THE NARRATIVE MUST BE SERVED: Politicians need to stop holding press conferences every time someone dies of measles. (But they probably won’t.)
September 2, 2026
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is the hardline regime’s chief propaganda organ, responsible for blasting Tehran’s virulent brand of radicalism to a domestic audience and supporters across the globe, including inside the United States. The IRIB has become instrumental to the regime’s survival in the past year, since nationwide protests inside Iran threatened the mullahs’ hold on power in the lead-up to the U.S.-led war. In recent weeks, the IRIB—which oversees a wide network of media including newspapers, websites, and social media channels—has been responsible for publishing a series of disturbing death threats against Trump, his wife Melania, and their son Barron. This includes an Aug. 23 video, since taken down, purporting to document both Melania and Barron’s movements as part of an assassination scheme that the Secret Service says it is actively monitoring.
But during this time, the State Department waived longstanding sanctions on the IRIB, permitting it to freely operate and access satellite services that are pivotal to its existence, the Free Beacon has learned. Crippling financial sanctions and taking steps to block the IRIB’s technical operations would make it hard for the regime mouthpiece to broadcast outside Iran, and would undermine its internal broadcasting and publishing operations as well.
In 1999 and 2003, the United States and its allies bombed state television in Belgrade and Baghdad, effectively shutting down state media for a time. The United States is not believed to have targeted Iranian state broadcasting in its current campaign.
That’s… odd.
COLOR ME UNSURPRISED:
1/ OUR NEW REPORT: EQUITY REDUCES EXCELLENCE. Jason Arday was not an aberration. He was a feature, not a bug, of a system that replaced merit with identity. Our new study of nearly 2,000 prestigious Canada Research Chairs provides the hard numbers. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/5h6ifelwmu
— Eric Kaufmann (@epkaufm) September 1, 2026
HIGHER EDUCATION’S FUNDING IS DELIBERATELY OBSCURE. END THAT.
Who controls the funding influences the education of our next generation. There is no good argument against transparency in the funding of higher education. https://t.co/yEpiyqAN8N
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) September 2, 2026
TO A LEFTIST, THESE THINGS ARE CONNECTED BECAUSE THEY DISLIKE BOTH OF THEM:
On CNN NewsNight, The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill argues that capitalism is oppressive and bound up in white supremacy.
Kmele Foster: “It's one thing to not think capitalism isn't working ideally. It's another thing entirely to insist that it is oppressive, that it is bound up with… pic.twitter.com/PLWRCuxt7v
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 2, 2026
DEMOCRATS DESPISE THEIR OWN CONSTITUENTS, EXHIBIT #1,000,006:
🚨 WTF?! The State of New York has ordered Elon Musk's X Money to STOP paying out 6% interest to any New Yorker with their bank account
Instead, interest has to drop to 0%. X is trying to reverse it.
New York leaders hate their own people! pic.twitter.com/qNzAz8eGbC
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 1, 2026
X Money is basically a PayPal-type transmitter account (there’s an optional physical debit card) that pays 6% on deposits.
YOU GOTTA PUMP THOSE NUMBERS UP: DHS Arrests More Than 2,000 Illegal Aliens in New York ‘Operation Rotten Apple.’
LIGHTNING DEAL: 4-in-1 Laser Level with Line Laser, Drill Dust Collector. #CommissionEarned
THE NEW SPACE RACE: Gravitics Wins Lockheed Martin Deal to Build Three Orbital Carriers for Golden Dome.
The spacecraft, described as orbital carriers, are platforms designed to support space-based missile defense operations. Golden Dome has been discussed largely in policy terms, and the contract signals the program is moving into the hardware phase.
Gravitics will build three orbital carriers under the arrangement. The work falls under the Golden Dome space-based missile defense program, and the platforms are intended to support demonstrations of missile defense technologies in orbit. Gravitics is a startup rather than a traditional prime contractor.
Broader Golden Dome industrial activity was visible this week. A Space Force general and U.S. Senator Jim Banks visited L3Harris to review Golden Dome work separately from the Gravitics selection, indicating activity across multiple companies tied to the program.
This is almost 22nd Century stuff.
THE SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS ARE OUTSTANDING:
Canada is enticing academics to leave the US due to Trump’s crackdowns on research funding for topics like climate, equity, and gender studies. pic.twitter.com/6hoaA1j90S
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 31, 2026
OF COURSE HE DOES: Joel Kotkin: Carney aligns with the anti-free speech China and EU. Horrible leaders who are screwing over their people usually don’t want their people talking about it.
RULE OF LAW:
Remember for reasons that have never quite been explained Donald Trump can win an election, but doesn’t have a right to do the things the president does, again because reasons. https://t.co/SCcCQRNIvM
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) September 1, 2026
HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE:
There's a lot of truth in here, as you'd expect from @asymmetricinfo, but there is one more layer: for 30 years, we have allowed only ONE real lender for college tuition, with zero under-writing & ample political pressure to waive even principal payments. Monopoly lending helped… https://t.co/pyS6UyfeUq
— Brad Todd (@BradOnMessage) September 1, 2026
I’VE SEEN MORE COMFORTABLE GUESTS OF HONOR IN HOSTAGE VIDEOS: The Body Language of This Black Pastor at an El-Sayed Presser Says It All.
THEY TRIED TO BREAK YOUNGER SON, WHO WAS READING FINE, TO MAKE HIM “GUESS” THE WORDS: “So you hate pancakes?”/ “No, did you read the words I actually wrote? Why are you guessing totally separate and distinct sentences rather than just reading what I wrote?” Is it possible the answer is “Because I was systematically taught to do that?”
