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ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to keep pulling over vehicles, signaling his opposition Wednesday to plans announced just a day earlier to suspend most traffic stops following another string of fatal shootings. https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-enforcement-deaths-traffic-stops-3d614361d8354474bc4eb8e37ec26b28?

Alzheimer’s diagnosis Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, best known for landing safely on the Hudson River after birds disabled both of his plane’s engines in 2009, has announced he has Alzheimer’s disease. The 75-year-old recently received an early-stage diagnosis. “This disease ... impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door,” he wrote. Read more.

Trump DOJ Goons Melt Down After Blanche’s Secret Confession Is Leaked It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the acting AG. The Department of Justice has lashed out at a Democratic senator who claimed that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund was a “mistake.” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin made the bombshell claim about Trump’s former personal lawyer while speaking to reporters Tuesday, on the eve of Blanche’s confirmation hearing to lead the DOJ on a permanent basis. “[Blanche said] ‘What more can I do? What more can I say? I made a mistake. I don’t want to see the weaponization fund go forward,’” Durbin, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said. Durbin said he told Blanche to put the admission in writing so it would be more “credible.” He also claimed Blanche told him he would work with Congress to “codify the fact that it’s gone and it’s not going to be used again,” adding that it “seemed like a very weak defense.” Hours after Durbin’s remarks were reported, the DOJ Rapid Response X account suggested the senator misconstrued Blanche’s comments about Trump’s highly controversial taxpayer-funded compensation scheme. “With all due respect to Senator Durbin, it is unfortunate that a cordial private meeting was taken out of context,” the account wrote. “The Acting Attorney General looks forward to answering any and all questions the Senators have [Wednesday]—in public—before the Senate Judiciary Committee.” Blanche’s attempt to establish the “weaponization” scheme is set to be a key line of attack for Democrats during the acting attorney general’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The $1.8 billion slush fund was announced by the DOJ to compensate Trump allies who claim they were wrongfully persecuted by the Biden and Obama administrations, including those convicted of attacking police officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The scheme was announced in exchange for Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service—which taxpayers would ultimately have been on the hook for—alleging that the agency failed to take steps to prevent the leak of his tax returns. The slush fund received such bipartisan condemnation that the DOJ backtracked and announced last month that it would no longer move forward with it. However, Blanche has yet to confirm in writing that the scheme has been canceled. Durbin discussed the one-on-one meeting he had with Blanche on Tuesday on X, but did not mention Blanche’s apparent admission that the slush fund was a mistake. Instead, Durbin provided a laundry list of examples to suggest Blanche has played a key role in “aiding and abetting the most corrupt Administration in history.” “Mr. Blanche is at the helm of a weaponized Justice Department, putting President Trump ahead of the Constitution, the rule of law, and you,” Durbin wrote. “It’s clear that Mr. Blanche has never stopped being President Trump’s personal attorney, and I pushed him on his role in the botched release of the Epstein Files, the MAGA slush fund for cop beaters, the Trump-IRS sweetheart deal, and his crypto corruption.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-doj-goons-melt-down-after-todd-blanches-secret-confession-is-leaked/?

