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伊朗：美国曾考虑套用“委内瑞拉”模式 但未得逞

2026年8月18日 23:32 / 联合早报

美国与以色列2月28日联合对伊朗发动袭击后，中东局势迅速升级。 （路透社档案照片）

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队副总司令伊扎迪说，美国曾考虑将“委内瑞拉”模式用于伊朗，但最终未能得逞。

革命卫队旗下新闻网站星期二（8月18日）报道，伊扎迪说，美国曾制定推翻伊朗政权和“肢解”伊朗的方案，甚至考虑将“委内瑞拉”模式用于伊朗，但最终未能实现其目标，并在多个领域遭遇失败。

他也说，美方空中力量遭受重大损失，包括无人机和载人飞机在内的200多架美国飞行器坠毁。此外，根据公布的数据，大多数美国年轻人不赞成对伊朗发动战争。

今年1月3日凌晨，美国对委内瑞拉发动代号为“绝对决心行动”（Operation Absolute Resolve）的空袭与地面突击，成功抓捕委内瑞拉总统马杜罗，并推翻政权。自去年1月特朗普再次入主白宫后，美国便将委内瑞拉视为西半球战略的切入口，这次军事行动标志着马杜罗政府的正式垮台。

伊朗：美国曾考虑套用“委内瑞拉”模式 但未得逞

2026年8月18日 23:32 / 联合早报

美国与以色列2月28日联合对伊朗发动袭击后，中东局势迅速升级。 （路透社档案照片）

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队副总司令伊扎迪说，美国曾考虑将“委内瑞拉”模式用于伊朗，但最终未能得逞。

革命卫队旗下新闻网站星期二（8月18日）报道，伊扎迪说，美国曾制定推翻伊朗政权和“肢解”伊朗的方案，甚至考虑将“委内瑞拉”模式用于伊朗，但最终未能实现其目标，并在多个领域遭遇失败。

他也说，美方空中力量遭受重大损失，包括无人机和载人飞机在内的200多架美国飞行器坠毁。此外，根据公布的数据，大多数美国年轻人不赞成对伊朗发动战争。

今年1月3日凌晨，美国对委内瑞拉发动代号为“绝对决心行动”（Operation Absolute Resolve）的空袭与地面突击，成功抓捕委内瑞拉总统马杜罗，并推翻政权。自去年1月特朗普再次入主白宫后，美国便将委内瑞拉视为西半球战略的切入口，这次军事行动标志着马杜罗政府的正式垮台。

White House tears into Ossoff with brutal takedown after jab at key Trump aide: ‘Lightweight loser’

2026-08-18 10:43 EDT / Fox News

Trump officials and GOP lawmakers demand an apology after the Georgia senator’s remarks about the bone cancer survivor

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Published August 18, 2026 10:43am EDT

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Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is facing backlash from White House officials and conservatives after taking a personal shot at Trump aide Natalie Harp at a campaign rally, referring to her only by her first name.

“Natalie Harp is one of the most loyal and hardest working aides on President Trump’s team. Jon Ossoff is a cringeworthy, feminine theatre kid cosplaying as Barack Obama. Nobody gives a s— what this lightweight loser says,” said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle to Fox News Digital.

Ossoff took the jab at Harp during a re-election campaign rally in Atlanta, where he slammed President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran war and accused the president of neglecting his duties to focus on construction of the White House ballroom and “travel with Natalie,” whom he did not identify by last name.

DEM SENATOR SWIPES CREDIT FOR BILL HE OPPOSED AMID HEATED RE-ELECTION BID: ‘DISTURBING PATTERN’

Natalie Harp has been President Trump’s assistant since 2022.(Trump campaign)

“He doesn’t want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar,” Ossoff said.

His jab sparked backlash from conservatives and Trump officials, who defended the 35-year-old aide as simply doing her job, called Ossoff’s attack sexist and demanded an apology.

“I don’t think any woman would want to travel with Ossoff. Natalie is smart, professional and successful. Ossoff has to make a sexist remark,” wrote communications specialist and political commentator Mercedes Schlapp.

