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Spending money on others results in more happiness than spending it on yourself. If anyone wants to test out this theory on me 😃 James

Dark Horse (Camilo Freedman / Bloomberg / Getty)   View in browser The crypto industry has always moved in cycles: booms and busts; bull markets and harsh, unforgiving “winters.” We’re in something of a lull right now: Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, is worth about two-thirds of what it was last fall. Meanwhile, investors are turning their attention to flashier innovations in artificial intelligence. About half of Americans now use AI chatbots, whereas just about a fifth of the country has ever used or invested in crypto. But the crypto industry isn’t dead—as of today, the combined value of all digital currencies is still more than $2.7 trillion—and neither are its political ambitions. Crypto companies have so far put $206 million toward this year’s midterm elections, more than any other corporate sector, including the AI industry, according to a Public Citizen analysis of OpenSecrets and Federal Election Commission data. Fairshake, the industry’s foremost super PAC, has a giant war chest and a reputation for backing winners from both parties (Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has reportedly warned of the risks of crossing it). Crypto is much further from the spotlight now than it was during its 2024 election-spending spree; back then, the industry was flush with cash, but its reputation was still recovering from the crash of two years prior and from the spectacle of Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial. Even as Americans continue to distrust crypto, they’re now reserving their outrage for other corners of the tech industry, such as data centers and surveillance cameras. Although crypto is no longer as central to the public conversation, it’s still finding ways to flex its power. Fairshake first established itself as a major force during the 2024 election cycle, spending about $133 million in support of its chosen candidates. It started 2026 with a reported $193 million in the bank and has so far spent close to $70 million elevating politicians with an industry-friendly agenda. Fairshake’s record this year has been incredibly strong. Despite a few fairly significant losses, 50 of the 54 candidates it backed ended up winning their race. Not all of them won entirely because of Fairshake’s intervention: Some were incumbents who didn’t have a serious challenger. But an endorsement from Fairshake and its affiliate PACs tends to come with major financial support. The group spent more than $12 million to get a pro-crypto Republican into the general election for Alabama’s open Senate seat—it was “by far the biggest spender” in the primary, per The New York Times. And Protect Progress, Fairshake’s Democrat-focused PAC, spent more than $5 million to make another pro-crypto politician the party’s nominee for the House in Maryland’s Fifth District. Some candidates have incorporated these extreme interventions into their campaign strategy, accusing crypto-backed opponents of being in the industry’s pocket. Minnesota’s Peggy Flanagan, who won the state’s Democratic primary for the Senate, bashed her opponent for being pro-crypto and for being “funded by crypto and AIPAC and health-insurance companies.” In Florida’s Twenty-Fourth District, Fairshake spent more than $2 million trying to defeat Oliver Gilbert’s bid for the House, but Gilbert won his primary anyway. “Trump and his crypto con-artist billionaires just put a target on my back,” he said in one ad. Bloomberg reports that political candidates have purchased more ads mentioning the word crypto this year than they have in any of the past five years, and that the majority of these candidates are anti-crypto. Voters have never been all that passionate about crypto, and the Americans who do care about the tech are still disinclined to trust it. But the country’s attention has been elsewhere lately. Three-quarters of Americans say they’d oppose the construction of a data center in their community. Local governments across the country are now canceling contracts for Flock’s AI-enabled license-plate readers over rising fears of improper surveillance. In a bipartisan effort, 47 states, plus Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, recently took Meta to trial for allegedly damaging “the mental and physical wellbeing of America’s youth” with its social-media platforms (the company just settled and will pay up to $17.1 billion). Although Fairshake’s spending spree has drawn attention to the role of crypto in politics, there’s been no equivalent public movement this year against the sector. When Politico asked Cynthia Lummis, arguably the country’s most pro-crypto senator, whether voters care about crypto, she replied, “No.” To get a sense of how much the industry’s public profile has shifted, it’s useful to think back on the past six years. Permit me a short history lesson. During the coronavirus pandemic, a speculative bubble massively boosted the industry’s profile. Then, in 2022, everything melted down. Bitcoin lost more than 60 percent of its value, and a series of high-profile corporate implosions created chaos throughout the sector. Executives from several major crypto companies were charged with fraud, but it was FTX’s Bankman-Fried who became, at least for a while, the industry’s criminal mascot. Last year, crypto ended up with a new mascot in the form of Donald Trump. Once in office, he threw his support behind the industry, implementing a deregulatory agenda and signing a major crypto bill into law. As cryptocurrencies soared, he also personally made $1.4 billion from his family’s businesses in the sector, leading to widespread allegations of corruption. As digital currencies have come back down to earth, they have started to feel more mundane. Crypto persists in partnerships with major financial institutions, in exchange-trading funds, and in the payment apps you may already have on your phone. None of this is particularly exciting—we’re unlikely to see an NFT at the Met Gala next year, as we did in 2021, or at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, as we did in 2022—yet it’s still a massive industry. Without that same level of visibility, crypto interests aren’t necessarily a public “target the way they were with the fallout of FTX, but on the other hand, they’ve had to struggle to stay relevant,” Mark Hays, an associate director at Americans for Financial Reform (a crypto-critical watchdog), told me; one of their strategies is to “continue to spend heavily to show that they still have clout.” The industry has plenty of battles left to fight, though—and plenty of cash to put toward winning them. Related: Crypto is a victim of its own success. What the crypto crash reveals about Trump’s power

