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Why Trump administration moves to calm the bond market haven’t worked so far Interest rates rebounded Thursday despite efforts by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to put a lid on longer-term borrowing costs, a sign Wall Street investors remain worried about burgeoning government debt, heavy borrowing by tech firms and the Federal Reserve’s commitment to fighting inflation. Read more. Why this matters: While Bessent is talking about billions of dollars in bond buybacks, the Treasury market is so large that even purchases at that scale may not have much impact. History shows that government interventions in the bond market have limited effects. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Canadian provincial leader says Trump is a ‘bad person’ as Canada weighs concessions for trade deal Trump appears on former fixer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen’s radio show after detente Investigators examining foes of Trump seek interviews related to Mar-a-Lago search, AP sources say Trump keeps embracing data centers even as they become toxic in midterm races Federal agents seize devices from ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell in sexual misconduct probe, AP source says California lawmaker Aisha Wahab wins special election to succeed Swalwell in Congress Federal court is asked to block Kennedy Center from returning Trump’s name to building

August 21, 2026 Your first month is free in The New York Times app. Download now → By Sam Sifton Good morning. There’s a lot of news below, including a surprising story about the people who buy and resell America’s wild horses — for a huge profit. I’m going to start with the Russia-Ukraine war. At a subway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday. Danylo Antoniuk/Associated Press Sitting ducks With fighting between Russia and Ukraine largely stalled on the front lines, the air war between them has intensified. Ukraine launches drone attacks deep into Russian territory, and Moscow rains ballistic missiles down on Kyiv. That’s not going well for Ukraine, which is out of the defensive weapons that keep Kyiv safe from Russian salvos. A Russian attack there yesterday left at least 15 people dead and around 40 injured. The strikes damaged residential buildings, a school and a children’s hospital. You could hear the thunder of the exploding missiles deep below ground, in a subway station where civilians had taken shelter, reported The Times’s Constant Méheut. Some 40,000 residents slept in the subway system that night, the local authorities said. Russia “had been preparing for a long time,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media, and its attack combined “different types of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones, aiming to cause as much damage as possible to civilian infrastructure.” He had said earlier that the number of air defense missiles supplied by Ukraine’s Western allies had dropped threefold from the year before. That number’s not likely to rise any time soon, Constant wrote a few weeks ago: Western allies are more hesitant to give up missiles they may need for their own defense as war rages on multiple fronts, including in the Middle East, where fighting has whittled global stockpiles. Even if Ukraine’s partners did heed Mr. Zelensky’s call, they could not fully meet the country’s needs. Russia produces ballistic missiles faster than the West can make the interceptors designed to stop them. The effects of the attacks are chilling. Civilian deaths in Ukraine have risen under the barrages, with nearly 1,400 civilians killed in the first six months of this year, according to the United Nations. That’s 37 percent more than in the same period in 2025 and more than double the figure from 2024. In Kyiv yesterday. Francisco Seco/Associated Press A city under siege The missiles have also destroyed food warehouses and distribution centers. For the first time since Russia’s 2022 invasion, report Kim Barker and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn, the shelves of Kyiv’s grocery stores are going bare. Supplies of dairy products, meat and fresh produce have dwindled. At one shop in Kyiv, the reporters discovered, “the only produce remaining were six mushy avocados and the papery skins of a few onions and garlic bulbs.” One shopper they spoke with called the situation a nightmare. She had only bread and herring in her cart. “I’m horrified,” she said. “I wanted to buy sugar, but I looked and there wasn’t any. And there’s an entire section over there that’s completely empty. I didn’t even go in there. I don’t want to look at it and upset myself.” But there was also dark humor. The supermarket had posted signs blaming Russia for the shortages but also advising stoicism in the face of them, short poems with blank spaces in them encouraging customers to offer their own reactions. One read: Russia ___ probably ___ hoped this would be our end ___ and bring only sorrow but here we have anger ___ new ideas and ___ gratitude ___ for our people. During yesterday’s drone strikes. Oleksandr Ratushniak/Reuters Related: Read more about the state of the Russia-Ukraine war here, and do not miss this breathtaking account of an elderly woman’s nine-mile escape — on foot, under drone-filled skies — from a war-ravaged city near the front lines in Eastern Ukraine. THE LATEST NEWS War in Iran President Trump this week promised an “economic D-Day” against Iran. That’s a signal to Iran he does not want full-scale war again, our reporters say. Somali piracy is having its biggest surge in over a decade because of regional instability, according to experts. Politics F.B.I. agents searched the home of Eric Swalwell, the Democratic former congressman, as part of a federal inquiry into sexual assault claims against him. The Trump administration has tried to crush California’s climate policies by enlisting at least half a dozen agencies to help fossil fuels