Knicks Lose, Trump Gets Blamed, and the Internet Has a Field Day with "Dosing Donny"
The Morning Sixpack - 06/09/2026 Apache crash, Trump's Knicks drama, measles surge, H-1B ruling, Pulte pressure, Senate showdown. #MorningSixpack
The bigger story is that the crash happened in one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints while the Iran conflict remains one bad decision away from getting WWIII worse.
Apache Crash Near Hormuz Highlights Just How Fragile the Iran Ceasefire Really Is (It’s Not a Ceasefire)
The helicopter crashed off the coast of Oman during a patrol mission around 3:30 a.m. local time. U.S. Central Command said the crew was recovered within two hours and remained in stable condition. President Donald Trump later confirmed the pilots were safe and said a report on the crash would be forthcoming.
What caused the crash remains unclear. The incident comes as the Middle East continues to absorb the fallout from months of fighting involving Iran, Israel, the United States and Hezbollah. Iran reported additional casualties from Israeli strikes this week, while Israel expanded warnings and military operations in southern Lebanon.
Trump also renewed his confidence that diplomacy may finally produce results. “We have a good chance” of signing a deal in “two or three days,” Trump said. He added, “We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal.”
That optimism faces some stubborn realities. Iran continues to reject U.S. demands that it surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while also seeking sanctions relief and access to frozen assets. Meanwhile, Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah continues, making any long-term regional settlement far more complicated.
For now, the pilots are safe, the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints, and negotiators are still trying to turn a temporary ceasefire into something more durable. That’s a lot of moving parts for a deal that’s supposedly just a few days away.
Source: AP News
Editor: At this point, “two or three days away” has become the geopolitical equivalent of a contractor promising he’ll be back tomorrow. But—It’s typical Trump.
When your visit shuts down streets, cancels fan events, sparks boos, and ends with a loss, sports fans are going to connect a few dots. It didn’t help that Trump fell asleep during the game
Trump’s Knicks Visit Ends with a Loss, Boos, Traffic Chaos, and a Viral ‘Nap’ Video
The San Antonio Spurs beat the New York Knicks 115-111 Monday night to cut New York’s series lead to 2-1. But much of the postgame conversation centered on Trump, who attended the game at Madison Square Garden and triggered an extensive Secret Service security operation that frustrated many fans before tipoff.
Several blocks around the arena were closed, fans faced long security lines, and a planned watch party outside the Garden was canceled. Many attendees booed Trump when he appeared on the Jumbotron, while others complained that local businesses and normal foot traffic around Midtown Manhattan were disrupted by the presidential visit.
Then came the social media firestorm. Video clips circulated online that showed Trump with his eyes closed (it’s called sleeping) during portions of the game, leading critics to accuse him of sleeping through one of the biggest sporting events of the year. One fan summed up the mood online: “So he ruined the night for all of those people just to take another nap?” Another blamed the loss on what many quickly dubbed the “Trump Curse.”
The timing only fueled the reaction. The Knicks entered Game 3 riding a 13-game winning streak and appeared poised to take full control of the series. Instead, the Spurs clawed their way back behind a gritty road win, and frustrated fans immediately turned their attention from missed shots and defensive breakdowns to the most recognizable person in the building.
Whether Trump actually fell asleep or simply closed his eyes for a moment may never be settled. Some people will never believe their lyin’ eyes. What is clear is that his presence became the story. By the time fans poured into the streets after the final buzzer, some were chanting anti-Trump slogans while social media lit up with jokes, memes, and accusations that the president had somehow jinxed New York’s championship hopes.
Source: The Comeback | Mediaite
Editor: Sports fans have blamed losses on refs, weather, announcers, mascots, and lucky socks. Adding a sitting president to the list feels like a natural progression.
The most alarming part isn’t that measles is back—it’s that many health officials have stopped trying to contain it and are now focused simply on limiting the damage.
America’s Measles Comeback Is Here—and Doctors Are Watching History Run in Reverse
For pediatrician Ben Dowse, the new reality arrived when he was called to examine a newborn whose mother had measles during pregnancy. Dressed in a full-body protective suit, he prepared for the possibility of a critically ill infant. The baby appeared healthy, but the parents initially resisted a lifesaving antibody treatment, preferring vitamin A instead. Only after Dowse pleaded with them did they agree to the injection that likely prevented a dangerous infection.
The outbreak that began in southern Utah has now spread far beyond isolated communities with low vaccination rates. More than 950 confirmed cases have been reported in Utah and northern Arizona, while health officials believe the true number could be far higher. Nationwide, measles cases have already surpassed levels not seen since the early 1990s, threatening America’s measles-elimination status for the first time in a generation.
