Summary
Bessent: Hormuz could reopen under a 30-60 day ceasefire as soon as "today or tomorrow."
Iran asserts that US & Israeli vessels remain barred until sanctions are lifted and compensation is paid.
Trump says the conflict could "end pretty soon," signaling a possible final US exit.
Iran remains defiant, pointing out it still has the leverage & can threaten Hormuz.
However, the deal could reopen oil flows while strengthening Iran's control over the strait.
Enough with ‘theater diplomacy’ – Iran’s top negotiator to Trump
The US president will gain nothing from bullying, broken promises, and fake news, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said
US President Donald Trump should curb his “theater diplomacy” as it will not work with Iran, Tehran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has said.
Trump announced on Saturday that he had called off a planned attack on Iran, which, according to him, would have been on a scale “not seen since World War II.” He claimed that he made the decision because Washington and Tehran were close to reaching a diplomatic solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
In the following days, the US president insisted that the two sides were “having very good discussions,” but warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” if the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes, was not reopened “very soon.” Tehran has repeatedly denied holding any direct negotiations with the Americans.
Ghalibaf took to X on Thursday to berate Trump’s approach to dealing with Tehran. “‘Massive attack coming… wait, never mind, they want to negotiate’. That’s theater diplomacy on loop,” he wrote.
The negotiator insisted that “using bullying + broken promises + fake news as leverage is a failed strategy.”
Ghalibaf advised Trump to instead “acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don’t need more theater.”
Fighting between the Americans and the Iranians resumed last month after a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz derailed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) that had established a temporary ceasefire and required Tehran to unblock the key waterway in exchange for Washington lifting its blockade of Iranian ports and relaxing sanctions.
The MoU had been intended to pave the way for a permanent settlement of the conflict, which began with a US-Israeli attack on Iran in late February.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters that negotiations with Oman on resuming commercial shipping in the Start of Hormuz were “nearing completion.” The two countries with access to the waterway have agreed on the routes and are in the final stage of drafting a joint statement, provided “certain third parties do not obstruct the process,” Baghaei said, in an apparent reference to Washington.
https://www.rt.com/news/643981-iran-us-trump-ghalibaf/
Cities Are Ditching Flock, Immediately Replacing It With Axon License Plate Readers
Rather than get rid of ALPR cameras entirely, many cities and towns are switching to Axon, whose cameras can be mounted to an existing streetlamp, helping them blend into their surroundings.
A handful of cities across the U.S. have ditched Flock’s automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras and immediately replaced them with equivalent systems from law enforcement contracting giant Axon, according to local media reports and government documents from around the country. Axon, for example, advertises AI-powered cameras that attach to an existing streetlamp and are designed to completely blend in with their surroundings, and also collects license plate data with cameras installed inside police officers’ patrol vehicles.
The switch to Axon, which is not yet widespread but appears to be increasing as people oppose Flock, signals what might come next for the nationwide conversation around ALPR cameras: instead of doing away with the cameras entirely — which 404 Media has linked to ICE, the tracking of a woman who self-administered an abortion, and rampant abuse by cops stalking their exes — some cities may enter contracts with another company which has faced less scrutiny and backlash.
In February, Syracuse lawmakers voted 7-1 to approve a license plate reader contract between the Syracuse Police Department and Axon, Central Current reported. That came after the department used Flock cameras starting in summer 2024, the outlet added.
In March, the Denver, Colorado, city council voted 7-6 to replace the city’s Flock cameras with Axon ones, Denver7 reported. The one-year contract was for 50 ALPR cameras, which is less than half of the total Flock cameras, the outlet added.
In June, Grand Chute, Wisconsin, voted to get rid of its Flock cameras and transition to Axon, NBC26 reported. The town was already evaluating Axon’s product, but repeated problems with Flock led officials to speed up the transition, the report said.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado dropped Flock for a nearly $22.8 million contract with Axon in July, the Denver Gazette reported. That deal included 100 Axon cameras, doubling the 50 Flock cameras the agency had, and first responder drones, the report said.
In December the City of Ferndale, Michigan, dumped Flock and approved a deal with Axon, according to a local government document. The document explained it was making the switch because “citing privacy concerns and failures by [Flock] to protect images stored on the city's ALPR network from unauthorized agencies […] Axon does not have a national look-up feature. Axon's ALPR data sharing software only operates on a one-to-one’ basis.” An 88-page report about the switch, however, shows that residents there are concerned about Axon’s ALPR cameras, too.
