The U.S. military has established a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing oil tankers to move despite continuing conflict with Iran, Axios reported Wednesday, citing two U.S. officials. The officials said 15 to 20 tankers can transit nightly through a southern lane near Oman, carrying about 10 million...
The U.S. national debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time in history on August 19, according to Treasury Department data . Total public debt outstanding reached $40.047 trillion, with debt held by the public at $32.266 trillion . The milestone comes months earlier than expected due to persistent budget...
Bitcoin broke above $71,000 on Aug. 20, 2026, for the first time since June, triggering the largest short-liquidation event in crypto history. The cryptocurrency traded at $71,861, up 11.6% over 24 hours, after clearing dense short-liquidation levels between $65,000 and $67,000 . Short sellers lost roughly $3 billion over 24...
A Louisiana judge on Aug. 19 temporarily blocked NCAA eligibility restrictions for 16 football players seeking a fifth college season, including several athletes connected to NFL teams. The ruling stems from a lawsuit involving 33 athletes across multiple sports who challenge the NCAA’s treatment of players from the 2022 recruiting...
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are legally divorced, but the development is not new. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved their negotiated divorce settlement on Jan. 6, 2025, and the marriage was legally dissolved on Feb. 21, 2025, after California’s six-month waiting period. Lopez filed for divorce on Aug....
A fast-moving wildfire in Tulare County, California, has exploded to 3,600 acres amid triple-digit temperatures, triggering evacuation warnings for the entire rural community of Alpaugh . The Alpaugh Fire ignited around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday near Avenue 42 and Road 38, growing from 100 acres to 500 acres within an hour...
The United States’ gross federal debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, reaching about $40.047 trillion on August 18, according to Treasury data. Debt held by the public was about $32.266 trillion, while intragovernmental holdings were roughly $7.782 trillion. The milestone came less than five months after debt crossed...
MLB acknowledged Wednesday that a replay review incorrectly overturned a potential go-ahead home run for Pete Alonso during the Baltimore Orioles' 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees at Camden Yards. With the game tied 3-3 in the seventh inning, Alonso's fly ball down the left-field line was ruled foul,...
NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have abandoned a $30 million mission to save the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, leaving the 22-year-old space telescope to burn up in Earth's atmosphere later this year. The decision came after the Link servicing spacecraft suffered irreversible attitude control problems, including the failure of two...
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Watson was ordered into pretrial confinement on August 18 amid an ongoing military investigation, days after he criticized President Donald Trump in a CNN interview. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the confinement on August 19, saying probable cause supported allegations of “continued misconduct,” while stressing...