Hobie, This "spiritual formation" that was brought-into the Church you were attending. I'm interested in knowing if that program affirmed the "Personality of God" Doctrine (Father God having a body with members, organs, etc.) which Ellen White and the SDA Pioneers taught was necessary for salvation and appeasement of the Sabbath God. My understanding of Formation is basically the same as Hanseng said. My interest is in identifying the trigger within spiritual formation that produced the pessimistic concept about it. According to what you said you are not alone in applying a very negative connotation to it. I'd be interested in knowing more about it. Thanks for sharing this perspective.

Argentine court clears return of Nazi-looted portrait to Jewish dealer’s heir A long-lost Italian portrait looted from a prominent Jewish art dealer during World War II was set to be returned to his heir after an Argentine court on Friday approved a deal under which the daughter of a fugitive Nazi official agreed to give up her claim rather than face trial. Read More.

Yes, the spiritual formation was what they brought in and tried to force us to follow and we and a small group refused. Then the church was transformed into a celebration church at the same time. I have seen this transformation in other churches as they seemed to be connected, but I left them quickly and really didnt want to find out.

EU official scraps planned Serbia visit over handling of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic's death The European Union ’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos on Friday canceled an upcoming visit to candidate nation Serbia over what she described as the “glorification” of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic following his death. Mladic was convicted of genocide by a U.N. court but remains a hero to many Serbs. Read More.

Japan's former defense chief urges PM to challenge US sanctions on ICC president A former Japanese defense minister on Friday described a U.S. decision to sanction the International Criminal Court and its Japanese president as an outright attack on the rules-based international order. Read More.

Records reveal safety complaints, poor maintenance at site of deadly Washington pulp mill disaster A pulp mill in Washington state where 11 workers died after a chemical tank collapsed in May had a history of safety complaints, poor maintenance and discharges of toxic chemicals, records reviewed by The Associated Press show. Read More.

EPA seeks more public comments as it struggles to devise water rule that limits scope on wetlands The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking additional public comments as it tries to redefine the scope of the nation’s bedrock clean water law to significantly limit the wetlands it covers. Read More.

Federal judge extends block on Trump executive order seeking to limit mail voting in the midterms A federal judge on Friday extended her prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service implementing President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to limit mail voting during the midterms, putting another major obstacle in the way of the administration as the first states begin sending out mail ballots. https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-trump-mail-voting-postal-service-ce207ff2d0533de05cc2d299e91a0198? US issues sanctions on Turkish bank that it calls a 'critical financial lifeline' for Iran The Trump administration announced Friday that it has imposed sanctions on a Turkish financial institution as part of its latest effort to sever “critical financial lifelines” for the Iranian government. Read More.

