Former President Donald Trump suggested on the evening of Aug. 25 that he may skip a Sept. 10 ABC News debate with Vice President Kamala Harris amid dueling statements issued by both campaigns about whether the microphone should be muted. On Aug. 26, the former president laid wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery to mark the third anniversary of the Kabul Airport suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members. And at a separate conference, Trump criticized the Biden administration for the “collapse of American credibility and respect” during the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is pushing to revive Trump's classified documents case. Special counsel Jack Smith filed a brief with a circuit court in a bid to defend his authority to prosecute Trump.

The Hezbollah terrorist group launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel on Sunday. Israel's military said it prevented a more deadly result by preemptively striking military targets in Lebanon. The Biden administration said it is working to avoid an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

Ukraine reported an attack by Russia involving over 100 missiles and around 100 drones. It appears to be Russia’s biggest attack against Ukraine in weeks. Russia said the strike hit energy facilities across Ukraine and disrupted arms supplies.

French prosecutors are investigating Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram messaging app. They are questioning him in connection with 12 charges of alleged criminal content on the platform. Durov was arrested over the weekend at an airport in Paris.