Thursday, August 13, 2026

• Karoline Leavitt is stepping down as White House press secretary, adding to a run of shakeups inside the administration this week (Axios).
• Futures are green across the board (S&P +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.12%, Dow +0.27%) with VIX pinned near 14.5 — a calm, risk-on tape.
• Watch Core CPI's read-through today and tomorrow's PPI/jobless claims — inflation data is doing the heavy lifting for rate-cut expectations this week.

• $1 billion — that's the Powerball jackpot just claimed by a single ticket-holder in Illinois. It's one of the largest lottery prizes ever awarded to a single winner, and it's a reminder that even in a week dominated by cabinet shakeups and market moves, someone's life just changed overnight for a $2 ticket.

1. 1

   Karoline Leavitt exits as White House press secretary. Axios reports she's stepping down, the latest personnel shift inside a West Wing that's seen a string of departures. No replacement has been named yet. Reaction is split between "overdue shakeup" and speculation about what's driving the churn. link

2. 2

   Trump's cabinet quietly left on a decoy plane. BBC reports members of the cabinet stayed aboard a decoy aircraft after the president made a quiet exit — an operational security detail that's drawing attention for what it implies about threat assessments. Details on the destination and reasoning remain thin. The story is fueling fresh chatter about security posture around the president. link

3. 3

   Homeland Security paid $464 million for planes it then parked. The New York Times details a procurement decision that left brand-new aircraft sitting unused, raising questions about oversight and planning. Fiscal watchdogs are likely to seize on this as a case study in wasted spending. link

4. 4

   ICE plans to purchase electric shock gloves. Reuters reports the immigration agency is moving forward with the procurement, drawing sharp criticism from human rights groups who call it excessive-force equipment. Advocates are already pressing for the plan to be scrapped. link

5. 5

   Pollsters misread Wisconsin again. Axios digs into why primary polling in Wisconsin has now missed twice in a row, pointing to methodology issues around turnout modeling. It's renewing doubts about polling reliability heading into bigger races. link

6. 6

   US diplomat calls West Bank settler siege an "act of terror." Al Jazeera reports a US diplomat used unusually blunt language to describe a settler siege of Palestinian homes, marking a rare sharp rebuke from a US official on this issue. The comments are likely to ripple through already tense diplomacy in the region. link

7. 7

   Colombia earthquake death toll climbs. CBS News reports rescue teams are still searching for survivors as the toll rises, with the country mobilizing emergency response resources. International aid offers are reportedly starting to come in. link

8. 8

   Putin visits islands seized from Japan in WWII. The New York Times reports the visit is angering Tokyo, reviving a decades-old territorial dispute at a delicate diplomatic moment. Japan is expected to lodge a formal protest. link

9. 9

   Ukraine strikes Russian Black Sea grain terminals. CNBC reports the attack is prompting warnings about global food market disruption, given Russia's role as a major grain exporter. Traders are watching for knock-on effects on grain prices. link

10. 10

    Illinois Powerball winner claims $1 billion jackpot. ABC News reports the single ticket-holder hit one of the largest lottery prizes ever, instantly reshaping one person's life. It's one of the rare feel-good headlines cutting through a heavy news cycle. link

• This week — CLARITY Act crypto legislation slips further; the Senate vote is now pushed to September, dimming hopes for 2026 passage.
• Friday — A plea discussion in the Luigi Mangione federal case could reignite double jeopardy arguments.
• Thu (today)–Fri — Core PPI, PPI, and Initial/Continuing Jobless Claims land Thursday morning, key inputs for the Fed's next move.
• Saturday — Retail Sales, Core Retail Sales, and Michigan Inflation Expectations round out the week's macro picture.
• Ongoing — Fed Chair Warsh is reportedly weighing cutting the FOMC's meeting frequency below eight per year, a structural change to how often markets get official Fed signals.
• Next Tuesday (Aug 18) — NY Empire State Manufacturing Index and NAHB Housing Market Index drop, early gauges of regional business and housing sentiment.

