{"id":36113,"date":"2026-08-16T05:39:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T05:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36113"},"modified":"2026-08-16T05:39:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T05:39:58","slug":"geopolitics-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=36113","title":{"rendered":"Geopolitics Update"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Friday, August 14, 2026 \u2013<\/strong><em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Two ships attacked in the Strait of Hormuz; UAE blames Iran. U.S. sends new carrier to Middle East. Traffic through Hormuz seems to grind to a halt. U.S. threatens economic punishment for Iran that has \u201cnever been seen,\u201d as War Secretary Pete Hegseth vows indefinite blockade. U.S. has lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, roughly 25% of fleet, in Iran war. Drones intercepted over Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraqi state oil company says UAE firm is buying its crude. Ansarallah says it struck a Saudi Aramco facility. Iran rejects U.S. claims that flights to Yemen carry military personnel or equipment. Israel attacks fishermen off Gaza coast. Israel continues its assault on the occupied West Bank. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz orders transfer of West Bank enforcement powers; Palestinian commission says move advances annexation. Israel blockade on oil and spare parts from entering Gaza endangers thousands, MSF says. Gaza cancer patients dying at 2-3 times prewar rate, Reuters reports. Jared Kushner to visit Israel next week. Israel continues military activity in Lebanon despite \u201cceasefire.\u201d Israel demolished a 60-apartment complex in Lebanon, official says. Human Rights Watch urges UN to keep international force in southern Lebanon beyond 2026. Flock Safety announces mandatory audit changes amid mounting scrutiny over misuse. DHS documents show broad surveillance of left-leaning groups during Minnesota immigration crackdown. Border czar Tom Homan defends ICE plan to equip officers with electric shock gloves. Trump signs proclamations imposing drone tariffs, allowing limited foreign warship construction. Vice President JD Vance asks Department of Justice to investigate hospitals over transgender care. DOJ finds California prisons systematically fail to protect women from guard sexual abuse. Federal judge dismisses Trump administration\u2019s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard. Progressive Florida slate rally moves to church after venue tried to bar Rep. Rashida Tlaib. CIA behind Ecuadorian fishing attacks, WaPo reports. Russia rejects Black Sea ceasefire proposal. UN warns that 650,000 refugees in South Sudan could lose food aid. Chadian president pardons jailed opposition leaders. Hundreds across Canada target Elbit suppliers in \u201cpeople\u2019s arms embargo.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Iran<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Two ships attacked in Hormuz, UAE blames Iran:\u00a0<\/strong>The UAE\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/1f6322d9-94b6-437c-a6d1-c835d5eafbfe?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accused<\/a>\u00a0Iran of attacking two vessels affiliated with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on Thursday, while the ships were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported as a result of the attack.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The UAE Foreign Ministry called the attack a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 and an \u201cact of piracy\u201d by Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guard Corps. It demanded that Iran halt its attacks and \u201ccompletely and unconditionally\u201d reopen the Strait<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>U.S. sends new carrier to Middle East:\u00a0<\/strong>The U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/b4056d98-da61-4936-80d1-91b3d3c7b69e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">headed<\/a>\u00a0to the Middle East on Thursday to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed in the region for more than 250 days, according to an announcement from the Navy.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The George Washington strike group departed Vietnam on August 12, the Navy said.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Lincoln\u2019s deployment had been expected to end in May but was extended as the U.S. war on Iran continued.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The news comes after reports this week that multiple sailors had attempted to jump overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln amid grueling deployment conditions for the ship\u2019s 5,000-person crew.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Traffic through Hormuz seems to grind to a halt:<\/strong>\u00a0West-to-east tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed after a brief burst of outbound flows, according to data published by Kpler on Thursday.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From August 7 through 13, 19 tankers carried 16.7 million barrels out of the Gulf. Nearly all of that moved during the first four days, with 16 tankers carrying 16.3 million barrels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>From August 11 through 13, just three Iran-linked tankers crossed, carrying only 0.4 million barrels combined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>U.S. threatens economic punishment for Iran that has \u201cnever been seen\u201d as Hegseth vows indefinite blockade:<\/strong>\u00a0U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/21c9ab15-f1e3-4232-9661-e5ecd090c5f7?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threatened<\/a>\u00a0to impose measures on Iran that have \u201cnever been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,\u201d during a Thursday interview on Newsmax.