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The A.D. and B.C. system was not proposed until 525 A.D. by a monk. However, it was not widely used until the 9th Century. James

US and Canada fall deeper into a trade war with new tariffs as talks collapse and blame is spread WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Canada, historic allies along an undefended border, fell deeper into a trade war Saturday marked by angry recriminations and new tariffs that are expected to raise prices for products in both countries. https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-trade-tariffs-trump-857ef76b20a766e370d70176135b678e?

Diminished Respect View in browser One of Donald Trump’s current favorite riffs is to contrast how (in his opinion) the United States was seen under his predecessor, Joe Biden, and how it’s seen now. “They didn’t respect us two years ago. They laughed at us. NATO laughed at us. Everybody laughed at us,” Trump said at a summit in Turkey with allies last month. “They don’t laugh anymore. There’s no more laughing.” He’s right. It’s worse than laughing—they’re ignoring the president of the United States altogether. Trump styles himself as an heir to Theodore Roosevelt, but where Roosevelt said that America should speak softly and carry a big stick, Trump speaks loudly and carries a small one. Roosevelt’s bully pulpit has been reduced to a bullshit pulpit. This week, Trump made two announcements that, in the past, would have shaken the globe. Speaking to Fox News’s Trey Yingst about negotiations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.” In an ordinary world, such a threat would be a huge news event. Oman is not a hostile nation: It is one of the oldest U.S. allies in the Gulf region and has been a key intermediary in negotiations with Iran for years. Yet the news drew little governmental response. Neither Oman nor other U.S. allies in the region issued official comments or took any other action that suggested that they found the threat realistic. One possible reason for their muted response is that Trump has actually made this threat before: He said in May that if Oman didn’t cooperate with Americans’ plans for the strait, “we’ll have to blow them up.” Trump’s credibility has been undercut by his own capriciousness. Back then, he was threatening Oman over any negotiations that would imperil the neutrality of the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, however, he posted a graphic on Truth Social that declared the strait a “NEW U.S. Territory.” (He’d previously said that he would soon declare it U.S. territory.) American annexation of an international waterway would represent a major shift in maritime legal precedent and require an enormous U.S.-military presence, but everyone knew that the pronouncement was nonsense. Trump has no means of controlling the strait, and The Washington Post reports that the Defense Department is actually considering a reduced regional footprint. Trump has also repeatedly promised that a deal with Iran is near completion, but after multiple false starts, these announcements fool only the markets. This is a big shift. During his first term, Trump garnered outsized attention for outrageous statements. In August 2017, for example, he created an international incident by threatening North Korea with “fire, fury, and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” Trump clearly delighted in how the press and global leaders would scramble to respond to these provocations, and some people argued that he was pursuing Richard Nixon’s “madman theory” of keeping adversaries off balance. One can draw a direct connection between the fire-and-fury threat in 2017 and Trump’s friendly statements about North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in the past week. But over time, the world has grown jaundiced about Trump’s threats. The good news is that few world leaders and observers feel the need to take Trump’s outbursts seriously anymore. Fire drills driven by Trump’s idle talk fatigue the media, the public, and geopolitical systems, and they distract from more important stories. But that’s also the bad news. First, some of the things that Trump says are very dangerous. His favoritism toward North Korea could destabilize the region and encourage South Korea and Japan—to say nothing of Iran and other rogue states—to pursue nuclear-weapons programs. Second, he does occasionally follow through; Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro may have thought that Trump was bluffing before he was arrested during an American incursion in January. Third, Trump needs credibility to enact his agenda, including to try to end the quagmire in Iran. On Wednesday, he said that he was “announcing the MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!” All-caps notwithstanding, this declaration didn’t receive a great deal of attention. (“They have no clear plan, unfortunately,” one Middle Eastern diplomat told NOTUS.) In order for the sanctions regime he envisions to have its greatest effect, Trump will need the cooperation of allies as well as rival powers such as China. But years of empty boasts and months of feints on Iran mean that other world leaders don’t really heed Trump’s statements. He’s failed to enlist key allies in the war effort, and China has declined to take any concrete action in the strait, despite Trump traveling to Beijing in May to pressure Xi Jinping. This diminished respect given to presidential statements is self-evidently bad for Trump, and it does nothing to make America great again. But it’s also bad for the world. Even now, no other country has the power the U.S. has to maintain order, and the closest challengers, Russia and China, pursue systems that are repressive and dangerous. The U.S. can regain credibility only by using its rhetoric more carefully and matching its actions to its words—two things that are unlikely to happen under Trump. If he wants to be believed, the president needs to either surrender some American influence or show that his threats are real, and neither option is appealing. The costs of not being taken seriously are very serious indeed. Related: Oman has gone from “indispensable” ally to target of annihilation. David Frum: Only losers play the madman.

