Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promises an “economic D-Day” for Iran, threatening countries that keep doing business with Tehran.
Plus, an out-of-control wildfire has forced tens of thousands from their homes near Reno, with shifting winds pushing flames through dry brush and threatening to make Monday’s firefight even harder.
And the U.S.-Canada trade fight reaches a new level after President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods, prompting Prime Minister Mark Carney to promise dollar-for-dollar retaliation.
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Bessent to unveil ‘Economic D-Day’ sanctions
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to unveil new sanctions against Iran as part of the “economic D-Day” President Donald Trump has promised. Bessent is set to hold a news conference Monday to detail what he says will be a massive new financial offensive against Tehran.
Writing in the Financial Times, Bessent called it “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.”
He said the goal is to cut off every economic lifeline supporting Iran’s government and is warning countries that continue doing business with Tehran that they could face consequences of their own.
Iran has already warned countries not to take part. The head of Iran’s top security body said any country that joins the U.S. economic campaign will be considered an “enemy” and threatened with harm to its interests.
Iran’s president, though, is still defending the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington in June as the best path to ending the war, even though its 60-day deadline has expired and both sides have previously declared the deal dead.
Meanwhile, Iran and Oman are set to continue talks Tuesday over the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
The two sides have been negotiating for weeks over how ships could move through the critical waterway, including possible fees and designated shipping routes.
US resumes strikes on alleged drug boats, killing two in Eastern Pacific strike
For the first time in more than two months, the U.S. military has carried out a strike on a boat it says was trafficking drugs. U.S. Southern Command said early Monday morning that two people were killed in Sunday’s strike in the eastern Pacific.
SOUTHCOM said the vessel was “operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific.”
The strike resumes a military campaign that had been paused for more than two months.
Operation Southern Spear has destroyed at least 66 vessels and killed more than 200 people since it began last year. It’s part of the Trump administration’s campaign against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.
In a statement, SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis Donovan called the latest strike “a powerful demonstration of our lethal precision, overwhelming capability, and absolute resolve to protect the U.S.”
Hawk Fire forces 42,000 evacuations as fire remains uncontained
Thousands of people are waking up away from their homes Monday morning as a massive, uncontained wildfire burns dangerously close to Reno, Nevada.
The Hawk Fire has already forced tens of thousands to evacuate, and Monday morning, crews are bracing for another day of dangerous conditions. The fire grew to more than 15,000 acres after starting on Saturday, and as of Sunday evening, crews had not contained it.
Officials said the fire was human-caused, though exactly how it started remains under investigation.
Hundreds of firefighters are now battling it from the ground and the air. At times, the inferno moved so fast officials said it actually jumped over fire trucks.
Fire officials have ordered some 42,000 people out, with another 45,000 in evacuation warning zones. At least six people have been hurt, including three first responders.
Two hospitals have evacuated patients, and the National Guard is now helping with the response.
Heading into Monday, the big concern is the wind. Shifting, stronger winds have already made this fire extremely unpredictable and could make the fight even tougher this week.
As US tariffs on Canadian goods jump to 50%, Canada plans retaliatory tariffs starting Sept. 8
The Canadian dollar took a hit Monday morning as the trade fight between the U.S. and Canada escalated. The loonie fell about half a percent against the U.S. dollar and also lost ground against several other major currencies.
The drop followed the Saturday rollout of new 50% U.S. tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, including dairy, wine and wood products.
Canada now promises to retaliate dollar for dollar with new tariffs starting Sept. 8.
The deal fell apart quickly.
Just days earlier, Trump said the two sides “have a deal” and gave negotiators three extra days to finish it. By Friday night, the talks had collapsed.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the final U.S. terms “uneconomic” and “unfair,” saying the U.S. wanted to restrict Canada’s ability to make trade deals with other countries.
We are stronger now than when the United States started this trade war. More unified, more determined and more ambitious. pic.twitter.com/H6e0WNahjA
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 23, 2026
U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the breakdown, saying Ottawa added new demands and backed away from earlier commitments.
The new tariffs are expected to face a court challenge, while businesses on both sides of the border warn the escalating fight could drive up costs and disrupt supply chains.
2028 campaign takes shape in South Carolina
Although the 2026 midterms are more than two months away, South Carolina already feels like a preview of 2028 this weekend.
Pete Buttigieg, former Transportation Secretary, visited the state as he weighs another presidential run and faced criticism from a possible Democratic rival.
He attended events including an NAACP dinner in Orangeburg focused on Black voters, whose support was crucial in 2020, when he secured only three percent of their vote in South Carolina. Their backing could be even more influential in the next cycle. South Carolina is now preparing to hold the first Democratic presidential primary in 2028.
He also used the weekend to make the case against Republicans heading into the midterms, criticizing GOP policies on taxes, tariffs, Medicaid and SNAP, along with the war in Iran.
“Most Americans and even in a conservative state like South Carolina most voters disagree with the Republican agenda,” Buttigieg told reporters. “And agree with [Democrats] on doing more for healthcare, more for education, more to bring prices down.”
But Buttigieg isn’t even out of the state, and the 2028 jabs are already evident. A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 candidate, ridiculed Buttigieg’s absence on X: “First time in SC in 3 years? Nice!”
First time in SC in 3 years? Nice!
— Izzy Gardon (@iGardon) August 23, 2026
Newsom has already visited South Carolina himself.
So have Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, California Rep. Ro Khanna and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, all potential 2028 candidates. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also has deep political ties in the state.
Republicans are active there too. Trump campaigned in South Carolina on Friday for Sen. Darline Graham ahead of the midterms.
“I watched another commentator say the Republican Party is only 70% MAGA,” Trump said. “Let me tell you, the real Republican Party is 100% Make America Great.”
Though the 2026 election remains the immediate focus, preparations for 2028 are clearly underway.
Freedom 250 Grand Prix takes over Washington, DC
Indy cars raced through Washington, D.C., featuring high speeds and tight turns. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix took over the streets around the National Mall on Sunday, drawing large crowds as cars sped past the U.S. Capitol along a 1.7-mile track.
The route passed landmarks like the National Archives and the Smithsonian, with military flyovers overhead.
As part of the Trump administration’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the president circled the course in his motorcade before the race and then waved the green flag to signal the start.
Twenty-five cars began the race, and after some minor collisions, 27-year-old Kirk Kirkwood from Florida crossed the finish line first to win the Freedom 250.
More from Straight Arrow:
Why farmworkers can no longer afford to live where they work
Connecticut farmer Will O’Meara faces a host of challenges. Finding affordable property with fertile soil and battling a rapidly warming climate make his job feel like running against the wind.
“But one of our biggest challenges is finding and retaining employees that are able to afford to live in our area,” he told Straight Arrow.
O’Meara lives in a region blanketed with crop fields. But development is encroaching, placing his farm squarely in the urban/rural interface where growers compete with housing developers for precious acreage.
“A 12,000 square-foot ranch on our street sold for about $400,000,” O’Meara said. “It’s very difficult for farm workers to find places to live nearby, especially if they’re young and don’t have a spouse or partner.”
O’Meara wishes he could pay workers enough to afford property in his corner of Connecticut, where an acre of farmland sells for $14,400. He can’t.
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