Author: mpenadmin

Voices, The Peoples News

August 25, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
MONSTERS! Trump’s ICE goons just dragged a mom and her daughter out of their hospital room, with the mom in a neck brace, after being injured in a dangerous car accident!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFYDUChyKh0

The privatization of immigrant detention. A GEO Group subsidiary donated $1.4 million to a super PAC benefiting the White House’s political campaign after the Trump administration awarded contracts worth about $165 million a year to the private prison company
https://time.com/article/2026/08/04/ice-detention-strategy-private-prisons-immigration-deportation/

Profiting Off Pain: Privatized Detention, Mass Surveillance and the Drive for Immigrant Prosecutions
https://nipnlg.org/work/resources/profiting-pain-privatized-detention-mass-surveillance-and-drive-immigrant

ICE wants a weapon that will leave no marks. The shock gloves the feds have just ordered do the trick. “Whatever the case, these gloves continue ICE’s dehumanization of migrants, critics, and brown people generally.”
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/ice-wants-a-weapon-that-leaves-no-mark-electric-shock-gloves-compliant-technologies

Trump planning largest mass visa revocation in history, targeting up to 200,000 foreigners
Donald Trump’s administration is set to revoke over 200,000 visas held by foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the U.S.
https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/trump-planning-largest-mass-visa-1995907

# Children / Youth / Childcare / Interstate Child-Trafficking
Children in a faith-healing sect keep dying. Children in sects like the Followers of Christ frequently die from treatable conditions. The state lets it happen.
https://www.propublica.org/article/faith-healing-idaho-deaths-followers-of-christ

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs / Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
A proposed IRS rule would make families sign a citizenship declaration under penalty of perjury to collect refundable tax credits.
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Adoption Tax Credit
American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)
https://share.newsbreak.com/jedpm47t

Trump’s three-front offensive hits cartels, Canada and economic blackout on Iran. A busy 48 hours: A sweeping economic campaign against Iran, imposing 50% tariffs on Canadian goods after trade talks failed, and ordering a U.S. military strike that destroyed a suspected cartel drug boat.
https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/trumps-three-front-offensive-economic-siege-iran-tariffs-hit-canada-strike

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Trump’s plan to allow drilling near New Mexico heritage site sets off global alarms. A UNESCO spokesperson said the world heritage committee has consistently considered mining and drilling near sites to be “incompatible with world heritage status.”
https://www.planetizen.com/news/2026/08/138259-trump-allow-drilling-mining-near-world-heritage-site

Trump Raked In Up to $15.5 Million From Fossil Fuel Stocks as His War Pushed Up Gas Prices.
“President Trump continues to get richer from an illegal war that he started and refuses to resolve, while Americans pay the price for his actions,” said US Sen. Maggie Hassan.
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-gas-prices-iran-war-oil-industry-house-democrats

Shell puts longtime U.S. headquarters on the market for $325 million as it shrinks Houston footprint. Attorneys general across the United States are using a range of strategies to withhold 2024 emails discussing a longstanding plan to file lawsuits against the second Trump administration over potential policies that had not yet been implemented.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_853a92ef-991e-4b41-b10e-0b11cbd40d8e.html

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
They’ve Finally Done It: Scientists Turn Plastic Waste Into Edible Cookies. In the immortal words of an inveterate addict suffering in the throes of a lifelong addiction: C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me. Even if cookie plastic.
https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2026/august/this-cookie-started-its-life-as-a-plastic-bottle.html

# General News
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act to make daylight saving time permanent, but it still requires Senate approval and a presidential signature before taking effect.
In much of the U.S., the sun wouldn’t rise until after 8 a.m. for at least part of the winter. For some, the sun wouldn’t come up until after 9 a.m.
https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/6033849-no-more-sunsets-before-5-p-m-how-permanent-daylight-saving-would-change-winter/

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
Trump sanctioned ICC officials to shield Israeli leaders. Rights groups sued. Supporters of Trump-sanctioned individuals or entities face maximums of $1 million in fines and 20 years imprisonment. Executive Order 14203: Signed by President Trump, the order authorizes asset freezes and travel restrictions against ICC judges, prosecutors, and associated human rights defenders
https://truthout.org/articles/trump-sanctioned-icc-officials-to-shield-israeli-leaders-rights-groups-sued/

# Gov / Politics / US
President Trump eyes ‘crushing’ economic blockade to bring Iran to its knees. The Trump administration plans to escalate its strategy to economically isolate the Islamic Republic by targeting its international enablers and financial networks, and sends a warning shot to Beijing.
https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/president-trump-eyes-crushing-economic-blockade-bring-iran-its-knees

Bessent unveils ‘Operation Economic Outcast’ sanctions targeting Iranian regime. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says US sanctions will intensify to choke off Iran’s revenues and isolate the country.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/24/trump-administration-announces-global-economic-war-on-iran

Al Green Files Impeachment Articles Over Trump Using CBP, ICE as ‘Unaccountable Paramilitary Police Forces.’ “The framers anticipated this kind of abuse of executive power,” said one legal expert. “They gave Congress the remedy: impeachment.”
https://www.commondreams.org/news/donald-trump-impeachment

Judge lays out Trump’s ‘high noon’ plot to seize power if Republicans lose the midterms. Conservative judge Michael Luttig warned Monday that President Donald Trump seems likely to push Congress into a “high noon” scenario if the midterms don’t go well for Republicans.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-midterms-2677772166/

‘Must be stopped, NOW’: Trump hints at swift intervention over ‘epic humanitarian crisis.’ “The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iran-2677772954/

Trump’s ‘economic D-Day’ threats become warnings for countries to sever financial ties with Iran
https://apnews.com/article/iran-rial-currency-bessent-trade-august-24-2026-e367634d8853c8fa4a341132cd577f31

“His Endless War Of Choice In Iran Isn’t Enough” — Kaptur Accuses Trump Of Launching A Fresh Trade War On Canada As 50% Tariffs Take Effect, “The GOP Must Rein In This Destructive Reckless Administration”
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4845203742649-his-endless-war-of-choice-in-iran-isn-t-enough-kaptur-accuses-trump-of-launching-a-fresh-trade-war-on-canada-as-50-tariffs-take-effect-the-gop-must-rein-in-this-destructive-reckless-administration

More than 1.2 million Texans’ voter registrations are suspended. To check their status, voters should visit the state’s portal. In case they are on the suspense list, they have until October 5 to be removed from it, which can be done through another state website. A driver’s license or a Social Security number may be necessary to change the address.
https://thenerdstash.com/texas-angry-after-voter-suspense-list-hits-1-2-million-this-seems-seriously-off/

# Global News
Iran says it’s prepared for new US sanctions, predicting them to be ‘another defeat.’ Iran says it’s long prepared for new sanctions from the U.S. Meanwhile, China says it will safeguard its rights amid new financial threats.
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-sanctions-strait-of-hormuz/

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
The Georgia Supreme Court will no longer hear appeals in murder cases because those cases take up too much of the court’s time. The state’s Court of Appeals will instead be the appellate court of last resort in all murder cases except those that include the possibility of a death sentence
https://georgiarecorder.com/2026/08/17/georgia-supreme-court-to-stop-hearing-most-murder-cases-by-2028/

AGs conceal records tied to longstanding plans to sue Trump
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_853a92ef-991e-4b41-b10e-0b11cbd40d8e.html

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
Journalist Benn Jordan was banned from Flock Safety’s police surveillance conference for being press, so he flew a drone over it and filmed every cop, politician, and former senator inside.
https://cybernews.com/entertainment/ben-jordan-banned-flock-event/

How Trump Plans to Silence CNN, Jon Stewart and John Oliver (the Same Way He Silenced CBS News). The president is pushing for a media monopoly that would cover his authoritarian moves.
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-trump-ellison-media-monopoly

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
UnitedHealthcare says it is no longer negotiating, The deal secured in-network access at UHealth for people covered through employer plans, Affordable Care Act marketplace plans and Florida Medicaid. A different contract governs the insurer’s Medicare Advantage Preferred Care Network plan, and that one is ending on a fixed date.
https://share.newsbreak.com/jedukemg

# Medical Alternatives / Medical Marijuana / Hemp / CBD
Texas Marijuana Laws and Penalties
https://norml.org/laws/texas-penalties-2/

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
‘Lawless Killing Spree at Sea Resumes’ as US Announces Fresh Boat Bombings. With the latest two casualties, the Trump administration’s boat bombing spree has now claimed the lives of at least 223 people.
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-gas-prices-iran-war-oil-industry-house-democrats

Insider Trading on Polymarket Is Revealing Military Secrets. “It would be ⁠naive to think foreign-intelligence agencies aren’t monitoring these markets.” More than 150 Polymarket wallets may have traded on military secrets, research finds
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/more-than-150-polymarket-wallets-may-have-traded-military-secrets-research-finds-2026-08-20/

# NASA / Space
In the ’60s, US military satellites were hunting secret nuclear tests. What they found came from deep space
https://www.sciencing.com/2242410/1960s-us-military-satellites-nuclear-tests-gamma-ray-bursts/

The Forgotten Cold War Plan That Put a Ring of Copper Around the Earth: In 1963, the United States launched half a billion whisker-thin copper wires into orbit in an attempt to install a ring around the Earth. It was called Project West Ford, and it’s a perfect, if odd, example of the Cold War paranoia and military mentality at work in America’s early space program.
https://www.wired.com/2013/08/project-west-ford/

# NOAA
Ocean temperatures just hit new levels as Trump’s climate denial machine defunds the agency tracking it. In line with Project 2025’s recommendations, over 900 advanced deep-sea sensors are being removed from the ocean floor, cutting off critical real-time data used by global researchers to track climate change.
https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/trump-administration-dismantles-critical-ocean-floor-observation-network/
Project 2025: https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
Project 2025 Explained: https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Trump regulators issue key permit for proposed $100 million underwater data center off Maine coast. “No one really wants it here,” said one local resident who helped gather signatures in support of blocking the data center.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/maine-data-center

# Social / Communities / Housing
This Palantir billionaire’s passion project is criminalizing homelessness. Joe Lonsdale’s Cicero Institute lobbies to make sleeping outdoors a crime. Under Trump, the federal government is listening.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/joe-londsdale-cicero-institute-homelessness/

Oregon Is Spending More Than Ever on Low-Income Housing. A State Law Keeps the Details Secret. The state has given developers an unprecedented $1.4 billion, and the cost of developing each subsidized apartment has nearly doubled. But, thanks to a carve-out in its public records law, Oregon doesn’t have to provide the details of that spending.
https://www.propublica.org/article/oregon-affordable-housing-cost-secrecy

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
The Social Security payment for the month a person dies must be returned, even after it reaches the bank
https://www.usa.gov/social-security-report-a-death

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Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

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At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 24, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

American author Mark Twain famously stated: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Indigenous
Gila River Health Care will invest in a University of Arizona medical school branch, creating a physician training pipeline aimed at addressing persistent recruitment and retention challenges across tribal and rural health systems.
https://tribalbusinessnews.com/sections/health-care/15733-gila-river-invests-25m-in-tribal-land-medical-school-to-build-physician-workforce

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
Outrage after US deports dad who helped prosecute cartels: ‘Target for a hideous death’
https://www.rawstory.com/ice-2677760743/

These 13 Nationalities No Longer Have Deportation Protection. Following a series of federal court and Supreme Court rulings clearing the way for the Department of Homeland Security, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs for 13 countries. This decision strips deportation protections and work authorizations from more than one million foreign nationals living previously in the U.S
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViEh46RjxI8

Immigrant Kids Were Once Protected. Under Trump, Their Deportations Have Tripled. “This is the worst time that we have ever seen with regards to how our government is treating children. ” Trump administration officials deny that they are targeting immigrant children, but there is growing evidence that this is not the case.
https://www.propublica.org/article/unaccompanied-minors-deportations-elder-chavez

He was waiting for his son to return from the USS Lincoln. Then Border Patrol arrested him.
https://www.therepublic.com/2026/08/23/he-was-waiting-for-his-son-to-return-from-the-uss-lincoln-then-border-patrol-arrested-him/

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
A fifth American bank failed on Friday, and all $67 million of its deposits moved to a buyer overnight. Five failures this year mark a modest uptick from the two failures recorded in both 2024 and 2025.
https://www.creditandcollectionnews.com/fifth-bank-fails-in-2026-as-drip-of-small-bank-closures-continues/

Closing in on $10 trillion. Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, the cost to taxpayers for the U.S. War on Terror is approaching $10 trillion.
https://www.newsbug.info/news/nation/the-cost-of-america-s-25-year-war-on-terror-closing-in-on-10-trillion/article_ed96476c-b108-523e-b8d1-44b87dcc79ca.html?utm_source=newsbug.info&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fcoronavirus%2F&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
‘Actual apartheid’: Trump Education boss enrages with new plan for elementary-school kids. “Sometimes we ignore what the actual skillsets of those children are.”
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2677760539/

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
On Land and Sea, the Trump Administration prioritizes plunder over environmental protection. The latest victim: marine sanctuaries. “They’re totally missing any sense of stewardship toward the ocean that supports all of us.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/trump-administration-noaa-commercial-fisheries-profits-marine-conservation/

With new Colorado River plan, Lower Basin states to see cuts amid record low water levels. Under the new Colorado River plan, Arizona, California and Nevada will see water cuts. Officials say that a longer-term solution is needed.
https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/08/21/feds-announce-water-cuts-under-new-colorado-river-plan/

