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Childish Ease of Fooling Trump’s New AG Exposed by Ghislaine The Swamp, our must-read guide to D.C.’s misdeeds has uncovered just how easily hoodwinked Todd Blanche was by the convicted liar. Donald Trump wants to crush The Swamp. The leaks, the sneaks, and the secrets are all there. Our writers, David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, Sarah Ewall-Wice, and Laura Esposito, are sifting through the ooze so you don’t have to. Don’t miss out. In this week’s booze from the ooze: Stormy Daniels, Mort Janklow, Robert Maxwell, Dylann Storm Roof, Jon Ossoff, Abdul El-Sayed, Andrew and Tristan Tate, Gavin Wax, Nick Fuentes, Ghislaine Maxwell, Michael Cohen, John Tower, Boris Ephsteyn, Gretchen Whitmer, and Scott “Swamp Fox” Bessent. Blanche on the Carpet Over His Interview With Ghislaine Maxwell Todd Blanche may have scraped through his Senate nomination (just), but The Swamp has uncovered documents exposing a major lie he appears to have missed during his controversial questioning of Ghislaine Maxwell. Far be it from us to suggest that Blanche’s Ghislaine grilling was a way to ensure she didn’t reveal anything unseemly about the president’s friendship with Jeffrey “Kryptonite” Epstein. But it seems the British socialite who was conveniently moved to a cushy hotel prison after talking to Blanche misled the new attorney general about her own relationship with Trump. Maxwell told Blanche on July 24, 2025, that she met Trump in 1990 when she flew to New York to help her media mogul father, Robert Maxwell, with “some advertising issues with the New York Daily News. “And in fact, I met—I may have met Donald Trump at that time, because my father was friendly with him and liked him very much,” she continued. “And I think it should be said that he also very much liked Ivana, because she was also from Czechoslovakia, where my dad was from. So I don’t—I don’t remember if I did meet him or not in 1990 with my dad, but I knew that that’s how I knew about—about Mr. Trump.” Maxwell went on to make the point that she didn’t meet Epstein until the following year, adding that her father never met the child predator who killed himself/was murdered exactly seven years ago last Monday. The only problem is that The Swamp has unearthed a newspaper clipping from the May 17, 1989 issue of the New York Daily News which reports how both Trump and Ghislaine were guests at a party on board her father’s yacht—named Lady Ghislaine—with “caviar flown in from Paris on the Concorde and salmon served from the vessel’s stores by shoeless waiters.” Also on board were John Tower, the former senator whose defense secretary nomination was shot down over his thrifting and heavy drinking, literary agent Mort Janklow and Peter Kalikow, then owner of the New York Post. The report said Maxwell insisted his well-heeled guests took off their shoes before boarding his yacht. Trump, it said, had a “much bigger yacht and was happy to discuss them with Maxwell.” The report, by gossip columnists Phil Roura and Tom Poster, was not just in the New York Daily News; it was syndicated nationwide. The obvious question for Trump’s then deputy attorney general and now his top lawman is this: If Ghislaine was able to snow him so easily with this lie, how much else should we believe about her account of her and Epstein’s relationships with the president? Swampy Scott the Silver Fox Good to hear that a regular Swamp reader, Scott Bessent, has chosen “Swamp Fox” as his Secret Service handle. He says it’s a nod to his ancestor, “Swamp Fox” Francis Marion, a South Carolina military officer who led guerrilla-style attacks against British forces during the American Revolution. He earned the nickname because he used the region’s swamps to hide, maneuver, and launch surprise raids. Just like us. Welcome Scott. Lindsey’s Nepo-Sister Has Secret History of Backing DEI Newbie senator Darline Graham is fighting off nepo-sister accusations and making her final pitch for a full six-year term representing South Carolina in Congress in a run-off, but her political past, or lack thereof, is proving a liability with some MAGA diehards. Now it turns out, the 62-year-old has a history of backing DEI initiatives, another detail on her record that might not sit well with the conservative base. When the senator served as the commissioner on the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, she signed off on a report for 2019 and 2020 that touted its DEI efforts. The annual accountability report highlighted the commission’s effort to recruit qualified and “diverse staff” and “develop a culture of diversity and inclusion.” This enlightened stance comes after The Swamp also revealed the Senate hopeful twice donated to a GOP state senator after she helped block an effort by South Carolina Republicans to pass a near-total abortion ban in 2023. Graham has rushed to prove her conservative credentials as she seeks a full term. She has blasted criticism of her years of work in state government, arguing that the agency was helping blind people find jobs. But her largely unknown political past, from abortion to state agency DEI, has been a red flag for some of the most conservative and MAGA parts of the base. There’s another DEI hire that Graham is advocating for: herself. If elected, she would be the first woman to represent South Carolina in the U.S. Senate. Even her brother might have balked at her bold belief that she could replace a man. Blanche’s Every Loser Wins Party Gift They were the two lawyers who defended Trump (unsuccessfully) in the blockbuster trial that led to him becoming the first convicted felon to occupy the White House, thanks to his conviction for illegal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, among others. You might think that for this duo, losing the highest-profile case of their careers would come with consequences. And indeed it did—although not the usual consequences for that sort of defeat. Instead, they got a reunion when federal appeals court judge Emil Bove got to swear in the above-mentioned Blanche as Attorney General. The swearing in was followed by a pretty bonkers bad-taste party of MAGA’s finest, waving giant heads of Blanche. What was in the gift bags? As it turned out, a present Trump has been thirsting over for some time: Some handy extra protection from consequences, courtesy of Blanche. The Department of Justice’s Office of the Legal Counsel, a place where, in theory, the government’s finest legal minds consider its most important issues, pumped out a new memo which was unwrapped eagerly in the Oval. It says that “executive privilege” can cover Trump’s communications with people outside of government when they are advising him on official presidential business. Why does it matter? If, as expected, Democrats regain control of Congress and launch inquiries or impeachment investigations into Trump, they could subpoena his advisers, their emails and other communications. This could be particularly useful when it comes to, let’s say, Boris Ephsteyn, who has served as an unofficial legal and political adviser to Trump for years. Now, however, the administration can argue their chats are off limits. What a gift! And if it ends up in front of a court, Judge Bove might be the person to rule on it. Isn’t MAGA life grand! MAGA Candidate’s Pro-Anti-Weaponization Fund Stance It’s hard to forget that Blanche got voted through by hoodwinking convincing two Republican senators—Thom Tillis and John Cornyn—that Trump’s infamous $1.7 billion slush fund for his cronies was dead and that, pinky promise, that tax immunity for him and his entire family was only retrospective. If you are wondering whether an incoming Republican senate would want to keep the fund dead, cast your gaze no further than Georgia, where Mike Collins is trying to unseat the rising Democratic star Jon Ossoff. The MAGA nominee was asked by Dominic Box, no innocent voter but a pardoned January 6 insurrectionist, whether he would support the fund or “some form of compensatory relief” for not just those who stormed the U.S. Capitol but any Americans who are “victims of a weaponized political system.” Collins couldn’t have been clearer: “A lot of things have been politicized and weaponized, and when the federal government harms you, then yes, they have a liability too. That’s easy,” he told Box, who had clearly identified himself as a January 6er at the event. But when the Swamp asked, Collins’ campaign had a carefully parsed apparent change of heart. “Mike Collins fully supports holding the government accountable when federal agencies abuse their power and believes Americans who’ve been wronged by their government ought to have a path to seek justice,” said spokesperson Meyer Siegfried. “He does not support a blank-check fund or automatic taxpayer-funded payouts to anyone simply because they were prosecuted for January 6.” Sounds like a few loopholes in there, Mike. Let’s see how you vote if you win. Tates Gallery Snacks Exhibits As they await possible extradition to the U.K. on charges of rape and sex trafficking, Andrew and Tristan Tate have portrayed their stint in a Miami federal jail as something of a humanitarian catastrophe. In an epic whinge, the two misogynist brothers recently told a judge through their lawyers that they had “no commissary access” while Andrew complained that he was effectively cut off from basic comforts (cue the violins). Enter federal prosecutors - and a remarkably well-preserved paper trail. In a filing this week, prosecutors included Government Exhibit 10: two commissary receipts dated August 5—one from each brother—showing they spent a combined haul of $75.40. And what did the allegedly starved brothers buy? Doritos. Snickers. Twix. Ramen. Coffee. Turkey-and-Swiss cheese sandwiches. Plus shampoo, body wash, a thermal mug and other assorted jailhouse essentials. In other words, it wasn’t exactly Les Miserables. Still, look up guys. Maybe your one-time BFFs Barron Trump and Don Jr. will come visiting before you’re crated up for a transatlantic trip on ConAir. And their dad’s something of an expert on in-flight catering these days. Schumer at Whit’s End The elephant in the room in the Democratic Party’s Michigan debacle was Gretchen Whitmer. The popular governor, who is term-limited from running for a third time, was the first choice to run for the vacant Senate seat and was a virtual shoo-in to win. After all, her approval rate among Dems was 90 percent and 35 percent with Republicans. Even after she buddied up to Donald Trump, she managed to walk the high wire without falling off. But Whitmer said no to the Senate, saying she wanted to “walk the Earth a little while” (i.e., prepare for a presidential run), and they finally settled for fourth choice Hayley Stevens, who promptly spent $40 million losing to lefty non-DSA (but he is really) Abdul El-Sayed. The centrists of the party are convinced that El-Sayed is pushing uphill to beat Mike Rogers in a reliably purple state. So, if Whitmer is the elephant in the room, who is the dead duck? The Swamp would suggest Chuck Schumer, who failed (again) to get his woman. https://www.thedailybeast.com/childish-ease-of-fooling-trumps-new-ag-exposed-by-ghislaine/?

