News & Current Events

A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck San José del Palmar, Chocó, on August 10, 2026, killing at least 126 people according to UN figures, with a presidential estimate of 181 deaths and more than 3,000 still missing. The disaster damaged nearly 5,000 homes, collapsed 61 buildings, and affected over 550 schools and 24 health facilities across five departments. Casualty figures remain unreconciled across sources, and rescue operations are hampered by remote terrain accessible only by boat.

After making landfall in Zhejiang on 9 August, Typhoon White Dolphin's circulation moved inland, prompting Beijing to activate a Level II flood emergency and national authorities to issue orange rainstorm warnings covering ten provinces and municipalities through Thursday morning, with forecast six-hour totals exceeding 150 millimetres in seven Beijing districts. Taihu Lake crossed its 3.80-metre warning level on 11 August, triggering the 2026 No. 1 Taihu flood designation, while 685 Anhui reservoirs were operating above flood-control limits. No consolidated casualty figure for mainland China has been released by official sources.

Minnesota's August 11 primary produced four called races: Amy Klobuchar and Lisa Demuth secured the major-party governor nominations, while Peggy Flanagan defeated Angie Craig by 19.6 percentage points in the Democratic Senate primary and Michele Tafoya won the Republican Senate primary with 52.1% of the vote. Both statewide general election contests are rated Likely Democratic by Inside Elections as of mid-2026, though Minnesota has been described as more closely divided than its recent statewide results indicate. Vote totals for the governor races were not publicly available in the sources reviewed, and none of the results are yet certified.

Governor Ned Lamont defeated primary challenger Josh Elliott on August 11, 2026, taking roughly two-thirds of the vote in the first primary challenge to a Connecticut governor in 48 years. Lamont will face Republican Ryan Fazio in November; Republicans have not held the Connecticut governorship since 2011. Contested congressional primaries also concluded, with Luke Bronin ousting incumbent John Larson in the 1st District and Republicans selecting nominees for the 4th and 5th Districts, though all figures remain preliminary rather than certified.

Wisconsin's August 11 partisan primary produced reported nominees in seven of eight congressional districts, while the 6th District Democratic race remained too close to call with Brad Smith leading Amanda Bell by 477 votes, a 0.7-point margin within recount-eligible range. The governor's Democratic primary also stayed unresolved overnight after a data upload error delayed roughly 28,000 Milwaukee absentee ballots, leaving David Crowley's projected win over Francesca Hong at a displayed 0.4-point margin that cannot be treated as final. Both the 6th District and gubernatorial margins fall within Wisconsin's 1% recount-eligibility threshold, meaning either race could trigger a formal recount petition once county canvasses are complete.

The National Centers for Environmental Information confirmed July 2026 averaged 76.9°F across the contiguous United States, placing it 3.3°F above the 20th-century average and edging out previous July records from 1936 and 2012 by 0.1–0.2°F. Every contiguous state finished at least 1°F above its historical average, and overnight lows set their own 132-year record at 64.2°F. The same month also brought below-average precipitation nationally, yet produced Albany's wettest July day since 1874 and record heat in eastern Montana, where temperatures reached 116°F.