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In this episode Big James asked about a prophecy found in Zechariah. He quotes Zechariah 14:16 which predicts that someday Israel's enemies, like the Assyrians and Romans, will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with them. He wonders how that would be possible. Jesus answers that something would have to change. Adventists view the Feast of Tabernacles as a type, which was a shadow of an antitype. The antitype in this case is the final judgement of the world. People from all nations will be among the saved. The writers of The Chosen were correct about something that has to change. Our hearts must change and that is as big of a miracle, if not bigger, than healing the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. People that were enemies will be gathered together and taken to heaven. Can you think of any enemies in your life? Perhaps a divorced spouse? A boss that fired you? An employee that stole from you? A gossip at church that lied about you? Can you imagine apologizing to them for things you did wrong even if they did were worse? That is the kind of miracle this prophecy is predicting. Former enemies will be reconciled.

Corruption consensus Data: Gallup. Chart: Avery Lotz/Axios Americans' perceptions of government corruption have hit a two-decade high during President Trump's second term, Axios' Josephine Walker reports from a new Gallup survey. 🌀 Why it matters: The data underscores how deeply Americans' confidence in the federal government has eroded. By the numbers: 89% of U.S. adults say government corruption is widespread, Gallup found. That's up 10 points from last year and a jump from the 72%–79% range between 2010 and 2025. Democrats are driving most of the rise, jumping to 91% this year after sitting at 76% during the first year of Trump's second term — when he reported some $2.2 billion in gains. 🌎 Americans are outliers among citizens in other developed nations: Among OECD member countries, the median level of perceived government corruption has fallen from 69% in 2009 to below 60% since 2022. For the first time, the U.S. tops perceived corruption ratings among OECD countries. Since 2023, just four other countries that Gallup has surveyed have scored higher than the U.S.: Lebanon, Peru, Ghana and Nigeria. Go deeper.

Wages are lower in “right-to-work” states These states have lower unionization rates and more anti-worker policies https://www.epi.org/publication/wages-are-lower-in-right-to-work-states-these-states-have-lower-unionization-rates-and-more-anti-worker-policies/? Everything you need to know about anti-union “right-to-work” laws Worker interest in unions is at historic highs, and nearly 70% of the public approves of unions. Yet most of the 56 million workers who say they want a union contract can’t get one because of weak federal labor law and the spread of state anti-union “right-to-work” (RTW) laws. Suppression of union membership has in turn lowered workers’ wages and benefits while inequality has skyrocketed. This FAQ examines the meaning, origins, and impact of anti-union RTW laws, and the importance of restoring workers’ collective bargaining power by removing RTW laws and other obstacles to unionization. https://www.epi.org/publication/everything-you-need-to-know-about-anti-union-right-to-work-laws/?

SNAP cuts could lead to kids losing free school breakfast and lunch Cuts to the nation’s largest food assistance program will likely spill over into schools, causing students to lose access to free breakfast and lunch. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/02/repub/snap-cuts-could-lead-to-kids-losing-free-school-breakfast-and-lunch/?

Iran fires on Gulf neighbors after US military strikes Iranian military targets Iran launched fresh attacks on U.S. allies in the Gulf early Wednesday. An Iranian drone attack sparked a blaze in Kuwait City, while Bahrain intercepted incoming drones. The attacks followed a night of American bombardment that included a deadly strike on a wedding party. Read more. What to know: The latest violence has ended a monthlong lull in fighting between the U.S. and Iran and raised new questions about how to end a war that has led to a spike in oil prices, roiled the global economy and is posing increasing political problems for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Republican Party ahead of November midterm elections. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Sirens sound in Kuwait City as tension escalates The USS Abraham Lincoln docks near Thai beach city of Pattaya after its Middle East deployment Justice Department seizes more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency donations for Hamas

