Zelenskyy Rejects Election Demand Fearful of “Major Risks”

August 23, 2026 | Sundance |

As most would anticipate, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the request for a Ukraine election made by former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Zelenskyy noted that Fedorov himself might challenge the ‘new democracy‘ regime of Zelenskyy, and therefore the risks are too great.

(via Politico) – Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday flatly rejected a call by his former defense chief to send the country to the ballot box.

“I believe that during a war like this, elections in general pose major risks,” Zelenskyy told journalists — including POLITICO — behind closed doors.

A vote “right now would be a tsunami for the state, one that would divide Ukraine,” the Ukrainian president said. He added that his strategy is “to bring the country to the end of the war and preserve an independent and sovereign state.”

His remarks come after former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — ousted from his government role in July following a controversial reshuffle — called for elections earlier this week.

“If our partners offer us specific conditions under which elections can be held … safely, legitimately and democratically,” with the participation of soldiers on the front line and citizens who fled to other countries to escape the war, “then let’s discuss it,” Zelenskyy continued.But “it is impossible under the conditions we have right now, when Putin refuses to agree to any form of ceasefire,” he argued.

Fedorov has emerged as a rival to the current president. In a video address Tuesday, he argued that “people cannot endlessly live in a state where they do not understand why certain decisions are made.” (more)

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/08/23/zelenskyy-rejects-election-demand-fearful-of-major-risks/

Talk of Ukrainian victory like ‘Groundhog Day’ – ex-US official (VIDEO)

Those opposing peace with Russia keep claiming a turning point is imminent, former White House aide Steve Gill has told RT

Published 24 Aug, 2026 10:

Repeated claims that Ukraine is about to turn the tide against Russia and achieve a military victoryare like being trapped in a time loop, a former White House official has told RT.

The latest wave of media reports predicting a breakthrough in Kiev’s military campaigncame on the heels of an escalation in Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, retail warehouses, and cargo ships. Ukrainian officials claimed the attacks would pressure Moscow into accepting Kiev’s terms for a peace settlement.

Russia instead intensified its own strikes,virtually paralyzing crucial Ukrainian trade through Black Sea ports and inflicting other damage. On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin said Kiev was the one that “opened Pandora’s box.”

“I feel like the old American movie ‘Groundhog Day’,” conservative media host Steve Gill, who served in the office of the US Trade Representative under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, told RT.

“How many times do we have to hear, ‘oh, it’s the spring offensive, the fall offensive, the summer offensive, the winter offensive that is going to win things for Ukraine? And it is the same cycle of promise and despair, promise and failure that, again, has done nothing but cost the lives of both Russian and Ukrainian men and increasingly women,” he added.

Gill also suggested that Ukrainians who want to end the hostilities are in no position to do sobecause the country does not determine its own foreign policy.

“The ones who are making the decisions in Western Europe – and some in the United States, some who have the ear of President [Donald] Trump – are feeding misinformation and disinformation both through mediaand through the policymakers that is continuing the violence, continuing the death, and continuing this folly of Ukraine thinking that they’re somehow winning on the battlefield when nothing could be further from the truth,” he explained.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644576-steve-gill-ukraine-folly/

Monk stabbed to death at Ukrainian monastery

A fellow cleric and a refugee were seriously wounded in the attackin the Ukrainian-controlled part of Donbass

Published 24 Aug, 2026 09:16 |

A Ukrainian monk has been stabbed to death and two other people are seriously wounded in an attack at a monastery in the Ukrainian-controlled northern part of the Donetsk People’s Republic, near the frontline of the conflict with Russia.

The deadly assault by a group of unidentified perpetrators occurred on Sunday morning near a 17th-century church at the Svyatogorsk Lavra. The monastery is run by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which has faced a sweeping government crackdown in recent years.

The Svyatogorsk monastery identified the slain monk as Barsanuphius. The two surviving victims were named as junior monk Gregory and a refugee, Andrey Kirienko.

Gregory managed to reach the monks’ dormitory and alert others to the attack.Both survivors suffered punctured lungs and severe blood loss and were rushed to the hospital, the monastery said.

Ukrainian police did not immediately comment on the criminal investigation into the attack. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Ukrainian troops may have been responsible.

The government of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has labeled the UOC, which has historical ties to the Russian Orthodox Church, a national security threat. The authorities have charged several senior clergy members with subversive activities and raided major cathedrals and monasteries in search of evidence of alleged anti-Ukrainian conduct.

Kiev supports the rival Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which was established ahead of the 2019 presidential campaign in a move that caused a major schism in the Orthodox world. The organization has sought to take control of UOC property across the country.

The Svyatogorsk monastery traces its recorded history to at least the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a German diplomat’s account of his travels. It may, however, have been founded as early as the ninth century by refugees from Byzantium. The monastery was shut down twice, first in 1787 and later by the Bolsheviks, before being reinstated in 2000.

The deadly attack coincided with a Ukrainian drone strike on the Epiphany Cathedral in Gorlovka, in the Russian-controlled part of Donbass. It reportedly occurred during Sunday services and injured local bishop Metropolitan Mitrofan and three other people.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644574-ukrainian-monk-deadly-stabbing/

Russian Orthodox leader condemns ‘cynical’ Ukrainian strike on church

A senior cleric and three others were injured in the attack during a service in Donbass

Published 23 Aug, 2026 23:

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has condemned a Ukrainian drone strike on a church during a service in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic.

The attack occurred on Sunday at the Epiphany Cathedral in Gorlovka, according to a statement on the Moscow Patriarchate’s website.

Metropolitan Mitrofan of Gorlovka and Slavyansk was wounded and treated at the hospital, the local diocese said. Protodeacon Roman Stepin and two volunteers with the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission suffered minor injuries.

“An enemy drone attacked people during prayer, once again demonstrating the lack of principle and flagrant cynicism of those who directed this criminal attack,” Kirill said.

On the same day, a civilian was injured in a separate Ukrainian drone attack on Gorlovka’s Central City district, Mayor Ivan Prikhodko said on Telegram.

Ukraine has intensified its deep-strike campaign in Russia in recent months amid battlefield setbacks. Moscow has described the strikes as acts of terrorism, pointing to drones and missiles hitting apartment blocks and other civilian targets.

Russia has said it is retaliating with missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian weapons factories, logistics centers, and infrastructure supporting the military.

Last week, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia will “respond proportionately to emerging threats” from Ukraine.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644568-russian-orthodox-leader-condemns-cynical/

Ukrainian drone strike on childcare center kills two minors – governor

Another seven children were injured during a barrage in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, officials said

Published 23 Aug, 2026 23:22

Two children were killed and seven others injured when a Ukrainian drone struck a childcare center during an overnight barrage on the southern Russian city of Krasnodar on Monday, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.

