Mamdani’s grocery giveaway hits ID snag as critics cry foul: ‘Make it make sense’

Critics compare the proposed customer card for discounted groceries to voter ID laws the mayor opposes

August 3, 2026 5:13pm EDT / Fox News

By Charles Creitz

Mamdani grocery proposal includes ID verification as Dems oppose SAVE America Act

New York Mayor Zohran K. Mamdani and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) Jeanny Pak discuss ways to ensure only New Yorkers use the city-run grocery stores.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/253e46fd-ef2c-4b93-86e6-569ce1486a9a

Listen to this article
5 min

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s game plan for government-run grocery stores faced criticism Monday after a city official told reporters a “library-card-esque system” may be employed to prevent abuse of the 30% discounted markets.

Mamdani took a question from a reporter who asked about preventing bulk purchases of groceries at the artificial discount from being re-sold at MSRP or higher.

The mayor responded that the government grocery Request-for-Proposal makes clear “this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling. I’m going to pass it over to our EDC head, Jeanny Pak, to add some additional details.”

MAMDANI’S CITY GROCERY PLAN COULD LEAVE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR EVERY BANANA

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds up bananas as he speaks at a food distribution center on July 27, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

It was Pak’s follow-up that raised eyebrows, given Mamdani and many Democrats’ staunch opposition to voter ID and Republicans’ SAVE America Act moving through Congress.

“[W]e are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of a library card-esque thing, and also we manage who’s buying and that is focused on everyday New Yorkers,” Pak said.

“So, we are mindful of that, and so we’re going to make sure that we have all the things in place to ensure that that does not happen.”

SEN MARK WARNER CALLED OUT IN ABC INTERVIEW FOR INACCURATE VOTER ID CLAIMS

When asked about the apparent divergence between Pak’s response referencing a possible ID card-type system and opposition to voter ID, a Mamdani spokesperson said it was an apples-to-oranges contrast.

“Comparisons to voter ID laws or the SAVE Act simply do not apply. This is not an identification system, nor is it a mechanism to verify who someone is, where they live, or how much they earn,” Mamdani’s spokesperson said.

“It is a practical inventory management tool to ensure affordable groceries remain available for the people who need them instead of being cleared off shelves for resale.”

EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI’S GROCERY PLAN AS AN ‘ILLUSION’ THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL

The spokesperson pointed to the mayor’s comments specifically regarding bulk-buying concerns, saying that was the premise of the reporter’s question — not whether people from Pennsylvania, New Jersey or upstate New York would be able to shop at the subsidized outlets.

“To be absolutely clear: NYC Grocery stores will be open to everyone,” the spokesperson said.

“There will be no system to verify identity, residency, or income, and no one will be asked to show ID to shop.”

Instead of an “ID,” the spokesperson said the stores may employ a “customer card” similar to loyalty programs at other grocers like ShopRite, Food Lion or Weis.

The “customer card” would be designed by the “private operator” of the city-run store to “help manage supply and prevent people from buying large quantities of discounted staples for resale” and is strictly intended to “make sure the savings reach families putting food on the table.”

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

La Marqueta, a Latino marketplace in East Harlem, is chosen as the site of the first city-owned grocery store announced by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on April 14, 2026.(Kendall Rodriguez/Newsday RM/Getty Images)

Customers will not need to apply through City Hall or any agency, the spokesperson added.

Critics were unconvinced.

“ID for government cheese,” said Philadelphia radio host Rich Zeoli.

“After all, we have to make sure no one crosses the border and if they do, the police will be called. So it’s good to see Mamdani now supports ID (just not for voting), border control, and law enforcement,” Zeoli tweeted.

Former Texas congressional candidate Nick Plumb commented on X that “Mamdani wants to protect taxpayer funded grocery store[s] from non-NYC residents they’ll need an ID card to enter. You can[t] make this up.”

