California’s stunning new rules on tires spark widespread backlash over massive regulatory overreach
https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/science/californias-new-tire-rules-spark-outrage-over-regulatory-overreach/

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt and Californians concerned with the Golden State’s skyrocketing cost of living are furious with state Democrats who pushed new regulations on replacement car tires.

The rules are a “scam” that will actually increase costs more, Pratt claimed in a post on X.

The California Energy Commission unanimously approved new rules Monday that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don’t meet the state’s energy-efficiency standards — potentially wiping out 70% of the tires currently available to California drivers.

The rules target a tire’s “rolling resistance,” or how much energy it takes to keep a tire moving down the road. Lower resistance means cars use less gas or electricity from better mileage, which Democrats claimed will help affordability.

“Look at the gas prices everyone’s experiencing,” Commissioner Nancy Skinner told KCRA. “If we can bring each Californian’s gas cost down just a little bit, then why wouldn’t we?”

Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom even trumpeted estimates that the new rules would save drivers $1 billion a year, with his office declaring that “MAGA hates to see it.”

But that was contradicted by estimates from Goodyear’s Bret Gladfelty, who claimed that actual price increases for tires could reach several hundred dollars by the 2030s as the industry scrambles to replace the 70% of tires wiped out by the regulations. .

According to the Tire Industry Association, average tire prices could increase from $81 to up to $157. If someone purchased four new tires for his car, the difference could exceed $300 per vehicle.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/luigi-mangione-pleads-guilty-connection-his-murder-united-healthcare-ceo-brian

“Today, Luigi Mangione admitted to stalking and murdering Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street in broad daylight,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “No grievance, political belief, or ideological cause can justify murder. With today’s guilty plea, Mangione is being held accountable for a heinous crime that claimed an innocent life and drew national attention. I commend the FBI, the NYPD, our law enforcement partners, and the dedicated prosecutors of this Office for their tireless work in securing this result.”

https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/trump-posts-map-labeling-strait-of-hormuz-new-us-territory-before-announcing-no-talks-with-iran-planned/

President Trump doubled down Tuesday on his claim to the Strait of Hormuz on behalf of America, posting a revised map of the area on social media that labeled the waterway “new US territory.”

Trump posted the image on his Truth Social site, before claiming in subsequent posts that the area had been cleared of Iranian mines and no further talks with the Islamic Republic were scheduled.

The president initially revealed the possibility of a permanent US presence in the strait during a Friday event on Long Island.

“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” Trump said while stumping for Republican candidates in New York’s gubernatorial and congressional elections.

During the same event, the president insisted that ensuring Iran could never obtain a nuclear weapon was worth paying “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline,” adding: “I’ll never apologize. I did the right thing.”

> 8/8/2026

Iran has a list of demands for the Strait of Hormuz, supposedly making the prospects of peace worse.
> https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/world/middleeast/iran-us-oman-strait-of-hormuz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.u8U6.2oFWCgo_hf9U&smid=url-share
USA burning through its arsenal - Russia and China taking note.
> https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/us/politics/pentagon-weapons-stockpiles-china-russia.html?unlocked_article_code=1.31A.G2Nv.YJAl3jey3bUa&smid=url-share
“The Wig Party”!
> https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/gallery/trump-debuts-fourth-hair-raising-1973599
Drones found in Bulgaria & Germany raise concerns about Russian escalation. (Red Text)
> https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/8/drones-spotted-in-bulgaria-and-germany-raise-concerns-of-russian-escalation
Top US General privately seeks off-ramp from Middle Eastern conflict.
> https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/general-dan-caine-off-ramp-iran-war
Bluster & backdown have turned the Iran War into Groundhog Day…
> https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2026/aug/08/trump-iran-war-criticism-groundhog-day
Italics: The Cyberattack that brought war to a small town in Minnesota.
> https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/the-cyberattack-that-brought-a-distant-war-to-small-town-minnesota-66451b93
Cuba regime overthrow would possibly turn out like Iran… (Red Text)
> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/08/trump-warned-cuba-regime-change-would-give-him-another-iran/
Joe Biden is in debilitating pain from his Cancer condition.
> https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/joe-biden-in-debilitating-pain-as-hunter-biden-says-his-dads-prostate-cancer-has-spread/

Guess I’ll just leave it there. Poor Joe Biden. He’s such a great guy!

I have published a public evidence archive concerning a multi-year case involving alleged digital intrusion, disputed medical findings, coercion and unsuccessful attempts to obtain an effective investigation.

I am not asking you to accept my conclusions.

I am asking whether an investigative journalist would be willing to independently review the primary documents and determine whether any part of the case warrants investigation.

Evidence archive:
https://vitaly.shutov.workers.dev

The archive contains a chronology, primary documents, medical records, correspondence with authorities and supporting digital material.

I can provide original files and additional documentation if required.

I am particularly interested in journalists experienced in OSINT, digital forensics, human-rights investigations or government accountability.

Democratic Party committee advances resolution demanding ICE be abolished
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/08/14/democratic-party-committee-advances-resolution-demanding-ice-be-abolished/

At its summer meeting in Austin, Texas, this past week, the Democratic National Committee’s Resolutions Committee approved a resolution that calls for the abolition of ICE, an agency at the center of the Trump administration’s immigration law enforcement effort.

Remember when MAGA lied to your face when they said they wouldn't start more wars?

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5dzk0ryzdo

Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman - a US ally - if it "gets in the way" of his administration's own talks with Iran, Fox News reports.

The US and Oman have been negotiating separately with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is vital to the global economy. It has been largely closed for nearly six months during the US-Iran war.

A reporter for Fox said the US president made the threat to Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview.

Earlier in the day, Iranian officials said they were close to finalising a deal with Oman. Meanwhile, the future of talks between the US and Iran is unclear as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides is expiring.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump was asked by BBC News if he was seeking an extension to the MoU, to which he replied: "No."

Since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz - through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. Reopening it has been a key point of discussion.

Oman borders the southern side of the Strait and says it is a neutral country in this conflict. However it has suffered a number of strikes from Iran and is now playing a key role in negotiating with Tehran to reopen the waterway.

Washington has pursued its own efforts to secure the reopening. Fox reporter Trey Yingst quoted Trump as saying: "If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them."

It is not clear what Trump thinks would constitute getting in the way of his ambitions for a deal.

During the same interview with Fox, Trump also said the US had a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is a major military, economic and political force in Iran.

>An IRGC spokesman denied Trump's claim.

https://www.kcbd.com/2026/08/15/texas-court-order-kicks-striking-federal-rules-silencers-certain-guns/

(AP) - A court order that struck down regulations on firearm suppressors and certain guns took effect Thursday after the U.S. Justice Department did not file an appeal before a seven-day deadline set by a federal judge in Texas.

The ruling allows people to purchase silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and certain other firearms without registration, while also removing an extra layer of background checks.

The order benefits parties that brought the lawsuit, including some dealers based outside northern Texas, but it is not a national injunction. Advocates say there are similar challenges in federal courts in other states. Separately, some states have their own prohibitions on silencers.

U.S. District Judge James Hendrix in Lubbock, Texas, said regulations in a 1930s-era law are unconstitutional. He said the rules must fall after the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump eliminated a $200 permit tax on the devices.