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bessent described the plan as a \u201ccombination of economic isolation\u201d and \u201cthe continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz\u201d of Iranian ports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Separately, U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. can\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/b6203255-6174-47f7-9461-6e3e5679e5fb?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">maintain<\/a>\u00a0its naval blockade of Iranian ports \u201cindefinitely\u201d on Thursday, as the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz drags on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hegseth told reporters in Panama that the U.S. could \u201crotate ships in and out\u201d to keep up the embargo. \u201cWe\u2019ll hold it as long as we need to,\u201d he said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>U.S. has lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, roughly 25% of fleet, in Iran war<\/strong>: The U.S. military has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/c41f6e30-1f87-44fd-b232-8b00207c4d27?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lost<\/a>\u00a0at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, representing about a quarter of the pre-war fleet and a potential taxpayer cost exceeding $1.3 billion, according to three officials cited by The Washington Post on Friday.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The losses add to a broader depletion of U.S. munitions, including more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,000 Patriot and THAAD missiles fired in the campaign\u2019s first month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Trump administration is seeking a $67 billion supplemental budget from the U.S. Senate to restock the arsenal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Iranian forces intercepted and destroyed an MQ9-Reaper drone over Hormozgan province on Friday, according to Iranian state TV.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drones intercepted over Iraqi Kurdistan:\u00a0<\/strong>Iraqi air defense systems\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/a98a2705-a7ce-4d6e-985f-2296a9bab3e3?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">intercepted<\/a>\u00a0drones over the northern Kurdish province of Erbil early Thursday, Iraqi security sources told Al Jazeera.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Local media footage showed the remnants of the drones falling onto a residential area near Erbil International Airport. No casualties were reported.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was not immediately clear where the drones were launched from or what their intended target was. Erbil, the capital of Iraq\u2019s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, hosts U.S. forces and has been struck repeatedly by Iran.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Iraqi state oil company says UAE firm is buying its crude:\u00a0<\/strong>Iraq\u2019s state oil marketing company SOMO\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/6dbd64ef-5da9-43c6-ad50-231f39146acb?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmed<\/a>\u00a0Wednesday that Abu Dhabi\u2019s ADNOC is among the firms buying its crude and now helping transport Iraqi crude through the Strait of Hormuz, following a Bloomberg report that ADNOC\u2019s trading arm offered Iraq to use its \u201cdark-transit\u201d shuttle system.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under the arrangement, tankers make short crossings with their tracking systems switched off, then transfer the crude to other vessels outside the Persian Gulf. The strategy has helped maintain exports through the blockaded Strait.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Yemen<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ansarallah says it struck Saudi Aramco facility:\u00a0<\/strong>Yemen\u2019s Ansarallah movement\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/ea3c2413-3e89-44d5-b457-2e892166277f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a>\u00a0operations against Saudi Arabia and around the Bab Al-Mandab on Thursday as fighting continued in the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen, with a military source telling the Yemeni outlet Saba that two drones struck an Aramco facility in Jizan. This follows two previous attacks claimed by Ansarallah on the same facility in late July and August.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The source said the operation answered Saudi violations of Yemeni airspace and sovereignty in Saada and Hajjah and warned of further retaliation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Saba separately reported that Ansarallah targeted the Bab Al-Mandab area with two missiles. Details were not immediately available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Taiz, a shell fired by Saudi-backed forces struck the wholesale fish market in Salah district, causing extensive property damage. No casualties were reported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Iran rejects U.S. claims that flights to Yemen carry military personnel or equipment:<\/strong>\u00a0Iran\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/fcfff4cc-14c0-45c3-bb0b-ffacd3595b2c?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rejected<\/a>\u00a0U.S. allegations that Iranian commercial flights to Sana\u2019a are transporting military personnel or equipment in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216, calling the claims \u201ccompletely baseless\u201d and unsupported by evidence, Iran\u2019s Mehr News Agency reported.