Trump Pauses Beef Tariffs to Curb Grocery Prices

Interior Imposes Colorado River Cuts on Three States

Wisconsin Measles Outbreak Nearly Triples in One Week

Abbott Defends Texas Data Center Freeze as Backlash Grows

Bessent Vows 'Economic D-Day' Against Iran as Tehran Advances Hormuz Fees

Trump Pauses Beef Tariffs to Curb Grocery Prices

President Donald Trump announced Friday, Aug. 21, that the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported for 90 days without the out-of-quota tariff that normally applies above a set volume. Suspending the upper rate effectively expands the amount of imported beef eligible for a lower tariff. Trump said the imported beef would be sold at 25% below current market prices, while ground beef averaged about $6.88 a pound in July 2026. Beef prices have risen as years of drought, high feed costs and herd liquidation reduced the U.S. cattle herd to its smallest size since the 1950s. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association objected, arguing that the move would not help ranchers rebuild the herd. The suspension shows the administration adjusting a central part of its trade policy to address the price of a staple food months before the midterm elections.

CNBC / ABC News / DTN / Forbes / USDA

Interior Imposes Colorado River Cuts on Three States

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed a final federal decision Friday, Aug. 21, concluding the environmental review of post-2026 Colorado River operations and setting operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028 within a framework for the next decade. Arizona, California and Nevada must reduce their combined consumption by 1.25 million acre-feet in each of those two years, about 21% below their total entitlement, with Arizona taking the largest share. Mexico will reduce its use by 250,000 acre-feet under the U.S.-Mexico treaty, while Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico face no mandatory reductions for now. Burgum said the framework can respond to changing river conditions while basin states continue seeking a longer-term agreement after years of unsuccessful negotiations. The plan allows deeper cuts after 2028 if reservoir levels fall, and officials in Arizona and Nevada have warned that such reductions could damage their economies, with Arizona raising the possibility of litigation. The decision matters across the West because about 40 million people and major agricultural districts rely on the river, and the plan establishes a binding allocation system after the 2007 guidelines expire.

CBS News / CBS Colorado / Aspen Public Radio / Las Vegas Sun

Wisconsin Measles Outbreak Nearly Triples in One Week

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services said Friday, Aug. 21, that a measles outbreak in the state's southwest corner had reached 41 confirmed cases and seven probable cases across Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties, up from 15 confirmed cases a week earlier. State officials said they had identified no public exposure sites connected to the outbreak and urged residents to check their vaccination status in the Wisconsin Immunization Registry. The department called the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine the best protection against the disease. The rapid increase in Wisconsin's first measles outbreak of 2026 highlights the risk posed by pockets of low vaccination coverage as childhood immunization rates decline nationally.

Wisconsin DHS / WBAY / WLUK / WITI

Abbott Defends Texas Data Center Freeze as Backlash Grows

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott defended his freeze on new data-center approvals in comments published Sunday, Aug. 23, saying developers had "dug their own grave" by fueling public opposition to artificial-intelligence expansion. Abbott said the industry failed to explain its benefits while concerns grew about the electricity and water consumed by the facilities. He paused approvals Aug. 3 pending an audit by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Public Utility Commission, a policy announced earlier this month. His defense comes as the state grid absorbs new data-center demand after setting consecutive peak records July 21 and 22, topping out at about 91,300 megawatts. Abbott is seeking reelection against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa as rising residential electricity bills become an issue in the campaign. His comments show the governor standing behind a limit on an industry he previously promoted as an engine of Texas growth, with the dispute carrying implications for technology companies drawn to the state's relatively permissive grid-connection rules.

Axios / Houston Public Media / Renewable Energy World

Bessent Vows 'Economic D-Day' Against Iran as Tehran Advances Hormuz Fees

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote in an opinion piece published Sunday, Aug. 23, that an "economic D-Day" against Iran would begin at dawn and said he would detail the measures at a news conference Monday at 2 p.m. Eastern. As of early Monday, no designations had been announced, but Bessent described the plan as relying on secondary sanctions that could force foreign governments, banks and companies to choose between doing business with Iran and retaining access to the U.S. financial system. He has specifically warned buyers of Iranian crude, with China accounting for about 90% of Iran's oil exports and India also purchasing significant amounts. Separately, an Iranian parliamentary commission approved part of a proposal Sunday that would charge authorized ships service fees to transit the Strait of Hormuz, but the measure still requires approval from the full parliament. Security official Mohsen Rezaei threatened to halt oil flows through the strait if neighboring countries join the U.S. pressure campaign, while President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a June agreement with Washington and said Iran could not continue fighting indefinitely. Because the threatened sanctions target third countries and the proposed transit fees could affect a key energy route, the measures risk friction with major U.S. trading partners and higher fuel prices, though neither had taken effect as of early Monday.

CNBC / The Hill / NPR / IRNA / Mehr

AUGUST 24, 2006: PLUTO IS DEMOTED

On this day in Prague, the International Astronomical Union voted to strip Pluto of its long‑held status as the solar system’s ninth planet and reclassify it as a dwarf planet. The decision, based on a new definition of what constitutes a planet, sparked controversy among astronomers and a cultural backlash from a public attached to Pluto as a full-fledged planet.

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Sources

1. CNBC / ABC News / DTN / Forbes / USDA photo via Wikimedia Commons
2. CBS News / CBS Colorado / Aspen Public Radio / Las Vegas Sun
3. Wisconsin DHS / WBAY / WLUK / WITI
4. Axios / Houston Public Media / Renewable Energy World
5. CNBC, Aug. 23 / CNBC, Aug. 24 / The Hill / NPR / IRNA / Mehr