Close aides, but no Cabinet officials, joined Trump in airport catering truck  —  The president was accompanied by the White House deputy chief of staff, his executive assistant and the director of Oval Office operations, according to a U.S. official.  —  Summary

A Stunning Upset in Wisconsin Shows the Limits of the Left  —  Francesca Hong's defeat in the Democratic primary for governor defied expectations and may have shown the democratic socialist wave cannot reach beyond urban centers.  —  The Democratic establishment finally struck back at the surging populist left.

Multiple USS Abraham Lincoln sailors have tried to go overboard amid extended deployment, families say  —  Annabelle Loma has spoken with her husband only a few times since he attempted to jump overboard from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during his current deployment.

Pirro Quietly Convenes Rare Special Grand Jury in DC, Fueling Fears of a Trump Prosecution Weapon  —  According to exclusive reporting from the Washington Post, the Justice Department has quietly convened a special grand jury in Washington, D.C., a rare legal tool that could give federal prosecutors …

They Spoke English, Wore U.S. Flags and Attacked Fishermen.  Who Were They?  —  Ecuadorean crews plying the waters of the Pacific have been targeted by a mysterious outfit equipped with drones.  Some sailors appear to have lost their lives.  —  Far out in the Pacific Ocean …

Sources: Josh Kushner, Bob Iger to buy Lakers for $12.5B  —  The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, multiple sources told ESPN.  —  The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn …

He Was Deported to a Country He'd Never Heard of.  He May Never Go Free. … Roberto Mosquera in detention in Eswatini.  —  As he stepped out of the American military cargo plane, Roberto Mosquera still couldn't tell where he was or why he had been taken there.

Lindell alleges voting irregularities, refuses to concede  —  My Pillow founder Mike Lindell is refusing to concede in Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary, alleging irregularities in the vote totals.  —  The businessman, who is backed by President Trump, lost to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa DeMuth …

Trump administration set to spend at least $900 million on White House construction  —  The price tag is much larger than what has been previously reported, according to a Post review of confidential contracts, and taxpayers would cover most of it.  —  Summary … Fountain  —  Fountain

ICE plans to give officers gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks  —  Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.  —  ICE plans to spend up to $20 million …

Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing  —  Reporting Highlights  — Ready, Fire, Aim: In a rushed process exempted from normal rules, the Army hired General Dynamics, which brought on a Turkish subcontractor with little vetting, to make artillery shells.

AOC doesn't deny breaking up with fiancé Riley Roberts, gives head-scratching response after posting egg retrieval video  —  Far-left Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez haughtily proclaimed she doesn't discuss her personal life just days after posting a video showcasing every step …

Darline Graham faces an uphill battle in South Carolina Senate runoff  —  Notching a first-place primary finish with an endorsement from President Donald Trump seems like a surefire path to victory in a deep-red state — unless you're headed into a GOP runoff in South Carolina in 2026.

JD Vance asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using Russian port  —  Washington alarmed by Kyiv's campaign on vessels collecting Kazakh oil from Novorossiysk  —  Ukraine has halted an intense campaign of drone strikes on oil tankers using a critical Black Sea port after a request …

Fighter jets intercept civilian plane over Geneva, Ohio, where Trump attended teen athletic event  —  Add CBS News on Google  —  Fighter jets intercepted a civilian plane that was flying through restricted airspace Tuesday over Geneva, Ohio, where President Trump was attending a teen athletic event, military officials said.

Nancy Pelosi calls out Biden allies who knew about his decline — despite admitting she was ‘startled’ by then-president's condition  —  WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bashed allies of former President Joe Biden Tuesday, saying those who were aware of the 46th president's cognitive decline …

Scoop: Take a look at Trump's Kennedy Center renovation plans  —  President Trump's Kennedy Center renovation would polish its Carrara marble facade, remodel its grand halls and theaters, and likely send marquee events offsite over the next few years, according to 180 pages of plans first obtained by Axios.

Transcript: Trump Blurts Out Vile Plot to Rig Midterms as GOP Unnerved  —  The following is a lightly edited transcript of the August 12 episode of the Daily Blast podcast.  Listen to it here.  —  Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network.