Via The Cradle

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated Wednesday that Turkey will not allow Syria’s fragmentation if a deal to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian military led by self-appointed President Ahmad al-Sharaa collapses.

“We have engaged all channels of diplomacy, both to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and prevent a terrorist structure from forming across our borders. We continue to use these channels with patience, sincerity, and common sense,” Erdogan explained while giving a speech to mark the Turkish parliament’s re-opening. “If diplomatic initiatives are left unanswered, Turkey policy and position are clear. Turkey will not allow a deja vu to take place in Syria,” he added.

The US-backed SDF controls large swathes of oil-rich territory in north and east Syria, which it administers under the name of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).

The US-backed SDF was established under US guidance in 2015. It is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.

Erdogan has threatened to take military action against the SDF if it does not integrate its forces into the Syrian state, based on an agreement reached with President Sharaa, the former Al-Qaeda leader, on March 10.

Turkey occupies large areas of land in northern Syria and has deployed forces against the SDF in the past. Erdogan claims Ankara needs a “buffer zone” to protect against PKK attacks. 

Earlier this week, Syria’s government asked factions within the military to prepare for operations against the SDF, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

According to SOHR, Turkish-aligned factions in the Syrian army were asked to “prepare for operations” against the SDF in Deir Hafer and the Tishreen Dam area. SOHR added that officials in Damascus have requested that a campaign against the SDF not take more than a week. 

If launched, the operation would aim to pressure the Kurdish–dominated group into accepting the agreement signed with Damascus in the wake of the Syrian government’s large-scale massacre of Alawite civilians on the country’s coast.

The SDF leadership is worried the Kurds could be subjected to similar massacres if they give up their weapons and allow their fighters to integrate into the Syrian military as individuals rather than as units under Kurdish command.

SDF Press: Since this morning, HTS terrorists have continued, in a systematic manner, to target the Tishreen Dam and its surroundings with heavy weapons, including tanks and field artillery.

The shells have directly struck the dam’s structure, in addition to the workers’… pic.twitter.com/PGoerFp3Bi

— Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) October 1, 2025

Recent days have seen a significant buildup of both Syrian army forces and SDF troops on the front lines in eastern Aleppo. On Monday, SOHR reported escalating clashes, as more than 10 artillery shells struck areas around the Tishreen Dam following exchanges between the SDF and Turkish-backed Syrian factions. 

Earlier in the day, SOHR sources confirmed that orders were issued to Syrian government forces to deploy “show-of-force” units with heavy vehicles, tanks, and artillery to the Deir Hafer frontline in anticipation of possible SDF operations.  There are also reports that the SDF has stationed kamikaze drones, rocket launchers, and long-range artillery near the local sugar factory.

The Turkish army, which has operated against the SDF in the past, may be gearing up for a new campaign, Sharaa said earlier this month. Turkey “may act militarily if full integration is not achieved by December,” Sharaa warned. 

An US Military patrol set out from the city of Mansoura, west of Raqqa, heading toward the Rusafa desert area, marking the first time a US patrol has moved toward this area pic.twitter.com/5wpnME1UHZ

— Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) October 1, 2025

In late May, Erdogan warned the SDF to “quit stalling” and integrate with the Syrian army. Turkey is currently training Syria’s new extremist-dominated military. 

The National reported on August 17 that Damascus is assembling a force of 50,000 to capture Deir Ezzor and Raqqa from the SDF.

Update (1320ET):

As we mentioned earlier, Democrats voted for a full-blown government shutdown, which has inadvertently given the Trump administration the greatest gift ever: the ability to revive DOGE-style efforts to cut waste and fraud.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame,  to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier. 

He continued, “They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT.” 

It’s only a matter of time before Democrats start viewing their miscalculated move as “regrettable”… 

How many government workers are on the chopping block? 

BREAKING: Trump says Democrats have given him an “unprecedented opportunity” to fire potentially millions of government employees.

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 2, 2025

Just wait until the administration’s new joint task force begins enforcement against the dark money that rules the corrupt NGO space. 

* * * 

Democrats voted for a government shutdown, and that’s precisely what they got.