July 15, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump returned to the combative posture toward Iran that he displayed at the war’s start, threatening yesterday to attack civilian infrastructure and refusing to rule out a ground invasion. And the House voted overwhelmingly to make daylight saving time permanent. (The Senate may feel differently.) There’s more news below. But I’m going to start today with the deadly business of federal immigration enforcement. A memorial for Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times Fatal encounters Federal agents have killed two immigrants to the United States in the last eight days, both of them in their cars. The first man to be killed, in Houston on July 7, was in the country illegally. Details in the other case, of a man killed in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, have remained unclear. The shootings weren’t exactly uncommon. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, agents involved in the immigration crackdown have shot at least 22 people. Six have been killed. Three were U.S. citizens. Nearly all of the shootings involved officers firing at people in vehicles. We’re still piecing together the particulars of the two most recent shootings. In Maine, officials said the man was trying to flee. In Texas, they said the victim had tried to use his vehicle as a weapon. None of the agents in either incident was wearing a body camera. But The Times has been talking to witnesses and examining video footage. Here’s what we’ve learned. What happened in Biddeford It was early Monday morning in the small, working-class city on the banks of the Saco River, 20 miles south of Portland. Federal agents attempted a traffic stop on a white sedan driven by Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 25, a Colombian national who lived in Biddeford with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. According to Guerrero’s father, he was in the United States legally, though Homeland Security described him, without naming him, as an “illegal alien.” It’s not clear whether ICE was targeting Guerrero — a spokesman for Senator Angus King said the homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, had told the senator the agents were looking for someone else. But they pursued Guerrero, and the stop went awry. The Times obtained several videos of their encounter. In one, there is audio of shouting and five gunshots. Another, from after the shots were fired, shows Guerrero’s car circling slowly around an intersection. After three loops, agents manage to stop the car, open the door and pull out Guerrero. His body falls to the ground. It’s unclear if he’s alive. “I heard agony,” Mary Hayes, a local resident, told The Times. She was describing Guerrero’s wife, kneeling and wailing in the street as his daughter looked on. “I heard a howl that came from your soul, that your whole life had just changed and it was never going to be the same.” In Maine yesterday. Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times What happened in Houston The shooting in Houston also happened early in the morning, in the historically Hispanic neighborhood of Magnolia Park, near the Houston Ship Channel. Immigration agents in two unmarked vehicles there began trailing a white work van. Minutes later, the van’s driver, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, had been fatally shot in the abdomen. Our colleagues on the visual investigations team took a close look at videos of the pursuit. The footage shows the ICE agents driving after the van aggressively, seemingly without flashing emergency lights. At one point one of the pursuit vehicles appears to veer toward the van, possibly making contact, though it’s unclear if it was a ramming or an accident. If there is video of the shooting, it has not emerged yet. But a few moments later, footage from a passing motorist shows two agents bent over Salgado Araujo. He was lying on the street, his hands behind his back, his shirt soaked in blood. A memorial for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times A surge in arrests These shootings didn’t happen in a vacuum. My colleagues have reported a recent surge in immigration enforcement activity. It has happened both in large cities like Chicago and Las Vegas and in small suburbs outside Milwaukee and San Antonio. Daily immigration-related arrests doubled in the last week in June, they found, and continue to rise at a pace of about 2,000 arrests a day. The recent enforcement operations “may be more targeted, but they escalate quickly, and it is leading to violence just like before,” a Hispanic community leader in Pennsylvania told The Times. “That is the part that is scary.” Yesterday, The Times reported, the Trump administration ordered ICE officers to halt most vehicle stops while carrying out their operations. (ICE said in a statement that the agency would not discuss law enforcement tactics.) Still, death stalks their work. This also happened yesterday: A 28-year-old man ran from what the authorities called “an encounter” with federal immigration officers at a gas station in St. Augustine, Fla. He was hit by a tractor-trailer and killed. THE LATEST NEWS War in Iran Near the Strait of Hormuz this morning. Reuters Trump backed down from his plan to charge hefty fees on ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States would instead provide safe passage in return for investment. The strait is now the focus of the war. But it’s unclear how far the U.S. military will go to exert control there. Trump has made flexing his power on the world stage a hallmark of his second term, but the strategy isn’t working on Iran. On Capitol Hill On Capitol Hill. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The Supreme Court justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified about threats to themselves and their families during a budget hearing over the court’s request for millions of dollars to enhance security. Todd Blanche is scheduled to testify this morning in his confirmation hearing to be attorney general. One focus is likely to be his role in Trump’s retribution campaign. Congress has grown older and older over the past few decades, as the chart below shows. Click the image to see more charts about our aging lawmakers. The New York Times More on Politics Trump has paid the writer E. Jean Carroll $5.6 million after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting and then defaming her, court records show. Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protester who became a prominent focus of Trump’s campus crackdown, filed a lawsuit accusing administration officials, pro-Israel groups and others of colluding to suppress his constitutional rights. Data Centers New York’s governor enacted the first U.S. statewide moratorium on building the largest kind of data centers. The nation’s largest electrical grid operator said electricity rates would rise for millions of households and businesses within the next three years because of the power that data centers need. OPINIONS Stephan Dybus Looking to break a social media addiction? Meher Ahmad recommends a lo-fi way to do it. Lindsey Graham struck a devil’s bargain with Trump. It was a choice that gave him power, Bret Stephens writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS We’ve made all of these links free for you. Gus the T. rex. Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Sotheby’s sold a towering T. rex fossil, nicknamed Gus, for $50.1 million, reanointing the carnivore as the most valuable dinosaur on the commercial fossil market. (Two years ago, it had been unseated — by a herbivore, no less — when a stegosaurus sold for $44.6 million.) In a small Brazilian city deep in the rain forest, you follow either the blue bull mascot or the red one. It’s nothing to do with sports or politics. It’s all about class. The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about menopause myths. Scientists say they have solved what may be the most famous lawn-care-related problem in physics: What happens if you run a sprinkler in reverse, underwater? (One of the scientists who helped with the research was the aptly named Brennan Sprinkle.) TODAY’S NUMBER 12 — That is how many miles Dale Sanders, 91, plans to hike each day on his quest to reclaim his record as the oldest person ever to hike the whole Appalachian Trail. At 80, he became the oldest person to paddle the full length of the Mississippi. Luke Piotrowski/The New York Times WORLD CUP Spain totally outclassed France in yesterday’s semifinal. The 2-0 victory was no accident, our analyst writes. The outcome of today’s semifinal between England and Argentina will likely come down to Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham. The matchup between the nations is steeped in bad blood. Erling Haaland led Norway to its best-ever World Cup finish. Now he’s big in China. Fans there call him “Baby Ha.” RECIPE OF THE DAY Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. The tomatoes at my market are starting to get good, and it’s time to return to one of my favorite summer meals: Ali Slagle’s tomato Cheddar toasts. You don’t really need a recipe to make them (it’s just tomato and Cheddar on toast slathered with mayonnaise), but you sure can benefit from the advice she picked up from the chef Chris Kronner about how. That is, to grate your cheese into the mayonnaise before swiping it onto the hot toast (wall to wall, please). It melts into a queso-like almost-cream that complements the sliced tomatoes beautifully. 🍅 A FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECE “The Lost Crucifix,” carved by Michelangelo when he was about 18. Augustinian Community of Santo Spirito, Florence Tired: Michelangelo’s David. Wired: Michelangelo’s small wooden sculpture of Christ at the Santo Spirito church in Florence. Here’s the argument. More on culture They’re shorts, but longer. They’re a skirt, but with pant legs. And while they came into fashion in the 1800s, their last big hurrah was during the 1970s. Until now. Culottes are back! The writer Chris Brancato helped create “Narcos” and “Godfather of Harlem.” Now he has brought “The Westies” to the screen, a series about the scrappy Irish street gang that ran the West Side of Manhattan in the early 1980s. “I consider myself in charge of the scumbag universe,” he told The Times. Late night hosts discussed Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Six Flags Over Texas Strap yourself into one of five new — and frankly terrifying — American roller coasters. One will take you up 309 feet, pause, then drop you at a 95-degree angle at a top speed of 87 miles per hour. Invest in a soundbar for that giant television you found on sale at the big box store. Even the budget pick recommended by the audiophilic cineastes at Wirecutter can help bring Hollywood into your home. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was vitriolic. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

