The Trump administration announced sweeping new 50% tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods — from wine and dairy to hockey sticks and cement — citing Canada's retaliatory trade measures against U.S. manufacturing. The tariffs take effect in 30 days, leaving a narrow negotiating window. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the move a "direct violation" of the USMCA trade agreement and said Ottawa is ready to "intensify discussions."
For the first time since Congress created it in 1996, the Trump Justice Department has activated the Alien Terrorist Removal Court — a classified five-judge tribunal designed to deport foreign nationals accused of terrorism using sealed evidence. The first petition's details are fully classified and the respondent's identity is kept secret. A federal judge has already pushed back, asking the administration to file a more "thoughtful" application.
Tropical Storm Bertha is crawling northwest through the Gulf of Mexico at 5 mph, packing 60-mph sustained winds and threatening up to four feet of storm surge from the Florida Panhandle to southeastern Louisiana. New Orleans faces showers and gusty winds starting tonight, with the storm expected to approach coastal Louisiana on Wednesday before weakening toward Texas. Tropical storm warnings are now in effect across multiple Gulf Coast states.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's Senate confirmation is hanging by a thread with the August recess set to begin Thursday. Two Judiciary Committee Republicans — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — remain undecided, and a single "no" vote would keep the nomination off the Senate floor entirely. The White House has made clear it wants Blanche confirmed before lawmakers leave town.
President Trump escalated the Iran conflict sharply Tuesday, warning the U.S. will strike "any site" where Iran is "even thinking about nuclear" and naming Pickaxe Mountain as a target for imminent "very heavy" strikes. Three explosive drones were simultaneously intercepted near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq, temporarily shutting the airport. War Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed the conflict has now cost $37.5 billion through September.
Ukraine launched more than 400 drones toward Moscow overnight in one of the largest single drone operations of the entire war, setting an oil depot ablaze near Podolsk and igniting fires at an industrial park south of the capital. Russian air defenses intercepted most of the swarm, but 10 civilians were wounded and significant infrastructure damage was reported. The massive strike came hours after Russia bombarded Kyiv with ballistic missiles.
Yemen's Houthi rebels declared a full maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Monday, calling it retaliation for what they claim is a Saudi "siege" on Yemen — threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which 12% of the world's trade normally flows. Riyadh threatened to respond with "force," and energy markets are on edge: analysts warn a sustained blockade could cut global oil supply by 7%. The conflict is spreading well beyond Iran.
Astronomers have confirmed the first-ever atmosphere on a rocky planet orbiting within a star's habitable zone — a landmark moment in the search for life beyond Earth. The planet LHS 1140 b was detected slowly losing helium into space, the telltale signature of an active, real atmosphere. If liquid water exists on its surface, scientists say it becomes one of the most compelling targets for extraterrestrial life research ever identified.
Researchers have identified a previously unknown "switch-off" signal in the Sun's 11-year magnetic cycle that could enable solar storm forecasts up to seven years in advance — dramatically beyond the current window of days. The discovery could give power grids, satellite operators, and global communications networks unprecedented preparation time before potentially devastating space weather events. Space forecasting may never be the same.
President Trump directed all federal agencies to waive prior nondisclosure agreements for former government employees and contractors who want to share classified UAP information with investigators — the first formal government pathway for UFO disclosure ever created. Whistleblowers would route through the Pentagon's AARO office or the new PURSUE task force, with applicable NDAs set aside during those discussions. Officials stressed it is not a blanket declassification order, but it opens a door that has been locked for decades.
