The FBI has changed its hiring rules and will no longer automatically reject applicants who have had sexual encounters with prostitutes. Instead, the FBI will consider these cases more carefully, looking at the context before making a decision, but serious or recent involvement may still lead to disqualification.
Key Facts
The FBI used to automatically bar applicants who had experiences with prostitution.
Now, some applicants with past prostitution encounters may be considered depending on the details.
Applicants with prostitution involvement in the last 10 years, three or more times, or while in a trusted position are still likely to be disqualified.
This change aims to recognize that some candidates, including service members, may have engaged in prostitution where it is legal or may have been victims of sexual abuse.
The FBI says it still holds high hiring standards and rejects criminal sexual behavior.
The change reflects evolving recruitment rules as the FBI tries to fill staff shortages due to retirements and resignations.
The FBI has also altered training programs to help hire agents more quickly.
Some current and former officials worry that easing hiring standards might lower the quality of new recruits.
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Two air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport left work about an hour early on the night of a deadly crash involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering firing them because their early departure left fewer controllers available during a busy and emergency-filled time.
Key Facts
The crash happened on March 22, 2026, when an Air Canada jet hit a fire truck on the runway at LaGuardia Airport.
Both pilots of the Air Canada jet died in the crash.
Two controllers who were scheduled to work late left about an hour early before the accident.
Their early departure meant fewer controllers were in the tower during a busy period with many flights and an emergency on the ground.
The FAA is pursuing disciplinary actions against the two controllers, possibly leading to firing.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is discussing the case with FAA officials.
Leaving work early despite being scheduled is called an “early shove” and happens in other places, but is being criticized here.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called the early departures timecard fraud and said it will not be tolerated.
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The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to spend up to $2 million to buy robot dogs from Boston Dynamics. These robots will help officers by inspecting dangerous or hard-to-reach areas to keep them safe during law enforcement activities.
Key Facts
ICE is looking to buy Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs.
The robots have 360-degree cameras and can open doors.
They are remotely controlled and help with inspections and hazard checks.
The robot dogs do not have attack abilities but have extendable arms.
These robots are already used by the Secret Service and various police departments.
The purchase aims to improve officer safety and support operations at the border and on infrastructure.
DHS also approved $16 million for electric shock gloves for ICE officers.
The robots have been seen before on social media patrolling locations like Mar-A-Lago.
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President Donald Trump awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew at NASA's Johnson Space Center on August 28, 2026. During the ceremony, he also signed an executive order to create the U.S. Space Academy, aimed at training people for the Space Force, NASA, and civilian space travel.
Key Facts
The Artemis II crew includes NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
They traveled farther into deep space than anyone before during their mission around the Moon in April 2026.
Their mission helped gather information to prepare for returning humans to the Moon by 2028.
President Trump personally gave each astronaut the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
He signed an executive order to start the U.S. Space Academy, similar to military service academies.
The new academy will support both the U.S. Space Force and NASA, and will train civilians involved in space flight.
The location for the Space Academy will be announced soon.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the ceremony alongside President Trump.
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The Trump administration is trying to limit who can qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which cancels student loan debt after 10 years of qualifying payments. The Department of Education is appealing a court ruling that blocked their effort to restrict which employers count as qualifying workplaces for loan forgiveness.
Key Facts
The PSLF program forgives federal student loans for government and nonprofit employees after 120 qualifying payments.
The Department of Education under President Trump wants to narrow eligibility by excluding employers involved in activities they view as illegal or not proper public service.
The proposed rule could disqualify organizations supporting illegal immigration, terrorism, or gender-affirming care services.
Two federal judges blocked the rule earlier this summer, ruling that Congress did not give the Education Department authority to make these decisions alone.
The Education Department is appealing the court rulings to try to enforce the new rule.
Current borrowers remain eligible for PSLF under existing standards while the appeal is ongoing.
If the appeal succeeds, some workers might lose credit for their loan payments because their employer no longer qualifies.
Borrowers must work full time for a qualifying employer and have eligible federal loans to pursue PSLF.
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A new National Park Service report supports President Donald Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot tall memorial arch near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC. The report acknowledges the arch will change the views between many important landmarks but says moving the project is not a reasonable option.
Key Facts
The 250-foot arch would affect the sightlines of landmarks like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial.
The arch would break the visual alignment between the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge, and Arlington House, which symbolizes unity between North and South.
Dozens of historic sites in Washington would be visually impacted, including the National Mall, US Capitol, Georgetown Historic District, and National Cathedral.
The National Park Service report says the arch’s location is historically appropriate despite the impact on views.
The report states alternatives outside Memorial Circle are not reasonable to meet the project’s goals.
The project recently got initial approval from a major federal commission.
Three veterans and a group of historians have sued to stop the arch, arguing Congress should decide on such a major project.
A lawyer representing the challengers says the arch will greatly change the National Mall and should not be rushed by the executive branch.
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The CBS News show "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" will feature guests on Sunday, August 30, 2026. The guests include a Democratic senator, a Republican congressman and governor candidate, an election research expert, and a former Afghan military leader.
Key Facts
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut will be a guest.
