Trump TACOs on Iran Strike as Deal Talks Reopen (Maybe?)
The Morning Sixpack - 08/03/2026: Trump pauses Iran strike, U.S. backs yen, Spokane burns, DOJ revives old law. #MorningSixpack
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Trump went from "locked and loaded" to "let's make a deal" in a matter of hours, which is one way to keep everyone guessing. #TACO
Trump Puts Iran Strike on Hold—For Now
Donald Trump says he has canceled planned military strikes against Iran after Tehran and other Middle Eastern nations requested time to finalize the framework of a deal.
The missiles may be on pause, but Trump made it clear they’re still on the launchpad if negotiations collapse.
Trump announced Saturday on Truth Social that he agreed to halt anticipated strikes “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” saying the proposed agreement includes the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat. He added that Israel supports the temporary pause.
The president didn’t exactly lower the temperature. Trump warned that the U.S. remains “locked and loaded” and threatened to unleash military power “not seen since World War II” if diplomacy falls apart. That message leaves little doubt that the military option hasn’t gone anywhere—it has simply been delayed.
The decision followed reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Trump to avoid immediate military action over fears that another round of strikes could send the Middle East into an even wider conflict. At the same time, Iran publicly identified potential U.S. and Israeli energy targets while Washington continued increasing pressure around the Strait of Hormuz.
The back-and-forth capped several days of conflicting reports over whether strikes had already been approved. Some outlets reported bombing plans were imminent, while others said Trump had not yet given the final order. For now, diplomacy gets one more chance—but everyone involved appears to be keeping one hand on the trigger.
Source: Daily Mail article
Editor: The world’s oil markets, diplomats, and military planners all got another reminder that in this administration, today’s final decision can become tomorrow’s negotiating tactic.
Nothing says "free market" quite like two governments deciding the currency market needs a timeout.
U.S. And Japan Team Up to Rescue the Yen
Japan says it joined forces with the United States to intervene in currency markets as the yen tumbled to its weakest level in four decades.
When Washington and Tokyo both start buying yen, you know they’re worried the market has stopped listening.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama is expected to announce Monday that Japan and the United States carried out joint intervention to halt the yen’s slide, marking the first coordinated currency operation between the two countries since 2011. Officials say the effort is aimed at stopping what they view as excessive weakness in Japan’s currency.
Market participants believe Tokyo has already spent nearly $59 billion buying yen, with additional intervention suspected after the Bank of Japan held interest rates steady while signaling that rate hikes could still be coming. The yen had fallen to levels not seen since 1986 as higher U.S. interest rates continued pulling money into the dollar.
The cooperation appears to go beyond market intervention. Reports say the U.S. Treasury alerted major banks to be prepared for possible action, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fueled speculation after a Cabinet meeting photo appeared to show a handwritten note reading: “Buy Japanese Yen (JPY) $5-10 bil.”
Officials also emphasized access to Federal Reserve liquidity tools, allowing Japan to obtain dollars without selling large amounts of U.S. Treasury securities—a move that could have rattled global bond markets. Analysts say both governments have a strong incentive to stabilize markets before currency weakness spills into higher inflation and broader financial instability.
Source: The Japan Times
Editor: Central banks love telling us markets should set prices—right up until the market picks a price they don’t like.
Amazing how a nomination suddenly gets easier once the paperwork everyone wanted actually gets signed.
Blanche Backs Down on Controversial Trump Compensation Fund
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has formally scrapped a proposed $1.776 billion fund for people claiming they were victims of political prosecutions, clearing a major obstacle to his Senate confirmation.
Sometimes the fastest way to save a nomination is to bury the most controversial part of it.
Blanche issued a written order Sunday officially rescinding the proposed payout fund after reaching an agreement with Senate Judiciary Committee members, including Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, who had threatened to block his nomination over the issue.
The fund became a political headache after it was unveiled as part of a settlement involving President Donald Trump’s lawsuit over leaked tax returns. It sparked bipartisan criticism, particularly because it also included provisions shielding Trump, his sons, and affiliated businesses from certain past tax claims. Blanche also clarified Sunday that those tax protections apply only retroactively and would not prevent future IRS audits.
The reversal puts Blanche closer to winning confirmation as attorney general, although neither Cornyn nor Tillis had publicly committed to supporting him ahead of a key committee vote. Trump had spent the past week publicly attacking both senators while insisting he still wanted the compensation fund created through legislation if necessary.
“This is about making sure that even if you’re the president of the United States, you don’t get favorable terms from the government in the settlement of a lawsuit that ordinary citizens would not get,” Cornyn said in explaining his objections.
With the controversial fund now officially rescinded, the political fight shifts from the settlement itself back to Blanche’s confirmation.
Source: The Washington Post (free)
Editor: Washington runs on leverage. Two GOP senators got what they wanted. It won’t be long before Todd Blanche is Attorney General.
