TV News LIES

Before Sayuri Tsuchitani became an entrepreneur, she spent two decades on her feet: cutting, coloring and styling hair. A hairdresser's work is physically tough, and Tsuchitani often wondered how she'd manage as she grew older.

When the pandemic shut the Los Angeles salon where she worked, she recognized a chance to make a change: She applied for a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration, or the SBA, for a business of her own.

"The SBA led me to my success of the American dream," said Tsuchitani, who took advantage of a pandemic-era funding program to open a Japanese head spa: a salon offering blood-flow massages, ayurvedic oil treatments and deep scalp cleanses. She launched one location, then two more; hired one worker, then nine more.

But today, the SBA would disqualify Tsuchitani from its loan program because of a new policy. Tsuchitani is a green-card holder, also known as a lawful permanent resident; she moved from Japan 28 years ago. And in March, the U.S. small-business agency, for the first time in its history, stopped approving loans to firms that are not fully owned by U.S. citizens — and only citizens.

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A plane carrying passengers planning to spend a sunny afternoon skydiving crashed Sunday in Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard, authorities said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement that troopers were on the scene, assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office. The crash occurred near the Butler Memorial Airport. The small town of Butler has a population of around 4,300 people and is roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing said the plane was taking people up to skydive. Emergency responders got a call that a plane was down and engulfed in fire around 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning, he said.

Emergency responders were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, Ewing said, calling the scene “brutal.”

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President Trump on Sunday warned Israel and Iran to “not blow” the finalization of an emerging peace deal amid strikes in Lebanon.

“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” Trump wrote on Truth Social after he signaled Saturday that a ceasefire could be signed Sunday.

“There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel,” he continued. “This could be the beginning of a long and beautiful peace — Let’s not blow it!”

Earlier Sunday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck Beirut after Hezbollah fired three projectiles into northern Israel.

Trump wrote that Israel’s “attack on Beirut should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a Peace Deal with Iran.” He called the attack that Israel responded to “small and meaningless,” adding that “nobody was hurt, injured, or killed, and should not disrupt this important process.”

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British forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker on Sunday morning, its Ministry of Defense said, in the latest effort to disrupt Moscow’s sanctions-evasion network.

Russia’s shadow fleet of more than 700 vessels is estimated to transport around 75% of the country’s sanctioned oil exports, providing a critical financial lifeline for the Kremlin and helping fund the missiles and drones used in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/uk-forces-intercept-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-english-channel-rcna349990?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-usa statement.

Royal Marine Commandos and officers from Britain’s National Crime Agency boarded the vessel, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel, the body of water separating Britain and France, the ministry said. It added that the tanker will be held and monitored off the south coast of England while investigations continue.

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President Donald Trump and Iranian officials announced that a deal to end the Iran war has been reached, with an official signing ceremony planned for later in the week.

Trump indicated that the deal will reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for lifting the United States blockade of Iranian ports, but additional details were not  immediately disclosed.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," Trump said in a Truth Social post on June 14. "Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade."

The White House pointed USA TODAY to Trump's social media statement when asked for more information about the agreement.

The president later announced on social media that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen on June 19, when the deal between the United States and Iran is expected to be signed.

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The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has privately compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa, exposing a sharp contrast between her closed-door remarks and her public support for Israel.

Euractiv reported that the EU foreign policy chief made the comparison during confidential talks with Mexican officials in Mexico City, where she travelled from May 20 to 22 as part of a senior EU delegation.

Officials and diplomats, including people present at the meeting, told Euractiv that Kallas spoke about a visit last year to South Africa and its apartheid museum in Johannesburg.

She reportedly linked Israel’s rule over Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to South Africa’s system of racial segregation, which lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s.

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Nearly 100 British MPs and peers have signed a letter calling for an upcoming London event advertising the sale of land in illegal Israeli settlements to be cancelled, warning that it could implicate the UK in international war crimes. 

The Great Israeli Real Estate Event is scheduled to be held in London this Sunday, but its location is being kept secret.

Andy McDonald, an MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, published the statement on X on Friday, urging the UK government to prevent the Great Israeli Real Estate Event from taking place.

"The govt has an opportunity to uphold obligations under international law and take action against Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine," McDonald wrote. 

The letter, sent to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, described the event as "firmly embedded in Israel's project of colonial expansion" as it facilitates the sale of land seized from displaced Palestinians.

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Former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith died Saturday at the age of 36, the San Francisco 49ers said. The team did not disclose the cause of death.

Smith played six seasons in the NFL for the 49ers, the Oakland Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys.

The 49ers, who selected him with the seventh overall selection in the 2011 NFL draft, confirmed Smith’s death in a statement. Smith helped the team to three consecutive NFC championship games.

“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”

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