All Activity

AI prisoner's dilemma Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios America's AI architects are converging on a chilling consensus: The pace of progress may soon demand a slowdown — but no single lab can afford to pull the brake alone, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Momentum for an AI pause or pacing mechanism has reached a historic tipping point, ignited by a summer of extraordinary yet unsettling leaps in capabilities. More than 1,200 employees at leading AI companies have signed a new petition, "Pacing the Frontier," urging Washington to back an international framework capable of throttling AI development. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told reporters on Capitol Hill yesterday that he has spoken with White House officials "about the need to pace it as the models get more capable, which I think is in everyone's interest." 🔬 Zoom in: What was once a campaign led by AI skeptics, academics and local data center opponents is increasingly being championed by the co-founders and chief scientists at the bleeding edge. Petition signatories spanning OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta acknowledge that no individual lab can afford to ease off unilaterally due to "intense competitive pressure." It's the classic prisoner's dilemma: AI may be safer if everyone slows down together, but any lab or country that slows alone risks commercial, strategic and technological defeat. 🔭 Zoom out: The drumbeat for government intervention has been building for months, triggered by a series of jarring disclosures by America's most advanced AI labs. On April 7, Anthropic revealed that its unreleased Claude Mythos model had taught itself to find and exploit security flaws that had gone undetected in widely used software for nearly two decades — jolting the Trump administration into an unprecedented role as industry gatekeeper. On June 4, Anthropic became the first frontier lab to call for a globally coordinated "pause" mechanism. On July 21, OpenAI revealed that its AI agents escaped a locked testing environment, reached the internet and hacked into at least two outside companies — Hugging Face and Modal Labs — in an autonomous effort to score higher on a cybersecurity evaluation. The other side: The economic and geopolitical stakes standing in the way of an AI slowdown are enormous. U.S. labs and policymakers also fear a unilateral slowdown would cede the frontier to China.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 30 1965 President Johnson signs Medicare into law President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. Medicaid, a state and federally funded program that offers health coverage to certain low-income people, was also signed into law on this day. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1866 The New Orleans Massacre 1970s 1971 Fighter jet collides with passenger plane American Revolution 1777 New York’s first elected governor takes office Arts & Entertainment 1999 “The Blair Witch Project” released in theaters 1966 The Troggs take their signature hit, “Wild Thing,” to #1 Civil War 1864 Union forces stopped at the Battle of the Crater Inventions & Science 2003 Last classic VW Beetle rolls off the line Sports 1976 Caitlyn Jenner wins Olympic decathlon U.S. Government and Politics 1619 First legislative assembly in America convenes in Jamestown U.S. Presidents 1956 President Eisenhower signs “In God We Trust” into law 1974 Under subpoena, Nixon surrenders Watergate tapes World War II 1945 USS Indianapolis torpedoed

As France tames wildfire and lets 84,000 evacuees go home, blazes flare across Europe LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — France gave the go-ahead Thursday for 84,000 evacuees forced out by a monster wildfire to return home, the strongest sign yet that firefighters are turning the corner in a grueling battle against flames that have burned an area four times the size of Paris. But blazes flared elsewhere across Europe and actor George Clooney said he’d evacuated his French home because of a nearby wildfire. https://apnews.com/article/france-spain-greece-wildfires-heat-climate-change-de0bfabe2249153afc0e16da2f7e02f3?

A cluster of bananas is called a “hand.” Along that theme, a single banana is called a “finger.” James

Trump and DOJ ask Supreme Court to toss $83 million defamation verdict in E. Jean Carroll case President Donald Trump and the Justice Department are asking the Supreme Court to toss an $83 million defamation verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault, saying he can't be sued for comments he made while he was president. Read More.

