WendyMcElroy.com

Fraud. From the New York Post: Treasury Stopped Nearly $100M in Taxpayer Money From Going to Dead People After New Gov’t Measure Implemented. AND Trump administration freezes $867M in California Medicaid funds over suspected fraud] [Ed: freezes funds to Minnesota as well.] From Just the News: Watchdog says as much as 74% of federal grant spending in 2024 was untraceable to local levels. The report released Tuesday revealed that many federal assistance programs didn't accurately track their spending, explain specific uses of funds or report location data in 2024.

From X, Breanna Morello: Dogs! The Best Video You'll See All Day.

From Reuters: Trump prepares fresh tariffs on dozens of countries, FT reports. [Ed: current 10% global tariff expires on Friday.]

Canada-U.S. From Oil Price: Canada Unveils New Pipeline to Cut Reliance on U.S. Oil Routes. [Ed: given how much resistance pipelines have in Canada, only a desire to counter the U.S. could prompt this fast action.] From City-Journal: Why America Keeps Choking on Wildfire Smoke. Canada and the U.S. do far too little fuels treatment to prevent the fires. [Ed: one of the reasons for the punitive tariffs on Canada is to, well, punish Canada for the smoke blanketing the U.S. from Canada. I believe it is illegal to use tariffs in this manner.]

From Gutenberg: FREE: Foods That Will Win The War And How To Cook Them (1918). [Ed: the Organic Prepper sings the praises of this book and frugal good food in general.]

Russia. From Andrew Korybko: What’s Driving Germany’s Planned €800 Billion Remilitarization? Ideological, economic, and personal interests are responsible for the ruling liberal elite’s fateful decision that’ll lead to Germany replacing the US as Russia’s top perceived adversary. From Bloomberg: Kremlin Hardens Demands on Occupied Land in Ukraine, Blaming US. [Ed: no longer willing to return some occupied territories as part of a deal. Reader friendly.]

From Travel+Leisure: US Issues Worldwide Travel Warning: Here’s What to Know. The State Department earlier updated the Do Not Travel list to 23 countries due to recent fighting in the Middle East.

The Heat. From the Telegraph: Japanese firms sell ‘fridges for humans’ to cope with heatwave. ‘Personal cooling box’ blows powerful air jets chilled to 5C on to head, neck and shoulders of users. [Ed: these look cool. No pun intended.] From Good News Network: Rich Rainfall Set to Bust Mexico’s 6-year Drought

From the Financial Times: The US has collected about $13bn of Venezuela’s oil money. Where is it? [Ed: in craters and other destruction in Iran? Reader friendly.]

Israel. From International Business Times: Israel Is Building An Earthen Barrier Across Gaza. It Is Over 14 Miles Long. The barrier follows much of the "yellow line," the area where Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire agreement. From antiwar: Lebanese Troops Deploy to Pilot Zone, Immediately Come Under Fire From Israelis. [Ed: pilot zones were established as being under Israel or Lebanese control. Israel seems to have immediately broken the agreement.]

From iHeartDogs: How iHeartDogs Supporters Are Transforming the Lives of Disabled Dogs

From the Hill: House passes stopgap measure to fund federal government. "...measure that would fund federal agencies at existing levels through Dec. 4."

Iran. From Middle East Eye: Burnham approves US use of UK bases for some strikes on Iran, Bloomberg reports. The move marks a continuation of predecessor Keir Starmer's policy, which rights groups warned could violate international law. From Zero Hedge: CIA Distances Itself From Trump's Iran War With Media Leak. From Forensic Architecture: U.S. Airstrike on Minab Primary School. [Ed: fascinating. The resulting news story on Sky News on the 120+ people killed, mostly children.]

From Law & Liberty: The State's Moral Boundaries. [Ed: recommended. By state, the book means "nation".]

The Upcoming U.S. Elections. From the New York Post: Louisiana Rep. Cleo Fields won’t seek re-election after Supreme Court ruled district was gerrymandered [Ed: it was a primarily black district.]

From Kitty Cat Breeders: When No One Else Would, One Hero Took a Chance on This ‘Terrifying’ Dog

The Saudis. From Zero Hedge: Trump Greenlights Saudi Nuclear Deal, Uranium Enrichment In The Kingdom Possible. Civilian nuclear cooperation is a good thing, but sensitive technology transfer may taking it too far... From Son of the New American Revolution 21: Syrsky is Out, The Saudis are Blockaded. [Ed: I focus on the Saudi aspect because it is the breaking news.]

