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Plus, as thousands gather in Yemen to mourn leaders killed by Israel, the group raids UN offices and takes at least 11 staff members into custody. And in today's back of the brief, the girlfriend of FBI Director Cash Patel is suing a former FBI agent agent turned podcaster after he accused her of being a Mossad honeypot sent to seduce America's top law enforcement official. Seriously? You know, on the one hand, being called a honeypot is, is kind of flattering, but I, I suppose I get her point. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. We've been following the story of China's massive Victory day parade scheduled for tomorrow. The planned spectacle in Tiananmen Square marking 80 years since Japan's surrender in World War II. We've talked about the pageantry, the political message and even the A list despots who will be in attendance like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Oh, they are A list despots. But today I want to dig into what really matters. The weapons that Beijing is rolling out for the world to see. Because for all the high stepping soldiers and flyovers, the parade is about showcasing China's future arsenal and sending a not so subtle message to the US and its allies. Lets start with the headliners China's hypersonic anti ship missiles. These are built with one purpose in sinking US aircraft carriers. They travel at speeds above Mach 5, maneuver in flight to avoid interception, and pack enough punch to cripple or sink the backbone of American naval power. It's the clearest example of China's anti access area denial strategy. Make the Pacific so dangerous that US Forces think twice about operating there. But the carrier killer missiles aren't the only new toys that Beijing wants to show off. Parade rehearsals have already revealed autonomous systems, tanks and drones that move without crews. Meant to show China's vision of a battlefield dominated by machines. Satellite photos also spotted unmanned surface and underwater vehicles lined up for display. These are designed to stalk the sea, slaying mines, harassing US Ships and denying access to key waterways. Then there's the directed energy arsenal, lasers, and high powered microwave weapons. The details are scarce, and analysts claim that many may not be fully battle ready. Another major category on display, electronic warfare platforms. Now, these are the jammers, the signal scramblers, the systems designed to blind enemy radar and shut down GPS on a battlefield, that can mean planes that can't find their way, missiles that miss their targets, and ships that suddenly lose their bearings. It doesn't make for flashy parade footage. I mean, they're definitely not as exciting as elephants in those Shriner minicars, but they're critical components of modern warfare. The air component is also worth noting. Expect to see the KJ 600 early warning aircraft, China's knockoff of the US Navy's E2 Hawkeye. It is designed to fly off carriers, extend surveillance deep into the Pacific, and provide command and control for strike groups. Combine that with hypersonic missiles and swarms of drones, and you start to see the picture that Beijing wants to paint. A military that can not only defend its shores, but project power outward. Now, it all sounds somewhat intimidating, but here's the big question facing Western how much of this is real capability and how much of it is theater? Experts point out that parades are designed to impress, not necessarily to reflect operational readiness. Towing a missile down the boulevard is one thing. Proving it works under combat conditions is, well, quite another. Directed energy weapons, in particular remain untested in real battles. And autonomous systems, well, they always look great in demonstrations, but they're notoriously difficult to operate in the messy, unpredictable environment of war. Still, there's no denying the intent. Beijing wants the world, and especially Washington, to see that it's closing the gap and in some areas, may be even pulling ahead. Well, that would be in part thanks to their Decades long aggressive effort to steal key research and development from the US and allies. Xi's regime wants to plant the idea in the minds of US Planners. The Pacific is no longer an uncontested American lake. Sending a carrier strike group into those waters could mean staring down hypersonic missiles, swarms of drones and an electronic battlefield tilted in China's favor. So while the cameras capture the marching soldiers in the fireworks and the distinct lack of elephants and clowns and the smiling dignitaries in the reviewing stand, remember what the real show is. It's a look at China's weapons catalog. Hypersonics, drones, lasers, jammers, all carefully choreographed to send one unmistakable message that China is ready for the war of the future. All right, coming up next, suspected Russian GPS jamming rattles Europe's top official. And in Yemen, the Houthis storm UN offices and seize aid workers. 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, when you hear about inflation worries, or maybe when you hear that the national debt in the US is over $37 trillion, or maybe you look around and see a fair amount of global uncertainty, do you ever think to yourself, maybe now, well, maybe now would be a good time to buy some gold. It's a, it's a logical thought. Whether as a hedge against inflation or peace of mind during global instability, or just for sens diversification. Birch Gold Group believes that every American should own some physical gold. And so they've created something special. 