July 24, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Democrats try to harness AI data center backlash against Republicans

When Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, began her campaign last year, candidates weren’t talking about — or hearing about — data centers that power artificial intelligence. But with barely three months until November’s contest, the perceived threat to rural life, ranchland and dwindling water supplies could become a defining issue for her long-shot challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, dividing conservative rural areas that have traditionally served as a counterweight to Democrats’ urban strongholds. The backlash to energy-guzzling server warehouses is also shaping other statewide campaigns from Arizona to Ohio to New York, and even giving Democrats a glimmer of hope in Texas, where Republicans have dominated for three decades.

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“There is this little issue that I recently started hearing about that I wanted to tell you about, in case you don’t know,” Hinojosa quipped to a Democratic Party-organized crowd of about 160 seated on fold-out chairs at an Amarillo social club in Texas’ panhandle. “It’s this issue of data centers.” The crowd booed, and she went on: “They are owned by the richest men in the world. We’re all footing the bill. There are no rules. It is the wild west of data centers.” The fast growth of massive data centers has already upended races for local offices across the country, often uniting conservatives and liberals in revolting against projects in their midst. People don’t like the secrecy surrounding the projects or the prospect of air, noise, water and light pollution. They fear electric bills going up, wells going dry and losing open space, farmland or forest. Now the ripple effects have spread to top-of-the-ticket races, where incumbents and challengers are trying to show that they hear an angry electorate. In Ohio, Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown aired a television advertisement attacking Republican U.S. Sen. John Husted as the “face of data centers in Ohio” as people gather signatures for a statewide referendum to outright ban their construction.

The Texas Panhandle was hit by a magnitude 5.0 earthquake

A rare magnitude 5.0 earthquake rattled parts of the Texas Panhandle early Thursday morning. It's the strongest quake to hit that region in at least 100 years, according to online data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located about 24 miles southeast of Spearman, a town northeast of Amarillo, USGS reported. "My cat woke me up. He kind of freaked out about it a little bit and that woke me up," said Robertson County Judge Mitchell Locke, who serves as emergency management coordinator. "But I did feel it. There was some shaking. Nothing too extreme, though."

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Robertson County is a rural community with a population of about 900 people. As of Thursday morning, Locke said he had not heard reports of any significant damage. One area of concern is the potential damage to the extensive oil and gas industry in the region. Earthquakes in the Permian Basin to the south have been linked to industrial activity associated with drilling for oil, such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The process involves injecting large quantities of contaminated, salty water deep underground. "All of those companies, especially the pipeline companies, they do have earthquake protocols, and they will go check lines around the epicenter and check pressure in their lines, things like that," Locke said. "They do have earthquake plans." Damage to the oil and gas industry is also an area of concern for Hansfield County Sheriff Bob Mahaffee, who serves a neighboring county in the region. "Our main concern is the pipelines," Mahaffee said. "The companies are doing their pressure checks and everything they do to make sure the lines are normal." Earthquakes in Texas are not uncommon. However, their intensity has increased over the past six years.

Trump to slap 'sweeping' new tariffs on 60 trade partners as global duties expire

The Trump administration will impose new tariffs just after midnight ET Friday on dozens of countries over alleged forced-labor violations, according to a notice in the Federal Register. The duties, set between 10% and 12.5%, will effectively replace President Donald Trump’s temporary 10% global tariffs, which are set to expire at the same time as the new ones take effect. The forthcoming tariffs will apply to 60 trade partners and cover 99.4% of U.S. trade, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a fact sheet Thursday afternoon. The office separately told CNBC that it could not provide an estimate of how much revenue the new tariffs will generate.

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The move “is the most sweeping international labor rights action the United States has ever taken — that any country has ever taken,” a senior Trump administration official told reporters in a call earlier Thursday. The official noted that the new tariffs would not “stack” on top of existing import taxes on steel and aluminum, known as “Section 232? duties, that Trump imposed last year on national-security grounds. Thursday’s announcement underscores how the Trump administration is ramping its aggressive use of tariffs back up, after the president’s protectionist agenda suffered major legal setbacks earlier this year. Trump has long touted tariffs as key tools for generating revenue and gaining leverage over foreign trade partners, while brushing aside criticisms that they tax U.S. importers and raise prices for U.S. consumers. The White House recently imposed 25% tariffs on most U.S. imports from Brazil, which took effect Wednesday, and 50% tariffs on a wide range of goods from Canada, which are set to begin next month.

