President Donald Trump said he left Air Force One in Turkey using a catering truck because the Secret Service and military told him there was a threat against him. He downplayed the danger and said he did not ask many questions, while more than 100 people remained on the plane unaware of the threat. Democrats are now calling for a congressional briefing to understand the safety measures for those passengers.
Key Facts
President Trump left Air Force One in Turkey via a catering truck after a reported credible threat against him.
The Secret Service and military wanted Trump to switch to a different plane for his safety.
Over 100 White House staff, security personnel, and reporters stayed on the plane heading to Britain, not informed about the threat.
The incident was first reported by the Washington Post and New York Times.
Trump said he did not ask many questions about the threat and claimed he gets many threats normally.
Critics and Democrats expressed concern about why people on the plane were not warned or protected.
Senator Richard Blumenthal called for a congressional briefing to review the safety precautions for all passengers.
The episode has raised questions about the handling of the threat and transparency with the public and media.
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Barnaby Joyce, a One Nation MP, defended his party as welcoming to gay people after a former One Nation candidate made statements calling same-sex attraction a mental illness. Joyce said the party has many gay members and promotes Australian values of tolerance, though he found the candidate’s comments offensive. One Nation is working to improve its process for selecting candidates ahead of upcoming elections.
Key Facts
A former One Nation candidate, Parminder Singh, called same-sex attraction a mental illness and opposed marriage equality.
Singh’s comments were made in a video and caused controversy.
Barnaby Joyce called these comments offensive and said One Nation includes many gay people.
One Nation MP James Virgo is openly gay.
Anna Brown, Equality Australia’s chief, said Singh’s views are false and harmful.
Almost 80% of Australians supported marriage equality in a 2017 survey.
One Nation has faced criticism for not thoroughly checking candidates.
Joyce said the party will improve candidate selection as it grows.
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David Crowley won the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, narrowly beating Francesca Hong. Crowley will face Republican Tom Tiffany, who has challenged past election results, in the November general election.
Key Facts
David Crowley defeated Francesca Hong by about 3,000 votes in the Democratic primary.
Crowley is aiming to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor.
Francesca Hong is a democratic socialist and focused on her working-class background during the campaign.
Hong faced criticism over some past statements and lacked endorsements from top progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Crowley was backed by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, the state’s top Democrat.
Republicans spent millions on ads that some Democrats say helped Hong’s campaign.
Republican nominee Tom Tiffany is endorsed by President Trump and has questioned the 2020 presidential election results.
The Wisconsin governor plays a role in certifying election outcomes, making the governor’s race especially important this year.
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In Minnesota's primary elections, Lisa Demuth won the Republican nomination for governor by defeating Mike Lindell. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan secured the nomination for U.S. Senate, and Amy Klobuchar will run for governor. These elections follow the retirement of current officeholders Tina Smith and Tim Walz.
Key Facts
Lisa Demuth, speaker of the Minnesota House, defeated Mike Lindell in the Republican primary for governor.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Michele Tafoya is projected to win the Republican nomination for Senate.
Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is retiring from her Senate seat.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is retiring from the governor’s office.
Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic senator, will run for governor.
Flanagan’s victory is part of a broader trend of progressive candidate successes nationally.
The upcoming races will feature Demuth vs. Klobuchar for governor and Flanagan vs. Tafoya for Senate.
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On Tuesday, six U.S. states held primary elections with important races for both Democrats and Republicans. Key results included a progressive win in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary and a close Republican governor’s race in Wisconsin.
Key Facts
Minnesota’s progressive Lieutenant Governor won the Democratic Senate primary against Representative Angie Craig.
The Republican governor’s primary in Wisconsin is still too close to call.
Businessman Mike Lindell, supported by President Trump, lost the Republican governor’s primary in Minnesota to House Speaker Lisa Demuth.
In South Carolina, Darlene Graham advanced to the Republican Senate runoff to succeed her late brother, Senator Lindsay Graham.
These primaries determine each party’s candidates for the upcoming general elections.
President Donald Trump has been active in endorsing candidates in these races.
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said some left-wing ideas from 2020 were extreme and no longer reflect current views. She believes candidates should be judged by their present positions, not past ones, but this view faces challenges in politics today.
Key Facts
AOC acknowledged that some 2020 progressive politics, like calls to defund the police, were "crazy" and are not used today.
She suggests voters should focus on what candidates say now instead of their past statements.
