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Senate Republicans Face Tight Timeline as Mike Lee Pushes to Extend Work on SAVE America Act
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) criticized Senate Republican leadership for the limited legislative calendar and urged lawmakers to work through weekends and recesses to advance the SAVE America Act. Congress has only about eight legislative days left in the House and 20 in the Senate before the next scheduled recess. The bill, which has passed the House, requires proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in federal elections and mandates photo voter ID at the polls. Lee argued that Congress controls its schedule and should treat election security as a priority by debating the measure until it passes, noting its broad public support and alignment with voter demands. He appeared on Fox News to make the case shortly after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who had discussed the legislation with President Trump.
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Trump Urges Senate Passage of Clarity Act to Counter China in Crypto Race
President Donald Trump called on the Senate to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act as lawmakers returned to Washington on July 13, framing the legislation as essential to maintaining U.S. leadership against China and other competitors in digital assets and artificial intelligence. The bill, which cleared the House last July by a 294-134 vote and advanced from the Senate Banking Committee in May on a 15-9 bipartisan tally, aims to establish clear federal rules by assigning primary oversight of most digital commodities to the CFTC while the SEC retains authority over investment-contract assets. With roughly four weeks before the August recess, the merged Senate text from the Banking and Agriculture committees is expected soon, though hurdles remain around ethics provisions tied to government officialsâ crypto holdings, protections for non-custodial developers, and securing the 60 votes needed for floor passage. Trump highlighted the late Sen. Lindsey Grahamâs support in his Truth Social post, while White House adviser Patrick Witt stressed the urgency coinciding with the GENIUS Actâs anniversary.
Conservatives Push Congress for Constitutional Amendment to Lock Supreme Court at Nine Justices
A coalition of more than 50 conservative and legal organizations sent a letter to Congress urging passage of the Keep Nine constitutional amendment to fix the number of Supreme Court justices at nine. The Supreme Court has maintained this size since 1869, though the Constitution does not specify the number. Left-leaning groups and some Democrats have pushed to expand the court to 13 justices in response to its current 6-3 conservative majority. The letter warns that court packing would politicize the judiciary and undermine its legitimacy and independence, leading to retaliatory moves by whichever party holds power. It highlights bipartisan rejection of President Franklin Rooseveltâs 1930s court-packing attempt and notes past statements from Joe Biden opposing the idea. Signatories include leaders from Advancing American Freedom, the Liberty Justice Center, the John Locke Foundation, Americans for Limited Government, and the Independent Womenâs Law Center, along with former Sen. Rick Santorum. The effort aims to start the amendment process via a congressional resolution to protect the courtâs role as a check on government power.
Trump Recommends Lindsey Graham Sister For Interim Senate Seat
President Donald Trump recommended that South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appoint Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to serve out the remainder of Grahamâs Senate term. Graham, 71, died unexpectedly on July 11, 2026, from an aortic dissection. Nordone, whom Graham raised and adopted after their parents died when she was young, has been a close family member and part of his inner circle. The appointment would cover the unexpired portion of the term until January 2027 ahead of a special election process with filing opening July 21 and a primary on August 11. Trump described the move as a fitting tribute to Graham, who had secured the Republican nomination for reelection. Governor McMaster planned to announce his choice at a press conference on July 13.
Nancy Mace Considers Senate Run in South Carolina After Lindsey Graham Death
Rep. Nancy Mace is strongly considering a bid for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Lindsey Grahamâs sudden death on July 11, 2026. Graham, 71, passed away from a brief and sudden illness shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine, with preliminary reports citing an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster will appoint an interim replacement to serve until January, while state law triggers a compressed special GOP primary process with candidate filing opening July 21 and a primary expected by August 11. The winner will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews in November. Mace, who finished fifth in the recent Republican gubernatorial primary and previously challenged Graham unsuccessfully in the 2014 Senate primary, posted a Godfather reference on social media hinting at her interest and plans to field a poll to gauge viability. Other potential contenders include Rep. Ralph Norman and South Carolina Governor and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
Washington State Officials Ignore Empty Daycares Raking in Taxpayer Cash
Washington state officials declined to pursue investigations into daycare providers that received substantial taxpayer subsidies despite evidence from reporters indicating little or no children were present at several locations. A West Seattle address received over $229,000 in subsidies from July 2025 to March 2026, yet residents there stated repeatedly that no daycare operated at the property and never had. Similar patterns emerged at other home-based providers, including one in Federal Way that took in $223,247 over nine months, where reporters encountered resistance, including a call to police. The Center Square visited roughly three dozen such providers over six months and found few signs of active childcare. A state audit identified an estimated $37 million in questionable childcare subsidy payments due to weak prepayment controls, but state officials including Attorney General Nick Brown and Auditor Pat McCarthy have not launched targeted fraud probes. Instead, responses focused on criticizing journalists for door-knocking while directing any concerns to other agencies without committing to enforcement actions.
