Kremlin reveals why CIA chief visited Moscow John Radcliffe's trip

 revolved around intelligence service contacts, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

(BS He went there to negotiate an end to the Ukraine on US terms. Marco Rubio is an idiot. Witkoff

and Kushner are derisively called "the Clown Car" by diplomats who have met them.)

 CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced trip to Moscow on Tuesday was for contact between the US and Russian security services, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III, identified by flight trackers as RCH4555, flew from Joint Base Andrews to Riga on Sunday evening before continuing on Tuesday to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. Later that day, a motorcade with US diplomatic plates was spotted in central Moscow.

CBS News first reported that Ratcliffe was in Moscow for meetings, citing sources familiar with the situation. It was also not clear whether the visit – which ultimately lasted roughly eight hours – involved any other senior US officials.

  Asked by the Washington Post on Wednesday about the purpose of Ratcliffe’s trip, Peskov said it was for “contacts between security services” and declined to give further details. Separately, Peskov told TASS that “contacts with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin were not planned.”

Speaking to reporters later on Wednesday, Peskov said Putin had been kept in the loop about the talks, calling engagement between the special services “a positive phenomenon.” However, he cautioned that it is “too early to say” whether the talks “will affect the overall process of bringing our bilateral relations out of the deep crisis.”

  US President Donald Trump described the visit as "semi-routine." Asked by talk show host Glenn Beck whether Putin planned on "testing NATO resolve," or whether Ratcliffe discussed US sanctions on Iran, Trump replied "none of the above."

Media reports have floated several possible subjects of the secretive talks, including detainee negotiations, the Ukraine peace process, the Iran conflict, and broader questions of strategic stability.

  READ MORE: Russian spy chief holds phone conversation with CIA boss

The last publicly disclosed contact between Ratcliffe and top Russian officials took place in March 2025, when the CIA director spoke by phone with Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergey Naryshkin. At the time, the SVR said Russia and the US agreed to maintain dialogue in order to “promote international stability and security, as well as to reduce tensions in relations between Moscow and Washington.”

Ratcliffe’s visit was the first known trip to Moscow by a CIA director since William Burns traveled there in November 2021, several months before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. The last publicly known face-to-face meeting between the heads of the CIA and Russia’s SVR before Ratcliffe’s trip was in Ankara in November 2022, when Burns met Naryshkin to discuss nuclear escalation risks and detained US citizens.

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From Wall Street to top spy: Who is Trump’s new DNI Jay Clayton?

The former lawyer and prosecutor has been chosen to lead the US intelligence community following Tulsi Gabbard’s departure from the role

(WHAT BS. THE MAN'S ONLY QUALIFICATION IS BEING A LAWYER AT A LAE FIRM THAT HAS PRODUCED THE DULLES BROTHERS WHO RAN STATE AND CIA. 

HE WAS A PROSECUTOR FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NY. THIS MEANS HIS JOB WAS TO KEEP BANKERS OUT OF JAIL BY COVERING UP THEIR CRIMES.

HE WAS SEC CHAIRMAN IN TRUMP'S) FIRST TERM. HE ALSO PROSECUTED MADURO. AND HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE EPSTEIN FILES.)

Former Wall Street lawyer and federal prosecutor Jay Clayton has been confirmed as the next US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) despite having no traditional intelligence background, following his nomination by President Donald Trump.

Following US Senate approval in a 51-47 vote on Tuesday, Clayton will replace acting DNI Bill Pulte, has filled the role since Tulsi Gabbard resigned last month, citing personal family matters.

Trump has welcomed the confirmation, describing Clayton as “outstanding in every way” and saying he would do “a spectacular job” leading the US intelligence community.

Read more

Trump ‘betrayal’ puts US on path to revolution – Tucker Carlson

 However, Clayton’s background, rooted primarily in corporate law, financial regulation, and federal prosecution, as well as his lack of direct intelligence experience and record in several politically sensitive cases, has raised concerns about how he will approach the role.

 Who is Jay Clayton?

Clayton spent more than two decades at Sullivan & Cromwell, an elite Wall Street law firm representing major banks and corporations. He later chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during Trump’s first term.

 He subsequently became US attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing cases involving financial crime, terrorism, espionage and public corruption.

Clayton has cited this work as evidence of his national security experience. However, he has never served in an intelligence agency, the military, or a senior foreign-policy role.

