Elon Musk’s political action committee, called America PAC, has spent about $800,000 to support candidates in important U.S. House and Senate races this election cycle. Most of the money, about $248,000, went to help Republican Ken Paxton in his Senate race in Texas against Democrat James Talarico.
Key Facts
America PAC is a political action committee linked to Elon Musk.
The PAC has spent roughly $800,000 on key midterm election races.
Texas received the largest spending, about $248,000.
The money mostly supports Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Paxton is running for Senate against Democrat James Talarico.
The Senate race in Texas is considered competitive or a "toss-up."
The PAC's spending targets both House and Senate races.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A top Pentagon official confirmed that Anthropic, an AI company, is still seen as a supply chain risk by the Defense Department, despite comments from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying the company is now trusted. Anthropic is still facing legal fights over this designation, even as its relationship with the Trump administration shifts.
Key Facts
Emil Michael, a Pentagon official, stated Anthropic remains a supply chain risk for the Department of Defense.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Anthropic is "back on the right side" and that the government trusts the company.
The disagreements about Anthropic stem from the Trump administration’s concerns over how the military can use its AI models.
CEO Dario Amodei led Anthropic, but the company is now raising the profile of co-founder Tom Brown in dealings with the White House.
In August, a federal judge removed the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk under one law.
Anthropic continues to challenge another Pentagon designation under a different law in court.
The company’s relationship with the Trump administration remains complicated and under review.
The debate involves issues of national security and trust in AI technology companies.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Billionaire Leon Black has sued a U.S. House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein, challenging subpoenas demanding his testimony and documents. Black refused to appear for a deposition, and lawmakers are considering holding him in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas.
Key Facts
Leon Black is a billionaire and cofounder of Apollo Global Management.
He sued the House Oversight Committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein's network.
Black skipped a scheduled deposition and refused to answer some questions during a previous interview.
The committee issued two subpoenas: one for documents and one to appear for more testimony.
Black’s lawyer called the investigation a “fishing expedition” that goes beyond the committee’s authority.
House Democrats want to hold Black in contempt of Congress, which could lead to legal prosecution.
Epstein was a convicted sex offender who died in jail before trial in 2019.
The House panel is investigating Epstein separately from the Department of Justice.
Other prominent figures, like Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, have been called to testify.
President Donald Trump had a past friendship with Epstein but is not part of the current subpoena list.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated that Sean Parnell is his preferred candidate for the next Army secretary. The White House is currently considering candidates to replace Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has resigned.
Key Facts
Sean Parnell is the current chief Pentagon spokesperson and a former Army officer.
Dan Driscoll, the current Army secretary, has submitted his resignation.
There have been tensions between Driscoll and Hegseth prior to the resignation.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles is in charge of selecting the new Army secretary.
The Department of Defense did not comment on private conversations about the nomination.
The decision is still in progress, and updates are expected.
Sean Parnell was photographed at the Pentagon on August 26, 2026.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A federal judge in Boston is deciding whether to stop the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new rules for mail voting. These rules come from an order by President Donald Trump and will affect the upcoming midterm elections.
Key Facts
The judge is Indira Talwani from a federal court in Boston.
She has not received details from the U.S. Postal Service on how they will apply the new mail voting rules.
The new rules were created by an executive order from President Donald Trump.
The judge is considering extending a ban on these new mail ballot regulations.
The hearing took place just before some states start sending mail ballots to voters.
The case is closely watched and likely to be appealed quickly.
The ruling could affect how mail voting is handled in the midterm elections, which are about 70 days away.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Gloria Steinem, a well-known feminist and journalist, has died at the age of 92. She co-founded Ms. Magazine and worked for women's rights, including abortion, same-sex marriage, and equal pay.
Key Facts
Gloria Steinem died at her home at age 92.
She co-founded Ms. Magazine, a major feminist publication.
Steinem was a leading activist for women's equality.
She supported legal abortion, same-sex marriage, and equal pay.
Steinem started her journalism career in New York in the 1960s.
She publicly criticized President Donald Trump for setbacks in women’s rights in the U.S.
Steinem was internationally recognized for her work in feminism.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The federal government is extending a temporary stop on building parts of President Trump’s border wall. This pause also includes other border construction work in a national park in the Big Bend area of Texas and will last until the end of the month.
Key Facts
The pause affects some sections of the border wall started under President Trump.
It also covers other border construction in Big Bend National Park, Texas.
The extension is expected to last until the end of the current month.
The pause was ordered or noted by Federal District Judge Jason Pulliam.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is involved in the construction and the pause.
