JUSTTHENEWS (Ben Whedon) - Trump confirms Christian missionary captured by Jihadis back in U.S. custody
Rideout was kidnapped in Niger in October of 2025.
AXIOS (Neil Irwin) - Consumer sentiment dips, especially among Republicans
Data: University of Michigan ; Note: August 2026 number is preliminary; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios Public opinion about the economy appears to be souring further this month, per the preliminary release of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. By the numbers: Overall sentiment fell 8% in the early days of August, after two consecutive months of improvement. - The index fell to 51, from 55.2 in July. That remains above the recent lows reached in the spring, when gasoline prices were soaring. - Inflation expectations were stable, with expected inflation over the next year ticking up to 4.3% and over the next five years unchanged at 3.3%. The intrigue: The steepest month-to-month drop in sentiment was among survey respondents…
Data: University of Michigan ; Note: August 2026 number is preliminary; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios Public opinion about the economy appears to be souring further this month, per the preliminary release of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index. By the numbers: Overall sentiment fell 8% in the early days of August, after two consecutive months of improvement. - The index fell to 51, from 55.2 in July. That remains above the recent lows reached in the spring, when gasoline prices were soaring. - Inflation expectations were stable, with expected inflation over the next year ticking up to 4.3% and over the next five years unchanged at 3.3%. The intrigue: The steepest month-to-month drop in sentiment was among survey respondents…Open
AXIOS (Neil Irwin) - Retail sales slump in July
Data: Census Bureau ; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios American consumers have powered the economy forward this year. In July, they took a breather. Why it matters: While the underlying trend in consumer demand appears solid, retail sales hit an air pocket last month, suggesting a bumpier path ahead for overall growth. - Combined with a weak jobs report last week and two subdued inflation readings this week, it points to the Federal Reserve having room to be patient on potential interest rate increases this fall. Driving the news: Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, the weakest performance in more than a year and well below the 0.1% gain analysts expected. - Excluding gas stations and auto dealers, there was still a 0.3% decline in sales, meaning…
Data: Census Bureau ; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios American consumers have powered the economy forward this year. In July, they took a breather. Why it matters: While the underlying trend in consumer demand appears solid, retail sales hit an air pocket last month, suggesting a bumpier path ahead for overall growth. - Combined with a weak jobs report last week and two subdued inflation readings this week, it points to the Federal Reserve having room to be patient on potential interest rate increases this fall. Driving the news: Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, the weakest performance in more than a year and well below the 0.1% gain analysts expected. - Excluding gas stations and auto dealers, there was still a 0.3% decline in sales, meaning…Open
NPR (Brian Mann) - Mangione pleads guilty in federal court, leaving fate of state trial uncertain
Mangione has pleaded guilty to stalking charges in connection with the death of Brian Thompson, a health care executive. A separate judge will decide the future of Mangione's state trial.
Mangione has pleaded guilty to stalking charges in connection with the death of Brian Thompson, a health care executive. A separate judge will decide the future of Mangione's state trial.Open
YOUTUBE (Newsmax) - Mangione will fight for political reasons: Judge Andrew Napolitano | National Report
Judge Andrew Napolitano reacted to the possible Luigi Mangione guilty plea on Friday's "National Report."
AMERICANALMANAC (Sadie Smith) - Tropical Storm Lala bears down on Hawaii as governor declares state of emergency
Hawaii's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Lala churns toward the Big Island with hurricane-force winds expected by the weekend, a storm that could mark the first direct tropical hit on the islands in 75 years. Governor Josh Green issued the emergency declaration on Thursday as Lala, packing maximum sustained winds […] The post Tropical Storm Lala bears down on Hawaii as governor declares state of emergency appeared first on American Almanac .