“Jon J—— has to be the biggest c— loser in politics. Instead of denigrating hard working people serving their country, Jon should look deep into his soul and ask himself why he’s a miserable person who hates this country. It’s because he’s a radical, extremist Dumocrat,” said White House communication director Steven Cheung.

FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE GEORGIA SENATE RACE

Natalie Harp watches as President Donald Trump arrives for a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for military casualties of the war with Iran on July 22, 2026.(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

“@SenOssoff comments regarding Natalie Harp were both sexists and misogynistic. John, attractive women can be qualified, hard workers, and in positions of power. Your gross implication otherwise only highlights your own insecurity and guilty conscience. I feel bad for your staff if this is what you think of women,” wrote Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

“Natalie Harp is an incredibly hardworking, talented, principled, and loyal member of the Trump Admin who passionately wants to help our nation thrive. Every day, she brings drive and focus to her work serving our country. She’s truly a phenomenal member of POTUS’ team,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

“Natalie Harp survived bone cancer because President Trump allowed her the ‘right to try.’ Now she’s an extremely hardworking and trusted assistant. Any other insinuation is vile,” wrote Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas.

“Natalie Harp is a bone cancer survivor who only lived because Trump greenlit the right to try an experimental treatment when you were terminal. I met her back then. She went to work for him after recovery,” said conservative commentator Robby Starbuck.

He added, “@Ossoff is a vile coward for insinuating they’re having an affair. He should apologize to Natalie for doing this. I don’t think any of us would want our daughters talked about like this.”

TRUMP’S BEHIND-THE-SCENES ENFORCER PULLS BACK THE CURTAIN IN RARE PUBLIC MOVE

Natalie Harp, executive assistant to the president, watches an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2026.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Harp rose to prominence in 2019 after crediting Trump’s Right to Try Act with helping her access experimental cancer treatment. She later joined Trump’s 2020 campaign before being tapped as special assistant to the president.

She has earned the nickname the “human printer” in Trump’s orbit, updating the president with printouts of news articles, emails, social-media posts and other material for him to read.

Ossoff sought to clarify his remarks Monday.

“[Trump] retreats into this bubble of West Wing aides who are his security blanket to make him feel good about himself, to reassure him that he’s doing a great job,” said Ossoff on “The Briefing with Jen Psaki.”

He added, “I’ve heard this particular aide referred to as his security blanket. And I think we could say that about any number of the senior aides in the White House. They’re not telling him what he needs to hear. They’re telling him what he wants to hear.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Harp and Ossoff for comment.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

White House defends Trump’s ability to vote by mail

2026-08-18T13:57:55.181Z / Reuters

By Bo Erickson and Daphne Psaledakis

August 18, 2026 1:57 PM UTC Updated 12 mins ago

Aerial view from the top of the Washington Monument of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 2, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) – The White House ​on Tuesday defended U.S. President Donald Trump’s ability ‌to vote by mail, after reports the president cast his ballot by mail in Florida’s Republican primary despite previously blasting ​mail-in ballots as “cheating”.

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“As President Trump has said, ​the SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions ⁠for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, ​disability, military, or travel – but universal mail-in voting should ​not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said when asked about reports Trump ​voted by mail in the primary.

“As everyone knows, ​the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates ‌in ⁠Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C.,” Wales added.

Politico reported on Monday that Trump voted by mail in ​Florida’s Republican primary, ​citing local ⁠voting records.

Palm Beach County’s election office said that information regarding a voter’s vote-by-mail ​is confidential.

Trump is pushing Congress to ​enact new ⁠voting restrictions and is trying to restrict mail-in voting, repeating unfounded allegations that it is more susceptible to fraud.

Trump ⁠cast ​his vote by mail in ​a March special election in Florida.

Reporting by Bo Erickson; Writing by ​Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Chizu Nomiyama

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Meta’s federal trial over child social media addiction set to begin

August 18, 2026 / 11:55 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Opening statements are set to kick off Tuesday in a pivotal trial for Meta Platforms in a California federal court, where states are seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children.

Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are seeking a financial penalty that could, in theory, total as much as $1.4 trillion plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The states are among 29 that sued the tech giant in 2023 over child safety and privacy. The other 25 states will go to trial later. The company also faces lawsuits in state courts.

The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. It also argues that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.

“This week, we’re in court with the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history. We’ll show a jury that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause young people because looking away was more profitable,” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said in a written statement.

Meta said it believes it has a strong case.

“We are proud of our record in protecting teens on our platforms and the amount of effort that we’ve put into developing protections over the years, even before these cases were ever filed, and continuing to the present day. We look forward to showing the judge and the jury those facts in court,” the company said in a written statement.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland will oversee the proceedings, which are expected to last six to eight weeks and include testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives and former employees. Gonzalez Rogers, appointed to the bench by former president Barack Obama in 2011, has overseen a bevy of complex, high-profile cases involving Big Tech. These include Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and its founders as well as Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple over its app store.

If Meta loses the trial, the court would have wide discretion over the size of any financial penalty, and legal experts say anything close to $1.4 trillion would be unlikely.

The trial is the latest in an avalanche of lawsuits against Meta Platforms and other social media companies including Google’s YouTube, TikTok and Snap, over arguments that their platforms harm young people, illegally collect their data and are deliberately designed to addict them.

Earlier this month, a U.S. federal appeals court denied Meta’s appeal, clearing the way for thousands of lawsuits alleging that its social media platforms encourage addictive usage can proceed.

In March, Meta and YouTube were held legally liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users. TikTok and Snapchat parent Snap were named in the original complaint, but settled before the trial began in late January. The jury in that case awarded $6 million to the lead plaintiff.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/instagram-owner-meta-accused-of-causing-social-media-addiction-in-children/

Instagram owner Meta accused of causing social media addiction in children in massive lawsuit

(05:09)

Hayden Panettiere’s ex-fiancé Wladimir Klitschko says he’s in “profound shock” after her death

August 18, 2026 8:15 AM EDT / CBS News

By Mark Osborne

Wladimir Klitschko, the former fiancé of Hayden Panettiere, commented on the actor’s death for the first time on Tuesday, calling it a “profound shock” and “tragic death.”

“Our family is going through a time of profound shock and grief,” Klitschko wrote on social media. “The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon. Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.”

Panettiere died on Sunday at 36 years old. She was found in cardiac arrest at a home in South Carolina and “resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful,” according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

“The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies,” the coroner’s statement said.

Klitschko, the former heavyweight boxing world champion, and Panettiere began dating in 2009 and got engaged in October 2013. Kaya was born in December 2014. Panettiere gave full primary custody of their daughter to Klitschko in 2018.

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry,” he said on Tuesday. “Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”

“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” Klitschko added.

Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere on June 25, 2013, in Milan, Italy. Daniele Venturelli/WireImage/Getty Images

Panettiere’s career spanned over three decades, starting as a child star in several national commercial campaigns. She was already a show business veteran at 16 when she landed the starring role of cheerleader Claire Bennet in the hit NBC show “Heroes” in 2006. She went on to more starring roles in both movies and television, including in the “Scream” horror film series and the TV dramaNashville, where she played country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on ABC and CMT.

Panettiere was open about her struggles with an addiction to opioids and alcohol that began in her teens. She struggled further after the death of her younger brother, Jansen, in 2023 at the age of 28 from a heart condition. Panettiere released a memoir just three months ago, titled “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” which addressed her hardships and recovery from addiction.

“I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today,” Klitschko said. “Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”

He closed the message: “Rest easy, Hayden. May you find eternal peace.”

Nicole Brown Chau contributed to this report.

