Mark Sanford, a former Republican representative from South Carolina, announced he will run for the U.S. Senate seat left open by the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. Sanford said he wants to address the national debt, which he described as growing quickly.
Key Facts
Mark Sanford is a former Republican congressman from South Carolina.
He announced his candidacy for Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat.
Senator Lindsey Graham recently passed away, leaving the seat vacant.
Sanford expressed concern about the increasing U.S. national debt.
He criticized Washington for adding about one trillion dollars to the debt every 100 days.
Sanford’s announcement was made on a Thursday morning.
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Health care organizations are investing heavily in digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to improve operations and patient care. However, many are not fully prepared to use AI reliably in real-world settings, leading companies like actAVA to develop specialized AI systems built specifically for health care needs.
Key Facts
About 40% of health care organizations spend $50 million to $100 million each year on digital technologies.
66% of these organizations are actively using new digital tools.
AI in health care includes predicting patient outcomes and supporting clinical decisions.
Only 18% of health care organizations feel ready to implement AI effectively.
actAVA created Cura, a large AI model made specifically for health care workflows and knowledge.
Cura helps health care providers create AI systems that they control and that fit their specific processes.
Reliable AI in health care must handle complex rules, policies, and various roles carefully.
Experts say future health care AI should focus on being dependable and continuously improved, not just powerful.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized President Donald Trump's behavior at the World Cup final trophy ceremony, saying the president embarrassed himself by lingering on stage during the celebration. Jeffries made these remarks during a press conference where House Democrats also discussed a resolution to limit Trump's military action against Iran.
Key Facts
Hakeem Jeffries is the House Minority Leader and a Democrat from New York.
Jeffries said President Trump "disgraced himself" at the World Cup final trophy ceremony.
Trump was booed when he walked onto the field after Spain won 2-0 over Argentina.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino tried to get Trump to leave the stage during the trophy celebration.
Trump stayed at the edge of the celebration and briefly performed his signature dance.
Jeffries made these comments during a press conference with House Democratic leaders.
On the same day, the House passed a Democratic resolution to limit Trump’s military actions against Iran.
The event took place at MetLife Stadium during the World Cup final.
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Yemen's Houthi fighters have attacked ships in the Red Sea and are blocking passage through the Bab El Mandeb Strait, a key route for global trade between Europe and Asia. This escalates tensions in the Middle East, which is already unstable due to ongoing conflicts involving the US, Iran, and Gulf countries.
Key Facts
The Houthis, a group from northern Yemen, claim responsibility for attacking ships near the Bab El Mandeb Strait.
The Bab El Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and is important for shipping between Europe and Asia.
US Central Command has been conducting airstrikes against Iranian military sites for 12 consecutive nights.
Iran-backed Houthis broke a ceasefire with Saudi Arabia from 2022 and have now targeted Saudi vessels.
Saudi Arabia uses an oil pipeline to transport crude from its eastern oilfields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu for export.
The Houthis warn ships to avoid Saudi ports and have turned back about 10 vessels recently.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf states face increased missile and drone attacks from Iran and Iran-backed groups.
President Donald Trump has pledged to address the threat from the Houthis, but so far the group remains powerful.
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Oil prices rose above $100 per barrel for the first time since May due to rising conflicts in the Middle East. Attacks on Saudi oil tankers by Yemen’s Houthis and ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States have threatened key shipping routes like the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
Brent crude oil price surpassed $100 per barrel, reaching the highest level in nearly two months.
Yemen’s Houthi group attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, confirming at least one tanker caught fire.
The Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz are vital routes for Middle Eastern oil shipments.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced control over the Strait of Hormuz, declaring it closed to tankers without their permission.
The US military, under President Donald Trump, launched repeated strikes against Iran and threatened heavy military action against the Houthis.
A ceasefire agreed in mid-June between Iran and the US has broken down, leading to renewed fighting around strategic waterways.
Goldman Sachs predicts Brent oil could exceed $120 per barrel later this year if these conflicts keep disrupting shipping routes.
Factors supporting higher oil prices include lower Middle East production, summer travel demand, and reduced releases from strategic oil reserves.
