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Data centers are a political issue crossing party lines, driving voters to candidates

An aerial view of a data center on April 14 in Vernon,  Calif. A surge in demand for AI infrastructure is fueling a boom in data centers across the country and around the globe.

Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Francesca Hong called for a moratorium on data centers. So did Ohio Republican governor hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, as data centers begin to dominate campaigns.

(Image credit: Mario Tama)

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Senate votes to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general

Todd Blanche appears at his confirmation hearing for attorney general in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on July 15, 2026 in Washington, D.C.

The Senate narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general early Saturday morning, elevating President Trump's former personal lawyer to head the Justice Department.

(Image credit: Eric Lee)

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Staff at the CDC in Atlanta remember victim of shooting a year ago as RFK jr. attends

It's been a year since a gunman opened fire on the CDC and killed a police officer. RFK Jr. visited the CDC today to remember the victim.

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Women in Maine may choose the victor in this year's Senate race

The race between Susan Collins and Troy Jackson is one of the nation's most high-profile Senate contests this year -- and may ultimately be decided by an especially powerful voting bloc: Maine women.

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Trump renews push to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook

President Trump has once again warned Fed Governor Lisa Cook that he wants to remove her from the central bank

Trump is once again threatening to fire Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud after an earlier effort to remove Cook was struck down by the Supreme Court.

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

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Another court blocks White House ballroom work, teeing up a Supreme Court review

Construction has continued on the White House ballroom all summer, as seen on Wednesday.

A federal appeals court says above-ground construction cannot continue without approval from Congress, siding with historic preservation advocates.

(Image credit: Tierney L. Cross)

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Monty Roberts, who trained horses through trust, dies at 91

The internationally acclaimed horseman defied the conventional method of breaking horses and developed his own gentler approach — based on horses' non-verbal language. Roberts spoke with Fresh Air in 1997.

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Senate passes Russia sanctions bill that was long championed by Lindsey Graham

Before his death, Lindsey Graham was one of the most vocal advocates in Congress for new sanctions on Russia. The South Carolina Republican helped champion legislation that was passed by the Senate on Friday.

The bill is meant to stifle Russia's economy by allowing for tough new tariffs against major importers of Russian energy. The legislation was led by Lindsey Graham before his unexpected death in July.

(Image credit: Heather Diehl)

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Colombia's new president vows to remake the country — and challenge its fragile peace

Colombia

A new political era for Colombia: a hard-right president promises order, growth and confrontation.

(Image credit: John Vizcaino)

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Murkowski will oppose Blanche nomination, narrowing his path to confirmation

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is seen here during a Senate hearing on July 21, 2026. Murkowski has said she will oppose President Trump

The Alaska Republican said the country needs an Attorney General who will "check the worst impulses of this administration," adding that she doesn't have confidence that Todd Blanche can achieve that.

(Image credit: Bloomberg)

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Employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs in a sign of a wilting labor market

The U.S. labor market softened in July as employers cut 23,000 jobs. Construction companies and factories continued to add workers, but retailers and restaurants shed jobs.

U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, and job gains for the two previous months were weaker than initially reported, according to a report Friday from the Labor Department.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

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A new vaccine could vanquish a major cause of deadly diarrheal disease

A medical illustration depicts the Shigella bacteria, a leading cause of diarrheal disease.

Over 1 million people a year die from diarrheal disease. Nearly half are kids under age 5. A new vaccine in trials offers great hope.

(Image credit: Smith Collection)

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Trump targets birthright citizenship. And, Iran aims to ban U.S. from Strait of Hormuz

President Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026.

President Trump says he has signed two new orders targeting birthright citizenship. And, Iran is aiming to ban U.S. ships from the Strait of Hormuz.

(Image credit: Aaron Schwartz)

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Kalshi and Polymarket bets on clinical trials criticized as 'ghastly'

Kalshi and Polymarket say allowing people to bet on the outcomes of clinical trials and FDA drug approvals provides valuable information about drug development. But researchers warn the bets could incentivize insider trading and interfere with the integrity of the process.

Researchers warn betting on clinical trials could incentivize insider trading and interfere with drug development. But Kalshi and Polymarket say they provide valuable information to patients.

(Image credit: Fred Tanneau)

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Everyone's talking about hormone therapy for menopause. Should I be on it?