Doctors describe exhausted children struggling to breathe with measles pneumonia, babies requiring costly antibody infusions, and families missing weeks of school and work. Some physicians became emotional while discussing patients they have treated. “I wish that people could see what I see,” said pediatrician Nathan Money, who fought back tears while describing children gasping for air. “This train is going in the wrong direction.”
Many health officials point to a combination of declining trust in medicine, online misinformation, alternative health influencers, and political backlash against public health institutions following the COVID era. Vaccination rates in parts of Utah have dropped well below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity.
The consequences extend beyond measles itself. Doctors report treating children whose immune systems were weakened after infection, leaving them vulnerable to other illnesses. One pediatrician described caring for an unvaccinated toddler who died from whooping cough. Another worried about bringing measles home to her newborn after treating infected patients.
Source: WIRED
Editor: Nothing says progress quite like spending billions on medical innovation while arguing with people who think Facebook posts and essential oils are a substitute for vaccines.
The decision is a major setback for an immigration policy that was designed to discourage employers from hiring foreign workers but may have made it harder to recruit doctors, teachers, and researchers instead.
Judge Blows Up Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee, Calling It an Illegal Tax
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled Monday that the administration violated federal law when it imposed the massive fee increase on H-1B visa petitions. The fee, announced as part of President Trump’s immigration agenda, was intended to make employers think twice before hiring foreign workers.
“The Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress,” Sorokin wrote. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by 20 states that argued the fee would cripple their ability to recruit educators, physicians, and researchers.
The H-1B program is designed for highly skilled workers in specialized fields where employers struggle to find enough qualified Americans. Technology companies are among the biggest users, but universities, hospitals, and school systems also rely heavily on the program.
The administration defended the policy as part of a broader effort to prioritize American workers. The Department of Homeland Security blasted the ruling as “blatant judicial activism” and argued that the president’s immigration reforms are intended to protect American jobs.
For now, supporters of the ruling are celebrating. The American Medical Association called it “a victory for patients,” noting that international physicians play a critical role in rural and underserved communities.
Source: NPR
Editor: If your labor shortage strategy involves making doctors and researchers cost six figures before they even show up, don’t be surprised when the math starts working against you.
The message from Capitol Hill is becoming increasingly blunt: If Pulte is the roadblock, remove the roadblock.
Republicans Are Quietly Signaling It’s Time for Bill Pulte to Go
The dispute centers on renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, one of the government’s most important intelligence-gathering tools. Democrats have threatened to block an extension as long as Pulte remains in the role.
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn put the issue in stark terms. “Democrats are not going to vote to pass 702 until he’s withdrawn,” Cornyn told Semafor. “And we need that done. That’s 60% of the president’s daily brief is materials generated by FISA 702.”
That leaves Senate Republicans and the White House facing an uncomfortable choice. Stick with Pulte and risk a prolonged fight over a surveillance program viewed as essential to national security, or find another nominee who can clear the political hurdles.
Democrats, meanwhile, aren’t backing down. Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner argued that nothing has changed about concerns surrounding Pulte’s qualifications and placed responsibility squarely on the White House.
The emerging dynamic is notable because the pressure is no longer coming solely from Democrats. When members of the president’s own party begin publicly suggesting a nomination may need to be sacrificed to move larger priorities forward, Washington veterans generally recognize what comes next.
Source: Semafor
Editor: Washington’s version of a performance review is when both parties agree you’re the problem—they just disagree on how loudly to say it.
The fight isn't really about one Senate staffer—it's about whether Republicans can bypass the Senate's usual 60-vote hurdle to pass one of Trump's top election priorities.
Trump Demands Senate Referee Be Fired After SAVE America Act Hits Another Roadblock
Trump blasted Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Truth Social Monday, calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to “immediately fire” her after she ruled that the SAVE America Act did not qualify for inclusion in a budget reconciliation package.
The parliamentarian’s role is to interpret Senate rules, including the Byrd Rule, which limits what can be included in reconciliation bills. MacDonough determined that requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot did not meet those standards.
Trump argued that MacDonough has repeatedly obstructed Republican priorities and pointed to previous rulings that knocked provisions out of GOP legislation. He also criticized former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for leaving her in place after Republicans regained control of the Senate.
But Thune has consistently resisted calls to remove her. The South Dakota Republican has warned that firing the parliamentarian could create significant backlash within the Senate, where many lawmakers view the position as an important institutional safeguard.
The dispute highlights a recurring tension in Washington: presidents want results, while Senate procedure often slows things down. For now, MacDonough remains in her post, the SAVE America Act remains short of the votes needed to advance, and Republicans are once again debating whether changing the referee is easier than changing the score.
Source: The Hill
Editor: The Senate parliamentarian may be the only person in Washington whose job description is basically, “Tell powerful people no and see how that goes.”