May 8th, 2025: Will Ukraine Crash Putin’s Big Parade? & Another Navy Jet Lost
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It's Thursday, the 8th of May. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off today in Moscow, where foreign leaders are gathering for Vladimir Putin's big Victory Day celebrations, even as President Zelenskyy delivers a stark warning: Ukraine can't guarantee their safety.

Later in the show, a second $60 million Navy fighter jet crashes into the sea in as many weeks, raising questions about what's happening on America's carriers Plus, a suspected terrorist, recently deported from the US and now in custody in Brazil, was allegedly plotting to carry out a mass attack at a Lady Gaga concert with a plan to livestream executions and bomb the stage

And in the back of the brief, remember former President Biden's floating dock for Gaza? Well, the one that was going to be used to deliver aid? That one. A new Pentagon report reveals it didn't just cost hundreds of millions, it also left more than 60 U.S. service members injured. But first, today's PDB Spotlight.

Ukrainian forces are intensifying their campaign of drone warfare inside Russian territory, just as some world leaders arrive in Moscow for Russian President Putin's Victory Day celebrations on Friday, commemorating, of course, the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

On Tuesday evening, the two Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down by Russian air defenses as they made their way towards Moscow. The activity came less than one day after Ukraine bombarded a dozen regions of Russia in a massive aerial attack that forced Moscow's four airports to temporarily suspend flights. While no casualties were reported in the Moscow region during the attack,

Russia's defense ministry said that their air defenses had intercepted a total of 105 Ukrainian drones, including 19 near the Russian capital. That's according to a report from The Guardian. But at least two people were injured in the Kursk region during the bombardment, while infrastructure damage was reported in the southern Russian city of Voronezh. The drone barrage also shut down nine other regional airports and

triggered fresh concerns over the security of Russia's domestic airspace just before Victory Day on Friday. The drone campaign appears to be an effort by leaders in Kyiv to unnerve the Kremlin ahead of the country's most symbolic holiday. 29 foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, will be in attendance. Kyiv, however, has remained silent on the strikes.

They come ahead of a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire recently announced by Putin, set to begin on the 8th of May. The Kremlin described the move as a "humanitarian gesture" intended to coincide with Victory Day ceremonies, which will feature a major military parade in Moscow's Red Square. Now, if one were cynical of Putin's motives, one could suspect the only reason he's called for the ceasefire

is to try and avoid the embarrassment of Xi Jinping and other leaders ducking for cover as Ukrainian drones buzz the parade. Ukrainian President Zelensky has rejected the ceasefire proposal as little more than a public relations maneuver designed to placate visiting dignitaries. Notable attendees besides Xi include Putin allies Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

That's quite the cabal. Zelensky issued a veiled warning to Putin and the dignitaries bound for the parade, recently stating, quote, Zelensky elaborated, saying arsons or explosions could be carried out in the Russian capital in an attempt to blame Ukraine and further inflame diplomatic tensions at a time when the U.S. is pursuing a peace deal.

As a reminder, Zelensky continues to back a more expansive 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington that the Putin regime has so far rejected.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, brushed off Zelensky's remarks as, quote, just a verbal provocation, nothing more. But the Kremlin appears to be erring on the side of extreme caution. Security measures have been tightened across Moscow, with critical facilities in the capital being placed under reinforced protection. The Kremlin has also redeployed a number of air defense systems to the region. Medvedev issued a threat of his own against Ukraine, saying, quote,

In the event of a real provocation on Victory Day, no one will guarantee that the 10th of May will come in Kyiv The festivities mark the largest gathering of foreign leaders in Russia since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022 A display of support that the Putin regime, of course, will undoubtedly capitalize on to show that they're not isolated on the foreign stage

Military units from 13 countries, including China, will participate in the Red Square parade alongside Russian troops and military vehicles Notably, however, the Kremlin has said that North Korean troops who have been fighting and dying alongside Russian forces will not take part in the parade Those North Korean troops, of course, are for cannon fodder, not parade grounds But representatives of the hermit kingdom will reportedly be in attendance

Ukraine, meanwhile, has asked EU leaders to gather in Kiev on the same day in a show of diplomatic unity as fighting continues to rage along the front lines. All right, coming up after the break, another U.S. Navy jet crashes into the sea and a terrorist suspect deported from the U.S. is now in custody in Brazil after allegedly plotting a mass attack at a Lady Gaga concert. I'll be right back.

