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Updated July 9, 2026 at 9:53 AM EDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East.

Updated July 9, 2026 at 11:29 AM EDT Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty to damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in D.C. Superior Court Thursday morning. Federal prosecutors charged Hearn with a single count of destruction of property causing more than $1,000 in damage to the pool. Hearn has previously claimed, which his attorneys repeated during a short press conference outside the court, that he simply touched the water in the pool out of curiosity.

Updated July 9, 2026 at 9:18 AM EDT MASAFER YATTA, West Bank — In the West Bank, a lunch date between Israelis and Palestinians is not the norm. They are, after all, on opposite sides of a relentless conflict. The setting for this gathering was stranger still — a Palestinian farmer hosting retired Israeli military officers inside his home, a cave in a remote corner of the territory.

A former strength and conditioning coach at Bucknell University was charged Monday in the death of a football player who collapsed during training, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office. Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr. was a freshman training in July 2024 at the university in Pennsylvania when Mark Kulbis told him and other football players to do 100 "up-downs" along with some full-body plank drills, according to the attorney general's office.

Mechanical engineer Raphael Zufferey's lab at MIT contains a giant tank filled with bright turquoise water, an array of fans that can whip up a powerful wind, and small flying robots perched everywhere you look. It's the robots that are the stars of the show here and they're inspired by diving seabirds like the Atlantic puffin, which uses its wings to both fly and swim.

Mountain bike enthusiasts have been working for years on an ambitious 485-mile, multi-use trail called The Velomont that will span the length of the state. When finished, the collaborative project will knit together existing trail networks, connect 27 communities and include huts and hostels for overnight stays. New trail construction is finally ramping up after years spent on permits, plans and public input. And organizers say they want to make it as user-friendly as possible.

New plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against Elon Musk's AI company, SpaceXAI, allege that the company's image-generation models were used to create child sexual abuse material and that the company failed to adequately share information about an alleged perpetrator with authorities. Two plaintiffs, one in Wyoming and the other in Wisconsin, joined the lawsuit filed by three Tennessee teenagers earlier this year, according to an amended complaint filed on Tuesday.

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Democrat Graham Platner announced last night that he has ended his U.S. Senate campaign in Maine. The politician faced pressure from party leaders to end his bid after one of his former girlfriends accused him of rape. He denies this allegation.

Korean zithers, plumbing pipes, water glasses and singing saws — these are just some of the rare and unusual instruments you'll hear on this episode. Host Bobby Carter, with guests Lars Gotrich and Tom Huizenga, guides us through sets by the South Korean group ADG7, classical ensemble Sandbox Percussion and Beth Gibbons, best known as the voice of Portishead. Look for Tiny Desk Radio on your local NPR station. Tiny Desk Radio

Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Ailene Gerhardt hears a lot of stories. It's all part of her job. She's a patient advocate, helping people navigate their care and the complexities of the healthcare system. During the last several years she's heard from more and more people getting older without adult children, a spouse, or both.