Postal Service work to comply with Trump’s executive order is rushed and sloppy, a whistleblower contends The U.S. Postal Service is poised to launch a hastily built, error-riddled computer system that could jeopardize the process of mail voting relied upon by one-third of all voters, according to a whistleblower statement released Tuesday by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Read more. Why this matters: The effort is part of the implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting and has been temporarily halted by a federal judge. The ruling is being appealed by the administration and the directive may ultimately end up back before the U.S. Supreme Court. The disclosure from the unidentified whistleblower contends that the Postal Service has been scrambling to try to build a complex system that would normally take a year or more in only three months, sometimes in defiance of the judge’s orders halting work. The goal is to have it ready for use in the midterm elections. The disclosure contends that, due to the new procedures, a single scanning error in a batch of tens of thousands of ballot envelopes could prevent any from reaching voters. The Postal Service released a statement Tuesday evening in response to Blumenthal’s letter, pledging to work with Congress and the courts. It noted that the judge who issued the latest restraining order explicitly allowed the service to continue to develop its online tool for states that want to use it voluntarily. “Regardless of political party or perspective, we share a common goal: ensuring that Americans can have confidence that their election mail will be handled securely and delivered reliably,” the Postal Service said. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Sen. Ed Markey, 80, wins Mass. Democratic primary over opponent who called for generational change Tuesday's full primary election results Macho, macho men? Democrats talk masculinity on campaign trail after years of Trump’s bravado House passes short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election

Not enough money, people or paper President Trump’s proposed changes to mail ballot rules are hitting another hurdle, with election officials saying it’s too late to even try to comply with the proposed rules before the November midterm elections. The administration wants redesigned ballot envelopes with more comprehensive tracking barcodes and states to submit voter information through a new federal system. But officials say there isn’t enough time to print millions of new envelopes, train workers or make the other changes required within the next two months — even if states can find the millions of dollars they expect compliance to cost. For now, election officials say they’re preparing for the midterms as usual and telling voters they can expect to vote by mail as they have in the past. + Read more: Election officials say they can’t comply with Trump’s proposed mail ballot rules + Analysis: The light is blinking red on Trump messing with the 2026 election + USAFacts: How many voters cast ballots early and by mail? Editor’s note: CNN has partnered with the not-for-profit USAFacts to share government data and insights that we believe are relevant to our audience.

ICE aims to equip all agents with body cameras ICE agents in Newark, New Jersey, on May 28, 2026. (Ryan Murphy/Reuters) Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the field are expected to have body cameras by the end of September, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at a news conference on Tuesday. The use of body cameras has largely garnered bipartisan agreement, particularly amid a series of recent aggressive and sometimes deadly confrontations between federal agents and members of the public. A CNN investigation earlier this year found that ICE agents were using personal cellphone cameras in unconventional ways during tense encounters, including for facial recognition and to document their actions, often in place of body cameras. The practice raised questions about privacy, accountability and how footage of the encounters is handled. + Read more: ICE plans body cameras for all agents by month’s end + Video: How ICE agents use their cellphones in the field

4,500+ missing amid ongoing search efforts International aid agencies are racing to find survivors after floodwaters overwhelmed the border region between Nepal and China last week. More than 1,100 people have been killed, and some 4,500 remain unaccounted for across both countries, according to officials. The UN estimates the flooding left behind more than 2.4 million tons of debris, severely complicating rescue and recovery efforts. Meanwhile, a new report says the glacier collapse that triggered the devastating floods showed visible signs of instability days before the disaster. It suggests more comprehensive early warning systems downstream could have saved a “significant number of lives.” + Latest: Warning signs were visible ahead of Nepal-China floods, report says + Video: CNN joins Nepali police forces on the arduous search for flood victims

Americans hate ‘Lake America’ A person photographs boats on Lake Ontario from the Canadian shoreline in Grimsby, Ontario. (Keito Newman/The Canadian Press/AP) President Donald Trump’s new trade war with Canada and his push to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” are proving to be deeply unpopular among Americans. A Reuters-Ipsos poll conducted in recent days found that nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose Trump’s executive order to rename the lake: 63% are opposed and just 14% are in favor, with the rest undecided. The poll also shows Americans oppose Trump’s new tariffs on Canada nearly 3-to-1, or 57% to 20%. Despite Trump blaming Canada for the escalation, significantly more Americans say the US is more responsible for the dispute. Republicans seem to want Trump to take a softer approach too, while strong backing for his position remains in the single digits among GOP voters. Put simply, there appears to be little appetite for a fight with our neighbor to the north. But none of that appears to be changing Trump’s calculus. He’s pressing ahead, with or without the public behind him. + More analysis: Americans hate ‘Lake America’ + Plus: MapQuest is No. 1 on the App Store after refusing to change Lake Ontario’s name + Rhetoric heats up: White House social media post shows bald eagle pinning down Canada goose

