Before launching into the Philippines, a few stories of the day. How much is this Iran War costing U.S. taxpayers? White House says around $30 billion. New data suggests a price up to $100 billion !  Todd Blanche faced the Senate Judiciary Committee today for his nomination as Attorney General. Nothing unusual transpired. There are now 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the committee.  That is because Lindsey Graham is no longer there.  Will his sister be placed on this committee? John Cornyn (R-Tex) is a member, but not today in the sphere of President Trump.  Yet he most likely will vote to pass on the nomination to the floor.  But what will he do when the final confirmation vote on the floor occurs? A tie vote would mean that Blanche would NOT be passed. However, the Senate has a mechanism for the party in power to bring a nominee to the floor through a discharge motion. Wait and see what happens, for the hearings continue for a second day tomorrow, and the ...

The world has reached a lull period. Iran war continues with the Strait of Hormuz closed and little in battleground activity.   Invasion of Kharg Island? Maybe tomorrow? The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham was a shock.  Now what? He was the Republican to face Democrat Annie Andrews on November 3. Republicans now need to go through essentially the same ( but different ) process as Democrats in Maine to find a replacement. There are 114 days until November 3, so both parties have enough time. Fritz Hollings was the last Democratic Senator from South Carolina.  That was 20 years ago.  The other senator from this state is Tim Scott. Prediction markets in January of this year gave Democrats less than a 10% chance to beat Graham.  However, last month that percentage had jumped to 21%.  On November 3 with no Graham on the ballot, who knows for sure? The FIFA World Cup is taking a 2-day break. Semifinal 1: France vs. Spain – July 14 at 8 PM ED T (AT...

Before pain and arthritis, pain and the war with Iran: Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, missed his father's six-day state funeral entirely. He has not made a single public appearance since he was appointed following the strike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the conflict. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]   Other sources say he was there in disguise. Believed to have been wounded in the February attack by Israel and the US that killed his father, mother and wife, the new supreme leader has remained in hiding since the war began, communicating with his supporters only through written statements, never showing his face or using his voice.   Clearly, he must have revenge in mind.   The New York Post quoted President Trump today as saying he had "left instructions" for the U.S. to bomb Iran "at levels that they've never seen before" if the Islamic Republic assassinates him, claiming he has "been No. 1" on their...