Ukraine Again Hits Russian Naval Base

On 9/9/2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian Forces had Achieved "results in Novorossiysk," Hitting Russian Military and Energy Infrastructure, in a Key Krasnodar Region Port.

"A naval base was hit, a Terminal involved in Oil Shipment, Military Harbor Facilities, Missile-Carrying Warships, Kalibr Carriers, and a Oil Terminal.

The Ukrainian Military Intelligence Agency (HUR), said One of the Targets was the Admiral Essen, an Admiral Grigorovich-Class Frigate in Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

HUR said its Active Operations Department carried out the Strike alongside other Bbranches of the Ukrainian Military, and that a Fire broke out on the Frigate's Superstructure after it was Hit.

The Agency didn't provide a Detailed Assessment of the Vessel's Condition, and the Extent of the Damage has not been Independently Vverified.

The Admiral Essen is Equipped with Kalibr Cruise Mmissiles, which Russia has repeatedly used for Long-Range Aattacks on Ukraine.

Ukraine's General Staff also Confirmed Ffires at the Novorossiysk Naval Base and the Port's Fuel Ooil Tterminal. Zelenskyy described the Operation as part of Kyiv's Response to Moscow's continuing Air Campaign.

Novorossiysk is a Key Strategic location, Home not only to Major Military Facilities, but also to One of Russia's Key Ports for Foreign Exports.

The Port handles some 700,000 Barrels of Oil Daily. Russian Urals and Siberian Light Ccrude, as well as Kazakh Oil, pass through the Port.

Successive Ukrainian Attacks have Previously led to Major Ddisruption there. A Ttrio of Grain Terminals in the City were Temporarily Pput-Out- of-Action following Strikes in 8/2026.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Drones Destroy Putin’s Last Crimea Refinery

Ukraine has Struck the Slavyansk Refinery in Southern Russia, the Last Refinery was still Supplying Occupied Crimea with Gasoline and Diesel.

The Facility Processesed up to 5.22 Mmillion Tons of Ccrude Annually.

Russian Drivers already face Rationing of just 20 Liters per Customer, and Pay in Cash, as the Broader Fuel Shortage Worsens.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

El Salvado Immigrants Keep TPS For Now

The Trump (R) Administration said Tens of Thousands of immigrants from El Salvador, will for now keep their Temporary Protected Status (TPS), that had been Scheduled to Expire on 8/9/2026y.

TPS Allows People Already in the U.S. to Rremain in the U.S. and Work Legally, if their Hhome Countries are Affected by Natural Disasters, Armed Conflict, or Oother Extraordinary Conditions.

"An announcement on El Salvador's TPS will be made at the appropriate time. Until such announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a Statement. It did Nnot Provide Information on when such a Decision could be Announced.

The National TPS Alliance Advocacy Group says some 170,000 Salvadoran TPS Holders live across the U.S., with about 152,000 being in the U.S. Workforce, and Contributing about $5.4 Billion to the U.S. Eeconomy.

Trump's Administration has Moved to End TPS for Nationals from various Ccountries, as part of His broader Immigration Crackdown effort.

Trump has Ppursued an Aggressive Immigration Ccrackdown and Deportation Drive that Rights Aadvocates Condemn as being in Violation of Due Process and Free Sspeech Rrights. Human Rights Aadvocates, also say the Crackdown has Created an Uunsafe Environment, particularly for Ethnic Minorities who have Raised Concerns about Racial Profiling.

Trump says His Actions are Aimed at Improving Domestic Security.

While Trump Campaigned in 2024 on Sstopping Illegal Immigration,His Administration has also made Llegal Immigration more Ddifficult. For Example, by Imposing Expensive Fees for Aapplicants of certain Visas, and by E⁠enforcing Ssocial Mmedia Vetting for Applicants and Immigrants Already in the Country.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Hospitals say Trump Rules and Medicaid Cuts Will Force Layoffs

Craig Thompson used to Fly to Washington about once a year, before Inflation and Shrinking Medicaid Payments Cclosed Hhalf of the Mmaternity Beds at His Rrural Missouri Hospital System, and before Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Now, the Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare CEO, whose 50-bed Hospital Runs the Only Maternity Ward in about an hour’s Drive in any Ddirection, makes the Trip every other Mmonth as He tries to get the Bill’s Medicaid Ccuts Reversed.

