Politics & World Affairs

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> President Donald Trump imposes an additional 25% tariff on India over its Russian oil purchases, raising combined levies to 50%; takes effect Aug. 27 and comes as new tariffs kick in for dozens of trading partners today (More)

> Texas Democrats who left the state in protest of a redistricting bill were temporarily evacuated from an Illinois hotel following a bomb threat (More) | US Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) enters race to replace outgoing Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R), pledging to push forward Trump's agenda (More)

> United Airlines grounds flights nationwide for several hours amid technical issue with its weight calculation system (More)

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> New US import tariffs kick in for more than 60 countries and the EU, ranging from 10% to 50%, as trading partners attempt to negotiate better deals (More) | See full list of imposed tariffs (More)

> Texas Senate committee votes 6-1 to advance Republican-friendly House map; Republicans say the FBI has agreed to help locate Texas Democrats who left the state to block the quorum needed to pass legislation (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Federal judge temporarily blocks further construction at "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida (More) | See previous write-up (More)

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> DC National Guard troops arrest roughly two dozen people on first day of deployment to combat crime in the nation's capital; soldiers will not carry guns in most cases, per officials (More) | Mexico expels 26 high-ranking cartel figures wanted by US authorities in deal with Trump administration (More)

> Gunman who targeted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters Friday died by suicide after shooting roughly 200 rounds at CDC buildings (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee is arrested on corruption charges, including bribery; her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is jailed on insurrection charges after briefly declaring martial law in December (More)

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> Germany and allies pledge up to $500M in military aid to Ukraine via new NATO supply line (More) | President Donald Trump tells Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders he will push for a ceasefire in tomorrow's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska (More)

> Prosecutors seek retrial for a rape charge in Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's New York sex crimes case, leaving Sept. 30 sentencing for a separate sexual assault charge in limbo (More)

> Air Canada suspends most flights through Saturday due to an ongoing labor dispute with its flight attendant union; cancellations are expected to impact approximately 130,000 passengers each day (More)

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> California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will call a special election Nov. 4 to vote on redrawn maps in an effort to secure five more Democratic House seats in midterms; follows Texas' plan to redistrict in favor of Republicans (More)

> Florida announces new $6M detention center, "Deportation Depot," opening in two weeks; will house over 1,300 people (More) | Supreme Court allows Mississippi law requiring social media to verify children's ages to stay in effect for now (More)

> Tropical Storm Erin expected to reach hurricane strength later today, with winds of at least 74 mph—first hurricane of 2025 Atlantic season; see path (More) | How we track hurricanes (1440 Topics)

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> Bolivia's presidential election heads to a runoff between centrist Senator Rodrigo Paz and right-wing former President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga; election comes as annual inflation exceeds 16% (More)

> Israelis engage in nationwide protests, calling for government to secure ceasefire, return hostages (More) | Israeli government is reportedly in talks with leaders of South Sudan to relocate Palestinians there (More)

> Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic vows tough response after anti-government protesters torch ruling party's offices over the weekend; protesters accuse the government of police brutality (More)

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> President Donald Trump says the US will help provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia, encourages territory swaps; see other takeaways from Trump's meeting with leaders of Ukraine and Europe (More)

> Cable news channel Newsmax agrees to pay $67M to settle defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems over 2020 election claims (More) | President Donald Trump announces he will sign an executive order to end mail-in ballots (More)

> Texas declares the end of its measles outbreak, which has sickened 762 people since January, state data reveals; last confirmed case was reported July 1 (More)

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> President Donald Trump rules out sending US troops to Ukraine to provide security guarantees to the country, will consider providing air support (More)

> Transportation Security Administration pilots biometric "eGates," aiming to skip podium where an agent verifies a passenger's identity before the security screening; system is being tested in DC, Georgia, and Washington airports (More)

> Food and Drug Administration issues recall for Great Value frozen shrimp products, sold at Walmart, after containers arriving at four US ports from Indonesia test positive for cesium-137, a radioactive isotope (More)

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> At least 600 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staffers receive final termination notices (More) | Office of the Director of National Intelligence to cut annual budget by over $700M, trimming workforce by up to 40% (More) | Texas House passes GOP redistricting plan; Senate vote expected today (More)

> Hurricane Erin is forecast to cause large swells, life-threatening rip currents, and damaging winds along the US East Coast into Friday; the storm has already spurred dozens of water rescues and beach closures (More) | Why there's a "dirty side" of a hurricane (More)

> Third federal judge denies Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, citing contents of DOJ's sealed files far exceed the transcripts in question (More)

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> Supreme Court clears the Trump administration to cut $783M in National Institutes of Health grants linked to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives while a lawsuit over the cuts continues (More) | California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signs legislation sending redrawn congressional map to voters for approval (More)

> Erik Menendez is denied parole 36 years after murdering his parents in Los Angeles, will next be eligible in three years; brother Lyle goes before the parole board today (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Influential evangelical leader James Dobson dies at age 89; the conservative activist served as an adviser to President Donald Trump and former presidents including Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush (More)

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> US immigration officials plan to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda if he rejects plea deal on human smuggling charges, refuses deportation to Costa Rica (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Russia accuses Ukraine of launching a drone that causes a fire at Kursk Nuclear Power Plant; Russia launched over 70 drones, one ballistic missile at Ukraine as the country celebrated its 34th Independence Day (More)

> More than 30 million people in the US have been under extreme weather and heat alerts over the weekend, including in California, Oregon, and Washington (More)

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> President Donald Trump signs executive order seeking to penalize people for burning American flags, characterizing the practice as incitement to rioting, violence (More) | Trump also signs executive order eliminating cashless bail across the country amid crackdown on Washington, DC, crime (More)

