THE NEWS

More than 12,000 pounds of imported smoked bacon have been recalled, according to an alert from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).The not-ready-to-eat bacon, which is sold in three states, is produced by Maple Leaf Foods, Inc., located in Lisle, Illinois. It was distributed to grocery distributors and retailers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.Fox News Digital reached out to Maple Leaf Foods requesting comment.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERThe bacon was recalled because it was imported from Canada without undergoing a required U.S. import inspection, the USDA stated in its July 24 alert. The issue was discovered during routine inspection activities.The USDA classified this as a Class I recall, its most serious category of recalls. The FSIS defines a Class I recall as a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”The Class I designation reflects the potential risk posed by the inspection failure, but does not indicate any confirmed illnesses linked to consumption of the bacon.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZThe recalled products — produced on June 9, June 10, June 12, June 13 and June 15, 2026 — include the following, per the USDA alert. The recalled product has the Canadian establishment number “EST. 1” printed on the side of the package, and the health certificate “2026-S732971612” on the master case boxes, the USDA’s alert states. CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIESAnyone who has any of these products in their fridge or freezer should throw them away or return them to the place where they were purchased, health officials advised.Consumers with food safety questions can send a question via email to MPHotline@usda.gov.

Burma’s government approved the death penalty as punishment for internet scammers just months after the FBI announced a sweeping $8 billion crackdown on scam networks coming from the country, according to the country’s state-backed media.The Anti-Online Scam Law passed the country’s parliament on Tuesday, green lighting the death penalty for anyone who participates in a scam in which they “commit violence, torture, unlawfully arrest or detain, or treat any person in a cruel manner,” according to The Global New Light of Myanmar, a media outlet jointly operated by a private company and the country’s Ministry of the Interior.Burma, also known as Myanmar, has become ground zero for digital scams, with criminals often recruiting migrants from other Asian countries with promises of legitimate work only to imprison them and force them to conduct the scams.In May, the FBI announced a massive crackdown on a criminal network in Burma known as the “Democratic Karen Benevolent Army.” The operation resulted in the seizure of 127,000 Bitcoin, worth over $8 billion as of July.FBI BRINGS ALLEGED CHINA-LINKED HACKER TO US IN RARE EXTRADITION AS PATEL DEFENDS ITALY TRIPThe scammers, who allegedly have ties to Chinese organized crime, had been specifically targeting Americans in their operations, extracting over $3 million from one elderly American, the FBI previously told Fox News Digital.In 2025, Chinese, Thai and Burmese authorities liberated more than 7,000 people from locked compounds in Burma.NEW GERMANY SEX-CRIME FIGURES REIGNITE MIGRATION FIGHT AS EXPLOITATION PROBE EXPANDSWhile the new Anti-Online Scam Law only mandates the death penalty for offenses that lead to another person’s death, the law mandates 10 years in prison for any instance of forced labor in relation to cybercrime.The law’s approval also comes two days before the United Nations International Organization for Migration’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This year the international body will commemorate the day on July 30 under the theme “Trapped Behind the Scam.””People trapped in scam compounds are victims of trafficking, forced to commit crimes through violence, threats and coercion. They deserve protection, not punishment,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a statement. “We must work together to support survivors, stop traffickers and close the gaps these criminal networks exploit. No country can tackle this alone.”The United Nations estimates that South Pacific scams resulted in the loss of over $114 billion in 2025.

Wiki Commons
Labour leftists will fight for their ‘sacred’ handouts.
In a sense, it doesn’t really matter who is the British Prime Minister: unless he or she can tackle the mounting budget deficit, it will end in abject failure.
And to balance the budget, one has to cut from the one-third-of-a-trillion-pound welfare spending.
Andy Burnham has barely been in office for a week and is already deep into the fight, with Labour MPs threatening to rebel if he makes ‘punitive’ cuts to welfare.

The prime minister has set his sights on welfare reforms. Andy Burnham has suggested he wants to make it harder for people to claim benefits in a bid to bring down the welfare bill.#gmb #politics pic.twitter.com/po7vlHzcfe
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 27, 2026

The Telegraph reported:
“The Prime Minister is planning to strip young people of their benefits unless they agree to do training or voluntary work under proposals to reduce the £333bn welfare bill.
However, backbenchers on the party’s Left have warned Mr. Burnham against repeating the ‘failed politics of welfare cuts’ and signaled that they would oppose such a move.”

WATCH: Andy Burnham to BBC on welfare benefits :
I want to provide more support for people on benefits seeking work, but support should be conditional upon seeking work.
We have to get serious on reducing the welfare bill; oftentimes it pushes people into even more crisis pic.twitter.com/ddjkYOlkQS
— The Global Watchdog (@glwatchdog) July 27, 2026

Former PM Keir Starmer had 120 Labour MPs in arms when he tried to tighten the disability benefits rules.
“The welfare rebellion in the Commons last July is widely regarded as the moment Sir Keir’s remaining political authority drained away, as he was forced into a ‘farcical climbdown’.”