From Futurism: Climate Activists Pelt Microsoft Data Center With Balloons Full of Acid. “We must join forces and resist the anti-democratic power of this small group of the very wealthiest.”

Andy Burnham. From the Independent: Donald Trump furious at Miliband’s appointment as foreign secretary. Andy Burnham has been warned that the US president ‘will not forget’ Ed Miliband’s fierce criticism of him in the past and that he has some ‘serious diplomatic repair to undertake’ in his new role. [Ed: Miliband is far left and rabidly anti-Trump.] From Al Jazeera: UK’s Miliband, Streeting: What are their foreign policy, defence records? Miliband, a Trump critic who once opposed strikes on Syria, joins Streeting, a defence novice with shifting views on Israel, in PM Burnham’s cabinet. From Zero Hedge: BritCard Is Dead: Burnham Kills Starmer's £1.8 Billion Digital ID To Pay For An Energy Tax Cut. So ends BritCard: sold as the answer to illegal migration, buried as a line item... [Ed: BritCard was supposed to be mandatory for anyone to work, to rent, to buy a car...to live.] From Unherd: Burnham’s Potemkin radicalism. Neoliberalism died decades ago.

From Andrew Korybko: Poland's Planned Megaport Is Part Of Its Regional Power Play. Poland will become indispensable to Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary’s global trade upon the completion of this project...

US-Israel Defense Integration. From Military.com: US-Israel Defense Integration on Horizon as House Keeps Section 219 in NDAA, advancing expanded U.S.-Israel defense cooperation despite bipartisan opposition. From Crypto Briefing: Congress moves to deeply integrate US military tech and supply chains with Israel through NDAA provisions. [Ed: it now goes to the Senate, of course. And since its passage has been tied to the SAVE Act, I doubt it will make it.]]

From Son of the American Revolution 21: China’s Beidou Satellite System is a Game Changer in Iran’s War with the US

From Cuteness: Poppy The Dog Gets Spoiled With 'Luxurious Life' At Grandma's House & It's Too Cute.

Market Risk. From Quoth the Raven: Oh My Fucking God, They're Doing It Again. Wall Street is again using insurance guarantees to turn difficult-to-rate credit exposure into highly rated securities. [Ed: as Brad said, this is double-plus ungood.] From CNBC: Jamie Dimon says markets underestimate risks and he wouldn’t buy stocks or Treasurys at current prices. [Ed: I do think a major shock is coming.]

From People: Dog Missing Since Fourth of July Found Swimming Alone After Being Swarmed by Seagulls. Firefighters from Menlo Park, Calif., rescued the canine using a drone and a boat.

U.S. Election Security. From the Hill: More than 6K non-citizens registered to vote in New Jersey due to software issue: Sherrill. [Ed: software issue? So Trump was correct.] From the Post Millennial: Olive Garden more secure than federal elections as Never-Ending Pasta Pass photo ID implemented. "American elections should not be less secure than Olive Garden’s endless pasta." From the Daily Signal: Trump Administration USPS Wins Key Court Fight Over Mail-In Ballot Oversight. [Ed: this is huge.]

Iran. From Zero Hedge: Trump Eyes Pickaxe Mountain Nuclear Site Heavy Strikes: "Iran Hasn't Seen Anything Yet, We've Been Nice". Will be hitting Pickaxe mountain in Iran "pretty soon very heavily & there is nothing they can do about it." [Ed: I believe today was the 10th day of heavy strikes on Iran.] From Moon of Alabama: “Wash Me, But Don’t Get Me Wet”* From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Iran Rumored to Be Readying Big Attacks as Trump Vows More Escalation and Rubio Disses Talks; Brent Rises to $94 a Barrel as Hormuz Transits Fall, Ships Turn Away from Bab el-Mandeb; Hegseth Fried in Iran Hearings

From the Epoch Times: Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Allowing Release of Biden Audio Tapes. The former president has not shown he is likely to succeed in his lawsuit, a split circuit court panel said. [Ed: apparently they will be released under FOIA to Heritage Foundation.]

Burnham in Britain. From Sky News: UK's Burnham Wastes No Time Cleaning House. New PM gives Starmer allies the boot, convenes new Cabinet, scraps tax on electric bills. [Ed: yep, Burnham is the UK's new PM.] From Reason: Britain's New Prime Minister Promises 'Stronger Public Control' of Stagnating Economy. Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade inherits weak growth, record-high taxes, and a swelling welfare bill. His proposed cure is an even larger role for the state.