They find themselves in an optics nightmare – as party leaders were surely aghast watching CNN‘s Jake Tapper call out House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) over the hill they’ve chosen to die on – restoring provisions that were eliminated in Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ that provides free healthcare to illegal immigrants.

Tapper: Here is the provision that shows you want to give illegals healthcare. I understand it’s not an accurate depiction.

Jeffries: It’s a lie.

Tapper: It’s a lie… but it does bring back funding for healthcare for illegals. pic.twitter.com/jyQS3RMj7e

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 1, 2025

What’s more, Democrats handed President Trump a gift – not only do they look stupid for trying to add $1.5 trillion to the national debt, they’ve opened the door for President Trump to deliver on one of his core campaign promises; cutting waste and fraud, a crusade that began with Elon Musk and DOGE in his first term but has since lost momentum – well, until now. 

On Tuesday, the president warned that he could “get rid of a lot of things” that would heavily impact the Democratic Party, adding, “We can eliminate many things we didn’t want … and they’d be Democrat things.” 

President Trump on “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want.” pic.twitter.com/8VoDQ2cdq8

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 30, 2025

By Wednesday morning, left-wing New York Governor Kathy Hochul and fellow Democrats were furious about Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought’s announcement that the Trump administration withheld $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects due to “unconstitutional DEI principles“. This shows how the administration has a lot more power during the shutdown to slash and burn spending that funds the Democratic Party machine.

Late last night, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Republicans must use this opportunity of Democrat forced closure to clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud. Billions of Dollars can be saved.” 

Vought has fired up the chainsaw … again.

Nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left’s climate agenda is being cancelled. More info to come from @ENERGY.

The projects are in the following states: CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA

— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 1, 2025

Panic mode sets in for Democrats in the far-left state of Maryland. 

🚨 JUST IN: Nationwide, Democrats are in full-blown panic mode upon hearing that Russ Vought is being unleashed to fire federal workers during the Schumer Shutdown.

“It is deeply offensive that the president is threatening to FIRE workers!”pic.twitter.com/D0CRlrfdpA

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 1, 2025

Trump did warn Democrats ahead of the shutdown that his administration was ready to slash jobs and programs …. 

White House memo says Democrats’ plan could spend $200B on healthcare for illegal immigrants https://t.co/vteQhPPbkF

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 1, 2025

Democrats appear to have made a miscalculated move in forcing a shutdown, one that now inadvertently gives the Trump administration the runway to cut even more waste and fraud from a bloated federal bureaucracy. A January Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans support downsizing the federal government. With the national debt soaring to $37.5 trillion, savings must be found wherever possible. Those savings now appear to be coming from defunding the Democratic Party’s globalist machine, which has squandered not only the inheritance of previous generations but also the future of young Americans through its nation-killing woke policies. 

The Kremlin is downplaying reports out of the Wall Street Journal and Reuters which cite unnamed US officials to say the Trump White House has quietly reversed policy on providing Ukraine with intelligence to assist in hitting long-range targets on Russian territory. The entrenched narrative is that the US under Trump had resisted this, and that it was Biden who had really put in place the American intelligence-sharing apparatus in Ukraine.

Specifically, as The Wall Street Journal reports, “The U.S. will provide Ukraine with intelligence for long-range missile strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure, American officials said, as the Trump administration weighs sending Kyiv powerful weapons that could put in range more targets within Russia.”

But Moscow’s response has been unexpectedly calm and cool, with a statement describing that nothing in fact has change, highlighting that US intelligence had already been flowing to Kiev for a long time.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The US transmits intelligence to Ukraine on a regular basis online. The supply and use of the entire infrastructure of Nato and the US to collect and transfer intelligence to Ukrainians is obvious.”

In the opening months of Trump’s second term, the president got the warring sides to agree to a halt on attacking each other’s energy sites. Though it held for perhaps weeks, it didn’t take long for the moratorium to break down.

Ukraine especially has used it as a tactic to try and bring Russia’s war machine to its knees. And there are recent reports showing some degree of success in inflicting economic pain.