Longmont, Colorado, voted unanimously in March to approve a new deal with Axon, Times-Call reported. The purchase came after the city let its agreement with Flock lapse.
Knoxville, Texas, added a $9.4 million amendment to its existing contract with Axon, which included replacement ALPR cameras, according to a press release from the mayor. That purchase came after the city’s contract with Flock expired and the city was unable to secure a short-term extension.
As for why cities are switching, local cops performing lookups for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), data sharing, and Flock cameras sometimes being down or unavailable all came up in the media reports and documents.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/government-surveillance/cities-are-ditching-flock-immediately-replacing-it-with-axon-license-plate-readers
One in Five Subsidized Student Loans Are Going to Foreign Nationals
.
The rising share of foreign students taking out tuition and maintenance loans in the United Kingdom, many of whom do not repay them, has sparked concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse.
Non-British citizens account for one in five student loans in the United Kingdom, according to new research.
The share of student loans going to non-citizens has risen from 10.2 percent to 19.3 percent. This means that the share of student loans going to non-citizens has roughly doubled over the past decade. Foreigners from the European Union (EU) represent a large portion of these non-citizens, especially Romanians, who account for one in 20. Foreign students were handed approximately £4 billion (~$5.4 billion) in tuition and maintenance loans overall. Foreign students are also 25 percent less likely to repay their loans compared to British students. This results in estimated annual losses for taxpayers ranging from £1.2 billion to £2.2 billion. Student Loans Company data shows that roughly 195,000 of the 239,000 foreign loan recipients hold settled status.
🎯 IMPACT: The growing financial burden on British taxpayers could reach billions annually, as the cost of unpaid loans continues to mount. The Department for Education has since pledged to crack down on abuse and improve enforcement measures for debt collection. This represents another case of immigration serving as a net drain on British taxpayers. If the figures lead to the exposure of widespread abuse, it is likely to damage the reputation of Britain’s higher education system further.
https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/07/one-in-five-subsidized-student-loans-are-going-to-foreign-nationals/
https://www.antiwar.com/
Coca-Cola Faces Boycott Calls Over Claims Custom Cans Allegedly BANS “Jesus is King” But Allows “Allah is King” and “Satan is King”
Here we go again.
Coca-Cola is facing a new wave of backlash after viral videos appeared to show the company’s online personalization tool immediately rejecting positive Christian messages, while references to Allah, Satan, and even degrading attacks on Jesus advanced to the preview stage.
Conservative commentator Isabel Brown tested the customizer on camera after receiving a tip from a friend. In the video, phrases including “Allah is good,” “Muhammad is good,” and “Satan is good” appeared to generate can previews. But when Brown entered “Jesus is good,” the site returned a rejection message: “The name or phrase you’ve submitted is not permitted.”
The same immediate rejection appeared for “Virgin Mary,” “Jesus Christ,” “Holy Trinity,” “Holy Spirit,” “Jesus is God,” and “Christ is King,” according to the recording.
Then the test became even more disturbing.
“Jesus is King” → blocked.
“The devil is king” → allowed.
Swap back to Jesus → “The name or phrase you’ve submitted is not permitted.”
“Allah is good” → allowed.
“Jesus is good” → blocked.
“Muhammad is good” → allowed.
“Satan is good” → allowed.
“Virgin Mary” → blocked.
“Jesus Christ” → blocked.
“Holy Trinity” → blocked.
“Holy Spirit” → blocked.
“Yahweh is good” → allowed.
“Jesus is bad” / “Jesus is evil” → allowed.
“Jesus is God” → blocked.
“Christ is King” → blocked.
“Jesus is the devil” → allowed.
“What are we doing?” the creator asks after watching “Jesus is the devil” sail through while basic Christian declarations are censored.
The full message from Coca-Cola reads:
“The name or phrase you’ve submitted is not permitted. Names and phrases may not be permitted if they belong to a business, organization, celebrity, public figure, school, team or other trademark, are religious or political in nature, or could be considered inappropriate or unsuitable for other reasons.
We worked hard to get this right but if you think we should reconsider your suggestion, please contact us at shareacoke.support@coca-cola.com and we will review this system decision further.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/2085474234428522882
Beyond Toxic: More on Why Thune and Cotton Are Allegedly Withholding Crossfire Hurricane Documents from Investigators
Investigative reporter John Solomon from Just the News broke the news on Wednesday that Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Tom Cotton are blocking DOJ investigator Joe DiGenova from obtaining the transcripts of John Brennan’s interviews with the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.
This is holding up the investigation into Brennan and his role in the deep state coup to take down President Trump in 2016.
