In at present’s e-newsletter: This 12 months’s gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia take a look at every celebration’s political messaging forward of subsequent 12 months’s midterms. An earthquake in Afghanistan leaves at the least 800 lifeless and greater than 1,300 injured. Kristi Noem confirms the Trump administration’s plans to develop ICE operations in different states after D.C. And meet the girl who has visited 100 Smithsonian displays and counting.
Right here’s what to know at present.
Gubernatorial showdowns in New Jersey and Virginia take a look at each events
2025’s solely gubernatorial races are simply two months away, offering one of many greatest checks for each events for the reason that final presidential election. Showdowns in New Jersey and Virginia will enable all sides of the aisle to guage their messaging forward of subsequent 12 months’s midterms: Democrats are hoping to financial institution on anti-Trump enthusiasm, whereas Republicans search to duplicate his momentum.
The GOP is feeling assured within the Backyard State, which had one of many largest swings towards Trump in 2024. Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli has aligned himself with the president and earned his endorsement, however has to stability additionally successful voters exterior his celebration. The recognition of present Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy may additionally complicate issues.
In the meantime, New Jersey’s blue candidate, congresswoman and former Navy pilot Mikie Sherrill, is positioning herself as a fighter prepared to name out her personal celebration. She’s centering her marketing campaign round affordability, a key subject for voters combating the state’s excessive value of dwelling.
In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger has seen success within the polls by blasting Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears over Trump’s large tax reduce, placing financial points on the forefront of her message. Spanberger, a former congresswoman, additionally earned the endorsement of the biggest police union within the state.
Nonetheless, Earle-Sears is closing in after shaking up her employees and specializing in “frequent sense” points. She’s attempting to intently tie herself to term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who stays fashionable within the state.
Learn the complete story right here.
Extra politics information:
- Trump faces a hurdle in banning mail-in voting: His personal celebration.
- A federal decide quickly blocked the deportation of a bunch of Guatemalan kids who had crossed the border with out their households.
- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized with a spinal fracture after a automobile accident, in line with his head of safety.
NBC Choose: On-line Buying, Simplified
Labor Day is formally right here, which implies the NBC Choose staff has discovered tons of offers as much as 70% off on AirPods, sneakers and extra. Plus, Amazon’s Labor Day sale has reductions as much as 50% off on manufacturers like Apple, Shark and extra.
Signal as much as The Choice e-newsletter for hands-on product critiques, professional purchasing ideas and a have a look at the perfect offers and gross sales every week.
Afghanistan earthquake kills greater than 800 and injures 1,300

Not less than 800 individuals have been killed and greater than 1,300 have been injured in Afghanistan after a strong earthquake hit the nation, Taliban officers stated.
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck 17 miles from town of Jalalabad close to the border with Pakistan round midnight native time, in line with the U.S. Geological Survey.
As a result of the earthquake hit a distant mountainous space, “it can take time to get the precise details about human losses and injury to the infrastructure,” stated Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Afghan Public Well being Ministry.
Learn the complete story right here.
Kristi Noem confirms plan to develop ICE operations in main cities
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Trump administration plans to develop ICE operations in main cities, together with Chicago. Noem didn’t share specifics or touch upon whether or not Nationwide Guard troops could be mobilized as a part of such an initiative.
“We’ve already had ongoing operations with ICE in Chicago and all through Illinois and different states, ensuring that we’re upholding our legal guidelines, however we do intend so as to add extra assets to these operations,” she stated.
Her remarks got here a day after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an government order to fight a surge of federal regulation enforcement within the metropolis. Throughout his announcement, he affirmed that native police wouldn’t collaborate with the army on immigration.
Right here’s what else we all know.
A ‘miracle’ survivor within the Minneapolis college taking pictures

Medical doctors found a bullet fragment within the neck of a 10-year-old boy who went viral for recounting how his pal jumped on high of him to protect him throughout the mass taking pictures at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
Weston Halsne, a fifth grade scholar, described working below a pew and protecting his head throughout the assault and stated his pal Victor was shot whereas shielding him.
“I feel I received, like, gunpowder on my neck,” he stated. However docs later found it was a bullet fragment. Weston’s father informed NBC Information that the fragment was simply shy of his carotid artery, which a physician described as a “miracle.”
Siblings Pablo and Pilar Maldonado are additionally younger survivors of the assault, and are leaning on religion and neighborhood as they start to heal. Pablo attended the church’s first mass for the reason that taking pictures, saying it was good to “be with God” although he’s “a little bit traumatized by going to church.” Learn the complete story right here.
The Smithsonian marathon

In January, Kathryn Jones started a quest to go to each exhibit on the Smithsonian’s museums in D.C. and browse each plaque. Through the previous eight months, she’s visited 100 displays at 13 museums, spending a complete of 73 hours contained in the buildings and nearly 51 hours studying indicators. All of it’s documented for her TikTok account.
“A precedence of mine is getting individuals in museums, getting individuals curious, reminding those who studying is enjoyable,” she stated.
Jones’ mission has new urgency because the Trump administration takes goal on the Smithsonian. Final month, it introduced it might start a scientific evaluation to “take away divisive or partisan narratives” forward of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Learn All About It
- An 11-year-old boy was shot and killed whereas enjoying a sport generally known as “doorbell ditch,” Houston metropolis officers stated.
- A Wisconsin boater stumbled upon a long-lost shipwreck in Lake Michigan.
- A person was discovered lifeless in a suspected murder on the Burning Man pageant within the Nevada desert.
- The leaders of Russia, China and India met at a key regional summit within the northern Chinese language port metropolis of Tianjin on Monday as they navigate tensions with the USA.
Employees Choose: On divided faculty campuses, a high-tech push to advertise wholesome debate

Infinite digital ink has been spilled over the previous decade on how faculty college students reworked campuses from facilities of inquiry into locations the place solely so-called woke concepts are welcome. Now high-tech instruments are providing an answer, promising to make faculty college students extra open-minded — and nicer — after they argue.
I seemed into a number of new chat platforms that push college students to follow disagreement. The creators informed me they hope they’ll arrange campuses for wholesome civil discourse.
Among the many most distinguished is a program known as Dialogues, created by entrepreneur Sal Khan, that permits highschool college students to debate friends on Zoom. College students then fee one another on how nicely they deal with battle, and share the outcomes with faculties after they apply.
Critics say that too many college students will faux their approach by way of it, and two distinguished universities already backed out of accepting these transcripts. However Khan says it builds bridges and pushes individuals out of their bubbles, noting that 2,500 college students have tried it out up to now 5 months. And buzz is barely rising across the different choices concentrating on present faculty college students and promising to remodel the best way they disagree.
– Tyler Kingkade, nationwide reporter
Thanks for studying at present’s Morning Rundown. At present’s e-newsletter was curated for you by Kayla Hayempour. When you’re a fan, please ship a hyperlink to your loved ones and associates. They’ll enroll right here.
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