Steve Burns to Launch “Alive” Podcast for Grown-Ups

Steve Burns, the original host of Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues, is launching Alive, a weekly podcast aimed at adults. Produced by Lemonada Media and set to debut this fall, the show will tackle themes from mortality and masculinity to loneliness and self-discovery—continuing the “curious investigation” style that endeared Burns to preschoolers in the 1990s. Inspired by his viral 25th-anniversary video, Burns says Alive will “listen back” to guests and listeners, building a conversational space for reflection, resilience, and—yes—fun. 

US Private Sector Adds 147,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Dips to 4.1%

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a surprise gain of 147,000 nonfarm payrolls in June, outpacing the 110,000-job forecast, and driving the unemployment rate down from 4.2% to 4.1%. State and local governments led with a 73,000-job increase—largely in education—while healthcare added 39,000 positions. Manufacturing lost 7,000 roles, continuing a year-long decline, and federal government employment fell by 7,000. Average hourly earnings rose 0.2% for the month and 3.7% year-over-year, and the average workweek edged down to 34.2 hours. 

Federal Judge Halts Early Termination of TPS for Haitian Migrants

A Brooklyn federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to strip Temporary Protected Status from roughly 350,000 Haitian migrants five months ahead of the Biden-era deadline. Judge Brian Cogan ruled that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem lacked statutory authority to “partially vacate” Haiti’s TPS designation before its February 3, 2026 expiration, noting that recipients have built lives—enrolling in schools, holding jobs, and obtaining medical care—relying on that date. The ruling preserves Haitian TPS until at least February 2026, unless DHS follows Congress’s required notice-and-comment procedures for termination.