According to Solomon, the acting Attorney General Todd Blanche refuses to authorize a subpoena to the US Senate to obtain the documents.
Solomon made the accusations on The War Room with Steve Bannon.
On Thursday Todd Blanche responded to the accusations.
Blanche says there is “no daylight” between him and Leader Thune and Chairman Cotton.
If that is correct, then why has Crossfire Hurricane investigator Joe DiGenova not received the information?
Paul Sperry has more on this Republican scandal.
Sperry alleged on X that the FBI Headquarters was inexplicably holding back from declassification a 400-page report (+ ~7k pp of supporting docs) by FBI Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) investigating the Crossfire Hurricane probe that implicates John Brennan and the Five Eyes (FVEY) intelligence group in the 2016 intel op targeting Trump. The Five Eyes includes intel agencies from the US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
Sperry later came out with a correction that the FBI says other “equities” in the intel chain are holding up the release of the documents.
Sperry added: “But bottom line, where is this massively important Russiagate document, and why hasn’t it been daylighted — still — after five (5) years?”
Paul Sperry followed up that information with this tweet on X – and this is BIG!
Paul Sperry: BREAKING: DOJ sources tell me Senate GOP leaders (Thune/Cotton) are refusing to declassify a key John Brennan transcript in order to “protect [then-SSCI Chair (2020-21)] Marco [Rubio] for a presidential run because Marco looks bad kissing [Dem Vice Chair Mark] Warner’s ass” during the closed-door deposition, in which Brennan allegedly perjures himself regarding the Obama-ordered 2016 ICA and the Steele dossier.
If true, that is devastating for Marco Rubio, who has been mentioned as one of the frontrunners in the 2028 presidential election.
Regardless, the 400-page document needs to be released by the Senate. Enough is enough!
https://www.stationgossip.com/2026/08/beyond-toxic-more-on-why-thune-and.html
Israel Vetoes Trump in the Middle East—Again
The special relationship undermines American sovereignty.
If not for Israel’s veto power over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, the Trump administration might have secured peace in Gaza, stabilized relations with Iran, and clinched a deal with Saudi Arabia to help build a nuclear program for the kingdom.
OK, that last “opportunity” deserved a hard pass, unless you reckon nuclear proliferation in the world’s most volatile region somehow serves U.S. interests. But in journalism, three makes a trend, so I’ve got myself a column.
And America has got itself a big problem: Israeli pushback on President Donald Trump’s efforts to build a better Middle East shows how our most entangling of alliances undermines U.S. sovereignty.
The Gaza example is the most recent. Washington has enabled Israel’s assault on Gaza, and Trump would now like to use his Board of Peace, which he oversees, to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave. That’s quite the task, and Israel, an ostensible client state of the U.S., isn’t making it any easier.
Last Thursday, Trump announced on social media that the Board had reached “a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.” Trump added, “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw.”
Sorry, Mr. President, but you’ve been reading fake news.
“Contrary to inaccurate reports,” the Board of Peace said in a statement this Monday, the Israeli military would withdraw forces only after Hamas handed over all its weapons.
That’s not what Trump had said, and it’s not what Hamas had understood the phased agreement to require. So, what happened? The Times of Israel reports:
The US-backed Board of Peace appeared to change its conditions for the IDF to withdraw from Gaza after its top officials held a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, shortly before a fresh Israeli airstrike was reported in the enclave.
It’s déjà vu all over again. In late July, the Trump administration announced an agreement to develop a Saudi civilian nuclear program. But there was a catch. The very next day, Trump clarified on Truth Social that the deal “is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”
By “Trump clarified,” I mean that he retroactively decreed a new stipulation apparently designed to kill a deal opposed by Israel. The chances in the near future of Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords—which normalize relations between Muslim nations and Israel—are approximately, checking my math, consulting my copy of Introduction to Statistical Concepts: not gonna freakin’ happen.
Again, the death of the U.S.–Saudi nuclear deal is a good thing, but it was brought about by a very bad thing, namely, Israel’s de facto veto power over Trump’s Middle East policy.
One Mideast nuclear agreement that actually would be good for American interests is the one with Iran that Trump was on the verge of securing in 2025. Early in his second term, Trump aimed to strike a deal that would deny Iran a pathway to the bomb. Statements by White House officials indicated Tehran could still be allowed to enrich uranium for civilian nuclear purposes.
But in spring 2025, something changed, and the Trump administration adopted the hardline position that Iran must commit to zero enrichment. That was a non-starter for Tehran, as the Islamic Republic had repeatedly declared.
