https://hotair.com/greenroom/feed/HotAir is the leading conservative blog for breaking news and commentary covering the Biden administration, politics, media, culture, and current elections.en-usMon, 13 Jul 2026 19:02:17 -0400<![CDATA[Both Beege and I have written about the ongoing battle between the state of California and the Trump administration over pumping oil onshore from offshore platforms.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:00:39 -0400<![CDATA[John Sexton]]><![CDATA[California]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Energy]]><![CDATA[Lawsuit]]><![CDATA[Trump Administration]]>https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/07/13/trump-vs-california-nimbys-n3816904<![CDATA[Time will tell if this horrific, brutal crime is going to be excused with the recent UK pablum of 'mental disabilities,' but, in the meantime, police are already being exposed for what they didn't want people to speculate on.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:20:44 -0400<![CDATA[Beege Welborn]]><![CDATA[Conservatism]]><![CDATA[Crime]]><![CDATA[England]]><![CDATA[Terrorism]]><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]>https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/07/13/the-murder-of-anne-widdecombe-n3816898<![CDATA[Keith Ellison, the Attorney General of Minnesota, is a true believer.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:40:41 -0400<![CDATA[David Strom]]><![CDATA[2026 Elections]]><![CDATA[Keith Ellison]]><![CDATA[Minnesota]]><![CDATA[Socialism]]><![CDATA[Transgender]]>https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/07/13/keith-ellison-even-you-need-gender-affirming-care-n3816897<![CDATA[So, apparently, are tolls ... aspirationally, anyway. The bigger news is a return to the status quo ante of April-June. The Memorandum of Understanding has given way to a better understanding of what the IRGC actually is and the folly of attempting to negotiate with it.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:00:00 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Iran]]><![CDATA[Trump Administration]]><![CDATA[Oman]]><![CDATA[The Wall Street Journal]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/13/trump-blockade-is-back-baby-bigger-than-ever-n3816891<![CDATA[Last week was the preliminary hearing that will decide whether or not Tyler Robinson's case will go to trial. After watching much of it I can assure you that the case will go to trial because the evidence him is overwhelming. But we won't get the judge's decision until September 1.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:20:52 -0400<![CDATA[John Sexton]]><![CDATA[Charlie Kirk]]><![CDATA[Crime]]><![CDATA[Politico]]><![CDATA[Washington Post]]>https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/07/13/the-media-notices-candace-owens-conspiracy-theories-n3816900<![CDATA[You know, being a 'boss' is often a thankless and tedious job - just ask Ed since he hired David and me...well. Mostly David, but I will admit to causing the occasional bout of heartburn, though not at prima-donna levels.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:40:16 -0400<![CDATA[Beege Welborn]]><![CDATA[Economy]]><![CDATA[European Union]]><![CDATA[Germany]]><![CDATA[Trade]]>https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/07/13/new-vw-ceo-taking-some-vicious-lumps-on-his-fahrvergnoggen-n3816896<![CDATA[Where to even begin this morning? I guess we'll start with the oil depot in Stavropol, a Russian city located a few hundred kilometers east of Crimea. It was hit last night by a Ukrainian drone, producing a spectacular explosion.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:30:53 -0400<![CDATA[John Sexton]]><![CDATA[Energy]]><![CDATA[Russia]]><![CDATA[Ukraine]]><![CDATA[Vladimir Putin]]>https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2026/07/13/whats-burning-in-russia-today-lots-of-things-n3816892<![CDATA[Would this be a lovely gesture? Of course it would, as Lindsey Graham spent his life supporting and protecting his younger sister. Appointing Darline Graham Nordone to fill out the rest of the late statesman's term in the US Senate may solve a couple of other problems facing South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, too.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:00:30 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Lindsey Graham]]><![CDATA[Senate]]><![CDATA[South Carolina]]><![CDATA[Tim Scott]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/13/trump-appoint-grahams-sister-to-fill-out-his-term-n3816895<![CDATA[A few days ago, Congressman Ro Khanna channeled his inner Greta Thunberg and pulled a stunt just outside Khirbet Zanuta in Israel's West Bank. He was ostensibly there on a fact-finding mission to see how bad off the Palestinians are, and allegedly was detained by armed Israeli settlers. Eventually, Israeli police defused the situation and Khanna went on his way, but loaded with plenty of fresh pro-Palestinian street cred to cover him with the antisemitic wing of the Democratic Party.