NEW: Labour MPs have threatened to rebel if Andy Burnham makes “punitive” cuts to welfare
Kim Johnson and John McDonnell have personally warned Andy Burnham against the “failed politics of welfare cuts”
— GB Politics (@GBPolitcs) July 28, 2026

“During his first Downing Street speech, Mr. Burnham promised to ‘bring the welfare bill down’ and use the money saved to bolster defense spending.
While the Prime Minister has since insisted he will not make ‘crude’ cuts to disability benefits, [Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Pat] McFadden was clear that the benefits bill had to come down.”

Labour MPs warned Burnham he will lose the support of his governing party if he approaches welfare reform with a focus on “punitive” cuts, as Britain’s new PM prepares to announce plans to alleviate rising youth unemployment https://t.co/4PgCdzl8lq
— Bloomberg (@business) July 27, 2026

Read more:
New British PM Burnham Halts Insane ‘Early Release’ of Criminals as Controversy Mounts Over Imminent Freeing of Policeman’s Killers

The post UK PENSIONS WAR: 8 Days Into His Premiership, Andy Burnham Faces His First Labour Party Rebellion, as MPs Warn Him Not to Make Welfare Cuts appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Chloe Cole
Many of those who underwent experimental medical “treatments” to make their bodies resemble those of the opposite sex later reject their transgender identities, and some of these detransitioners are now suing for medical malpractice.
Josh Payne, founding partner of the law firm Campbell Miller Payne, which exists to represent these detransitioners, briefed the Daily Signal on the current status of the lawsuits.
“Our clients are truly inspiring,” he said. “They are pursuing justice not only for themselves, but also to protect others from being misled into harmful procedures as they were.”
“Removing healthy body parts isn’t a proven cure for underlying trauma or the mental health problems our clients faced—autism, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, psychosis,” Payne added. “Doctors and therapists deceive and mistreat their patients when they oversell the benefits and undersell the risks of such procedures.”
What Are Detransitioners Claiming?
Detransitioners claim that doctors engaged in malpractice by subjecting them to medical procedures to address psychological problems. A Department of Health and Human Services study found little evidence for positive impacts from sex-rejecting procedures, while studies show they can cause harm, from increased cancer risks to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts.
A jury awarded a detransitioner $2 million in a medical malpractice lawsuit in February, and psychiatrists reportedly agreed to settle an Oregon detransitioner’s medical malpractice claim in January. Campbell Miller Payne represented the detransitioner in Oregon.
Payne’s firm is tracking dozens of detransitioner lawsuits nationwide.
Statute of Limitations Issues
Many of the detransitioner cases run into problems with statutes of limitations. According to many state laws, patients can only sue for medical malpractice within a certain time frame after the medical intervention takes place, but detransitioners often experience regret years after the first hormone injections or surgery.
While lower courts had ruled that Soren Aldaco, who underwent a double mastectomy at age 19, had not filed her lawsuit quickly enough under the statute of limitations, the Supreme Court of Texas reversed, ruling that the clock started ticking once the injury occurred, not once her therapist recommended the procedure.
Payne called this a “landmark victory,” and suggested it will impact other cases.
Upcoming Trials
Payne identified six cases where courts have either scheduled a trial or where he expects a trial will be scheduled.
He said an Oregon woman who received testosterone as a young adult will have her trial in the fall.
He mentioned Chloe Cole, who sued Kaiser Permanente and doctors, alleging that they failed to treat her mental health conditions, put her on a medical transition pathway, and subjected her to harmful transgender interventions without obtaining informed consent. Her trial has been scheduled for April 5, 2027. Payne’s firm is not formally involved in the case.
Payne mentioned a woman in Washington whose case has been scheduled for 2027.
He also mentioned Luka Hein, a detransitioner who is suing the University of Nebraska Medical Center after physicians removed her breasts at age 16. He said her trial has been scheduled for next year, and that his firm is not formally involved. The medical center declined to comment on pending litigation.
Payne said he anticipates the court in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, will schedule a trial next year for Amanda Stewart, who is suing Dartmouth Health.
He also estimated a trial next year for a woman he is representing in New York.
The Daily Signal reached out to Kaiser Permanente and Dartmouth Health for comment, but did not receive responses by publication time.

‘I HAVE NO BRE*STS’
Watch @ChloeCole‘s eye-opening testimony to @GOPHELP.
“I hadn’t even had my first kiss,” she said. “How could they take away part of my womanhood before I was old enough to call myself one?”
“I have no bre*sts, because they were replaced with scars.” pic.twitter.com/TInZUwY2xg
— Tyler O’Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) June 3, 2026