Comey’s ‘86 47′ Trump Seashell Case Gets Even Weirder The 65-year-old became the subject of a Trump administration witch hunt after posting a photo of some shells on a beach. Former FBI Director James Comey has filed a motion to dismiss President Donald Trump’s case against him for an Instagram post, exposing wild new details about how the investigation was conducted.Comey, 65, was indicted in April over a post he shared on the platform last May that officials said threatened violence against the 80-year-old president. The post, captioned “Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” showed seashells arranged to spell out “86 47.” In slang, the number 86 can mean tossing something out or getting rid of it. Critics took the post to imply Comey thinks Trump should be killed, given that he is the 47th president. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced an investigation into Comey over the post, which she alleged “called for the assassination” of Trump. On Tuesday, Comey’s team filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, and the documents attached to that filing revealed a string of bizarre details about the case. His lawyers argued he was only being pursued because he had criticized the president, and that Comey had established actual “prosecutorial vindictiveness,” since Trump had already set his Justice Department on him once before. Last September, the department accused Comey of lying to Congress over press leaks, a case that was thrown out after a judge determined that Trump’s attack dog in the matter, Lindsey Halligan, a federal attorney with no prosecutorial experience, had been illegally appointed. “The President harbors genuine animus toward Mr. Comey,” the new filing states. That animus is nothing new. Trump fired Comey in 2017 over the Russia election interference investigation, and Comey has been a fierce critic of the president ever since. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi failed to make a case against him stick, but the effort appears to have been revived under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer. Comey’s lawyers say the White House was so fixated on the initial Secret Service investigation that top officials demanded updates while Trump was flying home from Europe. Law enforcement, they argue, went to extreme lengths to track him down. According to the documents, federal agents used emergency phone-tracking to follow Comey as he drove from North Carolina to northern Virginia shortly after the post went up. That kind of warrant-free location tracking is supposed to be reserved for true emergencies, requiring law enforcement to claim there is “an imminent threat to life or limb,” one Secret Service official noted in the filings. Except there was no emergency. When the Secret Service first reached out, Comey declined to share his exact whereabouts but agreed to sit down with investigators in Washington, D.C., the next day. Internal records show agents knew they were crossing a line. One unnamed Secret Service official admitted in a memo, “we did not believe that anyone’s life was in immediate danger and legally it was a bad idea to ping the phone.” The filings also reveal that, in an effort to prove “86” meant murder, the Justice Department interviewed Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, a former mobster who has admitted involvement in more than a dozen killings. He was one of John Gotti’s closest associates and was his underboss in the Gambino crime family. Comey’s team pointed out that in those interviews, Gravano said real mobsters wouldn’t even use the term, since it’s too obvious. He said law enforcement officials would likely know its macabre connotations, but offered nothing to suggest he believed Comey did. Comey, for his part, deleted the post shortly after sharing it and said he had no idea of its hidden meaning, explaining that he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.” Search warrant affidavits also cite an unnamed Comey associate, interviewed by the FBI in April, who said they told Comey’s wife, Patricia, about the term’s meaning soon after the post went live, and then contacted the Secret Service, arguing Comey would have known what the numbers meant. But that associate’s belief was reportedly based on having listened to a Rudy Giuliani podcast, in which the former New York City mayor suggested that Comey’s law enforcement background meant he’d have known the term’s origins. Comey’s lawyers argued that none of his cases ever involved the word, and noted the associate is estranged from him. Gravano, ironically, ended up helping Comey’s case further when he suggested FBI agents contact longtime prosecutor John Gleeson for his take. “The claim that ’86′ is mafia jargon for ‘kill’ is preposterous,” Gleeson wrote, citing thousands of hours of debriefings and conversations with mafia members in which the term was never used that way. In an FBI affidavit seeking Comey’s Apple iCloud records, agents even pointed to his May 20, 2025, appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he discussed the seashell post. To justify searching his account, the investigating agent cited a Slate interview with Scandal actress Darby Stanchfield, who described going through “pre-interviews” ahead of late-night appearances, and used her comments to infer that Comey had likely discussed the seashells during his own prep sessions. Comey’s defense team filed its motion to dismiss on Monday with U.S. District Court Judge Louise Flanagan, arguing that the “86-47” image fails to meet Supreme Court precedent for a “true threat” and that the charges violate his First Amendment rights. Flanagan, a George W. Bush appointee, has set an October 21 trial date for the former FBI director. The White House has been approached for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/james-comeys-86-47-trump-seashell-case-gets-even-weirder/?

Trump’s Nepo Baby Spy Chief Makes Desperate Bid to Keep His Job Bill Pulte is begging Trump to allow him to keep the role he has no experience for. Donald Trump’s acting director of national intelligence is reportedly lobbying the president to let him stay in the job—even after the Senate confirmed his replacement.Bill Pulte, the billionaire homebuilding heir who was tapped in May despite having no intelligence or national security background, is urging Trump to delay the swearing in of newly confirmed intelligence chief Jay Clayton, according to Politico’s Playbook.Pulte, 38, the grandson of billionaire William J. Pulte, was elevated to the role after intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard stepped down, citing her husband’s cancer diagnosis. His surprise appointment bypassed Gabbard’s deputy, Aaron Lukas, and drew criticism from both intelligence officials and some Republicans. His nomination also complicated GOP efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, with lawmakers expressing concern about placing sweeping surveillance powers in the hands of someone without traditional intelligence experience. Among the skeptics was Sen. Kevin Cramer, an early Trump ally, who called the appointment “a funny pick.” “I think it’s a funny pick, to say the least. It seems like a funny pick. It’s interim for now, I guess—we’ll see. But I think it’s an odd pick,” the North Dakota Republican said in early June. Pulte’s time in the role now appears to be nearing an end after the Senate confirmed Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, as director of national intelligence on Tuesday. Announcing the appointment on Truth Social, Trump praised Clayton, writing: “Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!” But according to a White House official quoted by Playbook, Pulte is trying to persuade Trump to postpone the transition. Pulte, who has served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since 2025, is asking Trump “to delay Clayton’s swearing-in, or at least trying to stay in the job longer,” a White House official told Playbook. The official said Pulte is arguing that he needs more time to complete unfinished work, telling the president: “He’s doing things nobody else will do, and that’s why he needs to stay in the job longer.” The effort has reportedly found little support inside the administration. The same official said colleagues “definitely do not want” Pulte to remain at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, adding: “That’s the deal that we made with the Hill. We want to honor that.” Even so, multiple people close to the White House told Playbook that Trump and Pulte remain close. “The president really loves him,” one official said, raising the possibility that Pulte could land another Cabinet-level role in the future. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. Pulte is expected to continue leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he has sparked controversy by pursuing mortgage fraud allegations against several prominent Trump critics, including New York state Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook. He also was reportedly the first person to show Trump an AI-generated image portraying the president as Jesus Christ, which Trump later shared publicly. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-nepo-baby-spy-chief-bill-pulte-makes-desperate-bid-to-keep-his-job/? ps:All of his appointees have no clue what they're doing! They're only there to do his bidding and destroy the departments they're in charge of!!!!!