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For years doctors advised women against hormone therapy for women in the menopausal transition. Now everyone's talking about how great it is. Is it really a wonder drug that women should all be on?

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Amid cost of living stress, many parents are supporting children well into adulthood

The Lago family (left) and Zucchero family (right) exemplify a growing phenomenon in American families: parents who help financially support their adult children, due in part to a difficult economy.

Polls show most Americans think young adults today have it harder financially than past generations. A majority of parents help their grown children with expenses, even if it hurts their own finances.

(Image credit: Mabel Lago/David Zucchero)

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Besieged Sudanese city faces relentless drone strikes and risk of mass atrocities, U.N. warns

Women and children queue to receive free food being distributed in al-Mohayra camp for displaced people, near the city of el-Obeid in the southern Kordofan region, on June 29, 2026.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians in el-Obeid are being battered by relentless drone strikes and face critical water shortages and a worsening cholera outbreak, while women and girls are reporting high rates of sexual violence.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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When tragedy strikes, America's wildland firefighters ask, was it 'somebody that we loved?'

A captain with the Clifton Fire Protection District salutes the passing procession carrying the bodies of three firefighters killed while fighting the Snyder Fire in Grand Junction, Colo., on June 28.

Deaths and close calls while fighting wildfires have strained an already on-edge workforce. They've also raised questions about policies and priorities amid an intense wildfire season.

(Image credit: Gretel Daugherty via AP)

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Who or what is 'taking a step back from visibility'? The quiz knows

From left: Ray Bradbury, Abdul El-Sayed, Natalie Portman.

Plus, if you know what "TMZ" stands for, you'll get at least on question right this week!

(Image credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

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Morning news brief

Trump issues new orders to limit birthright citizenship, Iran shares details of an agreement with Oman to reopen Strait of Hormuz, Trump under pressure to find a breakthrough with Iran.

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Man reflects on his 70-year career as an ice cream truck driver

For StoryCorps, we hear a conversation with an ice cream truck driver who holds the world record for the longest career as an ice cream distributor.

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Student shoots multiple people at a high school in Thailand, authorities say

A schoolgirl cries outside her school where deaths and injuries were reported after a shooting in Thailand

The shooter was a student and deaths and injuries were reported.

(Image credit: Sakchai Lalit)

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Court orders Instagram and Facebook's Meta to pay $567M to address kids' mental health online

FILE - A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money will be used for treatment services for young people.

(Image credit: Jeff Chiu)

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Trump signs 2 immigration actions to curb 'birth tourism,' limit birthright citizenship

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Washington.

Additional details weren't provided, but Trump said he thought his latest actions would be constitutional.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

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Iran aims to ban U.S. and Israeli ships from Strait of Hormuz and charge others a toll

A vessel is anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3. The war with Iran nearly ground traffic to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's parliament is reviewing a plan to ban ships linked to the U.S., Israel and other "hostile countries" from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration has rejected the plan.

(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

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A look at 'Operation Country Roads,' West Virginia's ICE operation

Earlier this year ICE arrested 600 immigrants over a two week period. Most migrants had no criminal records and, since then, West Virginia has decided to not hold ICE detainees in their jails. A look at West Virginia post Operation Country Roads.

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Sticky or slippery? Snails can change their slime to meet the moment

A new study finds that snails can modulate the properties of their slime.

Snails are slimy. But there's more to that goo of theirs than meets the eye. It's a fact that may help inspire the creation of new materials.

(Image credit: Franziska Jehle/Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
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The park service says Trump's arch would obstruct historic sites. Could it be moved?

President Trump stands near models of his arch during an October 2025 event with White House ballroom donors. The administration

President Trump's proposed arch in Memorial Circle would intrude on dozens of nearby sites, says the National Park Service. But there's been minimal discussion of alternate locations.

(Image credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)

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European nations say World Cup boycott is still on, keeping FIFA's Infantino in limbo

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks at the Semafor World Economy 2026 in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2026.

A continued boycott of the World Cup poses a big threat to FIFA, keeping President Gianni Infantino under intense pressure to resign.

(Image credit: Alex Wong)

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A new flu vaccine geared to older people is coming soon

A new kind of flu vaccine made with mRNA technology will soon be available.

The first mRNA-based flu shot to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration will be ready for the upcoming flu season. Moderna, the vaccine's maker

(Image credit: Marco Bello/Bloomberg)

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