The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration's enhancements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database on Friday, nullifying a district court judge's block in June.
Note: Though related, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) SAVE database and President Donald Trump's proposed SAVE America Act are not the same measures.
Politically Split on SAVE: The Court's six conservative justices – Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, John G. Roberts, Jr., and Clarence Thomas – held the majority opinion and stated that the district court order "inhibits the Federal Government's efforts to assist state and local agencies in the proper administration of the midterm elections." It also, however, upholds a provision that "prohibit[es] states from 'systematically remov[ing] the names of ineligible voters' from their rolls during the 90 days prior to any primary or general election." (The 2026 Midterms are less than 40 days away.)
Liberal justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented, stating, "The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the Government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take."
For Context: Trump's enhancements to the SAVE database, which was first established in 1986, include stricter regulations on mail-in voting, a federal voter registration list, and increased records access and transparency. US District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan blocked the enhancements in June due to their alleged privacy violations. Track more of Trump's history with voter eligibility here.
Bipartisan Missouri Ruling: The Court also ruled on Friday against a GOP attempt to redraw Missouri's congressional map – the success of which would have removed a Democrat's seat in the House of Representatives. The justices presented no division in the unsigned ruling and asserted, "At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos."
How The Media Covered: News outlets across the political spectrum covered both the split and bipartisan rulings, though many used slanted language for both stories as election-related issues become stronger points of contention ahead of the 2026 Midterms. MS NOW (Left bias), for example, highlighted the SAVE ruling's dissent and the Court's "GOP-appointed majority," while Fox News (Right) framed it as a "win" for Trump and gave a more prominent voice to its supporters. Fox also noted, "States' use of the SAVE program is voluntary."
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a three‑day Washington summit, following an earlier move by the two nations to extend by two months a trade truce that was set to expire on Nov. 10.
Unprecedented Greeting: President Trump greeted Xi at Joint Base Andrews, considered an uncommon gesture for a sitting president. It was the first time in 11 years that a US president welcomed a foreign leader at the base, according to Reuters (Center). Both leaders appeared to publicly emphasize friendship and stability. "President Xi and Madam Peng have just left D.C., heading for China. The meeting was one of Friendship, Strength, and Success, for both China and the U.S.A.," Trump said on Truth Social. "Much has been, and will be, accomplished. I look forward to our next meeting!" First Lady Melania Trump had announced that the visit would feature military ceremonies, flyovers, a state dinner and a joint tour of the National Archives.
Trade Truce Extension: The United States and China agreed to extend their temporary tariff truce, which had been set to expire in mid‑November. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the extension would give both sides more time to negotiate a broader trade deal. China reached an agreement with the US on a tariff-reduction arrangement and on discussions related to artificial intelligence. Officials say the extra time is meant to allow negotiations on a larger trade deal. Both leaders discussed the wars in Iran and Ukraine, as well as the status of Taiwan.
Media Portrayal: Coverage from major outlets differed on their descriptions of the visit. The Guardian (Lean left) framed the meetings as "an elaborate state visit that critics say went big on style but lacked substance." But Fox News (Right) reported that President Xi "praised the level of 'perfection' on display," and noted Trump's comments that the two world leaders had a "very productive" time.
"Higher Under Biden": President Donald Trump posted Sunday to his Truth Social account saying, "Gas prices were much higher under Biden than under 'TRUMP.' So were almost all other prices." According to AAA, the national gas price average was at $4.4918 on Friday, with California showing the highest average of $6.2882. AAA also highlighted in April that the national average rose above $4/gallon for the first time since 2022, when the national average reached a record of $5/gallon.