Detransitioner Cases on Appeal
Payne’s firm has appealed many of the detransitioner cases.
While Soren Aldaco’s case has survived the statute of limitations issue, the lawyer noted that a separate appeal remains pending in the Texas Court of Appeals on an expert disclosure issue.
Payne also represents Prisha Mosley. While the trial court allowed her case to proceed to discovery, the court granted summary judgment for the defendants, despite a North Carolina law (HB 805) that extends the statute of limitations for detransition cases.
“We are hopeful the North Carolina Court of Appeals will follow the Texas Supreme Court’s lead and rule for Prisha in her appeal,” Payne told the Daily Signal.
Payne also represents Clementine Breen, and he appealed her case to the California Court of Appeals on a statute of limitations issue. Breen is suing Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, a pro-transgender advocate doctor who reportedly delayed publishing the results of a taxpayer-funded study after it failed to show mental health improvements among minors receiving “puberty blockers.”
The Daily Signal reached out to Dr. Olson-Kennedy and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for comment, but did not receive responses by publication time.
A Federal Detransitioner Case
Katie Anderson Coblentz sued Fenway Health in Boston, represented by Campbell Miller Payne. Because the Fenway Health is a federally qualified health center, she brought the suit against the United States government.
The Massachusetts District Court dismissed Coblentz’s case on a statute of limitations issue, but Payne has appealed the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The Daily Signal reached out to Fenway Health for comment, but did not receive a response by publication time.
Detransitioner Cases in the Discovery Phase
In addition to the federal case, Coblentz has sued Tufts Medical Center in Massachusetts state court, along with the surgeons who performed her hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Tufts Medicine declined to comment on litigation, but told the Daily Signal it is “committed to providing high-quality, compassionate care to all of our patients.”
Payne also mentioned a Pennsylvania woman who is suing in state court.
The lawyer also represents Hannah/Layton Ulery, a woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder, in which one of her personalities is 6 years old. She underwent testosterone treatment. While a judge dismissed Ulery’s federal case, her case in Rhode Island state court against therapist Julie Lyons is proceeding.
“Ms. Lyons denies any allegations of malpractice,” the therapist’s attorney, Robert Landau, wrote in a statement to the Daily Signal on Friday. “The complaint contains numerous factual errors and distortions. Plaintiff identified as a trans male at the time he sought treatment from Ms. Lyons. The entire premise of the complaint involves alleged harm from testosterone treatment which Ms. Lyons did not recommend or prescribe.”
The complaint states that Lyons failed to “properly assess and diagnose” Ulery, and that Lyons’ diagnosis of gender dysphoria started Ulery “down a course of transgender medicalization that would ultimately cause her irreversible physical harm.” The complaint does not claim that Lyons recommended or prescribed testosterone.
“Most people are shocked to learn that patients with profound coexisting mental health issues could ever be considered suitable candidates for irreversible surgeries or hormone treatments,” Payne told the Daily Signal. “It’s no surprise, then, that defendants have deployed procedural challenges to avoid trial.”
“The Texas Supreme Court’s recent statute-of-limitations ruling, along with the New York verdict earlier this year, is wind in the sails for all victims,” he said. “We look forward to more success as juries have the opportunity to hold clinicians to the high standard of care these vulnerable patients deserve.”

Did you know Home Depot funds child sex changes through their employee health plan?
I know because @HRC is proud of it…
This morning I spoke at their shareholders meeting to confront corporate America’s secret sex changes and demand they STOP pic.twitter.com/fWYyQLZphs
— Chloe Cole (@ChloeCole) May 21, 2026

[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]

FERC Will Impose Reforms If PJM Fails To Adopt Changes By September, Chairman Warns

By Ethan Howland of UtilityDive

The PJM Interconnection has until the end of September to agree to governance and stakeholder reforms or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will impose them, the agency’s chairman, Laura Swett, said Thursday.

“PJM is facing a grave legitimacy crisis,” Swett said at a technical conference FERC held on the grid operator’s governance issues. “Some transmission owners are openly discussing leaving the RTO altogether. Put plainly, market participants have lost confidence in PJM’s decision-making abilities.”

With PJM failing to attract significant new generation in its last two capacity auctions, the grid operator is ready for major changes in the way it operates, according to its new President and CEO David Mills, who officially took over the role in May after several months as interim leader.

“We are fully committed to rise to the challenge,” including capacity market reform, Mills said.

Potential reforms discussed at the meeting include increased board independence, a formal role for states at PJM, and giving states the right to file proposals at FERC — called “filing rights” — while also expanding PJM’s filing rights.

After taking post-conference comments, FERC intends to hold a dispute resolution forum in September with PJM stakeholders to develop a governance reform package, according to Swett. If an agreement isn’t reached by the end of that month, FERC will impose its own reforms on PJM, she said.

Capacity market exposes governance weaknesses

The technical conference comes about two years after capacity prices spiked in PJM as rising demand from data centers outpaced any increase in power supplies on PJM’s system, which spans 13 Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states and the District of Columbia. That price spike led to rate increases of 20% or more for some utilities and sparked intense interest from governors and policymakers.

PJM’s struggles in responding to the rapid shift in its supply-demand balance intensified governance problems that had been festering for years, Jodi Moskowitz, PSEG’s vice president regulatory — law, deputy general counsel and RTO strategy officer, said at the meeting.

Two problems highlighted at the meeting were the ability of PJM members to effectively fire the grid operator’s board members as well as its stakeholder process, which can be long and end without concrete results.

PJM uses a sector-weighted voting system in its stakeholder process, with a two-thirds majority of a sector-weighted vote required for a measure to pass. Under the system, members are divided into five categories — electric distributor, end-use customer, generation owner, other supplier and transmission owner.

One effect of the voting system is that two sectors can join up to block a measure they don’t like, which has happened repeatedly, especially on contentious issues, the RTO Governance Research Network said in comments filed at FERC.

During the meeting, representatives for American Electric Power and others said stakeholders should have an advisory role, like the one used by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. Under that process, PJM’s board would get input from stakeholders, but final decisions would rest with the board.

Currently PJM members run the grid operator’s stakeholder process, which can lead to priorities getting offtrack, according to Asim Haque, PJM executive vice president, governmental and member services.

