Zero Rss

BritCard Is Dead: Burnham Kills Starmer's £1.8 Billion Digital ID To Pay For An Energy Tax Cut

Ten months ago Keir Starmer warned that anyone without a government digital ID "will not be able to work in the United Kingdom." On Tuesday - day two of the Burnham premiership - the scheme was formally killed off.

It wasn't the nearly 2.9 million people who signed the petition. It wasn't the civil liberties groups who dragged it through Parliament. It died because the new Prime Minister needed £1.8 billion to scrap VAT on electricity bills.

In his first major act in No 10, Andy Burnham announced that VAT will come off domestic electricity bills from October 1, timed to land before the next Ofgem price cap. Qualifying small businesses, charities and care homes benefit too. New Chancellor John Healey - installed Monday evening after Rachel Reeves was shown the door - said the move "is funded this year from cancelling the Digital ID programme," which the government prices at £1.8 billion over three years.

So ends BritCard: sold as the answer to illegal migration, buried as a line item in somebody else's tax cut.

A Short, Unhappy Life

None of this will surprise regular readers. When Starmer unveiled the plan last September, officials admitted its "efficacy depends on everyone having them" - universal or nothing. The pitch was border control. The architecture, as we noted at the time, was always closer to population management: only around 40,000 of the nearly one million migrants who arrived last year came by small boat. A universal ID for the entire country, aimed at the smallest slice of the problem it was sold on, was a problem-reaction-solution classic.

What followed was mission creep at record speed. By October it had become a bait and switch. By January ministers were floating digital IDs for newborns - cradle-to-grave tracking for a £1.8 billion program. Nearly 2.9 million people signed a petition, forcing a Parliamentary debate, and by mid-January the government had dropped the mandatory right-to-work requirement, the load-bearing wall of the whole project. Big Brother Watch's Silkie Carlo said taxpayers should not be footing "a £1.8 billion bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless." Ministers pressed on anyway with a voluntary version that was never the optional convenience they claimed.

Now even that shell is gone - cancelled not on principle but for parts.

Follow The Money

Whether the money is actually there is another question. The Times reports the VAT cut is fully funded. The OBR counters that the £1.8 billion Digital ID budget was never funded in the first place, which means cancelling it pays for nothing. At least one former minister has said flatly that the cut is unfunded. The government's own release concedes that "updated costs will be set out at Budget" - the arithmetic, in other words, arrives later. More giveaways are already queued: a 20 percent business-rates cut for hospitality within days, per HuffPost UK, and a £2 bus-fare cap as soon as Wednesday.

Gilt traders ran the same numbers and reached the same place. The 10-year yield jumped 8 basis points to 5.04 percent on Monday as Burnham's early remarks stoked fears of a looser fiscal stance, then pared the move once Healey - the former defence secretary who quit Starmer's cabinet over defence funding - took the Treasury instead of Ed Miliband, who was packed off to the Foreign Office. Yields fell across the curve Tuesday morning in evident relief, with sterling steady near $1.344. Relief is not confidence. British 10-year borrowing costs are still the highest in the G7, and every unfunded pound of Burnham's day-two populism gets marked to market eventually.

What Actually Died

To be precise about the corpse: what was cancelled is the standalone national BritCard programme, and nothing else. It does not touch Gov.uk One Login and its millions of enrolled users, the Gov.uk Wallet, or the Online Safety Act's age-verification regime, which as we reported in June was already working as a backdoor identity mandate for every phone in Britain, with Google and Apple building the plumbing.

Schemes like this also have a habit of returning under new names with smaller line items. A government that just banked £1.8 billion in savings that were never there knows exactly where to find another £1.8 billion next year.

Still, take the win. Nearly three million signatures couldn't kill BritCard. One expensive winter did. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 05:45

German Motorists Flood Czech Border As Fuel-Price-Cap Ends

Via Remix News,

German motorists formed kilometer-long lines at Czech gas stations on Sunday as they rushed to take advantage of lower prices before the government’s fuel cap expired.

Stations near the German border were overwhelmed by drivers seeking cheaper gasoline and diesel, with footage showing long queues at some locations.

According to Echo24, fuel in the Czech Republic was as much as €0.80 per liter cheaper than in Germany.

The surge came shortly before regulated pricing ended and the Czech fuel market returned to market-based rates.

Prices began rising at several stations on Monday morning, with diesel generally recording the sharpest increases.

At a PRIM station in Prague’s Dolní Počernice district, diesel rose by 2.40 crowns (€0.10) to 39.90 crowns (€1.65) per liter. Natural 95 gasoline increased by 1.40 crowns (€0.06) to 40.90 crowns (€1.69).

At a Shell station in Prague’s Chodov district, diesel increased by one crown (€0.04) to 41.90 crowns (€1.73) per liter. Natural 95 gasoline rose by 0.60 crowns (€0.02) to 43.10 crowns (€1.78).

Analysts had expected diesel prices to climb by as much as three crowns (€0.12) per liter because a temporary reduction in the diesel excise tax expired alongside the price controls. Smaller increases were forecast for gasoline.

The government introduced the measures in April after oil prices rose amid the conflict in the Middle East.

The Finance Ministry imposed daily maximum prices based on wholesale costs and capped retailer margins, initially at 2.50 crowns (€0.10) per liter and later at three crowns (€0.12).

The cabinet also temporarily reduced the diesel excise tax from 9.95 crowns (€0.41) to 8.011 crowns (€0.33) per liter. The gasoline tax remained unchanged at 12.84 crowns (€0.53).

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová previously said the diesel tax reduction cost the state budget around one billion crowns, approximately €41.3 million, per month.

Schillerová said the government would continue monitoring the market and could reintroduce regulation if fuel prices rise sharply or conditions on global oil markets deteriorate.

The cabinet also temporarily reduced the diesel excise tax from 9.95 crowns to 8.011 crowns per liter. The gasoline tax remained unchanged at 12.84 crowns.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová previously said the diesel tax reduction cost the state budget around one billion crowns per month.

Schillerová said the government would continue monitoring the market and could reintroduce regulation if fuel prices rise sharply or conditions on global oil markets deteriorate.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 05:00

Drone War Enters Terrifying New Phase As Russia Deploys 300-MPH Jet-Powered Shahed

Dramatic footage posted on X shows what appears to be a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered, one-way attack drone striking a passenger train in Ukraine.

If authenticated, the footage shows just how rapidly drone warfare is evolving beyond conventional two-stroke power plants toward miniature turbojets that sharply increase speed, compress warning and response times, potentially render many existing small-drone interceptors ineffective, and accelerate the overall tempo of combat across modern battlefields.

Here's the footage:

A video has emerged documenting the moment when a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered OWA-UAV impacted a locomotive of a passenger train in the Ukrainian settlement of Solone, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/RRUl8x7NBM

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) July 20, 2026

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence recently published a report on Russia's new jet-powered strike UAV, known as the Geran-4.

The report said the Geran-4 entered combat in May and can exceed 300 mph, climb above 15,000 feet, and deliver a 100- to 200-pound warhead against targets up to 279 miles away.

Powered by Chinese-made Telefly turbojets, the Geran-4 compresses Ukraine's detection and engagement windows while forcing Kiev to deploy faster and more expensive interceptor drones and missiles.

Reuters published a report Tuesday noting that Ukrainian drone manufacturer SkyFall unveiled a new high-speed interceptor at the UK's Farnborough Airshow designed to counter these new Russian jet-powered drones.