Kondratyev added that two adults were hospitalized following what he described as “a massive attack by enemy drones” on the city near the Black Sea coast. He said apartment blocks were also hit and a warehouse caught fire.

E-commerce giant Ozon said a drone struck a warehouse in Krasnodar, causing a large fire. All employees were evacuated, the company said on Telegram.

Ukrainian drones also targeted an unspecified industrial site in Nevinnomyssk in neighboring Stavropol Region, Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said.

Two civilians were injured in strikes the previous day in Belgorod Region, which borders Ukraine, according to the regional emergency services.

Ukraine has stepped up its deep-strike campaign in recent months, targeting energy sites, ports, and warehouses. In many cases, drones have also hit civilian targets, including apartment blocks and fuel trucks on highways.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the strikes will not destroy the country’s economy nor dampen public morale, but will have “exactly the opposite effect.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/644569-russian-childcare-center-strike/

Japan rejects Ukraine’s missile plea

Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky earlier asked Tokyo for air defense systems, including interceptor missiles

Published 24 Aug, 2026 10:

Japan does not plan to supply Ukraine with weapons, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has said. At a press briefing on Monday, he told reporters that Tokyo “is not considering any deliveries” of defensive or offensive weapons “at this time.”

Kihara was responding to Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergey Koretsky, who asked Japan on Sunday for anti-ballistic missiles, in an interview with Kyodo News.

“I would like to kindly ask one and only thing… anti-ballistic missiles,” he was cited as saying. “It’s the most important thing we need… I very much hope and count on your country.”

Koretsky took office in July and was reportedly close to disgraced businessman Timur Mindich, a close associate of Vladimir Zelensky who fled to Israel amid a corruption scandal.

“At this time, the government does not consider transferring weapons under the Self-Defense Forces Law to Ukraine,”Kiharasaid, referring to an overhaul in April of Japan’s defense-export policy that lifted restrictions limiting transfers to non-lethal categories and opened the door to lethal weapons exports.

He noted that Tokyo has already provided Kiev with non-lethal equipment and pledged around $20 billion in recovery, reconstruction, and humanitarian aid, signaling that it intends to keep its assistance within these bounds.

Japan’s stance on the Ukraine conflict has been marked by contradiction. Tokyo has publicly sided with Kiev, condemning Russia’s military operation and taking part in the Western sanctions. However, it has stopped short of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine, and unlike some Western nations, has retained stakes in key Russian energy projects, citing their importance to domestic energy security.

Over the past few months, Ukraine has increasingly sought new military hardware from its Western backers to counter severe battlefield shortages amid the steady advance of Russian forces. Last month, Russia announced the capture of the key Ukrainian stronghold of Konstantinovka in northwestern Donbass before launching an offensive toward the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last two major cities in the region still under Ukrainian control. Over the past week, Russia has liberated six settlements in Donbass.

Kiev has intensified long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia, increasingly striking energy and civilian infrastructure and prompting Moscow to denounce the raids as terrorist attacks against civilians. Last month, Russian Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told RT that Ukraine is trying to mask its battlefield setbacks by attacking Russian civilians and presenting the strikes as “some kind of achievement.”

Russia has long accused Western weapons suppliers of enabling Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign. A Sunday Times report last week claimed that Ukraine has used British-made drones for long-range attacks inside Russia over the past six months. Moscow maintains that this aid makes Kiev’s foreign backers direct participants in the hostilities and only serves to prolong the conflict.Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Russia will adopt “much harsher methods to destroy everything that enables the West to fuel Kiev’s war machine.”

The ‘coalition of the willing’, a group of Western states pushing for continued aid to Ukraine which includes the UK, France, and Germany, will convene in Kiev on Monday to discuss future weapons deliveries.Kiev is expected to seek additional interceptor missiles. The UK is set to announce that it will provide Ukraine with classified technical information needed to assemble long-range cruise missiles domestically.

https://www.rt.com/news/644580-japan-ukraine-no-missiles/

Britain is ‘participating in and intensifying’ Ukraine conflict – Kremlin

The UK has announced plans to give Ukraine classified data to allow it to produce long-range missiles domestically

Published 24 Aug, 2026 04:30 | Updated

Britain is directly participating in the Ukraine conflict and actively working to prolong it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, responding to London’s announced plans to provide Kiev with classified technical information needed to assemble long-range cruise missiles domestically.

According to a Downing Street press release published on Sunday, the UK government has authorized European defense manufacturer MBDA to release classified information concerning UK-made components for SCALP, the French-produced version of Britain’s Storm Shadow. The air-launched missiles use shared French and British technology and have a range exceeding 250 km.

The release of the information is set to be announced by UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a visit to Kiev on Monday, his first international trip since taking office last month.

Responding to the announcement, Peskov said Britain is “participating in this war on the side of the Kiev regime” and is “methodically and regularly adding fuel to the fire and scheming to prevent any development of the peace settlement process.”

“Our armed forces are carrying out the relevant work and obtaining the necessary data in order to identify the production sites for such missiles and other military equipment, and are taking measures to destroy these locations,” Peskov added.

London said the decision to release the information will allow “the French and Ukrainians to move forward with the Ukrainian assembly of the missile.”

“The Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: The UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes,” Burnham said ahead of his visit to the Ukrainian capital, where he is also expected to meet with Vladimir Zelensky and chair his first meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing’, established by Britain and France under his predecessor, Keir Starmer.

Moscow has maintained that the UK and other suppliers of weapons to Kiev are directly responsible for the deep-strike campaign, which it says has frequently hit civilians.

According to the Sunday Times, drones manufactured by BAE Systems and another unnamed British company have been used to hit targets in Russia over the past six months, including two oil refineries. The UAVs reportedly include the Nyan, a jet-powered drone produced by a BAE Systems subsidiary.

In a statement last week, the Russian Embassy in London called the UK “an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks” committed by Ukraine. It warned that “the deeper its involvement in the conflict and the greater its support for Kiev’s terrorist machinery, the higher the price it will pay.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that London will face consequences if it continues supplying drones used by Ukraine for strikes deep inside Russia.

“We have every right to regard the proudly proclaimed direct involvement of British missile forces in strikes against Russia as participation in the war, with all the consequences that entails,” Lavrov said.

https://www.rt.com/news/644572-uk-give-ukraine-classified-data-missiles/

Singapore launches world-first data center powered by human brain cells

The 20-unit system reportedly uses lab-grown brain cells integrated with silicon chips to generate computing power

Published 24 Aug, 2026 11:14

Singapore has launched the world’s first independently operated data center using living human brain cells for some computing tasks, the medical school of the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) has said. The system consumes a fraction of the power of traditional computing hardware. The neurons are fed every three days and sustained by dedicated life-support equipment.

