It’s Wednesday…
Shitshow’s public schedule for…
It’s a relatively quiet day on the public schedule. Puddle is set to sign the Secure America Act this morning before spending part of the afternoon greeting finalists from the Presidential 1776 Award civics competition. Because apparently even Executive Time needs a few breaks.
S.2 Secure America Act summary:
This bill provides funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through FY2029 for immigration enforcement and related activities.
It is known as a reconciliation bill and includes legislation submitted by certain congressional committees pursuant to provisions in the FY2026 congressional budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 33) that directed the committees to submit legislation to the House or Senate Budget Committee that will increase the deficit. (Reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.)
S.2 Secure America Act summary.
Specifically, the bill provides funding to CBP for
- personnel;
- border security, technology, and screening; and
- immigration enforcement activities.
The bill provides funding to ICE for
- personnel,
- Homeland Security Investigations,
- immigration enforcement activities,
- transportation,
- information technology,
- facility and fleet maintenance and sustainment,
- 287(g) agreements (i.e., agreements that allow state and local law enforcement agencies to perform certain immigration enforcement functions),
- the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor,
- operation and maintenance, and
- certain arrests related to immigration enforcement.
The bill also provides additional funding to DHS for (1) immigration enforcement, and (2) the participation of state and local agencies in certain homeland security efforts.
The funding provided by this bill generally remains available through FY2029.
S.2 Secure America Act summary.
| 06/09/2026-5:24pm | House | On passage Passed by recorded vote: 214 – 212 (Roll no. 214). |
| 06/05/2026 | Senate | Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 – 47. Record Vote Number: 163. (text: CR S2570-2571) |
I totally missed the Presidential 1776 Award. Google helped me out with this message from the Department of Education (05/04/2026):
The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) celebrates the Presidential 1776 Award Regional Semifinals, which took place on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026. 20 finalists, representing the top four students from each region, and one alternate, will advance to the National Finals, to take place on June 9, 2026 at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The Presidential Award for Civics is a key part of the Department’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday. All five Regional Semifinal competitions took place simultaneously at the following presidential sites:
Department of Education (05/04/2026).
- Region 1: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum – Boston, Massachusetts
- Region 2: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum – Atlanta, Georgia
- Region 3: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum – Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Region 4: George W. Bush Presidential Center – Dallas, Texas
- Region 5: Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum – Yorba Linda, California
More than 8,000 high school students from all 50 states and territories signed up for the qualifying Impossible Civics Test. 173 students competed in the Regional Semifinals, bringing together top-performing students to demonstrate their knowledge of the Constitution, the American founding, and key moments in our nation’s history.
Following the completion of the Regional Semifinals, the nationwide competition now advances to its final stage. During the National Finals, students will answer short-answer verbal questions. The top three finalists will win $250,000 in scholarship prizes.
Department of Education (05/04/2026).
The Department of Education posted another announcement about the award on May 28th, 2026:
The U.S. Department of Education and CBS announced today that the PRESIDENTIAL 1776 AWARD special will be broadcast Tuesday, June 30, (8:00-9:30PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream the next day on Paramount+.
The national finals mark the conclusion of the first-ever Presidential 1776 Award competition, a nationwide civics challenge created to celebrate America’s top high school students and their knowledge of our nation’s founding principles. The Presidential 1776 Award National Finals will bring the top performers from each region to the nation’s capital for a live, in-person competition, testing their knowledge of the Constitution, America’s founding principles, and defining moments in U.S. history. Finalists will compete for scholarships of up to $150,000.
After a rigorous online qualifying exam and in‑person semifinal competitions, 20 students are advancing to the Finals from an original pool of over 8,000 students across all 50 states and territories.
“As America approaches its 250th birthday, the Presidential 1776 Award is helping inspire a new generation of informed and engaged citizens who understand our Constitution, our history, and the responsibilities of freedom,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “These remarkable students have already distinguished themselves through an extraordinary demonstration of civic knowledge, leadership, and commitment to the principles that define our nation.”
Through the broadcast, audiences nationwide will have the opportunity to witness a televised special on this historic competition and celebrate the next generation of American civic leaders.
“This competition celebrates America’s young people. Their passion for understanding the Constitution, our founding principles and defining moments in history assure all of us that they cherish the principles of democracy – our country is in good hands with the next generation,” said Susan Zirinsky, president and executive producer of See It Now Studios at Paramount.
The broadcast special is produced by Alongi Media, with Phil Alongi and Gideon Hayes serving as executive producers.
Department of Education. 05/28/2026.
Welcome to Wednesday. Before declaring that Iran had taken “too long to negotiate a deal” and therefore must “pay the price!!!,” Puddle spent part of his morning doing what he does best: attacking media figures for expressing opinions he doesn’t like.
I don’t watch ESPN. I did, however, catch Stephen A. Smith’s comments on CNN.
Smith wasn’t the only media personality to catch Puddle’s attention. A familiar target was next in line.
This morning’s opening segment of Morning Joe appears to have set Puddle off.
Which would track, given what he posted next about Iran.
Iran’s military is supposedly a “complete and total mess.” Even so, they managed to down one of our Apache helicopters over the Strait of Hormuz. Fortunately, both pilots were rescued unharmed.
CENTCOM reported that the US had successfully struck Iran for shooting down our Helicopter.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 10, 2026
The article says: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed self-defense strikes against Iran, June 9, at the Commander in Chief’s direction in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets. The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters. U.S. forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression.
Puddle held court. During the Q&A he was asked what “pay the price” meant.
The clips of his answer are too long to screen record.
.@POTUS on Iran: "We hit them hard yesterday and we're going to hit them again hard today… And we'll see what happens with the deal. We were really close to a deal — but they keep tapping us along. They keep playing us for suckers because you know what? They dealt with some… pic.twitter.com/ScvGn14QFQ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 10, 2026
Here’s the live feed. I cued it up to the question.
We’ll leave it there for today. Between Iran, media feuds, and Puddle’s latest posts, the CPI report never made it onto today’s dance card. Open thread.
This is an Open Thread