Trump Explodes With Obscene Threat as His Crisis Spirals Hours after a surprise attack on U.S. forces, the 80-year-old president offered one of his most profane public threats yet. A furious Donald Trump has reportedly vowed to “beat the f--king s--t” out of Iran in retaliation for a surprise attack targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East. Hours after Tehran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack against American forces in Jordan, the 80-year-old president was said to have offered one of his most profane public threats yet as the conflict spirals. “We are going to beat the f--king s--t out of them,” he is said to have told Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst. “We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.” Iran’s surprise attack took place after a short pause in hostilities. Centcom said in a post on X that the attack originated from Iran, but all missiles were intercepted. According to Trump, U.S. forces only had minutes to react before the incoming missiles reached their targets. He told Fox he had personally reviewed video of the operation, describing how American personnel tracked the incoming missiles in real time and successfully intercepted them before they could hit. But the president did not hold back in his message of retaliation, sending oil prices soaring at a time when many observers had hoped peace talks could finally pick up speed. With the midterm elections in just 97 days, the escalation also lands at a politically perilous moment for Republicans. While many GOP lawmakers have rallied behind the president’s hardline approach to Iran, an ongoing regional conflict risks deepening MAGA divisions within the party. Democrats are also likely to seize on a prolonged war, rising costs and the growing death toll. Since launching the war on February 28, at least 18 U.S. service members have been killed along with countless innocent Iranian civilians, while gas prices have soared due to the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the administration does not appear to have an endgame, constantly oscillating between seeking peace and vowing to escalate. “Trump alternates each hour from “they’re begging for a deal and I think we’re getting close” to “we are going to end their civilization” with mass bombings on civilian infrastructure,” said former Republican turned MeidasTouch editor Ron Filipkowski. Trump told Fox on Wednesday that the U.S. had carried out coordinated airstrikes with Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed militias, which he described as “a cancer on the world.” He also addressed his meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insisting the talks went well despite recent strains between the two leaders over strategy in confronting Iran and the broader regional conflict. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-explodes-with-obscene-threat-as-his-crisis-spirals/?

🌊 Parting shot! Photo: Ashley Corso Summer in a pic: Dusk on Long Beach Island, N.J., captured by reader Ashley Corso.

Finding your superhuman ability Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images I grew up just outside of London, in a small town called Ilford. I went to regular public school, and for years I thought I was stupid, Axios co-founder Roy Schwartz writes. Teachers and kids thought I was stupid. I got awful grades, and when I compared my spelling, handwriting or grammar to anyone else, I confirmed that something was wrong. My parents scraped together the money to get a test. Unfortunately, these tests are ridiculously expensive. Back then especially, but even now, most people can't afford them. Luckily, my parents pulled together the money and got me tested — and wow. 📚 The big picture: It turns out I was intelligent — and I had dyslexia. Unfortunately, not much changed for me. There weren't really any learning accommodations back then. But at least if someone was watching me write, sometimes I could say, "I'm dyslexic," and get a small pass. Between the lines: For years I only saw the downsides to having dyslexia. 🔭 Zoom out: For those who don't have learning differences, let me share my typical experience when writing anything. I recently bought a new house, and I must have written the word "couch" 100 times, or rather intended to, only to write "coach." My spelling of the word "exercise" is so bad that spell-check can't identify it. I have to go to Google, find it in a sentence, then cut and paste it back into my email. Yes, we know the downsides to dyslexia and other learning differences. But they can also have several, almost superhuman, upsides. These have only become clear to me after founding my third startup: 1. 💪 Grit: You hear about this all the time. Parents worry that their kids won't have grit because life has become too easy. It's true. I hire dozens of people each year, and it's a very rare skill. Yet people with dyslexia and other learning differences have grit — and a boatload of it. They know what it's like to struggle, to overcome, to figure out a way forward, and to not give up just because something is hard. Grit is the most important characteristic and skill in this new world. Someone with learning differences has already overcome what most people will never experience. They'll find a way through because they have already had to so many times before. 2. 🧠 Problem-solving: People who have learning differences like dyslexia are wired differently. They actually think differently. I didn't realize my ability until I started Politico and Axios. I'd been very successful in sales and consulting, but I hadn't realized exactly why. Then I learned that dyslexic thinkers tend to be great at understanding complex issues and boiling them down to something most people can understand. This helped me in sales, management and, most importantly, leadership. People with learning differences will approach challenges in a unique way. That different approach helps companies make better decisions and solve difficult problems. What to watch: I know AI isn't a popular topic with young people. But in the age of AI, dyslexia's downsides are basically irrelevant. Can't spell? Doesn't matter. Can't do grammar? Doesn't matter. Can't read fast? Doesn't matter. 🤖 AI will help people with dyslexia and other learning differences to neutralize all of the downsides. Plus, the upsides will be in even greater demand. In a world where AI makes things easier, the skill employers want and entrepreneurs need is grit. And AI can supercharge our ability to solve problems. Today's young people have access to more knowledge, more tools, more freedom and more opportunity than any generation before. By a lot. It's not even close. The bottom line: To those with learning differences, you're ready for what's next — and what's next will be amazing because of you. The world needs people who think differently, especially now. Go be different.

