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Today’s best stories
Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast this evening.marking the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. The National Hurricane Center is warning of potentially dangerous winds exceeding 100 miles per hour and life-threatening storm surges of five to seven feet. Residents along coastal Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida are bracing for impact.
Brian Brunick (center) and other residents fill sandbags provided by the City of Orange Beach as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Isaias October 8, 2026 in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Joe Raedle/Getty Images
- 🎧 Highways are busy with people fleeing the area and emergency teams deployed toward the coast, says NPR’s Debbie Elliot First. States are preparing emergency personnel and supplies — such as generators, food and water — to distribute during power outages and the cleanup process. Elliot says October seems late for the first hurricane of the season, and this significant El Niño weather phenomenon has led many people to believe they have escaped the worst. Forecasters are predicting severe weather across the Southeast, including flash flooding and potential tornadoes. But they say they expect the storm to move quickly and lose tropical strength.
Ukraine has launched a new offensive against Russian invaders using cutting-edge technology. Operation Vivaldi involves Ukrainian soldiers using electronic warfare and aerial drones to blind Russian reconnaissance and eliminate their firepower and supply routes. They then deploy unmanned ground robots to weaken Russian positions. The Ukrainians say they have reclaimed about 68 square miles, an area about three times the size of Manhattan.
- 🎧 This operation is important because it takes place in the Donbass region that Russia has sought to control since 2014, says NPR’s Joanna Kakissis. Despite occupying much of the area, Russia demands that Ukraine cede the rest in any peace deal, which Ukraine has rejected. Operation Vivaldi demonstrates that a complete Russian takeover of Donbass is not inevitable and that Ukrainian forces can still achieve breakthroughs on a battlefield dense with drones, Kakissis says. Russia continues its attacks against Ukrainian cities, particularly in the east. A recent strike on a public bus in Kramatorsk, one of the last cities under Ukrainian control, killed at least 30 people and injured many others, according to local authorities.
President Trump announced on social media that the United States would not attack Iran. ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. It aims to counter reports suggesting the White House is considering airstrikes against Iran before Election Day.
- 🎧 Trump’s announcement is a bit surprising because ideallyhe wouldn’t want to make those kinds of promises during a war, says NPR’s Domenico Montanaro. He adds that the position of president reflects his awareness that the conflict has been politically bad for his party in the run-up to the elections. More strikes and deeper involvement in the conflict are a tough sell to the American public, including its own base. Although he promised to avoid foreign involvement, Trump maintained that a prolonged and unpopular war was necessary to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
At least one US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fired seven shots during an immigration enforcement operation in New York yesterday. The officer struck a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic in the neck, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The man, identified by Tisch as Oscar Belgal, was shot below the left ear and arrived at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in stable condition. A 5-year-old boy, believed to be Belgal’s son, was in Belgal’s vehicle during the incident. Police later found the child safe and in the care of a family member. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Belgal was the target of the operation, but did not explain why the officer fired his weapon. (via Gothamist)
Listening of the day
Youngmoo Kim (left) leads members of the a cappella group The Tonics in singing an arrangement of the song “Everything” by Michael Bublé during their weekly rehearsal in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 2026.
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
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Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
A Philadelphia-based amateur a cappella group made up of suburban fathers and grandfathers is taking social media by storm with their style and vocal arrangements. The Tonics are approaching 100,000 subscribers on Instagram, compared to 500 last year. Their rise is largely due to Emilie Hagen, a millennial influencer and “comedy journalist,” who promoted their videos to her 130,000 subscribers. Hagen tells NPR that she thinks the group resonates with audiences because it feels authentic and wholesome, and because it presents another side of how men interact beyond activities like sports. Listen to The Tonics sing and find out why they’re gaining so many fans.
Weekend Picks
Florence Pugh in East of Eden.
Geoffrey Court/Netflix
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Geoffrey Court/Netflix
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
🍿 Movies: Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney spent four years researching tech billionaire Elon Musk by reviewing extensive documents and interviewing those close to him. The nearly four-hour film, Musk, is in theaters today ahead of its release on HBO.
📺 Television: those of Netflix East of Edenwith Florence Pugh, offers an epic retelling of an American classic that offers a new perspective, Pop Culture Happy Hour said.
📚 Books: It’s time to say goodbye to beach reads and welcome cozy fall books. NPR Book of the day host Andrew Limbong shares 10 exciting books coming out this fall, featuring titles from Barbara Kingsolver, Chad Harbach, Jasmine Guillory and more.
🎵 Music: Troye Sivan’s She is the best explores darker feelings with a mix of dark and bright, explosive moments, while continuing to honor the legacy of queer dance floors in her music videos, said Isabella Gomez Sarmiento of NPR Music.
🎭 Theater: In the Broadway play Schoolgirls; or, the naughty african girls gameThe ladies of Aburi Girls’ Boarding School go through difficult lessons through their friendships, conflicts and the upcoming Miss Ghana 1986 beauty pageant. Playwright Jocelyn Bioh and director Whitney White join It’s been a minute host Brittany Luse to discuss the meaning of the story.
❓Quizzes: This week’s quiz will test your knowledge of protests, Nobel Prizes, and even a K-pop superstar. While I may not have a prize to give you upon completion, I can give you a hint: at least two of the responses were featured in the “Today’s Top Stories” section of This newsletter this week.
3 things to know before you leave
South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay, winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, arrives for a press conference in Geneva on June 18, 2025.
Fabrice Cofrini/AFP via Getty Images
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Fabrice Cofrini/AFP via Getty Images
- The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to human rights lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay. Pillay, who served as UN human rights chief and judge at the International Court of Justice, was recognized for her contributions to international justice.
- Three astronauts and a cosmonaut from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission returned to Earth after a nearly eight-month journey to the International Space Station, where they conducted spacewalks, science experiments and research.
- New research reveals surprising similarities in the gut microbiomes of Tanzanian hunter-gatherers and Bolivian horticulturists, suggesting that their microbial kinship dates back long before human migration separated their ancestors.
This newsletter was published by Suzanne Nuyen.
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