Psilocybin and Migraine: What's the Science? Chronic migraine can greatly affect your life, especially when the pain arrives suddenly and traditional medications don't seem to help. An alternative remedy currently being studied may offer help for many with migraine: psilocybin. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/psilocybin-migraines-treatment-research? Nerve Stimulation for Migraines Written by WebMD Editorial Contributor Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on April 02, 2025 https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/ss/cm/slideshow-nerve-stimulation-for-migraines? Can the Ketogenic Diet Help Chronic Migraine? A Scientific Look If you live with migraine, you may have talked with your doctor about foods that can either help or worsen your migraine. Research indeed suggests that your eating patterns may help ease your migraine symptoms. One approach is a high-fat, low-carb diet approached called the ketogenic diet. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/ketogenic-diet-chronic-migraine? Migraine Treatment Pipeline Chronic migraine can be very exhausting and affect your quality of life. If you have chronic migraine — migraine with pain, nausea, or sensitivity to light or sound for 15 or more days per month – you’re not alone. Up to 15% of people experience migraine attacks at some point in their lives, but only between 1% and 2.2% experience chronic migraine. And while the number of people getting chronic migraine isn’t increasing, research shows that the condition is causing more disability. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/cm/migraine-treatment-pipeline? Can Supplements Help Migraines? Written by WebMD Editorial Contributor Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on April 03, 2025 https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/ss/cm/slideshow-can-supplements-help-migraines?

🏈 1 for the road: Ready for some football? Colorado's Boo Carter blocks Georgia Tech kicker Aidan Birr's field goal attempt to secure a 14-13 win yesterday in Atlanta. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images No matter where you are this Labor Day weekend, there's a good chance college football will be on the TV. After last week's teaser, the CFB season will have its first full Saturday slate this weekend, kicking off the season in earnest. 🏈 Standout matchups include: No. 7 Miami at Stanford (tonight, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN). Clemson at No. 11 LSU (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville (Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). 🏁 Fun fact: Last year's national champion, Indiana, opens its repeat campaign against North Texas Saturday (noon ET, Fox). ☁️ Herb's thought bubble: I don't care what happens for the rest of the season. My alma mater, UMass Amherst, had its biggest win of the year against Rutgers last night. I'll be celebrating that until January. AP's Top 25 football poll.

📈 Labor market boom Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios A labor market that looked shaky just a month ago now appears on much firmer footing, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes. U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, according to Labor Department stats out today. 📊 By the numbers: Job gains were more than triple the 53,000 jobs that economists anticipated. Revisions released today show that employers added 55,000 more jobs in June and July combined than previously estimated. 🎨 The big picture: The better-than-expected report is fresh evidence of the labor market's resilience, easing fears that a hiring slowdown had taken hold. Go deeper ...

Costly summer send-off Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Summer's last hurrah will come with persistent pump pain and pricey burgers, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. Gas prices are almost certain to remain north of $4 per gallon over Labor Day weekend — a busy travel period that coincides with the intensifying midterm election season. ⛽ Labor Day gas prices are slated to be the highest on record, with market tracking firm GasBuddy and AAA predicting they'll surpass the previous high set in 2012. That's coming off a record-setting August, where the monthly national average of $4.07 trounced 2022's record, according to AAA data. ✈️ For travelers flying over the weekend, airfare is nearly 20% higher than last year, AAA says. Still, TSA predicts there will be more than 17 million travelers at airports across the country between Thursday and Wednesday. 🍔 A pound of ground beef costs $6.89 on average in July, up 10% from the year prior.

Unions are extremely popular New Gallup polling finds that 71% of people in the U.S. approve of unions, continuing the highest period of favorability in over 60 years. This coincides with the greatest number of workers represented by a union in 16 years. https://www.epi.org/publication/unions-are-extremely-popular-56-million-workers-would-join-a-union-if-they-could/? 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/?

