Three things to consider
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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Good morning! It’s Friday. Here are today’s top stories. |
- The emergence of artificial intelligence has given a boost to cybercrime gangs that are coming up with bolder and more sophisticated schemes to scam people out of their money. Here is a rundown of 20 of the most common scams to watch out for.
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President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum, aiming to greatly expand the annual number of U.S. space launches by 2030, helping secure America’s position as the leader in the next era of exploration. The memo promoted a large boost of infrastructure—launch pads, landing sites, and scheduling systems—to help “grow and support over 1,000 launches and reentries every year.” For context, the United States had 178 launches in 2025. Elon Musk’s SpaceX accounted for 165 of the 178 missions.
- California state Sen. Aisha Wahab won the Aug. 18 special election in the state’s 14th Congressional District to serve the remainder of U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term.
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The aircraft carrier USS George Washington officially entered the waters of the Middle East on Aug. 19, bringing fresh forces to the region and relief for the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Washington’s arrival in the region comes as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln faces strain nearly nine months into its current deployment. The Lincoln deployed in November and has been supporting strikes and blockade operations against Iran since they began on Feb. 28.
- 🍵 Health: Scientists hunting for clues to Alzheimer’s progression found that glucosamine, a joint supplement taken by roughly 20 percent of Americans, may be worsening cognitive decline in brains that are already affected.
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While many supplements are safe when used appropriately, some may pose unexpected risks, especially for people with certain health conditions. |
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What was your reaction to the recent bombshell revelation about China?
Become a subscriber at our best annual rate—$13 for one year—and enjoy unlimited access to the entire Epoch Times universe, including our legacy coverage of the 2020 election. |
In a primetime address, President Donald Trump revealed China illicitly acquired 220 million U.S. voter files since the 2020 election cycle. What’s more, Trump said China did not want him as president and “fought like hell” to prevent his re-election. Maybe you were in disbelief, but those who have followed us long enough weren’t surprised.
Immediately following the 2020 election, we published a groundbreaking infographic: China’s 2020 Election Interference, which laid out 13 key methods the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used to influence the general election. Multiple reports from us sounded the alarm while many others chose silence.
But the matter with China doesn’t stop there. If things aren’t clear to you yet, our extensive, exclusive reporting on the communist regime will give you a clear picture of who we’re dealing with and what needs to be done: “3 authors’ chilling testimonies in Washington; China’s 981 Project; a difficult fight in Congress; flooding the United States with fentanyl is part of “the plan” —these are the stories that take courage and integrity to tell.
Beyond news and analysis, we deliver thought-provoking commentaries and interviews, as well as inspiring stories on Health, Wisdom, History, and Arts and Culture every single day. Every time you read us will be time well spent.
Choose a courageous publication that truly champions the American way. With just $13, you hold the key to exploring everything we publish for an entire year! |
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The rise of artificial intelligence is supercharging new and more sophisticated scams. Here are some of the common ones to watch out for. CAPTCHA Scams Let’s start with one of the newest scams out there. Most of us are familiar with CAPTCHA, a challenge-response test designed to confirm a human is in charge of a keyboard.
It often pops up on corporate websites, saying, “Are you a robot?” It then displays a selection of images and asks users to tick the boxes where there are bicycles, buses, or traffic lights.
But scammers have now set up bogus websites with fake CAPTCHA tests that ask the user to type a series of commands—“Windows + R,” then “Ctrl + V,” and then “Enter,” for example—but instead of being security verification, it is actually the steps to run hidden malware on your computer.
CAPTCHA scams were first reported in Australia last year, but the U.S. Federal Trade Commission issued a warning in June about them cropping up in the United States. Romance Scams
Romance scammers can target men or women of any age, but the most common victim demographic is divorced or widowed people over the age of 50.
