Salem News Channel

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military is on track to pull all of its forces out of Iraq by the end of September, officials said Wednesday, marking the end of a presence that started with the 2003 invasion against Saddam Hussein. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down the much smaller U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State group. U.S. troops pulled out of bases in most areas of Iraq last year but maintained a presence in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region. Bases there have regularly come under attack since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the U.S. Central Command, on Wednesday. Al-Zaidi said in a statement afterward that he had affirmed Sept. 30 as the “fixed and final date for ending the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and completing the departure of its forces.” A U.S. official confirmed that the U.S. expects to complete its pullout by Sept. 30, but declined to say how many troops remain in Iraq or where they would be redeployed. “The United States, Iraq and coalition partners have achieved tremendous success in defeating ISIS and now the Iraqi security forces, including the Peshmerga and other Iraqi Kurdistan Region security forces, will lead the fight against terrorists in Iraq,” the official said. Two Iraqi Kurdish officials said a drawdown of U.S. troops and military equipment from Erbil began about three weeks ago. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The U.S. presence in Iraq grew to more than 170,000 troops at the peak of counterinsurgency operations in 2007. In December 2011, the final combat troops departed. But in 2014, the rise of the Islamic State group and its capture of a wide swath across Iraq and Syria brought U.S. forces back at the Iraqi government's invitation. After IS lost its hold on territory it once claimed, coalition military operations ended in 2021. The U.S. maintained about 2,500 troops in Iraq for training and to conduct counter-IS operations with Iraq’s military. Iraq also wants to disarm non-state groups Iraq's prime minister has also set a Sept. 30 deadline for non-state armed groups in Iraq to give up their weapons, saying they will have no justification to carry arms once the foreign troops withdraw. Some Iraqi militias have justified their existence by pointing to the U.S. military presence, which they describe as an occupation, although the current U.S. mission came at the invitation of the Iraqi government after IS militants rampaged across the country in 2014, seizing large swaths of territory. It seems unlikely that the Iraqi government will meet its deadline for disarming non-state groups. Some of the country’s most powerful Iran-backed militias and have said they have no intention of giving up their weapons.

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States in is control of the Strait of Hormuz. "The U.S.A. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, “A WALL OF STEEL,” and there is nothing Iran can do about it," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

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Peggy Flanagan, the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, has been nominated by the Democrats as their candidate for the United States Senate race. A socialist, Flanagan has drawn the attention of Republicans who are criticizing her affiliations with leftist groups and her stance on issues like the transgender agenda and fossil fuels. In a discussion with political expert Dustin Grage the focus is on how Republicans should approach their campaign against Flanagan. Grage suggests that tying her to figures like Bernie Sanders and leftist organizations might be effective, given her connections to these groups. The conversation also touches on internal Democratic polling that indicates a close race, making Minnesota a key battleground in the fight for Senate control.

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DUBAI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it. The comments were a further blow to hopes of a swift resolution to the crisis, following attacks on shipping in the region on Tuesday that pushed oil prices higher. The deal agreed in June declared an "immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts", but quickly unravelled, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying it was "over" on July 7 and Iran's foreign ministry declaring it "suspended" a week later. The U.S. accuses Iran of failing to honour an agreement under the deal to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping route. Tehran says Washington has reneged on its commitments, including lifting a blockade of Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets. "One of the issues that is being discussed via mediators is the U.S. returning to the interim agreement and defining a timeframe for implementing the commitments. There has been absolutely no progress on this issue," the Iranian source said. There was no immediate comment from Washington. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, mainly in Iran and Lebanon, since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. Iran has struck U.S. assets and infrastructure in countries including Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. BOTH SIDES STEP UP RHETORIC The June interim ceasefire agreement set a 60-day period, extendable by mutual consent, within which Iran and the U.S. were expected to reach a final deal limiting Tehran's nuclear programme and lifting U.S. sanctions. The Iranian source dismissed a report on Wednesday from Turkey's Anadolu news agency that quoted Pakistani government sources as saying they had agreed to extend that 60-day period. "There is no talk of an extension because, from Iran’s perspective, there is no period that began and therefore nothing to extend. The United States violated the interim agreement 48 hours after it was reached and withdrew from it a few days later," the source told Reuters. Both Iran and the United States have stepped up rhetoric in the past two days. Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the U.S. accepted Iran's conditions to end the war. That followed a new demand from Trump on Monday that Iran should pay compensation for people killed in 50 years of wars, attacks and protests. Throughout the conflict, Trump has alternated between threats of escalation and claims that a peace deal is imminent. Speaking to reporters after a visit to Ohio on Tuesday, Trump said: "Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine." "We have a country that has been the bully of the Middle East for 50 years, really 51 if you think about it ... and they're no longer the bully of the Middle East." ATTACKS ON SHIPPING The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman and the entrance to the Gulf, handled a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flow before the war. Benchmark Brent crude futures have surged since the start of the war in February, hitting a peak of $126 a barrel, roughly 75% above pre-war levels, with choppy trade reflecting concerns over disruptions to Gulf oil supplies and shifting signals on peace talks. Those concerns were compounded by separate attacks on shipping on Tuesday. At the southern end of the Red Sea, four crew members were killed in an attack by Iran-backed Houthis on a small cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, the first deadly strike on shipping by the group since the start of the war. The U.S. military, meanwhile, said a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles to disable the steering gear of a Panama-flagged cargo ship. The ship ignored repeated warnings to stop violating a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the U.S. Central Command said. Maritime sources told Reuters the vessel was hit off Pakistan while sailing into the Gulf of Oman. Brent futures rose 35 cents, or 0.4%, to $89.26 a barrel on Wednesday, heading for a sixth day of gains.

