WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Rep. Pat Ryan, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * Ahead of 91st Anniversary of Social Security, Congressman Pat Ryan Continues to Fight for His Landmark "Protecting Social Security Act" to Protect Access, Prevent Any Future Cuts to Social Security * Tomorrow marks the 91st anniversary of the Social Security Act Congressman Ryan's "Protecting Social Security Act" honors the historic program's legacy; bill will prevent cuts to Social Security and protect the Social Security trust fund from depletion,  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by American Security Co-Chair Keith Kellogg and American Security Policy Co-Chair Robert Wilkie to Washington Examiner: * * * Beating Iran Means Dismantling Hezbollah As military pressure on the Iranian regime waxes and wanes, we have yet to arrive at an achievable end state for the conflict -- one that focuses not on the world as it is today but on the world as it will be in the 2030s and beyond. The decision must focus more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Bennet, Hickenlooper, Duckworth, Colleagues Push to Stop Trump from Hiding the True Cost of the Iran War and Dishonoring the Sacrifices of Our Heroes * Denver -Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) joined combat veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and 15 of their Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce legislation that would  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following commentary on Aug. 13, 2026, by Michael Ratney, senior adviser (non-resident) with the Middle East Program: * * * The Houthis Enter the Iran War and Everything Gets Worse Predictably, almost inevitably, the Houthis, one of Iran's most resilient and resourceful proxies, have entered the Iran war. Reports of new Houthi attacks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia are now daily. In attacks the week of August 9, coming after a month of steady escalation, Houthi r more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Center for Strategic and International Studies issued the following Critical Questions Q&A on Aug. 13, 2026, by Victor Cha, president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department: * * * After Iran: Scenario for Renewed Trump-Kim Summitry U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the June 2026 G7 meetings in France that he would restart diplomacy with North Korea. As if to accentuate the point, he later posted a picture on social media of his stroll with more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * Gas Prices Reach Record High for This Time of Year * Gas prices have hit a record high for this time of year, forcing Americans to pinch pennies and scrape together savings to fill up their tanks. According to GasBuddy, "the national average has never been above $4/gal after Aug. 12 in any previous year-ever." REMINDER: House Republicans voted in lockstep with the Trump administration to support the war in Iran that has skyrocket more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news: * * * MAGA Congressman Tom Tiffany Can't Answer How He'll Differentiate Himself From Unpopular Trump On the first day of Wisconsin's general election, MAGA Congressman Tom Tiffany just couldn't escape questions about his lockstep loyalty to Donald Trump. In two separate interviews with Milwaukee's WISN12 and CBS58, Congressman Tiffany was asked about his ties to Trump and whether he wanted Trump to come campaign with him. Both times, he ducked the questio more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release: * * * DNC Announces Findings of Unprecedented Local Listeners Program After Making Nearly 450,000 Calls to 2020 Voters Who Did Not Cast a Ballot in 2024 Volunteers had nearly 10,000 long-form conversations with 2020 voters who didn't vote in 2024 and found that 86% of them are planning to vote this November, as 78% of them say the country is heading in the wrong direction under Donald Trump and Republicans. - The Democratic National Committee (DNC) more PR

PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia, Aug. 13 -- The University of Northern British Columbia posted the following news release: * * * Driving research forward to improve wildfire evacuation planning * UNBC PhD candidate Alireza Noory has developed a driving simulator that could help emergency planners in northern communities better understand how drivers respond during wildfire evacuations. UNBC Natural Resources and Environmental Studies PhD candidate Alireza Noory is using his background in civil engineering and transportation to explore ways more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, issued the following news release on Aug. 13, 2026: * * * Heinrich Calls for a Full GAO Audit of Trump's Ballroom Project ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, joined top Senate Democrats in sending a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown to audit and a more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Hickenlooper, Bennet, Duckworth Introduce Bill to Prevent Trump Admin From Hiding True Cost of Iran War * WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Benet, and Tammy Duckworth, along with 15 of their Democratic colleagues, introduced the Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Troops in War Act to stop President Trump's attempts to hide how long his war against Iran has lasted, the true cost of the war, and dishonor the sacrifice of  more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 -- Hughes Hubbard and Reed, a law firm, issued the following news: * * * Jeremy Paner Analyzes Trump Administration's Renewed Economic Pressure Against Iran with Bloomberg The U.S. is increasing economic pressure on Iran through sanctions and other measures. Highlights * The article examines whether further sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil and financial intermediaries could increase pressure on Tehran. * Paner noted that the U.S. has added approximately 2,200 sanctions on Tehran since 2018, including around 350 imposed more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 13 [Category: International] -- Human Rights Watch issued the following news: * * * Afghanistan: Taliban Forcibly Disappear 6 Rights Workers * (New York, August 12, 2026) - Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have forcibly disappeared six staff members of the nongovernmental group Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) for nearly a month, Human Rights Watch said today. The Taliban have provided no information on the whereabouts of the organization's leadership team, who were arrested in Kabul on July 18, 2026.  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release: * * * IN HIS OWN WORDS: Greg Cunningham is Too Extreme for New Mexico * It's been a banner few weeks for Greg Cunningham proving just how extreme, callous, and out of touch he is with the New Mexico families. In his own words, Cunningham has made clear he'll be a rubberstamp to Trump and the MAGA wing of his party, cheer on a reckless war even as families feel the crushing economic costs, disparage New Mexicans who rely on SNAP and Me more PR