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
Alfalfa sprout recall underway as federal and state authorities investigate E. coli and salmonella infections involving 55 people in 15 states. Four patients hospitalized, and no deaths reported.
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/alfalfa-sprouts-08-26/index.html

# Gov / Politics / US
Wisconsin still allows child marriage — but efforts to end it have stalled. Nearly 300 16- and 17-year-olds were married in Wisconsin over the past decade. Republicans have blocked Democratic efforts to change that.
https://19thnews.org/2026/06/wisconsin-child-marriage/

Democrats Prepare Multifront Investigations Of Trump Administration Ahead Of Possible House Majority
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/07/rfk-jr-surgeons-general-vaccines-warning

Elizabeth Warren Blasts Trump, GOP Over Billionaire-Friendly Policies: ‘Kicking 15 Million Americans Off Their Health Care’
https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/26/08/61372412/elizabeth-warren-blasts-trump-gop-over-billionaire-friendly-policies-kicking-15-million-americans-off-their-health-care

People Must Reject Donald Trump’s Standing Army: President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Washington, DC is designed to normalize something that should never be normal in this country: the use of the military as a domestic police force.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/no-trump-standing-army

The U.S. Department of Justice once worked closely with states to assist with elections. That was before Donald Trump’s presidency. “The reality now is that our biggest adversary to running smooth elections is the president,” Brown said.
https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/midterm-elections-2026-2677727728/

Trump is still haunted by a 20-year nemesis — who just came back armed with a blowtorch: “Hey, can’t you see? I’m terrific at everything! No star shines so bright as me—Rosie! Trump can’t stand it any when women reject him or call him out on his behavior, even when it’s a woman he doesn’t find attractive.
https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/rosie-odonnell/

Why Young People Keep Falling for Communist Ideology. Every generation searches for answers. Young people have always challenged the status quo, questioned authority and sought a better future than the one they inherited. The answer deserves more than slogans or political attacks. It deserves honesty, humility, and historical perspective
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/08/23/why-are-so-many-young-people-drawn-to-communism/

# Global News
Iran signals openness to diplomacy as war remains stalled. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Sunday that the agreement signed by President Donald Trump in June should be used to move the conflict beyond what he described as a state of “neither war nor peace.”
https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/iran-signals-openness-diplomacy-war-remains-stalled

A Pakistani army official will meet with Iranian officials on the same day the U.S. is planning to announce new sanctions on Iran.
https://san.com/cc/pakistan-army-official-going-to-iran-reportedly-plans-to-discuss-us-sanctions/

# Law / Law Enforcement / Prisons / FBI / CIA / ATF / DEA
States Claim to Invest in “Humane” New Prisons — But Prisons Were Never Humane. The historical record shows that the glossy language of “reform” contributes to the normalization of prisons and jails.
https://truthout.org/articles/states-claim-to-invest-in-humane-new-prisons-but-prisons-were-never-humane/

Nowhere else to go: One man’s perilous journey in jail to understand charges against him: “I don’t want anything to happen to them, but the longer they’re here, I feel like the odds go against them.” Missouri does a particularly poor job of providing people awaiting trial with the mental health care many of them desperately need to understand the charges against them
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/24/missouri-jail-competency-stand-trial-mental-health-treatment

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
Illegal order meant to protect Trump caught on live TV: A Fox 5 camera operator was seen on video Sunday being issued what one journalist described as an “unlawful order,” one designed to shield President Donald Trump from being filmed at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2677765423/

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
The vast majority of Americans want hospitals and healthcare providers to publicly disclose prices before patients receive care, according to a new poll.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_836b2d2d-89e9-4147-b9dc-4fc4790a3b1e.html

# Medical / Biologicals / Research / CDC / Recalls / Nursing / Medications / Hospitals / Pharma
Outbreaks rising, response capacity dropping, former surgeon general says RFK Jr. ‘has the wrong priorities’
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/07/rfk-jr-surgeons-general-vaccines-warning

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
Defeating the Donroe Doctrine: Latin America Can Resist Trump’s Gunboat Racketeering: Performative violence—aka executions without trial at sea—overshadows how the administration is building a new US policy towards the hemisphere: acts of murder as a tool to create permanent structures of dominance and extraction.
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/what-is-trump-s-donroe-doctrine
Donroe Doctrine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donroe_Doctrine

Trump’s new approach to Latin America is a lot like America’s old one.
https://www.vox.com/politics/474168/donroe-doctrine-trump-latin-america-venezuela-colombia-mexico-cuba

Pentagon Papers 1969: Classified, 47-volume study commissioned by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. Formally titled United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967. They traced American involvement in Vietnam from World War II through 1968.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_Papers

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
“If cities are building the surveillance infrastructure, the risks that our data will end up in the hands of the federal government or state government in our case are really high.” – organizer Edith Romero, from First Came the Flock Cameras. Now Local Cops Want Autonomous Drones.
https://scheerpost.com/2026/08/11/first-came-the-flock-cameras-now-local-cops-want-autonomous-drones/

‘Have Your Friend Elon Build One at Mar-a-Lago,’ Says Sanders After Trump Comments on Data Centers
“Trump thinks that every community in America should welcome a data center.” If so, said Sanders, “Lead by example.” Poll after poll has shown people in the US are not comfortable with the rapid expansion of data centers, built by large tech companies to manage the computing power and energy needed for artificial intelligence and an increasingly digitized world.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/data-center-trump-mar-a-lago

# Technology / Robotics / AI
An Apple AirTag just tracked a shipment of rare books to a secret Amazon AI facility in Las Vegas, where texts are cut apart, scanned, and destroyed to train AI models.
https://www.404media.co/we-tracked-a-shipment-of-rare-books-it-ended-at-an-amazon-ai-training-facility/

# Veterans / VA
Apps Marketed to US Veterans Are Coming Equipped With Chinese and Russian Code. A first-of-its-kind analysis found more than one in eight apps built for US service members carried foreign code—some from firms in nations the Pentagon designates as adversaries.
https://www.gadgetreview.com/apps-marketed-to-u-s-troops-are-running-chinese-and-russian-code

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Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 23, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
Federal judge strikes down Trump policy suspending processing of immigration visas from 75 countries. A federal judge in Manhattan ruled against the State Department’s suspension of immigrant visas.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/22/us-judge-strikes-down-trump-immigrant-visa-ban-affecting-75-countries

How Trump and ICE’s Latest Tactics Target Immigrant Children. Officials claim to target the “worst of the worst.” But several agencies are now focusing on tracking and detaining children.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/22/texas-ice-child-trump-immigrant

# Employment / Labor / Unions
San Antonio airport fuel workers oust union from workplace. Support to remove the union was so great that union officials left rather than face election defeat.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_bb9e018e-092b-4302-8d67-b6526b56a5ca.html

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
State, feds take big step toward starting massive Coastal Texas Project. General Land Office, Army Corps reach agreement on South Padre project, the epic storm-surge mitigation plan that includes the Ike Dike.
https://www.chron.com/gulf-coast/article/texas-coastal-flooding-project-milestone-22398015.php

Trump Administration Moves to Rescind 25-Year-Old Ban on Building Roads Across 45 Million Acres of National Forest: A new USDA proposal would rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, opening close to 45 million acres of national forest — including New Mexico’s Gila — to road-building and development.
https://www.latintimes.com/trump-administration-moves-rescind-25-year-old-ban-building-roads-across-45-million-acres-598690

Fired Federal Employees Are Bringing Climate Change Info Back to the People. Scientists are preserving vital climate-related information amid the Trump administration’s attacks on climate science.
https://truthout.org/articles/fired-federal-employees-are-bringing-climate-change-info-back-to-the-people/

Trump repeated his deeply unpopular and unlawful decision from his first term to gut protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, shrinking their boundaries by more than 90%.
https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/bears-ears-grand-staircase-executive-order/

The federal administration is moving to reverse Public Land Order 7923, which protects roughly 336,400 acres around New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The proposal seeks to scrap a 10-mile, drilling-free buffer zone to open the Greater Chaco Region to oil, gas, and mineral extraction
https://www.npca.org/articles/11465-trump-administration-moves-closer-to-revoking-chaco-canyon-protections

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA President Donald Trump confused and angered onlookers Friday after announcing a plan to combat surging beef prices, but by Saturday, one Republican lawmaker believes they may have discovered the real motive behind the unorthodox arrangement.
https://www.rawstory.com/beef-import/

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
‘Missing’ Epstein files containing major allegations against Trump discovered: The Department of Justice released a batch of previously unreleased documents from the Epstein files that include notes from FBI interviews with a woman who says she was assaulted by President Trump when she was a minor, also a victim of Epstein.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/doj-releases-epstein-files-containing-sexual-assault-allegations-against-trump

As DOJ Continues to Withhold Epstein Files About Accusations Against Trump, Whitehouse Demands that DOJ Follow the Law and Preserve All Related Documents. MAGA DOJ’s apparent illegal withholding of documents points to a dark cover-up for the President
https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/as-doj-continues-to-withhold-epstein-files-about-accusations-against-trump-whitehouse-demands-that-doj-follow-the-law-and-preserve-all-related-documents/

Dozens of FBI records apparently missing from Epstein files, including Trump accuser interviews. An evidence log provided to attorneys for Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell includes serial numbers for about 325 FBI witness interview records – but more than 90 of those records, over a quarter of the list, don’t appear to be present on the DOJ website, according to CNN’s review.
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/fbi-records-missing-epstein-files-trump-accuser-interviews/70485920

New Epstein Revelations: NPR’s Report on Trump and the “Missing” Files. The U.S. is still reacting to the release of the Epstein files, which have ensnared CEOs, a former prince and even President Trump. Despite legal orders to release the files unredacted, an NPR investigation reveals that the Department of Justice has withheld or removed a number of pages related to allegations involving the President.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2iGYInTzq0

# Gov / Politics / US
Donald Trump threatens to bomb U.S. ally as he floats taking over world’s most crucial oil route
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/18/why-has-trump-threatened-to-bomb-oman-for-a-second-time

This MAGA icon quit — and cracked open a hall of White House horrors
https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/karoline-leavitt-quit/

Trumpworld plots secret meetings with foe in anticipation of possible impeachment. Publicly, Trump and Jeffries maintain a hostile relationship.
https://www.rawstory.com/trumpworld-plots-secret-meetings-in-anticipation-of-midterm-defeat-report/

Trump warned MAGA ‘hellsite hothouse’ foretells his doom: ‘The right will pay a price’: examining how Donald Trump’s online ecosystem and far-right base—fostered by platforms like Truth Social—have evolved into an uncontainable, radicalized environment that risks backfiring on the broader conservative movement.
https://www.rawstory.com/maga-hellsite-addiction-foretells-doom-for-trump/

Top Doctor Sounds the Alarm on Trump’s Health Mysteries. A prominent physician has raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the laundry list of health issues that Donald Trump suffers from. “He’s had large bruises on both hands, swelling in his legs and episodes when it appears that he is struggling to stay awake. He’s also had advanced imaging performed for unclear reasons. The public is again left to wonder whether the nation’s leader is OK.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-doctor-sounds-the-alarm-on-trumps-health-mysteries/

# Global News
Sheinbaum Calls for Investigations Into 17 Mexican Migrant Deaths: ‘There Are Simply Too Many Cases.’ Mexico has filed 20 complaints with U.S. authorities but has received substantive information in only a fraction of them, according to the country’s Foreign Affairs Undersecretary
https://www.latintimes.com/sheinbaum-calls-investigations-17-mexican-migrant-deaths-there-are-simply-too-many-cases-598724

Mexican government launches investigation into deaths of 17 citizens during U.S. ICE enforcement operations or detainment
https://www.newsweek.com/mexico-turns-to-unusual-tactic-in-growing-fight-over-ice-deaths-12344984

Putin says Ukraine opened ‘Pandora’s box’ with strikes on Russia’s ‘Amazon’ and vows to hit back
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16881800/putin-ukraine-strikes-russia/

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
Maggie Haberman Sounds Alarm Over Trump’s ‘Much Nastier’ and ‘More Aggressive’ Attacks on Female Journalists
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6037866-maggie-haberman-blasts-donald-trump-rhetoric-female-reporters/

Goodbye to USPS post offices? Bombshell new plan to axe delivery hubs and use empty buildings for something else. Bombshell new plan to axe delivery hubs and use empty buildings for something else
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16859483/usps-post-offices-housing-change/

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
Original Medicare has no annual limit on what a patient pays out of pocket, so one serious illness can leave a retiree owing 20% of very large bills.
https://www.aol.com/articles/original-medicare-no-pocket-maximum-210105000.html

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
US airman who was arrested for Trump impeachment protest is ‘ordered into pretrial confinement’ again after reportedly refusing to wear uniform. During that demonstration, he publicly called for the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.Federal prosecutors in D.C. ultimately did not file a criminal case regarding that specific Capitol protest, but the military launched its own internal review
https://www.military.com/air-force-major-jason-watson-placed-pretrial-confinement-after-calling-for-trump-removal

AIM-424 “Malice” Very Long-Range Air-To-Air Missile Emerges From The Shadows: The U.S. Navy has publicly revealed a previously little-known next-generation air-to-air missile: the AIM-424 LRAAM (Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile), officially named “Malice.”
https://theaviationist.com/2026/08/23/us-navy-reveals-aim-424-malice-lraam/

Sen. Chris Van Hollen Calls Pentagon Firings at Military Newspaper “Yet Another Blatant Crackdown on Free Speech and a Free Press” — “We Must Defend Our Freedoms at Every Turn”
https://share.newsbreak.com/jdp2noau

