US Politics
Senate votes down Iran War Powers resolution
The Senate rejected a resolution to restrain presidential war powers against Iran after Sen. John Fetterman broke with Democrats to vote with the GOP majority, clearing the way for continued strikes.
Hawaii's Lt. Gov. indicted in bribery scheme
A grand jury indicted Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and four others, alleging she traded campaign contributions from a lobbyist for support securing a COVID-testing contract. Gov. Josh Green has called on her to resign.
Justice Dept. withdraws subpoenas of NYT reporters
The government dropped subpoenas that would have compelled three Times reporters to reveal sources for stories on Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet, ending a press-freedom standoff.
Congress opens probe into Flock after 404 Media reporting
Lawmakers launched an investigation into license-plate reader company Flock after 404 Media revealed police were using its "FreeForm" search to hunt for people by tattoo, clothing, and race.
"They Went to Jared": inside Kushner's deals with autocrats
Mother Jones' cover investigation details how Jared Kushner used his position and family ties to court authoritarian regimes and sovereign wealth investors, including Saudi Arabia's PIF, for his private fund.
ICE procurement seeks expanded personal data access
A new procurement record shows ICE wants names, Social Security numbers, and ethnicity data, in part to investigate claimed "voter fraud."
Father of Georgia school shooter sentenced to 15 years
He was convicted of second-degree murder for giving his teenage son an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas gift before the shooting.
Illinois prison plagued by self-immolation fires
More than 70 fires have broken out at Joliet Treatment Center since 2023 amid missing sprinklers and disabled fire alarms; two men have died.
House Democrats press DHS on ICE body-camera policy
Lawmakers sent DHS a letter demanding answers on why ICE agents' body-worn camera footage is routinely unavailable after use-of-force incidents.
Midterm primary season opens
Vermont and Minnesota vote August 11; Florida and Alaska follow August 18, kicking off the run-up to November's midterms.
India
Monsoon Session disrupted; Vande Mataram bill passed
Both houses were repeatedly adjourned amid opposition uproar, but Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, giving statutory protection to the national song.
Education minister resigns after student protests over exam scandals
Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down to take accountability for a series of exam irregularities, a rare retreat for the Modi government under sustained student pressure.
How Modi and Nitish put Adani Power before Bihar
A Caravan investigation traces how the central and state governments smoothed the path for an Adani Power project in Bihar, sidelining local objections and environmental review.
UK PM and Modi discuss "Vision 2035" trade ties
The two leaders discussed deepening the new UK-India Free Trade Agreement and cooperation on AI and technology.
Geopolitics
Iran hits US targets in Kuwait; Washington signals more strikes
Iran's IRGC struck Kuwait's Ahmad Al-Jaber airbase in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian sites, as the US said it plans fresh strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend.
Russia infiltrates Ukrainian "fortress city" amid leadership shake-up
Russian forces pushed into Kostiantynivka as Kyiv installed new defence-ministry and military leadership following the abrupt firing of its defence minister and commander-in-chief.
Hamas agrees to gradual disarmament under Trump's Gaza plan
Trump said Hamas agreed to "complete disarmament" as part of his 20-point peace framework, even as Israeli settlers and soldiers raided West Bank towns.
Hormuz shipping traffic down more than 90%
Commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed since the war's outbreak, rattling global oil markets.
Iranian strikes reported across the Gulf
Strikes or attempted strikes have hit US-linked sites in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan in recent days.
Ukraine hits Russian refineries; Russia strikes Dnipropetrovsk
Kyiv struck oil refineries deep in Russia while Russian strikes on Dnipropetrovsk and an Odesa-bound cargo vessel killed and wounded civilians.
Consciousness Studies
Study: people worry about AI "feeling," not AI acting on its own
A CHI 2026 survey of 2,702 participants found that cues suggesting an AI can feel emotions drove far more moral concern than cues suggesting it can act autonomously — a finding researchers say should reshape AI-ethics debates.
Consciousness researchers push for shared frameworks to test AI
Nineteen leading consciousness scientists, including Yoshua Bengio and Robert Long, published a synthesis arguing the field needs probabilistic, multi-theory tests for machine consciousness rather than a single yes/no verdict.
Sports Cricket first
Ajinkya Rahane retires from international cricket
The former vice-captain, who led India to its historic 2020-21 series win in Australia, closes a 13-year career with 5,077 Test runs and 12 centuries.
Sri Lanka's Dulani becomes second-ever women's T20I centurion
Dulani's century put Sri Lanka 1-0 up in their series, making her only the second Sri Lankan woman after Chamari Athapaththu to score a T20I hundred.
Fleming's timeline to take England job unclear
It remains uncertain whether the incoming coach will be in charge for England's Test series against Pakistan, starting August 19 at Headingley.
Pakistan-West Indies Test series wraps up
Pakistan's two-match Test tour of the West Indies runs through August 6, alongside Bangladesh's tour of Australia getting underway this month.
Entertainment & Culture
"The Odyssey" leads a box-office comeback ahead of "Spider-Man"
Christopher Nolan's epic has now grossed more than $639 million worldwide and is on pace to cross $1 billion, part of a broader summer box-office recovery heading into this weekend's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" opening.
Broadway grosses up 13% on attendance, not price hikes
Weekly gross rose 13% with attendance up 7%, a healthier growth pattern than seasons driven mainly by rising ticket prices.