Unprecedented refinery crisis in Russia after Ukrainian drone strikes.

— 38% of Russia’s refining capacity is offline, the highest ever disruption.

— Gasoline output fell by 1 million tons in September, creating a 20% domestic shortfall.

Economist cited by EP via RBC:… pic.twitter.com/PRfvSPkfUM

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 1, 2025

“President Trump recently signed off on allowing intelligence agencies and the Pentagon to aid Kyiv with the strikes. U.S. officials are asking North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to provide similar support, these people said,” WSJ continues, marking the first such instance of Trump openly greenlighting Ukrainian strikes on Russia with long-range missiles.

The question of providing Tomahawks still remains an open one, and the Kremlin has said it would be “surprised” if the White House allowed such a serious escalation. Still, J.D. Vance early this week said the administration is seriously looking at the European request.

“The expanded intelligence-sharing with Kyiv is the latest sign that Trump is deepening support for Ukraine as his efforts to advance peace talks have stalled,” WSJ adds.

International estimates are that thus far during the war Ukraine has struck a whopping 21 out of Russia’s 38 refineries, some of them more than once, which has proven costly – also as sanctions have made it hard to find parts for quick repairs.

This alleged ‘policy change’ may be the direct result of heightened lobbying from Zelensky and the Europeans. After Zelensky was in New York last week for the UN General Assembly, Trump wrote on social media, “After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia Military and Economic situation and, after seeing the Economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” But this was also a way of simply handing off the bulk of the war effort to the Europeans, which itself could prove highly dangerous, even if Trump wants to washing his hands of it.

Submitted by Peter Schweizer & Seamus Bruner of The Drill Down,

Unless distant second Andrew Cuomo can whip up support quickly, Zohran Mamdani is currently favored to win the New York City mayoral election come November. Mamdani, a far-left radical, is promising millions in questionable handouts, destructive soft-on-crime policies, and government-run supermarkets.

Tax the rich! Housing is a right! Universal healthcare! Renewable energy! Just a few more policy positions the Democratic Socialist will try to implement — at all costs, no matter how destructive.

Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 NYC Democratic mayoral primary back in June by about 12 percentage points — and has maintained a comfortable lead ever since.

But “Mamdani Momentum” comes at a price, leading many to wonder: Who’s filling Mamdani’s war chest? Just where does the Socialist darling get his dollars from?

GAI President and New York Times bestselling author Peter Schweizer knows the answer.

According to Schweizer, 78% of Mamdani’s funders are NOT New Yorkers, and include radical funders tied to the 1993 WTC bombing, a New Mexico school shooting plot, Hezbollah/Iran propaganda machines, and more.

“Radical Islamic Cleric Siraj Wahhaj (an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing) funneled cash into Mamdani’s support network. Three (3!) of the cleric’s children were sentenced to life in prison in 2024 for running a New Mexico terror training camp for school shootings,” Schweizer shared on X.

💣 Radical Islamic Cleric Siraj Wahhaj (an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 WTC bombing) funneled cash into Mamdani’s support network.
Three (3!) of the cleric’s children were sentenced to life in prison in 2024 for running a New Mexico terror training camp for school… pic.twitter.com/rNFHDwaGlI

— Peter Schweizer (@peterschweizer) October 1, 2025

Who else is excited about Mayor Mamdani? How about Hezbollah…

Hezbollah’s main mouthpiece, Al-Khandiq media, celebrated Mamdani’s rise, calling the NYC mayor’s office the “2nd most powerful in America,” a stepping stone to Congress, Cabinet…even VP.

Iran’s state media bragged that Mamdani’s team mobilized 100+ mosques across NYC.

Having said all that, it should surprise precisely no one that Mamdani calls Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal and has accused him of carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

When asked repeatedly if he condemns “Globalize the Intifada” (an antisemitic slogan glorifying violent uprisings and the elimination of Jews), Mamdani REFUSED. Instead, he claimed it “means different things to different people.”

As Schweizer said: “Hezbollah couldn’t have scripted it better.”

Mamdani has now even lost MSNBC after his refusal to condemn the antisemitic statement “globalize intifada.”

