Monday, July 13, 2026

Madonna, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Jay-Z, Rihanna

Let's start with Madonna.  Daniel Kreps (ROLLING STONE) reports:

Madonna returned to the top of the charts for the first time this decade as her Confessions II opened at Number One on the Billboard 200.
Over 20 years after Confessions on a Dance Floor ruled the charts, Confessions II similarly debuted in the top spot, moving 134,000 equivalent albums in its first week of release. This Number One marks the first time Madonna has ruled the album charts in the 2020s
Beginning with 1984's Like a Virgin, Madonna has now landed 10 albums at Number One - and the only artist with at least one Number One in the 1980s, 2000s, 2010s, and now 2020s (shockingly, her 1990s LPs Erotica, Bedtime Stories, and Ray of Light all missed the top spot) - as well as becomes just the fourth artist to rack up 10 Number Ones on both the Billboard 200 and the Hot 100; only the Beatles, Taylor Swift, and Drake achieved that prior to the Material Girl, Billboard reports.



The seven-time Grammy winner, 67, has officially shattered records with her latest album, Confessions II, marking her tenth No. 1 release on the Billboard 200 chart.
According to a release, first-week sales for the critically acclaimed body of work surpassed 134,000 units in the U.S., putting her alongside The Beatles as the only artists to score 10 No. 1s on the Billboard 200 and the U.K. Official Albums Chart.
Following the drop of the long-awaited follow-up to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor, Madonna — who made a surprise Club Confessions appearance on July 11 at the Knockdown Center in her beloved Brooklyn after pop-ups in West Hollywood, Paris and London— amassed acclaim from fans and sparked Grammy buzz amongst critics who touted the release as her best work since its predecessor.


 Madonna‘s successful rollout of her new album, Confessions II, has generated a new TikTok record.
The tech company tells Deadline its live event on July 2, the day before the album’s release, drew more than 2.1 million viewers worldwide on TikTok Live, the most ever for a stand-alone artist event on the platform.
The broadcast was held in co-ordination with iHeartMedia, with the companies describing it as “equal parts listening party, fan Q&A, club night, and confession booth.” More than 200 stations aired the audio of the event.


CONFESSIONS II is a great album -- I reviewed it here.  In other news, Ashley Iasimone (BILLBOARD) reports:


Foreign Tongues, The Rolling Stones‘ new album - their 25th full-length studio release - tops this week's new music poll.
Listeners voted in a poll published Friday (July 10) on Billboard, choosing the classic rock stars' just-released set as their favorite new music.
Foreign Tongues rose above new releases from artists including YEONJUN, Beyoncé and Feid. At the poll's closing time on Sunday, the new album from The Stones landed 42% of the vote.



Many bands have left a mark on the rock and roll scene, and we can name those who have thrived even years later. Arguably, though, only a few have defined the genre itself. And one of those iconic bands is none other than The Eagles. The American rock band, formed in 1971, wasn’t only rock’s crowning achievement. They were also one of the most influential and best-selling musical acts of all time, having scored a total of five Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, six Billboard 200 number-one albums, and six Grammy wins over 18 nominations. The band is, indeed, one of the most successful in history, and a truly defining moment in music — one that even Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks can agree on.
Nicks is responsible for many of Fleetwood Mac’s most beloved songs, including “Landslide,” “Gypsy,” “Silver Springs,” “Sara,” “Rhiannon,” “Storms,” and arguably their most iconic hit, “Dreams.” She is widely known for her deeply personal songwriting style, often drawing on themes of love, self-discovery, loss, and heartbreak. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. Meanwhile, The Eagles — whose primary songwriters were Glenn Frey and Don Henley — tended to gravitate toward narrative-driven songwriting, often exploring the American experience, reflection, ambition, and, from time to time, love. Naturally, these songwriting approaches differ greatly, and it’s difficult to determine which is better, as both have proven equally influential in their own right. But their differences, not only in their music but also in their overall dynamics, led Lindsey Buckingham to describe Fleetwood Mac as the “anti-Eagles.”
[. . .]
While Buckingham viewed The Eagles’ success through a much more competitive lens, Nicks was quite the opposite: “I think they were a defining moment in the rock and roll world that I love. You couldn’t really love the Eagles’ music and be an Eagles fan and not aspire to greatness yourself,”said the "Edge of Seventeen" singer. And Nicks and the Eagles weren’t complete strangers to each other either, as Don Henley and Nicks briefly dated back in 1977. The relationship eventually ended in 1978, though despite the breakup, Nicks and Henley remained good friends. They even collaborated on the song “Leather and Lace,” which appeared on Nicks’ 1981 debut solo album, Bella Donna. “When Lindsey and I broke up during "Rumours", I started going out with Don Henley. And you know, I was like the biggest Eagles fan of life,” said Nicks. She continued:
“Well, all those Eagles were an interesting group of guys. They were such good songwriters. I was blown away. I was totally awestruck. I mean, I was very, very famous, but it didn’t make me less awestruck with these men than anybody else. I was just as big a fan.”



And Escher Walcott (PEOPLE) reports Jay-Z had a surprise guest at his concert last night:

Jay-Z was joined by a slew of special guests for his final 30th anniversary concert in New York City!
At Yankee Stadium on Sunday, July 12, the rapper, 56, brought out Rihanna to perform their 2010 duet “Run This Town,” marking the singer’s first onstage performance in two years.

Rihanna, 38, emerged onstage alongside Jay-Z, singing the iconic track to roaring fans inside Yankee Stadium, as seen in a video posted on TikTok. The Roc Nation artist appeared in high spirits as she performed the hit and later gave a solo performance of her 2015 track “Bitch Better Have My Money.”

“Oh my God, I missed this s--- y’all!” Rihanna told the audience onstage. “New York, I love you guys!” 


Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Monday, July 13, 2026.  Chump continues his war on Iran while he continues destroying the US economy, outrage continues to build over ICE murdering Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and much more. 


Ben (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) notes the state of the Iran War.





Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, closed last week near $76 per barrel, about 5 percent higher than prewar levels. Although oil prices are far below the peak of nearly $120 a barrel during the worst of the war, the market moves that follow each round of strikes have shown Iran’s capacity to move energy prices.

