Trump says outline of Iran deal agreed to, mediators say otherwise, strikes on hold for now– www.cbsnews.com
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President Trump has called off new attacks on Iran for the time being, insisting an end to the war is close. He’s also again calling for the “immediate” re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Imtiaz Tyab reports.
00 First Filter
Supreme Court Approval Rating Drops to Historic Low of 33% – South Florida Reporter
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U.S. investigating if Iran was behind cyberattack on water systems in 7 states, including Minnesota and Michigan– www.cbsnews.com
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Malicious cyber activity affected technology at water systems in at least seven states this week, including Minnesota and Michigan, forcing some utilities to switch to manual operations as state and federal authorities dig into who is behind the attack, CBS News has learned.
Investigators are probing to determine whether the activity is the work of Iranian hackers, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the incident. Sources cautioned that since they had not definitively attributed the attack, their assessment could change as additional technical evidence is collected. They are also probing whether the actor could have attempted to appear Iran-based as a way of stirring the pot amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran.
The FBI reported incidents in “at least seven states” but didn’t identify them. On Saturday, Michigan joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on the state’s water systems but an official said all systems were operating “safely.”
Dale George, the director of communications at the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, told CBS News in a statement that the state received “a small number of reports from Michigan communities indicating activity consistent with what federal agencies described.”
Kamala Harris Calls For Expanding The Supreme Court To 13 Justices – Daily Kos
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U.S. Senate confirms new federal judge to Cincinnati’s 6th Circuit – The Business Journals
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In Show of Strength China Conducts Air, Maritime Drills Around Philippines – Defensemirror.com
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Saudi Arabia Establishes New Defense Alliance For Crucial Sea Lane– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, a framework for collective maritime defense cooperation focused on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The announcement follows years of insecurity in the vital sea lane due to threats from the Iran-backed Houthi militant group.
The announcement followed a meeting hosted in Riyadh by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, attended by chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries along with a European Union delegation. Of the 51 countries and organizations invited, these participants discussed the proposed alliance’s draft charter, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and next steps.
As part of the agreement, 14 countries issued a joint declaration supporting the alliance as founding members. This includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. The United Arab Emirates and Oman were notably not among those listed in the initial joint statement.
Houthis push back on report of planned Red Sea shipping fees– thehill.com
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Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime authority pushed back on Saturday against reports that the group is considering charging toll fees to commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying ships can continue to pass through the waterway without paying. The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said in a statement that its safe-passage service is voluntary and does…
Trump might pause Blanche nomination as GOP senators object to IRS settlement– www.latimes.com
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Washington — The high-stakes nomination of Todd Blanche to be attorney general has turned into a clash of wills between President Trump and two Senate Republicans whose political careers he claims credit for ending.
After a vote on Blanche’s nomination was delayed over concerns raised by two lame-duck Republican senators, the president said Thursday he might put Blanche’s nomination on hold rather than meet their demands.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have indicated that they will vote to support advancing Blanche’s nomination only if the Justice Department provides written assurance that it has completely abandoned a controversial $1.8-billion “anti-weaponization” fund created as part of a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service and will limit the scope of tax audit immunity granted to Trump, his sons and a business.
Those provisions were part of a proposed settlement of a $10-billion lawsuit Trump filed against the IRS, which is part of his administration.
“The opposition to such a high-ranking executive branch nomination from within Republican ranks is quite unprecedented,” said Phil Brest, who was a top Democratic staffer for the Senate Judiciary Committee during the nominations of Jeff Sessions, Bill Barr and Merrick Garland, who each served as attorney general.
Spain deploys military after thousands breach Morocco’s border– www.boston.com
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Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.
The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that boiled over Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence.
Spain’s government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.
“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”
Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional.”
“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,” he said.
Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia oil tanker | Houthis News– www.aljazeera.com
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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group says it has fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, more than a week after imposing a naval blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.
In a post on X, Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the group had “carried out a military operation targeting the Saudi oil tanker (NCC GHAZAL) for violating the maritime navigation ban” that the group had imposed on Saudi vessels.
He added that the group had used several ballistic missiles and forced the vessel to retreat.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a maritime security monitor, said a tanker reported an explosion while transiting the Red Sea, adding that the crew is safe and no environmental damage was reported.
