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A bright spot for young Americans While millions across the US are hurting from high prices and low hiring, new research suggests the finances of younger generations are displaying surprising resilience at a high level. Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have higher credit scores today than they did just before Covid-19, according to FICO research shared first with CNN. Their average score has jumped 17 points since 2019 — the biggest gain of any age group measured — while Millennials saw the second-largest increase. Experts say younger Americans may be benefiting from better financial education, including an earlier understanding that a good credit score can make big purchases cheaper down the road. + Read more: Young Americans have higher credit scores today than before Covid

Two elections to watch Georgia voters will cast their ballots today in a special election that will further narrow Republicans’ already slim majority in the House. Democrats Marcye Scott and Everton Blair are vying to serve out the term of Scott’s father, the late Rep. David Scott, who died in April. Separately, Republican voters in South Carolina will decide a closely watched Senate runoff between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman. Graham was appointed to fill the seat of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died in July, and she has President Trump’s endorsement. The winner will face Democrat Annie Andrews in November. + Read more: Darline Graham’s race in South Carolina is a test of Trump’s chutzpah + Video: Trump to GOP: ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’

Trump’s theory of global power faces a reckoning President Trump has reshaped US foreign policy around the idea that American strength can compel both adversaries and allies to fall in line. That approach is facing major tests with Iran and Canada as tensions with the two countries deepen. The US has been at war with Iran for six months, with no end to the conflict yet in sight. Trump on Monday also said that the US “will always be far bigger, richer, and stronger than Canada” after threatening steep tariffs. His rhetoric comes as a growing number of experts have warned that a prolonged effort against Canada, Iran and third-party countries targeted by sanctions could invite retaliation, potentially raising US energy and food prices and rattling financial markets. + Analysis: Trump’s foreign policy faces its most critical test in Iran and Canada + Plus: Trump is threatening 50% tariffs on Canadian cars. Here’s what else he’s targeting + USAFacts: Who does the US trade with? See top trading partners when combining total imports and exports Editor’s note: CNN has partnered with the not-for-profit USAFacts to share government data and insights that we believe are relevant to our audience. ps:What policies? He makes things up as he goes along!!!!!

The fight to reshape mail voting An election worker processes mail-in ballots. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) The Supreme Court on Monday allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with a controversial executive order targeting mail ballots, though it still faces legal hurdles before it can be implemented. At the center of the dispute is the order Trump signed in March, which gives the US Postal Service an unprecedented role in deciding who can vote by mail. It calls for the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of people it considers eligible to vote. States that send ballots by mail would also have to provide the Postal Service with lists of eligible voters and include information on the envelopes so the ballots can be tracked. The fight itself is nothing new. President Trump has spent years trying to overhaul mail-in voting while making baseless claims of widespread fraud. Now, the White House is touting the decision as a major victory for election security — and it may be creating more uncertainty than clarity ahead of the November midterms. For voters, though, the takeaway is simple: If you’re planning to vote by mail, nothing changes yet. The legal wrangling is just getting started, with plenty more court fights ahead. + Read more: What Trump’s Supreme Court win means for mail ballots + CNN Explains: How secure US elections really are ps:How much more pathetic can this administration be??

THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 25 1944 Paris is liberated after four years of Nazi occupation The French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division face light German resistance while successfully liberating Paris. German General Dietrich von Choltitz defied an order by Adolf Hitler to blow up Paris’ landmarks and burn the city to the ground before its liberation. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1835 “The Great Moon Hoax” is published in the “New York Sun” 1896 Outlaw Bill Doolin is killed 1980s 1985 Samantha Smith dies in plane crash 21st Century 2009 Ted Kennedy, “liberal lion of the Senate,” dies at 77 Arts & Entertainment 1939 “The Wizard of Oz” opens in U.S. theaters 1962 Little Eva earns a No. 1 hit with “Loco-Motion” 1984 Truman Capote, author of “In Cold Blood,” dies 2001 Aaliyah dies in plane crash Exploration 1875 Englishman swims the Channel Food 1958 Momofuku Ando creates the first mass-market instant ramen Middle Eastern History 1982 U.S. Marines deployed to Lebanon Natural Disasters & Environment 1931 Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000 1979 Hurricane David forms U.S. Presidents 1950 Truman orders army to seize control of railroads World War I 1914 Germans burn Belgian town of Louvain World War II 1945 John Birch, inspiration to conservatives, killed by Chinese communists

Charted: America's ER waits Data: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Map: Jim Sergent/Axios Americans now spend an average of more than 2.5 hours in hospital emergency departments, Axios' Maya Goldman reports from new federal data. ⏲️ The average time spent in the emergency department was 162 minutes. D.C. had the highest average visit length — 303 minutes. North Dakota had the lowest, with 110 minutes. ‼️ An average of 2% of patients nationwide left the ER before being seen.