OpenAI’s breach of Hugging Face stokes fears about what’s next for AI

Washington and the technology industry are on high alert this week after OpenAI revealed that some of its AI agents went rogue and hacked into the systems of technology start-up Hugging Face. The incident bore out years of warnings from the tech and cybersecurity community about the growing capabilities and hypothetical risks artificial intelligence could pose to critical infrastructure. Amid the warnings, Washington has tried to play catch-up to manage the cybersecurity risks, but concerns were stoked this week by the incident and fluctuating policy.

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“What makes this wildly different,” for security teams at companies, is that it “brings the theoretical scenario of AI being capable of breaching a company and moving faster than a company can detect and respond to attack from theory to reality,” said Adam Ely, the general manager of AI security at the cybersecurity firm Check Point Software. OpenAI revealed on Tuesday that two of its models, including its latest GPT-5.6 Sol and an unreleased model, were being evaluated in an internal, testing sandbox, but breached past the environment and broke into Hugging Face’s database without any prompt to do so. The incident caught the attention of even well-versed cybersecurity experts, as it involved autonomous agents and two separate companies. ‘Whether it’s sort of an autonomous situation that wasn’t intended to be malicious, or whether it’s attackers controlling a model to do that, that’s different than what most people have experienced,” Ely said. OpenAI in a blog post called the incident an “unprecedented cyber incident, involving state-of-the-art cyber capabilities.”

State Stories

State Rep. Denise Villalobos seeks to replace Corpus Christi Groundwater District

A political dispute over groundwater oversight in Nueces County is continuing as State Rep. Denise Villalobos seeks to replace Corpus Christi's Aquifer Storage and Recovery Groundwater Conservation District with an independent district. Villalobos is expected to meet with Corpus Christi city leaders next week to discuss her proposal. According to Villalobos, the current structure creates a conflict of interest because the city regulates the aquifer while also being one of its largest users. City leaders dispute that claim, saying the groundwater district was created by the Texas Legislature and that the city has followed state law and the required permitting process since the district was established.

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Wesley Hunt remains silent on reported photo with Tate brothers

Texas U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt has declined to explain a photo circulating online that appears to show him with influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate inside what appears to be his congressional office. The Tate brothers are prominent figures in the online "manosphere," promoting male dominance and so-called red-pill ideology. The self-described misogynists, who live in Romania, face criminal allegations in multiple countries and were arrested in Miami last week in connection with extradition proceedings involving the United Kingdom. The arrest came days after a photo surfaced showing Hunt standing between the brothers, smiling inside what appears to be his congressional office.

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The American-Statesman contacted Hunt's office seeking comment and to independently verify the photo's date and authenticity. The Statesman also contacted representatives for the Tates but did not receive a response before publication. In a video published by TMZ DC, Hunt immediately responded "no comment" when asked about the brothers' arrest and whether he regretted taking the photo. The Tate brothers have denied allegations against them stemming from investigations in Romania and Britain, where they face accusations including human trafficking. Andrew Tate also faces a rape charge in the U.K. A Florida woman also sued the brothers, alleging they lured her to Romania and forced her into sex work. Most of her claims were dismissed last month, though a judge allowed her to refile them, according to ProPublica. No criminal charges have been filed against the brothers in the United States. ProPublica also reported that White House official Paul Ingrassia, who previously represented the brothers before joining the administration, urged Department of Homeland Security officials to return electronic devices seized from the brothers during a 2025 visit to the U.S. The brothers' attorney, Joseph McBride, told ProPublica his clients were innocent, that no illicit material was found on the devices and that multiple investigations had produced no evidence of criminal conduct. Andrew Tate has repeatedly praised President Donald Trump and compared his legal troubles to those of the president in posts on X.

Texas appeals court reverses temporary injunction against midwife accused of violating state abortion ban

A Texas appeals court on Thursday reversed a temporary injunction against a Houston-area woman accused of violating the state's abortion ban. Maria Margarita Rojas was arrested in March 2025 and accused of providing "illegal abortions" and practicing medicine without a license at a network of clinics in northwestern Houston, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Rojas' attorneys have argued that the allegations are not true and that the state has failed to prove any abortions were happening at the clinics or that any unlawful practice was occurring. A lower court in Waller County issued a temporary injunction against Rojas in May of last year, effectively shutting down the three clinics at which she worked.