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Eline Van der Velden created an AI-generated actor named Tilly Norwood, who is starring in a new AI film called "Misaligned." Van der Velden says Norwood helps create jobs by expanding her studio and hires more people, while critics worry it might replace human actors.
Key Facts
Tilly Norwood is an AI-made virtual actor introduced in July 2025.
She will appear in "Misaligned," a movie about AI and digital life, produced by Van der Velden’s company Particle6.
Van der Velden’s studio grew six times bigger after using AI, hiring about 40 workers including writers and actors.
Van der Velden insists Norwood will not compete with live-action human actors and stays in an AI-only role.
The actors’ union SAG-AFTRA opposes AI actors like Norwood, saying they use unpermitted work from human performers.
Van der Velden believes the fears about AI actors are mistaken and says AI characters won’t replace real actors.
Prior to Norwood, Van der Velden acted in character roles herself, which she compares to directing AI expressions.
"Misaligned" is still being made and will feature other AI-generated actors alongside Norwood.
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Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton held a press conference to talk about law enforcement. However, during the event, reporters asked him difficult questions that he avoided by leaving early.
Key Facts
Ken Paxton is the Texas Attorney General.
He is running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican candidate.
Paxton held a press conference focused on law enforcement.
Reporters asked him challenging questions during the event.
Paxton left the press conference before answering those questions.
Avoiding tough questions is seen as unusual for someone running for the Senate.
The press conference became more about what Paxton did not answer than his original topic.
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A proposed law called the Coast Guard Leadership Modernization Act aims to create a new government position, the secretary of the U.S. Coast Guard. Several Republican senators support this change to give the Coast Guard leadership similar to other military branches.
Key Facts
The bill is named the Coast Guard Leadership Modernization Act.
It would create the role of secretary of the U.S. Coast Guard.
This role would be similar to leaders in other military branches.
Several Republican senators back the proposal.
The change is meant to modernize Coast Guard leadership.
The Coast Guard is currently led differently compared to other military branches.
This new position would be part of the U.S. government’s leadership structure.
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Lake Powell’s water level is dropping toward a point where the Glen Canyon Dam may no longer generate hydropower. If this happens, electricity prices in parts of the Western U.S. could rise because other, more expensive sources of power would replace the lost hydropower.
Key Facts
Lake Powell’s water level is only 34 feet above the minimum level needed for power generation.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects Lake Powell could reach that minimum level by March 2027, depending on future water management rules.
Glen Canyon Dam produces hydropower for about seven states in the Western U.S., powering roughly 700,000 homes annually.
As water levels drop, the dam becomes less efficient, reducing electricity production before it stops completely.
If the dam stops producing hydropower, electricity utilities would likely buy power from other regions or burn more natural gas, which can be more expensive and less stable in price.
Droughts have caused significant losses in hydropower in the Western U.S., costing the sector billions of dollars in recent decades.
Hydropower loss due to drought is a recurring problem that affects energy costs over time, not just a one-time event.
Other dams, like Lake Oroville in California, have faced similar shutdowns when water levels dropped too low.
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The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed on a civilian nuclear cooperation deal. President Donald Trump said the deal will only happen if Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords and establishes formal relations with Israel.
Key Facts
The US and Saudi Arabia have made a deal on civilian nuclear cooperation.
President Trump set a condition for the deal to take effect: Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords are agreements that normalize relations between Israel and some Arab countries.
Saudi Arabia does not currently have official diplomatic ties with Israel.
The nuclear deal is focused on peaceful, civilian uses of nuclear energy.
Normalizing relations with Israel means Saudi Arabia would officially recognize and cooperate with Israel.
President Trump is using the deal as leverage to encourage peace in the Middle East.
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A 63-year-old woman developed a severe brain infection linked to bacteria that first caused a urinary tract infection (UTI). Doctors found that the bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae, had changed over two years inside her body, becoming sticky and more dangerous before invading her brain.
Key Facts
The woman lost vision in her right eye and had brain inflammation and lesions in the parietal lobe.
Tests showed she had a brain abscess and infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Two urine samples and a brain biopsy all contained the same type of bacteria.
