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Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died of a brief and sudden illness, his office says. He was 71.
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
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19 21:26 Woodrow [2143] 
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Nick Shirley's Latest Fraud Video Is Another Gold Mine: $190 million NYC senior center for almost 8000 imaginary old Asians
[Townhall] Nick Shirley is back, this time exposing large-scale Medicare fraud involving senior centers for elderly Koreans and Chinese. It’s another video that’s nearly an hour long, which he posted in full here:

“Your tax dollars are paying for elderly Koreans and Chinese to play ping pong and do tai chi, while the fraudsters give kickbacks to those who enroll,” Shirley wrote.



A circulating clip shows Shirley confronting an employee at a center in Flushing, where he is presented with some hard numbers about the facility. Shirley asked him whether there were more than 7,000 members at this center, and he flatly denied it. When the employee asked where he got his figures, Shirley said these are all publicly available. The employee denies there are 7,000 members at this center, prompting Shirley to ask whether he was overbilling, since they’re charging $1,600 per patient. That’s millions per year.

Bonus Minnesota Somali who hits both the Learing Center and Feeding Our Future:



Update from the New York Post at 10:40 a.m. EDT:
Minnesota daycare owner outed by Nick Shirley admitted to filing more than $4.6M in false claims
A Minnesota daycare center owner featured in YouTuber Nick Shirley’s viral video showcasing alleged bogus childcare facilities has admitted that she defrauded the US government out of millions of dollars — which she used, in part, to buy up real estate.

Fahima Mahamud, CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning Center in Minneapolis — which was featured in Shirley’s December video round-up of questionable facilities around the Twin Cities — pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the US.

According to prosecutors, between October 2022 and November 2025, Mahamud filed claims for more than $4.6 million from the Child Care Assistance Program — a federal program that provides daycare assistance for low-income families — on behalf of recipients who never paid the required co-payment.

According to prosecutors, Future Leaders also received over $850,000 between January and July 2021 through Feeding Our Future, a Minnesota food program that bilked taxpayers out of $250 million and led to charges against 79 individuals involved in the fraud, many of them of Somali descent.

Mahamud used most of the money to purchase real estate, according to an affidavit.
Oh good. That means much of it will be recoverable — at least if it’s somewhere in the U.S. Property back home in Somalia is a different story.


Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 2026-07-12 02:05 || Comments || Link || [1845 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I wonder how much fraud there is in those Hasidic towns.
Posted by: Penguin of the Best Desert || 07/12/2026 6:57 Comments || Top||

#2  Tried to escape to the UK before being caught by the FBI

Not a wise decision actually. Flights to the UK would likely been the first place the FBI would have looked.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 8:41 Comments || Top||

#3  Is imaginary housing in NYC also rent controlled?
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/12/2026 8:54 Comments || Top||


New Testimony Builds Case That Charlie Kirk Was Assassinated For Christian Belief
[Federalist] Judge Tony Graf fully admitted the now-released three-page testimony on Charlie Kirk’s religious beliefs by pastor, TPUSA board member, and friend of Charlie Kirk, David Engelhardt, on July 9. The statement details Kirk’s "orthodox-Christian position on marriage, family, gender, and sexual being, which find their basis in various Biblical scriptures."

Defense attorney Richard Novak disputed the admission for more than 30 minutes on the second day of the preliminary hearings because the document does not reveal accused assassin Tyler Robinson’s
…gay, radical left, romantically involved with a very unbalanced transgender furry, he turned his back on the healthy Republican conservatism of his Mormon family, and set out to punish Charlie Kirk. He immediately afterward told his Discord crowd what he’d done, then afterward his father persuaded him to turn himself in. While I’m not aware of evidence he is Black Bloc/Antifa, it sure looks like he’s their ideal candidate…
views on Kirk and "this is not a case about religion."

However, because Graf ruled that the document is admissible as evidence for Kirk’s political beliefs, he bolstered the prosecution’s case for the victim-targeting enhancement, which could increase Robinson’s punishment if he is found guilty.



Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 01:33 || Comments || Link || [1909 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The statement details Kirk’s "orthodox-Christian position on marriage, family, gender, and sexual being

"Sexual being"....please explain.

Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 1:45 Comments || Top||

#2  ^ [left] Wiki has quite a bit to say about it under the Charlie Kirk LGBTQ community topic.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 4:04 Comments || Top||

#3  From an ABC report last September:

When his father called Robinson, he implied he planned to "take his own life," with his parents convincing him to meet them at their home, the charging documents said.

"As they discussed the situation, Robinson implied that he was the shooter and stated that he couldn't go to jail and just wanted to end it," the charging documents said.

His parents then asked their son why he committed this crime, to which he said "there is too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate," according to the charging documents.

Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 10:05 Comments || Top||

#4  So it seems that calling it a hate crime cuts both ways. Christian conservatives can be victims as well as any other group of people. But then, it shouldn't matter what other reason the shooter may have had, shooting someone dead in cold blood is a hateful thing to do.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 07/12/2026 16:53 Comments || Top||

#5  Remember the term, "self loathing Christaphobic racists".
Posted by: Woodrow || 07/12/2026 21:28 Comments || Top||


Man charged for allegedly threatening to burn Josh Shapiro’s home, using antisemitic slur
[IsraelTimes] A Pennsylvania man is arrested and charged with allegedly threatening to burn down the residence of the state’s Jewish governor, Josh Shapiro.

Authorities say the man, named as Richard John Franklin, 65, used an antisemitic slur while making the threat during a visit to the office of State Representative Leanne Krueger, according to local media.
Images of the man on the internet show a calm, trim, well-groomed, middle aged white man in a blazer and button-down shirt, not insane looking at all. The whole thing is very odd.
Police arrested Franklin at his home. He is charged with making terrorist threats and harassment, and is due in court next week.

Shapiro, a Democrat, is running for reelection as governor and is widely seen as a contender in the 2028 presidential race. He faced an arson attack last year, when a man firebombed his residence hours after the family held a Passover seder. The man, who pleaded guilty, said he saw the attack as “an offset to the war in the Middle East.”
Update from Patch at 9:50 a.m. EDT:
Richard John Franklin went to State Rep. Leanne Krueger's office in Brookhaven on Tuesday to discuss his outstanding taxes, according to State Police.

While talking to a staff member, Franklin used an antisemitic slur and threatened to burn down the Governor's Residence, police said. Gov. Shapiro is Jewish.

Franklin's threat was reported to State Police, which sent members of its Political Violence Threat Unit to his house on Wednesday.

The suspect gave inconsistent accounts about what happened at the 161st District Office. He also claimed his statement about the Governor's Residence was sympathetic because Gov. Shapiro and his family survived a prior arson.

On the first night of Passover last year, the Governor's Residence was set ablaze in an assassination attempt against Gov. Shapiro. The governor's family was inside, as well.

Franklin, 65, of Brookhaven, was arrested without incident and charged with:

  • terroristic threats (third-degree felony)

  • ethnic intimidation (third-degree felony)

  • threats and other improper influence in official and political matters (misdemeanor)

  • harassment (misdemeanor)

  • disorderly conduct

Franklin posted his $10,000 cash bail on Thursday.

In May, Pennsylvania State Police launched its Political Violence Threat Unit, which investigates threats against elected officials.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 2026-07-12 01:06 || Comments || Link || [1809 views] Top|| File under:

#1  WAIT ... does "you bastard" count?
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 13:35 Comments || Top||


-Obits-
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died of a brief and sudden illness, his office says. He was 71.
[x]
Posted by: 3dc || 07/12/2026 02:29 || Comments || Link || [2143 views] Top|| File under:


#2 
My condoences to his wife and family.

While I did not always agree with Grahams opinions or votes. Overall he was Pro USA.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/12/2026 6:53 Comments || Top||

#3  No wife. Light loafers.
Posted by: Frank G || 07/12/2026 7:00 Comments || Top||

#4 
Posted by: Frank G || 07/12/2026 7:43 Comments || Top||

#5  I believe he is actually a cousin in the Billy Graham family. Seems like his politics aren’t particularly Christian.
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/12/2026 8:44 Comments || Top||

#6  Seems like his politics aren’t particularly Christian.

