Voices, The Peoples News
August 18, 2026
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate
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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
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