Iran War Costs Soar as Political Scandals, Surveillance Abuses and Corporate Accountability Dominate the News
Today’s major news exposes a country confronting the mounting costs of war, political misconduct, invasive surveillance, foreign influence concerns and corporate complicity. From new allegations involving Representative Max Miller to questions about Israeli political activity, ICE detention financing, Flock camera access and the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Harvard, the common thread is the urgent need for transparency and public accountability.
Key Developments
- An Arizona complaint alleging Israeli election interference claims that Brad Parscale’s FARA registered company, Clock Tower X, conducted Israeli funded digital influence work that may violate federal restrictions on foreign participation in United States elections. The filing represents an allegation and does not establish that election laws were violated.
- Citizens Bank is ending its private prison lending relationships with CoreCivic and GEO Group after sustained public pressure, local divestment campaigns and scrutiny of the companies’ roles in ICE detention. Citizens attributes the decision to changing business conditions rather than political pressure.
- The Iran war has cost an estimated $37.5 billion, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as the Pentagon seeks billions in additional funding and argues that it does not need a new congressional authorization for the conflict.
- A bipartisan Senate proposal would expand the $35 insulin cap beyond Medicare recipients to include most privately insured patients while creating additional assistance for people without insurance. The legislation would substantially broaden access but would not automatically make every insulin purchase cost $35.
- Public court records detail allegations against Andrew and Tristan Tate, including claims involving recruitment, coercion, webcam operations and human trafficking. The report carefully distinguishes statements preserved in court records from allegations that have not resulted in final convictions.
- Ohio voters will choose their congressional nominees on August 18 as Representative Max Miller faces growing scrutiny over allegations concerning his conduct and personal relationships. The race has become a test of whether accountability concerns can reshape a congressional primary.
- Max Miller’s wife has accused him of drug use amid an increasingly contentious divorce involving competing allegations. The claims remain contested and should not be presented as proven facts.
- Washington has labeled Cuba a center of modern communism as the Trump administration escalates its ideological and diplomatic campaign against the Cuban government. The designation could help justify additional economic pressure and restrictive policies affecting both governments and civilians.
- A Flock executive accessed a camera inside a children’s gymnastics room, according to a Dunwoody resident who questioned why that specific private camera was viewed during an alleged sales demonstration. The city reportedly could not produce information confirming the demonstration agreement cited as authorization.
- A new executive order targets defense supply chain vulnerabilities by directing greater scrutiny of contractors, subcontractors and foreign controlled suppliers. The order seeks to reduce reliance on adversarial nations while increasing domestic and allied production of critical materials and components.
- New records describe additional allegations against Max Miller, including accusations involving assault, misogynistic language and verbal threats. Miller disputes allegations against him, and the claims remain part of ongoing legal and political disputes.
- A Trump lawsuit has exposed his trust to document discovery after a federal judge ordered the Trump Revocable Trust to produce records. The ruling illustrates how litigation initiated by Trump can create disclosure obligations for his own financial and organizational entities.
- The Iran conflict continues to threaten regional stability as military exchanges, maritime threats and pressure on vital shipping routes increase the possibility of a broader regional confrontation. The situation also poses escalating risks to civilians, energy markets and international trade.
- Democrat Brian Poindexter has tripled his available campaign cash while working to narrow Representative Max Miller’s financial advantage. The fundraising improvement suggests that Miller’s district may attract greater Democratic attention as allegations against the incumbent accumulate.
- The Justice Department is investigating Harvard’s financial aid programs over alleged connections to China, extending the Trump administration’s wider confrontation with the university. Harvard faces increasing federal scrutiny involving funding, admissions, international relationships and institutional governance.
Featured Resisters and Resources
- The Epstein Files Transparency Tracker is a searchable research platform that organizes names, relationships, timelines, news reports, and source material connected to Jeffrey Epstein and the public release of government records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
- East Wing Restoration is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the representation of Democratic women in state legislatures across the United States. The organization identifies, recruits, trains, and supports women candidates who are running for state legislative office, with a particular focus on building long term political leadership and strengthening representative democracy.
