Key leaders sound the alarm on AI. And, Iran-Gulf diplomacy hits a setback
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.
Some of the biggest names in AI called for the industry to slow down over the weekend. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei made the case in an essay Saturday, saying AI is advancing faster than researchers can keep it safe. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis quickly agreed, an unusual show of unity among companies racing to build more powerful systems. Here's what's behind the concern.
Demonstrators participate in the "Stop the AI Race" protest march in San Francisco, California, on July 11, 2026. Researchers who spoke to NPR say that the leading AI companies are too focused on racing to develop more capable and autonomous AI systems while safety is falling behind. KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
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KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images
Midterm campaign season is officially here. Trump plans to campaign for Republican candidates across the country ahead of November elections, as both parties begin making their case to voters.
Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have hit another setback. A meeting between Iran and Gulf Arab states scheduled for Monday in Oman was postponed. Iran says Saudi Arabia requested the delay, while Oman cited the need for more regional consensus. The talks were meant to help reopen the strait, a vital route for global energy supplies.
Dr. William Richardson opens the telemedicine portal at his clinic, Choices Women's Center, through which he can see patients seeking an abortion, in his office at the clinic in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Anna Watts for NPR hide caption
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Anna Watts for NPR
The Food and Drug Administration allowed health care providers to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth and send it by mail beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the agency made the change permanent. Now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is hearing oral arguments in Louisiana v. FDA, a case that could end nationwide access to telehealth for Mifepristone. Here's what we know about the legal challenge:
© 2026 by Elizabeth Haidle, used with permission from Enchanted Lion Books
Nelly Buchet's new picture book, The Weather Keeper, was inspired by a woman who runs one of Iceland's 71 manned weather stations. The story follows a daughter as she decides whether to return to her small town or forge a new path in the city, with illustrator Elizabeth Haidle capturing the rhythms of a weather keeper's daily life. See photos from the book.
Singer Celine Dion performs during the opening concert of her 'Celine Dion Paris 2026' residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption
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Aurelien Morissard/AP
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
Read the full story at NPR ↗
Some key leaders at artificial intelligence companies call for a slowdown in AI development. And, Iran-Gulf diplomacy hits a setback as talks in Oman are delayed
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
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.
Some of the biggest names in AI called for the industry to slow down over the weekend. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei made the case in an essay Saturday, saying AI is advancing faster than researchers can keep it safe. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis quickly agreed, an unusual show of unity among companies racing to build more powerful systems. Here's what's behind the concern.
Demonstrators participate in the "Stop the AI Race" protest march in San Francisco, California, on July 11, 2026. Researchers who spoke to NPR say that the leading AI companies are too focused on racing to develop more capable and autonomous AI systems while safety is falling behind. KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption
KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images
Midterm campaign season is officially here. Trump plans to campaign for Republican candidates across the country ahead of November elections, as both parties begin making their case to voters.
Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have hit another setback. A meeting between Iran and Gulf Arab states scheduled for Monday in Oman was postponed. Iran says Saudi Arabia requested the delay, while Oman cited the need for more regional consensus. The talks were meant to help reopen the strait, a vital route for global energy supplies.
Dr. William Richardson opens the telemedicine portal at his clinic, Choices Women's Center, through which he can see patients seeking an abortion, in his office at the clinic in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Anna Watts for NPR hide caption
toggle caption
Anna Watts for NPR
The Food and Drug Administration allowed health care providers to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth and send it by mail beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the agency made the change permanent. Now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is hearing oral arguments in Louisiana v. FDA, a case that could end nationwide access to telehealth for Mifepristone. Here's what we know about the legal challenge:
© 2026 by Elizabeth Haidle, used with permission from Enchanted Lion Books
Nelly Buchet's new picture book, The Weather Keeper, was inspired by a woman who runs one of Iceland's 71 manned weather stations. The story follows a daughter as she decides whether to return to her small town or forge a new path in the city, with illustrator Elizabeth Haidle capturing the rhythms of a weather keeper's daily life. See photos from the book.
Singer Celine Dion performs during the opening concert of her 'Celine Dion Paris 2026' residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Aurelien Morissard/AP
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
Read the full story at NPR ↗
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.
Some of the biggest names in AI called for the industry to slow down over the weekend. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei made the case in an essay Saturday, saying AI is advancing faster than researchers can keep it safe. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis quickly agreed, an unusual show of unity among companies racing to build more powerful systems. Here's what's behind the concern.
Demonstrators participate in the "Stop the AI Race" protest march in San Francisco, California, on July 11, 2026. Researchers who spoke to NPR say that the leading AI companies are too focused on racing to develop more capable and autonomous AI systems while safety is falling behind. KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption
KARL MONDON/AFP via Getty Images
Midterm campaign season is officially here. Trump plans to campaign for Republican candidates across the country ahead of November elections, as both parties begin making their case to voters.
Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have hit another setback. A meeting between Iran and Gulf Arab states scheduled for Monday in Oman was postponed. Iran says Saudi Arabia requested the delay, while Oman cited the need for more regional consensus. The talks were meant to help reopen the strait, a vital route for global energy supplies.
Dr. William Richardson opens the telemedicine portal at his clinic, Choices Women's Center, through which he can see patients seeking an abortion, in his office at the clinic in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Anna Watts for NPR hide caption
toggle caption
Anna Watts for NPR
The Food and Drug Administration allowed health care providers to prescribe the abortion pill mifepristone via telehealth and send it by mail beginning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the agency made the change permanent. Now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is hearing oral arguments in Louisiana v. FDA, a case that could end nationwide access to telehealth for Mifepristone. Here's what we know about the legal challenge:
© 2026 by Elizabeth Haidle, used with permission from Enchanted Lion Books
Nelly Buchet's new picture book, The Weather Keeper, was inspired by a woman who runs one of Iceland's 71 manned weather stations. The story follows a daughter as she decides whether to return to her small town or forge a new path in the city, with illustrator Elizabeth Haidle capturing the rhythms of a weather keeper's daily life. See photos from the book.
Singer Celine Dion performs during the opening concert of her 'Celine Dion Paris 2026' residency at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, outside Paris, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption
toggle caption
Aurelien Morissard/AP
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
Read the full story at NPR ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- Some key leaders at artificial intelligence companies call for a slowdown in AI development.
- And, Iran-Gulf diplomacy hits a setback as talks in Oman are delayed