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In Thursday's memorandum opinion, the Fifteenth Court of Appeals in Austin found that "the State of Texas did not provide the trial court with sufficient evidence on which the trial court could grant a temporary injunction." The panel of three judges found the state improperly presented probable-cause affidavits from Rojas' separate criminal case at the civil hearing. "As a result, the trial court abused its discretion in admitting the probable-cause affidavits," the opinion read. "Without the probable-cause affidavits, the remaining evidence in the record does not reasonably support the State's allegations that abortions have been performed at the Clinics." However, the opinion notes that it only determines the status of the injunction and does not address not whether the allegations against Rojas are true. "Although the suit underlying this interlocutory appeal involves allegations that the appellants, a licensed midwife and a group of associated clinics, performed illegal abortions and practiced medicine without a license, this opinion does not decide whether those acts occurred," the opinion states.

Toro District, others may be in doubt after judge voids 2021 election

A recent court ruling invalidating an amendment to the Texas Constitution could complicate Harris County’s plan for financing the Toro District and send ripples through a network of little-known taxing districts the county formed prior to the ruling. The amendment, which voters approved as Proposition 2 in 2021, was framed as giving county reinvestment zones the ability to issue debt. But some counties responded by creating these zones for the first time. Harris County has since created four and is negotiating with the Houston Texans and Howard Hughes to form a fifth to fund infrastructure for a new practice field and surrounding development in northwest Harris County. But state District Judge Jan Soifer’s July 10 ruling in a lawsuit brought by a group of conservative organizations may frustrate those plans.

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Soifer agreed with the plaintiffs’ allegation that the ballot language used to describe the amendment failed to inform voters how the zones’ investments would be paid for – namely, by issuing bonds. “Therefore,” Soifer wrote, “the ballot language of Proposition 2 … omitted a chief feature of the amendment and misled the voters.” The lawsuit was brought against the Texas Secretary of State’s Office by Texas Uniting for Reform and Freedom, Grassroots America — We the People PAC and the True Texas Project. The organizations warned the language was misleading in a letter one of their lawyers sent state officials in August 2021, before the issue appeared on the ballot. Attorney Garrett McMillan pointed to a “nearly identical” proposal voters rejected in 2011. That proposal, he wrote, made clear that the reinvestment zones would fund projects through property taxes, unlike the 2021 measure.

'It's killing us:' Austin's watercraft ban spells trouble for local businesses

The City of Austin extended its ban on watercraft, and lakefront businesses say it's affecting their margins. The ban was set in place on Friday, July 17, due to floodgate activity at several dams on the river following last week's floods. It was originally scheduled to be lifted on Tuesday, but city and water officials extended the ban through Thursday, July 23 at 5 p.m. "The 48-hour extension is necessary because higher and faster flows are expected to continue on the water for several days," the City of Austin wrote. Several waterfront businesses that rent out various watercraft have been forced to close temporarily.

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Connor Champagne, Chief of Texas Operations at Lone Star Kayak Tours, says the hit to revenue is already apparent. "A weekend, generally, for a business like us is going to be a good 50% of our revenue for that particular week," he said. "It's usually like a $10,000 hit for us. And I imagine for larger businesses like Rowing Dock or Live Love Paddle who have bigger operations, they're probably seeing an even bigger hit to their margins." Casey Vick, the owner of Live Love Paddle, put it plainly: "It's killing us... it's killed our business. July is the busiest time of year," he said. This is the second year in a row that a watercraft ban has been implemented due to flooding. Last year's ban was prompted by the Fourth of July floods that ravaged much of Central Texas. "Safety is always first, of course," Vick said. "But in my opinion, [it] seems like they use an overabundance of caution, and maybe they need to consider the businesses on the lake a little more often than they do." If the ban lifts tomorrow as intended, Champagne says his tour guides will waste no time getting back on the water.

Screwworm cases rise across Texas

On June 3, the first case of the New World screwworm (NWS) was discovered in La Pryor, Texas, infecting a three-week-old calf. Since then, screwworm cases have continued to gradually rise. As of July 22, 42 reported cases in cows, sheep, goats, and dogs have expanded throughout New Mexico and Texas – 41 of those reported in the Lone Star State. NWS are the larvae of the parasitic NWS fly, which burrows and eats the living flesh of warm-blooded animals. Screwworm flies lay eggs in the open wounds of animals, and the eggs hatch into maggots that “screw into” and feed on healthy tissue. Most commonly, the NWS is spread to livestock, pets, and wildlife. Infestations can cause serious and deadly injury to animals if untreated.