or cancel green energy projects there. The administration also updated its space policy, saying it would dramatically increase rocket launches and rely more on private companies. The federal government is rounding up wild horses on public lands, and quietly selling them to buyers who ship them off to be slaughtered for meat, The Times found. Economy The New York Times Trump’s promises to reduce America’s debt burden have been hampered by tax cuts, tariff refunds and his own policies. Alan Rappeport, our economic policy reporter, explains. Click above to watch. An increasing number of Fed officials are impatient about inflation, and several support raising interest rates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been intervening in the bond market. He wants to lower borrowing costs, but it’s not so easy. Trump has threatened “tremendous economic consequences” for any nation that does business with Iran, without offering details. Which countries would be at risk? Walmart posted its slowest sales growth in years as Americans reined in their spending. (The company’s stock fell almost 10 percent on the news.) Around the World Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters U.S. deportees began to arrive in Liberia, which struck a deal with the Trump administration to eventually accept 1,200 people. Pakistan moved its former prime minister Imran Khan, convicted on corruption charges, from prison to a hospital. It was a win in his prolonged legal battle over medical treatment. The State Department said an American scholar arrested in China on spying charges is wrongfully detained. Other Big Stories Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, in Sydney. Pool photo by Jonathan Brday Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s planned move back to Britain seems to have surprised even his father, King Charles III. It’s been the worst tick season on record. And a species that can leave you permanently allergic to red meat is spreading. Read what you need to know. The New York Times lost a defamation lawsuit brought by a college basketball player in Alabama. A NASA mission to save a space telescope has failed. The telescope, the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, is expected to burn up in the atmosphere this year. D.C. TRAFFIC REPORT By The New York Times Trump is bringing an IndyCar race to Washington on Sunday. It’ll go around the National Mall 147 times. Scroll through our map to see what it will feel like to race this unique course. OPINIONS Electricians love data centers, Don Slaiman, a union representative for electrical workers, writes. He explains why you should, too. Should having a child be a human right? To create a more equal society, yes, Anna Louie Sussman argues. Free this week: Play all 3 Crosswords. You can access every new crossword puzzle through August 23. Whether you have seconds or 60 minutes, there’s a puzzle for everyone. Start solving today. MORNING READS We’ve made these links free for you. A fan-made poster promoting the movie “The Bull is Coming” at a theater in Beijing on Tuesday. Andy Wong/Associated Press So bad it’s good: “The Bull Is Coming” has a baffling plot and terrible graphics, but this low-budget film is a hit in China, where fans are celebrating its authenticity in the age of A.I. Death by trebuchet: Researchers believe a young man found buried at a Scottish castle is the first confirmed victim of the fearsome siege weapon. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about Prince Harry and Meghan's move back to Britain. See a timeline. TODAY’S NUMBER $5.1 million — That is how much a private buyer spent on a 2023 one-of-one Victor Wembanyama sports card this year. His financial advisers suggested he could have bought a house instead. “I say the difference is the one or two percent of billionaires in the world don’t really, really, really want my house,” he told The Athletic. “But they f—ing want that card.” SPORTS Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz said he’ll return to play the U.S. Open as its reigning champion next week. He’s been tending to a wrist injury since April. Soccer: The Georgia women’s team set an N.C.A.A. soccer attendance record with more than 25,000 spectators at a game. RECIPE OF THE DAY Armando Rafael for The New York Times Here’s a fun Friday night feed for kids and those who feel like them: bacon cheeseburger meatballs, with a classic fast-foodish mayo-mustardy burger sauce on the side. Serve with oven fries and slices of onion and tomato. FEELING THIS The New York Times Travis Barker has been a pop-punk star and hip-hop collaborator for decades. He lived hard, survived a deadly plane crash, got sober, does breath work. He keeps a low profile but married a Kardashian. He’s a dad. And throughout it all, he’s been a drummer, playing loudly, fast and with as much power as he can manage. “I think scars are cool,” Barker said recently in an interview on Popcast, The Times’s pop-culture chat show. “I’ve never left a show where I’m a bloody mess, or my hands are a mess, and be like, I wish I didn’t play the way I did.” More on culture Is “Life of M,” the new novel from Rachel Cusk, about the actress Natalie Portman? Cusk’s not saying. “The book explains itself and defends itself pretty comprehensively, and it’s something I created,” she told The Times, “so to start to explain it kind of ruins it for me.” Let’s go to the movies this weekend. Here are eight new films our critics are talking about. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Pick a $1.5 million home in South Florida. I’m going with the bungalow in Key West, but you do you. Play our summer reading game and we’ll find just the right end-of-season book for you. Travel to the Cotswolds, in England, if only in your imagination. The place names alone are relaxing: Stow-on-the-Wold, Castle Combe, Malmesbury Abbey. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was quoting. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