PJM’s failure to use authorities that it has and its failure to engage with states reflects the organization’s culture, according to FERC Commissioner David LaCerte.

“This is a cultural quagmire that they’ve developed by eroding the board in the past and creating this fear of [board members] being terminated to where they’re not using their authorities,” LaCerte said “They’re not engaging with the states because they don’t want to get out of line with what the stakeholders want.”

The solution appears to be making the stakeholder process advisory, LaCerte said.

“I don’t think we can do business as usual,” Haque said.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 07/28/2026 – 14:20

Houthis Fire On Saudi Vessel, More Ships Make U-Turns, After ‘MoU Revival’ Hype Returns

Summary

Hormuz indirect talks continue amid reports of a possible resurrected MoU deal.
Shipping remains stalled with virtually no tanker traffic through Hormuz.
Iran insists Hormuz stays closed unless its terms are accepted.
Houthis escalate attacks, prompting more ships to avoid the Red Sea.

Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by August 31?
Yes 14% · No 87%View full market & trade on Polymarket Shipping Latest: Bab El Mandeb & Hormuz

Iran has reaffirmed that if Oman does not agree to its terms for the Strait of Hormuz, the the vital oil transit waterway will remain closed, per Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister. This also as things are again heating up in the Red Sea region, with the Houthis late Tuesday announcing they’ve once again targeted a Saudi oil tanker for violating the blockade. Reuters reports:

Yemen’s Houthis claim to have fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, accusing the vessel of violating what they describe as their maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and ignoring warning calls.

The Iran-aligned group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claims the vessel was forced to turn back.

According to separate reporting, China is holding direct negotiations with Yemen’s Houthis to ensure safe passage for its ships through the southern Red Sea.

Iran says it hasn’t sought US talks in past 16-17 days, reports Irib News

And a US CENTCOM update on its latest figures: it says that as of Tuesday the US military has redirected 18 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded another two to “ensure full compliance of the US blockade against Iran.” The latest from Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump at the White House:

Channel 12 on a senior Israeli official: Netanyahu confirmed to Trump that additional strikes on rehabilitated Iranian nuclear facilities are unavoidable

More vessels reportedly turning away from planned routes after Houthi threats:

Three product tankers loaded at Saudi Arabian Red Sea ports and bound for Asia-Pacific and east Africa have turned north towards the Suez Canal, as Houthi-related threats to shipping prompt charterers to reassess passage through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The tankers appear to…
— Giovanni Staunovo🛢 (@staunovo) July 28, 2026
Fox Reports Mediators ‘Close’ to Resurrecting MoU

Here we go again… despite no evident change in war posturing on either side, and despite shipping traffic still largely at a complete standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News is out with claims that the failed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) could be ‘resurrected’… bringing us back to the ‘deal is close’ constant headlines of earlier this summer (though of course the sides were never in reality close – and simply returned to a wider bombing campaign)…

“Mediators of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East believe the U.S. and Iran are close to a deal that would resurrect the failed memorandum of understanding, according to The Times of Israel,” Fox writes, based on the earlier Israeli media article. Negotiators from Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar have been haggling over an Oman-proposed Strait of Hormuz management plan. It will involve fee-collection and is backed by the Gulf states, supposedly. The timing of all of this interesting given Trump is currently hosting Netanyahu at the White House. More from Fox:

Iran and Oman — both of which are situated on the Strait of Hormuz — have reportedly signed off on the proposal advanced by the mediators.

The two sources said the White House was waiting to make a decision until after President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.

Meanwhile…

JMIC: DATA INDICATES ZERO TANKERS IN EITHER DIRECTION OF HORMUZ

Still, the return to deal ‘optimism’ has pushed oil prices down further – which is perhaps the entire point of US officials anonymously hyping that a deal is ‘close’ once again.

And S&P futures briefly reached High of Day on the headline…

Oman’s Hormuz Management Proposal

US-Iran attacks have remained paused, and oil prices have extended their declines, as President Trump has claimed Tehran and Washington are now having “very friendly talks” while at the same time suggesting negotiations might not be prolonged.

“We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action,” Trump told Axios, as we highlighted previously. But possibly the most promising development in terms of an off-ramp is that Oman has presented Iran with a plan backed by Gulf states to manage the Strait of Hormuz.

This would reportedly include including collecting voluntary fees for using it, ​according to sources who spoke to Reuters Tuesday. The report notes that “The plan could serve as a basis to end the disruption to trade through the strait caused by the ‌U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.”
via Reuters

However, this also to some degree represents the stalemated situation going back to square one, given the United States has consistently and vehemently opposed any fees being collected that would go to Iran. An immediate response from Tehran on the proposal has not been forthcoming, and talks could drag on for days related to the Oman plan. Already Tehran is adding some strict conditions regarding frozen or seized Iranian assets abroad, per Bloomberg citing state media:

“Any company or country that receives funds from Iranian assets will not be allowed to pass through the strait,” semi-official Tasnim news agency cites a spokesman for Iran’s central military command as saying in response to recent US proposal.

Reuters provides more detail in the following: “The system would be analogous to one in place on Asia’s Strait of Malacca, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ask ships to pay voluntary contributions to fund navigation, environmental protection and search-and-rescue operations.”