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Analysis Shows All Those Data Centers Under Construction Will Output As Much CO2 As 24 Million Cars. The biggest 60 data centers under construction by America’s leading tech companies will produce an extra estimated 101.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, pumping it into the atmosphere at that level every year.
https://www.jalopnik.com/2241059/analysis-data-centers-under-construction-same-co2-24-million-cars/

‘Roadmap’ shows the environmental impact of AI data center boom. the current rate of AI growth would annually put 24 to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the emissions equivalent of adding 5 to 10 million cars to U.S. roadways. It would also drain 731 to 1,125 million cubic meters of water per year – equal to the annual household water usage of 6 to 10 million Americans. The cumulative effect would put the AI industry’s net-zero emissions targets out of reach.
https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/11/roadmap-shows-environmental-impact-ai-data-center-boom

Amazon’s Secretive $10 Billion Texas Data Center Is Testing How Much a Small Town Gets to Know. Wharton County signed a nondisclosure agreement before Amazon’s “Project Eagle” broke ground near Boling, and a statewide grid audit is now adding delay on top of the secrecy
https://www.realtytoday.com/articles/114523/20260822/amazons-secretive-10-billion-texas-data-center-testing-how-much-small-town-gets-know.htm

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
Millions of US seniors could lose full Social Security COLAs. New proposal may preserve program, but here’s who loses
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/no-more-full-social-security-120000988.html

# Transportation / Trucking / Travel / Tourism / TSA / FAA
Trump’s FAA picked an unlikely contractor to lead its air traffic overhaul. The agency is having second thoughts. One person knowledgeable about the situation said that Virginia-based Peraton was “not meeting the moment.”
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/faa-contractor-peraton-01040521

# UFO / UAP Disclosure
Texas UFO Sightings Are Back in the Spotlight as Old Government Files Resurface. Long before UFO podcasts, Pentagon hearings and viral TikTok conspiracy theories, Texans were already reporting glowing objects over highways, military bases and oil fields, and the federal government was quietly documenting it all.
https://www.chron.com/news/space/article/texas-fbi-ufo-files-22249510.php

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Voices, The Peoples News

August 22, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

You are allowed to stop choosing people who only choose you when they need comfort. You are more than a familiar place to land. You are more than a person who makes the hard days easier. You deserve to be loved on the days you have nothing to give. Robert M. Drake | From the book, Detoxify.

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Indigenous
Native American Leaders Denounce Record Glyphosate Spraying on National Forests. “It’s kind of like killing our tribe again.”
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2026/08/maidu-native-groups-denounce-record-glyphosate-spraying-national-forests-california-bayer-forest-service/

# Animals / Pets
Trump administration quietly sends thousands of wild horses to slaughter; sanctuary director says ‘slaughter in plain sight.’ Tragically, this isn’t the first time that the Bureau of Land Management has fallen down on the job. The BLM is the primary agency tasked with the responsibility to manage these majestic animals, who live on public lands, and to ensure that the wild horses and burros who are rounded up go to reputable homes. Instead, the agency has set the stage for their betrayal and deaths.
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/americas-wild-horses-sent-slaughter-under-trump-administration

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
Casar Demands Shutdown of Texas Detention Center After ICE Abducts 5-Year-Old on Way to Soccer Match. “Liam should be starting kindergarten this week,” said Rep. Greg Casar. “Instead, he’s sitting in a trailer prison right now in Dilley, Texas.” In additional remarks, Casar called for the child’s release and criticized the facility.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/rep-greg-casar-says-ice-detained-5-year-old-boy-in-austin

In LA immigration courts, Indigenous migrants face deportation because they don’t have interpreters. Attorneys and advocates for Indigenous migrants say little to no court-provided translation means some people don’t understand what immigration judges are asking of them.
https://lapublicpress.org/2026/08/immigration-courts-indigenous-speakers-migrants-deportation-interpreters/

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
The National debt just hit $40 trillion, and three hidden costs are about to gut Americans’ monthly budgets
https://share.newsbreak.com/jdgyew2x

Trump Delays 50% Canada Tariffs as the Two Countries Race to Finalize a Deal. The President’s announcement came hours before a series of tariffs set to cover about $20 billion worth of imports into the U.S. from Canada were set to take effect
https://time.com/article/2026/08/19/trump-delays-50-canada-tariffs-as-the-two-countries-race-to-finalize-a-deal/

‘It’s War’: Trump’s 50% Tariffs Take Hold After US-Canada Trade Talks Collapse. “Trump is going to be hitting American consumers with a new round of tax hikes just over two months before the election,” said one economist.
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/us-canada-trade-talks-collapse-as-new-50-tariffs-go-into-effect-160526827.html

‘Massive redistribution of wealth in favor of convicted criminals’: Democrat report says Trump’s pardons robbed crime victims of $1.7 billion
https://share.newsbreak.com/jdgxvpj8

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
Trump administration recommends stripping American Bar Association of law school oversight authority. The ABA, which accredits roughly 200 law schools, has come under GOP criticism over promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion standards.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/21/trump-administration-recommends-stripping-american-bar-association-of-law-school-oversight-authority-01045391
ABA: American Bar Association https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bar_Association

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
Trump’s destruction of national parks is just getting started: Trump Is Destroying Pristine Public Lands to Build His Border Wall — Again. Contractors damaged federally protected habitats in Big Bend National Park and areas near sacred springs in Arizona. Last summer, Congress gave the Trump admin $46 billion to construct a wall from the Pacific Ocean to Mexico
https://www.salon.com/2026/08/18/trumps-destruction-of-national-parks-is-just-getting-started/

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
A new SNAP rule changes how utility costs are counted. It changes the accounting behind how much help a family receives, by altering how utility costs are factored into a SNAP calculation. The result, by one analysis, is smaller benefits for about 600,000 households.
https://www.newsbreak.com/the-financial-wire-382710013/4840578795029-a-new-snap-rule-changes-how-utility-costs-are-counted-and-about-600-000-households-will-see-smaller-food-benefits

Cattle groups react to Trump’s beef import post. Trump says U.S. will allow up to 300K metric tons of beef to be imported tariff free for 90 days.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6044555-trump-suspends-ground-beef-tariffs/

# Gov / Politics / US
Another high-profile Trump appointee hits the exits. A key voice for the White House in Congress is leaving as turnover in the Trump administration continues. Here’s a running list of high-profile officials to leave during the president’s second term.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/article/a-key-voice-for-the-white-house-in-congress-is-leaving-as-turnover-in-the-trump-administration-continues-230238293.html

Meet the election deniers influencing Trump’s anti-voting policy
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/the-election-deniers-influencing-trumps-anti-voting-policy-from-outside-the-white-house/

‘Resign’: Jarring break inside Trump world as his own envoy defies him. McGurk stated that the pullout was a total policy reversal that threatened regional stability and left him unable to maintain his integrity
https://www.rawstory.com/tom-barrack-2677758914/

Florida Republican could face death penalty after allegedly molesting grandson under new law he voted for
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article316963811.html

Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claims the US is discussing the potential use of nuclear weapons against Iran, but she has provided no evidence or identified officials. Her comments come amid escalating US-Iran tensions, disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and claims surrounding Iran’s nuclear programme. The report also examines the unverified allegations and Iran’s response.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jHjyE93c6I

‘A Government of the Rich, by the Rich, for the Rich’: Nearly 60 Top Trump Officials Worth $100 Million or More. The Trump administration has over 10 times as many of these super-rich appointees as the Biden, Obama, and George W. Bush administrations.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-admin-superrich

Forget ‘No Kings’ Placards, Given What Trump Is Plotting Impeach Him This Minute: Trump’s plans to steal the 2026 midterm elections are already underway. It’s not alarmism to say this. He is saying it out loud and the Republican Party has shown just how far they will go for this fascist.
https://freespeechforpeople.org/1-million-americans-demand-impeachment-as-free-speech-for-people-launches-full-page-new-york-times-ad-ahead-of-no-kings-protests/

Time to Raise Hell: Trump Taking GOP Voter Suppression Efforts to Heights Never Seen: Back in the old days, Nixon and Reagan at least had the decency to commit their treasonous election thefts in secret. Not Trump. He is telling us exactly what he’s prepared to do. If we don’t stop him, who will?
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/donald-trump-election-stealing-plot

Donald Trump Can’t Buy His Way Out of the Mess He Made When He Started War With Iran. Most people do not know that the term “checkmate” in chess is a loan from Persian. “Shah-mat” means the king is confused and helpless. Trump may learn this hard way—but not without bringing much pain and suffering on people at home and worldwide.
https://qoshe.com/common-dreams-us/juan-cole/spoiled-rotten-donald-trump-can-t-buy-his-way-out-of-the-mess-he-made-when-he-started-war-with-iran/189032150/amp

By calling out Natalie Harp, Jon Ossoff did what no Democrat has been able to do — put Trump on his heels. Trumpworld has gone nuclear on the freshman senator from Georgia. That was the point
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/jon-ossoff-trump-natalie-harp-b3037292.html

# Global News
Iran’s president calls for end of war after Trump’s ‘economic terrorism’ threats
https://www.the-independent.com/bulletin/news/iran-war-trump-president-end-conflict-b3037100.html

After Bessent Comments, China Warns US That It Cannot Sanction Iran Out of Existence. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of China, which receives 80% of Iran’s oil exports, said that going along with Trump’s “economic warfare” will “only lead to escalation that serves no one’s interests.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc7NRByzxAo

# Law / Law Enforcement / Prisons / FBI / CIA / ATF / DEA
Cop Used Electrocution Gloves to Subdue High School Student in Special Education Program. “We are constantly seeking ways to keep the public and police officers safe through innovations like G.L.O.V.E.” And though the gloves might be new to most of the American public, they’re certainly not new to local cops, who it turns out are just as likely to use them on vulnerable high school students as they are on violent adult suspects.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/cop-used-electrocution-gloves-subdue-160335177.html

Woman, 47, arrested at KFC told cops ‘I can’t breathe’ as she was booked into jail and died
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQiHKHEoCII

Texas Police Are Using Cell Trackers, License-Plate Readers and Sound Sensors to Monitor Suspects and Bystanders Across the State, Raising Privacy Questions
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article316955347.html

Ms Rachel speaks out on Black hanging cases as Raleigh death is declared suicide: Black people “don’t hang themselves from trees” after Raleigh police ruled a death a suicide.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ms-rachel-speaks-out-black-hanging-cases-raleigh-death-declared-suicide

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
Trump DOJ appears to have hired lawyer convicted of hacking election sites to check ‘integrity’
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-doj-appears-to-have-hired-lawyer-convicted-of-hacking-election-sites/

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
A Stars & Stripes reporter DEFIES Pete Hegseth by announcing that she works for her newspaper, not him or Trump — and pays for it with her job. This is what true journalistic courage looks like.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/stars-and-stripes-editor-reporter-fired-for-insubordination-after-doing-cbs-interview

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
Starting in 2027, Medicaid’s expansion enrollees must reprove eligibility every six months, and missed paperwork can end coverage
https://www.hfma.org/payment-reimbursement-and-managed-care/medicaid-six-month-eligibility-redeterminations-cms-guidance/

75% of US Hospital Finance Leaders Are Reconsidering Medicare Advantage Contracts; 41% Have Acted or Expect a Pullback Within 12 Months. Black Book Research flash poll of 112 hospital and health system finance leaders finds Medicare Advantage contract economics are moving onto the CFO agenda
https://www.newswire.com/news/75-of-us-hospital-finance-leaders-are-reconsidering-medicare-advantage

Roughly three million older Americans may be forced to change Medicare plans for 2027 as insurers keep retreating from a market they call underpaid.
https://share.newsbreak.com/jdh00rhk

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
Hundreds of US military family members trapped at camp facing closure, group says
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/08/20/hundreds-of-us-military-family-members-trapped-at-camp-facing-closure-group-says/

Department of Defense Reveals Number of Americans Wounded in Iran since the conflict began on February 28, 2026. The vast majority of these reported injuries are traumatic brain injuries.
https://www.military.com/department-of-defense-reveals-number-of-americans-wounded-in-iran-war

Blackwater founder Erik Prince launched Vectus Air Defense Systems, a private startup offering subscription-based “air defense as a service”. The company provides tools like jammers, cannons, and interceptors to protect critical infrastructure, data centers, and military bases from drone threats
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/21/erik-prince-vectus-air-defense-service

Shock Report Says Army Secretary to Step Down Amid ‘Tension’ With Pete Hegseth: Army Secretary Driscoll to Step Down This Year Amid Hegseth Friction: Driscoll’s exit would leave Army without a Senate-confirmed civilian leader at a time when the service is stretched by ongoing operations overseas.
https://www.military.com/army-secretary-driscoll-step-down-this-year-amid-hegseth-friction-report

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Wife Emerges As His ‘Most Influential Adviser,’ Pentagon Leaders Express Alarm At Her Oversized Role: Former Pentagon spokesperson describes Jennifer Hegseth’s expansive role as ‘bonkers.’ “It’s bonkers that a defense secretary would involve his wife in his sensitive official duties,” John Ullyot said in reference to Pete Hegseth’s spouse.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jennifer-pete-hegseth-defense-department-pentagon

Hegseth rages as Army makes U-turn on standards to screen out ‘stupid’ cadets: report: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly upset that the U.S. Army has decided to backtrack on a set of new academic standards for college students enrolling in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps training program meant to block “stupid people” from joining.
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-army-standards-stupid-cadets-b3036702.html

