Iniaes

Where Trump’s Campaign Promises Stand

Where Trump’s Campaign Promises Stand: As of Aug. 29, 2025, AllSides is keeping score on which of President Donald Trump’s 2024 vows have actually materialized and which are still auditioning for reality—tracking ensuing legislation and how closely those moves line up with the Heritage Foundation’s right-leaning Project 2025, which overlaps with parts of Trump’s stated agenda.

Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and Check Point Lead Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls

Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and Check Point lead Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for network firewalls, topping the firm’s inaugural hybrid mesh firewall ranking, while Cisco lands in the Visionary camp and HPE and Juniper sit in Challenger territory. Gartner says the market is converging on centralized orchestration, interoperability, and AI-powered automation—translation: more single-pane dashboards, fewer siloed excuses, and plenty of “AI inside” stickers on your rule sets.

Pentagon Investigates Microsoft’s Use of Chinese Developers

Pentagon Investigates Microsoft’s Use of Chinese Developers after discovering the company spent a decade funneling code from overseas engineers into military cloud systems via “digital escorts”—U.S.-based staff paid to review it—a workaround the Defense Department now calls a “breach of trust.” The program is suspended and under review amid concerns it may have exposed sensitive, though unclassified, government data. Because in Big Tech’s security playbook, nothing says “fortress” like outsourcing the blueprints and trusting the hall monitor to guard the vault.

Rise in account sign-up errors

Rise in account sign-up errors: After a brief spike that tripped up new users, the gremlins have been escorted off the premises—issue resolved and sign-ups back to normal.

Senate Democrats warn privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would raise mortgage rates

Senate Democrats warn privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would raise mortgage rates, and they’re asking the Trump administration to hit pause before yanking the airbag out of the mortgage market. In a letter to FHFA Director William Pulte, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Chuck Schumer argue that ending the government backstop could push investors to demand higher returns—translating into stricter lending and rates jumping by as much as one percentage point in year one. Mortgage pro Reed Letson backs the risk-and-oversight concern, predicting a quick spike before a two- to three-year re-adjustment; free-market fans counter that reopening the field could spur competition and eventually lower costs. The senators also urge reinstating robust fair housing and lending rules and boosting affordable multifamily supply—actual policy, imagine that. Pulte’s reply? A partisan finger-point at Warren, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and President Biden for “making housing unaffordable,” and a vow to “reverse their damage”—because nothing says confidence like a policy debate wrapped in a campaign ad.

9/11 families win court ruling against Saudi Arabia, allowing investigation into an alleged Boston al-Qaeda cell

9/11 families win court ruling against Saudi Arabia, allowing investigation into an alleged Boston al-Qaeda cell, after Manhattan federal Judge George B. Daniels issued a 45-page decision denying the kingdom’s bid to toss the suit. The case now moves into discovery, opening inquiries into alleged al-Qaeda activity linked to Boston as well as New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, and Phoenix. Brett Eagleson, who was 15 when his father was killed on 9/11, called the case unprecedented.

Judge denies Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss 9/11 families’ lawsuit

Judge denies Saudi Arabia’s motion to dismiss 9/11 families’ lawsuit, allowing a civil case to proceed that alleges the kingdom helped the hijackers. U.S. District Judge George Daniels in New York ruled Thursday that Saudi Arabia can face the suit—an outcome 9/11 Justice, representing survivors and families, called the most consequential step yet in their decades-long push for accountability. The kingdom denies any wrongdoing. After more than 20 years of legal trench warfare, the case moves closer to evidence and answers.

Trump 2024 Scorecard Keeps Tally, With a Heritage Side-Eye

AllSides is tracking which of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign promises have been kept and which are still stuck in the shop, last updated Aug. 29, 2025, 7:27 a.m. ET. They are also noting where the actions align with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a handy way to see which plays are coming straight from the think tank playbook.

BBC ALBA Puts Women’s Rugby Front and Center

BBC ALBA will air live Women’s Premiership action as Watsonians face Corstorphine, a rare programming decision that treats the women’s game like actual sport instead of an afterthought. Fewer panel shows, more scrums. Progress.

1.2 Million Patients Told to Brace After Dental Data Breach

Nevada’s Absolute Dental notified 1.2 million patients that personal and health data were exposed after a third-party managed services provider triggered the inadvertent execution of a malicious version of a legitimate tool. Translation, someone pushed the wrong button, and outsourced IT did not come with outsourced accountability.