💰 Scoop: Crypto cash infusion Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Two crypto groups are launching $1.5 million in ad spending to boost GOP Senate candidates in Michigan and Iowa, we've learned. Why it matters: It's a preview of what could be coming. 🗓️ With fewer than 100 days until the midterms, there's more than $125 million in crypto cash sitting on the sidelines. Fairshake, the industry's biggest super PAC, is staying neutral as negotiators make an eleventh-hour push to find the 60 votes necessary to pass a market-structure bill this summer. 😡 That is frustrating some GOP operatives, who think it's high time to put the CLARITY Act on the floor and force Democrats to go on the record. 🚗 Driving the news: Enter First Principles Digital. The new PAC is placing an $800,000 ad buy to bolster former Rep. Mike Rogers ahead of his Senate primary in Michigan next week, while a related organization, America First Digital, is spending another $750,000 in favor of Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa. "Mike Rogers has spent his career doing the work," Jason Thielman, executive director of both FPD and AFD, said in a statement first provided to us. "Now he's ready to fight to lower the cost of living and protect the American Dream for Michigan families." 📺 The TV and cable ad will focus on the Detroit media market. Last cycle, crypto groups spent some $10 million against Rogers in favor of now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) "Rep. Ashley Hinson has built a record of taking on tough challenges and delivering meaningful results for working Iowans," Thielman said in another statement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has indicated there will be a procedural vote on the CLARITY Act before the Senate leaves town. 🤔 The intrigue: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), one of the key Democrats negotiating the CLARITY Act, also chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. 🎯 If the crypto industry starts targeting her candidates, that could complicate — if not derail — negotiations over the bill. — Stef W. Kight and Hans Nichols

❌ Thune says no Senate Majority Leader John Thune repeated to White House officials in private what he's been saying in public for weeks: We don't have the votes. Why it matters: President Trump isn't buying it — and he's questioning whether Thune is the man for the job. "Well, we're gonna find out," Trump said today. "I'll let you know." ‼️ Asked this evening about Trump saying the votes were gettable, Thune told reporters, "That must be a different form of math." Driving the news: Hours earlier, two of Trump's top aides met with Senate Republicans at their weekly lunch to press them to pass a three-part budget reconciliation bill before leaving town, we scooped earlier today. The goal is to move a House budget resolution to "pay our troops, help our farms and secure our elections," a White House official told us. The White House is also floating a separate reconciliation package (a fourth) to raise the debt ceiling during the lame-duck session. 📢 What we're hearing: Many of Thune's members simply don't want to endure another vote-a-rama, the marathon amendment process that comes with every reconciliation bill. The White House wants Thune to expand the number of committees that receive reconciliation instructions. Many in Thune's conference want to expand the bill in a different direction — and plus-up the $67 billion in defense spending that cleared the House. "There's clearly an interest among certain members of our conference for a higher level of military and defense," Thune said today. The intrigue: During the meeting, Republicans pointed out that the election-law changes envisioned in the House version of the SAVE Act — including more money for states to enforce voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements — wouldn't take effect in time to affect this November's elections. 🌎 Zoom out: The public clash comes at an awkward moment for Republicans: Fourteen weeks before the midterms, the White House and Senate GOP leadership are openly sparring over the president's agenda instead of selling it. Trump is trying to increase pressure on Thune, but the majority leader still enjoys broad support within his conference. Thune, when asked about Trump questioning whether he's the best person for the job, told reporters this evening: "Well, that's nice of him. I guess. I don't know, what do you say on that? That's a decision that's made by my colleagues." 🥊 Even as the two are at odds over reconciliation, Thune is planning to fly to Dallas to join Trump at the president's midterm political convention in September. — Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight

Man convicted in terrorism trial over the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.” https://apnews.com/article/salman-rushdie-stabbing-terrorism-07d938a1224875fa7adb55886050d46d?

✈️ Trump's next reno target: Dulles Airport Dulles' "people mover" shuttles. Photo: Allison Robbert/AP President Trump is expected this afternoon to unveil his plans to remake Washington Dulles International Airport. He'll propose a $22 billion rebuilding effort, sources told Reuters. The big picture: Trump has repeatedly criticized Dulles, one of two major airports serving the Washington, D.C., area. His renovation efforts are part of a broader push to reimagine Washington in his own image — an effort that also includes the Kennedy Center, the Reflecting Pool, the planned "Triumphal Arch" and more. CBS News reports that Trump "preferred the new Dulles design preserve the iconic sloped-roof main terminal, designed by Eero Saarinen, but would refurbish the interior with an open foyer and new ticket kiosks for the airlines." The Washington Post adds: "Under his plan, the current underground train would be fully built out to take passengers to their terminals — rather than relying on the airport's shuttles, nicknamed 'people movers' — and five terminals would be built to replace the four existing ones." "The Trump-approved design also calls for large glass windows and gold accents throughout the airport, such as high, gold-mirrored ceilings." Go deeper.

Fed leaves interest rate unchanged but with 3 dissents as Warsh praises ‘good family fight’ WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, although three officials dissented in favor of higher rates as the central bank wrestles with how to deal with persistently high inflation. https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-inflation-interest-rates-iran-war-ad10c177cb8d96f9e3ed122e12352a74?

