Russia’s Defense Ministry announced their air defenses intercepted and destroyed 158 Ukrainian Drones over the weekend, including two over Moscow and nine others in the surrounding region.

7,000 belligerent pro-Islamic terrorist/anti-Israeli protesters — including some proudly waving Hamas, Hezbollah, Syrian, and Iranian flags —  stormed through NYC on Labor Day, lighting flares and setting off smoke bombs as they marched toward the heart of the city. NY Post (h/t Nita) The chaotic demonstrators gathered at Union Square in Manhattan in the early afternoon and began their raucous […]

Four veterans who knew Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) spoke about about his service in the National Guard — and his subsequent claims about that service — during an interview with podcast host Megyn Kelly that was released on Monday. The four spoke with Kelly about the multiple controversies surrounding Walz’s own characterizations of his 24 years of service, from his claim that he retired without knowing that his unit was set to deploy to Iraq to his repeated statements about “retiring as a Command Sergeant Major,” and they had very few positive things to say about the man now vying for the vice presidency alongside Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you. In a brief preview of the episode, they could be heard referring to Walz as a “habitual liar,” a “coward,” and “morally indefensible.” “Morally indefensible…no integrity…habitual liar…I call him a coward, because he is…” TOMORROW: Veterans who served with Tim Walz in the National Guard speak out together for the first time.@SiriusXM ch. 111 at NoonET, and all platforms after.https://t.co/YJPxz5Gu8d pic.twitter.com/41XeeJzl3P — The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) September 1, 2024 One of the four accused Walz of using his exaggerations and embellishments to make it “all about him,” and another simply referred to him as a “military impersonator.” “He’s a habitual liar, he lies about everything. He lies about stuff that doesn’t make sense,” one said. “You’re taking a piece of their thunder, and you’re trying to capture it and put it in a bottle for yourself, and use that for your own benefit.” Fear is a reaction. Bravery is a decision,” he said later on in the episode, arguing that at every possible juncture, Walz had made the wrong choice. WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI During one part of the episode, Kelly compiled a series of clips in which Walz either introduced himself as a “retired Command Sergeant Major” — or someone else introduced him as such and he made no move to correct them — in spite of the fact that he only held that rank conditionally and for a brief period not extending to his retirement. “So he ‘misspoke’ a lot,'” Kelly said as the clips finished playing. “And just so the record’s clear, September 2005, Minnesota National Guard discovered that his paperwork had been filed — was erroneous — saying he was retiring as a Command Sergeant Major, and they updated it to show that he was retiring as an E-8 Master Sergeant.” Kelly concluded the segment by pointing out the fact that every clip she’d played of Walz claiming to have retired as a Command Sergeant Major had been recorded after September of 2005, when that correction had been made: “He knew he had been demoted.” Watch the full episode here:

Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro ordered the arrest of presidential opponent Edmundo González on Monday as the country looks to quell dissent over the results of its recent election that Maduro claims without evidence that he won. Venezuelan prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia on Monday for claiming that Maduro stole the election. Maduro asked for the arrest of Gonzalez Urrutia, a retired diplomat who went into hiding shortly after the election. Prosecutors have charged him with “‘usurpation’ of public functions, ‘forgery’ of a public document, incitement to disobedience, sabotage, and ‘association’ with organized crime and financiers of ‘terrorism,'” according to the AFP. A Venezuelan court authorized the arrest warrant on Monday evening. The U.S., European Union, and multiple Latin American countries have not recognized the results of the recent election, casting doubts on its legitimacy as there is no proof that Maduro won. To the contrary, data published by the opposition indicates that Maduro may have lost by a significant margin. Maduro’s government has killed dozens of people who have protested the results of the election in an attempt to silence dissent. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said that the arrest warrant proves “Maduro has lost all touch with reality.” “The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement,” she said. “Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our quest for freedom.” Maduro has lost all touch with reality. The arrest warrant issued by the regime to threaten President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez crosses a new line that only strengthens the resolve of our movement. Venezuelans and democracies around the world are more united than ever in our… pic.twitter.com/QxwAuDmZwn — María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) September 2, 2024

