Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis - The O'Reilly Update. August 26, 2026

Episode Date: August 26, 2026

Country legend Dolly Parton passes away, Lindsey Graham’s sister wins South Carolina’s GOP Senate runoff, CIA Director John Ratcliffe makes a secret trip to Moscow, and the CDC restores data on defensive gun use. Plus, the Message of the Day, Bill argues that both political parties are replacing real solutions with hatred and ideological attacks as Americans struggle with affordability and the midterm elections approach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill O'Reilly here. You are listening to the O'Reilly update. Coming up next, the news with Mike Slater. Thank you, Bill. It is Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Here's what's happening today in America. Dolly Parton passes away. Lindsay's sister wins, Ratcliffe in Moscow, and defensive gun uses. It's all coming up, and Bill's going to be here with your message of the day. First, the great Dolly Parton has passed away.

Dolly was the daughter of an illiterate sharecropper. Born in a one-room long cabin tucked deep into the great smoky mountains. Mom, dad, 11 brothers and sisters, no electricity, no running water. The original cabin is still there. It's on private property, but there's a replica at Dollywood you can go see. She moved to Nashville after high school, wrote over 2,000 songs, 10 Grammy Awards. The president said, very sad to see that Dolly Parton, one of the greatest country singers and far beyond ever has just passed away. This is a true loss for millions of people.

there's never been anyone like her and never will. In her honor, I'm lowering the American flag throughout the United States for one week. Rest in peace, Dali, the world loves you. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away a couple weeks ago, but he already won his primary for re-election in the Senate for South Carolina. So South Carolina needed a new primary, and the runoff of that primary was last night. And his sister, who was endorsed by the president, won 42 to 48 against Congressman Ralph Norman, who was a hardline Freedom Caucus member.

CIA director John Ratcliffe was in Moscow, Russia for meetings. Reports of his trip came after a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globmaster 3 transport plane was spotted at a Moscow airport along with a U.S. diplomatic motorcade. It seems to be Radcliffe's first known trip to Russia as CIA director. Ukraine has confirmed that ahead of Radcliffe's trip, America told Ukraine that a senior delegation would be traveling to Moscow and asked it to stop with any strikes until the delegation leaves. We're not yet sure the reason for these meetings or what exactly came of them.

We will report back as soon as we know. The CDC released data that showed there are up to 2.5 million defensive gun uses every year. This actually isn't new information, but during the Biden administration, the CDC deleted the data under pressure from gun control activists. But the data is now back up on the CDC website under the page, about firearm injury and death. Under the defensive gun use tab, you can see there's up to 2.5 million defensive gun uses every year.

Defensive gun use depends how it's defined, but it's usually if someone draws, displays, or uses a firearm to protect themselves, someone else, or property. I'm Mike Slater from the podcast, Politics by Faith. Bill O'Reilly has your message of the day. Next. Legendary is here with BetMGM Sportsbook. Sign up to unlock access to hundreds of pre-match and live betting options for all your favorite sports.

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Standard message and data rates may apply. Time now for the O'Reilly update, message of the day. On this Wednesday, I'm thinking about political discourse in the U.S. say. Midterm elections are now 70 days away. But neither party is really offering many solutions to vexing problems. They're falling back on hatred to mass what the real issues are by pointing to bad behavior on the other side. Doesn't really do us much good, does it? There's an example, affordability. Americans are having trouble paying the bills. When you ask a Republican, what's the plan,

and lower prices, response might be, well, at least we're not communist. Democrats do the same thing. As I'm about affordability, and you hear Trump is the devil. What good does that do us? Okay. Truth is, both parties don't know how to control the economy. That's the truth. Now, I expect this chaos to continue until the midterm vote in November.

The journalism industry in this country doesn't care about getting answers from either party. They're in a business of ideology. That's what they do now. The press is not interested in solving anything, which is why nothing ever gets solved. Pressure on politicians works, but there is little. pressure. It is shameful. I'm Bill O'Reilly. I approve the message by writing it. You can reach me. Bill at Bill O'Reilly.com. Bill at Bill O'Reilly.com. Name in town if you wish to opine. Mail. We got Betty Waits, Claiborne, Texas. Is it a Clyburn or Claiborne? Dallas suburb.

Hey, Bill, I have a question about Natalie Hart, since she's not a public figure, but merely works for one. grounds to sue Senator Ossoff for slander. Now, Ossov's statement was innuendo, not accusatory, so she would lose. Nick Katsonis, Grove City, Ohio. Other than setting wage and price controls, which were a disaster, politicians can't do anything about affordability. They don't control the dynamics of the economy. Absolutely true. which is why the whole issue is bogus. Now, the House and the Senate could draw up legislation.

For example, you could sell insurance across state lines. They could do it, but they don't. Both parties. K.L. Mitchell, Barrington, Illinois, why doesn't Trump sign an executive order, allowing health insurance to compete across state lines? I don't know. I discussed it with him. He was interested, but he didn't do it.

Stephen Concierge member, we're on Stephen's squad here, like Sean Connery, if Stephen gets trouble, I'll send my guys. Trade with Canada, $60 billion isn't the real problem. Smuggled cigarettes and drugs are the real problem. Stephen, smuggled cigarettes and drugs are a problem. Not a hundred billion dollar problem. Stay in a real world here. Lauren Huntsville, Texas. What about taking out Iran's railroad connection to China?

What do you mean taking out? You want to attack Chinese assets? Again, we just stay in a real world. You can't be attacking Chinese assets no matter what they're doing. In a moment, something you might not know. Visit BetMGM Casino and check out the newest exclusive. The price is right for. Fortune pick. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly.

19 plus to wager. Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2,600 to speak to an advisor. Free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Now the O'Reilly update brings you something you might, not know. 30 years ago today, President Bill Clinton signed a new piece of legislation entitled the Personal Responsibility and Work, Opportunity, Reconciliation Act. Wow. You know it better as welfare reform.

Here is the story. By the mid-1990s, President Clinton himself had acknowledged that, quote, the era of big government is over. To address a growing national debt, the president vowed to slash spending. In July 1996, the House passed the Bipartisan Personal Responsibility Act by a vote of 256 to 170. It then went through the Senate, 74 to 24. In August, President Clinton signed the legislation. The bill ended financial support to those who refused to.

work. It required welfare recipients to find employment within two years of receiving assistance unless they had some medical problems. The law imposed a five-year lifetime limit on federal aid. It barred many legal migrants from obtaining benefits. The Act also increased funds for child care and medical coverage. The bill had an immediate impact. The number of Americans receiving cash assistance dropped by 50%. The unemployment rate for single mothers rose from 44% to 66%. More moms had jobs.

In total, Bill Clinton's reform reduced federal spending by $54 billion,000,000,000. billion dollars over the first five years. And here's something else you might not know. Though the law remains in effect, it's been mostly bypassed by progressive politicians. Today, a majority of aid is administered at the state level, but they get the money from the feds. So we're all paying for entitlements. In 1997, DC doled out $800 billion for entitlements.

for entitlement programs. Last year, that figure exploded to $4 trillion back in a moment. Thank you for listening to the O'Reilly update. I am Bill O'Reilly, no spin, just facts, and always looking out for you.