Morning Digest

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

35 stories from 10 sources, 66 more held back.

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

Qwen 3.8 27B scores 52 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index

Qwen 3.8 27B scores 52 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via) That's the same score as GPT-5.6 Luna (max), and just one point behind GLM-5.2 (max) and DeepSeek V4 Pro 0813 (max) - that GLM is 753B and that DeepSeek is 1.6B parameters, and Luna is size unknown but presumably a whole lot bigger than 27B. Qwen 3.8 27B is a truly astonishing model.

Simon Willison 11:58 PM

RT

Relics of warrior-prince recovered at Kremlin cathedral (VIDEO)

The relics of one of Russia’s greatest heroes, Dmitry Donskoy, have been recovered at the Kremlin’s Archangel Cathedral, the Russian Orthodox Church announced on Tuesday. Grand Prince Dmitry of Moscow has for centuries been revered for his victory over the Mongols at the Battle of Kulikovo on the Don River in the year 1380, which earned him the epithet Donskoy.

RT 9:16 PM

EU food production down amid droughts

Agricultural producers across the EU have warned of sharp drops in yields after Europe has been hit by successive heatwaves this summer. Economists have said the losses are likely to push food prices higher in the coming months.

RT 7:02 PM

Danish conscripts deployed to Greenland amid Trump threats

Denmark has deployed a batch of fresh military conscripts to Greenland for the first time in modern history, as Copenhagen seeks to assert its control over the Arctic territory in response to threats of annexation from US President Donald Trump. Around 100 conscripts from the Schleswig Infantry Regiment arrived in Nuuk in early August, Denmark’s military said in a press release on Tuesday.

RT 6:31 PM

Why Trump is mad at South Korea

Only hours before the annual US-South Korean military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield was due to begin, Donald Trump issued a statement that went far beyond another dispute over how much America’s allies should pay for their own security.

RT 6:29 PM

UAE claims Iran fired two ballistic missiles at it

The UAE has accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles at it on Tuesday, as the two-month window for US-Iran peace talks expired without a breakthrough. The alleged incident was reported by the UAE Defense Ministry and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA). The agencies did not explicitly say whether the incoming missiles were shot down.

RT 5:02 PM

Greek oil tanker attacked in Black Sea

A Greek-run tanker has been attacked in the Black Sea off the Russian coast after calling at a US-linked oil terminal, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The strike comes weeks after US Vice President J.D. Vance pressed Vladimir Zelensky to curb Ukrainian strikes on vessels using the hub.

RT 4:26 PM

The Robot Report

ESPN

Five Buss siblings 'united' in decision to sell Lakers shares

The statement comes in the wake of Jeanie Buss, the current governor of the team and the only sibling to abstain from the vote to sell, declaring her intention to contest her brothers and sister. "The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team. They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives," the Buss family said in a statement to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday.

ESPN 5:00 PM

Bayern Munich's Musiala: Treatable seizures reason for collapses

The 23-year-old fell to the ground just eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in Bayern's friendly with FC Heidenheim on Tuesday night. It follows a similar incident in Saturday's friendly against RB Leipzig, but the Germany international says there is no long-term health risk. "I understand that many of you are worried.

ESPN 5:00 PM

Miller begins to work on 'dream' of being a Dallas Cowboy

OXNARD, Calif. -- Von Miller's first football memories came when he was 5 years old, hearing his father scream in joy while watching the Dallas Cowboys. More than 30 years later, Miller is with his hometown team.

ESPN 4:28 PM

Sources: Billy Edwards Jr. to start at QB for North Carolina

Edwards, 23, won a close battle with Miles O'Neill, a transfer from Texas A&M who has familiarity with new Tar Heels offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Edwards started his career back in 2021, when he redshirted at Wake Forest. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility after a medical redshirt from his time at Wisconsin last year, as he got hurt on a noncontact play in the Badgers' season…

ESPN 3:15 PM

Footy for Fido: Adidas drops dog kits for 2026-27

If you've ever felt the urge to dress your beloved canine companion in your club colors of choice before heading out on walks around town, then Adidas have got you covered with their brand-new collection of dog-sized club kits.