Wildfire Is General Atomics’ Successor To The MQ-9 Reaper: General Atomics unveils Wildfire drone with 11,500-mile range, can carry anti-ship missiles. Wildfire drone could carry four LRASMs as General Atomics eyes post-Reaper future. Wildfire, a new long-range unmanned aircraft concept that could represent the company’s answer to the changing demands of modern drone warfare and the eventual need for a successor to the MQ-9 Reaper.
https://interestingengineering.com/military/general-atomics-unveils-mq-9-successor

New Beach Landing Vessel For The Marine Corps Breaks Cover (Updated): The Ancillary Surface Craft is part of a growing fleet of new amphibious vessels that is helping lay the groundwork for future Marine island-hopping operations.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/beach-landing-vessel-being-bought-173227135.html

This Is The New Blackbeard ‘Cheap’ Hypersonic Weapon: Castelion aims at building more affordable and usable hypersonic weapons that can be churned out at high production rates.
https://www.orrick.com/en/News/2026/08/Castelion-Raises-1B-Series-C-to-Scale-Production-of-Low-Cost-Hypersonic-Weapons

New USS John F. Kennedy Brings Back Key Feature From The Nimitz Class. Major radar changes mean ‘illuminators’ are needed to help Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles protect the carrier.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/2026/08/20/new_uss_john_f_kennedy_brings_back_key_feature_from_the_nimitz_class_1201515.html

# Military / Global
Israel Bombs Syrian Airbase to Block Turkish Military Expansion. Israel’s strike on Abu al-Duhur airbase exposes an escalating struggle with Turkey over Ankara’s future military presence in Syria
https://apnews.com/article/syria-israel-turkey-airstrikes-idlib-3a0e758c87ded0f26ed71b4a92db6816

Saab Unveils Stealthy Supersonic ‘Fighter Drone’ Concept. The advanced drone could become a high-end collaborative companion to the Gripen E, and may also shape Saab’s next crewed combat aircraft.
https://www.twz.com/air/saab-unveils-stealthy-supersonic-fighter-drone-concept

China’s Massive New Artificial Island In The South China Sea Emerges, Primed For Militarization: What was a submerged reef a year ago is now a 1,500 acre artificial island with a large runway under construction, as China’s militarization of the South China Sea accelerates.
https://maritime-executive.com/article/china-rushes-to-complete-paracel-island-militarization

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Leaked Memo Shows Republicans Are Terrified of the Backlash Against AI Data Centers. “[Data centers have] become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle.”
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/gop-data-center-memo-ai-election

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
President Donald Trump sees big shift with middle-aged Americans as Social Security and Medicare concerns throw retirement security into question
https://www.newsbreak.com/wonderwall-316270490/4843356206462-president-donald-trump-sees-big-shift-with-middle-aged-americans-as-social-security-and-medicare-concerns-throw-retirement-security-into-question

# Technology / Robotics / AI
An Emergence AI experiment placed groups of 10 autonomous AI agents into five identical virtual towns for 15 days to test self-governance. The different AI models produced wildly contrasting meltdowns: Isolated towns powered independently by models from Claude, Gemini, Grok, and GPT, plus a mixed-model town. The Goal: To observe how autonomous agents manage laws, resources, and social norms without human intervention
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/ai/2026/05/researchers-left-ai-agents-alone-in-a-virtual-town-and-watched-it-all-unravel

# Weather
‘Perfect Storm’ of Trump’s War and Super El Niño: Experts are warning that a combination of a super El Niño climate pattern and two separate wars are threatening to put further upward pressure on food prices over the next several months.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/el-nino-war-food

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
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This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

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Voices, The Peoples News

August 21, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Animals / Pets
Premium dog food recalled as dozens of pets develop serious eye issues. The recall affects all Years fresh meals except those in its Chef’s Collection, the brand’s limited-edition, premium line.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/recalls/

Trump secretly sends thousands of horses to their deaths: ‘Slaughter in plain sight’
https://globalnews.ca/video/3828581/thousands-of-wild-horses-face-slaughter-as-u-s-government-struggles-to-control-population

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
U.S. begins deporting people to Liberia even when it isn’t their home country. Liberia agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country nationals from the U.S. without financial compensation, describing the pact as a humanitarian gesture.
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/africa/us-carries-first-deportations-pact-liberia-accept-1200-non-liberians-rcna593682

A Venezuelan family of three, including a pregnant mother and her 7-year-old child, have been held at the notorious Dilley Immigration Processing Center for more than one month after trying to self-deport.
https://www.al.com/news/2026/08/family-held-at-ice-detention-center-begs-katie-britt-for-help-our-child-wants-to-die.html

Trump-appointed judge denies state’s attempt to rein in ICE, rules federal government must be able to ‘carry out its duties’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-appointed-judge-denies-states-162455887.html

ICE Worked With Iranian Regime to Set Up Deportation Flights as Trump Laid Plans for War
Internal emails indicate immigration agents complied with an Iranian request to hand over specific nationals — and accidentally sent the wrong person to Iran.
https://theintercept.com/2026/08/18/iran-trump-deportation-flights-ice/

Federal Spies Hunt Unions for Conspiracy, Find Solidarity. After federal agents killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti, DHS launched a mass surveillance and infiltration campaign against community and labor organizing against ICE.
https://labornotes.org/2026/08/federal-spies-hunt-minnesota-unions-search-conspiracy-find-solidarity

Trump admin should be held in contempt for ‘blatant’ violations of court order barring ICE from conducting surveillance inside churches, court filing says
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ice-held-contempt-blatant-violations-205524368.html

Dozens of military families swept up in ICE crackdown under Trump, Senators warn of impact on deployment and military readiness
https://apnews.com/article/military-families-ice-immigration-detention-takeaways-9216f7c807273778ac3a40a3d8a5b588

How Trump’s deportation machine deprives Deaf people of their humanity. An extra layer of cruelty is added by limiting communication access for Deaf people.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/how-trumps-deportation-machine-deprives-deaf-people-of-their-humanity/

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
Mark Kelly Says Trump Promised To “Pay Off The Debt” — Instead “He And His Family Made Billions” As National Debt Tops $40 Trillion
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4838920047357-mark-kelly-says-trump-promised-to-pay-off-the-debt-instead-he-and-his-family-made-billions-as-national-debt-tops-40-trillion

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
A Houston high school teacher said students couldn’t read or write. Then the school got an ‘A’ rating
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2026/08/14/559581/wheatley-high-school-houston-accountability-raiting-reading-writing-darius-williams/

# Employment / Labor / Unions
Union-Busters Are Using ICE to Intimidate California Wine Industry Workers. California’s wine industry runs on immigrant exploitation. Now migrant workers are unionizing.
https://truthout.org/articles/union-busters-are-using-ice-to-intimidate-california-wine-industry-workers/

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
Trump Moves Forward with Plan to Allow Logging in Untouched National Forests-but There’s Still Time for You to Weigh In: Experts are alarmed that 44 million acres of public wilderness, the source of drinking water for 25 million Americans, will be subject to logging, industry, and fire risk if the “roadless rule” goes away.
https://www.frommers.com/trip-ideas/outdoor-adventure/trump-administration-moves-forward-with-plan-to-allow-logging-in-untouched-national-forests-but-theres-still-time-for-you-to-weigh-in/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Historic federal land in Louisiana eyed for natural gas expansion: The U.S. Department of the Interior has transferred jurisdiction of a historic 3-acre parcel located at the mouth of the Calcasieu River to accommodate expansion of the Venture Global LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_381fb05d-bd2c-4ecb-8402-a4043721fb89.html

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
Your M&Ms are changing colors. But are the new natural dyes safe? M&M’s, Skittles, Starburst and EXTRA gum are set to undergo an “au naturel” makeover this month. Mars is rolling out new versions of its best-known confections that no longer include synthetic food dyes, “the colors that have a number behind them,” said Thomas Galligan, principal scientist for food additives
https://san.com/cc/your-mms-are-changing-colors-but-are-the-new-natural-dyes-safe/

Virginia just expanded its Styrofoam ban — and it’s not alone. Food vendors are no longer allowed to use or sell single-use expanded polystyrene, commonly referred to by the brand name Styrofoam. That includes plates, cups, bowls, trays and hinged containers.
https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-07-06/virginia-styrofoam-container-ban-restaurant-takeout-polystyrene-deq/

# Gov / Politics / US
In this state, Republicans are trying to repeal abortion rights by leaning into anti-trans sentiment. Two years after falsely linking reproductive rights to gender transition care for minors, GOP lawmakers have packaged the two issues into one amendment in an effort to strip away the right to abortion.
https://www.propublica.org/article/missouri-abortion-gender-transition-minors-amendment-3

Natalie Harp letters surface as questions grow over her access to Trump. Harp now has a security clearance, but MS NOW reported this week she repeatedly declined to complete the process for unknown reasons.
https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/21/natalie-harp-letters-to-donald-trump/

Missouri judge sides with GOP, blocks voters from challenging gerrymander. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R), who earlier this month refused to certify a citizen-led referendum seeking to repeal House Bill 1, the congressional map Republicans enacted last year.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/missouri-judge-sides-with-gop-blocks-voters-from-challenging-gerrymander/

Trump tries to use Census Bureau to revive 2020 election lies, advance attack on voting. Six years later, Trump still won’t accept that he lost the 2020 election. This week, he found a new prop to enable his denial: the U.S. Census Bureau.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-census-bureau-revive-2020-election-lies-advance-attack-voting/

Hypocrisy alert: Trump, mortal foe of mail voting, again votes by mail
https://newrepublic.com/post/214469/trump-mail-voting-cheating

Even after 23 straight losses, Trump DOJ keeps appealing its voter roll cases
https://www.alternet.org/colorado-voter-rolls/

White nationalist takeover plot for rural America exposed after secret Rome meeting
https://www.rawstory.com/white-nationalists-2677739312/

# Global News
Iran warns of ‘further defeat’ after Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’ announcement
https://thehill.com/policy/international/6040680-iran-minister-slams-trump-economic-dday/

# Law / Law Enforcement / Prisons / FBI / CIA / ATF / DEA
‘I didn’t do nothing. I’m a kid’: A Black 14-year-old knelt with his hands raised as Ohio police handcuffed him, but he wasn’t even a suspect. Ring camera video posted on Facebook shows the interaction between two armed Canton officers approaching the boy.
https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2026/08/18/canton-police-handcuff-wrong-juvenile-suspect/91350674007/

FBI raids Eric Swalwell’s home amid sexual assault claims inquiry – report: Federal agents also ‘seized electronic devices’ from former Democratic representative at San Francisco airport.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/20/fbi-raid-eric-swalwell-home

The concept of “suicide by cop” is often just a way to excuse excessive force by officers: ‘Suicide by Cop’: How a Poorly Defined Term Shifts Accountability for Lost Lives. Austin officers killed an unarmed 17-year-old at a park last month in what the chief swiftly deemed “suicide by police.” Some call the concept a type of “junk science.”
https://www.texasobserver.org/suicide-by-cop-austin-accountability-police-shooting/

Police killed a man on his knees. His dad wants answers: “It Was An Execution”: Nicolas Chavez Was On His Knees When Police Killed Him. His Father Wants Answers. The Houston shooting has sparked more questions about use of force and what many experts call the failed promise of police body cameras.
https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/19/nicolas-chavez-houston-police/

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
Grand jury declines to indict Ohio man charged with destroying Flock camera. The grand jury’s decision not to charge Cody Morelock comes amid a growing backlash against Flock and its cameras.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/smashing-surveillance-grid-grand-jury-153953623.html

Top Fauci adviser’s plea deal provides possible roadmap for further conspiracy prosecutions. The plea agreement from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s former senior adviser details a scheme to evade public records laws, suggesting potential legal jeopardy for the others involved.
https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/top-fauci-advisors-plea-deal-provides-possible-roadmap-further-conspiracy

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
After a Medicaid recipient dies, the state can place a claim on the family home to recover what it paid for their care. Federal law requires states to try to recoup what Medicaid spent on a person’s care after that person dies, and the family home is often the largest asset in the estate.
https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-is-medicaid-estate-recovery-and-how-does-it-work/

At least four major insurers are trimming plans, exiting counties, or dropping large blocks of members for next year, and they are pointing to the same culprit: medical costs that are rising faster than the government payments meant to cover them. For retirees, the result is a landscape where the plan they have today may not be on the shelf in 2027.
https://share.newsbreak.com/jcxhvw40

Costco is launching its own medicare health plans: Costco’s latest deal: Get Medicare with that $1.50 hot dog and soda. Costco plans to sell Medicare plans with SCAN Group
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2026/08/19/costco-medicare-plans-scan-group/91378331007/

# Medical / Biologicals / Research / CDC / Recalls / Nursing / Medications / Hospitals / Pharma
In 2024, Emily Waldorf’s daughter found her curled up on the bathroom floor, bleeding during a dangerous miscarriage at 17 weeks pregnant.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5u0-MAbBI1A

How “fetal personhood” puts pregnant women at risk: “Fetal personhood” is the legal concept that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus has the same rights as a born person. This puts pregnant women at risk by subordinating their health, bodily autonomy, and legal rights to the pregnancy, leading to criminal investigations for pregnancy loss, denied emergency medical care, and the prosecution of patients for routine or struggling health behaviors
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/aug/17/john-oliver-abortion-fetal-personhood

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
“Completely Shameful” — Sen. Mark Warner Accuses Trump of Insulting and Lying to USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors as Extended Deployment Crisis Deepens — “Our Servicemembers Have Been Pushed to the Brink by This Administration’s War of Choice”
https://share.newsbreak.com/jcylg23e

