Federal Agents Were Told F.B.I. Will No Longer Investigate ICE Confrontations

Senior officials deny such a change is in the works, despite guidance shared with agents around the country in recent days.

The New York Times

DHS Plans “All-Out War” on Immigration Scammers as Fraud Complaints Double

The number of scammers trying to capitalize on immigrants’ fears by posing as lawyers and ICE agents has surged since Trump’s reelection, ProPublica found. Now, DHS says it is seeking to identify and find these fraudsters.

ProPublica

Voodoo, exorcism and a killer at age 7. Meet Colorado’s Republican nominee for governor

Although slender, Marx’s victory delivered a strong statement: about the grave condition of mainstream Republicanism; about the increasing embrace of oddity and extremism by a deeply disaffected slice of the American electorate; about the unsettled and unsettling nature of today’s politics.

Los Angeles Times

Taco Bell: ‘Affected’ Lettuce Now Removed—Customers Can Order ‘Safely’

Taco Bell said Friday it removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants, hours after the popular salad producer—which has been identified as the possible source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands—said it would remove iceberg lettuce it sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market.

Forbes

There’s No Gotcha Here

Calling Hegseth’s testosterone program “gender-affirming care” trivializes trans healthcare and misreads what we’re up against. Speaking only for myself: knock it off

The Present Age

Sweeping housing affordability bill becomes law, despite Trump’s delay. Here’s what it actually means for the housing market

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to tackle housing affordability, officially became law early Saturday, despite a series of attempts by President Donald Trump to stall the legislation.

CNN

U.S. strikes Iran over troop deaths as Israel warns Tehran’s attacks are coming close

Step by step, the U.S, and Iran have returned closer to all-out war as last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled and shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.

PBS

After Pushing Anti-Trans Laws to ‘Protect Women’s Sports’, Project 2025’s Heritage Foundation Now Wants Women’s Sports Gone to ‘Assist Fertility’

Turns out it was about women’s sports all along—if getting rid of women’s sports counts, that is.

Transitics

Trump administration caps international student visas stay

The new rule caps visa holders’ duration of stay at four years unless they receive an extension from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, amending a decades-old policy that said as long as the students made progress toward their degree or research purpose, there was no defined expiration date.

Boston Globe

They Were Charged With Assaulting ICE Agents. The Cases Are Crumbling.

The Trump administration has lost or abandoned hundreds of criminal cases against protesters and immigrants, a Times investigation found.

The New York Times

Trump killed USAID. But some of them keep working.

A group of Persisters is quietly continuing to impact foreign aid and – behind closed doors – congress is hungry for their help.

Persisters

FCC Officials Took Pricey Gifts From Paramount as the Company Needed Approval for Billion-Dollar Deals

However, past disclosures show Carr and Trusty are among seven FCC commissioners who have accepted Kennedy gala tickets from CBS or its parent company over the last decade. Ethics experts told ProPublica this poses a blatant conflict of interest since the commission regulates the network. Carr’s previous financial statements show he has accepted tickets at least seven times since his 2017 appointment, totaling over $63,000 in gifts.

ProPublica

Donald Trump Will Dismantle Smithsonian To Save America From Curse Of Woke … Butterflies?

Everything is a Culture War, forever.

Wonkette

The Face That Launched a Thousand Ships, and Frightened a Trillionaire

Or why Elon Musk cannot stop progress in film representation

The Latino Newsletter

By the Numbers: Shootings Decrease, But Gun Sales Are Up

Gun violence is down, significantly, as gun sales are ticking up for the first time in years. Meanwhile, data on ghost guns, medical care for gunshot wounds, and attitudes toward firearms among LGBTQ+ Americans rounds out this second quarter edition of 92 Days In Gun Violence.

The Trace

Opinion | Watch Mississippi to See the Future of Voting Rights

The court did not erase the Voting Rights Act from the books. It did something quieter and more dangerous. It made the law harder to use.

Mississippi Free Press

AIPAC has spent a record amount on Michigan’s Senate primary, the biggest test of its influence yet

“Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan, and the things that I have done for Michiganders,” Stevens told The Associated Press when asked whether she welcomed AIPAC’s support.

AP News

Having a Trans Child Doesn’t Make You Immune to Transphobia

A social media debate sparked a larger conversation about a difficult truth: parents, allies, and even transgender people themselves can hold transphobic beliefs. We explore the harm of tying respect to “passing,” why transition is about authenticity rather than appearance, and why genuine allyship is measured by actions, not personal relationships.

Transvitae

The race to sanction Russia’s growing shadow fleet

Sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet are an especially important topic currently, because the U.S.—in an effort to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine—is offering to lift sanctions on Russia. It is therefore critically important to understand how impactful Western sanctions are and what role they play in constraining Russia. A forthcoming blog will complement this piece by documenting how EU, U.S., and U.K. sanctions constrain shipping activity among Russia’s shadow fleet oil tankers.

Brookings

Egypt urges EU, international community to ban products from illegal Israeli settlements

It particularly cited UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirms the illegality of Israeli settlements and calls for their immediate cessation to prevent the undermining of peace prospects and the two-state solution.

Middle East Monitor

Tate brothers arrested in US as further UK charges take total to 59

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been arrested in the US after British authorities issued 38 new charges against the pair.

BBC

Opposition brewing as data centre capacity is set to explode across Canada

Across Canada, plans are underway for a massive boom in construction of the huge new data centres needed for artificial intelligence technology.

National News Watch

What some immigrants could lose if Alberta votes yes to Danielle Smith’s questions

If Albertans vote yes to the five immigration questions on this fall’s referendum, many of Alberta’s 260,000 temporary workers and other non-permanent residents could lose their health and education coverage — while all the rest could have to pay access fees on top of the taxes they pay.

CBC

Shared values, democracy and politics in a fragmenting world

Democratic values continue to enjoy broad support, but institutional distrust and political polarization threaten their resilience in Latin America and Europe.

Latino America 21

Anti-LGBTQ+ Rights Movement Sets Its Sights on South Africa with Cape Town Conference

Plans for an anti-LGBTQ+ African “family values” conference in Cape Town next year are moving forward, prompting concern among LGBTQ+ organisations that the anti-rights movement is making its boldest move yet in South Africa.

Mambo Online

The UK’s new plan for trans students: bathroom bans, forced outing, & no social transitions

The plan is likely to place trans and gender non-conforming children at greater risk.

LGBTQ Nation

In pictures: Jewish anti-genocide activists lead London march for Palestine

The UK establishment continues to demonise and repress anti-genocide protest. But Jewish activists against genocide and apartheid were, as usual, at the forefront of the giant march for Palestine in London yesterday, 18 July 2026. All images are courtesy of activist photographer ‘BetterThanReal.’

The Canary

Israel threatens ‘full force’ response if Iran fires missiles towards it

Israel has warned it could retaliate against Iran with “full force” if Tehran’s missiles strike within its borders, threatening a return to an all-out regional war as the ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump collapses with a new round of missile strikes across the Middle East.

The Guardian

Turkish foreign minister urges return to US-Iran agreement, says Ankara coordinating with Qatar

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday called for a return to the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran, saying Qatar is using all available diplomatic channels to help resolve the crisis and that Turkiye is coordinating closely with Doha, Anadolu reports.

Middle East Monitor

How Andy Burnham will start: digital ID axed, cabinet post for AI

Four decades after the rise of Thatcherism, Labour’s new leader has vowed to roll it back while governing in a T-shirt. But he also has his eye on tech

The Sunday Times