August 25, 2026

01 Trending

DOGE cuts to USAID have worsened the Congo’s Ebola outbreak that has killed 500, experts warn– fortune.com

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

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More than 500 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of the ongoing Ebola outbreak, as experts say cuts to international aid have hampered the country from containing the virus.

There have been 1,561 recorded cases of Ebola, including 506 deaths, since the disease’s outbreak was declared on May 15, according to DRC’s Ministry of Health. The World Health Organization deemed the first month of the Ebola outbreak the worst on record, and slowing the virus’s spread has been complicated by the lack of treatments for Bundibugyo, the strain behind the most recent Ebola outbreak.

The International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid organization, previously said severe cuts to global aid weakened frontline healthcare and preparedness systems, leaving the Congo with a more fragile health system now than during the 2018-2020 outbreak that killed more than 2,000 individuals.

“The warning signs are flashing red,” Bob Kitchen, vice president of emergencies at IRC, said in a statement. “Increased conflict and cuts to global aid funding have dismantled defenses at exactly the wrong moment. The lesson from every previous outbreak is clear: delays cost lives. The risks are growing and the resources are shrinking; that is the brutal arithmetic facing global aid today.”

Xi’s General Purges to Continue

pgnewser July 6, 2026 2

It appears Chairman Xi has not yet consolidated power after what appeared to be an attempted coup a few months ago. It has been announced 6 top PLA Generals, including the powerful procurement head, have been fired. The charges are corruption connected to taking money through the procurement process.

Xi to remove top 6 PLA generals, including procurement head – NewsBytes
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What’s the story

Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly preparing to dismiss the top six generals of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The purge includes key commanders of cyberspace and logistics forces, as well as the general responsible for equipment procurement. This comes after Air Force General Xu Xueqiang is to be sacked from his dual role as Director of Equipment Development Department and head of the Manned Space Programme.

Membership termination

National People’s Congress terminated memberships of these generals

The National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s legislative body, has terminated the memberships of these six top generals. This is the first step in a three-step purge process that includes expulsion from the Communist Party and a formal investigation by military prosecutors. The latest dismissals come amid Xi’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has seen at least 104 generals purged over four years, including 62 in the past year alone.

Equipment Development Department at center of corruption scandal

The Equipment Development Department (EDD), which Xu headed, is at the center of a major corruption scandal. The scandal involves alleged irregularities in the testing, approval, and procurement of military equipment. This year alone, heads of state-owned enterprises like Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) have also been dismissed over this issue.

Scientists want to quarantine alien life on the Moon before it reaches Earth– www.sciencedaily.com

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A new policy paper argues that a future NASA base on the moon should include a specialized biocontainment facility designed to keep Earth safe from any potentially hazardous biological material brought back from space.

The proposal comes as scientists and space agencies prepare for more ambitious missions that could return samples from the moon, Mars, and other destinations across the solar system.

“Humanity is entering a new era of space exploration, but our planetary protection strategies have not kept pace with the risks associated with returning extraterrestrial samples to Earth,” said paper co-author Frederick I. Moxley, Director of Strategic Threat Analysis and Research Laboratories, an Idaho-based consultancy.

Why Iran may find it difficult to clear its oil inventories even after sanctions relief– www.cnbc.com

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Iran is likely to face challenges in clearing its oil inventories even after restrictions on its exports are lifted, as its biggest customer tweaks its energy strategy while oil from other suppliers floods the market, according to analysts.

China, the world’s top crude importer, has not been particularly enthusiastic about purchasing Iranian oil, despite traditionally being the main buyer of the country’s energy. “In fact, the Chinese do not show any enthusiasm to buy much oil from anybody,” Fereidun Fesharaki, chairman emeritus at FGE NexantECA, said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”

China’s crude imports have dwindled since the Iran war started in late February, depressing oil demand. In May, they plunged 29% from a year earlier to 7.82 million barrels per day, the lowest level since February 2018, according to Wind Information.

