Washington Examiner

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott announced a temporary pause on all construction activity inside Big Bend National Park on Monday, citing the need for a personal evaluation and consultations with stakeholders and local law enforcement. The park spans roughly 800,000 acres along the U.S.-Mexico border, where initial clearing work for vehicle barriers and detection technology had begun. The decision follows an earlier shift from a planned 30-foot wall to lighter measures.

Florida voters head to the polls Tuesday for primary elections that include a Republican race to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. Rep. Byron Donalds holds a double-digit lead among the top four candidates and carries President Donald Trump's endorsement, while DeSantis has withheld support from all contenders. The contest occurs amid documented tensions between state-level and national Republican priorities.

The Democratic National Committee approved a revised 2028 primary calendar during its summer meeting in Austin, Texas, with South Carolina scheduled first on January 22 and Nevada second on February 1. The approval occurred via voice vote on Saturday. Later primary dates for New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan, and Virginia were reported by a single source.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, spoke at a rally criticizing President Donald Trump’s Iran policies and referenced a Qatar-gifted aircraft and planned ballroom. Trump replied from the Oval Office by calling Ossoff a “Pee-Wee Herman look-alike.” The exchange was reported by Washington Examiner and The Guardian.

Florida holds primary elections on Tuesday featuring several Democratic contests. Jared Moskowitz runs in the new 25th Congressional District against Oliver Larkin, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Debbie Wasserman Schultz faces a primary challenge in a majority-Black district under new maps, while Alex Vindman runs in a Senate primary against Angie Nixon.

Rep. Cory Mills and Ryan Elijah are among the candidates in Tuesday's Republican primary for Florida's 7th Congressional District, with recent polling showing Elijah in the lead. Sitting Republican members of Congress have endorsed Elijah while Donald Trump endorsed Mills. Allegations against Mills reported by one outlet include a recanted 2025 domestic assault claim and a later civil restraining order.

Donald Trump stated that Flock cameras are under study and that he will announce a position in coming weeks. The system operates through thousands of municipal contracts using AI to read license plates for stolen or crime-linked vehicles, with data shared across jurisdictions and no facial recognition. Multiple sources report officer misuse incidents and specific cases involving wrongful detention and abortion-related tracking.

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, declared on May 15, has recorded 4,945 cases and 2,325 deaths according to Washington Examiner reporting. A genetically distinct Bundibugyo ebolavirus variant is involved, with no approved vaccines or treatments and a reported fatality rate of 46 percent. Claims that this is the deadliest outbreak in DRC history remain disputed across sources.

Pennsylvania authorities charged 14 individuals, including 13 current or recent Penn State students and one student's father, in connection with a cocaine distribution operation based at the Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi fraternity houses. The operation involved obtaining cocaine from Philadelphia and New York, cutting and packaging it on campus, and distributing it primarily to students. Penn State has placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension and does not recognize Sigma Chi.

USFK Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson met South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on August 18 following the start of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. President Trump ordered a scaling down of the drills, citing his relationship with Kim Jong-un and South Korea's stance on Iran. The exercise, which began August 17 Seoul time, is scheduled to continue for 11 days through August 27.

The Justice Department filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit seeking to reinstate criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia after a federal judge dismissed the indictment in May. The charges involved allegations of conspiring to transport immigrants in the U.S. illegally for financial gain. The dismissal was based on a finding of vindictive prosecution, and the appeal argues the indictment was supported by evidence meeting the beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard.

U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, obtained nine tattoos earlier this year including a Virginia Woolf quote and launched a YouTube talk show titled 'Get Maced'. She has described the tattoos as representing pain and a means to reclaim her identity following alleged sexual trauma and family difficulties. Coverage of these events appears primarily in right-leaning outlets with no independent corroboration reported for the underlying allegations.

Donald Trump stated at a New York rally that the United States would declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after defeating Iran. Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded on X that the strait has been, is, and will remain Iranian and subject to Iranian control. The strait lies between Iran and Oman, which are engaged in bilateral talks on its status.

Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, died at age 36 in South Carolina. Her father confirmed the death; the cause and manner remain under investigation with no signs of foul play indicated in preliminary findings. Reporting on the incident originates exclusively from right-leaning outlets.

Students for Life Action endorsed Rep. Ralph Norman for U.S. Senate on Monday, citing his record as a pro-life candidate. The endorsement contrasts Norman with Darline Graham Nordone, who donated to state Sen. Katrina Shealy, a member of the bipartisan group that blocked South Carolina’s 2023 near-total abortion ban. An additional endorsement claim involving Russell Fry remains unverified.

A single-source report from the Washington Examiner claims UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged insignificant text messages with an impersonator of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in July, marking the second such incident during her tenure. The outlet states Burnham reported the contact after growing suspicious, with no device hack confirmed and an FBI investigation opened in May 2025 after similar attempts. All claims originate from one outlet and rest on the incorrect premise that Burnham holds the office of Prime Minister.