August 11, 2026
Politics, Demands, and Presidents
Good morning, everyone!
Be sure to check out one of my recent Notes on Presidents George H. W. Bush and Jimmy Carter’s similarities:
Today, we will look at a series of U.S. political developments, the situation in the Middle East, and this August 11 through history.
Let’s get to it.
United States
-The average U.S. gas price stood at $4.00 yesterday, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to AAA.
-Trump signed a sweeping executive order cutting the recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11.
-Trump named Will Scharf, who currently serves as White House staff secretary, to be White House chief counsel.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has called on Scharf to read and explain executive orders he is signing.
-Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general yesterday during a ceremony in the Oval Office.
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.
Emil Bove, who also served as a defense attorney for Trump before becoming a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, administered the oath of office.
-In remarks last week, former Vice President Kamala Harris said that Democrats need to “get comfortable with a certain kind of ruthlessness.”
-Hunter Biden appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast.
View it here:
-Rolling Stone published a profile of leftist streamer Hasan Piker last week.
Read it here.
-Former President Barack Obama announced that he will launch a new podcast focused on books that have had an impact on him, saying, “At a time when fewer people are able to sit down with a book, it’s important to remember the joy and power that can come from reading. And some books don’t just tell a story — they change the way we see the world.”
-Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin will hold statewide primary elections today.
In South Carolina, a special Senate Republican primary election will be held for the seat vacated by the death of Lindsey Graham.
View a full list of the elections here.
-On this day in 1984, President Ronald Reagan joked about bombing the Soviet Union while testing a microphone before a radio address, causing an international controversy.
View an NBC News report about the incident here:
In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced that he would nominate General John Shalikashvili to succeed General Colin Powell as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House.
Other Links:
Democrats Face Their Next Big Fight Between Moderates and the Left - The New York Times
White House officials tamped down efforts to oust Max Miller in final days - Politico
Trump extends Jones Act waiver 90 days for foreign ships moving energy, fertilizers - AP
Hegseth pushes for Pentagon funding during renaming of military base after Lindsey Graham - CNN
House Dems call for AI companies to testify on recent hacks: ‘Clear risk to safety’ - CNBC
Pelosi unleashes her political machine in fight to replace her - Politico
Lauren Boebert’s son faces felony charges over sex tape with 17-year-old, court records show - The Denver Post
Rabbis Plead With Mamdani to Tone Down His Anti-Israel Messaging - The New York Times
Africa
-Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have now surpassed 4,000, according to government data.
The outbreak of the deadly disease is the second-largest and fastest-spreading on record, with 1,850 recorded deaths.
-On this day in 2003, Liberian President Charles Taylor resigned his post amid the West African country’s second civil war and demands from the United States and African leaders for him to do so.
A United Nations-backed court would later find him guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, sentencing him to 50 years in prison.
Other Links:
Battle for Mali base has killed dozens of militants, army says - BBC
Cameroon and Malawi reach the semifinals in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations - Africa News
Madagascar moves to reclaim colonial-era land in sovereignty push - Africa News
AI boosting cybercrime in Africa, warns Interpol - Semafor
Ugandan statesman is in the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations - AP
Americas and the Caribbean
-At least 111 people have died from a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia yesterday.
The epicenter of the quake was located in San José del Palmar, about 149 miles west of the capital Bogotá.
-The Trump administration pledged $1 billion in security and military assistance to Colombia on the same day President Abelardo de la Espriella assumed office in Cali.
The right-wing La Espriella won a narrow victory in June’s runoff presidential election, defeating progressive candidate Iván Cepeda by 1 percentage point.
La Espriella, a businessman and lawyer, was endorsed by President Trump.
In his inaugural remarks on Friday, La Espriella pledged to “relentlessly defeat narco-terrorism.”
La Espriella succeeded Petro, the country’s first and only leftist president. During his four-year tenure, Petro sought to end the South American country’s decades-long conflict with armed rebel groups through direct negotiations.
Under his leadership, Colombia, historically Washington’s closest ally in the region, frequently clashed with Trump following his return to office last year, before the two leaders held a friendly face-to-face meeting at the White House in February.
-On this day in 1977, Idaho Senator Frank Church concluded a four-day goodwill trip to Cuba.
As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Democratic lawmaker became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the island nation since Fidel Castro assumed power in 1959.
