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Government withdraws subpoenas of 3 reporters for The New York Times after admitting legal errors NEW YORK (AP) — Criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the government on Thursday grudgingly withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. https://apnews.com/article/usmediatimesair-force-one-42429e4d4da8accc42b6c3ddf3f4fed5? ps:Once again this administration shows us how pathetic they are!!!!!

🍿 1 for the road: Cinerama Dome lives on The Cinerama Dome sits quiet amid the pandemic in March 2020. Photo: Jay L. Clendenin/L.A. Times via Getty Images Sony Pictures and Alamo Drafthouse are restoring and reopening L.A.'s beloved Cinerama Dome. The historic movie theater closed six years ago during the pandemic, and it's remained shuttered despite attempts to revive it. 🎥 The companies said in a statement: "The restoration will honor the landmark's distinctive aesthetic character, immersive large-format curved-screen presentation, and traditional concession experience that have made it a beloved destination for generations." If all goes well, the Dome will reopen in 2028. Go deeper.

🌖 Astronomers have discovered what could become the first confirmed "exomoon" — a massive natural satellite orbiting a brown dwarf 71 light-years from Earth. Read the paper.

📉 Jobless claims lowest since '69 Data: Department of Labor; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios Only 187,000 people filed new unemployment benefit claims last week — the lowest number since September 1969, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Neil Irwin report. The labor force was much smaller then. Relative to the overall number of workers, this is easily the lowest number of jobless claims on record. 🤖 The big picture: There have been plenty of gloomy warnings about jobs, including worries that AI will lead to widespread layoffs. We appear to be far from that reality. 🧑‍💻 Yes, but: Younger workers are feeling the pinch of the low-hire, low-fire dynamic. Entry-level job postings were down 7.5% in May from a year earlier, Indeed says in a new report. The bottom line: If jobless claims stay low, economists may have to rethink the threat posed by AI and other factors. Go deeper.

Trump "close" to decision on "massive attack" Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool and Shady Alassar/Anadolu via Getty Images President Trump is seriously considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, he told Axios' Barak Ravid today. He's mulling strikes that would be bigger than those carried out during Operation Epic Fury, the first stage of the Iran war. In an exclusive interview, Trump acknowledged that such a decision would have consequences — and stressed that he hasn't yet decided. Trump didn't give a deadline for his decision. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that no call has been made and no new military orders have been given. 🚀 Trump told Axios: "I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it." Trump said that Israel "would join in two minutes if I ask them to" but added, "We don't need anybody" to launch a new operation. Trump said that the Iranians "want to negotiate," but aren't ready to make a deal. "They haven't received enough pain yet," he said. 🇮🇷 Two regional sources with knowledge of the mediation efforts said that Iranian leadership hasn't accepted the latest proposal. "We are trying, but the Iranians are not being helpful," one source said. 🪖 A return to all-out war is highly unpopular in the U.S. The current escalation has caused oil prices to eclipse $100 per barrel. Go deeper.

Further testimony that Jesus went into the MHP at his ascension is found in Hebrews 9. Chapter 9 refers to the "tabernacle": 2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein [was] the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. The first tabernacle was called the sanctuary. That's the HP "3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; " Chapter 9 describes the first tabernacle as the sanctuary. After the second veil, there was the holiest of all [MHP] There is no HP and MHP here. There is the first tabernacle, also known as the sanctuary and the holiest of all. Verses 6 and 7 say that the priests went into the first tabernacle [HP]to accomplish the service of God. Into the "second" [MHP] went the high priest once a year. Verse 7 says the high priest entered the "second"[MHP] once every year. Verse 12 says Jesus entered once. Not once very year. Just once. Verses 25, 26 reiterate this point: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Man who killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman sentenced to life as family describes trauma, loss MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Friends and family of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man sentenced Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to her murder failed to eliminate her legacy but caused enduring fear and fury as he changed their lives forever. https://apnews.com/article/hortman-hoffman-minnesota-lawmakers-boelter-sentencing-b9b2823e5386f2e4fbc465d23095dab8?

