Republicans in Minnesota see a recent fraud scandal involving the state government as a chance to gain political power in a state that has not elected a Republican statewide in 20 years. In the latest primary election, Michele Tafoya won the Republican nomination for Senate, and Lisa Demuth won the GOP primary for governor.
Key Facts
Minnesota has not elected a Republican to a statewide office in 20 years.
A fraud scandal affecting Minnesota's state government has drawn Republican attention.
Republicans see this scandal as an opportunity to regain influence in the state.
Michele Tafoya, a former sportscaster, won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat.
Lisa Demuth won the Republican primary to become the party’s candidate for governor.
Both Tafoya and Demuth defeated more extreme candidates in the GOP primaries.
GOP strategists believe these candidates appeal more to Minnesota’s generally left-leaning voters.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A Guatemalan immigrant named José Chajón-Raxón became the third person to die linked to the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey. He had a medical emergency there, was hospitalized, released from custody, and later died. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) no longer monitors deaths after a person leaves ICE custody.
Key Facts
José Chajón-Raxón was held at Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, New Jersey.
He suffered a medical emergency involving seizure-like activity and was taken to a hospital.
Chajón-Raxón was released from ICE custody four days after arriving at Delaney Hall.
DHS said ICE is not responsible for monitoring deaths after release from custody.
This policy change ended death reporting within 30 days after release, reversing a 2021 rule from the Biden administration.
Delaney Hall has seen three immigrant deaths recently, raising concerns about detainee health and safety.
Protests and hunger strikes at Delaney Hall have occurred due to reported poor conditions and treatment.
ICE states detainees at Delaney Hall receive adequate medical care.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Twelve current members of Congress have lost their primary elections this year. Some Senate incumbents, including Senators Bill Cassidy and John Cornyn, were defeated by challengers supported by President Donald Trump.
Key Facts
Twelve sitting members of Congress lost their primaries so far this election cycle.
Several primary elections are still scheduled over the next month.
Senators Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) and John Cornyn (Texas) were among incumbents who lost.
Their challengers had backing from President Donald Trump.
After losing, Senators Cassidy and Cornyn criticized President Trump and officials from his administration.
These events relate to internal contests within political parties before the general elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A US aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, has been at sea for over 250 days, mainly in the Middle East. Concerns about poor living conditions, such as food shortages and broken plumbing, have been raised by a US senator, who is asking the military for explanations. The Defense Secretary called these reports inaccurate.
Key Facts
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days.
The ship was sent from San Diego to the South China Sea, then to the Middle East.
Senators report problems including food shortages, plumbing failures, and water contamination on board.
There have been reports of mental health struggles and suicide attempts among crew members.
Care packages and mail have been delayed or lost for months.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the reports are "completely misrepresented."
No return date for the carrier has been announced.
Senator Richard Blumenthal is seeking answers from the military about these conditions.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The U.S. Navy plans to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for over 260 days, with the USS George Washington. This change comes amid concerns about crew morale and difficult conditions on the Abraham Lincoln during its deployment in the Middle East.
Key Facts
The USS Abraham Lincoln was deployed in November 2025 and redirected to the Middle East for Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
The crew of the Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for more than 260 days with few breaks.
There have been reports of poor conditions and mental health struggles among the crew, including some attempts to jump overboard.
Lawmakers have called for investigations into the situation on the Abraham Lincoln.
The Navy states it has not seen increased reports of suicidal thoughts or attempts on the ship and provides mental health support to personnel.
The USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier normally based in the Pacific, is set to relieve the Abraham Lincoln.
The George Washington recently visited Vietnam and conducted joint exercises with Vietnamese forces.
Moving the George Washington to the Middle East represents a shift of U.S. naval forces from the Indo-Pacific region amid global tensions.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is working at Big Bend National Park to add some barriers and improve roads, but it says it is not building a large 30-foot wall there. The agency is also installing technology to detect movement and placing vehicle barriers in certain spots.
Key Facts
CBP is placing limited barriers at Big Bend National Park, not a full 30-foot tall wall.
The work includes building one new access road and improving existing roads in the park.
Detection technology is being installed to monitor the area.
Vehicle barriers are being placed to control vehicle access.
Some members of both political parties have expressed concerns about CBP’s activities in the protected park area.
The area under work is within a national park, which has protections for the environment and wildlife.
CBP emphasizes that the new structures are meant to enhance security and are limited in scope.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Emily Moreno, the ex-wife of Congressman Max Miller, sued him and his lawyer for sharing a nude photo of their daughter online during their custody dispute. Miller denies accusations of domestic abuse but faces criticism and legal battles as he seeks re-election.
Key Facts
Emily Moreno sued Max Miller and his lawyer for posting a nude image of their infant daughter in a public Dropbox folder.