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Smithsonian Displays Trans Child Diary and Sexual Items in American History Exhibits
The Trump administrationâs White House report criticized the Smithsonian Institutionâs National Museum of American History for including sexually suggestive and activist materials in its exhibits. These items featured a rubber crotch harness designed for sadomasochism, a chest binder belonging to a trans nonbinary skateboarder, and pages from a six-year-old girlâs diary in which she expressed fear of developing breasts and prayed nightly for a penis to grow. The report highlighted these as examples of the museum straying from objective historical education toward ideological activism that promotes gender fluidity and inappropriate content for family audiences, especially amid broader concerns about exhibits framing American history through lenses of oppression and identity politics rather than shared national achievements.
Mamdani Affordability Push Fails To Curb NYC Market Rent Surge
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his allies promoted an affordability agenda featuring rent freezes for stabilized units and other interventions. Market-rate rents in the NYC metro area nevertheless climbed to fresh record highs in June 2026. Manhattan median rent reached $5,295, an 8 percent increase from the prior year, while Brooklyn hit $4,350, also up 8 percent. Vacancy rates tightened further with Manhattan at 1.49 percent, listings dropped sharply, and competition intensified as available apartments rented faster. City Comptroller Mark Levine described the broader housing situation as a crisis requiring more supply-side action.
Ivy League Trustees Heavily Favor Democrats in Registration and Donations
A study from the Buckley Institute examined the political affiliations and giving patterns of Ivy League university trustees. Researchers identified 233 trustees across the eight schools and found that 155, or about 67 percent, are registered Democrats while only 26, or 11 percent, are registered Republicans for a roughly six-to-one ratio. Yale stood out with no Republican trustees on its governing board. Trustees overall directed $85.5 million in political donations to Democratic candidates and causes compared to $22.4 million for Republicans. Yale trustees showed the widest gap by contributing to Democrats at a 50-to-one rate. Brown and Dartmouth also had very low Republican representation on their boards, while the University of Pennsylvania had the highest share among the Ivies at about 26 percent.
Feminist Historian Loses Tufts Position After Book Scrutiny
Kerri K. Greenidge, a tenured associate professor in Tufts Universityâs Department of Studies in Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora, is no longer employed by the university. Scholars raised concerns about factual errors, misleading details, and citation problems in her 2022 book âThe Grimkes,â which examined a slaveholding family and its abolitionist connections. The book initially received acclaim, including placement on Publishers Weeklyâs top books list and the American Historical Associationâs Joan Kelly Memorial Prize for womenâs history and feminist theory. A university review identified multiple issues of fact and citation. Publisher W.W. Norton removed the book from its website. Greenidge acknowledged some misattributed citations but denied fabrication or plagiarism and attributed the criticism to attacks on Black women academics. Tufts stated the external peer review was fair and objective.
Charlottesville Lee Statue Bronze Reshaped Into African Baobab Monument
The bronze from Charlottesvilleâs former Robert E. Lee statue, removed in 2021 and melted down in 2023, will form the core of a new public artwork called âRooted.â A community group known as Swords Into Plowshares selected the design by Boston-based Model of Architecture Serving Society in partnership with sculptor Dana King following a ranked-choice survey of nearly 1,000 residents. The winning concept features a 27-foot bronze baobab tree, a pan-African symbol of wisdom, longevity, and interconnection, as the centerpiece of a redesigned Market Street Park with seasonal gardens, brick gathering spaces, and pillars. The announcement came on the fifth anniversary of the statueâs removal. Project leaders described the effort as transforming a symbol of division into one of shared values and reckoning.
