[guest post by Dana]

Oof:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday is traveling to Iowa in his “personal capacity,” the Pentagon said in a statement, further fueling speculation that the former Fox News personality is mulling a run for president . . .

In response to questions, the Pentagon said in a statement that it does “not proactively announce events” that Hegseth attends “in his personal capacity.”

. . .

Officials familiar with Hegseth’s thinking believe that he is considering a run for president or some other political office after his time in the Trump administration is over. The travel to Iowa, a presidential campaign proving ground, fits that pattern, one of those officials said Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to be candid.

It’s jarring to realize how many not great individuals believe that they would be the best candidate for the most powerful position in the world. But then I think about how a majority of Americans believed that Trump would be the best person for the job and gave him their vote – twice. . .

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

A good read:

I serve as a print reporter with the White House travel pool, which means that my office is on Air Force One.

Last Tuesday, while I was in that office, I stayed for four hours acting as a body double for a Boeing 747 and wrote a 600-word account of the event, dating it ‘aboard Air Force One’, the most desirable byline in American journalism, and on that particular journey, the piece was entirely fictional.

After the NATO summit we boarded in Ankara, as is usual. There is a clear hierarchy when it comes to the seats. The AP is given the better one, the wires receive the ones after that, and I ended up with the seat next to the galley, something which I minded for the first 40 minutes of my life as a decoy, until I realised that the galley was empty and that its emptiness was going to become the one most interesting fact of my career.

About the danger:

Earlier that day, American officials had come to the president with alarming information. The Iranians knew which luxury chain hotel he’d been staying at in Ankara. They were aware of how his motorcade was moving around the Turkish capital. And they remained intent on killing him — potentially by using a shoulder-mounted missile to take down Air Force One, US officials familiar with the matter told CNN.

The level of detail Iran had been able to ascertain about Trump’s arrangements in the Turkish capital alarmed his team, even though some American officials thought it implausible an Iranian plot to kill him could be successful at the highly fortified NATO summit.

Asking the question: What if the remaining passengers had perished on the plane?:

We’re left with this question: What if they had died? What if the plane had been shot down, killing everyone aboard, and Trump had been forced to explain why he didn’t warn them before they took off?

Why did Trump’s closest cronies, like Dan Scavino and Natalie “The Human Printer” Harp, get to abscond with him in the catering truck and secretly board Hegseth’s plane while others weren’t so lucky?

Harp was Trump’s “first pick” to join him in his aerial lifeboat, a source told the Daily Mail. Why not Miller, a father of four children whose latest is 2 months old?

My guess is that the president would have glibly answered the criticism with something along the lines of what he told reporters on the flight home from Britain: Perhaps they all should have changed professions.

Second news item

Pete Hegseth disagrees with reports about the conditions and mental status of those on the USS Lincoln:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday claimed that conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier have been “completely misrepresented” following reports that sailors, struggling with low morale during a grueling deployment, have attempted to jump overboard.

Speaking with Newsmax, Hegseth did not directly address reports of supply shortages, water contamination and deteriorating mental health on the Abraham Lincoln, nor did he say when the vessel would return stateside after leaving San Diego in November.

Then why is a Navy aircraft carrier now on its way to replace the Lincoln?

Third news item

Still in captivity:

The United Nations estimates that more than 16,000 civilians detained by Russia during its war in Ukraine are still being “deprived of their liberty,” many held incommunicado and on grounds that don’t comply with international law.

“Widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment” of both Ukrainian civilian detainees and prisoners of war by Russia are continuing, including sexual violence, said Claudia Fuentes Julio, the U.N. assistant secretary-general for human rights.

This is aside from the tens of thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children still missing.

Fourth news item

Public unhappy with Flock cameras. The company responds:

Flock — a tech surveillance firm that makes AI-enabled cameras that scans and collects license plate information — announced new guardrails Thursday after multiple reports of abuse by law enforcement and amid growing public backlash over mass urveillance technology.

The new safeguards include requiring law enforcement to label every search with a with a criminal case number, and instituting an automatic review for abnormal search activities, which will trigger proactive lockouts for those users.

The company also said it will introduce a seven-day data retention default instead of the past default of 30 days.

