FIFA hits Argentina with World Cup charges for scuffle and “Malvinas” banner

July 29, 2026 / 2:03 PM EDT / AP

FIFA lodged disciplinary charges against two Argentina players Wednesday for striking Spain opponents moments after the World Cup final and charged Argentina’s soccer federation for players showing a political banner about the Falkland Islands after beating England in the semifinals.

A list of disciplinary cases opened by FIFA against Argentina also include “discriminatory chants and gestures” by fans, alleged assault by an assistant coach after the final and “throwing of objects by spectators in relation to several matches” at the World Cup.

Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes faces three charges of assault in the post-game clashes after Spain’s 1-0 win in the final on July 19, defender Nahuel Molina faces two charges and coach Roberto Ayala one.

Molina and Thiago Almada also are charged with unsporting behavior, with the same charge leveled against Spain player Gavi.

Argentina’s players carried a banner with the slogan “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine” — after beating England 2-1 in the semifinals.

Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso holds a banner with the words “The Malvinas are Argentine,” referring to the Falkland Islands, at the end of the World Cup semifinal match between England and Argentina in Atlanta on July 15, 2026. Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.

British government officials urged FIFA to investigate, and the soccer body said Wednesday the formal charge was “using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature.”

FIFA said all the people charged “have now been provided with the opportunity to present their position, following which a decision will be issued by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in due course.”

By Jody Godoy

July 29, 2026 4:34 PM UTC Updated 45 mins ago

The New York Stock Exchange with a Hims & Hers Health, Inc banner is pictured as a person runs past in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

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July 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued, opens new tab Hims & Hers (HIMS.N), opens new tab on Wednesday alleging the telehealth platform shared users’ health ‌data with online advertisers, despite promising privacy, and engaged in deceptive billing and cancellation practices.

Users’ sensitive health information was shared with online advertising companies including Meta ​Platforms (META.O), opens new tab and Snap (SNAP.N), opens new tab despite the company leading customers to believe their ​data was private, the FTC alleged in the lawsuit filed along with Los ⁠Angeles County and Utah.

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Hims & Hers stock added to losses after the ​news and was trading down around 12%.

Hims & Hers is one of ​the largest telehealth players in the market for weight loss drugs. The company offers telehealth appointments and prescriptions for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and mental health medications, which ​it ships straight to customers.

“The FTC will not hesitate to act ​on behalf of consumers deprived of their ability to choose which products they want ‌and ⁠whether to keep their most sensitive health information private,” Christopher Mufarrige, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

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Hims & Hers called the claims baseless in a post on social media site ​X. “This is not ​enforcement grounded ⁠in consumer protection; it is an effort to generate headlines at our expense,” the company said in the ​post.

Hims & Hers also started charging users for prescriptions before ​they have ⁠had a chance to meet with healthcare providers, the FTC alleged.

Most customers do not receive a consultation with a provider, and instead are charged for ⁠prescriptions ​soon after filling out an intake form, ​according to the agency.

Hims & Hers also makes it difficult to cancel subscriptions, the FTC said.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/0aa327f9-e278-4fdc-b552-2472bc2bdd55

Reporting by ​Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Chris Sanders

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Murder victim found in Oregon woods in 1972 identified as WWII veteran

July 29, 2026 / 1:30 PM EDT / CBS News

Investigators have identified the remains of a murder victim whose bones were discovered in the woods of southwestern Oregon in 1972.

Armes Henry Lahti, of Astoria, Oregon, was a United States Navy veteran who served in the military during World War II, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. Coos County includes the wooded area where Lahti’s skeletal remains were found by a teen who was peeling chittum bark from a tree nearby.

At the time, authorities were able to determine that Lahti had died after being shot twice in the head, and they classified the death as a homicide. But, outside of clothing items and a set of denture plates inscribed with a partially illegible set of numbers, there was too little evidence recovered from the scene to generate leads in the case.

