According to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Iran is having trouble identifying and seeing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S. targeting of coastal and somewhat inland radar sites. If true, this might account for Iran’s use of small craft with literal searchlights to make visible contact with vessels, first reported a few days ago by @_MartinKelly_.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has published video of U.S. forces operating in support of the naval blockade of Iran. As of today, U.S. forces have redirected 86 vessels, boarded two in order to ensure compliance and disabled three who failed to comply with directives.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, when asked about why his administration hasn’t pushed Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez to hold elections, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that he thinks they are not ready for elections at this time. This comes amidst a shaky dynamic between Venezuelan opposition leader Marìna Corina Machado and the Trump administration, the aftermath of twin 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes, and a landmark U.S. Venezuela oil deal.

2 police officers and an unspecified amount of other victims have reportedly been shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota during an active shooter incident.
More to come.

Advisory from the City of Minneapolis advising people to avoid the area of a shooting incident where 2 police officers and an unspecified number of people have been shot. Law enforcement is actively working in the area.

According to local news outlets, during the shooting incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, “multiple civilians are dead after at least six people, including two police officers” have been shot, with the two officers being shot in the stomach and leg.

According to CBS’s local outlet WCCO, the two officers who were shot, one in the leg and one in the stomach, during the shooting incident Minneapolis, Minnesota are expected to survive, with additional reports from other sources now saying that the shooter is likely down already.

Operations against cartel designated organizations are back in swing with the second operation being announced by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in just as many weeks. Like last week’s operation, at the direction of SOUTHCOM Commander General Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM), in coordination with the Ecuadorian government, interdicted a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean operating as a refueling station supporting illicit at-sea drug trafficking efforts of the Los Choneros narcotics-terrorist organization. Per the release, sailors and U.S. Marines from the USS San Antonio (LPD-17) boarded and cleared the vessel, apprehended those aboard, and transferred them to Ecuadorian authorities. The vessel, per the video release, was subsequently destroyed.

According to a release from the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, their air defenses are currently dealing with a missile and drone attack, likely from Iran and/or Iranian-backed proxies in the region.

CBS News reports that the Pentagon officially ended Operation Epic Fury on May 5, but an Air Force email dated Aug. 7 instructed military leaders to stop using the operation’s name when referring to ongoing U.S. military activity against Iran. Instead, personnel were told to use broader language such as “overseas operations in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility.”

The guidance reportedly went beyond the Air Force and was disseminated across the Defense Department. The Pentagon says subsequent activities included Freedom of Navigation operations and strikes against IRGC threats to commercial shipping, Gulf countries and U.S. forces. Trump formally notified Congress on July 7 that U.S. military action against Iran had restarted after the April ceasefire collapsed.

The timing has also created questions about casualty accounting. Four service members killed in July were initially categorized by the Defense Department as killed during Operation Epic Fury, despite the Pentagon now saying the operation ended May 5. They were subsequently moved into a new “overseas operations” category, reducing the recorded Epic Fury deaths from 18 to 14. The Pentagon attributed the earlier classification to a “temporary data disruption,” while the current casualty system still contains apparent inconsistencies, including June wounded and a July death listed under Epic Fury.

The broader issue is that the Pentagon now acknowledges a May 5 end date that it previously declined to provide publicly, even though U.S. and Iranian forces continued exchanging fire and U.S. military operations related to the conflict continued afterward.

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-operation-epic-fury-may-5/

Military Times reports that a federal appeals court has restored Bowe Bergdahl’s 2017 court martial conviction, overturning a 2023 decision that vacated it. A three judge D.C. Circuit panel ruled that the civilian district court did not have jurisdiction to overturn the military judgment, saying collateral review of court martial convictions must remain within the military justice system.

Bergdahl pleaded guilty in 2017 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after walking away from his Afghanistan post in 2009 and being captured by the Taliban. The search for him resulted in severe injuries to other U.S. troops and the death of a military working dog. He was dishonorably discharged and ordered to forfeit $10,000 in pay, but received no prison sentence after presenting evidence of torture and abuse in captivity.

The 2023 ruling had vacated the conviction after finding that the military judge had failed to disclose an application for an executive-branch immigration judge position, potentially creating a conflict of interest. Bergdahl’s attorneys also argued that Donald Trump’s public calls for Bergdahl to be severely punished, including a call for execution during the 2016 campaign, created improper command influence.

