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September 15, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The Supreme Court blocked President Trump’s effort to overhaul mail voting ahead of the midterm elections. And the United States now has weapons in space. We’ve got more below, including the winners of the Emmy Awards. I’m going to start, though, with three stories from inside the immigration crackdown. In Key West. Mark Hedden for The New York Times Trouble in paradise In late July, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, a legal protection that had allowed 330,000 of them to live and work in the United States. All politics is local: The change is a ruinous blow to the tourist economy of Key West, reports David Ovalle, who covers Florida. Of the 25,000 people who live on or around the island, one immigration lawyer told him, at least 5,000 are Haitian. Key West is tiny. It’s not easy to avoid running into a federal immigration agent. “There’s no outrunning anybody here,” the leader of an immigrant support group said. The result? Haitian hotel housekeepers, restaurant cooks, Uber drivers and supermarket workers — they’re disappearing. Some have been detained and deported. Others stay home or call in sick, even if they have valid work permits. “Many Haitians — along with Hispanic immigrants — have stopped riding bicycles to work, a common form of transportation in Key West, for fear of attracting law enforcement attention,” David writes. The Department of Homeland Security puts it this way: “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that — temporary,” the agency told David in response to a question about enforcement activity in the Florida Keys. “For too long, T.P.S. has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.” My colleague Frances Robles lives in Key West. I asked her what she’s been seeing in her life and on the streets. “My hairdresser was picked up and detained for over a month and eventually returned to his home country,” she told me. “My cleaning lady quit and went back to Nicaragua with her husband. She said, ‘I don’t want to go to prison.’” The labor shortage is likely to intensify in coming months. It is still the slow season in America’s southernmost city. The snowbirds will soon arrive. In cages Images released in a report by the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general’s office show small metal enclosures that were referred to as “calming areas.” U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General Let’s stay in Florida for a moment longer. How bad were conditions at “Alligator Alcatraz,” the mosquito-infested immigration detention center deep in the Everglades that closed this summer? Zoo-like, according to a report from the independent watchdog overseeing the Department of Homeland Security. The facility didn’t comply with national standards for medical care, food service, physical hygiene or recreation. Agents there confined migrants in “small metal enclosures” for an hour at a time. They called these pens “calming areas.” Facility workers said that some detainees asked to spend time in them. But the department’s inspector general found at least one instance in which an enclosure was used to discipline a detainee who had “failed to comply with a lawful command.” The structures each provide only about 18 square feet of floor space — roughly the size of a restroom stall. (That’s less than a quarter of the national detention standard of 75 square feet.) It “does not align with standards for humane treatment,” the report said. Catch-22 Let’s say you’re an immigrant who is in the country legally. Can you prove it? My colleague Minho Kim spoke to 35 immigration lawyers about the process. He discovered that immigrants who use the Freedom of Information Act to seek documents that prove their legal status are either getting rebuffed or receiving heavily redacted paperwork. The government says the documents don’t exist. Or it provides them with critical information struck out. The lawyers say that puts their clients at risk of deportation. Minho laid out how Kafkaesque the experience can be: In February, Cipriano Alarcon-Galvez, 54, a Mexican national, asked citizenship services for a copy of the green-card petition filed in 1993 by his mother, a naturalized U.S. citizen, on his behalf. That 33-year-old petition may make Mr. Alarcon-Galvez eligible for permanent residency and amnesty for coming to the United States without permission as a child. But more than half of the records he received were fully redacted, according to the government responses reviewed by The Times. Another request filed by his mother yielded copies of green-card petitions, but all of her children’s information was redacted. A Freedom of Information Act official at the citizenship services agency confirmed in an email to his lawyer that the petition existed, but said Mr. Alarcon-Galvez should file a request with the State Department instead. Alarcon-Galvez has four daughters who are U.S. citizens and has lived in Oceanside, Calif., for decades. He is now facing deportation. Read more about the FOIA strategy here. Related: A coalition of states and local governments sued the Trump administration over a policy that would restrict green cards for immigrants using public assistance. HIGHLIGHTS Notes: Based on a New York Times/Siena poll of 1,503 likely voters nationwide conducted Sept. 8 to 13. Percentages displayed are rounded. Edison Wu/The New York Times We’ve made these links free for you. You just need to log in. Democrats hold a sizable edge over Republicans in the coming midterms, according to the latest Times/Siena poll. Even though few House districts are competitive, Trump’s unpopularity is hurting the Republican brand. Here’s our annual accounting of the 50 best restaurants across the United States. Check the comments. That’s part of the fun. Sydney Sweeney is starring in a controversial ad. Again. Is the controversy the point? Armadillos, the leathery mammals usually associated with hot weather and tumbleweeds, have slowly been moving northward. Now one’s turned up in … Ohio? THE LATEST NEWS Mail-in Ballots Two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented from the Supreme Court’s emergency ruling on mail-in ballots. A bipartisan coalition of elections officials cheered the ruling, noting that many states had already printed and sent out their ballots. State officials are now focused on restoring trust in mail voting. More on Elections The impeachment of Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general now running for the U.S. Senate, was the defining episode in his scandal-plagued career. How did he survive it? Go inside the trial. A whistle-blower said Homeland Security Department agents might have broken state laws in their hunt for noncitizen voters. Homeland Security is using open-source state voter registration websites to search for voter fraud. In the video below, our reporter Hamed Aleaziz explains how it works. Click to watch. The New York Times Artificial Intelligence Trump resisted calls to regulate A.I., writing on social media that it already has the only guardrail it needs: “a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT.” China’s top spy chief says A.I. is a threat to Communist Party rule. Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s chief executive, was giving a speech about A.I. at a conference when he got a call from Trump. Huang put the call on speaker. Palestinians Cisco likely failed to protect Muslim, Palestinian and pro-Palestinian employees from harassment, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found. A group of pro-Palestinian former student activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, sued Columbia University in federal court, accusing it of failing to protect them from harassment. The rapper Macklemore, a critic of the war in Gaza, has been dropped as an opening act from Ed Sheeran’s tour after he said “Free Palestine” onstage before performing a protest song at two concerts this month. “NAZA,” a documentary about the killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza, won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival. Now, Israel’s minister of culture wants its directors stripped of Israeli citizenship. Other Big Stories Sources: Global Energy Monitor (pipelines); Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute (Houthi-controlled areas). The New York Times Saudi Arabia is assessing how to respond without U.S. support to attacks from Iran and the Houthis. Iran and its allies are increasing their control over a second crucial waterway. Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding weekend in the Bahamas was secretly bankrolled by a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. See what he paid for. THE EMMY AWARDS Matthew Rhys Phil McCarten/Invision, via Associated Press The horror-comedy “Widow’s Bay” won 14 awards, including best comedy, on what was a big night for Apple TV. The company took home the most Emmys for the first time. Matthew Rhys, who was named best actor in a comedy for his role in “Widow’s Bay,” set a record as the first performer to win a lead acting Emmy in limited, comedy and drama series. Read our takeaways from the night. Bold colors and simple elegance stood out on the red carpet. Check out our favorite looks. OPINIONS Your dog is a genius. But not in the way you think, Frank Bruni writes. The national debt has been high for years, but now it’s become an urgent threat to the economy, Jared Bernstein writes. Introducing the Shows tab. A new place to find and follow podcasts in audio and video. Explore Shows in The Times app. MORNING READS Photography: A new exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York uses one F.B.I. agent’s life to explore the often absurd realities of the American security state. See the images. #MeToo: An heir to Thailand’s Singha beer empire accused his brother of sexual assault. It unleashed a public reckoning in the country. Bob Mackie, 1939-2026 The New York Times, Getty Images. Alamy, Associated Press Bob Mackie’s glittering, beaded and feathered creations adorned so many stars it’s impractical to list them all. But here are a few: He bedecked Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Bernadette Peters, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, RuPaul and, most memorably and enduringly, Cher. “He dressed every spangly woman in show business,” one biographer said. Mackie got his start in Hollywood, but he made his name in television, designing for the 1970s variety shows that delivered high-wattage stars and over-the-top, glamorous fashion to America’s living rooms. He died at 87. TODAY’S NUMBER $30,000 — That is how much money per year a family of five in the Bronx is living on right now. Their annual rent is almost $22,000. They try to keep their monthly grocery bill to between $400 and $500. Mobile phone bills run an additional $275 or so. “We get by, by the grace of God,” the father said. But there’s more to survival than divine intervention. See how the family budgets. SPORTS N.B.A.: The L.A. Clippers and the Toronto Raptors have officially completed the blockbuster trade involving Kawhi Leonard that was agreed to in June, league sources say. Women’s basketball: As we should have mentioned yesterday, Team U.S.A. won its fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s World Cup with a victory over France. RECIPE OF THE DAY Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Is Alexa Weibel’s terrific recipe for a chopped salad with jalapeño-ranch dressing my favorite in “Veg Everything,” the new cookbook from Tanya Sichynsky and my old colleagues at NYT Cooking? It is right now, but there are 100 others that could vie for the top spot — including the Indian-ish nachos Priya Krishna developed with her mom, a stellar coconut black bean soup from Melissa Clark and Ali Slagle’s luscious portobellos au poivre. The book’s on sale today, wherever you purchase your cookbooks. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Amanda Lucier for The New York Times Keep your balance even as age tries to take it from you. Practice, practice, practice. Read, watch or listen to Kai Cenat, the amiable Twitch streamer and pop-culture ambassador, as he talks with The Times’s “Popcast” team about his move into fashion. Light a tapered candle for me — or, more reasonably, light a brace of them for yourself and your dinner guests. The Dickensian table-setters at Wirecutter have found the very best ones. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was pageboy. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. If you’re not already a subscriber, would you consider becoming one today? Subscriptions make our work possible and allow it to continue. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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

