This is Artificially Intelligent News for Tuesday, August eighteenth, twenty twenty-six. I’m Mark Ellison.

This briefing is created with artificial intelligence and fact-checked against authoritative reporting available this morning. As always, facts can move quickly. We’ll distinguish confirmed developments from claims and proposals.

The Supreme Court has again turned away President Trump’s effort to undo the five-million-dollar civil verdict won by writer E. Jean Carroll.

The justices denied the president’s request that they reconsider their earlier refusal to hear the case. A New York jury found Trump liable in twenty twenty-three for sexually abusing Carroll in the mid-nineteen nineties and for defaming her when he denied her allegation in twenty twenty-two. Trump has denied wrongdoing.

The court’s action does not create a new ruling on the underlying facts. It means the five-million-dollar judgment now remains in place after the appeals process. Carroll’s attorney said the verdict is final. The decision is separate from the much larger defamation judgment Carroll won in a later trial.

In Texas, the administration has temporarily paused a border-construction project in Big Bend National Park.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said he will make an on-the-ground visit and hear from local leaders, community members and other stakeholders before work resumes. The proposed construction has drawn opposition from conservation groups, former park officials and some local voices concerned about the landscape and wildlife in one of the country’s most remote national parks.

Supporters of the project argue the border remains a national-security concern. Critics say the riverbank cliffs, mountains, canyons and desert already make this section difficult to cross and that a wall could permanently damage the park. The pause is temporary, not a cancellation. The administration has said it expects the first layer of the broader project to be built by the end of next year.

The disagreement is not simply about whether border security matters. It is about how that goal should be balanced with the federal responsibility to preserve a protected landscape. Scott’s visit gives local communities a direct opportunity to explain how construction could affect habitat, the landscape and the character of the park.

A major test for Meta begins today in federal court in Oakland, California.

California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are set to take Meta to trial over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to keep young users engaged in ways that harmed their mental health. The states also allege that Meta collected data from children under thirteen without parental consent.

Meta disputes the claims. The company says the evidence will show it has worked with parents, experts and law enforcement and has invested in safety tools for younger users. The states are seeking financial damages and changes to how Meta operates its platforms. Meta has disclosed that the claims, in theory, could total as much as one-point-four trillion dollars, though legal experts say a penalty anywhere near that amount would be unlikely.

At issue is not simply whether young people used the services. The states’ case focuses on whether design choices encouraged prolonged use while safety measures were inadequate. A trial tests evidence in public, including what the company knew and how it responded.

The case matters well beyond the four states in court this week. It is among thousands of lawsuits pressing social-media companies over youth safety, and the outcome could shape future regulation and product design.

That trial follows another consequential verdict involving young people and social media.

A California jury found Instagram and YouTube negligent in a case brought by a young woman who said the platforms contributed to her addiction and harm as a minor. The jury found both companies knew their platforms could be dangerous for children and failed to adequately warn users. It awarded six million dollars in damages and three million dollars in punitive damages.

The jury assigned seventy percent of the responsibility to Meta and thirty percent to YouTube. Meta and YouTube disagreed with the verdict. TikTok and Snap had settled before trial.

This was one individual case, not a nationwide judgment that automatically changes the rules for every platform. Still, it is being closely watched because it adds to the legal pressure on technology companies to show that features intended to increase engagement do not place young users at unreasonable risk.

Public health policy is also in focus after the White House moved to change the federal approach to childhood vaccine recommendations.

President Trump signed an executive order calling for recommendations that spread childhood shots across separate medical visits. The administration says it wants more individualized decisions by parents and doctors. Medical groups and decades of research support the existing recommended schedule and have found no link between routine childhood vaccination and autism.

The development comes as new data show kindergarten vaccination coverage slipped again and exemptions reached a record high. Public-health specialists warn that national averages can obscure local clusters where many children are unvaccinated. Those clusters can make outbreaks more likely, especially for highly contagious diseases such as measles.

The medical question has a practical side for families. The existing schedule allows pediatricians to offer several protections during regular visits. Spacing shots across separate visits could change the timing of federal guidance even if it does not directly alter state rules.

