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A rep for the former NYC mayor joked he didn't earn his nickname nightlife mayor by sitting at home.

A rep for the former NYC mayor joked he didn't earn his nickname nightlife mayor by sitting at home.

By the power of Grayskull, "Masters of the Universe" hits streaming today.

Authorities called the seizure one of the port’s largest anti-drug operations in recent years.

BritCard Is Dead: Burnham Kills Starmer's £1.8 Billion Digital ID To Pay For An Energy Tax Cut

Ten months ago Keir Starmer warned that anyone without a government digital ID "will not be able to work in the United Kingdom." On Tuesday - day two of the Burnham premiership - the scheme was formally killed off.

It wasn't the nearly 2.9 million people who signed the petition. It wasn't the civil liberties groups who dragged it through Parliament. It died because the new Prime Minister needed £1.8 billion to scrap VAT on electricity bills.

In his first major act in No 10, Andy Burnham announced that VAT will come off domestic electricity bills from October 1, timed to land before the next Ofgem price cap. Qualifying small businesses, charities and care homes benefit too. New Chancellor John Healey - installed Monday evening after Rachel Reeves was shown the door - said the move "is funded this year from cancelling the Digital ID programme," which the government prices at £1.8 billion over three years.

So ends BritCard: sold as the answer to illegal migration, buried as a line item in somebody else's tax cut.

A Short, Unhappy Life

None of this will surprise regular readers. When Starmer unveiled the plan last September, officials admitted its "efficacy depends on everyone having them" - universal or nothing. The pitch was border control. The architecture, as we noted at the time, was always closer to population management: only around 40,000 of the nearly one million migrants who arrived last year came by small boat. A universal ID for the entire country, aimed at the smallest slice of the problem it was sold on, was a problem-reaction-solution classic.

What followed was mission creep at record speed. By October it had become a bait and switch. By January ministers were floating digital IDs for newborns - cradle-to-grave tracking for a £1.8 billion program. Nearly 2.9 million people signed a petition, forcing a Parliamentary debate, and by mid-January the government had dropped the mandatory right-to-work requirement, the load-bearing wall of the whole project. Big Brother Watch's Silkie Carlo said taxpayers should not be footing "a £1.8 billion bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless." Ministers pressed on anyway with a voluntary version that was never the optional convenience they claimed.

Now even that shell is gone - cancelled not on principle but for parts.

Follow The Money

Whether the money is actually there is another question. The Times reports the VAT cut is fully funded. The OBR counters that the £1.8 billion Digital ID budget was never funded in the first place, which means cancelling it pays for nothing. At least one former minister has said flatly that the cut is unfunded. The government's own release concedes that "updated costs will be set out at Budget" - the arithmetic, in other words, arrives later. More giveaways are already queued: a 20 percent business-rates cut for hospitality within days, per HuffPost UK, and a £2 bus-fare cap as soon as Wednesday.

Gilt traders ran the same numbers and reached the same place. The 10-year yield jumped 8 basis points to 5.04 percent on Monday as Burnham's early remarks stoked fears of a looser fiscal stance, then pared the move once Healey - the former defence secretary who quit Starmer's cabinet over defence funding - took the Treasury instead of Ed Miliband, who was packed off to the Foreign Office. Yields fell across the curve Tuesday morning in evident relief, with sterling steady near $1.344. Relief is not confidence. British 10-year borrowing costs are still the highest in the G7, and every unfunded pound of Burnham's day-two populism gets marked to market eventually.

What Actually Died

To be precise about the corpse: what was cancelled is the standalone national BritCard programme, and nothing else. It does not touch Gov.uk One Login and its millions of enrolled users, the Gov.uk Wallet, or the Online Safety Act's age-verification regime, which as we reported in June was already working as a backdoor identity mandate for every phone in Britain, with Google and Apple building the plumbing.

Schemes like this also have a habit of returning under new names with smaller line items. A government that just banked £1.8 billion in savings that were never there knows exactly where to find another £1.8 billion next year.

Still, take the win. Nearly three million signatures couldn't kill BritCard. One expensive winter did. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 05:45

The youngest ever mayor of a Georgia city is being probed over his alleged spending – less than a year after being elected on a campaign premised around accountability and transparency. 

"If, at this point, ten years into the Trump situation, you are still obsessing about his personality, my view is that's on you."

German Motorists Flood Czech Border As Fuel-Price-Cap Ends

Via Remix News,

German motorists formed kilometer-long lines at Czech gas stations on Sunday as they rushed to take advantage of lower prices before the government’s fuel cap expired.

Stations near the German border were overwhelmed by drivers seeking cheaper gasoline and diesel, with footage showing long queues at some locations.

