• Texas primary results: As results from the Texas primaries poured in on Tuesday night, it quickly became apparent that firebrand Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett lost to James Talarico in the well-publicized race to be the Democrat Senate nominee. Talarico will face the winner of the Republican runoff between incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The House primaries had some noteworthy results as well, with 2nd District incumbent Dan Crenshaw losing decisively to State Rep. Steve Toth. In the 23rd District, scandal-ridden incumbent Tony Gonzalez will face a runoff against firebrand and online personality Brandon Herrera after narrowly defeating Herrera in a runoff in 2024. Former MLB star Mark Teixeira defeated 11 other candidates for the Republican nomination in Congressman Chip Roy’s 21st District. Roy is vying for Texas Attorney General and also faces a runoff.

• Pentagon names four Americans KIA: The Pentagon has released the first four names of those service members killed in action by the Iranian regime in response to Operation Epic Fury. The Patriots who gave their last full measure of devotion are Capt. Cody A. Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, and Sgt. Declan J. Coady. Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of the U.S. Army Reserve, made the announcement and declared, “Their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, will never be forgotten.” All four soldiers were part of the 103rd Sustainment Command out of Des Moines, Iowa. Maj. Gen. Todd Erskine, commanding general of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, expressed his deepest sympathies and respect to the families and teammates of “these Cactus Nation Soldiers.” Two more casualties’ information is being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin.

• Israelis strike Iranian confab again, Ayatollah’s son may be successor: Israeli forces aim to make it difficult for the Iranian regime to select a new leader in the wake of longtime leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s termination. Mere hours after the regime’s Assembly of Experts, those elected Iranian leaders met to vote on Khamenei’s successor. However, the building in which the meeting took place was struck by Israeli forces, killing a number of regime officials and preventing a new Supreme Leader from being chosen. Despite the setback, it is reported that Ali Khamenei’s 56-year-old son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is favored to become the new face of the regime. Given that Israel and the U.S. are perpetually targeting regime leadership, the younger Khamenei may not be long for this world.

• Democrats support Presidential War Powers: Democrats have a reflexive response to President Donald Trump. If he says “up,” they say “down.” And now that Trump has launched Operation Epic Fury, the conclusion of a 47-year-long war waged by the Iranian regime against the U.S., Democrats say he needs the approval of Congress. Unfortunately for them, the internet is forever, and they made the exact opposite argument when President Barack Obama launched a bombing campaign against Libya in 2011. At a press conference at the time, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked whether the president required congressional authorization at any point in the process, and she answered quite simply, “No.” Which is it, Nancy?

• Spanberger playing hardball with deportation of illegal alien murderer: Virginia Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger rescinded her predecessor’s cooperation agreement with ICE and instead pushed a hard anti-ICE “sanctuary” policy. That decision is now blowing up in her face, as an illegal alien with a long criminal rap sheet was recently arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a young woman at a bus stop. The perp, Abdul Jalloh, is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who has been given a deportation order. DHS is calling on Spanberger not to release Jalloh back onto the street without notifying ICE. Spanberger has stubbornly refused to work with ICE and insists that DHS get a judicial warrant to deport Jalloh. Judicial courts are not responsible for hearing deportation cases, but Spanberger is trying to force them to do so.

• High school assailant’s father convicted: On September 4, 2024, at Apalachee High School in Georgia, a 14-year-old boy opened fire on his classmates and teachers with a rifle given to him by his father, killing four and wounding nine others. This week, a jury in Georgia found the father, Colin Gray, guilty of 27 charges, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children. Gray faces a total 180-year sentence for his complicity in the heinous actions committed by his son. The prosecution successfully argued that Gray had the knowledge and ability to prevent his son’s actions but failed to do so. Despite evidence of his son’s deteriorating mental state, Colin gave his son the weapon and ammunition used in the attack.

• Law firm sanctions roller coaster: On Monday, the Justice Department told a court that it was dropping its appeals against four Democrat-connected law firms. The law firms in question had sued following President Trump’s order to end federal government contracts and security clearances with these firms. A district judge ruled that the contract terminations were an unconstitutional political retaliation, a decision the DOJ had been appealing. However, on Tuesday, the DOJ did an about-face, withdrawing its motion to drop the appeal without any explanation. Predictably, the firms expressed their complaint over the sudden change. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which is hearing the case, has not yet stated whether it will accept the DOJ’s withdrawal of the motion to drop the appeal.

• Dr. Oz scrutinizes NY’s Medicaid program: The latest action in the Trump administration’s ongoing war on fraud was revealed on Tuesday, when Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz sent a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul notifying her of an investigation into the state’s Medicaid program. Oz observed that New York’s average spending per Medicaid beneficiary was $12,528, or 36% higher than the national average. He further noted that the state’s Medicaid spending per resident was 80% higher than the national average. “These elevated costs reflect a combination of more New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid relative to the state’s population, potential fraud, expansive benefit structures, and excessive provider payment levels within New York’s program compared with most other states,” he wrote. Oz has launched similar Medicaid-related fraud investigations in California and Minnesota as well.

• Ed Dept. honors Charlie Kirk at DC headquarters: Education Secretary Linda McMahon had banners hung from the Department of Education headquarters celebrating historic U.S. educators, including one honoring the late Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. She also posted a video on X on Monday, produced by the Freedom 250 organization, showing renowned educators and calling them “visionary leaders who have shaped the future of education for generations.” Among those referenced in the video were Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller’s teacher Anne Sullivan, Tuskegee University developer Booker T. Washington, Hartford Female Seminary founder Catharine Beecher, and Kirk. Education Department Press Secretary Savannah Newhouse said, “We are proud to honor visionary leaders whose contributions have shaped the future of education for generations. Their work reflects Benjamin Franklin’s timeless belief that ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’”

Headlines

• Turkey says NATO defenses destroyed incoming missile from Iran (Reuters)

• War-power resolutions to limit Trump’s action on Iran headed for defeat in Congress (Washington Times)

• North Korea doubles down on nuclear weapons (Washington Times)

• Walz, Ellison knew about fraud “for years,” House report claims (Daily Signal)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.