An 18-year-old with a sword attacks a school in Sweden, leaving 1 dead and 2 injured An 18-year-old man with a sword attacked a school Friday in central Sweden, leaving one person dead and at least two others seriously injured, a police chief said. Read More.

National park maintenance work sidelined as Trump's Freedom 250 takes precedence The 250th anniversary of U.S. independence was just months away when National Park Service employees received a surprising directive from Washington: Maintenance projects approved for this year at sites across the nation were being relegated to a new “low priority” list. Read More.

US plans to pay $850 million of the $5 billion it owes the United Nations The U.S. government has notified Congress of its plans to pay $850 million of the several billion it owes to the United Nations, the largest payment the Trump administration would make to the world body since it demanded sweeping reforms in exchange for continued support as its largest donor. Read More.

Tesla recalls nearly 3M vehicles in China over door handle safety risks Tesla and other Chinese carmakers are making a major recall of more than 4 million vehicles over safety concerns mostly related to their door handles, according to Chinese authorities on Friday. Read More.

Uber fined nearly $1 billion by Dutch regulators over automated suspensions of driver accounts Dutch data protection authorities have fined Uber nearly $1 billion, saying the ride-hailing company used automated software to suspend driver accounts, sometimes permanently, with no human review to check for mistakes. Read More.

Cuba says US sanctions are blocking its efforts to open the economy to private investment The United States has demanded that Cuba open up to private investment, and Cuba has passed sweeping reforms to encourage just that. So Cuba’s U.N. ambassador says he wants to know why Washington keeps piling on sanctions that stymie the very economic opening it has sought for decades. Read More.

Here’s data that shows Congo’s Ebola outbreak is on track to surpass history’s largest The Ebola outbreak that is spreading at unprecedented speed in Congo has not peaked yet and could be three times the current known size, according to data from authorities and Africa’s top public health agency. Read More.

State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity The second quarter of 2026 saw persistent racial inequality in unemployment rates across states https://www.epi.org/indicators/state-unemployment-by-race-and-ethnicity/?

In Trump’s economy, Black adults and their families face worsening job security and financial stability The Trump-Vance administration inherited a strong labor market with record employment and wage gains. But after a year of the administration’s economic mismanagement, workers are feeling more vulnerable to the softening labor market. While the president is busy touting the stock market’s performance, working people and families are expressing concerns about job security and affordability. This is evident in the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED), which shows an increase in the number of adults who worry about finding or keeping a job. More than 2 out of 5 adults reported concerns about finding or keeping a job in 2025, up from 37% in 2024. https://www.epi.org/blog/in-trumps-economy-black-adults-and-their-families-face-worsening-job-security-and-financial-stability/?

Arizona AG declines to charge Gov. Katie Hobbs over pay-to-play allegations PHOENIX (AP) — State prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs over allegations that she took part in a pay-to-play scheme with a group home company that received a rate increase from the state after contributing $100,000 to her inaugural celebration, Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Friday. https://apnews.com/article/katie-hobbs-sunshine-pay-to-play-kris-mayes-6bb26a982bbdf2775da83484f175bf1f?

Pentagon dismisses Stars and Stripes leadership after editor, reporter oppose military interference The Pentagon on Friday fired the editor-in-chief of Stars and Stripes and a top reporter for insubordination after they spoke publicly against any interference by the Defense Department in the military news outlet that has a long history of editorial independence. It was the latest move by an administration that has grown increasingly aggressive toward the news media. https://apnews.com/article/stars-stripes-pentagon-censorship-media-d42affb0c17fef31c6089645c8dbbe70?

🐿️ 1 fun thing: Fat Marmot Week A marmot named 9 sits outside her den on Aug. 6 in Gothic, Colo. Photo: Brittany Peterson/AP Fat Marmot Week is helping scientists drum up donations for their research into the furry ground squirrels living high in the Colorado mountains. The riff on Fat Bear Week starts Monday, and comes as federal funding cuts jeopardize the researchers' work. 🔬 The local marmot study, run by UCLA researchers about 20 miles south of Aspen, has been ongoing since 1962 — making it one of the world's longest-running studies of individual mammals. The researchers need to bank three years of funding — over $200,000 — to keep working next summer. Go deeper.

🛒 SNAP food aid enrollment dropped by more than 13% in a 12-month span. That's a far steeper decline than the government estimated as work requirements and other parts of President Trump's "big beautiful bill" take effect. Go deeper. ps:How sad! This program helps more people than many other programs!! My Mom was on that program and barely got anything, lucky for her she had 2 sons that were able to help with any problems she had, but the people that really need this and have no family to help are really in trouble!!!!!!

📚 The FTC is being urged to investigate AI companies for buying, scanning and destroying books to train their models, per a letter first shared with Axios' Ashley Gold. Go deeper.

⚽️ FIFA has banned three Argentina players, including a 10-match suspension for midfielder Leandro Paredes, for striking their Spanish opponents after losing the World Cup final. Go deeper.

🏀 NBA merry-go-round keeps on spinning Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Marc Lore has agreed to sell his controlling stake in the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx to billionaire investor Marc Stad at a $4.5 billion enterprise value, Axios' Dan Primack reports. That comes just a week after Mark Walter agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion. 🐺 Lore — a serial entrepreneur and former Walmart exec — gained control of the Timberwolves last summer, after a protracted legal process. Lore's partner on the deal, ex-MLB player Alex Rodriguez, will remain a part of club ownership. 📆 Behind the scenes: The deal has been in process for several months, per a source familiar — which means it wasn't a reaction to the Lakers sale. Go deeper.

Trump promises cheaper beef Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios President Trump said today that he would temporarily increase tariff-free beef imports and that he had secured a commitment to sell the meat at 25% below current market prices, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports. A global cattle shortage has driven up the cost for red meat, making burgers and steaks more expensive. 🤳 Trump said on Truth Social that he had "concluded a deal to substantially lower the price of ground beef for working American families." He added, "We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices." "As we work to rebuild this herd and help our ranchers, for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff." 🤔 Reality check: Trump didn't specify who made the commitment to sell the beef at a lower price. A White House official said the commitment came from foreign beef exporters, and that the 25% discount would be passed along to U.S. consumers. Go deeper. ps:So what's different this time? He's already said this before and it wasn't true than!!!!!

Supreme Court’s chief justice allows work on Trump’s $400M White House ballroom to continue for now WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday allowed the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million ballroom project for now, as the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration’s emergency request to intervene in lawsuits over the project. https://apnews.com/article/trump-white-house-ballroom-supreme-court-b3eaee672028e584d0c520180c663e2c? ps:How pathetic is that?????

ADRA assesses damage after magnitude 7.7 earthquake strikes Indonesia ADRA teams and local church leaders assess needs as rescue and recovery efforts continue across earthquake-affected communities in Flores. https://adventist.news/news/adra-assesses-damage-after-magnitude-7.7-earthquake-strikes-indonesia

Court cuts $50M judgment against Alex Jones over falsely labeling Sandy Hook killings a hoax AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas court on Friday slashed a $50 million judgment that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered to pay families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre over his false claims that one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history was a hoax. https://apnews.com/article/alex-jones-infowars-newtown-b7866ab5ef652bbc7307ae55b09937ce? ps:These guys just want to do the crime, but not take the consequences!

The Trinity is: God the Father = All powerful, almighty, all glorious, final authority, universal. Old Testament term "El" God the Son = Personal, approachable. Old Testament term "YHWH" The Angel of the Lord who turns out to be the Lord, the Captain of the Lord's Host, Michael and other manifestations. God the Holy Spirit = God working with our subjective/existential experience Old Testament term "The Spirit of the Lord" and pictures of the Lord's leading. All three are seen as one God, We use the term "Trinity" The idea is in the Old Testament term "Elohim" a singular plural.

Ramat Gan’s Early Islamic Past Archaeologists have uncovered a planned commercial and industrial complex dating to roughly 1,300 years ago in Ramat Gan, Israel. The site contains straight, intersecting streets, rooms that may have functioned as shops or warehouses, pottery kilns, plastered industrial installations, and large quantities of artifacts. The combination of deliberately arranged streets and buildings leads the Israel Antiquities Authority to suggest that, during periods of Muslim rule, this complex was purpose-built by engineers, likely at the commission of regional authorities. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/ramat-gans-early-islamic-past/? The Aleppo Codex Online Throughout its long history, the Aleppo Codex has been carefully and jealously guarded. The Aleppo Codex online project, however, has placed the Aleppo Codex among the ranks of other ancient biblical manuscripts that have been made available to all via the web. Under the auspices of the Ben-Zvi Institute in Jerusalem and funding by George S. Blumenthal, the Aleppo Codex online—that is, at least the remnants of it that arrived in Jerusalem in 1957—is available free for anyone with a computer and an internet connection. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/the-aleppo-codex-online/?