US strikes Iranian rocket launchers, marking first attack in a month  —  The Middle East Federal agencies US military Donald Trump  —  The US military on Sunday struck Iran's Larak Island, where forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with mines into the Strait of Hormuz …

Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles … The Pentagon has secretly installed several conservative military veterans with large online followings in government roles, declining to disclose their assignments as they amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's viewpoints …

Desperate to appear strong, Trump shows pathetic weakness  —  This edition of PN is made possible by paid subscribers.  Become one ⬇️  —  🧠 Subscribe to PN 🧠  —  Remember “Sharpiegate,” a relatively inconsequential but uncommonly stupid episode from Trump's first term?

More Mail Ballots Are Arriving Late This Cycle, and They're Getting Tossed  —  State officials say they worry about the Postal Service's ability to deliver votes this fall.  They are urging voters to mail their ballots early or use drop boxes so their votes count.

Hegseth's purges are endangering national security  —  The Iran quagmire wouldn't have happened under Trump's first-term military leaders.  —  It was obvious from the start that appointing Pete Hegseth — a former Fox News weekend host — as secretary of defense was a spectacularly bad idea …

Democrats want the midterms to be about Trump.  He does, too.  —  As Republicans fight to hold Congress, Trump and his allies are spending money and political capital to keep him at the center of the campaign.  —  Summary  —  For vulnerable politicians, the safest place …

‘The Least Transparent Midterm’: How Dark Money Is Washing Over the 2026 Election  —  At least $1 billion from anonymous donors is flowing into the midterm elections.  Dark money is not new, but it now permeates nearly every major contest.  —  In Michigan and Minnesota …

These Generals Fought for Israel.  Now They See ‘Jewish Terrorism’ as the Threat.  —  A growing number of former Israeli generals, intelligence officials and prime ministers are accusing settlers in the West Bank of committing ethnic cleansing with government support.

‘What America Did to Me Is Wrong’: Inside One of the Largest Third-Country Removal Flights So Far  —  On July 31, an estimated 71 detainees were expelled to various countries on a hellish flight to Africa.  Many were then illegally returned to their home countries.

Trump's deals in Africa could cut U.S. health aid by more than half, analysis shows  —  The planned reductions — targeting programs that combat the spread of deadly diseases — coincide with an administration push to make developing nations spend more.  —  Summary

Johnson faces pressure to cut out early  —  Presented by IN TODAY'S EDITION:  — Lawmakers jockey for E&C spots  — Military widows caught in bill brawl  — Moulton comes for climate mantle  —  The House is back in session, but it might be a short one.

The midterms are months away.  Members are already jockeying for seats on this powerful panel.  —  Lawmakers can spend years trying to land seats on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.  Several could finally get their chance in the next Congress.

Trump Is Copying Putin's Losing Playbook With Canada  —  It sometimes feels as though the Trump administration gets its worldview and foreign policy ideas from a Kremlin School of International Relations course taught by Vladimir Putin — though at a CliffsNotes level that fails to consider how those strategies played out.

Poll: Working class voters are still up for grabs  —  Republicans and Democrats are fighting over working class voters.  Americans don't believe the rhetoric.  —  Fifty-five percent of Americans think politicians are just trying to win votes when they say they will help the working class …

Nonstop Russian Drones Make for Dangerous New Phase of War in Kyiv  —  The nearly constant air raids, a shift from years of largely overnight attacks, have left residents exhausted and on edge.  —  Russia has turned to a terrifying new tactic in its assaults on Ukraine …