🦖 1 fun thing: T. rex record Photo: Matthew Sherman/Sotheby's via AP A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world's largest and most complete specimens was sold for $50.1 million yesterday to a mystery bidder. Sotheby's said the 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed "Gus," is now the most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned. The specimen — about 61% complete — measures 12½ feet tall and 38 feet long. Go deeper.

⚡ Data center fight's new blueprint Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's first-in-the-nation data center moratorium could provide a playbook for Democrats confronting one of the most heated issues of the midterms, Axios' Maria Curi writes. Why it matters: Data centers have become a lightning rod across the country, and Hochul is testing how far Democrats can go on it. 🔭 Zoom out: The backlash against data centers — and the political response — isn't limited to blue states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) recently called for a ban on new AI data centers in rural neighborhoods and requiring the industry to shoulder more of its infrastructure costs.

⚠️ Anthropic hiring anti-catastrophe team Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Anthropic has warned that its technology could end civilization. Check out its latest job listings to understand how. Why it matters: Anthropic has 32 very scary job openings for roles designed to prevent people from using AI to build everything from homemade explosives to nuclear weapons, Axios' Madison Mills and Maria Curi write. Safety analyst roles require being able to think like someone trying to evade detection, the company says. They stress-test the models accordingly, fixing vulnerabilities. Anthropic is hiring analysts focused on chemicals and explosives, nuclear weapons, financial scams, cybercrime and more. One job description reads: "As an Enforcement Analyst focused on Radiological & Nuclear Harms, you will play a critical role in protecting against the misuse of AI systems for radiological and nuclear harms." Keep reading.