日澳同意深化防务合作 日本可在澳洲试射导弹

2026年8月18日 23:54 / 联合早报

日本防长小泉进次郎（右）和澳洲副总理兼防长马尔斯星期二在堪培拉会谈后，一同召开记者会。 （法新社）

日本与澳大利亚同意深化防务合作。今后10年，日本可用澳洲发射场，包括用以试射高超音速导弹等远程导弹。双方还将以日本最新型驱逐舰为基础，共同为澳洲开发海军新型舰艇。

日本国防部长小泉进次郎星期二（8月18日）在澳大利亚首都堪培拉，同澳洲防长马尔斯会谈后达致加深防务合作的协议。

据日本放送协会（NHK）报道，小泉与马尔斯会谈的重点之一是增强在印太地区的威慑力。日本自卫队和澳洲军方近期在联合训练等领域的交流取得了实质进展，确认了多个防务合作新项目。这些合作以日本首相高市早苗今年5月访问澳洲期间，双方签署的多项协议为基础，其中涉及测试新型装备和武器。

小泉会后在联合记者会上强调，日澳的防务合作达到新高度，进一步加强防卫合作“对于确保印度太平洋地区的和平稳定很重要”。

马尔斯也说：“在这个充满挑战的世界里，我们两国之间的合作比以往任何时候都更牢固。”

近年来，日澳在防务合作中“战略纵深”是关键词，指的是日本利用澳洲的地理空间、可靠的后勤保障和工业基础，增强应对冲突的韧性和防御能力。这一次，双方为日本使用澳洲的发射场做了10年规划，解决了日本不便在本土开展这类试验的难题。

马尔斯说：“我们能够在多方面为日本提供战略纵深（strategic depth），使用澳洲的发射场是其中之一。”

小泉对此表示欢迎，说：“日本自卫队如果能在澳洲试射远程导弹，这会是一个开创性的发展。我们将加速讨论，实现这个目标。”

美国总统特朗普在小泉访澳前夕，在社媒放话向朝鲜示好，频称与朝鲜最高领导人金正恩关系非常好。小泉在记者会上则对朝鲜表达警惕，说：“朝鲜的核武器和导弹研发，以及它同俄罗斯的合作日益显著，日本对此保持高度警惕。日美韩三国之间的合作对于地区的和平稳定极其重要。”

小泉出访澳洲后，将续程到印度。日本的时事通讯社报道，小泉选定澳洲和印度有一定的用意，因为由日美澳印组成的四方安全对话（QUAD）框架在美国总统特朗普二度上台后就不曾有首脑峰会。

报道指出，印度位处连接日本同中东和非洲的主要海上航线，是实现“自由开放的印太地区”的关键之一。报道引述日本防务消息称，小泉和印度防长会谈的议题将围绕印太地区和中国。小泉去年10月就任后已访问过印度，他这次将寻求扩大双边联合军演，以及向印度出口用于驱逐舰的“独角兽”通信天线。

特朗普日前下令大幅减少美韩联合军事演习，也引发日本的关注。日本前不久出炉的最新防卫白皮书，在“与盟国合作”的章节中就强调了“志同道合国家”的重要性。它指出，“尽可能与更多国家（不仅是盟国）加强合作对日本的安全非常重要的”。

A New York grandma went missing in Las Vegas. Now her family is getting texts asking for money.

2026-08-18 10:17 AM EDT / CBS News

By Kerry Breen News Editor
Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

Read Full Bio

More than a week after a New York woman disappeared in Las Vegas, her family is receiving messages from her phone asking for cash and bitcoin.

Alisa Goods, 63, traveled to Las Vegas to visit a friend, her family said. The friend told her family that Goods left his apartment on Aug. 8 to take a bus to a nearby CVS and never came back.

Her daughter Kristen said she’s extremely worried about her mother’s well-being.

“I am hoping to God for the best, but my heart can’t take what it could be, which is the worst,” Kristen Goods told CBS News.

Alisa Goods disappeared in Las Vegas on Aug. 8. CBS News

Alisa Goods, a grandmother of five, was reported missing on Aug. 10. Two days later, her family says they started receiving messages from her phone. The texts asked for help, gas money and bitcoin. Niece Alana Calloway said the request for gas money was especially strange because Goods does not drive.

