Florida’s 2026 primary election concluded on Tuesday, with Republican Byron Donalds set to face Democrat David Jolly for governor and Republican Ashley Moody to face Democrat Angie Nixon for the U.S. Senate. Unofficial results showed Donalds receiving nearly 48% of the vote in a field of 11 Republican candidates, while his closest rival, Jay Collins, cleared the 25% threshold. On the Democratic side, the Jolly‑Gwen Graham ticket captured about 61% of the vote in a six‑candidate primary. Moody won the Republican Senate nomination with roughly 80% of the vote, and Nixon defeated Alex Vindman 56.1% to 43.9%, a margin of more than 12 percentage points. Statewide turnout was 25.25%, with 3,387,559 of 13,418,186 eligible active registered voters casting ballots; 2,057,488 votes were cast by mail or early voting. Democrats submitted 97,044 more mail ballots than Republicans, but Republicans’ 143,036‑vote advantage in early voting offset that difference. The returns remain unofficial as counties continue to process provisional ballots and ballot cures. The November general election slate is now set. In sports, Inter Miami hosted the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday evening, with Lionel Messi expected to appear for a third consecutive match after recovering from a World Cup injury and the death of his father. Messi played the full 90 minutes in a 4‑1 loss to Nashville on Saturday, taking 11 shots of which two were on target. Inter Miami sits second in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Nashville with 15 matches remaining, while Philadelphia is 13th of 15 in the conference and has won four straight league games after firing head coach Bradley Carnell.

Florida state Representative Angie Nixon won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate on August 13, defeating former National Security Council staffer Alex Vindman by 12 percentage points.

Nixon, 42, had been a leading opponent of the Republican‑drawn map that the state legislature passed in May, a map that legal analysts say makes 86 percent of Florida’s congressional districts favorable to Republicans despite 41 percent of voters registering as Republicans, according to the Miami Herald. The new map was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and a state supreme court decision in June allowed it to remain in effect for the 2026 House elections.

Nixon, a three‑term state lawmaker from Jacksonville, raised roughly $1.6 million for her campaign, compared with Vindman’s $16 million, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Vindman, who gained national attention as a witness in the first Trump impeachment and as the twin brother of Representative Eugene Vindman of Virginia, had been considered the primary favorite; polls released in July showed him leading by double digits before the vote. Despite his financial advantage, Nixon secured 55 percent of the primary vote to Vindman’s 43 percent, with the remaining 2 percent going to third‑party candidates.

Nixon’s platform included Medicare for All, universal childcare, family leave, a national rent freeze and a moratorium on evictions. She received endorsements from U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Maxwell Frost, as well as content creator Miss Rachel. During the primary victory speech, she said, “These things are not radical, they’re not extreme. This is just basic human decency; it’s caring for our neighbors,” according to her campaign.

Vindman, who has never held elected office in Florida, had scheduled a fundraiser in Nantucket the week after the primary but lost the contest. He will now face Republican Ashley Moody, who was appointed by DeSantis after Marco Rubio resigned to become Secretary of State. Moody, a former state attorney general, has supported the SAVE America Act, which seeks to restrict voter access. Florida has not elected a Democratic senator since Bill Nelson won a third term in 2012.

The primary result sets up a November contest between Nixon and Moody that could determine whether Democrats regain a Senate seat in a state that has not voted for a Democratic Senate candidate in more than a decade.

President Donald Trump will meet with cryptocurrency and prediction-market executives at the White House on Wednesday to discuss regulatory approaches, a gathering that reflects his personal investments in the sectors. The president and his adult children hold stakes in several crypto and prediction-market firms, including World Liberty Financial, a company co-owned by Trump that recently received a bank charter from a regulator appointed by Trump, allowing it to issue tokens without traditional banking services. A senior official from the United Arab Emirates purchased a $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial months before the administration addressed security considerations, and agreed to supply the UAE with advanced AI chips. The meme coin $TRUMP generated roughly $635 million for Trump while investors lost about $3.8 billion as its value declined. Truth Social, another Trump-owned platform, invested heavily in Bitcoin, which fell more than 25 percent this year. Eric Trump oversees crypto investments and operates a mining company called American Bitcoin, while Don Jr. holds a stake in Kalshi and sits on an advisory committee for Polymarket, a rival of Kalshi. The White House declined to comment, noting that the president’s finances are managed by his sons. The meeting precedes a Thursday session of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which will convene a new committee to regulate the markets; the committee includes industry representatives and Trump associates. The outcome of the regulatory discussion remains uncertain.

