Good morning. Overnight, Russia escalated its war by launching drones that penetrated dangerously close to Polish — and therefore NATO — territory. In response, NATO has invoked Article 4 for the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and only the eighth time in the alliance’s entire history. This is a pivotal moment.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Donald Trump staged a dinner at a seafood restaurant to project an image of safety in the capital. Instead, the scene backfired: protesters heckled him outside and inside, leaving him visibly rattled.
At the same time, a chilling pattern is emerging across mainstream media and social platforms. Information that challenges those in power is being throttled, sanitized, or outright erased. This isn’t conjecture — it is happening in real time, and it poses a direct threat to free expression and accountability.
If you believe in journalism that refuses to bend to censorship or political pressure, please subscribe today. Independent voices can only survive when readers like you stand with us.
With that, here’s what you missed:
Russia launches drones at Poland:
Poland accused Russia of 19 overnight airspace violations by drones during strikes on Ukraine and has invoked NATO’s Article 4, triggering allied consultations on collective security in response to the escalation.
Tusk warned that the prospect of military conflict is closer than at any time since WWII and confirmed Poland will invoke NATO’s Article 4 for consultations.
US ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker reaffirmed Washington’s backing for Poland, stressing that the US “will defend every inch of NATO territory” in response to the drone incursions.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius said the drones were “clearly set on course” for Poland, dismissing claims of navigational errors.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy estimated that “two dozen” drones may have entered Polish territory, calling it a deliberate targeting of Poland.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte condemned the incursion as “reckless and dangerous” and stressed that all NATO territory will be defended.
UK PM Keir Starmer called the incident an “egregious and unprecedented” violation of NATO airspace and reaffirmed support for Poland and Ukraine.
The Polish interior ministry confirmed recovery of seven drones and missile debris of unidentified origin.
European leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Ursula von der Leyen, and Dick Schoof expressed strong solidarity with Poland, pledging further sanctions and support for Ukraine.
Poland’s airports temporarily closed but have since reopened with delays.
Analysts suggest Russia is “testing NATO’s red lines” with such incursions.
General news:
The White House said it would support a forensic review of a sexually suggestive 2003 letter in Jeffrey Epstein’s birthday book that bore Donald Trump’s apparent signature, insisting the president neither wrote nor signed it despite similarities to his earlier signatures, as officials sought to distance him from the document released by the House oversight committee.
Trump dined at Joe’s Seafood near the White House while promoting his deployment of the National Guard and federalizing the police in Washington DC, boasting the capital is now a “safe zone.” He was heckled and became visibly frustrated at protestors while at the restaurant.
Trump said his administration is continuing negotiations with India on trade and will speak with prime minister Narendra Modi in the coming weeks, signaling a reset after diplomatic tensions.
At the same time, Trump urged EU officials to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India as part of a strategy to pressure Russian president Vladimir Putin.
A federal judge ruled that Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook can remain in her post while she sues Trump over his unprecedented attempt to fire her, citing unproven mortgage fraud claims.
Trump said Israel’s airstrike in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders was a decision by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, not him, and warned it did not serve US or Israeli interests.
Rightwing influencer Ben Bergquam accompanied ICE agents during raids in Chicago on Sunday—filming, clashing with residents, and calling protesters “the enemy within”—as part of “Operation Midway Blitz,” while ICE ramped up arrests, DHS and Trump officials promoted the raids in media-friendly ways, and Chicago’s mayor denounced the unannounced, militarized immigration enforcement.
A leaked ICE document revealed that at least one Korean worker arrested in last week’s raid on Hyundai’s $12.6bn battery plant in Georgia had a valid visa and had not violated its terms, yet was pressured into “voluntary departure,” prompting accusations of unlawful detention and cover-ups as hundreds of others—many with legal status—face deportation, drawing outrage from attorneys, advocates, and the South Korean government.
The justice department charged a man with a federal crime, possibly carrying the death penalty, for fatally stabbing a Ukrainian refugee on a North Carolina train, with Trump officials blaming Democratic-led cities’ policies for crime.
The US supreme court temporarily blocked a lower court order requiring Trump to release nearly $5bn in foreign aid, allowing his administration to continue its push to slash global development and USAID programs.
US wholesale inflation cooled in August as producer prices unexpectedly fell 0.1%, lowering annual inflation to 2.6% from 3.1%, driven by a sharp 1.7% drop in trade services margins, with markets reacting positively on expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September.
Good news:
The North Yorkshire Moors Heritage Railway in England has “hired” three black stray cats—Titch, Clinker, and Ash—to serve as mousers and delight visitors, continuing the station’s long tradition of feline staff while giving the once-feral trio a cozy new home and playful jobs.
The world’s smallest snake, the Barbados threadsnake, was rediscovered under a rock in central Barbados during an ecological survey after nearly 20 years without verified sightings, thrilling conservationists and underscoring the urgent need to protect the island’s fragile forest habitats.
See you this evening.
— Aaron