Pentagon Pete Purge Victims Expose Petty Reason They Were Ousted Officers forced out under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership shakeup say the real motive isn’t reform. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is denying promotions and pushing out officers who raise questions about his directives, according to insiders. Two former officers told MS NOW they were pushed out of their jobs and forced to retire early after questioning command decisions. The officers spoke on the condition of anonymity due to concerns that the Pentagon would retaliate against them and try to strip them of their retirement pensions. The White House told the Daily Beast in a statement, “People who lie to liberal outlets like MS NOW obviously cannot be trusted with high-stakes national security roles at the Pentagon.” Over the past year-and-a-half, Hegseth has fired or sidelined nearly three dozen general officers and admirals and blocked the promotion of 40 senior colonels or Navy captains selected for flag rank, a pace widely described as unprecedented. Targets have included women, people of color, judge advocate generals and officers tied to events Hegseth believes were mishandled. Most recently, Gen. Christopher Donahue, the top Army commander for Europe and Africa and a widely respected former Delta Force leader, abruptly relinquished his role. Donahue is best known as the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan during the chaotic 2021 withdrawal, which Hegseth has repeatedly blasted as “chaotic,” “disastrous” and a “humiliating retreat.” His exit follows a string of similar departures, including Navy Secretary John Phelan, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, and Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the military’s representative to NATO, who was dismissed over what the Pentagon called “a loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” The departures have become known as the “Pentagon purge,” which Hegseth outlined in a May 2025 memo ordering senior leadership to slash the number of flag and general officers across the forces, saying the goal was to “streamline leadership.” Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez pushed back on the criticism, saying, “Not a single general officer or flag officer has been fired raising concerns about any issue. That charge is completely false. If they believe what they’re saying to be true, then they should put their names on their statements on the record.” One of the former officers who spoke to MS NOW called it hypocritical for Hegseth to claim he wants to focus on warfighters while removing someone like Donahue, who commanded the Army’s Delta Force. Hegseth “is intimidated by people who have real warfighting background and don’t just talk about the warrior ethos,” the officer said, adding, “I think he just can’t stand people around who will call him on his bulls--t.” Hegseth served as an Army National Guard infantry officer. Another former officer said the firings aren’t about reform at all, but about consolidating power, pointing to a September speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico where Hegseth issued a 10-point list of reforms aimed at “restoring a warrior ethos.” “What he was trying to do was establish primacy over the armed forces in a public way,” the officer said. “‘We can get the most senior people in the military to do exactly what we’re going to tell them to do.’” It comes after Hegseth effectively declared a war on women in the Armed Forces. The New York Times reported earlier this month that Hegseth, in a “highly unusual move,” defied the recommendation of a promotion board comprised of senior admirals to block seven people from achieving two-star admiral rank. Five were women or people of color, The New York Times reported, citing Pentagon sources. This is the first time in a decade that no active-duty female Navy officers are likely to be promoted to admiral. https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pete-hegseth-purge-victims-expose-petty-reason-they-were-ousted/? ps:We all know that and anyone that says they didn't are lying to themselves!!

Republicans Humiliated Trump With Bombshell War Rebuke Vote The president faces growing opposition from lawmakers to his war in Iran. The House delivered a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump’s war in Iran and demanded the president end hostilities in the Middle East with the passage of a war powers resolution. Trump’s war has become increasingly unpopular among voters, as it approaches six months since he first launched strikes and the administration fails to deliver a clear message on its path forward. The final vote on Thursday on the resolution was 214 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats to condemn Trump’s war. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Tom Barrett, Warren Davidson, and Brian Fitzpatrick voted for the resolution. Seven Republicans and two Democrats did not vote. While the passage of the resolution in the House alone does not have the power to stop the president from waging war, and it faces a nearly impossible path forward, it is a stark reminder that the president does not have the backing of the House. As the resolution passed, a cheer rang out in the House chamber among members of Congress who are fiercely against Trump’s war. It comes as the U.S. carried out its twelfth consecutive night of strikes against Iran on Wednesday in a conflict that has no end in sight. While the resolution passed in the House, a similar rebuke was blocked in the Senate on Thursday. It went down 47 to 49. GOP Sen. Susan Collins voted for it while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voted against it. Senators Katie Britt, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul did not vote. On Wednesday, Trump even threatened that the U.S. would potentially carry out war crimes by targeting Iranian plants and bridges for every Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The House vote came after Iranian strikes killed four U.S. service members in the Middle East over the weekend, bringing the number of American casualties in the war to 18. Hundreds have also been wounded. Trump attended the dignified transfer of U.S. service members at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday before jetting to a campaign-style rally in Georgia where he referred to the war as a “skirmish” and insisted Iran wanted to make a deal before later dancing on stage to the YMCA. But the Trump administration is seeking $70 billion in taxpayer funds for the war from Congress as Americans struggle to make ends meet, with the conflict driving up prices back home. The national average price for a gallon of gas ticked up above $4 again this week, according to GasBuddy.com, which warned the national average could reach $4.25 to $4.40 in the next couple of weeks. The House’s passage of the war powers resolution came right before members skip town for a five-week recess, and they do not return until August 31, but they could face increasing wrath over the war back in their districts with just months to go before the midterms. A recent poll by Politico found that support for the war has dramatically dropped even among Trump voters. Support among those who identify as MAGA dropped from 50 percent in May to 37 percent in July. Nearly one in five MAGA voters said the war should not continue. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-humiliated-as-republicans-join-bombshell-war-rebuke/?