From the ABC News: Family dog gets in between charging bear and young boy

From Bitcoin Magazine: Coinbase Exec Says Clarity Act Has 'Tremendous Momentum' In The Senate ...argued it would bring long-awaited federal rules, stronger consumer protections, and regulatory clarity to the crypto industry...

Tariffs for Canada! From Zero Hedge: Trump Reaches For A 1930 Tariff Law To Hit Canada With 50% Duties - But Not On These Items. The 30-day delay hands Canadian exporters, and their lawyers, a month to work with. [Ed: the tariffs are causing such a stir up here.] From Reason: Trump's New 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods Is Actually an Admission That Trade Wars Don't Work. The trade war caused exports to Canada to fall. Now, Trump is pointing to that fact to justify more tariffs. From Mish Talk: Trump Goes Bat-Sheet Crazy with 50 Percent Tariffs on Canada.

From International Man: Financial Repression: How the US Government Will Quietly Confiscate Your Wealth

DSA. From Jonathan Turley: The DSA and the Myth of Scandinavian Socialism. AND The Rise of the Champagne Socialists: Democratic Leaders Join Socialists in Criticizing Capitalism. From Reason: Socialist Influencer Hasan Piker Is Praising Mao. Here's the Truth About Chinese Communism.

From the Legal Insurrection: SpaceX’s 13th Starship Test Aborted Less than a Second before Liftoff

From Dogman Ray: I’ve Got a Live One!!

From FOX News: Trump faces Republican rebellion over Daylight Saving Time as Senate bill nears dead end

From the Washington Examiner: Mamdani’s desire to arrest Netanyahu for foreign bureaucrats is deranged. "It cannot be overstated just how deranged and despicable it is that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to promise to operate as an agent of a globalist organization in violation of U.S. law with his promise to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." From CNBC: Trump says Netanyahu won’t be arrested in New York, pushing back on Mamdani

From Of Two Minds: The Conflicts Brewing in America's Ten Classes

From CNN News-World: Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine's top general after days of protests. From Harvard Univ.: Zelensky’s Anti-Corruption Missteps: Experts Respond.

From Newsmax: US 'Deeply Concerned' As EU Eyes Carbon Price for Global Flights

DSA. From the New York Post: CNN’s Van Jones Warns Far Left: ‘Stop Pooping in the Punch Bowl — and Telling Us the Turds Are Ice Cubes’. [Ed: you are going to see more of this, more semi-moderate Dems try to rein in the Progressives.] From the Free Press: I Was in the DSA. Here’s What They Really Believe. The socialist candidates being swept into power want to dismantle American life. It’s all right there in their new platform.

From Glambun: She Asked Her Dog If He Is A Good Boy. When He Replied, I Laughed Out Loud

From Bitcoin Magazine: UK Adopts 'No Gain, No Loss' Tax Treatment For Crypto Lending And Liquidity Pools. ...deferring Capital Gains Tax until users make an economic disposal of their cryptocurrency.

From People: Couple Says Their Golden Retriever Became a Caregiver After Wife’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis. “This dog knows that if I leave the house for any reason, she’s in tune with my wife,” Michael Aho said of wife Donna and their dog, Skye

Israel. From antiwar: The West Won’t Punish the Settlements. Its Two-State Solution Was Always a Sham. For decades, the EU has devised ever more convoluted ways to avoid penalising Israel's illegal settlements, even as they devour a two-state solution it claims is the only path to regional peace. [Ed: a must read.]

From Reason: What Ben Sasse's Treatment Says About the Bright Future of Cancer Cures. New immunotherapies, cancer vaccines, and early diagnostics will bend the cancer mortality curve ever downward. [Ed: former Sen. Ben Sasse (R–Neb.)]

Farage. From Politico.EU: New polling shows Brits aren’t buying Nigel Farage’s anti-establishment crusade. Fresh research from London-based Public First shows that voters are skeptical of the Reform UK leader’s decision to trigger a by-election. [Ed: sorry to hear this. But the polls keep being of the general public. Do Clacton voters share this opinion?] From LBC: Man dressed as fox pulls out of Clacton by-election because it’s become a ‘circus'. [Ed: is anyone else struck by the fact that a man in fox costume considers Farage's campaign an intolerable circus?]

From the Dallas Morning News: Trump administration orders ICE to suspend most vehicle stops after 2 deadly shootings. [Ed: the 2nd death resulted from target running from ICE and being struck by a truck. Traffic stops do seem more dangerous than other apprehensions.]

From the European Conservative: Le Pen Back in the Race: A Daring Bet. [Ed: a good overview summary of the situation.]

