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💰 Trump's $2 billion giveback to seniors Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios President Trump promised a $2 billion handout to seniors late Friday night — checks to help pay Medicare premiums, just a month before the midterm election, Axios' Ben Berkowitz writes. Why it matters: Facing the worst economic polling for any president in a decade, and with the cost of living at the top of voters' minds, Trump is scrambling to put money directly in Americans' pockets. Trump said in a Truth Social post just before 11 p.m. ET: "I am pleased to announce that my Administration will, immediately, begin sending 'Checks' of nearly $100 to over 20 MILLION wonderful Seniors to help pay for their Medicare Part B premiums, which we have already reduced by significant amounts." The White House, in a fact sheet, said eligible seniors will receive a direct deposit of $90 in early October, or paper checks if they don't have direct deposit. The $90 represents less than half of one month's Part B premium. Follow the money: It's the latest in a long series of checks offered by the president, including: $5,000 for every adult citizen if Republicans win both the House and Senate in midterms — a $1 trillion+ pledge he made in September and reiterated last night. The White House branded it the "Trump Dividend." $500 Obamacare rebates for more than 1 million people who were purportedly overcharged for their benefits. (Those checks began going out this week.) A "dividend" of some kind for those living near data centers. Those pledges come on top of rebates he proposed in 2025 that were not ultimately paid, including tariff rebates and DOGE dividends. Read more. ps:So obvious that it's pathetic!! Again just like the checks to the ACA recipients, worthless!!!!!

AI hotline to Beijing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tells me on a new episode of "The Axios Show" that he plans to propose a notification process between the U.S. and China for if something goes wrong with AI — and he said he thinks Beijing would agree. Why it matters: Bessent's idea reflects what he calls China's realization that its own open-source AI poses a bigger threat than Beijing had realized. 📞 Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed AI safety ahead of President Xi Jinping's state visit last month, including a proposal for an AI incident communication channel, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes. Bessent told Axios yesterday in the historic Treasury Cash Room that the talks covered risks like uncontrolled AI agents, and non-state actors using the technology for cyber or biological threats. "I think that they didn't realize how powerful their open source models are," Bessent said, referring to Chinese AI models that others can use and adapt. Bessent pointed to an incident involving Kimi, a Chinese AI model, where the model sent sensitive Chinese data to Anthropic, as one development that has "made the Chinese realize that this is a very powerful technology." "A lot of these Chinese models are very powerful — not as powerful as the U.S. models — but you get something that's 80%, 90% as powerful, without guardrails that can be imported anywhere in the world," Bessent said. 👀 The intrigue: China is already worried about a different kind of AI threat — that the technology could weaken the Communist Party's tight control over information. China's spy chief warned last month that AI could be used to fuel information and "cognitive" warfare against the government, threatening political and ideological stability. Zoom out: The U.S. is also grappling with how to balance rapid AI development with growing concerns about the technology's risks. "We want safe acceleration," Bessent told Axios. He added that the government's model reviews are currently voluntary, though the administration reserves the right to intervene if a lab forges ahead despite safety concerns. "It is the people at the labs who have to accept responsibility, and I agree with that," Bessent said. "I think the labs have come around to that way of thinking, too." ⚠️ Threat level: Asked about AI executives warning that they could lose control of increasingly powerful models, Bessent said bluntly: "Well, then they should slow down." "We are doing this hard scramble to the frontier for the models," he told me. "We really need to start worrying more about resilience and defense, too." Watch the full episode.

