Sen. Mazie Hirono opened Todd Blanche’s attorney general confirmation hearing with the same sexual-misconduct screening questions she has used for nominees since 2018. The exchange on July 15 put renewed attention on a routine Hirono says is meant to test a nominee’s fitness for office.

The Department of Homeland Security on July 15 said rhetoric and “Know Your Rights” outreach from Democratic leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gov. Gavin Newsom, is contributing to violence against federal immigration officers. The agency said assaults on ICE officers have risen 1,300%, while California officials continue to frame their materials as constitutional-rights guidance.

The last time a living U.S. president appeared on American coinage was in 1926, when Calvin Coolidge was placed alongside George Washington on a commemorative half dollar. Of roughly 1 million coins struck for the sesquicentennial, about 860,000 were later melted after failing to sell.

A new Pentagon policy requiring annual testosterone deficiency screening for service members 30 and older quickly drew criticism from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who said it sounded like “gender-affirming care” despite the department’s restrictions on transgender-related treatment. The announcement has opened a broader debate over military readiness, hormone therapy, and who will be covered under the new program.