Hawaii's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Lala churns toward the Big Island with hurricane-force winds expected by the weekend, a storm that could mark the first direct tropical hit on the islands in 75 years. Governor Josh Green issued the emergency declaration on Thursday as Lala, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, tracked west-northwest through the central Pacific at 10 mph. As of 5 a.m. ET on August 14, the storm sat roughly 455 miles east-southeast of Hilo, close enough that forecasters expect heavy rain and gusty winds to reach the Big Island by Friday. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for Hawaii County. Tropical storm watches cover Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai,…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Jack Newsome) - Army identifies two Fort Hood soldiers killed in Apache helicopter crash near Salado, Texas
The U.S. Army has named the two soldiers killed when an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, a crash so severe it sparked a 155-acre grass fire and forced evacuations. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, […] The post Army identifies two Fort Hood soldiers killed in Apache helicopter crash near Salado, Texas appeared first on American Almanac .
The U.S. Army has named the two soldiers killed when an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, a crash so severe it sparked a 155-acre grass fire and forced evacuations. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas, died Wednesday afternoon when their twin-engine Apache crashed into a field south of Salado, roughly 50 miles north of Austin. The Army released their names Friday in a statement that offered few details about what went wrong, saying only that the helicopter "experienced a mishap" during the flight. The crash remains under investigation. Both men were pilots assigned to Bravo Company, 1st…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Jonah Adams) - Congress finds Harvard co-authored 140-plus papers with Chinese military-linked universities
A House committee report accuses Harvard of co-authoring more than 140 research papers with Chinese universities tied to Beijing's military, while collecting over $600 million in Chinese funding, more than any other American school. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released the findings ahead of their public debut, detailing what investigators describe […] The post Congress finds Harvard co-authored 140-plus papers with Chinese military-linked universities appeared first on American Almanac .
A House committee report accuses Harvard of co-authoring more than 140 research papers with Chinese universities tied to Beijing's military, while collecting over $600 million in Chinese funding, more than any other American school. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released the findings ahead of their public debut, detailing what investigators describe as years of research collaboration between Harvard-affiliated scientists and institutions the Pentagon has identified as central to China's defense modernization. Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, paired the report with a blunt demand for the university to overhaul its approach to foreign research partnerships. Separately, Rep. Pat…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over Detroit animal control record as whistleblower allegations resurface
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under renewed fire over a Detroit animal shelter that a former employee called a "slaughterhouse", and his Republican opponent says the record proves Detroiters couldn't trust him with their pets. The controversy centers on Detroit Animal Care and Control, the city shelter that fell under El-Sayed's authority when […] The post Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over Detroit animal control record as whistleblower allegations resurface appeared first on American Almanac .
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under renewed fire over a Detroit animal shelter that a former employee called a "slaughterhouse", and his Republican opponent says the record proves Detroiters couldn't trust him with their pets. The controversy centers on Detroit Animal Care and Control, the city shelter that fell under El-Sayed's authority when he served as Detroit's health director. A whistleblower lawsuit, a $63,000 city settlement, a federal court order blocking warrantless dog seizures, and state records showing thousands of animals euthanized have all resurfaced as El-Sayed campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat against Republican Mike Rogers. Rogers seized on the record in a post on X. "This is sickening," Rogers…Open
AMERICANALMANAC (Alan Benson) - Spanish troops rescue 11th-century royal remains from monastery as wildfire closes in
A military emergency unit pulled the remains of three medieval kings from a 10th-century Spanish monastery threatened by wildfire, part of a broader wave of blazes and drought battering Europe this week. Late Thursday, flames driven by high temperatures and strong winds pushed toward San Juan de la Peña, a monastery carved into a mountain […] The post Spanish troops rescue 11th-century royal remains from monastery as wildfire closes in appeared first on American Almanac .
A military emergency unit pulled the remains of three medieval kings from a 10th-century Spanish monastery threatened by wildfire, part of a broader wave of blazes and drought battering Europe this week. Late Thursday, flames driven by high temperatures and strong winds pushed toward San Juan de la Peña, a monastery carved into a mountain range in the Aragón region of northeastern Spain. The fire had been burning since Monday and had already consumed more than 3.5 square miles of terrain, forcing the evacuation of 16 surrounding towns. Authorities decided they could not risk leaving nearly a millennium of history inside. Mar Vaquero, vice-president of the Aragón region, told reporters that concern the monastery could be engulfed by…Open