🤖 OpenAI's first device Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios OpenAI's highly anticipated push into consumer devices is expected to begin with a "mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The company hopes to unveil it this year, with a 2027 release, though those plans could be delayed by Apple's lawsuit last week alleging OpenAI stole trade secrets to speed up development. Apple accused the ChatGPT maker of stealing trade secrets. But OpenAI believes the coming device "veers significantly from anything Apple has on the market today and that it's unlikely that it violates trade secrets belonging to the iPhone maker," Bloomberg reports. 🔎 Zoom in: OpenAI thinks the "product's defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users." It will have a built-in camera and sensors so it can see and understand its surroundings. 🍎 The intrigue: Former Apple design chief Jony Ive's studio is helping build the device after OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of his hardware startup last year. Keep reading (gift link).

🇦🇪 UAE's big bet on AI Images from the TAMM app, which translates as: "Consider it done." Courtesy Government of Abu Dhabi In Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, AI is as much a part of daily life as reporting a pothole or making a doctor's appointment or paying a parking ticket — because AI does all that for you. The capital of one of the world's wealthiest and most globalized business hubs has near-universal adoption of an app that knows when you need to renew your national ID or health insurance or vehicle registration. The app's "AutoGov" feature goes a step further: It handles the paperwork and pays what's owed without being asked. Why it matters: The UAE made a massive bet on AI, spending billions on infrastructure and research, backed by long-term thinking and alignment from top leaders. Before the war with Iran, the bet was paying off massively. "People make money here and bring money here," a UAE resident told Jim VandeHei and me when we visited just before the war. The war rattled the UAE's AI ambitions and stirred fears about visiting, given the constant threat of Iranian attack. UAE leaders tell us they remain all-in on AI: They're willing to work with both the U.S. and China, and see the technology as the key to their future beyond oil. 🖼️ The big picture: Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's longtime ambassador to Washington, told me his country "recognized early that data is destiny — and our leaders didn't wait for AI to arrive before preparing for it." The UAE appointed an AI minister (said to be the world's first) nearly a decade ago, in 2017. Two years later, it opened what's billed as the world's first graduate-level university dedicated to AI. The UAE was built on oil. But leaders aggressively diversified into what The New York Times recently called "the ultimate globalized city — a Switzerland on the Persian Gulf." Dubai, the UAE's biggest city, is rollicking, wealthy and Western-friendly. It's one of the world's top business hubs and is home to the world's tallest building and the world's busiest international airport. That prosperity is being tested by war. But business leaders tell us AI investments have kept the UAE powerful amid the danger and disruption plaguing the Persian Gulf. Last night, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is rewarding the UAE for its help with the Iran war by expanding access to coveted AI chips, capping "a yearslong push by the Gulf state to obtain American technology to diversify its economy." 🥊 Reality check: This is as much opportunism as strategic vision. The UAE has an all-powerful royal family that controls government and business, allowing wholesale societal changes that couldn't be replicated in a democracy. Zoom in: His Excellency Mohamed Al Askar, director general of TAMM, as the app is called, took me behind the scenes of Abu Dhabi's "AI-native government" in two lengthy interviews. He and the emirate's Department of Government Enablement host a parade of ministers from other governments who dream of replicating TAMM. "If you look at the UAE as a whole, this is rooted in our leadership vision," said Al Askar, a leader in digital strategy and technological innovation. "This has become part of our DNA," he added. "This is why I believe the UAE can be a haven for any entrepreneur who wants to test and experiment with AI." Read the UAE strategy ...

🛢️ The Gulf repriced overnight Cargo ships anchor near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the UAE this week. Image from AFPTV video The price of oil popped to a one-month high, with Goldman Sachs warning of a rise back over $100 a barrel, after Iran hit two UAE oil tankers. Tehran threatened to halt all Mideast energy exports after the U.S. military reimposed a naval blockade on Iran. ⛽ Gas, which had been ticking down, is back up to a national average of $3.89 for a gallon of regular. 🚛 Diesel, vital to keep the economy moving, is pushing back toward $5 a gallon. Between the lines: Shippers are balking at the Gulf, and refiners don't know if chartered cargo will arrive. Iran appears to be targeting the oil market's "lifeline" with its latest strikes. The bottom line: Fuel, plastics and freight look like they're getting more expensive, with the fallout likely to keep hitting consumers in the months before November's midterms.

