Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left  —  One moderate group says the progressive wins are “deeply troubling” and is planning a $15 million effort against democratic socialism.  —  The embattled establishment of the Democratic Party searched furiously for a political reset …

‘Is she even allowed to be doing this?’:  Inside a federal judge's side gig running a PR firm  —  A Trump-appointed federal appeals judge spent months running a Washington public affairs firm after being appointed to the bench last year, an arrangement that contributed to an exodus among …

What a Contempt Vote for Fauci Would Mean for the Pardoned Doctor  —  Plus, the unanswered questions for Democrats following the Michigan Senate primary, and negotiators edge closer to an Iran deal to reopen Hormuz  —  Good morning.  A Senate committee on Thursday could vote to hold …

Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns  —  At a Camp David summit this weekend, President Trump demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over extreme munitions shortages.  —  Summary  —  President Donald Trump's frustration over the Iran war boiled …

Elon Musk's DOGE made big errors in claims of government savings, GAO finds  —  The government watchdog found that billions of dollars in DOGE's public tally could not be verified and that some claimed cuts never happened.  —  Summary  —  The U.S. DOGE Service, the cost-cutting group spearheaded …

Why you shouldn't be surprised if Democrats don't flip the House  —  Democrats are ahead in polls, and voters typically punish the party that controls the White House during midterms.  But Republicans have several paths to maintaining power.  —  Summary  —  Democrats are favored to flip the House …

Vanderbilt's Board Declares War Against Academic Freedom  —  A new policy punishes faculty for speech the trustees deem strays from the core purpose of the university.  —  On July 29, Vanderbilt University's board of trustees announced the release of “The University And Its Purpose: A Declaration of First Principles.”

Trump wins last-minute reprieve temporarily blocking BBC access to his business records … President Donald Trump won an 11th-hour court reprieve Thursday that temporarily blocks the BBC from obtaining detailed records on the finances and ownership of his business empire as part …

FCC Eliminates TV Station Ownership Cap in Win for Nexstar and Other Big Broadcasters  —  The 2-1 vote fell along party lines, with dissenting commissioner Anna Gomez saying the move is ‘unlawful on its face’  —  The FCC has formally moved to eliminate the longstanding national limit …

Our Chaos Agent President Has Another Big Card to Play  —  We got lots of important elections stories this week, but none stranger than the outcome in the Republican primary for Michigan's swingy 8th district, where Trump's endorsed candidate, Navy veteran Amir Hassan, endured a shocking loss …

Senate Republicans launch network of fake news sites  —  The Alaska Navigator bills itself as “independent news covering the Last Frontier.”  On June 10, the outlet published an article headlined, “As Fentanyl Deaths Rise in Alaska, Sullivan Pushes Tougher Penalties and Enforcement.”

Facebook is paying controversial creators to produce rage-bait content  —  In short:  —  An ABC NEWS Verify investigation has found Facebook's parent company, Meta, is directly paying several controversial content creators including a white nationalist with Neo-Nazi links and a prominent anti-vaxxer.

Three state attorneys general subpoena Anthony Fauci over Covid guidance  —  Fauci was subpoenaed as Republicans in Washington seek to hold him in contempt for refusing to answer questions about the handling of the Covid pandemic.  —  Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Wednesday …

Trump Administration Has Repeatedly Confessed in Court to Withholding Money From Blue States  —  The New York Times reported last month on one instance of the Trump administration explicitly admitting in court that it withheld grants from states for political reasons.  TPM has found more.

See Where the Reflecting Pool Renovation Appeared to Fail  —  The New York Times identified dozens of areas throughout the newly installed liner of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that showed signs of bubbles, tears or peeling.  —  President Trump has for weeks blamed vandals for the damage …

An Israeli professor lost a prestigious US job offer after speaking out on Gaza.  Now the university is paying him $250,000  —  The University of Minnesota withdrew an offer for Raz Segal to lead its Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies after an organized campaign against his hiring

At Trump's DOJ, watchdogs gutted as misconduct complaints soar  —  In one courtroom after another, federal judges have accused U.S. President Donald Trump's Justice Department of an extraordinary spate of misconduct, including making false statements, failing to comply with court orders …

New book from Tillis dubs Miller, Hegseth as ‘MAGATS’  —  Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) becomes the latest lawmaker to announce a forthcoming book — but this one will take aim at his own party and President Donald Trump.  “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents” will explore how a group of …

Leprosy cases climb in Florida: Here's how to reduce your risk  —  (NewsNation) — Cases of leprosy are on the rise in Florida, and health officials are linking many cases to exposure to a specific animal.  —  As of July 23, Florida's Department of Health reported 17 cases statewide …

Sanders doesn't believe he will endorse Hong: 'I don't think so'  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) signaled Wednesday he does not expect to endorse Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, less than a week before the primary in the Badger State.  —  “I don't think so,” …

Iowa 2026 Poll: Sand Has an Edge in Governor's Race; Hinson Holds Narrow Senate Advantage  —  Trump, Reynolds approval ratings underwater  —  A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey of Iowa voters in the race for Governor finds 48% of voters support Democrat Rob Sand, while 43% support Republican Zach Lahn.

Trump Said Qatari Jet Was Destined for His Library.  That May Change.  —  A White House official says no final decision has been made about which plane will go on display at the Trump presidential library.  That leaves the fate of the Qatari jet unclear.  —  When Qatar donated a Boeing jet …

ABC, CBS, and NBC aired nearly 200 segments about three U.S. heat events without mentioning climate change  —  In coverage from June 29 to July 26, national broadcast networks failed to link multiple successive heat waves to global warming … A Media Matters analysis of corporate broadcast news coverage …

Iran Says Deal With Oman on Hormuz Ships Agreed in Principle  —  The wait for an Iran-Oman deal that partially reopens the Strait of Hormuz continued through Thursday, after the Islamic Republic said an agreement on proposed shipping lanes is in the final stages.

Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse stripped of title after alleged racist posts resurface  —  Miss North Carolina USA has been stripped of her beauty pageant title just over a month after her victory as a string of alleged racist posts resurfaced.  —  Brittany Boltinhouse, 27 …

Trump admin defunds abstinence-only programs in chaotic budget cuts  —  The Trump administration's sweeping grant cuts are hitting sexual abstinence programs long favored by Republicans.  —  Earlier this summer, the administration abruptly terminated tens of millions in funding …

Pentagon policy chief can't get invited to Beijing  —  Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a longtime China hawk, wants to play nice with an official visit to Beijing.  The Chinese government is making it clear he's not welcome.  —  Colby has been trying for months to wrangle …