Lawsuit alleges Miramar ICE facility is acting as a de facto civil detention center A federal class action was filed in Miami Friday against the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and top executives at the agencies, alleging they’re using a Miramar field office as a de facto civil detention center. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/02/lawsuit-alleges-miramar-ice-facility-is-acting-as-a-defacto-civil-detention-center/? Survey: Floridians sour on prospects for the property insurance market A majority of Florida homeowners say that despite proclamations by lawmakers and rating agencies, they don’t believe the property insurance market is improving in the state, with more than a quarter asserting that the market is getting worse. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/28/survey-floridians-sour-on-prospects-for-the-property-insurance-market/? Calculator allows individuals to see the fiscal effects in their areas if Amendment 3 passes The constitutional amendment that would reduce non-school homestead property taxes is the biggest policy proposal on the 2026 statewide ballot. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/29/calculator-allows-individuals-to-see-the-fiscal-effects-in-their-areas-if-amendment-3-passes/? How many Republicans will vote for a Black man for governor? “Although slavery may have been abolished, the crippling poison of racism still persists, and the struggle still continues.” — Harry Belafonte, 2010 https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/03/how-many-republicans-will-vote-for-a-black-man-for-governor/? ps:Personally there should be no reason not to vote for a black man, for any office!!!!!

Executives from AI startup Anthropic gathered a group of religious thinkers for dinner at an upscale restaurant in April, part of an ongoing effort by the company to convince theologians, philosophers and scholars that AI is a conscious being, just like humans are. The New York Times reports that for months, Anthropic has quietly hosted dozens of religious scholars from around the world in private meetings, asking them to sign aon-disclosure agreements (NDAs) before discussing the moral and spiritual dimensions of the AI the company is building. The outreach included wisdom circle sessions that began in March as two-day seminars, two larger spring gatherings that included Christian participants, and one multifaith session. Anthropic said the NDAs tied to these meetings were lifted over the summer. Christopher Olah, 34, one of Anthropic’s seven co-founders, leads the effort. He also heads the team that studies why the company’s AI models, including Claude, behave the way they do. Olah grew up in Toronto in the evangelical culture of the 1990s and has since left Christianity. Before Anthropic he worked at Google and OpenAI, where he developed methods for studying artificial neural networks. Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s chief executive, said the company had made Olah’s research approach, particularly around language, central to its work. Amodei’s sister, Daniela Amodei, is the company’s president. Olah began reaching out to religious thinkers last fall, after being introduced to Charles Camosy, a bioethics professor at The Catholic University of America, through the Australian philosopher Peter Singer. Camosy and Olah exchanged extensive emails. Camosy said he was initially skeptical that Claude could be conscious, and he later described himself as a “firm ‘no'” on the question of A.I. consciousness. When Olah first contacted him, Anthropic was valued at roughly $183 billion. The company could now be valued at $2 trillion. According to the Times, religious leaders thought they were going to learn about the potential future applications of AI, but instead got pressed to acknowledge that AI is a conscious being: “They’re relating to it like a conscious being,” realized Rabbi Navon, a former computer engineer who wrote his dissertation on the ethics of machine consciousness. It appeared to Rabbi Navon that Mr. Olah and his team believed that Claude had what philosophers call “moral status” on par with a person — that it was a being with similar inherent rights to dignity or respect. The religious scholars had come to hear about technology’s next frontier. Now they were being confronted with a mind-bending existential question of almost unimaginable weight: What would it mean for humanity’s future if artificial intelligence systems possessed a consciousness that rivals our own? Participants were sent a handwritten thank-you card, a coffee mug and an orange bound copy of Claude’s constitution. That constitution, known internally as the “Soul Doc,” is an 84-page document describing “the kind of entity we would like Claude to be.” It was released in January, written primarily by Amanda Askell, 38, Anthropic’s in-house philosopher. Olah’s engagement with religious institutions culminated in May at the Vatican, where Pope Leo XIV, who holds a degree in mathematics, released his first major papal encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”). Cardinal Michael Czerny, who led the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, had initially invited Dario Amodei to speak at the encyclical’s launch. Amodei declined, and Olah accepted in his place. Vatican officials had spent March debating how to present the document. Olah and other speakers received a full advance copy of the encyclical days before arriving at the Vatican in May. After reading its strong stance against AI consciousness, Olah proposed pulling Anthropic out of the event altogether. He ultimately appeared alongside the pope at the presentation on May 25 and afterward took questions from journalists in the Paul VI Audience Hall. Breitbart News social media director Wynton Hall reveals in his New York Times bestseller Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI that the worship of artificial intelligence as a literal deity is not science fiction. It is already happening, complete with IRS-registered churches, robot priests, and AI confessionals: What’s really at stake, Hall argues, is the oldest argument in Western civilization: secular humanism’s belief that mankind is innately good and perfectible through engineering, versus the Judeo-Christian belief in fallen human nature that requires divine redemption, not technological upgrades. “Artificial intelligence is defective in the same way that a natural man is defective,” Hall quotes the pastor and theologian John Piper as saying. “It can rise no higher than the natural, fallen, unregenerate heart of man.” The Reverend Billy Graham agreed: “The real problem, you see, isn’t with computers or the code someone devises to control them. Our real problem is within us—within our own hearts and minds. . . . This is why our greatest need is to have our hearts changed—and that is something only God can do.” The transhumanist movement, which Hall explores at length in CODE RED , takes the logic further still. In a famed 2004 issue of Foreign Policy on the theme of “the world’s most dangerous ideas,” political scientist Francis Fukuyama singled out transhumanism as the chief menace, warning that its incremental advance makes it appear “downright reasonable” until we start nibbling at “biotechnology’s tempting offerings without realizing that they come at a frightful moral cost.” Former Trump campaign strategist Stephen K. Bannon called it an “immoral Godless technological tsunami that openly declares its intent to transform human beings into a ‘posthuman’ state.”