The sheriff’s office estimated that Lahti had been killed almost a decade before his remains were uncovered. It would take more than another 50 years to identify him.

Armes Henry Lahti, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II. Coos County Sheriff’s Office/Othram Inc.

In 2025, authorities began to review the details of what had become a cold case. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office submitted evidence to a laboratory that specializes in investigative genetic genealogy, a crime-solving approach that combines DNA profiling and “family tree” research to help identify unknown victims of crimes. Although expensive, the technique is being used more and more often to close long-unsolved murder or missing persons cases.

Scientists were able to extract enough DNA from the evidence collected during the initial investigation. Eventually, their analyses led law enforcement to Lahti’s relatives, according to the lab that performed the testing.

Born in 1909, Lahti was described by family members as an avid fisherman and a large yet gentle man ironically nicknamed “Mousy.” Relatives remembered him as someone who “loved the sea and was proud of his service to his country,” the sheriff’s office said.

Even though the remains have now been identified, authorities haven’t pieced together the circumstances surrounding his death or who might be responsible for it. The sheriff’s office said that investigators have learned Lahti “had a dispute at a bar” shortly before his disappearance, after which he “walked away with a rifle.” According to the office, that dispute likely took place in 1965.

“While the case is as old as 60 years ago, we would like to bring justice to Armes and his family,” the office said. They’ve asked anyone with information, “no matter how seemingly small,” to contact them.

Top 5 moments from Fauci’s hearing: Paul boots lawyer, Moreno erupts as contempt vote looms

The former NIH official refused to answer any questions about gain-of-function research and COVID-19 pandemic response

July 29, 2026 3:13pm EDT / Fox News

By Alex Miller, Fox News

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., were finally set to hash out their feud, but the hearing quickly derailed when Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment, his lawyer was booted, and a senator exploded in frustration.

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What was billed as a battle of wits between Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Dr. Anthony Fauci, with the lawmaker determined to uncover the former COVID-19 explainer-in-chief’s motivations during the pandemic, became a one-sided affair in the Senate.

Paul has for years sought to uncover Fauci’s alleged role in funding “risky” research in China that Republicans say sparked the pandemic in 2020. He has argued that Fauci should be thrown in prison, and that the former chief medical advisor to the president’s pardon from former President Joe Biden wouldn’t hold up.

But the highly anticipated back and forth, which was further stoked by Paul dumping over 1,000 pages of Fauci’s diary online before the hearing, didn’t go exactly as planned.

Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment

The hearing kicked off with an impassioned opening statement from Paul, who accused Fauci and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of funding gain-of-function research for years, misleading Congress and destroying records, which he contended created a fracture in public trust over the nation’s COVID-19 response.

“That loss of trust may be your most damaging legacy,” Paul said. “Trust can’t be ordered. It has to be earned. No scientist is above scrutiny. No government official beyond accountability, and no public servant preferred version of history.”

RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES

But Fauci, under guidance from his lawyers, opted against answering any questions from Paul or others on the committee.

He argued that Paul’s “obvious obsession” with pushing for his prosecution, levying allegations against him, and dumping his unredacted diary was designed to “get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote.”

“Although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government, and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution to refrain from answering your questions,” Fauci said.

Paul tosses out Fauci’s lawyer

It wasn’t long after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment that tensions flared in the hearing.

After being repeatedly asked questions, and repeatedly turning to his constitutional shield, Paul declared that as chair of the committee, he was denying Fauci’s right to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

“It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress,” Paul said. “There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today.”

WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS THERE’S ONE THING AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD FROM FAUCI

Then Fauci’s lawyer, David Schertler, spoke up to remind Paul it was Fauci’s constitutional right to turn to the Fifth Amendment.

Paul reminded Schertler that neither he, nor the “half dozen” lawyers with Fauci were recognized by the committee. That prompted Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the top Democrat on the panel, to push for Schertler to speak.

But Paul was not having it.

