House Republicans pass hard-right defense bill, handing wins to Trump  —  The House narrowly passed its marquee $1.15 trillion defense policy bill largely along party lines Wednesday amid a bitter partisan divide over President Donald Trump's conduct of the war against Iran and his push for a massive Pentagon spending boost.

Trump appears to downplay Iran war deaths in social posts comparing them to previous conflicts  —  The president twice posted statistics on deaths and lengths of previous wars.  —  Members of a U.S. Army carry team move the flag-draped transfer case holding the remains of Army Staff …

Jordan accuses Smith of lying to Congress in criminal referral to DOJ  —  House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) late Wednesday recommended criminal charges against former special counsel Jack Smith, pushing to tee up a prosecution of the man that led the criminal cases against President Trump.

Amish Shah Wins Democratic Primary in Swing Arizona House District  —  Dr. Amish Shah, who beat the choice of the party's House campaign arm, will face Jay Feely, a Republican, in a battleground district that covers parts of Phoenix.  —  Dr. Amish Shah, a moderate Democrat …

Houthis attack 2 Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening to open a new front in the Iran war  —  Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea early Thursday, as the U.S. military conducted a 12th night of strikes against Iran and diplomatic efforts showed dwindling progress.

Trump's Saudi nuclear deal risks igniting a Middle East arms race, lawmakers warn  —  Some lawmakers in both parties are warning that the newly inked U.S. nuclear agreement deal with Saudi Arabia could ignite a Middle East arms race at a particularly dangerous moment — when the Iran war is already provoking conflict across the region.

OpenAI's models broke free and launched a cyberattack.  Congress wants new rules before it happens again.  —  An alarming cybersecurity incident involving OpenAI's newest and most advanced artificial intelligence technology has lawmakers hurrying to advance legislation that they say is needed …

Lisa Murkowski is undecided on Blanche's confirmation.  Her state is getting a windfall from DOJ. … A July 7 settlement over the federal government's unfinished work on the port of Alaska resulted in a $180 million payout to Anchorage — an announcement Blanche, who is currently …

Secret Service threat cases soar 40%  —  Threats against people the U.S. Secret Service protects are up about 40% from a year ago, the agency says, as it prepares for Friday's rescheduled White House Correspondents' Dinner. … - “This is roughly 10,000 so far this year and we are a little over halfway through the year,” he says.

Inside the Democratic Socialist uprising  —  Candidates affiliated with (or sympathetic to) the Democratic Socialists of America (the DSA) have recently won several Democratic primaries.  Although this rise of the left takes a different form, it draws from prior social movements and Bernie Sanders' presidential candidacies.

Stock Market Today: Oil Prices Jump After Houthis Claim Attacks on Red Sea Tankers  —  Brent crude tops $98 and bond yields hover near 2026 highs  —  Oil prices are racing back toward $100 this morning after Tehran-backed Houthi militants claimed attacks on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea …

Fox News Poll: Voters want major change amid economic and political discontent  —  Latest survey shows Trump approval stuck near record low  —  Several findings in the latest Fox News Poll show voters are unhappy and want major change, which bodes well for Democrats in November …

James Woolsey, Embattled C.I.A. Director Under Clinton, Dies at 84  —  He arrived in Washington a conservative Democrat and drifted rightward, supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq and Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential bid.  —  R. James Woolsey, a lawyer and arms control negotiator who had a brief …

Trump backs Iraq's prime minister.  Some Republicans want to see results.  —  A number of congressional Republicans are worried Iraq's new leader won't be the partner the U.S. needs in an increasingly turbulent Middle East.  —  Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with both President Donald Trump …

Gerth: My too-early ‘tribute’ to Mitch McConnell  —  With McConnell allegedly on the mend, I figured I'd go ahead tell you what I think about him now - when no one can complain, ‘How dare you write that about a dead guy?’ … Following the unexpected death of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham on July 11 …

Scoop: Democrat Senate Super PAC targets 4 Republican seats  —  The Democrats' main Senate super PAC is booking another $54 million in TV ads for the midterm campaign's final stretch, targeting four Republican-held seats. … - Republicans' last major advertising reservation was aimed largely …

A Peptide Showdown: F.D.A. Scientists May Clash With Kennedy's Agenda  —  Agency scientists are advising against allowing widespread use of several peptide injections.  Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, has said people should be free to experiment.

Bari Weiss's Latest Hire Has an N-Word Problem  —  CBS hires another controversial ‘anti-woke’ media figure as it continues its shift to the right.  Plus: the shameless White House Correspondents' Association prepares to host anti-press Donald Trump.  —  ∙ Paid

Trump's Plan for Science: More Money for A.I., Less for Universities  —  Michael Kratsios, President Trump's science adviser, proposed overhauling how the government funds research.  Democrats said Mr. Trump's actions had weakened science.  —  President Trump's science adviser told lawmakers …

Letter to Congress: End the Redistricting Wars by Adopting Proportional Representation  —  Gerrymandering persists because single-member districts allow it.  —  ·  —  Just now  —  An Open Letter to Congress:  —  The redistricting wars have thrust America's gerrymandering problem into a new and alarming phase.