The bacteria changed from normal to sticky and gooey, making them harder for the immune system to attack.
The sticky bacteria are called hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, known to spread to organs like the brain.
Genetic analysis showed these bacteria evolved inside the woman and developed mutations causing the sticky capsule.
The hypervirulent bacteria grew slower and were less able to infect the bladder.
Scientists confirmed the mutations by recreating the sticky bacteria in the lab.
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President Donald Trump said he is close to deciding on a large military attack against Iran, bigger than previous strikes during ongoing tensions. The situation in the Middle East is escalating, with attacks on oil tankers, rising oil prices, and countries withdrawing staff or military assets from the region.
Key Facts
President Trump is considering a major military attack on Iran, larger than earlier strikes.
Oil prices rose above $100 per barrel amid the conflict's intensification.
Iran-backed Houthi militants attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
The UN Secretary-General warned that the Middle East is nearing a serious and uncontrollable crisis.
The UK and Germany have taken steps to reduce their presence near Iran, including withdrawing personnel and ships.
Israel is on high alert, preparing bomb shelters due to rising tensions.
President Trump linked US help for Saudi Arabia’s civilian nuclear program to Saudi normalizing relations with Israel, a condition Saudi Arabia has not accepted.
Iran reportedly sent military personnel and drone parts to the Houthis recently, contributing to Yemen-related conflict escalation.
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The White House will announce new steps on tariffs as current US import duties, introduced by President Donald Trump, are set to expire. Officials said trade representative Jamieson Greer will share details soon, and there are mixed views on the tariffs’ impact on prices and the economy.
Key Facts
President Donald Trump's administration plans to reveal new actions on tariffs on Thursday.
Many previous tariffs were ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court in February.
A 10% tariff on many goods replaced the struck-down tariffs, but these expire on Friday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said trade representative Jamieson Greer will announce next steps.
Trump’s team says tariffs help revive US manufacturing and create jobs.
Critics warn tariffs could raise prices across the country.
Inflation reached a three-year high earlier this year.
Trade representative Greer told senators tariffs did not cause price increases, pointing to falling core inflation (which excludes food and energy).
Overall inflation is still higher compared to when President Biden left office.
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Iran has attacked Kuwait’s desalination and power plants for four days in a row, causing fires and raising concerns about Kuwait’s water and electricity supply. Kuwait depends heavily on these plants to provide drinking water and power, especially in summer, and finds it hard to strike back against Iran.
Key Facts
Iran struck Kuwait’s desalination and power plants for four consecutive days by July 23, 2026.
Kuwait gets 90% of its drinking water from desalination plants that turn seawater into fresh water.
These plants also produce electricity and water together, so one strike affects both supplies.
Kuwait has asked people to use less electricity, especially air conditioning, to manage shortages.
Kuwait hosts about 13,000 U.S. troops, which Iran cites as a reason for the attacks.
Kuwait is close to Iran, making it an easy target for strikes without advanced weapons.
Iran claims the U.S. also attacked Iranian desalination plants, but the U.S. denies this.
Experts say this situation is a new type of conflict where water supply is used as a weapon.
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A landslide in Pengshui County, Chongqing, China, has killed 11 people, with 50 others still missing. Rescue teams are continuing to search through the rubble but have not found any new survivors recently.
Key Facts
The landslide happened in Pengshui County, located in southwestern Chongqing, China.
11 people have died from the landslide.
50 people are still missing after the disaster.
The landslide buried more than 10 residential buildings.
10 people were injured in the incident.
Rescue teams have used heavy machines, drones, and explosives to clear large rocks.
The search is difficult because of the large amount of debris and huge boulders.
Pengshui County borders the Chinese provinces of Hubei and Guizhou.
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U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak caused by the parasite cyclospora, which leads to diarrhea. So far, 72 people have been affected, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet identified the food source or locations of the cases.
Key Facts
Cyclospora is a tiny parasite that causes intestinal illness with frequent diarrhea.
The parasite spreads when food is contaminated by human feces, often through water used to wash or irrigate produce.
The current outbreak affects 72 people as of Wednesday.
