WendyMcElroy.com

From Rand: A U.S. Strategy to Prevent the Creation of Mirror Life. [Ed: someone will create this simply because they can.]

From Top Tipsy: How This 16 Year Old Dog Saved His Owner Broke Me Down. Especially The End… Wow.

From Jonathan Turley: Report: FBI Listed Bill Barr, Michael Pence and Other Republicans as Russian “Conduits” of Misinformation. [Ed: FBI also buried a lot of material exposing the Biden family's corruption.]

Water. From AP: Record Low Danube Closes Nuclear Reactors. Romania begins shutdown of Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant's 2nd reactor amid low river levels. [Ed: when fully operating, the plant produces about 20% of nation's electricity.] From Popular Science: WWII motorcycle and soldiers emerge from river muck in Hungary. [Ed: due to low water.]

From FEE: We Need to Do Nothing About AI. [Ed: well argued.]

Ceuta. From Zero Hedge: The Ceuta Crisis And The Emerging European Divide. We are seeing the emergence of a kind of Islamo-Marxist movement, a fusion of radical socialist social ideals with a Sharia-based reinterpretation of society – as long as it is directed against the bourgeois West and the civilizational achievements of old Europe... by Thomas Kolbe. From Business Insider Africa: Spain draws a red line as Morocco revives sovereignty claims over Ceuta and Melilla. [Ed: Morocco clearly wants to claim the area. Is the migrant wave part of its strategy?]

Upcoming Elections. From SCOTUS Blog: Trump administration urges Supreme Court to issue a decision in mail-in voting dispute.

From Our Long Walk: The economy under your skin. What ancient DNA can reveal about economic history – and us. [Ed: fascinating.]

Iran. From Simplicius: Encore at the Cirque Du Hormuz - The Greatest Show on Earth! [Ed: a must read.] From X, the Hormuz Letter: The UAE has released several billion dollars of Iran's frozen assets held in UAE banks. [Ed: I do not think UAE would do this without US approving, tacitly or not.] From Trade Winds: Experts tackle 2,000 square km oil spill from tanker off Oman. UK group is coordinating a response as specialists board stricken vessel, [Ed: huge spill. Not clear the extent of it yet. Largely unreported.] From Arab News: Iran calls for compensation after Hormuz oil spill.

From Dogster: How I Rescued A Greek Stray Dog: Hela's Story

J.D. Vance's Book, Reviews. From The Argument: Hillbilly economics. The common good demands that you are poor. From Cato Institute: JD Vance’s Feared “Cult of Growth” Has Never Run America.

From Of Two Minds Blog: While We Focused on Fripperies, the Foundations Have Rotted Away

From X, Christopher Webb: Video of How Stun Gloves Work. [Ed: these will be badly misused by ICE.] From BBC: Why are ICE agents getting controversial shock gloves?

Living in NYC. From Moneywise: She scored a 2-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn at 60% below market — but paid $4,000 just to see it. Secret listings give renters an edge at a cost. [Ed: the free market will find a way around regulations.] AND Trump threatens federal intervention against NYC's pied-a-terre tax — and his own $6M penthouse could be affected. Trump says he's exploring whether the federal government can stop NYC's new tax on luxury second homes. [Ed: not clear that the federal gov. has this authority.] From Thomson Reuters: New York City to continue pied-à-terre tax rollout despite court challenge.

From Reason: Border Patrol Saves America From Canadian Trucker Delivering Goods in New Mexico. What kind of country would America be if people were freely allowed to peacefully deliver goods that had been consensually bought and sold?

From Dog With Blog: Hero Dog Who Saved 9 Lives Honored with Lifetime Award.

From the Mises Institute: Get Your Free August Rothbard Giveaway "The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar" Today! Order up to 5 copies before August 31.

Air Force One Leak. From FOX News: Man who carried Clinton nuclear 'football' reveals what 'scares the hell out of me' about Air Force One story. Retired Air Force Lt Col Robert Patterson suspects someone 'highly placed' leaked story of Trump's Air Force One swap. From the New York Post: Pentagon accuses former Air Force secretary of leaking classified information about Air Force One. [Ed: revoked his classified access. Who knows if he is 'guilty'?]

