U.S. troops leave Iraq, but Iran-backed militias’ future is uncertain– www.latimes.com News Source
EXCERPT:
BEIRUT — America opened its “forever war” in Iraq more than 23 years ago with “Shock and Awe.” It ended it on Wednesday with little of either, even as the legacy of that conflict — which saw Iraq endure sectarian bloodbaths, civil war and an insurgency that made Baghdad the car bomb capital of the world — continues to cast its shadow on the country today.
President Trump, summing up the U.S. role in Iraq as “a very expensive excursion into Hell,” said, “This day is a victory for the United States, a victory for Iraq…. We’re getting the hell out of there.”
It was the second time U.S. forces have pulled out of Iraq. The first withdrawal took place in 2011, capping the occupation that began in 2003 and toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and which resulted in Iraqi deaths that number 110,000 to four times greater and the loss of about 4,500 U.S. service members.
But three years later, Islamic State jihadis scythed through wide swaths of Iraq, scooping up U.S.-supplied materiel — as Iraqi troops literally ran away — and seizing control of nearly a third of the country. The U.S., this time at the Iraqi government’s request, led a coalition in a campaign — named Inherent Resolve — that by 2017 had destroyed Islamic State’s caliphate and driven most of its fighters into Syria. Since then, Iraqi forces have fought Islamic State remnants engaged in a low-level insurgency around the country’s remote areas.
Punchbowl News reported that Republicans are broadly resigned to losses in California’s 48th District, Iowa’s 1st District, Nebraska’s 2nd District, New Jersey’s 7th District, and Pennsylvania’s 7th District—all GOP-held seats that in a neutral environment would be highly competitive.
“Nearly every senior Republican and Democrat involved in 2026 believes these five R seats are all but lost,” Punchbowl News co-founder Jake Sherman wrote in a post on X.
Three of those contests (CA-48, NE-02, and NJ-07) are currently rated as “Lean Democratic” races by the Cook Political Report, while Iowa’s 1st and Pennsylvania’s 7th are still in the “toss-up” category. Given that even Republicans say they are the underdogs in these seats, it suggests that the political handicapping organizations are slower to react to the electoral landscape and thus their current ratings may not reflect the true peril the GOP is in.
What’s more, Punchbowl reported that a handful of other districts are also close to being cooked. They include:
Punchbowl said these seats “are growing more difficult for Republicans but still within reach.” It’s why even the typically gun-shy race-rating groups have declared that it’s “almost impossible” for Republicans to keep control of the House.
Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio, who occupies a red-tinged House seat, is facing a brutal reelection bid due to domestic violence allegations against him.AP
Hasan Piker Implies the Left Owns James Talarico: ‘After He Wins, We Have to Remind Him We Allowed Him to Win This Seat’ (VIDEO)– www.thegatewaypundit.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Communist influencer Hasan Piker recently spoke about Texas Democrat James Talarico in an almost dismissive way, strongly suggesting that the radical left owns him, saying that if Talarico wins, they will have to remind him that they ‘allowed’ him to win the seat.
If Piker is talking this way about Talarico, just imagine what he thinks about Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. Piker campaigned with him extensively.
This is a stunning moment captured on video. Talk about saying the quiet part out loud.
Watch:
Hasan Piker says he’ll make sure James Talarico follows his far-Left agenda if he becomes a Senator:
“After James Talarico wins…we have to remind him that…we are the force that allowed him to win this seat of power, and if he wants to maintain it he’s got to play ball.” pic.twitter.com/NjZu6n8LJ5
DOJ Announces Federal Indictments Against 10 Foreign Nationals Accused of Illegal Voting in Minnesota and Judicial Misconduct Complaint– amgreatness.com News Source EXCERPT:
The Department of Justice on Wednesday announced federal indictments against ten foreign nationals accused of illegally registering and voting in Minnesota elections, while also filing a judicial misconduct complaint against nearly the entire federal bench in the deep blue state.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said a federal grand jury returned the indictments alleging nine counts of illegal voting by an alien and nine counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register to vote.
“Today’s charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August’s primary,” said AG Blanche. “The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy. That should not be a partisan concept.”
During a press conference with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Blanche said the defendants illegally Voted in the November 2022 and 2024 General Election and as recently as the August 2026 Primary Election.
The defendants come from Liberia, Lithuania, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. Notably, one defendant, Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, is accused of voting illegally in the August 2026 primary.