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Welcome back to the PDB Moscow is continuing its shadow war over European skies. On Sunday, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was targeted by GPS jammers on approach to Bulgaria, forcing pilots to improvise with ground based systems. The disruption occurred as the aircraft approached the southern city of Plovdiv when the satellite signal was suddenly, in the words of Bulgarian officials, neutralized. Air traffic controllers guided the EU chief's plane to safety as the crew reverted to paper maps and manual procedures. The flight landed without incident, but the alarm that it set off was unmistakable. An EU spokesman confirmed the episode on Monday, citing Bulgaria's conclusion that the GPS jamming was due to blatant interference by R. Brussels, however, stops short of saying von der Leyen herself was deliberately targeted, although it's quite the coincidence that she was on board the jammed flight. The Kremlin dismissed the EU spokesman's charge outright. There's a shock, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov telling the Financial Times the allegation was incorrect. The danger, however, is anything but hypothetical for those unfamiliar. GPS jamming works by overwhelming weak satellite signals with stronger ground based broadcasts. When jammed, air crews may be forced to switch the GPS off altogether for the remainder of the flight. That's a risky maneuver during takeoff and landing in particular, when precision is obviously paramount. While airports do have backup systems for GPS malfunction, the symbolism of jamming the European Commission president's flight made the security risks impossible to ignore. Von der Leyen was midway through a four day tour of EU states bordering Russia, Belarus and the Black sea. It's a trip explicitly designed to highlight Europe's exposure to hybrid threats, as the EU spokesman put it. She has seen firsthand the everyday challenges of threats coming from Russia and its proxies. Brussels, the spokesman added, will only double down on its unshakable commitments to ramp up defense capabilities and support for Ukraine. Already, the bloc is moving to harden its defenses. Brussels announced plans to launch more satellites into low earth orbit, aiming both to reduce reliance on GPS and sharpen the ability to detect interference. The EU defense commissioner warned on Monday that Europe must invest in resilience against interference as such attacks grow more common. Last year, Estonia accused Russia of disrupting airline GPS across the Baltics. That incident forced Finnair to turn back two commercial flights to hels when landing procedures became unsafe. Each case, officials warn, looks less like a coincidence and more like a pattern, as Moscow is systematically probing Europe's ability to withstand electronic disruption. Okay, turning to Yemen, the spectacle in Sanaa on Monday was one of grief and revenge. Thousands poured into the Grand Mosque to mourn the dozen senior Houthi officials killed last week in an Israeli airstrike that gutted much of the rebel group's cabinet. As we previously discussed, the Thursday strike was the first to significantly target the Houthi leadership, ripping through a gathering where the Iran backed terror group's officials assembled to watch a televised speech by leader Abdul Malik al Houthi. Among the dead was Prime Minister Ahmed Ghalib al Rawi, more a figurehead than a power broker, leaving his deputy, Mohammad Mifta to step in from the pulpit. Miftah vowed revenge against Jerusalem and unveiled a proposed crackdown on suspected Israeli spies within the rebel strongholds. While the crowd thundered the Houthis familiar chant of quote, God is great, Death to America, Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews, victory to Islam, end quote. Well, that sounds mostly peaceful. In the days following the strike, Jerusalem framed the operation as a precision hit on the Houthis defense hierarchy, targeting figures like Chief of staff and Defense Minister Mohammed al Atifi, commander of the Missiles Brigade group. His fate remains uncertain currently, as Israeli officials say they're still verifying results of the airstrikes. Malik al Houthi, Tehran's most visible ally in Yemen, survived the airstrike, preserving a crucial Iranian proxy head as the regime's other proxies, such as Hezbollah, remain severely fractured. And with Hamas under intensifying pressure to capitulate in Gaza, the backdrop to last week's strike was clear. As we reported on the pdb, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile armed with a cluster munition at Ben Gurion Airport last month, the first such weapon fired at Israel since 2023. The missile, which fragmented midair, triggered sirens across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and much of central Israel, forcing millions into shelters. Thursday's strike, Israeli officials said, was a direct response to that provocation. Still, Dahouti's ambitions extend well beyond the borders of Israel. Following the US Brokered deal in May when President Trump halted an American bombing campaign on the rebels in exchange for assurances of safe passage in Red Sea shipping lanes, the terrorists have pressed on against Israeli linked targets. As we've been tracking, that May agreement solely covered US Vessels, not those tied to Israel. And on Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for firing a missile at a Liberia flagged Israeli owned tanker near a Saudi port. The Houthis escalation is also reaching international institutions. Over the weekend, rebels stormed UN offices in Sana', A, detaining at least 11 staff from the World Food Program, World Health Organization, and unicef. The Houthis seized property, interrogated employees, and tried to storm other compounds, forcing the international agencies into emergency headcounts across rebel held areas to ensure staff safety. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the raids, of course, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of detained personnel, warning that harassment of aid workers undermines humanitarian operations. Well, he's not wrong. These raids fit a pattern, of course. As longtime PDB listeners will recall, the Houthis have detained dozens of UN Staff, aid workers and civil society members in recent years, even forcing a UN Suspension of aid in the northern rebel stronghold of Sada back in January after eight employees were captured. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief, the girlfriend of FBI Director Cash Patel sues a podcaster for calling her a Mossad honeypot. More on that story when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, you've heard me talk about a terrific company. It's called Jacked Up Fitness and their amazing all in one home gym, Right? For home fitness, it is a complete game changer. But now I want to tell you about something else from this terrific team. Don and his folks know that many people are short on time and, and frankly, short on money, but they still want to get fit. So listen to this. Now you can start your fitness journey for under $60 and in just six minutes each day. Think about that. Introducing the all new. Oh, standby for a blast from the past. Introducing the all new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness. You remember that 15 years ago, the original Shake Weight shook the world. And now the fitness legend returns. Bigger, better and to perform. Why now? Well, I am glad you asked because science has finally caught up with the importance of explosive power and fast twitch muscle training. And that's something that the Shake Weight delivers in a compact, powerful way for beginners, for heavy lifters, and for serious athletes alike. The spring loaded weights on each end send shock waves of energy throughout your whole upper body, forcing your muscles to contract up to 240 times per minute. Beginners can tone and tighten their arms and shoulders, and chest lifters can prime their upper bodies in between sets and get that final burn, while athletes can sharpen reaction times and build explosive power for that competitive edge. The Shake Weight is no joke. It's serious training made simple. So if you're looking for a fun way to jump start or supercharge your fitness routine, get the all new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness. Just visit jacked upshakeweight.com again. That's jacked up shakeweight.com in today's back of the Brief an unusual story. Well, that's putting it diplomatically. The girlfriend of sitting FBI Director Cash Patel is suing a former FBI whistleblower turned podcaster for $5 million. Why, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked, because the podcaster accused her of being a Mossad honeypot sent to seduce and compromise the Bureau's top man. Now, this is an actual story. I am not. I am not making it up. The woman at the center of this case is 26 year old Alexis Wilkins. She's a country singer based in Tennessee and also works for the conservative outlet Prageru. She's been dating Patel for nearly two years and their relationship has been public. She's posted photos, she's appeared with him at events, even standing alongside President Trump after Patel was tapped to lead the FBI earlier this year. Enter Kyle Seraphin. He's a former counterterrorism agent and whistleblower with the FBI's Washington Field Office who now makes a living as a podcaster. According to the complaint, on his Aug. 22 broadcast, he let loose a fairly salacious claim. Seraphin told his listeners that Patel's much younger girlfriend was actually a, quote, former Mossad agent, a foreign spy running a honeypot operation. He didn't use Wilkins name, but the reference was pretty obvious. Unless the FBI director has multiple country singer girlfriends, which is not impossible. But it does seem unlikely. Seraphin even mocked Patel's appearance, claiming that a woman like Wilkins couldn't possibly be in the Relationship for love. Now, if you're not familiar with what a honey pot is, it's not just Winnie the Pooh's favorite snack receptacle, one that often got stuck on his nose. Honestly, A.A. mill, not to digress, but A. A Milne really nailed it. Winnie the Pooh is one of the great, if not the greatest children's characters. But I, again, I, I do digress. All right, back to the honeypots. In espionage circles, the term refers to an intelligence operation where someone uses romance or sex. Okay, it's almost always sex as bait to lure in a target. The idea is to compromise them either emotionally, financially, or, well, with sex, so they can be manipulated into handing over secrets. It's one of the oldest ploys in these spycraft toolkit. So now Wilkins is fighting back with a $5 million lawsuit filed in federal court in Austin, Texas. She says the accusations are a total fabrication, designed to juice Seraphin's podcast clicks and bring in ad revenue. And the complaint makes an important point. Seraphin wasn't just some random dude on the Internet. He carried the credibility of a former FBI agent, someone who presents himself as exposing secrets from inside the system. So his words, well, sounded less like gossip and more like an insider's revelation. Her lawyers note that Wilkins isn't Jewish, has never traveled to Israel, and has never worked for any intelligence service. They argue the claims amount to accusing her of espionage and even treason. Serious charges to throw around in the court of public opinion, of course, especially for someone who's built her brand around being a patriotic, conservative Christian singer. The suit says Seraphin acted with, quote, actual malice, the legal standard for defamation against public figures. Meaning that he knew what he was saying was false or he showed reckless disregard for the truth. Well, that would be the first time that somebody in the media of any sort has shown reckless disregard for the truth. For Wilkins, the consequences are real. She says her career as a performer and her reputation as a conservative Christian voice have taken a hit. For Seraphin, the case is likely to test just how far the protections of online commentary and just asking questions really go. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday, 2nd September. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please, by all means, reach out to me at pdb@the first tv.com and of course, to listen to the show ad free, which you can do. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today. With the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.