Good morning everyone,

I am currently working on a research project involving the Iran War and am hoping for some participants to fill out an anonymous survey. The questions range from general sentiment and opinion of the war to general voter/demographic info.

The survey is tailored towards Americans and domestic sentiment, however international opinion is always welcome as long as you mark so.

Here's the link: https://forms.gle/Cb24D6uJP9mgZGTu7

Thank you so much for considering, have a great day!

https://www.wmtw.com/article/dolly-stella-parton-sister-remembers-country-legend/73553442

PORTLAND, Maine —

A man was shot and killed by Portland police Thursday night after authorities said he threatened workers with a gun, stole vehicles at gunpoint and led officers on a pursuit that ended at the Casco Bay Lines terminal.

Portland police identified the man as 37-year-old Jacob Hastings.

Maine's Total Coverage and 8 Investigates have confirmed that Hastings had a long criminal history and, at least at one time, was a member of the white supremacy group Aryan Nations.

Hastings' criminal history shows a record dating back to 2006 in numerous jurisdictions, with convictions for robbery, probation violation, aggravated assault, reckless conduct, burglary, theft by unauthorized use, aggravated criminal mischief, unlawful sexual contact, assault, escape, theft by deception with priors, refusal to submit to arrest or detention and failure to comply to the sex offender registry.

Thread theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK-PEGCkT6Y

https://apnews.com/article/lake-ontario-canada-america-trump-trade-war-3ac58dca0ca83c15605d4dbff146b28a

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is renaming Lake Ontario to be known as “Lake America” in the United States as he escalates his trade war with Canada.

The Republican president signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service. Trump cannot force Canada to follow his preferred naming convention, however.

Trump has been floating the idea of the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods over the weekend after talks between the countries broke down. Trump has been needling America’s northern neighbor since he returned to the White House last year, suggesting the ally with whom the U.S. once had warm relations should instead be absorbed as the 51st state.

Canada responded to Trump’s import taxes this week by imposing retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion worth of American goods, including steel, dairy products, appliances and farm equipment.

Trump, who signed the order as he was sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, had a large sign behind him propped on a stand with a map of the Great Lakes. Over Lake Ontario, in big red letters, the map read “Lake America.”

On the other side of the president was another map with the words, “MAKING THE GREAT LAKES EVEN GREATER.”

The lake is one of multiple Great Lakes that the U.S. and Canada share borders along.

The office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney did not immediately respond to a request for comment

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston dismissed Trump’s move in a social media post, writing: “We’re into some real foolishness now. It’s Lake Ontario, buddy.”

Good afternoon everyone,

I am working on a research project regarding the Iran War and I'd like to get as many people's take as possible on a few questions. The survey is anonymous and asks general questions on political affiliation and opinions on the conflict.

If you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to fill out my short form, I would greatly appreciate it!
https://forms.gle/dSYLYHUeR1B1VGp86

Thank you for your consideration, have a great day!

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://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6057732-trump-criminal-conviction-removal-federal-court-denied/

A federal judge on Friday rejected President Trump’s latest bid to fight his criminal conviction outside of New York’s state courts, a strategy aimed at citing presidential immunity, under which Trump could potentially toss charges that stem from a 2016 hush money payment in the trash can.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein has denied Trump’s attempts to move to federal court three times. An appeals panel had directed Hellerstein to take another look, saying he brushed aside the president’s arguments too easily.

Hellerstein on Friday reaffirmed that Trump was too late and that the verdict withstands presidential immunity anyway.

“The grounds for a second removal cited by Defendant, Donald J. Trump, are neither new nor legally sufficient. He has failed to show good cause and diligence,” the judge wrote.

Trump quickly asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Friday’s decision.

Hellerstein is an appointee of former President Clinton who serves on the federal bench in Manhattan.

Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair.

https://www.nine.com.au/world-news/usa/trump-announces-re-election-bid-in-rambling-address-to-washington-media-20260725-p60ihj.html


> Donald Trump has announced he will run for president in 2028 during a rambling speech to the Washington press corps.

>Trump was speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner when he appeared to make the announcement.

>Even Donald Trump himself did not seem excited by his own re-election announcement.
>“I won three times, now I’m gonna do it again,” he said, while putting on a cap that read “Trump 2028″.

>“I’m gonna do it again. It should be easy.”

>He went on to add that he won in 2020 but the election was rigged.

>The 80-year-old was met with a smattering of applause, but even he did not seem excited by the moment.

>Presidents are only able to serve two terms, and if Trump wanted a third, the constitution would need to change.
>He would also need to dramatically improve his dire approval ratings. Trump’s approval rating is lower than any modern president at this stage of the term.

Buc-ee’s forbids staff from sporting ‘visible tattoos’ in a nationwide ban
https://nypost.com/2026/08/26/lifestyle/buc-ees-forbids-staff-from-showing-visible-tattoos/

Buc-ee’s just inked a controversial new rule.

Famous for the “cleanest restrooms in America” and its red-capped, beaver mascot, the mega-sized convenience hub has taken issue with body art.

The cult-favorite convenience chain shared via its website that employees nationwide are forbidden from sporting “visible tattoos” at work.

In addition to the tat ban, Buc-ee’s will not abide body piercings, tongue posts, “unnatural colored hair,” open-toe shoes, or torn or faded clothing.

Uniform requirements include “tan/khaki/black pants and a clean, professional, solid red shirt with a collar.”

In cooler weather, the chain graciously permits employees to wear a red sweater or coat.

Additional employment stipulations include drug and alcohol testing and “one of the most extensive background checks in the industry.”

Trump Appointee Scott Bessent plans change so Companies No Longer Have To Disclose Their Ownership And US Database Of Owners Will Be Deleted

https://archive.today/2026.08.12-135146/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/08/11/treasury-ends-ownership-reporting-rules-us-companies/

A lawsuit filed this month alleges that there’s a simple reason some stations in the Freedom Fuel Network — the chain of discount gas stations promoted by the White House — have been able to sell gas so cheaply: Some $4 million worth of the gas is stolen.

KRSM, the business named in the suit, denies this accusation.

Freedom Fuel stations located around Philadelphia and New Jersey burst into public view in the run-up to the July Fourth holiday, when President Donald Trump posted praise for their discounted pump prices, writing “They are doing this because they love the U.S.A.” The White House later posted a video of drivers filling up at one of the stations and thanking Trump for the low prices — at the time, $3.47 a gallon in honor of the 47th president, though they’ve since crept up.

Neither the White House nor the network’s owners would explain exactly how the stations were able to sell fuel far cheaper than their competitors. The White House told reporters that Freedom Fuel was simply a private company lowering its margins for patriotic reasons and declined to disclose the people behind it — who turned out to be a former New Jersey mayor and NFL special teams coach for the Baltimore Ravens, a GOP donor.

>https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/28/lawsuit-freedom-fuel-gas-stations-trump-01055248