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Episode Date: August 18, 2026

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hirpst. The primary season is winding down ahead of the midterm elections in November, but three will be held today in Alaska, Wyoming, and Florida. The race for a U.S. Senate seat in Alaska's nonpartisan primary is drawing a lot of money from super PACs because it's one of the seats that could determine control of the chamber. The race includes two people with the same name, Dan Sullivan, the Republican incumbent and Challenger, which Republicans say,

could confuse voters. In Florida, voters will choose nominees for governor, U.S. Senate, and almost every House seat. M.Pier's Moham Javid says most of the candidates in one district aren't from the state. The Republican primary in Florida's 19th district has 10 candidates, and most of them aren't actually from Florida. Local candidates have accused the transplants of carpet-bagging, which is when someone moves to another state for power or influence. Some of these candidates have also run for office from other states, including Michigan, New York, and North Carolina. Last week, President Trump endorsed Catalina Laufe, who has previously run from Illinois. Whoever wins this primary, even with a small percentage of the vote, will likely also win in November.

Maham Javed, NPR News. President Trump is offering more details on why he directed the Pentagon to scale-back joint U.S.-S.-South Korean military exercises is currently underway. And Pierce Tamara Keith has more. Trump cited South Korea's unwillingness to get involved in the war with Iran and his own relationship with Kim Jong-un in explaining the decision to pull back on the exercises. I'm making it much safer.

You see, I'm actually making it much safer. Kim Jong-un has always treated me with great respect. Trump was answering questions in the Oval Office. Why hasn't Kim Jong-un responded to your request to have a conversation? How do you know he has your response? Have he? Yeah, he is. During his first term, Trump met with the North Korean leader three times.

Other presidents have sought to isolate Kim. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House. The share of kindergartners who got exemptions from vaccine requirements rose to another record high last year. NPR's Rob Stein has more. The CDC says that the percentage of children in kindergarten with vaccination exemptions increased from 3.6% to a record 4.2% for the 2025-2020 school year. The changing rate comes as the Trump administration has been trying to cut the number of vaccines

children routinely get. And childhood diseases like measles and whooping cough have been resurging. Rob Stein, NPR News. U.S. futures contracts are trading lower this morning. Nasdaq down 1.2%. You're listening to NPR News. 50% U.S. tariffs on around $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, including wine, cement, and hockey sticks, are set to take effect at midnight. This, as negotiators from both countries meet trying to work out a deal before that deadline. If implemented, it could result in high prices for Americans, as importers pay that tax and then often pass it along to customers. This, as U.S. voters are already frustrated with the high cost of living just months ahead of the midterm elections.

The Las Vegas trial of the man accused of planning the killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago is underway. Steve Utterman has more on yesterday's opening statements. Prosecution accused D. Davis of orchestrating the murder shortly after Shakur had assaulted Davis's nephew in the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel following a Mike Tyson fight. prosecutor binu palal Duane Davis made sure that the shooters armed and rent the prosecution's case

relies largely on Davis's own words in interviews as well as a 2019 memoir Davis says he supplied the gun used in the killing defense attorney Michael Samf told jurors all that stuff was embellishment and that Davis wasn't even in Las Vegas

that night look for evidence that shows that King Dio was even in Las Vegas on the night of the fight. He suggested none of that evidence exists. For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Las Vegas. And I'm Janine Herbst, and you're listening to

NPR News from Washington.