USS Lincoln finally heads home; Navy may replace Black war hero’s name with Trump on carrier. No US aircraft carrier has ever been named after a sitting president
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ship-name-black-hero-navy-trump-b3036767.html

Pete Hegseth Given Deadline to Explain Pentagon’s Alleged ‘Troubling’ Stars and Stripes Takeover Amid Fears of Military Interference, According to Court Docs
https://radaronline.com/p/pete-hegseth-deadline-explain-pentagon-troubling-stars-stripes-takeover-military-interference/

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Flock, a video surveillance company, is working to build privacy legislation in the United States based on the company’s policies.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_dc61ae01-71df-454e-8b1c-593a64fda109.html

Flock Is Testing A New AI Tool That Tracks And Identifies People Based On Their Driving Habits: Flock’s New AI Tool Does Much More Than Track License Plates. A Wired investigation found that cops can search for vehicles and their drivers using prompts describing location, time, and patterns of movement.
https://gizmodo.com/flocks-new-ai-tool-does-much-more-than-track-license-plates-2000800372

More data centers complying with Abbott’s directive as up to 1,800 projects halted. After Gov. Greg Abbott issued two data center directives and a temporary pause on data center development in Texas, dozens of companies have said they will comply. Abbott’s Democratic challenger wants data centers built solely with union jobs
https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_e8c8326e-8457-4041-b491-4c9e38b22590.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 20, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

“If writing is thinking, then any part of the struggle that is outsourced to technology amounts to relinquishing some freedom to perceive.” Dana Goldstein, The New York Times

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
“A nationwide system set up in a way that ensures most ICE detention facilities stay open, no matter how bad the conditions.” Congressman Veasey Visits Prairieland Detention Center, This visit comes following reports of concerning conditions of the facility and treatment of detainees
https://veasey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-veasey-visits-prairieland-detention-center

A chilling attack on the First Amendment. The Trump administration has turned anti-ICE protest cases into cases of “material support” for terrorism. The domestic use of the terrorism charge threatens to cast its net even wider.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HCw_vv4Ets

ICE Turns to Airport Employees for Help Arresting Passengers: ‘I Don’t Want to Be Doing This.’  Multiple airline employees say ICE officers are increasingly showing up unannounced, demanding help apprehending travelers without providing judicial warrants
https://people.com/ice-turns-to-airport-employees-for-help-arresting-passengers-i-don-t-want-to-be-doing-this-12063855

Maine Contractor Detained for Months by ICE Details Horrific Conditions: ‘It’s Meant To Be Cruel’
https://okmagazine.com/p/maine-contractor-detained-months-ice-says-meant-be-cruel/

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
The Pentagon has notified 30 higher education institutions that they must review their academic and research ties to foreign entities or risk losing federal funding. The order is intended to protect taxpayer-funded research from “unauthorized technology transfer, intellectual property theft and adversarial exploitation,” the Pentagon said in the announcement.
https://time.com/article/2026/08/19/higher-education-universities-china-research-defense-department-harvard-mit/

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
Texas SNAP beneficiaries face new problem as state gets hit with potential $826 million tab and it’s not fraud
https://kfdm.com/news/local/waste-watch-uncovers-826-million-snap-problem-for-texas-taxpayers-and-its-not-fraud

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
He hacked Epstein and then went into hiding:
https://abcnews.com/US/hacker-accessed-fbi-server-included-epstein-files-2023/story?id=130983875

# Gov / Politics / US
‘Our president is insane’: Horror after Trump threatens ‘maniacs’ with ‘economic D-Day.’ Trump’s Economic D-Day Threat Over Iran Branded A ‘Complete S**t Show.’ Critics pointed out that following through with these threats would likely involve cutting off trade with China.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trumps-economic-d-day-threat-against-iran-reaction_n_6a863b29e4b0ca44601b141a

Jake Lang’s Dearborn ‘crusaders march’ draws protests, Nazis. The right-wing firebrand’s ‘Christian Crusader’ march brought Lang’s supporters, Dearborn residents and a hate group to Dearborn’s library.
https://san.com/cc/jake-langs-dearborn-crusaders-march-draws-protests-nazis/

No Warrant, No Problem: Administrative Subpoena Powers and an Outdated Fourth Amendment Doctrine. Fourth Amendment doctrine continues to lag behind the realities of modern technology, leaving Americans’ private data vulnerable to agencies’ expansive administrative subpoena powers.
https://www.justsecurity.org/153773/administrative-subpoena-powers-outdated-fourth-amendment-doctrine/
Fourth Amendment: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/

# Global News
China has approved and begun rolling out an emergency aid package to Cuba, which includes 60,000 tonnes of rice, $80 million in financial support for electrical infrastructure, and photovoltaic solar equipment
https://www.tridge.com/news/china-approves-emergency-aid-to-cuba-of-us-8-jgptabcw

US ally on Putin’s doorstep braces for war as Russia tensions take ominous turn. Russia’s threat of “consequences” against Britain and a stark warning from a senior Polish defense official are intensifying concerns that Moscow could seek to test Nato directly as the war in Ukraine continues.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/us-ally-putin-doorstep-braces-160907291.html

Senators Criticize Trump Administration’s Demands to Access Health Data as a Condition for Lifesaving Aid
https://www.propublica.org/article/senators-letter-health-data-africa-humanitarian-aid

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
High court: Maine wrongly terminated a mother’s parental rights because she couldn’t find an affordable home. Child welfare authorities said the mother’s inability to move from New Mexico to Maine made her an unfit parent. The state’s highest court disagreed with that finding on Tuesday.
https://themainemonitor.org/maine-wrongly-terminated-parental-rights-affordable-home/

The Comey seashell case is a sham. The criminal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey—centered on a social media post of seashells spelling “86 47″—has been widely criticized by legal experts, former officials, and Comey’s defense team as a politically motivated and legally meritless prosecution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aO_HBvAFfA

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
ACLU to Federal Court: Pentagon Press Policy Threatens Core First Amendment Freedoms. The New York Times sued in December over new rules that require journalists to report on only pre-approved information
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-to-federal-court-pentagon-press-policy-threatens-core-first-amendment-freedoms

# Medical / Biologicals / Research / CDC / Recalls / Nursing / Medications / Hospitals / Pharma
A public health agency (MMMRC)  in Texas that reviews cases of women who died during pregnancy or childbirth won’t analyze data from 2022 and 2023. State law explicitly prohibits the committee from reviewing cases that involve an abortion procedure or medication, meaning certain abortion-related complications would be excluded from standard file reviews regardless
https://www.texasobserver.org/maternal-mortality-committee-roe-deaths-lawmakers-politics/
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee
https://healthdata.dshs.texas.gov/dashboard/maternal-and-child-health/maternal-health/maternal-mortality-morbidity-review-committee

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
‘Drama’ embroils Pentagon as angry Pete Hegseth throws his own Army under the bus.  Hegseth was furious when the Army withdrew new academic standards it had recently issued for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets, just days after announcing an implementation date.
https://www.rawstory.com/hegseth-angru-standards/

US Air Force flight to Antarctica turns back after space activity warning: A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III heading from Christchurch, New Zealand, to Antarctica turned back mid-flight on Tuesday after receiving a safety warning over a planned Russian missile launch and hazardous space activity
https://migflug.com/jetflights/usaf-c-17-antarctica-flight-turns-back-russian-missile-warning-2026/

Gov. Mikie Sherrill Says Hegseth’s “Grave Incompetence” And “Wholesale Attack On Black And Women Servicemembers” Are To Blame For Crisis Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln — Demands His Resignation
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4836608594892-gov-mikie-sherrill-says-hegseth-s-grave-incompetence-and-wholesale-attack-on-black-and-women-servicemembers-are-to-blame-for-crisis-aboard-uss-abraham-lincoln-demands-his-resignation

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Political foes unite in a common cause: de-Flocking America. In a polarized America, surveillance company Flock Safety has inadvertently turned political foes into frenemies. Communities across the country have pushed back against new data centers and flock cameras, even as President Donald Trump and business leaders tout the jobs and tax revenue they bring, the panel said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/americans-attack-flock-cameras-data-092109491.html

Homeland Security officials are misusing administrative subpoenas against online critics. “Congress must rein in the nation’s sweeping administrative subpoena authorities and limit the government’s access to certain categories of private information without a judicial warrant based on probable cause, subject to well-recognized exceptions such as exigent circumstances.
https://immpolicytracking.org/policies/dhs-uses-administrative-subpoenas-to-obtain-personal-data-from-critics/

# Sports
This Coach Is Banned From Working With Kids. Why Is He Still Coaching? Even though an oversight group found that Texas girls’ volleyball coach Ryan Richardson engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor, sports organizations have failed to stop him from coaching.
https://www.propublica.org/article/ryan-richardson-pharr-texas-usa-volleyball-safesport-abuse-teens

# Technology / Robotics / AI
Holy Sh*t, Please Watch Unitree’s New Robot Sprint Faster Than Usain Bolt, And Also, Enjoy Those Upcoming Nightmares. There’s no outrunning the machines now.
https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/unitrees-new-robot-can-sprint-faster-than-usain-bolt

# Veterans / VA
US Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard veterans face higher rates of rare nerve disease ALS than other vets, study finds. Veterans of the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard may be at higher risk for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared with veterans from other branches
https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2026-08-05/military-branches-higher-rates-als-22466125.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 19, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A society that forces a ninty year old to use a smartphone in order to access basic rights is not a modern society; it is a society that has decided to cast aside it’s own elders. By 2026, everything has become na app, a code, a portal. Yet the very people who built this country with their own hands now find theselves illiterate in their own homes. If booking a medical appointment or paying a bill requires the help of a son or granddaughter, assuming there is one, then the system has failed. This is not innovation. It is exclusion. Technology should serve the people, not determine who is still entitled to dignity. When we leave behind thos who came before us, we are not evolving. We are merely becoming more comfortable, and more selfish. Author Unknown ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
Utah’s Trumpian homeless ‘campus’ — lifeline or detention camp?
The divisive plan comes as the president cuts federal funding for housing and tells states to get rough sleepers into mental health and drug treatment centres
https://www.thetimes.com/us/news-today/article/utahs-trumpian-homeless-campus-lifeline-or-detention-camp-gsxphf8ps

WTF DID ICE DO TO HIM?! An immigrant walking to work is violently apprehended – then wakes up in the hospital with a BRAIN BLEED, his face horribly battered, and NO MEMORY of what happened!
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/dmv-immigration/man-claims-ice-arrest-led-injuries-brain-hemorrhage-arlington-virginia/65-88d488f8-0e4a-4c4d-b210-2600a72b3cd6

ICE Responds to Detainee’s Claim of Brain Bleed After Arrest. The Trump administration’s position reflects similar statements made by DHS when agents have been accused of overly aggressive or violent tactics.
https://www.newsweek.com/ice-responds-detainee-suffers-brain-bleed-during-arrest-12338722

GET HIM! Minnesota hits MAGA Governor Greg Abbott with a massive lawsuit after Texas refused to extradite an ICE officer accused of shooting a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis earlier this year.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6035849-minnesota-texas-lawsuit-ice-shooting-extradition/

Families are giving up on their green cards to free their children from detention. As children languish in detention, a federal judge sics an independent watchdog on ICE.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/18/parents-immigrant-camps-children-deportation-flores

ICE Worked With Iranian Regime to Set Up Deportation Flights as Trump Laid Plans for War. Internal emails indicate immigration agents complied with an Iranian request to hand over specific nationals — and accidentally sent the wrong person to Iran
https://theintercept.com/2026/08/18/iran-trump-deportation-flights-ice/

The bill for Trump’s mass deportation agenda has topped $268.9 billion. Under the Trump administration, Congress and federal agencies have already committed a total of $268.9 billion in federal funds for immigration enforcement.
https://ips-dc.org/trump-bill-for-mass-deportations-268-9-billion-and-counting/

72-Year-Old Woman Pepper-Sprayed by ICE Agent While Filming Officers Takes Legal Action
https://www.latintimes.com/72-year-old-woman-pepper-sprayed-ice-agent-while-filming-officers-takes-legal-action-598613

Department of Homeland Security Seeking Humanoid Robots to Patrol Southern Border. “If drones and watchtowers were able to solve for everything, why do we still have humans at the border?”
https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/department-homeland-security-dhs-humanoid-robots-mexico-border-foundation

The Orwellian Company Behind ICE’s New Electric Shock Gloves. “With a glove, there are no burn marks or scars.” That makes it hard for victims to sue. The gloves are “inherently abusive equipment that facilitates torture.” “It is inherently harmful. It has no legitimate law enforcement purpose.”
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/ice-shock-gloves-torture-compliant-technologies-jeff-niklaus/

Big Bend National Park construction paused after ‘heartbreaking’ bulldozer video. New videos, many of which are described as heartbreaking, have become the images at the center of the fight over border infrastructure inside Big Bend National Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pBldmNTMsQ

Homeland Security Agents Were Pulled From Major Criminal Investigations to Hunt for Noncitizen Voters: The study by ProPublica found that, starting in early 2025, Homeland Security Investigations reassigned more than 6,000 agents to immigration enforcement
https://www.latintimes.com/homeland-security-agents-were-pulled-major-criminal-investigations-hunt-noncitizen-voters-report-598617

# Drugs / Trafficking / DEA / Gangs / Cartels / ATF
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
No U.S. estimate of consumer cost as Canada tariffs take effect. U.S. importers who pay them still have no federal estimate of what the levies will cost American consumers.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_b26928ca-3522-4aaf-9808-4013787d01cf.html

