[Federalist] Delivering a new version of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) bank fraud indictment for the second time, federal prosecutors in Alabama added a new target this week: Heidi Beirich. The former SPLC executive is accused of living with a member of a neo-Nazi organization and sharing bank accounts with him while allegedly directing SPLC funds to him as payment for his work as an informant:
The addition of Beirich as a defendant makes the indictment stranger, rather than clearer, and suggests the presence of new and little-understood background themes in a continuing investigation.
Reflecting the language of the indictment, news stories had initially described Beirich as the SPLC’s former chief financial officer (CFO). That doesn’t appear to be true. Beirich is an academic, having written a dissertation on Spanish courts to earn her political science Ph.D. at Purdue University. She has no background in finance or accounting, and her own LinkedIn page lists a series of research and intelligence jobs at the SPLC rather than finance positions.
In an email message, The Federalist asked the SPLC what positions Beirich had held with the organization. The organization didn’t respond.
More importantly, Beirich appears to be an antagonist who broke with the SPLC during a period of internal crisis. Beirich left the organization in 2019, the same year that founder Morris Dees was forced out. In that year, a long series of news stories described chaos and anger inside the SPLC, routinely depicting it as a troubled institution. The Federalist sent an email message to Dees on Wednesday, asking him if he could discuss Beirich’s role at the organization and provide background that might help to explain the indictment. He didn’t respond.
A story published in the Daily Beast in October of 2019 framed Beirich’s departure as an element of a purge: "The leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project is stepping down amid an ongoing leadership shakeup at the anti-hate organization." Note that the 2019 story on Beirich’s departure didn’t describe her as the CFO, instead describing her as the head of the organization’s intelligence-gathering operation. That position would have put her squarely in the center of the SPLC’s use of informants.
[ZERO] The Pentagon says it does not discuss contractor support to particular missions. The gear aboard mimics cell towers.
Private military contractor Metrea has spent months quietly operating two surveillance-equipped aircraft along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the Arizona Mirror.
The planes have traversed Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, circling at high altitude over border cities including Bisbee and Douglas in Arizona, and Laredo and El Paso in Texas.
Metrea holds multiple contracts with the U.S. military, including a $5.7 million award to support training for U.S. Special Operations Command. The company also conducts simulated training missions for the Marine Corps.
It performs comparable border work overseas, providing what it describes as advanced aerial surveillance to the Australian government for monitoring that country's border regions.
#2
Thanks Besoeker - very interesting outfit. I didn't realize anyone private owned 15 KC-135 refuelers. Kinda makes you wonder if they have any parked at TLV or AMM. And the reference to a base in Poland with no comment about any connection to their ISR aircraft is notable as well. Following in the footsteps of Evergreen Airlines & Presidential Airlines amongst others apparently.
The U.S. military conducts **tens of thousands of surveillance and detection missions** annually along the southern border under **Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB)**, established in March 2025 to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In its first year, JTF-SB executed approximately **22,000 enhanced detection and monitoring missions**, **84,000 security site missions**, and **1,600 aerial observation flights**, alongside **220 unmanned aerial missions**.
**Multi-domain surveillance assets** include Army-deployed systems like the **Ground-Based Operational Surveillance System–Expeditionary (GBOSS-E)** and **Long-Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3)**, which provide day-and-night monitoring. The **Air Force** has flown over **50 intelligence missions** using U-2, RC-135, and RQ-4 aircraft, while the **Navy** deploys P-8A Poseidon aircraft for regular sorties. Additionally, private military contractors like **Metrea Aerospace** operate surveillance-equipped aircraft over Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico for undisclosed missions since early 2026.
**Joint operations** involve nearly **3,000 patrols** conducted alongside Border Patrol agents and over **800 mirrored patrols** with Mexican military counterparts. More than **20,000 service members** from all branches have served in these roles, utilizing advanced sensors, drones (including Skydio X10D systems), and aerostat radar balloons to monitor the **1,954-mile border**. The mission focuses on detecting illegal crossings, drug trafficking, and cartel activity while enhancing situational awareness for federal law enforcement.
#5
Reference #2: 2009 or so saw possibly the first Persistent Surviellance platforms in Iraq, later Afg. At that time the flights targeted VBIED blasts. Circly taget areas for hours. Back-seaters ran the gimble, Video taped, then run backwards from the 'boom' to try and locate the origin on the vehicle. Tiring, dangerous work. It was originally an Army Research Lab (ARL) effort. Much progress and expansion has taken place since then. Multi-disciplined capabilities now ride a single aircraft. High orbit platforms make a sweep. These air breathers operate at 10k to 20k AGL and can loiter. Good stuff, nother tool to find bag guys and saves lives.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A passenger ship capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe, killing at least 72 people. The search for the missing continues, state television channel ZBC reported on August 15 .