“I said, ‘What do you need gas for? The car?’ My aunt does not drive. There is no car,” Calloway said.

Calloway raised the possibility that her aunt had been kidnapped.

“If they have her phone, there’s a possibility that they have her,” Calloway said. “I want to know that she’s OK and that she is alive.”

The Las Vegas Metro Police say Alisa Goods’ missing person case is active and ask anyone with information to contact investigators. Her family said they have contacted local hospitals, jails and even the coroner’s office, but have so far turned up no leads. Kristen Goods is now in Las Vegas trying to find answers.

“She is still out there, and we’re looking for her,” Kristen Goods said. “We want her home. We want her back.”

Kushner touts unprecedented Iran contacts as Tehran denies Trump backchannel

August 18, 2026 10:26am EDT / Fox News

Trump’s senior advisor confirmed the backchannel after meetings across the Middle East on Gaza and Iran’s nuclear program

By Anders Hagstrom, Fox News

https://www..com/video/6403607540112

Jared Kushner: Progress could come quite soon

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner discusses efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

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Senior Trump advisor Jared Kushner confirmed that communications between the U.S. and Iran are “more robust” than ever, despite Iran’s denial of a backchannel between President Donald Trump and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Kushner made the statement in an interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst on Monday after a series of meetings across the Middle East about the future of Gaza and Iran. Kushner emphasized that Trump remains committed to making a deal, but there remain severe roadblocks.

Kushner emphasized that Iran needs to get serious about making a deal, saying Iranian officials have so far been trying to “trick” the U.S. with false concessions and trying to “hide certain cards.”

It remains unclear who exactly the U.S. is communicating with through its so-called backchannel with the IRGC. The IRGC has been the most radical faction within Tehran’s government, frequently sabotaging past negotiations with attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and other efforts.

IRAN REQUESTS TALKS WITH US AS WHITE HOUSE WARNS ‘VIOLENCE WILL BE MET WITH VIOLENCE’

Jared Kushner speaks during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 19, 2026. Kushner is facing pushback in Albania over a luxury development project.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Previous negotiations have been with members of the Iranian civilian government, such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and representatives of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, but reports from within Iran suggest the IRGC holds more influence in the country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio alluded to that earlier this year when he told reporters at the White House that Iran’s negotiators often don’t know what they are allowed to concede.

“An offer will be made, and then it takes five or six days to get a response because you have to get it through the whole system. They have to find the supreme leader wherever he hides. They have to get him to sign off. And that’s their system,” Rubio said in May.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WILL PAY — WHAT IT TAKES TO END THE WAR REMAINS UNCLEAR

President Donald Trump gave an exclusive interview to Fox News’ Trey Yingst on Monday morning, confirming reports of the backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps amid fractured Iranian political leadership.(Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Kushner said that Trump is open to making an economic deal with Iran that will allow the country to thrive, but first the nation must give up its efforts to build a nuclear weapon.

“They have to want to be a real country,” Kushner said. “They can be one of the wealthiest countries in the world if they choose to pursue it. They have incredible people, incredible history, so they have so much potential.”

Kushner said Iran has to want to “pursue that potential instead of… spreading revolution and causing instability throughout the region and the world.”

As of Tuesday, a deal seems further away than ever, however, with the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran having expired on Monday. Iran is continuing to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian officials are even making threats against Trump’s life.

TRUMP CALLS ON ARAB NATIONS TO SIGN ABRAHAM ACCORDS

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Aug. 3, 2026.(Reuters)

“I think, as we said, we continue to have communications, and when the deal is ready, the deal will be ready. Deals are hard. I mean, it’s funny, President Trump is always aiming for the impossible deals,” Kushner said.

One possibility for enacting lasting change in the region would be to expand the Abraham Accords, which Kushner said the administration is still focused on accomplishing.

An image of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (L) and new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei with replicas of missiles in the background during a gathering to commemorate the death of Imam Reza on August 12, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.(Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)

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“We have a very good active conversations going with countries, some obvious, some not obvious. And I think once we get this Gaza situation moving forward, I think that will hopefully de-escalate the tensions here,” Kushner said, adding that more concrete talks may have to wait until after the upcoming Israeli elections.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events.

