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Western wildfires The alleged arsonist accused of starting the first of three devastating wildfires in Washington state admitted to igniting that blaze and more than two dozen other fires since last year. He faces five counts of first-degree arson. Meanwhile, crews are bracing for strong winds and soaring temperatures that could worsen conditions this weekend. This comes as dozens of fires burn across the West, deteriorating the air quality for millions. Washington and Oregon are also experiencing their worst fire seasons in more than 30 years, fueled in part by human-caused climate change.   📊 USAFacts: See how much land wildfires burn across the US Editor's note: CNN has partnered with the not-for-profit USAFacts to share government data and insights that we believe are relevant to our audience.

Birthright citizenship President Donald Trump signed two new executive orders Thursday aimed at further restricting birthright citizenship and "birth tourism." In June, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's earlier push to narrow birthright citizenship, affirming that children born on US soil are citizens even if their parents are in the country illegally or temporarily. But the new orders take a more limited approach: One would deny birthright citizenship to children born to "alien enemies," members of foreign terrorist organizations and some people acting on behalf of foreign governments. The other targets people traveling to the US to give birth, though existing law already prohibits obtaining a visa primarily to secure US citizenship for a child. ps:Pathetic!!!!!

THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 7 1782 George Washington creates the Purple Heart The anniversary is now known as Purple Heart Day. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1974 Philippe Petit walks on a tightrope between the Twin Towers 21st Century 2005 Trapped Russian sub rescued African History 1998 U.S. embassies in East Africa bombed Exploration 1947 Norwegian explorer completes 4,300-mile ocean voyage in wooden raft Immigration 1953 Eisenhower signs the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 Latin American & Caribbean History 1956 Mysterious explosions in Colombia Space Exploration 1959 The first U.S. satellite to photograph the Earth is launched Sports 1987 Lynne Cox swims into communist territory U.S. Government and Politics 1912 Teddy Roosevelt nominated as Bull Moose candidate U.S. Presidents 1990 President George H.W. Bush orders Operation Desert Shield Vietnam War 1964 Congress passes Gulf of Tonkin Resolution World War II 1942 U.S. forces invade Guadalcanal

Great article.

🌭 1 fun thing: Hot dog glow-up Photo: Sommer Brugal/Axios The humble hot dog is undergoing an extravagant glow-up with luxury ingredients, social media-ready presentations and fine-dining prices, The Wall Street Journal writes. The caviar dog: A $100 "Golden Glizzy" with 30 grams of caviar and gold flakes — which Axios Miami's Sommer Brugal told you about in March — went viral at the Formula One Miami Grand Prix and Miami Open tennis tournament. The hot dog tower: Modeled after seafood towers, these multitier spreads of hot dogs and sauces are showing up at ski resorts, stadium suites and high-end taverns. Breckenridge Ski Resort's $60 version comes with six all-beef hot dogs and waffle fries. The 2-footer: At Coors Field in Denver, a nearly 2-foot-long hot dog nicknamed "the Glizzilla" — a nod to "glizzy," slang for a hot dog — sells for $45. Full story (gift link).

💰 Workers get smaller cut Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios Workers are getting a smaller slice of the economic pie than ever, Axios' Matt Phillips writes from Bureau of Labor Statistics data. At 53.7%, labor's share of national income is now the lowest on record — even as corporate profits soar. 🤖 What we're watching: Whether — or how much — the AI boom supercharges these record numbers. Some researchers think that AI is already squeezing worker pay.

I respect what Ron Lawson accomplished as a sociologist. He had a career that some might call illustrious. He is the one most often credited[?] with Kinship's founding; however, a Spectrum or Kinship article, some time back, rightly acknowledged the roll Ben Pickell played in Kinship's founding. Ben was not an SDA when he placed an ad in a gay magazine inviting gay SDA to contact him. Since his connection to Adventism is somewhat sordid, likely a slick PR move for Kinship to upplay Ron Lawson. He had deep SDA ties.

🌡️ 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