⚡ Today in History

On July 16, 1945, the United States detonated the world's first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert, opening the nuclear age. In 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Florida on its journey to the moon. Today? Iran, the country now at the center of the world's newest nuclear standoff, faces a fourth straight night of US airstrikes over its atomic program and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Top News

US Strikes Iran For 4th Night, Blockade Back $86 OIL

Iran struck commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz last week, prompting the US to reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian ports Tuesday. US Central Command carried out a seven-hour strike overnight, hitting missile sites and coastal defenses near Bandar Abbas. Brent crude climbed above $86 a barrel, and President Trump said he may target Iranian power plants and bridges next week if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table.

Blanche Grilled Over Epstein Files In AG Hearing

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday in his bid to lead the Justice Department permanently. Blanche oversaw the release of more than 3 million pages of Jeffrey Epstein investigation records last January, a rollout senators from both parties have called botched. Democrats also pressed him on a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate people the administration says were targeted by politically motivated prosecutions.

Search Continues For 3 After Bay Boat Capsizes

A 50-foot cabin cruiser carrying 20 people to a memorial service capsized in rough water near Alcatraz Island Tuesday afternoon, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said. One person and a dog aboard died, while 16 passengers were rescued from the bay. The Coast Guard, divers and helicopters searched through the night for three people still missing.

House Votes To End Clock Changes For Good 308-117

The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act 308-117 on Tuesday, voting to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide and end the twice-yearly clock change. President Trump has said he will sign the bill if the Senate approves it, though Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has vowed to block a vote, warning of dark winter mornings for commuters and schoolchildren.

ICE Pauses Routine Stops After Second Deadly Shooting

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents fatally shot a 26-year-old Colombian man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday during a traffic stop, the second deadly ICE shooting in less than a week after an agent killed a Houston construction worker on July 7. ICE told Sen. Angus King it will pause non-urgent vehicle stops nationwide while the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general investigates.

World

Ebola Spreads Faster Than Trackers Can Follow 700+ DEAD

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that 80% of new Ebola cases in eastern Congo have no known source of infection, a sign the outbreak is outrunning health workers' ability to trace it. More than 700 people have died since the outbreak began, according to WHO figures.

Hormuz Ship Traffic Drops By Half Since Fighting Resumed

Cargo tracking firm Kpler said Tuesday that vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz have fallen by more than half since Iran and the US resumed attacks on shipping last week. About one-fifth of the world's oil and a fifth of its liquefied natural gas normally passes through the waterway. Roughly 20,000 mariners and 2,000 ships were stranded in the Persian Gulf during an earlier closure in April.

Jordan Shoots Down Iranian Missiles Over Its Airspace

Jordan's army said Wednesday it intercepted three Iranian ballistic missiles that entered its airspace before dawn, causing no casualties or damage. Iran has struck US allies across the Gulf, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, since the US renewed its bombing campaign against Tehran last week.

Philippines Demands China Retract Reef Claim

The Armed Forces of the Philippines called on China's embassy in Manila on Monday to publicly withdraw a territorial claim in the South China Sea, the latest flashpoint in a decades-long dispute over the waterway's reefs and shipping lanes.

Spain And Gibraltar Open Border After Years Of Standoff

Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar lifted long-standing border checks Wednesday, ending years of tension over crossings at the frontier. The change follows a broader UK-EU agreement on Gibraltar's status reached after Britain left the European Union in 2020.

Politics

Supreme Court Justices Warn Of Rising Threats +38%

Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before Congress this week that threats against the Supreme Court have risen 38% this year. Barrett said she was the target of a "swatting" call earlier this year, in which someone falsely reported an active shooter at her home. An assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh followed the 2022 leak of the court's draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

Graham's Death Narrows GOP's Judiciary Margin

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died July 11 of an aortic dissection at age 71, days after returning from a trip to Ukraine. His death narrows the GOP's already thin majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee just as it takes up Blanche's nomination. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill his seat.

Maine ICE Arrests Show Fewer Criminal Records 45%

About 45% of the 546 people ICE arrested in Maine since President Trump's second term began had criminal backgrounds, according to federal data reviewed by the Associated Press, down from 69% during the same period under the previous administration. The figures emerged as ICE faces scrutiny over Monday's fatal shooting of a Colombian motorist in Biddeford.

Cassidy Presses RFK Jr. On Vaccine Policy Again

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate health committee, questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine guidance changes during a Wednesday hearing, continuing months of sparring between the two Republicans over the administration's public health direction.

National Guard's DC Mission Now Runs To 2029

President Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Washington has been extended multiple times since it began last year and is now set to run until Inauguration Day 2029, according to federal officials.

Markets

Wall Street Rises As Inflation Cools 3.5% CPI

The S&P 500 gained 0.38% Tuesday to close at 7,543.59, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.9% to reach 26,107.01, after June's consumer price index showed inflation slowing to 3.5%, below economists' forecasts. The Dow Jones Industrial Average inched up just 9.63 points to 52,508.27.

IBM Shares Sink 25% On Weak Guidance

IBM stock fell 25% Tuesday after the company warned that second-quarter profits will come in below expectations due to soft demand in its software and infrastructure divisions, dragging on the Dow even as most of the index gained.

Fed Rate-Hike Odds Drop After Inflation Data

Traders cut the odds of a July Federal Reserve rate increase to 17% from 42% a day earlier, according to CME FedWatch data, after the cooler-than-expected inflation report gave policymakers room to hold rates steady.

Big Banks Post Record Profits Despite Market Jitters

JPMorgan Chase reported its strongest profit level ever Tuesday, even as its stock fell 2.5% amid broader market weakness tied to the Iran conflict. Bank of America and Wells Fargo also beat earnings estimates, though their shares slipped as well.

ASML Forecast Lifts Chip Stocks

Dutch chipmaking equipment maker ASML raised its annual sales forecast Wednesday, citing continued AI demand, and said it would expand production capacity by 30%. The news eased concerns about bottlenecks in the chip supply chain and lifted semiconductor stocks in early trading.

Entertainment

Jurassic Park Star Sam Neill Dies At 78

New Zealand actor Sam Neill died Monday in Sydney, Australia, his family said, four months after announcing he was cancer-free following treatment for a rare blood cancer. Neill, best known for playing paleontologist Alan Grant in 1993's "Jurassic Park," was surrounded by family when he died. His family called the death "sudden and unexpected."

States Sue To Block Paramount-Warner Bros Merger $110B

A coalition of a dozen states, including California, sued Monday to stop Paramount Skydance's proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The states argue the deal would combine two of the country's largest movie studios and TV newsrooms under one owner.

Spain Reaches World Cup Final, Beats France

Spain defeated France on Tuesday in Dallas to reach its second World Cup final, extending an unbeaten run that stretches more than three dozen games. Spain faces the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between defending champion Argentina and England in Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Zendaya And Tom Holland Debut In Nolan's The Odyssey

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Homer's epic poem premiered in New York on Tuesday, with married co-stars Tom Holland and Zendaya walking the carpet alongside Anne Hathaway and Charlize Theron. The film opens in theaters nationwide this week.

ESPYS Set To Honor Year's Top Sports Moments

The annual ESPYS ceremony airs Wednesday night, celebrating the past year's biggest athletic achievements as stars from across professional sports gather for the show.