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Data shows veterans can wait months to see a therapist for the first time. The VA secretary has his own numbers
For decades after serving in the US Air Force, Dennis suffered from sporadic back pain, which he believes stemmed from frequently moving heavy equipment during overseas tours.
NC Secretary of State visits Whiteville to meet with rural small business owners
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall visited Whiteville to meet with small business owners and community leaders as part of her Rural Rise NC initiative, which aims to help small businesses succeed in rural areas.
Nevada Secretary of State opens new business licensing office in downtown Las Vegas
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar hosted a ribbon cutting Monday morning for a new business licensing office in downtown Las Vegas.
Energy Secretary’s Own Lawyers Flatly Contradict His Repeated Denials That Politics Played Any Role in Mass Termination of Projects
Murray, Kaptur respond to DOE’s recent legal filing admitting that politics was the only reason nearly 300 cost-cutting energy projects in blue states were terminated during the shutdown last October Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and […]
Business Starts for July 27
In April, 1,513 new businesses filed incorporation paperwork with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, in order to do business in the state.
As Hegseth pursues a 'High-T' military, here's what to know about testosterone replacement
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he plans to test U.S. service members’ testosterone levels each year. But when it comes to testosterone levels, optimization isn’t so straightforward.
RFK Jr urges Alzheimer’s screening but blunts key panel that could drive research
Experts say evidence for cognitive screening desired by health secretary ‘not great’ as taskforce idle since last year
An Admiral’s Rise Reveals the Politics Driving Hegseth’s Pentagon
Before he was picked to lead the Navy, Adm. Daryl Caudle found ways to signal his support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s anti-diversity goals.
Surprise candidate Shimon Blau cleared to face off against Melat Kiros in November
Unaffiliated congressional candidate Shimon Blau, a Denver doctor, has qualified by petition for the general election in Colorado’s 1st District, where Democrat Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in last month’s primary, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Friday. Blau, a newcomer to politics, submitted just shy of 2,000 valid signatures on […]
Unaffiliated candidate Shimon Blau will face Melat Kiros in congressional race
Unaffiliated congressional candidate Shimon Blau, a Denver doctor, has qualified by petition for the general election in Colorado’s 1st District, where Democrat Melat Kiros defeated 15-term U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in last month’s primary, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Friday. Blau, a newcomer to politics, submitted just shy of 2,000 valid signatures on […]
NC Secretary of State to visit Columbus County for small business roundtable
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall is set to travel to Columbus County to meet with small business owners.
Mexico's Science Secretary Strengthens Cooperation with China in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Rosaura Ruiz met with Ambassador Chen Daojiang to advance joint AI, semiconductor, and electromobility projects, plus possible collaboration with Huawei.
Vance’s lead over Rubio narrows in new Republican 2028 poll: Join Friday’s Whole Hog
A new Emerson poll suggests Vice President Vance’s once-dominant position in the Republican 2028 field may be weakening, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio now running nearly even. Meanwhile…
FDA panel votes to loosen restrictions for controversial peptides
The vote marks a win for Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy who has said he's a big fan of the drugs, which haven't been well studied for human use.
A Peptide Showdown: F.D.A. Scientists May Clash With R.F.K.’s Agenda
Agency scientists are advising against allowing widespread use of several peptide injections. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, has said people should be free to experiment.
Who is Miatta Fahnbulleh, the radical-thinking new UK energy secretary?
Selection of economist formerly at helm of green thinktank marks continuation of decarbonising Miliband era
Tension between Mullin and White House appears to be growing, sources say
President Donald Trump brought in Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to lead a department at the forefront of his signature domestic policy.
Vermont political candidates are flouting campaign finance laws, report finds
Vermont law requires candidates for state, county and municipal offices to disclose the sources of their campaign contributions, but a new report finds that 20% of candidates running this year haven't filed reports.
Question 3 would switch Mass. to a jungle primary. Dems are split
The referendum, which Secretary of State Bill Galvin on Tuesday officially certified as Question 3, would switch Massachusetts elections to what’s known as a jungle primary,
Senate Health Committee Votes on CDC, HHS, and Labor Nominations
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee meets in executive session to vote on Erica Schwartz to be director of the CDC, Sean Kaufman to be Health and Human Services assistant secretary, and Keith Sonderling to be secretary of Labor.
