NTD Good Morning

Senator Darline Graham is heading back to the ballot in South Carolina after winning the Republican runoff for the Senate seat once held by her late brother, Lindsey Graham. She defeated Congressman Ralph Norman with around 52% of the vote. She now moves on to face Democrat Dr. Annie Andrews in November.

Country music legend Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 80. According to a statement from her publicist, Parton died in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. She wrote and performed hundreds of songs, including Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and I Will Always Love You. The White House lowered the U.S. flag to half-staff in honor of dolly Parton, while New York’s Empire State Building was lit up in pink in her honor.

The State Department is pausing visa appointments worldwide while beginning a global training program at U.S. embassies and consulates. The department has not said how long the adjustment period will last. Immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews have been contacted about changes to their appointments. The move comes as the Trump administration continues its broader immigration enforcement, including visa and U.S. permanent resident card revocations.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is saying he’s launching Operation Economic Outcast against Iran, aimed at cutting off Iran’s economic lifelines around the globe. The Treasury says it will target networks Iran uses to sell oil, move money and evade sanctions. The Treasury says that the U.S. is giving countries a very short window to cut off these ties, warning that anyone who continues to help Tehran stay afloat could be kicked out of the U.S. dollar system.

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Trump to enforce his executive order requiring citizenship verification for mail-in voting ahead of the November midterms. The justices, in a 6-3 decision, lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked the order in 23 Democrat-led states and Washington, D.C. The ruling gives the administration room to move forward, but with litigation still active, the final shape of mail-in voting rules for November isn't locked in yet.

The Hawk Fire near Reno Nevada is showing signs of slowing, but thousands of residents are still under evacuation orders and warnings. More than 30 homes have now been destroyed and at least seven people have been injured. Firefighters have reached 27% containment, with the fire holding at about 23 square miles.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Aug. 23 that an “economic D-Day” is coming for the Iranian regime, with the United States taking strong measures to sever Tehran’s economic lifelines, including imposing consequences on Iran’s trade partners. Bessent will address the media on Monday and is expected to announce further U.S. sanctions targeting Iran and its trading partners.

Tens of thousands have been evacuated from the Reno, Nevada, area as the fast-moving Hawk Fire threatens the city. About 42,000 residents are under evacuation orders, with another 45,000 in an evacuation warning zone. The fire has burned 15,000 acres since it began on Saturday. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has declared a state of emergency and deployed National Guard resources. At least six people have been injured, including three civilians and three first responders.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Aug. 24 that his party will introduce a bill in Parliament that seeks ‌to ban children under 16 from using social media, proposing fines of up to 10 percent of a platform's global revenue for noncompliance. The bill would require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to verify users' ages, including using existing account information, facial technology, and digital identity documents. It was not immediately clear whether the bill would garner sufficient support to pass through Parliament, with one of Luxon's coalition partners, the New Zealand First party, saying it would not support it. The proposal follows Australia’s move last year to ban social media for children under 16.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday says the U.S. is unveiling what he calls the toughest sanctions in history on Iran. Bessent says he will announce the details on Monday. He says the measures will target Iran’s ability to generate revenue and support its military and is warning countries and companies that continue trading with Iran that they could also face U-S penalties.

The U.S. military on Friday says all eight people aboard a charter plane are dead, after it crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska. Officials say the twin-engine Cessna was carrying two pilots and six passengers when it went down on THursday about 450 miles west of Anchorage. Air Force Lieutenant General Robert Davis called it ‘a devastating loss for our military family and the communities we serve.’ Senator Lisa Murkowski offered condolences to the victims' families. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

A popular election forecaster, Cook Political Report, has shifted Senate races in red states into toss-up territory. Control of the senate as a whole is a toss-up, but many analysts predict that socialist wins in battleground primaries will hurt Democrats' chances. Democrats will need a net gain of four seats to take control of the upper chamber.

President Trump declares an ‘economic D-Day’ against Iran, as diplomacy has fallen through with the regime. The president says any foreign countries that allow their financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will face ‘TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.’ The president didn’t name any offenders, but said that such nations ‘know who they are.’

U.S. and Canadian trade official met on Wednesday after President Trump delayed a planned 50% tariff. The negotiators now face a new deadline on Saturday. Tariffs on about $20 billion of Canadian goods are scheduled to take effect if there is no deal. President Trump says the deal would also eliminate tariffs paid by American farmers exporting to Canada.

A Chinese national has been charged with voter fraud in Massachusetts. The Justice Department saying he submitted a fraudulent voter registration and ballot by impersonating another Chinese national. He faces up to five years in prison for each charge of fraudulent registration and fraudulent voting, and will be deported afterwards.

