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The Rubin Report
NYC's Dark Violence Post-Knicks Win, Tulsi Gabbard Releases Bombshell Docs | 6/15/26 FIRST LOOK
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hey everybody, I'm Dave Rubin and this is First Look. It's Monday, June 15, 2026. We've got a packed show for you today. New York erupts into chaos after the Knicks with win their first NBA championship in 53 years. With dozens arrested, multiple stabbings, a shooting and property destroyed across Manhattan, Tulsi Gabbard releases newly declassified intelligence documents she says prove concerns about US Funded biolabs were unfairly dismissed for years. Let's dive in. We start in New York City, where what should have been one of the greatest sports celebrations in the city's history was quickly descended into chaos in several parts of Manhattan. The Knicks captured their first NBA championship since 1973 Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio spurs and ending a 53 year title drought. For millions of New Yorkers, it was a dream come true. But while the overwhelming majority of fans celebrated peacefully, a smaller group turned parts of the city into a scene of violence, vandalism and destruction. According to the NYPD, 63 people were arrested. At least 15 suspects now face criminal charges. Four stabbings were reported, one teenager was shot. Ten police officers were injured. Multiple police vehicles were damaged. Traffic was shut down in several areas. The worst of the chaos unfolded in Times Square. Video footage showed large crowds swarming school buses that had been designated to transport FIFA World cup fans to MetLife Stadium. Rioters smashed windows, climbed onto the buses, vandalized them and ultimately set one of them completely on fire. Other footage showed individuals using bats to attack NYPD vehicles. Fireworks were launched directly into massive crowds. Several street fights broke out, roadways were blocked and police spent hours trying to regain control. One particularly disturbing incident involved a 17 year old boy who was shot in the foot near West 42nd street and Broadway. The teenager told police he was riding a city bike when he was struck. Investigators recovered a firearm and detained three individuals. The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover. Meanwhile, four separate stabbing incidents were reported during the night's unrest. Now, naturally, city leaders were forced to respond. Mayor Zoran Mamdani attempted to strike a balance between celebrating the historic victory and condemning the violence. He said the vast majority of New Yorkers celebrated appropriately. There were some who did not. Madani added. No matter how excited we are, there's no tolerance for violence. Governor Kathy Hochul delivered a similar message. She called the violence a shame and praised the NYPD for restoring order. But honestly, there's a larger issue here. This is becoming a pattern. Whether it's championship celebrations, protests, demonstrations or large public events, far too many cities seem unable to prevent a relatively small number of bad actors from hijacking major public gatherings. The good news is that those individuals represented a tiny fraction of Knicks fans, because elsewhere across the city, the celebration was exactly what you'd hope for. Millions of New Yorkers flooded streets, bars, restaurants and neighborhoods in celebration. Some fans reportedly pledged to name newborn children after Nick's players. Bus drivers were dancing with crowds. Orange and blue flags flew throughout the city, and for many long time fans, it was the sports moment of a lifetime. Meanwhile, the team itself was having quite a celebration of its own. Hours after clinching the title in San Antonio, the Knicks boarded their charter flight back to New York and according to newly released air traffic control audio, the party never stopped. As the plane prepared for takeoff, one air traffic controller radioed, tell those guys congratulations. Enjoy the moment. The pilot replied, oh, they're enjoying it back there. You can probably hear them. Then came the line that immediately went viral. The plane's rockin', they're havin a party. As the flight approached New York several hours later, air traffic controllers arranged a special scenic route over the city. Controllers from LaGuardia, JFK, Newark and Westchester all sent congratulations to the team. One controller joked, we're all running on about three or four hours of sleep, but as happy as we could ever be. When the plane landed, the Knicks received a water cannon salute on the tarmac before receiving a hero's welcome from fans. And now the city is preparing for what could be one of the largest championship parades in modern New York history later this week. Now to Washington, where Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a major batch of declassified records that are already reigniting one of the most controversial debates of the post Covid era. The documents focus on US Funded biological laboratories Overseas, particularly in Ukraine. And according to Gabbard, they validate concerns that many people were mocked, censored, or labeled conspiracy theorists for raising in recent years. You'll remember this controversy began shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. At the time, Gabbard publicly questioned the security of US funded biological laboratories operating inside a war zone. Critics immediately accused her of spreading Russian propaganda. Media outlets and political opponents repeatedly insisted there was nothing unusual about the facilities. But now, Gabbard says the newly declassified documents tell a much more complicated story. According to the records, more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received US funding. Many housed collections of dangerous pathogens. Some of those collections dated back to the Soviet era. Ukrainian scientists received US Funded training involving hazardous biological materials. Multiple facilities participated in programs focused on dangerous infectious diseases. The list of pathogens mentioned in the documents is extensive. According to the records, laboratories studied stored or maintained samples involving anthrax, plague, tuberculosis, Ebola, Marburg virus, mers, sars, and other dangerous pathogens. The records show that the pathogens were studied, stored, or maintained in laboratories in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Other dangerous pathogens. The records also reveal substantial American investment in the facilities. According to the documents, US Taxpayer dollars funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine. Individual projects ranged from roughly $1.7 million to $3.5 million. Major contractor Black and Veatch played a significant role in developing portions of the network. One particularly notable assessment focuses on a laboratory in Kharkiv. The facility reportedly contained hundreds of pathogen samples and received funding through the Pentagon's Biological Threat Reduction Program. According to the assessment, officials worried the facility could be damaged during combat, fall into hostile hands, become a target of propaganda campaigns, or be otherwise compromised during the war. Another slide released by ODNI outlines what it describes as a web of connections linking Ukrainian laboratories with US Government agencies, universities, research organizations, contractors, and international partners. The documents also indicate US Funded research involving bird flu and other highly infectious viruses took place within high security laboratory environments. Now, to be clear, the documents do not claim these facilities were biological weapons laboratories. Supporters of the programs argue they were designed to secure dangerous pathogens, improve public health capabilities, prevent proliferation, enhance disease monitoring. But that's not really Gabbard's point. Her argument is that the public was repeatedly told these concerns were baseless. Yet the newly released records clearly show extensive US Funding, dangerous pathogen storage, high security biological research, and a much larger laboratory network than many Americans realized existed. And that's why this story matters. Because whether someone supports these programs or opposes them, transparency matters. The public deserves to know what programs are being funded, where taxpayer money is going, what risks exist, and and how government agencies are overseeing those activities. For years, much of this discussion was dismissed outright. Now, thanks to these declassified records, Americans can examine the underlying facts for themselves. And don't be surprised if this debate only gets bigger in the weeks ahead. And that's your first look this Monday. Quick recap. New York's Knicks championship celebration brought joy to millions of fans, but also saw 63 arrests, multiple stabbings, a shooting, and widespread vandalism overnight. And Tulsi Gabbard released declassified intelligence documents detailing US Funded biological laboratories overseas, reigniting debate over government transparency and biological research programs. We'll keep following all of it. I'm Dave Rubin. Thanks for starting your day with first Look. See you tomorrow.
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