A huge problem has been the abuse of the system:

Companies like Flock Safety have now blanketed thousands of communities with ALPRs, quietly assembling powerful mass surveillance systems that can reconstruct where people have been, when, and how often, all without a warrant.

This dragnet surveillance threatens the freedoms the Fourth Amendment was adopted to protect. These concerns aren’t just abstractions: every day, innocent people are harmed by officials’ abuse and misuse of these ALPRs. Here are just a few examples:

In Florida, a woman was stalked and pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy who saw her at a TV shoot.

In Texas, a sheriff’s deputy used 83,000 Flock ALPRs to find a woman who had allegedly had a medication abortion, at the behest of her abusive partner.

In Georgia, a police chief tracked his ex-girlfriend and her teenage daughter roughly 600 times.

All told, the Institute for Justice (IJ) has identified well over 100 incidents of ALPR abuse, including romantic stalking, wrongful stops and detentions, non-law enforcement use, and other types of misconduct.

Then there is this:

A Haines City, Florida, police officer has been charged with official misconduct after allegedly misusing Flock Safety surveillance cameras 717 times to track his estranged wife’s vehicle.

And this:

A North Carolina police officer has been arrested for allegedly using Flock license plate readers to track her boyfriend’s ex-wife, according to police, as use of the Flock camera system across the U.S. has come under fire.

The Mooresville Police Department was conducting an audit of its Flock license plate reader system when it discovered officer Elizabeth Snowman allegedly accessed the system 31 times for personal use, Mooresville Police Chief Ron Campurciani said.

And this:

For the third time in the past week, a Valley police department says data from its automated license plate readers may have been compromised.

Goodyear police say the department caught suspicious activity during a routine audit of its Flock camera system last month.

. . .

“On July 22, investigators identified activity involving an officer that raised concerns about a potential violation of department policy,” police said.

The officer in question was placed on administrative leave, and the officer’s access to department computer systems has been restricted.

And so it goes.

Fifth news item

Oh come on:

The latest report follows another 404 Media investigation published on July 17 that examined Thomson Reuters’ expanding role in providing personal data to the U.S. government.

According to that report, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to pay Thomson Reuters $125 million to provide access to its databases as part of investigations into alleged voter fraud and immigration fraud. The agreement is worth $25 million annually over five years.

Sixth news item

So not going after the “worst of the worst”:

An Associated Press investigation found that the Trump administration has detained more than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. service members since the president returned to office as part of its immigration crackdown. At least six have been deported, one has self-deported and eight immediate relatives of service members remain in federal immigration custody.

. . .

Parents and spouses of people in the military have generally been shielded from deportation under bipartisan consensus for decades. But the AP found they’re now routinely being detained for months as they try to adjust their legal status through the policies available to service members’ close relatives and even as the military continues to recruit by advertising immigration benefits for enlistees’ families. Experts warn that the reversal could undermine military preparedness even as the U.S. is at war in Iran. It’s left military members without emotional support and caretakers for their children, delayed deployments and forced some to take leave.

Reactions to the report were swift in the condemnation of the findings:

“So they’re actually deporting men and women in uniform who are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect and defend the United States of America. . .Is that really how shortsighted and stupid they are, that they are deporting people that want to serve in uniform and risk their lives for America?”

“Is there any starker example, any starker illustration, of how much this administration has lied to America about going after ‘the worst of the worst’ – only the worst of the worst?. . .They’re going after veterans, they’re going after active duty servicemen, servicewomen, they’re going after the mothers of sergeants! The worst of the worst?”

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.

ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” for officers and agents by March, according to a notice published Monday by the Department of Homeland Security.

The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC of Lexington, Kentucky. They have been used in recent years

With “roughly 60% of Americans disapproving of ICE job performance and 65% stating the agency has gone too far in its enforcement actions,” any decision to provide agents with the aforementioned devices will only serve to increase the danger for immigrants who are here legally and American citizens of the wrong color. We’ve seen too many American citizens experience brutality, and even murder at the hands of aggressive, masked agents who have no interest in any defense that detained individuals may be able to provide.

This is an insane proposition and I hope it doesn’t come to pass.