U.K. PM Axes Science Agency, Names New Education Secretary
Andy Burnham, the new leader of the British government, has formed a cabinet and shuttered a stand-alone science department.
Feds kick off youth sports initiative in Indy
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner spoke to some of Warren Central High School’s girls flag football team at the Tuesday announcement.
'You sir, are the failure': Hegseth pressed by Democratic senator on Iran war plan
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced bipartisan scrutiny in the Senate on Tuesday as lawmakers pressed him to explain the rising costs of the war in Iran.
Hegseth turns tables on Dems as sparks fly during hearing clash: 'I put this on you'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic senators over Iran war strategy and military funding amid a record $1.5 trillion budget request.
Two added to DFA leadership team
Jim Hudson, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), announced Tuesday (July 21) two additions to DFA’s leadership team. Jessica Moore was named as State Budget Director....
RFK Jr. says cyclosporiasis outbreak is 'under control' amid at least 1,600 cases in 5 states
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News on Tuesday that the multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. is "under control."
Treasury Secretary: The US could sanction Chinese AI companies
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration is looking into whether Chinese open source AI models were built on stolen IP.
US Health Secretary Kennedy says CMS is pausing Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota
The Trump administration is pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota "because of suspected fraud and noncompliance," U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said on Tuesday.
US Health Secretary Kennedy Says CMS Is Pausing Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota
July 21 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota "because of suspected fraud and noncompliance," U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said on Tuesday. "If those states want that money they need to ...
US Treasury's Bessent tells Fox Business 50% Canada tariffs are 'reciprocity'
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that the 50% tariffs on a range of imports from Canada were "reciprocity" for trade actions by Ottawa on U.S. dairy, alcohol and beverages.
Bessent says China's Iranian oil purchases have decreased- Fox Business
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that there has been a substantial decrease in China's purchases of Iranian oil.
Africa's top health official asks US to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda
The head of Africa's top public health agency said he had written to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asking him to lift Ebola-related travel restrictions on Uganda since the country has reported no new infections in about a month.
Election live updates: Arizona Governor Hobbs’ GOP challenger on the ballot as voters hit the polls
Follow live coverage as Arizona voters pick their favorite candidates for midterms. Get the latest as primaries underway for governor, House districts, secretary of state and more.
Reynolds named science secretary as Dsit abolished
Jonathan Reynolds to lead Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade after Whitehall shakeup
Why has Labour briefed against Ed Miliband – is it his success and popularity?
Tories, Reform, fossil fuel industry and some in his party lined up against net zero agenda as energy secretary
Science department abolished as UK’s new prime minister Andy ...
New business secretary Jonathan Reynolds given responsibility for science and innovation portfolio
MTG pounces on Hegseth, claiming US troop casualties 'fuel' his 'bloodlust for a senseless war'
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth of "bloodlust" in response to a post Hegseth issued about fallen U.S. service members.
Hicks Commentary: The Lincoln Party Is Already Winning
This column was originally published for the Ball State University Center for Business and Economic Research Weekly Commentary blog. By Michael J. Hicks July 19, 2026 The Lincoln Party has taken a deeply consequential step. By collecting sufficient signatures to place former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard on the ballot for secretary of state, his team
In Maine, Bellows Ends Senate Bid as Jackson Builds Momentum
The Maine secretary of state ended her run in a crowded race to replace Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee.
Politics chat: How much faith can you have in the country's election systems?
President Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin make claims about the vulnerability of election systems in the U.S., but how true are those claims?
Hegseth’s testosterone mandate carries risks, raises questions
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth kicked a hornet’s nest with his move this week to test troops’ testosterone levels. Hegseth argues the effort, to become part of the military’s periodic health …
Doctors question evidence behind Pentagon plan for testosterone screening
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ordered annual testosterone-deficiency screening for active-duty and reserve service members age 30 and older, which he says will help to maintain military readiness.