July 4th Litmus Test: MAGA pride vs. Democrat shame on America’s 250th Anniversary– www.americanthinker.com

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This weekend, America marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Across the country, millions gathered for parades, fireworks, and family celebrations filled with genuine joy and pride. Yet July 4, 2026, also served as a stark litmus test for the political soul of our nation. How our leaders and parties responded to this milestone reveals exactly what they would do if handed real power in Congress, especially the House of Representatives, this November.

President Trump and the broader MAGA movement delivered the kind of unapologetic celebration America deserves. On the National Mall, Trump addressed the nation in a rousing speech that honored our heroes, celebrated our unmatched history, and declared the American Dream is back.

The right made trans people the target. We refuse to leave them undefended– www.yahoo.com

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

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I started my career as a high school history teacher back in 1985. I taught my students about the Holocaust every year and was fortunate enough one summer to be selected for a special National Endowment for the Humanities seminar for teachers, led by Professor Lawrence Langer, a leading Holocaust scholar. Professor Langer came up with the term the “choiceless choice” to describe the no-win situations Jews were put in during the Holocaust, when there was simply no real choice to be made in the face of the genocidal Nazis. The idea has stuck with me for four decades.

It came to mind again when I read a recent Washington Post article following the Supreme Court’s adverse ruling in our case, BPJ v. West Virginia, on June 30, in which Julian Mark writes, “Critics, including some trans rights advocates, say the movement has rushed to tee up causes that the court’s 6-3 conservative majority is not ready to embrace.” While elements of the article were thoughtful, it is based on a flawed premise that warrants exploration.

First of all, the idea that “the [LGBTQ+] movement has rushed to tee up [trans] causes” is completely off the mark. There have been 2,446 bills designed to limit the rights of LGBTQ+ people introduced into state legislatures since 2022 — at least one in every single one of our 50 states — and 255 of them have become law in 27 states. The large majority of these laws are aimed at trans people. The LGBTQ+ movement didn’t “tee up” these laws: the opponents of the LGBTQ+ movement did, because they saw a political advantage to be won by picking on a small and relatively powerless minority and cynically exploited it. In other words, we didn’t pick this fight. We didn’t “tee up” trans issues. Our opponents did.

Zelenskyy urges US and Europe to provide more assistance to Ukraine– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

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Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker discusses the upcoming NATO Summit in Turkey, which President Donald Trump will attend. Volker highlights Trump’s focus on increased defense spending from allies and the challenges of promoting unity within the alliance, especially following the Iran operation. He emphasizes NATO’s historical role in deterring aggression and its support for the U.S. after 9/11.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressuring the U.S. and Europe to provide more missiles to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks.

“Last night, Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack drones,” Zelenskyy noted in part of a Monday post on X.

Situation Report – June 2026

pgnewser July 3, 2026 0

Originally published June 26, 2026 for our weekly Issue of Mindful Intelligence Advisor.  Subscribe to get weekly issues. Dates: June…

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Iran’s top negotiator says country ready for war as peace talks inch along– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser July 1, 2026 0

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An agreement signed four days ago between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, which links Israel pulling its forces out of southern Lebanon with Hezbollah being disarmed, could effectively keep Israeli troops in the neighboring nation indefinitely, analysts say, and that could make a final peace deal between the U.S. and Iran harder to achieve.

Hezbollah has thus far refused to lay down its weapons, and the Lebanese government has proven unable to make the well-armed Iranian-backed group do so.

“This is ‌not an agreement, it is an imposed settlement,” a senior Lebanese politician, who declined to be named, told the Reuters news agency. The lawmaker was quoted as saying Lebanon’s army is simply incapable of forcing Hezbollah to disarm.

Trump, Iran issue mixed messages on talks in Qatar– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser July 1, 2026 0

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Oil prices were slightly higher on Tuesday as energy market participants closely monitored the potential for fresh talks between the U.S. and Iran in Qatar.

International benchmark Brent crude futures with August delivery were last seen up 0.2% at $73.32 per barrel, erasing earlier losses. The contract, however, is on track to end June roughly $19 lower, or 20% lower than the closing session on May 29. Brent crude futures with September delivery, meanwhile, rose 0.5% at $74.29.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with August delivery traded 0.5% higher at $71.08, putting the contract on course for a $16 drop, or 19% fall, from last month’s closing.