Russians are still fleeing abroad, citing fears of a new mobilization and a loss of freedom A number of people have either left or are contemplating a move amid recent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia and persistent rumors of a coming mobilization of troops for the 4 1/2-year-old war. Read more. Why this matters: The attacks this summer caused an unprecedented fuel crisis and dealt crippling blows to the booming e-commerce sector. Since last year, the government has cited the attacks to justify harsh restrictions on connecting to the internet. The exodus is nowhere near as large as in 2022, when hundreds of thousands fled in the first year of the full-scale invasion. Still, a group that helps citizens who flee abroad said it received nearly eight times more queries last month than it had in May. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace after bloc warns strikes will drive support for Ukraine Zelenskyy says Ukraine will pause strikes on Russia if Kremlin spares critical infrastructure More than 500,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine, UK defense chief says WATCH: Meet a digital content marketer who left Russia

What the closure of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline could mean for oil flows A crucial Saudi oil pipeline that was struck in an attack will be mostly out of service for weeks as the damage is repaired, two regional officials said Monday. Analysts warn that the latest disruptions could bring even more pain for consumers. Read more. Why this matters: The pipeline was built in the 1980s amid fears that Tehran would disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq war. And for the first six months of the current war, it was crucial to getting some crude out of the Middle East by shipping it to the Red Sea rather than through Hormuz, where traffic remained at a standstill. Rystad Energy said Monday that an average 2.6 million to 4 million barrels of oil a day moved through the pipeline since late August — a volume it said is now at risk of “disappearing from the market.” Four million barrels per day is about 4% of the global oil supply, according to the International Energy Agency. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ As the last US troops pack up in Iraq, militias signal their weapons will stay US watchdog tallies Iran war’s hit to weapons stockpiles, military bases and more Fuel shortage in Yemen hampers migrants fleeing conflict and seeking safety in Djibouti

