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Good morning. This week, we're opening up our full newsletter to everyone, completely ad-free. If you value independent journalism, become an Upward News member — your support is what makes this reporting possible. Thanks for being here with us. Let’s dive in. |
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But there isn’t one today, so here’s the simple truth: Upward News runs on readers, and memberships are what keep our reporting independent — upgrade to unlock full access. |
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING |
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🚀 Israel strikes back after Iranian missile attack. Hours after Iran launched ballistic missiles toward northern Israel, the IDF says Israeli warplanes hit targets in western and central Iran. Explosions were reported in multiple cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, and Isfahan. |
→ The exchange all but derails a fragile ceasefire and complicates President Trump's efforts to negotiate a peace deal. Trump later demanded that both Israel and Iran stop firing missiles and return to the negotiating table. |
🗣️ Hegseth warns Europe of migrant “invasion.” Speaking in France at Normandy’s D-Day commemoration, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth compared today’s migrant arrivals to beaches “stormed” by dangerous ideologies. He urged European nations to secure borders, rebuild militaries, and spend five percent of GDP on defense, framing mass migration as an existential test for Western civilization. |
🙏 Pentagon slashes recognized religions from 211 to 31. The War Department reduced its official faith codes, arguing the previous list was bloated and rarely used. Major religions remain, but smaller categories such as Wiccan, Druid, and Humanist were removed, and atheism is no longer listed. Officials say the shift will help chaplains better anticipate service members’ needs. |
🚫 New York passes a data center moratorium. NY State lawmakers approved a one-year pause on permits for large data centers drawing 20 megawatts or more, pending an environmental review. With AI facilities requesting up to 12,000 megawatts in new load, grid reliability and soaring power costs have become central concerns. |
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WORLD NEWS |
Mossad and the CIA reportedly orchestrated a covert operation to arm Kurdish militias with weapons seized from Hamas and Hezbollah in an effort to destabilize Iran's government, but President Trump canceled the joint operation following pressure from Turkish President Erdogan. An Arab Israeli terrorist killed an IDF reservist and wounded five others in a shooting spree across central Israel. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi promised security guarantees and compensation for US oil companies ahead of his White House meeting with President Trump next month.
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MEDIA BIAS SPOTTER |
The biggest underreported stories on the left and right |
_WHAT THE LEFT MISSED_ |
US writes draft resolution at IAEA, making demands on Iran: “The United States is lobbying other countries on the UN nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors to back a draft resolution ordering Iran to inform the agency of the fate of its bombed nuclear sites and the enriched uranium that was stored there.” (Newsmax) |
CA jury deliberates throwing pro-lifer in jail: “A California pro-life activist is on trial in criminal court for posting a video outside an abortion clinic in August.” (Daily Caller) |
_WHAT THE RIGHT MISSED_ |
Trump pushes back against rate-hike bets following strong jobs report: “President Donald Trump criticized the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, but said in an interview on NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’ that he wants Fed Chair Kevin Warsh ‘to do whatever he wants.’” (NBC News) |
Higher gas prices shift spending toward value retailers: “US consumers haven’t stopped spending money since the Iran war drove up fuel prices, but many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where, according to company executives and retail analysts.” (Fortune) |
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This placement is normally paid for, but the newsletter doesn’t rely on sponsors to survive — memberships do that — upgrade for full access. |
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QUICK AND IMPORTANT |
Vice President JD Vance is installing a chicken coop at the Naval Observatory, the first in the residence's history. US employers added 172,000 jobs in May, far exceeding the 80,000 expected by economists. The New York Knicks took a 2-0 lead against San Antonio in the NBA Finals on Friday. Game 3 is tonight in Madison Square Garden. The most clicked link in Friday’s newsletter was the NIH researchers being charged with smuggling monkeypox into the US.
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THE MAIN STORY |
California’s ballot counting disaster |
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_WHAT’S HAPPENING_ |
Californians are still in limbo as the election results from the June 2 primary have not been counted. Election officials are still counting millions of ballots nearly a week after polls closed, with only an estimated 68 percent tallied so far. |
The delay has prompted the US Attorney for California to announce multiple election fraud investigations. |
As of Monday morning, Biden Health Secretary Xavier Becerra (D) leads the governor’s race with 26.8 percent — enough to advance to a runoff. Former Fox News host Steve Hilton (R) sits just behind at 26.4 percent, also securing a runoff spot, while billionaire Tom Steyer (D) trails in third place with around 21 percent of the vote. |
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_THE FACTS_ |
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli announced multiple election fraud investigations in coordination with FBI Los Angeles, calling election integrity a "top priority." Essayli cited universal vote-by-mail and lack of voter ID requirements as "serious structural vulnerabilities" that are "eroding public confidence." California law permits mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within seven days after the election. In the 2024 presidential election, 13 million of 16 million California votes were cast by mail. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon will assist in conducting an audit of California's voter rolls. California previously stonewalled efforts to verify that only eligible citizens are registered. A pending Supreme Court case could determine whether federal law preempts state laws allowing ballots to be counted after Election Day. California is one of eight states, plus Washington DC, that automatically sends mail ballots to all active registered voters. If postmarks are missing or illegible, California accepts whatever date the voter wrote inside the envelope. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) introduced the MEGA Act (Make Elections Great Again), which would require all ballots to arrive by the close of polls on Election Day.
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_OUR TAKE _ |
Four main causes for the Golden State’s broken vote-counting system include its mass mail voting, a rule allowing ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, a 22-day window during which voters can fix signature problems on their ballots; and a flood of provisional ballots — issued when a voter's eligibility can't be confirmed at the polls — that must each be reviewed one by one. |
Overall, the Golden State’s election rules are extremely lax and do everything to invite fraud. |
A lack of voter ID requirements, automatic voter registration, and weeks-long post-election ballot processing are the chief culprits. The federal government is right to investigate voter fraud, and since the SAVE Act is all but dead, executive action may be the only remaining avenue to strengthen CA’s electoral process. |
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Do you trust California election results? |
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INSIDER EXCLUSIVE |
How Chinese propaganda networks are crushing American AI development |
A new report alleges that Chinese propaganda networks, foreign dark money, and nonprofits are coordinating campaigns against American AI data center construction… |
Read Now → |
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TODAY’S DEBATE |
📊 Does the federal government need to get involved in CA’s voting process?Want your comment to be featured? Be sure to include your name. |
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POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY |
Who is your favorite Founding Father? |
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🦅 George Washington (267)
🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 📜 Thomas Jefferson (118)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ✍️ James Madison (25)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💸 Alexander Hamilton (22)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 💬 Other (35) |
🦅 George Washington: “He was a true man whose sheer force of character held the center within the orbits of so many other crucial men.” — Bobby 💸 Alexander Hamilton: “A tough call, but it was Hamilton who laid the foundation for the American System of economics, which is being restored by the current administration.” — Mike 💬 Other: “John Adams. Years ago I read a biography and saw the movie about him and Abigail and was blown away by their contributions and sacrifices to the Revolution.” — Debra |
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| 467 votes |
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POP QUIZ |
Where did Pete Hegseth warn of Europe's migrant invasion? |
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Thanks for joining us today. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media—Ariel David and Brandon Goldman. |
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