WendyMcElroy.com

From Reason: A $95,000 Fine for Transporting a 6-Pack of Beer Defies the Eighth Amendment, a Supreme Court Brief Argues. The history of the Excessive Fines Clause shows why Alaska pilot Ken Jouppi should not lose his airplane simply because he helped a passenger defy a local alcohol ban. [Ed: not from the Onion...altho so much of life seems like it is these days.]

From the DoDo: Woman Riding Down ATV Trail Finds 10 Tiny Puppies In The Middle Of Nowhere

From the International Man: America Can Print Money—But It Can't Print the Missiles It Needs. [Ed: no wonder China seems so emboldened.] From CBS News: Pentagon inspector general says $22.3B spent on Iran war munitions has caused "strategic inventory shortfalls". From Center for Strategic and International Studies: Six Reasons Why the United States Is Low on Munitions

British Election/Farage. From The Guardian World: Farage says a Reform UK government would stop unions funding Labour if they block £72m donations. [Ed: Labour is threatening to pass retroactive law to prevent him for getting all this money.]

Iran. From i24 News: Report: Chinese satellite images aided Iranian strike that killed 3 US troops in Jordan. Tehran obtained images of the Jordanian base before and after the attack, US officials say, without alleging direct involvement by Beijing From Al Jazeera: Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi drone headed for Mecca. A security alert has been issued in Islam's holiest city. [Ed: a successful attack may well have launched a Muslim Holy War. No exaggeration.] From the Cradle: Amazon Says Cloud Infrastructure In Bahrain, UAE 'Beyond Saving. Engineers still salvaging what they can from the two other battered zones & across the wider Emirati region. [Ed: hit in proxy Iran attack.] From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Europe Oil and US Diesel Crunch Worsens; Tucker Exposes Massive Trump/Israel Bombing Campaign Right After Midterms; Experts Question Survival of Regimes in Saudi Arabia, Jordan

From Deutsche Welle: US scraps greenhouse gas rules for power plants. The Environmental Protection Agency said it was repealing Biden-era limits on emissions made by power plants, in the "largest power sector deregulation action ever." [Ed: this will happen more and more globally as fuel/energy becomes more difficult to obtain.]

AI. From Euronews: Enter the hoax buster: Trump dismisses AI concerns as Europe and China fret. [Ed: I am leaning toward the mostly-a-hoax position myself. But i am open.] From the New York Post: ‘Big Short’ trader Michael Burry slams OpenAI, Anthropic for ‘self-serving’ calls to slow AI – joining backlash. [Ed: self-serving because it would damage their small guy competition or start-ups.] From Zero Hedge: Here Lies The Motive: AI Leaders' Cunning Plan Exposed. Are you scared enough yet (to demand the government save us all)? [Ed: this is speculation...but there is always someone who wants to use panic to get power. And everyone's motives are not the same.]

From AmazingPandPH: Man Let His Dog Outside After A Massive Snowstorm, And What He Caught On Camera Is Priceless

From AP News: Ex-CIA Director John Brennan issued subpoena in Trump “grand conspiracy” investigation, lawyer says. [Ed: the "grand conspiracy" was Biden's DOJ et al attempting to frame Trump.] From Politico: Prosecutor details ongoing 'grand conspiracy' probe into Trump’s enemies. Sweeping probe of Trump’s perceived enemies continues despite resignation of lawyer who led it, court filing indicates. [Ed: the witch hunt against Trump was so damned awful that I hope people are held to account. And, with Trump at the wheel, maybe they will be. Not holding my breath.]

From ABC News: Mayors and states sue Trump over new green card restrictions. The rule would deny green cards for applicants who may use some public benefits.[Ed: Mamdani seems to be taking the lead on this one.]

From Science News: Chemistry textbooks have been getting this wrong for nearly 100 years

Clarity Act. From NPR: A Landmark Crypto Bill Faces Huge Test in Senate. GOP needs Democratic help, but critics are worried about corruption. [Ed: legislative critics of this bill are throwing up any objection they can to see if it sticks. I am not a fan of this bill...but my objections are far different.] UPDATE. From Zero Hedge: Senate Blocks Clarity Act As Cloture Falls Short Of 60 Votes. The House passed its version 294-134 in July 2025...

