Middle East negotiations; Eric Swalwell; FACE Act : NPR

Key Points:

• President Trump announced the possibility of U.S.-Iran talks resuming within two days amid ongoing Middle East conflicts, including historic direct talks between Israel and Lebanon focused on ceasefire and Hezbollah disarmament, though fighting continues.
• The U.S. completed a blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off about 90% of Iran's sea-based trade, while the International Monetary Fund warns the global economy, especially the U.K., risks recession due to the Iran conflict and energy supply disruptions.
• Former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress following serious sexual assault allegations by a second woman who accuses him of rape; Swalwell denies all claims and a special election is scheduled for August 18 to fill his seat.
• The Justice Department's "Weaponization Working Group" accused the Biden administration of misusing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act to target Christian anti-abortion advocates, alleging biased prosecutions under a law originally designed to protect reproductive health clinics.
• AI lab Anthropic unveiled Mythos Preview, a new AI model that detects high-severity cybersecurity vulnerabilities across major systems, but due to misuse risks, access is limited to select organizations; the model highlights both the promise and challenges of AI in cybersecurity.