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Infestations are highly treatable, as long as ranchers and farmers recognize signs early on and treat infested animals with medication. Anyone who notices an animal they suspect to have an NWS infection can report it to the USDA. The NWS outbreak is not a food safety issue, as NWS burrow only in the living flesh of animals. The NWS was largely eradicated from the U.S. in 1966, according to the USDA, through intense sterile fly programs. The sterile insect technique (SIT) involves breeding and introducing sterile NWS flies to known populations to slow reproduction and contain the spread. The program was extremely effective in the Sixties, but costly for ranchers and the state agencies that spearheaded it. NWS returned in 1976 in an isolated outbreak across Texas. SIT once again contained the infestation, but it put significant financial pressure on ranchers and farmers.

Sister Letty delivers statement following June ICE detainment

A crowd of parishioners gathered at a set of tables inside the conference room at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church Thursday morning. Just before 10 a.m., they began to applaud in support as Sister Leticia “Letty” Ugboaja entered the room. Ugboaja took a seat at a table in the center of the room, sitting between Sister Norma Pimentel and her attorney Carlos Moctezuma Garcia. The occasion marked Ugboaja’s first public appearance since she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while walking to Mass on the morning of June 28.

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Garcia addressed the crowd of supporters and local media, informing everyone that Ugboaja would be reading a statement and would not be taking questions. “Good morning, everyone, and welcome,” she said. “It’s my pleasure to speak after all these weeks, days of stress, of anxiety, of fear. But according to the scriptures, ‘Do not be afraid, because I am with you always.’” As she continued reading her statement, she shared some details of her experience with ICE agents on the morning when she was detained. She said that she was stopped right outside the Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School. “Honestly, in that moment, I did not understand what was going on, what was happening to me, because I was busy reflecting on the readings of the Mass that very day,” she recalled. “I was very much afraid, with cold sweat. I can just hear my heart very tachycardic.” Ugboaja is originally from Nigeria, but she has been a community member for over a decade. While devoting her time to her religious services, she has spent many years working at different hospitals as well.

Former WilCo sheriff, attorney demand $35M settlement in new civil lawsuit

The legal battle over the death of Javier Ambler is taking another turn. Just days after the felony case against former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and former County Attorney Jason Nassour was dismissed, they are now demanding $35 million from Williamson County to settle a new civil lawsuit. What they're saying: "This is one of the worst malicious prosecution cases that we've come across," Chody & Nassour’s attorney, Ryan Johnson, said. Chody and Nassour faced felony charges for tampering with evidence.

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Prosecutors accused them of allowing producers for the reality TV show "Live PD" to destroy raw video of the March 2019 in custody death of Javier Ambler. It was later revealed Chody and Nassour never possessed or controlled the video and the footage had never been legally obtained before it was erased. The defense argued that is because prosecutors failed to use the proper legal process to obtain it. Former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and attorney Jason Nassour have filed a civil lawsuit against Travis and Williamson counties and their district attorneys, alleging malicious prosecution after evidence-tampering charges related to missing Live PD footage from the 2019 death of Javier Ambler were dropped. "They basically failed what a first-year law student would understand how to do and so that's embarrassing, and they tried to blame the county attorney, and they tried to blame a sheriff for doing their job and ultimately, it didn't hold up, and their case fell apart as it should," Johnson said. About a week-and-a-half ago. A judge dismissed all charges with prejudice. "When the charges were dismissed, I think that the main feeling was relief, some vindication, but they want to hold these people responsible because not only did they ruin their lives, they wasted millions of dollars in taxpayer money on a case that had absolutely no foundation," Johnson said.

Conroe City Council backs Flock cameras despite residents' opposition

The Conroe City Council unanimously shelved two proposals Thursday that would have reviewed or reconsidered the city's use of Flock Safety license plate cameras, signaling strong support for the technology despite growing public opposition. Newly elected Council Member Kristin Hoisington called an effort to remove the cameras an “anti-police campaign.” “Over the last few days, it has become abundantly clear that this is no longer about creating reasonable policy; it’s being perpetuated by bad actors and performative agitators. In my opinion, it is an anti-police campaign,” Hoisington said.

