Maggi Poynter

LAWFARE: A federal court just ordered Alabama to use a race-based congressional map in direct defiance of the Supreme Court's 2026 Callais decision outlawing racial gerrymanders. Lower-court judges continue to ignore SCOTUS rulings they dislike.

🚨 VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE JUST WENT FULL PATRIOT MODE "It hit me that every time we lose somebody, every time somebody goes overseas and sacrifices their life every time that a person gives the ultimate sacrifice to the United States of America, we often read about it as a line on newspaper or online." "But there's a father, there's a mother, and there's a grandma and aunts and uncles and a whole crew of people who love them the same way that we all love every single member of our family." "And you take that love and you set that on one side, and you consider the balance that all of us owe, because on the other side is we have to meet their sacrifice by carrying something forward that they can't carry forward. We have to make this country worthy of that sacrifice." "My friends, is every single day, we have to send people to Washington who wake up every single day and recognize that they fight for you. That's how we honor this sacrifice. That's how we make this country great again, and that's how we make 250 years of American history and American patriots proud." 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

It is with deep sadness that I share with you the news that Kerry Sheron, a 69-year-old Army veteran, tragically passed away Sunday night after being brutally beaten by his neighbor, all because he loved our country and President Trump. Please send all your love and prayers to Kerry’s wife and family on this difficult day. May God bless his beautiful soul. We thank him for his service to our country. 😔💔

🚨 JUST NOW: Leftist rioters dig up CINDERBLOCKS outside ICE Newark and use them to reinforce their barricade, BLOCKING the facility’s exit How is this being allowed??! Trapping ICE agents in their facility is alright??! Unreal. PUT AN END TO IT.

Tom Steyer: “I’m totally in favor of trans athletes in high school. When you understand the vulnerability, the stress, the danger of being a trans kid and you understand almost half of them try to commit suicide. Then you think we’re gonna punish those kids, we’re gonna cut them off from team sport. It’s like, no we’re not”

WATCH: CBS's Margaret Brennan tries to goad two Medal of Honor recipients into bashing America, gets rebuffed MARGARET BRENNAN: And before I let you go, we are coming up on this 250th anniversary of the American experience. I know I can't ask you a question like, are you optimistic? There's no way that two Medal of Honor winners could say they're not optimistic. So what specifically makes you optimistic? Because this country, at times, can feel dark, these days, there's a lot of darkness. What makes you feel optimistic? WILL SWENSON: Well, ultimately, because we're in Washington, D.C., and everything revolves around politics, we have to remember that politics aren't everything. American lives continue on. Children are born, children go to school. Lives are achieved. Dreams are achieved. This country is a great place. It's not politics. It's not just what's the news bites coming off of media. Ultimately, we continue forward as a country, continually imperfect, continually evolving forward, always trying to achieve a more perfect union. That's what's important to remember, what we can achieve aspirationally. No other place in history, time or on this planet have ever gotten to where we are today. We need to be proud of that, and we need to remember that is what we stay focused on, what we can be. BRENNAN: What we can be, and the promise of it. What makes you optimistic? MATT WILLIAMS: You know, I agree with Will. I think, you know, it's- it's so important to remember who we are as a country, and take an opportunity to celebrate that, and think about all the- the challenges that we've overcome, how far we've actually come. You know, I think if you- if you frame it that way, you think very deeply about our trials and tribulations from beginning to today, we've made tremendous strides. Our country is, you know, we're a super- global superpower. Our economy is doing well. All those things are great. And- and take politics aside out of this whole conversation. Just talk about our communities, that- that we live in, and the people that you surround yourself with, and your families, and the opportunity to be free and, you know, choose what school you go to, and where you want to live and do what you want to do, and what career path you go down or don't if you want to, you know, I mean, there's so much to be positive about. And I think the opportunity to celebrate America's 250th birthday, you know, over the course of this next year is- is amazing. There's so many great places to visit. You know, the National Mall is going to be full of Americana. And what we're going to- celebrating ourselves, which I think we should take the time to do. I think it's very important. You know, across the country, you know something we're very passionate about at the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas, is- is a- is a phenomenal beacon that stands to- to talk about and house our, not only our story, the story of the Medal, and what the Medal represents itself. And I would challenge people to go there and celebrate our history as well. You know, it's so important. There's so many great things to go do and great things to visit and don't just take part in it, because it's something to do on a weekend, right? Think about why you're doing it, and when you're there in the crowds and you're- you're enjoying yourself, and you're taking your family to go talk about our country and celebrate our country, actually celebrate it. Be grateful for what you've got and the opportunity that was provided for you. If you do that, I don't see how you can't be optimistic about our future. BRENNAN: Well, thank you. Thank you both and thank you for your service. WILLIAMS: Thank you. BRENNAN: We'll be back.