News of the Week for August 9th, 2026
- 2026 Election
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Socialized Medicine
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
2026 Election
Max Miller’s lawyer admits to accidentally releasing ‘private images’ of daughter
Lawyers for ex-wife Emily Moreno said possible “Child Sexual Abuse Material” was included in a trove of documents the Ohio lawmaker publicly posted.
Democratic socialists turn to Hong in Wisconsin with hopes for next big win
State Rep. Francesca Hong’s (D) steady rise in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race is teeing up the biggest test yet for democratic socialists and the far left this election cycle.
Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the left
The former public health official has defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, NBC News projects, despite facing a huge advertising disadvantage.
They Were Voted Out. They Refuse to Leave. Now What?
Avenal, Calif., a city in the rural Central Valley, has become an unlikely example of election denialism months after a recall election.
GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards Drops Reelection Bid Due to Ethics Report
The Ethics Committee determined Edwards failed “to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers.”
Hasan Piker Declares Socialism the ‘Real America First’ Movement at El-Sayed Victory Party
Leftist streamer Hasan Piker told National Review that he thinks socialism is the “real America first” movement as he attended a primary victory party for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed — who has strictly denied any ties to socialism.
Will This Year’s Midterms Look Like 2006 All Over Again?
Yesterday, Amy Walter, editor in chief of the Cook Political Report and former editor of National Journal’s Hotline, suggested that this year’s midterm elections are starting to feel like 2006, a year that is somehow, by some impossible trick of the calendar, 20 years ago. Walter noted that, like that year, this year a reelected Republican president and GOP Senate and House are hamstrung by an unpopular war in the Middle East and some ugly sex scandals.
Lawsuit planned after Missouri’s redistricting referendum gets blocked
A group plans to file a lawsuit against Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins after he blocked an effort to put Missouri’s controversial redrawn congressional map on the ballot.
Paging Donald Trump. Paging Mike Johnson. Paging Richard Hudson.
Last night, Congressman Max Miller went on CNN to admit he had used drugs either while serving as a Marine, while serving President Trump, while running for Congress, or while in Congress.
When Polling Errors Aren’t Random
That Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan Democratic primary for Senate by (at this writing) less than a point, after the last five polls in the race all had him up by double digits, might be chalked up to the general difficulty of polling Michigan (especially in primaries, as I warned on Monday) or to poor-quality, agenda-driven primary pollsters. But it also might not be as random an error as it first appears. If you look at past Michigan poll failures, most notably the 2016 Democratic presidential primary (when Hillary Clinton , then lost to Bernie Sanders), you might think the pattern hard to spot: this time, it was the establishment figure who was underrated against the populist. But when you look at their actual coalitions, the picture seems more familiar
The Concept of America Is on the Ballot This November
We are destined to have two parties whose grassroots largely detest the elected officials of the other party — which is a short step to hating the other party, which is a short step to hating the country when it doesn’t vote for the candidates you want. This explains a portion of what animates the likes of Abdul El-Sayed and his DSA brethren. Meanwhile, down in Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has led the last three public polls.
Nevada Newsmakers Wednesday
Guests: Congressman Mark Amodei CD 2
Does MAGA Actually Want to Stick Around?
Andy Ogles will be leaving Congress. Ogles is a Tennessee Congressman and Freedom Caucus member. He was endorsed by Donald Trump. He took his re-election for granted. He didn’t race money. He didn’t run ads. He relied on a Trump endorsement. He lost.
Why Winning a Primary Can Still Lose You the War
You ever watch a guy win a bar fight and then brag like he just won the heavyweight title? That’s what a lot of primary night victory speeches sound like. The confetti falls. The consultant grabs a mic. Everybody talks about revolutions and drained swamps and how the establishment is finished. Then a few weeks go by, and it turns out a chunk of your own side is still mad, still sitting home, and still not answering your texts. That’s exactly where Northern Nevada’s Second Congressional District sits right now.
Why Rhode Island may oust a sitting governor over a bridge
If Gov. Dan McKee becomes the first sitting U.S. governor to lose a primary in eight years, it won’t be to the insurgent left or a youthful challenger.
Amodei still refuses to back Flippo as rift between the two Republicans grows
In an interview with The Nevada Independent, the retiring Northern Nevada congressman shredded his likely successor’s campaign.
