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🗳️ Trump amps up hunt for voter fraud Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images The Trump administration says Americans should prepare between now and Election Day for a wave of new arrests and prosecutions over alleged noncitizen voter fraud, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes. Why it matters: The Trump administration is deploying hundreds of federal investigators and attorneys to pursue President Trump's long-running fixation — and test a broader Republican claim that tougher enforcement will uncover far more illegal voting. A Justice Department official told reporters yesterday that the "initiative is a tier one priority. It's a top priority for the attorney general and for the White House." Across the country, there are now 1,600 open cases of potential voter fraud and 160 people have been arrested, a Homeland Security Investigations official said. To support these investigations, Homeland Security staff have shifted work time from other priorities such as smuggling, trafficking and financial fraud. Reality check: Instances of mistaken registrations and cases of noncitizen voting are rare, but they've long been investigated by the federal government. ps:The only voter fraud is trumps gerrymandering!!!!!

🚕 Uber's robotaxi edge: Human drivers Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Uber is betting billions on a driverless future, but the secret to making the economics work could be — surprise! — its vast army of human drivers, Axios' Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: Uber believes a hybrid network of robots and people can keep its expensive autonomous vehicles busier, and therefore more profitable, than fleets made up entirely of robotaxis. 💡 How it works: In a hybrid network, AVs would handle the steady "base load" of everyday demand. Human drivers would provide extra capacity during rush hour, bad weather, concerts and other demand spikes. Keep reading ...

⚖️ Poll: Americans say rule of law is declining Data: Charles F. Kettering Foundation and Gallup. Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios Visuals A majority of Americans (56%) say the rule of law in the U.S. is weaker now than a decade ago, when Donald Trump was first elected president, Axios' Margaret Talev writes from a massive new survey of more than 23,000 U.S. adults. 78% of those responding to the survey by Gallup and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation for its Democracy for All Project say government officials must always follow laws and the Constitution. But just 28% trust that political leaders will be held accountable if they don't. Keep reading.

$2B Gaza recovery plan Workers search the rubble of a Gaza City building that collapsed last week. It had been damaged by an Israeli strike earlier in the war. Photo: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters President Trump's Board of Peace will unveil a six-month, $2.45 billion recovery plan for Gaza at a meeting of its members today, Axios' Barak Ravid reports from New York. Why it matters: The 66-project proposal offers one of the most comprehensive roadmaps yet for what the early months of post-war reconstruction and governance in Gaza would look like. The plan includes money for temporary housing, rubble removal, hospital repairs, economic recovery and the deployment of a multinational security force, according to a copy obtained by Axios. The plan estimates physical damage in Gaza at $35.2 billion and says full recovery and reconstruction will require about $71.4 billion over the next decade. A Board of Peace official said that "the plan shows how to stand up a government from nothing, an economy from shambles and a territory from disaster." 🥊 Reality check: For the plan to work, the Board of Peace needs Israel and Hamas to cooperate. While Bibi's government agreed in principle to aspects of the plan that were previously discussed, Israel refused to start implementing it, mainly for domestic political reasons ahead of next month's elections. And while Hamas has agreed in principle to disarm, that pledge hasn't been tested. More on the plan.

New AI models tout affordability Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios Cheaper, more powerful AI models could pave the way for top labs to safely slow development without going broke, Axios' Madison Mills writes. Why it matters: OpenAI, Anthropic and other labs have said they want to slow the pace of development. But as long as frontier models require ever-larger spending, the pressure to keep racing may be too strong to resist. 🖼️ The big picture: The health of the entire U.S. economy now rests in part on the AI boom. Yet the companies at the center of the race are burning far more cash than they take in, and will for the foreseeable future. To enable a slowdown, in a financial sense, the companies have to find a way to build a value proposition to users that isn't solely rooted in the most mind-blowing intelligence imaginable. 🔬 Zoom in: This week brought a spate of new models. One thing they all have in common is that they're cheaper than ever, without forgoing top intelligence. OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX all emphasized the relatively low costs of their new models, as well as their ability to outperform some of their own top systems from only a few months ago. Keep reading ...

