Trump Threatens Oman, Vaccine Rates Drop & 'Dunesday' Preview - Tuesday, August 18, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Tuesday, August 18th. We'll tell you about today's primaries and what they could tell us about the political landscape heading into the midterms. Also, why President Trump is now threatening a key ally in the Middle East. Plus, what new CDC data says about school children's vaccines, how Meta could be forced to completely rethink its platforms, and why some movie showings are already selling out four months before they hit theaters. Those stories and even more news to know coming up.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy. All the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
The temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran has now expired with no new deal in sight. With that, Iran is now threatening to escalate the fighting, and President Trump is threatening to bomb an American ally that's been mediating the peace talks. Trump is apparently upset with Oman because Iran said it had reached an agreement with the country that would allow United States ships to travel through the Strait of Hormuz. But Trump says the US needs to control the Strait, and then if Oman gets in the way, the US will launch an attack. So far, no public response from Oman. Meanwhile, Iran is warning it could take a much more aggressive approach of its own. This month, Iran's supreme leader overhauled the country's leadership by appointing hard-line veteran military commanders to top security roles. And yesterday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, Iran is prepared to shift from a defensive posture to a fully offensive one, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy with the US fails. At the same time, Trump says he's not in a hurry to strike a new deal.
Voters in three more states are heading to the polls today to choose which candidates they'd like to see on the ballots in November. For starters, there is Alaska. It's considered a reliably Republican state, but there's still a Senate race that's getting national attention. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan is running for re-election. But he's up against another Republican, also named Dan Sullivan. That sparked a legal battle that ended up in the state supreme court, which ruled they could both run. So yes, both will appear on the ballot as Dan Sullivan. Another name in that race is former Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who has actually out-raised the incumbent. And it's worth noting Alaska is one of those states where everyone runs together, regardless of party and the top four advanced to November. Meanwhile, Wyoming is considered even more likely to be a sweep for Republicans. But it's still noteworthy because there are an unusual number of open seats this year. And President Trump has endorsed candidates in some of the big races, further testing his influence on the GOP.
Meanwhile, in Florida, current Governor Ron DeSantis is term limited, meaning the state will have a new governor next year. So today, Republicans are choosing between several candidates, including Trump-backed Congressman Byron Donalds and DeSantis-backed Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins. The Democratic race is also drawing attention, with former Republican Congressman David Jolly now running as a Democrat. There's also a special US. Senate election in Florida to fill the rest of Marco Rubio's term, now that he's serving as President Trump's Secretary of State. And the US. House races are also getting a lot of attention because of Florida's new congressional maps that favor Republicans. By the way, President Trump has already voted in his home state of Florida since he opted to vote by mail. This is at least the third time he's done so despite saying that mail-in voting amounts to cheating and fraud. Though the Save America Act that he's been pushing would not completely ban mail-in voting, it would allow it under certain circumstances like illness or travel under stricter ID requirements.
Some California residents will be voting in a special election today. They'll pick a replacement for former Congressman Eric Swalwell. Remember, the California Democrat resigned in April in the face of sexual assault allegations even though he denied them. Today's election is a runoff between two other Democrats, but whoever wins will only fill the seat for the rest of Swalwell's current term, which ends in January. And even before that term is up, the same two candidates will be going up against each other again in November to try to secure a full two-year term. Meanwhile, another California congressman is now facing scrutiny over allegations of sexual misconduct. The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into Democrat Jimmy Gomez. And reports say it likely has to do with an affair he had with an aide who worked with another member of Congress. Gomez responded by saying he made, quote, personal mistakes outside my marriage. But he says his actions were consensual and that he didn't break any laws or House ethics rules. That said, there have been calls for Congress to tighten its rules in the wake of several incidents this year.