August 14, 20261 min read

Fill in the blank on this week's quiz: Rep. AOC is documenting ____ on Instagram

Plus, which beloved animal crossed the rainbow bridge, and what bit of papal paraphernalia did Chicago baseball fans get this week?

NPR | By Holly J. Morris

Tiziana Fabi/AFP via Getty Images; Theo Wargo/Getty Images; Graeme Sloan/Getty Images
From left: Pope Leo, someone who is a correct answer, AOC.

This week, a secret plane swap that happened last month made the news. Also last month: Taylor Swift got married and England got a new prime minister! Here are 10 news events from August, aka the present.

A Flourish data visualization

Pope Leo XIV Democrats bald eagles percussion higher education

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Pope Leo XIV delivers the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.

Pope Leo XIV to undergo lung surgery this week

By Ava Pukatch

Oct 11, 2026, 12:54 PM UTC

Workers place sandbags outside a restaurant as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.

Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears

By The Associated Press

Oct 11, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC

Jyoti Kumari holds a photo of her dad, Mohan Paswan. She became a global celebrity after news spread of her 700-mile bicycle ride, carrying her injured father on her bicycle, to get him to their village. Promises were made to reward her heroic feat. Were they kept?

A heroic, 7-day bike ride made this teen a global star. Where is she now?

By Kamala Thiagarajan

Oct 11, 2026, 11:28 AM UTC

Sauna scientists Dr. Hans Hägglund (from left), Earric Lee and Ashley Mason take a steam in the Japanese sauna at The Well in Oslo, Norway. They are part of a group of international researchers studying the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies.

Sweating the details: Sauna's potential health benefits draw scientists' interest

By Will Stone

Oct 11, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC