Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed said he did not call his opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, an "ogre." He spoke to clear up confusion after some people thought the comment was about her.
Key Facts
Abdul El-Sayed is running for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
Rep. Haley Stevens is his opponent in the Democratic primary.
El-Sayed made a comment that some thought called Stevens an "ogre."
He publicly clarified that he did not say this about her.
CBS News covered the clarification in their report.
The clarification happened on a Monday.
Aaron Navarro from CBS News reported on the story.
The situation took place during the Michigan Senate race campaign.
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The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the new director of national intelligence by a 51-47 vote after a delay caused by political disagreements. His confirmation is important to help renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a key law for U.S. national security.
Key Facts
Jay Clayton, previously U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was confirmed as director of national intelligence.
The Senate vote was split along party lines, with 51 in favor and 47 against.
The confirmation ended a stalemate that had delayed renewing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
FISA is an important legal tool used for foreign intelligence and counterterrorism surveillance.
Prior to Clayton, Tulsi Gabbard resigned as director, and Bill Pulte served as acting director despite having no intelligence background.
Democrats opposed FISA reauthorization due to concerns over the next director of national intelligence.
Clayton refused to say outright that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, saying Biden was certified as the winner.
President Donald Trump had delayed Clayton’s confirmation hearing until another nominee was confirmed.
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The Pentagon created a new casualty category called “Overseas Operations” for U.S. soldiers killed or wounded in recent fighting with Iran, as the earlier military campaign named “Operation Epic Fury” has officially ended. Four soldiers killed and several wounded in the latest clashes are now recorded separately from the previous Iran war totals.
Key Facts
The Pentagon ended “Operation Epic Fury,” the military campaign against Iran.
Casualties from recent U.S.-Iran fighting are now listed under “Overseas Operations” in the Defense Casualty Analysis System.
Four U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens wounded in the latest exchange of attacks.
The total number of wounded U.S. troops related to the conflict now stands at 642.
The new casualty category separates recent deaths and injuries after the conclusion of Operation Epic Fury.
Some soldiers were killed by Iranian missile and drone strikes in Jordan and Iraq in July 2026.
The Pentagon denied removing casualty data was an attempt to hide the human cost, calling it a data issue that was fixed.
U.S. officials have not provided a formal date for the end of Operation Epic Fury.
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CBS’s news program “60 Minutes” has hired new correspondents and contributors for its 59th season, including Ross Douthat and Norah O’Donnell. This comes after a major management and staff shakeup led by new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
Key Facts
The new team includes Ross Douthat, a conservative columnist, and Norah O’Donnell, former “CBS Evening News” anchor.
Other new contributors are author Sebastian Junger, Trevor Phillips, and Gianna Toboni.
Current correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim, and Bill Whitaker remain on the show.
Executive producer Nick Bilton, with limited broadcast experience, replaced longtime producer Tanya Simon.
Several correspondents, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega, and Scott Pelley, were dismissed or left recently.
Anderson Cooper also left the program voluntarily after 20 years.
The shakeup followed controversy involving an edited interview CBS aired about Kamala Harris that led to a lawsuit from President Donald Trump.
CBS News president Tom Cibrowski and editor-in-chief Bari Weiss expressed strong support for the new hires.
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Senator Lindsey Graham was honored at his funeral in Washington, D.C. Friends, family, and political leaders remembered his more than 30 years of service in government. President Donald Trump spoke at the funeral, sharing memories of Graham.
Key Facts
Lindsey Graham was a U.S. Senator for over 30 years.
His funeral took place in Washington, D.C.
Friends, family, and politicians attended the service to pay their respects.
President Donald Trump gave a eulogy at the funeral.
Graham and Trump had a relationship that changed from rivalry to friendship.
The funeral was covered by CBS News.
The event highlighted Graham's long career in American politics.
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A White House teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, who reportedly used insider knowledge from President Donald Trump’s speeches to place bets on an online prediction market, is no longer employed by the federal government. Perez had been on unpaid leave after reports showed he won over $100,000 through such bets, raising concerns about insider trading in prediction markets.
Key Facts
Gabriel Perez worked as a teleprompter operator for President Trump since 2016.
He used information about Trump’s speeches to place bets on Kalshi, a prediction market platform.
Perez won more than $100,000 betting on phrases Trump would say in major speeches.
