A bipartisan grilling for RFK Jr. and a weather delay crashes the spit-filled NFL season opener: Morning Rundown

A rare display of bipartisan consensus at Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s Senate hearing. The latest jobs report is expected to show a slowdown in the workforce. And the NFL returns with a shocking ejection before the first snap of the game in Philadelphia.

Here’s what to know today.

RFK Jr.’s Senate hearing marked by bipartisan pushback

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tumultuous week culminated in bipartisan condemnation at his Senate hearing.

Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Kennedy was more vocal in his anti-vaccine views than at previous hearings, even appearing to return to fringe positions that public health experts have warned against.

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It was Kennedy’s criticism of vaccines that drew the ire of both parties: He said that he believes vaccines developed with mRNA technology cause serious harm, including death.

Several Republicans highlighted what they said was one of President Donald Trump’s biggest accomplishments of his first term: Operation Warp Speed, the public-private program to quickly develop and distribute the first Covid shots, including Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines.

After agreeing with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. that Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for the initiative, Cassidy reminded Kennedy that he attempted to restrict access to the Covid vaccine through multiple lawsuits.

During the three-hour hearing, Democrats and Republicans pointed to several examples of what they believed were contradictions between Kennedy’s words and actions, including his response to the measles outbreak in western Texas, the firing of the CDC director, his canceling $500 million in mRNA research contracts and ousting longtime members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory board.

It was later revealed that ahead of the hearing, GOP members saw polling that showed Trump voters support vaccines.

Read the full story.

More politics news:

• Mike Huckabee tells NBC News that he believes he is carrying out God’s work as Trump’s envoy in Israel. He also says it’s a “big mistake” to blame Gaza’s starvation on Israel.
• The Justice Department has taken additional steps in its investigation into mortgage fraud allegations against Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook.

• The city of Washington has filed a lawsuit against the president and the military over the deployment of the National Guard in the nation’s capital.

• Trump will sign an executive order adding the “Department of War” as the secondary title of the Defense Department.

• There are at least five statutes the president could use to quickly impose tariffs again, though some have never been tested.

August data expected to show a slowdown in the jobs market

The federal government will release data this morning that experts say is unlikely to ease concerns about a slowdown in the jobs market.

While analysts estimate the U.S. added 75,000 jobs in July, which would be a slight improvement from the 73,000 in June, it would still put the year-to-date total at 672,000, barring revisions, down from more than 1.1 million during the same period last year.

A separate survey from the Federal Reserve released Wednesday showed little to no increase in economic activity or employment over the past several weeks.

The monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is always closely watched by economists to provide a snapshot of the economy. Today’s report will be especially scrutinized, since it will be the first since Trump fired the agency’s head, Erika McEntarfer, over accusations without proof that she released inaccurate data. It’s a charge that many economists have dismissed while raising concerns that McEntarfer’s firing risks politicizing a nonpartisan statistical agency.

Read the full story.

U.S. could take lead watching a Ukraine buffer zone

Trump has grown increasingly pessimistic about the chance of brokering an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict anytime soon or seeing the leaders of the two warring countries meet in person, according to two senior administration officials.

But if a peace deal between the two countries ever comes together, the U.S. could take the lead role in monitoring a large buffer zone inside Ukraine envisioned as a way to protect the country from Russia, according to four people familiar with a plan that military officials from Ukraine’s allies, including the United States, have been discussing.

Trump isn’t abandoning hopes of settling the dispute: He joined a conference call yesterday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, in which he stressed that “Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war,” a White House official said. Trump also made the point that European leaders must subject China to economic pressure for underwriting the Russian war effort, the official added.

Read the full story.

Eagles and Cowboys duke it out in the NFL season opener

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb grips his helmet after he was unable to catch a pass late in the second half of the game against the Philadelphia Eagle.Matt Slocum / AP

The NFL drama started early when Eagles defensive star Jalen Carter spat on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first snap of the game, which led to Carter’s ejection. Then, early into the third quarter, the game was delayed for an hour because of lightning in the area.

The two teams moved past the drama to deliver a show in the season opener as Philadelphia beat Dallas 24-20.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scored two rushing touchdowns to help lead his team to victory. Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards, but dropped multiple passes on the final drive of the game.

Read the full story.

Read All About It

• Former President Joe Biden recently underwent surgery to remove cancerous cells from his skin.

• Camp Mystic parents who lost their daughters when the Guadalupe River overflowed channeled their grief into legislation to toughen safety standards for youth camps across Texas.
• South Korea expressed “concern and regret” to the U.S. Embassy over an immigration raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia during which it said “many” of its nationals had been detained.

• Basketball superstar Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever announced she’s out for the rest of the WNBA season due to a groin injury.

• The legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani died at age 91.

Staff Pick: Smartphones can be a pain in the butt on the toilet

NBC News; Getty Images

Taking your phone into the bathroom feels like second nature at this point, replacing magazines and newspapers as a form of entertainment while pooping. I am no exception to this, so when I saw Erika Edwards’ report on a new study that concluded that scrolling through social media while on the toilet could result in hemorrhoids, I thought, crap.

People who said they took their phone into the bathroom were 46% more likely to have hemorrhoids compared to the others. The experts interviewed by Erika agreed that business on the toilet should take no longer than five minutes. – Christian Orozco, newsletter and platforms editor

NBCU Academy: Behind the Scenes of ‘Meet the Press’

“Meet the Press” is the longest-running television show in America. It’s also one of the most influential. Moderator Kristen Welker interviews presidents, world leaders and politicians every Sunday to get to the heart of the biggest headlines of the week.

“So much work goes into every single question, every single interview,” Welker said. “All of that takes time, all of that takes effort, and all of that teamwork requires an immense amount of work on the part of each and every person who works at ‘Meet the Press.'”

Watch NBCU Academy’s mini-documentary on how the “Meet the Press” team researches guests, writes hundreds of pages of notes and prepares Welker for the week’s program.

NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Oura is one of the most popular smart rings on the market, but after some recent online backlash, the NBC Select team decided to compile a list of the best Oura Ring alternatives. Plus, here’s what dermatologists want you to know before trying salmon sperm facials.

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.

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