1.) AP: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign mutual-defense pact
The three states span the eastern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula and South Asia; Pakistan is the only one with nuclear weapons.
What the pact does—and does not—promise
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a bilateral mutual-defense pact in September 2025; the new agreement adds Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest military by personnel. It says it does not replace existing commitments, including Turkey’s NATO obligations, but gives no public trigger, command structure or troop commitment. Analysts quoted by AP said diplomacy, arms development and technology transfer are more likely near-term effects than mass deployments. The nuclear question is also deliberately unresolved: Pakistan’s arsenal raises the pact’s deterrent value, but the text does not say its nuclear guarantee extends to either partner.
2.) AP: Senate passes Lindsey Graham’s Russia-Iran sanctions bill, 86-11
The bill threatens tariffs of up to 100% against major buyers of Russian energy—but it still needs the House, and enforcement would hinge on waivers and buyer compliance.
Would the sanctions work?
Not immediately. Senate passage does not create tariffs: the House must pass the bill, the president must sign it and the administration must decide whom to penalize. Broad presidential waivers could substantially limit enforcement. If Washington actually forced India and China to choose between Russian oil and U.S. market access, Moscow could lose revenue or offer deeper discounts. But removing a supplier responsible for roughly one-tenth of world crude exports could also lift global prices, and Russia has already shown it can reroute oil through intermediaries and a shadow fleet. Natural gas is harder to redirect because pipelines and LNG terminals constrain where it can go.
3.) AP: Justice Samuel Alito says he will stay for another Supreme Court term
Justice Samuel Alito, 76, said he is “obviously” staying for the court term that begins in October. The statement follows weeks of speculation triggered by an erroneous NPR retirement story that was quickly retracted.
4.) AP: Appeals court says Trump needs Congress to build the White House ballroom
5.) WHITE HOUSE: Trump issues narrower birthright-citizenship and “birth tourism” orders
The comparison explains why the U.S. is unusual among wealthy democracies; it does not answer whether a president can change a constitutional and statutory rule without Congress.
_QUICK BITES_
GAO: The Strategic Petroleum Reserve has no single countdown
AP: ICE controls body-camera releases
ICE says field officers nationwide will have body cameras by the end of September. Its policy, however, says footage will be released only when doing so is in the agency’s “best interests.”
AP: Pentagon revokes Kendall’s clearance
The Pentagon revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility to access classified information and barred him from sensitive positions, accusing him of an unauthorized disclosure about Air Force One. Kendall said he was “completely mystified” and had not been told what information the government considered classified.
AP: Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general, 50–49
The Senate confirmed President Trump’s former personal lawyer in an overnight vote. Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined Democrats in opposition; Bill Cassidy supplied the decisive support after saying Blanche was better positioned than another nominee to push back on Trump when necessary.
CNN: Homeowners sue over New York City’s pied-à-terre tax rollout
Three homeowners sued Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the city finance commissioner, challenging a supplemental tax roll that listed more than 900,000 properties and notices sent to some residents. The complaint does not seek to strike down the underlying surcharge.
STATELINE: Judge orders Pentagon to resume onshore-wind reviews
A federal judge ordered the Defense Department to restart national-security reviews for onshore wind projects after the process slowed beginning in August 2025 and stopped entirely in April.
POLYMARKET: Ohio governor — general election
Republican Vivek Ramaswamy faces Democrat Amy Acton. Market prices below are snapshots, not polls; they can move with news, liquidity and trader composition.
Open-seat general election
AP: Maine Senate — general election
Democrat Troy Jackson faces Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Maine is central to Democrats’ attempt to erase the GOP’s Senate majority.
A top Democratic pickup opportunity
POLYMARKET: Texas Senate — general election
Republican Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico. The market measures the exact November winner, not either party’s national Senate total.
A Republican-held seat Democrats hope to make competitive
ALASKA DIVISION OF ELECTIONS: Alaska Senate — primary still ahead
Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan are the nationally watched candidates, but they have not yet secured November ballot spots. Alaska’s 16-candidate, nonpartisan primary is Aug. 18; the top four advance to a ranked-choice general election. The odds below price the eventual November winner, not merely who finishes first in the primary.
The top-four primary is Aug. 18; the displayed markets price the eventual November winner
POLYMARKET: Iowa Senate — general election
Republican Ashley Hinson faces Democrat Josh Turek for an open seat. The individual-race market is distinct from the national Senate-control contracts shown at the top of this section.
An open-seat contest
AP: Michigan Senate — general election
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers. AP called the Aug. 4 Democratic primary for El-Sayed after he led Haley Stevens by just under one percentage point; this is now a general-election forecast, not a primary market.
El-Sayed won the Democratic primary by less than one point
POLYMARKET: Ohio Senate — general election
Democrat Sherrod Brown faces Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Ohio has leaned Republican in recent statewide elections, but Brown previously won three Senate terms there.
A special election for a Republican-held seat
AP: Wisconsin governor — nominees not yet settled
Wisconsin votes Tuesday, Aug. 11. Democratic socialist Francesca Hong faces Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and other Democrats; Republican Tom Tiffany faces nominal opposition. At 8:35 a.m. CT on Aug. 8, Polymarket priced Hong at 95.3% and Crowley at 4.9% to win the Democratic nomination. The rows below show that Democratic-primary market only; they do not price the Republican primary or the November general election.
Hong leads the Democratic field; Tiffany faces nominal Republican opposition
AP: Georgia governor — general election
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms faces Republican Rick Jackson. Jackson won the Republican runoff after spending more than $93 million of his own money; Bottoms won the Democratic primary outright.
An open-seat contest in a closely divided state
POLYMARKET: Nevada governor — general election
Democrat Aaron Ford faces Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Market prices are a real-money snapshot of this exact contest, not a substitute for polling or a guarantee of the result.
A Democratic challenger against a Republican incumbent
Prices captured Aug 8, 8:35 AM CT. These are trader-implied estimates, not polls. Separate contracts trade independently, so opposing prices may not add to exactly 100%.