{"id":218856,"date":"2026-07-31T02:09:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trumps-iran-war-frustration-and-on-the-frontline-of-frances-wildfire-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T02:09:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:09:14","slug":"trumps-iran-war-frustration-and-on-the-frontline-of-frances-wildfire-morning-rundown-nbc-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/trumps-iran-war-frustration-and-on-the-frontline-of-frances-wildfire-morning-rundown-nbc-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Iran war frustration and on the frontline of France\u2019s wildfire: Morning Rundown – NBC News"},"content":{"rendered":"

news Alerts
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Without a clear endgame for the Iran war, Trump is growing frustrated. The president adds another D.C.-area renovation to his list of projects. And why some former MLB players feel the league is turning its back on them in retirement.
Here\u2019s what to know today.
Iran vowed to \u201cpunish\u201d the United States today after the American military said it had completed a \u201cheavy wave of strikes\u201d overnight. It was the latest retaliation for an attack by Tehran on U.S. forces<\/strong><\/a> in the Middle East. The renewed fighting came hours after President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the war as it enters its sixth month.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up <\/strong><\/em>here<\/strong><\/em><\/a> to get it in your inbox.<\/strong><\/em>
As the president weighs what to do next, he has grown frustrated, according to people familiar with discussions, because his top aides and allies can\u2019t agree on a goal of the war \u2014 whether it has to do with a nuclear threat, the Strait of Hormuz or Iran\u2019s missile and drone program \u2014 and therefore can\u2019t plan for an endgame.
Last week, Trump erupted during a meeting with some of his top national security officials and yelled expletives, two sources familiar with the discussion said. Two others familiar with the White House discussions on the war said the president and his top aides are not pleased with the status quo.
\u201cThe president is exasperated,\u201d according to a Trump ally. \u201cI don\u2019t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal.\u201d They added that \u201cthere was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint.\u201d
The disagreement raises the possibility of whether the U.S. is trapped in an increasingly unpopular conflict against an adversary that has proved to be resilient.
Where things stand and what Trump allies have said.<\/strong><\/a>
Senate committee postpones Blanche attorney general vote
The Senate Judiciary Committee canceled a vote on Todd Blanche\u2019s attorney general nomination over concerns from two Republican senators. It\u2019s not clear when the committee vote to send Blanche\u2019s full nomination to the Senate, which had been scheduled for this morning, would take place.
The holdup stems from Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis, both of whom have clashed with Trump, as they demand written assurances from the Justice Department that it will kill an \u201canti-weaponization\u201d fund and narrow who is protected from IRS audits \u2014 both related to a settlement between Trump and the IRS earlier this year.
How the Justice Department has responded.<\/strong><\/a>
NBC News\u2019 Raf Sanchez with firefighters and volunteers in France as they battle the flames
The fire erupted seemingly out of nowhere. On the side of the road in France\u2019s wine region<\/strong><\/a>, as waves of firefighting planes passed over a charred forest, flames burst out at the edge of the tree line.
Two white pickup trucks, manned by volunteers, sped toward the small fire, tackling the flames with hoses. A few minutes later, another blaze erupted just a few yards from the first.
\u201cThese small fires are like little candles,\u201d Cmdr. Matthieu Jomain, a fire service spokesman, told NBC News. \u201cIf we don\u2019t put them out, we can\u2019t win this battle.\u201d
The encounter illustrates the challenge facing French fire crews as they battle one of the country\u2019s largest-ever fires, four times the size of Paris. The fire has threatened the historic city of Bordeaux<\/strong><\/a> and forced 220,000 people<\/strong> <\/a>from their homes, according to authorities in the region.
Read more from the heart of the blaze.<\/strong><\/a>
Trump announced a sweeping makeover at Washington Dulles International Airport. The renovations include replacements of two concourses and a \u201cmagnificent\u201d parking garage, Trump said at an Oval Office event. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the plans also include a \u201chorseshoe rail system\u201d to transport travelers through terminals.
The project is estimated to cost $22 billion, but it won\u2019t be federally funded, Duffy said. That\u2019s because \u201cthe airlines who participate in the project are going to pay for it,\u201d he said. The administration is hopeful the project could begin next spring and be completed in two years.
What travelers at Dulles think about the airport\u2019s current condition.<\/strong><\/a>
Pope Leo XIV discussed his family\u2019s connection with slavery and his love of America in a one-on-one encounter with \u201cNBC Nightly News\u201d anchor Tom Llamas after the pontiff led a \u201cConcert for Peace.\u201d
In the Borgo Laudato Si\u2019 papal gardens southeast of Rome, Llamas asked the Chicago-born pope what he loved about America. He replied, \u201cSo many things. In a sense, speaking about principles, what America stands for, the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense of having invited for generations people from around the world to be part of America.\u201d
Leo said his grandparents were immigrants. On his mother\u2019s side \u201cwe have people who were both slaves and slave owners,\u201d he said. Earlier this year, he apologized for the Catholic Church\u2019s involvement in legitimizing slavery.
What else Pope Leo said about what it means to be an American.<\/strong><\/a>
During my high school years in southwestern Ohio, I loved going to Cincinnati Reds baseball games. So I was all-in when Johnny Bench, the Reds Hall of Fame catcher and All-Star, called earlier this year suggesting I research inequities in retirement benefits for Major League Baseball players.
I found that retired players, who made a fraction of what current stars do, get benefits that are far less generous<\/strong><\/a> than what more recent players receive. They don\u2019t receive cost-of-living increases like younger players do. They have to pay up for healthcare. And their wives get only half their pensions when they pass, versus modern players\u2019 spouses who get 100%. Even worse, some players have identified errors in their service records, meaning they may be owed back pension pay.
MLB generated $12 billion in revenues in 2024, but the league and players association won\u2019t level the playing field, the men say. One retired player I spoke with told me he thinks the league is waiting for the guys to pass away. And, tragically, another retired player I spoke to for the story \u2014 Bob Lacey, a pitcher for the Oakland A\u2019s \u2014 died before we published. Now, his widow will receive half his pension. \u2014 <\/em>Gretchen Morgenson<\/strong><\/em>, senior financial reporter<\/em>
Filtered showerheads<\/strong><\/a> have become a must-have for any household with hard water \u2014 but should you be filtering your bath water, too? Here\u2019s what experts had to say<\/strong><\/a> and why one editor is making the swap.
Sign up for The Selection<\/strong><\/em><\/a> newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.<\/em>
Thanks for reading today\u2019s Morning Rundown. Today\u2019s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you\u2019re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. <\/em>
\u200a
Elizabeth Robinson is a newsletter editor for NBC News, based in Los Angeles.
Delia Rangel is a platforms intern based in Los Angeles.
David Hickey is a platforms and social editor for NBC News.
© 2026 NBCUniversal Media, LLC<\/p>\n

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news AlertsThere are no new alerts at this timeWithout a clear endgame for the Iran war, Trump is growing frustrated. The president adds another D.C.-area renovation to his list of projects. And why some former MLB players feel the league is turning its back on them in retirement.Here\u2019s what to know today.Iran vowed to \u201cpunish\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":218857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}