What We Are Watching Today
- 5:27 AM EDT
Secretary of State Rubio Speaks After Talks With Chinese Counterpart in Manila - 7:00 AM EDT
Washington Journal 07/22/2026 - 9:39 AM EDT
NYC Mayor Mamdani (D) Holds News Conference - 9:46 AM EDT
President Trump Departs for Dignified Transfer - 10:00 AM EDT
U.S. Forest Service Chief Testifies on Agency Operations and Preparedness Live - 10:00 AM EDT
U.S. Senate Live - 10:00 AM EDT
U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer Testifies on Pres. Trump’s Trade & Tariff Policy Live - 11:00 AM EDT
U.S. House of Representatives - 11:00 AM EDT
U.S. Secret Service Holds News Conference - 11:00 AM EDT
U.S. Senate Candidate Scott Brown (R-NH) Speaks to Veterans in Concord, NH - 11:30 AM EDT
Michigan Democratic Candidate for Governor Jocelyn Benson Visits Black-Owned Barber Shop in Saginaw - 12:30 PM EDT
Ohio Republican Candidate for Governor Vivek Ramaswamy Delivers Remarks in Euclid - 2:00 PM EDT
Former Immigration Officials Testify on Conditions at Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center - 2:00 PM EDT
Pres. Trump on U.S. Economy with Georgia Candidates - 2:30 PM EDT
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Hold Meeting on Todd Blanche Nomination
Today’s Call to Action
1. Read Today’s Resistance Survival Guides
2. Sign these Petitions and Send These Pre Written Letters
- Click here to send a message to your representative urging them to pass the End Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies Act and end taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil’s war profiteering.
- Sign and submit an official comment opposing a new Trump administration proposal that could kick millions of Americans off Medicaid, primarily because of additional paperwork. The official comment period closes in 10 days.
- Please add your name to my petition denouncing Donald Trump for approving only 23% of disaster aid requests from blue states, compared to 89% for red states.
- The Workers Circle is mobilizing our members across the country to stand with them… and we need your name on this petition today. Will you take just 30 seconds to demand justice for this latest victim of the ICE Deportation Machine?
- Please add your name to my petition: It’s long past time that we elect the president by national popular vote. If Democrats win control of enough states after the 2026 to make this possible–and they are closer than you might think–they need to follow through.
- Sign and send a quick, clear and simple petition to your U.S. senators: Reject Todd Blanche for Attorney General.
- Sign and send a message to the office of the Maine Attorney General demanding a full and transparent investigation into the killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by ICE agents in Maine.
- Sign and send a petition your members of Congress: Do not cut Social Security. Instead, pass legislation protecting and expanding our earned benefits by removing the income cap on Social Security taxes.
- Please add your name to my petition: When Democrats take power in Congress, one of their first orders of business should be investigating and exposing Trump administration weaponization of the government against Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies. I will submit the signatures to Democratic leaders after the midterms.
- Sign the petition to the Treasury Department: Keep Donald Trump’s signature and image off our money.
- Tell the Maine Attorney General: conduct a full independent investigation into ICE’s killing of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero.
3. Verify your voter registration status and help at least one other person check theirs
4. Save contact information for local legal aid and voting support organizations
5. Attend an Event
- Attend the Fund Public Schools Storytelling Training: Learn how to share effective stories about public education funding, privatization, vouchers, and attacks on educational equity on Wednesday, July 22, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Register here.
- Attend ACLU Florida Poll Monitor Training: Learn how to protect voters, document problems, and serve as a nonpartisan poll monitor during Florida’s 2026 elections on Wednesday, July 29, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Register here.
6. Contact Your Lawmakers Directly
- Call Congress About Secret Deportation Proceedings: “Hello, my name is [Name], and I am a constituent from [City and ZIP Code]. I am calling to demand hearings into the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. No one should be deported using secret evidence they cannot review or challenge. Please defend due process and oppose secret deportation proceedings. Thank you.”
- Call Congress About ICE Body Cameras: “Hello, my name is [Name], and I am a constituent from [City and ZIP Code]. I am calling to demand mandatory body cameras for every ICE enforcement operation. Congress must require independent investigations and consequences when agents fail to record encounters involving force. Thank you.”
- Call Congress About the Abuse of Terrorism Powers: “Hello, my name is [Name], and I am a constituent from [City and ZIP Code]. I am calling to oppose using terrorism authorities against activists, journalists, immigrants, or government critics. Please protect lawful dissent, defend the First Amendment, and demand immediate congressional oversight. Thank you.”
7. Boycott Fascist Businesses
Let’s Roll!
Today’s stories demonstrate why democratic oversight cannot stop at campaign promises or official press releases. War spending requires congressional scrutiny, political allegations require careful documentation, surveillance systems require enforceable limits and corporations must be held accountable for the institutions they finance. Each report adds another reason for the public to follow the records, question official explanations and demand evidence before accepting claims from any powerful institution.
