If you remember the early days of Covid-19, you probably remember the confusion just as much as the fear.
One week masks were “not necessary,” the next week they were “strongly recommended.” Guidance changed on travel, testing, quarantine, school closures, and boosters. Some of those changes were totally reasonable because the evidence was changing, while others were about protecting authority, not people.
Be it understood or not, the way it was communicated often made people feel like they were being managed, not informed (because, in part, they were).
And that’s the real takeaway. Covid-19 didn’t just test healthcare systems. It tested trust.
Transparency is not a “nice-to-have” during a public health crisis. It is part of the response. When it’s missing, even good policies get treated like suspicious ones.
Here are the biggest transparency lessons Covid-19 left us with, and why they still matter now.
Canada Announces Major Retaliatory Measures Against the US– www.westernjournal.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Canada escalated its brewing trade conflict with the United States on Tuesday by issuing retaliatory tariffs that match America dollar for dollar, while also raising rates on steel products.
Minister of National Revenue of Canada François-Philippe Champagne announced the tariffs, saying, “Canada must respond, and today we are, in a proportionate, targeted, and strategic way. Today I’m announcing that Canada will match the United States’ tariffs, dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”
Minister of National Revenue of Canada François-Philippe Champagne announces retaliatory tariffs: “Canada must respond, and today we are…Canada will match the U.S. tariffs, dollar for dollar, rate for rate.” pic.twitter.com/EOxaAjGhEB
“Effective Sept. 8, Canada will impose counter-tariffs of up to 15, 25, or 50 percent on $27.6 billion in imports from the United States of America,” he added.
Canada’s Department of Finance said on its website that the tariffs will “focus on sectors such as steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.”
Enes Kanter Freedom Banned From Sky Arena Over ‘Potential To Be A Threat’– dailycaller.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A “threat”? … They really went there.
Michael Alter, the owner of the Chicago Sky, stated Tuesday that former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom is banned from Wintrust Arena following Sunday’s confrontation with guard Natasha Cloud.
“He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat,” said Alter, per ESPN.
It’s not clear how it was determined that Freedom could be threatening.
The incident between Freedom and Cloud took place in the third quarter of Chicago’s defeat against the Indiana Fever. After Cloud scored, the Fever called a timeout, and she ended up directing her energy at Freedom, who was sitting around the basket. Freedom got out of his seat and began walking toward Cloud, and immediately, security and Sky players got in the middle of the two.
Enes Kanter Freedom has been banned from Wintrust Arena after he was removed by security Sunday following a verbal altercation with Natasha Cloud, Sky owner Michael Alter said.
Lindsay Clancy showed no ‘break from reality,’ Susan Smith prosecutor says– www.foxnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The prosecutor who secured a conviction for Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons, says Lindsay Clancy’s defense never proved a “break with reality” as jurors prepare to deliberate following Thursday’s closing arguments.
Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6 — who were found strangled at the family’s home in January 2023. Prosecutors rested their rebuttal case on Wednesday afternoon, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday before the jury begins deliberating,
Her defense attorney argues that Clancy was experiencing postpartum psychosis when killing her children, a claim that has been heavily refuted by prosecutors.
Smith, a South Carolina mother, was convicted of killing her two young sons — 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander — after she strapped them into her car and allowed it to roll into a lake. Prosecutors contended she killed the boys at least in part because the man she was romantically involved with did not want a relationship with a woman who had children. She received a life prison sentence.
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America amid Canada trade war – US politics live | US politics– www.theguardian.com News Source EXCERPT:
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’
Donald Trump summoned the press pool to the Oval Office to witness him signing an executive order that directs the Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
This comes after trade talks between Canada collapsed over the weekend and led to a fray of tariffs between Washington and Ottawa.
Trump claimed the name change was something “I’ve been thinking about for a long time”.
“Canada treats us very badly,” the president said. “People oftentimes they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy. Canada, they are the worst, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
A 50% tariff on several Canadian imports kicked in on Saturday, with Trump threatening another round of 50% duties on Canadian steel, trucks, cars and auto parts to take effect in the new year. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, hit back with 25-50% tariffs on hundreds of US goods.
This, of course, is not the first time the president has made renaming a body of water a priority. At the beginning of his second term in office he issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
Trump appeared to joke that there could be more to come: “We have a Gulf and we have a Lake – now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Key events
New York congressman denounces Trump’s Lake Ontario rebranding stunt
Among those deeply unimpressed by Donald Trump’s stunt to direct federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario and Lake America is Tim Kennedy, a Democratic congressman who represents a western New York district that borders Ontario and co-chairs the bipartisan House Northern Border Caucus on US-Canada affairs.
If Donald Trump spent half as much time trying to make life more affordable as he does trying to rename bodies of water, working families might actually be able to afford their rent, utility bills, and food costs. His pathetic proposal to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” proves what we already know him to be: a petty, vindictive, failed president.
By declaring economic war on Canada, our strongest ally and New York’s largest trading partner, President Trump is waging that same war on border communities like Western New York, and we have been paying the price. Canadian tourism to New York is down 26 percent and Canadian spending is down 28 percent.
After picking fights with our allies and losing illegal wars of choice with our adversaries, President Trump is cementing his place as the worst president in the history of our country.
Here’s a recap of the day so far
Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”. This comes as the trade war between the US and Canada escalated in recent days, and has seen both countries levy tariffs on hundreds of each other’s imports. The renaming of bodies of geographic features to spite neighbors and exert national pride is a familiar play for Trump, who issued a similar order rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as “the Gulf of America” at the start of his second term.
Trump also told reporters that he’s had “good talks” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and insisted that “he’s not going to be attacking a Nato territory”. This comes after speculation continues to circulate around CIA director John Ratcliffe’s covert visit to Moscow this week, and reports that have emerged that say the spy chief’s trip was expressly to convince Putin to not take action against Nato allies.
Documents obtained by the Guardian and interviews with military leadership showthe war in Iran has depleted the US Navy’s budget. Consequently, the service branch has had to reallocate money intended for its payroll and from other reserves to fund combat operations. The financial strain comes after the protracted war has depleted US weapons stockpiles and led to counterattacks on bases throughout the region.
House Democrats have launched an investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm,1798 Capital. The president’s son serves as a partner for the firm, and now Democrats on the judiciary committee are asking the company’s founders to turn over records to detail the firm’s “miraculous” recent success. But Democrats likely have little authority to enforce that request while they remain a minority in Congress. More here
Karoline Leavitt departs from her role as the White House press secretary. President Trump’s outgoing press secretary, who had been a key mouthpiece for the administration since the start of Trump’s second term, addressed reporters for perhaps the last time earlier today. Leavitt described the parting as “bittersweet” and told the press pool that she would “miss you guys.”
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr appears to have lied during congressional hearings last year. Newly obtained documents show that Kennedy lied to lawmakers last year about the intent of his 2019 visit to Samoa. In the hearings, ahead of his confirmation as the nation’s top health official, Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader, told lawmakers that his trip to the island had “nothing to do with vaccines”. But the newly uncovered documents undermine that testimony, including one in which Kennedy told the Samoan prime minister that he wanted to study vaccination on the island. Kennedy’s visit came months ahead of a measles outbreak on the island that killed more than 80 people.
Donald Trump has left Washington for Houston, Texas to attend a Republican National Committee (RNC) fundraiser and campaign on behalf of attorney general Ken Paxton, who is vying to win the US Senate seat in the state.