Brent oil tops $100 per barrel, as tumbles for Tesla and Alphabet yank Wall Street lower NEW YORK (AP) — Brent oil shot to its highest price since May after increased fighting in the Middle East on Thursday threatened to slow the global flow of crude. At the same time, sharp drops for two of Wall Street’s most influential companies, Alphabet and Tesla, yanked the U.S. stock market to its worst loss in a month. https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-iran-trump-ai-inflation-45b9165d6c518f5bea668b6ba7a89838?

👋 Good morning! Have you subscribed to Yahoo Sports Biz yet? In today's edition: "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images, Sox streak ends, Indiana's scoring surge continues, fantasy football rankings, Littler's nine-darter, bad golf etiquette, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Sox streak ends: The Red Sox tied their franchise record with their 15th consecutive win in the first leg of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Orioles, but saw their streak finally end with a loss in the nightcap. 15 in a row was MLB's longest streak since 2021. 🏀 Phee's back: Napheesa Collier made her season debut for the Lynx on Wednesday after missing the first 27 games recovering from offseason ankle surgeries. The five-time All-Star didn't miss a beat, dropping 24 and 10 as first-place Minnesota won its seventh straight game. 🎮 Cover athletes: Victor Wembanyama will grace the cover of the upcoming NBA 2K27 video game, coming out in early September. Caitlin Clark will appear on the cover of the deluxe edition, and Derrick Rose will be on the cover of the ultra edition. ⚽️ Tampering investigation: MLS is investigating tampering claims against Inter Miami after they signed Brazilian superstar Casemiro. Speaking of Inter, please watch this disastrous own goal they allowed on Wednesday before coming back to beat Chicago.   📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS: WORLD CUP EDITION Getty Images captured more than 2.6 million photos during the 2026 World Cup, when their 115-person team traveled over 650,000 miles across five weeks, 104 games, three countries and 16 cities. Below, we go "Behind the Lens" to get the backstory on some of our favorite images. (David Ramos/Getty Images) East Rutherford, New Jersey — Where else to start but at the end, as Spain's Ferran Torres celebrates his game-winner in extra time of the World Cup Final, as shot by David Ramos. Behind the lens: Here's David… What stands out most to me is the importance of the moment. These are exactly the historic, unrepeatable scenes we work to capture: creating an honest visual document, without filters or artificial effects, that can preserve the memory for decades. Ferran Torres' expression conveys pure happiness, and his teammates running towards him in the background completes the story. I was lucky to capture this moment, but it is a team effort. I was especially pleased that it was Ferran, a player I admire for his sacrifice, resilience and team mentality, particularly after the criticism he has faced in recent years. (Hector Vivas/FIFA via Getty Images) Guadalupe, Mexico — Fans arrive to Monterrey Stadium ahead of the Round of 32 match between Netherlands and Morocco, captured by Hector Vivas. Behind the lens: Here's Hector… Monterrey Stadium is one of my favorites, not just of the World Cup, but of all the stadiums I've ever visited. It's a stadium that broke the mold of how the city of Monterrey was laid out so that from one of its ends, Cerro de la Silla — one of the city's most iconic landmarks — could be framed like a painting. Without a doubt, one of the best ways for fans to arrive at any stadium during the World Cup was at Estadio Monterrey, where an elevated pedestrian walkway offered the best view of the stadium and its stunning backdrop. That's what I tried to capture in this photo. Framing Cerro de la Silla, from inside or outside the stadium, became a favorite activity for photographers and fans alike during the World Cup group stage. (Dan Mullan/FIFA via Getty Images) Arlington, Texas — Players and match officials line up before the group stage match between Argentina and Australia. Shot by Dan Mullan with a remote camera hanging from the bottom of the jumbotron at Jerry World. Behind the lens: Here's Dan… This particular angle took quite a lot of planning and preparation. Ahead of the tournament, our team liaised with FIFA and the Dallas Stadium to allow us to attach a remote camera to the bottom of the giant screen. This involved being winched up to the screen from the middle of the pitch in a basket. Myself and my colleagues, Madison Higham and Chris Graythen, worked together to do this installation a few days before the first match in the stadium. The camera was hung on the bottom of the big screen pointing straight down to give a very unique angle of the pitch. We ran power and network to the camera position, which enabled us to leave the camera on for the duration of the tournament and be able to access all its controls. On match days, it was fired using a radio transmitter from the field level with our pitchside photographers. We also had the ability to fire the camera from our office in New York, where we could see exactly what was happening as if you were looking through the viewfinder. It was the perfect angle to capture the pre-match ceremony where the two teams lined up around the center circle for their national anthems, flanked by their national flags. Coming tomorrow: "Behind the Lens" Part 2.   🏀 KEEPIN' IT 100 INDIANA'S SCORING SURGE Caitlin Clark scored a game-high 27 points. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images) The Fever torched the nets again on Wednesday night in a record-breaking performance representative of the highest-scoring campaign in WNBA history. Finishing strong: Indiana (17-10) closed out the first half with a bang, breaking their franchise scoring record in a 123-88 win over the Sun for their third straight victory heading into the All-Star break. It was their 11th 100-point game this year, tied with the 2023 Aces for the most in a single season — a record they still have 17 games left to break. It also raised their scoring average to 95.5 points per game, on pace to break the single-season record set by the Mercury in 2010 (93.9). Big picture: The Fever are merely the most extreme example of this season's scoring boom, with teams averaging a record-shattering 86.8 points per game. There have also been 67 100-point outings after there were just 34 last year, and five of the top eight single-game scoring marks in WNBA history — including Indiana's 123 — have happened this season. What's next: The league heads to Chicago this weekend for the All-Star Game before the regular season resumes on Tuesday.   🏈 TOP 10 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The NFL season kicks off in just seven short weeks, so as fútbol transitions into football, we're marking the occasion by diving into our draft boards and running down the best players in fantasy football. Top 10: The best of the best, according to Yahoo Sports' Justin Boone, are an even split of running backs and receivers. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Lions): His 49 TDs since debuting in 2023 are the most in the NFL, and with David Montgomery no longer in Detroit, Gibbs' usage should only increase. One thing to watch? The Lions have a new OC in Drew Petzing, formerly with Arizona. Bijan Robinson, RB (Falcons): Similar to Gibbs, Robinson's TD-vulturing teammate (Tyler Allgeier) has switched teams, which should yield significantly more goal-line touches. Also like Gibbs, he'll have a different play-caller in new head coach Kevin Stefanski. Ja'Marr Chase, WR (Bengals): The only player with more receiving yards through his first five NFL seasons than Chase (6,837) is his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson (7,432). Puka Nacua, WR (Rams): Puka's 95.3 receiving yards per game are the most in NFL history, and Matthew Stafford's favorite target should again be the linchpin of an offense projected to lead the league in scoring. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Seahawks): JSN exploded last year after DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett left Seattle, yielding the biggest target share in the league (35%). He led the NFL in receiving, was named OPOY and won the Super Bowl. Not bad. Jonathan Taylor, RB (Colts): We probably shouldn't expect another 18-touchdown, 1,585-yard tour de force, but JT can drop off quite a bit and still be a top-five RB. Christian McCaffrey, RB (49ers): He always feels like a bit of a dice roll given he's played more than 11 games just three times since 2019, but if he's healthy he's a league-winner. CeeDee Lamb, WR (Cowboys): George Pickens' breakout had few if any negative effects on Lamb's production last season, which looked a lot like it had in previous years when accounting for injuries and bad touchdown luck. This offense, and Lamb, should flourish. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (Lions): The Sun God has three straight seasons with 10+ TDs and 115+ receptions. Entering his age-27 season, he's as safe a bet as any to make it four in a row. James Cook III, RB (Bills): Some thought his 16-TD campaign in 2024 couldn't be replicated, but he followed it up with 12 scores and a league-leading 1,621 rushing yards last year. Next 10: Ashton Jeanty (RB, Raiders), Justin Jefferson (WR, Vikings), Chase Brown (RB, Bengals), Omarion Hampton (RB, Chargers), De'Von Achane (RB, Dolphins), Saquon Barkley (RB, Eagles), Kenneth Walker III (RB, Chiefs), Brock Bowers (TE, Raiders), Drake London (WR, Falcons), Jeremiyah Love (RB, Cardinals)   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Batting leadoff for your Gwinnett Stripers, Ronald Acuña Jr! (Gwinnett Stripers) ⚾️ 1,038 HR Well, you don't see this every day. The Gwinnett Stripers (Braves Triple-A) trotted out a lineup on Tuesday that has combined to hit 1,038 major league home runs. And superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., one of two former MVPs in the lineup, wasn't even close to the leader. (On Wednesday, their slightly different lineup had fewer HR but 61 years of MLB service time.) Who's on the squad? Carlos Santana (335 career HR), 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen (333) and Rowdy Tellez (123) are all on minor league deals, while Acuña (193) and SS Ha-Seong Kim (52) are on rehab assignments. Utility player Luke Williams (2) was also in the mix. ⚽️ 2,852 minutes Four years ago, MLS players logged just 241 minutes in the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup. This year? That number increased ten-fold to 2,852, sixth-most among all leagues, representing by far MLS' best showing at a World Cup. The leaders: Only Europe's "Big Five" leagues logged more minutes than MLS at this year's World Cup. The English Premier League led the way (18,558 knockout minutes), followed by La Liga (10,452), the Bundesliga (6,326), Serie A (6,030) and Ligue 1 (5,682). Ladies and gentlemen, Luke Littler. (Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images) 🎯 9 darts There have been only 112 "nine-darters" in televised darts matches since 1984, and 19-year-old Luke Littler — already a two-time world champion — nearly had two on Tuesday alone in the World Matchplay of Darts. He landed one in his opening leg (game), and came within a wire of landing a second later in the match. How it works: The most common game in professional darts is 501, the goal of which is to get your score down from 501 to exactly zero by hitting a double (the outer ring) on your last dart. With three darts per turn and a maximum of 60 points per dart, a "perfect game" features just nine darts. Littler's nine-darter on Tuesday featured seven consecutive triple-20s (501-420=81), a triple-17 (81-51=30) and a double-15. 🎾 10th-most weeks Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka have both now spent the 10th-most weeks as the world's No. 1 player on their respective tours. Sinner (81 weeks) passed Lleyton Hewitt on Monday, while Sabalenka (100) passed Lindsay Davenport last week before reaching the vaunted century mark this week. Streaking: While Sinner only reclaimed the top spot from Carlos Alcaraz back in April, Sabalenka has been the No. 1 woman for 92 weeks and counting, the seventh-longest streak ever. If she wants to catch the co-leaders on that list — Steffi Graf and Serena Williams at 186 consecutive weeks — she'll need to continue her reign for nearly two more years.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: THURSDAY, JULY 23 (David Berding/Getty Images) ⛳️ 3M Open The first tournament after the year's final major can often be a letdown, as most of the best golfers take the opportunity to rest and fans are already counting down the days to Augusta, or at least the playoffs. But today (7:45am ET, ESPN+; 4pm, Golf), some guy named Scottie Scheffler will make his tournament debut at TPC Twin Cities. Overwhelming favorite: Scheffler is by far the most accomplished player in the 144-man field, and is thus the +275 betting favorite to hoist the trophy on Sunday. Second on that list? Defending champion and world No. 37 Kurt Kitayama, all the way down at +2500. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Padres at Braves (12:15pm, MLB) … Atlanta's Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) is in the thick of the NL Cy Young race. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 18 (6:35am, Peacock) … Today kicks off a run of three straight mountain stages before Sunday's conclusion. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🏀 CLIMBING THE LADDER WNBA TRIVIA (Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) A'ja Wilson recorded her 45th career 30-point game on Wednesday, the second-most in WNBA history. Question: Who has the most, with 54? Hint: Mercury Answer at the bottom.   ⛳️ BAD FORM REALLY, DUDE? (Giphy) Charlie Woods' run in the U.S. Junior Amateur came to a frustrating end on Wednesday when someone's camera went off during his backswing, causing him to chunk a critical shot in a playoff. "Really, dude?" was all the 17-year-old could muster, which is much tamer than what I would have said. Flashback: Charlie's dad, Tiger, won three straight U.S. Junior Amateurs from 1991-93, then won three straight U.S. Amateurs from 1994-96… then won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes at age 21. LOL.   Trivia answer: Diana Taurasi

