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Jul 20, 2026 - World

A MAGA lawmaker and close Trump ally was called out Monday for his comments about troops dying during the Iran war as the United States has launched new strikes.Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) spoke with CNN anchor Phil Mattingly about American casualties in the ongoing conflict, which has left 17 U.S. service members dead, including at least three who died during the last several days. "My condolences go out to the families of our service men and women that are killed," Gimenez said. "That is the nature of warfare. We will have some casualties."Gimenez argued that the United States has had a "low number of casualties" and acknowledged that this might not be comforting for Gold Star families.The internet had a strong response to the Republican's remarks."Just brush off needless loss of life like an a------, it's Trump 101," progressive political commentator Rodger Williams wrote on X."Wow, so heartwarming. SMH. This regime is nothing but ghouls," the X account Gig - The Great Gig in the Sky, which has more than 47,000 followers and frequently comments on politics, wrote."Easy for a punka-- politician with no skin in the game to say about troops to have sacrificed for something completely unnecessary," Marc Xavier Adams, who self-describes as retired USMC and a Democrat, wrote on X."So disrespectful," user xtine_mac, a political commentator, wrote on X."It's sickening how Rep Gimenez talks about young people dying in a war as if their lives were not worth much. If you are going to spend our nation's most valuable assets you should make sure that's the only choice you have. That's certainly not true in this case," attorney George Suggs wrote on Bluesky."Stunningly callous," Bluesky user njcnlr, who self-identifies as a former communications director for a hunger relief agency, wrote.Rep. Carlos Gimenez on fallen US troops: "That is the nature of warfare. We will have some casualties." pic.twitter.com/hhFk0WKGGr— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 20, 2026

Jul 20, 2026 - World

FBI Director Kash Patel has planned a trip to Russia, making him the first FBI director to visit the country in 13 years, according to a Politico report on Monday.The trip is slated for October 14-15, as Washington and Moscow have hit a deadlock over how to stop the war in Ukraine and as lawmakers have called for sanctions against the country, Politico reported. It's unclear if he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin or any of his top aides. The agenda for the visit was also unknown, sources told Politico."It would be an unusual and sensitive trip for an FBI chief to one of America’s top adversaries," according to Politico.Patel has faced growing scrutiny from Congress in recent months over his frequent trips, and this trip to Moscow raises questions about his "history of involvement in controversial Russia-related matters dating to President Donald Trump’s first term, including trying to cast doubt on investigations into whether Trump colluded with Russia to help him win the 2016 election — an episode he now calls the 'Russiagate hoax.'" Robert Mueller was the last FBI director to visit Russia in 2013, and later was appointed special counsel to investigate Russia's involvement with election interference."U.S. intelligence officials have concluded for years that Moscow has been behind efforts to sow discord and interfere in U.S. elections, findings supported by documents Trump declassified last week ahead of a speech intended to bolster support for his long-shot effort to overhaul U.S. voting laws," Politico reported. "The Kremlin has also been suspected to be behind major cybersecurity breaches of government agencies and private sector companies."'News of the trip comes as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has faced off against senators in his confirmation hearings. Patel's trip in October "could prompt new questions from lawmakers about the Justice Department’s decision-making," according to Politico. In July, top Democratic leaders in the House and Senate Judiciary committees launched an investigation into Patel's potential use of taxpayer-funded resources.

Jul 20, 2026 - World

China's leading technology companies showcased hundreds of cutting-edge products at the World AI Conference in Shanghai — from advanced robotics to artificial intelligence systems. The nation's annual flagship AI event, which was held from July 17 to 20, took place against the backdrop of a heated U.S.-China tech rivalry. More than 1,100 companies participated. Chinese companies have developed more than 400 humanoid robot products, more than half the world’s total, state media said. Open-source AI models from China are increasingly challenging leading American ones as they are more widely adopted globally. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Jul 20, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's war in Iran is not going the United States' way, former Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling told MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace on Monday's edition of "Deadline: White House."This came after the Pentagon announced yet another round of servicemember deaths, as the ceasefire of a few weeks ago becomes a distant memory and the administration has not mapped out any public endgame for the war — a development Hertling mourned as "tragic.""You've got to take a look at the operational campaign of both nations," said Hertling. Specifically, the U.S. has shifted its strategy from attacking weapons to "attacking the systems and encircling the cities that allow Iran to regenerate military power." "That's also an attempt to reduce their societal will, because the Trump administration believes there's a split between the Republican Guards and the Ayatollah and the citizens," Hertling added. "So, they are bombing places like Bandar Abbas and Isfahan, transportation hubs, bridges, fuel distribution sites."The whole idea, he said, is to "force a strategic decision" that would force Iran "back to the negotiating table."The problem, said Hertling, is that Iran has its own strategy underway."They're keeping the Strait [of Hormuz] closed," said Hertling. "They're continuing to deplete U.S. defense capabilities, especially the rockets or the air defense systems that we have in the region. They're dividing the U.S. from their allies in the region, as we've seen in Jordan and Qatar and Kuwait and the U.A.E. They are hurting us tactically because they know that the U.S. will focus on individual combat deaths, as we did this weekend." And all the while, he said, "they're opening new fronts for the proxies ... especially the Houthis in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait that could close another waterway and could cause even more economic problems."In short, he said, while the U.S. continues to strike targets, Iran is "trading space for time, and they're putting our allies and internal elements in the United States against us." And ultimately, he said, Iran has the "upper hand." - YouTube www.youtube.com

Jul 20, 2026 - World

A former Republican strategist said Monday that Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump's top aides, has gambled on stifling free speech and using fear to maintain power — but there's a chance it won't work.In a Substack video, Steve Schmidt called out the White House deputy chief of staff, whom he referred to as "the architect of fear." Schmidt referred to Miller as the "most psychotic and unhinged advisor, a man with the blood of many on his hands, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good, including all of these people who lost their lives under the weight of his viciousness and his insanity."The co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project made it clear that he views Miller as "an empty little Nazi" and "Little Goebbels of Santa Monica." He also identified how Miller doesn't have unchecked political power."We have the right to speech, and we have the right to faith, and we have the right to dissent, and we have the right to oppose this whack job with the full weight of our convictions," Schmidt argued.Schmidt pointed to Trump's confusion on stage after Spain's FIFA World Cup win as an example of how "he's not capable psychologically of stepping away from power" — and that Miller is part of the problem."There are people around Donald Trump who encourage this, who stoke it, who provoke it," Schmidt added. "They believe that they're going to benefit from it. I think it's the worst bet ever made because for those who have placed it, my opposite wager is on their ruination because the survival of the American Republic depends on it. What these people have done and threatened, the thousands they have abused, the money they have stolen, the crimes they have committed cannot be gotten away with." "If they are gotten away with, then that will mean Trump has won. If Trump wins, then the Republic dies. It's as simple as that. And the choice has always been as simple as that: America or Trump," he added.