Supreme Court rejects Trump mail ballot restrictions ahead of midterms The Supreme Court on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s bid to restrict mail ballots for the midterm elections. It allows states to continue sending out mail ballots under the same processes they’ve used for years and have accounted for nearly a third of votes cast. Read more. Why this matters: The Supreme Court majority wrote that the administration’s push to implement the restrictions this year is likely to lose in court, though the brief emergency order didn’t detail its reasoning. Two justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, publicly dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, meanwhile, agreed that the restrictions should not go into effect for the midterms but indicated he might rule in favor of the Trump administration if the issue comes back before the court at a later time. The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but have in the past framed the restrictions as commonsense changes aimed at keeping elections secure. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Our full report Democrats and activist groups plan to push back if Trump tries to interfere in midterm elections EPA eliminates rule that limits planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants DHS voter probe may break state laws and wrongly implicate US citizens, whistleblower alleges Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark rate, defying Trump’s demands Ex-CIA Director John Brennan issued subpoena in Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ investigation, lawyer says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees were held in small metal cages, federal report says Texas landowners ask a court to stop Trump’s Big Bend wall plans Kennedy Center board to propose new options for honoring Trump as center confronts solvency worries Trump nominates wife of ‘God Bless the USA’ singer Lee Greenwood to serve as US ambassador Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebration was partially funded by Russian oligarch, the couple confirms McConnell returns to the Senate for the first time since his June hospitalization

The Fed is preparing to raise rates The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates this week for the first time since July 2023. But officials are increasingly concerned that multiple rate hikes may be needed to bring inflation down. Rising energy costs tied to the Iran war are a major factor, but the AI boom is also adding significant pressure. The rush to build data centers is driving up demand and prices for electricity, semiconductors and skilled workers. That leaves the Fed with the tricky task of cooling inflation without hurting the labor market. + Read more: The Fed is preparing to raise rates. What if it doesn’t work? + Analysis: The time Scott Bessent tried to outsmart the bond market + AI debate: Trump dismisses AI alarms as a ‘HOAX’ — worrying White House officials

The night’s biggest winners The horror comedy “Widow’s Bay” topped the night with six Emmys. The Apple TV series follows the residents of a small island town that is cursed by the supernatural. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters) Television’s biggest night delivered several history-making wins on Monday. Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay” capped a breakout debut with the Emmy for best comedy series, with Matthew Rhys also making history as the first man to win two lead actor categories in the same year. HBO Max’s “The Pitt” won the best drama series, the second year in a row the show has taken home the award. Its star, Noah Wyle, won lead actor, while Jean Smart extended her streak with a fifth consecutive win for her starring role in the comedy “Hacks.” The night also included a touching tribute to the late Dolly Parton, led by Sally Field and Reba McEntire. + Read more: See the full list of Emmy winners + Photo gallery: The best looks from the Emmys ‘red’ carpet + Video: Megan Stalter arrives dressed as an Emmy statuette

US military confirms it has deployed weapons in space The US has deployed weapons in space and will use them to defend American forces, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday. His comments marked the first public acknowledgment of such capabilities, though he offered no details about the weapons or when they were put into orbit. The disclosure comes as the US faces an advancing space arms race with China and Russia, which are testing sophisticated offensive capabilities. Specifically, American officials have said they are monitoring China’s development of a nuclear-capable partial-orbit hypersonic missile. US intelligence has also suggested Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon that could knock out satellites critical to weather forecasting, navigation, banking, shipping and emergency services — a claim Moscow denies. + Read more: US military confirms it has deployed weapons in space

