August 14, 2026

Brittney Melton

up first newsletter writer

Good morning. Glacial floodwaters on the Mendenhall River are threatening thousands of homes in Juneau, Alaska. Emergency officials are urging residents near the river to evacuate as a glacial lake outburst flood approaches its peak. Here’s the other news we’re following today:

Today’s top stories

An iPhone displaying the Kalshi app as being available for download.

Erin Hooley/AP Photo/Erin Hooley/AP

Federal regulators are reviewing "mention markets" on prediction market sites like Kalshi, according to two people with direct knowledge of the probe who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Mention markets allow bettors to wager on the word choices of public figures, including President Trump. Kalshi has removed all mention markets from its betting offerings as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission conducts its inquiry. While most sports betting on the site involves the action of the game, this form of betting has become increasingly popular. Kalshi is still allowing wagers related to what people say at political events, earnings calls and live TV newscasts. The CFTC's probe notably comes after it was revealed last month that Trump's teleprompter operator had been profiting from betting on his exact words during public appearances.

Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Pentagon to investigate shortages of food, poor sanitation and a lack of mental healthcare on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier, which is home to more than 5,000 sailors, has been at sea for more than 250 days. After leaving San Diego in November, the USS Lincoln made one brief port visit and has since been stationed in the Middle East to support military operations against Iran.

🎧 The ships typically return to port every month or so to resupply, but the war with Iran has disrupted that routine, Steve Walsh of NPR network station WHRO tells Up First. After the conflict started in February, Iran attacked the Navy's main hub in Bahrain, forcing the Navy to abandon its traditional supply center in the region. Fresh produce is usually the first thing to run out of stock. Most sailors spend their time below deck and may not see the sun for weeks. Morale starts to suffer, Walsh says. Navy officials have informed Walsh that the USS George Washington is currently in the Pacific. Walsh added that Navy planners had discussed the possibility of swapping the two carriers, even before the latest concerns emerged.

Russia has maintained a tight grip on Crimea since its initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine is determined to reclaim the territory. Its periodic drone strikes over the years have had limited effect, but it has ramped up its campaign dramatically in recent months, disrupting daily life on the peninsula. Yesterday, Ukrainian drones cut electricity in Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city. Power was restored hours later, but this outage is just an example of the common conditions. Electricity and cellphone services are often down for days, water supplies are frequently cut, fuel is scarce and many shops often remain closed.

🎧 Crimea has been a prize fought over for centuries by many countries because of its location and climate, NPR’s Greg Myre says. Typically, families would flock to the area for summer beach vacations, but the ongoing turmoil has kept tourists away. Russia needs to send supplies such as food, fuel and military gear to support its troops and civilians, but Ukraine has disrupted that process by targeting Russian ships and ferries. Ukraine says it hit more than 200 Russian ships in the past month. The Russian Navy is attacking international cargo ships collecting Ukrainian corn, wheat, and sunflower oil from Odesa. These civilian vessels from other countries lack defenses. Ten sailors died in one attack, which has scared away nearly all international ships. Ukraine is now struggling to export its goods by sea during its harvest season.

The Kennedy Center's board voted yesterday for a second time to shut down most of the art complex for a significant two-year renovation. A person briefed on the vote revealed that they decided to close the main building but keep The REACH, a 2019 addition, open for limited programming. The $250 million project includes structural repairs, new marble floors, nearly $12 million in "acoustical improvements," and a strategy to temporarily relocate the eight-foot bronze bust of late President John F. Kennedy from the main foyer. The main campus is set to reopen in summer 2028. The board also voted to restore Trump's name to the center's entry. These decisions now await approval from a federal judge.

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Picture show

A hand holds a crab. The bottom portion of the crab is shown.

Caroline Gutman for NPR

The average crabber in Maryland is in their late 50s. But two young men are shaking things up with the help of social media. Getting a crabbing license isn’t easy, and Maryland limits the number to around 5,400 each year to protect the Chesapeake Bay's crab population, which declined between 2011 and 2023. Jack Torney says a solo crabber makes about $95,000 annually, but overhead can take a big bite out of that. That's why he has turned to Facebook to sell his crabs directly. Luke McFadden, another young crabber, is also using this model and has become a social media star. He's garnered more than 3 million followers from his content promoting the crab industry. Check out these photos of these two young crabbers day-to-day in the business.

Weekend picks

Antonio Banderas (left) and Dominic Sessa (right) in the film “Tony.”

Seacia Pavao/A24

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Movies: Tony documents the summer that changed the life of the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. It is loosely based on his 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential, which revealed the raw chaos of restaurant kitchens in Bourdain's signature sardonic humor.

📺 TV: Jason Sudeikis returns in the starring role for Ted Lasso's fourth season. This time, he's coaching a brand new women’s soccer team.

📚 Books: Gil Durán’s The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism And The War On Democracy is about a cult of Silicon Valley billionaires who believe that in the 21st century, technology is becoming obsolete and they should be governing in its place.

🎵 Music: Boy Throb has released four singles. But their 1.3 million TikTok fans and followers might know them better for their oddball social media campaign to obtain a U.S. work visa for their fourth member.

❓ Quiz: This week went by fast, and so did some of the headlines. Check to see if you missed any in the most fun way possible, aka by taking this week's news quiz.

3 things to know before you go

Multiple apps shown with the Spotify app being the focal point.

stockcam/Getty Images/iStock Unreleased

1

Spotify announced it will soon roll out “AI Persona” badges to label AI profiles posing as human artists on its streaming platform.

2

Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner have confirmed that they are buying the Los Angeles Lakers.

3

Luigi Mangione's defense team and federal prosecutors are holding a special conference in federal court this morning, prompting speculation that they may have reached a plea agreement. Mangione faces criminal charges following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

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This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.