That may have all changed in the last 24 hours. RIP Senator.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 8:51 Comments || Top||

#7  Are they certain he didn’t fall out a window?
Posted by: Chogum Flath9553 || 07/12/2026 8:59 Comments || Top||

#8  Klik here for his likely replacement.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 9:09 Comments || Top||

#9  Lindsey is enjoying a 20 minute conversation with Mitch
Posted by: Dopey Photch2701 || 07/12/2026 10:16 Comments || Top||

#10  My son lives in SC and says Nikki Haley is the most likely replacement. He was running for re election so they have to find a viable replacement.
Posted by: EMS Artifact || 07/12/2026 13:18 Comments || Top||


#12  Miss Lindsay's team did impeccable constituent services, especially for Vets. Oh and Nikki is on the post-post service gravy train, so no go.
Posted by: Regular joe || 07/12/2026 14:33 Comments || Top||

#13  Senator Graham raised his younger sister after their parents died, served 33 years in uniform (USAF colonel, then National Guard and Reserves), and then politics at the state and federal level since 1992. He had much to be proud of.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 17:50 Comments || Top||

#14  News is stating he died of some sort of cardiac event. While the toxicology report and the microscopic analysis is still pending, it looks like natural causes. The IRGC is supposedly claiming responsibility
Posted by: Chantry || 07/12/2026 18:07 Comments || Top||

#15  /\ Now being reported: An aortic dissection is one of the most dangerous medical emergencies involving the heart and blood vessels. The aorta is the large artery that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. In a dissection, a tear develops in the inner layer of the aortic wall, and blood forces its way between the layers, causing them to split apart.

The key takeaway: It’s a life‑threatening condition that requires immediate emergency care.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 18:17 Comments || Top||

#16  Talk of sonic weapon used.

Talk that is was a warning to Trump and DC Ukarine suppotters.

1 thing is for sure, there will lots of talk.

But what will the real facts ever be completely known. Eg. JFK, MLK, Ron Brown, Kirk ..etc
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/12/2026 19:09 Comments || Top||

#17  Times of Israel liveblog concurs:

Senator Lindsey Graham’s cause of death: Aortic dissection

By REUTERS

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham died of a heart ailment caused by hardening of the arteries, his office says.

A preliminary finding from the medical examiner of the District of Columbia says the cause of death was “aortic dissection,” Graham’s office says in an email.

Aortic dissection is a tear in the main artery that carries blood from the heart. The finding showed it was due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 19:51 Comments || Top||

#18  Yeah, well, George Floyd had an autopsy, too.
Posted by: DooDahMan || 07/12/2026 20:55 Comments || Top||

#19  I remember how the Lindy sat on Russiagate testimony that helped Clear Trump. A smiling RINO.
Posted by: Woodrow || 07/12/2026 21:26 Comments || Top||


-Short Attention Span Theater-
The Pentagon has released the fourth batch of declassified UFO files
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The US Department of Defense has declassified the fourth batch of documents on unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings. CBS News reported this on July 11.

Forty files were published on a special website, including 14 documents, 19 videos, four audio files, and three images. The information was provided by the Pentagon, NASA, the CIA, and the FBI.and the Department of Energy. About half of the materials date back to 2010 or later. They include infrared videos taken by the military and images of unexplained objects over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Middle East.

Among the released materials, the minutes of a secret Atomic Energy Commission meeting held in Los Alamos at the dawn of the Cold War in 1949 stand out. At the time, intelligence agencies were trying to unravel the origins of the strange "green fireballs" that regularly appeared in the sky above the nuclear facility. Scientists were unable to agree on the cause. Experts only speculated that they could have been meteors entering the atmosphere at an extremely acute angle, CBS News reported.

US President Donald Trump ordered the declassification of UFO documents.

The Pentagon previously released its third set of declassified materials on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). According to Press Secretary Sean Parnell, interest in the released materials has been unprecedented. Since its launch on May 8, 2026, the WAR.GOV/UFO resource has received over 1.7 billion visits worldwide. Parnell noted that the US Department of War and partners from other agencies are already working on the next set of documents.

Posted by: badanov || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1872 views] Top|| File under:


#2  Since its launch on May 8, 2026, the WAR.GOV/UFO resource has received over 1.7 billion visits worldwide.

