Satellite images show Israel building up forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza, sources say  —  The buildup comes during a tense time for the U.S. and Israel after Trump and Netanyahu's last private phone conversation devolved into shouting over humanitarian aid.

US Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service  —  The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement benefits.

Behind the Dem U-turn on redistricting  —  IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — Dems used to be anti-gerrymandering.  Not anymore.  — Díaz-Balart confident ahead of funding fight  — GOP fears Dem hardball on ACA credits  —  Democrats are making a full U-turn on redistricting.

Crypto group claims responsibility for hurling sex toys at WNBA games … Cryptocurrency meme coin creators say they are responsible for the sex toys being thrown at multiple WNBA games, and they are planning more “pranks.”  —  From Atlanta to Los Angeles, no arena has been safe …

Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking  —  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to improve the process of Federal grantmaking while ending offensive waste of tax dollars, it is hereby ordered:  —  Section 1.  Purpose.

FBI ousts ex-acting director, other agents, in latest purge, people briefed say  —  The FBI is firing another round of employees, including former Acting Director Brian Driscoll, in its latest moves against officials who worked on issues that drew President Donald Trump's ire, four people briefed on the matter said on Thursday.

Donald Trump hosts historic peace summit between Armenia and Azerbaijan  —  After almost four decades of bitter conflict, Baku and Yerevan might finally settle for peace in the region.  —  Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the White House on Friday …

Judge orders temporary halt to construction at Florida's ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention center  —  A federal judge on Thursday ordered a temporary halt to construction at an immigration detention center — built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” …

Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela's president to face US drug charges  —  The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, accusing him of being one of the world's largest narco-traffickers …

How the Right Shaped the Debate Over the Sydney Sweeney Ads  —  Right-wing commentators suggested there was widespread criticism of Ms. Sweeney over her new ad campaign.  There wasn't, at least at first.  —  To hear Vice President JD Vance tell it, the Democratic Party has a serious Sydney Sweeney problem.

Scientists decry Trump energy chief's plan to ‘update’ climate reports: ‘Exactly what Stalin did’  —  Ex-fossil fuel executive Chris Wright said administration is reviewing national assessments made by past governments  —  The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, is facing growing criticism …

Lawsuit: ICE Agents Deported Citizen Children in Secret, Including 4-Year-Old on Chemo  —  WASHINGTON — A new federal lawsuit filed in the Middle District of Louisiana accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of unlawfully deporting three U.S. citizen children, including a four-year-old …

VA Just Terminated Most Federal Union Contracts, National Nurses United Included … In a significant shift affecting approximately 360,000 healthcare workers, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has severed ties with most federal unions, including the National Nurses Organizing Committee …

Gina Carano, Disney Settle Legal Dispute Over ‘Mandalorian’ Firing: ‘We Look Forward to Identifying Opportunities to Work Together in the Future’  —  Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company have reached a mutual agreement in their legal dispute with Gina Carano following her firing from “The Mandalorian.”

Alan Dershowitz once again denied pierogi as Martha's Vineyard residents chant ‘time to go’  —  'I am very surprised that you're here because of the things that you've been saying about us and the business online,' the pierogi vendor told Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday.

Trump Turns the Screws on the Fortune 500 … Shares of Intel, the semiconductor manufacturer, tanked today after Donald Trump called on the company's CEO to resign because of his past business dealings in China.  —  It's too early to make any assessments about the president's claims about CEO Lip-Bu Tan …

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Democratizes Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors  —  EXPANDING INVESTMENT CHOICES FOR 401(K) PLANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to allow 401(k) investors to access alternative assets for better returns and diversification.

A Legal Standoff in the Lone Star State  —  Can Gov. Abbott compel their return or remove them from office?  And what the heck is a “quo warranto” action, anyway?  —  annabower.bsky.social  —  Meet The Authors … A bitter political and legal battle is unfolding in Texas.

Trump orders federal law enforcement to patrol DC  —  Federal law enforcement officers will patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., for the next seven days, the White House announced on Thursday.  —  The enhanced federal presence will begin at midnight.  It will be led by the U.S. Park Police …

MAGA world swallows a difficult truth: Arresting Trump's opponents is easier said than done … It's a familiar refrain for Trump's second term: The far right lusts to see prominent Democrats or Trump adversaries hauled off in handcuffs, only to be let down when their revenge fantasies run into reality.

On Vaccines, Kennedy Has Broken Sharply With the Mainstream  —  While many officials and scientists embrace other parts of the secretary's agenda, his stance on vaccines is alienating allies who fear a public health crisis.  —  Even before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office in February …

As Trump Administration Plans to Burn Contraceptives, Europeans Are Alarmed  —  The U.S. government intends to incinerate $9.7 million in already-purchased birth control in Belgium after U.S.A.I.D shut down.  Destruction may have already started.  —  The Trump administration's plans …

How Your Phone Gets the Weather  —  We depend on weather predictions not just to properly dress for work or plan trips.  Businesses nationwide use forecasts to prepare for storms, fly planes, build houses and deliver mail.  The more weather observations meteorologists can rely on, the more precise their forecasts will be.

Mass arrests, purges, show trials, our very own homegrown Gulag: Is this the U.S.A. or the Soviet Union?  —  Silly me.  All this time I thought the director of the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was a bald man who wore little round glasses and was named Lavrentiy Beria.

Carville: Democrats have to add states, expand Supreme Court to ‘save democracy’  —  Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville on Thursday suggested Democrats should add two states to the country and expand the Supreme Court in order to “save democracy.”  —  “They are just going to have …

Jailed by Trump's ICE, Children's Hospital Chaplain Was Thrown Into ‘Solitary’  —  Ayman Soliman is locally renowned for helping the families of dying kids.  Now, friends say he's been “tortured” in isolation as the Trump administration tries to deport him  —  CINCINNATI — Since July 9 …

F.A.A. Plans to Hire 8,900 Air Traffic Controllers but Still Expects Shortages  —  The Federal Aviation Administration says it plans to “supercharge” hiring and training between now and late 2028.  It would not be enough to end a shortage of controllers.  —  The Federal Aviation Administration …

A CBP Agent Wore Meta Smart Glasses to an Immigration Raid in Los Angeles  —  A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent wore Meta's AI smart glasses to a June 30 immigration raid outside a Home Depot in Cypress Park, Los Angeles, according to photos and videos of the agent verified by 404 Media.