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Syria's Hardline Sunni Regime Sentences Bashar al-Assad To Death In Absentia

The new government in Damascus has tried to press Moscow to return to Syria the former longtime President Bashar al-Assad. He's reportedly lived in a posh area of the Russian capital, under heavy security, since he was ousted in December 2024 and forced to flee.

Perhaps realizing they will never apprehend him, a Syrian court under the new hardline Sunni Hayat Tahrir al-Sham government has on Tuesday sentenced the former ruler to death after a trial in absentia, convicting him of war crimes and atrocities during the prior 14-years of internal war which overtook the country.

AFP/Getty Images

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan in Damascus convicted Assad for crimes including "premeditated murder, the intentional killing of more than one person, the intentional killing of children under 15 years... torture, torture leading to death, and deprivation of liberty on multiple occasions -- classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes."

"He is therefore sentenced to death," the court ruled. Other former high ranking officials in the Assad government are expected to be brought before the courts on similar charges. Many of them, including clerics and generals, are currently held in Syrian detention.

Some of these officials have been listed in AFP reporting: "The court also sentenced six former military and security officials in absentia to death including Assad's brother Maher, who ran the army's elite Fourth Division and also fled the country," AFP wrote.

"Those convicted included former defense minister Fahd al-Freij and Louay al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Daraa province in 2011," the report noted.

The quasi-secular Syrian Ba'ath Party and Assad family had ruled Syria going back to 1970. This came about in the context of a permanent state of war with Israel, and particularly over the Golan Heights, as well as a long-running conflict with radical jihadist factions from within.

Prior to Assad family rule, Syria had suffered some dozen coups and changes of leadership, with many of these involving US and UK intelligence plots.

When there were signs of anti-Assad unrest in early 2011, the United States once again ramped up its covert intervention in Syria, pouring weapons and support into so-called 'moderate rebels' who went on to form the core of Syrian al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Meanwhile, meet the new Syrian government's top diplomatic point man to Washington, who previously kidnapped Americans as an AQ operative...

My interview with the Syrian chargé d'affaires to the US back when he was a member of Jabhat al-Nusra. pic.twitter.com/g0NSaH1WUp

— Lindsey Snell (@LindseySnell) July 28, 2026

Facing a Western and Gulf armed Sunni insurgency, the Assad government sought to put down the proxy war in brutal fashion. But ultimately after many years of covert and economic war, the West won out, and from this emerged Syrian al-Qaeda founder (Nusra Front/HTS) Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

He is now the self-declared President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and the West and Gulf nations have embraced him and his Sunni-dominant government as their 'friend' and puppet.

As for Assad, there have been recent rumors and reports the and his family have traveled abroad at times, making secretive visits to the Gulf region.

Tyler Durden Tue, 08/11/2026 - 13:05

Nearly 500 personnel and dozens of firefighting vehicles and aircraft were battling the blaze, Cal Fire said.

They're cruising for a financial bruising.

Hidden behind a gate on a bustling Times Square block sits a secluded Gilded Age carriage house that could be yours for $2.5 million.

A wildlife fan spotted a roadrunner as it appeared to be screaming.

Brian Thure, who ran Taylor Farms Tennessee for roughly 14 years, allegedly treated the company like a personal piggy bank.

Everyone from Taylor Swift to Martha Stewart uses the tried-and-true beauty buy.

Everyone from Taylor Swift to Martha Stewart uses the tried-and-true beauty buy.

"We’re grateful all parties are safe,” Zuckerberg’s spokesman Brian Baker said.

Not everyone can live in Los Angeles or San Francisco — someone's got to hold it down in Fresno.

The comedian recalled being self-conscious about her body because the late actor "was just so perfect."

The comedian recalled being self-conscious about her body because the late actor "was just so perfect."

Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers left Tuesday's practice in an ambulance and was taken to a local hospital after he "passed out," head coach Aaron Glenn said.

Knicks-76ers will be the hottest ticket for a regular season game we've seen in a while.

