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Musk’s America PAC plans $100 million-plus effort to boost Republican turnout, NYT reports

2026-07-30T20:59:13.389Z / Reuters

Elon Musk walks to attend the trial in his lawsuit over OpenAI for-profit conversion at a federal courthouse, in Oakland, California, U.S., April 29, 2026. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Program would run across at least eight states, the Times reports
• America PAC confirms plans for major turnout role but gives no spending figure
• PAC spent $52.3 million since January 1, 2025, campaign finance filings show

NEW YORK, July 30 (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s pro-Trump political group is planning to spend up to $120 million to turn out Republican voters in the November congressional elections, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

America PAC said in a statement to Reuters that it expects to play a major role in the Republican voter turnout effort and argued that the party is well positioned to retain control of Congress despite historical trends that often favor the opposition party in midterm elections.

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“We’re excited to again be part of the team,” Andrew Romeo, the spokesperson for the America PAC, said in the statement.

He declined to provide further details, including how much America PAC plans to spend, but confirmed an earlier report from Axios that said that the political action committee planned to make a “huge investment” on door knockers, digital advertising and a direct-mail campaign to turn out conservative voters.

The effort would mark one of the biggest outside spending campaigns of the 2026 midterms and further cement Musk’s position as one of the Republican Party’s most influential financiers. The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX chief spent heavily to help elect President Donald Trump and other Republican candidates in 2024.

With Trump’s public approval ratings sagging and the electorate sour on the economy, Republicans face an enthusiasm gap with Democrats, who are seeking to win control of both chambers of Congress. Musk’s infusion of cash could provide a major boost to the Republican effort to galvanize voters.

The voting drive will run across at least eight states, the Times reported, citing two people briefed on the plans who spoke anonymously. Musk has authorized between $100 million and $120 million on the program, the newspaper reported.

America PAC has already spent $52.3 million since January 1, 2025, according to federal campaign finance filings reviewed by Reuters. The super PAC has raised $50.3 million so far in this election cycle with roughly $50 million of that coming directly from Musk, the filings show.

So-called super PACs can accept an unlimited amount of money from individuals and corporations. They can also spend as much as they want, but they can’t coordinate directly with candidates or campaigns.

Musk, the richest person in the world, has personally donated more than $85 million toward the midterms, including the money he has donated to America PAC.

Musk’s rocket and satellite company SpaceX
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is a major government contractor with roughly 20% of its revenue coming from the U.S. government.

Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in Washington, DC, and Dawn Kopecki in New York; Editing by Ross Colvin and Sanjeev Miglani

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GOP Senate nominee ends press conference after questions on ties to White nationalist influencer

2026-07-30T22:47:43.365Z / CNN

By Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck

PUBLISHED Jul 30, 2026, 6:47 PM ET

Rep. Mike Collins speaks before then-nominee Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 15, 2024.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins ended a press conference Thursday after repeatedly declining to answer questions about his relationship with a son-in-law who promoted White nationalist ideology and circulated antisemitic content online, as first revealed by CNN’s KFile.

Collins, a two-term congressman from Georgia, was appearing at Monroe County Hospital to outline his health care priorities.

But reporters pressed him to address online statements from his son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, and whether Scheer had done business or campaign work for him. Collins said the matter had been “fully addressed” and pivoted to attacking Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

“You know, we’ve fully addressed that,” Collins said. “But Jon Ossoff refuses to disavow these democrat socialist movements in our country.”

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/politics/mike-collins-press-conference-questions-white-nationalist-kfile

Collins dodges question on KFile reporting about son-in-law

1:39 • WXIA

Collins then criticized Ossoff over transgender rights, federal spending, immigration, bail policies and what he called “radical anti-Israel extremists.”

The questions followed a CNN KFile investigation into Scheer, who is married to Collins’ daughter, Summer.

CNN found that Scheer had used his large social media following to promote White nationalist ideology, share antisemitic conspiracy theories and circulate Nazi imagery. He has also called for Muslims to be deported and shared material promoting Patriot Front, a White supremacist group.

Scheer has appeared in family photographs on Collins’ campaign website and social media and attended Collins’ Senate primary election-night party. Voter and property records reviewed by CNN indicate that Scheer is registered to vote at a Collins-owned house adjacent to the congressman’s estate in Jackson, Georgia.

