Top Items:
Brian Faler / Politico:
Finance Republicans kill bid to stop Trump IRS audit-immunity deal — Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee defeated an effort Thursday by Democrats to block a plan by the Trump administration to shield the president from IRS audits. Lawmakers voted along party lines, 14-13 …
Discussion:
Forbes
RELATED:
Politico:
With Blanche in limbo, Cornyn hands DOJ new Trump settlement proposal — Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday he has sent the Justice Department a new offer to resolve the standoff that has thrown Todd Blanche's nomination as attorney general into limbo. The negotiations surround modifications …
Discussion:
Associated Press, ABC News, Al Jazeera, UPI, CBS News, Breitbart, NBC News, Roll Call, NewsMax.com, The Daily Caller, The Texas Tribune, Forbes and Newsweek
Mychael Schnell / MS NOW:
The GOP revolt over Todd Blanche is suddenly very real — Todd Blanche's nomination to be President Donald Trump's permanent attorney general is on hold. And it could stay that way until September — or potentially even longer. — Late Wednesday night, the Senate Judiciary Committee …
Discussion:
NBC News, Politico, Bloomberg, CBS News, Scripps News, CNBC, Washington Examiner, NOTUS, RedState, Roll Call, The Guardian, New York Sun, Forbes, CNN, Legal Insurrection, Washington Times, NewsMax.com, The Independent, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Breitbart, The Hill, New Republic, GovExec.com, Washington Post and Courthouse News Service
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
As Blanche struggles, Trump opens the door to ‘temporarily withdrawing’ his nomination — The GOP plan was to advance the attorney general nominee ahead of the Senate's upcoming recess. That plan, at least for now, lies in tatters. — When it came to Todd Blanche's attorney general nomination …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, Fox News, Bloomberg, NPR, New York Magazine, emptywheel, Politico, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, NOTUS, Wall Street Journal, The Texas Tribune, ABC News, CNBC, The Guardian, NewsMax.com and New York Times
Jordain Carney / Politico:
John Thune hopes to orchestrate a great Senate escape … John Thune is eager to let GOP senators out of the Capitol and onto the campaign trail as Republicans fight to hold the Senate majority in November. First, he has to get through the next eight days.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, MS NOW, RedState, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, NewsMax.com, The Gateway Pundit and The Federalist
Brett Meiselas / MeidasTouch:
Trump Threatens to Pull Blanche Nomination Rather Than Give Up IRS Immunity and “Slush Fund”
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, CBS News, NBC News, Joe.My.God. and New York Sun
Avery Lotz / Axios:
Trump says he's open to delaying Blanche nomination over GOP defectors
Trump says he's open to delaying Blanche nomination over GOP defectors
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, Bloomberg, Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, Raw Story, The Hill, Fox News, RedState, Straight Arrow, The Guardian, Forbes, PoliticusUSA, National Review, NOTUS, MS NOW, NBC News and WTOP News
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
We've Officially Entered the Twilight of Late-Stage Trumpism — No one has ever seen anything like it, as Donald Trump himself might say. Buried in a new CNN poll is something striking: Trump isn't just cratering by conventional approval measurements; he's also absolutely collapsing …
Kyle Kondik / Sabato's Crystal Ball:
Thirteen House Rating Changes Toward Democrats as Seat-by-Seat Assessment Better Aligns with Our November Expectations — KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE — We're revamping our House ratings this week, which has the effect of bringing the number of seats at least leaning to each party …
Discussion:
CNN, Florida Politics, RedState and DCCC
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J. Miles Coleman / Sabato's Crystal Ball:
Georgia Senate: The Peach State Ripens for Democrats
Georgia Senate: The Peach State Ripens for Democrats
Discussion:
The Hill and Washington Examiner
Adam Silverstein / New York Post:
Sophie Cunningham rips Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton for leaving teen girls in tears amid controversy: ‘Truly embarrassing’ — Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has spoken out after two teenage fans claimed Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton berated them as “f—ing insane” over a sign supporting the WNBA star.
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James Factora / Advocate:
Anti-trans rally flops as Seattle Storm player wears ‘trans rights are human rights’ shirt
Anti-trans rally flops as Seattle Storm player wears ‘trans rights are human rights’ shirt
Discussion:
Fox News, Breitbart, The Post Millennial, WTOP News, The Daily Wire and Daily Mail
Lisa Needham / Public Notice:
The new “science golden age” looks suspiciously like a grift — This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 🚀 Subscribe to PN 🚀 — The Trump regime is trying to usher in a “Golden Age in Science” where scientific research …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Erin Doherty / Politico:
Poll: Trump's MAGA voters would stick by a candidate through the most serious of scandals — Americans are largely tolerant of scandals among politicians. But nobody is more willing to stick by an embattled candidate than a MAGA voter. — The POLITICO Poll finds President Donald Trump's MAGA supporters …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and The Hill
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy / USA Today:
Exclusive: RFK Jr. hosting a new cooking show with celebrity chefs — RFK Jr.'s new dietary guidelines push protein at every meal, full-fat dairy, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. The slogan, ‘Eat Real Food’ is mantra embraced by his circle of influencers. — WASHINGTON − Get ready for some sauerkraut-infused meals.
