- Wednesday July 8th, 2026
- "It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts."
- --Geoff Metcalf
- Providing an on line Triage of the news since 1998
My son has narrated the last book I wrote.
Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too.
(Click HERE)
World & Nation
Trump
promises he’ll hit Iran ‘hard’ for second straight night, threatens
Kharg Island takeover after calling off deal with Tehran ‘scum’

President Trump threatened to “take over Kharg Island” Wednesday and
carry out additional strikes on Iran as tensions reignite — saying
there was “not a thing” Tehran could do to stop the US.
Trump made the threat to seize the hub for about 90% of Iran’s oil
exports while outlining a range of possible actions as he foreshadowed
a second night of US attacks.
“In one day, we could knock down every single bridge in Iran. There’s
not a thing they can do about it,” Trump said during a bilateral
meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the sidelines of
the NATO summit. “If we have to, we’ll take them out. They have
desalination plants. We’ll take them out if we have to.
“Maybe we’ll take over Kharg Island.”
Iran targets 85 US military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait following Strait of Hormuz strikes

Two Iranian military bases were struck by the US on Wednesday morning,
Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency cited an official Iranian source
as saying.
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the United States
had struck southern Iran on Qeshm Island, in Bandar Abbas, and in Sirik
overnight.
Iranian state media reported several injuries after US forces began
launching what CENTCOM described as "a series of powerful strikes
against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking
commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international
waterway."
Later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they targeted 85 US military
sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, "in response to US ceasefire violations,"
shortly after Kuwait's military reported sirens due to hostile missile
and drone attacks.
Trump demands end to trade with key US ally, calls it a 'wasted cause'
Spain also blocked US use of Rota and Morón bases during Operation Epic Fury strikes against Iran

President Donald Trump threatened Wednesday to end U.S. trade with
Spain after criticizing the NATO ally for refusing to commit to the
alliance's new defense spending target.
Speaking during the NATO summit, Trump repeatedly singled out Spain,
calling the country a "wasted cause" and urging an end to trade with
one of America's European allies.
"Spain is a wasted cause," Trump said. "We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way."
Trump went further, saying, "Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits."
Trump says he’ll give Ukraine the right to make Patriot missiles

President Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday
he would grant Kyiv a license to make its own critically needed Patriot
air-defense missiles, joking: “This way, you can’t complain that we’re
not giving them enough.”
“One of the things I think we’re going to be talking about today, a
little birdie told me this, about the fact that we’ll give them the
right to make Patriots,” Trump said ahead of his closed-door sitdown
with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey.
Patriot missiles have long been in short supply, but now are running
critically low — forcing Ukraine in recent days to let Russian missiles
strike Kyiv without interception.
New Air Force One Will Stop at UK Base for Tours

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the new Air Force One will
make a stop at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom so U.S. service
members stationed there can tour the aircraft following its first
overseas trip in presidential service.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "To honor our brave men and
women of the Military, we are sending the brand new, and truly
spectacular, Air Force One to Mildenhall Air Force Base, in the United
Kingdom, to give them a chance to tour the Aircraft — Everybody is so
excited, and we thought that they should be the first. For old time's
sake, we'll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey to
Mildenhall, a short trip that is totally worth doing in order to give
our Great Military Heroes a chance to appreciate our beautiful new
addition to the Air Force Fleet!"
Trump said the new aircraft will fly to RAF Mildenhall after departing
Turkey, while he will make the short trip aboard the previous Air Force
One so troops at the base can tour the new presidential aircraft.
South Carolina block party thugs with machine gun, spear charged in mob attack on officers, police say
Four juveniles and two adults face charges after chaos erupted in Chicora-Cherokee in North Charleston

A chaotic Fourth of July block party in North Charleston, South
Carolina, that erupted into gunfire, involved a machine gun and spear,
and erupted with an assault on police officers has now resulted in
charges against six people, including four juveniles, authorities
announced.
The North Charleston Police Department (NCPD) announced charges against
six people and identified two adults who have been charged in
connection with the July 4 incident in the Chicora-Cherokee community.
The juveniles face charges ranging from third-degree assault by mob,
assault on a police officer while resisting arrest, resisting arrest,
possession of a machine gun and breach of peace.
Republicans Prepare $8 Million Ad Blitz Against Platner Replacement

