MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, August 26 | By Jared Gans and Sarah Fortinsky

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In today's issue:

▪ Trump racks up wins in GOP runoffs

▪ Remembering Dolly Parton

▪ Canada details retaliatory tariffs

▪ Troubling NFL CTE report

Democrats see glimmer of hope in South Carolina

Sen. Darline Graham’s (R-S.C.) narrow victory in South Carolina’s Senate primary runoff makes her the heavy favorite to win the seat for a full term in November, but some Democrats see a narrow opening for an upset.

Graham fended off a challenge from Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) in the Tuesday contest, having been boosted by President Trump’s endorsement. She’s on track to win the race by about 5 points, overcoming late scrutiny for a gaffe she made during a debate with Norman in which she said she isn’t “that informed on national security.”

Graham is now set to face pediatrician Annie Andrews in the general election. The incumbent will be favored given South Carolina’s solid red lean — Democrats haven’t won a Senate seat in the Palmetto State since 1998.

But facing off against a candidate whose inexperience has become a key issue in the minds of many voters has given some Democrats a shot of optimism.

“Darline Graham is hilariously unprepared to be a senator, which gives Democrats a tremendous opening to flip the seat. It'll be a tough fight, but Annie Andrews is great and has a real shot,” said Democratic strategist Mike Nellis in a post on the social platform X.

Andrews easily prevailed in the Democratic primary in June but has been waiting for weeks to find out her opponent since the sudden death of former Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

During a podcast episode that aired Tuesday, Andrews said she expects “record-breaking” Democratic turnout.

“When you have a motivated Democratic base in a state like South Carolina in a midterm year, that spells trouble for the GOP because we have a motivated base,” she told the hosts of “Nobody Knows Anything.”

“I'm a disciplined candidate. I'm going to be talking about affordability every single day because that's what voters care about, and those are the real problems I'm hearing from the people I'm talking to on the ground,” she added. “But I do think the anti-Darlene argument becomes the anti-nepotism argument that she's not ready for this.”

Andrews, who lost a 2022 House race to Rep. Nancy Mace (R), has a bit of a head start to introduce herself to voters, though Graham inherits massive name recognition from her brother.

“National Democrats - South Carolina is now a real pick-up opportunity with @AnnieAndrewsMD running against this incurious ignoramus,” said Patrice Snow, who formerly served as press secretary for Tom Steyer’s 2020 presidential campaign and a PAC founded by former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

Snow called on Democrats to provide Andrews with the “resources she needs to flip this seat.”

Andrews has so far put up decent fundraising numbers. Her most recent campaign filing at the end of the second quarter of 2026 showed she had raised nearly $11 million so far, with $4 million in cash on hand.

Andrews’s campaign sent a fundraising text out to South Carolinians on Tuesday night attacking Graham, The Post and Courier reporter Ian Grenier reported.

“This is a woman running for an office only 100 Americans get the responsibility of holding,” the message reads. “The Senate isn’t the place for on the job training.”

The sentiment echoes the message that Norman sought to make against Graham.

Norman conceded his loss to Graham on Tuesday and said he would do what he can to support her candidacy. But he said “Democrats got what they wanted” in facing her in the general election.

Still, Graham will be far from lacking resources. Money poured in to boost her in the primary, including more than $800,000 from Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc.

South Carolina also isn’t essential to Democrats’ plans to win back a majority in the Senate, and some may feel their money would be better spent elsewhere in states that aren’t seen as much of a traditional uphill battle.

Democrats were bullish about their chances of pulling off an upset against Lindsey Graham in 2020 behind Jaime Harrison, only for Harrison to lose by 10 points.

But if some of the skepticism about Darline Graham’s qualifications fester and Andrews is able to tap into that, the race could be closer, especially in what’s expected to be a strong Democratic year.

▪ The Hill: Trump nabs crucial primary wins.

▪ The Hill: Trump-backed candidate wins Oklahoma governor primary runoff.

