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Foreign Press Association President Defends Hamas “Journalist” Killed in Israeli Strike

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Foreign Press Association erupted with backlash after its president, Ian Williams, declared he didn’t care if Al Jazeera “journalist” Anas Al-Sharif was a Hamas terrorist. Speaking to CNN one day after Al-Sharif’s death in a targeted Israeli strike, Williams said, “Frankly, I don’t care whether Al-Sharif was in Hamas or not… Hamas is a political organization, as well as a terrorist organization, perhaps. But it’s not permissible to go killing people.”

Israeli intelligence claims Al-Sharif led a Hamas cell and documented evidence shows he celebrated the October 7 massacre. Telegram messages he posted that day praised the killings: “It is a jihad, a jihad of victory and martyrdom. Allahu Akbar and thank God.” In another message, he wrote, “9 hours later and the heroes are still roaming the country, killing and capturing… God, God, how great you are.” He also shared photos of dead Israeli soldiers being stepped on with captions like, “The army wants to exterminate people under their rugs 😉🔥.”

Before October 7, Al-Sharif posed for photos with Hamas leaders, including massacre mastermind Yahya Sinwar. Despite this, Williams rejected Israel’s evidence, saying, “First of all, I don’t believe it… I basically don’t believe anything the Israeli government says about this. They’ve lied and lied and lied.”

The case has sparked outrage from those who see a dangerous double standard in media circles. As Williams himself admitted, “Frankly, I don’t care whether Al-Sharif was in Hamas or not,” a statement critics say reveals troubling priorities in global journalism leadership.

Mendenhall River Flood Breaks Record, Forces Mass Evacuations

Alaska
Alaska (Jacob Vizek/Unsplash)

The Mendenhall River flood near Juneau, Alaska, the state capital, reached a record-breaking crest of 16.65 feet on the morning of Wednesday August 13 after a massive glacial outburst sent debris-filled water rushing into neighborhoods. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed it was the largest event of its kind on record, surpassing last year’s crest of 15.99 feet. Officials urged residents in the 17-foot lake-level inundation zone to evacuate until an “All Clear” was issued.

The flooding, triggered by the sudden release of water from Suicide Basin above the Mendenhall Glacier, forced the closure of major community facilities, including the Mendenhall Valley Public Library and Diamond Park Aquatic Center. Roads were also blocked, with the Mendenhall Loop Road (Back Loop Bridge) shut down until water levels recede below 12 feet and safety inspections are complete. The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter for displaced residents.

The FAA issued a Temporary Flight Restriction to allow safe aerial monitoring and potential rescue operations. Authorities warned that the danger extended beyond the high water levels. “There is a lot of debris in the river. Please stay away from the river. It’s very dangerous right now,” said Andrew Park of the NWS. “If you get in that water, you’re not going to make it out of there.”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, glacial lake outburst floods are unpredictable events that can cause major destruction. As glaciers continue to melt, officials warn these hazards may become more frequent and severe, demanding increased monitoring and preparedness.

Democrats Plan ‘Fight the Trump Takeover’

(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Democrats are planning to launch protests on August 16, targeting redistricting efforts underway across the country. The protests, called “Fight the Trump Takeover” and organized by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), aim to organize Americans to show up at their “statehouses, city halls, and community spaces to make it clear — we see what Trump is doing, and we won’t stand for it,” the DNC said.

“Trump knows the only way he can hold the majority after his budget betrayal is by changing the rules in the middle of the game to avoid accountability for ripping health care and food away from millions of Americans,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement.

According to the protest’s website, President Donald Trump is “trying to steal the 2026 election by rigging the system and changing electoral maps. He started in Texas, but he won’t stop there.”

“We are fighting back,” the site declares. “Join a stop the Trump Takeover event near you on Saturday, August 16th.”

Describing the redistricting plan underway in Texas, the website argues that President Trump “has made it clear that he’s not stopping at Texas. He’s targeting Missouri, Ohio, Florida and every state he can twist to help him steal Congress. States like Florida and New York are already fighting back.”

Texas Democrats are reportedly planning to return to the state after fleeing to block legislative sessions. The Texas House Democratic Caucus said they would return if two conditions are met: the “Legislature’s adjournment sine die Friday” and the “introduction of California’s redistricting maps that would neutralize the Trump-Abbott voter suppression effort.”

D.C. Police Chief Allows Cooperation with ICE

Vlad Tchompalov/Unsplash

Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) issued an executive order allowing cooperation with federal immigration authorities, including ICE.

Chief of Police Pamela Smith said officers may “assist federal immigration enforcement agencies” with “sharing information about persons not in MPD custody” and “providing transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects.”

Smith’s order noted that officers may not arrest individuals “based solely on federal immigration warrants or detainers as long as there is no additional criminal warrant or underlying offense for which the individual is subject to arrest.”

