Posted originally on CTH on August 17, 2026 | Sundance
35-year-old Ukraine Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was removed from his position about a month ago. Despite being heralded as the reason for Ukraine’s successful defense and strikes against Russia, there was internal friction about control of the war spending (ie ‘procurement). The old guard military leaders were unwilling to give up their ability to enrich themselves and their families, Fedorov was removed by President Zelenskyy.
In this CBS interview with Fedorov the young outsider, who is still connected to the war effort and holds strong relationships with both Palantir (Alex Karp) and SpaceX (Elon Musk), outlines the current status of the conflict and gives his predictions on what comes next.
Fedorov states that Ukraine ballistic missiles should be online within three to six months. He also predicts the ground conflict will be fully autonomous within a year, with robots and drones engaged in most of the combat operations. As a consequence, Eastern Ukraine is now the real time proving ground for an entirely new type of technological warfare.
The interview is interesting both from a narrative perspective, the Hollywood-lite construct which includes elements of the former ‘find Kony’ performances, the youthful drama – David vs Goliath, the handsome characters etc., and from a perspective of Fedorov’s contemplative responses. WATCH:
When Fedorov speaks of “destroying 200 Russians” (6:28 of video), he is speaking about destroying the 200 Wildberries warehouses the Ukraine government is convinced will result in the collapse the Russian economy.
If you get the feeling -a general sense- that we are watching a scripted performance of sorts, that’s because we are.
World War Reddit continues.
Remember when the air-raid sirens were sounded exactly at the moment when Joe Biden was walking through Kiev with Zlenenskyy?
At the end of all of this effort is the EU/NATO goal of a fully operational war against Russia. No reasonable person in the EU wants this outcome, no ordinary citizen in the U.K wants war with Russia and only a tiny percentage of Americans would support it. However, 80% of the British/EU political class and around 75% of the Washington DC political class would immediately welcome this outcome.
Europe is burning through their spending of the confiscated €300 billion Russian sovereign wealth fund. The money will be completely gone within a year as it is the funding mechanism for almost all Ukraine support. When you think about this in very practical terms, this makes the EU war against Russia a foregone conclusion.
In my opinion, the decision to spend that confiscated Russian asset wealth is what changed in early June when Zelenskyy visited King Charles in London. What was once avoidable is now ultimately only a matter of time.
Unless someone is willing to step into the finance side and repay Russia, a western conflict with the Russian Federation to avoid the issue seems to be the overwhelming likelihood. In the interim, Eastern Ukraine remains a meat grinder.
Posted originally on CTH on August 16, 2026 | Sundance
Representative Jim Jordan appears on Fox News to discuss the recently declassified and released information that highlights ongoing corruption within the FBI.
As noted by Jordan, within the documents the FBI continued operations to interfere in U.S. elections beyond 2016 into 2020 and 2024. WATCH:
Posted originally on CTH on August 16, 2026 | Sundance
Approximately six days from now I will share a great deal of information on World War Reddit. I took the insert picture about a week ago as a Ukraine drone struck a venue 500 meters from my location. Suffice to say, I’m not reporting information to you based on propaganda media, seriously skewed alt-media or misinterpreted/intercepted Telegram channel discussion; there’s an information war on that platform also.
Almost everything being told, shared and sold about the Russia vs Ukraine conflict is entirely made-up nonsense that has zero basis in reality. My goal has been to find out why there is this much effort toward twilight-zone level propaganda being pushed by unified interests in western media. Honestly, it’s beyond crazy.
According to Ukraine/NATO media, and probably soon to be shared by President Trump, “Russia suffered 42,860 battlefield casualties in July, its highest monthly losses since January 2025.” This type of stuff is so far beyond silly no one can figure out where they come up with the ideas for the rates.
In media headlines you might have read that Ukraine is celebrating the biggest launch of drones against Russia in a single day, Sunday. The Russian media counter by saying they have shot down 822 drones, with 600 of them targeting the Russian capital of Moscow.
Inside Russia, none of this stuff is happening; however, the govt of Putin finds some sort of purpose/value (personally I think it is just Russian humor) in countering the Ukraine nonsense by accepting the claim and then reiterating it in their claims of interception.
It’s all an illusion. First, the illusion makes it look like Russia is under bombardment (western happy), and then the Federation flips the script (it is indeed a script) and uses the claim as evidence of their exceptional capabilities at interception of the non-existent.
If you are suddenly cross-eyed, yes, that’s the level of crazy I’m talking about.
(VIA CBS) – Ukraine launched hundreds of drones across Russia Sunday, killing at least six people in one of Kyiv’s largest aerial attacks of the war.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that it had destroyed 822 Ukrainian drones overnight. Some 600 drones were detected headed toward the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, with a third of those destroyed over the Moscow region itself.