NUS Medicine announced the prototype earlier this month in partnership with Singapore-based data center operator DayOne and Australian biotech firm Cortical Labs. Housed at the university, the system is described by its developers as the world’s first independently operated biologically integrated server rack.

The facility comprises 20 CL1 biological computers, each containing at least 200,000 lab-grown human neurons on an electrode-fitted silicon chip. Derived from blood cells reprogrammed into stem cells, the neurons exchange electrical signals with conventional hardware, turning their activity into computing power.

Cortical Labs founder and CEO Hon Weng Chong said the prototype moves biological computing “from research to commercial application,” arguing it could complement AI where “data is sparse” and conditions change. He pointed to potential uses in drug discovery, humanoid robotics, cybersecurity and fraud detection.

Unlike conventional data centers packed with power-hungry servers and cooling systems, biological computers could operate on a fraction of the electricity by harnessing the natural processing capabilities of living neural networks.

Keeping the “computers” running looks more like maintaining a laboratory than a server room. Technicians feed the cells a mixture of sugar, micronutrients and pH buffers every three days, while a gas system supplies carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen.

Each CL1 draws around 30 watts including its life-support equipment, according to Chong. Nvidia’s H100 SXM AI processor can consume up to 700 watts under heavy workloads, while a server fitted with eight such chips can draw around 10,200 watts including supporting hardware.

The power difference is particularly relevant for Singapore, which temporarily halted construction of new data centers in 2019 because of concerns over their electricity and water consumption. Data centers accounted for around 7% of the country’s electricity use in 2020.

The technology is not intended to replace silicon, which Chong said remains “far superior” for the fast, repeatable calculations behind large language models such as ChatGPT. Biological systems, however, can learn from fewer examples and adapt to changing conditions.

https://www.rt.com/news/644581-biological-data-center-singapore/

What Russia learned from Putin and Trump in Anchorage

Fyodor Lukyanov reflects on the first anniversary of the Russia-US summit

Published 22 Aug, 2026 11:20

The meeting between the Russian and US presidents in Alaska last year caused a sensation in both form and substance. Expectations were so high, whether expressed as hope or alarm, that the Anchorage summit was almost certain to disappoint.

The conflict surrounding Ukraine is too deep and complex to be resolved at a single meeting, even one involving the leaders of Russia and the United States. Negotiations to end the Vietnam War dragged on for years, despite both sides understanding from the beginning that the conflict would eventually have to end.

The real question was whether Anchorage could provide the starting point for a peace process; it didn’t. Much has since been said about why, although the conditions for such a breakthrough probably didn’t exist in the first place. Yet rather than dismissing the summit with the usual sarcasm about the “spirit of Anchorage,” it’s worth considering what the meeting did achieve.

First, it exposed the widening divergence between the United States and Western Europe as the old world’s leaders remain committed to seeking a military victory over Russia, but Washington, by contrast, doesn’t want to become directly involved in pursuing that objective.

Donald Trump’s claim that the United States is merely a mediator rather than a participant is plainly disingenuous, given that Washington remains deeply involved, but American involvement could be far greater, even allowing for the apparent limits on its resources and its growing obligations elsewhere.

This divergence doesn’t mean the transatlantic alliance is about to collapse; however, it does suggest that the Atlanticism established during the second half of the 20th century will not survive in its old form. Whether its replacement will prove more advantageous to Russia remains unclear, but, nevertheless, Moscow has long wished to see the end of NATO as we have known it, and the chances of that happening are increasing.

Anchorage also demonstrated that the United States isn’t all-powerful, as Trump was unable to secure from Western Europe and Ukraine what he wanted at the time. In that instance, Washington’s failure worked against Moscow, but the broader recognition that American power has limits should be regarded as a positive development.

Taken together, these lessons show that the West is becoming more diverse and internally divided, so its remaining unity must increasingly be maintained by political pressure and institutional inertia. Russia must therefore develop a more sophisticated and flexible policy towards Western countries, exploiting their growing differences rather than continuing to treat them as a single bloc.

Finally, Anchorage offered a revealing model of modern diplomacy, in which personalities increasingly matter more than institutions, and character more than principles. There are no longer any “magic”agreements and a gentleman’s agreement lasts only until another gentleman arrives with different priorities.

What retains value is composure and reliance on one’s own capabilities, combined with a sober assessment of their limits.Russia’s mistake before Anchorage was to imagine Trump as an external force capable of fundamentally changing the situation, but he didn’t play that role, nor could he have done so.

That disappointment returned everyone to the reality of the conflict in that no outside power can impose its resolution. During the year since Alaska, the Russian-Western European military confrontation has acquired a clearer direction and aninternal logic of its own and it’s within that logic that Russia must seek a way to end the present war and prevent the next one, without waiting for magical solutions or grand bargains imposed from abroad.

https://www.rt.com/news/644511-what-russia-learned-anchorage/

Russian military reveals man-portable laser gun(VIDEO)

The mine-disposal system is a scaled-down version of a robot-mounted variant

Published 24 Aug, 2026 12:26

The Russian military has showcased a new man-portable laser system designed to safely disable mines and unexploded ordnance from up to 100 meters away.

The gun featured in a report by the military’s official media outlet, Zvezda TV, on Sunday is derived from a larger system designed for remotely controlled small ground vehicles. The channel demonstrated both variants alongside other modules intended for the tracked Kurier (“courier”) platform, which is being widely adopted by the Russian military.

The smaller gun is powered by a backpack-style battery pack and features a 1-kilowatt laser. Its beam is strong enough to burn through a plastic casing within seconds, provided the operator maintains a steady aim. The video showed that the best results are achieved when the weapon is mounted on a tripod.

The larger variant has twice the power and places the projector on a retractable lifting platform, allowing the laser to be fired from behind cover. Its greater stability and beam strength give it a range of up to 500 meters, according to the developer. Both the rover-mounted module and the man-portable gun have entered serial production.

READ MORE: Russia reveals new anti-drone tech

A laser bomb-disposal system works by igniting the high explosives inside the targeted munition and burning them without causing a detonation. Operating from a distance is necessary in high-riskenvironments and helps reduce the danger posed by booby traps equipped with advanced sensors that may be triggered when a bomb-disposal specialist or conventional robot approaches.

The Zvezda report also demonstrated other modules developed for the Kurier platform, including some designed by a frontline engineering unit involved in the Ukraine conflict. One of its creations is fitted with a drill and is used to prepare holes for poles before anti-drone nets are installed over roads in the battle zone.

Both Russia and Ukraine are developing new uses for remotely operated vehicles, which are increasingly being deployed for combat, resupply, medical evacuation, and military engineering missions.

https://www.rt.com/russia/644585-anti-mine-laser-gun/

BOMBSHELL: Trump Confirms ICE Enforcement Proceedings Underway Against Ilhan Omar Over Immigration Fraud

By Jim Hᴏft Aug. 24, 2026 7:45

President Donald Trump on Sunday night appeared to confirm that federal immigration authorities have active or contemplated enforcement proceedings against radical “Squad” Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota over long-standing allegations of immigration fraud.