A Rural Infrastructure Development Agency vessel carrying more than 100 people capsized on August 11 near Long Island. It was initially hit by strong waves.
To date, 72 people have been confirmed dead. Children are among the victims. Some of those on board remain missing, and the search and recovery operation is ongoing. Police, military, and local services are involved, as well as a helicopter.
Funerals have begun in the city of Kariba. Some families lost several relatives at once. The municipality has prepared additional burial plots.
"I've been a captain on this lake for over 32 years, and we've never encountered anything like this," one local sailor told the TV channel.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the incident a national disaster. Following the disaster, the head of state ordered urgent measures to address deficiencies in the shipping safety system.
This isn't the first major incident involving passenger ships in recent weeks. On August 12, the ferry KM Putri Yasmin, en route to Lombok, caught fire off the coast of the Indonesian island of Bali. Rescuers evacuated 172 people, and one passenger died.
#1
The article says the ferry was carrying over 100 people but does not mention the capacity. From looking at the picture, I'd guess it was pretty far over capacity.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
08/17/2026 14:12 Comments ||
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[FOX] USDA data shows the U.S. entered 2026 with about 86.2 million cattle and calves, the smallest herd since the early 1950s. That’s down from roughly 94.7 million cattle and calves in 2019, a decline of more than 8 million animals.
Rebuilding that lost supply will take time, particularly after years of conditions that pushed ranchers to shrink their herds.
Chief among them is persistent drought.
"The biggest thing has been drought," Eric Belasco, head of the agricultural economics department at Montana State University, previously told Fox News Digital.
He said years of dry weather have depleted grasslands across the West and Plains, leaving ranchers without enough feed or water to sustain their herds. Many have been forced to sell cattle early, including cows needed to produce the next generation of calves, making the road to recovery even longer.
The effects are reaching beyond ranches and into grocery stores, where consumers are paying more for beef. Or not buying it.
#1
[AI] impact of diet on childhood reading levels over the last 75 years
Research indicates that **diet quality is a significant predictor of childhood reading levels and cognitive development**, with specific nutrients playing distinct roles in visual processing and language acquisition. Over recent decades, the focus has shifted from general caloric sufficiency to the **quality of specific nutrients**, such as omega-3 fatty acids and iron, which are critical for brain maturation and reading fluency.
**Key Nutritional Drivers of Reading Ability**
* **Omega-3 Fatty Acids (DHA):** Essential for eye and brain development, DHA supports the neural pathways required for tracking words and using working memory; deficiencies are linked to difficulties in reading fluency and visual processing.
* **Iron and Micronutrients:** Iron deficiency anemia is a major risk factor for impaired cognitive development and lower academic achievement, while folate, zinc, and B vitamins also show strong correlations with better cognitive performance.
* **Overall Diet Quality:** Diets high in fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains are associated with better reading skills, whereas diets high in saturated fats, sugars, and processed foods are linked to poorer cognitive function and lower standardized test scores.
**Long-Term Trends and Dietary Shifts**
* **Decline in Phenotypic IQ:** In affluent Western countries, recent data suggests a reversal of the "Flynn Effect" (historical gains in IQ), which researchers attribute to **declining protein quality** and overall nutritional density in children's diets over the last several decades.
* **Obesity and Academic Performance:** The rise in childhood obesity and the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods have coincided with increased risks of lower academic achievement, including reading and math scores.
* **School Nutrition Programs:** Evidence shows that improved school lunch programs with strictly controlled nutritional quality can lead to **higher long-term educational attainment**, even if immediate cognitive test scores do not show dramatic changes, suggesting that sustained proper nutrition supports learning capacity and school engagement.
While historical data spanning exactly 75 years is limited, the consistent scientific consensus is that **malnutrition and poor diet quality impair the neurological development** necessary for reading, and that **improving dietary intake** through both home and school environments is a proven strategy to enhance academic outcomes.
[AI] Whatever became of the vaunted imported Argentine Beef that Trump promoted as a way to alleviate the beef shortage an high prices in the US?
The **imported Argentine beef** promoted by President Donald Trump to lower U.S. prices was officially authorized via a **February 2026 proclamation** that quadrupled the low-tariff quota by **80,000 metric tons**, yet the initiative has been marred by **regulatory failures** and sustained industry opposition. While the policy successfully boosted Argentine exports to the U.S. by **185% in volume** through mid-2026, its effectiveness in reducing consumer costs remains disputed by economists who argue the added supply is too small to significantly impact prices.
**Recent Recall Incident**: In **August 2026**, nearly **30,000 pounds** of the imported beef distributed in Florida and Texas was recalled by the USDA after entering the U.S. without mandatory **import reinspection**. Officials classified this as an **administrative error** by the importer, Corte Argentino USA LLC, rather than a food safety issue, but the lapse intensified criticism from domestic ranchers regarding the reliability of foreign supply chains.
