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. https://www.status.news/p/anne-applebaum-autocracy-interview

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 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. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/03/texas-democrats-quorum-break-redistricting-map/

“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.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/us/politics/sandra-grimes-dead.html?smid=url-share

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. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/ghislaine-maxwell-elizabeth-holmes-jen-shah-prison

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 […]

Democrats are less enthusiastic about their own party than Republicans, according to the latest AP-NORC poll. https://apnorc.org/projects/republicans-remain-positive-about-their-party-democrats-are-more-self-critical/

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. https://www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-student-enrollment-outlook-and-economic-impact

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 […]

Small quake shakes NY/NJ area. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/nyc-new-jersey-earthquake-magnitude-3/6357605/

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. https://iz.ru/1930748/2025-08-03/na-kamchatke-vpervye-proizoshlo-izverzhenie-vulkana-krasheninnikova

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 […]

🦅 Nashville Banner is the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan news source for Middle Tennessee. Sign up for our free newsletter, The Flyer. Days into Plaza Mariachi owner Mark Janbakhsh’s trial over allegations of fraud, a witness called by the government is unsure whether or not Janbakhsh is a lizard person. Shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday, Chad May sauntered into the courtroom for his second day of questioning, wearing a flowy linen shirt and baggy, wrinkled khaki chinos, his long white hair pulled back in a multi-bubble ponytail. A Lebowski-esque figure, his presence on the stand was immediately notable for his contemplative answers to questions. The government had called him to the stand on Thursday. May served as the head of IT at Auto Masters beginning in 2001 until 2015, when he left. He then began consulting for Auto Masters in 2017, allegedly helping delete emails in an attempt to hide them from auditors. Prosecutors called him because, beginning in 2015, he had recorded hundreds of conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers. The government also called him to testify about how part of his 2015 departure was based on a “feeling” he had that Janbakhsh is “egocentric” and “selfish.” Prosecutors questioned him for about an hour, concluding with a lengthy recording of a phone conversation with alleged Janbakhsh co-conspirator and government informant Christian Quiroz. 🦅 **Want to cut through the news noise?** We'll do the work for you. Sign up for our free newsletter, The Flyer. Sign up Then it was defense attorney Alex Little’s turn to ask questions. Little spent the beginning of his cross-examination on the basics, including queries about May’s cooperation with the government, which included an immunity agreement. He then turned to May’s “feelings” about Janbakhsh. “Are you terrified of Mr. Janbakhsh because you think he is a lizard person?” Little asked. “I don’t know if Mr. Janbakhsh is a lizard person,” May responded. “There’s a difference between a belief and entertaining something as an idea.” May went on to explain what he called his “extended imagination,” which helps him to perceive reptilian characteristics in people. The idea that there are lizard people disguised as humans is not a new one. Nashville bomber Anthony Warner held the same QAnon-adjacent belief, which is often paired with the belief that there are aliens here on Earth — another idea May expressed that was touched upon during questioning. The lizard people theory — sometimes referred to as the “Babylonian Brotherhood” — was popularized by conspiracy theorist David Icke. For many who subscribe to the theory, it goes beyond selfishness and egocentrism. The idea is that shapeshifting, blood sucking lizard people rule the world through a cabal that includes Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, British royalty, dozens of celebrities and recently even President Donald Trump, with the end goal being a global fascist state. “There are times when I see something which I think of as something reptilian in a person,” May said, explaining that these moments come to him a few times a year. “I think it’s my way of identifying people who tend to be selfish.” At this point, federal prosecutor Christopher Suedekum attempted to curtail the lizard person-related questioning, asking to approach the bench, but he was overruled. He tried again at the end of a 15-minute break, when he told the clerk he’d like time to speak with Judge Waverly Crenshaw before the jury returned to the room — prompting Little to turn around and make shoveling motions towards the government’s table. But Crenshaw allowed the questioning to proceed, pointing out that the prosecution opened up this line of questioning when they asked May about how his “feelings” influenced his departure from Auto Masters. Little later introduced into evidence blog posts made by May on his website, which also links to his IT consultancy service. Among those blog posts were quotes such as “I see London, I see France, I see reptiles in golfing pants” and “I have an uncanny ability to spot pedophiles.” While May stopped posting on the blog in 2010, the website remains active, and he stated that he still holds his beliefs. “There are mystical people, and I consider myself a mystical person,” May said. It’s unknown what the effect of May’s testimony will be for the jury, but for one morning, talk about fraud, bank loans and witness tampering was replaced by theories of lizard people who might be walking among us. * * * **You read this story for free.** No paywall, no restrictions. We're journalists that believe access to strong local journalism is critical for a functional democracy. It's why we founded the Nashville Banner. **But free journalism is expensive to produce.** Stories like this one take hours of staff time to report, write, edit and publish — meaning a single story can cost thousands of dollars. Its our duty to provide you with the context and clarity needed to understand what's at stake for the present and future of our every-changing city. **But we can't do it alone.** Your contribution is crucial to keep us going. Together, we can strengthen our city by ensuring Nashvillians have the news they need and deserve. **Will you join us?** GIVE MONTHLY GIVE YEARLY GIVE ONE TIME * * * **You've read 5 or more articles in the last month.** **Are you in the 4%?** The Nashville Banner's deliberately local news coverage is funded by just 4% of our regular readers. Thanks to their help we're able to give you the context and clarity needed to understand what's at stake for the present and future of our every-changing city. **But we need more of you to help**. Just imagine what we could do with 7%, or 10%. Together we can strengthen our city by ensuring Nashvillians have the news they need and deserve. **Will you join us?** GIVE MONTHLY GIVE YEARLY GIVE ONE TIME * * * **You've read 3 or more articles in the last month.** **Are you in the 4%?** The Nashville Banner's deliberately local news coverage is funded by just 4% of our regular readers. Thanks to their help we're able to give you the context and clarity needed to understand what's at stake for the present and future of our every-changing city. **But we need more of you to help**. Just imagine what we could do with 7%, or 10%. Together we can strengthen our city by ensuring Nashvillians have the news they need and deserve. **Will you join us?** GIVE MONTHLY GIVE YEARLY GIVE ONE TIME ### _Related_

