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Who Were the Sea Peoples? In Nolan’s new adaptation of the Odyssey, Homer’s epic poem about Odysseus’s struggle to return to his kingdom in Ithaca after the Trojan War, the “People of the Sea” hang over the plot like a dark cloud—a rumor of coming destroyers and harbingers of a dark age mentioned by multiple characters along the way. But who are these “People of the Sea”? Well, they’re not just a plot device or a way of adding dramatic tension. The “Sea Peoples” were a very real phenomenon of the Mediterranean world in the tumultuous days at end of the Late Bronze Age. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/who-were-sea-peoples/?

Trump Hit by Brutal Verdict on His Signature Project Many Americans are unaware of what is in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. President Donald Trump’s signature legislative achievement is facing a brutal new reality check, with a new poll showing many Americans are either unaware of what is in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or believe it benefits the wealthy more than working families.Signed into law on July 4, the sweeping package extends key parts of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts while adding new breaks, including temporary deductions for tips and overtime pay, an expanded child tax credit, senior tax deductions, auto loan interest relief, and government-backed “Trump Accounts” for children. Republicans have promoted the bill as a major tax victory for working Americans. “Putting more money in Americans’ pockets. Helping them seize opportunities to get ahead, and creating new pathways to success,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said during remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday. “That is the Working Families Tax Cuts at work.” But Democrats and outside analysts argue it will disproportionately benefit higher earners and add to the national deficit. The Congressional Budget Office has projected the law will significantly increase deficits over the next decade. A new Politico poll of 2,061 U.S. adults conducted July 12-15 found the law has yet to win over a majority of Americans. Nearly half of voters said they either cannot explain the bill or know little about what it contains. Just 11 percent said they could explain the law in detail, while 39 percent said they had heard of it but could not explain its features. The confusion cuts across party lines, with Trump voters and Kamala Harris voters equally likely to say they know of the bill but cannot explain it, at 40 percent each. And for many Americans, the bill has not translated into a noticeable financial boost. One in five voters said they did not know whether the law had helped their personal finances, while another quarter said it had made no difference. Instead, many Americans believe the benefits are tilted toward the wealthy. Just 14 percent said the bill provides substantial tax relief for working-class Americans. Another 34 percent said it offers some relief but hides larger tax cuts for the wealthy, including 35 percent of Republicans. Twenty-one percent said it does not provide working-class Americans with tax breaks at all. The poll also found wealthier Americans are more likely to say they have benefited. More than 40 percent of voters earning over $100,000 said the law had helped them financially—more than double the share among those earning less. Overall, one-third of Americans said the massive tax and spending package had hurt their bottom line, a warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterm elections, where the cost of living is expected to be a defining issue. White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast: “No other President in history has accomplished more for the American people than President Trump, who is working tirelessly to create jobs, cool inflation, increase housing affordability, and more. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world, and this is just the beginning as his agenda continues taking effect.” The challenge comes as voters continue to feel squeezed by rising prices amid Trump’s war in Iran, which has seen gas prices rise above $5 a gallon. The Politico poll showed that more than half of Americans say Trump’s war in Iran has made things more expensive. Meanwhile, wage growth has not been keeping up with inflation, which soared after Trump decided to go to war with Iran In June, wages rose 3.5 percent from a year earlier—the same rate as inflation—leaving workers with virtually no gain in purchasing power, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hit-by-brutal-verdict-on-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/?

Furious Trump Melts Down Over Republicans Going Back on Vacation Trump is unhappy with the Senate majority leader for failing to get his bill through Congress. Donald Trump erupted at Senate Majority Leader John Thune for failing to get his signature bill through Congress as the Senate scrambles to wrap up its priorities before the August recess. Tensions between the two men have been simmering for weeks but could take an explosive turn as the Senate struggles to move forward with Trump’s agenda because it does not have the votes. “John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!” Trump ranted on Truth Social. Trump, 80, repeated his claim that “Dumocrats will do it on day one,” despite that not having happened when Democrats were in power less than two years ago. He took aim at top Senate Republicans, claiming Democrats “can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership” and declared, “Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!” The Senate is in this week and next week before heading out for a summer recess through mid-September. The House headed out for five weeks of August recess last week, and will only return for one week at the end of next month before skipping out again until after Labor Day. House Republicans recently included provisions of the SAVE America Act in a larger legislative package before leaving town, but the effort has no path forward in the Senate. Republicans do not have the votes to even pass the SAVE America Act with a simple majority, never mind the necessary 60 votes to pass legislation without being blocked by the filibuster through regular order. Trump’s post on Monday came after he also demanded Senate Republicans terminate the filibuster in an unhinged posting spree over the weekend. Some Senate Republicans are threatening civil war as senators head back to Washington, D.C. on Monday over the president’s voting legislation. On Sunday, Sen. Mike Lee said he would object to any effort for the Senate to recess in August until the Senate passes the SAVE America Act. A single senator has the power to object to the Senate adjourning for a longer recess and can force a roll-call vote on it, slowing the Senate’s ability to head out. “Do not assume you have my consent,” he wrote, tagging Thune on X. “You do not.” He was joined by Sen. Rick Scott, who said that he stood with Lee and would vote to keep the Senate in session until the passage of MAGA voting legislation. “The American people expect us to deliver,” Scott wrote on X. “They deserve secure elections.” It comes after Thune fired back at White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday for venting frustration over Trump’s stalled agenda. Leavitt, 28, complained that the Senate needed to do its job and warned that patience is running out with Senate Republicans at her press briefing, which led to a rare direct rebuke from Thune on Capitol Hill. “Maybe she or somebody else ought to get on the phone and get the votes. Right? It’s 50 around here,” the Senate majority leader fired back while speaking to a group of reporters. Republicans have 53 seats in the Senate while Democrats hold 47 seats, but Senator Mitch McConnell has been out for more than five weeks since being hospitalized on June 14. Other Republicans, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis, have been critical of the SAVE America Act and efforts to rush it through before the midterms. https://www.thedailybeast.com/furious-trump-melts-down-over-republicans-going-back-on-vacation/? ps:Good for Thune!!