Preemptive strike: No, this does not prove that I am against securing our borders, or detaining and deporting violent criminals illegally in the United States. Moreover, the natural response of anyone illegal, legal, or a citizen being brutally attacked by armed and masked thugs is to fight back. One is overtaken by fear, and yet self-preservation supersedes all else. Nothing good will come of this.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

About Trump and that Air Force One switcheroo, questions must be asked. First, in summary:

It was already reported last month that, due to security concerns, the White House had scrapped a return flight on the new Qatari-gifted plane that Trump uses as Air Force One in favor of the older plane. (Trump had initially claimed it was so US service members could tour the new plane.) The old plane has better security features than the retrofitted, new plane. And given Turkey borders Iran, that precaution would make sense.

It’s now clear that Trump boarded the legacy plane, then was secretly transferred via a catering truck to a smaller Air Force C-32A. He flew that to UK, where he kept up the ruse by covertly re-boarding the old Air Force One, deplaning for cameras and then got on the Qatari-gifted plane for the return flight home.

The security concern in question was a “credible Iranian threat”.

It should also be noted that remaining on the plane, as the president sought safety on the smaller aircraft, were a number of passengers:

As officials apparently sought to shield Trump from a credible Iranian threat, White House staff, Secret Service agents, U.S. Military members and journalists remained aboard the decoy aircraft.

So, they were left to face whatever possible threat there was to the president, as well as to the aircraft. The remaining passengers had apparently no knowledge about the risk they were taking by remaining on board.

After the ruse was over, Trump and the administration continued to lie about what took place. Why?

Additionally:

Was there any alternative to that, such as allowing everyone else to fly out on other airplanes? Why were reporters not informed? (Sometimes such information can be shared on an embargoed basis, in which reporters have the information but can’t publish it. . .) And lastly, what precautions were taken to protect the legacy plane?

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

The horrific allegations:

A sordid, yearslong family drama involving two powerful Republican members of Congress from Ohio and allegations of domestic abuse is threatening to put a fairly safe G.O.P. House seat at risk in an already challenging midterm election year for the party.

Representative Max Miller, a second-term Republican representing northeast Ohio whose political rise was fueled by his close relationship to President Trump, has been accused by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, of domestic abuse against her and their 2-year-old daughter.

. . .

Ms. Moreno, the daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno, also an Ohio Republican, has said that Mr. Miller scalded her chest and stomach by throwing hot water from a skillet at her body; held a gun to her head; pushed her against a wall and hit her head; and fractured their daughter’s collarbone and bruised her shoulder.

“According to court documents, their daughter at one point told Ms. Moreno, ‘Daddy kill you.’

Miller denies all of the allegations. Of course, there being an election, the real concern isn’t a pesky allegation involving a mother and her child being terrorized by the spouse, but rather:

The legal and public relations war has in recent weeks risen to the level of a serious concern to Mr. Trump’s political operation, as well as White House officials, who are keenly aware that every seat matters as they stare down an electoral map that shows them at risk of losing their House majority.

Thus far, Miller has said that he won’t step down.

Second news item

So, exactly what is the definition of a witch hunt anyway??:

After the Kentucky Republican pushed a contempt of Congress resolution through his Senate committee on party lines Thursday morning — saying Fauci had impeded his investigation of the pandemic by refusing to answer questions last week — Democrats demanded he take it to the full Senate for a vote they could filibuster. Paul said he’s going to instead take it straight to the attorney general.

For Fauci, the difference is massive. A failed Senate vote to hold him in contempt would show he’s still got defenders after Republicans released a diary showing his enthusiasm for fame and then grilled him while he took the Fifth. A referral to the attorney general puts a decision on prosecution in the hands of a Trump Justice Department that has shown it’s willing to play politics.

“Maybe he should” be prosecuted, President Donald Trump told reporters about Fauci on Thursday, referencing the contempt prosecutions of two of his allies, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, that began when Democrats controlled Congress. “What he did is far more serious than a lot of crimes.”