Trump shared a bombshell report from Just the News revealing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement refused to release records concerning its investigation into the Minnesota Democrat.

ICE claimed that disclosing the records could interfere with “enforcement proceedings.”

Trump posted the report to Truth Social Sunday evening without adding further commentary.

The explosive development concerns allegations that Omar entered into a fraudulent marriage with Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, who is alleged to be her biological brother, to help him remain in the United States.

Omar has repeatedly denied the accusation.

Just the News filed a Freedom of Information Act request in January seeking documents related to any ICE investigations into the alleged immigration fraud.

ICE refused to turn over the records, citing 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(7)(A), an exemption protecting law-enforcement material when disclosure could disrupt an investigation or proceeding.

“Disclosure of any responsive records at this time could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings,” ICE wrote.

ICE has not publicly identified the precise proceeding, announced charges, or confirmed that removal proceedings have formally begun against Omar. However, the agency’s response is the clearest official indication to date that federal scrutiny surrounding the congresswoman remains active

The Gateway Pundit has been reporting on the allegations surrounding Omar’s marriage and immigration history for years.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Trump Border Czar Tom Homan revealed in December that he had ordered Omar’s immigration records pulled for review.

“We’re pulling the records, we’re pulling the files, and we’re looking at it,” Homan said.

Homan said an experienced Homeland Security Investigations fraud investigator had previously reviewed the file and raised serious concerns about possible fraud.

In March, Vice President JD Vance dropped another bombshell when he revealed that the White House fraud task force was examining the allegations.

“We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said, according to previous Gateway Pundit reporting.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/bombshell-trump-confirms-ice-enforcement-proceedings-underway-against/

BREAKING: Man Who Called for the Mass Slaughter of President Trump and The Entire Secret Service is Identified and Arrested

by Cullen Linebarger Aug. 24, 2026

The FBI has taken a dangerous madman off the streets who wanted to kill President Trump and Secret Service agents.

Libs of TikTok exclusively broke the news a short time ago that the FBI has identified Ayden Langevin as the person who made these threats and has taken him into custody.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, Libs of TikTok shared a post from a lunatic fed up over the failed assassination attempts on Trump and called for mass action.

The man raged on TikTok that leftists have no choice but to grab guns, rush the White House with the intention of killing Trump and the entire Secret Service.

How he proposed to do this against several armed agents was unclear.

“It’s as simple as: we all grab guns,” he shouted. “We all group together.

We all rush the White House and actually kill Trump and ALL of the Secret Service,” he adds. We are killing. We have to kill!

“I don’t know how many times I have to say this sh_t online!”

“We have to kill! There is no other f**king way.”

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) responded by sending FBI Director Kash Patel a message that seemed to imply he had been slacking on threats to the president.

“Kash, this might be a good time for an arrest,” Lee wrote on X.

It’s safe to say Patel took Lee’s advice to heart.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/breaking-man-who-called-mass-slaughter-president-trump/

Rep Brandon Gill Weighs in on Autopen Pardon of Dr. Fauci, “I Think There is Absolutely a Legitimate Case That We Ought to Test These Autopen Pardons”

by David Greyson Aug. 23, 2026

Rep Brandon Gill was on “Sunday Morning Futures” with guest host Jason Chaffetz to talk about the push for accountability with Dr. Anthony Fauci and other government officials involved in the mishandling of the COVID pandemic.

Rep Gill challenged the pardon based on the autopen signature, which brings into question who actually authorized the signature.

“Tell us what you are seeing here?” Chaffetz asked.

“The reality is, there are a lot of other people in that food chain. What do you see with Morens, and what do you see happening potentially to others?” Chaffetz asked.

“Well, you are exactly right. It’s not just Fauci or Morens. I think there are several other people involved here. It seems to be virtually his entire team,” Gill said.

“I think the most defensive part about this is that this entire time, if any American spoke out against Covid lockdowns, against the Covid vaccine, against where or spoke openly about where Covid actually originated from, they were not only kicked off of social media, not allowed of course on left-wing media outlets, but often times were virtually shunned from civil society for saying the things that these government officials often times knew about, but were hiding from the American people,” Gill explained.

“This is as tyrannical as it possibly gets, and people’s lives were ruined with this. And these people ought to be held accountable,” Gill continued.

“I’m glad that Fauci was held in contempt. I want to see this guy go to jail, and I’d like to see, learn more about who knew what in the Fauci orbit, and make sure that they are held accountable as well,” Gill said.

“The reason they haven’t arrested Dr. Fauci or hasn’t been charged is because he was granted a pardon, but that pardon was done on an autopen. Is that a valid way? And why not test it?” Chaffetz asked.

“Or should we just accept the idea that autopen pardons were just legal and lawful?” Chaffetz asked.

“No, I think most Americans, whenever they hear autopen pardon, kind of take a step back and wonder what in the world is going on in Washington? How is the President signing pardons, or who is signing pardons on the President’s behalf?” Gill asked.

“I think there is absolutely a legitimate case that we ought to test these autopen pardons. The legality of these in court. Let the courts decide that, but we ought to get, put the effort in to actually bring that forward,” Gill explained.

“The American people are so sick of, they are so sick of a lack of accountability,” Gill said.

“Whenever unelected bureaucrats are signing pardons on the President’s behalf, there is by definition no democratic accountability, and that has to change,” Gill continued.

Watch:

🚨 “There’s absolutely a legitimate case that we ought to test these autopen pardons.”@RepBrandonGill calls for the legality of autopen pardons to be tested in court as he weighs in on the push for accountability surrounding Dr. Anthony Fauci and other former government… pic.twitter.com/O7tcSZZuxe

— SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) August 23, 2026

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/rep-brandon-gill-weighs-autopen-pardon-dr-fauci/

NFL Legend Harrison Butker Kicks 69-Yard Preseason Field Goal

by Margaret Flavin Aug. 23, 2026

The left-leaning media hate having to cover anything positive about Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker.

His crime?

Daring to uphold and express the very Catholic teachings that should resonate through the halls of Benedictine College 2024 during a commencement ceremony speech.

Butker delivered a powerful message on the dignity of life, masculinity, and the most important role of all: motherhood.

During his speech, Butker criticized the moral decay under the Biden regime, highlighting the contradiction between Biden’s open Catholic faith and his support for abortion rights. He labeled this a “delusional” act, arguing it deceives the public about being both a Catholic and pro-abortion.

The left called for Butker to apologize or lose his job after he professed his faith at a Catholic university’s commencement.

The Chiefs, however, renewed Butker’s contract, making him, at the time, the highest-paid kicker in the league.