Related article Republican candidate for US Senate Rep. Mike Collins gives a speech during a runoff election-night party, after securing the Republican nomination, in Jackson, Georgia, on June 16. Jessica McGowan/Getty Images GOP Senate candidate has close ties to White nationalist influencer, his son-in-law 10 min read

One of those photos was removed following CNN’s reporting. Collins told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution it was a “personal decision” to remove the photo.

At a press conference on Thursday in Washington, DC, Ossoff blasted Collins for not answering questions.

“The congressman still, two weeks later, refuses to answer whether he or his businesses paid this neo-Nazi,” Ossoff said. “And today, facing these questions from the press corps in Georgia, Congressman Mike Collins ran away. He is refusing to answer questions, and Georgians have a right to know the answers.”

Scheer also appears to have narrated promotional videos for Collins’ trucking company. In one social media post filmed in front of trucks, Scheer said he was producing videos for a “client.” CNN asked Collins’ campaign whether Scheer had worked for the company as an employee, contractor or in another capacity, and whether he had a role in Collins’ campaign.

Collins declined to answer repeated questions from reporters on Thursday, including if Scheer has done any paid work for his businesses or his campaign.

“Could you address the question regarding antisemitism?” one person interjected.

Collins continued criticizing Ossoff. As a reporter asked what role Scheer had played in Collins’ campaign, Collins said voters would “choose to get rid of” Ossoff in November.

“Could you address his question, please, sir?” another reporter asked.

When Collins ended the press conference, a person asked, “You don’t want to talk about your son-in-law at all? You want to embrace him in the family? Share his views?”

‘The irony’: Ketanji Brown Jackson roasted after stressing impartiality on Michelle Obama’s podcast

July 30, 2026 4:42pm EDT / Fox News

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is being mocked online over the “irony” of saying she is “very, very mindful and scrupulous” about being impartial during a guest appearance on former first lady Michelle Obama’s podcast, “IMO.”

During an appearance of more than an hour on the podcast, Jackson, a Biden appointee to the Supreme Court, stressed the importance of being unbiased, saying, “You really have to be focused on that.”

“There are lots of limits on what judges can do, and I try to be very, very mindful and scrupulous with respect to that because, as you say, our obligation is to be unbiased in our approach,” said Jackson.

MICHELLE OBAMA ACCUSES MEDIA OF WEAPONIZING FASHION TO ‘DIMINISH’ HER AS A CAMPAIGN THREAT

“And, so, you have to then navigate all the sources that could make for an appearance of partiality, which you want to avoid.”

She added that “there are lots of things that I end up not accepting for that reason.”

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, left, recently appeared on a podcast episode hosted by former first lady Michelle Obama, right.(Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy; Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images)

The former first lady asked Jackson about the practices she follows to remain unbiased.

“You also have to watch your exposure to things, so that there isn’t a bias,” said Obama. “What does that mean for you in terms of reading the paper and listening to the news? And how do get your information and what do you have to be careful about? And how are you dealing with the potential conflicts so that you do stay above board?”

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Jackson said there are employees in the court whose job is to be “assisting us in that way.”

“When I get invitations to do things, I always have them screened by the legal office, the public information office, just to make sure that there are no ethical conflicts, that this is not a fundraiser, you know,” she told Obama.

ALITO RIPS JACKSON’S ‘UTTERLY IRRESPONSIBLE’ SOLO DISSENT AS SUPREME COURT FIGHT SHAKES UP 2026 MAP

Michelle Obama speaks at “IMO Live: Michelle Obama, Craig Robinson & Dr. Laurie Santos” during the SXSW Conference and Festivals at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, March 13, 2025.(Andy Wenstrand/SXSW Conference & Festivals)

Reactions poured in quickly.

“Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown discusses the importance of being neutral while she is sitting on Michelle Obama’s podcast set!” Turning Point USA contributor John Amanchukwu wrote.

“She doesn’t really expect anyone to believe that, does she?” conservative influencer Patricia Foster wrote.

“Make it make sense,” commentator DeVory Darkins wrote.

“Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson can’t be real. She says it is important to be neutral as a Supreme Court justice……..while she is literally on MAJOR leftist Michelle Obama’s podcast,” Darkins wrote. “We ALL know how impartial she is.”

