Edition 7 · Monday, August 24, 2026
Here's what happened.
A wildfire approaching Reno has burned around 10,500 acres and remains completely uncontained, according to officials. Nearly 90,000 people have been told to evacuate or prepare to leave.
Sean Grayson, the former Illinois sheriff's deputy convicted in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, died Sunday while serving a 20-year prison sentence. The case became a flashpoint over police use of force.
Arizona could face cuts to its Colorado River water supply after decades of drought. The Trump administration says the state’s agreement to be first in line for reductions has now become relevant.
Thousands of people in northwest Indiana remained without power nearly two weeks after storms struck the region on Aug. 11. The prolonged outage has also affected Gary, where residents describe living in “survival mode.”
The Trump administration has changed how wildfires are fought across the West, as fast-moving fires have burned millions of acres and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings. California, despite an unusually quiet fire summer, has sent engines and crews to help fight fires elsewhere in the region. The changes come amid the deaths of four firefighters, two helicopter pilots and a bulldozer contractor in Colorado, Utah and Oregon this year.
The Trump administration is calling its planned new sanctions on Iran “economic D-Day.” Iran has vowed to respond to the fresh measures in a “seismic manner,” according to NPR.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Ukraine on his first foreign trip since taking office. He affirmed support for Kyiv despite new warnings from Moscow about potential consequences.
Ozon said its warehouses across southern Russia, including in Dagestan and Krasnodar, were hit in overnight strikes. The report adds to the latest cross-border escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros says it will withdraw from the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. It says the contest can no longer be considered neutral while a participating country remains involved in a large-scale military conflict.
Deepfake abuse in schools is affecting teachers as well as students. Four teachers told WIRED they became targets of sexualized, AI-generated content and described difficulties finding accountability.
GrapheneOS, an open-source Android variant focused on security and privacy, has announced plans to support Motorola smartphones. Official support is expected next year, beginning with traditional flagship models before expanding to foldables and potentially cheaper devices.
Tethered virtual-display glasses are presented as practical wearable computers. They trade bulky spatial-computing hardware for a simpler setup that provides a large screen directly in front of the wearer’s eyes.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to discover as many as 200,000 new planets. It is also intended to reveal details about dark matter and dark energy.
A French government minister linked a sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves, saying people have been taking risks by entering the water. There have been 301 deaths since 19 June.
The Montagu Harrier, described as the UK’s rarest bird of prey, has successfully nested for a second consecutive year. The nesting site remains secret.
Five decades after the war on drugs aimed to make substance abuse unaffordable, illicit drugs have become cheaper and more powerful. A visit to Baltimore examines why that strategy failed to curb the availability and potency of street drugs.
The maker of Clear Eyes Maximum Itchy Eye Relief voluntarily recalled nearly 40,000 bottles. Federal safety regulators cited a lack of assurance that the eye drops were sterile.
A new study finds that an all-out sprint can produce distinctive changes in proteins and tiny molecules circulating in the bloodstream. The findings suggest high-intensity exercise may have unique biological benefits related to heart health.
Nearly 600 practices in England have withdrawn from NHS dentistry over the past decade. The change is pushing the service toward a two-tier system and making NHS dental care harder to find.
The Trump administration may oppose electric vehicles and wind power, but it is investing heavily in batteries. Energy storage is important for artificial intelligence and defense, while officials are concerned about China’s dominance in the sector.
Fast-fashion company Shein is targeting a valuation of almost $27 billion in its stock-market debut. Its shares are due to begin trading in Hong Kong on 1 September.
Republicans retain clear advantages in the Senate map, but President Trump’s unpopularity has improved Democrats’ prospects. The outcome would have once seemed far-fetched, according to the source summary.
President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., is entering its second year. Three Guard members who served many months on the mission discussed their reactions with NPR.
Thousands of federal workers have departed the Agriculture Department, and rural communities report trouble obtaining loans, grants, technical assistance and infrastructure support. The disruption is affecting basic government services for farmers.
Canada’s prime minister said he was “reluctantly” announcing retaliatory tariffs and accused the United States of starting a trade war. The remarks followed the collapse of trade talks and President Trump’s claim that Canada wants the benefits of being a U.S. state.
A survey on attitudes toward accents suggests that accent bias remains an issue in many workplaces. The findings highlight how the way people speak can affect workplace experiences and perceptions.
Job site Adzuna said graduate vacancies have fallen by almost half in a year. The number of openings was the lowest since 2016, according to the survey.
Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati Open final to win her first title of 2026. The victory comes just before the US Open, while Arthur Fils won the men’s event.
Miyu Yamashita tied an LPGA Tour scoring record and won the CPKC Women’s Open by nine shots in Canada. The performance marked a dominant victory for the rising star.
IndyCar drivers raced past famous landmarks during Washington, D.C.’s first IndyCar event. The unconventional route presented drivers with novel challenges and drew the race onto the National Mall.
Vox examines whether Reddit remains a place for real people as AI-generated content, search-optimized spam, and brand activity make the internet harder to navigate. The story frames the platform as part of a broader debate about declining online quality and authenticity.
A viral “Cat in the Hat” TikTok trend has produced fake videos that prompted real concern. Police forces in Ireland and the UK issued statements saying the images are fake.
Take-Two Interactive has subpoenaed Microsoft, Discord, and X over the ongoing Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks. The legal action adds several major platforms to the publisher’s effort to investigate the leaks.
How to Fish, a quirky $5 fishing game, sold 1 million copies in two days. The game also reached number one on Steam’s Top Sellers list after its successful launch weekend.
Double Fine Productions has regained ownership of its intellectual property and publishing rights after becoming independent from Xbox. The change gives the studio control of its catalog and publishing following its departure from Microsoft’s gaming organization.
A century ago, Mexican American families built an adobe church near the border. The story asks whether its bell can toll again as expansion of the border wall approaches.
At a conservative center for women leaders, interns discussed their lives and encountered opposition to women’s professional ambitions. One intern said a male classmate told her, “I don’t know if women should be lawyers.”
Dale Dickey once wore a dinosaur costume to help make ends meet. She is now a first-time Emmy nominee for her role in “Widow’s Bay.”
Jorja Smith offers a loaded invitation, Rapsody explores Africa and the cosmos, and Carly Simon returns with her first single in decades. The roundup highlights new music attracting attention across several artists and styles.
Four people have been arrested in Kenya over the suspected poisoning of elephants. Investigators are examining whether pesticides sprayed on tomato crops caused the deaths.
China is investigating the use of formaldehyde to preserve cabbages. The practice is prohibited because formaldehyde is a carcinogen, and China is the world’s largest cabbage producer.