Salem News Channel

One U.S. crew member has been rescued after Iran shot down a warplane on Friday, Israeli and U.S. media reported, as the war looked set to intensify with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening more attacks on civilian infrastructure. Two U.S. sources told Reuters the plane was a two-seat F-15E and a search was underway. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where the plane came down in southwestern Iran. The regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed the pilot. Israeli media cited Israeli officials as saying one pilot had been rescued. U.S. broadcaster CBS News reported the same, citing two U.S. officials. Iranian news agencies said U.S. helicopters were flying low on apparent search missions and carried videos of residents shooting at them. The Iranian military earlier reported the downed aircraft was an F-35, a single-seater. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The loss underlined the risk still faced by U.S. and Israeli aircraft over Iran, despite assertions by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that their forces had total control of the skies.

Read More...

The U.S. military has launched a rescue operation after Iranian state media reported that an American fighter jet went down over southwest Iran. At least one pilot reportedly ejected, and U.S. drones, aircraft, and helicopters are searching the mountainous region for survivors. If confirmed, this would be the first time the U.S. has lost an aircraft in Iranian territory during the ongoing conflict, raising concerns about a potential escalation in the region.

Read More...

Georgia lawmakers ended their annual session Friday without a plan to update the state’s voting machines, leaving uncertainty about how residents will cast ballots in the November election. With no funding or agreement on a replacement system, counties could be forced to use hand-marked paper ballots. Election officials warn that implementing a new process in just a few months would be nearly impossible. The unresolved situation could result in court intervention or a special legislative session to ensure the state meets the July 1 deadline.

Read More...

The Trump administration has reduced its efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, keeping the agency staffed at around 550 employees. When Trump returned to the White House last year, he had sought to shrink the bureau to nearly nothing. The current plan represents a compromise: fewer than the roughly 1,700 staffers employed under the Biden administration, but significantly more than Trump originally envisioned. The proposal faces opposition from the bureau’s employee union and would likely need federal court approval before taking effect.

Read More...

President Donald Trump is seeking a historic increase in military spending in his 2027 budget, calling for $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon—the largest such request in decades. The proposal also includes a 10% cut to non-defense discretionary programs, reflecting the administration’s focus on national security and modernizing U.S. forces. While the plan signals the White House’s priorities, it does not carry the force of law. Congress retains the power to approve, modify, or reject the budget as it develops annual appropriations for the federal government. The massive defense request comes amid ongoing military operations in the Middle East and efforts to rebuild and modernize the U.S. armed forces for 21st-century threats. Lawmakers in both parties are expected to scrutinize the proposal closely, weighing the increase in defense spending against cuts to domestic programs and the nation’s growing budget deficits. Budget Director Russ Vought emphasized that the blueprint is intended to guide Congress in shaping funding priorities, though final decisions will rest with lawmakers. The administration’s plan also proposes shifting some non-defense responsibilities to state and local governments, reducing federal spending in those areas by 10%. With federal deficits nearing $2 trillion and the national debt surpassing $39 trillion, the proposal underscores the administration’s approach to fiscal priorities, prioritizing defense while seeking cuts to other areas of government spending.

Read More...

U.S. President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, turning to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to lead the Justice Department on an interim basis amid growing dissatisfaction with her performance. Trump announced the move in a social media post, praising Bondi as a “Great American Patriot and a loyal friend,” while confirming she would soon transition to a role in the private sector. No permanent replacement has been named. According to sources familiar with the decision, Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with Bondi in recent months, particularly over the handling and release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The issue drew criticism from Trump allies and some Republican lawmakers, ultimately overshadowing her tenure. Trump was also dissatisfied with the pace of legal action against political opponents he believed should face prosecution, sources said. Blanche, a former personal attorney to Trump, will now oversee the Justice Department temporarily. In a statement, he thanked the president for the opportunity and pledged to “do everything in our power to keep America safe.” Bondi, who served as a staunch advocate for Trump’s agenda, said leading the administration’s efforts to combat crime was “the honor of a lifetime.” She plans to spend the next month assisting with the transition. Her tenure was marked by an aggressive push to align the Justice Department more closely with the White House, breaking from longstanding norms of independence in federal investigations. Trump had privately expressed concerns about Bondi’s leadership for months, a senior White House official said, and informed her of his decision during a meeting on Wednesday. Advisors had recently urged the president to act, with one source describing the move as an effort to “rip off the Band-Aid.” Potential long-term replacements are already being discussed, including Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, though no decision has been finalized. Bondi spent much of her final full day in the role alongside Trump, including attending events at the White House and accompanying him to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a key administration policy was under scrutiny.