&nbsp;Just hours after dropping his endorsement of former Maine senatorial candidate Graham Platner last week, the would-be presidential candidate in 2028 needed to change the narrative. The optics of Khanna not just endorsing, but actively campaigning and fundraising for an openly antisemitic, Nazi tattoo-wearing, serial sexual abuser should have been too much. But it wasn't. It wasn't until Platner faced credible charges of actual rape five years ago that caused Khanna to slither away. He dropped all ties with Platner, but that comes with a cost with the fever swamp on the left. He needed to change the narrative, but change it in a way that re-endears him with the Democratic Socialists of America currently mounting a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party. How? By getting on the D.S.A's right side of the one issue that underpins the current crop of candidates and supporters - cutting off Israel. So why not go to a contested piece of real estate and give voice to the Palestinians, hoping for a conflict with Israelis in the process?&nbsp;Time will tell if Khanna's stunt helps or hurts him in his expected run for the White House. His polling amongst other potential contenders is in low single digits, so he may be gambling that any exposure is good exposure. But on the flip side, he is developing a reputation even amongst the very base he needs of being somewhat reptilian. He's just not very trustworthy when you need him most, so it remains unclear whether this weekend will benefit him with anyone.&nbsp;In the case of the third-tier rump regime running the Islamic Republic of Iran, they, too, pulled a stunt over the last week or so, testing the boundaries of which they believed President Trump was no longer willing to cross, and the result of that stunt have cost them dearly.&nbsp;Three different ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz between June 30th and July 1st were struck by Iranian drones. It briefly brought traffic, which had been as high as 50-70 crossings a day, to a standstill. What brought on the attacks? The global marketplace.&nbsp;The regime thought they could relax a bit knowing they were very close to being flush with cash once again. Around 50 million barrels of oil left Iranian ports and headed for their usual customers in India, Japan, and China. Both countries - the U.S. and Iran - essentially took the July 4th holiday off, albeit for very different reasons. We celebrated America's 250th, while the Iranians buried their long-dead Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after a long procession...in a Chevrolet truck. The Iranians spun up their 'death to America', 'death to the Jews', 'death to the West' rhetoric once again, promising to avenge all the dead regime leaders since the 47-year old war finally came to Iran in late February. But after that hiatus, things got serious again very quickly.The first signal that the Memorandum of Understanding was now a dead letter was when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rescinded the waiver for Iran to export oil after international sanctions had been put in place.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:30:00 -0400<![CDATA[Duane Patterson]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Iran]]><![CDATA[Israel]]><![CDATA[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]]>https://hotair.com/generalissimo/2026/07/13/the-toll-of-irans-doom-loop-of-bravado-n3816881<![CDATA[It's the Middle East, where nothing and nobody is as it seems.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:00:09 -0400<![CDATA[David Strom]]><![CDATA[Iran]]><![CDATA[Israel]]><![CDATA[National Security]]><![CDATA[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei]]><![CDATA[Operation Epic Fury]]>https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/07/13/nyt-former-iran-president-ahmadinejad-was-israeli-spy-n3816887<![CDATA[It might take a while for these holier-than-thou, former crusaders for the betterment of all mankind organizations to go off the rails, and dent their brass haloes, but it does inevitably happen.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:20:19 -0400<![CDATA[Beege Welborn]]><![CDATA[Transgender]]><![CDATA[United Kingdom]]><![CDATA[United Nations]]><![CDATA[LGBTQ+]]>https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/07/13/amnesty-uk-making-a-lot-of-the-correct-sort-of-enemies-n3816889<![CDATA[Last week, Democrats exploded when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shot and killed a man in Houston. ICE later said that the man had used his car as a weapon against ICE officers, who responded with lethal force against the illegal alien. The hysteria traveled around the political world before ICE's side of the incident got its boots on, to use an old adage, and Democrats are still demanding that ICE be defunded and disbanded over that shooting.]