Third news item

Tucker Carlson claims that he will not be running for the presidency, despite being encouraged to do so by fellow ex-MAGA Republicans. However, his actions might lead one to think otherwise. That, plus he is not an honest broker:

Tucker Carlson released a 10-point manifesto this week as he previewed a potential presidential run in 2028.

Carlson made waves on Wednesday by releasing an hour and a half long monologue laying out his vision of the future, which he shared on social media with the caption, “Our political system has collapsed into paralysis and looting. Change is coming. Here’s what America should be.”

. . .

1. Fair: The same rules should apply to presidents, federal agents and elites such as Jeffrey Epstein, whose impunity Carlson cast as emblematic of an “Epstein class” enriching itself through a corrupt system.

2. Sovereign: Carlson claimed Israel pushed the U.S. into the Iran war through “bribery or threat or both,” while describing foreign lobbying, corporate control of government and high-interest debt as forms of “slavery.”

. . .

The unintentionally funniest, most tone-deaf point has to be #6:

6. Honest: Government officials should be punished for lying to citizens, and most classified records — including on the JFK assassination and 9/11 — should be opened.

Fourth news item

Trump’s latest update on the war with Iran:

U.S. President Donald Trump ​on Thursday told reporters that he believed ‌the war with Iran would be over soon and said the armed forces were experiencing issues ​with supplies of some weapons.

“I think ​it’s going to end pretty soon. I ⁠don’t think they can go much ​longer,” Trump said in the Oval Office ​in a reference to Iran.

Fifth news item

This would be great, but I’ll believe it when I see it:

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she will vote against Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general:

“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” Murkowski said.

Sen. Susan Collins has already said she’ll vote no. If Sen. Bill Cassidy, who remains undecided, votes no, Blanche’s nomination will fail.

Sixth news item

Trump goes after birthright citizenship, yet again:

Trump’s new push to deny citizenship to some children born in the United States is more narrowly tailored and would impact fewer people. The administration said it is focused on children who “do not fall within the rule of birthright citizenship as announced by the Supreme Court.”

The president’s first order declares certain individuals are ineligible for birthright citizenship when neither of their parents are a citizen, including the child of an “alien enemy” or foreign government employee. It also targets the children of parents who engage in a “commercial transaction” to access birthright citizenship, including paying “to ensure that the person’s mother is present in the United States, or a territory of the United States, to give birth.”

In the second order, Trump tasked the State Department and Department of Homeland Security with stopping individuals from entering the country “for the purpose of engaging in birth tourism.”

The Supreme Court overturned an executive order Trump issued last year ending birthright citizenship for all children who don’t have at least one parent with legal status, ruling it violated the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The Amendment states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

If you are inclined to disagree with this, and that corruption and cronyism isn’t a massive problem with this administration, convince us otherwise:

The reality is that since last June, we’ve gone from the government owning zero shares in zero private companies to now owning equity stakes in 30 different companies. In some cases, the government is the largest shareholder. . . As the Bloomberg story indicated, often these equity stakes are coerced. If you want your subsidy, if you want your contract or your permit, or if you don’t want the president, as in the case of Intel, to call your CEO a Chinese agent, you better hand over those equity stakes. It’s a big, big problem, and it raises massive economic questions about capital misapplication and cronyism. The government is both a shareholder and a regulator. It’s a huge issue we’re not talking about lot about. We’re not talking about the legal authority that the government is acting as here. In a lot of cases thats very murky. . .

Note:

What is remarkable is that federal corporate ownership is becoming routine under a Republican administration, while a Republican-controlled Congress is not just letting it happen but may even enshrine the practice in statute.

Republicans warning that communists are taking over the Democratic Party might first ask why their own administration is so eager to have the government acquire pieces of private companies.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Six degrees of Trump as FIFA plans on selling a minority stake in the World Cup to investors:

In a statement on Tuesday, FIFA said it plans to create a new separate company that would handle the commercial rights to the men’s and women’s World Cup, as well as to the recently-introduced tournament called the Club World Cup.

This new company, FIFA Forward Enterprise, would handle all commercial decisions, such as deciding on broadcasting and commercial rights to the World Cup and other FIFA tournaments. FIFA though would retain its role as the main governing body, so it would still be in charge of all sporting decisions.

