Republicans in Minnesota see a recent fraud scandal involving state government as an opportunity to improve their chances in upcoming elections. They have nominated candidates Michele Tafoya for U.S. Senate and Lisa Demuth for governor, both of whom beat more extreme rivals in the primaries. The GOP hopes to use the scandal to criticize Democrats and gain support in a state that has not elected a Republican governor or senator in 20 years.
Key Facts
It has been 20 years since a Republican won a statewide race in Minnesota.
A large fraud scandal involving stealing hundreds of millions of dollars intended for social programs has emerged in Minnesota’s government.
Michele Tafoya won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, and Lisa Demuth won the Republican primary for governor.
Both GOP candidates defeated rivals who were considered too extreme for Minnesota voters.
Republicans are mostly trying to defend narrow majorities in the state legislature but see this scandal as a chance to go on offense.
President Donald Trump is unpopular in Minnesota, which makes Republican gains challenging.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and faces criticism related to the fraud scandal.
Minnesota’s legislature is closely divided between Democrats and Republicans, showing the state is competitive despite a Democratic winning streak.
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ICE plans to buy special gloves that give electric shocks to help officers control people who resist arrest. Several officials and civil rights groups criticized the plan, saying the gloves are cruel and could be misused. A lawsuit claims these gloves caused a man’s death in a jail after multiple shocks.
Key Facts
ICE wants to spend $10 million to $20 million on gloves that can deliver electric shocks.
The gloves look like regular patrol gloves but can shock a person when a button is pressed.
The shock must be applied directly to the skin and is meant to make people obey officers.
These gloves do not leave burns or marks like Tasers do.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said she is outraged and warned ICE officers about possible legal consequences if misused.
The gloves have mostly been used in jails, not frequently on the streets.
A 2024 lawsuit says a man died after being shocked many times with these gloves and a Taser in a Kentucky jail.
ICE’s parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, said it reviews all equipment to make sure it follows law enforcement rules.
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A military AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near Salado, Texas, killing both people on board. The crash caused a grass fire, which led to evacuations nearby. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Key Facts
The helicopter crashed shortly after 1:30 p.m. near Salado, Texas.
Both crew members aboard the AH-64 Apache died at the crash site.
The crash started a large grass fire, prompting nearby residents to evacuate.
No homes or buildings were hit by the helicopter itself.
The helicopter was assigned to Fort Hood, a U.S. military base.
Officials are working to secure the crash site and investigate the cause.
Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven from Fort Hood expressed condolences and noted the investigation is ongoing.
The news was reported by local authorities and Fort Hood officials.
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A Texas court has ordered that a surrogate mother from Alaska must get medical treatment for a baby she is carrying. This decision came after the baby’s intended parents wanted an abortion because of health problems.
Key Facts
The case involves a surrogate named McKenna West from Alaska.
The baby she is carrying has health defects.
The intended parents requested an abortion due to these health issues.
A Texas court issued a temporary restraining order requiring medical care for the surrogate.
The order says McKenna West cannot refuse medical care or take the baby away from Dallas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton got involved in the situation.
The legal action prevents the abortion and ensures treatment continues.
The case raises questions about surrogacy and medical decisions in Texas.
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A surrogacy dispute in Texas involves a baby born with a heart defect. The intended parents wanted the surrogate to have an abortion, but she refused and gave birth to the baby.
Key Facts
The baby is called Baby Gabriel.
The intended parents asked the surrogate to have an abortion at 20 weeks because of a serious heart problem diagnosed in the baby.
The surrogate refused to end the pregnancy.
She traveled to Texas, where the baby was born.
The case raises questions about who has the right to decide medical treatment for the baby: the intended parents or the surrogate.
Fertility law experts are discussing the legal and ethical issues involved.
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Two people died when a U.S. Army Apache helicopter crashed near Fort Hood in Salado, Texas. The crash caused a large grass fire, but no buildings were damaged.
Key Facts
The crash happened on Wednesday near Fort Hood, Texas.
The helicopter involved was an AH-64 Apache, a two-seat military attack helicopter.
Both crew members aboard the helicopter died.
The crash started a grass fire that was initially out of control.
The Bell County Sheriff's Office responded after a 911 call shortly after 1:30 p.m. local time.
No structures or buildings were harmed in the incident.
Brig. Gen. Ethan Diven said the priority is securing the crash site and supporting responders.
The helicopter was based at Fort Hood, Texas.
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Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma have scheduled executions for the same day. This will be the first time in almost 16 years that three people are executed on the same day in the United States.