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“Its sole objective is to harass public servants and target families, stir up online outrage and suggest action that endangers those who serve the community.” Hoisington said she, along with fellow council members, has received “troubling” phone calls regarding the issue and said she would not put other community members in that position. She, along with Mayor Pro Tem John Sellars, brought forward an item to create a committee to study the cameras and their use in the community for council discussion. Hoisington asked the council to table the item indefinitely. The council agreed unanimously. The committee proposal was intended to examine how the city uses Flock Safety's automated license plate reader cameras amid growing public concern over privacy and surveillance. Opponents argue the cameras collect more information than the city has acknowledged, while city officials maintain the technology is a crime-fighting tool that records license plate numbers and vehicle characteristics — not people — and does not use facial recognition. Thursday's vote effectively halted efforts to further review the program or reconsider its future.

Southwest Airlines under fire after viral ICE airport arrest video

A viral video showing Department of Homeland Security officers detaining a woman as she attempted to board a Southwest Airlines flight at Denver International Airport has prompted criticism of the Texas-based airline on social media. The video, posted Tuesday on Instagram, shows 27-year-old Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas of Ecuador being detained by plainclothes Department of Homeland Security officers while attempting to board a flight from Denver to Oakland. In a statement, DHS said Morales Rojas entered the United States on a visa that allowed her to work as an au pair through Jan. 4, 2025, but remained in the country after it expired "in violation of our nation's laws." The footage quickly spread across social media, where many users criticized Southwest Airlines, accusing the carrier of helping facilitate the arrest. Some commenters said they planned to boycott the airline or cancel upcoming flights.

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"I fly southwest for my commute and actually looking at my app right now to cancel all further flights. This is AWFUL," @jennifa_o_jenny wrote. "@southwestair I was looking at tickets last night with y’all. Glad I didn’t buy, taking my family trip business elsewhere," @frisco_lens added. Others criticized Southwest employees' actions during the incident, arguing they should not have assisted law enforcement officers. "Wow @southwestair you really threatened passengers to remove them from flights?!! That agent needs to be fired," @nuwing wrote. "I will never fly @southwestair ever again. Your employees don’t need to stand in the way but they sure as hell don’t need to assist," added @teep85. Southwest Airlines said it did not inform DHS officials about Morales Rojas' immigration status, CBS reported. However, the airline said the Transportation Security Administration and DHS have access to passenger information as part of the federal security screening process. Denver International Airport told CBS that "a number of federal agencies lawfully operate and have jurisdiction at DEN. As such, they are not required to inform the airport of their activity." Southwest Airlines also said that it has "provided guidance to its employees to help ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement agencies prior to interactions in the gate areas."

TMPA warns of legal action against Mission regarding police chief

Mission could be hit with a lawsuit for failing to address “serious concerns” against Police Chief Cesar Torres, according to the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA). “TMPA prefers professional dialogue over litigation, but we are prepared to use whatever legal measures are necessary to protect our members and hold failed leadership accountable,” read a letter written by Kevin Lawrence, the association’s executive director. Lawrence said he submitted the letter to the mayor and city council on June 30, with the document noting he was denied the opportunity to voice concerns during a regular meeting on June 23.

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And on Monday, Lawrence said that his only statement regarding the letter was that he has not heard from the city since then, despite submitting it in person and through emails. “They have not responded at all,” Lawrence said. “I hand delivered that letter to city hall and I emailed it to every one of them — to their city email addresses — so I feel very confident they received them so they’ve chosen not to respond.” As for Mission, the city said in a statement Tuesday it received Lawrence’s letter, both in person and electronically, and has reviewed its contents. “As with any correspondence of this nature, the City handles such matters through the appropriate administrative and legal processes,” the statement read. “Because this involves personnel-related issues, the City has no further comment at this time.” Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza echoed similar sentiments Tuesday, also confirming they received the letter and that it’s being reviewed by their attorney. “I am expecting a response from the attorney to Mr. Lawrence so I think that would be the proper thing to do,” she said. “I have not seen what’s been drafted, I couldn’t tell you what the comments are gonna be, but it is being reviewed.” As for Torres, he didn’t immediately respond to repeated requests for comment, including an in-person request from a reporter following a city council workshop Tuesday afternoon. In the letter, Lawrence told the council if he had been allowed to speak, he would’ve reminded them that the TMPA raised concerns regarding Torres before he was hired. “We believe the City either failed to fully vet him or chose to ignore his prior misconduct,” the letter stated. When asked why Lawrence wasn’t able to speak during the June 23 meeting, the city said it “follows established City Council procedures that provide members of the public an opportunity to address the Council on agenda items during the designated public comment period.” “The individual referenced sought to speak on a matter that was not listed on the posted agenda,” the city’s statement continued. “The City’s procedures were applied consistently in accordance with the Council’s established rules for public participation.”

