Edition 13 · Sunday, August 30, 2026
Here's what happened.
Baby goats from Farm Adventures of Harmony in North Carolina tested positive for rabies, according to state health officials. It was unclear how many people may have been exposed since late July.
California lawmakers reached a narrower wildfire deal after Gov. Gavin Newsom backed off plans to ease costs for utilities responsible for wildfires. The compromise addresses wildfire risk, supports fire survivors and creates stronger accountability, but excludes most of Newsom’s major demands.
Nepal’s army and other rescuers are trying to reach 900 workers reported missing after floods. The army turned to the trapped workers more than a day after the flooding, according to officials, industry groups and private rescuers.
President Trump called an agreement giving the U.S. control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil “historic.” Venezuela’s interim president said the unusual deal would help revive the country’s economy.
Icelanders rejected the government’s proposal to resume negotiations on joining the European Union. Broadcaster RUV reported that 52.8% of voters opposed restarting the talks.
Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell filed a lawsuit against Anthropic in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. They seek damages over “tens of thousands” of copyrighted works, including up to $150,000 per work and additional damages when identifiable copyright data was stripped.
The Verge’s weekly newsletter examines China’s humanoid-robot race and its connection to the broader U.S.-China AI competition. The coverage also focuses on robots falling during competition, framing the technology’s rapid progress alongside its visible limitations.
Scientists created an extreme state of matter associated with the early universe using smaller atoms than previously thought necessary. The discovery changes understanding of how large atoms need to be to produce that state.
Only 1,811 cuttlefish took part in this year’s mating event, according to official figures. That represents a 97% decline from last year’s count.
England is facing a summer drought, prompting questions about who is responsible and how the country can protect its future water supplies. The story examines efforts to future-proof water availability.
NASA successfully launched its newest space telescope, a tour-bus-sized observatory. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aims to investigate cosmic mysteries and identify more than 100,000 planets beyond our solar system.
Medicare has launched a pilot program intended to streamline access to GLP-1 medications, with some seniors paying $50 a month. However, many people with the most serious illnesses will not qualify for the discount.
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin M. Warsh must soon decide whether to raise interest rates if inflation does not ease. The decision could draw President Trump’s ire, putting the Fed in a difficult position over rates and inflation.
President Trump promised an economic course correction while campaigning in 2024. Almost two years later, high debt and rising prices have made that economic fight harder, according to the source summary.
A judge temporarily blocked the Postal Service from refusing to deliver ballots in states that do not comply with the agency’s rules. The rule could affect millions of mail voters and many battleground elections, with a potentially disproportionate effect on Democrats.
The Trump administration deported an Afghan relative whose family had received threats from the Taliban because his brothers supported the U.S. military. He was sent to the Central African Republic.
Political influencers’ videos have proliferated on social media, while payments to some influencers are hidden from viewers. The practice raises questions about transparency in political messaging and campaign finance.
Federal prosecutors planned to charge an immigration agent arrested in connection with a shooting in Minneapolis. The case then stalled after the agent was released.
Start-ups are adopting the military-derived term “forward-deployed” for customer-facing workers who help clients set up artificial intelligence tools. The role reflects demand for people who can support organizations implementing A.I.
Filip Hrgovic defeated British heavyweight Moses Itauma at London’s O2 Arena in a major world-title upset. Itauma missed the chance to become world heavyweight champion after the extraordinary loss.
Chantelle Cameron defeated Mikaela Mayer and added the WBA and WBC light-middleweight titles to her WBO belt. The victory made Cameron a unified champion in the division.
AI-generated celebrity deepfakes are spreading across social media, including videos featuring late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jon Stewart. Such clips can be easier to create than other kinds of deepfakes and may be especially disruptive.
Young adults are participating in more group chats than ever, with some managing more than 20 at a time. The piece offers ways to deal with the resulting chat overload.
Rockstar Games says Grand Theft Auto 6 will launch in November without microtransactions or generative AI. The announcement sets expectations for two increasingly prominent issues in major game releases.
The BBC reports from Gamescom in Cologne after getting an early look at major upcoming games. The preview highlights The Witcher 3 and Alien: Isolation 2 among the event’s attractions.
EA Motive’s Iron Man game was unexpectedly leaked. IGN reports that the leak may have increased excitement among Marvel fans despite disrupting the planned reveal.
Ellen Burstyn will receive a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The award recognizes her decades of work on stages and screens.
Dolly Parton's songs traveled beyond Nashville and found audiences across Africa. Musicians there embraced her stories of hardship, heartbreak and humble beginnings, then made them their own.
A French couple, both conceived by sperm donors, wanted to have children but worried they might be related. Because home DNA tests are illegal, they faced difficulty determining whether they were biologically connected.