US housing market remains under pressure in July; factory output rises

2026-08-18T12:55:20.699Z / Reuters

Aug 18 (Reuters) – U.S. single-family homebuilding fell sharply in July to the lowest in more than three-and-a-half-years and contract signings for purchases of existing homes also slid ​in the latest signal that the housing market remains under pressure from higher mortgage rates and economic uncertainty from the Iran war.

The manufacturing sector, meanwhile, continues ‌to ride the coattails of the artificial intelligence build out, with a Federal Reserve measure of factory output hitting its highest in more than four years last month, led by production gains for high-tech equipment and industrial and construction supplies.

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Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, dropped 9.9% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 808,000 units, the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau said on Tuesday. That was ​the lowest since November 2022.

Single-family homebuilding slid 15.7% year-on-year in July.

Permits for future construction of single-family homes – an indicator of future new construction activity – rose 2.5% last month ​to a rate of 894,000 units. They were up 1.1% year-on-year in July for only the second yearly increase in the past two ⁠years, though the issuance rate remains near the slowest in three years.

“Until mortgage rates decline and allow builders to unload currently completed homes or those under construction, we expect home ​builders to remain hesitant to make significant investments in new projects,” Nationwide Senior Economist Ben Ayers said.

Total new home starts – including multifamily structures such as apartments – fell 12.4% to 1.239 million in ​July. Economists polled by Reuters had estimated an annualized rate of 1.35 million.

Overall new issuance of residential construction permits rose 5.0% to a rate of 1.443 million units. Economists had estimated a permit run of 1.37 million.

Contract signings for existing homes – which become completed sales transactions typically a month or two later – also fell in July, the National Association of Realtors reported Tuesday. They were down 2.3% on the month to ​the lowest level since January.

The residential real estate market remains in a deep rut, with high mortgage interest rates and limited supply of homes on the market hurting affordability and ​sales rates.

“The highest mortgage rates of the year hit right in the middle of summer, and that’s pulling back contract signings,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement. “Home prices are at record highs ‌so houses ⁠for sale are sitting on the market longer, and fewer buyers are bidding above the asking price than a year ago, though there are large local market variations.”

The contract rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the most popular U.S. home loan, ticked lower in the week ended August 7 for the first time since mid-June, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported last week. Still, at 6.77% it remains near the highest in more than a year.

On Monday the National Association of Home Builders reported an unexpected uptick in sentiment among construction firms, but their confidence overall ​remains significantly subdued in the face of economic ​uncertainty, high mortgage rates and steep building ⁠costs aggravated by the U.S.-led war with Iran.

AI BOOM HELPS FACTORIES

The weak housing market stands in contrast to a robust factory sector, buoyed yet again by hefty AI investment activity that is driving demand for high-tech equipment and the supplies needed to build and run massive data ​centers.

The Fed reported its manufacturing output index rose 0.2% in July on the heels of an upwardly revised 0.3% increase in June. ​The index was at ⁠its highest since April 2022.

“The usual suspects, including AI-linked industries, drove industrial production, and particularly durable goods manufacturing, higher,” Bernard Yaros, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said in a note.

Business equipment production rose 0.8%, led by a 1.5% gain in information-processing equipment and a 1.4% gain in industrial supplies, which offset a decline in transit equipment output. Semiconductor output rose 2.4% and computer and peripheral ⁠tech gear production ​rose 1.8%.

Oxford’s Yaros expects the momentum to broaden out and lift other sectors beyond high tech. “AI is increasingly ​spilling over into other investment goods beyond information processing equipment,” he said.

Defense production also rose 1.8% amid continued high spending from the U.S.-led war with Iran.

Motor vehicle assemblies slipped to 10.42 million on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate ​from 10.68 million in June. Heavy and medium truck production – an indicator of demand from trucking and delivery companies – fell to the lowest since March.

Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

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