Data Centers. From AI Weekly: GOP Governors, Utilities Join Trump's Data Center Cost Pledge. [Ed: Trump's voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge.] From CNBC: New York becomes first U.S. state to impose AI data center ban. [Ed: for one year.] From Townhall: A Trump Voter Might Back a Dem Gov Candidate Over This Issue That Could Blindside Both Parties. [Ed: yep, data centers.] From City-Journal: Inside the Rise of the Anti–Data Center Movement. Resistance to the facilities has become a left-wing rallying point, linking environmentalism, anti-Big Tech politics, immigration activism, Native American issues, and “anti-imperialism.” [Ed: there are reasons to question data centers BUT these are not them.]

From Pupvine: California Rescuer Finds A Freezing Puppy In The Rain, And A Return Trip Reveals A Heartwarming Surprise.

From Oldster: Aging is Funny, Okay? [Ed: Aaaah...if you say so.]

From X, Bitcoin_Teddy: GovGreed Tracker. A platform called GovGreed built a seven-layer machine learning system that cross-references every stock trade disclosed by every sitting politician against the bills their committees control, the campaign donations they receive, and the companies their votes directly impact. [Ed: a must read.]

Water. From Sudan Tribune: Khartoum faces drinking water crisis as Nile levels drop sharply. From France 24: French rivers dry up amid prolonged heatwaves. From ABC4: Lake Powell, Mead drop to historic low, signaling major water crisis. "Lake Powell in Lake Mead just dropped below their lowest point of storage since before Lake Powell was built.” [Ed: the Colorado River, of which this is a key part, serves 40M people.]

From Reason: Lindsey Graham's Death Marks the End of an Era of Interventionist Foreign Policy. The late senator was one of the last advocates of hawkish policies out of step with public opinion.

From PC Mag: The Death of the Status Update: Why 55% of Americans Stopped Posting on Social Media. [Ed: I don't post on social media--haven't for years--unless you count my blog and newsfeeds. It became unpleasant and risky.]

From X, Science Girl: Meanwhile in Florida, a beagle protects its family home from an alligator

From Axios: Trump plans "potpourri" prime-time speech Thursday. [Ed: 9:00 p.m. EST.]

Strait of Hormuz From Newsmax: UN Agency Rejects Trump's Hormuz Transit Fees. [Ed: International Maritime Organization.] From Zero Hedge: Trump Backs Off 20% Fee Plan For Hormuz, Asserts 'FULL Blockade' Only On Iranian Ports. ...it's another TACO Tuesday folks. From USA Today: US Central Command Announces Fourth Consecutive Day of Strikes in Iran as Naval Blockade Resumes. From Son of the New American Revolution: Why the United States is Fighting a War in the Strait of Hormuz It Cannot Win.

From I Still Love Dogs: Guide Dog Terrified by Thunder Led Blind Owner to Safety on 9/11

Iran. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: Oil Supplies Will Again Be In Trouble – This Time For Real. [Ed: you and I will pay the price in gasoline hikes.] From antiwar: Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War. A procedural vote to advance the bill fell well short of the 60 votes it needed. {Ed: NDAA=National Defense Authorization Act.]

Fraud. From Just the News: Stealing from Students? Report finds $225M in K-12 fraud found across U.S. over six years. Open the Books, a federal spending watchdog, and the State Financial Officers Foundation, analyzed six years’ worth of reports from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General.

The Digital Total State. From the Rutherford Institute: While The Political Circus Distracts Us, Flock Builds The Digital Police State. "Enter Flock Safety, a private surveillance technology company..." From the Daily Caller: Vigilantes Smash Flock Safety Cameras Amid Surveillance Backlash: 1984 Has Arrived, and People Are Fighting Back. From Joshua Stylman: Why Digital ID Is The Hill To Die On: The Authentication Layer. Digital ID is the gateway to the gulag in the metaverse... [Ed: I think Stylman is correct on his side of the argument.] From High Wire: Eyes on the Road, Camera in Your Face: Europe’s Surveillance Cars Are Coming for America

From Wamiz: “Nobody expected this ending”: dramatic ledge rescue of a dog moves locals

From the Daily Economy: Social Security Is Not a Generational Contract Jul 14. The rhetoric of a “generational compact” sounds compelling until you ask who actually agreed to it — and who pays for it.

