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🌡️ Wildfire anxiety rising Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images SEATTLE — Wildfire smoke blanketing this coastal city and much of the West is an ominous reminder that the reach of destructive fires is growing, Axios' Amy Harder writes. Why it matters: Climate scientists study how global warming increases the odds of wildfire. People living through it are confronting a more immediate question: Where is truly safe anymore? Wildfires intensified by climate change are like an unforgiving spotlight sweeping across the world. No one really knows where it will stop next. Right now, that spotlight is on Spokane, Wash., where a historic wildfire has destroyed neighborhoods and remains uncontrolled. Keep reading.

AI's alarming trick: Creating a new virus Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios A Stanford-led research team has used generative AI to design a synthetic virus — the first time AI has been harnessed to create an organism that has never been seen in nature, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim and David Nather write. Why it matters: It could be the first step toward the nightmare scenario AI experts have already warned about — deadly pathogens that can't be stopped. The research could also lead to medical breakthroughs, which is the hope of the research team that conducted the study. "The ability of genome language models to generate entire functional genomes has not been tested," they wrote. Researchers wrote in Science that they used an AI model to design viruses that can infect and kill the microbe E. coli. Keep reading.

🍩 OpenAI's talking donut Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios OpenAI's highly anticipated consumer device will cost more than $300 and have a "unique look, complete with moving parts that help give it personality," Bloomberg managing editor for consumer tech Mark Gurman writes. The device will be shaped like a donut and about the size of a hockey puck — designed to make it easy to carry around the home. 🔊 How it works: Think of it like a smart speaker without a screen. It'll work like ChatGPT's voice mode on a phone but powered by more advanced models built for humanlike interaction. The device is designed to learn more about its user over time so it can act less like a typical voice assistant and more like a real person. Keep reading (gift link).

GOP's socialism telethon Jumbotron in the American Airlines Center in Dallas during a media walkthrough on Wednesday. Photo: Tony Gutierrez/AP Republicans plan to use their first-ever midterm convention in Dallas next month to mount a sweeping, made-for-prime-time case that Democrats have become captive to their activist left, Axios' Alex Isenstadt has learned. Why it matters: With President Trump's approval rating in the 30s and his war in Iran weighing on the economy, Republicans don't want the Nov. 3 midterms to be just a referendum on his presidency. They're essentially planning a "But they're worse" campaign targeting the ascendant Democratic left and socialism. Republicans will make progressive politicians and activists recurring characters throughout the Sept. 9-10 convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. GOP operatives spent months compiling footage of Democratic figures — including left-wing commentator Hasan Piker and Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico — that they'll use throughout the convention to paint Democrats as outside the mainstream. 📱 "Our video trove is endless," a convention source told Axios. Organizers will focus on Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, who backs Medicare for All and criticizes Israel. Republicans will spotlight Trump's tax exemption for some tipped income, efforts to cut prescription drug prices, tougher border enforcement, crime-focused urban policies and the administration's new child investment accounts. They'll also highlight Vice President Vance's "anti-fraud" task force and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement. Trump strategists believe MAHA can again help broaden the GOP coalition. What else to expect.

🇨🇺 Inside Rubio's Cuba pressure campaign Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images Secretary of State Marco Rubio is waging an unprecedented economic war on Cuba — and wants to make sure the island's communist leaders know it's going to get worse, Axios' Marc Caputo writes. "What we're trying to teach them is, there are no escape valves," Rubio told Axios. Why it matters: Cuba's economy is in a state of slow-motion collapse because of crushing U.S. sanctions and communist mismanagement of the island, which prides itself as the hemisphere's chief foe of the superpower 90 miles to its north. President Trump hasn't ruled out military action. 🖼️ The big picture: Because of the pressure campaign, Cuba is now a de facto renegade colony of the U.S., upon which it now relies for most of its food, fuel, medicine and currency — all of which are scarce on the island. Rubio told Axios that Cuba is playing for time by faking reforms while seeking ways to evade sanctions. "Every time they create a new mechanism in which they try to get out of the noose, we just close it off," Rubio said. "They certainly can't wait us out. Certainly this isn't going to go away for the next 2½ years." Behind the scenes: Foreign companies are fleeing Cuba amid the threat of sanctions. U.S. companies — especially fuel distributors — are moving in as enterprises such as Cuba's state-run oil company crumble under the pressure. It's creating a nascent capitalist black market. Rubio has been in talks to change governance of the island with Raulito Castro, the grandson of ailing Cuban revolutionary Raúl Castro. But it's unclear whether he could lead a transition government or have much staying power. The U.S. is trying to cultivate other Cuban officials and figure out how to create a coalition for reform. But "it's hard to deduce entirely because that system is so paranoid," a U.S. official said. Worthy of your time. ps:Just another pathetic person in trumps administration! He used to be a respectable Senator, but not anymore!!!!!

