MS NOW host left 'bereft of words' after watching GOP lawmaker's ad about being white

Tom Boggioni
May 23, 2026

RAW STORY


Jonatthan Capehart (MS NOW screenshot)

As part of an interview with Kentucky Democrat Charles Booker, who is running for the seat now held by retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart was left, as he put it, “bereft of words,” after watching a flagrantly racist ad being run by GOP nominee Andy Barr.

Capehart told his guest, “Well, Mr. Booker, in order to win, you're going to have to beat Republican Congressman Andy Barr. He's got — he's getting a lot of backlash for a campaign ad where he tells Kentuckians, quote, ‘it's not a sin to be white.’”

In the ad, a smirking Barr tells Kentucky voters, “You know what DEI really stands for? Dumb evil indoctrination. Woke liberals spew it. Corporate losers fall for it. But thanks to Trump, America is rejecting that trash and I'm leading the fight to end it for good.”

“I'm Andy Barr and it's not a sin to be white. It's not against the law to be male. And it shouldn't be disqualifying to be a Christian. I'm Andy Barr, and I approve this message to give woke liberals something else to cry about,” he added.

After the clip ran, Capehart sat with his mouth open before admitting, “Okay, that was my first time seeing that ad in full. My breath has been taken away. I am bereft of words. Your reaction to that?”

“Well, well, good lord, he knows enough to be ashamed of himself, but he doesn't care enough to do anything different because he sold out,” Booker offered. “He's trying to get close to a man in Donald Trump who cares only about himself. And he's weaponizing hate, racism. The playbook — we're tired of that bs. People see through it and they're laughing at them because they know he's a fraud.”

Trump biographer flags 'suspect' pattern in White House stock trades

Matthew Chapman
May 22, 2026 

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Trump biographer Tim O'Brien made clear on MS NOW Friday that he doesn't remotely buy the Trump administration's excuse for the recent series of suspiciously timed stock trades coming from within the White House that profited off major government decisions before they happened.

"Tim, let's start there," said anchor Antonia Hylton, quoting a statement from the White House: "'Neither President Trump, his family, nor the Trump Organization plays any role in selecting, directing, or approving specific investments.' So end of story. No more questions needed, right?"

O'Brien noted that even accepting that claim, the "curious reality" remains that "while those trades were being made, there were policy decisions coming out of Washington and the White House that directly affected the profitability and the prospects of the companies whose stocks the Trump family was trading."

For example, he noted, massive trading around oil happened before the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and before the invasion of Iran, "which all hinged on people having access to information from the Trump White House." Vice President JD Vance, he noted, blew off questioning on this when he "said, come on, do you think Donald Trump sits ... in the White House with a computer and is just trading stocks thousands of trades a day? He probably isn't. That's what he pays other people to do."

"He's on Truth Social," said Hylton.

"He's on Truth Social," agreed O'Brien. "And often he's tweeting things that affect the value of the stocks he's trading or his representatives are trading. So no one is saying that he's on Vanguard or any other app trading stocks for the fun of it and for his own, you know, financial gain. He's obviously doing it through advisers. But the timing of these trades, the stocks involved and the policy decisions happening in Washington had a confluence that makes it very suspect and should be examined."

The sad reality, however, he continued, is that any government officials who would investigate this, like the Securities and Exchange Commission, report to Trump and take orders from him — making a real reckoning almost impossible.

"I've been a business journalist for decades," said O'Brien. "I don't own individual stocks for the simple reason that I don't want someone to say, I edited a story or wrote a story about a business because I had a financial interest. My colleagues do the same thing. You know, if Barack Obama had picked up $5 on a street corner, the Republicans would have investigated him the next day. And why aren't they raising alarms about all of this stuff?"

The bottom line, O'Brien concluded, is that "from the Reflecting Pool to the jet to his trades, to his cryptocurrency dealings ... Donald Trump has made more money in two years in the White House over a two-year span than he ever did in decades as a real estate developer, because he's grifting off of his position in the White House."

'Don't hurt him!' Trump taunts crowd as he's repeatedly interrupted by protesters

David Edwards
May 22, 2026 
RAW STORY


U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks at Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, U.S., May 22, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper

Donald Trump was interrupted three times by protesters on Friday during a campaign-style rally in Rockland County, New York, held to boost one of the GOP's most vulnerable House incumbents heading into the 2026 midterms.

The first protester was swiftly removed by police as Trump introduced Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) — caught on video but without audio — before Trump had barely gotten started.

The second interruption came mid-speech as Trump was ranting about transgender athletes in women's sports, spinning one of his signature stories about a female swimmer dwarfed by a transgender competitor. As the protester was removed, Trump turned it into a punchline.