I recommend annual subscriber memberships.
All major credit cards accepted.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 9:01 Comments || Top||

#3  over 1.7 billion visits worldwide

How many off-world?
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 13:37 Comments || Top||

#4  There was a comment from someone claiming to see monoliths on the moon (true). I thought everyone knew that the moon scenes from 2001; A Space Odyssey were filmed onsite.
Posted by: Chantry || 07/12/2026 18:09 Comments || Top||

#5  /\ Statistics have shown that there is usually 10% who fail to get the word.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 18:16 Comments || Top||

#6 
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 22:36 Comments || Top||


Pamplona bull runner is gored in the face and 12 others injured as thrill-seekers test their mettle in Spanish festival
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] One runner was gored in the face and many more were fortunate to not be seriously injured during a chaotic bull run at Spain's San Fermin festival on Saturday.

The six bulls and accompanying steers charged through crowds of thrill-seekers who packed the narrow street course in Pamplona.

The huge 600kg animals knocked bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute run from the pen to the bull ring where bullfighters will kill the bulls later in the day.

One runner was pierced by a horn in the face, while 12 more people needed medical treatment for an assortment of knocks, according to the University of Navarra Hospital.

A black bull broke away from the pack early in the 875-meter (957-yard) run and plowed into a group of people, smacking one full in the side of the face with a horn.

It was not clear if that was the moment of the goring.

Many runners appeared completely unaware when bulls were breathing down their necks and, instead of trying to gore them, just shoved them out of the way.

Saturday's was the fifth morning run of the eight-day festival in northern Spain.

This year's festival comes 100 years since the publication of Ernest Hemingway's novel 'The Sun Also Rises,' whose publication launched the San Fermin festival to international fame.

The last death at San Fermin's bull runs occurred in 2009, but gorings and broken bones are common, partly due to the large number of novice bull runners and foreign tourists who join the experienced locals.

Thousands of people from around the world attend the week-long festival every year to take part in the famous encierros, in which the bulls are released at 8am to charge from their corral to the bullring along an 850-metre route through the city's old town.

Brits typically make up around 4 per cent of the international participants.

Runners attempt to stay as close to the animals as possible without falling or being gored.

Alongside the daily bull runs, it features parades, music, religious ceremonies and round-the-clock street festivities.

On Friday dramatic images showed runners sprinting through the narrow streets as they are chased by six charging bulls during the fourth run.

Other photographs capture runners lying on the cobbles desperately trying to shield themselves as bulls thunder past, with one man curling into a ball and covering his face.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1888 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Evidently golf and pickleball are too boring,
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 1:14 Comments || Top||

#2  A friend from Barcelona has run with the bulls many times. His pro tips: stay close to a doorway, and stay sober.
Posted by: Knuckles Grundy || 07/12/2026 5:37 Comments || Top||

#3  Good advice when visiting any new bar.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 5:50 Comments || Top||

#4  For a lot less money, you can head west and find a bison to provoke. Also you could take a Carnival cruise and get in people ‘s way at the buffet.
Posted by: Super Hose || 07/12/2026 8:50 Comments || Top||

#5  Driving the speed limit on I-285, I-575, or I-75 'in or near' Atlanta will likely produce similar results.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 8:55 Comments || Top||

#6  Sometimes you eat the steak. Sometimes the steak eats you.
Posted by: Secret Master || 07/12/2026 10:18 Comments || Top||

#7  For a lot less money, you can head west and find a bison to provoke.

Terrifying moment Grandpa is LAUNCHED eight feet in the air by charging bison at Yellowstone

Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 13:48 Comments || Top||

#8  ^Nice airtime, and no, they didn't do anything to annoy the bison. It's rutting season.
Posted by: Frank G || 07/12/2026 15:31 Comments || Top||


-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
The death toll from Ebola in DR Congo has risen to 648
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has risen to 648, Al Jazeera reported on social media on July 11.

The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 1,830, including 648 deaths, according to official government data.

According to estimates cited by Reuters, approximately 90% of all cases have been reported in Ituri province, particularly in the Bunia, Rwampara, Mongbwalu, and Nyakunde zones. The virus continues to spread rapidly in these areas.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia is ready to launch mass production of a vaccine against the new strain of Ebola fever. The minister did not provide details on the vaccine's development or production timeline.

In May 2026, an outbreak of a rare and dangerous Ebola virus strain, Bundibugyo, with a fatality rate of up to 50%, occurred in Congo and Uganda. The epidemic is spreading rapidly, with a risk of infection in Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, and South Sudan. The fight against the virus is hampered by the insecurity in the Congolese provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, as well as the lack of approved vaccines against this strain.