The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and have fought the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which Saudi Arabia backs, for more than a decade.
On July 20, the Houthis announced their maritime blockade, accusing Saudi leaders of imposing “an unjust and oppressive siege” on Yemen for nearly 12 years, “plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade”.
It went on to affirm “the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade”.
CAUGHT: Democrat Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke Indicted on 12 Counts — Prosecutors Say a Steakhouse Envelope Came Before $170 Million in COVID Cash – KTSA
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U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism – National– globalnews.ca
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U.S. diplomats walked out as their French counterparts were speaking at the United Nations on Monday after America’s close European ally criticized the Trump administration’s human rights record.
The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.
The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.
Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren’t consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe’s military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent’s two nuclear powers, along with Britain.
US Pauses FinCEN Oversight for Post-Earthquake ‘Aid’ as Caracas Demands Full Blockade Removal – Orinoco Tribune
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Syria Pursuing Security Deal With Israel – globalpost.com
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Netanyahu Will Attend UN General Assembly in New York City– legalinsurrection.com
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he will attend the UN General Assembly in New York City in September.
I figured Netanyahu would, even though communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to arrest him and encouraged people to “protest” him.
Netanyahu told Sean Hannity:
But I’m definitely going there. I’m going to speak the truth in front of this, you know. There’s just hate spewing elected official who’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. He’s turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what, are we in the 1930s? What is this? You know, so much hate, so many lies.
BREAKING: Netanyahu confirms he’s going to New York City.
“First of all I’m going to New York… I’m going to speak the truth in front of this hate-spewing elected official.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu’s attendance at the U.N. General Assembly in September was in question after NYC… pic.twitter.com/h7qYZaMaLP
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 29, 2026
Russia charges Telegram founder with aiding terrorism and puts him on wanted list– abcnews.com
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Russia’s main domestic security agency said Wednesday that Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app Telegram, has been charged with “aiding terrorism” and put on an international wanted list.
Telegram’s administration has not removed “numerous channels, chats and bots” that are “actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud” in Russia, the agency said in a statement Wednesday,
The Federal Security Service is also known as the FSB,
Charges against Durov come as Russia restricts Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. Durov earlier this year announced that the Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against him and accused them of fabricating pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an attempt to “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”
EU crisis chief urges tougher climate action amid France, Spain wildfires | Climate Crisis News– www.aljazeera.com
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The European Union’s crisis management commissioner says the bloc needs to invest more in tackling climate change and accelerate its response, as France and Spain prepare for another crippling heatwave that could ignite new wildfires and intensify blazes already burning.
Hadja Lahbib said the EU must ensure its climate strategy remains in lockstep with realities on the ground, as global warming advances faster than scientists previously projected. She has called for increased funding, better education on fire risk and a renewed focus on forest management.
“Climate change is accelerating. So our response must evolve just as quickly,” Lahbib told Reuters.
“We must prepare for risks before disasters strike and not simply react afterwards.”
Lahbib’s comments come as devastating wildfires continue to burn across parts of France and Spain, forcing the evacuation of 330,000 people.
Nearly 500 civilians dead in Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict, UN says – National– globalnews.ca
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Cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan has killed nearly 500 civilians in Afghanistan and wounded over 1,000 others between October and the end of June, the United Nations said Tuesday.
In a report on the human rights situation, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded by the fighting between the neighbors that has defied international peace efforts.
In one case, the report said, civilians trying to rescue others from the rubble of an airstrike were hit by a second one.
The report also explores other human rights issues, including a deadly crackdown on protests in western Afghanistan over restrictions on women’s clothing, and decrees that essentially legalize child marriage.
Khanna: Call to Arrest Netanyahu ‘Not Talking About Americans Who Are Subject to Our Own Law’– www.breitbart.com
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On Tuesday’s broadcast of CBS’s “The Takeout,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said that “We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.” But this isn’t a danger for Americans because “They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”
Khanna said, “Now, my view on Netanyahu is the same as my view on Putin, if you have a warrant for your arrest by the ICC, and you’re coming here — not to the U.N., because the U.N. has its own rules — but you’re coming to the United States, then you should be arrested. We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.”