> Israeli strikes on Gaza hospital kill at least 20 people, including five journalists, per local health workers; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the attack a mishap, says military will investigate (More)

> President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, discusses trade and possible collaboration on shipbuilding (More)

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> Israel releases initial findings into inquiry over back-to-back strikes on Gaza's Nasser Hospital earlier this week; says six of the 20 people reported killed were Hamas members, a claim denied by the militant group (More)

> Pakistan issues flood alert to its Punjab region amid heavy rains and accusations India improperly released two dams, dangerously increasing the flood threat (More)

> Dust storm known as haboob hits Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday, leading to flight cancellations, power outages (More) | See photos (More)

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> Transportation Department to take control of Washington, DC’s Union Station from Amtrak and nonprofit as part of larger safety and beautification push (More)

> Federal grand jury rejects indictment against former Justice Department employee who allegedly threw a sandwich at federal officers in DC (More, w/video)

> Heavy rains kill at least 34 people in Pakistan and India, displace over 200,000 in eastern Pakistan, and submerge a notable Sikh shrine in northern India (More)

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> Minneapolis communities hold memorial services for victims of Wednesday's attack on Annunciation Catholic School (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bars Microsoft from continuing to hire Chinese citizens to manage the Pentagon's cloud services (More)

> Newark Liberty International Airport temporarily grounds flights amid air traffic control communication issues (More)

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> Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit kicks off in China's port city of Tianjin, with leaders from Russia, China, India, Iran, and six other nations in attendance (More)

> Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from returning unaccompanied migrant children to Guatemala without deportation orders; Guatemala says it can accept 150 migrant children per week from the US (More)

> Antigovernment protests in Indonesia leave at least eight people dead; latest demonstrations focus on lawmakers' $3K monthly housing allowance, death of a motorcyclist during protests last week (More)

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> President Donald Trump announces move of Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Alabama, following 2021 Air Force recommendation; decision is expected to bring $1B annually to Huntsville, Alabama's local economy (More) > House Oversight Committee publicly posts Justice Department files on Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, mostly containing information already publicly known (More) | US strikes suspected drug-carrying vessel in the Caribbean, killing at least 11 people allegedly tied to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang (More)  > Second earthquake hits Afghanistan yesterday as death toll from Sunday's quake exceeds 1,400 people (More) | Israeli army begins ground operation in Gaza City after approving plans last month (More)

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> Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore over $2.6B in research funding to Harvard, citing cuts as illegal retaliation by the White House (More)

> Leaked UN nuclear watchdog report says Iran increased its stockpile of near weapon-grade uranium by over 70 pounds in the weeks before Israel's June 13 attack (More)

> Streetcar derails and crashes in popular Lisbon tourist location, killing at least 15 people and injuring 18 others (More) | Sudan appeals for international aid after a landslide wiped out a rural village Tuesday, killing roughly 1,000 people (More)

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> President Donald Trump will sign an executive order today rebranding the Defense Department as the Department of War, a title last used in 1947; Dept. of War will be the agency’s secondary title until Congress approves the change (More)

> DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb (D) sues the Trump administration in effort to end deployment of National Guard; decision follows federal judge's ruling this week that the Guard's deployment in California was unlawful (More)

> Third earthquake hits Afghanistan as the death toll from Sunday's earthquake exceeds 2,200 people, with over 3,600 others injured (More)

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> Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announces he will resign after less than a year in the role following conservative party's electoral losses in July (More)

> South Korea finalizes a deal with the US to repatriate hundreds of workers detained for alleged immigration violations at a Hyundai plant in Georgia (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Russia unleashes largest-ever drone attack on Ukraine, including striking cabinet building in Kyiv for the first time (More)

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> Jury selection begins in the trial against alleged would-be assassin of President Donald Trump; defendant is accused of attempting to kill then-candidate Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course in September 2024 (More)

> The House Oversight Committee receives documents as part of its probe into the Justice Department's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case; tranche includes letter President Donald Trump allegedly wrote for Epstein's 50th birthday (More) | Federal appeals court upholds E. Jean Carroll's $83.3M judgment against Trump (More)

> Two Palestinian gunmen kill at least six people, wound 12 others at a bus stop in northern Jerusalem (More) | President Donald Trump pressures Hamas to accept US-led ceasefire deal as Israel threatens to ramp up Gaza offensive (More)

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> Former FBI leaders sue Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging their firings were motivated by their involvement in investigations into President Donald Trump (More)

> NATO holds talks after Poland and allies shoot down suspected Russian drones that entered Polish airspace; incident marks first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in allied airspace (More)

> Cuba's electrical grid collapses for the fourth time in less than a year, leading to second nationwide blackout this year; outages reportedly caused by aging infrastructure and fuel shortages (More)

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> Opening statements begin in the trial of man accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club last September (More) | Suspect in Colorado school shooting earlier this week identified as 16-year-old student, dies by suicide after wounding two students (More)

> Poland closes airspace in the country's east nightly for three months following Russian drone incursion; Latvia follows suit (More)

> UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer fires ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson over his history of friendly emails with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (More)

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> Memorial honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk is set for this upcoming Sunday, Sept. 21, in Arizona (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Taliban rulers say they have reached a deal with the US to swap detainees, with at least six Americans still held captive in Afghanistan; White House has not confirmed as of this writing (More)

> Romania and Poland deploy fighter jets to protect their airspace following detection of Russian drones (More)

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> Suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder appears virtually in court, is charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and other counts (More) | FBI Director Kash Patel discusses Kirk shooting, Jeffrey Epstein case before Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday; hearing before House committee is today (More)

> President Donald Trump files $15B defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, Penguin Random House over articles in the lead-up to the 2024 election, which Trump says were intended to harm his reputation, candidacy (More)

> New York judge tosses state terrorism charges against man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (More)