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The plan outlines “coordinated nationwide actions” within 24 hours if there is an “imminent threat” or a US military move against Cuba.

NY Post readers discuss Mayor Mamdani seeking authority to arrest Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits NYC.

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The ball is in LeBron James’ court, and he intends to keep it there longer than anyone would like. The entire basketball world is waiting with decreasing patience for James to announce which team he’ll join in free agency. While there were some rumors that LeBron’s decision could arrive as soon as Monday, an update...

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The socialite begged her social media followers for help finding a kidney donor back in February.

The socialite begged her social media followers for help finding a kidney donor back in February.

Newly released federal court documents are shedding light on the terrifying hostage crisis involving two U.S. Forest Service workers after they were allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint by a father and son in a remote Northern California forest Friday.

The FIFA World Cup has come to an end and tons of celebrities stepped out to celebrate! Even though the pros were playing soccer in the field, there was a ton of action in the stands with Shakira’s ex-husband Gerard Piqué’s surprise appearance, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner packing on the PDA, and more. Justin...

The FIFA World Cup has come to an end and tons of celebrities stepped out to celebrate! Even though the pros were playing soccer in the field, there was a ton of action in the stands with Shakira’s ex-husband Gerard Piqué’s surprise appearance, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner packing on the PDA, and more. Justin...

Trump's Taking On 'Right To Repair': What Does It Mean?

Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,

Questions persist over what it means for drivers to have the right to repair their cars and trucks after President Donald Trump's recent memorandum, which aims to open up access to aftermarket vehicle repairs.

Rivian R2 SUVs move down the assembly line at the manufacturing plant in Normal, Ill., on May 19, 2026. The R2 produces zero direct tailpipe emissions as a fully electric vehicle. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The June 29 memorandum impacts a slice of the controversy between auto makers, car owners, and independent workshops over who can technically and legally conduct certain auto maintenance and repair jobs. The memo specifically targets emissions components that are strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the federal Clean Air Act.

Automotive and legal experts who spoke to The Epoch Times explained what types of repairs the memorandum impacts, what this means for vehicle owners, and some of the potential consequences for the industry as a whole.

"What Trump's trying to do here is figure out, is there an alternative to let people basically work on their cars if it's something relating to emissions?" Joe Luppino-Esposito, federal policy director of the Pacific Legal Foundation, told The Epoch Times.

Narrow Slice Of Vehicle Regulations

Rather than establishing a national right-to-repair policy for a wide variety of aftermarket vehicle parts, the memorandum specifically homes in on components used in automotive emissions systems.

The Clean Air Act prohibits drivers from tampering with emissions systems, including intentionally removing or bypassing a catalytic converter on a vehicle that was originally equipped with one.

Additionally, if an independent repair shop wants to use a non-original equipment manufacturer part in a vehicle's emissions system, the mechanic must receive legal certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

The California board is currently the only organization allowed to certify aftermarket parts under the Clean Air Act's guidelines. In many cases, the certification process can take more than a year.

Armen Hareyan, founder and editor-in-chief of the automotive industry media platform Torque News, explained that the California board is essentially the "only widely recognized way" to prove an aftermarket emissions component adheres to the Clean Air Act.

This creates a bottleneck for certifications as the board is a "state agency with limited staff handling applications from manufacturers across the entire country, not just California," Hareyan told The Epoch Times.

"That backlog has created supply shortages, driven up costs, and slowed down innovation, while also limiting how many affordable parts consumers can actually buy," he said.

"For a small aftermarket parts company, waiting over a year and paying for testing before you can legally sell a single unit is a real barrier to entering the market," Hareyan added.

The memorandum directs the EPA to issue guidance within 30 days on what actions vehicle owners can take regarding emissions repairs or modifications while staying consistent with the Clean Air Act.

Luppino-Esposito said the memorandum may result in federal guidance that allows vehicle owners some leeway with "fine-tuning" or improving their exhaust or emissions systems, for example, in ways that wouldn't violate federal law but might otherwise be restricted unless working with a dealership under the current certification process.