Progressives' newest weapon After winning an upset primary victory over a field of better-funded, establishment-backed rivals, Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-N.J.) is launching a super PAC to help other progressive underdogs do the same, we have learned. Why it matters: Mejia is adding to a growing constellation of new progressive super PACs trying to compete with cash-rich groups like AIPAC that back more moderate Democrats in primaries. It's all part of a strategy that has helped the left pull off a series of high-profile primary victories this election cycle over incumbents and establishment favorites. "We're ready to build a new class of unbought, unbossed candidates who will refuse corporate PAC money and will stand for the values that the American people are demanding," Mejia said in a statement. Driving the news: Mejia's group, Unbought, Unbossed PAC, will train and fund "working-class and underrepresented community leaders" running for office, according to a press release first shared with us. It will also provide "voter education resources and voter protection training" and build "a nationwide community of candidates, organizers, and local leaders who can learn from one another and organize beyond any single election." "Unbought, Unbossed PAC is about finding the next generation of leaders who are already fighting for their communities and giving them the tools to run, organize, and win," Mejia said. Catch up quick: Mejia defeated nearly a dozen Democratic primary rivals in a February special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress. The former progressive organizer was outraised by five of her primary rivals, bringing in just $420,000 to the $1.2 million raised by former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who finished second. Mejia's victory was widely considered an upset and was inadvertently spurred, at least in part, by AIPAC spending $2.3 million against Malinowski. 👀 What to watch: The super PAC will support only candidates who refuse to take corporate PAC money and who support banning members of Congress from trading stocks, according to the press release. — Andrew Solender

🚨 Another GOP warning sign Illustration: Brendan Lynch / Axios. Stock: Getty Images Another warning light is blinking for Senate Republicans: underperforming gubernatorial nominees in three crucial Midwest states. Why it matters: Strong candidates for governor can act as sheepdogs in tight Senate races, keeping Republican voters — and GOP-curious independents — moving in the party's direction. 😉 That's adding to GOP anxiety in Michigan and Iowa, where the Democratic gubernatorial nominees have led for much of the summer. In Ohio — a state President Trump won by 11 points — the governor's race is tied. By the numbers: In Iowa, state Auditor Rob Sand (D) leads state Rep. Zach Lahn (R) 49.3% to 45.3%, according to 270toWin's polling average. In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) leads Rep. John James (R-Mich.) by an average of 50.2% to 42.4% across the last five polls. In Ohio, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy leads former state health director Amy Acton (D) by just half a point, 48% to 47.5%, in an average of two August polls. The other side: The gubernatorial map isn't flashing warnings everywhere for Senate Republicans. 💪 Republicans are enthusiastic about Georgia, where the race between former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) and health care executive Rick Jackson (R) is tight, but Jackson is expected to spend heavily in the final months. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) leads state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D) 47.2% to 43.7%, according to 270toWin. And in New Hampshire, Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) leads former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington (D) by an average of 49% to 38.5%. 🤔 The intrigue: In Ohio, Michigan and New Hampshire, the governor's race is at the top of the ticket, potentially creating a stronger draft for the Senate candidates behind them. In Iowa, Texas and Georgia, it's the Senate contest that gets top billing, potentially limiting the gubernatorial candidates' coattails. 🌎 Zoom out: In previous midterm cycles, strong GOP gubernatorial candidates have run well ahead of their Senate counterparts. 🤠 In Texas in 2018, Abbott won by 13 percentage points while Sen. Ted Cruz (R) squeaked past Beto O'Rourke by fewer than 3. 🌽 In 2022, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) won by nearly 19 points as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) won by 12. 🐊 In Florida that year, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) cruised to victory by 19 points as Sen. Marco Rubio (R) won by 16. 🔎 Zoom in: Coattails aren't tow ropes, and split decisions between the gubernatorial and Senate contests do happen, though they are more common in non-presidential years. In 2022, six of the 26 states that held both gubernatorial and Senate elections chose winners from different parties. But two years later, with Trump on the ticket, none of the nine states holding both contests split between Democrats and Republicans, although independent Sen. Bernie Sanders won alongside Republican Gov. Phil Scott in Vermont. ⚡️ The bottom line: Republicans don't need to win every governor's mansion to hold the Senate, but losing badly in Michigan, Iowa or Ohio would make three already tight Senate races that much harder. — Hans Nichols

ADRA responds to flooding and landslides in Nepal Adventist Development and Relief Agency Nepal is on the ground, working with government officials, other humanitarian organizations, and communities to meet the needs of those affected by the August 26 flooding and landslides. https://adventist.news/news/adra-responds-to-flooding-and-landslides-in-nepal