Here Are All the Top Goons Trump Left to Die on the Bait Plane With the Press Trump secretly switched planes in Turkey after intelligence pointed to a potential Iranian assassination threat. Trump secretly fled a potential Iranian assassination attempt, leaving Stephen Miller, Marco Rubio, and other top aides aboard a decoy Air Force One, according to The Washington Post. The extraordinary escape unfolded after Trump had publicly boarded Air Force One to attend the NATO summit in Turkey in July. After making a public show of boarding the jet, Trump was secretly transferred with a small group of aides to a smaller Air Force C-32A after intelligence pointed to a potential Iranian plot to assassinate him. The group traveled concealed in a catering truck from the legacy Air Force One to the second aircraft, which then flew separately to Britain. The older plane continued on with the White House press corps and senior administration officials, apparently unaware that Trump was no longer aboard. Among those who escaped with Trump were his besotted 35-year-old executive assistant Natalie Harp, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, and Oval Office operations director Walt Nauta, according to The Post. All three belong to Trump’s tight inner circle and worked for him at Mar-a-Lago during the four years between his presidencies. Scavino has worked for Trump for more than a decade, while Harp, nicknamed the “human printer,” is a constant presence at his side. Nauta, a former Trump White House valet and Navy veteran, was a key witness in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation. A handful of lower-profile aides also made the switch. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was also moved to the C-32A, boarding via external stairs in a way that made him appear to be the most senior official on the flight, The Post reported. Left behind were Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Deputy National Security Adviser Michael Needham, staff secretary Will Scharf—who was promoted this week to White House counsel—and the entire White House press pool, according to The Post. Reporters aboard the older Air Force One believed Trump was traveling with them. They were instructed to close their window shades after boarding, according to a pool report. It remains unclear whether all of the administration officials left behind knew about the deception, though reporters have confirmed they were kept in the dark. Rubio was confronted about the episode Tuesday. “Mr. Secretary, did you put Americans at risk by having them fly an Air Force One when it was under threat?” a reporter asked. Rubio smiled awkwardly at the cameras and replied, “Thank you, guys,” before walking away without answering. The ruse, which the Trump administration kept secret for more than a month, has prompted congressional Democrats to demand an immediate briefing. “There has to be a congressional briefing because it involves not just the safety of the president,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal told CNN. “I want to know what precautions were taken to make sure that all of the passengers on that Air Force One, which was judged too dangerous for the president to fly on, what precautions were taken to keep the staff and reporters on that plane safe.” The White House Correspondents’ Association has also urged the administration to “work with us on a protocol for handling extraordinary security circumstances in the future.” Trump, speaking publicly about the operation for the first time Tuesday, said the decision was made by the Secret Service and insisted he simply followed its instructions. “It’s really just up to Secret Service. I just follow what they like to do,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. “They wanted me to go on a different flight, a different plane, equal safety… I do what they say.” Trump also argued that the threat was specifically greater for him than for those left aboard the original aircraft. “The plane that I was on was at greater risk,” Trump said. “Because that would be the plane that I think that they would be more likely to go for.” He said he was not surprised by the security operation because he faces “a lot of threats that you don’t know about.” “Any consequential president has a lot of threats,” Trump said. “Non-consequential presidents don’t get threatened. And I think that I may be the most consequential.” The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-left-rubio-miller-cheung-and-bessent-to-die-on-assassination-bait-plane/? ps:A little over board story!!