In 2007 Texas created the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute (CPRIT) with $3 billion in public funding after the legislature passed the enabling bills and voters approved a constitutional amendment. Governor Rick Perry promoted the program to reduce the roughly 35,000 cancer deaths that occurred annually in the state. The institute has reported detecting 58,507 cancer cases, funding 282 pediatric cancer research projects, attracting $12.5 billion in private investment, and contributing to tens of thousands of lives being saved, according to its annual impact reports. A 2012 grant‑awarding controversy led to hearings, a court case and subsequent legislative changes. Attorney general Ken Paxton, then a state representative, voted against the bills that established the institute and placed it on the ballot as a constitutional amendment. He also co‑authored HB 1098, which barred the state from mandating HPV vaccination for sixth‑grade students, a measure that would have limited a vaccine shown to be about 97 % effective at preventing cervical cancer. Voter approval of a second $3 billion CPRIT appropriation in 2019 indicated continued public support. Health‑care funding debates have become more prominent, with the Trump administration cutting $500 million from mRNA research and proposing Medicaid reductions that could increase health‑care costs. Democratic candidate James Talarico highlighted those cuts in a July fundraiser for a South Texas woman paying for cancer treatment, warning that reduced support could increase health‑care costs. The CPRIT’s outcomes continue to shape discussions about state and federal health‑care investment as the 2026 Senate race between Paxton and Talarico unfolds.

President Donald Trump led a press tour of recent renovations at the White House on Wednesday, showcasing a new granite driveway, refurbished columns, fresh sod around a helipad, and an ornate helipad he said he needs. The tour lasted about 40 minutes and occurred while the national debt surpassed $40 trillion and the conflict with Iran continued. Trump autographed a stone placed at the helipad’s center, according to reporters.

Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, criticized the president’s focus, saying Trump was more interested in construction projects than in governing, and noted that service members were fighting the war while Trump attended the tour. Ossoff referenced Trump’s golfing and stock trading as evidence of his disengagement.

During the tour, Trump described the new granite driveway as ‘flawless’ and said he knows how to build, adding that he was ‘very good at real estate.’ He repeated a claim that ‘grass has a life,’ noting that the White House lawn was replaced with topsoil and new seed supplied by Scotts Miracle‑Gro, which he said contributed to his campaign. He also praised the quality of two flagpoles he donated, describing them as ‘top of the line.’

Trump suggested the helipad could serve as a dual‑use patio for events and cocktails before guests walk to a forthcoming ballroom. He framed the renovations as evidence of his ability to deliver high‑quality infrastructure, while critics continued to question his attention to presidential duties.

Governor Ron DeSantis said he accepted Kevin Guthrie's resignation as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. He added that Guthrie had indicated a desire to pursue the lieutenant governor nomination alongside Jay Collins, whose primary performance was announced the day before his second-place finish. DeSantis noted that agency heads should focus on emergency management rather than political aspirations.

A text message from Guthrie to former colleagues, obtained by Florida Politics, described his departure as a sudden loss of his job rather than a voluntary choice. He wrote that he had considered the move a gamble and never imagined losing his position for being involved in politics.

DeSantis first announced publicly on Tuesday that Guthrie had resigned. He said the decision allowed the agency to remain focused on its core mission. Jared Perdue, Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation, will assume the director role. He is unlikely to use the position as a stepping stone for a campaign before the end of DeSantis' term.

Guthrie previously served as Chief of Staff under Governor Rick Scott and was elevated to Deputy Director in 2019. He was promoted to director in 2021 after experience as Emergency Preparedness Coordinator with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Flagler County Public Safety and Emergency Management Director.

The circumstances of Guthrie's exit remain disputed, with DeSantis characterizing the resignation as voluntary while Guthrie's communication suggested otherwise.

After Tuesday’s primaries, Governor Ron DeSantis said he did not expect a Democratic candidate in Florida and criticized the nomination of Angie Nixon, a self‑identified socialist, for the Senate, questioning the appeal of her candidacy in Hialeah. Nixon had been arrested for a sit‑in protest in DeSantis’s office earlier this year and had disrupted a House redistricting vote with a bullhorn, events that have been reported. DeSantis said he would focus on state policy until the end of his term and declined to commit to campaigning for Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds, who faces Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican and 2016 Senate challenger to Marco Rubio. When asked whether Donalds should retain Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, DeSantis said each governor must decide and that Donalds could raise the issue with Ladapo directly, noting he had not asked Ladapo about his plans. The Donalds campaign has not responded to inquiries about whether it would keep Ladapo if Donalds wins in November.

