⚡ Today in History

On August 18, 1920, Tennessee's legislature ratified the 19th Amendment, securing American women's right to vote after a 72-year fight. In 1958, Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita" reached American bookstores for the first time. Today, voters in Zambia handed President Hakainde Hichilema a second term, while a 60-day window for the United States and Iran to reach a peace deal expired without an agreement.

Top News

Trump threatens to bomb Oman as Iran deadline expires 60-DAY DEADLINE

A 60-day window for the United States and Iran to reach a peace deal expired Monday with no agreement in place. President Trump told Fox News he would strike Oman if the country interferes with U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route between Iran and the Gulf. The threat marks the second time Trump has targeted the longtime U.S. ally over the strait since May. Shipping traffic through Hormuz slowed to a trickle over the weekend as tankers avoided the region.

Kushner presses Netanyahu on Gaza ceasefire plan 4+ HOURS

Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met Monday in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for more than four hours. The meeting focused on advancing a U.S.-backed plan to rebuild and govern the Gaza Strip after nearly two years of war. Kushner urged Netanyahu not to create obstacles to the plan, an Israeli source told CNN. The talks came a day after Kushner met separately with Hamas leaders in Egypt.

Judge blocks Trump plan to move FBI headquarters

A 2023 federal review picked Greenbelt, Maryland, as the future home of FBI headquarters, and Congress set aside $1 billion for the project. The Trump administration tried to scrap that plan this summer in favor of moving the bureau into Washington's Ronald Reagan Building. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ruled Monday the switch broke federal procurement law and blocked officials from redirecting the funds. The FBI's current Pennsylvania Avenue building, dedicated in 1975, remains the bureau's home for now.

Hichilema wins second term as Zambia's president

Zambians voted August 13 in a race widely seen as a referendum on President Hakainde Hichilema's economic record. Zambia's electoral commission announced Tuesday that Hichilema won a second term with roughly 61% of the vote, beating challenger Brian Mundubile's 38%. International observers had reported intimidation and a brief halt in vote counting after violence at some polling stations. Hichilema called the win humbling and said he would keep working for those who backed his rivals.

Hawaii digs out after deadly hurricane flooding

Hurricane Lala made a direct hit on Hawaii's Big Island as a Category 1 storm last weekend before weakening to a tropical storm. Torrential rain swept away a 90-year-old woman and destroyed or damaged more than 100 homes in the island's southern communities. Nearly 130,000 utility customers lost power as downed trees and flooded roads cut off several towns. Forecasters said Tuesday that fresh storms could bring two to four inches of additional rain to Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska.

World

Hormuz shipping nearly grinds to a halt 84% DROP

Iran and Oman are negotiating a plan to manage future ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil. Only five commodity vessels crossed the strait Saturday, and none crossed Sunday, compared with 31 ships the previous weekend, according to shipping tracker Kpler. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Monday the two countries had reached an agreement on future routes, though it released no details. The slowdown has kept oil prices elevated and raised fears of a wider supply disruption.

Houthi rebels strike Saudi navy ship in Red Sea

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement said Monday it launched ballistic missiles at what it described as a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea. The attack adds to a pattern of Houthi strikes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed damage or casualties from the strike. The incident comes as tensions across the wider Middle East climb alongside the ongoing U.S.-Iran war.

Fighting flares again between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon

Israeli forces and Hezbollah-linked fighters exchanged fire in Lebanon over the weekend, reviving a conflict that has simmered since an earlier ceasefire there. The renewed clashes come as Kushner pushes a separate ceasefire plan for Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Analysts say instability in Lebanon complicates U.S. efforts to calm the broader region while the Iran war continues. No casualty figures were immediately available from the latest fighting.

Trump scales back US-South Korea war games

President Trump directed the Pentagon to scale back this year's joint military exercises with South Korea, he told reporters at the White House Monday. The decision affects an 11-day exercise already underway near the border with North Korea involving 18,000 South Korean troops. Trump said he recently asked South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to work with the U.S. on a broader approach to Pyongyang. Critics of the drawdown warn it could weaken deterrence as North Korea keeps expanding its weapons programs.

Monsoon floods swamp the Philippines

Seasonal monsoon rains known locally as Habagat have inundated parts of the Philippines this week, flooding streets and low-lying communities. Local broadcaster GMA News tracked rising water levels across the archipelago Tuesday as authorities monitored the situation. The rains arrive during the Philippines' annual wet season, which typically runs from June through October. Officials had not reported casualties from the latest flooding as of Tuesday morning.

Politics

Watchdog to probe DEA's fentanyl "walk" tactic 2023-2025

An Associated Press investigation this summer found that DEA agents in New Mexico monitored major fentanyl shipments between 2023 and 2025 without seizing them, hoping to build bigger cases against traffickers. Newly sworn-in Justice Department Inspector General Don Berthiaume announced Monday he will review whether the tactic, known as letting drugs "walk," broke department safeguards. DEA Administrator Terry Cole had already requested a narrower inquiry after a whistleblower agent said the strategy harmed his community. The White House designated fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction last year.

Iran war strain becomes a midterm liability

Nearly six months into the U.S.-Iran war, rising fuel costs and stalled diplomacy are turning into a political problem for President Trump and congressional Republicans. The conflict's economic toll is drawing added scrutiny ahead of the November midterm elections, when Republicans defend their majorities in the House and Senate. Trump on Monday rejected extending the 60-day negotiating window with Iran, telling reporters the U.S. has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices have risen as tanker traffic through the strait has slowed.