Moderate Democrats and Republicans find it hard to accept a complete break from those 2020 ideas.
Kamala Harris also tried to move away from her past progressive positions during the 2020 presidential race, but opponents highlighted them.
President Joe Biden won by promoting more centrist policies and warning against extreme positions at the time.
Some current candidates still support or have supported radical ideas but have since walked them back.
A centrist group, Third Way, is spending heavily to oppose democratic socialist policies they view as harmful.
AOC seems to be shifting toward a focus on economic topics that appeal to a wider audience rather than social and cultural policies from early 2020.
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Many noncitizen members of the U.S. military and veterans have been arrested and face deportation by ICE, causing concern among Democrats. Senator Elizabeth Warren and others are asking government agencies for explanations about these actions, which contradict long-standing traditions that honor military service as a path to citizenship.
Key Facts
Over 60 Democratic lawmakers, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to several federal agencies asking for information about arrests and deportations of noncitizen service members and veterans.
ICE arrested 125 former members of the military from January 2025 to January 2026; 73 were detained, and 34 started removal (deportation) processes.
At least 282 veterans and their close family members are currently facing deportation.
Since October, 16 active-duty military members have been arrested by immigration agents, according to ICE data.
U.S. law allows noncitizens serving in the military during active conflicts to apply for citizenship quickly after one day of service.
Military service does not automatically grant citizenship or protect individuals from immigration laws if they have criminal convictions or other issues.
Historically, immigrant soldiers in the U.S. have had easier paths to citizenship going back to the Civil War era.
More than 800,000 people have become U.S. citizens through military service since World War I, including nearly 187,000 after 9/11.
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The article discusses how people’s political beliefs affect their perception of news bias, using a recent poll about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) in Michigan as an example. It explains that the same facts can be seen as biased depending on how they are presented, reflecting the “hostile media phenomenon,” where people believe news is biased against their view.
Key Facts
A study in the 1980s showed that people from opposing sides saw different biases in the same news coverage.
The “hostile media phenomenon” means people perceive bias based on their own beliefs, not on the facts alone.
A recent Newsweek article reported on a Michigan poll about AOC’s chances against other Democratic candidates for 2028.
In the poll, AOC was in third place behind Pete Buttigieg and Jon Ossoff but slightly ahead of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris.
Different readers saw the Newsweek article as biased either to the left or right, depending on how they viewed AOC.
The article’s headline focused on AOC beating Newsom and Harris, which some readers saw as an optimistic spin.
Bias can be found in how facts are framed and what comparisons are chosen by reporters.
The article highlights how readers’ political views influence whether they see news coverage as fair or biased.
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Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate with about 59% of the vote, defeating Representative Angie Craig. Flanagan’s campaign focused on grassroots organizing and rejecting corporate political action committee (PAC) money, while advocating progressive policies like Medicare for All and raising the minimum wage.
Key Facts
Peggy Flanagan beat Angie Craig 59% to 39.4% in the Minnesota Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Flanagan raised $6.4 million and refused corporate PAC money; Craig raised $12.6 million and accepted such funds.
Craig was endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Flanagan received endorsements from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.
Craig spent $9.6 million on ads; Flanagan spent $1.9 million and focused on organizing more than 300 events in 112 communities.
Flanagan’s campaign emphasized progressive issues like Medicare for All, a national minimum wage increase, and universal childcare.
Flanagan became the favorite after winning the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement at the state convention.
Flanagan will face Republican Michele Tafoya in the general election and plans to continue focusing on her anti-PAC, economic populist message.
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David Crowley won the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin by a very small margin over Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist candidate. Crowley aims to win the general election against Republican Tom Tiffany, who has President Donald Trump's support. The close race shows a split in the Democratic Party between moderate and progressive wings.
Key Facts
David Crowley, a moderate Democrat, narrowly won the Wisconsin governor primary against Francesca Hong.
Crowley seeks to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor.
Republican Tom Tiffany is Crowley’s opponent in the November general election and has President Trump’s endorsement.
Francesca Hong is a democratic socialist and represented the progressive wing of the party.
Crowley's victory margin was less than 1 percent, but no recount was requested because it was more than 0.25 percent.
The Democratic Party faces a divide between establishment candidates and progressives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
National progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse any candidate in this race.
The result reflects broader tensions within the party about electability and progressive policies.
