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From Axios: Trump plans "potpourri" prime-time speech Thursday. [Ed: 9:00 p.m. EST.]

Strait of Hormuz From Newsmax: UN Agency Rejects Trump's Hormuz Transit Fees. [Ed: International Maritime Organization.] From Zero Hedge: Trump Backs Off 20% Fee Plan For Hormuz, Asserts 'FULL Blockade' Only On Iranian Ports. ...it's another TACO Tuesday folks. From USA Today: US Central Command Announces Fourth Consecutive Day of Strikes in Iran as Naval Blockade Resumes. From Son of the New American Revolution: Why the United States is Fighting a War in the Strait of Hormuz It Cannot Win.

From I Still Love Dogs: Guide Dog Terrified by Thunder Led Blind Owner to Safety on 9/11

Iran. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: Oil Supplies Will Again Be In Trouble – This Time For Real. [Ed: you and I will pay the price in gasoline hikes.] From antiwar: Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War. A procedural vote to advance the bill fell well short of the 60 votes it needed. {Ed: NDAA=National Defense Authorization Act.]

Fraud. From Just the News: Stealing from Students? Report finds $225M in K-12 fraud found across U.S. over six years. Open the Books, a federal spending watchdog, and the State Financial Officers Foundation, analyzed six years’ worth of reports from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General.

The Digital Total State. From the Rutherford Institute: While The Political Circus Distracts Us, Flock Builds The Digital Police State. "Enter Flock Safety, a private surveillance technology company..." From the Daily Caller: Vigilantes Smash Flock Safety Cameras Amid Surveillance Backlash: 1984 Has Arrived, and People Are Fighting Back. From Joshua Stylman: Why Digital ID Is The Hill To Die On: The Authentication Layer. Digital ID is the gateway to the gulag in the metaverse... [Ed: I think Stylman is correct on his side of the argument.] From High Wire: Eyes on the Road, Camera in Your Face: Europe’s Surveillance Cars Are Coming for America

From Wamiz: “Nobody expected this ending”: dramatic ledge rescue of a dog moves locals

From the Daily Economy: Social Security Is Not a Generational Contract Jul 14. The rhetoric of a “generational compact” sounds compelling until you ask who actually agreed to it — and who pays for it.

Russia-Ukraine. From Forum GeoPolitica: Europe is Teetering on the Brink. The NATO summit sent a message that no one wants to hear. Europe is openly declaring war on Russia—and it’s doing so with President Trump’s full support. AND Kiev Today. An uncensored journey to Kiev—facts and impressions that remain hidden from the West. The unvarnished truth, unfiltered, written by someone from Ukraine. [Ed: a must read.] From Politico.EU: Crimea was Russia’s stronghold. Now it’s a vulnerability. What was supposed to be Vladimir Putin’s crowning achievement has become a military and personal headache for the Russian leader.

From New York Post: Trump-backed Daylight Saving Time bill clears key House hurdle [Ed: I expect this bill to pass the Senate.]

Tech Bubble Bursting? From CNBC: IBM stock craters 25%, the worst day on record, after company issues second-quarter earnings warning. [Ed: $68B wiped out in hours.] From FOX Business: IBM sends 'shockwave' through tech industry with AI warning.

From Ammo: What States Have the Strictest Gun Control in 2026? [Ed: an info-rich study. Hat tip to Sam Jacobs.]

From Dogman Ray: Bear.

From the Washington Examiner: Working-class zeroes: Radical socialist Democrats pretend to be blue-collar allies. [Ed: so many of them have never even held a real job but lived off parents or family money instead.] AND Leftward, ho! How socialists would shape a new Democratic majority.

From Good News Network: Woman Crippled by Alzheimer’s Resumes Lively Conversations After Psilocybin Mushrooms Unlocked Her Memory. "In other words, everything which seems to be taken away by Alzheimer’s may still be there, and that there exists some chemical key that can unlock it."

