The briefing for Tuesday, July 28.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to overturn lower court rulings blocking a presidential executive order that would create federal citizenship lists and restrict mail-ballot delivery ahead of November's midterm elections. The Justice Department requested the justices halt decisions from the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals and a Massachusetts district court that blocked the order in 23 states plus Washington, D.C.

Trump's March executive order would require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration to create state citizenship lists of eligible voters, then direct the Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. Democratic officials in the plaintiff states argued the Constitution gives states and Congress—not the president—authority to set election rules, and that the proposed changes could cause chaos and enable abuse.

The appeal comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address on election integrity and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest. A divided appeals court panel upheld the lower court injunction over the weekend, leaving the order blocked in nearly half the country as legal battles continue.

President Trump said Monday there are "very friendly negotiations going on" about ending the conflict with Iran, expressing optimism after the warring sides went three straight days without exchanging strikes. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Iran had reached out directly "because we've been hitting them very hard," though Tehran denies any direct negotiations are taking place. Trump warned the U.S. would "go back to doing what we were doing" if talks fail.

Regional officials speaking anonymously said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan have made "significant progress" in getting Washington and Tehran back to negotiations, working to restore an interim ceasefire that collapsed earlier this month. The pause follows nearly two weeks of daily U.S. strikes and tit-for-tat attacks that effectively unraveled the June ceasefire agreement. However, scattered drone attacks across the region—including on Saudi petroleum facilities and targets in Iraq and Jordan—underscore lingering tensions.

Oil prices fell more than 9% on hopes the conflict could de-escalate, though questions emerged about U.S. ammunition stockpiles after five months of fighting. Trump dismissed reports of dwindling supplies, saying "we have a lot of ammunition," while noting he'd "like to have more." Experts have raised concerns about how long both nations can sustain attacks, with Gen. Dan Caine reportedly advising Trump that stockpile levels could impact military operations.

Johnson & Johnson announced Monday it will offer up to $5.5 billion to resolve approximately 76,000 lawsuits in the U.S. alleging its talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer. The proposed settlement would provide up to $3 billion next year, with no additional payments due before 2028, aiming to end a legal battle that has weighed on the healthcare giant for years. The company continues to deny all allegations.

The settlement must be accepted by law firms representing 95% of ovarian cancer claimants in state and federal courts before it can be finalized. Erik Haas, J&J's vice president of litigation, said the company believes the allegations are "meritless" and that it would have "ultimately prevailed with further litigation," but chose to settle to "put this matter behind it." Lawsuits against J&J over talc-based baby powder began as early as 2009.

Earlier in July, a federal court handed J&J a victory by questioning individual plaintiffs' ability to prove talc directly caused their ovarian cancer. The company maintains that "studies show talc is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer," despite facing claims that its products were contaminated with asbestos. J&J stopped selling talc-based baby powder globally in 2022, transitioning to an all-cornstarch formula.

President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Tuesday, their second sit-down this month, ahead of Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral in Washington. Zelensky said his top priority is securing anti-ballistic defense systems and strategic cooperation with America. The meeting comes as Ukraine faces continued Russian attacks and as Trump also prepares to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The visit occurs amid an unusual political development: far-right activist Laura Loomer, known for her influence with Trump, has publicly reversed her position on Ukraine after witnessing Russian attacks firsthand during a trip to the country. Loomer, who previously questioned U.S. support for Ukraine, now says she was "bamboozled by Russian propaganda" and has interviewed Zelensky. She said she spoke to Trump after meeting with the Ukrainian leader and expects to meet with the president again upon her return.

Graham's death earlier this month removed a key Republican voice on Ukraine policy. His final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on sanctions targeting countries that purchase Russian exports. The Ukraine war has increasingly intersected with other conflicts, including when Ukrainian forces targeted an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea over the weekend, with Kyiv describing Iran as a "direct accomplice to Russian aggression."

Confirmed cases in Congo's Ebola outbreak have reached 3,262 with 1,437 deaths, nearly matching the country's worst outbreak from 2018-2020 that lasted roughly two years, according to the Ministry of Health. The current outbreak, declared on May 15, has been concentrated in eastern Ituri province and is spreading faster than containment efforts, with officials calling it the fastest Ebola outbreak on record. Only the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak had a higher toll.

"The fact that, in just 10 weeks, we have reached nearly the same number of cases recorded over an almost two-year outbreak is alarming," said Onesphore Bangenza, Mercy Corps response team lead in Ituri's capital. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks has no approved vaccines or treatments, making containment more challenging.

Efforts to slow transmission have been hampered by rebel violence in eastern Congo, health worker strikes over unpaid wages, and the inability to identify patient zero. Displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining has made it difficult to trace thousands who have contacted infected individuals. Despite early distrust between communities and health workers, some progress has emerged, with residents in the mining town of Mongbwalu—where treatment centers were previously burned down—now pledging cooperation with response teams.

Ukraine dismissed Iranian threats of retaliation Monday following Kyiv's weekend strike on an Iranian cargo vessel in the Caspian Sea, marking the first direct link between the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called Iran's threats "unjustified and groundless," saying Tehran is "a direct accomplice to Russian aggression against Ukraine, fueling Moscow's criminal war with weapons that have killed Ukrainians since 2022."

President Zelensky announced Saturday that Ukrainian forces achieved "very good results" in long-range strikes in the Caspian Sea, including against vessels transporting military cargo linked to Iran. The Security Service of Ukraine said its drones hit an oil platform, a Russian missile boat, and cargo ships under international sanctions. Iran's ambassador to Russia said the vessel "Anna" was anchored near the Volga River when targeted, with one sailor killed and several injured. Ukraine's ambassador to Israel said the ship carried drone and missile components from Iran to Russia, not civilian cargo.

Iran reacted furiously to the assault, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claiming the attack was done "at Israel's behest to drag Europe into its war" and warning it "CANNOT GO UNANSWERED." Some experts question whether opening a new front with Iran serves Ukraine's interests, though analysts note the strike fits Kyiv's broader strategy of targeting supply networks supporting Russia's war effort beyond traditional battlefields.