September 2, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The United States carried out a new wave of attacks against Iran, and officials there said civilians had been killed at a wedding. There’s more news below. I’m going to start, though, with the bond market. The Department of the Treasury in Washington. Eric Lee for The New York Times Word is bond Global bond yields are rising sharply. Um, what does that mean? We’re talking bonds today? Isn’t this a general-interest newsletter? Stick with me. Investors are anxious about inflation and the amount of money governments have borrowed. So the institutions and funds that buy bonds — basically, loans you give the government — are demanding a higher return, a higher yield, to compensate them for that risk. Yesterday, the higher yields lifted borrowing costs in some of the world’s biggest economies to the highest levels in decades. You’re going to feel that in the coming months. The bond market underpins the economy. In some ways, it is the economy. Your mortgage rate is tied to the yield on government bonds. So’s your car loan, your retirement plan, the new factory a company wants to build. “There is almost nothing financial they do not touch,” Ezra Klein said about Treasury bonds a few days ago on his Times podcast. Governments get jittery when bond yields rise, as we’ve seen in the Trump administration. It suggests lenders are becoming more reluctant to lend the government money. Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, has tried to reassure investors that the nation’s fiscal health means bond holders will still make money from those investments. They don’t always believe. The New York Times A moneymaker But wait. I’d have thought getting a better return on a bond was the whole purpose of investment. Wouldn’t a higher yield be good? Ben Casselman, the chief economics correspondent for The Times, laughed when I asked him that yesterday. “I get it,” he said. “It’s counterintuitive.” Then he escorted me to a conference room, sat me down like a grade schooler and started to talk. I took notes: When a government needs to raise money that it hasn’t raised in taxes, it sells bonds. At the most basic level: I give the government $1,000 for a fixed period of time, and in return they give me a fixed rate of interest. They pay that interest regularly over the course of the period — say, 10 years — and at its end give me my $1,000 back. What’s cool is, I can sell my bond to you, and you get the interest payments for however much time is left on the bond. The market for that is enormous — over a trillion dollars in Treasury bonds are exchanged every day. It’s the most risk-free financial instrument that exists. And every loan that gets made in the economy is benchmarked off its yield. As for why those yields are rising, he said, the simplest explanation is: inflation. Take Ben’s example. If you think inflation during that 10-year period is going to be at 4 percent instead of 2 percent, then you’re going to want a higher yield, because at the end of 10 years your $1,000 is going to be worth less than when you started — and the whole point was to make money on the deal. So here’s the cycle, he said. The government sells bonds to pay its bills. It makes debt payments on them — more than it spends on the military, currently — and then issues more bonds to make those payments. Rinse and repeat. To break this dependence, we either reduce deficits or expand the economy. And watch out for inflation along the way! No wonder folks are nervous. Your money My colleagues Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard write about personal finance. They took on the question of what havoc in the bond market means for those of us sitting at home, worried about our investment and retirement portfolios. There’s a reason people own bonds, they write: “Bonds have had lower returns than stocks over time, but they also lack the volatility of stocks.” How do we know what bonds we have and what’s happening with them now? Look at the paperwork. “Let’s say you put money away for retirement in a target-date fund, an investment vehicle that is named for the year you hope to stop working,” they write. “Those funds have a mix of stock, bond and sometimes other funds.” You can look online and see how they’re doing. If you’re in the Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 Fund, for instance, you’re still up for the year. But if a financial adviser has purchased bonds for you, Ron and Tara counsel, then “ask for an accounting and an explanation of the strategy.” Yikes. That sounds stressful. I’m glad my wife does that job. MORNING READS Haruka Sakaguchi for The New York Times We’ve made these links free for you. ‘Medical kidnapping’: A mom rejected doctors’ recommendations to treat her son’s cancer. Can she do that? Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about a half-price luxury electric car. Lives Lived: Juan Tamariz was a zany magician whose exuberance and eccentricity were as much a part of his act as his tricks. He died at 83. THE LATEST NEWS Diplomacy At the Group of 20 meeting, the U.S. Treasury secretary urged countries to be more like America. Its allies were not always receptive, with Canadians and Europeans criticizing the administration. China and the U.S. also clashed, underscoring a major rift between the world’s two largest economies. Climate Change Extinguishing a fire in Indonesia. Wahyudi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The world has failed in its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times, the United Nations said — the target set in the Paris Agreement. The planet is expected to warm 2.6 degrees Celsius, or 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit, by the end of the century. The damage from global warming is now felt in intensifying heat, drought, floods and fire. Nepal blamed climate change for recent flooding, which it estimates will cost about $5 billion — a tenth of the nation’s entire economy. Politics Mel Musto for The New York Times Senator Ed Markey, the 80-year-old progressive Massachusetts Democrat, soundly defeated a younger challenger who