Senator Lindsey Graham Dies at 71: Reactions and What's Next

 In a sudden blow to South Carolina and Washington, longtime GOP Senator Lindsey Graham passed away Saturday evening at age 71 after a brief illness. His office confirmed the news, with the D.C. medical examiner citing aortic dissection due to heart disease.

Source: FOX News FB

Bill O’Reilly addressed the loss directly in his July 14 video, “Sen. Lindsey Graham Dies — Bill O'Reilly on the Political Aftermath.” O’Reilly recapped Graham’s long service: Air Force JAG, four Senate terms, and his evolution into a staunch Trump ally and foreign policy hawk.

The senator strongly backed hard power—supporting Ukraine (he had just returned from there), Israel, and confronting Iran, Russia, and terrorists. O’Reilly played clips from Graham’s final interview on deterrence and global threats, praising his consistent vision while noting past disagreements like Iraq intel. He dismissed conspiracy theories and highlighted their personal friendship, including golf outings and Middle East calls with Trump.

Check out O'Reilly's comments on Sen. Graham here [VIDEO]

Father Michael Pfleger and the Latest Allegation

Been a while since I’ve covered a local South Side story, but this one stands out.

Father Michael Pfleger, the longtime pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church at 79th and Racine on Chicago’s South Side, is facing renewed scrutiny. This weekend, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced a new allegation of sexual abuse of a minor dating back decades. Pfleger has stepped aside from ministry during the investigation and strongly denies the claim, calling it “an absolute lie.”

He was previously removed over similar accusations but was reinstated after church reviews cleared him. These repeated claims deserve full transparency and due process.

Here's a story from our local NBC affiliate [VIDEO]

San Francisco’s Warning: Compassion Without Accountability

Bill O’Reilly’s NewsNation special, The Decline and Fall of San Francisco, doesn’t pull punches. It shows a city that once welcomed the world now struggling with open drug use, tent encampments, retail theft, and random violence. The root cause? Progressive policies that prioritized compassion without consequences.

The numbers tell part of the story. San Francisco spent roughly $106,000 per homeless person annually. It handed out cash assistance and harm-reduction supplies — needles, even pipes — while “Housing First” programs placed people in apartments with no requirement for sobriety or treatment. Prop 47 turned theft under $1,000 into a misdemeanor, fueling smash-and-grabs that drove stores to close. Overdoses climbed. Mental illness went largely untreated on the streets because involuntary commitment was politically toxic.

Former Mayor Willie Brown put it plainly: once public-safety laws stopped being enforced, the city spiraled into anarchy. Frustrated residents fought back by recalling District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022 and electing new leadership that is now rolling back some of the most extreme policies, including stepped-up cleanups and enforcement.

Watch O'Reilly's special here [VIDEO]

A Personal Look Back at the 2016 Presidential Race

The White House YouTube channel recently shared a video from Trump Tower titled The Golden Escalator That Changed History. It was posted on Wednesday, but it takes us right back to June 16, 2015 — the day Donald Trump announced his historic run for President. [VIDEO]

The video is nicely shot — kudos to the videographer. At the time, though, I honestly wouldn’t have paid much attention. In the years since, that Golden Escalator moment has become an iconic event. It launched a successful campaign that defeated a formidable opponent: a former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator who seemed poised to become America’s first female President.

The Fall of Scott Pelley: Old Guard vs. New Leadership at CBS News

Big changes are shaking up one of television’s most iconic news programs. Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley was fired this week after a heated clash with new management. The story, covered sharply in this PBD Podcast video (“Bought His Own Hype”), highlights the tension between legacy journalists and the fresh direction CBS News is taking under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.

Here you can watch the clip from the PBD Podcast [VIDEO]

Talking Points Memo: Trump captures dictator of Venezuela

 

[VIDEO] I will trust Bill O'Reilly's take on the recent Trump administration actions against the President Dictator of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro. He gives you a basic rundown of Operation Absolute Resolve and that the police and military of Venezuela allowed the Army Delta Force to apprehend Maduro. There are a lot of moving parts to this mission I see.

President Trump on 60 Minutes

 Just so you know CBS News (60 Minutes is produced by CBS News) has been undergoing changes under Bari Weiss. I do wonder how much this iconic TV news magazine is affected by this new direction.

I'm showing the one hour plus extended, most importantly unedited, interview of Pres. Trump with Norah O'Donnell that aired last night on 60 Minutes. [VIDEO]

They covered a lot of ground. The immigration actions, sending Nat'l Guard to American cities, the ongoing War Dept campaign against drug smuggling from Venezuela, potential American nuclear weapons testing, foreign policy with regards to the Middle East in addition to China & Russia, etc.

And Trump isn't afraid to take on his predecessors Joe Biden and Barack Obama. They even talked about his  attempt to take care of "Obamacare".

And let's not forget about this gov't shutdown that's gone on for well over a month. It forced the President to scramble to insure our military servicemembers still continue to get paid.

The extended interview I trust more than the edited one that aired last night I saw most of the 28 minutes of that edited interview.