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a supporter of voter ID who also opposed the Old Dominion’s recent failed attempt to redraw congressional lines to Democrats’ advantage, also criticized the mayor.

“So let me get this straight: Taxpayer-funded grocery store? Better show a valid ID or you can’t buy milk,” Miyares said.

“Voting for the people who decide how those taxes get spent? A valid ID is somehow ‘racist’ and ‘oppressive’. Unbelievable,” he said.

When asked whether the mayor’s office believed the loyalty card system constituted a form of identification, a Mamdani spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to a paragraph in the Request for Proposal (RFP) that prospective store operators must follow:

“The Operator(s) will create a voluntary free-to-access membership card program to monitor sales activity, and implement the discount program and any associated demand management measures. The savings card shall not be required for physical access to N.Y.C. Groceries site(s) and shall be made easily available to any individual requesting one,” the section read.

“Make it make sense,” added FOX News host Sean Hannity.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

New York Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney added: “So ID for government grocery stores to stop people abusing the system is fine, but requiring ID to vote not? Got it.”

SAVE Act supporter Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., added on X that the hypocrisy must “stop.”

“Democrats: Are fighting to ensure you don’t have to show an ID before voting in our elections. Also Democrats: Want you to show an ID before entering a supermarket.”

“Oh, the irony is too much,” said X CEO Elon Musk.

Brown University’s president, who clashed with Trump over funding, steps down

August 3, 2026 9:04 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago / By Julia Harte / Reuters

Brown University President Christina Paxson listens during a press conference as the manhunt continues for the gunman, following a shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Taylor Coester/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Aug 3 – Brown University President Christina Paxson said on Monday that she would leave her post at the end of the academic year, following a difficult period in ​which she clashed with President Donald Trump’s administration over its threats to slash the ‌Ivy League school’s federal funding.

Paxson said she had planned to leave her job one year earlier, but extended her tenure at the university, located in Providence, Rhode Island, to “navigate a federal funding freeze that ​imperiled our mission,” according to an open letter, opens new tab published on the school’s website.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Brown was an ​early target of the administration during Trump’s second term in office as ⁠it cracked down on U.S. universities over what it called antisemitic student protests against Israel’s ​war on Gaza, diversity policies and a host of other issues.

Protesters, including some Jewish groups, ​have said the administration has wrongly labeled criticism of Israel’s assault on Gaza and its occupation of Palestinian territories as antisemitism and advocacy for Palestinian rights as support for extremism.

After administration officials threatened to block $510 million ​in federal grants for Brown, Paxson reached a deal in July 2025 to restore the funding. ​The terms required the university to conduct a third-party evaluation of its campus climate, including for Jewish ‌students, ⁠and propose actions to improve it.

In October, though, Paxson declined an administration offer sent to nine elite universities, which said schools would be favored for federal funding if they capped the number of international students, defined gender based on biology and banned the use of race or ​sex in hiring and ​admissions.

Accepting the deal would “restrict ⁠academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance,” Paxson said at the time.

In her farewell letter on Monday, Paxson wrote that “while ​the federal landscape remains volatile for all colleges and universities, Brown is ​receiving major ⁠grants for pioneering research that will lead to tremendous innovation for this country.”

Paxson also helped the university navigate tragedy during her tenure.

In December, a former student opened fire on campus, leaving two students ⁠dead ​and nine wounded. The shooter went on to kill ​a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor before being found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Federal authorities subsequently scrutinized Brown’s ​emergency notification and campus surveillance systems.

Reporting by Julia Harte; Editing by Jesse Mesner-Hage and Will Dunham

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

FBI agent accused of stealing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency

2026-08-03 4:57 PM ET / CNN

By Sean Lyngaas

The logo of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seen at the Los Angeles Federal Building on June 4, 2025, in Los Angeles. Daniel Park, 32 from Washington state, was arrested by the FBI at John F. Kennedy International Airport on June 3, 2025, as he was arriving. He is a suspect in the investigation into the May 18, 2025, bombing at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images/File

An FBI agent stole more than $900,000 in cryptocurrency from accounts the agency was monitoring after he said he became frustrated by what he saw as government inaction over the misuse of crypto accounts, according to court records made public on Monday.

