TODAY'S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY'S BEST BLOG POSTS AUGUST 13, 2026

TODAY’S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY’S BEST BLOG POSTS
 AUGUST 13, 2026
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

U.S. News

• Severe Midwest Storms: Tornadoes and flash flooding across the U.S. Midwest have caused significant structural damage and multiple reported casualties.

• Georgia High School Shooting: A student was injured and a young suspect was taken into custody following a shooting at a high school in Georgia.

• Rare Solar Eclipse Spectacle: Millions gathered across Europe and parts of the North American Eastern seaboard to witness a rare solar eclipse.

• British Columbia Wildfires: Over 20,000 residents were forced to evacuate as British Columbia declared a regional state of emergency due to fast-spreading wildfires.

• Military Helicopter Crash: Two service members died following a military helicopter crash near Fort Hood.

Politics

• Truth Social Lawsuit: A federal lawsuit was filed against President Donald Trump to halt a Truth Social premium API service charging up to $100,000 a month for early access to presidential policy posts.

• White House Staff Change: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is set to step down from her role at the end of the month.

• Secret Service Security Escalation: Details emerged regarding a secret mid-flight transfer of President Trump to a smaller aircraft during a trip to Turkey following a missile threat report.

• State Primary Results: Moderate David Crowley won the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin, while Mike Lindell lost the Republican primary for governor in Minnesota.

• ICE Shock Gloves Procurement: Civil rights groups raised concerns following reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to equip officers with electric-shock gloves.

World Affairs

• Colombia Earthquake Search: Search and rescue efforts continued in western Colombia after a powerful earthquake killed over 200 people.

• Ukraine Strikes Sevastopol Infrastructure: A massive Ukrainian drone and missile attack temporarily knocked out the power grid in Sevastopol.

• Strait of Hormuz Disruption: Tensions in the Middle East remained high as transit through the Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply from historical averages despite claims of stabilizing oil flows.

• Chinese Rocket Failure: A Long March 7A rocket carrying a communications satellite exploded 85 seconds after liftoff from Hainan Island.

• Former Chinese Premier Dies: China marked the death of former Premier Zhu Rongji at age 98.

Education

• Student Activist Arrests in Jharkhand: Over 200 ABVP student activists were booked in Ranchi during a march protesting the police response to earlier student demonstrations.

• NEET PG Exam Schedule Released: The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences issued city intimation slips ahead of the upcoming August 30 medical entrance exam.

• School Safety Measures Heightened: Multiple U.S. school districts updated crisis response protocols in the wake of the latest campus shooting in Georgia.

• Federal Student Aid Updates: Banking and education agencies announced expanded application timelines for federal student assistance and junior associate programs.

Economy

• U.S. Inflation Cools: The Consumer Price Index showed annual inflation slowing to 3.4% in July, driven by easing gasoline prices.

• S&P 500 Rallies on Tech: Wall Street indexes closed higher, boosted by strong quarterly earnings from AI infrastructure firm CoreWeave and tech hardware providers.

• Leadership Transition at Tata Sons: N. Chandrasekaran announced his plans to step down as chairman of Tata Sons, effective February 2027.

• Workforce Data Collection Dispute: Labor advocates and researchers voiced opposition to proposed federal changes aimed at altering national workforce data tracking.

Technology

• Google Hardware Unveiling: Google announced its latest lineup of Pixel devices featuring redesigned camera modules and deeper hardware-level AI integrations.

• AI Infrastructure Earnings Boost: Surge in demand for cloud infrastructure drove record quarterly revenue for major GPU node host providers.

• Truth API Access Controversy: Technologists and policy groups debated the market fairness of monetized data feeds for executive branch social media accounts.

• Alternative Plastics Development: Materials scientists showcased scale-ready sugar-derived bioplastics designed to eliminate microplastic shedding from disposable utensils.

Health

• GLP-1 Telehealth Ratings Debut: U.S. News & World Report published its inaugural rankings evaluating the top 20 telehealth platforms offering GLP-1 weight management medications.

• Childhood Vaccine Policy Debate: Medical organizations voiced strong opposition to executive directives calling for major revisions to federal childhood immunization schedules.

• State Tobacco Bans: The Karnataka state government implemented a one-year ban on the sale and distribution of all tobacco and nicotine products.

• Medicaid Policy Adjustments: Federal health administrators outlined coverage modifications regarding specific gender-affirming medical treatments for minors.

Sports

• UEFA Super Cup Victory: Paris Saint-Germain secured the UEFA Super Cup title with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.

• Field of Dreams MLB Event: Major League Baseball returned to the permanent ballpark facility at the Field of Dreams site in Iowa.

• India-Afghanistan T20 Series Scheduled: The BCCI confirmed India will host Afghanistan for a three-match T20I series at Arun Jaitley Stadium in September.