Key Facts
Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma plan to carry out executions on the same Thursday.
No other day since 2010 has had three executions in the U.S.
These three states are among the few that continue to carry out death sentences.
The method used for these executions is lethal injection.
Execution numbers in the U.S. are mostly driven by a small group of states, including these three.
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David Crowley narrowly won the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor after re-entering the race with support from outgoing Governor Tony Evers. His win ended a close contest with progressive candidate Francesca Hong, highlighting tensions between moderate and left-wing factions within the Democratic Party.
Key Facts
David Crowley won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor by a few thousand votes.
Crowley had left the race earlier in July but rejoined with backing from Governor Tony Evers.
Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, was initially leading in the polls.
Crowley and Evers campaigned together to gain moderate voter support.
Wisconsin is a key state in national elections and often decides very close races.
Some voters opposed Hong after online headlines focused on her past controversial statements.
Hong endorsed Crowley after her loss and promised to support efforts to defeat Republican Tom Tiffany.
Tiffany voted against certifying the 2020 election, making the governor’s race politically significant.
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The U.S. Department of Justice charged Heidi Beirich, a former employee of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), in a new indictment related to the civil rights organization's activities. The DOJ alleges she managed payments to informants who watched hate groups.
Key Facts
Heidi Beirich is a former employee of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
The Department of Justice filed a superseding indictment against her.
This is the first time an individual has been charged in the case involving the SPLC.
The DOJ accuses Beirich of overseeing payments to informants.
These informants were monitoring hate groups.
The SPLC is a civil rights nonprofit organization.
The charges relate to actions taken by the SPLC in their efforts against hate groups.
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The U.S. Department of Justice charged 11 people for running a long-term scheme that helped hundreds of Chinese immigrants get green cards using fake marriages with U.S. citizens. The scheme involved paying Americans up to $30,000 to marry immigrants, and the group made tens of millions of dollars over about ten years.
Key Facts
11 people are charged for involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain green cards.
The scheme targeted hundreds of Chinese nationals wanting U.S. permanent residency.
American citizens were paid up to $30,000 to enter fake marriages.
The defendants charged immigrants as much as $100,000 for each green card.
The scheme operated for around a decade and involved over 1,000 sham marriages.
Officials say this is one of the largest marriage fraud cases in U.S. history.
The group also staged family photos to make the marriages look real during the immigration process.
Attorney General Todd Blanche described the operation as a years-long, multi-million-dollar fraud.
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A small Texas law firm connected to President Trump’s administration declined a $150 million federal contract to represent unaccompanied migrant children in the U.S. The government is unsure who will provide legal aid to these children after a prior contract ended and a temporary one expires in December.
Key Facts
The Burke Law Group, based in Houston, was offered a $150 million contract to represent migrant children traveling alone.
The firm has few lawyers with immigration experience and ties to President Trump’s previous administration.
Burke Law Group declined to apply for the full contract and did not explain why.
The previous contract with around 100 legal service providers expired at the end of July with no replacement.
A temporary $20 million contract was given to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to provide some legal aid until December.
About 1,800 migrant children live in shelters, and roughly 22,000 live with outside sponsors while facing deportation.
Federal law requires the government to provide legal help to migrant children in deportation cases.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement, which manages these contracts, gave no reasons for Burke Law Group’s decision.
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President Trump is being sued by nonprofit news groups over his social media platform Truth Social’s new “Truth API,” which sells early access to posts for up to $100,000 a month. The lawsuit claims this practice gives paying customers an unfair advantage by receiving important government information first, which may influence financial markets.
Key Facts
Truth Social sells early access to posts from President Trump and other top users through the “Truth API.”
Customers, mainly high-frequency trading firms, pay up to $100,000 a month for this priority access.
The lawsuit alleges President Trump is profiting by selling government information before the public can see it.
The nonprofit groups filing the suit are The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
The lawsuit argues this practice violates the U.S. Constitution by denying equal access to official government news.
Truth Social plans to block other ways to access deleted or edited posts, making the paid API the only option.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Trump Media & Technology Group reported $1.7 million in revenue and a $238.1 million net loss in the second quarter but expects the API to increase cash flow.
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Nick Reiner has been indicted on first-degree murder charges for killing his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, in their Brentwood home. He has pleaded not guilty and faces possible death penalty if convicted, but no trial date has been set yet.
Key Facts
Nick Reiner, 32, was indicted for first-degree murder of his parents.
Rob Reiner was a well-known director and actor; Michele Singer Reiner was a photographer.
The murders happened in December at their Brentwood home.
Prosecutors say Reiner stabbed his parents and then fled the scene.