‘WOKE’ SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT LIONIZES EMBATTLED FAUCI AMID CONSERVATIVE SCRUTINY OF MUSEUM’S MESSAGING

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on the cover of Essence Magazine.(Essence Magazine)

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Harris Rigby, a columnist for the Babylon Bee’s non-satirical site “Not the Bee,” wrote, “There isn’t a strong enough word for the irony in this video clip.”

He ripped Jackson as “the most public, loud-mouthed, self-assured judge in the history of the United States,” adding that she now “wants to lecture us about the dignity of the courts.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama and the Supreme Court for comment.

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

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American Airlines makes its flight refund policy more restrictive

2026-07-30 6:05 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.

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American Airlines changed its flight cancellation and refund policy to make it more restrictive, potentially preventing passengers from getting their money back when trips are disrupted.

The airline’s 24-hour refund policy now applies only to customers who book a ticket for a flight at least one week away. That means travelers are only entitled to full refunds for trips canceled within 24 hours of booking for flights departing at least a week later.

Under American’s previous policy, customers who purchased tickets for flights departing at least two days later were entitled to refunds within 24 hours of making a purchase. The new policy took effect on Wednesday, the airline told CBS News.

The Department of Transportation requires airlines to offer customers refunds for trips canceled within 24 hours of booking for flights departing at least a week later. Airlines are allowed to expand the policy for flights departing closer to the booking date.

For tickets purchased at least seven days before a flight’s departure, airlines must either “allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours, or allow consumers to reserve a ticket (place it on hold) at the quoted prices without paying for the ticket for 24 hours,” the agency’s rules state. Airlines are not required to offer customers both options.

For customers whose travel plans are uncertain, American lets them hold a booking for 24 hours free of charge.

“We also offer customers the ability to get a full refund if they purchase a ticket within 24 hours and booked at least seven days before departure,” the airline said in a statement to CBS News.

American’s refund policy matches those in place at JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. Delta Air Lines has the least restrictive cancellation policy, offering refunds to customers who cancel trips within 24 hours of booking, without requiring that the flight be scheduled to depart at least one week later.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Kathryn Krupnik contributed to this report.

FAA official who led response to fatal collision is stepping down

July 30, 2026 8:41 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago / Reuters

By David Shepardson

Acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Chris Rocheleau testifies during a U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on the midair collision involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

[1/2]Acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Chris Rocheleau testifies during a U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on the midair collision involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National… Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabRead more

WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) – The official who led the Federal Aviation Administration response to the fatal January 2025 collision between an Army ​helicopter and an American Airlines regional passenger jet that killed 67 ‌people near Reagan Washington National Airport is stepping down next week.

Deputy FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau, who had been named acting administrator days before the fatal crash, told employees in ​an email seen by Reuters he was leaving the agency for a ​new opportunity.

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The FAA’s general counsel, Liam McKenna, will serve as ⁠acting deputy administrator.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the collision was caused ​by the FAA’s decision to allow helicopters to travel close to the airport ​with no safeguards to separate them from airplanes and its failure to review data and act on recommendations to move helicopter traffic away from the airport.

Rocheleau, who served as acting ​head of the FAA until July and has continued to oversee safety ​issues as deputy administrator, acknowledged the data was troubling, telling Congress last year: “Clearly something was ‌missed.”

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The ⁠NTSB said last year that since 2021, there were more than 15,200 occurrences at Reagan between commercial airplanes and helicopters with lateral separation distance of less than 1 nautical mile and vertical separation of less than 400 feet.

The FAA has ​made a number of ​changes since the ⁠collision, including revising helicopter routes at several airports, and in March suspended use of visual separation between airplanes and ​helicopters near major airports.

Last year, the FAA barred the Army ​from helicopter ⁠flights around the Pentagon after a May 2025 close call that forced two civilian planes to abort landings.

In January, the FAA announced a restructuring and created ⁠a new ​safety oversight office to consolidate functions across five ​different units.