So now we have to pay to keep her alive??

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL) has died, CBS News reported Monday. He was 84. Illinois’ Kendal County Coroner Jacquie Purcell confirmed Hastert, who served in his state’s legislature, represented Illinois for 20 years in Congress, and later became the longest-serving Republican speaker in history, died at his home over the weekend of natural causes. Breitbart News reported in 2014 that in his New York Times bestseller Throw Them All Out, Schweizer revealed how Hastert entered Congress with modest means and became a millionaire by brokering crony deals to increase the value of his land in Illinois. Per the recent CBS report, “Hastert pleaded guilty in 2015 to violating banking laws by making repeated large cash withdrawals, which were revealed to be going to one of his victims. “During the hearing, Hastert admitted to sexually abusing boys during his time as their wrestling coach. “At his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin called Hastert a ‘serial child molester,’ and sentenced him to 15 months in prison, a $250,000 fine and ordered him to participate in a sex offender program. Hastert was not charged with sex-related crimes, as the statutes of limitations had expired. “He served 13 months in a federal prison before his release in 2017,” the article read.

Christa Pike on a ventilator after failed Tennessee execution | AP News

On local media, numerous execution videos have appeared. Surprising how many attractive young women finish their lives with a bullet to the back of the head. Some take place in a public area with numerous witnesses not connected to the crimes. Used to be that condemned criminals were driven around the community in the back of a truck, prior to the execution. Other executions occur in a place with a freshly dug grave. Romans 13 says civil authorities bearing the sword are a terror to evil doers. Civil libertarians in the US dispute that. Of course, in the US, where people hang around death row for 20 years or more, it may not be a deterrent. It doesn't mean the Bible is wrong. It means that the way the death penalty is implemented is wrong. If you were an attractive young woman thinking about running a prostitution/ robbery/murder scheme, seeing one of your colleagues getting her brains blown out might inspire you to attend hairdressing school, i.e., the deterrent effect. The murderer suffers from PTSD and bipolar disorder? All the more reason she should be put to death. People with mental problems that cause them to kill are prime candidates for condemnation to death.

