Good morning, everyone, and happy Monday. It is a busy start to what will be an incredibly busy week. Congress is back in session, with hearings on the Epstein files, the Supreme Court, and a renewed push to pass the SAVE Act. And right now, it is completely frozen. Meanwhile, President Trump says the United States is taking over the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict with Iran escalates. He also posted a bizarre tribute to Lindsey Graham. Questions continue to swirl around Mitch McConnell’s health, with few in either party convinced by the recently released “proof of life” photo. And another ICE-related shooting has now occurred, this time in Maine.
I’ll be bringing you real-time updates throughout the week. We have interviews lined up with governors, Hakeem Jeffries, Epstein survivors, members of Congress, and more. Our next paid subscriber live event will be Wednesday evening at 7:45 p.m. ET, immediately following Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing.
Here’s the news:
Congress returns to Session:
Congress returns to Washington this week as Senate Republicans scramble to replace the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose death has complicated the GOP’s legislative agenda. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to appoint an interim senator within days, with a special Republican primary scheduled for Aug. 11 to choose a nominee for the November election. Graham’s death also leaves Republicans down a key vote as they try to advance President Trump’s priorities, including a major reconciliation package, while Senate Budget Committee leadership is in transition. Combined with Sen. Mitch McConnell’s continued absence due to his month-long hospitalization, Republicans are effectively operating with two fewer senators as they try to move legislation through the chamber.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled two days of confirmation hearings this week for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, though it remains unclear whether the death of committee member Sen. Lindsey Graham will affect the process. Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee has announced that the confirmation process for Clayton is back on track.
Republicans in both the House and Senate remain divided over President Trump’s renewed push for the SAVE America Act, which would restrict mail-in voting and impose new nationwide election rules. While the House previously passed the measure largely along party lines, it currently has no viable path through the Senate because of unified Democratic opposition and resistance from some Republicans.
Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan are scheduled to testify before Congress this week as the federal judiciary seeks nearly $9.7 billion in funding, including a significant increase for judicial security following a rise in threats against judges. Barrett is expected to speak from personal experience after multiple security incidents, including a swatting attempt at her home earlier this year and other threats targeting her family. Although the hearings are focused on the judiciary's budget, lawmakers are also expected to question the justices about ethics, court leaks, prediction markets, and recent Supreme Court rulings. Barrett could face scrutiny over her votes joining the majority in cases rejecting President Trump's attempts to end birthright citizenship and impose broad tariffs, decisions that have drawn criticism from some conservatives despite her generally conservative voting record.
Speaker Mike Johnson and House Budget Committee Republicans reportedly spent the weekend at Camp David trying to finalize a reconciliation package but left without reaching an agreement, according to Politico. Johnson and NRCC Chair Richard Hudson are expected to meet with President Trump at the White House today as negotiations continue. The talks have become even more complicated following the sudden death of Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, who had been leading the bill’s path through the Senate.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren has reportedly asked JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to explain the bank’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and detail his own knowledge of those ties. According to the Financial Times, Warren also asked whether Dimon sought advice from Epstein while lobbying against a U.K. tax on banker bonuses. The request comes as scrutiny of Epstein’s financial and political connections continues to intensify.
Trump posted, what many have called, a “bizarre” tribute to Sen. Lindsey Graham on Truth Social alongside a photo of himself wearing a "Make Iran Great Again" hat and holding a mock Wikipedia page labeling him the "Acting President of Venezuela," a reference to January's U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro.
Trump reflected on his relationship with the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, saying Graham's only real misstep was his criticism after January 6. Trump recalled Graham later called him and said, "Did I really say that? I can't believe it," before taking it back, adding, "So I give him a 99.9 instead of 100."
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster now faces a pivotal decision after Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, as he will appoint an interim senator to serve until January while Republicans hold a special primary on Aug. 11 to choose a nominee for the November election. The compressed timeline favors well-known Republican candidates with strong political networks, and the eventual nominee will face Democratic candidate Annie Andrews, though the GOP remains heavily favored in the deep-red state. Rep. Joe Wilson has already expressed interest in the seat and is viewed as one of the potential contenders.
Iran News:
President Trump said the United States intends to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz following recent military operations, declaring, "We're gonna keep the strait, and we'll probably run it. We'll become the guardian of the strait." He added that the U.S. should be compensated for that role, saying, "We should be reimbursed for that. When we do that, we're gonna be reimbursed. We're gonna get paid."
Donald Trump was on the verge of making more racist remarks about President Obama, but caught himself briefly. Trump criticized Obama over Iran, saying, "Obama was the worst of all because Obama actually went to their side," before cutting himself off and adding, "because, you know, he's a... well, let's not say. Let's leave that for another time."
