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THIS DAY IN HISTORY September 16 1620 Mayflower departs England The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, England, bound for Virginia with 102 passengers. However, stormy weather and navigational errors eventually force the Mayflower off course. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1893 Settlers race to claim land in Oklahoma Arts & Entertainment 1977 Opera star Maria Callas dies Crime 1845 Suspected Christian spy is murdered 2013 Gunman kills 12 in D.C. Navy Yard massacre Inventions & Science 1908 William Durant creates General Motors Latin American & Caribbean History 1810 Mexican War of Independence begins World War II 1940 United States imposes the draft

🚩 1 fun thing: Fastest-growing sport Data: NFHS. Map: Brad Jennings/Axios Girls' flag football has become the fastest-growing high school sport, as tens of thousands take up a game that barely had a varsity footprint a few years ago, Axios' Brad Jennings writes. More than 102,000 girls played high school flag football in 2025-26, a 551% increase in the past four years, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. In 2024, just 12 states sanctioned high school girls flag football, viewed as a safer, more accessible version of America's most popular spectator sport. Today, 23 states plus D.C. sanction it as an official varsity sport, and 3,990 schools reported participants in 2025-26.

💸 Stat du jour A fighter jet takes off during nighttime operations from the flight deck of the USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea on Saturday. Photo: Ed Ou/Reuters The war against Iran has cost the Pentagon more than $38 billion through Aug. 1, according to a new assessment from the Congressional Budget Office. That amount reflects the costs of replacing munitions and equipment lost in battle, increased flying hours, other operations and increased fuel costs. The war will continue to cost $3 billion a month or more, depending on the intensity of fighting. 🏛️ The House late yesterday voted for the third time — and again failed — to end the war, and renegade Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Go deeper. ps:Pathetic!!!!!

💊 FDA's bid to beat China Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios The FDA is launching a pilot program intended to speed up how new drug candidates move from discovery into human clinical trials, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes. Why it matters: Early-stage drug development in China is cheaper and faster than in the U.S. The pilot envisions partnering drug companies with qualified research institutions that will help them submit new drug applications to the agency.

🚀 Pentagon confirms weapons in space Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Axios Future of Defense author Colin Demarest writes: The U.S. has space weapons in orbit right now, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said this week at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md. Why it matters: The declaration is a first and marks a significant shift in how the world discusses such systems, which are considered highly sensitive and provocative. "We are increasing readiness against existing threats, and the United States has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action," Meink said Monday. Pressed by reporters, he wouldn't elaborate.

📈 Charted: America's income record Data: Census Bureau. Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios U.S. household income hit a record in 2025, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from new census data. Inflation-adjusted household income rose 2.6% to $87,460 in 2025, the highest since records began in 1967. The official poverty rate fell for a third straight year, dropping slightly to 10.2%. 👓 Between the lines: The economy delivered historic topline numbers, but the gains weren't spread evenly. Income among the wealthiest 10% of Americans rose 1.7%, while income among the bottom 10% showed no significant change.

GOP's data center survival guide Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images President Trump's longtime pollster is offering Republican candidates a detailed playbook for neutralizing Democratic attacks over AI data centers — down to what language they should and shouldn't use, Axios' Alex Isenstadt writes. Why it matters: Republican strategists say GOP candidates have been all over the map in responding to the backlash to data centers. The goal is to put Republicans on offense after months of playing defense on the issue. Pollster Tony Fabrizio warns in a two-page memo obtained by Axios that "unqualified support for building more AI data centers is a losing position." Fabrizio specifically advises candidates not to say, "I support building more data centers," warning: "It will be clipped and show up in ads." Instead, he tells Republicans to support AI infrastructure only if developers pay for their own power needs, protect consumers from higher utility bills and safeguard local water and natural resources. Fabrizio argues that candidates must make clear those conditions are enforceable, rather than voluntary commitments. "This converts the candidate from a defender of technology companies into the person imposing rules on them," Fabrizio writes. Read the memo ... Fabrizio's 3-step script.