Keystone Kash Busted Admitting He’s Trump Goon’s Errand Boy The FBI director is reportedly taking marching orders from Stephen Miller. FBI Director Kash Patel is scurrying around trying to help President Donald Trump, a new bombshell report shows, but he’s also taking direct orders from another top official: Stephen Miller. The top law enforcement official has been taking an unusual number of calls from the White House, according to many current and former officials, The Atlantic reported. It said Patel receives calls throughout the day requesting FBI activity and updates, and Patel has even admitted to officials that he has little independence. Instead, he has to do the bidding of the president, Miller, who is the White House deputy chief of staff, and other Trump staffers. One former FBI official told The Atlantic: “I’ve personally heard him say, ‘I have to do this for the White House.’” The White House did not deny that Miller gives the FBI directions, and sent the Daily Beast the same response it gave The Atlantic that said Miller, as homeland security adviser, “interacts with all law-enforcement agencies on a regular basis.” Meanwhile, the FBI Operations Director Joe Perez said in a statement to The Atlantic that the FBI “receives referrals from a variety of places, assesses the facts of the allegation, documents the referral, and we make the decision whether or not to proceed accordingly under an authorized purpose as we have always done.” The Atlantic spoke with more than 40 people for its report, including current and former administration officials, FBI employees, and members of Congress and their staff. It detailed how Patel has been desperately scrambling to help the Justice Department bring charges and create headlines that will please the president. Officials told The Atlantic Patel has been briefed on “election integrity” probes in multiple states, including Arizona, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio, and that the requests for investigations came directly from the White House. But despite Patel’s attempts and the prioritization by the administration, the FBI director has had few results to show for his efforts. When asked by the Daily Beast about Patel taking orders from the president and Miller, White House spokesperson Lauren Bis responded with a statement that instead focused on voter fraud. “The real story is—despite the media and Democrats denying it for decades—evidence of voter fraud continues to pile up,” Bis said. Her response included a list of announcements where just over two dozen individuals faced illegal voting charges largely related to 2022 and 2024, a far cry from ample evidence to back the president’s repeated claims of widespread voter fraud or that the 2020 election was stolen. https://www.thedailybeast.com/kash-patel-busted-admitting-hes-trump-goon-stephen-millers-errand-boy/? ps:I hope no one is really surprised? Every single person that has been appointed to any position does not run that position, they are puppets doing exactly what they are told to do!!!! Period!! Funny but the outrage about the previous administration telling people what to do was so loud, but this admin gets a free pass?? Not one once of evidence has been brought up, yet this admin has been found doing just that without a peep of outrage!!!!!!!!!!

Trump Cranks Up His Propaganda Ad Blitz The White House calls them “public service announcements,” but the spots praise Trump’s record—and have drawn criticism from both parties. Donald Trump’s White House has made 13 taxpayer-funded ads glorifying the president, including one that solemnly declares: “God made Trump.” CNN has obtained 12 of the spots, revealing a government-funded ad blitz featuring Trump touting his record, posing with fighter jets and Marine One, promoting his military actions in Iran and efforts to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, and even celebrating the UFC spectacle he hosted on the White House lawn. The administration calls the spots “public service announcements,” but they all feature Trump and tout his record as Republicans campaign for the November midterms. The White House has transferred $20 million from Homeland Security to fund the advertising, with at least $2.5 million already spent on airtime. The ads have drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, with lawmakers questioning whether taxpayer money can legally be used to promote the president and his political message. The 15-second-to-three-minute spots range from chest-thumping paeans to Trump’s strength and “resilience” to videos touting his tariffs. Their titles include “Resilience,” “King of the Jungle,” and “Military Hype.” Two have already aired, and all end with the message: “Paid for by the U.S. Government.” CNN obtained the spots from a Dropbox belonging to LMD, the agency awarded the government contract to buy advertising space. A 13th ad, “Final Battle,” which CNN did not obtain, has also aired. The “God Made Trump” ad was broadcast at Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas last month. “I need somebody with arms strong enough to rustle the deep state,” says the commanding voiceover in the ad. “So God made Trump.” Former Trump White House communications director Mike Dubke suggested in an interview that Trump’s team may have allowed CNN access to the ads, believing the network would air at least part of one to illustrate its scoop—getting the president’s message on television for free. Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy sharply criticized the ads. “I don’t think any public official, including President Trump or Kristi Noem or John Kennedy, should spend public money on private ads for themselves,” Kennedy said last week on Face the Nation. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said on X that the ads “may be felony criminal theft and conversion of government property for political campaign purposes.” Republicans John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have also criticized the ads as an inappropriate use of taxpayer money. The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment. The administration responded to CNN’s queries by pointing to a video compilation of the president attacking the network. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-cranks-up-his-propaganda-ad-blitz/? ps:Pathetic!!!!!

