Historic Defense Bill, TSA Agents Replaced & Jimothy Steals Hearts - Thursday, July 23, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Thursday, July 23rd. We'll tell you about the GOP's sweeping defense bill that would fund the military, set new priorities, change some rules, and even rename a major federal department. Also, where the White House is redirecting hundreds of billions of dollars in research funding, and how an open AI model went rogue during a test, hacking another company all on its own. Plus, why three more major airports are ditching TSA. What to expect now that tropical storm Bertha has made landfall. And all about Jimothy, the raccoon, hacking over social media, and beyond. Those stories and even more news to know next.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy, thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
Commerce has taken a big step towards setting the military's funding and priorities. The US. House passed its version of a defense policy bill, authorizing about $1.15 trillion for national security programs. It also includes pay raises between 5 and 7 percent for service members depending on their rank. The pay raises had bipartisan support, but many other elements were especially contentious. For example, the bill would formally change the Department of Defense into President Trump's preferred Department of War as a matter of federal law. Republicans also added amendments restricting transgender care and easing access to personal guns on military bases. Intense arguments broke out over the part of the bill that would formalize America's cooperation with Israel to include weapons development and more. And more broadly, lawmakers disagreed on the overall size of the package. Many Republicans say the extra spending is needed to strengthen the military in the face of growing threats. While many Democrats argued the bill spends too much on defense, while other federal programs are getting cut. In the end, the bill passed in a 216 to 212 vote, mostly along party lines. Still, none of it is final. The Senate still has to pass its own version, and then both chambers will have to negotiate a final bill before it can head to President Trump's desk. By the way, the US. House also voted on party lines to advance a separate measure to fund the Iran War, aid to farmers, and parts of President Trump's voter ID bill. It would cost another $95 billion.
But for now, that one is just a blueprint, and there are still plenty of hurdles ahead before it would become law.
The US is now sending another wave of special operations forces, medics, and weaponry to the Middle East. That's on top of the tens of thousands of troops, ships, and aircraft carrier strike groups already there. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the surge is meant to give President Trump more options as he considers expanding the conflict against Iran further. And Trump is already ramping up his threats. The president now says he'll bomb and destroy a bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a ship trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. But for now, the US is mostly striking Iranian military targets. Even though Iran is continuing attacks in the Strait, Iran has also threatened to keep attacking US forces and American partners in the Gulf. Yesterday, President Trump attended the dignified transfer of the latest four US service members who were killed.
As expected, the US signed a landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia. And with that, the Trump administration is basically taking the opposite stance as it has in Iran. Remember, President Trump says the Iranians have to stop enriching nuclear fuel for at least two decades, and they must allow international inspectors access to verify the country is not producing a bomb. But with this new Saudi Arabia deal, the US opened the door to let the kingdom start enriching its own nuclear fuel after two years, and it agreed Saudi Arabia doesn't have to abide by an inspection agreement that applies to more than 140 other countries. Instead, President Trump says the US will be engaged in the program, so there's no way Saudi Arabia would be able to misuse it. It's a big business deal for the US since it requires the Saudis use American-sourced nuclear technology, and it solidifies one of America's top partnerships in the region when China is competing for them. But not everyone believes Saudi Arabia can be trusted, especially since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has previously said the kingdom would pursue a nuclear bomb if Iran developed one. And then it could cause a chain reaction in other countries, too.
Either way, President Trump will have to make the case to Congress.
Three more large American airports are now planning to ditch TSA agents and instead go for private security contractors. We're talking about the international airports in Tampa, Des Moines and Charleston. Other airports already use private screeners who work under TSA oversight. For example, the major airports in San Francisco and Kansas City, as well as 18 smaller airports. They're part of a long-standing federal program that lets airports choose that option. Supporters say the private model can save money, reduce the impact of government shutdowns, and give airports more flexibility. So the Trump administration has been pushing that option, but a union that represents tens of thousands of TSA agents says that push could jeopardize public safety. Congress created the TSA after the September 11th attacks, replacing a system that relied on private screening companies. But the difference is, these private companies are being directly overseen by the federal government, which was not the case before 9-11.