Britt McHenry, a former sports reporter, has been appointed as a new press advisor for the U.S. State Department. She confirmed her new role on social media and expressed honor in serving the country’s diplomatic office.
Key Facts
Britt McHenry worked as a sports reporter for ESPN and later as a commentator for Fox Nation.
She announced on social media that she is now a press advisor for the U.S. State Department.
McHenry replaced the position after the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt left, but an official replacement for that role has not been confirmed.
She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and played soccer at Stetson University.
McHenry faced controversy in 2015 due to a viral video showing her insulting a towing company employee, for which she later apologized.
She left ESPN in 2017 during company layoffs and then worked in political and cultural commentary roles.
McHenry was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2020 and underwent surgery, sharing updates on her recovery publicly.
Her new role at the State Department marks a shift from media work to a government communications position.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial criticized Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania after reports about his work habits and a video he shared at the Republican Party’s midterm convention. The editorial said Fetterman has an easy job but struggles to handle basic responsibilities.
Key Facts
Senator John Fetterman represents Pennsylvania as a Democrat.
Recent news reported on Fetterman’s work habits.
Fetterman appeared in a video at the Republican Party’s midterm convention.
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board disagreed with Fetterman’s performance.
The editorial described his job as easy but said he fails at basic duties.
This criticism came soon after Fetterman’s recent public appearances.
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The U.S. Supreme Court stopped a federal order that required Missouri to use a Republican-favored 7-1 congressional map for elections. This means Missouri will now follow a state court’s order and use the current election boundaries instead.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court acted on Thursday to block a federal judge’s order.
The blocked order wanted Missouri to use a congressional map favoring Republicans with a 7-1 seat split.
The federal order caused confusion over which election boundaries should be used in November.
The Supreme Court’s decision lets a state court’s ruling stand.
The state court’s ruling tells election officials to use the existing election map.
This decision affects how Missouri’s congressional districts will be drawn for the next election.
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The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Missouri Republicans from using a new congressional map supported by the GOP just before the November midterm elections. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by President Donald Trump, played a key role in the court's decision to pause the use of this map while legal challenges continue.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court stopped Missouri Republicans from using a GOP-backed congressional map.
The decision came as an emergency measure before the November midterm elections.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred the case to the full Supreme Court.
The court's ruling suspended a lower federal judge's order that had allowed the new districts.
The dispute involves redrawing Missouri’s eight U.S. House districts.
No justices disagreed with the Supreme Court’s action on this decision.
The ruling follows an earlier decision this week where Kavanaugh declined to overturn a Missouri Supreme Court ruling against the Republican map.
The legal fight concerns whether the new district lines unfairly help Republicans.
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The US Supreme Court rejected an attempt supported by President Donald Trump to change Missouri’s congressional voting maps. The court’s decision means Missouri will likely use the old maps for the November midterm elections.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court stopped Missouri from using new congressional maps.
These new maps were designed to help Republicans win more seats.
President Donald Trump supported the changes to the maps.
A lower federal judge had allowed the new maps to be used for the 3 November elections.
Challengers asked the Supreme Court to block that judge’s decision.
The Supreme Court agreed and suspended the new maps’ use.
This decision creates uncertainty but points to using the old maps in the midterms.
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Fox News anchor Bret Baier questioned Vice President Vance about President Trump’s promise to give Americans $5,000 if Republicans win the November congressional elections. Baier mentioned that critics might see this promise as an attempt to unfairly influence voters.
Key Facts
President Trump promised $5,000 to Americans if Republicans keep control of Congress in the November elections.
Vice President Vance was asked about this promise during a Fox News interview.
Bret Baier, the Fox News anchor, raised concerns that critics might call this promise a form of voter bribery.
The total amount for this promised payout is about $1.3 trillion.
The discussion happened shortly after President Trump made the pledge public.
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The Trump administration has decided to keep Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadoran nationals currently in the United States. This contrasts with the recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end TPS for people from 13 other countries.
Key Facts
The Trump administration controls decisions on TPS protections.
TPS allows people from certain countries to stay temporarily in the U.S. due to unsafe conditions in their home countries.
DHS recently ended TPS for nationals from 13 countries.
TPS status for Salvadoran nationals will continue for now.
El Salvador’s government is currently in charge of the country’s leadership.
This announcement does not clarify how long TPS will remain for Salvadorans.
TPS decisions impact deportation protections in the U.S.
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President Trump said that oil prices, which have risen due to increasing conflict in Iran, will go down after the midterm elections. He promised that Americans will see lower gas prices soon.
Key Facts
Oil prices have increased because of rising tensions and conflict in Iran.
President Trump made a public statement promising lower gas prices.
The promise is linked to events after the upcoming midterm elections.
Higher oil prices affect gasoline costs for American consumers.
The situation in Iran is influencing global oil markets and prices.
The midterm elections refer to U.S. congressional elections held midway through a president’s term.
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President Donald Trump announced that his administration will send $500 refund checks to nearly one million Americans who were overcharged under the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. The refunds come from a $500 million surplus collected from fees charged on ACA exchanges.