From the Libertarian Institute: Beware Contrived Scares And False Flags In Europe. The 'Russia did it' attribution landed in the last stretch of the Saxony-Anhalt campaign...

From the DoDo: Stray Dogs Sleep On Porch Of Woman's Airbnb For 4 Days Until She Adopts Them All

From Reason: Thomas Massie Just Filed 8 Articles of Impeachment Against Pete Hegseth. The Kentucky congressman says he will force a vote on removing Hegseth, who is accused of "abusing the power of his office to ignore congressional war powers resolutions, to kidnap foreign leaders, and to intimidate critics of the Trump administration." [Ed: this has no legs except if people take it as a protest against the war in Iran.]

Canada-EU. From the Guardian: Canada could become first ‘associate member’ of the EU, von der Leyen suggests – Europe live. European Commission president says the EU wants to ‘move the partnership with Canada to the highest level possible’. From Deutsche Welle: Von der Leyen eyes Canada as EU's first 'associate member'.

Upcoming U.S. Elections. From Quoth the Raven: AI Just Became A Massive Midterm Election Issue From DOJ Northern District of Texas: Federal prosecutors crack down on illegal voting: Seven non-citizens charged in sweeping federal election integrity operation.

From Politico: FBI’s Kash Patel brawls with Senate Democrats at Judiciary hearing. Democrats’ scrutiny previews how they may try to hold members of the Trump administration accountable if they take the majority after the midterms. [Ed: this was an indication of how awful the personal partisan attacks now are. I couldn't believe Senators were dwelling on bestiality during a public hearing.]

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: A federal judge believes DA Larry Krasner may have broken the law, and he referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. From the Washington Examiner: Soros-funded Philadelphia district attorney insinuates Trump is a ‘35-time felon,’ calling $5,000 dividend a bribe. [Ed: he is correct about the $5,000.]

From Euronews: French police take to streets in mass protest over pay, staffing and resources. [Ed: Macron is in trouble. The two segments of society that a political leader wants NOT to take to the streets in protest are law enforcement and the military.]

From Zero Hedge: Syrian Protests Spread To Aleppo, Raqqa While Jolani Enjoys Red Carpet At Dubai Media Event. ]Ed: Syrian regime is collapsing. Strategically very important.]

From Doggo: Elmer & Ernest: The Basset Hound Duo Everyone’s Talking About

From Market Watch: The future of retirement? Work until you die. Social Security, once seen as ‘old-age insurance,’ will eventually disappear, this author predicts. [Ed: you should never rely on gov. for anything if you can possibly avoid it.]

From the Greater Good: Homeless Dog Leaps into Rescue Van in Search of Family

[bIsrael-Gaza. ]From the Quillette: [/b]Israel's Most Consequential Election. Israelis go to the polls on 27 October. After seventeen years of Netanyahu, former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is in the lead. From the Post Millennial: NY Times Gaza war coverage painted Israel as 'sole aggressor' while Hamas violence disappeared from narrative: Yale study. A peer-reviewed analysis of 1,559 New York Times articles.

From the Volokh Conspiracy: Major Questions, Nondelegation, and the Section 338 Tariffs Against Canada. Why the major questions and nondelegation doctrines bolster the legal case against Trump's Section 338 tariffs.

EU State of the Union. From Politico.EU: 7 things Ursula von der Leyen will say in her State of the Union speech. Here’s what the European Commission president will announce in her biggest address of the year. AND Von der Leyen’s warring EU Parliament allies want her to pick a side. Can she appease them? Last year the State of the Union speech was followed by a shouting match between von der Leyen’s allies. AND Von der Leyen U-turns, will attend landmark Carney speech. Initial decision to skip Canadian prime minister’s speech had raised eyebrows among EU lawmakers. [Ed: sign of Carney's star rising re: EU.]

From Jalopnik: Costco Is Rationing Oil And Doubling Its Price As Supply Dwindles. [Ed: what choice does it have?]

From Jonathan Turley: The Dangerous Evolution of Gavin Newsom.

From Dog Heirs: Dog Guides His Injured Owner 11 Hours to Safety After Their UTV Crashes Down a Cliff. In the pitch-black Utah wilderness, the only light guiding Jake Schmitt through the night came from a tiny LED on his dog’s collar.

