SAVE and Protect: Tokyo Drift

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for July 16, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump is speaking tonight, but none of the major networks have confirmed they’ll air it live as of this afternoon.

• One person who won’t be there: Trump’s longtime teleprompter aide, who allegedly made $100,000 betting on the president’s speeches using Kalshi and is now on unpaid administrative leave.

Recon 3.0 is here, under a new name: the SAVE and Protect Act — not to be confused with the SAVE Act or the SAVE America Act. It reflects “our party’s top legislative priority,” Mike Johnson said, referencing the defense package’s inclusion of proof of citizenship provisions.

The package advanced out of committee along party lines and could see floor action as soon as next week. But John Thune again threw cold water on the “risky proposition” today, noting conflicting priorities between fiscal hawks and proponents of increasing defense or agriculture spending.

THE ADMINISTRATION

DHS can now weigh immigrants’ usage of public benefits when approving green card applicants after the agency reversed a Biden-era rule that limited consideration to cash welfare.

The administration is taking longer to approve disaster aid and denying Democratic states more frequently, an AP analysis shows.

Over half of ICE field offices have body cameras, and the rest are expected to have them within 60 days, Karoline Leavitt said today.

• DHS has been blaming implementation delays on the agency shutdown earlier this year. “That’s a bunch of B.S. They had money,” said Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

THE HILL

Sen. Thom Tillis says he will not vote to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination until the acting attorney general meets with Epstein survivors and their legal team.

Rep. James Comer agrees “100%” with JD Vance’s earlier comments that the Trump administration had bungled release of the Epstein files, the House Oversight chair told NOTUS.

House Republicans canceled votes today for a controversial military benefits package, which had prompted a tense exchange between GOP Reps. Zach Nunn of Iowa and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida.

The U.S. resumed the Iran war. Republicans are rattled.

THE COURTS

Trump fired Seattle’s top federal prosecutor within an hour of his unanimous appointment by the local district court.

SEE YOU AGAIN

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.