Key Facts
The refunds target Americans in 30 states who paid too much for Obamacare coverage.
The White House says the overcharges were caused by mismanagement under President Joe Biden.
A video from the White House shared Trump’s announcement of these “rebate checks.”
The refunds come from a $500 million surplus of fees collected from ACA exchange consumers.
Some health care advocates criticized the plan as a "gimmick" and not enough help.
This announcement followed Trump’s promise of a $5,000 dividend payment if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the upcoming elections.
The plan was first reported by Axios before the official announcement.
The administration calls the refunds a direct way to assist people affected by rising health care costs.
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Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., a 72-year-old man from Florida, was scheduled for execution after being convicted of kidnapping and killing Richard Allen Montgomery in 1996. The case is part of a series of murders known as the Hog Trail Murders, where bodies were found in wooded areas of Florida in the 1990s.
Key Facts
Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. was convicted of the 1996 kidnapping and strangling of Richard Allen Montgomery.
Montgomery’s mutilated body was found in a wooded area in southwest Florida, where at least six bodies were discovered over three years.
The killings are called the Hog Trail Murders because the bodies were found in swampy, wooded locations.
Conahan waived his right to a jury trial and was convicted by a judge in 1999.
He has maintained his innocence and requested DNA testing to prove he is not responsible.
The Florida Supreme Court denied his final appeals, including one for additional DNA testing.
Florida has executed 15 people this year, more than half of the 24 executions in the U.S. in 2026.
Governor Ron DeSantis oversaw a record 19 executions in Florida in 2025 since the death penalty was reinstated in the state.
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President Donald Trump promised to give every US adult citizen $5,000 if Republicans keep control of Congress in the November midterm elections. Experts and politicians questioned how this plan would be paid for, as it could cost over $1 trillion and increase the national debt and inflation.
Key Facts
President Trump announced a "$5,000 Trump dividend" payment to US citizens if Republicans win the midterms.
The US has about 240 million adult citizens, making the total cost around $1.2 trillion.
The US national debt recently passed $40 trillion.
Experts say this large payment could increase the deficit (the amount the government borrows) and inflation (rising prices).
Some Republicans, like Representative Chip Roy, expressed doubt about how to pay for it.
Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, sharply criticized the proposal as unrealistic and politically motivated.
Tariff revenues collected by the government would take about five years to cover this payment if all were used for it.
Some Republicans, like Senator Bernie Moreno, support the idea and plan to push a related bill after the election.
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A Georgia lawmaker, Republican Clay Fuller, plans to introduce a federal bill that would make it harder to use the insanity defense in criminal cases. This proposal follows a mistrial in Massachusetts where Lindsay Clancy was charged with murdering her children and had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy was charged with three counts of first-degree murder related to the deaths of her children in January 2023.
Clancy’s defense argued she had severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the crimes.
The trial lasted five weeks and ended in a mistrial because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision after seven days.
Rep. Clay Fuller wants to limit the insanity defense in federal cases, saying mental illness should not let defendants avoid responsibility.
Fuller’s proposed bill would apply to federal cases and not to state cases like Clancy’s trial in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts law allows people to be found “not criminally responsible” if a mental disease prevents understanding of their actions.
Federal law requires stronger proof that a defendant couldn’t understand their actions due to severe mental illness.
Some states, like Idaho and Kansas, do not allow the traditional insanity defense at all.
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Bronwen James, a former PE teacher from Wiltshire, has been found guilty of sexually abusing three students at two different schools. She admitted to crimes involving two teenage girls and was convicted of offences concerning a 16-year-old boy.
Key Facts
Bronwen James is 30 years old and was a PE teacher in Wiltshire.
She admitted nine sexual offences against two teenage girls from Bitterne Park School and Hardenhuish School.
James was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a 16-year-old boy at Bitterne Park School.
The boy testified that James initiated contact through Snapchat and had sex with him multiple times.
James denied the charges related to the boy, saying he made up the story.
The court heard that James abused her position of trust as a teacher to groom and exploit the students.
She must surrender her passport, will wear an electronic tag, and will be sent to prison before sentencing.
Prosecutors described her actions as a deliberate and ongoing pattern of abuse, not a one-time mistake.
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The federal government will reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cutting its share of administrative costs from 50% to 25% starting in fiscal year 2027. Additionally, beginning in 2027, states may have to pay a portion of SNAP food benefits themselves if their error rates in payments are high, shifting billions of dollars in costs from the federal government to state budgets.
Key Facts
The federal government has traditionally paid 100% of SNAP food benefits and 50% of administrative costs.
Starting October 1, 2026, the federal share for administrative costs will drop to 25%, with states paying 75%.
This shift will move an estimated $16.9 billion in administrative expenses to states between 2027 and 2031.
Beginning October 1, 2027, states with payment error rates above 6% must pay part of SNAP food benefits.
States with higher error rates pay more: 5% for 6-7.99%, 10% for 8-9.99%, and 15% for 10% or more error rates.
