The US military has reportedly lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during the war with Iran, representing roughly a quarter of its pre-war fleet and more than $1.3 billion in potential losses. The heavy attrition has raised concerns over America’s surveillance and strike capabilities, with Air Force officials looking at ways to rapidly replenish the fleet.

For decades, my hometown of Qira was a sanctuary of quiet endurance.

One of the smallest villages in the occupied West Bank, nestled in the Salfit governorate and tucked away from covetous eyes, it remained relatively shielded from major land confiscations and aggressive incursions throughout the long years of occupation.

That protective obscurity is ending. In recent weeks, organised groups of armed Israeli settlers have begun making regular, unauthorised “exploratory hikes” through our village, wandering past our homes, inspecting our ancient Roman water pool and descending into the valley to survey local shrines, assigning them Hebrew names and claiming biblical connections.

What may appear to an outside observer as harmless recreational outings is, in fact, a precursor to territorial expansion – a scouting campaign signalling that no Palestinian space is safe. The settlers themselves have said as much: “Wherever the hiker’s foot treads,” the founder of one hiking group has declared, “there the border will pass.”

US President Donald Trump has spent his second term threatening takeovers of various other countries, from Canada and Cuba to Greenland, and on Monday he shared on social media a map that fueled fresh fears of his imperialist “Donroe Doctrine.”

The map on Trump’s Truth Social platform shows the US flag over not only the United States but also Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Mexico, and multiple countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

The post was swiftly condemned across platforms, with Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) declaring that “this is unacceptable.”

China’s WZ-X points to a future in which stealth, endurance, surveillance and strike converge in a new class of unmanned aircraft built for sustained operations across the vast distances of the Pacific.

This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that newly surfaced aerial imagery has confirmed the unusual wing design of China’s secretive WZ-X stealth drone, revealing a stepped-down geometry engineered for high-altitude endurance.

The revelation builds on commercial satellite imagery from May 2025, which first captured the massive, twin-engine flying wing parked outside newly constructed high-security hangar bays at the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) remote test base in Malan, Xinjiang.

When the story of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump during the NATO summit in Turkey emerged in the second week of August, the debate it generated was predominantly centered around the credibility of the intelligence.

Intelligence suggested that Iran was planning to fire a surface-to-air missile at the President’s aircraft. The CIA reportedly had low confidence in the information shared by Israel.

Jimmy Dore interviews former Congressman Curt Weldon about his book Able Danger: What the 9/11 Commission Never Told You, which describes how military and intelligence officials had advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks and that information was deliberately withheld from investigators. Weldon describes efforts to suppress his investigations, including claims involving the Able Danger program, the 9/11 Commission, classified records, and pressure placed on people connected to his work.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said burning homes while innocent Arabs are inside consitutes as "Jewish terrorism."

"If someone comes to burn down the home of innocent Arabs with the people inside it, then of course that is Jewish terrorism.

"If it is done for nationalist reasons, that is the definition," Bennett told the Besheva conference on Sunday.

The U.S. is rotating fresh fighter squadrons to the Middle East to support the Trump administration’s open-ended pressure campaign against Iran.

The move will free up units that have been based in the region far beyond the Air Force’s usual six-month deployments. More fighter unit rotations are expected in the coming weeks.

Units on their way home include the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard, which flies F-35 Lightning II aircraft, and F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 555th Fighter Squadron based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, are also returning, according to people familiar with the matter and data collected by the open-source research group the Military Air Tracking Alliance. 

European central banks are moving billions of euros worth of gold away from North America as growing geopolitical uncertainty prompts a rethink over where national reserves should be held.

The Netherlands, the latest country to act, redistributed about 86 tonnes from holdings in the U.S and Canada to London between March and August as part of an effort to make its reserves easier to access and trade during a severe crisis.

The move follows France’s decision to remove its remaining gold from New York and echoes an earlier programme by Germany to bring hundreds of tonnes back to Frankfurt.

It underlines a growing focus among European central banks on keeping more of their bullion either at home or within major European trading centres rather than relying as heavily on vaults across the Atlantic.

Webmaster Addition: Good luck with that!

🚨This short film exposes the true story of Israel's creation, entirely through the words of its own founders

For decades, Israel’s lies have been carefully designed to demonize its victims. To ensure that no matter the crimes it commits, the children it slaughters, the world… pic.twitter.com/fxgU9xL9Vr

— Muhammad Shehada (@muhammadshehad2) May 15, 2026

At the World Humanoid Robot Games in China last month, robots jumped, boxed and danced. Some fleet-footed bots ran faster than Usain Bolt over 100 meters. Spectators cheered the machines’ improving capabilities and their meme-worthy stumbles.

Two days after the Games ended, the People's Liberation Army's official newspaper drew its own conclusions from the show. The PLA Daily called for researchers to accelerate the transfer of cutting-edge technologies from laboratories to military training grounds for robotic “combatants.”