Powerful AI holdouts Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images More than two dozen members of Congress and governors admitted to Axios that they don't use AI or have rarely done so — even as they come under growing pressure to regulate it, Axios' Holly Otterbein, Andrew Solender and Stef W. Kight write. Why it matters: That striking admission — particularly among older, influential lawmakers — comes amid calls for an AI slowdown and warnings within the industry that it could end humanity if left unchecked. Critics argue that it's impossible for politicians to grasp how rapidly the technology is changing — and the threats or scientific breakthroughs it might unleash — if they don't use it or even dismiss it. One House Democrat called it "f*cking absurd," arguing: "Anyone who's overseeing this has to be someone who's a regular user." 🔎 Zoom in: Several lawmakers, including those steeped in seniority and in charge of key committees, told Axios they simply haven't tried AI. "Heavens no," said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), 75, chair of the Armed Services Committee, when asked if he uses AI. "Personally? I don't think I've ever used it," said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), 74, the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. After we spoke with him, Pallone shared a statement through a spokesperson that said: "You don't need to do drugs like heroin to know they should be regulated." "No," Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai'i), 78, said when asked if she uses AI, but that "doesn't mean I won't." She added: "I don't think we in Congress have gotten quite our handle on what we should do and how much AI we should be regulating." A GOP senator, speaking anonymously to offer candid remarks about their colleagues, told Axios that the number who use AI is "not very high." Some politicians were unsure if they've ever used AI — or said they've only done so by accident. "I don't know. I can't remember," said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 88. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), 73, said she doesn't seek out AI on her own, but that "it pops up on my phone occasionally." 💥 Friction point: Some members of Congress were irked or surprised that colleagues don't use a technology they're seeking to regulate. "Are you serious?" Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), 74, said in response to our question. "I use it for everything! I can't believe there's a senator that doesn't use AI." Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), 76, went back to school to get a master's degree in machine learning and said he prefers Claude.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen says she wants Canada to become the bloc’s 1st associate member STRASBOURG, France (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday proposed making Canada the European Union’s first associate member, a striking overture as U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats drive Ottawa closer to Europe. https://apnews.com/article/europe-canada-carney-associate-member-3fdb111dd4d23d88b3de88c274c52711?

At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, America Online (AOL) distributed free trial CDs so aggressively that half of all compact discs produced globally carried their logo. James

☁️ Parting shot: Head in the clouds Photo: Natalie Daher My favorite running trail, hands down, on Gerard Dr. in Springs, N.Y.

🚨 Epstein files 2.0 🥊 The Epstein files fight that consumed the House last year is threatening to engulf Republicans all over again. Why it matters: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) is now just one Republican away from having the support he needs to force another politically painful Epstein vote — and he and his allies are hunting for the final GOP signature. 📝 Retiring Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) signed Massie's new discharge petition yesterday, joining Massie and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Massie and Mace told us they're actively targeting retiring Republicans and members in vulnerable districts for the fourth GOP signature that will get them the magic number to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), one of four Republicans who bucked Trump and GOP leadership to sign Massie's first Epstein petition last year, told us she's considering signing again and has been having conversations with Massie. 🖼️ The big picture: The push is reviving one of the most disruptive fights of Trump's second term for House Republicans. Last year's Epstein discharge petition became a monthslong headache for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and the White House before ultimately securing 218 signatures and forcing the issue onto the House floor. The bill passed with almost unanimous support in the House. The Epstein Files Transparency Act II would enforce and expand the release of remaining files at DOJ. ✅ Reality check: Even if Massie locks down the Republican support he needs this week, the House is set to leave Washington on Thursday until after the November midterms, meaning any potential floor showdown would come postelection. — Kate Santaliz

