01Via The GuardianChecked today⏱ 4 min readMichigan Democratic race to close to call with El-Sayed in narrow lead First ThingHaley Stevens trails progressive in Senate primary as counting continues. Plus, meet the man who names cockroaches after Tolkein and Pokémon characters Good morning. A Democratic Senate primary in Michigan remains too close to call , with Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive former public health official, holding a narrow lead over the establishment-backed congresswoman Haley Stevens. The battleground state is crucial to the party’s hopes of winning back control of the Senate in November. Who won in the crowded primary in Washington state? Democratic representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez secured one of two spots in the all-party primary , overcoming criticism from both the left and the right. She will face the Republican state senator John Braun in November. Why are citizens being denied a voice in Missouri? The state’s top election official has rejected a petition seeking a statewide referendum on redistricting. Hundreds of thousands of petition signatures had been submitted in an effort to force a vote on whether to use a new US House map approved by the Republican-led state legislature. The Republican secretary of state, Denny Hoskins, said the number submitted did not matter because challenging a congressional map was unconstitutional under Missouri law. What is the dispute about? The US Department of State said Viotti’s visa had been cancelled in retaliation for Brasília’s refusal to approve Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil and its decision last month to deny visas to two US diplomats. Brasília swiftly condemned the decision, calling it part of a deliberate campaign to influence the outcome of the presidential election in Brazil this October. Lula, 80, is seeking a fourth, non-consecutive term against Flávio Bolsonaro, the senator son of the former president Jair Bolsonaro, and a close political ally of Trump. Continue reading...Start reading →
02Via The GuardianChecked today⏱ 2 min readUS refunds $100bn of Donald Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffsMore than half of tariff income refunded after supreme court ruled Trump’s levies were illegal Business live – latest updates The Trump administration has refunded about $100bn from the tariffs it collected before the US supreme court ruled them illegal, according to reports. The $100bn (£74bn) figure, which represents 60% of the total $165bn collected from Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs, was reported by customs officials to the US court of international trade (CIT) on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times. Continue reading...Start reading →
03Via PBSChecked today⏱ 2 min readReflecting Pool case highlights disconnect between Trump's claims and court recordU.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped charges related to the Reflecting Pool after determining that the damage to the pool was not vandalism. That was in stark contrast to what she said weeks ago. It follows a pattern of disconnect between what the president and administration officials say in public versus what lawyers say in court. Amna Nawaz discussed more with former prosecutor Ankush Khardori.Start reading →
04Via NPRChecked today⏱ 2 min readDespite financial advantages, Republican Party faces major challenge in midtermRepublicans face political headwinds in this fall's midterm elections. The party also maintains structural advantages that could help them preserve their majorities in Congress.Start reading →
01Via PBSChecked today⏱ 2 min readSenate faces long to-do list and little time before recessThe Senate is just days away from taking its month-long August recess, but Congress is also rapidly running out of time to avoid a government shutdown this fall and handle a host of other items. Lawmakers are scrambling to take action on everything from funding the Iran war to regulating cryptocurrency. Lisa Desjardins reports on the developments on Capitol Hill.Start reading →
02Via PBSChecked today⏱ 2 min readNews Wrap: Blanche nomination clears Senate Judiciary CommitteeIn our news wrap Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is a step closer to securing the job permanently after the Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approved his nomination, civil rights groups are demanding answers after a man from El Salvador died in ICE custody and Iran and Oman are reportedly nearing a potential deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Start reading →
03Via PBSChecked today⏱ 2 min readWhat we know about the cyberattacks on water systems in 7 statesAccording to the FBI, at least seven states have now been targeted in a growing wave of cyberattacks on critical water infrastructure across the country. Federal officials now reportedly believe Iran is the likely culprit. Liz Landers discussed more with Cynthia Kaiser, a former deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division currently at Halcyon.Start reading →
04Via The GuardianChecked today⏱ 2 min read‘If we don’t fight back, we don’t have a future’: the journalist taking on the ‘tech fascists’ of Silicon ValleyAs Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and their peers have grown richer and more influential, Gil Durán argues they have all but abandoned democracy – and found the perfect government to enable them In April, Gil Durán was permanently banned from Elon Musk’s X for posting just two words. Durán was responding to a post from the tech company Palantir outlining its 22‑point “technological manifesto” , which praised American “hard power”, western culture and AI weapons, denounced inclusivity and called for compulsory national service. Durán responded: “TLDR: Fascism” (TLDR is short for “too long, didn’t read”). Durán didn’t break any of X’s written rules, he points out over a video call from San Francisco – so much for Musk’s “free-speech absolutism” . His ban might just have had something to do with his preceding tweet, showing the cover of his new book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy. The book’s central argument is that big tech is no longer our friend, as many of its billionaire owners have seized economic and political control and are steering the fate of the planet towards their own bizarre, apocalyptic visions. Continue reading...Start reading →
01Via PBSChecked today⏱ 2 min readHow satellites and AI cameras are detecting wildfires before they get out of controlThis year is becoming one of the worst for U.S. wildfires in at least a decade. There have been more fires and more acreage burned at this point in the year compared to any in the last ten. With fire seasons growing longer, early detection is critical. Special correspondent Ben Tracy of Climate Central reports on how AI is being used to spot fires faster. It's part of our series, Tipping Point.Start reading →
02Via The GuardianChecked today⏱ 2 min readPalantir paid just £2m corporation tax in UK in 2024 despite lucrative public sector contractsSoftware group benefits from global systems and accounting practices ‘that enable tax to be shirked’, says union boss The software group Palantir paid just £2m in corporation tax in the UK in 2024, despite holding public sector contracts worth hundreds of millions, thanks to tax breaks that are likely to reduce its contributions to governments around the world for years to come. The US-headquartered company, which has harnessed AI to secure lucrative work for the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, is growing exponentially. Continue reading...Start reading →
03Via NPRChecked today⏱ 2 min readSpaceX's revenue rises as its once-soaring stock price drifts back to EarthOn their first earnings call since SpaceX's June public offering, executives said the company is pouring funds into rocket development, Starlink satellites and AI.Start reading →
04Via NASAChecked today⏱ 2 min readNASA Will Attempt to Observe Rocket Part’s Lunar ImpactUsing ground-based telescopes and space-based assets, NASA and SpaceX are tracking a used Falcon 9 upper stage from a commercial mission expected to impact the Moon on Wednesday, Aug. 5, near the Einstein and Bell craters. The impact poses no danger to Earth and NASA scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event […]Start reading →