Edition 14 · Monday, August 31, 2026
Here's what happened.
A flash flood hit the Grand Canyon after what had been a beautiful day, according to a hiker who spoke with the BBC. One person has died and 15 people are missing.
An NPR investigation found that people in the United States are dying from heat much more often than official counts show. The report examines why heat deaths are undercounted and how lives could be saved.
More than 22,000 ancient artifacts have been seized in Florida, officials said. The collection includes Egyptian statues and ancient Greek and Roman coins dating from 1,000 to 5,000 years ago.
A bill sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom would give California prosecutors new powers to sue big businesses over alleged anti-competitive practices. The measure is now awaiting the governor’s decision.
A bill sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom would let California police and firefighters retire earlier with more generous pensions. Government agencies say the measure could be expensive and are urging him to veto it.
The United States and Iran exchanged strikes after a monthlong pause. The renewed attacks are the latest sign that the war, which began six months ago, appears far from over.
Nepal has turned to mass burials as catastrophic flooding continues to devastate the country. More than 4,200 people remain missing, and the death toll is expected to keep rising in the coming days.
Russia said it helped repel an attempted coup in Niger. Soldiers allegedly attacked a key military base early Saturday but were thwarted, according to authorities.
Zambian opposition leader Mundubile has been charged with treason. He had previously gone into hiding at a United Nations building in the country’s capital.
A security researcher discovered nine vulnerabilities affecting ATM encryption and authentication software. The weaknesses highlight broader problems in the software supply chain beyond individual cash machines.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and is now beginning a three-month journey to its final orbit. The mission will study the universe’s darkest secrets, including through its wide-field observations.
Rising sea temperatures are leaving coral reefs without enough time to recover between intense heat waves, according to a new report. The finding highlights the growing pressure climate change is placing on reef ecosystems.
NASA’s Deep Space Network has brought a new 34-meter antenna online at its Goldstone complex in California. The antenna is intended to increase network capacity and strengthen NASA’s deep-space communications for decades.
A recent study found that many women treated for recurrent UTIs did not actually have infections. Their symptoms were instead linked to hormonally driven inflammation and pelvic floor dysfunction, suggesting some patients may receive unnecessary antibiotics.
Rasonque, a new pancreatic cancer treatment from Revolution Medicines, costs $480,000 a year. The drug illustrates the substantial inflation in cancer drug prices over the past two decades.
The ongoing U.S.-Canada trade war is affecting people and businesses on both sides of the border. The story examines how the economic conflict is being felt across the two countries.
The Polestar 4 is being sold with incentives that make it a bargain compared with its usual price. But the Chinese-owned brand is being forced from the U.S. market, complicating the deal for buyers.
Pennsylvania’s large data-center construction boom is drawing both enthusiasm and backlash. Gov. Josh Shapiro is slowing the push, while some residents welcome the billions of dollars in construction in a region marked by the steel industry’s collapse.
At least $1 billion from anonymous donors is flowing into the 2026 midterm elections. The source says dark money is not new, but now permeates nearly every major contest.
Google Maps has changed the displayed name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America.” The switch follows Donald Trump’s executive order demanding the name change, making Google the first major online map provider to adopt it.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen state spending on Flock’s AI surveillance cameras as backlash grows. The move followed an investigation reporting that Texas spent more than $30 million on the cameras, funded primarily through a $1 fee added to insurance policies.
Aaron Renn was labeled the No. 1 “intellectual super influencer” for a major part of the Trump-era right. The article examines a group of conservative influencers whose reach extends across that political movement.
Novak Djokovic lost in the first round of the US Open to Argentina’s Mariano Navone. The emotional defeat offered further evidence, according to BBC Sport, that age is catching up with the 39-year-old tennis great.
Aaron Donald, described by BBC Sport as one of the NFL’s greatest defensive players, has come out of retirement. He will rejoin his former team, the Los Angeles Rams.
Chess.com has expanded beyond online chess with Gambit, a free poker website launched in beta in May. The site is designed for learning poker without risking real money, and the company is planning to add more classic games.
Singapore has launched a national initiative in response to its collapsing birth rate. Some demographers say the plan includes policy ideas that could help American parents.
A private family funeral was held in Nashville for singer Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80. She was laid to rest alongside her husband, Carl Dean.