"The Appearance Of Scarcity": Opinion writer Lindsay Owens for The Boston Globe (Left bias) said "The price tag, once a symbol of fairness and transparency, has disappeared," adding that "Yes, you're being ripped off." Owens cited Glen Heller, a gas station owner during the 1979 oil crisis who, although being found guilty of price gouging , had his conviction overturned on a technicality and "continued to gouge customers at the pump. Rampant price gouging during the crisis spurred various pieces of legislation to control it, however, according to Owens, new technologies allow for sellers to "overcharge you 24/7, often without you realizing it." She cited allegations that AI-pricing firm Kalibrate "powered a scheme helping 1,700 gas stations work together to keep prices artificially high." The technology today, Owens explained, can use a "little algorithmic smoke and mirrors—and a lack of competition" to "manufacture the appearance of scarcity."
"Prime Opportunity": Fox News (Right) highlighted the perspective of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), who "argued that China is one of the biggest culprits in Americans' current struggle with high cost of living—particularly at the gas pump." The chairman explained that "If President Trump can secure that China will stop arming Iran, who is trying to destabilize this key oil route [Strait of Hormuz] through the globe, then the president will have done something very important for affordability." Mast said China "probably is the number one actor that is working to raise those prices" by supporting both Iran and Russia's wars, adding that "Trump has a prime opportunity" during his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to press him about "easing up on that support for Tehran, in particular."
West Australian Labor MP Dave Kelly wants the Lord’s Prayer booted from parliament.
Kelly’s arguing that the Lord’s Prayer, first prayed in 1890, in a state he admits was founded by Christians, is no longer relevant.
He then frames the prayer as oppressive and racist.
Demanding the prayer’s cancellation in February, he wrote,
“Forcing citizens to participate in the Christian religion [or any other] is no longer acceptable or lawful.
“WA is now a proud multicultural community welcoming citizens from all around the globe.”
He adds to the petition pushing for the Christian prayer to be excluded from parliament: “Now more than ever we should strive to make everyone feel welcome and included.”
Starting the day with The Lord’s Prayer is no longer appropriate, Kelly declared.
“It is not inclusive and no longer serves its purpose.”
“Finally, the community is now more than aware of the thousands of children sexually abused by members in various organisations including Christian churches.”
“In these circumstances,” he stated, “you cannot underestimate the triggering effect on survivors when they come to this place and see that the Legislative Assembly starts every day with a Christian prayer.”
These reasons are, Kelly argued, why the Lord’s Prayer should be replaced “with a more inclusive moment of quiet reflection.”
“Respect for our Christian heritage used to be something all sides of politics broadly understood,” she said.
“Opening Parliament with the Lord’s Prayer was seen as a simple acknowledgement of the Christian heritage of our Nation, and the faith that shaped so much of our law and culture.”
Answering Kelly’s vile attempt to link Christianity with oppression, racism, and sexual abuse, Groenewald asserted,
“Abuse is evil and must always be condemned.”
“To imply that the prayer Jesus Christ taught His disciples is, in itself, a symbol of that evil is effectively to say that any reference to Christianity must be read through the worst actions ever committed by people within the church.”
“That is,” she correctly stated, “a standard Dave Kelly MLA would never dream of applying to any other faith group.”
Contributing in August to the review Kelly’s request prompted, the Australian Christian Lobby’s Michelle Pearse said the Lord’s Prayer should stay.
In sum, Pearse countered that the prayer reminds Government that it is not God, and that its authority is borrowed.
“The practice,” Pearse explained, “is not an establishment of religion or an imposition of worship.”
The Lord’s Prayer “is a short, scriptural and deeply respected prayer that seeks guidance, wisdom, forgiveness and protection for those in authority.”
“It gives solemnity to proceedings, acknowledges the historical sources of Western Australia’s democracy and parliamentary institutions.
“It reminds Members that political authority is limited and should be directed to the welfare of the people it governs.”
“A moment of silence,” Pearse added, “would be an inadequate substitute.”
Although the prayer remains, its future is yet to be decided.
While Kelly’s complaints have been acknowledged, the matter is under review.
As a Discussion Paper released in June concluded, the issue warranted careful consideration because of “broader questions about the balance between tradition and modernisation.”