Wait for the reaction by Deutsch. It’s brutal. pic.twitter.com/SfEkVZdaQH

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) June 30, 2025

But, perhaps Mamdani’s family members are more sensible than his “associates” — maybe they are more politically centrist and less controversial?

Nope.

“Mamdani’s mother has received millions from Qatar for her film projects,” Schweizer said on X. “Qatar, a known funder of Hamas, is one of the top state backers of Islamist political influence worldwide. And Mamdani’s father? He’s apparently an apologist for suicide bombing (it shouldn’t be ‘stigmatized’) and supports China as the CCP escalates its confrontation with the USA.”

“The big immediate significance of China’s role [In Africa] is that it has eroded this monopoly and from an African point of view, it can only be good,” Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, said.

He’s also been a staunch critic of Israel.

Now that we have a consensus that Israel is an apartheid state, the next step is to call for sanctions against the apartheid state.

— Mahmood Mamdani (@mm1124) May 19, 2021

…and defender of Palestine.

Palestinians have a right to resist. This is a colonial occupation, not a conflict!

— Mahmood Mamdani (@mm1124) May 12, 2021

Quick recap: Mamdani is a Socialist whose campaign is funded almost entirely by out-of-staters — some with terror ties. Hezbollah, a terror organization, wants him to win. His parents are suicide bomber apologists with ties to Qatar, funders of Hamas.

Instead of voting for Mamdani, Schweizer has another idea:

• Investigate & prosecute foreign agents bankrolling campaigns.

• Close the “green card / red money” loophole.

• Overturn soft-on-crime policies letting radicals bankroll radicals.

That sounds like a better plan to us.

*  *  * 

Earlier this week, Peter Schweizer joined John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on WBAC Radio. He discussed the troubling foreign-linked money flowing into New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign. 

🇨🇳 Meanwhile, CCP operative Neville Roy Singham (now under multiple federal investigations) is part of the same radical donor ecosystem behind Mamdani’s rise. Lawmakers are calling for the feds to freeze and/or seize Singham’s assets. See my recent interview with @JCats2013 and… pic.twitter.com/RLbE7KjaKd

— Peter Schweizer (@peterschweizer) October 1, 2025

Full episode: 

. . . 

Authorities in North Korea have been ordered to identify women with “un-socialist” and “bourgeois” breast implants, The Telegraph reports, citing local media.

Undercover agents are now groping for ‘enhanced’ women, as well as for doctors who perform the cosmetic procedures, primarily around the city of Sariwon, with perpetrators facing potential detention in the country’s notorious labor camps.

Suspected women will be “taken to hospitals to undergo medical examinations to ascertain whether any procedures have taken place,” a tough job for whoever has to do it. 

The controversy bounced into the headlines after a dropout medical student was busted performing the surgery out of his home. During his trial, prosecutors displayed his surgical devices, along with imported Chinese silicone breasts and bundles of cash. 

The Telegraph reports:

The city’s residents, who had turned out to attend the public hearing, watched as the women and the doctor were dragged out onto an open stage, where they stood with their heads bowed for the proceedings.

The two women told prosecutors and the presiding judge that they had undergone the surgeries because they “wanted to improve their bodies”.

The judge called the breast augmentation surgery an “un-socialist act” and said one of the defendants “had no intention of being loyal to the organisation and group, but was obsessed with vanity and ended up becoming a poisonous weed that was eating away at the socialist system”.

A source, who refused to give their name out of fear, revealed to Daily NK: “Among the residents who watched the trial, there were voices of criticism such as ‘doctors do all kinds of things for money,’ but at the same time, there were also sympathetic comments such as ‘Isn’t he doing such things because he has no way to make a living?'”

Question of the day – and this is very serious as we are trying to raise awareness… are these unsocialist Korean breasts?

How about these? (unrelated… because dry skin is the worst)

And these?

Unsocialist AI breasts? DELETE!

Wait, what???

Clearly we have some BIG fans of IQ Male Enhancement and our Waxed Canvas Hat. Unless Sanj is up to his old tricks.

