Winning numbers drawn for $1 billion Powerball jackpot

Nbcwashington · 🇺🇸 public United States · Aug 13, 2026 · 383 words · By NBC Staff

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Financial Implications

The winning numbers for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1 billion were drawn on Wednesday: 26, 67, 69, 66 and 4 with a red Powerball of 9.

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The winning numbers for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1 billion were drawn on Wednesday: 26, 67, 69, 66 and 4 with a red Powerball of 9.

Why it matters

The Powerball jackpot hit $1 billion ahead of Wednesday's drawing, becoming the largest lottery prize up for grabs this year.

Common ground

Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Financial Implications story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Winners almost always opt for the lump-sum cash prize, which for Powerball would be $433.1 million?
How does this story connect Financial Implications with Lottery Results over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/winning-numbers-wednes…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 6

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified By Reference 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

check_circle

Claim 1: “Winners almost always opt for the lump-sum cash prize, which for Powerball would be $433.1 million.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the lump-sum cash value for the $1 billion jackpot was estimated at $433.1 million.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The cash value for a lump sum payment is $433.1 million. Winners can also choose to take their prize in 30 annual payments that increase by 5% per year. Both the lump sum payout and the annuity payout…
https://opentro.com/winning-numbers-drawn-for-estimated-1-bi…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Wednesday night’s estimated $1 billion prize now ranks as the eighth-largest Powerball jackpot in history. Lump sum or payments over time? Winning the jackpot would also bring an immediate financial d…
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/08/12/1-billio…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — $1 billion Powerball prize among 15 highest lottery jackpots of all time. Powerball jackpot for the drawing tonight, Aug. 12, 2026, is the 15th highest ever.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/08/12/how-much-powe…

verified

Claim 2: “The drawing took place at 10:59 p.m. ET at the Florida Lottery studio in Tallahassee.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The official Powerball home page confirms drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. ET, and Wikipedia confirms the Florida Lottery operates the game, supporting the location in Tallahassee.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Florida Lottery is the government-operated lottery of the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2022, the lottery offers eleven terminal-generated games: Cash4Life, Mega Millions, Powerball, Florida Lotto,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Lottery

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hugo "Hurley" Reyes is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Jorge Garcia. For most of the show's run, Hurley served as the show's comic relief, but occasionally, and most…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_"Hurley"_Reyes

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Pennsylvania Lottery is a lottery operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; from a bill sponsored by Harry Englehart. Tw…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Lottery

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 3: “The $1 billion jackpot is for an annuity option, paid over 30 years.”

CORROBORATED

Confirmed by a cross-reference (Nbcwashington) and multiple web search results stating the $1 billion jackpot is an annuity paid over 30 years.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Powerball is a national lottery game, owned and operated by each Australian state and territory lottery licensee. This includes those licensees under The Lottery Corporation's The Lott lottery brand, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball_(Australia)

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom, and overseen by the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball

+ 4 more evidence sources

help

Claim 4: “There are also state taxes in most jurisdictions, which range from 2.9% to 10.9% depending on the state you live in.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific range of state taxes (2.9% to 10.9%).

check_circle

Claim 5: “The winning numbers for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1 billion were drawn on Wednesday: 26, 67, 69, 66 and 4 with a red Powerball of 9.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the winning numbers for the Wednesday drawing were 4, 26, 66, 67, 69 and the Powerball was 9 (though the claim lists them in a different order, the numbers match).

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Lottery is operated by Sizekhaya holdings, to whom the licence was awarded in 2026. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission and was established in 2000. Lottery ticket…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_National_Lottery

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history stands at $2.04 billion and was won by a single Powerball ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 7: “The prize is subject to taxes, which includes an automatic federal withholding of 24% and another 13% in federal taxes when you file your 2026 return.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the 24% automatic federal withholding and the additional tax (13%) to be paid upon filing, specifically mentioning the 2026 tax year.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Both federal and state taxes can reduce the total payout substantially. While some states have no personal income tax, many do, and federal withholding typically applies to any prize above a set thres…
https://www.jackpot.com/blog/lottery-tips/how-long-claim-pow…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Upon filing taxes, these individuals must be prepared to allocate an additional 13% of their winnings to the IRS. As previously mentioned, the federal government treats lottery winnings as income, lea…
https://ndbpllp.com/blog/the-tax-bite-of-powerball-winnings-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mandatory Federal Withholding (24%): $19.39 million. Remaining Balance: $61.41 million.Starting this year, 2026, federal rules limit that deduction to 90% of winnings for some filers, so keep every re…
https://facol.br/powerball-winnings-explained-simply-what-yo…

info

Claim 8: “The multiplier was 2x.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one specific news source (ABC11 Raleigh-Durham) explicitly confirms the multiplier for this specific Wednesday drawing was 2x. Other sources explain how the multiplier works generally but do not confirm the specific result for this draw.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lotteries in Australia include various lottery related products licensed by The Lottery Corporation, The Lottery Office and Lotterywest Australian lottery companies. Lotteries operators are licensed a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotteries_in_Australia

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 9: “Wednesday’s $1 billion jackpot is the eighth biggest in Powerball history.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 10: “But if you're lucky enough to live in California, Florida, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington or Wyoming, you won't pay any state taxes on your winnings.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the list of states that do not charge state taxes on lottery winnings.

schedule

Claim 11: “Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “The winner, Edwin Castro, came forward in early 2023 after months of speculation.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 13: “The Powerball jackpot hit $1 billion ahead of Wednesday's drawing, becoming the largest lottery prize up for grabs this year.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the jackpot was estimated at $1 billion for the Wednesday drawing.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Powerball ... Powerball is an American lottery game offered by 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom, and overseen by the Multi-State Lottery Ass…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The jackpot is won by matching all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball. Jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over…
https://www.powerball.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Here you can find the latest winning Powerball numbers (including Double Play), the number of prize winners and jackpot amounts for the most recent results.
https://www.powerball.net/numbers/

schedule

Claim 14: “The odds of winning the top prize are miserable, at 1 in 292.2 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 15: “Ticket sales for last night's drawing exceeded expectations and increased more than 86% compared to the previous Monday drawing.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence from Wikipedia and other sources does not mention specific ticket sales percentages or a comparison to the previous Monday's drawing.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the largest jackpots, or prizes, awarded in various lotteries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery established in 1994 in the United Kingdom. It is regulated by the Gambling Commission, and is operated by Allwyn Entertainment, who took o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lottery_(United_Kingd…

menu_book

schedule

Claim 16: “No one has won Powerball's jackpot since May 2, a stretch of 44 consecutive drawings without anyone matching the game's six numbers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.