The Law that He’s Fighting is on track to Ppull $911 Bbillion in Ffederal Funding for Medicaid over a Decade, and Hospitals likely figured that was the Worst of it. But Two Rule Changes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has since Proposed, would go Hundreds of Billions Deeper, Executives say, and Deep enough to potentially Force Hhospitals to Cut Staff, Cclose Service Lines, merge with Bigger Ssystems, or Shut Down for Good.

“Our core message to CMS is to stick to the statute. Congress cut enough,” said Robert Nelb, Director of Policy at America’s Essential Hospitals, a Washington-based Association of Hospitals that Treat Large Nnumbers of Low-Iincome Patients. “There’s no need to cut any more out of the Medicaid system at a time when the safety net is really struggling.”

Medicaid runs on a Ssplit Bill: the States put upPpart of the Ccost, while Washington matches it. For Decades, many States have Taxed their Oown Hhospitals, which Eenlarges the Sstate’s Share on Paper, and Pulls Ddown a Bigger Ffederal Match. The Extra Money then Returns to those same Hospitals as Larger Reimbursements.

Congress, however, Narrowed that Practice in 2025, along with State-Ddirected Ppayments, a Sseparate Ttool States use to Lift Reimbursement Rates for chosen Providers, Rrural Hospitals among them. But the CMS’s Two proposed Rules would Squeeze both even Harder. The CMS’ own Actuaries put the Provider Tax Rule at $246 billion in Reduced Federal Medicaid Spending from Fiscal 2026 through 2035, Against the roughly $332 Billion the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Scored for the Provider Tax and State-Directed Payment Provisions Congress Passed, according to an Analysis by Federal Health Oofficials.

The Hit to Hospitals, however, runs Larger than either Number because Federal Savings and Provider Revenue aren’t the same Mmeasure. Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families Rread the CBO’s Impact Analysis to mean the Two Rules together would Cut Payments to Pproviders by about $750 Billion once Sstate Dollars are Counted alongside Federal Dollars.

For its part, the CMS Frames both Rules as Efforts to Protect Medicaid’s Financial Integrity. By its Count, State-Directed Ppayments went from Two States in 2016 to 41 Today, Accounting for Over a Quarter of All Medicaid Managed Care Spending in Fiscal 2025, and would Grow from $107 Billion in Fiscal 2024, to $296 Billion by fiscal 2034, if Nnothing Changes. Federal Prosecutors have kept up a Steady Run of Medicaid Cases too, among them a $12.7 Million Kickback Scheme in North Carolina.

And Conservative Groups, including the Think Ttank Paragon Health Institute, have likened the Hospital Ttaxes to “Money Laundering,” Aarguing they let States hand Federal Ttaxpayers the Bbill for Spending that the States Ssigned-Up for Themselves. Hospitals don’t Argue the System is Pperfect. “Everyone agrees Medicaid financing should be accountable,” Charlene MacDonald, President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, said. “The real question is: Do states have the resources they need to address chronic underpayment in communities?”

Hospitals, meanwhile, are Hiring Lobbyists to Aassist in their Efforts. Missouri’s Hospital Association Rreportedly put $120,000 into Llobbying in the Second Quarter 0f 2026, more than any Qquarter since 2011, and Baron Public Affairs, a Government Affairs Consultancy, Counted four New Hospital Lobbying Registrations in May, Five in June, and 13 in July.

