USS John F. Kennedy begins final Navy sea trials

August 14, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

USS John F. Kennedy left Newport News for final Navy sea trials before its planned March 2027 commissioning.

Why this matters

The sea trials mark the final major test before the Navy accepts its next aircraft carrier, a key step in replacing aging Nimitz-class ships. The schedule affects carrier fleet size, retirements, and the Navy’s long-term force plan.

The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy left HII Newport News Shipbuilding on Wednesday for Navy acceptance trials, the shipbuilder said.

“These trials will test and evaluate important ship systems and components,” the shipyard said in an online statement. “We wish them a safe and successful time at sea.”

The trials are the last major evaluation before the Navy accepts Kennedy, the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier. Neither the Navy nor the shipbuilder said how long the trials would last. The shipbuilder completed its initial sea trials in February.

Kennedy is scheduled to be commissioned in March 2027. The Congressional Research Service estimated last year that its final procurement cost will be just under $13.2 billion.

According to the Navy, design changes, along with problems involving the ship’s electromagnetic weapons elevators and arresting gear landing system, delayed delivery by 20 months, from July 2025 to March 2027.

The carrier was also retrofitted with Raytheon’s Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, which the Navy said will improve air defense coordination and speed tracking of incoming threats. Congress required Kennedy to be capable of operating the F-35C Lightning II, the carrier-based version of the fighter jet also flown in other variants by the Air Force and Marine Corps.

Kennedy is expected to be homeported first at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, before moving to Naval Base Kitsap, Washington, in 2029.

After Kennedy is commissioned, work will continue on the next Ford-class carriers, USS Enterprise and USS Doris Miller. Enterprise is scheduled to be commissioned in July 2030, and Doris Miller in February 2032.

The Navy said in January 2025 that it planned to request two more carriers, to be named USS William J. Clinton and USS George W. Bush. The ships still require congressional approval and shipyard contracts.

The Navy plans to retire older Nimitz-class carriers as Ford-class carriers enter service. USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975, was originally scheduled to retire in 2025, but that date moved to March 2027 after Kennedy’s delay. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, commissioned in 1977, is now scheduled to retire no earlier than 2030, when Enterprise is expected to enter service.

The Navy’s long-range plan calls for 10 Ford-class carriers to replace all 10 Nimitz-class carriers.

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US

WWII Memorial vandalized on National Mall

The Interior Department said late Thursday that U.S. Park Police were at the scene and investigating.

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The World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington was vandalized Thursday, with bubbles filling a fountain and “Clean hands dirty $” written in red paint.

“Our U.S. Park Police are on the scene and the investigation is ongoing. The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act,” the department said in a statement.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars said the vandalism was “an act of profound disrespect, a slap in the face to the veterans who served and sacrificed and to the families who carried that burden at home.”
\top\

Tyson to close Illinois beef plant, sell Washington site

Tyson earlier this month reported a $142 million loss in its beef division for its most recent quarter. The company said its average beef sales price rose nearly 12% from a year earlier.

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Tyson Foods said it planned to close its beef processing plant in Joslin, Illinois, and sell its Pasco, Washington, facility as it cuts back in a cattle shortage that has raised costs across the industry.

The Joslin plant employs more than 2,000 people and can process about 3,000 cattle a day. The Pasco facility can slaughter about 2,000 cattle a day. Tyson also said it planned to close a large beef-packaging facility in Utah.

U.S. meatpackers have faced financial pressure during a yearslong cattle shortage, with domestic supplies at their lowest level in 75 years. Beef demand has remained strong, helping push consumer prices to record levels over the past 12 months.

The moves followed Tyson’s earlier closure this year of its Lexington, Nebraska, beef plant and reduced production at a Texas plant. Combined, the changes would reduce about one-third of Tyson’s previous beef-processing operations. The company now plans to increase operations at the Texas facility.

In a note to employees, Chief Executive Donnie King said recent Agriculture Department data showed limited signs that U.S. ranchers were expanding their herds, “which indicates these supply constraints are likely to persist, requiring strategic action.”

Tyson said the changes would make its beef operations more competitive during the cattle shortage. Tyson shares rose 1.6% in after-hours trading.