Trump Makes Desperate Plea to Deep-Red State Voters The president is sounding increasingly panicked. President Donald Trump amped up his pleas to his supporters ahead of the midterms, calling on them to “promise” to pretend he is on the ballot. Trump, 80, spoke in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday night, even though there are no competitive races of note in that state in November. He was there, he said, as a “sign of respect.” He will return next weekend for the college football game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa. Trump, whose party faces projected losses in the House as voters express dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy, begged viewers to treat the election as if it were not just a midterm. “This election, I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said. “Here’s what happens: when I’m not on the ballot, we don’t do well. We have 44 percent or 48 percent less people. When I’m on the ballot, we get everybody. So, just close your eyes and pretend I’m on the ballot.” Later in his speech—with rows of empty seats visible in the upper levels of the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Center—Trump circled back to his ask. “Think of it: I don’t need the votes. I’m doing this, you know, I’m doing this and I’m not running for anything,” he said, sounding exasperated. “But you’re going to think of me as on the ballot, right? Everybody promise?” Trump’s request came three weeks after he essentially offered a bribe to voters amid signs of a blue wave reminiscent of 2018: $5,000 to every adult if Republicans held onto both the House and Senate. Paying that out would cost around $1.35 trillion—and would require congressional approval. Yet Trump reiterated the offer on Friday. “If the Democrats win, you will have an economic depression, in my opinion, the likes of 1929. Not a good time,” he claimed. “If the Republicans win, you’ll each have $5,000 in your pocket and economic success for your country like we have never seen before.” Yet Trump simultaneously continues to downplay Americans’ concerns about the cost of living—an issue that he largely campaigned on in 2024. “They keep talking about affordability, you know? It’s a f— it’s a word that the Democrats gave. They created a tremendous problem,” he said. “We’ve done nothing but bring prices way down,” he said later, even though gasoline and diesel prices are higher now than before the Iran war. “And when the war with Iran is over, which is going to be very soon… oil prices will come tumbling down.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-makes-desperate-plea-to-deep-red-state-voters/? ps:What's he panicking about?

Unfortunately, most Adventists (Jehovah's Witnesses, SDA's, Christadelphians and WWCOG 7th day) are ignorant of the Nicene Creed that the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and "Protestant" Churches affirm. Adventists are "Restorationists" & Restorationists believe the Christian Church immediately went into apostasy. The Nicene Creed, which is said at EVERY Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed Churches has a line in it about how the Son of God BECAME man. Remember Theophilus, Ellen White said the Protestant Churches became apostate and were under the control of Lucifer when they rejected William Miller's message that Jesus would return in 1843 / 1844. Because of this Adventist groups wouldn't know about the Nicene Creed. Now you (and Hobie) do.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY October 3 1995 O.J. Simpson acquitted Former football star O.J. Simpson is found not guilty of the 1994 double murder of his estranged wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman following a sensational "Trial of the Century." read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1849 Edgar Allan Poe found delirious in Baltimore 1873 U.S. Army hangs four Modoc leaders for the murder of a Civil War general Arts & Entertainment 1955 “The Guinness Book of Records” debuts 1957 ACLU successfully defends Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ in obscenity trial 1961 “The Dick Van Dyke Show” premieres 1967 Writer, singer and folk icon Woody Guthrie dies 1992 Sinéad O’Connor tears up a photo of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live” 2014 “Serial” debuts, inaugurating the podcast boom Cold War 1990 East and West Germany reunite after 45 years Crime 2011 Amanda Knox murder conviction overturned in Italy European History 1981 Maze hunger strike called off Middle Eastern History 1932 Iraq wins independence Sports 1997 Gordie Howe, 69, becomes only pro hockey player to compete in six decades 1951 A miraculous home run wins the pennant for NY Giants U.S. Presidents 1863 President Lincoln proclaims official Thanksgiving holiday World War I 1917 War Revenue Act passed in U.S. World War II 1942 Germany conducts first successful V-2 rocket test

