Trump administration detentions of US military families, Oath Keepers Jan. 6 case dismissed, the sun like you’ve never seen it before
This is our flagship newsletter Morning Wire. You can subscribe here and we’ll email it to you daily.
Welcome back. Now that the tight Michigan Democratic primary has been called for Abdul El-Sayed, you can read all about the progressive Senate candidate’s rise. Also in today’s headlines: An AP exclusive finds that dozens of U.S. military spouses and parents have been detained in Trump’s immigration crackdown; a federal judge criticizes the Justice Department while reluctantly dismissing the Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy case against the far-right Oath Keepers; and firefighters gain an edge in battling Washington state’s wildfires. Finally, a new image of the sun shows its surface in the finest detail yet.
Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo poses with a photo of his wife, Maisa Lopes Eliaser, a Brazilian national who is being detained by ICE, before visiting her at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, La., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Joseph Vidrine)
Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo poses with a photo of his wife, Maisa Lopes Eliaser, a Brazilian national who is being detained by ICE, before visiting her at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, La., Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Joseph Vidrine)
AP Exclusive: Trump’s immigration crackdown has detained dozens of military spouses and parents
More than 50 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained since Trump took office for a second term. At least six have been deported and one self-deported, an AP investigation found in the first accounting of such detentions, which the government does not track. Read more.
Why this matters:
- Parents and spouses of people in the military have generally been shielded from deportation under bipartisan consensus for decades. Experts warn that the reversal could undermine military preparedness even as the U.S. is at war in Iran. It’s left military members without emotional support and caretakers for their children, delayed deployments and forced some to take leave.
- “DHS and ICE value the contributions of all those who have served in the U.S. military,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “U.S. military service alone does not automatically grant lawful immigration status, or exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”
Related coverage →
WATCH: Service members speak about how their lives have been upended
Empty pews and fear of ICE on Maryland’s Eastern Shore after TPS ends for Haitians
Salvadoran man complained of access to medication before death at NJ immigration jail, family says
A $150M contract for migrant kids’ lawyers goes to a Trump-linked Texas firm, raising concerns
Judge criticizes the Justice Department as he dismisses Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy case
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta decried efforts to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as he reluctantly dismissed the seditious conspiracy case against members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group. Read more.
Why this matters:
- The Department of Justice in April acted to vacate the convictions of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and others who had their sentences commuted but did not receive pardons.
- Mehta, who oversaw the Oath Keepers’ trials, criticized the department’s move, writing in his ruling that the government “asks to absolve these Defendants of crimes against the United States itself.” But Mehta wrote that he had no choice but to grant the administration’s request. Mehta’s order closes the book on the Jan. 6 cases that were wiped out with President Donald Trump’s sweeping pardons and commutations last year.
Related coverage →
No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized
Senate panel to vote on holding Fauci in contempt for refusing to answer questions
State of New Mexico sues Justice Department and Todd Blanche, saying they blocked its Epstein probe
North Carolina congressman Edwards quits reelection bid after committee finds inappropriate conduct
GOP Rep. Max Miller resists pressure to drop reelection bid as party anxiety grows over abuse claims
Fauci’s decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment tees up a legal debate and a contempt vote
Crews remove the granite seal on the White House helipad, signaling potential project delays
Firefighters get a handle on Spokane wildfires as tens of thousands remain evacuated
Firefighters have taken advantage of cooler weather to try to take control of the wildfire in Washington state’s second-largest city. But hotter, drier and breezier days lie ahead. Read more.
What to know:
- The fires — one of which authorities say was deliberately set by a man who was arrested and charged with arson — have destroyed about 850 buildings and forced the evacuation of around 67,000 people since they erupted last weekend. Damage assessment crews have yet to tally exactly how many houses have been lost or damaged. No deaths have been reported.
Related coverage →
WATCH: Thick smoke clouds rise above mountains
Man charged with setting Spokane’s largest wildfire was questioned about 2 other blazes last year
Wildfire near Athens leaves rescuers scrambling to reunite hundreds of animals
Rising temperatures could keep more flights from taking off on time
Where extreme heat is having the biggest impact on Americans’ lives, according to a new AP-NORC poll
IN OTHER NEWS
Texas:Judge rules that law regulating firearm suppressors and some guns can’t be enforced
Lettuce investigation: 15 states now linked to cyclospora outbreak, CDC says
Mexico City murder:A gunman kills a social media influencer during a livestream
SpaceX:Scientists are certain a wayward rocket slammed into the moon
Madagascar:A city thought cable cars could fix its traffic gridlock. It was wrong
Ariana Grande:Singer’s new video sets off talk about body and beauty standards — again
Today in History:In 1945, a US B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
WATCH
Sunrise surf:Meet the windsurfers chasing a wind that’s gone by breakfast
This undated image provided by the NSF National Solar Observatory on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, shows the sun’s surface. (National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory via AP)
This undated image provided by the NSF National Solar Observatory on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, shows the sun’s surface. (National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory via AP)
The sun in high and hot resolution
You can’t look at the sun without proper eye protection. But you can look at this awesome image of the sun’s surface, captured in the finest detail yet. At first glance, it looks almost like a blanket of golden autumn leaves. Stanford University solar physicist Ruizhu Chen said it reminded her of “the swirling skies in Van Gogh’s Starry Night.” Watch the video and see if you have your own artistic reaction.
This is our flagship newsletter Morning Wire. You can subscribe here and we’ll email it to you daily.