🏎️ Pic to go: D.C. racetrack reflection Photo: Alex Brandon/AP The Capitol dome is reflected in a puddle along the 1.7-mile, seven-turn street circuit for this weekend's Freedom 250 Grand Prix in D.C. The slogan: "Let Freedom Rev!" Practice and qualifying races are scheduled for tomorrow, followed by the main race on Sunday. Watch: Time-lapse tour of the circuit.

📈 Another year of health insurance pain Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Employer health costs are set to rise sharply for a fourth straight year, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim writes from new projections by benefits consultant Aon. Why it matters: Companies and their workers are locked in one of the most sustained periods of health care inflation in decades. Rising demand for health services, more chronic disease and increased use of drugs like GLP-1s will help drive up employer health costs 9.5% next year — to more than $19,000 per employee, Aon said. Workers this year are expected to pay an average of $5,297 for health coverage. That's $388 more than in 2025.

🥊 Washington's economic collision course Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos via Getty Images Two of the most powerful economic officials in President Trump's orbit — Fed chairman Kevin Warsh and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — are pursuing strategies that work against each other, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes. Why it matters: They're Washington's most consequential economic policymakers. But investors are getting conflicting signals about the government's role in financial markets. 🔬 Zoom in: Warsh wants to step back and give markets more room to respond to the economy. He has staked out a new position as Fed chair by giving less explicit guidance about what the central bank will do — a sharp departure from years of Fed practice. Speaking to reporters last month, Warsh seemed pleased with the results of that effort, even as long-term borrowing costs jumped. "Market participants are learning to play the ball, not the referee," he said. The other side: Treasury's intervention in bond markets this week signals there are limits to how much market-driven movement Washington is willing to tolerate. Bessent told CNBC yesterday that Treasury has room to do more. "We have a big toolkit, so we'll see." He framed the move as "signaling" that Treasury believes the bond market chaos doesn't reflect the economy's underlying fundamentals. Keep reading ...

🛢️ Oil markets tune out Trump Data: Roll Call, Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals President Trump's social media posts about the Iran war are losing their power to move oil markets, according to an analysis by Axios' Erin Davis and Ben Geman. Why it matters: Oil price changes ripple throughout the U.S. and global economies — and the conflict has brought unprecedented supply disruption. ⏱️ By the numbers: Axios tracked 269 posts on Truth Social between Feb. 28 and Aug. 19 that mentioned Iran or the Strait of Hormuz. In the five minutes after these Truth Social posts appeared, or in the five minutes after the next market open, the average change (0.73%) was almost four times higher than normal. That effect is now diminishing (charted above). Zoom out: In the early weeks, there was an "information vacuum" and high uncertainty about U.S. policy and objectives, said oil analyst Ben Cahill. Markets often "overreacted" in response, he said. 👀 What we're watching: Trump's waning power to "jawbone" oil markets has political consequences, as Democrats use energy prices as a cudgel against Republicans in the midterm elections.

