Seventeen members of an Iran-based hacking operation have been <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/17-iranians-charged-conducting-massive-cyber-theft-campaign-behalf-islamic-revolutionary">charged</a> in a massive cyber theft campaign that prosecutors say targeted hundreds of universities and other institutions around the world, stealing more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property in attacks conducted in part on behalf of Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A 14-count superseding indictment unsealed Tuesday in New York describes a campaign that began around 2013 and continued through at least late 2017. Prosecutors say the Mabna Institute targeted more than 100,000 professor accounts and successfully compromised roughly 8,000 of them at 144 U.S. universities and 178 universities in other countries.
Once inside the accounts, the hackers allegedly stole research papers, theses, dissertations, academic journals, and other materials. U.S. universities spent more than $3.4 billion to license and obtain the kind of research and intellectual property taken by the defendants, according to prosecutors.
Nine of the defendants were first charged in 2018. The new filing adds eight more defendants and, according to the Justice Department, reveals a broader network behind the operation.
“[A]t the behest of entities including the IRGC, these defendants hacked into universities and other research institutions worldwide, including the United States, stealing at least 31 terabytes of information and intellectual property of untold value,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said. 
According to the indictment, Gholamreza Rafatnejad and Ehsan Mohammadi founded the Mabna Institute around 2013 “to assist Iranian universities and scientific and research organizations in stealing access to non-Iranian scientific resources.” The company later contracted with a network of hackers for hire to carry out the intrusions.
The hackers allegedly used stolen credentials to access university library systems and moved the stolen academic material to servers outside the United States.
Some of the stolen information was later sold to customers inside Iran through two websites connected to one of the defendants. One site offered the stolen materials directly, while another allowed customers to use compromised professor accounts to access university library systems.
The alleged operation extended beyond universities. Members of the network also compromised employee email accounts at private companies and government offices, with victims including at least 42 U.S. companies, 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal and state agencies, and two non-governmental organizations. 
Targets included the Department of Labor, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the states of Hawaii and Indiana, the United Nations, and the United Nations Children&#8217;s Fund.
Several of the defendants were also allegedly involved in the 2017 hack of HBO, in which hackers stole proprietary data and attempted to extort the company for roughly $6 million in bitcoin. Behzad Mesri was previously charged in connection with hacking HBO systems.
In other attacks against private companies and government entities, prosecutors say some of the defendants used techniques that caused victims to rack up more than $20 million in investigation and remediation costs. 
The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering up to $10 million for any information leading to the location of five of the defendants.

Iran, Pro-government Protest Rally In Tehran

17 Iranian Hackers Charged In Massive U.S. University Cybertheft Scheme

American Universities

Cybercrime

Cybersecurity

Iran

IRGC

An experimental cancer vaccine has kept high-risk melanoma from returning for longer and reduced the risk of it spreading in a late-stage trial.
Moderna and Merck said Wednesday in a <a href="https://www.merck.com/news/merck-and-moderna-announce-phase-3-interpath-001-trial-of-intismeran-autogene-plus-keytruda-met-endpoints-of-recurrence-free-survival-rfs-and-distant-metastasis-free-survival-dmfs-in-patient/">press release</a> that their experimental personalized mRNA vaccine, Intismeran, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, met both its primary and secondary goals in a late-stage trial of high-risk melanoma patients who had already undergone surgery. The coupling prolonged the time before the cancer returned and reduced the chance it would spread to other organs.
The late-stage trial was conducted on more than 1,000 people, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/moderna-merck-vaccine-succeeds-in-preventing-melanoma-from-returning-540e9e18">according</a> to The Wall Street Journal. Every participant had already undergone surgery to remove a melanoma. Roughly half received the personalized vaccine along with Keytruda. The rest received Keytruda by itself. Treatment lasted about a year. The aim was to lower the odds that the cancer would return after the tumor was gone.
“I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a new field,” Jane Healy, a vice president of oncology at Merck, told The Wall Street Journal. The goal for patients, she said, is “to give them longer without having to worry about treatments for cancer.”
The companies withheld their exact figures on the duration patients stayed free of progressing disease and how long they lived overall. Those numbers are scheduled to be presented at a medical meeting later this year. How strong and how well tolerated the benefit proves to be will shape both regulatory chances and eventual use.
No personalized mRNA cancer vaccine had previously succeeded in a late-stage trial. The outcome follows prolonged efforts to design treatments that target the unique mutations present in each patient’s tumor.
The outcome gives Moderna a potential entry into the cancer-drug market, which exceeds $240 billion, at a time when its COVID-19 vaccine revenue has been falling. Merck, meanwhile, could gain another product to help offset the coming loss of exclusivity on Keytruda.
Moderna’s stock jumped  &#8220;more than doubled&#8221; Wednesday morning, and Merck shares rose more than 10%, per the Journal.
“We are now an oncology company,” Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel said. “By Christmas, you could have a company that’s going back into sales growth for the first time in four years.”
Each dose is made personalized to the patient. Once the melanoma is surgically removed, a blood sample and tumor biopsy are sent for analysis. Researchers pin down mutations specific to that patient’s cancer cells that are most likely to be noticed by the immune system. Those genetic targets are then written into mRNA and turned into a vaccine. Manufacturing takes about six weeks from the time of the biopsy. In the meantime, patients begin Keytruda to keep the disease in check, WSJ reported.
The two companies started working together on these types of vaccines in 2016. They chose melanoma first because the tumors typically contain many mutations. Additional trials are already running in bladder cancer, a frequent type of lung cancer, and kidney cancer.

Tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, illustration

New Vaccine Shows Early Signs Of Stopping Cancer Spread

Cancer

Cancer treatments

Moderna

vaccine

Dr. David Morens, the longtime senior science adviser to Anthony Fauci, pleaded guilty this week to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses and to defraud the United States.
The 78-year-old former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases official entered the plea after an April indictment. He faces a maximum of five years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 fine, The Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/4692082/former-fauci-aide-pleads-guilty-covid-19-conspiracy/">reported.</a> 
Morens first garnered backlash in 2023. The House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic found that he had conducted official business on his personal Gmail account specifically to avoid Freedom of Information Act requests. In 2021, he told colleagues to contact him on that personal email and said he would “delete anything [he did not] want to see in the New York Times,” per the Examiner.
The same investigation showed a personal friendship between Morens and then- EcoHealth Alliance president Dr. Peter Daszak. That private organization received government funding for bat coronavirus research carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The $3.1 million grant titled “Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence” included a $600,000 subaward to the Wuhan lab. Some researchers who reject the animal-to-human spillover explanation have referenced that work as a possible source of SARS-CoV-2. 
Prosecutors charged Morens with concealing records related to that grant, alleging he acted with at least two other unindicted co-conspirators.  According to the case, the group worked to reinstate the funding after it was terminated and to push back against the idea that COVID-19 resulted from a laboratory incident.
Although Daszak is not named in the plea agreement, the document identifies “Co-Conspirator 1” as the author of an April 2020 email that the Washington Examiner previously reported as coming from Daszak. 
In that message, EcoHealth Alliance staff confirmed they would “communicate with [Morens] via Gmail from now on.” The plea agreement says that Morens and his co-conspirators then “plotted and repeatedly expressed their intention to conceal federal records to evade FOIA and provided information to Senior NIAID Official 1 that was favorable to Co-Conspirator 1 and Company #1.”
That senior NIAID official is widely speculated to be Fauci, who at the time was the public figure of the federal COVID-19 response.
When Fauci testified before the House Oversight Committee in 2024, he distanced himself from Morens’ email practices, saying “he should not have been doing that.” Yet, the two men co-authored more than 50 scientific papers during Morens’ tenure at the agency from 2006 to 2022. Morens also briefed Fauci ahead of key White House Coronavirus Task Force meetings in his role as top scientific adviser.
Fauci himself appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on July 29 and invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination 111 times. 
Republicans voted to hold Fauci in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fauci-held-in-contempt-after-refusing-to-answer-questions-about-bombshell-diary">contempt</a> of Congress after he refused to answer questions despite a pardon from former President Joe Biden that covered the relevant period. The contempt resolution has been forwarded to the Department of Justice, which will decide whether to prosecute. 
A federal judge is scheduled to sentence Morens on November 12.

