U.S.
CDC Reports 431 Salmonella Illnesses in 32 States as of Aug. 19, Linked to Jalapeños Grown in Sinaloa, Mexico
Federal health agencies tied a Salmonella Javiana outbreak to jalapeños from a Sinaloa grower sold through a San Diego-based distributor, prompting recalls of fresh peppers and prepared foods sold at Kroger, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
Sen. Bill Cassidy Says Trump's Order to Split the MMR Vaccine Is 'Wrong on So Many Levels'
The Senate health committee chairman, a physician and Republican, said the August 10 executive order would mean more shots, more office visits and higher costs; the White House says it expands parental choice.
Judge Sullivan Orders DOJ to Unredact More Epstein Records and Presses Its Lawyers at Aug. 13 Hearing
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, ruling in independent journalist Katie Phang's suit under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, ordered the Justice Department to lift redactions or justify them, and questioned department lawyers in court on Aug. 13 about withheld FBI notes.
Rights Groups Ask New Hampshire Federal Court to Block Trump's Two New Birthright-Citizenship Orders
The ACLU and allied groups filed a motion on August 11 asking the judge in Barbara v. Trump to rule that an existing class-wide injunction already covers the orders Trump signed August 6, six weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his 2025 order.
DOJ Sends About 20 Election Monitors to Two Minnesota Counties; Both Keep Them Outside Polling Places
Hennepin and Ramsey counties declined to let Justice Department staff inside polling sites during Minnesota's August 11 primary, and the state sent its own observers to watch the federal ones.
South Carolina Republicans Vote in Special U.S. Senate Primary to Replace Lindsey Graham
Ten Republicans are on the August 11 ballot for the seat left vacant by Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, including appointed Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, and former Gov. Mark Sanford; a runoff is set for August 25 if no one wins a majority.
Pentagon Gives Defense Contractors 21 Days to Submit Plans for Faster Weapons Production
A memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, dated August 6, asks major arms makers how quickly they can expand output of munitions drawn down during the war with Iran.
Senate Cloture Vote on Todd Blanche's Attorney General Nomination Ripens Friday After 12-10 Committee Vote
Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on August 5 after the Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche 12-10; Sen. Susan Collins says she will vote no, and several Republicans remain publicly undecided.
Senate Judiciary Vote on Todd Blanche's Attorney General Nomination Postponed as Two Republicans Seek Written Assurances on Trump-IRS Settlement
Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis say they want a written commitment that a Justice Department "anti-weaponization" fund will not return; President Trump says he may pull the nomination and resubmit it after both senators leave office in January.
Missing 10-Year-Old Girl's Body Recovered From Passaic River as Northeast Storm Sets Albany-Area Rain Records
A slow-moving storm dropped record rain on eastern New York and New Jersey in late July 2026, killing at least three people — including two children swept into the Passaic River — and reopening a national argument over flood warnings, weather-agency staffing, and aging drainage systems.
Senate Confirms Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence in 51-47 Party-Line Vote
Clayton takes over an Office of the Director of National Intelligence that shrank again hours before the vote, under acting director Bill Pulte.
Epstein Survivors and AG Nominee Todd Blanche Give Opposing Accounts of Meeting Held to Secure a Republican Senator's Vote
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein at the demand of Sen. Thom Tillis; survivors called the session unproductive while Blanche's Justice Department called it productive, days before a committee vote on his confirmation.