Read more

Scott Ritter: The US administration lost a patriot and truth-teller in Tulsi Gabbard

 Prosecuted Maduro

One of Clayton’s most prominent cases involved Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom US special forces seized alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, during a pre-dawn military assault on Caracas in January.

The operation was widely condemned as a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter, with experts describing it as a “forcible abduction” that could amount to a crime of aggression.

 Clayton’s office took charge of prosecuting the couple on narco-terrorism, cocaine-trafficking and weapons charges. Before Maduro’s capture, Clayton presented the case as part of Washington’s broader pursuit of cartel leaders, corrupt foreign officials and alleged state-sponsored drug trafficking.

Read more

Maduro indicted in New York – US attorney general

 Oversaw the Epstein files release

Clayton and his office were also involved in reviewing and preparing thousands of pages of records from the cases against convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell for public release.

 That work included identifying sensitive materials, reviewing what could be released without affecting investigations, victim privacy, or sealed records, and helping the Justice Department determine redactions and approve documents for public release.

 The release of the Epstein files has been widely criticized for delays, extensive redactions and the absence of major new prosecutions or clear answers about the late financier’s network. It has also become a source of anger within Trump’s own support base, amid accusations that the government was continuing to shield influential people.

 Why did Democrats oppose his nomination?

Clayton initially appeared capable of attracting bipartisan support due to his experience leading the SEC and Manhattan US attorney’s office, as well as his reputation as a conventional and competent institutional figure.

However, that support largely disappeared during his confirmation hearing, where Democratic senators repeatedly asked him whether Joe Biden had defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

 Clayton declined to answer directly, saying only that Biden had been “certified” as the winner, while also denying that he was an election denier.

 Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, later said he had “serious reservations” about whether Clayton would stand up to political pressure.

Read more

Deep state entrenched in US intel community – Gabbard

 Other Democrats questioned whether he would prevent intelligence agencies from being drawn into Trump’s election claims or used against the president’s political opponents.

 How does he compare with Gabbard?

Clayton’s appointment has drawn comparisons with Gabbard, a military veteran and former congresswoman known for opposing regime-change wars, advocating a less confrontational policy toward Russia and supporting greater intelligence transparency.

 As DNI, she released material concerning US-linked biological laboratories in Ukraine, the origins of Covid-19, the 2016 Russia investigation and the intelligence complaint behind Trump’s first impeachment.

 Her departure followed reports of tensions within the administration over US military policy. Gabbard had been excluded from planning the operation to seize Maduro and was reportedly marginalized during deliberations over Iran, issues that conflicted with her longstanding anti-interventionist position.

 She and Trump nevertheless publicly said she resigned to care for her husband after his cancer diagnosis.

Clayton, by contrast, has not clearly outlined his positions on military intervention, Russia, declassification or other major intelligence or foreign policy issues.

Read more

Tulsi Gabbard quits Trump administration

How powerful will Clayton actually be?

Clayton is taking over an office that has been weakened by recent staffing cuts and internal upheaval.

 During his brief tenure as acting DNI, Pulte oversaw several rounds of dismissals and claimed the agency’s workforce had been reduced by about 30% within weeks. Current and former officials cited by CNN said morale inside the office had collapsed and key analytical units were badly understaffed.

 CIA Director John Ratcliffe has meanwhile reportedly emerged as Trump’s principal intelligence adviser, raising questions over how much influence Clayton will wield.

 During his confirmation hearing, Clayton offered few details on whether he intends to rebuild the office, continue shrinking it or adopt a more limited coordinating role.

THIS IS FROM MY BRAVE BROWSER AI 

  You're referring to Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the world's most prestigious law firms. The "Dules brothers" you mentioned are likely John Foster Dulles and Allen Dulles, both prominent partners in the firm's history. John Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State (1953–1959), while Allen Dulles was Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1953–1961)

Jay Clayton, the current nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), was also a long-time partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, working there for over 20 years before joining the Trump administration . James McDonald, who is being considered to succeed Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is also a partner at the firm

Here are other notable people from Sullivan & Cromwell:

Historical Partners & Alumni Algernon Sydney Sullivan & William Nelson Cromwell – Founders of the firm in 1879  

Harlan Fiske Stone – Served as a partner before becoming U.S. Attorney General and Chief Justice of the United States  

Arthur H. Dean – Succeeded John Foster Dulles as chairman in 1949; negotiated the Korean War armistice  

