Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool case, blaming damage on ‘botched’ installation  —  The Justice Department said “it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Tillis says Blanche won't be confirmed as AG amid Trump fund fight  —  Sen. Thom Tillis said Saturday morning that new comments by President Trump about his “anti-weaponization” fund mean that attorney general nominee Todd Blanche won't be confirmed by the Senate next week.

Tankers near Oman come under fire as Iran threatens to choke off shipping routes … A tanker near Oman reported being struck overnight, with another saying it saw an explosion nearby as Iran warned Washington that the U.S. military's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would result in the closure of key shipping routes.

GOP Staffers Say the Party Has a Groyper Problem … The grownups are worried.  In group chats and at happy hours, some GOP veterans fret about the rising generation of young staffers in their party.  The recurring complaint: The pipeline that feeds young conservative talent into government jobs is defective — if not broken.

The Fake ‘Invasion’ of Spain: What You Need to Know  —  9 things you should know about the so-called ‘crisis’ of Moroccan migrants forcing their way into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta - and the hysterical response from the right in the U.S., UK, and EU.  —  Team Zeteo  —  ∙ Paid

‘Platner on steroids’: Max Miller abuse claims have Republicans silently sweating  —  Public scrutiny of domestic abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller is quickly mounting.  His Republican colleagues have been slow to respond.  —  New reporting on government documents claiming …

U.S. general warns Pentagon he lacks sufficient forces to protect Israel  —  A shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said.  —  Summary

Visuals Suggest U.S. Dropped 2,000-Pound Bomb on Home in Iran, Killing 3  —  The weapon, one of the largest in the U.S.'s arsenal, struck a house in a heavily populated area, according to a Times analysis.  —  The United States struck a family home on Iran's Qeshm Island overnight on Thursday …

Trump Administration Plans to Upend Head Start by Deregulating It  —  The White House tried but failed to block funding for preschool for poor children.  Instead, it will seek to strip away standards on health, literacy — and brushing teeth.  —  The Trump administration is preparing …

How Ukraine Is Making Inroads Into Once-Hostile Territory: MAGA  —  Ukraine and its supporters have invested years in trying to undo the skepticism of the country's war effort harbored by President Trump's MAGA movement and the president himself.  —  Ken Bensinger and Constant Méheut

She Voted for a Justice Who Overturned Roe.  Now it Haunts Her on the Trail.  —  Senator Susan Collins, who supports abortion rights, endorsed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for the Supreme Court.  It has emerged as a major issue in her campaign for re-election.  —  Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

The last day of a factory in Trump country, as its work moves to China  —  For generations, this Ohio factory was a way of life.  Then came the final shift.  —  Summary  —  EASTLAKE, OHIO — For 40 years, six days a week, Joe Klima rose before dawn in the same house on Barbara Drive …

America's Most Divided State Loves Its Extremes  —  Wisconsin has been the nation's most closely divided state for a quarter century.  Since 2000, only one presidential candidate—Barack Obama, twice—has carried the state by more than a single percentage point.

He's Making It Worse on Purpose  —  Happy Saturday!  Overtime is for everyone.  If you're a Bulwark+ member: thank you.  If you're not, there's no better time to subscribe to Bulwark+ than today.  If you like today's issue, you can share this newsletter with someone you think would value it.

DoJ appears to ignore New Mexico deadline for key Epstein ranch files  —  State attorney general set 31 July deadline for documents relating to abuse of girls at Epstein-owned Zorro ranch  —  The US Department of Justice (DoJ) appeared to ignore a Friday deadline set by Raúl Torrez …

Why Trump is at war with the International Criminal Court  —  Secretary of State Marco Rubio has promised to “dismantle the ICC.” … The International Criminal Court is in the trenches right now.  —  Last week, its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was voted out of his position.