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In Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, Francesca Hong and David Crowley are running very close, showing a split between progressive and moderate Democrats. Other states, including Minnesota and Vermont, also held primaries where left-leaning candidates won in some races, while President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidates had mixed results.
Key Facts
In Wisconsin, Crowley leads Hong by a very small margin in the Democratic primary for governor, with about 94% of votes counted.
Hong supports progressive policies like ending ICE, a pause on new data centers, and higher taxes on billionaires and companies.
Crowley has the endorsement of Wisconsin’s current Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
Wisconsin’s Democratic voters are divided between moderate and progressive candidates.
In Minnesota, progressive Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan won her Senate primary against a more moderate opponent.
Trump-backed Republican Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota governor race to Lisa Demuth.
Vermont’s Democratic gubernatorial primary was won by Amanda Janoo; Republican incumbent Phil Scott ran unopposed and won.
The results highlight ongoing competition between Democrats with different political views and mixed influence of President Trump’s endorsements.
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At least 34 states and the District of Columbia have stopped or changed a practice where child welfare agencies used Social Security survivor benefits meant for children in foster care to pay for their care. The Trump administration pushed for these changes, calling the practice the "orphan tax," which is not an actual tax but the use of these benefits to offset foster care costs.
Key Facts
More than 330,000 children are in foster care across the United States.
Social Security survivor benefits are intended to help children whose parents have died and who qualify based on the parent's work history.
Some states used these benefits to reimburse foster care costs, taking money meant for the children.
The Trump administration urged states to stop this practice starting in 2025.
Federal guidelines say that benefits must be used for the child's current and future needs, not to cover government expenses.
Children can receive up to 75% of a deceased parent's Social Security benefit, averaging $1,179 per month.
States that have ended the practice include Alabama, California, New Jersey, Michigan, Maine, and many others.
Recent states to change the policy include Oklahoma, Iowa, Montana, Michigan, and Maine.
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President Donald Trump reportedly took a secret military flight out of Turkey last month as part of a covert operation. This operation was carried out because of fears that Iran was planning to assassinate him, and it involved transferring him between aircraft hidden inside a catering truck.
Key Facts
President Trump left Turkey on a secret military flight last month.
The operation was covert, meaning it was kept secret from the public.
The reason for the secret flight was a suspected assassination threat from Iran.
To move President Trump between planes, he was transported inside a catering truck.
The operation was organized with national security in mind.
The news was reported by US media sources.
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David Crowley won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor after rejoining the race late and receiving an endorsement from outgoing Governor Tony Evers. Crowley defeated Francesca Hong in a close contest, with both candidates offering different ideas and approaches to voters.
Key Facts
David Crowley is the Milwaukee county executive and won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.
Crowley re-entered the race after previously leaving it and was endorsed by Governor Tony Evers.
Francesca Hong, a chef and former restaurant owner, ran on a progressive platform including childcare for all and a pause on new datacenter construction.
The race was very close, with polls showing Hong as a favorite before the final results.
Crowley argued he had the best chance to win against Republican Tom Tiffany, an ally of President Trump.
Hong’s past statements, like support for defunding the police and a tweet about canceling Thanksgiving, hurt her campaign.
Other candidates included Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan, while Sara Rodriguez and Mandela Barnes left the race.
The Wisconsin governor’s race is important because it could help Democrats control the state government.
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The Japanese ambassador to Australia said Japan was not upset by Prime Minister Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from Japan’s leader. The ambassador noted that Australia reassured Japan that Albanese’s remarks were misunderstood. Meanwhile, Australian opposition leaders want an investigation into a leak of a diplomatic cable criticizing Albanese’s remarks.
Key Facts
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made comments about receiving Japanese melons from Japan’s leader, Sanae Takaichi, during a podcast.
The comments caused a political controversy in Australia, called “melon-gate.”
The Japanese ambassador to Australia said Tokyo was reassured that Albanese did not mean his comments as reported.
Japan’s government said there was no ill intention from Albanese regarding the melon gift.
The Australian opposition wants the federal police to investigate the leak of a secret diplomatic cable about the incident.
The diplomatic cable was sent from Japan shortly after the podcast aired in July.
Albanese and Labor ministers defended him and criticized the opposition’s calls for an investigation.
Japan has not expressed any official concern or anger over Albanese’s remarks.
