It’s August 31, 2026. Let’s get right into today’s top stories:
The U.S. and Iran are trading strikes again
Trump, losing the war, resorts to AI
Markets are jittery as Bessent talks up his economic squeeze on Iran and escalates the trade war with Canada
LIV Golf is reportedly heading for bankruptcy
MAGA Republicans want Alberta to be the 51st state
The Trump regime is now pressuring Apple to rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America”
Trump brags he’s “largely taken care of inflation” as inflation rages
A bombshell report says the Pentagon secretly planted MAGA military influencers in civilian jobs to do Hegseth and the Trump regime’s dirty work on social media
Again: thanks so much to everyone for letting us know they’ve pre-ordered our book WTF America. It truly means the world to us.
Also: If you’re seeing this message, that means you’ve been identified as one of our most engaged readers. As a thank you, we would like to offer you 35% off if you convert now and become a paid subscriber to this Substack. That’s just about 20 cents a day to support independent media.
Let’s get into it.
Iran and Jordan Under Fire
Last night, the U.S. said it struck two Iranian rocket launchers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran quickly struck back, firing missiles at U.S. bases in the region. Earlier, Trump vowed to hit Iran hard after an attack on U.S. forces in Jordan. Jordan’s military says it intercepted 8 missiles before they hit anyone. Iran’s IRGC says they destroyed U.S. fighter jets and infrastructure at 2 Jordanian airbases. That claim has not been independently verified as of now. The UAE is denying its Al Minhad Air Base was hit by missiles at all, though some accounts who track this stuff suggest it may have taken a drone strike instead.
Trump’s response was to post an AI-generated video showing Kharg Island “blown to smithereens,” in his words. I guess when you are losing a war in real life, you have to resort to fictional AI scenarios. A bit later, he posted that Iran is a “Failed Nation” on Truth Social and accusing Iran’s leadership of killing over 100,000 protesters. Let me be clear: I’m not here to defend Iran’s regime, but I do want to point out that Trump continues to inflate these numbers in every post. Like many of Trump’s claims, this too is a lie. And these lies mask the truth about the actual crackdown that occurred on protesters earlier this year. Meanwhile, a supertanker reportedly struck mines in the Strait and caught fire, and Israel carried out a drone strike in Gaza City that killed at least 3.
Markets Are Nervous, and Saudi Arabia Needs Money
Treasury Secretary Bessent told reporters at the G20 in Asheville that Iran’s economy doesn’t need to collapse after all, but rather the regime just needs to “come to their senses.” Bessent brushed off the idea that we’d need China’s help to pressure Iran, and when he was asked about a trade war with Canada, he mocked them, asking what they’re going to do…send their two submarines after us? Markets aren’t thrilled by all the latest chaos and economic uncertainty caused by Trump.
Bloomberg is now reporting that Saudi Arabia is in talks to raise at least $8B in new loans because the Iran War is straining their finances. Aramco (the Saudi Arabian Oil Company) is separately exploring its own loan and Riyadh is facing a $9B quarterly deficit despite high oil prices. The Financial Times is reporting that the Trump-connected LIV Golf, Trump’s favorite Saudi-funded golf league that often plays at his properties, is preparing for an imminent bankruptcy filing. ETTD.
They’re Still Droning On About This…
Republican Congressman Andy Harris is telling reporters the U.S. should make Alberta the 51st state because of its oil reserves, trying to exploit Canada’s internal politics to push Trump’s imperialist fantasy. Interior Sec Doug Burgum, meanwhile, said that Trump is personally lobbying Apple to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” on their maps just like Google did. Google Maps is already showing the name in the U.S.
Pentagon Busted In Propaganda Scheme…and More At Home
Trump had a softball interview with Fox host Trey Gowdy air last night where he essentially admitted to upcoming defeat in the midterms. He said that presidents just lose midterms, no matter what, even if they do an amazing job like him. He also urged voters to think of it like his name is on the ballot. Oh, we are sure many will, Donald. Trump also claimed he’s “largely taken care of inflation” as inflation continues to surge. Trump this morning also posted a warning against what he’s calling the “anti Data Center movement,” saying any country that doesn’t want a data center in their backyard wants to be poor, and that China is thrilled by the pushback.
Trump’s political instincts look worse by the day. Once again, he’s going all-in on data centers, siding with his billionaire buddies over communities getting crushed by higher power bills, water demands, and massive development. He keeps finding the 80/20 issues and planting himself firmly on the 20 side.
And before I go, here’s the story I want to leave you with. The Washington Post is now reporting that the Pentagon secretly installed MAGA military influencers with large followings online into civilian roles at the Defense Department, where they’ve been amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture war fights. Accounts identified as part of this operation include Kurt Schlichter, someone going by the name Cynical Publius, Rob Maness, and an account known as DataRepublican. These accounts have been relentless in pushing pro-Trump, pro-Hegseth regime propaganda. Some even write for right wing “news” sites. If this reporting is accurate, this means the Pentagon could be paying MAGA influencers with your tax money in order to spread regime propaganda. And if these few names were already identified as being paid by the federal government, I have a feeling there are a whole lot more. This is likely just the tip of the iceberg, in my opinion. Remember this anytime you read something online.
That’s the latest for now. Ron Filipkowski will be back later with his full bulletin. We’ll also have a new episode of Ask the Editor-in-Chief, exclusive for our paid subs. Thanks again for all your support, and shoutout to the Meidas Mighty!
if the Saudi's need money, I suggest they ask for their $2 billion back from Jared Kushner 🍸
They greased the wheels of corruption but the wheels are starting to fall off.