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Senate Resoundingly Approves Sweeping College Sports Measure

The outlook for the legislation, which seeks to stabilize the unsettled collegiate sports landscape, is uncertain in the House. It was one of the last congressional actions before the midterms.

© David Jensen/Getty Images

The Vanderbilt Commodores playing the Virginia Cavaliers in Charleston, S.C., on Sunday. A series of legal rulings has sowed chaos in college sports, proponents of the legislation say.
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Justice Alito Recuses Himself Days Before Major Climate-Change Case

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. had faced pressure to recuse himself from the climate case because he owns stock in oil companies.

© Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., shown in 2022, said he will not take part in a major climate-change lawsuit to be heard by the Supreme Court.
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Firefighter Dies in BASE Jump Attempt in Utah

Gabe Reilly, a Salt Lake City firefighter who was an experienced BASE jumper, died in an accident near Millville Canyon in northern Utah on Sunday, officials said.

© Kim Raff for The New York Times

Mountains in Cache County, Utah, where the authorities said a 27-year-old man was killed in a BASE jumping accident on Sunday.
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FBI Hackers Say They Won’t Publish Massive Trove of FBI Employee Data

FBI Hackers Say They Won’t Publish Massive Trove of FBI Employee Data

The hackers behind the massive FBI breach told 404 Media on Monday they do not intend to publish the data.

The breach, in which the hackers stole personal information on “all FBI employees and applicants” including physical addresses, job roles, names of spouses, and medical records, represents a significant national security and counterintelligence threat. Criminals in the same ecosystem as the hacking group, called ShinyHunters, have previously used hacked phone data to track and harass the FBI agents investigating them. When 404 Media first broke news of the breach, the group sent the personal data of an agent and their spouse who they said was investigating the group.

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War is costing Ukraine $155 billion per year. With Western aid running late, Kyiv is freezing everything but army, pensions, and public wages

russia hits kharkiv high-rise overnight injuring 43 people strikes central kyiv dnipro broad daylight · post rescuers destroyed floors apartment building hit ukraine 28 2026 synehubov5319173733626879672 news ukrainian reports

Ukraine's government plans to pay for its army, pensions, and public-sector wages first, and freeze the parks, fountains, and repaving. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi says his Cabinet reordered its spending priorities because part of the international aid it counted on has not arrived.

The war is costing the country at least $155 billion this year, Koretskyi stated earlier.

Defense and people come first

"We continue to take tough anti-crisis measures to ensure the most important thing, the needs of defense and our people," Koretskyi says.

The state will continue to pay for the army, pensions, social benefits, and the salaries of teachers, doctors, and other public-sector workers. Everything deemed non-critical is on hold: new construction, reconstruction, capital repairs, and tidying-up projects, among them parks, squares, fountains, and repaving.

"It is worth finally ceasing to spend money on non-priority things," he continues, promising the state will return to them later.

The aid runs late

On 27 September, Ukraine's prime minister stated that the shortfall in the defense budget's needs stands at $27 billion.

"The president, the government, and all branches of authority are working with partners to find mechanisms and sources to cover the remaining $20 billion," he stressed.

These funds are critically needed to supply the Defense Forces with drones, missiles, equipment, and other resources ahead of winter.

"The government, for its part, guarantees that by 15 October, all government decisions required to receive the international financial assistance promised by partners will be implemented," he stated.

Local budgets get the same call

Koretskyi extended the order downward, urging local councils to review their own budgets and cut spending that is not a priority now. The message across government is the same: pool what is available for the army and citizens, and leave the fountains and the rest for after the war.

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Russia’s pipeline into Kupiansk is now its escape route—with kidnapped civilians as human shields, Ukraine says

russia used gas pipeline sneak soldiers kupiansk now retreating troops marching civilians through other way human shield · post led suspected russian civilian clothes near kharkiv oblast 27 2026 1

Russian troops retreating near Kupiansk abducted civilians, including children and elderly residents, and drove them into a gas pipeline to cover their withdrawal, the 2nd National Guard Corps Khartia said. The men of military age walking with them in civilian clothes were most likely Russian soldiers who had removed their uniforms, the corps added. Its reconnaissance drones filmed the group on 27 September. Ukrainian forces watched the column but did not open fire because of the civilians, ArmyInform reported.

