White House Dossier's

UAW will hit select plants at all 3 automakers if no deal . . . 
The move would make good on union President Shawn Fain’s threats to stop work at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis upon the expiration of UAW’s contracts with the automakers. “We will not strike all of our facilities at once. We will strike all three companies, a historic first, initially at a limited number of targeted locations,” Fain said, then add more plants as needed. Politico

I don’t think Biden and Vice President Harris should run for reelection. It’s painful to say that, given my admiration for much of what they have accomplished. But if he and Harris campaign together in 2024, I think Biden risks undoing his greatest achievement — which was stopping Trump. White House Dossier

Five Facts That Compel the House’s Biden Impeachment Inquiry . . . With the commencement of an impeachment inquiry this week, the House of Representatives is moving the Biden corruption scandal into the highest level of constitutional inquiry. After stonewalling by the Bidens and federal agencies investigating various allegations, the move for a House inquiry was expected if not inevitable. An impeachment inquiry does not mean that an impeachment itself is inevitable. But it dramatically increases the chances of finally forcing answers to troubling questions of influence-peddling and corruption. The Messenger

Biden campaign plots long-game strategy as Democrats’ fears of a Trump win spike . . . President Joe Biden’s aides privately acknowledge a rematch with Donald Trump in 2024 could be his best path to reelection, but they are terrified by what would happen if he lost – which operatives on his campaign and throughout the Democratic Party worry is a very real possibility. CNN

White House seeks to intimidate news organizations covering impeachment . . . The White House Wednesday sent a letter to executives at major news organizations, including CNN, The New York Times, Fox News, and the Associated Press, demanding that they go after Republicans for moving toward impeaching President Biden. The memo, written by White House impeachment press chief Ian Sams, states in part: Reporting that solely focuses on process rather than substance is woefully inadequate when it comes to something as historically grave as impeachment. It’s time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies. When even House Republican members are admitting that there is simply no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong, much less impeachable, that should set off alarm bells for news organizations. White House Dossier

Ramaswamy proposes cutting federal workforce by 75% . . . Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy proposed cutting 75% of the federal workforce in a speech Wednesday aimed at shutting down what he called the "administrative state." "The people who we elect to run the government ought to be the ones who actually run the government – not the managerial bureaucracy in three-letter government agencies," he said during a speech at the America First Policy Institute in Washington D.C. Ramaswamy said he would reduce the federal workforce by 75% by the end of his first term if elected president. He said 50% of those cuts could be made in his first year. Just the News

There you go.

Hunter Biden Sues Former Trump Aide Who Created Public Database Of Laptop Archive . . . Hunter Biden is reportedly suing a former aide to former President Donald Trump who collected and published data allegedly obtained from one of the younger Biden’s abandoned laptops. Biden’s lawyers allege in the 14-paged lawsuit that former aide Garrett Ziegler violated laws against fraud and hacking and further allege that his team manipulated and altered some of the data, according to Business Insider. The lawsuit only specifies that Ziegler altered photos of Biden appearing nude, per the outlet. Daily Caller

Who Will Succeed Mitt Romney? Four Likely Candidates . . . Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney has said he won't seek reelection in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. The former GOP presidential candidate, 76, called for a new generation of leaders. He added, "I just don't think we need another person in their 80s." This was widely interpreted as a swipe at President Biden and Donald Trump, who is the current frontrunner for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination. Newsweek

You’re screwed': Romney’s exit threatens a collapse of Senate’s middle . . . Mitt Romney’s retirement shines a glaring spotlight on the potentially bleak future of the Senate’s ideological center in both parties. If Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema follow him out the door, it will get worse. Manchin, a centrist Democrat, and the Independent Sinema are both still mulling whether to run again. Like Romney, they could be replaced by senators on either end of the ideological spectrum — almost surely a Republican in Manchin’s West Virginia. Politico

The U.S. is getting hacked. So the Pentagon is overhauling its approach to cyber . . . So Pentagon leaders have started opening up communications with other federal agencies and the private sector on cyber threats to elections and other critical systems, and increasing assistance to foreign allies. They’ve codified the changes in a new cyber strategy released Tuesday. It’s a big bet for a Defense Department that already has a shortage of cybersecurity-trained personnel and isn’t used to sharing key intelligence outside agency walls. And if it doesn’t work, the U.S. could find itself spread thin in its efforts to keep up with increasingly sophisticated and savvy digital adversaries. POLITICO

FBI Director Wray issues warning about number of Russian spies in the US . . . FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Thursday that the number of Russian spies operating inside the United States is “still way too big,” despite efforts to kick them out. “The Russian traditional counterintelligence threat continues to loom large,” Wray said during public remarks at the Spy Museum in Washington. “The Russian intelligence footprint, and by that I mean intelligence officers, is still way too big in the United States and something we are constantly bumping up against and trying to block and prevent and disrupt in every way we can.” CNN