Republican candidates for secretary of state share priorities for elections administration, business regulation
by Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile Republican candidates for Wyoming secretary of state shared their visions for the job and views on topics ranging from
Republican candidates for secretary of state share priorities for elections administration, business regulation
by Maya Shimizu Harris, WyoFile Republican candidates for Wyoming secretary of state shared their visions for the job and views on topics ranging from crossover voting to ballot drop boxes Thursday at a forum in Laramie. Wyoming’s secretary of state post has risen in prominence in recent years as worries about election integrity and shady corporations […]
'The facts have not changed': States push back on allegations of non-citizens voting
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the agency will be going through state databases to review any cases of noncitizens voting. But states say their elections remain secure.
Gov. Greg Abbott names Robert Howden as Texas secretary of state
Howden, previously Gov. Greg Abbott’s legislative director, succeeds Jane Nelson, whose resignation took effect Friday morning.
State warns of new "Mr. Finance" investment solicitations from man accused of running Ponzi scheme
The Illinois Secretary of State is warning a businessman known as Mr. Finance, already accused of running a Ponzi scheme, may be soliciting investments in an allegedly sketchy new business.
RJK Jr. lauds Tampa General Hospital for going healthy with patient meals
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he hopes other hospitals will replicate Tampa General's move to ditch high-carb, highly processed foods.
Top Veterans Affairs official says "latest technology" in health care records coming to Danville
Deputy Secretary Paul R. Lawrence said the Federal Electronic Health Record system will go live in Danville next March.
Rubio convenes countries on left-wing political violence
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday convened leaders from more than 60 countries to take part in the Trump administration's latest effort to quell what it calls "left wing" political terrorism.
Admin. Officials, Energy Industry Execs. & Business Leaders Attend Iraq Business Summit
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi join administration officials, energy industry stakeholders and business leaders at the U.S.-Iraq High-Level Business Summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.
Illinois takes action against new business promoted by Chicago businessman 'Brandon Mr. Finance'
The Illinois secretary of state is warning consumers about a new business being promoted by "Brandon Mr. Finance," and has issued a cease-and-desist order against the venture.
Pete Hegseth’s Plan for ‘High T’ Troops Is a Junk Science Fever Dream
The defense secretary’s idea of administering testosterone therapy to service members of the US Armed Forces reveals little understanding of the complexity of hormones.
What does medical science say about testosterone deficiency?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the military will now annually screen the testosterone levels of active service members over 30. NBC News' Dr. Akshay Syal explains the impacts of low testosterone, possible causes, treatments and the risks.
Republican candidates for secretary of state share priorities for elections administration, business regulation
Four republicans are vying for the post, which is responsible for overseeing elections and registering and authorizing businesses in the state.
Rubio targets what he calls left-wing political violence
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has convened leaders from over 60 countries to take part in the Trump administration’s latest effort to quell what it calls “left-wing” political terrorism.
Watch live: Rubio gathers diplomats for summit on ‘far-left political terrorism’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday morning will gather diplomats from dozens of countries for a summit on combating the resurgence of “far-left political terrorism.” “The event will focus o…
Hegseth touts a high-testosterone military, as doctors question his claims
The defense secretary said the Pentagon will test the testosterone levels of troops 30 and over. It was unclear if the plan would affect women or military fitness rules.
Rubio to convene meeting on ‘far-left political terrorism’ with representatives from 65 countries
Facing what Secretary of State Marco Rubio will describe as a “resurgence” of “far left political terrorism,” according to a State Department official, Rubio will convene diplomats from around the world in Washington on Thursday to discuss a response.
Secy. Marco Rubio Hosts Summit on Political Terrorism
Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosts a summit at the State Department addressing political terrorism.
Republican candidates for secretary of state share priorities for elections administration, business regulation
Four republicans are vying for the post, which is responsible for overseeing elections and registering and authorizing businesses in the state
Pete Hegseth’s Questionable Testosterone Plan
The secretary of defense wants to monitor the hormone levels of every service member over 30.
CDC nominee says she won't betray science
Dr. Erica Schwartz told the Senate health committee she "will never betray the science” and pledged to use “radical transparency” in a bid to rebuild public trust in the agency. But several senators questioned how she might handle pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
State budget will provide raises for prison staff
“For too long, we have been running this agency without the money to pay our staff, fix our prisons or rehabilitate our inmates,” Secretary of the Department of Adult Correction Leslie Dismukes says.