had tried to make the primary a referendum on Markey’s age. A whistle-blower said a “secretive, rushed” effort inside the Postal Service sought to carry out Trump’s plan to restrict mail-in voting, in defiance of court orders. The House passed a bill to avert a government shutdown. Both parties were eager to punt a messy spending fight until after the midterms. Russia A Ukrainian cargo plane at a German airport. John MacDougall/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The German government says Russia was behind an explosive-laden drone found at the Leipzig airport last month. In response, Germany will close a Russian consulate and restrict Russians’ travel to the country. At a summit, Vladimir Putin pledged to continue his escalating war against Ukraine and to support Iran in its conflict with the United States. The first day of school for many children in Ukraine meant going underground. See inside their schools. Other Big Stories Deer on Catalina Island in 2023. Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times A conservancy that owns the bulk of Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, will try to kill nearly all of the island’s 2,000 deer. Jurors were deadlocked in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts woman charged with killing her three children. The judge ordered them to keep deliberating. Read more about the case. A Utah judge allowed a murder case against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk to proceed to trial and said prosecutors could seek the death penalty. Scientists hunting for dark matter found something strange and potentially groundbreaking: a subatomic signal that doesn’t fit the profile of any other known particle. New York City’s public school district, the largest in the country, will ban the use of A.I. in elementary and middle schools. After a jury convicted a man of orchestrating the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur, some in the rapper’s family said they still lacked closure. “My appetite for justice has not been fed,” Shakur’s father told The Times. ASK THE MORNING What is the difference between the agenda of the Democratic Socialists and the agenda of the Democratic Party? | Marilyn McIntyre | Huntley, Illinois The Democratic Socialists of America (D.S.A.) is an activist organization, not a political party, so its members typically run as Democrats. This has prompted confusion about the two groups. Many mainstream Democrats and D.S.A. members want to move in the same economic direction — raising taxes on wealthy Americans, increasing the minimum wage and expanding health care access. But while most Democrats consider themselves capitalists, D.S.A. members envision ultimately accomplishing those goals by establishing public ownership of the largest corporations. The D.S.A. agenda is also further to the left than most Democrats on social and foreign policy issues. It includes policies like ending all aid to Israel, closing overseas military bases and fully abolishing the police and prison systems. — Lisa Lerer, national politics correspondent OPINIONS The Met should not have canceled its John Galliano exhibition, Robin Givhan argues. “Museums help society undertake painful conversations,” she writes. Instead, it should have canceled the Met Gala — a tribute to excess. “Shock jock” tactics work for Republicans but likely not Democrats, Michelle Goldberg writes. That’s why the Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed should distance himself from Hasan Piker. Get access to five locked games. Save 75% on your first year of a New York Times Games subscription. Get full access to Wordle, Spelling Bee, Crossplay, the Crossword and more. TODAY’S NUMBER Karl-Anthony Towns with Aaron Judge before a game at Yankee Stadium in 2023. New York Yankees/Getty Images $900,000 — That is how much Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks paid for a baseball card featuring Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. It’s not the only valuable card in K.A.T.’s vault. AT THE U.S. OPEN Naomi Osaka The New York Times The fashion: Naomi Osaka won her first-round match. She also tested the boundaries of on-court fashion, with a homage to the Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson. The food: Does anyone watch the tennis anymore? The scene at the U.S. Open this year is trending more toward food festival than sports tournament. “I’ve seen all these places on TikTok, and I’ve been wanting to try them,” one fan told The Times. On her list were a frozen Honey Deuce cocktail and chicken nuggets from Coqodaq. She opted for the six-piece set for $28, without caviar. More on sports: Arte Moreno has agreed to sell the Los Angeles Angels for a record-setting valuation of $4 billion to the owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Arsenal and other teams. RECIPE OF THE DAY Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Christian Reynoso’s recipe for rotisserie chicken tostadas delivers a perfect weeknight fast-casual meal. I might scatter some queso fresco over the top, and drizzle everything with a tomatillo hot sauce, to make the dish a nod to enchiladas suizas, prepared in a fraction of the time. But just a nod. Here, it’s the crunch of the tostadas that matters, against the soft, lime- and cumin-scented shredded chicken. OUT OF THE POOL For 25 years, the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim has been an outpost of unhinged, adult-oriented animated mayhem. Maya Phillips, one of our culture critics, lays out six essential series that have run on the channel. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Benjamin Rasmussen for The New York Times Be a little more like the cellist Yo-Yo Ma. “If we had nine or 10 Yo-Yos, the world would look different,” the pianist Emanuel Ax told The Times. Here’s why. Wear suede sneakers this fall, as I do most every day all year. T Magazine has 10 pairs for 10 budgets. (Mine are, naturally, the cheapest.) GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was tailwind. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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

