Folks, the US lost to Iran, decisively, and there is no way to un-lose now by any practical means. The IRI is the hegemon of the Gulf Arabs now. The Strait of Hormuz will not be free again in my lifetime. Freedom of navigation is dead as international norm. He ruined the world. Best to make do.

I see 4 major developments manifest in yesterday's elections: 1) El-Sayed's victory, along with multiple downballot victories shows a significant expansion of DSA/Sanders/AOC-aligned power in the heartland, where we've been told it just couldn't reach. 1/5

for reasons that only make sense if you're insane, a TPUSA kid complaining about burrito costs on xitter has the GOP's biggest divas going for each other's throats.

⚠️ AIPAC out with a statement: “Our members remain determined to ensure that voters reject Dr. El-Sayed and his radical anti-Israel agenda in November.”

Good and important messaging, but it is striking how Muslim candidates are repeatedly defamed as “terrorists” and then have to turn around and issue such statements when there is no similar expectation that Christian or Jewish candidates need to do the same for their Muslim-American constituents.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5h ago

El-Sayed: "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters. Because if there is one question of political philosophy that ought to animate us all, it's what would we do if we treated all our kids like they were all of our kids?"

⚠️ Democrats in array: Schumer, Gillibrand, and Whitmer coalesce behind El-Sayed

⚠️ Haley Stevens concedes and offers Abdul El-Sayed her “full support”: haleyformi.com/news/haley-s...

‼️ AP calls it for El-Sayed

AIPAC should be required to register under FARA.

I wonder if I’ll live long enough to stop having an election-related PTSD response…

Alright fellow political junkies, here’s a gift link to the NYT live updates results page—happy refreshing!

Primary Elections Live Updates: In Michigan Senate Race, El-Sayed and Stevens Face Off (Gift Article)

Polls are closed in most of the state, where Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, is facing Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate, in the Democratic primary for Senate. Kansas, Missouri, Virginia and...

nytimes.com

Bombshell new report out from my investigators this morning spanning our four year investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial records. This report shows exactly how Wall Street protected Epstein and enabled his sex trafficking for decades. Mega thread following with some key points:

Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, BofA Enabled Epstein, Wyden Report Says

Democrat Ron Wyden cited nonpublic documents held by the US Treasury in a report that says banks delayed reporting suspicious financial transactions and calls for tougher anti-money-laundering rules, ...

bloomberg.com

'You'll choke too' - an aerial embroidery landscape inspired by all the wildfires happening right now... I'm upset every time I smell smoke outside and somehow we have people starting them maliciously too! But we all breathe the same air so they'll choke too (1/2 - see thread for close-ups)

It should go without saying, but just in case: no legitimate parenting plan would prohibit a parent from taking an injured child to the emergency room. He’s lying.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 23h ago

Rep. Max Miller: "When I was reported for child abuse of my daughter for a broken collarbone, my daughter was in my ex-wife's care 9 out of the last 11 days and she took her to the emergency room, which is a contempt violation from our shared parenting plan."

Bad day to know how to read.

Ben Collins@bencollins.bsky.social · 23h ago

Oh my god the dietician who is telling everyone in the White House to only eat steak and sauerkraut doesn't wipe his ass.

Texas voter suppression efforts are underway:

Jen Rice@jenrice.bsky.social · yesterday

In TX: Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare just CLEARED the meeting room, kicking out public speakers who are opposed to the GOP plan to cut half of the battleground county's Election Day voting locations for November:

Army ends anonymous reporting for harassment complaints trib.al/oQU93m2

Army ends anonymous reporting for harassment complaints

Soldiers can no longer make anonymous reports of discrimination, and commanders can more easily dismiss complaints they disagree with.

trib.al

You can read “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury here: users.wpi.edu/~zrbutzke/Do...

Adam Rawnsley@arawnsley.bsky.social · yesterday

Today, August 4, 2026, is the setting of Ray Bradbury’s short story “There Will Come Soft Rains” about a fully automated house continuing on after the family who lived there and the world around it died in a nuclear blast.

Well, at least it was for a completely lawless and pointless cause.

CNBC@cnbc.com · yesterday

U.S. has used 'virtually all' of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war: Reuters

The ICC chief prosecutor has been sanctioned by the Trump administration and also debanked. Worth listening to in full because this is being done in our names on behalf of Israeli war criminals:

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · yesterday

ICC CHIEF PROSECUTOR: “Oppose Israel and we will go after your family — You have been warned. Rubio, McConnell sent me a letter… what’s liberating is accepting mortality.”

The largest funeral in Gaza history is being held today as the remains of 112 people from a single clan are laid to rest after being buried in rubble for three years. More than 300 people were killed in the strike by Israel, including 44 children and 37 women. The others were vaporized.

Gaza families bury 112 people recovered nearly three years after Israeli strikes

Remains recovered from beneath the rubble renew grief for families still searching for thousands missing in Gaza

middleeasteye.net

Bonnie is being a very good girl tolerating her headwrap while she heals from surgery. (She is also on drugs to keep her calm, which helps a lot.)

“The story is one of systemic failure: how an enormous strategic objective—regime change—became an executable mission without the political level, the IDF, and the Mossad ever genuinely agreeing on what it was…” Must-read piece by Nadav Eyal about decision-making in Israel leading to the Iran War:

Exclusive: The Warning Netanyahu Got Before the War

An in-depth look at Roaring Lion — the war aim Israel never made public, the intelligence assessment that failure could push Iran toward the bomb, and what the Mossad told the Kurds

nadaveyal.com

There is absolutely a lane on the Democratic side for carving out voters who have concerns about corporate influence over health-related policy and who are not anti-science cranks. I’m glad to see @aoc.bsky.social trying to establish that lane, but her messaging needs to be tightened up quite a bit.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez@ocasio-cortez.house.gov · 2d ago

There is pervasive corruption across our healthcare and agricultural systems that defy party lines. I meet with MAHA activists because a lot of their concerns are bipartisan issues that major corporations paint as partisan. The fight isn't left and right, it's top and bottom.

extreme income inequality is bad for a lot of reasons but today the one i'm mad at is people having the wealth and power to force me to live inside their delusions

In her recent interview with Ezra Klein, Maggie Haberman said of Trump: “If you looked at a chart of his mind share — this I will say about getting into his mind: Seventy percent of it would be on his renovations.”

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d ago

Trump: "Now we have a big decision to make. Do we take the pavers that are red -- the red, brick pavers -- and do we change them into a granite?"

War kills. War makes life unaffordable for the many. But war is great for profits. “Profits accounted for 13.9% of US economic output in the first quarter, the highest share recorded.” JPMorgan CEO Dimon said the environment was “getting close to as good as it gets”.

Two weeks before the recent influx of tens of thousands of Moroccans onto the territory of Spain—a NATO member—the US House passed a bill asserting for the first time that “Ceuta and Melilla are located in Moroccan territory” and allocating $20 million to Morocco. (www.congress.gov/119/crpt/hrp...)

The court’s action was in response to a petition by an animal rights group concerned about the welfare of the crocodiles. It was not based on concern for the welfare of Palestinian prisoners. (Yes, really.)

Middle East Eye (Unofficial)@middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social · 2d ago

Israeli court blocks Ben Gvir crocodile moat plan for prisons holding Palestinians - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-court-blocks-ben-gvir-crocodile-moat-plan-prisons-holding