White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Will Leave at Month’s End
Karoline Leavitt will leave the White House press secretary post at the end of August, citing family demands. Trump says she will remain an outside adviser.
United States
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Grand Canyon Historic-Property Comment Deadline Is Aug. 15
Public comments close Aug. 15 on a draft Grand Canyon agreement that would guide historic-property review during future fire-management work.
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U.S. Factory Orders Rose Slightly in June as Demand Stayed Uneven
June durable-goods orders rose 0.3%, while stronger business-equipment shipments pointed to continued investment amid uneven factory demand.
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Federal ballot-mail proposal remains blocked ahead of 2026 midterms
A Boston judge’s August 11 injunction blocks USPS from implementing a proposed federal ballot-mail process. State rules and ordinary deadlines remain in place.
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VA Announces National Trial Testing Semaglutide for Alcohol-Use Disorder
VA has announced a Phase 3 semaglutide trial for veterans with alcohol-use disorder, but the drug remains investigational and recruitment details differ.
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How NIH’s New Funding Strategy Changes Grant Decisions
NIH’s new funding framework keeps peer review central but moves away from fixed paylines, giving institute directors more discretion over grant awards.
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FCC’s New 911 Reliability Rules Take Effect for NG911 Networks
FCC rules covering key Next Generation 911 providers took effect August 10, adding reliability and reporting duties while major compliance dates remain ahead.
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DOJ’s $300 Million Model Cities Competition Draws Scrutiny
Cities weighing a new DOJ public-safety competition face questions about surveillance, federal oversight, immigration certifications and future costs.
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Temporary federal power order exposed summer grid pressures
DOE gave the Southwest Power Pool temporary emergency authority during extreme heat. The order ended Aug. 10 without confirming a blackout.
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Midwest Storm Recovery Continues as Flooding and Outages Persist
A deadly August 11-12 storm system left tornado damage, flood rescues and widespread outages across the Midwest as more rain risks remained August 14.
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Paramount-Warner merger delayed to 2027 as states challenge deal
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery will remain separate as a 12-state antitrust case proceeds, with closing delayed until a ruling or June 1, 2027.
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IRS watchdog says digital-first service left some filers behind
The IRS processed most 2026 returns successfully, but its taxpayer watchdog found long delays and limited help for people needing manual review or identity assistance.
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National Park Service fee-free day is August 25. What visitors need to know
Entrance fees will be waived for eligible visitors on August 25, but reservations, parking, camping and crowd controls may still affect park access.
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EPA Seeks Comments on Proposed 2027 Heavy-Duty Engine Rules
EPA is accepting comments through August 29 on proposed 2027 heavy-duty engine changes involving warranties, penalties and DEF-related warnings.
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Paid early access to Trump’s policy posts draws federal court challenge
A federal lawsuit challenges the administration’s use of Truth Social for policy posts while Trump Media sells institutions faster API access.
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Medicaid Work-Rule Fight Moves to State Implementation
States are building Medicaid verification systems ahead of a January 1, 2027 deadline while a 26-state lawsuit challenges CMS rules on medical frailty.
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OSHA’s Safe & Sound Week puts emergency planning on managers’ agendas
OSHA’s voluntary Safe & Sound Week runs through Aug. 16, giving managers a prompt to review emergency plans, training, hazard reporting and follow-up.
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Brazil Tariff Fight Moves From Investigation to Enforcement
A 25% additional U.S. tariff on covered Brazilian imports is now being collected, with exemptions aimed at limiting shortages and supply-chain disruption.
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NSF’s $250 Million Research Restart Moves Into Application Phase
NSF’s restarted SBIR/STTR program is accepting proposals for scientific-instrumentation projects, with the next full-proposal deadline set for November 4.
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Lawsuit says EEOC froze federal class claims, including prison case
AFGE and two federal correctional officers sued the EEOC, alleging an indefinite pause on federal class complaints and delays in a Louisiana prison case.
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Fayus expands OLA-OLA pounded yam recall over undeclared milk
Fayus expanded its voluntary recall to four OLA-OLA pounded yam package sizes distributed in six U.S. states, Canada and Australia.
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Fish and Wildlife Service Revises Endangered Species Act Rules
The agency finalized changes to threatened-species protections and critical-habitat designations, including an end to the prior blanket-rule option.