The photo was included in evidence responding to domestic abuse allegations against Miller, which he denies.
Allegations include Miller holding a gun to Moreno’s head and causing injury to their daughter.
Miller is running for re-election in Ohio despite calls from his party and family members to resign.
President Donald Trump continues to support Miller amid these controversies.
The lawsuit seeks $150,000 for each time the photo was accessed or shared online.
Miller’s lawyer accepted responsibility for accidentally releasing the unredacted image.
The Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, is using these events in his campaign against Miller.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A Texas judge ruled that some short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and silencers do not need to be registered with the federal government, following a change in law that removed a tax on these firearms. The Justice Department decided not to stop this ruling from taking effect, allowing some Americans to legally own these weapons without federal registration for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Key Facts
A Texas judge ruled on August 5 that certain guns and silencers no longer require federal registration.
The ruling followed Congress removing a $200 tax on the transfer of these firearms.
The National Firearms Act of 1934 required registration and taxes on these weapons to help track their ownership.
The Justice Department chose not to ask for a delay of the judge’s ruling, letting it go into effect.
Gun rights groups and some states sued to stop the old rules, claiming the tax removal made the regulations unconstitutional.
Gun control groups warn deregulation could increase illegal use of these weapons.
The ruling currently applies only to the parties involved in the lawsuits, including certain gun rights organizations.
It is not yet clear if the Justice Department will appeal the decision.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to buy electric shock gloves for officers, which can deliver painful shocks to people resisting arrest. Some Democratic leaders and civil rights groups criticized this plan, saying the gloves could be misused and cause harm.
Key Facts
ICE wants to spend $10 million to $20 million on gloves called G.L.O.V.E. that deliver electric shocks when activated.
The gloves cause pain but do not leave burn marks like Tasers do.
ICE plans to give these gloves to most or all of its officers.
The gloves have mostly been used in jails, not on streets where ICE often uses force for arrests.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said ICE officers misusing the gloves in her state could face legal consequences.
A lawsuit claims a man died after receiving multiple shocks from these gloves and a Taser in a Kentucky jail.
The manufacturer advises against using gloves on vulnerable groups like elderly people, children, pregnant women, and the severely disabled.
Some Congress members said ICE does not need more weapons and worry the gloves will be misused.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A US judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against Harvard University. The lawsuit claimed Harvard did not protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment after the Gaza war, but the judge said the evidence did not show ongoing civil rights violations.
Key Facts
The lawsuit was filed in March 2025 by the Trump administration.
It alleged Harvard failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment.
The incidents mentioned happened mostly in March 2025.
Judge Richard Stearns ruled the events described were isolated and not ongoing.
The judge said the lawsuit did not meet the legal standard to prove continued civil rights violations on campus.
The case was heard in a federal court in Boston.
The decision means the lawsuit is dismissed and Harvard is not legally found responsible.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A federal judge will question the Department of Justice (DOJ) about why some documents related to Jeffrey Epstein were partially hidden or withheld from the public. The judge is concerned that the DOJ has not fully explained these decisions, especially regarding materials involving claims against President Donald Trump.
Key Facts
Judge Emmet Sullivan scheduled a hearing to review withheld and redacted Epstein-related materials.
An independent journalist sued the DOJ for not fully releasing documents as required by law.
In June, the judge ruled that redactions and withholding likely broke the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The DOJ has tried to justify redactions instead of releasing more materials.
The judge questions why handwritten notes with unproven claims against President Trump are being withheld.
The DOJ says the notes are similar to already released FBI reports and worry about revealing victim details.
The judge states the law does not allow withholding documents just because they are similar to others.
The DOJ denies deliberately breaking the law and asked to delay the case for more time.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The Justice Department under President Trump has not yet appealed a recent court decision that struck down parts of the 1934 National Firearms Act. This pause has raised concern among gun control supporters and encouragement among gun rights advocates.
Key Facts
A judge recently ruled that certain parts of the National Firearms Act of 1934 are no longer valid.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department has not filed an appeal against this ruling.
Gun control groups are worried that the lack of appeal means weaker gun laws.
Supporters of the Second Amendment (which protects gun ownership rights) hope this shows the government will not challenge gun rights.
The ruling and the department’s delay affect how firearm regulations are enforced in the U.S.
The National Firearms Act originally controlled weapons like machine guns and silencers.
The decision and the DOJ’s response are part of ongoing debates over gun laws in America.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, despite recent polls showing him behind. His win brought national attention because he is a relatively unknown local leader and the youngest person to hold his county executive position.
Key Facts
David Crowley won the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Polls before the primary showed Francesca Hong leading by double digits.
Crowley is 40 years old.
He is from Wisconsin.
