It's Cartoon/Meme Time! #485b

New Air Force One takes flight as Trump unveils revamped presidential aircraft

A refurbished Boeing 747-8i donated by Qatar will serve as interim Air Force One 

President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled a newly refurbished presidential aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, touting its size, luxury and updated red, white and blue paint scheme as the Air Force prepares the jet for service.

The Boeing 747-8i, donated by the government of Qatar and modified for presidential use, is expected to serve as an interim Air Force One while Boeing continues work on two delayed VC-25B replacement aircraft.

Standing alongside Air Force leaders and service members, Trump said the aircraft's most noticeable feature is its size.

"The biggest difference is the difference in size. It's like virtually double the size," Trump said.

AIR FORCE ONE SCRAPS ICONIC KENNEDY-ERA PAINT SCHEME FOR TRUMP-APPROVED RED, WHITE, BLUE DESIGN

Reporters were later given a brief tour of the aircraft, which featured wood-paneled interiors, gold-toned fixtures and tan-and-gold seating throughout. Spacious cabins, large television screens and polished metallic finishes gave the jet an upscale feel.

Near the front of the aircraft, reporters viewed a private suite with lounge-style seating before passing a conference room featuring a large table, a painting of the Washington Monument overlooking the Reflecting Pool and a decorative bookcase surrounding a television screen.

The aircraft's press cabin spans the width of the rear section of the jet and includes 24 seats arranged across three sections. Each seat is equipped with its own entertainment screen, and the cabin appeared significantly larger than the press area aboard the current Air Force One fleet.

The Air Force said the aircraft will soon begin commissioning flights, a final phase of testing before entering operational service.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO: THE QATAR AIR FORCE ONE JET

US President Donald Trump steps out of the new Air Force One, gifted to him by Qatar, in a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on June 19, 2026. 

"The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority," Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said. "From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission."

Trump said he sought the aircraft after becoming frustrated with delays to Boeing's Air Force One replacement program and growing comparisons between the aging U.S. presidential fleet and newer aircraft operated by foreign governments.

"I asked the Emir if we could use the brand new 747," Trump said, noting the aircraft had relatively few flight hours and describing the current presidential fleet as aging.

"Our country has to be represented properly," he added.

AIR FORCE ONE GLITCH REVIVES REPLACEMENT PUSH AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT 'PROVES TRUMP WAS RIGHT AGAIN'

Donald Trump speaks in front of the new Air Force One, gifted to him by by Qatar, in a hangar at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on June 19, 2026. White House officials bade farewell on June 18, 2026, to one of the two jets that have been used to transport US presidents for more than 30 years.  

The aircraft features Trump's preferred red, white and dark blue color scheme, replacing the light blue-and-white design that has defined presidential aircraft since the Kennedy administration. Earlier this year, the Air Force confirmed the updated paint scheme would become the standard across the presidential and executive airlift fleet, including the VC-25B aircraft currently under development.

Trump also praised the aircraft's interior craftsmanship and described it as "considered the world's most luxurious plane."

Trump said the aircraft could also play a prominent role in next year's America 250 celebration, predicting it would lead a July 4 flyover over Washington featuring fighter jets and other military aircraft. The president called it "a flyover like no flyover" and said the display could include F-22s, F-35s and other aircraft from across the U.S. military.

The Pentagon accepted the Qatari aircraft last year and has spent recent months preparing it for presidential service. Officials have said the timeline moved more quickly than the broader Air Force One replacement effort because the aircraft's interior required fewer modifications than the VC-25B program.

Trump also praised the more than 250 personnel who worked around the clock to prepare the aircraft for service, saying the jet was transformed into what he called a "flying White House" in roughly 10 months.

The jet is expected to bridge the gap until Boeing delivers two next-generation Air Force One aircraft, which are not expected to be completed for roughly two more years.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-air-force-one-takes-flight-trump-unveils-revamped-presidential-aircraft

It's Cartoon/Meme Time! #485a

FBI Launches Major Probe into Voter Fraud on LA’s Skid Row Following Bribery Allegations

Federal agents fanned out across Los Angeles’ notorious Skid Row on Thursday, interviewing residents as part of an active investigation into allegations of widespread voter fraud during the city’s recent mayoral primary. The operation underscores deep concerns about the integrity of elections in California, where claims of cash payments to homeless individuals for registering and casting ballots have surfaced with disturbing clarity.

Approximately 20 plainclothes FBI agents, joined by Homeland Security Investigations personnel, descended on the area just before noon. They conducted dozens of interviews, focusing on reports that vulnerable residents were offered money to sign multiple registration forms, forge signatures, and complete ballots favoring specific candidates.

This is no isolated incident but a symptom of a broken system that treats elections as opportunities for manipulation rather than sacred exercises of self-government.

Videos that emerged shortly after the June 2 primary captured Skid Row residents openly describing payments—sometimes as little as $2 or $4—to support incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who advanced to the November runoff.