H. Rodgin Cohen – "King of the Bank Lawyers," led the firm's banking practice in the 1990s  

Steven Peikin – Former partner who became co-director of enforcement at the SEC

Recent Notable Alumni Todd Blanche – Former partner who left the firm to represent Trump in the hush money case 

Karen Seymour – Former partner known for prosecuting Martha Stewart; left the firm in 2025 over ethical concerns regarding Trump work 

 Michael G. DeSombre – Partner and former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand 

 M. Bernard Aidinoff – Partner and former chairman of the ABA Section of Taxation 

 Robert Giuffra – Co-Chair of the firm and fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers 6

 Jeffrey B. Wall – Former principal deputy solicitor general of the United States 6

 The firm has a long history of placing partners in high-level government positions, particularly in foreign policy, intelligence, and legal oversight roles. Its Washington, D.C. office (opened in 1977) has been a key hub for government relations

https://www.rt.com/news/643629-us-dni-jay-clayton/

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.  

Corporations Are Getting $160B In Tariff Refunds (You Get $0)

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/corporations-are-getting-160b-in-tariff-refunds-you-get-0/

====================================================================

Washington just found a new buyer for its debt. It runs on crypto.

 (It is also bought 10 tons of gold.)

The Stablecoin market is worth about $300 billion, and by law every $1 issued is backed by roughly 80 cents of Treasury bills. Treasury Secretary Bessent says it could grow toward $4 trillion. At that size, Stablecoins would hold about a quarter of all T-bills outstanding by 2030.

Here is the real game. As the national debt passes $40 trillion, the Treasury needs structural demand for its paper. Stablecoins are becoming a captive buyer. Every dollar that flows into crypto is now a dollar helping fund the deficit.

 (The game is to get foreigners to fund the US debt and keep it going while they siphon off tons of gold to their private account.)

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/washington-just-found-a-new-buyer-for-its-debt-it-runs-on-crypto/

 =====================================================

 Cities stop work on projects, thousands out of work because of diesel fuel shortages and high prices

  Rising gas prices are not only putting pressure on consumers at the pump; they are forcing local governments to make tough choices with their budgets.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in June, when municipal governments set their fiscal year budgets, was $4.05. The national average price is higher yet as of Wednesday, reaching $4.10 per gallon, and city councils and appointed officials were faced with preparing for the unknown with global uncertainty around fuel availability.

As a result, city leaders across the country have been choosing to put infrastructure projects that are “less than necessary” on hold, despite the certainty that the costs of those projects will ultimately be higher down the road.

 The Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2023 that local governments funded nearly 70% of public capital investments, such as public infrastructure, and about 87% of operation and maintenance of water and transportation infrastructure.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/08/26/gas-prices-municipal-government-budgets/8001787749755/

 https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/cities-stop-work-on-projects-thousands-out-of-work-because-of-diesel-fuel-shortages-and-high-prices/

==================================================================

  List of voter ID laws for every state.

  For detailed information on each state’s voter ID laws, click the links below.

 See that list here. It has links to your state laws.

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/list-of-voter-id-laws-for-every-state/

That map of the states does not copy. See it here

 https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_identification_laws_by_state

 ========================================================

  Bill Gates is now asking us to protect jobs from the technology he helped create

 This is a pretty big change from Bill Gates.

For years, Gates was one of the biggest technology optimists in the world.

Now he’s saying he is scared of what AI could do and wishes the technology would move more slowly.

Not some random tech critic.

Bill Gates.

And his solution is even more interesting.

He wants certain jobs to be “Human Reserved.”

Basically, jobs that society decides should stay human even when a machine could technically do them.

He also wants taxes on AI and robots.

Think about how strange that sounds.

For decades, the basic promise of technology was:

Machines make us more productive.

Workers become more productive.

The economy gets richer.

New jobs appear.

Everybody eventually benefits.

Now one of the people who helped build the technology is saying:

Maybe we need to deliberately stop AI from taking some jobs.

And he’s not only talking about factory workers.

Gates says law, customer service, software development, medicine and manufacturing could all face major disruption within the next decade. He is especially worried about young workers because entry level jobs could disappear before new workers even get a chance to enter those professions.

That last part is important.

What happens when companies stop hiring people for the jobs where people normally start their careers?

You don’t just lose today’s job.

You lose the first rung on the ladder.

And Gates is now saying governments aren’t prepared for this.

His essay is nearly 5,800 words.

His message is basically that there is no real plan for what happens when AI starts doing large amounts of human work.