An 83-year-old man was killed after a Ukrainian drone hit a private home in the Moscow region, local Gov. Andrey Vorobyov said. He also confirmed that a Ukrainian attack had sparked a blaze at a Wildberries warehouse in the town of Podolsk.
A drone attack targeted three towns in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region, killing five people, local Gov. Yury Slyusar said. The attack, with more than 150 drones, damaged several homes and a railway station and sparked a forest fire.
Kyiv has stepped up its attacks on Russia this year, with long-range missiles and swarms of drones increasingly targeting military industries and energy facilities. It has also increasingly pummeled giant Wildberries depots, burning billions of dollars’ worth of merchandise belonging to the Russian online retail giant and bringing the war home to the Russian public nearly four and half years into Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (read more)
It is accurate that Ukraine drones have hit about a half dozen Wildberries distribution centers. Think about Wildberries as if you combined Amazon with E-Bay. What would life be like in America if a dozen (out of 1,300) Amazon distribution centers caught fire? Well, that’s the sum of the disruption.
All those stories of gasoline refineries taken offline(?). More nonsense.
Gasoline shortages(?), total gibberish – beyond silly.
Beyond the overstated drone attacks all this stuff about military industrial centers, energy facilities and infrastructure being damaged is non-existent. So, why is this such a common thing to read about? Factually, I have no idea. It’s like me telling you that right now there’s a gorilla in your bathtub playing chess, and all your neighbors believe it.
Somewhere there is also a story about a new FP-9 Ukraine ballistic missile about to go into operation (next 60 days). They are supposedly working out an issue with the rocket engines. However, where they are being built is not easy to determine. All indications are in Europe somewhere.
The FP-9 is part of a rushed missile and defense system from a company called Fire Point {citation} that is hoped to replace the missing U.S. Patriot Missile (defense) and Tomahawk missile (offense) that Ukraine and Germany have desperately been seeking. As the story is told, the funding comes from Ukraine, the targeting system from Germany and the build operations are taking place somewhere unknown.
I don’t have it all figured out yet, but from what is visible on the surface is there appears to be a plan to drag out the conflict as long as possible, often with as outlandish claims as needed, in order to structure some kind of narrative that will eventually bring Europe -maybe NATO- into a direct combat operation against the Russian Federation.
Two Ukrainian Warriors defended their position just 30 meters from Russian forces for more than five months.
They took up the position in February. The relative calm lasted only a month; for the rest of the time, Russians regularly assaulted their dugout.
Posted originally on CTH on August 16, 2026 | Sundance
On its face this seems like a rather remarkable statement from President Trump. However, below the surface the geopolitical ramifications are perhaps not as surprising.
Today, President Trump notes the administration is shifting its position of military support toward South Korea.
PRESIDENT TRUMP – Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful. Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!
While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, “No thanks!” Thank you for your attention to this matter.” – President DONALD J. TRUMP
Implied directly within the last paragraph was President Trump resetting the relationship based on South Korea’s unwillingness to support the U.S. goals toward Iran.
In essence, if South Korea is unwilling to support the U.S. military operation and strategic objective, then the U.S. will -as previously announced toward NATO- reset the nature of the administration outlook. As a consequence, South Korea will no longer have the direct military assistance traditionally in place from the USA.
President Trump had previously hoped the relationship between North and South Korea would be healed and slowly the divisions between the Korean people would soften. This was a direct effort during the first Trump administration.
The U.S. retreating from South Korea changes the dynamic considerably, especially when you overlay the Chinese perspective toward the region and Beijing’s heavy hand operation inside the DPRK. The U.S. pulling back from South Korea is not something Chairman Xi would disfavor; in fact, it is something Xi would welcome.
This pushes Japan into the solid position as the U.S. number one ally in Asia. Obviously, South Korea becomes less valued.
There are increased indications that China is potentially moving to pull Taiwan closer into their control. The recent ‘Han Kuang exercise’ within Taiwan in preparation for direct Chinese takeover was met with a dismissive attitude by Beijing. However, it is also a factual reality that if China would make a military move against Taiwan the U.S. is not in a strong enough position to stop it.
There is more to this U.S-South Korea shift than appears on the surface.
Professional Republicans are going to go bananas.
[All these worlds are yours, except Japan – Attempt no landings there?]
Sunday Talks: AG Todd Blanche -vs- DSA Advocate Kristen Welker
Posted originally on CTH on August 16, 2026 | Sundance
This Sunday, following the ridiculous effort by Margaret Brennan to defend Anthony Fauci and attack the administration over the change in the vaccine schedule, the Trump team have embargoed CBS from administration participation. No officials gave CBS any time at all.