Dr. Fauci Testifies In House On COVID Origins

Fauci Adviser Pleads Guilty In COVID Records Case

COVID

Dr. Fauci

fauci diaries

Fauci hearing

Pandemic

<div>
War Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s visit to Iowa is fueling speculation that he could be testing the waters for a 2028 presidential run.
Officials familiar with Hegseth’s thinking told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/17/hegseth-travels-iowa-his-personal-capacity-amid-2028-speculation/">Washington Post</a> that the Iowa visit fits the actions of someone considering a run for president after his time in the Trump administration ends. One of those officials, speaking anonymously, described the trip as something of a test run for a possible 2028 bid.
Iowa&#8217;s longstanding role as an early presidential proving ground has added to the speculation surrounding Hegseth&#8217;s visit.
Hegseth traveled to the state in his personal capacity and appeared with several House and Senate Republicans. The Pentagon confirmed that he traveled aboard a U.S. military aircraft because he is designated a “required use” traveler.
That status requires Hegseth to use military aircraft for official and personal travel because of the need for secure communications and transportation associated with his national security responsibilities.
Hegseth appeared Monday alongside Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), where he praised Nunn and defended continued American involvement in the war with Iran.
He also appeared alongside Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, and was expected to appear with Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks (R-IA).
The appearances come as Republicans work to hold ground in a state where recent polling has shown tighter races than in previous cycles.
<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-iowa-campaign-midterms-2028-b3035168.html">The Independent</a> noted that previous defense secretaries largely stayed out of overt political campaigning while in the job. Hegseth has aligned himself closely with President Donald Trump’s policy goals and has taken a more active role supporting Republican candidates while continuing to promote the administration’s national security priorities.
Other administration figures were also in Iowa this week, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler. Their visits coincided with the Iowa State Fair, a traditional gathering that draws both statewide candidates and national political figures.
The fair routinely attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and has long served as an important stop for politicians looking to connect with Iowa voters.
Ernst’s decision to retire has made Iowa&#8217;s Senate race a major focus this year. Hinson is running against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, as both parties battle for control of the Senate.
Hegseth has not publicly announced plans to run for president in 2028.
</div>
<section></section>
<div></div>

Defense Secretary Hegseth And Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine Brief Media At Pentagon

Hegseth’s Iowa Trip Raises Early Questions About 2028

2028 presidential election

Pete Hegseth

Trump Administraiton

A black man wearing a Chucky-style mask <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/philadelphia-man-wearing-chucky-mask-allegedly-targeted-six-people/">asked</a> a female jogger if she was ready to die before chasing her through Center City Philadelphia as she screamed for help, police said.
Philadelphia <a href="https://www.phillypolice.com/news-blotter/wanted-suspect-for-assault-in-the-9th-district-video-3/">police</a> say the masked suspect spent about 15 minutes early Wednesday morning targeting at least six people at random near Philadelphia City Hall. The suspect remains at large.
The incidents began shortly after 5:20 a.m. on August 12, Philadelphia Police Capt. Jason Smith said.
The suspect first walked into a Dunkin&#8217; Donuts wearing a distinctive white, Chucky-style Halloween mask with black hair. Staff refused him service because he was behaving erratically, according to police. He then began approaching people nearby while holding a cell phone in front of them and appearing to record the encounters.
One of those people was a 40-year-old woman jogging near 1500 JFK Boulevard. Smith said the masked man stopped in front of her, held his phone toward her face, and asked, “Are you ready to die?”
When she looked startled, he asked the same question again. She ran off, screaming for help as the suspect chased her, police said. She injured her leg while trying to escape.
During the encounter, the suspect kept one arm concealed behind his back, according to police.
No weapon appears in the surveillance video, but police say the suspect is wanted on charges including possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, harassment, assault, reckless endangerment, and intimidation.
A woman named Jameka saw what was happening and tried to warn the jogger from across the intersection. She later confronted the suspect herself and kicked him in the chest.
“He just seemed so disoriented about what his goals actually were,” she said. “I had bags. He wasn’t reaching for those. It didn’t seem like he had a clear goal to like actually get in La Colombe to do anything, so I was like OK, well, let’s see if you can fight, and he couldn’t.”
The suspect eventually fled into SEPTA Suburban Station.
Police describe him as a black male between 16 and 20 years old with a medium complexion, standing about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. He was carrying a black-and-blue plaid backpack.
Investigators believe he approached multiple people that morning, although police said only the jogger has formally reported an incident as of their latest update.
“It’s really unsettling just trying to get to work and have a kid like this actively terrorizing women,” said Kate Egan, who works at a nearby coffee shop. “I really hope he is caught.”
Police have produced footage and still images of the suspect, including video showing him briefly lowering the mask.
Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS or submit a tip through the department&#8217;s website. Law enforcement has warned members of the public not to approach the suspect.