Perez is no longer working for the federal government; it is unclear if he resigned or was fired.
Kalshi flagged and reported suspicious trades to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Prediction markets let users bet on future events, and their trading volume on Kalshi grew from $100 million to $3 billion in one year.
Critics say prediction markets resemble unregulated gambling and have raised legal concerns.
President Trump supports leaving regulation of prediction markets to the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than states.
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The Senate approved Jay Clayton to be the director of national intelligence by a 51-47 vote. He replaces Bill Pulte and his confirmation may help restart a key government surveillance law that expired over six weeks ago.
Key Facts
Jay Clayton was confirmed by the Senate as director of national intelligence.
The vote was along party lines, 51 in favor and 47 against.
Clayton replaces Bill Pulte, who temporarily held the job without intelligence experience.
The confirmation could help revive Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a law that expired more than six weeks ago.
Clayton is a former U.S. attorney from Manhattan.
During his confirmation hearing, Clayton avoided directly saying President Biden won the 2020 election, using the word "certified" instead.
Some Democrats expressed doubt about Clayton’s ability to resist political pressure.
The full renewal of the surveillance law may still be delayed because both the Senate and House are on recess until late August or mid-September.
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A 16-year-old boy named Colt Gray received a life prison sentence for a school shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. The shooting in 2024 resulted in the deaths of four people.
Key Facts
Colt Gray is 16 years old.
He was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday.
The crime was a shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
Four people were killed in the shooting.
The event took place in 2024.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned humanoid robots from China because they believe these robots pose serious national security risks. The ban includes advanced robots and power inverters that connect renewable energy to power grids. This action is part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to protect U.S. technology and encourage domestic manufacturing.
Key Facts
The FCC banned humanoid robots and animal-like robots from China, calling them "advanced robotic devices."
These robots could be used to spy on Americans or help foreign intelligence services.
Power inverters from China, which connect renewable energy sources to power grids, are also banned.
The ban applies only to new robot and inverter models that are not yet sold in the U.S., but the FCC can revoke approval for existing models.
The U.S. wants to have reliable and secure supply chains for important technologies like robots and power inverters.
China is the largest producer of power inverters, with companies like Sungrow and Huawei, which face other U.S. sanctions.
This move fits into a broader plan by the Trump administration to strengthen American technology industries.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
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Edward Gene Smith, a former managing director at Citigroup, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex crimes committed over ten years. He pleaded guilty to offenses including drugging and sexually assaulting women, as well as possessing child pornography.
Key Facts
Edward Gene Smith worked at Citigroup from 2021 until his arrest in 2024.
He was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to 30 years in prison.
Smith pleaded guilty to sex crimes, receiving child pornography, and obstructing justice.
Prosecutors said he drugged women to sexually assault them and kept thousands of child abuse images.
Smith used promises of financial help to lure vulnerable women to his New York residence.
His lawyers claimed autism influenced his behavior, but prosecutors rejected this claim.
Smith expressed remorse in a letter, saying he no longer wants to be the person he was.
Citigroup terminated Smith immediately after learning of the investigation and cooperated with authorities.
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The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the new director of national intelligence with a 51-47 vote mostly along party lines. Clayton, previously the US attorney for southern New York and former SEC chairman under President Trump, replaces Bill Pulte who served temporarily.
Key Facts
Jay Clayton was confirmed as director of national intelligence by the Senate on a 51-47 vote.
The vote was mostly divided along party lines.
Clayton was the US attorney for southern New York before this appointment.
He served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during President Trump’s first term.
Clayton replaced Bill Pulte, who had been acting director since June.
Clayton avoided confirming whether President Trump lost the 2020 election during his confirmation hearing.
He expressed concerns about voting integrity and ballot counting delays in California on CNBC.
Clayton’s office withdrew subpoenas to New York Times journalists after a judge challenged errors in them.
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The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence with a 51-47 vote along party lines. Clayton was previously a U.S. attorney and led the Securities and Exchange Commission during President Trump’s first term.
Key Facts
Jay Clayton was confirmed as director of national intelligence on Tuesday.
The Senate vote was 51 in favor and 47 against, mostly along party lines.
Clayton is currently a U.S. attorney.
He led the Securities and Exchange Commission during President Trump’s first administration.
His appointment may restart discussions on renewing government surveillance powers without warrants.
