Close aides, but no Cabinet officials, joined Trump in airport catering truck  —  The president was accompanied by the White House deputy chief of staff, his executive assistant and the director of Oval Office operations, according to a U.S. official.  —  Summary

A Stunning Upset in Wisconsin Shows the Limits of the Left  —  Francesca Hong's defeat in the Democratic primary for governor defied expectations and may have shown the democratic socialist wave cannot reach beyond urban centers.  —  The Democratic establishment finally struck back at the surging populist left.

Darline Graham faces an uphill battle in South Carolina Senate runoff  —  Notching a first-place primary finish with an endorsement from President Donald Trump seems like a surefire path to victory in a deep-red state — unless you're headed into a GOP runoff in South Carolina in 2026.

Pirro, in rare move, convenes special grand jury in Washington  —  Unlike typical grand juries, those designated special focus on a single case or related cases and can issue a report following their investigation.  —  The Justice Department has convened a special grand jury in Washington …

They Spoke English, Wore U.S. Flags and Attacked Fishermen.  Who Were They?  —  Ecuadorean crews plying the waters of the Pacific have been targeted by a mysterious outfit equipped with drones.  Some sailors appear to have lost their lives.  —  Far out in the Pacific Ocean …

Lindell alleges voting irregularities, refuses to concede  —  My Pillow founder Mike Lindell is refusing to concede in Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary, alleging irregularities in the vote totals.  —  The businessman, who is backed by President Trump, lost to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa DeMuth …

He Was Deported to a Country He'd Never Heard of.  He May Never Go Free. … Roberto Mosquera in detention in Eswatini.  —  As he stepped out of the American military cargo plane, Roberto Mosquera still couldn't tell where he was or why he had been taken there.

ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.  —  ICE plans to spend up to $20 million …

Sources: Josh Kushner, Bob Iger to buy Lakers for $12.5B  —  The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, multiple sources told ESPN.  —  The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn …

Multiple USS Abraham Lincoln sailors have tried to go overboard amid extended deployment, families say  —  Annabelle Loma has spoken with her husband only a few times since he attempted to jump overboard from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during his current deployment.

Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction  —  The price tag is much larger than what has been previously reported, according to a Post review of confidential contracts, and taxpayers would cover most of it.  —  Summary … Fountain  —  Fountain

Trump Seeks Immediate Halt to Judge's Penalties in IRS Case  —  President Donald Trump has asked a federal appeals court to pause a judge's order imposing sanctions on him and his lawyers for how they handled his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service while he appeals that ruling.

AOC doesn't deny breaking up with fiancé Riley Roberts, gives head-scratching response after posting egg retrieval video  —  Far-left Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez haughtily proclaimed she doesn't discuss her personal life just days after posting a video showcasing every step …

JD Vance asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using Russian port  —  Washington alarmed by Kyiv's campaign on vessels collecting Kazakh oil from Novorossiysk  —  Ukraine has halted an intense campaign of drone strikes on oil tankers using a critical Black Sea port after a request …

Transcript: Trump Blurts Out Vile Plot to Rig Midterms as GOP Unnerved  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 12 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network.

Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing  —  Reporting Highlights  — Ready, Fire, Aim: In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells.

Congress Needs Its Tech Experts Back … While DOGE had wound down and scattered their alumni throughout the government long before then, the nation is still dealing with the consequences of their arson and ransacking of the federal government.  Office of Management and Budget director …