Blanche told reporters that since President Trump returned to office, the Justice Department has prosecuted more than 90 people with voter related offenses, including 50 aliens in just the past five weeks. He added that there are currently hundreds of voter fraud cases being investigated across the country. Blanche contrasted that with the merely 13 cases that were investigated during the Biden years.
“That’s much different from what we’re doing,” Blanche said. “We’re focused on accountability and restoring trust in our elections.”
Blanche also announced that the Justice Department just filed the judicial misconduct complaint with 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, accusing all but one of the Minnesota judges of violating various judicial canons, including speaking to the media during active lawsuits.
“Specifically, the former chief judge spoke on the record to the New York Times about the immigration [enforcement] surge late last year and early this year in Minneapolis,” Blanche told reporters.
The AG was referring to Judge Patrick Schiltz, the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Minnesota, who gave a 90-minute interview to the Timesin which he described the administration’s handling of Operation Metro Surge as a “grave threat to the rule of law.”
Six other members of Minnesota’s federal bench also agreed to speak with the Times, Blanche said, accusing them of violating their ethical duties.
The Justice Department argues that the Times article demonstrated that the judges had an animosity toward the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), undermining the impartiality of the federal court in Minnesota.
“These judges should be ordered to recuse from any matters involving DHS because the public reasonably questions their impartiality in cases involving immigration,” said Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward in the formal complaint.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin emphasized that the Trump administration will not allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by illegal votes.
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” Mullin stated. “Under President Trump’s leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders.”
The defendants and their charges include:
Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote. She is alleged to have falsely claimed United States citizenship when registering to vote on October 18, 2024. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a Lithuanian national: on one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on November 8, 2022. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a Ghanian national: on two counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on August 11, 2026, and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on October 23, 2024 and August 11, 2026. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 28, 2026.
Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a Liberian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 28, 2026.
Paul Kras, 78, a German national: on one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58,a Bosnian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a Brazilian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Chis Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a Liberian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a Canadian national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. He is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had his initial appearance in the District of Massachusetts on September 29, 2026.
Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a South African national: on one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien. She is alleged to have voted illegally as an alien in Minnesota and falsely claimed United States citizenship in order to vote on November 5, 2024. The defendant had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 29, 2026.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and are being prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Teirab, according to the DOJ press release.
In Issue 2026.33, 2A Beyond Guns, we feature the 3rd part of our Futureq series, which is a look at the emerging technologies and practices that could equip or challenge sustainable flourishing. In this third part, we examine the technologies creating the New Model Military of the 21st Century.
Our Weekly Bellwether Report covers Biden Knew, AfD Victory, Greenland Secure, and more.
In Tools of Engagement, we prepare you to vote, share the prophets, and how to read agit prop.
In our Final Thought, Paul Collier updates you on our Hope Estates Project, where Hope Gets an Apartment.
I. Futureq Pt. 3: Defense in the 21st Century – The Technologies
II. Weekly Bellwether Report – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance
III. Tools of Engagement
IV. Futureq Pt. 3: Defense in the 21st Century – The New Model Army
V. Monthly Bellwether Report – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance
VI. Final Thought: Hope has an Apartment – Upholding Our Hope Exit Estate Project
U.S., China to slash tariffs on goods worth US$30B after Trump-Xi meeting – National– globalnews.ca News Source
EXCERPT:
The United States and China released Monday reciprocal lists of products worth about US$30 billion each that will see tariff cuts, from American hair products to Chinese toys, in a deal expected to boost bilateral trade.
The details came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in his first state visit to the U.S. since 2015. The U.S. had already reduced tariffs against China after Trump’s tariffs reached as high as 145 per cent at one point last year, as tensions between the two countries eased.
China’s commerce ministry said in a statement the agreement will help strengthen trade cooperation.
REPORT: Sensitive Data Of FBI Agents Stolen In Hack– trendingpoliticsnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The hacking group known as ShinyHunters is claiming that had obtained sensitive personnel information associated with Federal Bureau of Investigation employees and job applicants.
The group said the data was taken from systems linked to the FBI’s jobs portal and related services. According to a report from ABC News, which reviewed sample records, portions of the material appeared consistent with public records and other available information.
The FBI said it was investigating the claims and had not publicly confirmed the full scope of any intrusion or the origin of all of the material.