“Cover-Up” Unravels as Pentagon Admits Nearly 100 Injured in Iran Strikes The Pentagon belatedly admitted that almost 100 U.S. troops have been injured in the last two weeks as Iran has hit U.S. targets across the Middle East, following months of reporting by The Intercept that found the Pentagon’s official tally of dead and wounded personnel is a gross undercount, which one U.S. government official previously called a “casualty cover-up.” https://theintercept.com/2026/07/21/iran-war-pentagon-casualties-injuries/? Google Is Censoring Reviews of ICE Detention Centers While they’re not as common as reviews for cafes and dry cleaners, reviews have poured into Google Maps by the thousands for the growing network of jails operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The reviews have come from internet users sharing their often harrowing experiences in the detention facilities. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/20/google-maps-reviews-ice-detention-centers/? William Lawrence Is Running in a Purple Michigan District — on His Pro-Palestine Credentials In key swing districts across the country, Democratic Party leaders have backed centrist candidates with carefully calibrated positions on charged issues such as artificial intelligence and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/22/michigan-primary-will-lawrence-palestine/? GOP Rep. Called Israeli–U.S. Defense Tech Integration “Dangerous.” The House Passed It Anyway. The House passed a $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill Wednesday with a controversial provision expanding U.S.-Israel military technology cooperation intact, despite a bipartisan effort to remove it and warnings from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., that the measure could compromise American sovereignty and national security. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/22/ndaa-defense-bill-pentagon-israel-massie/? Nancy Pelosi’s Pick for Her SF House Seat Takes Anti-AIPAC Pledge Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s preferred successor for her San Francisco congressional seat has gained the endorsement of the political arm of the pro-Palestine and anti-genocide advocacy group TrackAIPAC after pledging to back an arms embargo on Israel if elected to Congress. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/21/connie-chan-san-francisco-aipac-pelosi/? Hegseth’s War Department Slashed Civilian Protection Staff, Brought in AI Assessments Self-styled War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has gutted its premier center devoted to preventing civilian casualties in war zones, cutting staff, scrapping a civilian harm records database, and developing an AI assistant to accelerate assessments, according to a new report shared with The Intercept. These revelations come as the Trump administration has renewed attacks on civilian sites in Iran. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/20/hegseth-civilian-harm-deaths-war/? ICE Mandates Dress Code After Killings and Botched Arrest Following a pair of deadly shootings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, the division of the agency responsible for street arrests and deportations issued a new policy mandating a dress code for field operations. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/21/ice-undercover-plainclothes-uniform/?