“The Western diplomat compared it to a voluntary carbon tax for flights, where anyone buying a plane ticket can choose to tick a box if they want to pay to offset their emissions,” the report adds.

‘Glimmer of Hope’ Amid Indirect Hormuz Talks

The Wall Street Journal has said this represents a “glimmer of hope” as fighting has halted since last Friday:

A U.S. official and mediators said Iran and Oman were still far apart on some issues, including whether to charge fees for transit. But both sides said there was progress, marking the first glimmer of hope for diplomacy since President Trump ordered a new round of military strikes on Iran more than two weeks ago in response to Tehran firing on commercial vessels in the strait. 

…The goal of the Iran-Oman talks is to agree on which route vessels can take through the 22-mile-wide strait. Conflict erupted earlier this month after the U.S. began guiding ships through the strait by hugging the Omani coast, while Iran wants vessels to cross through its territory. 

In the meantime President Trump had laid out Monday while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One his view that there’s “plenty of time” to deal with Iran and that “we are talking right now..” He laid out that while “there’s a good chance that something could happen,” it remains that If not, “we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

Trump has on Tuesday reiterated to Fox News that Iran understands it will never have a nuclear, and reaffirmed that the two sides are talking.

.@POTUS on Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain: “We have the greatest cameras in the world focused on [it]… I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe, it’s not a big problem. We took out their nuclear sites, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal. If we don’t make a… pic.twitter.com/PMdXaBkDvu
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 28, 2026
Jazan Oil Refinery Shut Down for Repairs After Strikes

Over in Saudi Arabia, where missile and drone attacks out of Yemen (and possibly Iraq) over past days have damaged Aramco facilities, one regional media source says that “Saudi Aramco has shut down its Jazan oil refinery after a Houthi missile and drone attack damaged key facilities at the site, according to reports.”

“The refinery, which processes 400,000 barrels of crude per day, suffered damage to its Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) complex and tank farm area. Repairs are expected to be completed and operations to resume by Aug. 15, according to a note from consultancy IIR,” Turkiye Today adds.

Satellite imagery also shows alleged damage to gas storage tanks at Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq facility, most recently to be hit targeted likely by the Houthis:

🔥 Satellite imagery shows damage to multiple gas storage tanks at Saudi Arabia’s Abqaiq (Buqayq) refinery. White and black cooling covers are also visible over two storage tanks to prevent spread.
Explore and Compare: https://t.co/TrYreAAiGB#SaudiArabia #Gas #Oil pic.twitter.com/qxwdaNKaBc
— Soar (@SoarAtlas) July 28, 2026
However, there still no official Saudi confirmation of Abqaiq being struck, but only that it was targeted:

🇸🇦 Contrary to social media reports, no Aramco or SPA statement has confirmed that Abqaiq was hit, quantified damage or alerted of a production halt.
Official Saudi report from the Saudi Press Association (SPA) only said drones “attempted to target oil facilities in Eastern… https://t.co/8wTv1uD6oF
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) July 28, 2026
As for the possibility of where things go from here, amid potential escalation which could see the Houthis further target Saudi oil complexes, President Trump had also warned in the aforementioned Fox interview that the US will “take out” Pickaxe Mountain if it doesn’t reach a deal with Iran.

He noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the US to stay involved in the Iran war, and the two leaders will meet Tuesday in the late morning hours at the White House.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 07/28/2026 – 14:30

An intoxicated boater with a history of driving under the influence decapitated a woman after he crashed into her boat while going 80 miles per hour over the weekend, prosecutors said.Richard Stevenson, 45, allegedly smashed his 31-foot pontoon into the back of a 20-foot Crownline in a no-wake zone at high speeds, killing a 48-year-old woman and injuring her husband after a day of heavy drinking on the Fox River in Illinois on Saturday, July 25 at approximately 2:30 p.m., according to the McHenry County State Attorney’s Office.The unidentified woman was decapitated and was declared dead at the scene, prosecutors said at Stevenson’s hearing on Monday, where a judge ordered he remain in custody ahead of his trial, Fox 32 reported.REPEAT DRUNKEN-DRIVING OFFENDER ACCUSED OF KILLING HONORS COLLEGE STUDENT HEADING HOME FROM WEDDING”This man was a ticking time-bomb and that bomb went off this past Saturday on the Fox River,” Deputy Chief Brian Miller said.Prosecutors said Stevenson was later found in trees near the shoreline where his boat came to rest following the fatal crash. Two other people who had been aboard the pontoon left before law enforcement arrived.IS DRINKING EVERY DAY ALCOHOLISM? EXPERTS EXPLAIN WHERE CULTURE AND ADDICTION COLLIDEStevenson was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, where prosecutors said testing showed his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was approximately .236 shortly after the crash, or approximately a BAC of about .20 at the time of the collision.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MOREAuthorities also told the court Stevenson refused field sobriety testing, a breath test and initially refused a court-ordered blood draw.FOLLOW US ON XCLICK HERE FOR MORE U.S. NEWSMultiple witnesses told officers that Stevenson had been consuming alcohol throughout the day while operating the boat and was driving at high speeds on both the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River just prior to crashing into the woman’s boat.Further evidence presented at the hearing found that Stevenson has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on three prior occasions, reckless driving on three prior occasions, and previously committed four misdemeanor speeding offenses.SEND US A TIPGET BREAKING NEWS ALERTSStevenson is charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence–causing death and one count of reckless homicide.GOT A TIP?”Our rivers and lakes should be places where families can safely enjoy time together, not places where the reckless and impaired can turn a summer day into a tragedy. No family should have to endure the unimaginable loss suffered in this case,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese said.”Our prayers go out to the victim’s family, and while nothing can undo the tragedy that occurred on the Fox River, our office is committed to pursuing justice for her, her loved ones, and our community.”Stevenson’s next scheduled court date is Aug. 5. Authorities have not released the identity of the woman who died in the boat crash.Fox News Digital has reached out to Stevenson’s attorney.