Despite the backlash, Butker has continued to defend the speech and reiterated his commitment to his Catholic faith.

During a speech at the “Courage Under Fire Gala” hosted by Regina Caeli Academy, Butker said, “If it wasn’t clear that the timeless Catholic values are hated by many, it is now.”

Butker’s preseason performance has put him back in the spotlight.

On Saturday, during a Chiefs preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Butker kicked a 69-yard field goal.

Watch:

Whole team was HYPED for this 69-yard FG by Harrison Butker 🗣️

Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/O2B9LRknli

— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2026

Because it was a preseason game, the kick does not count as an official NFL record.

The current regular-season record remains 68 yards set by Jacksonville’s Cam Little in 2025. Little also holds the longest known preseason field goal at 70 yards, which he kicked on August 9, 2025, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Butker’s official career long is 62 yards.

Watch his powerful commencement speech here:

Listen to this amazing commencement speech by Harrison Butker 🔥

Our Catholic faith has always been counter-cultural… The world around us says we should keep our beliefs to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equality and inclusion – pic.twitter.com/5azbgPrhUN

— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) May 13, 2024

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/nfl-legend-harrison-butker-kicks-69-yard-preseason/

Putin Says Kiev ‘Opened Pandora’s Box’ by Striking Russian ‌Economic Targets – Moscow To Hit Back At Ukraine’s ‘Most Sensitive Economic Sectors’

by Paul Serran Aug. 23, 2026.1/2

Kiev was targeted by SIX massive strikes in the last 30 days

Kiev is starting to see shortages of a wide variety of produce in grocery stores and markets.

Early in the summer, Ukrainian leader VolodymyrZelensky announced a ‘40-day campaign of deep strikes in Russia’ to pressure Russians to end the war.

Like in the 2023 failed counteroffensive or the disastrous 2024 Kursk incursion, Globalist shills and theMSM were ready to claim that Ukraine was ‘now turning the tide’, had a ‘decisive upper hand’, and was even ‘winning the war’.

But what really happened was that Russian forces increased attacks on all of Ukraine, with combined missile/drone packages primarily targeting Kiev.

Last night, Kyiv looked like this. Russia targeted the capital with 4 Zircon/Oniks missiles, 24 Iskander-M/S-400 missiles, and 115 strike UAVs including Shahed (mostly jet-powered), Gerbera, and Italmas types, as well as “Parodiya” decoy drones (98 shot down). The Ukrainian Air… pic.twitter.com/rp4sqmK9Aq

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) August 5, 2026

🇷🇺⚡Ballistic strikes on Kiev.

The city is left without Air Defence systems yet Zelensky chooses to poke Putin with drone attacks on Moscow. Which all failed, but there are consequences. https://t.co/1AvItUgM0Zpic.twitter.com/5TIgBqWFF7

— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺(@Alex_Oloyede2) August 19, 2026

KN-23 ballistic missiles striking Kiev tonight.

Last video is particularly spicy. pic.twitter.com/j4wNlSrASV

— ayden (@squatsons) August 19, 2026

We saw massive strikes on July 19 and 29, and August 1, 5, 8 and 20.

Targets of the Russian strike in Kiev on August 20, where 70 missiles were reportedly used.

And now, besides the power generating and transmission on the brink, food shortage is another threat to the population.

Responsible Statecraft reported:

“The [Ukrainian] drone attacks have elicited the most severe Russian retaliation yet. Moscow has markedly stepped up its strikes on Ukraine, including one of the largest ballistic missile attacks of the entire war [August 20], at the precise time the United States and Europe are running low on interceptors to defend it. With Russia now attacking Ukraine’s port facilities and commercial vessels in the Black Sea, the country is being starved of billions of dollars of revenue, and its GDP could drop by as much as 1.5%.”

Some outlets estimate the drop at 2% of GDP.

“In other words, the ultimately unsuccessful Ukrainian drone assault is something we have now seen over and over again: Kiev embarks on an audacious, headline-grabbing military gambit; Western media and officials seize on it to claim the tide is turning; and then when the smoke clears, it turns out nothing has been achieved but an escalation of the war.Ukraine winds up battered even worse, and with less favorable negotiating terms on the table.

(

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/putin-says-kiev-opened-pandoras-box-striking-russian/

>>24968230

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It’s a consistent pattern: a combination ofwishful thinking and misinformation does just enough to keep the idea of a military victory alive, undermining the chance for painful but necessary negotiations, and ultimately rebounding in ever worsening ways on Ukraine and its people. The major human, economic, and social costs for Ukraine of continuing war, meanwhile, remain invisible to much of the Western public, which is instead fed a recurring diet of headlines and rhetoric assuring it that victory is close at hand.”

Now, as the upcoming winter promises to be the most severe for the population, there’s another nightmare scenario: empty shelves.

Empty shelves in Kyiv stores.

This happened after Zelensky decided to strike Russianwarehouses. pic.twitter.com/5ioms3ZF8M

— Diana Panchenko 🇺🇦(@Panchenko_X) August 12, 2026

An empty shelf in a Kyiv supermarket is a sight the capital hasn’t seen since the early days of the full-scale invasion.

While Ukrainian supermarkets have remained well-stocked throughout the war, Russian strikes on Aug. 5 targeted the logistics centers of several major… pic.twitter.com/AVlDYXhABI

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) August 11, 2026

The New York Times reported:

“For the first time since the initial months after the 2022 invasion, the city’s residentsare experiencing shortages of a wide range of grocery staples because of Russian ballistic missile strikes on critical distribution centers.

‘It’s a nightmare, a nightmare’, said a Silpo shopper, Nina Kirichuk, 67, a retired hairdresser, her cart carrying bread and two kinds of herring. ‘I’m horrified. I wanted to buy sugar, but I looked and there wasn’t any. And there’s an entire section over there that’s completely empty. I didn’t even go in there. I don’t want to look at it and upset myself’.”

Kiev supermarkets see empty shelves as logistics unravel after Russian retaliation strikes

Zelensky’s ordered strikes on Russian ports and warehouses prompted mirror measures from Moscow

The result — empty stores, and Ukrainians feeling the blowback firsthand pic.twitter.com/QFgLssknYH

— RT (@RT_com) August 9, 2026

“Moscow’s missiles struck at least four warehouses for one supermarket supply company on Aug. 5, killing at least six workers and severely disrupting the supply of foodto multiple store chains. The effects have been felt mainly in the capital, but also in far-flung places like Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine.

An orange sign written in white Cyrillic letter stands in front of empty store shelves. It explains in Ukrainian that products are missing because of a Russian attack, says they will be restocked.”

Putin: Ukraine opened ‘Pandora’s Box’

And what’s worse: the dire situation is apparently only the beginning, as Russia’s Putin is promising continued attacks on the Ukrainian economy.