Woah! Shots fired

Rock music in America is on life support. The Black Keys, once at the vanguard of the genre's big resurgence in the 2000s, recently had to cancel their tour due to embarrassingly low ticket sales. If I had to pick a winner in the all-Asia battle of the bands, it would probably be Mongolian guitar heroes The Hu.One-time Southern rock monsters Kings Of Leon barely dented the charts with their latest album, "Can We Please Have Fun." Even beloved indie stalwarts Weezer — say it ain't so! — just had to cancel a planned box set due to low anticipated demand.The once-powerful roar of American home-grown music has been reduced to a feeble whisper, drowned out by the thumping bass of pop and the autotuned drivel dominating the charts. Mosh pits have been replaced by TikTok dances. Since social media took over, not a single TV has been hurled out of a hotel window. This can't go on.With domestic production lagging, stateside fans are turning to Asian imports. Take South Korea. While its massive industry cranking out K-Pop idols gets all the attention, it has a robust rock scene dating back to the 1950s, when the American military began broadcasting Western music across the Korean peninsula. Enter Shin Jung-hyeon, the “Godfather of Korean Rock,” who laid the foundation for the genre in South Korea, creating bands like Add4 and producing psychedelic masterpieces for legendary bands like Pearl Sisters, Kim Choo-ja, and Kim Jung Mi.Fast forward to today, and the Korean rock scene is thriving. Silica Gel, a band from Ansan, a suburb of Seoul, stands out as one of its best. That’s because this fresh-faced four-piece offers an appetizing take on rock, combining modern elements with classic influences. Their music features catchy guitar riffs and powerful synthesizers, creating a unique and rather enjoyable sound. Tracks like "Desert Eagle" and "No Pain” are solid offerings that provide a refreshing break from the somewhat nauseating K-pop scene.Across the Yellow Sea in China — yes, China — there’s also been a surprising burst of rock energy. SixiWanzi is an all-female band from Beijing whose sound mixes the high-octane energy of Paramore with a unique, Chinese Communist Party-approved twist. When I visited China a few years ago, I caught a show by Carsick Cars, another standout from the nation's capital. This indie rock band, formed in 2005, is known for its gritty, energetic mix of punk, noise, and garage rock. The band even played in Brooklyn way back in 2009. They put on quite a show.That said, if I had to pick a winner in the all-Asia battle of the bands, it would probably be Mongolian guitar heroes The Hu. Formed in 2016, The Hu combines traditional Mongolian instruments like the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) and the tovshuur (traditional flute) with epic chants and heavy metal riffs to create a completely new genre: Hunnu rock. The Hunnu people, also known as the Huns, were an ancient nomadic group who lived in Central Asia and northern China about 2,000 years ago. They were known for their skills in horseback riding and their warrior lifestyle. For The Hu, this isn’t just music; it’s a cultural revival of sorts, a way of connecting the past with the present. The band’s lyrics, steeped in historical Mongolian war cries and poetry, bring to life the spirit of ancient empires, making their music a sort of headbanging history lesson. Of all their tracks, "Wolf Totem" is probably the most notable. It features the aforementioned traditional instruments and heavy, infectious riffs. With diaphragm-driven humming and rhythmic drumming, the track is like nothing you’ve heard before.Now, just to be clear — just because rock is thriving in Asia doesn’t mean all of it is good — this is the world's largest continent, after all. Some of these bands are an acquired taste, and that’s fine. The point isn’t that every Asian rock act is making the next "Dark Side of the Moon." It's that the scene reveals the kind of fearless experimentation and irrepressible energy that used to animate American rock before it got overshadowed by vapid pop hits and genre-mashing monstrosities. Even the all-American genre of country music is being reshaped by the likes of Beyoncé and Post Malone, for better or worse. Sure, they’re contributing to the genre in their own way, but it’s a far cry from the soulful grit of an artist like Oliver Anthony.And it's not just Asia that's coming for American rock hegemony. Across the pond, the Brits seem to be gearing up for another invasion. Witness the buzz around the reunion of iconic '90s rockers Oasis after a 15-year hiatus. "Live Forever," indeed. There's no telling how long the Gallagher bros will be able to get along, but even if it ends in fisticuffs, plenty of their younger compatriots are making noise across the pond. Bands like Royal Blood, Soft Play (formerly known as Slaves before the woke mob forced a name change — not very rock ‘n’ roll, I know), and Idles are busy keeping the genre alive and exciting.Some of you might think I exaggerate the situation. Rock is evolving, you'll say. But I challenge you to name three or four truly exciting American rock bands putting out fresh material today. If you’re left scratching your head or reaching for Google, that says a lot. Rock in the U.S. isn’t evolving; it’s devolving. Or worse still, it's fading into irrelevance. Is this the end? Well, you know what Neil Young says: "Rock and roll will never die." Let's hope some maladjusted kids in a garage somewhere are already working on proving him right.

The gap between critics and theatergoers has never been bigger.