Summary

Why Trump Reportedly Ordered Military Not To Strike In Overnight

US Pauses Iran Bombing Campaign As Saudi-Houthi Red Sea Front Erupts

Why Trump Reportedly Ordered Military Not To Strike In Overnight

Axios reports that President Trump called off new U.S. military strikes on Iran Friday night, signaling a potential diplomatic offramp after nearly two weeks of tit-for-tat attacks.

People familiar with the decision told the outlet that the pause coincided with the arrival of Omani officials in Tehran for negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Here's what those sources are saying:

Trump's order to hold fire was given several hours after an Omani delegation arrived in Tehran Friday for talks on a new arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Two regional sources with knowledge of the negotiations said progress has been made in the talks and that an agreement between Oman and Iran could be reached over the weekend.

More color:

Trump's decision reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that — short of a return to major combat operations — the current level of U.S. strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness.

If Trump orders a return to strikes, the U.S. military can mobilize on relatively short notice.

The U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump hasn't given orders to move in that direction, the sources said.

Why the Trump administration is likely finding the offramp (again) …

•Gas Prices Nearing Levels That Could Push Trump Towards Iran Talks, Says JPM Commodities Expert

Top NIH Official Wanted To Shut Down Research Into COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries: Emails

Top officials with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) expressed misgivings about researchers with the agency studying people with neurological issues after they received COVID-19 vaccines, according to newly released emails.

Dr. Avindra Nath, a senior investigator with the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, was studying people with post-vaccination neurological problems in 2020 and 2021.

In an email on April 10, 2021, he sent a draft of a paper to the institute's director, Dr. Walter Koroshetz, that outlined what he had found.

"Early recognition and treatment with corticosteroids can reverse the symptoms," Nath wrote.

The following day, the institute's director sent the manuscript to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who at the time was director of another NIH institute.

"There have been steady slow stream of reports to me of post vaccination neurologic conditions, seem to be mostly peripheral nerve disorders … maybe an occasional spinal cord issue," Koroshetz told Fauci. "Avi has been collecting a bunch. He has a report sent out to publish. Hard to know not due to chance but are timed to the vaccination."

Another NIH employee sent the manuscript to then-NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Lawrence Tabak, a second top NIH official, and shared that the New England Journal of Medicine rejected the paper.

"What do you make of this?" Collins wrote in response. "The draft letter doesn't explain how these 32 patients were referred - leaving one to wonder whether this is common or rare."

Koroshetz told Collins that many reports had been lodged with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and that Nath had been attracting referrals because he had appeared on a podcast to discuss neurological problems following COVID-19 vaccination.

Koroshetz also said that Nath, and another employee at his institute, had suffered tinnitus after receiving COVID-19 vaccines, and that Nath had hearing loss.

Collins said the approach taken by Nath's team was "very troubling," adding, "collecting anecdotes and then trying to build a case isn't scientifically compelling - and will have the main consequence of feeding vaccine hesitancy and social media overreaction."

Tabak wrote privately to Collins, telling him, "I don't understand why Walter does not shut this down."

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/top-nih-official-wanted-shut-down-research-covid-19-vaccine-injuries-emails

Ukrainian drone strike on tourist resort in Russia kills twelve

Four children were among the victims in what officials described as an attack deliberately targeting civilians during high season

Twelve people have been killed as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack on tourist resorts in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region.

The strikes targeted bases in the village of Kirilovka in the Melitopol urban district.

Among the dead were four children, according to Governor Evgeny Balitsky. In addition, 19 people have been injured, the governor added, including five children.

Emergency services are working at the scene, and rescue operations are ongoing.

“The enemy knew exactly who they were targeting and deliberately struck civilians,” Balitsky said in a statement on Max. “This is a blatant crime and a hallmark of the Ukrainian regime. Unable to confront us on equal terms, they instead target civilians – women and children.”