The "All-In"-ization of Trump Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images President Trump's accelerationist AI doctrine increasingly bears the stamp of the "All-In" podcasters, whose tech-investor network now feeds ideas and talent directly into the White House, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: An unlikely marriage of convenience between MAGA and Silicon Valley has proved remarkably durable, deepening as Trump sheds support elsewhere and stakes more of his legacy on dominating the AI race. The big picture: "All-In," now including lucrative events and luxe tequila, is a smash hit that grew out of four hyperconnected tech entrepreneurs kibitzing on air during COVID, when they could no longer gather for their weekly poker game. The co-hosts, who call themselves "The Besties," are Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg. None of them has done more to bridge the two worlds than David Sacks, who spent Trump's first year as his AI czar and remains a powerful outside adviser with direct access to the president. Sacks helped build Trump's original AI agenda around a simple premise: Move fast, sweep away regulatory barriers and treat China — not catastrophic risk — as the overriding threat. 🔭 Zoom out: Sacks left the White House but not Trump's inner circle, shaping AI policy as co-chair of the Trump-created President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The broader "All-In" network is embedding itself deeper across Trumpworld: David Friedberg also serves on the science council, alongside investor Marc Andreessen, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech leaders. Chamath Palihapitiya, another co-host and prominent Trump booster, is among the names being floated for the new AI czar job Trump announced last weekend. The intrigue: The show routinely defends Trump. Jason Calacanis, the moderator, is the political outlier — frequently criticizing Trump on Iran and inflation, while otherwise aligning with his co-hosts on the revolutionary nature of AI. 👓 Between the lines: Few platforms better capture the zeitgeist of AI accelerationism than "All-In," where the movement's leading investors, executives and political allies increasingly converge. After former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon's safety warnings exploded across Washington, the hosts devoted much of their next episode to portraying the backlash as an orchestrated "doomer" campaign. Three days later, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang paused his live "All-In" Summit interview to take a call from Trump, who drew a raucous reception as he dismissed AI catastrophe fears as a "hoax." 👀 What to watch: "All-In" and the accelerationist wing of Silicon Valley are tying themselves unusually tightly to one president and one governing philosophy. Sacks has blessed a $100 million-plus midterm operation built to advance Trump's AI agenda and punish candidates who favor tougher regulation. Inside AI labs, that political fusion is feeding a deeper fear: that warnings about catastrophic risk will become coded as anti-Trump politics, turning AI safety into yet another partisan litmus test.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY September 23 1875 Billy the Kid arrested for first time Billy the Kid is arrested for the first time after stealing a basket of laundry. He later broke out of jail and roamed the American West, eventually earning a reputation as an outlaw and murderer. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1779 John Paul Jones wins in English waters Arts & Entertainment 1969 “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” premieres in New York 1923 “The Prophet,” by Lebanese-American poet-philosopher Kahlil Gibran, is published Cold War 1949 President Truman announces Soviets have exploded a nuclear device Crime 1981 A two-month manhunt for a murdering writer comes to an end Exploration 1806 Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis Inventions & Science 1933 Standard Oil geologists arrive in Saudi Arabia 1846 Planet Neptune is discovered Sports 1992 Canadian woman breaks pro sports barrier U.S. Presidents 1944 FDR defends his dog in a speech

Meet the Fire Amoeba Scientists have discovered an amoeba capable of living in extreme heat, once thought inhospitable to complex life, according to a study published yesterday. The single-celled organism, dubbed the “fire amoeba,” was discovered in a geothermal spring at California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park. Researchers observed the amoeba continuing to replicate in cultures heated to 145 degrees Fahrenheit—five degrees hotter than scientists had previously seen complex life tolerate. The amoeba withstood temperatures up to 158 degrees by changing shape and forming a protective layer. These adaptations are shared with simpler life-forms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus and can survive at temperatures up to nearly 252 degrees. See a side-by-side illustration of complex and simple life here. The fire amoeba could offer clues for developing heat-resilient crops and drugs, and scientists believe some complex life-forms may survive at even higher temperatures.

A knock at the door, then gunshots: Mass shooting at a house party in South Africa kills 11 CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Three gunmen barged into a small house in an impoverished neighborhood in South Africa and opened fire on a group enjoying a party inside, killing at least 11 people including a pregnant woman, police and local authorities said Wednesday. https://apnews.com/article/south-africa-house-party-shooting-91416626e0cf789bf2f801061bb8b46a?

Venus flytraps can only be found in North and South Carolina, and they don’t grow anywhere else in the world. They’re natively found in a 100-mile radius around Wilmington. James

Trump-backed Missouri congressional map returns to the Supreme Court for the third time WASHINGTON (AP) — The fight over Missouri’s congressional map returned to the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time late Tuesday, after an appeals court ordered the revival of new districts backed by President Donald Trump. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-missouri-redistricting-congressional-map-4359373974681c4170a6a4410ffd019d? ps:Pathetic!!!!!

Parting shot: Pelican pose Photo: Gregory Bull/AP Yogis stretch at sunset as pelicans fly overhead at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego.

