Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Libby Casey.
At least 12 people are dead and several dozen more injured after Ukrainian drones struck a
major oil region in Central Western Russia. The strike is the latest in an ongoing Ukrainian campaign to target Russia's energy sector. From Moscow, NPR's Charles Maynse has more. The drone struck the city of Nishni Komskin, the Republic of Tudorstan, one of Russia's most technologically advanced oil producing regions.
The video shared online appeared to show at least one refinery in flames, sending a large plume of smoke skyward. Local authorities said the Ukrainian drones also struck civilian targets and had the Republic called for an official period of mourning to honor the dead.
“The attack is the latest in a series of strikes targeting Russia's energy sector, key to”
funding Russia's ongoing military operation says Ukraine. The drone strikes have also caused gas shortages across Russia, a crisis the government has somewhat eased by reverting to the sale of dirtier lower-grade fuel. Charles Maynse and PR News, Moscow. The Labor Department releases a new report on inflation this week.
It's higher than many Americans would like, and with a sluggish job market, most people's paychecks aren't keeping pace with rising prices. NPR's Scott Horsley. The report is expected to show that consumer prices in July were up about 3.4% from a year ago. That would be a slightly smaller annual increase than we saw in June, but look, inflation
still uncomfortably high. And now the job market is also showing some signs of weakness last week.
We learned that employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, and more than a quarter million people
dropped out of the workforce last month.
“The employers are not having to pay as much to attract workers these days.”
Average wages were up just 3.2% over the last 12 months. So when prices are going up faster than wages, it's no wonder a lot of people feel like you're falling behind. The Federal Reserve has long promised to bring inflation under control, but it's still above its target of 2%.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline is above $4 according to AAA, $1 higher than it was before the U.S. launched its war against Iran. Water levels at the nation's largest reservoir have reached their lowest levels ever. From a station KJ ZZ, Alex Hager tells us that Lake Meade hasn't been this low since it was filled some 90 years ago.
The Hoover Dam strattles the Arizona Nevada border and holds back water from the Colorado River to create the reservoir. Its water flows to big cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, plus a massive agriculture industry that puts produce on grocery shelves across the country. Climate change and drought have been cutting into those backup supplies for about 26 years,
and policymakers have struggled to respond with a plan that rains in demand. The Federal Government has been working on a deal with California, Arizona, and Nevada to cut back on the amount of water flowing to those states. It's part of an effort to leave water in Lake Meade and boost the dropping reservoir. For NPR News, I'm Alex Hager in Phoenix.
This is NPR News. Airlines are exploring how artificial intelligence could help set ticket prices by analyzing demand, available seats, and competing fairs in real-time. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports economists say the technology could also make air fair less transparent and harder for regulators to oversee.
Airlines have long-adjusted fairs as flights fill up. Carnegie Mellonic economist, Danico Orie, says AI could process more data and change prices continuously. But it's unclear whether airline algorithms would push fairs higher or lower, or offer different prices to different travelers.
Orie says regulation is already falling behind. I'm pretty convinced that AI is advancing faster than consumer protection rules, and
“I think we don't understand many consequences of AI very well yet, in particular, and”
kind of competitive settings. Orie says airlines are especially complicated because prices must account for demand, connecting flights, and the number of seats still available. Windsor Johnston and PR News. The alleged leader of an Irish organized crime gang has been extradited to Ireland from
Dubai. Daniel Canahan is accused of running an international drug smuggling and money laundering empire that stretched to the United States. Last night's transfer of Canahan to Irish prison was a huge security operation, and included a bomb-proof truck, because his family members have been linked to a bloody gang war with
another Irish organized crime group. US authorities said in 2022 that the feud had resulted in 18 murders and offered a reward
about to $5 million for Canahan's arrest and conviction.
This isn't PR News 50 years ago, Congress set out to protect co-minors from black lung disease. Today, it's back at rates not seen in half a century. These guys are being treated like disposable widgets, not human beings. On the Sunday Story, why co-minors and Appalachia are getting sicker faster.
Listen now to the Sunday Story from the up first podcast on the NPR app.