In FY 2028, about 35 states and one U.S. territory may owe around $9 billion combined due to this change.
Senator Elizabeth Warren warned states might face tough budget choices due to these funding cuts.
A Senate proposal could delay the benefit cost-sharing rule by one year, but it had not passed as of late August.
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A drone display using 2,977 drones recreated the Twin Towers in New York City to honor the victims of the September 11 attacks. Each drone light represented one person who died in the tragedy, making the display a public art tribute involving families, survivors, and first responders.
Key Facts
The display used 2,977 drones, matching the number of victims of the 9/11 attacks.
The drones formed a full-scale image of the Twin Towers over New York Harbor.
The artwork is called "2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor."
The project was a collaboration between artists, producers, and members of the 9/11 community.
Victims' families, survivors, and first responders were involved in the project.
The event was a public art installation to remember those lost on 9/11.
The display took place in New York City.
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Mike Rogers, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, has criticized his Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed over old 9/11-related tweets. However, Rogers previously voted against healthcare and benefit bills for 9/11 first responders and survivors. These votes have drawn criticism from people who support programs for those injured during the 9/11 attacks.
Key Facts
Mike Rogers is a Michigan Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Rogers has accused Abdul El-Sayed of making controversial 9/11 comments, which have been shown false.
Rogers voted twice against the James Zadroga Act, a 2010 law funding healthcare for 9/11 first responders and survivors.
The Zadroga Act supports treatment for about 40,000 responders exposed to toxic conditions and covers over 50 types of cancer linked to 9/11.
Rogers said the healthcare bill could harm the U.S. financial health and opposed its $5.1 billion price.
John Feal, a 9/11 responder who lost part of his foot during rescue work, called Rogers’ opposition a betrayal.
Rogers also voted against other bills providing funding for first responders and veterans related to 9/11.
Rogers falsely claimed to have seen Osama bin Laden’s dead body, but he was not present during the raid in Pakistan.
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A federal prosecutor named Andrew Tyler was fired after he withdrew from a criminal case against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, shortly after senior Justice Department officials decided to dismiss the charges. The case involved allegations of bribery and fraud linked to Adani’s renewable energy company, but the charges were dropped following a review and disputes over the evidence.
Key Facts
Andrew Tyler, a federal prosecutor, was fired due to alleged ethical violations.
Tyler withdrew from the case against Gautam Adani after Justice Department leaders moved to dismiss the charges.
The case accused Adani and his company of bribing Indian officials to win solar energy contracts.
The dismissal order came from Trent McCotter, acting deputy attorney general, following meetings with Adani’s lawyers.
Adani’s legal team disputed the evidence and offered a $10 billion investment in the U.S. economy if charges were dropped.
U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis initially refused to drop all charges, demanding more facts and a sworn statement from Adani.
Eventually, charges against Adani and some co-defendants were dismissed, but charges against others remain.
This is the second firing of a federal prosecutor recently due to conflicts with senior officials on different cases.
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Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said his interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico will not air on ABC because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened the network and its local stations. Instead, the interview will be posted on YouTube amid ongoing tensions between ABC and the FCC during President Trump's administration.
Key Facts
Jimmy Kimmel will interview James Talarico, a Democratic Senate candidate in Texas.
The interview will not be shown on ABC, Kimmel’s network, due to pressure from the FCC.
Kimmel has previously interviewed many political figures, including President Trump during his 2015 run.
The FCC has increased oversight of broadcast TV under President Trump’s administration, including enforcing equal airtime rules.
Talk shows have typically been exempt from these rules since 1996.
Stephen Colbert also faced pressure to cancel a segment with Talarico on CBS, which then posted online instead.
ABC and Disney sued the FCC, accusing it of retaliating against the network for its broadcasts.
The FCC denied violating free speech rights and asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.
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Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said that Senator John Fetterman has been absent or hard to reach in Pennsylvania. Deluzio noted that people in the state are frustrated with Senator Fetterman’s lack of presence.
Key Facts
Rep. Chris Deluzio represents Pennsylvania as a Democrat.
Senator John Fetterman is also a Democrat from Pennsylvania.
Deluzio said Fetterman is “nowhere to be found” in their home state.
The comment was made during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
There is growing tension between Fetterman and his Pennsylvania constituents.
Many people in Pennsylvania are frustrated with Fetterman’s absence or unavailability.
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The United States has experienced the hottest July ever recorded, breaking temperature records going back to 1895. The Guardian is asking people across the country to share how they have managed the extreme heat, including the impact on their health, daily routines, and utility bills.
Key Facts
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the US, beating records from 1895.
This summer saw rolling heat domes causing extremely high temperatures.
Previous heat records were set in July 1936 during the Dust Bowl and July 2012.
The Guardian is collecting stories from US residents about coping with the heat.
They want to know if people’s utility bills have increased due to air conditioning use.
They are interested in hearing from those who had their electricity cut off or struggled to pay bills.
People can respond anonymously and securely through an encrypted form.
The information collected will only be used for the article and personal data will be deleted when no longer needed.
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