He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and pledged that “every possible form of assistance” would be provided to those injured in the attack, as well as to the victims’ relatives.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a terrorism case over the incident, committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

“According to preliminary information, Ukrainian armed formations used drones to attack holiday resorts in Kirillovka overnight on July 25. The strike killed and injured civilians, including children, although the exact number of casualties is still being established. Civilian infrastructure was also damaged,” Petrenko said in a statement.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the strikes as terrorist tactics.

“Targeting civilians is a method used by terrorists,” she told Izvestia.

https://www.rt.com/russia/643457-drone-attack-tourist-bases/

Musk should stop providing Starlink services to Ukrainian military if he wants to save lives – Russia

Ukrainian forces have been using long-range drone strikes to target civilians

Elon Musk should stop providing Starlink satellite internet services to Ukrainian troops if he cares about the loss of life in the conflict, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

Her remarks came after Musk criticized what he described as detached diplomacy over the conflict during a podcast released this week.

“I’m really annoyed by these fancy diplomats eating seven-course dinners in fancy places while people are dying on the front lines, and pontificating that Russia should withdraw its troops,” Musk said in an interview with The Economist published on Wednesday.

Zakharova responded on Telegram on Friday, saying: “I would like to take that idea a step further and suggest removing Starlink from Ukraine so people would stop dying.”

Musk’s satellite communications network has helped Ukraine expand its long-range strikes on Russian territory, targeting energy and port infrastructure, while also regularly hitting apartment blocks and civilian vehicles. According to the Kyiv Post, drones can be equipped with Starlink terminals to maintain stable internet connection during ‘free hunting’ missions.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2080662710195278281

Burnham’s New Strategy Chief Worked With Convicted Paedophile to Downplay UK Grooming Gangs.

Matthew McGregor, former Director of Campaigns and Communications for Hope Not Hate and current Head of Political Strategy for new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, co-wrote a report downplaying the nationwide grooming gang scandal with a pedophile

Matthew McGregor, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Head of Political Strategy, co-authored a report with convicted pedophile Liron Velleman, downplaying what they described as “so-called ‘grooming’ gangs.” Velleman, also a sitting Labour Party elected councillor, was convicted this year after sending images of his penis to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, as well as asking if she was “at home alone” and demanding to know whether she was a virgin, as well as asking: “Show me your bra.”

https://hopenothate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/state-of-hate-2021-final-2.pdf

The 2021 Hope Not Hate report, titled ‘Backlash, Conspiracies & Confrontation,’ focused on “the rise in awareness and popularity of conspiracy theories” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matthew McGregor and Liron Velleman are listed as “contributors.”

On Page 87, in ‘Section 6 – Mainstream Hate,’ a report titled ‘Denialism Must End,’ opens by stating: “LIRON VELLEMAN and MATTHEW MCGREGOR review another year in which poison infected the mainstream.”

On Page 35, in ‘Section 2 – Racism,’ in a sub-section called ‘Truth Under Siege,’ the report describes “trumped-up grooming allegations” in England, and supporters of anti-grooming gangs activists of “accusing police and the media of a ‘cover up’ when police found no evidence of grooming.“

The segment refers to the case of Eleanor Williams, who claimed she had been abused by a grooming gang. However, in 2023, three brothers, Joman, Amran, and Alman Miah, were prosecuted for historic sexual abuse of multiple white working-class girls between 1996 and 2010. The offenses spanned rape, indecent assault, kidnapping, and child sex abuse.

While different from the Williams investigation, the case demonstrated that organized child sexual exploitation had, in fact, occurred. On Page 115, under a sub-section titled “Far Right Alternative Media And ‘Citizen Journalists,'” the report predicted: “If the lockdown measures ease and the pandemic becomes less all consuming, he is likely to return to his longstanding preoccupation with so-called ‘grooming’ gangs.“

On Page 127, under a sub-section titled “Populist/Radical Right,” the report provided a brief overview of Hearts of Oak, a British political commentary channel on YouTube, referencing a Westminster protest organized by the channel’s founders demanding “the deportation of ‘grooming’ gang members.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/07/25/exclusive-burnhams-new-strategy-chief-worked-with-convicted-paedophile-to-downplay-uk-grooming-gangs/

Taxpayer-funded trans dolls with removable genitalia to hit classrooms this fall for kids as young as 4 to ‘learn about different options’

They’re dolling up the trans agenda — and taxpayers are footing the bill.