South Carolina Senator Darline Graham came under fire after stating she was not informed on national security and that it was not her area of expertise during a debate about U.S.-Taiwan relations. The comment, made while discussing whether Taiwan and the South China Sea are national security priorities, was highlighted by opponents as evidence of her limited experience ahead of the August 25 primary runoff. Representative Ralph Norman, her challenger, emphasized the need for a senator with foreign policy “know‑how,” citing China’s actions near South Carolina military bases. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former acting director Ken Cuccinelli, and state Representative Jordan Pace all criticized Graham’s remarks, saying they confirmed doubts about her readiness for the Senate. Graham’s campaign pointed to her focus on South Carolina issues, while the White House, referencing President Donald Trump’s endorsement, continued to support her despite the gaffe. Trump had promoted Graham’s appointment and planned a rally to boost her candidacy, even as Norman noted Trump’s openness to enabling Taiwan to defend itself. Lindsey Graham, her late brother, had been a vocal advocate for Taiwan and warned of potential Chinese aggression, while intelligence assessments suggest China could attempt to seize Taiwan beginning in 2027. The U.S. currently lacks a forward‑deployed aircraft carrier in the Indo‑Pacific due to extended naval deployments related to the conflict with Iran. The episode underscores the challenge Trump faces in promoting a political novice to a six‑year Senate term as the primary election approaches.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday displayed a new helipad under construction on the White House lawn, describing its granite surface and durability while noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit next month.

Trump said the granite can withstand 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure and that it would not show marks from hammering. He said the helipad will be built with white granite, replacing a portion of the driveway and the walkway from the diplomatic entrance. He asserted that asphalt is unsuitable for a "great house" and that concrete would support only a fraction of the strength.

He called the work "very exciting" and said it will remain after his presidency. He indicated that construction will continue despite court orders seeking to halt the project without congressional approval and that he expects the Supreme Court to rule in his favor.

Trump said the $400 million ballroom will add security with anti‑drone technology and that his administration previously sought $1 billion in congressional funding for military improvements to the structure. He noted a $1 million donation from Scotts‑Miracle‑Gro, whose former CEO is a Trump supporter, to repair lawn damage from his UFC fight and helipad construction.

He signed a granite stone marked "Donald Trump 45‑47 president" and asked reporters if they knew the word "media," then joked about leaving the stone upside‑down so his signature would be visible. He said he delayed regrading the helipad to make the surface flatter and claimed the granite will have a million‑year life and will not break, leak, or fail, contrasting with earlier problems of the Reflecting Pool project.

He said nature is stronger than what humans can produce. The project's longevity after Trump leaves office remains uncertain, as the Reflecting Pool's paint and liner deteriorated shortly after installation and legal challenges to the ballroom continue.

In early August, Omaha school police announced that 29 of 34 officers have been trained to use electric-shock gloves, and that the devices have been used on students twice in the past year. The city council approved a request for 40 pairs of the gloves at a cost of about $66,000 in 2025. The gloves, manufactured by Compliant Technologies, deliver a painful electric charge on direct skin contact and are already used by some law enforcement agencies. ICE plans to purchase up to $20 million worth of the gloves, which could fund at least 12,000 pairs at the reported price point. The manufacturer’s manual advises avoiding use against small children. Omaha requested 40 pairs for just under $66,000 in 2025, according to Nebraska Public Media, and the council approved the purchase unanimously. School board members said they had not been informed that the gloves were being deployed in their schools. Gini Magnuson, a school board member, said she expressed concern to learn the schools were being used as a test bed for a new law enforcement technology, according to Nebraska Public Media. Student Lux Tipton, a senior at Omaha Central High School, told the board that hurting students with weapons is not what teaching is about. Parents and advocacy groups have raised concerns about the potential for abuse. Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said the gloves are a tool to gain compliance from individuals who do not respond otherwise, in an interview on Fox & Friends. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have warned that the gloves can be misused for torture. The Department of Homeland Security may distribute thousands of pairs of the gloves as early as March 2027. The use of shock gloves in schools remains under review as districts weigh the devices’ effectiveness against concerns about student safety.