Security Roundup, Social Security Whistleblower, IPO Hype, and Balkanized AI

A whistleblower alleges mishandling of sensitive Social Security data, potentially paving the way for a major breach, which is government for we left the vault open but love our hinges. Cloud security firm Netskope, sprinting toward a high-stakes IPO, promises to defend the cloud while investors measure margins against mayhem. Meanwhile, governments keep carving the internet into national fiefdoms in the name of AI sovereignty, a shared reality replaced by 190 versions with their own facts and flags.

Gossip Corner, An Unverified Psychic Bill in Billionaire Land

A gossip item claims Lauren Sánchez, the spouse of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, spends heavily on psychics and tarot readers. It is an unverified rumor, so file it under amusing if true, and proof that even uncertainty can have a concierge.

Skipping Breakfast Linked to Higher Fracture Risk

Japanese researchers report that people who skip breakfast face higher odds of osteoporotic fractures, according to the Journal of the Endocrine Society. In other words, your bones may want calories with that coffee.

FDA Widens Shrimp Recall on Radiation Concerns

The FDA expanded a recall to more than 26,000 packages of AquaStar cocktail shrimp sold at Walmart due to radiation concerns. Check your freezer, because nothing should glow at a dinner party, especially the appetizer.

The Global Market Pie, America Takes the Biggest Slice

A new chart pegs global equities at roughly 127 trillion dollars, with the United States near half of the total, up 7 percent since 2023. The U.S. share cratered after 2009 then climbed from about 30 percent to 49 percent over 15 years, China is a distant second thanks to state ownership and foreign limits, and the EU hovers near 9 percent amid turmoil and outflows. Your global portfolio might still be America with subtitles, diversify if your FOMO allows it.

Trump’s Promises, Now With Receipt Checking

AllSides is tallying which of President Donald Trump’s 2024 vows are actual policy and which are confetti, while mapping the overlap with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. Translation, governing by checklist with footnotes. Expect a lot of “in progress” labels that move slower than a DMV line on a holiday weekend.

Tactile Breakout Boards Let Blind Makers Build By Touch

A maker designed tactile breakout boards so you can wire LEDs and components without relying on color codes or tiny breadboard grids. Think clear polarity markers and Braille labels using clever “solder Braille,” now in prototyping and seeking visually impaired testers, with sighted folks able to stress-test via VR simulations. Actual inclusion you can feel, and for once the lab bench is catching up with reality. More of this, fewer glossy mission statements.

Glacier National Park Bear Injures Hiker Near Lake Janet

A 34-year-old woman was injured when a brown-colored bear with two cubs charged near Lake Janet around 3:15 p.m. Wednesday. Her partner deployed bear spray and the bear fled, the encounter lasted under 30 seconds. She was found stable and transported to Logan Health in Kalispell. Park officials say the behavior appears defensive, species unconfirmed, and the Lake Janet Wilderness Campground is temporarily closed. A sober reminder that bear country is not a metaphor.

Rubio Taps Vought To Run USAID Closeout

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says White House budget director Russ Vought will oversee the wind-down of USAID as the administration dismantles the foreign aid agency. If you are shuttering an aid shop, why not hand the keys to the guy with the calculator and a sledgehammer. Nothing says soft power like a liquidation sale.

Derek Chisora’s Likely Farewell, Versus Jai Opetaia

Turki Alalshikh plans Chisora vs Opetaia in late 2025, a 50th fight that could be the veteran’s final outing. Fans are wincing more than cheering, seeing a send-off that looks suspiciously like a mismatch. Farewell tours are heartwarming until the headliner walks into a prime buzzsaw.

Dexter: Resurrection Finale Leaks, Spoilers Stalk The Internet

A Russian-dubbed cut of the finale is circulating while Paramount holds to a September 5 release. Social feeds are a spoiler minefield, and after a big episode-nine twist, fans are dodging blurry screencaps like evidence at a crime scene. Nerves are extra frayed after Dexter: Original Sin was canceled despite a prior renewal, prompting fears that leak-fueled drama could ding Resurrection too. For now, the first nine episodes stream on Paramount Plus, as Dexter hunts for Harrison in New York’s overachieving murderer scene while law enforcement closes in.