Despite Record Surge In Subprime Car Loan Originations, US Household Debt Dropped In Q2: First Since COVID

Something unprecedented happened in the second quarter: aggregate household debt balances declined by $13 billion, a 0.1% decline from Q1. Balances stood at $18.8 trillion, up $4.6 trillion since the end of 2019, just before the pandemic recession. But the reason why we say it was unprecedented, is that the Q2 drop was the first quarterly decline in total household debt since the second quarter of 2020, when the US economy was gripped by the covid lockdown shock leading to a historic deleveraging.

In fact, the only time aggregate household debt slides is during and right after periods of financial or social crisis. And yet, in Q2, risk assets soared.... which makes one wonder: just how bad is the economy really if one takes away the constant, debt-fueled (both on and off balance sheet) AI meltup?

Here is the breakdown by main category: 

• Mortgage debt at $13.12t after $13.19t in 1Q, a decrease of $74b
  • Mortgage delinquency rate fell to 0.99% from 1.09% prior quarter

According to the NY Fed, the decline was "due to a temporary gap in the reporting of mortgages on credit reports due to a transfer of servicing." Meanwhile, balances on home equity lines of credit (HELOC) rose by $13 billion, marking the 17th consecutive quarterly increase. Outstanding HELOC balances now total $459 billion, $142 billion above the low reached in 2022 Q1.

Non-housing debt balances, which apparently were not impacted by a tranfer transfer of servicing, grew by $48 billion, or 0.9%, from 2026Q1. Auto loan balances rose by $28 billion (1.7%), and credit card balances increased by $21 billion (1.7%). Student loan balances declined slightly (-0.4%). Other balances, which include retail cards and consumer finance loans, edged up by $6 billion to $568 billion. Key highlights:

• Student loan debt total at $1.651t from $1.658t in prior quarter, a decrease of $7b
  • Student loan delinquency rate rose to 10.6% from 10.34% prior quarter
     
• Credit card debt total at $1.263t from $1.242t in prior quarter, an increase of $21b
  • Credit card delinquency rate fell to 12.92% from 13.12% prior quarter

Some of the key charts from the latest report, staring with Mortgage Origination by credit score:

Auto loan origination by credit score. The notable thing here is the record surge in subprime originations (highest number of originations for sub 660 FICO applicants)...

... which was largely the result of a surge in 30-50 year olds getting a new auto loan.

In case going NINJA on auto loans wasn't enough, along with record credit card balances, we saw a much higher jump in credit card limits. Which means consumers have a LOT of dry powder.

Subprime-riddled auto loans aside, the one chart that may be most notable is the one showing that transition into delinquency b y loan type continues to rise, especially for Auto Loans, Mortgage and Credit Card. Of course, since student loans are already deep in the delinquency pipeline (most are 90+ days) there is simply nobody left to start the default process: most already have.

Commenting on the latest report, Joelle Scally, Economic Policy Advisor at the New York Fe said that "delinquency rates across most products have held steady over the past two years," adding that "new delinquencies for auto loans and credit cards remain at elevated levels, a trend we’ll continue to monitor."

And, ominously, as new delinquencies rise, the number of 90+ days delinquent loans are already near record highs for both credit cards, auto loans and student loans.

More in the full Household Credit presentation.

Tyler Durden Tue, 08/11/2026 - 12:35

Trump Weighs Federal Challenge To Mamdani's Socialist Tax "Experiment," Warns It Will Doom NYC

Summary:

• Trump Weighs Federal Challenge to New York Pied-à-Terre Tax
• Judge Temporarily Blocks Mamdani's Socialist Tax Scheme

Trump Weighs Federal Challenge to New York Pied-à-Terre Tax

President Trump said in a Truth Social post around lunchtime that his administration is examining whether the federal government has the legal authority to block NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's dangerous political "experiment" before it can "destroy what was once a great City and State."

"It is pure Amateur Hour, and it's hard, as President of the United States of America, to sit back and watch it happen, especially to a place I once loved. Financial, and then Social, RUIN, is a 100% certainty - And then the Radical Left Jihadists charge Congestion Pricing on top of everything else," Trump said.

