A man has been arrested for allegedly starting the largest wildfire near Spokane, Washington, which has caused over 60,000 people to evacuate. The wildfire destroyed more than 700 buildings and burned thousands of acres, while firefighters are working to control several fires in the area.
Key Facts
Aaron Farinacci, 37, was arrested for first-degree arson related to the largest fire, called the Old Trails fire.
Farinacci was seen near the fire with matches and a lighter and has a previous manslaughter conviction.
Over 60,000 people have been forced to leave their homes near Spokane due to three major wildfires.
More than 700 buildings were destroyed and 400 more have not yet been assessed for damage.
No deaths or injuries have been confirmed so far, but authorities are trying to contact 14 people who are missing by phone.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called it likely the worst natural disaster in Spokane's history and issued a statewide outdoor fire ban.
Over 900 firefighters are battling 16 fires across Washington, with help coming from other states.
Climate change is linked to hotter, drier conditions that make wildfires more likely and more severe.
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Michigan voters are participating in important primary elections for governor, U.S. Senate, and House of Representatives seats. These races could influence control of Congress and the state’s leadership, including replacing term-limited Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Key Facts
Michigan holds primary elections for governor, U.S. Senate, and House races on August 4, 2026.
The U.S. Senate race is open because Senator Gary Peters is retiring.
Democratic Senate candidates include Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (progressive) and Rep. Haley Stevens (moderate).
Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican, lost a close Senate race in 2024 and is running again.
Debate in the Senate race centers on U.S.-Israel relations and weapons sales to Israel.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again due to term limits.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is likely to win the Democratic governor primary; Rep. John James, endorsed by President Trump, is the Republican candidate.
Michigan’s 7th and 8th Congressional District races are highly competitive and important for control of the House of Representatives.
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A large wildfire in Spokane, Washington has burned over 3,200 hectares and destroyed 700 buildings. Authorities arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of starting the fire, which has forced around 60,000 people to evacuate.
Key Facts
The wildfire is in Spokane, Washington, the state's second largest city.
More than 3,200 hectares (about 7,900 acres) of forest have burned.
Around 60,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.
About 700 buildings have been destroyed by the fire.
Firefighters have not yet fully contained the wildfire.
Police have arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of arson, or intentionally starting the fire.
The event is happening during ongoing heatwave conditions.
Officials remain focused on managing the evacuation and fire control.
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Ohio, once a solid Republican state supporting President Trump, is now facing challenges for the GOP in upcoming elections. Problems like abuse allegations against Rep. Max Miller, tough races for Senate and governor, and voter concerns threaten the party’s hold.
Key Facts
Ohio has shifted from a battleground to a Republican stronghold but is now a difficult place for GOP candidates.
Rep. Max Miller faces abuse allegations from his ex-wife and daughter, which he denies.
President Trump expressed concern about Miller’s chances but Miller remains in the race.
Democrats are competing closely with Republicans in several Ohio races, including Miller’s district.
GOP Sen. Jon Husted is in a very close race with Democrat Sherrod Brown for Senate.
Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, has raised much more campaign money than Husted.
Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is in a close governor’s race with Democrat Amy Acton.
Some Ohio Republicans worry that their candidates are losing support among working-class voters.
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Michigan Democrats are voting in a primary to choose their candidate for the U.S. Senate. The race is between moderate Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed, with the winner facing Republican Mike Rogers in the November midterm elections.
Key Facts
The primary is to fill an open Senate seat currently held by a retiring Democrat.
Haley Stevens is a moderate, four-term congresswoman backed by party leaders like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Abdul El-Sayed is a progressive former public health official, supported by left-wing figures such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
El-Sayed’s campaign focuses on Medicare for All, taxing the wealthy, and abolishing ICE.
Michigan voted for President Biden in 2020 but for President Trump in 2024.
The Senate seat is key for Democrats to keep control and challenge President Trump’s agenda.
Voters in Michigan are concerned with issues like healthcare costs, gas prices, groceries, and housing.
The primary result will influence the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of the midterm election.
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Recent polls show Democrat James Talarico slightly ahead of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the race for U.S. Senate from Texas. The race is very close, with both candidates raising large amounts of money and facing challenges in winning key voter groups.
Key Facts
Three polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton, with the latest at 47% to 45%.
The poll numbers are within the margin of error, meaning the race could still shift.
Paxton has faced corruption scandals but raised $9 million last quarter.