🤝 Rare bipartisan energy Illustration: Shoshana Gordon / Axios Lawmakers who want to regulate AI are doing something unusual as Congress barrels towards a lengthy recess with no tangible solution in sight: They're working across the aisle. Why it matters: Bipartisanship is increasingly elusive on Capitol Hill, but it remains a crucial first step for action in a Senate that requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. 🤖 The latest example: Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are pressing congressional leadership for a vote on their bill to establish a federal program to assess and monitor AI systems. ‼️ "Recent incidents of rogue AI agent swarms hacking into public websites and systems have removed lingering doubts concerning the ability of these agents to wreak havoc on our cyber infrastructure," the pair wrote in a letter first obtained by us. State of play: Several new bipartisan efforts to regulate AI have cropped up in the week since several current and former employees at Anthropic and OpenAI went public with concerns about the existential risks posed by their own products. Reps. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) and Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) are founding a caucus focused on AI small businesses, called the Innovators Caucus, as we reported yesterday. Among the group's stated goals is starting work on a federal framework to regulate AI, as well as bringing small businesses to the AI policymaking table. ☢️ The doomsday warnings have also breathed new life into existing bipartisan proposals to mitigate the dangers of AI. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) has been publicly hawking his bill with Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) to require AI companies to include a human-activated "kill switch" in their systems. Reps. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) have also been championing their comprehensive AI regulation bill, the Frontier Act. Yes, but: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has signaled that his chamber will not take any action on the AI front before the House leaves for a six-week recess that doesn't end until after Election Day. 👉 Johnson warned in a CNN interview Sunday that Congress should "not smother American innovation" with overly burdensome AI regulations. President Trump has gone even further in dismissing the urgency of federal AI regulations, writing in a Truth Social post yesterday: "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX." 👀 What to watch: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has sounded a considerably more dire note on the issue. A potential House Democratic majority next year may be the place where AI regulation finally finds its footing on Capitol Hill. — Andrew Solender

Maximum Capacity (David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / Getty)   View in browser Gasoline prices have been up all summer, as have jet-fuel prices, as have home-heating-oil prices—but nothing has jumped quite like diesel. The average price for a gallon of diesel in the United States just hit an all-time high of $6.27, almost double what it was in late February. It’s no secret that the Iran war is largely responsible for America’s energy woes. So far, Donald Trump’s strategy has been to downplay these increases as temporary side effects (a “little glitch,” he said in March) and remind everyone that oil prices were higher under Joe Biden (which is true). Lately, though, the president has been telling us to look away from Iran and toward a different war. Over the weekend, he called on Ukraine’s president to stop striking Russian oil refineries, which he said was “causing a shortage of diesel.” And yesterday morning, he announced a partial energy cease-fire between the two countries, claiming that the “World’s Diesel price rise is mostly caused by the Russia/Ukraine War, not Iran.” (Although both Ukraine and Russia have signaled that they’d be open to such an agreement, they continued attacking each other last night.) Focusing on Eastern Europe may be a convenient distraction tactic, but the reality is that this war is ultimately less important for U.S. diesel than the one that Trump is waging in the Middle East. Diesel’s rally has to do with how it’s distilled. Diesel, like gasoline, primarily comes from crude oil, which has been in short supply since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively shut down in February. Middle Eastern crude, which is sludgy and sulphurous, is particularly conducive to producing diesel. Making matters worse, many local refineries have been attacked or have preemptively gone offline, leaving the region less equipped to handle the crude that remains. Yemen’s Houthis attacked a major Saudi facility last week as a prelude to a broader offensive. The refinery problem is global. At their summer peak, the world’s facilities were producing 4.2 million fewer barrels a day than they were last year. As Trump has pointed out, Ukrainian attacks on refineries in Russia—usually the world’s second-largest diesel exporter—have only compounded the issue. With Moscow maintaining its ban on diesel exports (meant to protect domestic supply), more countries are turning to the U.S. to make up the difference. American plants are now “running all-out,” per the American Petroleum Institute, using almost all of their processing power, and the U.S. is exporting more refined-oil products on average than it was last year. U.S. refineries typically shut down for at least a couple of weeks for maintenance around this time of year, too, which could potentially squeeze supply even more. Still, Matt Smith, the director of commodity research at the data firm Kpler, told me that Ukrainian aggression “isn’t equally to blame, let alone the leading factor,” in America’s rising diesel prices. Even if Russia and Ukraine agreed to a cease-fire today, global refining capacity wouldn’t magically return right away. As I wrote in May, damaged facilities take time to repair and come back online once they’ve been shut down. Gregory Brew, an energy historian and a senior analyst at Eurasia Group, told me that for any détente to have an effect on diesel prices, “it would likely need to last several weeks at least.” Meanwhile, the situation in the Middle East remains unstable. The Saudi Arabian government recently shut down a crucial pipeline that was damaged in a strike by Iran-aligned militias in Iraq (the pipeline had been moving 4 to 5 percent of the global oil supply—several million barrels a day). Combine these risks with elevated seasonal demand for diesel, which in the U.S. tends to peak around the harvest season, and it’s clear that the European conflict is only one force among many behind this price spike. Americans are feeling the effects. One gas station in San Diego has been selling diesel for $9.99 a gallon, which is as high as its three-digit physical display will permit. Groceries may become more expensive because farm equipment and refrigerated 18-wheelers tend to run on diesel. Trains predominantly use diesel, too, and railroads’ fuel surcharges on grain shipments have more than doubled over the past year. Nearly 5 million homes could be paying more for heating oil (which is chemically similar to diesel and subject to some of the same economic pressures) as well. As everyday costs continue to climb, voters are growing more and more dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy. And over the past few months, the president has been looking for someone—anyone—to share the blame. A speedy Trump-negotiated end to the Ukraine war is unlikely for many reasons. But even in the fantasy world where he pulls that off, it wouldn’t save him from a diesel spike of his own creation. Related: Trump loses the other strait. The lag between an Iran deal and lower oil prices