“This is the way Anthony Fauci wants to be remembered — for a lawyer not listening to the rules,” Paul said. “That’s the way you want to be remembered, and that’s what you’re going to do. You are not recognized, sir. Security, please remove him from the room.”

Moreno: ‘Who the f— do you think you are?’

The hearing chugged along at roughly the same pace — lawmakers would ask Fauci a question, then he would invoke the Fifth Amendment.

But that didn’t stop some on the panel from getting frustrated at his lack of forthrightness.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, noted that Schertler was a well-known lawyer who previously represented former Sen. Bob Menendez, who was sentenced for accepting gold bars and bribes in exchange for using his influence to benefit the Egyptian government.

WATCH: RAND PAUL SAYS FAUCI LOBBIED FOR $1M PRIZE WHILE LEADING COVID RESPONSE

“And there’s an article here in the Washington Free Beacon that talks about why you would hire a guy like David Schertler. And the comment is, if you’re in deep s—, that’s who you call,” Moreno said. “Do you feel like you’re in deep s—?”

Fauci again declined to answer, which prompted a frustrated Moreno to tell him that his influence over policy during the pandemic in 2020 and the effect that it had on Americans pushed him to run for the Senate.

“Here I am sitting in front of you six years later saying, ‘Who the f— do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country,’” Moreno said.

Paul announces contempt vote

As the hearing wound down, Paul revisited his threat to hold Fauci accountable for declining to answer questions.

Paul announced that he would seek contempt charges against Fauci after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and teed up a vote in committee for next week.

“We’re going to have a vote next week on contempt,” Paul said. “I think there’s another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent over 100 times during Wednesday’s hearing.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

How many times Fauci invoked the Fifth

Fauci never answered a question from any lawmaker on either side of the aisle, sticking to the advice from his lawyers to invoke the Fifth Amendment to protect himself from self-incrimination.

Before the hearing started, Paul and his staff were confident that Fauci wouldn’t try to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

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So confident, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital, that several questions were prepared ahead of time, and members of the committee were told to come prepared.

In all, Fauci wound up uttering the same phrase 111 times: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

New Secret Service emails reveal how case was built against James Comey

2026-07-29T16:00:11.779Z / CNN

By Holmes Lybrand

4 hr ago

PUBLISHED Jul 29, 2026, 12:00 PM ET

Federal agencies Donald Trump

FBI Director James Comey pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 3, 2017.

Carolyn Kaster/AP/File

Federal officials, apparently acting without a warrant, tracked former FBI Director James Comey from North Carolina to Virginia after he posted photos of seashells spelling out “86 47” last year, Comey’s attorneys allege.

Newly released federal court filings also outline how President Donald Trump was following the investigation into his longtime critic from Air Force One, how investigators interviewed Gambino crime family member “Sammy the Bull,” as well as searches of “86” in FBI databases, ChatGPT and Merriam Webster dictionary online in their effort to build a case against Comey.

The defense’s filing is part of Comey’s effort to have the case dismissed on several grounds, including selective and vindictive prosecution, and that the photo of shells does not represent a true threat, falling well within First Amendment protections.

According to a Secret Service email at the time, Comey was interviwed by phone the day he posted the photo in May 2025. During the call, Comey agreed to travel back from North Carolina to the DC area for a second interview.

A special agent in charge at the Secret Service had asked agents if it was possible to track Comey’s phone, according to the email, but the agent said it was a “bad idea” because they would need to “declare an exigency exemption.”

“We needed to believe that there is an imminent threat to life or limb,” the agent’s email from the day after Comey posted the seashell photos reads. “At that time we did not believe that anyone’s life was in immediate danger and legally it was a bad idea to ping the phone.”

The special agent said he understood tracking the phone was “legally questionable” but noted “we might anyway,” according to the filing.

Regardless of the concern, and following pressure from the Justice Department, the Secret Service issued an emergency request to Verizon to track Comey, noting it related to “an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to a person, necessitating disclosure without delay of information relating to that emergency.”