Black Man In Chucky-Style Mask Chased, Threatened Woman With Death

Philadelphia

A new report reveals a growing divide among U.S. allies over China.
Titled <a href="https://polaris-us.org/docs/stars-and-stragglers.pdf">Stars and Stragglers</a>, the report from Polaris National Security examined 20 countries across technology infrastructure, economic policy, military cooperation, and diplomatic positions.
&#8220;This report qualitatively assesses which U.S. allies and partners are doing the most to help or hinder America’s efforts to counter China’s economic, technological, military, and diplomatic influence,&#8221; the report states.
Ten of those countries are designated as &#8220;Stars&#8221; for taking concrete steps to limit Beijing&#8217;s power. The remaining nations are designated as &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; for strengthening their ties with China.
The report broke down &#8220;Stars&#8221; as &#8220;Allies and partners helping America counter Chinese aggression and influence.&#8221; &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; were &#8220;Allies and partners failing to counter China — and even undercutting U.S. efforts to do so.&#8221;
Australia was designated a &#8220;Star.&#8221; The nation banned Huawei, absorbed Chinese tariffs without folding, and, according to the report, &#8220;committed nearly $3 billion to expand U.S. and British submarine capacity.&#8221; It joined a critical minerals push with the United States and received a $400 million conditional loan for an aerospace and defense project.
Japan also received a &#8220;Star&#8221; designation. The report stated that &#8220;Aside from Taiwan, no U.S. ally sits closer to the front lines of China’s ambitions than Japan.&#8221; The Far East nation also views China as its &#8220;greatest strategic challenge.&#8221;
The remaining &#8220;Stars&#8221; are: India, Israel, Lithuania, Palau, Paraguay, Philippines, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
Nations designated as &#8220;Stragglers&#8221; are heading in the opposite direction. Brazil&#8217;s trade with China hit $171 billion — more than double its trade with the U.S., while Huawei holds about 44% of its 5G networks.
Canada cut tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles from 100% to 6% and set a goal of raising exports to China by 50%.
South Korea does roughly $340 billion in trade with China, and about half of its rare earth mineral imports come from there, per the report. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung president called the continued partnership with Beijing &#8220;irreversible.&#8221;
France&#8217;s President Emmanuel Macron has told audiences that China is welcome in Europe and has pushed for more Chinese investment in nuclear and artificial intelligence.
Thailand has approved a $10 billion high-speed rail project under the CCP&#8217;s Belt and Road Initiative that will eventually connect Bangkok to China. It also continues joint military exercises with Chinese forces.
Sebastian Borda, executive director of Polaris National Security, expressed what was at stake for the U.S.: “China is the defining national security challenge of our time and the United States cannot meet it alone.”
He added that “many allies are stepping up but others have yet to match that resolve.” Borda said U.S. allies face a choice to “share the burden of deterring China or leave America to shoulder it alone.”
<section></section>

A US and a Chinese flag wave outside a c

Some U.S. Allies Are Selling Out To China

Australia

China

National Security

Taiwan

Tariffs

<div>
Federal records show that Turkey’s ruling party held <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20260712-8.pdf">meetings</a> with high-profile American media voices, including far-Left political commentator <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20261230-7.pdf">Mehdi Hasan</a> and Neil Patel, co-founder of The Daily Caller and CEO of the Tucker Carlson Network.
The Turkey AK Party&#8217;s Representation to the United States also met with former CIA officer John Kiriakou, the intelligence official who blew the whistle on the agency&#8217;s use of waterboarding and other forms of torture against detainees during the War on Terror.
On March 11, 2026, Turkey’s AK Party Representation to the United States LLC met face-to-face with Kiriakou, and the next day, it held a virtual meeting with Patel. Months earlier, the same office met with Hasan and attended a banquet hosted by the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). CAIR has faced scrutiny from Republicans over its historical connections to individuals and organizations associated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Those relationships have been examined in congressional hearings, including a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-hearing-pulls-back-curtain-on-muslim-brotherhoods-ties-to-hamas">Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing</a> earlier this month.
The AK Party Representation to the United States is registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and its filings are signed by Halil Mutlu, who has been publicly identified as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s cousin.
In the 12 months covered by its two most recent supplemental statements, the office reported receiving nearly $2.1 million in wire transfers from AK Party headquarters in Turkey. Its reported expenditures included construction, architecture, plumbing, electrical work, staff, and the costs of keeping a permanent political operation running in Washington.
</div>
<div>
The office&#8217;s activity logs repeatedly <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/7115-Supplemental-Statement-20250630-6.pdf">describe</a> its meetings using broad phrases such as “Discussion regarding U.S.-Turkey Relations” and “Public Event,” often providing little to no additional information about what was discussed. The entries include the CAIR-NY banquet and an earlier meeting with Kiriakou on April 23, 2025.
The meetings garnered attention because Kiriakou later appeared on Tucker Carlson’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OHs57Om9mE">show</a>. In a July 2026 episode, the two discussed CIA culture, deception tactics, and how the agency treats whistleblowers. The Tucker Carlson Network has also sold Kiriakou’s book, &#8220;The Ultimate Guide to CIA Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.&#8221;
The FARA filings provide a paper trail of meetings between the Turkish party’s Washington operation and a number of politically influential American personalities. It is unclear what was discussed during any of those meetings. The filings record the names, the dates, and the money, but almost nothing about the substance of the conversations.
Patel has rejected suggestions of an improper relationship with Turkey. On Monday, he <a href="https://x.com/NeilPatelTDC/status/2089356754328920090">wrote</a> on X, “These boring and disingenuous smears don’t work anymore. I meet with all sorts of people every week to try to figure out what’s really going on in an increasingly complicated and dangerous world. Unlike so many others, we’ve never taken a dime from foreign interests.&#8221;
</div>