Trump's next targets Intel from Axios' Barak Ravid: President Trump held a Situation Room meeting yesterday to discuss a massive offensive against Iran far beyond the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, three knowledgeable sources said. Why it matters: Trump appears willing to bet that escalating the war will force the Iranian regime to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept his nuclear demands. Trump convened the meeting as the U.S. military conducted strikes around the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's southern coast for the fourth day in a row. U.S. officials said the strikes were meant to gut Iran's ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports took effect, and last week, Trump notified Congress the nation was once again at war with Iran. 👀 Inside the room: Trump was joined in the Situation Room by his national security team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials, the sources said. The sources said the meeting focused on plans to hit strategic targets in Iran, in addition to the strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst before the Situation Room meeting, Trump said the strikes would expand in the coming days. The U.S. military is going to hit Iran "hard" over the next three days, he said, before stressing that strikes could significantly escalate after that. "Next week, it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants," Trump said. "Next week comes the bridges. We're gonna knock out all their power plants. We're gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate." ⛰️ What to watch: Trump said the U.S. is monitoring suspicious Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a site so deep underground that the U.S. and Israel think Iran wants to use it to shelter its nuclear program from airstrikes. Trump said the U.S. bunker busters "can go deep" but claimed "nobody knows" if they can reach Pickaxe Mountain.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 15 2006 Twitter launches The San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially releases Twttr—later changed to Twitter—to the public. Over the next few years, Twitter exploded in popularity, becoming one of the world’s leading social networking platforms. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1789 Lafayette selected colonel-general of the National Guard of Paris Ancient Egypt 1799 Rosetta Stone found Arts & Entertainment 1986 Columbia Records parts ways with country legend Johnny Cash after 28 years Crime 1953 A notorious English killer is executed 1997 Fashion designer Gianni Versace murdered by Andrew Cunanan in killing spree Exploration 1806 Pike expedition sets out across the American Southwest Inventions & Science 1903 Ford Motor Company takes its first order Native American History 1978 2,800 mile-long walk for Native American justice concludes in Washington, D.C. Religion 1099 Jerusalem captured in First Crusade Space Exploration 1965 Mariner 4 studies Martian surface U.S. Government and Politics 1964 Senator Barry Goldwater nominated for president U.S. Presidents 1971 Nixon announces visit to communist China 1979 Jimmy Carter speaks about a national “crisis of confidence” Vietnam War 1966 North Vietnam urged to treat U.S. POWs better World War I 1918 Second Battle of the Marne begins with final German offensive

Maya Mathematician Unmasked Archaeologists have unearthed the only known example of a Maya mathematician credited with their calculations. An inscription discovered on a wall in Xultun, Guatemala, is signed by Sak Tahn Waax, whose name translates to “white-chested fox.” The writings were found in a math classroom of sorts dating to the eighth century (full study here; scroll for artist’s rendering). There, researchers discovered a formula for synchronizing Maya calendars with the cycles of Mars and Venus. The formula, known as Text 19, was written in partial dates and hieroglyphic shorthand, making it difficult to decipher. Maya societies were known to rely on elegant mathematical and astronomical calculations to mark the passage of time. However, unlike famed Greek astronomers, including Ptolemy, Hipparchus, and Eratosthenes, the names of their Maya counterparts are largely unknown. Contrary to popular belief, the Maya did not predict an apocalypse in 2012. Hear other fascinating takeaways about Maya culture from a man who discovered an ancient Maya city (via YouTube).

❄️ Parting shots! Photo: Pooja Shah Reader Pooja Shah tells us her favorite national park is Utah's Bryce Canyon — specifically in the winter. "The white snow contrasts with the red landscape in a way that is absolutely breathtaking," Pooja writes. Photo: Pooja Shah

