JD Vance concedes gas prices could stay high indefinitely as war drags on

Vice President JD Vance Thursday warned that gas prices could stay high indefinitely and admitted there is no end in sight to the Iran war.

President Donald Trump’s top lieutenant shrugged off Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s promises that Americans would be paying $3-a-gallon prices at the pump by Labor Day and blamed “crazy” Iran for extending the Middle East conflict beyond the administration’s previous expectations.

“He said ‘maybe by Labor Day.’ We’re talking about things that are fundamentally unpredictable,” Vance said. “The fundamental reality is the reason gas prices are high right now is that the Iranians are shooting at commercial shipping.”

“Gas, frankly, could’ve been much, much higher were it not for our efforts,” he added. “I’m not going to make a promise about when it’s going to return to $3.”

—New York Daily News

That free Trump convention ticket text looks like a scam, but the GOP says it's legitimate

DALLAS — A text message offering free tickets to see President Donald Trump at next week's Republican convention in Dallas may look suspicious, but convention organizers say the offer is legitimate.

The unsolicited message comes from an unfamiliar phone number, announces "FREE TICKETS" in capital letters and directs recipients to a shortened link — several characteristics commonly associated with scam texts.

But the link takes users to the official ticket registration page for the GOP convention-style rally headlined by President Donald Trump Sept. 9 and 10 at American Airlines Center.

RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said the party wants Dallas-area residents to know they can get free tickets to see Trump, which he called a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

—The Dallas Morning News

Convicted Trump Media-linked fraudster funded pro-Trump film in hopes of pardon, lawsuit says

A Miami investor who pleaded guilty to making insider trades connected to the parent company of President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform helped fund a pro-Trump documentary film in hopes of securing a presidential pardon, according to a lawsuit by an L.A. studio that accuses him of threats and extortion.

Michael Shvartsman pleaded guilty in 2024 to insider trading associated with the Trump Media & Technology Group, which federal prosecutors said netted him $18.2 million in ill-gotten gains.

Four months later, Shvartsman helped fund the documentary "The Man You Don't Know" in an effort to obtain a pardon, according to the lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles. He denies the allegations.

A company controlled by Shvartsman provided a $425,000 loan in August 2024 to help fund the film, according to the suit. The film featured interviews with Trump's sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. and painted a flattering portrait of the president.

—Los Angeles Times

Putin says Russia and Ukraine must first agree on peace together

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Russia and Ukraine maintain contacts even as he gave little sign that they’re making any progress on a peace deal.

“Russia and Ukraine should come to an agreement between themselves first of all,” Putin said Thursday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. While other countries including the U.S. and China were ready to help, “in the end, and above all, this problem must be solved by the countries involved,” he said.

Contacts with Kyiv are continuing mostly at the level of the security services, though it’s difficult to say whether they’d lead to a peace agreement, Putin said.

“Is there a chance? In my view, yes it exists,” he said. Still, Ukraine’s threat to disrupt air traffic to Russia “certainly complicates the possibilities for conducting bilateral peace negotiations.”

—Bloomberg News