From the desk of Rich Stephens
News for the week ending 6-26-26
Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.
Current Events
Federal Officials Announce 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
Federal officials announced the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown this week, charging 455 defendants in schemes involving more than $6.5 billion in alleged false claims.
The Justice Department said the defendants include 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals. The cases involve alleged fraud against Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care programs.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charges were brought or unsealed over a 14-day nationwide operation involving 57 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 41 state attorneys general, nine health care fraud strike forces, and multiple federal agencies.
Officials highlighted wound graft schemes, Medicaid fraud, hospice fraud, cardiovascular testing schemes, controlled-substance diversion, and transnational fraud networks.
Blanche said one Arizona case involved more than $1 billion in alleged fraud tied to unnecessary wound grafts. Across wound care cases, officials said 11 defendants were charged in connection with more than $2 billion in alleged fraudulent claims.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the department is moving away from what he called a “pay and chase” model and toward a system designed to detect suspicious claims before taxpayer money leaves the Treasury.
DEA Administrator Terry Cole said the takedown included 18 criminal and civil cases and 928 administrative actions tied to controlled substances.
DOJ press conference on 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown
Justice Department: National Health Care Fraud Takedown
NYPD Detective Shot During Brooklyn Barricade
On Friday morning, June 19, an NYPD Emergency Service Unit detective was shot while responding to a barricaded gunman in Brooklyn.
Police said officers first responded around 5:45 a.m. after a neighbor reported hearing about seven shots fired inside a two-story brownstone on Kosciuszko Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Officers heard additional gunfire after arriving, entered the home, saw an armed man, and withdrew while specialized units responded.
The man’s wife and son escaped safely, but an elderly couple remained trapped upstairs. After more than two hours of failed negotiations, Emergency Service Unit officers entered the building.
Police said 48-year-old Lammen Simmons refused repeated commands to drop his weapon and shot Detective Matthew Gail in the leg. At least four officers returned fire, striking Simmons. He was taken to Woodhull Hospital and pronounced dead.
Police said Simmons fired about 20 rounds during the incident. Two handguns were recovered, including a Beretta handgun with an extended magazine and a Jimenez Arms .380-caliber handgun. Police said the incident was captured on body-worn cameras and multiple drones.
Detective Gail, a 15-year veteran of the Emergency Service Unit, was treated for a gunshot wound that caused a tibial fracture in his left leg and was reported in stable condition.
NYPD press conference on Brooklyn barricade shooting
Judge Issues New Rulings In Charlie Kirk Murder Case
The accused killer of Charlie Kirk was back in court twice this week as the judge issued several major rulings ahead of next month’s preliminary hearing.
The judge denied the defense request to block prosecutors from using reliable hearsay evidence to establish probable cause. The court said Utah law allows reliable hearsay during a preliminary hearing because the hearing determines probable cause, not guilt or innocence.
The judge also denied a defense request to force live testimony from an out-of-state witness who allegedly lived with the accused and was in a romantic relationship with him. According to the court, prosecutors plan to rely on the witness’s recorded interview, electronic messages, a handwritten note, and other evidence.
The court said the witness allegedly told investigators the accused confessed, concealed the weapon, disposed of clothing, and instructed him not to contact law enforcement.
In a separate hearing, the judge found Deputy Utah County Attorney Christopher Ballard in civil contempt for public comments about the strength of the state’s evidence.
The judge declined to remove the death penalty as a sanction, but ordered attorney’s fees for the defense and said additional jury safeguards may be used to address any potential prejudice.
The preliminary hearing remains scheduled to begin July 6 at 9 a.m.
Utah court hearing on hearsay and witness subpoena issues
Utah court hearing on contempt ruling and preliminary hearing procedures
World
European Parliament Approves Faster Return Rules For Illegal Stays
On June 17, the European Parliament approved new European Union return rules for third-country nationals staying illegally in the bloc.
The measure passed 418 to 218, with 30 abstentions. Parliament said the rules are meant to simplify and speed up return procedures while respecting fundamental rights, international law, non-refoulement, and the ban on collective expulsions.
Under the text, a return decision issued by national authorities will require the person to leave immediately or within a set time. People subject to return decisions must cooperate with authorities.
The regulation also allows detention after an individual assessment, including when a person refuses to cooperate, presents an absconding risk, or poses a security risk. Parliament said detention may last up to 24 months, with possible extensions in some cases.
The law also allows removal to non-European Union territory, including “return hubs,” if a third country agrees to accept the person. Unaccompanied minors are excluded from those arrangements.