This included considerations about “the symbolic role of parliamentary procedure.”
President Trump said on Sunday that he was “rejecting” a proposal from Iran to end the war and fully open the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, comments that came after The Wall Street Journal reported that he’s expecting to resume bombing Iran after the midterm elections. “I’m rejecting their deal,” Trump told reporters, according […]
An IDF whistleblower has risked his life to blow the whistle on Israel’s involvement in the Charlie Kirk assassination, revealing the TPUSA founder survived the botched assassination at the UVU campus, before he was beheaded [...]
Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least eight Palestinians over the past three days, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as the IDF continues its constant violations of the so-called ceasefire deal that was signed in October 2025. The Health Ministry said on Saturday that at least six Palestinians were killed and 38 were […]
On Saturday, Israeli officials reported that Hezbollah carried out an explosive drone attack against their troops. Notably, the drone was described by the IDF as having been “launched toward” their troops, but it caused no damage or casualties. Israel responded with yet another substantial escalation of Israeli strikes against southern Lebanon. Intense shelling was reported […]
Saudi airstrikes hit a market in Yemen’s Taiz province on Sunday, killing at least seven people and wounding 40, including five children, according to Ansar Allah officials and Yemeni media reports. Footage from Yemen’s Al Masirah TV shows the aftermath of the strike, which hit several shops, and Yemeni civilians being treated for their wounds. […]
Governments, as Murray Rothbard reminded us, are nothing but “armed criminal bands writ large”. The Trump Administration has done all it can to prove Rothbard right.
The United States ceased being a republic 160 years ago. But its government stopped pretending to rule one much more recently. In the 20th century it became an empire. During this one, it’s been a degenerate one.
Yesterday at the UN, the current emperor personified how degraded it has become. He again threatened “annihilation” of the civilization he “Pearl Harbored” almost eight months ago:
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into Hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
Leaving aside his reflexive use of the word “I”, as if a president has authority to eradicate “future generations”, what “people or countries” has Iran ever destroyed?
For at least a century and a half, Iran hasn’t launched a war against any country. Nor has it instigated a coup against the U.S. government, installed its handpicked dictator, and surrounded America with Persian military bases.
Before this war, the U.S. had about twenty military installations with almost 50,000 personnel around the Middle East. This century alone, the U.S. government has lobbed more than a hundred thousand bombs and missiles on at least eight countries in that region.
It also backed the brutal Iraq war on Iran, which killed up to a quarter million Iranians. And we wonder why they’ve said mean things about Americans! After what the US government has done this year, Iranians have more reason to voice displeasure.
During the sneak attack that started this war (as opposed to the one he launched last year), Donald Trump assassinated the leadership of Iran and murdered almost two hundred school girls. We’d like to think killing the kids was an accident.
But why should we? The administration never apologized for it. Ludicrously, it tried to blame Iran, and then kept threatening that country with complete destruction.
Why would a president who threatens to “annihilate” 90 million innocent people not be willing to take out some children? He and his supporters would simply excuse themselves by blaming Iran, lamenting “collateral damage”, and shrugging that “War is Hell” (as if that weren’t a reason not to start one).
In his address yesterday, the president wasn’t even asking the UN (much less the US Congress) for a resolution allowing him to commit atrocities. He simply told them he’s mulling whether to wipe out a country whose representatives were in the room.
While most of us are numb to Trump being outrageous, how aren’t more public officials appalled by such depravity? Democrats aren’t widely denouncing him, which again reveals how indistinguishable the parties are regarding most things that matter.
This entire catastrophe is incoherent. The president who (ostensibly) waged war to keep Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons his own intelligence said it wasn’t building now hints he’d use nukes to ensure Iran doesn’t get them. This from a guy who partly justified his war as a way to rescue “the Iranian people”.