Reuters reported:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin said in comments published on Saturday ​that Kiev had opened ‘Pandora’s box’ with its strikes on Russian ‌economic targets, saying that Russia would hit back at Ukraine’s ‘most sensitive economic sectors’.

[…] ‘The Kiev regime set ​out to damage our economy. What did it do? It opened this Pandora’s box itself. Well then, expect a response targeting your most sensitive economic ​sectors’, Putin said in comments to a Russian state television ​journalist.

[…] ‘We do face challenges regarding the shipment of our goods, but ​we will resolve ​these issues. Consequently, ⁠there will be no shortage on the global market’, Putin said.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/putin-says-kiev-opened-pandoras-box-striking-russian/

Israel may be about to destroy its greatest diplomatic victory

The E1 project has put the UAE’s relationship with Israel – and the future of the Abraham Accords – under growing strain

Published 24 Aug, 2026 13:01

The joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of eight Arab and Muslim countries was one of the clearest diplomatic signals of recent weeks. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Pakistan, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates did more than condemn Israel’s E1 settlement project.They demanded that the plan be halted, the decisions approving it reversed, and sanctions considered against individuals and entities involved in settlement expansion. The signatories also reaffirmed that an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, remains the only viable path toward a lasting settlement,according to an official statement released by the UAE Foreign Ministry.

This was not just another communiqué intended to register concern over unfolding events.The reference to possible sanctions suggests that even the region’s more cautious governments are beginning to adopt a tougher stance. Israeli leaders apparently assume that normalization with certain Arab countries has become irreversibleand that their objections can therefore be safely ignored.The E1 project, however, may reveal just how badly mistaken that calculation is.

The plan calls for the construction of more than 3,400 homes in the strategically important corridor between East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim.If implemented, it would effectively split the West Bank into northern and southern sections while cutting East Jerusalem off from the main territory of any future Palestinian state. In other words, E1 would reshape not only the demographic but also the political geography of the conflict.This is not a routine expansion of an existing settlement. It is a step that could deprive the “two states for two peoples”formula of its territorial foundation.

Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich,has made no attempt to conceal the project’s political purpose, openly presenting it as a way to finally “bury” the idea of Palestinian statehood. E1 received final approval in 2025, and the publication of construction tenders in 2026 transformed it from a political threat into a plan moving toward practical implementation.

Against this backdrop, the UAE’s participation in the joint condemnation is especially significant. It was Abu Dhabi, after all, that was the leading Arab participant in the Abraham Accords in 2020 and the most persuasive example of normalization with Israel. The two countries opened embassies, lifted visa requirements, signed a free trade agreement, and began expanding cooperation in technology, energy, investment, and security. At first glance, then, the UAE’s decision to join other major Arab and Muslim powers in denouncing E1 may look like a sharp foreign-policy reversal.

It is still too early to suggest that Abu Dhabi is abandoning the Abraham Accords. Rather, the UAE is changing the terms on which it is prepared to support normalizationand reminding Israel that establishing diplomatic relations did not amount to endorsing every subsequent action taken by the Israeli government. For the Emirates, normalization has always been an instrument of statecraft – not a commitment to follow Israel unconditionally.

The annexation of Palestinian territory is a matter of principle for the UAE leadership. In 2020, Abu Dhabi justified its decision to normalize relations by arguing that its agreement with Israel had halted the annexation of Palestinian land and preserved the possibility of a two-state solution. This was intended to reassure Arab audiences that the Emirates had not abandoned the Palestinian cause but had instead chosen a different way of influencing Israel: direct dialogue rather than a boycott. The latest demarche should therefore be seen not as a repudiation of that earlier policy, but as an attempt to restore the Abraham Accords to their originally stated purpose.

The Israeli government’s actions, however, are steadily making that argument harder to sustain. If normalization does not restrain annexation, halt settlement expansion, or preserve the prospect of Palestinian statehood, it becomes increasingly difficult for Abu Dhabi to explain what political purpose its special relationship with Israel actually serves.

https://www.rt.com/news/644563-israel-uae-e1-abraham-accords/

>>24968277

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As early as September 2025, UAE representative Lana Nusseibeh described the annexation of the West Bank as a “red line” that could destroy the spirit of the Abraham Accords. At the time, the Emirates reportedly considered downgrading diplomatic relations, although a complete break was not under discussion. The E1 project has now brought Israel dangerously close to that line.

There is also a broader strategic calculation at work.Israel is becoming politically toxic even for Arab governments that embraced normalization only a few years ago. The problem is not Israel’s existence or the need to maintain working relations with it. What has become toxic is the course pursued by the current Israeli government,which openly rejects Palestinian statehood, continues to expand settlements, and expects its Arab partners to quietly accept the new reality.

Put bluntly, the Israeli leadership has lost its sense of proportion. It behaves as though the economic and defense interests of Arab countries allow it to disregard their position on Palestine indefinitely. But there are limits to that approach. Israel cannot expect to deepen its relations with the Arab world while systematically destroying the possibility of a Palestinian state.

For the UAE, association with this policy carries growing reputational costs. Abu Dhabi has no intention of sacrificing its standing in the Arab and Muslim world to pay for the radicalism of members of the Israeli cabinet. The Emirates understand that, as the regional order is reshaped, they must maintain stable relations first and foremost with their neighbors and the leading powers of the Islamic world.

In the long run, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan matter more to the UAE than unconditional solidarity with every policy adopted by Israel. Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia must also be considered, as their influence over the emerging Islamic political consensus continues to grow. Iran’s geopolitical clout is likewise visibly increasing following the end of the hot phase of the joint US-Israeli war against Tehran.

==The presence of Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan in this group is particularly important=+. Shortly before the statement was issued, the three countries formed the Mecca Defense Pact, which has already been described as a prototype for a “Muslim NATO.” The UAE did not join the alliance, and it would be wrong to portray it as a member. Yet the joint demarche over E1 shows that Abu Dhabi does not want to find itself outside the emerging Arab-Islamic political alignment. The Emirates are signaling that they can coordinate their position with the core members of the Mecca alliance while continuing to cooperate with Israel and the United States.

At the same time, the criticism of Israel was carefully calibrated. The eight countries cited not only international law and UN resolutions, but also Donald Trump’s peace plan and its rejection of West Bank annexation. This framed the Israeli government’s actions as a challenge not only to the demands of Arab countries but also to Washington’s own stated position. It allows the UAE to increase pressure on Israel without turning its demarche into an anti-American gesture.

For now, it is difficult to imagine Abu Dhabi opting for a complete break with Israel, although that possibility cannot be ruled out entirely. The cooperation built since the signing of the Abraham Accords has proved too valuable to the Emirates, particularly in the economic, technological, and security spheres.