According to the court filings, Secret Service agents had also begun physically surveilling Comey at the time.

Related article Former FBI Director James Comey, in 2017. Andrew Harnik/AP/File Comey argues ‘86 47’ seashell post wasn’t a ‘true threat’ and asks judge to drop case 2 min read

Comey’s phone was tracked as he and his wife drove north in I-95, but agents lost contact when the Comeys stopped to visit the cemetery where their son is buried, his attorneys say.

According to the filings, Trump wanted a copy of the agent’s notes over the first interview with Comey, specifically so he had them for a press conference later that day. One agent messaged that Comey’s post and investigation “is a hot topic” on Air Force One and noted that Trump “is very interested.”

Old mobsters and database searches

The filings also reveal for the first time witnesses the Justice Department used to build their case and convince judges to allow searches of Comey and his wife’s digital footprint. Those witnesses included a person who knew Comey’s wife and an ex-mobster.

Nearly a week later, FBI agents interviewed an unnamed person who had contacted Comey’s wife at the time the photo was posted, telling her the photo was considered by some as a call to violence against Trump.

The unnamed individual was interviewed by Secret Service agents around the time the photo was posted last year. The person said they had not spoken to Comey in two or three years and said they wished they had “something more” to tell the agents so Comey and family members would “face consequences for this.”

The unnamed person also said that Comey likely knew the term 86 – which often refers to getting rid of something or tossing something out – was used by mobsters Comey has previously prosecuted, a theory they had picked up on from Rudy Guiliani and his podcast.

Weeks before they would indict Comey for allegedly threatening the president through the post, FBI agents again interviewed the unnamed person and started to comb through old files from Comey’s time as a young prosecutor working the case against infamous mobster John Gambino.

Former Mafia turncoat and hitman Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano is seen in this March 6, 2000 file photo during his hearing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Reuters

The Tuesday night filings from Comey’s attorneys say there are no references to the term “86.”

FBI agents also interviewed Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, a cooperating witness and former underboss for the Gambinos from the decades-old case, who said that Comey must know “86” related to killing someone.

Agents also interviewed two retired FBI agents who had worked against organized crime in New York. Both former agents said the term was not used, as far as they recalled, to refer to killing someone, the filings from Comey’s attorneys says.

CNN’s Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

Airlines are banning humanoid robots from flights. Why?

July 29, 2026 3:10 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

Read Full Bio

More airlines are banning humanoid and pet-like robots from boarding flights or traveling in passengers’ checked luggage, citing potential safety concerns.

Although humanoid robots remain rare outside the laboratory and even the factory floor, numerous companies are developing the technology, with robot evangelists such as Elon Musk predicting that they will eventually become common.

Earlier this year, a passenger boarded a Southwest Airlines flight with a robot companion, later prompting the carrier to ban robots from its planes. The discount airline announced the ban in May, citing battery safety concerns, and other carriers have since imposed their own restrictions.

United, Delta bans

United Airlines told CBS News that it recently instituted its own ban on what it called “humanoid and animal-like robots” in both aircraft cabins and in customers’ checked baggage, describing the policy as a “proactive” move in case such tech becomes more widely used in everyday life.

The airline didn’t disclose whether any passengers had previously tried to board a flight with a humanoid robot in tow, but said the new policy, in effect since July 23, was not in response to a specific incident.

“We believe this change will help further ensure the safety of our customers and crews,” an airline spokesperson said, noting that lifelike robots are often powered by the same kinds of batteries already banned on its flights.

In June, Delta Air Lines also banned “human- or animal-like robotic devices” in both aircraft cabins and checked luggage.

“We continually review emerging technologies and update our policies to maintain the highest safety standards,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.

Specifically, the policy bans robotic devices containing lithium batteries that exceed allowed watt-hour limitations because they can pose safety and security risks, Delta noted.