In 2000, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez met with Iraqi strongman leader Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, becoming the first foreign head of state to meet with Hussein since the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Other Links:
A car-bomb attack targets southwest Colombia a day after conservative president takes office - AP
Milei retreats even further to pass property bill amid backlash - Buenos Aires Times
Argentines pray that Pope Leo’s visit alleviates their economic stress - AP
Ecuador charges ex-minister over presidential candidate assassination case - BBC
Octogenarian is first killed in British Columbia wildfire - Reuters
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-Taiwan’s cabinet is set to propose a 16% annual increase to its military budget as the self-governing island continues to ramp up its defenses against China.
The increase, if approved, would push Taiwan’s military budget to $31 billion.
The Taiwanese military is currently conducting annual military exercises designed to prepare for a possible Chinese military invasion.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has pledged to bring it under its control by force if necessary.
-On a tour across Asia, Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby is asking U.S. allied countries to contribute more to their own defenses.
-The South Korean government will establish a $3.52 billion semiconductor fund as Seoul seeks to boost its manufacturing of advanced chips.
Other Links:
Storms from Dolphin soak China’s east, ground nearly 950 Shanghai flights - Reuters
Philippines floods, landslides, kill at least 12, 8 missing - South China Morning Post
Chinese users of AI companions bereft after government tightens regulations - AP
Hong Kong’s plan to clear rural villages for a new gateway to China - Financial Times
Yen Extends Slide as Japan Touts Plans to Support Currency - Bloomberg
Europe
-Lawmakers in Hungary’s parliament will vote on a new president today in Budapest. Last month, Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s ruling Tisza Party approved a constitutional measure ousting now-former President Tamás Sulyok.
Sulyok was aligned with Viktor Orbán, the country’s longtime prime minister who was defeated by Magyar in April after 16 years in power.
Tisza has nominated Andras Baka, an advocate for judicial independence, to serve as the country’s next president.
-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that Russia is preparing to deploy an additional 30,000 to 50,000 North Korean soldiers to its territory to assist in Moscow’s war effort against Kyiv.
According to press reports, there are currently an estimated 14,000 North Korean soldiers deployed to Russia.
-On this day in 1919, the Weimar constitution was formally declared, establishing Germany as a federal republic following the First World War.
Other Links:
Ukraine Drone Attack on Industrial City in Russia Kills at Least 13 - The New York Times
Ukraine’s push to cripple Russia in Crimea is just getting started, drone chief tells AP - AP
Germany warns of ‘daily hybrid warfare’ after explosive-laden drone found - Al Jazeera
UK’s Burnham to tackle vape, betting shops in search of high street revival - Reuters
Russian court bars only anti-war party from standing in parliamentary elections - BBC
Middle East
-In a post on his social media yesterday, President Trump said he would demand compensation from Iran for war damages after Tehran made similar demands during negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Over the weekend, Trump said that his administration is only “semi-negotiating” with Iran while signaling that he would instead rely on economic measures to ramp up pressure on the government.
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.
-Trump secretly departed Turkey on an alternate military plane last month when leaving the country due to a credible Iranian assassination attempt, according to news reports.
-President Zelenskyy said yesterday that he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by phone, during which they discussed a potential drone deal and food security.
-Lawmakers in Turkey passed a landmark law establishing a framework to disband the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated as a terrorist organization.
The effort is part of Ankara’s effort to end decades of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people.
-On this day in 1972, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir hosted New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller in Jerusalem.
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush hosted Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin at his estate in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he agreed to provide the Jewish state with $10 billion in loan guarantees for refugee resettlement efforts.
Bush’s approval came after a year of hesitation and a bitter public battle with Rabin’s predecessor, Yitzhak Shamir, which eventually led to his Likud Party’s defeat by Rabin’s Labor Party in that year’s general election.
Bush approved the loan guarantees after Rabin agreed to slow Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
View a news report detailing the loan here:
Other Links:
Netanyahu Walks ‘Political Tightrope’ on Trump’s Gaza Disarmament Deal - The New York Times
Israel accused of weaponising archaeology at ancient West Bank sites - BBC
A blocked Iranian flight to Yemen set off Houthis’ latest spiral with Saudi Arabia - AP
Yemeni military says Houthi attack on Mocha kills 7, wounds 30 - Reuters
Oman says grounded tanker oil spill covers 400 square km - Reuters
That’s all for today. See you tomorrow.
Did the Iranians also seek a tariff on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz?
Teheran can have the reparations or the tariff, but not both.