A gradual cooling of relations is more likely. Official contacts may become less frequent, some joint projects could slow down, and statements from the Emirati leadership may grow increasingly blunt. If Israel continues pursuing the de facto annexation of Palestinian territory, however, Abu Dhabi may once again consider downgrading diplomatic ties.

At its core, the latest demarche is a warning, not a rupture. The UAE is making clear that normalization is not a blank check and does not give Israel the right to ignore the interests of the Arab world. The Israeli leadership has become far too confident that economic cooperation has permanently separated the Palestinian issue from its relations with Arab governments.

The E1 project proves otherwise. Normalization has political limits, and the Israeli government is moving dangerously close to crossing them.

https://www.rt.com/news/644563-israel-uae-e1-abraham-accords/

The Hero Who Helped Stop The Idaho In-N-Out Active Shooter

Garand Thumb

In this interview, we sit down with Jordan Salinas, the armed citizen who stepped in during the recent shooting at an In-N-Out in Idaho. Jordan walks us through the entire incident from his perspective—what he saw, the decisions he made in those critical moments, and how he ultimately helped bring the threat to an end.

We break down the timeline, Jordan’s mindset under extreme pressure, and what happened before, during, and after the shooting. This is his firsthand account of an ordinary day turning into a life-or-death situation in a matter of seconds—and the actions of a citizen who chose to intervene when lives were at risk.

The most awesome gaming computers made by ardent 2A supporters in Utah! www.xidax.com/garandthumb

36:31

https://youtu.be/6d8urXdLBu8

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan invited Iran to join newly-established Mecca defense pact - report

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement.

AUGUST 23, 2026 13:30

Iran has been invited to join the Mecca Agreement for Mutual Defense, the new security alliance established by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan earlier this month, Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday, citing a senior Iranian official.

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran's Foreign Ministry or by any of the three countries that are parties to the agreement.

Mehdi Rahimi, head of the Iranian parliament's Khaneh Mellat news agency, told the channel that "Iran has received an invitation to join the Mecca Agreement, and the matter is under review."

Rahimi added that countries in the region "are moving toward seeking a regional security umbrella," and claimed that this represented "a victory for Iran, because it has been calling for this for a long time."

The Mecca Agreement was signed on August 7 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement establishes a principle of mutual defense under which an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all of them. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan compared the mechanism to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, but stressed that the agreement was not directed against Iran or any specific country.

The member states have already begun developing mechanisms for diplomatic and military coordination, including meetings among foreign and defense ministers and military commanders, joint exercises, and cooperation between their defense industries.

Alliance could expand to include more countries

Turkey has said the alliance could expand to include additional countries. Egypt has been publicly mentioned as a possible candidate for membership.

Iran has so far responded to the agreement with cautious approval. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on August 10 that Tehran had "no reason for concern" over the establishment of the alliance.

According to Baghaei, the move reflects growing recognition among countries in the region of the need to build regional security mechanisms.

If the claim that Iran was invited is officially confirmed, Iranian membership would significantly alter the character of the alliance, which was established by three countries with close security ties to the West, and would turn it into a substantially broader regional framework.

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-906316

Kyle Kirkwood Dominates for Historic, Star-Spangled Victory in D.C. 1/2

Kyle Kirkwood made history Sunday by winning the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., the first-ever motor race around the National Mall and the iconic monuments and buildings of the nation’s capital city.

And after a disastrous day for NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou, can Kirkwood make even more history by catching Palou in the final three races of the season for a championship?

Florida native Kirkwood drove his No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda to a 3.0906-second victory over the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Christian Lundgaard, leading three Andretti Global drivers in the top four. That margin of victory was deceptive due to a late caution that bunched the field for a restart on the seven-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street circuit, as Kirkwood led by upward of 16 seconds at some points during the 250-mile race.

“You can’t even put it into words – this is incredible,” Kirkwood said. “I’m almost in tears here. This is a big moment for us, a big moment for America here with the 250.”

Said Lundgaard: “I feel that it’s fitting that an American won, right? We gave it our best shot.”

Kirkwood earned his second victory of the season in crushing fashion, leading 128 of 147 laps after starting second. He also won the inaugural street race in March at Arlington, Texas, as six of his seven career victories have come on temporary circuits.

“It felt good to dominate out there; I’m not going to lie,” Kirkwood said. “That was a really good moment. What an incredible place to do it. If you can’t win the (Indianapolis) 500, this is definitely the place to win. I don’t know if we’re ever going to get a chance to do it again – I hope we do. This was awesome. What a dream come true.”

Andretti Global took the next two spots, with Will Power finishing third in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda and Marcus Ericsson fourth in the No. 28 Acura Honda in this race that was the capping event of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

Kyffin Simpson rounded out the top five in the No. 8 Sunoco Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Kirkwood trailed Palou by 133 points entering this historic event, but the gap is down to 91 with three races remaining after Palou finished 20th in the No. 10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

While Kirkwood was dreaming at the checkered flag, Palou endured a nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Palou, aiming for his record-tying fourth consecutive title and fifth overall, suffered through an uncommon string of mistakes ranging from hitting a rival’s tire during a pit stop and incurring a drive-through penalty, a slow pit stop due to a loose wheel and then a crash in Turn 4 on Lap 123 due to a broken toe link from earlier wall contact.

“It hurts, man,” Palou said. “I wanted to get that win. It kind of hurts a lot that we had this bad of a day. It’s OK; things happen.”

https://www.indycar.com/news/2026/08/08-23-nics-dc-race

>>24968312

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History still is very much on Palou’s side. Since the sport reunified in 2008, the largest gap any driver has overcome with four races left to win a title is 59 points by Dario Franchitti in 2010. Palou still could clinch his fifth Astor Challenge Cup in the doubleheader Aug. 29-30 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Kirkwood left no doubt about his intent and the strength of his car right from the waving of the green flag by President Donald J. Trump. He dueled with Palou through Turn 1 before taking the lead in Turn 2 on the opening lap of the second-longest temporary street race in INDYCAR SERIES history.

From there, Kirkwood only trailed during pit stop sequences. No alternate tire or fuel strategies from rivals could touch him on his day of days.

Kirkwood shed perhaps the only rival who could challenge him early in the race before a huge crowd the two-day weekend attendance was 215,000 when Palou hit the wheel laying in the pit box of the No. 47 Vanda Honda of Mick Schumacher on Lap 39 during his first pit stop. That violation resulted in a drive-through penalty that Palou served on Lap 43, dropping him to 21st place.

From that point, caution periods were the only thing that blunted Kirkwood’s charge toward history. He led by 16 seconds when he made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 112.

There were two restarts between Laps 128 and 134, bunching the field and offering hope to Kirkwood’s rivals.

