A Texas-sized gamble: Details on the new map  —  We have a lot of news for you on the new shape of the political universe in Texas.  —  As early as today, Texas Republicans will release their proposed new congressional map for the Lone Star State.  —  This proposal could change some as it winds …

Kamala Harris will not run for California governor, opening door for 2028 run  —  Harris has not ruled out another run for the White House, according to confidantes, while exploring the formation of a new group.  —  LOS ANGELES — Kamala Harris will not run for governor of California next year …

U.S. Economy Slowed in First Half of 2025 as Tariffs Scrambled Data  —  Gross domestic product rebounded in the spring after contracting at the start of the year, but consumer spending remained weak.  —  Economic growth softened in the first half of the year, as tariffs …

US sanctions Brazilian judge for prosecuting Trump ally Bolsonaro … “De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Bessent said in the statement.

House Democrats Sue ICE for Barring Them From Detention Facilities  —  The 12 Democrats accused the Trump administration of violating the law when it turned them away from immigrant detention sites and imposed a new policy limiting congressional access.  —  A dozen House Democrats who were barred …

Now That They're Free  —  Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration say they endured months of physical and mental abuse inside a Salvadoran prison.  Though happy to be home, they say the fact that they were released is proof of how senseless their detentions were.  —  Reporting Highlights

Patel found thousands of sensitive Trump-Russia probe docs inside ‘burn bags’ in secret room at FBI  —  EXCLUSIVE: FBI Director Kash Patel found a trove of sensitive documents related to the origins of the Trump-Russia probe buried in multiple “burn bags” in a secret room inside the bureau, sources told Fox News Digital.

Paramount deal thrusts David Ellison into Trump's war with US media  —  What began as a Hollywood studio merger has become a test of how far corporate America will bend to president's will  —  Anna Nicolaou and James Fontanella-Khan in New York, Christopher Grimes in Los Angeles and Daniel Thomas in London

Musk's America Party can't get off the ground and was just to ‘blow off steam’ about Trump's bill … After his fallout with Trump and departure from the White House, Musk is transitioning back to focusing on his various companies and finding firmer footing in the political sphere.

Fossil Fool  —  How Europe took Trump for a ride  —  Like many U.S. institutions, the European Union has abysmally failed the Trump test.  The EU is an economic superpower and could have retaliated effectively against Trump's illegal tariffs — illegal under both U.S. and international law.

The antitrust war inside MAGA Powerful lobbyists are battling populist reformers  —  President Trump returned to the Oval Office thanks to massive support from working-class and low-income Americans.  During the transition, Trump telegraphed an intent to honor this realignment by nominating …

Fed Meeting Today: Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged; Investors Await Powell Remarks  —  Two Fed governors dissent, calling for quarter-point rate cut  —  The Fed held interest rates steady, as expected, Wednesday.  For the first time since 1993, two Fed governors dissented from the majority decision …

High Noon Announces Recall of its Vodka Seltzer Beach Pack (12 Pack) Due to Inclusion of CELSIUS® ASTRO VIBE ™ Energy Drink Cans that were Inadvertently Filled with Vodka Seltzer  —  When a company announces a recall, market withdrawal, or safety alert, the FDA posts the company's announcement as a public service.

His Name Is Jesus.  He's a Carpenter.  ICE Arrested Him.  —  Seriously.  —  ∙ Paid  —  JESUS TERAN FLED PERSECUTION in Venezuela, seeking asylum in the United States in 2021 and joining his family in Imperial, Pennsylvania, half an hour outside Pittsburgh.  He was living a version of the American Dream.

Epstein grand jury transcripts include testimony from two witnesses, feds say  —  The disclosure raises questions on whether unsealing the transcripts would satiate the appetite for more information.  —  just now  —  The grand jury transcripts the Justice Department is seeking to make public …

How the Israeli Right Explains the Aid Disaster It Created  —  The fiercest defenders of Netanyahu's war in Gaza continue to insist that Palestinians aren't starving.  —  Last week, in a piece for the Guardian, Nick Maynard, a volunteer surgeon at a hospital in southern Gaza, wrote …

Bessent hails new ‘Trump accounts’ as ‘backdoor way to privatize Social Security’ … Trump accounts, Bessent said, would make “everyone a shareholder” in the success of the economy.  “People who are part of the system do not want to bring down the system,” Bessent said.

NYC Mayor's Race: Mamdani returns from Uganda trip without incident, immediately rejoins the campaign trail  —  Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani returned to the United States on Wednesday from a week-and-a-half-long trip to his native country of Uganda and was allowed through Customs without …

BREAKING: GOP Virginia Lawmaker Doused in Gasoline, Set on Fire in His Office - Attacker Identified and in Custody  —  A Danville, Virginia, City Councilman Lee Vogler was doused in gasoline and set on fire in his office on Tuesday.  —  According to reports, the attacker …

As MAGA storm over Epstein calms, White House plans next steps  —  Officials concede the furor has hurt Trump's standing, but the White House believes they've survived the worst of the furor.  —  Three weeks ago, White House officials were battling a frenzy from President Donald Trump's supporters over the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement  —  For release at 2:00 p.m. EDT  —  Although swings in net exports continue to affect the data, recent indicators suggest that growth of economic activity moderated in the first half of the year.  The unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid.

Please, Mr. President, Keep Talking Epstein  —  Much of the Pacific coast spent the night on high alert after a massive earthquake off the coast of Russia sent tsunami waves rushing toward Japan, China, Hawaii, Alaska, California, Canada, and Russia itself.  Millions scrambled to evacuate.

Transcript: Krugman Wrecks Trump's Europe Deal: “Scam on His Voters”  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the July 30 episode of the  —  Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR network.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz files bill to target activist groups with anti-organized crime laws  —  Activist groups that fund and organize protests could be targeted by federal law enforcement under the same statute used to go after organized crime if U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz gets his way.

How Edward ‘Big Balls’ Coristine and DOGE Got Access to a Federal Payroll System That Serves the FBI  —  Hundreds of pages of records reviewed by WIRED show just how quickly DOGE gained access to systems at the Small Business Administration—and through it, a USDA system that handles payroll for federal law enforcement.

Congressional stock trading ban gets Senate panel's OK … “We have an opportunity here today to do something that the public has wanted us to do for decades, and that is to ban members of Congress from profiting on information that, frankly, only members of Congress have,” Hawley said.

Danny Davis to announce he won't seek House reelection  —  Democratic Rep. Danny Davis of Illinois is expected to announce Thursday he won't run for reelection in 2026, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss his plans in advance.  Davis — at 83, one of the oldest members of Congress …

Live updates: Trump administration to launch new private health tracking system with Big Tech's help  —  EDITED BY BRIDGET BROWN, MICHAEL WARREN AND SHARON L. LYNCH  —  The Trump administration is pushing an initiative for millions of Americans to upload personal health data and medical records …

I might lean left — but Marjorie Taylor Greene is winning my respect  —  The congresswoman, who represents my district, has shown genuine political courage lately.  —  Just now  —  I'm not a big fan of political labels.  They invite people to put you in a box, and the only box I want to be in is one labeled “open-minded.”

GOP House committee chair yet to issue a subpoena for Epstein files  —  The chairman is physically required to sign each subpoena, but there is no deadline by which Rep. James Comer must issue the subpoenas, according to House rules.  —  Just now  —  A week after a House Oversight subcommittee voted …

Murdering higher education, 1-2-3  —  Much of Donald Trump's governing approach in his second term is to take conservative bogeymen — long used for fundraising and for riling up base voters — and actually use the power of the government to attack them.  We've seen that with foreign aid …