Justices Kagan and Barrett discuss security, emergency docket and ethics in rare appearance before Congress

• Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett met with lawmakers on Tuesday for a regular budget hearing on Capitol Hill to discuss security funding. • Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro used the occasion to advocate for a bill banning most gifts and the implementation of an enforcement mechanism for the Court's ethics rules.

• Maine Senate candidates have publicly condemned a fatal shooting involving ICE agents, bringing increased political scrutiny to GOP Senator Susan Collins during her current re-election campaign. • Republicans are pursuing a third partisan reconciliation package to fund priorities such as the war in Iran and the "Save AMERICA Act" election overhaul bill.

• Hungarian MPs have voted for a constitutional amendment that allows them to remove the president from office, targeting an ally of former leader Viktor Orban. • The new rules introduce a 12-year or three-term limit for legislators, a move designed to block several prominent opposition figures from seeking re-election.

• The European Union advanced membership accession talks for Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine on Tuesday, signaling a renewed commitment to enlargement. • Ukraine and Moldova have now opened a second cluster of negotiations focusing on trade policy, humanitarian aid, and foreign security and defense policies.

• Russian Ministry of Defense recruitment efforts are reportedly failing to keep pace with rising casualty rates resulting from costly military advances in Ukraine. • On July 13, 2026, ten nations—including the UK, France, Germany, and Ukraine—signed a joint declaration in Paris to establish the Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition.

• Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testified before the Senate to advocate for an increased security budget. • The request comes in response to a significant rise in threats directed at the judiciary and its members.

• Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified regarding the high court's budget request, which specifically seeks increased funding for security. • Justice Barrett emphasized that the current threat level against judges is "really high," highlighting a growing safety concern for judicial officers.

• Two US Supreme Court justices testified before Congress to request $228 million (£170.3 million) in additional security funding. • The request follows a rise in threats against the judiciary, including "swatting" hoaxes and the need for bulletproof vests.

• Supreme Court justices provided rare congressional testimony to discuss critical security risks and ethical considerations facing the court. • The Court has requested a budget of $228 million for the next fiscal year, representing a roughly 10% increase over the previous year's funding.

• Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are testifying before Congress to request millions of dollars in additional security funding. • This rare appearance marks the first time justices have testified before lawmakers since 2019, driven by a surge in security risks.

• Investigative reporter Ese Olumhense examines how former President Donald Trump's false claims regarding the 2020 election have triggered a surge in restrictive election crime laws. • The report details how these legislative efforts, fueled by the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol breach, are actively reshaping voter access across the United States.