The agent, Patrick Steven Yaroch, came across the crypto holdings while a member of the FBI’s national security investigative squad focused on an “adversarial nation” and grew “frustrated when he could not do more to disrupt” an unnamed person’s use of the crypto accounts, according to an affidavit in Yaroch’s case. Using his internal agency access, he later allegedly transferred the crypto holdings to his personal account.

The FBI fired Yaroch, and he was arrested last week. A criminal complaint lists charges against him related to the interstate transport of stolen goods and the receipt of stolen goods.

An attorney for Yaroch was not listed in court records. CNN has contacted an email associated with Yaroch for comment.

The FBI gathers a slew of intelligence on cryptocurrency accounts allegedly used by criminal and state actors in Russia, China and elsewhere. But when and how to act on those accounts – whether to seize them or use them to collect more intelligence – is often decided on a case-by-case basis.

The affidavit also reflects how artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies are changing criminal investigations.

The month before his arrest, Yaroch allegedly asked ChatGPT: “If you had a bucket of money (around $1 million) and you wanted to leave the USA and become a resident or citizen of an EU country, what would you do?”

ChatGPT responded, according to the affidavit, with an answer catered to Yaroch’s age and lifestyle.

“At 37, with a young family, a goal of potentially retiring around 40, and a clear interest in eventually building a slower-living vineyard/agricultural lifestyle in places like Cilento or Portugal’s Dão region…” the AI agent reportedly said.

“As soon as the FBI became aware of these allegations, we immediately took action, began an investigation, and ultimately executed an arrest warrant for this individual last week,” an FBI spokesperson told CNN. “We hold our employees to the highest ethical standards, and this conduct is not tolerated at the FBI. We are conducting a thorough investigation in the aftermath, and as this is an ongoing matter, we will have no further comment.”

The affidavit includes emotional details the FBI says were gathered from interviews with Yaroch and a former colleague from the FBI’s Boston Division in which Yaroch confided.

“I f—d up,” Yaroch told FBI agents when they interviewed him at his house last month, according to the affidavit.

Trump administration finalizes AI framework, official says

August 3, 2026 / 5:23 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington— The Trump administration has finalized the planned voluntary framework for evaluating new AI models, and the White House will host a meeting with industry partners Tuesday to discuss it, a White House official confirmed. The official did not provide any details about what the framework contains.

Axios first reported the administration finalized the AI framework, which was the subject of an executive order President Trump signed in June.

The directive, which was aimed at enhancing AI security and innovation, ordered the establishment of a program for AI companies to voluntarily share powerful new models with the government before they are released to the public.

The executive order emphasized that the federal government doesn’t want to stifle innovation “with overly burdensome regulation.”

Mr. Trump’s order said that the nation’s federal cybersecurity systems would be shored up for the use of AI technology. It also said there would be a process to identify “frontier” models for AI, or systems that are at the forefront of the field, and the administration would work with companies willing to voluntarily give the federal government access to these so-called frontier models for up to 30 days before release.

The ability of frontier models to identify long-overlooked software vulnerabilities in crucial systems has raised concerns that they could be used for nefarious purposes. Anthropic, one of the leading AI labs, announced in April that it would be providing its new model, Mythos, to select partners to allow them to harden their defenses against cyberattacks before the technology is available more broadly.

