Summary
Iran parliament reviews draft Hormuz plan banning US- and Israel-linked vessels.
Oil rises as proposed Strait restrictions raise supply concerns.
Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi oil shipping in the Red Sea.
Yemen fighting escalates amid reports of major casualties.
Iran-Oman talks continue as US backs diplomatic solution, searches for offramp.
Senate Panel Holds Fauci In Contempt For Refusing To Answer Questions
Anthony Fauci has been held in contempt of Congress by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, after he repeatedly refused to answer lawmakers' questions about funding risky research to genetically manipulate bat coronavirus in Wuhan China, and his role in the ensuing lockdown quagmire that cratered the economy after he was put in charge of leading the COVID-19 response.
Oh, and they obtained a copy of his cell phone.
In an 8-5 vote brought by Committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the contempt vote seeks to refer the case directly to the DOJ for prosecution - bypassing a full vote from the Senate.
"Seeking the truth is not a witch hunt," Paul said be fore the vote, per the WSJ. "Accountability is not vengeance. Accountability is what stands between the American people and a repeat of the mistakes and the very real consequences of the past."
The Committee's top Democrat, Sen. Gary Peters, called the investigation "one-sided from the beginning," claiming that "Information has been selectively released to support conclusions that the chairman reached years ago."
The minority keeps trying to hijack the Fauci hearings with the lie that we haven’t shared the records from this investigation with them. This is a cop-out lie. This has been an intentionally open and transparent investigation. Not one Democrat on the committee cared enough to… pic.twitter.com/hHGtQDV5Ez
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/senate-panel-holds-fauci-contempt-refusing-answer-questions
Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine Approved By FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Moderna's flu shot for over-50s, marking the first time the agency has licensed a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine for seasonal influenza.
The shot, known as mFlusiva, was given a traditional approval for adults aged 50 to 64, and an accelerated approval for the over-65s, the pharmaceutical giant said on Wednesday.
Moderna has agreed to run an additional study and submit further data on the over-65s in a bid to demonstrate the vaccine's benefit for that age group.
The approval was based on data from a late-stage trial involving more than 40,000 adults aged 50 and older, which found the shot was 26.5 percent more effective than a licensed standard-dose flu vaccine.
Moderna had to submit separate late-stage data showing the shot generated stronger antibody responses than Sanofi's high-dose flu vaccine in the over-65s after problems with the methodology in its phase 3 trial.
The vaccine uses mRNA technology, intended to prompt the body to produce influenza antigens and trigger an immune response. Scientists say this approach could potentially allow faster updates of the shot to match the ever-shifting circulating strains.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the FDA, announced in August 2025 that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was winding down mRNA vaccine development activities under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. He said that funding would be redirected away from developing mRNA vaccines toward "safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate."
Several FDA officials who had voiced opposition to mRNA vaccines have recently departed the agency.
Flu vaccines can range in effectiveness depending on the season, peaking at 60 percent and dropping to as low as 10 percent in the 2004-2005 season, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/modernas-mrna-flu-vaccine-approved-fda
Newly Declassified FBI Files Reveal Massive Maricopa Voter Data Breach – 633k Records – But No One Was Prosecuted
Moderna's mRNA Flu Vaccine Approved By FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Moderna's flu shot for over-50s, marking the first time the agency has licensed a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine for seasonal influenza.
The shot, known as mFlusiva, was given a traditional approval for adults aged 50 to 64, and an accelerated approval for the over-65s, the pharmaceutical giant said on Wednesday.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/breaking-newly-declassified-fbi-files-reveal-massive-maricopa/
Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, lashed out at the Senate for voting to hold his client in contempt.
Just have a look at how delusional these comments are.
Today’s partisan committee vote is a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights. The Senate should reject Senator Paul’s meritless and politically-motivated contempt resolution.
For years, Senator Paul has proclaimed to anyone who would listen that Dr. Fauci should be prosecuted and put in prison. Dr. Fauci has committed no crime – and Senator Paul knows it.
