July 2nd, 2026 - Harris 2028, Trump Payment, UFO Council

In today’s briefing, we strip out the narrative and focus strictly on the verified facts surrounding Kamala Harris’s outreach to progressive leaders ahead of a potential 2028 primary run and E. Jean Carroll’s efforts to collect millions from former President Trump following a court ruling. We also dive into the White House’s appointment of a Harvard professor to lead a new UFO advisory council.

No sides. All facts.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

I'm Jesse Spano, and I'm so excited to bring you the stripped out news brief for today's top stories. No sides, all facts. Let's dive in, shall we?

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Welcome to the Stripped Out News Daily Podcast. Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know the Stripped Out News storefront is open and ready for business. If you want to support the project and get some premium gear, head over to strippedoutnews.com/slash merch. The vault is open. Thursday, July 2nd, 2026. From Kamala Harris Courts Progressives, Trump faces Carol Payout, consumer confidence inches up, and internment survivors protest detention. Let's go. Kamala Harris is reportedly initiating outreach to various progressive figures as the 2028 presidential election cycle approaches. This includes direct contact with New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, with reports indicating phone calls have taken place. Additionally, she is said to be holding meetings with individuals identified as anti-Israel activists. These engagements are understood to be part of an effort to build political alliances. The objective is to lay groundwork for potential challenges in the 2028 Democratic primary. This strategic outreach comes as recent polls indicate Harris is currently leading among potential candidates for the Democratic nomination. These actions suggest a deliberate move to consolidate support within specific segments of the party. The engagements are being observed as a potential indicator of the strategic direction for a future presidential campaign. This early activity could influence the platform and messaging of a prospective bid. The Society of St. Pius X recently held a significant event in Switzerland consecrating four priests as bishops. This traditional episcopal rite drew thousands of faithful from around the world to witness the ceremony. The proceedings included the laying of the Book of the Gospels, a consecratory prayer, and anointing with sacred chrism. Notably, a thunderstorm broke out immediately after the consecration, with attendees reportedly kneeling and praying the rosary. This event marks a continuation of the society's adherence to its traditional practices. In a related development, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, commented on the situation. He acknowledged that the Society had previously indicated that discussions on Vatican II documents were not considered useful at the time. However, the Cardinal expressed hope that conversations between the Holy See and the Society could become possible in the future. This suggests an ongoing desire for engagement from the Vatican's perspective. The consecrations underscore the society's global reach and its commitment to its established theological and liturgical positions. Future interactions will likely focus on resolving doctrinal differences and exploring potential pathways for canonical regularization. The White House has appointed a prominent Harvard astronomer to lead a new council focused on unidentified flying objects. This council is specifically tasked with studying the national security risks that these phenomena may present. The appointee, Avi Loeb, is a cosmologist known for his theories concerning potential alien visits. He previously served as the head of Harvard's astronomy department until 2020. This move signals a formalized approach by the administration to investigate UAPs through a scientific lens. The council will bring together outside scientists to contribute their expertise. Their work aims to provide informed analysis to the White House regarding any implications for national security. This initiative follows increasing governmental attention to unidentified aerial phenomena in recent years. The establishment of such a dedicated body underscores a commitment to understanding these occurrences. Future efforts will likely involve establishing research protocols and presenting findings to the administration. President Trump recently shared an image across social media platforms, including the White House X account and his Truth Social Profile. The image depicted a golden eagle, seemingly affixed to the Truman balcony of the White House, accompanied by text referring to it as a golden gift. However, the image's metadata contained content credentials, indicating it was created using Google AI. Visual discrepancies were also noted, with slight differences between the balcony railing in the image and the actual Truman balcony. A freelance photographer later posted images of the balcony taken Monday evening, which showed no eagle present. The eagle in the posted image also featured a shield with 11 stars. A GOP strategist commented on this detail, stating that 11 stars have historically been associated with the Confederate States of America, in contrast to the 13 stars on the official United States Great Seal. This event has drawn attention to the use of AI in official communications and the interpretation of symbolic elements. Consumer confidence across the United States registered a slight increase this month. This positive shift in sentiment coincided directly with a reported decline in national gas prices, offering some relief to household budgets. Americans' attitudes toward the economy improved, reflecting a response to these specific market changes, particularly the reduced cost at the pump. However, despite this recent uptick, the overall economic outlook among the population remains largely negative. This assessment is based on comparisons to historical standards for consumer sentiment, indicating a persistent underlying pessimism. The slight improvement suggests a marginal positive adjustment, but it has not yet elevated the general perception of the economy to historically positive levels. The cost of gasoline is a significant factor, often influencing daily financial perceptions and discretionary spending. Therefore, the decrease in prices likely contributed to the observed modest rise in confidence. Economic analysts will continue to monitor these trends to see if the positive momentum builds or if the broader negative sentiment persists in the coming months. A group of Japanese internment survivors and faith leaders recently concluded a four-day pilgrimage in South Texas. This journey began at the site of a World War II internment camp in Crystal City, where Japanese Americans were detained. The participants walked to the Dilly Ice Detention Center, a facility currently housing families awaiting immigration proceedings. Upon their arrival, the group advocated for the center's closure. Those involved stated their belief that the detention of families at Dili mirrors the historical internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. They emphasized a perceived repetition of history in the current immigration detention practices. The pilgrimage served as a public demonstration of their concerns regarding the facility. This event highlights ongoing discussions about immigration detention policies and their historical parallels. Samsung's upcoming foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8, are generating significant attention. Detailed specifications for the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 variant have recently emerged, offering an early look at its design and potential features. This information provides insights into the company's continued development in the foldable device market. In parallel, the manufacturer has initiated a new social media marketing campaign for both the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8. This campaign began with a notable digital reset as all previous posts were cleared from the company's official Instagram accounts. This move suggests a strategic effort to refresh its online presence ahead of the new product launches. The combination of these leaked details and the aggressive marketing push indicates that the company is preparing for a major unveiling. These events are often precursors to official announcements, where full specifications, pricing, and availability details are typically revealed. Consumers and industry observers are now anticipating further information regarding these next generation foldable devices. This action follows the Supreme Court's recent decision to decline hearing President Trump's appeal of a defamation verdict. The High Court's refusal, issued on Monday, effectively concluded his efforts to overturn the civil case judgment. A jury had previously found President Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay $5 million. On Tuesday, Ms. Carroll's legal representatives filed a request in a Manhattan federal court. The filing asks the judge to direct the disbursement of the judgment, which now totals approximately $5.8 million, including post-judgment interest. These funds are sought from a bond President Trump had previously deposited with the court. President Trump has publicly described the case as fake on social media. The legal process now awaits the federal court's determination on the disbursement request. England has just recorded its warmest June since comprehensive weather records began in 1884. This significant milestone was confirmed by the United Kingdom's official weather agency. The data indicates that average temperatures across England for the month surpassed all previous June figures in over a century. This period of elevated temperatures was particularly pronounced during the final week of June. Beyond England, the entire United Kingdom also experienced a notably warm month. The nation collectively registered its second warmest June on record. These figures establish new historical benchmarks for summer temperatures in the region. The Weather Agency continues to monitor these trends as part of its ongoing climate assessments. Such records provide important data points for understanding long-term meteorological shifts. The information is derived directly from extensive data collection and historical comparison.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

I hear the horns, so it's time to bug out. I'm Jesse. I've been great, and those have been today's top stories. Brought to you by Stripped Out News. Dive deeper on these and more at stripptoutnews.com. Go on, hit me up. Oh, wait, don't forget. Buy stuff. We're pour