Trump Announces Intelligence Declassification on China Meddling During Elections
Trump said the declassified information revealed the “largest compromise of election data in history” in which he said China illegally acquired 220 million U.S. voter files.
“That information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences,” he said.
Trump called it an “unprecedented election security nightmare.”
In addition, he said, members of security agencies were involved in knowingly downplaying and suppressing the extent of this information.
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Trump also said intelligence indicated that China implemented policies in 2018 “in an effort to reduce [his] votes and make him resign or prevent his reelection.”
Rubio Calls to Address Rising Global Left-Wing Terrorism Threat
In his speech, Rubio mentioned groups like Antifa, which have been on the rise in recent years, and addressed the horrors of communism.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers opening remarks during the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism at the State Department in Washington on July 16, 2026. Finn Gomez/Getty Images
Darline Graham Nordone Sworn in as Senator Following Lindsey Graham’s Death
Graham, 71, died from an aortic dissection due to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Nordone was sworn in by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, and she will serve the rest of his term, which ends in January 2027.
Graham had served in the Senate since 2002, after serving in the House of Representatives between 1995 and 2003.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announces Darline Graham Nordone as replacement for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) remaining term outside the Governor’s South Carolina State House office in Columbia, S.C., on July 13, 2026. Grant Baldwin/Getty Images
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Blankets Northeast United States
Massive plumes of smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed much of the Midwest and eastern United States on July 16 and 17, prompting the National Weather Service to issue air quality advisories as firefighters in Canada continue to work to keep the fires under control.
Air quality alerts have been issued by the National Weather Service across the Upper Midwest and into the Northeast, with the Canadian government recording at least 895 wildfires still active as of July 17.
The highest Air Quality Index (AQI) record as of July 17 was in North Central Minnesota at 806, as recorded by AirNow, the EPA’s air quality tracking website, with 0-50 being considered healthy.
On July 17, IQ Air, the Swiss air quality platform, ranked Detroit, Chicago, and Washington as the three most polluted cities in the world.
Several states have issued mask recommendations for outdoor commuting, including New York State, which is distributing N95 masks to communities.
People sit near the Brooklyn Bridge as wildfire smoke from Canada causes hazy conditions in New York City on July 16, 2026. Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images
2 Deaths Recorded as Floods Devastate Texas
Around 2,700 personnel and 1,500 vehicles and aircraft have been deployed to help deal with the crisis.
Hill County is still recovering from catastrophic flash floods that bombarded the Guadalupe River on July 4, 2025, killing 135 people, including children and counselors at Camp Mystic.
Sheds are displaced near an overpass on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Kerrville, Texas, on July 17, 2026. Flash floods swept across parts of Central Texas, bringing torrential rainfall, prompting evacuations, and triggering hundreds of water rescues. At least two people have been killed, and more than 200 others have been rescued. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
United States Designates 2 Mexican Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Groups
The United States designated two Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations on July 16.
This comes as a larger crackdown by the Trump administration on Mexican cartels and other foreign organizations like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua that officials said have been terrorizing Americans on U.S. soil.
Particularly, Mexican cartels are being blamed for their part in sending fentanyl into the United States, which has contributed to the country’s deadly opioid crisis in recent years.
President Donald Trump, on his inauguration, signed the presidential action “Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
A sign outside the State Department in Washington on July 11, 2025. Saule Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Hegseth Announces New Testosterone Measures for Military
In a video titled “The High-T Department of War” published on X on July 15, Hegseth announced the start of a new screening program for testosterone deficiency.
“Our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter,” Hegseth said.
Service members 30 years old or over will have their testosterone levels checked as part of the annual health assessments and will be given treatment recommendations.
“It’s about restoring your natural capability, protecting your longevity, ensuring you have the biological foundation needed to sustain the fight,” Hegseth said.
Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers remarks before a NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on June 18, 2026. John Thys/AFP via Getty Images