Fauci repeatedly invokes the Fifth Amendment in a contentious Senate committee hearing WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer dozens of questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://apnews.com/article/fauci-covid19-pandemic-senate-rand-paul-a774a79e46824ebec9e8e270b9cb9825? ps:I guess he had his reasons, and probably the right thing to do, but I'm disappointed!! I've said this about others if you have nothing to hide there's no reason to take the 5th!!!!!!!

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: The World Cup is for sale, Draymond's back in the Bay, the best fastball is baseball history, MLS All-Star Game, Madden's 99 Club, photo finish, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Draymond returns: Draymond Green has agreed to a one-year, $27.7 million contract with the Warriors after previously declining his player option of the same value to give the team the financial flexibility to pursue LeBron James this offseason. ⚽️ France hires Zizou: 28 years after helping France win the 1998 World Cup as a player, Zinedine Zidane has been named the new head coach of the national team, replacing Didier Deschamps. 🏈 NFL headlines: Aaron Rodgers confirmed that 2026 will be his final season; Eagles DE Jalen Carter (4 years, $152M) and Browns CB Denzel Ward (2 years, $62.2M) became the highest-paid players at their positions; Longtime Bucs DT Vita Vea requested a trade; Panthers great Luke Kuechly will be Netflix's top analyst for 2026. ⛳️ LIV to cancel finale: LIV Golf is reportedly set to cancel its season-ending $40 million team championship in Michigan next month amid its search for outside investment after the Saudi PIF pulls funding post-2026. 🏈 Tar Heels turmoil: UNC's football team is reportedly being investigated by the College Sports Commission, the entity that handles compliance and enforcement of NCAA and NIL rules. The program has also placed GM Mike Lombardi on paid leave following an HR complaint.   ⚽️ THE GLOBAL GAME FIFA PUTS THE WORLD CUP UP FOR SALE (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Many thought that this summer's North American World Cup represented the peak of commercialization in soccer. As it turns out, it was perhaps only a plateau before a climb to much higher commercial summits ahead. Soccer for sale: FIFA, a not-for-profit institution, is exploring the formation of FIFA Forward Enterprise, an entity that would house all of the organization's commercial rights (broadcasting, sponsorships, ticketing, and licensing). In step with its formation, FIFA would sell a non-controlling minority stake in the entity to investors, with an initial capital raise up to $4.2 billion that values the organization at $20 billion. The investors: The expected lead investor is Thrive Eternal, a permanent capital vehicle recently established by Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital, a successful technology-focused venture capital investor that has turned to sports in recent months. The commish: According to The Times, which broke the news, FIFA president Gianni Infantino would serve as the entity's commissioner when his term expires, potentially earning Goodell-level compensation. That possibility has invited stinging rebukes. Insurrection incoming? UEFA, the governing body of European football, voiced strenuous opposition to the potential deal. "The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially," UEFA said in a statement. "None of us are owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell." The support of Europe, home to the reigning champion and many top teams, is not an insignificant matter, and a World Cup boycott is reportedly on the table. FIFA can also expect dissent from the fan community, which has rebelled against similar commercially oriented measures in the past. In club competition, the European Super League concept was effectively squashed by fan unrest before it could achieve liftoff. Bottom line: FIFA's commercial ambition was unlikely to recede after a massively successful World Cup. However, inviting private investors into the fold charts an irreversible course toward maximizing commercial aspirations. That may be too much for some member associations and fans to stomach, setting the stage for the ultimate and definitive clash between sporting tradition and financial largesse.   ⚾️ FLAMETHROWER BEST FASTBALL EVER? NOBODY BEATS THE MIZ (John Fisher/Getty Images) It's actually not that common for the hardest-throwing starter in MLB to also be the best starter in MLB, but Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski appears to have reached that plane of dominance this season. Good luck, hitters: The NL Cy Young favorite has been utterly ridiculous all year (11-4, 1.58 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 185 K, 28 BB, 120 IP), thanks in large part to his triple-digit heater, which just might be the best fastball in the history of the sport. Wild stats: The Miz has hit triple digits on 42.1% of his four-seam fastballs this season. The only other starters who have ever reached double digits in that stat are Hunter Greene (16.9% in 2025) and Jacob deGrom (15.1% in 2023). Among starters in the pitch tracking era, Misiorowski is the all-time leader in fastballs with a perceived speed of at least 103 mph, with 710. Second-most is Jordan Hicks with… six. Jack Baer, Yahoo Sports: Misiorowski is the apex predator of pitch velocity, but that's not the only reason we're saying his fastball is better than any other in history. We can hear the coaches already, saying that fastballs are more than velocity. They're about placement. They're about trajectory. They're about movement. Well, he rates from good to elite on all of those, too. This is a pitcher who almost certainly throws harder than any pitcher in history, releases the ball as close to the plate as anyone, spins the ball as much as anyone and hits the good parts of the strike zone at a well-above-average rate. There have been other freak fastballs in history. Walter Johnson and Randy Johnson both threw elite velocities in their eras, from a place no batters were used to seeing the ball. The real key to a great fastball, or any pitch, is for it to do something the batter is not used to. And Misiorowski certainly does that in a way no other pitcher can replicate across history. Consider this: The Miz has been so good through 120 innings this season that if he posted a league-average ERA (4.21) for the remaining 42 innings he needs to qualify for the ERA title, he would still rank second in the NL in ERA and third in MLB.   💰 JERSEY SPONSORS PATCH PARTY: IRISH BEST BUCKEYES (Yahoo Sports) Ohio State unveiled a jersey patch partnership with JPMorganChase on Tuesday morning, a deal valued at more than $15 million annually, per Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. It was the richest reported school-level patch deal in college sports… for five hours. Down goes Brutus: Ohio State's reign atop the collegiate-patch throne ended on Tuesday afternoon when Notre Dame announced a patch partnership with SoFi, worth an annual average of $18 to $20 million over six years, per Dellenger. What to watch: The vast majority of schools have yet to land patch partners. While the Big 12 struck a $20 million deal with Monster Energy at the conference level, the Ohio State and Notre Dame deals represent the first credible patch numbers for top-tier schools, potentially opening the floodgates for more agreements.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 29 Charlotte' s Bank of America Stadium hosts North America's best tonight. (Krista Jasso/Getty Images) ⚽️ MLS All-Star Game The best of MLS (USA and Canada) and Liga MX (Mexico) will converge in Charlotte this evening (8pm ET, Apple) for regional bragging rights in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, just days after North America hosted the World Cup. Head-to-head: The MLS All-Star roster features 29 players from 21 clubs, led by a team-high four from first-place Nashville. The Liga MX roster features 24 players from eight clubs, including five from reigning champions Cruz Azul. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: Yankees at White Sox (7:40pm, Prime) … AL Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler (10-6, 2.70 ERA) takes the mound against Davis Martin (9-5, 3.49 ERA) and the first-place Sox. 🏀 WNBA: Dream at Wings (8pm, USA); Valkyries at Mercury (10pm, USA) … Golden State (19-8) will look to stay hot after winning 9 of its last 10 games entering the All-Star break. ⚽️ NWSL: KC Current vs. Racing Louisville (8pm, CBSSN); Bay FC vs. Gotham FC (10pm, CBSSN) … Gotham (2nd) and KC (6th) are near the top of the table, while Bay (14th) and Louisville (16th) are near the bottom. 🎾 Tennis: Mubadala DC Open (11am, Tennis) … Taylor Fritz and Naomi Osaka headline today's Round of 16 action in the nation's capital. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🎮 99 CLUB NFL TRIVIA (Hassan Ahmad/Yahoo Sports) Six NFL players will boast a 99 overall rating (highest possible) when "Madden NFL 27" releases on Aug. 13. Question: Can you name all six players pictured above? Answer at the bottom.   📸 THROUGH THE LENS PHOTO FINISH (Adam Pretty/Getty Images) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Glasgow, Scotland — Swimmers compete during the Men's 100m Breaststroke at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where Australia currently leads the medal count by a wide margin (80), followed by England (44), Canada (35), South Africa (16) and Scotland (15).   Trivia answer: Clockwise from top right: Josh Allen (Bills QB), Trey McBride (Cardinals TE), Matthew Stafford (Rams QB), Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals WR), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks WR), Myles Garrett (Rams DE)