If Trump were to turn Iran into an ashtray, then what? Notwithstanding the moral enormity of such an outrage, how does making Iran a chaotic wasteland help the U.S.?
It may debilitate proxies and allies such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. But those organizations are Israel’s problem. None posed a threat to Iowa.
They became America’s concern only because the US intervened on Israel’s behalf, which provoked Houthi attacks on U.S. ships in recent years and the 1983 Hezbollah bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut.
Iran is home to about 40% of the 300 million Shia Muslims around the world. How will the rest of them react? Will Americans be “safer” if a bunch of aggrieved Islamists decide to get even?
Will mass destruction open a strait that wasn’t impeded before Trump unleashed this idiocy? Or will it leave the choke point controlled by hostile renegades with an insatiable vendetta, while creating regional vacuums for Israel to fill?
The U.S. president openly boasts about kidnapping and killing foreign rulers, stealing other countries’ resources, and potentially obliterating civilizations that’ve existed for thousands of years.
He bragged about looting Venezuelan oil by telling the UN (which was supposedly established to thwart such thuggery) that “to the victor goes the spoils”.
Why doesn’t this rationale work when Putin attacks the Ukraine or if China took Taiwan? Do Iranian or Venezuelan borders not have the “sanctity” of the ones Russians crossed or that China might erase?
The administration sold the Venezuela invasion as a fight against illegal immigrants and drugs. Now the president admits it was outright robbery, while lying about the value of the loot. And he’s proud of it. But few others are.
Aside from the dwindling cohort of MAGA cultists, most Americans are repulsed by what their government is doing. They never wanted more wars. Along with controlling immigration and taming inflation, ending them and avoiding new ones were among the main reasons they voted for Trump.
Yet as the administration runs roughshod, Congress sits silent. It should’ve impeached, removed, and imprisoned this president for usurping its powers. Instead, the Republican leadership called a recess till the midterms, forfeiting the last month of its worthless majority.
After starting imbecilic wars and passing boondoggle bills that make food, fuel, and housing prohibitively expensive while bragging about a ballroom and renaming bodies of water, the Republicans deserve to be ousted. [Both sides are an enemy of the people, abolish government altogether]
Among the worst consequences of their malfeasance is that it’ll return power to a party that’s uniformly awful. But such is the state of our “democracy” that cyanide and arsenic are the only options offered.
This weekend marked the two-year anniversary of the Israeli killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He was killed in an Israeli attack during the previous Israeli war on Lebanon, a fact which is particularly relevant this year as Israel is in the midst of an ongoing invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. His successor, Naim […]
Caught on Tape: AIPAC CEO Boasted of Controlling Trump’s National Security Officials
LewRockwell.com
Paul Craig Roberts | PaulCraigRoberts.org
Elliot Brandt, the Chief Executive Officer of AIPAC–the Israel Lobby-which is privileged by not having to register as a foreign lobby was caught on tape boasting about how easy it is for him to control the President of the United States and Trump’s national security officials–National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and others.
In a stunning leaked recording, AIPAC CEO Elliot Brandt is heard openly bragging about how the powerful pro-Israel lobby manipulates key figures in Donald Trump’s national security inner circle, pushing them toward another costly and unpopular war in the Middle East on behalf of Israel.
The audio has ignited outrage online, fueling accusations that U.S. foreign policy is being dictated not by American interests, but by a foreign-aligned lobbying machine with unchecked influence. Critics say the leak is further proof that the United States is not just compromised — it is occupied.
You can listen to it here:
US Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to four-star general Colin Powell, Secretary of State in the George W. Bush regime, said:
“I watched Mossad take over the Pentagon in 2002. They did not need any identification to get through the river entrance to the building. They went upstairs to Douglas Feith, the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy—the third most powerful man in the Defense Department. Occasionally, they went to Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy Secretary of Defense.”
