U.S.
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Pushes Air-Quality Alerts Across Midwest and Northeast; Trump and GOP Lawmakers Blame Canada, Ottawa Cites Climate Change
Smoke from hundreds of active Canadian wildfires triggered health alerts for well over 100 million Americans in July 2026, reviving a dispute over whether forest management or a warming climate is the primary cause.
State Attorneys General Allege ICE Shared Medicaid Data With Palantir in Possible Violation of Court Order
A motion from more than 20 Democratic attorneys general says immigration officials passed a federal Medicaid dataset to contractor Palantir; the administration says its data use is lawful and a judge will weigh the dispute in August.
Wind-Driven Wildfires in Eastern Oregon Destroy Homes, Force Evacuations; State Invokes Conflagration Act a Third Time in 2026
The Lower Dry Creek Fire in Umatilla County and the Hoag Fire in Gilliam County burned multiple homes and displaced hundreds of residents as Oregon mobilized additional state firefighting resources.
DHS Finalizes Rule Ending Open-Ended 'Duration of Status' for Foreign Student, Exchange, and Media Visas
A rule published July 17 replaces indefinite student-visa admission with fixed terms capped at four years, effective September 15, 2026.
Secret Service Proposes Permanent Fence Around Lafayette Park; Federal Design Panel Reviews Plan
The proposal for 8-to-9-foot fencing around the White House–adjacent park drew security arguments from officials and First Amendment objections from civil-liberties groups and local lawmakers.
Maryland Legislature Sets August Special Session on a Redistricting Constitutional Amendment
Democratic leaders will convene the General Assembly on Aug. 3 to consider asking voters to change how congressional districts are drawn, part of a national mid-decade map fight.
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Challenges to Illinois and Connecticut Assault-Weapons Bans
The consolidated cases ask whether the Second Amendment protects AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, with a ruling expected by mid-2027.
NPR Analysis Finds TrumpRx Lists Discounts on Under 12% of Participating Drugmakers' Brand-Name Medicines
The federal drug-buying site carries about 92 discounted brand-name drugs, a fraction of the more than 800 such drugs sold by the companies that signed pricing deals with the Trump administration.
Darline Graham Nordone Appointed and Sworn In as South Carolina's First Female U.S. Senator
South Carolina's Republican governor appointed the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to serve out his term until January, a temporary pick made at President Trump's urging.
CDC and FDA Investigate 12-Case E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Recalled Frozen Blueberries Sold at Publix
Officials tie a small multistate E. coli outbreak to Chilean-grown organic blueberries sold under Publix's GreenWise store brand, a separate event from a much larger cyclosporiasis outbreak also unfolding this summer.
Federal Judge Voids Trump-IRS Settlement, Sanctions Government Lawyers Over $1.8 Billion Fund
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams found that a lawsuit Trump filed against his own administration was collusive and brought in bad faith, ordering sanctions and bar referrals for several attorneys.
Minnesota Extends Wildfire Peacetime Emergency for 30 Days as Boundary Waters Fires Keep Burning
Gov. Tim Walz and the state Executive Council voted to extend the emergency and keep National Guard troops deployed as 17 fires burn about 55,000 acres near Ely and force the closure of the Boundary Waters wilderness.