Upcoming U.S. Elections. From Reuters: Trump's mail-in voting restrictions blocked by a second judge. [Ed: I agree that it is executive over reach but mail-in ballots are the greatest source of voting fraud. Best to simply NOT vote at all.] From Newser: Supreme Court rejects Trump’s mail ballot restrictions for now ahead of midterms. From the Volokh Conspiracy: Supreme Court Refuses to Block Lower-Court Ruling Against Trump's Mail-in Ballot Executive Order. The decision was 7-2.

AI. From Newser: AI Stocks Drop Worldwide. But gains for other stocks helped steady Wall Street From Commonplace Philosophy: The Quick Case Against Using AI. If AI companies say their products will kill us, we shouldn’t give them money—even if we don’t believe them. [Ed: makes sense to me.] From X, David Sacks: Perspective on AI. [Ed: a must read.]

From Reason: European Cars Are Spying on Their Drivers. The Same Tech Could Be Coming to the U.S. New cars in the E.U. must now have cameras that track drivers' eyes and flag distractions.

Iran. From antiwar: China to the Rescue? Why Only Beijing May Be Able To End the Iran War. [Ed: I think this may be accurate. China is the best chance of being able to push the 'right' people hard enough. But there is so much I don't know.] From Naked Capitalism: ran War: Saudi Pipeline Out for at Least a Month, Further Stressing Energy Supplies; Trump + Israel Readying Post-Midterms Big Attack? Iran Weighing NPT Exit. BREAKING. From Zero Hedge: Supertanker Explodes After Hitting Mine, IRGC Says, & Asserts 'Strait Of Hormuz Is Closed'. Comes within hours of Trump reasserting Tehran is desperate for a deal...

From First Post: Trump proposes another Venezuela-like deal, suggesting US stay in Iran & ‘keep oil’

From the Mises Institute: The Revolution’s Paper Money Legacy. While the American Revolution led to the creation of the United States, it had one sorry legacy: the proliferation of paper money. That scourge still is with us.

From Pomsky Dog: Dad Sets Up Camera To Show The 4 Giant Dogs Going Crazy On The Way To Their Favorite Place

From Lew Rockwell: The 2028 Digital ID Deadline Approaches

Big Picture Economics. From Schiff Sovereign: “Grow Our Way Out of Debt” Is Code for Inflation.

From American Greatness: The Deep State's Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card. The deep state keeps getting caught, and nobody ever pays for it... [Ed: these people make me feel like a fool for being honest.]

Cost of Living. From Mish Talk: Campbell’s and Conagra Warn Higher Food Prices Are Coming for Rest of the Year From the Organic Prepper: 10 Delicious Ways to Preserve Tomatoes. [Ed: canning is something I intend to perfect this winter. Not the ideal season but it is when I have time, and this is all about learning a skill.]

From the International Man: The Builders and the Parasites [Ed: about the surveillance state.]

BRICS. From the Cradle: BRICS Urges 'Maximum Restraint' As US-Iran War Tests Unity At New Delhi Summit. From DigWatch: China proposes five initiatives at the BRICS Summit. From Iran International: Xi’s BRICS peace call sparks debate in Iran over China’s role in war. [Ed: this summit feels different than previous meetings. Seems far more important.]

From the Epoch Times: Air Force Secretary Admits US Has Weapons Deployed In Space. "This is the first time the U.S. Armed Forces have publicly acknowledged the presence of weapons in space..."

From Happy Whisker: Dog Found Wandering Alone In Florida Field Gets A Foster Kitten Who Refuses To Leave His Side

From Quoth the Raven: Everything Just Got More Dangerous. Several warning signs are flashing...together...at exactly the wrong time.

From the DoDo: Security Camera Catches Sneaky Dog Breaking All Her Friends Out Of Their Daycare. “[She’s] a known offender!”