“We have compromised the FBI,” the group wrote in a message addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and Cyber Division official Brett Leatherman. “We hold very sensitive data on almost ALL FBI Agents and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job.”
The group further stated that the operation was a response to a May 2026 FBI public advisory describing ShinyHunters’ methods and advising targets not to pay. It demanded that the FBI “correct or simply REMOVE” the advisory within a week.
In addition, the group said the effort was “not financially motivated and claimed to have taken two to three terabytes of data. They later stated that the material covered tens of thousands of current and former personnel and applicants.
‼️ BREAKING: The FBI hack exposed members of the Bureau’s own secretive hacking team, leaving their addresses, phone numbers and in some cases their spouses’ names in the stolen data.
Three entries in the list of 5,000 alleged FBI officials that ShinyHunters shared with media… pic.twitter.com/unTkJg4V6F
Illinois Wants Gun Makers to Pay the State’s Entire Firearm Injury Bill for the Right to Sell There– www.usacarry.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Key Takeaways
House Bill 3320 would require firearm manufacturers in Illinois to obtain a state license by January 1, 2028, or face hefty penalties.
The licensing fees will reflect the public health costs associated with firearm injuries and deaths.
The bill establishes a fund to assist victims of firearms, financed by the collected fees from manufacturers.
An amendment proposes a broader regulatory framework that ties fees to the number of crimes associated with a manufacturer’s firearms.
Both HB 3320 and its Senate counterpart have not yet passed and are currently in committee but have significant support.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
SPRINGFIELD, IL — House Bill 3320, the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation Act, would bar any firearm manufacturer from operating in Illinois without a state license beginning January 1, 2028, and would set the total collected from those licenses at whatever the state calculates as the “public health costs and financial burdens from firearm injuries and deaths.”
The bill, introduced by Rep. Kevin John Olickal, creates the licensing program inside the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. A manufacturer operating in Illinois without that license after January 1, 2028 is subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000,000 per month. A retailer who sells an Illinois consumer a firearm made by an unlicensed manufacturer is subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation. The Department may impose other civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, and the Attorney General may enforce the Act.
The fee structure is the part worth reading twice. This is not a charge calibrated to the administrative cost of licensing a regulated business. The bill says the sum of all firearms manufacturer license fees shall be equal to the public health costs and financial burdens from firearm injuries and deaths in Illinois. Whatever number the state assigns to those injuries and deaths becomes the invoice, split among the companies that lawfully manufacture a lawful product.
Just ahead of the midterms, President Donald Trump’s approval rating hit an all-time low at just 32%. This is according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos Poll. Coming as they do just before the midterms, this does not bode well for the GOP ticket.
Poll: Trump’s Approval Rating Drops to New Low as Midterms Loom– www.breitbart.com News Source
EXCERPT:
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a new low in another poll as the midterms are just weeks away.
Surveying 1,277 likely voters with a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that the president’s overall approval stands at 32 percent. Even among Republicans, the president’s approval saw a significant drop in the week from 82 percent to 73 percent — a drop from 86 percent in January of this year and 91 percent following the inauguration in January 2025.
The president’s approval among Republicans has been steadily declining since the Iran conflict began, with recent polling showing a drop among his base even on economic issues. Since January, Republican support for Trump’s handling of the economy has dropped to 56 percent while Republican support for his handling of the cost of living has dropped to 44 percent.
“For really his entire political career, the president has enjoyed very strong support among the Republican Party and among his base, and that’s still true today, but it’s a bit less true,” Alec Tyson, senior vice president and lead pollster at Ipsos Public Affairs, told the Hill.
“Those are striking numbers,” Tyson added, “Numbers that we hadn’t seen until recent weeks here in our Ipsos polling.”
Approval ratings for the president as the midterms loom have ranged from as high as 39 percent to as low as 29 percent. According to Fox News, Republican performance in the coming midterms will hinge on several factors, most specifically inflation and base enthusiasm:
Democrats last week heavily criticized Trump and Republicans after the president argued that fuel costs were “a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” as he pointed to the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, the latest Fox News poll indicated that by a wide margin, the Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation.
But when asked about the overall economy, recent national surveys from Reuters/Ipsos and NBC News had the GOP and Democrats all knotted up on which party would better handle the issue.
The Supreme Court of the United States shut down the 2025 map for the Missouri midterm election, reinstating the 2022 map that preserves the Democrat-favored U.S. House District.