Ukraine's military has accused Russia of using civilians as human shields in Kupiansk before. During its offensive, Russian troops also tried to enter the city through an inactive gas pipeline. Now, Khartia says, a pipe once used by Russian saboteurs is carrying abducted civilians toward occupied territory.

Nine people forced into the pipeline

Khartia filmed the group as the corps pressed its counteroffensive in the Kupiansk community in Kharkiv Oblast. The footage shows nine people: children, elderly residents, and a person on crutches. Men of military age in civilian clothing walk alongside them.

The group was led from Kupiansk through Holubivka village to the Shebelynka-Ostrohozhsk gas pipeline.

Civilians enter an opening in the ground near the Shebelynka-Ostrohozhsk gas pipeline near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, 27 September 2026. Screenshot: Khartia Corps
Civilians enter an opening in the ground near the Shebelynka-Ostrohozhsk gas pipeline near Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, 27 September 2026. Screenshot: Khartia Corps

The footage shows them being led into the pipe, where they face a walk of about 10 km in darkness. The pipe exits in a forest, and the civilians will likely be taken to occupied territory.

"We documented this case. The materials will be handed over for a war crimes investigation," the corps said.

russia holds 2000 people hostage oleshky without food water—ukraine flew 4000 kg locals across dnipro · post drones carry packages starving residents russian-occupied kherson oblast 2026 lifting boxes ukraine news
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Russia holds 2,000 people hostage in Oleshky without food or water—Ukraine flew 4,000 kg of food to locals across the Dnipro

Ukrainian forces held fire—Russia counted on it

Ukrainian troops saw the group and did not open fire because children and elderly people were among them. Russia counted on exactly that, Khartia said.

The corps warned that Russian propaganda could present the footage as an "evacuation" or "rescue" of civilians, Militarnyi reported. Khartia calls it an abduction.

Khartia's counteroffensive near Kupiansk comes alongside other Ukrainian advances farther south. In northern Donetsk Oblast, the Third Army Corps' Operation Vivaldi has regained control of 125 km², including 50 km² previously under Russian occupation, and inflicted more than 3,000 Russian personnel losses, the corps said. The operation has effectively erased Russia's planned Lyman pincer. Near Kupiansk, Ukraine's defense forces continue pushing Russian forces toward the Oskil River, and the liberation of forests near Dvorichna and Zapadne has reduced the threat to the city.

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For years Ukraine could jam or switch off Russia’s battlefield comms. Rassvet may be the first it can’t

Video still from Bureau 1440's recent launch of 16 Rassvet satellites into low earth orbit

Russia's low-Earth-orbit satellite constellation Rassvet went from a few minutes of connectivity over Ukraine to two stable windows lasting more than an hour each in just five months. The system was built by the Russian private company Bureau 1440 as Moscow's answer to Starlink.

As of now, it is nowhere near matching SpaceX's 10,000-satellite network—but the gap between what Russia has now and what it needs is closing, and the tools that could slow it down mostly sit unused. When Ukraine and SpaceX bricked Russian-obtained Starlink terminals earlier this year, Russian assaults froze across the front—proof that cutting satellite command-and-control links matters more than disrupting guidance. Russia is now building its own links. The most consequential tool that could slow that down is Western sanctions against Bureau 1440 itself.

Four years of Western sanctions have failed to cut Russia off from the foreign components its missile and drone factories rely on: parts manufactured after sanctions were imposed still reach Russian assembly lines within months. Rassvet is a new version of the same problem. The system is still being built and relies on imported components whose exact origin is disputed—some experts point to American and European parts reaching Russia through sanctions-evasion networks, others say the core hardware is built from off-the-shelf Chinese components. Its manufacturer remains unsanctioned by any Western government, while some of the infrastructure needed to expand production has already been struck by Ukraine.

