Trump trade dispute, Iran war, sharks

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By Mark Garrison

September 02, 2026

By Mark Garrison

September 02, 2026

 
 

In the news today: A whistleblower says the U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tells Trump “Stop trying to be tough”; and Iran fires back after U.S. strikes. Also, see researchers wrestle with massive sharks off the Hamptons.

 
Delivery vans are parked during a protest staged as part of a countrywide National Day of Action, July 28, outside the main United States Postal Service headquarters in northeast Denver.

Delivery vans are parked during a protest staged as part of a countrywide National Day of Action, July 28, outside the main United States Postal Service headquarters in northeast Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

POLITICS

Postal Service work to comply with Trump’s executive order is rushed and sloppy, a whistleblower contends

The U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting relied upon by one-third of all voters, according to a whistleblower statement released Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Read more.

Why this matters:

  • The effort is part of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting and has been temporarily halted by a federal judge. The ruling is being appealed by the administration and the directive may ultimately end up back before the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • The disclosure from the unidentified whistleblower contends that the Postal Service has been scrambling to try to build a complex system that would normally take a year or more in only three months, sometimes in defiance of the judge’s orders halting work. The goal is to have it ready for use in the midterm elections. The disclosure contends that, due to the new procedures, a single scanning error in a batch of tens of thousands of ballot envelopes could prevent any from reaching voters.

  • The Postal Service released a statement Tuesday evening in response to Blumenthal’s letter, pledging to work with Congress and the courts. It noted that the judge who issued the latest restraining order explicitly allowed the service to continue to develop its online tool for states that want to use it voluntarily. “Regardless of political party or perspective, we share a common goal: ensuring that Americans can have confidence that their election mail will be handled securely and delivered reliably,” the Postal Service said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Sen. Ed Markey, 80, wins Mass. Democratic primary over opponent who called for generational change
  • Tuesday's full primary election results
  • Macho, macho men? Democrats talk masculinity on campaign trail after years of Trump’s bravado
  • House passes short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election
 

POLITICS

Carney tells Trump ‘Stop trying to be tough’

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told the Trump administration Tuesday to “stop doing memes, stop throwing shade and stop trying to be tough,” as he pushed back against a fresh wave of attacks from Washington. Read more.

Why this matters:

  • Carney said U.S.-Canada trade talks could resume if Washington became serious about negotiations, but he also accused the United States of pursuing terms that he said could leave Canadian industries “gradually wound down in Canada and wiped out.”

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fired back on Fox News, saying Carney had received a “verbal beatdown” from him and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Responding to Carney’s call for the administration to stop “throwing shade” and return to serious negotiations, Bessent said: “Well, he was the one who said we were at war.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Vance talks about the end times and the attempted assassination of Trump in Christian podcast
  • Trump says he’s nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent job
  • House censures Rep. Chuck Edwards for conduct toward former female staffers
 

WORLD NEWS

Iran fires on Gulf neighbors after US military strikes Iranian military targets

Iran launched fresh attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf early Wednesday. An Iranian drone attack sparked a blaze in Kuwait City, while Bahrain intercepted incoming drones. The attacks followed a night of American bombardment that included a deadly strike on a wedding party. Read more.

What to know:

  • The latest violence has ended a monthlong lull in fighting between the U.S. and Iran and raised new questions about how to end a war that has led to a spike in oil prices, roiled the global economy and is posing increasing political problems for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November midterm elections.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • WATCH: Sirens sound in Kuwait City as tension escalates
  • The USS Abraham Lincoln docks near Thai beach city of Pattaya after its Middle East deployment
  • Justice Department seizes more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations for Hamas
 

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