America's debt explosion Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios America is caught in a historic capital squeeze, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. On one side: Trillions Washington must borrow to pay for the past. On the other: Trillions the economy needs to build the future. Why it matters: The next president will inherit a fiscal reckoning decades in the making. The price it exacts — on taxes, benefits, borrowing and investment — could shape America's prosperity and power for generations. 🔎 Zoom in: President Trump said in 2016 that he could eliminate what was then roughly $19 trillion in national debt within eight years. On Tuesday, the debt crossed $40 trillion, after growing by $3 trillion in the past year alone. About $32 trillion is owed to investors and other outside holders. The rest is debt the government owes to its own accounts, including Social Security and other federal trust funds. Treasury must refinance $9.7 trillion in debt coming due this fiscal year while covering a deficit the Congressional Budget Office now projects at roughly $2.1 trillion. That creates a punishing cycle: Old debt comes due, Washington replaces it with more expensive debt, and the resulting interest bill feeds future deficits. CBO projects annual deficits will average $2.4 trillion through 2036, pushing debt held by the public to 120% of GDP — above the record set after World War II. The U.S. has already spent $963 billion on interest in the first 10 months of this fiscal year, $200 billion more than it spent on the military over the same period. Data: CBO. Chart: Sara Wise/Axios 🔭 Zoom out: For years, Silicon Valley's AI buildout was financed almost entirely with cash. Now Big Tech is becoming one of the biggest new forces in global debt markets. Bond sales by the "hyperscalers" building AI infrastructure are on pace to roughly double in 2026. Goldman Sachs projects debt will fund more than a third of the AI buildout by next year. Nvidia is working with BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, KKR and other Wall Street giants on plans to marshal more than $500 billion for AI infrastructure. 💰 Stunning stat: Nine major tech companies have already spent roughly $600 billion on capital projects over the past year. A Wall Street Journal analysis found they have another $3 trillion in future commitments, mostly tied to AI, that aren't yet reflected on their balance sheets. 👀 What to watch: America's fiscal options are narrowing as its political ambitions expand. On the left, democratic socialism and economic populism are surging, pairing promises of cheaper housing, health care and child care with calls for higher taxes on the wealthy. On the right, the Trump-era GOP has protected Social Security and Medicare politically while pursuing tax cuts and higher defense spending, including Trump's push for a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY August 21 1959 Hawaii becomes 50th state Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1980s 1980 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is founded African History 1961 Jomo Kenyatta, Kenyan independence leader, is freed American Revolution 1754 Bloody Ban Tarleton born in Britain Arts & Entertainment 1920 Christopher Robin’s birthday Civil War 1863 Guerrillas massacre residents of abolitionist settlement of Lawrence, Kansas Cold War 1991 Attempted coup against Gorbachev collapses Early U.S. 1793 Yellow fever breaks out in Philadelphia Inventions & Science 1897 Olds Motor Vehicle Company founded Natural Disasters & Environment 1986 Gas cloud kills Cameroon villagers Slavery 1831 Nat Turner launches massive insurrection in Virginia Sports 2004 Michael Phelps wins eighth Olympic medal in Athens 1950 Althea Gibson becomes first African American on U.S. tennis tour U.S. Government and Politics 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates begin 1974 The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is enacted Vietnam War 1971 Antiwar protesters raid draft offices World War II 1944 The seeds of the United Nations are planted

> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.9%, Dow -1.3%, Nasdaq -1.0%) as rising Treasury yields increase borrowing costs (More) > Walmart shares tumble 9.2% after reporting smallest sales growth in over six years; retailer to use its $2.9B in tariff refunds to lower prices on 11,000 items, including groceries (More) > Charter Communications, the US’ largest cable operator, completes $34.5B acquisition of Cox Communications; merged company will serve approximately 37 million subscribers across 45 states (More)

> Saliva samples appear able to detect colorectal cancer and may be a more accurate diagnostic tool than widely used fecal tests (More) | Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among people under age 50; why? (More) > Researchers develop electronic skin that can detect pressure and temperature with 10 times more sensitivity than current commercial glove sensors, potentially helping amputees gain feeling in their prosthetics (More) > Mysterious lipid droplets in cats' kidneys may help create unique scent marks that cats use to identify each other (More) | How scientists are genetically modifying cats so they don't trigger allergies in humans (More, w/video)

Fall Weather Predictions Nearly all US states are likely to see warmer-than-average temperatures in the coming three months, a new federal forecast reveals. See more here (w/maps). Summerlike weather is most likely to persist in the Pacific Northwest, where below-average rainfall is also expected—potentially fueling the spread of wildfires. Wetter-than-average conditions are forecast for the Southwest and Southeast. On the East Coast, an El Niño fall is expected to suppress hurricane activity, though high-tide flooding is predicted on the West Coast (El Niño 101). Forecasters could not say whether temperatures would be above or below average in the Ohio Valley, encompassing Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Separately, the Old Farmer’s Almanac and the Farmers’ Almanac both released their outlooks yesterday. Research shows only about half of the latter's predictions have historically been borne out. Read how the forecasts differ from federal predictions.

