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 My son has narrated the last book I wrote. Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too. (Click on Book Cover) World & Nation Trump May Seek Earlier Iran Exit Than Netanyahu  White House advisers reportedly say they believe President Donald Trump will likely want to end major military operations in Iran before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Even as Trump and Netanyahu have spoken nearly daily and appear closely aligned, U.S. officials say that differences in long-term strategy and risk tolerance could emerge as the conflict stretches into its third week, according to Axios. Trump has been described by officials as one of the most forceful voices in his administration in favor of confronting Iran militarily, aligning more closely with Netanyahu's aggressive posture than many of his advisers.
Iran Attacks Israel, Gulf as Israel Hits Beirut  Iran lashed out on Wednesday with attacks on Israel and its Gulf neighbors as Israel intensified strikes on Beirut, marking a sharp escalation in the regional war. The attacks came after Israel killed Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, one of Tehran's most senior security figures. Israel's defense minister said the military carried out the strike, with Israel Katz announcing Khatib's killing and warning that "significant surprises are expected throughout this day on all the fronts," without elaborating. Khatib had been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 for directing cyber-enabled espionage and ransomware attacks against the United States and its allies. The Treasury said he oversaw networks of cyber threat actors advancing Iran's political goals.
US bunker-buster bombs hammer Iranian anti-ship missile sites near Strait of Hormuz CENTCOM says Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles posed risk to international shipping in Strait of Hormuz  U.S. forces hammered Iran’s anti-ship missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz with 5,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil choke point, come as Iran’s stranglehold over the vital waterway has grown concerns over the regime’s threats to oil tankers. "Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM posted Tuesday evening on X. Deep GBU- 72 penetrator weapons, often referred to as bunker busters, are designed to cut through hardened or underground targets before detonating. The munition was first tested by the Air Force in 2021. Oil spikes after Iran says world’s largest gas fields hit in strikes, vows to attack Gulf oil production in retaliation  An Israeli airstrike hit Iran’s South Pars gas field, the largest in the world, on Wednesday — causing energy prices to spike as Tehran vows to hit energy sites across the Gulf in retaliation. Explosions were reported across multiple areas of the South Pars gas field, which is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar. Doha slammed the strike as a targeted attack. “The Israeli targeting of facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars field, an extension of Qatar’s North Field, is a dangerous & irresponsible step amid the current military escalation in the region,” said Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry. Iran’s central military command warned that a severe response to the strike was imminent, signaling a new wave of attacks on energy facilities across the Gulf. Brent crude oil futures soared to nearly $109 per barrel in the wake of the strike, after opening Wednesday around $101. Trump Moves to Lower Fuel Costs With Waiver  President Donald Trump's decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is aimed at easing pressure on American consumers and strengthening supply chains as U.S. forces continue executing Operation Epic Fury, according to the White House. The temporary move allows foreign-flagged ships to transport key energy products between U.S. ports — a significant shift from the century-old Jones Act, which typically requires domestic shipping to be conducted on U.S.-built and operated vessels. "President Trump's decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X, noting the action will allow "vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely" across the country. Israel says it assassinated Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib in overnight strike  Israeli forces have killed Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib, making him the third major Islamic Republic figure to have been taken out in the past two days. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Wednesday on X that Khatib, who led Iran’s global terror apparatus, had been “eliminated overnight.” Khatib, thought to be 65, joins de facto Iran leader Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary leader Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani as the highest-ranking Tehran officials to be rubbed out since the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of Operation Epic Fury. New audit exposes flawed system critics say let Minnesota fraud slip through cracks: 'Didn't act for years' The new audit sparked immediate outrage from conservatives online  A new state audit investigating the massive fraud scandal in Gov. Tim Walz's Minnesota revealed that the state's Department of Human Services (DHS) failed for years to properly investigate Medicaid kickback allegations while incorrectly claiming that they did not have the authority to do so. The Office of the Legislative Auditor report released on Tuesday, titled "Department of Human Services Investigations of Alleged Kickbacks in the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention Program," found that DHS’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has long possessed the legal authority to pursue kickback cases independently, contradicting the agency’s own claims. Instead, DHS officials operated under the belief that they could only investigate kickbacks if they were tied to other forms of fraud, such as billing abuse or theft, prompting a rebuke in the report. Boat Strikes 'Just the Beginning' in Cartel Fight  A senior Pentagon official told lawmakers Tuesday that U.S. military operations targeting Latin American drug cartels are likely to expand, potentially including ground deployments, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, Politico reported. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee, acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Humire described the current effort, Operation Southern Spear, as "just the beginning," defending ongoing lethal strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats as necessary deterrence. Since early September, U.S. forces have conducted 45 strikes, killing at least 157 people and contributing to reported declines in maritime trafficking routes. Democrats sharply criticized the operation as an open-ended conflict lacking clear objectives or legal grounding.
Sen. Rand Paul eviscerates Markwayne Mullin in DHS confirmation hearing: ‘A man with anger issues’  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) ripped his colleague, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), at the start of the latter’s confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security, calling him “a man with anger issues” who “has no regrets about brawling in a Senate committee.” The shocking words from the GOP chairman were made just minutes after the high-stakes hearing kicked off, with Paul also sharing personal frustrations that Mullin called him “a freaking snake” who deserved to have six of his ribs broken by a neighbor over political differences. The Homeland Security panel chair added that he “was shocked” that Mullin “would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain,” adding Mullin “never had the courage to look me in the eye and tell me the assault was justified.” Regime Change Is Inexorable Ending the war now is untenable. As Trump said last week, ‘We don’t want to go back every two years.’ By John Bolton
How does President Trump expect the Iran war to end? He’s been ambiguous about the answer, saying in an interview last Friday that he’ll know it “when I feel it in my bones.” Some of his advisers and supporters urge him to stop short of a change of regime in Tehran. But the logic of regime change is inexorable. If the president wasn’t fully resolved to remove the ayatollahs, he should never have initiated so ambitious a military effort. Strikes on military targets alone won’t topple the regime. Instead, they must debilitate the institutions of state power, notably the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the basij militia. That would prove the regime’s inability to defend itself, signifying it can’t long survive and exacerbating divisions within a system already rocked by an accelerated succession crisis and the elimination of many top leaders. Iran’s opposition must help intensify regime collapse by working with disaffected officials, civil and military. Susan Rice is no stranger to dirty tricks — and her latest threat shows how shameless the Democrats are By Michael Goodwin
Susan Rice, who played leading roles in the Obama and Biden administrations, has broken a Washington code of silence by threatening that anyone who plays ball with the Trump administration will suffer payback the next time Democrats take control. ‘When it comes to the elites, you know, the corporate interests, the law firms, the universities, the media, it’s not going to end well for them.’ ” she said on a podcast. “They’re going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box,” Rice added. She is no stranger to dirty tricks, having been involved in the Obama administration’s spying on Trump’s 2016 White House campaign. |
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