Daily News Recap
Thursday, August 13, 2026
The Big Stories Today
Strait of Hormuz standoff drags on as Trump insists U.S. is in "total control"
Facts
- Trump reiterated on Truth Social that the U.S. has "total control" of the Strait of Hormuz and warned Iran would "get blown away" if it acted; Iran's foreign ministry publicly declared the strait blocked, and FM Abbas Araghchi denied Tehran is in direct talks with Washington.
- Iran-Oman negotiations over inbound/outbound shipping lanes have run three-plus weeks with broad agreement on routes but no final deal; tankers have been largely unable to transit since Iran closed the waterway when fighting resumed in July.
- U.S. Central Command said it disabled a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that tried to break the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports; Houthi forces killed six aboard a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait — the first Red Sea shipping fatalities in over a year — and claimed an earlier strike on Saudi Aramco's Jazan refinery.
- The strait carried roughly one-fifth of global oil supply before the war; the IEA-tracked forecast now sees global supply falling about 4.3 million barrels/day.
Left view
Left-leaning and mainstream outlets stress the gap between Trump's rhetoric and facts on the ground: NPR frames the war and resulting price spike as having driven his economy approval to around 31%, and notes voters who backed him to lower costs and avoid foreign wars are getting the opposite. A Washington Post opinion piece argued Trump is wrong to scapegoat oil companies for prices the war itself is driving. Sen. Chuck Schumer questioned how durable any reopening deal would even be.
Right view
Fox News amplified administration voices: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran now faces "someone that actually takes action," and VP JD Vance described talks as being in "the middle of the game" with the goal of maximizing oil flow. Notably, some hawks broke with the White House — former Defense Secretary Mark Esper (via Fox) warned that letting Iran and Oman help administer strait traffic could be a "very bad outcome" for the U.S.
Watch for
Analysts tie near-term oil to the deal odds: Brent hovered near $89-90 and WTI in the low $80s, with any breakdown in Oman talks or fresh Houthi strikes seen pushing crude back toward triple digits. A reopening would ease pump prices before the midterms; continued closure keeps gasoline elevated and pressures Republicans on affordability.
CNN
CNBC
Al Jazeera
Fox News
NPR
Gas hits highest-ever level for mid-August as pump pain becomes political
Facts
- AAA put the national average for regular at about $4.03/gal as of Aug. 12, roughly $0.16 higher than a month earlier and up sharply from around $2.98 before the Iran war.
- GasBuddy said the average is at its highest-ever level this late in the calendar year — no prior year saw the average above $4 after Aug. 12.
- State spread is wide: California ($5.66), Hawaii ($5.45) and Washington ($5.13) highest; Texas ($3.60), Indiana ($3.61) and Mississippi ($3.65) lowest.
- Trump has directed the DOJ to investigate Big Oil for possible price gouging, publicly pressured Exxon and Chevron over profits, and is weighing extending a Jones Act waiver.
Left view
The Washington Post editorial/opinion side calls it misdirection to blame refiners when the war-driven crude spike is the cause, arguing the administration owns the geopolitical decisions behind higher prices. Coverage in outlets like NPR and Yahoo highlights voters who feel Trump broke a core promise to bring costs down.
Right view
Fox News frames the squeeze as a byproduct of ending years of "radical climate" energy policy and points to price gouging by oil majors, echoing the White House. The Washington Examiner reported Trump warning prices "may have to" rise further as leverage against Iran, casting the pain as a temporary cost of a hard line.
Watch for
Energy analysts say a Jones Act waiver alone is unlikely to move pump prices much (OilPrice.com); the real lever is Hormuz reopening. With midterms ahead, sustained $4+ gas is the affordability metric strategists in both parties are watching most closely.
AAA
The Hill
Yahoo Finance
Fox News
Washington Post
Karoline Leavitt to step down as White House press secretary at month's end
Facts
- Trump announced in a Truth Social post that Leavitt will leave at the end of August to spend more time with her two young children, saying he "totally" understands and respects the decision.
- Leavitt called it a "bittersweet decision," citing the constant demands of the role; no successor has been named.
- Her farewell post on X briefly carried a "Made with AI" label that was later removed with no explanation from X or the White House.
Left view
Left-leaning commentary (Mediaite, Axios coverage) focused on the lack of a ready replacement as a sign of West Wing disorder, and some tied the timing to broader turbulence, noting the odd "Made with AI" flag on her goodbye message.
Right view
Right-leaning coverage largely took the family explanation at face value and praised her tenure as a combative, effective communicator, framing the departure as a personal choice rather than a sign of trouble.
Watch for
Former GOP comms director Mike Dubke (via CNN) said he was "very surprised" there is no obvious deputy waiting in the wings — the succession pick will signal whether the White House wants continuity or a reset in messaging heading into the fall campaign.
Axios
The Hill
PBS NewsHour
Mediaite
July inflation cools slightly, keeping the Fed on hold into September
Facts
- The July CPI (released Aug. 12) rose 0.1% on the month and 3.4% year over year; core CPI rose 0.2% monthly and 2.5% annually — each down 0.1 point from June.
- The reading came in roughly in line with expectations, easing pressure for a rate hike after a weak July jobs report.
- Stocks were steady-to-higher on the data; the VIX fell nearly 5% and equity futures edged up Thursday as oil eased.
