Tinubu orders probe into phantom Nigerian government agency
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into a fake government agency, signaling a crackdown on impersonation and fraud within public institutions.
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Trans woman sentenced to 63 months for Capitol plot targeting a government official
Riley Jane English, a transgender woman, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempting to kill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during his confirmation at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 27, 2025, and to carrying a dangerous weapon. Prosecutors sought at least 10 years; U.S. District Judge Rudolf Contreras imposed the sentence, noting that no one was harmed and that mitigating factors applied. English traveled from Massachusetts with a knife and two Molotov cocktails, had considered other targets, and will receive credit for about 20 months already served plus three years of probation. The defense asked for placement in a female facility; English reportedly has serious mental health and substance-use issues, and a handwritten note indicated remorse.
Palm Beach Clerk Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Charges, Suspended by Governor
Palm Beach County Clerk Michael Caruso, a DeSantis appointee, was arrested on five felony counts—including kidnapping and child molestation—after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began investigating abuse reports from a relative; Gov. DeSantis suspended him, he is being held without bail, and prosecutors say more charges are expected as the probe continues.
Taiwan Hit by Overseas AI-Driven Cyber Attack on Government Agencies
Taiwan reports an overseas, AI-assisted cyberattack on government agencies starting 20 July, using autonomous AI tools to breach at least 85 user accounts and extract thousands of personnel records before expanding to the nuclear safety agency and several energy companies; authorities say it’s a first-of-its-kind breach, with ongoing investigations and strengthened monitoring and protective guidelines, while attribution remains unconfirmed though China-linked activity is suspected by some reports.
SSA Expands Compassionate Allowances With 14 New Conditions
The Social Security Administration added 14 health conditions to its compassionate allowances list, bringing the total to 314 conditions and speeding disability-benefit approvals for people with serious illnesses. The additions include cancers, adult brain disorders, and several rare pediatric conditions (such as Aicardi syndrome and Warburg micro syndrome). SSA uses automated screening to fast-track eligible applications, while non-eligible cases can still take six to eight months for standard disability determinations. Public submissions and expert input help guide future additions.
Senate approves short-term funding to avert shutdown, curbs grant power
The Senate approved a stopgap bill funding the government through Dec. 11 to avert a shutdown ahead of the midterm elections, including money for housing, nutrition and veterans’ health programs, while also temporarily blocking the White House budget office from expanding political appointee influence over discretionary grants. The measure still must pass the House, where support is uncertain, and it centers on a grant-provision critics say could politicize funding. Lawmakers are negotiating a broader budget deal before Sept. 30 funding runs out, with debates over larger Iran-related spending and election provisions remaining unsettled.
Pentagon Unveils Fifth UFO Document Dump With 41 New Files
The Pentagon released its fifth batch of UFO-related materials, including 41 new documents, images, and videos, continuing public disclosure prompted by a Trump executive order calling for the records to be made public.
GAO Flags Ethics-Training Gaps for DOGE Staff in the White House
GAO reviewed 206 Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel in the Executive Office of the President from Jan 2025 to Jan 2026, including 27 special government employees, with roles at USDS, the White House Office, and OMB (and some detailees/volunteers). Although EOP says DOGE staff receive ethics and records-management training, GAO could not verify due to lack of access to training records and financial disclosures. Nine agencies provided data on 64 DOGE personnel, showing 49 ethics trainings, 18 records-management trainings, and 38 financial disclosures, but some cases appeared to be out of the home-agency record. The Office of Government Ethics noted limited oversight of DOGE and no plans to review USDS’s ethics program, particularly after the temporary DOGE structure ended on July 4, 2026. GAO also found that EOP did not respond to requests for interviews.
GAO Flags Transparency Gaps in DOGE's Wall of Receipts Savings
GAO finds that DOGE’s Wall of Receipts savings claims—covering contracts, grants, and leases—are not transparently calculated and lack data-quality disclosures. As of July 7, 2026, the page lists $110 billion in savings, but issues include 108 of 264 leases described as terminated that were already in process before DOGE existed, 96% of grant savings with unknown calculation methods, and a DoD IT contract showing no actual savings after supposed termination; DOGE has not updated the site or explained data limitations. GAO recommends prominently displaying data quality issues, but DOGE did not respond to inquiries.
White House Pushes GOP-Only Reconciliation Blueprint Ahead of August Recess
White House officials are pressing Senate Republicans to advance a GOP-only reconciliation blueprint (reconciliation 3.0) before the August recess, aiming to embed as much of the SAVE America Act as possible—defense funding, farm aid, and voter-ID/citizenship provisions—while delaying any debt-limit increase to a future package and preserving cross-committee flexibility to navigate jurisdiction challenges.
USPTO's Acting Leader Steers Back to Private Sector Amid Backlog Battle
Deputy USPTO Director Coke Morgan Stewart, who also served as Acting USPTO Director since January 2025, informed staff she will depart the agency by week’s end to return to the private sector. Stewart is credited with aggressive backlog reduction and patent-policy shifts, including PTAB workload management and the ‘settled expectations’ doctrine, as she led the agency through a pandemic-era staffing and workload crisis. Her prior experience spans USPTO leadership roles, Virginia’s Deputy Attorney General, and private practice at O’Melveny & Myers. A successor has not been announced.
New Jersey Bans Personal-Data Driven Grocery Pricing
Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act, banning surveillance pricing and prohibiting grocery stores from using shoppers’ digital history, biometric, or genetic data to tailor prices. The law creates a private right of action for consumers and allows the state to sue retailers, with penalties up to $10,000 for a first offense and $20,000 for subsequent violations. It also pauses electronic shelf labels for a year while the state studies potential misuse and takes effect Aug. 1, 2027. The measure does not ban dynamic pricing or loyalty programs, and makes New Jersey an early adopter of limits on personalized pricing.
Burnham assumes PM role with housing pledge and cabinet shake-up
Andy Burnham becomes UK prime minister, replacing Keir Starmer, and unveils an agenda to end rough sleeping with £340m over five years, launch a 10-year plan to rebuild the economy, and bring life’s essentials under public control, alongside cost‑of‑living relief and education reforms; his cabinet includes John Healey as chancellor, Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, Shabana Mahmood as home secretary, and Louise Haigh heading the Cabinet Office as first secretary of state, with further appointments expected. In a lectern-free Downing Street address, Burnham stressed restoring stability after political churn and followed Starmer’s farewell.
Burnham forms new Labour cabinet, reshaping senior posts
Andy Burnham has unveiled his first Labour cabinet after taking over from Sir Keir Starmer, naming John Healey as chancellor, Louise Haigh as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and first secretary of state, Ed Miliband as foreign secretary, Shabana Mahmood as home secretary, Yvette Cooper as health secretary, and Pat McFadden as work and pensions secretary; Haigh will also run a new Number 10 North unit to rebalance power to regions. Burnham says the line-up shifts power away from Whitehall, aims to reform utilities and housing, and keeps Labour’s pledge not to raise core income tax, VAT, or National Insurance.
The DOGE Experiment Didn’t Die—Its Echoes Remain in Washington
Even after DOGE’s sunset on July 4, 2026, its radical cost-cutting left a lasting footprint: alumni remain in key agencies—from the Pentagon to the State Department and SSA—shaping policy and digitization through the National Design Studio, while lawsuits persist, costs linger, and federal spending rose instead of collapsing as promised.