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres and the Security Council president, the Iranian envoy claimed recent Iranian flights to Yemen were \u201chumanitarian in nature\u201d and accused Washington of trying to \u201cdistort the facts\u201d and divert attention from its own military actions and support for the blockade of Yemen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Palestine<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Israel attacks fishermen off Gaza coast:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli naval boats\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/00fe7f95-793e-4847-980b-6129c984cb58?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opened fire<\/a>\u00a0on a fishing boat west of Gaza City on Friday, according to WAFA, injuring three fishermen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Israel continues its assault on the occupied West Bank:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Nablus:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli forces\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/f54be1ea-5749-4cc8-8d96-557fb43873dc?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">blocked<\/a>\u00a0Israeli and foreign aid groups trying to access three homes in Nablus town of Qusra. The homes have been under siege by settlers for nearly a week, according to WAFA, who are also preventing families from accessing basic necessities during the assault. (Israeli anti-occupation Knesset member Ofer Cassif\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/c75b5800-dd99-462a-8b05-bdbc60db14e5?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>\u00a0he used his parliamentary immunity to cross an Israeli police blockade and deliver some water, food and medicine to the families. Cassif also said he brought equipment to restore their water supply, which had been cut by \u201csettler terrorists.\u201d) Separately, in the city of Nablus, Israeli forces\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/e5f83cec-bc6f-4c54-8626-586fe5538f01?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detained<\/a>\u00a0four Palestinians during a Friday morning raid, ransacking several homes. Israeli forces also expelled Palestinian families at gunpoint on Thursday and seized three newly built, multi-story homes in Jalud, south of Nablus, converting them into military posts and watchtowers, Haaretz\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/67e844cf-dae2-46b9-80c6-33032ad89e4e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hebron:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli forces\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/9a2bddb0-fad7-4b79-9917-f9444aeca00f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detained<\/a>\u00a0a 14-year-old in the village of Al-Kum, WAFA reported on Friday. On Thursday evening, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in Al-Buweira with stones and fired live ammunition toward them, and then raided the area, detaining dozens in the process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jenin:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli settlers wearing military uniforms\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/21841972-1ec0-4752-97b5-d4890f6b443b?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assaulted<\/a>\u00a0a Palestinian crew from an electrical utility on Friday, briefly detaining two and seizing money from one of them, WAFA reported. Israeli settlers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/91cc8f5e-796f-4b53-b269-c4a2f9a7d8e6?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attacked<\/a>\u00a0a vehicle between the towns of Arraba and Ya\u2019bad on Thursday evening, using pepper spray and wounding three of the vehicle\u2019s passengers, including a child.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ramallah<\/strong>: Israeli settlers\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/fdfd9c81-bf7d-4463-bf14-4d99438259ab?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">damaged<\/a>\u00a0Palestinian property between the villages of Al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah on Friday, dismantling water tanks. Israeli settlers also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/b69d344e-a7e7-471f-adde-ba0fad3f8f28?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began<\/a>\u00a0to establish a new colonial outpost near the Palestinian towns of Silwad and Deir Jarir on Friday, setting up a tent on land owned by the former town.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Katz orders transfer of West Bank enforcement powers; Palestinian commission says move advances annexation:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/0348255d-1908-4457-9e1f-319c498a67df?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ordered<\/a>\u00a0the military to prepare a plan to transfer enforcement powers over Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank to the Israel Police, saying the military should not \u201cchase youth in the hilltops\u201d and citing an \u201cexpected welcome increase in the number of settlers\u201d following the government\u2019s approval of new settlements.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The directive, which has not yet taken effect,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/635afdaa-0c18-46d5-a7e3-c6915053b7f4?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">represents<\/a>\u00a0an advanced step in Israel\u2019s \u201cadministrative and legal annexation\u201d of the occupied West Bank by further shifting authority from the military administration to Israeli civilian institutions, treating settlers increasingly as though they were inside Israel while Palestinians remain subject to military rule, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the move, saying it \u201crepresents a new attempt to impose Israeli law and sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to entrench the unlawful annexation of Palestinian territory.