The reason for the pause was not detailed in the provided excerpt.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A former aide to President Obama discussed how voters are unhappy with the economy as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Early primary results give clues about how Democrats and Republicans might do in the general election.
Key Facts
Most primary elections for the 2026 midterms have already taken place.
These primaries provide information on voter preferences and election trends.
Voters are showing strong dissatisfaction with the current economic situation.
The discussion involved a former aide to President Obama named Ravi Gupta.
The analysis focused on how both the Democratic and Republican parties are performing.
The information was presented on CBS News.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
U.S. layoffs in August dropped to the lowest level in four years, with employers announcing 52,881 job cuts, a 38% decrease from last year. However, many companies are still cautious about hiring, and overall job growth showed some weakness in July.
Key Facts
Layoffs in August 2026 fell to 52,881, the lowest in four years.
This is a 38% drop compared to August 2025's 85,979 layoffs.
So far in 2026, companies cut nearly 530,000 jobs, down 41% from the previous year.
The unemployment rate was 4.1% in July, but the U.S. lost 23,000 jobs that month.
The consumer products industry led layoffs in August, followed by food and technology sectors.
Technology firms had the most layoffs in the first eight months of 2026, with over 155,000 cuts.
Most layoffs were due to restructuring, market issues, and economic conditions, not mainly because of artificial intelligence.
Despite fewer layoffs, companies are slower to fill new job openings.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Dave Aronberg, who prosecuted Tiger Woods in 2017, said the recent plea deal in Woods’ reckless driving case is good for both sides. Woods changed his plea to "no contest" after a March car crash in Florida where he hit a truck and flipped his vehicle.
Key Facts
Dave Aronberg was the prosecutor in Tiger Woods’ 2017 case.
Tiger Woods was charged with reckless driving after a March car accident in Jupiter, Florida.
Woods’ vehicle hit a pickup truck and then rolled over.
Woods entered a plea of "no contest," which means he does not admit guilt but accepts the punishment.
Aronberg said this plea deal benefits both Woods and the legal system.
The plea deal ends the legal dispute without a trial.
Reckless driving means driving in a way that is dangerous to people or property.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Congresswoman Maxine Dexter says the U.S. healthcare system is in trouble because of cuts to Medicaid and big companies joining together in the medical field. She wants the government to invest more money and treat healthcare like important national infrastructure.
Key Facts
Congresswoman Maxine Dexter is raising concerns about the healthcare system.
She says Medicaid funding has been cut, causing problems.
Large healthcare companies are merging, which affects services.
Dexter describes healthcare as essential infrastructure, like roads or electricity.
She calls for federal government investment to fix and stabilize healthcare.
The focus is on improving how healthcare is delivered to the public.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Two leaders from small business support groups have sued the Trump administration. They want the government to release hundreds of millions of dollars that Congress already approved to help community financial institutions.
Key Facts
Two leaders from organizations that support small businesses filed the lawsuit.
The lawsuit targets the administration of President Donald Trump.
They want to release funds that Congress has approved.
The funds are meant for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
The money is supposed to support community financial institutions.
The goal is to provide more help to small businesses through this fund.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The House of Representatives passed a bill that stops colleges and universities from getting federal money if they boycott Israel. Over 30 Democrats supported the bill, which aims to prevent schools from joining commercial boycotts against Israel and to protect academic programs involving Israel.
Key Facts
The bill is called the Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026.
It passed the House with a vote of 237 to 169.
The bill would cut federal funding to schools that boycott Israel in commercial ways.
Schools must also let students and faculty participate in Israeli academic programs like programs in other countries.
33 Democrats voted for the bill, along with 203 Republicans.
167 Democrats voted against the bill, including some party leaders like Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi.
Supporters say the bill fights antisemitism and protects academic exchanges with Israel.
Opponents argue it could limit free speech and political activism related to criticism of Israel.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A judge blocked President Donald Trump's new executive order that tried to limit birthright citizenship for certain children born in the US. The judge said the order likely goes against the Constitution, and the case will continue in court.
Key Facts
President Trump issued a new executive order in August aiming to limit birthright citizenship for children of "alien enemies" and birth tourists.
Birthright citizenship means anyone born in the US automatically becomes a citizen.
The order also targeted children whose parents work for foreign governments in the US.
Judge Deborah Boardman temporarily blocked the order, calling it likely unconstitutional.
The lawsuit was filed by immigrant rights groups, including CASA and Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project.
The Supreme Court had rejected President Trump’s previous effort to end birthright citizenship in June.