The U.S. is delaying a planned 50% tariff on some Canadian goods after last-minute talks between the two countries. The tariffs were set to take effect on Wednesday, but President Trump announced on Tuesday night that he had paused them for only three days. The tariffs would have covered more than $20 billion in Canadian products, ranging from wine, hockey sticks and cement. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the two countries have made substantial progress, but that important work remains before a deal is finalized.

Tuesday's primaries are set, clearing the way for pivotal November races in Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming. In Florida's governor's race, Congressman Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination easily, backed by President Trump and a record $111-million campaign. He will be facing Democrat David Jolly in the general election. In Florida's Senate race, Democratic Socialist Angie Nixon will face Republican Ashley Moody. And In Alaska, Former Congresswoman Mary Peltola and Senator Dan Sullivan advanced in a race that could shift control of the Senate. In Wyoming, Trump-backed Harriet Hageman won the U.S. Senate primary, while Eric Barlow claimed the GOP nomination for governor.

President Trump says there are no talks underway with Iran as tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz. The president also says the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is still in place. President Trump says Iran's economy and military are under severe pressure. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates says it has halted trade with Iran, after the Gulf country detected two ballistic missiles it says came from Iran.

In Florida’s 25th district, Oliver Larkin, a member of the Democratic Socialist of America, is challenging two-term Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz. That’s after Florida passed legislature earlier this year that redistricted the state’s congressional map. Florida voters are also voting in a gubernatorial primary, with Congressman Byron Donalds in the lead.

President Trump is tightening the screws on Iran, declaring the U.S. has complete control of the Strait of Hormuz as the 60-day memorandum of understanding expires. Trump says that the U.S. will not be seeking an extension of that, and that the U.S. naval blockade is continuing to put economic pressure on the Iranian regime.

President Trump welcomed 16-year-old lifeguard, Ryder Williams, who risked his life in a viral video, to save a 10-year-old boy, while being repeatedly pounded by heavy waves. Trump saying that the nation’s younger generation can look up to Williams for his professionalism, coolness and grace.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 16 ordered the Pentagon to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea. “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” he wrote in an Aug. 16 post on Truth Social. “These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”

Democrats can’t agree on whether they want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement or reform it. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) approved resolutions calling for both during its summer meeting in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 15. One resolution calls on Democratic members of Congress to develop legislation abolishing ICE while adopting immigration reforms that include pathways to citizenship and protections for workers. Democrats also approved a resolution calling for “concrete reforms” of ICE.

Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in popular television series such as “Heroes” and “Nashville,” has died at age 36. Her father, Skip Panettiere, confirmed her death in a statement to ABC News on Aug. 16. The cause of death was not disclosed.

President Trump signed a new order on Thursday that calls for a fifth U.S. Naval shipyard. The White House says it would be the first built in more than 80 years, and will expand the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding capacity. The changes are aimed at fixing long-standing problems in the Navy’s shipbuilding. President Trump's new order also instructs the Navy to replace some of its new tech, which he says is more expensive and less effective. Those include to return to the steam-powered catapults and hydraulic weapons elevators.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is rejecting reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The comments come after reports alleging worsening mental health, food shortages and poor living conditions aboard the carrier during its deployment. Some reports also claimed seven sailors had died in a brawl aboard the carrier. CENTCOM says those reports are false and that no service members aboard the Abraham Lincoln have died. CENTcOM adding that the strike group aboard the USS Lincoln remain resilient after more than 260 days at sea.

Severe storms batter the Midwest, leaving more than 300,000 homes and businesses without power. Indiana remains the hardest-hit state, with more than 200,000 outages, followed by Illinois and Ohio. Indiana Governor Mike Braun has declared a statewide disaster emergency following severe storms, flooding, tornadoes and damaging winds. Forecasters warn another round of thunderstorms could bring damaging winds, flooding rain and more power outages across parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley on Saturday.

Wisconsin Democrats chose Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as their nominee for governor after a razor-thin primary upset against DSA candidate Francesca Hong. In Minnesota's Democratic Senate primary, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan defeats Congresswoman Angie Craig. Flanagan ran on a campaign to dismantle ICE, Medicare for all and a halt on sales of offensive weapons to Israel.

Government funded sex changes for children have been halted. President Trump on Tuesday announcing the federal government will no longer use Medicaid funds to cover such procedures. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also finalized a rule ending federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program funding for such procedures on children and young people.

Kash Patel says homicides are down 17.2% across many of America's largest cities in the first half of 2026. He's crediting cooperation between the FBI, state and local law enforcement. Patel telling the Epoch Times the bureau is also targeting transnational criminal organizations that operate online scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Patel is urging Americans who believe they've been targeted by an online scam to contact the F-B-I as early as possible. He says every report can contribute to taking down a criminal network somewhere in the world.