White Hats and White House Sources Want Natalie Harp to Go Away Forever. 1/2

By Michael Baxter - August 18, 202675235285

White Hats and administration officials have reportedly earned President Trump’s ire for suggesting he dismiss leggy, blonde aide Natalie Harp, the former MAGA Newsmax correspondent who joined Team Trump in March 2022.She’d quickly gained the nickname “Human Printer” because she carried a portable printer while perpetually shadowing Trump as a puppy dog would its master.

She assumed the formal White House role of Executive Assistant to the President (also listed as Special Assistant to the President and Executive Assistant to the President) on January 20, 2025, at the start of Trump’s second official term.

Seldom do our sources align with what news appears in legacy media (it has scorched Trump’s proximity to Harp). Still, we’ve heard from enough unimpeachable sources—on multiple fronts—to dismiss their concerns and observations.The MSM has manufactured baseless accusations insinuating libidinous relations between Trump, 80, and Harp, 35.

Harp has evenfaced allegations of undergoing facial and body modification surgery to mimic Trump’s eldest daughter’s (Ivanka) appearance.

Although RRN has yet to see proof of either claim,Harp’s infatuation with Trump is undeniable. She routinely hides love letters in the Oval Office for Trump to find, including one that read, “You’re the only thing in this world that matters to me,”and, according to Trump’s Secret Service detail, slept the summer of 2023 in Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club locker room to stay as near to him as possible.

Some sources have ascribed Harp’s behavior to that of a stalker.

Our sources, though,are more concerned about Harp’s influence over President Trump.

A source in General Eric M. Smith’s office told RRN that the general last month asked Trump for permission to arrest Arizona Senator Mark Kelly for treason.

Purportedly, Harp was in the Oval Office with Trump and overheard the call. According to our source,Trump was prepared to approve the request when Harp interjected, “It’s not the right time for that.” Instead of siding with Gen. Smith, who said White Hats had overwhelming evidence Kelly had taken Deep State money to defame Trump, Trump took Harp’s advice, telling the general to “stand down but stand by.”

(RRN)

>>24957429

2/2

Harp, our source added, also convinced President Trump to veto General Smith’s request to apprehend Deep State agent and former FBI agent Curis Heidi, one of the countless agents involved in the debunked Russia Gate scandal who had also been part of Biden’s FBI strike force that raided and occupied Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on August 8, 2022. Heidi was one of the agents who made a beeline for Melania’s bedroom and tossed her underwear drawer, our source said.

“We’ve no rational explanation for what’s going on, but for some bizarre reason, Natalie Harp coerced POTUS to shoot down our planned arrest. What’s going on, I don’t the fuck know, but her influence is disturbing.”

Besides White Hats, people in the White House are secretly praying Natalie Harp disappears.

==“I can’t say for sure she’s a Trojan Horse, but she goads Trump to post crazy shit on social media,” a White House source told us.

“It appears she’s doing everything she can to cause Trump to make bizarre posts that, and there’s no way around this, will hurt Republicans in the midterms. Many of us want her gone.”

A Secret Service agent stationed at the White House told RRN,“It’s nuts the sway she has here.”

It’s also been broadly speculated that the immensely popular White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, resigned not because of her official explanation—wanting time with her children—but because Trump left her on an undefended Qatari Air Force One. At the same time, he and Harp snuck onto an older plane to escape a potential Iranian missile threat following a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

RRN

Zelensky losing grip on power – Western media

A widening corruption scandal and an open challenge from a former official have fueled questions about the Ukrainian leader’s political future

Published 20 Aug, 2026 16:09 |

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is facing his gravest political challenge in years, major US and European media outlets have reported, as a new corruption scandalengulfs his office and a former official openly challenges his leadership.

Zelensky fired deputy head of his office, Irina Mudraya, on Wednesday after Western-backed anti-graft authorities launched an investigation into an alleged $3.4 million money-laundering scheme involving senior presidential officials. Mudraya has denied wrongdoing. It is the latest of many corruption scandals involving officials close to Zelensky.

A day earlier, former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, whose surprise dismissal last month sparked weeks of public protests, released a campaign-style video denouncing government corruption and calling for elections amid what he described as “a systemic crisis of governance.”