Canada drops US seafood from sweeping tariff list
While the US and Canada continue to escalate a tit-for-tat trade war, Canadian officials have opted to back down from tariffs on a particular American export: seafood.
In a social media post on Thursday, Canada’s Department of Finance said it would remove seafood and fish products from a slate of counter-tariffs prepared against the United States. Canadian officials said the move was intended to “protect against broader economic harms”, even as the nation retaliates against the new US duties.
After a tentative deal between the two nations fell apart last week, US tariffs against Canada took effect, and Canadian authorities responded in kind.
Susan Collins, a Republican Senator from Maine facing a competitive re-election race this year, said in a social media post that she was grateful to the Canadians for pulling back from seafood tariffs. If imposed, she said, such a measure would have been devastating to her state’s lobster industry.
“I urge the US to respond to this show of good faith from our Canadian friends by returning to the negotiating table and working to amicably resolve this trade dispute,” Collins wrote.
Chuck Edwards, the North Carolina Republican facing a censure vote in Congress over allegations that he sexually harassed a pair of staffers,has issued a letter urging his colleagues to reject the disciplinary measure.
A report early this month by the House ethics committee recommended Edwards’ censure on the grounds that he’d engaged in inappropriate conduct toward a pair of young female staffers. That conduct, according to the committee, included sending lavish gifts and affectionate notes to the women, as well as inviting them to “intimate dinners and vacations”.
Edwards, in a letter dated earlier this week, said the committee –which argued the congressman’s actions made the women feel uncomfortable and pressured – overstepped in equating his conduct to misconduct or sexual harassment. “An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition,” Edwards wrote. “A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct.”
In light of the committee’s findings, Edwards abandoned his campaign for reelection earlier this month. North Carolina Republicans selected Jennifer Balkcom, a member of the state’s House of Representatives, as the party’s replacement nominee for the general election.
Trump insists that Putin will ‘not be attacking a Nato territory’ as speculation circulates after CIA director’s visit to Moscow
Donald Trump told reporters today that he’s had “good talks” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and insisted that “he’s not going to be attacking a Nato territory”.
This comes after speculation continues to circulate around CIA director John Ratcliffe’s covert visit to Moscow this week, and reports that have emerged that say the spy chief’s trip was expressly to convince Putin to not take action against Nato allies.
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’
Donald Trump summoned the press pool to the Oval Office to witness him signing an executive order that directs the Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
This comes after trade talks between Canada collapsed over the weekend and led to a fray of tariffs between Washington and Ottawa.
Trump claimed the name change was something “I’ve been thinking about for a long time”.
“Canada treats us very badly,” the president said. “People oftentimes they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy. Canada, they are the worst, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
A 50% tariff on several Canadian imports kicked in on Saturday, with Trump threatening another round of 50% duties on Canadian steel, trucks, cars and auto parts to take effect in the new year. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, hit back with 25-50% tariffs on hundreds of US goods.
This, of course, is not the first time the president has made renaming a body of water a priority. At the beginning of his second term in office he issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
Trump appeared to joke that there could be more to come: “We have a Gulf and we have a Lake – now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Trump administration officials are seeking to radically accelerate the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitians who were previously living in the US under the aegis of a humanitarian program, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
The Times reports that the administration is seeking to start deportation flights to Haiti weekly – as opposed to its previous pace of once a month. If put into effect, that could increase the number of Haitians flown out of the country by hundreds of people per month.
The Trump administration has deemed the island nation safe enough for those who fled it to return, even as the country remains mired in anarchy and gang conflict. The violence there has led the administration to reroute deportation flights away from the embattled Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, to a smaller city 120 miles away.
The more than 300,000 Haitians slated for removal from the country were previously allowed to work and reside in the US under Temporary Protected Status. But President Trump has taken aim at their inclusion in that program since early in his second term, and was able to terminate it for Haitians after a June supreme court ruling cleared the administration’s path.
Trump’s war on Iran is rapidly draining US navy budget, documents and interviews reveal
Aram Roston
Donald Trump’s war on Iran has driven the US military into a severe financial crisis, with the US navy forced to transfer money from its payroll and other sources to cover the costs of combat, according to documents obtained by the Guardian, and interviews with navy officials, contractors and defense analysts.
The US-Israeli operation, which has depleted US munitions stockpiles and prompted retaliatory Iranian strikes that have wrecked strategic bases across the Middle East, is piling pressure on budgets across the military.
One Pentagon memo about navy funding seen by the Guardian warns that there are “shortfalls in payroll” accounts due to the department “raiding” them to fund combat operations.
Experts and former officials say the accounts are running dry. “The piggy bank is broken,” said Harlan Ullman, a retired naval officer. Ullman is a member of the National Commission for the Future of the Navy but he said he is not speaking on the commission’s behalf.
One official and one navy contractor said non-emergency maintenance on shore-based facilities has been deferred because of the cash crunch.
A navy official who was briefed on how the service is planning to address the shortfalls said money is shifted around in imaginative ways. “The money for payroll,” he said, “was robbed to pay for overseas contingencies and is being backfilled by money that hasn’t been spent. They are backfilling payroll so we get enough money in our paycheck.”
Read the full report here:
US facing ‘beyond critical’ shortage of Patriot missile stocks in Europe due to Iran war – report
The US military is experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe largely driven by Donald Trump’s war against Iran, a US defense official in Europe and a Nato official have told the Associated Press, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in Nato countries to a potential Russian attack.
The US defense official told the AP the most concerning shortfall involves Patriot missile interceptors, which can shoot down Russia’s high-speed ballistic missiles.
In the event of a Russian ballistic missile assault on, for example, a military headquarters or power plant, Nato could be in a similar position to Patriot-starved Ukraine and be forced “to take punch after punch in the mouth”, they said.
The Nato official confirmed the low inventories of Patriots among US and Nato forces in Europe. The US military “definitely” does not have enough Patriots in Europe to stop any possible sustained ballistic missile attack and would have “very limited” capability to defend against a single ballistic missile strike or a stray Russian missile that goes off course, the US official added.
Though a Russian ballistic missile attack against Nato countries is not imminently expected, this report comes as CIA director JohnRatcliffe reportedly went to Moscow this week to dissuade Russia from attacking Nato members amid US intelligence assessments that Moscow could seek to test the alliance.
Trump has played down the significance of the rare and secretive trip, insisting it was “sort of semi-routine”.
European and Nato officials say Russia could be in a position to attack countries in the alliance by 2030. Patriot stockpiles are projected to rebound by then.
In the meantime, Russia’s war in Ukraine could hinder its ability to carry out any missile attack on Europe as it would be a challenge for Moscow to fight an air war on two fronts.
The state department said today that 90 Americans were missing after the devastating flash flooding in Nepal, adding no US deaths had been reported.
“We’re currently tracking 90 Americans who may be impacted by the flood, currently unaccounted for,” a spokesperson told AFP.
The state department said it could confirm three Americans had been rescued and it was not aware of any US deaths.
My colleague Tom Ambrose is covering the disaster:
House Democrats launch investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm
Democrats on the House judiciary committee have launched an investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm.
Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital as a partner just days after his father won a second term in office in November 2024. In a letter by Congressman Jamie Raskin, the panel’s ranking member, has asked the president’s son to detail the firm’s recent success.