A recovery in shipping traffic after the United States and Iran signed a preliminary cease-fire agreement last month had led to a “sharp” increase in global oil supplies, the International Energy Agency said in a report released on Friday. Oil exports from the Persian Gulf jumped by 6.5 million barrels per day in June, to around 16 million barrels per day, helping to bring down prices.

[. . .]

If ships become more wary of plying the strait after recent attacks, the talk among economists may turn from forecasts of an impending oil glut to worries about “demand destruction” as high energy prices squeeze businesses and consumers. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States remains 30 percent higher than before the war. It was $3.88 a gallon on Sunday, up from $3.80 a gallon a week earlier, according to the AAA motor club.



Repeated closures of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large proportion of the world’s fuel and fertilizer are ferried, have resulted in higher operating costs for farmers, a trend that will indirectly affect grocery prices in the long term. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for “food at home”—that is, the cost of groceries—increased by 2.7 percent between May 2025 and May 2026.

Although the price of eggs—a point of contention ahead of the 2024 presidential election—has decreased in the past year, other staples such as ground beef and sandwich bread have gone up. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that “almost everyone has a food item that they’re focused on. They buy regularly that they use as a benchmark for the cost of living and their financial situation.”

“The war is just exacerbating all the angst around,” said Zandi. “It’s a real problem financially, but also it’s being supercharged in the minds of people because people are really focused on the cost of food and groceries.”

Even if the Trump administration returned to its brief truce with Iran, the consequences of the conflict will be long lasting. Zandi predicted that the cost of oil will remain high for the next several years, even with producers seeking ways to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Millions of Americans are borrowing money or draining their savings to buy groceries, highlighting the financial strain many households face as the cost of living rises, new research has found. 

More than a quarter of working-age adults who relied on credit cards to buy groceries were either unable to pay their balance in full or missed their minimum payment, according to the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. About one in 10 adults relied on so-called "buy now, pay later" loans to cover their groceries — of those, about a third missed a payment last year, the analysis found. 

About 20% of working-age adults said they had tapped long-term savings that weren't intended for everyday expenses, such as an emergency fund, at least once in the last 12 months to pay for groceries, the researchers said. 

"Families still need to eat. They will still need to pay for their basic needs," Kassandra Martinchek, a co-author of the study and public policy expert at the Urban Institute, told CBS News. "Now they have the additional burden of also needing to repay debt — it could constrain their ability to meet their basic needs in the future and get back on their financial feet."



An overwhelming share of Americans say everyday life costs too much, a feeling many tie most directly to food and fuel bills.

In the survey conducted for the Guardian, a whopping 95% of respondents said the country is in an affordability crisis.

[. . .]

Compared with earlier this year, far more Americans now say the economy is deteriorating. Roughly 57% describe it as getting worse, compared to 46% in February. The share saying conditions are improving fell from 28% to 16%.

Concern about basic costs was not confined to one political camp. According to the Guardian, about half of Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike said groceries and gasoline are difficult to afford, and now two-thirds of Americans say they have little confidence that the federal government will bring relief from the cost-of-living crisis.

Among the goods and services listed, gasoline was ranked as the good that most Americans had trouble affording, at 52%. Coming in second, groceries were similarly found to be unaffordable, with 51% of Americans saying they struggled to buy them.


Welcome to the Chump economy.  While Chump illegally grabbed 2.2 billion dollars in 2025, the American people have been fleeced at the gas pump and at the grocery store.  

THE NEW YORK TIMES' podcast THE DAILY focuses on grocery store prices today:

According to the Economic Research Service at the Department of Agriculture, prices across all food categories are expected to rise 3.2 percent in 2026.

Today, Jessica Cheung, a senior audio producer for “The Daily,” talks with the general manger of a food co-op in Pittsburgh about how the store is being affected by the quickly increasing costs.

Everything Chump touches turns to s**t.  His ICE program?  He's beefed it up and raised numbers.  And we have Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's death to show for it. 


Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot dead last week by ICE in Houston, Texas.  Robin Stein, Devon Lum, Sam Lerma, Mimi Dwyer, Alexander Cardia, Aric Toler, Dmitriy Khavin, Charlie Smart and Allison McCann (NEW YORK TIMES) report: 

Shortly before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, immigration officers were trailing a white work van in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Houston. Minutes later, the driver had been fatally shot in his abdomen.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement on X and again to The New York Times on Saturday that a federal officer had opened fire at the man, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, in “self-defense” after Mr. Salgado Araujo “weaponized” his white van. The agency accused him of ramming one of their vehicles and trying to run over an ICE officer.

Neither Mr. Salgado Araujo, a Mexican immigrant who had lived in the United States without authorization for 35 years, nor the three passengers in his van were the initial targets of the operation, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman told The Times.

Footage from bystanders and local businesses obtained by The Times, although incomplete, provides a window into the events that unfolded on Canal Street.

[. . .]

Mr. Salgado Araujo’s white work van — closely followed by two unmarked S.U.V.s driven by ICE agents — is heading south on Wayside Drive at 6:46 a.m. Neither of the S.U.V.s appeared to have emergency lights activated.

Mr. Salgado Araujo’s van abruptly makes a tight left turn onto a residential block of Canal Street that is partially blocked off by construction. The change of direction is apparently too sudden for the agents in the lead S.U.V. — a Nissan — to follow. The second S.U.V. — a Jeep — follows the van onto Canal.

Footage shows the Jeep, driven by an ICE agent, initially speeding up along the driver’s side of Mr. Salgado Araujo’s van, overtaking it. 

But two seconds later, a security camera at a medical office filming from the opposite direction shows the Jeep on the passenger side of the van. The Jeep appears to veer sharply toward the van, possibly making contact. Both vehicles swoop into a U-turn. An agent appears to exit the Jeep.


So it would appear that ICE struck Lorenzo's car first.  That would implode DHS' claim that they killed him because he used his vehicle to ram into them.  


Another lie from DHS.  Markwayne Mullen would be well advised to get ahead of this and to announce this.  If he wants to be boxed in as a liar this early in his tenure, he better get ready for being seen with the same disgust that his predecessor Kristi Noem is.  Kristi's scandals continue to be exposed.  For example, Julia Ornedo (THE DAILY BEAST) reported earlier today:


Kristi Noem’s alleged lover is still facing scrutiny for his short-lived stint as “shadow secretary” of the Department of Homeland Security.

