Politics & World Affairs — September 1, 2026

Russian strikes kill 12 in Ukraine. Russia hit Kyiv for a sixth straight day in a coordinated airstrike that killed 12 and injured more than a dozen. EU defense ministers, meanwhile, met on the Russian threat.

Washington Examiner · Read more →

House GOP summons trade chief. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer meets House Republicans. The 50% tariffs on Canada have become a growing flashpoint among GOP lawmakers in the escalating trade war.

Fox News Politics · Read more →

U.S., Iran resume strikes. A U.S. strike on Larak Island—its first since late July—killed two; Iran retaliated against U.S. bases in Jordan and offered to restore the June ceasefire if Washington does.

The exchange ended a weeks-long lull in a conflict that has stretched roughly six months, according to the BBC. Larak Island sits in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically significant waterway. Tehran's response targeted American installations in Jordan with missiles and drones, but its public offer to return to the truce reached in June signals a possible off-ramp, contingent on Washington halting its own operations.

BBC World · Read more →

Supreme Court allows ballroom construction. The court ruled 5-4 Monday to let construction of the $400 million White House ballroom continue during appeals; Chief Justice Roberts dissented, calling the project likely unlawful.

The decision reverses a lower-court order that had halted work on the project while litigation proceeds. The Trump administration appealed that halt, and the justices' order means crews can continue building even though the underlying legal challenge remains unresolved. The narrow margin, with the chief justice joining the dissenters, leaves open the possibility that the project could still be blocked if the administration ultimately loses on appeal.

AP News · Read more →