Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Can MAGA backlash beget action?

eNewspaper | Crosswords | Horoscopes

The Short List

Wed Aug 19 2026

Phaedra Trethan | National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

👋🏼 Hello! I'm Phaedra Trethan, and apparently there is crying in baseball (somebody give Kyle Tucker a hug, stat.) ⚾️

•	Get USA TODAY at the top of your search results: Add us as a preferred source on Google

In Wednesday's news:

•	President Donald Trump's MAGA coalition is splintering over the war in Iran. Now one critic may have a plan to turn their frustration into political action.
•	Primaries in Florida, Alaska and Wyoming provided a glimpse of what's ahead for November's midterms and gubernatorial races. 🗳️
•	Buc-ee's, the popular gas-convenience-souvenir stops, are expanding across the country. So are their legal battles over logos, merch and more. ⚖️

But first: How much does it cost to own a dog? Hint: It's not cheap. Good thing the furry freeloaders are cute. 🐶

Can MAGA backlash beget action? 😖

Joe Kent resigned from a position in the Trump administration over frustration with the Iran war. Now the MAGA dissident is calling on fellow conservatives to turn their anger into political action. Trump led the movement astray with the war, Kent says in an interview with USA TODAY, and now critics could take a lesson from the president and "hijack" the GOP.

•	Trump says he's going to meet later this year with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
•	Watch: Is the Iran war becoming a liability for the GOP? 🤔
•	Canadian tariffs are on pause as talks continue, Trump says.

National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington, DC. On March 17, 2026, Kent resigned in protest against the U.S. war in Iran.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Primaries color November's midterms 🗳️

It was a mixed bag for the Democratic Party's left wing in Tuesday's primaries, with progressive Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon winning her primary over Alex Vindman, while moderate Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Jared Moskowitz fended off their own progressive challengers. A Trump endorsement lifted Rep. Byron Donalds to the state's Republican gubernatorial nod.

Meanwhile in Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola and Sen. Dan Sullivan advanced to the general election, the Associated Press and NBC News reported, setting up a key race for control of the U.S. Senate.

•	Darlene Graham, who took over her brother Lindsey's Senate seat, admitted that "national security is not my thing" in a debate. She's seeking a full term in the chamber.
•	Watch: What to know about Florida's and Alaska's respective primaries. 📺
•	Here's what happened in Wyoming's races.
•	And California had a special runoff to replace Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.
•	Is it too early to look ahead to the 2028 presidential election? Not really.

Real quick

•	New details are emerging in the death of actor Hayden Panettiere.
•	More human remains have been discovered as Lake Mead continues to shrink amid an ongoing drought. 💦
•	Two people were killed after an explosion and fire at an Ohio recycling facility.
•	Disney is suing the FCC over the agency's examination of license renewals for some stations. The owner of ABC is citing First Amendment concerns. 📺

Buc-ee's gets bigger 📈

Buc-ee's is growing, but so are the convenience-gas-everything-store's legal battles. As the Texas-based chain with the smiling beaver logo expands across the United States, it's been fighting over its logos, mascots and even its name. One example: Beaver's Mini Mart, a family-owned store in Beavercreek, Ohio, whose logo Buc-ee's says is too close to its own, potentially confusing consumers into thinking the two are affiliated. But the legal wrangling raises the question: How far should a growing national brand go to protect the visual identity that helps customers recognize it?

The Buc-ee's character is shown on shot glasses inside the store just off Route 95 in Florence, SC, Monday, July 31, 2023. The Texas based convenience store chain, has put a billboard up on the New Jersey Turnpike northbound just before Exit 8A in South Brunswick to encourage drivers to make a u-turn and stop at the Buc-ees 581 miles south of there.

Thomas P. Costello, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Her 'coolest roommate of all time'? Grandma. 👵🏼

On the surface, Grace Yockey's life looks like that of a typical recent college graduate: a remote job, time with friends, grabbing coffee at a nearby shop. But the 24-year-old is also a caregiver to her "roommate," her 83-year-old grandmother. "Vava," as Yockey calls her, has dementia, and her family decided nearly a year ago that she couldn't live alone any longer in her Seattle condo.

Of the 63 million caregivers in the United States, nearly 1 in 5 are between the ages of 18 and 34 , according to the Caregiving in the US 2025 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.

A break from the news

•	The internet turned her into a meme. But "Peter Pan Girl," aka Disneyland superfan Christina Toni Kulusich, doesn't mind. 🏰
•	Never thought I'd see "squidpocalypse" in a headline, but here we are. 🦑
•	I interviewed Mychal Threets before he became the host of "Reading Rainbow," so I was very concerned when I saw his post on Threads. He's a good, gentle soul, and I hope he gets all the help he needs. 🫶🏼

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. I’d love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and messages of support for Mychal. Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com.