Existing 'Right To Repair' Laws

Some states have existing laws that provide drivers with broader right-to-repair access.

Massachusetts and Maine are the only two states that currently have comprehensive right-to-repair laws for car owners.

Under a law enacted in 2012, Massachusetts allows car owners and independent mechanics to have access to the same diagnostic data and repair information as dealers, including wireless telematics data.

Maine voters approved a similar law in 2023 that mandates standardized access to diagnostic systems and establishes a system for allowing vehicle-generated data to be shared through a secure platform authorized by owners.

Those two laws essentially give "car owners and independent shops the same access to diagnostic tools and data that dealerships get," Hareyan said.

Five additional states have broader right-to-repair laws that do not extend to motor vehicles: California, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon.

Colorado's law applies to agricultural equipment, while the remaining four affect consumer electronics more narrowly. In California, manufacturers must give consumers access to parts, tools, and documentation for appliances and electronics, but not vehicles.

There's also the separate federal-level REPAIR Act that was introduced to Congress early last year.

Still under consideration, the REPAIR Act would give vehicle owners "access to data relating to motor vehicles of the consumers and critical repair information and tools for such motor vehicles, to provide such consumers with choices for the maintenance, service, and repair of such vehicles," according to the text of the bill.

Certification Monopoly

The memorandum also directs the EPA to "encourage the submission of, expeditiously consider, and act on any requests from organizations capable of testing aftermarket parts for conformance with the [Clean Air Act]" so that CARB is not the only organization issuing certifications.

It's not clear how this would play out or which organizations could fill the gap.

Hareyan said the Specialty Equipment Market Association, which is the leading group representing the specialty automotive aftermarket parts industry, has been advocating for years to have additional boards conduct compliance certification under the Clean Air Act.

While the association could possibly step in to become an additional certifier, the memorandum just directs the EPA to "start accepting applications from anyone qualified," Hareyan said.

"The honest answer is, we do not yet know who steps into that role, only that the door is now open," he said.

Whichever organizations are considered for compliance certification, they must have a "proposed certification process for aftermarket-emissions parts [that meets] the requirements of the [Clean Air Act] and relevant EPA regulations," the memorandum states.

Clarification Of Regulatory Policy

The last prong of the memorandum focuses on civil enforcement.

The document directs the EPA to "consider deprioritizing civil tampering enforcement actions against anyone who, in good faith, attempts to fix his or her own vehicle to its original configuration."

However, this appears to be merely regulatory guidance and likely would not serve as a legal shield to those who attempt to modify their vehicle emissions systems without the proper certification approvals under the Clean Air Act.

Rather, that section is more about changing the government's civil enforcement priorities, Luppino-Esposito said.

He compared it to the Obama-era Department of Justice changing its civil enforcement priorities over the prosecution of marijuana crimes, despite federal law remaining consistent.

"It's definitely not going to be a shield to anybody,'" Luppino-Esposito added, referring to a potential vehicle owner modifying an emissions system before getting certification approval but otherwise following federal law.

Potential Unintended Consequences

What types of repairs the EPA will eventually allow following the 30-day guidance period is unclear, especially since any policy changes must still adhere to the Clean Air Act. Repealing or altering the federal law would require an act from Congress.

It also remains to be seen if the potential federal policy changes will significantly broaden what owners can do with their vehicles, beyond ending California's effective monopoly on the certification process.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (C) speaks as California environmental protection agency secretary Jared Blumenfeld (L), California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols (2nd R), and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (R) look on during a news conference about the Trump administration's changes to vehicle emissions standards, in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 18, 2019. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Tyler Durden Mon, 07/20/2026 - 17:00

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Lured by cheaper homes and good schools, more Californians are embracing small-town life. Seven rural and suburban towns across the state are bucking California’s population loss — each growing more than 25% population-wise over the past 15 years, according to a new analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle. The communities have a few things in...