Ukrainian company SkyFall introduced the P1-SUN Jetkiller, an accelerated interceptor drone designed to counter Shahed-type drones. It reaches speeds of up to 370 km/h, compared with 310 km/h for the standard P1-SUN variant. Development took around three months.#SkyFall #P1SUN pic.twitter.com/HmTClD0OkF

— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) July 21, 2026

 We warned in May: "And just wait until micro jet engines become standard on suicide drones ..." 

Read: Logic Of Violence: We Are Nowhere Near The Endgame In Drone Wars

Last drone coverage:

• Anduril Unveils Tiltrotor Killer Drone Straight Out Of 'Terminator'
• Watch: Aerial Drone Airlifts Kamikaze Ground Bot Into Battle As Warfare Automation Accelerates
• Why Is China Advertising Insane War Drones On Facebook
• Fiber-Optic Kamikaze Drone Found In Mexico Signals New Drone Threat South Of Border

Counter AUS coverage:

• "Sub-Second Detect- To-Fire": Futuristic Dome Turret Could Be US Military's Answer To Drone Swarms
• US Military Races To Harden Strategic Nuclear Bases With Counter-Drone AI Shield

The world is becoming a dark and dangerous place as drones and robots become weaponized. Humanoids will be next. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 04:15

Poland's Planned Megaport Is Part Of Its Regional Power Play

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

Poland will become indispensable to Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary’s global trade upon the completion of this project, thus securing their place within its “sphere of influence” and reducing the likelihood that German-backed Ukraine “poaches” them as part of their rivalry for regional leadership.

“Notes From Poland” reported that “Poland has begun construction of a 10 billion zloty (€2.3 billion) deepwater port and container terminal in the city of Świnoujście, near the German border…The facility will also be designed for both civilian and defence use…Deputy infrastructure minister Arkadiusz Marchewka said the terminal would serve not only Poland but also markets including eastern Germany, and the landlocked Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary, reports Business Insider Polska.”

This megaproject is part of Poland’s regional power play in which it envisages becoming the leader of Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) through diplomatic, security, and connectivity means, the first two of which were elaborated upon here while the third concerns the “Three Seas Initiative” (3SI). The last-mentioned involves dual-use connectivity infrastructure such as that which Poland is now building in Świnoujście, which also hosts an LNG terminal that could supply Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.

They and Poland are coincidentally the states that new Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar proposed merging into a sub-regional integration bloc that would combine the Visegrad Group (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary) with the Slavkov format (Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria). While they’ve yet to implement his idea, Polish influence over those four will grow upon the completion of Poland’s new 3SI-connected Świnoujście megaport, which will facilitate the expansion of their global trade.

It also goes without saying that their import of American LNG via the Świnoujście terminal would do the same, with both Polish initiatives serving to show just how important that country is poised to become to CEE in the evolving post-conflict order. Another poignant observation is that Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia all refused to finance the EU’s new €90 billion loan to Ukraine, over half of Austrians want their government to stop financing it too, and Poles are rapidly souring on Ukraine as well.

With all this in mind, Poland already basically leads an unofficial bloc in CEE comprised of countries whose societies and governments alike (Austria’s being the notable exception as regards the latter) are known abroad for their increasing criticism of Ukraine, which most recently ruined its ties with Poland. Zelensky’s state-level glorification of the Volhynia Genocide’s OUN-UPA culprits sparked so much backlash that even the country’s ruling Ukrainophilic liberal coalition was forced to harden its approach.

“Poland Finally Realizes The Geostrategic Challenge Posed By Ukraine” as its German-backed competitor for leadership over CEE. In particular, “Ukraine’s Planned Drone Plants In The Baltics Are Part Of A Plot To Outflank Poland”. Even if Poland “loses” the Baltics to Ukraine, and recalling that Ukraine already beat it in the Balkans (for now) as proven by six regional leaders recently paying political pilgrimage there, Poland could still count Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary within its “sphere of influence”.

Joint German-Ukrainian leadership over the Baltics and the Balkans would still overshadow that achievement, and Poland would then face challenges to its political sovereignty and strategic autonomy, but it would still have a fighting chance at avoiding full-blown domination.

Therefore, the grand strategic significance of the Świnoujście megaport is that it’ll prevent Poland’s isolation in the aforesaid scenario by making it indispensable to its landlocked allies, after which it might try to “regain” the Baltics one day.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 03:30

India Summons Russian Envoy, Furious At Mass Casualty Tanker Strike In Black Sea

Tit-for-tat attacks on shipping between Ukraine and Russia have ratcheted of late in the Black Sea. At least half a dozen commercial vessels have been attacked in these waters over the past two weeks alone. The situation is almost becoming akin to a Hormuz crisis in its own right, as oil transit slows.

Tragically, there's a mounting death toll among crew members caught in the crossfire. One of the biggest single casualty events - if not the biggest - was the result of a Russian attack on the Golden Leo, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship, on Sunday.

Ukrainian Navy/Telegram

Three cruise missiles reportedly hit the vessel, killing ten people, including four Indian citizens. The other dead were from Syria, and one Ukrainian, and the incident has outraged these countries, especailly India.

Throughout the Ukraine war India and Russia have remained key energy trading partners, but this Black Sea incident has introduced fresh tensions.

India’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that it summoned a senior Russian diplomat to fiercely protest the attack and deaths of Indian nationals.

"Such attacks undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce," India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement upon summoning Russian chargé d’affaires Vladimir Ladanov.

New Delhi further expressed "grave concerns and unequivocal condemnation" of the attack and told Ladanov to convey to the Kremlin that "the targeting of commercial shipping and the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives are unacceptable and must be avoided."

Ukraine has also been drastically escalating its attacks on Russian vessels, including so-called 'dark fleet' tankers.

As we featured previously, these attacks reached a peak by mid-July: Ukrainian forces struck 17 Russia-linked oil tankers, 2 gas carriers, and one tugboat early on July 15, drone unit commander Robert Brovdi said at the time.

Meanwhile, more reports of tanker attacks off Black Sea coast emerging by the day:

🇷🇺🇺🇦 A Liberian-flagged LPG tanker, "Gas Lisbon" bound for Ukraine was hit off the coasts of Romania.

All 17 crew onboard were evacuated by the Romanian coast guard, with three injured.

This comes after the new sea blockade imposed by the Russian MoD on Odessa. pic.twitter.com/iC53Y8QW9y

— Spetsnaℤ 007 🇷🇺 (@Alex_Oloyede2) July 21, 2026

"The first round of the naval battle is over," the commander wrote, referring to the Sea of Azov, where Ukraine had focused its drone attack efforts in the past few weeks, alongside targeting refineries deep into Russian territory.

"Now, the Black Sea," Brovdi said, confirming that Ukraine’s campaign to strike oil and gas vessels is indeed expanding to the Black Sea, a key export route for crude and fuels from the south of Russia.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 02:45

The UK Censors The Net 'For The Children'

Authored by Ted Newson via AmericanThinker.com,

Outgoing British prime ministers have a tendency to rapidly expand the remit of the state in their final days.

Theresa May tied a Net Zero target into law, Rishi Sunak implemented a generational smoking ban.

Keir Starmer is no exception.

The British state has now outlawed social media usage for those under sixteen.

On June 15, Starmer stood at Downing Street to announce that Britain would ban under-16s from social media, after intense pressure from campaigners. Possibly his last meaningful political action before resigning on June 22. Additionally, the now-departed PM has left the door open to curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds. The country that gave the world the liberal philosophy America's Founders drew on is now imposing digital ID and information bans.