Russia-Ukraine. From Forum GeoPolitica: Europe is Teetering on the Brink. The NATO summit sent a message that no one wants to hear. Europe is openly declaring war on Russia—and it’s doing so with President Trump’s full support. AND Kiev Today. An uncensored journey to Kiev—facts and impressions that remain hidden from the West. The unvarnished truth, unfiltered, written by someone from Ukraine. [Ed: a must read.] From Politico.EU: Crimea was Russia’s stronghold. Now it’s a vulnerability. What was supposed to be Vladimir Putin’s crowning achievement has become a military and personal headache for the Russian leader.

From New York Post: Trump-backed Daylight Saving Time bill clears key House hurdle [Ed: I expect this bill to pass the Senate.]

Tech Bubble Bursting? From CNBC: IBM stock craters 25%, the worst day on record, after company issues second-quarter earnings warning. [Ed: $68B wiped out in hours.] From FOX Business: IBM sends 'shockwave' through tech industry with AI warning.

From Ammo: What States Have the Strictest Gun Control in 2026? [Ed: an info-rich study. Hat tip to Sam Jacobs.]

From Dogman Ray: Bear.

From the Washington Examiner: Working-class zeroes: Radical socialist Democrats pretend to be blue-collar allies. [Ed: so many of them have never even held a real job but lived off parents or family money instead.] AND Leftward, ho! How socialists would shape a new Democratic majority.

From Good News Network: Woman Crippled by Alzheimer’s Resumes Lively Conversations After Psilocybin Mushrooms Unlocked Her Memory. "In other words, everything which seems to be taken away by Alzheimer’s may still be there, and that there exists some chemical key that can unlock it."

Mamdani. From the New York Post: Top Mamdani official’s shady meet with Iran ambassador goes beyond NYC agenda. [Ed: the mayor of NYC's office conducted foreign policy?] From the Hill: Trump shares video calling for Mamdani, ‘hardcore communist bastards’ to be deported. [Ed: sometimes it is impossible to tell if Trump is trolling or serious.] From FOX News: Mamdani ripped over record-high NYC rents with critics pointing to policy they say is fueling crisis. Research links illegal immigration to rising rents as NYC Comptroller Mark Levine urges making it easier to build homes.

From Organic Prepper: Thrift Store Preppers: Save Money with Secondhand Survival Supplies. [Ed: my fav place for secondhand survival items is a yard sale.]

Iraq. From AP: US Military Is Exiting Iraq. After 23 years, presence will end by end of September. From Al Jazeera: Trump meets Iraq PM at White House, promises ‘a lot of deals’. Iraqi prime minister says relations with the US shifting from militaristic to economic, pledges disarmament of factions. [Ed: Trump is looking for oil and gas deals to relieve disruptions from Iran.] From Zero Hedge: Great Rewiring: US Supports Iraq-Syria Oil Pipeline To Erode Tehran's Hormuz Leverage. "A State Department official confirmed the US government is supporting efforts by Iraq and Syria to enhance trade..." [Ed: Trump is making this up as he goes along.]

From the Daily Caller: Unearthed Records Reveal Scale Of Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost Text Message Spying Spree. "... Jack Smith and his team peered into the text messages of 44 members of Congress, according to the new tranche of documents." [Ed: and denied under oath that he had done so.]

Graham Platner. From Third Way: The Left’s Three Big Lies Behind the Platner Disaster. From the New York Post: Maine socialists try again — with another he-man fake to sub for Graham Platner. [Ed: once again, endorsed by Bernie.]

From Greater Good: One Traumatized Dog Changed Countless Lives After Everyone Else Gave Up

Lindsay Graham. From Politico: Graham’s death leaves Senate agenda in limbo. The South Carolina Republican was a key player at the center of several major legislative battles. [Ed: this may doom the SAVE Act.] From Son of the New American Revolution: UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv. [Ed: ?] From FOX South Carolina: Who is Darline Graham? Lindsey Graham’s sister named interim senator. [Ed: she will serve until Jan. 3.]

From the Epoch Times: Kitten Plays with Wagging Dog's Tail.

The Coming U.S. Election. From Just the News: Evidence mounts of noncitizens reaching voter rolls, casting ballots as DOJ speeds crackdown. [Ed: the next to last Presidential election (Biden won) was the dirtiest I have ever seen.] From Post Millennial: States asking for $1 billion+ in DHS grants will be forced to verify voters' US citizenship. "Election security is national security, and protecting the Nation's critical infrastructure is a top priority."