As part of the restructuring, the FAA is creating a safety management system and implementing ​an FAA-wide safety risk management process.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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Hair sample found at Nancy Guthrie’s home inconclusive as search for missing mother hits 6-month mark

July 30, 2026 7:14 PM EDT / CBS News

By Jonathan Vigliotti, Amanda Arden

A hair sample that underwent forensic testing after being found at the Tucson, Arizona, home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie, came back inconclusive and did not point to a suspect, the sheriff overseeing the local investigation told CBS News on Thursday.

“It came back with no results,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. The sheriff’s department said the results from the hair sample were verified in early June. Thursday was the first time they shared that information publicly.

Nanos noted there was blood and other DNA found at the scene that is also still being analyzed, but has so far also yielded no results.

“I know that there was blood at the scene and so that was also part of the processing of the scene,” Nanos said.

CBS News previously reported in May that a DNA sample that was sent by sheriff’s detectives to a private laboratory in Florida was then forwarded to the FBI’s crime lab in Quantico, Virginia. Officials did not confirm, however, any details about that sample or whether it was the hair sample in question.

“We have a lot of DNA that is being looked at by credible scientists around the country who know and understand what they have in front of them and they understand the rules that they have to play by,” Nanos said.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on the evening of Jan. 31 when she was dropped off after dining at the home of her daughter Annie. Security video from Nancy Guthrie’s home showed a suspect at her front door in the early morning hours of Feb. 1.

Investigators have said they believe Guthrie was likely abducted, and at least two ransom notes were sent in the days after she went missing.

“Even when a case goes cold, we don’t give up on it,” Nanos said. “We continue to work it. This one’s far from being cold. God forbid this ever takes 50 years, but it could.”

Other than the surveillance video from Guthrie’s home that was released earlier in the investigation, no new video has been recovered. And it appears the suspect or suspects evaded traffic cameras.

Asked if he believes the suspects could be local to the Tucson area, Nanos said “absolutely.”

“Do I have evidence of it? No,” Nanos said. “But let’s look at crime across the country, around the world, who by far, 90%, 95% of your criminals are where? Right here locally.”

On Monday, Savannah Guthrie posted a video to social media directed at her mother’s kidnappers.

“So I’m asking you, begging you to do the right thing now,” she said in the clip. “Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.”

The sheriff on Thursday also addressed the criticism that was previously levied against him by FBI Director Kash Patel, who claimed the sheriff’s department was slow to involve the FBI in the case.

“I’ve never talked to him,” Nanos said of Patel. “No, I have no reason to. If I needed him, I’m sure I could talk to him. What I need is to know that his team and my team are working close together and that absolutely they are and they have been for decades.”

Nanos said he is optimistic that the case will be resolved “based on all the evidence before me.”

“The bottom line here is this: We know more than you will ever know, because that’s how investigations work,” he said.

Anna Schecter contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/savannah-guthrie-speaks-out-new-details-revealed-nancys-case/

‘We’re going back to look at the transcripts’: Sen. Jordan on if he thinks Dr. Fauci should be held in contempt of congress

5:19 PM EDT, Thu July 30, 2026 / CNN

By Kasie Hunt, CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/politics/video/the-arena-jim-jordan-anthony-fauci-hearing
‘We’re going back to look at the transcripts’: Rep. Jordan on if he thinks Dr. Fauci should be held in contempt of Congress

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Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan joins Kasie Hunt to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s hearing on Capitol Hill this week.

8:23 • Source: CNN

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Fox News Poll: GOP divisions shape Texas Senate race

Democratic enthusiasm keeps both Senate and gubernatorial races competitive

July 30, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

By Victoria Balara Fox News

Diverse voters weigh in on top midterm issues, rise of socialism and political shifts

Harris Faulkner hosts a ‘Voters’ Voices’ panel, exploring voter motivation, top midterm issues like the economy and the rise of socialism.

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President Donald Trump won the Lone Star state by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News Poll of Texas registered voters suggests this year’s Senate race is far less settled. Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton has yet to fully unify the GOP despite the president’s endorsement in the GOP primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

In addition, more voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character to serve than worry Democratic challenger James Talarico is too extreme, and more Democrats than Republicans are extremely motivated to vote (by 7 points) and extremely interested in the midterms (by 6).

Those dynamics give Talarico a 3-point edge over Paxton (51% vs. 48%) in the Senate contest (within the survey’s margin of sampling error).

