It's a fore-drawn conclusion that you can't believe anything that comes out of Russian State Media. But you can learn something about the Russian war effort by reading between the lines a bit. For example, this article from Newsweek quoting Russian Propaganda outlets as saying they took out 100 HIMARS missiles with a targeted strike in the Dnipro region, killing 120 soldiers. They also claim to have a secret technology that lets them hack into the HIMARS rockets and take control of them. Not likely.
But the fact that Russia is putting this message out to it's people says that Russia is getting hurt by the HIMARS. And the people are starting to worry. Otherwise they wouldn't say anything about it.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-has-secret-development-take-down-us-himars-military-expert-1728820
Debunked: Following several accusations that Israel is causing famine in Gaza, COGAT has released drone footage of the hundreds of truckloads of supplies waiting to be delivered to Gaza by the UN. A statement accompanying the footage claims that 'There is enough food here to feed all of Gaza, if the UN ever came to pick it up.
Thank you to everyone who joined our last live call. It’s always a highlight for me to hear from you, answer your questions, and give real-time updates on what’s happening around the world.
We do these calls every month for our Locals supporters, and it’s a great chance to connect directly, have real conversations, and go deeper into the stories that matter.
If you’d like to be part of the next one, we’ll be announcing the date soon, likely toward the end of this month. Hope to see you there.
I am the one in the blue TV helmet. Watch the Live I did today about what I saw in Gaza here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-v1kXYW6UU
As a close Christian follower of all things Israel, having just returned from Judea and headed back to see friends there in September, Chucks reporting yesterday about the A, B, C zones was so helpful. The commentary about the “patchwork” of how laws are applied really was so informative.
If you are running dry on inspiration about what to talk about, I loved learning about the arbitrary nature of who’s land is what, how the political agreements (like the Oslo accords) have shaped the current situation, how actual citizenship is assigned/applied for the Arabs there that identify as Palestinian, and more about what it would look like if Israeli sovereignty swept across the entire “Westbank” region.
Thanks Chuck!
By Chuck Holton | July 25, 2025
Fighting has broken out along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, two countries in Southeast Asia. At least 14 people are dead, over 100,000 civilians have been displaced, and both sides are using heavy weapons — including jets, rockets, and artillery.
From the cobblestone streets of Lefkara, Cyprus—where I spent the evening walking with my wife Connie—I’m seeing firsthand how far the ripple effects of Israel’s war with Hamas have reached. Just this morning, I woke in Tel Aviv to the sound of sirens. It wasn’t the first time. The Houthi rebels fired two missiles at Israel—one intercepted by Israeli air defenses, the other self-destructing before it even entered Israeli airspace.
“That’s one of several hundred missiles fired since March,” I told my livestream audience. “But none of them have hit anything of consequence. Israel’s air defenses are doing their job, and their response is as measured as it is relentless.”
Israel isn’t merely retaliating. It’s executing precision strikes aimed at dismantling Hamas’ infrastructure and cutting off Iranian supply lines. Just last night, Israeli drones targeted Yemen’s port of Hodeida, destroying heavy equipment that was being used to repair the port and allow more weapons shipments from Tehran.
“They blew up the earth movers, the cranes—anything Iran could use to funnel arms to the Houthis,” I explained. “Israel and its allies are making it harder for the Houthis to maintain their reign of annoyance over Israel. That’s really all it is at this point—annoyance. But one that can’t be ignored.”
While Israel’s military maintains the upper hand on the ground and in the air, it’s fighting an equally vicious battle in the court of global opinion. Twenty-eight nations recently signed a joint statement demanding Israel halt its offensive.
I asked viewers to consider the implications. “Think about what stopping the war now would mean,” I said. “No hostages returned. Hamas stays in power. Another generation of terrorists grows up in Gaza. More Israelis murdered in the future. That’s what the world is asking for when they say, ‘Stop the war.’”
It’s true, the suffering in Gaza is heartbreaking. But this suffering isn’t arbitrary—it’s the direct result of Hamas’ actions. “This is called consequences. Gaza still holds Israeli hostages. Until they’re freed, pressure must increase. Only then can this end.”
Cyprus, where I’m spending a brief layover, offers its own cautionary tale. The island has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces invaded and occupied nearly 40% of the territory. Today, the Greek Cypriot side is prosperous and peaceful. The Turkish-occupied north? Struggling economically and rife with instability.
They’re not carrying guns. They’re carrying lentils, flour, and powdered milk.
Yet the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a private group of veterans, logisticians, and volunteers—is being treated like a geopolitical threat. Why? Because GHF has committed the one unpardonable sin in the United Nations’ aid-industrial complex: delivering food without empowering terrorists.
The United Nations isn’t afraid GHF will fail. It’s afraid GHF will succeed. Because if a small, disciplined nonprofit can feed civilians without funneling resources through Hamas, it exposes something the UN has spent decades trying to hide.
This is the story they don’t want told.
