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President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with technology leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Washington.<\/p>\n
Jacquelyn Martin\/AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump speaks outside the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Washington, at the construction site of the new helicopter landing zone on the South Lawn of the White House.<\/p>\n
Manuel Balce Ceneta\/AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump listens as Gemini co-founder and president Cameron Winklevoss, left, and Gemini co-founder and CEO Tyler Winklevoss, right, watch, during a meeting with technology leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, in Washington.<\/p>\n
Jacquelyn Martin\/AP Photo\/Jacquelyn Martin<\/p>\n
The United States’ debt surpassed a record $40 trillion Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.<\/p>\n
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The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.<\/p>\n
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White House legislative affairs director James Braid is leaving his post<\/p>\n
Braid was in charge of helping to shepherd Trump\u2019s legislative agenda through a Congress where his Republican Party controlled both chambers.<\/p>\n
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that Braid \u201cplayed a critical role in all of the administration\u2019s achievements in Congress,\u201d including the sweeping tax and spending legislation approved last summer.<\/p>\n
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Vance described Braid as \u201cbrilliant\u201d and \u201cone of the hardest workers you will ever meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vice president didn\u2019t provide details of Braid\u2019s next job, saying only that he was \u201cvery excited to see what he does next.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fresh US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East<\/p>\n
The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday.<\/p>\n
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The Washington is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln after reports that sailors were facing mental health challenges and supply shortages while supporting the Iran war.<\/p>\n
The Lincoln\u2019s deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea. Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were \u201ccompletely misrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n
The deployment of the Washington to the Middle East has left Asia without an American carrier strike group at a time when China shows more signs of aggression.<\/p>\n
Rubio designates US citizen jailed in China as \u2018wrongfully detained\u2019<\/p>\n
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has designated a U.S. citizen scholar jailed in China as \u201cwrongfully detained\u201d as Trump prepares to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House next month.<\/p>\n
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The State Department said Thursday that Rubio had decided that Min Zin, who was arrested by Chinese authorities in June, is being unjustly held.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe call on Beijing to release all U.S. citizens arbitrarily detained or exit-banned in China,\u201d the department said.<\/p>\n
The designation raises the profile of his case within the U.S. government and in the past has led to additional attention and resources being devoted to securing the release of wrongful detainees.<\/p>\n
Min Zin, who writes about Myanmar and Chinese foreign policy, was arrested on suspicion of spying. He was a student activist in Myanmar\u2019s 1988 uprising, a student-led movement that the government at the time reacted to with military force. He eventually sought asylum in the U.S.<\/p>\n
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House Democrats add five new candidates to \u2018red to blue\u2019 program<\/p>\n
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said the expansion showcases the depth of its candidate bench as they try to wrest majority control of the House.<\/p>\n
Chair Suzan DelBene said the candidates are \u201cproven fighters\u201d at a time when voters are \u201ceager for leaders who will always put the well-being of their communities first, not rubber stamp Trump\u2019s failed agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n
The candidates include retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray in Florida, former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo in Kentucky, Maine state auditor Matt Dunlap, former Navy helicopter pilot Nancy Lacore in South Carolina and former Rep. Tom Perriello in Virginia. The \u201cred to blue\u201d program invests in promising candidates with funding and other support.<\/p>\n
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Democrats narrow their list of 2028 presidential convention sites <\/p>\n
Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Trump.<\/p>\n
Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward \u201cincredibly strong bids,\u201d and he promised the convention would be an \u201cinspiring celebration of our party\u2019s future nominee.\u201d<\/p>\n
A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention.<\/p>\n
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The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028, traditionally gives the party a chance to formally introduce its nominee to the country, rally the base and kick-start the most intense period of campaigning ahead of the general election.<\/p>\n
The party didn\u2019t specify why Atlanta and Chicago, which was the site of the 2024 convention, were eliminated. Officials visited all five cities in April and May, considering logistical and fundraising capacity among other factors.<\/p>\n
Trump plays White House tour guide to show off work on his helipad and ballroom<\/p>\n
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Trump played White House tour guide on Wednesday, showing off the helipad he is building on the lawn before leaning over to autograph a piece of it and bragging about the ballroom he\u2019s rushing to complete despite legal challenges.<\/p>\n
Trump gushed for several uninterrupted minutes about granite being laid and said the chopper landing area would leave visiting foreign leaders \u201cvery impressed\u201d \u2014 including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is coming next month.<\/p>\n
At times, he sounded almost like a construction manager, singing the praises of granite over asphalt in painstaking detail and noting for reporters he brought out for the show that the stone could withstand 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.<\/p>\n
The president also revealed for the first time that he has replaced the walkway from the White House\u2019s diplomatic entrance along with a portion of the asphalt driveway around the South Lawn with white granite.<\/p>\n
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The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion<\/p>\n
The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending.<\/p>\n
The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October.<\/p>\n
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The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump\u2019s almost 6-month-old war in Iran to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.<\/p>\n
Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration \u201chas been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America\u2019s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, experts say the exploding debt and the latest record milestone are already affecting Americans\u2019 pocketbooks by raising borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lowering wages from businesses that have less money available to invest, and creating more expensive goods and services.<\/p>\n
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