August 12, 2026

The American Conservative Morning Briefing · Aug 12, 2026 · 4m

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, August 12th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Luke Nicastro dissects Mike Lee's failed August recess gambit to argue that Congress has become a hollowed-out stage for viral clips and donor theatrics, passing fewer laws than at any point since before the Great Depression while surrendering its role as a coequal branch. On day 165 of the Iran war, a U.S. helicopter struck a Panama-flagged tanker off Oman as Trump and Tehran traded maximalist demands, the Houthis expanded their maritime embargo in the Bab al-Mandab, and Brent crude…