Tyson earlier this month reported a $142 million loss in its beef division for its most recent quarter. The company said its average beef sales price rose nearly 12% from a year earlier, while sales volumes fell 16%. Tyson also said it expected its beef business to lose $500 million to $650 million on an adjusted basis in its current fiscal year.

Tyson has been the second-largest U.S. beef processor by volume after Brazil-based JBS. Earlier this week, JBS reported an adjusted loss of $138 million in its North American beef business for the three months ended June 30.

In June, JBS said it would close a Pennsylvania beef plant. This week, the company said it would keep the plant open and convert it into a packaging facility instead.
China, Tech & Artificial Intelligence, US

Trump Sets Drone Tariffs, With Higher Rates on China

Trump also authorized the commerce secretary to create an onshoring program for companies making new investments in U.S. drone and drone-component manufacturing, consistent with the administration’s effort to strengthen national defense industries.

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President Trump announced tariffs on imported drones and drone components, saying the measures address a national security risk and support U.S. manufacturing.

In a statement, the White House said the program would protect U.S. security and its defense and defense-adjacent industrial base while creating jobs.

“U.S. drone production needs to be expanded rapidly to ensure U.S. national and economic security,” it said.

The tariffs are intended to reduce reliance on Chinese-made drones and components and shift production to the United States. The move also came ahead of an expected Sept. 24 meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

According to a proclamation announced Thursday, the duties are based on drone capacity and country of origin.

Larger drones with capabilities such as thermal imaging will face a 100% tariff based on value, along with certain critical components. Smaller drones and components deemed to have fewer national security implications will face a 25% tariff.

Imports from U.S. allies will face lower rates. Drones and components from the European Union, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan will be subject to a 15% tariff. Products from the United Kingdom will face a 10% duty, provided nearly all hardware, software, and technology come from those countries and the United States.

Those economies reached trade deals with the United States last year that capped many U.S. tariffs at 15%, and at 10% for the U.K., in exchange for concessions on tariffs and regulations affecting American goods. The new drone tariffs on those economies will not be added to other tariffs Trump has imposed on them, including recent levies tied to forced-labor concerns involving more than 80 countries.
South Carolina

Georgia man gets 45 years after shooting SC trooper

Public defender Jeremy Thompson said the accused was high at the time and did not remember what happened.

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A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derrick Gathers, 40, to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a gun as a felon, adding six years and eight months to a 38-year South Carolina sentence he is already serving for shooting a state trooper during a 2023 traffic stop.

U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis ordered that eight years and four months of the federal sentence run concurrently with the state sentence, bringing Gathers’ total prison time to nearly 45 years. He also will serve three years of supervised release after prison.

A jury convicted Gathers last year of attempted murder, possessing a weapon during a violent crime, and failing to stop for police.

The case stemmed from an April 2023 traffic stop in Bamberg County. Lance Cpl. B.A. Frazier of the South Carolina Highway Patrol stopped Gathers about 3:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 78 outside Denmark after authorities said he was driving 90 mph in a 55 mph zone.

According to court filings, Frazier noticed that the photo on Gathers’ driver’s license did not appear to match him. As the trooper returned to the driver’s side of the car, Gathers pulled out a stolen handgun and shot Frazier in the right cheek at close range.

Authorities said Gathers then led officers on an 18-mile chase that lasted about 11 minutes before crashing in a front yard. The car, which had a passenger inside, flipped several times.

Prosecutor Lamar Fyall said the reason for the shooting remained unclear and that Gathers likely would have spent the night in jail on a fraudulent-license charge before release pending charges.

Frazier survived and returned to work. About a dozen troopers and the Highway Patrol commander attended Thursday’s hearing. “I do have my days,” Frazier told reporters afterward. “But, hey, as long as I can get back to work, man, I’m going to be OK.”

Gathers’ criminal history influenced the sentence. Court filings said he was barred from possessing a gun because of prior federal convictions in New York for rape, criminal impersonation, and illegal weapon possession. His record also included assault, drug, and weapons cases dating to 2002.

Lewis said the sentence was intended to protect law enforcement and the public. “I’m not saying you’re a bad person,” she told Gathers. “That’s between you and the good Lord. I’m just trying to keep everybody safe.”
SC lead

State budget expands college scholarships statewide

Lawmakers committed $18.7 million to expand the program to 32 counties.

