5 Big News Stories Overnight - Friday, July 17, 2026

Trump Makes Outlandish Claims About Election Results in Address

The New York Times reports:

President Trump made at times outlandish claims about the safety of American voting systems in a White House address on Thursday night, drawing selectively from documents his aides published online to falsely claim elections were “rigged” and “stolen.”

Mr. Trump, who has in recent months increasingly pressed his years-long and unsubstantiated argument that the outcomes of U.S. elections have been tampered with, also laid out a purported effort by the Chinese government to undermine him in 2019. But the documents posted by the White House, although heavily redacted, were far more guarded in their conclusions.

Despite dozens of investigations, audits, recounts and court proceedings at the local, state and federal levels that have failed to produce examples of major voter fraud, Mr. Trump has long claimed the 2020 election was rigged against him. Mr. Trump’s fixation on the 2020 election — which he lost by some seven million votes during the coronavirus pandemic — was a recurring theme in the 2024 race. He has called his victory that year over Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s vice president, Kamala Harris, “too big to rig.”

Protests erupt over departure of Ukraine's defence minister

France 24 reports:

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday approved Naftogaz boss Sergiy Koretsky as the new prime minister, part a government reshuffle ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Koretsky, 48, is seen by Zelensky as a manager who can lead the country through another tough winter set to be marked by relentless Russian strikes on the energy system.

He is Ukraine's ‌⁠third premier since the ‌start of Russia's full-scale invasion ⁠in 2022.

Zelensky also named Yevhen Khmara, acting chief of the security service, as interim defence chief following Fedorov's ouster and asked parliament to confirm him. 

The sweeping shake-up to Ukraine's top political team triggered large protests in several cities against the removal of the popular defence minister, who said on Thursday ​he ‌had ⁠declined an ‌offer from Zelensky to become his ​adviser.

Fedorov also accused commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky of trying to divide the war-torn country, detailing a feud between the pair that led to his removal and triggered the protests supporting him.

Authorities Link Parasitic Outbreak to Taylor Farms Lettuce Supplied to Taco Bell

The WSJ reports:

Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to a parasitic outbreak that has infected thousands of people in five states, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Federal authorities have been investigating a range of produce items in a bid to trace the origins of a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which can cause explosive diarrhea and vomiting. Health officials have suggested an outbreak across five states—Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana—are likely connected.

Taylor Farms didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Taco Bell said Thursday that it has voluntarily removed potentially affected lettuce from a supplier in certain states. The chain is indefinitely removing the supplier’s ingredient from its supply chain nationwide and will replace it within 24 hours in select states, the company said. 

“We are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” Taco Bell said. The company said it was having ongoing conversations with public health officials.

US carries out strikes on civilian infrastructure in south

Al Jazeera reports:

The US is carrying out major strikes on Iran for the sixth night in a row.

Officials in southern Iran’s Bandar Abbas report that civilian infrastructure, including power facilities and a train station, has been hit.

Iran’s army says it has targeted US aircraft at a military base in Bahrain, while Kuwait’s army says it is responding to missile and drone attacks

A spokesman for Iran’s military says the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war status, as US Central Command says soldiers boarded a vessel in the Gulf of Oman to enforce its blockade of Iran.

Netflix stock falls as earnings forecast disappoints

CNBC reports:

Netflix reported second-quarter revenue and earnings that were roughly in line with analyst estimates on Thursday as Wall Street is keeping a close eye on the company’s advertising and engagement metrics. 

Netflix stock fell more than 8% in after-hours trading Thursday as investors appeared disappointed once again in the company’s earnings forecast.

Here’s how Netflix performed for the period ended June 30 compared with estimates from analysts polled by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 80 cents vs. 79 cents estimated

Revenue: $12.56 billion vs. $12.59 billion estimated

Netflix reported $12.56 billion in revenue, up 13% year over year and just slightly missing analyst expectations. The rise was attributed to membership growth, pricing and increased ad revenue.