🗽 Stat du jour: NYC booms as tech hub Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios New York City is home to more tech workers than San Francisco for the first time in CBRE's annual industry report. New York is the top destination for people who received a tech-related bachelor's degree in 2023. 🍎 What's happening: The Big Apple's tech boom is driven in large part by finance's embrace of AI, CNBC reports. Worth noting: Though NYC leads SF in raw tech jobs, the Bay Area remains much more reliant on the industry overall. 10.7% of SF's workforce is in tech, compared to 4.2% of NYC's.

🇨🇦 Inflation fears point true north Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios The U.S.–Canada trade fight is shaping up to become an all-out trade war, threatening America's path to lower inflation, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Neil Irwin write. What's going on: Neither side is backing down, with Canada expected to target politically sensitive U.S. sectors — like steel, dairy and agricultural equipment — with tariffs in the run-up to the midterms. Trade talks collapsed Friday night, triggering 50% U.S. tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods, including wine, cement and dairy products. Canada's retaliation doesn't take effect until Sept. 8, leaving time for an off-ramp. But for now, neither side sounds interested in restarting talks. The big picture: Economists had growing confidence that the inflation hit from Trump's tariffs was largely in the past. The new Canada tariffs — and any further tit-for-tat actions — threaten to revive those pressures just as the Iran war's energy shock pushes prices higher.

🛂 Mass visa crackdown Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Anna Moneymaker and Win McNamee/Getty Images The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreign nationals who have applied for or are seeking asylum in the U.S., AP's Matthew Lee reports. Why it matters: If carried out, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in American history — and would likely face legal challenges. The big picture: The move would target asylum seekers on B1 or B2 visas that the administration argues were used as a pretext to enter the country. B1 visas are generally issued for business trips, and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care. Current applicants for the visas are asked to affirm that they won't apply for asylum and prove that they intend to return to their home countries. What's next: The revocations won't necessarily result in immediate deportation, administration officials told AP. Most with pending asylum cases would be recategorized but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers. Keep reading.

🗳️ Mail-in maelstrom Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The Supreme Court cleared the way yesterday for President Trump to implement parts of an executive order restricting mail-in ballots. Why it matters: The decision could complicate the midterms, putting election officials on a tight deadline to comply with potential changes, Axios' Josephine Walker and Avery Lotz write. Catch up quick: Trump's order, issued in March, directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of citizens eligible to vote and, separately, the U.S. Postal Service to craft rules restricting ballots to those on state-submitted lists of eligible voters. A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general challenged it, arguing that states administer elections under the Constitution. 🏛️ SCOTUS didn't decide whether Trump's order was legal, instead finding that states lacked standing to challenge the executive order because it was an "internal directive" that didn't harm the states that sued. The ruling was 6-3, with the three liberal justices dissenting. What's next: The USPS is still blocked from implementing its rule changes for now due to a nationwide injunction in a separate case earlier this month. The ruling ... The potential impact.

Trump's D-Day becomes a waiting game Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Getty Images President Trump's "economic D-Day" for Iran came and went yesterday with little of the shock or awe it promised, amounting instead to yet another extended ultimatum, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Operation Economic Outcast will unfold not like the Allied invasion of Normandy, but as a sweeping, slow-burn sanctions campaign that could eventually lock Iran's foreign enablers out of the U.S. financial system. Zoom in: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent kicked off the operation by blacklisting more than 60 Iran-linked targets and widening the reach of secondary sanctions. "Every country has a defined timeline to shut down activities we have identified," he said. Bessent declined to name specific countries or deadlines, saying the administration preferred "quiet diplomacy" before resorting to "the hammer of U.S. Treasury actions." "Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?" he told reporters when pressed on the gradual rollout, saying countries deserve a chance to change their behavior. 🇨🇳 Between the lines: The real test will be China, which accounts for roughly 90% of Iran's exported oil and remains one of the regime's most important economic lifelines. If Trump follows through on his threats, secondary sanctions could force Chinese banks, refiners and shippers to choose between Iran and access to dollars, U.S. banks and markets. The intrigue: Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the White House on Sept. 24, giving Trump another reason to think twice before risking a new confrontation with the world's second-largest economy.

> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq -0.8%) as the US warns of global sanctions against Iran (More) > FTC settles Zillow and Redfin antitrust case after alleging Zillow paid Redfin $100M to curb competition (More) | California cancels Paramount settlement talks over $111B Warner Bros. merger, alleging Paramount leaked discussions (More) > Taiwanese prosecutors charge nine people, including staffers from Nvidia and Super Micro, over alleged illegal export of AI servers to China (More)

> New smartphone app Mobilio helps people with blindness or low vision navigate faster and avoid obstacles; early testing suggests it can rival a human guide (More, w/video demo) > Language skills appear to stay resilient with age, new brain imaging study shows; the language network seems to remain nearly unchanged in older adults even as other cognitive systems decline (More) > A 20-minute workout may protect memory after a sleepless night as well as a 90-minute nap; new study suggests both preserve cognitive function through different brain pathways (More) | How much deep sleep should you get per night? (More)

From Trash to Treat Researchers have 3D-printed high-protein cookies from crop waste and recycled plastic (w/video). The cookies, dubbed µBites, are part of a NASA-funded project aimed at feeding astronauts on long-duration missions. The team used water, heat, pressure, and oxygen in a 32-step process to break down polyethylene terephthalate, the main component in single-use water bottles. The resulting carbon-rich liquid was combined with yeast engineered to consume it. As the yeast fed, it converted the carbon into proteins, fats, and other nutrients (how yeast works). Researchers combined these nutrients with sweetener, fiber, and starch to create a paste, which they then printed into cookies. Humans are awaiting institutional approval to try the cookies, but the prototypes reportedly smell good. Experts say the technology could also help divert plastic waste while meeting global food demand, which is projected to increase by up to 56% by 2050 with population growth. All the plastic water bottles purchased from 2009 to 2019 would tower over New York’s Manhattan Island (scroll for visuals).