Mamdani. From the New York Post: Top Mamdani official’s shady meet with Iran ambassador goes beyond NYC agenda. [Ed: the mayor of NYC's office conducted foreign policy?] From the Hill: Trump shares video calling for Mamdani, ‘hardcore communist bastards’ to be deported. [Ed: sometimes it is impossible to tell if Trump is trolling or serious.] From FOX News: Mamdani ripped over record-high NYC rents with critics pointing to policy they say is fueling crisis. Research links illegal immigration to rising rents as NYC Comptroller Mark Levine urges making it easier to build homes.

From Organic Prepper: Thrift Store Preppers: Save Money with Secondhand Survival Supplies. [Ed: my fav place for secondhand survival items is a yard sale.]

Iraq. From AP: US Military Is Exiting Iraq. After 23 years, presence will end by end of September. From Al Jazeera: Trump meets Iraq PM at White House, promises ‘a lot of deals’. Iraqi prime minister says relations with the US shifting from militaristic to economic, pledges disarmament of factions. [Ed: Trump is looking for oil and gas deals to relieve disruptions from Iran.] From Zero Hedge: Great Rewiring: US Supports Iraq-Syria Oil Pipeline To Erode Tehran's Hormuz Leverage. "A State Department official confirmed the US government is supporting efforts by Iraq and Syria to enhance trade..." [Ed: Trump is making this up as he goes along.]

From the Daily Caller: Unearthed Records Reveal Scale Of Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost Text Message Spying Spree. "... Jack Smith and his team peered into the text messages of 44 members of Congress, according to the new tranche of documents." [Ed: and denied under oath that he had done so.]

Graham Platner. From Third Way: The Left’s Three Big Lies Behind the Platner Disaster. From the New York Post: Maine socialists try again — with another he-man fake to sub for Graham Platner. [Ed: once again, endorsed by Bernie.]

From Greater Good: One Traumatized Dog Changed Countless Lives After Everyone Else Gave Up

Lindsay Graham. From Politico: Graham’s death leaves Senate agenda in limbo. The South Carolina Republican was a key player at the center of several major legislative battles. [Ed: this may doom the SAVE Act.] From Son of the New American Revolution: UPDATE: The Lindsey Graham Timeline Does Not Work… He Died in Kyiv. [Ed: ?] From FOX South Carolina: Who is Darline Graham? Lindsey Graham’s sister named interim senator. [Ed: she will serve until Jan. 3.]

From the Epoch Times: Kitten Plays with Wagging Dog's Tail.

The Coming U.S. Election. From Just the News: Evidence mounts of noncitizens reaching voter rolls, casting ballots as DOJ speeds crackdown. [Ed: the next to last Presidential election (Biden won) was the dirtiest I have ever seen.] From Post Millennial: States asking for $1 billion+ in DHS grants will be forced to verify voters' US citizenship. "Election security is national security, and protecting the Nation's critical infrastructure is a top priority."

Iran. From Zero Hedge: Trump Reinstates Iranian Blockade, Stuns With 20% 'Reimbursement Plan' On Cargo Transit, Oil Prices Surge. "Maybe we'll call it the guardian angel of the strait. And we should be reimbursed for that." [Ed: U.S. wants 20% on cargo that goes thru the Strait. Wow!] From Newser: Iran Mocks Trump's Hormuz Fee Announcement. Foreign minister says Iran will provide security in the strait, but '20% is of course too much'. [Ed: links to various news sources embedded.] From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: Escalation – Saudi’s Block Oil – Alleged Recruiting Of Ahmadinejad. From You Tube: Iran's Bridges Are Down, Its Power Grid Is Next — Here's What the U.S. Just Hit.

From the Post Millennial: Sheriff warns Somali gang violence is rising in Minnesota's ethnic enclaves. "If you stay in denial, you’ll never fix the problem." [Ed: the DHS's "Deportation Airlines"?]