🦦 Parting shot: View from Otter Cliff Photo: Matthew Kalinowski Acadia National Park in Maine is reader and New Yorker Matthew Kalinowski's favorite national park because of the beauty it offers in a compact area. Last summer, Kalinowski's kids treated it like "the giant natural playground that it is," he writes, "splashing at the edge of peaceful ponds that housed frogs and ducks," and taking in views of tree-lined mountains meeting the deep blue Atlantic. 💎 Below: Jordan Pond, a glacier-carved lake in the park — often called the "crown jewel" of the park's many ponds for its clarity and depth. Photo: Matthew Kalinowski

⚡️Thune's force field Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pulling off something today's Republicans rarely attempt: telling President Trump "no." Why it matters: Pressure from Trump and the MAGA base is piling up on Thune, especially over a voter ID bill, but he has an important insurance policy: GOP senators have his back. 💪 "I think he's got strong support. I read all the stories, but I think mostly that's made up by reporters," Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) told us. "Leaders absorb some of the punishment, but I think he's doing great. No one could do a better job than he is right now," Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told us. "His cred in the conference has never been stronger," Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told us. 🔥 Catch up quick: Trump's frustration with Thune over the inability to pass the SAVE America Act or nuke the filibuster is, again, bubbling over. "Thune should not allow the United States Senate to 'leave town' until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER," Trump demanded on Truth Social this morning. 🧮 Thune has snapped back, reiterating that it is a matter of math. There are not enough votes to pass SAVE, end the filibuster or justify canceling the August recess. "Give me a rationale or a path to getting success, staying here through the month of August," Thune told reporters today about the calls from Trump and a few GOP senators to cancel recess to pass SAVE. "You could stay here til Christmas." 👀 What to watch: Trump has not called for Thune's ouster. He even told reporters today that their relationship is "fine." But the building anger has fueled widespread speculation in D.C. that the president could eventually go there. Even if he does, it would not carry the same weight as a threat to Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership in the House. For one, Senate leadership elections are conducted by private ballot, giving more cover to senators who may not want to publicly cross Trump. 👂 What we're hearing: Many Republican senators are quick to share their support for Thune behind closed doors, even if not all are willing to publicly do so right now. Thune "is not in jeopardy," a GOP senator told us, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. "He is not the problem." "We have a bunch of people across Capitol Hill that are obsessed with social media fame," another senator told us, referring to those questioning Thune's leadership. Senior GOP aides for other senators also tell us the problem is really "squeaky wheels" getting more attention and that the situation could ultimately benefit Thune within the conference. The other side: A conservative corner of the conference is certainly growing frustrated with Thune. ⛱️ Seven senators are now calling to delay the August recess until SAVE is passed: Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) and Darline Graham (R-S.C.) But even some of them admit Thune's leadership is not at stake. "I wouldn't say that, because his job lies with us," Tuberville said when asked about any risk to Thune's position as leader. "But a lot of people are getting a little bit frustrated." The bottom line: "I've been somewhat disappointed more Republican senators haven't been bold enough to speak out," Cramer said. — Stef W. Kight

UN human rights chief says Israel must end occupation and house demolitions in Lebanon The United Nations' human rights chief said Monday that Israel must end its occupation of large areas of southern Lebanon and halt the demolition of homes, days before Lebanese and Israeli officials are set to hold another round of direct talks. Read More.

NOAA report finds Gulf of Maine warming slowed for now, but ecosystem remains unstable Maine’s fishing ports are doing well for now, but climate change is destabilizing the Gulf of Maine, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest “State of the Ecosystem” report for New England waters. Federal scientists presented the report to the New England Fishery Management Council in April, and published it online last week. Read More.

Misinformation is reshaping how we see science 80% of Americans say science misinformation is a major problem. Social media is both the top source of science news and the top source of confusion. That loop is exactly why understanding how science actually works matters more than ever. Learn more.

