Republican Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson shared 11 text messages from Dr. Anthony Fauci's phone related to COVID-19 vaccines and pregnant women. These texts are part of a larger collection of over 34,000 messages from 2021.
Key Facts
The text messages come from Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading U.S. infectious disease expert.
GOP Senators Rand Paul and Ron Johnson released 11 messages publicly.
The texts discuss COVID-19 vaccines and their effects on pregnant women.
The messages are from the year 2021.
These 11 texts are part of a much larger group, totaling more than 34,000 messages.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert, provided additional context on the topic.
The release was reported by CBS News and included video commentary.
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Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is very close to Democrat Mary Peltola in the 2026 Alaska Senate race, according to a new poll. Alaska uses ranked choice voting, and recent surveys show a tight race with neither candidate having a clear lead.
Key Facts
Senator Dan Sullivan is a Republican running for re-election, first elected in 2015.
Mary Peltola, a Democrat, previously served Alaska’s at-large congressional district from 2022 to 2025.
Alaska uses ranked choice voting, where voters rank candidates and lower-ranked candidates are eliminated until one wins more than 50%.
A recent poll showed Peltola at 50.8% and Sullivan at 49.2% in the final round of ranked choice voting, within the margin of error.
Another poll showed Sullivan slightly ahead in the initial round with 47% and Peltola at 45%.
Alaska is usually a solid Republican state but Democrats see a chance to win due to Peltola’s strong performance and changing voter trends.
Political analysts classify the race as a toss-up, meaning it's very competitive with no clear favorite.
President Donald Trump won Alaska by 13 points in 2024, but Peltola performed well against this backdrop.
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The Trump administration finalized a rule that stops federal Medicaid money from being used for transgender healthcare for minors. This rule also prevents the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from covering gender-affirming treatments for children.
Key Facts
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the final rule.
The rule blocks federal Medicaid funds from paying for transgender healthcare for minors.
It also stops CHIP plans from covering gender-affirming procedures for minors.
The rule affects healthcare coverage related to gender transition for children under Medicaid and CHIP.
This change was made during President Donald Trump’s administration.
The rule specifically targets federal funding, not private insurance.
It applies to medical treatments that affirm a child's identified gender.
The rule aims to change which healthcare services can be paid for using government programs for minors.
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Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson are in a close race for Georgia governor. Recent polls show Bottoms with a slight lead, but the difference is small enough that the race could go either way.
Key Facts
Georgia’s current Republican Governor Brian Kemp cannot run again because of term limits.
Bottoms could become the first Democratic Georgia governor since 1998 if she wins.
Bottoms won the Democratic primary with over 56% of the vote.
Jackson, a healthcare business executive, won the Republican nomination with 53% in a runoff.
President Donald Trump endorsed Jackson in July 2024.
Georgia is a political battleground state with a mix of Republican and Democratic support.
Polls show Bottoms leading narrowly but within a margin of error, meaning the race is very close.
The Cook Political Report lists the race as a "toss up" with a slight Republican edge in voter tendency.
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Democrats are increasing their efforts to win the Ohio 7th Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Rep. Max Miller. Despite Miller winning the district by a large margin in 2024, Democratic groups support candidate Brian Poindexter, who leads Miller in recent polling and has gained backing from major Democratic organizations.
Key Facts
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) holds Ohio’s 7th District, which President Trump won by over 11 points in 2024.
Democrats now view Miller as vulnerable and are investing significant resources to defeat him.
The Blue Dog Action Fund spent nearly $200,000 supporting Poindexter in the Democratic primary.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) added Poindexter to its "Red to Blue" program, offering strong support to competitive Democratic candidates.
A recent poll showed Poindexter leading Miller by 8 points, with a margin of error of 3.7%.
Miller denies allegations of domestic abuse, which Republicans have pressured him to address.
Democratic groups including House Majority PAC and the Working Families Party are committed to helping Poindexter win.
Miller and Republican groups remain confident he will win re-election despite Democratic challenges.