Mamdani. From Zero Hedge: Mamdani's Affordability Agenda Flops As NYC Rents Surge To Record Highs. "We don't have a housing shortage. We have an illegal alien invasion." From the Post Millennial: MAMDANI’S NYC: Homeless encampment with drug trafficking, prostitution reaches 12 blocks. “People stopped parking here. People are scared to park here.” From the New York Post: NY sees dramatic exodus of US millionaires — causing nearly $11B loss in tax revenue: study.

From Doog Lovers: From a Concrete Pit to a Loving Home: Leroy’s Rescue Story.

From Good News Network: Simple Shot Shows Promise to Reverse Osteo-Arthritis Within Months, Following Animal Treatments

Everyday Finances. From FOX: America’s retirement system is broken. Trump may have found a bold fix. Trump is eyeing Australia's retirement system as a model for portable retirement accounts. From Moneywise: I’m a 50-year-old man and want to retire by 62. I’m contributing 6% to my 401(k) and have $500,000. Will I reach my goal?

Fraud. From the Washington Examiner: SNAP wasn’t cut. It was caught. [Ed: huge amount of fraud.] From Newsmax: Labor Dept Targets New York Unemployment Fraud. "...unemployment insurance fraud that the department says is costing taxpayers an estimated $2 million a day."

From Townhall: The NYT Tried to Do Damage Control Over Their Whitewashed Graham Platner Story, But It's a Trainwreck. [Ed: it is journalistic misconduct, deliberate and politically motivated.] From the Hill: Graham Platner may turn from a nightmare to a blessing for Democrats. [Ed: no, I don't think so, but it is a different perspective.] From the Post Millennial: Big tech suppressed negative Platner stories. Apple and Google featured virtually no reporting on Platner's controversies for six months, despite numerous outlets covering his Nazi tattoo, Reddit posts and other damaging allegations.

Ukraine-Russia. From Politico.EU: Captured African recruits say they want to go home — to Russia. African POWs have become pawns in Moscow and Kyiv’s battle for influence. From Gilbert Doctorow: Russia is losing the war! [Ed: not a podcast, text.]

From Yahoo: Trump birthright citizenship fight comes roaring back with ‘invaders’ play after Kavanaugh roadmap. [Ed: intoruduced Citizenship Act in Congress.]

From Courthouse News: Judge voids Trump's $1.8 billion settlement with IRS. Trump sued the IRS earlier this year over a leak of his tax returns and settled for $1.776 billion in a deal shot down by a federal judge Monday as "collusion." From MS Now: Judge slams Trump-IRS ‘settlement,’ refers attorney for possible disciplinary actions. The president probably thought his $10 billion case against the IRS was over. That was before a federal court found his lawyers acted in “bad faith.” [Ed: widely viewed as a “slush fund” that would be used to benefit the White House’s political allies.]

From Glambun: Border Collie and Girl Steal the Spotlight at Dog Dancing World Championship. A Performance You Can’t Miss!

From the Epoch Times: Minnesota Gov. Walz Declares Emergency, Calls Up National Guard to Battle Wildfires. The Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota has reported 16 wildfires burning, including four within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. [Ed: it will be a record summer for wildfires, I'm afraid.]

From Townhall: Marco Rubio Just Declared War on the International Criminal Court and International Law From Al Jazeera: Trump administration vows to ‘disable’ International Criminal Court. US State Department ups pressure campaign on international tribunal, threatening allies who support investigations. [Ed: not fond of the global enforcement agency myself. And, no, not an endorsement of Trump.]

From Bangor Daily News: Video shows federal agents pulling man from car after fatal Biddeford shooting. [Ed: ICE kills 26 yr old Columbian man who is here legally. Details are not clear to me yet.]