1 for the road: Superheroes in San Diego A fan dressed as Darth Vader attends Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. Photo: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images 🍿 Pop culture and the entertainment business collided this weekend at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Fans packed the halls of the San Diego Convention Center, dressed in cosplay outfits to celebrate their favorite heroes, villains and characters from across pop culture. Andrea Seale, dressed as Bob from "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," attends Comic-Con International in San Diego. Photo: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images 🎬 Over the weekend, Marvel Studios announced "Black Panther III," with "Sinners" director Ryan Coogler back at the helm, and "Ghost Rider," starring Ryan Gosling. Rick Moranis teased the sequel to "Spaceballs" (simply titled, "Spaceballs: The New One,") and Johnny Depp teased his "A Christmas Carol" adaptation "Ebenezer" — his first major studio film in eight years. Ryan Reynolds, in a gray Deadpool costume inspired by the X-Force comics, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Rick Moranis arrives in costume as Lord Dark Helmet at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Photo: Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images 💭 Thought bubble from Herb, a self-professed nerd: Marvel Studios generated the most hype, but the convention's huge attendance showed that nerd culture is alive and well. I'm very excited for the coming year of movies, comics and gaming!

🤑 Americans spent $166 billion on sports betting in 2025, which is more than the revenue generated by the American movie, music, book and museum industries combined, turning it into "America's favorite pastime," Fortune reports.

🥞 The Cracker Barrel CEO who led the company through a marketing transformation that sparked a MAGA backlash, Julie Masino, is leaving the company. David Deno — a former CEO of Bloomin' Brands, the owner of Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill — will succeed her on Aug. 10, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.

📈 Gallup's Economic Confidence Index rose to -31 in July, up 14 points from its May low of -45, though Americans remain broadly pessimistic about the economy. Explore the data.

Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections. https://apnews.com/article/trump-mail-voting-appeal-executive-order-supreme-court-5482700c21f4945d6991dff24776b525?