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Four-way tie: Junior Caminero and Matt Olson each hit their 35th home run of the season on Tuesday, tying Kyle Schwarber and Yordan Alvarez for the MLB lead. It's the first time there's been a four-way tie for the lead this late in the season since 1982. In today's edition: Big Dumper's epic slump, Yankees land billions in PE deal, Joe Brady's Super Bowl mandate, college fantasy rankings, Sports Jeopardy, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   📣 NOW HIRING JOIN OUR TEAM Come join our growing Yahoo Sports newsletter team! We are adding a contract (non full-time) employee as the sports calendar picks up. What we're looking for: A skilled writer who is both passionate and knowledgeable about all things sports. Past experience working in a newsroom or publishing a newsletter is a plus, but not required. Responsibilities include: Writing stories for Yahoo Sports AM, our flagship daily newsletter Developing new section ideas and providing research for larger features Assisting with our growing network of newsletters (AM, Sports Biz, Fantasy, and more) More details: This is a fully remote position, so you can work from wherever. You may be asked to work some nights, early mornings and weekends. To apply: Send an email to kendall.baker@yahooinc.com with the subject line: "Application." Tell me a little bit about yourself, and why you'd be a good fit. Please also attach your résumé.   ⚾️ BIG SLUMPER WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT CAL RALEIGH (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) Baseball is a uniquely difficult sport, so it's not unusual for even the best players to experience year-to-year slumps. But nobody saw this season coming from Cal Raleigh, whose "Big Dumper" nickname has taken on a whole new meaning in 2026. Then vs. now: Last year, Raleigh had the single greatest season ever by a catcher, losing a close MVP race only because Aaron Judge did Aaron Judge things. This year? The Mariners backstop is, without exaggeration, the worst hitter in baseball. Slash line: Last year, Raleigh hit .247/.359/.589 with a .948 OPS that ranked fourth in MLB. This year? .159/.264/.299, with a .564 OPS that ranks dead last among the 165 hitters with at least 350 plate appearances. HR and RBI: Last year, Raleigh became the seventh player in MLB history to hit 60 home runs, and also led the AL with 125 RBI. This year? 12 HR (on pace for 17) and 43 RBI. The icing on the cake: Last year, Big Dumper put up 7.2 wins above replacement, second only to Judge's 9.7 among position players. This year? Big Slumper is at -0.4 WAR. In other words, he's been worth nearly half a loss this season for the floundering Mariners (56-64). What he's saying: Raleigh didn't mince words after another 0-4 showing in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees: "It starts with me. I'm awful. It is what it is." How is this happening? It would be one thing if Raleigh's 2025 had come out of nowhere, but this was a rising star who'd averaged 30 HR per year in his previous three seasons. He's 29 and ostensibly in the heart of his prime, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. The struggles began with an 0-for-9 showing in the World Baseball Classic and continued with an 0-for-38 slump in early May. An oblique injury that later landed him on the shelf for a month could have been the culprit, but he's been just as bad since returning from the IL in June. The root of the issue appears to be Raleigh's sudden lack of ability to make good contact: His hard-hit rate has dropped from a sterling 49.6% to a pedestrian 34.5%, and his perennially high strikeout rate has climbed to an even worse 32%. Worst falloff ever? Raleigh's stiffest competition may have come 95 years ago, when Cubs slugger Hack Wilson had 13 HR a year after hitting 56 and winning MVP (though his .798 OPS far outpaced Raleigh's .564). The decline was so shocking that the Cubs hired a PI "to see if late-night carousing was the source of Wilson's woes," as WSJ noted ($). The Mariners, as far as we know, have not gone to those lengths with their starting catcher… yet.   ⚾️ PRIVATE EQUITY BRONX BOMBERS LAND BILLIONS (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) Institutional investors are advancing further into the sports asset class, drawn to the unique appeal offered by scarcity, stable cash flows, and unparalleled cultural resonance. Now, the pinstriped suits of private equity are investing in the pinstriped uniforms of baseball's most fabled franchise. Billions to the Bronx: Yankee Global Enterprises, the holding company that owns the Yankees, announced a $2.6 billion financing agreement with Apollo Sports Capital on Tuesday. The investment is a mix of credit and equity, providing the Yankees with capital to invest in growth and refinance debt. The Steinbrenner family will remain the controlling owners. Apollo, the global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion in assets under management, has long invested in the sports ecosystem. However, the firm formalized its sports approach with a dedicated vehicle in late 2025, launching Apollo Sports Capital. To date, ASC's high-profile investments have come in soccer. The company became a minority investor in Wrexham in December 2025, before making a bigger splash in March by becoming Atlético Madrid's majority shareholder. Keep reading: This is an excerpt from today's edition of Yahoo Sports Biz, which hits inboxes in a few hours. Sign up here to get the full breakdown of the Yankees' private equity deal — plus more insights about the evolving world of sports business. Disclosure: Yahoo is a portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management.   🏈 WIN-NOW MODE JOE BRADY'S SUPER BOWL MANDATE Rookie head coach Joe Brady takes the helm in Buffalo this season. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: Most new NFL head coaches arrive at their jobs with muted expectations: Win a few more games than last year. Maybe make the playoffs. Stop embarrassing us as a franchise and a city. For Joe Brady, new head coach of the Buffalo Bills, the expectations are more straightforward: Win a Super Bowl. Or else. That's what happens when you take over a team that won 12 games last season, a team quarterbacked by an MVP in the absolute prime of his career, a team that's spent the last seven years beating its fists bloody on the heavy iron door of the playoffs. Forget honeymoons; Brady's seat may as well be warm already. And he's just fine with that. "I didn't take this job to shy away from expectations," Brady said after being hired. "I know what I signed up for and I'm going to embrace it because no one rises to low expectations. I want what this city wants." (Davis Long/Yahoo Sports) Brady, 36, is the youngest current NFL head coach, but in the era of Sean McVay, age ain't nothing but a number. Here's another number: 29.6, the number of points Buffalo has averaged in the past two seasons with Brady as offensive coordinator. That mark is second in the league only to Detroit. In the two seasons Brady has been the full-time OC, Buffalo has ranked in the top 10 in average yards per game, rushing yards per game, passing yards per game and red zone efficiency. No rookie head coach in history has arrived at his job with quite the pressure Brady has, but then few rookie head coaches arrive with Buffalo's level of talent already in-house. Is Brady up to the task of running the whole team? We're about to find out.   🏈 DRAFT KIT COLLEGE FANTASY: TOP PLAYERS (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) While you're debating Bijan Robinson vs. Jahmyr Gibbs, it's worth remembering that Yahoo College Fantasy Football is here, too. And we've got everything you need to dominate your league in our draft kit, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Eric Froton. Top players: Our Top 300 rankings skew heavily in favor of running backs, but we also have top players by position, including the new Team Offense position. QB: Arch Manning (Texas), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Devon Dampier (Utah), Drew Mestemaker (Oklahoma State), Sam Leavitt (LSU) RB: Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), Caleb Hawkins (Oklahoma State), LJ Martin (BYU), Jadan Baugh (Florida), DeSean Bishop (Tennessee) WR: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Malachi Toney (Miami), Nick Marsh (Indiana), Amare Thomas (Houston), Cam Coleman (Texas) TE: Trey'Dez Green (LSU), Jamari Johnson (Oregon), Terrance Carter Jr. (Texas Tech), DJ Vonnahme (Iowa), Dylan Wade (UCF) Team Offense: Notre Dame, Indiana, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Oregon D/ST: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Indiana, Georgia, Miami   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12 (Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) ⛳️ U.S. Amateur Championship Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia hosts the 126th U.S. Amateur Championship, where the field of 312 has been whittled down after two days of stroke play. There will be a playoff this morning to determine the final spots in match play before the Round of 64 tees off (3pm ET, Peacock). Notable cuts: Among those who missed the cut are defending champion Mason Howell and last year's runner-up Jackson Herrington, as well as Preston Stout, the world's top-ranked amateur. 🎾 Canadian Open, Semifinals On the men's side: No. 20 Rafael Jódar vs. No. 28 Brandon Nakashima (6pm, Tennis) followed by No. 5 Ben Shelton vs. No. 12 Learner Tien. On the women's side: No. 7 Iga Świątek vs. No. 9 Elina Svitolina (7pm) followed by No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff. Meteoric rise: Jódar was ranked 540th in the world a year ago. The worst he will be ranked when this tournament ends is 11th. More to watch: ⚽️ UEFA Super Cup: PSG vs. Aston Villa (3pm, CBSSN) … Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, hosts the annual match between the reigning winners of the Champions League (PSG) and Europa League (Aston Villa). ⚾️ MLB: Mariners at Yankees (7pm, ESPN); Rangers at Angels (10pm, ESPN) … Seattle's Bryce Miller (3.08 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) looks to get back on track after losing four of his last five starts. 🏀 WNBA: Tempo at Wings (8pm, USA); Sky at Valkyries (10pm, USA) … The Wings (19-14) have lost three straight to fall into eighth place; the Valkyries (23-9) have won four straight to climb into second.   🎰 LET'S PLAY SPORTS JEOPARDY Answer at the bottom.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Phil Walter/Getty Images) 🇳🇿 Auckland, New Zealand — Steam rises from the scrum during a National Provincial Championship rugby match between North Harbour and Counties Manukau. You're not playing proper rugby until the scrum starts looking like a campfire.   Jeopardy answer question: What is "tripping"?