• 🟢 S&P futures: 7786.5 (+0.21%)
• 🟢 Nasdaq futures: 29888.0 (+0.12%)
• 🟢 Dow futures: 54017.0 (+0.27%)
• 🟡 VIX: 14.54 (−0.07%) — complacent
• 🟢 10Y yield: 4.68% (−0.04%)
• 🔴 DXY: 99.90 (−0.12%) Futures are quietly green with a sleepy VIX — the tape is leaning risk-on into the open.

• IEA Monthly Report (05:00 GMT), OPEC Monthly Report (06:00 GMT) — supply-side reads on oil markets.
• MBA Mortgage Applications +3.6% (prior −2.9%); 30Y mortgage rate ticked down to 6.77% from 6.81%.
• Core CPI: 0.2% actual, matching the 0.2% consensus, up from 0.0% prior — inflation ticked up modestly, likely keeping the Fed's cut path intact but not accelerating it.

• AMAT (AMC, $417.3B mkt cap) — EPS consensus $3.38 vs. $2.48 last year; a bellwether read on chip-equipment demand.
• JD (pre-market, $43.6B) — EPS consensus $0.77 vs. $0.55 last year, a China-consumer signal.
• TPR (pre-market, $32.4B) — EPS consensus $1.26 vs. $1.04 last year, a read on discretionary spending.
• NU (time unspecified, $66.3B) — EPS consensus $0.20 vs. $0.14 last year, LatAm fintech growth in focus.

• BOXL $7.87 (+168.6%) — no catalyst in today's data.
• RMCF $1.52 (+126.0%) — no catalyst in today's data.
• OFAL $1.36 (+90.7%) — no catalyst in today's data.
• PLAG $1.20 (−79.4%) — no catalyst in today's data.
• NBIZ $5.31 (−67.8%) — no catalyst in today's data.
• NVDA — heavy volume (109.5M shares) as AI-related buying lifted global shares broadly today (AP News).
• INTC $100.89 (+3.3%) — among the most-active names, continuing its recent run.
• SMCI $37.58 (+18.6%) — one of the day's most-traded stocks, no specific catalyst in today's data.

• CRWV — massive put volume at the $45 strike (30,511 contracts vs. 1,675 OI) expiring Aug 21, alongside heavy short-dated call/put activity at the $109 strike.
• META — unusual put buying at the $612.50 strike expiring tomorrow (Aug 14), plus longer-dated calls stacking up near $935-$950 for September.
• BRVE insider cluster: 6 insiders bought 4.95M shares at $18.00 (+13% ownership stake, ~$89.1M total) on Aug 7.
• QNT insider cluster: 10 insiders added 410,832 shares at $60.00, an 85% ownership increase (~$24.6M).

• No crypto data available today.

• The 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.69% as of Aug 6, easing slightly from recent highs.
• Existing home sales fell 1.7% in July as record prices and high rates keep buyers on the sidelines. link
• Seattle's housing market is seeing pending sales post the sharpest drop in the nation, tied to tech layoffs. link

r/interestingasfuck

Once in a lifetime skate trick with total eclipse as backdrop

YouTube

Roblox Steal a brainrot ritual + steal stream

r/MadeMeSmile

What a bro

YouTube

Did Pres Trump make an error by going to war with Iran? Strategizing with Ghost EP 8