👋 Good morning! Welcome back. In today's edition: Koivun bests Scheffler, The Decision 4.0, Cooperstown's Class of 2026, Pogačar wins Le Tour (again), a bad day for batters, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Welcome to Cooperstown: Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltrán and Jeff Kent were officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. A record 60 Hall of Famers filled the stage, counting the three newcomers among them. 🏈 Shanahan injured in car crash: 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan suffered several injuries in a car accident last week, including a broken nose, three broken ribs and a severe concussion. His duties will be limited in training camp, but the team expects him to make a full recovery before their Week 1 opener on Sept. 10. ⚾️ Marlins slide continues: The Marlins were one of the hottest teams in baseball in June and early July. Now they're the coldest, having lost a franchise-worst 12 straight games to fall to 52-54 (fourth in the NL East). ⚽️ Klopp says yes, Pep says no: Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is the new head coach of Germany's national team; former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declined the opportunity to take over as Italy's head coach. 🚨 Romo arrested: Tony Romo was arrested by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office on Thursday for suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI). The Wisconsin native had played in a golf event, the Wisconsin Amateur Championship, earlier in the day prior to his arrest.   ⛳️ NEXT BIG THING JACKSON KOIVUN: THE FUTURE IS NOW (David Berding/Getty Images) On June 3, Jackson Koivun was a junior on the Auburn golf team, leading the Tigers to a second national title in three years. Seven weeks later, the 21-year-old phenom is a PGA Tour champion — and the most exciting rookie golfer in a generation. The future is now: Koivun fended off top-ranked Scottie Scheffler at TPC Twin Cities to win the 3M Open title just 24 days into his professional career. The San Jose native shot a 61 on Saturday (look at this approach shot!) before firing a bogey-free 66 on Sunday to finish at 25-under on the week, setting a new tournament record. "All throughout the crowd I kept hearing, 'Scottie's coming, Scottie's coming.' I just tried to tune that out and keep playing the golf I knew I could," said Koivun, whose maiden victory earned him a cool $1.6 million. "I just love this game. I love golf. It's everything I do." The résumé: Koivun enjoyed a historic career at Auburn, where he won two individual national championships, two team national championships and finished with the best career scoring average in NCAA history (68.89) before opting to turn pro and forego his senior season. He won all three major individual awards (Ben Hogan, Fred Haskins, Jack Nicklaus) as a freshman and a junior, making him the first golfer ever to hit the trifecta twice. He's the best amateur Data Golf has ever tracked. Better than Jon Rahm. Better than Jordan Spieth. Better than all of them. As for Scottie… He now has five runner-up finishes this season, tied with Ernie Els* for the most in a season this century. If Scheffler can't win another tournament before the end of the year, it'll mark his first season without multiple wins since 2021. As a reminder: He won a combined 13 tournaments during the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. *Scheffler has finished runner-up to Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Viktor Hovland and Koivun this year. In 2000, Els finished runner up to Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.   🏀 ON THE MOVE THE DECISION 4.0 (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) The content-creating world's long international nightmare is over: LeBron James has chosen his new team. And, in a move that will bring no small consternation to fans in Northeast Ohio and Biscayne Bay, he has indeed chosen a new team, writes Yahoo Sports' Dan Devine. ICYMI: The leading scorer in NBA history is now a member of the 76ers, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $8 million contract to line up alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe in the City of Brotherly Love, where he will try to become the first NBA player to win a title with four different franchises. Dan Wolken: Are we sure Philadelphia is the ideal spot for LeBron? If you are visualizing what the best version of this 76ers roster should be, you want Maxey with the ball in his hands as much as possible. You want Edgecombe, who made 35% of his 3s as a rookie, to be a relentless play finisher. Embiid, when he's on the court, is going to eat up a lot of possessions by force of gravity. Now you've added Brown, whose entire game is based on isolations and heavy usage. So what does that really leave for James? He is still elite with the ball in his hands, but he's also older and less useful when he's off the ball and hasn't really expended much energy on the defensive side of the court for the last few years. James' most impactful skills at this point are almost repetitive with what Philadelphia already has on offense while he accentuates their problems on defense. Seeing arguably the greatest basketball player of all time reduced to a third or fourth option while living out an extended farewell tour will be a delicate dance on the court — and quite a chemistry experiment for the most interesting locker room in the NBA. Legacy: James currently ranks fourth on our Bill Russell Scale of greatest careers in NBA history, trailing only Russell, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, because all of them have at least six rings apiece. The only way he can catch any of them in those rankings is to add to his four championships. Will he do that in Philly? Further reading: How LeBron's decision shifted title odds The 10 best 'last acts' of an NBA career   📸 SNAPSHOTS THROUGH THE LENS (Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Paris, France — Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia) won the Tour de France on Sunday for the third consecutive year and fifth time in his career, tying Jacques Anquetil (France), Bernard Hinault (France), Eddy Merckx (Belgium) and Miguel Induráin (Spain) for the most ever. What they're saying: "This kid is the greatest of all time," said Lance Armstrong, who won seven straight Tours de France (1999-2005) before having his titles stripped. "Oftentimes, people want to talk to me about my history with the Tour and where I stand there. It doesn't matter. This guy is the G.O.A.T. … he would mop the floor with Lance Armstrong. Mop it." (Sage Zipeto/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Chicago, Illinois — With the weight of CBA negotiations left in the past, the 2026 WNBA All-Star break gave off lighter vibes than a year ago. In the league's 30th season, the growth showed everywhere and culminated in Teresa Weatherspoon's roster defeating Cynthia Cooper's, 129-122, in front of an All-Star record 19,783 fans at the United Center. Historic hardware: Liberty star Jonquel Jones (22-13-8) was named MVP of the All-Star Game, making her the first player in WNBA history to win league MVP (2021), Commissioner's Cup MVP (2023), Finals MVP (2024) and All-Star MVP (2026). (Kym Illman/Getty Images) 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary — Lando Norris (McLaren) won Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix to notch his (and his team's) first victory of the season. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished 15 seconds behind Norris in second, while Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) took third. What's next: The Formula 1 calendar now enters the summer break, with no racing for the next three weekends. Drivers will return to action at the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23. (AFP via Getty Images) 🇸🇦 Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — Anthony Joshua (30-4, 27 KOs) survived two knockdowns on Saturday to brutally KO Kristian Penga and set up a mega-fight against Tyson Fury (36-2-1, 25 KOs), who dominated Mariusz Wach on Friday in an unaired bout in Thailand. Looking ahead: Joshua and Fury have agreed to fight each other later this year in a long overdue all-British showdown that will stream on Netflix.   🏈 CHEESE SQUEEZED UNDER THE HOOD: PACKERS REPORT RARE LOSS One share in the Packers cost just $300 in the team's most recent stock sale. Those shares are effectively a novelty, but the team's publicly owned status does convey one major benefit: It provides the only annual look under the hood at the financials of an NFL franchise. By the numbers: The Packers' latest annual report revealed a record $753 million in total revenues for the fiscal year, up 4.7% from the prior year. National revenue, driven by media rights, sponsorships, and licensing, grew 4.8% to $453 million, implying $14.5 billion in total national revenue. Local revenue, comprising ticketing, sponsorships, retail sales, and events, totaled just under $300 million, a 4.7% increase despite one fewer home game. Yes, but: Despite the record revenue, the Packers posted a rare $1.1 million operating loss. The culprit? A $131.7 million increase in player costs to $447 million. Though the NFL has a salary cap ($279 million) which pales in comparison to revenue, that number is not always a reflection of the true costs to ownership, somewhat undermining the bulletproof perception of league finances. Player expenditures impact some years more severely than others from an accounting perspective. Last offseason saw the Packers acquire Micah Parsons, who inked a $44 million signing bonus. Additionally, the departure of several key players accelerated the accounting cost of their compensation, further weighing on expenses. Big picture: The Packers' results confirmed that the NFL's financial position is the strongest in sports, while offering a whispered warning that it isn't entirely infallible, particularly when teams spend aggressively to compete. This is an excerpt from Yahoo Sports Biz, our newest publication authored by Dylan Dittrich. For a deeper dive into the Packers' finances and the world of sports business, sign up here. Today's edition will hit inboxes later this morning.   ⚾ RECORD BOOKS MLB TRIVIA (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) Salvador Perez launched his 318th career home run on Saturday to become the Royals' new all-time home run leader, surpassing George Brett. Question: Perez is one of five active players that hold all-time franchise home run records. Can you name the other four? Hint: Angels, Marlins, Mets, Padres. Answer at the bottom.   ⚾️ STAT DU JOUR A BAD DAY FOR BATTERS (Giphy) There have been over 20,000 days of baseball in MLB's modern era (since 1900). Saturday was the only one where hitters combined for more than 250 strikeouts (252) and fewer than 15 home runs (14), per OptaStats.   Trivia answer: Mike Trout (Angels), Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins), Pete Alonso (Mets), Manny Machado (Padres)