Read More...

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George was abruptly removed Thursday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking a rare shakeup at the highest levels of military leadership during an active period of global tensions. The Pentagon confirmed George, who still had more than a year remaining in his term, will retire effective immediately. No official reason was provided for the decision. According to U.S. defense officials, Gen. Christopher LaNeve, currently the Army’s vice chief of staff and a former aide to Hegseth, is expected to step in as acting chief, positioning him as the likely immediate replacement while a permanent successor is considered. The move comes amid broader upheaval at the Pentagon, where several senior leaders have been dismissed in recent months as Hegseth reshapes the department’s leadership. George’s departure is particularly notable given the rarity of removing a service chief during a time of heightened military activity, including U.S. force buildups and operations in the Middle East. George, an infantry officer with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, had served as Army chief since 2023. His tenure included efforts to modernize the force and rein in defense spending. The Pentagon said it was grateful for George’s decades of service and wished him well in retirement.

Read More...

Newsom Really Thinks He Could Be President?!

Read More...

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George has been asked to step down by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and take immediate retirement, two U.S. defense officials and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has moved quickly to reshape the department, firing top generals and admirals as he seeks to implement Trump's national security agenda. The sources did not indicate why Hegseth asked George to leave his post. The move was first reported by CBS News. George, an infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was confirmed to the top Army post in 2023. Terms in that role usually run for four years. Prior to holding the top job, George was the vice chief of the Army and, before that, the senior military adviser to then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. George's removal adds to recent upheaval at all levels of leadership at the Pentagon, including the firing last year of the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, as well as the chief of naval operations and Air Force vice-chief of staff. The office for George did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read More...

Pam Bondi Fired but Why?

Read More...

We Are Going to Finish the Job!

Read More...

A man killed four children in a machete attack inside a nursery school in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on Thursday, police said. The man gained access to the Gaba Early Childhood Development Program in Kampala by disguising himself as a parent, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported. He first entered the school offices, where he briefly engaged the administrator in charge, then stepped outside, locked the gate and began attacking the children, the report said. The attacker “brutally stabbed and killed four juveniles,” police said in a statement. Video footage aired by local broadcaster NTV showed some parents weeping. Police fired in the air to disperse an angry crowd that gathered near the school, apparently trying to lynch the suspect. The suspect later was taken into custody, police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke told The Associated Press. A motive for the attack is unknown, he said. Such attacks on children are rare in Kampala, a city of roughly 3 million people.

Read More...

President Donald Trump's White House ballroom project was approved by Washington planning authorities on Thursday, two days after a judge ruled work cannot proceed without Congress' approval. The National Capital Planning Commission, which is chaired by one of Trump's former lawyers, deliberated and then voted to approve the "East Wing Modernization Project." The Republican president says the $400 million, 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom will be a privately financed defining addition to the White House ?and a lasting symbol of his presidency. The ballroom is part of Trump's broader push to reshape Washington's monumental core, which also includes plans for a 250-foot (76-meter) arch and a multi-year renovation of the Kennedy ?Center performing arts complex. He has also ripped out and replaced the White House Rose Garden and added a wide array of gilding to the Oval Office. "I believe that, in time, this ballroom will be considered every bit as much of a national treasure as the other key components of the White House," said Will Scharf, who chairs the commission and is Trump's former personal lawyer. Scharf, who was appointed by Trump, said that many of the negative comments the commission had received on the project dealt with issues beyond its scope, including negative comments on the private funding of the ballroom, the demolition process and opinions about Trump. 'JUST TOO LARGE' Phil Mendelson, a member of the commission and chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, criticized the speed of the process, however, saying it was rushed. "I think that we can have a ballroom. To me that's not the issue," he said. "It's just too large. And if we can get the same program, but not as tall, not competing in height with the main structure, and a condensed footprint, we are better for that." Over a dozen protesters gathered outside the commission building ahead of the vote, holding signs that read, "Hands off the people's house", among other messages, and displaying a stack of boxes they said contained 35,000 comments from the public, with 97% of them against the project. "The American people have weighed in on this project, and they hate it," Jon Golinger, democracy advocate with Public Citizen, said as he criticized Trump over the project. "He needs to put the White House back the way the people gave it to him." He said a vote to approve the project could be legally vulnerable to challenge. The commission is one of two federal bodies, along with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, assigned a role in overseeing key D.C.-area building projects. The Justice Department appealed Tuesday's ruling that the president cannot construct his planned ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing ?without approval from Congress. The federal judge in the case granted a request for a preliminary injunction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization that brought a lawsuit alleging Trump exceeded his authority when he razed the historic East Wing and launched construction on the new building.