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My name is Mike Slater. I have a podcast called Politics by Faith. I was just talking to a friend of mine who said he hasn't been able to follow the news lately. It's been too much. It's too crazy. It's driving him crazy.

and he's just checked out. If you feel that way sometimes too, I think you'll really like our podcast, Politics by Faith. We take the main story of the day and we run it through the Bible. What does the Bible say about this? It's amazing, but it's all there. And then God tells us what to do. We don't even have to figure it out. The answers are right there. He gives us the answers. Politics by Faith. Please join us over there. You can listen to it wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. Politics by Faith.

Welcome back to the PDB. For the second time in less than two weeks, a $60 million F/A-18 Super Hornet has splashed into the Red Sea off the deck of the USS Harry Truman, this time during a failed landing attempt. Preliminary reports indicate a possible malfunction of the arresting gear during the landing sequence on Tuesday, forcing both the pilot and the weapons systems officer to eject moments before the aircraft struck the water.

The pair were rescued by helicopter and sustained only minor injuries. That's according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN. The aircraft remains submerged in the Red Sea.

The Pentagon has acknowledged the incident and stressed that the jet was not brought down by enemy fire. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, quote, we can confirm that this aircraft was not struck by the Houthis, adding that the carrier strike group remains, in his words, quote, fully mission capable. Well, that is exactly what they said after the previous loss of a jet.

As we reported on the PDB in late April, another $60 million Super Hornet rolled off the flight deck while under tow in the hangar bay. In that case, Navy officials said the carrier executed a sudden evasive maneuver to dodge incoming fire from Houthi terrorists, causing the tow crew to lose control of the jets. No injuries were reported.

Taken together, the back-to-back incidents underscore mounting operational strain aboard the Truman, which has come under near-constant harassment from the Iran-backed terror group since deploying to the region back in December. CNN reports that the carrier was targeted by Houthi fire as recently as Tuesday morning, the same day as the crash. As we've been tracking, in a surprise turn that same morning, President Trump, in a news conference at the White House, declared a ceasefire deal with the Houthis.

The commander-in-chief told reporters, quote, they just don't want to fight, adding the U.S. would accept their, quote, capitulation and halt airstrikes on Yemen immediately, although ongoing reports from the Houthi political wing have not officially conceded defeat.

Now, the Truman's current deployment has been anything but routine. In December, one of its F-18s was accidentally shot down by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. Both aviators survived. In February, the carrier collided with a civilian merchant vessel while transiting the Mediterranean near Egypt. The investigation into this latest incident, well, it remains ongoing.

Alright, moving on to Brazil A man recently deported from the US is now accused of plotting a mass casualty attack at Lady Gaga's record crowd-setting concert in Brazil reportedly with plans to livestream child executions and bomb the stage

Authorities arrested 44-year-old Luis Da Silva and a 17-year-old boy just hours before Saturday's show on Copacabana Beach, which drew more than 2 million fans, surpassing even Madonna's all-time record for a solo performance. Now, I'll be honest, I do pride myself on being a font of useless knowledge, but I had no idea that Madonna previously held the record for crowd attendance at a solo performance.

Investigators say Da Silva had planned to carry out a, quote, satanic ritual during Gaga's performance, accusing the singer herself of promoting Satanism and LGBTQ plus values. His alleged goal? To kill children during the concert and broadcast the murders live online. According to investigators, Da Silva operated a violent extremist network on the messaging platform Discord.com.

where he and his teenage accomplice trafficked in child pornography, anti-LGBTQ+ extremism, and misogynistic propaganda, all while attempting to radicalize others, particularly minors, into carrying out similar acts of terror. The psycho freak's online activity reportedly tipped off investigators.

