Latest Issue

August 26, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | UKRAINE | U.S. EXECUTIVE ORDERS | UTAH | U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE | ARIZONA | U.S. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT | U.S. AND INDIA | PAKISTAN AND INDIA | EUROPEAN WILDFIRES | AUSTRALIA AND IRAN | INDONESIA | BASEBALL | TODAY IN HISTORY

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MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

  • The death toll from yesterday's double Israeli airstrike on southern Gaza's Nassar hospital has risen to at least 20, with dozens of others wounded, according to local health officials. Reports note that among those killed in the attack were at least five journalists. [more]
  • Following recent announcements by several countries that they plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said yesterday that “Left-wing governments in various countries, including France, Britain, Canada, and Australia, are trying to impose a Palestinian state on Israel. Israel cannot allow this." [more]
  • Reports say at least 10 people were killed Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on the Houthi rebel-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa. Israeli officials say the strike followed a Houthi missile launch toward Israel that military officials described as a cluster bomb. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,279 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

  • Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying that, as part of incentives to encourage Russia to agree to a peace deal on Ukraine and for Washington to ease sanctions, U.S. and Russian government officials discussed several potential energy deals on the sidelines of negotiations held earlier this month. [more]

U.S. EXECUTIVE ORDERS | In a series of executive orders issued yesterday, President Donald Trump:

  • Ordered the Defense Department to establish "specialized units" in the National Guard that will be “specifically trained and equipped to deal with public order issues." [more]
  • Ordered the Justice Department to prosecute people, and seek a one-year prison sentence, for burning the American flag despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the action as constitutionally protected political expression. [more]
  • Threatened to withhold federal funding from state and local governments that offer cashless bail for persons awaiting trial "for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order." [more]

UTAH | State District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled yesterday that the Utah legislature must redraw the state's congressional district maps after finding that the Republican-controlled body circumvented safeguards put in place by voters to ensure districts aren’t drawn to favor any party. [more]

U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE | President Donald Trump said yesterday that he is firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud by claiming two primary residences in order to get better mortgage terms. Responding to Trump's announcement, Cook claimed no cause exists under law for the firing and said she intends to continue her work at the Fed. [more]

ARIZONA | More than 15,000 people were left without power in metro Phoenix, Arizona, yesterday when a dust storm known as a haboob rolled through the city, disrupting travel, knocking out power, and delaying flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. [more]

U.S. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT | More than 180 current and former employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency published a letter yesterday warning that Trump administration budget cuts to the agency risk compromising FEMA's mission of helping people before, during, and after disasters. The letter also urges Congress to establish FEMA as a Cabinet-level independent agency. [more]

U.S. AND INDIA | U.S. tariffs on goods imported from India are set to rise to as high as 50% tomorrow following the collapse of trade talks between the two countries amidst tensions linked to India's continued purchasing of Russian oil. [more]

PAKISTAN AND INDIA | Pakistani officials say more than 100,000 people have been evacuated from eastern regions of the country's Punjab province after neighboring India released water from overflowing dams and swollen rivers into low-lying border regions and warned of possible cross-border flooding. [more]

EUROPEAN WILDFIRES | Data from the European Union's Forest Fire Information System indicates that wildfires have burned more than a million hectares (2,471,053 acres) of land in the E.U. so far this year, with fires in Spain and Portugal accounting for about two-thirds of that total. [more]

AUSTRALIA AND IRAN | Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Iran yesterday of organizing a pair of antisemitic arson attacks in Australia last year and said his country is cutting off diplomatic relations with Tehran in response. Iranian officials have denied the allegations. [more]

INDONESIA | In response to an outbreak that started more than a year ago and has been linked to at least 17 deaths, Indonesia began a measles immunization campaign yesterday that aims to vaccinate some 78,000 children in the country's East Java province, where most of the deaths occurred. [more]

BASEBALL | Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit his 50th home run of the season last night, joining Mickey Mantle as the only switch-hitters to hit 50 homers in a season and becoming only the eighth player in major league history to hit 50 home runs by the end of August. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1936, the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty established Egypt as a sovereign state after 50 years of British occupation. [more history]

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