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South Carolina high school seniors statewide will become eligible for Meeting Street Scholarships under a public-private partnership included in the state budget sent Tuesday to Gov. Henry McMaster.

Lawmakers committed $18.7 million to expand the program to 32 counties. The scholarships cover gaps not paid by other aid, providing up to $10,000 a year for four years, or up to $40,000 total, for low-income students who maintain at least a B average.

Students must qualify for a federal Pell Grant and receive either a LIFE Scholarship or Palmetto Fellows scholarship. Legislative leaders also expanded eligibility to graduates of private schools and homeschools; previously, only public high school graduates qualified.

Nearly 3,000 students in the Class of 2027 could qualify, according to Beemok Education, the nonprofit run by Charleston businessman Ben Navarro that administers the program. State funding is expected to cover about 2,300 scholarships awarded next year.

What began in Charleston County for the Class of 2021 has expanded to 14 counties through private donations from Navarro and his wife, Kelly, and other donors, including Darla Moore. Donors have committed about $88 million, according to Beemok.

In the 32-county expansion, state lottery profits will fund 80% of scholarships and private donations will fund 20%. In the 14 legacy counties, private donations will continue to cover the full cost.

The budget is not yet final. It will take effect after McMaster issues line-item vetoes, expected Monday. Beemok President Josh Bell said the estimated cost increased after lawmakers added private school and homeschool graduates.

Navarro said no qualifying student would be denied if demand exceeds estimates. “One way or another, we will fund every one of them,” he said.

Beemok said 88% of nearly 2,220 students awarded scholarships since 2021 have either graduated or remain enrolled. The average award fills a $7,900 gap in tuition, housing, meals, and fees. Of graduates so far, 70% left college with no debt and 80% stayed in South Carolina to work, according to Beemok.

Starting this school year, scholarship recipients in their second and third years of college must complete 250 work hours to remain eligible the following year. Bell said more than 80% were already meeting that threshold through jobs, internships, or research.
NC lead

North Carolina Senate race draws more outside ad money

The ongoing Senate race is expected to be the most expensive Senate contest in state history.

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Spending in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race continued to rise after Americans for Prosperity Action announced $5.6 million in advertising across seven battleground states, including North Carolina.

The group said the North Carolina portion was part of a seven-figure investment supporting Republican Michael Whatley.

The race is expected to be the most expensive Senate contest in state history. WRAL State House Reporter Will Doran said the 2026 race was already nearing the roughly $100 million spent in Sen. Thom Tillis’ race, with about three months remaining.

A new ad from Americans for Prosperity Action said, “Tired of higher bills? So is Whatley. Sick of gridlock standing in the way? Whatley is too.” The ad presented Whatley as not being a career politician.

The announcement came a day after an Elon University poll found Democrat Roy Cooper leading Whatley by 11 points, 53% to 42%, with 5% undecided.

“Whatley has been narrowing the gap a little bit. He obviously has a lot of work to do to get people to know who he is, especially compared to someone like Roy Cooper who is almost a universal figure in state politics. You know, he’s got to convince people one to pay attention to him, and you know, two just to know what he’s about,” Doran said.

Doran said the timing of the ad buy was not surprising after the poll showed Whatley gaining on Cooper while still trailing.

Cooper’s campaign has focused largely on affordability as inflation continued rising under President Donald Trump.

Whatley has focused more on public safety, accusing Cooper and other Democrats of being soft on crime.

The Americans for Prosperity Action announcement followed a pledge from Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic-aligned group, to spend an additional $11 million to help elect Cooper.
North Carolina

Jackson disputes Duke testimony on rate increase

Duke Energy Progress originally sought an 18.1% increase in residential rates over two years, but later reduced its request.

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North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said Duke Energy provided incorrect information under oath in testimony about a proposed electricity rate increase.

Kendal Bowman, North Carolina president for Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas, told the North Carolina Utilities Commission on Tuesday that residential customers could expect to pay about 6.8% more over the next two years. She said rates would rise 3.7% in the first year and 3.1% in the second.

Jackson’s office said that figure reflected the average increase across all customer classes, including industrial users who pay less. Based on calculations by Jackson’s office, residential customers under Duke Energy Progress would see a 9.3% increase over two years.