The president’s executive order emphasized the voluntary nature of any AI company collaboration with the federal government, and said it wouldn’t prohibit AI innovators from advancing their technology.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/openais-sam-altman-meets-with-key-white-house-advisers-to-discuss-ai-development/

Democrats blink as Schumer helps GOP clear key shutdown hurdle

2026-08-03 18:44:44 EDT / Fox News

Chuck Schumer endorsed the continuing resolution as the ‘responsible path forward’ for American families

By Alex Miller Fox News

Published August 3, 2026 6:44pm EDT | Updated August 3, 2026 6:47pm EDT

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6401905646112

GOP lawmaker slams thought of government shutdown during election season

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke discusses the House’s passing of the Reconciliation 3.0 framework, concerns over the lack of spending offsets, the passing of the NDAA with the SAVE America Act included. Zinke also comments on government funding approaches amid a looming shutdown.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Senate Republicans opted to strike on bipartisan momentum and take a key step to prevent a government shutdown almost two months before the deadline.

The upper chamber voted in a bipartisan wave to clear the first procedural hurdle for a short-term funding extension that would see the government open through the midterm elections and into early December.

It comes after Republicans have spent months hand wringing that Democrats would again shut the government down to score political points during the pivotal November elections.

HOUSE GOP VOTES TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BATTLE TO AFTER NOVEMBER MIDTERMS

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the GOP are gearing up for a floor battle with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats over Trump-backed voter ID legislation.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The actual deadline to fund the government is not until Sept. 30, when the current fiscal year expires, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that it’s better to move now then to wait to create more “certainty” in the coming weeks.

“There’s been enough uncertainty this last year, and, you know, unfortunately, I think through two government shutdowns that extended for a long period of time, it’s better for everybody if there’s predictability, certainty,” Thune said.

Congress has been no stranger to shutdowns during President Donald Trump’s second term, with two of the longest in history taking place under Republican control of the legislative branch.

SENATE WEIGHS NEW, PAINFUL LEVERAGE TACTIC AS FEARS OF ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GROW

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402685098112

The first happened last year, and entered the record books as the longest full government closure that stretched over 40 days. That battle was over now-expired Obamacare tax subsidies, an issue that was never fully reconciled in the months that followed.

Then came the shutdown earlier this year that stretched for over 70 days. Democrats rebelled against a bipartisan funding deal after Renee Nicole Good was slain in Minnesota by immigration enforcement agents. That prompted Republicans to skirt Democrats entirely and fund immigration enforcement on their own.

But, for now, there is a bipartisan current pushing through the Senate to at least make sure a shutdown doesn’t happen for the time being.

SCHUMER BACKS GOP’S PLAN TO BRING THE PAIN DURING FUTURE SHUTDOWNS: ‘I’M GOING TO VOTE FOR IT’

The 2026 midterms will determine control of the House and Senate, shaping President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda during the final two years of his term.(Al Drago/Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., endorsed the continuing resolution (CR) on Monday, arguing that the current bipartisan offering was the “responsible path forward that allows continued bipartisan negotiations on a budget that delivers for American families.”

“For months, Democrats have been clear: we want to fund the government, avoid a shutdown and pass strong, bipartisan appropriations bills that improve people’s lives,” Schumer said in a statement.

Republican leadership is hopeful that they can clear the decks and advance the CR to the House during the Senate’s last official week in town before jet-setting from Washington, D.C., back to lawmakers’ respective home states.

While the CR is the current top priority, there are several other items waiting in the wings, too.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There’s a package of over 70 nominees Republicans want to ram through, the long-awaited Russia sanctions package, a crypto market structure package that, for now, appears doomed, and the final confirmation vote for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“I think we have a bunch of stuff we have to finish and we’ll just stay until we finish it,” Thune said.

