Current Events — Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM

#1Trump endorsement powers Graham's sister to historic SC runoff win

Sen. Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff, locking in the seat once held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham. President Trump's endorsement is being credited as the decisive factor in a race that had been tightening for weeks. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-endorsement-boosts-sister-late-lindsey-graham-historic-runoff-win

#2Supreme Court lets Trump's mail-in voting order take effect; Jackson dissents hard

The high court cleared the way for President Trump's executive order on mail-in voting to move forward ahead of the midterms. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson blasted her colleagues for what she called a "serious legal error" and warned the ruling invites election-administration chaos. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jackson-rips-supreme-court-colleagues-serious-legal-error-trump-mail-in-voting-order

#3Inflation sticks at 3.7% as Fed gathers at Jackson Hole

The Fed's preferred gauge, the PCE price index, rose 0.2% in July and held the annual rate at 3.7% — a tenth above consensus and unchanged from June. The Jackson Hole symposium opened Wednesday, with new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh's first keynote landing Friday morning and markets desperate for a signal on rates. Source: The Epoch Times — https://www.theepochtimes.com/business/feds-go-to-inflation-measure-holds-steady-at-3-7-percent-in-july-6079811

#4Alaska's ballot now has two Dan Sullivans

A second man named Dan Sullivan advanced out of Alaska's open primary, meaning voters will see the name twice on the general election ballot against incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. With ranked-choice voting in the mix, strategists on both sides are warning the name confusion could genuinely swing the outcome. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/politics/seeing-double-second-dan-sullivan-advances-setting-up-bizarre-alaska-senate-ballot

Top World Stories

#5Strait of Hormuz corridor deal inches closer; oil hits two-week low

Iran and Oman floated a temporary shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude to its lowest point in two weeks. Trump said Wednesday the strait is "functioning" despite continued drone and rocket attacks on tankers, while Washington committed to a fresh round of sanctions on Tehran's shadow fleet. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/iran-war-us-strait-hormuz-china-economic-tensions-08-26-26

#6Zelenskyy: Ukraine wants peace, but won't simply surrender

The Ukrainian president said Kyiv is ready to end the war but will not hand Moscow the eastern territory it's demanding as a precondition. He argued Russia wouldn't stop even if Ukraine conceded, as Britain moves to let defense firm MBDA share classified missile data so Ukraine can build its own assembly lines. Source: The Epoch Times — https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/ukraine-wants-peace-but-wont-surrender-zelenskyy-says-6078856

#7US sanctions Italian tech collective over aiding far-left militants

The Trump administration sanctioned several transnational far-left networks, including the Italian tech collective Autistici/Inventati, which State says helped extremists evade law enforcement worldwide. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said enablers "should be on notice," pledging the full weight of US economic tools. Source: Washington Examiner — https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4701070/italian-extremist-group-sanctioned-trump-help-leftists-evade-law-enforcement-worldwide/

Science & Technology

#8White House targets 1,000 rocket launches a year by 2030

A new White House space directive orders federal agencies to expand launchpads, military ranges and airspace corridors to support more than a thousand launches and reentries annually — roughly three a day. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is directed to scrap or fast-track environmental reviews for launch licenses as Washington races China on orbital infrastructure. Source: The Epoch Times — https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-order-to-expand-us-space-launches-to-1000-annually-by-2030-post-6077816

#9FDA clears first mRNA flu vaccine for older Americans

Regulators approved Moderna's mRNA influenza shot for adults 50 to 64, with accelerated approval for those 65 and up ahead of the 2026-2027 flu season. A roughly 40,000-participant trial showed about a 27% reduction in flu cases versus a standard shot. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/health/fda-approves-first-ever-mrna-flu-vaccine-millions-older-americans

Wildcard

#10Guillotine in a pickup truck outside the US Capitol

Capitol Police arrested 35-year-old Philan Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, after officers spotted an actual guillotine in the bed of his pickup parked across from the Capitol. Investigators say he drove the device clear across the country. Source: Fox News — https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-man-arrested-guillotine-back-pickup-truck-across-from-us-capitol