Zelensky’s five-year presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law imposed after the conflict with Russia escalated in February 2022.

The Wall Street Journal called the turmoil the “biggest challenge” to Zelensky’s “hold on the presidency” since 2022, saying Fedorov appeared to be positioning himself as a leading challenger amid growing frustration over recurring corruption scandals.

The Financial Times noted that the growing list of Zelensky allies caught up in corruption investigations have contributed to his falling approval ratings and raised concern among Kiev’s Western backers, citing an analyst who concluded that “the political crisis is obvious.”

The Washington Post described Fedorov’s intervention as a “remarkably direct challenge” to Zelensky’s authority.

The Telegraph said Zelensky had been “bruised by a series of lingering corruption scandals” as investigations “keep coming.” It argued that he was accumulating powerful rivals who were once deeply loyal to him and said it appeared “increasingly possible” that he may not lead Ukraine into peacetime.

The Guardian described Fedorov as a “potent political opponent.” Experts cited by the newspaper called corruption a “symptom” of deeper problems with “bad governance,” warning that public exhaustion and Zelensky’s failure to explain his decisions had created a “perfect powder box.”

Le Monde said Fedorov had “crossed a line” no major Ukrainian politician had dared to cross since 2022 by calling for elections. The newspaper said he was seeking to capitalize on an “accumulation” of crises, including repeated corruption scandals.

Der Spiegel cited a Ukrainian political analyst who described Fedorov’s challenge as an “application for the role of opposition leader.” The magazine said Zelensky now faced his first “public and direct opponent” since the conflict escalated.

READ MORE: Kiev lacks political will to fight corruption – anti-graft chief

Zelensky has not publicly responded to Fedorov’s accusations. His Wednesday evening address focused on military matters and the appointment of a new defense minister and did not address the mounting political pressure.

((https://www.rt.com/russia/644450-zelensky-crisis-western-media/

Nord Stream ‘suspect’ arrested on Hollywood movie set – media

Vladimir Z. evaded capture twice, but was reportedly detained while cavorting with Sean Penn and Adrien Brody

Published 19 Aug, 2026 18:47 |

Croatian police have arrested a Ukrainian man suspected by Germany of taking part in the Nord Stream pipeline attack – while he was on set filming a Hollywood thriller based on the 2022 sabotage operation

The German Federal Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday that Ukrainian national Vladimir Z., previously identified by media as Vladimir Zhuravlyov, had been apprehended in the Croatian city of Pula under a European arrest warrant.

In a bizarre twist to the already labyrinthine Nord Stream story, Zhuravlyov was arrested while on the set of ‘Snake Island’, a movie about the supposed Ukrainian plot to destroy the pipelines, German legal magazine LTO reported.

Starring Sean Penn and Adrien Brody, and directed by Doug Liman of ‘The Bourne Identity’, ‘Snake Island’ began filming in Zagreb earlier this month, according to a report by World of Reel. It is unclear whether Zhuravlyov was on set as an actor, an adviser, or a guest of Penn and Brody.

Although ‘Snake Island’ will reportedly focus on the Nord Stream operation, its name is a reference to a Ukrainian island in the mouth of the Danube estuary, which was captured by Russian forces in early 2022.

In true Hollywood fashion, Ukrainian and Western media claimed that Ukrainian soldiers on the island refused to surrender to the Russian Navy, radioing “Russian warship, go f*ck yourself” to the Moskva guided missile cruiser.

In reality, the garrison on the island immediately surrendered. Ukrainian forces tried and failed to recapture the island several times throughout 2022, before Russian forces departed in June.

Zhuravlyov has evaded German authorities twice already. While living in Poland in 2024, he fled to Ukraine before he could be apprehended, reportedly in a vehicle belonging to the Ukrainian military attaché. Zhuravlyov then returned to Poland and was detained there in September 2025, but a Warsaw court rejected Berlin’s extradition request, arguing that “blowing up critical infrastructure during a war… is not sabotage but denotes a military action.”

According to the warrant, Zhuravlyov, a trained diver, is accused of planting explosives as part of a group, committing sabotage, and destroying infrastructure. He is expected to be extradited to Germany.