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Martin Jones, the chief inspector of probation in England and Wales, said he is not confident that the probation service can handle the early release of prisoners planned for the autumn. Police leaders have asked Andy Burnham, who is leading a government review, to stop the killers of a police officer from being released early. Meanwhile, the government is also dealing with a heatwave emergency.
Key Facts
Martin Jones says the probation service manages 258,000 cases, nearly three times the prison population.
Early prisoner releases will increase pressure on probation services.
Police leaders, including all chief constables in England and Wales, want to prevent certain killers from early release.
Andy Burnham is chairing a government emergency meeting about the heatwave.
The government has closed 44 hotels used housing asylum seekers this year.
The Home Office still uses fewer than 160 hotels for asylum seekers.
The government’s recent changes on early release of prisoners have faced criticism from political parties.
The early release scheme aims to free up prison space but raises concerns about public safety.
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New research shows parts of California’s Sacramento Valley are sinking fast due to heavy pumping of underground water during recent droughts. This sinking, called land subsidence, can cause permanent damage to the underground water storage and affect farming and local infrastructure.
Key Facts
The Sacramento Valley sank as much as 1.5 feet in one year during the 2020-2022 drought.
Farmers pumped more groundwater when reservoirs and rivers had less water.
A study found the sinking shifted from being mostly reversible to permanently compressing underground sediments.
Permanent compression reduces the aquifer’s ability to store water, even when rains return.
Scientists used satellite data to observe land sinking across a wide area.
Traditional groundwater wells didn’t show the full extent of the problem.
The Central Valley is a critical farming area that depends on groundwater during droughts.
Land sinking can damage roads, bridges, canals, and increase flood risks.
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President Donald Trump criticized the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and effectively shut it down, claiming it wasted taxpayer money abroad. Despite this, millions of US tax dollars are still being sent overseas to rightwing think tanks in Europe that support Trump-aligned political ideas.
Key Facts
President Trump called USAID corrupt and ordered it closed, placing most staff on indefinite leave.
USAID was accused by Trump supporters of wasting money on foreign projects, like buying condoms for Gaza.
After USAID’s closure, US funds still go abroad, primarily to rightwing European think tanks promoting Trumpism.
The US State Department plans to give $12 million to conservative groups in the UK, including $7 million to the newly formed think tank 878, co-founded by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The funding aims to support shared political and cultural values between the US and UK, with unclear and vague goals.
Some US officials say funding processes have been altered to benefit Trump-aligned causes.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned against US interference in German elections following these grants.
Critics say this spending contradicts Trump’s “America first” promise and may be an attempt to influence foreign politics.
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Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared that she is freezing her eggs, a process that allows women to delay pregnancy. While egg freezing can give more reproductive choices, high costs and limited insurance mean many women cannot afford it.
Key Facts
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez openly discussed her egg-freezing process to educate women about reproductive choices.
Egg freezing lets women preserve their eggs to have children later.
Birth rates per 1,000 women aged 15-44 in the U.S. dropped 23% since 2007, and women are having children at older ages.
The number of elective egg-freezing cycles in the U.S. grew from 4,153 in 2014 to 16,436 in 2021.
One egg-freezing cycle costs about $10,000 to $15,000, with medication adding $3,000 to $5,000 more, and storage about $1,000 yearly.
The median full-time working woman in the U.S. earned about $56,600 in 2025, making egg freezing expensive for many.
Only 21% of large U.S. employers cover elective egg freezing, leaving most women to pay out-of-pocket.
High costs and limited coverage create inequalities in who can use egg freezing technology.
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A video from Falls Church, Virginia, shows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent pointing a gun at a U.S. citizen during an enforcement action. The woman recording the video says she was distributing business cards when ICE agents detained two men, and the authorities say she acted dangerously toward the officers.
Key Facts
The incident took place in Falls Church, Virginia, during an ICE enforcement operation.
A masked ICE agent pointed a handgun at a U.S. citizen sitting in her car.
The woman, Carolina Molina, was handing out business cards for psychological evaluation services near immigration law offices.
Molina said she saw ICE agents detaining two men and shouted at them while driving past.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security called Molina an "anti-ICE agitator" and accused her of trying to harm officers with her vehicle.
A video shows an ICE agent at Molina’s car window with a gun drawn, telling her she almost hit officers.
Virginia Representative Don Beyer said he contacted Molina and called for an investigation into ICE’s actions.
Officials and Molina’s accounts differ on events and whether she posed a threat to ICE agents.
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