So anyway… Kim’s directive follows a pattern of measures targeting Western cultural influence in North Korea, including the execution of young citizens for listening to K-pop and a ban on commonplace terms such as “hamburger” and “ice cream.”

Would she be targeted for Western cultural influence?

The situation in the isolated nation was detailed in a recent United Nations report, which documented that North Korea’s secret police are conducting public executions for offenses including watching foreign films or sharing South Korean television dramas. The report cited one case in which a 22-year-old man from South Hwanghae province was publicly executed in 2022 for listening to 70 South Korean songs and distributing three films, actions deemed violations of the regime’s restrictive laws. Defectors have suggested these public executions serve to “block people’s eyes and ears,” using fear to maintain control over the population.

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

American businesses signed 98 contracts valued at $170 billion with foreign government buyers during the first nine months of the Trump administration, the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) said in a Sept. 30 statement.

“The record $170 billion in contracts signed with foreign government buyers so far in 2025 vastly surpasses the $12 billion in contracts signed during the same period in 2021,” ITA said.

The contracts are expected to support 589,000 American jobs and ensure $144 billion worth of made-in-USA exports.

“The record-breaking U.S. business wins under President Trump’s leadership reflect an unwavering commitment to rebuilding U.S. industry for the American worker,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said.

“With record business deals abroad, America is strong again, and together with the American worker, President Trump is transforming the U.S. economy, rebalancing our global trade, and restoring America’s place in the world.”

In terms of value, the U.S. aerospace and defense sector inked $153 billion in contracts with foreign government entities, which is expected to keep the American industrial base strong, according to ITA.

Roughly $5 billion in deals have been signed that will strengthen energy security in the country, especially in the oil, gas, and nuclear sectors.

According to ITA, more than $800 million in contracts have been signed in the information technology sector. In the safety and security equipment sector, more than $600 million worth of deals have been entered, thereby countering untrusted tech and unfair tactics of foreign adversaries.

“In the first nine months of the Trump Administration, ITA advocacy has worked tirelessly to win contracts to support hundreds of thousands of American jobs,” said Commerce Undersecretary William Kimmitt.

“We will continue to be an unrelenting advocate around the world in support of American workers.”

The sharp uptick in business performance comes amid concerns about the state of the U.S. economy over the coming months.

In a Sept. 18 statement, think tank The Conference Board said that its leading economic index fell by 0.5 percent in August from the previous month, suggesting a near-term decline in the economy.

This was the largest monthly fall since April, according to Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, senior manager of business cycle indicators at the think tank.

“Overall, the LEI suggests that economic activity will continue to slow. A major driver of this slowdown has been higher tariffs, which already trimmed growth in H1 2025 and will continue to be a drag on GDP growth in the second half of this year and in H1 2026,” Zabinska-La Monica said.

Despite these projections, GDP growth has increased in the recent second quarter, signaling a strengthening of the economy.

In the first quarter of 2025, GDP contracted by 0.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. However, in the second quarter, the first full quarter under the Trump administration, GDP grew by 3.8 percent, higher than initial estimates of 3 percent.

“America’s economic resurgence under President Trump continues: revised data show even stronger real GDP growth of 3.8 percent in Q2 2025 thanks to the Trump agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, tariffs, and energy abundance,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai wrote in an X post on Sept. 25.

A Sept. 24 statement from the Chamber of Commerce said that small business confidence continued to climb in the third quarter, according to a survey of small business owners.

“This quarter’s Index reflects a resilient small business community that’s cautiously optimistic about the economy,” said Tom Sullivan, vice president of small business policy at the chamber.

“But high costs are still holding many back from expanding and investing.”

Among the respondents. 46 percent said inflation was the biggest challenge, while 34 percent blamed the cost of goods and services as the most significant roadblock to expansion.

The economic outlook improved among respondents, with 40 percent saying the U.S. economy was in good health.

In a striking move for an administration that caters to the State of Israel and its American supporters, the FBI has severed its ties with the staunchly pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL), with Director Kash Patel saying the bureau refuses to team up with “political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.” 

