“The armed forces of Yemen’s [Saudi puppet regime] have accused the Houthis of launching another round of ballistic missile attacks on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha and on residential areas in the central city of Marib. Yemeni forces did not state whether the attacks on Monday caused any casualties. The attacks came a day after Houthi missiles killed at least seven people and wounded 30 others in al-Makha, which is also known as Mocha. The strikes caused extensive damage at the city’s port area. Elsewhere in Yemen on Monday, a Houthi drone strike killed two Yemeni [puppet regime] soldiers and wounded seven others in the south-central province of Shabwa, according to local media reports.” (08/11/26)
“A wildfire that erupted along some of California’s most iconic coastline has spread overnight, reaching 2,000 acres as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The Timber wildfire ignited on Sunday morning, according to Cal Fire, and spread quickly throughout the day on Monday, leading to evacuation orders that affected several iconic businesses, including the luxury Alila Ventana Big Sur resort, the Esalen Institute and the Nepenthe restaurant. Currently, at least 500 firefighting personnel are responding to the fire, which is 5% contained. At least 259 structures are threatened by the blaze, but no damage has been reported. … The U.S. has been dealing with a particularly difficult wildfire season, with 104 large fires currently burning in 15 states.” (08/11/26)
“A man was shot and killed by a homeowner after deputies said he showed up unannounced at a Lake County home where his ex-girlfriend was visiting and tried to force his way inside. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, a physical altercation broke out between the man and the homeowner near the entrance to the residence. ‘The male subject attempted to force his way into the residence during the altercation,’ a sheriff’s office spokesperson said. Deputies said the homeowner then pulled out a gun and fatally shot the man.” (08/10/26)
“The Russian Supreme Court has barred the country’s last remaining anti-war party from running in parliamentary elections next month amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent over Russia’s increasingly unpopular war against Ukraine. … Yabloko, which hasn’t managed to clear the 5 percent threshold to win seats in the Duma since 2003, was seen until recently as a fringe party. But as Russians become increasingly dismayed by the expanding reach of Ukraine’s drones and the growing impact of the war on the economy, the party appeared to be gaining support. Recent polls suggested it could win 9 percent of the vote next month, the Moscow newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported. … Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court on Monday and chanted ‘Russia Without Putin!’ After the ruling, security forces attempted to disperse them.” [editor’s note: Russia’s Libertarian Party got suppressed in July, thus the “last” modifier for Yabloko- TLK] (08/10/26)
“President Donald Trump on Monday responded to Iran’s demand that the U.S. pay for war damages by calling on Tehran to compensate Americans and others harmed or killed by the country over the last 50 years. ‘I see that Representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last five month Military Conflict … even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or meetings!’ Trump wrote on social media. Trump said he is now ‘likewise demanding compensation from Iran’ for Americans killed or wounded in conflicts involving Iran and Iranian-backed groups. He said the demand should be included in any future negotiations with Tehran.” [editor’s note: Apparently he still hasn’t received the “loser doesn’t set the terms” memo from his staff yet – TLK](08/10/26)
“A Staten Island judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday pausing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s rollout of New York City’s new tax on second homes worth over $5 million. The ruling from Judge Wayne Ozzi came in response to a lawsuit filed Friday by New York City homeowners challenging City Hall’s administration of the surcharge. The plaintiffs, represented by former First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, took specific issue with the publication of more than 900,000 properties that could fall under the pied-à-terre tax, and letters to some 17,000 property owners the city suspects are actually subject to it. Under Ozzi’s order, the city must take down the public, 900,000-home list, and is prevented for the time being from taking further action based on that list or on the notices mailed to the smaller group of property owners.” (08/10/26)
“President Trump issued an executive order Monday calling for fewer childhood vaccinations, splitting the childhood MMR vaccine into three shots and delivering vaccines at separate medical visits. The executive order states that ‘the combined MMR vaccine should be administered in three separate single-disease shots once such products are domestically available and that, to the maximum extent feasible, all childhood immunizations should be administered at separate medical visits.’ … There currently are not separate vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. Companies would have to do clinical trials to bring each through the approval process.” (08/10/26)
“Jury selection began on Monday in the murder trial of an ex-street gang leader accused of masterminding the drive-by shooting death of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur three decades ago in Las Vegas, a long-unsolved crime that became a seminal moment in rap music history. Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis, 63, is charged in Clark County, Nevada, with a single count of murder by use of a deadly weapon. He has pleaded not guilty. Davis is accused of leading a group of men to kill Shakur, 25, one of rap’s most commercially successful and influential artists, in a 1996 drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip. He faces a potential life sentence without parole if convicted.” (08/10/26)
“Australian police called in to investigate a body found in a suitcase have concluded that the ‘victim’ was in fact a lifelike doll. The suitcase was discovered by two men on the side of a road near the small village of Oallen, about 230km (143 miles) south-west of Sydney. On Monday, police announced a murder investigation, sparking intense interest in the case but backtracked hours later, saying forensic testing had proved the contents were not human. The contents in the suitcase were ‘mistaken for a human originally, so they are very realistic in terms of looking like human remains,’ said Supt Linda Bradbury from the Hume Police District. ‘But we’ve confirmed by other means that they are not.’ The doll was wearing clothing, had hair and a nose piercing, police said, adding that ‘the item also had markings that resembled bruises and grazes’.” (08/10/26)
“Leaking crude oil from a tanker grounded off a nature reserve in Oman has created a slick covering almost 400 square kilometres, the country’s government said on Monday. The Caroline Bezengi is loaded with close to one million barrels of Russian oil bound for Asia and first reported difficulties on June 8 off Yemen, with two maritime security sources saying initial assessments indicated a blast had occurred onboard. No party has taken responsibility for attacking the vessel. Oman, in its first public disclosure on the environmental impact, said on Monday it was seeking to tackle the oil leak near the Hallaniyat Islands.” (08/10/26)