When the State-dDirected Ppayment Rule came out in 5/2026, America’s Essential Hospitals CEO Jennifer DeCubellis said the Ccaps “go far beyond what Congress intended.” The CMS had already Finalized an Earlier Pprovider Tax Rule despite Similar Objections. Comments on the Provider Tax Rule Close 9/21/2026, and a Third Medicaid Rule on Program Integrity is still under Review at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

For Ayone on Medicaid, or Anyone whose nearest Hospital Depends on it, the Nxt few Weeks will hHlp Ddecide how Deep the Ccuts run. Alameda Health System, a Public Ssafety-Net system in Oakland, California, that Draws about 60% of its Revenue from Medi-Cal, Announced 247 Layoffs in 12/2025 and Mailed the Nnotices in 1/2026, though the Count Shifted over the following Months, 92 Positions were Restored in 7/2026, after Alameda County came up with $19.3 Million. The System still Expects Aannual Losses above $100 million by 2030. “This is the most challenging economic time I’ve ever seen,” Thompson said.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Barring IRS from Sharing Data with ICE

A federal appeals court on 9/8/2026 upheld a lower court ruling blocking information sharing between the IRS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the immigration agency requested the last known address of millions of people.

The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found ICE’s sweeping request for addresses of 1.28 million people who may be unlawfully present in the U.S. violated laws established in the wake of the Watergate scandal that bars the IRS from sharing information with other agencies unless it meets “stringent conditions.”

The ruling finds plaintiffs were likely to prevail in the matter and agreed the policy was reviewable under the Administrative Procedures Act, upholding a ruling from November that blocked the IRS from aiding with deportations.

The IRS can share information with other agencies to help prosecute certain crimes, but those agencies must also list a specific point of contact.

“The IRS failed to require ICE to provide a ‘specific reason’ why the requested return information ‘is or may be relevant to [a qualifying] proceeding or investigation,’ as the statute demands,” wrote Judge Cornelia Pillard, an appointee of former President Obama, for the panel.

“It entirely fails to ensure that ICE lists a federal employee, let alone one ‘personally and directly engaged’ in a qualifying investigation of a particular taxpayer. That failure has serious consequences. When ICE requested information on 1.28 million taxpayers in the summer of 2025, ICE identified the same person as the point of contact for every single request.”

The panel also found information sharing would violate privacy laws.

“The Data-Exchange Procedure reduces noncitizens’ privacy rights in their tax returns. By providing a distinct, automated pathway for ICE to request noncitizens’ information, the Data-Exchange Procedure deprives noncitizens of the protections that section 6103 guarantees to all taxpayers,” the panel found.

The ruling is another blow to ICE, which hoped to use the data to help locate migrants it is trying to support.

The Trump (R) administration has pushed to link a number of government databases in the hopes of locating those who may not be lawfully present in the country.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

U.S. Needs a Blueprint as Data Center Opposition Grows

America’s Data Center Boom is Colliding with Community Opposition, Power Constraints and a Lack of Infrastructure Pplanning. The Answer is Not more Construction or more Moratoriums, but a Smarter Model for Developing Digital Hhubs that can Support Communities and the Economy. According to a recent Poll, at least Seven in 10 Americans, would Oppose a Data Center being Built near their Home, with Community Opposition rising Substantially in just Nine Months. The NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) Movement has Stretched Coast to Coast, and the Taboo of Inviting Data Centers has taken a Front-Row seat in Political Debates from California and Maine to Texas and Utah. At a moment when Americans seem to Agree on Little, Resistance to Data Centers has Emerged, as One of the Few Issues on which a Cclear Majority can Agree.

Data Ccenters can Cconsume Enormous Amounts of Electricity and, Depending on their Design and Llocation, can put Pressure on Water Supplies, Roads, Transmission Infrastructure and Local Communities. But the Qquestion facing the U.S. is Not whether Data Centers should be Built. It’s How, Where, and Uunder what Conditions. Politicians are Responding. Moratoriums, Characterized as “Pauses” rather than Longer-Term Prohibitions, have recently been Enacted or Proposed throughout the Country. New York State has a Ban on Construction for Facilities of 50 Megawatts or More for 2027. Texas’s Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has Ordered a Pause on New Interconnections into the State’s Electricity Grid. Arizona has Approved a Moratorium on Sales-Tax Exemptions. Illinois and Ohio are also Pausing some Incentives. Florida, typically Averse to Regulation, now Requires Hyperscalers to Bear their Own Electricity Costs. Virginia, Home to the World’s Largest Data Center Hubs in its Data Center Alley, has Adopted a New Eelectricity Tax. And Maine Voters recently Approved a Moratorium, which Gov. Janet Mills Vetoed. There are also more than 24 Local Moratoriums and Prohibitions in Michigan alone, with Local Actions in more than a Dozen other States.

