California's Eaton Fire cause by electrical discharge from utility company - UPI.com

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The deadly Eaton Fire that devastated Southern California last year was caused by equipment from the local utility company, investigators said Tuesday. The Los Angeles County Fire Department released the conclusion of its 18-month investigation into the origins of the fire, saying the cause of the wildfire was due to electrical arcing on an out-of-service Southern California Edison tower. The electrical discharge fell on dry vegetation at the foot of the utility company's Eaton Canyon transmission tower. "The fuel bed ignited approximately 12 seconds after the burning material was seen falling from the arcing event," the report said. "The Eaton Fire rapidly developed into a conflagration engulfing the areas of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and La Canada Flintridge." The blaze burned more than 14,000 acres, destroyed some 9,400 structures and killed 19 people. The Eaton Fire started on Jan. 7, 2025, and took fire officials 24 days to put out. "I recognize that no report or investigation into the Eaton Fire can ease the deep pain and tragedy our residents have endured," Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a statement. "While the cause has been determined, our focus remains on assisting our residents to rebuild their homes and livelihoods, and ensuring lessons learned drive meaningful and impactful change in memory of the 19 lives lost," he added. In October, South California Edison launched a compensation fund for survivors of the fire. The company said it has paid more than $314 million to victims, CBS News reported. One of the many homes destroyed by five southern California wildfires in Los Angeles County on January 8, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo Read More

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Rand Paul’s Fauci Diary Dump Exposed Peoples’ Medical Histories

Anthony Fauci’s diary included the names and medical information of people he came into contact with as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, including people with cancer, Ebola or HIV. Sen. Rand Paul’s office published Fauci’s diary entries without redacting those sensitive details. The documents expose more than 20 individuals by name along with their medical histories, a NOTUS review found. Paul published over 1,600 pages of Fauci’s diaries last week ahead of Fauci’s appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, after obtaining the documents from the Department of Health and Human Services. The initial document dump was unredacted. Days later, those files were removed and replaced with partial redactions to some, but not all, of the personal medical information. The unredacted entries have raised legal questions around how the Health Department disclosed these documents to the Senate. Several of the individuals named in the documents said they were unaware their medical history had been made public and expressed concerns around their personal privacy. “What this administration does with information is selective, it is unconstitutional and truly disappointing,” Leslie Adelman, one of the individuals whose medical information was revealed in the documents, told NOTUS in a text message. Adelman said she was “pretty offended that my name and public health information have been shared to the world.” NOTUS is only publishing the names of the private individuals who have given direct approval to appear in this story. Fauci’s diary entries remain accessible with some redactions on Paul’s Senate office website. Paul, who has long called for Fauci to be jailed for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, has suggested that the documents reveal that Fauci thought the COVID-19 virus emerged from a lab. The senator continues to promote the documents on social media. HHS provided the documents to Paul in response to an oversight request, not a subpoena, an agency spokesperson, Grace Davis Jamison, said in a statement provided to NOTUS. Jamison said HHS was “not involved in their subsequent publication.” In an interview with Fox News, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said HHS provided the documents to Paul’s office after his team uncovered them on government servers. The published records include names, diagnoses, symptoms and test results of individuals. Two of the people identified by name alongside their medical details were children, including the child of Trump administration staffer Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller. Katie Miller previously told NOTUS that Paul’s office published the details of her child’s medical care without her knowledge or permission. They were subsequently redacted. Some of the named individuals are public figures, including President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden. Others appear to be private individuals whose medical history has never been publicly released before. One Ebola patient’s medical saga is recounted in detail across over 30 pages. Paul’s office did not respond to a request for comment. There is no indication that Fauci intended for the unredacted notes to become public. Some of the entries that included medical information were labeled by Fauci as “confidential.” In his opening statement before the Senate committee, Fauci said that Paul’s release of his “unredacted personal diary” was intended to embarrass and intimidate him, and accused the senator of having an “unhinged obsession” with jailing him. Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment during the hearing. Fauci did not respond to a request for comment. A person close to Fauci said in a text message that Fauci “never intended for any of his personal diary entries to be made public. They were his own personal notes/reflections to himself.” In a series of posts on X, Paul called the released documents a “personal account of building the federal biodefense complex” and wrote that they reveal the former health official’s “love for the newfound fame COVID brought him.” The documents include Fauci’s recounting of patients he met in passing who seemingly have nothing to do with either biodefense or COVID. In an entry dated to Oct. 26, 2020, he wrote of visiting Adelman, a patient at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, at her request. “Went to Clinical Center to visit a young woman (Leslie Adelman) who has Von Hipple-Lindau disease and had a hemangioblastoma in her cerebellum removed last week,” Fauci wrote. “Since she was in the hospital she asked her neurosurgeon Dr. Kareem Zaghloul if it were possible to meet me. I, of course, said yes and went to see her. Quite a time. Nurses and physicians all wanted pictures with me. Leslie was delighted. Made my day.” Adelman confirmed Fauci’s account of their meeting. “He made my day even more,” she told NOTUS. She also expressed frustration at what she viewed as the federal government’s differing standards for releasing personal information. “If I was a victimizer in the Epstein files, my name would have been redacted,” Adelman said. “Instead, I am an innocent and productive member of society, who has donated her time and body to NIH for research that will benefit millions of people — yet MY name and information is blasted to the national news.” The released documents also include extensive detail on American medical providers who contracted Ebola during the 2014-2016 outbreak, and whose care Fauci was closely involved with. Craig Spencer, an emergency room physician who contracted Ebola and whose medical information was included in the released documents, called it “stupid and irresponsible” that they were published. “My information out there doesn’t do anything or highlight anything,” Spencer said. Spencer’s name and information was redacted in the updated versions of the released documents. Adelman’s medical information was not. Of two HIV-positive individuals that Fauci recounted meeting in the early 2000s, one name was redacted, but not the other. This is not the first time the Trump administration has released files without redacting personal information. Last year, it released thousands of pages related — some only barely — to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Those pages also contained the personal information, including Social Security numbers, of hundreds of congressional staff members, intelligence researchers and an ambassador. The White House later acknowledged that it only began looking through the JFK files for personal information after they were already published. It directed the Social Security Administration to issue new numbers to the people who were affected, as well as offer them free credit monitoring. Earlier this year, the Justice Department withdrew several thousand documents it published related to Jeffrey Epstein after it was found that they contained unredacted information and media pertaining to Epstein’s victims, including nude photos, names and email addresses. A federal judge is also currently reviewing whether the Justice Department over-redacted documents tied to Epstein it released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The fact that the Fauci documents were released by HHS voluntarily and not under a subpoena may mean the individuals named in them have a constitutional claim against the agency, one privacy expert said — though another said it would be exceedingly difficult. “The Fifth Amendment and the 14th Amendment have been read by a number of federal circuit courts to provide a right of informational privacy, which protects against situations like this,” said John Davisson, deputy director and director of enforcement at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “The disclosure of sensitive personal information, health information, is often implicated in claims like this without a corresponding legitimate basis for disclosure.” He added, “It’s hard to imagine that this kind of bulk disclosure of sensitive health information serves any sort of legitimate, compelling government interest.” It would be very difficult, if not impossible, for any of the impacted individuals to assert a constitutional claim in this circumstance due to the “distorted path” the documents took to publication, said Sharona Hoffman, a professor of law and bioethics at Case Western Reserve University. “This doesn’t fit squarely into any of the privacy laws,” Hoffman said. “It’s just sort of bizarre behavior.” When contacted by NOTUS, individuals whose medical information was published in the documents said they were frustrated both by the release of their information and by the continued criticism of Fauci. “All I will say is this man does not deserve any of this SHIT that he and his family are going through,” Carla Heeke Dean, a former patient of Fauci’s whose medical information was included in the documents, said in an email.

notus.org

House Ethics Committee will investigate Ohio Republican Max Miller

The committee said it was reviewing allegations that Miller "may have engaged in domestic violence." Miller has denied the allegations, which have swirled around his bid for a third term in Congress.

