Social Media Liability: A U.S. appeals court let thousands of addiction-related lawsuits against Meta and TikTok move forward, rejecting arguments that Section 230 blocks the cases—setting up a major fight over whether platforms can be sued for allegedly designing for harm to minors. Defense & Alliances: President Trump ordered the Pentagon to “substantially” reduce U.S.-South Korea drills, calling them costly and “hostile” to North Korea, while also pointing to Seoul’s refusal to join U.S. denuclearization efforts tied to Iran. Middle East Shipping: Tanker attacks have slowed Strait of Hormuz traffic sharply, with shiptracking showing far fewer transits and officials warning shipping may stay disrupted until Iran’s conditions are met. Public Safety Data: The FBI reported a historic drop in violent crime in 2025, including lower murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates—plus declines in hate-crime incidents. MarCom/PR Industry: San Diego PR leader Julie Smith-Taylor was inducted into PRSA’s College of Fellows, highlighting long-running influence in communications and ethics. Legal/Immigration Ops: USCIS will reject older editions of Forms I-539 and I-765 starting Sept. 15, 2026, with no grace period for the updated versions. Media Business: MediaCo’s latest results show revenue growth but a wider net loss, with digital advertising still driving a big share of ad revenue.