Just bear in mind Pres. Trump won a settlement with CBS over their rather skewered interview in 2024 with then Vice President Kamala Harris. It almost makes me wonder if Weiss was brought in to repair the damage from that.

School superintendent resigns after being detained by ICE

 Before sharing the recent news video from Des Moines, Iowa regarding the schools superintendent there.

I was shocked to hear he attempted to flee and was detained by ICE. It turns out he was not an American citizen, and it caused me to wonder how could this happen in of all places Iowa.

From what I've see so far it appears that soon to be former Superintendent Ian Roberts lied about his immigration status. And perhaps the folks at the Des Moines Public Schools had failed to adequately vet Mr. Roberts. This article from the Des Moines Register says the Des Moines schools had used an outside firm to vet him.

And reading that article further he seemed to have not be forthcoming about where he actually got his degrees. He misrepresented his doctoral degree at Maryland's Morgan State University although he later got his doctorate at a private for-profit university.

I just got to say this whole story was a mess. This is what happened yesterday in Des Moines. From the start we hear students had walked out in support of Mr. Roberts via this report from KCCI. Roberts had submitted his resignation. [VIDEO]

I have to say, the immigration issue is a charged issue right now. There's no middle ground here so perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised if there are people who want to support Mr. Roberts.

However, where I stop at is the fact that he misrepresented his citizenship and his academic record. That really bothers me and I wonder if the people who are supporting him actually realize how he arrived in this position.

My position is to point the finger at him as much as I would at the school district who hired him.

60 Minutes - Hiroshima

I forgot how great 60 Minutes was and perhaps I really missed out on the true heyday of this TV newsmagazine. It was a program my mom really liked in her lifetime and of course the great journalists such as Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, and even the commentary of one Andy Rooney are greatly missed. And I'm discussing this because of this story.

[VIDEO] Morley Safer talks about Hiroshima after it was hit with one of the two atomic bombs ever used in warfare. It's an interesting look to see the immediate aftermath of the bombing that took place on August 6, 1945. And then to see what become of that city just about 30 years later when this story aired on CBS.

Incidentally today August 9, 2025 is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki. Not long after that the Japanese surrendered to the Allies effectively ending for good the 2nd World War.

Within the past year, I've taken more of an interest in this subject and have concluded how horrible nukes are to the world. We'd be better off without them and I could accept this might have been the option to end the war - especially if it was believed that fanatical Japanese resisters would've lead to many casualties of an Allied soldier in a potential invasion of the Japanese homeland.

These days I've learned that the nukes we have now would make the atomic bombs of 1945 look like child's play. If there was an exchange it wouldn't just be devastating for a city, it could be devastating for the globe.

O'Reilly: The real Iran story

 

[VIDEO] Since the weekend what has been dominating the news are Donald Trump's airstrikes targeting the Iranian nuclear program. It was in the world's best interest that the radical theocracy of Iran doesn't get nuclear weapons. The nation itself is also considered a state sponsor of terrorism.

As a matter of fact before the past weekend's U.S. airstrikes, Israel has been performing their own airstrikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran which had also targeted Iran's nuclear program. After the Israelis and the U.S. conducted their airstrikes.

By June 23, 2025, a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was declared. There were some violations of this ceasefire and when President Trump spoke to the press at some point after this he dropped an F-bomb. Not very presidential but hey he's keeping it real.

Tweet from June 21, 2025

O'Reilly: The United States of Trump

 

[VIDEO] I'm sorry to say I don't read too many of Bill O'Reilly's books.

O'Reilly who refers to himself as a "news analyst" known for his long-running TV program The O'Reilly Factor and currently has the program The No-Spin News has written a number of historical books including this one. Though in the case of The United States of Trump it's a bit more current than many of his books.

He analyzes Trump, discusses his own personal history with him. They're both New Yorkers of course and he may say they have similar personalities. It's a fascinating look at a man who's competitive, flamboyant, a showman, an entrepreneur, and later a politician.

Allow me to add, Trump as the 45th P.O.T.U.S. was the first one to have had no experience in either politics or gov't and the military. He went directly from the business/entertainment world to the political world. Isn't that amazing?

And you know that kept me from voting for him in 2016. He was an unknown to me as a politician. He was known for his business dealings (and the case could be made he was a true cultural icon in-spite of that snarky line I had assigned to the now former Vice President Kamala Harris) and his TV program The Apprentice.

Either way, does this 1 hour program give you any great insight about President Trump? Does it change your opinion of him.

Ben Shapiro Sunday: Not everything is about race - Coleman Hughes

 

[VIDEO] Very interesting discussion between Ben Shapior and author Coleman Hughes.

One takeaway from this. I never watch The View - and from the clips seen in recent years perhaps that program as it became won't be missed - however it was interesting that Hughes was on that show. He got a better response from the audience than from the panel on the program. Sunny Hostin was said to be on the attack against him.

Again I did see that program so take it with a grain of salt. I might find clips of this, but I found this interesting.

If you're an elite with a massive platform you don't reflect the real views of the people who either follow or watch you. Perhaps it's one sign of who's really out of touch vs. who might hold what I could call common sense views.

I should find his book and read it. We need an antidote to critical race theory.

