🛂 ICE Plans $20M Purchase of Electric-Shock Gloves
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to spend up to $20 million on electrified gloves that deliver painful shocks to gain compliance from combative individuals, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice published Monday.
The device, the CTG 5 GLOVE, is manufactured by Compliant Technologies, which describes it as a "conductive distraction and de-escalation" tool — and calls it "humane" and "low-optics." An unspecified quantity is set for delivery by March 2027.
⚡ US Crude Stockpiles Surge by 17.4 Million Barrels
U.S. crude oil inventories jumped by 17.4 million barrels in the week ending August 7, according to the Energy Information Administration — one of the largest single-week builds on record.
Commercial stockpiles now stand at 424.4 million barrels, just 2% below the five-year seasonal average. The figure far exceeded the American Petroleum Institute's earlier estimate of a 9.07 million barrel increase for the same period.
The sharp inventory build signals a significant supply surplus and typically exerts downward pressure on crude prices.
🇺🇸 Trump Orders Childhood Vaccine Schedule Review Before Midterms
President Trump signed an executive order aimed at overhauling the childhood vaccine schedule, thrusting vaccine policy back into the political spotlight three months before the midterm elections.
The move could complicate matters for vulnerable Republicans seeking to retain control of Congress, as the party navigates a politically sensitive issue with broad public health implications.
Iran's newly appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said Tuesday the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. changes its behavior and accepts Iran's conditions to end the war.
The statement signals Iran is using control of the critical waterway as direct leverage in negotiations with Washington. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most vital oil transit routes, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil supplies.
🇺🇸 Trump Used Decoy Plane in Turkey Over Iran Threat
President Donald Trump secretly switched aircraft during his visit to Turkey for the NATO summit in July, using a catering truck to move between planes undetected, the Washington Post reports.
After boarding a decoy Air Force One, Trump was transported to a separate aircraft to conceal his location amid an active assassination threat from Iran, according to the report.
The maneuver reflects the severity of the reported Iranian threat against the U.S. president and the lengths taken by security officials to protect him during the overseas trip.
💻 Musk plans $16.8B "Terafab" chip factory in Texas
SpaceX and Tesla are planning a chip manufacturing facility called Terafab in Grimes County, Texas, with a projected cost of $16.8 billion. The facility would span over 100 million square feet — roughly five times the size of the world's current largest building.