🧢 Johnson tries a hat trick Mike Johnson is in an uncomfortably familiar spot: under pressure from Trump, under fire from members and under the gun to advance a reconciliation bill in just a few days. Why it matters: The House speaker is trying to tee up a final party-line legislative package before the midterms, but Republicans remain divided over both the contents of the bill and the strategy behind it. GOP leaders are assembling a narrow framework that would include roughly $67 billion for defense, $20 billion for agriculture and farm aid and elements of the SAVE America Act. The prospect of no offsets for billions of dollars in defense funding is not sitting well with conservatives. "No, I'm not," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said when asked whether he's comfortable with no pay-fors. 😡 Other members are frustrated about the lack of information: "Most of the conference has been kept in the dark on what exactly is going on," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told us. 🚗 Driving the news: The White House has launched a full-court press to shore up support for the package ahead of Thursday's Budget Committee markup and a planned House vote next week. Johnson and House GOP leaders met with President Trump at the White House this afternoon to discuss the path forward. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was scheduled to meet with roughly a dozen conservative lawmakers this evening to discuss the defense funding portion of the package. OMB Director Russ Vought addressed House Freedom Caucus members last night. 🛑 Yes, but: The administration's lobbying blitz hasn't solved every problem. Budget Committee member Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) told her colleagues in a closed-door conference meeting today that she was leaning toward opposing the bill during the committee markup after she was left out of negotiations at Camp David over the weekend, a source in the room told us. "There's a limited amount of space, unfortunately," Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) told us. "I don't blame her for being upset about it." "Somebody's got to be chosen and somebody isn't. Just because you're not doesn't say anything negative," Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) told us. ⚡️ Another flashpoint: Some Republicans believe leadership should first test whether a bipartisan supplemental to fund the war in Iran can pass before falling back on reconciliation if necessary. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told us that bipartisan negotiations on a supplemental remain "a live discussion." "I am hopeful that if that becomes specific, a specific proposal that doesn't have other partisan initiatives, it would enjoy the support of members from across the aisle," he said. Rather than forcing Democrats to vote directly on funding the war in Iran, Republicans are including billions in defense funding in a reconciliation package that includes other measures Democrats would never go for, like the SAVE America Act. Between the lines: Democrats have an easier political off-ramp when defense funding is wrapped into reconciliation. A clean supplemental, by contrast, would force Democrats to cast a straightforward vote on military funding — something Republicans believe could either attract bipartisan support or provide a potent campaign message if Democrats block it. — Kate Santaliz

Tit-for-Tat (Amirhosein Khorgooi / AP)   View in browser Yesterday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States would become the “GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” blockading Iranian ports and ensuring the safe passage of non-Iranian vessels. And in the spirit of “FAIRNESS,” he added, the U.S. would charge vessels a fee for the trouble. Then, this morning, an amendment: Trump disposed of the fee idea while still indicating that he intends to assert control of the strait and resume the blockade. Now, Trump says, the Gulf states will be making “the Trade and Investment Deals” with the U.S. as a form of compensation. But the particulars of those deals (and of which states will participate) remain unclear. Today marked the fourth consecutive day of strikes across Iran. The cease-fire has disintegrated—Trump formally notified Congress yesterday that the war has resumed—and negotiations have collapsed. If American forces do try to reassert power in the strait, they’ll face a difficult path. Iran is still clamping down on ship traffic, and recent violent clashes in the waterway have once again dramatically reduced the number of vessels entering and exiting the Persian Gulf. The United States’ ability to exert control in the strait could depend on its ability to erode the system of dominance that Iran has established in recent months. Dominance in the Persian Gulf has never been clear-cut. In the early 16th century, Portuguese mariners brought their cartaz system of permits to the Strait of Hormuz, overseeing the waterway for more than a century. In 1622, the joint forces of Persia and England’s East India Company seized it. The Strait of Hormuz is now broadly understood as an international zone, and yet portions of the waterway remain contested. Its narrowest stretch is just 21 miles wide—meaning that, according to a United Nations convention, it is entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and nearby Oman. Neither Iran nor the U.S. are party to the UN treaty, but the U.S. nevertheless recognizes it as international law, Michael Poznansky, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told me. The U.S. has assumed some responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz in the past. Defense of the Persian Gulf was at the core of the Carter Doctrine—Jimmy Carter’s attempt, in 1980, to respond to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Iran periodically attacked foreign vessels in the strait during the Iran-Iraq War of the ’80s; in 1987, the U.S. Navy launched Operation Earnest Will, escorting Kuwaiti tankers through the strait for more than a year. During that war, the Iranian regime threatened to fully close off the strait but decided against it, realizing that the damage to its own economy would be too great. Iran has repeated this threat over the past two decades, but it never actually followed through until February, in retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli strikes on its land and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Despite the persistent threat of Iranian interference in the strait over the past half century, its leadership was never guaranteed to be able to enforce an effective blockade. But what remains of Iran’s military, decimated by months of war, has still proved capable of maintaining the transit restrictions that the regime announced in the spring. The persistent threat of mines, and of its nimble boats that can harass or attack other vessels, has kept ship traffic to a minimum; the number of crossings on Sunday was the lowest it had been in a month. Past efforts to break Iran’s stranglehold over the course of this war have failed. In May, American forces began escorting some vessels through the strait as part of an initiative called Project Freedom; it ended after just two days, in part because Saudi Arabia declined to let the U.S. use its military bases and airspace. European allies could provide support for potential U.S. missions in the Gulf, as they did during Operation Earnest Will, but Trump has now eroded many of those relationships. Given Iran’s demonstrated ability to influence ship traffic, the project of ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait might require a permanent U.S. effort, Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told me. This could end up being cumbersome and dangerous, Takeyh explained, given the military assets involved in escort missions and the inevitability of Iranian interference. And even then, ship traffic may not return to prewar levels. Trump’s social-media posts over the past couple of days have gestured at the desire for a strong and continued American presence in the strait—a profound shift on the part of a president who spent years decrying the country’s role as “the policemen of the world.” He may soon come to realize that policing the strait does not always mean controlling it. Related: “We may sleepwalk our way back to war.” Why Trump didn’t plan for the Strait of Hormuz