One individual, Kevin Shepherd, detailed receiving compensation for a mail-in ballot deposited in an official box, noting that certain candidates were pushed while others, like Spencer Pratt, were not. Though The Post could not independently verify every claim, the footage was turned over to the Department of Justice, prompting swift federal response.

Exploiting the Vulnerable in a Flawed System

The probe builds on prior revelations that thousands of homeless individuals were registered to vote at shelters and service providers where they did not actually reside. A review identified over 7,600 such registrations, including more than 1,160 linked to the Midnight Mission in Skid Row. One Venice drop-in center tied to Raman’s committee work had hundreds of registrations connected to its address despite receiving substantial taxpayer grants.

California’s election framework, which allows broad use of non-traditional addresses and mail-in processes with minimal safeguards, has long invited abuse. Federal prosecutors had already announced multiple election fraud investigations days after the primary, with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli emphasizing efforts to audit voter rolls. This Skid Row action demonstrates that those words are translating into boots-on-the-ground accountability, even as some officials downplay the scope of the problem.

FBI Director Kash Patel reinforced the seriousness of the matter, stating that securing elections remains a top priority: “If you mess with our elections we will find you.” His message echoes a growing national resolve to restore confidence in the process after years of eroded trust.

Patterns of Fraud and Institutional Blindness

This investigation does not occur in a vacuum. Earlier this year, federal authorities secured a guilty plea from a longtime petition circulator who admitted to paying homeless individuals on Skid Row to register to vote—using her own address in some cases—to inflate compensation from ballot initiatives. Such schemes reveal how the system’s design incentivizes harvesting registrations among transient populations least equipped to participate knowledgeably or resist coercion.

Critics have pointed out the concentration of these activities in areas plagued by addiction, mental illness, and dependency. When political operatives target the downtrodden not for genuine empowerment but for fraudulent ballots, it mocks the principle of equal citizenship under law. California’s sluggish ballot processing and resistance to basic reforms only fuel suspicions that certain interests prefer opacity over transparency.

Homeless advocates and some local officials have rushed to dismiss the videos as unproven or to emphasize that unhoused citizens retain voting rights. No one disputes that basic point. The issue is whether those rights are being protected from exploitation or weaponized by others. Federal investigators interviewing witnesses on the ground suggests the evidence warrants more than reflexive denial.

In the face of such corruption, one is reminded of the ancient call to justice: “Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3).

Protecting the integrity of the vote is a moral imperative that safeguards the weak as much as it upholds ordered liberty.

As this probe unfolds, it serves as a stark reminder that election security is not a partisan luxury but a foundational requirement for any republic. Californians—and Americans watching from afar—deserve processes worthy of their consent. Anything less invites the very cynicism that threatens self-rule itself.

https://discernreport.com/fbi-launches-major-probe-into-voter-fraud-on-las-skid-row-following-bribery-allegations/

New Hampshire’s First Transgender Lawmaker Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation

transgender New Hampshire state legislator Stacie Laughton pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of children

A former transgender New Hampshire state legislator who pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children last year was sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Stacie Laughton (biological male), a Democrat who was elected to the New Hampshire House three times and resigned twice over legal problems, was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison in connection to child sex crimes on Thursday.

In 2023, Laughton, 41, of Nashua, New Hampshire, and his former intimate partner and daycare worker, Lindsay Groves, were charged with child exploitation.

Groves admitted to taking sexually explicit photos of children at the daycare center and sending them to Laughton.

“Groves worked at Creative Minds located in Tyngsborough, Mass. Between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude images of children at the day care and sent the photos to Laughton, with whom he was previously in an intimate relationship,” the DOJ said.

“Specifically, Groves used natural bathroom breaks for the children (routine diaper/pull-up changes prior to “naptime”) to take multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then sent the photos to Laughton via text message,” the DOJ said.

Laughton was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children – and aiding and abetting, according to the DOJ.

“According to the charging documents, a preliminary forensic review of Groves’ cellphone allegedly revealed over 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves that included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds daycare – including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old, as well as explicit descriptions of sex with each other and others, including children,” the DOJ said last year.

Groves was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography.

“The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000,” the DOJ previously said.

Groves was sentenced to 22 years in prison earlier this month.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/06/transgender-new-hampshire-state-rep-sentenced-33-years/

Schumer: SAVE America Act ‘Worst, Most Anti-Election Democracy Things That’s Ever Been Proposed’

Friday on MS NOW’s “The Last Word,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE America Act, was the “most anti-election democracy thing that’s ever been proposed.”

Host Lawrence O’Donnell said, “That’s Donald Trump’s prediction today that the Republican Party will never win another election. You will be the next Senate majority leader. And he’s saying all of that because the Republicans in the Senate are not trying to push through his bill to restrict voting in this.”

