Morning Politics | Thursday, August 13, 2026
Today’s Deep Dive
Karoline Leavitt to Exit as White House Press Secretary, Move to Outside Advisor Role
The youngest press secretary in U.S. history is walking away at the end of August, and Trump says she’ll become one of his top outside advisors heading into the midterms. Her replacement hasn’t been named, and five people have already held the job across Trump’s two terms. What her exit signals about the West Wing’s communications strategy.
World Politics
Ukraine Strikes Novorossiysk, Damaging Grain Terminals and Russia’s Last Black Sea Naval Base
Ukraine struck two grain-export terminals and four warships at the harbor sheltering Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Analysts are already warning about what it means for global food prices. Whether this reopens a cycle both sides paused this year is the open question.
Economy & Money
July Inflation Eases to 3.4% as Gas Prices Slip, But Wages Still Lag
Headline inflation eased to 3.4% in July and core prices hit a post-pandemic low, even with the Iran war keeping oil elevated. The White House is calling it vindication. Democrats and independent economists at Brookings and Peterson see something more complicated in the numbers.
Tech & Power
Twitch Trained Amazon’s AI on Streamers by Default. Now Users Can Say No.
Twitch just admitted Amazon has been training AI on streamers’ content with the setting on by default. When an executive was asked why they didn’t make it opt-in, his answer was refreshingly, damningly honest. Here’s what he said and why creators aren’t buying the fix.
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