John Kiriakou

Major Media Figures Caught Meeting With Lobbyists From Islamist Country

AK Party

CAIR

Muslim Brotherhood

Neil Patel

The Daily Caller

Tucker Carlson

Turkey

<div>
An Israeli-American woman said she was told to leave a Virginia permanent makeup studio after the owner learned she was Israeli.
Jessica Walton had gone to Karimi Brows in Alexandria for an eyebrow appointment with owner Fatana Karimi. The two had been discussing Afghanistan, and Walton later said she thought they were having a pleasant conversation about the country&#8217;s culture.
Walton then told Karimi she was Jewish and half-Israeli.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JEWISH ISRAELI-AMERICAN WOMAN KICKED OUT OF VIRGINIA BUSINESS AFTER OWNER LEARNED SHE WAS ISRAELI
According to ILTV, a Jewish Israeli-American woman says she was denied service at Karimi Brows in Alexandria, Virginia, after the owner learned she was Israeli.
Video from the… <a href="https://t.co/1k8HLxyHPT">pic.twitter.com/1k8HLxyHPT</a>
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) <a href="https://x.com/MOSSADil/status/2089050396341997637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I don’t support Israel,” Karimi told her, per a video of the encounter captured by Karimi. Karimi added that she is “a big free Palestine” advocate and “massive for Palestine.”
Karimi told Walton that the situation would have been different if Walton had said there was a genocide occurring or that she did not support the Israeli government&#8217;s actions.
“Get out of my office,” Karimi told her.
Walton protested that she had done nothing wrong and had not brought politics into the conversation.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Walton said. “I didn’t say anything political.”
Walton said she had come to the business for a service and argued that she was being treated differently because she was Israeli.
Walton then asked Karimi to return the deposit she had made for the appointment and said she would pursue legal action if it was not refunded.
According to Israeli news outlet ILTV, Walton did not receive her deposit back.
Karimi posted her own account of the appointment, accusing Walton of steering the conversation towards politics and arguing that she had repeatedly attempted to steer it back to eyebrows.
According to Karimi&#8217;s business <a href="https://www.karimimade.com/about-us-1">website</a>, she received her permanent makeup license from Virginia&#8217;s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation in 2019 and specializes in eyebrow procedures, including microblading, nano techniques, and powder brows.
</div>

Pro-Palestinian Activists Occupy Charing Cross Station London

‘Get Out Of My Office’: Israeli-American Woman’s Appointment Takes An Ugly Turn

antisemitism

Free Palestine movement

Virginia

<div>
A DSA national leader <a href="https://x.com/nataliegwinters/status/2089327354724388899">welcomed</a> a Chinese Communist Party delegation at an event in New York City and laid out the group’s goals in plain terms: “We try to push socialism into the masses of America,” and “China is an incredible positive vision of socialism for everyone around the world.”
Ahmed Husain, who is a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Political Committee, described the organization as the largest socialist group in the country, with more than 200 chapters across most states. He said it works to build up the DSA in the United States through different sites of struggle — housing, labor unions, and elections. The stated objective is to push socialism into the masses and build a positive vision for it. China, he said, offers that vision to people in the U.S. and other countries.
Husain is the same DSA leader who <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/us-news/dsa-calls-for-ending-us-empire-mourns-iranian-ayatollahs-extrajudicial/">spoke</a> on the group’s “Hands Off Iran” mass video call in early March. Nearly 1,000 people joined that Wednesday night meeting, which opened with a remake of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War.” Speakers on the call framed Iran’s 1979 revolution as throwing off American and Israeli influence. One participant from the National Iranian American Council spoke of deep mourning over the “extrajudicial killing of the supreme leader.”
On that call, Husain told participants the fight would not end with a rally or a vote. “This is going to end with a mass movement to put an end to the war machine,” he said. “We have to create a real cost for the warmongers.” He added that he did not believe the movement was where it needed to be to stop the war: “I don’t care if it’s your neighbor, your co-worker, your dad, your mom, your job is to get them to act. The DSA needs to act on every single front.”
He went on to say the work is cumulative and aimed at building a movement that can change the terrain permanently so the &#8220;war machine&#8221; can no longer function. “We can end the US empire here in America.”
Husain, an immigrant from Bahrain, has previously written on social media about destroying the “decaying fascist American empire” and stated that “Israel never had the right to exist.”
The same DSA national leader who called for ending the U.S. empire in March is now the one presenting China as the positive vision of socialism while welcoming a Chinese Communist Party delegation in New York.
</div>
<section></section>
<div></div>

