Key leaders sound the alarm on AI. And, Iran-Gulf diplomacy hits a setback

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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

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

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 :

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 .