3 Things to Know Today

Democrat Everton Blair prevailed in a special election Tuesday to fill the seat vacated by the late Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), who died in April after more than two decades in Congress. Blair defeated Scott’s daughter, fellow Democrat Marcye Scott, in the race. His win will further narrow the GOP’s majority in the House.
A federal judge declined a long-shot petition from Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, to toss her conviction and allow for a new trial. The judge said Maxwell’s claims are “all meritless and all or almost all are frivolous.”
A new poll found Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) is more popular among his state’s Republicans than the state’s Republican senator, Dave McCormick. Fetterman, whom many had viewed as a progressive, has shifted to the middle and become a frequent critic of his party. Pollsters found 73 percent of Republicans approve of him, while only 63 percent approve of McCormick.

LEADING THE DAY

TO THE QUEEN OF COUNTRY: Tributes poured in Tuesday afternoon to honor the life and legacy of country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, whose unique star power transcended geographic, generational and political divides.

The “9 to 5” star, who famously avoided politics, “died peacefully” at 80 years old in Nashville, Tenn., her publicity team announced, remembering her “a rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see.”

“Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family,” the announcement read.

President Trump ordered U.S. flags flown at half-mass to honor the country music legend, calling her “one of the greatest Country singers, and far beyond, EVER.”

“This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Several governors followed suit, ordering flags flown at half mass throughout their states to honor Parton, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R), Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) celebrated the proud Tennessean as a “rare” example of someone “who climbs to the pinnacle of fame, then scoffs at its allure only to retain the genuine humility that defines them.

“Dolly Parton was one of a kind, who loved people, her work, her family, and her Lord. Tennessee has forever been changed — enhanced — by her, and will never be quite the same without Dolly.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Parton was “one of the great entertainers of our era,” while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) called her “an extraordinary person and an irreplaceable champion of the working class.”

“We are a better country because of her,” he added.

▪ Variety: Dolly Parton: Her Life and Career in Photos.

▪ The Hill: Bipartisan lawmakers pay tribute.

NEIGHBORLY FEUD: The trade war between the U.S. and Canada escalated further Tuesday as Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on hundreds of American products.

Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne detailed tariffs up to 50 percent on $27.6 billion of imports from the U.S., taking effect on Sept. 8. He said Canada will match U.S. tariffs “dollar for dollar, rate for rate.”

Among the most significant measures is Canada's plans to double its tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum to 50 percent, matching the 50 percent that the Trump administration placed on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada has released a list of more than 700 items that it will target with tariffs, including fish, cheese, apparel, carpets and metal products, among others.

The president’s threatened 50 percent tariffs on a wide array of Canadian products went into effect at the end of last week as trade negotiations failed, and he has only seemed to dig in since then.

Trump said Tuesday that he’s considering changing the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as “we don’t expect to be doing much business with Ontario much longer.” He’s also threatened additional tariffs on Canada beginning Jan. 1.

▪ The Hill Insider: Susan Collins tries to keep Trump off the ballot in Maine.

▪ The New York Times: Howard Lutnick’s demands derailed trade talks.

PROGRESS?: Iran and Pakistan said Tuesday that they have made “significant progress” toward ending the war that has lasted nearly six months.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said he and the country’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, met with Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss steps to prevent the conflict from further escalating and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Naqvi said the meeting, which included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was “very positive and productive.”

Reuters reported that Munir called Trump ahead of the meeting.

The announcement came as Iran and Oman announced a plan to allow navigation in the strait and clear mines through the waterway. Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the proposed framework would include the creation of a joint temporary navigational corridor through the strait and a joint project to remove the mines.

Discussions concerning the strait’s future would include an agreement on establishing a “mechanism” for information-sharing, traffic management and the provision of “relevant navigational and security services.”

Trump previously warned Oman against striking a deal with Iran, threatening to bomb the country if it gets “in the way” of U.S. talks with Tehran.

▪ The Hill: Secret Service ‘aware’ of Iranian video threatening Barron Trump.