New 50% tariff on Canadian goods takes effect Wednesday

President Trump signed three proclamations in July invoking a Depression-era trade law to add a 50% duty on more than 400 categories of Canadian imports. The tariffs, covering goods like plywood, furniture parts, and cement, take effect just after midnight Wednesday. The measures affect close to $20 billion in annual imports, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Because the goods qualify under North America's existing trade pact, they are not exempt, leaving importers with few options besides sourcing from outside Canada.

Democrats split over abolishing ICE at party meeting

Democratic National Committee members meeting in Austin, Texas, approved two competing resolutions on immigration enforcement Saturday. One calls on Democrats in Congress to pursue legislation abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while the other calls for reforming the agency instead. Neither resolution binds the party's eventual 2028 platform, but both passed by voice vote. The debate lands as immigration remains a central issue heading into the November midterm elections.

Lawmakers push bill for surprise ICE facility visits

A group of Pennsylvania Democrats introduced the Oversight Access Act of 2026 on Monday, aiming to expand congressional oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. The bill would let members of Congress bring one staffer inside ICE facilities without advance notice, including for translation help. Rep. Summer Lee led the effort alongside Reps. Chris Deluzio, Madeleine Dean, Mary Gay Scanlon, and Dwight Evans. The push follows a year of expanded ICE detentions that have drawn scrutiny from federal courts nationwide.

Markets

Wall Street falls as oil tops $91 on Mideast fears -0.5%

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 272 points, or 0.5%, to close at 53,459.78 on Monday, while the S&P 500 slid 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.3%. Rising oil prices and climbing Treasury yields drove the pullback as investors braced for a busy week of retail earnings and Federal Reserve minutes. Brent crude touched roughly $91 a barrel Tuesday, its highest level of the year, as the expired U.S.-Iran deadline raised fears of a wider supply disruption. The VIX, Wall Street's fear gauge, also climbed as traders weighed the mounting geopolitical risk.

Home Depot beats estimates despite housing slump

Home Depot reported second-quarter sales of $47.9 billion Tuesday, up 5.7% from a year earlier and ahead of Wall Street's forecast. Comparable sales rose 1.7%, the retailer's best quarterly performance in nearly four years, even as high mortgage rates continue to weigh on the broader housing market. Net earnings came in at $4.8 billion, or $4.79 per diluted share, above the $4.71 analysts had expected. The results give investors an early read on consumer spending ahead of reports from Target and Walmart later this week.

Gold holds above $4,400 as rate-hike bets fade

Gold climbed for a third straight session Tuesday to $4,429 an ounce, supported by weak U.S. economic data that has reduced expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate increase in September. A softer dollar and renewed safe-haven demand tied to the stalled U.S.-Iran talks added further support. Investors are now awaiting minutes from the Fed's July meeting and a speech from Chairman Kevin Warsh at the Jackson Hole symposium later this month. Gold has gained more than 33% over the past year.

Bitcoin slips as investors favor gold's safety

Bitcoin fell roughly 0.5% to about $64,140 Monday, as investors shifted toward gold amid rising Middle East tensions and uncertain Fed policy. The cryptocurrency has struggled to break above $65,000 for weeks and remains down more than 40% from its late-2025 peak. Prediction markets on Polymarket now give Bitcoin just a 23% chance of outperforming gold this year, down from more than 50% in January. Wallets holding between 10 and 10,000 bitcoins have kept buying, adding more than 20,000 coins since late July.

Nike shares sink to lowest level since 2014

Nike shares fell to prices last seen in September 2014 on Monday, as the sportswear company continues to struggle with weaker demand. The company recently pointed to lost government contract revenue tied to a shift in federal purchasing rules this year. Nike has cut jobs and closed stores over the past two years while rivals like On and Hoka have gained market share. The stock remains one of the worst performers in the Dow this year.

Entertainment

Actress Hayden Panettiere dies at 36

Hayden Panettiere, known for her roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," was found unresponsive Sunday at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. First responders located her in cardiac arrest and pronounced her dead at the scene despite resuscitation efforts, the Greenville County Coroner's Office said. An autopsy completed Monday found no signs of trauma, and officials said the cause of death remains under investigation. Panettiere's father called her "an incredible light" in a statement asking for privacy.

Disney names new Legends at D23 expo

The D23 Expo, Disney's biennial fan convention, wrapped over the weekend with new inductees named to the Disney Legends Award, an honor for major contributors to the company. Actress Anne Hathaway attended the ceremony and told reporters she hopes to return for a "Princess Diaries 3." The event also previewed upcoming park attractions and film projects. D23 draws tens of thousands of fans to Anaheim, California, every other year.

Jonas Brothers say they want the Super Bowl halftime show

The Jonas Brothers told reporters at the D23 Expo this weekend that headlining a Super Bowl halftime show is a dream for the group. The band, newly named Disney Legends, has built a decades-long career since debuting on the Disney Channel in the mid-2000s. No official announcement has been made about who will perform at the next Super Bowl. The NFL typically reveals its halftime headliner in the fall before the game.

2026 box office produces five billion-dollar hits

Movie theaters have had their strongest year in recent memory, with five films crossing $1 billion at the global box office in 2026, according to CBS News. The milestone reflects a rebound in theatrical releases after several slower years following the pandemic. Studios have leaned on franchise sequels and family-friendly titles to draw audiences back to theaters. The trend gives Hollywood added confidence heading into the fall and holiday release calendar.

Mechanic's forgotten work light flies for two days on Qantas jet

Australia's Transport Safety Board said a mechanic accidentally left a work light inside the wing of a Qantas jet after maintenance. The plane flew multiple passenger flights over two days before ground crew discovered the light still inside the wing structure. Investigators are reviewing how the equipment went unnoticed during standard pre-flight inspections. Qantas said no safety risk to passengers was identified during the flights.