Newsweek is reporting that its new "American Dream Index" indicates the American Dream is not dead but has shifted geographically. The index, which scores U.S. ZIP codes on opportunity weighted toward mobility, found North Dakota, Utah, and Minnesota rank highest among states, while Massachusetts placed fourth due to high housing costs. At the county level, affluent suburbs in Colorado and Virginia, alongside rural areas in South Dakota and Kansas, topped the list. Newsweek noted that places like San Francisco and Brooklyn scored high on opportunity but low on affordability. It also highlighted that the U.S. median household disposable income, at approximately $51,000, significantly surpasses that of other developed nations like the U.K. ($27,000) and Germany ($42,000). Financier Anthony Scaramucci told Newsweek that capital, talent, and opportunity have migrated to the Sun Belt and the digital economy.
Newsweek is also reporting on the outcomes of Arizona's primaries, which it said offer key lessons for upcoming midterms and the 2028 election. The state has become a critical battleground, and the results demonstrate its nature as a split-ticket, candidate-quality, institutional-trust state. Rep. Andy Biggs, endorsed by Donald Trump, secured the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Rep. Greg Stanton was projected to defeat progressive challenger Kai Newkirk in a U.S. House race.
President Donald Trump has been accused of minimizing the deaths of 18 U.S. service members since the start of the Iran war, Newsweek reported. Trump compared the conflict's death toll to those of previous wars in a Truth Social post, listing "Iran Military Conflict: 4 months, 18 DEAD" alongside much higher figures for longer conflicts like Vietnam and Iraq. Newsweek noted the Iran war began with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, and six Army Reserve soldiers were among the 18 confirmed U.S. military deaths.
In other news, Newsweek is reporting that nearly one in four American workers, approximately 23 million adults, are staying in jobs they wish to leave due to concerns about losing health insurance, according to a new Gallup poll. This marks an 8-percentage-point increase from 2021. Gallup research director Ellyn Maese told Newsweek that these findings align with a growing health care affordability gap, forcing Americans to make difficult choices between health care and other living expenses. Florida was identified as the state most stressed about health insurance.
Newsweek is reporting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the country's top military commander. It said the decision followed nationwide protests calling for Syrskyi's removal and the reinstatement of popular former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Additionally, Newsweek is reporting that Chick-fil-A experienced a data breach last month, potentially exposing customer email addresses, mobile pay numbers, and partial credit card details. Nicolás Maduro has a status conference scheduled in New York City federal court on Wednesday, marking a new chapter in a legal and political saga impacting Venezuela's leadership, Newsweek said. A source within the Iran-aligned Ansar Allah (Houthi movement) outlined motivations for its latest intervention in the Middle East and warned of further action against Saudi Arabia, Newsweek reported.
Finally, Newsweek is reporting that a new AccuWeather forecast map shows Canadian wildfire smoke is expected to continue spreading across large parts of the U.S. Midwest and Northeast into August, raising concerns about air quality and public health. AccuWeather anticipates prevailing weather patterns will direct smoke from western Ontario into the U.S., leading to periodic haze and unhealthy air. The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System reported 900 active wildfires and nearly 3,950 fires burning over 3.3 million hectares this year as of July 22, 2026.