Steve Herman

Pulitzer Prize recipient Anne Applebaum tells Oliver Darcy the demise of VOA and other US international broadcasters would mean Russian and Chinese autocratic ideologies and lies filling the void internationally. www.status.news/p/anne-apple...

Loni Anderson, ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ Star, Dies at 79 She received two Emmy noms for being "the smartest person in the room" on the CBS sitcom and tons of tabloid attention for her 1988-94 marriage to Burt Reynolds.

Hollywood Reporter- Loni Anderson, has died at the age of 79. She starred as the shrewd radio station receptionist on WKRP in Cincinnati before her fairy-tale marriage to and acrimonious divorce from Burt Reynolds.

Texas House Democrats flee the state in bid to block GOP’s proposed congressional map The lawmakers’ absence means the lower chamber won’t have enough members present to function, stalling passage of a draft map Democrats have condemned as a political power grab.

Texas Tribune - Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state today in a bid to block passage of a new congressional map designed to give the GOP five additional seats in the US House next year.

Sandra Grimes, Who Helped Unmask a C.I.A. Traitor, Dies at 79 She became suspicious when she discovered large deposits in the bank account of Aldrich Ames, whose betrayal cost the lives of at least eight double agents.

"Long before the C.I.A. accepted that it had an internal leaker, Ms. Grimes, who had once car-pooled with Mr. Ames, was convinced that he was the mole."

Ghislaine Maxwell, Elizabeth Holmes, And Jen Shah Are At The Same Texas Prison Jeffrey Epstein's famous confidante, the disgraced founder of Theranos, and the former 'Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' star are all serving time at Bryan Federal Prison Camp.

Vanity Fair - Jeffrey Epstein's famous confidante, the disgraced founder of Theranos and the former Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star are all now at the same federal prison camp in Texas.

Senate heads home with no deal to speed confirmations as irate Trump tells Schumer to 'go to hell' Without a deal in hand, Republicans say they may try to change Senate rules when they return in September to speed up the pace of confirmations.

NPR - After contentious bipartisan negotiations and President Trump posting on social media that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer can "GO TO HELL!," Republicans may try to change Senate rules when they return in September to speed up the pace of confirmations.

Republicans remain positive about their party; Democrats are more self-critical - AP-NORC While both parties face criticism, more Democrats are critical than positive about the state of the party.

Democrats are less enthusiastic about their own party than Republicans, according to the latest AP-NORC poll. apnorc.org/projects/rep...

Fall 2025 International Student Enrollment Outlook and Economic Impact NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange.

The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs.

Confusion as police end Sydney Harbour Bridge protest over 'crowd crush' fears Tens of thousands take to the Sydney Harbour Bridge to highlight the humanitarian situation in Gaza and push for action by the Australian government, as thousands more rally in central Melbourne.

ABC - NSW Police say 90,000 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the Sydney Harbour Bridge to highlight the humanitarian impacts of the war in Gaza. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

Small quake shakes NY/NJ area.

These VOA newscasters and reporters were given visas because there weren't experienced broadcast journalists in the US with native level skills in such languages as Bambara, Lao or Georgian. But since Kari Lake wiped out nearly all VOA's 48 language services there are indeed no jobs for them now.

Izvestia - Krasheninnikov volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula erupting.

Trump Pick Pirro Confirmed as Top Federal Prosecutor for D.C. Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was confirmed as the chief federal prosecutor for Washington, the first of President Donald Trump’s controversial picks for US attorney roles to win Senate approval.

Bloomberg Law - Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has been confirmed as the chief federal prosecutor for Washington, the first of President Trump's controversial picks for US attorney roles to win Senate approval.

Fraud trial witness unsure if defendant is a lizard person - Nashville Banner Witness in Plaza Mariachi fraud trial suggests defendant may be a lizard person, cites 'extended imagination' for ability to recognize reptilian traits.

Nashville Banner - Days into a fraud trial in Tennessee, a witness called by the government is unsure whether or not the defendant is a lizard person.

