U.S.
CIA Director Ratcliffe Met Russian Intelligence Chiefs in Moscow on Aug. 25; Axios Reports He Floated a Trump-Putin-Zelensky Summit
The Kremlin confirms the meetings and says Putin was briefed but did not attend; U.S. officials told Axios that Zelensky was briefed on a trilateral summit idea that Moscow has not accepted.
FEMA Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Indiana; 21 Counties Get Individual Aid, 11 Get Public Aid
Gov. Mike Braun asked for 54 counties; the declaration signed August 25 covers 21 for household aid and 11 for infrastructure repair, following a separate 53-county federal emergency declaration on August 15.
Meta Agrees to Pay States Up to $17 Billion and Add Teen Limits, Ending Oakland Child-Safety Trial
The proposed deal, announced August 26 in federal court in Oakland, would cap teen daily use and block overnight access; it still needs a judge's approval, and about 30% of the money depends on whether TikTok and YouTube strike similar deals.
Judge Rules USPS Violated Her Injunction by Issuing Mail-Ballot Rule, Imposes No Penalty
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found the Postal Service and Justice Department broke her August 11 injunction when USPS issued a final mail-ballot rule on August 21, but she declined to block the rule's publication or order any sanction.
CDC Reports 431 Salmonella Illnesses in 32 States as of Aug. 19, Linked to Jalapeños Grown in Sinaloa, Mexico
Federal health agencies tied a Salmonella Javiana outbreak to jalapeños from a Sinaloa grower sold through a San Diego-based distributor, prompting recalls of fresh peppers and prepared foods sold at Kroger, Target, Walmart and Whole Foods.
Sen. Bill Cassidy Says Trump's Order to Split the MMR Vaccine Is 'Wrong on So Many Levels'
The Senate health committee chairman, a physician and Republican, said the August 10 executive order would mean more shots, more office visits and higher costs; the White House says it expands parental choice.
Judge Sullivan Orders DOJ to Unredact More Epstein Records and Presses Its Lawyers at Aug. 13 Hearing
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, ruling in independent journalist Katie Phang's suit under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, ordered the Justice Department to lift redactions or justify them, and questioned department lawyers in court on Aug. 13 about withheld FBI notes.
Rights Groups Ask New Hampshire Federal Court to Block Trump's Two New Birthright-Citizenship Orders
The ACLU and allied groups filed a motion on August 11 asking the judge in Barbara v. Trump to rule that an existing class-wide injunction already covers the orders Trump signed August 6, six weeks after the Supreme Court struck down his 2025 order.
DOJ Sends About 20 Election Monitors to Two Minnesota Counties; Both Keep Them Outside Polling Places
Hennepin and Ramsey counties declined to let Justice Department staff inside polling sites during Minnesota's August 11 primary, and the state sent its own observers to watch the federal ones.
South Carolina Republicans Vote in Special U.S. Senate Primary to Replace Lindsey Graham
Ten Republicans are on the August 11 ballot for the seat left vacant by Sen. Lindsey Graham's death, including appointed Sen. Darline Graham Nordone, Reps. Russell Fry and Ralph Norman, and former Gov. Mark Sanford; a runoff is set for August 25 if no one wins a majority.
Pentagon Gives Defense Contractors 21 Days to Submit Plans for Faster Weapons Production
A memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, dated August 6, asks major arms makers how quickly they can expand output of munitions drawn down during the war with Iran.
Senate Cloture Vote on Todd Blanche's Attorney General Nomination Ripens Friday After 12-10 Committee Vote
Majority Leader John Thune filed cloture on August 5 after the Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche 12-10; Sen. Susan Collins says she will vote no, and several Republicans remain publicly undecided.