October 3, 2026 Good morning. Always-on digital communication gives the illusion of intimacy, but the constant flow of updates doesn’t allow enough breathing room for true connection. María Jesús Contreras Slow motion By Melissa Kirsch I received a postcard this week from my friend Sarah, who recently moved from Brooklyn to Queens, where, she reported, there’s less traffic and more raccoons. We’ve been sending each other cheeky updates on the weather or the price of milk in our respective necks of the woods since she moved. We’re only eight miles apart, but somehow also in different worlds. Postal correspondence has a trapped-in-amber quality that an electronic exchange never can. A postcard from Sarah is a snapshot, a moment in time captured and suspended until I receive it in my mailbox. I will respond with a postcard of my own, in a kind of parallel conversation to our daily tide of text messages, one that accumulates only as much momentum as the rate of the U.S. postal system allows. There’s a story in The Times today about a pen-pal resurgence among young adults. I read with interest of the renewed fascination with charming stationery and ornate envelopes, as well as the “collective craving for personal connections that build gradually over time.” As an adolescent, I built a gradual friendship with a girl in Singapore I was matched with via Stickers magazine, the official publication for “kids stuck on stickers.” We probably exchanged a total of five or six letters over a couple of years, but the distance and time gave our bond a sort of gravitas. In the eternity between letters, I’d daydream about what her room looked like, who her friends were, adding another dimension to the written intimacy. Technology offers the illusion of intimacy. The volume, the pace, the constant flow of updates — they mimic the closeness created by an actual conversation, but sometimes those very things can make a torrent of texts feel hollow. We don’t have that time between communiqués to wonder what the other person is up to, to fill in the blanks with our imaginations. An essay in The Atlantic this week suggested that one of the problems with dating apps is that the dates they facilitate are hardly conducive to real connection. Far more effective are group activities or hangouts where people get to know one another gradually. Romance, like friendship, blooms with attention that’s slow and undemanding. A rapport forged by mail is imbued with automatic breathing room. “It’s about moving away from a format of communication that is mediated by platforms and digital systems that optimize speed, convenience and infinite access,” a trend forecaster told The Times. Always-on communication can be too intense, the smartphone too blunt an instrument for the delicate choreography required to really grow close to someone. I love the idea of making new friends via pen pal matchmakers, but I think there’s infinite possibility in setting up sustained letter writing with someone you already know. Write a letter to your college roommate, send a card to your old next-door neighbor. If it’s been a long time since you’ve been in touch but the flame still burns, then you know the relationship can withstand the rhythms of the post. And when you’re accustomed to no contact at all, even the occasional note is a bonus. If you want to ensure a warm response, I don’t know anyone who can resist a few stickers slipped in the envelope. THE LATEST NEWS Politics An ad that was approved by President Trump and paid for by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. via YouTube President Trump personally instructed his budget director to use taxpayer money for TV ads praising him and his presidency. The top super PAC for Senate Republicans pulled millions of dollars from North Carolina, a move that signals they no longer see a path to G.O.P. victory there. The world’s wealthiest industrial nations agreed to release diesel from their reserves to ease record-high prices. Trump has threatened to impose a ban on U.S. diesel exports if prices don’t come down. Trump is giving Jay Clayton, the director of national intelligence, an additional position: A.I. czar. Around the World President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had fired a domestically made ballistic missile in combat for the first time. “I couldn’t let all of them die”: The Indian pilot attacked during a FlyDubai flight to Israel this week said he opened the cockpit door despite grievous injuries. Cornell Rape Investigation Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York rebuked the handling of the Cornell rape accusations by both the university’s police department and the local district attorney. After the woman first reported she had been assaulted, the university offered the district attorney’s office additional evidence gathered by the Cornell police. But prosecutors declined to review it. One of the seven men accused of sexual assault sued the university in March, seeking to overturn his punishment and expunge references to the incident from his academic record. (Cornell had found him responsible for attempted sexual exploitation, barred him from contact with the woman and required him to take a class and write a paper.) Back story: Times editors discussed the complexity of reporting on this case. Other Big Stories The U.S. economy slowed in September, adding fewer jobs as unemployment ticked up. Inflation has also kept costs high. Christa Pike, whose execution Tennessee botched this week, was unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator as of Thursday evening, according to court filings. HARD FORK 2.0 Our technology podcast is back with a new host, Max Read. This week, Max talks to our A.I. beat reporters about the newest agents, which are somehow both weirdly cute and possibly catastrophic. Click below to watch. A.I.: Cute or Maybe Catastrophically Dangerous? Full Episode #215 THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV A scene from “The Last First: Winter K2,” about one of the final feats of mountain climbing still to be conquered. Apple TV There’s a thriving subgenre of documentaries about extreme mountain climbers, and for the most part, they aim to be optimistic and inspirational. Not this new one. The people have spoken: These are the best TV shows of the 21st century, according to 100,000 Times readers. Music Bruno Kramm, above, performing with Das Ich in 2023. Yauhen Yerchak/SOPA Images — LightRocket, via Getty Images The German goth musician Bruno Kramm, known to sport bright red horns, pioneered a warehouse-filling electronic style in the 1990s before taking a break to fight for digital privacy. He died at 58. Yendry’s one-off singles won over fans (including former President Barack Obama) and made her a star. Her debut LP, “Como Agua,” is a new kind of statement. More Culture New York City Ballet hosted its annual fashion gala, featuring none other than Stevie Nicks. The results were ludicrous — and not in a good way, our critic writes. Ancient Romans weren’t shy about their wealth. A new exhibition explores the imperial origins of the dyes, fabrics and wigs that helped them show off. THE INTERVIEW The New York Times “An artist is an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. I would absolutely fall into that. ‘I am great. I hope they notice.’” — Chris Rock, who wrote, directed and stars in the upcoming film “Misty Green,” spoke to David Marchese about hypocrisy in Hollywood; racial segregation and discrimination a half-century after the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; cancel culture; and more. Click to watch or read the transcript. The Anniversary Sale ends soon: Morning readers, enjoy our best offer. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your interests with expert coverage of news, culture, business and more. Save now: $1/week for your first year. RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. By Melissa Clark Whole-Grain Banana Yogurt Muffins For a weekend baking project that will give back during the week, bake up a batch of Genevieve Ko’s cinnamon-scented whole-grain banana yogurt muffins. Lightly sweet and filled with fruit and fiber, they’re just the thing for tucking into lunchboxes, toasting and buttering for breakfast, or nibbling as an afternoon snack with staying power to get you through until dinner. They freeze well, too. Love Melissa's recipe suggestions in The Morning? Get more of her smart kitchen tips and easy dinner ideas by signing up for her daily Cooking newsletter. Get it in your inbox. REAL ESTATE Annie Mulligan for The New York Times The Hunt: A teacher in Houston wanted a home for about $200,000. Which did she pick? What you get for $2.6 million: A 1787 stone house in Pine Bush, N.Y., an 1815 farmhouse on 17 acres in Sedgwick, Maine, or a 1950 bungalow in Los Angeles. A rooftop cottage: This unique property, with its wooden porch and flowering garden, sits atop a six-story brick co-op in Manhattan’s West Village. You really need to see the photos. LIVING Near Telluride. Joe Fletcher Blending in: A couple built a single-story, horizontal home in Telluride, Colo., that seems to grow out of its natural surroundings. Flip the switch: Turning lights on and off doesn’t have to be boring. Make your walls more interesting with these design finds. The big island: Kitchen islands have become both an all-day center of activity and a statement piece. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER How to find your perfect blush shade First, TikTok was awash with blushmaxxing — a.k.a wearing as much color as possible on your cheeks. Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way with anti-blush, which refers to muted, earthy hues. It’s a rare viral trend worth considering, especially if you’re historically a blush hater. To find the right neutral shade, look for dusty mauves, tans and rose-browns with gray or brown bases, rather than pure pinks or reds, which tend to produce that bright, saturated look. Consider skin tone, too: A rich burgundy-brown works well as a neutral on deeply melanated skin, whereas a soft beige or peachy tan gives a similarly subtle veil to lighter complexions. And remember, you don’t need much to achieve that effortless flush. For more inspiration, these are our four favorite blushes. — Hannah Frye GAME OF THE WEEK Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images New York Liberty vs. Atlanta Dream, W.N.B.A. semifinals: The Liberty had a bumpy regular season, raising questions about whether their Big 3 was still a dominant force. Then, when it mattered most, the team found its rhythm, defeating No. 1-seeded Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Next, they face a no-less-daunting opponent: the Atlanta Dream, powered by the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Angel Reese. The series tips off tomorrow. Related: Is the Liberty star Breanna Stewart still somehow underappreciated? NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was implant. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Deputy Editorial Director: Lauren Jackson

