Democratic socialist falls in Wisconsin; Colombia races to find quake survivors

David Crowley pulled off a surprise win over democratic socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, putting a dent in the progressive wing’s recent run of primary victories.

Plus, rescuers continue to dig through the rubble following Colombia’s devastating earthquake, with more than 200 people dead and thousands still missing as the search for survivors continues.

And former American Marine Robert Gilman is back in the U.S. after more than four years in Russian custody, but his release comes with serious concerns about the condition of his health.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

Crowley defeats Hong in Wisconsin as Graham, Norman head to South Carolina runoff

Results from Tuesday’s primaries are in, including a comeback win in Wisconsin and a runoff for Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat in South Carolina. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has won the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin, defeating Democratic socialist Francesca Hong.

It’s a striking turnaround for Crowley, who dropped out of the race last month, then jumped back in after another leading Democrat dropped out.

Gov. Tony Evers then endorsed Crowley in the closing days of the race, helping Democrats coalesce around his candidacy.

Hong had led in polling, and her loss cuts short another test of how far the party’s progressive wing can extend its recent primary wins into a presidential battleground.

Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany also won his party’s nomination for governor, setting up a Crowley-Tiffany matchup in November.

And in South Carolina, Lindsey Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham, and Rep. Ralph Norman are headed to a runoff later this month in the special Republican primary for Graham’s former Senate seat.

Both talked overnight about the sudden, short campaign and the two weeks still ahead.

“I have buried my precious brother, I have taken on the role of the United States senator, and I have had this brutal campaign schedule, and I am still standing,” Graham said. “If that doesn’t tell you I am a strong person and a fighter, nothing will. So I think I can handle the next two weeks.”

“How unexpected this was to have Lindsey Graham not here,” Norman said. “He just, he’s a fixture you thought he would be here. And that being said, it was, when you looked at the landscape, it was a short time frame to put together a campaign.”

And one more upset in Minnesota.

Republican voters chose state house speaker Lisa Demuth over President Donald Trump ally Mike Lindell for their party’s nomination for governor.

Demuth will face democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November.

Pakistan says US, Iran reportedly closer to deal as Trump still claims control of Strait of Hormuz

Pakistan’s defense minister says the U.S. and Iran may be getting closer to a deal, saying the two sides are near “some sort of an arrangement.”

It comes despite Trump once again claiming the U.S. has total control over the Strait of Hormuz and saying the situation with Iran is going “absolutely fine.”

But Trump also made clear he does not trust Tehran’s representatives, and once again left open the possibility of renewed military action.

“I don’t trust Iran. Why? Are you saying I trust the right? I’m the last person to trust the rest,” Trump said. “They’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now. They don’t have control. We have total control. We own it. And at some point, maybe they’ll do something and then they get blown away. But right now, we’re in a very good position.”

Iran, however, insists it controls security in the strait and says it will remain closed until the U.S. meets its conditions.

Tehran is also rejecting Trump’s counter-demand for compensation as part of any peace deal.

Meanwhile, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen say they targeted a ship carrying Saudi military equipment in the Bab Al-Mandab strait on Tuesday.

That claim has not been verified, and Yemen’s internationally recognized government says the ship was carrying food supplies.

Six people were killed in the attack, including three Pakistani nationals.

It’s part of a new escalation by the Houthis, who have also attacked the government-held port city of Mokha and other parts of Yemen in recent days.

And in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Central Command says a Navy helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles into the engine room of a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship after it ignored repeated warnings and tried to break the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

CENTCOM says it’s the third ship disabled since the blockade resumed last month.

Colombia searches for survivors as US sends $15.5 million in aid

In Colombia, rescuers are digging through rubble by hand, racing to find people still alive after Monday’s devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake.

The quake knocked down buildings, damaged roads and left thousands of families searching for loved ones.

And the death toll is still shifting.

Colombia’s president put the number of dead at 181, while the country’s public ministry later said at least 224 people have been killed.

More than 1,300 people have been reported injured, and more than 3,000 are missing.

In Cali alone, the mayor says 95 people were killed and 949 injured, with another 239 believed to be trapped in the rubble.

At least 86 people have been rescued there so far.

Crews worked through the night, in some places forming human chains to move bricks and concrete, then stopping to listen for signs of life.

And there have been rescues.

In Cali, one volunteer described hearing someone whistle back from beneath a collapsed building. Rescuers later pulled out a man and a baby.

President Abelardo de la Espriella, sworn in just three days before the quake, has declared a national disaster.

And the U.S. response is now underway.

