The Bulletin
WORLD IN BRIEF
- Arizona primary: Kari Lake won her Republican Senate primary in Arizona on Tuesday and now will face Democratic challenger Rep. Ruben Gallego in November. Lake thanked Donald Trump after her win. Here's what she said.
- Olympics: Simone Biles and Team USA Gymnastics clinched gold in Tuesday's women's team final. Biles, who battled a calf injury in the preliminary round, competed in all four gymnastics events. Meanwhile, check out the betting guide for today.
- China threatens U.S. supremacy: A bipartisan commission has issued Washington a stark warning that China poses the most serious threat to U.S. military supremacy since the Cold War and has particularly narrowed the gap in the Western Pacific. Find out more.
- FAA urged to review Boeing: A U.S. senator has asked the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a "root cause analysis" of its oversight of Boeing and warned that its lenient treatment of the aerospace giant may have led to the company's safety issues. Get more details.
- Russian factory fire erupts: Local authorities reported on Tuesday that a large fire ripped through a Russian factory in Yekaterinburg that produces military and space components
- California grills use restricted: Tens of thousands of people in California have been told to avoid using their grills amid high levels of pollution from wildfire smoke. Learn more.
- In the ongoing war in Ukraine, the U.S. and Germany have announced fresh tranches of military aid for Ukraine as Western governments try to bat away concerns over sustained backing for Kyiv's now years-long fight against Moscow.
Iran Vows Revenge on Israel After Hamas Chief Killed
The rundown: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali has vowed revenge on Israel over the killing of Hamas' political chief. Here's what he said.
Why it matters: Hamas' top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated early Wednesday in Tehran, according to an announcement from Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital to attend the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday. While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, Israel vowed to target Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders following the group's attack on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the capture of around 250 hostages.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Hamas Chief's Son Speaks Out After Father's Killing, Makes Vow
US Will Help Defend Israel If Attacked, Pentagon Says As Hamas Chief Killed
TL/DR: Since 2019, Haniyeh had lived in exile in Qatar after leaving the Gaza Strip.
What happens now? Iranian officials have not disclosed the specifics of Haniyeh's assassination, with the Revolutionary Guard stating that the incident remains under investigation. The assassination of Haniyeh occurs at a critical juncture, as the Biden administration is actively mediating efforts for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel.
Deeper reading Iran Vows Revenge on Israel
Kamala Harris' VP Update as Campaign Spotlights Immigration
The rundown: Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly set to hold her first rally with a running mate as her presidential campaign counterpunches former President Donald Trump on immigration rhetoric. Read her full speech.
Why it matters: Harris rallied thousands of supporters on Tuesday during her first campaign stop in Georgia since launching her bid for the presidency. Here are the key takeaways from the Georgia rally. She went on the offense against Trump on immigration, accusing the former president of working to block a bipartisan border security bill in Congress this year for his own political gain. The Harris campaign confirmed next week's campaign stops for the vice president and her running mate in an email to Newsweek. Find out which battleground states the likely Democratic presidential candidate will visit.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Kamala Harris Hits Back at Donald Trump on Immigration in New Ad
TL/DR: While Harris' record on immigration is likely to be a focus of political debate until Election Day, Biden did not tasked her with solving immigration, and the office of vice president is limited to statutory powers.
What happens now? Harris will be joined by her still unannounced vice-presidential pick for a rally in Philadelphia on August 6, according to a Politico report citing the Harris campaign on Tuesday. She is expected to announce her running mate before the rally.
Deeper reading Kamala Harris' Vice President Update as Campaign Spotlights Immigration
Biden Passes 'Essential Stop' in Bid to Save Mail-in Ballots
The rundown: President Biden is making appointments to the U.S. Postal Service to save mail-in ballots amid a political struggle over voting methods, an attorney has said. Here's why.
