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Latest developments and key stories from across the United States
TSA agents found five stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in a passenger’s suitcase during a routine check at Gulf Shores International Airport in Alabama. The cannonballs were taken from Fort Morgan, and the sheriff’s office said a juvenile was responsible for the theft but no charges will be pressed.
Key Facts
The cannonballs were discovered on July 18, 2026, during a suitcase X-ray screening.
Five small cannonballs wrapped in paper towels were found inside a checked bag.
The cannonballs are from the Civil War era and were taken from Fort Morgan.
Fort Morgan is a historic site important in several military conflicts, including the Civil War.
The cannonballs were inactive and contained no explosives.
A juvenile stole the cannonballs and placed them in their grandmother’s suitcase without her knowledge.
The sheriff’s office returned the artifacts to Fort Morgan but decided not to press charges.
TSA officers noted the find was unusual and unlike typical items they see during screening.
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The article discusses how Americans have difficulty disagreeing without turning political differences into personal conflict. It explains that many people avoid conversations with those who think differently, which deepens division instead of solving problems.
Key Facts
Americans are preparing for the 2026 midterm elections amid ongoing political conflict.
People often stop listening and focus on proving themselves right in disagreements.
Political disputes have damaged friendships, family relationships, and workplace cooperation.
Social media encourages public displays of outrage instead of respectful conversation.
Some people avoid political discussions to protect their mental health, but this can deepen divisions.
Human biology can make us treat political differences like physical threats, reducing patience and curiosity.
Media outlets profit from conflict, promoting extreme voices over calm discussions.
Most Americans are moderate or mixed in their political views, not part of extreme ideological groups.
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A recent poll shows most Americans feel their incomes are not keeping up with rising prices. People generally think neither the Republican nor Democratic parties are doing enough to help with the cost of living, and many view President Trump’s policies on inflation negatively. On immigration, opinions are mixed, with stronger approval from Republicans for President Trump than from Democrats.
Key Facts
Most Americans say their incomes do not keep up with inflation.
Many believe neither political party is effectively addressing the cost of living.
A majority see Republican policies as making their financial situation worse.
Democrats receive slightly better ratings than Republicans on economic help but still face a net negative view.
President Trump and Republicans have a slight advantage over Democrats on immigration policy approval.
Support for the administration’s deportation program has declined during the term.
Most Americans want states, not the federal government, to decide election rules and strongly support photo ID voting requirements.
More voters currently prefer the Democrats to control Congress in the next election, consistent with typical midterm trends.
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Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, dropped out of the Democratic primary for governor, leaving Francesca Hong and David Crowley as the main candidates. Polls show Hong leading, while Barnes' supporters mostly favor her as their second choice. The winner will likely face Republican Tom Tiffany in the November election.
Key Facts
Mandela Barnes ended his campaign for Wisconsin governor less than two weeks before the Democratic primary on August 11, 2026.
Francesca Hong and David Crowley are now the main candidates competing for the Democratic nomination.
Wisconsin is a closely divided state that narrowly supported President Donald Trump in 2024.
Current Governor Tony Evers is retiring at the end of 2026, making this a competitive race.
Recent polls show Francesca Hong leading with around 35-44% support among Democratic voters.
Barnes’ supporters mostly prefer Hong as their second choice, according to a Marquette Law School poll.
David Crowley is supported by more moderate Democrats, including Governor Evers.
The Democratic nominee will likely compete against Republican Tom Tiffany in the general election.
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to give city-region mayors in England a share of income tax and part of business rates for the first time. This move aims to shift power and money from the central UK government to local leaders to help them manage housing, transport, and skills better.
Key Facts
Mayors of English city regions will receive a share of income tax revenue.
Mayors will also keep some business rates collected in their areas.
Exact tax shares will be announced in the autumn budget by Chancellor John Healey.
The UK currently collects only 5.8% of taxes at the local level, the lowest among G7 countries.
