Donald Trump to meet UK prime minister Keir Starmer in Scotland with trade deal on the agenda – US politics live

The Trump administration is floating a bold idea to shake up the patent system: a new fee tied to the value of patents, potentially generating tens of billions in revenue. But this isn’t just about money—it could dramatically alter how patents are managed and who benefits. Unsurprisingly, businesses (especially those with high-value patents) are likely to push back hard.

Editor’s Note: Patents are the lifeblood of innovation, but they’re also big business. If the government starts charging fees based on a patent’s worth, it could discourage frivolous patents—or stifle innovation by making it too costly for smaller players. Either way, this could spark a major fight between policymakers and corporations over who controls the future of ideas.

A group of Democratic governors is debating whether to quit the National Governors Association (NGA) due to clashes over Trump-era policies, even as the group's Republican chair, Gov. Kevin Stitt, pushes for unity. The rift highlights how deep political divisions are spilling over into traditionally bipartisan spaces.

Editor’s Note: The NGA has long been a rare forum where governors from both parties work together on shared issues like infrastructure and disaster response. If Democrats start pulling out, it could weaken one of the last functioning channels for cross-party cooperation—and signal just how fractured American politics has become. This isn’t just about dues; it’s about whether red and blue states can even talk to each other anymore.

Get ready to spice up your texts—nine fresh emojis are hitting keyboards this fall. The Unicode Consortium just unveiled Unicode 17.0, which includes new symbols like a leafless tree and a fingerprint (among others), all designed to work seamlessly across your devices.

Editor’s Note: Emojis might seem trivial, but they’re a universal language—these updates reflect cultural shifts and fill gaps in digital expression. Whether you’re celebrating or side-eyeing, new emojis give people more ways to communicate nuance (and have fun doing it).

This week is a make-or-break moment for Trump’s economic agenda. The White House is racing against an August 1 deadline to hash out trade deals before new tariffs kick in, while the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision on Wednesday could shake markets. Add in fresh data on GDP growth, July jobs, and inflation, and it’s a high-stakes gauntlet that could define the administration’s economic narrative—for better or worse.

Editor’s Note: Love him or hate him, Trump’s presidency has been tightly tied to the economy—his supporters cheer growth and jobs, while critics warn about trade wars and instability. This week’s trifecta of Fed moves, trade talks, and key economic reports will either fuel his reelection pitch or give opponents fresh ammo. For everyday folks, it’s a pulse check on whether those "winning" claims hold up.

Fox News is teasing their latest political newsletter, which dives into updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill happenings, and other political coverage—with a cheeky play on words hinting at Rep. Adam Schiff’s role in investigations. It’s a roundup for readers who want quick, partisan-leaning political updates.

Editor’s Note: If you’re someone who follows the daily whirlwind of U.S. politics—especially through a conservative lens—this newsletter is your digest. The Schiff pun nods to ongoing political drama, but the real draw here is Fox’s curated take on headlines, which matters because it shapes how a chunk of the electorate stays informed (or fired up).