He continued, "This doesn't work in America, and must be stopped, NOW! I am looking to see if the Federal Government has any legal right to avert this disaster, before it is too late, for the millions of people who cherish New York and want to see it thrive, as opposed to becoming a filthy, crime-ridden, decrepit place of mockery and scorn."

"The City Screwed This Up": Judge Temporarily Blocks Mamdani's Pied-A-Terre Tax Scheme

A New York judge temporarily halted Mayor Zohran Mamdani's socialist experiment to impose a new tax on luxury second homes, ordering far-left City Hall officials to remove a controversial list doxing more than 900,000 homeowners from the public domain

The publicly accessible database exposed names, addresses, and property values, effectively creating an easily accessible targeting list for radical activists, including Luigi-worshipping far-left activists, amid City Hall's escalating war on property owners.

Related:

• "I've Been Doxed": Lefty Podcaster Scott Galloway Rips Mamdani After Landing On Socialist's Rich Target List

Bloomberg reports that Justice Wayne Ozzi temporarily restrained City Hall from proceeding with the new pied-à-terre tax and required the city to remove the online list of properties that would be targeted by the tax and halt further action based on roughly 17,000 notices mailed to property owners.

A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31.

"The city screwed this up… got it wrong… stop the train and make them do it over," Randy Mastro, a former deputy mayor, told the court. Mastro is the one who brought the suit on behalf of three New York homeowners. 

"We are very gratified by the judge's decision, which has vindicated the rights of hundreds of thousands of New York City homeowners who were subjected to a process they never should have been a part of in the first place," Mastro said after the ruling.

On Monday, Mamdani noted Mastro's role in suits challenging his socialist housing policies. 

"You know, there are few things more certain in New York City than death, taxes and Randy Mastro filing a lawsuit against this administration," the mayor said at a press conference.

"There are a few things more certain here today than death, taxes and Randy Mastro filing a lawsuit against this administration," NYC Mayor Mamdani says when asked about the new lawsuit filed by Mastro on behalf of NYC homeowners over the rollout of the pied-à-terre tax pic.twitter.com/BTnvLPvgly

— Rebecca C. Lewis (@_rebeccaclewis) August 10, 2026

He continued, "So we look forward to vigorously defending our city's position in court as we have done so with the previous lawsuits that he has filed and I'm sure with the lawsuits that he will continue to file in the months and years to come."

Last month, Mastro also filed a separate complaint on behalf of a group of NYC landlords who sued to void a rent freeze approved in June, arguing that Mamdani improperly influenced the Rent Guidelines Board's vote and ignored evidence of soaring operating costs for landlords. This plays into the broader socialist endgame: bankrupt landlords and create conditions for City Hall to seize distressed apartment buildings. 

Mamdani has said the new pied-à-terre tax will help fund safer streets, safer schools, and "the city that New Yorkers deserve."

Yet we know socialists do not live in economic reality, and the fact that they had to dox homeowners suggests an alternative motive: they want to seize the means of production. Putting such a list out in the public domain for their radical left foot soldiers to access suggests that wealthy homeowners will be targeted. This is dangerous, especially given the rhetoric pushed by Mamdani's friend Hasan Piker, who recently said, "Kill capitalists."

Tyler Durden Tue, 08/11/2026 - 12:30

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar southpaw Tarik Skubal made his Dodger Stadium debut on Monday night after being traded from the Detroit Tigers before this year’s deadline. Skubal’s home debut for Los Angeles didn’t go as planned. The two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner conceded three earned runs in five innings pitched, getting a no-decision in...

Workers fan out before dawn to clip clusters of grapes destined to be transformed into Italy’s prized Franciacorta sparkling wine a full 10 days earlier than anticipated.

Marcellus Wiley is no longer facing domestic violence charges in Florida, and to celebrate, he called his accuser and estranged wife a liar in a scathing statement.

The bride said her couture gown was "magical" and "unexpected, kind of like me.