GOP triggered by Mamdani making the ultrarich pay up– www.dailykos.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Republicans are lashing out at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he announced the city had taken a significant step forward in securing millions in taxes owed by the city’s ultrawealthy residents.
Mamdani said on Thursday that notices had been sent out informing owners of second homes worth $5 million or more that the pied-à-terre tax put in place by the state’s Democrats is coming soon.
Under current law, the properties are undertaxed, and plans are to apply the money that will be raised to help address New York’s budget deficit.
“The best city in the world deserves the best parks, libraries, and schools in the world. That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share,” Mamdani wrote.
An April estimate from the New York City comptroller analyzed the tax and found that it could provide as much as $510 million annually if fully implemented.
Hundreds of Ukrainian Drones Target Moscow in Overnight Blitz– www.themoscowtimes.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Nearly 400 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, local authorities said Tuesday morning, as a separate strike in the southwestern Belgorod region injured at least 19 people, according to officials.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 390 drones had been tracked in the skies above the wider Moscow region since Monday night, noting that “most” of them were intercepted. He did not report any damage or injuries.
Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyov said an apartment building in the town of Chekhov, located around 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of the Russian capital, was hit in a drone attack. Local authorities said the building’s facade and two apartment units were damaged, but added that there were no casualties.
Air defense systems downed “a few dozen” Ukrainian drones elsewhere in the Moscow region, including in Podolsk, Domodedovo and Kolomna, Vorobyov said.
It’s been just over a month since the June 24 earthquakes devastated Venezuela. The death toll is now above 5,500 as teams removing debris continue to find bodies.
The government is estimating the total damage at $19.6 billion so far. That includes $9 billion in destroyed or severely damaged homes.
More than 23,000 people are living in temporary locations. CBN’s Operation Blessing is on hand to help those who’ve lost their homes.
Theiris Dellimore was living on the street after the quake. Authorities told her the home was too dangerous to live in, that parts of it could collapse.
The Operation Blessing team provided Theiris and her family with a tent, mattresses, food, and hygiene supplies. Now, she says, they’re safe from the rain and the cold at night.
“Gracias. First of all, thank you. May God continue to bless you so that you can continue to bless Venezuela so that you can continue to help us. We’re just getting started. We still have a long way to go. Don’t forget about us,” she said.
The First Waves of Amphibious Assault Will Be Unmanned– warontherocks.com News Source
EXCERPT:
In the Pacific War, the U.S. Navy’s underwater demolition teams prepared the way for U.S. and allied amphibious landings on enemy-held islands. Through beach reconnaissance, obstacle breaching, mine clearance, and other missions, these teams paved paths for the first waves of amphibious assaults conducted by naval task forces and subsequent landings by marines and soldiers throughout the island hopping campaign.
These critical first steps of an amphibious operation were incredibly risky in World War II. And the underwater demolition teams, which were the predecessors of the Navy SEALs, were understandably proud of their work. The Marine Corps prided itself on being first to hit the beach. And when marines did hit the beach, they often arrived to find signs left by the underwater demolitions team saying, “Welcome Marines.”
Precision strike weapons make such operations more perilous than ever. There may never be an American servicemember preparing or landing with the first wave of an opposed amphibious assault again. And it may be robots welcoming marines and soldiers to the beach in these future fights.
Firefighters in France hold back vast wildfire as heat returns to test their grip– abcnews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Firefighters have kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatens to test their hold on the blaze
LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — Firefighters kept a vast wildfire in southwest France from advancing overnight Tuesday, extinguishing flare-ups near Atlantic coast dunes before returning heat and drier air threatened to test their hold on the blaze.
The fire remained stabilized at 6 a.m. after a calm night and the burned area was unchanged at 420 square kilometers (162 square miles), the Gironde prefecture said.
Several flare-ups were detected overnight north of Le Porge and in dune land north of Cap Ferret but were brought under control by firefighters, authorities said.
The areas lie along the Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux, where crews have battled the blaze since it erupted near Saumos last week.
Canadians returning from ISIS ‘highly likely’ to pose threat, intelligence report says– globalnews.ca News Source
EXCERPT:
A group of Canadians detained overseas for allegedly being part of ISIS will “highly likely” pose a threat when they return home, warns an intelligence document obtained by Global News.
