Relief Enroute To USS Lincoln, Ukraine's Drone Barrage On Russia, Kushner Gaza Talks

August 17, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The head of Central Command visited the USS Lincoln and called its deployment “one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era.” Another carrier is on its way to relieve the Lincoln amid reports of poor living conditions on board. Meanwhile, Ukraine launched its largest single-day drone attack on Russia to date, firing more than 800 drones, and Jared Kushner is in Israel for talks on Gaza’s future after a rare meeting with Hamas in Egypt. Here’s what you need to know.

Relief on the way for the USS Lincoln

The USS Washington is now en route to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been at sea for more than 260 days. The Lincoln arrived in January before the war with Iran started, and sailors have been on the ship since the war began. The head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, praised the crew’s sacrifice during a visit Saturday, but the Navy has been pushing back against reports from families who say crews are under strain — including reports of mental health issues and shortages of fresh food and supplies.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:02) **USS Lincoln Relief & Navy Morale** - The USS Washington is en route to relieve the USS Lincoln after an extended deployment, with NPR reporting on supply chain issues and mental health strain across the fleet.
2 (05:56) **Ukraine's Record Drone Attack on Russia** - Ukraine launched over 800 drones into Russia in its largest single-day attack, killing at least 20 people across multiple regions.
3 (07:33) **Russia's Escalating Response & Ukraine's Vulnerability** - Russia is retaliating by striking Ukraine at will with ballistic missiles, now that Ukraine is out of US Patriot missiles, while also targeting grain stores.
4 (08:18) **Political Stalemate & Russian Repression** - Despite Ukraine's effective long-range strikes, the Kremlin insists it is winning the war, and anti-war opposition is being crushed ahead of September elections.
5 (09:41) **Jared Kushner's Rare Hamas Meeting** - President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner held a rare direct meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt, followed by a meeting with PM Netanyahu in Israel to push a post-war plan for Gaza.
6 (10:34) **The Sticking Points for Israel** - Israel rejects the US-backed plan, and with elections ten weeks away, PM Netanyahu is under pressure not to appear to give concessions to Hamas.
7 Standout Quotes

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Guests on this episode

Charles Maynes

Show Notes

The USS Washington aircraft carrier is on its way to the Middle East to relieve the USS Lincoln which has been at the center of concerns over crew mental health and a lack of fresh food and supplies on the ship.
Ukraine launched one of its largest attacks on Russia since the war began, sending more than 800 drones toward Moscow and other areas. At least twenty people have been killed in the fire between both sides.
President Trump's Middle East negotiator, Jared Kushner, is in Israel for talks on the future of Gaza, right after a rare face-to-face with Hamas in Egypt, as the two sides remain far apart on disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Brett Neely, Tina Kraja, Miguel Macias, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Adriana Gallardo.

It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.

Our director is Christopher Thomas.

We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and our technical director is Stacey Abbott.

(0:00) Introduction
(01:55) Relief Enroute To USS Lincoln
(05:46) Ukraine's Drone Barrage On Russia
(09:31) Kushner Gaza Talks

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