This Morning’s Top Headlines – August 20 | Morning News NOW

Weather & Environment - Hurricane Aaron downgraded to category 2, expected to move away from the US, but life-threatening rip currents remain a concern along the Atlantic coast [2] - Coastal flooding risk extends from South Florida to Boston, with potential for 2 to 4 feet of inundation in some areas [5][12][13][16] - Wave heights could reach 10 to 15 feet, up to 20 feet in some spots, even with the hurricane far offshore [5][15] - Tropical storm force windfield expanding to over 500 miles across, potentially bringing peak wind gusts of 53 mph to the Carolinas [16][17] Geopolitics & International Relations - The Trump administration is considering locations for face-to-face peace talks between Russian President Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky [19] - Switzerland and Hungary are potential locations for the Putin-Zelensky meeting, complicated by the ICC arrest warrant for Putin [22][23] - The US is prepared to provide some type of support for Ukraine, but boots on the ground are ruled out [27][29] - The Trump administration is deploying warships to the Caribbean to combat drug trafficking, amid rising tensions with Venezuela [30][31] - The US Coast Guard intercepted over $138 million worth of drugs in the Caribbean this summer [32] Crime & Law Enforcement - The Justice Department is investigating whether Washington DC police manipulated data to make crime rates appear lower [35][36] - Crime in DC is down about 10% since the federal takeover began [44] - Approximately 40% of the arrests made during the federal crackdown in DC are immigration-related [48] Accidents & Disasters - A building explosion in Wilmington, North Carolina, injured three firefighters after a car allegedly drove into a gas line [49][50][51][52]