NYC-DSA holds a rally to tax the rich

DSA Leader Welcomes Chinese Communists, Reveals What He Wants To Push Across America

Mayor Zohran Mamdani

New York

<div>
As the 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran expired on Monday, President Donald Trump delivered a blunt message to the regime, while warning that if Oman gets in the way of U.S. efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, “we’ll bomb the sh*t out of them.”
Speaking with <a href="https://x.com/TreyYingst/status/2089314268558618803?s=20">Fox News</a>, the president said Iran should &#8220;put up the white flag of surrender.&#8221; He said he has &#8220;no time schedule&#8221; and is &#8220;not in a hurry,&#8221; while emphasizing that Oman must not interfere. The ongoing naval blockade, he made clear, will keep grinding economic pressure on the regime even as Iranian officials talk tough in public.
Trump described the Iranians as “good poker players, but they’re dying.” The blockade is already exacting a real cost, and the domestic midterms are irrelevant to how he forms his approach. He <a href="https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-905771">confirmed</a> that American officials are maintaining a direct back channel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, speaking not only with the political leadership in Tehran but with the IRGC officials themselves.
On the military side, the president called what the United States has used so far against Iran “peanuts.” The U.S. still holds significant hoards of mid-level weapons, he mentioned.
The same interview turned to Gaza and the wider Iranian proxy network. Trump said the United States has a different channel with Hamas. His son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner met the previous day in Egypt with Khalil al-Hayya, the current Hamas chief.
According to the president, Hamas has agreed to ultimately give up its weapons as part of talks on demilitarizing the strip. For that reason, he said, Israel shouldn&#8217;t be conducting strikes in Gaza right now.
Kushner is in Jerusalem on Monday meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials, joined by Board of Peace head Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to press the next phase of the U.S. plan.
When asked about Israel’s October elections, Trump said he thinks it&#8217;s appropriate to stay out of them, though he may still endorse a party. He described Israeli forces as fighting very well alongside American ones and referred to Israel as the little brother of the United States. Any resumed combat operations in the region, he indicated, would be led by the United States with Israeli support.
Trump also addressed the Houthis in Yemen. Last week, the Iran-backed group launched multiple attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and struck Yemen&#8217;s Mocha Port with enough missiles and drones that authorities were forced to halt all commercial activity. He had previously warned the Houthis against becoming directly involved. He likewise mentioned Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as part of the broader network Tehran has funded for decades.
On Truth Social, President Trump wrote that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon remains the top priority for the United States. The blockade is already costing the Iranian regime hundreds of millions of dollars each day. Additional Treasury sanctions are expected this week, adding more domestic pressure on officials in Tehran.
<div>
<div>
The 60-day window that expired Monday is largely irrelevant to Trump’s strategy. He has no timeline and is prepared to keep the naval blockade in place while direct talks with the IRGC proceed.
</div>
</div>
</div>