JetBlue and American Airlines, which don’t currently ban humanoid robots from flights, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ravinder Dahiya, a professor and roboticist at Northeastern University’s College of Engineering, told CBS News that most humanoid robots today are powered by heavy lithium-ion batteries that can pose a fire hazard if they explode or are mishandled.

“When it comes to safety, I’m not opposed to the bans at all. But as a researcher, you desire to carry out your research freely, without hindrance,” he said, noting that “sometimes you have to take robots along with you for demonstrations.”

Edited by Alain Sherter

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

White House planned to nominate top EPA adviser as air office replacement, sources say

2026-07-29T18:21:37.217Z / Reuters

EXCLUSIVE

White House planned to nominate top EPA adviser as air office replacement, sources say

By Siddharth Cavale and Jarrett Renshaw

July 29, 2026 6:21 PM UTC Updated 41 mins ago

A person walks toward the offices of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, days after U.S. President Donald Trump offered buyouts to thin the ranks of civil-service workers, in Washington, U.S., February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

• Justin Schwab had been expected to replace Szabo to lead air office, three sources say
• Szabo’s planned move to law firm fell through, source says
• Szabo had said he would resign on July 17, according to reports
• Unclear how ​long Szabo will remain in position

NEW YORK, July 29 (Reuters) – The White House ‌was poised to nominate Justin Schwab, a top adviser to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, to lead the agency’s powerful air office after the current head said he would resign, according to three sources familiar with the plans.

But officeholder Aaron Szabo’s planned move ​to a law firm fell through at the last minute, aborting the nomination for now, one ​of the sources said. Szabo attended a series of farewell parties with staff before staying ⁠on, the sources said.

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Szabo, who heads the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, had planned to leave the ​agency on July 17 for a private-sector job. He was asked to remain “a little longer to help further advance the ​President’s agenda and Power the Great American Comeback,” the EPA said after Reuters inquired about his status.

Schwab joined the EPA this month as a senior adviser from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and was deputy general counsel for the EPA during ​President Donald Trump’s first term.

SENATE CONFIRMATION UNCERTAIN

To permanently take over as air office head, Schwab would need the White ​House to nominate him and the Senate to confirm him. The Senate’s approval would be uncertain given the scope and influence ‌of the ⁠position, which oversees major Clean Air Act programs as well as the Renewable Fuel Standard, a program that often pits farm-state lawmakers and biofuel producers against oil-state interests and refiners.

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“Any and all personnel announcements will be made directly by the Administration,” a White House official said when asked about a potential Schwab nomination.

Schwab and Szabo did not ​immediately respond to requests for ​comment.

“We are excited to ⁠have Justin return to EPA and look forward to having him on the team as the agency continues to advance the President’s agenda under Administrator Zeldin’s leadership,” an EPA ​spokesperson said in response to an email sent to Schwab’s EPA address.

Szabo and Schwab ​are both affiliated ⁠with CGCN Group, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm. Szabo was named in 2018 as a partner at CGCN, whose clients included the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade group that has opposed stricter limits on particulate pollution. Schwab lists ⁠himself as ​founder of CGCN Law, an entity under CGCN providing specialized legal ​services, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The EPA did not say how long Szabo would remain in his position.

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Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York ​and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; additional reporting by Timothy McLaughlin in Boston; Editing by Liz Hampton and Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady, but 3 officials vote for hike

July 29, 2026 / 4:01 PM EDT / CBS News

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it is leaving its benchmark interest rate unchanged, a sign policymakers expect inflation to ebb despite higher energy costs due to the war in Iran.

This marks the fifth consecutive time the central bank has kept interest rates in the target range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The last time Fed officials voted to change interest rates was in December 2025, when it reduced its key rate by 0.25 percentage points.

Yet while the Fed voted to stand pat, three of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)’s 12 voting members dissented from the decision. Such disagreement on the rate-setting panel is unusual, suggesting that some Fed officials are inclined to act now to extinguish inflation, according to Wall Street analysts.

