Grand Canyon Flooding, Historic Oil Deal & Mapping the Universe - Monday, August 31, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Monday, August 31st. We'll tell you about flash flooding at the Grand Canyon and update you on the floods that impacted thousands of people in Nepal.
Also, why the US and Iran are once again trading fire and what the US gets from a massive new deal with Venezuela. Plus, why certain food safety rules could be changing, what NASA's powerful new telescope could tell us about the universe, and who's on top in sports? Football, golf, soccer and tennis all had big moments this weekend. Those stories and even more news to know, next.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy, thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
Parts of the Grand Canyon National Park have had to be evacuated as flash floods swept through the area. Intense thunderstorms brought a large amount of rain in a very short time, causing flooding powerful enough to destroy footbridges and send metal structures and debris into the Colorado River. So 62 people were airlifted out of the area yesterday, and more evacuations are planned. At least one person has already died, and about 15 others may still be missing. The National Park Service is now asking for information about hikers, backpackers and campers who may have been in the area. Forecasters are warning of more thunderstorms and heavy rain, which could bring more flash flooding and make conditions even more dangerous.
Meanwhile, the scale of the disaster in Nepal is becoming more clear. Remember, a glacier collapse sent a massive surge of water and debris down the mountains. And now, more than 900 people are known to have died, while the number of people missing has risen to more than 4,200, including about 90 Americans. The Nepali Army says it has already rescued more than 7,500 people, but the search is continuing with more flooding possible in some areas.
The US and Iran have once again carried out attacks for the first time in more than a month. American forces hit Iranian rocket launchers over the weekend, since the US says Iran was going to use them to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. It called the strike a limited, precise action to protect shipping. But Iran saw it differently, saying several Iranian fighters and civilians were killed or hurt. And early this morning, Iran fired missiles toward American military targets in Jordan.
Jordan's military says air defense systems destroyed all of them, so no damage was reported. The overall conflict between the US and Iran has lasted for six months. At this point, there are no ongoing negotiations.
The US government seems to be expanding a policy of deporting people to countries they've never lived in. As CBS News reports, over a 10-day period, more than 100 deportees from places like Afghanistan, Cuba and Nicaragua were sent to African countries. And one of the latest cases is raising particular questions. The AP says an Afghan man in his early 20s was sent to the conflict-ridden Central African Republic, even though two of his brothers supported US forces in Afghanistan. An American immigration judge had already protected him from being deported to Afghanistan because of concerns he'd be a Taliban target. The Homeland Security Department says it's sending people like this to Africa because they can't go home, yet still have removal orders. And it says the main goal is ending illegal and mass immigration.
Some of those who were recently sent to Africa had criminal records on top of their immigration violations, others did not. By the way, another high-profile person has now been caught up in the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Far-right British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was detained by ICE and deported back to the UK one day later. The Homeland Security Department says he legally entered the US in 2019, but overstayed his visa. An immigration judge actually issued a final order for his removal last month after Yiannopoulos failed to show up for an immigration hearing, and DHS says he was deported Friday. Yiannopoulos has been a well-known and highly controversial figure on the political right for years. He was an early Trump supporter, though that support has waned over the years. And while he's recently been critical of the president, he's also been a vocal supporter of his immigration policies. And now he's on the other side of one of those policies.
The US is now set to control a huge chunk of Venezuela's oil reserves. President Trump is calling it the biggest oil deal in world history. Venezuela's interim president, Delci Rodriguez, is talking it up as well, calling this a step toward economic recovery that will modernize her country's oil industry. So what does it include exactly? Well, Rodriguez says 17 oil fields will be developed. And the White House says the US and an unnamed private operator will have rights to the untapped oil fields for 100 years. The US will have an ownership stake in the new company and be able to buy oil at cost. And the Trump administration's plan is for the oil to go toward America's strategic reserve and the military. But the actual agreement has not been released. So it's unclear who will pay for the massive infrastructure investments needed to get Venezuela's oil industry back up and running and when production will actually begin. And that's important because experts say it could take years and billions of dollars to significantly increase production. Trump says this will help lower gas prices for Americans. But experts say a significant boost in oil production and any impact on gas prices is not expected to happen anytime soon.