Rapporteur Malik Azmani said, “People rightly expect that those with no right to stay return to their countries of origin.”
The text still needs formal Council adoption and publication in the Official Journal before it enters into force.
European Parliament: New EU system for return of illegally staying third-country nationals
Council of the EU: Council and Parliament reach deal on returns
Three Dead After Montreal Shooting Near Décarie Boulevard
On June 22, a shooting in Montreal left three people dead.
Montreal police identified the officer killed as 34-year-old Mohamed Lamine Benredouane. The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal said Benredouane died in the line of duty during an intervention in Côte-des-Neiges and had served with the department since 2021.
The civilian victim was identified by Jewish community organizations as Michael, also known as Moshe, Mizrahi.
Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations opened case BEI-260622-001 the same day. The case page lists the civilian-involved death as a police intervention involving a firearm used by a police officer. The investigation remains open, with the Sûreté du Québec listed as the support police force.
Video circulating online appears to show a responding officer firing shots that killed both the suspect and Mizrahi. Canadian authorities have not publicly identified either the suspect or the officer involved.
The shooting happened in Côte-des-Neiges near Décarie Boulevard. Aylo, the parent company of Pornhub, lists its Montréal office at 6975 Décarie Boulevard, Suite 601.
SPVM: Officer Mohamed Lamine Benredouane killed in the line of duty
Quebec Bureau of Independent Investigations: BEI-260622-001
Aylo: Montréal office address
Israel Outlines Position On Iran And Lebanon As U.S., Israel And Lebanon Sign Framework Agreement
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer spent much of the week outlining Israel’s position on Iran and Lebanon during a series of government press briefings. By week’s end, the United States, Israel, and Lebanon had signed what Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as the first step toward a broader peace process.
Mencer said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had directed the Israel Defense Forces to maintain full freedom of action against threats in southern Lebanon and would keep a security zone there for as long as necessary to protect northern Israel.
He said Hezbollah had recently launched more than 50 rockets, drones, and anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces. Israel’s stated position throughout the week was that it would not fully withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the area is demilitarized.
Mencer also confirmed that Israel was participating in direct U.S.-mediated talks with Lebanon concerning a future redeployment of Israeli forces, but said any redeployment depended on Hezbollah first being disarmed.
On Friday, June 26, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington, where the United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed what all three governments described as a trilateral framework agreement.
Rubio called the agreement “the beginning of the beginning,” saying it was the first step toward a broader effort to restore stability along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Lebanon’s ambassador said the framework seeks to restore Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, secure a permanent cessation of hostilities, allow displaced residents to return home, and create conditions for long-term peace and prosperity.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter described the document as a “performance-based trilateral framework agreement,” saying its ultimate goal is peace between Israel and Lebanon while respecting the sovereignty and security of both countries. He also declared, “Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.”
The framework does not constitute a final peace agreement or require an immediate Israeli withdrawal. Instead, it establishes a process that largely reflects the positions Israel outlined publicly throughout the week, including continued security operations until conditions on the ground change.
On Iran, Netanyahu also reiterated this week that Israel remains committed to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and will continue military action when necessary to defend Israel.
Israeli Government Press Briefing on Iran and Lebanon
Israeli Government Press Briefing – June 25
U.S. State Department Trilateral Framework Signing Ceremony
Politics
Supreme Court Allows Haiti TPS Termination To Proceed
The Supreme Court ruled this week that the Trump administration may proceed with ending Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and Syria while legal challenges continue.
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, allows eligible nationals of designated countries to remain in the United States and receive work authorization during the designation period. DHS says TPS is temporary and does not lead to permanent residence or any other immigration status.
Haiti was first granted TPS on January 21, 2010, after the January 12 earthquake. The original eligibility required Haitian nationals to have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2010, and be continuously present since January 21, 2010.
DHS later redesignated Haiti in 2021, 2023, and 2024, allowing newer arrivals to qualify.
DHS terminated Haiti’s TPS designation after reviewing country conditions and consulting with U.S. agencies. The department said Haiti no longer met the conditions for TPS and estimated that 353,000 Haitian nationals held TPS.
Five Haitian TPS holders sued in Washington, D.C., and lower courts temporarily blocked the termination during the case.
However, the Supreme Court said the TPS statute bars judicial review of non-constitutional claims about TPS decisions, and said the Haiti equal-protection claim was unlikely to succeed.
The ruling does not decide whether TPS is good immigration policy. It decides whether lower courts could keep the terminations postponed during litigation. The Supreme Court said they could not.