San Antonio city attorney suggests mayor’s plan to end Ready to Work early may run afoul of state law

City Attorney Andy Segovia has responded to Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ latest idea to plug San Antonio’s $158 million budget gap, saying that asking voters to redirect funds from the Ready to Work program comes with significant limitations. The mayor made waves earlier this week when she floated the idea that ending the taxpayer-funded workforce development program early could divert up to $100 million of its collected funds to the city’s general fund. On Thursday, the city attorney advised council members that there could be strict limits on how Ready to Work funds can be used, according to a city memo obtained by the San Antonio Report. In the memo sent to the mayor and City Council, Segovia said Ready to Work funds are restricted under Texas’ Better Jobs Act.

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State law allows the funds to be used for a specific purpose, he noted, related to developing a skilled workforce. That includes literacy and education — the memo mentions scholarships, secondary schools and after school programs as examples. Using it for unrelated purposes, like drainage or street improvements, wouldn’t be consistent with state law, according to the memo. Jones mentioned infrastructure improvements as a more pressing need in an interview with Texas Public Radio’s “The Source” on Monday. In her memo to council members on Tuesday, however, the mayor only pointed to high priority projects in the city’s general fund or 2027 bond as possible landing places for the money. Jones urged council members to consider putting the issue to voters as soon as the November ballot — and on Thursday, she didn’t seem to take Segovia’s response as a “no.”

Austin City Council set to approve outside firm to audit city operations

Austin’s first citywide efficiency audit is poised to move forward July 30, when City Council is expected to approve the selection of an independent firm to evaluate operations across all city departments. Pennsylvania-based public policy consulting firm Public Works LLC submitted the winning proposal, one of 25 bids received to perform a comprehensive assessment of all city departments. The proposed contract comes as Council also prepares to consider an initiative petition brought by conservative watchdog Save Austin Now PAC, which would require regular performance audits of city operations, potentially putting the issue of government accountability before voters this November.

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The group collected more than the required 20,000 signatures to qualify the proposed charter amendment for the November ballot. Council must either place the measure on the November ballot or adopt it outright. It’s unclear how the city will proceed should voters approve the charter amendment while a separate assessment by Public Works gets underway. Council Member Marc Duchen, who unsuccessfully proposed an efficiency audit last year in response to a looming budget deficit, said the ordinance Council passed in February to create the Comprehensive Efficiency Assessment Program is not that far apart from what Save Austin Now’s initiative seeks to accomplish with a charter amendment. Mayor Kirk Watson brought forward the February ordinance to restore public trust in Council and the city as a whole. The PAC launched its petition drive after voters last year soundly rejected the city’s Proposition Q, which would have increased the property tax rate by more than 20%, resulting in the average Austin property owner paying an additional $200 a year.

National Stories

Mortgage rates hit highest levels in nearly a year

Mortgage rates rose to their highest level in almost a year, as rising tensions in the Middle East spurred fears of higher inflation. The 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.58% this week, up from 6.55% the week prior, according to Freddie Mac, the highest level to date this year. Mortgage rates are closely tied to the 10-year Treasury yield, which hit an 18-month high Thursday due to rising oil prices. Yemen’s Houthi militants claimed attacks on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, promising to further constrict oil supply. The move sent oil prices past $100 a barrel Thursday. “Given what’s happened in just recent days with the 10-year Treasury, I think mortgage rates will get closer to 7% in the coming weeks,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist at First American.

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Mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% in February, sparking hope for a rebound in home sales following years of stagnation. But the beginning of the Iran war drove rates upward and they have remained volatile since. The surge in mortgage rates comes at the worst possible time. The real-estate industry had been hoping this year’s spring selling season, typically the busiest period of the year, would shake the frozen market loose. Instead, it was largely a bust, with buyers spooked by higher rates and uncertain about the path of the economy and job market. Earlier this month, the National Association of Realtors said sales of existing homes slid 2.4% in June over the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million, well below expectations. The housing market has been stuck in what is now a four-year slump after the rise in mortgage rates in 2022 concluded a pandemic-era buying frenzy.