Iran. From CNN: Why Saudi Arabia has few options in its conflict with the Houthis [Ed: a better exposition than I would expect from CNN.] From Bhaskar English: Yemen conflict intensifies between Houthis, govt forces:Rebels launch drone, missile attacks on Saudi Arabia; over 82,000 displaced. [Ed: thank god the U.S. says it is stayingout of this. I hope it lives up to those words.] From News Mobile: Houthis Claimed Saudi Arabia Launched 58 Strikes Across Yemen in 24 Hours

From UN News: ‘Where do we go?’: How Israel’s ‘yellow line’ is closing in on Palestinians. [Ed: I am walking away from watching anything about Palestine on the news for a solid week. It makes me feel awful, and there is nothing I can do about anything happening there.]

From 100 Percent Fed Up: Colorado Crime Analyst Sentenced for Falsifying DNA Evidence — Hundreds of Cases Now in Chaos. [Ed:this woman threw out DNA from rape kits and even homicide...]

From the Guardian: Monday briefing: What do Reform’s record-setting donations mean for the party – and our politics? In today’s newsletter: As Labour MPs scramble to realign later today around a bill that could stop donations like this in their tracks, a look at new game-changing donations to a party engulfed in financial scandals. [Ed: they are going to try and argue that the $ came from foreign sources...which it didn't. Except by twisting logic.] From the Standard: Nigel Farage says £72m donations from crypto billionaires will help Reform prepare for government. From HuffPost: Labour's Huge Commons Majority Would Be Wiped Out In Snap Election. [Ed: the PM was planning a SNAP election, it seems, to counter Farage's advantage. Vote before the $ could have a real effect. Advisors warned against it.]

From Diplomacy and Law: Scotland Independence: Can Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Legally Leave the UK? [Ed: the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland are meeting in Cardiff today to discuss each one leaving the UK. Different paths for each one.]

From I Love My Dog So Much. Service Dog’s Proud Moment When Owner Trades Her Wheelchair For Crutches

BRICS. From Gold Fix: Xi Scolds BRICS/Iran to End War as China’s Patience Grows Thin. Xi Calls on BRICS to Stand on “Right Side of History,” Push for Gulf Peace. [Ed: this may well harden Trump's stance.] From Son of the New American Revoltion: BRICS Steps Off The Dollar, With Iran Pressing Hardest. Drawing the most attention was BRICS Pay, a decentralized payment-messaging framework that stitches together India's UPI, China's CIPS, and Russia's SPFS into a shared interoperability layer. [Ed: dedollarization is the fastest way to destroy American hegemony.]

From Politico.EU: Sweden’s election too close to call after late right-wing surge. With most results in, the opposition left bloc leads by a single seat over an alliance that includes the far-right Sweden Democrats. [Ed: by the time you read this, the election will be settled but there will have to be a lot of cooperation between factions to rule (as they say) "effectively".] AND Sweden’s NATO missions are at risk if the left wins election, warns PM Kristersson. The center-right leader told POLITICO that Magdalena Andersson’s political partners can’t be trusted on defense.

From Zero Hedge: Arab Spring 2.0? Fuel Riots Erupt In Syria As Instability Spreads Across Mideast. "Protests have broken out in different parts of Syria over increased fuel prices, with demonstrators blocking a main highway in Idlib province for several hours."

Saudi East-West Pipeline. From Daily Mail: Iran-backed Houthis take control of island in Yemen to tighten grip on key shipping route as Saudi Arabia pipeline comes under attack from drones launched from Iraqi territory. [Ed: about 4% of the world's oil supply depends on this pipeline.] From CNBC: Oil prices rise after Saudi Arabia shut down critical pipeline that bypasses Strait of Hormuz

From Texas Monthly: Rio Grande's Trouble Is Worse Than Most Realize. Texas Monthly looks at how taps may run dry next year in cities that rely on US-Mexico river. [Ed: in the U.S., Colorado, New Mexico and Texas use water from the Rio Grande. Several Mexican states do as well.]

From Technology.org: The lightbulb moment behind a potential antiviral breakthrough. An unexpected observation by a University of Queensland researcher could lead to a new treatment for deadly infectious diseases including COVID 19, pneumonia in infants and children,?or viral infections caused by Ebola?and?hantavirus. [Ed: thank God.]

From Aleteia: Surprise victory: UK Parliament rejects assisted suicide

AI. From Zero Hedge: Trump Rejects AI "Pause" As Obama Urges Democrats To Regulate It. "Whoever wins AI, wins..." [Ed: the chinese seem to have already won.]

