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🎧 Russia is now unleashing waves of drones most nights, says Myre, who is in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Until this year, Russia fired about a couple of dozen drones a night. In July, it averaged over 200 a night, sending many at civilian targets across the country. Ukraine is on the offensive with its own drones, striking deep inside Russia at oil refineries and railway stations and targeting transportation systems used to send supplies, including ammunition, to troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Putin shows no signs of preparing for a truce, and it appears Russia might expand military operations. 

🎧 El Paso is an area that has advocated for immigrants, according to Angela Kocherga with NPR’s network station KTEP. Some locals have voiced concerns about using a military base to carry out immigration enforcement. None of the active duty soldiers will be involved in operations at the camp. At a time when funding for education, housing and healthcare is being cut, people are concerned about the amount of money going into building and operating facilities like the one opening at Fort Bliss, says Kocherga. 

🎧 Traditionally, nominees for the award come from Kennedy Center board members, the general public and past honorees, explains NPR’s Elizabeth Blair. The U.S. president was never closely involved the way Trump has been this year. The president stated that he rejected some candidates whom he referred to as “wokesters.” Blair says Trump’s passion for the performing arts stood out to her as he spoke of each honoree, because he has proposed eliminating the arts and humanities endowments that support music and theater across the country.