“The state of New Mexico sued the Department of Justice and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday, saying the federal government blocked the state’s ability to investigate the sex crimes of financier Jeffrey Epstein at a ranch there. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., said the Justice Department and Blanche stonewalled New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s criminal investigation into Epstein and others, taking steps that ‘actively harms victims and undermines the public interest’. The lawsuit, which seeks judicial intervention to force the federal government to turn over relevant materials to New Mexico’s investigators, was filed on the same day that New Mexico is releasing a report showing its preliminary findings from an ongoing probe into Epstein and his ranch.” (08/05/26)
“Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell crushed a comeback attempt by his predecessor Cori Bush, a democratic socialist and sharp critic of the war in Gaza, in a high-profile Democratic primary Tuesday that drew millions of dollars in ads from pro-Israel groups. With more than 95 percent of votes in, Bell was leading Bush 59 percent to 37 percent in the Democratic contest for the St. Louis-anchored 1st District, The Associated Press reported. The result marks a victory for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel group whose campaign arm spent more than $2.5 million targeting Bush.” (08/05/26)
“At least 17 people have been killed and 44 injured in the latest Russian attacks targeting the Kyiv region. The number of dead continues to mount partly because of an air defence shortage in Ukraine. Speaking this morning, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that missile interceptors could have ‘saved the lives of those killed today’. … Russia’s latest attacks targeted civilian infrastructure, according to multiple voices in Ukraine, including Zelenskyy. Residential buildings, shops and warehouses were all hit. Russia said it targeted sites linked to the war effort, including warehouses storing drone components.” (08/05/26)
“Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s slugfest of a Democratic Senate primary, NBC News projects, clinching the nomination in a close race over Rep. Haley Stevens and establishing a Midwest beachhead for a progressive left on the march this midterm cycle. El-Sayed overcame a nearly $65 million onslaught of outside money and an establishment that had rallied around Stevens. Popular Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed Stevens late last month — a move seen as a last-ditch effort to stop a rising El-Sayed. El-Sayed, a former public health official, goes on to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, who claimed the Republican nomination without opposition Tuesday. Their race in November is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country, and it could determine which party controls the Senate.” (08/05/26)
“A four-tonne piece of a discarded SpaceX rocket that has been floating in space since last year is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the moon at high speed, in a collision that poses no danger to Earth but was expected to blast out a new lunar crater. The object, the size of a building, is part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had launched a lunar lander from the US company Firefly Aerospace toward the moon in January 2025. The rocket body was due to hit the moon about 6.35am BST, crashing into its surface at 5,400mph (8,690 km/h). The impact was predicted to kick up a miles-long plume of lunar dust that, while illuminated by sunlight, would be difficult to spot with the naked eye from Earth.” (08/05/26)
“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 dramatic rundown in precision, long-range missiles means U.S. President Donald Trump may have to rely more on riskier, piloted bombing missions if he relaunches large-scale attacks on Iran.” (08/04/26)
“U.S. job openings fell slightly in June, but the labor market continued to show resilience in the face of an economic shock from fighting in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Labor Department said that employers posted 7.36 million vacancies in June, down from 7.54 million in May. The numbers were in line with economists’ expectations. Layoffs were little-changed at 1.8 million, and the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — rose slightly. The U.S. job market has remained sturdy despite a surge in energy prices caused by the conflict in Iran, rebounding from a 2025 slump.” (08/04/26)
“Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday broke with her brother, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), over abolishing the filibuster three weeks after stepping in to finish the rest of his term. … ]This is where I differ from my brother, getting rid of the filibuster to get this done. Because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway,’ she added, in reference to how Republicans should handle passing legislation to change voter registration requirements. Earlier this year, Lindsey Graham said lawmakers could consider nuking the filibuster in the future but warned against it in the short term.” (08/04/26)
“While SpaceX says there is a ‘significant’ amount of life left in its fleet of Crew Dragon spacecraft, the company has hedged on how long it will continue flying the spacecraft as it transitions to Starship. The upcoming Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for launch no earlier than Sept. 12, will be the second flight of this Crew Dragon spacecraft, called Grace, the newest of the fleet. Grace made its first flight last summer on the Ax-4 private astronaut mission to the ISS. Crew-13 will be SpaceX’s 18th human spaceflight mission to the ISS …. SpaceX does not plan to build additional Crew Dragon spacecraft beyond the five currently in service. While the spacecraft were originally certified for five missions each, the company has been working with NASA to extend the spacecraft lifetimes to up to 15 missions each.” (08/04/26)
“A New York law banning US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) [gang members] from wearing face coverings and requiring that they wear visible identification has been put on hold by a federal judge. But a state law prohibiting cooperation between local police departments and ICE has been allowed to stand. The mask ruling comes after federal judges have blocked similar laws in California, Virginia and Pennsylvania that sought to ban federal [gang members] from covering their faces. They are still required to wear agency [gang colors]. … The preliminary ruling means local police officers are blocked from arresting ICE [gang members] for covering their faces in public settings.” (08/04/26)