From the Washington Times: Grateful dog owner describes mountain rescue after canine apparently ingests cannabis

Ukraine/Russia. From Zero Hedge: Ukraine Prime Minister's Shock Resignation Marks Start Of Broader Zelensky Cabinet Reshuffle. Zelensky says Ukraine is "changing its political strategy." From Euromaiden: Russia halts Don-Azov Channel shipping, closes Kerch Strait after Ukrainian tanker strikes. Russia’s border guards, who report to the FSB, gave shipping firms no date for when the Kerch Strait halt would be lifted. [Ed: about 1/4 of Russia's wheat goes thru this Strait.] From Andrew Korybko: Western Officials Should Listen When Trenin Of All People Warns Of Russian Escalation. [Ed: President of the Russian International Affairs Council Dmitri Trenin.]

From the DoDo: Dog Steps Out To Pee, Ends Up Saving A Stranger's Life

From the Daily Bell: Brandon Smith: Why Have Central Bankers Gone Radio Silent On The Digital Currency Agenda?

From Reason: John Fetterman Says He's 'Very Libertarian in a Lot of Ways'. [Ed: I am amazed at how Fetterman turned out to be such a reasonable, even admirable, person.]

From the Daily Caller: Camera Operator Accidentally Reveals Alleged Handwritten Admission of Guilt From Tyler Robinson.

Graham Platner. From Zero Hedge: Maine Dems Will Pick Platner Replacement At Rushed Convention This Month. [Ed: on July 25.] From Financial Times: Democrats’ strategic misfires laid bare by Platner’s implosion in Maine. The party faces a void in its bid to reclaim the Senate after missing warning signs about a flawed candidate. [Ed: they did not miss warning signs. They chose to ignore them.]

From Simple Flying: DHS to Create Its Own Airline for Round-The-Clock Deportations. [Ed: also respond to emergency situations, like tornadoes.]

From Politico.EU: 4 key questions hanging over a Le Pen candidacy. Jordan Bardella has pushed France’s National Rally party in one direction. How far will Le Pen pull it back the other way?

Rubio v. Antifa. From Zero Hedge: Rubio Convenes 60-Nation Summit To Confront Transnational Far-Left Terrorism. "... setting his sights on Antifa." [Ed: currently treated as domestic threat, will now be treated as transnational one.] From Raw Story: Trump admin insiders fear Rubio's antifa hunt will boomerang on them: report

From Nancy Bates: Red Dog: Facts, fiction and folks around the Pilbara Wanderer.

From Al Jazeera: Cuba suffers second island-wide blackout in a week amid Trump fuel blockade. From News.au: ‘Cruel and ruthless’: Nation accuses US of ‘unconventional warfare’ after millions plunged into darkness. A nation has accused the United States of waging “unconventional warfare” after 10 million people were literally left in the dark. [Ed: I hate the policy of making the people suffer in order to slap at the leaders.]

From the Conversation: Why an EU ruling about a traffic app could have major implications for big tech companies.

From Reason: States Will Soon Face Huge Penalties for Their Food Stamp Mistakes. More than $1 of every $10 in SNAP benefits went to people who didn't qualify in 2025. "Thanks to a provision included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act...some states might be required to fund a portion of SNAP benefits from their own budgets."

From Mises Institute: Murray N. Rothbard: Toward a “Science of Liberty” AND Get Your Free July Rothbard Giveaway The Origins of the Federal Reserve! [Ed: highly recommended.]

Iran. From Zero Hedge: US Unleashes More Attack Waves On Iran As Trump Boasts 'We Bombed The Hell Out Of Them'; 5th Fleet Navy HQ Reportedly Struck. Reports of IRGC continuing to fire at commercial shipping... From antiwar: Trump’s New Iran Strikes Are Turning Failure Into a Wider Disaster. "The deeper problem is that Trump has no visible theory of how escalation ends." From Al Mayadeen: IRGC destroys strategic US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan. The IRGC announces four retaliatory operations targeting US military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, including strikes on fuel depots, drone command centers, Patriot systems, and radar installations. [Ed: how long can the retaliation go on without calling this a full-on war?]