Budget architect Torsten Bell privately supported “stealth” tax increases

Budget architect Torsten Bell privately supported “stealth” tax increases, once enthusing about the revenue perks of dragging millions into higher bands by freezing income tax thresholds. In a 2017 essay, he wrote, “Raising money by ending the recent big increases in the Personal Tax Allowance is the right thing to do… indeed freezing thresholds for more than one year could raise very significant sums – a further 2023 freeze would save £5.5 billion a year.” And yes, this is the man writing the budget—so if the rates don’t rise but your bill does, that’s not a glitch, it’s the plan.

Google’s AI training on YouTube videos prompts pushback from creators

Google’s AI training on YouTube videos is prompting pushback from creators over how their channels are being used. For Santa Ana entrepreneur Charlie Chang—who spent years posting finance videos before finally turning a profit—it spotlights the worry that hard-earned work becomes just another input in Big Tech’s blender. Innovation, it seems, is when everyone else cooks and the platform eats.

Xi, Putin, and Modi set for talks in China this weekend

Xi, Putin, and Modi set for talks in China this weekend as Beijing kicks off a days-long display of diplomatic and military muscle, corralling leaders largely allergic to Western hegemony. Sunday’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting will be the bloc’s biggest yet, followed by a mammoth World War II parade meant to spotlight China’s contributions. But the spectacle also exposes Beijing’s limits: the SCO’s real-world clout is blunted by member rivalries, and India’s prime minister isn’t even sticking around for the parade—so much for perfect choreography.

Montgomery County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee seeks grand marshal nominations for annual Conshohocken event

Montgomery County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee seeks grand marshal nominations for the annual Conshohocken event, teeing up the 20th anniversary parade set for Saturday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m. for its 2026 edition. Nominees must be Montgomery County residents, of Irish blood by birth or descent, and have made meaningful community contributions. Nominations must be typed or handwritten and received by Friday, October 10 at 719 Pershing Street, Bridgeport, PA 19405—yes, by mail; no emails accepted, so dust off those stamps. The 2026 grand marshal will be introduced November 15 at the Norristown Maenner Chor Club; last year’s reveal for Jackie Rittenhouse packed the house.

Pentagon Rehangs Portrait of Confederate General

Pentagon Rehangs Portrait of Confederate General: In a decision only a bureaucracy could love, the Pentagon is returning a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee—complete with a slave leading his horse—to West Point’s library, three years after a congressionally mandated commission ordered it removed. Nothing like a little historical whiplash to remind cadets that indecision is also a tradition.

Thai Court Ousts Prime Minister

Thai Court Ousts Prime Minister: Thailand’s constitutional court has sacked Paetongtarn Shinawatra for ethical misconduct tied to a leaked call with Cambodia’s former leader, in which she criticized the Thai military after a border flare-up. Critics say the military and royalist establishment keep elected governments on a legal leash—she’s the fifth premier benched by the bench since 2008, and her father, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is also tangled in court fights. With no clear successor, Bangkok’s back to political musical chairs, minus the music and plus the gavel.

JD Vance Says He Is Ready to Take Charge

JD Vance says he is ready to take charge, telling USA Today he’s prepared to step in if, “God forbid,” President Trump dies or is incapacitated—part routine vice-presidential reassurance, part not-so-subtle audition for the job you’re never supposed to sound eager about.

Samoa gear up for 'mission impossible' against England

Samoa gear up for 'mission impossible' against England, with a crowd-funded, part-time squad stepping into the Rugby World Cup spotlight against the tournament favourites who travel with more analysts than Samoa have paid contracts. Can they pull off the upset of the year? England’s well-heeled certainty meets Samoa’s inconvenient belief—and nothing rattles a favorite like an underdog that didn’t get the memo.

MSP denied access to Scottish Parliament amid allegations he installed a hidden camera in a toilet

MSP denied access to Scottish Parliament amid allegations he installed a hidden camera in a toilet, with South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth understood to have been charged by police over the claims. He has been barred from Holyrood pending the legal process, with the allegations yet to be proven.

Live: M20 closed after lorry crash between Ashford and Maidstone

Live: The M20 is closed between Ashford and Maidstone after a lorry crash, with emergency services at the scene. Drivers should avoid the area and expect significant delays.

