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The Politics of Disaster Relief

Smurfing the Election – What does it mean?

Kyrrex exploited technology and shell companies while serving suspected fraudsters and pro-Russian military activists, even as its owners claimed the exchange followed anti-money laundering rules.

Without machines from abroad, Russia’s weapons factories would grind to a halt. This analysis of Russian import data shows German and European companies supplied goods with potential dual-use applications over 28,000 times in the lead-up to the invasion. How this has impacted the war is often overlooked.

This story is part of the Inside/Out Journalism Project by Type Investigations, which works with incarcerated reporters to produce ambitious, feature-length investigations, with support from the Puffin Foundation. Johnny Nguyen endured a grueling process to make it to Seattle in 1993. After leaving Vietnam, which was still recovering from the war with the United States […]
The post How Washington State Discriminates Against Incarcerated Immigrants appeared first on Type Investigations.

The post “Ticking Time Bomb”: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas. appeared first on ProPublica.

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified before House and Senate appropriators to seek more protection at work and at home. They argued that the security budget should increase by $14 million to cover rising threats, bringing the total proposed budget to $230 million. The Supreme Court Police expects threats to increase by 38 percent this year, up from last year’s 25 percent increase, according to Kagan. 
In the hearing, the matter of the Justices’ safety took center stage. “Many of us, me included, have received threatening anonymous deliveries designed to intimidate and harass us,” Barrett said. 
Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio asked Barrett whether she believes these threats are particularly designed to influence the rulings of the Court. She replied, “It’s hard to say how some of them are not designed to do precisely that … I think they’re designed to intimidate or designed maybe to punish after decisions that the person sending the threat didn’t like as a warning not to do it in the future.” 
An example she shared was a particularly eerie anonymous set of packages: “It’s hard to interpret, particularly those anonymous deliveries that are sent in the name of Judge Salas’ murdered son, as anything other than an attempt to intimidate and influence decisions.” 
In June 2022, a Californian was convicted of attempting to assassinate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh in his home and received an eight-year and one-month prison sentence in October 2025, even though prosecutors had pushed for a 30-year sentence. In her opening remarks, Justice Kagan said, “For some of us, those threats have come very close, and all of us live with the knowledge that they may again materialize.”
Barrett shared that during the overturning of Roe v. Wade, “My security detail sent me home with a bulletproof vest and I carried it into my house, put it into my bedroom, dropped it down on a table, turned around, and my 12-year-old son was standing in the doorway of my bedroom — and he wanted to know what it was and why I had it, and I didn’t know how to respond,” 
She explained that the security risks she faces often leave her and her family in a position where they have “to think about and see things that children should not have to see or think about.”
Kagan noted that Cabinet officials have more protection than Justices; “Sometimes you go someplace to an event … that there will be Cabinet members at, and I drive up in my one car and there are five cars outside for a single Cabinet member … So even now, I think that we have less protection than some.”
A decision from Congress is expected in response to the petitions from the Justices by Sep. 30, 2026. 

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act (H.R. 139), a bill aimed to eliminate twice-annual clock change, by a vote of 308-117.
The Act will make daylight saving time (DST) permanent across the U.S., although states have the option to opt out and instead use permanent standard time if they act before the bill officially takes effect.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) has been a longtime supporter of this bill and has introduced it to Congress yearly since 2018. Buchanan posted on Tuesday, “Today, the House took an important step toward ending the outdated practice of changing our clocks by passing my Sunshine Protection Act.” Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) added to the House discussion saying, “Let’s stop asking Americans to reset their clocks every March and November. Let’s provide some certainty and consistency and a little more sunshine at the end of the day.” Following the House vote of the Sunshine Protection Act, Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tn.) played the famous Beatles song, Here Comes the Sun to celebrate the bill’s passage.
Other pro “lock the clock” representatives in the House said permanent DST will promote active lifestyles for families in the evenings and significantly reduce street crime in areas where darkness originally provided cover. Additionally, they say moving to a permanent time schedule will improve young children’s sleep and save money on the many dollars spent changing clocks annually.
President Donald Trump has long advocated for this switch in America. He posted, “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the “Clock,” not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
Florida was the first state to ever pass permanent DST in the U.S. and many Florida legislators have since advocated for a nationwide bill. However, many states such as Hawaii and Arizona already have permanent Standard Time laws, giving the morning hours the extra sunshine instead of the evening. The current debate is not DST vs. the status quo, but DST vs. Standard Time.
Dissenters against the act argue dark mornings will lead to economic consequences and safety issues for children traveling to school, and these concerns outweigh the benefits of brighter evenings. Some responses on X accused congressmen who voted for DST of giving the country an economic boost, saying they are pandering to golf industries, restaurants, and other retailers who would benefit from evening sunlight.
The bill now heads towards the U.S. Senate, where its chances of passing are not assured. Currently the Senate companion legislation (S. 29) has 18 cosponsors. These include Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) who advocated for the bill saying, “I’m thrilled that the house has finally passed it. The Senate needs to take it up NOW and send it to President Trump‘s desk.” 
Time is more than just what appears on our clocks. Increased morning light could mean safe commutes. Brighter evenings would positively affect local economies and give American families the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors after work and school. As the Senate weighs whether to make DST permanent, they would do well to consider these factors.