Police say the plot included the use of Molotov cocktails and explosive backpacks. The arrests were part of a wider multi-state crackdown spanning four Brazilian states where nine additional suspects were also taken into custody. One of them, a 16-year-old, confessed to producing hate content for Da Silva's network, though he denied participating in the bombing plans. A particular concern is the fact that Da Silva had only been deported from the U.S. last month. The

The circumstances behind his deportation remain murky Brazilian authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his removal from the U.S. including whether U.S. officials flagged him as a threat

Shockingly, I do mean shockingly, da Silva was arrested solely on an illegal firearms charge. He was released on bail earlier this week in a decision that has, as you might imagine, sparked outrage across Brazil. Let me repeat that. He was released earlier this week. The 17-year-old accomplice, meanwhile, has been charged with possession of child pornography, but authorities have not confirmed whether he remains in custody.

Despite the scale and seriousness of the threat, Lady Gaga and her team were never informed of the plot. In a statement following the concert, a representative of the singer said, "...prior to and during the show, there were no known security concerns, nor any communication from police or authorities to Lady Gaga about any potential risks."

Authorities later defended the decision not to warn Gaga, arguing that public disclosure could have sparked panic among the massive crowd. For her part, Gaga is keeping a poker face. See what I did there? She hasn't commented publicly on the incident. Police say that their rapid intervention helped pull the concert back from the brink of a mass casualty terror event, saving Gaga fans from the edge of disaster and letting them dance to the edge of glory instead.

Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't write that line, but I did agree to read it. So, yeah, I apologize. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief. What was billed as a humanitarian triumph has quietly turned into a costly fiasco. A new Pentagon report says former President Biden's floating pier for Gaza injured more than 60 American service members during its construction and short, limited operation. I'll have those details next.

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In today's Back of the Brief, a new report out of the Department of Defense has revealed that former President Biden's ill-fated Gaza floating pier was a more disastrous project than previously known. As you may recall, back in March of 2024, the Biden administration greenlit the building of a floating pier off the coast of Gaza as part of a broader initiative to get aid into the battered enclave.

But the project quickly turned into a $230 million boondoggle and was shut down after just 20 days of being operational. In short, the controversial project was a large-scale failure that became a source of embarrassment for the previous administration.

Now we're learning, according to a report from the Pentagon's Inspector General, that more than 60 U.S. service members were injured during the construction and operation of the pier. The IG report also found that the Army and Navy failed to properly plan, prepare, train for, and coordinate the mission, and that the Biden administration ignored multiple warnings that the project was not meeting safety standards. Just a reminder, in case you didn't follow the saga of the Gaza dock,

The pier was made up of two components: a large floating dock made up of steel segments and a two-lane, 1,200-foot causeway. The causeway part of the project was composed of a series of interconnected 40-foot steel pieces linked together and attached to the shore. The shaky design left the pier vulnerable to the elements and it suffered repeated damages and was relocated multiple times due to adverse weather.

Last May, the Pentagon had said three of the more than 1,000 U.S. troops that were involved in executing the project suffered non-combat injuries while operating the pier, with one medically evacuated with critical injuries. One of those injured tragically died in October while under long-term medical care. That's according to the New York Post.

The new Inspector General report, however, put the number of injured troops at 62. Now, while it's not exactly clear why that figure has not previously been disclosed, it appears it may have to do with the negligent planning that went into building the structure. The report states, "...the Army and Navy did not allocate sufficient maintenance, manning, or training, and also, quote, did not organize, train, and equip to a common joint standard."

It further states that the pier's designers, quote, did not fully consider mission-specific information requirements such as beach conditions, average sea states, and other factors that affect the ability to successfully plan and conduct operations, end quote. Yes, when designing a floating pier, well, no point in considering the beach or sea conditions.

In addition to the staggering $230 million price of building and operating the pier for 20 days, the report said the disorganized nature of the construction contributed to the damage of 27 watercraft and other equipment that cost roughly $31 million in repairs. We should note only a fraction of the aid that the pier was intended to deliver ever made its way into Gaza over the 20 days that it was operational.

And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Thursday, the 8th of May. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com. And, of course, to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can do that, and you can do it very simply. Just become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I told you it was simple. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed.

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