1.) AP: Iran sets sweeping terms for normal Hormuz traffic as Oman talks continue
A temporary route plan remains unfinished; passage near Oman continues, but traffic is a fraction of normal.
Iran's stated terms for normal traffic
Iran's Supreme National Security Council says the United States must:
- never threaten Iran again;
- permanently end the war with Iran and its armed allies in the region;
- lift the naval blockade of Iranian ports;
- withdraw U.S. forces from the area;
- fully compensate Iran for war damage;
- lift sanctions; and
- unconditionally release frozen Iranian assets.
That is Iran's public list, not a term sheet accepted by the United States or Oman. Separately, two people familiar with the talks told AP that the temporary navigation draft would route inbound ships near Iran and outbound ships near Oman without tolls; its terms can still change.
2.) AP: Trump's voting push stalls after narrower photo-ID bill falls eight votes short
Cloture on S. 5271 failed 52-46; three Republican senators say they will revisit parts of the broader SAVE America Act in September.
Red take
Citizenship is the threshold qualification for federal voting, so documentary proof at registration is a reasonable safeguard for accurate rolls. Protect eligible voters by making documents free, accepting reliable alternatives for missing or mismatched records and providing a clear cure process. S. 5271 is a separate photo-ID rule for casting a federal ballot; cloture failed 52–46, eight short of 60. If Republicans add these protections to an Iran-war and Pentagon budget package in September, that is hardball—but election integrity is important enough to force the vote.
Blue take
The SAVE America Act shifts paperwork risk to eligible citizens: applicants without ready citizenship documents, or whose records do not match, could be unable to register through no fault of their own. Accurate rolls can be protected with targeted verification, free documents, reliable alternatives and real cure procedures. S. 5271 separately adds photo ID when casting a federal ballot; cloture failed 52–46, eight short of 60. Adding either rule to an Iran-war and Pentagon budget package would use military funding to force voting restrictions the Senate has not approved.
3.) AP: Ceuta migration crisis update: Spain and Italy impose reciprocal Schengen checks
Italy began screening air and sea arrivals from Spain after the Ceuta influx; Madrid answered with checks on travelers from Italy through Sept. 7.
4.) AP: Senate passes H.R. 6500 stopgap 90-6; the House is next
The House must accept the Senate-amended bill before Sept. 30; if enacted, it would generally fund agencies through Dec. 11.
Government funding update
_QUICK BITES_
AP: Hunter Biden says his father's cancer has spread beyond his bones
Hunter Biden told the BBC that former President Joe Biden's prostate cancer has spread beyond the bone metastases disclosed with his May 2025 diagnosis and is causing significant pain. He said his father remains active despite the disease. The interview did not identify the additional sites of spread or when the progression was detected, and the claim has not been confirmed by Biden's physician, office or medical records.
AP: Bald Range wildfire forces more than 20,000 people to flee
British Columbia declared a state of emergency Saturday after the fast-moving Bald Range wildfire forced more than 20,000 people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake. Evacuation orders covered all of Summerland, home to about 12,000 people, and about 8,000 people in and around nearby Peachland; those community figures are rounded. First reported Friday evening, the fire grew to more than 100 square kilometers (39 square miles) within hours and traveled roughly 15 kilometers (9 miles) toward Okanagan Lake.
More than 100 wildfires were burning across British Columbia, nearly half of them out of control amid hot, windy weather and prolonged drought. Homes were destroyed, but officials had no count; a possible death remained unconfirmed, and aircraft rescued more than 50 people cut off by road. Those conditions and counts are a Saturday snapshot.
AP: South Carolina U.S. Senate special GOP primary — Aug. 11
Darline Graham Nordone — the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sister and interim replacement — faces eight other Republicans Tuesday. If no one clears 50%, the top two meet again Aug. 25.
CNN: Florida 19th U.S. House Republican primary — Aug. 18
Six of the 10 Republicans have served in or run for Congress in another state. The seat is open because Rep. Byron Donalds is running for governor; Trump carried the district by 30 points in 2024, putting the GOP nominee in an overwhelming position for November.
Prices captured Aug 8, 9:32 PM CT. These are trader-implied estimates, not polls. Separate contracts trade independently, so opposing prices may not add to exactly 100%.
NOT NEWS NEWS
5.) NBER: When child-protection supervisors could see a risk score, repeat reports fell 15% — and foster placements nearly doubled
A Pennsylvania trial let human supervisors see an algorithm's five-level summary of information already in the case file. The score did not make decisions, but access to it changed which referrals received the most intensive response.
The score changed the cases labeled most complex
Workers did not simply intervene more in every case. The biggest changes appeared among referrals the model labeled Very High complexity. In that group, the estimates imply that ongoing services rose from about 9% to 19%, while substantiated referrals rose from about 34% to 49%.
The 15% reduction in repeat reports applies to the full study sample. The apparent decline within the Very High group was too uncertain to distinguish from chance.
The score appears to have redirected attention, not replaced human judgment. The experiment cannot tell whether the summary provided new insight, increased workers' confidence or simply made intervention feel institutionally supported.
What this study cannot tell us
A repeat report means another child-protection referral involving the child within three months. It is not direct proof that abuse or neglect occurred — or that children were safer when reports declined. More surveillance, less surveillance and contact with support services can all affect reporting.
The trial covered one Pennsylvania county and 34 investigators over 14 months. Researchers did not detect wider racial disparities when the score was visible, but those subgroup estimates were too imprecise to prove equal effects. This is a July 2026 NBER working paper and has not been peer reviewed.