“The details matter here, and Duke got it wrong under oath,” Jackson said in a statement Thursday. “A 6.8% increase was already too high for families, and Duke can’t justify an even bigger increase.”

Jackson said Wednesday that he would not sign the latest proposed settlement with Duke Energy, as he had also declined to support an earlier proposal in July. The attorney general’s approval is not required for the Utilities Commission to approve a deal, but the office can challenge it in court.

Last week, Duke Energy Progress said it had reached a settlement with the Utilities Commission’s Public Staff, which represents consumers in regulatory cases. The agreement called for an average increase of 3.4% each year for the next two years across all users, but did not estimate the increase for the average residential customer.

State leaders and environmental advocates said 3.4% was still too high.

The Utilities Commission is holding hearings on the Duke Energy Progress rate case before deciding whether to approve the proposed settlement. New rates would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
World

U.S. missionary freed after kidnapping in Niger

No armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction.

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An American missionary kidnapped in Niger in October has been released, his organization said Friday.

Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials,” SIM International said in a statement. He will soon be reunited with his extended family, the statement added.

Rideout was kidnapped in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21 by three armed individuals and was probably driven out of the city, according to information provided at the time by a security official.

Niger has long faced attacks from armed groups, including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

The U.S. Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after Rideout’s kidnapping, warning that American citizens “remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city.”

Niger has been ruled by a military junta since 2023, when it deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. The authorities later pushed out Western partners, including the United States, which had soldiers in Niger, and formed a new security and diplomatic alliance with Russia.

In June, gunmen killed more than 30 people in an attack on Niamey’s main airport. It was the second attack there this year. The airport serves as the military government’s command hub, hosting its air force base, most of its drones and aircraft, and the headquarters of the regional alliance of troops from Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Middle East

UAE says Iran attacked 2 ADNOC vessels in Hormuz

No injuries were reported, the ministry said.

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The United Arab Emirates said Iran attacked two vessels linked to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.

ADNOC confirmed that “two of its vessels were attacked while transiting” the waterway and said the situation was “brought under control,” Emirati media reported.

“The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned and denounced the hostile Iranian attack that targeted two vessels affiliated with ADNOC as they transited the Strait of Hormuz,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement early Friday.

Iran did not immediately comment on the attack or the UAE’s claims.

The incident came days after the UAE reported a similar attack on an ADNOC tanker on Saturday. After that attack, which also caused no injuries, the UAE blamed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The UAE has accused Iran of maintaining an effective blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and seeking to charge users for passage. The United States opposes the plan and has imposed its own blockade on Iranian shipping.

Iran is in talks with Oman over arrangements for the strait’s future management.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has previously threatened action against vessels transiting the strait if they are linked to Tehran’s adversaries or fail to comply with Iranian directives.

The Emirati Foreign Ministry said attempts by Iran to use the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion amount to “piracy” and pose a “direct threat to the stability of the region, its peoples, and the global energy supply.”

The earlier attack also drew condemnation from regional and Arab governments.

ADNOC said 15 of its vessels had been attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran in February.
World Politics

U.S. to announce new Iran sanctions next week

Over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a pact with Oman to establish a shipping route through the strait was “very close,” without providing details. No agreement had been announced.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. will soon announce new economic measures against Iran, as the Trump administration increases financial pressure on Tehran.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country,” Bessent said Thursday in an interview with Newsmax.

Bessent said the move would be part of a “one-two punch” that includes the continued blockade of Iran’s ports.

Iran’s economy has already been hit by the war, with much of its industrial capacity destroyed and crude exports sharply reduced by the U.S. blockade. Iran has previously weathered multiple rounds of sanctions, which have not forced changes to its nuclear program or its control of the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent days, President Donald Trump renewed his administration’s emphasis on economic pressure as the U.S. faced a shortfall of munitions and appeared reluctant to expand its military campaign.

Trump told Axios over the weekend that he was “low-keying it” with Iran. “We are just watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money,” he said.

Iran has reorganized its military for a more assertive posture abroad as talks with the U.S. on ending the war remained stalled.

There was little sign of progress between Iran and the U.S. over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas is shipped. Both sides claimed control and were seeking concessions that appeared unlikely to be met.

Oil held losses, with Brent trading near $87 a barrel after falling 2.2% in the previous session.