Read More...

This Speech was Better Late than Never

Read More...

Newly released body camera footage shows Tiger Woods appeared stunned as he was handcuffed after crashing his vehicle last week in Florida. The bodycam footage was released Thursday and shows Martin County Sheriff’s deputy Tatiana Levenar conducting a sobriety test on the golfer. Woods said he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station when his speeding Land Rover clipped the back of a truck and rolled onto its side on a residential road on Jupiter Island. The video also shows that officers found painkiller pills in Tiger Woods’ pocket after the crash. Woods entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday to suspicion of driving under the influence.

Read More...

An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 in Northern California has awakened residents with a jolt. Many say they felt their homes shake for a few seconds early Thursday across a 100-mile stretch, including San Francisco. The U.S. Geological Survey reports the earthquake was centered a mile from Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains at about 1:40 a.m. There are no immediate reports of serious damage. Residents as far north as Petaluma also felt it. In February, a series of small earthquakes rattled the San Francisco Bay Area, with the most powerful being a magnitude 4.2.

Read More...

The Scott Jennings Show, April_2, 2026

Read More...

The Scott Jennings Show, April_2, 2026

Read More...

President Trump intends to sign an order to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees who have gone without paychecks. After nearly 7 weeks of a partial government shutdown, the president said DHS workers and their families “have suffered far too long” and he’s going to bypass Congress, even as GOP leaders are working on a plan to fund the department. The president made a similar move last week to resume pay for TSA employees. His latest intervention is expected to apply to other non-law enforcement employees within Homeland Security, including FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard and support staff.

Read More...

U.S. President Donald Trump has removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post, a White House official said on Thursday, following mounting frustration with her performance, including her handling of investigative files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump had also reportedly grown frustrated that Bondi was not moving quickly enough to prosecute critics and adversaries who he wanted to face criminal charges. In a social media post, Trump praised Bondi as a "Great American Patriot and a loyal friend" and said she will move to a job in the private sector. Trump said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, his former personal lawyer, will lead the Justice Department in the interim. During her tenure as the top U.S. law enforcement official, Bondi was a combative champion of Trump’s agenda and dismantled the Justice Department’s longstanding tradition of independence from the White House in its investigations. But it was repeated criticism over the Epstein files, including from Trump allies and some Republican lawmakers, that came to dominate her tenure. Bondi was accused of covering up or mismanaging the release of records on the DOJ’s sex trafficking investigations into Epstein, a financier who cultivated ties with an array of wealthy and powerful figures. The issue created political headaches for Trump and drew renewed scrutiny of his past friendship with Epstein, which he has said ended decades ago. Her ouster could lead to a shake-up in strategy at the Justice Department and potentially a renewed push to deploy the U.S. legal system against Trump’s targets. Bondi is the second senior Trump official to be ousted recently. Trump removed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on March 5 following criticism of her management of the agency and Trump’s immigration agenda. Bondi, a former Republican state attorney general in Florida, said she worked on restoring the Justice Department’s focus on violent crime and rebuilding trust with Trump’s supporters after federal prosecutors twice criminally charged Trump during his years out of power. Bondi also faced criticism over the removal of dozens of career prosecutors who worked on investigations disfavored by Trump, with critics accusing her of abandoning the DOJ’s traditional focus on even-handed justice. Bondi defended the rollout of the Epstein files, saying the Trump administration had been more transparent on the issue than previous presidents and that DOJ lawyers worked on a compressed timeline to review reams of material. During a combative hearing before a House of Representatives panel in January, Bondi responded to criticism with political attacks directed at lawmakers. She refused to apologize or look at Epstein victims and their relatives who attended the proceedings. Bondi early last year played into fevered speculation about the Epstein files, saying a client list was on her desk for review. But after an initial release included material that had largely already been public, the DOJ and FBI declared in July that the case was closed and that no further disclosures were warranted. The move prompted an eruption of criticism and eventually a bipartisan law passed in November requiring the Justice Department to release nearly all of its files. The release of roughly 3 million pages of records still did not quell the controversy, as lawmakers criticized redactions in the files and the disclosure of the identities of some Epstein victims. The Republican-led House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi and she was set to testify on April 14.

Read More...