ICE considers electrical shock gloves for agents Masked ICE agents stand guard outside a detention center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 26. (Andres Kudacki/AP) ICE agents and officers may soon be equipped with gloves that deliver electrical shocks, which the manufacturer says are intended to de-escalate encounters with individuals. The agency plans to spend an estimated $10 million to $20 million on the devices, with delivery expected by March 2027, according to a notice published by the Department of Homeland Security. It’s unclear how many gloves the department intends to purchase, how much each will cost or when officers could begin using them. The plans come as immigration enforcement agencies face scrutiny over tactics critics have called aggressive and dangerous, and as the Trump administration pushes ICE to make around 2,000 arrests per day. + Read more: ICE considers electrical shock gloves for agents + Plus: ‘It’s been chaotic’: Trump’s immigration crackdown prompts worries from industry groups ps:Pathetic!!!!!

The voters have spoken After a night of closely watched races, the results are in from Tuesday’s primaries. In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will win the Democratic nomination for governor, CNN projects, defeating democratic socialist state Assemblymember Francesca Hong. Their race was the latest example of the ideological battle playing out between the party’s progressive and moderate wings. In Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic Senate primary, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar secured the Democratic nomination for governor and will face Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who defeated MyPillow founder Mike Lindell. And in South Carolina, Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the seat after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, qualified for an August 25 runoff for a full term in the Senate. + Read more: Takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries

More Americans are falling behind on payments More Americans are falling behind on home and car loans than at any point in the past decade, new federal data shows. Late mortgage payments are at their highest level since 2015, while serious auto loan delinquencies are the highest since 2010. At the same time, wealthier Americans keep spending, and the AI boom has fueled stocks and delivered big gains for investors. But years of elevated inflation have pushed living costs up for most US households. Hiring has also slowed across much of the economy and elevated gas prices due to the Iran war are now causing inflation to outpace wage gains. Today’s July inflation report could offer a clearer picture of whether that pressure is easing. + Read more: Mortgage delinquency rates are on the rise + Analysis: Is the K-shaped economy unraveling? + USAFacts: What is the current inflation rate in 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. Inflation slows but prices remain elevated as Iran war and spending on AI push up prices WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation declined slightly last month as the cost of gas and groceries slipped, though prices are still rising more quickly than before the Iran war, posing challenges for the White House as the midterm elections near. https://apnews.com/article/consumer-prices-inflation-fed-interest-rates-150e179a6c6b3182ba05cedf0188394b?

The moon steals the show A total solar eclipse seen from Indiana on April 8, 2024. (Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images) For a few minutes today, millions will see the sun disappear behind the moon during a total solar eclipse. Just how dramatic the show gets — and when it begins — will depend on where you are. Parts of Iceland, northern Spain and a small corner of northeastern Portugal will be in the path of totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun and briefly turn day to darkness. Meanwhile, a crescent-shaped partial eclipse will be visible across the northern US, Canada, much of Europe and northwestern Africa. Before you find your viewing time below, a quick word about the inevitable urge to reach for your phone. If you’ve ever tried to photograph the moon, you know the result in your camera roll rarely does the real thing justice. So, perhaps take a moment to simply look up and enjoy the experience (with proper eye protection, of course). It will be at least a year until another total solar eclipse crosses North Africa and the Middle East, but the next one visible across a large part of North America won’t arrive until 2044. + Peak times: See if the eclipse will occur in your area + Explainer: How scientists map the path of totality + Aftereffects: This week’s solar eclipse will alter the weather

Trump’s Moral Vacuum Reveals Truth About Bone Spurs President Trump was willing to sacrifice the lives of Americans to save his own skin. Has it really come to this? A scared old man and his Pentagon bully cowering in a catering truck, knowing they could be sending friends and colleagues into the greatest peril. This is what our leaders look like. A commander-in-chief and secretary of defense willing to use the lives of other Americans as decoys to save their own skins. Not in theory, playing war games on computer screens in faraway lands, but right there. Feet away. It will go down in history as the day we finally saw Donald Trump for who he is ... a Wizard of Oz who uses trickery and deception to rule. A small man with a big voice. The great irony is that his immense moral vacuum was exposed by a real-life ruse that he cannot explain away. Trump was deferred five times from fighting in Vietnam as a young man, four because of his college education and once for spurious bone spurs. He never fought like brave presidents from our past like John F. Kennedy, George H. W. Bush, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry Truman, Ulysses S. Grant, and George Washington. The only struggle he had was for ratings. But this could end up being Trump’s Fall of Saigon. After being smuggled onto a military aircraft leaving Air Force One and most of the U.S. party on board as a decoy to a threatened Iranian terror attack last month, Trump returned to tell the unwitting journalists he had abandoned that he was “number one” on Tehran’s hit list. “But if I go, you go. Right?” he said. Imagine the outrage had Trump returned safely to Washington with his plane blown to smithereens and he had done nothing to help those on board. Even worse, he used them to save himself. Over the past nineteen months, we have watched the illusion of Trump’s strength peel off like an old, stinky onion. The smell of corruption has become more pungent with each discarded layer. The magic was in his brazenness. We held our presidents up to higher standards and, for a while at least, Trump benefited from that. He insisted the economy was hot as we charged headlong toward a $40 trillion deficit, sought to portray every immigrant without papers as a murderer and a rapist, told us we were winning wars when the evidence clearly showed we weren’t, and sent soldiers into our cities and claimed they made them safe. He pretended that by talking a lot, he ran the most transparent administration, ignoring the fact-checks and obvious mistruths. And if we didn’t agree, he went on the attack. Belittling. Haranguing. Insulting. The illusion of strength. The illusion of American power. And the reality of a catering truck. A bombastic Trump left Turkey on July 8 after meeting with world leaders at a NATO summit in Ankara. The U.S. had renewed military attacks on Iran the night before, but there was no apparent connection to the decision to switch the presidential party—including Trump and the press pool—from the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747-8 they flew in on to the older Air Force One it replaced. Unbeknownst to anybody at the time, including the White House press corps, members of the military, administration officials, and the crew, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—and maybe others—were sneaked onto an airport catering truck used to restock airline meals and supplies. Trump was ferried in secrecy to a smaller Air Force C-32A, according to the Washington Post, which originally reported the switch, and flown to England, where he joined the rest of the traveling U.S. party in the older blue-and-white-striped Air Force One for the flight across the Atlantic. The reason for the deception was the threat of an Iranian assassination attempt, presumably targeting Trump’s plane. The media, all sitting ducks, were warned to pull down their blinds and were not told about the threat. Trump’s reaction when the New York Times first reported last month that the Qatari airliner wasn’t properly equipped with the defensive attributes of previous Air Force One jets was to subpoena its journalists in an attempt to uncover their sources. The most likely outcome of Tuesday’s reports will be renewed attacks on the messenger. Expect anger and investigations launched to find the leakers. Trump may argue that he was only doing what he was told by the Secret Service. But there were so many other ways to keep everyone in the traveling party safe. We saw something similar when Trump and his Cabinet were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, leaving the rest of us at the mercy of a gunman. Fortunately, on both occasions, the danger was allayed. Nobody died. But any illusion that Trump truly cares for his citizens has been stripped away. He only really cares about one person. And situations like these reveal him to be much less of a person than anybody thought. Magicians hate it when their tricks are discovered. Because once the illusions are shattered, there’s really nothing much left at all... https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-moral-vacuum-reveals-truth-about-bone-spurs-president/?