r/nextfuckinglevel

Once in a lifetime trick

YouTube

SIGUEN EVACUACIONES POR TERREMOTO | SEÑAL EN VIVO | BLU RADIO 13 AGO

• Reddit
• r/interestingasfuck — a once-in-a-lifetime skate trick captured with a total solar eclipse in the background. post
• r/MadeMeSmile — a heartwarming "what a bro" moment lighting up the sub. post
• r/nextfuckinglevel — the same eclipse skate trick from another angle, drawing separate viral traction. post
• r/MadeMeSmile — Duolingo restored a hospitalized 10-year-old's 301-day streak, plus gems and a Streak Shield. post
• r/humor — a jab at atheist stereotypes drawing laughs. post
• YouTube
• Blu Radio — live coverage of ongoing earthquake evacuations in Colombia (33,812 views). watch
• Bloomberg Television — live business news coverage (7,569 views). watch
• Play With Deepx — Roblox "Steal a Brainrot" stream drawing niche gaming attention (1,785 views). watch
• Associated Press — live Kilauea volcano eruption coverage from Hawaii (1,005 views). watch
• Legal Wars LIVE — a panel debating Trump's Iran strategy (438 views). watch
• Instagram
• Coverage on how a handful of followers is driving millions of views around rumors of a mass Ceuta crossing planned for August 15. story
• A piece exploring "Arab AI slop" and the politics of AI-generated kitsch spreading on Instagram. story
• X
• #BABYSHIB (live)
• Good Thursday (live)
• Chris Brown (live)
• #YouManiacSeries (live)
• Happy Friday Eve (live)
• Google Trends
• clancy trial day 11 (2000+) — testimony continues in the Lindsay Clancy postpartum trial. story
• extreme heat warning (1000+) — an alert for extreme heat through Sunday. story
• ritchie blackmore (200+) — set to reunite with Deep Purple after 33 years apart. story
• A photo album with today's Reddit/YouTube images arrives right after this brief.

• 'End of Oak Street' opens against 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.' The Hollywood Reporter breaks down its box-office chances against the blockbuster juggernaut. link
• 'Reacher' Season 4 cast guide drops. Variety maps who's who ahead of the new Prime Video season. link
• Nick Reiner indictment alleges he lay in wait before killing his parents. NPR details a new indictment escalating the case. link
• Addiction experts weigh in on Brad Pitt's public sobriety comments. The Hollywood Reporter says self-reported alcoholic accounts should be taken with skepticism. link
• Jenna Jameson marries Milagros Ocampo. TMZ reports the former adult film star has tied the knot. link

• 5 best new Netflix movies and shows to stream this week, spanning Aug 10-16. link
• The best new TV shows to watch or stream this week, per ScreenCrush. link

• OpenAI shipped ChatGPT Desktop (Codex Desktop) for Linux — a native desktop client bringing Codex's coding-agent tooling to Linux users for the first time. link
• IBM PC and Model F/XT quietly turned 45, sparking a nostalgic HN thread about how far consumer computing has come. link

• Nothing big enough today — the "breakthroughs" data is mostly commemorative anniversaries and funding announcements, not new discoveries.

• Rachel Aviv: Mother and Daughter. A rare interview with the acclaimed New Yorker writer known for deeply reported psychological profiles — worth the sit for anyone who follows her work. read

• In 2008, Russian units occupied the Georgian city of Gori during the Russo-Georgian War — a conflict that foreshadowed later tensions over Russian military assertiveness in its near-abroad.

• DeMarcus Cousins (turns 36) — the four-time NBA All-Star known for his dominant post play. Filip Forsberg (turns 32) — the Swedish NHL forward and longtime Nashville Predators scorer.

• Grilled eggplant with coconut milk (Filipino) — built around eggplant, coconut milk, and lemon juice, with a kick from red pepper flakes. Light, smoky, and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner. recipe

• This afternoon, try a "two truths" check-in: ask your kid to tell you one thing that went right today and one thing that went sideways, then share your own before offering any advice. It normalizes that both good and bad show up in the same day, without turning the conversation into a lecture. Works well for ages 5-14.

In Telltale Games' "The Walking Dead: Season One," what is the name of Clementine's father?

• Tell them: "Crocodiles can grow up to 15 feet, but most of them just have 4" — and if that gets even a groan, follow it up with an actual plan since the weekend's close: pick a restaurant neither of you has tried and just go, no occasion needed.