German investigators maintain that the attack was carried out by a small group of Ukrainians who used forged documents to rent a sailing yacht and transport military-grade explosives from Rostock, Germany to waters near the Danish island of Bornholm. The group allegedly used commercial diving equipment to plant the charges on the pipelines at a depth of around 100 meters.

German authorities say the alleged team was led by Sergey K., identified by media as former Ukrainian special forces member Sergey Kuznetsov. He was arrested in Italy in August 2025, extradited to Germany three months later, and charged with “war crimes” for knowingly attacking civilian infrastructure. His trial is due to begin this fall.

Moscow has dismissed the “Ukrainian frogmen” theory as fantasy, arguing that such a complex operation could not have been carried out in NATO-controlled waters by a small group without state assistance or Western intelligence involvement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed a version of events put forward by American journalist Seymour Hersh, who claimed – citing intelligence sources – that the CIA and Norwegian Navy, acting on direct orders from then-US President Joe Biden, used NATO military exercises in the Baltic Sea in June 2022 as cover to plant remotely-triggered explosive devices on the Nord Stream lines.

(https://www.rt.com/news/644407-croatian-police-arrest-second-nord-stream-suspect/

FBI Seizes Devices Belonging to Eric Swalwell During Investigation of Rape and Sexual Misconduct

(That picture is creepy as hell)

August 20, 2026 | Sundance |

Generally speaking, when the FBI seizes devices it’s usually to bury them and protect affected interests in/around Washington DC. Rarely, if ever, does the confiscation of electronic devices result in any public awareness of the contents –unless the release runs in alignment with the interests of those in Washington DC.

EX. If it was the confiscation of electronic devices deemed adverse to the interest of DC (Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Scott Perry, Mike Lindell, etc.) then the content of those devices is publicly exposed. However, most confiscations are to protect the guilty – therefore they are buried. SEE: Hunter Biden laptop, Huma Abedin laptop, Anthony Weiner cell phones, Hillary Clinton phone(s) and laptops; Awan Brothers laptops (4) and phones; Seth Rich phone and laptop; Jeffrey Epstein, phones, laptops, hard drives; Stephen Craig Paddock phones and laptops, Syed Rizwan Farook/Tashfeen Malik cell phones, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev phones and laptops; Senator Bob Menendez, phones and laptops etc.

Therefore, accepting things as they are most likely – and not as we would prefer them to be – it is best to think of the recent storyas one of protecting the downstream issues from Eric Swalwell, as they are associated during his tenure as a targeting conduit for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and later as a Trump impeachment manager and J6 Committee official.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from California, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Swalwell’s devices were seized at the San Francisco airport on Saturday and agents executed a search warrant at his home a day later, said the person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

(more…)

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/

DOJ seeks to question FBI officials tied to search of Trump Mar-a-Lago estate, sources say

By Andrew Goudsward

Thu, August 20, 2026 at 7:43 PM EDT

2 min read

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has requested to interview FBI officials who were involved in the 2022 search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in ‌Floridaas part of a wide-ranging probe examining past investigations of the president, four sources ‌familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The requests came from investigators working with JoediGenova, a Trump ally who began overseeing ​the Florida-based investigation earlier this year. The investigation has been seeking toestablish that Trump was the victim of a criminal conspiracy against his rights.

The questioning over the Mar-a-Lago search, which was first reported by the Associated Press,is an indication the probe is examining a range of prior government investigations into Trump's ‌conduct.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department and ⁠FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The investigation so far had appeared to focus mostly on a 2017 U.S. intelligence assessment that concluded Russia sought ⁠to boost Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.Investigators have interviewed current and former intelligence employees over the last several months.

Several former career FBI officials who were involved in the search for classifieddocuments at Mar-a-Lago have ​been approached ​for voluntary interviews in recent weeks, two of the ​sources said. The other two confirmed there ‌had been outreach to FBI officials who were involved in the search. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

It is not clear what charges prosecutors may be exploring. The Justice Department in Trump's second term has investigated and in some cases prosecuted several Trump critics and others who resisted his agenda or led investigations into him.

The FBI search turned up more than 100 ‌classified documents stashed at Mar-a-Lago, including highly sensitive national security ​records. The search led to criminal charges against Trump and ​two associates who were accused of illegally ​retaining classified documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve the material.