Tottenham close to £51.8m deal for Leipzig’s Simons

Tottenham close to £51.8m deal for Leipzig’s Simons, with Spurs on the verge of landing RB Leipzig and Netherlands attacker Xavi Simons for £51.8m—an injection of flair for the forward line, assuming the paperwork moves faster than north London hype.

A249 vehicle fire causes heavy traffic between Sittingbourne and Maidstone — live updates

A249 vehicle fire causes heavy traffic between Sittingbourne and Maidstone — live updates: A vehicle fire on the A249 has choked the route between Sittingbourne and Maidstone, backing up more than three miles of traffic and turning commutes into parking practice. Stay put, stay patient, and maybe lower your expectations before your fuel gauge.

Preparedness Update for Friday, August 29, 2025

Preparedness Update for Friday, August 29, 2025: On this date in 708, Japan minted copper coins for the first time—proof that creative currency tweaks predate central banks by a millennium. In 1708, the Haverhill, Massachusetts raid by French, Algonquin, and Abenaki forces killed or captured 40 residents—a sober reminder that security is never guaranteed. In 1831, Michael Faraday demonstrated the first electric transformer, quietly wiring the future we now panic over when the Wi‑Fi hiccups. In 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run began, and, in a neat bit of fiscal timing, the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing was founded the same day to keep the nation supplied with paper promises. Also today: another entry in Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog Writing Contest for those who prefer preparation to nostalgia.

Economic and Investment Strategies for Preppers

Economic and Investment Strategies for Preppers surveys the week’s hazards and havens with a tangibles-heavy, contrarian tilt: gold and silver rally on political turmoil and weak U.S. data, while Rolex prices get the barter-chic spotlight. Integra Resources partners with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes to advance the DeLamar gold project—real assets, meet real stakeholders. Hedges, derivatives, and assorted financial obscura make an appearance, but the marching order is simple: hold what you can touch. And with Fortune warning that “winter is coming” for U.S. vulnerability, consider this your cue to put thermal socks on your portfolio.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

Under The Editors’ Quote of the Day, editors spotlight Charles Spurgeon’s admonition that conversion is “a change of masters,” urging believers to serve Christ with at least the zeal they once lavished on their vices—a spiritual reorg where the new boss actually deserves the overtime.

August 29 Celebrity Birthdays: Carla Gugino, Nicole Byer

August 29 Celebrity Birthdays: Carla Gugino turns 54 and Nicole Byer hits 39, leading the day’s roster of famous birthdays—no doubt with better cake and better lighting than the rest of us.

On This Day, Aug. 29: Hurricane Katrina Strikes the Gulf Coast

On this day, Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, slamming ashore and inflicting severe damage in New Orleans and along the coastlines of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Shinobi: The Art of Revenge

Shinobi: The Art of Revenge slices back onto screens as a 2D platformer in the long-running Shinobi series, promising side-scrolling swordplay and shuriken-flinging nostalgia for anyone who misses when “upgrading” meant a new move, not a loot box.

The First Amendment’s Role in Civil Rights and Hate Speech

The First Amendment’s Role in Civil Rights and Hate Speech gets a hard look as University of Iowa law professor Samantha Barbas probes whether the Constitution has always shielded hateful expression and how civil rights groups have responded when their own members are targeted. Her new work traces the legal and strategic trade-offs—defending free speech on principle while battling bigotry in practice—otherwise known as the American hobby of arguing where liberty ends and basic decency begins.

Closing the IT‑OT Security Gap in Manufacturing

Closing the IT‑OT Security Gap in Manufacturing isn’t about a magic appliance; it’s about professionals comparing scars. Ahead of ManuSec 2025, Trinseo CISO Tammy Klotz—last year’s summit chair—underscores that manufacturers wrestling with legacy OT and relentless IT vulnerabilities make faster, safer progress by sharing firsthand insights within a trusted cybersecurity community. In short: swap what broke and how you fixed it, and maybe keep that 30-year-old PLC from becoming your next internet-famous liability.

Protecting Healthcare Through Secure, Smart Hospitals

Protecting Healthcare Through Secure, Smart Hospitals isn’t a buzzword—it’s a necessity, says Torkel Thune, chief security officer and head of architecture and operational IT security at Oslo University Hospital. He warns that global shifts are reshaping the Nordic threat landscape, with healthcare uniquely exposed as critical services, sensitive data and a sprawl of connected devices make tempting targets. In an era where ransomware crews treat ICUs like ATMs, Thune emphasizes building security into hospital architecture and daily operations so “smart” doesn’t become “soft”—and care keeps running when the internet doesn’t.