The plan intends to replace central government grants with tax revenues controlled locally.
Income tax rates will not change due to this reform.
Some critics worry poorer areas may get less money under the new system.
The new funding model for mayors is set to start with business rates in April 2027 and income tax shares in April 2028.
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England’s regional mayors will gain new powers to borrow money and keep a share of local income tax and business rates starting in 2027 and 2028. These changes aim to give mayors more control over spending and reduce their dependence on Whitehall, the central government in London.
Key Facts
Mayors in England will keep part of the income tax generated in their areas from 2028.
They will also keep business rates revenue totaling tens of millions of pounds by April 2027.
This income replaces previous government grants, not adding new money overall.
Mayors will be able to borrow money based on future income for large projects like housing and transport.
The government plans to move decision-making from Whitehall to local areas with a “local first” policy.
New powers might include control over schools, health services, and childcare, similar to the role of police commissioners.
England’s civil service is expected to become smaller as more authority shifts out of London.
Details on how much tax revenue each area will keep will be announced in the autumn budget.
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Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi often treated Republicans badly and sometimes yelled at them. He shared this while talking about how conservatives and liberals see each other on a TV show.
Key Facts
Kevin McCarthy is a Republican from California.
Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat from California and was the Speaker before McCarthy.
McCarthy said Pelosi yelled at Republican lawmakers.
The comments were made on Fox News’s show "Jesse Watters Primetime."
The discussion involved how liberals and conservatives view each other.
McCarthy agreed with the idea that most liberals see conservatives in a negative way.
The focus was on political interactions between Republicans and Democrats.
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New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit to get a 15-year-old boy returned from Mexico after foster care staff took him to the Texas border and forced him to cross alone. The boy was sent to find his mother, a Mexican national who was deported earlier, and was left at the border by New Mexico officials, who then refused to take him back.
Key Facts
The boy is a 15-year-old American citizen involved in New Mexico’s foster care system.
On July 6, foster care staff took him to El Paso, Texas, and told him to cross into Mexico alone.
His mother is a Mexican national who was arrested on drug charges and deported earlier this year.
After crossing, the boy could not find his mother immediately and returned to the U.S., where border officials told New Mexico to take him back.
New Mexico foster care staff refused to retrieve him, saying he was a “Texas problem,” and left him at the border.
The boy was then placed with Texas child welfare but was later returned to his mother in Mexico.
New Mexico’s Attorney General is seeking a court order to prevent children from being taken out of the U.S. without court approval.
The New Mexico child welfare agency says the boy was never at risk and that reuniting him with his mother in Mexico was requested and reviewed as safe.
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear criticized Senator Mitch McConnell for not being present in Congress while recovering from a fall last month. Beshear said this absence is hurting McConnell’s reputation.
Key Facts
Senator Mitch McConnell is recovering from a fall that happened last month.
During this time, McConnell has not been attending Congress sessions.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, commented on McConnell’s absence.
Beshear said McConnell is harming his own legacy by not being active in Congress.
The criticism was made during a conversation on the “Andy Beshear Podcast.”
Beshear spoke to co-host John Fugelsang on the podcast.
McConnell is a long-serving senator from Kentucky and a Republican.
The issue focuses on McConnell’s role and responsibilities in the Senate during his recovery.
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President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the nomination of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. This move has raised questions about the future of a fund aimed at preventing government misuse of power and about the influence of Senate Republicans.
Key Facts
President Trump is considering pulling back Todd Blanche’s nomination as Attorney General.
Some Senate Republicans are hesitant to support Blanche’s nomination.
There is concern about preserving a fund designed to prevent the government from misusing its authority.
Senators Cornyn and Tillis are prominent voices expressing quiet Republican worries about Blanche.
The situation has sparked debate about the power and unity of the Republican Party in the Senate.
The nomination faces challenges due to demands for certain promises or agreements from Blanche.
The controversy highlights tensions within the Republican Party regarding key government appointments.