Investigators have uncovered evidence that Corey Lewandowski, 52, may have been involved in the improper awarding of government contracts in his time as Noem’s right-hand man, insiders tell the Wall Street Journal.

A potential criminal referral to the Department of Justice is being considered, the outlet reported, adding that both the White House and new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who took over after Noem’s ouster in March, have been briefed on the matter.

DHS officials were stunned to discover how involved Lewandowski was in the contracts signed during Noem’s 14-month tenure at DHS, according to The Journal. Sources told the outlet that Lewandowski personally signed certain contracts or had knowledge of the approvals despite not being a full-time federal government official.


Markwayne Mullen was brought in to be a change.  Yet ICE continues killing people and continues claiming that they were the victims.  When they weren't.  Christina Morales and Jacey Fortin (NEW YORK TIMES) note:


At the time of the stop, Mr. Araujo was on his way to work at a construction site. Three men were in the car with him, including Victor Hugo Salgado Araujo, his younger brother. As of Friday, they remained in immigration detention in Conroe, Texas, outside Houston.

On Thursday, the three men told a lawyer, Hugo Balderas-Ibarra, that Mr. Araujo did not use his vehicle as a weapon or try to run over the immigration officers, and that no agent had been positioned in front of the vehicle, the lawyer said.

The authorities did not provide video footage of the encounter. The ICE agents were in unmarked vehicles and were not wearing body cameras, according to the area’s congresswoman, Representative Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat. Ms. Garcia said she had spoken to the acting director of ICE, David Venturella.

Surveillance and witness videos obtained by The New York Times show two ICE vehicles tailing Mr. Araujo’s white van and trying to cut it off. The van can be seen doing a U-turn before stopping alongside the road, with several immigration agents running toward the van as it comes to a halt. Video of the moments when shots were fired has not emerged.


Bianca Seward (HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA) adds:

At least two of the passengers in a van driven by Lorenzo Salgado Araujo at the time he was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Houston this week are disputing the federal agency's account of the incident, according to an attorney representing the men.

Hugo Balderas, the lawyer for two of the three passengers, said Friday he had spoken with his clients, who say ICE's account is inconsistent with their experience.

"They confirmed that at no point was there ever an ICE agent directly in front of the vehicle," Balderas said. "They also confirmed that the shots came from the sides, not from the front, which is inconsistent with the ICE statement."


Edgar Sandoval (NEW YORK TIMES) notes:


On Saturday morning Ronaldo Salgado glanced, his smile bittersweet, at a photo of his father projected on a large screen and found the courage to address dozens of people crammed at an indoor vigil in his native Houston.

Mr. Salgado and a younger brother moved the room to tears as they spoke about the love their father, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, had for soccer, and the passion he had for the American dream. When the brothers renewed calls for accountability in the fatal shooting of their father at the hands of immigration agents, the crowd erupted in applause.

Mr. Salgado Araujo was a 52-year-old Mexican immigrant who had been living in Houston for 35 years. He was driving to work with three other men Tuesday morning when agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement began following him and later shot him after they said he had failed to stop his vehicle.

“I just want to continue pressuring, continue the pressure, to continue obtaining a full independent investigation,” said Mr. Salgado, 29, a public-school teacher, as he addressed the crowd at an event organized by the Service Employees International Union. “To continue preserving the evidence, and for his van to be returned to us.”


Jeremy Wallace (HOUSTON CHRONICLE) covers the silence from Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the death of Lorenzo: 

Gov. Greg Abbott's radio silence on the ICE shooting in Houston is even more jarring given he was on the radio this week for hours after the shooting.

Abbott had White House Border Czar Tom Homan on during his guest hosting duties on The Sean Hannity Show on Tuesday, where they celebrated ICE ramping up its deportation activities nationwide. But neither said a word about Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

"Well, you guys are doing a great job," Abbott told Homan after the border czar bragged about ICE rounding up 10,000 people in less than 5 days as part of a stepped-up enforcement push.

Salgado was shot early Tuesday morning in Houston's East End after ICE agents attempted to pull over the van he was driving with three other passengers, including his brother, as the work crew was on their way to a construction site. Salgado is a Mexican national who did not have U.S. citizenship. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, told reporters that Salgado wasn't the target of the stop when his vehicle was pulled over.

Abbott didn't talk about the shooting during the radio program or on his social media accounts since. As of Friday afternoon, he'd posted about his family dog passing away and promotions of his radio program from earlier in the week.

It's a very different reaction than Abbott had in January after ICE shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minnesota. After that shooting, Abbott was on a conservative radio program where he said the White House needed to "recalibrate" how it was using ICE to make arrests.


Another death that Donald Chump's responsible for.  How many more murders is he going to be allowed to carry out?  At what point, do the courts step in and say, "Enough."  Tell him that's enough, that he clearly doesn't know how to oversea this operation and that -- for public safety reasons -- it needs to be shut down?  




I am outraged and struggling to recognize the country I have loved all my life.
This past week, another life was tragically taken by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Yet his story is only one sad part of a much larger tragedy for immigrants without legal status. Thousands are being held in ICE detention facilities across our nation.

Reports indicate that roughly 70% have no criminal record. Many accounts describe overcrowded conditions, inadequate food, poor medical care and unsanitary facilities. More than 50 people have died while in ICE custody.

We can debate immigration laws, but we should never debate the value of a human life or the obligation to treat every person with dignity.

If we lose our compassion, we lose something far greater than our politics. We lose our soul.



Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

Sen. Murray Calls for an Independent Investigation; Demands ICE Release all the Footage Related to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s Filling

*** WATCH HERE***  

Washington, D.C. – In response to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released a video statement demanding that ICE release all of the footage related to this tragedy and calling for an independent investigation. In the video, Senator Murray draws attention to the fact that ICE has provided no evidence to back up its dubious claims that the officer fired in response to Salgado Araujo “weaponizing his vehicle” and the agency has a history of lying about using extreme force against innocent civilians.

*** Watch here***  

Senator Murray has spoken out forcefully and consistently against the Trump administration’s cruel and counterproductive mass deportation campaign and the egregious treatment by ICE and DHS of American citizens, legal immigrants, and undocumented immigrants. As Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, she led Democrats’ efforts fighting tooth and nail to secure meaningful reforms in law to rein in ICE and Border Patrol—which Republicans ultimately refused altogether and chose to skirt Democrats by delivering another massive blank check for the agencies with no accountability. Last month, at a Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing on the FY27 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—Murray pressed Secretary Markwayne Mullin on the conduct of ICE and Border Patrol and Republicans’ refusal to enact reforms into law.