The Integrated Threat Assessment Centre report was written in June, after Iraq said it had taken custody of an unspecified number of ISIS members from Canada.
The suspects are liable to contribute to extremism once they returned to Canada, “either directly through an act of violence or indirectly by radicalizing others,” the intelligence report said.
“A potential return of Canadian extremist travellers currently in Iraqi custody would highly likely pose a violent extremist threat to Canada,” it said.
The danger posed by returning ISIS supporters was underscored on Saturday when a 21-year-old attacked Berlin’s Pride festival with a vehicle and knife.
Graphics card prices jump by up to 20% in China as shops stockpile Nvidia and AMD GPUs– www.techspot.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Ripple effect: Just when it seemed like graphics card prices couldn’t get much worse, the memory crisis has delivered another unpleasant surprise. Nvidia and AMD GPU prices have surged in China, with some models rising by as much as 20% in a single week and premium cards now selling for almost 60% above their official MSRPs.
Distributor lists from MSI and Colorful reveal the increases. MSI raised the RTX 5080 Shadow 3X OC and Ventus from 9,999 yuan ($1,477) to 11,999 yuan ($1,773), a 20% jump in seven days. Its RTX 5070 Ti Shadow 3X OC rose 19.5%, while the RTX 5090D V2 increased 13%. What’s worse is that these cards were already well above their suggested prices before the latest adjustment.
Comparing the new figures with Nvidia’s Chinese MSRPs makes the situation look even worse. MSI’s RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC is now 54% above the base MSRP, while the RTX 5080 Gaming Trio models are around 57% higher. Colorful’s RTX 5080 Vulcan W OC is priced at 13,199 yuan ($1,949), 59% above MSRP, and its RTX 5070 Ti Vulcan W OC carries a similar 58.7% premium.
The increases aren’t just limited to Nvidia. A market snapshot showed Radeon cards climbing across Chinese retailers, with some RX 9000 models seeing double-digit increases. AMD reportedly warned Asus, XFX, Sapphire, and other partners earlier this month that its GPU-and-memory bundles would become 10% more expensive.
The culprit is, of course, the continuing rise in GDDR6 and GDDR7 costs, combined with more expensive PCBs, coolers, and packaging. Nvidia supplies board partners with GPU and memory kits, so higher VRAM costs are passed directly to manufacturers. Reports claim the latest adjustment adds around 600 yuan ($89) to 8GB cards, 900 yuan ($133) to 12GB models, and 1,200 yuan ($177) to 16GB products.
Confused why 9/11 families are demanding Zohran Mamdani be banned from the memorial” Here’s Dave Portnoy with a LOT of receipts– www.louderwithcrowder.com News Source
EXCERPT:
As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a day that will live in infamy of some people doing something, New York families are demanding that the mayor of New York City not show up at the memorial. Seems odd, considering the city was ground zero for the largest Islamic terrorist attack committed on our country. Then you remember that The Zohran is the mayor, and it makes sense.
If for some reason it doesn’t make sense, Dave Portnoy has provided a list of reasons why, if you were someone affected by 9/11, you would prefer The Zohran stay home and make another TikTok.
Not to sound like an El Pres dickrider. Granted, he is our second greatest living current president. But he’s also the only resemblance of opposition to The Zohran. It’s not like NYC has a GOP to speak of. Dave Portnoy is all we got right now.
This was after his press conference on how he intends to put local bodegas out of business (while he and his elitist friends continue to shop at Whole Foods) so that the empty storefronts will make it easier for his allies to seize the properties while the people who voted for him find themselves being dependent on him for food (I’m paraphrasing).
Donald Trump earns more in last two years ‘than previous 60 combined’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk News Source
EXCERPT:
Donald Trump’s personal wealth has ballooned, reportedly earning more in the last two years than the previous 60 combined. The US president has seen his net worth go from £1.73 billion in 2024 to £4.81 billion in 2026.
Roughly 26% of Trump’s wealth comes from “pre-existing real estate and golf” ventures. But the overwhelming majority comes from cryptocurrency, with the total going up by a staggering 183% in two years.
Trump launched his “Official Trump” ($TRUMP) meme coin in January 2025, days before his inauguration. It went onto the market with a valuation of £11.26 billion, it is now worth £339 million, a 97% drop.