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

经历过国民服役才懂的共同回忆：当兵教会我的事

2026-08-04 07:00 / 新明日报 文/符永炳 译/林展贤

研究显示男性在共同面对挑战的情况下最能打成一片。作者的国民服役体验确实如此。 （林耀辉摄）

即便退役多年后，历久不衰的友谊、美好的回忆和勇于解决问题的态度，依然伴随着作者。本文作者是《海峡时报》前商业与体育新闻记者，目前旅居澳大利亚。

在当兵的第一天就请病假，大概没有比这更糟糕的开始吧。

1999年入伍当天，因一场场的欢送会，身体发出无声抗议，醒来时发现我的喉咙发炎了。下来的十周，本应全心在基本军训期争取表现的我，只能努力让自己康复。

尽管我的国民服役以抱病开场，在随后的岁月里，我的国民服役生涯不仅让我收获了深厚而长久的友谊，更赋予了我一份无论身在何处都能心有所依的归属感。

每逢七月的军人节前后，社交媒体上一则则朋友回忆当兵岁月的贴文总会让这些感受格外鲜明。

我的新兵时代

我是土生土长的新加坡人，也是家中第一个服国民役的人。爸爸当年已超过征召年龄，无需入伍，因此家中没有人能为我指点迷津。

话虽如此，我还是收到了爸爸“传”给我的两大袋军事用品。原来，他和妈妈在我入伍前特地到美芝路军用品市场，添购了那些用品。当时的我还搞不清多数物品的用途，但我感受到爸爸的那份心意。

基本军训令我难忘的两件事是：一、排里有四名女新兵；二、我们是最后一批在义顺军营接受基本军训的新兵，还协助把所有装备迁至德光岛，包括健身室里的重量训练器材。

抱病起步，要争取被选入见习军官学校（OCS）或步兵士官学校（SISPEC），自然更为困难。最后，无缘上述院校的我被派往装甲旅担任侦察兵，并在那里度过了全职服役和回营受训的岁月。

虽然对错过成为军官的机会感到失望，我却在装甲旅结识了一群陪我走过人生起伏的朋友。无论生日、婚礼、丧礼、迎接新生、转换工作或是随兴聚会，生命中许多重要或平凡的时刻，都有他们的身影。

共患难筑友谊

研究显示，男性在共同面对挑战的情况下，最能打成一片、建立起深厚情谊，我的国民服役体验确实如此。无论是高压的海外丛林导航训练、应付棘手的人和事，还是熬过严苛的体能挑战，与我同甘共苦的人自然成了我的终身挚友。

虽然离完成全职服役一晃眼已超过25年，我们的WhatsApp群组依然闹哄哄，每天都有新的话题，像是梅西在世界杯的最新表现、曼联球员的转会消息、新山最棒的牙医，以及其他同僚的近况等。

这帮朋友始终贯穿我的生活：他们陪我度过21岁的生日，也见证了我的婚礼；商务晚宴上，也常能遇见几张熟面孔。辛苦工作一天后，我可以放心向他们诉苦，不必担心被批判，也可以同他们说说笑笑。

深厚的情谊也让每次的回营受训显得格外轻松自在。对我来说，离开日常生活的两周并非干扰，而是接触最新的军事科技与流程，并与老朋友再次聚首的机会。

海外训练 拓宽视野

海外训练让服役人员在陌生环境中接受考验，也从中拓宽视野、培养适应力。（档案照）

在土地稀缺的新加坡，不少的军训都在海外进行，这让全职服役人员有机会走出国门，到访美国、印度、澳大利亚和德国等国。“因公出国”也成了我服役生涯的一大亮点。

在其中一个训练地，我见证过当地人对军人的敬重。有一个晚上，我的五人小组遇上了恶劣的暴雨，不得不跑到一户人家的门廊避雨。没想到屋主热情地招待我们，甚至为我们准备杯面。

在另一个训练地点，我认识到当地住民如何悉心照顾大地，也从中学会收集河水、使用净化片等丛林生存技能。那次的训练虽然十分艰苦，却不乏许多难忘时刻，例如亲睹难得一见的世界最大花朵——莱佛士花，以及携带着超过自身一半体重的装备征服多座山丘。

这些海外经历促使我跳出既有的思维模式，也拓宽我的视野和格局，在往后也一定程度上影响了我的育儿方式——让我不过度保护孩子，让他们能体验人生的风浪与考验，并且教育他们懂得亲近大自然的重要性。