Dept of Justice Attorney General Todd Blanche appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press to debate mini-me Kristen Welker, as she clutches Brennan’s pearls and asks questions about AG Blanche having the audacity to support President Trump and the domestic Law & Order agenda. [Video and Transcript Below]
[Transcript] KRISTEN WELKER: And joining me now is attorney general Todd Blanche. Mr. Attorney General, welcome back to Meet The Press.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Thank you, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Good morning. Thank you for being here.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Of course.
KRISTEN WELKER: We appreciate you being here in person. As we just heard in your address to the Justice Department staff this week, you said you and the DOJ will, quote, “uphold the law without fear or favor.” You of course used to be President Trump’s former personal defense attorney. Can you pledge that the Justice Department will always act independently of the White House?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE: Well, there’s a big difference between saying we will always do our job and investigate any case and act independently of the White House. No, I’m not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that. The President, I mean, if I were to pledge I will be independent of the White House, what that means is that if President Trump says, “I want the Department of Justice to go after every violent criminal in this country,” which is what he has said, what you’re saying to me is I should say, “No, sir, I’m not going to do it.” So I will act with integrity. Our prosecutors will act with integrity. We will prosecute without fear or any sort of favor. And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. And that’s what every Department of Justice should do.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, I guess, big picture: If the president asks you to do something that you feel crosses an ethical or legal line, would you do it?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
The president will never ask me to do something unethical or legal — or illegal. He never has. He never will. And no, I swore to the constitution of the United States like every cabinet secretary has done and like every attorney general before me has done. And so this, this narrative that’s mostly pushed by the left and pushed by the media that the president’s going to pull me aside and ask me to do something illegal is completely a false narrative, not true, will not happen, and hasn’t happened.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay. Let’s delve into how you do see your tenure. You appeared with President Trump at the Nassau County Police Academy on Friday. You made some comments that did get a lot of attention. I want to play it and get your reaction on the other side. Take a look.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
My administration and my Department of Justice, if anybody touches a federal law enforcement officer in any way inappropriate, we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
KRISTEN WELKER:
And yet, Mr. Attorney General, on President Trump’s first day in office, as you know, he pardoned everyone who attacked the Capitol on January 6th, including 172 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers. How is that consistent with your pledge to always protect law enforcement?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
There’s nothing inconsistent about that. The president’s pardon powers, any president’s pardon powers are not limited. So when I say and when this Department of Justice says and when the FBI says, like we’re saying, and every U.S. attorney is saying that if you assault law enforcement, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, that is absolutely what President Trump expects, absolutely what I expect of our prosecutors. And that’s completely separate from any president’s ability to pardon.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But he did the opposite of that effectively. I mean, on January 6th police officers were beaten with baseball bats and flagpoles. Do you believe it was wrong to pardon the people who assaulted police officers on January 6th given that you have vowed to protect law enforcement?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Every attorney general vows to protect law enforcement including me. And so I’m not opining or in any way saying what President Trump did is wrong. Absolutely not. By the way, president–
KRISTEN WELKER:
Isn’t it inconsistent with what you said though?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Absolutely not. There’s a difference–
KRISTEN WELKER:
Is it inconsistent with your pledge?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
No. There’s a difference, Kristen. We will prosecute anybody. If later a president chooses to pardon that individual, that is the president’s right under our constitution. Do not forget that a few days before President Trump pardoned the individuals associated and who had plead guilty to the conduct on January 6th, President Biden pardoned hundreds and hundreds of criminals, many of whom were quite violent. So that’s his right to do that just like it’s President Trump’s right to do that.
KRISTEN WELKER:
But what message does it send to police officers that people who assaulted them were pardoned?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
The message to police officers is consistent and the same every single day which is that we will protect you. And by the way, that’s a little bit interesting coming from a place where we see violent protests breaking out all over the country, in New Jersey, in Minneapolis, in Seattle and California. And instead of there being a full-throated defense by leadership on the Democrat side, on the Republican side, what you have is it’s as if we’re doing something wrong by saying we will protect law enforcement and we will prosecute those who assault law enforcement. We’re not.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Let’s on this issue of January 6th, your confirmation was actually held up over the so-called anti-weaponization fund. I just want to remind folks what that means. That would effectively pay people who felt they were in some ways wronged by the federal government and could have included people who attacked the Capitol on January 6th. You signed a document. You testified under oath that the fund is dead. But President Trump has said he wishes it weren’t. If the president asks you to revive the fund, will you tell him no?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Well, the president has said it’s dead as well. So you can, and as the president has said that he very strongly believes that those that had this Department of Justice weaponized against them should be compensated, he’s going to continue to say that.
