US Industrial Production Disappoints (Again) In June

Waste Of The Day: Mismanagement At SF Zoo Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations, Topline: The taxpayer-funded San Francisco Zoo "does not have a healthy or stable financial condition," according to a city audit released in May. The zoo has no written plans or budgets to guide its construction projects, and spent $12 million on them without city approval. Employees are also allegedly hiring their friends and relatives as contractors. Key facts: The zoo is required to get approval from San Francisco's Recreation and Park Commission before paying more than $50,000 for...

Turkey Recruits Trump Insiders For New Washington Lobbying Push Via Middle East Eye The Turkish government hired a lobbying firm with close ties to US President Donald Trump earlier this month under a year-long contract worth $2.4m, according to US Justice Department filings reviewed by Middle East Eye. Ballard Partners, led by Brian Ballard, a prominent Florida Republican fundraiser who also worked on Trump’s presidential campaign, signed the agreement with Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense on August 8. The firm will receive $200,000 per month. via AFP Under the contract, Ballard Partners pledged to provide “government relations services,...

Ukraine Flexes With Much Deeper Drone Reach Targeting Russia's Refineries  Ukraine has been demonstrating deeper targeting reach inside Russia, as several key oil sites have come under direct drone attack this week, resulting in significant destruction. This as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday announced "a new stage in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit the potential of Russia's war." Satellite image of Perm attack aftermath, via Reuters. The massive Tuapse complex on Russia's Black Sea coast has been hit no less than three times in under a month, sparking a series of...