Conservative Blogger
Friday, August 14, 2026
Bessent: US to Hit Iran With Unprecedented Economic Isolation
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax on Thursday that the Trump administration will announce new measures against Iran next week that he said will take the economic isolation of the country to an unprecedented level. "And watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of the economic isolation of a country," Bessent told "Rob Schmitt Tonight." Bessent said the administration is escalating a financial campaign that began after President Donald Trump ordered the restoration of "maximum pressure" against Tehran last year and intensified after the start of U.S. military operations against Iran in February. "A year ago … the president gave me the order to apply maximum pressure to the Iranian regime, and Treasury did," Bessent said. Trump formally restored the maximum-pressure policy in February 2025, directing Treasury to impose sanctions or other enforcement measures against those violating Iran-related sanctions and to conduct a continuing campaign aimed at denying the regime and its terrorist proxies access to revenue. Bessent said Treasury has targeted "their bank accounts, crypto wallets, assets around the world, cutting off payments into both the leadership in the regime and the government itself." After Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign launched against Iran earlier this year, Bessent said the administration shifted its focus toward what Treasury calls "Economic Fury." "We went from Epic Fury to Economic Fury," Bessent said. "And at the president's orders, we have raised the level even again." Treasury has said Economic Fury has disrupted tens of billions of dollars in revenue that otherwise could have been available to Tehran and its proxies. Its actions have targeted Iran's shadow banking networks, oil industry, cryptocurrency holdings, weapons procurement networks and sanctions-evasion operations. Bessent said the financial pressure is being paired with the continuing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. "It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports," Bessent said. Treasury in July intensified sanctions against Iranian shipping and financial networks after renewed Iranian attacks on international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. |
Colorado Woman Finds Out the Hard Way Why You Never Want a 'Smart' Thermostat in Your House
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Some “smart,” internet-connected devices are pretty cool. You can control your lights remotely, make sure the alarm is on, be warned if someone is in your driveway, or check to see if a package has been delivered. But there’s one device I have refused to be tempted by: a smart thermostat. Why? Because Big Brother might dictate to you what temperature you’re allowed to set it to. That’s exactly what happened to a Colorado woman who made the serious mistake of allowing her power company access. The Rocky Mountain state has been going through a heat wave as of late, and that’s not the time you want somebody to be telling you to cut back on the AC. When she needed a little comfort, her Internet Overlords said, “nope.”
We’ve been having a very hot summer here in California as well, and I can tell you that when it gets above 79 inside the house, it can get pretty uncomfortable, especially if you’re trying to get a little shut-eye. And what if you have kids? “It’s literally not safe,” the woman said. Big Brother does not care:
MORE: New Surveillance Tech Links Your Phone to Your License Plate What the Flock?! Americans on Both Sides of Political Aisle Pushing Back on Surveillance State Tech (VIP) Ironically, Baker opted into the program with the best of progressive intentions, but she found out the hard way that is rarely a good idea.
"1984" author George Orwell would likely have thoughts if he were alive today: A few years ago, the electric company stopped by and asked if we wanted to opt in to their new “smart” meters, and we said, “no way, Jose.” The concern is, of course, that they could limit your consumption and/or shut your power off altogether on a whim. They've always had the ability to come by and shut off your energy if you haven’t paid your bill, but that process often takes time, and you're not at the mercy of an intern manning a keyboard. The thought of CA Gov. Gavin Newsom controlling how often I use my appliances makes me nauseous. And believe me, he would. Kyri Baker now knows. |
Trump Is Bringing Steam Catapults Back to Ford-Class Carriers
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President Trump has been complaining about the U.S. Navy's whiz-bangy electromagnetic aircraft catapults for nearly a decade, and he's finally had enough. On Thursday, the president signed a national security memorandum ordering Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to, among other things, begin the process of bringing steam catapults and hydraulic systems back to America's aircraft carriers. The immediate target is the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), the fourth Ford-class carrier, which is currently under construction. There is an important distinction to make about what Trump actually ordered. The Navy is not being told to start ripping electromagnetic catapults out of carriers already in service. Instead, Hegseth, in consultation with the secretary of the Navy, has been given 60 days to present