Talarico’s advantage in the race grows to 6 points among both extremely motivated and extremely interested voters (53% vs. 47% in each group).

FOX NEWS POLL: DEMOCRATIC ENTHUSIASM SHAPES NORTH CAROLINA SENATE RACE

Most independents (68%) and virtually all Democrats support Talarico (98%), while fewer Republicans are unified behind Paxton (89%).

In part, that’s because one quarter of non-MAGA Republicans back Talarico (24%).

Paxton is the choice among White evangelical Christians, White men without a college degree, rural voters, regular worship attenders, men and voters ages 65 and older.

Some of Talarico’s best groups are Black voters, moderates, voters under age 30, Hispanic voters, women and voters with a college degree.

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“Although Paxton dominated Cornyn in the GOP primary, that bruising contest left scars,” said Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson.

“He has considerable work to do with non-MAGA Republicans and independents, and that undoubtedly requires aggressively tying Talarico to the Democratic Party’s far left.”

By a 12-point margin, more voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character to serve as a senator than believe Talarico is too extreme (59% vs. 47%).

Twice as many Republicans are concerned about Paxton’s character as Democrats are that Talarico is too extreme (36% vs. 17%).

FOX NEWS POLL: COOL YOUR SERVERS! VOTERS REJECT DATA CENTERS

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Still, about 8 in 10 Paxton and Talarico supporters say their backing is more about where the candidates stand on the issues than who they are as people.

Trump received a 55% favorable vs. 44% unfavorable rating in the 2024 Texas Fox News Voter Analysis (FNVA) election survey. Today, those numbers have flipped: 45% favorable vs. 54% unfavorable, for a minus-9 net negative rating.

Paxton garners a minus-6 net personal rating, 45% favorable vs. 51% unfavorable, while Talarico is in positive territory by 6 points, 49% vs. 43%.

Talarico is more popular than the Democratic Party while the GOP edges out Paxton.

While both parties are viewed negatively, the GOP is underwater by only 2 points (48% favorable vs. 50% unfavorable), compared with the Democratic Party at minus-9 (45% vs. 54%).

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Despite Texas being a border state, nearly 4 in 10 say inflation will be the most important issue to their Senate vote, while 2 in 10 say immigration and 1 in 10 say healthcare, political divisions and unemployment.

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By more than a 2-to-1 margin, Texas voters say they are falling behind financially rather than getting ahead (35% vs. 16%). Half are holding steady.

In the race for governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is favored by 1 point over Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

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Part of Abbott’s edge comes from a touch more crossover support: 12% of Talarico supporters back Abbott, while 9% of Paxton supporters back Hinojosa.

Hinojosa has the advantage among extremely motivated (+6) and extremely interested voters (+5).

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Abbott has a net positive personal rating by a single point (50% favorable vs. 49% unfavorable). Hinojosa is in positive territory by 11 points (45% vs. 34%), although nearly 1 in 5 are unable to rate her.

Texas last elected a Democratic governor in 1990 (Ann Richards), a Democratic Senator in 1988 (Lloyd Bentsen), and a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976 (Jimmy Carter).

A closer look at the Hispanic electorate

Hispanic voters say their Senate pick will be driven by inflation, as roughly 4 in 10 say it will be the most important issue to their vote and another 4 in 10 say they’re falling behind financially. This mostly matches views among all Texas voters.

And as is the case with voters overall, there is an enthusiasm gap, as more Hispanic Democrats than Hispanic Republicans are interested and motivated to vote in the midterms.

Overall, Hispanic voters prefer Talarico by 18 points (59% vs. 41%).

Some 9% of Hispanic GOP voters crossover to support Talarico while 5% of Hispanic Democrats favor Paxton.

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CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

In 2024, Trump topped former Vice President Kamala Harris among Hispanic voters in Texas by 1 point, according to the Texas FNVA survey (49% Harris vs. 50% Trump).

By 20 points, more Hispanic voters are concerned that Paxton lacks the character to serve as senator than feel Talarico is too extreme (61% concerned vs. 41%).

For the governor’s race, Hispanic voters back Hinojosa by 16 points in the new survey. By comparison, they preferred Beto O’Rourke over Abbott by 14 points in 2022.