Mail-in voting isn’t changing despite Trump’s push Mail-in ballots are prepared at the Wake County Board of Elections in Raleigh, North Carolina, on September 11, 2026. (Allison Joyce/Bloomberg/Getty Images) The Supreme Court late Monday handed President Donald Trump a major defeat in his quest to limit mail-in voting. A majority of the justices blocked the procedure that would have allowed the US Postal Service to withhold potentially millions of mail-in ballots. The court offered little explanation in its order but said the administration was unlikely to succeed in defending the new requirements, which Trump says are needed to curb voter fraud. With just 50 days until the midterms — and mail-in voting already underway in some states — lawmakers from both parties warned the changes could have thrown the election process into total disarray. Trump’s plan would have required states to share voter information with the Postal Service and add barcodes to ballot envelopes to track them, potentially upending the existing processes at the eleventh hour. Also worth noting: Trump has spent years railing against mail-in voting with false claims of widespread fraud, despite voting by mail himself. + Read more: Supreme Court rejects Trump’s plan to limit mail-in voting in midterms + Video: CNN’s Joan Biskupic breaks down the ruling + Analysis: Americans’ increased belief in voter fraud is a scary prospect in 2026

🍽️ 1 for the road: America's best tippers Data: Toast. Map: Sami Sparber/Axios Delaware, West Virginia and New Hampshire are home to America's top tippers, with diners leaving around 21% on average, according to new Toast data shared first with Axios' Sami Sparber. Why it matters: "Tip fatigue" is fueling a broader rethink of tipping culture, even as average tips haven't changed much over the past two years. 🧮 By the numbers: Nationwide, diners tipped roughly 19% on average across all restaurant types in Q2 2026. At the bottom: California, D.C. and Washington state, where averages run under 18%. Keep reading.

⛽ "Great Fuel Crisis" arrives Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered the fuel crisis that oil executives have been warning about for months, The Wall Street Journal reports. "Commercial fuel stocks around the world have been depleting for more than six months, and strategic crude reserves can't be tapped much further," the paper says. Today's national average gas price is $4.33 for a gallon of regular. Between the lines: 49 days before the midterms, it's hard to see a scenario where prices come down quickly. Keep reading (gift link).

The AI fear trade Data: Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Emily Peck/Axios Fear is splitting the AI trade: The same advances that are raising alarms about rogue agents, cyberattacks and apocalypse are creating a bull case for the companies paid to protect against those threats, Axios' Emily Peck writes. Calls for a slowdown in the advancement of the most sophisticated models pushed down stocks in sectors connected to the AI trade, like chip and memory companies. At the same time, stocks rose for cybersecurity companies. CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks — two of the industry's largest companies — were up yesterday roughly 14% and 13%, respectively.

🐂 State Department's Satan panic Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Finn Gomez/Getty Images The second-most powerful man at the State Department put the brakes on a U.S. international exhibit featuring a bull statue because he worried it might look like Baal, a devil some associate with satanic child sacrifice, Axios' Marc Caputo writes. Why it matters: The anecdote illustrates the quirky interests of Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, according to department critics, who say he spends too much time on social media focusing on the unimportant. 🔎 Zoom in: The issue revolves around an international exposition next year in Belgrade, Serbia, where the U.S. plans to feature a statue of a bucking bull at an exhibition celebrating the American West. On Aug. 19, at 4:15 p.m., Landau sent an email to staffers about it: "I remain somewhat concerned by the Golden Bull imagery! Did a quick internet search and don't want it to become a distraction. The golden calf from the Bible is often portrayed as a golden bull." Providing hyperlinked footnotes and images of golden bull worship, Landau explored the ancient history of Baal as well as the "Modern Cultural Comparisons." Behind the scenes: The email, which was forwarded to multiple officials, elicited eye rolls and snickers inside the State Department. The bull statue was put on hold as State officials spent the past few weeks debating how to make it both interesting and non-satanic. "It's just totally weird stuff and it's really indicative of the guy," a State Department official said. 💥 Friction point: Landau has had repeated internal dustups within the Trump administration, sources tell Axios. Keep reading.

