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The President's Daily Brief
August 28th, 2025: Ukraine Reveals ‘Game Changing’ Cruise Missile & Israel Expands Hospital Inquiry
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Plus, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says top Pentagon officials are seriously debating whether the US Government should become a shareholder in America's biggest defense companies because, well, if any entity is the picture of efficiency and budget discipline and nimbleness, well, it would be the US Government. So why not give it the opportunity to help run commercial businesses? And in today's Back of the Brief, we'll have the details on the shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. Another school shooting. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. I want to start today with a story that flew under the radar but has massive implications for the war in Ukraine. Kyiv has just unveiled a weapon that could change the direction of its fight with Russia. It's called the FP5, nicknamed the Flamingo because every, every weapon needs a cool nickn. It is Ukraine's first domestically built long range cruise missile with the ability to hit targets nearly 1,900 miles away, putting it deep inside Russian territory. President Zelensky announced last week that the Flamingo has passed successful testing and will enter mass production this winter. The missile is built by the Ukrainian defense startup Firepoint. It carries a warhead weighing more than a ton and strikes with enough force to punch through hardened targets before detonating. For comparison, that's about twice the payload of a US Tomahawk crew cruise missile and with nearly double the range, putting almost all of Russia's critical infrastructure within reach. Ukrainian officials say production is already underway at one missile per day, with plans to ramp up to seven per day by October, meaning Kyiv could be cranking out as many as 2,500 missiles a year, if my math is somewhat correct. An interesting note about the nickname. Early prototypes reportedly came off the assembly line painted pink due to a manufacturing mishap, thereby earning the nickname Flamingo. But while the name of the weapon might not strike fear into the hearts of Ukraine's enemies, it does represent a serious shift in Ukraine's military capability. This is the first time that Kiev has been able to field a domestically produced strategic range missile of this scale. Now, before I explain why this is potentially such a big deal, it's worth noting that talk of game changing weapons should always be met with a bit of skepticism. History is full of so called miracle weapons that promised to turn the tide of war, but fell short. But in this case, Ukraine's Flamingo stands out not just because of its range and payload, but because it's one of the first strategic systems that Kyiv can produce and deploy entirely on its own terms. It frees Ukraine from the political strings attached to Western supplied weapons. Washington has restricted the use of American ATACMs against targets inside Russia. And Germany has resisted sending its Taurus missiles, citing fears of escalation. The Flamingo doesn't have those limitations. Kyiv can decide on its own how and when to deploy it. The autonomy is strategically significant because it means Russia can no longer count on Washington or Berlin or the UK to act as a brake on Ukraine's long range strike capability. Second, the Flamingo is a game changer in terms of sheer destructive power. Military analysts point out that its combination of speed, weight and payload make it far deadlier than the drones and smaller cruise missiles Ukraine has largely relied on up to this point. Even if kyiv produced only 30 to 50amonth, experts say the stockpile would have, quote, tangible effects on the war, allowing Ukraine to strike at fuel depots, air bases and command nodes that sustain Russia's invasion. But the impact goes beyond the current battlefield, the Flamingo could transform Ukraine's long term security. If Kyiv eventually fields several thousand of these weapons, it could put at risk a quarter of Russia's economic output by threatening refineries and power plants, factories and transport hubs constantly concentrated around Moscow and other industrial regions. The logic is simple. If Ukraine can credibly threaten to cripple Russia's economy within days, it creates a deterrent powerful enough to make future aggression far less likely. So one could argue the Flamingo is not just about winning today's war. It's about shaping tomorrow's peace. Of course, questions remain. Russia has invested heavily in layered air defenses. The effectiveness of the Flamingo will depend on how well Ukrainian intelligence can map those defenses and exploit gaps. Success will also hinge on whether Kyiv can actually meet its ambitious production targets. A tall order for a country fighting a war and sustaining constant bombardment of its industrial base. Still, the unveiling of the Flamingo marks a milestone. It shows that after three and a half years of full scale war, Ukraine's defense industry is not only surviving, but it's innovating and adapting. And it signals to Moscow and to Kiev's allies that Ukraine still intends to chart its own course in this war. All right, and coming up after the break, the IDF expands its probe into the Nasser hospital strike. And the Pentagon debates taking equity stakes in America's biggest defense contractors. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about protecting your hard earned assets. Now, you've probably looked around out there in the big wide world and you said to yourself, that seems to be a little turmoil in the economy. Well, you wouldn't be wrong. Trade wars and tariffs back and forth. 