Trump Teases GDP Numbers at Illinois Event

Making his first visit to Illinois since winning the White House, President Donald Trump on Thursday trumpeted the renewed success of a Downstate steel mill, pushing back against criticism that his escalating trade disputes are hurting American workers and farmers. The president pointed to the U.S. Steel plant’s reopening as a success story after he slapped tariffs on imported steel and aluminum last spring. On Wednesday, he and European leaders agreed to open talks on trade, a decision he called a breakthrough. Trump appeared eager to keep promoting more good economic news. The Commerce Department delivers its first estimate of second-quarter gross domestic product on Friday, and the president signaled the numbers would be in line with what economists have forecast: a sizzling growth rate of 4 percent or more. “You’re going to see on Friday what happens with GDP. Lot of predictions. Lot of predictions,” Trump said in Iowa. “I told you before, some with a 5 in front of it … we’ll take anything with a 4 in front.”

Roseanne Barr Disputes Racist Claims

Roseanne Barr, the television star whose namesake show was canceled after she tweeted racist sentiments about a former Obama administration official, said Thursday night that she's not a racist. Speaking in her first national television interview since the scandal, Barr told Fox News' Sean Hannity that she was "so sad that people thought" her tweets about Valerie Jarrett were "racist." Barr made headlines after she tweeted in May that Jarrett, who is African-American and was born in Iran, was as though the "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby." Barr on Thursday night said that she "made a mistake. It cost me my life's work." She went on to say, "I was so sad, and I'm so sad that anyone thinks that of me," Barr told Hannity. "I never meant to hurt anybody, or say anything negative about an entire race of people."

Migrant Children Reunited Before Deadline

The Trump administration said Thursday that more than 1,800 children 5 years and older had been reunited with parents or sponsors following their separations at the U.S. Mexico border. That included 1,442 children who were returned to parents who were in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and another 378 who were released under a variety of other circumstances. But about 700 more remain separated, including 431 whose parents were deported, officials say. Those reunions take more time, effort and paperwork as authorities fly children back to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The court-ordered deadline has passed and now Judge Dana Sabraw from San Diego who originally ordered the reunifications must decide how to address the hundreds of still-separated children whose parents have been deported, as well as how much time, if any, reunified parents should be allowed to file asylum claims.

ACLU Files Lawsuit Against NJ Schools

The ACLU of New Jersey filed lawsuits against a dozen school districts across the state on Thursday, alleging that their enrollment policies are illegal and discriminate against immigrants. The schools, located in 10 counties, ask students for forms of state-issued identification that require Social Security numbers or valid immigration status as a condition to enroll, the ACLU-NJ said in the lawsuit. New Jersey law forbids schools districts from denying education to public school students based on their immigration status or that of their parents. “New Jersey’s state Constitution calls for free public education, and that applies to every single child — no exceptions,” said Elyla Huertas, staff attorney at the ACLU-NJ, which filed the lawsuits in state Superior Court. “In a state where one in five residents is foreign-born, at a time when our president has made the exclusion of immigrants a key part of his policy agenda, it’s more important than ever for every school district in New Jersey to meet its obligations, both to New Jersey’s families and to the Constitution.”

Meadows Backs Off Impeaching Rosenstein After Leadership Talks

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) says he is tabling his efforts to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after having several meetings with Republican leadership, stating that he would instead pursue contempt if the Justice Department (DOJ) does not turn over documents Congress is seeking. While the impeachment option remains on the table, Meadows told reporters he now hopes it will be a contempt process rather than impeachment. When asked what will happen if he does not receive the documents that the two House committees are seeking by the time the House returns from August recess, Meadows said, "I think the very first order of business would be moving the House to a contempt vote."

Jim Jordan Officially Announcing Bid for Speaker

House Freedom Caucus co-founder Jim Jordan formally announced his campaign for speaker of the House on Thursday. Jordan has received an onslaught of support from conservative groups and his colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus to run for speaker. “Should the American people entrust us with the majority again in the 116th Congress, I plan to run for Speaker of the House to bring real change to the House of Representatives,” Jordan said in a statement Thursday. “President Trump has taken bold action on behalf of the American people. Congress has not held up its end of the deal, but we can change that. It’s time to do what we said.” Thursday’s announcement would be the first time Jordan directly said whether or not he is running. The congressman had repeatedly said leading up to the announcement that there was no speaker’s race, but he was entertaining the idea of throwing his name in the hat.

Is Twitter Shadow Banning Prominent Republicans?

A report from Vice claimed Twitter was limiting the visibility of prominent Republicans in search results. When a user starts typing in a word or name in Twitter's search box, it will start automatically populating results, similar to how search works on Google. The report said accounts for key figures including Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, and Republican representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows were not appearing in auto-completed search results on Twitter. However, other users could still view their tweets and interact through features such as replies. "It seems Twitter is doing everything in its power to obstruct access to these prominent conservatives and limit the influence of their voices," said Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, a conservative-leaning media watchdog group.

Walt Disney Company to Eliminate Plastic Straws and More by 2019

The Walt Disney Company is set to eliminate single-use plastic straws and plastic stirrers at all its owned and operated locations across the globe by mid-2019, the company announced Thursday. This includes all parks with the exception of Disney Tokyo. That elimination amounts to a reduction of more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers annually, the company said. For patrons of Disney hotels and Disney cruise ships, there are additional changes coming. “Today’s announcement is more than about reducing single-use plastic waste, it’s also about showing millions of kids and adults from around the world the many ways we can change our daily habits to care for the oceans and protect nature that sustains us all," said Dr. M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International, a non-profit with which Disney has collaborated on environmental and sustainability initiatives. 

Texas Inmate Being Transferred Gets Atop Moving Patrol Car

A Texas inmate took a wild ride after breaking the window of a patrol car and climbing onto its roof as it sped down a highway. Video of the incident was recorded by people driving behind the patrol car that was transporting 31-year-old Martin Gregory Estrada. Taylor County sheriff's officials say at some point during the drive, Estrada slipped out of his handcuffs, shattered the passenger-side window and climbed atop the patrol car. The deputy who was driving summoned help and didn't stop until other officers arrived. The office says Estrada was being taken to Abilene from a hospital facility in Wichita Falls where he'd allegedly assaulted someone. County jail records show Estrada was being held Thursday on various charges, including escape and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Bond was set at $680,000.

Several Passengers Aboard Diverted Flight from NYC to Florida Sickened by 'Dirty Socks' Odor

A flight from NYC to Florida had to be diverted to South Carolina because some passengers aboard complained of burning throats and chest pains after a potential hazmat situation from an unknown substance that passengers say smelled like "dirty socks." Two-hundred-twenty passengers were on board Spirit Airlines Flight 779 from LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale when it was diverted to Myrtle Beach after the airline said an "odor developed in a section of the aircraft." Officials were linking the medical complaints to that unknown substance that some passengers say smelled like “dirty socks.” There were concerns of a possible chemical on the aircraft that was making people sick, but nothing out of the ordinary was found. 

Tweets You May Have Missed!

@DiamondandSilk, July 26: “Just heard that House Speaker Paul Ryan doesn't think Rod Rosenstein should face impeachment. We don't think he should face impeachment as well, he should be jailed! #ClinkClink #LockHimUp”

@RealDonaldTrump, July 26: “The Remains of American Servicemen will soon be leaving North Korea and heading to the United States! After so many years, this will be a great moment for so many families. Thank you to Kim Jong Un.”

@RealDonaldTrump, July 26: “Twitter “SHADOW BANNING” prominent Republicans. Not good. We will look into this discriminatory and illegal practice at once! Many complaints.”