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WASHINGTON (AP) — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday to confirm he won’t send U.S. troops to polling places during November’s midterm elections, as Democrats have raised concerns that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote. “I’d ask you to confirm a simple statement: the Department of Defense will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind,” Slotkin wrote to Hegseth and to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in letters Tuesday. The Pentagon said in an email that it will respond directly to Slotkin, as it does with all congressional correspondence. The Joint Chiefs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Slotkin told The Associated Press that Trump has been laying the groundwork to claim the midterms were stolen. She noted that Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his loss in 2020 and has deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders. He also deployed active duty Marines to Los Angeles during his immigration crackdown in 2025. “He’s very clearly laying the breadcrumbs to be able to say the day after the election that he didn’t really lose the House or he didn’t really lose the Senate,” Slotkin said. Slotkin asked Hegseth during an April congressional hearing if he would follow orders to seize ballots. Hegseth called the question a “gotcha hypothetical,” but said, “I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t.” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles denied in a Vanity Fair interview last year that Trump would use the military to suppress voting in the midterms. “I say it is categorically false, will not happen. It’s just wrongheaded,” she said. Federal law prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” If any element of the military were to get involved, it would likely be the National Guard under state control. In 2020, Gen. Mark Milley, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to a similar letter from Slotkin, then a congresswoman. “I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical U.S. military,” Milley wrote. “In the event of a dispute over some aspect of the elections, by law U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve any disputes, not the U.S. military.” Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State fraternity pledges were made to cut and package cocaine for a drug ring that was run out of two off-campus frat houses, authorities said. The illicit initiation was revealed Monday as Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday charged 14 people — including 13 current or former Penn State students — in connection with the alleged drug ring. The man accused of leading the operation, 24-year-old Agostino Abbatiello, surrendered on Tuesday after failing to appear for a scheduled arraignment on Monday on charges including possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy. He was ordered jailed without bail. A message seeking comment was left for Abbatiello’s lawyer. According to court documents, the drug ring operated in 2023 and 2024, fueled by bulk quantities of cocaine that two of the charged men obtained from contacts in Philadelphia and New York. They cut and bagged the drugs mainly at the Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternity houses, using frat brothers and pledges as labor, then distributed it through Penn State students, court documents said. One of the men said a co-defendant was the “largest distributor of cocaine” at Penn State and would “boast about how much money he was making from selling cocaine.” At least four of the defendants are current students, Sunday’s office said. “This is very serious criminal conduct. There was nothing junior or childlike about this type of conduct,” Sunday said at a news conference on Monday. “This was an upper-level trafficking organization for this region in Pennsylvania.” Four people are charged with conspiracy, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, felony corrupt organizations and other offenses. Another defendant is charged with felony conspiracy and criminal use of a communication facility. Eight defendants are charged with misdemeanor drug possession. Paul Robinson, the father of a student who was accused with Abbatiello of being one of the ring’s two main suppliers, is charged with felony tampering, hindering apprehension and obstructing the investigation. Authorities say he took steps to conceal evidence, including a safe containing drugs and cash. Court documents did not list a lawyer who could speak on Robinson’s behalf. Penn State said it placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension, noting Sigma Chi is not recognized by the university and is not subject to its oversight. Delta Upsilon Executive Director Justin Kirk said anyone involved in the drug ring who had ties to Delta Upsilon was expelled or suspended from the fraternity if they did not resign. Sigma Chi’s executive director, Michael Church, said the three Sigma Chi members who were charged have been suspended pending the outcome of the judicial process. He said the fraternity has suspended all operations at its Penn State chapter on an interim basis “while we determine whether these allegations reflect individual conduct or organized chapter activity.” “This conduct is an egregious violation of our values and has no place in our fraternity, community, or society,” Church said, adding that any members involved “will be held fully accountable to the extent available to our fraternity.” Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Syrian Court Sentences Wassim Assad to Death After Conviction for Premeditated Murder   Rizik Alabi / The Media Line   [DAMASCUS] Damascus’ Fourth Criminal Court on Tuesday, August 18, handed down a death sentence to Wassim Assad, a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, after convicting him of premeditated murder, marking one of the most prominent trials involving a member of the Assad family since the former regime fell in December 2024.   The verdict was issued during the sixth hearing in Wassim Assad’s trial, following weeks of public proceedings in which the court heard arguments from the prosecution and defense, as well as testimony. Prosecutors had requested the death penalty in July, saying evidence and witness testimony presented to the court established his involvement in premeditated killings.   