China's defense establishment is accelerating research into humanoids’ military uses and planning for their eventual wartime deployment, according to a Reuters review of more than 100 Chinese military procurement notices, academic studies, patents, official publications, government records and defense-company materials.

Webmaster Addition: James Cameron was right again! :)

President Trump has locked in a deal to develop Venezuela’s vast oil resources, an arrangement the White House says will bring a country battered by years of economic collapse to a “place where elections are possible.”

But the agreement — backed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a holdover from the Nicolás Maduro government that Washington deems “illegitimate” — is raising new uncertainty about how entrenched the unelected government may become.

In January, when the U.S. military captured Maduro, Trump did not say how long a democratic transition would take but said Rodríguez was “gracious” and “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary.”

Pundits on a Russian TV show appeared to mock US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner after their visit to Kyiv and Russia.

Americanist Rafael Ordukhanyan, speaking at the show, suggested that Witkoff is too busy "buying the Los Angeles Lakers" and, ironically, wondered whether he found time for his business deals between political negotiations.

I’m just setting this here because I know several may have not seen this…

Take all the time you need. 
No one thought this was whacked?#Throwback pic.twitter.com/tH7wdPsyzS

— 0️⃣BlackBetty ⚓️ (@BabyD1111229) September 7, 2026

Click a state to see estimated tariffs on its imports, the categories hit hardest, and how today's rates compare with 2024.

TPUSA is becoming unrecognizable to those who knew Charlie Kirk's values before he died. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks.

The IDF is using white phosphorous, aerial herbicide and forest fires to cause destruction in Southern Lebanon. Ana Kasparian discusses on The Young Turks.

He issued the warning after the US bombed three Iranian oil tankers

by Dave De Camp, antiwar.com

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf on Monday warned that Iran could target infrastructure belonging to US oil and gas companies across the Middle East if the US continues bombing Iranian energy infrastructure.

Ghalibaf issued the warning after the US bombed three Iranian oil tankers over the weekend and in response to US War Secretary Pete Hegseth saying that the US would take more Iranian tankers if Iran targets US warships.

“It’s simple: the oil and gas production chain here is sprawling, accessible, and exposed. American oil and gas companies across these waters and facilities share that exposure,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.

“Strike our assets, and you get struck. We’ve already proven it. Ask the bases that are no longer viable,” he added.

Since the US strikes on the three Iranian tankers, which took place on Saturday, Iran claimed multiple attacks targeting commercial vessels it said were attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, and more attacks targeting US warships that are enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports.

Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Sunday that Iran would soon announce a new “restricted zone” extending into the Gulf of Oman, where the US is enforcing the blockade. He said any ships that enter the area will be placed on Iran’s sanctions list. “We will only commit to the Strait of Hormuz being open when they (the Americans) stop the sabotage, threats and attacks ​on Iran,” he said.

Claire's Observations:  Interesting; the man never mentions Israel's energy infrastructure.

But were I part of the US government right now which had any prayer of a chance of getting heard by the people who dictate US foreign policy, I would take this guy at his word.

never forget, the truth. pic.twitter.com/kQu9Mhfy0o

— ◢◤◥◣◥◣◢◤ (@AutonomousVehcl) September 3, 2026

While it shouldn't come as a surprise for an organization that has famously failed to ever pass an audit, the Pentagon was nevertheless able to shock some observers this week with a new batch of financial numbers.

According to Bloomberg's Anthony Carpaccio, the Department of Defense made $35 trillion in "accounting adjustments" in 2019, easily surpassing the $30.7 trillion in such adjustments recorded in 2018.

Carpaccio notes that the number "dwarfs the $738 billion of defense-related funding in the latest U.S. budget, a spending plan that includes the most expensive weapons systems in the world including the F-35 jet as well as new aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines." It's also "larger than the entire U.S. economy and underscores the Defense Department's continuing difficulty in balancing its books."

So what are these accounting adjustments? Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says they represent "a lot of double, triple, and quadruple counting of the same money as it got moved between accounts" within the Pentagon. "A lot" may be an understatement: According to government data, there were 562,568 adjustments made in the Pentagon's books in 2018.

Webmaster Addition: And our sailors don't get properly fed, we've run out of weapons, and those we have left are rusted wrecks. Just where did all that money go?

I spent the past weekend as a participant in the annual Ron Paul Institute conference that takes place in the Washington area, in northern Virginia. This year the theme was “Front Row at the Revolution” and the circa 500 attendees that filled the Hilton Hotel ballroom certainly got what the gathering’s theme sought to deliver. The outstanding list of speakers included Congressman Thomas Massie, Dennis Kucinich, Jim Webb, Josh Paul, Michael Vlahos, Max Blumenthal and Joe Kent. Tucker Carlson also addressed the gathering via video link. Given the disastrous state of our former Republic on this Labor Day weekend, the speakers were inspired to confront the enemy head on, which they did, hoping to create momentum for a real revolution built around the midterm elections coming up in November. Speaking personally, I have never seen such enthusiasm in what must be defined as a political gathering, with the audience standing on its feet, applauding and screaming their agreement with what was being said at the podium.