The justification is public safety. A framing that has a habit of expanding well beyond its original scope. Banning under-16s from social media is framed as "giving children back their childhoods"; in reality, it has a much darker undertone.

Not all social media is created equal. Depending on how they’re put to use, these platforms can serve as invaluable educational resources. Excessive social media use, as a substitute for going outside, is the real issue that studies show.

As state education systems become increasingly politicized, social media can give curious minds access to alternative perspectives that will help them make sense of the world for themselves. While recently social media algorithms have pushed people into more radical politics, the solution is to change the algorithm, not the user.

My teen years were shaped by non-mainstream thinkers from across the political spectrum. At that time, the UK had a centrist government and a narrow Overton window. In the classroom, there were ‘politically correct’ and ‘politically incorrect’ opinions. To explore views the British commentariat either ignored or scorned, I looked to YouTube. The Oxford and Cambridge debates I found there at fifteen took every viewpoint as worthy of criticism, debate, and rebuttal.

As someone who now works in politics, having the ability to watch ‘adult’ debates from a young age expanded my mind and helped me in learning some key skills for the future. This kind of intellectual curiosity is exactly what under-16s should be showing. A blanket ban on usage will only stunt the growth of the next generation.

The philosopher John Stuart Mill argued that the state may only restrict liberty to prevent harm to others, not to protect people from themselves. A teenager on Instagram harms no one but possibly themselves. That, by the oldest principle in liberal democracy, is their business and their parents', not Starmer's.

An aggressive form of state parenting would at least be understandable (though still unfair) if applied across every facet of young people’s lives. At sixteen you can join the army, have a child, and under Labour's own proposals, vote; but apparently you cannot be trusted with Instagram.

The ban doesn’t make sense for teens, but they’re not the only ones who will be affected. Enforcing the ban will require a system for online age verification. Think digital ID checks for the entire population. The House of Lords has even voted to force VPN providers to implement digital ID to close the workaround.

What could possibly go wrong? Data breaches leading to all manner of harm, that’s what.

This level of paternalism isn’t just in British politics. Despite the various flaws exposed by an Australian social media ban, Spain, Greece, and Slovenia are working on bans of their own. France is also expected to implement an under-15s ban. America must resist the pressure of the bipartisan “child safety” coalition in Congress and resist any expansion of KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act). Not only does age-gating the internet push children onto unmoderated dark-web-adjacent sites, it opens up the rest of the population to providing vast amounts of their personal data to social media companies to appease the government.

What Starmer called putting "power back in parents' hands" actually means handing your passport details to a social media company and handing permanent regulatory power to the Secretary of State; with no sunset clause, no parliamentary override, and no expiry date. It is no longer the case that parents get to decide their own social media policy for their children, the government must go above parents in deciding what is best for children. Ultimately, this leads to people having less individual agency when deciding things. The state, apparently, knows better.

Parents should be allowed to decide what their children see. If they want to use YouTube as an educational tool for their kids, they should be allowed to do so at any age. As things stand, a child aged fifteen would be able to watch Baby Shark videos on YouTube Kids, but be barred from accessing a college lecture.

America was built on freedom and individual rights. It is for that reason, it is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. U.S. lawmakers should resist the urge to follow the rest of the world into overregulation, paternalism, and mass surveillance. Britain is discovering what happens when the state appoints itself the parent of a nation. America was founded precisely to prevent that.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 02:00

Spain's World Cup Hero Rocks 'Make Spain Great Again' Hat

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

Spain are the world champions again. Ferran Torres came off the bench and smashed home the only goal of the 2026 World Cup final in the 106th minute against Argentina. The next day, as the open-top bus rolled through Madrid and nearly two million Spaniards packed the streets, the hero of the final stood shirtless, draped in the national flag, and wearing a bright red baseball cap that read "Make Spain Great Again."

The image spread instantly. It was impossible to miss the deliberate echo of President Donald Trump's signature slogan. Trump himself had been on the pitch the night before at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, presenting the trophy and medals to Spain's players after their hard-fought 1-0 extra-time victory.

Torres later said of the winning goal: "I think in the end the goal came from 47 million people, not just those of us that are here. Today destiny was written, it was made for us to win. We're far from our people today but we tried to be as close as possible to them."

?BREAKING: Spanish footballer, Ferran Torres, wore a "Make Spain Great Again" cap at their World Cup celebration

The far-left Spanish government does NOT represent the people! ?? pic.twitter.com/8eYnve2x1Y

— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) July 20, 2026

The far-left government of Pedro Sánchez does not speak for those 47 million. Many Spaniards are fiercely patriotic. They do not like what is being done to their country.

?? | Ferrán Torres con su gorra de «Make Spain Great Again» durante la celebración del Mundial en Madrid. pic.twitter.com/qvo9kpNhl1

— ???Q??s (@herqles_es) July 20, 2026

While the players celebrated a second World Cup title, the same government that waved them off continues to flood Spain with mass illegal immigration, grant amnesties to hundreds of thousands of undocumented arrivals, and watch as public services buckle and crime statistics turn ugly.

In April, Sánchez's socialists pushed through a royal decree granting legal status, work permits, and benefits to roughly half a million illegal migrants - potentially as many as 800,000. The result was immediate chaos. Thousands of military-aged men swarmed consulates in Madrid, Bilbao, and Almería, clambering over security gates and forming kilometre-long queues to obtain the paperwork needed for the amnesty.

Registry offices across the country collapsed under the pressure. Migrants camped overnight. Local officials reported daily requests at social services centres jumping from 1,500 to 5,500 in Madrid alone. Municipal unions warned of "extraordinary pressure" and deteriorating service quality. One official, Jose Fernandez, said bluntly: "I think a hasty decision was made, perhaps even intended to create a collapse."

Days later the scenes grew more extreme. Crowds of undocumented migrants stormed the Gambian embassy in Madrid, scaling walls and fences in desperation to secure documents under the same regularisation process.

Patriots who dared to protest the amnesty were met with violence. In Granada, roughly 40 left-wing extremists tried to shut down a Vox rally. Red paint was thrown, police formed cordons, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal had to confront the mob himself.

"They are preventing us from carrying out this act freely," he said. Abascal has repeatedly described the policy as an "invasion" that is accelerating the "thirdworldization" of Spain. "Tomorrow this chaos will move to the health centres, to the social services, to the real estate agencies... It's already happening. Our priority is to reverse it, radically."

Sánchez defends the amnesty as "an act of justice and a necessity." In a letter to citizens he claimed migrants "already form part of our everyday lives" and insisted Spain "is the daughter of migration and will not become the mother of xenophobia."

Globalist money man Alex Soros publicly praised him, declaring the move showed "what real leadership looks like" and adding, "We need more elected leaders like him!"

Ordinary Spaniards see something very different. A July 2025 poll for El Mundo found 70 percent support mass deportation of illegal immigrants - including majorities of Socialist voters. Support reached 92 percent among Popular Party voters and 89 percent among Vox supporters.

The crime data explains why. Foreigners in Spain commit five times more rapes and four times more murders per capita than Spanish citizens. They make up 31 percent of the prison population.

In Catalonia, migrants - 17 percent of the population - account for 91 percent of convicted rapists. Rape reports nationwide have tripled in six years, from 1,878 in 2019 to 5,206 in 2024. Over the last decade the increase stands at 322 percent, far above the EU average of 150 percent.