More than half of Hispanic voters view Talarico (57% favorable), Hinojosa (53%), and the Democratic Party (53%) positively, while more than half have negative views of Paxton (56% unfavorable), Abbott (56%), Trump (61%), and the Republican Party (59%).

Conducted July 23-27, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,006 Texas registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (72) and cellphones (681) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (253). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points.

The survey includes an oversample of 296 Hispanic voters, bringing the sample size for that subgroup to 556 (±4). Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling errors, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.

Trump says agreement has been reached for ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas; Hamas has yet to respond

2026-07-30T23:10:08.189Z / CNN

By Alejandra Jaramillo

Updated 23 min ago
Updated Jul 30, 2026, 7:38 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jul 30, 2026, 7:10 PM ET

Donald Trump The Middle East

Militants from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad stand on a street during Eid al-Fitr in Gaza City, March 20.

Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced what he described as a historic agreement to secure the disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.

As of early Thursday evening, Hamas had not confirmed the deal. CNN has reached out for comment.

“Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.”

Disarming Hamas is a critical step in implementing Trump’s multi-phase peace plan to end the war in Gaza and moving to set up a technocratic government for the strip. Mediators have been trying to negotiate with Hamas for months on implanting the plan, but there is skepticism in the region that Hamas will hold up its end of the bargain.

Earlier this month, Hamas announced that it would dissolve its government in Gaza, a move that experts say put pressure on Israel as progress from the US-brokered ceasefire plan stalled. Their statement on the move made no mention of disarmament.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli prime minister’s office for comment.

Trump said the agreement would pave the way for Gaza to be governed by “a new Palestinian government” working alongside his Board of Peace, while ensuring “Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”

Trump asserted that the agreement would be implemented in phases. As armed groups are disarmed, he wrote, Israeli forces will withdraw and an International Stabilization Force, working alongside a new Palestinian police force, will assume responsibility for security in Gaza.

The president thanked mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, as well as his administration, for helping broker the agreement.

“The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!” Trump wrote, adding, “Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.”

“CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!” Trump concluded.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Stolen Civil War-era cannonballs found in suitcase at Alabama airport

July 30, 2026 / 7:27 PM EDT / CBS/AP

A TSA agent discovered a set of stolen Civil War-era cannonballs in a passenger’s suitcase during a routine security screening at an Alabama airport earlier this month, law enforcement officials said.

The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement that the relics were discovered at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18 after the agent observed what appeared to be a large, opaque item inside a suitcase during an X-ray screening, which he initially thought might be a medicine ball. When he opened the luggage, he found five small cannonballs wrapped in paper towels and notified a supervisor.

“My first thought was, ‘I couldn’t see a fuse and need to get some help quick,’” Lead TSA Officer Justin Dupree said in a statement Friday from the agency. “I couldn’t see the entire item but was scared I might have been holding a live explosive.”

This photo provided by the TSA shows a stolen Civil War-era cannonball discovered by TSA officers in a checked bag at the Gulf Shores International Airport in Gulf Shores, Ala., on July 18, 2026. TSA via AP

“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” Dupree said. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”

The cannonballs — the largest about the size of grapefruits and weighing about as much as a shot put ball — were inactive and didn’t contain any explosive material or active components, the TSA said. Still, cannonballs are artillery munitions and considered prohibited items on planes.

“I had never seen anything like this,” Supervisory TSA Officer Richard Cash said in a statement. “It was my first time dealing with a potentially live explosive, and it’s actually only the second incident we’ve had since JKA opened in May 2025.”

Police eventually determined the cannonballs were stolen from Fort Morgan, based on paint marking applied to the artifacts by fort staff, and that they dated to the American Civil War. The historic Gulf Shores fort played a significant role in several military conflicts, including the Civil War.

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that a juvenile stole the cannonballs from a storage area in the fort and then placed them in their grandmother’s checked bag. The grandmother told officers she did not know they were stolen.

Spokespersons for Fort Morgan didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. The sheriff’s office said the institution declined to press charges, and the artifacts were returned to the fort.

TSA has been screening more than 2 million passengers a day this summer and has encountered some unusual items in travelers’ luggage. This summer alone, TSA has found two live smoke grenades, an inert grenade, a pipe bomb look-alike and a samurai sword hidden in a guitar case.