练就凡事肯做的态度

国民服役的共同经历，不仅磨炼意志，也凝聚了延续多年的战友情谊与归属感。（档案照）

毫无疑问的，国民服役期间经历的身心挑战，也让我变得更坚韧，更懂得适应环境。现在工作中遇到看似不可能完成的任务，我总会想起当初自己连脚踏车都不会骑，却还是顺利通过了军用摩托车课程。

那项课程的入门要求是，你必须先用一辆旧脚踏车骑出“8”字形。我买下一辆廉价的山地脚踏车，并牺牲掉宝贵的周末休假，跑到最近的缓坡来回练习。最后，我不但学会骑行，还能顺利骑出那关键的“8”字形。

掌握影响力

我斩获的另一项技能就是在不靠职权的情况下发挥自己的影响力。这意味即使没有直接权力，我也可以引导或说服他人采取行动。试想，我无法以军阶服人，唯有学会以同僚和长官的出发点借位思考，找到大家的共识，并建立起彼此的长期信任。

在训练棚里一次次交谈，或乘坐军用卡车长途行驶时一路闲聊，让我能与不同家庭、种族和教育背景的人接触，学会如何与他们沟通、协作。这项技能让我受用不尽，尤其在我未来的记者和传播专业人士职业生涯里。

将服役技能融入生活

有些服役期间学到的道理，也适用于家庭生活，例如要记得补充水分。如今，我们一家人外出时都随身携带水瓶。有时，我会允许孩子们吃甜品或零食，但前提是他们必须先喝完水瓶里的水。

另一个实用的军事技能是地图判读和导航。我太太酷爱远足，所以这对我来说非常适用。虽然现在使用卫星导航更加方便，但在手机信号不佳的地方，传统方法依然有用。那，摩托驾驶能力也受用吗？我们全家到印度尼西亚度假时，它就派上了用场，当时我骑着电动摩托车，载着一家人在度假村里来回穿梭。

共同语言与归属感

在国民服役期间，符永炳（中）与侦察兵同僚在受训时趁休息合影。（符永炳提供）

只要当过兵的人一定对“canteen break”（到食堂休息）、“off-pass”（短期外出/离营许可证）、“SOP”（标准作业流程）、“wayang”（为讨好长官表现得格外认真）、“ninja van”（军训区里的流动小贩货车）“cookhouse”（军营食堂）、“standby bed”（床铺与内务检查）和“area cleaning”（打扫营区）等常见的词语都不陌生。

虽然早已卸下军服，这些军中用语却已渗入了我的日常。例如，我会和朋友说：“让我先向太太申请off-pass，才能跟你们一起踢球。”意思是，我得先和太太确认当天是否有其他安排，才能答应赴约。

国民服役留下的不只是共同用语，更是一份对新加坡的强烈归属。两年半的全职服役加上逐年的回营训练满载战友情谊、共同语言和追求战备状态的坚持。这些回忆是我和新加坡的情感纽带，对身在海外的我格外珍贵，更加凸显自己对国家的认同。

巧妙的，当兵的共同体验也成了我在海外遇见其他新加坡人时，能迅速破冰的共同话题。在伦敦留学时期，我曾与一位新加坡同窗聊起国民服役，他问我从当兵的经历中学到了些什么。

我沉淀了一下，这是我的回答：“真正使人成长的不是国民服役本身，而是你如何把握当兵的时光，去磨砺自己。”

本文首刊于《海峡时报》。本文属于新报业媒体与国防部全面防卫与联系署（Nexus）特别合作的国民教育系列，旨在聚焦国家课题。全面防卫与联系署是负责推动新加坡国民教育与全面防卫的机构。

US Supreme Court won’t halt $655 million judgment against Palestinians over attacks

2026-08-03T20:55:48.762Z / Reuters

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Supreme Court allowed suits against Palestinian authorities
• Plaintiffs won a $655.5 million judgment in 2015
• They sued over 2002-2004 Jerusalem shootings and bombings

August 3 (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor declined on Monday to halt $655.5 million in damages that Palestinian ​authorities were ordered to pay plaintiffs in a U.S. civil lawsuit concerning attacks that killed and injured ‌Americans in Israel from 2002 to 2004.