Abortion
Court Cases & Legislation
Telling the Truth About Todd Blanche and Abortion
Every once in a while, I have a moment where I am kinda sorta on the same page as Jessica Valenti, who has the “Abortion, Every Day” Substack. She’s been writing about abortion for as long as I can remember — I have a memory of being on a PBS show with her in the late ’90s or early 2000s.
Gun Rights
Knife Rights Advocates Say Second Amendment Should Apply To Blades, Too
Knife rights advocates say knives should be protected like guns as the Second Amendment doesn’t say ‘firearms,’ it says ‘arms’, says UW professor George Mocsary. Wyoming adults with clean records can carry almost every type of knife, a right not all states enjoy.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
US hits jackpot after finding multi-million-ton critical mineral reserve in Nevada
The deposit holds 1.78 million tons of inferred tungsten.
The Insidious Population Reduction Narrative Disguised as ‘Sustainability Science’
A new study published in “Sustainable Development” asserts that we need to cut the population to 4 billion to save the planet, thereby treating humanity itself as a variable to be reduced.
Socialized Medicine
Government in Healthcare
Missouri and Kansas can expect double-digit Obamacare premium hikes again
Kansas Citians who buy health insurance through hearthcare.gov can expect to pay much more for monthly premiums next year.
War & Terror
U.S. Sea Drone Captures Video of Chinese Warship in Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone
As China’s maritime antics continue, Senators urge sanctions on China’s fishing fleet.
Gunmen kill 12, abduct women and children in Nigerian village
Six members of one ?family burned to death after ?the attackers set fire to their ?house, one resident told Reuters.
Iran Owns the Strait of Hormuz
Enough time has passed for a conclusion: Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, and there is essentially nothing we can do about it. No new deal, no cease-fire, no umpteenth round of bombing will change this reality. It is the outcome of dominoes that fell months ago, which the Trump administration has proven incapable of standing back up.
Iran says deal with Oman on Strait of Hormuz is in final stages
Iran says it has reached an agreement with Oman on a route for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian Invasion in the Offing?
U.S. intelligence reportedly is warning that a Russian invasion of one or more NATO countries could take place sooner rather than later
Can We Get a Straight Answer on Our Critical Munitions Stockpiles?
A long and detailed timeline about what the president, Secretary of Defense* Pete Hegseth, and other administration officials have said about our air-defense missiles and other critical munitions since the start of the war against Iran. They keep telling us everything is fine, while the available information paints a much more dire picture.
Real-life Star Wars as four nations join new space race in rivalry not seen since Cold War
The Space Race is heating up… except these days the UK is far more of a prominent player on a scene which was traditionally dominated by the US, Russia and China
National
Capital One says it closed Trump Organization accounts over money-laundering concerns
Capital One bank has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from the Trump Organization over the closure of hundreds of bank accounts back in 2021, arguing in new papers that the shutdowns were the product of a monthslong anti-money-laundering review — not retaliation for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as the Trump family businesses have claimed.
Michigan reports the first 2 US deaths related to a diarrhea-causing parasite
Two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, state health officials announced Monday, the first deaths confirmed in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite.
Ethics Committee Recommends Censuring GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards for Sexual Harassment Violations
“Specifically, the Committee found that Representative Edwards engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”
Clark County files ethics complaint on ex-employee hired by major vendor
Audit report reveals that a former juvenile director, fired for racial remarks, took a job at a company with a contract he had overseen while in office.
New York Will Require Digital ID Checks for Social Feeds
Letitia James was asked whether mandatory digital ID checks raise privacy concerns and said this is not a question of privacy.
Madison grapples with Ruiz shooting as signature city events get canceled
The fatal shooting of Corey Ruiz by a Madison police officer has sparked renewed calls for policing reforms and is forcing the city to once again reckon with calls from community members to address racial justice.
The ‘Autonomous Zones’ Are Back
Stop me if this sounds familiar.
Brutal karma for Dem congress candidate blasting music on packed tropical beach
A long-shot Hawaii Democratic congressional candidate received a dose of brutal karma last week after he harassed beachgoers at the beach. Kirill Basin, 40, was caught on camera in his underwear, shouting and threatening people relaxing at Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei after a 61-year-old man told him to turn his music down.