Iran. From Zero Hedge: Trump Reinstates Iranian Blockade, Stuns With 20% 'Reimbursement Plan' On Cargo Transit, Oil Prices Surge. "Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that." [Ed: U.S. wants 20% on cargo that goes thru the Strait. Wow!] From Newser: Iran Mocks Trump's Hormuz Fee Announcement. Foreign minister says Iran will provide security in the strait, but '20% is of course too much'. [Ed: links to various news sources embedded.] From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: Escalation – Saudi’s Block Oil – Alleged Recruiting Of Ahmadinejad. From You Tube: Iran's Bridges Are Down, Its Power Grid Is Next — Here's What the U.S. Just Hit.

From the Post Millennial: Sheriff warns Somali gang violence is rising in Minnesota's ethnic enclaves. "If you stay in denial, you’ll never fix the problem." [Ed: the DHS's "Deportation Airlines"?]

Mamdani. From Zero Hedge: Mamdani's Affordability Agenda Flops As NYC Rents Surge To Record Highs. "We don't have a housing shortage. We have an illegal alien invasion." From the Post Millennial: MAMDANI’S NYC: Homeless encampment with drug trafficking, prostitution reaches 12 blocks. “People stopped parking here. People are scared to park here.” From the New York Post: NY sees dramatic exodus of US millionaires — causing nearly $11B loss in tax revenue: study.

From Doog Lovers: From a Concrete Pit to a Loving Home: Leroy’s Rescue Story.

From Good News Network: Simple Shot Shows Promise to Reverse Osteo-Arthritis Within Months, Following Animal Treatments

Everyday Finances. From FOX: America’s retirement system is broken. Trump may have found a bold fix. Trump is eyeing Australia's retirement system as a model for portable retirement accounts. From Moneywise: I’m a 50-year-old man and want to retire by 62. I’m contributing 6% to my 401(k) and have $500,000. Will I reach my goal?

Fraud. From the Washington Examiner: SNAP wasn’t cut. It was caught. [Ed: huge amount of fraud.] From Newsmax: Labor Dept Targets New York Unemployment Fraud. "...unemployment insurance fraud that the department says is costing taxpayers an estimated $2 million a day."

From Townhall: The NYT Tried to Do Damage Control Over Their Whitewashed Graham Platner Story, But It's a Trainwreck. [Ed: it is journalistic misconduct, deliberate and politically motivated.] From the Hill: Graham Platner may turn from a nightmare to a blessing for Democrats. [Ed: no, I don't think so, but it is a different perspective.] From the Post Millennial: Big tech suppressed negative Platner stories. Apple and Google featured virtually no reporting on Platner's controversies for six months, despite numerous outlets covering his Nazi tattoo, Reddit posts and other damaging allegations.

Ukraine-Russia. From Politico.EU: Captured African recruits say they want to go home — to Russia. African POWs have become pawns in Moscow and Kyiv’s battle for influence. From Gilbert Doctorow: Russia is losing the war! [Ed: not a podcast, text.]

From Yahoo: Trump birthright citizenship fight comes roaring back with ‘invaders’ play after Kavanaugh roadmap. [Ed: intoruduced Citizenship Act in Congress.]

From Courthouse News: Judge voids Trump's $1.8 billion settlement with IRS. Trump sued the IRS earlier this year over a leak of his tax returns and settled for $1.776 billion in a deal shot down by a federal judge Monday as "collusion." From MS Now: Judge slams Trump-IRS ‘settlement,’ refers attorney for possible disciplinary actions. The president probably thought his $10 billion case against the IRS was over. That was before a federal court found his lawyers acted in “bad faith.” [Ed: widely viewed as a “slush fund” that would be used to benefit the White House’s political allies.]

From Glambun: Border Collie and Girl Steal the Spotlight at Dog Dancing World Championship. A Performance You Can’t Miss!

From the Epoch Times: Minnesota Gov. Walz Declares Emergency, Calls Up National Guard to Battle Wildfires. The Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota has reported 16 wildfires burning, including four within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. [Ed: it will be a record summer for wildfires, I'm afraid.]

From Townhall: Marco Rubio Just Declared War on the International Criminal Court and International Law From Al Jazeera: Trump administration vows to ‘disable’ International Criminal Court. US State Department ups pressure campaign on international tribunal, threatening allies who support investigations. [Ed: not fond of the global enforcement agency myself. And, no, not an endorsement of Trump.]

From Bangor Daily News: Video shows federal agents pulling man from car after fatal Biddeford shooting. [Ed: ICE kills 26 yr old Columbian man who is here legally. Details are not clear to me yet.]

From the Washington Times: Grateful dog owner describes mountain rescue after canine apparently ingests cannabis