Farage. From Politico.EU: Farage paints himself as local Clacton hero in battle to beat Binface. Analysis of Reform UK’s £10,000 spend on online ads in Clacton by-election reveal a mix of anti-establishment rhetoric and more prosaic matters. From the BBC: Polls close in Clacton by-election triggered by Nigel Farage. [Ed: we should know the results by early Friday...today!]

From Red State: John Fetterman Just Made a Political Promise Democrats Are Not Going to Like. "...he won't campaign against McCormick if the Republican decides to run for reelection in 2030."

From the Bored Panda: Stray Dog Becomes Employed At A Gas Station After Chasing Off Robbers

From Zero Hedge: Former SPLC Exec Arrested: Accused Of Funneling Donor Money To KKK, Neo-Nazi Informants Beirich in fact ran the organization's Intelligence Project - the unit that decided who landed on the hate map. [Ed: no sympathy. the SPLC has destroyed the lives of innocent people because for their political beliefs.]

From ABC7: Dog saves owner from fire that destroyed his house: ‘She was terrified’

ICE. From Reason: Airports Are ICE's Latest Target, Raising 4th Amendment Concerns From Airlines. An apparent surge of ICE arrests in airport terminals has created viral videos and questions over ICE's authority to board planes without judicial warrants. [Ed: an attempt to meet the White House's steep daily quota for immigration arrests?] From the Post Millennial: Portland jury convicts leftist doctor who clashed with police during ICE facility 'May Day' riot. Multnomah County Judge Celia Howes sentenced Esperanza to 18 months of probation and 40 hours of community service.[b] From CNN: ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on electrical shock gloves for agents

From the International Man: Doug Casey on the End of Honest Markets

DSA. From Jonathan Turley: Gavin Newsom, the DSA, and the Danton Delusion. [Ed: a must read.] From American Prospect: Why Have Less Than One Percent of American Socialists Joined DSA? Socialism has not been this popular in America in at least a century, but how it’s defined, and who defines it, matters.

From antiwar: The Bomb in Monaco and a Torture Room Near Kyiv. Anatomy of a Killing That Silenced Its Own Suspect

Strait of Hormuz. From Zero Hedge: Trump: US Controls Hormuz Strait, 'I Think We Will Keep It' - Confirms Economic Siege Strategy. As mediators cite 'absolutely no progress' on peace talk efforts... From CGTN: Iran says Strait of Hormuz stays closed unless US accepts its conditions. From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Prospects of Long War Rise as US and Iran Signal a Staredown; Iran Economy Not Collapsing; Saudi-Ansar Allah Attacks Intensify; US Navy in Crisis?

From Dogman Ray: Just Nuisance. The only dog that was ever officially enlisted into the Royal Navy.

This Week's Elections. From the Washington Examiner: GOP congressman says Democrats ‘stole’ election from socialist Francesca Hong. [Ed: it certainly seems as tho there was fraud in the Wisconsin Dem primary.] From Newser: What We Learned in Tuesday's Primaries. They provided a sign of trouble for progressives, as well as older Democratic incumbents

From Good News Network: Antiviral Chewing Gum Cuts Risk of Certain Head and Neck Cancers to Almost Zero in New Study

Childhood Vaccinations. From the Epoch Times: WHO Defends Childhood Vaccination Schedules After Trump Order. "On Aug. 10, Trump signed an order to recommend administering the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in three shots during separate visits." [Ed: some schools mandate the shots for attendance.] From Nature: Trump wants MMR vaccine split up: the science behind why it’s a bad idea. Numerous studies have shown that separating childhood jabs will delay protection and increase costs for families. [Ed: i must admit I don't understand Trump's reasoning here.]

Martin v. Mott. From Command Center: Trump's Secret Power To Combat A Communist Uprising. [Ed: a hideous power that Trump has mentioned invoking repeatedly.] From the SCOTUS Blog: The president’s power to deploy troops domestically: an explainer.