"Americans Deserve To Know": State Dept. Report Details Cuban Espionage, Subversion, And Role In Rise Of Far Left

The State Department has released a new 100-page report, "Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism," which is likely to land as a bombshell for much of the public. However, for ZeroHedge readers who have been paying attention, its findings are far less surprising.

"For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States. The State Department is exposing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our country," Secretary Marco Rubio wrote on X, adding, "The American people deserve to know."

For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States.

The State Department is exposing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our country.

The American people deserve to know.…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 20, 2026

The report details Cuba's historical support for guerrillas, terrorist organizations, and revolutionary movements across the Americas. It cites Havana's relationships with the Weather Underground, Puerto Rican militant groups, Black Power organizations, and fugitives, including Assata Shakur.

It also highlights some of Cuba's most alarming penetrations of the U.S. government, including former diplomat Victor Manuel Rocha, former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Ana Belén Montes, and former State Department official Walter Kendall Myers.

According to the report, Cuban intelligence favors ideologically motivated recruits and develops assets over decades, often beginning with students at liberal universities.

At the center of the influence network is the now-sanctioned Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples, known as ICAP. The organization claims more than 2,000 affiliated solidarity groups across 150 countries.

Former Cuban intelligence agents cited in the report allege that roughly 90% of ICAP personnel are connected to Cuban intelligence operations.

Recall that six and a half months ago, we identified the ICAP as a central node in Cuba's foreign subversion apparatus. We assessed that ICAP functions as the intake valve - political cover for intelligence operations designed to cultivate long-term assets rather than short-term spies.

And even created this graphic:

The DSA appears to be a "partner" of now-sanctioned ICAP.

It should now make sense why DSA leaders are promoting "destroying America from within," and that the way to do it appears to be through subversion networks empowering overeducated, useful liberal idiots.

About two weeks ago, Mark Penn, the former Clinton adviser and White House pollster, used a Wall Street Journal op-ed to sound the alarm over the rise of DSA.

Penn warned: "Lawmakers, law-enforcement agencies and journalists should investigate the DSA to see if it is being funded by foreign governments and interests."

Only last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed 65 nations in Washington, declaring and posturing that the fight has begun on the radical left that seeks to destroy the West.  

NEW: Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls for the civilized world to unite against an "encroaching darkness," urging nations to defend what they have built and fight back against those who seek to destroy it.

"It is easy to destroy great things. It is far more difficult to make… pic.twitter.com/G14GjBSIXE

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 16, 2026

 The report reinforces our December 2025 report, "Is There A 'Cuba Connection' Behind The Radicalization Of America's Nonprofit Left?" It lends new weight to concerns that foreign influence intersects with the US-based nonprofit sphere, far-left activist organizations, and socialist movements.

More importantly, the report shows that the State Department's counterintelligence focus is dramatically shifting toward suspected foreign subversion networks that could be embedded in dark-money-funded NGOs and far-left groups. 

 

One of the State Department's assessments is that people should not confuse Cuba's economic collapse with its ability to run foreign subversion operations. The report describes the island as a node where Russian, Chinese, and Iranian interests converge with intelligence and activist networks operating inside the U.S. 

Tyler Durden Mon, 07/20/2026 - 16:40

Democrats Dismiss Our Constitutional Traditions As 'Nostalgia'

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

Below is my column in The Hill on the latest spin from the left to convince Americans to abandon core constitutional institutions and values as part of a radical agenda in the upcoming elections. Those who defend our traditions, on the 250th anniversary of our Republic, are now being accused of being “nostalgic” rather than progressive. It is a nostalgia that will take on a truly tragic element if professors, pundits and politicians are successful in this effort.

It appears that the Madisonian democracy has joined shackets and combat boots as embarrassingly outdated for many on the left. In calling for radical changes to our constitutional system, leading Democrats are now calling the lingering loyalty to our traditions as mere “nostalgia.” To be nostalgic in today’s parlance is to be a dupe of the oligarchs and an enemy to reform.