The order does not by itself rewrite state school-entry requirements. States and territories still set many of those rules. But it signals a significant federal-policy shift and will be closely examined by doctors, schools and parents.

In the Western Hemisphere, the United States is expanding its anti-cartel campaign from maritime strikes toward possible joint land operations with regional partners.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered few operational details, but the administration has discussed greater cooperation with Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras. The United States has already designated twenty Latin American criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations and has carried out more than sixty boat strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, according to Associated Press reporting.

The administration describes the campaign as an effort against trafficking networks. Critics, including regional specialists, question the legal basis for some strikes and warn that a deeper military role could lead to civilian casualties and a lasting political backlash. Mexico remains a major point of attention: President Claudia Sheinbaum has cooperated with Washington on security while resisting a U.S. military role on Mexican soil.

Designating groups as foreign terrorist organizations does not by itself settle the separate question of how or when military force can be used. That distinction is central to criticism of a deeper military role, even when countries are cooperating on security.

And in Asia, President Trump says he has ordered a substantial reduction in U.S.-South Korean military exercises. He cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The move has prompted concern and confusion in Seoul, where large combined exercises are seen as a core part of deterrence against North Korea. The administration has not yet provided a detailed public accounting of which exercises would be reduced or by how much. South Korea’s president has stressed the continuing importance of the alliance.

For allied militaries, exercises are not only demonstrations of resolve. They are also a way to practice coordination, communications and response plans. That helps explain why proposed cuts have drawn attention even before the administration identifies the programs involved.

The central question is whether a reduction becomes a diplomatic opening with Pyongyang or weakens readiness without producing talks. For now, it is an announced policy direction rather than a new agreement with North Korea.

Overseas, the most immediate economic and security concern remains the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran says it is close to finalizing an arrangement with Oman for ships to transit the waterway. The proposal under discussion would have vessels enter on a route close to Iran and leave on a route close to Oman, without fees or tolls during an interim period. Details remain incomplete, and no final joint statement had been issued as of this morning.

The strait has effectively been closed since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil moved through it. That is why negotiations over shipping have consequences far beyond the Gulf, from fuel prices to inflation and global supply chains.

An interim shipping plan would be only a step toward a full return to normal commerce. Shipping companies, insurers and energy buyers still need confidence that routes are safe and predictable. Until terms are public and vessels are moving consistently, the effect on supply and prices will remain uncertain.

President Trump again threatened Oman if it obstructs a full reopening, while the sixty-day period for U.S.-Iran peace talks expired without a confirmed extension. The United Nations secretary-general is urging both sides to resume negotiations, saying there is no military solution to the conflict.

In the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine is pursuing a different kind of pressure campaign deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian drone attacks have struck warehouses used by Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer. Ukraine says the company sells some dual-use goods and technical components that can reach the Russian military. Moscow denies that account.

Wildberries says it is reorganizing its supply chain. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry says seven of the company’s ten largest logistics centers have been knocked out of operation. Those claims have not been independently verified in full, but the reported fires and disruptions underline Ukraine’s strategy of targeting infrastructure that it says supports Russia’s war effort and economy.

The reported scale makes verification especially important. Ukrainian and Russian accounts of damage can differ in wartime, while company statements may describe disruptions without providing a complete inventory. What is clear is that repeated hits could complicate deliveries and recovery for businesses tied to those centers.

The attacks also affect ordinary sellers and consumers. Wildberries has a vast network of pickup points and relies heavily on large central warehouses. Russia’s central bank has asked lenders to restructure loans for smaller businesses that lost merchandise. That makes this more than a military story. It is a test of whether Ukraine can impose visible domestic economic costs inside Russia while the war continues.

Now to money.

These are final closing figures from Monday’s completed U.S. trading session, not futures or intraday prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell two hundred seventy-two point six three points, or zero-point-five percent, to close at fifty-three thousand four hundred fifty-nine point seven eight. The S and P 500 fell forty point seven zero points, also zero-point-five percent, to seven thousand seven hundred forty-five point zero six. The Nasdaq Composite lost eighty-four point two five points, or zero-point-three percent, ending at twenty-six thousand six hundred forty-four point nine one.