🤖 Why a swift AI pause is unlikely Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios Most agree the AI industry needs oversight, Bradley Olson writes in his debut story as Axios' managing editor of AI and tech coverage. The critical barrier: Few really trust the industry or the safety advocates who come from inside the house. Why it matters: Factions in the Trump administration, business executives wary of competitive threats, and advocates for cheaper, more customizable "open" models fear that new regulatory hurdles will give frontier AI companies too much of a head start. 💡 Here are key factors shaping that distrust, which are poised to delay the kind of "all-hands-on-deck" response many wanted: Money: Anthropic stands alone in the history of capitalism. Its employees, up to the CEO, honestly believe its product is so dangerous that there's a chance it could destroy humanity. And yet, as soon as this week, it's expected to file for what many expect will be the biggest IPO of all time. Safety: For years, AI obsessives and technologists have spent vast sums financing research dedicated to AI safety. The problem is that many critics see some of that work as lacking in substance, too focused on the probability of end-of-the-world scenarios. Politics: Top administration officials — including David Sacks, former White House AI adviser and continuing Trump confidant — have repeatedly dismissed the push for regulation and oversight as an attempt at "regulatory capture." A slowdown brokered by the frontier labs could freeze their lead. Keep reading.

Trump's war on AI doomers Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images President Trump declared war on the AI safety panic yesterday, dismissing the industry's apocalyptic warnings as part of a "sick conspiracy" to sabotage America and his legacy, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Trump is rewriting a complex, yearslong debate over AI's dangers in the partisan grammar that has defined MAGA for a decade — hoaxes, conspiracies, traitors and, at the center of it all, one man. Yesterday marked a sharp escalation in the administration's long-standing opposition to AI regulation, as Trump recast the safety debate in starkly personal terms. Trump explicitly placed AI doomerism in the same bucket as the Russia investigation, climate change and his impeachments — the latest entry in a catalog of "hoaxes" that has also included the Epstein files and the affordability crisis. He turned his fire on the AI leaders urging restraint, questioning why CEOs would seek regulations that could cripple their own companies and arguing that any slowdown would squander America's lead over China. "The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT," Trump wrote in a barrage of pro-AI Truth Social posts, where he accused Democrats of stoking the panic. 👀 The intrigue: Trump's campaign against AI doomerism then spilled onto the stage of the "All In Summit" in Los Angeles, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took a call from the president in the middle of a live interview. Addressing thousands of tech executives, investors and founders on speakerphone, Trump dismissed fears of an AI takeover as a "hoax" and assured the crowd that "the robots will not be taking over." Via Truth Social Between the lines: Trump is grafting his own political grievances onto a counter-narrative already taking hold among his Silicon Valley allies: that the AI panic is manufactured. David Sacks, Trump's influential AI adviser and "All In" podcaster, has portrayed AI alarmism as the work of a well-funded "Doomer Industrial Complex" that includes former Biden officials. As the latest warnings exploded across social media last week, Sacks and his co-hosts suggested the backlash was a coordinated "psyop" tied to election season and the growing threat from open-source AI. Via X 🖼️ The big picture: Critics question how Trump, an 80-year-old populist, became such an evangelist for AI. The answer lies in an AI narrative almost perfectly calibrated to Trump's instincts: A race with China that America is currently winning. A historic buildout of data centers, chip fabs and power plants — physical monuments to investment and growth. Tech titans competing for his ear and influence. A booming stock market. A futuristic vision of American supremacy built on speed, scale and technological might. And now, a familiar foil: an elite "expert" class telling him no. The bottom line: Trump has been an AI accelerationist from the start. What's new is the degree to which he now sees the AI boom as his boom — and the safety revolt as an attempt to deny him his place in history. ps:What an obvious pathetic money grubber!!