The unsigned order simply declared “At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos.” It should be noted that the primaries were based on the 2025 election map, giving doubt to SCOTUS’ ‘chaos’ claim as the basis for their ruling.
Supreme Court, for third time, rejects GOP’s bid to use Republican-friendly maps in Missouri– www.washingtontimes.com News Source EXCERPT:
The Supreme Court rejected Republicans’ latest attempt to revive a GOP-tilted map for November’s congressional elections, ruling for a third time that even though the state held primaries under the new map, the old one must be used.
Theordore DeBlasio was awarded $670,000 in his lawsuit against New Jersey’s Essex County. He sued the county after he was fired for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. He applied for a religious exemption, but the county refused his appeal. While he was being denied a religious exemption, Muslims in the county were not.
Another Incredible Win Against the Covid Tyrants: New Jersey Jury Delivers Unanimous 8–0 Verdict for Christian Groundskeeper Fired Over a Religious Exemption — Awarded $671,000– www.thegatewaypundit.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A New Jersey jury just delivered a message that the Democrat machine in Essex County did not want to hear.
On Friday, an Essex County jury returned a unanimous 8–0 verdict for Theodore “Teddy” DeBlasio, a longtime groundskeeper at Essex County Hospital Center who was fired after the county denied his religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The panel awarded him more than $670,000 for economic and emotional harm. Attorneys’ fees are still to come. Punitive damages are next.
Attorney John D. Coyle of Coyle Law Group called it New Jersey’s first jury verdict in a COVID-19 religious exemption case.
DeBlasio, raised Catholic and now a Christian, objected to taking a shot tested or developed using aborted fetal cell lines. That is a sincerely held religious belief millions of Americans share. Essex County treated it like a punchline.
According to trial evidence cited by Coyle Law Group, in February 2022 the county denied every religious exemption request submitted by Christian and Catholic employees, and approved every request submitted by Muslim employees.
Bessent: Iran’s Economy Will Have ‘Nothing Left to Trade’ in Two Weeks– www.breitbart.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Sunday that Iran will have “nothing left to trade for anything” within roughly two weeks as its remaining oil reaches China, arguing that the Trump administration’s economic campaign has brought Tehran “to its knees” and is driving the regime to seek a deal.
Bessent said only about 15 million barrels of Iranian oil remain on the water as the United States maintains its blockade of Iranian exports, leaving Tehran close to exhausting one of its remaining major sources of revenue.
“I am confident, given that there are only 15 million more barrels of Iranian oil on the water, that Iran will have nothing left to trade for anything,” Bessent told Fox News’s Larry Kudlow on Sunday Morning Futures.
Bessent put the remaining window at roughly two weeks.
“Probably within the next two weeks, they are going to make their final deliveries of oil to China, and then they will have nothing,” he said. “It is an empty set, and I believe they are feeling the pressure here and that’s why they want a deal.”
Bessent’s assessment comes as President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while signaling that negotiations could continue this week, saying Iran is now seeking terms Washington might have accepted before the war.
“They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make,” Trump told Axios on Sunday. “It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago. They overplayed their hand.”
Venezuelans rally to demand opposition leader’s safe return, presidential elections– abcnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
CARACAS, Venezuela — Supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado took to the country’s streets on Sunday to demand her safe return and presidential elections that could lead to a democratic transition in Venezuela. The government has been widely accused of stealing elections, jailing dissidents and stifling freedom of speech.
In Caracas, hundreds of activists in sky blue shirts — the color of Machado’s Vente Venezuela party — rode motorcycles and drove through the city’s main avenues, honking their horns and waving Venezuelan flags. Similar demonstrations were held in state capitals including Valencia, Maracaibo and Merida.
“This is not a matter of parties or politics,” said Flavio Valentini, a Vente Venezuela activist in Caracas who grabbed a megaphone and addressed the crowd. “This is a movement for the people and by the people.”
Machado has been living in exile for the past nine months, and has had her plans to return to Venezuela spoiled multiple times. Opposition activists have accused Venezuela’s government of blocking her return, a claim denied by Venezuelan authorities.
Machado’s party said this week that on Monday night, the opposition leader made three unsuccessful attempts to return.
“We hope this transition process leads us to presidential elections and consolidates a free, democratic country that will be the main ally of the United States,” said Anthony Romero, a leader for Vente Venezuela in the nation’s capital.