KRISTEN WELKER:
He said it’s up to you. He was just asked about it. He said effectively it’s up to you what to do about this.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
And I’ve said repeatedly it’s dead. And he has also said it’s dead. He said it in a cabinet meeting with the press there. And so I think it might be enjoyable for the media to continually ask me about whether the fund is really dead. And there is no fund. No money went from the treasury to any account. There were no commissioners established. And so there is no fund. There will be no fund. I’ve said it repeatedly. And the different angles coming almost every time I speak with the media, someone says, “Well, wait is it really dead?” And I say, “Yes, it is.” And then the next interview I give, somebody will say to me, “Is it really dead?” And I promise you I will say, “Yes, it is dead.”
KRISTEN WELKER:
So you’re saying you rule out ever reviving it. But just to be very clear, can you guarantee that under your Department of Justice anyone who attacked the Capitol on January 6th will not receive one dime of taxpayer money if they file a claim against the federal government?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Well, anybody can file a claim against the federal government, not just anybody associated with January 6th. I’m not going to sit here and say on a news program whether a litigation that may or may not happen will result in money. I can’t do that. So what I will say is that there’s a process in place for decades where if somebody that believes they’ve been wronged or a tort has been committed against them by the federal government can seek redress. And, you know, beyond that, I’m not going to comment about hypotheticals and what will happen in any of those cases.
KRISTEN WELKER:
So potentially, they could get paid under another stream of government funding, but not the anti-weaponization fund–
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Well, I don’t know. When you say, “They could get paid,” what is their claim? Is it somebody who’s plead guilty–
KRISTEN WELKER:
The Justice Department’s judgment fund.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
No, no, no. So, right. But when you say, “They could get paid,” anybody who sues the federal government could get paid. It depends on the facts. It depends on the circumstances. It depends on what it’s alleged the government did. And so I don’t know the circumstances of any hypothetical case. And I’m not going to comment on a hypothetical case today. But there is a process in place where if you believe that you’ve had a tort committed against you by the government, whether it’s slipping on ice outside of a federal post office or a law enforcement officer assaulting you, you are allowed to seek compensation.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Okay, let’s talk about a case that was recently brought before the Justice Department. The DOJ dropped charges against the Olympic canoeist that it accused of vandalizing the reflecting pool on the National Mall saying the damage was caused by, quote, “botched installation and not vandalism.” President Trump though said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro was wrong and that she should revisit the case. Do you support Jeanine Pirro dropping the case? Or do you support President Trump’s calls to revive the case?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
So we, yes, I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro as does President Trump. Now, that’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that. And by the way, the filings didn’t say that all of the damage was done by faulty construction, okay? So that’s where the media is getting some of the reporting wrong.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Well, it says–
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
There’s–
KRISTEN WELKER:
–the damage was done as a result of a botched installation and not vandalism as initially represented.
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
There was potential vandalism. And we know that there was vandalism because there’s witnesses. That’s also in the brief that you’re citing that there’s witnesses that talked about the fact that there was vandalism. And so–
KRISTEN WELKER:
What do you mean by potential vandalism? Who did it?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Well, there’s a witness that said, “I observed the defendant vandalizing the reflecting pool.” Now, that’s different than whether ultimately we have the proof. And you saw what U.S. Attorney Pirro said about that in her filings. And I’ve said this before. We’re talking about a single case, okay? We’re talking about one case. We had another case of vandalism against a memorial earlier this week. This is horrible what’s happening in our nation’s capital with some of these really, really sick people vandalizing our national monuments. And U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s doing it. And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Should the president have a voice in individual prosecution decisions at all?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Every American has a voice in prosecutions. I mean, we hear from Americans all the time. As a matter of fact, many of our investigations start with an American citizen coming forward and saying they saw something. And so whether President Trump should have a, quote, “voice,” it depends.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Would you take–
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
But yes.
KRISTEN WELKER:
–his opinions into consideration when he says, “I think this case should be revived”? Will you take that into consideration?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
So hold on. Will I take the president of the United States’s view on something into consideration? Yes, of course. And I hope every attorney general in history would not answer that question differently. Just let’s play that out. The president of the United States, the elected president of the United States, says something to me. And I’m supposed to say to you, “I would say nope.” I mean, that’s not the way it works. Now the president is extraordinarily — every day he wakes up with one mission which is making this country better and, as it relates to me, making this country safer. So if he has a view on that, he talks about it on social media. He talks about it when he speaks to the American people. That’s certainly something that I listen to.
KRISTEN WELKER:
I’m asking in part because we did this clash play out in his first term. Bill Barr, the attorney general during President Trump’s first term, did push back against President Trump. In 2020, as you recall, he told him his election claims were detached from reality. If you were faced with a similar situation, something that you did not think actually met the standard, the legal standard in your mind, would you stand up to the president?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
I mean, so I will always stand up for what’s right. And I do not, the president does not expect any of his leaders, including me, to just say yes to him no matter what he says. And so of course, there’s vigorous back and forth with every cabinet member of the president of the United States, which is exactly what President Trump expects. And there again, there is this extraordinarily false narrative that the president wakes up in the morning and calls me and says, “Todd, go prosecute X or Y.” He does not do that. He has never done that. He will never do that. And so if there’s something that he wants to do, that he needs to know that there’s a challenge or that we can’t do it, of course, I will tell him. It happens all the time with all of his leaders. And that’s what he expects.
