Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Acting attorney general formally rescinds Trump’s $1.8bn ‘anti-weaponization fund’ ahead of nomination hearing
Todd Blanche issues formal order terminating measure widely derided as a ‘slush fund’, in move that could clear path for his nomination as attorney general…
US states sue Trump administration over new tariffs on 60 trading partners
Coalition of 25 states asks US Court of International Trade to halt tariffs and declare them them unlawful…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/states-sue-trump-administration-tariffs
Environmentalists Are Rolling Their Eyes at Trump’s “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” – Mother Jones
Lena Moffitt, executive director of climate advocacy organization Evergreen Action, called Trump’s announcement a “photo op with big tech” that “won’t lower a single family’s electric bill.”
“Trump promised again and again to cut Americans’ energy costs, but instead he’s letting the same corporations driving up demand write their own rules—a voluntary pledge with no teeth and no consequences if they break it,” she said...
‘Stark example of brutality’: Trump’s ICE used court orders in plan to force-feed at least 10 hunger strikers in detention
“It is unethical to force treatment on someone who is saying, ‘don’t do this to me’,” said Wynia. “People who are on hunger strike do not want to die, they are not suicidal. They are using the only tool available to them to protest the circumstances of their confinement.”…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/trump-dhs-hunger-strikes-force-feeding-ice-detention
'Stop all outdoor activities’: South Korea records its highest ever temperature
Authorities issue alert saying indoor spaces without air conditioning are ‘dangerous’ as temperatures pass 40C for fifth straight day…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/03/south-korea-highest-temperature
‘Danger no longer only comes from the hitmen, but from the state’: the Honduran farmers labelled terrorists for protecting their land
Despite the violence against activists, campaigners say the new rightwing government of Nasry “Tito” Asfura, backed by Donald Trump, has created a legal environment that places campesinos and other land defenders in even more danger. It has passed a series of laws aimed at clamping down on organised crime but which human rights organisations warn place land defenders at severe risk of criminalisation.
The first of these legal changes is a reform to the penal code allowing for criminal groups to be designated as terrorist organisations. The law went against the Honduran supreme court’s advice and has been criticised for its open-ended definition of terrorism.
“Under this law,” says Lucía Vigil, from the Centre for the Study of Democracy (Cespad), “any group exercising their democratic right to peaceful protest can be labelled terrorist.”…
States sue to shield anti-poverty program data from DHS - POLITICO
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in D.C., is the latest effort from top Democratic state prosecutors to stop what they argue is an illegal weaponization of government databases to aid deportations and target dissidents. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, New York Attorney General Letitia James and District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb are co-leading the case.…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/03/states-lawsuit-anti-poverty-data-dhs-01022205
ICE detainee reveals video of drinking water apparently contaminated with worm-like creatures
‘Disturbing’ footage shared by California detainee surfaces amid wider complaints about conditions in ICE detention…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/ice-detention-water-video
Todd Blanche on track for confirmation after Cornyn strikes Trump settlement deal - POLITICO
The pact was announced Sunday by a Cornyn spokesperson and by Blanche in a X post. Documents posted by Blanche appear to meet the Texas Republican’s demands to nullify a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” and to limit the scope of an IRS audit immunity deal applying to the president and his family.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/02/todd-blanche-confirmation-deal-01022051
Britain could face food shortages as drought continues, farmers warn
Farmers battle to salvage what they can of their crops as heatwave set to continue…
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/02/britain-food-shortages-drought-continues-farmers
Abandoned by the US: Palestinian Americans trapped in a surge of Israeli settler violence
After visits by US ambassador Mike Huckabee to the nearby Israeli settlement of Shilo, Palestinian Americans in Turmus Ayya have witnessed a terrifying rise in attacks…
The irony is not lost on people here that the US has backed settlers claiming the West Bank as theirs, and that US dollars – through Jewish charities and the US budget to support the Israeli military – have helped finance the Israeli land grab. Given Shilo’s close ties to the US, they muse that some of those attacking Turmus Ayya could be fellow Americans...
Michigan reports cyberattacks on water systems
Michigan on Saturday joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on nine of the state's water systems but an official said all systems were operating “safely.”…
Cubans sleep on Havana's seaside boulevard to seek relief from crippling blackouts and summer heat | PBS News
Sunday night marked the sixth islandwide blackout since Trump administration effectively cut Cuba off from oil — its main energy source — in January. The move plunged the endemically crisis-stricken country into free-fall. While authorities on Monday said they were working to get the power back on, much of the island still had no electricity...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/cubans-seek-relief-from-crippling-blackouts-and-summer-heat
Solar powers record share of Britain’s electricity mix in July
Farms and rooftop panels contribute 14.4% to the grid – and figures reveal a surge in new installations…
‘Completely hollow’: critics denounce Blanche deal to halt Trump slush fund
Democrats say agreement – which clears way for Blanche’s confirmation – makes promises president can easily reverse…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/todd-blanche-donald-trump-deal
Nolan Wells death: at least two people charged over alleged threats to officials
Several people with no apparent connection to the Nolan Wells case have been criminally charged with making threats amid questions surrounding the Mississippi teenager’s death in July...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/03/nolan-wells-death-threats-officials
Fact-checking Abdul El-Sayed, Haley Stevens in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary – PolitiFact
Here’s a look at our fact-checks from debates and campaign messaging on topics such as polling, fundraising and former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the expected Republican nominee who lost his 2024 Senate bid to Democrat Elissa Slotkin...
https://politifact.com/article/2026/aug/03/el-sayed-stevens-michigan-senate-democrat-primary/
Over 4 million people are no longer receiving food aid amid sweeping changes to SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, has seen a rapid and consistent decline in participation since last July, the same month that a sweeping Republican tax and spending package became law. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act included major changes to the food assistance program. At the time, the White House called SNAP "bloated" and said it was failing its mission to serve as "temporary help for those who encounter tough times."…
https://www.npr.org/2026/08/03/nx-s1-5906797/snap-food-stamp-federal-changes-what-to-know
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