August 18, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said construction activity at Big Bend National Park has paused following public outcry over images of bulldozers clearing land for new patrol roads. Here’s the news we’re following today:

Today’s top stories

President Trump sits in the Oval Office wearing a blue suit and a red tie.

Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. and Iran have missed a deadline this week to begin peace talks. The conflict has lasted nearly six months and depleted military resources, including warships and interceptor missiles. This shortage has strained U.S. military capabilities in other regions, notably including Asia. This week, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea, citing its lack of support in the war against Iran. The annual drills with South Korean forces date back to at least 1976 and are largely to counter North Korea's nuclear program.

🎧 Although they've been less publicly concerned than Ukraine, many Asian countries are worried about the depletion of the American interceptor missile stockpile, NPR's Emily Feng says. The U.S. interceptor stockpiles have decreased by approximately two-thirds during the Iran war, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Feng adds that this is one of the few times the U.S. has not had aircraft carriers in the Pacific. The USS Washington was there, but has been sent to relieve the USS Lincoln in the Middle East. Naval experts tell Feng it could be weeks, if not months, before a replacement carrier formation is ready and arrives in the Pacific to replace the Washington.

Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday to discuss new agreements on how to move forward in Gaza. During their nearly four-hour meeting, they focused on the details of a new U.S.-backed roadmap. Before his arrival in Israel, Kushner held rare talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt. Netanyahu initially rejected the roadmap for Israeli withdrawal alongside Hamas disarmament, but Kushner said he talked him through misunderstandings and misinformation about the plan.

🎧 Real progress is unlikely in the next 10 weeks leading up to the Israeli elections, as both Hamas and Israel are expected to stall any significant actions regarding Gaza, NPR’s Daniel Estrin tells Up First. Kushner’s team announced new agreements with Israel, including a requirement for Hamas to surrender its weapons to a U.S. general for destruction instead of giving them to a new Palestinian committee for storage. Israel won't withdraw from Gaza and reconstruction of the area won't begin until full disarmament happens. Kushner is aiming to present a united front with Israel, but Estrin notes that Israel is sending mixed messages. The Israeli government said in a message in English that conversations were deep and constructive, while a message in Hebrew, attributed to an anonymous Israeli official, emphasized disagreements and said that Israel doubts Hamas will disarm.

Alaska, Florida and Wyoming host their primary elections today. The U.S. Senate seat race in Alaska is drawing significant money from across the country, as it's one of the seats that could influence which party controls the Senate after the November midterms. The key candidates are the incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan and his main challenger, Democrat Mary Peltola. The primary is nonpartisan; the top four candidates from any party move forward to the midterms.

🎧 Millions of dollars have gone to the major candidates in the race, but Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin says she found something strange when she looked into Federal Election Commission filings. Another $3 million from pop-up super PACS went to support very minor candidates. She reached out to these super PACS and did not get clear answers, but political experts tell her that the goal of these operations could be to secure the 3rd- and 4th-place candidates in the race in order to draw votes away from one of the major candidates come November. Ruskin says this approach will likely be ineffective since it primarily influences the minority of voters who choose not to rank their ballots.

A Manhattan judge has indefinitely postponed Luigi Mangione’s September state court trial while his defense attorneys argue to have his state charges dismissed. Last week, Mangione pleaded guilty to two stalking charges in federal court and admitted to following and shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Mangione still faces second-degree murder and other charges in state court. His attorneys argue that the state charges should be dismissed because proceeding with them would violate his due process rights and the double jeopardy protections against being tried twice for the same crime. (via Gothamist)

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Living better

An illustration showing half of a woman's and a man’s face, and in the middle is an hourglass with pills falling from the top to the bottom.

Sara Andreasson for NPR

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

One of the most popular prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction is increasingly being promoted in wellness circles as an all-purpose longevity drug. Online clinics and influential figures say tadalafil, more commonly known by its brand name Cialis, can benefit the cardiovascular system, brain and athletic performance. The drug isn't approved for preventing heart attacks, strokes or extending life, but there's growing interest among experts in the field of cardiology and men's health in the potential preventive health role of tadalafil and similar medications. Here's what we know:

💊 Officials originally approved tadalafil and sildenafil, or Viagra, to treat a rare form of high blood pressure that affects the lungs. Tadalafil can also be prescribed to alleviate symptoms of an enlarged prostate in men.
💊 Dr. Robert Kloner, director of cardiovascular research at the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, analyzed more than 8,000 men taking tadalafil. He found that they had a 55% lower rate of dying from cardiovascular causes and a 44% lower overall mortality rate during the study period.
💊 Another study involving more than half a million patients found that those taking tadalafil had a 32% lower risk of dementia and experienced improved mortality rates.
💊 Researchers say these findings need to be read with caution, as there could be another factor influencing why men who seek out these medications are less likely to die and develop certain diseases.

Picture show

A soap box derby racer’s vehicle, which is a mini ice cream truck, races down a hill as a crowd watches.

Celeste Noche for NPR

On a recent Saturday, several thousand residents in Portland, Ore., gathered to cheer on the colorful and creative motorless cars of the 27th annual Portland Adult Soap Box Derby as they raced down a steep hill. Speed takes a back seat to creativity and celebration at this event. The derby is part race, part art installation and block party. Contestants use everything from wood, metal and plastic to fake fur and hula hoops to build the whimsical vehicles. This year's lineup included a giant sloth head, a Heated Rivalry-themed Zamboni affectionately named "The Ice Melter," a replica of the iconic Flintstones car and a vehicle representing Oregon’s infamous exploded dead whale. Check out these photos of some of the most creative cars from the soap box derby.

3 things to know before you go

Sea stars lying on a rocky surface under the water.

Jennifer Adler

1

Researchers are working to bring back the 24-armed sunflower star from the brink of extinction after a vast underwater pandemic nearly wiped it out. After a decade of investigation, they identified the bacteria that dissolved sea stars into goo.

2

Elon Musk's newly created city of Starbase, Texas, seeks to expand its boundaries by annexing more than 7,000 acres of surrounding land. The city is home to many SpaceX employees and is where the company's headquarters, launch site and rockets are located.

3

Sunita Doddamani, a federal prosecutor, is suing the Justice Department after she was fired earlier this year. She alleges that her dismissal was unlawful and politically motivated due to her prosecution of a case against anti-abortion activists.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.