THIS DAY IN HISTORY September 2 1945 Japan surrenders, bringing an end to WWII Japan formally surrenders to the Allies aboard the USS Missouri, bringing World War II to a close. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1885 Chinese miners are massacred in Wyoming Territory Ancient Rome 31 B.C. The Battle of Actium Arts & Entertainment 1995 Michael Jackson earns his final No. 1 song with “You Are Not Alone” Civil War 1862 Union General George B. McClellan is restored to full command Early U.S. 1789 Congress founds U.S. Treasury European History 1666 Great Fire of London begins Inventions & Science 1969 First U.S. ATM opens for business Sports 2013 Diana Nyad, 64, makes record swim from Cuba to Florida U.S. Presidents 1944 Navy aviator George H.W. Bush and his squadron attacked Vietnam War 1969 Vietnamese president and communist icon Ho Chi Minh dies World War II 1945 Vietnam declares its independence from France

🎓 1 for the road: Campus robot wars Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Stock: Getty Images A new cohort of fresh-faced delivery robots is arriving on college campuses this fall after the leading incumbent left the market, Axios Future of Mobility author Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: College students are a surprisingly good test audience for delivery robots. They're hungry at weird hours, impatient, tech-friendly — and live in a compact environment where walking 15 minutes for dinner can feel like an intolerable burden. Starship Technologies, which pioneered college robot delivery, announced in May it was shifting its U.S. focus to more lucrative grocery deliveries. Universities accustomed to the roving robots moved swiftly to recruit replacements. Avride operated robots on four campuses last year. Now it's adding 21 that were previously served by Starship. Robot.com just signed a seven-year agreement with food service company Sodexo. Keep reading.

⚖️ Death penalty resurgence Data: Death Penalty Information Center. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals Florida yesterday executed its 14th prisoner this year, adding to a post-COVID surge in capital punishment that drove more executions last year than any year since 2009, Axios' Avery Lotz writes. Even as fewer courts sentence defendants to death and more than half of the states have banned or at least temporarily halted the practice, the Trump administration has overtly cheered on the death penalty. By the numbers: 47 people were executed last year, 19 in Florida. 24 people have been executed this year, with 10 more scheduled. Keep reading.

🏛️ Rogue Dems face push for punishment Two centrist House Democrats who voted to help Republicans get a procedural motion across the finish line now face possible punishment from party leaders who say they were blindsided by the move, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. Why it matters: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is taking an uncharacteristically aggressive public approach to the defections, to the delight of some of his members. Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) voted with Republicans to pass a "rule" — a procedural measure that sets the terms for House debate on a package of bills. Go deeper. Axios' Kate Santaliz, who broke the story on Rep. Chuck Edwards' conduct toward female staffers, writes: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) was censured by the House yesterday after the Ethics Committee found he failed "to adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers." The vote amounts to a remarkable bipartisan rebuke, with the GOP leadership team and the vast majority of Edwards' own party joining Democrats to impose one of the House's most serious punishments. The Ethics Committee's findings follow Axios reporting that Edwards singled out two young female staffers in their 20s for special attention that multiple sources described as inappropriate. Edwards and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) were the only GOP "no" votes on the censure resolution, which passed 413-2. Keep reading ...