Saudi crown prince seeks Egypt’s backing as Houthi attacks rattle Red Sea oil routes Saudi Arabia’s crown prince sought backing Tuesday from the president of Egypt, his ally across the Red Sea, as the kingdom faces increased attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saudi shipping and infrastructure that have helped drive a surge in global oil prices. Read More.

As the world debates the risks of AI, China closes the technology gap with the US As the rapid development of artificial intelligence triggers a renewed debate about its risks, the United States and China keep racing to develop increasingly powerful models. Read More.

Iran war has cost the US more than $38B, budget office says The U.S. war against Iran has cost the Department of Defense more than $38 billion through Aug. 1, and will continue costing up to $3 billion a month or more depending on the intensity of the conflict, according to an assessment released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Read More.

Police fire tear gas to break up Congo protests against constitutional changes Police in Congo fired tear gas Tuesday to disperse hundreds of people demonstrating against constitutional changes they said could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to seek a third term in office. Read More.

The AI Doomsday Future Is Not Inevitable Local police departments use Flock cameras to track license plates. ICE uses Palantir software to track and round up immigrants. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s war department uses Claude to bomb Iran. The U.S. government spends billions employing private corporations to obtain mountains of data — and the surveillance space is only getting more privatized in Donald Trump’s second term. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/14/surveillance-tech-ai-military-flock/? Iran War Has the U.S. Military on the Brink of a “Breakdown” The U.S. military is straining under the pressures of the Iran war, according to two U.S. officials familiar with operations in the Middle East. One cautioned that this stress could lead to a “breakdown” in the military’s ability to effectively continue a war that President Donald Trump said would end in early April. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/15/iran-war-us-military-bases/? A Lone Juror Hijacked Deliberations. This Time, a Man Faces Execution. More than a week after the Lindsay Clancy trial ended in a hung jury — with a lone holdout refusing to acquit the 36-year-old for killing her young children — the media has continued to probe how one man forced a mistrial in the triple-murder case. “I hope that guy can sleep well at night,” Clancy’s defense attorney told reporters. “Whatever his agenda was, he stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors.” https://theintercept.com/2026/09/15/juror-stacey-humphreys-georgia-execution/? Osama Bin Laden Won President Donald Trump has refused to attend the ceremony at Ground Zero marking the 25th anniversary of the Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center — reportedly because he wanted to deliver a speech, and the annual event has long barred remarks by politicians. Trump, a native New Yorker who has often employed 9/11 as a rhetorical device, will instead head to the Pentagon, which was also attacked that day, where he can rant, rave, bellow, and bemoan whatever he is worked up about. He may, in the process, also pay cursory tribute to the victims in an aside. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/11/bin-laden-september-11-trump-america/? Tech CEOs’ Doomsaying Is a Distraction from Real, Existing Harms of AI In the last week, a raft of top tech executives — including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and SpaceX’s Elon Musk — joined a chorus of doomsaying voices from Silicon Valley urging a slowdown in artificial intelligence development. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/14/ai-doom-apocalypse-risk/? Columbia Gives Big Money to Pro-Israel Groups — But Not to Pro-Palestine Ones As Columbia University ramped up its crackdown on pro-Palestine protesters over the past three years, the Ivy League institution was paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to pro-Israel groups, according to a review of tax filings. Recipients of the cash included the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s charity arm, the Israel on Campus Coalition, and others. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/14/columbia-israel-donations-payments-adl-aipac/? Centrists Are Soft-Launching the Idea That We Have a Little Too Much Democracy In case anyone was starting to feel that American democracy is just a little too secure, distaste for the common man is now finding purchase beyond the political right, with centrist liberals test-running their own brand of distaste for mass participation. https://theintercept.com/2026/09/13/centrist-liberals-democracy-small-dollar-donors/?

Fencing goes up around the main Kennedy Center building after Trump-aligned board votes to close it WASHINGTON (AP) — Fencing went up Wednesday around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs. https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-center-fencing-trump-close-repairs-76857d537ec8cabd87be5065fb9428ac? Kennedy Center will close for renovations after judge blocks returning Trump’s name to building WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump-aligned Kennedy Center board voted Tuesday to close most of the iconic performing arts venue just hours after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning President Donald Trump’s name to the building. https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-center-closure-board-trump-ruling-1dfbfaac695f6817719477101b971a54? US acknowledges for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space The United States has confirmed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space, a remarkable revelation after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes. Read More.

Show Your ID to Unlock Windows? Microsoft's Next Upgrade Gets Terrifyingly Personal State laws are forcing Microsoft to bake age verification into Windows 11. Here's how your government ID and facial scans could soon gatekeep your PC. https://www.pcmag.com/news/show-your-id-to-unlock-windows-microsofts-next-upgrade-gets-terrifyingly?

Can Marijuana and CBD Help With Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms? If medications you take to treat your ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms aren’t working, you may wonder if there are other options. In recent years, there has been a lot of debate about whether alternative treatments, such as marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD), can help ease UC symptoms. But do they? And could they be right for you? Learn what the science says about how they might or might not work for UC. https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/features/cm/marijuana-cbd-ulcerative-colitis? The Role of Probiotics in Ulcerative Colitis https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/ss/cm/slideshow-role-of-probiotics-in-ulcerative-colitis? Herbs and Supplements for UC: What the Science Says When you’re doing everything you can to keep your ulcerative colitis (UC) in check, it’s natural to wonder if supplements might help. Maybe your UC treatment doesn’t prevent flare-ups as well as it used to, or it causes side effects. Or maybe you’re concerned that changes in your diet, hunger level, or your body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients are leading to gaps in your nutrition. https://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/features/turmeric-aloe-vera-boswella-wheat-grass-for-uc?

⚾️ 1 fun thing: A softball for the Pope Pope Leo and Ron Onesti in Rome. Photo: Courtesy of Ron Onesti During a recent visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV, Chicagoan Ron Onesti had to dig deep to figure out what to bring as a gift. His choice? A 16-inch softball — a Chicago classic, from a spin on traditional softball, Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann reports. 🍕 Onesti tells Axios: "I couldn't bring him a beef. I couldn't bring him a pizza. Giardiniera was already taken." "You know, so not a whole lot left." Go deeper.