Today in One Sentence. Arizona Republicans nominated three 2020 election deniers for statewide offices that would be responsible for overseeing and certifying the 2028 presidential election; the House passed a temporary funding bill to avert a possible ​government shutdown ahead ​of the November midterm ⁠elections; House Republicans passed a $1.15 trillion defense policy bill and advanced a separate $95 billion budget plan to pay for Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran; Trump threatened to “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT” for every ship Iran attacks in the Strait of Hormuz; the Trump administration signed a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could open a path to enriching uranium for nuclear reactors; New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dropped his campaign pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, acknowledging that the city lacks the “independent legal authority” to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant; Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on imported generic drugs unless manufacturers build plants in the U.S.; the U.S. has reported 2,295 measles cases so far in 2026 – the most in 35 years and already more than all of last year; 37% of self-identified MAGA voters say the Iran war is worth its economic costs, down 13 points since May; and 50% of registered voters say they’d support Democrats in the generic congressional ballot.

1/ Arizona Republicans nominated three 2020 election deniers for statewide offices that would be responsible for overseeing and certifying the 2028 presidential election. Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs, who voted against certifying Biden’s victory, won the nomination for governor, Alexander Kolodin, who filed lawsuits challenging the 2020 and 2022 results and was disciplined by the state bar, won the nomination for secretary of state, and Warren Petersen, who launched a taxpayer-funded review that confirmed Biden won Maricopa County, won the nomination for attorney general. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs warned that if Biggs wins, Arizona would become “the first swing state with an election denier in charge” heading into 2028. (Politico / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN)

2/ The House passed a temporary funding bill to avert a possible ​government shutdown ahead ​of the November midterm ⁠elections. The bill funds the government through Dec. 4. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans need Democratic support. House Democrats opposed the extension, because it maintains current funding without new restrictions on Trump’s immigration crackdown, while Speaker Mike Johnson said Democrats would “own the chaos” if the government shuts down after funding expires Sept. 30. (Associated Press / Reuters / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post)

3/ House Republicans passed a $1.15 trillion defense policy bill and advanced a separate $95 billion budget plan to pay for Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran. The Senate, however, is unlikely to pass either measure in its current form. The defense bill would also attaches Trump’s SAVE America Act, including new proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voting, and renames the Pentagon the “Department of War.” The separate budget framework would fast-track $73 billion for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, $12 billion for farmers, and $10 billion for election-related measures without offsetting cuts. Democrats opposed both measures, arguing that Congress is funding an escalating conflict it never authorized, while Senate Republicans remain divided over using reconciliation to bypass Democratic opposition. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / NPR / Associated Press / New York Times / Politico)

4/ Trump threatened to “bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT” for every ship Iran attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, including infrastructure in or near Tehran. Iran’s foreign minister responded that its doctrine is “eye for an eye,” warning that any strike on Iranian infrastructure would bring a “powerful and decisive response,” while Iran’s military said it would target oil, gas, electricity, and other economic infrastructure across the region and prevent “even a single drop of oil” from being exported. Iran’s parliament speaker said the strait “will not return to its pre-war status,” adding: “In a region where we cannot sell oil, no one will sell oil.” The threats came after an 11th consecutive night of U.S. strikes and as negotiations remained stalled, with Trump saying Iran is “not ready” for a deal, but “will be ready very soon.” Meanwhile, tankers turned away from the Red Sea after Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, pushing oil prices above $95 a barrel and putting both of the region’s major energy chokepoints at risk. (Associated Press / Axios / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / CBS News / CNN / Reuters / New York Times / Bloomberg)

  • U.S. intelligence is investigating whether Russia helped Iran strike CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing targeting data or upgraded drone technology. At least two CIA sites were hit in March, the Riyadh station and a facility in eastern Iraq. (Reuters)

5/ The Trump administration signed a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that could open a path to enriching uranium for nuclear reactors. The deal requires a two-year study of whether domestic enrichment is warranted, and if approved, U.S. companies would reportedly build and control the enrichment facility under a “black box” arrangement that would keep sensitive technology from Saudi Arabia. The Saudis reportedly rejected the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Additional Protocol for expanded inspections, with sensitive inspections instead handled by U.S. teams under a bilateral safeguards agreement. Congress has 90 days to act. Blocking it would likely require a veto-proof majority. (New York Times / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)

6/ New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dropped his campaign pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, acknowledging that the city lacks the “independent legal authority” to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant. Instead, Mamdani urged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu when he attends the U.N. General Assembly in September. Trump, however, said Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” while in the U.S., which is not a member of the ICC. The court has accused Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / CBS News / NBC News)

7/ Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on imported generic drugs unless manufacturers build plants in the U.S. The Trump administration said it plans to use Section 232 national security authority, but hasn’t issued a formal order. Generic drugs account for more than 90% of U.S. prescriptions and are largely produced overseas. (Bloomberg / Politico)

8/ The U.S. has reported 2,295 measles cases so far in 2026 – the most in 35 years and already more than all of last year with five months remaining. The total is the highest since 1991. More than 90% of infections occurred among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. (Washington Post)

✨ Well, that’s fantastic: “Regime Change” by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan has sold more than 500,000 copies in its first month, putting the exposé about Trump’s second term on track to become 2026’s bestselling nonfiction book. The book has held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list for three weeks as Simon & Schuster has ordered a seventh printing. (Axios)

poll/ 37% of self-identified MAGA voters say the Iran war is worth its economic costs, down 13 points since May. Nearly one in five self-identified MAGA voters want the U.S. to end the war regardless of cost. (Politico)

poll/ 50% of registered voters say they’d support Democrats in the generic congressional ballot, compared with 43% who would back Republicans. Among likely voters, the Democratic lead grows from 7 points to nearly 9 points. The 7-point advantage is enough to flip the House majority. (Strength in Numbers)

The 2026 midterms are in 104 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 839 days.