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Buc-ee’s CEO Says He’s Prioritizing ‘Conservative, Business-Friendly’ States For New Locations– wltreport.com
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EXCERPT:

Although customers are willing to drive for miles for the experience of visiting one of the popular chain’s locations, the CEO of Buc-ee’s says leftist officials aren’t always as welcoming.

That’s why, as the business faces pushback against legal action against other companies using similar logos, he now says the company will be far more selective about where new locations will be opening.

According to The Hill:

“We have a lot of opportunities. We’re growing. We’re building in a lot of places, but when you find a conservative, business-friendly state with a phenomenal workforce, it makes a difference,” CEO Arch Aplin III said in a video clip posted by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R).

“And I’m starting to realize life’s too short to try to build in places that people don’t appreciate what you’re bringing versus a place like this, where people do appreciate what you’re building,” Aplin continued.

Currently, the company has locations in Texas, Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The franchise can also be found in Colorado, Missouri, Virginia and Ohio.

Its expansion has seen the company grow into a chain of giant travel centers and gas stations known for their clean restrooms, multiple fuel pumps and unique snack and merchandise selections.

His outspokenness received some social media attention:

Charles Barkley Takes Major Stand With Sophie Cunningham, Enes Kanter on Trans Players– www.westernjournal.com
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Before we get to the meat of this, let’s just get this out of the way: Professional athletes generally make terrible role models.

NBA legend Charles Barkley would likely agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly given in this famous commercial:

“I’m not a role model,” Barkley says in the legendary Nike commercial. “Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

And Chuck is 100 percent correct, as much as the LeBron Jameses of the world may disagree.

But just because the Round Mound of Rebound isn’t a role model doesn’t mean he can’t share the occasional pearl of wisdom, like this:

WARNING: The following video contains language and descriptions of women that may offend some viewers.

Is Barkley right? Does the W in WNBA say it all?

(Remember what he said about not being a role model?)

Jokes aside, Barkley does occasionally wade into much more serious issues than the waistlines of San Antonio women. And he would often tackle those topics regardless of whether he’s irking Democrats or Republicans.

So it should come as little surprise that when Sir Charles was asked about the ongoing transgender issue that has engulfed the WNBA, he offered his unvarnished takes on the matter.

President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring down the cost of prescription drugs have led to an historic drop in drugs that hasn’t been seen in over 60 years. The cost of prescription drugs dropped 3.1% in 12 months, starting from this past July.

White House Spokesman Kush Desai stated, “No president in modern history has been able to drastically reduce prescription drug prices across the board except for President Trump. This is a direct result of the President’s willingness to push the envelope with bold policies that actually put Americans and America First.”

Trump Was Right Again! Rx Drug Prices CRASH By Largest Amount In 60 Years!– wltreport.com
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EXCERPT:

Earlier this year, the Trump administration took major action to lower prescription drug costs for Americans.

In February, the White House launched TrumpRX — a website that offers deeply-discounted prescription medications, including GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic.

Now, broader economic patterns are reflecting the initiative’s tremendous success.

As proof that the Trump administration’s efforts are working extremely well, prescription drug prices in the U.S. have just recorded the steepest annual drop since 1963.

That’s over 60 years!

The states that allow abortion are falling below replacement rates for their populations. The 10 states that allow abortion up to birth are doing the worse, with Vermont being the worst of the worst. They have a total fertility rate of 1.27. The TFR needs to be above 2 to meet replacement requirements.

States With Unlimited Abortions Kill So Many Babies They’re Below Replacement Rate– www.lifenews.com
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… The numbers show a fairly uniform correlation between these permissive legal regimes and collapsing birth rates. It’s only logical. Massachusetts’s total fertility rate (TFR) in 2024 was 1.38, more than 33% below replacement-level fertility, with only four states experiencing lower fertility. Of the 10 states with “open seasons” on the unborn, seven are below the current national TFR of 1.62 children per woman. The 10 states have fertility rates between 1.27 (Vermont) and 1.80 (Alaska). None is at replacement level, and all have declined further over the last six years. Overall, the situation offers a bleak picture. It is not that demographers, politicians, and economists are the primary story, philosophizing in their studies about gross national product and “golden eras” going unrealized, it is the personal stories of families not formed and babies never born. Surveys say that the typical woman would like to bear 2.4 children in her lifetime. That is clearly not happening.