npr.org

Now Chipotle is rocked by food poisoning outbreak

Published: 21:17 BST, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 22:17 BST, 4 August 2026 More than a hundred people have been sickened with a potentially deadly bacteria after eating jalapeños from Chipotle. Health officials in Minnesota have recorded 110 cases of salmonella which they linked to the Mexican-style quick-service restaurants. No details were provided on whether any patients were hospitalized. Investigators suspect that jalapeños are the source of infection after interviewing 84 patients, of which 90 percent said they had eaten jalapeños at Chipotle or other restaurants before falling ill. But health officials warn the true toll is likely far higher, saying that most people infected are never tested for an infection. The FDA launched an investigation on July 22 after the cases were first reported in people who had eaten the foods at Chipotle and other restaurants. The restaurant chain also began reviewing its supply chain that day to find the source. It was not clear whether Chipotle branches in other states were affected, but Minnesota health officials said they were in contact with counterparts elsewhere. The jalapeños linked to the sickness were also served at other restaurants. It comes amid a major outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the US which has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was sold at Taco Bell and other stores. More than 15 states have now been linked to this outbreak, which has sickened thousands. More than 110 people have been sickened with salmonella after eating at Chipotle Investigators suspect jalapeños may be the source of the contamination Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, told the Daily Mail: 'We have a robust ingredient traceability system and, upon learning of a potential Salmonella outbreak in the supply chain impacting several food service retailers, we proactively identified jalapeños as a potential common ingredient from a common lot. 'We removed them from the restaurants where they had been distributed, and replaced them with product from different growers.' Salmonella is primarily spread by consuming foods or drinks contaminated with the bacteria. Healthy people infected with salmonella often suffer from fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, which clears within a few days. In serious cases, however, patients can suffer from potentially fatal complications including sepsis. Health officials warn very young children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk from salmonella infections. In a statement, the Minnesota Department of Health said it was no longer concerned about further infections triggered by Chipotle, saying the jalapeños had been pulled from shelves, but warned they may still be in other restaurants. Carlota Medus, a senior epidemiologist at the department, said: 'Chipotle has fully collaborated on every aspect of this investigation; ranging from providing records and information about the foods they receive at their restaurants, as well as implementing mitigation steps right away to prevent further transmission. 'It is too soon for us to know if the outbreak is ongoing. Given the measures Chipotle put in place, we are not concerned about Chipotle. . Investigators suspect jalapeños may be the source of the contamination 'But it is possible that the outbreak is ongoing if the contaminated food item is being served elsewhere.' She added: 'We do expect the case count to increase even if the illnesses occurred a couple of weeks ago, since it takes us a while to detect cases in surveillance.' Read More It was not clear what caused the outbreak, but jalapeños can be contaminated with bacteria if they are irrigated with water contaminated with animal feces. The FDA registered the outbreak on its website on July 22. Chipotle has faced a series of severe E coli, salmonella and norovirus outbreaks across multiple US states dating back to 2015. In August 2018, 624 people fell sick with severe stomach problems after eating at just one Chipotle restaurant in Ohio. Patients were infected with Clostridium perfringens, a common cause of food poisoning in the US. Another 200 people were sickened during a norovirus outbreak at a California restaurant in 2015, before 133 fell ill with the same disease at a Virginia outlet in 2017. In 2020, the company paid a $25 million fine to settle criminal charges linked to outbreaks that sickened more than 1,100 people. The case involved food-safety failures, not a contaminated ingredient. Salmonella accounts for about one in four diarrheal diseases worldwide Salmonella is most common in poultry, red meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables. The bacterium infects 1.3 million Americans every year. Most people recover within days, though the illness is responsible for more than 26,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths a year. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps that begin six hours to six days after initial infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike most bacteria, once consumed, some strains of salmonella can survive the stomach acid and travel into the intestines. Once there, they burrow into the cells lining the organ, causing inflammation, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever. The bacteria may also enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs. People can catch salmonella after eating contaminated food, drinking fluids laced with the bacteria or touching the droppings of infected animals. People can also catch salmonella from others via touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the feces of a sick patient. Symptoms are triggered within six hours to six days of infection, with patients told to call their doctor if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, if they notice blood in their urine or feces, develop a high fever or show signs of dehydration.

dailymail.com

Susan Collins Throws Wrench into Todd Blanche Confirmation

The Morning Sixpack - 08/05/2026: Blanche wobbles, Chipotle salmonella, Max Miller probe, Fauci file fallout, Eaton Fire cause, SpaceX moon crash. #MorningSixpack

mydailygrind.news

Pirro brought box of evidence to show Trump what caused Reflecting Pool damage

The top federal prosecutor in the nation's capital carted a box full of evidence to the White House on Monday, in a bid to prove to President Trump that the damage to the Reflecting Pool was caused by shoddy construction and not by vandals, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News on Tuesday. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, a staunch ally of the president, made the case in a sometimes heated private meeting in the Oval Office Monday, hours after Mr. Trump had publicly rebuked her for dropping criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn. She was later photographed leaving the White House carting a large white box and other bags, which sources said contained all of the evidence collected from the Interior Department that exculpated Hearn and several others from criminal vandalism. A spokesperson for Pirro's office declined comment. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro departs the White House, Aug. 3, 2026. CBS News Mr. Trump earlier in the day had accused Pirro of folding "like an umbrella," after her office on Friday filed a motion dismissing the felony case against Hearn. In the motion, prosecutors blamed the Interior Department for holding back critical evidence that they claimed they did not see until after they had secured the indictment from the grand jury in D.C.'s Superior Court. They said new information they had received indicated that the damage was caused by a "botched installation" by a contractor, not vandalism, as the president and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed. On Saturday, Burgum said in a post on X, "The evidence is clear, vandals have repeatedly caused damage to the Reflecting Pool." The U.S. attorney's office has also since moved to dismiss criminal charges against three others accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool. Pirro's office has suffered a number of high-profile setbacks involving cases related to Mr. Trump's enemies and topics of personal interest to him. Earlier this year, a grand jury uniformly refused to indict six Democratic lawmakers for posting a video urging military members not to follow orders they believe are illegal. Historically, a grand jury refusing to return an indictment is highly unusual, let alone having a grand jury unanimously refuse to do so. Then, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia quashed grand jury subpoenas issued by Pirro's office to investigate former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the Fed itself in connection with a costly renovation and statements he made to Congress about that work. In doing so, the judge said the subpoenas were merely a pretext to pressure Powell to lower interest rates. Pirro later dropped the investigation, but not before several of her deputies first made an unannounced visit to the Fed's construction site and tried to gain access to the property before being turned away. Kristin Brown contributed to this report. In:

cbsnews.com

Sen. Susan Collins will oppose Blanche, a critical blow for Trump's AG pick

U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) speaks during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 21, 2026. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, will vote against Todd Blanche's nomination to be attorney general, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump's pick for the nation's top law enforcement job ahead of a confirmation vote in the Senate. "While I believe Mr. Blanche is a capable lawyer, the Department of Justice has become increasingly political," Collins, who is facing a tough reelection fight, said in a statement. "Mr. Blanche has taken several actions that have further eroded the Department's independence, and that is the basis for my vote to oppose his confirmation." Collins listed several reasons for her "no" vote, including Blanche's role in a controversial settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service that resulted in an audit shield for the president and his family and the now-canceled "anti-weaponization fund." Collins also noted Blanche "promised an anti-abortion organization that he would seek to prohibit the mailing of abortion medication to women nationwide." Blanche can only afford to lose two GOP votes to be confirmed, given Republicans' 53-47 majority and the extended medical absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have yet to decide on Blanche's nomination — meaning the pair could sink him if they decide to join Collins in opposition. Blanche was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier Tuesday by a vote of 12-10, sending his nomination to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche gets sworn in at his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. The committee vote came after Blanche, the current acting attorney general, struck a deal with Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who said they are satisfied that the controversial "anti-weaponization fund" is dead. The pair of senators deadlocked the committee by refusing to vote for Blanche until he confirmed the program's end in writing, despite verbal assurances. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats on Tuesday ahead of the vote on Blanche, said they are concerned the fund could still be revived. All of the committee's Democrats opposed Blanche's confirmation, while all the Republicans voted in favor. "This document is a sham," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, referring to files Blanche posted to social media that he said mark the end of the fund. "It is a sham and a fraud on the Congress."

cnbc.com

The Danube River's water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging

Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. PRAHOVO, Serbia (AP) — Water levels on the Danube River, the second longest in Europe, have dropped so low because of drought that the hulks of dozens of World War II German battleships are emerging into view. They are a curious distraction from the summer heat crisis. The Danube’s record low water levels also have forced power plants to the brink of shutting down, and governments across Central and Eastern Europe are taking steps to conserve electricity. In the middle of the river separating Serbia and Romania near the Serbian port of Prahovo, a rusty hull is now visible along with a broken mast where the Nazi flag used to fly. The ships, some still laden with weapons, belonged to Nazi Germany’s Black Sea fleet that the Germans deliberately sank as they retreated from Romania and as Soviet forces advanced deeper into Europe near the end of the war. Historians say up to 200 German warships were scuttled in September 1944 near Prahovo in the Danube gorge as they came under Soviet fire. The idea behind the deliberate sinking was to slow down the Soviet advance in the Balkans. But Nazi Germany surrendered months later, in May 1945. The sight of the old warships is a reminder that the Serbian government, with European Union financial support, has long been trying to do something about them. Some were removed from the river by Communist Yugoslav authorities, but most have remained because of the explosives they carried. Now, however, authorities are trying to keep traffic flowing on the Danube, which flows through 10 nations, as the dropping water levels create dangerous conditions. Experts have linked the unusually hot weather to global warming and other factors. Krsta Brandic, a Prahovo resident, said the low water levels have almost stopped ship traffic: “As you can see, the (big) ships can’t pass anymore.” ___ Associated Press writer Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.