Stocks remain near record territory, but oil was the major pressure point Monday. Brent crude rose two-point-seven percent to ninety dollars and eighty-seven cents a barrel as uncertainty around the Iran war and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz raised fears about supply. Higher oil prices can filter through to gasoline, transportation and consumer prices. They also pushed Treasury yields higher, which can raise borrowing costs across the economy.

The major indexes measure different parts of the market, but all three moved lower Monday. The Dow draws on a smaller group of large companies, while the S and P 500 and Nasdaq offer broader snapshots. Their shared decline showed the oil concern was felt across the session.

That tension explains the market’s unease. Corporate profits and enthusiasm around large technology companies have helped lift stocks this year. But investors are weighing that against a weaker consumer picture, elevated mortgage rates and the risk that a sustained energy shock could make inflation harder to bring down. Oil prices can reverse quickly with diplomatic developments, so this is a market risk to watch rather than a settled trend.

In sports, the college football season has its first major measuring stick.

Ohio State is number one and Oregon is number two in the preseason Associated Press Top 25. The Buckeyes received forty first-place votes and Oregon received fourteen from the sixty-nine media members who voted. It is only the second time the Big Ten has held the top two positions in the preseason poll, and the first since nineteen sixty-one.

Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas round out the top five. Defending national champion Indiana starts sixth. The Southeastern Conference has the most ranked teams with nine, including five in the top ten.

The first-place vote split gives Ohio State a clear lead, although not unanimous support. Oregon’s second-place position adds an early national spotlight to a conference race already filled with ranked opponents.

Preseason rankings do not decide a playoff field, but they set expectations and shape the early schedule. Ohio State faces Texas on September twelfth and has five conference games against preseason-ranked opponents. For the Big Ten, the poll also reflects a remarkable run: its members have won the last three College Football Playoff championships.

Baseball gave fans a reminder of why Shohei Ohtani remains one of the sport’s biggest draws.

Ohtani hit his twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth home runs of the season as the Dodgers beat the Rockies eleven to five in Denver. Los Angeles had been in a difficult stretch after dropping a series to Milwaukee, and the outburst provided a needed offensive response at Coors Field.

The win went to Blake Snell, while Colorado starter Tomoyuki Sugano took the loss. Ohtani’s two-homer night does not erase the long-season questions facing the defending champions, including health and consistency heading toward September. But it reinforced the Dodgers’ capacity to change a game quickly when their lineup clicks.

Here is a concise look at notable final results from Monday.

The Dodgers beat the Rockies eleven to five behind Ohtani’s two home runs.

In the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Dallas Wings seventy-eight to seventy.

The Tampa Bay Rays edged the Baltimore Orioles seven to six.

The Philadelphia Phillies held off the Miami Marlins six to five.

And in the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis won the men’s pole vault gold with a clearance of six-point-one-five meters.

Finally, entertainment news is marked by the death of actor Hayden Panettiere. She was thirty-six.

Panettiere’s father announced her death. Police said she was found unresponsive Sunday afternoon at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina. An autopsy found no signs of trauma, and police said they saw no signs of foul play. A cause of death has not been determined, and the death remains under investigation.

At this early stage, officials have not released a cause of death. The absence of signs of trauma or foul play is not a final medical conclusion, and the investigation remains the appropriate source for further information.

Panettiere became widely known as a child actor and later reached a large television audience in Heroes and Nashville. Her film credits included Remember the Titans, A Bug’s Life and Scream VI. She had also spoken publicly about alcohol addiction, depression and postpartum depression. Tributes from colleagues have emphasized both her talent and the broad range of work she did across film and television.

That is your Artificially Intelligent News briefing for Tuesday, August eighteenth.

We covered the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. legal and technology cases, vaccine policy, markets, Ukraine, college football, baseball and the life of Hayden Panettiere.

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I’m Mark Ellison. Thanks for listening, and have a steady Tuesday.