The Trump administration has paused all US immigrant visa applications to introduce stricter rules aimed at preventing applicants who might rely on US public aid from entering. This pause includes staff training and cancelling previously scheduled visa interviews, with unclear timelines for rescheduling.
Key Facts
All immigrant visa applications have been paused since early August by the US State Department.
The pause allows consular officers to receive detailed training on applying new, stricter visa rules.
Applicants with scheduled visa interviews were notified their appointments were canceled and will be rescheduled later.
The changes aim to stop visa holders from relying on US public benefits.
The Trump administration is also revoking visas from some asylum seekers who entered as tourists or business visitors.
Additional restrictions include reviewing applicants’ social media and increasing visa processing fees.
Previous attempts to block visa applications from certain countries were overturned by courts.
Legal experts say these new policies make the already difficult immigration process harder and disrupt applicants’ lives.
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A federal appeals court ruled against Republicans using discounted TV ad rates for party committees, a tactic that gave them a money advantage in midterm elections. Republicans plan to appeal this decision, which affects how political ads are funded ahead of the November elections.
Key Facts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that the FCC was wrong to allow party committees and some joint fundraising groups to pay discounted broadcast rates usually reserved for candidates.
This ruling blocks Republicans from using their large party funds to buy more political TV ads at cheaper prices.
The case was brought by four Democratic candidates: Jon Ossoff (Georgia), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Roy Cooper (North Carolina), and Kristen McDonald Rivet (Michigan).
The U.S. Supreme Court recently removed limits on how much committees can spend when coordinating with campaigns.
Republicans believed the Supreme Court ruling and FCC guidance would let them use party funds more effectively by paying candidate-level ad rates.
The ruling applies to both parties but impacts Republicans more because they have larger party funds from big donors, while Democrats rely more on grassroots donations.
Republican officials called the ruling wrong and said they will appeal.
Democratic officials said the decision confirms that low ad rates are only for candidates and praised their candidates’ grassroots support.
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Darline Graham won the Republican nomination for the South Carolina Senate seat and will compete against Democrat Annie Andrews in the November election. The race became open after Senator Lindsey Graham died in July, and Republicans view the seat as likely to stay in their party, while Democrats think they have a chance to win.
Key Facts
Darline Graham won the Republican primary with about 52% of the vote.
She was appointed to the Senate seat by Governor Henry McMaster after Lindsey Graham’s death in July.
Annie Andrews won the Democratic nomination in June to run in the general election.
South Carolina is a strongly Republican state, having supported President Trump by 18 points in 2024.
Democrats believe the race could be closer due to President Trump’s falling approval ratings and economic issues like gas prices.
Andrews’ campaign showed an internal poll with a close race, but no independent public polls are available.
Prediction markets and political forecasters generally favor Republicans to win the seat.
The last time South Carolina voted for a Democratic presidential candidate was in 1976.
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Sen. Darline Graham won the Republican Senate runoff in South Carolina to replace her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, on the ballot for the November election. Governor Henry McMaster appointed her to finish Lindsey Graham’s term, and President Trump strongly supported her campaign.
Key Facts
Lindsey Graham, a four-term senator, died suddenly last month.
Governor Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the rest of Lindsey Graham’s term.
Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman were the top two candidates in the special GOP primary but neither got over 50%, leading to a runoff.
President Trump encouraged and actively supported Darline Graham’s campaign.
Trump’s political action committee spent over $800,000 on phone calls to voters for Darline Graham.
Darline Graham has no prior elected office experience but has worked for South Carolina in other roles, including commissioner of the Commission for the Blind.
Darline Graham will face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews in the November election.
South Carolina has not elected a Democratic senator since 1998 and voted for President Trump by 18 points in 2024.
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Darline Graham won the Republican nomination for the US Senate seat in South Carolina, previously held by her late brother Lindsey Graham. She defeated Ralph Norman in a runoff election with strong support from President Donald Trump and will face Democrat Annie Andrews in the November general election.
Key Facts
Darline Graham was chosen as the Republican nominee for US Senate in South Carolina.
She is the sister of Lindsey Graham, who held the seat for over 20 years before he passed away.
Graham defeated five-term Congressman Ralph Norman with 52.4% of the vote in the runoff.
President Trump strongly supported Graham and encouraged voters to choose her.
Graham previously led South Carolina’s Commission for the Blind and has no prior legislative experience.
Ralph Norman is known for very conservative views and is a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.
Graham will compete against Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the November election.
Trump’s political action committee spent over $800,000 to support Graham during the campaign.
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Senator Darline Graham won the Republican runoff election in South Carolina to fill the Senate seat left by her late brother, Lindsey Graham. She was endorsed by President Donald Trump and is expected to win the general election against the Democratic candidate in November.
Key Facts
Darline Graham won the GOP Senate runoff to fill the vacancy after her brother Lindsey Graham passed away.
President Donald Trump endorsed Darline Graham, helping her campaign.