How Trump Just Earned the Presidency’s Profile in Cowardice His predecessors fought battles and saved lives; he snuck out in an in-flight meals truck. By making a planeload of staff and reporters into unwitting decoys as they departed a NATO summit in Turkey on July 8, President Donald Trump presented America and the world with a profile in cowardice. Just imagine the delight of the mullahs of Iran when they learned this week that what was described as a “credible threat” caused Trump to secretly switch planes on the tarmac in Ankara by sneaking onto a catering container. If there had indeed been a threat, the perpetrators would have been led to believe their singular target was aboard. Everybody else on the plane would have been collateral damage. Back in April, Trump boasted that in his war of choice with Iran, “We can do whatever we want.” His secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, declared in March that our warfighters were establishing “total dominance.” Hegseth said the conflict’s timeline “is ours and ours alone.” That sound you can now hear is of mullahs laughing. As everyone now knows, Trump initially sought to cover up his return from Turkey with compound lies, at first saying that he had decided not to return on the new Air Force One so service members in Europe could see firsthand this “magnificent” gift to the U.S. from Qatar. He added that he would be taking the long-serving Air Force One for “old time’s sake.” Word later leaked that there was a “credible threat” against Trump and that, for all its magnificence, the new plane did not yet have an air defense ”package” comparable to the one in the older plane. Only this week did we learn that even the older plane was deemed insufficiently safe for the president. Photos show two catering containers hoisted alongside the older Air Force One, apparently so Trump could be spirited on one of them to a waiting military plane, having chickened out in a time of war, leaving others unknowingly in harm’s way The sides of the containers read “Turkish DO & CO.” It might as well be “AIR TACO.” Trump had then flown undercover in the military plane to Midenhall Air Force Base in England, arriving around the same time as both the old Air Force One and the new one. He slipped aboard the new one, where he was joined by the staff and reporters who had just arrived on the old one, unaware he had not been with them all along. They all flew back to America. As reported by the White House Historical Society, the first President to travel by airplane on official business was Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 12, 1943. He avoided the threat of Nazi U-boats by crossing the Atlantic in a Boeing 31 Air Boat called the Dixie Clipper to Casablanca in North Africa. He was over Haiti on the return leg of the 17,000-mile round trip when he celebrated his 61st birthday.Among the three future presidents who served in World War II was George H.W. Bush, who, at 20, was the Navy’s youngest pilot when his BF Avenger torpedo bomber was hit by anti-aircraft fire off the coast of Japan in August, 1943. He completed his bombing run before bailing out. He was in the water when a submarine periscope appeared. He drew his pistol and was ready to do battle when the submarine that then surfaced proved to be American. He was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the nation’s second highest medaLJohn F. Kennedy was the 26-year-old Navy Lt. j.g. commanding Patrol Torpedo Boat 109 when it was struck by a Japanese destroyer. A remarkable survival tale began with a three-and-a-half-mile nighttime swim while pulling a man from his crew by the belt. It became a book and a movie. He subsequently wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage about political bravery shown by others. Richard Nixon served with less distinction, but he did step up when the call to service came. Other presidents who did the same do not include our present one. In 2018, Trump said that he felt “extremely brave” when he and his wife, Melania, visited Asad Air Base in Iraq the day after Christmas. He seemed to be only half joking when he added that he wanted to award himself the Congressional Medal of Honor. He has joked repeatedly about wanting a Purple Heart. Trump did have a remarkable moment after his ear was grazed by a would-be assassin’s bullet in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he memorably rose, bloody-faced, with an upraised fist, but that seems to have been the instinctive showmanship of a man who always sees himself at center stage. He seems to have done nothing on record for the sake of others.But Trump proved with a catering container on the tarmac in Turkey that he is unhesitatingly willing to place others in harm’s way. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-trump-just-earned-the-presidencys-profile-in-cowardice/? ps:And dodged the draft 5 times! This man is worse than a coward!!!!!

Lying ICE Agent Busted Pointing Gun in Face of American-Born Mom The immigration goons dramatically escalated a confrontation even though their lives were not in danger. A disturbing video has emerged of a woman being surrounded by ICE goons and having a gun pointed at her after federal immigration agents falsely suggested she had tried to hit them with her car. Carolina Molina, an American citizen and a mother, posted the viral cellphone footage online showing the tense encounter in Northern Virginia, where an ICE agent drew and pointed a firearm at her while claiming she was following them and had “almost ran us over.” The masked ICE agent also threatened to arrest Molina, prompting her to inform them that she is a legal U.S. citizen. However, dashcam footage from Molina’s vehicle shows that she never attempted to run over any ICE agents with her car. Instead, the immigration agents were seemingly upset that Molina—who works with attorneys to offer counseling services in immigration cases—had called them a “hoe” and a “f---ing b---h” while they were detaining two people. After Molina explained to the ICE agents that she had dashcam footage of the moments leading up to one of them pointing a gun at her, they soon departed without arresting or detaining her. She told WUSA9 she was driving to law offices in Falls Church, Virginia, to hand out business cards but decided to turn around after pulling into the parking lot in case there were immigrants in the building. A clip of the shocking incident has gone viral in the wake of the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot three times at point-blank range by an ICE agent after the agent falsely suggested she was trying to run them over in Minneapolis. The Trump administration was also quick to try to paint Good as a “domestic terrorist,” despite video evidence suggesting otherwise. Speaking to WUSA9 about the incident, Molina described her fears about how badly the confrontation could have escalated. “I was looking down a barrel, and he could have shot me, and he could have gotten away with it,” she said. Molina added that she does not regret hurling insults at the ICE officers. “I know my laws. I’m an American citizen. I have my First Amendment rights. I can say what I can, what I want, and I don’t feel like I should have a gun pointed to my head because you didn’t like being called a hoe.” Democratic Virginia Rep. Don Beyer shared the clip of the ICE officer pointing a gun at Molina on X, while stating that he will be “demanding answers and consequences.” “While I am relieved that she is safe, the habitual dishonesty and dangerous and unjustified escalation seen in this video matches what we have seen from ICE agents across the country,” Beyer wrote. “This kind of misconduct and threat of force against members of our communities cannot be tolerated.” Aaron Fritschner, Beyer’s deputy chief of staff, posted: “DHS has lied about these incidents over and over again and been caught in the lies over and over again. They are lying now, and nobody should believe them. In a statement to NBC Washington, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that an “anti-ICE agitator began to drive her car in circles around our ICE officers and then attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle against them—all in an attempt to help illegal aliens get away.” “Fearing for their safety, ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop of the driver,” the statement adds. “Necessary background information of the driver was taken and she could face criminal prosecution as a result of her actions.” The Daily Beast has contacted DHS for further comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/lying-ice-agent-busted-pointing-gun-in-face-of-american-born-mom/?