To find these new investments, FIFA plans to partner with Thrive Eternal, a firm that describes itself as a “permanent capital holding company,” effectively meaning it owns stakes or companies and holds those investments for an indefinite period. It’s run by Joshua Kushner, a brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law.

Second news item

Hopefully it will have positive results:

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday announced a clinical trial to test whether injectable semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss can also treat alcohol abuse, a longstanding problem in the military and veteran community.

Excessive drinking has steadily plagued military culture, and in some instances, it has been tolerated or normalized.

GLP-1s can dampen cravings and early research suggests they might help with alcoholism and even other substance abuse issues, at least in the short term. But research has been limited and is still in the early stages of understanding the full extent of their effectiveness, safety and long-term effects when used for addiction treatment.

Third news item

Trump blanches Blanche:

Trump floated the possibility of temporarily withdrawing Blanche’s nomination to permanently lead the Department of Justice because of the resistance from the two outgoing Republican senators [John Cornyn and Thomas Tillis].

“Todd Blanche is a STAR, and everyone knows it! He has the potential to go down as one of the Greatest Attorney Generals of All Time. However, John Cornyn, of Texas, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, both of whom I refused to Endorse, and whose political careers have been ended by my action, are refusing to vote for this Great Nominee, who will remain, in any event, as Acting,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump wrote.

Just say no to Blanche:

Blanche was acting attorney general when the Justice Department took seriously Seashellgate. His department secured a second indictment of former FBI director James B. Comey, this time for posting a photograph of shells arranged on a beach to read “86 47”; “86” is slang for “remove.” Trump is the 47th president. Blanche’s DOJ pretended to regard Comey’s infantile gesture as a prosecutable threat.

Republican senators now have demanded Blanche’s assurances that the proposed $1.776 billion slush fund, for compensating persons Trump designates as victims of Biden administration persecution, is dead. But this grift was incubated in Blanche’s DOJ.

Blanche, who serves at the pleasure of the president, signed a memo pledging that the IRS is “Forever Barred” from “examinations” of Trump, certain members of his family, the Trump Organization and “related or affiliated individuals.” This “negotiated” — try not to snicker — settlement between the president and the executive branch he heads exemplifies the administration’s sludge of self-dealing.

. . .

Blanche said it is “completely false” that the president targets political enemies. Trump merely “wants justice.” Blanche said he was not “celebrating” Trump’s pardons of almost all the approximately 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters when, to a gathering of Trump supporters, he praised the “generous” pardons as one of the administration’s accomplishments.

Anyway, you get the point.

Fourth news item

Republicans always willing to turn a blind eye:

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said dramatically that 'innocent people don't evoke the fifth'. President Donald J. Trump pleaded the fifth over 400 times during a recorded civil deposition in the civil fraud investigation into the Trump Org. in NY State. I provide receipts. pic.twitter.com/erRePCKTjQ

— Decoding Fox News (@DecodingFoxNews) July 31, 2026

Fifth news item

Making sense about what doesn’t make sense:

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Thursday during an interview on “Next Question with Katie Couric” that far-left calls to abolish police, eliminate prisons and the border and defund the Pentagon were partly responsible for Democrats’ low approval ratings because voters associated those positions with the broader party.

“There are folks out there that say things that just don’t make sense to the American people, like abolish the police or get rid of jails and prisons, get rid of the border, defund the Pentagon,” Kelly said.

“Those things don’t make sense.”

Sixth news item

Speaking of open borders:

Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.

. . .

Spain’s Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on Aug. 3. As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to ministry figures.

Legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security, according to the ministry, which said government agencies are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”

Seventh news item

President Zelensky likely expected this to happen. He’s well aware of Trump’s flip-flopping nature (especially after he makes his loyalty call to Putin. . .):

Donald Trump said in a phone interview with the Financial Times that he’s “not sure” whether he’ll let Ukraine build Patriot missiles.

“It’s a very extraordinary weapon, and . . . we have to be a little bit careful of who we license to. We don’t really license equipment.”

Trump’s comments came just two days after meeting with President Zelenskyy, who said they discussed Patriot interceptor production.

Earlier this month, Trump said the U.S. would grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missiles.

