June was quite the month. It marked June Lockhart’s 100th birthday, the actress from “Lassie” and “Petticoat Junction.” Oh, and there were the LA riots, military engagement in Iran, and some socialists winning the New York Democratic mayoral primary, which, to be honest, isn’t really my scene. The riots, which were almost peaceful, sparked a well-known remark about “people who enjoy watching their cars burn.” The situation in Iran had its own notable incidents, which we’ll get into below.
Fortunately, unless you’re in New York, everything wrapped up peacefully. Just as July was approaching, the month ended on a hot note, weather-wise.
1. About those friendships: CNN’s Erin Burnett was a bit off-base regarding her experiences in Iran. The regime there, run by the Mullahs, has been responsible for the deaths of many Americans, including over 600 U.S. military personnel due to Iran-backed groups in Iraq. Despite this, Burnett shared a rather puzzling quote of the year: “I remember being in Tehran. They chanted ‘Death to America’ around me, and they seemed happy to tell me.” Well, that doesn’t sound too “friendly” to most folks back home.
CNN’s hosts found the “friendliness” of Iranians, despite the chants, oddly juxtaposed.
2. A departure from Democrats: Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has announced she is no longer a Democrat. Given her track record of misinformation while in office, perhaps she’s on the path to creating a modern No Nothing Party. Her comments seemed to be aimed at promoting her upcoming book titled *Independent: An Inside Look at the Broken White House Beyond the Party Line*. Her move to independence has elicited strong reactions from both sides. Maybe former staffers from Biden’s administration just can’t help but poke fun at bipartisan moments in America.
3. Heading West? Former presidential candidate Cornell West is still making TV appearances, including on CNN’s segment with Abby Phillip. This is the same network that humorously referred to him as a “quirky professor” when he resigned from Harvard over tenure disputes. At one point, he discussed the nuclear bombings in Japan during WWII in a peculiar context.
West remarked, “It’s not a good moral moment for us to return to the U.S. and talk about killing 250 million people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki over two days.” Afterward, a conservative contributor provided some insightful commentary. West’s views are often… unique.
4. Running Away: On a lighter note, my pet zebra, Ed, recently escaped and caused a bit of chaos in Tennessee. He managed to run down I-24, which closed the road for a while. Thankfully, he was eventually rounded up and taken back home, probably relishing the helicopter ride to appreciate the picturesque mountains. Maybe he was chasing after his own glory like in that movie *Racing Stripes.*
5. Alternative media critique: Billionaire Mark Cuban has criticized the experience of life within liberal social media circles, suggesting they aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. He described Bluesky, created as a more left-leaning alternative to Twitter/X, as toxic and filled with “hate.” Cuban noted that even minor disagreements, when you mostly align with someone, can lead to labels like “fascist.” This doesn’t exactly come as a surprise to conservatives familiar with how the left tends to dominate various platforms.
Cuban also made headlines this month by revealing that Kamala Harris’s campaign had considered him as a vice presidential pick. One reason he declined was that he felt he wouldn’t measure up against two other candidates—there’s no denying he would likely outshine her.
6. Actor vs. Actor: This month has seen a familiar trend of Hollywood figures making perplexing comments. Mark Ruffalo from *The Avengers* jumped into the ring, participating in protests against the wealthy and “whites.” Ironically, he seems to belong to both camps while still promoting leftist ideals, so at least he’s consistent. He stated to a group of leftist activists, “We can see who truly can’t stand our lives and is desperate for us. It’s not immigrants; it’s billionaires.”
Why not refer to just “B” people instead of billionaires? Ruffalo’s net worth is around $90 million, which, if accurate, places him much closer to billionaire status than the average person reading this.
7. A Tinfoil Hat Moment: Remember comedian Kathy Griffin, infamous for a controversial photo with a fake bloody head of Trump in 2017? Well, she and former CNN host Don Lemon are still around, delving into discussions about the 2024 election on his podcast. Griffin expressed doubt about the fairness of Trump’s election victory, stating, “I don’t think he won a free and fair election.” Lemon replied, “You’re not too far off. I’m not saying I disagree, but I want to see evidence.” It’s surprising how the conversation lingered on that note.