Homeland Security waives environmental laws to extend border barrier through South Texas wildlife areas

Homeland Security waives environmental laws to extend border barrier through South Texas wildlife areas, fast-tracking five miles of new wall in Starr and Hidalgo counties after announcing fresh waivers Wednesday for environmental and health regulations. Environmentalists say the plan cuts through several sections of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Because when you’re racing to “secure the border,” nothing expedites construction like tossing the rulebook into the brush.

Former MLB star Mark Teixeira launches bid for U.S. House seat in Texas

Former MLB star Mark Teixeira launches bid for U.S. House seat in Texas, announcing Thursday he’ll run for an open district spanning parts of Austin and San Antonio—trading batting averages for vote counts in a chamber that could use fewer errors and a steadier glove.

Pregnant Teen Dies Protecting Baby in Ponchatoula Road-Rage Shooting

Pregnant Teen Dies Protecting Baby in Ponchatoula Road-Rage Shooting: 17-year-old Katelynn Strate of Ponchatoula, 28 weeks pregnant, died after being shot in the head during an alleged road-rage encounter; doctors delivered her baby via emergency C-section at 3 pounds 11 ounces, and the infant is doing well in the NICU. Investigators say 54-year-old Barry West fired one round into the SUV after a tailgating and brake-checking dispute; he claimed he thought the other vehicle shot first, but deputies found no evidence of return fire and no weapon in the victims’ car. West is jailed on second-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and obstruction. The sheriff urged patience on the roads, noted West has no ties to the department, and Strate’s family chose to donate her organs as the community rallies around them.

OpenAI and Anthropic Swap Safety Reviews, No Models Deemed "Severely Problematic"

In a rare bout of Big Tech reciprocity, OpenAI and Anthropic spent the summer red-teaming each other's latest models for misalignment risks, then published their findings together. Verdict, nothing classified as severely problematic, yet every system showed plenty of concerning behaviors under stress. Translation, the blaze looks contained, the smoke alarm still chirps at 3 a.m. Helpful transparency, if not exactly soothing.

CrowdStrike To Buy Onum For $290 Million, Aims To Unclog SIEM Pipelines

CrowdStrike will acquire Spanish startup Onum for $290 million, folding its real-time data pipeline tech into the Falcon platform to speed SIEM ingestion and tidy up SOC workflows. The subtext, faster signals, fewer log-juggling calisthenics, and one fewer excuse for those majestic legacy SIEM invoices. Expect a tougher sell for the lumbering incumbents who mistake latency for mystery.

New Homes Cheaper Than Existing Listings, Builders Cut Size And Sweeten Deals

The market inversion that started in 2024 is still here mid-2025. July median price, existing homes at $422,400 per NAR, new homes at $403,800 per Census, an $18,000 gap that is narrowing, per Redfin's Chen Zhao. Why, builders trimmed the product and juiced incentives. Median new-home size fell from 1,970 square feet in 2020 to 1,792 early in 2025, rebounding to 1,852 in July, while rate buydowns, closing-cost credits, and plain old price cuts move inventory, which sits at 9.2 months of supply. Existing owners locked into ultralow mortgages, 55 percent below 4 percent and 21 percent below 3 percent, are staying put rather than discounting. Starts and permits are slipping, so new construction will cool. Do not expect a price crash, Zhao sees flat to near zero growth into year end, with a widely anticipated Fed rate cut in September. Practical advice, buy or sell when your finances and life line up, with a cushion, not when your cosplay as a rate whisperer tells you to. Capitalism works best when you actually sell the inventory.

FFmpeg 8 "Huffman" Lands Real-Time Subtitling, Vulkan Encoding, Integrated Whisper

FFmpeg's eighth major release, codenamed Huffman, packs roughly 30 notable changes, headlined by built-in, on-device speech recognition via Georgi Gerganov's whisper.cpp. Result, real-time captions without shipping your audio to the cloud. Add Vulkan-powered GPU encoding and a raft of upgrades, and you get a very modern flex from a very vintage name. A genuine win for creators who prefer performance and privacy to mystery algorithms and monthly bills.