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U.S. has used ‘virtually all’ of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war: Reuters

In this handout photo released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) firing a missile into the East Sea during a South Korea-U.S. joint missile drill aimed to counter North Korea’s ICBM test on July 29, 2017 in East Coast, South Korea. The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military’s readiness for future conflicts. The missiles are principally the Army’s surface-to-surface weapons, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM). The U.S. has used “virtually all” of these weapons, according to two of the sources. The degree to which the military is running out of ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles has not been previously reported. The long-range munitions are an important part the military’s arsenal, allowing accurate strikes from a safe distance. U.S.-supplied ATACMS have played a key role in the war in Ukraine, allowing Ukrainian forces to attack targets inside Russia. The PrSM is a newer, more advanced generation that will replace the ATACMS, which have a shorter range. Analysts say such weapons – which cost over $1 million each – would also be important in any conflict with China. The sources declined to say how many of each munition the U.S. had left. President Donald Trump launched the Iran war jointly with Israel in February, predicting that the conflict would last a short time. But as the war drags on, the three people familiar with the matter expressed worry that the falling missile supplies could limit the U.S. ability to deter adversaries, including Russia and China. A fourth person familiar with the matter said that while Central Command — which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East — has nearly used up the land-based missiles it had before the war began, it has been able to reload from U.S. military supplies elsewhere in the world. The sources interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity. Asked for comment on the stockpile data, the White House issued a statement from Trump, saying the U.S. had “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and “far more than we need.” “Our defense companies are, at this moment, making more munitions than they have ever made before, in addition to expanding their plants and equipment at record levels,” Trump said. Analysts agree that certain munitions, including artillery shells and several types of missiles, are being produced at record levels but caution that supplies might far short of what is needed for a prolonged war. Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMs and PrSMs, along with the anti-ballistic missile THAAD system, did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s statements or about supply levels. Raytheon, which makes Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors, two important U.S. weapons, also did not immediately respond. Responding to a request for comment, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “America’s military is the most powerful in the world and has everything it needs to execute at the time and place of the President’s choosing. We have executed multiple successful operations across combatant commands while ensuring the U.S. military possesses a deep arsenal of capabilities to protect our people and our interests.” The supply figures have circulated inside the federal government over the last week during tense conversations inside the Trump administration about how much longer the U.S. can continue striking Iran without drawing down the stockpile to levels that would limit the military’s ability to respond to crises elsewhere.Warnings over weapons supplies One of the sources said the drawdown of the ATACMS and PrSM stockpiles reflected a decision by the Trump administration to avoid riskier ways of attacking Iranian targets, such as by using piloted aircraft to drop bombs. Because these weapons allow the military to attack targets from a distance, analysts say they would be valuable in a war against an adversary with strong air defenses, such as China. They have been used to strike targets inside Iran, according to a March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). According to the report, PrSM stockpiles were low to start with, since it is a relatively new munition, but the U.S. military has ordered a large number of them for 2027. The Army has said that ATACMS are being phased out and that production is shifting to the newer PrSM missiles. Military leaders have for weeks warned the president that stockpiles of defensive weapons — including Patriot interceptors, which are effective against ballistic missiles — were dwindling, said two of the sources. Last week, several media outlets reported Trump had decided not to launch another massive offensive inside Iran in part because his military advisers had warned about the U.S. stockpile. A U.S. official disputed those accounts, saying Trump chose not to move forward with another attack because of pressure from Gulf states. The Middle East conflict has sparked intense debate about Trump’s authority to prosecute hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization. No request for a declaration of war or an authorization to use military force has been submitted to Congress.Defensive weapon stocks are also diminished Last week, CSIS published a report estimating that between February and July about 65% of Patriot interceptors had been expended and that the number of THAAD ballistic missile interceptors in U.S. stockpiles was at least 38% lower than at the start of the war. Patriots and THAADs are systems that detect and destroy incoming missiles and are among the most effective in the country’s arsenal. While Reuters has not seen the supply figures, those numbers match internal U.S. data, two of the sources said. The U.S. also burned through a little less than half of its global supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which are generally launched from ships, since the start of the war, one of the sources said. Reuters could not independently verify that number. The Tomahawk is a Navy weapon, launched from destroyers, cruisers and submarines, and has long served as the sea service’s principal means of striking heavily defended targets without risking pilots. Raytheon, a unit of RTX, has reached a tentative multi-year agreement with the Pentagon aimed at boosting Tomahawk production, alongside increases in other munitions, as Washington races to rebuild stockpiles.

cnbc.com

NEWS: Bombshell Epstein Report Reveals Trump/CBS Cover-Up of Money Trail, Military Runs out of Munitions, DOJ Drops More Cases