Trump Is Building More Than a Ballroom—He’s Claiming the White House Forever He’s making himself permanent. Big, sore-thumb, a--hole buildings have become Donald Trump’s signature brand, and part and parcel of his public identity. His aesthetic is not just about vulgarity, but an opposing force—so of course he would build in Washington. Of course, he would look to reconfigure the White House! The White House ballroom, however, will not be completed—if it’s completed—until the end of his term. So if he’s not going to be able to get much use out of it, what’s its real use? Just being able to build it, for one thing. Nothing motivates Trump so much as provoking a fight and then winning it (or just prolonging it). His skills here are relentlessness; his true pleasure, nearly in a sexual sense, comes with crushing his opponents, disregarding civility and the rules of the game. Plus, he has additional expertise when it comes to actually building something in the face of people trying to stop him. The more you build, the harder it is to stop you. Doing most of the things that presidents have to do on a daily basis—so boring!—doesn’t give him pleasure. He barely pays attention. But having a big building project restores him. His ballroom will tower over the White House. It will effectively be the White House. The perpetual Trump White House. Will anyone even remember what used to stand in its place? ps:Just pathetic!!!!!

Trump Fires Off Deranged Ultimatum in All-Caps Meltdown The president threatened to stop trading with some countries if the Fed doesn’t cut interest rates. Donald Trump’s crusade to cut interest rates took a bizarre new turn on Friday when he threatened to cut off trade with some unnamed countries if the Federal Reserve doesn’t do his bidding. The president’s ultimatum came after the release of a surprisingly strong jobs report. His brag about the better-than-expected jobs market on Truth Social quickly morphed into a capital-letter rant about why the United States doesn’t have the world’s lowest interest rates. “Great jobs number just announced, breaking all estimates (except mine!) by double and triple—And you haven’t seen anything yet! EMPLOYERS ADDED 162,000 JOB IN AUGUST,” he wrote. “Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE—IT’S A BETTER CREDIT…Very simple! We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like ‘the old days.’ Without the United States agreeing to allow them their big surpluses, and we could stop that immediately, they would no longer be considered financially ELITE! LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT, which the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ridiculous and very costly Tariff decision, strongly acknowledged ‘the President’ has an absolute right to do." Trump ramped up the pressure on his new Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, to act and cut rates. “IT’S BETTER THAN TARIFFS! The Fed Board, with its great new leader, must get smart—BE PATRIOTS for a change. High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won’t allow that to happen!” The countries the U.S. has a deficit with include China, Canada, Mexico, and European Union nations, with the goods-and-services gap widening to its biggest in 16 months in July. Trump instituted his tariffs to try and close that gap, and hasn’t forgiven the Supreme Court for shutting them down. Trump finally got his way and replaced Jerome Powell with Warsh, but the Fed has continued to resist the president’s demands for an interest cut, keeping rates steady since last December. Economists suggest the Fed may act as soon as later this month to counteract inflation. Friday’s jobs report suggests that employers have moved past concerns about the Iran war and AI to grow the workforce. The Labor Department reported an addition of 162,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held firm at 4.1 percent, the same as July. June and July job gains were revised up by 55,000. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-fires-off-deranged-ultimatum-in-all-caps-meltdown/? ps:What a pathetic fool!!!!!

