Israel takes out two of the world's worst terrorists in <24 hours
Truly incredible: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Tehran | AP News
Today's blog picture, showing Haniyeh attending the swearing-in of the new president of Iran, is one of the last pictures that will ever have been taken of him. Good riddance.
Early reports suggest some sort of small rocket or RPG used at Haniyeh's temporary Iran residence (Iran is not where he normally resides): Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran, Hamas accuses Israel - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
The only deaths were Haniyeh and his bodyguard. That's some very precise work.
More: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, drawing threats of retaliation against Israel | Reuters
Of course they're already trying as hard as possible, but as a reminder this leaves Yahya Sinwar as the most important remaining target. He's the leader of Hamas in Gaza and the man most responsible for the October 7 massacre.
The important question: What will Iran do now? World on edge: How will Iran respond to Haniyeh assassination? (ynetnews.com)
Fantastic news, just hours earlier: Israel says it killed Hezbollah senior military commander in Beirut suburb airstrike - CBS News
And this a couple of weeks ago...it's apparently believed but unproved that Deif is dead: IDF releases tape of Gazans lauding death of Mohammed Deif - JNS.org
Congratulations to the US Women's Gymnastics and Rugby Teams
One Olympics after "the twisties" pushed Simone Biles out of the competition (mostly...she did come back to win a Bronze in an individual event), the US is back on top with a dominating gold medal performance for the women's team. Biles' floor routine wasn't her best work but she knew she didn't need it to be because the US was already so far ahead.
And check this out: Team USA captures first ever medal in women's rugby (nbcnews.com)
Americans shock Australia with last-second try to win bronze in women's rugby | NBC Olympics
From NBC: "Team USA wins bronze in women's rugby sevens, the first medal ever for the American women and first USA medal in rugby since 1924."
And: "The Americans won the match on the very last play when Alex Sedrick stiffed arm her way past Australia's defense and sprinted her way down the majority of the field and placed the ball down in the center of the try for the game-tying score. Under the greatest pressure, she converted her own kick for the Americans to seal the win for the Americans."
I can't embed the video in the blog but you can watch it here: (73) United States STUNS Australia with last-second winner to take women’s rugby bronze | Paris Olympics - YouTube The final play starts just after 4:30 in the video.
Just One Thing: Project 2025 head takes one for the team
The Dems made Project 2025 their bogeyman for a while, at least until Joe Biden dropped out and they decided to run on having a black woman candidate and on JD Vance being weird, as if Kamala isn’t weird. In any case, Paul Dans, who had headed up the Project 2025 effort at the Heritage Foundation resigned yesterday. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was done either at the urging of the Trump campaign or by the politically-sensitive Trump supporters at Heritage who didn’t mind giving the left a scalp. Project 2025, which is not shutting down, is a large grouping of policy papers by lots of different individuals and groups, has some useful suggestions…and has some far-right stuff that is bad politics for Republicans right now. Paul Dans paid the price.
More importantly, here's the real lesson: Trump Buries Project 2025 - WSJ
Kamala Harris is co-president
I don't blame her one bit for acting like this. It makes her seem presidential, makes it easier for people to imagine her with the job. (Even though the idea makes me sick.)
And the Kamala campaign is strangely race-based
As MK Ham points out, skewering the up-speaking pro-Kamala loon in the video below MK's.
And this: (30) Progressives Need To Stop Lecturing White Voters About Their Privilege (theamericansaga.com)
Today's Guests
Brian Freeman is a best-selling thriller author of 30 novels multiple series, including the Jonathan Stride novels, and has been honored with keeping the iconic Robert Ludlum's "Jason Bourne" series going. His latest is "The Bourne Shadow." This is his 5th in the Bourne series, and I think he's been on the show for 3 or 4 of them.
Home - Brian Freeman (bfreemanbooks.com)
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Shadow (Jason Bourne)
Apparently, as with all healthy relationships, his wife is really in charge: The Author's Wife - Brian Freeman (bfreemanbooks.com)
Next year? Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Vendetta (Jason Bourne)
Other Stuff
Elsewhere at the Olympics, we have to think about pee and poop? Olympic Swimmers Reveal Strict Protocol For Peeing In The Pool (brobible.com)
Despite Paris' Efforts, the Seine is Still Too Dirty for Olympic Swimming (reason.com)
Here's what to know about Seine River water quality during the Paris Olympics | AP News
This is just terrible for women’s boxing: Boxers who failed gender tests at world championships cleared to compete at Olympics | Paris Olympic Games 2024 | The Guardian
Of course they do: Majority of Public Comments Support Descheduling or Legalizing Marijuana (reason.com)
Some conservatives are just terrible on this issue. It's nuts that any judge ever let any prosecutor get away with this: Oklahoma Court: A Fetus Doesn't Need Its Own Medical Marijuana License (reason.com)
I think this is an outlier but still, if I were the Trump team, I’d be concerned. Not yet worried, but concerned. And I’d find a way to instill some discipline in the candidates and to go hide JD Vance in a basement somewhere. Kamala Harris pulls ahead of Donald Trump in swing states: Poll (thehill.com)
We'll know her choice within a week: Harris to hold first rally with running mate on Tuesday in Philadelphia (msn.com) (Sure is feeling like Mandy's guess of Mark Kelly is looking like a good guess though one wonders whether there might be an out-of-the-blue choice that people aren't really focusing on.)
Truly remarkable: Amazon Pushes Fast Delivery Into Rural Areas in Challenge to Post Office - WSJ
Theranos without the fraud? The Companies Realizing Theranos’s Failed Dream - WSJ
Makes sense to me on paper. Hard to know whether opposition claims that the "practitioners" will be unqualified. Sounds like veterinarians trying to protect their own incomes when actually this should benefit them to the extent that they can increase capacity at their own clinics: Backers of vet practitioner initiative submit signatures | Colorado-politics | denvergazette.com
One measure of purchasing power: Where Din Tai Fung's xiao long bao are cheapest (axios.com)
This is what happens when the millennials and Gen Z-ers in the marketing department don’t know any history: Bella Hadid says she wouldn't have taken part in Adidas ad campaign had she known connection to 1972 Olympic attack (msn.com)
Adidas apologizes for Bella Hadid shoe ad following criticism from Israeli government (nbcnews.com)
I'm not saying this will be a big issue in the election, but perhaps a big mess of stories like this will paint a useful picture of her: Kamala Harris Touted a $5B Electric School Bus Program. Three Years Later, It's Produced Just 60 Buses. (freebeacon.com)
Why is Sloan’s Lake so stinky? Sloan's Lake is filling up with dead, smelly fish. Why? | FOX31 Denver (kdvr.com)
Ugh: 24-Year-Old Mukbang Streamer Dies Live on Stream Due to Overeating (odditycentral.com)
Great story even though I don't like rye bread: Missing Gulf of Mexico divers dine at Houston deli Kenny & Ziggy’s (houstonchronicle.com)
Sometimes even famous daughters can learn from their (also famous) dads: Jon Voight criticizes Angelina Jolie over Israel-Palestine conflict - The Jerusalem Post
Today's Videos
I saw Deadpool & Wolverine (in IMAX 3D!) on Monday. Thoroughly enjoyed it. And Peggy steals the show, just as she does here on the red carpet.
White women and "fur babies"
One of the few functioning vestiges of capitalism in Venezuela