By Leann Ray | Editor-in-chief

Happy Sunday! Here's a roundup of this week's stories in case you missed them.

NEWS

Old-time fiddler Ben Townsend (right) leads his apprentice Bodhi Gibbons-Guinn on a tune performed at Arthurdale Heritage for a West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase hosted in November 2025. (Photo by Michael Keller)

COMMENTARY

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, celebrates the Congressionally Directed Spending award to Charleston Area Medical Center with U.S. Sen. Jim Justice and local healthcare leaders in Charleston, West Virginia, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito's press office)

Stories from the States

Since his loss in the 2020 election, President Donald Trump has continued to deny the official results and baselessly sow doubt about election integrity. With an executive order to restrict mail-in voting and lawsuits demanding states turn over their voter rolls, Trump and his administration have been pushing for more federal involvement in how elections are run. That has some state leaders preparing for worst-case scenarios. 

In Episode 43 of Stories From The States, you’ll hear from Stateline staff writer Kevin Hardy. He spoke to some state attorneys general about how they’re preparing for the possibility of federal agents at the polls and contested election results. 

Click here to listen to Episode 43, “States move to fortify elections against Trump.”

Thanks for reading First Watch. Did you know our morning newsletter is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.