A McDonald’s provides normalcy in Ukraine and actor Hayden Panettiere dies: Morning Rundown

Morning RundownA McDonald’s provides normalcy in Ukraine and actor Hayden Panettiere dies: Morning RundownPlus, Tupac’s murder trial begins and an NBC News review of voter fraud claims in Texas.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00ShareAdd to GoogleAug. 17, 2026, 7:01 AM EDTBy Kayla HayempourHow a McDonalds in Ukraine became a refuge for residents through Russian bombardments. Tupac Shakur’s murder trial begins decades after his killing. And an NBC News review shows few cases of noncitizen voting in Texas, despite AG Ken Paxton’s allegations. Here’s what to know today.Inside the most bombed McDonald’s in the worldA view of the McDonald's sign through the destroyed shopping mall in the area called Lukianivka often heavily attacked with missiles and drones by Russia in Kyiv, Ukraine on July 10, 2026. Oksana Parafeniuk for NBC NewsWhen Ukraine’s first McDonald’s opened in 1997, the golden arches were a symbol of post-Soviet aspiration. Now, they reflect the price of Russia’s war. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.The fast-food restaurant in Kyiv’s Lukianivka neighborhood has withstood at least nine bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine four and a half years ago. Its walls are pockmarked from shrapnel. Some of the windows have been replaced with wooden panes, while others have bulletproof glass. Still, the McDonald’s keeps reopening its doors after the smoke clears, serving as a refuge for customers. NBC News reporter Jane Lytvynenko and her team spent time speaking to patrons and neighborhood residents about what it means to them. “We’re unbreakable, and the McDonald’s is unbreakable,” said one woman, who was there on opening day decades ago and has returned through the destruction. “Life goes on despite it all.”Read the full story here.Lytvynenko on her reporting:It was January 2025 and I was settling in for the night in my Kyiv apartment when ballistic missiles landed nearby w...