LONDON, England, Aug. 13 -- The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales issued the following statement by chief economist Suren Thiru: * * * September rate hike unlikely as Q2 GDP resilience comes with an asterisk Responding to the latest UK GDP figures, released by the Office for National Statistics today (Thursday 13 August 2026), Suren Thiru, ICAEW Chief Economist, said: "This was economic resilience with an asterisk as much of the second quarter's strength was driven by temporary factors, including Iran war-driven stockp more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Aug. 12, 2026, by senior fellow Matthew Johnson in the foundation's China Brief: * * * Geopolitical Socialism: Xi and Putin Build Bloc Power Executive Summary: * The People's Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are entering a new phase of institutionalized interdependence, built through unprecedented systemic coordination and guided by Beijing's ambition to transform the geopolitical foundations of global order. The latest summit and surrounding activity show  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Lebanon Sanctions, Stabilization, and Support Act, originally introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, on August 6, 2026, has been analyzed by the Congressional Research Service. This legislation aims to bolster Lebanon's democratic institutions and rule of law through targeted sanctions while providing necessary support for stabilization efforts in the country. As Lebanon grapples with multifaceted challenges, including political instability and the influence of armed non-state actors like Hezbollah, the  more ST

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 -- George Washington University posted the following news: * * * Media Tip Sheet: Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Key Defense Agreement * WASHINGTON (August 12, 2026) - Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed an agreement stating that an attack on one of the countries would be considered an attack on all three. The agreement could strengthen Saudi Arabia's security as it seeks to diversify its defense partnerships following attacks on its oil facilities during the war in Iran. Turkey, which has NATO's second-la more PR

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Aug. 13 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party posted the following news: * * * Michael Whatley's Iran War Has Cost NC Families An Extra $558 While He Profits * Since the start of the Iran War, North Carolina households have paid over $558 MORE for fuel - yet DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is cheering on the Iran War as it spikes his oil and gas stocks. Daily Wire: * Reporter: "But ever since the war in Iran started, we've seen prices start to creep back up, and there is no doubt that the war in more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news: * * * Pressley, Community Leaders Call for Shift in National Priorities: Away from War, Toward Our Families * Dorchester presser comes as Trump continues war with Iran and proposes $1.5 trillion military budget while exacerbating affordability crisis and attacks on immigrant communities "It is much easier instead for this man to scapegoat immigrants, to vilify our neighbors, than to make good on his promises... It's much easier to inflate the military  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Rep. Gabriel Vasquez, D-New Mexico, issued the following news release: * * * Rep. Vasquez Presses Administration to Return Tariff Taxes to New Mexicans, Not Corporations * On August 12, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott demanding that they push corporations to return the money from the Administration's illegal tariffs to the consumers who paid for them. The cost of the President's tariffs wa more PR

WESTPORT, Connecticut, Aug. 14 -- Save the Children, an organization that says it is giving children a healthy start in life, opportunity to learn and protection from harm, posted the following news release: * * * Afghanistan: Nearly one in 10 children acutely malnourished amid closure of hundreds of health facilities KABUL - The number of acutely malnourished children in Afghanistan is increasing with nearly one in 10 children under five experiencing wasting while plummeting funding is causing essential services to shutter.[1] Levels of wa more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSbrep) -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee, issued the following news release: * * * President Trump Pockets $2.2 Billion While American Families Lost $219 Billion in 2025 Trump More Than Triples His Income While Average Americans Face Higher Costs for Everyday Essentials Under His Watch - The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee - Minority issued a report today with new calculations that show that while President Trump made at least $2.2 billion in income in 2025, more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Hassan in the Union Leader: Slashing regulations will lower housing costs for Granite Staters * MANCHESTER - In a new op-ed published in the Union Leader, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan highlights how the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will lower housing costs by slashing outdated red tape, building more middle-class homes, and banning Wall Street hedge funds and private equity firms from buying up single-family homes. The  more PR

GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 14 -- The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued the following joint statement on Aug. 13, 2026, with 32 independent experts: * * * Five years is a short period in the life of a country but a very long one in the life of a child. A generation of girls has now missed secondary education. Another generation of young women has lost the possibility to pursue university studies. Thousands find themselves still confined to their homes or, worse, married against their will. Moreover, a gener more PR

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 -- UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) issued the following news release: * * * More than 2.6 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied a secondary education since 2021 More than 2.6 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied a secondary education in the five years since the de facto authorities took power, UNICEF said today. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where secondary and higher education is effectively closed to girls and women. Girls have been barred from formal e more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Warren, Coons Press Rubio and Bessent to Explain Unprecedented Halt in Regular Russia Sanctions, Even After Admitting Talks Stalled "If the Administration paused regular Russia sanctions because of peace talks, and those talks stalled months ago, why hasn't the Administration resumed routine and frequent U.S. sanctions to rebuild leverage for a just peace in Ukraine more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 [Category: ThinkTank] -- Groundwork Collaborative, a think tank and progressive advocacy group, posted the following news release: * * * Working Families Feel the Heat of Trump's Recklessness with Consumer Prices on the Rise in July * Trump's war in Iran drags on with no end in sight, while new tariffs have already hit supply chains Today's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report shows prices rose 0.1% in July and are up 3.4% over the past year. July's price increase reverses the disinflation seen in June, which was built on  more PR