It is my understanding that the video recordings of the speeches, each of which ran for about half an hour, will be up and available on the Ron Paul Institute Site in a couple of days. I strongly recommend that Unz readers visit the Paul site and begin their own perusal of the recordings. The speakers were and are all extremely well informed on what is ailing our country and they pulled no punches in how they presented their informed analysis. Quite simply, they see a government and a nation that has been subjugated and occupied by a foreign power, to include highly visible moves that have increased that control and threaten to worsen the second-class status of the actual citizens of our once-upon-a-time constitutional republic. Once subjugated, our country has engaged in a series of wars where there was no imminent threat from anyone, has become close to bankrupting itself, and has stripped the people of their fundamental liberties.

‼️ This US Soldier helped train ISIS and admits it!

Listen to this awesome interview!

He has since then woken up and is hardcore on our side.

Big thanks to Murphy for speaking up!
Follow @jakeshieldsajj @ShieldsClips for more too! 🫡 https://t.co/3XDx2rWXB8

— Erik Warsaw (@WarsawErik) September 7, 2026

Adidas apologized on Monday after an amputee campaign featuring a former Israeli soldier triggered boycott calls amid thousands of war-related amputations across Gaza.

Key Developments

• Adidas apologized after an Israeli campaign for its ‘Single Shoe’ service featured Shalev Biton, a former Israeli soldier who lost his leg after being wounded during Israel’s 2021 assault on Gaza.
• Palestinian rights campaigners condemned the promotion as particularly offensive given that thousands of Palestinians have undergone amputations during Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including large numbers of children.
• Javier Bardem, Fatima Bhutto and others amplified calls to boycott Adidas, reopening scrutiny of the company’s previous controversies involving Palestine and Israel.
• Palestinian campaigners questioned Adidas’ decision to use a former Israeli soldier as the face of an amputee-focused advertisement while Gaza is confronting an enormous population of Palestinians who have lost limbs as a result of Israeli attacks.

• Why Did the Campaign Cause Such Anger?

• The scale of amputations and life-changing injuries in Gaza provided the central context for the backlash.
• World Health Organization estimates cited by Anadolu news agency put the number of traumatic limb amputations in Gaza at more than 5,000, alongside more than 22,000 major extremity injuries since October 2023.
• According to UNICEF figures, approximately 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza have sustained life-changing injuries since October 2023. Around 11,000 of them are children.

• Children account for roughly one-quarter of amputations in Gaza, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Claire's Observations: This has to be one of the most TDWL (Tone-deaf writ large) campaigns ever devised and executed, in the history of ad campaigns, EVER in the 21st century.  

And a note to Adidas' rivals;  how about you starting up a "One Shoe for Hope" campaign to fit the feet remaining of Gaza's amputee children?!? THAT .... would be  something to shed some light on the problem, and help some desperately hurting, and needy kids,

Children never start the wars which ultimately make them alleged "legitimate targets" for bombing, killing, and maiming by SOME countries' soldiers. 

Apparently, the leadership of THOSE countries which do this, never got the memo that killing and maiming children IS A WAR CRIME.   

Odd, that.

FOX 13 Meteorologist Valerie Mills is monitoring a hurricane warning for the islands of Kauai and Niihau. We are tracking Hurricane Lowell, which is making a very close pass to the western islands. The storm will be impactful over the next 24 to 48 hours. Lowell, a Category 2 hurricane, does not appear likely to make landfall. The storm will bring rounds of heavy rainfall, while hurricane-force winds will need to be monitored near the islands, including Honolulu. As we near the peak of hurricane season, the next name on the 2026 Atlantic storm list is Fay.

thepalestinianchronicle.com

Key Developments

• The Hind Rajab Foundation filed a criminal complaint in Slovenia accusing Sa’ar of responsibility for war crimes, acts of genocide and torture in Gaza.
• The filing specifically cites the Israeli attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital and the continued detention of its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
• HRF called on Slovenian authorities to investigate Sa’ar and ensure that diplomatic status does not shield him from accountability.

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) said Monday that it had filed a criminal complaint against Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Slovenia, accusing him of responsibility for war crimes, acts of genocide and torture committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The complaint was submitted to the Ljubljana District Prosecutor’s Office and Slovenian police ahead of Sa’ar’s expected visit to the country this week.

According to HRF, Sa’ar is expected to travel to Ljubljana for the opening of a new Israeli embassy. The organization said it received information concerning the planned visit from the Movement for the Rights of Palestinians, a Slovenian solidarity group.

HRF called on Slovenian authorities to investigate the accusations and take measures to prevent diplomatic status from being used to avoid legal accountability.

“No official, no matter how senior, stands above the law,” HRF Director General Dyab Abou Jahjah said.

Claire's Observations:  It will be interesting to see if the new Israeli embassy in Ljubljana opens on time, with or without Sa'ar 's presence; my guess is that he will either have complete diplomatic immunity, or that the trip will be canceled or postponed.