Military vehicles and equipment, including fuel tankers and tactical trucks, staged near a river during a field exercise

US scales back military drills with South Korea

Full Episode
50:33

US Army’s armored vehicles gather to cross a river at a training field in Yeoncheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Aug. 17, 2026.

Ahn Young-joon/AP

US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, given his “very good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.” Also, campaigns for this year’s presidential election in Brazil have begun, with incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva running against Flavio Bolsonaro, son of his former rival. And, Swiss rivers and lakes are reaching near-record temperatures, risking disruptions to the electricity supply by making hydropower less efficient and by making it impossible to cool nuclear plants. Plus, the Olympic stadium in Athens gets its first deep cleaning in over a century.

In This Episode

Trump scales back military drills with Seoul as Pyongyang flexes in Ukraine
7:15
Large crowd of supporters in red at a Brazilian political rally, with confetti, flags, and banners filling a stadium
Election campaigns kick off in Brazil ahead of October presidential vote
Special Coverage
6:18
The Afghan Girls Robotics Team reflects on leaving their country
7:38
People gather on a bridge over a river, some about to jump in, with a city skyline behind them
Warm, low and slow: Summer takes a toll on water in Switzerland
Special Coverage
4:31
Extreme heat affecting transportation
6:55
Mexican officials adding native trees to create life-saving shade
4:27
Fifth annual Corgi Race Vilnius took place this weekend
1:56
Milan inmates turn abandoned refugee boats into musical instruments
6:01
Olympic stadium gets spruced up ahead of 2028 Games
1:28