Discussion:
The Hill and New Republic
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Reed Abelson / New York Times:
Uninsured Patients Rise Sharply, Hospitals Report, Citing Obamacare Cuts — More people who lost coverage after congressional Republicans ended enhanced federal subsidies are now seeking care in emergency rooms and unable to pay bills. — More and more uninsured patients are showing …
Discussion:
KFF and Off Message
Jeff Cox / CNBC:
U.S. economy slowed to 1.5% growth rate in Q2; June core inflation at 3.3% — Economic growth was weaker than expected in the second quarter while inflation in June held well above the Federal Reserve's goal, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. — Gross domestic product …
Discussion:
The Guardian, Washington Post, U.S. Bureau …, Associated Press, UPI, MS NOW, NPR, Washington Examiner, Fox Business, NewsMax.com, CBS News and Joe.My.God.
RELATED:
Harriet Torry / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to 1.5% in Second Quarter
U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to 1.5% in Second Quarter
Discussion:
New York Times, Newsbusters, Democrats, Breitbart and New Republic
Margaret Manto / NOTUS:
Redacted Fauci Diary Entries Depict Him Personally Helping Katie Miller — Former White House official and conservative influencer Katie Miller heralded the release of Anthony Fauci's diaries as a bombshell discovery that outed him as a calculating attention-seeker.
Discussion:
Raw Story, New Republic, The Independent, RedState, The Federalist, CNN, Forbes, Reuters and The Hill
RELATED:
Max Rego / The Hill:
Carville says 'we didn't f—ing learn anything' from Fauci diary entries
Carville says 'we didn't f—ing learn anything' from Fauci diary entries
Discussion:
Breitbart and Newsbusters
Theodore Schleifer / New York Times:
Musk Plans at Least $100 Million in Midterm Spending, Giving G.O.P. a Boost — Elon Musk, a year after a huge blowup with President Trump and the Republican Party, is said to be planning to spend in at least eight states to help them in November. — Elon Musk, a year after voicing deep frustration …
Discussion:
Election Law Blog and MS NOW
RELATED:
Alex Isenstadt / Axios:
Exclusive: Musk plans massive push for GOP in midterms
Exclusive: Musk plans massive push for GOP in midterms
Discussion:
Politico, Agence France-Presse, The Daily Wire, Joe.My.God., Newsweek, American Greatness, RedState, NewsMax.com and LevittownNow.com
New York Times:
U.S. Sees Iran as Likely Behind Cyberattack on Minnesota Water Systems — Investigators cautioned that the assessment was preliminary. There were no indications that any water supply had been rendered unsafe to drink. — Investigators believe a cyberattack this week on dozens …
Discussion:
ABC News
Reuters:
US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference — State department ‘takes full responsibility’ for erroneous, widely shared chart displayed at Aids conference in Brazil — A US government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a state department presentation …
Discussion:
New Republic, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Independent
Associated Press:
How views on Trump's handling of Iran have shifted, according to a new AP-NORC poll — Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and President Donald Trump's approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll.
Discussion:
AP-NORC, MS NOW, The Bulwark, Staff Stories, The American Conservative, RedState, Washington Times, WTOP News, The Independent, HuffPost and CNN
Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
Michigan 2026 Poll: Abdul El-Sayed Leads Haley Stevens for Democratic US Senate Nomination — John James Leads Perry Johnson in GOP Governor Primary — A new Emerson College Polling/WLNS/WOODTV survey of the Michigan Democratic Primary for US Senate finds Abdul El-Sayed leading Rep. Haley Stevens, 54% to 39%.
