Cecilia Nowell

Donald Trump said Kim Jong-un had responded to his diplomatic overtures and described the discussions as “very positive,” without providing details, after ordering the Pentagon to reduce military exercises with South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung defended the US alliance and independent national defense, while a Democratic lawmaker criticized the cuts. The live coverage also reported Trump’s mail-in vote despite his attacks on mail ballots, threats to bomb Oman over the Iran conflict, confrontations with CNN reporter Kristen Holmes, and claims about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Other developments included Jared Kushner’s talks with Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza, the Supreme Court’s refusal to overturn E Jean Carroll’s civil judgment against Trump, an ethics investigation into Jimmy Gomez, proposed ICE insurance subsidies for local immigration enforcement, and California scrutiny of plans to hire election denier Tina Peters.

Donald Trump reportedly voted by mail in Florida's Republican primary, mailing his ballot on 13 August, despite years of criticizing mail-in voting and promoting unsupported claims that it enables election fraud. Politico cited Palm Beach County voting records, while the White House later confirmed the ballot after The New York Times said the records were protected from public disclosure. Trump has also signed an executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterms, but a federal judge blocked part of it and his administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene.

The Trump administration has paused construction of a US-Mexico border project in Big Bend National Park while Customs and Border Protection chief Rodney Scott conducts an on-site evaluation. Bulldozers had begun clearing a road through the 800,000-acre Chihuahuan Desert park as part of a multibillion-dollar “smart wall” expansion funded by legislation signed by Donald Trump. Environmental advocates and some Texas Republicans, including Senator John Cornyn, have opposed the project because of its potential damage to the park, while CBP says it still expects to build the first layer of the wall by the end of next year.

Georgia’s tea industry, once a major Soviet producer, collapsed after the Soviet Union dissolved and abandoned plantations were reclaimed by forest. Since the 2000s, growers, family associations and government-backed rehabilitation schemes have restored thousands of hectares, while Georgia’s humid Black Sea climate and cold winters support distinctive, often organic, high-quality tea. Producers such as GreenGold and Renegade Tea Estate are experimenting with processing methods and new products to target luxury markets in Europe and the United States. Importers and specialist retailers, including Palais des Thés, In Pursuit of Tea and Royal Cathay, are expanding their Georgian offerings, although exports remain constrained by political and logistical barriers, including strained relations with Russia and the stalling of EU-backed efforts.

New Mexico governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2025 directive requires the state to seek custody of newborns exposed to drugs or alcohol in utero, replacing a voluntary system of family support plans. Native tribes, advocates and the ACLU say the policy fails to respect tribal sovereignty and conflicts with the Indian Child Welfare Act and state protections requiring tribal notification and jurisdiction. At least 25 Native children were flagged under the directive, while 137 newborns overall had entered state custody by the latest count. Critics argue that limited treatment resources and the state’s history of removing Indigenous children make supportive, culturally grounded services preferable to automatic child-welfare intervention.

The Guardian’s live US politics blog reported Gavin Newsom’s accusation that Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate him, his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and people connected to them. Newsom said the alleged subpoenas and interviews were politically motivated because he is considering a presidential run, while the DOJ had not responded. The coverage also detailed the broader conflict between Trump and Newsom and previous calls by Trump allies for Newsom’s arrest. Other major developments included a US-Iran memorandum of understanding intended to pause hostilities for 60 days and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions and the Strait of Hormuz, though the agreement’s terms and implementation remained unclear. The blog also covered the G7 summit, Ukraine’s efforts to arrange talks between Zelenskyy and Putin, an Alaska Senate ballot dispute, and the UFC event held at the White House.

The Trump administration has allocated $75m toward a proposed coal export terminal at Oakland’s port, reviving a project that West Oakland residents and environmental groups have opposed for more than a decade. The neighborhood already faces heavy pollution from highways, port operations, industry and legacy toxic waste. Organizers fear coal trains and terminal operations would worsen air-quality and health risks, while California lawmakers, Oakland officials and advocacy groups are pursuing legislation, stricter permits, lawsuits and financing pressure to stop the facility. Although a California supreme court ruling favored developer Phil Tagami’s contractual rights, the project still requires numerous permits, and opponents are organizing across the East Bay to block construction and investment.

Spencer Pratt appeared to concede the Los Angeles mayoral primary after Nithya Raman edged him out and advanced to face incumbent Karen Bass in November. Although he did not challenge the election results, Pratt said his effort to “save” Los Angeles was continuing and declared “war” on the two remaining candidates, claiming to possess damaging recordings. His campaign focused on wildfire recovery and the future of Los Angeles, but his lack of political experience, Republican affiliation and Donald Trump’s endorsement were insufficient to overcome the city’s strongly Democratic electorate.

The Trump administration has suspended federal funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority pending a HUD investigation into alleged conflicts of interest, payments for empty hotel rooms and inadequate documentation of housing sites. HUD says LAHSA received nearly $1bn in taxpayer funds over five years and should be held accountable, while LAHSA argues that reforms are already addressing the concerns and that homelessness has declined. Los Angeles officials support greater oversight of the agency but oppose the suspension, warning that it could destabilize housed residents and jeopardize future efforts to reduce homelessness. The move is part of broader federal funding conflicts between the Trump administration and California.

NOAA has officially declared the arrival of El Niño, which forecasters say could become one of the strongest events recorded since 1950 and peak in late 2026 or early 2027. The warming Pacific pattern is expected to intensify global temperatures and alter rainfall, drought and storm patterns, bringing heavier precipitation to some regions while worsening heat and water shortages in others. Impacts could include severe drought in Australia, Africa, India and parts of South America, heavier rain in the southern United States and other areas, and heightened flood and storm risks. Scientists stress that each El Niño is different and that even substantial rainfall may not restore depleted water basins or reverse heat-driven drought.

