August 10, 2026
Politics, War, and Joe Biden
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Today, we will look at a series of U.S. political developments, the situation in the Middle East, and the week of elections ahead.
Let’s get to it.
The Week Ahead
-Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin will hold statewide primary elections on Tuesday.
In South Carolina, a special Senate Republican primary election will be held for the seat vacated by the death of Lindsey Graham.
-The Cook Islands will hold general elections on Wednesday.
-Zambia will hold a general election on Thursday.
Major Developments
-President Donald Trump said yesterday that the United States was “low keying it” with Iran amid an ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.
One week ago, Trump halted plans for a major military offensive on Iran to allow for Omani-mediated talks to reopen the Strait to continue. Over the weekend, Tehran issued a new list of demands to allow for shipping to continue after reports that a deal was close.
Speaking to Axios over the weekend, Trump said, “We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money.”
Meanwhile, the average U.S. gas price stood at $4.01 yesterday, amid the ongoing tensions, according to AAA.
-Israel rejected a 15-point U.S.-backed peace plan for the Gaza Strip just a week after Trump said Hamas had agreed to full disarmament.
In remarks yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the besieged coastal enclave “until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”
Meanwhile, Palestinians have taken to the beach in Gaza City amid scorching summer heat.
-Pope Leo renewed his call for an end to the war in Ukraine over the weekend.
-The U.S. economy unexpectedly lost 23,000 jobs in July, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday.
-The Senate approved Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general in a permanent capacity in a 50 to 49 vote on Saturday.
Maine Senator Susan Collins and Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski were the lone Republican members to oppose the nomination.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who was the decisive vote, said in an appearance on Face the Nation that his yes vote “wasn’t a black or white decision.”
Blanche, who has served in the post in an acting capacity since Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi in April, previously worked as Trump’s criminal defense attorney.
The Senate officially began a five-week summer recess following the vote.
-In an interview with Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman, Trump said if Democrats take control of Congress he may be “the last Republican president.”
View the full interview here:
-The deadline for embattled Ohio Republican Congressman Max Miller to drop his reelection bid has now passed.
Miller has faced a wave of domestic abuse allegations from his now ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno.
Miller has denied any wrongdoing.
-Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to his bones and is “very debilitating,” according to his son Hunter in a new interview.
He added that despite his condition, his father is “still out there, he’s still doing his thing” because he “so believes in this country.”
View the full interview here:
-Former President Barack Obama spoke by phone to Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after El-Sayed’s narrow victory over Congresswoman Haley Stevens in the state’s hotly contested Democratic primary last week.
Meanwhile, Trump posted a photo to his social media that shows himself and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, alongside a photo of El-Sayed and his wife, with text above reading ‘Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s.’
Responding on CNN’s State of the Union yesterday, El-Sayed said, “Yeah, he’s right. One in which your overlords are two people who don’t like each other but joined in the interest of making billions of dollars off of you, or two people who genuinely love each other, enjoyed some pancakes together, want to come together to build the kind of America where they can raise a family, and know that that family is going to have the good things.”
-New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez overtook California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2028 presidential odds over the weekend for the first time on Polymarket.
When asked about a possible bid yesterday on ABC’s This Week, Ocasio-Cortez said, “Anything is possible.”
In the same interview, she declined to endorse Democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.
Hong holds a wide lead over her opponents heading into this week’s election.
Governor Tony Evers, who declined to seek a third term, has endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the race.
Asked last week about the prospect of a Hong victory, Evers said, “This is going to be a very, very sad place to be.”
-In an interview with The New Yorker’s David Remnick, Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer answered, “How Socialist is the D.S.A.?”
View it here:
-In a wide-ranging interview, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed Trump and the state of the Democratic Party.
View it here:
-The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum will be reopened this week.
View a CBS report on the library here:
-Humidity levels across the United States surged over the weekend.
-On this day in 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, making her the second woman to serve on the high court.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist administered the oath of office as President Bill Clinton looked on.
Other Links:
Senate confirms 74 Trump nominees - Politico
Ocasio-Cortez Says She Is Freezing Her Eggs and Still Mulling a Presidential Run - The New York Times
Group promoting science urges Kelly to run for president - Axios
Sen. Jim Banks says Rep. Max Miller should drop his re-election bid if allegations are true - NBC
Kaptur moving to physical rehab after what police say was a hit-and-run crash - The Hill
Ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell Had Fling with Stephen Miller’s Wife, Katie, When She Was an Intern: Report - People
Beth, the Beloved Vacuum of a 92-Year-Old Iowa Senator, Has Died - The New York Times
Sudan’s civil war threatens ancient pyramids of Meroë - Africa News
Editor of top Ethiopian independent news site seized by police, publisher says - BBC
Africa wants more homegrown solar to boost self-reliance, but China’s shadow remains - AP
These Giant Rodents Lobbied a Brazilian Legislature - The New York Times
Brazil tightens crypto transfers to curb fraud - Reuters
More than a decade after 43 students vanished in Mexico, ex-governor arrested, accused of cover-up - NBC
The U.S. Is Burning Through Weapons in Iran. Russia and China Are Taking Note. - The New York Times
China Unleashes $28 Trillion Capital Markets to Challenge US in AI - Bloomberg
Shanghai cancels at least 1,300 flights as Typhoon Dolphin hits China’s eastern coast - AP
U.S. Intel Finds Putin Could Test NATO’s Resolve With Limited Incursion - The Wall Street Journal
Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says up to 50,000 North Korean troops to be deployed in Russia - Reuters
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign defence pact - BBC
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.
Notes:
https://scowcroft.substack.com/p/tsg-weekly-calendar-august-10-16
Some things never change