Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for July 17, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
Donald Trump is backing Sen. Darline Graham (R-South Carolina) for a full Senate term ahead of the Aug. 11 special election.
- Will this prevent a messy primary? Reps. Ralph Norman, Russell Fry and Nancy Mace are all considering running, but none have made announcements one way or the other.
- Lindsay Graham’s memorial services will be held July 28 in D.C. and July 29 in South Carolina.
Election officials who don’t follow the Trump administration’s election integrity efforts may face heavy fines — or prison time, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced today. The agency wants to mandate systemic “enhancements” across states by withholding federal grants.
Trending
House Republicans released a short-term proposal to extend government funding until Dec. 4 — a month past the midterm elections.
THE HILL
Republican lawmakers are trying to punish Canada for the country’s wildfire smoke.
- Trump said the country’s “willful negligence” is costing the U.S. billions — a cost that “must of necessity” be added to Canada’s tariffs.
The House Judiciary Committee won’t take up an H-2A visa bill, bucking Republicans who sought a quick path to help the agriculture industry expand the temporary farm worker program.
Rep. Randy Fine has squashed his beef with outside Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz, meaning the Florida Republican will no longer vote against House rules.
A Florida judge dismissed a lawsuit to keep embattled GOP Rep. Cory Mills off the primary ballot. But the legal battle may continue.
Alan Dershowitz, who negotiated Epstein’s 2008 plea deal, canceled his scheduled House Oversight hearing appearance for Monday.
THE ADMINISTRATION
The U.S. has conducted nearly a week of consecutive strikes against Iran — raising risk of return to a larger war.
The Trump administration improperly fired the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s CFO, a federal judge ruled today.
- While the Supreme Court has expanded the president’s power to dismiss officials within the executive branch, justices never overruled rules for lower-ranking employees, wrote Judge Michael Nachmanoff, a Joe Biden appointee.
THE STATES
Sara Rodriguez suspended her gubernatorial campaign after the Wisconsin lieutenant governor reported “serious mismanagement and inaccuracies” in campaign finance filings.
Democrat Cindy Burbank dropped her Nebraska Senate campaign, clearing the field for nonpartisan candidate Dan Osborn to challenge Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts.
FOLKS …
Yak attack
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) July 17, 2026
Cheryl and I bumped into this yak after losing our guide during a ten hour uphill trek above the Tiger’s Nest Monastery near Paro. Immediately before I turned on the camera, she asked, “Do you think it’s dangerous?” Grateful to the yak for retreating when I struck him… pic.twitter.com/hqFsOgZNGz
Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kelly Poe and Erik Schutz. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.
Author