• Sushil Kumar Bail Denied: The Delhi High Court rejected a bail plea for Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar in an ongoing homicide prosecution.

Robert Reich: There Is Nothing "Democratic" About the Third Way https://dianeravitch.net/2026/08/12/robert-reich-there-is-nothing-democratic-about-the-third-way/ via @dianeravitch

Join NPE in Houston--September 26-27 for an Exciting Exchange of Ideas https://dianeravitch.net/2026/08/12/join-npe-in-houston-september-26-27-for-an-exciting-exchange-of-ideas/ via @dianeravitch 

The U.S. Constitution is NOT Based on the Bible https://dianeravitch.net/2026/08/12/the-constitution-is-not-based-on-the-bible/ via @dianeravitch 

Big Education Ape: "WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE THREE AI MODELS FIVE BEERS AND ASK THEM TO SAVE A DEMOCRACY THAT WON'T SAVE ITSELF" https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/what-happens-when-you-give-three-ai.html 

Big Education Ape: TODAY’S TOP NEWS - YESTERDAY’S BEST BLOG POSTS AUGUST 12, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/todays-top-news-yesterdays-best-blog_01011246604.html 

Big Education Ape: MORNING NEWS UPDATE: AUGUST 12, 2026 https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2026/08/morning-news-update-august-12-2026.html 

Final Office Hours https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2026/08/12/final-office-hours-2/ via @CubanLarry 

Understanding Education: National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) https://radicalscholarship.com/2026/08/12/understanding-education-national-council-on-teacher-quality-nctq/ via @plthomasEdD 

When we went to Mexico City (Part 3 – Teotihuacan) | JD2718 https://jd2718.org/2026/08/12/when-we-went-to-mexico-city-part-3-teotihuacan/ 

A Look Back: Every School District Staffperson In Charge Of Curriculum Adoption Should Read This Piece Explaining Why We Teachers Tend To Not Use The Materials Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007 https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ 

New 20-year study proves pre-K impacts a child’s academic future    Education Research Report https://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/ 

The Education Report   Tennessee School Privatization Group Seeks to Build Propaganda Machine Group with ties to state's GOP leadership, including Gov. candidate Marsha Blackburn, looks to expand influence on state policy ANDY SPEARS https://theeducationreport.substack.com/p/tennessee-school-privatization-group 

Teacher Tom: We are Plural https://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/we-are-plural.html 

Schools Matter: Will Marsha Blackburn Become the Oldest Elected Governor in TN History? http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2026/08/will-marsha-blackburn-become-oldest.html 

“School Choice” Disinformation Is Designed To Fool The Gullible - Dissident Voice https://thedissidentvoice.org/2026/08/school-choice-disinformation-is-designed-to-fool-the-gullible/ 

Understanding Education: Teach for America (TFA) https://radicalscholarship.com/2026/08/12/understanding-education-teach-for-america-tfa/ via @plthomasEdD 

The Digital Delusion: i-Ready Finally Has Real Research…and It Changes Nothing | National Education Policy Center https://nepc.colorado.edu/blog/i-ready-finally 

Calaveras County Gann Fire Governor Newsom Proclaims State of Emergency in Calaveras County due to Gann Fire https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/disastergannfire20260810.asp 

City Foods, Inc. Recalls Pastrami and Corned Beef On 8- 8-26, City Foods, Inc. recalled approximately 3,215 pounds of ready-to-eat pastrami and corned beef products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes. - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education) https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu/recallcityfoods20260810.asp 

Whose Freedom? Trump's New Vaccine Order Leaves Children With Less Protection from Disease A court already blocked this rollback once. The new version calls itself freedom, but only for the adults making the choice and not the children left unprotected.  https://brucelesley.substack.com/p/whose-freedom-trumps-new-vaccine 

glen brown: Teachers https://teacherpoetmusicianglenbrown.blogspot.com/2026/08/teachers.html 

Facebook Billionaires Walkout on Impoverished Students | tultican https://tultican.com/2026/08/12/facebook-billionaires-walkout-on-impoverished-students/ 

How A.I. Learned that Some Cognitive Science Views of the Reading Process are Wrong and Federal and State SoR Laws are Existential https://teachingindangeroustimes.substack.com/p/how-ai-learned-that-some-cognitive 

Mike Klonsky's Edu/Pol     Progressives did well yesterday Won big in Minnesota. Lost by a hair in Wisconsin. MICHAEL KLONSKY https://klonsky.substack.com/p/progressives-did-well-yesterday 

Classroom Before The First Day Of School Though, This Time, It’s My Grandson’s! | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2026/08/12/classroom-before-the-first-day-of-school-though-this-time-its-my-grandsons/ 

TRUMP IN THE NEWS TODAY
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER

Foreign Policy & Iran Tension

• Strait of Hormuz Assertions: President Trump declared on Truth Social that the U.S. has "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz via a naval blockade. Tehran continues to contest these claims.