WHEN & WHERE

The president will participate in a radio interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck at 9 a.m. He will receive an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. and participate in signing time at 2 p.m. He will participate in a print interview at 4 p.m.
The House and Senate are out.

ZOOM IN

EYE-OPENING REPORT: A major study of former NFL players who died during a five-year period found at least a quarter of them had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease that has been found in dozens of other former players.

The report from the British Medical Journal released Tuesday examined brains of former NFL players who died between 2008 and 2021, zeroing in on the six-year span between 2016 and 2021, when donations were the highest. Analyzing 235 brains from that span, researchers diagnosed 215 of them with CTE.

That would be 24.5 percent of the total 878 former NFL players who died between those years. But researchers said the prevalence could be much higher for that span, as they were unable to analyze the other 643 players whose brains were not donated.

The possible prevalence of CTE could be as high as about 97 percent, but the true number is likely somewhere between 25 and 97 percent, the research team said.

The report adds the latest round of scrutiny on the impacts of repeated hits to the head and injuries on the long-term health of NFL players.

The NFL has faced backlash in recent decades after the suicides and other deaths of several high-profile players who were later confirmed to be suffering from CTE. The disease, which the Mayo Clinic attributes to repeated head trauma, can only be diagnosed after someone’s death, though some symptoms are known.

The disease can cause emotional distress, mood swings, memory loss and difficulty thinking. The study also found those with the most advanced stage of CTE also had dementia.

The controversy surrounding the NFL’s safety protocols around head injuries was recounted in the 2015 film “Concussion.”

The NFL told ESPN in response to the study that it “continuously strives to make the game of football safer, including by implementing strategies to reduce concussions and head impacts.”

The NFL Players Association said the study is a “a sobering reminder that football carries real risks, and those risks can have lasting consequences for players and their families.”

▪ Nexstar: What is CTE and how many former players have been diagnosed with it?

▪ NBC Sports: NFLPA sends email to all players after study release.

ELSEWHERE

MEASLES DEATHS: Two unvaccinated people from Pennsylvania died from measles, the state’s health department said Tuesday, marking the first two U.S. deaths from the contagious virus this year.

The deaths also mark the first measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years.

“Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen said in a statement.

She encouraged residents to get the MMR vaccine, which, she said, “is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”

The department said both individuals were residents of Lancaster County but declined to provide additional identifying information about them.

The U.S. has recently seen a resurgence in measles cases, and the latest deaths bring the total to five deaths in the last two years, which is more than the combined total of measles-related deaths from the three decades before that.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,777 cases in 2026 alone, as of last Thursday, which is already more than the total from 2025. The developments coincide with the Trump administration’s effort to scale back childhood vaccine requirements.

Trump is pushing to break up the MMR vaccine into multiple shots, requiring more visits to the doctor, which health experts say will reduce uptake. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has sent mixed messages about the safety of the vaccine.

▪ The Hill: Dems question Kennedy vaccine settlement divestment.

▪ The Hill: Florida moves to end school vaccine requirements.

OPINION

States can build America’s affordable energy future, former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) writes in The Hill.
I study women who kill their children. Lindsay Clancy deserves mercy, Michelle Oberman writes in The New York Times.

THE CLOSER

And finally … A man is facing federal charges alleging that he forged the signature of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts on fabricated Indiana court documents and impersonated a National Security Agency officer.

Bloomberg Law first reported the indictment of Joshua Culver on four counts of impersonating an officer of the United States and one count of forging the signature of a judge and court seal. Culver was taken into custody in Colorado and was expected to face a detention hearing Tuesday morning.

Authorities allege Culver claimed in January to be a “Special Master enforcing orders” of the Supreme Court to pressure a judge in Lake County, Ind., to drop criminal cases against him. They said in the indictment that Culver also forged Roberts’s signature and used a counterfeit seal to direct a Grant County, Ind., court to drop separate theft charges against him.

Culver is being represented by a court-appointed public defender.