The Guardian previously reported that after Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital, its assets under management ballooned, going from a reported $150m in 2024, to $1b last August, to $2.7b at year’s end, to a reported $3.5b by May, according to SEC filings. A significant proportion of that capital came from foreign investors: according to CNN reporting and the Guardian’s review of SEC filings; 40% of assets under management were from overseas investors.
In a letter to the president’s son, and the founders of the firm – Omeed Malik and Christopher Buskirk – judiciary committee Democrats have asked for records that include companies that have receive investments from the firm and any communications with any US elected official or federal government officials by 9 September. However, in the minority, Democrats have little subpoena power without Republican support for their cause.
“Two years ago,” Raskin wrote, 1789 Capital was “a struggling venture capital firm that earned consistently disappointing results by serially investing in total market flops” but has since undergone a “miraculous transformation”.
“With Don Jr’s new leadership role, 1789 Capital has developed an uncanny ability to identify companies that are about to receive massive influxes of cash from the Trump administration or to benefit from significant changes in federal policies and regulations,” the top Democrat wrote. “They say there is no such thing as a sure thing in investing, but this is about as close as you can get.”
Raskin also said “it is now impossible to believe” that the firm’s “astonishing growth and success are due to anything other than insider political influence and thoroughgoing corruption”.
The ranking member outlined a series of reports chronicling recent investments by 1789 Capital that include millions of dollars in Vulcan Elements, a rare earth company, in August 2025. Prior to this, the manufacturer had reportedly touted several government contracts they had secured in the months prior. Raskin then notes that the Pentagon announced a $620m direct loan to Vulcan Elements in November last year. At the same time, Department of Commerce (DOC) provided the company with a $50m grant under the CHIPS and Science Act.
“This was an amazing turn of events when the Trump Administration decided to pump over half a billion dollars into an unproven startup company,” Raskin wrote.
He also pointed to a recent July interview with CNBC in which the president said that his children have “inside information” due to the fact his policies touch nearly every part of the economy.
“I tell my kids, ‘stay away,’” Trump said at the time. “But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of running for president.”
In an interview with the New York Times last month, Trump Jr said he only talks to his father, the president, “every few weeks”, and never discusses business with him and – as a private citizen – holds “no policy position and no role within the administration whatsoever”.
Raskin’s letter also cites reporting from the Guardian that Anduril Inudstries, a major military contractor founded by Trump ally and donor Palmer Lucky, has received billions in government contracts over the last year. 1789 Capital, the judiciary Democrats note, has acquired a stake in the company. Anduril says in Trump’s first year in office it doubled its revenue – a growth rate of 100%.
Earlier this month, the Guardian also reported that two appointments to the…
Obama Judge Once Again Orders Postal Service To Defy Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Executive Order– dailycaller.com News Source EXCERPT:
An Obama-appointed judge once again temporarily barred the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Donald Trump’s restrictions on mail-in ballots in a Thursday ruling.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani lifted a preliminary injunction Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some of Trump’s limits could remain in place. The judge issued a new ruling reversing the previous decision, arguing that USPS overstepped its legal mandate, which once again blocked Trump’s rule.
Trump signed an executive order on March 31 titled, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” which established certain rules for the USPS regarding mail-in and absentee ballots. Section 3 of the executive order required all outgoing election mail to be marked as “Official Election Mail,” including a unique Intelligent Mail barcode and be pre-approved by the USPS for design and barcode placement. (RELATED: Judicial Order Blocking Trump’s Post Office Rule For Mail-In Ballots Lifted After SCOTUS Intervention)
“Where a state or local election official does not obtain envelope and return envelope design approval, or does not upload voter information, or does not include unique intelligent mail bar codes on ballot envelopes, the U.S.P.S. will not mail ballots to voters,” the ruling stated.
JUST IN: Judge Talwani has again blocked the Trump administration’s mail-in ballot overhaul for the 2026 elections, saying it imposes onerous requirements and threatens to disenfranchise voters / harm states. https://t.co/TaUXk0EzoApic.twitter.com/K1mQvsCXkm
Talwani argued that Congress did not delegate authority to the USPS to regulate election mail. She argued the rules would prevent citizens from voting by mail unless the USPS approved the ballots in a timely manner.
The judge further argued that imposing these rules on the states is unconstitutional. She placed a fourteen-day stay on the “implementation or enforcement” of the rules, which prevents USPS from taking these steps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“The court finds Plaintiffs likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that (1) the USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule; (2) the Final Rule is unconstitutional in imposing these requirements on the States; and (3) the Final Rule is unconstitutional in prohibiting non-compliant State and local officials from using the United States Postal Service to mail ballots,” the judge said.
Talwani initially barred Section 3 in an Aug. 11 ruling after the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and other activist groups sued the administration over the executive order.
A court in California issued a similar injunction, which reached the Supreme Court in the case, Trump v. California. The high court stayed the injunction, allowing the administration to move forward with the executive order.
Obama Judge Once Again Orders Postal Service To Defy Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Executive Order– dailycaller.com News Source EXCERPT:
An Obama-appointed judge once again temporarily barred the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Donald Trump’s restrictions on mail-in ballots in a Thursday ruling.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani lifted a preliminary injunction Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that some of Trump’s limits could remain in place. The judge issued a new ruling reversing the previous decision, arguing that USPS overstepped its legal mandate, which once again blocked Trump’s rule.
Trump signed an executive order on March 31 titled, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” which established certain rules for the USPS regarding mail-in and absentee ballots. Section 3 of the executive order required all outgoing election mail to be marked as “Official Election Mail,” including a unique Intelligent Mail barcode and be pre-approved by the USPS for design and barcode placement. (RELATED: Judicial Order Blocking Trump’s Post Office Rule For Mail-In Ballots Lifted After SCOTUS Intervention)
“Where a state or local election official does not obtain envelope and return envelope design approval, or does not upload voter information, or does not include unique intelligent mail bar codes on ballot envelopes, the U.S.P.S. will not mail ballots to voters,” the ruling stated.
JUST IN: Judge Talwani has again blocked the Trump administration’s mail-in ballot overhaul for the 2026 elections, saying it imposes onerous requirements and threatens to disenfranchise voters / harm states. https://t.co/TaUXk0EzoApic.twitter.com/K1mQvsCXkm
Talwani argued that Congress did not delegate authority to the USPS to regulate election mail. She argued the rules would prevent citizens from voting by mail unless the USPS approved the ballots in a timely manner.
The judge further argued that imposing these rules on the states is unconstitutional. She placed a fourteen-day stay on the “implementation or enforcement” of the rules, which prevents USPS from taking these steps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“The court finds Plaintiffs likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that (1) the USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule; (2) the Final Rule is unconstitutional in imposing these requirements on the States; and (3) the Final Rule is unconstitutional in prohibiting non-compliant State and local officials from using the United States Postal Service to mail ballots,” the judge said.
Talwani initially barred Section 3 in an Aug. 11 ruling after the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and other activist groups sued the administration over the executive order.
A court in California issued a similar injunction, which reached the Supreme Court in the case, Trump v. California. The high court stayed the injunction, allowing the administration to move forward with the executive order.
Enes Kanter Freedom Banned From Sky Arena Over ‘Potential To Be A Threat’– dailycaller.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A “threat”? … They really went there.
Michael Alter, the owner of the Chicago Sky, stated Tuesday that former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom is banned from Wintrust Arena following Sunday’s confrontation with guard Natasha Cloud.
“He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat,” said Alter, per ESPN.
It’s not clear how it was determined that Freedom could be threatening.