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Is the Democrat Establishment Waking Up?

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Christopher Tremogov returns to the show to discuss the latest controversies surrounding the WNBA. They dive into the rising prominence of player Sophie Cunningham and her outspoken stance against transgender women in sports, which has made her a target and a polarizing figure. The conversation also touches on the handling of controversial incidents by the league and fellow players, questioning whether the WNBA stands for women or something else entirely. Additionally, they explore the league's stance on gender identity, highlighted by former NBA players wanting to join the WNBA and the league's struggle to define what constitutes a woman. The discussion raises important questions about the direction of the WNBA and its implications for players and the sport as a whole.

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Despite a moderate Democrat defeating a DSA-aligned progressive in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary, the left’s influence over the party remains intact. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Democrats enacted and applauded unrestricted abortion through birth, stripping prior late-term limits in a display critics call a progressive death cult.

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A chaotic primary night raised fresh questions about polling, late vote reporting and the political establishment’s ability to control the narrative. From stunned election coverage to unexpected results, the common thread was a night that seemed to leave the usual political playbook scrambling to catch up.'

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New details are emerging about President Donald Trump’s secret military flight from Turkey last month, as a reporter who was aboard the plane Trump was originally expected to use describes how the extraordinary security operation unfolded. Reuters White House correspondent Gram Slattery was traveling with the press corps aboard the older Air Force One aircraft after the NATO summit in Ankara. Reporters and some White House staff initially believed the president was traveling with them, unaware that Trump had secretly been transferred to another aircraft amid concerns over an Iranian assassination threat. Trump had publicly boarded Air Force One before being covertly moved from the aircraft in an airport catering truck. He was then transferred to a smaller Air Force C-32A military jet that carried him to Britain. Slattery described the unusual experience of traveling aboard what effectively became a decoy flight while the president’s actual location was kept secret as part of the security operation. The White House has said it uses every tool available to protect the president from threats. Trump has since said he followed the Secret Service’s instructions during the operation.

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A federal judge has blocked part of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at tightening mail-in voting rules ahead of this year’s midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston granted a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. Postal Service from implementing provisions that would have given it a central role in determining which voters could receive mail ballots. The Trump administration has argued the changes are intended to strengthen election integrity and prevent ineligible voting. Voting rights groups challenged the order, arguing that the Constitution gives states and Congress — rather than the president — authority over election rules. Talwani sided with the challengers, finding that Congress has not given the Postal Service authority to control mail-in voting. The ruling prevents the disputed provisions from taking effect as the legal battle continues ahead of November’s midterms.

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President Donald Trump is speaking publicly about the extraordinary security operation that saw him secretly switch planes in Turkey last month amid an Iranian assassination threat. Trump said he followed the direction of the Secret Service and military when he was moved off Air Force One and transferred to a smaller military aircraft following the NATO summit in Ankara. The president and several close aides were reportedly moved between the aircraft using an airport catering truck as part of an effort to conceal his movements. But Trump says he believes the switch may actually have put him in greater danger. “I think actually the plane that I flew on was at greater risk,” Trump told reporters, arguing that anyone aware of the security operation may have been more likely to target the alternate aircraft. Trump said he did not ask many questions about the reported Iranian threat and instead followed the recommendations of his security team. The operation remained secret until reports about it emerged this week.