Good morning everyone. I told you there would be major Epstein news today, and we have it: a new report from Senator Ron Wyden details how big banks failed to report Epstein’s suspicious transactions for decades, and how the Trump Administration and CBS are working to cover it up. Follow the money. That’s what we do today. Meanwhile, Todd Blanche is set to move forward in the confirmation process today, Epstein survivors are speaking out, Trump is seeking reparations for himself, and the U.S. military is quickly running out of munitions. I told you I would never stop talking about the Epstein files, and I meant it. More interviews are coming. I cannot stop until survivors get the justice they deserve. If you believe this reporting matters, subscribe today or upgrade your subscription. Your support helps me keep bringing these stories to millions of people and keeps the pressure on those in power. Here’s the news: Epstein: Follow the Money: A new bombshell report from Senator Ron Wyden reveals that JPMorgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America systematically failed to report Jeffrey Epstein’s suspicious transactions for nearly two decades despite knowing he was a convicted sex offender with ties to human trafficking and now, the Trump Administration is covering it up. JPMorgan filed just seven SARs totaling $4.3 million between 2002 and 2016, then retroactively flagged over 5,000 wire transfers worth $1.3 billion only after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, six years after the bank had already terminated him as a client in 2013 over money laundering concerns. Deutsche Bank, which took over as Epstein’s primary bank from 2013 until his death, similarly waited until after his arrest to flag $250 million in suspicious transfers, despite compliance staff catching his attorney Darren Indyke repeatedly asking how to withdraw cash without triggering government alerts. Bank of America waved through $170 million in wire transfers from billionaire Leon Black to Epstein for supposed “tax advice,” only flagging them as having “no apparent economic, business or lawful purpose” nearly eight months after Epstein’s arrest. Leon Black was overwhelmingly Epstein’s largest funding source, providing 90% of the roughly $184 million in revenue Epstein’s shell company Southern Trust reported between 2013 and 2017, and USVI’s settlement with Black explicitly states Epstein used that money to partly fund his sex trafficking operations there. Top JPMorgan executives, including Mary Erdoes (now the bank’s Asset and Wealth Management CEO) and Jes Staley (former investment bank CEO), maintained close personal contact with Epstein for years, with unsealed emails showing Staley telling Epstein “say hello to Snow White” and wanting to give him a “long heartfelt hug,” while a 2012 exchange between two executives joked about the “nymphettes” at Epstein’s house. Even after JPMorgan formally cut ties with Epstein in 2013, Erdoes personally approved continuing to work with him informally so he could keep serving as an intermediary to Leon Black, and banker John Duffy coached Epstein on withdrawing cash through his aviation account instead of personal accounts to avoid scrutiny. Despite these findings, virtually none of the bankers involved have faced consequences, Erdoes remains employed with total compensation exceeding $50 million this year, and most others named in the report still hold senior positions at JPMorgan or Bank of America. The report also reveals that Senator Wyden taped an interview about this investigation with then-60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi in March 2026, but CBS News leadership under Bari Weiss fired Alfonsi shortly afterward and the segment has not aired. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has refused three separate requests to turn over the Treasury’s Epstein files to the Senate Finance Committee, even though the same records were reportedly given to the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, and Senate Republicans, including Finance Chair Mike Crapo, blocked Wyden’s bill (PETRA) that would have forced their release. Wyden’s report calls for DOJ and Treasury investigations into all three banks and named executives, criminal probes into Epstein aides Darren Indyke, Richard Kahn and Harry Beller (who control his $100 million estate and remain unquestioned by DOJ), and new legislation requiring annual compliance attestations from banks serving ultra-wealthy clients, harsher penalties for bankers who fail to report suspicious activity, and mandatory disclosure when banks quietly offboard high-risk clients. Total settlements paid out by the banks and Epstein’s estate related to his crimes now exceed $900 million, but Wyden notes this figure is likely understated given evidence of dozens or possibly hundreds of additional secret NDA settlements between victims and wealthy Epstein associates that have never been made public. Todd Blanche/Department of Justice: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is poised to advance toward Senate confirmation after rescinding the order that created Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund on Sunday, a move that won over holdout Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. The senators said they secured a “legally enforceable document” ending the fund and limiting audit protections, and pledged to vote his nomination out of committee. However, Blanche’s rescission only killed the May order implementing the fund, not the underlying settlement provision requiring its creation, and the settlement itself can only be modified with written agreement from Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization, none of whom signed Sunday’s order. Blanche also clarified that Trump’s audit protections apply only retroactively and only to the named plaintiffs, narrower than the original agreement’s language covering any “related or affiliated” individuals or companies, though Trump had complicated talks Saturday by threatening to revive the fund if Blanche wasn’t confirmed. The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote for Tuesday. Epstein survivors release powerful statement ahead of Todd Blanche's confirmation vote today. Senator Tillis and Cornyn refused to sit down and meet with them. "The message was unmistakeable: they wanted us to go away. We are not going away." Beyond dropping the felony case against former Olympian David Hearn, prosecutors in Jeanine Pirro’s office also moved to dismiss misdemeanor charges against three other people accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool: Justin Carreno, Sophie Dennison-Gibby, and Cameron Thiers. Prosecutors said new evidence, including internal Interior Department documents, showed the damage came from a botched contractor installation rushed ahead of America 250 events, not vandalism, though Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have insisted the damage was caused by vandals. Attorneys for the defendants described the ordeal as a “nightmare,” with one client fired from his government contracting job and forced to move after his arrest, and said they’re considering legal action against the government, calling the case a fabricated crime and “the epitome of the politicization of the criminal justice system.” Trump has publicly criticized Pirro for dropping the cases, saying she “choked,” even as she was seen visiting the White House hours after his comments. While defending his administration’s now-dead $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, Trump told reporters he is personally deserving of “reparations,” calling Obama and Biden’s presidencies “corrupt” for what he described as unfair treatment. The fund grew out of Trump’s settlement of his own $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax returns showing his family evaded up to $500 million in taxes, a settlement a federal judge called “self-dealing” last month since Trump, as head of the executive branch, effectively settled a case against himself; Acting AG Todd Blanche confirmed Sunday the fund is dead after Republican senators threatened to sink his confirmation over it. On a private call with faith leaders last week, as his confirmation hung by a thread, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told anti-abortion supporters the Justice Department was working with federal health agencies and the White House “so that the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state,” vowing “victory will be soon, and it will be permanent.” He suggested specific action was coming on telehealth prescriptions and mail delivery of abortion pills, saying the administration is “putting practices and policies in place” to stop shipments to states where the procedure is banned, remarks that go well beyond what he told the Senate Judiciary Committee at his July confirmation hearing and directly conflict with Trump’s 2024 campaign pledge to keep the federal government out of the issue. Blanche didn’t specify whether he’d use FDA safety regulations or the long-dormant 1873 Comstock Act, a distinction that matters because Comstock could be used to block mail delivery of both abortion pills nationwide, while the Biden DOJ’s 2022 legal opinion protecting doctors who mail the pills is now under “thorough review” by Trump’s Justice Department. Iran war: According to Reuters, The U.S. military has used up “virtually all” of its ATACMS and Precision Strike Missiles during the five-month Iran war, according to three sources familiar with the data, along with roughly half its global Tomahawk cruise missile supply, raising concerns about American readiness for future conflicts with adversaries like Russia or China. CENTCOM has nearly exhausted the land-based missiles it had before the war began but has been able to reload from stockpiles elsewhere in the military, according to a fourth source, and officials say the drawdown reflects a decision to rely on these precision weapons rather than riskier piloted airstrikes. Defensive stockpiles have also been hit hard, with a CSIS report estimating about 65% of Patriot interceptors and at least 38% of THAAD interceptors expended since February, figures two sources say match internal U.S. data, and military leaders have reportedly warned Trump for weeks that dwindling supplies factored into his decision not to launch another major offensive inside Iran, though a U.S. official disputed that account and attributed the pause to pressure from Gulf states. The White House pushed back, with Trump saying the U.S. has “far more munitions than anyone in the world” and touting record production, while Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the military “has everything it needs.” Raytheon has reached a tentative multi-year deal with the Pentagon to boost Tomahawk production as the war, still unauthorized by Congress, continues without a declaration of war or AUMF. Trump said that Iran has a “last chance” to strike a deal on the Strait of Hormuz, warning that if an agreement isn’t reached “today or tomorrow,” the U.S. could launch major airstrikes. He wants Iran to quickly reach terms with Oman restoring shipping through the waterway but rejected any deal letting Tehran charge transit fees, saying flatly “there’s not going to be charging.” The comments come as talks appear stalled, with Iranian officials insisting Tehran has the right to regulate maritime traffic and an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warning U.S. warships and bases face “serious danger” unless Washington lifts its blockade of Iranian ports. Bloomberg reports little sign of progress in the Oman-mediated negotiations despite Trump’s latest ultimatum. Trump accused ExxonMobil and Chevron of “making too much money” from the energy market disruption caused by his war on Iran, saying at the White House Monday that the companies should “give some of that back to the public” and cut consumer prices. The comments came after both companies reported massive quarterly profits: Chevron posted a record $12.2 billion, a fivefold jump from last year, while ExxonMobil reported $14.5 billion, double the prior year and its highest since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with U.S. oil companies making more than $26 billion combined in the quarter. Trump spoke just hours before BP reported its own profits had doubled to $5.7 billion, and BP’s CEO responded to his criticism by noting the company sells “a global commodity” whose price is set by the broader market. Climate campaigners also blasted the earnings as “obscene,” and Trump’s complaints follow weeks of pressure on retailers to lower gas prices and a DOJ investigation he ordered into potential price gouging, even as U.S. gas still averages $4.11 a gallon despite oil prices falling well off their post-war peak of $126 a barrel. Other news: A 37-year-old Spokane resident with a prior manslaughter conviction, Aaron Farinacci, was arrested Monday in connection with the largest of three wildfires burning in the region, taken into custody by a SWAT team after a judge signed a warrant on a first-degree arson allegation. Authorities say a witness saw a man matching his description near the Old Trails Fire acting suspiciously shortly before it started Saturday morning, and deputies detained and questioned Farinacci that same day about a half-mile from the origin point, finding waterproof matches and a butane lighter on him before releasing him. Detectives later linked him to the fire and determined its origin matched exactly where witnesses saw him kneeling in the grass; prosecutors say he had previously been questioned over “arson-related behavior” but never charged, and has a 2012 manslaughter conviction from Arizona. The Old Trails Fire, at 3,619 acres, is the largest of the three Spokane-area blazes that have destroyed roughly 700 structures and forced 67,000 evacuations, with no evidence so far tying Farinacci to the other two fires; he’s due in court Tuesday. Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, arguing they’re a pretext for replacing the import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The U.S. last month imposed double-digit tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, on 59 countries and the EU under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, citing failures to crack down on forced-labor imports, after Trump’s earlier IEEPA-based tariffs were ruled illegal and his subsequent temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expired July 24. New York Attorney General Letitia James, leading the coalition of Democratic-led states, said the administration is “once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses” after its Supreme Court loss, while the White House defended the move as lawful, noting Section 301 tariffs survived court challenges when Trump used them against China in his first term. Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, a 41-year-old man from El Salvador, died Saturday at Delaney Hall, an immigration jail in Newark, New Jersey, where he’d been held since his arrest on June 18, ICE said. His official cause of death is pending further medical examination, and ICE maintains he “received proper medical care and was seen by medical professionals” while in custody, though Democratic officials including Sen. Cory Booker are questioning whether the death was preventable and renewing calls to close the facility, which has faced months of protests over conditions. It’s the second death at Delaney Hall since Trump’s second term began, after a December death ruled natural by a medical examiner, and one of at least 56 deaths in ICE custody nationwide during this term, with detainees at the facility previously staging a hunger strike over complaints of denied medication. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said her administration is still working to understand the circumstances but says it continues to face obstruction in trying to conduct a full health inspection of the facility, which is run by private contractor Geo Group. A drone struck a crowded beach in the Russian resort town of Gelendzhik on Monday, killing seven people, including three children, and injuring 58 others, according to Russian officials. Moscow accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians, calling it a war crime, and launched a barrage of retaliatory strikes, while Ukrainian officials didn’t confirm responsibility but didn’t deny it either, with a Ukrainian security official arguing Russian air defenses shot the drone down onto the beachgoers and blaming Putin, saying “it was Putin who killed these Russians” for starting the war. The strike comes amid an intensifying Ukrainian campaign to push attacks closer to Moscow, targeting shipping vessels, oil sites, and ammunition depots, as Russia has also killed at least 377 Ukrainians in July alone, the deadliest month since April 2022, with fresh strikes early Tuesday killing two children and an elderly woman in Sumy and two more people in Zaporizhzhia. Shipping has increasingly been caught in the crossfire too, prompting Turkey to call for enhanced navigational safety Tuesday after a Turkish-owned vessel was hit, following similar complaints from India last month over attacks that killed its nationals. Ukraine and Russia are locked in a battle to destroy each other's energy infrastructure, a fight Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told POLITICO will define any future peace talks, describing it as "the 12th round" where each side hopes the other collapses first. Ukraine's long-range strikes have knocked out about 40% of Russia's primary oil refining capacity, and Kyiv hopes that pressure, combined with allied sanctions, will force Putin to end the war this fall, though Ukraine is bracing for another brutal winter campaign if talks fail, this time targeting water supplies rather than just electricity and heating. To survive the winter, Ukraine needs PAC-3 interceptors for its Patriot systems, but U.S. stocks are low due to the Iran war, pushing Kyiv and allies to lobby countries like Spain and Greece to donate theirs, while Ukraine is also racing to build protective infrastructure covers and distribute smaller, harder-to-target modular generators. See you soon. — Aaron

