Daily Vantage

A unanimous state Supreme Court threw out Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions for “improper” jury influence, and now the retrial clock is ticking with stakes that could include the death penalty. Story Snapshot South Carolina’s highest court ordered a new trial after finding the court clerk tainted jurors. The judge set a tentative retrial start in April 2027 as lawyers sort venue, evidence, and testing. Prosecutors said they may pursue the death penalty when the case...

After more than 250 days at sea, the Navy is sending USS George Washington to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln amid mounting concerns about crew welfare and ship conditions. Story Snapshot USS George Washington will replace USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East after a record stretch at sea. Families and a United States senator reported shortages, contamination, and mental health strain aboard Lincoln. Pentagon and Navy officials disputed the worst claims and cited steady basics...

Poland says it stopped a Moscow-ordered hit on a Ukrainian-American in Warsaw and arrested a Russian suspect before the attack could happen. Story Highlights Polish services detained a Russian citizen on August 7 in Warsaw over an alleged assassination plot. Officials say the target was a U.S. citizen of Ukrainian origin. Poland says the suspect was recruited by Russian intelligence services. Poland coordinated with U.S. counterparts and called the case unprecedented on NATO soil. Poland Details...

James Fishback’s claim that Byron Donalds is under federal sex-trafficking investigation was quickly met with a flat denial from the Department of Justice and Donalds’ campaign. Quick Take Fishback said a whistleblower gave his campaign evidence about Donalds and Cory Mills. He tied the allegation to two 2024 trips to the MGM National Harbor hotel in Maryland. The Department of Justice said the claim is not true and Donalds is not under investigation. Donalds’ campaign...

President Trump is again using executive power to squeeze birthright citizenship, and the new move puts the White House on a fast track back to the courts. Quick Take Trump signed two new executive orders aimed at limiting birthright citizenship and stopping birth tourism. The White House said the orders continue its effort to protect the “meaning and value” of American citizenship after the Supreme Court fight over the earlier order. The 2025 order targeted...

President Trump used a State Department mining roundtable to announce more than $2 billion in new mining-related projects, putting domestic minerals at the center of his industrial push. Quick Take Trump said the roundtable would help revive American mining and strengthen supply chains for critical minerals. The White House said the administration has signed or approved 160 minerals deals since January 2025. Reuters reported that the meeting drew more than 200 mining executives, educators, investors,...