It is time to hold the judge who signed the arrest warrant accountable. Well said They may be protected from criminal prosecution, but not from the bright light of social media. They should be shamed out of town. Very well-written article.

Trump's quicksand Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Read the polls, watch economic indicators and talk to President Trump's inner circle in private, and the verdict on his second term seems clear: Even some longtime insiders fear he's trapped by a war he shouldn't have waged, tariffs he shouldn't have levied, monuments he shouldn't be obsessed with, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: These three topics chew up much of Trump's time and attention. All three are widely unpopular in polls. And it's almost impossible to see the public suddenly warming to war, tariffs or more statues. By the numbers: Trump's approval cratered to an all-time low of 32% in a Quinnipiac poll last week. Even more damning: 68% of voters said he isn't focused enough on the problems most Americans face. Trump has squandered the GOP's most durable political advantage: A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week (and a Pew poll last month) found voters split on which party is better for the economy — after Republicans had led on the issue for nine years, back to Trump's first term. Republicans still back Trump on immigration, a new AP-NORC poll shows. 👀 Behind the scenes: New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman estimates 70% of the president's mindshare goes to renovations and monuments. "It's a legacy thing," she told her colleague Ezra Klein. A Trump insider told us: "He concentrates on the hobbies that distract from his terrible polling numbers, about which he is in denial. The other issue is how the war, tariffs and monuments are demoralizing the base." And we keep hearing complaints from top Republicans about Trump's reluctance to unleash the $400 million cache built by his super PAC, MAGA Inc. The unwillingness to spend big, now, in game-changing races has "demoralized donors," the insider said. There's a saying in politics that campaigns are won and lost in the summer. For Republicans, this was the Trump-induced summer of discontent. The big picture: Our reporting shows Trump has no desire to back off any of these topics, especially renovations and monuments, or shift to a new policy agenda before or after the November elections. Ahead of the midterms, he has poured political capital into another self-destructive fixation: the SAVE America Act, which would impose national proof-of-citizenship and voter-ID requirements. Republicans have told Trump, repeatedly, that the bill has no path through the Senate. They lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster — and the 51 Republican votes needed to abolish it. Trump has refused to accept that reality, instead whipping the MAGA base into a frenzy against Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republicans who won't comply. 👀 What to watch: Top congressional Republicans tell us Trump's unpopularity points toward the likely loss of the House, and perhaps the Senate. Some gently, indirectly, plead with him to shift to affordability or the economy. But an 80-year-old man who made the greatest comeback in American political history appears too proud, stubborn and undisciplined to change, Republicans privately admit. So rather than face the issues, Trump often pivots to showing visitors renderings of the new White House ballroom or a model of the planned Triumphal Arch. He showcases his new Air Force One, touts his plans for Dulles, and obsesses about the helipad being built on the South Lawn. The bottom line: "Sixth-year summers are historically terrible for presidents," the insider said. Marc Caputo and Zachary Basu contributed reporting ...

Trump’s Iran Oil Giveaway As war with Iran drove oil prices higher, Trump gave politically connected oil companies — not taxpayers — the chance to cash in on publicly owned oil. https://www.levernews.com/trumps-iran-oil-giveaway/?

Romania plans to sink four rock-filled barges into the Danube River today in a last-ditch effort to keep its only operating nuclear reactor running. Record-low water levels have already forced the shutdown of its other reactor. Together, both typically provide about one-fifth of the nation's electricity. Droughts and heat waves have reduced Danube water levels from their average range of 13 to 26 feet to as low as 4 inches, disrupting shipping and energy generation across the region (see map). Romanian officials hope the sunken barges will redirect water toward its nuclear facility, which relies on the river to cool its reactors. Even if successful, the measure will likely extend operations by only nine to 10 days. Officials are urging residents to conserve electricity and exploring possible power imports, though options are limited as neighboring Hungary also risks shutting down its only nuclear plant. The receding water has exposed dozens of sunken Nazi warships and woolly mammoth fossils. See here.

The Danube River Has Fallen to Record-Low Water Levels, Revealing Nazi Warships, Bombs and Woolly Mammoth Bones In Its Channel As successive heatwaves and drought stalk much of Europe this summer, water levels on the Danube—the continent’s second-longest river, which flows through 10 countries—have fallen to record lows in multiple places along its 1,770-mile route. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/?