According to Echo24, fuel in the Czech Republic was as much as €0.80 per liter cheaper than in Germany.

The surge came shortly before regulated pricing ended and the Czech fuel market returned to market-based rates.

Prices began rising at several stations on Monday morning, with diesel generally recording the sharpest increases.

At a PRIM station in Prague’s Dolní Počernice district, diesel rose by 2.40 crowns (€0.10) to 39.90 crowns (€1.65) per liter. Natural 95 gasoline increased by 1.40 crowns (€0.06) to 40.90 crowns (€1.69).

At a Shell station in Prague’s Chodov district, diesel increased by one crown (€0.04) to 41.90 crowns (€1.73) per liter. Natural 95 gasoline rose by 0.60 crowns (€0.02) to 43.10 crowns (€1.78).

Analysts had expected diesel prices to climb by as much as three crowns (€0.12) per liter because a temporary reduction in the diesel excise tax expired alongside the price controls. Smaller increases were forecast for gasoline.

The government introduced the measures in April after oil prices rose amid the conflict in the Middle East.

The Finance Ministry imposed daily maximum prices based on wholesale costs and capped retailer margins, initially at 2.50 crowns (€0.10) per liter and later at three crowns (€0.12).

The cabinet also temporarily reduced the diesel excise tax from 9.95 crowns (€0.41) to 8.011 crowns (€0.33) per liter. The gasoline tax remained unchanged at 12.84 crowns (€0.53).

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová previously said the diesel tax reduction cost the state budget around one billion crowns, approximately €41.3 million, per month.

Schillerová said the government would continue monitoring the market and could reintroduce regulation if fuel prices rise sharply or conditions on global oil markets deteriorate.

The cabinet also temporarily reduced the diesel excise tax from 9.95 crowns to 8.011 crowns per liter. The gasoline tax remained unchanged at 12.84 crowns.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová previously said the diesel tax reduction cost the state budget around one billion crowns per month.

Schillerová said the government would continue monitoring the market and could reintroduce regulation if fuel prices rise sharply or conditions on global oil markets deteriorate.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 05:00

"We've got a big problem, as you know, with the flight from work of prime-age men," he said.

Without political support, America will squander its huge advantages and fail to benefit from what it’s built. So AI’s advocates need to consciously cultivate a pro-AI majority — and fast.

Communities on the US Gulf Coast distributed sandbags and closed beaches as Tropical Storm Bertha threatened to bring flooding and strong winds Wednesday from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana.

A disgruntled migrant allegedly gunned down three staffers at his Minnesota apartment block in a crazed rampage after he couldn’t cancel his parking garage contract. Tsegaab Binessu, 30, allegedly shot dead Nansi Fuentes Zambrano, 25, Dena Silcox, 56, and Adam Wilwerding, 43, at the complex in St. Paul, Minnesota, Monday, KSTP reported. Binessu, originally from...

Drone War Enters Terrifying New Phase As Russia Deploys 300-MPH Jet-Powered Shahed

Dramatic footage posted on X shows what appears to be a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered, one-way attack drone striking a passenger train in Ukraine.

If authenticated, the footage shows just how rapidly drone warfare is evolving beyond conventional two-stroke power plants toward miniature turbojets that sharply increase speed, compress warning and response times, potentially render many existing small-drone interceptors ineffective, and accelerate the overall tempo of combat across modern battlefields.

Here's the footage:

A video has emerged documenting the moment when a Russian Geran-4 jet-powered OWA-UAV impacted a locomotive of a passenger train in the Ukrainian settlement of Solone, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/RRUl8x7NBM

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) July 20, 2026

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence recently published a report on Russia's new jet-powered strike UAV, known as the Geran-4.

The report said the Geran-4 entered combat in May and can exceed 300 mph, climb above 15,000 feet, and deliver a 100- to 200-pound warhead against targets up to 279 miles away.

Powered by Chinese-made Telefly turbojets, the Geran-4 compresses Ukraine's detection and engagement windows while forcing Kiev to deploy faster and more expensive interceptor drones and missiles.

Reuters published a report Tuesday noting that Ukrainian drone manufacturer SkyFall unveiled a new high-speed interceptor at the UK's Farnborough Airshow designed to counter these new Russian jet-powered drones.

Ukrainian company SkyFall introduced the P1-SUN Jetkiller, an accelerated interceptor drone designed to counter Shahed-type drones. It reaches speeds of up to 370 km/h, compared with 310 km/h for the standard P1-SUN variant. Development took around three months.#SkyFall #P1SUN pic.twitter.com/HmTClD0OkF

— Drone Wars (@Drone_Wars_) July 21, 2026

 We warned in May: "And just wait until micro jet engines become standard on suicide drones ..." 