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Chris Rocheleau, the deputy head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is leaving the agency. He will go back to his previous job as chief operating officer at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
Key Facts
Chris Rocheleau is the deputy administrator of the FAA.
He served as acting FAA administrator for the first half of last year.
Rocheleau is leaving the FAA to return to the National Business Aviation Association.
He will take the role of chief operating officer at the NBAA.
The NBAA is a lobbying group representing the business aviation industry.
President Donald Trump appointed Rocheleau to his role at the FAA.
Rocheleau had worked at the NBAA before joining the FAA.
His departure means the FAA loses its second-highest official.
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A recent survey shows that 67% of American adults worry that political leaders might pressure election workers to change the results of elections. This concern is growing as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Key Facts
The survey was conducted by the Kettering Foundation and Gallup.
67% of Americans are worried that political leaders will pressure election officials to alter election results.
This is the top concern ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The next highest concern mentioned in the survey was at 57%.
The survey highlights rising worries about the security and fairness of U.S. elections.
The survey was released on a Wednesday (exact date not specified).
Election officials are responsible for managing voting and counting ballots.
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Attorneys general from Australia’s federal and state governments are meeting to work on a national system for working with children checks. This system aims to better protect children from abuse by setting consistent rules and sharing information across the country, with a final system expected by mid-2028.
Key Facts
The meeting is taking place in Darwin and involves federal, state, and territory attorneys general.
The goal is to create a national system for working with children checks (WWCC) to improve child safety.
Under current plans, the national system will be fully in place by mid-2028.
The Coalition party has criticized the government for moving too slowly on this reform.
Federal Attorney General Michelle Rowland says they aim to agree on a list of crimes that will automatically prevent someone from getting a WWCC.
They also plan to set minimum standards for how risks are checked during the WWCC process.
The reforms respond to serious safety and child abuse allegations in the childcare sector.
Alongside this, Indigenous land rights issues and other news are also being reported, but the main focus is child safety reform.
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First responders gave testimony in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who admitted to killing her three children. Clancy has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy is on trial for the deaths of her three children.
She admits to killing them.
She pleads not guilty to the charges of first-degree murder.
First responders, the people who arrived first at the scene, testified in court.
The testimony took place on a Thursday.
CBS News correspondent Shanelle Kaul reported on the trial.
The case is being covered by CBS News.
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Major Collin Welch, a National Guard officer, pleaded guilty to stealing about $54,000 of government money and forging documents to support a secret second marriage and unlawful stay of a Mongolian woman and her daughter in the U.S. He used government resources to hide his double life and convince them they were legally allowed to stay.
Key Facts
Major Collin Welch served in the National Guard and was deployed overseas, including Mongolia.
He secretly married a Mongolian woman in 2022 while still married to his first wife.
Welch forged a fake divorce decree to convince the second wife he was divorced.
He used a government travel card to conceal hotel stays during video calls.
Welch submitted false expense reports and lied to get approval for trips to visit the second wife.
He brought the woman and her daughter to the U.S. using government funds for airline tickets.
He created fake government documents to falsely show the woman and her daughter had legal immigration status.
Welch is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington.
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President Donald Trump’s administration is considering reopening oil refineries that have been shut down to help reduce high gasoline prices. This effort includes looking at a refinery in the Virgin Islands as gasoline costs rise partly due to tensions involving Iran.
Key Facts
The Trump administration wants to reopen closed oil refineries in the U.S.
One refinery under consideration is located in the Virgin Islands.
High gasoline prices have increased partly because of the conflict with Iran.
A White House official confirmed this plan in an email to The Hill.
Reopening refineries could increase fuel production and lower prices.
The focus is on helping supply more gasoline during price spikes.
This move reflects efforts to address energy supply problems inside the U.S.
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A federal judge sentenced Matthew Kawa, owner of Paradigm Peptides, to nearly six years in prison for selling unapproved drugs that contained steroids and for illegally importing them. Kawa and his company lied about their products being for research use only, while they were actually sold for human consumption, reaching thousands of customers in the U.S. and abroad.