This is the Spain that Ferran Torres and his teammates returned to as champions. A country whose people still wave the flag, still fill the streets in the millions for a national team victory, and still remember how to sing songs the authorities would prefer they forgot.

During the Euro 2024 semi-final against France, Spanish fans joined others in belting out a controversial melody that UEFA had tried to ban because right-wing crowds had turned it into an anthem against mass migration.

The contrast could not be sharper. On the pitch and in the streets of Madrid, Spaniards celebrated national excellence and belonging. In the corridors of power, the Sánchez government continues to prioritise open borders, globalist applause, and the steady erosion of the very identity that produced a world-beating football team.

President Donald J. Trump presents the World Cup Trophy to Spain, the 2026 @FIFAWorldCup Champions! ? pic.twitter.com/SHsoBhYm1b

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 19, 2026

Trump, who handed over the trophy, later said of his interactions with Spanish officials: "I spoke to Spain and I congratulated them on having a great team. I really spoke to a lot of people. I have no tension with him. I have no tension with anybody."

? PRESIDENT TRUMP ON PEDRO SÁNCHEZ:

"I spoke to Spain and I congratulated them on having a great team. I really spoke to a lot of people.

I have no tension with him. I have no tension with anybody." pic.twitter.com/bQIYrbtW4f

— America News (@AmericaPartyX) July 20, 2026

The tension that matters is not between presidents. It is between a far-left elite that treats national identity as an embarrassment and a people who still know what it means to make Spain great again.

Torres did not need a press conference. The red cap said enough. For millions of Spaniards watching their services strain, their streets change, and their crime statistics climb, the message landed exactly as intended.

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Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 23:25

'Birthright Senatorship'? - Graham's Sister Announces Bid For Full Term As Mace Opts Out

Three days after President Trump publicly urged her to run, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday afternoon announced that -- unsatisfied with serving as an obviously unqualified interim senator through January -- she will run for the full six-year-term that starts in January. The development seemed to brush another potential candidate off the plate, but another one joined the field on Monday. Possibly seeing Trump's endorsement as too ridiculous to be fully intimidating, others may join a field that officially has five candidates.  

Hard pass. Birthright senatorship is idiotic. https://t.co/RRQbCrNEDl

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 20, 2026

Graham's sister made the announcement on Sean Hannity's Fox News show on Monday night, but a clip of her declaring that she'd run was posted earlier that afternoon, perhaps with the intent to discourage other candidates from filing when the window officially opens today; it closes on Tuesday the 28th: 

“I’ve made a decision. I’m in... I can’t see it any other way. I just don’t. I’ve thought, and I’ve prayed, and he’s worked so hard for so long. I just, I can’t just let that die. I’ve got to step in and carry on his legacy. I know he cared about the people of South Carolina so deeply. He worked so hard for them, and I feel like I can do that, too.”

To be clear, Lindsey Graham's "legacy" centers on relentless advocacy for bloody, expensive and often counterproductive regime-change interventions around the globe, to include collaborating with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to persuade Trump to launch a war on Iran on false premises, and fostering the ouster of Ukraine's democratically-elected president before then leading the charge to pour billions of dollars of weapons into an economy-damaging proxy war against Russia. 

I cannot begin to fathom having no political involvement, tragically losing my brother or sister, and then a week later launching a political campaign saying I deserve their seat.

The elites don’t care about representing us. To them voting is just an annoying formality. https://t.co/QTk48IHnOb

— Dan Bostic (@danbostic) July 21, 2026

The start of the new week also brought us a rebranding of Graham's sister. When South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed her to be a placeholder for the remainder of her brother's term that ends in January -- and in the days since -- she was universally referred to as Darline Nordone or Darline Graham Nordone. With her announcement, she's suddenly "Darline Graham," even though she remains married to Larry Nordone, about whom very little is publicly known.

The Darline Graham relabeling is obviously meant to capitalize on name recognition, which, aside from the Trump endorsement, is her only political asset. She has never held an elected office. She's commissioner of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, and previously held a communications role in the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department.  Ever the Trump today, Hannity tried using Monday's softball interview to polish Darline Graham's thin resume. "You've had your own life and success," he said. "You have been the commissioner of South Carolina's commission for the blind. You've held this position since 2019. It's a 130 person agency, $90 million budget you ran, 10 offices across South Carolina ... you've got a lot of experience."  

Darline Graham, who seemingly buys her ladies' US-flag brooches at the same place as Mark Levin, called herself Darline Nordone up until Monday

At least one potential opponent seemed to find Trump's endorsement sufficiently threatening: Rep. Nancy Mace, who's poised to hand over her House seat in January after having foregone reelection for a failed bid for governor, had teased at a run on social media within hours of Lindsey Graham's death. On Monday, however, Mace announced she will not enter the GOP special primary election that will take place on Aug. 11, with a potential run-off of the top two finishers on Aug 25. “I’m not running for the U.S. Senate, not because I’m backing down from a fight, but because the one I’m already in matters right now,” she said, referring to her work on laws to protect women and girls who are victims of sexual misconduct. 

Undaunted, Congressman Russell Fry jumped into the race on Monday. Fry was reportedly hand-picked by Trump to unseat Republican Tom Rice in 2022, as payback for Rice's vote to impeach Trump over the Jan 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riot. He won and is considered close to the Trump team. “There is no other way to put it: Lindsey Graham was one of a kind. There is no replacing him. But I believe the best way to honor his legacy is to fight alongside the President just as steadfastly as he did,” Fry said in a statement. Hedging his bets, Fry will also continue pursuing reelection to the House.   

South Carolina - meet your new Lisa Murkowski!

She will be the Senator that represents your grandchildren.

And you had no say in it at all. https://t.co/AfmCebOhlX

— Dan Bostic (@danbostic) July 20, 2026

Nordone Graham and Fry join a field that includes businessman Mark Lynch, who was trounced by Lindsey Graham in the June GOP primary; Duke Buckner, a lawyer who has previously run for the state's heavily-Democratic 6th Congressional District seat; and US Rep. Ralph Norman. At 73 years old, Norman's age might be a liability, but he's picked up endorsements from Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Turning Point Action and Nancy Mace. 

The winner will go up against Democrat pediatrician Annie Andrews, who previously failed to unseat Mace, and who has founded a PAC focusing on issues like climate change, gun control and voting rights. Before Lindsey Graham suddenly died on July 11 from an aortic dissection, the Cook Political Report rated the South Carolina seat "Solid R." That's unlikely to change no matter who wins the Aug 11 GOP primary.

The big question is whether Trump's endorsement and outside spending in a very short race can overcome Darline Graham's lack of credentials -- and perhaps some reluctance among South Carolina Republicans to see their Senate seat treated like inheritable property. So far there's no indication there will be a debate among the candidates. That's a shame for South Carolina voters, but Darline Graham must be relieved that she won't have to face at least four other candidates and a moderator grilling her on a variety of national and international issues she likely knows very little about and has even less experience articulating. 

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 23:00

Data Centers Were Responsible For 46% Of PJM's Last Four Capacity Auction Costs

By Ethan Howland of UtilityDive

Data centers are responsible for $6.3 billion, or 38%, of the $16.4 billion in charges from the PJM Interconnection’s just-held capacity auction, Joseph Bowring, president of Monitoring Analytics, said in an email to Utility Dive. Monitoring Analytics is the grid operator’s independent market monitor.