Satellite images show Iran is rebuilding. Fast.

Iran has quickly rebuilt infrastructure damaged during the U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign over recent months, from missile bases nestled deep inside mountains to bridges, ports and production facilities, according to Israeli and Western officials and a review of satellite imagery. The faster-than-expected progress worries some Israeli officials. It helps explain Iran’s continued resilience despite an air campaign that involved more than 20,000 strikes at the height of the war and that continues along Iran’s coast in an effort to break Tehran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz. Near Kangavar, in western Iran, satellite imagery from Planet Labs in March showed two tunnel entrances and an access road damaged by airstrikes aimed at blocking access to an Iranian missile base. Within weeks, imagery from Airbus revealed a neatly paved road leading to freshly excavated entrances.

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In another case, an Israeli military official said Iran repaired a bridge that Israel had struck with three bombs within days, surprising Israeli officials and prompting them to question the effectiveness of their targeting. Planet Labs satellite images from the beginning of July also showed partial reconstruction efforts at a shipyard in the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea that is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the paramilitary group tasked with defending the regime. Israel said it hit dozens of targets there in March, including warships, the port, a command center and a shipyard used to repair and maintain vessels, aiming at a Russia-Iran supply line and calling it one of its most significant attacks of the war. Ran Kochav, a former commander of Israel’s air and missile defense forces, said the rapid recovery is consistent with skills Iran demonstrated in rebuilding its infrastructure and missile stockpile after the 12-day Israel-Iran war last June, before the new war began in February. “They refilled their stockpiles,” he said. “They have very impressive industrialization and reconstruction capabilities.”

‘Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway’ signs face backlash from Vietnam veterans

Vietnam veterans in Sumner County, Tenn., are objecting to official signs honoring the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk that have appeared on a stretch of a state highway that has been designated Vietnam Veterans Boulevard since 1987. The signs, which say “Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway,” appeared on State Route 386 in Sumner County, north of Nashville, last month to the surprise of a number of Vietnam veterans who live in the area. “We woke up to find that there were signs placed on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard,” said David Black, 78, a Vietnam veteran and professor at Vanderbilt University, “and that road has been designated as a memorial to Vietnam veterans for over four decades.” Barry Rice, 80, president of the Tennessee State Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said “many of our veterans are very supportive of some memorial somewhere for Charlie Kirk.”

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“But,” he added, “not on our Vietnam Veterans Boulevard.” Representative Johnny Garrett, a Republican who represents Sumner County in the Tennessee General Assembly, proposed a memorial designation for State Route 386 honoring Mr. Kirk in March. “This past year I was approached by several constituents who wished to find a way to honor Charlie Kirk for the life he lived defending the freedom of speech and inspiring an entire generation of young people to stand up for the freedoms and Christian values that our nation was built on,” Mr. Garrett said in an email. Mr. Garrett said he chose the location “because it is the main entrance to Sumner County from Nashville.” Vietnam veterans in Sumner County were “totally blindsided” by the move, according to Dr. Black, a Marine Corps veteran who said “no one from the Legislature reached out to us.”

Government withdraws subpoenas of 3 reporters for The New York Times

Criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the government on Thursday grudgingly withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about President Donald Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. The withdrawals in U.S. District Court followed a remarkable back-and-forth between a visibly irritated Judge Arun Subramanian and government lawyers. They come at a time when the Trump administration is vigorously going after news organizations whose reporting and coverage it doesn’t like — and also trying to crack down on leaks inside the government. The government’s turnabout in the face of vigorous legal opposition and a stern reprimand from a judge marked the latest instance of the Justice Department making aggressive moves to compel journalists to identify their sources before a grand jury — only to later retreat.

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The administration recently withdrew similar subpoenas that sought to compel testimony from journalists for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal related to separate national security coverage. Subramanian said he otherwise would have granted the newspaper’s request to reject the subpoenas because regulations pertaining to subpoenas served on journalists maintain that they should be issued as a last resort in an investigation. “Subpoenas are the last step, not the first step, but the last step,” the judge said, citing rules set to protect against violations of the First Amendment. He said the government’s actions had turned the law and the regulations “on its head.” “When you see something like this, if this were a civil proceeding, what I would normally do is ask the parties to show causes why sanctions should not be issued,” the judge said, referencing punishment for lawyers for egregious actions. After the hearing, the Justice Department lashed out at Subramanian in a statement, saying he “threatened our attorneys with sanctions unless subpoenas were withdrawn, and blocked us from presenting the meticulous process of this investigation.”

