One week ago, Donald Trump faced the second apparent attempt on his life when a man was arrested after being spotted with a gun in the bushes near a golf course Trump was playing. Since then, the former president has wasted no time in fanning partisan flames, blaming Democrats’ rhetoric for the threats of violence against him. The Secret Service, meanwhile, is under renewed scrutiny after an internal report blamed a failure to communicate with local police for the security lapse that allowed a shooter to fire at Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. In a rare show of unanimity, the House passed a bill in a bipartisan vote to boost Secret Service protection for Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and their respective running mates.
Television icon Oprah Winfrey hosted a star-studded campaign event for Harris on Thursday, including appearances by Meryl Streep, Chris Rock and other celebrities. Reproductive care was a keynote of the evening — a topic that’s back in the spotlight after recent ProPublica reporting on two women in Georgia who died as a result of the state’s abortion ban. Harris spoke to the family of one of those women, 28-year-old Amber Thurman, during the event.
Things are in full swing again on the Hill after Congress’ summer recess. House Speaker Mike Johnson has until the end of the month to figure out a spending deal to avoid a government shutdown — and this is after House Republicans rejected their own funding bill on Wednesday. In the Senate, Republicans blocked a vote on IVF protections for a second time.
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the controversial Republican candidate for governor there, vowed to stay in the race on Thursday after CNN reported that he made dozens of lewd and politically inflammatory comments more than 10 years ago on a pornography website. Robinson has denied the report. A spokesperson for Trump has said he does not plan to pull his endorsement.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced it was cutting interest rates by half a percentage point, the first reduction since 2020.
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