**Industry and Political Backlash**: The plan faces continued fury from U.S. cattle groups like the **National Cattlemen's Beef Association**, who label it **market manipulation** that undermines domestic producers without guaranteeing lower grocery bills. Additionally, the program operates alongside ongoing concerns about **screwworm threats** from the Mexican border, which some ranchers argue poses a greater risk to the U.S. herd than the import policy solves.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The death toll from the powerful earthquake in Indonesia has risen. According to the latest figures, more than 50 people have died and over 130 have been injured. This was announced at a press conference on August 16 by Abdullah Muhari, a spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency.
"The death toll has reached 53 people, and another 135 people were injured," Mukhari said, as quoted by the BBC.
According to him, the largest number of people died in the provinces of Manggarai (25 people) and East Manggarai (20 people).
He also added that a total of 995 aftershocks have been recorded in the country since August 16. Of these, 46 were felt by the population. 5,000 residents have already fled their homes.
On August 14, two strong earthquakes, measuring 6.2 and 7.7, struck the coast of Indonesia. A tsunami warning was issued across the country. The epicenter of the first earthquake was located 161 kilometers northeast of Labuan Bajo, a city with a population of approximately 188,000. The epicenter was located at a depth of 35 kilometers and 59 kilometers northwest of Ende (population over 77,000).
Then, another magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 102 km from the city of Labuan Bajo. The earthquake's center was located at a depth of 199 km. Indonesia again issued a tsunami warning.
Local residents posted videos online of destroyed buildings and rubble. Damage was sustained to public facilities and residential buildings, schools, medical and government institutions, and landslides occurred in several areas.
The main earthquake occurred on August 15 at 5:58 a.m. local time (00:58 Moscow time) near Flores Island. Its magnitude was 7.7. It was followed by a series of aftershocks, one of which (with a magnitude of 6.2) was recorded by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center at 1:13 a.m. Moscow time. Authorities dispatched three helicopters and a rescue ship to conduct the rescue operation. Following the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued in several provinces, but it was later lifted.
[IsraelTimes] Israel experienced a rare midsummer storm on Saturday that brought heavy rain to Jerusalem and the surrounding area, as well as to the Golan Heights, breaking all-time August rainfall records and causing flooding in parts of the Judean Desert.
Maale Adumim received 26 millimeters (1.02 inches) of rain during the day, including 11 millimeters (0.43 inches) in a single hour. It was the most rain ever recorded in the region for the month of August.
It was only the fourth time since measurements began that more than 20 millimeters of rain were recorded anywhere in Israel during the month of August, the Meteorological Service said. Previous instances occurred in the Golan Heights in 2012, Kfar Blum in 1971 and Zichron Yaakov in 1920, according to Channel 12's chief weather forecaster Ilanit Adler.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/17/2026 00:00 ||
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[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to scale back its planned joint military exercises with South Korea.
The commander-in-chief posted the policy change to his Truth Social page on Sunday, just hours before the joint military exercises were scheduled to begin.
He noted that his decision was in part to do with his 'very good relationship with Kim Jong Un,' the leader of North Korea.
And Trump also made sure to mention how South Korea responded when the US asked the country to help him with his war against Iran.
According to the president, South Korea simply said 'no thanks!' to helping denuclearize the Middle Eastern country.
Trump wrote on Sunday night: 'Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea.'
'These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile to a Country that, as long as Donald J Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.
'Therefore, and based on the fact that it is too late to cancel, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to substantially reduce the Joint Military Exercises!'
#2
I doubt the average American is going to care about this when it comes time to vote in November. They are going to care about the price of gas, food and other necessities and what stupid shit their congress critters are pushing to justify their election/re-election.
[Fortune] Costliest U.S. bond sale since 2001 is investor warning to Bessent
The US government sold 30-year bonds at the highest interest rate in a quarter century, a testament to investors’ demand for greater compensation to finance the nation’s growing deficit.
The yield at the $25 billion sale Thursday came in at 5.216%, the most since 2001, even as a drop in oil prices supported US debt in secondary-market trading. The sale, which was met with decent demand, follows the Treasury Department’s 10-year auction a day earlier that drew the highest financing cost at that tenor since 2007.
It’s a headache for President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of midterm elections in November. Lofty government financing costs are already feeding through to the broader economy, after years of elevated inflation and government spending.
“Investors are being asked to absorb a growing supply of government debt globally at a time when deficits remain large, inflation uncertainty persists” and the Federal Reserve is no longer a major buyer, said Michal Stanczyk, portfolio manager for the global fixed income team at Allspring Global Investments.
“If investors continue demanding greater compensation for inflation and fiscal risks, long-term yields could move higher and away from 5% even if Treasury auctions remain well covered,” he said.