Posted by: badanov || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1839 views] Top|| File under:


#2  /\ Possibly a coincidence Skid, if you believe in that sort of thing. A goodly number here, do not.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 7:01 Comments || Top||


A powerful typhoon has killed 87 people in Taiwan
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Eighty-seven people were injured in Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) due to powerful Typhoon Bavi. This was reported on July 11 by Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), citing local authorities.

According to him, most of the injuries occurred when people fell from bicycles or motorcycles due to strong winds and slippery roads.

"Typhoon Bavi made landfall in Taiwan on Saturday, leaving 87 people injured, 14,476 residents evacuated and 177,485 households without power," the agency reported.

A typhoon struck Taiwan on July 11. In the first 13 hours after landfall, over 400 mm of rain fell in some areas of the island. The heaviest downpours hit mountainous areas, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. Waves up to 8.6 m high were recorded in southeastern waters.



Prior to this, thunderstorms, gales, and a tornado killed at least two people in Hubei Province in central China. Severe weather conditions associated with Typhoon Maysak were reported in several cities in the province. Water levels in 59 rivers in the region exceeded danger levels. Around 55,000 people were displaced by flooding and dam failures caused by heavy rains.
Posted by: badanov || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1819 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Bavi made landfall on China earlier today near Hangzhou City

About 2 million people were evacuated or relocated to shelter by yesterday.
Posted by: Lord Garth || 07/12/2026 9:46 Comments || Top||

#2  ^ Or learning to swim
Posted by: Frank G || 07/12/2026 12:30 Comments || Top||


#4  Is it 87 people killed or 87 people injured, which?

Article and headline not clear on this.
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 07/12/2026 15:34 Comments || Top||


The death toll from the Venezuela earthquake has risen to 4,333
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The death toll from the twin earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to 4,333, National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez announced on July 11.

"As of July 11, 2026, the number of Venezuelans killed as a result of the terrible earthquakes of June 24 is 4,333, 16,740 were injured, and 6,462 people were rescued," Rodriguez said at a press conference broadcast by the VTV television channel.

The speaker added that 17,907 local residents currently remain homeless.

Government agencies provided humanitarian aid to 86,794 affected families. Ninety-four temporary shelters have been established across the Latin American republic for those left homeless, currently housing 18,437 Venezuelans.

The natural disaster damaged 856 buildings, 190 of which completely collapsed.

Two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, struck northern Venezuela on the evening of June 24. The natural disaster caused widespread destruction, and a state of emergency was declared in the country.
Posted by: badanov || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1862 views] Top|| File under:


Britain
Hero British para faces 12 years in notorious Georgian jail for bringing in medication used to treat spinal injuries from jump in Afghanistan
[MAIL] A British para hero is languishing in agony facing 12 years in a notorious Georgian jail for entering with medication for spinal injuries from a jump in Afghanistan.

Sergeant Matthew 'Des' Desmond, 49, immediately declared the drugs when crossing into the former Soviet republic from Turkey on his Triumph motorbike in April.

But despite his medicine exactly matching a monthly prescription he had not obtained local paperwork and was arrested and charged with importing narcotics.

Now the highly decorated Iraq and Afghanistan veteran is locked up in Gldani Prison - once ranked one of the worst jails in the world due to sexual abuse of inmates and extreme violence.

Sgt Desmond, who received the distinguished Meritorious Service Medal in the late Queen's 90th Birthday Honours, is writhing in agony and 'can barely put one foot in front of the other'.

Prison medics only give him medication every other day which numbs just a tenth of his pain, lawyers say.

Sister Claire-Louise Rough, 43, who first raised the alarm, said: 'A man who once fought to protect the lives of others is now waiting for justice himself.'

Former comrades have also written to authorities asking they show mercy for the 'honest', 'compassionate' and 'dependable' para 'widely regarded as a fantastic soldier'.

But despite Georgians fighting side by side with Britain in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it committed the most troops per capita of any nation, he remains incarcerated.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 18:45 || Comments || Link || [1875 views] Top|| File under:

#1  As SAS languishes watching 'football'.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 22:24 Comments || Top||


Cyber
Lithuania and Poland to jointly develop European AI gigafactory
[BNE] Lithuania's economy and innovation ministry has joined the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC) initiative to build artificial intelligence (AI) gigafactories, submitting a joint proposal with Poland's digital affairs ministry to establish one of Europe's most advanced AI computing facilities, the ministry said on July 8.