“First-of-their-kind” transgender dolls — complete with removable genitalia — will debut in some Minnesota classrooms this fall to kids as young as 4 years old.

The paper dolls, with gender-neutral names like “Sam,” “Rory,” “Avery” and “Parker,” have removable internal and external genitals, along with more than 100 interchangeable pieces of clothing, accessories and hairstyles — like a trans Mr./Mrs. Potato Head.

The goal is for kids to “learn about the different options that exist for who they can be,” according to a therapist at the University of Minnesota Medical School, which spent over half a decade developing the controversial project funded by lefty Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

The Medical School’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Health research over those six years included paying $20 to $60 for “trans and gender diverse” children and their parents to play with the dolls and “talk about gender and bodies” in groups.

Prototypes of the dolls were shown in a 2024 conference where one named “Sam” can be seen in what appears to be some phase of a gender transition, with a detachable penis off to the side, and a dress and girls’ underwear within reach.

The trans dolls — which promise to “make gender fun” — will be made available to teachers, school counselors, pediatricians and mental health providers, according to a website of the “MyGender Dolls” company. It features an image of a boy doll wearing a dress and others in various states of sexual identity confusion.

It’s not known whether parents — or children themselves — will be able to order a doll, or if they will only be marketed to professionals and schools. It is not known if parents will be able to opt out of such “therapeutic play” for their kids.

https://nypost.com/2026/07/25/us-news/taxpayer-funded-transgender-dolls-to-hit-classrooms-this-fall/?utm_source=twitter

US House passes defense bill including $750 million for security ties with Israel

Progressive Democrats fail to block budget framework, which now goes to Senate for approval; bill includes funding for operations in Iran

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed its version of a massive defense policy bill, despite Democrats’ concerns about its huge price tag, the Iran war, and a provision that would boost Pentagon ties to Israel.

The fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which authorizes an unprecedented $1.15 trillion in spending for the military, passed the House 216 to 212.

The vote was largely along party lines, with all but seven Republicans voting in favor of the measure and all but six Democrats voting against.

The NDAA includes several provisions that allocate $750 million to US-Israel joint military projects.

The funds include “$500 million for missile defense, $100 million for counter‑unmanned systems, $100 million for subterranean operations, and $50 million for emerging technologies. The bill also extends the War Reserves Stockpile Authority–Israel,” AIPAC said in a statement.

“We applaud the inclusion of a new provision that will help keep America safe and bolster our strategic capabilities — the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. This authorizes the Pentagon to work even closer together with Israel in the strategic arenas that will define 21st‑century warfare, ensuring American troops have a greater edge over our adversaries,” it added.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-house-passes-defense-bill-including-750-million-for-security-ties-with-israel/

US government loses up to $521B annually to fraud as key GAO recommendations still not implemented

The watchdog says there are currently 22 open recommendations, which are focused on enhancing fraud prevention practices across the programs it has reviewed.

The federal government continues to lose an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion each year to fraud, while most agencies overseeing the nation's largest federally funded programs have yet to implement one of the Government Accountability Office's top recommendations for preventing those losses, according to a new GAO report.

The report, Managing Risks in Federally Funded, State-Administered Programs, reviewed the 20 largest federally funded, state-administered programs, which accounted for approximately $1.1 trillion in federal obligations in fiscal year 2025.

The GAO found in the report released Thursday that most agencies have not completed documented fraud risk assessments. The assessments are instrumental in identifying where fraud is most likely to occur and how to prevent it.

"Federal and state agencies can better manage fraud risks and prevent fraud by applying GAO frameworks for managing fraud risks and improper payments, as well as other leading practices; leveraging available federal analytic resources, such as Do Not Pay, to verify recipient identity and eligibility before issuing federal funds; and implementing recommendations from GAO and other oversight entities that would address existing program vulnerabilities," the report read.