YouTube video by Centre for Geopolitics On Geopolitics Currents - Episode 2: Trump and the Fourth Estate

I join Professor John Nilsson-Wright at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge on his podcast to discuss the Trump administration’s attitude towards private and public media in the US, especially the silenced VOA. youtu.be/32914M8j6Sk?...

Jurors blame Tesla for fatal Florida Keys crash, award victims $242 million The driver ran a stop sign at the end of Card Sound Road at 62 miles per hour, well above the 45-mph speed limit, while reaching down to the car’s floor in search of his dropped cellphone.

Miami Herald - A Miami jury has found fault with Tesla's Autopilot system and awarded the survivors of a horrendous crash in the Florida Keys more than $242 million.
www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...

Burkina Faso suspends Radio Omega over 'junta' Facebook post Burkina Faso’s media regulator suspended Radio Omega for three months after it used the term “junta” in a Facebook post deemed disrespectful to the military government

Firstpost - Authorities in Burkina Faso suspend the license of a well-known radio station, accusing it of derogatorily referring on Facebook to the military government of the west African nation as a junta.

Scientists trace the spike of north China flooding to solar cycle activities Study finds a link between the sun’s cycle and rain that could improve long-term climate predictions, as China battles severe flooding.

SCMP - A study led by scientists in China has found a link between the sun’s magnetic cycle and summer rain in the country, identifying why drought conditions in the south and flooding in the north intensify during high solar years. www.scmp.com/news/china/s...

VOA went from 49 languages to just 4.

It once reached 361M weekly. Now, a judge says the Trump admin is violating the law—and gave them until Aug 13 to fix it.

📎 savevoa.com/data/measuri...
#SaveVOA #PressFreedom #VOAMatters

President Trump fires the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics after the agency reported significant revisions to May and June jobs data.

Trump Says He Ordered Subs Repositioned Closer to Russia in Rare Nuclear Threat

President Donald Trump’s response to online threats from Russia’s former president, Dmitri Medvedev, marks the first time he has referenced the American nuclear arsenal, much less threatened to reposition it, notes the New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/u...

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shorn of federal funding, announces it will shut down. cpb.org/pressroom/Co...

YouTube video by Centre for Geopolitics On Geopolitics Currents - Episode 2: Trump and the Fourth Estate

I join Professor John Nilsson-Wright at the Centre for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge on his podcast to discuss the Trump administration’s attitude towards private and public media in the US, especially the silenced VOA. youtu.be/32914M8j6Sk?...

The FBI Redacted Trump’s Name in the Epstein Files The bureau’s FOIA team tasked with conducting a final review of the records blacked out the names before higher-ups said last month that releasing the documents ‘would not be appropriate or warranted....

Bloomberg - An FBI FOIA team redacted Donald Trump’s name—and the names of other prominent public figures—from the Epstein files. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Jewish leaders from the U.S. sign a letter urging Israel to allow more aid into Gaza More than a thousand rabbis and other Jewish leaders from the U.S. and elsewhere have signed a public letter urging Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

NPR - More than 1,000 rabbis and other Jewish leaders from the US and elsewhere have signed a public letter urging Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Fox News Dedicated More Time to Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ad Than Trump-Epstein Scandal The network only spent three minutes on Epstein this past week.

TV Insider - Fox News has spent the past week going into depth about Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle commercial and its surrounding controversy while only dedicating three minutes to Jeffrey Epstein coverage.

Employment Situation Summary - 2025 M07 Results

US economy added 73,000 jobs last month.

EU court rebukes Italy over migrant transfers to Albania The EU’s top court has ruled against Italy’s use of Albania-based migrant detention centres, saying countries can't declare another nation "safe" for asylum seekers unless that safety applies to all i...

Euronews - EU top court rules against Italy’s use of Albania-based migrant detention centers. www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

This smacks of McCarthyism. VOA journalists have no access to classified information. If hundreds of them are "missing," then release the list of names. For months, hundreds have been silenced on "paid administrative leave,"forbidden from working, their email accounts and phones deactivated.

CA vs. TX #Election2026