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

A McDonald's in Kyiv's Lukianivka neighborhood, which opened in 1997 as a symbol of post-Soviet aspiration, has become a refuge for residents amid Russia's ongoing war, according to NBC News reporting.
The restaurant has survived at least nine bombardments over the four and a half years since Russia's invasion, with walls scarred by shrapnel and windows replaced by wooden panes or bulletproof glass, yet it keeps reopening after each attack.
Reporter Jane Lytvynenko, who grew up in Lukianivka, recounted a January 2025 ballistic missile strike that flooded the area and gutted the metro station and adjacent McDonald's, which later reopened; the piece launches an NBC News series on the state of the war in Ukraine.
One longtime patron, present on the restaurant's 1997 opening day, described the establishment as a symbol of resilience, saying both Ukrainians and the McDonald's are "unbreakable" and that "life goes on despite it all."
Actor Hayden Panettiere, known for roles in "Heroes" and "Nashville," has died at 36, her father confirmed.
Additional developments covered in the rundown include the start of the trial in Tupac Shakur's murder, decades after his killing, and an NBC News review finding few cases of noncitizen voting in Texas despite allegations made by Attorney General Ken Paxton.