Schumer said, “Well. That’s right. This is a horrible thing, the SAVE Act, one of the worst, most anti-democracy things that’s ever been proposed. They say it’s, oh, it’s all about ID, voter ID. It’s not. They will remove 25 million people off the rolls. Why? Because they’ll require under this act, which is not going to pass, and we’re not going to let it pass, we’ve defeated it in court. I was a lead plaintiff in the decision to do that. We’ve refused to give them the votes that they would want for this; we never will. What it does is it says every state send your election rolls not to the Justice Department or the voting division, but to the Department of Homeland Security, where Musk and DOGE  have installed an algorithm that determines whether you’re legitimately right to vote or not. The algorithm is a fix. It’ll not be 20 million people, 30 million people off the rolls, and they don’t tell you.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/06/19/schumer-save-america-act-worst-most-anti-election-democracy-things-thats-ever-been-proposed/

Maine Democrats reject Platner-backed candidate in blow to scandal-plagued Senate hopeful

Troy Jackson, backed by Platner and Bernie Sanders, fell short as Hannah Pingree clinches Democratic nomination

Hannah Pingree, the former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, clinched the Democratic nomination in Maine's 2026 gubernatorial race.

Pingree defeated a crowded field of primary challengers in the blue-leaning state's Democratic primary, according to The Associated Press. 

Former Maine State Senate President Troy Jackson, an economic populist backed by embattled U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, was also viewed as a top contender for the party's nomination. Jackson’s loss is a blow to Platner as he seeks to unseat U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in November’s midterm elections.

Former Biden public health official Nirav Shah was also viewed as a top contender for the Democratic nomination. The results come as Jackson and Platner campaigned together on multiple occasions ahead of the June 9 primary. The two were seen embracing Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally in late May. Sanders, a progressive leader, has endorsed both candidates.

GRAHAM PLATNER BLASTS NEW ALLEGATIONS AS 'FALSE ACCUSATIONS': 'MAINE, YOU HAVE MY BACK'

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson stand together during a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour stop at the Collins Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono on May 24, 2026. 

Jackson, a logger who has served in both chambers of the state legislature, has largely stood by Platner’s candidacy despite mounting fallout over allegations of abuse in past relationships with women and questions over whether he was aware of a tattoo with Nazi origins that he later covered up.

He appeared with Platner during a fiery rally in Bar Harbor on Friday during which the Senate candidate slammed "politically motivated, serious and false, false accusations" that have been levied against him.

The gubernatorial hopefuls are running to succeed Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, who was term-limited. Mills, 78, suspended her Senate campaign in April after struggling to raise money and falling behind in polling.

Mills endorsed Pingree, D-Maine, to be her successor. Pingree is the daughter of Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and is associated with the party’s establishment wing.

The state's ranked-choice voting system required voters to rank candidates in order of preference. That structure meant the candidate who received the most initial support — in this case, Shah — ultimately lost to a candidate backed by a broader coalition of voters in Pingree. 

Platner said he ranked Pingree and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, D-Maine, after Jackson, his top pick.

The three Democratic candidates urged their supporters to rank each other highly on their ballots, likely in an attempt to blunt Shah’s momentum.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, endorsed former State House Speaker Hannah Pingree in the state's 2026 gubernatorial race

THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID

"I think we're the three people in this race who have voted time and time again on behalf of Maine people, on behalf of working people, on behalf of universal healthcare, on behalf of the environment, on behalf of more housing for Maine people," Pingree said at a joint press conference with Jackson and Bellows in late May in remarks reported by Maine Public Radio. "I think you can trust the three of us to get the job done." 

Pingree thanked her competitors in a Friday morning statement, praising the civility of a ranked choice campaign before pivoting to the citizens of Maine.

"After a year-long campaign and a careful count, the results are in. I’m grateful, I’m ready and there is no time to waste. I've spent nearly 25 years serving the people of Maine and the last year really brought home what that service is about — because Mainers show up for each other, in cities and towns, and they never give up on their neighbors. Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered, donated, or opened their doors to talk with me about what matters to them, and what’s at stake in this election," the statement read.

Then-principal deputy director for the CDC, Nirav Shah, discusses the rollout of the new COVID-19 vaccine during a meeting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta on Sept. 21, 2023.

Shah, an epidemiologist, spearheaded Maine’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included daily televised briefings. Before Mills tapped him to lead the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, his ties to the Pine Tree State appeared to have been minimal.

He previously served as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health between 2015 and 2019 and was raised in Wisconsin and Kentucky.

An outside spending group backing Shah highlighted Jackson’s previous opposition to abortion rights in negative advertising. Early in Jackson’s career in the state legislature, he received a 100% rating from the Maine Right to Life.

On the Republican side, six candidates vied for the party’s nomination, with former Bush administration official Bobby Charles defeating the crowded field that included Jonathan Bush, a businessman who is a cousin of former President George W. Bush.

Democrats will likely have an edge in the open contest with the party holding nearly all statewide offices. The nonpartisan Cook Political report rates the contest as "likely Democrat."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maine-democrats-reject-platner-backed-candidate-blow-scandal-plagued-senate-hopeful