Hurricane Erin churns offshore, Noem paints border wall black: Unbiased Updates, Aug. 20, 2025
Dangerous rip currents and high waves are hitting beaches from the Carolinas to New York. Hurricane Erin is expected to grow stronger as it moves along the coast.
Plus, President Donald Trump argues that American museums should emphasize the positives of today rather than focusing on historical sins, calling for a significant overhaul of how the Smithsonian presents history.
Also, Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem applies a fresh coat of black paint to Trump’s border wall.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Erin approaches US coast as Category 2, bringing dangerous rip currents
Hurricane Erin is swirling off the southeast coast, creating dangerous rip currents and rough surf along the Eastern seaboard. North Carolina’s Outer Banks could experience the worst impacts.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, prompting more than 1,800 residents to evacuate the area.
Erin, now a Category 2 storm, is tracking parallel to the shore, causing some hazardous conditions from the Carolinas to New York.
Beaches are officially closed from New York City and Long Island to parts of Delaware and New Jersey. Beach-goers are advised to stay out of the water. More than 75 people were rescued from rip currents earlier this week, with another dozen on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service forecasts 20-foot waves and alerts about major beach and coastal damage.
As of 2 a.m. ET Wednesday, the storm was approximately 500 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with winds of 100 mph.
Erin isn’t expected to make landfall, but satellite imagery shows it growing more organized, with forecasters expecting the storm to strengthen as it moves north through Thursday.
Putin agrees to meet Zelenskyy within weeks, White House says
There’s a new development regarding the war in Ukraine. The White House says Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within the next two weeks.
The announcement follows Zelenskyy’s meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
On social media, Trump said he personally called Putin to start arranging the meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. On Fox and Friends Tuesday, Trump said he won’t join that meeting, at least at first.
“They’re getting along a little bit better than I thought. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have set up the two meeting, I would’ve set up the three, a trilat. But I think they’re doing a little bit better — there’s been tremendous bad blood,” Trump said. “If it works out, then I’ll go to the trilat and close it up.”
The big question now is where Putin and Zelensky will meet. Putin is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Ukraine, which makes choosing a summit location difficult.
U.S. officials told NBC News that Budapest and Geneva are under consideration. However, Russia’s Foreign Minister is pouring cold water on the idea, stating that any meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would need to be “prepared with the utmost care.”
Prosecutors to conduct federal probe into DC crime data as Trump takes control of police
The dispute over crime in the nation’s capital has just intensified. Federal prosecutors are now looking into whether D.C. police manipulated crime statistics.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, now led by former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, has recently opened an investigation. Sources tell The New York Times that investigators are examining whether officials minimized crime or provided false statements.
President Donald Trump confirmed the investigation on Truth Social earlier this week, writing, “D.C. gave fake crime numbers to create a false illusion of safety. This is very bad and dangerous … And they are under serious investigation.”
The inquiry follows Trump declaring an emergency in the capital, taking control of the police force and deploying federal agents and the National Guard to patrol city streets. City leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, assert that most crime categories are actually down this year, and say any reporting issues were limited to one district.
Additionally, earlier this spring, the U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledged a 25% drop in violent crime in the city during Trump’s first 100 days. Some claim that crime has decreased since 2023, but not overall compared to the national average.
Trump confirms federal review of Smithsonian museums over displays
Trump has expanded his crackdown on “woke” to the Smithsonian, confirming in a Truth Social post a broad White House review of the nation’s museums.
He accused them of focusing too much on the darker chapters of American history, writing: “The Smithsonian is out of control, where everything discussed is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was … Nothing about success, nothing about the future.”
He stated that he has directed his attorneys to review the museums, following the same approach he uses for universities. The White House has already initiated a formal review, requesting exhibit plans, curatorial materials and internal communications from several Smithsonian museums.
City and cultural leaders warned that the directive establishes an impossible standard and could threaten scholarly independence.
The Smithsonian has declined to comment.
Noem orders border wall to be painted black to make it hotter, harder to climb
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the entire border wall will be painted black, at Trump’s specific request.
Noem announced in New Mexico that the dark color will absorb heat, make the wall hotter and more difficult to climb and also extend the steel’s lifespan.
“If you look at the structure that’s behind me, it’s tall, which makes it very, very difficult to climb. Almost impossible. And it’s very deep, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to dig under. And today, we are also going to be painting it black. That is specifically at the request of the president who understands that with the hot temperatures down here that with something painted black it gets even warmer. And it will make it even harder for people to climb.”
— Kristi Noem, Homeland Security Secretary
Noem also credited Congress’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” for providing funding to finish the barrier.
She said crews are now building nearly a half-mile of new wall every day, while border patrol agents report apprehensions have dropped to decades-low levels.
Trump went on Truth Social on Tuesday, proclaiming there were zero illegal entries in July.
Palestine to be represented at Miss Universe for first time
A new face will make history at Miss Universe this November. Nadeen Ayoub, 27, will represent Palestine for the first time ever at this year’s pageant in Bangkok.
Ayoub was crowned Miss Palestine in 2022. She will compete against more than 130 contestants at the 74th Miss Universe final on Nov. 21.
The announcement comes as Israel expands its offensive in Gaza, fueling international criticism of the war.
On Instagram, Ayoub said she’s honored to be the first to represent Palestine and will use the stage to “speak up” for Palestinian women and children.
More from Straight Arrow News:
America’s backyard chicken boom explained
Amid ongoing high egg prices and a historic avian flu outbreak, backyard chickens and the local businesses associated with them are thriving.
In Minnesota’s Twin Cities, business owners are feeling the boom. Longstanding local businesses are logging their best year ever for chickens. At the same time, new businesses are popping up offering services like flock sitting and home feed delivery.
“The pandemic year was the best year we ever had for chicks and business, actually,” said Tom Tidrick, owner of Anoka Ramsey Farm and Garden, a family-owned feed and garden shop about 30 minutes outside Minneapolis. “2021 was better than that year. 2022 was better than that year. It stayed really good until this year when we blew through all our sales records.”
And a chicken’s role in a family’s life is shifting. Around 8 million U.S. households considered their chickens pets in 2024, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). They come in as the fourth most popular pets after dogs (68 million), cats (49 million) and freshwater fish (10 million).
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