He added, “People say, what about Americans? They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”
Huge blow for Putin as Ukraine’s Zelensky hails major breakthrough | World | News– www.express.co.uk
Huge blow for Putin as Ukraine’s Zelensky hails major breakthrough | World | News– www.express.co.uk
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Volodymyr Zelensky has said Donald Trump agreed to grant Ukraine licences to produce Patriot air-defence interceptors after what he described as a “good meeting” at the White House on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian President also argued that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has lost the initiative on the battlefield because of heavy losses, as Kyiv continues to press for stronger Western military support.
The leaders spent just over an hour in talks amid an escalation in long-range strikes by both Ukraine and Russia, while US-led diplomatic efforts to bring the war to an end remain stalled.
Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity after the meeting, Zelensky said: “Today we had good meeting with President Trump.
“He accepted that he will give us (Patriot) licenses, and then I had meeting with representatives of production, very strong military companies of the United States. I hope that we will do co-production.”
Following the talks, Trump also struck an optimistic tone, posting photographs from the meeting on social media alongside the message: “Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!”
US, Gulf Allies Launch Strikes On Iranian Proxies Following ‘Surprise’ Attack On US Base– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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The United States and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening conducted joint precision airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militias in Eastern Iraq. The strikes follow a “surprise” missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan earlier in the day.
According to a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple logistics and weapons sites. CENTCOM described the targets as belonging to Iran-aligned groups that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had directed to carry out attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
Tuesday’s operation was launched in response to more than 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks over the preceding 72 hours. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed several drones launched from Iraqi territory that targeted petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions.
Saudi Arabia’s statement framed the strikes as precise and targeted actions against objectives linked to those attacks, conducted in coordination with CENTCOM, and emphasized the kingdom’s right to self-defense while stating it does not seek escalation.
Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), an umbrella organization that includes Iran-backed groups integrated into Iraq’s security structure, reported that the strikes hit headquarters and facilities in multiple locations, including Baghdad and sites in other provinces. The PMF said at least 20 of its members were killed and 32 wounded, with damage to buildings and facilities.
CENTCOM Commander Warns of New Threat Aiding Iran: Cellphone Footage – RedState– redstate.com
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CENTCOM Commander and four-star Navy general Admiral Brad Cooper has identified a threat that helps Iran target U.S. bases in the Middle East: cellphone footage.
Social media posts and videos posted online are giving the Iranians clues to our activities, the commander wrote in a letter Tuesday:
Admiral Brad Cooper, in a previously unreported letter, said Iran was benefiting from being able to see the success or failure of its strikes in near real-time by searching news reports or online posts by journalists referencing “reactions, photos, and footage from the cellphones of our troops.”
“The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members and civilian residents in targeted Gulf countries,” Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, wrote in his July 28 letter, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.
He called on troops to “redouble our focus on operational security,” without prescribing specific steps in the memo.
Cooper’s memo underscores the mounting tensions between real-time news reporting on the war, often aided by satellite imagery and first-person accounts, and the desire by the U.S. military to restrict any information that could aid Iran as it tries to kill and wound U.S.… https://t.co/0OBN2o1rtg
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) July 29, 2026
Trump asks supreme court to throw out $83m E Jean Carroll defamation verdict – The Guardian
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Dems must win 57 out of 77 competitive House seats to take majority– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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Democrats’ path to retaking the House in November has significantly slimmed as a result of the mid-decade redistricting war this cycle, a new analysis found.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report found that under the newly drawn maps across 10 states, the number of “competitive” swing seats has dropped from 87 to 77. For Democrats to win control of the House, the party would need to win at least 57 of the 77 seats.
The Cook Political Report’s elections analysis defines competitive seats as districts that either party won in the past two presidential election cycles by 5 points or less. Under the old lines, Democrats would have needed to win 59 of the 87 competitive seats.
Republicans are expected to gain eight seats due to mid-decade redistricting, while Democrats could have a net gain of two. The redistricting fight began this cycle in Texas after President Donald Trump urged the state legislature to redraw its state lines to be more favorable to Republicans.