Trump Admits Real Reason He’s Building Monuments to Himself The president was shockingly candid about the sad reason he is remodeling much of the capital in his image. President Donald Trump has made a stunning admission while revealing why he’s obsessed with remodeling Washington. Trump, 80, has candidly told New York magazine that he is building monuments for himself and slapping his name everywhere because he knows that nobody else will do so when he is gone. Reporter Ben Terris shared with Trump an attack line from Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, who says that Trump’s obsession with vanity projects stems from knowing he is the only person willing to memorialize him. “That’s true,” Trump responded. “Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.” That same report peeled back the curtain on Trump’s fixation with remodeling even as his approval rating craters to record lows, war with Iran has entered its sixth month, and gas and grocery prices remain higher than they were when he took office. From the White House residence, the president can see the construction site of his new ballroom, which he tore down the entire East Wing for without permission. New York reports that he “often starts and ends his day by gazing out the window to check the progress.” “He will call me at 9:30 at night and say, ‘I’m going to walk over and check the construction of the new ballroom,’” Eric Trump tells the magazine. Eric also said that his father is having “more fun building this ballroom than I can possibly tell you.” Trump has also reportedly ordered a helicopter pilot to circle around Hains Point so he could see a golf course he’s planning to redevelop from a bird’s-eye view. These matters appear to be top of mind for Trump, who has brought up the topic of grass during 45 public events this term, or about once every 12 days, according to an Associated Press review last month. The ballroom is just one of many Trump projects in MAGA 2.0. At the White House alone, Trump has paved over Jackie Kennedy’s iconic Rose Garden to create a new patio, installed two massive flagpoles to tower over the executive residence, blinged up the Oval Office to rival Saddam Hussein’s palaces, defaced the White House’s iconic colonnade by making it a Presidential Walk of Fame, and even built a granite helipad on the South Lawn. Elsewhere in D.C., Trump has botched a Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation, shamelessly slapped his name on the Kennedy Center, and intends to build a 250-foot-tall “Arc de Trump.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-admits-real-reason-hes-building-monuments-to-himself/?

Watchdog report: Ex-Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer oversaw hostile work environment, misused funds NEW YORK (AP) — Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” work environment and engaged in numerous violations of department policy, according to a new report from the department’s Office of Inspector General. https://apnews.com/article/labor-secretary-lori-chavezderemer-misconduct-inspector-general-report-2a88e18069efd64df7f0d29f03900bcf? ☢️ A new watchdog report finds that Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Trump's former labor secretary, drank on the job, misused government funds and oversaw a "toxic, intimidating and humiliating" environment, Axios' Avery Lotz reports. Mistrial is declared in Lindsay Clancy child killings case after jury deadlocks PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A judge in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial declared a mistrial Friday after jurors failed to reach a verdict in a case that sharply divided many Americans over whether the Massachusetts woman should be criminally responsible for killing her three young children. https://apnews.com/article/lindsay-clancy-postpartum-massachusetts-trial-a939db73e864393eb9c727daa788e7a2?

🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! Make sure to get your picks in for our new College Football Challenge game! 800 of you have entered so far. Let's get 800 more before tomorrow's slate kicks off. Victory at last: UMass stunned Rutgers, 37-21, on Thursday as 29.5-point underdogs to get their first win since Oct. 26, 2024 (0-15 last season). It's the largest FBS upset since Texas lost to Kansas as 31-point favorites in 2021. In today's edition: LSU vs. SEC, Behind the Lens, England dominates soccer's transfer window, college football predictions, NCAA volleyball at Wrigley Field, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   SPORTS MOVE FAST. SO DO THE MARKETS. Polymarket turns sports predictions into markets you can trade. Find the matchup or future you like, take your position, then watch the price move as the action unfolds. Stay in or trade out before it's over. Your call.   🎓 COURTROOM DRAMA LSU VS. SEC BATTLE HEATS UP (Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) LSU is free to roster players who were on NFL teams earlier this summer. Will the Tigers actually do it? State of play: Louisiana judge William Jorden ruled in favor of players looking for a fifth year of eligibility after a lengthy proceeding on Thursday. Players like former Ole Miss TE Dae'Quan Harris and former Rebels DT Zxavian Harris were granted a preliminary injunction that allows them to play college football in 2026 even though they were cut from NFL teams. Both have committed to play for their former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU, which has to send its 2026 roster to the SEC today. If they or any other players who had signed contracts with NFL teams are on that roster, an even bigger legal fight could unfold. The other side: The SEC filed a lawsuit against Kiffin and LSU earlier Thursday in an Alabama federal court as the conference attempts to block those ex-pro players from suiting up this season. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey testified for multiple hours, defending the league's right to set and enforce its own rules. The last word: "Court cases. Commissioners testifying. Politicians bickering. College sports stands at an impasse. Kickoff can't get here soon enough," writes Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Giphy) 🏈 NCAA Football, Week 1 After last week's appetizer, the season begins in earnest with a full slate this weekend, headlined by two blockbuster matchups: Clemson at No. 11 LSU (Sat. 7:30pm ET, ABC) and No. 9 Ole Miss vs. No. 24 Louisville (Sun. 7:30pm, ABC) in Nashville. Best of the rest: No. 7 Miami at Stanford (Fri. 9pm, ESPN); Boise State at No. 2 Oregon (Sat. 3:30pm, CBS); Baylor vs. Auburn in Atlanta (Sat. 3:30pm, ABC); UCLA at Cal (Sat. 10:30pm, ESPN); Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame at Lambeau Field (Sun. 7:30pm, NBC); No. 19 SMU at Florida State (Mon. 7:30pm, ESPN). 🎾 US Open, Days 6-8 The season's final grand slam continues all weekend (Fri-Mon, ESPN), with the quarterfinals in both the men's and women's draws set to be finalized by Monday night. Matches to watch: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 8 Ben Shelton, and No. 11 Frances Tiafoe headline the men's action today as the third round gets underway, while No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 3 Jessica Pegula are among the women taking the court. 🏀 FIBA Women's World Cup The 16-team quadrennial tournament tips off today in Berlin, with group stage games all weekend on TNT and HBO Max. The quarterfinals are on Thursday and the championship is next Sunday, Sept. 13, as the WNBA remains paused until Sept. 17. USA against the world: Team USA, led by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and other WNBA stars, is heavily favored to win its fifth straight title. They face China today (8:15am), Czechia on Sunday (2:45pm) and Italy on Monday (2:45pm). 🏁 The NASCAR Chase NASCAR's new-look postseason begins on Sunday (5pm, USA) at South Carolina's Darlington Raceway, where 16 drivers begin their 10-race Chase for a title. How it works: Unlike the old elimination format, all 16 drivers remain in contention throughout The Chase. Drivers begin with between 2,000 points (16th-seeded Ryan Preece) and 2,100 points (top-seeded Denny Hamlin), more points are earned depending on finishing position in each race (55 for a win), and whoever has the most points at the end is crowned champion. 🏐 NCAA Volleyball at Wrigley This week's Big Ten/SEC Challenge concludes with a Sunday doubleheader at Wrigley Field. No. 3 Kentucky takes on No. 13 Penn State in the first leg (7pm, Fox), followed by No. 1 Nebraska vs. Missouri in the nightcap (9pm, Fox). Welcome to the big leagues: This is the third specialty showcase of the NCAA volleyball season, following events last month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Golden Knights) and AT&T Stadium in Dallas (Cowboys), the latter a $1 million spectacle in front of a crowd of 40,000. More to watch: ⛳️ Golf: Walker Cup (Sat-Sun, Golf) … The top 10 American amateurs vs. the top 10 amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland in the 51st edition of the event. ⚾️ MLB: Tigers at Guardians (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Angels at Pirates (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Yankees at Padres (Sat. 7:15pm, Fox); Braves at Phillies (Sun. 1:10pm, NBC); Twins at White Sox (6:20pm, NBC) 🏎️ F1: Italian Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … Drivers descend on the "Temple of Speed" as McLaren's Lando Norris goes for his third straight win. ⚽️ Premier League: Arsenal vs. Chelsea (Sun. 11:30am, USA) … The Gunners and Blues are both 2-0-0 to start the season. ⚽️ Leagues Cup: Toluca vs. Monterrey (Sun. 