From I Love My Dog So Much: Dog Keeps Asking Mom To Check On Brother After They Lose Someone They Love

Canada-EU. From Politico.EU: The ideas shaping von der Leyen’s pitch to Carney. From defense to critical raw materials, a new wave of EU-Canada agreements is on the horizon. [Ed: much needed. Trump is such a fool for alienating his closest trade partner. And over trade, of all things.] From DW: Canada seeks 'unique alliance' with EU, Carney says. Mark Carney clarified Canada's EU ambitions amid a WSJ report that Ottawa was exploring an "associate membership" with the bloc.

Oil/Energy. from the Epoch Times: Triump Calls on Zelensky to Stop Attacks of Russian Diesel Facilities. [Ed: Trump wants oil/gas to fall before the midterms.] From Zero Hedge: Hormuz Deal Hits Snag: Monday's Gulf-Iran Shipping Talks "Postponed". "In the interests of consensus, the regional meeting set for tomorrow in Salalah has been postponed. We remain committed..."

From the Epoch Times: The Fauci Diary Entry That Explains Why MAHA Must Exist. From the National Review: Should Scientists Decide Policies About Wealth Inequality? [Ed: scientists and other experts are only experts in their own fields, not politics, not the law, not how I should live my life. god protect us from Faucis.]

From Jonathan Turley: The Abolitionist Movement: Professor Argues for “Care and Accountability Circles” as an Alternative to Prisons. The prison abolitionist movement has been gaining steam across the country with the rise of radical left candidates such as New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier, who will soon be a member of Congress.

From People: Dog Gets Trapped Inside Recliner, Prompting Firefighters to Bring in Heavy-Duty Rescue Equipment

BREAKING. From Politico.EU: How to watch Sweden’s election like a pro. Latest polls put Sunday’s vote in NATO’s newest member on a knife-edge. From the Journal: Voting opens in Sweden's extremely close election as far-right eyes government role. The gap between the left-wing opposition and conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s four-party alliance narrowed to a dead heat in the final days of the campaign.

German Elections. From Reuters: After election triumph, German far-right seeks allies to form state government

Iran. From Moon of Alabama. War On Iran: More On Ansar Allah’s Offensive From Simplicius: Ansar Allah Forces Launch Lightning Campaign to Change Region Calculus. Yesterday, Yemen’s Ansar Allah succeeded in a shock capture of a large swath of territory previously held by Saudi-backed national forces

From Zero Hedge: Jeff Currie Warns Odds Of $5 Gas By Midterms Are "Extremely High". "Crude is the signal, and now we think about products ... they are the noise." [Ed: will definitely be a midterm election issue.]

From People: 10-Year-Old Transforms 'Sick and Skinny' Rescue Dog into a Loving '80-Lb. Potato on Legs'

From AFP: Corruption probe targets Brazil presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro.

Food Security. From Independent: Farmers warn British food security at risk after ‘hardest summer in a generation’. NFU published a report revealing the UK’s self-sufficiency had fallen in 10 out of 11 key commodities over the past 30 years. From LRC: I’m a farmer – even three days without crops would be a national emergency for our food system. [Ed: I do not mean to sound like a doom-sayer but everyone should have a few months' food stocked up. Things that last. Things you'd eat anyway.] From X, the Kobbiessi Report: Global food inflation is rapidly rising.

From DW: Why are European banks moving gold out of United States? The Netherlands and France have moved their gold out of US vaults. Part of the reason is fears about the reliability of the US, but equally important is the need to keep gold closer to home in the event of a crisis.

From the Economic Populist: Want a Fair Price? Try a Fake Identity. Chris “the Producer” Parr pulled out all the stops to rig surveillance pricing against itself. [Ed: a must read.]

From Hot Air: A San Francisco Squatter Story for the Ages

From EU Observer: Ukraine’s financial crisis resurrects Europe’s bitter dilemma on Russian frozen assets. [Ed: yeah, what about the bitter dilemma of Russians who entrusted $, which is life, to assholes who promised to secure it?]

From Escalation Trap: BREAKING ANALYSIS: The Red Sea Back Door Slams Shut. Keeping You Ahead of the Risks. [Ed: important.]