Republican Representative John James from Michigan, who is also running for governor, will appear.
David Becker, who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research, will join the show.
Haibatullah Alizai, former chief of general staff of the Afghan Armed Forces, is also a guest.
The show airs on CBS News at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
It also streams later at 12:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and CBSNews.com.
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A new poll shows Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith leading Democrat Scott Colom by 6 points in Mississippi’s Senate race. Mississippi, a state that strongly supported President Donald Trump in 2024, is usually not competitive for Democrats, but this race appears closer than expected.
Key Facts
Hyde-Smith leads Colom 44% to 38% in a recent poll of likely voters in Mississippi.
Independent candidate Ty Pinkins received 7% of the vote in the same poll.
Without Pinkins on the ballot, Hyde-Smith leads Colom 47% to 41%.
The poll surveyed 1,018 likely voters between August 5 and August 15, with a 3-point margin of error.
Hyde-Smith has a net favorability rating of -10 points, with 50% unfavorable and 40% favorable views.
Colom is less well-known but has a more positive net favorability rating among those aware of him.
President Trump remains favorably viewed by a slim majority in Mississippi (51% favorable, 47% unfavorable).
Mississippi strongly supports Republicans, with Trump winning about 61% of the vote in 2024 and previous elections showing large GOP margins.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed renaming Nashville’s airport after Dolly Parton, a country music star who recently passed away. The governor said Dolly Parton had a strong connection to the state and its culture.
Key Facts
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the plan on Friday.
The proposal is to rename Nashville’s airport after Dolly Parton.
Dolly Parton was a famous country music artist.
She passed away earlier this week.
Governor Lee said her life is closely linked to Tennessee’s identity.
The airport is located in Nashville, the state capital and music hub.
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The FBI has changed its hiring rules to no longer automatically reject applicants who have had sexual encounters with prostitutes. Instead, the agency will look at the full context of the behavior, but will still reject candidates who recently or repeatedly engaged in prostitution, or did so while holding a position of trust.
Key Facts
The FBI used to automatically bar applicants with any history of prostitution from employment.
Now, the FBI will consider some applicants’ past encounters with prostitutes in context, not as an automatic disqualification.
Applicants involved in prostitution within the last 10 years, three or more times, or while in positions of trust, will still be disqualified.
The change is part of broader FBI efforts to update recruitment standards, which have also relaxed rules on past marijuana use.
The FBI continues to conduct thorough background checks including polygraph tests and security reviews.
The FBI explained that some candidates may have engaged in prostitution legally, such as service members overseas, or been victims of sexual abuse.
The agency maintains it will uphold high suitability standards for hiring.
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A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elsie Dominguez, a civilian engineer who said she was raped on a Navy ship in 2021. The judge ruled her injury fell under workplace injury laws, meaning it must be handled as a worker’s compensation claim rather than a civil case against the government.
Key Facts
Elsie Dominguez alleged she was raped aboard the USNS Carson City by the ship’s captain in December 2021.
No criminal charges were filed against the captain after a Coast Guard investigation.
The captain surrendered his credential, allowing the Coast Guard to close the case without a decision on guilt.
Dominguez filed a civil lawsuit against the U.S. government seeking compensation and changes to prevent future assaults.
The government argued the case must be treated as a workplace injury claim under a 1952 Supreme Court ruling.
The Office of Workers’ Compensation accepted Dominguez’s claim as work-related injury.
Dominguez disagreed with having her assault classified as a work injury but chose not to appeal.
The lawsuit was dismissed by the judge, ending the civil claim against the government.
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Tennessee’s governor and Nashville airport officials support renaming Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton following her death. A petition with over 155,000 signatures asks for this change, which would make Parton the first woman to have her name on one of the nation’s 50 busiest airports.
Key Facts
Dolly Parton died recently at age 80.
Fans started an online petition in January 2025 to rename Nashville's airport after her.
The petition gained renewed attention after her death and now has more than 155,000 signatures.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Nashville airport CEO support the idea.
The airport authority will discuss the renaming proposal at its September 17 meeting.
Renaming would make Parton the first woman with her name on a top 50 busiest U.S. airport.
Current policy requires people to be deceased for at least two years before naming airport property after them.
Dolly Parton was a beloved country music star and actress, known for hits like "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You."
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Senators are asking for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign or be removed after newly released documents show he lied during his confirmation hearings. They say Kennedy misled the Senate about the reasons for his 2019 trip to Samoa, where a deadly measles outbreak occurred amid anti-vaccine campaigns.
Key Facts
Senators claim Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied during his 2025 confirmation hearings about his 2019 Samoa trip.
Kennedy said the trip was to introduce a medical records system, denying any connection to vaccines.
New documents reveal Kennedy wrote to Samoa's prime minister about vaccine-related deaths and offered to investigate MMR vaccines.
Samoa experienced a deadly measles outbreak in 2019 with 83 deaths, mostly children under 5, linked to low vaccination rates around 31%.
Two infants died from vaccine errors caused by nurses mixing a muscle relaxant with MMR shots, not from the vaccine itself.
Kennedy’s organization, Children’s Health Defense, used the deaths to spread anti-vaccine messages, without updating the cause.
Senators want the Justice Department to investigate Kennedy for lying to Congress, which is a crime.
Kennedy brought a CHD team and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, on the Samoa trip.
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The National Park Service released a report supporting President Donald Trump’s plan to build a 250-foot-tall arch near Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. The report says the arch will affect the view and historical connections between many famous landmarks, but it also states that this location is the most fitting place for the arch. The project faces a legal challenge from veterans and historians who argue it will harm the National Mall's historic character.
Key Facts
The arch is planned to be 250 feet tall and located next to Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C.
It would disrupt sightlines between important landmarks like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Arlington House.
The alignment between the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge, and Arlington House symbolizes the unity of North and South after the Civil War.
The National Park Service report states that moving the arch or removing its main feature would not fulfill the project’s purpose.
The arch has received initial approval from a federal commission but faces legal challenges from three veterans and historians.
Legal challengers believe such a significant project should be decided by Congress, not by executive order.
The arch’s construction is expected to change the look and feel of dozens of historic sites around the National Mall.
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The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to permit the military to enforce a ban on transgender people serving as troops. This move asks the court to decide if the ban is allowed under the Constitution and to overturn a lower court’s decision that stopped the ban.
Key Facts
The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to allow a ban on transgender military service.
This is the second time the issue is being taken to the Supreme Court.
The Pentagon seeks to enforce the ban despite an appeals court blocking it.
The question is whether the ban is constitutional or not.
The ban would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military.
Lower courts have previously ruled against allowing the ban to be enforced.
The Supreme Court’s decision will affect transgender people’s rights to serve in the armed forces.
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Milo Yiannopoulos, a British far-right commentator, was arrested by U.S. immigration officials in New Orleans for overstaying his visa after entering the country legally in 2019. An immigration judge ordered his removal after he missed a hearing, and he is now in custody while facing deportation.
Key Facts
Milo Yiannopoulos was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the New Orleans airport.
He entered the United States legally in May 2019 through New York City.
Yiannopoulos overstayed his visa and missed his immigration court hearing.
On July 22, an immigration judge issued a final removal order against him.
His current detention location is not publicly confirmed, but contacts are directed to ICE’s Alexandria, Louisiana office.
Yiannopoulos is a British citizen and known for his far-right views.
He has worked recently with the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), who had a concert in New Orleans.
Yiannopoulos supports President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration enforcement.
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Rapper E-40 spoke about Tupac Shakur, remembering him as a gifted artist who died too early. Meanwhile, a trial is underway for a man accused of planning Tupac’s murder, with closing arguments expected soon.
Key Facts
Rapper E-40 worked with Tupac Shakur and shared his thoughts about him.
E-40 described Tupac as a true talent who passed away too soon.
A man is on trial for allegedly planning Tupac’s murder.
The trial is reaching its final stage with closing arguments expected on Monday.
Tupac Shakur was a famous rapper who was killed years ago.
CBS News covered the story and interviewed E-40.
The news is related to U.S. domestic events involving American music and legal proceedings.
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Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas said she will focus on supporting candidates running for lower-level offices instead of campaigning with James Talarico, who defeated her in the Democratic primary for Senate. She implied she is unlikely to join Talarico’s campaign efforts.
Key Facts
Jasmine Crockett is a Democratic representative from Texas.
James Talarico won the Democratic primary for the Texas Senate seat, defeating Crockett.
Crockett said she will focus on “campaigning down ballot,” meaning helping other candidates for positions below the Senate.
She suggested she may not campaign with Talarico after his primary win.
The comments were made in response to a question by CNN’s Laura.
Both Crockett and Talarico are members of the Democratic Party.
The primary election determined the party’s candidate for the Texas Senate seat.
“Down ballot” refers to elections for local or lower-level offices below major positions like Senate or governor.
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President Donald Trump announced plans to make it easier for ranchers to process their own meat. Following this, Republican Representative Thomas Massie from Kentucky urged Congress to pass the PRIME Act to permanently remove restrictions on local meat processing.
Key Facts
President Trump announced an executive order to ease meat processing restrictions for ranchers.
GOP Representative Thomas Massie supports these changes and wants them made into law.
Massie reintroduced the PRIME Act to Congress, which aims to make local meat processing easier.
The goal is to reduce barriers for small and local meat processors.
Massie expressed his views publicly on social media.
The move intends to help ranchers have more control over how they process their meat.
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The FBI has changed some background check rules for hiring agents and employees. Now, people who admit to hiring sex workers or stealing from employers under certain conditions might still be allowed to work for the agency.
Key Facts
The FBI no longer automatically disqualifies applicants who admit to hiring prostitutes if it happened fewer than three times and not within the past 10 years.
Prostitution may be allowed if it occurred in places where it is legal.
People in positions of public trust who solicited sex are still automatically disqualified.
Stealing from an employer is not an automatic disqualification if it happened more than three years ago.
Past acts of bestiality or animal cruelty may be considered if they occurred before age 18.
Changes were made in June and communicated in an internal FBI memo.
The FBI wants to evaluate candidates more fully instead of rejecting them for certain past behaviors.
Some former agents have concerns that relaxing standards could lower hiring quality.
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