A senior Chinese Communist Party official has somehow been allowed to purchase historic property in Washington D.C. That property is only 650 feet away from the White House’s northeast grounds. The man, Qiu Feili (who goes by Philip Qiu in America) is also a trained sniper. The property cost $8.4 million.

NEW: Senior Chinese Official Buys Building Steps From White House– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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EXCERPT:

A senior Chinese Communist Party official with documented ties to intelligence and state security organizations has acquired a historic commercial property located approximately 650 feet northeast of the White House grounds in Washington, D.C.

According to an investigative report from the Daily Caller, the 100-year-old Securities Building at 729 15th Street NW was purchased on July 21, 2026, for $8.4 million by the Philip Qiu and Family Foundation. District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds filings confirm the transaction details and the foundation’s role as buyer.

The new owner is identified as Philip Qiu, also known by his Chinese name Qiu Feili. Public records and translations of Chinese government announcements reviewed by the Daily Caller indicate that Qiu has held multiple positions connected to Chinese intelligence and state security entities.

His career began as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Team of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, a local unit under the Ministry of Public Security. By 2011, while enrolled in a master’s program at Shanghai Jiaotong University, he had completed special forces training. University announcements from that period describe him participating in a training exercise in which he served as a commander and recorded the best individual sniper performance, using 42 shots to eliminate a significant portion of opposing forces.

After spending more than four years in a Russian prison, U.S. Marine Robert Gilman has been released. His release came thanks to negotiations between the Trump administration and the Putin regime. While the Biden administration negotiated a deal to release WNBA player Britney Griner from a Russian prison, they made no effort to negotiate the release of a U.S. Marine.

Trump Brings U.S. Marine Home After Biden Abandoned Him in a Russian Prison for Four Years– gellerreport.com
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Biden abandoned a U.S. Marine. Trump brought him home.

Biden traded drug carrying basketball player Brittney Griner for a convicted Russian arms dealer “merchant of death” Viktor Bout.

The anti-American Communist running for Wisconsin Senate, Francesca Hong, lost her primary election to progressive David Crowley. Going into the polls, Hong was alleged to have a significant double-digit lead over Crowley. She was given a near-certain chance at winning.

Crowley narrowly beat her, and that only after a suspicious breakdown in the election process occurred. Five of the Eight USB Drives that had election information were handed in without any data. The data was then later allegedly retrieved.

Crowley Stuns In WI, Beating Socialist In Dem Governor Primary– thefederalist.com
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Wisconsin Democrats on Tuesday disregarded the polls and narrowly rejected an avowed socialist as their nominee for governor in the Badger State’s nationally-watched primary election.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who dropped out of the race late only to be coaxed back in by the so-called Democratic Party “establishment,” defeated democratic socialist Francesca Hong by razor thin margins.

Per usual, Crowley’s Milwaukee County faced a ballot count delay, a stoppage that dragged out the tally for hours and was once again blamed on “human error.” It’s another in a string of election night messes for Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s most-populated — and election integrity challenged city.

With 98.4 percent of the vote in just before 2 a.m., Crowley led by just four-tenths of a percentage point, or just over 3,000 votes. The New York Times finally called the race for Crowley just before 3 a.m. local time.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey held a signing ceremony with herself and abortion-supporting women to celebrate the signing of a bill making it legal to murder the unborn up to birth. A law already existed that allowed “late-term abortions” to protect the life of the mother.

Now, a woman or girl need not give any reason to demand doctors murder her unborn child, even if it’s on the day of the child’s scheduled delivery. In the 2024 election, Democrats claimed no one was suggesting legalizing abortions up to birth. Now, 10 states have passed laws allowing abortion up to birth. Massachusetts became the 10th state.

Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion Up to Birth– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

Massachusetts Legalizes Abortion Up to Birth; ‘The Progressive Death Cult Takes Over’
The Bay State joins a list of states with a similarly dark approach to innocent human life. Newsweek: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed legislation on Monday that gives doctors the final say on whether an abortion should be allowed late in pregnancy, making it the 10th state to allow the procedure at any point in pregnancy (Newsweek).

I am deeply ashamed for my country.

The FBI under President Biden ran a covert operation designed to neutralize any effort to investigate allegations of corruption by the Biden family. The operation was called “Rounded River.” The Trump White House Transparency Task Force released their findings last week.

Newly Declassified Documents: Biden FBI Labeled Trump Officials, Journalists as Russian Disinformation ‘Conduits’– slaynews.com
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EXCERPT:

Newly declassified documents released by the White House Transparency Task Force allege the FBI operated a covert effort that identified journalists, senior Trump administration officials, and Republican lawmakers as “conduits” of Russian disinformation while treating prominent Democrats as the supposed targets of the same influence campaign.

The records center on an FBI operation codenamed “Round River,” which focused on intelligence involving the Biden family, Burisma Holdings, Ukraine, and alleged foreign influence during the 2020 election cycle.

The documents were declassified Wednesday by the White House Transparency Task Force, led by journalist John Solomon.

The release includes an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) briefing presentation describing Operation Round River, along with a spreadsheet identifying individuals associated with the investigation.

Reliable American SCOTUS Justice Samuel Alito announced he will be returning for another term. This followed rumors he intended to retire. He told the Wall Street Journal, when asked what his plans were, “Obviously I’m here for another term.” Justice Alito is 76.

Justice Alito says he’s staying on Supreme Court for another term – USA Today
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EXCERPT:

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he plans to remain on the bench through at least the next session, batting down speculation the conservative justice intends to step down to allow President Donald Trump to choose his replacement.

“Obviously I’m here for another term,” Alito, 76, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published Aug. 7

Alito, appointed to the court by President George W. Bush in 2006, is widely considered a contender to resign during Trump’s second term so conservatives can fortify their 6-3 majority on the court for the long term. A court departure would give Trump an opportunity to make a fourth Supreme Court appointment, the most since Ronald Reagan, and replace Alito with a younger conservative justice who could serve for decades to come.

The Federal Trade Commission voted 2-1 to lift FCC restrictions on local tv station ownership. The ruling will allow companies to own local stations that cover more than 39% of the U.S. They can now also own more than one tv station in a local market.

FCC votes in favor of lifting limits on TV station ownership – newsminer.com
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EXCERPT:

The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 in favor of allowing TV station ownership groups to own more outlets, easing the way for more consolidation.

The Thursday vote that favored the change means companies can own local stations that cover more than 39% of the U.S. They could also own more than two stations in a single market.

The measure supported by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will allow the agency to approve deals that put station ownership groups over the cap if the agency determines that they are promoting the public interest. Carr has said the agency would consider such issues as commitment to local journalism and “viewpoint diversity.”

The Senate Voted 90-6 to pass short-term funding for the government just before they went on summer recess. The Senate failed to pass the SAVE Act, which would require Voter ID and same-day voting, but managed to pass a CR that protects Democrats’ social programs from Trump cuts through executive orders.

Senate passes short-term bill to prevent a shutdown before the midterm elections – NBC News
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The Senate voted 90-6 early Saturday to pass a short-term funding bill to remove the threat of a government shutdown before the midterm elections.

The legislation, advanced in a late-night session that stretched into the early hours, would keep federal funds flowing through Dec. 11 at existing levels to give time to negotiate a full-year deal.

It was negotiated by the two parties and includes some modest add-ons, including a provision demanded by Democrats aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from blocking federal grants to blue states for political reasons.

It also includes some adjustments to preserve the SNAP and WIC food programs, in addition to disaster relief and national security measures.

The U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, but the unemployment rate went from 4.2% in June to 4.1% in July. Last month, 20,000 jobs were added. The labor participation rate hit 61.4%, which is the lowest this has been in five years.

