Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for Aug. 17, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
THE LATEST
President Donald Trump threatened to “bomb the shit out of” U.S. ally Oman today in an interview on Fox News, just as his 60-day ceasefire deal with Iran timed out. Oman has been mediating talks between the U.S. and Iran, though it’s unclear what specifically prompted Trump’s outburst.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages earlier this year with an unknown individual pretending to be Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, a White House official confirmed.
Trending
THE ADMINISTRATION
More than 200,000 Canadians have signed a petition to expel Trump’s ambassador, Pete Hoekstra, from the country. Green Party leader Elizabeth May is expected to present the request in the House of Commons this fall for a vote.
- “She has an obligation to sponsor petitions brought forward by citizens, regardless of whether she personally agrees with what the petition is asking for,” May’s office said in a statement to the BBC.
The administration is pausing construction on a controversial border project in Big Bend National Park pending an on-the-ground evaluation by Border Patrol head Rodney Scott.
A rotating cast of Cabinet officials will likely fill the role of White House press secretary after the departure of Karoline Leavitt later this month, CNN reported.
- He “genuinely doesn’t know who to pick and has expressed zero urgency,” one insider told the network.
THE HILL
The House Ethics Committee is investigating sexual misconduct allegations against Jimmy Gomez (D-California), the committee confirmed today. CNN first reported the investigation in June.
The committee’s chair, Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), violated the STOCK Act by disclosing stock sales more than six months later than required, according to a NOTUS review of financial records. The Ethics Committee enforces the STOCK Act.
Rep. Nancy Mace lit up the internet over the weekend after she revealed, for the first time publicly, her heavily tattooed arms — which she claimed to have gotten at least partially in response to an exodus of staffers from her congressional office.
- In a YouTube video, Mace said the ink provided her “the pain that I need to feel.”
THE COURTS
The Supreme Court rebuffed Trump’s second attempt to overturn a $5 million payout to the writer E. Jean Carroll after a jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.
UNCANNY
Allison Williams I have the role of a lifetime for you https://t.co/YhyXQNz8Ve
— potato bun (@erewhonsmoothie) August 16, 2026
Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Kate Nocera and Jonann Brady. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please sign up — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.
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