AI gigafactories are a flagship initiative of the European Commission and EuroHPC to develop next-generation large-scale AI computing infrastructure across Europe. The EU plans to co-finance up to five facilities. Lithuania's and Poland's investment will proceed if a Polish business-led consortium secures European funding.

Economy and Innovation Minister Edvinas Griksas signed the joint procurement agreement on July 7, 2026.

"Investing in artificial intelligence means investing in the competitiveness and security of the entire region. Lithuania and Poland are demonstrating that, by working together, smaller European countries can become an important centre for AI development. We want the Lithuanian and Polish AI ecosystems to operate as one and compete globally," Griksas said.

The partnership follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the Lithuanian economy ministry and Poland's digital affairs ministry on 26 January 2026 covering cooperation on AI, including infrastructure. The agreement allows both countries to participate in the joint procurement process and access services developed by industry and research partners to meet regional needs.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 06:27 || Comments || Link || [1827 views] Top|| File under:

#1  How the Iran war has disrupted Abu Dhabi's AI strategy

Arabic AI models still plagued by quality issues

While UAE salaries easily compete with Silicon Valley paychecks, the country has yet to appear in the top tier of global AI engineering pools, according to a 2026 report by the Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council.

"Despite massive investments, much of the region's AI ecosystem continues to rely on foundational models, algorithms and benchmarks developed elsewhere, making it a consumer rather than a primary producer," Fatima Abu Salem, a professor of computer science at the American University of Beirut, told DW. "This dependence is reinforced by reliance on expatriate expertise and foreign academic institutions for advanced research, training and validation."


[For a while, the UAE also tried to position itself as a technological swing state between the US and China. However, this balancing act drew scrutiny from Washington and in 2023, the UAE severed all AI ties with China according to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.]

Researchers have criticized the quality of the UAE's Arabic AI models, such as Jais. Speaking on condition of anonymity, they told DW that they found results from Jais "surprisingly poor." In September 2025, the university launched "K2 Think", an open-source AI reasoning model. Yet again, independent researchers said the performance of the K2 Think model was overstated.

However, as analyst Sebastian Sons pointed out, "at this point, the UAE has invested so much into its AI strategy that turning around won't be an option." In his view, for the UAE it's much more than a nice-to-have project, it's about becoming an irreplaceable and leading key player in the field.

This echoes a sentence by the AI Minister Omar Sultan Al Olama. As early as 2018, he already said: "Data is the new oil."
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 6:56 Comments || Top||

#2  First we got AI and that was good
Cause we love LGBTQ+ and (unwedded) motherhood
Then China got AI but that's okay
Cause the balance of power's maintained that way Who's next?
Posted by: Grom the Reflective || 07/12/2026 7:25 Comments || Top||

#3  *happy sigh* Tom Lehrer-ish!
Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 9:17 Comments || Top||


Great White North
Gunfire shatters Toronto Latin street festival, leaving at least 2 dead and multiple wounded
[FOX] The Toronto Police Service is investigating after gunfire broke out Saturday night at a large Latin street festival in Midtown Toronto, leaving at least two people dead and four others wounded.

Police said they received reports of a shooting at St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue at 8:12 p.m. local time and discovered an active shooter situation.

First responders found six people suffering from gunshot wounds, officials said. Two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

It is unclear what led to the shooting, and authorities said suspect(s) are still "outstanding." No arrests have been made as of Saturday evening, police said.

Toronto Police Deputy Chief Frank Barredo said during a news conference there seemed to be an "exchange of gunfire" between two individuals targeting each other.

"This is a very chaotic scene," he said. "I think we had something in the neighborhood of 13,000 people participating in this festival."

Police initially described the incident as an active shooter situation before later determining that was not the case.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 00:44 || Comments || Link || [1802 views] Top|| File under:

#1  so... trying for that real Latin flavour, eh?
Posted by: Mercutio || 07/12/2026 9:35 Comments || Top||


Government Corruption
Rep. Riley Moore: H-1B Visa Program Abused by Large Corporations to ‘Displace the American Worker'
[Breitbart] Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) raised attention to how the H-1B visa program is being abused not only by some applicants, but by large corporations using the program in order to "displace the American worker."