Biblical Ataroth High on a ridge in western Jordan, overlooking the Dead Sea some 6.5 miles away, sits the remarkable site of Khirbat Ataruz, likely the location known in the Hebrew Bible as Ataroth. During the Iron Age, beginning in the early to mid-ninth century BCE, a remarkable temple complex flourished here, and, for a time, control of the site was hotly contested by the competing powers of Israel and Moab. In the Summer 2026 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, archaeologists Chang-Ho Ji and Aaron Schade detail their findings from two and a half decades of excavation at the site in their article “Sacred Center: The Iron Age Temple at Biblical Ataroth.” https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/biblical-ataroth/? The Nag Hammadi Codices and Gnostic Christianity Until the discovery of the Nag Hammadi codices in 1945, the Gnostic view of early Christianity had largely been forgotten. The teachings of Gnostic Christianity—vilified especially since they were declared heretic by orthodox Christianity in the fourth century—had been virtually erased from history by the early church fathers, their gospels banned and even burned to make room for the view of Christian theology outlined in the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/the-nag-hammadi-codices/?

Florida executes two men in one day UPDATE: The state of Florida executed 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone Tuesday evening, making him the oldest prisoner executed in Florida’s modern history. He was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/james-aren-duckett-is-executed-on-1987-conviction-for-killing-11-year-old-girl/ Judge won’t order state to implement expanded access to KidCare A state judge has refused to order Florida health care officials to implement a 2023 law that would allow as many as 68,000 uninsured children to access subsidized health insurance coverage through the Florida KidCare program. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/28/judge-wont-order-state-to-implement-expanded-access-to-kidcare/? Byron Donalds wants to ax ultra-processed foods in schools Gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is advocating for a plan similar to one the Florida Legislature has declined to advance — removing ultra-processed foods from school lunchrooms. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/28/byron-donalds-wants-to-ax-ultra-processed-foods-in-school/?

Southern Europe burns as 3 firefighters die and France battles blaze 4 times the size of Paris LEGE-CAP FERRET, France (AP) — An uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris threatened to surge again in southwest France on Wednesday — as three firefighters died in Greece and crews across southern Europe confronted a punishing mix of heat, drought and strong winds. https://apnews.com/article/france-spain-bordeaux-wildfires-heat-wave-climate-change-c3d9c45cdbf57d19bbec46d49e5237de?