Health emergency preparedness nominee walks back comments skeptical of vaccine safety - Live Updates
Sean Kaufman, the White House nominee for the health department's assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said the shots were safe after expressing vaccine skepticism online.
Hegseth announces new policy to test troops for low testosterone
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that he is rolling out a new screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among troops, calling it necessary to allow them to operate at their “absolute best.”
CDC nominee says she won’t betray science — and also backs Kennedy’s actions
Several senators questioned how Dr. Erica Schwartz might handle pressure from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
U.S. Mint making $1 gold-colored coin with Trump's image
The coin commemorates the country’s 250th anniversary and honors "the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said
U.S. Mint making $1 gold-colored coin with Trump's image
The coin commemorates the country’s 250th anniversary and honors "the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said
Hegseth announces annual testosterone screenings for service members
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced a new effort to annually screen service members’ testosterone levels and offer testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), framing it as a way to k…
Trump’s Latest Nominee for C.D.C. Director Will Face Senate Panel
Dr. Erica Schwartz supports vaccines and is seen as a mainstream choice to lead an agency that has been a target of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to change federal immunization policies.
Colorado receives $5.8 million in federal weatherization assistance grants
Colorado has received nearly $6 million in federal funds through the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program after U.S. senators expressed worries about potential delays. In May, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Susan Collins, R-ME, issued a letter urging Energy Secretary Chris Wright to release nearly $360 million in WAP funds […]
RFK Jr. faces Hatch Act complaint after intervening in congressional races
A top Senate Democrat has requested an investigation into whether the health secretary broke a law that bars political appointees from trying to influence elections.
VCU Health Board of Directors elects Cantor as chair, extends contract
Additionally, board members Fotini “Fay” Manolios will serve as vice chair, Joel Nied will serve as secretary and Randolph Reynolds Jr. will serve as treasurer.
The Quintessential Trump-era Politician
In 2020, I wrote an article about collaboration and collaborators. The title was History Will Judge the Complicit, and it started with the story of two famous East Germans, Markus Wolf and Wolfgang Leonhard, who both landed in East Berlin just after the end of the war. Although they came from very similar backgrounds, the former stuck with the regime, eventually becoming its spy boss; the latter, horrified by the brutal reality of Soviet-style communism, escaped. By way of juxtaposition, I also wrote about Lyndsey Graham and Mitt Romney. These two men also made very different decisions when confronted by Donald Trump’s assault on the ideals that they had both grown up believing: A glance at their biographies would not have led many to predict what happened next. On paper, Graham would have seemed, in 2016, like the man with deeper ties to the military, to the rule of law, and to an old-fashioned idea of American patriotism and American responsibility in the world. Romney, by contrast, with his shifts between the center and the right, with his multiple careers in business and politics, would have seemed less deeply attached to those same old-fashioned patriotic ideals. Most of us register soldiers as loyal patriots, and management consultants as self-interested. We assume people from small towns in South Carolina are more likely to resist political pressure than people who have lived in many places. Intuitively, we think that loyalty to a particular place implies loyalty to a set of values. But in this case the clichés were wrong. It was Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyperpartisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” In the wake of Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday, I wrote about him again. He was, in many ways, the quintessential politician of Trump’s Washington, a man who shifted 180 degrees. Graham had been a fervent American patriot, proud reserve officer and military lawyer; he became one of the most important defenders of a president who believes soldiers are “suckers and losers” and shows no respect for law of any kind. As his politics changed, his language grew coarser and his behavior grew worse: He urged Israel to “level the place” in Gaza, and insulted the Danish prime minister in Munich, prompting a colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, to issue an apology. Here’s an excerpt from the article, which you can read in The Atlantic (gift link here) Like his close friend John McCain, Graham believed that America should stand at the center of a broad democratic alliance. The few times I met him were in that context, at the Munich Security Conference or at other European-American gatherings, which he once attended with great regularity. He also took seriously the practice of American democracy at home. In a 2014 conversation with The Atlantic, he described himself as a pragmatic politician who eschewed populist slogans. “I know Washington is broken, but what’s broken