Fraternal Order of Police latest group to oppose property tax constitutional amendment The Florida chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police is the latest public safety organization to oppose Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment designed to provide property tax relief to homeowners but which critics allege could radically reduce revenues for local government essential services, including public safety. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/fraternal-order-of-police-latest-group-to-oppose-property-tax-constitutional-amendment/? Attorneys for death row inmates file legal objections to block executions next week Attorneys fighting to prevent two Florida death row inmates from being executed by the state filed a joint lawsuit Friday in federal court. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/24/attorneys-for-death-row-inmates-file-legal-objections-to-block-executions-next-week/? Corruption by Any Other Name (Part I) “Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results.” – Margaret Atwood https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/18/corruption-by-any-other-name-part-i/ Corruption by Another Name (Part II) In announcing closure of the Everglades immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said the notorious facility — denounced as inhumane by civil rights groups — was always meant to be only temporary until more permanent detention centers could be secured, and federal officials now have that capacity. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/27/corruption-by-another-name-part-ii/?

CNN Fact-Checker Hits Trump With a Brutal Reality Check The president has been telling “completely made-up” stories that make no sense, according to CNN. CNN’s resident fact-checker tore into Donald Trump for repeatedly asking Americans to “remember” things that never actually happened. The 80-year-old president on Thursday trotted out a fake story he’s been telling for years about how people couldn’t watch his June 27, 2024, debate with Joe Biden because “the wind wasn’t blowing,” leading to a widespread TV blackout in areas that use wind power. The story, however, is completely a figment of his imagination—and its underlying premise makes no sense, reporter Daniel Dale said Sunday. A whopping 51 million people watched the debate on television alone—including in Texas, which leads the nation in wind power production. “The president is making stuff up again,” Dale said. Wind is used as part of a mix of power sources, and batteries store wind-generated power for periods when the wind is blowing. So not only is the story itself “completely made up,” but the idea behind it is also “completely made up by the president of the United States,” he added. The president has harbored an irrational hatred of wind turbines ever since the Scottish government approved a wind project off the coast of Aberdeen within sight of his golf course more than a decade ago. For years, he has pushed bizarre theories about how wind turbines kill whales, cause cancer, and destroy property values, and has tried throughout his second term in office to block offshore wind projects. But the great fake wind blackout of 2024 is not the only made-up event Trump has encouraged people to “remember.” Last year, he reminded people to “remember” that he was at his golf club in Scotland the day of the Brexit vote and correctly predicted the outcome. In fact, he was there a day after the vote when the results had already come in, Dale said. The president also has episodes of “fake history” that he has shared repeatedly throughout his terms in office. One is a bogus story about President George Washington keeping two side-by-side desks in his study, one for his private business and one for the presidency. Another is a repeated claim that 38,000 Americans died building the Panama Canal during the early 20th century. In fact, 5,600 people died total building the canal, more than 5,000 of whom were Black workers from the Caribbean who were poorly treated, Dale said. “So, the president making up numbers, making up anecdotes, and making up things he’s asking people to remember even though he made them up,” Dale said. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-fact-checker-hits-trump-with-a-brutal-reality-check-over-his-wind-power-story/?

Lindsay Clancy goes on trial over whether postpartum psychosis drove her to kill her 3 children PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — In the months after the birth of her third child, Lindsay Clancy ‘s mental health collapsed. Unable to sleep and stricken with thoughts of harming herself, she sought care from experts in postpregnancy mood disorders, was put on multiple psychiatric medications, and when nothing worked, checked in to a psychiatric hospital. https://apnews.com/article/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-postpartum-psychosis-b70bfa592ea1c0fbdc62792e4e7b9be6? Judge rules singer D4vd must stand trial in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who authorities said had threatened to expose their relationship and crater the indie-pop singer’s rising career just a few days before his debut album dropped. https://apnews.com/article/d4vd-celeste-rivas-hernandez-killing-trial-52aced35d8cccc3a3d6445b6d13db6a5?

Dissecting Trump’s new tariffs The Trump administration has imposed double-digit tariffs on more than 60 countries that the U.S. says either don't have or don't effectively enforce a forced-labor import ban. But the affected countries, which account for 99% of U.S. imports, have called the Trump administration’s claims unfounded and arbitrary. Read more. Why this matters: Nations with vastly different records on forced labor received the same tariff level. The U.S. spent four months investigating but gave few details on how it arrived at the tariff rates, which are either 10% or 12.5%. The new tariffs announced in recent days take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired, and critics say they are less about cracking down on forced labor than they are a way to replace those tariffs. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting Small businesses file lawsuits against Trump’s new sweeping tariffs Trump says the US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc unfairly fined tech giants Trump’s border czar says vetting of ICE officer is under internal review after Maine shooting As Trump boosts nuclear power, regulators seek to eliminate a longstanding radiation safety practice Biden drops lawsuit seeking to block release of recordings of his interviews with a ghostwriter