Graham was appointed temporarily to the Senate seat by Governor Henry McMaster before winning the nomination.
She will likely defeat Democrat Annie Andrews in the November election, as Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in South Carolina since 1998.
Graham and Representative Ralph Norman were the top two candidates in the primary but neither won a majority, leading to the runoff.
Graham’s campaign benefited from Trump’s support, incumbency advantages, and her family name.
Norman criticized Graham’s lack of experience and emphasized his record as a conservative lawmaker.
Both candidates spent over $5 million on ads during the runoff campaign.
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Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, was shot and killed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Minnesota during a January immigration operation. His family is now asking the Trump administration for explanations about the incident, seven months after his death.
Key Facts
Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse.
He was fatally shot by CBP agents in Minnesota in January.
The shooting happened during a CBP crackdown on immigration.
Pretti's family has publicly called for answers about the shooting.
Seven months have passed since the incident.
The family is directing their request to President Donald Trump’s administration.
The family expressed shock related to circumstances around Pretti helping someone at the time.
Details about the exact events leading to the shooting remain under scrutiny.
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A Dallas judge delayed a decision about who will have custody of a newborn baby with a rare heart defect born to a surrogate. The legal dispute involves the baby's parents and the surrogate, with a court order requiring medical care for the baby, who has undergone surgery.
Key Facts
The baby was born in Texas on August 12 through surrogacy to McKenna West, who traveled from Alaska.
The baby has hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare condition where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office intervened, securing a court order for the baby’s medical care and a restraining order giving the parents decision rights.
The baby's parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, want custody and say the baby is loved and wanted.
The surrogate, West, opposed abortion and moved to Texas to prevent it after the heart defect diagnosis.
West admitted to withholding some medical records from the parents.
The baby had the first of multiple planned heart surgeries shortly after birth and remains in critical condition.
The judge extended a temporary restraining order for two more weeks while the custody case continues.
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N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and democratic socialist, is expected to win the Democratic Senate primary in Oklahoma. She will run against Republican Representative Kevin Hern in the general election.
Key Facts
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas is a nurse and identifies as a democratic socialist.
Thomas is projected to win the Oklahoma Democratic Senate primary.
She defeated Democrat Jim Priest, a lawyer, in a runoff election.
The runoff happened because no candidate got more than half the votes in the first round in June.
Kevin Hern is the Republican nominee for the Oklahoma Senate seat.
Thomas will face Hern in the upcoming general election.
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Marcye Scott, daughter of the late Representative David Scott from Georgia, lost the special election runoff to fill the rest of her father’s term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Everton Blair, a former chair of the Gwinnett School Board, won the election.
Key Facts
David Scott was a U.S. Representative from Georgia who recently passed away.
A special election was held to fill the remainder of his term in the House.
Marcye Scott, his daughter, was one of the candidates in the election.
Everton Blair, previously the chair of the Gwinnett School Board, also ran.
Everton Blair won the runoff election held on Tuesday.
Marcye Scott had initially led before the runoff but ultimately lost.
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Everton Blair won a special election to serve the last few months of the late Representative David Scott's term in Georgia's 13th Congressional District. Blair defeated Marcye Scott, David Scott's daughter, in a runoff election. In November, voters will choose who will serve the full two-year term starting in January.
Key Facts
David Scott, the longtime representative, died in April.
Everton Blair previously served as chair of the Gwinnett County School Board.
Blair and Marcye Scott advanced to the August runoff after a nonpartisan special election in July.
Blair will only serve until January, completing Scott’s final term.
Blair came in third in the May Democratic primary for the full term starting in January.
The 13th District is strongly Democratic; Scott won 72% of the vote in 2024.
In the November election, Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark faces Republican Jonathan Chavez for the full term.
The Associated Press projected Blair’s victory.
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Senator Darline Graham is expected to win the Republican primary runoff in South Carolina. She aims to take the Senate seat formerly held by her late brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away in July.
Key Facts
Darline Graham is running in a Republican primary runoff election in South Carolina.
The election is to fill the Senate seat left by her brother, Lindsey Graham.
Lindsey Graham served as a U.S. Senator from South Carolina for over 20 years.
He died unexpectedly in early July.
The winner of the runoff will appear on the ballot for the November general election.
The information comes from Decision Desk HQ, which tracks election results.
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Dolly Parton, who passed away at age 80, was known for her music and charitable work. The leader of her foundation said the nonprofit will continue her efforts, especially the Imagination Library program that promotes children's reading.
Key Facts
Dolly Parton died at age 80.
She was a famous musician and a generous donor.
She gave millions to support education and help children learn to read.
The Dollywood Foundation runs the Imagination Library program.
The program sends free books to children to encourage reading.
Jeff Conyers is the president of Dolly Parton's foundation.
The foundation plans to keep working to fulfill Dolly Parton’s charitable goals.