O'Reilly: Radicals float 14th amendment to eliminate Trump

 

[VIDEO] Trump is such a threat that radical progressives want to use 14th Amendment to keep him off the ballot in 2024. They're trying to use the justice system and had tried to impeach him even after leaving office to keep him from running again. Unprecedented.

The relevant section that is being used to attempt to keep Trump out of the White House a second time.

Section 3.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

All about that shocking "insurrection".....and could this apply to Trump when the history of this amendment is actually related to the Civil War.

Well Bill O'Reilly of No Spin News discusses. 

NewsNation: Presumed human remains found from the OceanGate Titan

 

[VIDEO] I honestly didn't think they would find any remains. As you may know over a week ago, the submersible Titan was to make a trek down to the remains of the Titanic which sunk in 1912 taking over 1500 souls with her. The Titan had imploded not long after launching from their mothership - imploding means the forces of pressure under the ocean crushed this vessel - and all five men who were in that vessel were killed instantly.

I'm curious if they're able to identify who those remains belong to.

O'Reilly: Trump's WORST answer from his FOX News interview

 

[VIDEO] Unlike CNN, FOX News Channel is a more favorable venue for the 45th POTUS. Although we've learned in the years since he lost the presidency that they have become far more hostile to him. Perhaps as hostile as CNN or MSNBC.

I've seen clips of this several times and I just said ooof to all the people he's either attacked or has turned on him since 2020. I can't believe he's gone after his own former press secretary who matched his tone as Trump is very hostile to the press. Others I'm just not surprised, however, it's safe to say Trump doesn't exactly engender loyalty and he doesn't seem to offer it.

Perhaps Bill O'Reilly is right, every relationship with him is transactional and if he's disappointed in the transaction it will get personal.

Regardless, now I might question Trump's ability to get the right people around him! 

O'Reilly: "Social conservatism is at its highest level"

 

[VIDEO] Bill O'Reilly on No Spin News takes a look at polling data - the poll he cites looks at whether or not Americans want the US Military to fight the Mexican drug cartels and stop the flow of narcotics such as fentanyl into the nation. And then concludes how American's are trending more right or more to the social conservative side of things.

I wish this clip was more in depth with all the other trends such as the idea of medically transitioning minors to another gender and how LGBTQ+ pride is infecting major corporations - including FOX News if I believe Matt Walsh. And we look at how Americans are looking at the southern boarder.

And we get another piece of news to consider. If American's are going more socially conservative then is it being reported by people other than Bill O'Reilly. Will Joy Reid MSNBC report it? Would CNN? Well they trend to the left anyway this isn't exactly news they want to hear let alone report.

O'Reilly: Trump called Bill after the CNN Townhall

 

[VIDEO] I don't watch CNN and thus never saw the townhall. I have seen clips and Bill O'Reilly shared some with his audience. Well you decide whether or not Trump did well in this townhall. 

Did you think that the moderator here knew how to really interview Trump? Did he basically run away with the townhall? There were clips where he just had to call her out on how nasty she was. The 45th POTUS knew he was in a hostile environment.

And you know that's one feedback I do have. CNN was very hostile to Trump and yet they allowed him to come on and have a forum. Gutsy move I'd say, but then CNN since Trump left office had gone through a number of changes. Many of the personalities who's ratings depended on Trump being on office and thus someone to target for ratings have since left the network. In addition to being under new ownership in recent months.

I suppose another question to ask if whether or not being here benefitted Trump more than CNN? Who knows what the ratings were for this townhall?

ABC 7 Chicago: What we know about Nashville shooter

 

[VIDEO] I've only been clued into this story during most of this day and will leave out some of the reporting I heard. What I know is that another troubled human being went to a place and started shooting and killed people. Of course this troubled human being was dealt with fatally by police officers.

I could bring up their sexual orientation or gender identity and that's not important. What's important is their state of mind. This person was disturbed to kill not only three adult staff members at this school, she also killed three children. That is disturbing and more disturbing is that this person knew they were going to die doing this.

I ache for the families of the deceased and the children who never will be able to live their lives into adulthood. And the course that this person had undertook only shows how troubled they are. I wish there was an easy answer to stop people like this from harming others.

And no more grandstanding about guns. I've had enough this is not a gun issue it's a serious people/mental health issue.

#Tucker: Talking about the Jan 6 footage the public hadn't seen

 [VIDEO] As you might have seen on Glenn Beck the video before, Tucker Carlson has discussed this on his program this week. And as you may also know you get Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) denouncing what Tucker has been doing. Indeed Schumer has gone further calling for Tucker to be deplatformed, taken off the air.

Basically releasing more footage from January 6, 2021 is proving to be dangerous for them. Again are we being manipulated?

Tucker: This is a disaster

 

[VIDEO] Tucker Carlson in his monologue discusses the disaster that took place in East Palestine, Ohio recently. This incident is highlighting the incompetence of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg and indeed as Tucker attempts to explain the possible dismissal of the disruption to this predominantly Republican area.

I'm hoping for the best for that part of the nation. What health effects will come from the exposure to these toxic chemicals.