Axios Sneak Peek  —  An extra quick Sneak Peek today, with Congress on recess and the President on a working vacation for two weeks at his New Jersey golf club.  As always, I'd love your tips and feedback: jonathan@axios.com.  And please urge your friends and colleagues to join the conversation by signing up for Sneak Peek.

Diplomats Question Tactics of Tillerson, the Executive Turned Secretary of State  —  WASHINGTON — Several times a week the State Department sends a greeting to a foreign country on the occasion of its national day.  By tradition, the salutations have been written by low-level diplomats and routinely approved by their superiors.

“Why on Earth??”  GOP senator ripped apart for health care vote at first town hall in a year  —  Sen. Cory Gardner recently held a public town hall for the first time in over a year.  And the angry response from his constituents over his vote to repeal Obamacare makes it clear why he avoided them for so long.

We need answers in Democrats' congressional IT drama  —  Something shady is going on and former Democratic National Committee chief Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz doesn't want to talk about it.  —  If a Russian-born IT specialist with longstanding ties to former Republican National Committee …

Fight over right to sue nursing homes heats up  —  Consumer groups are making a last ditch effort to stop the Trump administration from stripping nursing home residents and their families of the right to take facilities to court over alleged abuse, neglect or sexual assault.

With rising homicides in big cities, Republican governors intensify police patrols  —  Sgt. Brad Sevier conducts a traffic stop along Interstate 70 in St. Louis.  “I don't see how it can be detrimental having more law enforcement in an area that really needs more policing,” he said.

Nikki Haley: 'We're not playing anymore' with North Korea … United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley on Sunday said new sanctions against North Korea are a sign that the international community is seriously addressing the threat of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

Trump's malignant pattern: He woos people, rips them off and then abandons them — and he won't stop  —  Trump has followed the same manipulative script over and over again, in politics as in business.  We're the marks  —  Donald Trump's astonishing New York Times interview from July 19 …

‘Barack Obama Day’ Is Now an Illinois Holiday  —  Former President Barack Obama got a special treat for his birthday this year - his very own holiday.  —  Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law Friday a measure to designate Aug. 4 as “Barack Obama Day” across Illinois.

Venezuela quells attack on military base, two killed  —  VALENCIA/CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities quelled an attack on a military base near the city of Valencia by soldiers and armed civilians on Sunday, killing two of them in a dramatic escalation of unrest in the protest-convulsed South American nation.

These Americans beat Donald Trump and saved Obamacare.  They say they can do it again  —  Against all odds, mothers, people with disabilities and progressive activists convinced Republican senators to abandon their signature promise.  Thousands of activists and average Americans believe they've found …

Maxine Waters: We shouldn't be concerned about Pence, Trump should be … Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) played up reports that Vice President Pence is eyeing a 2020 presidential run on Sunday, warning that President Trump should be concerned about his second-in-command.

Bill de Blasio Will Push for Tax on Wealthy to Fix Subway  —  Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to push for a tax on wealthy New Yorkers to pay for improvements needed to address the crisis engulfing New York City's subway, city officials said on Sunday.  —  The proposal is the latest move …