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Samuel Bateman, a leader of a polygamous sect, was sentenced to an additional 24 years in state prison for child abuse in Arizona. He is already serving a 50-year federal sentence for forcing young girls into sexual acts and kidnapping attempts.
Key Facts
Bateman was caught in August 2022 with three girls aged 11 to 14 in a hot, unventilated trailer without seat belts or proper air.
He was already serving 50 years federally for sexually abusing girls as young as nine and planning kidnap attempts.
The trailer was discovered after someone noticed small fingers reaching through gaps in the doors and alerted police.
Bateman admitted he knew the girls were inside the hot trailer for hours but downplayed the danger.
He claims to have over 20 "spiritual wives," including ten girls under 18.
The judge ordered Bateman to serve the new 24-year state sentence after his federal sentence ends.
Bateman is linked to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a polygamous group once led by Warren Jeffs, who is serving life in prison for child sexual assault.
Bateman was featured in the Netflix series "Trust Me: The False Prophet."
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A Texas judge is deciding who can legally make medical decisions for a baby born with a heart defect. The baby was carried by a surrogate, but the surrogate’s actions went against the wishes of the biological parents. A healthcare lawyer discussed the legal issues on CBS News.
Key Facts
The case is happening in Texas.
The baby has a heart defect needing medical decisions.
The baby was carried by a surrogate mother.
The surrogate took actions that the biological parents did not agree with.
A judge is hearing arguments to decide who has the legal authority over the baby’s medical care.
Harry Nelson, a healthcare law expert, spoke about the legal aspects on CBS News.
The dispute centers on the rights of the surrogate versus the biological parents.
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A man from California was arrested near the U.S. Capitol after police found a guillotine in his truck. Authorities are investigating why he brought the device to Washington, D.C.
Key Facts
The man arrested is 35 years old and named Philan-Tam-Duy Le from Julian, California.
Police found the guillotine in the bed of his pickup truck parked near the Capitol.
The truck was parked illegally east of the Capitol grounds.
He was detained shortly after 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Officials are looking into the reason for his trip and why he brought the guillotine.
A guillotine is a device with a heavy blade used historically for beheading.
The guillotine was invented in France in the late 1700s and is linked to the French Revolution.
The arrest was made by United States Capitol Police.
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The U.S. will release an important report called the PCE price index on Wednesday. This report shows the current level of inflation by measuring price changes for goods and services across the country.
Key Facts
The PCE price index is a key measure of inflation in the United States.
It tracks how much prices for goods and services are rising or falling.
The report is scheduled to be released on Wednesday morning.
Inflation data helps understand how the economy is performing.
Investors and policymakers watch this report to make financial decisions.
Jessica Inskip, an expert from Stockbrokers.com, explained what to expect from the report.
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Three living former U.S. presidents have honored country singer Dolly Parton after her death. They released statements praising her legacy soon after news of her passing from cancer and other health issues.
Key Facts
Dolly Parton, a famous country singer, died after battling cancer and other health problems.
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama each released statements paying tribute to her.
They recognized Parton’s contributions to music and her influence on American culture.
The statements came within hours of the announcement of her passing.
Four former U.S. presidents are still living, and three have spoken out about Parton.
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Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, testified in a US court denying that Meta hid information about low use of teen safety features. The trial involves allegations that Meta designed addictive products harmful to young people and collected data from children under 13 without permission.
Key Facts
Adam Mosseri is the CEO of Instagram and testified in a lawsuit involving Meta.
The lawsuit is brought by 29 US states accusing Meta of harming young people’s mental health.
One safety tool, "Take a Break," had only 1.8% of teens opting in, a figure Mosseri did not publicly disclose in detail.
The states claim Meta broke laws by collecting data from children under age 13 without parental permission.
If Meta loses, it could pay up to $200 billion in damages and be forced to make its products safer for kids.
Meta denies these claims and says it aims to lead in online safety.
Other witnesses, including a former Meta engineer and psychologists, have testified in the trial.
The trial is happening in federal court in Oakland, California, and is expected to last through September.
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A second witness held after a federal immigration agent fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston has been released by order of a judge. The witness and another passenger dispute the government’s story about the shooting, and questions remain about what happened during the incident.
Key Facts
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national, was fatally shot by ICE agents in Houston on July 7, 2026.
Salgado Araujo had lived in the U.S. without legal status for 35 years and was a homebuilding business owner.
The Department of Homeland Security said Salgado Araujo used his vehicle as a weapon, and the agent acted in self-defense.
Daniel Tirado Pantoja, a passenger in the van with Salgado Araujo, was held for over a month but has now been released by a judge.
Tirado Pantoja and another passenger, Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego, say the ICE agents fired while not in front of the vehicle and that agents’ vehicle hit them twice.
Jose Trinidad Rojas Pliego was released from detention last month.
Victor Salgado, Salgado Araujo’s brother who was also in the van, remains in custody and has requested release.
Salgado Araujo’s son said on social media that his father was on his way to work and picking up workers when he was shot.
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