aaronparnas.substack.com

BAM POW BIFF!! Court Calls Out Trump and His Attorneys for Bad Faith and Collusion in IRS Case

by Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. - attorney and law professor emeritus - giving you 100% facts and truth in plain English about what's going on with this administration and the law [Notes from the Front members: This post includes the documents and the video of our earlier livestream about this decision. I’ll also be sending the video out separately along with the transcript.] Remember that time when Trump sued his own IRS? And then remember that time when he said "nevermind" and filed a motion to dismiss *with prejudice*? And remember when the IRS agreed to that motion to dismiss because, after all, it's *Trump's* IRS? And remember when I told you that the Court was likely really ticked, and likely feeling used? Yeah. Hell hath no fury like a Court scorned - and used. And also remember how the Court made a pointed point of saying *in the dismissal order* that *no settlement had been submitted to the Court*? Now, so that the timeline is clear, the *very day after* the Court dismissed the case Todd Blanche suddenly came up with a "settlement" in the case. Remember that? And when asked by Congress why the the "settlement" hadn't been presented to the Court for review, he said it was because the case had been dismissed the day before. You can almost smell their plan. Now, you may recall my saying that the "settlement" - even if otherwise legit, which it wasn't - was ineffective because it didn't say "Trump" anywhere, instead it said "Plaintiff", and guess what, there *were no plaintiffs* because the case had been *dismissed*! With prejudice! Moreover, of course, the Court had made that point of saying there had been *no settlement*. And what Trump didn't count on was 35 former judges, and several amicus curiae, filing a non-party motion to have the Judge *reopen the case*. (Very unusual.) And he certainly didn't count on the Court *actually reopening* the case. (Even more unusual.) But reopen the case it did, and in a FREAKIN' FANTASTIC, spankalicious opinion, hot off the presses, just issued this morning, the Court points out that there was literally no adversity (as required for a lawsuit), because the plaintiff (Trump) and the "defendant" (the IRS) were *actually on the same side*. In fact, the Court points out that in every single case against the IRS, the DOJ has defended the IRS vigorously. "That is,”, says the Court, “every case until the instant litigation.” And then the Court found, and I quote (spoiler alert): "Plaintiffs acted in bad faith and for an improper purpose by “collusively filing a lawsuit with claims subject to multiple dispositive defenses solely to provide cover for a collusive settlement" “, and that they "pursued this lawsuit in bad faith for the improper purpose of dishonestly advancing a political narrative." But wait, that's not all!! THERE ARE SANCTIONS!! First, the involved attorneys are referred to their respective state bars for disciplinary action, for violating various ethical obligations including the duty to avoid conflicts of interest. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Woodward had previously been engaged as counsel for some of the Jan6 defendants, and also for Walter Nauta; and Todd Blanche of course was previously Trump's own criminal attorney. Now they are representing the DOJ "against" Trump, but really basically colluding with him. In fact, Woodward and Blanche signed off on the settlement on behalf of their “client” defendant IRS. Note that Blanche and Woodward *already* have disciplinary inquiries going on against them in their respective states of license, so this is adding to the evidence against them. On the Plaintiff's side, Trump's attorney Alejandro Brito is referred to the Florida state bar for disciplinary action. And Trump's attorney Daniel Epstein, who was appearing Pro Hac Vice (meaning he was not licensed in Florida so the Court in Florida gave him permission to appear just in this case) is *banned* from appearing Pro Hac Vice in the Southern District of Florida for one year, or until further order the Court. Second, the Court explains that the *only* reason that the Court did not issue monetary sanctions against Trump, et al, is because the 35 judges and the amicus curiae did not want to be reimbursed for the work they had done to get this case reopened and see justice done. But the Court makes a big point of saying that the Court was ready to - perhaps itching to - impose those sanctions on Trump, if only the judges and amicus had wanted to be reimbursed. And third, and here again I quote: "The Parties are prohibited from referring to the purported “settlement agreement,” or using, offering, admitting, or citing any of its provisions in any judicial, administrative, regulatory, arbitration, or any other official proceeding as evidence of a “settlement” reached in this matter... "Plaintiffs" means the named Plaintiffs in this lawsuit: President Donald J. Trump, Donald J. Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, the Trump Organization, LLC and includes any of their agents, representatives, officers, directors, employees, partners, corporate agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, or any other person acting in concert with the party or under the party’s control, whether directly or indirectly. “Defendants” means the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Department of the Treasury." Now, this is the overview, hitting some of the highlights. As those of you attended my live broadcast about this earlier today know, there is a lot more to it for those who wish to dive into it, and I *so* suggest that you do - this opinion is literally history in the making, incredibly delicious, and you will be cheering from the sidelines, I promise. What's more, you can be darned sure that this will all be evidence in Trump's next impeachment. In addition to the opinion and order, I'm including the instant replay recording of that live broadcast, as well as the Executive Order, 14215: Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies, that the Court makes a point of calling out. Notes from the Front members: the opinion, executive order, and video, are below for you now. If you're not a Notes from the Front member yet, please consider joining me and supporting my reporting for you! For just $5 a month you get all of my legal explanations, along with the source documents, right in your inbox. You also get access to my livestream broadcasts and the instant replay recordings of them, and to our private chats. And of course you can easily cancel any time (I make sure there is a 'cancel' button at the end of every email). You can join below where it says “upgrade” and get immediate access to all of these documents and videos. New by popular demand: Many of you have asked how you can support my work without joining Substack (thank you for asking! ❤️), here's how: https://www.annepmitchell.com/buy-anne-a-coffee/ P.S. If you actually read all the way to the bottom please leave a sentence in a comment that includes the word "delicious". It will show me that my efforts aren't in vain and that people actually *do* read these things, and it will drive those who just skim crazy wondering just why everyone is talking about something delicious! ;~)DownloadDownloadExecutive Order 14215 Ensuring Accountability For All Agencies – The White HouseDownloadDownload

annepmitchell.substack.com

Rep. Max Miller Shared Inappropriate Photo of Their Daughter, His Ex Says

Republican Representative Max Miller appears to have made the mistake while trying to clear his name of all the other abuse allegations against him.

mydailygrind.news

Arson Suspect Arrested as Spokane Fires Force Mass Evacuations

The Morning Sixpack Podcast - 08/04/2026: Iran talks, Spokane fires, key primaries, AIPAC cash, Trump’s leverage and DOJ drama. #MorningSixpackPodcast

mydailygrind.news

Trump Declares Final Warning as Iran Denies Talks Exist

The Morning Sixpack - 08/04/2026: Iran talks stall, Spokane arson arrest, key primaries today in 5 states, AIPAC spending explosion, Trump's leverage fades, Tillis erupts at Blanche. #MorningSixpack

mydailygrind.news

US says deal to open Hormuz possible ‘today or tomorrow’

In his weekly news conference, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said Qatar continues to call for de-escalation and dialogue. He added that Qatar is in particular supporting Oman’s mediation efforts and is hopeful that an agreement will be reached in the coming hours or days. Al-Ansari confirmed that no direct talks are happening but that mediators are speaking to each other, adding that drafts of agreements are being passed around just as they have been since this conflict began in February. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, he said Qatar’s position was that the strait had to reopen and had to operate in the same way that it has always operated. Basically, that there has to be freedom of navigation in the strait, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies usually pass through. At the moment, only a couple of vessels a day are getting through. The Iranians have said they want some kind of toll to be paid for vessels to pass through the strait, something the Americans have said they would not accept. Al-Ansari said Qatar believes this issue should be decided by the region.

aljazeera.com

GOP senator goes off at Todd Blanche hearing as scorched-earth tirade demands firing

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) launched a scorched-earth tirade at acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's confirmation hearing Tuesday, demanding a federal prosecutor's firing. Tillis and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) had spent two weeks blocking Blanche's path to the Senate floor, demanding written proof that a Justice Department fund worth $1.776 billion was permanently dead, according to NPR. Critics said the fund would pay Trump allies, including Jan. 6 rioters, and both senators are lame-duck lawmakers leaving Congress in January. On Sunday night, Blanche issued two written orders, Punchbowl News reported. Critics said the deal had loopholes. Tuesday morning, Tillis announced he would vote yes — then turned the hearing into an attack. "It's done. It's been rescinded, and I am satisfied. I also feel like Senator Cornyn addressed the other piece of it that has to do with the audit to my satisfaction," Tillis said at the hearing. But a former Justice Department lawyer told CBS News the order had no legal effect, warning the fund could be revived. Blanche's order rescinded his own implementation directive, not the underlying settlement that created the fund. That settlement can only be voided with Trump's written consent, which was never obtained, CBS News reported. "You know, the thing that interests me — and I'm kind of curious about the speeches that come after here — is how everybody has this view of they're as pure as the driven snow, and it's the other side that has a problem," Tillis said, pivoting to attack both parties. He pointed to the FBI's 2016 Crossfire Hurricane probe of the Trump campaign, former IRS official Lois Lerner's targeting of conservative groups in 2013, and former President Joe Biden's preemptive pardons for family members and congressional allies on his way out the door. "If you want to talk about weaponization, take a look at the Biden administration. Take a look at the Obama administration. The bottom line is nobody is clean here. Maybe it's a little bit more intense in this administration," Tillis said. "I'm going to support Mr. Blanche's nomination, but what I hope I see out of him is a bending of the curve of this absurdity," Tillis said. That absurdity, Tillis said, included charges brought against former FBI Director James Comey in North Carolina — where Blanche's own Justice Department indicted Comey in April for posting a beach photo of seashells arranged to read "86 47," a phrase used to protest Trump, the nation's 47th president. "The 86 47 — some bonehead in North Carolina thinks that that's a crime. Well, they better damn sure have information to back it up, because if all it is is a picture, that person should lose his or her job," Tillis said. "Similarly, the people who went after Republicans in the Biden administration should probably be disbarred or disciplined," Tillis said. Tillis's yes vote will likely send Blanche's nomination to the full Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats and a confirmation vote is expected before the chamber leaves for August recess, according to NBC News.