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This is interesting research as many friends and family and others have issues with memory, including dementia, Alzheimer's and or runs in the ancestry . Foods and eating patterns that research has linked to memory decline A plain-language summary of peer-reviewed studies on diet and forgetfulness: which dietary patterns have been associated with poorer memory performance, what the proposed biological mechanisms are, and where the scientific consensus currently stands. Section 1 Eight dietary patterns associated with poorer memory Each item below summarizes what a specific study found, the type of evidence, and its limits. "Associated with" means the study observed a statistical relationship; it does not establish that the food causes memory loss in any individual. Ultra-processed foods were associated with faster global and executive cognitive decline in a cohort of 10,000+ adults. Ultra-processed foods In the ELSA-Brasil cohort (10,775 adults followed for ~8 years), participants whose calories came ≥20% from ultra-processed foods showed a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline and 25% faster executive-function decline than those who ate the least. Trans fats and diets high in saturated fat have been linked to poorer word memory and higher Alzheimer's risk in observational studies [2][3]. Trans fats Among 1,018 adults, higher dietary trans-fat intake was associated with worse performance on a word-recall memory test; each gram per day of trans fat was linked to roughly 0.76 fewer words recalled, after adjustment for age, education and mood. Saturated fat–heavy diets In the Chicago Health and Aging Project (815 older adults), higher intake of saturated and trans-unsaturated fats was associated with an increased risk of incident Alzheimer's disease, while unsaturated fats were not. High-glycemic, sugar-heavy diets were associated with a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment in older adults [4]. High-carbohydrate, high-sugar diets Among 937 older adults in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, those with the highest carbohydrate intake had a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment over ~4 years; those with the highest sugar intake also showed elevated risk. Artificially sweetened drinks In the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, daily consumption of artificially sweetened soft drinks was associated with a higher risk of stroke and dementia over 10 years. Sugary drinks were not significantly associated in the same analysis, and the authors called for further study. High-salt diets In mice, a high-salt diet reduced blood flow to the brain and impaired memory through an immune signalling pathway that begins in the gut. The effect reversed when salt intake returned to normal. This is animal evidence and has not been confirmed in humans. Fried and high-heat processed foods (AGEs) Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) form when foods are fried, grilled or roasted at high heat. In mice, a diet rich in AGEs led to brain changes resembling those in Alzheimer's disease; in a small human cohort, higher circulating AGEs were associated with cognitive decline. Alcohol, including moderate intake In the Whitehall II study (550 adults, 30-year follow-up), even moderate alcohol consumption (14–21 UK units per week) was associated with a higher risk of hippocampal atrophy, a brain change linked to memory, compared with abstinence. Section 2 How diet may influence memory: proposed mechanisms Researchers have proposed several biological pathways. Most were characterized in animal or laboratory studies; the degree to which each operates in people is still being investigated. Reduced BDNF in the hippocampus Brain-derived neurotrophic factor supports learning and synaptic plasticity. Rats fed a diet high in refined sugar and saturated fat for two months showed lower hippocampal BDNF and impaired spatial learning [1]. Insulin resistance and glucose handling Diets that repeatedly raise blood glucose may impair insulin signalling, which the brain uses for memory formation. This is one proposed explanation for the association between high-glycemic intake and mild cognitive impairment [4][11]. Inflammation and oxidative stress Reviews of animal and human data suggest that diets high in saturated fat and sugar increase inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in brain regions involved in memory [11]. Vascular effects and the gut–brain axis High salt intake in mice reduced cerebral blood flow via a gut-initiated immune response; ultra-processed diets and alcohol have also been linked to vascular changes that affect the brain [5][7][9]. Reading the evidence responsibly. Observational studies can be affected by confounding: people who eat more ultra-processed food may also differ in income, education, exercise or sleep. Good studies adjust for these factors, but residual confounding can remain. Randomized dietary trials on cognition are still few and mostly short. Memory changes have many causes. Forgetfulness can relate to sleep, stress, medications, hearing loss, thyroid or vitamin B12 status, depression, and normal aging. Diet is one factor among many. Persistent or worsening memory problems should be discussed with a qualified clinician. Section 3 Where the scientific consensus currently stands Major health bodies do not endorse any single food as a cure or cause of memory loss. The strongest agreement concerns overall dietary patterns. Mediterranean and MIND patterns In the Rush Memory and Aging Project (923 older adults), closer adherence to the MIND diet, which emphasizes vegetables, berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains and fish while limiting red meat, butter, sweets and fried food, was associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease [10]. Human · prospective Whole-diet patterns in other populations In the Hisayama Study in Japan (1,006 adults, 15-year follow-up), a dietary pattern high in soybeans, vegetables, seaweed and dairy and low in rice was associated with reduced dementia risk, supporting the idea that overall pattern matters more than any single item [12]. Human · prospective What is not established No individual food, supplement or "superfood" has been shown in rigorous trials to prevent or reverse memory loss. Claims that a single ingredient causes or cures dementia are not supported by current evidence. Modifiable risk factors identified by the 2020 Lancet Commission include education, hypertension, hearing loss, smoking, obesity, depression, inactivity, diabetes, alcohol, head injury, air pollution and social isolation.