Supreme Court opinion in Mullin v. Doe
DHS: 2010 designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status
DHS: Termination of Haiti TPS designation
Supreme Court Rules On Border Asylum Processing
The Supreme Court also ruled this week that Mexico is not, in fact, part of the United States.
More specifically, the Court held that migrants waiting on the Mexican side of the border have not legally arrived in the United States and cannot require the government to begin the asylum process before they enter the country.
The case involved the Trump administration’s “metering” policy, which limited how many asylum seekers could enter through ports of entry.
A federal district court in California, later affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled that migrants waiting in Mexico could still invoke U.S. asylum law.
The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that Congress tied asylum eligibility to physically arriving in the United States, not waiting across the border in Mexico.
The ruling does not eliminate asylum. It clarifies when the legal right to seek asylum begins.
Supreme Court opinion in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado
Other Supreme Court Rulings This Week
In addition to its rulings on Temporary Protected Status and asylum eligibility, the Supreme Court handed down several other significant decisions this week covering the Second Amendment, parental rights, online age verification, nationwide injunctions, and environmental permitting.
Hawaii Gun Rights
The Court struck down portions of Hawaii’s law that generally prohibited licensed concealed-carry holders from bringing firearms onto private property open to the public unless the owner gave express permission. The Court held that the restriction conflicted with the Second Amendment because it effectively treated nearly all private businesses as gun-free zones by default. Property owners may still prohibit firearms on their premises if they choose.
Texas Age Verification Law
The Court upheld Texas’ law requiring websites that primarily distribute pornography to verify that users are at least 18 years old. The majority concluded that the law serves the state’s legitimate interest in protecting minors from sexually explicit material and does not violate the First Amendment under the applicable constitutional standard.
Parents’ Rights in Maryland Schools
The Court ruled that parents challenging a Maryland school district’s policy are entitled to seek an exemption allowing their children to opt out of classroom instruction involving LGBTQ-themed storybooks when participation conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs. The Court concluded that forcing families to choose between their religious convictions and participation in public education likely violates protections for the free exercise of religion.
Nationwide Injunctions
The Court also limited the use of nationwide injunctions issued by federal district courts. The decision held that district judges generally may grant relief only to the parties before the court unless broader relief is authorized by Congress. The ruling does not eliminate nationwide injunctions entirely, but significantly narrows when they may be used.
Utah Railway Environmental Review
The Court unanimously ruled that federal agencies conducting environmental reviews are not required to analyze every downstream environmental consequence that could result from an approved project. The case involved a proposed railway in Utah intended to transport crude oil. The decision narrows the scope of review required under the National Environmental Policy Act and is expected to affect future infrastructure and energy projects.
Each decision addresses a different area of federal law, but together they represent one of the Court’s busiest opinion weeks of the term.
Wolford v. Lopez (Hawaii firearms decision)
Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (Texas age verification)
Mahmoud v. Taylor (Maryland parental rights)
Trump v. CASA, Inc. (Nationwide injunctions)
Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County (NEPA environmental review)
Antifa Cell Leader Sentenced To 100 Years In Texas ICE Facility Attack
On Tuesday, June 23, Benjamin Hanil Song was sentenced to 100 years in prison for the July 4, 2025 attack at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.
Song was convicted in March of attempted murder after opening fire on an Alvarado police officer during the attack.
He led members of the North Texas Antifa Cell.
The attack resulted in charges including rioting, weapons and explosives offenses, material support to terrorists, obstruction, and attempted murder.
Seven other defendants tied to the same case were also sentenced, with prison terms ranging from 30 to 70 years.
Across the eight defendants, the sentences totaled 450 years.
DOJ: Leader of Antifa Cell Members in North Texas Sentenced to 100 Years in Prison for Terrorist Attack at ICE Facility
DOJ: Antifa Cell Members Indicted in Prairieland Shooting
DeSantis Says Alligator Alcatraz Completed Temporary Mission
On Thursday, June 25, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference announcing that Alligator Alcatraz now has zero detainees and is being demobilized.
DeSantis said the facility was built as a temporary emergency solution after DHS asked Florida for help with detention space, and was used for almost 21,000 deportations.
Critics have called the facility a failure and pointed to its cost, legal challenges, detention conditions, and environmental concerns.
Florida contract records show tens of millions of dollars in active emergency immigration contracts, including more than $73 million for operational management staffing and more than $20 million for site feeding.