Often using a catfished image of a beautiful young woman or a handsome man, scammers contact victims via online dating apps and slowly seduce them into thinking they are in a relationship. The scammers then either create a crisis, which involves victims needing to send them money, or they ask victims to send them the funds to book a plane ticket to visit.
In 2023, Nigerian romance scammer Akohomen Ighedoise was jailed in Tampa, Florida, for 17 years and six months for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. “Many of the victims were widowed, single, or divorced elderly women who developed relationships with fake suitors on dating websites as part of so-called ‘romance scams,’” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a statement.
“The women were then convinced to wire money, which often consisted of their entire retirement savings and cash taken out from home equity to bank accounts in the United States as part of a supposed investment opportunity.”
Ighedoise was a member of the Nigeria-based Black Axe network, which was targeted by police in Europe in April, but numerous gangs and individuals run romance scams. (More) |
Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, New York, was captured on surveillance allegedly conducting reconnaissance on the New York State Capitol. Bowie was arrested Aug. 19, 2026, and was charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired bomb plot at the New York State Capitol. (U.S. Department of Justice) |
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FBI agents foiled an alleged ISIS-inspired bomb plot on the New York State Capitol that they say was concocted by a local woman who had pledged allegiance to the terrorist group earlier this year.
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Several U.S. government agencies warn that cyberactors are attempting to hack into devices used to monitor water systems and other critical infrastructure.
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The Arizona Supreme Court blocked a ballot measure that would have allowed voters to limit the state school voucher program’s eligibility by income while subjecting private school employees to greater state oversight.
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First Lady Melania Trump held her first public event in about two months at the White House to announce $2 million in scholarships for foster youth.
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Xu Jiayin, also known as Hui Ka Yan, founder of property developer Evergrande, appears for sentencing at the Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court in Shenzhen, China, on Aug. 20, 2026. (Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court /Xinhua via AP) |
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The founder of China Evergrande Group, Xu Jiayin, was sentenced to life in prison, five years after the giant property development firm collapsed under the weight of its debts.
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A U.S. citizen arrested by the Chinese regime on spy allegations has been formally determined by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, increasing the priority of his case ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s expected visit next month.
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Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has named China alongside Russia and Iran as the main actors in transnational repression, warning that people who leave authoritarian states can remain targets of surveillance, threats, and intimidation in Germany.
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North Korea has launched about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, as the United States and South Korea conducted a shortened version of their annual military exercises.
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Germany’s first bid in nearly four years to return illegal migrants to Italy collapsed this week after Rome formally refused to take them back, opening a dispute between two of the European Union’s biggest countries two months after its new asylum rules took effect.
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Israel and Turkey have deepened their dispute over Syria after Israel defended its strike on a Syrian military airbase, saying it was preventing a Turkish military buildup.
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Venezuela was once the richest democracy in Latin America. After decades of socialist rule, political repression, economic collapse, and the ouster of Nicolás Maduro, millions of Venezuelans hope for a freer future. But what is actually happening inside Venezuela now?
Our team traveled to Venezuela to discover what life looks like after Maduro—and how much has really changed. Watch the premiere on Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. ET—Watch for FREE for 48 hours |
- The Best Screen Version of the ‘Odyssey’—by Evan Mantyk (Read)
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Net Zero Is Nearly Dead—by Stephen Moore (Read)
- Why Are So Many Young People Drawn to Communism?—by Armstrong Williams (Read)
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America Needs More Cattle; So Why Are We Closing Slaughterhouses?—by Mollie Engelhart (Read)
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(Lynda Balslev for Tastefood) |
Salsa variations are endless, but like the namesake Latin dance, you need to grasp the basic steps before giving it your signature flair.
Lynda Balslev gives us a masterclass in salsa theory. The perfect size to dice the ingredients, why it matters that they are uniform, and how a variety of textures is a must. Most importantly, she says, is checking the flavor boxes: sweet, salt, acid, and heat. Here’s how. |
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“I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.” |
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— Simon Veazey, Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li |
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