You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avalone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for August 14, 2026. 

We open by digging into President Trump's tongue-in-cheek claim that he might declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory, unpacking the international law questions, the strategic stakes of the world's busiest oil chokepoint, and why we think it's really a negotiating jab aimed at Tehran.

From there we run through the headlines you need to know, covering the president's Supreme Court appeal over the White House ballroom construction dispute, Luigi Mangione's guilty plea in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the arrest of a Massachusetts mayor on COVID relief fraud charges. We also dig into Bernie Sanders' refusal to endorse a Democratic Socialist candidate for Wisconsin governor and what that says about the limits of his own philosophy.

Our American Mamas, Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson, join us to talk about the rise in road rage and how anonymity behind the wheel brings out the worst in people.

In Digging Deep, we look at a university program offering stipends to train more physicians in abortion procedures post-Dobbs, then examine a CNN story on how data centers have transformed the small town of Quincy, Washington, funding new schools, infrastructure, and jobs. We take a moment to reflect on leadership, purpose, and why chasing approval is a losing game.

Then it's time for Fake News Friday, our weekly game separating real headlines from the fake and the really fake. We close out talking about New York Times speculation that AOC's decision to freeze her eggs signals a 2028 presidential run, before sharing a moment of whoa: the story of a 97-year-old doctor who returned to his alma mater seven decades after graduating, this time to watch his granddaughter cross the same stage. 

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776.