US intelligence reports China preparing to send air defence systems to Iran in next few weeks - Guardian update

US intelligence indicates China is preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN reports, citing three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments, according to Reuters. The network said Beijing could be routing shipments of shoulder-fired anti-air missiles known as MANPADs through third countries to mask their origin, citing unnamed sources.

The US state department, the White House and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. President Trump and Pakistani officials have confirmed that China helped step in to push Iran to accept a tentative ceasefire.

But while the Chinese government says it backs the ceasefire, it has not to date tried to claim any diplomatic credit as a security guarantor, with a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington merely saying “as a responsible major power, China will continue to play a constructive role and make efforts to de-escalate tensions”.

What's the official troop death toll? Still about 13? What a joke!

It is nice he'll be worm food soon. And he won't be spending the next few decades as a moderate GOP voice telling everybody to "listen to the other side". And he won't be making ~7 figures a year doing basically nothing at some super-cushy sinecure for a company with a name like EvilCorp.

China to ban sulfuric acid exports as Iran war hits supply - mining.com

Bluesky comment mashup

Sulfuric acid is the industrial "workhorse" used in fertilizers, batteries and household & industrial cleaning products. It's pretty much used in everything from paper to plastics to chemicals to medicine.

He was "moderate" GOP, a critic of Trump, and an all around turd and fundie. You will not be at all surprised by this...

According to FiveThirtyEight, Sasse voted in line with Trump's position 84.8% of the time, less than the majority of his Senate Republican colleagues.

Amd you won't be surprised that after he left congress he did a little criming.

In autumn 2022 - [he became the president the University of Florida].

On July 18, 2024, Sasse announced that he would be resigning from his position at the university effective July 31. He cited his wife Melissa's "recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues" as reasons for his resignation. The University of Florida stated that it would continue to pay his $1 million annual salary through February 2028.

During his presidency, Sasse tripled the budget of his office to $17.3 million, $7.2 million of which was directed to consulting contracts. The president's staff increased from under 10 people to 30. The new hires included former Senate staffers and other Republican officials, many of whom worked outside Florida, resulting in increased travel costs. Sasse's office spent $1.3 million on catering at dinners and social functions, double the rate spent by his predecessor.

The most expensive event was $177,000 on catering and drinks for a 200-person holiday party. An audit conducted by the Florida Auditor General found Sasse inappropriately spent university funds, including by paying above-market-rate salaries to his former congressional staffers who were not competitively hired and by chartering private jet flights without clear business purposes.

After stepping down as president, Sasse continued to teach classes at the university's Hamilton Center, a "GOP-mandated civic program devoted to research and teaching about Western civilization and the principles of a free society" according to The Independent Florida Alligator.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Sasse

S&P 500 and oil prices - NYT update

The S&P 500 finished 0.1 percent lower on Friday, but it ended the week 3.6 percent higher, its strongest showing since last November. The gain came despite concerns about the durability of a temporary cease-fire in the Iran war. Oil prices remained mostly level since Thursday, with the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, settling at $95.20 a barrel. That was still up more than 30 percent since its price before the war.

Trump says US will have strait of Hormuz 'open fairly soon' - Guardian update

Donald Trump has wish his vice-president JD Vance luck ahead of talks with Iran in Islamabad this weekend. Asked what a good deal would look like, the US president replied:

"No nuclear weapon, that’s 99% of it. We’ll see how it turns out, we’ll see how it all works out."

He also told reporters the US will have the strait of Hormuz “open fairly soon”.

"That’ll open up automatically... we don’t use the strait, other countries use the strait. We will have that open fairly soon."

And asked about whether the US has a backup plan, Trump said:

“We don’t need a backup plan ... we’ve hit them hard, our military is amazing.”

I hate American politics...

“Freedom,” Beyoncé’s 2016 hit that became the soundtrack of Harris’ 2024 campaign, played over the loudspeaker as attendees filed in, and a sizzle reel of footage showing Sharpton and Harris together projected onto the two screens that frame the main stage, something no other possible 2028 presidential contender’s attendance featured.

Somewhere a Rat is crying...

Harris was the sixth possible 2028 contender to take the stage at the conference for a fireside chat with Sharpton, a tacit acknowledgement that whether the hopefuls ultimately decide to run or not, they know they can’t skip this room. Black voters make up a huge chunk of the Democratic primary base and will play a major role in determining the party’s next presidential nominee.

Trump as a legit, legit crazy 1980s rapper rapping "Complete Decimation".

We're loading up the ships
with the best weapons ever made
even at a higher level
than we use to do...
a complete decimation.

And if we don't have a deal,
we will be using them
and we will be using them
very, very effectively.

Too on the nose?

The funniest outcome would be if Vance's very shitty negotiation skills don't even really come into play because Trump destroys any chance of a deal by meddling stupidly on average literally a few times an hour so there's no deal. Then Trump gets mad, shitcans Vance, replaces him, and Vance's political future goes the drain.

Vance warns Iran not to "play" US in Islamabad talks - Guardian update

US vice-president JD Vance has warned Iran not to “play” the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending their war. Vance, who has long been sceptical of foreign military interventions and outspoken about the prospect of sending troops into open-ended conflicts, set off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Boarding Air Force Two on his way to Pakistan, the vice president said:

"We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s gonna be positive. We’ll of course see."

He cited Trump, adding: “If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand.” But he said: “If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.” Vance also said that Trump “gave us some pretty clear guidelines” on how talks should go, but he didn’t elaborate. The vice president did not take questions from reporters traveling with him.

I just realized maybe my translation is bad.

AYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ???

They could be Italian.

Imagine being this type of guy.

I'd strongly prefer not to.

"HOW SERIOUS IS TRUMP. NOT SERIOUS. HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THE BEST TATTOO LIKE GRAHAM HAD BUT COVERED UP CUZ WOKE." - yells Alex Jones.

"Mr. President - what do you think of em dashes?"

"I dunno. But Barron really likes him. He says 'M Dashes is the best rapper.' "

"I did not have sexual relations with that man." - Melania trying and failing to do a self-righteous Bill Clinton impression. Then she honks on the sax.

For the first time since the cease-fire was struck, two non-Iranian oil tankers were tracked to cross to Strait of Hormuz by Kpler, a global ship-tracking firm. - NYT update

Those ships carried Palau and Gabon flags, according to public vessel data. A total of eight bulk carriers, which carry dry cargo, have also crossed the vital waterway since the two-week truce was made, but overall, marine traffic in the strait remained at a trickle.

Are there polymarket odds on whether Ronan Farrow is going to drop an investigative Melania piece tomorrow?

At first I thought it was a parody. Nope. He's a lib law brain dipshit who appears on MS NOW.