KRISTEN WELKER:
One of the issues that he really cares about, the midterms. And there’s been a lot of focus on the midterms as it relates to the Justice Department, which has lost 22 cases trying to force states to turn over their voter rolls. State officials have pushed back against those moves. They say states dictate how elections are run, not the federal government. Is it time for the DOJ to drop this fight? And will you do it?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Well, just, I mean, we’re relying on a statute passed by Congress that allows us in the right circumstances to review and get those voter rolls. And so yes, no, no, we’re not going to stop doing what I think every American should expect us to do, which is make sure that we have elections that are fair. And as that relates to the Department of Justice, that means making sure that there are no constitutional, legal violations even at the state level. So yes, President Trump, this administration knows and of course understands that states administer elections. And that will always be the case. But it doesn’t mean the federal government should play no role. And so the tension there is of course whether we should be playing the role that we’re playing. And that’s really what we’re litigating.
KRISTEN WELKER:
How far are you willing to take this fight? Because you’ve been ruled against now 22 times. Are you going to take this all the way to the Supreme Court, you anticipate?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
We’ll see. We’ll see what happens. We’re trying to work it out with states –
KRISTEN WELKER:
It’s a possibility?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
Of course. Yes, absolutely it’s a possibility. Election integrity is something that President Trump ran on. And the American people elected him. It’s something that every American should care about. And so the idea that the Department of Justice is trying to investigate issues around elections to make sure they’re fair and make sure they’re conducted the right way is not something that we should be running away from. That’s something we should be running right towards.
KRISTEN WELKER:
I want to finally shift gears here a little bit and ask you about an issue that is, full disclosure, close to us here at NBC, the kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie’s beloved mom, Nancy. The FBI told the Wall Street Journal, quote, “The state is the lead in this investigation, has always been the lead.” Mr. Attorney General, she has been missing for more than six months now. Is it time for the FBI to take the lead in this investigation?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
It’s a horrible situation. And I share the grief and the frustration that you and your colleagues have and that the whole country has in this situation. I mean, I think whether the FBI takes the lead, we are there to support and give. And President Trump pledged it, Director Patel pledged it. The resources, anything that that investigation needs. We are working as hard as we can with the state and local law enforcement in every area. And that means not only providing assistance with manpower, but any sort of forensic assistance. And so we’re going to continue to do that. Whether we come in with sharp elbows and take it over, that’s not necessarily the right thing to do for her or for anybody. But making sure it’s done right and making sure that this investigation is being conducted the way that it should be is something we’re doing.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Is there an update? Are you any closer to solving this–
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
I don’t have any update–
KRISTEN WELKER:
–and finding Nancy Guthrie?
ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE:
I don’t. And I’m sorry to say that because I wish I had an update. And I know that this type of case is heartbreaking especially when it plays out nationally like this one has. And all I can say is that Director Patel and his leadership and the leadership out in that area of the country, it will remain a priority as it should, with resources and with energy and with focus. And we hope that we get something soon.
KRISTEN WELKER:
All right. Mr. Attorney General, thank you so very much for being here–
Posted originally on CTH on August 15, 2026 | sundance
Within this video from Promethean Action, they look at the latest developments in the Middle East.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the U.S. is escalating economic isolation measures against Iran and forecasts the Strait of Hormuz will become “irrelevant” within two years, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright argues shipping continues under escorts and rerouting, citing 8–9 million barrels/day still moving through the strait plus 6 million diverted via expanding pipelines.
The episode frames this as part of a broader strategy since March 2025 targeting Iran’s financial networks while expanding alternative energy supplies, including increased U.S. production, changes in Venezuela, UAE production outside old OPEC quotas, and Iraq pipeline deals to bypass Hormuz, alongside a nuclear power “renaissance.” It highlights remarks at Chatham House by Lebanese adviser Jean Aziz blaming Henry Kissinger’s 1976 actions for decades of conflict and IRGC entanglement, and Qatar’s Majed Al-Ansari describing a regional Gaza “20-point plan” leading to a Washington-based Board of Peace meeting on Feb. 19, 2026.
Posted originally on CTH on August 15, 2026 | sundance
The South Carolina Senate race between Darline Graham and Ralph Norman will be very interesting to watch as the runoff date arrives soon, August 25th.
Darline Graham is supported by President Trump, the NRSCC, the professional republican class and the new endorsement from the 3rd place candidate Russell Fry. Additionally, Darline Graham has been endorsed by Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Tim Scott and other very well-known Republican brand names.