"Go home to mom. Go home to mom. Go home to mom," Trump told the crowd. "Take him home to mommy. He's gonna be in trouble."

He then added: "I say his mom's watching on television right now and she's loving it."

The third protester struck while Trump was hammering Democrats on immigration, ticking through a list of Democratic votes he claimed proved the party supports "open borders" and "men in women's sports."

"We have another little disturbance back there," Trump said, barely breaking stride. "Hello. Hello, everybody. That's OK. It's already cleared up."

He then mocked the speed of the removal. "The guy raises his hand, starts screaming something, and within about two seconds, it's over."

Trump closed the bit with his standard legal disclaimer: "Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him. I do that for legal reasons — do not hurt him under any circumstances. And now I can say I'm innocent."

The Suffern event marked the first presidential visit to Rockland County since Gerald Ford in 1976. Trump skipped the U.S. Naval Academy graduation to attend.

This fast-growing voting bloc is costing campaigns as 'one of the hardest' to reach: Axios

The "nones" represent much of the electorate.

Nicole Charky-Chami
May 25, 2026 
RAW ST0RY


People vote during the Pennsylvania primary election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Hannah Beier

Political campaigns are struggling to find ways to reach the country's "fastest-growing religious groups" — and it's a costly effort, according to an Axios report on Monday.

Dubbed the "nones," this group has captured the attention of political strategists because they are among one of the largest key voting blocs and people who are unaffiliated with specific religious organizations.

"But without church-based networks, they're significantly more expensive for campaigns to reach and mobilize," Axios reported, adding that campaigns have turned to digital ads, canvassing and speaking with these voters to try and contact them.

"'Nones' are geographically and socially dispersed," according to Axios. They often live in secular regions of the United States, in cities such as Seattle, Portland and in areas of New England. The "'nones' now rival or exceed Christians as a share of the population."

The "nones" represent much of the electorate.

"A record 29% of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated — the largest single religious cohort, surpassing Catholics (19%) and evangelical Protestants (23%), per Pew Research Center," Axios reported.

One generation in particular — Gen Z — skews less religious than other generations with nearly 4 in 10 adults ages 18-29 voting unaffiliated, nonpartisan organization Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) reported.

'Pray for rain': Internet skewers White House UFC design

Nicole Charky-Chami
May 25, 2026 
RAW STORY

A section of the UFC Freedom 250 stage during assembly on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

UFC revealed its design for the White House cage match fight event in June and the internet didn't hold back from mocking it.

Construction for the UFC Freedom 250 stage was underway on Monday with the June 14 event slated to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday and President Donald Trump's own 80th birthday. While construction for the ballroom continued, two cranes were seen on hoisting up a metal arch for lighting over the stage.

People online reacted to the design released by UFC over the weekend.

"Pray for rain," Chris D. Jackson, a political strategist and longtime election official with more than 132,000 followers, wrote in post on X.

"If he can do this he doesn't need a ballroom," Tracey Gallagher, an attorney and former Judge Pro Tem with nearly 13,000 followers, wrote in a post on X.

"I really hope they fly a flag with 48 stars and 11 stripes," political commentator Kes Bretagne wrote on X.



"While we are at war and inflation/energy costs are going through the roof," Gary Koepnick, who self-identifies as a veteran and has more than 44,000 followers, wrote on X.

Trump's 'tacky' White House makeover reaches new heights amid 'bug infestation': report

Nicole Charky-Chami
May 25, 2026 
RAW STORY




A section of the UFC Freedom 250 stage during assembly on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 25, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard

President Donald Trump's latest White House makeover touches have taken a new turn as it becomes a "construction zone eyesore," The Daily Beast reported.

Images on Monday revealed two cranes building a metal arch for lighting over the UFC Freedom 250 stage, just near the White House’s Executive Residence.

As the ballroom construction has been ongoing, the White House "began looking more like an oversized event venue on Monday as crews prepared for the UFC extravaganza Trump is throwing on June 14 to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday and his own 80th," The Beast reported.

This is all happening amid reports of a "bug infestation" that Dana White, UFC CEO and MAGA supporter, has expressed could be a problem for the large-scale event.

"President Trump just opened the Rose Garden two nights ago, and he invited me to dinner there. The amount of gnats that were flying around. I’m like, 'Holy s--t,'" White said during an episode of the Boardroom podcast.

"As soon as I got on the plane, I called my head of production and said, 'Yeah, let me tell you about the gnat situation tonight,'" White said. "So when you’re a fighter, think about that lighting grid, the amount of power in the lights… moths, gnats, and God knows what else."

White said they could add fans surrounding the venue to help stop the bugs because "gnats have a hard time in the wind."