The government plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
Trump’s efforts are part of a broader plan to reduce immigration, including ending protections for some migrants and increasing deportations.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The U.S. federal government will begin using artificial intelligence (AI) to help interview some job applicants, starting with a program to hire tech experts for short-term positions. The AI will ask standard questions and record answers, while human managers will review the results.
Key Facts
AI interviews will initially be used for the Tech Force hiring program, aimed at recruiting private-sector tech workers for two-year federal jobs.
The AI platform called CodeSignal will conduct structured interviews and record audio for later review by human hiring managers.
The government has about 1.9 million employees and has been slower than the private sector to use AI in hiring.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently encouraged agencies to use AI in hiring but stressed that humans must oversee important decisions.
OPM’s director is working to make federal hiring faster and wants more early career professionals hired to balance the older workforce.
AI tools like Microsoft’s Copilot, ChatGPT, and others are already used by federal HR staff for tasks like writing job descriptions.
The pilot aims to test if AI can improve the efficiency of interviewing for high-volume tech jobs.
Officials expect AI to play a bigger role in federal hiring interviews in the future.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated the green card sponsor form to allow checking the credit reports of people who financially support family members applying for a green card. This change started in August and means sponsors may need to provide access to their credit information as part of the application process.
Key Facts
USCIS updated Form I-864, the affidavit of support, allowing requests for sponsors' credit reports.
The form now includes a privacy release letting USCIS access information from consumer credit agencies.
Sponsors must meet income requirements, usually at least 125% of the federal poverty level, or 100% if they are active military sponsoring spouses or children.
Financial ability has traditionally been proven by tax returns and other documents like birth certificates or green cards.
USCIS warns that if there is a credit or security freeze on a sponsor's report, it might not access necessary credit info.
USCIS has not explained how credit report data will be used or if sponsors need a minimum credit score.
Immigration experts say more guidance is needed on how this credit information will impact decisions.
Concerns exist that credit report issues like missed payments or errors could affect sponsorship unpredictably.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
House Republican leaders announced that the last two weeks of the September session in the House of Representatives will be canceled. Lawmakers will meet again from September 14 to 17 and then end their work early before the November midterm elections.
Key Facts
House Republican leaders decided to shorten the September legislative schedule.
The final two weeks of the September session are canceled.
Lawmakers will meet from September 14 to September 17 only.
The decision comes ahead of the November midterm elections.
The House will pause after September 17 until after the elections.
This change affects the timing when House members can work on legislation.
The schedule was adjusted following the Labor Day break.
This action was announced on a Thursday before the shortened session.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year pause on using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like generative AI in public school classrooms for students from 2 years old up to eighth grade. This decision aims to limit the use of AI in early education as the new school year approaches.
Key Facts
The ban covers all public schools in New York City.
It applies to students from age 2 through eighth grade.
The pause on AI use lasts for one year.
The ban focuses on generative AI, which creates text, images, or other content.
The decision was made shortly before the new school year started.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani supports the moratorium.
The action reflects concerns about AI’s impact on education.
Schools will need to adjust teaching methods without AI tools during this time.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Anthony Fauci did not appear to testify before a Senate committee about homeland security. This situation shows how Congress uses its power to require testimony and what happens when someone refuses. It also reflects current political challenges in enforcing these rules.
Key Facts
Anthony Fauci was asked to testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Fauci refused to appear for the testimony.
Congress has the authority to hold someone in contempt if they refuse to testify.
The process and results of enforcing contempt powers can be complicated.
This event demonstrates the challenges Congress faces in making officials cooperate.
Political factors influence how contempt powers are used today.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
CBS is bringing back Norah O’Donnell to co-anchor its morning show starting September 8. This change aims to improve ratings, as the show has been losing viewers compared to NBC and ABC.
Key Facts
Norah O'Donnell previously co-anchored CBS morning show from 2012 to 2019.
She left the morning show to become the CBS Evening News anchor but stepped down after the 2024 presidential election.
O'Donnell's return replaces a spot left open after Tony Dokoupil became the evening news anchor.
She will co-anchor with Gayle King and Nate Burleson.
CBS Mornings averaged 1.62 million viewers in July, much lower than NBC’s and ABC’s morning shows.
The show hit its lowest viewership ever in late July, with about 1.57 million viewers.
CBS plans to focus more on live discussions and breaking news instead of pre-recorded segments.
The network has tried guest co-hosts recently, including Elisabeth Hasselbeck from Fox and Friends.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