Eighth news item

The State Department’s AI oops:

A map of Africa with multiple countries incorrectly labelled was displayed by a Trump administration official during a global health conference.

. . .

According to an analysis by the news agency Reuters, the map bore an AI watermark that suggested it was made with OpenAI tools. The company said it ‌was investigating.

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Nothing to see here:

The POLITICO Poll finds President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters are the most loyal of any group of voters — with majorities saying they would stick by GOP candidates confronted with an array of scandals, from a DUI conviction or accepting lobbyist gifts to more serious accusations including domestic violence, sexual assault and antisemitic social media posts.

Two-thirds of self-identified MAGA Trump voters say they would continue supporting a GOP candidate accused of sexual assault — 13 percentage points higher than the share of Trump 2024 voters writ large, which include those who do not identify as MAGA. By comparison, 40 percent of voters who backed former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 would continue backing a Democratic candidate accused of sexual assault.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Sigh:

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of War lowered the total number of American servicemembers officially killed during the Iran War from 18 to 14, removing the four servicemembers killed during the most recent round of hostilities in the Middle East; 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, who were killed last week by an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Jordan, and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, who died as a result of a controlled demolition of an Iranian one-way attack drone in Iraq. Three military officials told The New York Times that one reason behind the change was that their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a ceasefire with Iran in April.

Meanwhile (1):

The US House voted to halt President Donald Trump’s war in Iran absent congressional approval, the latest repudiation by lawmakers of the president’s handling of the conflict.

Four Republicans voted with Democrats in support of the measure, which was brought Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal. The vote was 214 to 208. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson crossed party lines to support the resolution.

The House resolution amounts to a significant rebuke. But even if it passed the Senate, it would not compel the administration to end the war. Concurrent resolutions, which are not presented to the president for signature or veto, lack the force of law.

Meanwhile (2):

President Trump told Axios on Thursday that he’s seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran — including strikes that would be bigger than the ones carried out during Operation Epic Fury.

Why it matters: In a brief interview, Trump acknowledged that such a decision would have consequences and stressed he hasn’t made a determination yet.

Making things more dangerous are the Republicans:

Republican defense hawks are urging President Trump to unleash major combat operations as the commander in chief weighs a “massive attack” on Iran.

These signals coincide with Trump’s escalatory rhetoric against the Islamic Republic, with negotiations completely stalled and Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen striking commercial boats in the Red Sea, threatening to expand the conflict.

Again, what is the actual end goal??

Second news item

Gee, ya think??!:

Some Republicans fear the eye-popping new levies President Donald Trump threatened to slap on Canada and generic drug makers this week will aggravate Americans who were already blaming the tariffs for stubborn inflation ahead of a midterm election dominated by economic issues.

The president has long brandished tariffs as a cudgel in negotiations and some industry insiders see the promise of a future 50 percent tariff on $20 billion of Canadian goods and 100 percent levies on generic drugs as the latest example of a well-worn tactic. The administration is hoping to get Canada to re-negotiate a trade pact and pharmaceutical companies to reshore manufacturing.

. . .

“Everything that you do that’s not focused on affordability is not helpful. This might not be a negative five, but it’s a negative 0.5. Anything that you’re doing that is not on the plus side of the scale is a problem,” said one person close to the White House, granted anonymity to speak about the impact of the tariffs on the GOP’s midterm chances. “When you announce new tariffs, it’s not like, okay, well, let’s see what they do. It’s, ‘Oh crap, those are the bad things.’”

Meanwhile:

President Trump will impose double-digit tariffs on imports from 60 countries over forced labor violations, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced Thursday.

The action will cover 99.4 percent of U.S. imports and apply to Washington’s top trading partners, according to a fact sheet released by his office

Third news item

Speaking out to help others:

A nun who was taken into immigration custody last month in Texas said Thursday that she went into a cold sweat as two armed men approached her while she walked to Sunday Mass in her habit, thinking about the day’s Bible readings and carrying little more than her rosary and cellphone.

“Honestly, in that moment, I did not understand what was going on, what was happening to me,” Sister Leticia Ugboaja said at a news conference at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, where she spoke out for the first time since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested her on June 28.

