President Donald Trump said Thursday he may pull for attorney general until Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis leave office. The Republicans have demanded written assurances about the against the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn recently lost the GOP primary in Texas, and Tillis is not seeking reelection.
The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the took hold again. After a , the risk of a return to all-out war emerged once more, with the fighting even more countries. Jordan said Thursday , while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person.
Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and Trump鈥檚 approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly , according to . The results are a stark repudiation of Trump鈥檚 approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.
Here’s the Latest:
Body cameras will start being shipped to ICE offices next week, Maine senator says
Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she met Thursday with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for an update after the of a Colombian native in Biddeford, Maine.
Collins says Acting ICE Director David Venturella confirmed that its policy requires at least one ICE officer to wear a body-worn camera when conducting enforcement interactions, including any vehicle stops.
She says that by the end of August, body-worn cameras will be deployed nationwide and worn by all ICE agents in the field.
Collins, who is the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, said that Venturella told her that Homeland Security has awarded a contract to purchase additional body-worn cameras, and that they will start being shipped to field offices next week. She said he agreed with her request to prioritize Maine.
Collins helped secure $20 million for the cameras in the department鈥檚 funding package Congress approved earlier this year.
Appeals court rejects the administration鈥檚 expansion of mandatory detention for immigrants
A federal appeals court says the Trump administration cannot deny immigrants detained inside the United States a chance for release on bond.
The 2-1 decision Thursday by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals deepens a split between federal appeals courts over the administration鈥檚 mandatory detention policy.
Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. could seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it was confident in its legal position on mandatory detention.
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The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here鈥檚 how it could affect costs
Millions of older adults on could face higher monthly costs in 2027.
The Trump administration said this week it has a temporary subsidy program that helped offset premiums for the past two years.
The program was initially implemented by former President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration in 2024 to lower Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
While federal officials say the financial impact will be minimal, the decision opens the administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year.
Democrats have criticized the move, calling it an attack on healthcare affordability.
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RFK Jr. launches an HHS cooking show
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known for eating a 鈥渃arnivore鈥� diet of red meat and fermented foods 鈥� but he鈥檚 broadening those horizons for a new online cooking show.
He and celebrity chef Andrew Gruel prepared crispy salmon cakes and an arugula, apple and white bean salad in the first episode of 鈥淭he Real Food Show,鈥� posted Thursday with the branding of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The department says the show will provide examples of nutritious and affordable meals for Americans who want to eat healthier. It comes months after the Trump administration released new dietary guidelines at the start of this year.
Bessent says US expects China to meet rare earth and agriculture commitments
After meeting on Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media that the Trump administration expects Beijing 鈥渢o fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products.鈥� Trade representative Greer also attended, Bessent said.
The meeting between finance and trade officials sets the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping鈥檚 expected meeting face to face in September.
Bessent said the group also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a way to build more 鈥渂alanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship.鈥�
What to know about Trump鈥檚 nearly $1.8B fund to compensate allies claiming political targeting
Back in May, the Justice Department announced that allies of the president who believe they have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted could soon have access to a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund.
Acting Attorney General said in a statement that the 鈥淎nti-Weaponization Fund鈥� would represent 鈥渁 lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.鈥� Blanche鈥檚 statement made no mention of how investigations and prosecutions of Trump鈥檚 political opponents under his watch have exposed the Justice Department to the same claims of politicized law enforcement that he has said he opposed.
The fund was announced as part of a deal to resolve Trump鈥檚 $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, but was subsequently scrapped and .
Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports to become more widely available
The State Department says its limited-edition Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports will soon become available to Americans outside the greater Washington, D.C., area.
Beginning next month, the department鈥檚 27 passport agencies around the nation will start one-day events, offering the so-called 鈥淧atriot Passports鈥� that feature a page emblazoned with a stern portrait of Trump. Previously, the commemorative passports were only available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.
Starting on Aug. 8, passport offices in seven cities including Chicago, New York City and Dallas will offer the Trump passports. More passport offices will be included throughout August. Applicants wanting the special passport in person on the day specified. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.
A total of 250,000 of the commemorative passports will be available.
Trump wants more military veterans to become commercial truckers
The president hosted an event on the White House campus where he said America鈥檚 roads had been 鈥渢errorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs鈥� and that he would replace these immigrants with 鈥渉ighly qualified American veterans.鈥�
The administration has dubbed the program the 鈥淔reedom Haulers Initiative,鈥� under which anyone who has driven a heavy truck for the military would automatically be eligible for a commercial drivers license.
Trump said that 34 states are part of the initiative.
Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but all of these non-domiciled licenses for immigrants represent only about 5% of all commercial driver鈥檚 licenses, or about 200,000 drivers.
State Department says 鈥榰nfortunate error鈥� led to badly mislabeled map of Africa at AIDS conference
The State Department is taking full responsibility for a badly mislabeled map of Africa that was presented at a global AIDS conference last week in Brazil.
It said that should not take away from the Trump administration鈥檚 commitment to fighting the deadly virus.
鈥淭his was an unfortunate error caused by a team member who hastily altered the slide deck immediately before the presentation at the AIDS 2026 Conference,鈥� the department said Thursday after photos of the map were posted online by conference participants.
A photo of the map was shared by AIDS activist Emily Bass in a Substack post on Sunday showing six countries mislabeled. Among them, Nigeria was placed in roughly the same location as Niger; Ivory Coast, placed in southern Africa; Mozambique, placed in the Horn of Africa; and Cameroon, placed in what appeared to be the location of Ghana. The State Department confirmed that six countries were misidentified.
Senate rejects another war powers resolution to halt Iran war
Most Senate Republicans voted against advancing the measure in the Democrats鈥� latest effort to end Trump鈥檚 engagement in military action without congressional approval.