Today’s resolution is a continuation of Senator Paul’s personal vendetta against Dr. Fauci, who spent 50 years in public health and has saved countless lives. It is shameful and wrong that Senator Paul is abusing his power by trying to weaponize the Justice Department against an honorable public servant.
Federal, State and Local Authorities Announce Multiple Arrests of Non-Compliant Sex Offenders and Child Exploitation Crimes Across Mississippi
In 11 days, Operation Results in 69 Arrests and More to Come
OXFORD, MS— U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi (USAO NDMS), Scott Leary, hosted a press conference announcing the results of Operation Muddy Waters, a statewide initiative spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to target child sex offenders and child exploitation crimes across Mississippi. The operation coordinated with federal, state and local law enforcement across the state. The operation began July 20 and ended July 31.
In total, Operation Muddy Waters led to 13 child exploitation arrests, 48 sex offender absconder arrests, two referrals to Louisiana and Colorado, one victim recovered, more than 8 search warrants, more than 50 devices seized for forensics and at least three immigration detainers.
Those participating in this operation with HSI and USAO NDMS included:
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi
U.S. Marshals Service
Mississippi Attorney General’s Office
Mississippi Department of Public Safety
Marshall County Sheriff’s Department
DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department
Oxford Police Department
Forrest County Sheriff’s Department
Hinds County Sheriff’s Department
Harrison County Sheriff’s Department
Pearl County Sheriff’s Department
Hancock County Sheriff’s Department
Scott F. Leary, U.S. Attorney, stated, “When dealing with child exploitation cases, it’s time to pause and reflect on why a government exists: It is to protect and provide a better world for our children, everything else is secondary. This principle can be found in our Declaration of Independence, our founding document: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, …’ The Declaration’s vision is that of universal, inalienable God given rights. We are duty bound to protect these rights, especially as they apply to our children. Under no circumstances can American society equivocate this duty. No rationalization, no ambiguity, no tempered response, victimizing children is evil and a civilized society cannot tolerate it. We will be absolutely relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to exploit our kids. These crimes are an abomination. I want to thank those agencies that share this vision, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Marshal Service, the Mississippi Attorney General, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and the Police Departments and Sheriff’s Offices who work with us. Together we serve the citizens of this great state. We work hard not to let you down.”
“Those who choose to hide behind a computer screen to exploit children will not remain hidden,” said Matthew Reidell, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of HSI Gulfport. “Operation Muddy Waters demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children, supporting victims, and holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to bring these crimes to light, pursue those responsible and help prevent further harm.”
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndms/pr/federal-state-and-local-authorities-announce-multiple-arrests-non-compliant-sex
Christians are under siege in Jerusalem
Nuns, priests, and worshippers describe rising abuse, stone-throwing, and fear in the Holy City as anti-Christian incidents surge
“That very first night we were so scared, we were paralysed with fear. I can honestly say that for the first time, I was afraid to go out alone the next morning. I mean, we were never afraid before. Never.”
This is the testimony of Sister Elizaveta from the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. In an exclusive interview with RT she outlines the abuse and attacks nuns from the mission are being subjected to in the Holy City.
At the end of July, Sister Elizaveta and three other nuns from the mission were walking back from a night vigil when they realized something wasn’t quite right. “We finished the night service at the tomb of the Lord. We exited through the New Gate. That’s where we came across some policemen, we smiled at them, and they smiled right back at us,” Sister Elizaveta says, adding, “And literally after 200 meters, on the crossroads near Notre Dame, we started hearing rude screaming and swearing in Hebrew.”
The nuns attempted to ignore the aggressive taunts and continued walking. However, they were stopped from crossing the road by a red traffic signal and the group closed in. Sister Elizaveta says they began hurling stones at the sisters.
“The stones started flying,” she says. “I noted that they threw very hard. That is, it’s not just to throw to scare a person, it was such a blow to defeat.” Sister Elizaveta says some of the stones struck them, including one which hit her fellow sister, Antonia, in the chest. She’s grateful the attack didn’t result in any serious injuries. “Thank God that the attack wasn’t fatal.”
