12 to KNOW Morning Brief for Friday, July 31, 2026

SOURCES:  NPR — Senate panel delays vote on Blanche's nomination as key Republicans withhold support  https://www.npr.org/2026/07/30/g-s1-136265/senate-blanche-nomination  CNN — Key committee vote for Todd Blanche postponed in major blow to his nomination  https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/politics/todd-blanche-nomination-cornyn  Bureau of Economic Analysis — GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026  https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-advance-estimate-2nd-quarter-2026  UPI — GDP rose by 1.5% in 2Q, lower than predicted  https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/30/gdp-rose-2q-2026/7311785424728/  NBC News — Apalachee High School shooter's father sentenced to 15 years  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/apalachee-high-school-shooters-father-sentenced-rcna589985  CNN — Colin Gray: Father of Georgia school shooter sentenced to 15 years in prison  https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/30/us/colin-gray-school-shooting-father-sentence  CBS News — Salman Rushdie attacker convicted in federal terrorism trial over 2022 stabbing  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/salman-rushdie-convicted-federal-terrorism-2022-stabbing/  NBC News — Man convicted in federal terrorism trial over stabbing of author Salman Rushdie  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-convicted-federal-terrorism-trial-stabbing-author-salman-rushdie-rcna589921  NPR — At least 18 die after breach of border between Morocco and Spanish exclave of Ceuta  https://www.npr.org/2026/07/31/g-s1-136507/morocco-spain-migration  NBC News — Spain deploys military to Ceuta after thousands breach Morocco's border  https://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/thousands-break-border-morocco-spains-african-ceuta-enclave-rcna589984  Wikipedia — 2026 Kumamoto earthquake  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Kumamoto_earthquake  NBC News — Major earthquake rocks southern Japan, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate  https://www.nbcnews.com/world/japan/earthquake-rocks-japan-tsunami-warnings-rcna589574  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — Containing the Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa  https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/containing-the-ebola-outbreak-in-central-africa  Wikipedia — 2026 Central Africa Ebola epidemic  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Central_Africa_Ebola_epidemic  Yahoo Finance — Microsoft shares set for best day in nearly 18 years as Azure surge validates AI bet  https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/microsoft-shares-set-best-day-164900429.html  Quartz — Microsoft Q4 2026 earnings: Azure tops $100 billion  https://qz.com/microsoft-earnings-azure-100-billion-cloud-073026  CNBC — Amazon (AMZN) Q2 earnings report 2026  https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/30/amazon-amzn-q2-earnings-report-2026.html  Bloomberg — Amazon Earnings (AMZN): Fifth Straight Quarter of Cloud Sales Growth  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-30/amazon-reports-fifth-straight-quarter-of-cloud-sales-growth  Yahoo Sports — Son Heung-Min scores two goals as MLS defeats Liga MX in All-Star Game  https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mls-star-game-vs-liga-100607774.html  NBC News — Father of boy rescued from pounding California surf says he's beyond grateful to teen lifeguard  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/father-boy-rescued-california-surf-says-grateful-teen-lifeguard-rcna589977  ABC News — California lifeguard is hailed as a hero after rescuing a boy from pounding surf  https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/california-lifeguard-hailed-hero-after-rescuing-boy-pounding-135169097  Denver7 — The GOAT: Hooved friend provides moral support to firefighters in Colorado  https://www.denver7.com/news/wildfire/the-goat-hooved-friend-provides-moral-support-to-firefighters-in-colorado  CBS Colorado — Colorado firefighters get some help from 'Goldie' the goat while fighting Rock Creek Fire  https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-firefighters-help-goldie-goat-fighting-rock-creek-fire/— 12 to KNOW Automation