But this didn’t hurt Trump, who never directly invested in the coin. Instead, he was paid a 1% to 5% transfer fee every time a $TRUMP meme coin was bought or sold.
Steven Ratner, a former Obama staffer and journalist, called the increase “unprecedented in scale and source”. He said: “Obama’s wealth grew from royalties on books written before office — and Bush’s mostly from a sports‑team stake from over a decade prior. Most of Trump’s new billions are from deals made in office.”
Burnham brings members of Socialist Campaign Group into government | Andy Burnham– www.theguardian.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Andy Burnham has appointed three new ministerial aides from Labour’s most leftwing faction, the first time members of the Socialist Campaign Group have been part of the government.
The new chief whip, Anneliese Midgley, has also promised MPs that the government will beef up the role of ministerial aides – known as parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) – who traditionally go under the radar, allowing them to do more media appearances, take on parliamentary roles and contribute more directly to policy direction.
Though Burnham has returned several soft left ministers to key positions in the cabinet – such as Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Angela Rayner – there were no ministerial appointments from the party’s most leftwing caucus, the Socialist Campaign Group, which was the group affiliated with Corbyn.
Flawed Appellate Decision Upholding an Online Parental-Consent Mandate Merits Reversal | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org News Source
EXCERPT:
A federal appellate court recently rejectedFirst Amendment and vagueness challenges to an Ohio parental-consent statute that limits minors’ access to social media platforms “reasonably anticipated to be accessed by children.” The Sixth Circuit’s divided decision in NetChoice v. Yost is an unusual setback for NetChoice, an internet trade association that won a similar battle in June. The appellate court’s ruling vacates a 2025 lower court opinion blocking enforcement of the statute, which forbids Ohioans under age 16 from creating accounts on regulated platforms unless they obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent.
Yost, in which the two judges who sided with Ohio didn’t always agree with each other, is troubling for several reasons. One is its exceedingly deferential interpretation—in Ohio’s favor—of the evidence about harms platforms supposedly cause minors. As Techdirt’s Mike Masnick explained, “The first few pages of the decision are nothing but cherry-picked, out-of-context horror stories about what social media does to kids—with no mention of the substantial corresponding evidence that the picture is far more complicated than that.”
Another problem is how Judge Eric Clay determined Ohio’s statute survived the typically fatal strict scrutiny standard of judicial review. He did so by arguably misinterpreting and dubiously distinguishing the US Supreme Court’s formidable Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association decision. I’ve previouslyexplained that the Court in Brown applied strict scrutiny to invalidate a California parental-consent statute restricting minors’ access to violent video games.
New York Lawmaker Calls on DOJ to Investigate Mamdani After Stabbing Attacks Against Jews– slaynews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A New York state lawmaker is calling on the Department of Justice to open a civil rights investigation into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani following two Manhattan stabbings being investigated as possible hate crimes.
New York State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, who represents Brooklyn’s District 45, announced the request Sunday during an End Jew Hatred rally in New York City.
Alongside video of his announcement, Novakhov wrote on Instagram:
“If the DOJ stepped in to protect Jewish students at Columbia, it must now step in to protect Jewish New Yorkers.”
Lawmaker Demands Federal Investigation
Novakhov said he would send a formal letter asking the Justice Department to investigate New York State, New York City, and Mamdani.
He specifically called on federal officials “and most importantly to investigate Mamdani’s hatred against the Jewish population of New York City and New York State.”
Mamdani’s office did not immediately issue a response.
UK report exposes sexual abuse of at least 250k girls that authorities, media ignored– www.lifesitenews.com News Source
EXCERPT:
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.
~The Stolen Child, by W.B. Yeats
(Elizabeth Yore) — In 2025, Independent MP Rupert Lowe initiated this independent, survivor focused, public crowdfunded investigation to examine systemic failures of UK police, and authorities into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs. The report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry Reportwas issued last month on June 16 with the critical involvement of Rotherham survivor, Sammy Woodhouse. The inquiry was crowdfunded with funding from over 20,000 UK citizens in the amount of 764,000 pounds, with a public hearing featuring testimony from survivors, whistleblowers, experts, and investigators. The 219-page document details decades of systemic child sexual exploitation of at least 250,000 girls across the United Kingdom who were subjected to gang rape, trafficking, and forced conversions by Pakistani grooming rape gangs.
