Aug 16, 2026 · 7 min listen · Last updated August 16, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Hey, it's Jessica. August 16th. Ten things to be aware of before the day starts. Let's get into it. First, from The Guardian World. Gorging on bearcam: the livestream of big beasts eating that draws millions.
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Gorging on bearcam: the livestream of big beasts eating that draws millions
The Brooks Falls bearcam in Alaska's Katmai national park drew 7.3 million viewers between June 22nd and August 4th, a 70% increase from the same period last year. This summer's livestream featured Alaskan brown bears catching salmon, with viewership more than doubling from 2024. The bearcam is a precursor to Fat Bear Week, a popular event where fans vote for the fattest bear. The bearcam's success is likely due to its unique blend of wildlife and entertainment, drawing in a large audience.
Au Japon, les pluies diluviennes près de Tokyo causent la mort d’au moins neuf personnes
I just got word from Reuters that heavy rainfall near Tokyo has caused at least nine deaths in Japan. According to local authorities, the downpour has caused widespread flooding and landslides in several prefectures. The Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued a warning for heavy rain in the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo. The rain is expected to continue through the night, with some areas receiving over 100mm of rain in just a few hours. Rescue efforts are underway, but many roads and homes have been affected by the flooding.
A masked man entered a downtown parking garage late Thursday night, killed a woman inside a compact car, then sprayed paint over the security cameras to erase the footage. He fled before police arrived, leaving the victim’s body in the driver’s seat and the paint still drying on the ceiling. Detectives recovered the victim’s phone, which showed she was meeting a friend for a quick drink before heading home. The garage’s management said the cameras were disabled for about twenty minutes, matching the timeline investigators pieced together from nearby street cameras. Police are now reviewing nearby surveillance and have asked anyone who saw a masked figure with a paint can to come forward.
UFC 330 post-fight show: Reaction to Islam Makhachev outlasting Ian Machado Garry to break UFC record
Islam Makhachev broke the UFC record for most consecutive victories on Saturday night in Philadelphia, but he had to work a lot harder than most thought he would. In the end, it wasn’t a thrilling battle, but Makhachev did enough to defeat a game Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 to retain the welterweight title. Following the event, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew react to UFC 330, Makhachev’s win over Machado Garry, discuss the big takeaways, and potential struggles Makhachev could find himself in against Carlos Prates and Michael Morales.
Precise faces More Thunder in Prix Jacques le Marois
Aidan O'Brien goes in search of back-to-back Prix Jacques Le Marois crowns when he fields Precise in the Deauville Group 1 on Sunday afternoon; On home soil, Southwell opens its gates for an eight-race all-weather card - live on Sky Sports Racing. Precise, More Thunder and Zeus Olympios line up for the 2026 Prix Jacques Le Marois, live on Sky Sports Racing. 2.50 Deauville - Precise takes on More Thunder and Zeus Olympios in Prix Jacques le Marois Star filly Precise takes on More Thunder and Zeus Olympios in a very competitive renewal of the The Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois.
Claressa Shields eyes Britain’s Price after stopping Kaye Scott to reclaim titles
American stops Sydneysider at 1:38 of sixth round Shields claims WBA and WBC belts after 38lb cut Lauren Price identified as preferred next opponent Claressa Shields completed a remarkable descent from heavyweight to middleweight, stopping Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBC titles in a fight that went off early Sunday morning at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Welcome to our Who am I? game. The rules are simple. Each day there's a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible. After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score. Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional. So take part and return for more tomorrow. Today's player and clues set by BBC Sport's Flora Snelson.
Oldest U.S. Senator, 92, Mourns Yet Another Old Vacuum, 60
Chuck Grassley’s household vacuum crisis has reached catastrophic new levels. After mourning his beloved 49-year-old “Beth” last week, the 92-year-old Iowa senator has now revealed that his backup vacuum also bit the dust. The Iowa Republican—who, at 92 years old, is the oldest U.S. senator—shared his last sucky vacuum parting just last week, when the 49-year-old clean machine that he had named “Beth” passed. “U willl see Beth no more,” the senator wrote on X, with a photo of visible burn marks near Beth’s power cord from “electrical sparks,” Grassley explained. “It’s not safe to use anymore.
Asish Banerjee, former Bengal Minister and Trinamool leader, found dead in party office
The 75-year-old leader was a five term Trinamool Congress MLA and was Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly from 2021 to 26. He lost the 2026 Assembly polls to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Dhruba Saha. A note was also found and the body has been sent for autopsy. Asish Banerjee, who taught at Rampurhat College, was a leader with a clean image. The note stated that he was not involved in any “wrongdoing”. “I had nothing to do with corruption and yet all these completely false allegations to malign me…” the note read.
Japan aims for Mars' moons to unlock clues to origins of the Solar System
The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), set to blast off from Tanegashima Space Center in the coming months, could also lay the groundwork for humans visiting the red planet. TANEGASHIMA SPACE CENTER: Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars' moons to retrieve samples that may unlock the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth, although a rival Chinese mission aims to make it back first. The unmanned Martian Moons eXploration (MMX), set to blast off from Tanegashima Space Center in the coming months, could also lay the groundwork for humans visiting the red planet.