Mrs Graham has also picked up a $1 million Super-PAC donation from the leftist “Invest in Tomorrow Coalition” a clean energy and climate change advocacy group. They will be running ads against Ralph Norman.
That said, CTH has a strong hunch that Ralph Norman is going to win. There’s an internal poll showing Norman with a 12-point advantage (52/40); however, that’s not the strongest indicator.
A very unscientific review of voter sentiment visible on social media reflects a profound rejection of the Lindsey Graham legacy vote. While it is entirely possible those voices are just more algorithmically visible than Darline Graham supporters, there sure are a lot of South Carolina republican voters willing to support Ralph Norman over Graham.
It’s weird because no one seems overly enthusiastic for either candidate but voting Norman over Graham appears to be the least bad option. Darline Graham’s record working for leftist NGOs has many people rejecting her as an option.
What are your thoughts?
It is possible this race may be in the loss column for President Trump’s endorsement record.
Posted originally on CTH on August 15, 2026 | sundance
The blue states and DC are desperately trying to avoid complying with a Dept of Homeland Security administrative subpoena for the records of their commercial driving license distribution. In short, the blue states don’t want DHS or the American people to know how many illegal aliens are driving on CDLs.
Eastern District of Virginia Judge Anthony Trenga has just interceded to stop the states from forced compliance. Judge Trenga entered an administrative stay preventing DHS from obtaining roughly 17 million commercial driver’s license records it subpoenaed for immigration enforcement. [Read Administrative Stay Here]
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously issued subpoenas for approximately 17 million commercial driver’s license (CDL) records, which has led to a legal battle involving multiple Democratic run states.
A coalition of 22 blue states is now suing the DHS, claiming that the demand for this sensitive data is part of a broader effort to create a “nationwide surveillance system” and that the DHS lacks legal authority to access such records. The lawsuit argues that the data could jeopardize drivers’ privacy and violate federal privacy laws. {LAWSUIT HERE}
The states are seeking to block the DHS’s access to the records, which include personal information such as names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The coalition argues DHS has no legal authority to demand the truck drivers’ license records and would jeopardize drivers’ privacy if they receive them.
American citizens are not permitted to know who and how many illegal aliens are operating dangerous trucks on the roadways. The privacy of the illegal aliens is paramount to the safety of the American citizen motorist.
Think about that for a few moments.
All Your Trucking Risks Are Belong To Us!
YAHOO – The dispute centers on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System, known as CDLIS. Congress established it in 1986 under the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act to give states a secure way to share information about CDL applicants, chiefly to make sure a driver cannot hold licenses in multiple states or escape a disqualification by crossing a state line. It is operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a nonprofit whose members are the state licensing agencies, under contract with FMCSA since 1988. The database contains sensitive personal information, including names, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, and Social Security numbers, for the roughly 17 million people who hold commercial licenses.
According to the states’ complaint, on August 11, 2026, FMCSA demanded that AAMVA turn over the full database, every driver’s records going back five years, by August 17, or face termination of AAMVA’s federal contracts and more than $10 million in federal funding. The states further allege that the Department of Homeland Security issued a separate immigration-enforcement subpoena to AAMVA for the same records with the same deadline, which the states characterize in their filing as coordinated with FMCSA.
The states also describe a sequence leading up to the demand. AAMVA, caught between the federal demand and the objections of many of its member states, proposed on August 14 to let its board consider an opt-in or opt-out choice, allowing each state to decide whether to authorize the transmission of its own data. According to the complaint, FMCSA rejected that proposal on August 11 as “unacceptable.” Facing the threat of losing its federal contracts, which the states say could shut CDLIS down entirely, AAMVA told the states it would comply and turn over the records on or around August 17. That is what prompted the coalition to file suit on August 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and to seek an emergency order blocking the transfer.
Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia are named in the suit against DOT, FMCSA, and AAMVA, and a coalition of 22 states and D.C. filed a companion suit against DHS over the parallel subpoena. The participating states include Illinois, California, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Massachusetts, Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota, and others, along with Pennsylvania.
The Federal Government’s Position
The Department of Transportation has stated its case forcefully, and it rests on safety and enforcement.
DOT frames the data request as necessary to keep unsafe and unqualified drivers off the road, and specifically to identify commercial drivers who obtained licenses improperly. In its August 13 statement, Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Every administration since 1988 has had access to this basic database, so let’s be clear on what this ridiculous lawsuit is really all about. These radical state AGs want to make it harder for my Department to enforce the rules of the road and easier for dangerous illegal immigrant truck drivers to operate a big rig.” He added, “We will fight this lawsuit tooth and nail to prevent more senseless crashes by unqualified drivers.”