Although the first grooming gang scandal was exposed in 2003, little was done for years to meaningfully address the child exploitation scandal until the 2014 Jay Report, which investigated child sexual exploitation in the city of Rotherham in north-central England and found that 1,400 children were sexually abused between 1997 and 2013 by Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs.
Joshi addressed the exam leak in May, saying, “The reforms are needed, we are bringing them, but they cannot be done within a year. By next year, technology-driven examination will be there.”
CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das said in an interview with local media ANI following the president’s announcement that the party members will be meeting the new education minister “very soon.”
“Whoever becomes the Education Minister should know that the youth are watching. They will demand accountability,” Das said. “So, when the time comes, work in the interest of the youth. Stop paper leaks.”
BREAKING: Trump admin to fast-track asylum backlog, send applicants directly to judge | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com News Source
EXCERPT:
The new rule “will shorten the total time that it takes asylum officers and Immigration Judges to adjudicate asylum applications.”
The Trump administration has announced a rule change that is set to fast-track the backlog in the asylum system, which will allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer certain applications directly to immigration judges instead of having to go through the interview process with asylum applicants.
The USCIS on Monday said that currently “both USCIS and Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judges adjudicate applications for asylum: USCIS adjudicates ‘affirmative’ asylum applications for aliens who are not in removal proceedings, while Immigration Judges adjudicate ‘defensive’ asylum applications for aliens who are in removal proceedings. Depending on the alien’s immigration status, USCIS will usually either adjudicate the application or refer it to an Immigration Judge, who will then conduct a new review of the application. This essentially allows an alien to get a second chance at asylum.”
Six Muslims Arrested in Foiled Islamic Terror Plot Against Paris Synagogue—Media Blackout Ensues– gellerreport.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Six Muslims in Paris were arrested over a planned Islamic terrorist attack on a synagogue in a Paris suburb. Guns and knives were found in a nearby car.
This does not even make the mainstream news outlets.
Three hundred people were evacuatedfrom a neighbourhood in Sarcelles north of Paris following reports of a suspicious vehicle which was found to contain guns, including “a military-grade weapon”, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. An investigation has been launched by French anti-terrorist prosecutors.(France24)
France Detains Six Over Suspected Plot Targeting Synagogue
PARIS, July 25 (Reuters) – Six people have been held in custody and are expected to face charges over a foiled attack earlier this month that targeted a synagogue in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor said on Saturday.
The six suspects, whose identities were not disclosed, were arrested after about 300 people were evacuated from Sarcelles on July 12 when a suspicious vehicle was found near the synagogue.
The prosecutor said that the plot was linked to Islamic extremism.
Iran Admits to Major Infrastructure Damage from U.S. Strikes– www.breitbart.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian toured transportation and logistics sites damaged by U.S. airstrikes over the weekend, as state media reports implicitly conceded the impact of those strikes was much greater than the regime had previously admitted.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) published a dour account of Pezeshkian’s infrastructure tour on Sunday:
Officials briefed the president on the condition of border terminals, ports, road, rail, maritime and air transport networks, as well as the supply and distribution of essential goods.
Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadegh also presented a detailed report on damage inflicted on ports, border terminals, bridges, roads, railways, logistics facilities and other strategic infrastructure following US attacks.
Pezeshkian ordered faster reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, activation of alternative routes, and measures to strengthen the resilience of the transport network and ensure uninterrupted services.
EXCLUSIVE: Some US Medical Schools May Still Be Promoting DEI Efforts, Watchdog Says– dailycaller.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Some U.S. medical schools may be continuing to promote certain diversity, equity and inclusion ideology in some form, according to emails and meeting notes obtained by Do No Harm.
The University of Iowa (UI) announced in March 2025 that it was shuttering its Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity following a directive from the Iowa Board of Regents. However, DNH obtained a copy of a March 26, 2025 email from a UI employee via a Freedom of Information Act request suggesting that the university’s Carver College of Medicine (CCOM)’s DEI office was “still fully up and running” under a different name despite the other diversity division closing, the Daily Caller News Foundation first learned. (RELATED: Trump-Endorsed Senate Hopeful Championed DEI At University, Records Show)
“Yes, it’s my understanding that the University is closing the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity, effective tomorrow,” per the email obtained by DNH. “Please see the link below for an Iowa Now piece explaining how some of that division’s components are being reassigned or closed, and which components are still under review with future changes pending.”