Tariffs. From EconLib: Action Figures and the Balance of Payments From the Financial Post: Protectionists live in economic wonderland. The world is upside-down with a Republican president practicing socialism and Republican voters supporting free trade less than Democrats. "Under socialism, government owns the means of production, which the U.S. government increasingly wants to do. [Ed: Trump 'investing' the gov. in private businesses is a terrible trend.]

From Wired: Is It Safe to Eat Lettuce Yet?

From People: America’s Got Talent’s Golden Buzzer Dog Sets Guinness World Record for Lightning-Fast Trick

From Reason: Border Patrol Saves America From Canadian Trucker Delivering Goods in New Mexico. What kind of country would America be if people were freely allowed to peacefully deliver goods that had been consensually bought and sold? [Ed: a new word for me...cabotage. Cabotage means the transport of goods or passengers between two places inside the same country by a transport operator from a different country. It is illegal in the States, Canada and other nations.]

Germany Misc. From Politico.EU: Meta AI glasses face criminal complaint in Germany. Privacy concerns over the device have snowballed in recent months amid reports of people being filmed without their consent. [Ed: I am uncomfortable with the glasses but I don't think there is any right to privacy in public. In private, yes.] From Politico.EU: Germany to give spies major new powers. The reform comes as Berlin confronts a growing hybrid menace from Moscow and attempts to become less dependent on U.S. intelligence sharing.

From CNBC: Why the historic U.S.-Japan intervention has failed to halt the yen’s slide.

Ukraine-Russia. From International Business Times: Zelenskyy Asks South Korea for Air Defense as Ukraine Warns of 50,000 More North Korean Troops in Russia. From Andrew Korybko: Why'd Russia Once Again Reaffirm Its Commitment To The “Spirit Of Anchorage”?

From Wired: Big Tech Wants to Harvest Your Thoughts.

Mamdani. From Zero Hedge: Mamdani's Socialist Utopia Collides With Reality As Manhattan Rents Hit Record. Let's not forget that a recent Center for Migration Studies report showed that more than 500,000 illegal aliens live in NYC. From the Hill: Mamdani weighs in on ‘Woke 1 was crazy’: ‘Sometimes, what you believe can change’ [Ed: like AOC and other far-leftists, he is toning down the rhetoric to gain popularity but I don't believe for a second that he's changed.]

From Bored Panda: Dog Lover Shares How His Pup Lives A Heartwarming Double Life Visiting An Elderly Woman Every Day

Upcoming Elections. From CNN: 9 Races Poised to Decide Control of the Senate. The economy and Trump backlash are defining the 2026 battleground for the chamber.

From Epoch TV: Puppy Follows Best Friend Down Slide

Big Economic Picture. From ITM Trading: Japan Just Forced the U.S. Into an Impossible Choice. [Ed: the US feels forced to intervene on behalf of Japan's tanking currency.]

From Eric Peters Auto: Very few people dislike firemen or EMS workers. This is probably a function of the fact that they only come when called. [Ed: exactly.]

From Politico.com: Pelosi: Those who knew of Biden’s decline ‘should have acted’. The former House speaker’s remarks came at POLITICO's The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit on Tuesday. [Ed: she was one of the ones who knew. Hypocrite. Liar.]

Cost of Living. From the Hill: The American Dream and Retirement Are Dying. AI, stagnant wages, and vanishing pensions mean a lot of us will work until we die [Ed: I see this all around me, here in Canada. The Canadian dream?] From Politico.EU: Breakfast looks a lot more expensive under new EU pesticide plans. Coffee, citrus and berry prices set to spike if a plan to tighten pesticide standards for imports becomes reality. [Ed: gov. makes all goods artificially pricey.]

AI. From A Lot Will Happen in 2026: The July Incident: What They Didn't Tell You About the First Rogue AI Breach. “The agents are already out. We just don’t know how many...” [Ed: a must read.]