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Israel&#8217;s blockade on oil and spare parts from entering Gaza endangers thousands, MSF says:\u00a0<\/strong>Israel is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/44906179-62a6-4609-ab68-298e59487cb2?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">placing<\/a>\u00a0thousands of Palestinians in Gaza at heightened risk of death and severe illness as hospital generators, ambulances, water pumps, and water trucks begin to fail, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MSF noted the rising costs of engine oil, which can exceed $1,300 per liter, 20 times its price six months ago.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also highlighted the risks electricity rationing posed to hospital operations and water access. A damaged generator, for example, forced MSF to cut daily water production from 600,000 to 350,000 liters, depriving more than 40,000 people of water each day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cThis is not bureaucracy,\u201d said the group\u2019s Filipe Ribeiro. \u201cIt is a deliberate effort to make existence itself impossible.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gaza cancer patients dying at 2-3 times prewar rate, Reuters reports:\u00a0<\/strong>Gaza cancer patients are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/fe6343ef-178a-4908-b8de-d44a16486b51?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dying<\/a>\u00a0at two to three times the prewar rate after Israel destroyed the enclave\u2019s only specialized cancer hospital and blocked thousands from leaving for treatment, Reuters reported on Thursday.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An estimated 17,000 cancer patients now have no access to chemotherapy or advanced care inside Gaza. Another 20,000 patients are registered for treatment abroad, including 5,000 with cancer, but have not been permitted to leave.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Doctors report three to five cancer deaths daily, up from one to two before the war. Gaza\u2019s remaining hospitals lack up to 70% of essential medical supplies, while specialists warn toxic materials from Israeli explosives may be accelerating cancer rates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cEvery day my disease progresses,\u201d said a 33-year-old woman with cancer. \u201cI am just waiting to die.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kushner to visit Israel next week:\u00a0<\/strong>Jared Kushner, President Trump\u2019s son-in-law and Board of Peace member,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/398a2161-13e3-451c-91f7-68a5d1c493ed?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">plans<\/a>\u00a0to visit Israel next week for talks on Gaza, Axios reported.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The visit is reportedly set to focus on advancing the Board of Peace\u2019s plan. Netanyahu said Israel \u201crejects\u201d Trump\u2019s 15-point roadmap, which would include Hamas disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A U.S. official told Axios the two sides \u201csee eye-to-eye on the strategic goal, but Israel has expressed some doubts about the plan.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lebanon<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Israel continues military activity in Lebanon despite \u201cceasefire\u201d:\u00a0<\/strong>Israeli forces carried out a series of attacks across southern Lebanon on Thursday and Friday, according to Lebanon\u2019s National News Agency.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Israeli forces\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/85f16d17-1775-42f0-a20e-3a7fbad26513?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carried out<\/a>\u00a0two explosions in Bint Jbeil and Kounine in Bint Jbeil district and a large explosion in Markaba in Marjayoun district. Forces also bulldozed homes in Bani Hayyan in Marjayoun district, where fires broke out amid continued shelling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Israeli warplanes and drones meanwhile repeatedly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/348f3fe6-befc-4392-8420-9e287ea29211?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struck<\/a>\u00a0the outskirts of Mansouri and Majdal Zoun in Tyre (Sour) district, alongside demolition operations in the al-Mashaa neighborhood east of Mansouri.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On Thursday, the Israeli army\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/24ca5e07-83cf-4c8f-a1c1-08233b9a177c?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">carried out<\/a>\u00a0detonations and demolitions in Taybeh, Aita Al-Jabal, and Bani Hayyan, according to L\u2019orient Today. Israeli Merkava tanks were also seen moving near the eastern outskirts of Kfar Shuba.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Israel demolished a 60-apartment complex in Lebanon, official says:\u00a0<\/strong>Ten days ago, Israeli forces\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/a3170f64-6f79-4371-9bdc-d8b1757f9999?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">demolished<\/a>\u00a0a residential complex of around 60 apartments in Kfar Tibnit, in Lebanon\u2019s Nabatieh region, the town\u2019s mukhtar told L\u2019Orient Today.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The mukhtar said \u201cone of the major demolitions\u201d targeted the Ward complex, made up of 14 buildings. \u201cThe complex was destroyed,\u201d he said. Several other homes were similarly targeted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>HRW urges UN to keep international force in southern Lebanon beyond 2026:<\/strong>\u00a0Human Rights Watch\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/8ff4d4d9-03f4-4d32-99d7-8994574cf5c0?