Another ordinary Saturday interrupted by someone deciding everyone else shouldn't get to have one.
Deadly Idaho In-N-Out Shooting Leaves At Least Three Dead
At least three people were killed and five others were injured after a shooting at an In-N-Out restaurant in Twin Falls, Idaho, before the suspected gunman was found dead.
The investigation is just beginning, but another community is already left counting victims instead of customers.
Twin Falls police confirmed they responded to an active shooter at the In-N-Out on Blue Lakes Boulevard Saturday afternoon. Authorities said at least three people died, though officials have not yet clarified whether that total includes the shooter. Five others were confirmed injured, with investigators cautioning those numbers could change as the investigation continues.
During a press briefing, Capt. Matthew Hicks confirmed the suspected shooter is dead. Police have not yet released the suspect’s identity or explained how the shooter died. Authorities also have not released the identities of any victims.
The massive law enforcement response included officers from Twin Falls, Buhl, Jerome Police Department, Idaho State Police, firefighters, and paramedics. Officials searched a nearby hotel overlooking the visitor center, while the Perrine Bridge and surrounding roads were closed. Businesses in the area were placed on lockdown as officers secured the scene.
Investigators continue working to determine what led to the attack. Authorities have urged the public to avoid spreading unverified social media videos and photos while the investigation remains active.
Source: KMVT News
Editor: Every time one of these stories breaks, the first casualty is certainty. Facts matter—especially before social media decides it already knows the whole story.
Mother Nature doesn't care about county lines, budgets, or evacuation plans—she just keeps moving.
Spokane Wildfires Force 60,000 Evacuations As Hundreds Of Buildings Burn
Massive wildfires in eastern Washington have forced about 60,000 people to evacuate the Spokane area while destroying at least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures.
The winds finally eased, but firefighters are still staring at blazes with zero containment and no rain in sight.
The fires around Spokane, Washington’s second-largest city, had burned roughly 12 square miles by Monday morning and remained 0% contained. Cooler temperatures and lighter winds offered firefighters a break after dangerous gusts fueled explosive fire growth over the weekend, but officials warned the threat is far from over.
Despite the destruction, authorities said there were no confirmed deaths, injuries, or missing people as of Monday morning. Evacuations included patients from the Spokane Veterans Affairs hospital, while hundreds of displaced residents sought shelter at the city’s convention center. Schools also opened emergency childcare services for affected families.
The Spokane fires are just part of a much larger wildfire emergency stretching across the West. More than 390 square miles have burned across Washington, while major fires continue in Idaho, Oregon, and Utah. In central Utah, a rapidly growing wildfire has already killed more than 100 cattle and forced mandatory evacuations as flames push toward the town of Fillmore.
“We are not out of danger,” Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) warned during a briefing with federal, state, and local officials. Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the Spokane fires, while officials also cited unauthorized drone operators after at least 26 drone incursions interfered with firefighting aircraft during Sunday’s response.
Source: Associated Press
Editor: Every summer seems to produce another “historic” wildfire season. At some point, “historic” starts looking a lot like the new normal.
A Civil War-era law is getting a second career, and now the courtroom is becoming another front in the immigration debate.
DOJ Revives Civil War-Era Law Against ICE Protesters
The Justice Department is increasingly using a rarely invoked Civil War-era conspiracy law to prosecute protesters accused of interfering with federal immigration enforcement.
Critics say the government is targeting criminal conduct. Supporters say it’s stretching conspiracy law to chill political protest.
According to an NPR review of federal court records, prosecutors have filed more than three dozen cases since President Donald Trump returned to office using a statute that makes it a felony to conspire to impede or injure federal officers. aany of the cases involve demonstrations outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, where protesters allegedly blocked agents or detainee transports.
The law had rarely been used in recent decades outside prosecutions tied to the January 6 Capitol riot. Legal experts interviewed by NPR say the government’s renewed reliance on the statute raises questions about whether peaceful activists are being swept into felony conspiracy cases alongside people accused of violence or property destruction. The Justice Department counters that the prosecutions target those who interfere with law enforcement—not peaceful demonstrators.
Several defendants argue they were simply exercising their First Amendment rights. Others have already been convicted, including protesters in Spokane, Washington, while some cases have been dismissed over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. Appeals and additional prosecutions are expected as the legal battles continue.
“It’s important to see these indictments and the use of this law for what it is, which is an attempt to scare Americans,” said Katie Schwartzmann of Protect Democracy.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, maintains that “People should not mistake violence against law enforcement or impeding officers performing their duties with peaceful protest.”
Source: NPR
Editor: The fight over immigration isn’t just playing out at the border anymore. It’s increasingly being fought in federal courtrooms, where the definition of protest itself is becoming part of the case.