Today's Headlines: Trump Threatens to Withdraw Blanche as Attorney General, Dealing Blow to Nomination
White House Claims Peace Deal Is Near in Gaza
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines
July 31, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Trump Threatens to Withdraw Blanche as Attorney General, Dealing Blow to Nomination

President Trump’s threat followed a day of fruitless negotiations with two Republican holdouts, Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.

Trump Says Peace Board Has Plan for Gaza Disarmament

There was no immediate comment from Hamas or Israel, though the Board of Peace said Hamas had agreed to a “road map” to give up its weapons.

Spain Mobilizes Military as Thousands of Migrants Cross Into Ceuta

The arrivals in Ceuta, a six-mile-long peninsula on Morocco’s northern coast that Spain has governed for centuries, have fueled political tensions.

World

Political Turmoil Will Not Derail Killer Robot Program, Former Minister Says

The recently ousted Ukrainian defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, an advocate for drone and robot warfare, says Ukraine’s tech-heavy strategy will persist.

A Ton of Space Junk Tumbles Unpredictably to Earth Every Week

Flaming chunks of metal crash into homes, farms and parking lots. Who’s to blame? And who pays for the damage?

10 Climbers Feared Missing After Avalanche in Pakistan

Nirmal Purja, an influential mountaineer, was part of a group struck by an avalanche on Broad Peak, an alpine organization said. A search effort was being mobilized.

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U.S.

Seattle’s Police Chief Resigns Under Pressure After Festival Shooting

The decision followed days of criticism over how the department handled the release of information about a shooting that killed three people.

Texans Try New Tactic to Remove Ten Commandments From Schools: Texas Law

A lawsuit filed by three parents argues that the displays violate a state religious freedom law and asks for them to be removed before school starts in August.

Dulles Airport’s Reviled ‘People Movers’ May Be Lurching Into the Sunset

A $22.5 billion redesign plan eliminates the “mobile lounges,” which were conceived as a way of making air travel more efficient. Many passengers found the opposite to be true.

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Politics

Fauci, Assailed by Republicans, Took the Fifth. Here’s What We Know.

In a three-hour Senate hearing this week, Dr. Fauci invoked his constitutional right to stay silent, leaving people confused about many of the issues raised.

Kennedy Center Halts Free Public Tours After Five Decades of Service

The decision to suspend tours indefinitely came after a volunteer tour guide was featured in a Times article detailing President Trump’s dramatic revamp of the Kennedy Center.

Defying Trump, Cornyn Uses His Lame-Duck Power

In standing in the way of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s choice for attorney general, a liberated Senator John Cornyn is wielding his leverage.

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Business

In Another Wild Day for South Korean Stocks, Market Surges 18 Percent

After a recent sell-off, South Korea’s stock market rallied as concerns about overspending on artificial intelligence eased, sending the country’s chip shares higher.

Bond Investors’ Inflation Angst Rises on Fed’s Lack of Guidance

The yield on government bonds, which underpins borrowing costs from mortgages to business loans, remained elevated over concerns about the Federal Reserve’s efforts to contain inflation.

Floundering A.I. ‘Nostradamus’ Hedge Fund Is Rescued by Rival

The once-high-flying firm Situational Awareness, whose founder is 24, has been bailed out by Kenneth Griffin’s Citadel, according to three people briefed on the transaction.

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Technology

Anthropic Says Its A.I. Systems Broke Into Computers at 3 Organizations

The disclosure followed OpenAI’s report last week that its own artificial intelligence had hacked into the network of an online library.

In Silicon Valley, Some Say an A.I. Bubble Would Be Just Fine

As fears spread over a possible artificial intelligence bubble, some tech investors say: Bring it on.

Apple’s Profit Is Up 27%, but Expectations for Current Quarter Disappoint

The company recently raised prices on a number of products because of component supply shortages caused by the artificial intelligence boom.

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New York

Mamdani Leaves Door Open to Paying Reparations to Black New Yorkers

The mayor said in recent interviews that it was important to acknowledge the city’s role in slavery but that he could not commit to payouts before his racial equity commission completes its report.

Tossed Tuna and Furloughed Workers: Midtown’s ‘Frozen Zone’ Scrapes By

For nearly three weeks, restaurants and other small businesses in the shadow of the former Pfizer building were shut when the tower began to buckle.

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Arts

After Claiming ‘Bias’ at Smithsonian, Trump Officials Stage Patriotic Exhibition

Trump officials have promised to “make visual arts great,” with a museum exhibition that includes artwork by several people with personal connections to the planners.

In Queens, a Fantastical Garden Featuring a 25-Foot-Long Teddy Bear

Ahead of their installation at MoMA PS1, the artist Precious Okoyomon discusses finding inspiration in an empty room and embracing absurdity.

The Folk Singer Linda Perhacs Is Found and Is Safe, Authorities Confirm