“An analysis of a torrent of public comments submitted on a White House proposal to change the way federal contracts and grants are doled out shows a widespread rebuke of the potential change by scientists and others,” Stat reports.

“President Trump held a Situation Room meeting Tuesday to discuss a massive offensive in Iran that will be wider in scope than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz,” Axios reports. “Trump appears willing to escalate the war to cause enough damage that the Iranian regime will open the Strait of Hormuz and accept […]

“Flights were halted at Ronald Reagan National Airport for several hours on Tuesday, leading to over a hundred canceled flights and cascading delays, due to security measures meant to protect the Iraqi prime minister during his visit to Washington, D.C. during the war with Iran,” CBS News reports.

“On the 136th day of his war against Iran, President Trump came up with a new plan. He would impose tolls on ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for protecting them from Iranian forces,” the New York Times reports. “But that was then. On Day 137, he had another new plan. No tolls […]

“President Donald Trump is planning a primetime address Thursday that will use findings from reexamined government files to argue that the country’s election infrastructure has vulnerabilities,” the Washington Post reports. “Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that the speech would concern voting machines but declined to elaborate.”

“With the U.S. and Iran slugging it out over the Strait of Hormuz again, each nation is running out of time to achieve its goals. The question is whose clock expires first,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “President Trump would prefer a resolution before the November midterm elections and before oil prices surge back to […]

“The cost of the war with Iran could be more than triple the most recent estimate of roughly $30 billion, according to three U.S. officials and three people familiar with the internal cost estimates,” NBC News reports.

“The Eagle has landed.” — E. Jean Carroll, on social media confirming she received more than $5 million awarded in a judgement against Donald Trump.

“President Trump on Tuesday reassumed a belligerent posture toward Iran that echoed his stance at the war’s outset, threatening to destroy civilian infrastructure and refusing to rule out a ground invasion,” the New York Times reports. “In the latest sign that the United States and Tehran were resuming full-scale war.”

“Mike Johnson doesn’t even try to put his phone down anymore,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Almost three years after he took over as House speaker, the Louisiana Republican’s job is more overwhelming than ever. The self-described ‘wartime speaker’ is working to advance the GOP agenda with only a narrow majority while managing unruly colleagues—and […]

“The United Arab Emirates has gained expanded access from the U.S. to coveted artificial-intelligence chips after aiding America in recent months by carrying out dozens of airstrikes against Iran, intercepting hundreds of missiles and keeping oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The move by the U.S. to give greater […]

“Former special counsel Jack Smith obtained text messages that 44 members of Congress sent to senior White House officials during the final weeks of President Donald Trump’s first term,” Politico reports. “The latest exchanges were part of a trove of materials that the National Archives turned over to Smith’s team following a subpoena for White […]

“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said it is incumbent upon television news stations not to air a speech by President Donald Trump set for Thursday,” Mediaite reports. Said Ocasio-Cortez: “He’s basically doing a made-for-TV broadcast about election fraud and conspiracy theories.” She added: “I don’t think we should be contributing to the platforming of lies about […]

“The House voted Tuesday to end Americans’ practice of switching their clocks twice per year, delivering a win for President Donald Trump, who has called for permanent daylight saving time over the objections of medical groups and lawmakers who represent Midwestern states,” the Washington Post reports. “The bill still needs to clear the Senate, where […]

“The lead investor in a South Korean aluminum company that has challenged Commerce Department penalties on certain exports from South Korea to the United States made a $2 million payment last year to President Trump’s holding company,” the New York Times reports. “The payment by the parent company, Base Group, was revealed for the first […]

“President Trump’s new plan to wrest control of the Strait of Hormuz by resuming strikes and reimposing the blockade is his third major shift in military strategy as he searches for a way to turn the tables on Iran in the nearly five-month-old war,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Trump has tried air and missile […]

CNN: “The surprise directive sparked a 24-hour sprint within the administration and across the Middle East to decode the specifics of a proposal that Trump had seemingly come up with on the spot. And while he reversed his plans on Tuesday, the episode further underscored the freewheeling, transactional nature of Trump’s approach to foreign policy, […]

The Atlantic: “The State Department told a court last year that the secretary didn’t use disappearing messages. By this spring, it had dropped that claim.”

“Billionaire Elon Musk likely broke Wisconsin law when he handed out $1 million checks to voters in the 2025 state Supreme Court election, a bipartisan panel has found,” CNN reports. “The Wisconsin Elections Commission, consisting of three Democrats and three Republicans, voted 5-1 in closed session on Thursday to refer the complaints to the district […]

“President Donald Trump ‌on Tuesday said he did not think anybody ​should be able ​to charge a fee for ships ⁠transiting the Strait of ​Hormuz,” Reuters reports. Said Trump: “I don’t like the concept of a fee, but ​at the ​same ⁠time, it’s not fair that ​we’re protecting this Strait ​for ⁠the entire world.” Financial […]

“Privately, most elected Republicans in this building think the president has lost it and is dooming them to dismal losses this fall.” — Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), speaking to reporters.

“Darline Graham has officially filled the South Carolina Senate seat left vacant by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham,” Politico reports. “Republicans’ swift move to fill the late senator’s seat maintains the party’s already slim margin in the chamber as it tries to advance priorities before August recess.” Fox News: “The halls of […]

“As Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House push forward with a third reconciliation bill, many rank-and-file Republicans are growing frustrated about being excluded as top leaders leaned mostly on conservatives in its discussions,” NOTUS reports.

“President Donald Trump plans to use part of a primetime speech Thursday to discuss new findings about the security of American elections, among other topics — setting up yet another high-profile opportunity for the president to dispute the results of the 2020 election he lost,” CNN reports. Said Trump: “It’s really, really big news, and […]

“A new bill that had been championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham would give President Trump fresh authority to impose tariffs on the largest importers of Russian energy, in legislation designed to punish Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The measure, which was expected to be introduced in Congress […]

“President Donald Trump said the FBI was ‘wasting their time’ if they were looking into the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the president, who died on July 11 after a sudden illness,” USA Today reports. “Asked by a reporter whether he had any knowledge of why the FBI was looking into […]

“The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top ally of President Donald Trump and one of Washington’s best-known politicians, is renewing focus on the country’s aging lawmakers,” the AP reports.

“President Trump continued to raise red flags about Spencer Pratt’s election results in his baid for Los Angeles mayor — saying something has to be done about the ‘crooked’ elections in our country,” the New York Post reports.

“Billionaire Ken Griffin has already invested roughly $40 million into this year’s midterm campaigns—a total that could easily double by November—as he works to try to shape the future of the Republican Party and help it hold its House and Senate majorities,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Details of his giving, shared by two people […]

“House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan said Tuesday he is negotiating with a key GOP holdout in hopes of drafting an immigration bill that can help unlock the ongoing floor impasse,” Politico reports. “Jordan (R-OH) said he is speaking with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who is leading a block of hard-line conservatives who are upset GOP […]