These are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Iran Ups Threats as Trump Imposes ‘Economic D-Day’
Iran’s government pushed back this week on President Trump’s threat to escalate economic pressure over the country’s nuclear program, dismissing the rhetoric as “economic terrorism” and accusing Washington of trying to distract from its own domestic financial troubles. The exchange comes amid a standoff now stretching nearly six months, following two earlier ceasefire attempts that both collapsed quickly. Source
Federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Jessica Bowie of Albany on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS after prosecutors said she plotted to bomb the New York State Capitol and kill lawmakers inside. The criminal complaint alleges she pledged allegiance to ISIS, cased the building repeatedly, and discussed disguising an explosive device in a food-delivery bag, allegedly timing the attack for a state senate session. Find out More
President Trump said this week he expects to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the end of the year, a potential revival of the direct diplomacy that produced their earlier in-person summits. No date or location has been announced. See Details
Politics
James Braid, President Trump’s top liaison to Congress, is departing his post as White House legislative affairs director later this month, just as lawmakers head into a packed September session on government funding, the filibuster, and a voter-ID bill. A former Senate aide said whoever replaces him “will have to hit the ground running fast,” with control of the House potentially in play this November. Read More
The FBI executed search warrants on former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell over the weekend, seizing his electronic devices at San Francisco’s airport and searching his Washington, D.C. home as part of a criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, including a rape accusation. Swalwell resigned from Congress in April after the allegations surfaced and has acknowledged “mistakes in judgment” while denying the assault claim. Read More
U.S. News
new digital monument on the National Mall, built by USAA for America’s 250th anniversary, displays the names of more than 41 million U.S. veterans and service members dating back to the Revolutionary War. Visitors can scan a QR code to search for a specific name or request it be shown on the towering flag-shaped displays for photos, and the installation has been extended through November 12 due to demand. See Details
A phase 3 trial combining Moderna and Merck’s experimental mRNA cancer vaccine with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda showed strong results against melanoma, with earlier-stage data showing a 49% lower risk of recurrence and a 59% lower risk of the cancer spreading or causing death compared to Keytruda alone. The companies are now expanding the approach into trials for lung, kidney, pancreatic, and bladder cancers. Find out More
A senior State Department official publicly demanded that Cuba release imprisoned musician Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, a protest singer who has been jailed since 2021 on charges Havana brought after he helped organize demonstrations against the government. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, consider him a prisoner of conscience. Find out More
Business
Stock futures held mostly steady Thursday after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved to push down long-term bond yields, with the 10-year yield easing to 4.65% and the 30-year to 5.19%. Markets were also digesting the national debt’s climb past $40 trillion, President Trump’s threat of “economic D-Day” measures against Iran, and Walmart earnings due later in the day. Read More
Bitcoin surged to roughly $75,100, its best weekly performance since February 2024 with a nearly 19% weekly gain, after President Trump pressed Congress to pass the Clarity Act establishing a regulatory framework for the crypto industry. The rally comes even as bitcoin remains down about 15% for the year after tumbling more than 50% from its October record high. Find out More
Federal Reserve officials signaled they may need to raise interest rates if inflation doesn’t keep cooling, with three officials at the July meeting favoring an immediate quarter-point hike. July’s consumer prices rose just 0.1% for a second straight benign reading, but officials remain wary of renewed pressure from rising gas prices and strong AI-driven wage demand in skilled trades. See Details
Market Report
| Symbol | Last Close | % Change | |
| Dow Jones | DJIA | $52,759.21 | -1.32% |
| S&P 500 | SPX | $7,641.16 | -0.87% |
| Nasdaq Composite | IXIC | $26,067.17 | -1.00% |
| Alphabet Inc. Class C Capital Stock | GOOG | $338.20 | -1.02% |
| Tesla, Inc. | TSLA | $345.13 | -1.71% |
| Apple Inc. | AAPL | $311.30 | -1.75% |
| Microsoft Corp. | MSFT | $481.15 | -0.65% |
World News
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp warning to Turkish President Erdogan this week, accusing Ankara of “dangerous adventures in Syria” and cautioning that Israel “will not allow any actor to threaten its security.” The warning followed an Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase that Israel said was meant to stop a Turkish military deployment there, a claim Turkey denies, and has left U.S. diplomats scrambling to prevent a miscalculation between the two NATO-adjacent partners. Source
The USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home after an extended deployment to the Middle East that stretched well beyond its planned rotation amid the region’s ongoing tensions. A newly arrived U.S. carrier strike group is taking over its patrol duties. Source
Israel has moved forward with a long-frozen settlement plan in the West Bank’s E1 corridor, a project that would effectively split the West Bank in two and that much of the international community has warned could bury any remaining hope for a two-state solution. The move has drawn condemnation from multiple governments. Read More
Entertainment
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide in just six days, one of the fastest films ever to hit the milestone, after opening to the biggest weekend in box office history. The superhero sequel has continued to dominate theaters in the weeks since, fending off new releases for the No. 1 spot. Find out More
“Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” star Tracy Tutor is jumping to a new Bravo show, joining the cast of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” for its upcoming season. It’s not yet clear whether she’ll be a full-time Housewife or appear in a “friend of the show” role. Find out More
Variety’s 2026 Women of Nashville Entertainment Report spotlighted 25 female executives shaping the country music industry, including Megan Hinde, who manages breakout star Ella Langley — whose album “Dandelion” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — and Mandelyn Monchick, who has guided Lainey Wilson’s rise across music, television, and film. The report noted that despite the wins, women in the industry still say they have to prove themselves in ways men don’t. See Details
Sports
Ohio State opened the preseason AP Top 25 at No. 1 for the first time since 2015, edging Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas to round out the top five. The Big Ten’s top contenders swept the majority of first-place votes while the SEC, despite placing nine teams in the rankings, didn’t receive a single No. 1 vote — though history shows preseason No. 1 teams rarely go on to win it all, with only Alabama and USC managing the feat since 2000. Read More
The San Francisco 49ers routed the Los Angeles Chargers 41-9 in NFL preseason Week 2 action, getting an 83-yard punt-return touchdown from Jacob Cowing and 148 rushing yards led by Sincere McCormick’s 53-yard, one-touchdown effort. Chargers quarterback Trey Lance went 10-of-16 for 73 yards in a lopsided loss that dropped San Francisco’s preseason mark to 0-1 despite the blowout win. See Details
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea agreed to a one-year contract extension, the team announced as part of a wave of roster moves during NFL preseason Week 2. The deal keeps Vea, a key piece of Tampa Bay’s defensive front, under contract as the Buccaneers finalize their roster ahead of the regular season. Find out More
Off the Wall
An overturned tractor-trailer hauling thousands of pounds of squid spilled its catch across an intersection in Narragansett, Rhode Island, shutting the roadway for about eight hours while crews used skid steers to clear the seafood off the pavement. No one was hurt, but the driver was cited for hauling an unsecured load. Find out More
