English
Español
HARK
!
NEWS
All briefings
Start free
Today is Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Story 1 of 17: Weather
0:00
4:50
Previous story
▶︎
Play
Next story
slower
1x
1.25x
1.5x
1.75x
2x
weather
Weather
0:00 / 0:09
Share
Email
1
Weather
weather
0:09
Good morning, and welcome to Hark News. Here's what the world got up to while you slept. First, the weather in New York. A high of 85 and a low of 71, with clear skies.
Share
Email
Sources
2
Iran truce expires as Hormuz tensions linger
news
0:19
The interim ceasefire between the United States and Iran expired today without a new agreement, leaving the Strait of Hormuz in limbo and pushing oil prices above ninety dollars a barrel. Tehran signaled readiness to escalate while Washington threatened harsher economic pressure, setting the stage for what analysts now call a protracted battle of endurance rather than a quick diplomatic breakthrough.
Share
Email
Sources
3
Trump scales back South Korea military drills
news
0:19
President Trump ordered a substantial reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his personal rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul refusal to support American operations against Iran. The move rattles a decades old alliance and leaves Asian partners questioning Washington reliability as Beijing expands its own regional influence.
Share
Email
Sources
4
Kushner pushes Hamas disarmament in Gaza peace push
news
0:19
Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas political leaders in Egypt, pressing the group to follow through on disarmament commitments as part of a broader American backed peace roadmap. He then traveled to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though progress remains stalled as Tel Aviv rejects recent ceasefire proposals tied to phased withdrawals.
Share
Email
Sources
5
USS Lincoln conditions spark congressional scrutiny
news
0:19
Scrutiny over living conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln intensified after reports surfaced regarding mold, plumbing failures, and serious mental health crises among its crew. The Pentagon commander visited the ship but claimed stress levels were low, prompting Democratic lawmakers to demand a full investigation before the vessel departs for home.
Share
Email
Sources
6
Record flooding devastates Indiana
news
0:18
Record rainfall triggered catastrophic flooding across Indiana, killing at least seven people and submerging portions of southeast towns under twenty five foot waters. The White River crested near historic highs, stranding residents and knocking power out for hundreds of thousands, while emergency crews continue searching for survivors in the inundated region.
Share
Email
Sources
7
El Niño returns with extreme force
news
0:18
A powerful El Niño climate pattern has returned to the tropical Pacific, already driving extreme heat and disrupting weather systems far beyond the ocean basin. Scientists warn that drying conditions could weaken harvests across Africa and Asia, potentially pushing tens of millions into acute food insecurity by next year as global temperatures climb toward records.
Share
Email
Sources
8
France court blocks social media ban for minors
news
0:19
France highest constitutional court struck down a law banning social media access for children under fifteen, ruling the restriction violated minors freedom of expression despite concerns about digital harm. President Macron has directed officials to draft revised protections by early next year, acknowledging the challenge of regulating algorithms without outright censorship.
Share
Email
Sources
9
Norway sovereign wealth fund warns of market collapse
news
0:20
The chief executive of Norway two trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund warned investors that artificial intelligence speculation, nuclear conflict, or biological threats could trigger an L shaped market collapse lasting years. His stark forecast follows a record breaking half year profit for the oil fund, drawing praise for caution from some observers and accusations of melodrama from others.
Share
Email
Sources
10
Anthropic revenue soars as Model Two delays
news
0:20
Anthropic reported a massive surge in quarterly revenue ahead of its anticipated initial public offering, while simultaneously delaying plans to release a more powerful internal model dubbed Model Two. CEO Dario Amodei also pushed back against rumors that his firm seeks industry dominance, framing public skepticism as a broader crisis of trust rather than corporate ambition.
Share
Email
Sources
11
OpenAI launches hacking AI via Amazon cloud
news
0:20
OpenAI confirmed that its newest hacking focused AI model is now available through Amazon Web Services, allowing businesses to provision exploit writing tools without direct vetting from the company. The launch dramatically lowers the barrier for accessing automated cyber capabilities, raising fresh security questions as tech firms rush to integrate frontier models into commercial cloud stacks.
Share
Email
Sources
12
Stripe acquires OpenRouter for over seven billion dollars
news
0:17
Stripe finalized an agreement to acquire OpenRouter, a startup that helps developers route requests across different artificial intelligence models, for over seven billion dollars. The purchase signals Stripe aggressive push to capture value in the rapidly expanding infrastructure layer powering enterprise AI adoption.
Share
Email
Sources
13
Cambridge professor Jason Arday dies amid controversy
news
0:19
Cambridge sociology professor Jason Arday died following intense scrutiny over allegations that he plagiarized academic work and exaggerated personal achievements, including claims about marathon running and medical comas. His resignation sparked debates about whether institutional failures and racial bias contributed to the rapid unraveling of his career.
Share
Email
Sources
14
Actress and musician Hayden Panettiere died at thirty six after
news
0:17
Actress and musician Hayden Panettiere died at thirty six after a decade marked by depression, substance abuse treatment, and custody battles. She leaves behind a memoir detailing her struggles and a filmography that included leading roles in television series that defined pop culture for millions of viewers.
Share
Email
Sources
15
Baseball pitcher Tommy John, whose name became synonymous with
news
0:15
Baseball pitcher Tommy John, whose name became synonymous with a groundbreaking elbow reconstructive surgery, died at eighty three. His procedure changed how professional athletes manage joint injuries, cementing his legacy long after his final pitching appearance.
Share
Email
Sources
16
TODAY'S NUMBER
trivia
0:10
And before you go, a little extra from The New York Times. How many people work at the shop in Queens that makes almost every New York City street sign? The answer: 46
Share
Email
Sources
17
That's all for today
outro
0:12
And that's your world for today. The full stories and the links are waiting in the app. Tap through, bookmark what matters, and share what's worth sharing. And if you want to see what stuck, take today's quiz in the app: five quick questions. I'll see you again tomorrow morning. Until then, go well.
Share
Email
Sources