THEFEDERALIST (Breccan F. Thies) - Senate Advances Todd Blanche Nomination for Attorney General
Blanche advanced out of committee, but there are more Senate Republicans whose support is unclear to confirm him in a floor vote.
NYTIMES (John Yoon and Jun Michael Park) - How the Mohegan Tribe Lost a Billion-Dollar Casino in South Korea
Inspire Entertainment Resort — an alternative to Macau, the world’s gambling capital — was supposed to be a “transformational” project for the Native American tribe.
NYTIMES (Nate Cohn and C.J. Robinson) - How Well Is the Progressive Left Actually Doing?
Its wins have been largely confined to highly educated and heavily Democratic parts of urban America. But two races could change that.
NYTIMES (Emily Davies and Annie Karni) - Max Miller Shrugs Off Trump’s Warning and Pushes Ahead in Ohio
Republicans hoped a shove from President Trump would persuade the embattled congressman to drop his re-election bid in the face of abuse allegations. It hasn’t happened.
NYTIMES (Michael Crowley) - An Angry Trump Struggles to Understand Iran’s Defiant Leaders
Iran’s leaders have perplexed several American presidents, perhaps none more than President Trump.
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Spokane bootmaker opens doors to wildland firefighters as fires destroy hundreds of homes
A family-owned bootmaking shop near Spokane, Washington, has become an unlikely refuge for exhausted wildland firefighters battling a complex of blazes that have destroyed more than 700 homes and forced nearly 65,000 evacuations. The Spokane Complex Fire, a cluster of 14 active wildfires burning across eastern Washington, remained at zero percent containment as crews fought […] The post Spokane bootmaker opens doors to wildland firefighters as fires destroy hundreds of homes appeared first on American Almanac .
A family-owned bootmaking shop near Spokane, Washington, has become an unlikely refuge for exhausted wildland firefighters battling a complex of blazes that have destroyed more than 700 homes and forced nearly 65,000 evacuations. The Spokane Complex Fire, a cluster of 14 active wildfires burning across eastern Washington, remained at zero percent containment as crews fought through punishing heat and terrain in early August 2026. Amid the chaos, a local bootmaker stepped up, taking in firefighters who needed rest, gear, and a place to regroup. NBC News reported that the facility opened its doors to crews who had been working around the clock with little relief. The gesture, small-scale, voluntary, and entirely private, stands in sharp…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sarah May) - Federal judge blocks New York's mask ban on ICE agents, citing Constitution's supremacy clause
A federal judge struck down New York's law banning federal agents from wearing face coverings during immigration operations, the second time a court has blocked a blue-state attempt to dictate how federal officers dress on the job. U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino issued a preliminary injunction Monday blocking key provisions of New York's law that […] The post Federal judge blocks New York's mask ban on ICE agents, citing Constitution's supremacy clause appeared first on American Almanac .
A federal judge struck down New York's law banning federal agents from wearing face coverings during immigration operations, the second time a court has blocked a blue-state attempt to dictate how federal officers dress on the job. U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino issued a preliminary injunction Monday blocking key provisions of New York's law that barred federal agents from wearing masks and required them to display visible identification during enforcement operations. The ruling, handed down in the Northern District of New York, found that the federal government is likely to succeed at trial in proving the measures violate the Constitution's supremacy clause, the bedrock principle that prevents states from regulating federal law…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - El Niño, Saharan dust, and wind shear keep the Atlantic hurricane season remarkably quiet
The Atlantic basin has produced just two named storms heading into August, with a strengthening El Niño, persistent Saharan dust, and punishing wind shear combining to suppress tropical development even as waves continue rolling off the African coast. FOX Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross put the situation bluntly: the National Hurricane Center "continues to show […] The post El Niño, Saharan dust, and wind shear keep the Atlantic hurricane season remarkably quiet appeared first on American Almanac .
The Atlantic basin has produced just two named storms heading into August, with a strengthening El Niño, persistent Saharan dust, and punishing wind shear combining to suppress tropical development even as waves continue rolling off the African coast. FOX Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross put the situation bluntly: the National Hurricane Center "continues to show crickets across the Atlantic, the Caribbean and the Gulf into this weekend." That assessment covers millions of square miles of open ocean, and none of it, for now, is producing anything close to a hurricane threat. The quiet stretch is unusual but not unexplained. FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan broke down the three forces acting as a roadblock: El Niño's…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - House Ethics Committee recommends censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards over sexual harassment findings
The House Ethics Committee found "substantial reason to believe" that Rep. Chuck Edwards violated House rules on sexual harassment and recommended the full chamber censure the North Carolina Republican, a move Edwards's campaign says "completely exonerates" him. The committee released its report Monday after reviewing nearly 1,500 pages of evidence and conducting 16 witness interviews, […] The post House Ethics Committee recommends censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards over sexual harassment findings appeared first on American Almanac .
The House Ethics Committee found "substantial reason to believe" that Rep. Chuck Edwards violated House rules on sexual harassment and recommended the full chamber censure the North Carolina Republican, a move Edwards's campaign says "completely exonerates" him. The committee released its report Monday after reviewing nearly 1,500 pages of evidence and conducting 16 witness interviews, including one with Edwards himself. The investigation concluded that Edwards engaged in what the panel called "persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct" toward two young female staffers in his congressional office. The committee said it would bring a privileged resolution before the House chamber when members return from recess later this month. …Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - NYC Mayor Mamdani backs away from grocery store ID plan after voter-ID hypocrisy goes viral
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is retreating from a proposed identification system for New York City's new taxpayer-subsidized grocery stores, after critics pointed out the mayor opposes ID requirements for voting. The reversal came days after Jeanny Pak, head of the city's Economic Development Corporation, told reporters at a July 27 news conference that the administration […] The post NYC Mayor Mamdani backs away from grocery store ID plan after voter-ID hypocrisy goes viral appeared first on American Almanac .
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is retreating from a proposed identification system for New York City's new taxpayer-subsidized grocery stores, after critics pointed out the mayor opposes ID requirements for voting. The reversal came days after Jeanny Pak, head of the city's Economic Development Corporation, told reporters at a July 27 news conference that the administration was exploring a "library card-esque" system to "target New Yorkers" and "manage who's buying" at five planned city-run stores. Mamdani himself had called Pak to the podium to explain how the city would keep people from taking advantage of the program, Newsmax reported . The backlash was swift. President Trump, Sen. Rick Scott, Elon Musk, and others seized on…Open