DOT tied the demand to a broader enforcement campaign it has run since an April 2025 executive order on the trucking industry. The department says that effort has revoked more than 30,000 improperly issued commercial licenses, removed nearly 10,000 fraudulent or unqualified CDL training providers from the federal registry, placed more than 26,000 operators out of service under English language proficiency standards, and closed what it calls the non-domiciled CDL loophole. The department has connected the data demand to the August 12, 2025 crash on Florida’s Turnpike, a three-fatality collision that DOT attributes to an undocumented driver operating with an improperly issued license.
DOT’s legal position, as stated in its release, is that AAMVA “is contractually and legally obligated to furnish the requested records at FMCSA’s direction, with federal protection against state-level liability.” In other words, the federal government argues it has always had access to this database, that AAMVA is required to comply with FMCSA’s direction, and that the states cannot hold AAMVA liable for complying.
LEGAL CASE
[…] The states argue that they, not the federal government, own the driver data stored in CDLIS, and that they placed it in the shared system for a specific, limited purpose, checking licensing status across states, under agreements that bar broader disclosure. Their position is that CDLIS was built as a state-to-state information-sharing tool, and that the statute creating it contains no provision allowing the federal government to demand a bulk transfer of all state records as a condition of participation. As Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul put it, “This database was created 40 years ago so states could share information with each other to stop unsafe drivers from operating commercial vehicles, and the federal government’s decision to ransack that database puts the whole system in jeopardy.”
[…] The complaint alleges that several states, including Illinois, California, Maine, and the District of Columbia, have contracts with AAMVA that expressly prohibit disclosure of confidential driver data without the state’s authorization and require compliance with state and federal privacy law. The states say no contracting state has authorized the release, and that the contracts “flatly bar” it. This is the basis for a breach-of-contract claim against AAMVA specifically. (SOURCE)
Posted originally on CTH on August 15, 2026 | sundance
The White House has filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for an immediate administrative stay of the DC District Court injunction blocking construction of the Ballroom and Military complex [SEE FILING HERE].
The baseline argument is very solid on several grounds, including standing. A single complaint from a woman who walks by the White House once per month and holds the opinion of the complex as an eyesore is not standing to block the construction. Additionally, several agencies of the Executive Branch stand in support of the construction on presidential security, safety and national security grounds.
The structure extends five stories deep into the ground, and is built with hardened concrete, steel, and rebar; protective missile-resistant columns, roofs, and beams; drone proof ceilings and roofs; and bullet, ballistic, and blast-proof glass. … The Project includes bomb shelters, state-of-the-art hospital and medical facilities, protective partitioning between all areas of the building, top secret military structures and equipment, military-grade venting, a single integrated air conditioning and heating system, sniper nests, and a drone port on top, elevated by the structure of the ballroom, to protect the White House and surrounding region from aerial attacks — “one of the nation’s largest emerging threats.”
President Trump has shared additional attachments to the filing, via Truth Social:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “In my work with heads of state and foreign ministers, I am frequently hosted in reception facilities that are visually impressive and reflective of the wealth and beauty of the nations I am visiting. In the United States, by contrast, we currently lack the ability to hold large events of a similar magnitude on White House grounds for those same heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
Instead, we must currently host such visits in plastic or canvas tents on the South Lawn with unsafe and unsanitary portable bathrooms and accommodations unbecoming of our national stature…Our foreign counterparts offer premier security arrangements for United States officials. It is imperative that we not only offer the same level of elite security services, but offer the world’s leading capabilities in an efficient manner on grounds over which we exert permanent control … We must obviously seek every reasonable means to mitigate both the more predictable risks, including weather and physical incursions, but also emerging threats … The East Wing Project is essential to that defensive security posture. The Project is absolutely critical not only for the physical safety of guests, but also for advancing our diplomatic relations and the interests and standing of the United States in the world.”
The core of the underground complex is substantially complete, and the injunction serves to make the issues of construction considerably more challenging. The above ground features including the ballroom itself are paid for with private donations. The underground system is constructed with government funding.
Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence: “The Project is critical for ensuring the White House can serve as a secure location for the gathering of the President, gathering of senior government officials, and gatherings that further the interests of the United States. The Project on the Complex also will improve the level of protection and ability to manage and mitigate threats to the President and senior government officials and will enhance the handling, management, and utilization of IC information, including the conduct of IC-directed support to the Complex.”
President Trump is obviously frustrated with the ridiculous lawfare effort.
“These are the TREASONISTS that brought the suit against the Military Complex. They revealed Top Military Secrets! “The National Trust for Historic Preservation” is a beautiful name, but even their name is fake because when they add the words “in the United States” to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, it makes it sound like a Governmental Agency, which it is not. In fact, the United States refused to continue funding it in 2005 because they strongly disagreed with their mission and objectives. They are very bad for our Country. They stop many projects that are worthy, and hurt many others.