US economy loses 23,000 jobs in July, unemployment rate falls to 4.1% – gulftoday.ae
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Trump’s former personal attorney Todd Blanche confirmed to be Attorney General on slim vote – TheGrio
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed by the Senate early Saturday morning to become the country’s next AG.

In a narrow 50-49 vote, Blanche, President Trump’s former personal attorney, moves from being the Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official to its official leader.

All Senate Democrats opposed Blanche’s confirmation, joined by Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. His nomination advanced after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana announced his support, despite concerns about several of Blanche’s decisions while he was acting attorney general, including shielding Trump from specific IRS audits and lawsuits targeting Trump’s political opponents.

Despite those marks, Cassidy said Blanche was better than any other acting official at leading the department under Trump and his current administration.

“Mr. Blanche is not perfect, and he will tell you this,” Cassidy said on Friday. “But the choice is not between perfection and Mr. Blanche. It is between Mr. Blanche and another acting attorney general who may not run the department effectively under President Trump and who indeed may not be as good as Mr. Blanche.”

The United States is looking to head China off at the AI resource path with a pending message to its allies. The U.S. is working on a draft letter that will let its allies know they cannot partner with China’s AI-led group and benefit from America’s AI power. The group, called the World AI Cooperation Organization, appears to be a vessel for China to secure AI resources for its country.

US Drafts Warning to Allies: Join China-Led AI Group and Risk Exclusion – bloomingbit– news.google.com
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EXCERPT:

  • The US is preparing a draft letter telling allies to choose between the US and China in artificial intelligence (AI).
  • The US said countries that join the China-led World AI Cooperation Organization could be excluded from US-centered cooperation on AI, semiconductors and critical-mineral supply chains.
  • Pax Silica, which includes South Korea, Japan and Australia, is drawing attention alongside the move, and the US appears to be trying to block China from securing resources for advanced AI development.

New York’s progressive Governor, Kathy Hochul, signed a new state law prohibiting police from aiding ICE agents in any way, shape, or form. During the signing she incited violence against ICE agents, characterizing their actions as “atrocities on our streets.”

This is a dog whistle for “ICE agents are Nazis.” The comments appear to be an effort to encourage more violence against ICE agents by progressive citizens of the progressive state of New York.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Announces New Law That Bars Police From Working With ICE– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has once again proved just how much the left hates you — the American people.

Hochul announced that a new state law that bars police from cooperating with ICE agents has gone into effect. She did this because, according to the left, no human is illegal. Well, unless, of course, you are a law enforcement officer working with federal agents to uphold national security. That, in fact, would be illegal, according to Hochul.

Per CBS:

It bans local government agencies from maintaining agreements with ICE for civil enforcement. It also prohibits ICE agents from using local detention centers for civil enforcement, including mass raids.

“Local police will assist ICE only if a real crime has been committed,” Hochul said. “But on civil immigration matters, ICE is on their own.”

The problem with this claim is that breaking federal immigration laws is a crime. Can someone please clear that up for the Governor?

She said the law will help protect immigrants from aggressive enforcement while they pursue asylum claims.

What a bunch of nonsense. This is nothing more than an effort to vilify federal agents, while turning a blind eye to criminal aliens who have disregarded this country’s laws from the very start.

Back in July, state officials sent letters to 12 local law enforcement agencies that have agreements with ICE. The letters stated that they must unwind the agreements by Aug. 25.

A study from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) shows a dramatic increase in the number of unmarried young men, while married young men have decreased. Unmarried men in the 20-29 age group outnumber married men in that age group almost 2 to 1, 30.4 million to 15.4 million. The number of unmarried young men increased by 47% in 25 years.

Number of unmarried young men surges 47% in US since 2000– www.lifesitenews.com
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(LifeSiteNews) — According to a recent report by the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), the number of unmarried young males has grown precipitously since the turn of the century. 

“Over the past 25 years, the gap between the number of unmarried and married men ages 20-39 has widened from 2.6 million to a whopping 15 million,” University of Virginia sociology professor Brad Wilcox noted on X.  