While speaking with host Matthew Boyle on Breitbart News Saturday, Moore said he thinks most people don’t understand the levels at which the H-1B visa program is being abused. Moore cited an example of how the CEO of Xbox had "laid off 3200 employees" and then "applied for thousands of H-1B visas."

"The H-1B visa program is being abused at levels I don’t think most understand. Not only being abused by the people who are applying through H-1B, but in particular specifically these large corporations who are using the H-1B visa program to displace the American worker," Moore said.

"This isn’t just in skilled labor, this is also in white collar jobs. You can look up these companies that are applying for H-1B visa, and many times it could be for computer programmers, accountants, you name it. And, the only difference in between the computer programmer or accountant that they got from India and the one who has been educated here in the United States, is the amount of money that they’re willing to pay."
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 07:23 || Comments || Link || [1882 views] Top|| File under:

#1  That Riley Moore, mind like a steel trap.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 7:31 Comments || Top||

#2  BFO. Sort of ignored Disney's mass layoff of American IT workers with these H-1Bs that only offered a severance package if the employee trained his replacement. I've been watching this game unfold since the '80s.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 07/12/2026 9:39 Comments || Top||

#3 
How about a simple Work VISA requirement.

When US unemployment is over 4%, Corporations must certify extensive efforts were made to hire US Workers with the same required skill sets, and were unavailable.

Visa applicant salary must be equal to what are normal US wage standards.

Then slap on a meaningful fine of $25,000 per violation and no US Gov contacts for 2 years.
Posted by: NN2N1 || 07/12/2026 10:25 Comments || Top||

#4  A lot of the H-1B folks are contracted to these companies by staffing firms who, to the surprise of no one in the industry, treat the H-1B workers like chattel.

Fees subtracted from paychecks for a multitude of reasons.

Not too unlike the old 'Factory Store' system wherein the workers were so indebted to the Company that it was inconceivable for them to leave and go elsewhere.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 07/12/2026 12:19 Comments || Top||

#5  Ref #2: ....offered a severance package if the employee trained his replacement.

I knew a lady that happened to. Her position became redundant. Taking "insult to injury" to an all-new level, six months after she left she was asked by Amrock Corp. to RETURN for one week to help iron out issues. She had worked there over 25 years.

She received a modest severance package, but no retirement.

Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 13:40 Comments || Top||

#6  ...six months after she left she was asked by Amrock Corp. to RETURN for one week to help iron out issues...

I hope she told them to FOAD.
Posted by: Abu Uluque || 07/12/2026 17:50 Comments || Top||

#7  /\ Her husband told me she thought about it, and went in to help anyway. That took some starch.
Posted by: Besoeker || 07/12/2026 18:19 Comments || Top||

#8  It's all part of the plan.
Posted by: DooDahMan || 07/12/2026 20:56 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Muslim judge in India faces death threats after convicting 'cow vigilantes'
[BBC] An Indian judge has become the target of online abuse and death threats days after she sentenced 14 men to life imprisonment for lynching a man to death.

On 12 June, the additional district and sessions judge of a court in Madhya Pradesh state, Tabassum Khan, found the men guilty of offences including murder, attempt to murder, rioting and wrongful restraint.

The crime took place in 2022, when 50-year-old Nazir Ahmad was transporting cattle at night and was intercepted by a group of self-styled "gau rakshaks" (cow protectors), armed with sticks and rods. Hindus consider cows sacred and killing them is illegal in many states.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 01:21 || Comments || Link || [1813 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I think I'm with the Muslim judge on this one.

(A lot of cow news today. Weird that.)
Posted by: Secret Master || 07/12/2026 12:21 Comments || Top||

#2  Now we know how to make a Hindu mad.
Posted by: Skidmark || 07/12/2026 13:34 Comments || Top||


Iraq
No one should escape accountability in corruption cases: Shiite leader
[Rudaw] Iraq's prominent Shiite holy man and politician Ammar al-Hakim on Saturday called for the public trial of major corruption suspects, saying there should be no leniency for anyone convicted of embezzling public funds, as Baghdad presses ahead with a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.

In a Saturday post on X, Hakim said they reiterate their call "for public trials of high-level corrupt officials," adding that "there will be no leniency or tolerance for anyone proven guilty of misappropriating public funds."