U.S. debt crisis will directly harm families, students, retirees. As the national debt quickly approaches $40 trillion, economists warn that skyrocketing deficits will distinctly impact Americans of all generations, including students, families and retirees.
https://www.aol.com/articles/report-u-debt-crisis-directly-210900000.html

# Employment / Labor / Unions
Immigrant Workers Are Leaving America’s Job Market, but U.S.-Born Workers Aren’t Filling the Gap. A new concern inside that broader picture is that immigrant workers are leaving or not arriving in the same numbers, while many U.S.-born workers are not stepping into the same roles. Economists and labor data now show that the gap is becoming more visible across industries that have long depended on foreign-born labor.
https://www.newsbreak.com/her-life-adventures-383428129/4833659825867-immigrant-workers-are-leaving-america-s-job-market-but-u-s-born-workers-aren-t-filling-the-gap

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
Trump moves to open 44 million forest acres to roads, logging, citing wildfire risk. The Forest Service has proposed eliminating the 2001 “Roadless Rule,” which limits road construction and logging in remote forests.
https://alaskabeacon.com/2025/08/27/trump-administration-advances-plan-to-reverse-federal-rule-that-limits-logging-in-national-forests/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Rachel Maddow looks at how a Trump-aligned Texas oil company appears to be trying to worm its way into drilling in Greenland, provoking a threatening response not only from Greenland residents and officials, but potentially from NATO ally Denmark. This firm attempted to piggyback on older pre-ban exploration licenses acquired via a British partner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGpC91qs8yA

Largest US grid floats paying data centers to shut off during power scarcity. Facing skyrocketing demand, the nation’s largest grid operator plans to require new data centers to provide their own power or have their service cut when the grid is strained.
https://www.bisnow.com/news/national/data-center/largest-us-grid-threatens-cut-power-data-centers-dont-generate-their-own

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
Waste Watch uncovers $826 million SNAP problem for Texas taxpayers, and it’s not fraud. “Food banks across Texas are already operating at or near capacity.”
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/texas-snap-funding-crisis-federal-rules/

USDA hasn’t looked at staff attrition ahead of relocations, but downplays its impact. Internal data shows the department is preparing for significant churn as it presses forward with office moves, raising questions about whether new staff can fill the gap left by seasoned experts.
https://www.govexec.com/management/2026/08/usda-staff-attrition-relocations-downplays-impact/415475/?oref=ge-home-top-story

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
‘Damning Evidence’ From Virginia Giuffre’s 2015 Lawsuit Against Ghislaine Maxwell to Be Released: Miami Herald set a landmark legal and journalistic precedent in its fight to unseal the civil lawsuit. What it means
https://jkbjournalist.substack.com/p/virginia-giuffres-case-files-finally

# Gov / Politics / US
Convicted election denier Tina Peters gets alarming new elections job in deep red California county
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/election-denier-tina-peters-gets-alarming-new-elections-job-in-deep-red-california-county/

Terrified Trump officials flee in ‘dramatic exodus’ as pressure builds to bend law: report
https://www.rawstory.com/bessent-exodus/

Trump says no talks planned with Iran amid anger over Iran-Oman Hormuz deal. US president hits out as states bordering the Strait of Hormuz continue talks on managing the strategic waterway.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/18/no-talks-with-iran-says-trump-as-us-president-stews-over-hormuz-deal

Behind the Blueprints: A Look at Trump’s 250-Foot Triumphal Arch: The Trump administration is now awaiting a final decision on whether the president’s proposal to build a 250-foot triumphal arch in the nation’s capital will advance, after a federal agency granted preliminary approval in July. The monument is planned for Memorial Circle on Columbia Island—an open green space and traffic roundabout situated right across from the Arlington Memorial Bridge and adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRyWZzwwT4s

Kelly Beat Hegseth in Court After Trump Said He “Should Be Hanged” — Now Warns Georgia Voters While Campaigning for Ossoff: “He’s Up to Something”
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4836572958791-kelly-beat-hegseth-in-court-after-trump-said-he-should-be-hanged-now-warns-georgia-voters-while-campaigning-for-ossoff-he-s-up-to-something

Trump ‘Has Failed Us’: US Airman Says He Accepts Cost of Speaking Out Against Iran War. “Not only is he a failure as president, he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption, and is killing Americans, and that is unacceptable to me,” said Maj. Jason Watson.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/us-airman-iran

‘Deranged Behavior’: Marco Rubio Slammed for US Sanctions on ICC President. “When you are shameless, contemptuous of international law, and morally bankrupt, you boast of disgrace as though it were an achievement,” said one critic.
https://apnews.com/article/international-criminal-court-sanctions-trump-israel-e8da938966f5f8dad763ecf68ea025c9

Rotten Trump’s sick lie smeared a child’s once-in-a-lifetime moment
https://www.rawstory.com/amp/santa-cruz-trump-lifeguard-2677721190

# Global News
Conor Kennedy, the 32-year-old son of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was placed on Russia’s international wanted list after a Moscow court authorized his arrest in absentia on August 12, 2026. Russian authorities charged him with “mercenarism” for volunteering with Ukraine’s International Legion during a brief tour on the northeastern frontline in 2022
https://people.com/conor-kennedy-put-on-russia-most-wanted-list-12061786

Bombshell WSJ report reveals Iran’s ‘secret plan’ to expand war with Trump: ‘Main war has not yet begun’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/bombshell-wsj-report-reveals-iran-153359858.html

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
Rubio announces sanctions against International Criminal Court president, top ICC lawyer. Marco Rubio targets ICC’s Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, who was investigating Israeli war crimes in Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/us-icc-sanctions

Federal Judge Rules Trump Admin’s FBI Directive Illegal: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s plan to move the new FBI headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and redirect congressionally approved funds. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang ruled the directive illegal, clearing the way for the facility to be built in Greenbelt, Maryland
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-blocks-the-trump-administration-from-moving-fbi-headquarters-out-of-maryland-to-dc-office-building

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
Providence Health Plan is shutting down, and more than 64,000 Medicare Advantage members must find new coverage. ‘An untenable situation’: Providence to wind down insurance business
https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/an-untenable-situation-providence-health-plan-to-wind-down-operations/

The three biggest Medicare Advantage insurers — UnitedHealth, Humana, and CVS/Aetna — are all shedding plans for 2027
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpTv-u6Polc

# Medical / Biologicals / Research / CDC / Recalls / Nursing / Medications / Hospitals / Pharma
A third woman died under Texas’ abortion ban. Doctors avoiding D&Cs, reaching for riskier miscarriage treatments. Hope Ngumezi took his wife to a Texas hospital for a miscarriage. She left in a body bag.
https://www.propublica.org/article/porsha-ngumezi-miscarriage-death-texas-abortion-ban

Americans stop paying the world’s pharmacy tab as prices fall hardest since 1963. Prescription prices are down 3.9% since Trump took office and have declined every month of 2026. Nonprescription drugs fell 2.4% and medical-care commodities 2.7% over the past year.
https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/drugs?utm_source=news.google.com&utm_medium=news-app&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators

Fauci adviser David Morens pleads guilty to avoiding records requests, conspiracy to defraud government
The plea comes amid a wave of Republican scrutiny involving the federal response to Covid-19
https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/18/david-morens-guilty-plea-niaid-fauci-adviser/

# Medical Alternatives / Medical Marijuana / Hemp / CBD
# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
The $1 Trillion Black Box: The U.S. military budget is vast and opaque. Projects touted as engineering marvels end up facing years of delays and ballooning costs. ProPublica has launched a series to report on the Pentagon’s spending.
https://www.propublica.org/article/military-defense-spending-budget-series

Trump cuts South Korea drills short, catching Seoul officials off guard. U.S.-South Korea military drills will end six days early after Trump ordered the allies to reduce Ulchi Freedom Shield.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/19/us-south-korea-army-drills-cut-trump-push-kim-jong-un-talks

‘Flashing Red Warning Sign’ for Lawmakers: Poll Shows Voters Reject US-Israel Military Integration. “It is the height of absurdity that Congress is even considering a proposal to become more entangled with the Israeli military and use our tax dollars to subsidize their weapons companies.” 61% of Voters Oppose Bill Giving Israeli Military Companies Special Access to U.S. Military Systems, Tech & Supply Chain
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/new-poll-voters-oppose-integrating-israeli-military-into-pentagon

# NOAA
NOAA Prioritizes Commercial Fishing Profits as It Guts Marine Protections. The agency directed the nation’s regional fisheries councils to scrap certain marine protected areas, remove species from conservation lists and expand commercial fishing operations
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18082026/noaa-scraps-marine-protections/
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
Texas county rescinds its data center moratorium after $100 million lawsuit from developer
Hill County, which appears to be the first Texas county to pass a moratorium, replaced it Thursday with a checklist of requirements for developers
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/05/texas-hill-county-moratorium-rescinded-data-centers/

# Technology / Robotics / AI
This robotic dog vacuum can clean up massive amounts of waste:  VERO (Vacuum-Cleaner-Equipped Robot), a quadruped robot dog. The Italian Institute of Technology is presenting VERO as an autonomous cleaning robot. The machine operates on Unitree Robotics’ AlienGo quadruped platform and carries four vacuum hoses — one on each leg — fitted with custom 3D-printed nozzles.
https://www.thecooldown.com/green-tech/robotic-beach-cleaner-italy-cigarette-butts/

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Voices, The Peoples News

August 18, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “Necessity is the mistress and guide of nature.” Leonardo da Vinci ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
Construction on a border security measures in Texas national park halted, Rodney Scott says. Work on an access road, detection technology and vehicle barriers will temporarily stop, according to the head of Customs and Border Protection. It remains unclear how future border security measures or roads will be adapted following the review to address concerns over cultural and environmental damage.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/big-bend-national-park-border-wall-construction-paused

Parents are Giving Up Green Card Fights to Get Their Kids Out of Immigrant Jail. As children languish in detention, a federal judge threatens to sic an independent watchdog on ICE.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/08/18/parents-immigrant-camps-children-deportation-flores

Brent Jindra voted for Trump three times in support of his harsh immigration policies. Last month, federal agents seized Jindra’s wife at an airport and sent her to a detention facility. “We are living in fear in my own country,” he now says. “There was never a mandate for this president to turn the barrel of the gun and start going after people who legally entered.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-voter-says-wife-detained-141130501.html

An Arizona warehouse manager allegedly blocked workers from leaving after an ICE tip, and workers say they were held ‘hostages’
https://thenerdstash.com/heartless-arizona-manager-attempts-to-stop-immigrant-employees-from-leaving-as-ice-agents-were-coming-looks-like-kidnapping-to-me/

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
Teacher union leaders earn half a million; critics say it’s at taxpayers’ expense. Students are not the priority for teacher unions, according to Lance Izumi of the Pasadena, Calif.-based Pacific Research Institute. Top teachers union leaders make more than $500,000 a year in pay and benefits
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_e455b2a7-038a-4dfd-9104-a52e9802b37a.html

ACLU asks SCOTUS to hear Texas case requiring display of Ten Commandments in school classrooms
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/6033860-aclu-texas-ten-commandments-supreme-court/

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
Texas homeowners face an uncertain future as plans for a massive new highway take shape. The new I-14 highway in Texas has raised alarms among local homeowners over the risk of it cutting through their communities and residential lands.
https://latination.com/texas-i14-highway-homeowners-concern/

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Endurance Energy will tap an undersea volcano off the coast of Oregon next month with a 100-kilowatt generator, enough to power a small neighborhood. It’s the fifth ocean-floor deployment for the startup, which has raised $63 million and is led by a former SpaceX engineer. GeekWire got a look inside its new facility near Seattle’s Lake Union.
https://www.geekwire.com/2026/go-inside-endurance-energy-the-seattle-startup-tapping-underwater-volcanoes-for-geothermal-power/

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
Adults 55 to 64 must now work 80 hours a month or lose SNAP after three months under Trump’s new law. The federal food-aid program that helps millions of older Americans keep groceries on the table just tightened its rules for a group that had long been left alone.
https://www.fna.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
More frustration from a federal judge over the Justice Department’s mishandling of the Epstein files. “You want me to issue another order and say, ‘I really mean it this time’?” said U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who has been a federal judge for 41 years
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/judge-shows-signs-frustration-doj-003453587.html

# Gov / Politics / US
No price tag on Trump’s plan to claim the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump says he’ll declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, but no federal agency has said what controlling the key oil chokepoint would cost taxpayers.
https://www.cbs19news.com/no-price-tag-on-trumps-plan-to-claim-the-strait-of-hormuz/article_cb039e5d-e58c-5aa6-83ec-319158ec6b4d.html

Trump instructs Secretary of War Hegseth to scale back joint exercises with South Korea. He also noted that South Korea declined to aid the U.S. in denuclearizing Iran and that he has a “very good relationship” with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6032392-trump-scales-back-us-south-korea-drills/

Massachusetts Mayor Arrested on Federal Charges. Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña was arrested by the FBI on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering. He is accused of fraudulently obtaining over $1.5 million in pandemic-era small business loans and misusing the funds
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/massachusetts-mayor-charged-pandemic-loan-fraud-and-money-laundering

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Andrew Baker ‌will exit the Trump administration in the coming weeks. Baker, who also served as national security advisor to Vice President Vance, was among the staffers most central to the administration’s foreign policy and national security decision-making over the last 18 months.
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/14/andy-baker-national-security-needham-sims