📢 Republicans find their voice Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Congressional Republicans are increasingly breaking with an unpopular president on foreign policy and pocketbook issues as they try to stop their majorities from slipping away. Why it matters: They aren't engaged in a full-scale revolt against Trump, but some Republicans are testing new ways to distance themselves from him — a sign of their election anxiety. 🚗 Driving the news: Trump — facing a barrage of demands from Republican lawmakers to impose a ban on diesel exports — pulled a rare about-face today, saying on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that he'll support a ban. ⛽️ Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), along with Iowa GOP Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, were among those calling for a ban to ease skyrocketing diesel costs for U.S. farmers and truckers. 🗳️ Sullivan and Hinson are in tight Senate races. Just today: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) railed on the Senate floor at Trump's decision to host Chinese President Xi Jinping this week for a state dinner. Wicker urged Trump to "keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly" at the U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) called for the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. over his foreign business dealings and the hundreds of thousands of dollars he allegedly received from a Russian oligarch for his wedding. "If your family's involved in the [presidency], then you ought to be very transparent," Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a close Trump ally, told us last week when asked about the reporting on Trump Jr.'s wedding. 🪖 On Iran: The Senate is expected to vote this week on a war powers resolution. Leadership can't guarantee it won't get the Republican votes needed to pass. "We're constantly, of course, checking," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said. "But I would hope that, you know, the team could hang together on this." The House passed a war powers resolution last week in a rebuke to Trump's military campaign against Tehran — with the most Republican support yet. Both Hinson and Michigan's Republican Senate candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers, have called for the war to end. On the trail: Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) told Trump his immigration crackdown has gone too far in a new campaign ad shot in front of the White House. 🔥 "I think she's saying what a lot of my constituents are thinking," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who lost his primary in May amid opposition from Trump, told us. In Iowa, Hinson recently skipped a rally put on by Vice President Vance. And Florida's GOP gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), deleted at least eight mentions of Trump from his campaign website, the Miami Herald reported. The bottom line: Trump's approval ratings have hit record lows at the worst possible time for Republicans — and that's reflected in lawmakers' willingness to publicly challenge him. "Members are generally reflecting their base. If they really feel that way, they should say so," retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters today of the GOP opposition to the Iran war. "And the administration should let these people be whoever they are to win the race." — Stef W. Kight

630-Million-Strong World Evangelical Alliance Embraces Rome’s “Creation Sunday” to Protect Our Common Home The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) is the world’s largest international network of evangelical Christians, with the stated mission of strengthening and uniting Evangelical Protestants worldwide. Through its national and regional alliances, churches, denominations, and affiliated organizations, the WEA says it represents more than 630 million evangelical Christians globally. [1] In a significant development, the WEA has now officially embraced, for the first time, the Season of Creation liturgy into its Revised Common Lectionary and is promoting “Creation Sunday” as part of its growing environmental emphasis throughout its vast global network. The World Evangelical Alliance Sustainability Center published the following: • “The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) gladly joins with other Christians across traditions in observing the Season of Creation (September 1–October 4), a global time of prayer and action for God’s gift of creation and our common home.” [2] • “This year also marks an important new chapter. For the first time, the Feast of Creation in Christ has been formally included in the Revised Common Lectionary, with its first observance on Sunday, September 6, 2026. The World Evangelical Alliance supported the global effort that helped establish this celebration and is participating in the development of Creation Sunday resources for evangelical and other Free Church traditions.” [2] • “For evangelicals, caring for creation is not optional but central to discipleship. Through the WEA Sustainability Center and Lausanne/WEA Creation Care Network (LWCCN), we encourage churches and evangelicals worldwide to integrate creation care into worship, teaching, prayer, service, sustainable practices, and advocacy for environmental justice, especially for the most vulnerable. During this Season of Creation, we invite our global fellowship of 600 million believers to enter more deeply into God’s vision of renewal—bearing witness to the Gospel through faithful care for our common home.” [2] https://wea-sc.org/season-of-creation-2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawUf78BwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMW9ONUljWGdObUJZY1o5VWpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeixyMyVBhCfZAzHaNoR24T-FH84umNivSXITInpQo4TTCN5t5ceWCfxPIdTY_aem_K3TAT-n5LMFFu5JnpwysAQ It is the Vatican who is responsible for advancing themes such as care for our common home, ecological conversion, and creation-centred spirituality, particularly through Laudato Si’. These ideas are increasingly appearing in ecumenical initiatives such as the Season of Creation and “Creation Sunday,” bringing Catholics, Protestants, and evangelicals together around environmental action and Sunday worship. Protestantism used to uphold the Bible and used to maintain a sharper separation from Roman Catholic liturgical traditions. Today, unfortunately, they are daily embracing Rome’s errors and are increasingly participating in their mission. What is especially concerning from this new climate gospel is the incorporation of climate action with Sunday worship and calling it “Creation Sunday.” Rome hasn’t changed. It is engaging in the same pattern associated with the “man of sin”—the presumption of altering divine authority, shifting attention from God’s commandments to human traditions, and redirecting the gospel’s emphasis to a new climate agenda. What Scripture presents as repentance from sin, salvation through Christ, obedience to God, and preparation for His return is being replaced with a new morality called ecological conversion, environmental sins, and a religious mission centered on saving the planet. Sources [1] https://worldea.org/weas-180-year-anniversary-message/ [2] https://wea-sc.org/season-of-creation-2026