Pentagon’s Iran war death toll no longer lists 4 troops killed recently The four American troops killed during renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks are no longer listed as part of the Iran war death toll in the Pentagon’s official casualty count. They have been placed in a new, separate category Sunday. Read more. Why this matters: It is raising questions about properly counting the impact to U.S. service members as the Trump administration has escalated strikes on Iran in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while providing little indication of how it intends to wind down a conflict that is unpopular with many Americans. U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, referred questions to the Pentagon, which, along with the White House, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Mediators see progress in diplomatic efforts to halt Iran war, 2 regional officials say Oil prices sink nearly 7% after pause in Iran attacks Netanyahu accuses Mamdani of ‘fomenting hate’ and calls ICC war-crimes charges ‘bogus’

July 27, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Hundreds of thousands of people will lose their protected immigration status today. Outside the Supreme Court last month. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Protected no more In 1990, during George H.W. Bush’s presidency, Congress established a humanitarian immigration program called Temporary Protected Status. It was designed to shield from deportation people whose home countries were unsafe to return to because of extraordinary circumstances: an armed conflict, for example, or a natural disaster. Last month, though, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to end the program. And today that is happening for some 350,000 immigrants, mainly from Haiti. They are losing their work permits and face the prospect of deportation by the Department of Homeland Security, with T.P.S. holders from a batch of other countries soon to follow. “D.H.S. is upholding the rule of law and getting back to common sense,” a spokesman said. Why is T.P.S. ending? Critics say T.P.S. is a problem because it’s not really temporary. Look at the Salvadorans, they say. They first became eligible for T.P.S. in 1990 because of the violent civil war in their country. Another wave came after two devastating earthquakes in 2001. Decades on, there are about 190,000 of them here, living and working legally. (At least for now — their protected status is slated to end in September.) The Trump administration calls T.P.S. a loophole, a kind of amnesty program. It says that many people now in the program came to the United States unlawfully, or came as students or on tourist visas and transitioned to T.P.S., then stayed for years as previous presidents extended the protections again and again. ‘A very big hit’ Miriam Jordan and Madeleine Ngo cover immigration and have been reporting on the economic impact of the curtailing of T.P.S. They spoke to the director of a nonpartisan research organization who said that “for particular places and particular industries,” having “tens of thousands of workers no longer able to legally work is going to be a very big hit.” Miriam also spoke with the chief executive of Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit in the Boston area that has hired many T.P.S. recipients. Since the start of Trump’s second term, he said, other policy changes have already cost him 60 immigrant workers. Now, the organization is preparing to lose 40 Haitians who have — had — T.P.S. protection. They are housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers and nurses who are among the legions of Haitians who have come into the program since an earthquake devastated their country in 2010. Business organizations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a bipartisan roster of state and local leaders have mounted a push on Capitol Hill to try to save the program. “Congress can, and should, exercise its plenary authority over immigration policy to prevent significant disruption to America’s work force and avoid an unnecessary humanitarian crisis,” the chamber wrote in a letter to Senate leaders this month. And in South Florida, home to the largest population of Haitians in the United States, the commissioner of Miami-Dade County spoke plainly: “Ending T.P.S. costs America money.” What would you do? The Haitian T.P.S. beneficiaries who lose their work permits today now have to decide whether to stay or to leave the United States. Staying would not be easy. The government knows where they live. But as Miriam and Madeleine note, the alternative’s not great: Haiti has been engulfed in violence since the assassination of its last elected president in 2021. Large swaths of the capital Port-au-Prince are controlled by gangs that have attacked, kidnapped and killed civilians, causing the internal displacement of more than 1 million people. The country’s economy is in ruins, and international aid organizations report widespread food insecurity. The reporters talked about that with a Haitian woman in Florida who works as a nurse and has a toddler who was born in the United States. She said she was scared to be forced to return to a place she hadn’t lived in for more than a decade and where she had no family. She agreed to talk on the condition that she not be identified. She didn’t want to be targeted by federal agents. “The anxiety is indescribable,” she said. Read the whole story here. We’ve removed the paywall to make it free for you. THE LATEST NEWS War in the Middle East Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, an Iranian-backed militia, have rapidly spiraled into a conflict that could expand into a full-blown war. Read more about it. The Pentagon is using different webpages to report casualties in the war, making it more difficult to calculate how many people have been killed or wounded overall. Oil prices fell as fighting in the Middle East remained paused. Democratic Party The party is focusing its messaging on affordability as the midterms approach. The Democratic National Committee is so short on cash that it is asking vendors not to send bills until after the elections. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed is trying to show that a progressive can win in a purple state. Around the World Abhijeet Dipke Saumya Khandelwal for The New York Times Abhijeet Dipke founded India’s Cockroach Janta Party as a joke after a judge insulted young people. Now it’s a generational movement challenging the country’s leaders. Prosecutors in Germany said that a man suspected of carrying out a fatal attack near a gay Pride celebration in Berlin over the weekend tried to join the Islamic State and was released from detention in May. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, of “fomenting hate” after he called for Netanyahu’s arrest and said the prime minister was a “war criminal.” Ukraine’s attacks on Crimea’s power grid have left hundreds of thousands of people there without electricity or water for days at a time. Other Big Stories A shooting at a Seattle food festival left at least three people dead. The police had one person in custody and were searching for another. A Secret Service agent was charged with taking part in a near-fatal hazing at a fraternity affiliated with the University of Miami. Times Exclusive: A bill in Louisiana started out as a tax rebate for fiber-optic equipment. By the time it became law, it had become applicable to data centers and enabled Meta to start a project big enough to cover nearly six square miles. OPINIONS Alvin Ng An obsession with mental health is part of the mental health problem, Clay Routledge, a research psychologist, argues. The U.S. has a big technological advantage in the A.I. race. Trump should protect it, the editorial board writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times We’ve made these links free for you. Squish it! Kids (and adults) are making, trading and hunting for squeezable, malleable blob toys. “I was shocked at how much complete joy a squishy could bring,” one mother said. Can’t sleep? These nuns in California want to feel your pain. They wake up in the middle of the night to pray for people — insomniacs, new moms — who are struggling in the dark. The breakup loop: Post about ending a relationship? Your TikTok algorithm may keep you heartbroken. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about the woman who stands to inherit Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. Metropolitan Diary: No more blueberry bagels. Entrepreneur of the unexplained: Paul Andrews, a believer in the paranormal since childhood, helped found a conference that became known as the Woodstock of U.F.O.s. He died at 77. TODAY’S NUMBER Colonel Sanders in Nashville in 1969. Bob Grannis/Getty Images $2 million — That is how much money two men paid Harland Sanders, the colonel of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, for his company and his likeness in 1964. Seven years later, they sold Kentucky Fried Chicken to the liquor giant Heublein for $285 million. That’s the equivalent of around $3 billion today. Sanders regretted the sale, The Times reports: “He sometimes walked into franchises, berated the manager and threw out food he thought was subpar.” SPORTS Tour de France: Mathieu van der Poel won one of the most captivating final stages the Tour has ever seen, but Tadej Pogacar wrapped up the big prize and became a five-time champion, tying the record. Soccer: The FIFA president Gianni Infantino lashed out at his critics, accusing them of “spreading hate” and telling them to “meditate, pray or watch a football match.” RECIPE OF THE DAY Christopher Testani for The New York Times Here’s a cool summertime meal: pan-fried dumplings from the freezer aisle tossed with fresh tomatoes from the farm stand, in a vinaigrette that relies on a big punch of chile crisp. That combination doesn’t sound as if it should work, I know. But it’s a Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe. So it does, and brilliantly. You’ll be making it through September at least. BRIGHT EYES, STILL The New York Times Conor Oberst has been a rock star of the diffident sort for more than 30 years. At 46, he’s now reckoning with a legacy that he previously didn’t want to confront and nearly opted out of entirely. He talked about that with Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli on “Popcast,” The Times’s culture chat show. Listen in. More on culture Artificial intelligence in pop music? It makes it possible to create all kinds of tunes from scratch, but it also raises questions about who will actually listen — and about what is legal. Like: Can you remix an Ella Langley track at home? Read our F.A.Q. The editors of our Book Review talk on their podcast about the best books of 2026 so far. Join them. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Dana Davis/NYT Wirecutter Pack your carry-on bag like the actor Tracee Ellis Ross. It takes time and close attention. But if your checked luggage gets lost along the way, you’ll be set for a week. Improve your posture. We’ve got exercises for that. Visit the coast of Oregon. You can do it in 36 hours. But, honestly, a month would be nicer. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was catholic. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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 Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