In PJM’s last four base capacity auctions, data center-driven capacity charges totaled $29.4 billion — 46% of the $63.6 billion in total capacity charges in that period, Bowring said. Monitoring Analytics plans to publish its analysis of the most recent auction in a few weeks, he said.

PJM isn’t fully grappling with the ramifications of data center development, according to Bowring. “PJM is continuing to act like it’s business as usual,” he said in an interview on Friday. “You have to open your eyes and recognize that it is really a paradigm shift, and failing to do that imposes costs on other customers.”

Ratepayers in PJM are not only paying capacity charges for existing and potential data centers, they are paying for higher energy and transmission costs data centers have caused, according to Bowring.

PJM’s capacity auctions and the price of electricity has become a major political issue in the grid operator’s footprint, which includes 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states and the District of Columbia. In September, governors from PJM states formed a collaborative to advocate for their interests with the grid operator.

On March 4, Google, Meta, Microsoft and other data center companies pledged at the White House that they would protect consumers from price hikes due to data center energy and infrastructure requirements.

However, meeting that pledge is impossible in PJM under its current rules, according to Bowring.

“There’s only one way to do what hyperscalers agree is the right thing to do, and that is to run a separate auction,” Bowring said. “That’s good for the hyperscalers … because it allows them to get capacity and be served reliably, and it’s good for other customers because it separates out the impact from the data center.”

First, data centers and other large loads should contract for their own generation, according to a proposal the market monitor made last month as part of PJM’s fast-track stakeholder process for a backstop reliability auction. For those that can’t bring their own generation, PJM should hold separate auctions to procure their capacity supplies under 15-year contracts, Bowring said.

PJM buys capacity ahead of time — normally three years in advance — based on its demand forecast. However, it is unclear exactly how much data center load will materialize, adding uncertainty to the forecast.

While PJM has tried to make its data center forecasts more accurate, there is growing opposition to data centers across the United States, with some major projects getting canceled, Morningstar DBRS said in a report released Monday.

“As states consider new taxes, restrictions, and moratoriums on data center growth, escalating stakeholder opposition could become a material credit factor, potentially weakening data center project credit quality by reducing development visibility, increasing regulatory risk, and challenging assumptions around the pace and certainty of future AI-driven capacity expansion,” the credit ratings agency said.

Under Monitoring Analytics’ auction proposal, removing data centers — and the uncertainty around their future loads — from the base capacity auction ensures ratepayers won’t pay for unneeded capacity.

PJM’s board is developing a backstop auction proposal for data centers that it aims to file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission this month so the auction can take place in September.

Under a plan that received the most support in the stakeholder process, utilities and other load-serving entities, and potentially data centers themselves, would ask PJM to buy a specific amount of capacity in a one-time auction. PJM staff proposed that it would procure in a one-time auction the shortfall from its last base capacity auction — about 6.8 GW.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 22:35

CIA Distances Itself From Trump's Iran War With Media Leak

It seems that CIA and other US intelligence officials hope to distance themselves from Trump's Iran war, now with the US-initiated conflict having dragged on for nearly five months (with no end in sight), after White House officials had in the opening days touted a swift, limited military excursion. 

They are leaking intelligence to the press which shows they have assessed that current American strikes on Iran are unlikely to change Iran's negotiating position. With tankers in Hormuz on fire and others too afraid to move, Iran is vowing that it will keep its leverage over the strait at all costs.

The Washington Post report says that "Iran's government is unlikely to feel significant impact or soften its negotiating position as a result of new rounds of U.S. military strikes like those now underway, according to a new intelligence assessment described by current and former U.S. officials."

To a large degree this intel assessment is stating the obvious, which should have been well understood far in advance. It seems intel officials want to get it on record that they predict a quagmire as the White House seeks to extricate itself and the global economy from the crisis (of its own making) in the Gulf. Escalation in air strikes will only further stalemate the situation, the intel analysis forecasts. 

Stating the obvious is further on full display in lines from the WaPo report like the following: "Analysts at American spy agencies also have concluded that Tehran and Washington are, for now, stuck in an indefinite limbo between peace and war, the officials said — an uneasy dynamic given the increasingly deadly nature of the tit-for-tat hostilities between the two nations. The current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the assessments because of their sensitivity."

President Trump has reportedly been briefed on the assessment. According to more:

The latest intelligence report was written primarily by the CIA, where analysts have underscored the Tehran regime's staying power despite the loss of many of its top leaders and much of its military hardware to U.S. and Israeli attacks. In May, a CIA analysis concluded that Iran could survive a U.S. naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more severe economic hardship.

As of Monday, Trump previewed harder hits on Iran to come after the killing of multiple US troops in Jordan and neighboring Iraq. At least two died during a ballistic missile attack in Jordan, while one service member was killed in northern Iraq.

Intelligence agencies don’t need to report on what’s obvious to the naked eye https://t.co/SiH44i1Qj5

— Ali Vaez (@AliVaez) July 21, 2026

Again, here's more of the obvious from the Post report:

Jonathan Panikoff, former deputy U.S. national intelligence officer for the Near East, said that the Trump administration appears to believe that if it keeps hitting Iran harder militarily, Tehran eventually will become more flexible. “That assessment is almost certainly incorrect,” said Panikoff, senior director at the Atlantic Council think tank.

Iran’s government has repeatedly shown that its number one priority is survival of the regime, and that it is willing to suffer blows despite the harm to its people and economy, he said.

It's quite the irony when the hawks have lost even the Atlantic Council.

But a number of more independent-minded analysts have predicted this would spiral into a quagmire from day one.

Trump Bubble still believes Iran will break if they keep bombing it, because that's how it's supposed to work. Langley assesses Iran won't break & Trump is an idiot, and they want it public so that CIA isn't blamed when shit goes bad to worse.https://t.co/2hqS0xJj7z

— Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) July 21, 2026

"We need to give honest answers to direct questions like this," University of Chicago political scientist Robert Pape said Sunday. "The bottom line is there's absolutely no doubt President Trump underestimated Iran."

"We are still continuing to underestimate, in my opinion," Pape said. "We're having a very hard time, as countries do, seeing the nationalist fighters on the other side of the battlefield. And those are burning quite bright now in Iran."

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 22:10

DOJ Probing Harvard Over Financial Aid Programs Linked To China-Based Sources

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

The Justice Department (DOJ) said on July 20 that it was investigating whether Harvard University violated Title VI by excluding American students from financial aid programs funded by China-based sources.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on July 4, 2025. Learner Liu/The Epoch Times

The DOJ announced that Harvard's foreign funding disclosures raised concerns about its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin.

Universities are required by federal law to report gifts and contracts from foreign sources that exceed $250,000 in a year. Harvard had disclosed nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding, of which $630 million came from sources based in China - the university's largest source of foreign funding - the department said.

According to the DOJ, Harvard appears to accept funds from China-based sources that require the university to establish financial aid programs "with preference given to students from particular countries."

"Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens - doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it," Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, said in the statement.

The department said it notified Harvard of its compliance review through a notice letter but emphasized that it has not reached any conclusions about the investigation.

Dhillon said in the letter that the investigation would focus on "possible national origin discrimination" in Harvard's student aid and benefits arising from "restrictions in grants and gifts received by Harvard from foreign funding sources."

Harvard said in a statement to news outlets that it was reviewing the DOJ's notice.

"Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid," the university said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that education cooperation between the two nations is mutually beneficial.