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The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a major Republican political action committee, is adding $6 million to its spending in Michigan to support Republican Mike Rogers and attack Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. This is part of a larger $12 million investment this month aimed at protecting the Republican Senate majority.
Key Facts
SLF is spending an extra $6 million on TV and digital ads in Michigan.
The spending targets Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed and supports Republican Mike Rogers.
This brings SLF’s total spending in Michigan to $51 million this election cycle.
Republicans prefer El-Sayed as an opponent over Democrat Haley Stevens, believing he is easier to beat.
SLF added $2 million in Alaska to support Republican Senator Dan Sullivan’s reelection.
SLF plans to spend another $4 million in Iowa to help Republican Ashley Hinson’s Senate campaign.
The new $12 million spending is on top of $342 million SLF already committed, totaling $354 million for the election cycle.
SLF’s communications director said the spending aims to define “Far-Left Democrats backed by Chuck Schumer” early in the race.
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A federal judge in Boston paused a part of President Trump's order that limited mail-in voting rules. This stop means the U.S. Postal Service cannot refuse to deliver ballots nationwide as Trump had directed.
Key Facts
A judge in Boston issued a temporary block on part of President Trump's executive order.
The order aimed to restrict mail-in voting by changing how the U.S. Postal Service delivers ballots.
Trump's order would have let the Postal Service refuse to deliver ballots to states not cooperating on voting rules.
The administration accused some states of having many votes cast by non-citizens.
The judge's ruling stops this policy from starting across the entire country.
This is part of Trump's broader effort to change mail-in voting procedures.
The case is ongoing, and updates may follow as the story develops.
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Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma plan to carry out executions on the same day, marking the first time in nearly 16 years that three states have done so simultaneously. The schedule highlights ongoing challenges and discussions about lethal injection procedures used in the death penalty.
Key Facts
Three states (Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma) will execute inmates on the same day, the first time since January 7, 2010.
Eleven states executed 47 people in 2025, the highest total since 2009.
Florida led with 19 executions in 2025, while Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas each executed five people.
Tennessee previously had a failed execution attempt due to problems inserting an IV for lethal injection.
The recent attempted execution delay was caused by difficulty placing a backup IV line during the procedure.
Executions in the U.S. are now concentrated in a small group of states.
Tennessee’s upcoming execution includes an inmate with serious health problems that may complicate the lethal injection process.
The death penalty remains a subject of practical challenges and public attention because of these issues.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to buy gloves that can deliver electric shocks to control people who resist officers. The gloves, called G.L.O.V.E., are designed to help officers gain compliance quickly and will cost up to $20 million. Civil rights groups are concerned about the potential for misuse of this technology.
Key Facts
ICE plans to purchase thousands of electric shock gloves costing up to $20 million.
The gloves deliver a low-voltage shock when pressed against a person’s skin.
They are called G.L.O.V.E., made by Compliant Technologies LLC in Kentucky.
The gloves work like normal gloves until a button activates the shock.
The shocks are meant to cause immediate, sharp pain to help officers gain control.
The devices have been used by some jails and police departments before.
The manufacturer warns against using the gloves on children, pregnant women, elderly, or disabled people.
Civil rights groups worry ICE officers might use the gloves too quickly or without warning.
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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held a public hearing where civil rights groups and researchers opposed a plan to stop collecting annual workplace demographic data. This data helps track discrimination in jobs, and ending the reports is part of President Donald Trump’s effort to change civil rights enforcement.
Key Facts
The EEOC requires many employers to submit an annual report called the EEO-1, showing the race and gender makeup of their workers.
The proposal to end this data collection has been in place since 1966 and applies to companies with 100 or more employees.
Most speakers at the hearing opposed ending the data collection, saying it helps find discrimination and track progress for workers of color and women.
Six speakers supported the proposal, agreeing with the Trump administration that the data requirement is difficult for companies and may encourage reverse discrimination.
The EEOC voted 2-1 recently to stop collecting these reports, arguing it could push employers toward discriminatory hiring.
