Anti-Weaponization Fund, Lyme Disease Test, & Pet Photography Awards

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Adam Rogers
August 04, 2026

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinded plans for a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization fund" that would have compensated people claiming they were politically targeted, removing the biggest obstacle to his confirmation as attorney general.
Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn had threatened to block Blanche's nomination unless the Justice Department agreed in writing to permanently abandon the fund. Blanche's order states no money was transferred, no claims process was created, and no payments were ever made.
The fund, announced as part of a settlement involving President Trump, drew criticism from Democrats and several Republicans, who argued it would amount to taxpayer-funded compensation for Trump's political allies. A Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche's nomination is now expected to move forward after the agreement.

JPMorgan Chase announced plans to invest $750 billion through 2035 to expand the U.S. housing supply, including financing 1 million affordable homes and helping 500,000 people purchase homes.
The investment comes as home affordability continues to deteriorate. The median existing home price reached a record $440,660 in June, while fewer than four in 10 non-homeowner households can afford a typical starter home. JPMorgan says the initiative represents a 40% increase in its housing investment compared with the previous decade.
Beyond expanding mortgage lending, JPMorgan plans to work with state and local governments to encourage zoning reforms, tax incentives and public-private partnerships aimed at increasing housing construction. Economists widely argue the U.S. housing shortage stems from years of underbuilding, making new supply critical to improving affordability.

The first at-home test designed to determine whether a tick carries the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is set to launch this month. Developed by MIT researchers, the LymeAlert kit analyzes a removed tick in about 15 minutes.
Unlike blood tests, LymeAlert analyzes the tick itself for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease rather than testing the person after symptoms develop. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by infected blacklegged ticks that can cause fever, fatigue, joint pain and, if left untreated, more serious complications affecting the heart and nervous system.
More than 31 million Americans experience a tick bite each year, leading to an estimated 476,000 Lyme disease treatments annually. Because preventive antibiotics work best within 72 hours of a high-risk tick bite, the test is designed to help people decide whether to seek medical care sooner instead of waiting days for mail-in lab results.

Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement to extend government funding through Dec. 11, aiming to avoid an October shutdown while lawmakers negotiate a longer-term spending package. (More)

Twenty-four Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration to block the Department of Homeland Security from accessing personal data on anti-poverty aid recipients. (More)

Kay Granger, the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and the first GOP woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, died Sunday at 83 after nearly three decades in the House. (More)

The Pacific island nation of Nauru officially changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, restoring its traditional name and pronunciation used in the national language. (More)

Myanmar's military government allowed detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to meet privately with a Red Cross representative, a rare moment of outside contact since 2021. (More)

Jailed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro voiced support for renewed talks between the government and opposition as negotiators work toward creating an electoral timetable. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +1.48%, Nasdaq +2.13%, Dow +1.32%). The Dow notched an all-time high driven by gains in the tech and telecom sectors. (More)

Amazon shares reached a record high, pushing the company's market capitalization above $3 trillion after quarterly earnings topped Wall Street expectations. (More)

Visa agreed to buy fraud detection firm BioCatch for $2.4 billion to strengthen its tools to combat increasingly sophisticated AI-driven financial scams. (More)

Mauricio Pochettino signed a contract extension to remain U.S. men's national team coach through the 2030 World Cup after leading the Americans to the 2026 round of 16. (More)

Ariana Grande withdrew from a planned 2027 London stage production and will take a break from public appearances after her current tour, citing ongoing public scrutiny. (More)

MLB's trade deadline concluded with several blockbuster deals, including Adley Rutschman to Boston and Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, reshaping multiple playoff contenders. (More)

Researchers found humpback whales sing specific song themes during different stages of their dives, offering new insight into the biology behind their complex breeding displays. (More)

Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, disrupted a cholesterol pathway cancer cells use to spread, though the findings are preliminary and require further study. (More)

A defunct section of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to crash into the moon Wednesday at more than 5,000 mph. (More)

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