Trump has for years ‌railed against the search of his resort, ​and his lawyers,led by ​now-Attorney General Todd Blanche, asked a judge to exclude evidence from it, arguing the search warrant was unlawful.

Prosecutors maintained they had sufficient justification, including evidence Trump thwarted previous attempts to recover ​the records.

A judge dismissed the ‌case after concluding the lead prosecutor, Jack Smith, had been unlawfully appointed to the role. ​The DOJ dropped its appeal of that decision after Trump won the 2024 election.

(https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/doj-seeks-fbi-officials-tied-234332094.html

The FBI and all involved should be in jail long ago!

Jesse Watters

@JesseBWatters

🚨NEW: GAVIN NEWSOM JUST BLEW UP HIS DREAMS OF THE PRESIDENCY🚨

"Would you be a GOOD President?… NEWSOM: I have NO IDEA."🤣

Gavin's OUT and the MACHINE is PANICKING.

They're BEGGING HUNTER BIDEN TO RUN and SAVE THEM from the COMMUNIST🤔

https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/2090596543602598005

BREAKING STORY

BREAKING NEWS: O’Keefe Offered Senator Lisa Murkowski’s Brother Ballot at Alaskan Polling Location With No ID Required, Anchorage Polling Worker also offers Lisa Murkowski’s State Director, Karina Waller’s Ballot Without ID on August 18th, Primary Election Day, Murkowski Opposes the SAVE Act, Arguing Voter, Documentation Requirements Could Be Difficult for Rural Alaskans, Lisa Murkowski Calls For Prosecution of O’Keefe

August 20, 2026

BREAKING NEWS: O'Keefe Offered Senator Murkowski's Brother Ballot at Alaskan Polling Location; No ID

BREAKING NEWS: O'Keefe Offered Senator Lisa Murkowski's Brother Ballot at Alaskan Polling Location With No ID Required

Anchorage Polling Worker Also Offers Lisa Murkowski’s State Director, Karina Waller's Ballot Without ID on August 18th, Primary Election Day

Murkowski Opposes the SAVE Act, Arguing Voter Documentation Requirements Could Be Difficult for Rural Alaskans

Lisa Murkowski Calls For Prosecution of O'Keefe

I asked the poll worker, “Would it be possible to vote without it [ID]?” They confirmed, “Absolutely possible.”

“You can vote if you’d like to.” The poll workers reassured me that I would still be able to vote without having to show ID.

Poll workers stated, “We’re trying to figure this [voting system] out.”

On Election Day in Anchorage, Alaska, James O’Keefe entered a polling location and gave election workers the name Brian Murkowski, Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s brother. James O’Keefe repeatedly told them he did not have identification and asked whether Brian could still vote.

After finding Brian Murkowski’s name on the voter rolls, election workers told James O’Keefe he could vote without presenting ID and offered him a question ballot, telling him it was “Absolutely possible” to vote without ID and later, “You can vote if you’d like to.”

Under Title 15 of the Alaska Statutes, a question ballot can be issued when a voter cannot provide sufficient identification. The voter fills out the ballot in the same manner as other voters, but the ballot is placed in an envelope and subject to further review. When the ballot box is opened, the envelope is segregated, counted, compared with the voting list, and delivered to the election officials responsible for reviewing the ballot.

O’Keefe did not check in as Brian Murkowski, cast a ballot, or sign his name. OMG documented what happened when O’Keefe gave Brian Murkowski’s name, said he had no ID, and asked whether Brian could still vote.

At another Anchorage polling location, a member of the OMG team used the name Karina Waller, Sen. Murkowski’s state director, and said she did not have identification. The worker confirmed they were at the correct polling place and offered the question ballot option after the person said they did not have ID.

Sen. Murkowski remains opposed to the SAVE Act, citing concerns that its voter documentation requirements could disenfranchise or alienate voters in rural parts of Alaska and create logistical challenges for some voters.

OMG went to Alaska to expose what happens when someone shows up at the polls without identification and gives the name of someone already on the voter rolls.

OMG has reached out for comment to Brian Murkowski, Lisa Murkowski, and Karina Waller.

