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Welcome back. It’s a busy day for Trump, with both Netanyahu and Zelenskyy set to meet him as world leaders visit Washington for Lindsey Graham’s funeral. Also in the headlines today: As wildfires rage across France and Spain, hundreds of thousands of people are forced to evacuate; the Trump administration asks the Supreme Court to allow an order targeting mail-in voting; and how Americans are changing their habits with food prices skyrocketing.
A group hold a firehose and try to suppress a fire near Lacanau, as wildfires rage outside Bordeaux, France, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)
330,000 people forced to evacuate as wildfires rage across France and Spain
The blaze in France, raging since last week, has been wildly unpredictable, burning through an area four times the size of Paris. Spain entered its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including its largest on record. Read more.
What to know:
- French firefighters have been able to keep the blaze in check, but officials have warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could trigger fresh outbreaks. Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness helping fires spread and intensify in France and Spain, the European Union’s Copernicus climate service said.
Related coverage →
Wildfire created a monster cloud, unleashing lightning that ignited more fires
Photos of Europe battling wildfires
Wildfire survivors share stories of narrow escapes
WATCH: Roof camera captures wildfires in Spain
WATCH: How wildfires impact your health
Wildfire closes major Oregon interstate for 70 miles
US wildfire tracker
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting before midterms
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for an executive order that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections. Read more.
Why this matters:
- The president ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president.
- Using mail ballots has become increasingly popular with voters of both parties, with about 30% of all ballots cast that way during the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. The process also is secure. A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.
Related coverage →
Trump demands Senate cancel August break until it passes voting bill
Republicans decry a new Democratic Socialists of America platform as Dem primaries split the party
US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say
Federal judge dismisses a lawsuit over makeup of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission
Trump defends his sweeping tariffs and watches ‘America First’ drag races during Michigan stop
McConnell remains in rehab and says he’ll miss key Kentucky political event
Kamala Harris endorses Democrat Troy Jackson, in Maine’s US Senate race after last-minute nomination
Ex-Olympian charged with damaging Reflecting Pool sees ‘irregularities’ in grand jury proceedings
Americans rewire their grocery shopping routines while digesting the biggest price jump in 50 years
Buying food to eat at home has gotten 33% more expensive in U.S. cities since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures. Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for millions of Americans. Read more.
Why this matters:
- The historic increase happened for numerous reasons. The coronavirus pandemic snarled supply chains and raised labor and transportation costs. Droughts, hurricanes and diseases like bird flu drove down production. Tariffs raised prices on foreign products like coffee, tomatoes and chocolate. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine disrupted oil and fertilizer supplies. The fresh conflict in the Middle East is accelerating food price inflation again this year, and affordability is a central issue in the fall midterm elections.
Related coverage →
WATCH: How Americans cope with biggest food-price spike in decades
Gas, groceries and back-to-school items are where shoppers might see higher oil prices surface
IN OTHER NEWS
Iran war impact: Seven people share how the conflict has reshaped their everyday life
This week in court: High-profile cases from the Tate brothers to D4vd
Seattle: Shootout that killed 3 may have been gang-related
Wisconsin tornado: Extensive damage and power cut to thousands of homes
Cracker Barrel: CEO steps down a year after logo debacle
‘Worst aquarium ever’: Whaling Museum goes viral for embracing one-star review
Today in History: In 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
WATCH
Savannah Guthrie: ‘Today’ host makes emotional plea to her mother’s kidnappers
Christ of the Abyss: Divers clean Italy’s iconic underwater statue
A teacher walks down stairs near a blackboard artwork displayed on the hallway at Kumagaya Girls High School in Kumagaya, northwest of Tokyo, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, after its art club members won the first prize in a national blackboard art contest in 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)
Young Japanese artists turn school blackboards into a hit medium for creativity
For many kids around the world, it’s summer break. In Japan, some students use their time off to turn boring classroom objects into innovative works of art. The AP checked out Japan’s annual blackboard chalk art championship. The murals range from energetic depictions of dinosaurs to popular manga scenes to Hokusai’s Mount Fuji. Drawing, rubbing, and wiping on blackboards can be challenging, and it can be heartbreaking when the product of hours of work ultimately gets erased. But enthusiasts say it teaches kids a valuable lesson: life, after all, is impermanent.
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