Attacks like this are becoming more and more commonplace in Israel, with the Holy City in Jerusalem seemingly a pinch point. A new report from a Jewish organization, the Religious Freedom Data Center (RFDC), shows incidents against Christians have nearly doubled in the past three months. There were 83 reported anti-Christian incidents in the second quarter of 2026, up from 44 in the first quarter.
The organization’s founder and director is Yisca Harani. She’s concerned about the ever-growing creep of anti-Christian incidents in Israel and says what’s being reported is likely only the tip of the iceberg.
“Everything now is very tense and very oriented towards Jewish, unfortunately, I must say this, supremacy,” Yisca says. “There’s a feeling, especially in the last three years, since the Hamas attack on Israel, there’s a lot of nervousness that has turned people’s minds to black-and-white thinking. It’s either the Jewish, Israeli, or enemies – the rest of the world.”
Yisca, who herself is a practicing Jew, believes much of the issue stems from a lack of education as to who Christians are and what they believe. “There’s no education about Christianity. Christianity is only learned through the traumas and the realistic traumas of the Jewish people,” she explains. “With that knowledge, once a person sees a cross, and in the atmosphere of black and white… everybody wants to annihilate us, then all of a sudden the one thing that rises to the mind is, this person, next thing, if he could choose, he would do a pogrom. He would join the Nazis.”
Yisca points out that there are Christian Israeli citizens who serve in the IDF and the Israeli Police Force, who contribute to the safety and security of Israel. Yet, despite their contribution, she believes the current Israeli government is pushing the country towards becoming a more Jewish religious state.
“Add to it the government who is really pushing towards a very halakhic religious state and in the last years this dream about a temple and therefore if there is a temple then this country should be perhaps cleansed from anyone who is not, you know, a temple worshipper,” she says. “At least half of this country was taken captive and hostages by this mindset.”
https://www.rt.com/news/643950-jerusalem-christians-under-siege/
https://www.antiwar.com/
The sickest society
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f2gNbxvO1Uo
Invisible Invaders: How Israeli Surveillance Penetrated American Networks
An unseen battle is being waged across the digital landscape, turning the very devices we rely on into silent observers. Civil liberties organizations have persistently shined light a constellation of Israeli technology enterprises—many birthed by alumni of elite military intelligence units such as Unit 8200, Unit 81, and the Mossad—as pivotal actors in a burgeoning global commercial surveillance market. These firms have supplied powerful tools deployed against journalists, activists, political dissidents, and, in several verified instances, individuals residing within the United States and other Western democracies. Advocacy groups, including War on Want, emphasize that Israel serves as the global headquarters for more spyware companies than any other nation, a roster that includes NSO Group, Candiru, Cellebrite, Verint, NICE, Black Cube, Cytrox, and Intellexa.
One firm on that list stands above the rest. Working out of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, NSO Group is the most conspicuous case. Shalev Hulio, Omri Lavie, and Niv Karmi founded it in 2010, the initials of their first names giving the company its name, though Karmi left about a month in. Hulio and Lavie are widely reported to be alumni of Unit 8200, the Israeli military’s signals intelligence arm, and Karmi came out of Mossad and military intelligence. The firm built its reputation on Pegasus, spyware that can quietly seize control of a smartphone and reach its camera, microphone, messages, and location.
In 2021 the Pegasus Project, a joint investigation by Amnesty International, Forbidden Stories, and more than a dozen news organizations, reported that the tool had been turned on journalists, human rights defenders, and politicians. It also found that people close to the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi were selected for surveillance by NSO clients before and after his death, though the investigators could not identify which clients, and Hulio denied any role in the killing.