A disaster assistance response team is heading to Colombia, and the Trump administration has committed $15.5 million for emergency shelter, food and other relief.

Russia releases former US Marine from prison after more than four years

A former U.S. Marine returned to American soil Tuesday after more than four years in a Russian prison, amid mounting fears he might not survive. The Russian government released Robert Gilman, citing humanitarian grounds, as both the U.S. and Russia describe it.

Trump said he discussed Gilman’s release with Vladimir Putin and that Russia asked for no one in return. Therefore, no prisoner swap took place.

The president also spoke with Gilman on his flight home and said the 32-year-old had one request upon landing: a great cheeseburger.

The lighter moment belies the seriousness of Gilman’s condition. His advocates said he spent weeks in what they described as a dissociative stupor and was later moved to a Russian hospital, where he was fed through a tube. Russia arrested him in 2022 after he was accused of kicking a police officer on a train. 

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat, worked with Gilman’s family for two years to secure his release, but said it took far too long.

“While this news is deeply welcome, it is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for this case to receive the attention which it required for his release to be negotiated,” he said. “Because of bipartisan work, Robert Gilman is free. Robert Gilman is heading back to his family.”

Gilman’s family and U.S. officials have accused Russia of abusing him in custody. He’s now expected to undergo medical and psychological treatment at a U.S. military hospital in Texas.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that the U.S. continues to seek the immediate return of other Americans held in Russia, including wrongfully detained American Stephen Hubbard.

Gilman is the third former U.S. Marine detained by Russia in recent years, following Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan, both of whom were eventually freed in prisoner swaps.

White House asks DOJ to explore renewed charges against former Olympian in Reflecting Pool case

The White House has asked the Justice Department to assess whether it can bring a new case against the man accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. This follows federal prosecutors’ decision to drop the original case, saying the damage wasn’t vandalism.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report that White House officials have asked the Justice Department to explore whether David Hearn could be prosecuted again.

Federal prosecutors initially accused Hearn, a former Olympic canoeist, of removing part of the new coating on the bottom of the reflecting pool. But they later dropped the felony case after new information showed the damage was caused by what they called a “botched installation,” not vandalism.

Trump has publicly blasted U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for dropping the case and urged her to revisit the decision.

Now, after prodding from the White House, the Justice Department is considering whether there’s another path forward — possibly a misdemeanor case.

A judge is expected to decide whether the original case should be dismissed “with prejudice,” which could prevent the Justice Department from charging Hearn again over the same alleged conduct.

This now falls to a Justice Department with a new leader. Todd Blanche was sworn in as attorney general Monday and has said the president has both the right and the duty to weigh in on Justice Department matters.

Rare Mario games discovered after decades in storage

A Wisconsin pop-culture store owner told Nintendo collector Jason Ganos he had an old box of Super Mario cartridges in storage. It turns out they weren’t just old.

The box held 97 pristine copies of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt — and Ganos discovered they were an ultra-rare variant produced in 1993, two years after the bundle was believed to have been discontinued.

“This happened to be a new variant of Super Mario Brothers. Not just any new variant; we found out that it was the last known production date for this game. Previously, they thought that they stopped manufacturing these in 1991. These were made in 1993, and that was long after they discontinued that bundle. The Super Nintendo was out at that point.”

Jason Ganos, owner og Nintendo Wire

And they’re not just rare; they’re in remarkable condition.

Five of the 97 received a perfect 10 from a professional sports authenticator, according to Ganos, something that had never happened before to an NES cartridge.

Most of the collection goes up for auction starting Friday. Ganos called the entire discovery “serendipitous” and said he won’t even guess what it will sell for. But regardless, he’s about to find out.

More from Straight Arrow:

Reality TV shows force contestants offline. Experts say it’s good for them

When Derrick Kosinski arrives on set for MTV’s “The Challenge,” he clings to his phone, delaying the inevitable: the moment when he has to hand over the device before participating in what could be months of competitive challenges. 

“You’re trying to hold onto it as long as you can,” Kosinski, a 15-time contestant on “The Challenge” and host of the “Challenge Mania” podcast, told Straight Arrow. “You’re trying to scroll as long as you can, and tell your loved ones, like, ‘I’m out. I love you, later, this is it. I’m giving my phone away.’”

But once it’s out of his hands? Kosinski says it’s not so bad. 

“The game kind of begins, and it’s almost like … I think it’s a relief,” Kosinski said. “Then, it’s like going back to what it was like back in the day when there weren’t all these phones, when you were a kid — I get to play this really dope game.”

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