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🏠 Mortgage rate spike Data: Mortgage Bankers Association. Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.81% last week — the highest in a year, Axios' Neil Irwin writes. Why it matters: A global bond market sell-off is making it more expensive to buy a house. Higher borrowing costs are keeping prospective homeowners on the sidelines. Mortgage applications fell 3% last week.

🗳️ GOP scandals expand Dem map Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Four scandal-plagued House Republicans whose seats should be gimmes for the GOP have instead turned their races into unexpected battlegrounds, Axios' Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender write. Why it matters: These aren't districts you'd expect to be in play — Donald Trump carried all four comfortably in 2024. But ethical troubles by incumbents are making Republicans spend time and money defending the seats — in a cycle where neither party has any room for error. 1. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) dropped his reelection bid after the Ethics Committee found he violated House rules by sexually harassing female aides and creating a hostile work environment. The race was shifted to "toss-up" last week by Sabato's Crystal Ball, even before the ethics report was released. Trump won Edwards' district by 9.5 points last cycle. 2. Max Miller (R-Ohio) is accused of assaulting his ex-wife and their child, allegations he denies. Even Trump expressed doubts to Miller that he can win, Axios reported this week. But he's been defiant amid calls for him to drop out. 3. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) remains under an active Ethics Committee investigation over allegations that center on domestic abuse, stolen valor and financial misconduct, all of which he denies. Trump won Mills' district by 13 points in 2024, but Mills is facing a tough primary fight. 4. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) had his phone seized by the FBI in 2024 as part of an investigation into his campaign finances. The Justice Department dropped the case after Trump returned to office last year. Keep reading.

🏛️ Schumer's majority headache On a good day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer can see a Democratic majority in 2027, Axios' Hans Nichols writes. On a bad one, he can see the caucus that comes with it. Why it matters: Abdul El-Sayed's victory over Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) exposed an uncomfortable reality for Schumer: Some of the Democrats most likely to deliver him a majority may also be the hardest to lead. "If you're Chuck Schumer, I'm dangerous," El-Sayed said during the campaign. "If you're AIPAC, I'm dangerous. If you're a corporate PAC, I'm dangerous." Schumer was quick to endorse El-Sayed yesterday, like he did after Graham Platner clobbered his preferred candidate in Maine. 🔭 Zoom in: The next test for Schumer comes Aug. 11 in Minnesota, where voters will choose between progressive favorite Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the preferred choice of the Democratic establishment. It's the Minnesota Nice version of the ugly proxy war between the party's two wings — with a twist. Unlike in Michigan or Maine, the Democratic nominee is all but certain to win in November. What we're watching: Flanagan, who leads in the polls, has declined to say whether she'd support Schumer for Democratic leader. Same goes for Democrats' Texas nominee, state Rep. James Talarico, who has called for "new blood" in Washington. El-Sayed backs progressive Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) for party leader.

Singularity arriving Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Top AI architects say their technology has arrived at a threshold once confined to science fiction: the singularity, when machines begin accelerating their own evolution, Axios' Ina Fried and Zachary Basu write. Why it matters: If these moguls are right, we may be entering the most consequential technological transition in human history — the opening stages of an "intelligence explosion" that transforms civilization faster than humanity can understand or control. Upheaval at Google yesterday — with DeepMind founder and CEO Demis Hassabis changing roles — offers the clearest institutional evidence yet that AI's architects see something extraordinary approaching. Hassabis — who has declared we're "standing in the foothills of the singularity" — is handing over day-to-day control to become Alphabet's chief scientist and chair of Google DeepMind, with a focus on the future of artificial general intelligence. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on the "Relentless" podcast last month that "we are now, like, in the singularity." Elon Musk, Altman's fiercest rival, has made the same argument since January. Last week, he doubled down: "AI is already superhuman at many things. We are in the Singularity." Anthropic, whose CEO Dario Amodei prefers the term "the AI exponential," says Claude is already helping build more powerful AI and could soon automate nearly all AI research and engineering. 🖼️ The big picture: The industry has yet to achieve full "recursive self-improvement", the point at which AI can repeatedly help build increasingly powerful successors with minimal human guidance. Yet pieces of the loop are beginning to fall into place. Frontier models are beginning to automate research, produce original discoveries and display forms of autonomy associated with the early stages of an intelligence explosion. OpenAI, which released GPT-5.6 in July, spent last week briefing officials in Washington on Astra, an even more powerful model the company says has solved or substantially advanced 10 longstanding problems in mathematics and theoretical computer science. The intrigue: The breakthroughs have come with unsettling signs of autonomous behavior. During a cyber evaluation, an Anthropic agent created fake identities and tried to manipulate a real developer into approving malicious code, the U.K.'s AI Security Institute revealed Tuesday. No known harm resulted. But the episode followed several cases in which OpenAI and Anthropic models reached real systems during testing. 🥊 Reality check: Even a rapid intelligence explosion inside the labs could take far longer to transform daily life. Companies must redesign workflows, governments must develop expertise, and workers must decide when to trust systems whose capabilities are changing faster than institutions can evaluate them. The bottom line: Futurists have predicted the singularity for decades. Today, the architects of frontier AI increasingly believe its event horizon is already behind us.

> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.8%) | Google shares drop amid leadership shake-up in its AI division (More) > Saudi wealth fund, Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and Silver Lake complete $55B purchase of Electronic Arts, taking the video game giant private (More) | Why companies go private (More) > Eli Lilly tops revenue and earnings estimates thanks to GLP-1 demand (More) | Bank of America spends over $250M per year on GLP-1 drugs for its employees, CEO says (More) | Can weight-loss drugs impact your joy of food? (More, w/audio)

Its all just a big misunderstanding, and we all know Kennedy didnt get any illegal votes from Chicago back in the day. 6,600 non-citizens mistakenly added to NJ voter rolls, and nearly 400 cast ballots, governor says | CNN Politics

> Scientists build nearly 700 new cancer models derived from patient tumors and make them available to researchers worldwide in hopes of accelerating treatment discovery (More) > COVID-19 infection may awaken dormant viruses, triggering more severe COVID-19 and lingering symptoms associated with long COVID (More) | What is long COVID? (More) > Neanderthal-derived gene variant of the growth hormone receptor may contribute to a higher muscle mass among some adult carriers (More) | ... plus why scientists think Neanderthals were sprinters, not endurance athletes (More)

Yes, what memories. They were my 'gateway drug' as all their songs were just about finding love and happiness at first.. Then they seemed to shift gears as chemicals and more had an effect...

> Disney and TikTok strike deal allowing select creators to make short-form videos with Disney assets; the content will appear in a new vertical video feed within the Disney+ streaming app (More) > NFL preseason begins tonight at 8 pm ET with the Carolina Panthers taking on the Arizona Cardinals in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (More, w/schedule) | Preakness Stakes to be the first Triple Crown race held on a Sunday starting in 2027 (More) > Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is hospitalized after fans contact police over apparent acts of self-harm on a TikTok livestream (More)

The British Pound is the world’s oldest currency still in use at 1,200 years old. The pound has been an identity as a symbol of British sovereignty. James

But my nieces and nephews who know the truth and many others have held back from open sin in the camp per se. So we try to reach them with love and tenderness, and much prayers. What more can you do. Back in the day, you got blotted out of the church books just for being divorced, now it takes a federal case or worse to get someone taken out of the books

If you swing at someone with a machete to end his life and miss his head by a centimeter, did you break a commandment? And why...?

⛰️ Scoop: Thune's N.H. play Senate Majority Leader John Thune is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for former Sen. John E. Sununu outside of D.C. tomorrow, according to people familiar with the plans. 👉 Why it matters: The GOP high command sees New Hampshire as one of its top pickup opportunities this cycle. Even if the Senate schedule prevents Thune from attending in person, the fundraiser is intended to send a clear signal to donors that they should take the New Hampshire race seriously. First, though, Sununu must defeat former Sen. Scott Brown, who represented neighboring Massachusetts from 2010 to 2013, in the Sept. 8 GOP primary. 🥊 The winner is expected to face Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). The other side: Pappas has been warning that the race is closer than many national Democrats assume. "Don't take New Hampshire for granted," he told Punchbowl last month. Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC aligned with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, has already reserved more than $10 million in New Hampshire for the cycle. — Hans Nichols

🔥 GOP hemp wars President Trump personally intervened last night in a dispute over delaying a ban on hemp-derived THC products, calling a key senator. Why it matters: Pot-like products clearly matter to the White House ahead of the midterms. ☎️ Driving the news: In a wide-ranging call, Trump laid out the argument to Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) for why the White House supports a provision in the stopgap funding bill that would delay the ban by about a month, according to a source familiar with the call. The reason given: The White House is working on a broader framework addressing THC products for medicinal uses, and officials are concerned the ban could complicate those plans. ❌ Budd has filed an amendment to strip out the White House-backed provision. Zoom in: The dispute boiled over during a closed-door Senate GOP lunch today, where several Republican senators clashed with White House liaison James Braid, according to three sources familiar with the meeting. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Budd argued forcefully for allowing the ban to take effect in November as planned. Concerns centered on children's easy access to hemp-derived THC products, which Cotton called "gas-station marijuana candy." Braid, in response, committed to no further delays — beyond the one included in the short-term funding measure. Support for Budd's amendment has grown, and it now has nine cosponsors. 🤔 The intrigue: A delay in the ban would reportedly benefit White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles' son-in-law, who owns a company that sells intoxicating hemp products. — Stef W. Kight