Talarico raised $30 million and is trying to become the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas in over 30 years.
Paxton underperforms with white voters (winning by 14 points) and Latino voters, while Talarico leads Latino voters by 19 points.
President Trump endorsed Paxton late in the Republican primary, but many traditional GOP donors supported Paxton’s opponent, John Cornyn.
The polls surveyed 1,200 likely Texas voters and were done between July 27 and July 30, 2026, with a margin of error of about 3 points.
Republican leaders expect outside money from Trump’s team to help Paxton in the general election.
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President Donald Trump's company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), now charges Wall Street firms up to $1.2 million a year for fast access to his Truth Social posts that can affect global markets. This service, called Truth API, sends posts within milliseconds to clients like financial news outlets and trading firms, allowing them to react before others see the information.
Key Facts
Truth API launched on August 1 and provides real-time feeds of Truth Social posts to paying customers.
Access to the 10 top-trending accounts costs between $60,000 and $100,000 per month.
At least five clients, including financial news organizations and high-frequency trading firms, have signed up.
Trump Media is publicly traded; President Trump’s family trust owns 41.5% of the company.
Trump Media earned $3.68 million in revenue in 2025 and $871,000 in the first quarter of 2026.
Market-moving posts from Trump have caused significant price changes in oil, cryptocurrencies, and stocks.
Critics say the service creates conflicts of interest and may enable market manipulation; Congress is investigating.
TMTG says the posts are public when delivered and that the service sells faster access (latency gap), not exclusive information.
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The Patriot Games is a sports competition for teenagers, with one boy and one girl representing each U.S. state, territory, or tribal nation. The event includes various physical challenges and offers scholarships as prizes, aiming to celebrate America nationwide while using a selection method based on equal geographic and gender representation.
Key Facts
Over 100 teenagers, one boy and one girl from each state, territory, or tribal nation, compete in the Patriot Games.
The event takes place from August 9 to 11 at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.
Competitions include football, basketball, soccer skills, the Presidential Fitness Test, boot camp exercises, and an obstacle course.
Winners, one male and one female, receive scholarships worth $125,000 each.
The selection system ensures equal representation by geography (each state/territory) and sex (one boy and one girl per place).
California and Wyoming, despite vastly different numbers of athletic participants, both send only one boy and one girl to compete.
The event reflects a form of quota, focusing on geographic and gender balance rather than selecting the absolute best athletes nationwide.
The Patriot Games ties into President Trump’s policies supporting female sports categories and reviving the Presidential Fitness Test.
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A two-year-old boy named Mason got very sick with flu and unusual bleeding symptoms. After urgent hospital care, he was diagnosed with a rare and serious type of blood cancer called T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He began treatment and went into remission but faced ongoing challenges.
Key Facts
Mason, age 2, caught influenza B in March 2024.
He showed symptoms like bruising, petechiae (small red spots), and nosebleeds.
Blood tests showed his white blood cell count was extremely high (969,000).
He was airlifted to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for emergency care.
He underwent a procedure called leukapheresis to remove excess white blood cells.
Mason was diagnosed with T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer.
He received multiple chemotherapy drugs and steroids as treatment.
By August 2024, Mason was in remission but still undergoing treatment.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is behind Democrat James Talarico by two points in a recent poll. The survey shows Talarico at 47 percent support compared to Paxton’s 45 percent.
Key Facts
Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas.
James Talarico is the Democratic nominee for the same seat.
A new poll by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center shows Talarico leading.
Talarico has 47 percent support in the poll.
Paxton has 45 percent support in the poll.
The race is considered closely watched in Texas politics.
The poll indicates a narrow margin between the two candidates.
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President Donald Trump criticised major oil companies for making large profits amid higher oil prices caused by tensions with Iran. He said these companies should share their extra earnings with the public and reduce gas prices for consumers.
Key Facts
Oil prices rose sharply from about $70 a barrel before US-Israeli strikes on Iran to as high as $126, now around $85.
ExxonMobil and Chevron reported huge profits in the second quarter, $14.5 billion and $12.2 billion respectively.
BP’s profits more than doubled to $5.7 billion in the latest quarter.
Trump said oil companies are making “too much money” and should give some profits back to the public.
The president urged retailers to lower gas prices and warned of problems if they don’t.
US gas prices currently average $4.11 per gallon, despite falling oil prices during peace talks.