about it is everybody yelling and nobody trying to fix it,” he said. “I’m trying.” When Donald Trump first appeared in U.S. politics, Graham recognized him immediately for what he was: the spokesman for an alien ideology, one radically different from the idealistic patriotism that Graham had practiced and preached since childhood. Trump privately mocked the military that Graham loved as nothing but “suckers and losers.” He put falsehoods, cynicism, and personal greed at the center of his politics, while expressing disdain for transparency, accountability, and democracy itself. In 2015, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who should “go to hell.” Also as a “nutjob.” When Trump won, Graham understood, as did so many others, that he would have to make some important choices. For a while, he went silent. In the spring of 2016, I saw him at one of those conferences in Europe. He seemed too depressed to speak. But then, like many other Republicans—and, more important, like many other people who have lived under political occupation or experienced radical regime change—he made the decision to abandon his previous ideals, to bury the patriotism that was once so important to him, and to become, instead, a loud, opportunistic collaborator. As I wrote in 2020, it’s very hard to look in to anyone’s heart and to understand their motivations from the outside. But it does seem that Graham had a deep need to be relevant, to be in the game, to be a player, at any cost. And that, rather than any particular achievement, is what he will be remembered for. Continuing to monitor conflicts of interest, ostentatious emoluments, outright corruption and policy changes that will facilitate outright corruption. (Read my original article, Kleptocracy Inc and check out the SNF Agora Institute chart) June 27 Trump diverted funds from more than 900 projects nationwide—including safety upgrades at national parks—to finance beautification projects around Washington, including $700,000 used to fix a White House walkway. June 28 After a years-long Department of Justice investigation into Abbott Laboratories over its management of a baby formula facility where potentially deadly bacteria turned up enough evidence to criminally charge the firm, top department officials instead opted for a financial penalty—illustrating the department’s move away from strict corporate enforcement under the Trump administration. June 29 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stacked the Defense Policy Board—which is charged with providing independent national security recommendations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense—with Trump allies, including tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, who has invested in defense contractors like OpenAI and SpaceX, after purging the panel last year. Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in Axon—which makes about 90% of US tasers—two weeks before ICE solicited bids for a $220 million taser contract. The White House unveiled limited-edition US passports for America’s 250th birthday, featuring a portrait of Trump overlaid on the Declaration of Independence. June 30 Trump made around $1.2 billion from his various crypto companies last year, including more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and $600 million from sales of his meme coin. Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. These are expected to be largely doled out through the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s informal network of intermediaries. White-collar defense attorneys say they can typically win pardons for clients for $2 million. Last year, Trump administration officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Clark Construction for the White House ballroom—negotiations in which the president was directly involved. July 1 The Amazon MGM Studios documentary about Melania Trump earned the First Lady more than $10 million. Trump made hundreds of individual stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before his announcement pausing “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days sent the S&P 500 soaring nearly 10%—one of the largest single-day gains ever. Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral saw record surges in revenue during Trump’s first year in office, earning $77.5 million and $121.9 million respectively, compared to average annual revenues of $25 million and $75 million during Trump’s first term. Entities across the Persian Gulf paid more than $300 million to Trump’s businesses last year, including $263 million from the sale of half his stake in World Liberty Financial to a firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a top UAE royal and brother of the country’s president. Kash Patel failed to properly disclose his stock purchase of a Department of Justice contractor, MicroStrategy, worth up to $250,000 last year, despite laws requiring disclosure within 45 days of the trade. July 2 Trump has been directing administration officials to steer more government contracts—so far worth more than $2.4 billion—to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace firm, after Amazon gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, donated to the White House ballroom project, and reached a $40 million deal to license a Melania Trump documentary. Alongside the billions he made from cryptocurrency last year, Trump earned millions of dollars from real estate licensing fees, including $21 million from organizations in the UAE and $9.2 million in Saudi Arabia, along with smaller sums from merchandise sales, including $4.7 million from Trump Watches and $35,920 