Mamdani’s NYC-Run Grocery Stores Tackle Affordability Issues– crooksandliars.com
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While Donald Trump tries to gaslight us into thinking his Trump-flation is not a problem, we non-billionaires know better. That includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
On Monday, Mamdani announced that the city-run grocery stores he plans to open will sell food staples at a 30% discount from “the typical retail price in New York City.” He told SiriusXM’s Lurie Daniel Favors, “It’s going to apply to all fresh produce, meat, seafood, along with around 20 other items like cheese, milk, bread, as well as pasta, soup, beans, nuts, rice, and flour.”
Mamdani promised during his campaign that he’d open city-run grocery stores. He has now announced locations for stores in two boroughs: the Bronx and Manhattan. On SiriusXM, he said he plans to open one in each of the other three boroughs by the end of 2029.
Mamdani said he expects New Yorkers will save $90 a month and about $1,000 per year.
ABC NBC Finally Cover Fauci Diaries Release Before Senate Hearing– www.newsbusters.org
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Since Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) released on Saturday nearly 2,000 pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s diaries that delivered one bombshell after another about how he handled the coronavirus pandemic, ABC and NBC had yet to say a word on the leading morning or evening shows. However, that changed Wednesday morning with stories explaining away his behavior ahead of what became an explosive Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing.
ABC’s Good Morning America only mustered a partial segment tallying 89 seconds, starting with co-host Robin Roberts announcing Fauci was “set to testify on Capitol Hill” for “a grilling by longtime critic Senator Rand Paul over his role in handling the COVID pandemic.”
D.C.-based correspondent Jay O’Brien also said it’d “be a fiery hearing” with Paul going after “Fauci, 85-years-old, once the nation’s top infectious disease expert who retired in 2022.”
He added Paul has “accused Fauci of everything from misleading the COVID — mishandling the COVID response, to misleading the public about COVID’s origins, to even lying to Congress, all of which Fauci strenuously denies” with his attorney calling Paul’s behavior a “years-long public crusade.”
Incredibly, O’Brien seemed to cast doubt on the veracity of the diaries: “Ahead of this hearing, Paul releasing more than one thousand pages worth of what he says are diary excerpts that Fauci wrote in the early days of the pandemic.”
Polls Show Majority Of Americans Support Voter ID– thefederalist.com
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As the SAVE America Act stalls in the Senate, new polls show that an overwhelming majority of voters across both parties are largely in favor of supporting required voter ID laws.
Seemingly every day there are more reports about noncitizens participating in U.S. elections and undermining the integrity of America’s voting system. Senate Majority Leader John Thune also continues to clash with President Donald Trump, refusing to overturn the now four-month-long blockade of the SAVE Act in the upper chamber.
A recently published poll by Tea Party Patriots Action indicated over 80 percent of likely voters say that only U.S. citizens should vote in federal elections, while another poll conducted by Fox News found that over 80 percent of voters think that a photo ID should be required to register to vote.
The data released from TPPA surveyed 1,000 general election voters and was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates on July 22, 2026. John McLaughlin, strategic consultant and pollster, surveyed people nationwide who are “likely to vote,” and divided respondents evenly between “people who support Trump and people who don’t,” according to TPPA Chairman Jenny Beth Martin.
Fauci Diary Entry Reveals He Suffered Common COVID Vax Injury Five Months After Getting Jab › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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Former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci suffered a pulmonary infarction in June 2021—five months after he received his first COVID shot, his newly released diary reveals.
A pulmonary infarction occurs when part of the lung tissue dies because blood flow through the pulmonary arteries is blocked, usually by a blood clot originating from a deep vein thrombosis, that travels to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.
This information was made public for the first time through the release of Fauci’s private diary entries.
Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released Fauci’s private diary entries over the weekend, allowing the public to scrutinize his day-to-day activities during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. The bombshell diary entries reveal his arrogance, duplicity and preoccupation with fame and adoration as infections rose.
During an appearance on Fox New’s “Ingraham Angle” Monday night, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. commented on the new revelation about Fauci’s June 2021 medical emergency.
“[Fauci] got vaccinated at a very, very public press conference in January of 2020 and then five months later…he had a pulmonary infarction—which is one of the adverse events NIH, CDC and FDA said are expected from the vaccine. He never told anybody,” Kennedy told host Laura Ingraham. “He got treated for it privately by the best doctors in America at the same time he was telling everybody that that was not an adverse event,” the HHS Secretary added.