Reporter delivers brutal review of gold Trump phone: 'Kind of looks like a urine sample'

Nicole Charky-Chami
May 25, 2026 

RAW STORY


Patrick Holland, Managing Editor at CNET, discussed the golden Trump cellphone during a conversation on CNN with Anchor Brianna Keilar. (CNN/Screenshot)

President Donald Trump's latest business venture — Trump Mobile — got a scathing review from a journalist during a live CNN broadcast on Monday.

Patrick Holland, Managing Editor at CNET, described the phone's design in conversation with CNN Anchor Brianna Keilar, saying it looks like "an altered iPhone 16 Pro."

"The gold color, in real life it kind of varies depending on what lighting you're in. Sometimes it looks like those gold coins that Scrooge McDuck would jump into for 'DuckTales.' Other times it's got a mustard vibe to it and yet other times it kind of looks like a urine sample," Holland said.

But Holland said it wasn't the color that would make him hesitate to recommend it.

"I would not recommend it, not because of that, but largely because we just don't know certain things about it," Holland said.

"We don't know what the processor is in the phone, we don't know what the software and security updates will be," he explained. "For example, companies like Samsung or Google will commit to seven years, so if you buy a phone you know that you have until 2033 to use that phone and that makes me wonder if the last big worry is if this phone will actually ship. While a couple of us in the media do have it, I can't find many cases of actual customers who put their money down to order the phone, with the phone."

The product website describes the phone as "premium performance" and "proudly American," with an Android operating system and fingerprint sensor and AI face unlock.

"The T1 isn't just another smartphone; it's a bold step toward wireless independence. Designed with American values in mind, the T1 delivers top-tier performance, sleek design, and powerful features, all without the inflated price tag," according to the Trump Mobile website.

Trump called POWs losers and dodged Vietnam. On Memorial Day, I honor someone who didn't

Robert Reich
May 25, 2026 

President Donald J. Trump visits approximately 200 National Guard troops Saturday, Aug, 29, 2020, at Cougar Stadium in Lake Charles, La., during his visit to view damage caused by Hurricane Laura. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Friends,

Robbie was the kindest person I ever knew.

I met him in our dormitory the day we entered college in 1964. He saw me struggling to carry my big luggage crates up the two flights of stairs to my dorm room and, without saying a word, grabbed one and hauled it to the second floor.

“Thank you!” I stammered when we reached the landing.

“Don’t mention it,” he said with a broad smile, and then offered his hand. “I’m Robbie.”


“Bob,” I said, shaking his hand.


“Good to meet you, Bob!”

He must have noticed I was exhausted by the effort, and lonely to boot. “It’s close to dinner time,” he said. “Wanna walk over to the dining hall?”

“Sure!”

That was the start of our friendship.

Robbie was intuitively and naturally kind. He combined a remarkable warmheartedness with a degree of compassion I had never known before. And it wasn’t only toward me. Every young man in our dorm, and many in our class, came to admire and depend on Robbie.

Robbie went missing in action in Vietnam on October 12, 1972. His body has never been recovered.


I think of Robbie on Memorial Day, as I do of others who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

I was strongly opposed to the Vietnam War. I demonstrated and marched against it. I was too short to be drafted, but I detested the cruel absurdity of that war, the lies with which it was sold to the American people, the utter waste of it. In the end, more than 58,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese lost their lives in it. Many more were grievously wounded.

But when I think of Robbie, I also remember his sense of duty. Duty was inseparable from his kindness. Whatever the situation, Robbie was eager to help.


What do we owe one another as members of the same society? To me, that question lies at the heart of this Memorial Day.

Our current president apparently believes we owe each other nothing. To him, everything is a transaction — a deal in which each of us is in it for as much money and power as we can get.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump denigrated Senator John McCain, whose plane was shot down over Hanoi in 1967.


McCain became a prisoner of war. The North Vietnamese offered him early release because McCain’s father was commander of all U.S. forces in Vietnam at the time. But the young McCain refused the offer in order to uphold the Code of Conduct, which stipulated that prisoners of war should be released in the order they were captured. As a result, he remained in North Vietnam for nearly five additional years, during which time he was put into solitary confinement and tortured.

“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said of McCain during the 2016 presidential campaign. Then he altered his comment: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”

Trump avoided serving in Vietnam by claiming he had a bone spur in his heel. As Michael Cohen, Trump’s “fixer,” told members of the House Oversight Committee in 2019:

“Trump claimed [his medical deferment] was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment: ‘You think I’m stupid, I wasn’t going to Vietnam.’”