Protest against US attacks on Houthis in Yemen

Trump Threatens To Bomb Another Middle Eastern Country

Hezbollah

Houthis

Iran war

Islamic terrorists

Oman

President Donald Trump

The Democratic National Committee adopted a resolution Saturday urging congressional Democrats to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alongside a competing measure calling only for reforms to the agency, at the party&#8217;s summer meeting in Austin, Texas.
The abolition measure, known as Resolution 27, cleared the DNC&#8217;s Resolutions Committee on Thursday in a 25-12 vote with one abstention before heading to the full membership, Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/dnc-votes-back-eliminating-ice-trump-expands-deportations-12327959">reported</a>. Both resolutions were bundled into a larger package and approved by the full membership on a unanimous voice vote, <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/15/dnc-passes-dueling-ice-resolutions-establishment-insurgents-clash/">according</a> to the Washington Times. The vote is nonbinding and does not change the party platform for 2028.
The reform measure, sponsored by DNC Chairman Ken Martin, drew broader support in committee than the abolition proposal.
The vote comes amid internal party debates over immigration policy ahead of this year’s midterm elections as President Donald Trump expands deportation efforts. In July, border czar Tom Homan said ICE was on schedule to set arrest records for a second consecutive month and described the push as “<a href="https://x.com/johnnymaga/status/2080472034807541833">deportation-maxxing.</a>”
The resolution calls on Democratic members of Congress to enact legislation dissolving ICE and winding down the immigration detention system. It seeks to restrict Department of Homeland Security funding unless certain enforcement activities end, including workplace raids, mass roundups, arrests at courthouses, arrests at ICE check-ins, and actions near schools and houses of worship. It also calls for terminating contracts with private detention providers.
Martin said official party platforms are set every four years at the national convention, and argued Democrats are still united in opposing the administration&#8217;s enforcement approach even as they split over what should replace it.
“Our official party positions are determined at the convention every four years in our platform,” Martin said in a statement to Newsweek. “However, clearly, the one thing that unites Democrats, regardless of their position on reform versus abolish or whatever other ways to change what’s happening, is people believe that what ICE is doing right now and CBP and the federal government should stop. There has to be a better way.”
The White House criticized the action. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Newsweek on Saturday:
&#8220;Extreme radical Democrats want to abolish ICE and defund the police. Instead of trying to abolish ICE, Democrats should be thanking ICE law enforcement officers for putting their lives on the line to arrest and remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members from American communities. Many of these criminals were released from jails by Democrat radical politicians. President Trump&#8217;s efforts to remove criminal illegal aliens from American communities is already delivering results including the lowest murder rate in 125 years.&#8221;
The resolution also calls for closing detention facilities, releasing most immigration detainees, and expanding civil rights oversight.
Michele Johnson, a DNC member from Louisiana who proposed the abolition measure, said Democrats need to take a clear position, pointing to the dissolution of ICE&#8217;s predecessor agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, as precedent, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/democrats-dnc-2028-primary-immigration-ice-106d35d404491c87b4f3a64b4119677e">according</a> to the Associated Press.
“I think one of the reasons why people are not trusting the party is because we sound so academic,” she said. “We sound focus group tested, we sound poll tested because we’re worried about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing and not just like, just stand on business, like take a position.”
DNC member Yvonne Reeves-Chong voted against it, saying it would win over only part of the party&#8217;s base while drawing fire from another group of voters, according to the AP.
“I would strongly suggest we get to the business of winning races so we can make the policies that make a difference,” she said.
Earlier this year, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stopped short of calling for ICE’s elimination while demanding reforms such as banning face coverings for agents, requiring visible identification, and restricting enforcement near schools and churches.
Polling suggests voters are focused elsewhere. Marquette Law School&#8217;s most recent national <a href="https://today.marquette.edu/2026/08/new-marquette-law-school-poll-national-survey-finds-inflation-and-cost-of-living-the-most-important-issue-economy-next-most-important/">survey</a>, released August 5, found inflation and the cost of living ranked as the top issue for 35% of adults, with immigration and border security at 5% — down from 14% in January.
The same poll found Trump&#8217;s overall approval had risen to 40%, his first uptick in a Marquette survey this term, and border security was the only issue on which he cleared 50% approval.
ICE itself remains unpopular. A Marquette <a href="https://law.marquette.edu/poll/2026/02/04/new-marquette-law-school-national-survey-finds-60-disapprove-of-the-work-of-ice-with-democrats-and-independents-opposed-to-ice-and-republicans-in-favor/">survey</a> conducted in late January found 40% of adults approved of the agency&#8217;s job performance and 60% disapproved. But the same poll found 56% still favored deporting illegal immigrants, and among that group, 65% approved of ICE&#8217;s conduct.
Sarah Pierce, director of social policy at the center-left group Third Way, has argued that immigration should not be Democrats&#8217; first message to voters because it is not their top concern — but that ignoring the issue is also a mistake. Democrats &#8220;cannot allow Republicans to be the only party offering a vision&#8221; on immigration, she told Newsweek.