Trump Thirsts Over His Eighth War in Unlikely Country The Trump administration is reportedly torn over whether to go forward with the strikes. President Donald Trump is now considering waging another war—this time in the West African country of Mali. The Trump administration is looking to strike an al-Qaeda-affiliated group known as JNIM, the Washington Post has reported, citing current and former U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations. If approved, it would mark the eighth country that Trump, who has dubbed himself “president of peace,” has ordered strikes on in his second term. But senior U.S. officials are reportedly in disagreement on whether they should actually attack the militant group. National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, Sebastian Gorka, is the most vocal advocate for striking them, the Post reported. Gorka, who has been a prominent architect of U.S. counterterrorism policy under the second Trump administration, long pushed for the U.S. to get involved in countering Islamist extremism. He has been an outspoken advocate for confronting Iran, and has been highly critical of those who have questioned the administration’s current war there. In recent years, Mali has seen bouts of violence between Islamist militant groups and the Russian mercenaries whom the government hired to get the country under control. The militant groups, in particular the JNIM, which the administration is considering striking, have grown increasingly powerful and have turned the nation into a terrorism hotspot. Mali had been supported by French troops and U.N. forces, but after its former government President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita was toppled in a coup, the new military-led government effectively expelled them and tore up security cooperation with the U.S. Following the withdrawal of French and U.N. forces from Mali in 2023, Russia’s military and paramilitary forces have joined with Mali’s junta to try and combat Islamist insurgents, including groups like the al-Qaeda linked JNIM. But since the Russians showed up, the security situation has remained very volatile as the Russian-backed forces have seen major defeats. The Sahel region has turned into the world’s deadliest terrorism hot spot, according to the Global Terrorism Index. When reached for comment, the Pentagon declined to comment on the Mali strike plans, and referred the Daily Beast to the White House, which did not confirm or deny the potential strikes. A White House official told the Daily Beast that the U.S. “hopes the Alliance of Sahel States prevails against terrorism, but the blame for the deteriorating security situation falls upon Russia, who has proven to be an ineffective security partner for Mali.” The official said the U.S. “has been urging North and West African governments to purchase U.S. equipment and services to support their war efforts against the terrorists.” “We urge regional partners and NATO allies to support the Alliance of Sahel States in their war against JNIM and ISIS,” the official added. The Alliance of Sahel States includes Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, West African countries whose military-led governments have turned to Russia for security help after overthrowing their democratically elected governments and cutting ties with the U.S. and Europe. A new skirmish in Africa comes as Trump has repeatedly boasted that he has ended eight wars during his second administration. Trump has claimed he has ended conflicts between Israel and Hamas, Pakistan and India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Cambodia and Thailand, and Serbia and Kosovo. In reality, several of these conflicts were not full-fledged wars, nor have they been completely resolved. Before his war with Iran, the president had also been claiming that he ended conflicts between Israel and Iran, but those claims have gone away after Israel and the U.S. together launched strikes on the country starting on February 28. Potential military action in Mali would only add to the list of countries Trump has ordered strikes against, which includes Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Venezuela, whose former president the administration kidnapped in January. Trump has also threatened to take several places by force, but those have not materialized. These include Greenland, Canada, Cuba, the Gaza Strip, which he has called an “oceanfront property” and the “Riviera of the Middle East,” and Panama, to gain control of the Panama Canal. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-thirsts-over-his-eighth-war-in-unlikely-country/?