Sotomayor denied a request by the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization to put on hold the judgment while they appeal a lower court’s decision to revive the case years after it had been dismissed. The lawsuit was brought ​on behalf of Americans killed or injured in those shootings and bombings in the Jerusalem area.

Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here.

The Supreme Court ​last year upheld a federal law that allowed claims like those brought by the plaintiffs in the ⁠case.

Sotomayor did not explain her decision and did not refer the case to the entire court. Sotomayor handles emergency ​matters for cases arising from New York and certain other states.

The Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the ​judgment in March following the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision in June 2025 to uphold the 2019 law, called the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.

The Palestinian organizations said that enforcing the judgment in the case will cause severe financial harm and destabilize government services ​in the West Bank, harming people who live there and jeopardizing regional security.

They said in a written filing that ​the plaintiffs intend to seek payment from indirect Palestinian tax revenue collected by Israel, a key source of funding for Palestinian government operations. ‌Security, ⁠sanitation and school services in the West Bank “are hanging by a thread,” they wrote.

The plaintiffs, in winning the judgment in New York federal court in 2015, alleged that the Palestinian entities were responsible for the incidents from 2002 to 2004.

The 2nd Circuit threw out that verdict in 2016 and ordered that the case be dismissed, concluding that the federal judge in the ​case did not have jurisdiction ​over the matter. The Supreme ⁠Court declined to hear an appeal of the case in 2018.

Congress then passed the 2019 law to facilitate lawsuits against Palestinian authorities. Under the law, the PLO and Palestinian Authority ​automatically “consent” to jurisdiction if they conduct certain activities in the United States or make ​payments to people ⁠who attack Americans.

The 2nd Circuit subsequently decided that the 2019 law violated the rights of these Palestinian authorities to due process under the U.S. Constitution. But the Supreme Court overturned that ruling last year.

Following that Supreme Court action, the 2nd Circuit resurrected the judgment ⁠for ​the plaintiffs.

The Palestinian authorities urged the Supreme Court to halt the payment ​for now, saying the judgment had long become void and a “nullity.”

“The money judgment at issue became a legal nullity when … appeals were exhausted in 2018,​” they said.

Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham

GOP Rep. Max Miller denies domestic abuse allegations; Trump calls him “very good person”

Published 7:50 PM EDT, Mon August 3, 2026 / CNN Politics

GOP Rep. Max Miller denies domestic abuse allegations; Trump calls him “very good person”

Erin Burnett Out Front

Manu Raju reports.
4:27 • Source: CNN

中国继续采购美国大豆 创今年以来最大单笔买单

2026年8月4日 07:15 / 联合早报

美国农业部星期一（8月3日）公布，向中国销售48.8万吨2026/27销售年度的美国大豆。 （路透社档案照）

中国采购了今年以来最大一单美国大豆，延续了近几周的购买势头。

据彭博社报道，美国农业部星期一（8月3日）公布，向中国销售48.8万吨2026/27销售年度的美国大豆。

报告还显示，另有13.615万吨大豆售往未知目的地。

此次采购正值白宫表示，中国承诺按比例在今年年底前购买170亿美元（218亿新元）的美国农产品，此外还承诺在2028年前每年至少采购2500万吨美国大豆。

大豆期货一度下跌1%，触及7月10日以来最低水平，随后收复跌幅并转涨。

White House directly involved in Blanche order rescinding ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

2026-08-03T21:08:13.735Z / CNN

The White House was directly involved in acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s order to formally rescind the president’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Specifically, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and the director of legislative affairs, James Braid, were “deeply involved,” one official said. Blanche worked with the White House throughout the process, and kept top officials briefed on the negotiations and key sticking points.