Both the 2nd and 3rd most powerful positions in the Pentagon were Zionist Jews supportive of Greater Israel’s hegemony over the Middle East. They were able to put America to war in the Middle East for the Zionist agenda of Greater Israel–from the Nile to the Euphrates, today from the Nile to Pakistan. 9/11 was their orchestrated “Pearl Harbor” that let them launch their “war on terror” which was in reality America’s destruction of Iraq, Libya, and Syria, which were obstacles to Israel’s expansion. At the present time the Israel Lobby has Americans at war with Iran, a war that to date has left Iran the victor.
Trump is smarting under the military defeat he brought to America. He has tried to hide it in his blustering.
Netanyahu knowing that Trump cannot accept defeat has Trump wired up to escape defeat by saving face by nuking Iran. Thus, Trump’s threat on Tuesday, September 22 before the entire world at the UN General Assembly gave Iran until after the US midterm election on November 3 to surrender or be annihilated. Annihilation of Iran requires Trump’s or Israel’s use of nuclear weapons.
What the world witnessed last Tuesday was the total controlling power of Israel over American foreign policy. The Trump regime does not serve America. It does not serve its NATO allies. It does not serve peace or justice. The Trump Regime serves Israel at the expense not only of all Americans but also all of the world.
On November 3, we will find out what percentage of Americans, if any at all, understand this.
Britain now has more illegal Channel arrivals under the Labour government, which has been in power two years, than it has soldiers in the British Army.
Almost 90 percent of those intercepted since 2018 have been male; two-thirds are aged 18 to 39
Home Office figures put small-boat arrivals since Labour took office on 4 July 2024 at 83,279. The regular Army stands at 83,000.
On Wednesday alone, 781 people came ashore — the worst single day since Andy Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister in July. The first three days of the week delivered 1,085 arrivals. Across 809 days of Labour government, that works out at roughly 103 people a day.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the milestone speaks for itself. “Labour has let an entire army-sized population cross the Channel illegally,” he said. “More people have arrived in small boats than we have soldiers defending Britain. That is completely bonkers. Labour has lost control of our borders and seems utterly incapable of getting it back.”
Former Royal Navy officer Chris Parry went further. Labour’s intake, he said, amounts to six-and-a-half divisions of fighting-age men. “That’s more divisions than were in the Allied assault wave on D-Day,” he added, calling the crossings “amphibious operations against our coast.”
The comparison is worse when the rest of the services are brought in. Labour’s small-boat total already sits 15,429 ahead of the Royal Navy and RAF combined, which together field 67,850 full-time personnel. And this is only the post-election slice. Under the Conservatives, around 128,000 people arrived by dinghy. Since records began in December 2018 the running total has blown past 200,000 — higher than the combined strength of the Army, Navy and RAF.
Writing in the Mail after more than 1,200 people crossed from Monday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “It is utterly insane. And if it wasn’t clear before, the events of the past few days have proved beyond any reasonable doubt that both Border Force and the Home Office have completely lost control.”
He added: “Years ago, I warned the small boats crisis would define this era of British politics. Predictably, the chin-stroking commentariat declared I was exaggerating. Well, look where we are now.”
“Ordinary Britons rightly ask if successive governments cannot stop people from arriving illegally in broad daylight, let alone under cover of darkness without detection, then what exactly is the point of having a border?” Farage asked. His party wants the largest military operation in the Channel since the Second World War and a return of every illegal arrival to France.
Two boats this week reached British beaches without Border Force interception — one at Samphire Hoe between Dover and Folkestone, another near Folkestone the day before. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered an “urgent review” and said even one uncontrolled landing is “one too many.” Education Secretary Lucy Powell then told GB News that “you can’t stop everything all of the time,” while insisting Mahmood was taking “swift action to find out what’s gone wrong here and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Border Force union official Lucy Moreton was less diplomatic. Undetected landings are “absolutely, definitely happening,” she said, with abandoned vessels and reports “all the way down to Falmouth.” “If we don’t look for it, we don’t know it’s happening. We don’t know it’s happening, we don’t have to deal with it.”