DeSantis said Florida has already received part of its federal reimbursement and expects the rest. He also said Florida has a large budget surplus and rainy day fund.
DeSantis framed the closure differently. He said the state expected the facility to operate for six to 12 months, and that is what happened.
He said the former detainees remain in federal custody, Florida’s Baker County facility remains active, and the state’s immigration enforcement work continues through 287(g) agreements.
Governor Ron DeSantis press conference on Alligator Alcatraz demobilization
Florida contract record: Critical Response Strategies operational management staffing
Florida contract record: Granny’s Alliance Holdings site feeding
John Bolton Pleads Guilty To Retaining National Defense Information
On Friday, June 26, former National Security Advisor John Bolton pleaded guilty in federal court to willfully retaining national defense information.
Under the plea agreement, Bolton agreed to pay a $2.25 million fine and faces up to five years in federal prison when he is sentenced on October 28.
Bolton served as National Security Advisor from April 2018 to September 2019.
Prosecutors said he copied highly sensitive classified information into personal “diary” entries about his official duties, including material classified up to Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information.
He admitted sending the documents to two family members through non-government email and messaging accounts and keeping copies at his home in Bethesda, Maryland.
One of his personal email accounts was later hacked by a cyber actor believed to be associated with Iran, but Bolton did not tell investigators the account contained national defense information.
The guilty plea resolves all 18 counts from his October indictment.
DOJ: John Bolton pleads guilty to violating the Espionage Act
Finance
Alan Greenspan Passes Away at 100
On Monday, June 22, the 13th Chair of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan passed away. He served on the board of governors from 1987 until 2006. Greenspan studied Clarinet at Juilliard before getting his BA, MA and PHD in economics from NYU. He was bestowed the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2002 and in 2005, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W Bush. Alan Greenspan was 100 years old.
Markets
Markets were mixed this week. The Dow Jones picked up 312 points, closing at 51,876, a .6% bump from last week.
NASDAQ fell 4.6%, a 1,120 point loss that saw a closing value of 25,297 and erased gains all the way back to the first of May.
The S&P 500 lost nearly 2%, dropping 146 points and closing at 7354.
Gold continued a 4 week slide, losing $90 in value, a 2% drop that saw futures close trading at $4,082 on Friday.
Sports
4th of July Sports
And in Sports, I’ve got a few stories from this week, but buckle up because the 4th of July is going to be busy for America’s 250th birthday. F1 will kick off the morning with the British Grand Prix sprint race at 7am eastern followed by main event qualifying at 11. Wimbeldon will likely be going all day, but it’s too early to say who’ll be playing. MLB has the Twins at the Yankees at 1:35, the Mets visit the Braves at 8:05 and the Brewers at Arizona at 9:40. You can also watch Men’s World Cup soccer. Two of the round of 16 games will be on at 1 and 5 eastern. And don’t forget the 2026 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Tune in at 12:30 eastern to watch Joey Chestnut unhinge his jaw and eat around 70 hot dogs in 10 minutes. I like to have a few on the grill just to feel like I’m part of it.
2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup group stage is almost complete, with just three groups still finishing play this weekend before the knockout round begins. The United States finished atop Group D despite a 3-2 loss to Turkey in its final match. The Americans opened with wins over Paraguay and Australia, giving them six points and first place on goal difference. Several Round of 32 matchups are already set, including Brazil against Japan, Germany against Paraguay, and South Africa against Canada. The United States will face Bosnia on Wednesday, July 1, with a place in the Round of 16 on the line. That game will be broadcast at 8PM eastern from Levi’s stadium in San Francisco.
MLB
Finally, In Major League Baseball, one name just keeps coming up. Jacob Misiorowski. Friday night against the Cubs, Miz tossed a 105.5 mile per hour fastball, breaking his own record…again, for the fastest pitch ever thrown by a starter. It was the third fastest since statcast began tracking. Following Friday night’s win, the 24 year old rookie has an era of 1.45 through 16 games. That’s third in the last FIFTY years, behind Tevor Rogers 1.43 from last year and NOLAN RYAN’s 1.29 in 1981.
The Brewers won that contest 6-2 and sit 7.5 games atop the NL central. Elsewhere, the Dodgers have an 8 game lead in the NL West and the Braves have lost some ground but hold a 4 game lead in the NL East. In the American league, the Mariners are 1.5 games up on the A’s in the West, the White Sox have a game on Cleveland in the central and the Yankees are just one game up on the Rays in the East.
Rich Stephens
The Cold Take