A North Carolina man is accused of torturing his 19-year-old girlfriend for months before she was found dead inside an apartment, according to court documents.   Charlotte-Mecklenburg police responded to a 911 call on May 1 after Thomaz Kenon Hamilton, 24, reported that his girlfriend, Isabella Mary Alexandria Stroupe, was unresponsive, according to Fox 11 News.  Officers found Stroupe dead inside an apartment in east Charlotte.  According to an affidavit cited by WBTV, she was wearing “minimal clothing” and was allegedly tied to a bed with a tow strap. Investigators said Stroupe suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including broken and fractured bones as well as stab wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide.  Hamilton, who authorities said was dating and living with Stroupe, allegedly told investigators they had been having sex when she suffered a heart attack. Investigators said the evidence was inconsistent with that account.  Police said they recovered what appeared to be a bloodstained knife wrapped in cellophane, along with a sword, a baseball bat, multiple cell phones, clothing with possible blood, and a bloodstained mattress. According to the affidavit, investigators concluded that “Stroupe was being tortured over a period of several months and that Stroupe would have been physically unable to provide consent for vaginal sexual intercourse.” Police arrested Hamilton on May 5 and charged him with first-degree murder and rape in connection with Stroupe’s death, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.  Stroupe’s family later created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses, saying her death “has left a huge hole in our lives.”  “I loved Isabella deeply. She was a total bookworm, always reading and sharing her favorite stories with me,” Stroupe’s sister said. “She loved fan fiction and My Little Pony, and her creativity brought so much joy to our family. Remembering her passion for books and the happiness she brought to those around her makes this loss even harder.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ramped up his pressure campaign against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), urging supporters to flood his office with calls demanding action on the SAVE America Act.  “We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American elections. And I have to say, Mike Johnson and Congress have done a great job, but we’re having a hard time in the Senate,” Trump said at a rally in Georgia. “It’s like the Senate is a place where you send things when you want them to die.”  “We’re not going to take this any longer… I’m trying to be nice, Trump added. “Everybody call John Thune at the Senate, he’s the leader of the Republican party, and tell him to get this stuff approved!” The president also renewed his call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing Democrats would quickly abolish the 60-vote threshold themselves if they regain power. “The Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster as soon as they have a chance, and then they’re going to approve Puerto Rico and D.C. as a state. They got four more senators. They’re going to end up with 12 more congressmen. They’re going to get like 40 electoral votes,” the president said.  .@POTUS: “We have to pass the SAVE America Act to defend American Elections… We’re not going to take this any longer… Right now, Congress is working to get as much of our plan as possible into the budget bill… everybody call John Thune at the Senate… and tell him to get… pic.twitter.com/uBzhGziRSm — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 22, 2026 “But I may be crying when I’ll be sitting home, and I’ll say, I told them, they’ve got to really terminate the filibuster, get everything approved right away,” he added.  Trump’s remarks came hours after the House passed a third version of the election integrity measure by attaching it to the GOP-backed Stop Insider Trading Act, legislation that would ban members of Congress from buying and selling stocks. The combined bill passed 232-198, with 13 Democrats joining Republicans to advance the measure, marking the first congressional stock-trading ban to receive a House floor vote, according to Politico. Frustration with Thune isn’t limited to the White House. House Republicans who have repeatedly passed the legislation have also grown increasingly vocal about the Senate’s inaction. “If John Thune has shown that he does not want to put the SAVE America Act on the Senate floor, he should step aside,” Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) said on social media. “There are plenty of other options in the Senate capable of securing our elections as Majority Leader.”  Republicans have also pointed to New Jersey’s recent admission that a “software error” led to thousands of non-citizens being registered to vote, arguing the situation shows the need for stronger election safeguards. New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill revealed Tuesday that the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) mistakenly registered roughly 6,600 non-citizens despite their indicating they were not U.S. citizens while applying for IDs and driver’s licenses between June 2023 and June 2024, The Daily Wire reported.  “These individuals answered ‘no’ when asked on a keypad whether they were a U.S. citizen when applying for drivers’ licenses and identification cards, but through no fault of their own, the system registered them anyway,” Sherrill wrote in an X post. Trump administration officials have said the non-citizens who illegally voted could face prosecution and deportation.  “People need to see the consequences of voting when you’re not allowed to,” Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, told conservative podcast host Benny Johnson.  Back on Capitol Hill, Democrats argued the stock trading ban didn’t go far enough, but ultimately opposed the bill because it included provisions from the SAVE America Act. “Republicans have corrupted their so-called stock trading bill with a decaying piece of the SAVE American Act corpse,” Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) Morelle said, according to Politico. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain path forward.