from 45 Guitar, a guitar brand endorsed by the president. House Democrats accused consultants tied to the Trump administration of financial fraud, alleging they gave prospective donors to America250—the bipartisan committee created by Congress to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial—the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, the White House’s fund for events like the UFC cage fight. Democrats also allege that Freedom 250’s CEO traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to solicit donations from foreign government officials and business leaders. The Trump administration’s proposed rollback of gun regulations would lift the prohibition on mailing handguns to individuals, a significant win for GrabAGun—the direct-to-consumer firearm retailer on whose board Donald Trump Jr. sits and in which he holds a 1.1% ownership stake. GrabAGun currently must rely on a middleman to transfer firearms to customers. Trump’s financial disclosure revealed that he made more than 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office, growing his investment account to at least $858 million across stakes in around 1,600 companies, compared to the 13 total trades Joe Biden made during his entire presidency. July 4 Nearly 1 million people who bought the president’s meme coin—Trump Coin—collectively lost $3.8 billion on the token, while he walked away with $636 million. July 6 Shares of Dell closed up 4.4% after Trump recommended people buy the firm’s computers during a speech announcing the launch of Trump investment accounts for children, boosting the more than $1 million worth of shares the president owns in the company. July 9 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh named crypto investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen to a task force aimed at modernizing the Federal Reserve, including rethinking its approach to inflation—a key factor keeping interest rates elevated. Palm Beach International Airport has officially changed its name to Trump International Airport—a move that will require Florida to pay royalties to the president’s family for licensing his name. I was there a few months ago, during a trip to Barcelona. The sculptures were a revelation, I’d never seen so many together before. Each one has its own personality. Enjoy the good weather, if you are lucky enough to have it. History Will Judge the Complicit The Quintessential Politician Autocracy Inc Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Mahmood offers Farage security meeting after Ann Widdecombe’s death
Home secretary insists all MPs treated equally but that security of former MPs and non-Westminster politicians is a concern
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) July 12, 2026
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes talks about the DOJ threats to prosecute election workers for allowing non-citizens to vote – even though there are no documented cases of that happening, going back decades. Plus, we talk with Katherine Haley, a Republican candidate for Treasurer. Then, consultants Dawn Penich and Wes Gullett talk about the impact of Turning Point USA, as a Republican lawmaker accuses a leader of the group of racism.
Politics Unplugged (Full Episode) July 12, 2026
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes talks about the DOJ threats to prosecute election workers for allowing non-citizens to vote – even though there are no documented cases of that happening, going back decades. Plus, we talk with Katherine Haley, a Republican candidate for Treasurer. Then, consultants Dawn Penich and Wes Gullett talk about the impact of Turning Point USA, as a Republican lawmaker accuses a leader of the group of racism.
Trump’s DC beautification push navigates troubled waters
At a ceremony in front of the iconic cascading fountain at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top US officials touted President Donald Trump’s efforts to make the city “safe and beautiful.”
How Marco Rubio is Running Venezuela From Afar
The secretary of state effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. His grip on the country is a vivid manifestation of American power in the Trump era.
West Virginia Certified Veteran Owned Business Program
Secretary of State Kris Warner stops by to talk about the new West Virginia Certified Veteran Owned Business.
VA taps familiar face as acting health secretary overseeing EHR work
Days after John Bartrum’s exit, John Figueroa takes up the reins of the agency charged with modernizing veteran health records for a second time.
Maine Supreme Court affirms Bellow’s decision to invalidate trans sports ballot question
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court Friday affirmed the Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to remove a question about transgender sports from the ballot this November because its campaign committee did not collect enough valid signatures. The group, called “Protect Girls Sports,” initially submitted enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, proposing an […]
Hegseth pushes for action after sailors appear to flout his beard policy
As the US-Iran war risked reigniting in recent weeks, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boarded a Navy ship for what was supposed to be a routine visit with sailors.
White House Moves to Control Federal Science Grants as RFK Jr. Threatens Scientific Journals
A proposed tax bill could raise premiums on privately insured Californians, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes aim at medical journals.
What's next for immigrants with TPS status after Supreme Court ruling?
