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⚡ Today in History On August 15, 1947, the Indian Independence Bill took effect, ending nearly 200 years of British rule and creating the separate nations of India and Pakistan. In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in Bethel, New York, drawing more than 400,000 fans. Today? India marks the 79th anniversary of its independence, while halfway around the world, Colombia observes a very different kind of national moment. |
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Top News |
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Trump claims Hormuz “control” as Iran digs in 20% OF WORLD OIL Iran continues to reject the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's oil trade. President Trump wrote on Truth Social this week that the United States has total control of the passage. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that new economic measures against Iran are coming as soon as next week. |
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Colombia's earthquake rescue enters final hours 265 DEAD A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia on August 10, the strongest to hit the country this century. Officials say the death toll has reached 265, with rescue teams racing through the critical 72-hour survival window in Pereira and Cali. President Abelardo de la Espriella declared three days of national mourning. |
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Lakers sold again — for a record $12.5 billion Mark Walter agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers just ten months after buying the team for $10 billion. Venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney chief Bob Iger are the new owners, according to ESPN. The NBA's board of governors must approve the sale at its September meeting in New York. |
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Meta goes on trial over claims it hooked kids Twenty-nine state attorneys general allege Meta built Instagram and Facebook to keep young users scrolling through infinite feeds and constant notifications. Jury selection began Wednesday in federal court in Oakland, California, with opening statements set for August 18. Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri are both expected to testify. |
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Kennedy Center board adds Trump's name back — again A federal judge ordered Trump's name removed from the Kennedy Center in May, ruling that only Congress can rename it. Trump's hand-picked board voted 20-3 Thursday to add an inscription crediting him with the center's renovation and to close the main building for two years. The center must report its renovation plans to the judge by August 18. |
Nobody warned you about this
The downward slide has begun.
According to new research from Bloomberg, the U.S. dollar's share of global reserves has just fallen to the lowest level this century.
While everyone is distracted by hyped-up IPOs and the AI bubble, the world is walking away from the dollar – the foundation on which all of our lives are built is crumbling.
And I believe the consequences for the country – and your financial security – are extremely serious.
President Trump knows it. That's why he has taken emergency action by signing Executive Order 14241 to initiate the first full reset of the American dollar in half a century.
That means every dollar you have saved and invested… every good, every service, every asset… all of it could be about to be repriced against a new monetary anchor.
It’s not gold, or crypto – but something far more unexpected. An asset so fiercely contested and so critical that Vladimir Putin once claimed whoever controls it “will become the leader of the world”
Nobody can tell you exactly how this reset will play out.
But I do know that the last time America changed its money like this – half a century ago – it split the country in two. Between the folks who understood what was happening and responded accordingly – and those who got brutally left behind.
That line is being drawn again. And what you do with your money in the months ahead could decide which side you end up on.
I’d like to show you which investments could thrive – and which could be the most dangerous – inside Trump’s new monetary order.
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World |
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Colombia quake search narrows as clock runs out 3,500+ HURT Rescue crews in Pereira used vibration sensors this week to search for a street vendor believed trapped since Monday's collapse of a bakery. More than 3,500 people were injured, and nearly 500 remain officially missing across five cities. Civilian-run databases put the number of missing closer to 4,100. |
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UK's hottest day of the year sparks deadly wildfires Temperatures hit 38.1 degrees Celsius, or 100.6 Fahrenheit, in west London on Wednesday, the hottest reading of 2026 so far. Wildfires tore through homes near Stourbridge in England's West Midlands, sending a child and three firefighters to the hospital. Fire officials called it one of the most serious incidents the region has handled. |
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Iran demands payment over Hormuz oil spill Oil washed ashore on Iran's Qeshm Island this week after a spill in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway at the center of the ongoing U.S.-Iran standoff. Iran's foreign ministry blamed a foreign tanker and demanded compensation for the damage. The dispute adds to months of tension over who controls shipping through the strait. |
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India marks 79 years of independence Britain's rule over India ended on August 15, 1947, when the Indian Independence Bill took effect and created the separate nation of Pakistan. India marks the anniversary each year with a flag-raising ceremony and a prime ministerial address from the Red Fort in Delhi. |
