Federal Level
Vance Reveals $230 Billion in Federal Fraud
Vice President JD Vance announced Friday that the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud has identified $230 billion in fraudulent government spending and already halted $56 billion of it. Speaking at the first televised Cabinet meeting held at Camp David, Vance said 17 new anti-fraud actions would add roughly another third of a billion dollars in savings for taxpayers. President Trump said the level of corruption uncovered under the prior administration was “unprecedented,” citing Minnesota, California and Maine as states with the highest fraud levels. Vance credited several Cabinet secretaries for helping uncover the schemes. 1,2
Trump Threatens to Sink His Own AG Pick
President Trump escalated his standoff with Senate Republicans John Cornyn and Thom Tillis on Friday, saying he would rather withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general than give in to their demands over a $1.8 billion settlement fund tied to his IRS dispute. Trump suggested he could resubmit Blanche’s name after Cornyn and Tillis leave office in January, since both senators have been clashing with him over the matter. Cornyn called the accusation of personal revenge “a convenient excuse” and warned Trump that waiting him out is “a gamble” given the uncertain outcome of the midterms. 3,4
Indiana GOP Leader Ousted After Defying Trump
Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray announced Friday he will step down from his leadership post after six Republican senators who joined him in opposing President Trump’s congressional redistricting push lost their primaries in May. Bray drew Trump’s anger in December when he blocked the redistricting plan despite intense lobbying from the president, Vice President JD Vance and national conservative groups. Trump responded to Bray’s announcement by saying on social media that Bray had “foolishly led” the chamber, though Bray will keep his Senate seat through 2028. 5
Harris Calls for Court Expansion, Electoral Overhaul
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday that the country should consider expanding the Supreme Court to 13 justices and revisiting the Electoral College, remarks delivered at the National Urban League’s conference in Nashville. Harris also called for statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., framing the changes as necessary reforms to American democratic institutions. She added that she has “not made a decision” on a potential 2028 presidential run, saying she remains focused on this year’s midterm elections. 6,7
State Level
Newsom Releases Tax Returns Amid DOJ Probe
California Governor Gavin Newsom allowed reporters to view four years of his family’s tax returns on Thursday, showing he and his wife earned more than $11 million since he took office. The disclosure came as the Justice Department investigates the Newsoms’ finances, a probe the governor has called politically motivated and part of a broader pattern of targeting him. Newsom’s office said the release proves the family did not improperly profit from his time in office, contrasting it with President Trump’s continued refusal to release his own tax returns. 8,9
Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Pleads Not Guilty
Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke pleaded not guilty on Thursday to bribery and campaign finance charges stemming from a state grand jury indictment handed down last week. Prosecutors allege Luke took $10,000 in illegal campaign contributions and agreed to accept $70,000 total from a lobbyist in exchange for using her influence to steer Covid-19 testing contracts toward his business. Three co-defendants also entered not guilty pleas, and a trial has been set for late September, just weeks before Hawaii’s primary election in August. 10
Massachusetts Sends Healey Abortion Access Bill
Massachusetts lawmakers wrapped up their formal legislative sessions Friday by sending Governor Maura Healey a bill that would expand abortion access later in pregnancy and a separate measure curbing book bans in public libraries. The abortion bill would let a physician’s professional judgment determine care after 24 weeks, rather than limiting it to narrow legal exceptions currently written into state law. Lawmakers left several major bills, including energy costs and a school cellphone ban, unresolved under new rules that allow negotiations to continue into the fall. 11
Fox Poll: Talarico Edges Paxton in Texas Senate Race
A Fox News poll released Thursday found Democratic state Representative James Talarico leading Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race, 51 percent to 48 percent, a margin within the survey’s error range. Talarico held commanding leads among independents and even drew support from nearly a quarter of non-MAGA Republicans, according to the poll. The tight numbers underscore growing Republican anxiety about holding what has long been considered a safe GOP seat as the midterm campaign intensifies heading toward primary runoffs. 12
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Article Sources
1. Deseret News, “U.S. forces have ‘gone big’ in attacks on Iran, Trump says,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/07/31/president-trump-speaks-during-opne-cabinet-meeting-at-camp-david/
2. Social News XYZ, “Trump administration’s fraud drive identifies $230 billion in improper payments: JD Vance,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.socialnews.xyz/2026/07/31/trump-administrations-fraud-drive-identifies-230-billion-in-improper-payments-jd-vance/
3. USA Today, “The botched Blanche nomination is all about protecting Trump,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2026/07/31/todd-blanche-attorney-general-nomination-trump-irs-immunity/91109393007/
4. Punchbowl News, “Blanche’s big John Cornyn problem,” July 28, 2026.
https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/blanche-john-cornyn-problem/
5. ABC News, “Republican Indiana Senate leader who defied Trump on redistricting leaving post,” July 31, 2026.
https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/republican-indiana-senate-leader-defied-trump-redistricting-leaving-135265369
6. KESQ / CNN, “Kamala Harris says the US Supreme Court should expand to 13 justices,” July 31, 2026.
https://kesq.com/news/national-politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/07/31/kamala-harris-says-the-us-supreme-court-should-expand-to-13-justices
7. Fox News, “Kamala Harris backs major changes to the Supreme Court, Electoral College ahead of possible 2028 campaign,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-backs-major-changes-supreme-court-electoral-college-ahead-possible-2028-campaign
8. New York Post, “Kamala Harris teases potential 2028 platform: ‘I know this is going to be controversial,’” July 31, 2026.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/31/us-news/kamala-harris-teases-potential-2028-platform-i-know-this-is-going-to-be-controversial/
9. The Guardian, “Kamala Harris says she has ‘not made a decision’ on potential 2028 presidential run,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jul/31/donald-trump-cabinet-camp-david-iran-midterms-gaza-latest-news-updates
10. Hawaii News Now, “Luke among 5 indicted by grand jury following massive bribery probe,” July 30, 2026.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/07/25/luke-among-5-indicted-by-grand-jury-following-massive-bribery-probe/
11. The Boston Globe, “Mass. lawmakers, promising a tidier close to their session,” updated July 31, 2026.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/07/01/metro/mass-legislature-end-of-session-bills-healey/
12. USA Today, “Texas Senate race poll: Talarico leads Paxton with independent voters,” July 31, 2026.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/state/texas/2026/07/31/texas-senate-race-poll-talarico-leads-paxton-with-independent-voters/91119624007/