Acting Director of National Intelligence William Pulte has announced a fifth wave of office downsizing.”Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago,” he wrote in a Tuesday post on X.”The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,” he added.ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ANNOUNCES 4TH WAVE OF LAYOFFSPulte on Sunday had announced the completion of a fourth batch of layoffs from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).”Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute. As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!” he declared in a Sunday night post on X.In a July 10 post, he had stated, “U.S. National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel. DNI’s future is exceptionally bright, and will be focused on following the law and the statute.”Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, took on the role of acting DNI last month as Tulsi Gabbard, who had been serving as DNI, departed the role due to her husband’s cancer battle.TRUMP’S DNI PICK JAY CLAYTON LOCKS HORNS WITH DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IN FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING CLASHPrior to when Pulte took the helm at ODNI last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that during an interview, President Donald Trump said he had informed Pulte that he thought the ODNI was “unnecessary and/or too big.””I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” the president said, pointing to Obama and Biden administration carryovers, according to the Journal. Asked if he was calling on Pulte to terminate workers, the president stated that he wanted Pulte to “start the process,” noting that the eventual DNI nominee should carry on that effort, the outlet reported.In part of a June Truth Social post, Trump declared, “I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies.”Fox News Digital reached out to ODNI on Tuesday asking for clarification on the reported 30% staffing reduction.SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP’S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBOSen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said during a Senate floor speech last month that he had spoken with the acting DNI, who he says agreed “that we need to return the ODNI to its original size, scope, and mission by spinning off some of these functional… centers and sending intelligence officers who have been detailed there back to their home agencies so they can do actual intelligence work.””He informed me that yes, a small handful of front office personnel are leaving federal employment, which is not at all uncommon when a senior leader leaves an agency or one comes into an agency,” Cotton said. “He also said that a few dozen, around 45 or 50, career officers are, in fact, returning to their home agencies.”Trump last month announced that he was tapping U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton as his DNI nominee.The Senate is slated to vote on confirming Clayton on Tuesday night.

