Americans remain sour on Iran war and judge questions Kennedy Center renovations: Morning Rundown

After six months of war, Americans remain sour on President Trump’s handling of the conflict. How climate change likely played a role in the deadly Nepal-Tibet flood. And a coroner questions whether measles played a role in an infant’s death. Here’s what to know today. Americans doubted the Iran war from the start — and Trump’s numbers haven’t gotten better At the six-month mark of the Iran war, Americans remain sour on President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict, even as Republicans continue to voice support for military action and the president himself. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here. Reputable, nonpartisan polls conducted over the last few weeks have found Trump’s approval rating on his handling of Iran ranges from 25% to 35%. A July Fox News poll found that 34% of registered voters approved of Trump’s handling of Iran, roughly in line with CNBC’s July poll, which found 35% approval. A Reuters poll conducted a few days ago put Trump’s approval rating on Iran at 29%. While Americans have broadly disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict from the start, the recent lows represent a decline from his earlier polling on the issue. Just as the war began, an NBC News poll of registered voters found that 41% approved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while 54% disapproved. In the same survey, 52% of registered voters said the U.S. should not have taken military action against Iran. That opposition has persisted. In the most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, just 35% approved of the military action, while 62% disapproved. A closer look at what Americans think of the war. More politics news: The war was a topic of discussion in CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s surprise trip to Moscow this week. According to a U.S. official and an adviser to the Kremlin, Ratcliffe asked Sergey Naryshkin, the chief of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, that Moscow not share intelligence with Iran. Trump signed an executive order to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” as the trade war between the U.S. and Canada escalates. A federal judge blocked a Postal Service regulation that would exert control over mail-in ballots, a setback for Trump. What caused the glacier collapse that triggered the Nepal floods More than 500 people have been killed and more than 1,000 people are missing in the catastrophic floods that smashed through Nepalese villages. Families are waiting in agony to hear from their missing loved ones, and rescuers face difficult conditions to reach remote villages and search through thick layers of mud. Maps and satellite imagery show how a glacier collapse sent ice, rock and floodwaters surging into communities. The disaster marks the latest in a series of catastrophic events in the Himalayas linked to rising temperatures and shifting ice and rock at high elevations. While experts said the precise sequence of events may not become clear for days or even weeks, a prevailing theory has emerged. “The probability is almost 100% that this is permafrost,” said Wilfried Haeberli, a professor emeritus at the University of Zurich, adding that as climate change continues, “this will be even more serious.” Alton Byers, a faculty research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, explained that permafrost acts as the adhesive that keeps frozen slopes intact. When it thaws, gravity takes over. A closer look at the dangers the Himalayas face. Follow our live blog for the latest updates. Judge questions DOJ lawyers about Kennedy Center plans A federal judge said he is considering temporarily blocking the Kennedy Center board’s plans to add Donald Trump’s name to the performance venue, during a hearing in which he peppered a DOJ attorney with questions about the effort. The hearing came after a Justice Department lawyer suggested in a court filing this week that the center could be demolished if Trump’s name is not allowed to be added to the site. The Trump-appointed Kennedy Center board voted this month to add the words “renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump” to the building and rename the property “President Donald J. Trump Plaza” by Sept. 8. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper asked a DOJ attorney, “What’s magic about that date?” He also questioned why adding the president’s name to the building would not violate federal law. How the Trump administration responded. Coroner says it’s unclear if measles played a role in baby’s death This week, the Pennsylvania Health Department announced two deaths associated with measles, including an infant. That same day, Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said that the infant died shortly after birth from an internal hemorrhage and a “traumatic rupture” of the spleen. While Diamantoni said he found evidence of the measles virus in the infant’s lung tissue, it remained unclear whether measles played a role in the child’s death. The state’s health secretary, however, expressed confidence in her department’s conclusion that the death was “measles-associated,” a term that means there was epidemiologic evidence of a measles infection. Here’s what else we know so far. The announcement of the two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania has triggered a flurry of political sparring, misinformation and confusion. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Gov. Josh Shapiro have traded jabs, with Kennedy suggesting the deaths may have been “fabricated” and Shapiro criticizing vaccine misinformation from the federal government. As the debate continues and cases rise, local officials worry the competing claims could sow confusion among parents deciding whether to vaccinate their children. Read more about the confusion and debate. Staff Pick: Who’s tracking the risks from peptides? In many cases, no one What struck me most while watching an FDA advisory committee meeting last month on peptides was how much we still don’t know about these compounds, which are surging in popularity online. There’s remarkably little data on what many of them actually do in people — or the risks they might carry. That led to a simple question: If someone were harmed by one of these unapproved peptides, would anyone know? To find out, we reached out to health regulators in every state, revealing a patchwork of oversight. Of the 35 states that gave us detailed responses, only two — Massachusetts and California — described systems requiring pharmacies that prescribe peptides to report serious adverse events involving the drugs. In many states, regulators may not learn about a problem unless someone files a complaint. My reporting helps explain why someone might not do that. Two people I spoke with who said they experienced frightening symptoms after taking peptides were reluctant to report them because they had bought the drugs online. So while peptides are becoming increasingly popular, we don’t know how many people are being harmed — or whether the handful of cases we hear about are isolated incidents or signs of something bigger. — Berkeley Lovelace Jr., health and medical reporter Read All About It King Harald V of Norway, who went into exile in the U.S. as a child during the Nazi occupation of his homeland, has died. He was 89. Kevin Warsh is set to give his first major speech as Federal Reserve chair this morning at the agency’s annual retreat in Wyoming. Some big questions loom. A video preview for “Grand Theft Auto VI” was unveiled — but what was intended to be a blockbuster moment for the franchise was complicated by a hack. Major golf brand Callaway cut ties with Good Good Golf after a commercial described as “the worst ad known to man” sparked controversy. Peter Cullen, the iconic voice actor of Optimus Prime in the “Transformers” franchise, has died at 85. For subscribers: She thought insurance would cover six-figure bills for a tumor. Her claim was denied over fine print in an increasingly popular plan. NBC Selected: Online Shopping, Simplified Bed Bath & Beyond’s early Labor Day sale has sheets, pillows and even mattresses for up to 71% off. Plus, Amazon’s newest Fire tablet is lightweight, fast and has a 13-hour battery life — and it’s almost 30% off right now. Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week. Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson and Josh Feldman. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.