Number of U.S. troop deaths in Iran war appears lower on Pentagon website

On Wednesday, the Pentagon reported on its casualties website that a total of 18 American service members had been killed during the war in Iran. By Thursday, the Defense Department had lowered that number, reporting that 14 American troops had been killed in the war. Three military officials said that one reason behind the change was that the Trump administration decided to remove four service members killed this past weekend from the list — three in Jordan and one in northern Iraq — because their deaths occurred after President Trump declared a cease-fire in the war in April. The officials described sensitive internal discussions on the condition of anonymity. The acting press secretary for the Pentagon, Joel Valdez, attributed the change instead to “temporary data disruptions” on the website that he suggested would be quickly fixed.

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Since the cease-fire collapsed, the Pentagon has provided little information about the American military strategy and has been slow to release information about troops’ injuries. The last major Pentagon briefing on the war was in early May. The Defense Department has said that disclosing Iranian strikes on bases where U.S. troops are housed would compromise operational security. The Pentagon withheld information about three Iranian strikes last week in Jordan that injured dozens of U.S. service members and damaged several helicopters, according to several U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters. After an Iranian strike in Jordan on Friday killed three soldiers, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, acknowledged that the number of U.S. military casualties since July 7 had risen to nearly 100. Defense Department officials say they are bound by law to report troop deaths, but not injuries. Critics, including Democratic senators, say the Trump administration is obligated to inform the public about the conduct of the war.

Mike Johnson is ‘sick of this sh*t’ (but sorry he said so)

Speaker Mike Johnson was at his wit’s end. For months, he had been dealing with one rebellion after another, and now members were about to tank a bipartisan veterans bill. The House was scheduled to quickly approve the bill that Thursday morning and head out for the weekend. Trying to salvage another priority for his party, Johnson brought a handful of members, including those threatening to block the bill, into his “ceremonial room” across from the House chamber. Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), who opposed the bill, and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), who supported it, started yelling at each other. Luna then pointed her anger toward Johnson. Fed up, the speaker snapped and replied, “I’m sick of this shit,” according to multiple sources in the room.

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Witnesses were shocked that the typically even-keeled Johnson had lost his cool. Almost immediately, he apologized to Luna for his outburst. He then walked over to the elementary-school-aged son of Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colorado), who had witnessed the interaction, and got down on one knee and apologized for cursing in front of him, the sources said. Johnson left the room and did what he’s been forced to do repeatedly this Congress: pull the bill because a few Republicans wouldn’t agree to vote for it. NOTUS spoke with more than a dozen lawmakers and aides for a broader view of how the speaker’s daily crises — often brought about by his own members — continue to derail his party’s agenda. Most rank-and-file Republican members are upset with the handful who regularly make the House look like a hot mess. Some lawmakers refuse to be team players, and the incentive structure that rewards them makes governing impossible, they say. (Proposals that would punish those who step out of line are even being considered, sources told NOTUS.)

Trump returns to White House correspondents' dinner after April attack halted gala

U.S. President Donald Trump will address the White House Correspondents' Association at a rescheduled dinner on Friday, nearly three months after a shooting at ?the Washington Hilton hotel interrupted the event. The black-tie gathering of journalists, politicians and administration officials was called off ?on April 25 after a man tried to force his way through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the ballroom where Trump and members of his cabinet were taking their seats. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. The suspect, Cole Allen, pleaded not guilty in May to charges including attempting to assassinate the president.

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The dinner has been moved ?to the Waldorf Astoria hotel and will take place under heightened security. Secret Service Director Sean Curran told reporters Wednesday ?that an advance team was implementing a comprehensive security plan at the hotel. “We do expect bad people to ?show up," Curran said. "It's just a reality of where we are, but we're treating it no differently than any other site ?that the president goes to.” Trump has said the shooting in April showed the need for a $400 million ballroom being built at the White ?House, saying that holding such events there would increase the president's security. Friday's dinner will honor Secret Service officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom in April and credited with stopping the attack. He was wearing a protective vest and was the only person injured ?that night. Washington Hilton staff who assisted guests will also be recognized, the WHCA said.

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