News for August 31, 2026
More storms possible at Grand Canyon where a flash flood killed at least 2 people, others missing
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Rescue crews looking for missing people have found at least two bodies since a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon, and forecasters are warning that more flooding is possible. Saturday’s flash flood severely damaged the only water pipeline into the canyon. Officials have barred tourists from staying at lodges and hotels inside the Grand Canyon National Park and have issued emergency water restrictions for year-round residents. At least two people have been found dead. More than a dozen others are missing following waves of rain in the Bright Angel Creek area of the tourist destination that hosts 4.4 million visitors a year.
Supreme Court lets White House continue construction on Trump’s $400 million ballroom
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing the White House to continue construction on President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project while his administration appeals a judge’s order halting the work. The justices intervened Monday after lower courts found work must stop because the project doesn’t have congressional approval. The decision replaces a temporary order signed by Chief Justice John Roberts hours before a court-ordered halt was set to go into effect. It allows the construction to continue as the lawsuit plays out, a potentially lengthy process. It’s a win for Trump as he flexes unprecedented executive power and remakes the capital in his image.
DA says a teen who recorded San Diego mosque shooting livestream has been charged with murder
A North Carolina district attorney says a 17-year-old girl who recorded a livestream of a shooting that killed three people at a San Diego mosque and disseminated the attackers’ white-supremacist writings has been charged with murder by aiding and abetting. The charges were announced Monday at a news conference. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said at a news conference that the girl was arrested last week and indicted by a grand jury Monday, just before she was due to begin the school year. The girl’s attorney did not immediately return a message from The Associated Press seeking comment on her behalf Monday. The girl was identified in court records as Sarah Lindsey Santiago.
Bessent huddles with G20 to try to rally allies on Iran as tariffs strain ties
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants to rally the world’s largest economies this week at a summit in Asheville, North Carolina. The G20 finance ministers are meeting at a time when the U.S. has disrupted the international order with aggressive tariffs and an unpopular war on Iran. Bessent said he wants to focus on economic growth and debt issues. However, the tensions with Iran and tariff policies will be major topics. Bessent wants to enlist support to isolate Iran. He said Tehran’s economy could collapse in “weeks or months” but said that could be avoided if Iran’s leadership bends to the pressure.
US military has no plans to send troops to the polls in November, top general says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military says there are no plans to send troops to polling places during November’s midterm congressional elections. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the statement in a letter to Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The letter was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. She recently asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm they won’t send troops to the polls. Caine’s letter to Slotkin addresses growing anxiety among Democrats that the Trump administration could try to meddle in the midterm elections. Slotkin’s office said it is yet to receive a response from Hegseth.
New US missile appears to have left wide path of death and destruction in Iranian city, report says
Lockheed Martin has touted the pinpoint accuracy of its Precision Strike Missile. But the conflict monitor Airwars says a close look at what is believed to be its first use in combat highlights the potential peril of deploying this weapon near population centers because it appears to spray pellets over a wide area. Airwars found that three missiles that struck the southern Iranian city of Lamerd on Feb. 28 killed civilians as far as 50 meters from where they detonated. Iranian officials say the missiles killed at least 21 civilians. Weapons experts and former military officials who reviewed Airwars’ findings said they believe that PrSMs struck Lamerd. The U.S. military has confirmed using these missiles in Iran, but denied attacking Lamerd.
Kalshi bans ex-Congressman George Santos for life after concluding he likely was insider trading
NEW YORK (AP) — The online prediction market platform Kalshi has permanently banned former U.S. Rep. George Santos after concluding the former Republican congressman likely engaged in insider trading when he made over $17,000 betting against his attendance at the State of the Union address. The company announced the ban Monday. A spokesperson said it was the company’s first-ever permanent ban. Kalshi also imposed a temporary ban on retired Col. Laurie Buckhout, a North Carolina congressional candidate. On the eve of President Donald Trump’s speech, Kalshi put the odds of Santos attending at close to 75%. Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport. On X Monday, Santos called the ban “frivolous nonsense.”
Oil prices rise and stocks fall after US hits Iranian sites in the Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices rose and U.S. stocks fell after American forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first military action in a month. Brent crude rose 2.7% Monday, closing back above $90 a barrel. The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 374 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%. Still, all three indexes closed with gains for the month of August. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.75%, around the level seen two weeks ago when the Trump administration took the unusual step of announcing it would intervene in the bond market.
Singer D4vd loses prominent lawyers defending him in killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer D4vd has lost his private lawyers and entered a new not guilty plea. He’s facing charges of murder, sexual abuse and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. It’s not clear why his high-profile attorneys, Blair Berk and her colleagues, withdrew. They were replaced by a public defender. The judge on Monday denied a request from the public defender to delay the arraignment and scheduled a status conference for October. Despite earning millions from his music, the indie-pop singer, born David Burke, qualified for a court-appointed lawyer. A trial date has not been set.
Prosecutor urges jurors to convict Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis at Tupac Shakur murder trial
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A prosecutor urges jurors to convict Duane “Keffe D” Davis of first-degree murder in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur. Chief Deputy District Attorney Binu Palal argues Davis orchestrated the drive-by shooting. Palal highlights Davis’ own words and circumstantial evidence, saying Davis acquired a gun and sought Shakur after a fight with Davis’ nephew. Although Davis’ accounts have changed, Palal says Davis consistently placed himself in the car from which shots were fired. The trial, involving 24 witnesses, focuses on Davis’ role as the orchestrator, not the shooter. Davis’ defense claims his statements were for profit, not truth.