THIS DAY IN HISTORY September 15 1978 Muhammad Ali wins world heavyweight championship Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1858 The first transcontinental mail service to San Francisco begins 1970s 1971 Greenpeace emerges from nuclear bomb protest 21st Century 2008 Lehman Brothers declares bankruptcy Arts & Entertainment 1954 Famous Marilyn Monroe skirt scene filmed 1890 Agatha Christie is born 1955 Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita” is published 1962 The Four Seasons earn their first No. 1 hit with “Sherry” Asian History 1950 U.S. forces land at Inchon Black History 1963 Four Black schoolgirls killed in Birmingham church bombing Civil War 1862 Confederates capture Harpers Ferry Cold War 1959 Khrushchev arrives in Washington Crime 1990 A Bible school instructor abducts a teenage girl Holocaust 1935 Nuremberg race laws imposed U.S. Presidents 1857 Future President William Taft born Vietnam War 1972 South Vietnamese forces retake Quang Tri City World War I 1914 First trenches are dug on the Western Front 1916 Tanks introduced into warfare at the Somme World War II 1940 Tide turns in the Battle of Britain 1944 Americans launch Operation Stalemate—at extraordinary cost

> More than 20 states and cities sue to block upcoming Homeland Security policy restricting green cards for some public benefit recipients (More) | Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections (More) > Protests erupt across Syria after government announces it will raise oil prices as much as 40% amid Iran war (More) > Russian billionaire close to President Vladimir Putin hosted two nights of wedding celebrations for Donald Trump Jr., report reveals (More) | Russian drone strikes Ukrainian civilian train to Warsaw, narrowly missing former foreign officials (More)

> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.6%) as leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic call for global slowdown of AI development (More) | Read previous write-up (More) > Ten-year Treasury yield reaches 5% for the first time since 2023, a critical threshold that could make it more expensive to take out loans for homes, cars, and more (More) | What's a yield? (More) > Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk rebrands as Novo, in an effort to make the company more recognizable as it competes with Eli Lilly to lead the GLP-1 market (More)

> Waymo launches public robotaxi service in Las Vegas, following successful launches in 14 other cities; riders are being invited on a rolling basis (More) | Track where robotaxis are operating (More) > Single brain implant enables people with paralysis to speak and convey upper-body gestures simultaneously via a virtual avatar (More, w/image) > Water scarcity will likely limit the size and longevity of future lunar settlements, according to new analysis; estimates suggest a city of 1 million people could only survive about a century, even with 98% water recycling efficiency (More)

> Fashion designer Bob Mackie, who dressed Cher, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, and more stars in sparkling ensembles, dies at age 87 (More) | Look back at his bedazzled creations (More, w/photos) > Rapper Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour after pro-Palestinian speech; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and others are reportedly refusing to let him perform at their stadiums (More) > US women's basketball wins fifth straight FIBA World Cup title with 97-79 victory over France (More) | See game highlights featuring Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, and more (More via YouTube)

Saudi Arabia Faces Militant Attacks Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen captured two islands in the Red Sea yesterday. The seizure of Greater and Lesser Hanish further compromised Saudi Arabia’s ability to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and deliver oil through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (see more, w/map). The kingdom and allied Gulf states postponed planned talks with Iran Sunday amid the uptick in attacks. Houthis say their recent strikes, including on a Saudi military base yesterday, are retaliation for hundreds of airstrikes by the kingdom. Separately, Saudi Arabia faces attacks from Iranian-backed militants in Iraq, forcing the kingdom to close its East-West Pipeline for weeks amid repairs (see satellite images). The roughly 750-mile-long pipeline reroutes 4% of global oil to the Red Sea, feeding shipments to the Bab el-Mandeb. President Donald Trump reportedly rejected Saudi calls last week to participate in Saudi airstrikes against the Houthis. The dayslong uptick in fighting has reportedly killed more than 500 people and displaced nearly 94,000 others, threatening a return to pre-2022 levels of violence (see history).

The first roller coaster was used to transport coal down a hill. After people found that it could reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour, tourists asked to ride on it for a few cents. James

⛰️ Parting shot! Photo: Daniel J. Schmidt Reader Daniel J. Schmidt of Glenview, Ill., captured this scene after a storm in Keystone, Colo. Look closely, and you'll see it's a double rainbow.