He is the youngest person to serve as Milwaukee County Executive.
Crowley’s victory surprised many and raised his profile nationwide.
He aims to be the Democratic candidate for governor in the general election.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Oklahoma executed a man Thursday for killing his girlfriend in 2005. Two more executions are planned in Tennessee and Alabama on the same day for separate murder cases.
Key Facts
Oklahoma executed a man for a 2005 murder of his girlfriend.
Three executions are scheduled on the same day in the U.S.
Tennessee plans to execute a man who killed a motel maid.
Alabama will execute a man who dropped all appeals in the murder of a 5-year-old girl.
The Alabama case involved a man who paid the girl’s mother to abuse her.
In 2025, eleven states carried out executions in the U.S.
If Tennessee and Alabama go ahead, six states will have executed prisoners so far in 2026.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to give its agents electric shock gloves made by Compliant Technologies. Some people worry these gloves could be used too harshly or unfairly.
Key Facts
ICE will equip agents with electric shock gloves.
The gloves are made by a company called Compliant Technologies.
The Department of Homeland Security announced this plan.
The gloves deliver an electric shock when used.
Critics say the gloves could be too aggressive.
There are concerns that the gloves might be misused or cause harm.
The announcement was reported by CBS News.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Senate Democrats are asking Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s administration for details about the USS Abraham Lincoln. There are reports that sailors on the ship have tried to jump overboard since it deployed in November.
Key Facts
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since November.
Reports say some sailors on the ship tried to jump overboard, which means they attempted suicide.
Senate Democrats want more information about what is happening on the ship.
Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut is involved in the request.
Blumenthal is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
He wrote a letter demanding answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The focus is on the conditions aboard the ship and the well-being of sailors.
The inquiry involves President Donald Trump’s administration.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson admitted he punched a man in 1988 when he was a teenager. He and his partner denied an accusation that he pushed her, despite a police report mentioning the claim from almost 40 years ago.
Key Facts
Troy Jackson is a Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Maine.
Jackson admitted to punching a man in 1988 during his teenage years.
A police report from nearly 40 years ago included an allegation that Jackson pushed his partner.
Jackson and his longtime partner, Lana Pelletier, said the pushing allegation is not true.
The Bangor Daily News obtained and reported the police report with these old allegations.
The events happened long before Jackson’s current political career.
Jackson’s acknowledgment came after the police report became public.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez was executed by Oklahoma for a 2003 murder, the first of three scheduled US executions on the same day. If all three go ahead, it will be the first triple execution in over 15 years, showing a renewed use of the death penalty in some states.
Key Facts
Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was executed in Oklahoma for killing his common-law wife in 2003.
Darrell Hines, 66, is scheduled for execution in Tennessee for a 1985 murder. His lawyers want a delay due to a recent failed execution attempt in the state.
Jeremy Williams, 42, is scheduled for execution in Alabama for raping and murdering a 5-year-old girl in 2021; he pleaded guilty and did not appeal.
These three executions would be the first triple execution day in the US in more than 15 years.
The increase in executions reflects stronger activity in death penalty states, with Florida performing 19 executions last year.
All executions are planned by lethal injection, the standard US method since the 1980s.
Alabama tried to use nitrogen gas for executions but stopped after a federal court ruled it unconstitutional.
The scheduling of three executions on one day was a coincidence, not a coordinated effort.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A 10-year-old girl lost several fingers after an M-80 firework exploded in a Staten Island park bathroom. A New York City Parks Department worker was arrested and charged for helping the girl light the firework that caused the injury.
Key Facts
The incident happened around 6:45 p.m. at General Douglas MacArthur Park in Staten Island.
The girl found a powerful firework called an M-80 inside a park bathroom.
A Parks Department employee helped light the firework, which then exploded.
The girl suffered severe injuries to her left hand and was taken to Staten Island University Hospital.
Authorities arrested 24-year-old Joshua Moe, the Parks Department worker involved.
Moe admitted giving the girl a lighter and lighting the firework, saying he wanted to make them happy.
He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment.
Moe was arraigned in criminal court and released under supervision while the investigation continues.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A new poll in North Carolina shows Democrat Roy Cooper ahead of Republican Michael Whatley in the race for the U.S. Senate. According to the Elon University poll, 53% of likely voters support Cooper, while 42% support Whatley.
Key Facts
Roy Cooper is a Democrat and former governor of North Carolina.
Michael Whatley is a Republican and former chair of the Republican National Committee.
The poll was conducted by Elon University.
53% of likely voters support Cooper in the Senate race.
42% of likely voters support Whatley.
3% of respondents were undecided or supported other candidates.
The poll shows an 11-point lead for Cooper over Whatley.
The poll reflects voter opinions at the time it was conducted.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
