Today’s Top Stories from NBC News
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
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In today’s newsletter: Two legal fights stir confusion over which map should be used in Missouri elections. The leaders of a pro-AI super PAC say the battle over data centers is just beginning. And two Americans will face each other in the men's U.S. Open semifinals.
Here’s what to know today.
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(Jeff Roberson / AP file)
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A fight in Missouri over whether Republicans can use a redrawn congressional map descended into chaos after two courts issued conflicting rulings, hours before the deadline to finalize ballots.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in an order issued by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, left in place a state Supreme Court decision blocking the map's use while a ballot initiative that could lead voters to reject the newly drawn district lines moves forward.
Soon after, a federal judge in Missouri ruled in favor of two GOP congressional candidates who argued that the new map must be used. The map was in place for last month’s primaries and therefore must be used in November to avoid constitutional violations, the candidates argued.
The two cases raise different legal issues; with the state Supreme Court focused only on state law while the federal case raises questions under the U.S. constitution.
What the federal and state laws say.
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- In New Hampshire, the state’s battleground Senate race is set between Republican former Sen. John Sununu and Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, after both prevailed in their primaries. And in the race for governor, Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte, will face off against Democrat Cinde Warmington.
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- For subscribers: Rhode Island, voters are set to decide whether to advance Democratic Gov. Dan McKee to the general election. McKee is at risk of becoming the first sitting governor in the country to lose a primary in eight years — and it might be because of a bridge.
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- For subscribers: In Dallas, the Republican Party’s midterm convention — or “Trumpapalooza” — kicks off today, and several candidates in highly competitive House districts will attend. It’s a strategic gamble, considering President Donald Trump’s approval ratings.
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- Trump escalated the trade war with Canada, seeking to block imports of some motorcycles, dairy products and alcohol.
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- Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first Black person and first historian to lead the Smithsonian Institution, will step down amid tensions with the Trump administration.
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- At an event ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Trump said two firefighters carried him to safety “right after” the attacks but later said on Truth Social that he wasn’t at the World Trade Center that day.
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The backlash against the nationwide data center buildout has become one of the most prominent issues in the upcoming midterms. But the fight is only getting started, according to the lead strategists behind Leading the Future, one of the biggest pro-AI groups with backing from OpenAI’s co-founder and President Greg Brockman.
In a rare interview, strategists Josh Vlasto and Zac Moffat detailed some of their ambitions and addressed concerns over job losses to AI.
The super PAC has formed a group to support state and federal candidates aligned with its data center agenda, with about $50 million in cash on hand. They also support a national framework for regulating AI which opponents argue would be too light a touch. “We want Congress to pass a bill. We want states to put in clear policies,” Vlasto said.
Job losses are a fair concern, the pair said, but they contend that some unions and trade groups support data center development and that the centers create new jobs.
More from the exclusive interview.
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There’s leaving it late, and then there’s what American star Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz served up at the U.S. Open.
Shelton outdueled the defending champion in the latest ever finish at the tournament, a thriller that didn’t finish until 3:33 a.m. in front of a raucous New York crowd.
The five-set victory takes him to the semifinals, where he will face fellow American Francis Tiafoe.
That means there is guaranteed to be an American in Sunday’s final, hoping to end a drought that has seen no U.S. men’s player win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in New York in 2003.
Shelton, the No. 8 seed, ended Alcaraz’ 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments in a clash that lasted 4 hours, 28 minutes. At one point the Spaniard could be seen vomiting into a towel.
Read more about the epic match.
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Tesla is rolling out its new self-driving Cybercabs on the streets of Austin, Texas. But the vehicles’ lack of a steering wheel or other traditional human controls has the city’s fire department concerned about what would happen if firefighters needed to move one during an emergency.
In an interview, Capt. Matthew McElearney of the Austin Fire Department, said Telsa has provided training to the city’s first responders on how to move the vehicle using a touchscreen, but he doesn’t know how well the technology will work in the field. Officials have also raised safety concerns with Zoox, Amazon's self-driving car company, as well as Waymo.
Why Cybercabs present unusual challenges for first responders.
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After a 9-year-old girl was groomed and blackmailed by an adult man on Roblox, her abuser was convicted in court. We talked to her mother, who says the family’s hardest legal battle in the years since has been with Roblox itself.
More than 150 families have sued the social gaming company over allegations that their children were sexually abused on the platform. But Roblox says these cases don’t belong in court, arguing that kids agreed to the terms of service — which include a forced-arbitration provision — upon creating their accounts.
It’s a dispute that raises the question of whether children can be bound by contracts they weren’t old enough to understand.
— Angela Yang, trending reporter
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- LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded tour that once aimed to take over pro golf, filed for bankruptcy and said it plans to relaunch next year.
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- Three jurors from the Lindsay Clancy murder trial discussed the deliberations, confirming there was one person who expressed reasonable doubt but wouldn’t agree to a verdict.
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- TSA is bringing back gate access for some people without plane tickets 25 years after 9/11. Here’s who qualifies.
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- For subscribers: While Nathan Fielder’s documentary on Elizabeth Holmes was the buzziest release at the Telluride Film Festival, plenty of other films popped. Senior Hollywood reporter Rebecca Keegan reviews the standouts.
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▼ NBC Selected: Online Shopping, Simplified
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Labor Day may be over, but the sales aren’t. You can still get up to 75% off at select retailers like Amazon, Gap, Wayfair, Mattress Firm and Home Depot, but deals won’t last much longer, so shop as soon as possible.
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Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
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Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send us an email at: MorningRundown@nbcuni.com
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