Trump Says U.S.-Iran Conflict Will Continue, Vows Further Strikes After New Iranian Missile Attack
President Trump said the U.S. military conflict with Iran, now in its fifth month, is not over and predicted further American strikes. Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting U.S. forces in Jordan; all were intercepted with no casualties reported.President Trump said the United States will continue military strikes against Iran and predicted the conflict would persist, while acknowledging it could extend through November's midterm elections. He said Iran would 'peter out' but did not offer a specific timeline for resolution.
Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting U.S. forces stationed in Jordan. U.S. Central Command confirmed all incoming missiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported. Trump said the United States would retaliate for the attack.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in a conflict that began roughly five months ago. U.S. weapons stockpiles, particularly missile interceptors, have drawn scrutiny as the sustained pace of operations raises readiness questions. Separately, Fox News reported that U.S. military planners have noted growing pressure on interceptor inventories as a factor shaping strategic options in the region.
Diplomacy between Washington and Tehran has effectively stalled, according to multiple accounts, with no active negotiating track currently in place.
Trump Pulls Back on Promise to Share Patriot Missile Technology with Ukraine
President Trump said the U.S. will not transfer the underlying technology needed for Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors, reversing an earlier commitment. The White House described the reversal as a different kind of arrangement.President Trump told reporters at Camp David that the United States would not follow through on an earlier promise to allow Ukraine to manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors. Trump said transferring the underlying technology was 'a hard thing to give away,' and the White House characterized the reversal as a different form of support rather than a broken pledge.
The Patriot system has been central to Ukraine's air defense against sustained Russian missile and drone attacks. The ability to produce interceptors domestically would have significantly reduced Ukraine's dependence on U.S. supply chains and political decisions for restocking.
The reversal comes at a moment of continued heavy Russian aerial bombardment of Ukraine, including a large-scale attack involving more than 70 missiles and 280 drones, during which Poland scrambled fighter jets after a suspected Russian missile entered Polish airspace. The military pressure on Ukraine's air defense capacity makes the technology-transfer decision particularly consequential for Kyiv's defense planners.
Federal Government Proposes Mandatory Water Cuts for Arizona, California, and Nevada from Colorado River
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released a plan to impose mandatory water reductions on Arizona, California, and Nevada during dry years over the next decade, while sparing Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming from cuts. Legal challenges are anticipated.The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a long-anticipated proposal to manage the Colorado River's declining water supplies, outlining mandatory cuts to water allocations for Arizona, California, and Nevada in dry years over the coming decade. The plan spares the upper basin states — Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming — from mandatory reductions.
The Colorado River is the primary water source for roughly 40 million people and vast agricultural regions across the American West. Decades of overallocation, combined with prolonged drought conditions intensified by higher temperatures, have drawn reservoir levels to historically low points in recent years, forcing the federal government to develop a longer-term framework for managing competing demands.
The proposed cuts would apply in years when reservoir levels fall below defined thresholds, with the largest reductions falling on the lower basin states that currently hold senior water rights under the river's complex allocation system. Multiple sources note that the plan is likely to be treated as a temporary framework rather than a permanent solution, and legal challenges from affected states and water districts are expected. Negotiations among states, tribes, agriculture interests, and municipal water authorities are likely to continue in parallel with any federal rulemaking process.
Nebraska Begins Removing Medicaid Recipients Under New Work Requirements
Nebraska's Medicaid program began disenrolling approximately 200 people on August 1 under work requirements established by federal legislation. The state is among the first to implement the new rules.Nebraska became one of the first states to implement new Medicaid work requirements enacted through recent federal legislation, with its Medicaid director saying roughly 200 people would lose health coverage on August 1. The requirements mandate that certain adult enrollees demonstrate qualifying work, job training, or community service activities to maintain coverage.
The enrollment changes mark an early real-world application of provisions included in the legislation that Republicans passed earlier this year, which made eligibility for the program contingent on meeting work-related criteria for some beneficiaries. Medicaid covers low-income adults, children, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities, though work requirements typically apply only to a subset of non-disabled working-age adults.
Health policy analysts have noted that administrative burdens associated with documenting work hours have historically led to coverage losses even among people who would otherwise qualify. Nebraska's experience is being closely watched as other states prepare to roll out similar requirements in the coming months.
Markets have been volatile with no clear trend over the past week.
Apple and Amazon Post Strong Quarterly Revenue as AI Spending Rises Across Major Tech Companies
Apple reported quarterly revenue of $109.4 billion, exceeding analyst expectations. Amazon's capital expenditures rose 69 percent year over year, driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure investment, fueling broader questions about the industry's spending trajectory.Apple and Amazon both released second-quarter financial results that showed continued revenue growth, though investor reaction to major tech companies was mixed as concerns about the industry's AI spending levels mounted. Apple reported quarterly revenue of $109.4 billion, beating Wall Street's consensus estimate of $108.65 billion.
Amazon's capital expenditures rose 69 percent compared to the same period a year ago, a figure that reflects the company's aggressive build-out of data center infrastructure to support artificial intelligence services. Amazon joined Google and other large technology companies in reporting sharply higher AI-related spending, a trend that has prompted growing unease among some investors about whether the capital outlays will generate returns commensurate with their scale.