A leading Iran expert has called on the British government to shut down an Islamic center which he claimed has been functioning as an office of the regime’s supreme leader amid a shocking report that Iran’s regime smuggled operatives into the United Kingdom.The Islamic Center of England recently came into the spotlight following revelations that the U.K. government has allegedly allowed the center to sponsor visas for imams. The report comes at a time when Iran has said Britain is a legitimate target if it allows the U.S. to use its bases to fly missions against Tehran.The reported green light to imams to secure visas as “skilled workers” for the Islamic Center raises profound questions about dangerous gaps in Britain’s national security and immigration policies, according to lawmakers and Mideast experts.UK PINS STRING OF ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ON IRAN-LINKED GROUP, BANS IRGCKasra Aarabi, Director of IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] Research at United Against Nuclear Iran told Fox News Digital that, “In light of the IRGC’s threat to attack Britain and reports that it has been exploiting the illegal migrant crisis to send ‘Islamic revolutionary agents’ to the country, the U.K. government simply must not tolerate the existence of this Islamist extremist infrastructure on British soil.”Aarabi added that “The Islamic Centre of England — a U.K.-registered charity and mosque — has long been operating as the office of the Iranian regime’s supreme leader in the U.K.. Its Imam is the personally appointed U.K. representative of the regime’s supreme leader. The very fact that the supreme leader of the Iranian regime, who is ordering terror plots on British soil, has an office and appointed representative in the U.K. is completely unacceptable. In light of the IRGC’s latest threats against Britain, the center should be immediately shut down and all of its non-British staff deported.”The revelation about the Islamic Center of England comes amid a report in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph that Tehran officials claimed that the IRGC controls some illegal human trafficking routes between the Middle East and the English Channel.An Iranian official told The Telegraph, “Of course, don’t forget that our armed forces have influence and run the [smuggling] routes in some cases if they want.” The official warned that “At the moment we have people right there in London, revolutionary people who care about the world and the lives of children – they wait for us to tell them what to do. We have not done that yet, but we can easily make London unsafe for you if we want to.”The official added, “These smuggling routes are more important and useful than the missiles for for us – we do not need a missile to target London, it’s easier than that.”WHO IS AHMAD VAHIDI? IRAN’S NEW IRGC CHIEF TIED TO GLOBAL ATTACKS AND ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ IDEOLOGYFox News Digital previously reported in February that the Islamic Center of England was accused of selling merchandise supporting the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hezbollah and the IRGC — also a U.S.-classified terrorist entity.The Islamic Center allegedly had stickers of late Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps global terrorist Qassem Soleimani, who was responsible for the murders of over 600 U.S. military personnel, according to the Trump administration. President Trump ordered a drone strike in January 2020 that killed Soleimani in Iraq.A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Home Office — a  mix of the Department of Homeland Security and DOJ — told Fox News Digital, “The Islamic Center of England has not sponsored any workers since 2022 under the previous government, and the Charity Commission is currently investigating this organization.”The Home Office spokesperson continued, “We treat the threat posed by the Iranian regime and those who do its bidding with the utmost seriousness. That’s why we have fast-tracked a change in the law to outlaw support for the IRGC, equipping the police and intelligence service with more powers to disrupt those working on their behalf, and making it easier to prosecute them. If wrongdoing is uncovered, those responsible will face the full force of the law, with the possibility of lengthy prison sentences, loss of licenses, and further civil action.”Iran and its chief strategic ally, Hezbollah, have been blamed for bombing the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in 1983 in which 63 people, including 17 Americans, were murdered, and dual suicide truck bombers blew up the barracks of American and French members of a multinational force in Lebanon in 1983, in which 220 U.S. Marines, 18 U.S. Navy sailors and 3 U.S. Army soldiers lost their lives. Fifty-eight French troops were also murdered in the terrorist attack.Critics have long urged the British government to pull the plug on the Islamic Center’s operation as pressure mounts on the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to act against Iranian regime apparatus in the country.Aarabi said that “Burnham’s government should use all available tools — including the new designation of the IRGC under the National Security (State Threats) Act — to dismantle this Islamist extremist apparatus across Britain that is linked to the IRGC. To put it more clearly: all the charities, mosques and centers that have carried out IRGC-linked activity should be dismantled, and their non-British staff deported immediately. No ifs or buts.”He added “The Imam of the center, who is the representative of the Ayatollah in the U.K., has continuously expressed extremist views that are sympathetic to the IRGC. In spite of this, not only does he continue to reside in the U.K. but he is listed as the trustee of several charities in Britain. This individual does not hold a diplomatic passport, meaning his visa could be immediately revoked.”US-SANCTIONED MOJTABA KHAMENEI NAMED IRAN’S NEXT SUPREME LEADER AFTER FATHER’S DEATH: REPORTSAarabi argued that the “IRGC has built an entire ‘soft power’ infrastructure across Britain under the guise of charities, mosques and colleges. The IRGC’s goal has been to use this infrastructure to nurture home-grown Islamist radicalization, terrorism and acts of violence. In doing so, it has successfully cultivated, within segments of the British Muslim community, what can only be described as an Islamist constituency that is loyal to it and its violent extremist ideology. These tactics mimic ISIS and al Qaeda — yet there has been no attempt to counter it by the British government.”Iranian agents have attacked Iranian dissidents over the years in Britain. Two Romanian nationals, who prosecutors said had been acting ​for Iran, were jailed this month for stabbing a journalist working for an independent Iranian news outlet Iran International in London.Tehran has always denied involvement in such attacks, calling allegations ​to the contrary unfounded and politically motivated.”If the IRGC seeks to attack Britain, it could activate this radicalized Islamist constituency for acts of home-grown violence and terror. This form of kind-actor terror, where a radicalized extremist carries out an attack because they’re ideologically inspired rather than paid or directed by Tehran, also provides the IRGC with sufficient plausible deniability to complicate attribution and reduce the likelihood of British retaliation,” said Aarabi.A spokesperson for the Islamic Center of England told Fox News Digital, “The Islamic Center of England is an independent registered charity, established and operating under the laws of England and Wales. It is governed by English charity law and regulated by the Charity Commission. It is not an official office or representative of any government, political entity, or individual.”The spokesperson for the Center added, “Like many charities, faith organizations and other eligible institutions in the U.K., the Center holds a Home Office sponsor license, which allows it to sponsor skilled workers where it meets the requirements of the U.K.’s immigration system.”The spokesperson concluded, “Sponsor licenses are granted and overseen by the Home Office, and all licensed sponsors are required to comply with the same legal and regulatory obligations. The Center has consistently maintained that it is an independent U.K. charity and carries out its activities in accordance with U.K. law and its charitable objectives.”The British Prime Minister’s press office referred Fox News Digital to the Home Office for comments.Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy of Voice of Borgu via Facebook. In a post published on July 2, 2026, the outlet claimed a helicopter belonging to Nigerian security forces evacuated wounded bandits following a clash between Lakurawa fighters and bandits.
