On Thursday, three men were executed in the United States on the same day for the first time in over 15 years. Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez, 70, was executed in Oklahoma for the 2003 murder of his common-law wife; Darrell Hines, 66, was executed in Tennessee for the 1985 murder of a motel maid; and Jeremy Williams, 42, was executed in Alabama for the 2021 rape and murder of a five-year-old girl. The executions highlight a renewed appetite for capital punishment in the US, with 47 executions carried out last year, a significant increase from the previous year, driven largely by Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis and federal policy under President Donald Trump, despite declining public support for the death penalty.

More than 110,000 Canadians have signed a petition calling for the expulsion of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, accusing him of normalizing President Trump's threats to annex Canada as the 51st state and interfering in Canadian political affairs. The petition, initiated by a Calgary resident, will be presented to the House of Commons by Green Party leader Elizabeth May after signatures close in November. It requests that Hoekstra be declared persona non grata and that a parliamentary committee review U.S. diplomatic interference. The move reflects deepening rifts between the two countries amid ongoing trade negotiations and threats of new U.S. tariffs.

Background: The United States removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a January military operation but left his party and allies in power under new President Delcy Rodríguez, prioritizing oil-sector recovery over political transition. Today, eight months after Maduro's capture, Venezuela's transition shows mixed results: crude production is rising, some private enclaves stabilize, and repression has eased, but the vast majority of Venezuelans face worsening living conditions. Frequent power outages, like the one in Barquisimeto, highlight infrastructure failures. A June agreement with General Electric aims to restore the grid within four years, but progress is slow.

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Christopher Coons sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent questioning the Trump administration's 17-month pause in routine sanctions targeting Russia's sanctions evasion networks. They argue the pause undermines leverage for peace talks, which have stalled, and cite the administration's justification of waiting for peace negotiations. The senators demand a response by August 28.

Background: Trump previously floated a Vance-Rubio 'dream team' ticket for 2028. Today, Trump acknowledged the 22nd Amendment bars a third term, saying 'the law is very strong,' while noting crowd chants of '2028.' A straw poll shows Rubio leading among GOP contenders. Trump reiterated constitutional limits on a third term, saying 'the law is very strong' when asked about running again, despite having floated the idea. He noted crowds at a Patriot Games event in Ohio chanted '2028.' A straw poll at the Western Conservative Summit showed Rubio leading with 57% support, followed by Vance at 21%.

A RAND Corporation report released Tuesday recommends the U.S. Air Force treat artificial intelligence as a core readiness issue across all critical career fields, not just technical specialists. The report advocates for 'just-in-time' training and stackable certificates in AI, data literacy, and cyber operations for officers and warrant officers, aligning with the department's reestablished warrant officer program. It suggests pilot programs and outcome assessments before scaling, and updating promotion and assignment processes to account for these certificates, aiming to enhance technological fluency force-wide.

Northrop Grumman has named its 50mm gun-based air defense system 'Raid Hunter', designed to counter cruise missiles and drone swarms. The system pairs the company's Chain Gun with precision-guided ammunition and a networked controller, offering a cost-effective, deep-magazine alternative to expensive interceptors. Testing through 2025 will support accelerated fielding, with modular palletized, vehicle-mounted, and container-based variants planned. The system addresses the economic challenge of defending against massed drone attacks, a lesson from conflicts in Ukraine and the Red Sea.

Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, reported a 35% year-on-year rise in second-quarter net profit to NT$59.97 billion ($1.86 billion), beating analyst estimates of NT$58.38 billion. The growth was driven by surging demand for AI servers used in data centers. The company maintained its strong revenue growth forecast for 2025 and is expanding AI server production in Mexico and Texas. This follows its earlier Q2 revenue surge of 39.8% year-on-year, with the company also cautioning about geopolitical risks. Ahead of the earnings release, Foxconn's shares closed 2.7% higher; they have risen 17% so far this year, underperforming the broader Taiwan index's 57% gain.