Ken Martin, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) state convention, Rochester, Minn., May 29, 2026

‘Abolish ICE’ Is Now Official DNC Policy

Anti-ICE

Illegal Immigration

President Trump

Tom Homan

An Iranian psychologist who publicly urged President Donald Trump to stand by anti-regime protesters has been sentenced to seven months in prison, and his family says authorities tried to force him to record a video insulting Trump and the American people, Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-jails-psychologist-trump-plea-regime-demands-americans-look-stupid-family">reported</a> Saturday.
Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist and counselor from Borujen who had been living in Tehran, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-jails-psychologist-trump-plea-regime-demands-americans-look-stupid-family">posted</a> an English-language video on January 4. In it he spoke directly to Trump and urged him to act quickly on his pledge to support Iranian protesters. Young Iranians had trusted his words, he said, and those who helped the Iranian people would be remembered.
&#8220;To prove your good intentions to the Iranian people, either do something without saying anything or act very quickly on your words, because many young people trust what you say. And, as you probably know, many things are useless to people who are dead. I assure you that the Iranian nation remembers good deeds well, and they will try to repay their friends in the future.&#8221;
Ten days later, on January 14, Seyedabdollahi was reportedly arrested at his father’s home in Borujen. Plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment. He was held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence detention facility in Isfahan. 
A relative told Fox News Digital that the video brought sustained pressure from Iranian security authorities.
“Since that day, he has faced serious pressure from Iranian security authorities. He was arrested twice and subjected to repeated interrogations,” the relative said. “During his detention, he spent extended periods in solitary confinement.” Fox News Digital reported it could not independently verify the relative&#8217;s account of Seyedabdollahi&#8217;s treatment in custody.
He was held for roughly two months before being released on bail in March, <a href="https://www.iranintl.com/en/202608066386">according</a> to Iran International.
Branch One of the Borujen Revolutionary Court convicted him of “engaging in media activities against national security.” He received seven months in prison and a five-year ban from government and public services. He was detained again on July 7 to begin serving the sentence and remains in Borujen Prison.
The Hana Human Rights Organization, a Geneva-registered group that monitors abuse in Iran, <a href="https://hanahr.org/en/news/seyed-ahmad-seyedabdollahi-remains-in-boroujen-prison-as-new-case-opens-on-charge-of-propaganda-against-the-state/#&amp;_intcmp=fnc_world_article_main-content_article-body_6_6">said</a> Seyedabdollahi was denied contact with his family for 17 days after his first arrest and that his family initially did not know where he was being held. Iran International reported that he was denied access to a lawyer of his choosing during his detention and was at times prevented from communicating with his family.
Authorities opened a second case against him in June on a charge translated as “propaganda against the establishment” or “propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic.” That case remains at the preliminary investigative stage.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital appear to detail the authorities’ investigation and contain references to alleged foreign contacts and financial transactions involving the United States and Israel. Interrogators accused him of connections to the CIA and Mossad and of receiving money for making the video, the relative said.
“They told him you are a member of the CIA and Mossad and you took money from them for this job,” the relative said.
The relative also alleged that authorities pressured Seyedabdollahi to record a second video repudiating his original message and attacking Trump and Americans.
“He did not give in to numerous pressures to publish a clip that contradicted the first video,” the relative said. “He was asked to sexually insult Trump and make the American people look stupid and ignorant so that we could broadcast your clip on the national media.”
The relative said Seyedabdollahi continues to face pressure in prison after refusing the demands. “His situation in Borujen Prison is not good because he has been out of solitary confinement for a few days, but sometimes they take him to solitary confinement under various pretexts,” the relative said. Monitored telephone calls make it difficult for him to speak openly about his treatment.
The five-year prohibition on public and government employment has added to the burden by threatening his ability to work after release.
“You understand the economic conditions of Iran. Now imagine that in this situation someone has been deprived of their social rights, i.e. job and income, and he is imprisoned,” the relative said.
The relative described Seyedabdollahi as a psychologist and popular speaker with a following among young Iranians, and said that during the brief period when he was free, he stayed focused on those who had suffered more in the crackdown, recalling them saying: &#8220;Don&#8217;t feel weak. Our problems are insignificant compared to the thousands of people who have lost their lives.&#8221;
Seyedabdollahi posted his video two days after Trump wrote on Truth Social that if Iran &#8220;shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,&#8221; adding that the U.S. was &#8220;locked and loaded and ready to go.&#8221; On January 13, Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and wrote that &#8220;help is on its way.&#8221;
Iran International reported that the crackdown brought mass arrests. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said in early February that more than 50,000 people had been arrested in the roughly six weeks since protests began.
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-rights-chief-says-iran-executed-least-56-people-since-march-2026-08-05/">said</a> in an August 5 statement that at least 56 people had been executed on national-security-related charges since March 19, including 27 in cases linked to the January protests. More than 100 others face similar charges and the possibility of execution, Türk said.

Menu

Leona Salinas