Trump, 80, Threatens to Cry if He Doesn’t Get His Way The octogenarian president is acting like a 2-year-old. Donald Trump is threatening to cry if he doesn’t get what he wants. The 80-year-old president held a rally in Marietta, Georgia, where he ranted about the Senate blocking the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and ID to be shown at the polling booth. The bill has already passed the House but Democrats have filibustered the bill in the Senate, meaning it needs a supermajority of 60 votes to pass. Republicans hold the Senate 53-47. Republican senators were in Trump’s firing line at the rally, where he demanded the filibuster be abolished and warned that next time the Democrats seize power they would get rid of it anyway for their own ends. “We’re not going to be able to take it much longer when they can’t get past voter ID, proof of citizenship, no mail-in ballots because they’re crooked as hell,” Trump ranted. “So right now, Congress is working to get as much of our plan as possible into the budget bill to identify and really terminate. “Look, what they should do? Very simple. A lot of you don’t know about the filibuster. They should terminate the filibuster and approve everything. Because the Democrats are going to do it. The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance. And then they’re gonna approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They’re gonna end up with 12 more congressmen. They’re going to get like 40 electoral votes.”The president then conjured up a bizarre image, picturing himself sitting crying at home if the bill failed to get through, powerless to do anything about it.“If they are allowed to do that, by that time I’ll be sitting home,” he said. “And I’m not a big crier. I don’t think you wanna see me cry, you know? There are some people they do very well when they cry, but you don’t wanna see me cry. But I may be crying when I’ll be sitting home, and I’ll say, I told them they got to really terminate the filibuster…” He then spun off on a bizarre tangent about his political rivals, before refinding his thread. “They should terminate the filibuster,” he continued. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate—he’s the leader of the Republican Party—and tell them to get this stuff approved. So we’re fighting so that all voters must show voter ID. We’re fighting so that all voters must provide proof of citizenship, OK? And also the no mail-in ballots. Very important.” Thune has previously rejected Trump’s demands, saying there aren’t enough votes to push the bill through. Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer has positioned the Democrats as a major hurdle to Trump’s bill, telling The Hill: “Trump said Republicans have to terminate the filibuster, or we’ll have a shutdown in September. Mr. President, the SAVE Act ain’t passing. It ain’t passing in the Senate, it ain’t passing with Democrats, and it ain’t passing in the courts. It’s not happening, so give up on that.” “Trump said the quiet part out loud. He’s willing to shut down the government to get his way,” he added. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-80-threatens-to-cry-if-he-doesnt-get-his-way/?

Florida student discipline records to follow them to college, a response to FSU shooting High school students headed to college will have their disciplinary records transferred to the institution they attend, a policy prompted by the Legislature’s post-Florida State University shootings higher education safety package. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/22/florida-student-discipline-records-to-follow-them-to-college-a-response-to-fsu-shooting/? Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida releases congressional slate for Aug. 18 primaries Demonstrating that a lot of the political energy in the progressive parts of the Democratic Party lies with fresher faces, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida has unveiled its congressional slate for the Aug. 18 primary elections. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/democratic-progressive-caucus-of-florida-releases-congressional-slate-for-aug-18-primaries/? Florida wildlife agency targeted its critics for secret surveillance In his dystopian novel “1984,” George Orwell warned that a dictator would create a surveillance state masked as something beneficial. The hallmark of the evil regime was its slogan: “Big Brother Is Watching You.” https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/23/florida-wildlife-agency-targeted-its-critics-for-secret-surveillance/?

Tropical Storm Bertha weakens after bringing strong winds and heavy surf to Louisiana and Texas Tropical Storm Bertha brought heavy surf and some flooding to southern Louisiana and Texas as it came ashore on the Gulf Coast for a second time Thursday, hours before weakening to a tropical depression. https://apnews.com/article/tropical-storm-bertha-gulf-florida-alabama-louisiana-c98b62c56f938bc6b7c0c26e7b08cfeb?

US military launches new strikes on Iran as clashes escalate over shipping routes CAIRO (AP) — The U.S. military launched the 13th night of strikes Thursday against Iran, targeting key military and commercial sites as clashes continued to escalate over shipping routes. The attacks came after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 a barrel. https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hormuz-strait-war-60d46bf8c83c43a8f2268b7b87627c55?