Reno Fire Spreads A fast-spreading wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has injured at least seven people, destroyed more than 30 homes, and burned about 23 square miles of land as of this writing. Officials have called on roughly 63,000 people to evacuate their homes. The Hawk Fire began Saturday near Hawk Meadow Trail, northwest of the city (how do dispatchers name wildfires?). Officials said Sunday the fire was human-caused but did not share additional details. The fire quickly spread, aided by dry vegetation and fast winds, with gusts predicted to reach 25 miles per hour today. The winds can change direction quickly and carry fires to new locations, making the fires especially difficult to contain. Dry thunderstorms risk fueling the spread further. Unlike many other states, Nevada is at especially high risk for wildfires due not only to its dry climate but also to its prevalence of non-native, invasive grasses, including cheatgrass and medusahead (w/videos). Listen to a fire historian explain the phenomenon via "1440 Explores."

Tehran Trade Squeeze The Trump administration expanded secondary sanctions against Iran yesterday, threatening penalties against foreign countries and companies that do business with Tehran. The move could restrict their access to the US financial system. The Treasury also sanctioned nearly 60 people, entities, and vessels that it says are tied to Iran's nuclear and missile programs, oil trade, and cyber operations. The measures add pressure to an economy already strained by previous sanctions and a US naval blockade. The rial hit a record low yesterday, with $1 buying roughly 2.02 million rials, while the IMF projects Iran's economy will shrink more than 5% this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not specify which countries could face secondary sanctions, but China, Turkey, and the UAE are Iran's largest trading partners (see full list). China buys roughly 80% to 90% of Iran's oil exports. Iranian oil reaches China via intermediaries and ship-to-ship transfers that can obscure its origin. Independent refineries, known as "teapots," are among its major buyers.

I just heard that! Pretty sad, she was a really beautiful person! She will be missed by many!!

I posted many things about Dolly Parton in the obituaries section. It got me thinking. We are different than most people. To me the purpose of this life, is to serve God and go to heaven. By serving Him, I mean following His instruction book, living a life of love with the focus on God and His principles. Children have been important to me, even though I started later in life. Their salvation, and my teaching to them have been important. Evangelism has been a big part of my life. But most people don't feel the way I do.

I think this helps understand her life.

Her donation funded the critical early stages of development of the Moderna vaccine.[270] In March 2021, Parton was vaccinated against COVID-19 at Vanderbilt University. She labeled social media accounts of the occasion "Dolly gets a dose of her own medicine."[271] Parton strongly encouraged everyone to get vaccinated when eligible and performed a song celebrating her vaccination, set to the tune of her song "Jolene".[272][273][274]

She was the 4th of 12 children. Yet she had no children of her own. Parton was diagnosed with endometriosis and had a partial hysterectomy in her 30s, which affected her ability to have children, however she was married at 20, so we may never know what happened there. Seems sad, she was married to the same man for her whole life, a rare thing for an American celebrity, yet had no children. She was raised in the Church of God, but did not seem to have any affiliation as an adult.

American popular singer, and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80. Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025). It is a shock to me. 80 does not seem that old. But she was not an Adventist. Adventist's do live longer.

People who donate blood in Sweden are sent a text message each time their blood saves a life. James

Is Social Security running out? The SSA projects Social Security trust fund reserves may be depleted by 2034, with Old-Age and Survivors Insurance running out as early as late 2032. https://usafacts.org/articles/how-much-does-the-us-spend-on-social-security-is-it-sustainable/? How many civilian jobs are in the US federal government? There are about 2.69 million civilian jobs in the federal government as of June 2026. Federal jobs include all jobs ranging from janitors to air traffic controllers to nurses to postal workers and more. (Enlisted service people are considered government employees but aren’t included in this figure because they’re not civilians.) Out of the 159 million nonfarm jobs in the US, 1.7% are in the federal government, the nation’s largest employer. Another way to look at it: The federal government is responsible for 1 in every 60 jobs. https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-civilian-jobs-are-in-the-us-federal-government/country/united-states/? One last fact In 2024, Hawaii had the lowest rate of gun-related deaths nationwide: 3.7 deaths per 100,000 people. Mississippi had the highest rate: 28 per 100,000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that complex factors, including poverty, racial or ethnic inequities, and other socioeconomic conditions, influence differences in gun-related death rates between states.