Trump Humiliated as Notorious MAGA Nut He Backed Loses Race But the known election denier is refusing to accept the result. Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell has lost in the Republican primary for governor of Minnesota, but the famed 2020 election denier is refusing to accept the result. When Tuesday’s race was called by the Associated Press, Lindell had about 31 percent of the vote in the multi-person primary. Winner Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, will face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November. Later, with 97 percent of the votes counted, Demuth sat at 43.5 percent, with “MyPillow guy” Lindell sitting behind at 32.4 percent.It was the latest electoral bruising for President Donald Trump, But Lindell refused to accept the result, saying he was waiting for more “day-of” votes—cast on Election Day itself—to be counted. “I’m down by 20,000 votes with 277,00 votes left to count,” Lindell said while votes were being counted on Tuesday night. “Now, would you give up if you got 277,000 left to count? And these are the day-of votes, which haven’t been counted yet.” KSTP TV reporter Kirsten Swanson said that Lindell claimed there were irregularities in the vote count. “Lindell will not concede,” Swanson said. “Claims there are anomalies in the numbers that his teams will be looking into overnight.” Lindell, who stepped down as CEO of MyPillow to run for governor, was endorsed and actively supported by Trump. The 80-year-old president sang his praises last month during a gala at his Bedminster National Golf Club in New Jersey, Trump appeared at the glitzy gala to support Lindell hours after the deaths of two U.S. service members had been confirmed in his war on Iran. It remains to be seen whether Lindell, who once claimed “Satan” had been involved in the 2020 election, will have something similar to say about his loss Tuesday. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast. The Daily Beast has also reached out to the White House for comment. At around 11 p.m. EST, Lindell was still holding out hope, saying on a livestream watch party that one batch of votes that had come in could mean he “could have the lead within an hour.” About a half-hour later, the AP called the race for his opponent. Lindell, 65, is now the third Trump-backed candidate who has lost primaries in the 2026 cycle. Last week, hard-line Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles and Michigan Rep Amir Hassan both lost their seats despite being endorsed by Trump. On Tuesday, Trump desperately attempted to sway some of his 13 million Truth Social followers to vote for the 65-year-old. “Mike Lindell deserves a BIG WIN IN MINNESOTA today. Nobody has worked harder, and given up so much, in fighting for free and fair Elections,” Trump wrote, commanding his followers “Go out, NOW, and VOTE for Mike Lindell for Governor.” Trump endorsed Lindell in July on Truth Social, claiming that, “Nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity,” before offering his “COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT.” Lindell’s backing of Trump, including spreading debunked conspiracy theories about Trump’s 2020 election loss and refusing to back down, has seen him rack up costly court fines. Lindell told the Associated Press in 2023 that after defamation lawsuits by voting-machine companies he was out of money and couldn’t pay the unspecified millions in legal fees he owed. MyPillow was ordered to pay DHL $780,000 in January 2025 after a contract violation. In March, Lindell was ordered to pay $56,369 to the voting-machine company Smartmatic USA after the company successfully sued him for defamation, including an additional $500 for each day he failed to make the payment. In July, Dominion Voting Systems, now known as Liberty Vote, ended their $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Lindell, claiming he pushed false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Both parties agreed to a “confidential settlement.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-humiliated-as-notorious-maga-nut-he-backed-loses-race/?

MAGA Candidate Stunned by Brutal Question About Cheating on His Wife Trump’s pick was confronted by a voter live on the radio. Scandal-laden MAGA Senate hopeful Ken Paxton crumbled during a town hall meeting when he was asked why he’d cheated on his wife. The Texas attorney general, 63, who won a bruising Republican primary with Donald Trump’s backing, was kicked out of the home he shared with his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, 62, after she accused him of adultery, according to a 2025 divorce filing she based on “biblical grounds.” Paxton, who is running against Texas state Rep. James Talarico for the Democrats, is finding it hard to escape scrutiny on his storied past, particularly the cheating allegations. During a tele-townhall earlier this week, he fielded questions from the public. During one phone interaction, a woman was heard saying, “Nice to meet you,” before asking, “I’m just wondering—why did you cheat on your wife?” Paxton clammed up and launched into a rambling answer. “Um, I’m not gonna talk about personal issues that relate to my family, just like I don’t think you would wanna discuss your marriage on a call with thousands of people,” he said. “All I can tell you is that I’m proud of my kids. I’ve got four wonderful kids. I’ve got seven grandchildren—well, six and one on the way. There’s a lot at stake, and so while I care about this country, I’m not gonna talk about things that would affect them, so thank you very much for your question.” Paxton’s personal life has been a source of public debate lately. On Saturday, hecklers hijacked his event in Houston, shouting “You cheated on your wife!” at the attorney general. He was questioning Talarico’s Christian beliefs as he was heckled. Two others were ejected from the event for shouting “Paxton protects pedophiles,” according to TownHall editor Joe Chalfant. This seemingly refers to Paxton offering a lenient plea deal to a man charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy. Under the bargain negotiated by state prosecutors, the Waco man was allowed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors and serve a sentence of just one day in jail. Paxton has been dogged by controversy. He was impeached by the state legislature in 2023 over damning allegations of bribery and abuse of public trust. Former aides blew the whistle on Paxton, accusing him of leveraging his powerful position to enrich both himself and a prominent Texas real estate developer. Though Texas lawmakers ultimately acquitted Paxton of the charges, explosive revelations from the trial—including accusations of the extramarital affair—have stubbornly shadowed his campaign. Divorce proceedings have further exposed his staggering wealth, shedding light on an expansive $9 million property portfolio. Trump endorsed him anyway, hailing him as “someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT.” Meanwhile, the candidate spent the Fourth of July weekend gallivanting around Europe with his mistress, Christian influencer Tracy Duhon, 58—sightseeing near the London Eye while Americans marked 250 years of independence from Britain. His Democratic Senate opponent used it for his own political ends. “Americans celebrated 250 years of independence from Britain this weekend,” Talarico’s campaign wrote. “Ken Paxton spent it with the British.” Paxton’s campaign did not answer the news organizations’ questions. Spokesperson Madison Cercy instead called the report a “baseless, lie-filled tabloid story” and insisted the AG has “a long record of defending Texas elections.” After seeing off incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a landslide May primary, Paxton may have met his match in Talarico. The RealClearPolitics polling average currently puts Talarico slightly ahead of the embattled attorney general. A recent Texas Southern University survey gave the Democratic lawmaker a narrow edge of 47 percent to 45 percent, while other public polling shows the pair deadlocked or Paxton clinging to a marginal lead. Paxton’s main office and campaign office have been contacted for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-candidate-crumbles-when-asked-about-cheating-on-his-wife/? ps:This is just the type of person trump loves!!

The Gezer Calendar The so-called Gezer Calendar is a small limestone slab inscribed with a list of agricultural activities covering one full year. Thought to date from the tenth century BCE, it is one of the earliest known Canaanite inscriptions from Judah. Some would claim it is the earliest known inscription in Old Hebrew. The text reads: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/the-gezer-calendar/?

🔬 Exclusive: AI's cancer trial boost Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images AI is starting to unlock millions of dollars of new efficiencies in clinical trials on cancer treatments, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim writes from a new Tufts study. Why it matters: AI-powered tools could shave months off time-consuming processes like recruiting and enrolling patients, monitoring results and interpreting data. 🧪 What they found: The analysis, from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, found AI agents can accelerate clinical development of cancer drugs by approximately 10 weeks and reduce direct operating costs by as much as $5.6 million in late-stage trials. The efficiencies increase with the number of tumors a drug can target: An experimental treatment with 50 active uses could see benefits as high as $565 million. Keep reading ...