The move comes after the ADL found itself facing a conservative uproar over including the recently-assassinated Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA in its “Glossary of Extremism and Hate.” On Tuesday, the ADL announced it was retiring the glossary, a measure that failed to spare the 102-year-old group from an extraordinarily rare rebuke from a senior US official. 

The ADL is a hate group https://t.co/E7SXOajgoU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2025

“James Comey wrote ‘love letters’ to the ADL and embedded FBI agents with them – a group that ran disgraceful ops spying on Americans,” wrote Patel on X. “That era is OVER. This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.” 

Patel’s jab at Comey referred to a speech the then-FBI director gave at the ADL’s National Leadership Summit in 2017, where he declared his “love” for the ADL. He called his previous 2014 speech a “love letter to the ADL,” adding, “from the perspective of the FBI, we’re still in love with you.”

FBI Director James Comey gushing about the ADL in 2014: “If this sounds like a love letter to the ADL, it is, because I intend it so.”

Comey to the ADL in 2017: “We are still in love with you.”pic.twitter.com/cdfHIpH8AM

— Decensored News (@decensorednews) November 2, 2023

As it announced the termination of its controversial 1,000-entry glossary, the ADL didn’t acknowledge any regrets about the content. Instead, the group said it “saw a number of entries intentionally misrepresented and misused,” casting itself as a victim and ignoring those whom the group has vilified as bigots for criticizing the Israeli government.  

Categorized under “Extremism, Hate or Terrorism,” the ADL’s now-deleted entry on Turning Point USA claimed the group had a history of “bigoted statements,” “attract[s] racists” and offers a “vast platform for extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists.” In July, pro-Israel groups and individual were outraged when the Turning Point USA 2025 Student Action Summit gave a platform to the likes of Dave Smith and Tucker Carlson, who condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza and American interventions in the Middle East on Israel’s behalf, and said Jeffrey Epstein was an Israeli intelligence asset. The Grayzone reported that, after the event, “Kirk was bombarded with infuriated text messages and phone calls from Netanyahu’s wealthy allies in the US, including many who had funded TPUSA.”   

The FBI was taking their “hate group” definitions from ADL, which is why FBI was investigating Charlie Kirk & Turning Point, instead of his murderers … https://t.co/xTAfSY8vqr

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2025

The ADL has long delivered workshops on hate crimes, extremism and antisemitism to not only the FBI but many other law enforcement agencies and police departments across the country. In the past, the ADL has also facilitated programs where American police officers receive training from Israeli officers. That program was paused following significant backlash springing from concerns about the often-heavy-handed tactics employed in Israel, particularly against Palestinians. 

The ADL has also furnished the FBI with data on hate crimes since the 1940s. The group has faced significant criticism for using an expansive definition of an “antisemitic incident” that includes vocal opposition to the political philosophy of Zionism or comparing the actions of the Israeli government to those of Nazi Germany. For example, by counting the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as inherently antisemitic, every rally in support of Palestinians has presented an opportunity to pad the numbers and cast antisemitism as a far larger problem than it actually is.  

Where the FBI is concerned, all the data sharing, workshops and alleged embedding of FBI employees at the ADL are a thing of the pst. As Patel told Fox News with a heavy sense of finality, “The FBI formally rejects any partnership with the ADL.”

*  *  *

For Him // For Her // Save the planet

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Sept. 30 that it removed five senior officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), accusing them of weaponizing a now-abolished aviation security watchlist to target innocent Americans.

The department said in a statement that the dismissals were the result of an internal investigation into alleged abuses committed by officials, in relation to the TSA’s “Quiet Skies” program, which was scrapped by the Trump administration in June.

DHS and TSA will be referring the matter to Congress and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, DHS added.

The department said that the dismissed officials had “systematically watchlisted and denied boarding to those who exercised their individual rights and resisted mask mandates on airplanes nearly six months after the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] relaxed its indoor mask mandate.”

Homeland Security added that the TSA had used the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol protests “as an excuse to target several dozen U.S. citizens.”