Ugboaja’s attorney says she has for years been granted protection from removal to her native Nigeria because she was likely to face torture there.

Fourth news item

Not good:

A new outbreak of cyclospora, the parasite capable of giving you “explosive” diarrhea, that has not been linked to the previously recalled lettuce is now under investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The latest outbreak, with 72 cases connected to it, was added to the FDA’s list of ongoing investigations on Wednesday.

The cause has not been identified, though the FDA notes it is conducting traceback efforts.

Fifth news item

But of course:

The Trump administration is eyeing a workaround for one of the procedural hurdles facing its proposed 250-foot arch: weakening federal oversight of all construction projects affecting historic sites.

Critics say that the move would not only clear a path for President Trump’s controversial projects in D.C., but also endanger the preservation of historic and cultural places across the United States.

Sixth news item

Gosh, isn’t there a term for this???:

Trump: "We made a purchase of 10% of Intel. We got it for the right price. And we made approximately $72 billion on that deal. So it was good. Do I get credit for that one? No. I get no credit!"

(Tell me more about how Democrats are communists … ) pic.twitter.com/HBpKHYatOP

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 23, 2026

Seventh news item

Looking ahead:

A newly released University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll suggests the early Republican race for the 2028 presidential nomination may be tightening, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio posting significant gains while Vice President JD Vance’s once-commanding lead has narrowed.

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news itsm

Ah, memories light the corners of my mind:

Things conservatives told me when I was in my 20’s:

*Character counts
*Crony capitalism is bad
*Russia is our enemy
*Tariffs are taxes
*The Constitution is sacrosanct
*Government power should be limited, restrained, and checked by congress.

Guess they were just joking.

Second news item

Uh:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday a new mandatory screening program to test all service members age 30 and older, including women, for testosterone deficiency annually.

Hormone treatment for troops with low testosterone will be voluntary.

“Our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” Mr. Hegseth said in a video from his Pentagon office. “We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage.”

The goal, he said in a social media message accompanying the video, was a “High-T Department of War,” Mr. Hegseth’s preferred name for the Defense Department.

Mr. Hegseth’s focus on testosterone levels at a moment when U.S. forces are ramping up attacks in Iran is unorthodox. Defense secretaries typically focus on larger strategic questions, involving alliances, war and weapons production.

I’m certainly no military expert, but it seems to me that, given the chaos that is/isn’t a war with Iran, focusing on strategy might be a very effective place to begin to maintain an advantage over an enemy.

Anyway, Fox News weighed in with this sparkling commentary:

Watters: Women on base, you better be careful. Port calls, women in Asia, you better be careful. Because these guys are going to be wild animals and you better watch out. pic.twitter.com/R95gFpYEmA

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 16, 2026

Third news item

Making Bible study mandatory in public schools:

Mandatory Bible reading for Texas school students has split the state’s religious Right, with Jewish leaders warning the move risks fuelling anti-Semitism and eroding religious freedom.

The Republican Texas state board of education voted to approve mandated Bible study in the school curriculum for more than five million students, with a spokesman declaring: “We’re going to stop watering down American history.

“We’re going to teach the truth. Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state.”

Oy vey.

Fourth news item

. . .and the grift goes on:

President Donald Trump’s social network Truth Social announced on Thursday that it will start selling investors quicker access to posts from prominent accounts, opening an unprecedented new way the president could profit from his office.

Trump has used Truth Social, owned by Trump Media & Technology Group, as a bully pulpit throughout his second presidency, sometimes posting on the service more than 100 times a day about issues at the top of his mind. He has used the service to make major announcements about the Iran war, tariffs and the Federal Reserve. His posts regularly move the stock and oil markets.

“Markets already move on Truth Social posts,” said Kevin McGurn, interim chief executive officer of TMTG. “As adoption grows, we expect Truth API to become a meaningful, ongoing source of revenue for the company, creating lasting value for shareholders.”

Trump’s family is the primary shareholder in Trump Media & Technology Group. The new product, which is called Truth API, is designed for high-frequency and algorithmic trading firms, a news release from the company said.

Have a great weekend.

—Dana