The Ivy League university has been at the center of broader federal efforts to enforce anti-discrimination laws under Title VI. Last year, federal officials opened an investigation into reports that the Harvard Law Review employed "race-based criteria" for its journal membership and article selection process.

In March, the Education Department launched two probes into Harvard, one to determine whether the university used race-based preferences in its admissions process and another to investigate allegations of ongoing anti-Semitic harassment on campus due to the war in Gaza.

Harvard has made public its internal reviews addressing anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents, and said it is in compliance with federal civil rights laws while working to foster an inclusive campus.

Kimberly Hayek and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 21:45

Oklo, X-Energy Join $200 Million Federal Nuclear Push For AI: Bloomberg

Bloomberg reports that reactor developers Oklo and X-energy are joining a $200 million Trump administration-led program designed to speed new nuclear power plants for artificial intelligence data centers.

Details could be announced Wednesday at a Department of Energy AI energy summit. Microsoft and Nvidia are also involved in the previously announced initiative, while several DOE national laboratories and the University of Texas at Austin are slated to share $60 million over three years, according to a document seen by Bloomberg.

“Among the goals of the latest initiative are steep reductions in time needed to design, license and build new plants, as well as cuts in the number of staff needed to run them”

X-energy jumped as much as 12% after hours, while Oklo gained as much as 9.9%.

The program reportedly targets steep reductions in the time and workforce required to design, license, build and operate reactors. It would join a rapidly expanding federal nuclear support stack:

• Westinghouse fleet program: At least $80 billion of aggregate project value for new AP1000 reactors, with the government arranging financing and facilitating approvals.

• US-Japan partnership: Up to $40 billion of Japanese-backed investment for GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 projects in Tennessee and Alabama.

• Gen III+ SMRs: $800 million in cost-shared DOE awards, split between TVA’s BWRX-300 project and Holtec’s SMR-300 project.

• Reactor Pilot Program: An expedited DOE authorization pathway for 11 initial projects, with developers responsible for project costs.

• Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program: Roughly $3.2 billion in federal cost-share commitments for TerraPower’s Natrium and X-energy’s Xe-100 demonstrations.

Compared with those capital-heavy programs, the new $200 million effort appears aimed at a different choke point: potentially using AI, federal labs and industry partnerships to compress the paperwork and engineering timelines standing between reactor designs and power-hungry data centers.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 21:20

India Keeps Buying Russian Oil At Near-Record Pace Despite Expired Waiver

Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com,

India's crude oil imports have remained close to record-high levels in July despite the end of the U.S. waiver the previous month.

The U.S. quietly let the waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil loaded on tankers expire on June 17, just as the U.S. and Iran signed the memorandum of understanding to continue negotiations on a deal.

Yet, Indian imports of Russian crude has continued to flow in July, many of which may have been cargoes that were arranged during the window covered by the U.S. waiver.

So India's imports of crude oil from Russia have averaged 2.45 million barrels per day (bpd) so far this month, according to data by Kpler cited by Indian media.

The July imports from Russia are not far off the record high level of 2.64 million bpd in June, when India boosted purchases from Russia, encouraged by the U.S. waiver that has been extended by a month a few times since March.

The Iran war and the Hormuz crisis further cemented Russia's position as the single largest crude oil supplier to India

So far in July, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has ranked second, supplying an average of 617,000 bpd, while Saudi Arabia has been India's third largest supplier with 586,000 bpd in early July, per Kpler data.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have workarounds to ship crude from terminals outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia has redirected most of its shipments to the Yanbu export port on the Red Sea, while the UAE has relied on a pipeline to Fujairah and ship-to-ship transfers on tankers offshore Oman and the UAE east of the Strait of Hormuz.

Going forward, Russian crude will remain a key source of oil supply for India even if the U.S. doesn't renew the waiver for Russian crude already loaded on tankers, analysts say.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 20:55

Ukraine's Army Chief Latest To Fall Victim To Zelensky's Risky Reshuffle 

Zelensky strikes again in another major military firing, amid his promised big cabinet and military 'reshuffle'. 

The Ukrainian president announced Tuesday that he was dismissing Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of country's army, and appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty in his place. Syrsky was in the post for nearly two-and-a-half years, since February 2024.

Now former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky

"I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapaty... I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrsky and to each of our warriors for Ukraine's strong front-line positions," Zelensky unveiled in a post on Telegram.

The decision comes just days after popular 35-year old defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov was sacked, despite his reputation for orchestrating the ramped-up drone war on Russia.

And the defense chief's removal had come soon on the heels of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko's surprise ousting last week, upon which Zelensky in a suggested a broader government overhaul was underway. "Ukraine is changing its political strategy," he made clear.

President Zelensky's Tuesday evening address included mention that he had offered ​former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov ​a "decent post" to oversee the technological ⁠component of the ⁠state.

The remark of taking care of Fedorov is a clear attempt to calm masses of Ukrainians who took to the streets in a rare wartime protest over his shock removal.

Zelensky has said he is doing all of this as part of a new strategy to take the war to Russia and its territory.

"A significant path has been walked, Ukraine’s defense continues, and every soldier deserves proper respect," Zelensky said. "I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrsky and to every one of our soldiers for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions."

"Tomorrow we will formalize all decisions. Ukraine must emerge from this situation stronger, and it will become harder for Russia," he said.

The past week has witnessed some high drama within the top echelons of defense ranks, as Kyiv Post explains:

Fedorov said after his dismissal that he had pushed for Syrsky’s removal, accusing the commander-in-chief of blocking military reforms, and calling for changes in the military’s top leadership while defending his own record on robotics, drones and air defense. Under Fedorov’s tenure, Ukraine deepened its reliance on unmanned systems for dangerous frontline missions. Since January, the military has carried out more than 50,000 logistics and evacuation missions using ground robotic complexes (GRCs) in order to preserve soldiers’ lives in high-risk situations. 

In a rare personal column, Syrsky broke silence and apologized to ousted Fedorov, saying he had no knowledge of their conflict before it spilled into public view. “For me, it was a surprise to learn that the minister and I had a conflict. I saw our relationship as a working one, with difficult questions and different positions” Syrsky wrote. “If I offended someone with something: Mykhailo Albertovych [Fedorov], I’m sorry. I can be tough,” he continued.

When you've lost The Economist...

Ukraine’s government is in a crisis of its own making. Firing Mykhailo Fedorov, the reformist defence minister, has galvanised street protests. Calls to push out Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief (pictured), who feuded with Mr Fedorov, are growing. Volodymyr Zelensky must… pic.twitter.com/Hr4SUNUlwM

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) July 20, 2026

All of this raises serious questions for Ukraine's current narrative that it now has the momentum against Russia. If things are going so well, then why undergo risky and drastic leadership changes.

It could be that things are actually not going well and the nature of Ukraine's drone warfare is necessarily limited in scope. It might get media-capturing hits on Russian oil depots, but Russian forces by many accounts keep grinding forward slowly and methodically on the front lines in the east.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 20:30

Thousands Of Noncitizens Registered To Vote In New Jersey, Governor Admits

Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times,

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said a software error in the state's Motor Vehicle Commission system resulted in roughly 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens being registered to vote between June 2023 and June 2024.

New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), speaks to the media after casting her vote in Montclair, N.J., on Nov. 4, 2025. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

Sherrill said in a statement that the individuals answered "no" when asked on a keypad whether they were U.S. citizens while applying for driver's licenses or identification cards, but were registered because of a software error.

