“Israel is sitting it out as the U.S. conflict with Iran heats up again, a posture that suits Washington, its Arab allies—and for now Israel itself,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “The U.S. and Israel fought together closely when they launched the war on Iran in February, drawing on each others’ strengths in firepower, intelligence […]

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated the latest cost of the Iran war at $37.5 billion, some $9 billion higher than earlier figures provided by the Defense Department,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “In a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, Hegseth said the estimate covers certain costs for the period from the beginning of the war […]

“The Department of Homeland Security plans to spend more than $30 million for body-worn cameras after the fatal shooting of two immigrants in the past two weeks renewed scrutiny of the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement approach,” NOTUS reports.

“The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), according to two sources familiar with the matter, adding to the mounting legal and ethical scrutiny facing the embattled congressman,” MS NOW reports. “The sources didn’t disclose the focus of the DOJ investigation. But a third source told MS NOW at […]

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the country’s armed-forces chief following protests over both Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy’s handling of the conflict with Russia and Zelensky’s earlier ouster of a defense minister associated with the country’s growing prowess in drone warfare,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Zelensky announced the decision in a televised address Tuesday evening after […]

“The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was withholding an additional $1 billion in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, the second time it has targeted the two states with Democratic governors for suspected fraud in their public health insurance programs,” the New York Times reports. “The federal government will hold more than $867 million in […]

“The late Sen. Lindsey Graham will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda next Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced in a statement,” Politico reports. “Graham’s funeral, arranged by his sister, Sen. Darline Graham, will include an invite-only ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral to be attended by President Donald Trump.”

“A white separatist group is openly planning a network of whites-only settlements across rural America that aim to withstand legal challenges by operating essentially as private clubs,” Axios reports. “The communities are launching in the Ozarks, Appalachia and the South as the Trump administration has backed off prosecuting many civil rights cases.” ”They’re also surfacing […]

While I’m dealing with sporadic internet access, here’s an open thread for Political Wire members. In the meantime, don’t forget that Trending News is updated around the clock with the biggest political stories, while Reader Wire highlights interesting links and observations from fellow members. Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features […]

“Three months into the Iran war, bond market traders are tuning out President Trump’s posts on his personal social media site, Truth Social, analysts say,” Axios reports. “Researchers from JPMorgan show that for the most part, his social media posts are noise, with very little ability to move the market.”

“House Democrats issued a rebuttal to the White House’s attack on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, arguing in a report that the Trump administration cherry-picked quotes, mangled basic facts and misstated who controls the institution — even as House Republicans escalate the fight by summoning the museum’s director to testify Tuesday,” the Washington […]

“President Donald Trump declared Democrat-run States will become the ‘Ghettos’ of the USA if companies and ‘rich people’ keep running away due to hefty taxes,” Mediaite reports. Said Trump: “Rich people and Companies are pouring out of Dumocrat run Blue States at levels never seen before! If this trend continues, these States will become the ‘Ghettos’ […]

Politico: “The war in Iran has entered a bleak new phase.” ”After weeks of fragile peace and stalled negotiations, the weekend deaths of multiple U.S. service members — coupled with new reporting showing there may be more previously undisclosed injuries — have left White House allies afraid the president is rapidly running out of ways […]

“JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said investors are underestimating the risks facing the global economy and that he wouldn’t buy either equities or long-dated U.S. Treasurys at their current prices,” CNBC reports.

“U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday signaled another round of President Donald Trump’s tariffs is on the way,” CNBC reports.

“Former President Joe Biden lost his bid Monday to block the release of audio recordings and transcripts of interviews with his longtime ghostwriter that were used in special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s unlawful hoarding of classified information,” the New York Post reports. “A divided federal appeals court ruled the 46th president’s privacy claims […]

New York Times: “Ever since the United States on July 1 declined to renew the trade deal President Trump negotiated with Canada and Mexico in his first term, the Canadian government, and many Canadians, have been bracing for his administration to try to use pressure tactics to extract concessions on trade.” “On Monday the administration […]

“Tehran and Washington are doubling down on their standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, as a Red Sea blockade risks shutting another key shipping route amid an expanding war,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Pentagon faces an urgent budget shortfall caused largely by the war in Iran, with some critical lines of funding set to run out within weeks even as President Donald Trump escalates the conflict with Tehran, according to lawmakers and current and former U.S. officials,” the Washington Post reports. ”The funding crunch is already leading […]

“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke out Monday after the Trump administration announced a new 50 percent tariff on a range of exports from the U.S.’s northern neighbor,” NewsNation reports. “Carney slammed the new import taxes as ‘the latest in a series of tariffs in direct violation’ of the trade agreement between the U.S. Mexico […]

“President Donald Trump and his White House have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network, a chain of star-spangled convenience stores selling gas at $3.47 per gallon in honor of the 47th president,” the Associated Press reports. “Untangling exactly who is behind the Philadelphia-area venture has proven difficult. Records indicate the chain, which was launched last […]

“FBI Director Kash Patel is planning to visit Russia later this year, likely in mid-October,” Politico reports. ”It would be an unusual and sensitive trip for an FBI chief to one of America’s top adversaries. The plans come as Washington and Moscow continue to be at odds over the war in Ukraine, with U.S. lawmakers […]

Russell Berman: “Closing the gender gap now seems to be an official electoral strategy for Democrats. A couple of months ago, I got a call from a party operative who pitched a story on the Democrats’ effort to ‘win back the manosphere.'” “The operative ran through a list of a half dozen candidates in key […]

“Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn — both Republicans spurned by the Trump administration for not being adequately loyal — are now being actively courted by the White House to confirm a key Cabinet official,” Politico reports. ”The Trump administration is engaging directly with Tillis and Cornyn’s aides as the North Carolina and Texas lawmakers […]

“Troy Jackson is a near-lock to be Maine’s Democratic Senate nominee and officially replace scandal-plagued former nominee Graham Platner on November’s ballot. But he still has to escape the shadow of Platner’s meteoric campaign and disastrous collapse,” Politico reports. ”Even as Jackson dominated the weekend’s county delegate conventions, showing organizing strength that will benefit his […]

“Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels deep inside a mountain last fall, Israeli and U.S. officials say, a development that would heighten concerns that Tehran could reconstitute its nuclear program,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “Israel passed along the intelligence findings to the U.S. saying the centrifuges were transferred to […]

“Democrats could vote as early as this week on the order of their primary calendar for the 2028 presidential election, although the decision wouldn’t be final until the full Democratic National Committee agrees,” the Associated Press reports.

“President Donald Trump’s approval ratings may be sliding, but one political super sense is as sharp as ever: picking a fight with an adversary he casts as the entire Democratic Party,” CNN reports. “Step forward, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.” “It took just days for Trump to jump on Mamdani’s refusal to roll back a […]

“Hunter Biden‘s ongoing rehabilitation tour is about to take a hard right turn with an unorthodox sit-down with Nick Fuentes,” the Hollywood Reporter reports. ”His conversation with the far-right influencer is slated to premiere on web channel Channel 5 News later this month. The much-discussed interview — which nearly ended in fisticuffs — appears to […]

“In the insular world of Maine politics, it’s known as the ‘water bottle incident,'” CNN reports. “The moment happened some five years ago when then-state Senate president Troy Jackson clashed with fellow Democrats during a private meeting inside the state capitol. Jackson, a gruff former logger who has now catapulted into position as the state’s […]