Morning Digest

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

35 stories from 8 sources, 52 more held back.

RT

Trump and Canada have a deal*

Trump said just before midnight Washington time that he has a deal with Canada to avoid 50% tariffs, and thus the tariffs are on pause for three days. Although that may not be the case a few more seconds from now. Canada has already disputed the existence of any deal.

RT 4:28 PM

Russia develops new approach to treating Alzheimer’s

Russian doctors pioneer new Alzheimer’s treatment strategy. Russian doctors have developed and tested what they describe as the first treatment strategy of its kind for Alzheimer’s, using a new blood-filtering technique to target chronic inflammation – one of the processes believed to drive brain-cell damage. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease and the most common form of dementia.

RT 3:52 PM

Death penalty sought in ChatGPT-linked murder case

South Korean prosecutors have sought the death penalty for a woman accused of killing two men with drug-laced drinks after allegedly consulting ChatGPT about potentially lethal combinations and dosages. Kim So-young is accused of giving beverages spiked with benzodiazepines to three men between December 2025 and February this year. Two died, while the third survived, according to Yonhap.

RT 2:59 PM

Palestine envoy says Gaza desperately needs India’s artificial limb facility

Palestine envoy on where India’s help is ‘badly needed’. India has finalized the paperwork to start constructing a hospital in the West Bank, Palestine’s ambassador to New Delhi has said. But he added that it is Gaza that badly needs the artificial limb facility that his government has discussed with New Delhi about building.

RT 2:32 PM

Libya power crisis sparks fresh protests over blackouts

Protests broke out in western Libya, including in its capital Tripoli, on Tuesday after three widespread power outages in two days left residents without reliable electricity. Demonstrators took to streets and public squares, blocking roads and setting tires on fire.

RT 2:22 PM

Liberia joins Trump deportation drive with deal to take 1,200 migrants

Liberia has agreed to accept up to 1,200 third-country migrants deported from the US under a controversial agreement pushed by the Trump administration as part of its sweeping immigration crackdown. The transfers will take place over one year, with the first group of 20 due to arrive in the West African country on Thursday, Liberia’s Ministry of Information said in a statement on Tuesday.

RT 12:17 PM

Raw America

Revealed: Natalie Harp’s Brazen Move Against Melania

A new book claims Trump White House staffer Natalie Harp was perhaps the biggest driving force behind the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, which houses the First Lady’s office. New FCC documents show Chairman Brendan Carr has been in constant contact with right-wing media executives and White House officials while refusing to discuss any of it in public.

Raw America 3:51 PM

Breaking: GOP Congressman Caught Committing Federal Felony on Camera

A far-right Florida congressman was just caught on video rifling through a voter’s mailbox, which is a textbook federal felony. A Republican congressman in South Carolina is turning on Donald Trump for endorsing his primary opponent, accusing the president of abandoning his MAGA base.

Raw America 11:03 PM

The Robot Report

ESPN

Sophie Cunningham: WNBA needs 'bold' commissioner who wants best for players

Sophie Cunningham said the WNBA needs a "bold" commissioner "who wants the best for the players and not maybe for themselves," indicating Cathy Engelbert's current vision does not align "with where our league is trying to go." Cunningham discussed WNBA leadership and Engelbert's future as the league's commissioner as part of a wide-ranging profile published Wednesday by USA Today.

ESPN 12:31 PM

Sources: Giants agree to trade Daniel Faalele to Jaguars

Faalele had been taking second-team snaps at Giants training camp but lost his best chance at a starting role when New York drafted Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick and planned to make him a guard. Faalele, 26, started all 17 games for now-Giants coach John Harbaugh with Baltimore each of the past two seasons.

ESPN 10:11 AM

Source: Saints RB Kamara out at least 1 month with MCL sprain

Kamara, 31, will play for the Saints in 2026 on a reworked contract that will pay him a base salary of $6 million this season with a chance to make up to $8.5 with incentives. Kamara had been set to make up to $11.5 million in base salary this season, although the Saints renegotiated his contract for salary cap purposes in early March.

ESPN 9:51 AM

12 biggest WNBA games that will determine the playoff race

Every WNBA team has 10 or fewer games left in the 2026 regular season. But with the schedule break for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16, key games that could determine playoff position are spread out over the next five weeks. Three teams -- the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries and Las Vegas Aces -- have clinched a playoff berth.

ESPN 8:26 AM

Manufacturing Dive

Bristol Myers Squibb to build $2.3B manufacturing campus in Houston

The project, slated for Generation Park in Houston, is part of Bristol Myers Squibb’s larger plan to invest $40 billion in the United States through 2030 across research and development, technology and domestic manufacturing. The company said it designed the Houston campus to be modular and multimodal, allowing for flexibility as demand shifts to certain medicines over others.

Manufacturing Dive 11:34 AM

Nearly 60 members of Congress call for aluminum pricing investigation

Many regions across the world have physical premiums over the global benchmark price of aluminum. Despite its name, the Midwest Premium functions as the nationwide premium for aluminum in the U.S. market. Premiums are broadly viewed as surcharges to account for factors including regional transportation costs and tariffs.

Manufacturing Dive 10:14 AM

Cubs — MLB.com

Gausman exits after 4 1/3 innings with left hand cramp

CHICAGO – Kevin Gausman removed his glove and inspected his left hand, while Cubs manager Craig Counsell emerged from the dugout and made his way to the mound. It was the second time the veteran starter had to pause due to the issue and Counsell opted against pushing Gausman any further.

Cubs — MLB.com 2:21 AM

PCA, again! Cubs star follows up walk-off blast with another leadoff HR

CHICAGO – In the hours leading up to Tuesday night’s game, Pete Crow-Armstrong flipped his hat around backward and headed to the dugout wearing a vintage Cubs jersey and shorts. A group of kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago was waiting in the dugout. The Cubs star center fielder took a seat, chatted them up and had the group smiling and laughing as he answered an array of questions.

Cubs — MLB.com 1:12 AM

Cubs — Sun-Times

Alex Bregman gives Cubs another walk-off win over White Sox with ninth-inning base hit

Another night, another dramatic Crosstown finish at Wrigley Field. After center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong won the Cubs the series-opener with a walk-off homer in extra innings Monday, third baseman Alex Bregman delivered a two-out, walk-off single to give the Cubs a 4-3 win over the White Sox, the 13th walk-off win at the Friendly Confines this season.

Cubs — Sun-Times 11:38 PM

Dansby Swanson’s presence will be part of Cubs’ efforts to weather his absence: ‘He turns into another coach’

The Cubs will spend the next four weeks without their starting shortstop, no small thing in the middle of a playoff race. Dansby Swanson is a critical part of the Cubs’ championship puzzle, playing Gold Glove defense at one of the sport’s premier positions and, if at times quietly, providing ample offensive production. He came into Tuesday fourth on the roster with 18 home runs.

Cubs — Sun-Times 6:02 PM

Man charged with sucker-punching fan at Cubs-Sox game at Wrigley Field

The fight, which Chicago police say is not connected to an eighth-inning brawl in the stands captured in a widely shared video, happened outside a restroom as the game was wrapping up, according to court records. The 26-year-old victim told police that a man “sucker punched” him with his right fist, causing his nose to bleed, according to a police report.

Cubs — Sun-Times 3:09 PM

Simon Willison

Mojo🔥 is now open source

Mojo🔥 is now open source (via) Mojo🔥 is now open source. The Mojo programming language has been promising an open source release since May 2023. Last week they shipped their 1.0 and today they have followed through on that original promise, releasing the compiler and toolchain under an Apache 2 license.

Simon Willison 9:39 PM