NPR is reporting that President Donald J Trump claims a new groundbreaking deal will lead to Hamas completely disarming and Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza. It said a senior official from the Palestinian militant group told NPR they would only give up their weapons if Israel withdraws from Gaza first. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet responded to the announcement. The president said his Board of Peace agreed to the plan with support from mediators in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar. The announcement comes more than nine months after a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire was signed. NPR's Franco Ordoñez told Up First that the deal faces hurdles over whether the Israeli or Hamas portion of the agreement should take place first. Veteran Republican strategist Alex Conant said Trump needs a win with midterm elections just over three months away and warned of political consequences if the Iran war continues and gas prices keep rising.
NPR is also reporting that President Trump is considering withdrawing his nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to officially take over the role. It said two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, are withholding their support for Blanche due to the Department of Justice's deal with the president to end his IRS lawsuit. Trump said the withdrawal could be temporary until those two senators leave office in January. NPR's Ryan Lucas said the senators are requesting written assurances from the Justice Department that both the settlement and the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund are off the table. Cornyn and Tillis also want clarity on the tax immunity deal for Trump, his family and his businesses. Lucas said Trump would rather withdraw Blanche's nomination than provide senators with guarantees of deals that favor him.
The U.S. economy has largely managed the impact of rising energy costs resulting from the war with Iran, NPR is reporting, citing a recent Commerce Department report. It said from April to June, the U.S. gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.5%, a slight slowdown from the first quarter of 2026, when GDP grew by 2.1%. Much of the change stems from a decrease in government spending and a surge in imports. NPR’s Scott Horsley said a growth rate of 1.5% seems more promising than a recession, but the growth is slower than last year. Consumer spending, the main driver of the economy, remained strong despite soaring gasoline prices. Some analysts said much of the spending growth comes from upper-income families who feel wealthy due to a booming stock market and rising home prices. Horsley said a downturn in the stock market could cause them to cut back on spending.
Separately, NPR is reporting that the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached its highest level in a year this week, hitting 6.66%, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.