“These Americans were watchlisted and harassed despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal behavior,” the department said. “This targeted campaign of harassment continued through June 2021, six months after the events in question, despite no clear or immediate threat to aviation security.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a Sept. 30 post on X that the TSA had “wildly abused their authority, targeting Americans who posed no aviation security risk under the banner of political differences. President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.”

Quiet Skies

The Quiet Skies program, abolished on June 5, was established by the DHS in 2012 under the Obama administration to ensure that higher-risk passengers are more thoroughly searched before they board commercial aircraft.

Once a passenger was identified and put on the list, he or she would be subjected to more invasive security screening by TSA officers at airports.

Conservatives had criticized the program for allegedly targeting them for their political views, rather than for posing a genuine security risk.

The DHS referenced an earlier internal investigation that found the TSA had conducted surveillance on former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard—the current director of national intelligence (DNI)—under the Quiet Skies program.

In May 2025, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee heard from its chairman, Rand Paul (R-K.Y.), that he had received records regarding Gabbard’s placement on the watchlist, which he said confirmed suspicions that she had been surveilled by federal air marshals during domestic flights in 2024.

“I am horrified by the idea that we took a former congresswoman and we are surveilling her and riding on jets with her,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said during the hearing. “I want repercussions to come from this.”

On Sept. 30, the same committee held a hearing to examine the “weaponization of the Quiet Skies Program,” adding new documents to the record. The chairman said in a statement that he welcomed the ending of Quiet Skies, but said more work needed to be done to ensure that the program does not come back in the future with a different name.

“Every official who directed or approved surveillance of Americans for protected speech must be removed from office. Full transparency must become the rule rather than requiring a year of investigation,” Paul said.

Gabbard said via the same statement that the Quiet Skies program “has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a single terrorist.”

Noem said that the TSA’s critical security functions will be maintained and that the Trump administration “will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans.”

Arjun Singh contributed to this report.

Intel’s stock jumped over 7% Wednesday after Semafor reported the company is in early talks to make chips for longtime rival AMD in its foundry business. AMD shares also ticked higher, up more than 1% on Wednesday – and is up nearly 4% in Thursday trade.

Such a deal would be a major boost for Intel’s relatively new manufacturing arm, which has struggled to attract big customers and has been one of the key reasons Wall Street has had trouble getting behind Intel as an investment.

Analysts say landing AMD would not only validate Intel’s technology but also “send a signal to other chip companies” that the firm can handle large-scale production. AMD, for its part, would be entrusting critical chipmaking to its direct competitor—an unusual move given both companies battle in the x86 PC and server markets.

It remains unclear how much manufacturing AMD would shift from TSMC, its current supplier. Both Intel and AMD declined to comment.

Intel “currently lacks the technology to produce AMD’s most advanced, profitable chips,” Semafor wrote, meaning any potential deal may cover only part of AMD’s manufacturing, and “it is possible that no agreement will be reached.” Some reports suggest the arrangement could even involve a direct investment by AMD, similar to deals struck with other companies. Semafor has also reported Intel is in talks for backing from Apple.

As Tom’s Hardware notes; 

In the past several weeks, Intel has seen a flurry of activity and investments. The United States announced a 9.9% ownership stake in Intel, while Softbank bought $2 billion worth of shares. Alongside Nvidia, Intel announced new x86 chips using Nvidia graphics technology, with the graphics giant also purchasing $5 billion in Intel shares. There have also been reports that Intel and Apple have been exploring ways to work together.

Such a partnership with AMD could validate former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s vision. He had previously expressed interest in building chips for all of the world’s major tech companies, including long-time rival AMD. It’s unknown if AMD is considering a stock purchase similar to Nvidia.

AMD would be a major get for Intel, the latter of which has talked to many companies in a search for foundry customers. Current Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has suggested the company could stop offering its 18A node entirely if there isn’t enough demand for it.

The news comes as Intel seeks a turnaround under CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Recent backing from the U.S. government, Nvidia, and SoftBank has been seen as a vote of confidence, though Nvidia stopped short of committing to Intel’s foundry. Intel, once dominant in laptop chips, has been “left flat-footed” by Nvidia’s rapid rise in AI.