The incident between Freedom and Cloud took place in the third quarter of Chicago’s defeat against the Indiana Fever. After Cloud scored, the Fever called a timeout, and she ended up directing her energy at Freedom, who was sitting around the basket. Freedom got out of his seat and began walking toward Cloud, and immediately, security and Sky players got in the middle of the two.
Enes Kanter Freedom has been banned from Wintrust Arena after he was removed by security Sunday following a verbal altercation with Natasha Cloud, Sky owner Michael Alter said.
Lindsay Clancy showed no ‘break from reality,’ Susan Smith prosecutor says– www.foxnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The prosecutor who secured a conviction for Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons, says Lindsay Clancy’s defense never proved a “break with reality” as jurors prepare to deliberate following Thursday’s closing arguments.
Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6 — who were found strangled at the family’s home in January 2023. Prosecutors rested their rebuttal case on Wednesday afternoon, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday before the jury begins deliberating,
Her defense attorney argues that Clancy was experiencing postpartum psychosis when killing her children, a claim that has been heavily refuted by prosecutors.
Smith, a South Carolina mother, was convicted of killing her two young sons — 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander — after she strapped them into her car and allowed it to roll into a lake. Prosecutors contended she killed the boys at least in part because the man she was romantically involved with did not want a relationship with a woman who had children. She received a life prison sentence.
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America amid Canada trade war – US politics live | US politics– www.theguardian.com News Source EXCERPT:
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’
Donald Trump summoned the press pool to the Oval Office to witness him signing an executive order that directs the Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
This comes after trade talks between Canada collapsed over the weekend and led to a fray of tariffs between Washington and Ottawa.
Trump claimed the name change was something “I’ve been thinking about for a long time”.
“Canada treats us very badly,” the president said. “People oftentimes they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy. Canada, they are the worst, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
A 50% tariff on several Canadian imports kicked in on Saturday, with Trump threatening another round of 50% duties on Canadian steel, trucks, cars and auto parts to take effect in the new year. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, hit back with 25-50% tariffs on hundreds of US goods.
This, of course, is not the first time the president has made renaming a body of water a priority. At the beginning of his second term in office he issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
Trump appeared to joke that there could be more to come: “We have a Gulf and we have a Lake – now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Key events
New York congressman denounces Trump’s Lake Ontario rebranding stunt
Among those deeply unimpressed by Donald Trump’s stunt to direct federal agencies to refer to Lake Ontario and Lake America is Tim Kennedy, a Democratic congressman who represents a western New York district that borders Ontario and co-chairs the bipartisan House Northern Border Caucus on US-Canada affairs.
If Donald Trump spent half as much time trying to make life more affordable as he does trying to rename bodies of water, working families might actually be able to afford their rent, utility bills, and food costs. His pathetic proposal to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” proves what we already know him to be: a petty, vindictive, failed president.
By declaring economic war on Canada, our strongest ally and New York’s largest trading partner, President Trump is waging that same war on border communities like Western New York, and we have been paying the price. Canadian tourism to New York is down 26 percent and Canadian spending is down 28 percent.
After picking fights with our allies and losing illegal wars of choice with our adversaries, President Trump is cementing his place as the worst president in the history of our country.
Here’s a recap of the day so far
Donald Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”. This comes as the trade war between the US and Canada escalated in recent days, and has seen both countries levy tariffs on hundreds of each other’s imports. The renaming of bodies of geographic features to spite neighbors and exert national pride is a familiar play for Trump, who issued a similar order rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as “the Gulf of America” at the start of his second term.
Trump also told reporters that he’s had “good talks” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and insisted that “he’s not going to be attacking a Nato territory”. This comes after speculation continues to circulate around CIA director John Ratcliffe’s covert visit to Moscow this week, and reports that have emerged that say the spy chief’s trip was expressly to convince Putin to not take action against Nato allies.
Documents obtained by the Guardian and interviews with military leadership showthe war in Iran has depleted the US Navy’s budget. Consequently, the service branch has had to reallocate money intended for its payroll and from other reserves to fund combat operations. The financial strain comes after the protracted war has depleted US weapons stockpiles and led to counterattacks on bases throughout the region.
House Democrats have launched an investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm,1798 Capital. The president’s son serves as a partner for the firm, and now Democrats on the judiciary committee are asking the company’s founders to turn over records to detail the firm’s “miraculous” recent success. But Democrats likely have little authority to enforce that request while they remain a minority in Congress. More here
Karoline Leavitt departs from her role as the White House press secretary. President Trump’s outgoing press secretary, who had been a key mouthpiece for the administration since the start of Trump’s second term, addressed reporters for perhaps the last time earlier today. Leavitt described the parting as “bittersweet” and told the press pool that she would “miss you guys.”
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr appears to have lied during congressional hearings last year. Newly obtained documents show that Kennedy lied to lawmakers last year about the intent of his 2019 visit to Samoa. In the hearings, ahead of his confirmation as the nation’s top health official, Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader, told lawmakers that his trip to the island had “nothing to do with vaccines”. But the newly uncovered documents undermine that testimony, including one in which Kennedy told the Samoan prime minister that he wanted to study vaccination on the island. Kennedy’s visit came months ahead of a measles outbreak on the island that killed more than 80 people.
Donald Trump has left Washington for Houston, Texas to attend a Republican National Committee (RNC) fundraiser and campaign on behalf of attorney general Ken Paxton, who is vying to win the US Senate seat in the state.
Canada drops US seafood from sweeping tariff list
While the US and Canada continue to escalate a tit-for-tat trade war, Canadian officials have opted to back down from tariffs on a particular American export: seafood.
In a social media post on Thursday, Canada’s Department of Finance said it would remove seafood and fish products from a slate of counter-tariffs prepared against the United States. Canadian officials said the move was intended to “protect against broader economic harms”, even as the nation retaliates against the new US duties.
After a tentative deal between the two nations fell apart last week, US tariffs against Canada took effect, and Canadian authorities responded in kind.
Susan Collins, a Republican Senator from Maine facing a competitive re-election race this year, said in a social media post that she was grateful to the Canadians for pulling back from seafood tariffs. If imposed, she said, such a measure would have been devastating to her state’s lobster industry.
“I urge the US to respond to this show of good faith from our Canadian friends by returning to the negotiating table and working to amicably resolve this trade dispute,” Collins wrote.
Chuck Edwards, the North Carolina Republican facing a censure vote in Congress over allegations that he sexually harassed a pair of staffers,has issued a letter urging his colleagues to reject the disciplinary measure.
A report early this month by the House ethics committee recommended Edwards’ censure on the grounds that he’d engaged in inappropriate conduct toward a pair of young female staffers. That conduct, according to the committee, included sending lavish gifts and affectionate notes to the women, as well as inviting them to “intimate dinners and vacations”.
Edwards, in a letter dated earlier this week, said the committee –which argued the congressman’s actions made the women feel uncomfortable and pressured – overstepped in equating his conduct to misconduct or sexual harassment. “An affectionate friendship is not a sexual proposition,” Edwards wrote. “A gift is not sexual misconduct. A compliment is not sexual misconduct. Poetry is not sexual misconduct. Socializing with a colleague is not sexual misconduct. Caring deeply about someone with whom you have worked and come to know for years is not sexual misconduct.”
In light of the committee’s findings, Edwards abandoned his campaign for reelection earlier this month. North Carolina Republicans selected Jennifer Balkcom, a member of the state’s House of Representatives, as the party’s replacement nominee for the general election.
