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Episode Date: August 18, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Rylan Barton. President Trump says the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran, but insists the Strait of Hormuz remains open. This comes after a reported strike on a ship exiting the waterway, and as Iran and Oman say they are close to a deal to reopen the waterway. Trump threatened to bomb Oman yesterday as the country tries to reach the deal. Iran says the waterway will not reopen until the U.S. meets its conditions. A shipping data platform says transits fell nearly 20 percent through the street. last week. Voters in Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming cast ballots in primary elections today. Polls begin closing this hour in Florida where voters picked nominees for the race to replace

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Catherine Welch has more on the primary election candidates. Yeah, for Republicans, Congressman Byron Donald's is the favorite. It's a crowded race. Trump supports him. And should he win in November, Donald's would be Florida's first black governor. Democrats have a field of six, but really there's, one candidate who's just pulled way ahead. And that's former Congressman David Jolly. He was a Republican during his time in Congress, but then he scooched over, became an independent, and then last year made the switch to Democrat. That's Catherine Welch reporting. In the 20th Congressional District in South Florida, Florida Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is running for re-election

in a new Florida district. After Republicans redrew the congressional map, her main opponent is former Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Sheriffless McCormick, who resigned from the seat in April while facing an ethics investigation but's trying to get it back. Minnesota's Attorney General is suing the governor of Texas, asking a federal judge to compel the extradition of a federal immigration agent charged with wounding a man and then lying about it during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison says Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has not signed papers to extradite ICE agent Christian Castro since.

his arrest in Texas in May. The ABC Network is suing the Federal Communications Commission in a case with major First Amendment implications. NPR's David Fulkenflick reports, ABC argues the Trump administration has violated its free speech rights by challenging its broadcast licenses. The network's lawsuit cites Trump's own social media posts, which condemn ABC's news coverage, its talk show The View,

and late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who has frequently mocked the president. Trump has openly called for ABC to be stripped of its broadcast licenses. ABC and Disney own eight local TV stations. They require federal licenses because they rely on the public airwaves. They are also in six of the nation's largest markets and contribute significantly to ABC's bottom line. FCC Chair Brendan Carr says he's making sure broadcasters operate in the public interest, a legal requirement, and don't violate Trump's orders on DEI. David Fulkinflick and PR News. Wall Street pulled further back from its all-time high

today as AI stocks sank again. This is NPR news. Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has signed a law pardoning thousands of Kurdish militants. It's part of a peace effort with the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK. It will only take effect after the group has fully disbanded. PKK leader Abdullah Adjelon and other key figures are excluded from the pardon. The conflict with the PKK has killed tens of thousands of people since the 1980s. Frank Beard, drummer of the Texas rock band Zizi Top, has died. He was 77, NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento has this appreciation. Frank Beard started playing drums when he was 15 years old. As the 1960s turned over into the 70s, a young beard joined

what would become ZZ Top. ZZ Top gained steady recognition for their rollicking blues-based sound through the 1970s and 80s. Guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill, also became known for their matching sunglasses and long beards. But Frank Beard, ironically enough, spent most of his time in the band as its unbearded member. Following news of Beard's death, Gibbons issued a statement on Beard's passing, saying, quote, his signature backbeat was key to keeping Zizi on top. According to Gibbons, Zizi Top will resume its current tour this weekend. Isabella Gomez-Armiento, NPR News.

Comedians Eric Andre and Clayton English have settled a little. lawsuit challenging a police program at Atlanta's airport. They alleged the program used racial profiling and coercive searches, particularly targeting black passengers. The settlement includes a $30,000 payment and requires police to use body cameras and undergo training. It's NPR.