Today in One Sentence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated that the war with Iran has cost taxpayers $37.5 billion so far as the Trump administration asks Congress for roughly $67 billion more in funding; New Jersey removed roughly 6,600 self-identified noncitizens from its voter rolls after a software error automatically registered them through the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission; the Trump administration withheld an additional $1.07 billion in federal Medicaid payments from California and Minnesota over suspected fraud; a federal appeals court rejected Biden’s effort to block the Justice Department from releasing redacted recordings and transcripts of his private interviews with a memoir ghostwriter; and Trump has pardoned nine companies in his second term to erase nearly $200 million in criminal penalties.

1/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated that the war with Iran has cost taxpayers $37.5 billion so far as the Trump administration asks Congress for roughly $67 billion more in funding. Hegseth called the request an “urgent, necessary” infusion and warned that “without these funds, we face critical shortfalls.” The estimate includes some anticipated expenses through Sept. 30, but excludes damage to U.S. bases. Lawmakers, however, questioned why the Pentagon needs more money after approving a $1 trillion defense budget and about $75 billion from an earlier package remains unspent. Sen. Patty Murray argued that “the problem is not a lack of money, but poor planning” and warned that the conflict was “spiraling out of control again.” Gen. Dan Caine, meanwhile, acknowledged that “air power’s got limits” as fighting intensifies, the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, and the U.S. death toll has risen to 17.(Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / Washington Post)

  • Trump said the U.S. will “pretty soon” bomb Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain. Israeli intelligence believes Iran moved thousands of uranium-enrichment centrifuges into tunnels deep inside a mountain last year. Trump, however, acknowledged that the U.S. doesn’t have the transfer “on record” and said Iran has no nuclear material there, but nevertheless threatened to hit the site “very heavily.” Experts estimate that the facility sits beneath 300 to 450 feet of rock. It’s unclear whether U.S. weapons can even penetrate the site. (Axios / Wall Street Journal)

2/ New Jersey removed roughly 6,600 self-identified noncitizens from its voter rolls after a software error automatically registered them through the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission. Gov. Mikie Sherrill said fewer than 400 noncitizens voted and that the state has “no evidence, at this time, that any elections were swayed.” The error occurred between June 2023 and June 2024, even though applicants had answered “no” when asked whether they were U.S. citizens. Sherrill ordered an investigation and is replacing the vendor responsible for the system, calling the failure and lack of transparency “unacceptable.” (Associated Press / Washington Post / CNN / New York Times / Axios / Bloomberg)

  • The intelligence documents Trump declassified to support his claims that China tried to sway the 2020 election instead highlighted Russia’s efforts to help him defeat Biden. A 2020 National Intelligence Council assessment said Putin and senior Russian officials oversaw operations to damage Biden and worked with prominent Americans to manufacture a corruption scandal involving Biden and Ukraine. (New York Times)

  • FBI Director Kash Patel is planning a trip to Russia in October, with the FSB likely serving as his host. The agenda is unclear, as is whether Patel would meet Putin or senior Kremlin officials. (Politico)

3/ The Trump administration withheld an additional $1.07 billion in federal Medicaid payments from California and Minnesota over suspected fraud, freezing $867.5 million for California and $199 million for Minnesota until the states provide documentation showing the claims were legitimate. In total, more than $2.5 billion in Medicaid funding to the two Democratic-led states have now been deferred this year. Federal officials cited billing anomalies for in-home care and other high-risk services, including providers billing for multiple patients simultaneously or after a beneficiary’s death. Minnesota said it had already submitted records and accused the administration of acting in “unprecedented and punitive ways,” while California said its home-care spending grew because keeping seniors and people with disabilities out of nursing homes saves money. (Associated Press / CBS News / Politico / Axios / New York Times / Bloomberg)

4/ A federal appeals court rejected Biden’s effort to block the Justice Department from releasing redacted recordings and transcripts of his private interviews with a memoir ghostwriter. Special counsel Robert Hur obtained the recordings while investigating Biden’s handling of classified documents, which ended without charges. The 2-1 ruling said the public interest in assessing that investigation likely outweighed Biden’s remaining privacy concerns. Biden, meanwhile, accused the Trump administration of using the Justice Department for political retribution. (NBC News / Associated Press / New York Times / ABC News / CBS News)

5/ Trump has pardoned nine companies in his second term to erase nearly $200 million in criminal penalties. The pardons included the corporate owner of crypto exchange BitMEX, which owed a $100 million anti-money-laundering fine, and Ozy Media, where a commutation eliminated $97 million in penalties owed alongside founder Carlos Watson’s fraud conviction. Trump also pardoned six auto businesses convicted of tampering with diesel-emissions controls, claiming they were prosecuted for “fixing their car.” The White House said the Constitution doesn’t limit pardons to individuals, but legal scholars said no modern president had previously used clemency to shield corporations from criminal liability. (Bloomberg)

The 2026 midterms are in 105 days; the 2028 presidential election is in 840 days.