The Affordability Trap View in browser Of all the outrages and betrayals that Donald Trump has had perpetrated against him—by ungrateful subordinates, by obstreperous prosecutors, by treacherous journalists—perhaps his saddest falling-out is with a simple word. “Starting on day one, we will defeat inflation quickly, and we will make America affordable again,” he declared in an ad during his 2024 presidential campaign. A year later, Trump confessed to still having some affinity for the word. Speaking at a summit hosted by McDonald’s, the president promised imminent prosperity: “That begins with making America, we have to do—the word is affordable—and affordable should be our word, not theirs.” These days, the word itself is, like all of Trump’s enemies, the frequent target of invective. The president describes the concept of affordability as, variously, a Democratic “con job,” as “a new word—nobody ever heard the word,” and, most damningly of all, as “fake.” The reasons for this lexical animosity are clear. The word that the president once wielded with great effect against Democrats in 2024 is now being used against him with seemingly equal effect by his opponents. Affordability is the Democrats’ unifying theme, which, despite them lacking coherence on almost every other issue, may be enough to carry them to victory in the November midterm elections. (Nate Silver estimates that in the generic congressional ballot, Democrats are leading by a crushing 7.5 percentage points.) And no wonder. Inflation remains high; gas prices, which Trump promised in 2024 would settle below $2 a gallon, are now above $4 thanks to the president’s war with Iran; mortgage rates, which Trump said would drop to 2 percent, are instead near 7 percent. But Democrats shouldn’t expect to hang on to their advantage here; far more likely, the inversion will recur. You can imagine America settling into a persistent politics of affordability, in which the arguments are always the same but the positions of accuser and accused are swapped depending on who holds power. Democrats are, for example, pledging that if they win the midterm elections, they will crusade for lower costs “of groceries, of housing, of childcare and elder care.” Perhaps such competition would be salutary; more likely, it would be Sisyphean—an unending cycle of accusation, disappointment, and recrimination. There are three reasons for pessimism. The first is that affordability politics are a breeding ground for economically illiterate policy ideas. Popular anger over inflation is usually directed at cumulative price increases over the course of years. But literally decreasing prices is exceptionally hard to accomplish, even if that is what voters want. In this heady environment, discredited ideas such as price controls and even the direct provision of goods—as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is attempting with government-run grocery stores—make their resurgence. Affordability politics also encourages unvarnished attempts at bribing voters, as Trump attempted with his pledge to give $5,000 to every American adult should Republicans keep control of Congress. (This is both a subpar reason to add another $1.3 trillion to America’s $40 trillion in national debt and a very good way to exacerbate inflation.) The second problem of affordability politics is what these proposed solutions do to what little remains of voter trust in government. Every election cycle, politicians make promises for widespread price relief, package them into neat advertisements, and relay these to voters a mind-numbing number of times, only for these promises to go undelivered—because they were unworkable from the start. This may not inspire apathy among voters so much as anger and irritability. It also encourages anti-incumbency of the kind that explains why Americans have, in every presidential election since 2016, opted for the challenging party’s candidate. The third problem is the cumulative cost of short-termist affordability politics. Neither party in this election cycle is making much reference to the national debt, even though the United States has surpassed, for the first time ever, $1 trillion in interest costs this year. Deficit spending shows no sign of slowing down, even though the American economy is not in recession and the country is only mildly at war. But there is no political incentive to suggest that such spending cannot persist. Instead, Democrats traditionally propose new social expenditures and subsidies, whereas Republicans propose general tax cuts. The new approach, favored by populists, is to offer both: Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the Senate race in Michigan, has pitched “a cost-of-living exemption on federal taxes up to $50,000” while also establishing Medicare for All and universal child care—to be paid for by the rich. Ashley Hinson, the Republican nominee for the Senate race in Iowa, is pitching more government support for house purchases, child care, and rural hospitals while cutting taxes. Why begrudge the entire enterprise of affordability politicking? Isn’t the job of elected officials ostensibly to improve the lives of their constituents? Yes, indeed. And it is of course still possible to durably decrease prices with good governmental policy: You can, for example, slowly reduce the cost of housing by reducing restrictions on building, or reduce health costs by expanding the supply of doctors. This requires some forbearance and sophistication on the part of the politician—and, unfortunately, both qualities are negatively selected against in the current political-attention economy. It is better to make headlines with snappier pledges to freeze the rent or nationalize the health system. You can safely assume that at the conclusion of the midterms, the 2028 presidential election will begin in earnest and affordability will be one of its bywords. You can also dread the litany of bad ideas it will spawn. Related: The “consumer socialism” trap Marc Novicoff: Gas prices could cost Republicans the midterms.