Trump insists that Putin will ‘not be attacking a Nato territory’ as speculation circulates after CIA director’s visit to Moscow
Donald Trump told reporters today that he’s had “good talks” with Russian president Vladimir Putin, and insisted that “he’s not going to be attacking a Nato territory”.
This comes after speculation continues to circulate around CIA director John Ratcliffe’s covert visit to Moscow this week, and reports that have emerged that say the spy chief’s trip was expressly to convince Putin to not take action against Nato allies.
Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’
Donald Trump summoned the press pool to the Oval Office to witness him signing an executive order that directs the Department of the Interior to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”.
This comes after trade talks between Canada collapsed over the weekend and led to a fray of tariffs between Washington and Ottawa.
Trump claimed the name change was something “I’ve been thinking about for a long time”.
“Canada treats us very badly,” the president said. “People oftentimes they’ll ask me who’s the worst to deal with on trade, and I said that’s easy. Canada, they are the worst, and they feel entitled, and just we can’t have that.”
A 50% tariff on several Canadian imports kicked in on Saturday, with Trump threatening another round of 50% duties on Canadian steel, trucks, cars and auto parts to take effect in the new year. Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, hit back with 25-50% tariffs on hundreds of US goods.
This, of course, is not the first time the president has made renaming a body of water a priority. At the beginning of his second term in office he issued an executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.
Trump appeared to joke that there could be more to come: “We have a Gulf and we have a Lake – now all we need is an ocean. Maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”
Trump administration officials are seeking to radically accelerate the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitians who were previously living in the US under the aegis of a humanitarian program, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
The Times reports that the administration is seeking to start deportation flights to Haiti weekly – as opposed to its previous pace of once a month. If put into effect, that could increase the number of Haitians flown out of the country by hundreds of people per month.
The Trump administration has deemed the island nation safe enough for those who fled it to return, even as the country remains mired in anarchy and gang conflict. The violence there has led the administration to reroute deportation flights away from the embattled Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, to a smaller city 120 miles away.
The more than 300,000 Haitians slated for removal from the country were previously allowed to work and reside in the US under Temporary Protected Status. But President Trump has taken aim at their inclusion in that program since early in his second term, and was able to terminate it for Haitians after a June supreme court ruling cleared the administration’s path.
Trump’s war on Iran is rapidly draining US navy budget, documents and interviews reveal
Aram Roston
Donald Trump’s war on Iran has driven the US military into a severe financial crisis, with the US navy forced to transfer money from its payroll and other sources to cover the costs of combat, according to documents obtained by the Guardian, and interviews with navy officials, contractors and defense analysts.
The US-Israeli operation, which has depleted US munitions stockpiles and prompted retaliatory Iranian strikes that have wrecked strategic bases across the Middle East, is piling pressure on budgets across the military.
One Pentagon memo about navy funding seen by the Guardian warns that there are “shortfalls in payroll” accounts due to the department “raiding” them to fund combat operations.
Experts and former officials say the accounts are running dry. “The piggy bank is broken,” said Harlan Ullman, a retired naval officer. Ullman is a member of the National Commission for the Future of the Navy but he said he is not speaking on the commission’s behalf.
One official and one navy contractor said non-emergency maintenance on shore-based facilities has been deferred because of the cash crunch.
A navy official who was briefed on how the service is planning to address the shortfalls said money is shifted around in imaginative ways. “The money for payroll,” he said, “was robbed to pay for overseas contingencies and is being backfilled by money that hasn’t been spent. They are backfilling payroll so we get enough money in our paycheck.”
Read the full report here:
US facing ‘beyond critical’ shortage of Patriot missile stocks in Europe due to Iran war – report
The US military is experiencing a “beyond critical” shortage of advanced missile interceptors in Europe largely driven by Donald Trump’s war against Iran, a US defense official in Europe and a Nato official have told the Associated Press, raising concerns about vulnerabilities in Nato countries to a potential Russian attack.
The US defense official told the AP the most concerning shortfall involves Patriot missile interceptors, which can shoot down Russia’s high-speed ballistic missiles.
In the event of a Russian ballistic missile assault on, for example, a military headquarters or power plant, Nato could be in a similar position to Patriot-starved Ukraine and be forced “to take punch after punch in the mouth”, they said.
The Nato official confirmed the low inventories of Patriots among US and Nato forces in Europe. The US military “definitely” does not have enough Patriots in Europe to stop any possible sustained ballistic missile attack and would have “very limited” capability to defend against a single ballistic missile strike or a stray Russian missile that goes off course, the US official added.
Though a Russian ballistic missile attack against Nato countries is not imminently expected, this report comes as CIA director JohnRatcliffe reportedly went to Moscow this week to dissuade Russia from attacking Nato members amid US intelligence assessments that Moscow could seek to test the alliance.
Trump has played down the significance of the rare and secretive trip, insisting it was “sort of semi-routine”.
European and Nato officials say Russia could be in a position to attack countries in the alliance by 2030. Patriot stockpiles are projected to rebound by then.
In the meantime, Russia’s war in Ukraine could hinder its ability to carry out any missile attack on Europe as it would be a challenge for Moscow to fight an air war on two fronts.
The state department said today that 90 Americans were missing after the devastating flash flooding in Nepal, adding no US deaths had been reported.
“We’re currently tracking 90 Americans who may be impacted by the flood, currently unaccounted for,” a spokesperson told AFP.
The state department said it could confirm three Americans had been rescued and it was not aware of any US deaths.
My colleague Tom Ambrose is covering the disaster:
House Democrats launch investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm
Democrats on the House judiciary committee have launched an investigation into Donald Trump Jr’s venture capital firm.
Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital as a partner just days after his father won a second term in office in November 2024. In a letter by Congressman Jamie Raskin, the panel’s ranking member, has asked the president’s son to detail the firm’s recent success.
The Guardian previously reported that after Trump Jr joined 1789 Capital, its assets under management ballooned, going from a reported $150m in 2024, to $1b last August, to $2.7b at year’s end, to a reported $3.5b by May, according to SEC filings. A significant proportion of that capital came from foreign investors: according to CNN reporting and the Guardian’s review of SEC filings; 40% of assets under management were from overseas investors.
In a letter to the president’s son, and the founders of the firm – Omeed Malik and Christopher Buskirk – judiciary committee Democrats have asked for records that include companies that have receive investments from the firm and any communications with any US elected official or federal government officials by 9 September. However, in the minority, Democrats have little subpoena power without Republican support for their cause.
“Two years ago,” Raskin wrote, 1789 Capital was “a struggling venture capital firm that earned consistently disappointing results by serially investing in total market flops” but has since undergone a “miraculous transformation”.
“With Don Jr’s new leadership role, 1789 Capital has developed an uncanny ability to identify companies that are about to receive massive influxes of cash from the Trump administration or to benefit from significant changes in federal policies and regulations,” the top Democrat wrote. “They say there is no such thing as a sure thing in investing, but this is about as close as you can get.”
Raskin also said “it is now impossible to believe” that the firm’s “astonishing growth and success are due to anything other than insider political influence and thoroughgoing corruption”.
The ranking member outlined a series of reports chronicling recent investments by 1789 Capital that include millions of dollars in Vulcan Elements, a rare earth company, in August 2025. Prior to this, the manufacturer had reportedly touted several government contracts they had secured in the months prior. Raskin then notes that the Pentagon announced a $620m direct loan to Vulcan Elements in November last year. At the same time, Department of Commerce (DOC) provided the company with a $50m grant under the CHIPS and Science Act.
