IJR News

Al Roker explains sudden departure from Today show — 16hAl Roker left the Today show early after delivering the weather because he had jury duty, later explaining his absence in a video outside a Manhattan courthouse. Dylan Dreyer filled in, and co-host Craig Melvin said Roker was expected back the next day.

Sam Okafor Dylan stepping in worked out fine but it would have been better if the show planned ahead for Al's absence.

Anthropic Releases Claude Opus 5.5 With Stronger Safety Tests and Lower Price — 6dAnthropic launched Claude Opus 5.5 on September 22, 2026; an early tester wrote 680,000 lines of code with it in under a day.

Priya Raman k lines in a day sounds useful but I hope the safety upgrades actually catch the bugs before deployment.

OpenAI Weighs $1.2 Trillion Pre-IPO Funding — Sep 15, 2026OpenAI is in early investor talks at roughly $1.2 trillion, days after Sam Altman called a 2026 IPO ill-advised over safety work.

Priya Raman At that valuation OpenAI needs to show real profits soon or this round will look wildly overpriced.

Delaware begins 2026 primary early voting across sites — Sep 1, 2026Voters in Delaware and North Carolina will kick off key voting phases for the 2026 elections, with Delaware opening primary early voting on September 2 and North Carolina beginning mail ballots as the first state to do so this cycle, ahead of Election Day on November 3. Across counties, early voting sites and extended hours are highlighted, including live accounts of voters casting ballots in Delaware and details on same-day registration opportunities during the early voting window.

Voters Face Midterm Registration, Ballot Deadlines Across StatesPolitics — Sep 15, 2026The articles collectively emphasize timely voter registration and ballot requests, whether for U.S. citizens abroad using the FPCA for overseas elections or residents in Georgia, South Carolina, Nevada, Florida, and Arizona navigating state-specific deadlines for registration, early voting, and mail ballots. They highlight that abroad voters must meet state deadlines and that domestic voters should verify local cutoffs and ballot options as Election Day approaches.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Wellness experts propose 7- and 10-day resets to fight morning fatigue — Sep 1, 2026Across wellness coverage, experts urge starting the day with structured nutrition and consistent wake-times to combat morning fatigue, from a 10-day energy-boosting breakfast plan to a 7-day reset that anchors routines with early light and regular schedules. For those seeking holistic approaches, Santa Clarita's BioRecharge promotes Energy Enhancement System sessions to support relaxation and cellular balance, while fall-focused habit strategies—like mindful movement, habit stacking, and post-exercise fueling—emphasize sustainable routines.

Elena Vasquez The "cellular balance" session stuff sounds like a stretch, but early light and a set schedule genuinely works.

Missouri opens fall sports slate as Kildare club football advances — Sep 5, 2026Across local and collegiate sports, weekend GAA championships advanced with quarterfinal draws for intermediate and junior levels and upcoming rounds in Senior, Intermediate, and Junior grades, while area high schools map a full Sept. 7–12 schedule with game results and report changes. In Missouri, the new athletics season features a highly anticipated slate: volleyball vs Oregon, football opener vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and early-season soccer senior day, complemented by photo coverage of early-season moments.

Chris Dalton Kildare pulling through in the club football quarterfinals is a nice story, hope they keep the momentum going into the next round.

Mizzou golf finishes eighth as Trent Mierl cracks top 10 in opener — Sep 1, 2026Several college programs posted solid early-season results: Mizzou opened the Visit Knoxville Collegiate with an eighth-place finish led by Trent Mierl’s top-10, while Chattanooga led the same event after Day 1 and Belmont stood third after 36 holes at the Jaguar Invitational; RMU also started with an eighth-place showing at the Virtues Intercollegiate. The performances featured consistent contributions from veterans and newcomers, with Mierl, Hawkins and others delivering noteworthy rounds as teams gauge depth and form early in the season.

Priya Raman Belmont sitting third after 36 holes is encouraging, hope they can close strong on the final round.

Miami Rules Out Three Players for Stanford Opener — Sep 2, 2026Miami faces a crowded injury report ahead of its season opener against Stanford, with key players Luka Gilbert, Ja'Boree Antoine and Dylan Day all ruled out, and Jordan Lyle sidelined for the first game, forcing new depth and roles for the Hurricanes' offense and defense. The situation mirrors a broader early-season pattern as Stanford also lists numerous players out or doubtful, underscoring a testing start to the 2026 matchup.

Chargers name Herbert and James captains as playoff doubts linger — Sep 3, 2026Predictions say the Los Angeles Chargers will miss the 2026 playoffs due to defensive concerns and a demanding early schedule, even as a faster, more potent offense under Mike McDaniel aims to boost Justin Herbert. The team has named ten captains for 2026, overhauled its offensive line and roster on cutdown day with key injuries like Tyler Biadasz, and starts Week 1 against the Cardinals with leadership and depth shaping the season.

