White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to Step Down
President Donald Trump has announced that Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August to spend more time with her young children and family. Leavitt, who served as a Trump press aide during his first term and became the youngest person to hold the briefing-room role, has been one of the most visible advocates of his “Make America Great Again” movement.
Although she is leaving the press secretary post, Leavitt is expected to remain a senior adviser to the president in an outside capacity. The White House has not yet named a successor, though several potential contenders are already being floated in Washington.
ICE Plans Electric Shock Gloves for Enforcement Officers
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to buy high-tech gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks for officers in the field, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice. The agency could spend up to $20 million to acquire thousands of the devices, known as GLOVEs, by March. The manufacturer says the shock is usually effective in bringing individuals into compliance in less than three seconds.
The department has described the gloves as a de-escalation tool, but immigrant-rights advocates and other critics are alarmed, arguing that the devices could encourage agents to use more force during immigration enforcement operations.
U.S. Ambassador Calls West Bank Settler Siege 'Terror'
Israeli settlers have besieged Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra since Sunday, trapping residents inside and cutting water and electricity. At least two families have been trapped for days, and one of the homes is owned by a Palestinian American. Medical care has reportedly been blocked, and Israeli security forces are said to have withdrawn from the site while about a dozen settlers remained.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the assault, calling the settlers “terrorists” and the siege a “horrific act of terror.” Israel has said more troops will be sent to the village, and the standoff has continued after an earlier eviction effort failed to keep extremists away.
Kennedy Center Board Votes to Restore Trump's Name
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has voted again to move forward with President Donald Trump’s plan to inscribe his name on the building and to close the main campus for a $250 million renovation. The board is largely composed of Trump appointees.
The vote sets up a new test of a federal judge’s order that temporarily blocked a similar closure this summer and ruled that only Congress could order a name change. The center has until next week to present its revised plan to the judge.
Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Against Harvard University
A federal judge in Boston has dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit accusing Harvard University of failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from harassment during campus protests over the war in Gaza. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns ruled Thursday that the administration failed to plausibly show an ongoing violation of federal civil rights laws, describing the incidents as “isolated and episodic.”
NTSB: Broken Engine Parts Shattered Ryanair Window in July
A preliminary report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has found that broken engine parts shattered a window on a Ryanair flight on July 10, causing a passenger to be partly sucked out of the aircraft. An engine fan blade broke off shortly after takeoff on the flight from Greece to Germany. Investigators also found bird remains and feathers on the broken engine.
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election and Returns to Parliament
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has won the Clacton by-election and returned to the British Parliament. Official results gave him about 63 percent of the vote, while his best-known rival, the satirical candidate Count Binface, finished second with 27 percent, a personal best.
Farage triggered the snap contest after resigning his seat last month amid an investigation into his financial declarations. He did not attend the count in Essex, where officials said a robust policing operation was in place.
Luigi Mangione in Talks on Possible Guilty Plea
Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York in 2024, is in discussions about a possible guilty plea on federal charges, according to sources familiar with the matter. A plea deal could allow him to avoid a federal trial and a possible life sentence, though such an agreement would not automatically resolve the separate state charges he faces.
Passenger Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
A passenger train derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in East Sussex on Thursday, leaving at least two carriages on their side. Emergency services responded to the scene and reported no deaths or serious injuries, but rail services in the area faced major disruption.
Illinois Gas Station Sold $1 Billion Powerball Ticket
A single Powerball ticket sold at a Hy‑Vee gas station in Quincy, Illinois, won the $1 billion jackpot in Wednesday night’s drawing. The prize is the eighth largest in Powerball history and the biggest of the year, ending a three‑month run without a top‑prize winner.
Former Australian Catholic Bishop Convicted of Sexual Abuse
Christopher Alan Saunders, the former Catholic bishop of Broome, has been convicted in a West Australian district court of 13 sex offences and acquitted of six others, Australian media reported. The court found him guilty of sexually abusing two young Aboriginal men.
The case involved allegations that Saunders, 76, hosted alcohol-fuelled gatherings at which the abuse occurred.