🏛️ GOP obtains 1,100+-page Fauci diary Screenshot: Office of Sen. Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, obtained and posted more than 1,100 pages of diary-style contemporaneous notes by Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top government official during COVID who has become a villain of the right. "VERY INTENSE TIMES," Fauci wrote on March 7, 2020 — four days before the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Fauci, 85, who retired in 2022 from his 38-year post as the high-profile director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, will testify before the committee on Wednesday. Previewing the hearing's tone, the senator branded the entries, which include clippings and accounts of Fauci's many media appearances, "Tony's Diary: What He Wrote Privately vs. What He Said Publicly." Paul, long critical of Fauci's statements about the origins of the virus, wrote in posting the document: "Fauci's personal diary reveals that as early as January 31, 2020, he was told by top virologists that the virus's furin cleavage site raised real doubts about a natural origin, with about half the scientists on that initial call believing it looked 'constructed.' Despite this early private uncertainty, Fauci spent the following years publicly and confidently dismissing the lab leak theory while insisting the science was settled." Fauci wrote on Jan. 26, 2020: "GAME ON!!! Things are changing rapidly. ... Remember, early on the Chinese were saying that there is no human to human transmission and all the original 27 cases were from the market. Now we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier." 🥊 A source close to Dr. Fauci pointed out to me that he used similar language with USA Today's editorial board in February 2020: "Almost certainly, somewhere, somehow a bat infected an intermediate host who infected a human. What epidemiologists feel is that the market was an amplifier of something that was already going on. So it didn't necessarily start in the market, but when people congregated in the market they got infected from each other as opposed to all of them getting infected from whatever animal there was in the market." 1,141-page PDF.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 27 1974 House begins impeachment of Nixon On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommends that America’s 37th president, Richard M. Nixon, be impeached and removed from office. The impeachment proceedings resulted from a series of political scandals involving the Nixon administration that came to be collectively known as Watergate. The Watergate scandal first came to light following a break-in on […] read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Cold War 1953 Armistice ends Korean War hostilities Crime 1996 Bombing at Centennial Olympic Park 1981 Six-year-old Adam Walsh is abducted European History 1794 Robespierre overthrown in France Inventions & Science 1949 First commercial jet makes test flight