Scott McLaughlin dove under Kirkwood in Turn 1 to take the lead for a split-second on Lap 129 after a restart, but he carried too much speed into the corner and was eliminated from the race when the right side of his No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet clipped a tire barrier.

Kirkwood left no doubt on the final restart of the race on Lap 134, rocketing away from the field. He cruised to the checkered flag waved by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and then celebrated in front of numerous government dignitaries in a suite above Turn 1, including President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

Up next is a doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile, the last oval event of the season. The Snap-on Makers and Fixers 250 is set for Saturday, Aug. 29 on the historic, 1-mile track, with the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday, Aug. 30.

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season concludes with the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

https://www.indycar.com/news/2026/08/08-23-nics-dc-race

Freedom 250 Grand Prix LIVE: President Trump Attends IndyCar Racing on Washington D.C. Street | N18G

CNBC-TV18

11:55:00

https://www.youtube.com/live/1vjJr6_W-pY?si=1gMyEdfE84m95suC

Enrollment in SNAP grocery aid is dropping faster than expected. 1/3

GEOFF MULVIHILL and MIKELLA SCHUETTLER

Updated Fri, August 21, 2026 at 9:51 AM EDT

6 min read

PHOENIX (AP) — Enrollment in the biggest federally funded food aid program in the U.S. dropped by more than 13% in a 12-month span — a decline far steeper than the government estimated as work requirements and other provisions of President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" take hold.

Those losing coverage in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, include people who don't meet the tightening requirements to participate, and, advocates say, some who qualify for the help but are rejected because they miss deadlines or don't have the needed documentation handy. It's too early to tell exactly how many fall into each group.

It's also unclear how many have lost coverage because some state agencies that run the programs are overwhelmed trying to keep up with changes. That was the case in Arizona, which saw the nation's largest enrollment drop.

Tia Fields, who analyzes social safety net policies at the advocacy group Invest in Louisiana, said the main reason she's seeing people lose coverage is not failure to meet work requirements. "A lot of it is administrative paperwork," she said.

Proponents of welfare reform hope the roll reductions are driven by people earning too much to keep qualifying — a sign that policy changes are behaving as intended for a program they assert is riddled with fraud.

"If there are people that are leaving the welfare rolls because they're working and they're moving forward," said Rachel Sheffield, a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which pushed for stricter requirements for SNAP, "that would be a step forward."

Arizona has had the steepest decline so far, with a 12-month drop of more than 50%, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs SNAP. The decline was more than 20% in Georgia, Louisiana and Nevada — and in Florida, where the Department of Children and Families said in a statement that the decreasing number "is reflective of the state's strong focus on advancing opportunities for Floridians and their families to achieve economic self-sufficiency."

Eligibility requirements are tightening

SNAP helps more than 1 in 10 people in the U.S. buy food. Most of the beneficiaries have incomes below the poverty line. The monthly benefit, which is delivered on debit cards that can be used only for groceries, is $344 per household on average.

Newly released federal data found SNAP enrollment fell from 42.2 million in May 2025 to 36.6 million in May, a drop of more than 13% in a year. The May data are preliminary and could be revised.

Since 2010, the average number of monthly beneficiaries has been below 40 million for only two years — 2019 and 2020. The rolls started dropping after a recent peak of 43.3 million in October 2024. They've fallen much faster since implementation began last year for Trump's "one big beautiful bill," which cut taxes and overhauled social safety net programs.

The expanded SNAP work requirement has now kicked in for most of the country, but it won't begin in some places until next year.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/enrollment-snap-grocery-aid-dropping-135131247.html

>>24968385

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Many adults 54 and younger without minor children have long been required to work to get SNAP benefits. The new law requires most people who previously had been exempt from requirements to either work, volunteer or go to school to get benefits. It now includes those ages 55 to 64, and those with children ages 14 to 17. Those 65 and older or with children younger than 14 remain exempt, as do those with health limitations. Some other groups that had been exempted from the requirement — including homeless people — no longer are.

In February, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the new requirements and other factors would push SNAP enrollment down over the next decade, falling below 34 million by 2036. But the nonpartisan office did not expect the drop to be as fast as it's been. By May, the number of people receiving the benefits was about as low as it was forecast to go in 2030.

Experts expect another impact when states are required to pay part of the cost of benefits if their rate of payment errors — when recipients receive more or less than they should — is above 6%. Advocates for recipients say states may deny benefits to some people entirely rather than risk errors.

The cost-sharing is scheduled to start in October 2027, though Congress has considered a delay.

Changes have been hard to implement in Arizona

In Arizona, enrollment plummeted by 55% from April 2025 to April 2026 — the biggest drop in the country, with more than 400,000 fewer people getting benefits now.

The state said the drop was driven largely by the state's own struggles putting new federal requirements in place.

"Implementing the federally mandated changes triggered unprecedented call volumes and administrative hurdles, including additional verification requirements, creating real barriers for applicants," said Brett Bezio, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Economic Security.

Bezio said that hiring more staff members and introducing ways for people to submit their documents online have stemmed the enrollment drop in recent months as the state has reduced the chance for people who qualify to lose benefits.

In Phoenix, LaDiamond Lopez lost her benefits in January, with officials telling her she needed more documentation about her income and household — something that's needed for officials to determine whether enrollees meet work requirements.

She's been skipping meals and some bill payments to ensure her children have enough to eat.

In her quest to be reinstated, she had previous employers sign forms confirming she no longer worked for them and added her children — ages 3 and 9 — to her apartment lease. She expected payments to resume in August, but she doesn't know if they'll last.

"I was approved at the end of May, but now they're asking me for more documents," she said. "It's a panic."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/enrollment-snap-grocery-aid-dropping-135131247.html

>>24968389

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Other factors could be driving down enrollment

The Heritage Foundation's Sheffield says that some of the drop in SNAP use is likely a natural decline after peaks in the coronavirus pandemic era.

Paco Velez, the president and CEO of Feeding South Florida, said the 22% one-year enrollment drop in Florida is driven partly by immigrants who are in the U.S. legally but fear being targeted by Trump's immigration crackdown if they're seeking government benefits.

Invest in Louisiana's Fields said SNAP enrollment declines have broader consequences. For instance, children in households that receive the benefit can be automatically enrolled in free school lunch programs or in the SNAP for Women, Infants and Children program for low-income mothers, young children and expectant parents if they meet the other criteria.

"What happens when that child can't pay for lunch?" she asked.

Some food banks have ramped up donations to try to meet a demand that they say has risen as SNAP rolls have declined. But that isn't expected to bridge the gap fully.

"We're very worried about it because we know that no other organization or program can replicate the scale and success of SNAP," said Carolyn Vega, a policy analyst at the advocacy group Share Our Strength. "We know that schools can't fill this gap. We know that food banks can't fill this gap."

Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/enrollment-snap-grocery-aid-dropping-135131247.html