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.

U.S. Surges Forces Toward Middle East, Giving Trump Options to Expand Iran War  —  The influx of troops, medics and weaponry follows the deaths of three American soldiers in Iranian attack at a base in Jordan  —  WASHINGTON—The U.S. is surging forces, medics and weaponry to the Middle East …

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.

Jim Jordan refers Jack Smith to DOJ over alleged false statements  —  House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) referred former Special Counsel Jack Smith to the Justice Department on Wednesday, alleging he knowingly made false statements during congressional testimony last year.

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 …

Tariff Man's new assault on Canada is his dumbest yet  —  PN is supported by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🇨🇦 Subscribe to PN 🇺🇸  —  “We are holding Canada responsible for the fact that they are not properly maintaining their Forests …

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.

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 …

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.

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 …

Trump Badly Screws Susan Collins as Maine ICE Death Takes Darker Turn  —  Not long after a federal agent killed a Colombian immigrant in Maine last week, Senator Susan Collins rushed to declare that she'd privately talked to Donald Trump's Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin.

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 …

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.

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 …

Secret Service agent on Vance's detail suspected of leaking information is put on leave amid internal review  —  JD Vance Federal agencies Media US elections  —  A Secret Service agent on Vice President JD Vance's security detail is under internal review and has been put on administrative leave …

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 …

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 …

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

How USAID's elimination hit US efforts on cyclospora  —  When the Trump administration and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gleefully dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) last year, it set off a chain of events that is still being felt …

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 …