September Sports History Spans Boxing, Football, OlympicsSports — Sep 2, 2026Sept. 4 boxing history features Gilberto Román defending his WBC super flyweight title in Japan, Jorge Arce winning a war at light flyweight in Mexico, Cory Spinks retaining the welterweight belt in Las Vegas, and Omar Niño keeping the light flyweight crown in Jalisco. Broader Sept. 3–4 coverage highlights postwar global tensions, regional sports development in Washington state, National Sports Day celebrations in India, and early milestones in American football history.

Physical Books vs E-ReadersYourlist — VS BattlePaper's soul versus the paperless suitcase.

Pegula Opens US Open, Djokovic Headlines Night Session — Aug 30, 2026World No.3 Jessica Pegula defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe to open the US Open, overcoming notable first-round nerves as she chases her maiden major title, with Djokovic awaiting in the night session. The day also saw top seed Barbora Krejcikova exit early, underscoring the unpredictable start to the tournament as Pegula advances toward a potential second-round meeting with American wildcards Venus Williams or Sofia Kenin.

Lawmakers Can’t Be Bothered To Work One Extra Day As Unfinished Business Piles Up — Dec 18, 2025Lawmakers began their Christmas recess a day early on Thursday with a long list of unresolved issues remaining on the table. As it departs for an early break, Congress has yet to resolve several pieces of legislation…

Gottlieb: ‘White House Leadership Was Failed by Health Officials’ in the Early Days of the PandemicReporting — Sep 13, 2020Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb believes that top U.S. health officials did not provide White House officials with accurate information about COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak…

DEBBIE WUTHNOW: Should You Consider Voting Early This Election?Opinion — Sep 6, 2024When should I vote? With early and absentee voting soon to begin for the general election, faith-based voters are asking themselves: “Is it okay to vote early?” Election Day is exciting. Many of us love going in person…

Would you get phished?Quizie — QuizFifteen workplace scam scenarios. Most people are more confident than correct — the rank says which one you are.

Mark Halperin Says ‘Trump’s Going To Be President On Election Day’ If Early Vote ‘Numbers Hold Up’ — Oct 22, 2024Journalist Mark Halperin said Tuesday that former President Donald Trump will secure victory on Nov. 5 if early voting trends hold. While Democrats maintain a significant lead in early voter turnout, Republicans have…

House Begins 6-Week Recess Early After Failing to Reach AgreementReporting — Jul 28, 2023The House broke for its six-week recess one day early on Thursday after it became clear that differences over the agriculture spending bill were not going to be resolved in time for a hoped-for Friday vote. In addition…

Early US Vote Surpasses 85 Million, Texas Exceeds 2016 TurnoutReporting — Oct 31, 2020With four days remaining in the U.S. presidential campaign, more than 85 million Americans have cast ballots, including 9 million in Texas, where the secretary of state’s office on Friday said early voting had eclipsed…

Early US Vote Surpasses 85 Million, Texas Exceeds 2016 TurnoutReporting — Oct 30, 2020With four days remaining in the U.S. presidential campaign, more than 85 million Americans have cast ballots, including 9 million in Texas, where the secretary of state’s office on Friday said early voting had eclipsed…

Trump Exclaims ‘A Big Day For World Peace! — Apr 8, 2026President Donald Trump declared Tuesday was a “big day for World Peace” while hinting there is “big money” to be made around the Strait of Hormuz. The president took to Truth Social early Wednesday morning hours after…

Louisiana Governor Defends Not Canceling Mardi Gras Celebrations in Early Days of Coronavirus OutbreakReporting — Mar 29, 2020In recent days, Louisiana has become a hotspot for the coronavirus, and public officials have come under scrutiny for not implementing stricter restrictions on daily life sooner. During an interview on CBS News’ “Face…

Senate Ditches Town Early For Two-Week Recess As Save America Act Remains On Ice — Jun 25, 2026The Senate left early for their two-week recess Wednesday without a single senator objecting or blocking the adjournment. The senators left just one day after a heated lunch with President Donald Trump, who confronted…

New Jersey Prisoner Released Early Due to COVID, 2 Days Later He's Charged with MurderOpinion — Aug 14, 2021Democrats in New Jersey released a felon from prison late last year to protect him from contracting the coronavirus, and police say he turned around and murdered a teenager two days later. The release and alleged murder…

Massive Inferno Tears Through Mall Near Moscow Days After Explosions Rock Military Bases Within RussiaReporting — Dec 10, 2022A massive mall near Moscow was destroyed by fire early Friday. One person was killed in the blaze. Four days earlier, explosions took place at two military installations in Russia in what was suspected to be an attack…