Decades of abuse revealed at Michigan art school. And, the Iran war's impact on midterms

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Abuse at Interlochen Center for the Arts did not start or end with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , according to a new report. Epstein allegedly targeted some of his earliest victims at the elite arts school in Michigan. A new report reveals decades of sexual misconduct. Interlochen students detailed some 70 sexual abuse allegations against nearly 50 adults affiliated with the school , from the 1950s to the 2010s. Paul Busch, a former Interlochen student, shares his story publicly for the first time with NPR.

Iran over the weekend issued a statement saying it would only reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade and sanctions, withdraws its military from the region, pays reparations for war damages, releases frozen Iranian assets and halts attacks. The White House has not yet commented on these demands, which are likely to prolong negotiations as President Trump faces a question that has plagued presidents throughout history: How can a war that's gone on longer than predicted shape a presidency ?

Since Saturday, 183 new fires, including eight large ones, have started across the U.S. , according to the National Interagency Fire Center. More than 30,000 personnel in more than 640 crews have been assigned to the fires. Parts of the Western U.S. and Southwest Canada have issued evacuation orders , as extreme heat and dry conditions exacerbate the situation. In Utah, nearly a dozen wildfires have burned more than 300,000 acres as of yesterday. Two pilots died on Friday when their helicopter crashed while fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire in Fishlake National Forest. That fire has become the largest in Utah this year, surpassing more than 118,000 acres burned.

Members of Q_ARE, a Chilean K-pop-inspired boy band, pose for a photo in Santiago, Chile. Rony Curifuta hide caption

K-pop has taken over the world. In Chile, young artists, inspired by the genre, are making it their own. The Hallyu phenomenon, also known as the "Korean wave," began in the 1990s and spread globally, bringing Korean music, dramas, cuisine and beauty trends into mainstream culture across Latin America. Artists in the region are actively adapting K-pop's structural models of high-energy synchronized dance, vibrant aesthetics, polished music video production and intensive trainee auditions. Young artists like the members of the Chilean boy band Q_ARE are fusing these elements with Latin music styles, Spanish and English lyrics and Chilean slang to pioneer a uniquely Latino pop subgenre. Q_ARE's success serves as a proof of concept. Listen to snippets of the band's music and read more about the subgenre .

Brittany Apgar (left), Maggie Foxx (center), and Mo'ne Davis (right) of the Los Angeles Queens exchange jokes in the dugout prior to the start of the inaugural game of the Women's Pro Baseball League. Springfield, IL, August 3, 2026. Jaclyn Licht for NPR hide caption

The Women's Pro Baseball League has kicked off its inaugural season. The season runs for six weeks from the central location of Springfield, Ill., before moving to its host cities of Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Many of the WPBL athletes have been swinging bats since they were just 4 years old, and they didn't let hurdles like being told they can't compete alongside boys stop them. Many players are balancing school and side gigs like bartending and firefighting while chasing their athletic dreams. Opportunities for women's baseball have expanded in recent years, but this marks the first time these women will have a chance to compete and play together for an extended period. Take a look at how the first weekend of games played out.