Why it matters: Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance notes that Biden's recent nominations include former Florida Congresswoman Val Demings and Republican businessman William Zollars, aiming to remove Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Vance alleges DeJoy's cost-cutting measures, like dismantling sorting machines, led to significant mail delays in swing states before the 2020 election. Meanwhile, on Monday, a federal judge rejected a Republican challenge to a Mississippi law that allows counting mail-in ballots after an election.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Biden Playing 'Long Game' With Supreme Court Move: Legal Analyst
TL/DR: The board consists of 11 people, nine of whom are nominated by the President, similar to a Supreme Court judge.
What happens now? Biden's appointments are part of a broader effort to address these issues and reshape the board.
Deeper reading Joe Biden Passes 'Essential Stop' in Bid to Save Mail-in Ballots
Abbott Celebrates Court Victory On Texas Border Barrier
The rundown: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated after a federal appeals court ruled that a floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from crossing into the state can remain. Here's what the ruling entails.
Why it matters: The 5th Circuit appeals court ruling on July 30 dealt a blow to the Biden administration's attempt to remove the floating barrier placed there by the state of Texas. It represents the latest development in a standoff between Abbott and President Joe Biden over immigration policy on the U.S.-Mexico border. The floating barriers are intended to prevent migrants from illegally entering the country. The state of Texas has a 1,200-mile border with Mexico.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Map Shows States With the Most Immigrants
TL/DR: A Trump-era appointee, U.S. Circuit Judge Don R. Willett, said the lower court improperly granted the federal government a preliminary injunction forcing Texas to remove the barrier.
What happens now? The ruling will permit the state to maintain a floating river barrier along the Mexico border. The barrier can remain in place while a lower court considers the case against it.
Deeper reading Greg Abbott Celebrates Court Victory On Texas Border Barrier
Investigation of Israeli Soldiers Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Sparks Protests
The rundown: An investigation involving Israeli soldiers being detained for allegations of sexual abuse against a Palestinian detainee sparked protests on Monday. Get more details.
Why it matters: According to the Associated Press (AP), nine soldiers were scheduled to appear before a military court at the Beit Lid base in central Israel on Tuesday for allegations of sexual abuse against a Palestinian detainee at Sde Teiman, a facility known for its poor conditions where many Gaza prisoners have been held during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. However, since the detention of the soldiers, protests broke out from supporters of the soldiers, including members of Israel's parliament and government ministers, arguing against the investigation and demanding harsher treatment of prisoners.
Read more in-depth coverage:
Hamas Reacts to Alleged Israeli Prisoner Abuse
TL/DR: In addition, several hundred protesters broke into Sde Teiman and then later into the military base where the soldiers were being held.
What happens now? The military court hearing is expected to rule on whether to extend detention for the nine soldiers allegedly involved in the incident. Israeli authorities have denied abuses in detention facilities for Palestinians. According to the AP, Israel says it has acted within military and international law, saying that it independently investigates any alleged abuses.
Deeper reading Investigation of Israeli Soldiers Over Alleged Sexual Abuse Sparks Protests
China's Expanding Arctic Ambitions Challenge the U.S. and NATO
As the Arctic summer melts the polar bear tracks on the sea ice around Norway's Spitsbergen Island, dozens of Chinese scientists are arriving at a facility guarded by a very different kind of white creature—stone lions from Shanghai.
About 50 researchers from China are expected this year in the Norwegian science station of Ny-Ålesund in the Svalbard Archipelago, where a male and a female lion watch the door of China's "Yellow River Station". It is the highest number of researchers since the COVID pandemic began with some expected to stay through the polar winter.
The growing Chinese presence is a sign of the Arctic's increasing importance to Beijing as China emerges as a global power to challenge the United States and its allies, even though at its closest China is 900 miles away from the Arctic Circle, the distance from New York to Tallahassee. Svalbard, belonging to American NATO ally Norway but hard by China's strategic ally Russia, is an accessible international scientific center that has become a microcosm of the struggle between world powers in the Arctic.