President Donald Trump was aware of the deal struck between Blanche and the two key holdout Senate Republicans on his nomination, John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, to formally rescind the controversial fund and limit a prior agreement with the IRS regarding tax investigations into the president and his family members to retroactive actions, the official said.

Trump, however, made clear on Monday that he did not personally review the deal, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “I didn’t look at it.”

“I understand there’s been a sign-off, but I don’t know what they agreed,” he said, adding that his understanding was that Blanche “agreed to reconfirm things that he’s already said.” Trump said he viewed the fund “as a positive,” but said there were no other plans to revive it through another mechanism.

“There’s no other avenues that I know of,” the president said.

White House officials and Trump himself had grown frustrated with the senators before a deal was reached. They believed the senators were trying to exert leverage, even though privately, one White House official said, the lawmakers acknowledged that Blanche was the best fit for the position.

While Trump personally continues to believe in the nearly $1.8 billion fund, he was convinced by his top advisers that this was the only way to ensure Blanche’s nomination for attorney general would advance, the official said.

“He wants Blanche confirmed,” the official told CNN. “He realizes he needs to do this.”

A senior administration official said it is typical for the White House — or the president’s chief of staff — to track the process of a nomination, but that negotiations took place only between Blanche and the senators. Braid was not deeply involved in the process, the official said.

Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer who is serving as the acting attorney general, is well-liked within the White House and is viewed as a loyal appointee of Trump. Multiple people familiar with the matter said Blanche wanted to win Senate confirmation — even though he could continue serving in an acting capacity or lead the Justice Department as the deputy attorney general for the remainder of Trump’s term — and the White House wanted to help him.

Tillis and Cornyn’s demands — specifically when it came to limiting the IRS agreement— left Blanche in a difficult place, as putting them in writing could anger the president. So for weeks, the Justice Department went back and forth with Cornyn’s staff to try to find a middle ground.

Cornyn’s chief legal counsel led the negotiations for the Texas Republican, who appeared to be the most serious detractor as the vote approached to advance Blanche’s nomination. Blanche’s staff sent several versions of the memo to Cornyn’s counsel, according to several people familiar with the matter. In each version, the lawyer said she identified loopholes that needed to be addressed.

Late Sunday night, Blanche published two documents in a post on X to announce that a deal had been reached. The first document is a signed memo stating the Justice Department was formally rescinding the order that established anti-weaponization fund, and the second was an unsigned statement clarifying the terms of the IRS protections. Tillis and Cornyn quickly confirmed their approval of the deal.

Blanche said in his memo that the fund “shall have no force or effect” and that the memo “establishes, beyond any doubt, that there is no Fund.” He also credited “good faith discussions” with the senators.

Still, some attorneys inside the Justice Department have questioned whether the document Blanche signed was legally binding. The anti-weaponization memo is signed by Blanche, but it does not include the signature of Trump’s current personal lawyers, who would have entered into the original settlement with the administration.

Tillis and Cornyn on Monday defended their agreement with the Department of Justice, despite criticism that the order may not be legally binding.

Pressed by reporters on why they trusted that Blanche would not double back on the agreement once confirmed, Tillis replied, “Because I believe he’s an honorable man.”

However, he said, the president could simply always create a new fund. “Then he can answer to the American people for not negotiating in good faith,” the retiring North Carolina senator said.

“The rescission of the weaponization fund is legally binding, so it’s gone,” Cornyn said. Regarding the tax investigations agreement, he said, “There’s literally nothing we could do other than have the president change a settlement agreement to make that legally binding.”

“What we could do, and what we did do, is get Todd Blanche to testify under oath, and then to get the DOJ on the record that this is their official interpretation of those provisions,” the Texas Republican said.

Tillis said he still has questions about how the process played out over the last week, adding he’ll be looking at people “who played a role in it.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Evan Perez and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.