11:13

https://youtu.be/UI09WXQMzGU

Private Plane Carrying 8 People Crashes in Alaska, Killing Everyone on Board

Six passengers and two pilots were on board the aircraft when it crashed

By Gina Kalsi Published on August 21, 2026 06:04AM

NEED TO KNOW

A charter plane crashed in Alaska on Thursday, Aug. 20, killing everyone onboard

Two pilots and six passengers were traveling on the plane at the time of the crash

The civilian-contracted aircraft was traveling from Anchorage to Cape Newenham, according to reports

A charter plane has crashed at a remote site in western Alaska, killing all eight people onboard, according to reports.

The aircraft went down on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, which is around 450 miles west of Anchorage, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Two pilots and six passengers were onboard the plane, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s Alaskan chief, told the outlet.

Johnson said the plane had taken off from Anchorage and was believed to have crashed while traveling to Cape Newenham.

“This is a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Davis said in a statement, per NBC News.

“These individuals were dedicated professionals carrying out a vital mission in a demanding environment,” said Davis, who is Commander of the Alaskan Command, Eleventh Air Force and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region.

“Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends, and teammates during this devastating time,” he added.

The statement said the plane was a “civilian-contracted aircraft.” It is unclear what work the team was carrying out.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it chartered the plane and that two of its employees were among those killed in the crash, according to KTUU-TV. The agency added that their families have been informed of their deaths.

The aircraft is believed to be a twin-engine Cessna, per the outlet.

Alaskan Sen. Lisa Murkowski posted about the crash on X, and said the state was “praying for those on board, their loved ones, and the team at Security Aviation.”

“I join Alaskans in condolences as we learn of the plane crash in Cape Newenham today,” she said. “I’ve traveled extensively with Security Aviation throughout Alaska, and have met many of their experienced pilots. I appreciate the U.S. Coast Guard, NTSB, Alaska State Troopers, and the Rescue Coordination Center for responding to the site.”

Alaskan Rep. Nick Begich said in a Facebook statement: “This is incredibly difficult news for many Alaskans, especially those in our close-knit aviation community. Dharna and I join Alaskans across our state in praying for everyone affected and the entire Security Aviation family.”

The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the NTSB did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further information.

https://people.com/8-dead-private-plane-crash-alaska-12065008

BREAKING: Texas Children’s Hospital Nurse Vanessa Sivadge Speaks For The First Time Since Historic $10 Million Settlement After Blowing The Whistle on Alleged Medicaid Fraud Linked to “Gender-Affirming” Treatments on Minors

@V_Sivadge was the principal government witness in the False Claims Act case that forced a landmark $10 million settlement.

In this exclusive, first interview, Sivadge details the alleged multi-layered Medicaid fraud used to fund gender-affirming treatments on minors, details the FBI showing up to her home under the Biden DOJ, and reacts to the hospital’s agreement to open America’s first hospital-funded detransition clinic.

Your subscriptions @C__Herridge make my independent journalism possible.

Vanessa's attorney Marcella Burke calls it a “watershed” settlement that sets a national precedent. TX AG Ken Paxton: “This settlement sends an unmistakable message: if you put radical ideology over children's health, my office will go after you. We will continue to lead the way in stopping the far-left’s radical gender agenda.”

Justice Department Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward: “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting America’s children. Today’s resolution furthers that commitment and puts providers of so-called 'gender affirming care' on notice that this Department will vigorously enforce federal law where children are put at risk."

Texas Children’s Hospital: “Last week we finalized a settlement agreement with the Texas Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice bringing a close to this chapter to focus our resources on life-saving care and discoveries. We are grateful for and proud of our renowned physicians and nurses whose clinical excellence makes us the nation’s leading pediatric and women’s health system. Our focus remains on creating a healthier future for children and women across Texas and the world.”

https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/2086607327252140114

Tulsi Gabbard Provides an Update on Her Husband Abraham Battle With Cancer

August 20, 2026 | Sundance |

Tulsi Gabbard: “Earlier this year, my husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare bone cancer. This has been a challenging time for us and is hard to talk about. But so many of you have reached out asking how he’s doing and sharing your prayers and well wishes with us. We made this video to share a little about what this journey has been like, and to update you on his recovery. Mahalo for all of the love and support.”