Faster Flu Shot The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first mRNA flu vaccine for adults age 50 to 64, expanding a Nobel Prize-winning technology first used to combat COVID-19. Unlike traditional vaccines, which take several months to develop, mRNA vaccines can be produced in about six weeks and modified to match emerging flu strains. Developed by Moderna, mFlusiva uses the mRNA plug-and-play model in which genetic sequences for any virus or pathogen can be swapped into the vaccine. Traditional vaccines require growing virus components, which limits the possibility of quick adaptation. The new vaccine coming this fall is 27% more effective than a standard flu shot, though clinical trial participants reported mild side effects like injection-site pain, fatigue, and headaches. Influenza ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in the US, and it results in over 300,000 deaths worldwide annually. Flu season typically runs from October to May in the US. Explore a map tracking reported cases of influenza-like illness here.

AI-Designed Viruses Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design new viruses that don't occur in nature and can infect bacteria, according to a study published yesterday. The breakthrough could accelerate efforts to fight antibiotic-resistant infections by creating customized viruses. The researchers trained AI models on the genetic blueprints of roughly 2 million bacteriophage—viruses that infect bacteria, not humans—before building thousands of new viral designs. Lab testing showed 16 AI-made viruses killed E. coli, including strains resistant to naturally occurring phages. The work could help advance phage therapy, an experimental alternative to antibiotics, as drug-resistant infections are expected to kill roughly 40 million people worldwide by 2050. Researchers caution that increasingly powerful AI tools raise biosafety and biosecurity questions. Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, including in the human body. More than 10 nonillion bacteriophages exist at any given time. Meet the deadliest viruses that hunt bacteria. (w/video)

Student kills at least 7 people at a high school and a home outside Bangkok, officials say NONTHABURI, Thailand (AP) — A student opened fire at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 20, according to authorities, who said he also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at the family home earlier in the morning. https://apnews.com/article/thailand-nonthaburi-school-shooting-7939000dbad098198a9fc77169028762?

Ronald L. Lawson, an Australian sociologist; scholar of global Adventism, sectarian religions, and urban conflicts; and co-founder of Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International—the Adventist LGBTQ+ advocacy organization—died on August 3, 2026 at his home in Loma Linda, California. Lawson, who had been beset with various health issues in recent years, was 86..... Lawson was born on January 6, 1940, in Sydney, Australia. After graduating from Toowoomba Grammar School in 1958, he matriculated at University of Queensland, Brisbane, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1963, and a PhD in history and sociology in 1970. The following year, he won a Fulbright Travel Grant to New York City, where he became a post-doctoral visiting scholar at Columbia University and studied urban conflicts. After teaching at both Columbia and Hunter College, City University of New York, in 1984, he became a professor in the urban studies department at Queens College, CUNY, where he taught until his retirement in 2009. It was during his nearly forty years living in New York that he helped found the organization that would eventually become SDA Kinship, after he placed advertisements in the gay magazine The Advocate, seeking to connect with other gay and queer Adventists. Eventually, with these contacts, he organized the first meeting of queer Adventists in the summer of 1980. The gathering led to the formation of SDA Kinship, which continues to hold annual conventions called “Kampmeetings.” ---------- That explains so MANY things.

I think it would be wise to checked to see the day Jews go to synagogue in your area then, as they know.

In 1867, The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million by writing a check. James

🦌 Parting shot: Antler alert Photo: Sam Trizza Reader Sam Trizza of Bentonville, Ark., shares scenes from a morning hike yesterday up Handies Peak, a mountain rising above 14,000 feet near Lake City, Colo. Trizza, her sister Cate Bowman and brother-in-law Brett Bowman of Houston took the American Basin rout, catching their shadows across the terrain. They also caught two antlered grazers peeking over a ridge. Photo: Sam Trizza

