Politics & World Affairs — August 18, 2026

Court rules prosecutor appointment unlawful. A federal appeals court ruled the Justice Department unlawfully bypassed Senate confirmation to install Sigal Chattah as Nevada's top federal prosecutor.

Fox News Politics · Read more →

U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires without deal. The 60-day truce expired with no agreement. Tehran declared a 'fully offensive' posture, and Trump threatened to bomb U.S. ally Oman if it 'gets in the way.'

Financial markets registered the breakdown quickly, with Reuters reporting oil prices climbing and bond yields rising as the truce lapsed. The 60-day window closed without negotiators reaching an agreement, and Tehran's declared shift to an offensive footing raised the prospect of renewed hostilities. Trump's warning to Oman, a U.S. ally, added a new element by suggesting consequences for third countries seen as interfering.

Reuters · Read more →

South Korea seeks military independence. President Lee Jae Myung called for full wartime command in Seoul's hands after Trump ordered the Pentagon to substantially reduce joint military exercises with the ally.

Lee's remarks followed Trump's formal order directing the Pentagon to scale back joint exercises, a move Trump linked to his warm relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to The Guardian. Lee said South Korea must prepare for a worst-case scenario and renewed his push to transfer wartime operational command of South Korean forces from U.S. to Korean control, a longstanding goal he has now tied directly to the drawdown.

The Guardian World · Read more →

Kindergarten vaccination rates fall again. CDC data show rates declined for all tracked vaccines in 2025-26, with exemptions reaching a record 4.2%; MMR coverage remains below the threshold needed to prevent measles outbreaks.

The CDC figures, released Monday, show the decline was not limited to the measles, mumps and rubella shot but extended across every vaccine the agency tracks for kindergartners. The 4.2 percent exemption rate is the highest on record. Public health officials monitor MMR coverage closely because sustained rates below the herd-immunity threshold leave communities vulnerable to widespread measles transmission, the concern The Hill highlighted in the new data.

The Hill · Read more →