“Nostalgia” has become the new coded term for reactionaries among Democratic figures, who are trying to convince Americans to accept radical changes to our republic after 250 years.

Kamala Harris recently insisted that opposition to ideas like packing the Supreme Court is mere “nostalgia” for a system that is no longer working. “I would caution us against talking about rebuilding with any sense of nostalgia about how things work, because even before, they weren’t working so well for a lot of folks,” she said. That “nostalgia,” according to Harris, is preventing us from doing things like packing the Supreme Court with an instant liberal majority.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last week also declared that “nostalgia is not working” and, while refusing to embrace socialism, added that “capitalism as we know it doesn’t work.”

Morris Katz, a political strategist for Zohran Mamdani, spoke to CNN’s Dana Bash about looking beyond the label of democratic socialism and instead simply to accept that “our government does not work.” They are joining socialists who have long promised revolutionary changes without “introspection, nostalgia or regret.”

It is an all-too-familiar pitch. Sixty years ago, a call to break free of “old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits” revolutionized a nation. That call was heard in a Chinese paper that would help lay the foundation for Mao Zedong’s bloody Cultural Revolution. Marxists had long rejected calls to preserve institutions and citizens’ rights as “nostalgia” and “sentimentality,” standing in the way of needed progress.

For the Democratic Socialist of America organization, nostalgia stands in the way of getting rid of the Senate, presidency, and the Supreme Court to fundamentally change the republic.

The effort is to condition Americans to adopt radical changes to our core institutions that professors and pundits say will guarantee Democrats never lose power again.

That is not an easy task for a people who have benefited from the oldest and most prosperous democracy for 250 years. They have to be very angry or very afraid to take such a radical course.

The Soviets understood that about the U.S. After Yuri Bezmenov, a KGB agent working in the media, defected in 1970, he revealed the four stages by which the Soviets hoped to bring about revolutionary change in the U.S. It began with undermining our institutions and values, with the help of journalists and academics.

With establishment figures lining up behind radical changes, including packing the Supreme Court, the public is hearing a constant drumbeat of how our system is broken.

Even Democratic judges are joining the chorus. Indeed, some appear to be auditioning for the slots promised by Democratic leaders to take over the court with a reliable liberal majority.

This week, the Hawaii Supreme Court issued an unhinged diatribe against the U.S. Supreme Court that abandoned any semblance of judicial restraint or decorum. It declared the majority as effectively racists, saying that “The Roberts Court sees only white.” It portrayed the court as a rogue institution that “overrides what Congress passed. It overrides what the people chose. All to serve its own ends.”

It is an opinion that would make an MS NOW host blush. But it follows a pattern on the left to get people to turn against our institutions and even against the Constitution itself.

Others are telling the public that they are being repressed by the Constitution, which must be scrapped. In a New York Times op-ed — “The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed” — law professors Ryan Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale called for the nation to “reclaim America from constitutionalism.”

In yet another New York Times editorial, Jennifer Szalai denounced  “Constitution worship” and claimed that “Americans have long assumed that the Constitution could save us. A growing chorus now wonders whether we need to be saved from it.”

Berkeley Dean Erwin Chemerinsky insists that it is time to trash the Constitution in favor of “radical changes.”

These voices are seeking to remove all of the moderating elements of our system —the safety features that have produced the world’s most successful and stable republic. They are the very constitutional elements protecting us from the tyranny of the majority, protecting us from ourselves.

Without those protections, we will unleash the self-destructive forces that have been tearing apart other democratic systems since Athens. It is our constitution that spared us from that fate. As James Madison observed, “Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob.”

Of course, history has shown that such radical proposals ultimately produce not democracy, but what the Framers called mobocracy. If we let that happen, many Americans will indeed look back at the last 250 years with a tragic sense of nostalgia.

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times bestselling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.“

Tyler Durden Mon, 07/20/2026 - 16:20

More than 1,000 illegal streaming sites were shut down in the US during the tournament, with a similar amount blocked in Colombia.

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From Byredo to Jo Malone, these sets are priced to fly off the shelves.