Iran Fires Missiles Toward Jordan's Aqaba as Trump Threatens Strike on 'Pickaxe Mountain' Nuclear Site
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it hit U.S. targets in Jordan, and President Trump says the U.S. will soon strike a deeply buried Iranian nuclear site, as a June truce breaks down.
U.S.
Federal Officials Tie Taco Bell Lettuce to Cyclospora Illnesses in Five States; Supplier Recalls Product After Lab Test Is Retracted
The CDC and FDA link 1,644 illnesses in five states to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, while the agencies and the company dispute what a retracted lab test means and whether federal cuts slowed the response.
House Passes Two-Month Stopgap Funding Bill 220-205; Measure Heads to Divided Senate
The Republican-led House voted mostly along party lines to keep the government open at current levels through December 4, months ahead of the September 30 deadline, sending the bill to a Senate where it needs Democratic votes to pass.
Hegseth, Caine Testify to Senate on Iran War Costs as Pentagon Seeks Tens of Billions More
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put the Iran war's cost so far at $37.5 billion and asked the Senate for roughly $67 billion more, while Democrats questioned the request and internal Pentagon estimates ran higher.
West Health-Gallup Survey Reports 24% of U.S. Workers Stay in Jobs to Keep Health Insurance
A nonprofit-funded survey finds self-reported "job lock" among employer-insured workers rose to about 23 million adults, up from 16% in 2021, as debate turns to how to fix it.
Boston Judge Temporarily Halts New Limits on Work Permits for TPS Holders and Asylum Seekers
U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton paused USCIS policies that would have cut work authorization tied to a 2025 law, with a longer-term decision due by August 5.
Maduro Appears in New York Federal Court for Pretrial Hearing as Sides Propose 2027 Drug-Trafficking Trial
The former Venezuelan president, captured in a January U.S. military operation and held in New York since, returned to court as prosecutors and his lawyers proposed a June 2027 trial; Washington now backs an interim government in Caracas.
N.C.
Duke Energy Carolinas and Public Staff Reach Rate Settlement; State Attorney General Declines to Join
A proposed North Carolina settlement would cut Duke Energy Carolinas' rate-hike request and lower its allowed profit rate, but the state's attorney general says the increase is still too high.
Judge Sends States' Meta Child-Safety Case to Trial; First Trial Set for August 18
A federal judge denied most of Meta's bid to end a multistate lawsuit over youth social media use, clearing the way for the first attorney-general trial in Oakland on August 18.
North Carolina's Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.6% in June as Labor Force Shrinks
The state's jobless rate dropped for a second straight month, but the number of people working also fell, and economists disagree on whether the number signals strength or weakness.
Flood Watches Posted for Northwestern North Carolina as Front Draws in Bertha's Moisture
The National Weather Service warns of flash flooding on saturated ground along the NC-Virginia border through Wednesday evening.
North Carolina Budget Makes Statewide Highway License-Plate-Reader Program Permanent
A provision in the state budget signed July 7 authorizes the SBI and NCDOT to run automatic license-plate readers on state-maintained roads permanently, prompting objections from the ACLU of North Carolina over data safeguards.
North Carolina Cyclosporiasis Cases Pass 300 as Investigators Search for a Food Source
State health officials report the parasitic-illness outbreak has exceeded the past two years' totals, with a source not yet confirmed and officials saying it appears separate from a national outbreak tied to Taco Bell lettuce.
Finance
Dollar and Treasury Yields Hold Firm as Gulf Oil Shock Complicates the Fed's September Decision
A war-driven oil spike has pushed U.S. inflation risk back into markets, and traders are split over whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in September or hold and wait.
Asian Chip Stocks Rally on July 21 as Samsung, SK Hynix and TSMC Reverse Early-July AI-Chip Selloff
South Korea's Kospi and Taiwan's Taiex jumped Tuesday, recovering ground lost in a July selloff driven by doubts over AI spending, aided by strong recent earnings from U.S. memory maker Micron.
Alphabet and Tesla Report Q2 Results as Investors Weigh Whether Heavy AI Spending Is Paying Off
Two of the market's most-watched companies deliver second-quarter numbers after Wednesday's close, with attention fixed on AI capital spending, profit margins, and stretched valuations.
Capital One Reports $3 Billion Second-Quarter Profit as Credit Losses Fall
The bank beat profit estimates as it set aside less money for bad loans, 14 months into its purchase of Discover.
World
Israeli Strike Reported to Kill Family in Gaza City as Post-Ceasefire Death Toll Passes 1,100, Health Officials Say
Medics say an airstrike hit a home in the Sabra district of Gaza City on July 21, 2026; the incident is one of many disputed exchanges along the truce line nine months into a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Wheat Prices Hit Two-Year High as Russia and Ukraine Escalate Black Sea Ship Attacks
Both militaries have stepped up strikes on merchant ships and ports; Ukraine's main farm union says export capacity is down about a third, and global wheat futures have risen to their highest level since 2024.
Philippines and China Blame Each Other After Sailor Hurt in Second Thomas Shoal Clash
A boat collision and physical fight near a contested South China Sea reef left a Philippine navy sailor with a head injury, drew a U.S. condemnation of China, and unfolded as regional diplomats met in Manila.
Azerbaijan's President Says Former German and Russian Officials Met in Baku Over Ukraine
Ilham Aliyev confirmed a private July meeting of ex-officials from both countries; Berlin says its government was not involved, and Kyiv calls the talks irrelevant to the peace process.
Houthis Declare Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia; Oil Prices Rise as Analysts Weigh Supply Risk
Yemen's Houthi movement says it is barring Saudi ships from the Bab el-Mandeb strait, adding a second maritime front to the ongoing U.S.-Iran war; crude rose modestly and analysts disagree on how much oil is actually at risk.
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Speaks With Trump and Zelensky in First Calls in Office
Days after replacing Keir Starmer without a general election, Britain's new Labour leader affirmed support for Ukraine and held a first phone call with President Trump that touched on trade, defense and North Sea oil.
Analysis
Unbiased, evergreen deep-dives on the bigger questions — not breaking news.
Democratic Socialists in America: What They Say They Are, What Critics Say They Are, and What the Evidence Shows
A claim-by-claim analysis of the definitional fight, the polling paradox, and the 'do small reforms compound' question — with each side's strongest case and where it meets the data.
AI Data Centers and the U.S. Grid: What the Electricity Numbers Actually Show, and Who Pays
A meta-analysis separating the measured facts about data-center power use, grid strain, and household bills from the contested claims about cause, cost, and cure.