9 Russians charged with cyberattacks targeting US companies . . . The Justice Department earlier this week charged nine Russian nationals who they say used Russian-based malware in cyberattacks to steal money from U.S. companies, governments and school districts. Mikhail Tsarev, Andrey Zhuykov, Maksim Galochkin, Dimitry Putlin, Sergey Loguntsov, Max Mikhaylov, Makism Rudensky, Valentin Karyagin, and Maskim Khaliullin allegedly used malware tools, Trickbot and Conti, to infiltrate Americans' devices, according to the DOJ. The defendants are behind "one of the most prolific ransomware variants used in cyberattacks across the United States, including attacks on local police departments and emergency medical services," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement released by the Justice Department. ABC

Israel accuses Iran-backed Hezbollah of building airport designed for attack, amid Biden $6B swap deal . . . Israel on Monday accused Iran of building an airport in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, which Defense Minister Yoav Gallant believes will be used as a springboard for possible terror attacks.  Gallant presented pictures of the airport during a conference at Reichman University, saying it bore the fingerprints of Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist group backed by Tehran. The airport is about 12 miles from the Israeli border. Fox News

China's Military Begins Show of Force in Pacific After US Moves . . . China has announced it is unilaterally forging greater ties with Taiwan on the same day its military enveloped the island in navy and air force drills, and one expert told Newsweek when he expects an escalation between the two. Taiwan's defense ministry said on Wednesday morning that more than 20 Chinese military planes had been seen in its air zone. Newsweek

Here's analysis from my friend Sean King, an Asia scholar who is the senior vice president at New York-based consultancy Park Strategies, who is quoted in Newsweek:

 "I can't get inside the heads of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) top brass as to why these particular drills are happening at this particular time. "But these actions are consistent with Beijing's long-stated objective to put itself in a position to take Taiwan by force if it can't woo the island by less kinetic, yet still coercive, means. "We should, in fact, expect to see only more such threatening mainland moves in the run-up to Taiwan's January 13th presidential and legislative elections."

Russia-North Korea summit: "Comrades" Putin and Kim send rivals a warning . . . Whatever practical cooperation emerges from this week's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, their deepening relationship is aimed at sending their rivals a warning, analysts said. Calling each other "comrade", the men toasted their friendship on Wednesday after Putin showed Kim around Russia's most modern space launch facility and they held talks alongside their defence ministers. Reuters

Ukraine launches 'biggest attack' on Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea, damaging 2 warships: report . . . Ukraine struck Russian naval vessels located near the Crimean city of Sevastopol in what as described as the "biggest attack" on the city that hosts the Russian Black Sea Fleet. "We confirm a large landing vessel and submarine were hit. We do not comment on the means (used) for the strike," Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov told Reuters after the attack, which took place early Wednesday. Fox News

Money

US inflation rises in August as petrol prices jump . . . Rising energy costs pushed US inflation above forecasts in August, threatening to complicate the Federal Reserve’s battle to keep prices under control. Consumer prices rose by 3.7 per cent year on year, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday, up from 3.2 per cent in July and beating consensus forecasts of 3.6 per cent. On a monthly basis, prices increased 0.6 per cent. Financial Times

Saudi Oil Cuts Set to Keep Gasoline Prices Higher . . . Saudi Arabia’s decision to extend cuts to its crude-oil output until the end of the year is likely to lead to a significant supply shortfall for the rest of the year, keeping prices higher at the pump, according to the International Energy Agency. In its monthly report, the IEA said cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a cartel of oil-producing nations where Saudi Arabia is the largest producer and de facto leader, have led to 2.5 million barrels a day being removed from the market since January. “The Saudi-Russian alliance is proving a formidable challenge for oil markets,” the IEA said, noting that their combined supply cuts of about 1.3 million barrels a day had led to a sharp increase in prices, with Brent Crude, the international benchmark for crude oil, rising above $90 a barrel and prices pushing to a 10-month high. WSJ

Biden's "experts" convinced themselves that Putin is an idiot. Well, Putin has a PhD in economics and his Central Banker Elvira Nabiulina is a M.I.T. trained economist. Did Team Biden really think that Putin will just sit and wait till the US and Europeans destroy Russia's economy with sanctions? Of course, he would try to return the favor by waging economic warfare on us. Of course, Russia and the Saudis -- whom Biden alienated -- would team up to cut oil production to ratchet up petroleum prices. Of course, now that six out of nine top energy producing nations are in the BRICS, they will flip our economic warfare playbook on us.