Researchers say the EEO-1 data is essential for studying workplace equality and making progress visible.
Civil rights groups warn stopping data collection could hurt efforts to fight racial and gender discrimination.
The proposal is open for public comment until August 24, 2025.
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President Donald Trump secretly changed planes after a Nato summit in Turkey. He left Ankara airport on a smaller military jet instead of the usual presidential plane, Air Force One, while journalists and staff on board Air Force One were unaware he had left.
Key Facts
The event happened after the Nato summit in Turkey in July.
President Trump first boarded Air Force One at Ankara airport.
Then he secretly moved to a smaller C-32A military aircraft, a modified Boeing 757.
The transfer involved using a catering truck lifted to plane level on the opposite side.
Journalists and some White House staff were on Air Force One but told to close window shades.
They did not know the president was no longer on the plane.
The C-32A is often used by the vice president.
The story was reported by the Washington Post and covered by BBC’s State Department correspondent.
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President Donald Trump was secretly moved from Air Force One to a different plane after intelligence reported a credible threat from Iran to kill him. While Trump was hidden and flown separately, over 100 staff and reporters stayed on the original plane unaware of the danger, raising questions about their safety and why the public was misled.
Key Facts
US intelligence reportedly found a real threat from Iran targeting President Trump last month.
Trump left Air Force One hidden inside a catering truck and was flown on a separate plane, a C-32A.
More than 100 aides, officials, and reporters stayed on the original Air Force One, unaware of the threat.
The public and press were told Trump was flying on Air Force One, but this was not true.
Journalists were told to keep window shades closed during the flight to maintain the secret.
Critics question why the passengers on the original plane were kept at risk and why the truth was hidden.
Some officials say the White House lied for weeks instead of informing the press after the event.
President Trump later reunited with the presidential jet in Britain and greeted troops before returning to the US.
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Brittany Boltinhouse was removed as Miss North Carolina USA after organizers said she violated pageant rules but did not explain how. Her lawyer claims the removal was unfair and that her client was targeted because of her Christian faith and conservative views.
Key Facts
Brittany Boltinhouse won Miss North Carolina USA in June and was set to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
She was stripped of her title due to unspecified violations of Miss USA standards over time.
Social media posts from 2017-2019 showed Boltinhouse using the N-word under a different username.
The first runner-up, Myla Hadley, was named the new Miss North Carolina USA.
Miss USA leadership said they do not accept racism or language harming others’ dignity.
Boltinhouse’s lawyer says there is no legal basis for removing her title and believes she was targeted for her religion and politics.
Boltinhouse is a Mormon and identifies as a conservative Christian woman.
Pageant organizers say they clearly explained the reasons to Boltinhouse, but she says they did not give her a clear explanation.
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A federal judge stopped the US Postal Service (USPS) from following part of President Donald Trump’s order that would tighten mail-in voting rules before the November midterm elections. The judge’s decision expands a previous ruling blocking this order in some states and now applies nationwide.
Key Facts
The judge is Indira Talwani, a US district judge in Boston.
The blocked order came from President Donald Trump and aimed to change mail-in voting rules.
The USPS would have required states to give lists of voters and change how ballots are handled.
If states didn’t follow these new rules, USPS could have stopped delivering mail-in ballots.
Voting rights groups asked the judge to stop USPS from applying this order anywhere in the US.
The judge’s ruling expanded a June order that initially blocked the changes in 23 mostly Democratic-led states.
Plaintiffs argued that USPS had no legal right to refuse ballot delivery.
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The Trump administration finalized a rule that stops federal Medicaid money from paying for hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries for transgender youth. States can still use their own money to cover these treatments, and funding for mental health therapy related to gender issues is not affected.
Key Facts
Starting October 13, states cannot use federal Medicaid funds for gender-affirming medical treatments for youth.
There is a six-month grace period for continued federal funding of hormone therapies already in use.
Seventeen states currently cover some gender-affirming care for kids under Medicaid or CHIP.
The administration described these treatments as "sex-rejecting procedures" and cited reports claiming weak evidence for them.