In March, Senator Murray released a video about the numerous violent shootings we are seeing from Trump’s reckless ICE and CBP agents across the country—and the urgent need to rein in these rogue agencies. Senator Murray highlighted the stories of Marimar Martinez, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, Carlos Jimenez, Francisco Longoria, and Carlitos Ricardo Parias—all of whom were shot by ICE or CBP agents. Throughout the video, Senator Murray calls out the egregious use of force from federal agents, their lies that don’t hold up in court, and the extreme danger they are putting families and communities in by recklessly using firearms. Senator Murray also called out Republicans for refusing to negotiate serious and common sense measures to rein in ICE and CBP.

In December 2025, Murray called attention to the violent assault of Wilmer Toledo-Martinez in Vancouver, Washington and she successfully advocated for his release from the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC). Wilmer was lured out of his home under false pretenses, violently detained by federal agents, and mauled by an attack dog despite not resisting arrest or attempting to flee. Not long after, Murray also called attention to the case of Jose Paniagua Calderón, whose foot was run over by agents in Vancouver.

In November 2025, Senator Murray joined 48 of her colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives in introducing the Restoring Access to Detainees Act, which would mandate that DHS allow people who have been detained to contact their legal counsel and families. In February 2025, Senator Murray signed onto a letter demanding that DHS end wrongful searches and interrogations of Tribal members, and continued to push for answers from DHS on the matter last December. In March 2025, Murray also reintroduced her Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. She and Senator Richard Blumenthal led 27 of their Senate colleagues last year in a letter expressing concern with prevalence and the treatment of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women in ICE detention.

In Washington state, Senator Murray has been conducting oversight of the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC), despite the Trump administration’s efforts to block Congressional oversight of federal immigration detention facilities. After a protracted legal battle over Washington state’s ability to enforce health and safety standards at NWIPC, a federal appeals court ruled in August 2025 that the state should be allowed to enforce such standards at the detention center, and that failure to comply could result in fines of up to $10,000 per violation. In December 2025, Senator Murray led Members of the Washington state Congressional delegation in a letter to Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons expressing grave concerns with conditions at NWIPC in Tacoma, Washington and demanding answers to a long list of questions regarding overcrowding and lack of access to medical services, food, and legal counsel for individuals detained at the facility. 

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“That is Ronaldo Salgado. On Tuesday morning, an ICE agent shot and killed his father, Lorenzo—a construction worker with no criminal history who spent 35 years in Houston building homes and raising three American sons. 

“Now here is ICE’s version: they say Lorenzo ‘weaponized his vehicle,’ so an agent fired in self-defense.

“Of course, ICE has provided no evidence to back up its claims. And we know ICE lies. How? That is almost word-for-word what DHS said after a federal agent shot Carlitos Parias in Los Angeles—right up until the body cam footage showed the agent’s gun went off while officers were smashing in his windows, and a judge threw the whole case out. 

“It is the same story they told about Marimar Martinez in Chicago—until the video showed the agent was the one doing the ramming.

“Look, we saw the videos of officers killing Renée Good and Alex Pretti.

“We know that ICE lies. Yet Republicans still refuse to require ICE to follow the same basic rules your local police follow every single day.

“That is what Democrats are fighting for—and it should not be a fight.

“I’m still pushing for accountability in the law, but I am also demanding an independent investigation and that ICE release all of the footage related to Lorenzo’s killing.

“We also need to hear from the witnesses at the scene they detained and shipped to God knows where.

“If you’re wondering what you can do, you need to understand that your voice matters here. When America spoke up for Alex Pretti and Renée Good, Republicans felt the pressure.

“Keep sharing Ronaldo’s words. Use your voice and use your vote. We do not have to accept this as our new normal.”

###





The following sites updated:

Posted by at

Thursday, July 09, 2026

Bonnie Tyler

Bonnie Tyler has passed away.  Her hits include "Holding Out For A Hero," "It's A Heartache" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart." 







The Welsh singer died in a Portugal hospital on Wednesday night, according to a statement on her official website and social media accounts Thursday morning. Prior to her death, Tyler was hospitalized and underwent emergency intestinal surgery in May 2026. She was placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery which she awoke from in mid-June but remained “very unwell,” her family said at the time. She was 75.
[. . .]
A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Tyler first rose to fame in the late 1970s. She was known for her raspy vocals, offering listeners an edgier sound that also melded rock and pop. Tyler released a total of 18 studio albums, beginning with her debut, “The World Starts Tonight,” in 1977. But she solidified her place in music with collaborations with songwriter-producer Jim Steinman, a hitmaker who worked with Meat Loaf, Air Supply and Celine Dion.

Tyler contributed her powerful voice to Steinman’s dramatic “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which was released in 1983 ahead of her fifth studio album, “Faster Than the Speed of Night.” Steinman initially envisioned the power ballad as a core piece in a musical adaptation of “Nosferatu,” but with Tyler, the number took on a different life.
[. . .]
However, she would not come into her signature sound until the spring of 1977. Tyler suffered nodules on her vocal cords and underwent surgery to remove them. She feared her career would end as a result, though that would be far from the case.

Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice. “It turned out losing my voice was not too treacherous for me,” she told the Guardian. She released “It’s a Heartache” in 1977 with her raspy voice front and center.

“I had my first hit in America with my new husky voice on ‘It’s a Heartache,’” she said. “Maybe my husky voice was what that song, and my career, needed.”

After her tenure with RCA Records, Tyler signed with CBS Records in 1982, leading to her memorable collaborations with Steinman. At the end of the ’90s, Tyler signed with Hansa/BMG Ariola and, eventually, with EastWest Records and continued to find success in continental Europe. In addition to her albums, Tyler embarked on several tours, most recently her Between the Earth and the Stars live tour in 2019. Her most recent release was “Together” in July 2025, produced by electronic music artist David Guetta, which samples the chorus of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”


Bonnie Tyler delivered an epic final performance of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” during her last show before her tragic death.

The Grammy nominee belted out her hit song at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire on March 19.

