Dolly Parton’s life and legacy and Darline Graham wins GOP primary runoff: Morning Rundown

A look back at Dolly Parton’s life and accomplishments. Sen. Darline Graham wins the GOP primary runoff for her late brother’s Senate seat. And NASA’s new telescope could change our understanding of the universe.

Dolly Parton, country music icon, dies at 80

Dolly Parton, who rose from a loving but impoverished upbringing in the mountains of East Tennessee to become the “Queen of Country” music, a Hollywood star and a beloved American icon, has died at 80. Her team said she had battled cancer briefly and died Tuesday surrounded by her loved ones.

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Accolades quickly poured in from friends and fellow entertainers, from Reba McEntire and Dione Warwick to the Muppets and Donatella Versace. President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered for a week. See the tributes to Parton.

The outpouring of praise for the larger-than-life superstar from politicians on both sides of the aisle and celebrities underscored how she transcended cultural, political, geographic and generational divides. Parton endeared herself to the red and the blue, the heartland and the coasts, even as the monoculture splintered and political polarization turned friends into strangers. Why Parton was universally beloved.

During her more than 60-year career, Parton sold over 100 million records and won 11 Grammy Awards, with hits like “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “Here You Come Again.” She also became a star on the silver screen in movies like “9 to 5,” “Steel Magnolias” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” See her life in photos.

Parton presided over an entertainment empire that included the Dollywood theme park. Her philanthropic legacy includes the creation of the Imagination Library, which mails free books to children around the world and was inspired by her father, who was illiterate.

NFL Kickoff Guide: Everything you need to know about the 2026 season

With two weeks to go until the NFL season, get up to speed on the most important teams, players, stats and storylines shaping the season with NBC News’ NFL Kickoff Guide, powered by the experts at NBC Sports. Explore dedicated rundowns for all 32 teams, featuring recaps of last season and digests of offseason moves and new players — plus full schedules and data insights to help your fantasy lineup. Get started here.

The season kicks off on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a Super Bowl LX rematch between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Live coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Sen. Darline Graham will replace her late brother on the ballot

Sen. Darline Graham won South Carolina’s Republican primary runoff, defeating Rep. Ralph Norman and capping a tumultuous six weeks sparked by the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. Her victory is a win for President Donald Trump, who recruited, endorsed and campaigned for her.

She had to overcome attacks over nepotism and inexperience, as well as a debate blunder last week in which she acknowledged, “National security is not my thing.” Graham is now the heavy favorite in November’s general election against Democrat Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.

A look back at Graham’s path to the ticket.

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Iran inflicts billions in damage to U.S. intelligence sites

U.S. intelligence facilities and surveillance hardware in the Middle East have suffered unprecedented damage from Iranian missile and drone attacks, according to four people familiar with the matter. The strikes have forced Congress to find billions of dollars to repair the facilities and prompted officials to reconsider how to deploy personnel and intelligence resources in a region facing an elevated threat from Tehran’s growing drone and missile arsenal, two of the people said.

The CIA has offices on U.S. embassy compounds in more than a dozen countries across the Middle East. Other American intelligence agencies also operate surveillance equipment or share hardware with the U.S. military to monitor adversaries’ electronic communications.

Iran’s air attacks have raised questions about why federal agencies were not better prepared to protect government facilities from drone and missile strikes, according to military experts and former U.S. officials.

NASA telescope could transform our view of the cosmos

A new NASA observatory set to launch into space this weekend is poised to survey more of the cosmos than any telescope before it. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a bus-sized observatory and successor to the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, is scheduled to launch Sunday morning from Florida aboard a SpaceX rocket. It will then travel roughly 1 million miles from Earth to its destination.

Over the course of its five-year mission, the Roman telescope will capture images of the Milky Way, survey the entire sky and observe supernova explosions that occurred as far as 8 billion years ago. Together, those surveys could revolutionize our understanding of the universe and rewrite astronomy textbooks.

Staff Pick: Some Tesla drivers feel emboldened to nap behind the wheel

Tesla drivers sleep with driver assistance programs engaged

You may have seen one of those viral videos of a Tesla speeding down the highway while the person in the driver’s seat appears to be fast asleep behind the wheel. The first such videos emerged a decade ago, but lately I’ve found myself wondering: Are we seeing more of them?

So I decided to investigate. Who are the people sleeping behind the wheel? Who is filming them? What do police make of it? Is this really happening more often? And, most importantly, is it safe?

What I found is that our roads are changing as Tesla drivers push driver-assistance technology to its limits, gambling that they won’t get caught. Some drivers told me they believe sleeping behind the wheel has become commonplace among Tesla owners — and if they’re doing it at night or behind tinted windows, we may not even know it’s happening.

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