The executive order comes as President Donald Trump announced “Liberation Day” for Washington, D.C., this week.

“This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump stated. “Under the authorities vested in me as the President of the United States, I’m officially invoking Section 740 … and placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control.” He said experienced law enforcement leaders would oversee the transition, adding, “They’ve done it before.”

“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people, and we’re not going to let it happen anymore,” Trump said, adding, “You don’t want to get mugged and raped and shot and killed … You want to be able to leave your apartment or your house and feel safe.”

In an order demanding the restoration of law and order in D.C., Trump declared, “It is my duty to our citizens and Federal workers to secure the safety and the peaceful functioning of our Nation, the Federal Government, and our city.”

Florida to Open ‘Deportation Depot’

americans
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced that the state is planning to open a second immigration detention facility.

The new facility, located at the Baker Correctional Institution and dubbed “Deportation Depot” by the governor, will hold 1,300 detention beds, although officials believe the number could increase to nearly 2,000.

“We’re taking yet another step in supporting the important mission that President Trump was elected to implement, securing the border, enforcing immigration laws and removing illegal aliens who are in our society now and sending them back to their home country,” DeSantis told reporters.

“We have done more on this than any other state by a country mile,” he added. ”We’re the only state in the country that requires all state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in ICE operations. We have that as a requirement of our state law.”

Florida’s detention center, Alligator Alcatraz, has been the subject of recent controversy just weeks after opening. The Department of Homeland Security has defended the facility, issuing a statement condemning the mainstream media’s attacks on the site.

“Nearly every single day, my office responds to media questions on FALSE allegations about Alligator Alcatraz. The media is clearly desperate for these allegations of inhumane conditions at this facility to be true,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. “No feces are overflowing from toilets. Just like no one has died. Incinerators are not being used for nefarious purposes. These types of smears are directly contributing to our ICE officers facing a 1000% increase in assaults against them. Here are the facts: Alligator Alcatraz does meet federal detention standards. All detainee facilities are clean. Any allegations of inhumane conditions are FALSE. When will the media stop peddling hoaxes about illegal alien detention centers and start focusing on American victims of illegal alien crime?”

Los Angeles Councilman Charged with Embezzlement

U.S. Money (Giorgio Trovato/Unsplash)

A Democrat Los Angeles City Councilman has been charged with corruption for embezzling $800,000.

Councilmember Curren Price originally received five embezzlement charges in 2023, as well as three felony counts of perjury and two felony counts of conflict of interest.

“Embezzling public funds and awarding contracts for your own financial gain is the antithesis of public service,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Our communities expect and deserve better from their public officials. I thank our investigative team and prosecutors in the Public Integrity Division for diligently pursuing every lead and holding elected officials accountable. Self-dealing and pay-to-play politics will not be tolerated in Los Angeles County.”

According to a release from Hochman’s office, the ten felony counts allege that Del Richardson & Associates, a company owned by Price’s wife, Delbra Pettice Richardson, “received payments totaling more than $150,000 between 2019 and 2021 from developers before he voted to approve projects.” Price has also been accused of embezzling an estimated $33,800 in city funds between 2013 and 2017 to pay for medical benefits for his wife, whom he falsely claimed he was married to while being legally married to Lynn Suzette Price.

“It is further alleged that Price took advantage of his position in city government to award city lease agreements and over $2 million in federal COVID-19 grants to the nonprofit Home at Last,” the district attorney’s office adds. “Home at Last was a paying tenant of the Urban Healthcare Project at the time of the votes. Price served as CEO of Urban Healthcare Project during the time of these votes. These funds were intended for homelessness efforts.”

If convicted as charged, the councilman faces up to 11 years and four months in custody, including “up to nine years and four months in state prison and up to two years in county jail.”

Trump’s AI Strategy Powers New Government Tool

artificial intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (Naeblys/Getty Images)

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced USAi, an artificial intelligence tool that allows federal agencies to “experiment with and adopt” AI strategies at a fast pace.

The tool’s launch supports the efforts described in the White House’s “America’s AI Action Plan.” USAi features an “evaluation suite,” which is described as a system that “not only fosters transparency and trust in emerging technologies, but also accelerates responsible innovation across the federal government.”

“USAi means more than access—it’s about delivering a competitive advantage to the American people,” said GSA Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian. “The launch of USAi shows how GSA is translating President Trump’s AI strategy into action and accelerating AI adoption across government. USAi will put mission-ready tools directly into the hands of agencies to modernize faster, boost security, and lead globally.”

GSA Chief Information Officer David Shive said the tool is “infrastructure for America’s AI future,” explaining that it “helps the government cut costs, improve efficiency, and deliver better services to the public, while maintaining the trust and security the American people expect.”

Upon announcing its AI plan in July, the White House said, “Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.”

Policies listed in the plan include exporting American AI around the world, developing data centers, supporting innovation by removing barriers, and preserving free speech in AI models.

The report details that an American victory in the AI race will unleash a new “information revolution” and “enable altogether new intellectual achievements: unraveling ancient scrolls once thought unreadable, making breakthroughs in scientific and mathematical theory, and creating new kinds of digital and physical art—a renaissance.”

Historic Legal Agreement Removes Cereal Dyes

Kellogg's
(Haley Owens/Unsplash)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Kellogg’s has entered into an agreement to remove dyes from its cereals.

Paxton and Kellogg’s have signed a historic Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, which declares that the company will remove artificial food dyes from its cereals by the end of 2027. The agreement makes Kellogg’s the first company to “officially sign a legally binding agreement confirming that it will remove food colorings,”

“Following months of investigating and negotiating, I’m proud to officially say Kellogg’s will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,” Paxton said in a statement. “The signed AVC demonstrates that Kellogg’s is committed to keeping this pledge, and I commend the company for doing the right thing. I encourage other food manufacturers to sign similar agreements to demonstrate their commitment to helping Americans live healthier lives.”

Paxton launched an investigation into Kellogg’s in April for possible violations of the state’s consumer protection laws.

While the cereal giant advertises its products as “healthy,” some of its cereals are “filled with petroleum-based artificial food colorings that have been linked to hyperactivity, obesity, autoimmune disease, endocrine-related health problems, and cancer in those who consume them,” Paxton’s office said at the time. Cereals involved in the investigation include Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes, and Rice Krispies.

“A critical part of fighting for our children’s future is putting an end to companies’ deceptive practices that are aimed at misleading parents and families about the health of food products,” Paxton said earlier this year. “Artificial food colorings have been shown to have disastrous impacts on health, and in no world should foods that include these dyes be advertised as ‘healthy.’ There will be accountability for any company, including Kellogg’s, that unlawfully makes misrepresentations about its food and contributes to a broken health system that has made Americans less healthy.”

Putin Praises Trump Ahead of Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Alexei Danichev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered rare public praise for the Trump administration on Thursday, calling it “energetic and sincere” just one day before his first in-person meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump since 2019. The talks, set for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, will mark Putin’s first visit to American soil in a decade.

Speaking to senior Kremlin officials, Putin said the current U.S. leadership is making “energetic and sincere efforts” to halt conflict, end crises, and work toward agreements “in the interests of all parties involved.” He described the meeting’s goal as creating “lasting conditions for peace” between the two countries, in Europe, and globally.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed final preparations for the summit are underway, noting the short notice of the meeting created logistical hurdles, including securing visas for the Russian delegation.

President Trump told Fox News Radio on Thursday his priority is to advocate for soldiers “being killed unnecessarily” and to encourage Putin to meet directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He hinted at a possible follow-up trilateral meeting with Zelensky that could happen immediately after the Alaska talks, potentially without either leader leaving the state. “We have a lot of planes,” Trump remarked.

Trump said he will know “in the first couple of minutes” whether the meeting will be productive but believes Putin’s willingness to come to Alaska signals a serious intent to reach a deal. If talks go well, the two leaders may hold a joint press conference. If not, Trump said he would brief the media alone before returning to Washington, D.C.

The president added that a successful first round could lead to European leaders joining negotiations in a second phase, with Alaska remaining a possible venue.

Sam Altman to Launch Merge Labs, Taking Direct Aim at Musk’s Neuralink

Brain to computer communication (Photo by AYDINOZON/Getty Images)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is co-founding Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup positioned to compete directly with Elon Musk’s Neuralink. According to The Financial Times, the company plans to raise $250 million at an $850 million valuation, with a large portion of its funding expected from OpenAI’s ventures arm.

Altman, who launched OpenAI alongside Musk in 2015 before Musk left its board in 2018, will partner with Alex Blania, the founder of the eyeball-scanning ID project World, another Altman-backed initiative. While Altman will help establish Merge Labs, he will not take on a day-to-day operational role. The company’s name refers to the Silicon Valley concept of “the merge,” predicting a future convergence between humans and machines—a shift Altman has suggested could begin as early as 2025.

Merge Labs joins a growing race to develop commercially viable brain-computer interfaces, a technology expected to see rapid advancement as artificial intelligence evolves. Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, recently secured $650 million in funding at a $9 billion valuation, backed by investors including Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, and Vy Capital.

The launch of Merge Labs underscores the ongoing rivalry between Musk and Altman. Musk’s departure from OpenAI sparked years of tension, culminating in a lawsuit where Musk has attempted to challenge OpenAI’s shift from a nonprofit model. The feud deepened in 2023 when Musk founded his own AI company, xAI, to compete directly with OpenAI’s models.

Breitbart News has reported on the Musk-OpenAI legal dispute, including a court filing from Musk’s legal team claiming he “does not use a computer.” This claim appears at odds with Musk’s own X posts, where he has shared photos of his laptop and commented on his personal computer setup.

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