She was all smiles, singing the ’80s power ballad, holding the microphone out to the audience for their participation.


But for TV fans, she might be best known for her 2007 appearance on the BBC show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. 

Tyler was a guest on the pop-themed panel while appearing to be a few sheets to the wind, which became a running gag with host Simon Amstell during the episode.
Things got off to a smashing start when the husky-voiced songstress started belting her 1983 mega-hit over Amstell’s opening monologue, which promised drunken celebrity appearances were at an end. 

The Welsh pop star, whose real name is Gaynor Hopkins, confirmed she had been fortified with a glass of red ahead of the episode, as the panellists went around discussing the drugs they had done in the past (it was a different time). 

A jolly-looking Tyler, sat next to Bill Bailey, said: ‘No drugs. Red, red wine. I love my red wine,’ to which host Amstell asked if she had consumed any that night.


Closing with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"

Thursday, July 9, 2026.  Chump takes to the world stage to play a blithering idiot, th 'cease-fire' is off, he's declared Spain to be persona non grata, his supporters are losing faith in him, the courts are ruling against him, ICE shot and killed another person, and much more.








President Donald Trump’s declaration Wednesday that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was “over” thrusts him and his administration back into a familiar corner: mired in an unpopular war that Trump cannot seem to end, with midterm elections less than four months away.

Republicans were cautiously optimistic after Trump and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last month to end the war — the latest in a string of fragile and ultimately unsuccessful ceasefires since the war started in February. GOP leaders had warned the White House that rising gas prices exacerbated by the conflict could cost them in November’s midterms.
Now, with that deal in tatters, Republicans face those elections tied to a war most voters oppose, unable to end it but also, for the most part, unwilling to break with the president who started it.

Oil prices surged and financial markets fell Wednesday.

More war is a definite headache for Republicans on November’s ballot, said Sarah Chamberlain, president of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which supports GOP lawmakers in competitive congressional districts.

Republican voters were stomaching higher gas prices for a few months to support Trump, Chamberlain said, but now the summer driving season is here and there may not be any relief.



Representative Greg Casar, Democrat of Texas, called the move “outrageous” and criticized President Trump for “extending his disastrous, illegal war with Iran.” A number of Democratic lawmakers noted recent votes to call for an end to the war unless approved by Congress.

Republican leaders of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees in both chambers were silent on the latest strikes and Trump’s declaration that cease-fire talks with Tehran were a “waste of time.”

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, said in a social media post that his party remained united in their “efforts to end this illegal war immediately and permanently.”



Chump embarrassed himself in Turkey yesterday.  He declared, "“We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan."  Islamic Republic of Japan?  He meant Iran.  And standing next to Ukraine leader Volodymyr  Zelensky, he invited reporters to feel free to ask any question of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.  He meant Ukrainian President Zelensky.  He also got confused a lot.  Such as when "Trump praised Turkish President Recep Erdogan for running a great company, before quickly correcting himself."  And Daniel Dale (CNN) notes five false claims Chump made with Erdogen. Swati Sakshi Mishra (MEAWW) notes Chump caused confusion even by leaving, "President Donald Trump surprised reporters Wednesday, July 8, by announcing he would not return from Turkey aboard the new Qatar-donated Air Force One, instead opting to fly home on the older presidential aircraft despite repeatedly praising the new jet.  The unexpected switch came as fighting involving Iran intensified, prompting fresh questions over whether security considerations, not ceremony, were behind the decision."












And the war has already caused so many problems for Chump.  Eduardo Porter (GUARDIAN) notes:

The political consequences of Donald Trump’s policy mayhem are now coming into view: “Maga” America is getting pissed.

It has been a sight to see how every one of the president’s policy initiatives has sabotaged some core constituency or other. From farmers and rural Americans to manufacturing workers and every American struggling to make ends meet, Trump has torched pretty much his entire political base. For all his efforts to rig the midterm elections in his favor, it’s as if he is daring the Maga faithful to drop him.
And now, according to the most recent survey by Harris for the Guardian, even voters who identify as foot soldiers of the president’s political army are becoming impatient with the state of affairs, increasingly willing to blame the government for their economic troubles.

About 56% of respondents who identified as members of the Maga coalition said they were either having trouble meeting their debt payments or worried they would be struggling soon. The same share admitted similar troubles meeting housing payments. Fifty-seven per cent said the same about affording healthcare costs. Fifty-eight per cent claimed the same about their utility bills, 61% about affording groceries, 63% about paying for gas.

Many of these stressors stem from Trump’s policy preferences. Trump’s decision to end government subsidies is largely at fault for the rising cost of health insurance. The rise in energy costs and rebound of inflation since March are direct consequences of Iran’s throttling of the strait of Hormuz. Resurgent inflation interrupted the Federal Reserve’s campaign to ease monetary policy and interrupted the gradual decline in mortgage rates. Manufacturers have culled nearly 100,000 jobs since Trump took office, in part due to Trump’s tariffs. Farmers have been whacked by higher costs of energy, fertilizer and machinery.




In a blow for Chump's Dept of 'Justice,'  a judge has ruled against their demand for a lengthy prison term.  Chris Perez (LAW & CRIME) reports:

Hannah Dugan — the former Wisconsin judge who was found guilty last year of impeding ICE during a courthouse arrest — has been ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, rather than serve any prison time or probation for obstructing federal agents.

"For several reasons, prison is not necessary to satisfy the statutory purposes for sentencing," U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman said before sentencing Dugan on Wednesday, according to local ABC affiliate WISN.
"This is a defendant who made a bad decision in the moment," Adelman said. "She appreciated the wrongfulness of her conduct, but this is nevertheless a few minutes of conduct for a person that has dedicated her life in service to the needy."

Dugan, 67, was indicted last year for helping an immigrant named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade ICE officers shortly after he appeared in her Milwaukee County Circuit courtroom in connection with a domestic abuse case. Federal prosecutors alleged during her trial that Dugan impeded ICE agents during the attempted courthouse immigration bust by helping Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national who was facing misdemeanor battery charges, leave through a jury door after a hearing.

Kate Brumback (INDEPENDENT) reports another ruling against the DOJ:

A federal judge has ruled that the Department of Justice cannot obtain the names and personal contact information for every individual who worked during the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County. The decision, handed down on Tuesday, blocks a grand jury subpoena issued by the Justice Department in April.
The subpoena had sought the personal details of county employees and volunteer poll workers. This request came amid persistent, unsubstantiated claims by Donald Trump of widespread voter fraud in Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold, which he alleges cost him victory in the state in 2020.