The moves come as oil traders monitor the prospect of U.S.-Iran talks in Doha on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said talks between the two countries would take place in Qatar’s capital on Tuesday, claiming via social media that Tehran had “requested a meeting” following an exchange of strikes over the weekend.

A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Monday reportedly denied that talks were scheduled over the coming days. They added that an Iranian technical delegation’s visit to Qatar this week was not related to U.S. officials visiting the country.

House GOP agenda stalls over holdouts’ insistence on SAVE America Act– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser July 1, 2026 0

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Washington — Republican hardliners continue to hold up most legislation on the House floor as they dig in on their demands for the Senate to pass President Trump’s voting regulations bill, the SAVE America Act.

On Tuesday, the holdouts blocked Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to merge the SAVE America Act with the annual defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, before sending it over to the Senate. The conservative members sank a party-line procedural vote that would have set up final votes for the defense bill and other legislation.

Fourteen Republicans, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, voted against moving forward. Scalise, from Louisiana, switched his vote in a procedural move so that leadership can bring up the measure again.

Is Iran facing a new internal front? Kurdish clashes test regime amid US talks– www.foxnews.com

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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is facing a new round of violence in the country’s Kurdish-majority west, raising questions about whether a long-simmering Kurdish insurgency is entering a more active phase as fragile talks between Iran and Washington continue, experts say.

The flare-up matters beyond Iran’s borderlands because Kurdish opposition groups were recently viewed as a potential pressure point against Iran during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran — and now some Kurdish voices fear they could be left exposed as Washington and Tehran return to fragile diplomacy.

In recent days, Iranian security forces have been killed in several reported attacks and clashes across western and northwestern Iran. Four Iranian security personnel reportedly were killed and several others injured in two separate armed attacks Tuesday, reported The Jerusalem Post, in an analysis by Seth J. Frantzman, citing Iraq’s Shafaq News.

Colombian election loser threatens ‘civil disobedience’ if winner does not ditch US citizenship– abcnews.com

pgnewser July 1, 2026 0

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BOGOTA, Colombia — A Colombian senator, who recently lost the nation’s presidential election, said Tuesday he will not recognize his opponent, Abelardo de la Espriella, as the nation’s new head of state, if he does not comply with several demands, including renouncing his U.S. citizenship.

In a statement issued Tuesday, progressive senator Iván Cepeda urged de la Espriella, the winner of June’s presidential runoff, to renounce his U.S. citizenship, arguing that holding it while being Colombia’s president could generate conflicts of interest.

The senator also said that de la Espriella should clarify whether he is an “agent” of the United States, because as a criminal defense lawyer he defended a former paramilitary leader who was an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Cuban official says talks with the US are at a standstill, announces UN debate on US oil embargo– abcnews.com

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HAVANA — Talks between Cuba and the U.S. are at a standstill, despite the island recently approving a series of free-market reforms, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez announced Tuesday.

He noted that the newly unveiled reforms were neither mentioned nor discussed in earlier talks between the two nations.

“The recently announced (measures) are a matter of total and absolute sovereignty,” Rodriguez said. “We have neither listened to nor are we interested in the U.S. government’s opinion on them.”

But he said it was striking that they “were met with a new package of unilateral coercive measures … against Cuba.”

Iran is selling oil at 20% premium as U.S. blockade removal frees up sales– www.cnbc.com

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Oil tankers and cargo vessels are anchored off the coast of Oman after being stranded for days as congestion at Port Sultan Qaboos has prevented them from docking on June 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Elke Scholiers | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Iran has exported more than 40 million barrels of crude oil since the U.S. removed its naval blockade of Iranian ports, and is now selling oil at prices roughly 20% higher than before the war, parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday.

The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end nearly four months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set ​up 60 days of negotiations to work out a permanent peace deal. The two sides briefly traded strikes over the weekend after Iran attacked two transiting vessels.

The ceasefire prompted a surge in crude shipments through the vital waterway where traffic had largely ground to a halt during the conflict, sending oil prices sharply lower.