“This was an amazing turn of events when the Trump Administration decided to pump over half a billion dollars into an unproven startup company,” Raskin wrote.
He also pointed to a recent July interview with CNBC in which the president said that his children have “inside information” due to the fact his policies touch nearly every part of the economy.
“I tell my kids, ‘stay away,’” Trump said at the time. “But they also have a life. You know, they were doing business long before I ever thought of running for president.”
In an interview with the New York Times last month, Trump Jr said he only talks to his father, the president, “every few weeks”, and never discusses business with him and – as a private citizen – holds “no policy position and no role within the administration whatsoever”.
Raskin’s letter also cites reporting from the Guardian that Anduril Inudstries, a major military contractor founded by Trump ally and donor Palmer Lucky, has received billions in government contracts over the last year. 1789 Capital, the judiciary Democrats note, has acquired a stake in the company. Anduril says in Trump’s first year in office it doubled its revenue – a growth rate of 100%.
Earlier this month, the Guardian also reported that two appointments to the…
Canada Announces Major Retaliatory Measures Against the US– www.westernjournal.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Canada escalated its brewing trade conflict with the United States on Tuesday by issuing retaliatory tariffs that match America dollar for dollar, while also raising rates on steel products.
Minister of National Revenue of Canada François-Philippe Champagne announced the tariffs, saying, “Canada must respond, and today we are, in a proportionate, targeted, and strategic way. Today I’m announcing that Canada will match the United States’ tariffs, dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”
Minister of National Revenue of Canada François-Philippe Champagne announces retaliatory tariffs: “Canada must respond, and today we are…Canada will match the U.S. tariffs, dollar for dollar, rate for rate.” pic.twitter.com/EOxaAjGhEB
“Effective Sept. 8, Canada will impose counter-tariffs of up to 15, 25, or 50 percent on $27.6 billion in imports from the United States of America,” he added.
Canada’s Department of Finance said on its website that the tariffs will “focus on sectors such as steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.”
California’s Progressive Governor, Gavin Newsome, has signed the “Stop Nick Shirley” Act into law. The law makes it illegal for reporters to question immigration service providers on film and share the results online. The law selectively protects a certain class of people from American journalism. The law is sure to be challenged in the courts.
The law takes effect October 1, 2027. Progressive Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, who introduced the bill, claimed, “Our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve.” This is not Americanism, this is progressivism. We are different nations altogether.
Newsom Signs ‘Stop Nick Shirley Act’ to Stop Investigations Into Immigration ‘Service’ Provider Fraud › American Greatness– amgreatness.com News Source
EXCERPT:
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Saturday expanding privacy protections for immigration service workers, despite warnings that the measure could chill investigative journalism and face First Amendment challenges.
Assembly Bill 2624, dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” by Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, expands California’s Safe at Home program to certain nonprofit employees who assist people navigating the U.S. immigration system.
The law will take effect Oct. 1, 2027, after Newsom leaves office because of term limits.
Democratic Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, who introduced the bill in February, said the protections are necessary because immigration service providers face harassment and threats.
“Our immigrant service providers are living in fear because of extremists looking to demonize the work that they do and the populations they serve,” Bonta said Saturday.
The measure imposes penalties on people who distribute information or images of covered immigration workers under circumstances the law defines as inciting violence or threats. Penalties can range from $10,000 to $50,000, with violations potentially carrying jail or prison sentences.
Due to a breach in security, the Department of Homeland Security has let states know it will be conducting spot paper ballot audits of U.S. voting machines this November.
The announcement comes following news Chinese parts have shown up in U.S. voting machines, giving the Chinese government potential opportunity to manipulate election results. This is a follow-up on the announcement President Trump made in July about Chinese interference in U.S. elections.
DHS Secretary Says Chinese Parts in Voting Machines Necessitate Audit – PJ Media– pjmedia.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is planning to require states do random audits of paper ballots in order to counteract the danger from potential Chinese access to voting machines this November.
The statement that China interferes in our elections is not supposition. It is fact, and the only question is to what extent. As part of his July reveal of classified document caches exposing a vast domestic and international election fraud network, President Donald Trump noted that not only did the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) steal 200 million voters’ data and manufacture fake ballots to help Joe Biden, it also has potential access to vote tabulation machines. Indeed, the CCP mounted a pressure campaign to influence American officials ahead of the 2020 election. It subsequently transpired that a Chinese company had bought the vendor involved in the New Jersey noncitizen registered voters scandal.
All of which is to say that it is perfectly understandable that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin is concerned about the CCP’s and related entities’ possible ability to influence the midterm election, especially since he almost certainly has even more evidence than we, the public, do about Chinese meddling.
The Department of Justice announced the disruption of a Chinese Communist Party hacking operation that had successfully accessed government networks. Some institutions breached include the Senate, the DOJ, NASA, and the Federal Reserve.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced, “Today we announced the disruption of a global botnet and hacking platform used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to target U.S. critical infrastructure. These tools were used by PRC cyber actors to hide the origin of their attacks… Today’s action is just the latest technical operation against PRC-sponsored hacking – and in support of President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America, the FBI is surging efforts to shape adversary behavior and defend the homeland in cyberspace.”
Feds: Chinese Hackers Broke Into DoJ, NASA, Federal Reserve, Senate › American Greatness– amgreatness.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The platforms, known as QScan and QTRouter, were operated by a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group called QTFY, according to the Justice Department.
Federal officials said QTFY was employed by China-based Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company and provided computer intrusion services to paying customers, including China’s Ministry of State Security and People’s Liberation Army.
The hacking tools allowed malicious actors to infiltrate computer systems while concealing the country from which the attacks originated, prosecutors said.
Among the targets were the Justice Department, NASA, Federal Reserve and U.S. Senate. The Energy Department, Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health were also victims of QTFY-related intrusion activity, according to federal officials.
“State-sponsored malicious hackers preying on America’s critical infrastructure will be stopped and prosecuted,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “We are here to ensure security for the American people and will use every tool we have to keep that promise.”
The U.S. State Department has begun sanctioning progressive terrorist groups funding Antifa terror cells in America. The action appears to be an effort to cut off the international supply for progressive terror cells on American soil.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, “Far-left terrorism poses a profound threat to the United States and the broader West. Today, the United States sanctioned several transnational far-left terrorist networks, including Autistici/Inventati – a major far-left tech collective whose services are used by the most active and violent Antifa cells in the United States and across the world.”
State Department Institutes Sanctions Against Far-Left Transnational Terrorist Groups › American Greatness– amgreatness.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The U.S. government has announced sanctions against multiple transnational far-left terrorist networks, including an Italy-based group that supplies the digital infrastructure for Antifa cells in the United States.
Just the News reports that the State Department says groups like the Autistici/Inventati Collective are designed to provide far-left extremist groups with the means to organize, recruit, communicate, and carry out violent attacks while remaining beyond the reach of the law.
Far-left terrorism poses a profound threat to the United States and the broader West. Today, the United States sanctioned several transnational far-left terrorist networks, including Autistici/Inventati – a major far-left tech collective whose services are used by the most active…
Sanctions have also been imposed on the transnational groups Palestine Action, a United Kingdom-based activist organization involved in pro-Palestinian protests and direct actions, and Masar Badil, a transnational network with branches in Europe and Canada that operates as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Granicus reports that the Department of the Treasury and the State Department targeted these networks for allegedly supporting violent political extremism or acting as fronts for designated terrorist organizations.