the president with a plan that lays out what it will take to replace the Doris Miller's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, with traditional steam catapults, as well as replacing its advanced weapons elevators with hydraulic systems. That plan has to include timelines for getting the work done and lists of resources required to make the changes. So this is considerably more than Trump goodnaturedly ribbing some Navy technology he's disliked for years. He's now ordering the Pentagon to figure out how to redesign a carrier already being built – and bring the steam catapult back to life. The electromagnetic catapults used on the Navy's newest class of aircraft carriers have long been a bugaboo for Trump. Back in 2019, during his first term, he promised, "I'm going to just put out an order. We're going to use steam." He added:
Trump had good reason to complain about EMALS, apparently. The system was introduced alongside promises that it would reduce stress on aircraft, require fewer sailors to operate, and improve catapult reliability, but it suffered serious reliability problems and cost concerns. The catapult order, though, is only one piece of a much broader effort by the president to improve Navy shipbuilding. President Trump's memorandum also opens the door to having some Navy ships built overseas under what the White House calls the "Finland Model." The idea is to let an experienced foreign shipbuilder construct the first ships while simultaneously investing in U.S. shipyards and training American workers. That would set the stage for future ships to be built in the U.S. Taken together, the memo makes it clear that the president is declaring war on EMALS. It looks like he's trying to overhaul the way the U.S. Navy builds ships from the catapult deck on down, even if it means reviving old technology like the steam catapult and borrowing the shipbuilding expertise of a foreign partner. |
CCP Intelligence Official — Trained As a Sniper — Buys Building 650 Feet From White House
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A senior official of the Chinese Communist Party has bought a building overlooking the White House Complex, the Daily Caller reported. The outlet cited filings showing that Philip Qiu
bought the building through the Philip Qiu and Family Foundation on July 21, 2026, for $8.4 million. The building is about 650 feet northeast of the White House on 15th Street. Qiu’s Chinese name is Qui Feili, and he is a trained sniper, the Daily Caller reported, citing a translation of an announcement from Shanghai Jiaotong University’s master’s program in 2011. Qui held multiple positions within Chinese intelligence, the outlet reported. U.S. intelligence experts told the Daily Caller that the property would allow to surveil the White House.
— Michael Lucci (@Michael7ucci) August 13, 2026 Recommended
— Gordon G. Chang (@GordonGChang) August 13, 2026
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Well, That Tweet Certainly Shows the Dems' Affinity for Illegal Aliens Over American Citizens
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I mean, we shouldn’t be surprised, but here we are, enduring another awful moment from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Whoever signed off on this knows what state they govern. It wouldn’t fly anywhere else, though it exposes that Democrats will go above and beyond for people who shouldn’t be here and do next to nothing for American citizens. Hochul boasted that she paid the legal bills for some 1,400 illegal aliens. Her response: “Damn right I did.” (via NY Post):
Recommended The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, a Bush-era program, ensures illegal alien minors get legal representation at their deportation hearings. ORR is also the agency that lost some 320,000 children under Joe Biden. So, when can Americans get this sort of assistance? I know I'll be waiting a while for an example. |
Kennedy Center Board votes to restore Trump’s name to performing arts center
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President Donald Trump’s name is returning to the Kennedy Center. On Thursday, the center’s board of trustees voted to add an inscription bearing President Trump’s name back on the front of the performing arts center in the nation’s capital. The decision aims to “honor the President’s contribution with an inscribed recognition on the building,” with the new signage, reading: “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.” In addition, the board also voted to designate the surrounding grounds as “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.” To accommodate the extensive infrastructure repairs — including HVAC, electrical and exterior maintenance — as part of a $250 million renewal project, the main building of the center will be closed until 2028. Both the renovation and renaming of the building must still receive a federal judge’s approval. Courts have previously ruled against the board on both fronts. |
Jen Psaki Admits Party Elites Really Picked Democratic Nominees
Jen Psaki just spoke a truth that Democrats long tried to keep behind closed doors. On her MS NOW program, the former White House press secretary said, plain as day, “Party leadership really selected the nominees.” That short line blew up on social platforms because it confirmed what many voters already suspected: the party elite still pull the strings, and sometimes they do it out loud — whether they mean to or not.