Rescuers search for the missing after powerful earthquake in Japan Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 18 people and left many missing in southwestern Japan. Read more. What to know: Bullet train services remained suspended and some airlines canceled flights. “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.” Nearly 34,900 homes were without electricity and thousands stayed in shelters. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Aerial shots of the damage Photos show the aftermath WATCH: Part of stone wall around Kumamoto castle collapses

US and Saudi Arabia launch strikes against militias in Iraq Jordan’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country's military said, hours after the U.S. military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting. Read more. What to know: The U.S. Central Command said its forces worked with Saudi Arabia’s forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days. The United States and Iran had experienced a period of calm, during which neither announced attacks for about three days following weeks of escalation over the strategic Strait of Hormuz. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Pentagon ties new casualty category for renewed US-Iran fighting to the end of ‘Operation Epic Fury’ Recent fighting with Iran further draws down key US air defense stockpiles, analysis says Netanyahu praises first meeting with Trump since launching the Iran war Zelenskyy has a ‘good meeting’ with Trump at the White House as he seeks more cooperation with US

July 29, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The war in the Middle East is escalating, and missiles are flying across the region. There’s more below. But first, I want to take you to Europe. Europe’s burning The fires threatening central Spain and southwestern France over the past two weeks may be small by American standards. In Europe, though, they are tremendous. Some are the largest in their countries’ modern histories, raging in places not accustomed to fires of this scale: on the outskirts of Madrid, for instance, or near the ancient vineyards of Bordeaux. Firefighters have been struggling to contain the fires before another heat wave descends on the region today, with temperatures soaring to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Last month was the hottest June on record in Western Europe, and climate experts say the continent can expect even higher temperatures in the future. The heat dries vegetation, making it more susceptible to fire. (It also exhausts firefighters.) And more destruction may lie ahead. Last year had a record-breaking fire season across Europe, my colleagues report, with more than 2.5 million acres burned, about 60 percent of them in August. The fires of the last two weeks have put 2026 ahead of last year at the same time. These charts tell the terrible story: Source: European Forest Fire Information System, as of July 28, 2026. The New York Times ‘A wake-up call’ The fires have been particularly hard on Madrid, which in recent years has become a booming European capital. Residents can’t recall a time when such a large fire advanced so close to the city, reports Jason Horowitz, our bureau chief there: In a country led by a government that has defined itself by the seriousness with which it takes climate change, the flames have come unsettlingly close to the capital. The fires around Madrid have brought to tears the region’s president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Experts say they are a harbinger for the damage to come on the world’s fastest warming continent. “These are difficult hours,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday afternoon during a news conference in Castellón, on Spain’s eastern coast, where a new fire raged and forced thousands of new evacuations. “This is a wake-up call,” one Madrileño told Jason. Another said that even before the fires, weeks of record-breaking heat had exhausted her. “It just keeps spreading,” she said, looking at a sunset ruined by smoke. “Just don’t let it reach here.” ‘Be prepared’ In southwestern France. Philippe Lopez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The fires scare people in Bordeaux as well, particularly in the region’s storied vineyards, home to world-famous appellations like Lafite Rothschild, Pomerol and St.-Émilion. Mark Landler, our Paris bureau chief, visited one of them this week, a chateau built around a castle that dates to 1365. “For the wine industry, it’s one thing on top of the other,” a director at the chateau told him. There’s been drought, heat waves, weak sales because drinking habits are changing, and President Trump’s tariffs on French wine. “It doesn’t make our lives very easy,” he continued. “In the face of that risk, we need to be prepared.” And so, Mark reports, the chateau is readying itself for the once inconceivable possibility that fire could reach its grounds and buildings, with plans to evacuate the chickens, goats, horses and llamas that live there. “The animals are living, breathing beings, unlike the vines,” the director said. “The vines are just material.” See maps and charts showing the scale of these fires. Source: VIIRS satellite fire detection data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via NASA. The New York Times LINDSEY GRAHAM’S FUNERAL Senator Lindsey Graham lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Kenny Holston/The New York Times World leaders and U.S. politicians gathered at the Washington National Cathedral to honor Lindsey Graham, the longtime South Carolina senator who died this month at 71. Peter Baker, The Times’s chief White House correspondent, reported from the service yesterday. He writes of Graham: He simply did not fit the cookie-cutter Washington mold. He had little time for staid, heavily edited speeches and all the time in the world for freewheeling Sunday talk shows. He liked to riff. He liked to tease. He liked to surprise and provoke. He could be funny and angry, charming and exasperating, sometimes all at once. President Trump eulogized Graham as “one of the great figures in Senate history.” Graham, he said, was “truly hawkish: He never saw a war that he didn’t like.” Some of the foreign dignitaries whose wars Graham championed were in attendance, including Benjamin Netanyahu and Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump met separately with both leaders, but he kept the meetings and their details private. Today, a procession and public funeral will be held in South Carolina, followed by a private burial. THE LATEST NEWS War in the Middle East The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had carried out joint strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. The Iranian military said it had targeted American military assets in Jordan. The Houthis claimed an attack on another Saudi tanker, escalating its declared blockade of the Red Sea. Iran publicly hanged two protesters who participated in the country’s demonstrations in January, human rights groups said. Airports Times Exclusive: ICE has started arresting foreign citizens with expired visas, including spouses of Americans, as they travel through airports. (We’ve made this link free.) A U.S. citizen returning to the country gave customs officers a passcode that erased the contents of his phone. Now he’s been charged with a felony. Politics Representative Max Miller, an Ohio Republican, has been accused by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno — daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno — of scalding her, holding a gun to her head and fracturing their toddler’s collarbone. Miller has denied the accusations. The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence. Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, called on Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who has been hospitalized since June, to prove his capacity to serve, or to resign. The Democratic Party approved a new primary calendar for 2028. South Carolina will vote first. Around the World In Japan. Naoki Hiraoka/Kyodo News, via Associated Press A powerful earthquake hit southwest Japan yesterday, igniting fires and damaging buildings and highways. At least 13 people have died. Six months into the Trump administration’s oil blockade of Cuba, there are widespread blackouts. At night, Cubans struggle to sleep without electricity for fans — so they gather in the dark. In the video below, Jack Nicas explains. Click to watch. The New York Times Health Anthony Fauci’s diaries reveal an obsession with his own celebrity, even during a deadly pandemic. Dozens of states have tried to dismantle vaccine rules and undermine public trust in vaccines this year, introducing more than 200 bills for the purpose, a Times analysis found. The cyclosporiasis outbreak has sickened more than 11,000 Americans so far. Health officials insist the country’s food supply is safe. (Related: Conspiracy theories about the Trump administration’s role in the outbreak are spreading on social media.) Other Big Stories In an interview with The Times, Mark Zuckerberg took aim at Anthropic and OpenAI, which have pushed to tightly control A.I. development. Florida executed two men convicted of murder, both by lethal injection. It was the first time in decades the state executed two people in one day. (Florida has been carrying out executions at a record pace, The Times Magazine recently reported.) OPINIONS Is more data about your body actually good for you? David Wallace-Wells and Rachael Bedard debate the drive to optimize personal health. More air-conditioning can’t save France from dangerously hot summers. But real government policy could, Madeleine Schwartz writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS We’ve made these links free for you. Capuchinos de Taboga Project Animal intelligence: Scientists in Costa Rica are using A.I. to test the cognitive abilities of monkeys in the wild. Manta baby: Scientists in Mexico used an underwater ultrasound to confirm pregnancies in giant rays. See how they did it. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about a man who finished a 10-mile hike after impaling himself on a trekking pole. TODAY’S NUMBER 60,000 — That is how many Italian honeybees live, and work, in hives on the roof of The Times’s headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. Check ’em out. SPORTS FIFA: Soccer’s governing body announced plans to sell a stake in a new company that will run its premier events. A member of Trump’s extended family is expected to be involved through the lead investment firm. Women’s soccer: In Malawi’s first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations game, the team stunned Nigeria, the 10-time reigning champion. RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Here’s the plan. Make chłodnik litewski, this Polish chilled-beet-and-potato soup of extreme excellence, and get it into the fridge to cure so that its flavors marry and its color deepens. You’ll eat it tomorrow for dinner. While the beets are roasting and you’re cooking the potatoes, order a pizza. That’s dinner tonight. SAYING GOODBYE Marcus Maddox for The New York Times Eight seasons after its debut on Showtime, Lena Waithe’s crime-and-trauma series “The Chi,” the longest-running Black drama on cable television, wrapped up last week. Waithe sat down with The Times’s Salamishah Tillet to talk about the show’s evolution, the pressures she faced and what she was trying to achieve. “There was this desire to compare it to ‘The Wire,’” Waithe said. “There’s no greater compliment, but I’m not that interested in the system. I’m more interested in the people that have to deal with the system and what kind of impact it has on their lives.” Read the conversation. More on culture Marlon James’s “The Disappearers,” a novel about a hate crime in 1980s Jamaica, was nominated yesterday for the Booker Prize, alongside a dozen other books, including Douglas Stuart’s “John of John” and “The Things We Never Say” by Elizabeth Strout. Here are all the nominees. Emily Wilson, whose translation of Homer’s “Odyssey” was a touchstone for Christopher Nolan as he adapted the story for the screen, absolutely roasted the movie in The London Review of Books. “I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script,” she writes. Whatever you think of the film, it’s fun to read. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Take the stairs — and follow eight other tips experts say will increase your longevity. Stop exchanging your grill’s empty propane tank for a “full” one. Have it refilled instead. You’ll get more fuel for less money. (There is no link. This is my learned experience.) Replace your dishwasher detergent with one of the ones Wirecutter recommends. I’m sure you like yours. But it’s doubtful you’ve done as those scullions have, and tested over 30 different varieties. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were impeding, impending and impinged. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. If you don’t already, would you consider subscribing? Subscriptions make our work possible and allow it to continue. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 29 1958 NASA created The U.S. Congress passes legislation establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency responsible for coordinating America’s activities in space. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Arts & Entertainment 1967 The Doors score their first #1 hit with “Light My Fire” 2000 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston wed Civil War 1862 Confederate spy Belle Boyd is captured Crime 1976 Son of Sam’s first murder 1900 Italian American assassinates Italian king European History 1981 Prince Charles marries Lady Diana Inventions & Science 1909 General Motors buys Cadillac Sports 1996 Carl Lewis wins fourth consecutive long jump at 35 Vietnam War 1967 Rocket causes deadly fire on aircraft carrier 1965 101st Airborne Division arrives in Vietnam World War I 1914 Kaiser Wilhelm and Czar Nicholas exchange frantic telegrams, trying to avoid WWI World War II 1921 Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the Nazi Party