The FBI searched GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove facility under a warrant seeking records, samples and equipment related to methyl methacrylate, after an overheated 6,000- to 7,000-gallon tank prompted the evacuation of about 50,000 residents in May. The Orange County district attorney’s office is conducting a separate criminal investigation, while GKN says it is cooperating. Residents and businesses have filed lawsuits and urged the company to relocate the chemical tanks; GKN has apologized but said it is too early to decide. Officials reported no contamination or chemical release and will continue monitoring air, sewers and storm drains.

A federal judge permanently blocked Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas, finding that the method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment after an appeals court identified a substantial risk of severe pain. Alabama plans to appeal, potentially taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Lee may still be executed by lethal injection or electrocution, while his attorneys have sought clemency and an end to the judicial override that led to his death sentence.

California’s ballot count is slow because most voters use mail-in ballots, signatures undergo electronic and human verification, voters can correct errors for up to 22 days, and ballots postmarked by election day may arrive later. More than 2.5 million ballots remained to be counted as Republican Steve Hilton approached the second runoff spot in the governor’s race, while Nithya Raman gained ground in Los Angeles’s mayoral contest. Donald Trump, Spencer Pratt and Elon Musk amplified unsupported claims that late-counted votes were fraudulent, but no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud has emerged, and federal officials debunked a specific ballot-manipulation allegation. Additional funding, improved processing facilities and shorter ballot-cure periods could speed reporting without weakening verification.

Kalshi and Polymarket are barring paid creators and affiliates from denying election results or spreading misleading claims, with both platforms asking sponsored influencers to remove or alter posts about alleged fraud in California elections. The policy changes follow a rise in election-fraud claims from Trump and other Republicans and add to scrutiny of prediction markets over gambling rules, insider trading, and election betting. Kalshi faces criminal charges in Arizona, while federal authorities are investigating a possible insider-trading transaction involving former congressman George Santos. Donald Trump Jr. advises both platforms, and Truth Social is developing a competing prediction market.

Jonathan Rinderknecht’s federal trial is beginning over allegations that he ignited the Lachman fire on New Year’s Day 2025, which later reignited and grew into the deadly Palisades wildfire. Prosecutors say witness accounts, surveillance, cellphone data and fire-dynamics analysis connect him to the blaze, which killed 12 people and destroyed public and private property. The defense argues he is being scapegoated and that evidence linking him to the initial fire is weak. The judge has excluded evidence concerning alleged fire department negligence and certain AI-generated images, while Rinderknecht faces five to 45 years in prison if convicted.

Voters in California, Iowa, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and New Mexico held primary elections for governor, Senate and House races. California’s crowded governor’s contest remained too close to call, while Steve Hilton, Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer led the early results; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a November runoff. Iowa Republicans selected Zach Lahn for governor and Democrats nominated Josh Turek for Senate, setting up general-election contests against Rob Sand and Ashley Hinson respectively. Deb Haaland won New Mexico’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination, while Greg Hull won the Republican nomination. Other notable results included Scott Wiener advancing for Nancy Pelosi’s House seat, Adam Hamawy winning New Jersey’s 12th district Democratic nomination, and Christina Bohannan winning Iowa’s 1st district nomination. The coverage also reported the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision allowing Alabama to use a redrawn congressional map that removes one majority-Black district, and highlighted the prospect of lengthy California vote counting.

The Trump administration has abandoned its proposed $1.8bn fund to compensate Donald Trump’s allies after bipartisan backlash, Republican resistance and court setbacks, acting attorney general Todd Blanche confirmed. Blanche said the fund would not proceed even after a court order blocking it expires, while maintaining that a separate arrangement shielding Trump, his family and related entities from certain IRS audits remains unchanged. The coverage also details congressional scrutiny of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s refusal to clearly commit to following court orders, concerns over Bill Pulte’s appointment as acting director of national intelligence, US demands for stronger Iranian nuclear commitments, and Trump’s reported confrontation with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The live blog also covers US primary elections and the controversy surrounding Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.

The Pentagon has barred journalists from entering its press office after designating the space as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, citing the presence of speechwriters who handle classified material. Acting press secretary Jose Valdez defended the move as necessary while claiming the department remains transparent. The restriction is the latest in a series of Trump administration policies limiting Pentagon press access, including requirements that journalists only gather authorized information and a policy requiring official escorts. The New York Times has successfully challenged some of these measures in court and is suing again, arguing that the restrictions unconstitutionally impede independent reporting on military affairs.

Mexico City riot police fired teargas at CNTE-affiliated teachers marching toward the Zócalo for salary increases and the reversal of pension laws. A protester reportedly suffered a head injury, and the clash followed an earlier police effort to prevent teachers from establishing a protest camp. The union has threatened to mobilize millions of teachers and potentially call a nationwide strike during the 2026 FIFA World Cup if the government does not meet its demands, creating tensions ahead of Mexico City’s opening-match events and planned Fan Fest.

Donald Trump proposed holding an “America Is Back” rally in Washington, DC, in place of performances at a Freedom 250 concert series after seven of nine featured acts withdrew. Country singer Martina McBride said assurances that the event would be nonpartisan had proved misleading. Trump also attacked US district judge Christopher Cooper’s ruling that his name must be removed from Kennedy Center signage and that a proposed closure for renovations was temporarily blocked. The president’s Truth Social posting spree included partisan attacks, AI-generated images and rhetoric echoing his pre–January 6, 2021, call for a protest to be “wild.”