Key Facts
Matthew Kawa pleaded guilty to selling unapproved drugs and illegally importing them.
He was sentenced to 70 months (almost six years) in prison by a federal judge in Indiana.
Paradigm Peptides had about 54,000 customers across all 50 states and 80 other countries.
The company falsely claimed its products were made in America, 99% pure, and tested by third-party labs.
Paradigm imported products from China, India, and other countries and used forged lab certificates.
Some products labeled "for research use only" actually contained testosterone, a regulated steroid.
Kawa admitted he knew the products were marketed and sold for human consumption, not just research.
Jennifer Stechkober, Kawa’s sister and main employee, was sentenced to 16 months for her role.
The products sold included peptides and SARMs, which can have serious health risks according to the FDA.
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A controversy has arisen in Pennsylvania as several candidates seeking to run as Green Party nominees have not been officially endorsed by the party. Democrats worry these candidates might be supported by Republicans to split votes and affect tight congressional races, especially in the 7th District.
Key Facts
Several Green Party candidates trying to get on the November ballot in Pennsylvania have not been endorsed by the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA).
Andrew Tupone is running as a Green Party candidate in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District but says he was not recruited and did not pay people to gather signatures for his campaign.
Tupone was a registered Republican in 2025 and has voted in GOP primaries before switching to the Green Party.
The GPPA says some people listed on candidate petitions didn’t know their names were being used and that petition circulators were reportedly paid but could not say by whom.
Democrats fear these Green Party candidates could draw votes away from their nominees, helping Republican candidates keep their seats.
Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to influence the election by secretly backing third-party candidates.
Third-party candidates rarely win in federal elections but can change the results by splitting votes in close races.
The dispute is part of a wider battle for control of the House of Representatives between Democrats and Republicans.
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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Chairman Brendan Carr, is reviewing ABC’s TV station licenses after concerns linked to speech that President Donald Trump dislikes. Various groups from both political sides are opposing the FCC’s actions, warning that this could limit free speech and set a risky precedent for future government control over broadcast content.
Key Facts
The FCC ordered ABC to apply early for license renewals for its eight TV stations.
Conservative groups filed petitions to deny ABC’s license renewals, partly due to alleged bias against President Trump.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to revoke ABC licenses over statements made by Jimmy Kimmel, a TV host who made jokes about the Trumps.
Some conservative groups argue against the FCC policing speech, fearing it could be used against conservatives in the future.
Former FCC chairs and commissioners from both Republican and Democratic administrations criticized the FCC’s action as an attempt to censor speech.
Free speech organizations like the ACLU argued that the FCC’s move violates the First Amendment right to free speech.
The FCC claims the license review is related to ABC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, but many see it as a response to political speech.
There are deadlines in late July and early August for submitting oppositions and replies to the petitions regarding ABC’s licenses.
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Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Joani Reid have been allowed back into the Labour Party and had their parliamentary rights restored after separate investigations. Abbott was suspended twice for comments about racism but apologized and received a formal warning, while Reid stepped aside voluntarily following her husband's arrest linked to a spying investigation but was never accused of wrongdoing.
Key Facts
Diane Abbott and Joani Reid were readmitted to the Labour Party and had the parliamentary whip restored.
Both decisions came after independent disciplinary processes separate from party leaders.
Abbott was suspended twice, first in April 2023 and again last July, due to controversial comments about racism.
Abbott apologized and completed antisemitism awareness training; she received a formal party warning.
Joani Reid voluntarily gave up the whip in March 2024 after her husband was arrested in a case linked to suspected Chinese spying.
Reid was never investigated or accused of wrongdoing by police or the Labour Party.
The Labour Party emphasized it operates disciplinary processes independently and expects high standards from its members.
The party’s independent review board approved the investigations and the decisions to readmit both MPs.
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