Trump says he will ‘push hard’ for payout fund, keep Blanche as acting AG  —  The president blamed two GOP senators for resisting Todd Blanche, his pick to run the Justice Department, suggesting he would resurrect his controversial “anti-weaponization” fund in response.  —  Summary

Scope of Hacks on U.S. Water Supply Widens as Evidence Points to Iran  —  Michigan and Minnesota are among at least seven states coping with cyberattacks aimed at disrupting water systems nationwide.  —  The scope of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems has grown to include at least seven states …

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.”

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.

In Iran, the U.S. Appears Headed for a Strategic Defeat, Allies Fear  —  With none of President Trump's aims accomplished and the Strait of Hormuz closed, U.S. allies see dysfunction and vulnerability from the war.  —  To America's allies, President Trump's war in Iran, now in its sixth month, seems headed for a strategic defeat.

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

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

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 Media's new paid data service goes live, giving clients faster access to Trump's posts … Trump Media and Technology Group's new paid data service launched on Aug. 1, providing faster access to Truth Social posts from President Donald Trump and other top accounts on the platform.

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

‘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 …

Justice Dept. Subpoenas Times Freelancer in Effort to Identify Sources  —  A previously undisclosed subpoena, involving reporting on a failed SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea, reflects the government's expanding campaign to investigate leaks of secrets.  —  A freelance reporter has been fighting …

Trump's Fixation on Arctic Ships Led to Billions in No-Bid Contracts  —  The president decided to buy 11 polar icebreakers after a game of golf with Finland's president.  Experts say it's far from clear the United States needs so many.  —  Late one night last August, Alexander Stubb …

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 …

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

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 …