International
Attempted Trump assassin wanted to fight against Russia, may have been motivated by Ukraine policy

From LifeSiteNews
By Matt Lamb
Donald Trump’s attempted assassin Ryan Wesley Routh traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to fight against Russia and tried to recruit Americans to join in the conflict.
The 58-year-old man accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump on Sunday was a pro-Ukraine American who wanted others to join in the fight.
Ryan Wesley Routh is in FBI custody after he allegedly tried to kill Trump on Sunday at the president’s country club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh reportedly pushed his AK-47 rifle through a fence at the country club before fleeing when Secret Service opened fired. He was arrested by law enforcement soon after.
He traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to fight against Russia and tried to recruit Americans and ex-Afghanistan soldiers to do the same.
Routh voted for Trump in 2016 but turned against him because of the president’s stance on Ukraine, according to Newsweek. “While you were my choice in 2016, I and the world hoped that President Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointed and it seems you are getting worse and devolving,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in July, Newsweek reported.
He donated to a handful of Democrats in 2020, according to reporting from Newsweek. The outlet said Routh “appears to have been motivated by frustration with U.S. policy on the war in Ukraine.”
The New York Times interviewed Routh for a story about ill-trained Americans who wanted to join the fight against Russia for an article titled “Stolen Valor: The U.S. Volunteers in Ukraine Who Lie, Waste and Bicker” with a subhead: “People who would not be allowed anywhere near the battlefield in a U.S.-led war are active on the Ukrainian front, with ready access to American weapons.”
“Ryan Routh, a former construction worker from Greensboro, N.C., is seeking recruits from among Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban,” the Times reported in 2023. “Mr. Routh, who spent several months in Ukraine last year, said he planned to move them, in some cases illegally, from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. He said dozens had expressed interest.”
“We can probably purchase some passports through Pakistan, since it’s such a corrupt country,” he told the newspaper.
He did not actually fight because he was too old and inexperienced, Newsweek reported. Its Romania affiliate had also interviewed Routh several years ago.
“The question as far as why I’m here… to me, a lot of the other conflicts are grey, but this conflict is definitely black and white,” Routh told Newsweek Romania. “This is about good versus evil. This is a storybook, you know, any movie we’ve ever watched, this is definitely evil against good.”
“If the governments will not send their official military, then we, civilians, have to pick up the torch and make this thing happen and we have gotten some wonderful people here but it is a small fraction of the number that should be here,” Routh said.
He reportedly ran a group called the “International Volunteer Center in Ukraine,” according to a 2023 Semafor article. “I have had partners meeting with [Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense] every week and still have not been able to get them to agree to issue one single visa,” Routh said.
The International Legion in Ukraine said it has no links to Routh, as reported recently by Reuters.
Routh had a sketchy past, including reportedly barricading himself inside a building while armed in 2002, the News and Record reported.
“The arrest coincides with North Carolina criminal court records that include Routh’s conviction for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” NBC News reported.
“Records also show convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of stolen property and hit-and-run,” NBC reported. “In those cases, which included misdemeanor convictions for violations such as resisting an officer and driving on a suspended license, the defendant received a suspended sentence and parole or probation.”
Trump thanks law enforcement, calls it an ‘interesting day’
Late last night Trump put out a message on Truth Social thanking law enforcement and calling Sunday an “interesting day.”
“I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!” he wrote.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE. THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
conflict
Israel bombs Iranian state TV while live on air

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Israel struck Iran’s state-run television station during a live broadcast Monday, forcing an anchor to flee mid-sentence as debris rained down. The Israeli Air Force expanded its target list to include media arms of the Iranian regime after continued missile attacks on Israeli civilians.
Key Details:
-
The Israeli Air Force bombed Iran’s state broadcaster during a live segment, interrupting footage of Iranian missiles hitting Israel. An anchor was seen abandoning her post as the studio filled with smoke and debris.
-
The strike followed public warnings from Israel for residents in northeast Tehran to evacuate ahead of operations targeting regime-linked facilities.
-
Israel’s expanded military campaign follows a new wave of Iranian missile attacks Sunday night into Monday, with Jerusalem emphasizing its intent to avoid civilian casualties despite growing targeting of regime infrastructure.
BREAKING: The moment of the attack on IRIB (Iran State Broadcaster) pic.twitter.com/CVU26HHFub
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) June 16, 2025
Diving Deeper:
The Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike Monday on Iran’s state-controlled television network while it was broadcasting live, part of a broader escalation in Israel’s campaign to dismantle Iran’s military and propaganda infrastructure.
According to footage circulating online, the incident occurred as the anchor—visibly agitated and dressed in a black chador—was delivering a harsh anti-Israel rant. In the middle of the broadcast, the screen darkened, the set shook, and debris began falling from the ceiling. The anchor turned and fled as the feed abruptly cut out. The moment marked a rare glimpse into the vulnerability of Iran’s tightly controlled state media under Israeli bombardment.
Israel had publicly urged civilians in northeast Tehran to evacuate earlier that day, signaling imminent attacks in the area. Initial expectations were that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would focus on military and intelligence targets. However, in light of Iran’s continued launches of ballistic missiles at civilian areas across Israel, Jerusalem has expanded its mission to include what it calls “political instruments of the regime”—which now appears to include its media apparatus.
While Iranian authorities maintain strict control over domestic news and heavily censor dissenting voices, Monday’s strike disrupted their messaging operation in real time. Iran’s state-run outlets have played a key role in promoting anti-Israel narratives and concealing internal dissent. Journalists in Iran face imprisonment or worse for crossing red lines laid out by the regime.
The Israeli military’s broader campaign has crippled Iranian air defenses, granting the IAF near-total air superiority over Tehran and much of the country. With that operational freedom, Israel has systematically struck IRGC command centers, missile sites, and now media outlets tied to the regime.
Despite the heightened intensity of the conflict, Israeli officials have reiterated that their strikes are aimed solely at regime targets, not civilians. Reports on social media indicated growing panic in Tehran, with widespread traffic as residents attempted to flee the capital.
Monday’s dramatic strike on state TV underscored Israel’s determination to degrade all facets of Iran’s war-making and propaganda capabilities—signaling that even live broadcasts from Tehran are no longer beyond the reach of Israeli precision airpower.
Crime
Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

MxM News
Quick Hit:
Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.
Key Details:
-
Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.
-
He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.
-
The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.
Sources provided this photo of Boelter from the scene after his arrest. pic.twitter.com/q4F9uPkm53
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) June 16, 2025
Diving Deeper:
Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.
Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.
The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.
From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.
Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”
-
Business1 day ago
EU investigates major pornographic site over failure to protect children
-
Canadian Energy Centre1 day ago
Cross-Canada economic benefits of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project
-
Economy1 day ago
Carney’s Promise of Expediting Resource Projects Feels Like a Modern Version of the Wicked Stepmother from Disney’s Cinderella
-
Alberta1 day ago
Albertans need clarity on prime minister’s incoherent energy policy
-
conflict8 hours ago
“Evacuate”: Netanyahu Warns Tehran as Israel Expands Strikes on Iran’s Military Command
-
Energy7 hours ago
Could the G7 Summit in Alberta be a historic moment for Canadian energy?
-
Crime1 day ago
Manhunt on for suspect in shooting deaths of Minnesota House speaker, husband
-
Business22 hours ago
Carney’s European pivot could quietly reshape Canada’s sovereignty