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Welcome back to the PDB New findings from Israel's preliminary probe into Monday's strike on the Nasser hospital in southern Gaza say Hamas had installed a surveillance camera on the medical plaza's grounds, setting off the chain of events that ended in the fatal strikes. According to the ongoing investigation, Israeli troops from the Golani Brigade identified the camera believed to be monitoring IDF movements. Israel's Southern Command authorized a drone strike to destroy it, but moments later, infantrymen spotted what they thought was a rifle scope near the camera and deemed it an immediate threat, urgently seeking approval to fire. While the Israeli division commander approved tank fire, Southern Command had not. Four shells were ultimately fired, two of them hitting, as rescuers rushed to aid those wounded in the initial blast. Footage from the scene posted by Reuters, shows medics and civilians engulfed in smoke and their faces covered in blood. The number of casualties in the tank strike remains disputed. The Hamas run Gaza Health Ministry put the toll at more than 20, including several journalists, though that figure has not been independently verified. Israel's Channel 12, citing military sources report 18 were killed, among them 10 Hamas operatives, though the IDF has so far only confirmed six terrorists among the dead, including one who took part in the 7 October 2023 terror attacks. As we previously discussed, the dead also included a Reuters cameraman, an Associated Press freelancer and an Al Jazeera contributor killed when the tank fire destroyed a hospital balcony that had long been used by journalists as a vantage point of the city in what's being called one of the deadliest attacks on international media since the war began. IDF Chief of Staff lieutenant general Eyal Zamir has ordered the probe to be expanded to scrutinize the timing of the strike, the munitions used and above all, who authorized the tank fire. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told Reuters. We can confirm that the journalists were not a target of the strike. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's office described the incident as a tragic mishap and said Israel deeply regrets the deaths of innocents. Despite the probe, Hamas rejected Israel's findings outright, insisting none of its operatives were killed at the hospital. The Iran backed terror group's media wing claimed Jerusalem fabricated evidence stating that two of the six men Israel identified, identified as terrorists, had been killed elsewhere. As we mentioned earlier this week, the strike drew sharp international condemnation and continues to do so. The European Union's diplomatic service calls the strike, quote, completely unacceptable and stressed Israel's obligation to protect civilians and journalists under international law, warning, quote, there have been too many fatalities in this conflict. The UN Secretary General also denounced the strike, while the Committee to Protect Journalists said that prior to the incident the war's death toll among media workers at least 192. As our regular listeners know, hospitals in the Strip have become flashpoints in the 22 month war. The IDF has repeatedly accused Hamas of using both Nasser and Shifa hospitals to shelter terrorists, conceal command centers and even hold hostages. Claims backed by testimony from now released captives. Okay. Turning to the U.S. the Trump administration appears to be looking to completely overhaul the relationship between the US Government and America's military industrial base. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said top officials at the Pentagon are, quote, thinking about taking equity stakes in leading private US Defense contracting companies like Lockheed Martin and Palantir. The revelation came just days after the Trump administration acquired 10% of intel stock in a highly controversial deal valued at roughly $9 billion, arguing it was needed to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and strengthen national security. When asked about whether the administration was eyeing similar moves with other companies that do major business with the US Government, Lutnick said their sights were set squarely on the US Defense industry. Lutnick told cnbc, there's a monstrous discussion about defense. I mean, Lockheed Martin makes 97% of their revenue from the U.S. government. They are basically an arm of the U.S. government. But what's the economics of that? I'm going to leave that to my secretary of defense and this Deputy secretary of Defense. These guys are on it and they're thinking about it, end quote. Just a thought, but. Well, perhaps the commerce secretary shouldn't leave the economics of it to the folks running the Defense Department. Maybe that's better left to, I don't know, how about the Commerce Department? Essentially, Lutnick argued that U.S. defense contractors have been disproportionately benefiting from their lucrative relationship with the Pentagon and that the US Government and taxpayers should be yielding some kind of gain from such partnerships. He described the current system as a, quote, giveaway by the government to titans in the defense sector, suggesting the White House wants to fundamentally change the way the Pentagon appropriations are handled. Lutnick said, quote, why shouldn't the US Government say, you know what, we use Palantir services, we would like a piece of Palantir, we use Boeing services, we would like a piece of Boeing. Chairman Mao approves. He added, quote, there's a lot of talking that needs to be had about how we finance our munitions acquisitions, end quote. As I mentioned, the remarks are just the latest example of the White House's strategy to aggressively intervene in the private sector, at least when it comes to companies viewed as critical to the US Economy and maintaining America's strategic technological edge on the international stage. The move to acquire a 10% stake in chipmaker intel, which was seen as lagging behind overseas competitors, followed the White House's intervention in June to help complete the purchase of U.S. steel by Japan's Nippon Steel. In that deal, Trump said he secured a golden share that gives Washington say over its operations in theory to address national security concerns regarding the purchase. That's according to a report from Reuters. In July, the US government also acquired a 15% stake in the rare earths company MP Materials and earlier this month brokered a deal with chip makers Nvidia and AMD to take 15% of all revenues from sales of their chips in China, which were previously banned. Trump said Monday that the government will continue to seek investments in US Companies where there's a benefit to America's strategic long term interests. But the moves have triggered major criticisms from free market proponents who see it as a pivot away from capitalism towards a state engaged economy. Indeed, the intel deal found Trump aligned with some unexpected voices on the left. US Senator Bernie Sanders threw his support behind the intervention of saying, quote, if microchip companies make a profit from the generous grants they receive from the federal government, the taxpayers of America have a right to a reasonable return on that investment. Here's a business tip. If Bernie Sanders thinks your business move is great, you might be venturing into democratic socialist territory. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Rand Paul called the intel deal a, quote, terrible idea, saying, quote, if socialism is government owning the means of production, wouldn't the government owning part of intel be a step towards socialism? End quote. Other critics of the moves warned that they could incentivize the government to put the financial success of these companies ahead of more important strategic considerations. Now when it comes to defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, they warn this could have disastrous downstream effects on America's national security interests. Essentially, the fear is the government starts playing a heavy handed role in picking winners and losers. The government is privy to massive amounts of economic intelligence and information that if used to benefit one company over another because the government holds an interest in that favored company, well, that is solidly varying into a very complex minefield. But Lutnick gave a full throated defense of President Trump's controversial strategy, arguing, if we are adding fundamental value to your business, I think it's fair for President Trump to think about the American people, end quote. So I wonder if the American people get to sit in on the board meetings and vote as shareholders. Or maybe they get dividends. Or maybe I'm just being my usual churlish self. Okay, coming up next, in the back of the brief tragedy at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, a school shooting shatters the start of the new school year. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you've probably noticed on the calendar that Labor Day is fast approaching. And Labor Day is that one interesting American holiday where we celebrate hard work by not working. 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Look, me and my brothers grew up on steaks and roasts and burgers. My pop would be extremely proud to know that I've got a box of steaks named after me this Labor Day. Don't settle for shrink wrapped steak from the megastore. Get the real stuff straight from the Tritails Ranch to your home. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now let's be honest. Most of us on occasion or, well, maybe often are tired, maybe stressed or dealing with some kind of pain, particularly from like a workout. Right. And what do we do? Well, we power through typically because the last thing we want is is yet another prescription taking up space in the medicine cabinet. Well, that's why I'm glad I found CB Distillery. Look, their CBD products are helping so many people, myself included, sleep better, feel more relaxed and ease everyday pain. And the best part? Well, it's all made with premium quality natural ingredients. 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In today's Back of the brief, I want to turn to the sad tragedy that unfolded at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire on students attending a mass on their third day of school, killing two children and wounding at least 17 others. The shooting occurred at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School in South Minneapolis at around 8:30am on Wednesday morning when the shooter fired dozens of rounds through the school's chapel windows at students sitting in pews and before taking his own life, authorities said the children killed were 8 years old and 10 years old. The shooter reportedly used a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol to carry out the killings and had barricaded at least two of the chapel doors from the outside using two by four planks. As of Wednesday afternoon, local hospitals said they were treating 14 children and two adults for gunshot wounds. Two reportedly remain in critical condition. FBI Director Cash Patel said the case was being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics, according to our report from Reuters. Authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting, but Patel identified the killer as 23 year old Robin Westman, according to court records. Westman changed his name in 2020 from Robert to Robin on the grounds that he identified as a female. While all the facts are still coming in, law enforcement sources told the New York Post they're investigating a series of disturbing videos posted by Westman on YouTube in the hours before the massacre. The videos are a descent into what appears to be utter madness, showcasing the profoundly psychotic mind of the killer, detailing his deep obsession with mass shooters and fantasies about killing children, according to the New York post. In one 20 minute video, a person believed to be Westman flips through a handwritten journal that's nothing short of well deranged. He confesses his admiration for Adam Lanza, who carried out the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre that left 20 first grade students and six adults dead, calling it his quote favorite. He also details his decision to target the Annunciation Church where his mother reportedly worked until her retirement in 2021, according to the Post. A second video showcased a cache of weapons, including a semiautomatic rifle and a shotgun, which were covered in writing. Magazines were scrawled with statements like for the children, kill Donald Trump and 6 million wasn't enough, a reference, of course, to the Holocaust. Authorities said the shooter did not have an extensive criminal history. Law enforcement found a smoke bomb at the scene and were also searching what is believed to be the shooter's car for more evidence. The Unstatian Church and Catholic School is a private elementary school with roughly 395 students covering preschool through eighth grade. The school year had only just begun on Monday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian o' Hara told reporters Wednesday this was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible. End quote. Well, he's absolutely right. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Thursday, 28 August. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and to listen to the show ad free, just become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.