August 13, 2026

The American Conservative Morning Briefing · Aug 13, 2026 · 4m

Good morning! Today is Thursday, August 13th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Day 166 of the Iran War brings dueling claims over a Hormuz ceasefire, a deadly Houthi strike in the Bab el-Mandeb, and mounting economic pain at the American pump. James Pinkerton likens Washington's munitions panic to Britain's 1915 Shell Crisis, arguing the real failure is strategic — underestimated drones, a Patriot pipeline that won't catch up until 2030, and a CENTCOM still pushing for more bombardment. Karoline Leavitt announces she will step down as White House Press Secretary at…