From American Greatness: British Police Unit Flags Over 100 Social Media Posts For Arrest Amid Immigration Backlash. ...the initiative remains “still in the early stages of being established,”

Ukraine-Russia. From Politico.EU: Ukraine hammers key Russian port in overnight drone attack. The Ukrainian president said Kyiv’s forces were attacking a Black Sea naval base, while Russian officials pointed to civilian casualties and destroyed residential buildings. From the Washington Examiner: Will Ukraine retaliate against North Korea outside of the war zone? [Ed: I doubt it. At least, I doubt a direct attack on N. Korea. Indirect? Maybe...]

From American Thinker: No Fourth Amendment In American Airports? An American in an American airport on American soil has to surrender his rights to an American customs agent? What is this sorcery? [Ed: the response would be...there is a 4th amendment but you have to surrender your rights to it if you want to fly.]

From Reason: How Georgia Went From a Post-Soviet Capitalist Boom to a Country That Jails Libertarians. As leader of the “Girchi—More Freedom” party, Zurab Japaridze spent 7 months jailed as a political prisoner. He’s prepared to spend much longer there if he has to. [Ed: Georgia, the nation.]

From Kitty Cat Breeder: Dog Steps Out To Pee, Ends Up Saving A Stranger's Life

From the Guardian: $581M Project Forced to Reroute Around Dobby's Grave. Harry Potter fans got really upset that power cable was going through grave of a fictitious house elf. [Ed: the power of culture.]

Mamdani. From CNN: Judge Blocks Mamdani Tax on Second Homes. Judge cites unclear notices, orders city to temporarily halt enforcement From the Hill: Mamdani: Democratic socialists ‘going back to what the party used to be’. [Ed: actually, he has a point about FDR and the New Deal.]

From Marine Insight: First Weekly Arctic Container Service To Be Launched By Chinese Line Via Northern Sea Route.

DSA. From Semafor: Democratic establishment uses a ‘vulnerability’ attack on the left [Ed: this scenario is playing out in many local races.] From Jonathan Turley: Big Tent, Small Space: Democratic Leaders Embrace the “Fine People” of the DSA as Radicals Call for Purges. From the Hill: Ocasio-Cortez declines to endorse Hong, says she’s focused on ‘winning back’ Congress From Real Clear Politics: Ex-DSA Member Blows Whistle Over "Mob Tactics" Used On Dissenters, Debates Over Levels-of-Leninism. [Ed: a must read. I would like to the Free Press interview but it is by subscription.]

From Science News: For decades, we were told to choose low-fat dairy. New research says otherwise. [Ed: and the elites wonder why people are losing trust in experts.]

From CNN-US: He waited and planned for the perfect time, then set the blaze, officials say. Inside the Spokane arson case. "He claimed that throughout the next year — starting in July 2025 — he sparked more than two dozen fires..."

Iran. From Son of the New American Revolution: Is Donald Trump Serious About Declaring Victory Over Iran? From Iran Analytica: How Iran Sees the “Mecca Defense Pact”. What a Trilateral Defense Pact Reveals About the Emerging Postwar Regional Order. [Ed: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan.] From Zero Hedge: Trump Finally Responds To Iran's Demands, Counters US Is Owed "Compensation," Stops Short Of New Threats. Oil edges higher while Trump returns to strategy of economic pressure & "low-keying" it... From the Cradle: Iran says Hormuz deal sealed with Oman as Khamenei makes sweeping changes to military leadership

From Wamiz: The Balto movie is a much-loved 1995 animated adventure film inspired by a true story, following a half-wolf, half-dog hero.

From the Mercury News: Crime writers’ new conundrum: How to get away with murder when cameras are everywhere. Cellphone data, license plate readers and other digital trails are forcing authors to create smarter villains and faster-moving plots. [Ed: reader friendly.]

Big Economic Picture. From Macro Butler: When The House Of Debt Falls. [Ed: clear analysis.] From the Next Recession: Japan: caught between inflation and slump. [Ed: I have heard some convincing arguments that the next global recession will begin with Japan.] From International Man: Revealed: 5 More Dangerous Myths of Modern Finance (#16–20) Exposed [Ed: The Top 5 Myths of Modern Finance, Myths of Modern Finance #6-10, Myths of Modern Finance (#11–15)

From AP: Powerful 7.4 Earthquake Hits Colombia, Ecuador. Reports of 'injuries and serious damage' as people evacuate homes and buildings

Israel. From the Middle East Eye: Israeli general says Gaza should remain ‘destroyed for generations’. [Ed: I'd say "bad optics" but it is "bad reality".]