Tucker Carlson unveils 10-point manifesto amid third-party speculation
Tucker Carlson used a highly promoted livestream Wednesday to unveil a 10-point vision for America — defining the worldview of a breakaway MAGA faction increasingly at odds with President Trump.
F.D.A. Approves Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine
The agency had initially refused to even review the application but reversed course after a public outcry.
DOJ Finds Duke Law Discriminated Against White and Asian Applicants
“This isn’t a coincidence—Duke Law discriminates & the @CivilRights Division will end it!”
Trump Signs Executive Orders to End Birth Tourism, Narrow Birthright Citizenship
The executive orders, Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship and Ending Birth Tourism, limit the scope, targeting future births in four categories.
New Orleans will use AI to answer 911 calls instead of a human
If you call 911 in New Orleans, you may hear the sound of an artificial intelligence (AI) agent answering your call instead of a human voice.
Supreme Court Term to Start Hot
OT 2026 leads off with climate litigation.
Parents’ Free Exercise Claim Against School for Referring to Student by “Preferred Name[] and Gender Pronoun[]” Can Go Forward
From Judge Paul Maloney (W.D. Mich.) in Mead v. Rockford Public School Dist.
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Dog toys, DoorDash, and unregistered foreign agents.
A Detransitioner Sues
A growing number of people who underwent gender-negating surgery as minors or young adults are suing the health care professionals who were involved, generally alleging that they did not give informed consent (or informed consent was not given on their behalf) to the course of treatment.
Race Discrimination in Admissions Suit Against U Washington Can Go Forward
From Zhong v. Univ. of Wash. Bd. of Regents, decided yesterday by Judge James Robart (W.D. Wash.)
Economy & Taxes
Regarding Those Claims of $20 Burritos . . .
On X, there’s been a considerable debate about the cost of living and whether burritos really cost $20.
The Magical, Mythical $20 Burrito
There is no twenty dollar burrito regularly being consumed by college kids. Well, there can be, but with caveats — DoorDash fees, tips, etc. I cannot believe I am writing about this, but on social media we have another fight breaking out on the right between the socialist right and the free market right and the socialist right that isn’t brave enough to admit they’ve abandoned their long held principles.
A Burrito Costs How Much?
Plus: The economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, inflation is outpacing wage growth, Trump is still mad about birthright citizenship, and more…
J.D. Vance’s Burrito Offensive
The vice president wants to silence his Republican opposition ahead of 2028.
International
The Ceuta Migrant Wave Was a Power Play by Morocco Against Spain
On the menu today: I know, I know, you want to read about Ceuta. Abigail Anthony, Andrew Stuttaford (twice), and Mark Krikorian, among a few others I’ll get to in a moment, have written about the short-lived but intense illegal immigration crisis. But there’s another threat, ongoing and much closer to home, that the president of the United States doesn’t want to acknowledge, much less order retaliation against.
Flavio Bolsonaro closes in on Lula in Nexus/BTG poll for Brazil election
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator ?Flavio Bolsonaro are running neck and ?neck ahead of October’s presidential election, a Nexus/BTG Pactual ?poll showed on Monday, as the right-wing lawmaker narrowed the gap with the leftist incumbent.
Long Lines, Missed Flights: Travel Chaos Follows E.U.’s New Passport Controls
The biometric system for non-E.U. citizens is causing long delays and short tempers at airports. Officials say the rocky rollout will get better and will improve security.
Student Faces Fine After Skipping LGBT Workshop
A 14-year-old Bavarian student faces a fine after his parents kept him from a mandatory gender identity workshop, citing concerns about political indoctrination.
Opinion
The American dream lives in suburbia
Suburbia has long been a favorite target for cultural critics.
A court trapped in amber
In United States v. Rahimi, the Supreme Court denied that the Second Amendment is “a law trapped in amber.” That metaphor has now exploded onto constitutional law, appearing in six Supreme Court cases this term and hundreds of lower court opinions. Somehow, an expression that traces back to 1970s liberals has become au courant at the most conservative Supreme Court in generations. What’s more, the metaphor is a negative one. Rather than tell us what the law is, the court’s viral expression tells us what it isn’t. But what, then, is the law? The intuitive answer: alive. In short, the court has indirectly embraced a form of living constitutionalism.