Labour’s first act in 2024 was to scrap the Rwanda deterrent. Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie said the latest numbers follow from that choice. “We’ve got a government that is oblivious to the scale of the problem we face in the Channel,” he said. “It’s not a surprise, frankly, because the very first thing this Labour government did was get rid of any sort of deterrent to prevent illegal migrants coming into this country.”
Former Home Office borders director Glyn Williams told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “the consequences of a failing policy… are becoming more and more extreme,” and that “more extreme measures” may now have to be considered.
The official line is that crossings are down 42 percent this year and that summer 2026 was the quietest since 2020. That is the defence ministers reach for while dinghies still beach in Kent and Britain discusses paying France another billion pounds for the next small-boats deal. GB News presenter Patrick Christys called the week “full-on illegal migrant carnage.”
The people coming off those boats do not vanish. They are processed, housed and parked on the public. We have already covered what that looks like on the ground. In Piddington, Oxfordshire — 350 residents, 46 children, no shop, no pub — a Home Office paper for the old MoD depot discussed 3,510 “service users” against an official planning figure of 1,256 single adult males. Ten migrants for every local.
Similar dumps are lined up at Linton-on-Ouse, Barnham and Crowborough as hotels are emptied into former barracks.
The legal machine that then keeps them here is not a refugee system. It is a production line. A Home Office official who has handled thousands of cases put the genuine share at “at best 1 per cent.” Package stories, recycled police letters, staged nightclub photos, modern-slavery claims that cannot be disproved. Grant rates still run in the tens of thousands. Removals do not.
Who helps keep the Channel route open is another story again. NGO networks on the French coast have spent years treating the crossing as a humanitarian project rather than a breach of an island nation’s border.
Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet urged “Military-age men are pouring into Britain across the Channel. Illegal Channel crossings are now a major political crisis, and pose a real and present threat to our national security.”
Almost 90 percent of those intercepted since 2018 have been male; two-thirds are aged 18 to 39. People-smuggling gangs have told reporters that Iran has used the route to move operatives in return for a “favour” once on British soil. In 2023, nineteen suspected terrorists linked to Islamic State and al-Shabaab were reported to have arrived the same way.
A country that cannot stop a dinghy in daylight does not have a border policy. It has a ferry service run by criminal gangs, underwritten by hotels, lawyers and a claims system that treats refusal as the hard option.
Labour inherited a failure and then dismantled the one deterrent it had. Burnham now inherits the same beaches, the same numbers, and an actual Army smaller than the cohort that has already washed up on his party’s watch.
Details continue to come in, but police in the United Kingdom have declared a “major incident” and ordered evacuations near RAF Fairford after the arrest of “several men on suspicion of offenses under the explosives act,” the Gloucestershire Constabulary stated.
RAF Fairford is a major hub for U.S. military aircraft in the United Kingdom. It is a regular host of strategic assets, including bombers and U-2 spy planes. It also acts as a pit stop for other aircraft, including fighters, that are being ferried to and from the United States. Bomber strikes launched from Fairford were a central aspect of major U.S. combat operations against Iran earlier this year.
“A number of properties are currently being evacuated in the Whelford area following the declaration of a major incident,” the Gloucestershire Constabulary also announced today in light of the incident.
Emergency services in Fairford after a major incident has been declared, with armed police manning a cordon near the village of Whelford in Gloucestershire, near RAF Fairford, which is used by the United States Air Force (USAF). (Photo by Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images) Ben Birchall – PA Images
The evacuations were spurred by the arrests.
“The Army’s specialist explosive ordnance disposal team are currently examining a number of vehicles,” Gloucestershire Constabulary added. “The local residents are being evacuated to a nearby leisure center.”
“A cordon is currently in place, but we’d like to reassure people that we believe this incident is contained,” the law enforcement agency explained. “We are working closely with our partners and are enacting the well-rehearsed plans we have in place.”