Machado, one of Venezuela’s most popular political leaders, was barred from running in Venezuela’s last presidential election by courts under the control of former President Nicolás Maduro. But her stand-in candidate is widely believed to have won the election with almost two thirds of the vote.
Lame-duck TN lawmaker throws kitchen sink at Trump with 26 articles of impeachment | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Democratic Tennessee Representative Steve Cohen introduced over two dozen articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump this week. The move comes after the House rejected a separate impeachment resolution earlier this month.
Cohen’s 26 articles cover a broad range of allegations, ranging from Trump’s immigration policies to use of military force, to election rhetoric. The first article accuses Trump of “undermining democracy” by promoting doubt in US elections, while another accuses him of abusing his power by waging war in Iran without congressional approval. A separate article focuses on Trump’s deployment of military forces against US cities to combat unruly political agitators and crime.
“Trump is clearly the most impeachable President our country has ever endured. His continued presence in office is a danger to our democracy,” Cohen claimed in a press release. “That the sycophantic Republican majority in Congress is derelict in its duty does not mean that I must abandon my responsibilities. I took an independent oath to support and defend the Constitution. That commitment compels me to introduce this resolution today. When historians write about this period, and our constituents ask who stood up to President Trump’s lawlessness, this resolution is the answer.”
The effort comes less than two weeks after the House rejected an impeachment attempt brought forward by Representative Al Green. Green’s effort was narrower, focusing on Trump’s immigration policies and accusing him of abusing presidential authority after the killings of several civilians by federal agents.
It remains to be seen how Democrats will decide to move forward with impeachment attempts against Trump. The House voted to table Green’s resolution, and Democratic leaders did not endorse the effort.
U.S. Ambassador David Purdue Says Trump Offered To Sell U.S. Weapons To Chinese President Xi Jinping During Meeting– wltreport.com News Source
EXCERPT:
U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue gave some inside details on President Trump’s recent meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Perdue, in a recent interview with Fox News, shared that President Trump offered the Chinese President to buy U.S. weapons.
The former Senator from Georgia, however, did not reveal what Xi Jinping said in response to Trump’s offer.
Mediaite provided quotes from Ambassador David Perdue:
President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he would like to buy American weapons during the communist politician’s three day trip to the States last week, according to U.S. Ambassador to China David Purdue.
The ambassador shared the surprising news during an interview on Fox News Sunday with anchor Shannon Bream.
“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world.’ He actually asked President Xi if he would like to buy some, at one point,” Purdue said.
The comment came as he defended Trump’s relationship with Taiwan, with Purdue arguing Trump has “already sold 50% more arms to Taiwan than any other president since 1979.”
He said Trump’s support for an independent Taiwan should not be questioned, before saying the president is always in deal-making mode, even when it comes to potentially selling arms to America’s biggest rival.
Here’s the moment Perdue made the comments:
US Ambassador to China David Perdue says in their recent meeting Trump asked President Xi if China wanted to buy weapons systems from the US. pic.twitter.com/vdiT1RMCHE
Since the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards were established in 1975, they have been periodically updated, typically to make vehicles more efficient. Under former President Joe Biden’s standards, automakers would have had to increase the fuel efficiency of their passenger cars and light trucks to roughly 50 miles per gallon by 2031. The stricter standards were designed to incentivize electric vehicle production and sales in the U.S.
Trump presented the policy change as a boon for both automakers and consumers, though the final standards have not yet been publicly detailed.
“These new Standards will take the waste out of building cars in America. That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car — Far better than the Environmental Monsters that we were building heretofore,” he wrote in the Truth Social post. “Every Manufacturer, from General Motors to Ford to Stellantis, has called me wanting to build here, and now they can!”
The regulatory change would fulfill a campaign promise from Trump to rescind policies that encouraged or incentivized electric vehicles.
ICE: Arrests of Illegal Immigrants, ‘Collaterals’ Will Continue– legalinsurrection.com News Source
EXCERPT:
ICE officers can still arrest illegal immigrants without additional criminal histories, including during operations targeting someone else. The Trump administration says that has not changed.
President Donald Trump told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin that anyone in the country illegally remains “on the table” for arrest and deportation. ICE field offices also received new guidance reaffirming that authority.