Fulton County had moved to quash the subpoena, arguing it was designed to "target, harass and punish the President’s perceived political opponents" and was "grossly over broad and untethered to any reasonable need."

U.S. District Judge William Ray, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, sided with the county. In his ruling, he stated, "Given the low need for the subpoenaed information and the highly burdensome nature of the disclosure of the same, the Subpoena is unreasonable and must be quashed," describing the scope of the request as "staggering."

And Chump himself got bad news from the courts yesterday.  Dan Mangan (CNBC) explains:

A New York federal judge on Wednesday ordered that E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million plus interest for damages from a jury verdict that held President Donald Trump civilly liable for sexually abusing and defaming the writer.
The order came a day after Trump's lawyers urged Judge Lewis Kaplan not to disburse nearly $5.8 million to Carroll from funds that president deposited three years ago with the court to satisfy the May 2023 jury award.
Kaplan, in his order Wednesday directing the money to be disbursed to Carroll, pointed to the language of an agreement between her and Trump that called for the money to be given her if the Supreme Court denied his request that it hear his appeal of the verdict in her favor.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump's request on June 29.

Kaplan's order brushed aside arguments by Trump's attorneys that Carroll cannot be paid the money unless the Supreme Court rejects the president's new, long-shot bid for reconsideration of his petition that the high court take his appeal.

Chump loves to steal money from others but he loathes having to pay his own bills.  Leigh Kimmins (DAILY BEAST) notes another personal legal defeat for Chump:

A federal judge has tossed a $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s social media company against the Washington Post, dealing a sharp defeat to Trump Media and Technology Group.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, based in Tampa, ruled that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that the Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.” He granted the Post’s motion for summary judgment and denied Trump Media’s. A full written opinion is forthcoming.




Chump's a con artist, a grifter.  And the thing about those types is for them to steal money they need a mark.  And a lot of marks are starting to speak.  Chris Morris (MONEYWISE) reports:

Donald Trump and his family generated at least $2.2 billion in income last year (1), which is nearly four times more than he reported in 2024. Much of that money came from his supporters who invested in his businesses, such as Trump Media and Technology Group, or bought his $TRUMP meme coin.
Their fortunes, however, didn’t fare nearly as well. In fact, Trump’s supporters are reportedly down an estimated $7 billion after investing in the president’s business ventures.
Trump Media shares have lost 56% of their value in the past year (2) , while the Trump coin’s value also tumbled about 81% in that time (3). Many of the retail investors who sunk their savings into those ventures — often as a sign of loyalty to Trump — have seen the money vanish right as economic volatility began to spike. And they’re not happy with Trump, or the members of his inner circle.
“We’re just poor cattle to them,” Chad Nedohin, who was once the unofficial captain of Trump Media’s shareholders, told Forbes (4). “He doesn’t care about anyone.”
Nedohin is one of many investors who are vocally criticizing Trump and his ventures. Another, Vadim Fistikan, invested $205,000 in Trump Media in the days, weeks and months after it went public via SPAC (5). He invested the money he and his family had planned to use to buy a waterfront property in Florida.
Today, that investment is worth just $30,000. When he voiced his frustrations on Truth Social, Fistikan (a three-time Trump voter) was lambasted by Trump supporters on the social media site.
“I’m like, ‘Hey, this is a scam,’” he posted, according to Forbes. “And a lot of people were like, ‘No, you’re just a Trump hater.’ I’m like, ‘No. I was on board since day one. … I’m now broke. Pretty much my whole life savings [was] in this one stock. This is the greatest theft, con job he has ever done.”


Kristi Noem may be out as Secretary of Homeland Security but her destruction remains.  As does her attempts to cover it up.  Henry Giardina (QUEERTY) notes: 


This year, Kristi Noem went from high-level Tr*mp official to tabloid fodder in the space of about three seconds. After ICE Barbie was fired in March, she was hit with a fresh wave of scandal when news broke that her faithful Christian husband Bryon had been secretly spending thousands on his crossdressing “bimbofication” fetish. Things got even worse when the sex workers servicing Bryon’s kink started speaking to the press.
Honestly, as comeuppance goes, that’s a pretty solid dose. But this is Kristi Noem we’re talking about, so her chances of continuing to step in it even in her post-Tr*mp era are still quite high. Consider her most recent scandal, an infidelity breach that’s followed her from her ICE days to the present.

While Bryon was exploring his kinky side with several OF workers, Noem was allegedly engaged in her own pretty openly-discussed cheating scandal concerning her close relationship with fellow Tr*mp enabler Corey Lewandowski.

Rumors about an affair between Noem and Lewandowski are nothing new, but new court documents just revealed the potential extent of some juicy communication between the two.

Joseph Guy, Noem’s former DHS deputy chief of staff, apparently wiped a Signal group chat including texts from Lewandowski, Noem, and other DHS officials earlier this year. Considering that DHS contractors claimed they were coached to pay Lewandowski for his help during the Homeland Security transition that put Noem in charge of Tr*mp’s mass deportation rollout just a week before the deleted messages, the timing is a little bit suss.
This move also happened on Guy’s final day in office. As you can imagine, none of this looks great for Lewandowski, or for Noem. We don’t know the content or context of the group chat, but the fact that Guy wiped his phone weeks after a probe threatened to expose the nature of Noem and Lewandoski’s relationship (and their DHS and FEMA-related contract scandal definitely isn’t the least guilty move you could make.

The Signal wipe also happened shortly after Noem swore to Congress that Lewandowski had absolutely nothing, zero, zilch to do with contract approval. On March 18, the team was warned that if they shredded sensitive documents concerning the matter, they would be breaking the law.

Technically deleting isn’t shredding, but Guy, whose wife works for the anti-LGBTQ+ Heritage Foundation and is considered to be one of the many authors of Project 2025, went ahead and did it anyway. He came clean about deleting the group chat files during a deposition in early May.


Kristi's gone an Markwayne Mullen has taken over.  But has anything really changed?  Jack Brook and Hallie Golden (INDEPENDENT) report:

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a man during an arrest operation in Houston on Tuesday after authorities said he ignored commands to stop and drove his vehicle toward federal officers.