This Populist Surge has also reached the Western U.S., where Water can be Scarce, Land is Plentiful and Electricity has Historically been Relatively Inexpensive. Arizona Surpassed One Gigawatt (GW) of Data Center Consumption, and has recently Ppassed the 2 GW mark. Nevada is approaching a Gigawatt of Capacity. Utah continues to look Attractive to Data Center Developers, even as One Ambitious Project has been Scaled back by 75%, amid Calls for Greater Transparency, Impact Reviews and Protection from Rising Electricity Rates. The Moratoriums reflect a Sense that Data Center Developers are moving Faster than Communities can Assess the Consequences and that the AI Boom Fueling much of that Growth may Promise Job Displacement and other Social Costs alongside Economic Opportunity.

There are also Real Constraints on Providing the Electricity that the Next Generation of Data Centers will Require. IDCA Global Data Center Report (2026) Research shows that the U.S. now Devotes 6% of its Total Electricity Grids to Data Centers. Should AI Driven Growth Double or Triple its current Usage, or push Demand substantially Bbeyond that, the Pressure on the Grid could Shift from Unacceptable to Uunsustainable without Hundreds of Billions of Dollars in Investment in New Energy Infrastructure. There are already Serious Strains in several U.S. Data Center Hubs, with Waiting Llists for New Connections to Local and Rregional Electricity Grids Stretching Out to 2032 in Virginia, other Southern States and the Midwest.

According to the same Report, those Constraints are Changing the Traditional Relationship between Data Centers and Utilities. Rather than Acting as Large Utility Customers, some Data Center Developers are Exploring their Own Power Operations and Generating Electricity On Site. Some Initiatives Plan to use Large Natural Gas Turbines to meet that Demand, but the Larger Imperative is to develop New, Sustainable Energy Resources capable of Supporting the AI Data Center Buildout. Nuclear Energy is Part of that Mix. Although it is Not a Renewable, it is a Low-Carbon Source of Electricity because it Produces No Operational Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.

The Problem is Ttiming. The U.S. added Slightly more than 50 GW of New Renewable Energy to its Grids in 2025, Representing about 10% of its Total Electricity Consumption. China, by Comparison, added almost 450 GW of Renewable Capacity, roughly Equivalent to the Entire Electricity Consumption of the U.S. The U.S. is simply Not moving Quickly Enough to Develop New Energy Resources at a Scale that AI Demand could Require.

Nuclear Ambitions may be Growing, but it has been Decades since a Traditional Nuclear Plant went into Operation. Newer Small Modular Reactors, which are Planned to Produce Several Hundred Megawatts Compared with Roughly Two Gigawatts for a Traditional Facility, are Nnot Expected to come Online until 2028 at the Earliest.

There is some Progress, of course. Google has Signed Agreements for nearly 35 GW of New Sustainable Eenergy over the past 15 years, with efforts Accelerating last year, and into 2026. Microsoft is also working to Rrestart a Nuclear Pplant in Pennsylvania, Specifically to Support its AI Ddata Ccenter Initiatives. At the same time, Ddata Center Ttechnology is becoming more Efficient. GPUs from Nvidia and its Competitors are delivering more Computing Power per Wwatt. Facilities can Operate at Hhigher Temperatures, and High-Performance Closed-Loop Liquid Cooling is becoming more Common in New Facilities.

