Top Stories for the Week of August 16th.

These are the top stories for this week.

Israel’s military announced its first criminal investigations into troop conduct in Gaza, focusing on the deaths of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and her family, along with 15 Palestinian paramedics. The military said it will not investigate three other attacks that killed aid workers from World Central Kitchen and Doctors Without Borders, after completing reviews of 150 incidents overall. Read More

Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for her roles in “Heroes” and “Nashville,” was found dead at her home in Greenville, South Carolina, at age 36. Police said the investigation has so far found no signs of foul play. Source

Federal authorities arrested 35-year-old Jessica Bowie of Albany on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS after prosecutors said she plotted to bomb the New York State Capitol and kill lawmakers inside. The criminal complaint alleges she pledged allegiance to ISIS, cased the building repeatedly, and discussed disguising an explosive device in a food-delivery bag, allegedly timing the attack for a state senate session. Source

Orlando police charged 44-year-old Jose Proano, who was out on probation for armed burglary, with first-degree murder after investigators say he killed and dismembered his 71-year-old stepfather, Jorge Vazquez-Escutia. Security footage allegedly showed Proano packing the victim’s remains into suitcases that were later found near the victim’s home, and cell phone data and physical evidence tied him to the scene. Source

President Trump called on the Senate to pass legislation making daylight saving time permanent nationwide, reviving a push he has floated repeatedly since taking office. The proposal would end the twice-yearly clock changes that have long drawn bipartisan grumbling, though prior versions of the bill have stalled over disagreements on whether to lock clocks on standard or daylight time. Source

Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, pulled off a stunning upset over retired Lt. Col. Alex Vindman in the state’s Democratic Senate primary. Nixon will face Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November for the final two years of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s former term. Find out More

James Braid, President Trump’s top liaison to Congress, is departing his post as White House legislative affairs director later this month, just as lawmakers head into a packed September session on government funding, the filibuster, and a voter-ID bill. A former Senate aide said whoever replaces him “will have to hit the ground running fast,” with control of the House potentially in play this November. Source

Democrats flipped a Trump-backed Pennsylvania state House seat in a special election, with the winning candidate outperforming Trump’s 2024 numbers in the district by 19 points. The narrow 8,434-to-8,346 vote victory covered Cranberry, Mars, Zelienople, Evans City and Jackson Township in Butler County. Source

A new poll shows progressive Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed leading Rep. Haley Stevens by 7 points in the Democratic primary race. The survey adds to signs of a broader progressive surge in several Democratic primaries this cycle. Read More

The FBI executed search warrants on former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell over the weekend, seizing his electronic devices at San Francisco’s airport and searching his Washington, D.C. home as part of a criminal investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, including a rape accusation. Swalwell resigned from Congress in April after the allegations surfaced and has acknowledged “mistakes in judgment” while denying the assault claim. Find out More

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola both advanced from Alaska’s nonpartisan primary and will face off in November under the state’s ranked-choice system. Alaska has not elected a Democratic senator since 2009, but Democrats see the race as one of their best opportunities to help flip the chamber. See Details

The CDC reported 15,716 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases nationwide as of Aug. 17, an increase of 1,821 cases from the previous week. The outbreak, linked to fresh produce, has led to 828 hospitalizations and two deaths across 47 states. Source

new digital monument on the National Mall, built by USAA for America’s 250th anniversary, displays the names of more than 41 million U.S. veterans and service members dating back to the Revolutionary War. Visitors can scan a QR code to search for a specific name or request it be shown on the towering flag-shaped displays for photos, and the installation has been extended through November 12 due to demand. Read More

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are moving back to the United Kingdom more than six years after relocating to the United States. King Charles III was informed of the decision, and there are no plans for the couple to resume royal duties. Read More

Harvard University agreed to pay $53 million to settle lawsuits from families whose donated body parts were stolen and sold by a former medical school morgue manager. Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking stolen remains taken from the anatomical gift program between 2018 and 2022. Read More

The Justice Department appealed a federal judge’s ruling that dismissed human-smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in 2025. A Nashville-based judge had ruled in May that the prosecution was retaliatory after Abrego Garcia challenged his deportation. Source

Oil prices reached their highest levels since July as diplomatic momentum toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz stalled, with Brent crude climbing on renewed doubts about a resolution. Energy analysts said the market is increasingly pricing in a prolonged disruption to the vital shipping corridor. Find out More

Mortgage rates edged mostly lower heading into the new week, offering a bit of relief for prospective homebuyers and refinancers after a choppy summer for borrowing costs. Rate movement continues to track closely with broader economic data and Federal Reserve signals about the path of future policy. Find out More