From 404 Media: You Opened a Credit Card. ICE Now Knows Where You Live

From RFI: Spain begins border checks on travellers from Italy amid migration showdown. [Ed: the end of Schengen?] From Politico.EU: A new rival is forcing Italy’s Meloni back to her far-right roots. The prime minister has toughened her rhetoric on migration as Roberto Vannacci gains ground in the polls.

From Liberty Nation: Democrat Establishment Spooked Over Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary "Francesca Hong will today, Tuesday, August 11, try to claim the Democratic Party’s nomination for Governor of Wisconsin."

From the DoDo: Stray Dog Reaches Out Paw To Woman For Help. "I think he knew I was going to help him.”

Fauci/Covid. From FOX News: Fauci discussed COVID mRNA vaccine concerns for pregnant women in text chain released by Senate committee. Fauci discussed the risks from COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women. [Ed: Fauci said a second dose of the mRNA Covid vaccine “theoretically could be associated with miscarriage in the 1st trimester.”]

From the Guardian: ‘Adversarial clothing’: are garments designed to confuse facial recognition systems about to go mainstream? Designers say that as well as offering a degree of protection from surveillance, their clothes make a powerful fashion statement about the importance of privacy

From Axios: Zuckerberg: AI's biggest risk is one entity with too much control. ... advocating for open-source artificial intelligence to prevent the dangers of centralized corporate control.

From AOL: Dog Lets Rescue Cat Cuddle Him & Returns Her Love With Endless Kisses

Upcoming Elections. From Axios: A Deadline Passes, and Max Miller Stays Put. Congressman says he's not withdrawing from reelection race amid abuse allegations. [Ed: GOP candidate in Ohio district that usually considered safe for GOP...but he has been accused of abusing women.] From the Epoch Times: Arizona, California Score Separate Court Wins Over Election Rules. Arizona defeated challenge to voter-registration provisions while California put Shasta County’s election overhaul on hold...

From Dog Heirs: Bus Driver Spots A Lost Dog Standing In The Rain And Knows She Has To Stop.

Drought? From ZME Science: London Recorded Its First Month Without Rain Since Measurements Started 150 Years Ago [Ed: weather conditions are so strange and drought so common that food prices will be surging upward.]

From Airmail: Who Ya Gonna Call? Scam Busters! How a team of sleuths reportedly tracked down the Brad Pitt imper sonators who cyber-scammed a middle-aged Frenchwoman out of her life’s savings. [Ed: a new industry has been born.]

Cost of Living. From the Motley Fool: An Inflation Quadruple Whammy, Headlined by Trumpflation, Threatens to Crush the Stock Market.

British Columbia Wildfires. From CBC: What you need to know about B.C. wildfires on Aug. 9. RCMP confirm fatality related to wildfire near Summerland. [Ed: at last count, 20,000 have been evacuated.] From CTV: B.C. wildfire leaves empty foundations, vehicle frames, blackened trees, video shows.

From Newsweek: Trembling Guard Dog Keeps Duty Despite Being Terrified of Fireworks.

DSA. From National Review The Unwelcome Return of Sentimental Socialism. [Ed: thought provoking approach to understanding the DSA.] From Cato Institute: Redistributing Wealth Means Redistributing Power to the State. From FOX News: James Carville responds to 'vicious' progressive Democrats trying to drive him out of the party. Feud exposes growing civil war between Democratic moderates and far-left progressives. [Ed: this is interesting because I can't even hazard a guess on the outcome.]