From NBC News: Dog makes cell phone call to save owner's life

AI. From Politico.EU: AI leaders endorse slowdown in their risky technology. Dario Amodei, who was the first to call for restraint on Saturday, warned that recent advances have begun to outpace the industry’s ability to fully understand and control the technology. [Ed: I wish I knew how seriously to take such warnings.] From Be In Crypto: Why Are AI Rivals Suddenly Agreeing to Slow Down and Why Russia Says No. From Reason: AI Doom Is Misguided, Not a Psyop. The pro-AI side must avoid succumbing to paranoia and bad faith. [Ed: very pleased to see this article.]

From the Post Millennial: Children of Somali dictator who massacred 200,000 living quietly in Ohio, linked to $1.8M Medicare-funded home health firm

Upcoming U.S. Elections. From G. Elliot Morris: Everyone is wrong about low-turnout voters. From Red State: Firestorm Ignited Over Proposed US Census Rules. Here Is What Citizens Can Do About It. "Every American has until October 13, 2026, to tell the government what he or she thinks about the 2030 Census."

Gavin Newsom. From the San Francisco Standard: Federal criminal probe of Newsom expands; Lurie’s wife Prowda named in subpoenas. Federal investigators seek six years of records involving Newsom’s international travel, outside funding, and expenditures related to his residence and personal expenses. From the Post Millennial: Gavin Newsom's international travel under criminal federal investigation. "The records requested by this subpoena are for use in a criminal investigation pending in the Eastern District of California." [Ed: remember, theinvestigation started under Biden.]

From the DoDo: Shoppers Find A Dog Loose In Meijer Parking Lot — Then They See The Note.

India and BRICS Summit. From NPR: BRICS leaders meet in India as wars and US tensions test the bloc. [Ed: I haven't heard a mention of this on the mainstream media. And it is important.] From the India Express: 6 months into war, Iran and UAE find consensus in BRICS declaration. BRICS calls for restraint, flags sovereignty, threat to civilians, civilian infrastructure, smooth energy flows. From India Today: India Achieves BRICS Consensus, New Delhi Declaration Adopted Amid Iran-UAE Thaw

From Reason: How a Street Brawl Led to a 5th Circuit Case That Casts Doubt on the Constitutionality of Many Federal Laws Challenging his conviction for illegal gun possession, Curtis Squire argues that the Commerce Clause cannot justify bans on intrastate, noncommercial conduct. [Ed: a must read.] From the Firearms Policy Coalition: FPC Asks Fifth Circuit to End Federal Gun-Control Overreach and Commerce Clause Abuse/

From the Daily Signal: Canadians Feel Real Pain in Stage Four of Trade War [Ed: yes.]

From the Guardian: Robert Jenrick faces questions after Reform nets £72m in donations in just 24 hours – UK politics live. Reform UK’s economic spokesperson says donations are a ‘breakthrough moment’ for the party.

From the New York Post: AOC spotted laughing next to Mamdani at 9/11 ceremony — as victims’ families weep during reading of names. "Mamdani was notably left standing alone once Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James and and Sen. Chuck Schumer shuffled out mid-ceremony." From the New Republic: Republicans’ 9/11 Smear About AOC and Mamdani Instantly Collapses. One of Rudy Giuliani’s aides debunked the claim.

Ukraine and Russia. From Dances with Bears: The Two Permanent Wars the Russian Army is Fighting--v. the US and NATO, v. the Russian oligarchy's Allies in the US and NATO.

From Best Friends: She adopted her dream doodle

From Politico.EU: Farage donor scandal turns spotlight on UK polling industry. Former employees and clients of JL Partners say there have been other instances of funders not being declared. [Ed: I'm not sure Farage can pull a rabbit out of hat at this point.] AND Inside Nigel Farage’s battle to get Reform election-ready. The insurgent right-wing force is in a race against time to find and vet candidates before any general election.

From the DoDo: Story Behind The Shot: Photographing Dogs Helped Me Overcome My Fear Of Them. [Ed: beautiful photos.]

