U.S. Marines injured in Iran attack and Taylor Swift sets VMAs record: Morning Rundown

Artists at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleSept. 28, 2026, 7:03 AM EDTBy Kayla HayempourU.S. Marines were injured in an Iranian attack that the Pentagon did not disclose. Right-wing conservatives push to drop the D.C. pipe bomb case. And the star quarterback who’s losing his luster.

A bird flies past as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026 off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.Getty Images / Getty ImagesEight U.S. Marines were injured two weeks ago when an Iranian cruise missile attacked the ship they were operating on in the Strait of Hormuz, according to three U.S. officials.

None were seriously injured, but they sustained smoke inhalation and possibly traumatic brain injuries, as they had symptoms of concussions, such as headaches, the officials said.

The Marines returned to duty soon after the Sept. 14 incident, according to the officials. The Defense Department did not disclose any attacks that occurred on that day.

Since the Iran war began, there has been increasing confusion over the number of troops who have been injured and killed, unlike in many other overseas conflicts when data is reported routinely. Recently, the Pentagon abruptly lowered the number of dead over the summer after it reclassified how some troops had been killed.

Read more of our exclusive reporting here.

A courtroom sketch shows Brian Cole Jr. during a court appearance on Dec. 5, 2025.Dana VerkouterenThe Justice Department is pressing forward with its case against Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of planting pipe bombs at the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties in 2021.

It’s the last active federal prosecution still tied to the Jan. 6 attack, and some MAGA supporters want to shut it down.

Prominent right-wing conservatives have tried to undermine the case by spreading discredited theories about who was to blame, including citing “deep state” actors and accusing the Trump administration of framing Cole.

Rep. Thomas Massie recently posted a photo of officials — including Jeanine Pirro and Kash Patel — at the news conference announcing Cole’s arrest and said they were “complicit” in a conspiracy.

Add to GoogleWatch highlights from the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards02:25At the MTV Video Music Awards last night, host Snoop Dogg promised viewers “the biggest party the VMAs has ever seen.” Here are some of the night’s top moments:

🪩 Madonna returned for the first time in 23 years to open the show, with help from Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX.

🥇Taylor Swift surpassed Beyoncé to become the most-awarded artist in VMAs history when she brought her Moon Person statue total to 32.

❤️ Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves paid homage to Dolly Parton with a rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”

🎸 Surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear reunited to accept the Video Vanguard Award.

Drake Maye, #10 of the New England Patriots, runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium on Sunday in Jacksonville, Florida. Rich Storry / Getty ImagesNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye didn’t throw his sixth interception of the 2025 season until Week 12. In 2026, it’s taken only 12 quarters.

The defending AFC champions were trampled in a 35-6 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And Maye, who at one point looked primed to give New England another decade of great play, continued a troubling trend: He kept giving away the ball.

Maye had three turnovers in the game, a far cry from his performance last season, when he committed only 11 turnovers in total. “Can’t get out of my own way,” he said after the loss.

Here’s what it means for the team going forward.

The bodies of nine South African women have been found east of Johannesburg in a span of a few months.Emmanuel Croset / AFP via Getty ImagesSouth African women have suffered a gender-based violence crisis for decades, but that was sharply brought into focus this summer after nine women were murdered in the same area of Johannesburg in a span of just a few months.

For this story, I was especially keen to speak with local women on how these murders had impacted their daily lives, and what it’s like to live in fear of carrying out everyday activities that should always be safe. Some of the victims went missing on their routine jogs, others just went about their work.

I’ve covered Southern and East Africa for a few years now as a freelancer, and the journalists I’ve met in Johannesburg were immensely generous, helping to put me in touch with victims’ family members, local residents and experts, including women who run shelters that care for victims. Those voices helped elevate the story beyond the devastating statistics that underline the crisis in South Africa. Women are killed at a rate of 12.3 per 100,000 people — nearly six times the global rate, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Fall has officially arrived, and with the cooler air (in most states) comes a fresh round of seasonal chores. Outdoor furniture gets covered up, sweaters come out of storage, and your window air conditioner needs to come out of the window. If that last task isn’t on your list, it should be. Here’s how to do it properly, according to experts.

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