According to a Wednesday press statement from Thomas Pigott, A/I’s full spectrum of digital services are specifically built to provide far-left terrorist groups with the means to organize, recruit, communicate, and carry out violent attacks – all while remaining beyond the reach of the law.
A Maryland state judge has blocked Democrats from using the ballot in November to trigger redistricting. The judge ruled the Democrats must go through the legal process of redistricting, which doesn’t include using a referendum. The Democrats hope to eliminate the last remaining Republican seat in the state.
Maryland Judge Blocks Democrat Redistricting Referendum in Big Win for Republicans– slaynews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A Maryland judge has temporarily blocked Democrats from placing a congressional redistricting question on the November ballot, handing Republicans an early victory in their fight against a maneuver that could make it easier to target the state’s only GOP member of Congress.
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Thompson issued an injunction Wednesday, ruling that the Democrat-controlled General Assembly must follow the ballot procedures established under Maryland law.
The ruling has been stayed while the case is appealed to the Maryland Supreme Court.
Republicans argue that Democrats are trying to change the rules governing congressional districts in order to make it harder to challenge a future map designed to oust Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), the lone Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation.
General Mills has announced all its cereals in the U.S. are now artificial-color-free. The company made the changes in response to HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.’s MAHA challenge to companies to replace artificial colors with natural alternatives.
US Breakfast Giant Removes Artificial Dyes From Cereals In MAHA-Friendly Move– dailycaller.com News Source
EXCERPT:
General Mills announced Wednesday that all of its cereals in the U.S. are now made without artificial colors.
“As the leader in cereal, General Mills is focused on giving people what they are looking for from the brands they know and love,” Bethany Quam, president of Big G Cereal at General Mills, said in a statement. “This achievement reflects how we are evolving with consumer needs while continuing to offer food that tastes great, delivers quality and provides value.”
General Mills also said it will launch more than twice as many new products “that align with evolving consumer nutrition preferences as it did just two years ago” during, such as products with more protein and fiber options, according to the press release. The company is currently on track to remove certified colors from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027, per the announcement.
The announcement comes as many companies have begun phasing out artificial dyes in their food and beverage products in recent months. Nestlé announced in June that it has fully eliminated artificial colors from all of its food and beverage products in the U.S.
The MAHA movement is growing across the country. We’re getting an extraordinary outpouring of cooperation from food companies who, without forced regulation, are standing up to remove harmful dyes and other non-nutritious ingredients from their foods. pic.twitter.com/24FcUO1Vik
Rubio Orders State Department Overhaul in Foreign Service– www.dailysignal.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is changing how the State Department will determine leadership roles in the U.S. Foreign Service by putting merit over seniority.
A State Department official told the Daily Signal that the department is “trying to fundamentally shift how the Foreign Service works, replacing an expectation of promotion with a merit-based system.” To expand the pool of individuals eligible for merit-based promotions in the Foreign Service, the State Department has downgraded approximately 200 Senior Foreign Service positions overseas.
“We are committed to ensuring that the senior ranks of the Foreign Service are populated by the people who are best equipped to advance American interests, rather than simply those who have accumulated the most years of service,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told the Daily Signal.
“That means rewarding performance, leadership, and results while giving talented officers the opportunity to take on greater responsibility based on merit. The result may be fewer promotions at certain levels, but the objective is clear: a stronger, more capable leadership corps serving the American people,” Pigott continued.
The Foreign Service employs roughly 14,000 officers overseas working in U.S. embassies representing America. Prior to this reclassification, Foreign Service Officers were promoted to leadership positions on a relatively predictable timeline, even if they weren’t the right fit for a leadership role.
With the rise of Islamist Progressive candidates and elected officials nationwide, President Trump has declared that, if needed, he will issue an executive order to prevent Sharia from being the Rule of Law in any American-ruled jurisdiction.
He declared in an interview, “Number one, on Sharia law, I would absolutely say that’s not this country. There’s no Sharia law. And you do have pockets of it, as you know… I would absolutely prohibit the Sharia Law thing. It is happening in this country a little bit, and where we see it, we take it out… We have one system.”
Trump Mulling Crackdown to ‘Absolutely Prohibit’ Sharia Law in America– slaynews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would “absolutely” support prohibiting Sharia law in the United States, arguing that Americans should be governed under one legal system rather than competing religious codes.
Trump made the remarks during a live interview with conservative radio host Glenn Beck, who asked whether the president would support or sign legislation aimed at barring Sharia law.
“Number one, on Sharia law, I would absolutely say that’s not this country,” Trump said.
“There’s no Sharia law,” the president continued.
“And you do have pockets of it, as you know.”
The president pointed to developments in Europe as a warning for the United States.
“And you go to London, you go to Paris,” Trump said.
“It’s almost like a second way of life. It’s ridiculous.”
State Department Designates Antifa Linked Group as Global Terrorists– legalinsurrection.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Most people have heard of the far left collective known as Antifa, but few have probably ever heard of the Autistici/Inventati (A/I Collective). This Antifa linked group operates mainly out of Italy and provides support to Antifa in a number of ways, mostly through technological infrastructure.
The State Department has just designated them a global terror group.
EXCLUSIVE: State Dept reveals Portland Antifa connection to Hamas, Iran’s IRGC in sweeping terror action
A State Department memo reveals that an international technology collective, now under a U.S. global terrorism designation, provided services to overseas terrorist groups and violent far-left agitators causing chaos in American cities, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Far-left terrorism poses a profound threat to the United States and the broader West,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Today, the United States sanctioned Autistici/Inventati – a major far-left tech collective whose services are used by the most active and violent Antifa cells in the United States and across the world.”
Autistici/Inventati, called the A/I Collective by the State Department, is an Italy-based group that builds highly sophisticated digital infrastructure used by violent left-wing organizations in the United States and Europe, along with Islamic terrorists, according to the State Department. The collective’s services include encrypted chats and email, web hosting, secure video conferencing and streaming and anonymity shields, according to the memo…
A/I Collective has officially been deemed a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. The designation bars Americans and U.S. financial institutions from doing business with the group and freezes any assets it has under U.S. jurisdiction. Violators can face civil or criminal penalties.
Designation of Autistici/Inventati as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist
Today, the Department of State, in partnership with the Department of the Treasury, is announcing the designation of Autistici/Inventati as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Autistici/Inventati (A/I Collective) is an Italy-based extremist group that builds and operates the digital infrastructure for violent Antifa cells and other far-left militants across the world. A/I’s cadre of radical hackers and tech developers provide a full spectrum of services – including encrypted chats and email, web hosting, secure video conferencing and streaming, anonymity shields, and a suite of other technological tools – to Marxist, anarchist, and other left-wing extremist groups in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. These tools are specifically designed to support the operations of far-left terrorist networks, built to enable them to organize, recruit, communicate, disseminate propaganda, share target information and tactics, and carry out violent attacks – all while remaining anonymous, untraceable, and beyond the reach of the law.
The A/I Collective exclusively offers its tools and services to radical left-wing actors and manually vets all potential users for ideological affinity before granting them access to its infrastructure. The group has become a key node in a transnational campaign by violent and criminal far-left networks to destabilize the United States and its partners across Europe, the Western Hemisphere, and beyond. It currently claims to host roughly 16,000 mailboxes, 1,500 websites, 5,500 mailing lists, and 10,000 “blogs” on its custom-built platform, which militants frequently use to disseminate target information, tactical manuals and techniques, and communiqués about recent attacks.