GOP chilly on checks Data: OMB; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Senate Republicans are doubtful — and, in some cases, dismissive — of Trump's proposal to give Americans $5,000 checks if Republicans keep control of Congress. Why it matters: Trump's proposal isn't dead on arrival. But Republicans aren't exactly lining up behind it either. ⚖️ "I am withholding judgment on the bill until I see their list of pay-fors," Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. "I don't support going and borrowing $1.2 trillion to be able to write the checks." 👀 "I would need to see details on it," Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said he wasn't sure about the mechanics of the proposal but that he's "also worrying about $40 trillion in debt." "You know, there's no specific proposal out there," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said. "And obviously, however that were to come together, Congress would have a big role in determining." 🔎 Zoom in: There are two massive unknowns about the "Trump Dividend" the president promised in Dallas last week: eligibility and price tag. Vice President Vance has suggested that wealthy Americans wouldn't receive the payment. If every "every adult citizen in the United States" were eligible, as Trump suggested, it could cost some $1.3 trillion. That would be more than three times what the U.S. collects annually from tariffs and other customs duties and fees. 🤔 The intrigue: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who frequently defers to Trump, said yesterday that Congress would have to approve the payments. Asked in NBC's "Meet the Press" if he'd commit that the checks will be sent, Johnson said, "I commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that like they have to do everything else." Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) told us: "Well, if it happens, I'm recommending to people that they put it away in order to pay for the additional inflation. We will see." — Hans Nichols, Stef W. Kight and Erin Davis

🤖 Thune's AI push Majority Leader John Thune is asserting Congress' prerogative to act on AI — but he's urging a "light touch" even in the face of "consequential risks." Why it matters: On his first day back after a five-week break, Thune (R-S.D.) outlined his vision for congressional action on an issue President Trump has dismissed as a "hoax." 👉 "Congress has a job to do," Thune said. "I think there are some potential consequential risks associated with AI," Thune told reporters when asked if he believes AI poses an existential threat to humanity. He added, "Guardrails there make sense to me" about cutting-edge, frontier AI models. 🚨 But Thune also said that "there are always people who are creating a worst-case-scenario-type conversation out there." 🚗 Driving the news: An AI panic is rippling through Congress, but mostly on the Democratic side, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) calling to "slow down the pace of development" of AI to avoid a potentially catastrophic outcome. Publicly, Trump is professing not to be concerned and insists that he should have the sole authority to regulate AI. "The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades," he posted on his Truth Social account this morning. 🌎 Zoom out: Republicans aren't questioning Trump's ability to lead the country's approach to AI regulation, but they are suggesting that Congress has a role to play. And they aren't ruling out legislation. "So we may need to do something," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said. "But there are existing guardrails, and corporate responsibility is a big part of this." Zoom in: Thune said he spoke with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Saturday night about their AI bill, which would force companies creating frontier AI models to guard against catastrophic risks and submit to federal oversight. Thune said he has been working with Commerce chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to reintroduce the bill "hopefully soon." House GOP leaders, meanwhile, have given no indication they plan to keep the chamber in session after this week to work on AI-related legislation. "I don't know that staying in more weeks in September is going to be the catalyst for that," Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), the lead Republican on the FRONTIER Act, told us. Between the lines: Before this weekend, much of the AI debate in Washington — and in Senate races — was focused on data centers and the amount of electricity they consume. 🗳️ Republicans, as well as the White House, are eager to convince voters that they won't face higher utility bills caused by data centers and their need for megawatts. Thune left open the possibility of the Senate voting on a version of the House's Ratepayer Protection Act, which is aimed at ensuring communities are not forced to pay more for increased energy use by data centers. The House is expected to vote on the bill tomorrow. The bottom line: Thune is signaling he's open to some regulation that wouldn't stifle innovation. "I think you also want to make sure that the more advanced threats can be mitigated," he told reporters. 👟 "I do think we are in a race with China, and I think there's huge upside, obviously, with AI as well." — Stef W. Kight, Hans Nichols and Kate Santaliz