Nepal aid workers left jobless by USAID cuts turn to sex work to survive After the United States slashed its foreign aid funding last year, more than 280,000 aid workers worldwide lost their jobs. AP global investigative reporter Kristen Gelineau found that in Nepal, LGBTQ+ aid workers left jobless have turned to sex work to survive. Read the full story here. Gelineau sat down for a Q&A to take us behind the scenes of telling such a difficult story. Here is an excerpt: Why did you decide to focus on these aid workers? The few stories that have been done have largely focused on American USAID staffers, even though they make up less than 10% of those left jobless by the cuts. Most of the workers who lost their jobs live overseas, often in conflict zones or impoverished countries where other job options are scarce to nonexistent. I wanted to know what had happened to those people, who are particularly vulnerable and face very different challenges to Americans. How did you find the workers and get them to talk? It took months to find and earn the trust of these workers, who are highly traumatized. This required working through layers of contacts within Nepal’s LGBTQ+ community, sharing examples of my previous work to demonstrate that I have a history of reporting ethically on marginalized communities, and then initially making contact over text messages before working our way up to in-person interviews. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Gelineau’s full behind-the-scenes Q&A Telling the story through photos WATCH: Former aid workers in their own words

Amish Shah wins Arizona Democratic congressional primary in a blow to the party establishment Shah, an emergency physician, won the primary Wednesday in a hotly contested district, delivering another defeat to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which backed a rival, as more voters reject the preferences of party leaders in Washington. Read more. Why this matters: “I wasn’t exactly my party’s pick,” Shah told supporters Tuesday night. “And I was willing to stand up to that establishment. And that’s what the voters of this district want.” Antiestablishment fervor has spooked congressional leaders, who fear that swing voters will see some insurgent candidates as too extreme and squander Democrats’ opportunity to take advantage of Trump’s unpopularity. Shah will face Republican Jay Feely, a former NFL player who was endorsed by Trump in the fall. Before becoming political opponents, Feely and Shah were part of the same team: the New York Jets. Shah was a doctor on the sidelines, while Feely was the kicker. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Messy primaries plague both major political parties, causing chaos and confusion in the midterms Republican Hilton tells Californians they can hate Trump but still vote for him in governor’s race

Navy revises what information about sailors can be released, citing internal misinterpretation WASHINGTON (AP) — Citing an internal misinterpretation of a change in policy, the U.S. Navy is backing away from statements that it would begin to restrict press and public access to sailors’ service histories — information that has been freely offered for decades. https://apnews.com/article/media-navy-press-policy-access-pentagon-b4d5d0f60709692e107e3331370422cd?

House votes for Department of War renaming as part of an annual defense bill WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a defense policy bill that incorporates President Donald Trump’s request for a historic $1.15 trillion in spending for national security and that would designate the Department of Defense as the Department of War. https://apnews.com/article/defense-pentagon-congress-iran-spending-trump-de65f6e0ee4f4d69699fb9f1f647083e? House Republicans adopt $95 billion package for the Iran war and Trump’s priorities WASHINGTON (AP) — The House adopted a Republican-only $95 billion budget proposal Wednesday, a long-shot effort to fund the Iran war and other White House priorities over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts in a final push before the midterm elections. https://apnews.com/article/gop-95-billion-iran-war-trump-johnson-f9dea5ef800bfeb0e343256e841af38f?

FDA panel narrowly backs unapproved peptide drugs favored by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers WASHINGTON (AP) — A panel of federal health advisers on Thursday narrowly recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness influencers and celebrities, despite warnings from government scientists that the chemicals haven’t been shown to be safe or effective. https://apnews.com/article/peptides-fda-rfk-kennedy-bpc157-tb500-7267d0fad0110e7c2ed301d03cf5f0c2?

Judge questions Hegseth’s testosterone policy U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new initiative to test and treat troops for low testosterone has prompted a federal judge to question the differences between that kind of testosterone replacement therapy and hormone treatment for transgender men in the military. Read more. What to know: U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington raised the question Wednesday in an ongoing lawsuit against President Donald Trump's ban on transgender troops. Reyes ordered both parties in the lawsuit to address “the similarities and differences” in administering testosterone replacement therapy “for trans men compared to other service members, including cis individuals.” Reyes’ order comes a week after Hegseth announced the new screening program, calling it necessary to allow troops to operate at their “absolute best.”

ASHLAND COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A Canton pastor will spend three years in prison for a crime involving a 13-year-old girl. Jesse Santos was sentenced by Ashland County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Stimpert Thursday afternoon. Santos, pastor of Canton Seventh-Day Adventist Church, was arrested in February 2025 and charged with kidnapping, two counts of gross sexual imposition, and endangering children. In January, Santos entered a guilty plea to the amended charge of abduction. According to the police report, the crime happened at a campsite in the 3000 block of Ashland County Rd. at River Run Campground in Loudonville in September 2025. https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/03/06/canton-pastor-going-prison-crime-involving-13-year-old-girl/