How many Americans are using AI — and how? 35% of American households are using AI to find information. 14% of people trust that information. https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-americans-are-using-ai-and-how/? How many people live in subsidized housing in the US? In 2025, about 8.86 million people lived in subsidized housing. This was equivalent to about 2.0 people per unit. Subsidized housing options vary by location, ranging from high-rise or garden-style apartments to single-family dwellings, duplexes, and more. On average, residents in 2025 have lived in their units for 10 years and 3 months. https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-people-live-in-subsidized-housing/country/united-states/? One last fact Immigrants (including all foreign-born residents) were 18.4% of employed workers in 2024. However, they made up 17.2% of the working-age population, indicating a higher employment rate than expected. (The working-age population includes everyone 16 and older.)

UK police say former politician and TV personality Ann Widdecombe was killed in ‘targeted attack’ LONDON (AP) — Former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack,” though the motivation is still under investigation, British counterterror police said Tuesday. https://apnews.com/article/britain-widdecombe-death-9e2278d5fefe31e13fce1b3b874c688b?

Earthquake aid keeps flowing from Florida to Venezuela, as volunteers unite to help recovery After her grandmother’s house in Caracas narrowly survived last month’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes, Alessandra Izaguirre was desperate to help Venezuela. Read More.

US-Russian crew arrives at the International Space Station for 8-month mission A U.S.-Russian space crew arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station after launching from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Read More.

SoftBank Group’s CEO says $5 trillion a year needed globally to meet AI demand TOKYO (AP) — Worries about a bubble in artificial intelligence investments are absurd, SoftBank Group’s CEO Masayoshi Son said Tuesday, deriding such doubts as backward and akin to questioning the use of cars and planes. https://apnews.com/article/japan-son-softbank-ai-technology-97ce41a43624440aa2b91c025937b979?

World Cup Star Reveals How Trump’s Meddling Rocked U.S. Team Folarin Balogun got sent off in the knockout stages of the World Cup. U.S. soccer star Folarin Balogun has described how President Donald Trump’s interference destabilized his World Cup teammates. Balogun, a Londoner who is eligible for the American team because of birthright citizenship, scored three goals as the United States reached the round of 16 before being knocked out by Belgium. The 25-year-old was only able to play in that game because FIFA, soccer’s governing body, overturned his red-card suspension after Trump called its president, Gianni Infantino, which created a furor and generated global headlines. Now, the striker, who plays his club soccer in France, has spoken out. “My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team. But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy,” he said on CBS Mornings on Tuesday. He admitted that the controversy destabilized his teammates ahead of the vital game against Belgium, which they eventually lost 4-1. “And I could almost see within my teammates a bit of nerves because it’s something that is so unique. But the closer we got to the game, I tried to just focus as best as I could, but it was difficult—a lot of outside noise, and that’s hard to avoid.” Trump openly admitted to pressuring his FIFA lackey, Infantino. “All I did was ask for a review—I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” he told reporters. He admitted that prior to Balogun’s suspension, “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was.” Afterward, he took a victory lap. He thanked FIFA on Truth Social for “reversing a great injustice.” In a statement, the Royal Belgian Football Association had said it was “astonished” by FIFA’s decision to suspend the red card. Balogun told CBS Mornings he was “confused” by the saga. “It was confusing because the team was practicing without me in the team, I’m almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high,” he said. It comes after Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, conceded that the saga “potentially” distracted the players. Balogun assured fans that, despite the distraction, the USMNT was focused going into the game against Belgium. “It was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can overshadow whether we were focused or not. But from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game.” The Belgian team clearly used Trump’s intervention as motivation for their win against the U.S. Following their 4-1 victory, players mocked Trump by doing his infamous dance both on the field and later in the locker room. The Belgian national team also delivered a brutal two-word jab on their official X account following Trump’s complaint. “Overturn this,” they posted. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), meanwhile, has received an official complaint from the human rights organization FairSquare over the handling of the red card. It claims that Infantino has repeatedly violated the Olympic Charter and the IOC’s code of ethics, including in Balogun’s case. Last month, 50 Members of the European Parliament urged the same committee to address the allegations. https://www.thedailybeast.com/world-cup-star-florian-balogun-reveals-how-trumps-meddling-rocked-us-team/?

