“That’s what broke the FBI. And then, when they were caught, they lied about it… and [few media personalities] were brave enough to cover it six, seven, eight years ago, and we’re still talking about it today because Congress is working rigorously with us [and] the Crossfire Hurricane documents are coming fast and hard, and they’re being sent there un-redacted so we can have full accountability.”

“That’s how you restore the trust that was lost to the American public when it comes to the FBI,” Patel said.

Mark Steffen

By Floyd Buford, Daily Caller News Foundation • May 19, 2025

New economic data shows key Chinese industries continuing to struggle in the wake of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

Retail sales, which track the sale of new and used goods to the general public, slowed to 5.1% in April, missing official projections for a 5.5% expansion, according to numbers from China’s National Statistics Bureau reviewed by Reuters. China’s industrial output fell to 6.1%, down from 7.7% the month before, as tariffs keep biting Chinese factories.

Following Trump’s tariffs taking effect, 16 million Chinese jobs were put at risk of vanishing, leading to layoffs and worker protests. Even though recent talks led to Tariffs being lowered from 145% to 30% over the next 90 days to allow for further trade talks, experts say China’s economy is not likely to rebound quickly.

Trending: “Start Up the Planes!”: Supreme Court Green-Lights President Trump’s Deportation of Hundreds of Thousands

“When you increase the tariffs to such a high level, many companies decide to stop hiring and to start basically sending the workers back home,” Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at investment bank Natixis, told Reuters.

She estimated that if the tariffs were raised back to April’s level, China’s economy could slow by as much as 2.5%. Even in a best case scenario, China’s economic growth is likely to stall.

“At 30%, I doubt they will say, okay, come back. Because it’s still high,” she added. “Maybe the Chinese government is saying, wow, this was amazing. But I think many companies are not sure that this is going to work.”

***Support The Liberty Daily and Mike Lindell — use code TLD at MyPillow.com and get up to 66% off!***

A policy advisor who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity echoed that sentiment, calling the deal a “win for China.” They did suggest, however, there would be issues with the country’s economic outlook.

”It’s difficult to do business at 30%,” the adviser added. “Over time, it will be a burden on China’s economic development.”

President Trump initially imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, which reached 30% in early April, per a graph created by CNN. China responded with tariffs on American products like oil and natural gas after the U.S. raised tariffs to 104%. After China imposed a higher 125% tariff on all American goods, President Trump raised tariffs on China to 145%. Shortly thereafter, China’s economy began to slow.

China’s export industry saw new orders drop to their lowest level since 2022, while cargo shipments to the U.S. collapsed by 60%. The services sector hit a seven-month low, and China’s six largest banks reported that profits in the first quarter of 2025 were down almost $2 billion from the same time last year.

Chinese authorities have stopped publishing a wide range of key indicators in the last several years, including data on land sales, unemployment and foreign investment, meaning the true numbers are probably much worse, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Hundreds of previously available metrics have quietly disappeared, usually without explanation, the Journal reports.

A well-known Chinese economist said publicly last year that China’s economic growth was much lower than what the Chinese Communist Party claimed. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered that he be disciplined, and he has not spoken publicly since, the Journal reported.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — What had been hailed as a potentially Hall of Fame career was cut short at the start of just its second season, as WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was indicted for murder after fouling Angel Reese.

The incident occurred during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, with Clark, who has been violently and mercilessly fouled an estimated eight trillion times in the past year, fouling Reese. Although Reese survived and was unharmed, it was announced immediately following the game that Clark had been indicted for her murder.

“The game of basketball is no place for this level of wanton violence,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “As soon as we saw that Caitlin Clark had committed the foul against Angel Reese and not the other way around, we contacted the authorities to ask for charges to be filed.”

The foul, quickly upgraded from a flagrant foul to a federal hate crime, could potentially lead to Clark being placed behind bars for the rest of her life — if she’s not publicly executed. “Ms. Clark violated the law being fouling a black player instead of being fouled by a black player,” Commissioner Engelbert continued. “We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to white players fouling black players. Regardless of whether or not the victim lives or dies, it’s a murder charge every time. May God have mercy on Caitlin Clark’s soul.”

At publishing time, the WNBA announced that all of Clark’s career statistics would be taken away and instead be attributed to Reese’s career totals as a form of reparations.

BABYLON BEE

President Donald Trump’s trip last week to the Middle East and his administration’s recent progress on trade agreements appear to have boosted his perception among American voters, with four national polls showing his favorability rating above 47%, consistent with the level following his inauguration.

Polls released Monday by Morning Consult, Rasmussen Reports, and Harvard CAPS/Harris showed Trump’s approval rating at 48%, 49%, and 47%, respectively, and a Daily Mail/J.L. Partners poll released Sunday showed his approval rating at 50%.

Urgent: Federal and State Agencies Advise You Get An Emergency Radio! See More

“Despite the doom and gloom headlines from news organizations, the American people actually feel great about the direction of the country,” White House principal deputy secretary and senior adviser Harrison Fields told Newsmax. “What’s to hate? We are undoing the widely unpopular agenda of the previous office holder, uprooting waste, fraud, and abuse, and chugging along on the great American Comeback.”

The Daily Mail poll was conducted May 13-14 among 1,003 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. Trump’s approval rating is up 5 percentage points from a poll taken 100 days into his second term, nearly three weeks ago.

“The most important thing this shows is that Trump can bounce back when some of his voters waver,” James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, told the Daily Mail. “People who were concerned about the sense of direction and strength after tariffs reversals are now back on board as they see the president doing what they feel he does best: making deals.”

UPDATE: Putin’s Adviser Says Dollar Will Collapse Soon, Trump Reacts, Read More Here

The Morning Consult poll was conducted May 16-19 among 2,208 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.1 percentage points. Rasmussen Reports’ daily presidential tracking poll sampled 1,500 likely voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points. The Harvard CAPS/Harris poll was conducted May 14-15 among 1,903 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.2 percentage points.

The Morning Consult poll showed Trump’s highest approval rating since mid-March after it reached a low of 45% in April. His disapproval rating of 50% dropped 3 percentage points from late April.

Trump’s approval rating in the Harvard/Harris poll reached 52% in February and hasn’t dipped below 47% since. Although it was 48% in the April poll, the number of those who strongly approved jumped to 30% from 28%. Only 47% disapproved of his job performance while 5% responded “don’t know.”

“The majority of Trump’s policies continue to see strong support, especially on immigration and government efficiency, even though there is concern Trump has exceeded guardrails with executive orders and tariffs,” Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard/Harris poll, said in a statement. “If he is able to successfully lower the price of prescription drugs and hold down the fort on inflation, he will be able to unlock 10% more of voters in his approval rating.”

Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.