Global oil supply is projected to fall sharply this year as war-related disruptions hit Middle East production, while China’s estimated 1.4 billion barrels in reserves give it unusual flexibility in the market. Those two developments are reshaping oil trade flows, pricing pressure and the pace of inventory drawdowns worldwide.

A federal judge is weighing whether Trump administration Justice Department lawyers defied orders in a lawsuit over redactions in the Epstein files. Judge Emmet Sullivan said at an August 13 hearing that he has held lawyers in contempt before and could do so again if the court finds noncompliance.

A federal judge in Washington ruled that adding President Donald Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center violated federal law and said only Congress can change the institution’s name. The dispute has become a new legal and political fight over the future of the national performing arts center.

Families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are speaking publicly as concerns grow over the carrier’s extended deployment and crew well-being. One spouse said the crew remains resilient, but after months at sea, sailors need relief and a clear path home.

A House-passed bill to make daylight saving time permanent is now in the Senate after President Donald Trump renewed his push to end twice-yearly clock changes. The proposal would affect most U.S. states, but senators remain divided and no final vote has been scheduled.

Lake Mead has dropped to a new record low, sharpening a long-running fight over Colorado River water among Arizona, California and Nevada. Federal officials have responded with a proposal that could require the three Lower Basin states to take significantly deeper cuts beginning in 2027.

Iranian state-linked media reported that seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, but U.S. officials have publicly disputed that account. The episode has drawn new attention to documented strain aboard the carrier during its extended Middle East deployment.

President Donald Trump is considering a capital gains tax change that would adjust asset gains for inflation, a move that tax analysts say would mainly benefit higher-income investors. The proposal is under renewed discussion as Republicans look for an economic message ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

A judge has temporarily paused part of New York City’s rollout of its new luxury second-home surcharge, complicating Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s effort to collect new revenue from high-value non-primary residences. The city has appealed, and the tax’s broader implementation remains unsettled.

Multiple family members say sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have tried or threatened to go overboard during an extended deployment that has kept roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines at sea for months. Navy officials have acknowledged concerns about crew well-being but have not released a public count of incidents.

A new Ebola outbreak tied to the Bundibugyo virus in Central Africa has drawn global attention because there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain. The World Health Organization says the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was serious enough to trigger an international public health emergency.

Nancy Pelosi said President Joe Biden’s June 27, 2024 debate performance was the moment Democratic concerns became impossible to ignore, though she said she did not immediately understand how serious the political damage was. Her remarks, made while promoting her book in August 2024, added detail to the party’s public reckoning after Biden later left the race.