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U.S. envoy condemns West Bank settler siege Jewish settlers have blockaded Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, near Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, since last week. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned the settlers' actions this week, an unusual public rebuke from a staunch Israel ally. The standoff has drawn renewed attention to settler violence in the territory. |
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Politics |
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Sailors tried to jump ship on deployed carrier 250+ DAYS AT SEA The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for more than 250 days without a single port call, supporting the ongoing war against Iran. Military Times reported conditions on board grew so poor that at least two sailors attempted to jump overboard. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the reports “completely misrepresented” on Thursday. |
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Vance: cheap gas is goal number one in Iran war Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that keeping gasoline prices low is now the United States' top goal in its war with Iran. The comment came as Washington threatened an indefinite naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Officials say new economic pressure on Tehran could arrive within days. |
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Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty in CEO killing Luigi Mangione was arrested in December 2024 in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan. Mangione is expected to enter a guilty plea to federal charges this week, though the terms of any deal remain unclear. He could still change his mind before the hearing. |
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Violent crime posts record year-over-year drop, FBI says The FBI's 2025 Crime Report shows murder and manslaughter fell an estimated 18.1% from the year before, the largest one-year drop on record. President Trump highlighted the figures Thursday during a visit to the Nassau County Police Academy in New York. The report covers crime reported by police departments nationwide. |
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Nevada judge tosses charges against fake Trump electors Six Nevada Republicans falsely claimed to be presidential electors for Donald Trump after his 2020 election loss. A Nevada judge dismissed the criminal charges against them this week, ruling that prosecutors failed to present sufficient evidence. The decision adds to a mixed record of outcomes in fake elector cases across several states. |
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Markets |
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S&P 500 tops 7,800 for the first time RECORD CLOSE Wall Street's benchmark index closed Thursday at a record 7,798.99, its third straight week of gains. Cooler-than-expected inflation data eased fears that the Federal Reserve will raise rates next month. The Nasdaq Composite also closed at a record, lifted by gains in Meta, Micron and Netflix. |
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Bitcoin sits $55,000 below where it was a year ago Bitcoin traded near $62,829 Friday morning, its lowest level in months. The cryptocurrency has fallen more than $55,000 from where it traded one year earlier. Its market value now stands at roughly $1.33 trillion, still far ahead of Ethereum's $233 billion. |
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Gold holds above $4,400 as rate-hike bets fade Gold futures opened Friday at $4,408 an ounce, up more than 10% for the month. Traders now see a 69% chance the Federal Reserve holds rates steady in September, up from 42% a month ago. Gold tends to rise when investors expect borrowing costs to stay flat. |
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Oil prices flat as Iran standoff drags on Brent crude held near $87 a barrel Friday, little changed as traders weighed U.S. threats against Iran. The price has slipped from levels seen earlier this month, even as the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says harsher economic measures against Iran are coming soon. |
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Entertainment |
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Illinois' $1 billion Powerball winner may stay anonymous forever $1.04B JACKPOT A single ticket sold at a gas station in Quincy, Illinois, matched all six numbers Wednesday to win a $1.04 billion jackpot. It is the eighth-largest prize in Powerball history and the largest won so far this year. Illinois law lets winners over $250,000 file for anonymity, so the buyer's identity may never come out. |
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Perseid meteor shower peaks this week NASA calls the Perseid meteor shower the best viewing event of the year, with dozens of meteors streaking across the sky per hour. The shower peaked earlier this week and stays visible through the weekend in areas with dark skies. Viewing is best after midnight, away from city lights. |
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Rare total solar eclipse photos still pouring in A total solar eclipse crossed Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain on Wednesday, the first visible from Europe since 1912. Millions gathered along the path of totality to watch the moon fully block the sun. Community photo pages are still adding new images from the event days later. |
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Doncic, Magic Johnson welcome new Lakers owners Luka Doncic said he wants to build something special under the team's new owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Lakers legend Magic Johnson posted his support for Iger, whom he has known personally for more than 40 years. The sale ends Mark Walter's brief ownership after less than a year in charge. |
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Google unveils new Pixel lineup, leans into AI Google held its Made by Google event this week in New York to unveil its latest Pixel phones and devices. Artificial intelligence sat at the center of the announcements. The event is Google's answer to Apple's iPhone launches each fall. |
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