“The Fed appears to be running out of patience with above-target inflation, despite recent data coming in cold,” Kay Haigh, global head and CIO of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, said in an email following the decision. “The committee’s growing hawkish sentiment, shown by the three dissents against today’s hold, has also likely been exacerbated by the recent flare-up in hostilities in the Middle East.”

The dissenting members were Beth Hammack, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; Neel Kashkari, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; and Lorie K. Logan, CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

“Family fight”

“I asked for a good family fight, and I got one,” Warsh said during a press conference after the Fed’s announcement. He described an animated discussion among officials, noting that the main point of division was over the best way to lower prices.

“There was nothing inertial about that discussion,” he said.

In its policy statement announcing the rate decision, the Fed said economic growth is expanding at a solid clip despite uncertainty from the conflict in the Middle East, while noting that inflation remains sticky.

“Inflation remains elevated relative to the Committee’s 2% goal, in part reflecting supply shocks that have driven price increases in certain sectors, including energy,” the FOMC said in its policy statement.

The move to hold the federal funds rate — what banks charge each other for overnight loans — was widely expected by economists and investors after June inflation data showed consumer prices easing.

“When you have a supply shock like the Iran War, the textbook says don’t raise rates unless inflation expectations are rising because the inflation will not become entrenched and it’ll fade once the shock is over,” Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told CBS News prior to the Fed’s latest rate decision. “I think that argument still wins the day.”

Warsh keeps investors guessing

During the press conference, Warsh reiterated the FOMC’s commitment to stabilizing prices, saying that Fed officials “will not hesitate to act” to curb inflation. At the same time, he did not offer any hints on the future direction of monetary policy.

“If inflation continues to be elevated through the forecast period, interest rates could well be part of that solution,” he told reporters. “But I wouldn’t say it’s in isolation.”

Warsh has previously expressed a preference for more limited Fed communications, a departure from recent Fed chairs and raising concerns among some investors that less central bank guidance could drive market volatility.

“I understand the desire for rolling forecasts and commentary from this committee, but for our part, we need to observe market reaction to developments, direct and unfiltered,” Warsh said.

U.S. stock markets rose after the Fed’s announcement, but then quickly slumped, with all three remaining in the red.

Are future rate hikes likely?

The Fed could yet act to raise borrowing costs later this year if inflation, which has remained well above the central bank’s 2% annual target, resumes climbing.

Energy prices drifted higher this month, driven by renewed tensions in the Middle East. Last week, the national average for a gallon of gas topped $4, and global oil temporarily breached $100 a barrel.

“The probability of a rate hike is rising, in our view, especially if the conflict persists and oil prices continue to trend higher,” Edward Jones senior analyst Brian Therien said in an email prior to the Fed meeting. “That said, the inflation outlook could become more balanced if the U.S.-Iran pause leads to a longer ceasefire and oil prices remain lower.”

The artificial intelligence boom is also driving up costs for memory chips, consumer electronics and electricity, according to EY-Parthenon Chief Economist Gregory Daco.

“The key question is what happens in the Middle East,” he told CBS News. “That’s going to be the key driver of headline inflation.”

Daco thinks the Fed would likely hike rates at its September meeting if inflation were to reaccelerate.

Futures traders put the odds of a quarter percentage point hike at the Fed’s next meeting in September at roughly 53%.

President Trump has urged the Fed to cut rates and repeatedly pressured former Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to lower borrowing costs to spur economic growth.

Mr. Trump’s latest call to lower rates came on Tuesday, when he told reporters aboard Air Force One, “We should have the lowest interest rate in the world.”

Why President Trump’s approval fell to a record low in CNN’s latest poll

2026-07-29T17:31:19.330Z / CNN

By Dana Bash, CNN

Published 1:31 PM EDT, Wed July 29, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/politics/video/cnn-poll-trump-popularity-midterms

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Why President Trump’s approval fell to a record low in CNN’s latest poll

Inside Politics

In a new CNN poll, President Trump’s approval rating fell to 34% — the same as right after Jan. 6, 2021. It’s also at a record low among Republicans, as 7 in 10 Americans say President Trump is not focused on the right issues. Dana Bash and the “Inside Politics” panel break down the poll’s key takeaways and what they mean for the midterms.