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called on<\/a>\u00a0the UN Security Council Thursday to delay UNIFIL\u2019s planned withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure a robust international force remains to protect civilians. The Security Council voted in August 2025 to extend UNIFIL\u2019s mandate for a final time through 2026, before the latest war erupted in March and Israeli forces displaced hundreds of thousands of people and occupied large areas of southern Lebanon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>HRW said the security situation has since \u201cdramatically worsened,\u201d with Israeli attacks killing more than 4,333 people and wounding over 12,250 since March 2, according to Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cPulling the plug on UNIFIL without a robust international force in place would effectively abandon millions of Lebanese civilians to an uncertain and potentially disastrous fate,\u201d HRW\u2019s UN director said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">U.S. News<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Flock Safety announces mandatory audit changes amid mounting scrutiny over misuse:<\/strong>\u00a0Flock Safety, whose network of automated license plate cameras is used by law enforcement agencies in 49 states,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/f494694b-e2d3-49b1-a1db-d6c37c5368d5?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a>\u00a0Thursday it will require customers to implement an audit tool flagging abnormal searches, shorten its data retention from 30 to seven days, and mandate that officers enter a case number before running searches.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Washington Post investigation earlier this month found nearly 50 instances of officers charged or accused of misusing the cameras, often to track romantic partners or family members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Six employees of the Savannah, Georgia police department were fired earlier this week for searching for friends and family using Flock technology.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than 50 agencies nationwide have canceled or suspended Flock contracts since the start of the year, according to tracking group DeFlock.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DHS documents show broad surveillance of left-leaning groups during Minnesota immigration crackdown:\u00a0<\/strong>The Department of Homeland Security\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/f54564a2-ac60-4195-ab3e-57d9c77cac6f?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opened<\/a>\u00a0an investigation into labor unions, climate groups, and progressive organizations during the Trump administration\u2019s immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year. Homeland Security launched the investigation days after Border Patrol agents fatally shot nurse\u00a0<strong>Alex Pretti<\/strong>\u00a0in January, using administrative subpoenas to obtain years of financial records from the groups, according to the New York Times.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Homeland Security obtained financial records of several nonprofits and prominent unions, including the Sunrise Movement, the Communications Workers of America, and the Service Employees International Union.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Documents reviewed by the Times also detail an undercover surveillance operation in which agents infiltrated Signal group chats and took names and license plate numbers of people at meetings in churches, libraries, and parks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prosecutors ultimately indicted 15 people connected to the \u201cantifa\u201d in June after presenting grand jurors with a slide claiming 18 groups, including the AFL-CIO, were part of a conspiracy to obstruct immigration agents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Homan defends ICE plan to equip officers with electric shock gloves<\/strong>: White House border czar\u00a0<strong>Tom <\/strong>Homan\u00a0defended\u00a0Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s plan to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves for officers, telling Fox News a de-escalation tool that could help avoid deadly force.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The gloves, known as G.L.O.V.E. and manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC, have drawn criticism from civil rights groups and Democrats amid concerns that ICE agents have been too quick to use force, with at least six people shot and killed by immigration agents since last year, including motorists in Maine and Texas last month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Homan said deployment of the devices would take \u201cawhile\u201d as the agency works out training protocols.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trump signs proclamations imposing drone tariffs, allowing limited foreign warship construction<\/strong>: President Donald Trump\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/6d51aeb2-9299-4374-9350-0e2843bf9899?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">signed<\/a>\u00a0two proclamations Thursday, one imposing tariffs on drones and drone parts and another directing the Navy to allow limited foreign shipbuilding.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The drone memorandum sets a 100% tariff on \u201cparticularly sensitive\u201d drones and 25% on smaller, less security-sensitive models, alongside a 15% tariff on drones from the European Union, Japan, and several other countries, taking effect 21 days after signing, with tariffs on less sensitive components phased in after 180 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Navy directive orders War Secretary\u00a0<strong>Pete Hegseth<\/strong>\u00a0to replace the Advanced Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems with traditional steam and hydraulic systems, establish a fifth naval shipyard, and temporarily permit foreign shipbuilders to construct up to two American warships in their own shipyards as part of efforts to accelerate production.