An Alarming New Study About Brain Injuries in Football, and How States Are Paying Millions for Rain

August 25, 2026

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An Alarming New Study About Brain Injuries in Football, and How States Are Paying Millions for Rain

A haunting new study published in The BMJ has found that at least one in four NFL players develop CTE, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head. The research examined the brains of more than 200 players who died between 2016 and 2021, and almost every single one showed signs of the disease. The researchers acknowledged that if they'd been able to examine all roughly 900 NFL players who died in that period, the one-in-four estimate would "almost certainly" be a significant undercount.

The CTE Study and What It Means for Football

CTE can only be diagnosed after death, and symptoms include memory loss and mood swings. For years, families of players who died by suicide have donated their brains to science, pleading for answers. The new study's lead author told Times reporter John Branch that there are practical ways to make football safer without changing the game itself: keeping young children from playing tackle football and reducing hits during practice at all levels. Since CTE risk builds up over a lifetime, limiting exposure early could make a real difference.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:23) **Study Finds At Least One in Four NFL Players Develop CTE** - New research published in The BMJ examined brains of deceased NFL players and found widespread signs of the brain disease caused by repeated head trauma.
2 (03:46) **Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Restrict Mail-In Voting** - In an emergency opinion, the Court ruled the administration can proceed with plans to limit which voters the Postal Service delivers ballots to, leaving the issue unresolved for the midterms.
3 (04:53) **Treasury Launches "Operation Economic Outcast" Against Iran** - Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new punishing economic attack, including potential sanctions on countries doing business with Iran, but details remain sparse.
4 (06:26) **State Department to Revoke Visas of Asylum Seekers** - The department announced plans to cancel visas for up to 200,000 people who entered the U.S. temporarily for tourism or business and are now applying for asylum.
5 (07:11) **Western States Spend Millions on Experimental Cloud Seeding** - As drought worsens, states are investing in new technologies like a 25-foot-tall tower in Utah that sends electrical pulses into the sky to increase snowfall.
6 (08:44) **Doctors Move Away from the BRAT Diet for Stomach Bugs** - Experts now recommend returning to a normal diet quickly after gastrointestinal distress, as the bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast regimen lacks nutrients needed for recovery.
7 Standout Quotes

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Show Notes

Plus, is the BRAT diet really the best thing for stomach

Here’s what we’re covering:

Study’s Alarming Finding: At Least 1 in 4 N.F.L. Players Gets Brain Disease, by John Branch

Trump Administration Aims to Revoke Visas of Foreign Citizens Applying for Asylum, by Edward Wong

U.S. Unveils Campaign to Cripple Iran’s Economy, but Offers Few Details, by Alan Rappeport

Court Allows Trump to Pursue Mail Voting Limits, for Now, by Abbie VanSickle and Ann E. Marimow

As the West Dries Up, More Companies Are Promising They Can Make It Rain, by Scott Dance

Is the BRAT Diet Really the Best Way to Treat a Stomach Bug? by Isobel Whitcomb

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