Trump AG Pick Hit by Bombshell Exposé on Eve of Confirmation Hearing Todd Blanche’s emails show he isn’t the calming presence in the administration that his supporters claim he is. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been personally leading President Donald Trump’s revenge campaign against his perceived enemies, according to a bombshell new report released in the lead-up to his Senate confirmation hearing. Supporters of Blanche, who previously served as Trump’s defense attorney, claim he has served as an important check on retribution crusades launched by the president’s most provocative attack dogs, including the DOJ’s Ed Martin and acting director of national intelligence Bill Pulte. But just a day before Blanche’s confirmation hearing to serve as Trump’s permanent attorney general, The New York Times revealed that rather than being a calming influence on the administration, Blanche has been spearheading the president’s retribution effort within the DOJ. That work began last year, when he served as his predecessor Pam Bondi’s top deputy, and continued after Bondi’s ousting in April, according to emails obtained by the watchdog group American Oversight and shared with the Times. In particular, Blanche has been tasked with enacting Trump’s executive order purporting to end the “weaponization” of the U.S. government, part of a major drive to punish members of prior administrations who tried to hold Trump legally accountable. In May 2025, Blanche diverted top lawyers from his office to the DOJ “anti-weaponization” group responsible for investigating Trump’s enemies, giving him tight control over the cases, the emails reveal. One of Blanche’s aides was responsible for digging into the actions of special counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents and attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss. Another longtime Blanche aide was assigned to investigate Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who secured convictions against Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records over his payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. A third Blanche aide led a team focused solely on Tina Peters, the Colorado elections clerk who served four years out of a nine-year sentence for violating state election laws in a bid to uncover “proof” of nonexistent fraud during the 2020 election. Blanche also allowed Martin to personally oversee investigations into two of Trump’s pet causes: the prosecutions of more than 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters—some of whom Martin had represented in court—and a probe into former President Joe Biden’s autopen use. But in May, Blanche removed Martin from his role with the anti-weaponization group. He had been concerned all along that Martin wasn’t experienced or effective enough to do the job, the emails—which were handed over under the Freedom of Information Act—reveal. Since then, the anti-weaponization group has ramped up its investigations and reports, even as regional U.S. attorneys’ offices have begun trying to build a massive yet flimsy conspiracy case against Biden and other Trump adversaries, the Times reported. In the meantime, Blanche has also been busy securing an indictment against Trump foe and former FBI director James Comey after he posted a photo of seashells that appeared to spell “86 47” on the beach. In slang, the number 86 can mean tossing something out or getting rid of it; it’s commonly used in restaurant kitchens to mean something was removed from the menu. Critics of Comey’s post took it to mean he thinks the president should be killed, given that he is the 47th president. Blanche also signed off on a $1.77 billion taxpayer slush fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters and agreed to give the Trump family immunity from tax investigations. The slush fund was abandoned following political and legal challenges, and the immunity agreement has been blocked in court. Last week, a group of 1,205 Justice Department alums urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject Blanche’s nomination, writing that “corruption and abuses… have defined” his tenure, and that he has “degraded” the DOJ’s apolitical career workforce. The Daily Beast has reached out to the DOJ for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trumps-ag-pick-todd-blanche-hit-by-bombshell-expose-on-eve-of-confirmation-hearing/?

Man fleeing immigration officers in Florida is struck and killed by tractor trailer, police say A man running from an encounter with immigration and other federal agents in Florida was struck and killed by a tractor trailer on Tuesday, authorities said. https://apnews.com/article/man-killed-semi-truck-ice-florida-8e65b1ca2eab051392afc316972c92eb?

Darline Graham, sister of late Sen. Lindsey Graham, has been sworn in to finish his term WASHINGTON (AP) — Darline Graham, the sister of the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, was sworn in to the Senate on Tuesday afternoon — filling the seat just three days after her brother’s death. https://apnews.com/article/lindsey-graham-death-sister-darline-senate-87bce5649c07e03129cf535feb97873a? House passes bill to 'ditch the switch' and make daylight saving time permanent There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way. Read More.