ESPN 2:58 PM

Chiefs' Bieniemy: Wife to make full recovery after being shot

JOSEPH, Mo. -- Eric Bieniemy, the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, said Tuesday that his wife, Mia, is on track to make a full recovery after she was allegedly shot by the couple's son last month in the family's home in Virginia. "She is on a great road to recovery," Eric Bieniemy said in his first comments since July 27, when he left the team. He added: "She is doing great.

ESPN 2:21 PM

Raw America

Breaking: Hegseth ‘On the Verge of Losing His Job’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could soon be out the door, as Donald Trump is in need of a scapegoat for the failed Iran war and desperate sailors on an aircraft carrier trying to jump overboard. Disney and ABC just filed a lawsuit against Trump’s FCC over what they say is a retaliation campaign against the network’s coverage of his administration.

Raw America 3:49 PM

Cubs — Sun-Times

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

Cubs — MLB.com

Three iconic baseball franchises getting the comic book treatment

Calling all comic lovers and baseball fanatics: All Baseball Comics is debuting a collection of three officially licensed books to expand your collection. Centered on the thesis that baseball is “the story of America,” the trio of issues features one spotlight on each of the Yankees, Dodgers and Cubs. They are available for preorder now on baseballcomics.com.

Cubs — MLB.com 2:25 PM

PCA secures 2nd straight 30-30 season -- boosts MVP case -- in epic way

CHICAGO – The chants began before the Cubs could even hit play on the hype video ahead of the bottom of the 10th inning on Monday night. The fans inside Wrigley Field already knew who was due to bat and they sent his famous initials echoing through the old ballpark in anticipation of what could come next. Pete Crow-Armstrong did not let them down.

Cubs — MLB.com 6:12 AM

Key takeaways: Cubs 7, White Sox 5

CHICAGO – With roughly six weeks remaining in the regular season, fans on Chicago’s North and South Sides can realistically dream about October baseball. The Cubs are in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, while the White Sox currently sit atop the American League Central.

Cubs — MLB.com 3:49 AM

After latest trip to IL, could Cabrera shift to Cubs' 'pen?

CHICAGO – The Cubs swung a blockbuster deal to land Edward Cabrera over the offseason due to his top-of-the-rotation potential. His first season with the North Siders has featured frustratingly mixed results and multiple trips to the injured list. The latest setback arrived on Monday, when Cabrera was placed on the 15-day IL due to a second recurrence of a blister issue on his pitching hand.

Cubs — MLB.com 11:44 PM

IEEE Spectrum — Robotics

Spider-Like Drone Grips Steep Glaciers With Tiny Ice Spines

This article is part of our exclusive IEEE Journal Watch series in partnership with IEEE Xplore. Microspines are one of many ways to enable robots to latch onto surfaces like walls and ceilings. Now roboticists in Canada are using the mini spikes to get drones to land on a more challenging, remote surface: icebergs.

IEEE Spectrum — Robotics 1:00 PM

Manufacturing Dive

Raytheon gets $23B Navy contract to boost Tomahawk missile production

The seven-year contract follows a handful of agreements between Raytheon and DOD signed at the beginning of 2026, supporting the company’s yearly production rate of more than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles. In January, Raytheon was awarded an additional $380.8 million for an existing contract for recertifying and upgrading Tomahawk missiles.

Manufacturing Dive 12:25 PM

New materials are key to manufacturing innovation: Z Polymers

It's easier to develop new manufacturing processes and equipment than to develop new materials for manufacturing that have unique chemical and other properties, according to Z Polymers CEO Mike Zimmerman. However, innovative materials are what really drives product development, he said. “These things have typically taken a long time.

Manufacturing Dive 12:03 PM

The Rundown AI

Cursor's Origin hits GitHub on its worst day

If you were picking a day to launch a GitHub competitor, you couldn't script a better one than the morning the legacy platform suffered a massive outage. Cursor just managed to hit that window, launching Origin as an alternative to the place the world has held its code for two decades.

The Rundown AI 12:00 AM