According to the governor, a preliminary analysis found that fewer than 400 individuals who were newly registered because of the error voted. She said those voters were registered as Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters and were located throughout the state.

The governor said the issue occurred under the previous administration. She said she has directed her chief counsel to investigate what happened and ordered election officials to remove any residents who were erroneously added to the voter rolls during that period.

In a press conference, the governor said the error was fixed in June 2024, but she learned about it recently.

Sherrill also said the Motor Vehicle Commission administrator she appointed has begun replacing the vendor responsible for administering the system.

Sherrill said she was "appalled" by what she described as failures that allowed the error to occur and said those responsible would be held accountable.

She also accused the Trump administration of attempting to "weaponize elections for political gain."

The White House said in an email to The Epoch Times that the New Jersey error highlights the need to pass the SAVE America Act, which Republicans say is necessary to ensure election integrity.

"Democrats and their media allies have repeatedly said it is impossible for noncitizens to register to vote, let alone cast a ballot. Time and again, they have been proven wrong," White House Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated.

"As President [Donald] Trump has said, there is nothing more important than the integrity of our elections. And this latest incident underscores the absolute necessity of the SAVE America Act. American voters deserve to have confidence that our elections are safe and secure - President Trump will never stop fighting to make that happen and all patriotic Americans should join in his effort."

The governor said the state would continue taking steps to ensure that only eligible citizens vote and that lawful votes are counted.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 20:05

'I See Dead People': Treasury Blocks $99 Million In Federal Payments To Deceased Americans

The Treasury Department announced Tuesday morning that it has successfully implemented new safeguards to prevent government payments to dead people in an effort to reduce waste and fraud.

The verification system includes screening 885 million federal payments against expanded death records, effectively auditing payments totaling nearly $2.7 trillion.

It has already flagged and stopped payments totaling roughly $99 million that had been marked to be sent to dead people.

"Treasury has delivered on a key promise of President Trump’s mandate to stop improper payments and fraud before money leaves the Treasury, and strengthen the integrity of the federal payment system," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

"Together with Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, this new safeguard addresses a longstanding vulnerability and helps ensure every dollar the federal government spends reaches its intended recipient. Treasury will continue efforts to modernize the federal payment system, strengthen safeguards against fraud and improper payments, and protect taxpayer dollars."

As Jack Phillips reports for The Epoch Times, while speaking to Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on July 21, Bessent said his office believes there is “up to $350 million that we can stop before the end of this year” in line with Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force that was initiated earlier this year.

“This number might be up to $500 billion, which is about 1.66 percent of GDP,“ he added, referring to potentially improper payments that could be blocked.

”So that could go a long way towards paying down the debt, providing more services. And this is just the start.”

In February, Trump signed the “Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act,” which authorizes the Treasury Department to access the Social Security death master file to evaluate payments.

Access was initially granted on a temporary, three-year basis through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed in 2021, according to the Treasury.

In March, Trump signed an order to establish the Vance-led task force to investigate the federal government’s “vast benefits system for citizens in need that includes housing, food, medical care, cash assistance, and more” while stating that some states have not implemented “basic fraud controls.”

Vance in May said that the fraud task force has located and “exposed billions of dollars in benefits that have been stolen from the American people” in two months.

He cited fraudulent payments sent out through small business loans, Medicaid reimbursements, and COVID-19-related relief programs.

In early 2025, the Elon Musk-associated Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was established to look into fraud, waste, and abuse across the federal government. DOGE recently announced that its mandate ended on July 4.

At one point, DOGE staffers were investigating Social Security payments and records for possible fraud. DOGE’s access was the subject of numerous lawsuits before the Supreme Court ruled in DOGE’s favor last summer. The task force in May 2025 said it performed a “major cleanup” of the agency’s records, finding that 12.3 million people in the system were marked as “deceased.”

The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request on Tuesday for additional comment on the figures that Bessent provided.

Bessent added in a statement that the department will “continue efforts to modernize the federal payment system, strengthen safeguards against fraud and improper payments, and protect taxpayer dollars.”

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 19:40

"Who The F**k Is This?": Jon Stewart Thinks He Discovered Trump's Body Double

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

Jon Stewart spent a chunk of Monday's Daily Show convinced America had just unlocked a secret presidential spare after spotting a mysterious figure strolling behind President Donald Trump on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.

The late-night comic was already deep into his usual routine of roasting Trump when he focused on the appearance of someone who resembled the President in the background of the Trump's gaggle with reporters.

Stewart had been needling Trump for lingering onstage during Spain's trophy celebration after their 1-0 win over Argentina, calling him "Cankles Muldoon" and asking, "What the f*ck are you doing on the stage? It's for the players!"

"Is that a backup Trump?!" — Jon Stewart shocked by what is going on in the background during Trump's interview pic.twitter.com/eeici9NQfL

— HatsOff (@HatsOffff) July 21, 2026

He then played the clip of Trump telling reporters the tournament was "four times greater than any FIFA ever held," before the president upgraded the claim: "That is probably about five times actually, they're telling me today."

Stewart's response: "How do you hold 'a FIFA'? How could our FIFA be four times greater than any other FIFA? ... Is that what they told you? You know, they're telling you that because everyone around you lies to you because you're a little baby."

Then the host slammed on the brakes.

"What's up with the guy behind Trump? Can we see that again? Can you bring that out? Who the fuck is this guy? Who the fuck is this? Is this... What? Who in the world is it? Oh my God! Is that a back-up Trump? Is that - Wait a minute, wait. Hold on a second."

He kept going, fully committed: "Wait, what? Wait, Who? What? Is that a back-up Trump or is that Trump? Wait, is the one we've been dealing with back-up Trump or is that Trump?!"

The resemblance was close enough that Stewart's brain briefly short-circuited. The man walking the tarmac had the same build, the same hair energy, the same general aura of someone who could probably get away with signing an executive order if no one looked too closely.

Spoiler: it wasn't a body double. It was Viktor Knavs, Melania Trump's 82-year-old father and the president's father-in-law. The Slovenian businessman has been a quiet but regular presence around the Trump family for years, and the two men have always shared a certain physical similarity that becomes especially obvious when one of them is casually strolling into frame behind the other.

President Donald Trump and Viktor Knavs, father of First Lady Melania Trump, walk off Marine One on the south lawn of the White House pic.twitter.com/MZmrHu4oxc

— FLOTUS Report (@MELANIAJTRUMP) May 5, 2025

Still, Stewart's "backup Trump" theory is too good to fully discard.

Given the number of threats and actual assassination attempts this president has already survived, having a ready-made spare on the payroll doesn't sound like the worst idea in the world.

Full Stewart video below:

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 19:15

"Safeguard Our Homeland": FCC Moves To Ban Foreign Military-Grade Drone Imports

A little more than a week after we exposed military-grade interceptor drones being openly marketed on Facebook as dual-use technology by a Hong Kong-based company, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced a proposal to prohibit the importation and sale of foreign-produced military-grade drones in the U.S.

"Today, the FCC took additional action to safeguard our homeland. We have proposed banning the sale of foreign, military-grade drones, including those capable of swarming," Carr wrote on X, adding, "Another step to strengthening and securing America's drone supply chain."

Today, the FCC took additional action to safeguard our homeland.

We have proposed banning the sale of foreign, military-grade drones—including those capable of swarming.