Mitch McConnell
Senator Mitch McConnell’s office released the first photo of him since his June 14 hospitalization, along with a statement saying he was briefly unconscious after a fall but did not suffer a heart attack or stroke. The statement said he later developed a mild case of pneumonia, has been transferred to a rehabilitation center, and is continuing to recover. Despite the update, several individuals on the right and the left questioned the authenticity of the photo and statement, arguing that only an unedited video would prove McConnell’s condition. Some also cited previously reported emergency dispatch audio referencing CPR and accused his office of withholding information.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he is “concerned” about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s month-long hospitalization, arguing that while elected officials deserve medical privacy, they also have a responsibility to keep the public informed. “If you’re in the hospital for an entire month, you owe it to the people who elected you to give them an update,” Beshear said.
Other news:
One person is dead after a shooting involving ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday morning, according to Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau. Maine State Police are on the scene gathering details, and Fecteau said he expects the FBI to investigate the incident. Authorities have not yet released additional information about what led to the shooting or the identity of the person who was killed.
Japan is creating its first centralized intelligence agency since World War II as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi seeks to strengthen the country's national security amid growing threats from China, Russia, and North Korea. The new agency will coordinate intelligence gathering across government departments, replacing Japan's long-fragmented system, and is being developed with advice from allies including the United States, Australia, and Germany. The effort is part of a broader push by Takaichi to expand Japan's defense capabilities, protect sensitive technologies, and counter espionage and foreign influence operations. Critics warn the agency could erode civil liberties and revive concerns about government surveillance, while supporters argue it is a necessary modernization to address increasingly complex security threats.
Sen. Adam Schiff says newly uncovered government documents show the Trump administration awarded additional taxpayer-funded contracts to produce and install large promotional banners featuring President Trump and "America First" branding on federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Schiff's office identified contracts worth roughly $39,000 at the Department of the Interior and more than $114,000 at the FAA, adding to previously reported banner spending. Schiff argues the expenditures violate longstanding federal prohibitions on using taxpayer money for government propaganda and self-promotion, and is calling for congressional oversight. The Trump administration has not publicly responded, and the legality of the spending has not been decided in court.
A new report from Physicians for Human Rights and UC Berkeley's Human Rights Center found that law enforcement officers misused crowd-control weapons in 412 verified incidents across 16 U.S. cities during protests against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement between June 2025 and May 2026. The report says the incidents resulted in at least 203 injuries and documented cases of officers firing projectiles at protesters' heads and deploying tear gas in enclosed spaces. Researchers said the highest concentration of alleged abuses occurred in cities where former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino oversaw operations.
According to Reuters, the White House is preparing to bring together utility companies, data center developers, and state leaders to announce a voluntary pledge aimed at ensuring the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure does not raise electricity bills for households and businesses. The initiative builds on an earlier agreement signed by major tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI, committing to pay for the power generation and grid upgrades needed for their AI projects instead of shifting those costs onto existing ratepayers. The administration hopes expanding the pledge to utilities and other stakeholders will ease concerns that AI’s massive electricity demand could drive up consumer energy prices. The move is part of President Trump’s broader push to rapidly expand U.S. AI infrastructure while avoiding political backlash over rising utility bills.
Acclaimed New Zealand actor Sam Neill, best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, has died at the age of 78, his family announced. They said his death was sudden and unexpected, though he remained cancer-free after undergoing treatment for a rare form of blood cancer. Neill appeared in more than 150 film and television productions over a career spanning five decades, including The Hunt for Red October, The Piano, Event Horizon, Peaky Blinders, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Tributes poured in from leaders including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as fellow actors who praised his talent, humor, and lasting impact on the film industry.
Keystone pipeline operator South Bow has agreed to pay a $26.9 million civil penalty and spend about $40 million on safety improvements to settle allegations stemming from the massive 2022 oil spill in Kansas, one of the largest onshore crude pipeline spills in the U.S. in nearly a decade. The proposed settlement also requires more than $3 million for environmental restoration projects in Kansas. Federal officials said the spill released nearly 13,000 barrels of crude oil, harmed or killed more than 2,700 animals, and was linked to construction and soil-compaction failures dating back to the pipeline's installation.
Public health advocates are accusing the Trump administration of filling the EPA’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals with industry-aligned scientists who they say have financial conflicts of interest and could benefit from weaker chemical regulations. A coalition of environmental groups alleges at least 13 proposed appointees have ties to companies that manufacture or use chemicals the committee is expected to review, raising concerns the panel could help justify deregulation. The EPA rejected those claims, arguing that prior industry employment or consulting work does not automatically constitute a conflict of interest under federal law and that such experience can reflect scientific expertise.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is being drained again for additional repairs after President Trump's multimillion-dollar renovation ran into problems, including peeling paint, algae blooms, and alleged vandalism. The setback has disappointed tourists hoping to see the restored landmark, while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the latest work is also intended to clean up debris from the July 4 fireworks and repair vandalism. Trump has blamed vandals for damaging the pool's new liner, and one former Olympian has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he caused about $1,000 in damage.
See you soon.
— Aaron