‘No, I’m Not Going to Pledge That’: Blanche Refuses to Vow Independence From Trump. “The only reason Blanche is AG is because he will cross any ethical/legal line to defend Trump,” said one Democratic senator. US attorney general says no one in his role ‘should ever’ make this vow amid concern over Trump steering DoJ
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/16/todd-blanche-doj-independence-trump-white-house

‘Zero Aid to Israel,’ Ro Khanna Declares at Democratic National Committee Meeting. “Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza, and we should have the courage to say so,” said the California Democrat.
https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/26/08/61063269/ro-khanna-calls-for-no-aid-to-israel-says-next-democratic-administration-must-be-anti-empire

‘Menace to the World’: With Iran Talks Stalled, Trump Vows to Declare Strait of Hormuz a US Territory
https://www.commondreams.org/news/donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz

Corrupt Trump Makes $1.1 Million an Hour by Grifting the US People. Democratic leaders should make it very clear that the president is unfairly profiting from his position and hold shadow hearings detailing how he has done it.
https://qoshe.com/common-dreams-us/ralph-nader/corrupt-trump-makes-1-1-million-an-hour-by-grifting-the-us-people/189011770

Trump’s Obsessions Have Gone Off the Rails: “There used to be a vulgar logic to putting his name on everything. Now there is no logic, except that he must have it because he must have it.”
https://michaelwolffnyc.substack.com/p/trumps-obsessions-have-gone-off-the

Intel Politics: NSA sat on election threat reporting over Trump ‘deep state’ label, memo shows. The memo from 2020, declassified on Tuesday, reveals the intelligence analyst’s concerns about appearing as part of the “deep state.”The memo from 2020, declassified on Tuesday, reveals the intelligence analyst’s concerns about appearing as part of the “deep state.”
https://justthenews.com/government/security/nsa-analyst-agency-sat-2016-election-interference-intel-avoid-trump-era

Kushner meets with Netanyahu following rare talks with Hamas in effort for Gaza peace deal: Kushner’s talks with Israel, Hamas end without breakthrough on Trump Gaza plan
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kushner-hold-talks-with-netanyahu-after-rare-meeting-with-hamas-2026-08-17/

‘Lost His Mind?’ Trump Sparks Fury With Threat to ‘Bomb the Sh*t’ Out of Ally
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/lost-mind-trump-sparks-fury-203026918.html

Trump says the BBC is trying to harass his family after broadcaster tries to subpoena his children. Donald Trump has accused the BBC of trying to harass his family after the broadcaster sought to subpoena members of his family to challenge his $10 billion defamation lawsuit
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bbc-case-family-ivanka-kushner-b3034169.html

Insiders suspect Trump will ‘scapegoat’ another country as he blows past war deadline. President Donald has Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz and called for Iran to surrender.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/1042235/trump-threatens-to-bomb-oman-if-it-gets-in-way-of-iran-deal-report

Panicked Trump ‘flooding’ red state with Cabinet members to prop up ‘shaky’ candidates
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-iowa-2677719596/

GOP stunned after ‘unheard of’ defection rocks high-profile race: Smith didn’t hold back explaining his switch, saying, “Ken Paxton is the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/gop-stunned-after-unheard-of-defection-rocks-high-profile-race/ar-AA2akuJB?item=flightsprg-tipsubsc-v1a?loadi

3 states, 6 open seats and a scandal-plagued incumbent
https://punchbowl.news/article/campaigns/primary-watch-florida-wyoming-alaska/

The Trump administration plans to deploy approximately 1,000 Department of Justice election monitors across the country in November, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said Monday.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-doj-readies-1000-election-monitors-for-midterm-elections/

# Global News
U.S.-South Korea spat follows tensions over Seoul’s drift towards China, trade deal speedbumps
https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/us-south-korea-spat-follows-tension-over-seouls-drift-towards-china-trade-deal

‘Not the way it works’: Korea’s miscalculation on trade may cost them on security
The president’s decision to scale back military exercises with South Korea reflects a broader frustration with the country over investment pledges, military spending and its response to the Iran war.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/17/the-slowest-negotiators-ever-how-slow-south-korean-investment-pledges-are-hurting-its-u-s-security-relationship-01039558

Iran threatens to go ‘fully offensive’ as negotiations with U.S. reach deadlock: Iran memorandum of understanding 60-day deadline expires without a peace deal. Trump threatens to bomb Oman as Strait of Hormuz deal looms
https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/us-iran-war-memorandum-of-understanding/

EU to Migrants: ‘Go Back to Where You’ve Never Been’: Brussels lays the groundwork for U.S.-style third-country deportations.
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-eu-to-migrants-go-back-to-where-youve-never-been/

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
A dubious investigative tactic results in an internal probe. The Justice Department announced its inspector general’s office is reviewing the Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to allow large quantities of fentanyl to hit U.S. streets in an effort to catch major drug dealers.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/justice-department-watchdog-to-review-dea-tactic-that-permitted-deadly-fentanyl-to-hit-streets

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
Pentagon ordered 30 U.S. academic institutions to audit their research and financial ties to certain foreign entities or risk losing eligibility for future federal research funding
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/08/17/pentagon-scrutinizes-foreign-research-ties-at-30-us-academic-institutions/

The Quantum Con: How Chicago’s Southside Became a Sacrificial Altar to the War Machine: When examining the backers of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), it is difficult to rationalize this $9 billion project as anything but an accelerative altar to militarism. Alongside federal backing from DARPA, investors such as BlackRock, IBM, and Israeli startup Quantum Machines have all cited quantum technology as the next frontier in modern warfare.
https://mronline.org/2026/08/15/the-quantum-con-how-chicagos-southside-became-a-sacrificial-altar-to-the-war-machine/

The Delusion of Strategic Stability in a Nuclear World. The risks, immorality, and illegality of reliance on nuclear arms.
https://globalsecurityreview.com/the-impossibility-of-strategic-stability-in-a-multipolar-era-from-brittle-walls-to-dynamic-resilience/

US navy destroyer adrift in South China Sea for four days after losing power. USS Benfold lost power after ‘engineering casualty’ leaving sailors without galley services, toilets and air conditioning
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/08/18/us-navy-destroyer-adrift-for-four-days-after-losing-power/

# Military / Global
Map Shows Russia’s New Secret Bases That Could Strike NATO. Russia has built at least 10 secret sites capable of firing long-range drones into NATO territory, according to a new report, following alliance officials’ warning that Moscow could launch a limited attack on alliance soil as early as this fall.
https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-russia-new-secret-bases-that-could-strike-nato-12330221

Iran says it will escalate if US does not honour deal within weeks. Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond, and launch an attack if the U.S. fails to implement an interim peace deal fully in a matter of weeks, a senior Iranian official said
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9332161/iran-says-it-will-escalate-if-us-does-not-honour-deal/

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
And you thought data centers were bad? Data centers have a politics problem — and industry knows it. As opposition to the AI projects gains momentum, industry supporters say they have ceded the narrative to their critics.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/01/data-centers-have-a-politics-problem-and-industry-knows-it-01020412

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
A Bigger Social Security Raise Than the COLA? Congress Is Considering One Right Now. Two separate bills have been introduced in Congress with similar goals of increasing Social Security benefits. However, these bills have quite different approaches.
https://larson.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/bigger-social-security-raise-cola-congress-considering-one-right-now

# UFO / UAP Disclosure
Why the Pentagon’s UFO file releases are important. “I know that there’s disappointment relative to perhaps the nature of what’s being released. But you have to understand the bureaucratic process. It’s what can be done immediately.”
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/search-for-life/this-is-unprecedented-why-the-pentagons-recent-ufo-file-releases-are-so-important

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
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At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 17, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “In my country, we say a man’s strength is measured by who he chooses to protect, even if it has claws.” Ivan Stepanov, Russian Tourist ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Consumer Protection / Product Safety / Recalls
Federal rule would harm consumers, conflict with Trump agenda, critics say. A forthcoming federal rule on open banking may allow banks to charge new fees for access to consumer data, a move critics say would harm consumers and runs counter to other parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_8333deb5-3a61-4386-927a-73aca4409c8a.html

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
With debt near $40T, GOP bills would tie debt hikes to spending cuts. As the U.S. nears a mid-2027 debt-limit deadline with debt approaching $40 trillion, two Republican bills would bar Congress from raising the ceiling without matching any increased spending with spending cuts elsewhere.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_bd1043c2-3671-448f-ab15-8b82c1797a35.html

16 Nobel Prize-winning economists warn Trump would ‘reignite’ inflation. In a letter the economists said the Republican candidate would stoke instability and revive high inflation with his “fiscally irresponsible budgets.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/6/26/16-nobel-prize-winning-economists-warn-trump-would-reignite-inflation

# Employment / Labor / Unions
Labor looks to AI to tackle accommodation requests from disabled employees. Employees say they’ve waited months or longer for decisions, as the Labor Department considers using AI to sort requests and flag missing documentation.
https://www.hrdive.com/news/how-will-ai-affect-workplace-accommodations/826896/

# Environment / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM / Public Lands / Water / FEMA / USAID
Lake Powell gets to its lowest level days after Mead sees record low. Lake Powell is now at the lowest level it has ever been — 3,519.91 feet above sea level — breaking a record that was set in 2023. The reservoir is now about 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from the point at which turbines would stop producing hydroelectric power.
https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-lake-powell-mead-record-low-6a5e0706635222ba4dd364d705a39f8e

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
A 22-year-old German model named Michele vanished without a trace in September 2015 after being in contact with French model scout and Epstein associate Daniel Siad. Newly released Department of Justice files revealed Siad had sent Epstein photos of Michele with the message, “You will love her.”
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16848983/epstein-model-michele-daniel-siad-germany/

# Gov / Politics / US
Donald Trump’s White House Rocked By Another Key Exit As Iran Tensions Rise. Baker’s departure comes only days after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that she would step down at the end of August, leaving Trump with two consequential vacancies inside his administration.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/donald-trump-white-house-rocked-171000636.html

Florida primaries could shape control of Congress. Is Florida ready for a democratic socialist?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/14/oliver-larkin-democratic-socialist-florida-congress

Trump’s ‘really concerning’ dementia symptoms revealed in late-night posts: Donald Trump’s eyes display concerning health symptom as expert sounds alarm. A medical expert has raised concerns about Donald Trump’s health after claiming his eye whites ‘disappeared’ — alleging the signs point to advanced dementia symptoms and ‘sundowning.’ Dr. James added, “This is not about him being fatigued. Although that is in play. This is about somebody’s brain dissolving inside of their skull.
https://www.irishstar.com/news/politics/donald-trumps-eyes-display-concerning-37544721\

Vulgar Trump threatens to unleash bombs on new country if it gets in his way: The nation of Oman. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, in response to a question about talks between Iran and Oman.
https://www.capitalbrief.com/briefing/trump-threatens-to-bomb-oman-in-fox-news-interview-42147ebc-0d01-43aa-9de8-fc9b35ece8be/

‘Stark. Raving. Mad.’: Critics Rip Trump After His Weirdest AI Slop Post Yet. “Thank you, George, for some of your brilliant ideas on this great Military Complex/Ballroom! President DJT,” Trump wrote in the caption on Sunday. He posted the AI video as well as AI still pics of himself and the nation’s first president in the ballroom multiple times over the weekend.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-washington-ai-ballroom_n_6a82b5cae4b05886dff5616e

“This War Isn’t Making Our Country Safer” — Van Hollen Says Trump and Hegseth Have Shown “Complete Disregard” for Troops, Calls for Immediate End to Conflict
https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4832749597458-this-war-isn-t-making-our-country-safer-van-hollen-says-trump-and-hegseth-have-shown-complete-disregard-for-troops-calls-for-immediate-end-to-conflict

“Seriously, what is going on with Trump’s rear end here? It looks like he has some sort of contraption back there,” wrote progressive influencer Aaron Rupar — who shared a video that was taken by outgoing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Could it be a medical devise?
https://share.newsbreak.com/jbkngrhe

# Global News
Iran announced that it will offer a bounty of $30,000 to any individual who “kills or captures a U.S. soldier and hands them over to authorities,” according to Iranian state media. Iranian Army Commander-in-Chief Major General Amir Hatami said the regime would pay double if a woman killed or captured a US soldier.
https://www.ntd.com/iran-offers-30000-bounty-to-kill-us-soldiers_1166693.html

Eight countries’ foreign ministers criticize Israel’s rejection of US Gaza plan. The foreign ministers said Israel’s positions “fundamentally undermine collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.” The Nations Involved: Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Jordan, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates
https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5307748-eight-muslim-countries-condemn-israel%E2%80%99s-rejection-trump%E2%80%99s-gaza-plan

# Law / Law Enforcement / Prisons / FBI / CIA / ATF / DEA
FBI had evidence Swalwell got illegal donations from suspected Chinese spy, bombshell memos show. This formal law enforcement inquiry allowed the FBI to use advanced surveillance methods to track how Fang alleged to have routed illegal campaign contributions through conduits in exchange for congressional internships
https://www.axios.com/2020/12/08/china-spy-california-politicians

# Media / Press / Mail / Radio / TV
Scott Jennings put on legal notice as lynching smear unravels — and Fox News could be next. MAGA pundit Scott Jennings is facing a looming defamation suit from left-wing influencer Hasan Piker after airing a deceptively edited compilation of his Twitch streams on his nationally syndicated radio show.
https://www.rawstory.com/scott-jennings-defamation/