North Korean Missiles North Korea fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters yesterday, according to South Korea’s military, hours after Pyongyang dismissed President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to ease tensions. The missiles traveled roughly 185 miles before landing in the sea (explore the North’s missile arsenal). The test came during the annual US-South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which Trump shortened from 11 days to five in a bid to reduce tensions. Washington and Seoul call the drills defensive, while North Korea considers them preparations for an invasion and often responds with weapons tests. Kim Jong Un’s sister said the reduction changed nothing, though she described Trump and Kim’s relationship as “excellent.” Trump, who met Kim three times from 2018 to 2019, said Wednesday he hopes to meet him again this year; Pyongyang has rejected giving up its nuclear arsenal as a condition for renewed talks (who has nuclear weapons?). Explore 25 years of US-North Korea negotiations and provocations with this interactive.

Charter plane crash kills 8 near remote radar site in western Alaska, military says JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A charter aircraft carrying eight people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing all on board, the U.S. military said. https://apnews.com/article/alaska-charter-plane-crash-bda232d16205502288149db380610d05?

2 organizers of Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils convicted in national security case HONG KONG (AP) — Two former organizers of Hong Kong’s annual vigils in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were convicted Friday for what the government-approved judges ruled was inciting others to overthrow China’s communist leadership. https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-tiananmen-verdict-alliance-9e1f5c915931eecfa083053dd262548b?

People are opting out of the two main political parties ☐ Republican ☐ Democratic ☑ Other An increasing percentage of voters are registering with a minor party or no party at all. In states that require party affiliation on voter registration (because not all do), three out of four counties had voters shifting away from the Republican and Democratic parties over the past decade. In some states, both Republican and unaffiliated voter growth drew away from Democratic registration. In North Carolina, unaffiliated registrations grew in every single county, while the Republican share grew alongside it in 78 of the state’s 100 counties. The Democratic share fell in all 100. In other states, both parties lost ground in roughly equal measure. A prime example of this is Colorado, where unaffiliated and minor party registration climbed 16 percentage points over the decade, while both major parties lost ground. In 2016, 38% of Colorado voters were registered as unaffiliated or with a minor party. In 2026, that share had grown to 54%. The Democratic share of registrations was 31% in 2016 and declined to 24% in 2026. The Republican share of registrations was 31% in 2016 and dropped to 22% in 2026. (You might assume that some government agency has a number of registered Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters at the ready for public use. But you would be wrong. Check out the Analyst Notes on how we collected and analyzed this voter registration data.)

Mortgage rates ease again, but remain higher than this time last year The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased for the second week in a row, but remains elevated compared with this time last year. Read More.

Both of you, thank you and much appreciated. Your prayers ae welcomed.

Croatia orders detention of Ukrainian man wanted in Germany for Nord Stream blasts in 2022 A Croatian judge on Thursday ordered the detention of a Ukrainian man who is wanted in Germany in connection with the 2022 undersea explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines, his lawyer said. Read More.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer-turned-enemy, is hosting the president on his radio show President Donald Trump is expected to appear Thursday on the radio show of his former fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen, making a public reunion with the man who once called him a “Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain” and testified against him both in court and before Congress. Read More. Canadian premier says Trump is a ‘bad person’ as Canada weighs concessions for trade deal The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a “bad person” and “not to be trusted” and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Read More. More than 2,300 Mexicans sent to Guatemala and Honduras as Trump ramps up third-country deportations The United States has deported nearly 2,300 Mexicans to Guatemala this year and sent at least dozens more to Honduras, according to official data, a shift from the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term when such transfers were minimal. Read More. Trump keeps embracing data centers even as they become toxic in midterm races President Donald Trump, speaking alongside cryptocurrency leaders at the White House this week, made a statement that Republican and Democratic candidates alike wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. Read More.