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. https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/08/01/mqrk-janbakhsh-trial-lizard-conspiracy/

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 and the ramifications for America’s soft power […]

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.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article311553847.html#storylink=cpy

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. https://www.firstpost.com/world/burkina-faso-radio-omega-suspension-junta-post-13918067.html

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 […]

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

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 […]

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shorn of federal funding, announces it will shut down. https://cpb.org/pressroom/Corporation-Public-Broadcasting-Addresses-Operations-Following-Loss-Federal-Funding

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 and the ramifications for America’s soft power […]

Bloomberg - An FBI FOIA team redacted Donald Trump’s name—and the names of other prominent public figures—from the Epstein files. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-08-01/epstein-files-trump-s-name-was-redacted-by-the-fbi?taid=688cd151aafb05000183412b

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. https://www.npr.org/2025/08/01/nx-s1-5486974/jewish-leaders-from-the-u-s-sign-a-letter-urging-israel-to-allow-more-aid-into-gaza

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. https://www.tvinsider.com/1206596/fox-news-sydney-sweeneys-jeans-ad-rump-epstein/

Employment Situation Summary - 2024 M11 Results

US economy added 73,000 jobs last month. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

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 individuals — a blow to Italy’s 2023 deal #EuropeNews

Euronews - EU top court rules against Italy’s use of Albania-based migrant detention centers. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/08/01/eu-court-rebukes-italy-over-migrant-transfers-to-albania

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

WMTW - In the state of Maine, the Old Orchard Beach police chief and town manager say the federal government is calling into question its own verification system, after DHS criticized them for hiring an officer without proper legal status […]