Iran. From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Ansar Allah Takes Mocha and the Bab el-Mandeb Islands, Putting Both Chokepoints in Play; Trump Says the War Ends After the Midterms While Vance and Rubio Tell Him January 2029. [Ed: it was supposed to last two weeks.] From antiwar: Trump Says If Iran Had a Nuclear Weapon, He Would Have Politely Called the Supreme Leader Instead of ‘Bombing the Crap Out of Him’. [Ed: this is supposed to discourage Iran from going nuclear! It sounds like having nukes is its best--perhaps, its only--defense against U.S. munitions.] From Drop Site: Many Iranians Forced to Take Out Loans to Pay for Daily Essentials. While the Trump administration’s sanctions are driving many Iranians into debt, there is little indication they will trigger an uprising that would deliver victory to the U.S.

From Jonathan Turley: Lock and [Re-]Loaded: Third Circuit Greenlights Major Challenge to New Jersey Gun Liability Law. [Ed: I think the NJ anti-gun law has little chance of winning against the challenge. Good.]

From the Washington Examiner: SCOTUS must restore property rights before DSA abolishes them

Price of Oil, Gas, Diesel. From Zero Hedge: Huge Fire Along Saudi 'Hormuz Bypass' East-West Oil Pipeline After Alleged Houthi Strikes. Oil prices climb, nearing worst levels of war... AND Dies-aster: California Diesel Nears $10 A Gallon As Global Fuel Crisis Deepens. "MAXXED OUT at $9.999!! GasBuddy data showing 5 stations..." [Ed: gas station signs cannot go over $9.99 9/10.] From US News: The President Says Oil Won't Fall Until After the Midterms. Here's What That Means for Prices.

Food Crisis. From the Business Times: The coming food price shock: How war, weather and fuel are colliding [Ed: I do not believe there will be a 'crisis' in N. America. But food will be more expensive, some brands/items will be difficult to obtain...that sort of problem. Not real hunger.] From the Jacobin: India. The Iran War Is Starving India.

From Purina: Dog Rescues Owner from Freezing N.S. Lake

From Zero Hedge: Trump Broadens Interior's Role In National Energy Emergencies. For the second time in six months, the president expanded the number of Cabinet officials who have emergency powers in energy matters. [Ed: this move, plus ones like snatching Venezuela's oil, make Trump look as though he is preparing for an oil/energy crisis severe enough to require government control in one form or another.]

Ukraine. From CBC: Canada, Ukraine Sign 100-Year, Drone-Heavy Defense Deal. Pact covers trade, investment, energy. [Ed: Canada are now cemented hip-to-hip...for as long as it lasts. I don't really trust 100-year deals. Or 10-year ones, for that matter.] From Townhall: Trump Confirms Call With Putin – but Explains The Biggest Obstacle to Ending the War. [Ed: Zelensky has been and is the single biggest obstacle to ending the war.]

From Breitbart: Lineups, Dates announced for Mark Judge's Anti-Communist Film Festival

U.S., Illegal Immigrants. From Epoch Times: Trump Admin Proposes Excluding Illegal Immigrants From Census Count. The census determines how the 435 seats in the House are divided among states and impacts federal funding... From RTT News: Justice Dept. Sues 4 More States Over Preferential Treatment For Illegal Immigrants. [Ed: for example, if it provides more tuition to Univ. for illegals than for Americans.]

From Happy Doggo: Butterscotch. YouTube of Butterscotch's rescue and journey to her forever home.

State of the European Union address. From Politico.EU: Everyone wants a line in the State of the European Union speech. Lobbyists and NGOs hope their message gets through to Ursula von der Leyen in time for the big speech. [Ed: on September 16. Van der Leyen needs to deliver a WOWSER.]

Humanoids. From the Business Times: From folding clothes to factory work: Why China is sending humanoid robots to school. Embodied intelligence has been identified as a key future industry in the outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. From Supercar Blondie: A humanoid robot has learned to drive a car and it could become the norm sooner than we think. [Ed: I welcome it.]

From the Babylon Bee: White Women Argue Black Men Should Only Have Three-Fifths Of A Jury Vote. "There should be some type of compromise in these situations," the woman said on CBS Mornings. [Ed: refers to the 3/5th rule in Constitution, of course. Refers also to the fact that the 'hold-out' on the Lindsay Clancy jury, who is despised by liberals, was a black man.]