The case included allegations that Assad formed and commanded irregular armed groups linked to commanders in the former regime’s Fourth Division and participated in military operations targeting civilian areas, including the town of Mleiha in Eastern Ghouta, resulting in deaths. He also faced other accusations during the proceedings related to violence, threats, and drug trafficking.   Assad denied the charges against him during the trial. At the previous hearing, his lawyer submitted a defense memorandum seeking his acquittal, while Assad himself asked the court for acquittal and leniency. The court subsequently took the case under review and set August 18 as the date for the verdict.   According to published details of the ruling, the court also ordered the confiscation of Assad’s assets and required him to compensate the plaintiffs. The verdict remains subject to appeal under Syrian judicial procedures.   The case carries additional significance because Wassim Assad is in Syrian custody and was tried in person, distinguishing his case from judgments issued in absentia against several senior figures of the former regime who remain outside the country.   The ruling comes one week after the same court issued death sentences against Bashar Assad, his brother Maher Assad, and other former officials over crimes linked to the suppression of protests in 2011. The judgments against Bashar and Maher Assad were issued in absentia, while former Daraa Political Security chief Atef Najib was sentenced in person.   The trials are part of a broader accountability process following the collapse of the Assad regime, but they have also prompted debate over standards of transitional justice and guarantees of fair trials. Families of victims and survivors have welcomed efforts to prosecute former regime figures, while rights advocates have raised questions about judicial procedures, the speed of some proceedings, and whether defendants are receiving adequate due process protections.   Wassim Assad has now become one of the most prominent members of the Assad family to receive a court judgment since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s rule. Tuesday’s verdict, however, does not necessarily mark the end of the case, as the ruling can be challenged through Syria’s appeals process.   Photo Credit: Syrian Ministry of Justice    Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Saudi Arabia Removes Antisemitic Content From School Textbooks    By The Media Line Staff    Saudi Arabia has removed the remaining examples of antisemitic and extremist content identified in its 2025–2026 school textbooks, continuing curriculum reforms aimed at advancing religious tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and the kingdom’s Vision 2030 modernization goals, according to reports by education watchdog IMPACT-se.   Among the passages eliminated was a Grade 7 hadith that compared religious minorities to maimed animals. Text stating that Jews were destined for hell and material discouraging Muslims from befriending Jews and Christians were also removed.   The revised curriculum no longer includes a passage suggesting Jewish influence contributed to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.   Language concerning Israel has also been moderated. Textbooks have replaced descriptions such as “the Zionist enemy” with “the Israeli occupation,” while the statement “Muslims will never give up Jerusalem” has been deleted. Israel, however, remains unnamed on official maps, and the Holocaust continues to receive little attention in the curriculum.   Other changes emphasize interfaith relations. Lessons now highlight peace agreements made by the Prophet Muhammad with Jewish, Christian, and Arab tribes, while secondary-level critical-thinking textbooks present peaceful coexistence and open dialogue as fundamental human needs.   Material dealing with jihad and warfare has also been revised. A Grade 9 Islamic studies textbook explicitly prohibits harming noncombatants, while a Grade 12 rhetoric textbook no longer contains a passage celebrating martyrdom in battle.   One previous change was partially reversed. A Grade 10 Islamic studies textbook restored a passage linking jihad to obedience to the King after it had previously been removed.   The curriculum continues to explicitly condemn extremist and terrorist organizations. Islamic State, al-Qaida, Hezbollah, the Houthis and the Muslim Brotherhood are identified as groups promoting terrorism and extremism.    Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

President Trump Posts Map Labeling Strait of Hormuz ‘New US Territory’   By The Media Line Staff   US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted a map labeling the Strait of Hormuz “New US Territory,” days after saying he planned to declare the strategic waterway part of the United States and threatening military action against Oman if it obstructed US efforts there.   The post came after President Trump said Friday that Washington could claim the strait once its conflict with Tehran was concluded.   “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” he said during a speech at a police academy in New York on Friday.   President Trump also linked his territorial claim to the US naval blockade. “Essentially, that’s what it is,” he added.   Iranian officials rejected President Trump’s comments as “nonsense.” Tehran has continued to block passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas is transported. The United States has maintained its naval blockade as part of its efforts to exert economic pressure on Iran.   The 60-day deadline for the two sides to reach an agreement ending the conflict expired Sunday. President Trump has said he is not rushing to finalize a deal and claimed that he has a backchannel to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Iran has denied that claim.   The US president also threatened Oman on Sunday, warning against interference with US actions in the strait. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst.   Meanwhile, negotiations between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz are continuing despite complications in the talks.   Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday that negotiations were proceeding “in all seriousness,” but said several outside actors were attempting to influence the process.   Those efforts have contributed to delays in reaching an agreement, Baghaei said. His comments followed recent optimism that Tehran and Muscat could be approaching an agreement intended to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz.     Truth Social Post: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117116198386080523      Brought to you by www.srnnews.com