NTD News Today

Iran rejected a call on Tuesday by three European countries urging it to refrain from any retaliatory attacks against Israel that would further escalate regional tensions. Iran termed the call for restraint an “excessive request,” saying the plea lacks political logic and contradicts principles of international law.

A former Kansas police chief who led a raid on a local newspaper last year has been charged with felony obstruction of justice. The single charge against former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody alleges that he knowingly or intentionally influenced a witness to withhold information on the day of the raid at the Marion County Record.

The United Auto Workers Union said it has filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk over alleged attempts to threaten and intimidate workers. The action came after Musk and Trump held a two-hour conversation on X, during which the two discussed workers walking off the job to go on strike.

Former President Donald Trump and X's owner Elon Musk are slated to do a live interview on the social media platform at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Musk says the live interview will be unscripted and is soliciting X users to pose their questions.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area. This comes as Israel prepares for an upcoming retaliation from Iran.

In his most detailed public remarks on Ukraine's cross-border incursion to date, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the incursion is an attempt by Ukraine to stop Russia’s offensive in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. He also said Ukraine is trying to gain leverage in possible future peace talks.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said on Thursday her office should be allowed to continue prosecuting former President Donald Trump and several codefendants. In a 96-page briefing submitted to the Georgia Court of Appeals, her office argued there is no evidence the romantic relationship Willis had with a special prosecutor impacted the RICO case.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are targeting next week to make their first trip together since Biden ended his candidacy and Harris took over as the Democratic nominee. The White House said they will head to Maryland on Aug. 15 for an event to “discuss the progress they are making to lower costs for the American people.”

Storm Debby was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Friday but is still lashing the coasts of the Carolinas with rain. Forecasters say parts of the East Coast can expect heavy downpours, flash flooding, and even tornadoes this weekend.

Tropical Storm Debby made landfall for a second time early Thursday near Bulls Bay, South Carolina. The storm whipped up a tornado in North Carolina that killed one person, and forced a portion of Interstate 95 around Fayetteville, North Carolina, to temporarily shut down.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of southwest Japan, triggering tsunami advisories for the country's Pacific coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency said it believes there is now a "relatively higher chance" of another major earthquake occurring near western Japan's Pacific coast.

Austrian authorities say a 19-year-old suspect admitted he planned to kill himself and a large crowd with knives and explosives at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. The youth had pledged allegiance to the ISIS terrorist group weeks before his planned attack was foiled, authorities said.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), a member of "the Squad," lost her Democratic Party primary on Tuesday to public prosecutor Wesley Bell. Bush, who is known for her anti-Israel stance, was targeted by a super political action committee associated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) with millions in negative spending in what became the second-most expensive primary contest ever.

Tropical Storm Debby is hovering over the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, as it is forecast to make another landfall on the coast of South Carolina. Southern states are preparing for extreme rainfall and life-threatening flooding.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) delivered remarks in Shelby Township, Michigan, on the economic hardships Americans are facing. He criticized the Biden–Harris administration for policies he said are causing high housing costs, and he promised to change the situation.

Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, capping more than two weeks of speculation over who would join her at the top of the Democrat ticket. Walz said it was the "honor of a lifetime" to join Harris in the campaign.

Voters in Michigan, Missouri, and Washington State are heading to the polls to vote in primary elections. In Michigan, Democrats and Republicans are stepping up to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). Voters in Missouri will also decide the fate of Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.).

Several Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems executives testified at a two-day hearing before the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the midair blowout of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door plug in January. The hearing reviews issues including 737 manufacturing and inspections, safety management, and quality management systems.

U.S. stocks took a nosedive on Monday morning amid a worldwide stock market selloff as fears of a possible U.S. recession have mounted in recent days. Japanese stocks plunged in their biggest drop since the 1987 Black Monday sell-off.

Hurricane Debby made landfall as a Category 1 storm in Florida's Big Bend, bringing heavy rainfall and life-threatening storm surges. At least 4 people have been killed, and about 300,000 customers were without power in Florida and Georgia.

Bangladesh’s prime minister resigned and fled the country after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into violence and grew into a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. Thousands of demonstrators stormed her official residence and other buildings associated with her party and family.

Three newly freed Americans are back on U.S. soil on Friday after a landmark prisoner exchange with Russia. President Joe Biden was at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to greet them, and said the exchange came with "tough calls."

Vice President Kamala Harris ' campaign announced that it raised $310 million last month. The haul by Harris, the Democratic National Committee, and affiliated entities outpaced Republican former President Donald Trump, whose campaign and assorted committees said they took in $138.7 million for July.

The Biden administration officially recognized Venezuela's opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner of the presidential election. The State Department said the Venezuelan National Electoral Council's declaration of socialist President Nicolás Maduro as the winner came with no supporting evidence. 

The West and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap since the end of the Cold War on Thursday, releasing 26 individuals from seven countries. Russia released three U.S. citizens, including Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan.

A New York state appeals court rejected former President Donald Trump's challenge to a gag order in his New York criminal case. This means Trump cannot comment publicly about individual prosecutors and others in the case until Justice Juan Merchan sentences him on Sept. 18.

The Israeli military said the head of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on July 13. Deif is believed to have been one of the masterminds of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in a targeted strike in Tehran, Iran early Wednesday. No one immediately claimed responsibility but suspicion fell on Israel. Iran’s supreme leader vowed revenge against Israel.

Kari Lake won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Arizona on Tuesday, setting up a fierce battle against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D - Ariz.) for a seat that could be crucial to deciding Senate control.

U.S. athletes lead the medal count at the Paris Olympic games with 4 golds, 12 silvers, and 11 bronzes. Team USA won its 3,000th medal in Olympic history, the first country to ever accomplish such an achievement.