“I’ve spoken on the phone with President Trump and nine ICE & DHS sources about this today. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I’ve spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it. It’s unclear who it started with. However, I’m told it’s erroneous, was some type of “miscommunication” during conversations about prioritizing “worst first”, and there is no change in immigration enforcement policy. President Trump tells me anyone in the country illegally remains “on the table” for ICE arrest & deportation. I’m also told new guidance went out to ICE field offices tonight to reaffirm this and that yes, arrests of illegal aliens and “collaterals” without additional criminal history will continue. ICE sources confirm to me they received the new guidance.
I’m not really sure what happened here – but everyone is on the same page, including President Trump, in telling me that his immigration enforcement agenda isn’t scaling back.”
I’ve spoken on the phone with President Trump and nine ICE & DHS sources about this today. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Yes, this verbal guidance did go out to ICE offices across the country last night. I’ve spoken with ICE agents who received it & were shocked & frustrated by it.… https://t.co/BVGsEbvjCu
Muslim group fears ‘France will become Catholic again’– www.lifesitenews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A French Muslim apologetics group that actively opposes a Catholic revival has predicted that France could “become Catholic again” within a few generations, following the Pope’s enthusiastic reception in Paris.
On September 25 the group Miséricorde pour l’Houmanité (“Mercy for Humanity”) published a message on X predicting that “France will become Catholic again” amid what it described as a growing Catholic revival, strengthened by American Catholic influence. The group lamented that such a revival could undermine Islam’s spiritual influence in Western Europe.
Je suis triste quand je vois toute cette effervescence autour du catholicisme, je prédisais cela depuis des années et j’ai l’impression d’être un agent de la CIA qui assisterait impuissant au retour de l’Union Soviétique.
Dans 45 ans la France redeviendra catholique et nous…
Trump Invokes Rare Authority To Cancel Nearly $1,000,000,000 In Congressionally Approved Spending– dailycaller.com News Source
EXCERPT:
President Donald Trump has moved to cancel more than $800 million that Congress approved for refugee aid, migrant education and diversity programs.
The White House announced late Friday it would rescind $810 million in appropriated funds through a rare budgetary tool called a pocket rescission, according to CBS News. The largest cut, $567 million, hit Health and Human Services (HHS) accounts that funded nonprofits serving refugees and asylees, according to the administration.
The reductions also covered $70 million for programs the administration branded “Woke International Education,” $56 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counseling grants and $25 million in migrant student education. The education money once paid for an LGBT youth summit and “Therapy for Latinx” workshops.
Among the groups losing support was Southwest Key Programs, which received $40 million and faced a Justice Department suit alleging its staff sexually harassed and abused unaccompanied minors, according to the White House. Another was Global Refuge, an immigration nonprofit led by a former policy director for Michelle Obama.
The cuts drew a rebuke from Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, according to CBS News. She called the package an effort to “undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse” and said lawmakers received no warning, according to her statement on X.
Without warning or consultation, Congress just received an $810 million package of pocket rescissions from the Administration. This is the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse.
Trump administration cracks down on fraudulent ‘birth tourism’– www.lifesitenews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration will restrict visas for individuals who “engage in or facilitate” birth tourism, a practice that exploits the United States’ 14th Amendment granting automatic citizenship to any child born within the U.S.
“Foreign commercial birth tourism networks have exploited the U.S. immigration system to sell U.S. citizenship for profit. These networks advertise and coach foreign nationals to lie on U.S. visa applications and collect tens of thousands of dollars to arrange births on American soil for the sole purpose of obtaining U.S. citizenship,” Rubio explained in a press release.
The new policy targets foreigners “who knowingly engage in, have engaged in, or facilitate birth tourism to the United States, including owners, operators, and managers of commercial birth tourism facilitation networks, visa ‘fixers’ who coach applicants to commit fraud, foreign medical providers who knowingly abet and facilitate such travel and the fraudulent use of our Medicaid system, and other individuals who support, abet, and enable commercial birth tourism.”
The Trump administration has sought to use every tool at its disposal to defend the integrity of U.S. citizenship, protect American public benefits and U.S. taxpayers from exploitation, and safeguard national security according to the Secretary of State.
“By restricting visa issuance of those who both engage in and profit from this fraud, we are sending a clear message: The United States will not allow foreigners to exploit our immigration system and violate the sanctity of U.S. citizenship,” he declared.