Most people stop listening to new music at age 33. A 2015 Spotify study found that overall listening time doesn’t drop as we age — we simply replace current music trends with replaying what we already know. Ok, the little feedblitz experiment (automated emails) didn't do so hot, so I should be resuming this one. A lot of you were having issues subscribing, which is a system fault of theirs. But that's alright. That one is fully automated with new stuff, so you can continue to get it if you like, or unsubscribe. Definitely your choice. James

Police arrest 1 person and search for another after Seattle festival shooting that killed 3 SEATTLE (AP) — Police arrested one suspect and were looking for another after gunfire erupted at a crowded food festival beneath Seattle’s Space Needle, leaving three people dead and four others injured, including a toddler. https://apnews.com/article/seattle-shooting-space-needle-92628a1f1597e32ba44d6a2de3272646? Police make arrest after Seattle festival shooting Police arrested one suspect and were looking for another after gunfire at a crowded food festival beneath Seattle’s Space Needle. The shooting left three people dead. Read more. What to know: Investigators believe the two suspects were shooting at each other. One suspect surrendered at the scene, but the other fled. Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis told a news conference Sunday night that while one suspect remained loose, there was no ongoing threat to the public. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Scenes from the shooting Photos show the aftermath A shootout that killed 3 at a food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle may have been gang-related SEATTLE (AP) — There were at least three suspects involved in a shootout at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend, police said Monday. One of them was among those killed in the violence. https://apnews.com/article/seattle-center-shooting-food-festival-space-needle-90548c65364e742a97fb7cb0fea31209? Georgia school shooter had a chaotic childhood and was fixated on mass killings, psychologist says The teenager who killed two students and two teachers in a 2024 shooting at Georgia's Apalachee High School had a chaotic, lonely upbringing and immersed himself in an online community of people interested in mass shootings, a psychologist testified Monday. Read More.

On a West Bank Eviction Tour, Israeli Settlers Advertise “No Arabs Here” WEST BANK — On a hillside overlooking the Palestinian village of al-Mughayyir, a crowd of Israelis and Jewish visitors from abroad gathered for an inside look at how settlement works. They listened intently as Netanel, an Israeli settler-soldier in olive fatigues with a rifle strapped to his back, advertised his group’s impact in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/23/west-bank-israeli-settlers-palestine/? Hegseth Is Pushing Testosterone. The VA Has Already Struggled With the Treatment. Providing continuing hormone-replacement therapy at “the High-T Department of War,” as Secretary Pete Hegseth is calling it, may prove difficult for the federal government because the department in charge of healthcare for veterans has already documented a struggle to manage service members’ hormone therapy, The Intercept has found. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/24/hegseth-testosterone-hormone-therapy-veterans-affairs/? U.S. Website Gave False Approval to Green Card Applicants — Then Blamed Glitch and Took It Away When Jesse Miranda, a U.S. citizen, sponsored an application for a green card for his wife nearly a year ago, he understood the process would take time. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/23/approved-green-cards-uscis-website-glitch/? Trump’s Crypto Corruption Puts Centrist Democrats in Bind The latest version of a sweeping crypto bill exposed a deep divide between progressives and moderate Senate Democrats: whether to accommodate the industry ahead of the fall midterms, or declare open war on it. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/23/trump-crypto-conflict-clarity-act-democrats/? Rubio’s Paranoid Cuba Report Designed to “Justify a Military Attack on Cuba,” Says Democratic Rep. A report published this week by the State Department is the latest weapon employed by the Trump administration in its campaign for aggressive intervention in Cuba, according to members of Congress and experts on the beleaguered Caribbean island nation. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/26/cuba-marco-rubio-state-department-report/? Pete Hegseth’s Crisis of Masculinity On Wednesday at 11:07 p.m. ET, the president went on Truth Social to share an important piece of information with Americans. It wasn’t an update on the sinking U.S. economy, the failing forever war with Iran, a remembrance of the Americans recently killed in that conflict, rising gasoline prices, the more than 800 lawsuits against his administration, a cyclosporiasis outbreak, surging cases of measles, the problems with his Qatari-gifted Air Force One, or comment on any of the swirling crises that typify the day-to-day of Donald Trump’s America. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/25/pete-hegseth-testosterone-military-masculinity/? Leaked Email Reveals New Requirements for ICE Vehicle Stops Less than two weeks ago, following a pair of fatal shootings by immigration officers in Texas and Maine, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ordered a halt to vehicle stops nationwide. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/25/trump-ice-vehicle-stops-policy/? Trump’s National Killer Police Force Within the span of a week, federal immigration agents shot and killed two people in Maine and Texas, and another was hit by a truck and killed in Florida after trying to avoid ICE agents. A fourth person recently died in ICE custody after reportedly being denied medication. https://theintercept.com/2026/07/24/trump-ice-deaths-mass-deportation/?