Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/okeefes-undercover-voting-sting-anthropics-epstein-scandal-and-private-credits-rising-red-flags/
US Politics
James O’Keefe and associates visited Minneapolis polling sites while dressed as Muslims during Minnesota’s primary to examine the state’s voter vouching system. Workers at multiple locations stated that one registered voter could vouch for up to eight others without ID, with verification occurring later. At White Park Recreation Center, staff described the process as standard.
Marla Maples, Donald Trump’s second wife, told Israeli Channel 12 that President Trump keeps an Aramaic copy of the Book of Pinchas near him for healing and protection. Some former Trump supporters have questioned whether the administration prioritizes “America First” or “Israel First,” citing Jared Kushner’s affiliations and US actions related to Iran.
Following former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White declaring for the WNBA draft, the WNBA’s anti-hate task force met to address issues involving transgender athletes. Article XIII of the league’s collective bargaining agreement states that only women are eligible to play but does not define the term woman. The task force was reportedly unable to come up with a proper definition during their meeting.
Artificial Intelligence & the Epstein Files
Cami Clark, the influential unpaid adviser and wife of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, has reportedly been scrubbed from Claude, Wikipedia, and online search results even as she helps shape the company now eyeing a potential IPO valued above $2 trillion. Epstein files show that in 2011—less than two years after his conviction for sex trafficking minors—she and a partner pitched him on investing in Eddice, their “revolutionary porn company” marketed as luxury, sex-positive content for women under the tagline “intellectually promiscuous.” Clark later introduced Amodei to her former partner Eric Schmidt, who became an early Anthropic investor, and she has continued operating as his informal strategic sounding board. The combination of the post-conviction Epstein outreach, the deliberate online erasure, and her undisclosed influence has raised questions about transparency at a firm whose commercial pitch rests on being more careful and trustworthy than rivals.
Economy
In a recent post, Quoth the Raven argues that private credit’s problems have just become real as nonaccruing loans at funds managed by Ares, Golub Capital, Blue Owl, and Blackstone hit five-year highs, with Blue Owl Capital Corp. reaching a 2.8% rate. Watchlists of troubled borrowers at Ares, Golub, and KKR have also climbed to their highest levels since 2022-2023, while investor returns have slipped toward 7% from prior levels near 10% or better. These developments signal that the underlying loans themselves are now deteriorating, adding a credit problem to the liquidity pressures already facing the industry. That said, others argue that the apparent rise reflects normalization from historically low levels rather than noteworthy deterioration.
Meanwhile, the federal deficit for July totaled $432 billion. Interest payments reached $118 billion for the month, up $26 billion year-over-year. As such, interest expense has now surpassed both National Defense and Medicare spending.
In the commodities space, LME copper stockpiles fell for 42 consecutive days to 204,975 tons. The August-September spread reached a $370 premium. Traders have redirected metal to the US and China. Skeptics noted that China holds substantial unreported inventories, suggesting the LME squeeze may reflect hoarding or tariff-driven flows rather than a genuine global shortage.
Energy
Diesel crack spreads reached near $100 per barrel. Bank of America analyst Francisco Blanch stated diesel supply is disrupted in three of four major regions. Citi’s Anthony Yuen noted global inventories are below the five-year average. Goldman Sachs’ Daan Struyven reported Persian Gulf diesel flows down 80% year-over-year. The IEA forecasts a 1.8 million-barrel-per-day deficit this quarter. However, Goldman Sachs noted that near-record margins are already spurring refinery supply responses, making outright shortages unlikely this year.
Meanwhile, gas stations in at least 12 Russian regions reported long lines for petrol. Orenburg imposed purchase limits and license-plate rationing. A Ukrainian drone strike closed the Orsk refinery for six months. Petrol availability in western Russia has stabilized since June attacks but remains far from back to normal at independent stations.
Looking ahead, India is conducting feasibility studies for new strategic petroleum reserve sites in Bikaner, Rajasthan, and Bina, Madhya Pradesh, in addition to ONGC’s planned facility at Mangaluru. Existing reserves cover eight days of demand. The government plans to spend about $1.6 billion on expanded storage.