Dear Lord and healer of all things created, we pray for complete healing for Abraham Williams from both cancer and surgery.

We ask that You remain guiding the hands of the doctors and caregivers. We pray for mercy and restoration of Abraham to full strength and health.

We ask Your mercy to intervene and mitigate pain in recovery, while pulling Tulsi, Abraham and those they love close to You. We pray for You to surround them with Your sense of peace.

Our Father who holds the stars and the eternal distance, we trust in Your universal power to heal, and we believe that You will hear our prayers and provide full restoration in Your glory. ~Amen.

Update On My Husband's Cancer Journey

5:17

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/08/20/tulsi-gabbard-provides-an-update-on-her-husband-abraham-battle-with-cancer/

https://youtu.be/FIwGHpSezEw

Bessent vows regime ‘collapse’ as Ghalibaf warns economic hardship threatens survival

21, 2026.

Summary

• Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Thursday that military strength alone could not ensure the Islamic Republic’s survival if people faced hunger and the economy failed to grow.

• Ship crossings through the Strait of Hormuz fell to seven on Thursday, down from 14 the previous day, Reuters reported, citing initial Kpler data.

• Vice President JD Vance said Iran could survive US economic pressure for “a couple of weeks or a couple of months or possibly longer.”

• US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with CNBC that the United States would impose the “toughest sanctions in history” on Iran and said Washington was “going to collapse this regime.”

•Iran executed Ghaem Hosseini on Thursday over January protests in Isfahan, the fifth person put to death in a case that has raised UN concerns over the defendants' trials.

•’Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday criticized Trump's threatened "economic D-Day" against Iran, saying US economic pressure threatened the global economy and national sovereignty.

1 hour ago

Iran oil production now barely above domestic needs -TankerTrackers

Iran’s crude oil production has fallen in recent months to only slightly above the level needed for domestic refining and consumption, helping explain a sharp decline in loadings at the country’s Kharg Island export terminal, TankerTrackers said.

“The reason why we are not seeing many loadings anymore at Kharg is -because Iran’s crude oil production has (in recent months) dropped to a level just slightly north of its domestic refining/consumption,” the oil-tracking firm wrote on X.

TankerTrackers said this meant Iran was under “very little pressure to export,” but later clarified that it was referring specifically to logistical pressure, not economic pressure.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202608153827

Iran state TV analyst suggests mining waters off Florida

Mostafa Khoshcheshm, an analyst on Iranian state television, suggested deploying “smart naval mines” in what he called the “Gulf of Florida” to block shipping, as tensions over freedom of navigation and the Strait of Hormuz continue. pic.twitter.com/fGUlzMUQJY

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) August 21, 2026

3 hours ago

NPT withdrawal proposal under consideration, Iran lawmaker says

Iranian lawmaker Qasem Ravanbakhsh said a proposal for Iran to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been submitted to parliament and is being pursued.

“The issue of withdrawing from the NPT has been raised, and the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council has also taken a position on it,” the hardline lawmaker from Qom said. “A proposal on this issue has also been submitted in parliament and is being pursued.”

4 hours ago

Iran military chief warns of ‘devastating’ response to threats

Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Ali Abdollahi warned that any military threat or “miscalculation” by Iran’s adversaries would face what he described as a “crushing” and “devastating” response.

“Any miscalculation and conventional or emerging threats by the enemies will be met with revolutionary, crushing, regret-inducing and devastating responses,” Abdollahi said in a message marking Iran’s Defense Industry Day.

Abdollahi said Iran’s armed forces maintained readiness across land, sea, air, air defense, space and cyber domains, portraying the country’s domestic defense industry as central to its deterrence capabilities.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202608153827

Longtime Seattle Sports Columnist Resigns Over Spiked Sophie Cunningham Article: ‘The Mob is Frightening’

Stephanie Kaloi

Aug 20th, 2026, 3:28 pm

Longtime Seattle Times sports columnist Matt Calkins announced his decision to resign from the paper after 11 years Thursday. Calkinsaccused the newspaper of spiking several columns of his, including one about Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.

Calkins announced the news on X and his Substack.

