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Episode Date: September 2, 2026

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Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Civilians may be among the casualties in the latest wave of strikes in the Persian Gulf between the United States and Iran. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command says American forces never target civilians, but is aware of the Iranian state media's reports. NPR's Aibatrawi has details from Dubai. Iran's foreign ministry says shrapnel from a U.S. attack in Hormuzgan province along the street of Hormuz hit a wedding, killing and wounding people. Iranian officials say communication towers in the area were also knocked out. Iran's state TV, quoting a local official, reports most of those wounded are women and children who were transferred to a hospital in Minab, the same city where Iran says a U.S. strike in February

killed at least 120 school children. The Pentagon is still investigating that attack. President Trump says the latest U.S. strikes are in retaliation for Iran's, quote, failed attempt at adding sea mines in the Strait of Hermuz. He warned to further strikes if Iran responds. But Iran immediately fired back at U.S. troops in the region with Jordan and Kuwait reporting Iranian missile attacks. A. Abotrawi, NPR News, Dubai. The Trump administration is vying for more control of Venezuela's oil sector.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright has traveled to Caracas to oversee the signing of an oil deal. Wright spoke to CNBC's squabox about the parameters of the agreement. What this deal is to partner the United States with the development of oil and gas resources in Venezuela. It's not a displacement or a replacement of private companies. Business drives progress. Business will drive the growth of oil and gas production in Venezuela. But the United States involvement, both benefits the taxpayers of the United States with discounted oil and enormous reserves. But the United States government will not be the operator or producer of those reserves. The U.S. is partnering with a controversial Venezuela and businessman.

Alejandro Betancourt, he was under investigation in New Jersey. Europe for money laundering. Some Republicans are turning against data centers, despite President Trump digging in his heels on the matter. Trump has said communities that do not want data centers must want to be, quote, backwards and poor. And P.R. C. Peshavaram reports that puts him at odds with what most Americans seem to believe. AI data centers have become a defining issue for the midterm elections, especially for Republicans in states like Texas and Ohio, who are starting to take a different approach than the president. Brendan Steinhauser is a Republican and the head of the Alliance for Secure AI, a group that advocates for more regulation

of the technology. It's not good for Republicans if Republicans are seen as doing the bidding of the data center companies or big tech. After construction, these facilities don't provide that many jobs, and they're an enormous strain on local utilities. Recent polling from Gallup shows that seven and ten Americans oppose the construction of a data center in their community. Deepa Chivaram, NPR News. This is NPR. Jurors have resumed their deliberations in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial in Massachusetts. So far, they have been unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether she should be held criminally responsible for killing her three young children.

At a court hearing in Marion County, Florida, Martin County, Florida, that is, Tiger Woods has pleaded no contest to reckless driving. His driver's license has been suspended for five years. Woods, one of golf's most recognizable figures, said little at today's hearing, as he agreed to the reduced charge. He was initially accused of driving under the influence after he was involved in a rollover crash in March. A new study looks at the role heat plays in emergency room visits. And Pierre's Alejandro Burunda says researchers found high temperatures contributed to about 10% of ER visits during last summer's major heat waves in the U.S. Emergency doctors like Robert Brewer

know firsthand that hot weather can jam up their emergency rooms. We certainly feel it. We feel the increased volume during the heat waves. Dr. Brewer works at a hospital in Albany, New York. It's one of the 19 states the researchers looked at that were affected by intense heat waves last year. The study came out in the journal Nature Health. It found thousands of extra emergency visits during and after the heat waves. Some of those were for heat-related illnesses, but there were also lots of visits for heart issues and kidney problems. Study author Mary Willis from Boston University says she hopes knowing the true impact of heat waves can help hospitals and communities better prepare for future ones. Alejandro Burunda, NPR News.

This is NPR.