🍂 1 for the road: Happy equinox Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios Astronomical fall begins at 8:05 p.m. ET tonight, when the Sun will shine directly over Earth's equator. Afterward, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, days will get even shorter until December's winter solstice. NASA explainer.

AI's next frontier: Cheaper power Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios AI companies have competed on having the best and often most dangerous models for years. Now they're pivoting to a new focus: cost, Axios' Madison Mills reports. 🎉 Driving the news: It's modelpalooza in the AI world this week, with new releases from OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and some Chinese providers. Most of them are offering shocking levels of intelligence at prices that would've been unthinkable just a few months ago. Top companies are finding a variety of ways to make powerful systems more efficient — for example, by using smaller portions of a model for some answers. Zoom in: OpenAI is releasing GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna today, which bring down the cost for top business customers by 50% from previous iterations. Anthropic is releasing Opus 5.5 today, which the company says costs around 40% less to run than Opus 5 while maintaining top intelligence. Elon Musk's xAI yesterday released Grok 4.7, pitching the new model around price-performance. Yet in a testament to the sheer brutality of competition in the AI race, it only took 24 hours for new options to wipe out much of that price advantage. Follow the money: A recent Citadel Securities report found that falling costs are fueling more use, and that overall AI spending is increasing. That points to higher eventual profits for AI labs and related companies. The bottom line: AI sticker shock feels like a distant memory, given the massive push to deliver cheaper models. Go deeper.

Judge strikes down a Trump policy barring some immigrants from Head Start preschools A federal judge in Rhode Island has struck down a Trump administration directive that would have barred some immigrants from accessing certain federal programs, including Head Start preschools, community health clinics and adult education initiatives. Read More. Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security after prolonged tensions President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security, paving the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland and easing tensions over his repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. Read More. Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security after prolonged tensions UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security, paving the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland and easing tensions over his repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. https://apnews.com/article/trump-greenland-denmark-security-agreement-084ac2a82952c2dff403c48bd3564113?

Hayden Panettiere died from an overdose involving fentanyl. She had just gone to rehab, coroner says GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose of several drugs, including fentanyl, and had been in rehab just weeks before, according to a coroner’s report obtained by The Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/hayden-panettiere-cause-of-death-drugs-fentanyl-229349e2bb6e19d985372d8524b09fc8?

Sri Lankan court sentences 15 men to life in prison for roles in deadly 2019 Easter bombings COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan court convicted 15 men on Tuesday over their involvement in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed 267 people, and sentenced them each to at least 200 years in prison, meaning they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-easter-bombings-islamic-state-group-45283b5f6fe37ed2ab07c903214001b5? Suspect in Yom Kippur shooting outside Ontario synagogue dies from his injuries A 29-year-old man suspected of opening fire on a police officer stationed outside an Ontario synagogue during Yom Kippur has died from his injuries, the province’s police watchdog said Tuesday. Read More.

