Good morning, folks. Speaking in the Oval Office yesterday, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring August 26, 2025, a day of commemoration to remember the fourth anniversary of the Abby Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. Servicemembers during Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

⭐️ Trump was flanked by the gold star families of the fallen as he signed the proclamation to “remember these great 13 souls.” Their names are:

• Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31

• Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25

• Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23

• Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22

• Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23

• Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22

• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20

• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20

• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20

• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20

• Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20

• Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22

• Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23

• 🔴 On crime, voters trust the GOP +13% over Dems

• 📈 93% of GOP approve of Trump, up from 89%

• 📚️ 76% of Gen Z girls like reading, 56% of boys

^{Sources: Napolitan News, Gallup, Gallup}

Trump makes Cracker Barrel great again

Cracker Barrel caved to public pressure and agreed to drop its new branding – just hours after President Donald Trump criticized the restaurant chain and recommended it reverse course.

The details: On Tuesday, Cracker Barrel thanked its customers for speaking up and said, “Our new logo is going away and our ‘Old Timer’ will remain.”

Back up: Cracker Barrel faced widespread criticism over its $700 million modernization plan, which included updated interiors and a new logo. CEO Julie Felss Masino defended the changes in an interview with ABC News, saying, "People like what we’re doing.”

Trump effect: The reversal came just hours after President Trump weighed in on Truth Social, saying it should "go back to the old logo" and "Make Cracker Barrel a WINNER again."

• White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich confirmed that Cracker Barrel called to thank Trump before announcing the move.

Culture wars: The controversy called attention to the company's DEI and LGBTQ Pride initiatives, which it did not address in the brand reversal.

Markets react: After dropping roughly 12% last week, shares of the restaurant rose about 7% in premarket trading, following the news.

The last word goes to Trump, who congratulated the company after its about-face, saying: “Make lots of money and, most importantly, make your customers happy again!”

[Source: Breitbart, The Post Millennial]

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SpaceX launches one step closer to Mars

SpaceX reached a major milestone as its Starship rocket finally completed a full test flight on Tuesday — bringing the company one step closer to CEO Elon Musk’s goal of reaching Mars.

The details: Starship lifted off from SpaceX's site in South Texas, successfully reaching outer space, deploying several mock satellites, surviving re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, and finally maneuvering a smooth splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

• After the success, SpaxeX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X: "Great work by the SpaceX team!!"

Rocky road: Three previous test flights – 7, 8, and 9 – ended in fiery failure earlier this year.

Zoom out: Starship is the world’s most powerful rocket at 403 feet tall with engines that generate 16 million pounds of thrust. Its reusability is a key component of Musk's vision, driving down costs and making deep-space travel possible.

Checking in on the left: Here's how CNN framed the launch: "SpaceX’s troubled Starship prototype pulls off successful flight after months of explosive mishaps"

Endgame: Musk wants Starship to eventually carry humans to Mars. He believes SpaceX can reach the red planet with an unmanned Starship in 2026. Back in 2020, Musk said:

• This is important for the long-term future of humanity or consciousness as we know it. So, it's less about a few people to Mars, but more about creating a self-sustaining city on Mars and humanity becoming a space-faring civilization, which I think is incredibly inspiring for the future."

[Source: Fox News]

💀 President Trump said his administration will pursue the death penalty in homicide cases committed in Washington, DC. Read more.

🧩 HHS Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s on track to identify “interventions” that are “certainly causing autism” and possible ways of addressing them by September. Read more.

🚀 SpaceX has pulled off a successful test flight of its newest generation rocket, Starship, the world's largest and most powerful rocket, after months of failed attempts. Read more.

📸 Vanity Fair magazine staffers reportedly threw a fit after learning Melania Trump is being considered for the magazine’s cover. Read more.

💰️ The Democratic National Committee has spent over $15 million towards paying off former V.P. Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign expenses. Read more.

⚓️ The U.S. Coast Guard seized over 75,000 pounds of illegal drugs in its largest-ever haul, valued at nearly $473 million. Read more.

: The top Republican in the California Assembly will propose splitting the state in two amid the state’s feud over redistricting. Read more.

💍 Taylor Swift and NFL superstar Travis Kelce announced their engagement in a joint post on Instagram, captioned, "Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married." Read more.

🇨🇳 A Chinese national working as a researcher at the University of Texas has been caught stealing research funded by the U.S. government and attempting to take it to Beijing. Read more.

🚣‍♂️ Microsoft reportedly sought FBI and police help after pro-Palestinian employees circled executives’ waterfront homes with banners accusing the company of profiting from Israel’s Gaza war. Read more.

🤖 The parents of a 16-year-old who took his own life in April have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, claiming that the bot acted as a “suicide coach” for their son in his final weeks. Read more.

🎥 Trump reacts to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement. Watch.

🎥 Reporter tells Trump about being held at gunpoint in D.C. Watch.

🎥 You know this giant Trump banner triggered every lib in DC. Watch.

🎥 Sec. of State Marco Rubio jokes about Trump giving him four jobs. Watch.

🎥 Black Chicago resident tells CNN she would support Trump bringing federal troops to crack down on crime. Watch.

🎥 This is a BAD look: Chicago's Mayor refuses to answer this simple question. Watch. He loves crime.

🎥 SpaceX pulls off a successful Starship launch on 10th attempt. Watch.

🎥 First Lady Melania Trump announces the Presidential AI Challenge. Watch.

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