Bitcoin surged to roughly $75,100, its best weekly performance since February 2024 with a nearly 19% weekly gain, after President Trump pressed Congress to pass the Clarity Act establishing a regulatory framework for the crypto industry. The rally comes even as bitcoin remains down about 15% for the year after tumbling more than 50% from its October record high. Source

The federal debt hit a record $40 trillion Tuesday, according to the Treasury Department, an inauspicious milestone with consequences for Americans and the government for years to come. The debt load continues climbing even as concerns mount over long-term fiscal sustainability. Read More

China’s economy lost momentum in July, with retail sales growth slowing and fixed-asset investment falling nearly 7% for the year, even as the country’s AI ambitions continue to drive competing demands on policymakers. Source

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp warning to Turkish President Erdogan this week, accusing Ankara of “dangerous adventures in Syria” and cautioning that Israel “will not allow any actor to threaten its security.” The warning followed an Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase that Israel said was meant to stop a Turkish military deployment there, a claim Turkey denies, and has left U.S. diplomats scrambling to prevent a miscalculation between the two NATO-adjacent partners. Read More

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan announced a new mutual defense pact that Turkish officials described as similar in principle to NATO’s collective defense clause, a development analysts say reflects shifting regional alliances since the war in Iran began. President Trump praised the agreement in a social media post over the weekend. Source

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Flores Island has climbed toward 70, with thousands still awaiting aid days later. More than 1,300 homes were damaged, nearly 250 destroyed, and roughly 5,000 people remain in temporary shelters as the region marked its Independence Day. Read More

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide in just six days, one of the fastest films ever to hit the milestone, after opening to the biggest weekend in box office history. The superhero sequel has continued to dominate theaters in the weeks since, fending off new releases for the No. 1 spot. See Details

The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the multi-agency investigation into actress Hayden Panettiere’s death, assisting with parallel probes already underway by local police and the coroner’s office. Panettiere’s remains were released to her family this week after she died from a possible drug overdose. Find out More

Cinemark became the third major U.S. theater chain, joining AMC and Regal, in publicly backing a settlement with California over a proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger. The alignment sets the stage for a court battle next year over the fate of the two studios. See Details

New York Knicks star Karl Anthony Towns and model Jordan Woods got married in Malibu over the weekend. Find out More

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is on pace for a third straight weekend atop the box office, with its domestic haul expected to cross $800 million by Sunday. The film, which already ranks among the biggest openings in history, is closing in on “No Way Home” for third place on the all-time domestic chart. Read More

The next “X-Men” film has cast Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Christopher Abbott as Professor X, Adam Driver as Mr. Sinister, and Maya Boyd as Storm, filling out the core roster for the franchise’s next chapter. The casting adds to a busy year of comic-book movie announcements as studios continue rebuilding their superhero slates. Source

Hollywood figures including Viola Davis and Rosie O’Donnell paid tribute to Hayden Panettiere following her death, with Davis calling her co-star “an old, wise soul with such a deep heart” in a remembrance shared on social media. See Details

The Beatles’ Apple Corps and Universal Music Group have struck a new exclusive, long-term global partnership covering merchandise, licensing and e-commerce for the band. The deal builds on UMG’s existing stewardship of the Beatles catalogue and comes ahead of a planned four-film cinematic event in 2028. Find out More

NASCAR cleared Chase Elliott’s No. 9 car after inspecting it at the R&D Center following a strong run at Richmond Raceway. The Hendrick Motorsports entry showed no issues, avoiding the penalties that have cost other teams significant points in past inspections. Source

Ohio State opened the preseason AP Top 25 at No. 1 for the first time since 2015, edging Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Texas to round out the top five. The Big Ten’s top contenders swept the majority of first-place votes while the SEC, despite placing nine teams in the rankings, didn’t receive a single No. 1 vote — though history shows preseason No. 1 teams rarely go on to win it all, with only Alabama and USC managing the feat since 2000. Read More

The Milwaukee Brewers matched baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout, routing the Seattle Mariners 22-0 behind three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and rookie Luis Lara. It was the largest shutout victory since Cleveland beat the New York Yankees by the same score in 2004. Source

Former MLB pitcher Tommy John, a four-time All-Star who won 288 career games and became the namesake of the pioneering elbow surgery that extended his career by 14 seasons, has died at his Florida home at age 83. Source

Former Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce teamed with Liquid Death energy drink to highlight the negative impacts of AI data centers in a musical ad that asks people to donate urine to cool them down. Source

A North Carolina man won a $250,000 lottery prize after letting his lucky pinkie ring choose his scratch-off ticket for him at a convenience store. He hovered his hand over the display and bought whichever ticket the ring landed on, walking away with a $250,000 winner. Source