The incident began around 12:45 AM local time Sunday “when police received a call relating to three suspicious vehicles traveling towards RAF Fairford,” according to Gloucestershire police Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone. “Armed officers responded and subsequently arrested five men in the Whelford area on suspicion of committing offenses under the Explosives Act. The men were taken into custody, where they remain.”
“A 400-meter cordon has been put in place around the vehicles while the army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit examined them,” Ocene continued. “As a precaution, around 85 households have been advised to evacuate while these examinations take place.”
BREAKING:
The British authorities issue a first official statement on the suspected terror plot against RAF Fairford
They sent in a local low-ranking policemen to deliver a statement saying 5 men have been arrested and that people shouldn’t speculate about the case.
“We are aware of the current reporting, for questions regarding off-base incidents please contact the local authorities,” a U.S. Air Force spokesperson told us in response to our questions about whether the incident had raised force protection levels at RAF Fairford or other installations in the area hosting American forces. Unconfirmed reports by the local aviation spotter community claimed RAF Fairford had been placed under what is called FPCON Delta, the highest level of alert at U.S. military installations.
The incident at RAF Fairford has been escalating overnight, this is what is clear so far.
Gloucestershire Police has announced that they have arrested multiple men on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act, and that they have declared a Major Incident.
“For operational security reasons we will not discuss specific force protection measures,” the Air Force spokesperson added. “The 501st Combat Support Wing and our fellow UK-based Wings remain vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our U.S. service members, civilians, contractors, and their families. We constantly assess a variety of factors that determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”
It is unclear if airfield operations at RAF Fairford have been affected. U.S. Air Force officials did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
The British Defense Ministry did not immediately provide comment on this unfolding event.
RAF Fairford is a major hub for U.S. military aircraft, with strategic assets, like B-1B Lancer bombers, being forward deployed to the base and tactical and other assets often using it as a pit stop during flights ‘across the pond.’
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer at RAF Fairford. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Robert M. Trujillo) Tech. Sgt. Robert Trujillo
As mentioned, RAF Fairford played a key role in major combat operations against Iran earlier this year. No connection has been established yet between today’s incident and any particular group, but the base has drawn direct threats from the regime in Tehran in the past.
“The American aggressor army, which used to launch cruise missiles from its vessels in the Indian Ocean in its aggression after the official resumption of the war, with the end of the missile reserves of the aforementioned vessels, yesterday switched to using B1 planes flying from Fairford Air Base, England,” Tasnim News Agency, a quasi-state outlet in Iran with ties to the country’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed on Telegram on July 23. “As the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated, any base that is used to invade Iran’s territory is our legitimate goal.”
the enemy must pay the price for its breach of promises, and this time we will not allow America to use deceptive ceasefires to replenish its oil and ammunition stockpiles and then resume attacks once again.
Considering its importance to U.S. military operations, the base is a major potential target for nefarious actors, in general. Like other bases across Europe, it is a major potential target for Russia’s ‘hybrid war’ or ‘gray zone’ activities, as well.
Asked about the threats at the time, a British official told us that the country was prepared to defend itself.
“Our Armed Forces are ready to keep the United Kingdom safe from any kind of attacks, whether it’s on our soil or from abroad,” a government official told TWZ. “The UK stands ready 24/7 to defend itself. This includes through operating a layered approach to air and missile defense, provided by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force assets equipped with a range of advanced capabilities, working closely with our NATO allies.”
“In the Defense Investment Plan we have made air and missile defense a priority after years of underfunding, dedicating £790 million to enhance protection of the UK homeland and overseas bases from air, drone and missile threats,” the official added. “That is complemented by more than £2 billion of funding to deliver further air defense and counter-drone capabilities, and to upgrade and sustain our Typhoon fleet.”
This is a developing story.