The Treasury’s concern appeared to be on show last week when it tweaked its debt-sales guidance in a way that opened the door to potential cuts to long bond supply. Meanwhile, investors are still not rushing to lock in yields at multi-decade highs, signaling a collective wariness that the selloff may not be over.
Representatives for the Treasury didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Long-term yields surged past 5% this year on investor concerns that a rise in energy prices — tied to war in the Middle East — will boost cost pressures, forcing the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated for years to come. That’s on top of heightened Treasury supply from years of fiscal deficits, a sudden ramp-up of corporate borrowing to fund the artificial-intelligence boom, and waning demand from traditional buyers of long-dated bonds.
Treasury yields are the center of the US financial universe, serving as the benchmark for everything from corporate debt to housing loans. Last week, the average for a 30-year fixed mortgage increased to 6.69%, the highest since July 2025.
Meanwhile, interest on the public debt continues to be a key driver of the nation’s budget deficit. For the fiscal year to date, the tally is $1.17 trillion — a 15% increase, thanks in part to higher yields on Treasuries.
[Rudaw] Iraq’s Federal Commission of Integrity announced on Sunday the seizure of more than $6 million, seven gold bars and gold jewelry at the home of the deputy electricity minister for transport and distribution amid Iraq’s ongoing anti-corruption crackdown.
“A team from the Baghdad Investigation Directorate, following intensive monitoring, inquiries and investigations, managed to find large sums of money and quantities of gold in several houses belonging to the accused, Khalid Ghazai Atiya, Deputy Minister of Electricity for Transport and Distribution, against whom the commission’s personnel had previously carried out an arrest warrant,” the Iraqi Federal Commission of Integrity announced, according to state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).
According to the statement, “the seized funds amounted to 1,175,000,000 Iraqi dinars [$900,000] and 5,839,000 U.S. dollars, in addition to seven gold bars and gold jewelry.”
The seizure of assets marks the latest recovery in Iraq’s nationwide anti-corruption campaign, known as “Operation Dawn,” initiated by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in late June in coordination with the Federal Commission of Integrity.
The arrest of former deputy oil minister Adnan al-Jumaili in May served as a trigger for the massive operation and exposed widespread embezzlement in the public sector.
The latest operations regarding Jumaili have recovered $20 million seized, 60 kilograms of gold and seven cars according to a Sunday statement from Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council.
Several Iraqi members of parliament have lauded the anti-corruption drive, calling for equal enforcement.
Sumaya Al-Khabouri, a member of parliament representing the Al-Siyada Bloc, called on the government to expand the campaign beyond individual provinces or political groups.
“We call upon the government to continue and for these steps to be applied to all, rather than being enforced in one province, against one party or group. It must be applied to all those involved in corruption and the squandering of public funds,” she said.
Murtada al-Saadi of the Reconstruction and Development Bloc said his bloc supports the judiciary-led campaign but raised concerns about some of the procedures.
“We strongly support the campaign undertaken by the judiciary in cooperation with government institutions and the Prime Minister's orders. However, we have some reservations regarding the procedures that caused complications for certain families and others,” he expressed.
In mid July, the SJC said authorities had seized 25 billion Iraqi dinars, $200,000 and four kilograms of gold jewelry in the case. Earlier, authorities announced the seizure of 375 kilograms of gold, including 358 kilograms recovered in coordination with the Kurdistan Region.
Iraq ranked 136th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, reflecting continued concerns over corruption and the recovery of public funds.
[19Fortyfive] The U.S. Navy once planned to buy 32 Zumwalt-class destroyers. It built three. The Government Accountability Office now places the acquisition cost at $10.6 billion per ship, more than seven times the original unit estimate. That figure includes research and development spread across only three hulls, rather than representing the shipyard price of each vessel.
The class was supposed to restore heavy naval gunfire after the Iowa-class battleships left service. Each 610-foot ship was built around two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems, a 600-round magazine, and 80 peripheral vertical-launch cells for Tomahawk, Evolved SeaSparrow, Standard, and anti-submarine missiles. Stealth shaping, electric propulsion, automation, and a reduced crew were meant to make the Zumwalt the model for a new generation of surface combatants.
The central weapon never entered operational service. The Long Range Land Attack Projectile, or LRLAP, rose to an estimated $800,000 to $1 million per round after the fleet collapsed to three ships. The Navy stopped buying the ammunition, leaving six large guns across the class without a practical combat round.
The replacement mission is also expensive and late. A July 2026 GAO review said the Navy is spending at least $2 billion to convert all three ships for Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missiles. Each destroyer is expected to carry 12 rounds, with an estimated average cost of about $67 million apiece. As of August 14, 2026, no Zumwalt had fired one from sea, and the first shipboard test had moved from 2025 to 2027.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Federalist] Delivering a new version of the 