rawstory.com

Inside the Spending of AIPAC, One of the U.S.'s Largest Super PACs

In less than five years, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has become one of the biggest spenders in American elections, flooding the airwaves in congressional races across the country. Since its first involvement in elections, the amount of money AIPAC-affiliated political action committees have spent on campaign advertising and outreach to voters has more than doubled, from $29.3 million to $67.2 million, with much of it spent in Democratic primaries. The group’s biggest test yet will come in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate primary election in Michigan. AIPAC has spent more than $30 million on ads and outreach promoting Representative Haley Stevens over her opponent, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, according to the Federal Election Commission. Dr. El-Sayed, who has run a sharply anti-Israel campaign, has made the group’s involvement a key part of his criticism of Ms. Haley’s candidacy. The spending — in Michigan and across the country — marks a significant shift for the group, which for decades was a bipartisan lobbying organization focused on influencing federal legislation and sending members of Congress to Israel. But, alarmed by what it saw as a rising tide of anti-Israel sentiment from Democrats, the group quickly became a major player in federal elections. In 2022, AIPAC created a super PAC that has spent more money on TV, radio and digital ads in federal elections over the past three election cycles than any other special interest group not linked to a political party, according to a Times analysis of data collected by AdImpact, a media tracking firm. AIPAC’s rapid growth in election spending, both through its super PAC and other new affiliated organizations, makes clear how significant the issue of Israel has become in American politics — but also how complicated. Some of the campaign advertisements produced for AIPAC are aimed at supporting candidates the group sees as pro-Israel. Others are designed to defeat candidates the group views as out of step with its policy agenda. But one factor unites them: Almost none of the ads mention Israel. Between April 2022 and the end of last month, AIPAC funded 109 TV and digital ads in American elections, according to a New York Times analysis. Between April 2022 and the end of last month, AIPAC funded 109 TV and digital ads in American elections, according to a New York Times analysis. But only six of those ads refer to Israel. But only six of those ads refer to Israel. The ads financed by AIPAC-related groups have most commonly focused on issues that polling suggests are bigger priorities for many voters — including abortion rights and the economy — even though they were specifically intended to boost candidates who support Israel. The strategy, which is used by other political groups too, has at times allowed AIPAC to obscure its involvement in campaigns. When AIPAC supporters moved to create their super PAC, called United Democracy Project, in 2022, they were keenly aware of both the rising cost of political campaigns and the growing number of candidates who were critical of U.S. support for Israel. After the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, donations from individuals to United Democracy Project spiked, helping it to ramp up its political efforts. So far in primary elections this year it has outspent various super PACs funded by the A.I. and cryptocurrency industries, two other powerful groups, on campaign advertising. Much of AIPAC’s money, through the United Democracy Project and other smaller political action committees, has been spent in Democratic primaries. Because it views itself as bipartisan, the group has rarely spent money in general election races where it would be forced to pick between a Democrat and Republican. Total spending in the 2022, 2024 and 2026 election cycles. Primary races $138 million General elections $4.65 million “Our goal is to elect the largest bipartisan pro-Israel majority,” said Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for the United Democracy Project. “The pro-Israel community is energized,” he added. Mr. Dorton said that many other super PACs employ a similar messaging strategy: creating ads about the top issues for voters in the district, rather than the specific issue the group cares most about. “In most races affordability issues are much more important than Israel,” he said. Even though its ads rarely mention Israel, by spending so much in primaries, AIPAC has attracted significant attention to itself and U.S.-Israel policy, said Brendan Glavin, director of insights at OpenSecrets, which tracks campaign spending. “Whether or not they are trying to hide behind the content of the ads, it is coming out who is behind the money, and ensures that this stays a hot-button issue,” Mr. Glavin said. In the past three election cycles, the group has mostly succeeded in its efforts, helping to elect 15 members of Congress considered allies. It has placed some of its largest bets yet on several races this year — most notably in Michigan, Illinois and Maryland. In all, AIPAC-affiliated groups have spent more than $67 million so far this year. In Michigan, United Democracy Project has spent more than $10 million supporting Ms. Stevens’s Senate bid and more than $20 million attacking her opponent, Dr. El-Sayed, through ads and voter outreach, according to F.E.C. filings. Only one outside group has spent more on television, radio and digital ads in a primary race so far this year: a political action committee formed to oppose Tom Steyer’s unsuccessful run for California governor. The Michigan race is the first time United Democracy Project has spent in a Senate contest, but with $80 million in cash on hand, it may not be the last. When United Democracy Project was formed in 2022, the group spent more money supporting candidates than attacking politicians it viewed as its opposition. That changed in 2024, when it spent nearly $25 million in successful efforts to defeat Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York and Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, who were vociferous critics of Israel. (The Times has adjusted pre-2026 dollar figures for inflation.) This year, the group has spent more money on supporting candidates than opposing them — at least so far. And while AIPAC spent exclusively on Democratic primaries in its first year, it began to focus on Republican primaries in 2024, targeting several who had sharply questioned American support for Israel: Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Bob Good in Virginia, former Representative John Hostettler of Indiana and challenger Brandon Herrera of Texas. AIPAC helped defeat all of them except Mr. Massie. 2024 2026 This year, one of the group’s most high-profile wins was the ouster of Mr. Massie, a seven-term congressman who has called for ending military aid to Israel. Overall, AIPAC has notched many significant victories. Its first came in 2022, when the group spent nearly $5 million supporting Ms. Stevens in her successful bid to oust Representative Andy Levin, a former synagogue president who described himself as a Zionist but was critical of Israeli policies. 2022830020241030020264212 But the group has also faced losses among its top targets. In 2022, it spent roughly $3 million in a Democratic House primary against Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, who has opposed military aid to Israel. Ms. Lee narrowly won the primary. The group then spent more than $1 million against her in the general election, which she also won, defeating a Republican by more than 12 percentage points. In New Jersey this year, United Democracy Project spent more than $2 million in a special election trying to defeat Tom Malinowski, a Democrat who is broadly supportive of Israel but has called for more conditions on American aid. Mr. Malinowski lost in a Democratic primary, but the victor was a candidate with positions even further from AIPAC’s: Analilia Mejia, a former aide to Senator Bernie Sanders, who has accused Israel of genocide. Ms. Mejia went on to win the special election too. Still, supporters of AIPAC argued that their money had been well-spent. Had Mr. Malinowski won, they said, he might have had more influence on foreign affairs policy because he was a more senior Democrat with strong ties to House leadership. In addition to United Democracy Project, a Times analysis identified five smaller super PACs that AIPAC has funneled roughly $22 million into since 2022. None of those smaller committees mention Israel in their names, allowing AIPAC to try to influence elections without making its involvement immediately clear. Data for the 2022, 2024 and 2026 election cycles. United Democracy Project Elect Chicago Women Affordable Chicago Now! Voters for Responsive Government Blue Wave Action Chicago Progressive Partnership In one case, the strategy appeared to backfire. In Chicago, the new AIPAC-funded groups spent roughly $7 million to try to elect Laura Fine over Daniel Biss and other candidates in a Democratic House primary. After news reports showed the groups’ ties to AIPAC, Mr. Biss relentlessly hammered Ms. Fine for that support. Mr. Biss won the election. Group by $5.73 million $5.01 million $4.43 million $4.38 million $4.35 million $3.99 million $3.55 million $2.37 million $2.36 million $1.95 million $1.8 million $662,419 $579,319 $458,468 $90,627 $10.4 million $5.53 million $4.75 million $3.58 million $3.44 million $2.39 million $1.65 million $1.61 million $1.18 million $1.12 million $663,879 $610,335 $579,608 $512,487 $384,605 $377,426 $223,790 $140,002 $59,748 $4.97 million $4.38 million $3.08 million $741,875 $110,684 $104,555 $55,628 $4.88 million $2.28 million $1.61 million $1.43 million $1.41 million $176,826 $159,783 $20.1 million $10.5 million $2.46 million $685,626 About the data The Times identified six federal super PACs — political committees that spend money on ads and outreach to support or oppose candidates — that have been affiliated with AIPAC since the 2022 election cycle. One is United Democracy Project, AIPAC’s official super PAC. The Times included five other super PACs because they met two conditions: Contributions from UDP or an AIPAC-affiliated political action committee accounted for at least one third of the non-individual contributions the super PAC received, and it received no contributions from any other PAC. Spending numbers include all spending in support or opposition of a candidate from Jan. 1, 2022, through July 31 of this year, based on the committees’ Federal Election Commission filings. To evaluate the success of AIPAC’s investments in races, The Times first identified the candidate who AIPAC spent the most money to support or oppose. The Times considered AIPAC to have succeeded if that candidate won with its support or lost with its opposition. To analyze the content of television and digital ads, The Times reviewed videos that were gathered by AdImpact, a media tracking firm. The Times excluded ads that were shortened or substantially similar versions of other ads. The Times adjusted 2022 and 2024 dollar figures for inflation.

