Friday, August 7, 2026 · Morning Edition

Iran signals it may bar U.S. and Israeli ships from the Strait of Hormuz as part of negotiations Trump claims are "moving along," while Republican Sen. Ted Cruz urges the president to arm Iranian protesters to "let them overthrow their own government." Iranian state media confirms parliament is reviewing a bill to block U.S. and Israeli shipments under a joint venture with Oman to reopen the waterway. The administration pursues diplomacy in public while its congressional allies openly champion regime collapse, treating Iranian sovereignty as a bargaining chip for imperial leverage.

Trump has ordered a 15 percent tariff on imported products made of polysilicon, an important ingredient for solar panels and microchips primarily produced in China. The levy, framed as protection for domestic supply chains, serves nationalist rhetoric over the material needs of decarbonization — raising costs for the green transition while shielding capital from Chinese competition.

Wildland firefighters confront an intense season marked by deaths and close calls that have strained an already precarious workforce, while European insurers warn of a growing "protection gap" as disaster recovery costs outpace coverage. Climate catastrophe accelerates; the capitalist risk model fails the workers on the firelines and the communities left uninsured.

A school shooting outside Bangkok has killed at least six people and injured more than a dozen, adding Thailand to the grim roster of nations where classrooms become killing fields. In Texas, Senate contenders James Talarico and Ken Paxton pivot to dueling economic plans as culture-war distractions recede, while Schumer claims an expanding midterm map despite primary setbacks for his preferred candidates — proof the Democratic establishment still mistakes terrain for victory.