The US government is investigating potential price gouging in the energy sector.
Climate groups condemned big oil’s profits, saying ordinary people are paying higher bills.
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A man named Aaron Farinacci was arrested for starting one of three wildfires near Spokane, Washington, which have forced about 65,000 people to evacuate. The fires have destroyed many buildings but have not caused any reported injuries.
Key Facts
Aaron Farinacci, 37, was arrested and charged with first-degree arson for the Old Trails fire near Spokane.
He is being held on a $1 million bond after a witness saw him near where the fire started.
The fires have burned over 8,000 acres and destroyed between 700 and 1,110 buildings.
About 65,000 people have been forced to leave their homes because of the fires.
No injuries have been reported, but officials are trying to contact 14 people who have not been reached.
Scientists say climate change is making wildfires more common and severe by causing hotter temperatures and drier conditions.
Eastern Washington experienced one of its warmest winters, causing a snow drought that helped worsen the fire risk.
Wildfire and heat alerts are also affecting other parts of the world, including Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North Africa.
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A study of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests during President Donald Trump's terms shows that fewer people arrested had prior criminal convictions as ICE arrests increased. The proportion of those with criminal records fell from about 70% during Obama’s final year to 34% during Trump’s second term, despite the administration’s focus on targeting serious criminals.
Key Facts
Researchers studied about 1.6 million ICE arrests from October 2015 to March 2026.
Under President Trump’s second term, only 34% of people arrested had prior criminal convictions.
This is a drop from 52% in Biden’s last year, 70% in Trump’s first year, and 79% in Obama’s final year.
ICE arrests surged during Trump’s terms, with daily arrests more than doubling compared to Biden’s last year.
The Trump administration changed immigration enforcement rules to allow more arrests in community settings, such as near schools and hospitals.
The Department of Homeland Security disputed the study’s data, saying many arrested without U.S. criminal records may have other serious issues.
The study suggests ICE enforcement moved away from only focusing on people with known criminal convictions.
The change in enforcement tactics meant more arrests happened outside of traditional law enforcement custody.
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About 5,000 prisoners in England and Wales will be released early over 10 months, fewer than the originally planned 6,000, after new rules exclude those convicted of serious sexual crimes from early release. The changes come after concerns about public safety and pressure from victims' families and officials.
Key Facts
Early release plans have been tightened to exclude prisoners convicted of rape, serious child sexual offenses, and grooming.
The justice secretary, Alex Norris, said the new plan will release about 5,000 prisoners from October over 10 months.
Originally, the government planned to release 6,000 prisoners starting in September to reduce overcrowding.
Some prisoners convicted of violent or sexual crimes, like two killers of PC Andrew Harper, remain eligible for early release.
Families of victims, like Debbie Adlam whose son was murdered, expressed disappointment about the early release eligibility.
The restrictions aim to prevent the prison system from breaking down due to overcrowding.
Changes follow criticism that earlier emergency releases lacked proper controls and harmed victims' families.
Andy Burnham highlighted that the scheme results from past failures to build enough prison places and close outdated prisons.
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The UK government decided to exclude rapists and child sexual abusers from an early prison release scheme but will still allow some killers and domestic abusers, including two men involved in the death of police officer Andrew Harper, to be eligible. Harper's family has expressed deep disappointment and frustration about this decision as the government faces prison overcrowding.
Key Facts
The UK government revised its early release plan to exclude rapists and child sexual abusers due to pressure from victims, MPs, and prison officers.
Domestic abusers and killers, including two men jailed for manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, remain eligible for early release.
PC Andrew Harper died in August 2019 after injuries sustained during a chase involving a quad bike theft.
Harper’s mother and wife expressed being upset and feeling let down by the decision to keep the killers eligible for early release.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said the scheme will release 5,000 prisoners over 10 months, down from a previous estimate of 6,000.
Norris apologized to Harper’s family and explained that not making these changes would lead to prison overcrowding or system collapse.
The government believes sentencing changes will provide long-term help to manage prison space.
Some officials recommended increasing the early release of female prisoners due to their generally lower risk.
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Michigan Democrats held a primary election to choose a Senate nominee between Haley Stevens, an establishment-backed congresswoman, and Abdul El Sayed, a progressive candidate. The race saw record spending by pro-Israel group AIPAC, which supported Stevens, and it will decide who faces Republican Mike Rogers in November for a key Senate seat.
