Extreme Weather, Tupac Murder Trial & Estate Sale Frenzy - Monday, August 10, 2026

**Lacey Evans** (0:00)
Today is Monday, August 10th. We're talking about extreme weather in the US from dangerous heat to flash flooding to wildfire danger. Also, new setbacks for President Trump in both Iran and Gaza. While back at home, lawmakers left some of his biggest priorities on the table before leaving town. Plus, how we could soon finally get the answer to the question, who killed Tupac? What you need to know about a growing salmonella outbreak, and which movie is shaping up to be one of the biggest blockbusters of all time? Those stories and even more news to know, next.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Lacey Evans, filling in for Erica Mandy today. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
This work week is kicking off with dangerously hot temperatures, dry conditions, and even severe thunderstorms in the forecast. And all of it could make this extreme wildfire season even worse. Already, fires are burning out of control across parts of the Western US and Southwest Canada. And nearly 200 new fires were sparked yesterday alone. Evacuations have been ordered across Utah, where close to a dozen active wildfires have scorched more than 300,000 acres. Sadly, two pilots died over the weekend when their helicopter crashed while battling one of them. A bulldozer operator also died battling a fire in Oregon. Other large fires are burning in Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Washington State. In fact, at least 60,000 people are still evacuated in and around Spokane, though local fire officials say they've made exceptional progress on those. In Canada, there are more than 100 active wildfires burning in British Columbia, and because of all of the fires burning in the US and Canada, millions of Americans could face air quality concerns this week. Meanwhile, the Western US is still dealing with extreme dry heat. Temperatures are forecast to get up to 114 degrees in some places. The Eastern US is also especially hot but humid, and that could bring severe thunderstorms, complete with heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds. That's the forecast for much of the Midwest into the Eastern US today, from Illinois to Pennsylvania.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still on the top of President Trump's list of priorities, but at this point, there are no signs of it happening anytime soon. Over the weekend, the Iranians set out a steep series of demands for allowing ships to pass through the strait. They say the US must withdraw its naval blockade, unfreeze Iranian assets, lift sanctions on Iran, pay Iran damages for the war, and permanently end the conflict against Iran and its regional allies. The Iranians also say there are no ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran. So far, no public response from the White House. Of course, the Strait of Hormuz carries about a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas shipments, and ships that do try to cross risk getting attacked. So global energy markets are still in flux.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is facing another huge complication in the Middle East. Israel has now rejected a peace plan President Trump announced for Gaza. It called for Israel to start withdrawing troops while Hamas disarms, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now says Israeli forces aren't going anywhere until Hamas completely disarms first. Hamas says the opposite, that it won't disarm until Israel withdraws completely. So far, no public comment from the White House on that development either.
The Pentagon is now leading on US defense companies to boost production and replenish some of America's critical military stockpiles and fast. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to defense contractors last week. In that memo, he reportedly gave them just 21 days to come up with plans for faster deliveries and higher production of critical weapons. Feinberg wrote that, quote, years-long development cycles are not acceptable and that production capacity needs to expand now. Of course, this comes after months of fighting with Iran have drawn down some US weapons stockpiles. Still, President Trump has been pushing back on reports that say the US is running low on some weapons. Trump insists the US still has massive amounts and that more are being manufactured and shipped as needed. Either way, there's another big obstacle. The historic $1.5 trillion defense spending bill is still stalled in Congress, while the White House requests even more funding for the Iran War and other potential conflicts. Stay tuned.
Congress is now adjourned for the rest of the month. The US. House already left the nation's capital last week. Then, the US. Senate did the same over the weekend. But not before getting through some important business. For example, senators voted to confirm Todd Blanch as the next attorney general. The vote was split 50 to 49, mostly along party lines. Two Republicans voted no, along with all Democrats. But with every other Republican voting yes, Blanch still had enough support to formally take the job. Now, not much is expected to change. Already as acting attorney general, he has pushed to expand the president's power and taken a series of actions against Trump's perceived enemies. Blanch did face some backlash over his handling of the Epstein files and that so-called anti-weaponization fund. But after meeting with Epstein survivors and formally scrapping the fund, he got the support he needed.