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated entity that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and all U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.
AWFL Wisconsin TikToker is armed with a bow and arrows to rally an uprising for Lindsey Clancy (who murdered her three kids)– www.louderwithcrowder.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The harpies are going into battle! There is a Million AWFL March movement brewing in every state. Lindsey Clancy murdered her three children, and you would think, “Hey, that’s bad. What an evil person!” You would be wrong. Lindsey isn’t a woman so much as she is a symbol, signalling to other women that it’s…ok to murder your children? I’m honestly at a loss, and that’s before getting into why this broad is “armed” with a bow and a fanny pack.
Usual viral video disclaimers. Grok couldn’t provide be any more context on who this AWFL broad is. I’m assuming she doesn’t have any children of her own, but that’s just based on the fact that if she did, she seems like the kind of person who would include them in her content.
I know this is being shared around the X-Twitters to bait rage, and it’s working. My rage is, in point of fact, baited. Dare I say, I have AWFL fatigue. But if I’m being honest, I’m mostly put off by the laziness of it. You go through the trouble of setting up the tripod, putting on your homeliest dress, your fancy fanny pack, and grab a bow…just to stand there?
I’d expect at least a feminist Hunger Games motif. Katniss Everderp ready to storm the Capitol in support of President Snow’s wife sending him out on an errand so that she could murder their three children. Even if that was too much work, use that annoying whistling song from the movie as the backing track.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has made it clear he has no intentions of hold elections during the war with Russia. He claimed election in wartime would put the country at risk. A trip by CIA Chief Scott Bessent to Moscow was triggered by Russia’s preparation to launch an attack on NATO, unnamed sources claim.
Holding election in wartime would risk destroying Ukraine, says Zelenskyy – The Guardian– news.google.com News Source EXCERPT:
The Lindsay Clancy Case Exposes Pro-Lifers’ ‘Second Victim’ Lie– thefederalist.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Three children are dead at Lindsay Clancy’s hand, yet a rotten culture has rallied to make her the central victim. That reflex exposes a deep connection between Big Pro-Life, feminism, and wokeness. We cannot establish justice until we confront it.
Big Pro-Life insists that a mother who intentionally kills her preborn child is abortion’s “second victim,” not a morally responsible agent. The response to Lindsay Clancy carries that same presumption outside the womb: The mother is centered as victim, and accountability is recast as cruelty.
Hundreds of women have rallied in pink to support her. More than 31,000 donors have given more than $1 million to offset her parents’ costs of standing beside her. Three children are dead at their mother’s hand, yet she has become the central object of public sympathy, solidarity, and financial support.
Whether Clancy lacked criminal responsibility because of genuine mental incapacity must be judged according to evidence and due process. The scandal is that the culture answered that question in her favor before the jury could, directing its emotional energy toward her rather than her three dead children.
The Strait of Hormuz appears to be mostly opened, but not fully safe. The Trump administration has ended all negotiations with Iran, demanding total surrender. The U.S. has switched to economic warfare against Iran, of a scale never seen before. They’ve warned their allies that any refusal to go along with the U.S. plan will result in them being removed from the U.S. dollar system.
DOJ Moves to Confiscate Iran Oil As Legal War Prize – RedState– redstate.com News Source
EXCERPT:
During the Revolutionary War and before, war at sea was fought with some very different presumptions. The crews of warships were often as not paid in part by prize money, money earned from the ships and cargoes they captured. This process was handled by something called a maritime prize court. These courts would adjudicate the legality of any ship and cargo seizures under existing maritime law; they could also order the sale of ships and cargoes, with the proceeds going to the ship’s company.
The recipients of prize money weren’t always regular navy forces, either. Governments, including the newly formed United States government, would, in those times, issue something called a letter of marque, authorizing privately owned warships to hunt enemy ships on the high seas; these ships and their companies were called privateers. And, yes, the unfortunate side effect of that was that some of the privateers, when the war they were authorized to help fight ended, turned to piracy.
Now, though, the Department of Justice may be reactivating the maritime prize courts, something the United States has not done since our Civil War.
The Justice Department is preparing to activate a long-dormant maritime war court to streamline military capture of Iranian oil tankers as US prizes, according to three people familiar with the plans.
Reviving prize courts, which is expected to face legal challenges, is intended to strengthen the blockade of Iran and offset the cost of the conflict.
Aaron Reitz, the Houston-based US attorney whose office is partnering with department headquarters on the initiative, confirmed DOJ is “now reviving” prize courts, which he described as an “ancient body of maritime law.”
The unfinalized plans, if adopted, would offer a faster path for federal prosecutors to claim oil and other cargo taken from enemy or neutral vessels as US property. The seized goods would then be sold with proceeds transferred to the treasury.
The research team behind the study included Joel Finkelstein, chief science officer and co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute; Lee Jussim, head of the Social Perception Laboratory at Rutgers University; and Colin Wright, an evolutionary biologist who serves as a fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Together, they developed a “Clinical Gender Affirmation Scale,” measuring endorsement of five positions related to gender ideology.
Trump Bombshell: More Than 100 UN Terror Employees Referred for Taking Part in Hamas’ October 7 Atrocities– gellerreport.com News Source
EXCERPT:
President Trump dropped this bombshell: A report from USAID confirms that over 100 United Nations ‘ UNRWA employees have been referred for participating in October 7th Hamas atrocities.
The UN is an arm of the global jihad.
🚨 WOW! President Trump dropped this bombshell: A report from USAID confirms that over 100 United Nations pro-Palestine employees have been referred for participating in October 7th Hamas atrocities
USAID report finds more than 100 UNRWA employees participated in Hamas atrocities on Oct. 7
The agency referred a former United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees school teacher and Hamas operative for debarment for allegedly receiving and holding civilian hostages beginning on October 7, 2023.
The United States’ Agency for International Development’s Inspector General’s office announced Wednesday that it has referred more than 100 current or former employees of a United Nations relief agency to the State Department over their participation in the October 7 terror attacks in Israel.
The referrals include three people they suggested be debarred by the department, including a former United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees school teacher and Hamas operative who allegedly received and held civilian hostages beginning on October 7, 2023.
The agency did not give a full number of employees it referred, but said its investigation has resulted in one total debarment so far, after the individual was found to have coordinated communications with other suspected Hamas members during the terror attacks while serving as an UNRWA school principal.
This summer, America played host to one of the biggest international events on the planet, the World Cup, drawing millions of foreigners to our cities and towns, our stadiums and our national parks, where many of them had never been before.
The consensus was, America is awesome — visitors from Bolivia, Scotland, Uzbekistan and everywhere in between marveled at the sheer size of our great nation, the diversity of our topography, the deliciousness of our foodstuffs and, perhaps most importantly, the kindness of our people. (Not to mention, our eighth wonder of the world — Buc-ee’s.)
What a difference a month makes.
Despite our friends in far-flung places singing our praises, now, to hear our closest neighbors tell it, America is nothing but a “ bully” and a “ thug.”
After trade negotiations with Canada collapsed this week, and President Donald Trump announced a whopping 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods — including Canadian whiskey and hockey sticks — it’s no surprise our friends to the north are less than pleased with their downstairs neighbors.
In our defense, not all of us are responsible for electing the bully and thug in question — and if polls are any indication, most Americans agree with Canada that Trump is doing a terrible job. But still, it’s hard to hear.