✍️ Claude's invisible signature Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios Simon Hernandez-Arthur — the new author of Axios Communicators, our weekly newsletter covering the biggest trends in the comms industry — writes: Anthropic's new models will add machine-readable "watermarks" to Claude-generated text and files to comply with new European Union transparency regulations. Why it matters: People using Claude to clean up, translate or format human-drafted press releases could stamp those documents with an AI signature. The watermarks will be applied worldwide, not just in the EU. 💡 How it works: For models launched after Aug. 2, Anthropic is marking content in two ways. Text watermarks: Claude embeds patterns into the generated text that Anthropic claims are "imperceptible." File metadata: Generated media files carry digital signatures confirming the asset was processed by Claude. 🔬 Between the lines: Anthropic highlighted two major limitations to its detection tech: AI-assisted text can look AI-generated: Content may trigger a "detected mark" even if Claude was used solely to proofread, format or translate human-written copy. Detection drop-off: If text is heavily rewritten, mixed with other copy or too short, then the watermarks might not be detectable. Go deeper ...

Kennedy Center's future The Kennedy Center, seen from the Washington Monument on Monday. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images Earlier this month, Kennedy Center budget planners sketched out three options for its two-year renovation, including ways to keep the National Symphony Orchestra performing during construction, Axios D.C.'s Cuneyt Dil has learned. Why it matters: The early plans — ahead of a board meeting tomorrow — offer a glimpse at how President Trump's allies are contemplating undertaking a controversial two-year closure. One scenario envisions the renowned 96-year-old orchestra — a fixture at the Kennedy Center — performing at "offsite alternate venues," according to a slide deck of budget plans obtained by Axios. Another scenario is more logistically complex. It'd keep the NSO performing inside the Kennedy Center — with a "phased" construction approach that could stretch beyond two years. A third, slimmed-down option appears to pause NSO programs. 👂 What we're hearing: Financial projections for the two-year renovation reveal keeping the NSO running costs $25 million annually. The forecasts are separate from the $250 million Trump anticipates spending on the renovation. Keep reading ...

Avoiding 3 risk factors in midlife could add 13 dementia-free years Avoiding smoking, not having diabetes, and having normal blood pressure may help protect against dementia for an additional 13 years. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/avoiding-3-risk-factors-in-midlife-could-add-13-dementia-free-years?

I could be wrong, but, I don't think people in the denomination will do anything about it.

We are witnessing the frantic, monumental construction of an industrial engine designed to automate the planet. The post The Monument of Silicon: Entering the Age of the Terafab appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

On the front lines of extreme weather   In recent weeks, devastating wildfires and relentless heat waves have gripped parts of the world. Climate statistics show that so far this is the third-hottest year globally, behind 2024 and 2025. Today we are joined by Peter Prengaman, the AP’s Global Climate and Environmental News Director, to learn more about what it’s like reporting as the climate changes. What key challenges do our reporters face when covering wildfires? As each country and U.S. state manages wildfires differently, access can be a big challenge depending on where a wildfire is happening. Journalists can’t always get close, which limits on-the-ground reporting, photos and video. If journalists can access a fire, there are then many other challenges around safety. From the risk of flames to breathing the smoke, fires are dangerous to cover. Another challenge is keeping readers’ interest over what can be multiple months. When houses are consumed and people die, a fire can get a lot of attention. But between those moments can be weeks. A fire is still burning, thousands may be evacuated, but how do we continue telling this important story in a way that readers still pay attention? Want to know more? Make a recurring gift to join Peter and other AP journalists on Aug. 19 for an exclusive conversation about their experience covering extreme weather up close. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Extreme heat and drought take a toll around the world, in photos Western Canada fights growing wildfires as thousands more told to be ready to leave Wildfire at Indonesia’s Mount Bromo mostly contained as smoke forces school closures

Trump says Secret Service and the military wanted him off Air Force One in Turkey due to threat President Donald Trump downplayed the extraordinary nature of the subterfuge involved in his flight, which saw him stow away in an airport catering container to sneak onto another plane while Air Force One was sent into the sky, essentially as a decoy. Read more. Why this matters: “They wanted me to go on a different flight, different plane,” Trump said Tuesday, saying he had little choice in the matter. His comments confirmed a report that first appeared in The Washington Post saying Trump, following a NATO summit last month, was spirited onto a different plane because of a credible threat from Iran, which he insisted didn't scare him. The action was kept secret for weeks until the newspaper’s story. Concealing Trump’s whereabouts at the time and for weeks afterward is believed to be unprecedented. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Elaborate ruse to fly Trump out of Turkey explained FACT FOCUS: Trump makes false claims as he signs order urging revisions around childhood vaccines Trump administration faces lawsuit over its targeting of the International Criminal Court

Takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries In Wisconsin, moderate Democrat David Crowley narrowly defeated democratic socialist Francesca Hong, who was hoping to ride the wave of recent victories by progressive candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed in neighboring Michigan’s Senate race last week. Read more. Why this matters: Hong’s loss in Wisconsin may have doused the momentum for progressive candidates, but it’s far from snuffing it out. A democratic socialist coming close to victory in a battleground state sends a clear message: There is unignorable angst among the party’s voters. Crowley’s margin of victory was less than 1 percentage point. Crowley, who is vying to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor, will face off in November against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile in Minnesota, progressive candidate Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic Senate primary over the centrist Rep. Angie Craig. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ More on the Wisconsin primary Wisconsin Governor primary results Progressive Democrats get another win in Minnesota US Senate primary Sen. Darline Graham, US Rep. Ralph Norman advance to GOP runoff for US Senate in South Carolina Judge again bars Trump administration from implementing order that sought to limit mail voting Former Mayor Luke Bronin wins Democratic primary in Connecticut, ousting U.S. Rep. John Larson