👋 Good morning! It's officially fall. Where has the year gone? In today's edition: Pete Crow-Armstrong's historic season, Rams crush Giants on "MNF," Mbappé moves On, NBA power rankings, Barcelona are a scoring machine, GeoSports, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   ⚾️ WAR-MONGER FORGET MVP. PCA IS CHASING HISTORY (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) Pete Crow-Armstrong wrapped up the NL MVP award weeks ago. Now, in the final week of the regular season, the Cubs centerfielder is looking to put the finishing touches on one of the greatest all-around campaigns in baseball history. Triple threat: PCA might not pitch like his onetime MVP competition Shohei Ohtani, but he does wield the best glove in the league in addition to his otherworldly combination of power and speed. At the plate he's batting .280 with an NL-best .949 OPS on the strength of 45 home runs. Yes, the speedy centerfielder is now tied with Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead. He also leads the majors in runs (118) and extra-base hits (83), and ranks third in RBI (107). On the bases he's recorded 38 steals and been caught just seven times, making him the third player in MLB history with 45+ HR and 35+ SB in a season. In the field he leads all players in outs above average (26) and fielding run value (27). His 50% success rate (8 of 16) on 5-star catches (those with a Statcast probability of 0-25%) is also by far the best in the majors. Put another way: He's having the best offensive season of anyone outside of Yordan Alvarez, but while the Astros slugger spends almost all of his time at designated hitter, PCA has also been the single best fielder in baseball at any position. (Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Big picture: Add it all up, and Crow-Armstrong has amassed 10.4 wins above replacement at FanGraphs, making him just the seventh position player this century to post a 10-fWAR season. But as impressive as that is in a vacuum, it's in the comparison to his peers where it transcends to historic territory. At 10.4 fWAR, he leads second-place Ohtani (6.7) by 3.7, putting him on pace to become just the fourth player in MLB's Modern Era (since 1900) to finish at least 3 fWAR ahead of second place. Perhaps you've heard of the other three men to accomplish that feat: Babe Ruth (3x), Rogers Hornsby (2x) and Mickey Mantle. Adjusted for era, PCA's season has to be considered one of the greatest ever. And to think, we almost didn't get it. Midseason change: It's easy to forget now, but PCA had a terrible spring, batting .224 with 6 HR and a .676 OPS in 55 games from Opening Day through May 26. As the poor results kept coming and he drifted further away from the player who'd shown flashes of superstardom a year earlier, he and Chicago's coaching staff decided to drastically alter his stance. The changes, as laid out by WSJ's Jared Diamond ($), were three-fold: He stands closer to the plate and deeper in the box, his legs are a foot closer together, and he holds his hands at his chest with the bat pointing up rather than at shoulder-level with the bat parallel to the ground. Safe to say it worked. In 101 games since the changes began taking hold, he's hitting .307 with 39 home runs and a 1.079 OPS. The last word: "You're grateful to see things like this," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said last week after PCA's seventh multi-homer game of the season. "And you're grateful that the fans get to see a season like this, because they're going to talk about it. They're going to tell their kids about it. They're going to tell their grandkids about seasons like this."   🌍 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS Have a day, Davante. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Los Angeles, California The Rams destroyed the Giants in their home opener, 28-6, behind huge games from Matthew Stafford (22/31, 327 yards, 4 TD) and Davante Adams (8 catches, 195 yards, 2 TD). New York, meanwhile, joined the injured QB club* as Jaxson Dart was knocked out in the first quarter with what appears to be a sprained MCL. Climbing the leaderboard: With 427 career passing touchdowns, Stafford passed Philip Rivers (425) for sixth-most in NFL history. He'll need to play at least another couple seasons to catch Brett Favre (508) in fifth, and may have a little more trouble catching Aaron Rodgers (528), Peyton Manning (539), Drew Brees (571) and Tom Brady (649). (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France Zinedine Zidane oversaw his first training session on Monday since becoming France's new head coach, with his first test coming in Friday's Nations League match against Turkey. The international break, which at 16 days is the longest ever, runs through Oct. 6. Why so long? This is the first such break under FIFA's new calendar, which has been reconfigured to limit travel and minimize disruptions to domestic club schedules. Instead of three short breaks in the fall and one in the spring, there are now two in the fall and one in the spring. (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) 🇨🇦 Montreal, Canada Belgium's Remco Evenepoel dominated the field on Sunday for his record-tying fourth time trial world title, becoming the first cyclist to win the event four years in a row. That continues an excellent year that also saw the two-time Olympic champion finish second to Tadej Pogačar in the Tour de France. The secret to his success: At 5-foot-7, Evenepoel is smaller than most elite time trialists, but what he lacks in mass he makes up for with his uniquely compact riding position. "He can almost put his head into his trunk and into his arms, and he's still able to look forward," says Evenepoel's physio. "That's why they call him 'the bullet.'" *QB injury updates: Chicago's Caleb Williams (hamstring) "will likely miss some time" but avoided a serious injury and Washington's Jayden Daniels (dislocated elbow) will meet with specialists this week. On the flip side, Minnesota's Kyler Murray (concussion) and Atlanta's Michael Penix Jr. (ACL surgery recovery) will both start in Week 3.   