THE NEWS

Alphabet’s free cash flow has turned negative, and the company lifted its capital spending forecast. Slower-growing cloud rivals report this week.

Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT became the most valuable company in the market after a record debut, raising expectations it could compete with global.

Iran launched a missile strike on US forces in the Middle East on Tuesday in what US Central Command described as a “attempted surprise attack.”
All of the missiles were intercepted, CENTCOM says.
This comes after President Trump called off the nearly two-week-long bombing campaign against Iran to continue negotiations on Friday.
“At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness,” US Central Command announced in a statement.

At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 28, 2026

US forces on Thursday completed a 13th consecutive night of attacks against Iranian military capabilities in and around the Strait of Hormuz since the fighting resumed earlier this month.
Video from CENTCOM shows the most recent attacks from the nearly two-week-long airstrike campaign.
WATCH:

Trump said on Monday, “We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don’t work out, we will go back to very strong military action.”
Trump further said the attempt at diplomacy will have “not much time.” He added, “Either it goes fast or not at all.”
MORE:
US Pauses Iran Strikes as Negotiations Resume but Trump Says He’s Ready to “Go Back to Very Strong Military Action” – Talks Will Proceed “Fast or Not at All.”

The post JUST IN: Iran Launches Strikes at US Base in “Attempted Surprise Attack” After Trump Halted Strikes Against Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Ruling party advanced proposals to shorten fast-track reviews and tighten filibuster rules, prompting accusations it is weakening opposition rights.

South Korea and Brazil agreed to form a working group aimed at restarting stalled trade negotiations between Seoul and Mercosur by December.

A lack of adequate healthcare at California’s largest immigrant detention center puts people “at serious risk” of harm, a new report says.

Senate Democrats demanded a new, experienced person to lead the nation’s spy agencies, but when given the chance, they rejected President Donald Trump’s latest pick.Still, their resistance was not enough to stop Republicans from confirming Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to replace former DNI Tulsi Gabbard. Clayton, who was tapped to be the top prosecutor in Manhattan last year, was confirmed on a party line vote Tuesday.He will replace acting DNI and Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, whose interim appointment prompted Senate Democrats to demand an immediate, permanent replacement over fears that Pulte would weaponize the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies or try to dismantle them.SENATE CLEARS WAY FOR TRUMP’S TOP SPY AS KEY ANTI-TERROR PROGRAM REMAINS IN LIMBOClayton’s confirmation was thought to be a means to an end for the ongoing standoff over Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a tool that has been used to thwart several terror plots, including a planned mass-casualty event at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria.However, they changed their tune when it came time to vote, and after a contentious confirmation hearing where only Republicans voted to send him to the Senate floor.”As Senate Republicans move to once again confirm an inexperienced and unqualified nominee to a position of massive national security consequence for years to come, one thing remains clear — this type of politicized leadership will only make Americans less safe,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement.Boiled down, the Section 702 program allows the U.S. government to collect intelligence on foreigners abroad who are using U.S. communication systems, and it serves as a major part of Trump’s daily intelligence briefing.LAWMAKERS SCRAMBLE AFTER TRUMP DERAILS BID TO REVIVE KEY COUNTERTERRORISM TOOL DAYS AFTER FBI THWARTS UFC PLOTBut it also sweeps up communications from Americans who are talking to foreign suspects — a key issue that threatened reauthorization among privacy hawks in both parties well before Pulte’s appointment and Clayton’s subsequent nomination.The program expired, however, last month in response to Pulte’s appointment, despite warnings from Republicans that allowing Section 702 to go dark could have dire national security consequences.And Clayton’s confirmation, for now, does not appear to be breaking through the partisan logjam. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Fox News Digital that the pressure wasn’t on to reauthorize FISA.”Democrats have refused to pass a bipartisan FISA bill until a new DNI is confirmed,” a spokesperson for Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital. “Now that Jay Clayton is confirmed, it’s time for them to stop playing politics with national security and put up the votes to give our intelligence community the tools it needs to keep this country safe.”TRUMP’S DNI PICK CLEARS KEY HURDLE, REVIVING PATH FOR NATION’S TOP ANTI-TERROR SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM”You know … we don’t have the immediate time pressure because the communication providers are still cooperating,” Warner said.Before the deadline to reauthorize, lawmakers had differing trains of thought on what would exactly happen should it go completely dark. Some argued that it would slowly draw down, given that FISA courts had already authorized continued intelligence gathering until 2027.Others worried that telecommunications giants, like Google, would ignore agreements without explicit authorization from Congress.But, as Warner noted, the latter isn’t happening.Still, it leaves Clayton and the intelligence community on a murky path forward in the months ahead. And there’s not much time left on the Senate’s calendar to tackle the issue. The upper chamber is slated to leave Washington after the first week of August, and won’t return until early September. From there, keeping the government open will be a top priority for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Acting DNI Bill Pulte on Tuesday executed his 5th round of Deep State terminations on his way out.
The Senate on Monday evening cleared an important hurdle to confirm Jay Clayton as President Trump’s next Director of National Intelligence.
Meanwhile, Acting DNI Bill Pulte is still going full steam ahead with firings and announced an additional 30% staff reduction.
“Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago,” Pulte said.
“The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,” Pulte said on Tuesday.

Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago. The Intelligence Community must protect the American people,…
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 28, 2026

On Sunday evening, Pulte announced his 4th round of Deep State firings.
“Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute,” Pulte said.
“As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!” Pulte said on X.

Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute. As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank…
— DNI Pulte (@DNIPulte) July 27, 2026

Last month Bill Pulte fired over 50 career Deep State intel officials.
CBS News previously reported that Pulte fired six political intelligence staffers and sent 45 others to their home agencies.
CNN reported that Pulte fired six political appointees chosen by Tulsi Gabbard.
Bill Pulte is also currently serving as the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

The post BREAKING: Acting DNI Bill Pulte Executes 5th Round of Deep State Terminations on His Way Out – Additional 30 Percent Staff Reduction! appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Elderly population exceeded 20% for the first time as the working-age population fell below 70% and the number of children continued to decline.

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik said whether sitting president should be allowed to seek another term should ultimately be decided by voters.