Israel-Palestine. From Drop Site: Israel's Brutal Retaliation Against Imprisoned Palestinian Doctors Seeking Legal Appeals. The escalated abuse against Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya following a legal challenge to his detention has sent a chilling message to the families of detained medical workers in Gaza. [Ed: the torture of what sounds to be a wonderful and humanitarian doctor should be a war crime.] From X, Gaza Notification: Imprisoned Palestinian physician Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya ... From the BBC: Netanyahu Rejects Trump Plan for Gaza. Israel demands full Hamas disarmament before withdrawing its forces

From People: Deadly Fungus Confirmed in 23 States. It’s Nearly Impossible to Treat. Candida auris — a lethal fungus which spreads easily in hospitals — is on the rise, and it’s resistant to most medications.

From Jacobin: After Blocking Fuel, the US Turns to Cuba’s Food Supply. [Ed: recommended.]

From Technology.org: The Last Year for Cash? EU is Cutting Limits Next Year. [Ed: the stated reason is to prevent money laundering but govs want to track every dollar you have/spend in order to grab as much as possible.] AND Europe’s Digital Euro: What It Is and How It Would Work. [Ed: for example, the new currency would not earn interest.]

From DoDo: Rescue Dog Was Scared Of Everything — Until He Got A Little Brother.

Ukraine-Russia. From Simplicius: Ukraine’s Air Defense Crisis Turns Global as Russian Ferocity Puts Country on Brink From Ukrainska Pravda: The Atlantic reveals why Elon Musk is refusing to let Ukraine use Starlink for strikes on Russian territory "...because he believes it is time Ukraine concluded a peace deal with Russia." [Ed: Zelensky does not want a peace deal.]

AI. From Off-Guardian: From "Designed Viruses" To "Digital Telepathy" – AI Panic Kicks Into Overdrive. "...is the recent wave of news stories about rogue AI agents deliberate fear-mongering intended to manufacture public consent for AI regulation... and further pretext for restricting ordinary internet use?" From Tom's Hardware: AI creates 16 new viruses that never existed in nature after learning DNA’s pattern from 9 trillion nucleotides — experts warn such applications are way ahead of necessary guardrails. [Ed: this worries, I admit.]

Strait of Hormuz/Iran. From Bloomberg: Wait for Hormuz Deal Stretches on as Iran Says Terms Must Be Met. [Ed: reader friendly.] From The Hill: Amid Strait of Hormuz talks, Iran publishes list of demands for US. From Son of the New American Revolution: Iran Holds Firm on the Strait of Hormuz. "Although Donald Trump insists that the Strait of Hormuz is open, it ain’t." From Zero Hedge: Trump Says "We Are Low Keying It" With Iran As Options For Walking Away Have Drastically Narrowed. US official: Trump even "floating the idea privately to senior aides that he's willing to walk away without a nuclear deal." From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Trump Impotence – WSJ Reports Desire to Exit if Strait Opened, Netanyahu Rejects Gaza “Deal”, Pentagon Issues 21-Day Demand for Plans for More Weapons as Iran and Ansar Allah Keep Attacking

From the American Thinker: Globalism Must Be Vanquished. Today’s internationalists were yesterday’s imperialists...

From the Daily Mail: Dog chorus! Bleu the golden retriever 'sings' along to wind chimes

From Democracy SOS: Trump’s new tariff plan is more preposterous and anti-democratic than the last. In his latest departure from reality, Trump cites “forced slave labor” to justify broad new tariffs against the EU and other nations [Ed: including "slave labour" Canada.]

Church of England and Reparations for Slavery. From the Guardian: C of E’s £100m plan to address historical links to slavery faces legal challenge. General Synod hears that Project Spire has not been abandoned but staff have received ‘vile abuse’ from critics. [Ed: plans 100M Euro fund to do so.] From the BBC: Archbishop of Canterbury committed to £100m slavery fund From the Telegraph: Archbishop Sarah Mullally is making the same error as Justin Welby on slavery reparations. The Church of England and its parishes are in a mess. So why is it persisting with the unwarranted £100m Project Spire scheme? [Ed: C of E will be looting its parish churches to fund this.]

U.S. IRS Regulations. From NTD: IRS to Propose Retirement Regulations Impacting Millions of Taxpayers. From Thomas Reuters: IRS proposes rules on foreign tax allocation, credit disallowance