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Thailand is moving to tighten its gun laws following two deadly shootings near Bangkok in less than a week, including a school attack that killed at least eight people. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered an immediate review of the country’s firearm regulations, including a suspension of new permits to purchase guns and a review of existing permits. The government also plans to intensify its crackdown on illegally owned firearms. The action follows Friday’s shooting at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, where a 14-year-old student killed his grandparents before opening fire at the school. At least eight people were killed and more than 20 were wounded before the teenager apparently took his own life. Three days later, a former lawmaker was arrested following another shooting at a government office in Nonthaburi province that left one person dead and another injured. The prime minister has directed the Interior Ministry to propose changes to Thailand’s gun laws within 60 days. The government says the reforms are expected to improve firearm tracking, tighten controls on gun sales and increase penalties for violations. Thailand has one of Asia’s highest rates of civilian gun ownership despite relatively strict licensing requirements. Government officials say their broader goal is to reduce the presence of firearms in everyday life and improve public safety.

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Trump-backed Sen. Darline Graham is heading to a Republican runoff against U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman in the special election to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Graham, a first-time candidate who was appointed to serve the remaining months of her brother’s term following his sudden death on July 11, finished first in Tuesday’s crowded 10-candidate Republican primary. Norman finished second, sending the race to an Aug. 25 runoff. President Donald Trump endorsed Graham shortly after she entered the race. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said Graham called to thank him after advancing and indicated he may campaign for her during the two-week runoff, while also praising Norman and the other Republican candidates. Graham has emphasized her support for Trump’s agenda and portrayed her lack of traditional political experience as an asset. Norman, a longtime member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has highlighted his record as a fiscal conservative and his experience in Congress. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a Charleston physician, in the November general election. Republicans are heavily favored in South Carolina, where Lindsey Graham won his last Senate election by 10 percentage points.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers could soon be equipped with specialized gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks as the agency expands the equipment available to officers during physical encounters. The Department of Homeland Security says ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of devices known as the G.L.O.V.E., or Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter. The equipment is designed to deliver a low-voltage electrical shock intended to gain compliance from combative individuals and help officers de-escalate encounters. According to a federal notice, ICE expects to purchase the devices by March. The gloves are manufactured by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies and have previously been used by some law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities. The planned purchase comes as the Trump administration continues expanding immigration enforcement operations nationwide. ICE has also been moving to equip more of its officers with body-worn cameras as the agency increases arrests and deportation efforts.

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Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin discusses the importance of Republican voter turnout in the upcoming November election. Despite often trailing in the polls, Johnson has managed to win his Senate seat three times. He highlights how Democrats have turned out in larger numbers, emphasizing the need for Republicans to boost their enthusiasm and participation. Johnson stresses that President Trump's agenda is at stake, and without significant voter turnout, Republicans risk losing their political momentum. The conversation underscores the critical role of grassroots efforts and voter mobilization in achieving electoral success.

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In this segment, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas discusses the recent election results and the media's influence on public perception. He emphasizes the importance of the Secret Service's role in protecting the President, even if it means making tough decisions that may affect civilians. The conversation also touches on the bias in media coverage and the public's growing distrust in Washington's operations. Additionally, the panel critiques Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent decisions, reflecting on the broader issue of sensationalism in modern media.

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This episode is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks the worst of the "Woke" movement is behind us. The speaker dives into the world of the DSA, a group that's been quietly pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable in American politics. From defunding the police to promoting a socialist agenda, the DSA's goals are more radical than you might think. The speaker discusses the DSA's policy agenda, which includes abolishing prisons and police departments, and how this is not just a local issue, but a national one. They also talk about the dangers of socialism and communism, citing examples of how these ideologies have failed in the past. The speaker shares a clip from a podcast where a young man, Mike, explains why he's a fan of communism, despite having never lived in a communist country and being unaware of its brutal history. The episode also touches on the topic of identity politics and how the DSA uses it to pit groups against each other. The speaker shares a clip from a podcast where a guest, Ma'm Danny, explains how he uses identity politics to validate the grievances of progressive whites and minorities. The speaker argues that this is a tactic to gain power and control over people's lives. If you're concerned about the direction of our country and the ideologies being pushed by the DSA, this episode is a must-listen. The speaker shares a wealth of information and insights that will help you understand the dangers of socialism and communism, and how they're being used to manipulate people and gain power. Listen to this episode to learn more about the DSA and how you can make a difference in the upcoming elections. Follow Carl Jackson: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carljacksonradio X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/carljacksonshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarljacksonshow Website: http://www.TheCarlJacksonShow.com Store: https://CarlJacksonStore.com

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