Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a defense agreement on Friday that would treat an attack on one as an attack on all three, officials said, solidifying cooperation between the three regional powers at a time of growing security concerns.
"The models are forecasting something outside the envelope of anything we have ever observed."
Two watchdog offices inside the Justice Department are tasked with investigating misconduct. Both have seen significant staff departures under Trump, partly from efforts to shrink government. Complaints to one watchdog hit a 20-year high while investigations hit a 20-year low.
Mwangi Enos: I have covered the energy market's evolution through the Iran-Iraq War, from Chevron CEO Mike Wirth's early warnings about depleting buffers to Shell's CEO describing the diesel and gasoline squeeze that emerged as refineries pivoted to jet fuel. On July 31, ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods also added the most analytically precise observation I have heard from an oil executive. There is a disconnect between crude prices and pump prices. read more
Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act, it didn't want to leave enforcement only to the executive branch. read more
Ms Fitzgerald is an amazing vocalist. Mr Armstrong is also excellent, in his own inimitable style.
Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong - Summertime
www.youtube.com
@#1 ... "The multi-model median for the event's peak currently stands at 3.6C, roughly 0.8C hotter than the prior record of 2.75C set in 2015-16," he said. ...
Brits forced to sleep in kitchens to cope with hot weather in heat trap' homes
www.independent.co.uk
... One in six Britons are taking "drastic action" to cope with heatwaves, including sleeping in kitchens, missing work, or booking hotels, Citizens Advice has found.
These measures extend to sleeping in gardens or on balconies, taking sick days or unpaid leave, and paying for hotels.
Extreme heatwaves this summer have put lives at risk, sparked wildfires and forced millions into hosepipe bans.
July, with temperatures above 34C, was the driest month on record for England and Wales, the Met Office confirmed.
The charity warns millions across the UK are "trapped in homes they can't cool", with almost half (44%) feeling powerless to prevent their houses overheating. ...
Trump nominee Todd Blanche clears major hurdle in bid to become attorney general
www.reuters.com
... Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said on Friday he would back Todd Blanche for attorney general, clearing a path for Donald Trump's nominee after weeks of scrutiny over the Justice Department's independence from the White House.
Cassidy emerged as the likely deciding vote after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would oppose Blanche for the top U.S. law enforcement job, leaving the nomination on the brink. ...
Hellbent on putting Fauci in jail, Rand Paul wants to skip a Senate vote
www.politico.com
... Rand Paul wants to fast-track prosecution of former Covid czar Anthony Fauci.
The legal process will be fraught.
After the Kentucky Republican pushed a contempt of Congress resolution through his Senate committee on party lines Thursday morning " saying Fauci had impeded his investigation of the pandemic by refusing to answer questions last week " Democrats demanded he take it to the full Senate for a vote they could filibuster. Paul said he's going to instead take it straight to the attorney general.
For Fauci, the difference is massive. A failed Senate vote to hold him in contempt would show he's still got defenders after Republicans released a diary showing his enthusiasm for fame and then grilled him while he took the Fifth. A referral to the attorney general puts a decision on prosecution in the hands of a Trump Justice Department that has shown it's willing to play politics.
"Maybe he should" be prosecuted, President Donald Trump told reporters about Fauci on Thursday, referencing the contempt prosecutions of two of his allies, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, that began when Democrats controlled Congress. "What he did is far more serious than a lot of crimes."
After his committee voted, Paul said he's sick of waiting to hold his pandemic nemesis accountable. "This way we don't sit a month waiting to determine whether or not to bring it to the Senate floor," he told reporters. "It will immediately be referred over, and I think it's important for them to look at." ...
Another with K.D. Lang, this time with Tony Bennett ...
Tony Bennet & K. D. Lang - A Wonderful World
www.youtube.com
Two excellent vocalists, imo, team up for a classic tune ...
Roy Orbison & K.D. Lang - Crying
www.youtube.com
Judge grants Trump's request to delay handing financial records to BBC
www.bbc.com
... A judge has granted Donald Trump's request to delay handing over financial records to the BBC as part of his $10bn (7.4bn) lawsuit against the broadcaster. ...
How much has Elon Musk's Doge cut from US government spending? (April 2025)
www.bbc.com
... Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) - set up to cut US government spending - claims to have saved, on average, more than $10bn a week since President Trump entered office.
"We're talking about almost $200bn and rising fast," Trump told the BBC when talking about Mr Musk's cost-cutting drive on 23 April.
Doge's website says it is focusing on cancelling contracts, grants and leases put in place by previous administrations, as well as tackling fraud and reducing the government workforce.
BBC Verify has looked at the agency's biggest claimed savings, examining the figures and speaking to experts.
Our analysis found that behind some of the large numbers, there is a lack of evidence to back them up.
How does Doge report savings?
In October, Mr Musk pledged to cut "at least $2 trillion" from the federal government budget. He subsequently halved this target and on 10 April talked about making savings of $150bn from "cutting fraud and waste" by the end of the next financial year in 2026.
The US federal budget for the last financial year was $6.75tn.
Doge publishes a running total of its estimated savings on its website - which stood at $160bn the last time the site was updated on 20 April.
However, less than 40% of this figure is broken down into individual savings.
We downloaded the data from the Doge website on 23 April and added up the total claimed savings from contracts, grants and leases.
Our analysis found only about half of these itemised savings had a link to a document or other form of evidence.
US media has also highlighted some accounting errors, including Doge mistakenly claiming to have saved $8bn from cancelling an immigration contract which in fact had a total value of $8m. ...
[good graphic in the article]
Iran Seeks to Bar US Ships in Hormuz as Deal With Oman Advances
finance.yahoo.com
... Iran will seek to bar US and Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz and require compensation from hostile countries before they're allowed to use it, according to local media reports on a proposed Iran-Oman deal to manage the crucial waterway.
The agreement has become key to expectations for a reopening of Hormuz and a resumption of energy flows that have been throttled since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February.
The text is now under review in Iran's parliament, the semi-official Fars news agency said. Fars reported other details including a proposed ban on any Israel-related cargo, and a fee structure covering services like insurance and environmental costs. ...
@#15 ... Trump/MAGA doesn't care about Fauci's pardon. ...
The pardon only works at the Federal level.
If State AGs decide to go after Dr Fauci, the pardon won't stop them.
3 state attorneys general subpoena Anthony Fauci
thehill.com
That's likely another reason why he took the 5th ...
Trump Accuses WaPo of Treason as He Lashes Out Over Pete Hegseth Report: False and Completely Unfounded Rumors!'
www.mediaite.com
... President Donald Trump upped his criticism of The Washington Post all the way to a treason accusation after initially blasting the paper over a report suggesting he blew up on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a Thursday afternoon post to Truth Social, Trump dismissed the Post's story as "false" and "unfounded" and he praised Hegseth's work in the administration. He wrapped up his criticisms by saying he believes the Post's "fake" reporting is "treasonous." ...
@#31 ... David Bromberg, ...
A fav of mine. I saw him at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (NY) back in the day.
WNEW-FM - David Bromberg Live at the Bottom Line, NYC (1978-02-12)
www.youtube.com