News from the Note…
A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.
This is an OPEN THREAD, folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.
The Pentagon faces an urgent budget shortfall caused largely by the war in Iran, with some critical lines of funding set to run out within weeks even as President Trump escalates the conflict with Tehran, according to lawmakers and current and former U.S. officials. https://wapo.st/3R5bnKP
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) July 21, 2026 at 2:30 PM
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NEW: Trump vows U.S. will soon bomb Iran's Pickaxe Mountain
— Axios (@axios.com) July 21, 2026 at 12:55 PM
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Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels deep inside a mountain last fall, Israeli and U.S. officials say, a development that would heighten concerns that Tehran could reconstitute its nuclear program.
— The Wall Street Journal (@wsj.com) July 20, 2026 at 10:40 PM
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The U.S. military has identified a soldier killed disarming a drone in Iraq as Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, of North Carolina.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) July 21, 2026 at 10:12 AM
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President Donald Trump pledged to help Lebanon "a lot" during a White House meeting on Tuesday with the country's leader, Joseph Aoun, who came to push for long-term calm after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. https://to.pbs.org/4fnzpKp
— PBS News (@pbsnews.org) July 21, 2026 at 2:33 PM
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House GOP clears procedural hurdle for short-term funding bill, ‘Reconciliation 3.0’
— Politico (@politico.com) July 21, 2026 at 2:47 PM
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US judge blocks Trump administration from stripping immigrants of work permits reut.rs/4fpucjN
— Reuters (@reuters.com) July 21, 2026 at 1:25 PM
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The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced Jay Clayton's nomination for director of national intelligence on Tuesday, despite opposition from Democrats following his confirmation hearing earlier this month.
— CBS News (@cbsnews.com) July 21, 2026 at 2:40 PM
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US Health Secretary Kennedy says CMS is pausing Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota reut.rs/4fNQtck
— Reuters (@reuters.com) July 21, 2026 at 11:10 AM
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Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin is launching an investigation into whether Jeffrey Epstein acted as an unregistered foreign agent for multiple countries, requesting records from the Trump administration on the scope of the late convicted sex offender's foreign ties. https://cnn.it/4ywJXOv
— CNN (@cnn.com) July 21, 2026 at 9:30 AM
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Troy Jackson has just more than 100 days to build a statewide campaign in one of the country’s most pivotal Senate races and he’s about to face an intense, new level of scrutiny under the bright lights of the national stage.
— NBC News (@nbcnews.com) July 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
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The Trump administration is quietly moving to revise a decades-old rule governing historic preservation of buildings and landscapes that, if passed, would ease the path for constructing the president’s pet projects in Washington. https://cnn.it/4vCnsoN
— CNN (@cnn.com) July 21, 2026 at 12:32 PM
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