Venezuela releases dozens of prisoners following meeting between Trump and interim leader– abcnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
BOGOTA, Colombia — Human rights groups in Venezuela said that significant numbers of political prisoners were released in the South American country on Saturday, though the total number of those freed has still not been determined.
The prisoner releases follow a meeting Tuesday between Interim President Delcy Rodríguez and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In her speech at the UN, Rodríguez said Venezuela, whose government has been widely accused of jailing dissidents, stealing elections and stifling freedom of speech, has “begun a process of democratic transformation.”
In a message posted on X, the Venezuelan human rights group Clippve said seven political prisoners were released from a prison on the outskirts of Caracas on Saturday morning, including Wilder Vasquez, a university student who had been sentenced to five years in prison for participating in a 2018 plot to kill former President Nicolás Maduro. Vasquez has long claimed he was innocent. His sentence had expired in 2023.
In another X message, the human rights group Justicia Encuentro y Perdon said that 29 people were released from Venezuelan prisons Saturday, including 12 inmates who were on its list of political prisoners.
“Seventeen of those freed were not in our database of political prisoners,” the organization said. “Our team continues to verify information to update our registry.”
America’s ‘AI czar’ could revolutionize our form of government– www.theblaze.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Donald Trump is considering a small handful of candidates for “AI czar” — notionally, a Cabinet-level role overseeing the industry, the technology, and something the president is calling, perhaps in the spirit of Space Force, the “AI Force.”
Trump has not specified much beyond that. Nobody rumored to be under consideration seems especially eager for the job.
Perhaps we don’t need someone with the power of a czar to rule AI. Perhaps we need someone with the authority of a saint to counsel us about it.
Plenty of reasons suggest themselves.
Not quite everything is computer. Many crucial components of America’s good working order still require special and undivided attention of their own. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is no longer being considered because of the importance of his current role. The logic is arguably the same for White House science and technology adviser Michael Kratsios and other potential candidates.
And, as the untimely demise of Czar Nicholas II and his family at the hands of the communists reminds us, a czar invested with enough power and authority can swiftly become a scapegoat or blood sacrifice of the highest order.
Which brings us to the momentous possibilities unsealed simply by creating a high office called AI czar.
Polls show most Americans think democracy is doing poorly. For a growing share across the political spectrum, that is not necessarily a bad thing.
HAMAS IN OUR SCHOOLS: Antisemitic Narratives Are Reaching K-12 Classrooms– gellerreport.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The devastating harm of this indoctrination is incalculable. Just today comes a story of North Carolina High School students planningto “kill as many Jews as possible” in North Carolina. These things don’t just happen. They are made to happen.
For years my colleagues and I have reported on the infiltration of jihadis and far left radical anxious to use schools and textbooks to proselytize for Islam. It fell on deaf ears or was widely derided as conspiracy nuttery.
Hamas in our schools? Concern surfaces that anti-Israel narratives are reaching K-12 classrooms
What children learn about terrorism, Israel, and Jewish identity is being shaped in public classrooms, but questions have arisen as to whether schools are vetting the teachers and materials presenting those subjects.
OpenAI pauses training after a model escaped containment, and its kill switch failed– www.techspot.com News Source
EXCERPT:
What just happened? As almost every new day brings stories of another AI agent going rogue and breaching an organization’s systems, OpenAI has announced a pause in the training of its most powerful artificial intelligence models. The announcement came hours after the company disclosed more incidents of its agents acting concerningly, and a separate report that its agents unsuccessfully tried to hack into a US Department of Education website.
OpenAI’s incident report links the pause to a separate September 20 escape from a restricted training environment. An internal research model found a gap in DNS filtering and used it to contact an external chatbot while attempting to answer a research question – so much for keeping it offline.
The company says the suspension covers training, evaluations, and running its most capable models with tools. Work will resume after OpenAI validates its fixes and completes additional adversarial testing. The particular model involved will not resume training; the company plans a fresh run with additional alignment improvements.
The monitoring system did raise an alert within 15 minutes, which a human acknowledged three minutes later. Unfortunately, the automatic shutdown failed to happen, and the run continued for another two and a half hours before someone stopped it manually.
Separately, Transluce reported that agents apparently linked to OpenAI attempted to break into the US Education Department’s civil rights website. OpenAI has not confirmed that incident, while the department said it found no evidence its website or databases were affected.
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