The FDA has not yet found which food products are causing this outbreak.
Earlier, a separate outbreak was linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms grown in Mexico, resulting in a recall.
Washing hands with soap and water helps prevent cyclospora infection; alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill the parasite.
Federal and state officials are investigating multiple clusters of cyclospora illnesses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information about the parasite and recommended safety measures.
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A Miami tugboat captain pleaded guilty to causing a boat crash that killed three girls from a sailing camp last summer. The captain admitted to breaking safety rules that led to the collision, and prosecutors have suggested a sentence of one year in prison plus six months at home.
Key Facts
Yusiel Lopez Insua, 47, pleaded guilty to seaman’s manslaughter for a 2025 boat crash in Miami.
The crash involved a tugboat pushing a heavy barge and a small sailboat with a counselor and five girls from a sailing camp.
The barge was about 108 feet long and weighed around 149 gross tons, with limited forward visibility.
No crew member served as a lookout on the tugboat during the incident.
The barge hit the sailboat, which had stalled in the tugboat’s path, causing three girls to drown.
Lopez Insua’s phone records showed internet use while the tugboat was moving, near the time of the crash.
Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of one year and six months of home detention as part of a plea deal.
Recreational boating deaths in the U.S. in 2024 exceeded 550, with 43 deaths caused by collisions between vessels.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paused a new early prisoner release plan in England and Wales after concerns were raised about public safety. The plan, part of a law coming in September, would have allowed around 6,000 prisoners to be freed earlier to ease overcrowded jails, but the government will now review the policy first.
Key Facts
The early release plan would let prisoners leave jail after serving one-third of their sentence instead of half.
This change is meant to reduce overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.
About 6,000 prisoners could benefit from being released earlier starting September 2.
Prisoners released early will be monitored in the community and must show they are improving (rehabilitating).
The prime minister paused the plan following public concerns, including objections from the widow of PC Andrew Harper.
PC Andrew Harper was killed in 2019 during a police chase involving teenage suspects.
The killers were sentenced to prison but could have been released earlier under the new early release rules.
A full review will be conducted before any prisoners are released under the new scheme to ensure public safety.
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A columnist for Kentucky’s largest newspaper wrote a critical "pre-obituary" about Senator Mitch McConnell, reviewing his long career and recent health issues while McConnell remains alive. The columnist criticized McConnell for actions like blocking a Supreme Court nomination in 2016 and supporting another in 2020, which affected public trust in the court.
Key Facts
Mitch McConnell is an 84-year-old senator from Kentucky and the longest-serving senator from the state.
A columnist named Joseph Gerth wrote a "pre-obituary" critiquing McConnell’s career while he is still alive.
The column accused McConnell of harming civil rights and enabling President Trump despite privately criticizing him.
Gerth compared McConnell to former President Richard Nixon, saying McConnell never faced consequences for his actions.
McConnell blocked President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland in 2016 but helped confirm Amy Coney Barrett just before the 2020 election.
Public trust in the Supreme Court dropped significantly after Barrett’s confirmation, according to polls.
McConnell has been absent from the Senate since June due to health issues including falls and pneumonia.
His office released a hospital photo and health update in July, but concerns about his condition continue.
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A recent poll finds that 63% of U.S. voters do not want AI data centers built near their communities. Opposition to these centers has grown sharply, with concerns over higher utility bills, water use, noise, and changes to neighborhoods.
Key Facts
63% of U.S. voters oppose building AI data centers near their homes, up 21 points since December 2025.
Only 27% of voters support building these centers nearby; 10% feel neutral.
Opposition is strongest among people with college or postgraduate degrees (72% and 79%, respectively).
A Redfin survey found 53% of U.S. adults oppose local data centers; 65% of baby boomers and 60% of Gen Xers oppose them.
Data centers are more opposed than other types of local construction, like new apartment buildings.
Concerns include noise, traffic, heavy water and electricity use, and impact on neighborhood character.
There are at least 430 local opposition groups in 40 states, with rapid recent growth in membership.
State leaders who once offered tax breaks for data centers are now reconsidering due to rising local concerns.
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