💬 Miller's decision calculus Denounced on social media and by fellow Republicans, Ohio Rep. Max Miller is telling allies he's not quitting for a simple reason: It would be tantamount to admitting he beat his ex-wife and their child, which he denies. 🤔 Why it matters: The Washington summer scandal is a case study in whether Miller — one of Donald Trump's understudies — can successfully employ the president's playbook of never backing down and never quitting. Trump has publicly expressed sympathy for Miller but privately expressed doubts about his viability. 📢 The calls to resign have mounted, especially in the Senate, where Miller's ex-father-in-law, Ohio's Bernie Moreno, serves. Moreno's fellow Ohio Republican, Sen. Jon Husted, called on him to quit today. 🔎 Zoom in: Miller allies say his critics are underestimating his resolve and the intensely personal dynamics of the vicious battle with his ex, Emily Moreno, involving their 2-year-old daughter. "If he quits, he's basically giving up," said a congressional colleague. "And if he gives up, it basically means he did it." 🌎 Zoom out: Though some have called for his expulsion from the House, Miller has told his colleagues it would set a terrible precedent because there's no evidence showing he hurt his ex or their child. "Here we are in the middle of a divorce proceeding, and I don't think he's even been charged with anything they're making the accusations of," said an ally, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). "We're big on the Constitution, innocent till proven guilty, yet we're guilty until proven innocent, it seems right now with him." House Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations against Miller "serious" in an interview with Politico on Tuesday but said lawmakers have to allow the Ethics Committee process to play out. "We don't take disciplinary action against members for allegations," Johnson said. Miller has released documents that he says show he was investigated for abuse but that the allegations were unfounded. Yes, but: There's only so long a candidate can hang on if he's constantly denounced, attacked and looks increasingly un-electable. 🚨 Republicans privately expect that Miller will drop his reelection bid by the end of this week, according to two sources. The intrigue: He, his ex and his father-in-law are now embroiled in a dispute over whether the representative held his daughter's blue bunny stuffed animal toy "hostage." Another Ohioan, Vice President JD Vance, has an unfriendly relationship with Miller but has pointedly kept quiet. 🗓️ What's next: According to the Ohio secretary of state office's election calendar, Monday is the last day a political party nominating committee can name a replacement for a candidate if he withdraws. — Marc Caputo and Kate Santaliz

👟 Thune's race to the finish Senate Republicans are racing toward the August recess with a legislative to-do list worthy of a Joe Rogan podcast: crypto, college sports and hemp. Why it matters: They likely won't get to all of it, but the White House wants the Senate to get caught trying. 🏈 First, senators want to get way ahead of any government shutdown fight. Just as important — an NIL rights bill, with ESPN's first College GameDay set for Sept. 5. "I've kind of stacked these things: funding the government, the [Todd] Blanche nomination and the 74 nominations," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said today on Fox News, previewing his agenda. Then come "Russia sanctions, NIL, market structure," he added, rounding out a short list of issues that animate young men, who are the backbone of the MAGA coalition. 👀 What to watch: Thune is still weighing whether and how to force another vote on the SAVE Act or similar election security legislation — even though it's expected to fall well short of the 60 votes needed to advance. "We'll figure out a way to get yet another vote on the Save America Act," Thune told Fox, "but I don't expect the Democrats to change their view." The vote would give Republicans another opportunity to put Democrats on the record opposing a voter ID measure that Thune has called an "80-20 issue." ⚡️ It might also help appease President Trump and his allies in the Senate who are insisting the Senate stay in town until election integrity is addressed. 🎧 What we're hearing: If T.S. Eliot covered Congress, he'd decide August is the cruelest month, breeding cloture votes for senators who just want to catch a flight. Some senators remain hopeful for a last-minute deal that would allow Thune to clear the deck and send everyone home tomorrow. As of this evening, however, the prospect of the Senate working into the weekend remained a real possibility. The intrigue: One major sticking point is crypto and the CLARITY Act, which would provide the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for digital assets. Democrats are reluctant to grant Republicans an initial procedural vote on the market-structure bill, arguing it could short-circuit bipartisan negotiations and reduce pressure on GOP leaders to come to the table. They are also worried that a failed vote could unlock millions in crypto super PAC money. 🔥 Zoom in: Republicans also remain divided over hemp, threatening to complicate passage of the stopgap spending bill. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) continues to insist on a vote to strip language, inserted at the White House's urging, that would delay implementation of a ban on certain intoxicating hemp products. — Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight

Instead of IED i should have typed, EUD. IED is an explosive.

I believe this is another reason to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit.

Things seem to be moving along very quickly. I do not underestimate them.

US filings for jobless benefits rise to 199,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years. Read More.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I really think the solution lies in the leadership. If the local conference is hiring and training pastors to effectively deal with these problems, then there would be progress. Through sermons and Bible studies, prayer meetings, and elder education, change could take place. The major problem is there is not a desire to do so at any level. People have been conditioned to be tolerant of these issues. But the Bible shows us, that God is not tolerant of this. In only 2 divisions out of 13, our church is tolerant. What saddens me is it appears the GC has abandoned those two divisions and is concentrating on the other eleven. I am not criticizing them or saying they are wrong for abandoning NAD and IED (EU), it just makes me sad. Perhaps, the GC has so many problems—the war in Europe, the war in the Middle East, and other logistical challenges—that it cannot devote time and energy to these problems in NAD and IED. In Ukraine, where we had many losses, the leaders report directly to the GC, to avoid conflicts with other countries. In China, there are many challenges, and they report to the GC. So it is possible that the GC may be understaffed and overwhelmed with challenges. Side Note: I cannot type an em dash on my keyboard, but my grammar checker can insert them for me. 🙂