It is not a coincidence, Comrades, that our inflation is spiking following rising petroleum prices. Of course, Joe Biden will never admit the origin of this predicament that he put our country in. How did we get in this situation that our country is run by idiots who think that our adversaries are all idiots?

Russia Overcomes Sanctions to Expand Missile Production, Officials Say . . . Russia has managed to overcome sanctions and export controls imposed by the West to expand its missile production beyond prewar levels, according to U.S., European and Ukrainian officials, leaving Ukraine especially vulnerable to intensified attacks in the coming months. NYT

Shocking.

‘A Ticket to Disney’? Politicians Charge Millions to Send Migrants to U.S. . . . The Biden administration vowed to “end the illicit movement” of people through the Darién jungle. But the number of migrants moving through the forest has never been greater — and the profits are too big to pass up. Every step through the jungle, there is money to be made. The boat ride to reach the rainforest: $40. A guide on the treacherous route once you start walking: $170. A porter to carry your backpack over the muddy mountains: $100. A plate of chicken and rice after arduous climbing: $10. Special, all-inclusive packages to make the perilous slog faster and more bearable, with tents, boots and other necessities: $500, or more. Hundreds of thousands of migrants are now pouring through a sliver of jungle known as the Darién Gap, the only land route to the United States from South America, in a record tide that the Biden administration and the Colombian government have vowed to stop. NYT

Chicago considers controversial tax hike on property sales over $1M to fund homeless housing . . . Chicago could be hit with a controversial new real estate transfer tax increase on properties above $1 million to build permanent supportive housing units for the homeless. But the proposal could place an additional burden on an already-struggling real estate climate in the Windy City, some realtor groups fear. The proposal, known as the Bring Chicago Home plan, was discussed at length during a subject hearing by the city’s housing committee Thursday afternoon. The tax rate would jump from 0.75% to 2.65%. Fox Business

Culture

DOD Backpedals on Gender-Neutral Pronouns. Gen. Milley’s Citation Won’t Use ‘Themself’ . . . A Department of Defense policy incorporating “gender-neutral” language into award citations will be amended to clarify that it does not ban using “himself” or “herself,” a defense official told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Tuesday.

The DCNF previously reported that the end-of-tour award for Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would use “gender-specific” pronouns, despite a Defense Department Aug. 7 policy update incorporating the gender-neutral “themself” into opening sentences for award citations. Daily Signal

I’m a former FBI agent — here’s the safest room to book at any hotel . . . A former CIA and FBI agent is sharing her secrets for traveling safely — including which hotel rooms to book. Tracy Walder, 44, has worked as an FBI special agent and CIA officer. Both jobs taught her how to take extra precautions while on assignment, especially when abroad. Before she begins any trip, Walder researches her destination for terrorism threats and sets up an app that alerts her contacts to her location in the event of an emergency. She places an Apple Air Tag in her luggage and has her 8-year-old daughter wear a bracelet with the tracking device too.  She never books private rentals, which she claims are “extremely dangerous and risky.” Walder stays in a hotel room between the third and sixth floors. NY Post

I could never understand why anyone would ever stay in a Airbnb.

Have you noticed that everyone’s teeth are a little too perfect? . . .  Celebrities and civilians alike are “fixing” their natural teeth. Now everybody has the same smile … and it’s kind of creepy. Have you ever looked at Selena Gomez’s teeth? Like, really looked at them? Have you studied the undulating Pepto-pink curvature of her gums? Have you clocked the angle at which her two front teeth rest on her fricative line — the wet-dry equator of the lower lip, where the oral mucosa transitions to the vermilion — when she smiles? Did you notice, approximately four years ago, that Gomez’s teeth appeared to change shape, color and position — that they were suddenly whiter than ever, aligned in a ramrod-straight row at the front of her face? Washington Post

I have a gap in my front teeth. My Dad has one. His Dad had one. Now my daughter also has a gap. I never thought it was unattractive till the dentist told my daughter that she could have it "fixed." I was stunned. Now my daughter, who is beautiful and never thought that there was anything wrong with her, now feels self-conscious and begs us to have it "fixed." Obviously, since it's cosmetic, it will not be covered by the dental insurance. Regardless, I would hate to make changes to my daughter's face or any part of her. My husband explained that in American culture a gap is considered a imperfection. For real? 

Here she is with her ballet partner.

Audience Cheers As Apple Unveils First Carbon-Neutral Uyghur Slave Camp . . . Apple capped off its rollout day by announcing the first ever totally carbon-neutral Uyghur slave camp, to raucous cheers from those gathered in attendance. "Let your conscience rest easy, knowing that the entire slave camp is one hundred percent carbon-neutral," said CEO Tim Cook. "Not an ounce of carbon will escape those camps - much like the child slaves working there." Babylon Bee