U.S. hits Russian state media with new sanctions The U.S. State Department accuses a Kremlin news outlet of working hand-in-hand with the Russian military and running fundraising campaigns to pay for equipment for soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Read more on NPR

Trump’s own version of reality continues to confound political actors and observers Far from being disqualifying, this feature of the Trump persona presents itself as part and parcel of his appeal. Read more on NPR

Firefighters gain ground on 3 huge Southern California blazes The three wildfires that have ravaged the mountains east of L.A., destroying dozens of homes, injuring a dozen people and burning more than 155 square miles, still pose threats to some communities. Read more on NPR

Report: ‘No evidence’ Hawaii officials prepared for deadly wildfire, despite warnings Despite days of warnings that critical fire weather was coming, the report found “no evidence” of Hawaii officials making preparations for the August 2023 wildfire that killed 102 people. Read more on NPR

3 Americans sentenced to death in failed coup attempt trial in DRC A military court in the DRC sentenced US citizens and dozens of others for their role in a failed coup attempt in May. Read more on NPR

NASA prepares to head back to the moon. This time next year, if everything stays on schedule, NASA will send its first crewed mission to the moon, since the end of the Apollo program. Artemis II will be the first flight around the moon in more than 50 years. Its goal will be to test…

A landslide linked to climate change ‘rang’ the Earth for 9 days, researchers say The scale of the geological event is like something from prehistoric times, with a tsunami 200 meters–656 feet–in height. But it happened last year. Researchers warn that similar events may reoccur. Read more on NPR

The possible origins of Friday the 13th and other unlucky days The superstition of Friday the 13th isn’t as old as you think. Here are some of the potential origins of unlucky days around the world. Read more on NPR

Stranded NASA astronauts say being stuck in space is just part of the job Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams revealed what life has been like aboard the International Space Station after problems arose with their Starliner spacecraft, which returned home empty last week. Read more on NPR

‘Baby Reindeer’ is an Emmy favorite — and facing a lawsuit at the same time The woman who believes she inspired a stalker in the hit TV show Baby Reindeer sued Netflix over the summer. The case is still pending. Read more on NPR