The legal status of nearly 1.3 million immigrants facing war or environmental disasters in their home countries is up in the air following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled last month that the Homeland Security secretary’s decision to grant, extend or terminate a country’s TPS designation, which lets people from eligible countries legally live and work in the U.S. for periods
Takeaways: Trump leaves NATO summit declaring ‘a lot of love’ with allies after a rocky start
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the message from a summit in Ankara, Turkey, is that “NATO delivers.”.
Secretary Kennedy, Administrator Oz Launch ‘Make Hospital Food Healthier’ Pledge
HHS launched the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge, a nationwide initiative inviting hospitals to serve healthier, more nutritious meals.
Hungary moves to overhaul university models banned from Horizon Europe
Hungary’s new government is aiming to overhaul the governance model of the institutions and universities that lost access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ funds “in a short timeframe,” according to Péter Horváth, the new state secretary for science policy and innovation. “As of today, the two non-university foundation-controlled institutions under my remit have been transformed,” he told Science|Business. “We hope the universities will follow and that this will be enough to satisfy the EU’s demands.”Under the previous government, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, many academic and scientific institutions were restructured and made into special public trust foundations, with members strongly linked to the government given lifelong mandates and significant decision-making powers with little oversight. The European Commission deemed that this undermined academic freedom and transparency in the country, leading to a ban on 34 institutions in 2022, including 21 universities, which saw academics in Hungary lose access to Horizon Europe grants. The new Hungarian government, elected in May and led by Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party, has promised to dismantle this governance model and restore the institutions to EU programmes. As a result, the European Commission has promised to return access to the Erasmus+ education mobility programme, but so far no concrete agreement has been made on the Horizon Europe programme for research and innovation. Hungary has already made legislative changes in June to allow the institutions to be reformed and set a timeline for the implementation.The non-university foundations, which are mainly cultural centres such as the Foundation for Hungarian Culture or the Makovecz Campus Foundation, will all be dissolved by August 31 this year, a date tied to EU-set milestones that Hungary must meet to unlock frozen funds, with control transferred to relevant ministries. Meanwhile, the universities will have until 31 August 2027. For each university foundation, the government will set the dissolution date and the body to take over operations. There is no final decision on a permanent new model for the universities, according to Hungarian MEP Eszter Lakos, who is shadow rapporteur for the Horizon Europe specific programme, a separate piece of legislation detailing implementation rules for the EU’s next research programme, due to start in 2028. “The aim of the transition year is to settle this with [the universities], not to impose a model, and not to put them under state control,” she told Science|Business. “The goal is to give academic independence back to universities.”There are three models that are most likely to be implemented. One would be a return to a traditional, state-run model. Another could be a newer, more self-standing public institution. A third option would be a reformed version of the foundation models that meet EU standards. According to Lakos, the dismantling of the system put in place by the Orbán government is well underway and if all goes according to plan, Hungary could regain access to EU research money by the start of the next academic year in 2027. “I believe that the Hungarian government is doing the necessary changes so the universities could return as beneficiaries to Horizon from the next school year,” she said. In the meantime, “the universities, institutes and cultural assets carry on under proper public stewardship rather than a handful of unaccountable trustees,” said Lakos. The laws passed in June impose new safeguards: board terms are capped at four years and renewable only once, appointments are made through open competitions and sitting politicians cannot join joining these boards.It remains unclear whether a domestic science funding programme set up as a back-up scheme by the former government following the EU funding ban, called HU-rizon, could be continued. “This programme should never have had to have been established in the first place, but it has proven to be quite popular,” he said. “I am considering continuing this programme with a refined focus on helping international collaborations.”Re-organising the research network One of the first priorities for Horváth and his cabinet is to resolve questions over the future of the Hungarian Research Network, Hun-Ren. The network of academic institutes was taken away from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2019 and turned into a quasi-private organisation, with similarities in its governance to the public trust foundations.Horváth and his team have consulted over 5,000 representatives from the network and the conclusion is broad unhappiness with the directors of all the institutes involved. “We have presented the results to the president and the chief executive of the network and