Villagers across three Plateau State local government areas have reported helicopter and drone activity preceding recent attacks on Christian communities, according to on-the-ground interviews, youth leader testimony, and statements from elected officials.
Anthony Moses Dakkas, national youth leader of the Takkass Youths, a predominantly Christian community, told security officials at a public meeting that residents had seen a helicopter landing in Takkass land before the attacks, pressing officials on what he described as the government’s awareness of the aircraft. “Do you know where the helicopter is? You should know it,” he said. Moses added that the helicopter “used to land here, in Takas,” and warned that the community would take further action if the government failed to respond.
The reports fit a longer pattern of helicopter sightings preceding attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Eyewitnesses in Benue State first described a helicopter overhead during attacks on the Agatu community in 2016.
The pattern recurred in southern Kaduna, where survivors of several attacks reported seeing a helicopter shortly before assaults, believing it was conducting surveillance or delivering supplies to the attackers. Christian Solidarity Worldwide also reported that children displaced from Kajuru LGA would shake and run at the sound of a passing helicopter, associating it with an imminent attack.
The most detailed case came on June 5, 2022, when terrorists reportedly deployed a helicopter during attacks that killed more than 30 people in the villages of Dogon Noma, Ungwan Sarki, Ungwan Maikori, and Ungwan Gamu in Kajuru LGA, according to Adara Development Association President Awemi Maisamari. A ReliefWeb report said that as villagers mobilized to repel the attackers, the helicopter carried out airstrikes against them, providing cover that allowed the attackers to move and fire more freely.
Dogon Noma village head Ibrahim Usman told community leaders that locals believed the helicopter’s arrival meant relief had come, until they realized it was attacking alongside the bandits, after which the village was burned. Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security Samuel Aruwan said the helicopter was an Air Force asset dispatched under Operation Whirl Punch that scanned the area and intercepted the retreating bandits rather than supporting them. Analysts noted the incident marked the first time a helicopter was alleged to have directly fired on victim communities on the attackers’ behalf, distinct from the earlier, less specific surveillance and resupply reports from 2016 through 2019.
A separate, unresolved helicopter incident occurred July 2, 2026 in Kaboji, Mashegu LGA, Niger State, though it involved rival bandit factions rather than an attack on a Christian community. A video posted by X user @secmxx showed suspected security personnel and armed men loading injured fighters onto a helicopter, captioned as an airlift of Dogo Gide’s men from Kaboji primary school.
247 Ureports described it as the aftermath of a clash between Dogo Gide’s fighters and a rival faction, Lakurawa, saying a military helicopter evacuated the wounded gunmen rather than arresting them, with no official Army statement at the time. Gaskiya News Hausa reported a security source’s account that the flight was a joint Army–Air Force operation retrieving wounded fighters stranded after a forest clash, airlifted for investigation rather than rescued.
A DUBAWA fact-check confirmed the landing through eyewitnesses, one of whom said a Nigerian Police Force helicopter set down at an old cemetery, not the primary school named in the viral video, between 11 a.m. and noon, and that a tall, masked Fulani man believed to be Dogo Gide was seen nearby. None of these accounts has been independently verified by the Nigerian military, and the identity of those evacuated and the branch of security forces responsible remain disputed.
In addition to the helicopter reports, eyewitnesses are increasingly reporting the use of drones by Fulani attackers to conduct surveillance before an assault. On June 10, 2026, Fulani Islamists killed two Christian volunteer watchmen in Tahos, a farming community of roughly 500 to 600 residents in Riyom LGA, Plateau State. According to the village king, the watchmen were shot with precision despite hiding in concealed positions in the dark, leading him to suspect the attackers used drones or night-vision equipment for targeting.
Local leaders in the area have separately said Fulani attackers are increasingly deploying drones in addition to their standard AK-47 assault rifles, while Christian communities generally lack any comparable technology and depend on volunteer watchmen armed with single-shot muskets.
One reason Christians are concerned about the possible use of helicopters and drones in these attacks is that both require significant financial resources, while drones also require specialized technical expertise. This raises questions about how Fulani, who on average have relatively low levels of education and few resources, are able to purchase and operate them. Helicopters are even more expensive, and in Nigeria it is extremely difficult for civilians to own one.
Consequently, many Christian communities believe that the use of drones, and particularly helicopters, may suggest some degree of military complicity in these attacks.
The alleged complicity of security forces in these attacks is a common thread running through numerous eyewitness testimonies. In Riyom LGA, Islamist Fulani herdsmen attacked Jol village for a full week beginning July 15. During the attack, an army officer stationed in neighboring Sho community, Barkin Ladi, reportedly abandoned his post, changed into plain clothes, and joined the attackers. A local security official confirmed that the officer had been arrested. Reports of these incidents come from eyewitnesses and have not been verified through official channels.
Gankis Emmanuel Dalyop, 47, youth leader of Jol Ward, said the community had “not rested” since the attacks began. He described the attackers traveling roughly three to four kilometers by motorcycle from a settlement locals call Mahanga, formerly Rangkum before its Fulani occupants renamed it. According to Dalyop, they then crossed a river on foot and arrived in groups of 200 to 400 people, typically between 4 and 8 p.m.
Dalyop said the attackers track the village at night using a drone that they “fly in the air at night,” which he distinguished from drones operated by security forces. He added that vigilantes stationed nearby alert residents so they can call in security forces.
He said the conflict has lasted 25 to 26 years and that Fulani settlers now occupy roughly 98 percent of the community’s traditional land. “We are just using 2% of our land,” he said.
Asked why neighboring Fulani settlements never attack one another, Dalyop replied, “They only face us.” He added that Fulani contacts who privately share information have declined to identify the organizers of the attacks because “they are afraid of their neighbours.”
His response underscores the difficulty of independently verifying allegations of security force involvement or the reported use of helicopters. Official sources willing to corroborate these claims are difficult to find. Until stronger evidence can be established, the allegations are easily dismissed by authorities, which also means meaningful steps may not be taken to protect Christian communities from these threats.

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