Key Facts
Michigan Democrats voted in a Senate primary featuring two main candidates: Haley Stevens and Abdul El Sayed.
Haley Stevens received about $30 million in support from the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC, the largest single-race investment by the group.
Abdul El Sayed is a progressive health professional who opposes military aid to Israel, calling its actions in Gaza a genocide.
Stevens is backed by Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The winner will run against Republican Mike Rogers for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters.
The race is important because Democrats must hold Michigan and gain other seats to control the Senate.
El Sayed’s campaign relied on a large volunteer network, while Stevens leaned on established political endorsements.
The primary outcome is seen as a test of whether progressive candidates can win in battleground states or if the Democratic establishment still dominates.
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Aaron F. Farinacci, 37, was arrested on suspicion of starting a wildfire near Spokane, Washington. The fire destroyed many buildings and forced over 60,000 people to evacuate. Farinacci faces a first-degree arson charge and is held on a $1 million bond.
Key Facts
Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested on Monday in connection with the Old Trails Fire.
The fire began Saturday near Spokane, Washington, and destroyed at least 700 structures.
More than 60,000 people were evacuated due to several wildfires in the area.
A witness reported seeing Farinacci near the fire start site acting nervously.
Farinacci was initially detained and released, but evidence linked him to the fire origin.
He had items such as waterproof matches and a butane lighter on him.
Farinacci has a criminal record in Arizona, including a manslaughter conviction.
He faces a charge of first-degree arson and is held on $1 million bond.
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Authorities arrested a 37-year-old man named Aaron F. Farinacci in Spokane, Washington, for allegedly starting one of the wildfires that destroyed hundreds of buildings near the city. The fires forced around 67,000 people to leave their homes, with the main fire called the Old Trails Fire.
Key Facts
Aaron F. Farinacci was arrested on suspicion of first-degree arson connected to the Old Trails Fire.
The Old Trails Fire is the largest of three wildfires burning around Spokane.
The fires have destroyed at least 700 buildings in total.
Approximately 67,000 people have been evacuated due to the fires.
A witness reported seeing Farinacci acting nervously near the fire’s starting point.
Farinacci was found with matches and a butane lighter when he was detained.
Other fires in the area remain under investigation with no known causes yet.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office used body camera footage and reports to link Farinacci to the fire.
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A senior New South Wales Liberal politician, Damien Tudehope, gave evidence to a corruption inquiry investigating alleged illegal political donations linked to recruitment activities within the party. The inquiry focuses on whether people connected to a conservative faction called the Reformers sought or accepted illegal donations to recruit or renew party members, a practice called branch stacking.
Key Facts
Damien Tudehope is the NSW shadow attorney general and Liberal leader in the upper house.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) is investigating alleged illegal donations linked to the Reformers faction.
Jean-Claude Perrottet, brother of former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, worked as a staffer for Tudehope and was described as talented at recruiting new party members.
Branch stacking means recruiting or renewing party members in large numbers to influence internal party decisions; it is not illegal by itself.
Tudehope is not accused of wrongdoing but has stepped aside from his shadow cabinet roles during the inquiry.
Evidence showed Tudehope possibly made payments for Reformers events and introduced other Reformers to a donor involved in liquor and gambling industries.
The inquiry also examined messages suggesting fear or concern about enforcement of party rules and spending ministerial time on recruitment.
Dominic Perrottet has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the investigation.
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Hospitals in Sydney, New South Wales, experienced their busiest winter day ever, with nearly 10,000 emergency patients on one day, overwhelming the system. Health officials urged people to avoid emergency rooms unless their lives are in danger and to use other healthcare options like urgent care clinics or phone health advice services.
Key Facts
Almost 10,000 people visited emergency departments in Sydney on the busiest winter day recorded.
Ambulance callouts numbered 4,100, much higher than expected.
A new permanent command centre was created to manage hospital demand and direct patients to less busy facilities.
Authorities encourage people to use Healthdirect, a phone service linking to nurses, or urgent care clinics open from 8am to 8pm.
Winter illnesses like influenza, RSV (a respiratory virus), and Covid-19 are causing many hospital presentations.
Vaccine hesitancy has reduced flu vaccination rates, contributing to strain on the health system.
About 1,300 patients are staying in hospitals longer because they cannot be moved back into aged care or disability care programs (NDIS).
Emergency departments report long wait times, with resuscitation bays fully occupied and wait times up to 10 hours.
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