The Department of Homeland Security said the shooting happened after the man, identified as 39-year-old Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, allegedly tried to flee and attempted to ram an ICE agent with his vehicle.


ICE has repeatedly falsely claimed that someone tried to ram them with a vehicle.  While ICE is under new management with Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullen, it's too soon to give them the benefit of the doubt.  They're going to need to earn trust with the public and with the courts.  They're going to have to demonstrate that they can follow the law before they'll be seen as lawful. Dan Gooding (NEWSWEEK) notes, "Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who represents the Magnolia Park neighborhood where the incident took place, shared a statement on X calling for a full investigation."


THE NEWSHOUR (PBS) looked at the story last night.


Geoff Bennett:

Family members and local officials are calling for a full investigation into the shooting death of a man killed by ICE agents in Houston.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was shot yesterday as ICE agents tried to arrest him. Federal officials say he tried to flee and -- quote -- "weaponized his vehicle toward an ICE officer who opened fire in self-defense." Salgado Araujo was shot in the abdomen and taken to a hospital, where he later died.

ICE says he was a Mexican national living in the U.S. without legal status. His family and immigration advocates are questioning the official account, saying ICE has yet to provide evidence to support their claims.

One of his sons spoke at a news conference today.

Ronaldo Salgado:

I am calling for a full investigation into the events that transpired yesterday -- yesterday, July 7. He did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to be reduced to a headline of Mexican man shot and killed by ICE. He deserved to live a quiet life as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a husband, a father, and a job creator for dozens of men who also wanted the American dream.

Geoff Bennett:

Colleen DeGuzman joins us now. She's a reporter for The Texas Tribune.

So, Colleen, thank you for being with us.

So, DHS says Salgado Araujo rammed an ICE vehicle, that he ignored repeated commands and that he tried to run over an ICE officer. What evidence, if any, have they provided to support their accounts?

Colleen DeGuzman, The Texas Tribune:

We have received very little evidence and very little explanation. What we do know is that ICE was in unmarked vehicles when they stopped Salgado Araujo.

And what we heard from -- today from the brother -- from the son, Ronaldo, is that his dad -- he believed that his dad would not have tried to flee from ICE, let alone run over an agent with his vehicle. The vehicles that ICE were using were unmarked, which is the reason why his son Ronaldo believes that his dad did not know that he was being pulled over by ICE.

His dad was a construction worker and was always worried that his tools were going to be stolen. So that's why he thinks his dad thought he was going to get robbed and why he tried to escape.

Geoff Bennett:

Were there eyewitnesses? And, if so, what are they saying about what transpired?

Colleen DeGuzman:

We have not been able to contact any eyewitnesses or receive any video footage yet.

But, today, at a press conference with a lot of Houston local leaders, they are pressing for body footage camera and any camera footage that there is out there on what happened in Houston's East End, which is a very Latino neighborhood.

Geoff Bennett:

What more have you pieced together about Salgado Araujo, his life, his life in Houston, and what brought ICE agents to arrest him?

Colleen DeGuzman:

Those are the same questions that we have right now. We are unsure of whether this was targeted, whether this was just a normal traffic stop.

I was at that intersection yesterday, and there was a lot of construction in that area. And so we're wondering if this was targeted or if this was random. But what we do know is that Salgado Araujo had three sons. And, today, we heard from Ronaldo, who is a teacher who is a proud University of Houston graduate.

His second son is 27 years old. He's also named Lorenzo, Lorenzo Lorenzo Jr., and he went to Tufts University, and is an engineer. And he has at least one grandson. He moved to Houston 35 years ago and has built a construction company here in Houston, and he's very proud of it.

He builds homes in North Houston. And he, according to his son, was a very simple man who had a routine in the morning to get up really early. He would pet the dog goodbye and kiss his wife, who was his high school sweetheart, goodbye before work. And every day, when the day ended, he would sit by his porch outside to soak up the sunset.

He was a very simple man with a very strict routine. So that's what we know about him.



Again, ICE has blown to the benefit of the doubt.  They lied repeatedly to the people and to the courts.  They have not followed the law.  Another example of their not following the law?  Nicole Charky-Chami (RAW STORY) reports:

A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered ICE to release the nursing mother of a 6-month-old from ICE custody, according to reports.

Judge David C. Joseph of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled that Karina Alvarez San Juan, who has three other minor children who are U.S. citizens, was detained in violation of ICE's policy against detaining most pregnant or postpartum mothers.



It’s “Constitution-free” because ICE has decided that the Fourth Amendment, which reads, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” is just a suggestion, rather than one of the foundational guarantees of American liberty; just an obstacle standing between the Trump administration and the police state it’s steadily but relentlessly building.
In Washington, D.C., for example, a construction worker got waved over by the Park Police for a minor traffic matter, and within a minute ICE agents had surrounded his truck, asking where everyone was from and whether they were in the country illegally. Two of his passengers were taken away, and nobody would tell him where.
ICE is also now paying state and local police to help, and the money is staggering. One estimate says the total could hit two billion dollars this year alone. In Florida, police departments pocketed nearly forty million dollars for vehicles and gear. In the Florida Keys, agents threw up a checkpoint on the only highway in and out, a tourist route, and made more than three hundred arrests.

They’re stationed at courthouses, bus stations, train terminals, and airports too, snaring domestic travelers who never came near a border. The ACLU’s Naureen Shah put it plainly. “We’ve never seen this financial incentive scheme exist.”


Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Pentagon’s independent watchdog found that Trump administration defunded and blocked reforms to protect civilians during war, potentially violating federal law

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led nine members of Congress in pressing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) defunding and deprioritizing of programs that prevent and respond to civilian harm in war. The letter follows a new report by the DoD Inspector General (DoD IG), which found that under Hegseth’s leadership, DoD has put service members and civilians at risk and has potentially violated federal law. It also follows the recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian water treatment facilities, which damaged thousands of civilians’ access to drinking water.  

“The Trump administration’s military adventurism overseas, combined with its obvious disregard for civilians, do not make the American people or our service members safer. We () request clarification about the steps the Department is taking to address these deficiencies and to protect civilians in line with the Department’s strategic, legal, and moral obligations,” wrote the lawmakers. 

Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) joined in signing the letter. 