this is currently being discussed,” Horváth said. The plan is to re-integrate the network back into the Academy of Sciences but in an improved way, “learning from mistakes of the past,” he added. The government also wants to reintegrate four humanities and social science research centres into the network that the previous government had transferred to Eötvös Loránd University. The transfer brought sharp criticism from the academic community, with a group of Hungarian research heads, including European Research Council grant recipients, sending an open letter to Orbán warning that the transfer would “cause historically significant harm to the entirety of Hungarian scientific life.” The transfer was “one of the biggest shames in Hungarian research in the past 20 years,” Horváth said. “We want to immediately re-integrate them back into the research network and to regain the trust of these institutions, because the way they were treated was really unfair.”Another pressing issue is the Élvonal Excellence Research and Talent Development Foundation, led by Nobel laureate Ferenc Krausz. The foundation signed a financing agreement with the former government earlier this year for a budget of over €730 million over the next five years. The goal is to create a world-class centre to attract top talent from abroad and to develop local researchers. But there was little transparency about this foundation, and news of its huge budget, which is nearly as much as Hungary’s entire research budget, caused a stir in the media following the recent elections. Another issue is that, as with the foundation boards of the institutes banned from Horizon Europe, there was little-to-no oversight of decisions led by Krausz. “It was an excellent idea but an unacceptable execution,” Horváth said of the foundation. “The fact that this is out of the Hungarian funding scheme, mostly concentrating on one person who decides on the budget is unacceptable for us.”The government plans to merge the centre with the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, the country’s R&D funding agency, with a reduced budget. Horváth is hopeful that Krausz will still be involved. The new government’s R&D goalsA phrase that crops up regularly during the discussion with Horváth is “democratic process.” The new state secretary is determined to involve Hungary’s research community in shaping future policies. This marks a departure from the previous government’s approach, and several people in Hungary’s research community have commented on the openness of the new government. In terms of concrete goals, Horváth and his team already have plans. He wants to create a new science fund in Hungary, based on the best practices of other European countries. The fund would not be tied to annual government budgets and would provide long-term, stable financing. “If we were to succeed in creating this fund, then I think it would be one of the biggest achievements for me in this period of government,” Horváth said. On the innovation side, he is looking into how best to bring in the private sector. “We want to make sure that we are working with the private sector to support innovation,” Horváth said. One of his big aims is to introduce entrepreneurship teaching into high schools. Hungary already has a reputable national academy offering research and innovation training in the field of natural sciences, and Horváth wants to expand this to all disciplines and across the whole country. “One of the main ways to elevate our innovative businesses is to teach our children to be innovative,” he said. “This will probably need ten years to pay off, but this is what we should do. Our aim is to make Hungary strong in our region, and this is what is needed.” Related articlesHungary’s Horizon Europe performance in numbersCommission unlocks Erasmus+ cash for Hungary, Horizon could be next‘Academic Huxit.’ Hungarian researchers speak out on impact of EU ban A more difficult task will be funding. The new government is aiming to increase research spending to 2% of the GDP by 2030, and then increase it to 3% in line with EU objectives. Currently, spending sits around 1.3%. But according to Horváth, the current budget, inherited from the previous government, is “heavily in the negative,” so any plans to increase research spending will have to start next year. Achieving 2% by 2030 already needs a big push, almost doubling the research budget. “This is something we’d definitely like to reach, and something I can see us achieving,” he said. “From the 2030s, I’d like to see an innovative generation growing up that can help us reach the 3% target.” Positivity in the new governmentDespite the many challenges facing Horváth and his team, the mood is positive. “It feels a bit like a start-up right now. Everyone is working 24/7, day and night, trying to do as much as they can. There is a lot of energy,” he said. It is a big change for the state secretary who, like many in his cabinet, is coming from a background in research or business, and not in politics. “Six weeks ago, I was sitting with my microscope and my research PhDs, so it’s been a big change for me,” said the computer scientist, who was previously the director of the Institute of Biochemistry at the Hun-Ren Biological Research Centre in Hungary and worked at the Institute for AI for Health at Helmholtz Munich. But he is relishing the task to transform the country’s R&D landscape. “We feel enormous support from the Hungarian people, but also from Europe,” he said. “We’ve received a lot of letters of support from around Europe. There is big trust there, and huge responsibility on our side. We want to get everything back on track, and there’s a lot to do.”
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