Bellwether Report – June 2026

pgnewser June 30, 2026 0

Originally published June 26, 2026 for our weekly Issue of Mindful Intelligence Advisor.  Subscribe to get weekly issues. By STAFF…

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Starmer Steps Aside for Burnham

pgnewser June 25, 2026 1

After Andy Burnham handily won the special by-election in Makerfield, Keir Starmer took less than a week to officially announce his intention to resign as Britian’s Prime Minister. Members of his cabinet have been quick to endorse Burnham in the leaders’ race, which is looking more like a coronation at this point.

Starmer has stated no significant policy changes will be made until the new Prime Minister takes power. This puts a pause on their push to force British citizens to use digital ID every time they access the internet in the name of protecting children.

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At the No 10 lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson said that Keir Starmer has agreed that there will be “no new major policy or spending commitments” before he stands down.

But this did not cover the defence investment plan (Dip), the spokesperson suggested. Starmer seems to regard this as a policy that is already more or less settled.

Describing how the civil service would operate during the transition period leading to a new PM taking over, the PM’s spokesperson said:

The cabinet secretary [Antonia Romeo] has written to heads of departments to set out the principles of how the civil service should operate during this period.

Keir Starmer remains prime minister, and so the business of government will continue as normal until he has recommended a successor to His Majesty the King.

The civil service will act as it did during similar periods in line with precedent. All ministers remain in office and may carry usual activities …

The prime minister has agreed that there will be no new major policy or spending commitments initiated during this period.

Where a process is already under way or collective agreement is in place, government business will continue.

Oil price falls to levels not seen since before Iran war– www.bbc.co.uk

pgnewser June 25, 2026 0

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Representatives from the two sides met in Switzerland last weekend for talks to end the war, which resulted in the US partially lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

The number of vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz has risen significantly since the MOU was signed, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.

Its latest data suggests 284 vessels have made the transit from 18 June, the day after the deal was signed, although that is is still well below the pre-conflict average of some 138 crossings each day.

Child under 12 years old is euthanised in the Netherlands for the first time after law change– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser June 25, 2026 0

Child under 12 years old is euthanised in the Netherlands for the first time after law change– www.thesun.co.uk
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A CHILD under the age of 12 has been euthanised in the Netherlands for the first time.

The child’s death was disclosed in a letter to parliament by Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans.

The euthanasia was carried out at the end of last year, although no further details have been released.

Euthanasia for terminally ill children aged between one and 12 has been legal in the Netherlands for the past two years.

Before the change, the procedure was only permitted for newborn babies in exceptional circumstances and for children aged 12 and over.

Former Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said the law would help “a small group of terminally ill children in agony with no hope of recovery and unbearable suffering”.

Final Thought – Trump World Order

pgnewser June 24, 2026 0

Originally published June 19, 2026 for our weekly Issue of Mindful Intelligence Advisor.  Subscribe to get weekly issues.   “Let…

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Mamdani’s Anti-American Progressives Sweep NY Democrat Primaries – dc.report

pgnewser June 24, 2026 0

Zohran Mamdani went three-for-three in his effort to win U.S. House nominees for his anti-American socialist movement, his new world order, the progressive state.  Bernie Sanders also endorsed the same far-left candidates. He is becoming the center of the real power of the Democratic Party as it completes its transition from an American leftist party to an anti-American communist party.

Go Deeper

Bill Gates denied association with Epstein's crimes in closed-door Hill interview– www.politico.com

pgnewser June 24, 2026 0

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Tech mogul Bill Gates told the House Oversight Committee he was aware of Jeffrey Epstein’s prior sex crime conviction but that he did not know Epstein was continuing to engage in misconduct at the time of their acquaintance, according to a transcript of his testimony.

In his transcribed interview with the panel earlier this month as part of its ongoing Epstein investigation, Gates recounted details of his dealings with Epstein over the years — which extended from 2011, when he was first introduced to Epstein, to 2014, when he realized Epstein would not make good on his promise to steer donors towards Gates’ philanthropic work.

“I was aware that he had a criminal conviction,” Gates said, according to the transcript. “I knew that it was of a sexual nature, but, no, I don’t think I … dug into the specifics, although I probably should have.”