Scuffle On American Airlines Flight In Miami, Deputies Respond, No Arrests

Video from AA Flight 2249 shows a man appearing to grab a woman in the aisle after landing Monday, another passenger intervenes, the man shoves him while snapping, "Do not you grab me like that," and a safety alert blares as onlookers call for police. A flight attendant urges people to clear the aisle for connections, because nothing says welcome to Miami like deplaning through a dust-up. Miami-Dade deputies responded to a battery report, but one man fled and the other declined to press charges, so no arrests. Cause of the argument remains unclear. The episode joins a surge of unruly passenger reports, nearly 13,000 since 2021, suggesting cabin etiquette now boards last.

Scammer Impersonating UK Police Officer Steals Bitcoin

Scammer impersonating a UK police officer steals bitcoin—because apparently the badge now comes with a private key. In other crime-and-punishment news, Taiwan charged 14 people in a $41 million fraud case, and a separate sweep saw authorities arrest 1,200 in a cybercrime bust. On the regulatory beat, U.S. regulators lifted a consent order on Anchorage Digital, federal prosecutors reiterated that “writing code” by itself isn’t a crime—memo to everyone who thought Git commits were felonies—and the CFTC said it’s expanding its crypto engagement, upgrading from sideline commentary to at least reading the playbook.

ACI Worldwide’s Strategy to Combat APP Scams, Part 2

ACI Worldwide’s Strategy to Combat APP Scams, Part 2: the company is pushing XML-based messaging to spread real-time fraud intelligence across more bank use cases, turning APP scam defense into a bank-wide nervous system. Its network smarts lean on neural nets and federated machine learning to spot scams without forcing banks to share data—collaboration without the oversharing. ACI says those insights won’t just block crooks but also fuel growth for other business units, a rare moment when risk teams pay for themselves. And to speed adoption, it plans to open-source the tech—cue a few legacy vendors clutching their licensing models.

Britain, Germany and France to trigger 'snapback' sanctions on Iran

Britain, Germany and France to trigger 'snapback' sanctions on Iran—formalized today as the three sent a letter to the UN Security Council starting the process. It’s a rare European spine-stiffening and a UN bureaucracy stress test: patience expired, paperwork filed, now we see if the sanctions clock ticks faster than a Security Council coffee break.

Michael Longfellow Leaving Saturday Night Live After Three Seasons

Michael Longfellow Leaving Saturday Night Live After Three Seasons: the actor-comedian is reportedly exiting NBC’s late-night sketch institution after three seasons—proof that at Studio 8H, the only thing more dependable than the cold open is the revolving door.

Russian strikes kill 21 and damage EU headquarters; European leaders condemn the attacks

Russian strikes overnight killed 21 people, destroying a block of flats and damaging the EU’s delegation offices; European leaders condemned the attacks, denouncing the intensifying assaults on civilians and promising continued support for accountability.

ICE Plans Immigration Enforcement Operation in Chicago

ICE Plans Immigration Enforcement Operation in Chicago as the Trump administration seeks to stage agents out of Naval Station Great Lakes, requesting “limited” facilities and logistical support from Sept. 2–30, according to base communications and media reports. The move mirrors recent operations in Los Angeles, with a Navy captain noting the same DHS team and even flagging possible National Guard involvement. DHS says the push targets “the worst of the worst,” and points to a sharp drop in Washington, D.C., crime during its recent federal crackdown and 5,000 arrests in L.A. since June. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson opposes the plan, arguing the city needs investment in housing, education, mental health, and blocking illegal guns—not a surge of federal policing. So yes, the Windy City may soon host an immigration dragnet launched from a Navy base 35 miles away—because nothing says community trust like a pop-up federal command post on the lake.

U.S. declines to participate in UN human rights review

U.S. declines to participate in UN human rights review, arguing that engaging would effectively endorse the UN Human Rights Council—an institution the Trump administration exited in February. A State Department official said joining the review would ignore what it calls the council’s persistent failures. Bold strategy: skip the accountability check to prove your commitment to accountability.