August 12, 2026 Your first month is free in The New York Times app. Download now → By Matthew Cullen Good morning. We’ll start today with results from the primary elections. Then we’ll discuss the operation to get President Trump out of Turkey after last month’s NATO summit. ELECTIONS In Wisconsin, David Crowley, a moderate, won the Democratic nomination for governor in an upset. Polls had consistently shown Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, with a double-digit lead. In South Carolina, Darline Graham, sister of Lindsey Graham, who died last month, will face Representative Ralph Norman, a hard-line conservative, in a Republican runoff for Graham’s Senate seat. And in Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who was endorsed by Bernie Sanders, won the Democratic primary for Senate. She will face Michele Tafoya, a former N.F.L. sideline reporter, in November. Some other notable races: Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won a Republican primary for a House seat in Wisconsin. Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, defeated the MyPillow C.E.O. and Trump ally Mike Lindell in the Republican governor’s primary. Demuth will face Senator Amy Klobuchar. In Connecticut, the long-serving congressman John Larson, 78, was unseated by Luke Bronin, 47, in a Democratic primary that focused largely on age. See more election results here. President Trump was apparently moved in this catering container as he left Turkey last month. Doug Mills/The New York Times Safety subterfuge Sometimes a little trickery helps keep presidents safe. In 2003, officials said that George W. Bush would be spending Thanksgiving at his Texas ranch, but he absconded overnight to Baghdad to surprise American troops there. Bush’s wife and parents were in the dark — and so were forces loyal to Saddam Hussein that might have attacked Air Force One. Three years before that, Bill Clinton quietly slipped into an unmarked plane on his way to defuse nuclear tensions between Pakistan and India. The regular Air Force One, with Secret Service agents aboard, flew the same route as a decoy. “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,” as Sun Tzu put it. That appears to be what President Trump had in mind after last month’s NATO summit. He told reporters he would leave Turkey on an older version of Air Force One (rather than the Qatari-donated 747 that he had flown in on). He went so far as to walk on board the jet and wave to news cameras. But it was all a ruse: There was a credible threat against the president from Iran, officials said. So Trump climbed into a catering truck and rode to a military jet nearby. Simon Ducroquet/The New York Times How the deception unfolded Trump boarded the powder-blue Air Force One from the plane’s left side. The catering container — a truck with a giant metal box on rising stilts — was parked on the right. Footage shows the truck backing away as journalists board the back of the jet. Once on board, reporters were told to keep their window shades down, an unusual request. Trump then flew on the military jet from Turkey to Britain. There, the president was secretly brought back to the older Air Force One by vehicle, without reporters noticing. Soon after, he walked off the plane, pretending that he had been on board all along. The scheme was developed and carried out by a small group of top officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after U.S. intelligence learned about a specific threat of a surface-to-air missile against whatever plane Trump would be flying on. (I was surprised to learn yesterday that Clinton, too, had once ridden off Air Force One in a catering container during a trip to Finland.) One thing made this presidential deception different from previous ones, Peter Baker writes. Reporters believed they were flying alongside the president. In truth, officials had turned a plane full of them and other government employees into unknowing bait for an Iranian strike. Peter talked to one former press secretary who compared them to “human shields.” For more: Listen to today’s episode of “The Daily,” where the White House correspondent Maggie Haberman talks about the operation’s risks. THE PATRIOT GAMES Trump at the Patriot Games yesterday. Doug Mills/The New York Times Here’s a dispatch from my colleague Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House reporter, who was in Ohio yesterday to cover a new Trump-backed competition called the Patriot Games. It was Ninja Warrior meets high school sports meets MAGA. The event, organized as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebration, offered students — a girl and a boy from each state — a chance to win a combined $250,000 toward college scholarships. The president watched as teens raced through a neon-lit obstacle course that included monkey bars, climbing nets and swinging rings. A fog machine shrouded the proceedings in mist. At times, the competition had the feeling of a Trump rally. One attendee shouted “2028” after the president arrived, prompting Trump to smile. “U.S.A.” chants broke out often. When it all ended, and “Y.M.C.A.” played on the speakers, Trump and some of the competitors began to dance. THE LATEST NEWS Politics Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, an author of Project 2025, as the Interior Department’s inspector general. He would oversee any review of the Reflecting Pool renovation. The Trump administration banned the use of Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender-transition medication and surgery. Body-camera footage, text messages and court documents show that federal agents used slurs and racially profiled people during immigration crackdowns. War in the Middle East Houthi missile strikes on a cargo ship in the Red Sea killed at least six people, Yemen’s government said. More trade passes through that waterway now that the Strait of Hormuz is closed. As the U.S. supply of interceptors dwindles, Iran is adapting and improving its attack strategy. The confluence was evident last month in the deadly strike on a U.S. base. Around the World In Colombia. Federico Rios for The New York Times At least 181 people have died in the earthquake in Colombia. See images of the destruction and the rescue efforts. Fishing boats from Ecuador have been attacked by unidentified “gringos” using drones, according to survivors. A court in Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, the former president, to death for crimes against humanity. Assad has been living in Russia since his government was overthrown in 2024. Other Big Stories First-year students at the University of Michigan won’t receive letter grades in their initial semester. The school hopes the change will help ease them into college life. David Ellison, Paramount’s chief executive, threatened to move the studio out of California to pressure regulators trying to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. COSMIC BLACKOUT Source: Eclipse timing and obscuration come from the NASA Javascript Solar Eclipse Explorer. The New York Times This afternoon, mainland Europe will see its first total solar eclipse in decades. The path of totality — that is, where onlookers can see the moon cover the sun entirely — cuts across Iceland and northern Spain. (In the United States, a partial eclipse will be most visible in Alaska and in the Northeast.) Katrina Miller, a science reporter, wrote a guide to viewing the eclipse, and she’s answering readers’ questions in the comments. Here’s one: T Tim London, UK Why do eclipses make animals go crazy? How do they know it's not just the night? What's up with that Katrina Miller Science reporter @Tim Scientists are actively trying to figure that out! Animals also have circadian rhythms, and experts suggest that they may get confused by the sudden darkness, and the shortness of it. Pets in particular might get anxious because they notice something is up by the way humans are reacting. My colleagues had a good feature on the reactions of zoo animals in 2024: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/solar-eclipse-animals-pets-zoo.html View all comments More space news: New images from the James Webb telescope show two supermassive black holes on the verge of merging. The Perseids, summer’s strongest meteor shower, will be most active tonight. Here’s how to watch. OPINIONS Trump is 80 years old and hasn’t looked well. The public needs answers to these seven questions on his health, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, Dick Cheney’s White House cardiologist, argues. A face-lift at age 47 has helped Molly Jong-Fast look younger and feel good, she writes. Does that make her a bad feminist? Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS In Rome. Alessandro Penso for The New York Times We’ve made these links free for you. Throwing stones: Rome is trying to capitalize on the popularity of curling by installing a rink near the Colosseum. In a heat wave. Without any ice. LinkedIn vs. Hinge: Unemployed singles are wondering if they have to choose between the search for a job and the search for a partner. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about the death of the rock climber Jake Whisenant. TODAY’S NUMBER In Miami. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times 1,049 — That’s the height limit, in feet, for buildings in Miami. Right now, the city has no towers that tall. But by 2030, there will be four. Despite worries over rising sea levels and hurricanes, the skyline keeps getting taller. SPORTS W.N.B.A.: The Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White pushed back against online critics who called for her firing after she seemed to defend a hard foul against one of her own players. N.F.L.: Kyler Murray will be the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, sending J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick, to the bench. Soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo married Georgina Rodríguez, his partner of a decade, in an intimate ceremony in Portugal. RECIPE OF THE DAY Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog. This BLT doesn’t depend on the perfect tomato or, for that matter, on bacon with pedigree. Instead, there are a few simple tricks to this recipe that elevate even the lowliest ingredients. Considering we’re in peak tomato season, though, you’ll enjoy the sandwich even more if you use the juiciest tomato at the farmers’ market. Related: How much do you know about everyone’s favorite summer produce? Take our tomato quiz. RETRO ROMANCE The New York Times Perhaps you’ve seen it while scrolling through Instagram: a grainy video of a man or a woman, apparently from the 1980s, trying to find love through a video dating service. The VHS Dates account has nearly 900,000 followers and a fascinating origin story — “The box of VHS tapes was found in the basement of our office in Downtown L.A.” And none of it, it turns out, is real. The creators came clean to our reporter Sopan Deb. Read the story here, or watch the video above. More on culture Spotify says it will label A.I.-generated musical acts for users and exclude them from its algorithmic recommendations. Late night hosts attempted to recreate Trump’s catering container escape. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Organize your kitchen with these items that make the most of small spaces. Go to bed at the same time every night. Sleep experts say it can improve your health. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were elementally and mentally. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

🏗️ Banks unleash infrastructure bucks Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images America's biggest financial firms are lining up to unlock vast sums of private capital for infrastructure investment, Axios' Neil Irwin writes. Why it matters: Amid an AI buildout that is creating new strains on computing power, energy supplies and manufacturing capacity, major banks see opportunity for large-scale investment that could help satisfy those needs — and reward investors. A new $250 billion effort from Bank of America is the latest in a week packed with jaw-dropping funding announcements. Earlier this week, Morgan Stanley announced its own infrastructure initiative, which it said will total $1.5 trillion over a decade. Both firms tied their plans to honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. being celebrated this summer. Also this week: A remarkable announcement by chipmaker Nvidia of plans to finance $500 billion in AI infrastructure buildout in partnership with Apollo, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street firms.