The National Hurricane Center is narrowing the forecast path of Hurricane Isaias, while strongly emphasizing the importance of preparation for a dangerous storm impact in the western Florida panhandle region and Mississippi delta.  Everyone in the area should pay close attention, inland flooding will be a concern.

Isaias is anticipated to intensify just prior to landfall over warm water overnight tonight and start moving forward very quickly.  This can push the wind driven water very severely into the northern Florida panhandle region and coastal area.  The storm surge can be very dangerous.  Coastal evacuations are beginning and all preparation should be rushed to completion.

[National Hurricane Center] – At 1000 AM CDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Isaias was located near latitude 27.7 North, longitude 87.3 West. Isaias is moving toward the north-northeast near 16 mph (26 km/h). This motion is expected to continue through this evening, followed by a northward motion on Saturday. On the forecast track, Isaias is expected to approach the U.S. northern Gulf Coast this afternoon and make landfall within the warning area this evening.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts. Isaias is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Fluctuations in intensity are possible through this afternoon, but Isaias is expected to be at or near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall this evening. Weakening is expected beginning tonight after Isaias makes landfall, and the storm is likely to become post-tropical by late Saturday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles (335 km). (more)

Communication is important.  Update your friends and family contact list. Stay in touch with family and friends, let them know your plans. Select a single point of contact for communication from you that all others can then contact for updates if needed.

CTH Recommendations for solid Prep ARE HERE

The buzzsaw for Isaias is approximately 70 miles at current conditions (35 miles from center).  This is the area of greatest wind damage.  Hurricanes spin counterclockwise. The coastal flooding will be most extreme on the right side of Isaias as the wind pushes the water toward the coastline.

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

.

(more…)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Portugal on the third stop of his NATO alliance tour.  Portugal is very strategic and holds as strong intelligence network through its well-regarded diplomatic corps. [Listen to what Rubio says about the narcotrafficking operation that Portugal and the USA conduct together.]

Secretary Rubio held a press conference with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel. Video and Transcript below: 

[Transcript] FOREIGN MINISTER RANGEL:  Welcome to Lisbon, Secretary Marco Rubio.

(more…)

Many of us have watched each step in the process as President Trump executes a deliberate strategy to reindustrialize American manufacturing.

In this video Mike Steger examines plans for new shipyards, submarine production, and advanced manufacturing at Sparrows Point and across the country. He contrasts this rebuilding effort with the collapse of Bethlehem Steel and Baltimore’s industrial economy, arguing that restoring basic industry is essential to America’s future.

The discussion then turns to Henry Kaiser, whose World War II shipyards transformed American production through workforce training and new construction methods. Mike connects that history to today’s shipbuilding ambitions, steel investments, and the industrial foundation needed to support both naval strength and space exploration.

From American shipyards to SpaceX’s stainless steel rockets, Mike makes the case that industrial growth can renew the confidence and purpose of Western civilization. Drawing on Marco Rubio’s remarks in Athens, the symbolism of Prometheus, and John Paul Jones’s refusal to surrender, he argues that America’s greatest achievements may still lie ahead.  WATCH:

(more…)

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer appears on CNBC to discuss details of a new G20 sideline agreement with 14 other major economies to crack down on global factory overproduction, targeting excess manufacturing.

The discussion about the issues with Canada is around the 5:00 mark of the video below.  As previously noted, President Trump and USTR Greer are happy with the current status of tariffs against Canada, they are having the desired effect, and meanwhile the U.S. is negotiating a ¹bilateral trade deal with Mexico.

¹♦ $30.76 billion in remittances reached Mexico in the first half of 2026 — a lifeline tethered to U.S. manufacturing employment, which depends on whether both governments can reach a durable trade framework. {source} Mexico, the govt, the economy, their internal stability, cannot afford to risk losing that influx of financial support.

Mexico’s Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard came out of the G20 Trade Ministerial in Milwaukee last week sounding the most optimistic he has in months. He had just spent nearly an hour across the table from U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and his message was direct: “We are getting closer on many things — moving forward, narrowing positions, resolving issues. Every day we are closer to having new agreements,” Ebrard told reporters from Milwaukee.

(more…)

Hurricane Isaias continues nearly on the predicted track while the intensity forecast remains a challenge. No substantive changes to the overall thinking. Outdoor preparations and home-hardening in advance of the hurricane should be completed by early tomorrow. Inland residents should prepare for power outages due to excessively high wind gusts.

[National Hurricane Center] – At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Isaias was located near latitude 24.4 North, longitude 89.3 West. Isaias is moving toward the northeast near 12 mph (19 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected on Friday. On the forecast track, Isaias is expected to pass to the north of the Yucatan Peninsula through this evening and make landfall along the U.S. northern Gulf Coast within the warning area late Friday or early Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 100 mph (155 km/h) with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected through early Friday, and Isaias should remain a dangerous hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast Friday night.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles (30 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 975 mb (28.80 inches). (more)

A hurricane watch is in effect from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida. A storm surge watch is in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to Yankeetown, Florida. {Nat Hurricane Center} Those in the forecast areas are strongly advised to pay close attention to local officials and heed all evacuation orders.

(more…)

Secretary Marco Rubio was heading to Portugal when he gave a brief tarmac presser to the traveling pool of media narrative stenographers.  One of the questions surrounded {THIS STORY} about Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jrs former girlfriend and current ambassador to Greece.  WATCH:

From what I am able to determine, the State Dept has actually opened an internal investigation and review of Ambassador Guilfoyle’s conduct while in her post.  That said, Rubio is correct in that it is impossible to answer questions about something just written by media for the purpose of questioning Rubio.   The media is working overtime trying to frame narratives in advance of the 2026 midterm election.

(more…)

Vice President JD Vance and the federal Fraud Taskforce held a press conference today announcing their investigative findings of H1B visa abuse and manipulation of green card program by U.S. corporations who hire foreign workers over Americans.

During the press conference, JD Vance announced that Microsoft and Adobe have been suspended from the H1B visa process, as well as several other tech companies.  The taskforce also announced immediate investigations into nine major U.S. universities for J1 student visa fraud.  The entire visa program is being targeted by the fraud taskforce and DOJ in order to ensure that American students and American workers benefit from employment and college entrance opportunities.  This is well worth watching in full:

[Transcript] JD VANCE: “Yes. Good morning. Thank you all. Well, good morning to the press and good morning to all the people who’ve worked so hard on this. This is a great day for American workers because we are taking some very concrete actions to cut down on some of the H-1B and J-1 visa fraud that we’ve been tracking over the past several months.

I want to give a particular shout out to Andrew Ferguson, Stephen Miller, and of course Todd Blanche, our great Attorney General, who are standing behind me. A particular shout out to DOL Secretary Keith Sonderling, who’s been really an amazing partner in the anti-fraud Task Force. Thanks to Keith’s hard work, we’ve uncovered about $20 billion in fraud just within his, his department and secured over 200 convictions in the last five months alone.”

(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)