# Medicare / Medicaid / Disability Benefits / Health and Human Services [HHS]
‘So Out of Touch’: Hakeem Jeffries Slammed for Opposition to Medicare for All
https://www.newsweek.com/hakeem-jeffries-rejects-medicare-for-all-dsa-agenda-12328842

Medicare’s Extra Help program can wipe out drug-plan premiums and deductibles for those under the income limit, and more people now qualify
https://share.newsbreak.com/jbknai1q

UnitedHealthcare may drop Medicare Advantage plans in 34 counties across 12 states next year, forcing seniors to find new coverage
https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/health-insurers-dropping-medicare-advantage-100000446.html

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
Social Media Calls Pete Hegseth A ‘Liar’ And ‘Disgraceful’ For Saying Reports Of Supply. Shortages, Contaminated Water And Deteriorating Mental Health Aboard US Military Ship Are ‘Completely Misrepresented’: ‘No Respect For Our Military’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/social-media-slams-pete-hegseth-083037491.html

USS Lincoln is coming home. Officials disagree over conditions on board. CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln amid reports of supply shortages, water and plumbing problems and mental health concerns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZFmxh61otQ

# Military / Global
Russia and Ukraine exchange aerial attacks with Ukraine launching hundreds of drones into Russia
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-launches-one-of-its-largest-aerial-attacks-yet-on-russia-killing-at-least-6/

# Other Interestimg Stuff
Fisherman Spots Giant Footprints Along a Central Texas Riverbank — And a Paleontologist Says They Could Be Dinosaur Tracks. The unusual find was hiding along a Central Texas riverbank.
https://www.chron.com/wildlife/article/central-texas-dinosaur-tracks-22388714.php

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
Social Security can now withhold up to half of a monthly check to recover an overpayment, but a form filed within 30 days freezes it
https://share.newsbreak.com/jbko2wp8

# Tips, Tricks and How To’s
# Transportation / Trucking / Travel / Tourism / TSA / FAA
Retired FAA whistleblowers warn another 9/11 could happen again. Warning comes after years of investigating aviation security
https://www.aol.com/articles/retired-faa-whistleblowers-warn-another-114200000.html

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com

Voices, The Peoples News

August 16, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ “The value of a sentiment is the amount of sacrifice you are prepared to make for it.” John Galsworthy, “Windows” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net

# Indigenous
Judge rejects attempt to halt Trump from building border wall along tribe’s reservation. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., denied the Tohono O’odham Nation’s request for a court-ordered halt to border wall construction on its 2.8-million-acre reservation. Leon ruled the tribe hasn’t established that a border wall will change its reservation boundaries without congressional authority. The judge also rejected the tribe’s claim that the planned border wall would illegally trespass on its reservation.
https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-trump-tohono-oodham-nation-277da20a8808e120110506133c784c70

# Border / Immigration / ICE / Immigrants
This horror ends one way — with orange jumpsuits for Trump’s abhorrent posse: (“Terrible things are happening outside, poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.” Anne Frank diary entry January 13, 1943) Authoritarianism doesn’t just begin when a government embraces brutality. It steps in when brutality becomes politically useful, legally routinized, and morally acceptable because a government has first declared its victims undeserving of our empathy.
https://www.rawstory.com/raw-investigates/trump-deportation-2677709275/

Texas law firm withdraws from $150M contract to represent migrant children
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/13/texas-burke-law-group-declines-immigrant-children-contract/

‘Without sleep and in chains’: Federal judge sanctions ICE for ‘willful’ and ‘deliberate’ violations of court order
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ice-2677704497/

Arkansas Flock camera got one letter wrong. Police then pulled an innocent couple from their SUV at gunpoint with a baby inside. The Flock camera read the vehicle’s plate as “APX55Y” instead of the actual plate, “APX55X,” because a border on the license plate frame obscured part of the last character.
https://wegotthiscovered.com/news/arkansas-flock-camera-got-one-letter-wrong-police-then-pulled-an-innocent-couple-from-their-suv-at-gunpoint-with-a-baby-inside/

‘Y’all can’t do that!’ a bystander yelled after an ICE vehicle allegedly struck a man, and agents forced him into their SUV as he screamed.
https://attackofthefanboy.com/social-media/yall-cant-do-that-a-bystander-yelled-after-an-ice-vehicle-allegedly-struck-a-man-and-agents-forced-him-into-their-suv-as-he-screamed/

ICE Is Using Airline Passenger Data to Make Airport Arrests, but an Expired I-94 May Not Tell the Whole Story. An expired I-94 arrival/departure record or lapsed visa stamp does not automatically mean a person is unlawfully present or subject to detention
https://www.latintimes.com/ice-using-airline-passenger-data-make-airport-arrests-expired-i-94-may-not-tell-whole-story-598571

Texas Confirms Some Flagged As Potential Noncitizens on Voter Rolls Had Provided DPS Proof of Citizenship. Although it’s not clear how many U.S. citizens were wrongly flagged, the state told county election officials to immediately reinstate some that had been removed from the voter roll.
https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/07/30/save-potential-noncitizens-gave-proof-of-citizenship-to-dps/

People detained at Mississippi ICE facility say they were sickened by gas leak and denied medical care. Facility also had no air conditioning for two days amid extreme heat, according to one of the people detained
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/14/mississippi-ice-facility-gas-leak

[Video] What happened when ICE agents realized they’d mistakenly detained a US citizen
https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/happened-ice-agents-realized-d-022438716.html

# Economy / Finance / Trade / Tariffs \ Banking / Taxes / IRS / Cryptocurrencies / Imports
U.S. national debt nearly $40 trillion as deficits continue to grow – and it’s likely to hit $50 trillion soon
https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20260814117/the-us-national-debt-is-about-to-reach-40-trillion-milestone-and-its-likely-to-hit-50-trillion-soon

Kentucky auditor warns Beshear: State risks losing funding if fraud continues
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kentucky-auditor-warns-beshear-state-184300193.html

(Good Grief!) Trump administration proposed a 25% tariff on imported brass-wind musical instruments, parts, and accessories under Section 232 national security arguments. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security claims that utilizing imported copper-and-zinc alloys for instruments could reduce demand for domestic materials during a national emergency
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tariffs-target-tubas-and-other-brass-instruments_n_6a7dfa05e4b0c90844000d19

U.S. budget deficits just surged to $432.3 billion in July while Trump weighs new tax cuts
https://www.aol.com/articles/u-budget-deficits-just-surged-134504000.html

# Education / Schools / Libraries and Museums
‘Perfectly in line with Constitution:’ Right defends Bible in Texas public schools after lawsuit. The state of Texas is being sued for the second time this year over Senate Bill 10 requiring Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/perfectly-line-constitution-right-defends-bible-texas-public-schools

# Employment / Labor / Unions
Trump Faces New Workforce Questions as Women Account for 100% of U.S. Labor Force Decline
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/trump-faces-workforce-questions-women-141855577.html

# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil / Power Plants
Blue states with climate or net-zero policies have higher energy rates, report finds
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/report-energy-prices-higher-blue-182900158.html

# Food / Farming / FDA / Agriculture / Ranching / SNAP [Food Stamps] / USDA
USDA recalled nearly 30,000 pounds of Argentine beef that bypassed mandatory U.S. safety inspections before distribution in Florida and Texas during summer 2026.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-products/a73405922/beef-recall-texas-florida/

# General News / Epstein / Maxwell
Judge shows signs of frustration with DOJ attorneys over handling of Epstein files: ‘The public has a right to know what the hell is going on.’ The judge said he had “absolutely no desire” to go down the road of holding government attorneys in contempt, but he gave a history lesson on when he has done so
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-shows-signs-frustration-doj-attorneys-handling-epstein-files-rcna592418

‘Devastating’ Trump Epstein party footage resurfaces amid DOJ redaction fight: It shows Trump and Epstein interacting and pointing out women on the dance floor. Part of a larger trove, the material stems from roughly 36 hours of unused footage from that era.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-epstein-2677711971/

Footage of a friendly exchange between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at a party has surfaced after the president tried to distance himself from the wealthy financier who was arrested earlier this month over the alleged sex trafficking of minors.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/17/trump-jeffrey-epstein-party-footage-surfaces

The time Hugh Hefner told the FBI about Jeffrey Epstein. In a 2024 lawsuit, Epstein survivors contend the FBI ignored countless complaints about Epstein’s sexual abuse. The Trump administration is trying to kill the lawsuit.
https://jkbjournalist.substack.com/p/the-time-hugh-hefner-told-the-fbi

# Gov / Politics / US
Trump Renews Push to Pass Bill That Would Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent: “People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly,” Trump said. He went on to argue that the practice “is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates,”
https://time.com/article/2026/08/13/trump-permanent-daylight-saving-time-bill-senate/

‘Joining every other court’: Trump admin’s losing streak continues in lawsuits seeking ‘unredacted’ voter data with latest loss in Nevada
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/joining-every-other-court-trump-admins-losing-streak-continues-in-lawsuits-seeking-unredacted-voter-data-with-latest-loss-in-nevada/

Trump’s White House construction hits $900 million — with $500 million allegedly diverted from taxpayer funds
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/trumps-white-house-construction-hits-152000451.html

# Global News
UAE accuses Iran of attacks on two ADNOC vessels in Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported in the attack, which the UAE called ‘piracy’ and a threat to global energy security.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/14/uae-accuses-iran-of-attacks-on-two-adnoc-vessels-in-strait-of-hormuz

Poland arrests Russian allegedly hired to kill Ukrainian-American who was ‘inconvenient to the Putin regime’
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/13/poland-arrests-man-who-allegedly-tried-to-kill-ukrainian-american

Nobody Knows What China Is Building Beneath London: Unredacted architectural plans for China’s proposed “super-embassy” at Royal Mint Court in central London reveal an underground complex featuring over 200 basement rooms, including a concealed chamber placed feet away from critical fiber-optic data cables
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/revealed-china-embassy-secret-plans-spy-basement/

# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC] / Supreme Court / United Nations (UN)
Andrew Tate’s defense team is threatening to pull a high-stakes lever involving Donald Trump if the extradition case doesn’t go their way turning what was already a high-profile legal battle into a full-blown political spectacle.
https://www.themarysue.com/andrew-tates-defense-team-is-threatening-to-pull-a-high-stakes-lever-involving-donald-trump-if-the-extradition-case-doesnt-go-their-way/

# LGBTQ / Transgender
LGBTQ Community Wants Input as Private Club Opens Up on Historic Public Beach. The community that has made a home out of Jacob Riis Beach is using every lever of power available to preserve it. The eastern shore has functioned as an informal LGBTQ+ safe haven since the 1940s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTp_OW_TVL0&t=71s

# Medical / Biologicals / Research / CDC / Recalls / Nursing / Medications / Hospitals / Pharma
Trump is ending a subsidy that kept Medicare drug premiums down, and about 25 million seniors could pay more in 2027
https://apnews.com/article/medicare-drug-subsidy-trump-biden-insurance-3d3fdb43b1bf374a1a168506fded86c0

# Military / Department of Defense [DOD] / NATO / Boat Strikes
5,000 Sailors and Marines Have Been Aboard USS Lincoln for Months. Now Reports of Overboard Attempts Are Raising Alarms. Aircraft carrier’s crew in ninth month at sea and has spent record 250 days consecutively without making land
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment

# Military / Global
Ukraine Says Nvidia Chip Was Found Inside a Russian Cruise Missile, May Indicate AI Weapons Tech
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/ukraine-says-nvidia-chip-found-155953862.html

# Security / DHS / Communication / Surveillance / Data Centers / Secret Service
In Texas and New Mexico, AI data centers may consume 10 times more water than Big Tech says. it’s becoming clear that if left unchecked, AI water use could impact the availability of water in drought-stricken Texas.
https://www.tpr.org/environment/2025-08-15/big-techs-big-thirst-ais-demand-for-texas-water

# Social Services Programs / Social Security / Disability / AFDC (Aid for dependant children)
Full Retirement Age Rises in November: Set in motion some 43 years ago, this change to retirement is arriving quietly, but on schedule. If you’re approaching 62—the earliest you can claim Social Security—the change in “full retirement age” alters the math you might’ve worked out some time ago, explains Adam H. Douglas.
https://finance.yahoo.com/healthcare/articles/critical-social-security-rule-permanently-111500909.html

# Transportation / Trucking / Travel / Tourism / TSA
MODERN SKIES: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Selects Air Space Intelligence to Deploy State-of-the-Art Air Traffic Control Software, Revolutionize Our Skies
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/modern-skies-trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-selects-air-space-intelligence

# UFO / UAP Disclosure
# Veterans / VA
‘Near-death condition’: Freed marine veteran returns to US for medical treatment after Russian abuse claims: Former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, 32, returned to the U.S. after spending 4 years in Russian custody. He arrived in San Antonio, Texas, to receive critical care at Brooke Army Medical Center following severe physical and psychological abuse that left him in a life-threatening, near-death condition
https://apnews.com/article/russia-us-marine-released-robert-gilman-4c14fea91552117ffd7fd4c893c3768e

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Attention Readers:

Due to the nature of independent content, Voices, The Peoples News cannot guarantee content validity.

NOTE: Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: j.selman.1234@livingston.net

All content is owned by author exclusively. Expressed opinions are not necessarily the views of Voices, The Peoples News, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of International Copyright Law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

This email cannot be considered spam as long as we include: Contact information & a Remove Link. Reprinted under the Fair Use Law: Doctrineof international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html

At any point, you can select the link in every email to subscribe, unsubscribe, or send news items: jporterselman@gmail.com