Representatives Jason Crow (D-Colo.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) also joined in signing the letter. 

In May, the DoD IG released a review of DoD’s implementation of its Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR) Action Plan (CHMR-AP), which outlined critical steps to prevent, mitigate, and respond to civilian harm. The DoD IG’s report found that the Trump administration may have violated federal law by defunding and blocked civilian protection efforts. 

The DoD IG report confirms that all of the objectives of the plan – including training for assessing and investigating civilian harm – are “at risk” under Hegseth’s leadership. The report also found that the Trump administration’s failure to implement the plan means DoD is failing to comply with congressionally-mandated obligations to protect civilians during armed conflict. 

“These revelations make real the concerns that we have previously raised about your complete ‘disregard for the strategic, legal, and moral imperative to minimize civilian harm,’” the lawmakers said. 

During the DoD IG’s investigation, staff and combatant commands warned that eliminating CHMR funding and personnel “harms readiness” and “increases risk to military personnel and objectives and mission success.” 

“The Department’s failure to implement the CHMR-AP has profound consequences for civilians in conflict zones and makes service members’ jobs harder and riskier,” the lawmakers continued. 

DoD officials, veteran and family organizations, and other national security experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of civilian protection. In their confirmation hearings, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said that civilian harm “risks degrading our credibility and trust and puts troops at risk,” and SOCOM Commander Frank Bradley called protecting civilians “critical to our success.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, has also touted the positive impacts of the DoD CHMR programs at combatant commands.

The report also revealed that DoD failed to cooperate with the office’s investigation, including by blocking investigators’ attempts to observe an implementation meeting and withholding access to DoD’s implementation tracking tools. 

The lawmakers pressed Secretary Hegseth to explain DoD’s failure to implement civilian protection policies, account for changes in resourcing and staffing for civilian protection efforts, explain what DoD is doing to comply with federal law requiring civilian protection policies and institutions, and provide any analysis DoD has done on the impact of recent strikes on civilian infrastructure in Iran by July 19, 2026. 

Senator Warren is a long-time champion of civilian harm prevention reforms for the U.S. military: 

  • In April 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Van Hollen (D-Md.) led nine senators in opening a new investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump’s war in Iran.
  • In March 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) raised her concerns to the commanders of United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) about the Trump administration’s sidelining of the military’s Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGs), who are responsible for providing independent legal advice to commanders. This sidelining risks increasing the chances of civilian harm as the war against Iran continues.
  • In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Armed Services Committee, along with Senators Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Senate Democratic Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 41 colleagues, pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full investigation on the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration’s war on Iran. The senators are also calling for accountability for those responsible.
  • In March 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), spoke on the floor of the Senate, calling on Congress to end President Donald Trump’s reckless war in Iran and investigate civilian harm in Iran.
  • In December 2025, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Schatz (D-Hawaii) led 10 senators in launching an investigation into the role of the U.S. military in distributing humanitarian assistance to Gaza following the October ceasefire.
  • In July 2025, At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Personnel Subcommittee, secured commitments from the nominees to be Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), on integrating and protecting reforms from Republican and Democratic administrations on civilian harm prevention. Senator Warren also secured support from Vice Admiral Bradley to partner with outside experts to conduct a longitudinal study of blast overpressure.
  • In March 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, questioned the  nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD(P)) about his vision to prioritize civilian harm prevention. 
  • In December 2024, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) sent a letter requesting the Department of Defense Inspector General investigate reports that the DoD mishandled a case involving  U.S. Marines killing civilians in Haditha, Iraq, and DoD’s continued efforts to cover up the alleged war crimes.
  • In March 2024, at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Commander of the United States Central Command and Commander of the United States Africa Command about measures needed to prevent and respond to civilian harm caused by weapons and assistance provided by the United States to its military partners.
  • In December 2023, following reports that Israel was using explosive weapons against civilian targets, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Kaine (D-Va.), Sanders (I-Vt.), Merkley (D-Ore.), and Heinrich (D-N.M.), wrote to President Joe Biden, pushing for closer oversight of Israel’s use of U.S. weapons to ensure the weapons will not be used to cause preventable civilian harm. 
  • In September 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) called on the Department of Defense to improve investigations into civilian harm by collaborating with civil society organizations on the ground.
  • In July 2023, Senators Warren (D-Mass.),and Van Hollen (D-Maryland), along with Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), sent a letter to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, with concerns that a May 2023 U.S. airstrike in Syria may have killed a civilian. The lawmakers pushed the Defense Department to publicly release as much of their internal investigation into the airstrike as possible.
  • In December 2022, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, raising concerns that the Department of Defense’s (DoD) September 2022 report to Congress on civilian casualties appeared to undercount civilian casualties from U.S. military operations and that DoD was not exercising its authority to make amends to civilian victims and survivors.
  • In September 2022, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), Sanders (I-Vt.) and Lee (R-Utah) sent letters to the Department of Defense and the Department of State, calling on the Departments to thoroughly investigate how U.S. military support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen may have led to civilian harm and analyze to the effectiveness of civilian harm reduction efforts by the Saudi and Emirati governments. 
  • In April 2022, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Markey (D-Mass.), Leahy (D-Vt.), Durbin (D-Ill.), Merkley (D-Ore.), Sanders (I-Vt.), and Van Hollen (D-Md.) sent a letter to Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, III, urging the Department of Defense to brief Congress on its progress in preventing civilian harm and highlights a series of issues and priorities that the DoD should focus on in the CHMR-AP. 
  • In March 2022, during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned the Commanders of the United States Central Command and United States Africa Command on the steps they are taking to prevent civilian harm, following the release of Defense Secretary Austin’s directive to the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop an action plan to prevent and investigate civilian harm.
  • In February 2022, during a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), questioned LTG Michael “Erik” Kurilla’s, then-nominee to be General and Commander of United States Central Command, about civilian casualties that have resulted from U.S. operations. 
  • In November 2021, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), then-Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, requesting that the Committee launch a formal inquiry to review the findings and implications of a recent New York Times report detailing how the U.S. military hid an airstrike in Baghuz, Syria that killed dozens of civilians and was flagged as a potential war crime by legal analysts.

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The following sites -- plus Trina's "Cajun Chicken Cassoulet in the Kitchen" and Stan's "The Emmy nominations" -- updated:



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