Health
According to Ed Dowd, BLS Current Population Survey data show Americans aged 16 and older reporting a disability reached an all-time high of 37,029,000 in July 2026—a 23% rise since the February 2021 inflection point that marked a 3-to-4 sigma break from the prior trend. The sharp, sustained acceleration, occurring precisely as COVID vaccine rollouts and workplace mandates scaled up while the survey questions have remained unchanged since 2008, leads Dowd to identify the vaccine campaign as a primary driver of the excess disability.
In other news, the FDA issued a Class II recall for Novartis’s Diovan 160-mg tablets, lot AV5913C, due to failed dissolution tests. The drug is prescribed to about 10.9 million patients to treat heart failure and high blood pressure.
Iran War
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated the administration will announce new economic measures against Iran next week, marking a shift from a more kinetic focus. Meanwhile, Iran’s central bank governor announced that Tehran will join the BRICS New Development Bank.
Sources
WNBA Task Force Meets for Hours, Still Can’t Define ‘Woman’
The WNBA had meetings on what a woman is and announced they would continue those meetings — without making any decisions on what a woman is — but they attacked the “hate and vitriol” online and “bad faith efforts” to “demean or marginalize others.” So perfect.
India Expands Oil Reserves to Hedge Supply Risks
State-controlled Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) is finalizing feasibility studies for two new strategic petroleum reserves facilities as the world’s third-largest crude oil importer looks to boost its energy security.
Private Credit Defaults Hit 5-Year Highs as Liquidity Cracks Widen
Private Credit’s Problems Just Got Real
Disability Surge to 37 Million: BLS Data Ignored Since 2021
The timing, the magnitude, the concentration among the previously healthy working age population, and the failure of alternative explanations all point to the COVID vaccine campaign as one of the primary driver of the excess disability.
Diesel Crack Spreads Hit Records as Wall Street Warns of Global “Perfect Storm”
absent a meaningful supply recovery, the diesel market appears poised to stay tight, volatile, and expensive well into next year.
US Debt Interest Tops Defense, Medicare as July Deficit Hits Record $432B
As a result, interest expense has officially surpassed both national defense and medicare spending.
FDA Flags Novartis Valsartan Recall Over Failed Dissolution Specs
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation recalled some heart failure and high blood pressure medication due to potency issues, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s website.
Source | Submitted by dennisc
Trump’s Ex-Wife: Kabbalah Text for ‘Protection’ Fuels Israel-First Doubts
Critics — many of whom were once his most loyal supporters — have come to question whether the president is intent on putting America or Israel first.
Source | Submitted by Mike from Jersey
Russia’s Fuel Shortages Return After Kremlin ‘Stabilization’ Claims
The situation remains tense in several regions of the country regarding fuel supplies to service stations,
Anthropic’s Unseen Power: CEO Wife Pitched Epstein on ‘Luxury Porn,’ Then Scrubbed Her Trail
She also pitched a porn company to Jeffrey Epstein – less than two years after he got out of prison for sex trafficking minors.
Bessent: Iran Faces Economic Siege “Like the World Has Never Seen”
Economic isolation like the world has never seen before.
O’Keefe’s Muslim Disguise Exposes Minnesota’s Vouching-for-Votes Loophole
If you’re all in the same precinct and you are already registered, you can vouch for them as ID. Eight people.
Copper Backwardation Signals Supply Squeeze as Tariffs Loom
Spot copper prices are surging above later-dated futures on the London Metal Exchange, in a condition known as backwardation that’s a hallmark of a deepening squeeze on supply.
Source (Paywalled)
Iran Joins BRICS Bank to Dodge Dollar Sanctions
BRICS members have sought to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar by promoting trade and financial transactions in national currencies.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: CNBC, Goldman Sachs, @ElkwaterCapital, @grok, @macro_advisory, and @BurggrabenH.
Clowns-ville 