Reiner was arrested soon after and held without bail.
He faces two counts of murder with a special charge called "lying in wait," meaning he waited to attack.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
If found guilty, he could face the death penalty, but prosecutors have not decided if they will seek it.
The Reiner family is publicly grieving, with their son Jake describing the loss as very hard and shocking.
No trial date has been set yet.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her position at the end of the month to focus on her family, President Donald Trump announced. She will continue advising the president and remain an important voice in the Republican Party.
Key Facts
Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary at the end of this month.
President Trump announced her departure on Truth Social and praised her work since 2018.
Leavitt will stay as a top outside advisor to President Trump and influential in the Republican Party.
She took maternity leave after the birth of her second child in May and returned briefly in July.
Leavitt started working for Trump as an intern during his first term and rose to press secretary by 2025.
She previously ran for Congress in New Hampshire but lost in the 2022 midterm election.
Her style as press secretary was known for being direct and sometimes confrontational with reporters.
Several senior Trump officials have left or been fired since the start of his second term in 2025.
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The Department of Justice arrested Heidi Beirich, the former chief financial officer (CFO) of the Southern Poverty Law Center, on charges of fraud. She faces accusations including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering related to managing payments to informants within hate groups.
Key Facts
Heidi Beirich was the CFO of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
She was arrested in California on August 12, 2026.
She is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges involve her handling of donor payments to informants inside hate groups.
One informant she paid was in a romantic relationship with her, and they shared a bank account.
The indictment was recently unsealed by the Department of Justice.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit known for tracking hate groups.
This case is currently developing, with more updates expected.
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An Arkansas state trooper named Moisses Arellano was caught on video punching 18-year-old Alisa Hackett during a traffic stop on August 1. Hackett has filed a federal lawsuit, and the officer admitted to using a closed fist after she refused to roll onto her stomach.
Key Facts
The incident happened during a traffic stop near Manila, Arkansas, for speeding 71 mph in a 60 mph zone.
Trooper Arellano asked Hackett to put her hands on her car trunk and then tried to handcuff her.
Hackett asked the trooper what she had done, and he told her not to resist.
Arellano forced Hackett to the ground and punched her in the face according to the video and his report.
The trooper used a Taser’s laser but did not fire it.
Hackett was charged with five offenses including improper display of hazards.
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump is representing Hackett and called for an explanation from the state police.
The video and the trooper’s use-of-force report confirm the use of a closed fist punch after Hackett refused to roll onto her stomach.
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President Trump's White House ballroom renovation is becoming more expensive, now expected to cost about $600 million, with about half paid by taxpayers. The project includes a large underground bunker with security features like bomb shelters and medical facilities, designed to protect the president and replace an older emergency center.
Key Facts
The ballroom renovation costs have increased from an initial $200 million to around $600 million.
About half of the renovation cost comes from taxpayer money.
The project includes a military-grade underground bunker, about six stories deep and around 22,000 square feet.
The bunker has features like a drone-proof roof, bomb shelters, medical rooms, and special air vents for protection.
The bunker will replace the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, a secure shelter used since World War II.
The project is currently under legal review because a federal court ruled that congressional approval is needed.
Additional planned spending includes $300 million for helipad, visitor center, and Rose Garden changes.
President Trump plans to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the court ruling on the project’s approval.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her job at the end of the month to spend more time with her children and family. President Donald Trump said he respects her decision and plans to keep her as a key adviser outside the White House.
Key Facts
Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary at the end of August 2026.
President Donald Trump called her one of his most trusted aides.
Leavitt chose to leave to focus on her young children and family.
She will become a top outside adviser to President Trump and an influential voice in the Republican Party.
Leavitt became the youngest White House press secretary when she took the job last year.
She has two children, a two-year-old son and a baby girl born in May 2026.
Leavitt described her time as press secretary as both an honor and a challenging experience.
President Trump expressed support and respect for her decision on social media.
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Karoline Leavitt will leave her job as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time with her young children. President Donald Trump announced she will become one of his top outside advisors and remain active in the Republican Party.
Key Facts
Karoline Leavitt has been White House press secretary since the start of President Trump’s second term.
She had her second child, a baby girl, in May and recently returned to work after maternity leave.
Leavitt decided to leave the press secretary role to focus more on being a mother.
President Trump said she will continue working as a top outside advisor to him.
The next White House press secretary has not been announced yet.
Leavitt praised her time in the role and her commitment to the MAGA movement and Republican Party.
President Trump thanked her for her work and called her one of the best press secretaries in history.
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