The watchdog said there are currently 22 open recommendations that are focused on enhancing fraud prevention practices across the programs covered in the report.

The watchdog urged federal agencies to implement them to better safeguard taxpayer funds, particularly in state-administered programs.

GAO reiterated the enormous financial toll that federal fraud takes on taxpayers.

"In April 2024, we estimated that the federal government could lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud, based on data from fiscal years 2018 through 2022," the report said.

According to GAO, the most widespread weakness it found was the failure to conduct the documented fraud risk assessments.

"Information about fraud risks specific to each of the 20 selected programs varies, in part, because federal agencies have not fully assessed their risks," the watchdog wrote.

Of the 20 programs examined, "five documented evidence consistent with identifying risks and assessing the likelihood of those risks to prioritize action; the other 15 did not have such documented evidence," the report said.

"Identifying fraud risks and assessing the likelihood and impact of those risks is a leading practice that can help agencies determine where to target fraud prevention and detection efforts," the watchdog said.

The report warned that the structure of many federally funded programs creates opportunities for fraud.

"The decentralized nature of state-administered programs – in which states, local governments, contractors, sub-recipients, and beneficiaries all play roles in administering federal funds – can create opportunities for fraud," GAO said.

Among the examples cited were a consultant convicted of submitting falsified permits tied to a $4.3 million airport improvement project, landlords receiving housing-assistance payments for vacant units while tenants underreported income, and an alleged student financial aid fraud scheme involving more than 1,200 applicants at over 100 schools across 24 states.

GAO said that the consequences of fraud extend beyond financial losses.

"Every dollar or resource diverted to fraudsters hinders the federal government's ability to achieve its goals and provide needed services," the report said.

https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/us-gov-loses-521b-annually-fraud-key-gao-recommendations-still-not

Israel is spending roughly $50 million on an American influence campaign involving artificial-intelligence-generated text messages, conservative media, online influencers, and former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.

AI slop like this is what they push

Big Tech hides 1.65 trillion dollars in off-balance-sheet AI debt that now dwarfs their official borrowing.

DATA: Off-balance-sheet debt at $GOOG, $MSFT, $AMZN , $META and $ORCL surged eightfold in roughly four years to an estimated $1.65 trillion as AI investment expanded, per Nikkei.

The total now exceeds their combined $1.35 trillion in reported debt and could rise further as four of the five companies report Q2 earnings beginning Wednesday.

https://x.com/coinbureau/status/2079559520586432907

AUS: Womens Rights Campaigner Guilty of Vilification for Calling Trans-Identified Male Athletes Men Loses Appeal, Ordered to Pay $95,000

The Supreme Court of New South Wales has ruled on appeal that a woman convicted of ‘vilification’ for referring to two trans-identified male athletes as men must pay a collective $95,000 to them, in addition to court costs, despite documented evidence of one player having injured at least one female athlete on the pitch.

The decision, handed down today, argues that by referring to the trans-identified males by their sex constitutes “serious contempt” and “severe ridicule,” and orders women’s rights campaigner Kirralie Smith and the publication Binary Australia to publish a statement provided by the court, to remain as a pinned and featured post on her social media for a period of three months.

https://reduxx.info/aus-womens-rights-campaigner-guilty-of-vilification-for-calling-trans-identified-male-athletes-men-loses-appeal-ordered-to-pay-95000/

Fox News, together with Jewish groups and Israeli officials, rush to blame Mayor Mamdani's Israel-critical "rhetoric" for NYC stabbing attack.

The suspect first stabbed an Asian man in the back with a knife, then in a separate incident stabbed a Jewish man with a screwdriver.

Note how Harris Faulkner does not report the fact an Asian man was first targeted, as that may suggest "anti-Semitism" was not the driving force of the attack, let alone Mamdani's criticism of Israel.

"Police say a suspect targeted a Jewish man who was leaving a Jewish center, and that he also went after an Asian man," Harris Faulkner says.

The Asian man's stabbing is just a footnote—4 seconds in the full 7m36s segment—that "also" happened to take place (at some unspecified point).

https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2080761447932682642