HomeWorld newsMidterm campaigns; Israel-Iran battle; Elon Musk : NPR

Midterm campaigns; Israel-Iran battle; Elon Musk : NPR

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Today’s prime tales

President Trump is not the only one hitting key states in the last days before the midterm elections. Democrats are bringing out large names, too. Former President Barack Obama will be in Ohio and Michigan this weekend, and next week he heads to Georgia. Today, former Vice President Kamala Harris is set to go to Mississippi, which has a surprisingly aggressive Senate race.

People stroll by a polling place at Denver’s Central Library on June 30, 2026.

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

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Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

  • 🎧 Many Democrats are visiting toss-up and deep-red areas across the nation, NPR’s Stephen Fowler tells Up First. Alongside figures like Obama and Harris, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Cory Booker and former DNC chair Jaime Harrison are going to completely different states to assist with campaigning. Fowler says these leaders resemble a shadow main for potential 2028 presidential candidates. He also notes that the Democrats’ marketing campaign push is occurring against a backdrop of a large surge in Black voter turnout during early voting.
  • ➡️ The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) announced yesterday that it will no longer subject endorsements, make direct PAC contributions or earmark funds for candidates. The influential lobbying group started its direct political involvement 5 years in the past but has confronted rising resistance and criticism over its positions on points like the wars in Gaza and Iran.
  • ➡️ This week, the Department of Justice began notifying the counties it desires to monitor on Election Day, NPR has discovered. The DOJ deploys screens to guarantee compliance with voting legal guidelines, but officers have raised considerations this yr over the Trump administration’s efforts to management elections.
  • ➡️ The NPR App has all of NPR’s election protection in one place — from the greatest tales across the nation, to the points that matter shut to residence. Browse headlines, playlists, podcast episodes, movies and more, all on the 2026 Election tab.
  • The U.S. and Israel are getting ready plans for a attainable attack on Iran early next month, a particular person briefed on the matter, who spoke on situation of anonymity so they could talk about the preparations, instructed NPR right now. This potential strike would happen after the U.S. midterm elections and Israel’s elections next week. The growth comes after Israeli safety forces in the occupied West Bank detained about 80 individuals yesterday, including U.S. Democratic congressional nominee for New York Brad Lander and more than a dozen American rabbis.

  • 🎧 Israel initially meant to strike Iran in mid-October, but Trump objected, according to NPR’s supply. These preparations might intention to strain Iran into a diplomatic deal, NPR’s Ruth Sherlock says. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning to topple Iran’s regime, and if election outcomes stay unsure by November, he may use the risk of navy motion to kind a unity authorities.
  • Tesla and SpaceX are exploring a merger. Together, Elon Musk’s two corporations would probably amplify his affect as one of the wealthiest people on Earth. The new firm would become one of the largest globally, boasting a mixed market cap of roughly $3.7 trillion.

  • 🎧 Musk revived the concept of a merger this week during current SpaceX and Tesla earnings calls, according to NPR’s John Ruwitch. If it proceeds, analysts believe Musk could achieve a controlling share in Tesla, where he at present wields less voting energy in contrast to SpaceX, Ruwitch says. In November, Tesla shareholders accredited a trillion-dollar pay bundle for Musk, contingent on assembly development targets over the next decade. This merger could assist him obtain these targets and safe the payout. Shareholders must approve the deal, but analysts believe this could be difficult on Tesla’s aspect because shareholders might demand a greater share value.
  • Today’s hear

    Cardi B performing at the NPR Tiny Desk.

    NPR Tiny Desk

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    NPR Tiny Desk

    When information broke that Cardi B would be at the NPR Music workplace, so many individuals came to see the rapper carry out an intimate set that workers had to flip some away, which is a uncommon incidence. People flocked to see the unfiltered rap star, who arrived in leather-based pants and a energy blazer, bringing a combine of humility and humor. She opened her efficiency with the haunting synths of “Hello” and closed with two pivotal hits from her catalog: the breakout single “Bodak Yellow” and the boogaloo-heavy “I Like It.” Don’t miss out — catch her total electrifying Tiny Desk Concert here.

    Picture present

    Chip Thomas, a retired doctor on the Navajo Reservation, is well-known for his massive photograhpic murals. Now, he’s been acknowledged with a MacArthur “genius” grant.

    John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

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    John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

    Chip Thomas has been creating public artwork in rural areas of the Navajo Nation for practically 20 years. Last month, he obtained a MacArthur Foundation “genius” award for the social influence of his work. His art work options massive black-and-white photographs depicting life on the reservation. Thomas moved to the Navajo Nation in 1987 as a household doctor and grew shut to the group, serving to with on a regular basis duties and finally began photographing them. His artwork displays the magnificence and resilience of the individuals who dwell on the land. Don’t miss these beautiful photographs.

    3 issues to know before you go

    Gary Tyler speaks about his work at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Michigan. Behind Tyler are his quilts Big Toe, (2024) and Enduring, (2025). They function two people who are incarcerated. He hopes his work attracts consideration to their plight and humanity.

    Sea Stachura for NPR

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    Sea Stachura for NPR

  • Gary Tyler, a quilt artist who spent a long time on dying row for a homicide he did not commit, now has his first solo exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
  • Researchers are publishing some of the first information in people suggesting that psilocybin may have potential advantages for sufferers with neurodegenerative ailments, such as Parkinson’s.
  • America has a new nationwide park. Trump signed laws this week upgrading the standing of Arizona’s Chiricahua National Monument. The park is half of the Chiricahua Mountains. (via AZPM)
  • This e-newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.



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