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 My son has narrated the last book I wrote.
Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too. (Click on Book Cover) World & Nation Iran struggles to restrict Hormuz traffic after US strikes hit maritime capabilities The Islamic Republic’s ability to surveil the Strait of Hormuz and lay mines in the vital waterway has likely been significantly degraded by American attacks, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed, noting that increased oil flows through the strait on September 1 suggest Iran is having difficulty preventing some commercial vessels from using the southern route. United States officials told Axios on Wednesday that approximately 40 vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil transited the strait on September 1. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright also confirmed that oil tankers transported over 17 million barrels of oil through the strait on August 31, the highest volume of oil exports through the waterway since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran. The figure of 17 million barrels is close to pre-war levels, which averaged 21.6 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2025. Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Wound 73, Halt Energy Sites The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen launched a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and igniting fires at oil facilities and utilities in the kingdom, authorities said. The attack was a major escalation in renewed fighting between an important U.S. ally and the Iranian proxy group. It also threatened to further destabilize a region rocked by nearly three years of wars and deliver a new blow to the global economy. Weeks of clashes have added pressure to limited global oil supplies as the Houthis target a shipping route Saudi Arabia has used to transport oil to world markets while the Strait of Hormuz is throttled due to the U.S.-Iran war. Tuesday’s attacks hit Saudi oil facilities connected to an alternative route, the Bab el-Mandeb, a strategic waterway off the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Iranian president vows continued resistance, says US will be brought to 'complete regret' Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed continued resistance against the U.S. on Tuesday, writing on X that the U.S. will "regret" the war. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always opposed war and has considered the preservation of the people's interests and regional security to lie in refraining from igniting conflict," Pezeshkian wrote. "However, just as it has boldly risen to defend against aggression up to this day, it will continue this resistance with full strength until the aggressors are brought to complete regret and will remain the guardian of the rights of the great Iranian nation," he added. DDHQ: Senate Control Now a 'Pure Toss-Up' The race to win control of the U.S. Senate is "a pure toss-up" two months before the midterm elections, according to Decision Desk HQ. The nonpartisan election forecaster on Monday shifted its Senate outlook to a toss-up for the first time since early June. DDHQ said its forecast is based on the average seat outcome across 1 million simulations.
Putin is now dropping hints that the Ukraine war could end Russian President Vladimir Putin says there is a chance of ending the war in Ukraine, despite continuing to ramp up attacks. Addressing the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, Putin said the United States, China, and others were now open to supporting a deal. However, he stressed that the decision ultimately rested with Moscow and Kyiv. "Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is," Putin said. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday that he thought a "new dynamic" in diplomacy had now arisen. Russian general who 'ordered attack on children's hospital' shot in head A Russian general suspected by Kyiv of orchestrating a 2024 attack on a children’s hospital was reportedly shot in the head on Thursday. Maj Gen Nikolai Varpakhovich was shot twice by an unknown assailant on a motorbike in a village in south-western Russia, according to Telegram channels with connections to Russian security services. Moscow confirmed a Russian serviceman was admitted to hospital in Engels without providing further information. Tass, Russia’s state-owned news agency, did not name the general but reported that the country’s Investigative Committee had opened an inquiry into an attempt on the life of a military service member. The walls are closing in on Russia For a second night in a row, two of Moscow’s major airports - Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo - suspended their operations and canceled all flights. These actions were taken in response to the threats to all commercial aviation presented by the rapidly increasing use of drones in Russia’s war against Ukraine. These airports and the airlines they serve took these actions not long after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s 1 September warning to all air carriers and the insurers who cover them that Russia’s increasingly contested airspace poses a dire and escalating risk to all civilian aviation. Russia’s federal aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s rough equivalent to the US Federal Aviation Administration, again imposed temporary restrictions on all aircraft movements at these two major Moscow airports on 2 September. Your Social Security 'Trump bump' in 2027 will be one of the biggest in 25 years — but there's a serious catch no one's talking about For millions of Social Security beneficiaries, there’s both good news and bad news for next year. The good news is that payments could be on course for a big hike in 2027. The bad news is that this hike is a result of the surge in inflation caused by President Donald Trump’s economic policies and war in the Middle East. In other words, older Americans and retirees are due for a “Trump Bump” in 2027 just to offset the loss in purchasing power they’re experiencing in 2026. Here’s why this matters for everyone, regardless of whether they’re working or retired. Meghan Markle plagued by 'underlying feeling' she and Harry are 'not really welcomed by anyone in the king's circle' Meghan Markle is not feeling the love from the royals following her and her husband, Prince Harry, returning to the UK with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. According to a new report, certain actions carried out by senior members of the royal family have left the duchess in particular feeling especially unwelcome. This comes as King Charles clarifies in a new letter where Prince Harry and Meghan stand when it comes to their roles as royals after their return to the country. Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer reveals what could happen next after her murder case ended in a mistrial Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer said he hopes the killer mom can “work something out” with prosecutors after a mistrial was declared in her triple murder case Friday. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington revealed in an interview on “Good Morning America” Tuesday that he was willing to work out a plea deal with Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz. “I hope, however, after sitting through this trial and seeing the evidence that was presented from the government as well as from the defense, that he would revisit that issue and hopefully would be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides.” Iranian twins tortured so brutally for protests — hair ripped out, feet broken — that even their mother didn’t recognize them Iranian twin sisters were brutally tortured for four months for protesting against the regime, with one sentenced to death after she was forced to confess to save her sister from being raped, their family revealed. Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, 20 — who were still in high school when they joined millions in the January anti-regime protest — suffered beatings, broken feet, and had their hair ripped out while in Iranian custody, The Guardian reported. The twins were unrecognizable by their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, 43, during a visit five months ago, with the family only learning recently that Taraneh would be put to death after confessing to taking part in the demonstrations. Abdul El-Sayed condemned US response to 9/11 that ‘scarred millions’ in resurfaced podcast comments Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed condemned America’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on his now-defunct podcast shortly before the 20th anniversary of the national tragedy. On the Sept. 7, 2021, episode of “America Dissected,” El-Sayed intoned that “9/11 scarred our country in profound ways, but what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people.” “When we talk about 9/11, we often fail to center them.” El-Sayed contended that after the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon, the US “wasted trillions of dollars to wage a war that we would ultimately lose” and condemned what he called an “era of death, destruction and destitution.” Trump posthumously awards Medal of Freedom to 9/11's 'man in red bandana' President Donald Trump honored deceased volunteer firefighter Welles Crowther – also known as the "man in the red bandana" – with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday. Speaking during Tunnel to Towers' "Steel Across America" event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, President Donald Trump praised Crowther, whose actions during 9/11 saved up to 18 people's lives, sparking nationwide admiration and a series of documentary features on his bravery. "Today we also remember another hero of 9/11. After the plane hit the south tower, a group of people on the 78th floor were trapped with broken bones, charred skin and eyes and lungs filled with black smoke. Death was all about them. It was certain they were sure they were going to die. Then suddenly a rescuer appeared. They call him the man in the red bandana. Have you heard that term? The man in the red bandana has become more famous than me. I don't like it. Very unhappy. But he's become much more famous than me," Trump joked. Canada's Retaliatory Tariffs Take Effect as US Trade Talks Stall Canada's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect just after midnight on Tuesday as Prime Minister Mark Carney increased economic pressure on his country's biggest trading partner after negotiations collapsed last month, intensifying an 18-month-old trade war. The counter-tariffs cover $20 billion of U.S. goods, with duties ranging from 15% to 50% across products from steel and furniture to clothing and electronics. The dollar-for-dollar retaliation marks an escalation in the dispute between the neighboring countries, and U.S. and Canadian officials have traded blame for scuttling a deal that seemed close to fruition two weeks ago. The rising tensions create uncertainty about the broader U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, which is up for annual reviews after President Donald Trump declined to extend it for another decade.
The US has a $40 trillion debt crisis. Billionaire Warren Buffett knows how to solve it Getting a handle on the debt requires the political will to fix things By Carol Roth
America had a headline-grabbing milestone this summer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our America 250 celebration. Rather, it was passing the $40 trillion mark on our national debt. $40 trillion is a number that is very difficult to get your head wrapped around. It’s more than 120% of our GDP, a ratio that sounds more applicable to an emerging market in crisis than the biggest economy in the world. While the debt in and of itself is a problem, there are two related issues that are critical. One is the rapid growth in debt accumulation. In 2017, we passed the $20 trillion mark, and less than 10 years later, we doubled that to $40 trillion. This begets the second issue, which is the cost to finance all that debt. Trump, GOP turn up the heat to ensure fairness, purge wokism on campuses By New York Post Editorial Board
President Donald Trump and the GOP are making good on their promise to reform American education by eliminating racial preferences and excising radical politics from college campuses. Naturally, the left is furious, but it offers schools a chance to save themselves. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the IRS will review and revoke the tax-exempt status of private universities that use racial preferences in admissions, scholarships, loans and athletics. The Trump administration is taking the elimination of racial discrimination seriously. And that means discrimination against anyone: black, white, Asian or any grouping. |
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