The appeals court did not rule on either of those underlying issues. Bergdahl’s attorney says the case still raises serious questions about the integrity of the military justice system, and his legal team has 45 days to consider seeking reconsideration or Supreme Court review.

Source: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/09/03/court-overturns-2023-ruling-that-wiped-bowe-bergdahls-conviction/

Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum announced that excavation work is set to begin for the Great Triumphal Arch and Military Observation Deck at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Burgum says the project fulfills a vision that dates back more than 125 years. The 1902 McMillan Commission called for a monumental treatment at the western terminus of Arlington Memorial Bridge, while the 1924 Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission described Columbia Island as an appropriate site for a formal park and plaza connecting the bridge with Arlington Cemetery.

According to Burgum, the site instead became a largely undeveloped traffic circle. The planned arch is intended to provide the monumental treatment envisioned in those earlier plans, with Burgum describing it as a major work of American architecture honoring the history and significance of Arlington National Cemetery. He also noted that Washington, D.C., is unusual among major Western capitals in lacking a major triumphal arch.

President Donald J. Trump has announced via Truth Social that the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Adam Telle, has been appointed to the position of Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately.

Telle previously served as Chief of Staff to Sen. Bill Hagerty, as President Trump’s chief Senate liaison in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, and spent a decade working for Sen. Thad Cochran, including as his top national security staffer.

A native of Northport, Alabama, Telle holds degrees in computer science and communication from Mississippi State University.

Telle was sworn into his Assistant Secretary position on August 5, 2025.

Newsweek reports that the USS Abraham Lincoln will make another port stop before returning to the United States, extending a deployment that has already lasted 286 days. The carrier was originally expected home in early summer but was diverted from the IndoPacific to the Middle East in January to support U.S. operations during the Iran war.

A family member of a Lincoln sailor told Newsweek that the additional stop is needed because the carrier still has to fulfill time originally assigned to the IndoPacific after being diverted. The Navy has not independently confirmed that explanation, and Newsweek notes that multiple port visits during a carrier's return phase are not unusual and can serve maintenance, logistical, diplomatic and crew welfare purposes. Publicly available Navy material also does not establish that carriers must “make up” a fixed number of days after a diversion.

The Lincoln arrived in Thailand on Sept. 2 after approximately 250 days without a port visit, allowing roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines to go ashore. The Navy says the carrier will return as part of a planned rotation, while congressional lawmakers have raised questions about the deployment's effect on service member well being, maintenance schedules and fleet readiness.

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/uss-abraham-lincoln-thailand-port-stop-heading-home-explainer-12402308

Photo: https://www.thainewspix.com/en/preview/55512

Boeing has delivered the 22nd F-15EX Eagle II to the U.S. Air Force, and the aircraft is the first F-15EX destined for permanent assignment to the 67th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan.

The aircraft departed Boeing's St. Louis facility on August 28 and is currently at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon, where it will receive additional preparation before eventually moving to Kadena. The first permanently stationed F-15EXs are expected to begin arriving at Kadena during fiscal year 2027, which begins October 1st.

The Air Force has said the F-15EX will bring advanced avionics, enhanced survivability, modern electronic-warfare systems and increased weapons capacity to Kadena, while the transition period is intended to give Airmen experience operating and sustaining the aircraft before it becomes a permanent part of the wing.

Kadena is ultimately planned to receive 36 F-15EXs to replace its aging F-15C/D fleet.

Fox News Media has confirmed that host Maria Bartiromo has separated from the company, effective immediately describing the move as a "business decision". Bartiromo began with Fox in 2013 after leaving CNBC and was most recently the host of "Mornings with Maria" as well as "Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street."

The South Korean government announced yesterday that options, including military efforts, are under review to support freedom of navigation efforts in the Strait of Hormuz. While parliamentary approval is still needed, per local news outlets, committed assets could include mine detection and clearing systems, patrol aircraft, and support vessels.

This comes amidst prior cancellations of joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, the Trump administration’s public and private efforts for South Korea to get involved with the situation in the Middle East (Hormuz), and U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s public overtures to North Korea.

The judge presiding over the now sensational Lindsey Clancy trial has granted a stay in declaring a mistrial for 1 hour, as following 7 days of deliberations and 1 holdout juror, a verdict could not be reached.
Note: The deliberating jury is made up of 9 woman and 3 men.