But Technological Progress does Not Erase the Underlying Tradeoffs. The Fact remains that the U.S. still Needs to Accelerate Renewable-Energy Development. Nuclear Facilities require Substantial amounts of Water for Cooling. Even Natural Gas Turbines are Seeing Demand Outstrip Supply. And every Solution creates its Own Tradeoffs. Water-Efficient Cooling can Increase Electricity Consumption. On-site Natural-Gas Generation can avoid Waiting years for Grid Connection, but can Dramatically increase Emissions. Renewable Energy Contracts can Add Clean Generation to the Grid without Necessarily Delivering Clean Electricity to a particular Community at every Hour of the Day. There is No Frictionless way to Power the A.I. Eeconomy.

The Result of these Hard Engineering Realities may be that Community Pushback is, ironically, Less Effective than its Organizers Realize. The Energy Industry itself is the Bottleneck, and the Growth of U.S. Data Centers and A.I. Hubs may Ultimately be Slowed more by a Lack of Available Power than by Local Legislative Sentiment. The Virtual Moratoriums Imposed by Energy Bottlenecks carry a Great Opportunity for All Parties to catch their breath and take a Reasoned Look at what Data Centers are, what AI Mmeans for the Economy, and where Development makes the Most Sense.

Responsible Engagement by Communities and the Developers requires looking Beyond a Single Metric, such as Annual Water Consumption or Renewable-Energy Purchases. It Requires Evaluating the Entire Iinfrastructure and Energy Ecosystem: Peak Electricity Demand Cycles, Transmission Requirements, Backup Generation, Water Sources and Quality, Emissions, Local Noise and Heat Generation, Land Use, Road, and Drainage Ssystems, Wworkforce Development and Local Economic Benefits.

Cheap Land and Ttax Incentives are often cited as Primary Criteria for Data Center Site Selection, but they are Only Part of the Equation. Loudoun County, Virginia, is a Good example. The County, on the Western Side of the Washington, D.C., Metro area, is Home to Data Center Alley, the World’s Largest Data Center Hhub. Land in this Area was never the least Expensive in the State, and Today it can Sell for an Astounding $6 Million per Acre forDdevelopment. Even then, many Parcels cannot be made Data-Center ready until 2032,due to Ppower Cconstraints.

Historically, Iincentives have not been the Primary Ddraw for Developers in Loudoun County. Site Selection there, and throughout the U.S., involves a Complicated Mix of Available Power, Transmission Ccapacity, Fiber Connectivity, Lland Ccharacteristics, Cooling Requirements, Permitting Ttaxes, Wworkforce Considerations, Security, Economic Predictability and the Ability to Expand. Today, Power Availability is becoming an even more Decisive Factor. Some Developers are Considering Acquiring or Developing their Own Generation, including Power Generated “behind the grid,” separate from Local Grid Connectivity.

Although there is Interest in Developing Data Centers in some Rural Areas of the Southern States and more Remote Areas of the American West, Developers remain Cognizant of Local Infrastructure, Available Workforces and the Ability to Attract Requisite Talent as Development plans play out. The Best Sites are found where Existing Physical Iinfrastructure is already Adequate, Sufficient Wwater is Genuinely Available, New Power Generation can be Added Proportionally, Connectivity, is Strong and the Land-Use Consequences are Compatible with the Surrounding Community. In other Words, the Best Data Center Strategy is to Find the Right Eecosystems.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

NC Mail-in-Voting has Begun

The 2026 Elections are Uunderway, and even though Election Day itself is still nearly Two months away, the First Votes in the Race have already been Cast. Tens of Thousands of North Carolinians start receiving Mail-in-Ballots this week. The State began Mailing them 9/4/2026 to nearly 50,000 People who have already Requested them and will continue doing so for Weeks to come as more Rrequests come in. The Final Deadline to Request a Mail-in-Ballot is 20/20/2026.

