#1Senate Panel Votes 8-5 to Hold Fauci in Contempt
The Senate Homeland Security Committee voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during his July 29 hearing — refusing to answer questions about gain-of-function research in Wuhan, his intelligence community ties, and at one point, reportedly, the color of his own tie. Sen. Rand Paul is pursuing a DOJ referral, complicated by the fact that Fauci holds a presidential pardon through January 19, 2026, which Republicans argue strips his Fifth Amendment justification entirely. Fauci's attorney called the vote a "crude political stunt." Source: The Federalist — URL
#2Trump: Iran Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz "Could Be Soon"
President Trump said Friday the Iranians "don't want to be hit" and signaled a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come very soon, even as Iranian officials publicly dismiss any peace talks and insist they intend to permanently control the waterway. U.S. forces continue enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports while gas sits at $4.04 a gallon nationally — a persistent headache for Republican midterm prospects. Source: Fox News — URL
#3July Jobs Report Delivers Mixed Signals Ahead of Midterms
The July jobs report surprised with weaker-than-expected job creation, though the unemployment rate edged down — giving both parties ammunition in an economy defined by high energy costs and inflation fatigue. Trump countered by announcing $100 million for U.S. mining schools, framing domestic minerals production as a national security imperative — pointing out that China graduates more than 3,000 mining engineers annually while the U.S. produces fewer than 170. Source: Fox News — URL
#4Tucker Carlson Unveils Third-Party Platform, Brushes Off 2028 Talk
Tucker Carlson published a 10-point platform this week for a new anti-war, populist movement outside the two major parties, drawing 1.5 million views on X and nearly 700,000 on YouTube. He hosted Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, and former Trump aide Joe Kent at his Maine cabin over the weekend, fueling speculation despite his repeated insistence he has no presidential ambitions. MAGA base sources remain unmoved: "No chance in hell." Source: Washington Examiner — URL
Top World Stories
#5Iran Scorns Peace Talks While Back Channels Quietly Buzz
Even as Trump signals optimism about an imminent Hormuz deal, Iranian state officials are publicly doubling down — dismissing negotiations entirely and claiming permanent control of the Strait, through which roughly a fifth of global oil trade flows. The contradiction between Tehran's public defiance and its private signals has markets and U.S. allies on edge, with the next several days shaping up as a high-stakes test of Trump's diplomatic leverage. Source: Breitbart — URL
#6Thailand: 14-Year-Old Kills Six in School Shooting, Including Grandparents
A teenage gunman opened fire at a school on the outskirts of Bangkok Friday morning, killing at least six people — including his own grandparents — and wounding 23 others before turning the gun on himself. Thai authorities are investigating the motive in what is the latest in a string of high-profile mass shootings that have rattled the country in recent years. Source: Breitbart — URL
#7Ukraine Drones Strike Russian Retail Warehouse 1,200 Miles from Front
Ukrainian long-range drones struck a distribution warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online retailer deep in the Ural Mountains — over 1,200 miles from the active front lines — in an apparent escalation of Kyiv's strategy to bring economic pain directly to the Russian civilian population. The attack signals that Ukraine is expanding well beyond battlefield targets and is capable of reaching nearly anywhere inside Russia. Source: Breitbart — URL
Science & Technology
#8Flock License Plate Cameras Now in 6,000 Communities — Backlash Growing
Flock Safety's automated license plate readers are now deployed across more than 6,000 U.S. communities, sparking a fierce national debate over warrantless mass surveillance of Americans' movements. Civil liberties advocates argue the cameras build a permanent, searchable record of daily travel without consent; law enforcement says the technology has transformed crime-solving. Congress is beginning to take notice. Source: Fox News — URL
#9China Concealed Child's Death in Gene-Editing Trial for Nearly a Year
Shanghai-based HuidaGene Therapeutics disclosed this week that a child enrolled in its HG302 gene-editing trial died in August 2025 — a death the company did not make public for nearly a full year. The child received a high dose of the experimental treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The delayed disclosure has reignited international concern about transparency standards in China's rapidly advancing biomedical research sector. Source: The Epoch Times — URL
Wildcard
#10The $20 Burrito Is Tearing the GOP Apart
What started as a Turning Point USA staffer's observation that Gen Z voters are frustrated burritos now cost $20 exploded this week into a full Republican civil war over affordability and party identity. Fiscal conservatives said cook at home; populists fired back that dismissing young voters' sticker shock is how Republicans lose; and Vice President Vance produced what may be the sharpest line of the week aimed at a critic who suggested skipping the burrito entirely. For the record, the average Chipotle steak burrito nationally runs about $11.68 — but add guacamole and the math changes fast. Source: The Daily Caller — URL