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:40:00 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Crime]]><![CDATA[ICE]]><![CDATA[Illegal Alien]]><![CDATA[Illegal Immigration]]><![CDATA[Maine]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/13/breaking-ice-involved-shooting-in-maine-one-dead-n3816888<![CDATA[Trump is fed up with Iran. Shockingly, it turns out that the IRGC and the Ayatollahs aren't trustworthy enough to make deals with.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:00:15 -0400<![CDATA[David Strom]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Foreign Policy]]><![CDATA[Iran]]><![CDATA[National Security]]><![CDATA[Trump Administration]]>https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/07/13/trump-us-will-take-the-strait-and-run-it-n3816886<![CDATA[Donald Trump said last week that the ceasefire is over. Looks like Saudi Arabia and the embattled official Yemeni government agree.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:20:21 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Houthis]]><![CDATA[Iran]]><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]><![CDATA[Yemen]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/13/escalation-saudis-finally-take-gloves-off-with-houthis-n3816885<![CDATA[I never followed Ro Khanna's career closely, but from afar I had the vague impression that he had more integrity and substance than the average politician.&nbsp;]]>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0400<![CDATA[David Strom]]><![CDATA[2028 Elections]]><![CDATA[Democrat Party]]><![CDATA[Israel]]><![CDATA[Graham Platner]]>https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/07/13/ro-khanna-is-a-clown-n3816877<![CDATA[&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Democratic Party has come a long way since Bill Clinton was president -- and not in a good way.]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 17:00:00 -0400<![CDATA[Josh Hammer]]><![CDATA[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]><![CDATA[Bernie Sanders]]><![CDATA[Bill Clinton]]><![CDATA[Democrat Party]]><![CDATA[Socialism]]>https://hotair.com/josh-hammer/2026/07/12/the-return-of-socialism-and-the-gops-golden-opportunity-n3816829<![CDATA[One of the most frustrating things about covering, or just paying attention to politics, is the fact that many people are willing to just lie.&nbsp;]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:00:03 -0400<![CDATA[David Strom]]><![CDATA[Sunday Smiles]]>https://hotair.com/david-strom/2026/07/12/sunday-smiles-n3816866<![CDATA[&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Reuters published a photograph taken during the weekend of America's 250th birthday celebration. It depicted a young black woman seated by herself on a packed D.C. metro train. Standing and sitting around her were white men wearing white masks. They belong to a white nationalist organization called Patriot Front, a group involved in the violent 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, rally that resulted in the death of a woman. The intimidating-looking men reportedly said nothing to the woman and never threatened her, and she remained composed.]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:00:00 -0400<![CDATA[Larry Elder]]><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]><![CDATA[Domestic Terrorism]]><![CDATA[America 250]]>https://hotair.com/larry-elder/2026/07/12/whats-the-real-defining-image-of-race-in-america-n3816828<![CDATA[This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 13:1–23:]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:00:00 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Bible]]><![CDATA[Catholic Church]]><![CDATA[Christianity]]><![CDATA[Sunday Reflection]]><![CDATA[Vatican]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/12/parables-are-for-sowing-sunday-reflection-n3816856<![CDATA[Lindsey Graham served our country in uniform and in Congress for decades and had become one of the most influential members of the US Senate as an ally of Donald Trump. His family announced overnight that the former colonel in the Air Force Reserve had passed away from a recent and brief illness at the age of 71, shocking everyone:]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:09:00 -0400<![CDATA[Ed Morrissey]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]><![CDATA[Lindsey Graham]]><![CDATA[Republican Party]]><![CDATA[Senate]]><![CDATA[South Carolina]]>https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/07/12/rip-lindsey-graham-1955-2026-n3816865