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vance asks DOJ to investigate hospitals over transgender care:<\/strong>\u00a0Vice President\u00a0<strong>JD Vance<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/191645f5-61fa-467d-94c2-f31a0fa66700?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sent<\/a>\u00a0the Justice Department a government report accusing hospitals of using misleading billing codes for transgender health procedures to secure insurance reimbursement, asking Attorney General\u00a0<strong>Todd Blanche<\/strong>\u00a0to investigate dozens of hospitals nationwide, according to Politico.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The report from the Department of Health and Human Services, titled \u201cWolves in White Coats,\u201d found that providers billed nearly $50 million for puberty-blocking drugs for patients ages 9 to 17 using endocrine disorder diagnosis codes rather than gender-related ones. The report was released two days after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services cut off Medicaid funding for gender-affirming care for minors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Major medical groups including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics support gender-affirming care and have criticized the administration\u2019s actions, with AAP President Susan J. Kressly warning that \u201callowing the government to determine which patient groups deserve care sets a dangerous precedent.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DOJ finds California prisons systematically fail to protect women from guard sexual abuse<\/strong>: The Justice Department\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/10f92efc-7a37-4039-88b4-a2fc8c8512ef?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found<\/a>\u00a0that California\u2019s prison system has systematically failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by guards, with staff tasked with investigating misconduct often themselves accused of abuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Federal judge dismisses Trump administration\u2019s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard:<\/strong><strong>Judge Richard G. Stearns<\/strong>\u00a0of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/cc0cb81c-947a-4486-b6d2-033172751d7e?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dismissed<\/a>\u00a0the Trump administration\u2019s antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard University Thursday, ruling that the antisemitic incidents cited in the March lawsuit were \u201ctoo isolated and episodic\u201d to show the school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The lawsuit had accused Harvard of turning \u201ca blind eye to antisemitism and discrimination against Jews and Israelis\u201d following pro-Palestinian campus protests after the Gaza war began in 2023.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Progressive Florida slate rally moves to church after venue tried to bar Rashida Tlaib:\u00a0<\/strong>A Friday \u201cChomp the Oligarchy\u201d rally for a slate of progressive Florida candidates in the Fort Lauderdale area was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/redirect\/7aaa732c-46b0-4e90-aa9b-b5c798915d70?j=eyJ1IjoiMXNydmxxIn0.t-yRg9tr8ULyYQ9jr9MuMxaZMYeDriFWCIWjdjLTSKQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">relocated<\/a>\u00a0to a church after its original venue canceled the original booking unless organizers agreed to bar\u00a0<strong>Rep. Rashida Tlaib<\/strong>\u00a0from speaking, a campaign spokesperson told Drop Site\u2019s Ryan Grim<strong>.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The rally, organized with the Florida Youth Justice Coalition, Gen-Z for Change, and Miami DSA, features Tlaib and Senate candidate\u00a0<strong>Angie Nixon<\/strong>, alongside congressional candidates\u00a0<strong>Elijah Manley\u00a0<\/strong>(FL-20) and\u00a0<strong>Oliver Larkin<\/strong>\u00a0(FL-25) and Colorado Democratic congressional nominee\u00a0<strong>Melat Kiros<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reference Link: <a href=\"https:\/\/mail.yahoo.com\/n\/list\/folders=1&amp;listFilter=ALL_INBOX\/messages\/AALaWDJvl77w88jNkkYsNh8CBkM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/mail.yahoo.com\/n\/list\/folders=1&amp;listFilter=ALL_INBOX\/messages\/AALaWDJvl77w88jNkkYsNh8CBkM<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday, August 14, 2026 \u2013\u00a0Two ships attacked in the Strait of Hormuz; UAE blames Iran. U.S. sends new carrier to Middle East. Traffic through Hormuz seems to grind to a halt. U.S. threatens economic punishment for Iran that has \u201cnever been seen,\u201d as War Secretary Pete Hegseth vows indefinite blockade. U.S. has lost 45 MQ-9 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[512,25547,2076,1737,10003,60,19166,1990,1510,76,1360,24061,17576,1971,4660,27477,32520,349,361,4935,1515],"class_list":["post-36113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-aside","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-america-2","tag-annexation","tag-economy-2","tag-gaza-2","tag-genocide-2","tag-geopolitics","tag-humanatarian-crisis-2","tag-iran-2","tag-israel-2","tag-lebanon","tag-middle-east-5","tag-oil-gas-4","tag-palestine-2","tag-peace-2","tag-stability-2","tag-strait-of-hormuz","tag-threats","tag-us-2","tag-war","tag-war-crimes-2","tag-west-bank-2","post_format-post-format-aside"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36113"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36114,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36113\/revisions\/36114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}