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Why the Middle East agrees with President Trump more than America realizes

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Americans are debating whether this war was worth it. Thirteen soldiers have come home in caskets. Hundreds more carry wounds. No one takes that lightly. Least of all someone like me — who chose this country and wears its flag by choice, not by birth.

I was born on the Iranian border and raised in the shadow of its wars. I have seen firsthand what these policies do to the people of this region. I still travel across the Middle East — I was in Erbil, Riyadh and Dubai just recently. I know what people say when the cameras are off. It is not anger at America. It is relief.

But here is what the critics are missing. For millions of people across the Middle East, this war did not start on February 28. It started decades ago. What changed is that a president decided to stop managing the problem and start confronting it. The people of the region noticed. I promise you — they noticed.

What most Americans never hear is what those people actually want. Not war. Not jihad. Not martyrdom. Across the Gulf, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, 140 million people are under the age of 30. They want what any young American wants: a job, a stable country and a future that is not hostage to someone else’s ideology. New leaders in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kurdistan and Syria are building toward exactly that. When I sit with young professionals in Erbil or Riyadh or Dubai, they talk about startups. They talk about AI. They talk about opportunity.

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And this is not theory. Look at what happens when stability takes root. The UAE was empty desert 50 years ago. Today it is a global center of commerce where millions of people — including Americans — live, invest and build. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq, encircled by hostile forces, built one of the most open societies in the Middle East. It became the largest safe haven for persecuted Christians in the region. And despite a severe economic embargo by Iran-backed forces, Kurdistan built a stable, multi-billion-dollar economy that houses nearly all U.S. forces in Iraq. People move there because it works. These places are not exceptions. They are previews of what the entire region can become.

What stops it, every time, is the same force. Iran-backed armed groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen — all taking orders from Tehran, all blocking the future the rest of the region is trying to build. For 45 years, one capital has exported instability to every corner of this region — not because Iranians want it, but because a small circle of men in power profit from it.

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The numbers tell the story. Since February 28, Iran has struck every country in the region that chose partnership with the West — and not one of them fired a shot at Iran. The UAE has absorbed more than 2,800 missiles and drones. Thirteen people were killed. Over 200 were wounded. Kurdistan has been hit more than 700 times. Fourteen dead — including a husband and wife killed at midnight, two daughters left behind. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar — all struck. None of them threatened Iran. Their only offense is that they chose a different future.

These forces have not only been destroying the Middle East. They have been killing Americans for decades.

Every president before this one chose to look away. They minimized the threat. They told Americans it was under control. They left it for the next generation. But ignoring the Middle East always comes with a price. Obama pulled back from Iraq. ISIS filled the vacuum. His nuclear deal sent billions to Tehran and its proxy terror groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Biden called it strategic patience. That patience gave us October 7. The problem never went away. It always got worse. This president made a different choice.

I grew up in this. I did not study it in a seminar. I know what a missile sounds like when it hits a neighborhood school. I know what families look like when they pack a car at 3 in the morning and drive toward the one city that is still standing. The fear across this region is not that America acted. It is that the world will lose interest before anything changes.

The Middle East is not a burden. It is a region of extraordinary talent, ambition and wealth held back by a violent few who have never been weaker than they are right now.

The people of this region have been asking the world to listen for decades. Perhaps now, it will.

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Garret Anderson’s cause of death revealed as acute necrotizing pancreatitis: report

Published

58 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Addison Blake

Former MLB outfielder Garret Anderson died of “acute necrotizing pancreatitis,” local reports citing the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office said.

The Los Angeles Angels announced the former star outfielder died late last week at the age of 53.

“Acute necrotizing pancreatitis” is a condition in which part of the pancreas dies, according to Cedars-Sinai. The California Post reported his death was ruled natural.

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A three-time All-Star, Anderson is in the conversation for the greatest Angel in franchise history, nearing the top of the leaderboard in many stats.

“Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond,” the team said in a social media post. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the entire Anderson family.”

A call was made for “medical aid” to Anderson’s home in the early afternoon of April 16 after Anderson suffered a medical emergency. The Angels announced his death the next day.

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Anderson made his MLB debut with the California Angels in 1994 before becoming a true threat in the early 2000s. From 2002 to 2005, Anderson was named to all three of his All-Star Games, leading the majors with 56 doubles in 2002 and the American League in that same category with 49 the following season.

He is the franchise leader in hits, RBIs, doubles, and games played. His .296 average with the team is also the third-highest behind Vladimir Guerrero and Rod Carew, and he is second in runs with 1,024, behind only Mike Trout.

Perhaps the biggest hit of his career was his three-run double in Game 7 of that World Series, which made the score 4-1 Angels in the bottom of the third inning. That score would be the final.

Anderson was twice named a Silver Slugger and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2016.

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ESPN reporter unloads on the nasty part of the NFL Draft

Published

58 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Addison Blake

Happy NFL Draft Eve to all who celebrate! And, by the way, that’s all of you, because the NFL is king and even something as silly as a draft brings in more eyeballs than most other live sporting events.