Comments by Joe Kent, who resigned this March from a top counterterrorism position in the administration, shed light on what happened: Israel pressured the White House to move the goal posts. In an interview with The American Conservative, Kent recounted that Israel and its American supporters promoted the zero-enrichment demand to “break up the agreement” and set Trump on the path to a regime-change war.
I expect we’ll soon have a fourth “Israeli veto” example to sustain the trend, and this one might illustrate the fundamental problem best of all. In July, Trump said that he’ll consider selling America’s F-35 fighter jet to Turkey. Apparently, that’s not the kind of thing American presidents are allowed to do.
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/israel-vetoes-trump-in-the-middle-east-again/
Instagram Tip Triggers Pastor Takedown
Polk County deputies say 42-year-old Pastor Timothy Chaneyfield groomed a 14-year-old boy online, then met him three times for sex.
Sheriff Grady Judd says Chaneyfield is HIV positive and never told the teen or an adult partner before sexual contact.
Tips from Instagram and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sparked the investigation and arrest.
Chaneyfield faces multiple felony charges and officials fear there may be more victims who have not come forward yet.
Pastor Accused Of Grooming Teen And Hiding HIV Status
Polk County investigators say 42-year-old Pastor Timothy Chaneyfield met a 14-year-old boy on a dating app, then moved their chats to Instagram before arranging in-person meetings. According to Sheriff Grady Judd, Chaneyfield picked up the boy on three separate days from the teen’s neighborhood and drove him to his home in Eagle Lake, Florida, where they engaged in sexual acts. Deputies say these were not one-time mistakes but a clear pattern of grooming and abuse built through online contact and secret meetups.
Detectives report that Chaneyfield is HIV positive and did not tell the teen before having unprotected sex with him. Sheriff Judd has said publicly that the boy “had no clue” he was with an HIV-positive adult, and that a 26-year-old man who also had sex with Chaneyfield later learned of the pastor’s diagnosis from investigators and has since tested positive for HIV. Under Florida law, having sex while knowing you are HIV positive without informing your partner can bring extra felony charges because the risk is life-long.
Digital Trail And Law Enforcement Response Under Trump Era
Polk County Sheriff’s Office officials say the case began with a cyber tip from Instagram and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, showing how online platforms can help flag suspected child exploitation. From those tips, detectives traced messages and built enough evidence to arrest Chaneyfield as he stepped off a flight at Orlando International Airport after a trip to Baltimore. Under President Trump’s administration, law enforcement leaders like Sheriff Judd have stressed tough action against child sex crimes and strong cooperation with tech firms when children are targeted online.
Officials say Chaneyfield used his role as pastor of St. James United American Free Will Baptist Church in Winter Haven and hospice chaplain to present himself as a trusted figure, even while he allegedly hunted for minors on dating apps. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has announced that Chaneyfield now faces a long list of charges, including lewd battery of a minor, interfering with custody, traveling to meet a minor, unlawful use of a communication device, and having sex as an HIV-infected person without informing partners. These charges reflect not just the sex acts but the deliberate steps that detectives say he took to contact, transport, and exploit a child.
Broken Trust In The Church And What Conservative Families Can Do
https://presidentialhill.com/instagram-tip-triggers-pastor-takedown/
Israelis PROUDLY Admit Theyre Racists & Support Genocide!
The video discusses controversial statements by Israeli lawyer Yehuda Shimon and Israeli rabbi Eliyahu Mali who advocate widespread massacres against Palestinian men, women and children in Gaza.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NxOSP58VnY
@P_McCulloughMD
BREAKING–FDA Approves Moderna's mRNA Influenza Vaccine Despite 75.3% Rate of Adverse Reactions
According to the FDA briefing document, severe systemic reactions were 4× MORE COMMON than with the traditional flu shot. Data consistent with mRNA being a more dangerous vaccine platform. Will it sell in a crowded flu shot market? @NicHulscher @McCulloughFund
https://x.com/P_McCulloughMD/status/2085405697596899640
NATO directly involved in strikes on Russian territory, hackers say citing files
According to available information, a NATO intelligence-linked hybrid warfare specialist, Bart de Wachter, provided the coordinates of oil and gas terminals in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions to Ukraine’s Security Service
Russian hackers obtained documentary evidence of NATO’s direct involvement in strikes on Russian territory, according to files provided to TASS by anonymous hackers.
The hackers said, "We have documented evidence that NATO is directly involved in strikes on Russian territory. Moreover, hybrid warfare and information operations specialists get involved after drone attacks. We have long said that Ukraine is simply being used in the war against Russia and that those behind this war are not based in Kiev, but in peaceful European cities. We know these documents will be of interest to journalists and others."