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Trump Announces U.S. Guardianship of Strait of Hormuz with Iranian Blockade Reinstated
President Donald Trump stated on July 13 that the United States will assume control as the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz. He announced the reinstatement of a blockade targeting Iranian ships and their customers while ensuring fair access for other nations. Trump proposed that the U.S. receive reimbursement at a rate of 20 percent on cargo value from wealthy nations benefiting from the secured waterway. This follows recent U.S. strikes on Iranian targets to degrade their ability to threaten shipping and comes amid ongoing tit-for-tat exchanges that have disrupted the vital oil transit route since the conflict began in late February. Markets showed modest reactions with Brent crude edging higher and U.S. gas prices rising slightly. Iran maintains its claim to manage the strait.
UK Designates Iranian IRGC as Terrorist Organization Over Attacks on Jewish Sites
The United Kingdom government designated Iranâs Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under new national security powers on July 13, 2026. Security Minister Angela Eagle stated that authorities identified IRGC-linked activity involving threats to life and intimidation on UK soil. Officials also targeted the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, which claimed responsibility for seven arson and vandalism attacks on Jewish sites in Britain and operated under direction from the IRGCâs Quds Force. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the measures alongside designation of a Russian GRU-linked group. Supporting or assisting the designated organizations now carries criminal penalties of up to 14 years in prison. The action responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents following the October 7, 2023, attacks and specific plots against Jewish communities and Iranian dissidents.
British MP Warns of Fabian Society Influence on UK Shift to Socialism
British MP Rupert Lowe recently appeared on Joe Roganâs podcast and highlighted the Fabian Society as a long-standing organization deeply embedded in the Labour Party that has shaped Britainâs gradual move toward socialism over more than a century. Founded in 1884 as a reaction to Marxist ideas, the group promoted incremental social and economic changes rather than violent revolution, with early members including George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells endorsing concepts such as eugenics that later fell out of favor. Its emblem features a wolf in sheepâs clothing, which Lowe cited as symbolic of its stealthy approach to building dependency and reshaping society through policy influence. Lowe, who leads Restore Britain, argued that the societyâs ideas continue to run through Labourâs veins, contributing to current challenges like welfare expansion and cultural shifts, even as critics dismiss the concerns as overstated conspiracy theories. The remarks come amid broader debates over Labourâs direction under Keir Starmer and ongoing questions about the balance between progressive reforms and national identity.
Macron Warns of Resurgent Antisemitism During Dreyfus Honor Ceremony
French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated a statue of Captain Alfred Dreyfus on July 12, 2026, marking the first national day commemorating the 120th anniversary of Dreyfusâs exoneration by Franceâs highest court. Macron highlighted the resurgence of antisemitism in France, calling for constant vigilance against acts that target people for who they are and referencing the old demons that have persisted in the country. The event took place near the Court of Cassation on Ăle de la CitĂŠ, where Dreyfus was cleared in 1906 after his wrongful 1894 treason conviction exposed deep anti-Jewish bias in French institutions. Dreyfusâs 99-year-old grandson attended, noting the sadness of seeing antisemitism return with virulence. A suspicious vehicle near a synagogue in a Paris suburb with a large Jewish population prompted a terrorism investigation just before the ceremony. France has recorded a surge in antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
Brazil Amazon Deforestation Drops to Lowest Level in Over a Decade
Deforestation in Brazilâs Amazon rainforest fell sharply in the first half of 2026. Satellite data from the National Institute for Space Research showed only 1,295 square kilometers cleared from January to June. This marks a 37 to 38 percent drop from the same period the previous year and the lowest level since 2014 or 2016, depending on the metric. Officials and environmental groups credited government enforcement actions against illegal logging and other crimes. The decline continues a trend since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to office after higher rates under his predecessor. The Amazon remains a key climate regulator. Lula has pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030.