💥 "Tanker for tanker" strikes begin Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images The U.S. military attacked two Iranian government tankers as part of yesterday's round of strikes, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. military has struck Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz — rather than to prevent them from violating the naval blockade. A U.S. official said the move was part of a new "tanker for tanker" policy approved by President Trump to further deter Iranian attacks on tankers that move through the strait. Keep reading.

🕺 AI's tricky safety dance Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios OpenAI and Anthropic are trying to strike a delicate balance: convincing Wall Street that their businesses are sound and fast-growing, while assuring governments and the world that their models don't pose unacceptable risks, Axios' Ina Fried writes. Why it matters: Both companies are aiming for potentially record-breaking initial public offerings soon. OpenAI announced yesterday it will soon release its Astra model broadly. But the company said the model has reached a "critical" level of cybersecurity capabilities, meaning its most powerful cyber features will be initially limited to a small group of trusted testers. Anthropic debuted updated versions of its latest Fable and Mythos models. The changes are designed to address major complaints about their initial release, including cost, data sharing and a tendency to reject legitimate requests. 🔬 The intrigue: Anthropic is striking a commercially friendly note with its release. OpenAI is sounding more sober on the safety front. In addition to limiting the release of Astra, OpenAI's head of strategic futures, Dean Ball, penned an essay saying the Hugging Face breach is likely only the beginning of AI systems escaping human containment measures. "They will pay their own bills for the compute they run on," he predicted. "If they answer to humans at all, they will only do so partially, for example by providing services to humans in exchange for pay."

🤖 AI tensions surface at summit Axios' Maria Curi writes from the G20 innovation summit in Chapel Hill, N.C.: Trump administration officials came to this week's innovation summit to project a united front on U.S. AI leadership. But tensions between the Commerce Department and the White House's tech policy shop are playing out behind the scenes. Why it matters: The Trump administration wants the world to follow its lead on AI policy, even as it grapples with divisions at home. The two-day G20 Innovation Ministerial, which culminates today, features some of the tech industry's heaviest hitters and officials from the world's most powerful countries. Officials and executives pitched the U.S. as a model for other countries on AI, contrasting its lighter regulatory approach with the European Union's heavier hand. 🔭 Between the lines: The Commerce Department and OSTP are jockeying for control over the administration's AI policy agenda as key regulatory decisions remain unsettled. Commerce holds many of the administration's most important AI policy levers, including the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Center for AI Standards and Innovation. Keep reading.

Axios interview: Lutnick's summit flex CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who'll preside over a parade of tech tycoons at today's G20 innovation summit, tells me he's confident the U.S. will stay ahead of China in the AI race by continuing to define the frontier. "It's teacher-student," Lutnick said yesterday in a sunny conference room at the Carolina Inn, between meetings with Chinese and Turkish officials. China's open-weight models, he told me, "study off of the large language models of America. ... The teacher is the smartest person in the world, and relentlessly pushing to the frontier." Why it matters: Lutnick, a late-night confidant of President Trump, will use today's G20 Innovation Ministerial to project American brio on the world stage, at a time when China sees openings to best the U.S. and Silicon Valley faces an escalating populist revolt. When I asked Lutnick if he sees the administration taking a heavier hand in regulating AI releases, imports and exports, he said instantly: "No, the opposite." He sees the temporary June controls on Anthropic's most powerful models as a one-off, with the takeaway that models should be allowed to compete if they're guardrailed "reasonably." "I think it's going, actually, well," he said of the administration's current approach. 🎤 Nevertheless, the White House showed it's willing to intervene aggressively. So when Lutnick asked some of the world's most powerful tech moguls to appear with him today for fireside chats, he got a hearty response. Lutnick will open with a breakfast conversation with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, then interview Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (lunch) and Palantir CEO Alex Karp.

Hegseth's Pentagon storm Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Getty Images The Pentagon has entered a period of profound institutional turmoil, as a crisis of leadership at home converges with a crisis of capacity abroad, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Six months into the Iran war, Pete Hegseth presides over a Pentagon with fewer senior leaders, fewer critical weapons and less public accountability than at any point in President Trump's two terms. 🔎 Zoom in: The most striking departure yet came Monday with the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll — Vice President Vance's close friend and Yale Law classmate, once viewed as a potential successor to Hegseth himself. Driscoll, a rising star tapped by Trump for sensitive diplomacy in Ukraine, is stepping down after months of clashes with Hegseth over the Army's leadership and modernization. Driscoll's exit, following Hegseth's firing of Army chief Gen. Randy George last spring, leaves the service without Senate-confirmed civilian or uniformed leadership in the midst of the Iran war. 🔭 Zoom out: Hegseth has fired or forced out senior officers across nearly every service, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Navy's top admiral and the Army chief of staff. The Washington Post counts more than two dozen top officers dismissed under Hegseth, who has remade nearly the entire Joint Chiefs. Only the Marine Corps and Space Force chiefs Hegseth inherited are still serving. The New York Times reports that Hegseth has personally removed at least 45 officers from promotion lists this year — an extraordinary intervention in a system traditionally insulated from political leadership. NBC News reported yesterday that Hegseth has blocked more promotions in recent weeks, including more than a dozen Black, Hispanic or female officers across the services. 👀 Between the lines: The cumulative effect is a thinner senior command at the precise moment the Iran war is testing the limits of what the U.S. military can sustain. The WashPost reports that the commanders overseeing Europe, the Pacific and Latin America — along with the replacement top admiral — formally objected to extending forces for the Iran war. They warned that prolonged deployments are degrading their ability to confront threats elsewhere. Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of Naval Operations, told Hegseth that barely one-quarter of U.S. destroyers are ready to deploy, according to the Post. The only dedicated Pacific carrier has also been diverted to the Middle East. The war has consumed 65% of the U.S. Patriot interceptor inventory, squeezing supplies for NATO and forcing the Pentagon to preserve weapons that would also be critical in a war with China. (AP)

> US launches new round of strikes against Iran, with President Donald Trump accusing Iran of planting more sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz; Jordan says it intercepted 10 ballistic missiles as of this writing (More) | See war updates (More) > Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) heads off primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton (D, MA-6) (More) | House votes 370-48 to pass bill extending funding by three months in effort to avoid federal government shutdown Oct. 1; the bill already passed the Senate and heads to President Donald Trump's desk for signature (More) > Judge orders jurors deadlocked in Lindsay Clancy case to return to deliberations (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.7%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -1.0%) as rising bond yields and oil prices weigh on stocks (More) | Why do bond yields matter? (More, w/video) | ... and why global bond yields are rising to multiyear highs (More) > Camera maker GoPro to merge with Starman Optical in $285M deal, expanding into AI, defense, and aerospace; GoPro shares jump 40% on the news (More) | GoPro's unlikely surfing origins (More) > Shein shares drop 9% after the Chinese e-commerce giant debuts on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (More) | Dell shares rise 8% in after-hours trading after reporting better-than-expected earnings, fueled by demand for AI servers (More)

Definitely what God wanted.

> Waymo expands its autonomous vehicle services to San Diego, Denver, and Tampa, Florida; Amazon plans to test its Zoox robotaxi in Houston and San Diego with human supervisors (More) | How do self-driving cars navigate? (More, w/video) > New map of the brain region responsible for movement control, decision-making, and habit-forming could lead to more efficient drugs for Huntington’s disease, addiction, schizophrenia, and other disorders (More) > Reheating clay pottery can offer researchers a new way to identify counterfeits; the approach reveals a time stamp left behind by Earth’s magnetic field when a piece was originally fired (More)

> Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke announces he will purchase the Los Angeles Angels, reportedly at a record $4B valuation; deal is expected to close early next year. > Federal judge dismisses harassment and discrimination lawsuit against Lizzo’s production company from her former wardrobe stylist (More) | Miley Cyrus changes stage name to “Miley” ahead of 10th studio album (More) > Jonathan Bailey drops out of West End production of "Sunday in the Park with George" weeks after his "Wicked" costar Ariana Grande also dropped out (More)