"Iran Sanctions" – Tensions have escalated once again between the United States and Iran. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced new sanctions against Iran and its trading partners. Bessent said, "Economic pressure is the only way forward." He added that new policies would be "the toughest sanctions in history." The idea to include Iran's trade partners in the sanctions is designed to make those nations suffer financially, and then have them put pressure on Iran to end the war. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said, "Any escalation of this situation will undoubtedly bring about consequences." He added, "Our hands are not tied." That seems to be a veiled threat that Iran is still willing to involve its military. U.S. financial markets responded positively to the news. The per-barrel price of oil dropped to $82.79. But the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. increased by four cents in the past week, to $4.10 a gallon. Still, that's down from $4.56 in May.
"Barron Trump Targeted" – It was the most chilling story of the week. The U.S. confirmed an Iran-backed plot to kill Barron Trump, the youngest child of President Donald Trump. A video of the threat was aired on Iran state TV. Secret Service spokesman Nate Herring said in a statement, "The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the video and investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat toward our protectees. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence." The Secret Service is one of the most clandestine, secretive federal agencies. The fact that it publicly confirmed this speaks volumes. My prediction is the president will order an annihilating military strike on Iran if any member of the first family is harmed.
"South Carolina Runoff" – Sen. Darline Graham (R) South Carolina has won the runoff election and will be on the ballot in November. Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman (R) South Carolina, by a margin of 52 to 48 percent, and by fewer than 18 thousand votes. She was helped by President Trump, who campaigned in the state in the eleventh hour, after Graham had a rocky debate performance against Norman. Democrats believe they have a strong chance in November with well-known Dr. Annie Andrews.
"Supreme Court Mail-In Ballots" – The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an executive order from President Trump aimed at restricting mail-in voting. Trump signed an order requiring each state to verify the citizenship of all voters; only then would the U.S. Postal Service deliver the ballots. The president wants to sharply restrict mail-in balloting ahead of the November midterm elections. Some states, including Oregon, have gone back to federal court in an effort to reverse the decision. The Oregon Democratic Party said in a statement, "Should USPS unlawfully attempt to interfere with Oregon's vote-by-mail process, Attorney General Rayfield will immediately sue to stop that threat." Another 22 states and the District of Columbia joined Oregon in the original lawsuit. In her dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned that the decision "needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections." The Trump White House claims mail-in ballots are not secure and are ripe for cheating.
"The Odd Couple" – Oh, to be a fly on the wall! House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D) New York, had a private meeting with White House advisor and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. The speculation is that both sides want to know what to expect if Democrats seize control of the U.S. House in November, with Jeffries as speaker. Current House Speaker Mike Johnson (R) Louisiana was furious, telling Fox News, "I'm telling you what, you (Trump) better not bet against the House Republicans." Jeffries issued a statement saying the administration needed to drop the GOP's "my-way-or-the-highway" approach in Congress and the White House, which he says "has failed the American people." Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, did not comment. Maybe there was a peace offering, but I predict that if Democrats win the House, they immediately move to impeach President Trump, even though they won't have the 67 votes in the Senate to remove him from office.
"U.S. Canada Trade War" – President Trump ordered a 50 percent tariff on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods sent to the U.S. An angry Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, "You're at war when you get attacked." He signaled an increase in the Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods. Carney added, "We're going to hit back." Canada is promising a dollar-for-dollar tariff increase beginning September 8. An angry President Trump said, "Canada lives because of the United States. He added, "Remember that, Mark (Carney), the next time you make your statements." So, the two normally political, strategic, and military allies are now on the verge of a trade war. The financial markets have yet to show much reaction, but I expect that to change as we get closer to the first weekend in September. Meanwhile, President Trump issued an executive order to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. Trump called Canada "the worst" to deal with on trade, adding, "They feel entitled, and we can't have that." Social media erupted with memes. One cartoon of Trump said, "All Canadian Geese are now 'Donald's Ducks'"
"Flock Off!" – Florida is joining the chorus of states around the nation aiming to limit the use of Flock cameras. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida, said, "I think these cameras, the license plate readers, I think it's out of control." He said the original intent was to catch people not paying at toll booths. With some law enforcement now expanding the use for surveillance, he said the technology has gone too far and could threaten Floridians' privacy. Gov. DeSantis added, "I'm all about having law enforcement have tools to be able to hold criminals accountable. But I don't want to have this become a surveillance state." It's fascinating to see so many liberals and conservatives lining up on the same side, believing the cameras may violate the 4th Amendment protections against unlawful search and seizure. DeSantis wants the Florida legislature to consider an "Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights," to protect the public from other technologies. He said, "When I see like a police officer using this to track like an ex-girlfriend, I'm like, 'You know, what the hell's going on?'" Suddenly, this is a last-minute 2026 and 2028 campaign issue.
"Saying Goodbye to the Non-Political Dolly Parton" – Dolly Parton played a lot of things, but she didn't play politics. Twice during his first term, President Trump told her he wanted to nominate her for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but she declined. She told the Today Show, "I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill, and then they asked me again about it, and I wouldn't travel because of the COVID." Then, President Joe Biden also said he wanted to nominate her, and she again said no. In an interview, Parton explained her reasoning, saying, "Now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics, so I'm not sure." She was right. Had she said no to Trump but yes to Biden, it would have appeared political. It was a classy but fair way of declining one of the nation's highest honors. RIP Dolly Parton! You were the epitome of class, on stage and off. I think that the time has come for you to be given the award posthumously, in a bipartisan way. It might be nice if Presidents Trump and Biden discuss it, with the blessing of both parties.
Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 49 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. For ten years, he was the Chief Political Reporter for seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering the Washington DC media market, West Virginia, and its five neighboring states. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has been a contributing writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and analysis air every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.
© 2026 Mark Curtis Media
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