The results landed amid a broader debate in financial markets about whether the current wave of AI investment represents durable value creation or an overextension. Some technology investors have publicly argued that even a speculative bubble in AI infrastructure would leave behind useful assets, while others warn of overcapacity risk. The question of how and when AI spending will translate into revenue growth across the industry remains unresolved.
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh Weighing Reduction in Number of Annual Policy Meetings
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is considering reducing the number of times per year the Fed's policy-setting committee meets, which would represent the most significant structural change to the institution since he assumed the chairmanship.Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh is exploring a reduction in the frequency of the central bank's policy meetings, according to reporting by the New York Times. The Fed has held at least eight formal meetings per year for decades, and any change would represent a significant departure from established practice.
The Fed's policy-setting body, the Federal Open Market Committee, meets to set the federal funds rate and communicate its outlook on the economy. The number and timing of those meetings shapes how financial markets anticipate and price monetary policy decisions, and any structural change would have implications for how the Fed communicates with investors, businesses, and policymakers.
Warsh became Fed chair earlier this year and has signaled interest in reviewing several of the institution's operating conventions. The consideration of fewer meetings has not been formally proposed and would require deliberation within the committee. No timeline for a decision has been reported.
Earthquake in Southwestern Japan Kills 34; Survivors Shelter in Cars Amid Ongoing Heat
An earthquake in southwestern Japan has killed at least 34 people. Survivors were sheltering in cars in sweltering temperatures as rescuers continued searching for missing people. The quake triggered a mall explosion, toppled a factory chimney, and flattened homes.A significant earthquake in southwestern Japan has killed at least 34 people, with rescuers continuing to search for those still missing. The quake caused a gas explosion at a shopping mall, collapsed a factory chimney, and destroyed homes across affected communities.
Survivors displaced from their homes were sheltering in their cars in intense summer heat, adding to the hardship facing affected communities. Japan regularly experiences earthquakes, but the combination of structural collapses, a secondary explosion, and extreme ambient temperatures has complicated emergency response operations.
The death toll of 34 was current as of Friday, and officials indicated search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing in areas where buildings had collapsed. The full extent of structural damage and the number of people still unaccounted for had not been finalized.
Cyclosporiasis Outbreak May Be Slowing as U.S. Case Count Exceeds 18,000
A maker of laboratory tests for cyclosporiasis said the U.S. outbreak, now the largest on record with more than 18,000 suspected and confirmed cases, may be slowing. The Midwest has been hit particularly hard.A manufacturer of laboratory diagnostic tests for cyclosporiasis said there are signs the current U.S. outbreak may be slowing, though the case count has grown to more than 18,000 suspected and confirmed infections as of late July, making it the largest outbreak of the intestinal illness on record in the United States.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a single-celled parasite typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and stomach cramping. The illness can be treated with antibiotics but is rarely fatal in otherwise healthy adults. The Midwest has been the most heavily affected region in the current outbreak.
Health authorities have been working to identify the food source or sources responsible for the outbreak. Previous U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce. The scale of the current outbreak and its geographic concentration have made source identification a public health priority. The reported signal that transmission may be slowing has not yet been confirmed by federal public health agencies.
Google Pauses AI Enhancement of Satellite Images After Concerns About Misinformation Risk
Google paused a feature that used artificial intelligence to enhance satellite imagery after journalists, human rights investigators, and open-source analysts raised concerns that the technology could be used to fabricate or alter geographic evidence.Google has paused the rollout of an artificial intelligence feature that applied enhancements to satellite imagery, following an immediate and sharp reaction from journalists, human rights organizations, and open-source intelligence researchers. Critics argued the technology created opportunities for the creation of realistic but false or manipulated aerial images that could be used to spread disinformation, obscure events on the ground, or undermine the credibility of satellite evidence used in conflict documentation and accountability work.
Satellite imagery has become a foundational tool for verifying claims about military activity, disaster damage, and human rights violations. Researchers and journalists rely on the ability to present satellite images as unaltered records of physical reality, and the prospect of AI-generated modifications introduced into that pipeline raised significant concerns about evidentiary integrity.
Google did not announce a permanent cancellation of the feature but said it was pausing to assess the concerns raised. The episode reflects broader tensions around the deployment of generative AI tools in contexts where authenticity and verifiability are essential.
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At Least 34 People Killed in Coal Mine Explosion in Pakistan
A methane gas explosion at a coal mine in Pakistan killed at least 34 people. Rescuers were searching for additional victims. The region is one of Pakistan's main coal-producing areas, where mine explosions and collapses occur with regularity.At least 34 people were killed in a methane gas explosion at a coal mine in one of Pakistan's main mining regions. Rescue workers were searching for additional victims as of Friday. Methane gas explosions and structural collapses are recurring hazards in the area, where mines often operate with limited safety infrastructure.
Pakistan's coal mining sector has a persistent record of fatal accidents, and the death toll from mine incidents in the country runs into the hundreds annually. The recurrence of such events reflects longstanding concerns about mine safety enforcement, worker protections, and the conditions under which miners are employed in the region.