“After 11 years as a sports columnist at the Seattle Times, I have decided to resign. It was entirely my choice, and it was not an easy one. The impetus was the Times declining to run a column I wrote from the perspective of two female student athletes who were opposed to competing against biological males,” he wrote.

“It was one of several pieces of mine that had been spiked, and I no longer felt like I could properly do my job as a columnist. I lay out the situation in greater detail in the link below, but I want to say that I enjoyed my time with the paper, find the talent there to be immense, and have no animosity toward anyone who works there. It was just time for a change.”

Calkins also offered more detail about the other columns the newspaper declined to publish:

One was a piece questioning whether players for the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team were really the victims of discrimination in their equal-pay lawsuit. Another was a more general column on cancel culture in sports. The last, written shortly after George Floyd’s death, implored people to listen to state-champion basketball coach Mike Bethea — a black man urging the public not to stereotype cops. The common theme? All of these challenged prevailing newsroom narratives and likely would have triggered the outrage mob.

Calkins also insisted he does not wan to be “muzzled.” As he put it on his Substack, “To be honest, I’m scared shitless right now. I have no idea how the next few months or years are going to play out.But that fear beats the indignity of being muzzled.”

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/longtime-seattle-sports-columnist-resigns-over-spiked-sophie-cunningham-article-the-mob-is-frightening/

Jesse Watters

@JesseBWatters

🚨INSIDE HAKEEM JEFFRIES’ DISTRICT🚨

“You can get KILLED any time of day.”

“Your THROAT can get SLIT for walking around with your phone.”

“You can’t walk three steps without seeing a used CONDOM.”

And when asked about Hakeem Jeffries?

“NOT FOR THE PEOPLE.”

🎥 WATCH:

https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/2090596973317337237

Yikes!

https://x.com/3nosnibor/status/2090238318487499186

Bessent says Treasury buyback operation could be more than $4 billion

CNBC Television

https://youtu.be/KFrGapQZsSw

POLITICS & POLICY

Trump threatens ‘Economic D-Day’ for Iran and ‘tremendous’ consequences for its backers

PUBLISHED WED, AUG 19 20267:11 PM EDTUPDATED

KEY POINTS

• Trump said the U.S. will launch what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” against Iran.

• Trump also threatened severe financial penalties on any nation that helps Tehran evade sanctions.

• The announcement extends a pressure campaign the Trump administration has waged since April under the banner Operation Economic Fury.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will launch what he called the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” against Iran, threatening severe financial penalties on any nation that helps Tehran evade sanctions.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that “this will be Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale.”

No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a Deal than me,” and that “TRAGICALLY, for them, they have failed to take it,” the president said.

Iran’s navy, air force and military production facilities have been destroyed and its currency rendered worthless, Trump said, arguing the regime is “hanging by a thread.”

He said any country whose financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities offer Iran a “lifeline” will face what he described as tremendous economic consequences of their own.

The president named oil smuggling, currency swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries and front companies as channels he wants shut down immediately, stressing that Iran will never be permitted to acquire a nuclear weapon….

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/us-iran-war-trump-hormuz-economic-warfare.html

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X: "Once again, the professor has come up short… His latest screed is an impressive display of economic prestidigitation. He concedes that wages are growing faster for low-income workers and then attempts to bury that dispositive fact beneath nearly 2,000 words. Bank of America"

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Treasury Department

@SecScottBessent

Once again, the professor has come up short…

His latest screed is an impressive display of economic prestidigitation.

He concedes that wages are growing faster for low-income workers and then attempts to bury that dispositive fact beneath nearly 2,000 words.

Bank of America data show that spending among lower- and middle-income households has converged toward levels at the top as they lead labor market gains.

Professor Reich has a documented history of “inventing dialogue” when the truth doesn’t fit his narrative, a habit that forced him to rewrite his memoir after the media exposed his fabrications. Burger King appears not to be the only one who peddles “Whoppers.”

As I do not like “punching down,” this will be the last response to his four-decade pattern of packaging falsehoods as fact.

user avatar

Robert Reich

@RBReich

Aug 17

An Open Letter to Scott Bessent robertreich.substack.com/p/an-open-lett…

(Wow!)

https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2090097968158278106