Republicans are preparing an $8 million advertising campaign aimed at
the Democrat candidate who could replace Graham Platner in the Maine
Senate race, hoping to define the challenger before Democrats can
introduce a new nominee to voters.
Axios reported that Pine Tree Results, a Republican-aligned super PAC
supporting Sen. Susan Collins, is planning the ad campaign as Democrats
face uncertainty over whether Platner will remain in the race.
The planned spending comes as Platner faces pressure to withdraw after
allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied, putting
Democrats in the position of potentially selecting a replacement
candidate ahead of the November election.
Pressure mounts on YMCA to ditch transgender policies after Supreme Court Title IX ruling
American Parents Coalition urges YMCA CEO Suzanne McCormick to bar biological males from women's facilities and sports teams

The YMCA is facing renewed pressure to change its policies on
transgender access to sex-segregated locker rooms, sports teams and
overnight accommodations after the American Parents Coalition (APC)
argued the organization's rules conflict with the Supreme Court's
recent Title IX rulings.
The coalition argued the nonprofit, which operates about 2,600
locations nationwide and receives more than $600 million annually in
government funding, should update its policies to align with the
Supreme Court's interpretation of Title IX because it accepts taxpayer
funding.
In a letter sent this week to YMCA President and CEO Suzanne McCormick
and the organization's board of directors, APC urged the organization
to revise its policies governing sports, bathrooms, locker rooms and
overnight accommodations following the Supreme Court's June 30
decisions in West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. In a decision
that was unanimous on the Title IX question and split 6-3 on
constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court ruled that states can limit
women's and girls' sports to biological females and that Title IX's use
of the word 'sex' refers to biological sex.
Brazil parents face prison sentence for homeschooling after court accuses them of 'intellectual neglect'
Audato and Ieda Denardi's case believed to be first of its kind in Brazil

A Brazilian court has sentenced a couple to 50 days in prison for
"intellectual neglect" after they homeschooled their two daughters
without a state-approved curriculum.
A São Paulo criminal court ruled against Audato and Ieda Denardi,
alleging they had failed to include programs on "gender and sex
education" and "tolerance and diversity" in the curriculum for their
daughters, aged 15 and 11, Alliance Defending Freedom ("ADF")
International said.
According to the legal group, the court also ruled that the parents
failed to properly integrate their children into Brazilian culture,
citing the girls' preference for religious and classical music over
popular trap or "sertanejo" (folk) music.
Graham Platner’s implosion isn’t a problem for just him — rather the entire Democratic Party
By New York Post Editorial Board
Now they turn on Nazi-tattooed alleged rapist Graham Platner?
After all these months of defending him and making excuses — knowing full well what a repugnant dirtbag he is?
Let’s be honest: At this late date, the accusation that Platner raped
an ex-girlfriend should shock absolutely no one. And that it took so
long for Dems to cut him off speaks volumes.
Indeed, the only reason they’re deserting him now is not that they’ve
finally grown a moral spine; it’s that they fear his grotesque
character won’t fly with normal voters.
Women’s basketball is out to destroy superstar Caitlin Clark — and itself, too
By Rich Lowry
What sports league, handed a generational talent who has played
brilliantly and delivered massive commercial dividends, would make this
very same player seem unwelcome and an object of scorn?
The WNBA.
Caitlin Clark arrived in the league three seasons ago already a
superstar considered one of the greatest college players in the history
of the sport, and instantly boosted the league — otherwise a
commercially marginal outfit — to another level.
For her trouble, the Indiana Fever star has been treated like a virus that the league’s antibodies seek to reject.
The latest controversy erupted after a player with the Phoenix Mercury
named Alyssa Thomas pressed her fist to Clark’s neck when the Fever
guard was prone on the court.
The officials missed the foul in real time, but the league later deemed it a flagrant foul and suspended Thomas for one game.