Quick Hits

• A federal judge in Manhattan struck down the Trump administration's immigrant visa ban affecting 75 countries, ruling against the State Department's suspension of immigrant visas (Al Jazeera).
• The US imposed 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after trade talks failed; Canada's prime minister says the country will match the tariffs "dollar for dollar" (Al Jazeera).
• Iran's president said it is time to end the war with the US from a "position of strength," as Omani and Iranian foreign ministers held a call and Washington prepared economic sanctions (Al Jazeera).
• Chief Justice John Roberts allowed construction on President Trump's $400 million ballroom project to continue for now while the Supreme Court considers the matter (MPR News).
• UNICEF says drought-stricken Somalia recorded a 32 percent jump in children treated for severe malnutrition as aid cuts deepen the hunger crisis (Al Jazeera).

Top Stories

• Visa ban ruling: The Manhattan federal ruling targets the State Department's suspension of immigrant visas spanning 75 countries (Al Jazeera).
• US–Canada trade clash: The 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods followed the failure to secure a US trade agreement; Ottawa has pledged dollar-for-dollar retaliation (Al Jazeera).
• US–Iran war: Alongside the Iranian president's "position of strength" comments and the Omani–Iranian foreign ministers' call, MPR News (citing NPR) reports the USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home after conducting Strait of Hormuz–related blockade operations in the Arabian Sea.
• Trump ballroom at the Supreme Court: Roberts on Friday allowed the White House to continue construction on the $400 million project "for now" as the court weighs the case (MPR News).
• California special election: State Senator Aisha Wahab won a special election despite pro-Israel outside spending — which Al Jazeera frames as the latest example of a progressive overcoming millions in outside spending.
• NBA/WNBA franchise sale: Timberwolves and Lynx co-owner Marc Lore agreed to sell his controlling stake to limited partner Marc Stad at a $4.5 billion valuation, barely a year after his purchase (MPR News).

Left Perspective

Coverage from MPR News (rated lean left):

• ICE facility: Residents voiced concerns Thursday about the reopening of a detention center in Appleton; a Republican state legislator who fielded questions called the discussions respectful even though people hold strong opposing views.
• Carrier deployment toll: As the USS Lincoln returns from blockade operations, mental health experts are tallying the stressors of life at sea (NPR via MPR News).
• Group home oversight: The Minnesota Department of Health's role in the state's booming group home industry is under scrutiny following investigations, with the Health Department addressing the issue Thursday.

International View

• West Bank: A 17-year-old Palestinian was shot and killed and another person critically injured in a settler attack; the UN responded (Al Jazeera).
• Lebanon: The World Bank projects the war-hit economy will contract 6.4 percent, saying conflict with Israel has derailed recovery as inflation and consumer prices rise (Al Jazeera).
• India: Floods in Assam have left a death trail — from a father searching for his daughter's body to a man who drowned trying to save a friend — with residents describing the deluge as "a tsunami" (Al Jazeera).
• Panama: The Panama Canal will cut daily transits from 40 to 32 vessels by September 15 ahead of an "extreme" El Niño, risking slower shipping and higher costs (Al Jazeera).
• UK and Mediterranean: A 6-year-old Palestinian-British girl died days after her mother, father, and sister drowned off the UK coast; separately, at least 13 Tunisians are missing after a migrant boat headed for Italy capsized (Al Jazeera).

Underreported

• Media accountability: AllSides examines how conservative Western media spun a female biologist into a "Russian escort."
• Politics gaffe debate: Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) went viral after responding to a Taiwan question, "I'm just going to be honest here, I'm not that informed on national security" (Tangle); Tangle followed with a piece asking whether politicians should admit when they're clueless. Its Friday edition also includes a DOGE mea culpa ("I was wrong about DOGE") and a look at what surprised analysts in the 2026 primaries.
• Peru: Rescue teams freed people trapped by landslides on a highway for nearly a week (Al Jazeera).
• Libya: Fifteen years after Tripoli fell, professionals who left say they are unlikely to return (Al Jazeera).
• Nigeria and the Sahel: A widening diplomatic rift is complicating efforts to confront a shared cross-border security threat (Al Jazeera).
• Space: China's Chang'e-7 mission seeks to learn more about water trapped in the moon's shadowed craters (Al Jazeera).
• AI in court: A Minnesota lawyer was suspended over fake AI-generated case citations, drawing national attention to the small town of Biwabik (MPR News).
• Sports: MLS fined Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Ian Fray for separate incidents against the Philadelphia Union (Al Jazeera).

Sources

• MPR News — Chief Justice allows work on Trump's ballroom; USS Lincoln heads home; Lore agrees to sell stake; Appleton ICE facility; MDH group home program; Lawyer suspended over AI citations
• Al Jazeera — Visa ban struck down; Tariffs on Canadian goods; Iranian president on war; Wahab special election win; Somalia hunger crisis; West Bank teen killed; Lebanon economy; Assam floods; Panama Canal; Peru landslide rescue; Libya brain drain; Nigeria and the Sahel; Palestinian-British girl dies; Tunisian migrant boat; China moon mission; Messi fined
• AllSides — How Conservative Western Media Spun a Female Biologist Into a 'Russian Escort'
• Tangle — Darline Graham on foreign policy; Should Politicians Admit When They're Clueless?; I was wrong about DOGE; What Surprised Us from the 2026 Primaries