Kyiv missile strikes intensify after talks, casualties mount

At least 19 people are confirmed dead and up to 10 are missing after a new wave of Russian long-range strikes on Kyiv, where two schools and a nearby residential building were among the sites hit. UNITED24 Media correspondent Amira Barkhush reported rescue teams working through rubble across 13 locations, with debris causing additional damage. Ukraine says Russia is using a tactical shift, missiles preceding drones and more double-tap strikes that endanger first responders. Moscow cited the use of Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. As attacks continue despite recent Alaska talks, Ukraine announced the Flamingo cruise missile, a system it says can reach up to 3,000 kilometers with a near 1,000 kilogram payload, resembling the FP-5 shown previously by UK-UAE manufacturer Milanion Group.

Seaweed ceramics promise lighter bricks and cleaner beaches

Brazilian researchers blended Sargassum algae into standard clay to produce lighter ceramic materials for construction. It is a rare two-for-one in public policy, less gunk on the shore and fewer pounds in the pallet. If the lab results scale, builders get lighter bricks and coastal crews get fewer wheelbarrows of seaweed salad.

Google will require identity checks for all Android developers

Google plans to verify the identity of every Android developer, including those distributing apps outside the Play Store. Unverified developers' apps will be blocked from running on most Google-certified devices, which puts a corporate turnstile in front of sideloading and third-party stores. Google cites security data that off-Store apps are far more likely to be malicious and notes past verification reduced scams. Oddly, the gate is identity, not code, so think bouncer with a clipboard instead of a safety inspector. Early access starts October 2025, broader developer access by March 2026, first enforcement in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026, then a global push in 2027. The mechanism will likely ride inside Google Play Services, and the antitrust subplot from Epic's win looms in the background.

Labor Day gas prices hit five-year low, and everyone in Washington takes a bow

GasBuddy projects the lowest Labor Day pump prices since 2020, with hotel rates down about 11 percent, domestic airfares down 6 percent year over year, and car rentals down 3 percent. The White House credits unleashed energy production and the burial of what it calls the Green New Scam, while officials add that more U.S. output means lower costs and more jobs. Seasonal trends usually do some of this heavy lifting, but motorists will happily accept cheaper fill-ups while politicians measure themselves for the laurel wreaths.

ACI Worldwide to open source anti-APP scam tech built on federated learning

ACI Worldwide is rolling out an XML-based messaging framework and a signals network that uses neural nets and federated machine learning to spot authorized push payment scams in real time. Banks get collective intelligence without swapping raw customer data, and ACI says it will open source the tech to speed adoption. Bonus, those insights could fuel growth beyond fraud teams. If that open source pledge happens, it will be rarer in banking than a waived fee.

AI aims to keep power lines from moonlighting as flamethrowers

With tens of thousands of U.S. wildfires each year, some sparked by degraded or downed electrical gear, utilities are testing AI to monitor lines and flag early signs of failure. Catch the problem before it becomes a plume, protect people, wildlife, and infrastructure, and maybe retire the tradition where a sagging wire tries out for pyrotechnics duty.

PVDF filament laughs at acids, sneers at your budget

At about 188 dollars a spool, PVDF is a fluorinated polymer that shrugs off aggressive chemicals, hydrolysis, and moisture, like PTFE’s no-nonsense cousin. The trade off, it is generally more brittle than nylon, with only decent abrasion resistance. Printing is fussy, think hot beds near 110 C, warping, and the occasional glue-stick disaster. Dialed in, it is great for parts that need chemical and moisture resistance, not so much for casual weekend tinkering.

Atari buys majority stake in Thunderful for roughly 5.3 million dollars

Thunderful Group shareholders approved Atari’s acquisition, handing the retro icon control of the Swedish company at a price that would barely cover a modern AAA marketing campaign. Nostalgia meets bargain hunting, and Atari quietly levels up its portfolio.

Login and sign up errors resolved

After a brief bout of digital door slamming, affected services have fully recovered. Users should no longer see login or signup issues, and the login component is operational. The internet has found the doorknob again.

Metropolitan Police special constable convicted of child rape

Former volunteer officer James Bubb, now known as Gwyn Samuels, was found guilty. Police said the offender abused a position of trust. This is a grave crime, and the serious breach of public trust warrants accountability without exception.

Fed Governor Lisa Cook sues Trump over attempted removal

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook filed suit after Donald Trump accused her of mortgage fraud and claimed the authority to fire her. The case sets up a clash between central bank independence and a president treating the Constitution like an at will HR handbook. The court will decide how far executive power actually reaches when it runs into the Federal Reserve’s legal safeguards.