UPDATE: 10:49 AM Eastern –
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) has been imposed over Whelford, Gloucestershire, following the incident. It applies to all aircraft, including “any small balloon, any kite, any UAS and any parachute, including a parascending parachute or paramotor,” according to the FAA. “Pilots are forbidden to fly within the designated area without permission.”
Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX fame and fortune advises that stronger coordination between the United States and China could avoid potential satellite collisions, one area for bilateral space cooperation. Musk was interviewed last week by the China Media Group (CMG) in Silicon Valley, California. “In space I think the most important thing to achieve […]
Eight US Navy members attempted suicide during deployment on the USS Abraham Lincoln this year, according to the US Navy. Outlets across the political spectrum covered the story similarly, but framed it within different contexts.
The Details: In a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed the number, saying it included sailors assigned to the Lincoln aircraft carrier, its air wing and the destroyers escorting the ship. It's not clear the manner of each attempt, though, CNN (Lean Left bias) reported that two sailors jumped overboard and were rescued by helicopters. Another reportedly attempted to jump overboard, but was stopped by fellow shipmates. Cao said no troops had killed themselves during deployment
For Context: The Lincoln spent 286 days at sea during its deployment from Nov. 2025 to Aug. 2026, which set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea. Following reports of mental health crises and lack of resources on board, the carrier was replaced by the USS George Washington and headed back to San Diego earlier this month. At that time, reports said there had been at least two possible suicide attempts aboard. According to Cao, the Lincoln deployed with various mental health resources onboard, including 11 mental health professionals and an expeditionary facility dog.
Highlighting Different Quotes: Outlets highlighted different quotes from Gillibrand. CNN included her full quote, including her saying, "Eight attempted suicides is incredibly high…What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as 'fake news' turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members." New York Post (Right) emphasized the toll on US troops by using her quote: "Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect."
Mental Health On Board: Outlets across the political spectrum noted that President Trump downplayed reports of mental health concerns. The Daily Caller (Right)described conditions that could negatively influence troop mental health, including "long separation from family, lack of privacy, and little access to mental health care." It also cited research that found despite naval personnel reporting the highest rates of serious psychological distress, few studies have examined their experiences. The New Republic (Left)criticized the deployment for the Iran war, asserting, "This war is so pointless, so wasteful, and so unpopular that those who are supposed to be fighting it would rather leap into the waters of the Persian Gulf." International Business Time (Center) quoted the wife of one of the sailors who jumped overboard saying he faced disciplinary action and was accused of faking an illness.
After banning certain news outlets from accessing the White House, the Trump administration launched Trump TV on Monday, a 24/7 stream available on YouTube, the White House website, and the White House app.
"Tune Out Fake News": According to The White House Wire (Lean Right bias), the White House app, as of September 22, "reached No. 1 in the News category on the App Store and climbed into the Top 20 among all apps." The demand for the app "is rising as legacy networks fall in line behind CNN, MS Now, and Politico, outlets whose White House credentials were pulled after a long record of false reporting." The Wire stated that "The American people are not waiting on those cameras; they are going straight to the Presidency," adding that "Americans are choosing the source over the spin."
"Trump Wallpaper": Opinion writer for The Guardian (Left) Martin Belam called the stream "propaganda for the Maga faithful," saying "the anchor-less channel dispenses with traditional broadcast norms," and adding that there is "no schedule, no on-screen description of what is being shown, and zero context for where or when a clip was recorded." Watching the stream, according to The Guardian, "is less like watching a news network and more like installing Trump wallpaper." The Daily Beast (Left)said "The president's new channel is less popular than black screens and someone filming their own feet," adding that it's "like watching paint dry."
Media Ban: The White House restored access to banned reporters on Thursday after a ruling from Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington DC, who said the ban was likely implemented without "constitutionally adequate due process." President Donald Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal (Center) signaled earlier in the week that he would appeal the order to reinstate reporters' credentials.
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