What Jen Psaki Actually Said
Psaki made the remark on The Briefing with Jen Psaki while discussing Democratic primaries. She isn’t a random pundit repeating a rumor. She worked inside Democratic communications teams for years and now hosts a national show, so when she says party leaders “really selected the nominees,” listeners should take note. The clip went viral because it was so blunt — no spin, no weasel words, just a candid confession from someone who knows the system.
Why That Line Matters
This is not just recycling old complaints. Voters remember the 2016 DNC email controversy, when internal messages showed bias against a legitimate primary candidate and the DNC apologized. Fast forward to the next cycle: the party’s virtual roll-call left many voters watching as a single candidate was essentially handed the nomination without traditional primary wins. When a former insider admits leaders “really selected” nominees, it ties those episodes together and exposes a trend — party elites shaping outcomes while claiming to defend democracy.
The Real Lesson for Voters
If you think this is harmless backstage politicking, think again. When party bosses choose nominees, voters lose confidence. The line from Psaki should demand answers: Was she describing an informal reality, a historical era, or a deliberate strategy? Networks and the DNC should have to explain. Voters deserve transparent primaries, binding contests, and real choices — not rolling approvals by conference-room committees. If Democrats want to lecture America about fair elections, they should start by fixing their own.
Conclusion: Say It Out Loud
Call it an offhand confession or a candid moment, but Psaki’s words cut through the usual spin. Republicans should repeat it until it sticks: “Party leadership really selected the nominees.” That line explains a lot about why voters distrust elites on both sides. If the Democratic Party wants trust back, it won’t come from speeches — it will come from letting the voters, not the bosses, pick the nominees.
DSA's Price Tag: Cato Puts Socialism at $200 Trillion
The Cato Institute just did what too many reporters and activists won’t: they put numbers on the Democratic Socialists of America’s “Workers Deserve More” wishlist.
The result is a headline-grabbing take — roughly $71 trillion to $212 trillion in added federal spending over 10 years, with the high end plastered as “$200 trillion.” It’s an order‑of‑magnitude alarm bell, and Americans deserve to hear it in plain English.
Cato’s $200 Trillion Tally — Big Math, Big Problems
Adam N. Michel at the Cato Institute gathered published estimates for big items in the DSA platform and scaled them to a 10‑year window. The biggest single line item: a Medicare‑for‑All style program that Cato pegs at about $40 trillion to $75 trillion over a decade. Add housing, free college, a federal jobs guarantee, massive green spending, reparations and more, and you get the $71T–$212T range. Cato is careful to call this an “order‑of‑magnitude” exercise, not a formal CBO score — but even as a rough estimate it lights up red flags about the scale of government spending being proposed.
Who’s Going to Pay for It?
Cato’s blunt answer: there aren’t enough rich people. The Forbes 400 are worth about $6.6 trillion — a drop in the bucket next to these totals. Domestic corporate profits over ten years are only about $35 trillion under current law, so confiscating profits or slapping on endless wealth taxes won’t come close without wrecking incentives and investment. In short, the math points toward massive tax hikes, huge borrowing, or broad confiscatory policies that would crater growth and raise prices. That’s not a small tradeoff; it’s a full‑scale economic reset.
Policy Ambition Meets Practical Limits
The DSA program is more than welfare expansion; it pairs huge new benefits with policies that would widen eligibility — like open‑ended changes to immigration and abolishing enforcement structures. Promising free housing, universal healthcare, lifetime job guarantees and expanded retirement while also increasing the pool of beneficiaries is not a fantasy that balances itself. It’s a recipe for either endless deficits or rationing of services. And politically, the leftward pull inside the Democratic Party matters: some House Democrats balk at an anti‑socialist pledge, while figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez defend democratic socialism as a vision. Voters should know what that vision costs before they buy it.
Bottom Line — Demand the Score Before the Spend
Americans deserve straightforward answers about who will pay and what will be cut. Cato’s analysis is a useful wake‑up call: even generous assumptions about taxation and corporate extraction don’t make this plan add up. Conservatives should keep pressing for formal budget scores from the CBO, for clear financing plans from DSA proponents, and for honest debates about whether Americans want a government that could consume more than half — or even most — of GDP. The politics of big promises meets the arithmetic of reality, and reality tends to win.
Thursday, August 13, 2026
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