Discussion:
The Hill, Breitbart and Abdul for U.S. Senate
RELATED:
Camille Mumford / Emerson Polling:
South Carolina 2026: Norman, Graham Lead GOP Special Primary; Runoff Likely
South Carolina 2026: Norman, Graham Lead GOP Special Primary; Runoff Likely
Discussion:
The Hill
BBC:
Uefa to boycott World Cups if Fifa plans approved — European football's 55 member associations have voted to boycott World Cups if the sport's governing body proceeds with a plan to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors. — The decision was made at an emergency meeting called …
Discussion:
The Athletic, The Guardian, MeidasTouch, CBS News, Reuters, Politico, The Hill, Associated Press, TMZ.com, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Front Office Sports, Al Jazeera, Joe.My.God., UnHerd, New York Sun, France 24, Deadline and Raw Story
Michelle Hackman / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Weighs $100,000 Fee for Foreign Students Wanting to Work After Graduation — Proposed policy would particularly affect Silicon Valley, Wall Street and universities — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is considering attaching a $100,000 price tag on international students' ability …
Discussion:
El País
Eli Lake / The Free Press:
Pleading the Fifth Won't Spare Fauci from the Truth — He claims his Senate hearing was a witch hunt designed to entrap him. But his record convicts him on its own. — Upgrade to Listen — The anti-Trump resistance has settled on its Anthony Fauci narrative.
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico, HuffPost and The Gateway Pundit
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Netanyahu confronts Vance over his criticism of Israeli government — Vice President Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a “direct” conversation about their differences in a one-on-one meeting in Washington on Tuesday evening, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
Discussion:
American Greatness, HotAir and NewsMax.com
New York Times:
Trump Encounters a More Determined Iran as War Widens — The United States is again exchanging strikes with Iran, just days after the president appeared to reject plans to escalate. — Over the weekend, President Trump rejected a return to full-scale war.
Dan Solomon / Texas Monthly:
Sharia Law Is Not Coming to Texas, No Matter What Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo, Says — No, Rob Schneider doesn't live here. But he has a lot to say about our state's supposed fall to Islamic forces. — In four seasons on Saturday Night Live, Rob Schneider created one memorable character.
Discussion:
The Enterprise
Addy Bink / The Hill:
More cases reported in cyclospora outbreak not linked to lettuce: FDA data — (NEXSTAR) - While the cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce has caused thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis — and likely even more we may never know about — another outbreak with an unknown cause has increased, according to federal authorities.
Paul Krugman:
Reality is a Communist Plot — Of MAGA and the totalitarian mindset — The Covid vaccine didn't work, and vaccines cause autism. But hydroxychloroquine worked, and so did ivermectin. Anthony Fauci killed millions of people. — Climate change is a hoax.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money
Alice Miranda Ollstein / Politico:
Judge declines to block strict work rule for sick patients on Medicaid — A federal judge has declined to stop the Trump administration from requiring that chronically ill Medicaid patients prove that they are physically unable to work in order to keep their insurance.
Discussion:
STAT
Sophie Gardner / Politico:
Health emergency preparedness nominee advances on party lines — The Trump administration's nominee to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Sean Kaufman advanced out of committee Thursday, setting up a floor vote on his nomination.
Discussion:
STAT, Washington Examiner, Axios and The Hill
Jeremy Konyndyk / Zeteo:
Blame Elon Musk and Donald Trump for the Out-of-Control Ebola Crisis — Jeremy Konyndyk, who helped lead the U.S. response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, writes about the deadly consequences DOGE's dismantling of USAID has had, as Congo struggles to contain the virus.
Discussion:
Courthouse News Service, Associated Press and Truthout
Axios:
Scoop: GOP Rep. Ogles faces 11th-hour cash barrage in primary — A super PAC that has invested millions to unseat Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) is putting another $700,000 behind his GOP primary challenger in the final week of the campaign, Axios has learned. … But first he has to get the nomination, which is not a done deal.
Discussion:
Raw Story and Washington Times
Avery Lotz / Axios:
America gripped by election fears as November nears … Meanwhile, his critics warn his push to reshape the ways Americans vote are undermining elections. … - 80% report a great deal or fair amount of concern that political leaders will take actions they know are possibly illegal.
John Hendel / Politico:
ABC accuses FCC of ‘attempted censorship’ — ABC accused Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr of “attempted censorship” in a regulatory filing posted Thursday, saying the agency is creating a potential chilling effect across the media by helping President Donald Trump attack his perceived adversaries.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Hill, New York Post, The Verge, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, The Wrap, Los Angeles Times, NewsMax.com, Newsbusters and Techdirt, more at Mediagazer »
Samantha Hancox-Li / Liberal Currents:
Prairieland: A Tactical and Strategic Analysis … On the evening of July 4, 2025, a collection of activists and protesters arrived at the Prairieland ICE detention facility in Alvarado, Texas. They performed a “noise protest,” among other things setting off fireworks, in an attempt to signal to the detainees that they were not alone.
Aaron R. Hanlon / New Republic:
The Campus Free Speech Wars Are Over. MAGA Won. — A new batch of documents published by The Chronicle of Higher Education reveals widespread censorship of course content at Texas A&M, one of many public universities where MAGA politicians—not faculty and department heads—now determine what can and can't be taught.
Discussion:
Inside Higher Ed and Columbia Journalism Review