Reuters reported Wednesday that U.S. intelligence analysts are looking into whether Russia helped Iran strike CIA facilities in the Gulf by providing targeting intelligence or advanced drone technology. The report, which cited four people familiar with the matter, said analysts have not reached definitive conclusions. But the precision of the strikes and Russia’s longstanding military support for Iran are among the factors under review. The investigation into Moscow’s possible role in the attacks on CIA sites has not previously been reported. Reuters has previously reported that Russia provided Iran with targeting assistance and other military support for attacks on U.S. interests in the Gulf.  At least two CIA facilities were hit in March, including the CIA station housed inside the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and another facility in eastern Iraq. Some sources said additional sites were also hit but did not provide further details.  One internal memo from a Western intelligence agency, according to a regional official familiar with it, concluded that Russia likely played a role in targeting regional CIA facilities. Two Western officials in the Gulf briefed on intelligence reports said analysts believe the Saudi attack involved two Russian-enhanced versions of Iran’s Shahed drones. According to those officials, the first drone breached a vulnerable section of the embassy’s exterior, allowing the second to fly through the opening before detonating. No deaths or injuries were reported. While Russia has long supported Iran militarily, helping Tehran target sensitive CIA facilities would mark a significant escalation in Moscow’s efforts to disrupt U.S. operations amid the ongoing Iran war. Concerns about Russian assistance intensified after recent strikes on a U.S. military base in Jordan, where Iranian ballistic missiles hit army barracks and killed two soldiers. Russia has helped Iran improve the range and accuracy of its Shahed drones by supplying the Kometa-M satellite navigation system, which is more resistant to jamming than Iran’s domestic version. The Wall Street Journal first reported this assistance in March; the Kremlin called the report “fake news.” U.S. analysts have examined whether Iran relied on Russian targeting intelligence during the embassy attack. Some officials noted that few nations besides Russia would have both the capability and interest in providing such sensitive information against the U.S. Still, some sources cautioned that Iran might have been targeting the broader U.S. Embassy and struck the CIA station by chance. Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA station chief and undercover operations officer, said Russian assistance in targeting CIA facilities would be consistent with Moscow’s strategic partnership with Iran. “They share an interest in trying to reduce or eliminate U.S. influence altogether in their self-designated spheres of influence,” he said. The White House referred questions to the CIA, which declined comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations, Russia’s Defense Ministry, and the Saudi government did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. CIA facilities overseas typically include stations in embassies, along with offices, safe houses, logistics hubs, and sites for surveillance or other operations. Their locations remain closely guarded.    

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing a growing revolt from black activists who are threatening to tank his campaign over what they describe as his failure to engage black voters and organizations following the perceived snubbing of Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). The backlash has grown so intense that at least one elected Texas Democrat has already predicted Talarico will lose.  “Do I think that Talarico’s refusal thus far to engage black electeds and the black infrastructure has put him at a disadvantage? Absolutely, because there’s not a lot of time to try to rally us,” Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones, a Democrat, warned in a recent interview.  “Talarico needs to pay for us to get our voters out. Only then does Talarico have a chance to win,” Jones said. “If he continues to do what he has been doing, I believe Talarico is going to lose.”  Talarico, who has sparked backlash for his fringe views on Christianity, affection for transgender children, and disdain for the American flag, is seeking to defeat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the nation’s most culturally conservative states. To win the Senate seat, Talarico will need overwhelming support from minority voters, including higher-than-expected black turnout in the state’s urban centers. During the contentious March primary, Crockett, who is black, outperformed Talarico in many of those areas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and much of East Texas. Months later, black voters across the Lone Star State say the Senate hopeful has failed to inspire their communities.  “Talarico is giving out money to white GOTV organizations and white infrastructure and Hispanic infrastructure, but he’s not giving it to black infrastructure,” Jones said. “We don’t want no white pollsters. They don’t know how to poll us. And for the most part, I’ve told them it takes money to get the vote out.” “Talarico and everybody statewide in the Democratic Party has a black problem, whether they acknowledge it or not,” Jones added. “And inspiration is not going to get us to the polls.” Those frustrations boiled over during a recent campaign event when Houston activist Kandice Webber called out Talarico as he prepared to leave, warning his campaign would “suffer the consequences” if he failed to answer questions from those in attendance. “So you stay here! You answer our questions, or you suffer the consequences,” Webber shouted. “I’m happy to engage,” Talarico, clearly taken aback, responded. “I did it for my people, not for you,” Webber said, prompting applause from around the room. “And that’s wonderful,” Talarico replied. “I think that’s wonderful.” As the crowd began to murmur, Talarico continued, “It’s all right. It’s all right, that’s what this conversation is supposed to be about.” On the campaign trail, Talarico has attempted to stop the bleeding, blasting law enforcement and expressing support for reparations. Those efforts have not moved the needle for Webber, who took to social media after the viral town hall outburst to attack the Senate hopeful in a profanity-laced rant.  “But for us, real black folks, everyday black people, we’re gonna sit this sh*t out. We’re gonna undervote your *ss James Talarico,” she said in a viral social media video.  Webber argued that electing Paxton to the U.S. Senate would ultimately be a better strategic outcome for black voters than backing another white Democratic nominee.  “But what I will not have you do is try to instill your great white hope in my motherf*cking people and watch you let us down,” she said. “So maybe when 2028 rolls around, you will know, black Texas voters, we ain’t f*cking playing with you. Yeah, that white boy should have stayed where the f*ck he was.”  The vitriol in her voice is disturbing. “We gon sit this shit out, we gon undervote your ass Talarico.” And then she says it IN THE FUCKING VIDEO that she *does not care* if Ken Paxton wins this race. This rhetoric should have NO place in our party. Get the fuck out. pic.twitter.com/pY7I4bEpOQ — Suburban wine bro (@suburbanwinebro) July 20, 2026

The Trump administration does not plan to intervene to stop the extradition of controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate to the United Kingdom, despite the brothers’ legal team urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to step in. A senior administration official told Axios on Wednesday that the United States will not block the proceedings as the brothers fight extradition in federal court. “The U.S. has an extradition treaty with the U.K. and the administration intends to honor it in this case,” the official said. The State Department likewise indicated it has no plans to intervene. A senior department official said Rubio has not spoken with the Tate brothers or their attorneys and that the department “has no plans to act on this matter at this time.” Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami on Saturday, following a British extradition request tied to dozens of new criminal charges. The Crown Prosecution Service recently announced 38 additional charges against the brothers, bringing the total number of charges they face in the United Kingdom to 59. The charges include allegations of rape, sex trafficking, assault, and offenses involving indecent images of children and extreme pornography. The brothers have thus far denied all wrongdoing, and they appeared Monday before a federal judge in Miami to begin extradition proceedings. Their attorney, Joseph McBride, argued outside the courthouse that the prosecution is politically motivated and has vowed to challenge the request. “We are of course objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent,” McBride told reporters. “They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit.” McBride has also argued that Rubio has the authority to deny the extradition request if he determines the brothers are being politically persecuted. Court filings acknowledge the secretary retains final authority over extradition decisions after judicial proceedings conclude, but administration officials have indicated there is no appetite to exercise that discretion in this case. According to Axios, Rubio has privately expressed disdain for the brothers, with one source telling the outlet the secretary views them as “scum.” Another source familiar with President Donald Trump’s thinking said the president likewise wants nothing to do with the influencers despite their repeated public support for him. The Tate brothers have cultivated a massive online following through content promoting wealth, hyper-masculinity, and controversial views on women. They became prominent figures within the so-called “manosphere” and have repeatedly portrayed themselves as allies of Trump and the MAGA movement. The extradition case is only the latest legal challenge facing the brothers. They remain under criminal investigation in Romania on separate human trafficking and rape allegations, which they have also denied. A federal judge has scheduled the brothers’ next hearing for July 27 as the extradition process continues. If the court determines the treaty requirements are met, the final decision on whether to surrender the brothers to British authorities will rest with Rubio, though administration officials have made clear they currently have no intention of blocking the request.