Trump and his family business are now planning a $1.5 billion golf complex outside Hanoi and a Trump skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City — the Trump family’s first projects in Vietnam. The two projects are part of a global moneymaking enterprise that no family of a sitting American president has ever before attempted.

Robbie was never in it for himself. He did what he did because he felt he had an obligation to do it, a duty to the nation he loved. It’s why I remember and honor Robbie today.

Robert Reich is an emeritus professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/. His new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org

Iran national football team to stay in Mexico during 2026 World Cup

Iran's national football team will base itself in Mexico during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and travel into the United States only on matchdays, after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Washington did not want the team staying in the country throughout the tournament.

Issued on: 26/05/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24
Video by: Selina SYKES

Members of Iran's national football team attend a farewell ceremony ahead of their departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Tehran on May 13, 2026. © Atta Kenare, AFP
01:34


Iran's national soccer team will sleep in Mexico and travel to the U.S. on the days of its three World Cup matches after Washington declined to host the squad for the tournament, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

Sheinbaum said FIFA approached her government after U.S. authorities said they did not want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran is scheduled to play three Group G matches there.

"We have no reason to deny them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.

Iran is due to face New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.


The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in March that Iran was welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for Iran's team to be in the United States "for their own life and safety."

Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. FIFA confirmed the move on Monday.

Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to Mexico.

Iran's World Cup plans have been under scrutiny since late February, when the United States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send its team to play in one of the host countries.

In March, Taj said Iran was in talks with FIFA about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. FIFA kept the schedule unchanged.

The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran's place at the tournament. In April, Trump's envoy for global partnerships, Paolo Zampolli, suggested Italy should replace Iran, prompting a dismissive response from Italian officials and FIFA.

Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping its group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

Can an evening joint lead to a more productive next day at work?

25.05.2026, DPA

Photo: Daniel Karmann/dpa

Although it has been talked up and even legalized in places for medicinal use, the jury remains out on cannabis, which can leave a smoker not only stoned but potentially at risk of developing psychosis and moving on to harder drugs.

And while joints on the job remain taboo, there are indications that after-work cannabis use not only helps an employee relax after a stressful grind, but could contribute to a more productive 7 or 8 hours the day after.

A team of researchers based at San Diego State University, Auburn University and Georgia State University in the US have found hints of “indirect effects” from evening cannabis use that include greater “cognitive engagement at work” the following day.

In most cases, the team found that a joint on the couch in front of the television “had no direct effect on next-day executive functioning, cognitive engagement or performance.”

But in a second study of full-time workers whose evening routine includes a joint or two to unwind after “a heavy workload”, the result was “elevated work engagement” and focus the next day.

The research was published in February in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, a British Psychological Society and Wiley publication, and was prompted, the team said, by a scarcity of material on how cannabis relates to the modern workplace.

• Journal paper

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH

Delivery Hero confirms takeover offer from rival Uber

25.05.2026, DPA

Photo: Paul Zinken/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa

By Bernd Zeberl, dpa-AFX

Shares in Delivery Hero surged on Monday after the company confirmed takeover interest from US ride-hailing and food delivery giant Uber, fuelling speculation of a potential bidding war.

The Berlin-based food-delivery service, which is listed on Germany’s MDAX index, said Uber had approached it with an offer of €33 ($38) per share for a full takeover. The proposed price was below Delivery Hero's closing share price on Friday.

The stock jumped as much as 9% to €36.69 on Monday, giving the company a market value of just over €11 billion ($12.8 billion). Uber is already a significant shareholder in Delivery Hero.

Analyst Giles Thorne of US investment bank Jefferies said the €33-per-share proposal appeared insufficient, noting that some investors were seeking more than €40 per share.

How things proceed from here "is difficult to predict," he wrote.

The Financial Times had earlier reported, citing informed sources, that Uber rival DoorDash had also approached Delivery Hero shareholders.

DoorDash is reportedly primarily interested in Delivery Hero's Middle Eastern brands Talabat and HungerStation, as well as the Turkish business Yemeksepeti.

For Uber, the deal would make strategic sense in terms of both geographic expansion and potential synergies, JPMorgan analyst Marcus Diebel wrote, although he also pointed to likely regulatory hurdles.

Delivery Hero shares had rallied sharply in recent days amid speculation over a possible offer from Uber.

Although headquartered in Berlin, Delivery Hero no longer operates in Germany following the sale of its domestic business to Just Eat Takeaway. The company remains one of the world's largest food delivery providers due to its strong presence in Asia, Southern Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

Uber operates its own food delivery service, Uber Eats, including in many German cities.

Last week, Delivery Hero said Uber now held 19.5% of its issued share capital, up from around 7%.

(c) 2026 dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH