Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash after defending homeless drug addicts and justifying their drug abuse by claiming drugs are used to “stay sane,” and that methamphetamine protects homeless people. 

“You sleep out on the street for a couple of weeks and tell me that you’re not using something to stay sane or using meth to so that you don’t go to sleep to protect yourself,” she said as if meth use is obviously used for the purpose of safety.

The comment came during a City Hall press conference on Wednesday.

Later, when a reporter said, “You said that people are on the street using meth for protection,” Bass lashed out and denied ever saying such a thing.

“Well, no. What I said is— no! What I said is is that I know that people have used meth to stay awake at night, so they don’t fall asleep because they’re worried about being assaulted. Meth is not protection!” Bass claimed.

WATCH:

Meanwhile, Bass is also facing criticism for suggesting taxpayers should fund dental care for the “unhoused” meth addicts, according to Fox.

“How many people that you meet that are unhoused don’t have teeth at all? They don’t have teeth. Why? Because meth rots your teeth,” Bass reportedly said during a candidate forum last week as she vies for reelection.

“You can’t succeed without teeth. So there needs to be comprehensive healthcare provided to people,” she added.

Instead of addressing the homelessness crisis, Bass prefers to excuse the cause of homelessness and then have taxpayers pay for the consequences.

Former Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Spencer Pratt chimed in on the insane comments, slamming his former competitor for her 3-year-old-level incompetence and lies.

“Homelessness doesn’t cause drug addiction. Drug addiction causes homelessness,” Pratt said.

“3 year olds understand this. Why doesn’t Karen Bass?”

Homelessness doesn’t cause drug addiction.

Drug addiction causes homelessness.

3 year olds understand this. Why doesn’t Karen Bass? https://t.co/TkcLUC8Kho

— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) July 16, 2026

The post WTH? Karen Bass Says Homeless People Need to Use Drugs to “Stay Sane” and Meth to “Protect” Themselves – Spencer Pratt Responds! (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In a humiliating collapse just weeks before the August 11 Democratic primary, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez (D) has DROPPED OUT of the race for governor.

Rodriguez announced her exit Friday morning, July 17, admitting that the campaign finance scandal rocking her bid had become an “ongoing distraction” she could no longer afford to carry into the primary or the general election Democrats desperately want to win.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of Rodriguez’s January campaign finance report found more than $100,000 in apparent duplicate contributions, the same donor listed as giving the exact same amount on the exact same day, sometimes twice in one entry.

Other reviews put the overstated totals even higher, with one analysis identifying more than $275,000 in duplicate donations in December alone.

The report itself was filed late, at 2:13 a.m. on January 16, hours after the deadline, then amended twice in the early morning hours at 3:23 a.m. and again at 5:01 a.m.

Rodriguez had been telling donors and the public she had the resources for a $1 million ad buy. She reportedly believed her campaign had around $1.5 million on hand. Reality hit hard: after the errors were uncovered, her campaign had only about $200,000 in cash on hand.

Rodriguez held a Monday press conference where she called the fiasco a “bump in the road,” claimed she was taking swift accountability by firing her longtime campaign manager, Kara Spencer, in a desperate bid to shift blame and contacting the Wisconsin Ethics Commission to file amended reports, and insisted voters shouldn’t worry about her ability to manage the state’s $111+ billion biennial budget.

That spin didn’t hold. By Friday, she was gone.

Rodriguez: I want to start by thanking my family and every single person who showed up for this campaign over the past week. Your support has meant more than I can put into words.

As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction—not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin.

This race is too important to let that happen.

I am deeply hurt and betrayed by what happened.

As I said on Monday, part of being a leader is taking swift action, doing the right thing, and being as honest as possible when there’s a problem.

I got into this race because I wanted what was best for Wisconsin, and that hasn’t changed. And because I believe that, I cannot, in good conscience, allow these questions to become a cloud over an election that Democrats need to win.

Wisconsin deserves better than that.

This was never just about any one race or any one candidate. This is about protecting Wisconsin from a legislature hellbent on putting corporations over schools and insurance companies over patients. It’s about showing the rest of the country that we can win here, govern here, and fight for the middle class, and that Wisconsin will lead the way.

To everyone who showed up, knocked doors, made calls, and believed in what we were building, please don’t stop.

Wisconsin has always been a place of resilience, where everyday citizens show up and accomplish extraordinary things.

Better days are ahead because of people like you.

Let’s keep fighting. I’ll be right there with you.

WATCH:

Today I’m suspending my campaign. Thank you to everyone who believed and showed up for this campaign. Let’s keep fighting – together – to protect the Wisconsin we love. pic.twitter.com/177LrrLD56

— Sara Rodriguez (@saraforwi) July 17, 2026

The post DEMOCRAT DISASTER IN WISCONSIN: Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez DROPS OUT of Governor Race After “Serious Mismanagement and Inaccuracies” in Campaign Finance Reports Force Her Exit appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

US Central Command announced on Friday that in strikes against Iran last night, a decades-old Iranian surveillance tower used to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz has been destroyed.  

The tower’s destruction “degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members” and “protects freedom of navigation in regional waters for all vessels, except for ships attempting to violate the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM said. 

Video released by CENTCOM appears to show multiple missiles hitting the target.

WATCH:

US Central Command said in a statement on Friday:

On July 16, U.S. forces successfully destroyed the Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port surveillance tower, part of a maritime surveillance network along Iran’s Gulf of Oman coastline used for decades by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to track and target commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members. Furthermore, the strike protects freedom of navigation in regional waters for all vessels, except for ships attempting to violate the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.

This comes after CENTCOM announced the completion of another major wave of attacks last night, lasting nearly eight hours, marking the sixth straight day of consecutive strikes. They announced that the strikes began at 2 pm and concluded at 9:40 pm ET.

Footage released by the military command on Thursday night shows multiple targets being hit:

CENTCOM announced on Thursday:

Today at 9:40 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) completed its latest major wave of strikes against Iran.

U.S. forces, including fighter jets, aerial drones, and warships, launched precision munitions that hit dozens of Iranian military targets such as coastal surveillance and air defense sites, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime capabilities. This was the sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes against Iran.

At the Commander in Chief’s direction, CENTCOM is further degrading Iranian military capabilities and holding Iran accountable for recent attacks on commercial shipping.

More than 50,000 U.S. service members are operating across the Middle East and remain vigilant, lethal, and ready.

On Wednesday, the US executed two separate rounds of strikes, “to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten innocent mariners crewing commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

US forces also disabled an oil tanker en route to an Iranian port on Kharg Island on Wednesday, using Hellfire missiles to enforce the ongoing naval blockade.

JUST IN: US Central Command Announces Second Wave of Attacks Today as Trump Indicates He Won’t Make Another Deal With Iran – UPDATE: Strikes Continue for 6 Hours (VIDEO)

The post JUST IN: US Destroys Major Port Surveillance Tower Used to Track and Target Commercial Vessels During Sixth Consecutive Day of Strikes in Iran (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A video showing Arabic text added to department signs inside a Home Depot store in Dearborn, Michigan, is going viral on X.

The footage shows large hanging signs with standard English department names such as Appliances, Paint, Moving, Kitchen, Bath, Plumbing, and others, each with corresponding Arabic translations.

WATCH:

WOW Home Depot in Dearborn, Michigan has added Arabic to their signs inside the store

This is not assimilation, this is an Islamic Takeover of America

I found many major retailers in Dearborn have also added Arabic, locations at stores like Walmart, Home Depot, Costco,… pic.twitter.com/bWPmpeuHyO

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 16, 2026

In the post, which had nearly a million views by Friday morning, Wall Street Apes wrote:

WOW

Home Depot in Dearborn, Michigan, has added Arabic to its signs inside the store

This is not assimilation, this is an Islamic Takeover of America

I found many major retailers in Dearborn have also added Arabic, locations at stores like Walmart, Home Depot, Costco, Kroger and Albertsons

Arabic shouldn’t be on any of our retailers signs. No foreign language should, but especially not Arabic. If we continue to let this happen we will only ensure we become the UK

Home Depot has reportedly added bilingual signs at multiple locations in Dearborn and nearby suburbs such as Livonia and Taylor.

Dearborn has experienced rapid demographic replacement in recent years.

U.S. Census Bureau data from 2020 shows that 54.5 percent of the city’s approximately 110,000 residents report Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, making Arabs the majority.

While the Census does not collect religious affiliation, estimates place the Muslim population at around 45,000 residents, or roughly 41 percent, with many analysts suggesting the figure is higher given the predominant Muslim background among Arab Americans in the area.

Arabic is spoken in a large share of households, and the city has seen the development of countless mosques, halal markets, and the Arab American National Museum.

Abdullah Hammoud, an Arab, was elected mayor in 2021.

This pattern of signage for the Muslim population in Dearborn is not entirely new.

In 2008, a Walmart Supercenter in Dearborn opened with Arabic signage and a dedicated Middle Eastern foods aisle stocked with items like falafel, olives, and Islamic greeting cards.

Many have argued in the replies that going out of the way to accommodate foreign languages in national retailers accelerates the destruction of English as the common language in America and discourages assimilation.

The post WATCH: Viral Video Reveals Arabic Signage at Home Depot in Dearborn, Michigan appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of the Mexico, Guatemala border on Friday morning.

A tsunami warning was issued.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck near Puerto Madero, Mexico.

Shaking was felt in Guatemala and El Salvador.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

BREAKING: A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The quake hit about 40 miles from the major port city of Puerto Madero, near the Guatemala border.

The powerful tremor prompted a tsunami warning and was felt across parts of Central America. |… pic.twitter.com/yoOp4JyESw

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 17, 2026

Videos posted to social media showed the moment the temblor struck.

#Now
Moment of 7.4 mag #earthquake (USGS) at Gulf of Tehuantepec, in #Villahermosa #Tabasco #Mexico. Earthquake was felt in states of #Chiapas #Oaxaca #Tabasco & #Veracruz, as well as in #Guatemala & #ElSalvador. It was felt very weakly or slightly in #MexicoCity. pic.twitter.com/GoKLYbJlCN

— The Mexico Times (@mexicotimes) July 17, 2026

Buildings swayed across Mexico.

BUILDINGS SHAKE ACROSS MEXICO

Terrifying moments as buildings sway violently following a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake off Mexico’s Pacific coast.#BreakingNews #Earthquake #Mexico #Tsunami #TsunamiWarning #Seismic #NaturalDisaster #PacificOcean pic.twitter.com/jrBR2BtvwT

— Rosa News Official (@Mirha1206) July 17, 2026

Residents evacuated moments after the quake struck.

MORE QUAKE FOOTAGE EMERGES

Newly surfaced footage captures the intense shaking caused by the 7.4M earthquake in Mexico, with structures swaying and residents evacuating moments after the quake struck.#BreakingNews #Earthquake #Mexico #Tsunami #TsunamiWarning #Seismic… pic.twitter.com/6icf1BHqJB

— Rosa News Official (@Mirha1206) July 17, 2026

Last month, approximately 5,000 people died after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela within minutes of each other.

On the same day, a magnitude 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan.

DEVELOPING…

The post Powerful Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Mexico, Guatemala Border – Tsunami Warning (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.