Major medical groups disagree with the administration, stating that gender-affirming care is safe and appropriate.
The rule does not affect federal funding for psychotherapy related to gender dysphoria.
The administration said the policy aims to protect children, not to reduce spending.
LGBTQ+ groups criticized the rule, saying it restricts necessary medical care for transgender youth.
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President Donald Trump left Ankara, Turkey, after a NATO summit using a secret method that involved disguising his departure. Reports say he was taken off the old Air Force One plane inside a catering truck to protect him from possible threats by Iran. This kind of secretive travel is part of established U.S. security practices to keep the president safe.
Key Facts
President Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July 2026.
Instead of leaving on the expected Air Force One planes, Trump reportedly used another aircraft and was hidden inside a catering truck to leave the airport.
The secret move was reportedly done because of threats made against him by Iran.
The Secret Service often uses deceptive tactics to protect U.S. presidents.
Similar secret travel techniques have been used by past presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
These tactics help make it harder for enemies to target the president.
ABC News has not independently confirmed the details of Trump's secret departure.
Secret travel can involve disguise, fake flight plans, or unusual transportation methods.
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Senator Mitch McConnell has been recovering at home after a hospital stay and rehabilitation since mid-June. Conservative commentator Scott Jennings spoke with McConnell, who sounded alert and engaged in political matters, and McConnell plans to return to the Senate in mid-September to finish his term.
Key Facts
Mitch McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 and later received inpatient rehabilitation.
McConnell's office said last week he left rehabilitation and is recovering at home.
McConnell has not spoken publicly since his hospitalization, causing questions about his health.
Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator and longtime McConnell ally, spoke with the senator recently.
Jennings reported McConnell sounded focused, alert, and involved in political discussions.
McConnell talked about several topics including Senate races, Republican election chances, the farm bill, and the Senate filibuster.
McConnell’s goal is to return to the Senate when it reconvenes on September 14.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear expressed concern over McConnell’s silence and urged a public update.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups have asked a federal judge to stop President Donald Trump from enforcing new orders that try to limit birthright citizenship in the U.S. These orders come after the Supreme Court rejected an earlier order by President Trump that tried to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants and temporary residents.
Key Facts
President Trump signed new executive orders in August to restrict birthright citizenship.
The new orders aim to expand who is not eligible for automatic U.S. citizenship, targeting "birth tourism."
The Supreme Court ruled in June that Trump's earlier order violated the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to anyone born in the U.S.
The ACLU and other groups filed a court request to block the new orders, calling them unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court has recognized exceptions to birthright citizenship, such as children of diplomats and foreign soldiers.
The White House says the new actions follow the Supreme Court’s legal rulings.
The ACLU says these efforts are illegal attacks on children’s citizenship rights.
The issue remains a major part of President Trump's immigration policy during his second term.
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President Trump left the NATO summit in Turkey on a different Air Force One plane because of a reported assassination threat from Iran. The Secret Service used this plan to protect the president’s safety while he traveled abroad.
Key Facts
President Trump attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
There was an assassination threat targeting President Trump from Iran.
The Secret Service arranged for Trump to leave on an alternate Air Force One plane for security reasons.
This information was first reported by The Washington Post.
The security measure aims to protect the president during international travel.
The event highlights concerns about the safety of President Trump while abroad.
The story raises questions about how the Secret Service handles threats to the president overseas.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is involved in a surrogacy case in Dallas County. He wants to make sure a baby with a serious heart defect, called “baby Gabriel,” receives medical care after birth, even though the parents do not agree.
Key Facts
The case involves a baby with a severe heart problem detected before birth.
The baby’s parents are the intended parents through surrogacy.
The parents disagree with providing the baby life-saving treatment after birth.
Attorney General Ken Paxton has stepped in to protect the unborn child’s rights.
Paxton’s office is working to ensure this baby receives care after being born.
The situation is happening in Dallas County, Texas.
The baby is referred to as “baby Gabriel” by officials involved.
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