Federal Level
Fauci Pleads the Fifth in Explosive Senate Showdown
Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination on Wednesday, refusing to answer questions during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing led by Chairman Rand Paul. It marked the first time in more than 250 congressional appearances that Fauci declined to testify, citing what he called Paul’s “clear fixation” on seeing him prosecuted over the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Fauci’s personal lawyer was removed from the hearing room by Capitol Police after attempting to address the committee. Paul warned Fauci could still face “repercussions,” despite a pardon issued by former President Biden that shields Fauci from criminal prosecution but does not prevent Congress from pursuing the facts. 1,2,3
Cornyn Blocks Blanche Vote Over Unmet Demands
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis threatened Wednesday to sink Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general unless the Justice Department puts in writing that a $1.8 billion settlement fund tied to President Trump’s IRS dispute is permanently dead. Cornyn canceled a planned meeting with Blanche after the department failed to deliver the written guarantee he demanded by an afternoon deadline. The dispute leaves Blanche’s confirmation vote, originally scheduled for Thursday, in serious jeopardy since Republicans hold only a narrow edge on the Judiciary Committee and cannot afford to lose a single vote. 4,5,6
Iran Strikes U.S. Base in Jordan, Trump Vows Response
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched multiple ballistic missiles at a U.S. military base in Jordan on Tuesday evening in what U.S. Central Command called an “attempted surprise attack.” All of the missiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported, but President Trump vowed the United States would hit Iran “very hard” in response. The strike came as negotiations over control of the Strait of Hormuz stalled, with Iran rejecting a proposal to share the waterway equally with Oman and warning that any foreign vessel attempting mine-clearing operations there would be treated as a legitimate target. Saudi Arabia joined the United States in separate strikes on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq the same day. 7,8,9
State Level
Wisconsin Court Revives Walker-Era Union Law
A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday reversed a lower court ruling and restored Act 10, the 2011 law signed by former Governor Scott Walker that stripped most public employees of collective bargaining rights. The decision keeps the law in effect for now, though it does not immediately change the status quo, since the earlier ruling striking down the law had already been on hold pending appeal. Unions representing teachers and other public workers are expected to appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is currently controlled by liberal justices and could ultimately decide the law’s long-term fate after more than a decade of legal battles. Act 10 remains one of the most consequential labor policy changes in modern state history. 10,11
Wisconsin Judge Bars Absentee Ballot Do-Overs
A Dane County judge ruled late Wednesday that Wisconsin voters who already returned absentee ballots for next month’s primary cannot request new ones, even if their preferred candidate has since dropped out of the race. Democrats had filed the last-minute lawsuit after the state’s Democratic gubernatorial field was upended by a wave of late candidate changes in recent weeks. The judge found that while in-person voters can change their minds before casting a ballot, state law offers no such option once an absentee ballot has already been submitted and received. The ruling means thousands of early votes cast for candidates no longer in the race will still be counted as originally marked. 12
Rhoden Wins South Dakota Governor Runoff
Incumbent South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden defeated challenger Toby Doeden in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff, securing his party’s nomination ahead of the November general election. Rhoden, who assumed office after Kristi Noem departed to become Homeland Security Secretary, campaigned on continuity with the state’s conservative fiscal policies and touted his record on agriculture and rural economic development during a spirited runoff campaign. Doeden, a businessman and political outsider, had forced the runoff after neither candidate cleared the required threshold in the June primary. Rhoden is now heavily favored in November in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor in more than four decades. 13,14
Court Filings Show ICE Raid on Newsom Event Was Political
Newly released federal court documents in California reveal that Homeland Security Investigations agents described a 2025 immigration raid outside a press conference held by Governor Gavin Newsom as “a political agenda” and a “stunt.” Internal text messages, filed in a civil rights lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union, show agents were pulled off other enforcement operations to stage the raid near the governor’s event. The records also contain slurs used by some agents to describe Latino immigrants. Newsom said the documents confirm his repeated warnings that federal law enforcement is being used against political opponents. 15,16
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Article Sources
1. The New York Times, “Fauci Repeatedly Invokes Fifth Amendment in Senate Testimony,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/us/politics/fauci-testifies-rand-paul.html
2. Fortune, “Fauci Pleads the Fifth Amid Rand Paul’s ‘Unhinged Obsession’ Over Covid Origins,” July 29, 2026.
https://fortune.com/2026/07/29/fauci-rand-paul-unhinged-obsession-pleads-fifth-covid-origins/
3. Politico, “Congress Live Updates: Trump, Cornyn, Blanche,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/07/29/congress/trump-cornyn-blanche-upset-01015574
4. Reuters, “Trump’s Attorney General Nominee Hits Snag as Senator Withholds Support,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trumps-attorney-general-nominee-hits-snag-senator-withholds-support-2026-07-29/
5. CNBC, “Cornyn Presses Blanche Over $1.8 Billion IRS Settlement Fund,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/29/todd-blanche-attorney-general-trump-irs-audit-cornyn.html
6. USA Today, “Cornyn and Tillis Threaten Blanche Attorney General Vote,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/29/todd-blanche-attorney-general-cornyn-tillis/91091442007/
7. Al Jazeera, “Iran Attacks U.S. Bases in Middle East as Trump Meets Netanyahu,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/29/iran-attacks-us-bases-in-middle-east-as-trump-meets-netanyahu
8. CNBC, “U.S. Vows Response After Iran Strikes on Bases in Jordan and Iraq,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/29/us-iran-war-hormuz-centcom.html
9. Stars and Stripes, “Iran Strikes Bases in Jordan and Iraq; U.S. Casualties Reported,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2026-07-29/iran-strikes-jordan-us-iraq-22397928.html
10. Associated Press, “Wisconsin Appeals Court Restores Act 10 Collective Bargaining Law,” July 29, 2026.
https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-unions-collective-bargaining-act-10-58e465cade90c8ca1743c13dc5b4567b
11. The Washington Post, “Wisconsin Court Revives Walker-Era Restrictions on Public Unions,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/07/29/wisconsin-unions-collective-bargaining-act-10/63f22404-8b53-11f1-8912-d71e69d679d7_story.html
12. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Wisconsin Judge Upholds Rule Barring Absentee Ballot Revotes,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/29/wisconsin-judge-upholds-election-rule-barring-absentee-ballot-revotes/91097241007/
13. USA Today, “Larry Rhoden Wins South Dakota Governor Primary Runoff,” July 28, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/28/larry-rhoden-wins-south-dakota-governor-runoff/91086174007/
14. The New York Times, “South Dakota Governor Runoff Results,” July 28, 2026.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/28/us/elections/results-south-dakota-governor-runoff.html
15. Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, “New Court Documents Expose Trump Administration’s Political Targeting of Governor Newsom,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/07/29/new-court-documents-expose-trump-administrations-political-targeting-of-governor-newsom/
16. Los Angeles Times, “Court Documents on Los Angeles Immigration Raids Detail Political Stunt,” July 29, 2026.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-29/court-documents-los-angeles-immigration-raids