Israel. From Anadolu Agency: Israel launches fresh airstrikes in southern Lebanon despite US-brokered deal. [Ed: Netanyahu will do whatever he wants or needs to do ...especially given that he goes to jail once he is no longer in charge.] From Politico.EU: Israel-critical capitals force von der Leyen showdown over illegal settlements. A push for tougher limits on trade with West Bank settlements is set to dominate a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. From antiwar: Strikes on Lebanon Continue as Israeli DM Says They Are ‘Applying Rafah Model’ Antiwar

From CNN: Mitch McConnell Breaks Silence. McConnell says after fall he suffered mild pneumonia, remains in rehabilitation care.

From Guiness World Records: This good boy loves tennis balls so much he broke a record

Graham Lindsey. From Politico: ‘A key link’: Trump’s Senate whisperer is gone. Lindsey Graham’s death deprives President Donald Trump of one of his most effective Capitol Hill operators — and leaves Senate Republicans without one of their strongest links to the White House. AND The Many Lives of Lindsey Graham. A look back at one of the Senate's most influential and complicated figures. [Ed: unfortunately, one of his main influences was as a warhawk.]

Germany. From DW: Are German companies leaving the country? [Ed: they should be.] From Responsible Statecraft: Euroskeptics in France, Germany suddenly gain steam in elections. From Counterfire: Class and war on the shop floor: German car workers up in arms. [Ed: Germany is deliberately destroying its industries/economy in pursuit of insane Green goals.]

Farage. From Politico.EU: Whitehall blob — and neutralize Farage. The war on civil service consensus is deeply personal to Britain’s incoming prime minister — and aimed at seeing off right-wing populism. From the Independent: Reform leader acted incorrectly over gifts, says new poll as approval ratings slip. Mr Farage is facing scrutiny over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire and a £1m donation from convicted fraudster George Cottrell’s mother. [Ed: I hate to say it, but Farage may have put himself out of the running. An unforced error.]

From Venezuela Analysis: Who Is in Charge in Venezuela? VA columnist Jessica Dos Santos explains how the Trump administration is increasingly running Venezuelan affairs, from hijacked export revenues to boots on the ground.

From FOX 2: Canine bite expert says ‘Phineas the dog’ not guilty of biting child.From the Kansas Star: Dog at the center of Missouri legal case apparently safe.

Hat tip to David.

The Declaration of Independence reads: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

According to Roger Williams in Free and Unequal: The Biological Basis of Individual Liberty, . . .[the] “free and equal” phrase in the Declaration of Independence was an unfortunate paraphrase of a better statement contained in the Virginia Bill of Rights. . .“all men are by nature equally free and independent.” In other words, men can be equally free without being uniform.

I vote for #2.

BREAKING. From NBC News: Sen. Lindsey Graham Passes Away Unexpectedly at 71 Following “Sudden Illness”

Iran. From US Central Command: U.S. Forces Finish Latest Round of Strikes Against Iran. [Ed: hit approximately 140 targets.] From Al Jazeera: Iran war live: Tehran attacks Jordan, Gulf states after US bombardment From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Iran Rejects Trump 24 Hour Ultimatum; US Launches Intense Attacks With Kuwait and Bahrain; Iran Closes Strait of Hormuz, Starts Counter-Strikes; Rumors of Mining of Oman Channel

From Simplicius: Russian Oligarch's True Warning Hidden in Plain Sight [Ed: a must read.]

From Esquire: The State of The American Dog, the Pit Bull.

Farage. From the Independent: Nigel Farage latest: Britons back Count Binface in new Clacton by-election poll amid Reform donations row. Mr Farage is facing scrutiny over a £5m gift from a crypto billionaire and a £1m donation from convicted fraudster George Cottrell’s mother. From Harwich and Manning Standard: Nigel Farage: New game with Binface for Clacton by-election. [Ed: if this becomes a farce, it could really damage Farage.] From Craig Murray: The Ditching of Nigel Farage.