Say what you want about Roger Goodell, but the guy knows how to market his product. Fair is fair.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Anyway, the NFL Draft is always one of the biggest nights on the calendar, believe it or not. I remember when it used to be a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday only.

Remember those days? When it would start at noon and run for eight straight hours? Amazing.

It got too big a few years ago, and, naturally, the first round got moved to the prime time slot on Thursday night. It’s on 14 different channels now, with 14 different broadcasts. Again, it’s a monster event.

And ESPN’s Peter Schrager, a veteran in the NFL reporter world, has a plea for anyone watching tomorrow night: Stay off your phones!

“Would you watch a reality show if, three minutes before the end of the show, they tell you who is being eliminated?”

Amen, Peter. Preach! No, I wouldn’t. Neither would you. The NFL Draft is one giant reality show. It’s why we watch everything like hawks. The facial expressions. The green room. The WAGs. All of it. It’s a content machine.

But Schrager — again, a veteran reporter — didn’t stop there. He later divulged just how easy it is for insiders to get access to the pick ahead of time. Apparently, it’s not as impressive as you’d think.

“The NFL requires that name to be sent to them, and the entire league gets that name three minutes before the pick is made,” he said. “Anyone who’s got a credential has one source in the league, and that one source, whether it be from the 32 teams, or the league office, or an agent, they have access to the picks 90 seconds before they’re announced.

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“There is no valor in spoiling an NFL draft pick.”

Bingo! If you happen to have some actual scoop — like the pick 10 minutes ahead of time — go for it. That’s fine. That’s fair. If you have sources that deep in the business, you deserve to break it.

But if you’re getting the same info everyone else is getting, and just tweeting out the same exact thing everyone else is tweeting … come on. What’s the point? To spoil it for everyone watching? Seems silly.

Sure, there’s also the argument that we (the viewer) could just put the phone down and watch. It’s rare nowadays, outside of Augusta for a week out of the year. But, we could also just put the phones down and not be spoiled, either. As far as I know, nobody is forcing you to scroll social media for three hours with the NFL Draft on in the background.

If they are, blink twice!

Regardless, it’s interesting to see how insiders get their info. Sure, there’s a Russini joke somewhere in there, but I ain’t making it!

Happy NFL Draft Day Eve.

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Caroline Leavitt Out — Her Replacement Has Been Named

Published

2 hours ago

April 22, 2026

Addison Blake

Caroline Leavitt Out — Her Replacement Has Been Named

The most visible figure in the White House briefing room is expected to step back temporarily in the coming months. Karoline Leavitt, who became the youngest press secretary in U.S. history, is expecting her second child, a daughter, due in May.

Her anticipated leave has sparked speculation in Washington over who may handle briefing duties during her absence, with several possible successors emerging from within the press office.

Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly is widely seen as a leading internal candidate. She joined the White House in January after serving in senior communications roles at the Republican National Committee and in the House of Representatives.

Kelly also serves as a special assistant to Donald Trump, a role that places her close to senior decision-making within the administration. Her background also extends beyond politics. In 2019, Kelly was crowned Miss State Fair of Virginia, a title she used to encourage civic engagement among younger Americans.

“In today’s polarized political climate, it is our job to step up to the plate and work to ensure the government we receive is a good one,” she told the *Fairfax Times*.

“It is my goal as Miss State Fair of Virginia to show young people that, contrary to what they might believe, we do have a voice and it’s about time we used it,” Kelly, a graduate of Auburn University, added.

Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers is also viewed as a possible option. A graduate of Clemson University, she joined the White House at the start of Trump’s second term after spending nearly two years at the Republican National Committee.

Rogers has reportedly worked closely with Press Secretary Leavitt, including appearances in the Oval Office, and maintains an active social media presence documenting her role in the administration.

Regional Press Secretary Liz Huston is another potential candidate. A graduate of Indiana University, she joined the administration from StateRAMP, where she worked as a program manager following an internship.

Leavitt has not publicly announced a formal timeline for stepping back from daily briefing duties, but she has shared personal updates.

According to the *Daily Mail*, Leavitt recently celebrated her baby shower and posted photos from the event, including one with her mother, Erin, and close friends.

“My beautiful friends threw me a beautiful baby shower, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” she wrote. “I feel blessed to have so many strong and loving women in my life and can’t believe we will welcome our little lady into the world in a few weeks.”

In December, Leavitt announced on Instagram that she and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, are expecting a girl. She described the news as “the greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for.”

“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” Leavitt wrote. The couple’s first child, a son named Niko, was born in July 2024.

Leavitt also thanked the administration’s leadership when announcing her pregnancy, crediting President Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles with building “a pro-family environment in the White House.”

She ended the post with a note of excitement: “2026 is going to be a great year, and I’m so excited to be a girl mom.”

After the announcement, Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump told Fox News that Leavitt had no plans to leave the administration. “Karoline Leavitt is a machine, she’s going nowhere,” Lara told host Lisa Boothe, adding that Leavitt quickly returned to the Trump campaign after the birth of her son last year.