He also wants AI taxes and robot taxes to help pay for retraining and social programs.

 https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/bill-gates-is-now-asking-us-to-protect-jobs-from-the-technology-he-helped-create/

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25 Democrat states file lawsuit to block new USPS rules on mail-in ballots.

  Democratic-controlled states on Wednesday filed another lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit mail voting in this year’s midterm elections.

The action, filed by about two dozen states against the U.S. Postal Service, marked a new phase in the high-stakes litigation just two days after the Supreme Court ruled against them in a separate case, but did not say Trump’s order was legal.

The high court majority found the Democratic lawsuit was premature, but that was before the Republican administration issued a rule governing U.S. Postal Service delivery of mail ballots. Election officials warn it will be impossible to implement in the days before the first wave of mail ballots are sent out next week.

“Across the country, states are already deep into preparations for the 2026 elections. Now, at the last moment, the federal government is attempting to meddle in those preparations and potentially threaten countless Americans’ right to vote,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of 25 Democratic attorneys general filing the lawsuit, said in a statement. “USPS has no authority to decide who can and cannot vote by mail.”

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democratic-states-file-new-lawsuit-seeking-to-block-trumps-order-limiting-mail-voting-in-midterms

 https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/breaking-25-democrat-states-file-lawsuit-to-block-new-usps-rules-on-mail-in-ballots/

======================================================

  PA Gov. Josh Shapiro and State Health Officials Caught Pushing Fake Measles Death Narrative in Lancaster County — Officials Refuse to Cooperate as County Coroner Confirms ZERO Deaths FROM Measles

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/pa-gov-josh-shapiro-state-health-officials-caught/

============================================================

Dem Candidate, Music Superstar With Sick Sexual History Defended Fellow Musician’s Video In Which He Gropes and Kills Woman

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/dem-candidate-music-superstar-sick-sexual-history-defended/

========================================================

Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Governor Walz From Forcing Texas Gov Abbott to Extradite ICE Agent

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/trump-appointed-judge-blocks-governor-walz-forcing-texas/

====================================================

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver’s Immunity Defense After She Assaulted ICE Agents

 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/just-federal-appeals-court-rejects-democrat-rep-lamonica/

===============================================================

British Woman Arrested for Tweet Speaks Out in New Interview (Video) 

  Bernadette “Bernie” Spofforth was caught up in Great Britain Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s crackdown on online speech.

The Gateway Pundit reported that British authorities have warned that “keyboard warriors” will be arrested.

Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley told reporters, “We will throw the full force of the law at people. And whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you.”

“You can be guilty of offenses of incitement, of stirring up racial hatred; there are numerous terrorist offenses regarding the publishing of material.”

 As an attack on children attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, was unfolding, Spofforth weighed in on social media.

Spofforth’s post on X, which she has since taken down, read, “Ali Al-Shakati was the suspect. He was an asylum seeker who came to the UK by boat last year and was on an MI6 watch list.”

“If this is true, then all hell is about to break loose.”

 Spofforth came under police investigation and was then accused of sharing misinformation and misidentifying the assailant.

The mother of three was ultimately arrested for her post.

She was accused of allegedly “inciting racial hatred and spreading false news through written means” and detained for 36 hours.

During the investigation, and while she was out on bail, she was unable to respond to messages or questions regarding the incident.

Following the incident of governmental overreach, Spofforth shared her personal story.

Spofforth recently joined The Winston Marshall Show to discuss her experience and share a warning for others.

Marshall began, “Every year, 12,000 people in Britain are arrested for social media posts. You are one of those arrested.”

Spofforth responded, “Actually, what I’d done was seen the news about Southport, picked up my phone and a post came up. And so I copied and pasted it and I put …four days later. They all turned up to come and arrest me. It was horrendous. As that arrest happened, I knew my entire career was over. I have family who would not speak to me, colleagues who sent emails saying, ‘never contact me ever again.'”

Marshall asked, “How is it, do you think, we got to a point where a very normal, free-thinking person like yourself is arrested for a tweet like this?”

Spofforth replied, “This has been a long time coming. In the ’90s, during Blair’s time, we changed the rules and called it parallel lives.”

“The way to keep control is to control information and to control speech. I think the biggest racists are those who believe that people of a culture in the developing world will just drop their culture and their god and take a Western one because we’re better.”