Another step to strengthening and securing America’s drone supply chain. pic.twitter.com/XZWGSKZF5G

— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) July 21, 2026

Carr published a public notice in which the FCC is seeking comments on a proposal to prohibit the continued importation and sale of previously authorized foreign-made military-grade drones and critical components to buyers outside the U.S. government, including systems with swarming capabilities.

The notice stated that these dual-use drones "pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons"…

Our July 13 report, titled "Why Is China Advertising Insane War Drones on Facebook", turned some heads when we showed readers just how easy it was to acquire interceptor drones from China.

The Hong Kong seller we spoke to provided a pricing sheet within minutes... 

Earlier today, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine warned during a Senate hearing about the dangerous new world in which these low-cost drones are proliferating.

Gen. John D. Caine warns enemies are gaining dangerous new capabilities through cheap, widely available drone tech.

He says the battlefield now stretches from the seabed to space, and America must be ready to fight everywhere at once.

Watch OAN on OAN Live for updates. pic.twitter.com/YCdBhcU84i

— One America News (@OANN) July 21, 2026

The federal government knows a domestic drone incident involving a threat actor as a question of when, not if. That view is accelerating the race to harden US airspace around military installations, critical infrastructure, mass gatherings and other high-value targets.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 18:50

Cuban President Warns "McCarthyism Is Back" As US Begins Fight Against Marxist Subversion Networks

One day after the US government convened delegations from 65 countries at the Harry S Truman Building in Washington to coordinate action against far-left extremism and Marxist subversion networks across the West, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded sharply in a post on X, signaling grave concern that the Trump administration intends to unleash a new era of McCarthyism to combat the "radical left."

"A new and more dangerous version of McCarthyism is back in the United States," Díaz-Canel wrote on X one day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent postured and essentially declared war on the radical left, Marxist groups, and foreign subversion networks.

Díaz-Canel visiting the grave of Karl Marx 

Why would Díaz-Canel care about Rubio and Bessent combating the far-left NGOs on US soil?

Well, as a State Department report released on Monday showed, "For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States."

For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States.

The State Department is exposing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our country.

The American people deserve to know.…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 20, 2026

We explained in December how Cuba's subversion networks are run, and at the center of the influence network is the now-sanctioned Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples, known as ICAP. The organization claims more than 2,000 affiliated solidarity groups across 150 countries.

Former Cuban intelligence agents cited in the State Department report allege that roughly 90% of ICAP personnel are connected to Cuban intelligence operations. So this basically means ICAP functions as the intake valve for the National Network on Cuba (NNOC), a deliberately loose coalition that links 77 left-wing activist organizations, nonprofits, and campaigns while minimizing legal exposure and clear command structures.

Notice that the Democratic Socialists of America are members of NNOC. Also, it is worth noting that the DSA has said they are "partners" of sanctioned ICAP.

It now makes sense why the DSA wants to "destroy America from within"... Cuban communists feel the same way. 

Díaz-Canel sees US pressure tightening around Havana as a wake-up call for him and his communist partners. The era of far-left activists and US political leaders participating in workshops with Cuban communist organizations appears to have come to an abrupt end.

The Trump administration's campaign to dismantle foreign-backed influence and subversion networks linked to Cuba and China could significantly weaken Havana's ability to shape radical movements across the American left. With elements of the DSA embracing revolutionary rhetoric that even establishment Democrats have rejected, the effort to expose and disrupt Marxist networks could develop into a rare bipartisan national-security initiative. We suspect that's already underway.

Democrats have become so radical that now lefty Bill Maher is contemplating a vote for JD Vance.

Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 18:00

This Sex Robot Is Going To 'Teach' Your Kids In Schools

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

A rural New York school district on the Seneca Nation reservation is set to become one of the first in the United States to place a lifelike humanoid robot in front of high school students.

Starting this fall, Salamanca High School will introduce "Sally," an M-Series robot built by Realbotix, to assist in coding, robotics, and AI classes for 11th and 12th graders.

Sally comes with brown hair, silicone skin, a Western New York accent, upper-body movement, and facial expressions. She remains seated and cannot walk the room. Students will log in with unique identification codes so the machine can recognize them and pick up previous interactions.

New York school district to become one of the first in the United States to introduce a humanoid robot in the classroom.

'Sally' will have a Western New York accent and will teach 11th and 12th-grade students at Salamanca High School.

Sally costs less than the average teacher's... pic.twitter.com/gYqAL19QK0

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 19, 2026

The full package - robot plus the accompanying Optio AI tutor platform - cost the district $57,590, a discounted figure below the average New York teacher salary and well under the company's listed starting price near $95,000.

"The Realbotix educational robot will never replace teachers, staff members, or meaningful human interaction," the Salamanca City Central School District stated. Instead, they describe it as an instructional tool loaded only with district-approved curriculum, historical information about Salamanca, and content designed to encourage critical thinking rather than simply spit out answers.

The system reportedly operates offline with no internet connection, collects no personally identifiable information, records neither video nor audio, and transmits nothing back to the company. If asked something outside its knowledge base, it is programmed to reply "I don't know."

NY school to introduce first humanoid robot in US classroom – and vows 'Sally' will never replace teachers https://t.co/WZ7LTsbWZF pic.twitter.com/9nP3aiSieH

— New York Post (@nypost) July 18, 2026

Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel called the deployment "a landmark moment for both AI and humanoid robotics." He added: "We are moving beyond lab demonstrations and pilots to deliver real, embodied AI directly into classrooms, supporting teachers, engaging students, and proving that advanced robotics can thrive in live educational environments. Salamanca marks the beginning of a new era where humanoid robots and intelligent AI assistants become standard tools in STEM education."

Superintendent Dr. Mark Beehler expressed enthusiasm for giving students "a safe, Salamanca-specific AI tutor" and educators customized tools. The pilot begins with students in the district's Woz ED AI and Robotics pathway - curriculum inspired by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak - and could expand to roughly 500 high school students if deemed successful.

Students will also interact with digital avatars of the robot on laptops for after-hours tutoring, homework help, and support in multiple languages.

The company behind Sally has a more colorful history. Realbotix previously acquired the parent firm of RealDoll, the well-known manufacturer of hyper-realistic sex dolls and companion robots. Officials stress that the education division operates separately in staff, facilities, and technology, with a planned ownership separation, yet the connection has not gone unnoticed.

https://t.co/RqrC6Fnbx0

— Q???.???? (@qaggnews) July 19, 2026

Reactions on X captured the skepticism. One popular reply asked bluntly, "Why does the robot have lip injections?" Another observed the contradiction in officials promising robots will never replace teachers while simultaneously noting the machine costs less than a human educator.

Why does the robot have lip injections?

— JoshHoldsCourt (@JoshHoldsCourt) July 19, 2026

But why does she have to look like a porn star? Why not more like this? A more mom-like figure? pic.twitter.com/EiUdCkuJtM

— K J Gillenwater (@kjgillenwater) July 19, 2026

Why do they have such botox poofy lips? lol pic.twitter.com/gCrBsvNaGj

— Done With Democrats (@DoneWDemocrats) July 20, 2026

They purchased the robot from a sex robot company.

And are now putting it with children.

I'm not kidding. Look it up.

— DavidHasbun (@TheDavidHasbun) July 19, 2026

Critics pointed to the company's adult-product roots and questioned the wisdom of placing such technology in front of teenagers in an economically challenged community. Homeschool advocates seized on the moment to argue that parents should simply keep their children out of systems experimenting with this level of automation.

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Tyler Durden Tue, 07/21/2026 - 17:40