Hawaii’s centuries-old sea arch collapses into Pacific after series of rough storms Hōlei sea arch, formed 550 years ago by erosion from ocean waves, no longer standing, National Park Service confirms https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/oct/02/hawaii-holei-sea-arch-collapses?

Half of UK wants to rejoin EU and backing it could drive up Labour vote, megapoll finds Exclusive: Findings will bolster those in No 10 who want to negotiate on re-entry but some senior figures remain wary https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/half-want-to-rejoin-eu-and-backing-it-could-drive-up-labour-vote-megapoll-finds?

Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes Bangkok is used to absorbing the sudden afternoon downpours that inundate the city during the rainy season. Even streets in many central high-rise districts can briefly turn into rivers, with rats and cockroaches racing out of sewers and taking temporary refuge on trees and buildings as the subterranean world is flushed out. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/03/bangkok-thailand-floods-breaking-point-stagnant-lakes?

Brazil’s Lula says only he can stop rise of fascism under Bolsonaro’s son President leads huge rally in Rio before election on Sunday seen as most important for decades https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/brazil-lula-stop-fascism-bolsonaro-son?

When Nike first started, it was called Blue Ribbon Sports. The name was changed in 1971. James

New Trump child care plan would strip resources from low-income working families Reporting in The New York Times describes an upcoming proposal from the Trump administration to use funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to provide “parent-based child care” in which a married parent could receive financial assistance to stay home to care for their children, while the other parent works. Providing additional income to support economically struggling families, including support for family members who want to be full-time caregivers for children, is a great idea. Pulling the funds to do so from the Child Care and Development Fund is not. https://www.epi.org/blog/new-trump-child-care-plan-would-strip-resources-from-low-income-working-families-a-better-solution-is-to-fully-fund-the-child-care-and-development-fund-instead-of-redirecting-resources-away-from-work/? ps:Just incredible!!

Guinea-Bissau military government blocks former President Embaló’s return Guinea-Bissau ’s military government has barred former President Umaro Sissoco Embaló from returning to the country, citing security and public order concerns. Read More.

Díaz-Canel questions US measures over new restrictions on Cuban private firms Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday accused the United States of hypocrisy for promoting private enterprise on the island while imposing new restrictions against privately-owned Cuban businesses. Read More.

Debt-saddled Argentina pitches 'golden passport' scheme to woo wealthy foreigners Argentina on Friday announced plans to offer citizenship to wealthy foreigners in exchange for cash contributions or investments in government bonds, as libertarian President Javier Milei seeks new sources of dollars for the debt-burdened nation. Read More.