🍸 1 for the road: Union Station's glam new bar Photo: Albert Ting/Continental Club A fancy new cocktail bar just pulled into Washington's Union Station, Axios D.C.'s Anna Spiegel reports. Continental Club, a lofty cocktail lounge at the station's soaring Beaux-Arts Main Hall, opens today through the end of the year. 🚂 Founder Rochelle Julich tells Axios that the narrow rooms overlooking the station reminded her of train cars, inspiring a look modeled after vintage parlor cars and refreshments that nod to the "Golden Age of Rail." Think mahogany, brass and blue velvet, with Union Station's gilded architecture and historic Legionnaire statues as the backdrop. Photo: Albert Ting/Continental Club 🥃 The drink menu riffs on Prohibition-era classics like Bee's Knees and Manhattans, alongside modern spins like a cucumber-basil Capitol Gimlet. Bar bites include fried chicken biscuit bites, truffle popcorn and "railway style" hot dogs with mustard, relish and onions. Go deeper ..

🇸🇾 Syrian foreign minister: Israeli bombing unjustified Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Tom Nicholson, Antonio Masiello, and Ula Muhammed/Anadolu via Getty Images Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani made it clear to Israel that his government wasn't working with Turkey to amass a military presence at a Syrian airbase — but Israel attacked the site anyway, he tells Axios' Barak Ravid. The Tuesday morning strike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase has heightened tensions among three close U.S. partners in the region, just as the Trump administration is trying to prevent further escalation. 🇹🇷 Al-Shaibani tells Axios: "[T]here was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site." President Trump told Axios in a phone call yesterday that he'd been briefed on the Israeli strike, but declined to comment on it. "I can't talk about it," he said. 💥 Israel dropped at least eight bombs at the base in northern Syria, about 45 miles from the Turkish border. The strike damaged the runways, which had recently been rebuilt. There were no casualties. Keep reading.

Cancer vaccine trial shows promise Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios A new personalized mRNA treatment from Moderna and Merck prevented skin cancer from recurring or spreading in a late-stage trial, Axios' Tina Reed reports. The results could help lift the cloud hanging over mRNA technology, after Trump administration health officials cut federal funding and asserted that it poses more risks than rewards. 🔬 The experimental therapy, called intismeran, was tested in combination with Merck's cancer drug Keytruda in more than 1,100 patients with high-risk melanoma that had been surgically removed. The combination demonstrated a "clinically meaningful improvement" over treatment with Keytruda alone. 🧬 The mRNA-based drugs train the immune system to find mutations that cause tumors. That's in contrast to chemotherapy, which damages or destroys cancer cells. Moderna President Stephen Hoge tells Axios: "I do hope that this will move people away from pigeonholing mRNA as a vaccine platform, or maybe even more incorrectly, tying it to the things they didn't like about the pandemic era that had nothing to do with the technology." "I hope this starts to move us past that because it is, we think, a transformational moment in cancer." 📊 What's next: The full results of the trial will be released at an upcoming medical meeting. Go deeper.

ICE Worked With Iranian Regime to Set Up Deportation Flights as Trump Laid Plans for War Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents appear to have worked directly with government officials in Iran to deport over 100 Iranian nationals as the United States prepared to bomb their home country, according to a newly released trove of internal emails from ICE. https://theintercept.com/2026/08/18/iran-trump-deportation-flights-ice/? The Short Life of a Newborn During the Iran War Mohammad Ali Kialha’s first hours were all he knew of peace. He was born on February 26 in Iran’s capital, Tehran. Two days later, President Donald Trump began his war on that country. “Bombs will be dropping everywhere,” Trump wrote on social media on February 28. https://theintercept.com/2026/08/18/iran-war-civilian-deaths-families-infant/? Immigrant Wants to Pay $368,000 in Fines, but Broken Payment System Won’t Let Him When Daniel arrived in the U.S. about two decades ago, he came on a legal tourist visa. Once here, having fled his home country in South America, he filed an asylum application. A judge, however, eventually denied his claim. https://theintercept.com/2026/08/20/trump-immigration-civil-fines-deport/? A Democratic Socialist Aims to Oust a Top AIPAC Beneficiary in Florida The conventional thinking for Democrats hoping to win in Florida is to be tough on Cuba, friendly to Israel, and careful to avoid appearing too liberal. It’s a tactic aimed at courting powerful voting blocs, and one that helped Rep. Jared Moskowitz take office in the land of sunny skies and low taxes. https://theintercept.com/2026/08/17/florida-congress-oliver-larkin-jared-moskowitz-aipac/?

I agree. Thank you for the good work you have done through the years.