2:54 • Source: CNN

Fauci’s Fifth Amendment plea shows Biden autopen pardon on ‘legally questionable’ ground, Comer says

2026-07-29T12:50:19-04:00 / Fox News

Dr Anthony Fauci pleaded the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during Wednesday’s hearing

By Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News

Published July 29, 2026 12:50pm EDT

Fauci lashes out at Sen. Paul while invoking Fifth Amendment at Senate hearing

During a heated Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci invokes his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Fauci stated Sen. Rand Paul’s “obvious obsession” with prosecuting him, including publicly releasing his unredacted personal diary, led to this decision.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci’s fight on Capitol Hill may not be over yet, a top House Republican signaled after the former public health official pleaded the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during an intense Senate hearing on Wednesday.

“If former President Biden’s blanket autopen pardon is valid, then Dr. Fauci has no right to refuse to answer questions,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said after the hearing.

“Dr. Fauci clearly knows his autopen pardon is on legally questionable grounds and decided to protect himself today rather than provide the truth to the American people.”

FAUCI PLEADS FIFTH WITH ‘ZERO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION’ AS CRITICS ERUPT AND DEMAND CONTEMPT CHARGES

Then-Chief Medical Advisor to the president, Anthony Fauci, speaks during a briefing on the Omicron COVID-19 variant, watched by then-President Joe Biden in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 29, 2021.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Fauci appeared before a Senate GOP-led panel on Wednesday amid new scrutiny over how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic, following the release of a diary he kept during the global health crisis.

Comer accused former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra of withholding Fauci’s diary from the House Oversight Committee during the Biden administration but said Fauci could be facing new questions after its release.

“Based on the release of Dr. Fauci’s diary, which should have been provided to the House Oversight Committee last Congress but was withheld by then-HHS Secretary Becerra, we’ll be asking Dr. Fauci whether he stands by his previous testimony to our Committee. Dr. Fauci’s actions and lies caused irreparable harm to Americans, and he must face accountability,” Comer said.

FAUCI’S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED

Diary entries made public by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a longtime Fauci critic and chair of the committee before which Fauci is appearing on Wednesday, showed the high-profile doctor reflecting on his pandemic-era fame and discussing the disease’s origins.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402412944112

Some entries appeared to show Fauci taking credit for influencing policies that closed schools during the pandemic, one of the most hotly debated aspects of how the government handled COVID.

He told the House Oversight Committee in January 2024, however, “I did not close the schools.”

EXCLUSIVE: BIDEN PARDON WON’T SHIELD FAUCI IF HE LIES TO CONGRESS, COMER SAYS

Comer warned Fauci ahead of the hearing that the pardon former President Joe Biden issued him in the final hours of his administration would likely not shield him Wednesday.

“Americans are still reaping the consequences of Dr. Fauci’s actions. Biden’s pardon doesn’t cover Dr. Fauci’s testimony this week, and if he continues to lie, he must be held accountable,” Comer exclusively told Fox News Digital.

Fauci was among several recipients of controversial “preemptive pardons” by Biden at the 11th hour of his White House term.

Rep. James Comer addresses reporters before closed-door testimony in June 2026.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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The pardon covers any offenses from January 1, 2014, through its issue date, or any offense related “to his service as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force or the White House COVID-19 Response Team, or as Chief Medical Advisor to the President.”

But because the pardon covers conduct during his government service, there will likely be debate over whether it would protect him from liability stemming from his Wednesday testimony.

Paul said his committee would vote on whether to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress next week. A contempt of Congress charge, if found guilty following Justice Department prosecution, would carry a fine of up to $100,000 and a prison sentence of up to one year.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com