鈥淲e were told this president would bring peace and lower prices,鈥� said Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New Year, who sponsored the resolution. 鈥淲hat is President Trump doing? Pouring bills of tax dollars into an open-ended war with Iran.鈥�
The tally was 49-50. Three Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined most Democrats to advance the measure. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans to oppose.
Since the war began earlier this year, House and Senate Democrats have introduced more than a dozen war powers resolutions. None has passed both chambers.
Democratic senators call on Treasury to move forward with new Tubman $20 bill
Ten Democratic senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide more details about whether a longtime effort to place Harriet Tubman鈥檚 likeness on the $20 bill has been canceled or merely delayed.
The senators are following up on comments Bessent made to Spectrum News, saying Treasury was 鈥渘ot at present鈥� planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill.
The senators in their letter are calling on Bessent to immediately reconsider and resume plans to create the new bill. They are also asking for a briefing on the matter. Meanwhile, the senators noted that Treasury has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring Trump.
The effort to place the 19th-century abolitionist leader on the $20 bill began more than a decade ago.
Trump says he may delay Blanche nomination until dissenting senators leave office
Trump says he may withdraw Todd Blanche鈥檚 nomination as attorney general until Republican senators who are seeking concessions from the top prosecutor leave office next year.
Trump doubled down Thursday on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation鈥檚 top lawman, calling him 鈥渁 STAR.鈥� He said he鈥檒l keep Blanche as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are gone.
Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the 鈥淎nti-Weaponization Fund鈥� is dead and have pressed for clarification on the scope of a tax immunity deal Trump secured by suing the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.
Trump鈥檚 comments came after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned vote on Thursday to advance Blanche鈥檚 nomination.
Senate committee advances nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be Trump鈥檚 CDC director
A Senate committee on Thursday advanced to be director of the nation鈥檚 top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she won鈥檛 stand up to political meddling.
If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to if the health secretary ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice. Cassidy later expressed confidence that 鈥渟he knows what she鈥檚 doing.鈥�
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US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again
The stop-start appears to have entered a new phase with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies and an already to end the war faltering once again.
, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward. The Republican president has vacillated for months between insisting a deal was near to end the war and Tehran鈥檚 nuclear program, and using vulgarities and .
The stakes for continued U.S. military action have never been higher for Trump and his party as the conflict, has months before voters get their say in November. The renewed fighting has killed and and raised concerns about the stockpiles of key U.S. air defense systems.
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Trump touts his tariffs in Michigan despite rising costs
Flying to a rally at General Motors this week, the president declared that 鈥渃ar companies are doing better than they鈥檝e ever done鈥� thanks to his tariffs, 鈥渁ll because of Trump.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors,鈥� he said before autographing a white Corvette. 鈥淢ichigan is thriving,鈥� he told cheering supporters.
That鈥檚 not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while stoking inflation that continues to run hot. Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy.
There are few places where Trump鈥檚 boasts and economic reality are more likely to collide ahead of November鈥檚 midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday.
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Opposition to FIFA鈥檚 World Cup private equity plan grows
Global opposition is growing to FIFA President Gianni Infantino鈥檚 in revenue to private investors.
The FIFA project would be underwritten by a New York investment vehicle, Thrive Eternal, created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump鈥檚 son-in-law Jared Kushner. Infantino has had and held secret talks with potential backers in the U.S. about creating the $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary with $4.2 billion of private equity.
鈥淔IFA鈥檚 unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,鈥� the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned in a letter Thursday to member federations that was seen by The Associated Press.
It circulated as the 55-nation European soccer body UEFA met Thursday to shape a resistance strategy. The 35-member North American soccer body it is 鈥渄eeply concerned by the lack of due process鈥� in Infantino鈥檚 project.
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US economy turns in sluggish 1.5% second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target
The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve鈥檚 favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, by 3.7%, but remained above the central bank鈥檚 2% target.
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that growth in U.S. gross domestic product 鈥� the nation鈥檚 output of goods and services 鈥� decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists鈥� expectations.
The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.
Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November鈥檚 midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump鈥檚 Republicans keep full control of Congress.
US filings for jobless benefits rise to 197,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years.
U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week鈥檚 figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.
Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.
Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the U.S. job market.
Urban League report says Trump harms Black Americans鈥� chances at American Dream
The American Dream may not be dead for many Black Americans, but a National Urban League report warns that it鈥檚 further away than at any point since the Civil Rights Movement.
The 50th annual 鈥淪tate of Black America鈥� report released Thursday grimly describes 鈥� economic and political prospects as having worsened due to Trump鈥檚 policies. A copy obtained by The Associated Press says all Americans should be concerned.
鈥淲hile they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to,鈥� said Marc Morial, the league鈥檚 president and CEO.
Morial urged concerned Americans to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks. 鈥淲e cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,鈥� Morial said.
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Most say it鈥檚 important to keep gas prices down: AP-NORC poll
Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war, shows.
About 7 in 10 U.S. adults 鈥� 72% 鈥� say it鈥檚 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.
A similar share, 70%, say it鈥檚 highly important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement with Iran.
Americans鈥� goals for the Iran war may not be fully aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to .
While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it鈥檚 鈥渆xtremely鈥� or 鈥渧ery鈥� important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon 鈥� with Republicans especially likely to say this 鈥� Americans are more likely to prioritize low gas prices and a permanent ceasefire with Iran.
About two-thirds say the Iran war is not worth fighting: AP-NORC poll
Most U.S. adults say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a . About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which , has not been worthwhile. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.
The poll shows little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.
Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don鈥檛 know enough to say.
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