nytimes.com

How Politicians Living and Dead Play the Stock Market With Campaign Cash

Former Speaker of the House Tom Foley lost his final bid for reelection in 1994 after three decades in office. In 2013, Foley died. But the “Committee to Reelect Tom Foley” — his still-technically active campaign committee — lives on, and it reported earning a small profit this year from several financial investments, including stock in tech giants Microsoft and Meta. Foley’s old committee stands among scores of federal campaign operations that reap the rewards of invested campaign funds, a NOTUS review of federal records indicates. For prolific fundraisers, including current members of Congress, such investments can yield six- or seven-figure windfalls annually, with political figures of all partisan leanings making sometimes lucrative stock and financial gambles using money donors gave their campaigns for election purposes. There are no set limits on the amount of money campaigns can earn by investing donor cash, giving politicians an added — although potentially risky — tool for boosting their campaign coffers beyond traditional fundraising methods. Campaign committees’ investments are often secretive, too: Few campaigns report details beyond a dollar figure and their bank or investment house of choice. This leaves voters unable to determine whether a political campaign’s specific investments could potentially conflict with a candidate’s official duties, such as a member of Congress who oversees military matters while investing campaign cash in defense contractor stocks. While members of Congress are notorious for making improperly disclosed personal stock trades while in office, their penchant for using campaign cash to play the markets is far less scrutinized and, often, even more opaque. NOTUS attempted to contact the campaigns of nearly 150 current members of Congress to ask whether they would voluntarily share details about their campaign committees’ specific financial investments. Only five responded, and those who did said their investments were conservative — largely just earning interest from bank accounts.Investors of the 119th Congress It makes sense for candidates with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars in their campaign accounts to park their cash somewhere where it can accumulate interest over time, if only to defend against inflation. Many federal candidates report steady earnings consistent with conservative investment accounts such as money market funds or certificates of deposit. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tennessee), for example, has reported stable monthly yields between $10,000 and $13,000 in “bank interest” for the past two years. For over two decades, both Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have earned steady interest from the millions of surplus dollars sitting in their campaign accounts. The campaign of Rep. Julia Brownley (D-California) stores its money in a “non-traditional bond fund,” two high-yield bond funds and “short term CDs,” a campaign spokesperson said. For candidates who invest their campaign money more aggressively, many have good months … and bad months. In February, the campaign of Rep. Bill Foster (D-Illinois) reported a $16,525 “investment gain.” But in March, he reported a $21,356 “investment loss.” Other lawmakers’ campaign portfolios swing wildly from quarter to quarter. In November 2024, the campaign of Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Michigan) reported $1.9 million in “investment income.” In February 2025, it reported a $1.2 million “loss.” Mounting losses across this election cycle caused his cash on hand to fall more than $1.8 million — a remarkable drop for a campaign already $13.6 million in debt to Thanedar himself. Last quarter, his campaign reported a loss of $634,129, which it labeled “Investment Income Loss from a mutual fund.” Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Michigan) is one of Congress’ most aggressive investors when it comes to playing the stock market with his campaign cash. Michael Buck/Wood-TV8 via AP Representatives for Thanedar, who faces a competitive Democratic primary in August, did not respond to a request for comment. In 2025, Thanedar vowed to personally stop trading individual stocks after NOTUS reported that he violated the federal Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act’s disclosure provision with improperly disclosed personal trades. “Members of Congress should not trade in individual stocks,” Thanedar told NOTUS at the time. “Many of my individual stock purchases I did are from years before I was in Congress. My goal is to get rid of all the individual stocks in my portfolio, but it takes time.” In a single December 2024 filing, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July, reported more than $1.1 million from “investment account earnings” and another $229,000 in dividends. Graham’s campaign committee had $2.3 million in remaining cash, with several options for disposing of it. Until his death in July 2026, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) frequently invested his campaign committee’s money to earn more money beyond donations alone. Felix Hörhager/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) faced criticism during the 2008 financial crisis for dumping much of his personal stock holdings as markets reeled and Congress prepared relief legislation. Federal filings show his personal campaign, in contrast, was months ahead of the curve, selling its stocks in May 2008 and netting $137,471 in the process. Nowadays, Durbin’s campaign nets about $100 a month in basic interest.What’s legal, what’s not The reporting requirements for trading using campaign cash are far less stringent than what lawmakers are obligated to disclose when making financial trades that affect their own personal finances. It’s generally easy to spot possible conflicts of interest when lawmakers who have jurisdiction over specific industries buy and sell shares of companies directly affected by their actions. That’s because the STOCK Act requires them to publicly detail and disclose within 45 days any stock, bond or cryptocurrency trade that they make in their personal capacity. That same scrutiny cannot be applied to those lawmakers when they trade using their campaign funds under the current rules. “The current opaque investment income for campaigns conceal potential conflicts of interests from the media and voters, such as campaign investing in the personal business interests of the candidate or candidate’s family,” Public Citizen lobbyist Craig Holman said. “If campaigns are enriching their own pockets or those of political friends, that is information that donors and voters would want to know.” “The requirements also need to be enhanced to provide the full picture of investment income by campaigns, much in the same way as personal financial disclosure requirements placed on officeholders,” Holman said. Some lawmakers fail to even meet the low bar for campaign-finance reporting requirements under the current rules. To the ire of federal regulators, Thanedar repeatedly failed to disclose the financial institution his campaign used to invest donor dollars, prompting several letters to the campaign’s treasurer: Thanedar himself. (The congressman clarified in April that his campaign used LPL Financial.) Where lawmakers’ campaigns do their banking is often a partisan affair. At least 86 incumbent Democrats park their campaign funds at Amalgamated Bank, a unionized and labor-aligned institution that champions accessibility and affordable housing. Republican lawmakers and presidential hopefuls flock to Chain Bridge Bank, founded by former Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald. Beyond standard banking, other members employ wealth managers to grow their campaign cash. Janney Montgomery Scott, a Philadelphia-based wealth management firm that predates the Civil War, is particularly popular: In recent years, nearly three-dozen campaign committees have hired the firm, according to NOTUS’ review of FEC records. The campaigns of Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-New York), Pete Aguilar (D-California) and Jim Himes (D-Connecticut) each pay five- or six figures annually to Janney Montgomery Scott in various management or brokerage fees. Each has pulled in six-figure sums this cycle alone via their investments. Torres’ total is nearly $900,000. No incumbent Republicans bank with the firm. The campaign of Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) has paid steadily increasing four-figure quarterly fees to Blue Trust, a Christian wealth management firm dedicated to bringing “financial expertise and biblical wisdom together.” Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) confers with an aide before a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on Dec. 10, 2024. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP In 2024, Foxx reported $127,662 in “Realized Capital Gains on Investment” via Blue Trust. (Foxx’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment). Republican Michael Carbonara is the founder of the fintech firm Ibanera, and his tenure as CEO overlapped with the first few months of his bid to represent Florida’s 22nd Congressional District. In that time, his congressional campaign made sizable purchases of Bitcoin and Ethereum through Ibanera, paying thousands of dollars in fees to the company he still ran, according to federal records. Carbonara’s campaign sold the Ethereum stake for $169,649 in November, a week after stepping down as chief executive, realizing a roughly 80% gain on his investment. Last quarter alone, he reported $1.86 million in cryptocurrency liquidations. Bitcoin’s price, meanwhile, has tumbled. Carbonara did not respond to a request for comment.Roots of campaign investing The practice of political campaigns investing donor dollars has a long history. Two decades before former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) went to prison over a bribery scheme that saw him receive payoffs in cash and gold bars, his campaign spent years trading stocks in various individual companies. Eight of those companies were gold mines — literally. Among them: Glamis Gold, Harmony Gold, Newmont Mining and Goldcorp. Former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign earned $1.58 million from bank interest alone. In 2024, the presidential campaign committee inherited by then-Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out pulled in $1.35 million in interest via Amalgamated Bank. Both were simple cases of campaign cash accumulating interest over time. Trump-aligned PACs Trump 47 Committee and Never Surrender brought in over $1 million in “interest revenue” from their Chain Bridge Bank accounts in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Other campaigns have taken riskier approaches to their investments. Several Trump administration officials retained their campaign accounts after leaving office, and the old committees continue to net investment gains. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy departed the House in 2019 and hasn’t run for elected office since. But his old campaign has earned more than $1 million in unspecified “investment gains” across the past several years, FEC records indicate. Duffy, ever the family man, recently contributed $1 million in campaign funds to Northwoods Future, the super PAC supporting his son-in-law, Michael Alfonso, who is running for Congress in Wisconsin. Perhaps no other former member of Congress has pulled in as much investment income as Trump loyalist Devin Nunes. Then-Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California) is seen in the U.S. Capitol on December 9, 2021. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP When he left Congress to oversee Trump’s media venture Truth Social, Nunes had $11 million in his congressional campaign coffers. That figure ballooned to $15.5 million during his time out of office via funds placed with Edward Jones Investments, a remarkable sum that his lawyer told federal regulators could be for “a potential future election.” Last quarter alone, he reported pulling in $1.5 million from his investment account. Nunes’ campaign did not respond to questions about its specific investments. Nunes is one of several former lawmakers teasing a future run to justify his campaign’s continued existence. Tom Byrne, the son of former New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne, never made it into elected office despite House and Senate bids over 25 years ago. Over the years, Byrne has mulled another statewide run and has grown his campaign cash in a Charles Schwab account, bringing in over $880,220 this cycle alone. Now, in his 70s and facing questions from federal regulators, Byrne said he’s still on the lookout for an opportunity, with his campaign telling the FEC: “it is hard to predict when another [statewide] opening may occur but it is an effort to level the playing field versus the number of self-financing statewide candidates in NJ.” Former Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Florida) is using a similar tactic to keep his campaign operational and collecting interest over a decade after leaving Congress. Late last year, Stearns, now 85, told federal regulators that he would wind down his committee — with a significant caveat: “We will continue to move to terminate the committee … unless we decide to be a candidate for federal office again.” Former Democratic Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II of Massachusetts, the elder brother of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has maintained his personal campaign committee — “Citizens For Joe Kennedy 1988” — as a de facto investment vehicle for more than 25 years after leaving office. Former Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, seen in 2024, continues to earn passive income through his technically active congressional campaign account despite him not serving in Congress since the late 1990s. Steven Senne/AP As Kennedy racked up “dividend income, interest income, quarterly portfolio appreciation, and capital gains,” the campaign repeatedly assured federal regulators in recent years that any expenses would be “for legal and accounting purposes in connection with keeping the committee open.” The campaign, which did not respond to a request for comment, regularly pulls in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in investment income. As of July 30, Kennedy’s old committee reported having more than $1.3 million in its account — after earning more than $129,000 between April 1 and June 30 from investments with Goldman Sachs, according to FEC records. The FEC recommends that the dormant campaign accounts of retired or deceased lawmakers be wound down within six months, but there is no hard rule requiring that deadline to be met. Dormant campaign accounts with surplus cash can, by law, donate the money to charity, transfer it to political party committees, disgorge it to the U.S. Treasury or — as is so often the case — just sit on it. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-California) died while in office in 2008, but it took four years to fully close his committee, which continued to collect interest income across eight bank accounts. The campaign ultimately contributed the proceeds to the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice — $846,408 across three donations. Former Rep. John LaFalce (D-New York), who left Congress in 2023, died last year. But his campaign committee lived on with money in its account — until September, when the committee emptied out the remaining $112,820 and gave it to the nonprofit Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. As for Foley, the late house speaker from Spokane, Washington, his campaign is managed by his widow and former chief of staff, Heather Foley, who did not respond to a request for comment. Heather Foley, center, widow of former House Speaker Tom Foley, sits with then-President Barack Obama, left, and then-House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, right, during a memorial service for Foley on Oct. 29, 2013, in Statuary Hall on Capitol Hill in Washington. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Every so often, FEC officials ask her what the campaign intends to do with its cash on hand. And just as often, she replies: “I wrote you previously that I do not intend to spend any of the campaign funds left [after] my husband’s death for personal use.” “As soon as I have accumulated sufficient funds,” she writes, “I intend to give it to the Spokane Parks Foundation.”

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