News

Ukrainian President Zelensky dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on July 16, 2026, citing an irreconcilable rift between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff, and Fedorov's failure to complete mobilization reform. The dismissal triggered street protests in at least seven Ukrainian cities and a parliamentary rebellion within Zelensky's own Servant of the People party, with one MP resigning and the Rada vote on nominee Ihor Klymenko postponed due to insufficient support. As of the evening of July 16, faction sources indicated Zelensky may reconsider and renominate Fedorov, leaving the Defense Ministry without a confirmed leader.

A federal district judge on July 8 denied DHS's request to pause her June 22 ruling that vacated the 2025 expansion of the SAVE immigration database, which had allowed states to bulk-upload millions of voter records and run Social Security number searches to flag potential non-citizens. The case now moves to the D.C. Circuit on an expedited basis, while a separate Florida federal court order simultaneously requires DHS to restore those same features for four states, leaving the department bound by contradictory rulings. The outcome will determine whether DHS can use an immigration benefits database for voter roll maintenance before the November 2026 midterms.

On the sixth consecutive night of U.S. air operations against Iran, CENTCOM expanded its target set from coastal and air-defense systems to ground transportation infrastructure, hitting six bridges in Bandar Khamir county and the maritime traffic control tower at Shahid Kalantari port in Chabahar for at least the third time in the campaign. Iran's Health Ministry reported a running toll of at least 38 killed and more than 400 wounded since U.S. strikes resumed, with provincial authorities attributing seven deaths specifically to the Hormozgan bridge strikes. CENTCOM's public statements categorize all struck sites as military targets, while Iranian state media and independent outlets identify bridges, a rail station, and the port tower as civilian infrastructure — a distinction the UN human-rights chief said carries war-crimes implications.

On July 14, 2026, one or more unidentified individuals fired multiple rounds into the exterior of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations building on North Central Avenue in Phoenix; no injuries were reported. The FBI's Phoenix Field Office is leading the investigation but has released no suspect descriptions, motive, or additional details beyond its initial press release. The incident occurred against a backdrop of a reported 1,300 percent increase in assaults on ICE officers nationally, though no connection between the Phoenix shooting and any specific group or motive has been established.