In this case, they are trying to stop one that is vital to our National Security, and the Safety of all Presidents of the United States, both current and future, their families, staff, and Cabinet members. They were asked by the United States Military not to bring this suit because of the Top Secret nature of the important facility being built. They were shown detailed plans and specifications of this knitted, unified, and cohesive structure by Top Officers and Leaders in both the Military and Secret Service.
But this did not deter them because they suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly referred to as TDS, as noted by Democrat Senator John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania. The lower section does not work without the upper section and, likewise, the upper section does not work without the lower. It is all one highly integrated unit. The then President of the National Trust, who brought the case, Carol Quillen, had no background in Historic Preservation, and has been replaced, unanimously, effective immediately. This is similar to her departure from Davidson College, where she was, likewise, dismissed, but the people of our Country are forced to live on with her bad decision, especially that of revealing to everyone, including our enemies throughout the World, the Top Secret Military features of the Building that are already built, and/or under construction, such as the DronePort, which occupies the entire roof. There is absolutely no argument that a woman walking her dog in the vicinity of the White House has STANDING to stop such a desperately needed National Security structure for the people of the United States of America, as it will provide Presidents, current and future, a secure space to do their jobs, especially when she never saw the Building, because it had not risen, and she had no rendering, or pictures of the Building because they, also, were in the formative stages of production.
This woman is not a “walker,” she is an activist, or serial plaintiff, who is involved in much other frivolous litigation throughout the City. In fact, whenever the National Trust files a lawsuit, she seems to be involved. So, she walked at the site of the White House, where there was no Building, and it bothered her, but she also walks in front of all of those other places, where she must also be bothered, and hence, additional court cases? She has no Clearances, or expertise whatsoever, in National Security, Defense, or required protections for the President.
She has absolutely no standing to be involved in this case and, in fact, her name is not even mentioned as a plaintiff in the case! It is this kind of gross and flagrant abuse of our Courts that is exactly why Americans are losing faith in our System of Justice. It is so bad for our Country!” President DONALD J. TRUMP
Posted originally on CTH on August 14, 2026 | sundance
major nations who enable China to transship goods into the U.S market in an effort to avoid tariffs. [REPORT HERE]
Within the report several nations and regions are identified as being used by Chinese manufacturers to avoid U.S. customs and duty enforcement mechanisms. However, both Canada and Mexico are cited as primary enablers of the process.
The issue strikes at the heart of the problem identified long ago with the NAFTA agreement, and the problem only worsens when the USMCA provisions on country of origin are not enforced.
When you remove oil and lumber, the majority of Canada’s manufactured exports to the USA contain Chinese component parts and this has been the source of much friction in the current trade negotiations. The manufacturing supply chain within all free trade agreements only works when the source of component goods is accurately recorded.
CANADA – […] The report released Thursday from the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy — titled “The Great Transshipment Scam” and featuring a timely image of a Trojan horse on the front page — accuses China of routing their exports through third countries with more favourable U.S. tariff rates.
An estimated 40 countries, including Canada, comprise a “shadow transshipment network” used by China, the report argues.
“In plain terms, illegal transshipment is smuggling disguised as trade — fraud cloaked in paperwork — and, in truth, nothing new,” the report says, adding what has changed is the “breadth, depth, and sophistication” of China’s network. (more)
As USTR Jamieson Greer continues meeting with Canadian counterparts, the core issues are unresolved because -in part- Canada is incapable of reconciling the problem. The Canadian team have reported their intention to remain in the U.S. through the weekend hoping to continue negotiations. However, there is little optimism so long as the great pretending continues.
President Trump and USTR Greer have continually said they want Canada to go and seek additional trade agreements with other countries, in part to break the dependency on the USA and in part so that Canada can learn the lessons of reciprocity.
For several decades Canada has used their access to the U.S. market without reciprocity. In fact, one of the great admissions by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was openly telling President Trump their unilateral trade reliance was not something the Canadian government was capable of correcting. This led to President Trump remarking that if Canada is going to act like a state inside the U.S. economic system, then Canada should become the 51st state.
The issue is seemingly irreconcilable, and the Canadian govt continue to gaslight the Canadian people on the core issues at the heart of the matter.
Charette and @DLeBlancNB need to negotiate an FTA arrangement with another country in order to learn what trade reciprocity actually means. Only after that experience does it make sense to sit down with @USTradeRep . https://t.co/QI5KRf82mL
Chief Trade Negotiator Charette and I updated Provincial and Territorial Trade Ministers as well as the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations on the latest developments in our trade negotiations with the United States.
Do you both accept that President Trump and USTR Greer want Canada to go forth and achieve bilateral FTAs with other countries? You need experience negotiating reciprocity before you can genuinely sit at the table with the USA.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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