The head of the National Wisdom Movement also voiced support for Iraq's judiciary and the federal government in "pursuing and holding the corrupt accountable - regardless of their positions or affiliations - and in applying the law to everyone without exception."

"Neither rank nor affiliation shall serve as a pretext to evade accountability once guilt is established by law," he added.

His remarks come as Iraq has stepped up efforts to prosecute high-profile corruption cases in response to growing public demands for accountability.

Late last month, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi launched Operation Dawn, a nationwide anti-corruption campaign targeting Baghdad and several other provinces. A day later, government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi said arrest warrants had been carried out against 21 suspects, while several others had fled the country and were being pursued by authorities.

Following the launch of the campaign, Zaidi instructed the finance ministry to establish a dedicated bank account to receive funds recovered from corruption cases.

Hakim's statement follows an announcement by Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) on Friday regarding businessman Noor Zuhair, the main defendant in the so-called ’heist of the century’ case.

The "heist of the century" involves a massive corruption scandal centered on the fraudulent withdrawal of tax-guarantee funds between September 2021 and August 2022, when Iraq's state-owned Rafidain Bank disbursed funds in the form of 247 cheques to five shell companies, two of which - al-Qanat and al-Mubdi'oun - were owned by Zuhair. The case was first exposed in October 2022.

The council said Zuhair had returned only 365 billion Iraqi dinars (about $279 million) of the approximately 1.6 trillion dinars (about $1.24 billion) allegedly embezzled before leaving Iraq. Authorities said they are working through Interpol to secure his return.

According to the council, Zuhair has requested to benefit from Iraq's general amnesty law by repaying the remaining funds.
There should be some sort of reward for returning billions, alongside the punishment for stealing it.
The request requires the opinion of the federal finance ministry, which has yet to respond, leaving the case pending.

The finance ministry said on Saturday that its role in such cases is limited to financial procedures related to recovering stolen state funds and safeguarding the public treasury, adding that decisions on criminal proceedings remain the responsibility of the judiciary.

Posted by: trailing wife || 07/12/2026 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1824 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq

#1 
Posted by: Grom the Reflective || 07/12/2026 1:23 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
33[untagged]
5Govt of Iran
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3Moslem Colonists
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2Govt of Iraq
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1Govt of Qatar (MB)
1Govt of Sudan
1Devout Moslems
1[untagged]
1Houthis
1Commies
1Muslim Brotherhood
1Palestinian Authority
1al-Qaeda
1Govt of Iran Proxies
1Antifa/BLM

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Two weeks of WOT
Sun 2026-07-12
  Lindsey Graham (R-SC) died of a brief and sudden illness, his office says. He was 71.
Sat 2026-07-11
  Mali: Situation report as of 07/10, the day after the clashes between the FLA/JNIM coalition and the Africa Corps/FAMa convoy
Fri 2026-07-10
  Mali:Russian African Corps abandoned some of its armored vehicles amid fierce strikes by the Azawad Liberation Front
Thu 2026-07-09
  Pentagon confirmed the resumption of strikes on Iran
Wed 2026-07-08
  US announced the beginning of a series of powerful strikes on Iran, hit over 80 targets; IRGC claims they hit 85
Wed 2026-07-08
  IDF fire said to kill 7 in Gaza, including terror operative, aid worker and child
Tue 2026-07-07
  Mali: Situation Update as of 07/06
Mon 2026-07-06
  Internal Hezbollah documents sheds light on years of coordination between the two Iranian tentacles in the run-up to the attack
Sun 2026-07-05
  Major attack underway in Mali
Sat 2026-07-04
  There aren't any Islamic pom-pom girls…
Fri 2026-07-03
  Iran hits Kurdish dissent groups with missiles, drones in Erbil province
Thu 2026-07-02
  A US helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, leaving one person missing
Wed 2026-07-01
  2 IRGC members shot dead at home in Iran, in what state media calls ‘terrorism’
Tue 2026-06-30
  Katz: Israel has 'no territorial ambitions' in Lebanon, will stay until Hezbollah disarmed; IDF struck more Hezbollah targets overnight
Mon 2026-06-29
  The US attacked Iran again
Sun 2026-06-28
  Fox News liveblog: US launches new round of strikes on Iran after fresh Strait of Hormuz attack


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