A two-day summit on July 14-15, between defense-related business, academic, and government leaders, organized by U.S. Senator Dave McCormick and headlined by President Donald Trump, at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, signaled broad agreement that the United States must continue to revitalize its industrial and technological defense base to meet the geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges of the Chinese Communist Party.
The list of federal government officials participating in the summit, in addition to President Trump and Sen. McCormick, included CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Assistant Secretary of War Michael Cadenazzi, Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz, Congressman Scott Perry, and Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler. Two Pennsylvania state officials, Governor Josh Shapiro and Attorney General Dave Sunday, also served on panels.
Business leaders included JP Morgan Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Jim Taiclet, Executive Officer and President of Northrup Grumman Kathy Warden, General Dynamics President Danny Deep, President and COO of Blackstone Jon Gray, Chief Technology Officer for Palantir Technologies Shyam Sankar, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Valor Equity Antonio Gracias, and President and CEO of Hanwha Defense USA Michael Coulter.
Temple University President John Fry, University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel, and Penn State University President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi served as moderators of several summit panels. Those and other universities are key players in defense-related innovation.
In one sense, it was a gathering of elements of what President Dwight Eisenhower, in his farewell address, called the “military-industrial complex.” Opponents of a defense buildup often quote Eisenhower’s warning about guarding “against the acquisition of unwarranted influence” of the military-industrial complex, but they isolate that quote without providing context. Eisenhower prefaced his warning with the following:
A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be might, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction… [W]e can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions.
Eisenhower, therefore, understood the need for a vibrant, innovative military-industrial complex that would help the United States maintain its military and political preeminence in global politics.
The panelists at the Defense Innovation Summit all agreed that since the end of the Reagan buildup in the 1980s which helped us win the Cold War, we have outsourced too many important defense-related materials and technologies to other countries, placing us at a disadvantage vis-à-vis our current major adversary, China, in areas such as microchips, rare earth minerals, and shipbuilding capacity, to name only a few. And during that same time period, we have imposed regulations on defense-related businesses and suffered through a defense acquisition process that stifled innovation, delayed production quotas, and produced cost overruns. (RELATED: Rare Earths, Real Bottlenecks, and Misguided Policy)
There was also unanimous agreement at the summit that the United States must lead the AI revolution, especially as it applies to warfare and strategy. If we don’t lead here, China will.
The business and investment leaders at the summit all praised the Trump administration’s movements to unleash the “arsenal of democracy’ and its commitment to incentivize America’s defense industries and tech companies to become a new generation of “freedom’s forge.” The business leaders credited both the president and Secretary of War Hegseth for spurring innovation and production. President Trump urged the business leaders to continue to produce the best weapons of war, but to do so faster because quantity can be as important as quality under wartime circumstances. We need both quantity and quality to meet China’s challenge.
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After three weeks of silence, Mitch McConnell and his staff set out to end the speculation about whether he is still alive by posting a “proof of life” photo of him and his wife together. However, that photo only left more questions than answers. (READ MORE: Let’s Be Honest — Why Is Poor Mitch McConnell Still in the Senate?) 

Statement From Senator Mitch McConnell
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following note to constituents regarding his hospitalization and recovery:
“To my fellow Kentuckians –
“When you elected me to a seventh term and made me our… pic.twitter.com/kfx2GKqd38
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 12, 2026

The Spectacle Podcast hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss McConnell’s political tenure, how he has been an obstruction to Trump’s agenda, and why he is a symptom of a broken system. Melissa and Scott explain the implications of replacing his Senate seat and offer arguments as to why the 17th Amendment should be repealed. They also discuss Lindsey Graham’s passing, his legacy, and the speculation around his death. (RELATED: Cocaine Mitch, We Definitely Knew Ye) 
Tune in to hear their discussion! 

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