Since 2000, the number of unmarried men in that age group rose from 47% from 20.7 million to 30.4 million in 2025 while the number of married men decreased from 18.1 million to 15.4 million.  

 A Transgender cult called Zizian saw its felony firearms charges suspended without comment by a Maryland court. The group has been linked to eight violent deaths. The hope was the arrests in 2022 would lead to serial murder charges, but now the investigation appears to be suspended. There are three members in the cult, all three saw their cases made inactive on August 14.

ANDY NGO REPORTS: Maryland felony cases against Zizian trans death cult members abruptly suspended | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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After 18 months of prosecution, Maryland abruptly put its cases against three Zizian trans cult members on indefinite hold. Officials have not publicly explained why.

CUMBERLAND, Md. — Maryland state felony prosecutions against three members of the Zizian trans death cult have been indefinitely suspended for unknown reasons.

The cases against cult leader Jack “Ziz” LaSota and subordinates Michelle “Jamie” “Alex” Zajko and Daniel “Hastur” Blank were made inactive on Aug. 14; All scheduled future trial dates were canceled.

LaSota, Zajko and Blank were arrested together following a national manhunt on Feb. 16, 2025 in rural western Maryland. They were found with a cache of weapons in their two box trucks. They had spent years moving around the country as members of the Zizians, a radical transgender cult who has been linked to at least eight violent deaths.

The three initially faced only misdemeanor trespassing, firearms and obstruction charges after an elderly Frostburg-area property owner reported that they had arrived in box trucks and asked to camp on his property.

Authorities later added charges involving the alleged illegal possession and carrying of concealed and loaded firearms.

A Supreme Court ruling will allow the Trump administration’s Mail-in Voting Executive Order to take effect in the 2026 midterm election. The order requires states to have “unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, [to] enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”

The final ruling was 6-3, with the three progressive judges dissenting. The ruling did not determine if the executive order was legal, it only determined the states had no standing because they offered no proof of “concrete” harm by the order, claiming their arguments were only “conjecture.”

Trump Triumphs at SCOTUS – Dems Counting on Mail-in Voting Should Prepare to Panic– www.westernjournal.com
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding mail-in ballots to go forward.

In late March, Trump issued an executive order requiring states to send a list of names of those receiving mail-in ballots so they could be verified as U.S. citizens, with the Department of Homeland Security working in conjunction with the Social Security Administration.

“The Federal Government has an unavoidable duty under Article II of the Constitution of the United States to enforce Federal law, which includes preventing violations of Federal criminal law and maintaining public confidence in election outcomes,” the directive read.

The U.S. Postal Service was instructed not to deliver ballots to those unverified as citizens.

Further, states are required to have “unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, [to] enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.”

A Federal lawsuit against social media giant Meta has been settled. Meta has agreed to pay $16.7 billion in an agreement with multiple states Attorney Generals. California is one of the states, but Texas and other large states are not. The lawsuit charged Meta with facilitating childhood social media addiction.

California State AG Rob Bonta said of the settlement, “Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families,” Bonta said in a statement. “Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms — and will do it within months.”

Meta settles social media addiction case for $16.7 billion– www.cnbc.com
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EXCERPT:

Meta and a coalition of state attorneys general have settled a major federal case centering on allegations that the social media giant misrepresented the extent of child-related mental health harms caused by apps like Facebook and Instagram.

The settlement was revealed in a court filing released Wednesday that details several requirements Meta must make to its apps as part of a proposed “consent judgement.”

Those changes include daily usage limits and “nighttime blocks” for teenagers that use the company’s apps like Facebook and Instagram, “enhanced age assurance measures” that would prevent children from using the apps, and the creation of additional tools for parents and guardians.

Investigative journalist James O’Keefe saw a $130,000 judgment against him thrown out by a three-panel D.C. appeals court. The judgment came after a Democrat group sued O’Keefe’s Project Veritas. The group claimed Project Veritas’ video called “Rigging the Election” was fraudulent and in violation of wiretapping rules. A D.C. jury ruled in their favor.  After the judgment, O’Keefe filed an appeal, claiming the judgment was a violation of the Freedom of Press. The panel ruled 2-1 he was right.

Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson wrote in the ruling, “The principal question in this appeal is whether the jury’s damages award violated the First Amendment by punishing the defendants for publishing a news story. We conclude that it did. The separate issue is whether, under D.C. law, one of the media defendants became the fiduciary of her own news target by tricking him into hiring her as an unpaid intern. We conclude that she did not.”

Court sides with conservative activist James O’Keefe in First Amendment case– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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O’Keefe, the founder and former CEO of Project Veritas, had appealed a lower court’s 2022 jury decision to award the Democratic consultant targeted by his media company’s undercover video $130,000 in damages based on claims of fraudulent misrepresentation and wiretapping. O’Keefe’s appeal proved successful on Friday, when the three-judge panel agreed, with one judge dissenting in part, to discard the $130,000 damages judgment.

U.S. District Judge Jeanette Vargas struck down the Trump administration’s pause on issuing visas to 75 countries. The judge claimed Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority. She asserts consular authority trumps Secretary of State authority. The judge is another Biden-appointed District Judge. The ruling has been appealed.

Federal judge rules against Trump’s 75-country visa ban– thehill.com
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A federal judge ruled against the Trump administration’s pause on issuing visas to immigrants from 75 countries on Friday. In a 61-page decision, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas found that this policy was “contrary to law” and was “in excess” of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority. The visa pause order was announced by…

Thailand’s Prime Minister held an emergency meeting after a coordinated series of attacks by Islamist terrorists in the nation’s southern-most province. The attacks come at a time when Thailand is still dealing with a major flood crisis in the north. There were 51 reported attacks that included bombings, arson, and property damage. No security or police forces were targeted. The attacks appear to be aimed at damaging infrastructure and causing disruption.

Thai PM meets security chiefs after coordinated attacks in three southern provinces– www.euronews.com
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Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, already facing a flood crisis in the country’s north, held an urgent meeting on Sunday with high-level security officials in response to coordinated violence overnight in three southern provinces where a small-scale Muslim insurgency is active.

The meeting, held shortly before Anutin flew north to inspect the badly flooded province of Nan, followed 51 incidents on Saturday night in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

The attackers did not engage with military or police forces. Only three civilians were known to have been wounded and they were reported to be recovering on Sunday.

The violence primarily involved small bombs, arson and other forms of property damage. The highest-profile target was a 7-Eleven convenience store in Pattani.

A video circulating on social media appeared to show armed men stalking outside the store while customers and workers fled before it was set on fire.

A bomb that damaged rail tracks in Narathiwat forced the suspension of local and long-haul services. It was not clear when they would be restored due to the uncertain security situation.

The Myanmar Junta’s military chief, General Ye Win Oo, met with Thailand officials to warn them about their porous borders. The Junta is accusing Thailand of allowing arms to reach the resistance to its military rule. The junta held an election January of this year, but that election was not recognized as being legitimate, for only Junta-approved candidates were allowed to run in the election.

One of the resistance leaders, Min Thway Thit, responded to the action, declaring “The junta is making every effort to cut off the flow of weapons across the border under the pretext of holding talks with neighboring countries. Our resistance forces must stay alert, plan alternative routes, and call for stronger international pressure on the regime.”

Myanmar Military Chief Urges Thailand to Sever Border Arms Flow to Resistance – Burma News International
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EXCERPT:

Myanmar’s new military chief, Gen. Ye Win Oo, met with senior Thai defense officials in Bangkok this week to push for a crackdown on cross-border arms smuggling to anti-regime resistance groups.

During his visit for the ninth Thai-Myanmar High-Level Officials Meeting on August 19, Ye Win Oo held separate talks with Thailand’s defense minister and commander-in-chief. He recently assumed leadership of the armed forces after his predecessor, Min Aung Hlaing, transitioned to the presidency following an election widely condemned by the international community.

The Junta pushed for stronger border stability to crack down on illicit arms smuggling, mirroring a request made earlier this month by regime leader Min Aung Hlaing to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.