🔄 Johnson swaps problems For Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Chuck Edwards' decision to drop his reelection bid just trades one problem for another. Why it matters: Instead of trying to hold a vulnerable seat with a scandal-ridden candidate, Republicans now have to scramble for a replacement who'll be starting at square one three months out from Election Day against a well-funded Democrat. North Carolina's 11th District already was in Democrats' sights long before Edwards became the target of a House Ethics probe this spring — and things were not trending Republicans' way. 🔮 Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted the race from "lean Republican" to "toss-up" last Thursday, after Edwards' Democratic opponent, Jamie Ager, significantly outraised him in the second quarter. Then the House Ethics Committee concluded Monday that Edwards violated House rules over sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment based on his conduct toward female staffers — and recommended his censure. After Edwards abruptly dropped out via social media very early this morning, GOP operatives privately acknowledged the seat was in trouble — and the late shakeup has only weakened their position. 🚨 One North Carolina Republican told us that Edwards had already "soured" the party's chances of holding the seat. 🔎 Zoom in: National Republicans will be forced to pour money into the race, as the replacement nominee will have to quickly build a campaign from the ground up. 💰 Ager is already fundraising off Edwards' abrupt exit, texting supporters: "Our Republican opponent dropped out today. While we don't know yet who we'll face in November, we need to be prepared for anything. Political experts have called this race a 𝙏𝙊𝙎𝙎-𝙐𝙋 so this seat will be critical to flip the House blue." 🚗 Driving the news: "After much prayer and reflection, I've decided to withdraw from my re-election campaign. I will complete my current term," Edwards wrote in a 3:32am ET post on X. ⚡️ The ethics panel's findings corroborated several incidents first reported by Axios, including handwritten correspondence, personal gifts, drinking outings and casino trips, and cited them as supporting evidence for its findings. Between the lines: Republicans are also bracing for Democrats to try to force a vote on expelling Edwards, a move that could further complicate the GOP's narrow House majority. Edwards is likely to be censured when the House returns from its August recess, and the vote is expected to garner broad bipartisan support. 👀 What to watch: Democrats see an opportunity to keep attention on the case as they push for tougher penalties for lawmakers found to have engaged in sexual misconduct. — Kate Santaliz

I'm still looking for ideas on this.

Pakistan's ruling party leads in Kashmir vote despite boycott call by banned group Pakistan’s ruling party has taken a commanding lead in elections for the legislative assembly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, results from the first two phases of voting showed on Wednesday, despite weeks of protests and calls for a boycott by a banned political group. Read More.

Bill aiming for peace between Turkey and Kurdish fighters goes to parliament Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party on Wednesday filed a bill in parliament to advance a peace initiative aimed at ending the decades‑long conflict with Kurdish militants, including a provision for an effective pardon for former fighters. Read More.

Disney's strong quarter driven by 'Toy Story 5' and the draw of its US theme parks Disney's solid third quarter was driven by a $1 billion box office haul from “Toy Story 5” and the strong draw of U.S. theme parks that helped to offset continued weakness from international tourism. Read More.

Ousted Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina to return from exile in December Ousted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Wednesday that she plans to return to her country from exile in India in December despite facing a death sentence in Bangladesh over a bloody crackdown on protesters in 2024. Read More.

British Columbia is logging its last old growth. Protesters are sleeping in the road to stop it The five-car caravan crept down a gravel logging road as the day's last beams of golden light filtered through the trees. About 20 forest defenders were making a stand in southwest Vancouver Island, at a spot where a logging company was expected to cut old-growth trees the following morning. Read More.

Video game giant Electronic Arts closes $55 billion go-private sale of its business Video game giant Electronic Arts officially has new owners. Read More.

☀️ Scientists have captured images of the Sun's surface in the finest detail yet, revealing a strange and dynamic facade. Go deeper.

💥 Lasers vs. drones Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios The U.S. Air Force recently deployed laser weapons to help combat drones overseas, Axios' Colin Demarest reports. Military use of directed energy — whether lasers, microwave or some combination — is still rare, despite decades of research and billions of dollars spent. ✈️ Driving the news: USAF forces in Europe and Africa say they've been using the Compact Laser Weapon System in "locations across the theater." They declined to say exactly where, citing "operational security." The Boeing-made CLWS is a portable laser weapon designed to take down small drones. Go deeper ...