Left view
Progressive-leaning economists emphasize that inflation stuck above target largely reflects war-driven energy costs and tariffs, arguing everyday affordability — not Wall Street calm — is what households feel.
Right view
Market-and business-oriented conservative coverage (CNBC, WSJ readership) frames "in-line" inflation as vindication that the Fed can avoid hikes, and credits resilient earnings and AI-driven growth for keeping markets afloat despite the energy shock.
Watch for
Most analysts now expect the Fed to hold at the September FOMC meeting rather than cut, with labor-market softness and energy volatility cited as offsetting risks. Gas and Hormuz remain the wildcard that could reignite headline inflation.
CNBC
BLS
Yahoo Finance
Midterm maneuvering: mail-in voting order blocked, crypto bill advances, primaries reshuffle
Facts
- A federal judge expanded a block on part of Trump's order restricting mail-in voting for the fall midterms, barring the Postal Service from carrying out the directives nationwide.
- Before recess, the Senate advanced a landmark crypto bill and passed a short-term funding bill to avert a shutdown; a Russia sanctions bill associated with Sen. Lindsey Graham cleared the Senate for the House.
- Primary results favored progressives in spots: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic Senate primary; in Wisconsin, David Crowley took the Democratic nod for governor and will face GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Left view
The Guardian/NPR-style framing treats the mail-in ruling as a check on an effort they characterize as voter suppression, and casts progressive primary wins as momentum for the party's left flank over centrists.
Right view
Right-leaning outlets (NY Post, Washington Examiner) emphasize election-integrity arguments behind the mail-in order and frame the judge's block as judicial overreach, while touting the crypto and Russia-sanctions bills as GOP-driven wins.
Watch for
With affordability and the Iran war weighing on Trump's numbers, strategists see the mail-in litigation and candidate quality shaping a tight fight for House and Senate control. Expect appeals on the voting order and House action on the crypto and sanctions bills after recess.
NPR
CNBC
Fox News
DOJ charges former Southern Poverty Law Center official with fraud
Facts
- The Justice Department charged a former SPLC official with fraud, alleging she shared a bank account with a paid neo-Nazi informant.
- Prosecutors say the center paid more than $4 million to people embedded inside extremist groups.
- The SPLC has not been charged; the case centers on the individual official's alleged conduct.
Left view
Left-leaning observers urge caution pending evidence, noting paid informants inside extremist movements are a longstanding (if fraught) monitoring tactic, and warn against using one official's alleged misconduct to discredit civil-rights watchdog work broadly.
Right view
Conservative outlets (NY Post, Washington Examiner) treat the charges as validating years of criticism that the SPLC's "hate" designations and finances deserve scrutiny, casting it as accountability for an organization they view as partisan.
Watch for
Watch whether the indictment stays narrow to the individual or widens; the case is likely to fuel renewed political fights over the SPLC's nonprofit status and its influence on how "extremism" is defined.
WORLD
CNBC
Markets & Economy
- Stocks: Wall Street closed mixed Wednesday after the in-line July CPI — S&P 500 and Nasdaq edged higher on cooling inflation and strong earnings, Dow slightly lower. Futures ticked up Thursday (Dow +0.2%, S&P +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.1%) as the VIX fell ~5%.
- Oil: Brent near $89 (dipping ~2% in Thursday pre-market toward $87), WTI in the low $80s (~$81-83), whipsawing on Hormuz deal odds and Houthi attacks.
- Gas: National average ~$4.03/gal (AAA) — highest ever for mid-August; up from ~$2.98 pre-war. CA highest (~$5.66), TX lowest (~$3.60).
- Rates/inflation: Headline CPI 3.4% y/y, core 2.5%; markets now expect the Fed to hold in September rather than cut.
Sports Watercooler
- Golf: FedEx Cup Playoffs open today — the FedEx St. Jude Championship (Aug. 13-16) at TPC Southwind, Memphis, with the top 70 and no cut. Field narrows to 50 at next week's BMW Championship before the $40M Tour Championship at East Lake.
- Tennis: Cincinnati Open main draw begins today (ATP/WTA 1000, Mason, OH) — but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are out injured. Djokovic and Zverev headline the men; Sabalenka and Rybakina the women. Serena and Venus Williams reunite in doubles on a wild card. Final tune-up before the US Open.
- Squash: PSA Tour offseason lull — the 2025-26 tour has wrapped its major World Events, with fresh news posts this week previewing the 2026-27 calendar. No marquee tournament in play mid-August.
- WWE: Fallout from SummerSlam (Aug. 1-2, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis) continues to drive programming, headlined by the Seth Rollins-Roman Reigns world-title feud and a new interim women's title picture as the road to fall premium live events takes shape.
- Hockey: NHL dead season, but storylines simmer — Dylan Larkin reportedly requested a trade (eyeing Minnesota, Vegas or Florida), Connor Hellebuyck's future in Winnipeg is in question, and San Jose's Macklin Celebrini signed a 5-year, $18.8M-AAV extension, the richest per-season deal in league history.
- Soccer: Premier League 2026-27 kicks off Friday, Aug. 21 — defending champion Arsenal opens at home against newly promoted Coventry City. Fixtures and TV slates are set for all 380 matches.
- Football: NFL preseason is underway (all camps opened by July 28); roster cutdown to 53 is Aug. 30. The season kicks off Sept. 9 with a Super Bowl LX rematch, Patriots at defending-champion Seahawks, on NBC.