Also 9/4/2026 the State Opened the Online Portal that Military and Ooverseas Voters can use to Vote. At least Nine Voters cast their Ballots before the Eend of the day 9/4/2026, according to Elections Officials. With Uuncertainty swirling around Mail-in-Voting in 2026, due to Changing Rules at the State Level, and Federal Lawsuits, Ppeople may have Questions about how to make sure their Ballots will Count, if they Vote-by-Mail.

“North Carolinians who want to vote by mail: Pay attention to the latest guidance and give yourself plenty of time to get your vote in,” Gov. Josh Stein (D) wrote Friday, as He Decried New State-Level Rules, that will make it more likely that People’s Ballots could be Thrown-Out in 2025.

Request a Ballot Online, In-Person, or by Mail. Voters have Multiple Options to Request a Mail-in-Bballot. They can do so Online, or by Filling Out a Request Form, and Ssubmitting it either by Mail or In-Person at their County’s Board-of-Elections Office. Anyone can Vote-by-M mail. Unlike some States that require an Excuse, North Carolina allows Anyone to Vote-by-Mail. However, the Vast Mmajority of Voters Cast their Bballots in Pperson.

Important Deadlines: The Final Day to Request a Mail-in-Ballot is 10/20/2026 at 5 p.m. However, Officials are Advising Ppeople Not-to-Wait until the last minute to Request a Ballot, if they Plan to Vote-by-Mail. Under a 2023 Change to State Law, Bballots Not Received by Election Day will be Thrown in the Trash. So bring your Ballot to the post Office, and ask to have them Time Staped.

Limits on Who Can Help: Voters should be Careful when requesting Ballots for Oother Ppeople, or when getting Help Filling Out or Returning their own Bballot. Most of the time, the Oonly People who can Help are someone’s “Close Relatives.” That Rule doesn’t Aapply for Ddisabled Ppeople. But for Everyone else, a Close Relative is Defined as your Sspouse, Brother, Ssister, Parent, Gandparent, Child, Grandchild, Mother-in-Law, Father-in-Law, Daughter-in-Law, Son-in-Law, Stepparent, or Stepchild.

Track your Ballot’s Progress. You can Follow your Ballot through the Mail, and the Full Ccounting Pprocess, using an Aapp North Carolina has Partnered with called BallotTrax. It can give Voters Peace of Mind that their Ballot wasn’t Llost in theMmail, or allow Tthem the Knowledge to go try and Vote a Different Wway, if it does look like the Ballot wasn’t Delivered.

You don’t have to Mail your Mail-in-Bballot. There are other Ooptions for People who don’t Trust the Mail, or who don’t have $1.98 worth of Sstamps, or who might be Worried that Mail Services won’t Deliver their Ballot by the 11/3/2026 Deadline. You can Hand-Ddeliver your Filled-in- Ballot Two ways: At your County's Early-Vvoting Llocations during the Eearly Voting Pperiod from 20/15-31/2026, or at your County Elections Ooffice. Just make sure to do so before Ppolls Close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

If you request a Mail-in-Ballot, you don’t have to Use it. Every year Thousands of People Request Mail-in-Ballots, but End-Up either Not Vvoting, or Vvoting-in-Person. You can Request and Receive a Mail-in-Ballot but then go Vote during Eearly Voting or on Election Day instead. There’s No further Ssteps needed to Cancel your Mail-in-Ballot. It will be Automatically Canceled, once you Vvote some other way.

But don’t Vote Twice. The Rules over Mail-in-Voting can Confuse some People, including President Trump (R), who gave North Carolina Voters Ffaulty Iinstructions in 2020, that could’ve led to Voter Fraud Charges for Anyone who did what Hhe said. Trump told His Supporters who had already Voted-by-Mail to go Vote in Person, to Test the System’s Ability to Catch possible Fraud. Voting twice is Illegal, the State Board of Elections Chimed in to tell Voters at the time. It’s also a Felony under North Carolina Law,to induce Someone to Vvote Twice, although Trump was never Charged for His Comments. Facebook Blocked Peope from Sharing Videos of Trump’s Comments, due to Voter Fraud Concerns.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker