A man dressed as Darth Vader spoke at a San Diego city council meeting to criticize the use of Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers. The company’s cameras face criticism for privacy issues and past misuse, despite San Diego deciding to keep using the system.
Key Facts
A man disguised as Darth Vader appeared at a San Diego public safety meeting to comment on Flock Safety cameras.
He humorously suggested the cameras could be used for surveillance and stalking.
A Louisiana sheriff’s deputy was fired for misusing Flock’s system to track an ex-fiancée’s car.
Flock Safety promotes its cameras as tools to help police find missing people and stolen cars.
San Diego city council voted in December to continue using Flock’s camera system.
A man in San Diego was wrongly jailed based on false data from a Flock license plate reader.
About 100 towns have stopped using or rejected Flock cameras due to privacy concerns.
Flock recently announced new rules to prevent misuse, including an auditing feature for police agencies.
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Patrick Clancy is a key figure in the murder trial of his ex-wife, Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing their three children in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023. Since the tragedy, Patrick has moved to New York, remarried, and started an advocacy group to support families dealing with mental health crises around childbirth.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy is charged with three counts of murder and three counts of strangulation related to the deaths of her children.
The children were Cora (5 years old), Dawson (3 years old), and Callan (8 months old).
Patrick and Lindsay married in 2016 and lived in Duxbury, Massachusetts, before separating.
Lindsay’s mental health deteriorated in 2022, involving multiple doctors and psychiatric medications.
On January 24, 2023, Patrick found his children deceased and Lindsay injured at their home.
Patrick moved to New York City in spring 2023 and remarried physician Rachel Danis.
He founded the Heard Foundation to improve care for parents with mental health challenges related to childbirth.
Patrick’s testimony is important in the trial as jurors consider whether Lindsay acted intentionally or due to mental illness.
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The U.S. government plans to pay $850 million of the approximately $5 billion it owes to the United Nations. This includes $725 million for the U.N.’s regular budget and $125 million for peacekeeping missions in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Facts
The U.S. owes about $5 billion in total to the United Nations.
Of this, more than $2 billion is for the regular U.N. budget and around $3 billion is for peacekeeping efforts.
The Trump administration has demanded major reforms from the U.N. in exchange for continuing to pay its dues.
Since 2023, the U.S. has made limited payments, including $160 million earlier in the year.
The administration has withdrawn from some U.N. agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNESCO.
Some Republicans in Congress feel the proposed payment plan does not fully address concerns about U.N. staffing and policies.
The U.S. has also cut funding to several other U.N. programs and demanded changes based on its “anti-woke” positions.
The U.S. State Department informed Congress of the payment plans in August 2025.
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The University of Michigan has stopped using the traditional letter grading system for its freshmen students. This change aims to support students' mental health and adjustment to college life.
Key Facts
The University of Michigan no longer gives letter grades (A, B, C, etc.) to first-year students.
This policy affects only freshmen, not upperclassmen.
The university introduced this system to help reduce stress and anxiety among new college students.
The change is part of a broader effort to support mental health in higher education.
Freshmen will receive alternative evaluations instead of letter grades.
Experts link mental health challenges to the pressures of traditional grading.
The new system aims to encourage learning without the pressure of letter grades.
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The Interior Department has reassigned at least 25 senior career employees to new roles within the department. These employees are part of the senior executive service, which includes high-level federal officials.
Key Facts
At least 25 senior career staff members were given new positions at the Interior Department.
These employees belong to the senior executive service (SES), a group of high-ranking federal workers.
The Interior Department manages public lands, parks, and natural resources in the United States.
The changes affect career staff, not political appointees.
The reshuffling aims to adjust leadership roles within the department.
The information was reported by a source familiar with the situation.
The reshuffle is recent and involves various divisions inside the department.
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President Donald Trump mentioned several possible candidates to replace White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is leaving her role soon to spend more time with her family. Among the names he suggested are CNN commentator Scott Jennings and White House adviser Margo Martin, while one potential candidate, Alina Habba, denied interest.
Key Facts
Karoline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary to focus on her young children.
Leavitt is the youngest person to hold this job, starting at age 27.
President Trump suggested Scott Jennings, Margo Martin, and an unnamed friend from Iowa as possible successors.
Alina Habba, a former Trump lawyer, said she is not interested in the press secretary role.
Scott Jennings is currently the favorite candidate in prediction markets with 41% odds.
President Trump prefers a man as the next press secretary and has shown interest in Jennings.
Karoline Leavitt will remain one of Trump’s top outside advisers after leaving the press secretary job.
Trump has had five press secretaries across his two presidencies, with Leavitt being the latest.
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Severe storms hit the Northeast United States on Thursday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and tornadoes in some states. News reports showed damage caused by the storms and provided updates on the weather forecast.
Key Facts
The Northeast US experienced heavy rain and strong winds on Thursday.
Some states in the region reported tornadoes during the storms.
Videos captured the storm conditions as they moved through the area.
CBS News reporters Jared Ochacher and Jessica Burch covered the storm damage.
The news included the latest weather forecast after the storms.
The storms caused noticeable damage in affected areas.
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A Texas appeals court has lowered the amount Alex Jones must pay to a Sandy Hook family from $50 million to $1.5 million. The original payment was for damages after Jones spread false claims that the shooting was a hoax, which caused harassment to the family.
Key Facts
Alex Jones is the founder of Infowars, a media outlet.
Jones claimed the Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax, which is untrue.
Neil Heslin, a Sandy Hook victim’s father, was awarded damages for harassment caused by Jones’s claims.
The original court ordered Jones to pay $50 million to Heslin.
The Texas 3rd Court of Appeals reduced this amount to $1.5 million.
The decision was unanimous among the appeals judges.
The reduction changes the financial penalty Jones must pay to the family.
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A backcountry guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, was fined $151,300 by California workplace safety officials after an avalanche in February killed nine skiers in the state’s deadliest modern avalanche. The company is appealing the fines, and investigations for possible criminal charges are ongoing.
Key Facts
The avalanche occurred on February 17 near Castle Peak in California’s Sierra Nevada.
Nine of the 15 skiers on a guided trip died; three of the dead were guides.
The National Park Service delayed many approved maintenance projects to prioritize work connected to President Donald Trump’s Freedom 250 celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. This shift caused a backlog in repairs at over 200 national park sites, with fixes like the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool work receiving special attention but having issues.
Key Facts
National Park Service moved many maintenance projects to a "low priority" list to focus on Freedom 250-related work requested by the White House.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs, part of Freedom 250 projects, were prioritized but completed poorly.
Around 1,500 maintenance projects nationwide, including roof fixes and supply purchases for parks like Golden Gate and Yellowstone, were delayed or shelved.
The backlog of repair work at national parks has grown to over $24 billion in the last decade.
Many delayed projects were already approved but may not happen soon due to low priority status and fiscal year deadlines.
Park workers were told not to expect contracts for low priority repairs.
The Interior Department said some priorities were changed but did not provide details on which or how funds were spent.
The focus on Freedom 250 projects meant redirecting resources away from routine park maintenance.
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President Donald Trump’s lawyer sent a letter threatening a $5 billion lawsuit against the Center for American Progress (Cap) unless they take back a report that criticized how the National Guard was used to reduce crime. The report said the National Guard efforts in certain cities did not lower crime rates more than cities without the Guard, and the center refuses to withdraw the report.
Key Facts
Cap released a report on July 13 saying National Guard deployments in DC, Memphis, and Los Angeles did not significantly reduce crime despite costing $1.7 billion.
The report found crime rates were falling before President Trump took office in 2025 and that declines were similar with or without National Guard intervention.
President Trump’s personal lawyer, Alejandro Brito, threatened a $5 billion lawsuit if Cap did not retract the report.
The lawsuit threat is against Cap as an organization and is made by Trump personally, not the federal government.
Cap’s president, Neera Tanden, said they stand by the report and called the lawsuit threat an attack on free speech and facts.
Brito’s letter claimed the report suggested President Trump deceived the public and misused military power, which he denies.
Cap responded that their report is based on factual crime data and isn’t about defaming Trump personally.
Cap is a liberal research group founded in 2003 by John Podesta, who worked with the Clintons.
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The USS Lincoln has finished a nine-month mission in the Middle East and is leaving the region. The Supreme Court has temporarily permitted the White House to continue building a ballroom.
Key Facts
The USS Lincoln completed a nine-month deployment in the Middle East.
The ship is now leaving the Middle East after this mission.
The Supreme Court allowed the White House to continue ballroom construction for now.
This permission from the Supreme Court is temporary.
The news was reported by CBS News in "The Takeout with Major Garrett" on August 21.
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Ed Martin, a close ally of President Donald Trump who worked in several Justice Department roles, is leaving to focus on legal efforts related to upcoming elections. Martin was involved in controversial actions during his time in the department, including dismissing Jan. 6 cases and investigating Democratic politicians.
Key Facts
Ed Martin served as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney and held other positions in President Trump’s administration.
President Trump announced Martin’s departure to work on legal battles around the 2024 and 2028 elections.
Martin oversaw the dismissal of Jan. 6 cases after Trump’s pardons.
His nomination as interim U.S. attorney for D.C. was withdrawn due to concerns about his experience and support for Capitol rioters.
Martin led investigations into Democratic officials like Sen. Adam Schiff and NY Attorney General Letitia James.
A judge dismissed the case against James due to issues with prosecutor appointments.
Martin was removed from leading the “Weaponization Working Group” after conflicts with Justice Department leadership.
Attorney General Todd Blanche called Martin a “patriot” in a social media post praising his service.
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Reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military decreased for the third year in a row in 2025. The Pentagon also received fewer complaints about sexual harassment compared to 2024.
Key Facts
Reports of sexual assault in the U.S. military fell again in 2025, continuing a three-year downward trend.
The Pentagon received 7,998 sexual assault reports in 2025.
Sexual harassment complaints to the Pentagon were slightly lower in 2025 than in 2024.
The data comes from a report released by the Department of Defense on Friday.
The report covers the experiences of military personnel across all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
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The Lindsay Clancy trial in Massachusetts is deciding whether she is criminally responsible for killing her three children or not due to severe postpartum mental illness. The jury will determine if she will face life in prison or be sent to a psychiatric hospital based on medical records, expert testimonies, and events from the day of the crime.
Key Facts
Lindsay Clancy admits to killing her three children on January 24, 2023.
The trial focuses on why the killings happened and if Clancy was legally responsible at the time.
Prosecutors argue Clancy acted with intent, citing her asking her husband to leave the house as a planned action.
The defense says Clancy had postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness after childbirth, and was not responsible for her actions.
If found premeditated murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole; if not guilty by reason of insanity, she will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital.
Massachusetts has no special legal defense for postpartum psychosis, so normal criminal responsibility rules apply.
Postpartum psychosis symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, confusion, and mood swings.
The jury will consider her mental state before and during the incident alongside expert opinions.
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President Trump’s administration is changing many rules about U.S. colleges and universities. These changes affect how schools get federal research money, handle international students, and follow the law on admissions and accreditation.
Key Facts
The administration is cutting and freezing federal research funding for universities.
A new rule would let political appointees approve or cancel research grants based on government priorities.
The Pentagon ordered 30 schools to review their foreign research partnerships to keep funding and protect national security.
New limits restrict international students to a maximum of four years in the U.S., replacing the old “duration of status” rule.
The Justice Department is investigating medical schools for alleged racial discrimination in admissions.
The Education Department is reviewing the American Bar Association’s authority to approve law schools.
Proposals aim to break up long-standing control by accrediting groups and speed up the approval of new ones.
Critics worry these changes might reduce graduate student numbers and harm scientific research and international collaboration.
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President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause on tariffs for up to 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef for 90 days. This move aims to lower beef prices for American consumers by allowing foreign beef to be sold at a 25% discount.
Key Facts
The U.S. will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef imports tariff-free for 90 days.
Foreign beef exporters have agreed to sell the imported beef at 25% below current U.S. market prices.
President Trump plans to sign an executive order formalizing this tariff pause within two weeks.
Beef and veal prices increased 9.4% last month compared to the previous year.
U.S. cattle supply is at a 75-year low while demand for beef continues to rise.
Farmers and some Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about rising foreign beef imports.
The administration is also working on long-term plans to increase domestic beef production.
This temporary tariff relief comes before the midterm elections, with food prices being a key concern for voters.
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TikTok and its parent company ByteDance agreed to pay $400 million to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. government. The lawsuit said TikTok broke laws protecting children's online privacy by collecting data from young users.
Key Facts
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the settlement on a Friday.
TikTok was sued in 2024 for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
The act protects children’s privacy by limiting data collection from minors online.
TikTok and ByteDance agreed to pay $400 million to resolve the lawsuit.
ByteDance is the Chinese company that owns TikTok.
Neither TikTok nor ByteDance gave comments immediately after the announcement.
The case focused on how TikTok collects data from children using the app.
The legal action is part of ongoing concerns about privacy on social media platforms.
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President Donald Trump announced that Ed Martin, the pardon attorney at the Department of Justice (DOJ), is leaving his position. Trump said Martin will focus on legal efforts for the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.
Key Facts
Ed Martin served as the pardon attorney at the DOJ.
President Trump announced Martin’s departure on social media.
Martin will work on legal battles related to upcoming elections.
These elections include the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.
President Trump stated Martin will help ensure elections are free, fair, and honest.
Trump also said Martin will support constitutional rights in his new role.
No replacement or timeline for the new pardon attorney was mentioned.
The story is still developing, with updates expected later.
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The head of Hawaii’s prison system plans to change part of the Waiawa Correctional Facility, a minimum-security prison, to better care for mentally ill inmates currently in the larger Hālawa prison. Only inmates who are stable on their medication and close to their release dates will move to Waiawa, which offers a less strict environment and more outdoor space.
Key Facts
Waiawa Correctional Facility is a minimum-security prison in Central Oʻahu with space for 334 men, currently housing 189.
The plan is to clear out one dormitory at Waiawa and make it a therapeutic space for mentally ill inmates.
Inmates transferred must be stabilized on medication and within 60 months of their release or parole dates.
Waiawa is more open and less restrictive than Hālawa, offering outdoor areas and programs like education and substance abuse treatment.
Concerns remain about whether Waiawa can provide specialized mental health care since it was not built for this purpose.
The state has faced problems with mental illness in prisons, including suicides and a class-action lawsuit over poor mental health services.
Recent inspections found that prisons are understaffed and provide inadequate treatment for mentally ill inmates.
The state is asking for more money to hire healthcare workers like psychiatrists and nurses to improve mental health care in prisons.
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