Read: Logic Of Violence: We Are Nowhere Near The Endgame In Drone Wars

Last drone coverage:

• Anduril Unveils Tiltrotor Killer Drone Straight Out Of 'Terminator'
• Watch: Aerial Drone Airlifts Kamikaze Ground Bot Into Battle As Warfare Automation Accelerates
• Why Is China Advertising Insane War Drones On Facebook
• Fiber-Optic Kamikaze Drone Found In Mexico Signals New Drone Threat South Of Border

Counter AUS coverage:

• "Sub-Second Detect- To-Fire": Futuristic Dome Turret Could Be US Military's Answer To Drone Swarms
• US Military Races To Harden Strategic Nuclear Bases With Counter-Drone AI Shield

The world is becoming a dark and dangerous place as drones and robots become weaponized. Humanoids will be next. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 04:15

Multiple women and park workers alleged he repeatedly approached them, stared at them and refused to leave.

DHS has issued 103,000 fines since Trump returned to office, charging $998 per day to those who refuse to self-deport.

Officials still haven’t identified the source of the bacteria that has sickened more than six dozen people in the last month.

Poland's Planned Megaport Is Part Of Its Regional Power Play

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

Poland will become indispensable to Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary’s global trade upon the completion of this project, thus securing their place within its “sphere of influence” and reducing the likelihood that German-backed Ukraine “poaches” them as part of their rivalry for regional leadership.

“Notes From Poland” reported that “Poland has begun construction of a 10 billion zloty (€2.3 billion) deepwater port and container terminal in the city of Świnoujście, near the German border…The facility will also be designed for both civilian and defence use…Deputy infrastructure minister Arkadiusz Marchewka said the terminal would serve not only Poland but also markets including eastern Germany, and the landlocked Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary, reports Business Insider Polska.”

This megaproject is part of Poland’s regional power play in which it envisages becoming the leader of Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) through diplomatic, security, and connectivity means, the first two of which were elaborated upon here while the third concerns the “Three Seas Initiative” (3SI). The last-mentioned involves dual-use connectivity infrastructure such as that which Poland is now building in Świnoujście, which also hosts an LNG terminal that could supply Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.

They and Poland are coincidentally the states that new Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar proposed merging into a sub-regional integration bloc that would combine the Visegrad Group (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary) with the Slavkov format (Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria). While they’ve yet to implement his idea, Polish influence over those four will grow upon the completion of Poland’s new 3SI-connected Świnoujście megaport, which will facilitate the expansion of their global trade.

It also goes without saying that their import of American LNG via the Świnoujście terminal would do the same, with both Polish initiatives serving to show just how important that country is poised to become to CEE in the evolving post-conflict order. Another poignant observation is that Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia all refused to finance the EU’s new €90 billion loan to Ukraine, over half of Austrians want their government to stop financing it too, and Poles are rapidly souring on Ukraine as well.

With all this in mind, Poland already basically leads an unofficial bloc in CEE comprised of countries whose societies and governments alike (Austria’s being the notable exception as regards the latter) are known abroad for their increasing criticism of Ukraine, which most recently ruined its ties with Poland. Zelensky’s state-level glorification of the Volhynia Genocide’s OUN-UPA culprits sparked so much backlash that even the country’s ruling Ukrainophilic liberal coalition was forced to harden its approach.

“Poland Finally Realizes The Geostrategic Challenge Posed By Ukraine” as its German-backed competitor for leadership over CEE. In particular, “Ukraine’s Planned Drone Plants In The Baltics Are Part Of A Plot To Outflank Poland”. Even if Poland “loses” the Baltics to Ukraine, and recalling that Ukraine already beat it in the Balkans (for now) as proven by six regional leaders recently paying political pilgrimage there, Poland could still count Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary within its “sphere of influence”.

Joint German-Ukrainian leadership over the Baltics and the Balkans would still overshadow that achievement, and Poland would then face challenges to its political sovereignty and strategic autonomy, but it would still have a fighting chance at avoiding full-blown domination.

Therefore, the grand strategic significance of the Świnoujście megaport is that it’ll prevent Poland’s isolation in the aforesaid scenario by making it indispensable to its landlocked allies, after which it might try to “regain” the Baltics one day.

Tyler Durden Wed, 07/22/2026 - 03:30

Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" tied a Billboard Hot 100 record with 14 weeks at No. 1, matching Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston among non-holiday titles by women.

Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" tied a Billboard Hot 100 record with 14 weeks at No. 1, matching Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston among non-holiday titles by women.

Page Six breaks down the wild true story of Ian and Angela Diaz, who framed the former's ex-girlfriend, Michelle Hadley, for various crimes.