The Bulletin

• Hamas leader's funeral: Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh will be buried today in Qatar amid concerns that his killing could escalate the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza into a broader Middle East war.
• Olympics: Simone Biles made history again as she won her second all-around gold medal. Biles won her first title eight years ago at Rio 2016.
• Venezuela election: The United States on Thursday recognized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela's disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro's claim of victory.
• U.S. carrier enters Pacific: A United States Navy aircraft carrier has reportedly entered the Western Pacific Ocean this week to fill the "carrier gap" left by its sister ship, which is stationed in the Middle East amid rapidly rising tension in the region. Here's what the map shows.
• Ammunition vending machines expand: American Rounds, the company behind the controversial ammunition vending machines that started popping up at businesses in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas recently, has announced plans to expand to states out West—including California. Learn more.
• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces attacked the city of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea with U.S.-made ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems), Russian state-run media reported on Friday.

The rundown: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted three American citizens and one permanent resident as they arrived home after a long flight following a landmark prisoner exchange with Russia on Thursday. See the footage.

Why it matters: Video shared online shows the president greeting Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza at Joint Base Andrews late Thursday night. As part of a 24-prisoner exchange, the Biden administration and ally countries agreed to release a total of eight Russian detainees while securing the release of 16 prisoners from Russia, including five German citizens and seven Russian political prisoners.

Read more in-depth coverage: 
Biden's One-Word Message To Putin After Historic Prisoner Swap

TL/DR: Sen. JD Vance, Trump's 2024 running mate, claimed that Biden negotiating the release of the American prisoners was a "testament" to Donald Trump's strength.

What happens now? The exchange marks the biggest prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War when 23 CIA agents were exchanged for four Soviet spies in 1985. According to the White House, Biden has secured the release of more than 70 Americans in prisoner swaps and hostage releases across the globe less than six months before his term ends.

Deeper reading Video Shows Moment Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Greet Freed American Prisoners

The rundown: As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to announce her running mate, some of the top contenders for the role have canceled events planned for this weekend. Here's what it signals for Harris's vice presidential pick.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is viewed as the front-runner, canceled three fundraisers due to take place on New York's Long Island this weekend. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who is also reportedly on Harris' vice presidential shortlist, was scheduled to visit a distillery on Friday, but Lieutenant Gov. Jacqueline Coleman is now expected to attend in his place, local news station KFVS reported. News that the tour's first stop would be in Pennsylvania's biggest city ramped up speculation that Harris would announce the state's governor as her running mate at the event.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Josh Shapiro Suddenly Changes Plans Amid VP Buzz

TL/DR: Harris said on Tuesday that she had not yet decided who would be her No. 2 to take on former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance.

What happens now? The Democratic National Committee is using virtual voting among delegates to complete the process of formally nominating Harris by Monday, two weeks before the party's convention begins in Chicago. Then, Harris and her running mate are set to head out on a tour of battleground states, starting with a rally in Philadelphia on August 6.

Deeper reading Kamala Harris Running Mate Update: Canceled Events Offer Clue

The rundown: Former President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan could cut half of the agricultural labor force if enacted and severely hurt America's dairy industry, experts have warned. Here's why.

Why it matters: Nearly half of agricultural workers in the U.S. are undocumented immigrants, and Trump's controversial mass deportation plan creates major obstacles for America's farmers. Some 45 percent of all agricultural workers in the U.S. today, 950,000 of an estimated 2.2 million farmworkers, are "unauthorized" migrants working illegally on American farms and ranches. All migrants unlawfully in the U.S. would be deported under Trump's new flagship policy rolled out for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. Republican lawmakers argue mass deportation plans would create jobs for Americans. However, one expert told Newsweek the policy would create a "huge labor shortage."

Read more in-depth coverage:
What Mass Deportation Under Trump Could Look Like

TL/DR: California is the largest food-producing state in the U.S. and relies on an immigration workforce.

What happens now? Trump's deportation policy could sway voters toward Vice President Kamala Harris as 70 percent of the labor on Wisconsin's dairy farms is carried out by more than 10,000 undocumented migrant workers, according to a survey carried out by the University of Wisconsin. Harris would beat Trump in Wisconsin by two points, 49 percent to 47 percent, according to a poll conducted by Bloomberg/Morning.

Deeper reading Trump's Mass Deportation Plan 'Would Cut Farming Labor By Half'

The rundown: South Korea is willing to provide flood relief to North Korea "in the spirit of brotherhood," a gesture of goodwill amid escalating tensions between the two states. Find out how this surprising offer could impact relations on the Korean peninsula.

Why it matters: On Saturday, severe rainfall swept across North Korea's western provinces, submerging large swathes of the countryside and leaving thousands of citizens stranded. KCNA, Pyongyang's state-run news agency, claimed that 4,100 houses and nearly 12 square miles of farmland in the Sinuiju region bordering China were underwater on Wednesday. During a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, South Korea Red Cross Secretary General Park Jong-sul said: "We are willing to promptly provide urgently needed relief to affected North Koreans from a humanitarian perspective and in the spirit of brotherhood."

Read more in-depth coverage:
North Korea Wants to Restart Nuclear Talks If Trump Wins

TL/DR: No casualty figures have been released, but the North Korean Air Force reportedly evacuated 4,200 Sinuiju residents.

What happens now? Park also expressed his condolences to those impacted by the floods and said that Seoul was "ready to discuss details" of the aid, including quantity and delivery method, with the North Korean Red Cross. Despite the clear damage, North Korea has not yet responded to its neighbor, and recent offers of assistance from the South have been steadfastly refused.

Deeper reading South Korea Offers Kim Jong Un Humanitarian Relief after Devastating Floods

The rundown: A liberal public policy think tank has said that raising the retirement age by two years could lead to "drastic benefit cuts." Find out how it could impact your retirement plans.

Why it matters: The Center for American Progress (CAP) has warned that raising the retirement age from 67 to 69, a proposal earmarked by the Republican Study Committee in its two previous budgets, could cost future retirees as much as $6,900 per year. The current retirement age of 67 is the earliest at which workers can begin claiming Social Security benefits without any financial penalty for claiming early. CAP said a two-year rise in the full retirement age would cut benefits for all new retirees between roughly 12.5 percent and 14.3 percent by the time it is fully phased in.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Donald Trump Wants to Change Social Security Taxes

TL/DR: Polling conducted this year shows that most Americans are against raising the retirement age.

What happens now? The think tank reported that after accounting for Cost-of-Living Adjustment increases each year, the median-wage retiree would lose between $46,104 and $99,252 after 10 years of receiving Social Security. "The median-wage retiree turning 62 in 2034 would have their monthly benefit cut between $345 and $741, depending on the age at which they claimed benefits," CAP explained.

Deeper reading Social Security Change Would Cost Americans $6,900 per Year: Analysts