“The clampdown on free speech is to frighten people into shutting up.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/anything-you-say-will-be-used-against-you/

===================================================

Caitlin Clark’s Fever-Sky Game Is Most Watched WNBA Game Since 1997 – Viewership Nearly Doubled NBA’s Overall National-Telecast Average

And, the game was not without its drama when former NBA great Enes Kantor Freedom was escorted from the building after Sky player Natasha Cloud started screaming at him for wearing a T-shirt with the definition of woman on it.

Several WNBA coaches and players have spoken out to allow biological men in the game but for some reason player Natasha Cloud was upset with Cantor’s decision to join the league.

Sometimes, the WNBA is like strange reality show.

 Here is Clark fan Ben Daniel discussing the massive number of viewers Caitlin and Sophie are bringing in to the league.

  Grok had this to say about the latest Fever’s record.

**  It nearly doubled the NBA’s overall national-telecast average of 1.78 million viewers across ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Prime Video.

**  It landed right in line with NBC’s flagship Sunday Night Basketball package, which averaged 3.4 million viewers across its 11 games.

**  The NBA had 19 regular-season telecasts that reached at least 3 million viewers; this Fever game would have ranked among them. High-end examples from that group included a Celtics-Lakers Sunday night game at 5.6 million and a Knicks-Thunder game at 3.4 million.

Caitlin Clark is changing women’s sports.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrS24TWk-8

The Voter Fraud Police Raid: Internal Documents Expose GBI Strategies 17-City VotReg Operation

  A recently FOIA request by Yehuda Miller revealed more information on the Democrat-linked fraudulent voter registration group.

Please review previous posts by Patty McMurray on this scandal that was highlighted by President Trump in his historic speech on election fraud in July.

We now know that Muskegon, Michigan was just the tip of the iceberg.

 There is evidence that this was widespread in Michigan and beyond. There were over 104 packages filled with suspect registrations sent out to numerous clerks in Michigan in 2020.

 In October of 2020, the Michigan State Police served search warrants at 3 GBI Strategies locations in Muskegon Heights, Southfield, and Grand Haven.

 TGP has obtained documents collected during those raids. This article continues to explain the scope and inner workings of this voter registration operation.

They conducted business like burn-and-turn operations because their jobs ended on Election Day 2020. High employee turnover required they run job ads continuously. It was a revolving door of new hires, more phones, more rental cars, and more problems.

Lost passwords, internal complaints about data that didn’t make sense, logins that didn’t work, phones dying after 2 hours, supervisors sharing passwords, and sync issues were just some of the problems. At their Charleston, SC, location, they said, “Recruits are not sticking – possibly change the office location.”

Much of the information obtained from the search warrants is handwritten and likely from a Regional Field Director or a Regional Organizer. The information includes:

Payroll Entries

Employee names

Shift Counts for AM & PM

Daily Conference Call Notes

Training & Canvasser Manuals

Software & Hardware discussions

USPS Shipment Tracking to 63 MI Clerk Offices

 The notes detailed their 17-city network in the five states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, and South Carolina.

Because of high turnover, the organization was very careful in what they wrote down, printed, or distributed to staff.

The use of DNC-provided data and Democrat-specific vendor software made setting up new offices fast and simple. It was the same technology used by Dem politicians and leftist national operations like Rock the Vote and MiFamilia.

The technology helps them target areas with large amounts of unregistered but eligible voters, or areas where ballot influence is needed. Once the new city had been determined, they booked rooms at an extended-stay hotel and ran numerous job ads.

Next, they rented a few minivans, got 40-50 phones and tablet PCs, and set up software login access on the devices. Staff from other field offices were then brought in to help launch the new city with training and field operations.

The group operated from at least September 20 through October 27, 2020. Over these 38 days, field operatives worked either AM or PM “shifts” in these states. A canvasser’s shift was typically 7 hours. The Miami location conducted as many as 82 shifts in one day.

The pages document approximately 635 shifts. Using AI, we analyzed staffing patterns, shift counts, recruiting references, training numbers, new hires, turnover, and office launches. We estimate that at least 180 to 220 staff were involved in the overall operation.

A deeper analysis suggests the operation could have collected between 110,000 and 148,000 voter registration applications. Estimating shift counts for several Michigan cities, these numbers represent approximately 7,900 total hours of canvassing statewide over 38 days.

In mid-October, the operation began phasing out voter registration collection. They transitioned to voting, using their “best people” in each office to ensure people voted (GOTV).

  https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/08/did-you-hear-about-this-voter-fraud-police/