The collision with American technology companies came through the courts, and it did not go NSO’s way. In 2019 Meta, which owns WhatsApp, sued the firm, accusing it of exploiting a flaw in the app to plant Pegasus on roughly 1,400 phones over a matter of weeks, among them those of attorneys, journalists, activists, dissidents, and senior government officials across several countries. The clickless attack needed only a WhatsApp call, which the target never had to answer. A federal judge found NSO liable in December 2024, and in May 2025 a jury ordered it to pay about $167 million in punitive damages and $444,000 in compensatory damages. The following October the court reduced the punitive figure to roughly $4 million but imposed a permanent injunction barring NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp again, a far graver blow to a company whose business is access.
The regulatory ground shifted in November 2021. On November 3, the Commerce Department added NSO to its Entity List, choking off its access to American technology and citing conduct contrary to “the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.” Three weeks later Apple sued, accusing the firm of creating fraudulent Apple IDs and deploying a zero click exploit called FORCEDENTRY to break into its customers’ devices, including those of Americans whose phones “have been surveilled by NSO’s spyware on mobile devices that can and do cross international borders.”
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/invisible-invaders-how-israeli-surveillance-penetrated-american-networks/
Large Numbers of Polish Combat Personnel Identified on Ukrainian Frontlines
Russian Army personnel of the 110th Motorised Rifle Brigade, 51st Combined Arms Army of the Centre battlegroup have identified Polish contractor personnel wearing NATO uniforms during battles for the settlement of Krasnoyarskoye. This follows reports in late July that Polish contractor personnel have been playing increasingly central roles within Ukrainian assault units. Deputy commander of the 1st Battalion of the 1194th Regiment of the Russian Army Southern Group of Forces, known by the call sign Yusa, at the time observed during a battle for Konstantinovka: "We've detected Poles operating in this area. Our personnel report hearing conversations in Polish.”
Russian UAV operator Ilya Gavazin recently informed the Russian state channel TV Zvezda: "Polish mercenaries were identified by their NATO uniforms, patches, and Polish rifles. There were three of them there at the time. They were attacked by our attack drones and they had to flee through the forest.” These personnel reportedly tried to escape from Krasnoyarskoye as soon as Russian forces entered the area, but were intercepted by operators of attack UAVs. Russian forces were confirmed to have taken Krasnoyarskoye on July 30.
In December 2023 Polish journalist Zbigniew Parafianowicz revealed that he had been provided details by Polish officials on the country’s special forces operations in Ukraine from early 2022. A Polish officer informed him: “we worked out a formula for our presence in Ukraine … we were simply sent on paid leave. Politicians pretended not to see this.” The Polish Volunteer Corps has used a similar model to provide cover for the mass deployment of Polish personnel, who are technically former personnel when entering the theatre, with their presence having for years been widely reported on multiple frontlines. In February 2026, the lower house of the Polish parliament adopted legislation to provide legal cover to Polish citizens who fought in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian War.
While significant presences of Polish contractor personnel have been reported on multiple fronts in the war, it reflects broader trends towards foreign contractors being increasingly relied on as part of the war effort. Multiple informed Russian defence sources in late July reported that the number of Colombian nationals serving alongside the Ukrainian Armed Forces had risen significantly, making them by far the largest national contingent among Ukraine's foreign combatants. Severe personnel shortages faced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been a primary driver of this trend. Russian forces have repeatedly placed a high priority on targeting foreign personnel supporting Ukraine's war effort. One of the most prominent incidents occurred in January 2024, when a missile strike reportedly hit a facility housing predominantly French contractors, resulting in at least 80 casualties, including more than 60 fatalities according to Russian sources.
https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/large-numbers-polish-combat-personnel-ukraine
Fox News is uncritically reporting what appears to be a fake quote put out by an Israeli media outlet claiming that IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi stated, "As long as the United States and Israel possess nuclear weapons, we will continue working on them for our national security."
"That's as close to an admission as I've heard, and we've been watching this story for years," Fox News' Bill Hemmer says after reading the unverified quote on air as though it was fact.
Note their chyron goes even further, stating that "IRGC Vows to Keep Nukes"—as though Iran already has nuclear weapons!
The quote appears to have been first put out by the ultranationalist Israeli outlet Channel 14, and Netanyahu immediately pounced on it to declare it proof that Iran has now "explicitly declared" their intent to develop nuclear weapons.