Russian hackers previously gained access to files on Ukrainian strikes against oil storage terminals in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions in July of this year. They obtained communications and files revealing who provided the exact coordinates of the facilities and who "pushed Ukraine toward terrorism in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions."
According to available information, a NATO intelligence-linked hybrid warfare specialist, Bart de Wachter, provided the coordinates of oil and gas terminals in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions to Ukraine’s Security Service.
https://tass.com/politics/2169989
Chinese Intelligence Believes Israel Was Behind Migrant Crisis In Spain’s Ceuta
Chinese intelligence and academic circles suspect that Israel orchestrated the recent mass migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, El Mundo reported on August 6.
The report cites speculation circulating in Beijing suggesting the border surge was a calculated hybrid warfare operation directed by Mossad and facilitated by Morocco to destabilize the Spanish government.
The strategic assessment links the disruption directly to the deteriorating diplomatic relations between Madrid and Tel Aviv. Spain has faced severe backlash from Israel following its vocal criticism of the war on the Gaza Strip and its official recognition of a Palestinian state.
The intelligence theory advanced in Beijing is actively discussed among diplomats and political analysts close to the Chinese political establishment.
These circles continually question the timing of the border surge and its correlation with Madrid’s shifting Middle East policies.
“Since the normalization of relations in 2020, Morocco and Israel have become allies and strengthened their defense and intelligence cooperation,” a diplomat familiar with the matter told El Mundo.
This assessment is not far-fetched. Yair Netanyahu, the outspoken son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, provoked sharp condemnation across Spain’s political establishment in 2019 when he called for an Arab invasion of Ceuta and nearby Melilla.
Replying to Spanish political criticism regarding Israeli actions in the West Bank at the time, the younger Netanyahu posted a map highlighting Spain’s North African possessions alongside a blunt provocation: “Dear Arabs and Muslims. Want to free occupied Arab Islamic lands? Here’s a good start!”
The recent crisis sparked a similar exchange between Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente.
Danon accused Spain of repeatedly criticizing Israel over Gaza while declaring a state of emergency in Ceuta over a migration crisis.
“Spain, which never misses an opportunity to lecture Israel, has declared a state of emergency in Ceuta following the crisis over its immigration policy,” Danon wrote on X.
“Maybe before it continues lecturing us, it’s time it explained to the world why it still maintains colonial enclaves in Africa,” he added, referring to the Spanish territories of Ceuta and Melilla on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast.
Quoting Danon’s post on X, Puente responded: “Well, it all seems to be becoming quite clear.” While the minister did not elaborate, his remark was widely interpreted as a response to Danon’s criticism.
There has also been growing political debate in Spain over the migration crisis and Israel’s role in politics in the surrounding region.
Spanish political commentator Carolina Alonso alleged that Israel was seeking to undermine Spain’s government in retaliation for Madrid’s stance on the war in Gaza.
https://southfront.press/chinese-intelligence-believes-israel-was-behind-migrant-crisis-in-spains-ceuta/
Ben Shapiro proposes the US strike Iran's energy facilities and "walk away."
https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2085754761601540330
Bill O'Reilly to Ben Shapiro: "Researching you…there's almost a constant theme that you are a defender of Israel and Judaism. Would that be true?"
Shapiro: "I mean, it's certainly true that I defend Israel… I would not say that that is my predominant characteristic…"
(This is how he opened the interview, lmao)
https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2085736924732432641
Katie Pavlich evidently thinks it's a great idea that elderly Jewish women are getting armed and training with the Jewish gun group "Lox & Loaded" to fight Muslims they fear under Mamdani are going to come door to door to "take out" Jews and turn NYC into a Muslim caliphate.
https://x.com/infolibnews/status/2085699032223986010
78 arrests in bust of major Western Mediterranean smuggling network in Spain
The criminal network operated like a logistics company managing two-way maritime smuggling of drugs, weapons and migrants between Europe and Algeria
Europol supported a Spanish-led investigation that dismantled one of the largest criminal networks smuggling cannabis, synthetic drugs, migrants, weapons, and even fugitives across the Western Mediterranean. The network was linked to a wide range of other criminal activities, including violent robberies, extortion, illegal detentions, and money laundering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqKYMEW0K9E
Mossad, Jewish lobby, Nigel Farage - The reform UK.
https://youtu.be/2K4xOVjXdlg?si=ON_sFX0ehmNhYVRr