The Two Types of History
What the ‘Rest Is History’ festival in England teaches us about how to see the past.
Warren Harding and the bravest presidential speech in US history
When one thinks of President Warren Harding today — and, let’s face it, that’s an exceptionally rare occurrence — they likely envision a failed, corrupt, lecherous do-nothing.
The Common Good Should Be Explained in Terms Clear to the Common Man
Finding common ground on the common good continues to be elusive. Allow me to add a few more words in reply to Michael Brendan Dougherty. If you are late to this debate, which has been roiling the right before we turned to it at National Review, on Friday, I kicked it off here alongside a critique from John Puri, prompting a lengthy and salty response from Michael. The Friday episode of The Editors also featured a vigorous debate on the issue among Michael, Rich Lowry, Andrew Stuttaford, and Noah Rothman. On Saturday, Luther and Charlie weighed in with distinct critiques …
The Semi-Retired President and the GOP Congress
If you think President Trump is doing a terrific job and is above criticism, you may want to skip today’s edition. If you think our octogenarian president’s increasing obsession with his Washington, D.C., construction projects is a sign that he’s tuning out of real problems and issues because he’s frustrated and tired, retreating into a happy fantasy world where his job approval ratings have never been higher, inflation is defeated, peace with Iran is imminent, and his frequently touted “Golden Age” is real, read on.
We Have Forgotten How to Do Big Things
I want to walk you through a set of stories that on the surface have nothing to do with each other, and then I want to show you that they are all the same story. They are the story of a country that used to build things and has decided, slowly and without ever quite admitting it, that building things is too hard.
The Reflecting Pool Is Now a Serious Scandal
Granular observers can probably distinguish between the left’s objections to this Trump construction project and that. But the layperson — i.e., the majority of any national electorate — probably can’t.
Warren Harding and the bravest presidential speech in US history
When one thinks of President Warren Harding today — and, let’s face it, that’s an exceptionally rare occurrence — they likely envision a failed, corrupt, lecherous do-nothing. In his time, however, the poker-playing former newsman was a wildly popular president, winning his 1920 election in a landslide on the promise of returning the nation to normalcy. That he did, without playing on the electorate’s fears, envy, and grievances. Oftentimes, he told them things they really didn’t want to hear.
Francesca Hong, the Grinch of All Holidays
A few things you should be aware of if you purchase the Francesca Hong 2027 Calendar or plan to vote in this year’s Wisconsin gubernatorial election; Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed wins by not nearly as much as polls suggested; Michigan’s Democratic state attorney general won’t attend her own party’s nominating convention because it isn’t safe for her; it’s a brand new day for superhero movies, and Joe Kent says that he, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Thomas Massie want Tucker Carlson to run for president in 2028.
An Additional Word on the Common Good Debate
I do not have a whole lot more light to shed on the common good debate, but I think I owe Michael Brendan Dougherty and our readers a short reply to Michael’s latest rejoinder. I do not believe that I misrepresented Michael’s position, and it was certainly not my intention to do so. Did I misunderstand it? I leave it at this point to readers to compare Michael’s conclusion to the impression it produced and decide for themselves whether or not that was what he intended to convey. For my part, I always try to make clear my own conclusions; we lawyers are trained to do so, because if you don’t say out loud what you’re asking a judge for, you won’t get it.
Surveillance Is Trendy Now
Meta’s new glasses can be had for $299, but the true cost is much higher.
Two Cheers for the Great Books
The classics are most valuable as a lifelong pursuit, not the organizing principle of undergraduate education.
Trump Issues Another Unconstitutional Executive Order Targeting Birthright Citizenship
While less sweeping than the one invalidated by the Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara, it still denies birthright citizenship to many people protected by the earlier Supreme Court decision.
Trump’s Latest Birthright Citizenship and Birth Tourism Orders Narrow the Dispute
There’s no guarantee that Trump’s latest birthright citizenship orders will stand up in court, but they reflect a more serious effort to work within existing law while pushing its borders.
How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington
A hospitality manager for the Trump Organization traveled to Las Vegas to find a solution to problems at a national landmark. This is the untold back story of the fallout.