👟 FAREWELL, SWOOSH MBAPPÉ MOVES ON Mbappe's On cleats were not yet ready for primetime in Sunday's Madrid Derby, where he wore whited-out Nikes instead. (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) In June, Kylian Mbappé featured centrally in Nike's "Rip the Script" World Cup short film, shortly before tearing through defenses in Nike boots throughout the tournament. Just three months later, his long-time relationship with the Swoosh has ended. Mbappé is moving On… or to On, in this case. Catch up: Swiss sportswear brand On announced on Friday that it's entering football alongside the French superstar. Mbappé will be a global ambassador for the brand, working closely with product teams in developing football footwear and apparel. What it means: This is perhaps the most ambitious extension of On's brand yet, as it tries to establish itself at the highest ranks of the world's most popular sport. However, the company has a track record in precisely this sort of endeavor, executed with a very similar playbook. History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes: The last time On shocked the sports world with a signing of this magnitude, the brand was a lesser-known commodity. Its prize in 2019? Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, who invested in the company and supported its efforts to build a tennis business. On's efforts in tennis, anchored by Federer and aided by stars like Iga Świątek and Ben Shelton, demonstrate its ability to grow from a nonexistent presence to a major player at a sport's elite levels. With Mbappé in tow, it will try to make the same leap in football.   🏀 SURVEYING THE LANDSCAPE NBA PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) With the NBA season tipping off in less than a month (Oct. 20), Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor has ranked every team's chances of winning the 2027 NBA Championship, while also surveying what's changed during the offseason, what's exciting and what's concerning for each team.   ⚽️ SCORING MACHINES BARCELONA ARE UNSTOPPABLE (Fran Santiago/Getty Images) Barcelona have opened their 2026-27 campaign in another stratosphere, laying waste to the competition with a goal-scoring frenzy the likes of which haven't been seen in nearly a century. 36 goals for, 8 against: Barça are undefeated in eight matches entering the international break, scoring 31 goals across their first seven La Liga fixtures (second-most in league history behind Sevilla in 1940), and 36 if you include their Champions League opener (their most through eight matches since 1935). Barcelona 5, Elche 0 Barcelona 2, Athletic Club 0 Barcelona 5, Rayo Vallecano 2 Barcelona 5, Valenica 0 Barcelona 5, Feyenoord Rotterdam 1 Barcelona 4, Levante 2 Barcelona 7, Racing Santander 2 Barcelona 3, Sevilla 1 Dynamic duo: At the center of the carnage are Brazilian striker Raphinha and Spanish winger Lamine Yamal, who've combined for 22 goals and nine assists on the young season. Raphinha's 12 domestic goals lead La Liga by a wide margin, while his three assists are tied for second; Lamine's seven goals are tied for second, and his four assists are tied for first.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 (Ishika Samant/Getty Images) ⚾️ Rays at Yankees The AL East rivals begin their four-game series with a split doubleheader (1:05pm ET, ESPN+; 7:05pm, TBS), and though the division hasn't been decided yet, the race is all but over. The Rays (95-60) have a six-game lead over the Yankees (89-66), who therefore must sweep this series to have any shot of avoiding the wild card. Best of the rest: The wild-card bound Red Sox (84-72) host the Guardians (81-75), who hold a one-game lead in the AL Central (6:45pm); the White Sox (80-76), currently in the third wild card and chasing Cleveland for the division, visit the Royals (7:40pm); the Rangers (78-78) host the Mets (8:05pm) with a one-game lead in the AL West over the Astros (77-79), who visit the Mariners in the nightcap (9:40pm). ⚾️ WPBL Championship, Game 5 The Women's Professional Baseball League will crown its inaugural champion tonight (7pm, ESPN+) when the San Francisco Firebells — who've fought back from an 0-2 deficit — take on the Los Angeles Queens in a decisive Game 5. Players to watch: This series features arguably the two biggest names in women's baseball. The Firebells are led by No. 1 pick Kelsie Whitmore, a two-way player who hit a league-leading 11 HR this season while also starting six games on the mound; the Queens boast Mo'ne Davis, the trailblazing star of the 2014 Little League World Series. More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Lynx at Fever (8pm, ESPN); Sparks at Aces (10pm, ESPN) … Minnesota (32-10) clinches the No. 1 seed with a win. ⚽️ Women's Champions League: Bayern Munich vs. Man City (12:45pm, CBSSN); Real Madrid vs. PSG (3pm, Paramount+) … Two of five games as the league phase kicks off. 🏒 NHL Preaseason: Panthers at Hurricanes (7pm, NHL); Golden Knights at Sharks (10pm, NHL) … T-minus one week until the regular season begins.   🌍 LET'S PLAY GEOSPORTS GeoSports is back in Yahoo Sports AM, and I'll be writing the questions every Tuesday. How to play: You'll be asked five trivia questions that combine sports with geography. Tap where it happened! The closer you are, the more points you get.