August 3, 2026 - Trump Says New Iran Talks Start Today

We're consumed by so much right now — the economy, Iran, Russia and Ukraine, climate change, artificial intelligence. It's hard to know where to aim our worry. But here's one that belongs at the very top of the list.

Annie Jacobsen returns to the radio program Monday with her new book, Biological War: A Scenario. You may remember her last visit for the bestselling Nuclear War: A Scenario. She's a Pulitzer Prize finalist whose work is widely acclaimed — brilliant, meticulous, the kind of writer who actually talks to the people who know things. Her books make you stop and ask: Wait, is that true? Can that happen? Or did it already?

This time she charts how the release of a single biological agent — in her scenario, an accidental lab leak at a Soviet-era facility in Siberia — could unravel the United States within days. She weaves the history of germ warfare together with the politics of our own pandemic, reminding us that a treaty banned these weapons back in 1972 and yet the danger has only grown. Genetically engineered plague. Gain-of-function research. Russia refusing to share the genetic code needed for a vaccine. One infected tourist, she shows, is all it takes — a contagion moving "at the speed of human travel."

Jacobsen says her aim isn't panic — it's pressure. After reading this, you'll understand why. She joins me today on SiriusXM’s POTUS channel at 11 am ET. 

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President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran will begin new talks Monday after he said he called off planned military strikes to pursue a deal over the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear program, though Iran denied direct negotiations with Washington are currently underway.

NBC News

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche formally rescinded President Donald Trump's proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund—which was intended to compensate political allies who claimed they had been unfairly prosecuted, including potentially some Jan. 6 defendants—after Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis refused to advance his attorney general nomination until the program was permanently scrapped.

Associated Press

As public opposition to AI data centers grows nationwide, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson has emerged as a leading voice in a bipartisan movement warning that the rapid expansion of facilities like xAI's Memphis operations is sacrificing public health and environmental protections in the name of technological progress.

Politico

The Democratic Socialists of America's new "Workers Deserve More" platform calls for sweeping changes including free healthcare, a 32-hour workweek, abolishing the Senate and Electoral College, defunding the Pentagon, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel, drawing sharp criticism from Republicans over its far-reaching proposals.

USA Today

Former White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci faces escalating legal and political pressure as Republican lawmakers intensify investigations into his pandemic-era actions, with efforts underway to hold him in contempt of Congress and pursue potential prosecution despite longstanding disputes over the evidence against him.

The Washington Post

Six months after Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping captivated the nation, a new investigation reveals the critical missteps, strained law enforcement relationships and unexpected twists that complicated the search for Today anchor Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother.

The Wall Street Journal

An armed bystander and an off-duty state trooper are being credited with helping prevent further bloodshed after 24-year-old Chad Williams opened fire with an AR-style rifle at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger, killing three people and injuring seven others before turning the gun on himself, as authorities continue investigating what sparked the deadly attack.

NBC News

The Dodgers made the biggest splash before the MLB trade deadline by acquiring reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers in exchange for three top prospects, bolstering an already star-studded rotation as Los Angeles chases a third consecutive World Series title.

MLB

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CNN anchor Dana Bash repeatedly clashed during a tense "State of the Union" interview over COVID-19, vaccines, media coverage, and pandemic policies, with the exchange ending after Bash declared, "This is not productive," as CNN later defended her questioning.

The Hill

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” shattered box office records with a staggering $355 million domestic debut and nearly $1 billion worldwide opening, proving the enduring power of Marvel’s web-slinging hero and delivering the second-biggest opening weekend in cinematic history.

Variety