Nonetheless, Ynetnews (an Israeli outlet) investigated the quote but found "no such statement, at least not a public one, was issued or reported by media outlets in Iran, which for years has publicly insisted…that it never intended to develop nuclear weapons."
"Such a statement, if it was indeed made, would therefore constitute a dramatic change of direction by the ayatollah regime and would naturally also have received extensive coverage in international media outlets," Ynetnews continued. "An alleged quote by Vahidi, without any explanation of where the source came from or what the report was based on, was published in an English-language post on Channel 14's account on X about three hours before Netanyahu spoke."
Nonetheless, Fox News took it and ran with it.
https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2085402006261235998
John Podhoretz has a meltdown over Simon & Schuster giving a book deal to Palestinian-American writer @susanabulhawa.
"A Jew can't make a book deal!" he says, insisting that Jews are being oppressed in the publishing industry.
"There is a frontal assault on Jews in publishing!"
https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2085344393343430999
Why On Earth Are They Doing This?
The Spanish Red Cross is treating the military-age men who swam around the border fence and stormed Ceuta like victims of an earthquake.
Volunteers in red vests are lining up on the sand at Playa del Trampolín, handing out bread, milk, biscuits, water, cans of tuna and pastries to the thousands who remain after last week's deliberate mass invasion from Morocco. Police stand by to keep the queues orderly while the same people who refused to go home sit and eat.
This is not a natural disaster. These men crossed into Spanish territory because the opportunity was created for them. There is nothing stopping Spanish authorities from sending them straight back. Instead the humanitarian apparatus has arrived with supplies.
Cadena SER and local outlets confirmed the first organised distribution of food since the crisis began. Cruz Roja and the local branch of Cooperación Sur-Sur handed out the packages to around 2,000 migrants, the majority from sub-Saharan Africa.
National Police managed the lines so the recipients stayed seated until their turn, then returned to the beach to eat. One Nigerian man named Genesis told reporters he was "happy to finally have something to eat and drink." He said he had been trying to cross for months and now hopes for asylum.
A Sudanese man named Malik Alher said he had gone five days without food, then added that he wants to "learn Spanish, live in Madrid and work in a supermarket."
The volunteers doing the handing-out look exactly like the usual crowd: white European leftist women. Locals watching the scene are furious, and for good reason. Feeding the people who just overran your city does not encourage them to leave.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/why-earth-are-they-doing
We live in an age where the Israeli Prime Minister openly brags about having bought the US Congress.
Where AIPAC brags about spending $100 million to accomplish just that.
Where pro-Israeli operatives spent $30 million to evict Thomas Massie from the US Congress because he dared challenge the surrender of American sovereignty to Israel.
Where the US Secretary of State has openly declared that criticism of Israel is grounds for being denied a visa into the United States.
Where Israeli politicians openly advocate for the suppression of free speech in America.
And where the Chinese Wall that separated US and Israeli interests is being torn down by a compliant Congress, all the while the mainstream media, which long ago surrendered its independence and integrity to Israeli interests, remains silent.
The surrender document that signals the capitulation of the Constitutional Republic formerly known as the United States of America to a new entity which could more accurately be called the United States of Israel is the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in particular Section 219 of the House version, and Section 1217 of the Senate’s version.
Section 219/1217 directs the Secretary of Defense to designate an Executive Agent (EA) to expand and accelerate deeper integration of Israel into US institutions. The EA authority would take precedence over the authority of the other DoD Component heads per DOD Instruction 5101.01, meaning that the EA would be able to overrule determinations by other DOD agencies such as the Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA) on Israeli access to US technology. This new EA would end direct Congressional oversight with supervision by the Secretary of Defense. There would be no Congressional confirmation or ability for removal of an executive agent by Congress.
In short, it is the surrendering of the constitutional duties of Congress to a politically appointment agent of the Executive branch of government.
This is not what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution.
https://scottritter.substack.com/p/the-united-states-of-israel