Fraud. From Gulf Today: Medicare’s approach to halting fraud is paying off. [Ed: prevention.] From Indian Express: ‘American jobs not for foreign fraudsters’: JD Vance as US launches major H-1B visa fraud probe. The investigation is being led by the Department of Labour's Office of Inspector General, which said it has uncovered alleged schemes involving fraudulent visa applications, exploitation of foreign workers and practices that may have undercut American workers. [Ed: you can have welfare or loose/open borders but not both. Anyone coming to work should not be a problem.]

From AP News: Detroit-Canada bridge to open by late July after delay due to issues between countries, sources say. [Ed: Trump is what happened. He wanted to cut the profits on something built with Canadian money. As it is, they sruck a deal to share tolls.]

AI. From the Washington Examiner: Americans still believe in work. The AI crowd hasn’t gotten the memo. [Ed: I doubt the universal gov. checks recommended will ever materialize.] From Inside Higher Ed: Brown Professor Suspects Majority of His Class Used AI To Cheat. [Ed: tests have to be in-person.] From Financial Post: AI Echoes the Dot-Com Market Split as Iran Threat Creeps Back.

From Cato Blog: Settle v. Collier: Juries, Not Judges, Should Decide Factual Disputes Surrounding Police Use of Force

From the DoDo: Man Checks His Security Camera — And Sees A Bin Full Of Babies In His Driveway. He immediately rushed home.

Ukraine-Russia. From Andrew Korybko: The European Parliament’s Criticism Of Zelensky’s OUN-UPA Glorification Is A Positive Step

From Indian Express: Why Trump administration subpoenaed New York Times reporters over Air Force One security report. NYT reported that the subpoenas relate to two reports published this week examining security concerns surrounding Trump's new Air Force One, a Boeing aircraft gifted by Qatar that entered service last week. [Ed: looks like they want to ID the leak in security.]

From the Daily Economy: ‘Guns Versus Butter’: Tracing the Dark Origins of a Classic Economic Model. The phrase’s apparent origins in Nazi Germany — and its grim use during the 1930s and 1940s — highlight a basic truth: prioritizing guns over butter ultimately imposes the cost of lower living standards on ordinary citizens.

Housing. From CBS: Bipartisan housing bill automatically becomes law after Trump refuses to sign it. [Ed: from what I hear, it is not an awful bill. But Trump is threatening to leave everything unsigned until the SAVE Act goes through.] From Time: We’re Conservative Republicans. The SAVE Act Is a Mistake. From Wolf St.: Supply of Existing Single-Family Homes Jumps to 10-Year High, Condo Supply to 14-Year High. Sales Slip Deeper into Deep Freeze. Mortgage Rates Rise to 6.49%

From People: Florida Inmates Will Cuddle Shelter Dogs Who Are Distressed by Fireworks this Fourth of July.

From ABC: More Americans say the country is in cost of living crisis, doubt government can fix it From David Oks: Why American ambulance rides are so expensive

From Sam Husseini: Plans to End Aid to Israel — and Replace it with Something Worse. Rahm Emanuel saying this basically tells you that anyone else saying this now is actually a genocidal maniac (or a total fool). Obvious cover for their crimes. [Ed: a must read.]

From Newsmax: Federal Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Ban on Semiautomatic Weapons. [Ed: probably will go to SCOTUS which will probably reverse the decision.]

Graham Platner. From PJ Media: QUELLE SURPRISE! New York Times Blames Platner on — You Guessed It — President Trump. [Ed: yep. This kneejerk reaction takes the place of real analysis that could correct mistakes in approach and help the situation.] From Naked Capitalism: The Graham Platner Affair. "Watch how the Party decides, and whom they nominate. Will Maine get a Harris-like coronation? A loyalist, solid pretender, or someone more real?"

From Newsweek: Nurse adopts the patient's 13-year-old dog after ill health forced him to give it to the local humane society. She now gives him daily visits with his pup while he is in rehab.