August 26, 2026

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz won their opening mixed doubles match at the U.S. Open on Aug. 25, 2026, defeating Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. The pairing, granted a wild card into the event, marked Williams' first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022 and Alcaraz's return to competition after a five-month layoff due to a wrist injury.

The pair advanced past their higher-ranked opponents behind a strong push after a tight opening set, drawing one of the loudest ovations of the tournament's early rounds given the star power of both players. Their run ended shortly after in the quarterfinals, where they lost to fourth-seeded Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (7-4), 4-1, also on Arthur Ashe Stadium, just minutes after their first win.

The community predicted this correctly: 70% of forecasters expected Williams and Alcaraz to win their opening match, and they did. The result capped a heavily anticipated debut pairing that had been billed as one of the event's marquee attractions since the wild card was announced.

Darline Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina's Republican Senate primary runoff on Aug. 25, 2026, winning by roughly 52% to 48% with nearly all votes counted. The special election was called after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, Darline Graham's brother, six weeks earlier; she entered the race as a political newcomer recruited and endorsed by President Trump, who campaigned for her ahead of the runoff.

Norman, a longtime U.S. House member, had built support among state Republican officials but could not overcome Trump's late, aggressive push on Graham's behalf, including his direct campaigning in the runoff's final weeks. Graham's win secures her spot on the November ballot for the remainder of the Senate term, where she will face Democratic nominee Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, in the heavily Republican state.

The community predicted the outcome correctly: 75% of forecasters expected Graham to win, and she did. National coverage framed the result as a notable win for Trump's endorsement record after setbacks in several other 2026 primary contests.

Apple sent media invitations on Aug. 26, 2026, for a Sept. 9 event titled "Surprise and Shine," confirming the date ahead of the question's Aug. 27 deadline. The keynote will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino at 10 a.m. PDT and streamed on Apple's website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube. The event is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone.

The invitation followed weeks of reporting pointing to a September event, with the exact date and format confirmed only once Apple issued formal invites to press. The gathering carries added significance as the first major product keynote under incoming CEO John Ternus, who takes over Sept. 1 and is expected to lead the presentation following Tim Cook's departure from the chief executive role.

The community predicted this correctly: 78% of forecasters expected Apple to send invitations before Aug. 27, matching the outcome. The move keeps Apple on its typical early-September product cadence, consistent with iPhone launches in recent years.

SpaceX flew its 100th Falcon 9 mission of 2026, clearing the mark before the Aug. 26 deadline in question. The company hit the milestone in a stretch of launches in the back half of August, highlighted by a flight in which a Falcon 9 first stage flew for the 37th time, extending the company's booster-reuse record. Roughly three-quarters of 2026's Falcon 9 missions have carried Starlink satellites as SpaceX continued expanding its broadband constellation from both U.S. coasts, with more than half of the year's launches flying out of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Reaching 100 launches by late August continues a cadence SpaceX has sustained in recent years; 2026 marks the third consecutive year the company has crossed the 100-launch threshold before autumn. The pace stems from increased first-stage reuse, shortened turnaround between missions, and steady demand for Starlink deployment alongside commercial and government payloads.

The community got this one wrong: only 48% of forecasters predicted SpaceX would reach 100 launches before Aug. 26, but the company did, extending its climb from the 90th launch it logged earlier in the month.

Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" logged a 19th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 29, 2026, tying Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" (2019) and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" (2024) for the longest reign by a non-holiday song in the chart's history. The song, Langley's breakout country hit, first reached No. 1 in February 2026 and returned to the top for a nine-week stretch beginning July 4 after an earlier interruption in its run.

Its staying power reflects sustained radio airplay, streaming, and sales that outpaced competing releases through the summer, a rare feat for a country crossover single. Only Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which accumulates 22 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 by returning every holiday season, has spent more total weeks atop the chart.

The community predicted this correctly: 75% of forecasters said the song would reach the 19-week mark, and it did. The result places Langley alongside two of the most-discussed singles of the streaming era and sets up a possible bid for sole possession of the No. 2 all-time spot should "Choosin' Texas" hold at No. 1 into a 20th week.