The director of national intelligence oversees U.S. intelligence agencies.
The confirmation ended a delay in filling this key national security position.
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President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest point since he began his current term last year, according to a poll by The Economist/YouGov. Only 34% of people surveyed supported his job performance, while 62% did not.
Key Facts
The poll was conducted by The Economist in partnership with YouGov.
President Trump’s approval rating is currently at 34%.
Sixty-two percent of respondents disapproved of his job performance.
This is the lowest approval rating Trump has had since returning to office last year.
The poll measures how people feel about President Trump’s work as president.
The terms “somewhat” and “strongly” were used to gauge levels of support or disapproval.
The results show a significant gap between supporters and opponents of President Trump’s leadership.
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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said that President Biden’s pardon for Dr. Anthony Fauci does not protect him from having to testify before the Senate this week. Dr. Fauci will appear at a Senate hearing despite the pardon.
Key Facts
James Comer is the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
Comer told Dr. Fauci the presidential pardon does not cover his upcoming testimony.
President Biden granted Dr. Fauci a pardon before this testimony.
Dr. Fauci used to lead the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Fauci will testify before a Senate panel on Wednesday.
Senator Rand Paul released something related to this issue before the hearing.
The hearing is taking place at Capitol Hill, where the U.S. Congress meets.
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American Airlines stopped all flights on the ground across the country on Tuesday evening because of a computer system problem. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert about this situation. The story is still developing.
Key Facts
American Airlines flights not already in the air were grounded nationwide.
The cause was a problem with the airline’s information technology (IT) system.
The FAA issued a ground stop advisory.
This happened on the evening of July 28, 2026.
The situation is ongoing and more updates are expected.
The grounding affected flights at multiple airports.
The FAA is monitoring the issue to ensure safety.
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Documentary filmmaker Alex Holder has shared behind-the-scenes videos of his time filming Senator Lindsey Graham. Holder spent several years recording Graham before the senator passed away.
Key Facts
Alex Holder is a documentary filmmaker.
Holder followed Senator Lindsey Graham for several years.
The footage shared shows behind-the-scenes moments.
Lindsey Graham was a U.S. senator from South Carolina.
Graham has passed away.
Holder discussed his experience on the show "The Takeout."
The footage was shared through CBS News.
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Senator Lindsey Graham was honored at a memorial service in Washington for his work representing South Carolina and his role in international matters. President Donald Trump spoke at the event and met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Key Facts
Senator Lindsey Graham was remembered for his dedication to South Carolina and global issues.
A memorial service was held for Senator Graham in Washington.
President Donald Trump gave a eulogy at the service.
After the service, Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Trump also met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
The meetings likely focused on international relations and cooperation.
Lindsey Graham was known for his influence on foreign affairs.
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Recent clashes with Iran have used up many of the U.S. military’s advanced missile defense supplies, like Patriot and THAAD interceptors. This reduction may increase risks for American troops if fighting continues. The Pentagon says it still has enough weapons to protect U.S. forces, while also asking Congress for more funding to replace used munitions.
Key Facts
U.S. missile defense supplies have decreased due to recent fighting with Iran.
Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors are the main weapons running low.
Lower supplies might force U.S. forces to use fewer interceptors and accept higher risks.
The U.S. intercepted multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in a surprise attack.
The conflict has resulted in 18 U.S. military deaths so far.
Defense Secretary estimates the war has cost $37.5 billion.
The Pentagon requests $67 billion from Congress to replenish military supplies.
The war and weapons use are politically controversial in the U.S. ahead of midterm elections.
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Florida executed two men in one day, the first time this has happened in nearly 10 years. One was an 80-year-old man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents, and the other was a former police officer convicted of raping and killing an 11-year-old girl.
Key Facts
Florida carried out two executions on the same day, a rare event last seen in 2017.
Dominick Anthony Occhicone, aged 80, was the second-oldest person executed by lethal injection in the U.S. in modern times.
Occhicone was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 1986.
James Aren Duckett, a former police officer, was convicted of raping and drowning 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in 1987.
Duckett was the 11th person executed by Florida in 2026; the state has carried out 12 executions this year, more than any other state combined.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has overseen a record number of executions during his term, with 19 executions last year.
Both executions were carried out at Florida State Prison using lethal injection.
Victims' families expressed relief and sorrow after the executions, highlighting the long wait for justice.
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