• "Low-Key" Economic Strategy: In recent remarks, Trump signaled a preference for economic pressure over military strikes against Iran, noting he is monitoring Iran's inflation and economic constraints.

Security & Travel Disclosures

• NATO Summit Flight Threat Details: Reports revealed details regarding a security threat during President Trump's return from the recent NATO summit in Turkey. Secret Service moved Trump to a smaller C-32A aircraft via a catering truck due to an imminent shoulder-fired missile threat, using Air Force One as a decoy carrying other senior cabinet officials.

Administration & White House Personnel

• Press Secretary Departure: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced she will step down at the end of August to spend more time with her family and transition to an outside political advisory role for the MAGA movement.

Legal & Media Challenges

• Truth Social API Lawsuit: Media groups, including The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump Media & Technology Group's new paid "Truth API" service. The suit alleges that selling market-moving presidential announcements to paying subscribers before public dissemination is unconstitutional.

• Judicial Executive Orders & Birthright Citizenship: Following a Supreme Court ruling curbing nationwide injunctions by federal judges, Trump praised the decision in a White House briefing while continuing executive pushes on border security and limits to birthright citizenship.

Are Republicans falling out of love with the Supreme Court? | SCOTUSblog https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/08/are-republicans-falling-out-of-love-with-the-supreme-court/ 

Thousands of LAUSD Workers Face Layoffs That Didn’t Have to Happen | LA School Report https://www.laschoolreport.com/thousands-of-lausd-workers-face-layoffs-that-didnt-have-to-happen/ 

SCOTUS has issued its decisions. Now Congress has the floor. | SCOTUSblog https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/08/scotus-has-issued-its-decisions-now-congress-has-the-floor/ 

Trump’s catering-truck farce - Salon.com https://www.salon.com/2026/08/12/trumps-catering-truck-farce/ 

Ward Churchill, Professor Who Challenged His Dismissal, Dies at 78 - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/us/ward-churchill-dead.html 

The US Forgot the Lessons of Iraq. Now It’s Desperate for Ideas on Iran. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/12/the-us-forgot-the-lessons-of-iraq-now-its-desperate-for-ideas-on-iran-01033217

Fed's Warsh gets a break as inflation eases - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/inflation-war-rates-fed-warsh-01035119 

Crowley pushes unity after surprise win against Democratic socialist Francesca Hong - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/david-crowley-wisconsin-democrats-unity-01035164

University of Michigan to replace letter grades for 2027 freshman : NPR https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5928197/university-michigan-freshmen-letter-grades-pilot-fall-2027 

Trump waged war on EVs. Now he’s helping them out. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/trump-waged-war-on-evs-now-hes-helping-them-out-01032336 

Voting machines have real security issues. Researchers worry they could be weaponized by election deniers. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/voting-machine-flaws-mojave-research-01035251

A DSA Candidate Lost a Messy Race for Wisconsin Governor – Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/a-dsa-candidate-lost-a-messy-race-for-wisconsin-governor/ 

Affordability's Key Ingredient Is Union Power - In These Times https://inthesetimes.com/article/affordabilitys-union-labor-pro-act-congress 

Leavitt to depart the White House - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/leavitt-depart-white-house-press-secretary-01035521 

2026 midterms: How an AIPAC endorsement became a liability | Vox https://www.vox.com/podcasts/499105/aipac-democratic-primaries-super-pacs-spending-israel-el-sayed 

The Art of Resistance Four Years After Dobbs - Progressive.org https://progressive.org/latest/the-art-of-resistance-four-years-after-dobbs-ventura-20260812/ 

Democrats Got Lucky in Wisconsin. They Should Learn From It. - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/12/wisconsin-democrats-primary-governor-2028-lessons-01033627 

Learn Your Own History, and Add to It - Progressive.org https://progressive.org/magazine/learn-your-own-history-and-add-to-it-haskard-20260812/ 

Black Liberation Requires Investment - Progressive.org https://progressive.org/op-eds/black-liberation-requires-investment-brown-20260812/ 

Republicans fear Hegseth’s Democrat brushoff could backfire - POLITICO https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/12/hegseth-pentagon-classified-briefings-no-democrats-01035467 

Johanna Fernández, Historian of the Young Lords, Dies at 55 - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/us/johanna-fernandez-dead.html 

Afghanistan’s Unhappy Anniversary - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/world/afghanistan-taliban-anniversary-eclipse-lakers.html 

Unions sue Education Department over ‘professional’ degree rule | K-12 Dive https://www.k12dive.com/news/unions-sue-education-department-over-professional-degree-rule/827717/ 

LAUSD first-day attendance falls slightly amid immigration, environmental concerns | EdSource https://edsource.org/2026/lausd-students-return-amid-environmental-immigration-concerns/763969