9:15pm, Apple) … Championship in Houston. Plus: ⚽️ MLS: Week 24 (Fri-Sat, Apple); ⚽️ NWSL: Week 24 (Fri-Sun, CBS/ESPN2); 🏁 IndyCar: Monterey (Sun. 2:30pm, Fox); 🚴 Vuelta a España: Stages 13-15 (Fri-Sun, Peacock); ⚾️ WPBL (Fri-Sun, ESPN+)   📸 PHOTOGRAPHY BEHIND THE LENS (Chris Graythen/Getty Images) Each week in Yahoo Sports AM, we'll be going "Behind the Lens" with Getty Images to get the backstory on the best photographs in sports. This week's photo: A pack of cars whips through the straightaway during last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, the final event of the regular season. Photographer: Chris Graythen Location: Daytona Beach, Florida Date: August 29 📸 Behind the lens: Here's Chris… Panning is an essential camera technique in motorsport photography, helping show the real speed and motion of cars going 190mph+, two and three cars wide on Daytona's 31 degrees of banking. I waited until just after sunset, for "blue hour," when the sky and infield start to match in that deep blue color. I used a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second, which is exceptionally slow for cars moving that fast. At 190mph, the car travels about 35 feet during the exposure, so it takes a long-practiced technique to get it right. Point your feet where you want to make the photo, keep your hands and arms in tight, turn at the hips, track the car and follow through. Sounds easy, but even after 20 years of shooting cars I only got a few frames I really liked before the light disappeared! Equipment and technique: Chris shot this from the roof of a building inside Daytona International Speedway with a Canon EOS R1 and Canon RF 100-300mm lens. He used a setting of f/20, ISO 2500, indicating a narrow aperture and a high light sensitivity.   ⚽️ SPENDING SPREE CHARTED: TRANSFER WINDOW SLAMS SHUT Soccer's summer transfer window slammed shut this week, bringing an end to the most frenzied spending spree in the sport's history. As is increasingly the case, England's giants flexed their superior financial might. Mind the gap: Premier League transfer spending topped €4.1 billion ($4.8 billion) this summer, almost €3 billion more than the next-highest league (Italy's Serie A, €1.16 billion). Top-to-bottom dominance: Premier League clubs account for eight of the summer's top 10 spenders, leaving only the Spanish giants — Real Madrid and Barcelona — capable of joining them in splashing cash. Ipswich Town, newly promoted from the Championship, spent more than Barcelona. The big fish: $100 million transfers were historically rarefied air. This summer, 10 players commanded more than $100 million; the previous high watermark was five in 2023. Of those 10, nine were purchased by Premier League clubs. And of those nine, six were purchased from Premier League clubs.   🔮 CRYSTAL BALL PREDICTING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Who will win the Heisman and national championship? Who will be the biggest surprise and biggest disappointment? Our college football experts make their annual predictions.   🏈 WHO YA GOT? MAKE YOUR PICKS! In lieu of trivia today, we're sharing our new game: College Football Challenge. This is your chance to flex your knowledge week after week and see where you stack up at the end of the season. How it works: Each week, you'll make 10 picks about Saturday's best matchups. If you have a rough week, don't worry: your stats accumulate throughout the season, so you can rebound the next week and get back into the title race. Join us: Make your picks now on the Yahoo Sports app, and join the Yahoo Sports AM group to compete against Kendall, Jeff and fellow subscribers.   ⚾️ BAR-B-CAST YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV: MLB ALTCAST Yahoo Sports and Apple TV are teaming up to deliver alternate broadcasts of "Friday Night Baseball" and Major League Soccer games, with the first such altcast coming during tonight's MLB game between the Tigers and Guardians. Tune in: Baseball Bar-B-Cast hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman will broadcast the first two innings of tonight's game (7:10pm ET), as well as a pre-game show (6:45pm), on Yahoo Sports. Following the two-inning altcast, viewers can watch the rest of the game on Apple TV.

Trump’s newest order on birthright citizenship blocked in federal court A federal judge in Maryland Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s second attempt to redefine birthright citizenship. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/03/repub/trumps-newest-order-on-birthright-citizenship-blocked-in-federal-court/?

Florida’s universities are off-limits for anyone in the US ‘unlawfully’ Students must be lawfully in the United States to attend Florida’s universities, the board that oversees the university system voted Thursday. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/03/floridas-universities-are-off-limits-for-anyone-in-the-us-unlawfully/? Some university leaders not happy with Legislature’s enrollment oversight Some members of the Florida Board of Governors and other university leaders hope the Florida Legislature will backtrack on a last-minute policy that ties their budgets to a limit on out-of-state enrollment. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/03/some-university-leaders-not-happy-with-legislatures-enrollment-oversight/? Form allows hundreds with felony convictions to find their voter eligibility In the first statewide election since Florida created a process to allow those with felony convictions to learn whether they are eligible to vote, an advocacy group says it helped more than 400 people submit an inquiry with the state’s Division of Elections. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/09/03/form-allows-hundreds-with-felony-convictions-to-find-their-voter-eligibility/?