U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro was seen leaving the White House West Wing earlier wheeling a black briefcase and file box, as rumors swirl in Washington about her potential firing by President Trump.

President Trump has ordered contractors to redo portions of the new White House helipad after expressing dissatisfaction with its appearance, including concerns about the slope of the South Lawn, according to The Washington Post. The changes come after weeks of around-the-clock construction. The Washington Post reports crews have already removed portions of a granite presidential seal that had begun taking shape and are now evaluating whether part of the lawn itself must be regraded so the helipad appears level. The $5 million-plus project, funded by Lockheed Martin, is intended to accommodate the new VH-92A Patriot presidential helicopter, whose downward-directed exhaust can scorch the South Lawn. The White House is aiming to complete the helipad before a planned September state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to The Washington Post.

AP: "Trump administration says it has revoked visa of Brazil’s ambassador to US in diplomatic spat with Lula."

The Trump administration has increased U.S. intelligence assets in Cuba as it intensifies pressure on Havana's communist government, according to POLITICO. Citing two sources familiar with the effort, POLITICO reports the U.S. has expanded its intelligence presence on the island in recent months, with one source saying the increased collection could support a range of future options, from intensified intelligence operations to potential military planning. The report does not indicate that a military operation has been approved or is imminent. The increased focus has also been partially visible in open source flight tracking. Over the past several months, the U.S. has conducted a noticeable increase in U.S. Air Force RC-135 "Rivet Joint" signals intelligence missions and U.S. Navy MQ-4C "Triton" high altitude ISR flights operating in the vicinity of Cuba, reflecting a broader increase in intelligence collection around the island. The move comes alongside a broader campaign by the Trump administration that includes an energy blockade, expanded diplomatic and legal pressure, and increased public messaging targeting the Cuban government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made Cuba a top foreign policy priority, while administration officials continue to say President Trump prefers diplomacy but is seeking fundamental changes from the regime.

The Bahamas flagged, Qatari owned LNG carrier Al Areesh remains loitering along the apparent U.S. naval blockade line near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, with little change in its operating pattern. According to AIS data from MarineTraffic, the vessel departed Qatar's Ras Laffan terminal, transited outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on July 29 using Iran's traffic separation scheme, and proceeded to the apparent blockade line. After initially reversing course back into the Gulf of Oman, Al Areesh returned to the blockade line the next day, where it continues to steam in a north-south pattern rather than continuing its voyage to Pakistan. The vessel's prolonged presence is noteworthy because it does not appear to be carrying an Iranian cargo or calling at an Iranian port, making the reason for its delay unclear based on publicly available information. It remains unknown whether the vessel's movements are being directed by its owner/operator, or whether they are in response to instructions from U.S. forces operating in the area. If the latter is the case, the reasoning is unclear, as Al Areesh does not appear to fit the publicly stated profile of vessels subject to the U.S. naval blockade of Iran.

Iran is proposing a peace deal to reopen Hormuz that would give it control over inbound traffic and create a Singapore-like voluntary fee system to cover services -The Telegraph Oman is reportedly on board and believes that states and shipowners will willingly contribute.

Around 6:30 this morning in Kherson, yet another instance of Russian terror among hundreds was caught on camera. Russians used a drone to target a man who was just working as a local market vendor. The 52-year-old from the Mykolaiv region survived, sustaining a blast injury, shrapnel wounds, and a concussion.

Collection of Ukrainian Air Force airstrikes on Russian positions carried out throughout the summer, as observed by a Ukrainian Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) team.

A Russian fuel and lubricants plant exploded and caught fire in Perm this afternoon.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a new image of a U.S. Navy sailor assigned to the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) operating in the Arabian Sea as part of ongoing operations supporting the naval blockade of Iran. According to CENTCOM's latest update, 45 commercial vessels have voluntarily complied with U.S. directives and been redirected, while two vessels have been boarded to verify compliance and two noncompliant vessels have been disabled after failing to obey repeated warnings. The USS Boxer is deployed to the CENTCOM area of operations with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

Happy 236th Birthday to the United States Coast Guard! 🇺🇸⚓ On August 4, 1790, at the urging of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, Congress authorized the construction of the Revenue Marine, the service that would eventually become today's United States Coast Guard making it the nation's oldest continuous seagoing military service. For more than two centuries, Coast Guardsmen have safeguarded America's maritime interests through search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, port security, counter-narcotics operations, icebreaking, environmental protection, and national defense. As one of the United States' six armed services, the Coast Guard has served in every major American conflict while saving hundreds of thousands of lives closer to home. Semper Paratus - Always Ready. Happy Birthday to all past and present Coast Guardsmen, and thank you for your continued service to the Nation. 🇺🇸

Russia’s Syzran Oil Refinery is ablaze this morning after a Ukrainian attack drone strike.

Apple removes Telegram from its App Store globally.

A trio of Iranian drones reportedly attacked a military base in northern Kuwait tonight - I24 news

Commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) General Francis Donovan has announced that effective at midnight tonight Joint Task Force-Southern Spear will transition to Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere.

Ukrainian attack drones struck the Russian ro/ro vehicle carrier Nadezhda last night off the coast of Novorossiysk, severely damaging the vessel and setting it ablaze.

The Department of War has signed new framework agreements with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin aimed at dramatically expanding U.S. interceptor production, increasing PAC-3 Patriot Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) capacity from about 600 missiles per year to 2,000 per year, while expanding THAAD interceptor production from 96 to 400 interceptors annually. The agreements are designed to strengthen the missile defense industrial base by establishing a second source for PAC-3 solid rocket motors, expanding production of ignition safety devices, and increasing output of critical THAAD structural components to create a more resilient supply chain. The announcement comes after months of reporting from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, and The Washington Post that the Iran war has sharply increased demand for Patriot and THAAD interceptors, with senior U.S. military leaders warning that sustained operations have placed growing pressure on both interceptor inventories and the industrial base needed to replenish them.

An FBI agent has been charged after he stole nearly $1 million in crypto from Russia. The Special Agent “took matters into his own hands” believing the FBI “could not or would not act against adversarial cryptocurrency accounts,” and self reported his actions to the FBI.

Aerial images show entire neighborhoods wiped out by the massive wildfires in Spokane, Washington.

President Trump is considering removing U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after the Justice Department concluded that problems with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resulted from a flawed renovation rather than vandalism, according to people familiar with the matter. Trump publicly criticized Pirro on Monday, saying he was "really disappointed" and that she "folded like an umbrella" after the Justice Department moved to dismiss the criminal case tied to the Reflecting Pool. CNN reports the president was "furious" over the filing, believes he was not informed in advance, and is now weighing whether to remove one of his longtime political allies from the position. The Justice Department's filing stated the evidence no longer supported the prosecution after determining the damage stemmed from construction issues rather than criminal vandalism, according to CNN.