“Here at CCOM, our Program for Access and Engagement (formerly called the Office of Health Parity, before that the Office of DEI, before that the Office of Cultural Affairs and Diversity Initiatives) is still fully up and running,” the email continued.
Democrat Anti-Justice Comes For Shiloh Hendrix And Free Speech– thefederalist.com News Source
EXCERPT:
If there’s ever a doubt as to how perverse the Democrat approach to the justice system truly is, think back to what just happened to a 37-year-old woman named Shiloh Hendrix.
Hendrix on Thursday was sentenced by a judge in Rochester, Minnesota, to 200 hours of community service and fined $1,000. All of that is for an incident captured on video at a playground last year, wherein Hendrix was seen holding her young child and walking away from a man who was demanding that she speak to him.
If I were a content creator with The New York Times or CNN, this is where I’d leave out all the additional context regarding this incident, but because I’m honest, here’s the rest: Prior to what’s seen on camera, an 8-year-old boy had rummaged through Hendrix’s bag and taken something. Hendrix, who is white, approached the boy and used a racial slur. A bystander who saw the interaction then started video recording, demanding that Hendrix use the slur again.
Mayor Says “Virtually 100%” Of Residents Want Flock Safety Cameras Gone – Town Proceeds To Keep Them– wltreport.com News Source
EXCERPT:
A mayor in California admitted that “virtually 100%” of the people in his town voiced opposition to Flock Safety cameras, urging the city council to remove them.
“I don’t think that I’ve ever in 10 years had an item that’s come before us where virtually 100% of the people gave the same position on it, and including people that are on email,” Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens said.
“Yeah, I’m concerned about the people that came up and said sincerely that Flock is impacting their trust in the police department,” he continued.
Despite this, the Flock Safety cameras will remain.
Zelensky’s Political Storm Starts to Clear– warontherocks.com News Source
EXCERPT:
Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.
Alaska sends over 3,000 letters asking voters to prove citizenship | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com News Source
EXCERPT:
“It is not disenfranchising the individual from being able to vote, but it’s a measure the division has to take to make sure that we only have citizens voting.”
The state of Alaska has sent over 3,000 letters to voters asking them to verify their US citizenship ahead of the August 18 primary. State officials said that the number of letters sent out was unusually high.
The letter asks those who received it to verify their citizenship via phone, email, or letter, but is not requiring paperwork or documentation, according to Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher. The election official told state lawmakers that “a lot of old data was picked up somehow” when it was conducting voter roll maintenance this time around. There are usually only about 200 names when the state election division conducts the review.
The 3,048 letters were sent out as the Trump administration has been pushing for more election security ahead of the 2026 midterms with efforts to pass the SAVE America Act. Earlier this week, revelations about New Jersey’s election showed that 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote, and a preliminary review from the state said that around 400 were able to cast votes in elections.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill blamed the software company that is integrated in the New Jersey DMV system, claiming that a glitch switched tons of noncitizens to being registered to vote. The software company disagreed and said that the fault lies with the state approving noncitizens to vote.
Melania Makes Next Move After Judge Tosses Out Anti-Trump Author’s Lawsuit Against Her– www.westernjournal.com News Source
EXCERPT:
First Lady Melania Trump is no stranger to being attacked.
Whether it’s her, her son, or her famous husband, Trump has taken many of the arrows fired her way by typically taking the high road.
(Though sometimes, like when Rosie O’Donnell smeared Melania’s son, the first lady did fire back.)
It’s rather rare for Melania to ever publicly defend herself from smear attacks. But there does appear to be one topic she seems to care very deeply about: Her alleged relationship with disgraced convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
And Michael Wolff, the author perhaps best known for penning a quartet of largely unflattering books about President Donald Trump, is learning the hard way that Melania truly does not appreciate being linked to Epstein.
According to Fox News, the first lady filed a motion on Tuesday for sanctions against Wolff.