Intel shares have surged nearly 77% in 2025. Still, doubts persist. As Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon quipped: “If you aren’t sure they’ll come, don’t build it,” according to IBD.

By Bas van Geffen, Senior Macro Strategist at Rabobank

Searching For Alternative Options

The US shutdown enters another day. Moderates on both sides of the aisle are exploring ways to strike a deal to reopen the government. The senators’ ideas include a shorter stopgap bill than the seven-week extension provided in the bill that was passed in the House of Representatives, combined with possible assurances that Republicans are willing to compromise on health insurance subsidies. These bipartisan discussions have yet to yield any tangible results, though.

Every day Democrats keep the government shut down, the sombrero gets 10x bigger. 🪇

DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN™️ pic.twitter.com/WzfsvlgTDm

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 1, 2025

Incentives are complicating the resolution of this impasse. The shutdown gives the Democrats some leverage, and they hope that their fight to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies will give them an edge in the midterm elections next year. However, historically, such hostage-taking has often backfired. And the Republicans are already trying to shift the blame to their political opponents. Several government agencies explicitly mention the Democrats as the reason that public services are unavailable.

Aside from that blame game, the shutdown may not be too bad for team Trump, as our US strategist noted yesterday. It allows the administration to lay off civil servants permanently, which Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency sought to achieve in the first months of his term. And, unlike DOGE’s plans, the administration can now put the blame on the Democrats’ refusal to cooperate. White House Press Secretary Leavitt has suggested that these layoffs are imminent.

Markets have mostly shrugged off the government shutdown. US Treasuries ended the day slightly bid, with yields declining about 5bp across the curve, while equities post modest gains. Perhaps the market is not too worried about the economic implications yet, or perhaps the market believes that the Fed is now even more likely to step in, as a protracted shutdown could have ramifications for growth – even though the Fed is now facing another level of difficulty, with official data on the labour market and inflation unavailable until further notice. Chicago Fed President Goolsbee signalled unease with the lack of data, at a time when services inflation showed a renewed pickup.

Meanwhile, Europe is also at a political impasse of its own making. The European Commission has drafted various omnibus bills that aim to address complaints from multiple industries that red tape and regulation are stifling their competitiveness. Member states have set up procedures to fast-track this elimination of regulatory requirements. But, the European Parliament has objected to this omnibus-bill approach, because it clashes with the way the European Parliament operates. 

If procedures and the way of working complicate a simplification drive in the EU, then surely it must be an issue when it comes down to the defense of the continent. 

European leaders have agreed on the need to create a European “drone wall,” but the European Commission has yet to design a detailed plan for the defence system. Commission President Von der Leyen said that the eastern border would be a priority. But that has already led to complaints from Italy’s Meloni, who believes that the southern border should not be forgotten, and France’s Macron, who wants a more comprehensive approach. Will this drone wall get caught in its own red tape? As we noted in yesterday’s daily, power either needs to centralise further or be decentralised again, for Europe to remain responsive to such threats. 

And keep in mind that defensive shields such as this drone wall aren’t a one-off. The wall is not done when the bricks are laid, but it would probably require continuous maintenance and upgrades to stay current and effective. 

As a case in point, recent Russian innovations have increased the efficacy of their missile strikes. Interception rates have dropped as improved flight paths and evasive manoeuvres allow Russian missiles to escape the Patriot air defense systems. That could be a game changer. But so too could be the US’ approval to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles – and intelligence. 

In areas that are squarely within Brussels remit, the Commission is making more advances. The EU’s anti-dumping task force has been announcing new measures almost weekly – albeit on very specific goods and products.

The European Commission is now also looking to amp up protectionist measures for its own steel industry. Brussels is considering halving the current import quota, as well as significantly increasing the tariff rate on foreign steel, “in line with what our American and Canadian partners are doing.”

The additional measures come as European products are also increasingly in the crosshairs of strategic rivals like China. Beijing is shunning European telecom equipment, in favor of its domestic networking equipment. This begs the question why Europe is not doing the same. Warnings about the potential risks of Chinese-made equipment have so far only made a small dent in their use in European infrastructure.

*  *  *