Six minutes in March, two hours by August

In March 2026, Bureau 1440 launched its first operational batch of 16 Rassvet satellites from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Each pass over Ukraine created a window of six to 10 minutes, Serhii Beskrestnov, callsign Flash, a Ukrainian presidential adviser on defense technology, estimated at the time.

By late August, the picture had changed. Tracking data from N2YO showed four passes a day and two stable communication windows lasting more than an hour each. Satellite communications expert Volodymyr Stepanets said that 12 of the 16 satellites from the first batch had reached their operational altitude of 550 km, three were still ascending, and one had burned up—likely due to a manufacturing defect. A second batch of 16 went into orbit in July, though those satellites struggled to reach their target altitude and some may reenter the atmosphere.

Bureau 1440 shows footage of separation of 16 Rassvet satellites from Soyuz's third stage pic.twitter.com/jhe2krZ1kA

— afec7032 🇷🇺 (@afec7032) March 24, 2026

The second batch may be climbing faster than the first did at the same stage. Still, Russia is far from the 200–250 satellites Beskrestnov considers necessary for stable, round-the-clock coverage, and the altitude of roughly 550 km is still short of the roughly 800 km the constellation is designed to reach.

What Rassvet would change on the battlefield

Russia is unlikely to have any civilian use in mind for these communication windows. The satellites transmit in the Ka and Ku bands—high-frequency signals that are difficult to jam and difficult to detect.

Radio frequency spectrum and satellite frequency bands, including Ka and Ku bands used by Russia's Rassvet constellation. Source: Bliley Technologies

Right now, Ukraine's electronic warfare can push Russian drones offline: a Shahed flying low through a jammed zone loses its link and drifts off course. A satellite relay overhead would change that. The drone holds its course, receives updated coordinates mid-flight, stays below radar, and strikes. The constellation could do this for long-range strike and naval drones alike—letting them operate through electronic warfare at very low altitudes, where Ukraine's air defenses struggle to see them.

Bureau 1440 has also developed user terminals small enough to fit on Geran-type attack drones and cruise missiles. Gerans have struck Ukrainian territory, including Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, almost continuously over the past month. A terminal on a Geran would turn a one-way munition into a weapon that can be redirected after launch. Unlike the Starlink terminals Ukraine relies on, which are geographically restricted, Russian terminals are expected to face no such limits—the same terminal that connects a Geran over Kyiv Oblast would work over Berlin or Paris.

A pass of the Russian Rassvet satellites over Ukraine scheduled for April 21, 2026. Source: www.n2yo.com
A pass of the Russian Rassvet satellites over Ukraine scheduled for 21 April 2026. Source: www.n2yo.com

The sanctions lever—and the gap in it

Rassvet's parent company, IKS Holding, is one of Russia's largest hardware and software developers. The US sanctioned the holding, its then-owner Anton Cherepennikov, and the subsidiaries Kryptonit and KNS Group on 24 February 2023. Cherepennikov died under unexplained circumstances, but the company keeps operating.

Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service (SZRU) says the holding serves as a personnel reserve for the Federal Security Service (FSB). The first deputy CEO of IKS Holding is Boris Korolyov, son of FSB First Deputy Director Sergei Korolyov, according to the SZRU. He took the post at 27 in 2023, after Cherepennikov's death.

More importantly, though, is the company that actually builds the satellites—Bureau 1440—and its leadership. Ukraine has placed the company on its own sanctions list, but Kyiv's unilateral designations carry limited trade enforcement power, because these people and this company are absent from Western lists. At Euromaidan Press's request, the US-based research organization C4ADS confirmed that Bureau 1440 and its leadership sit outside every Western sanctions regime, and called designating the manufacturer the single most visible and effective step available.

latvia convicted one node starlink supply chain russia — two latvian citizens same network still await trial · post terminal mounted russian horse 2026 latvia's riga city court has sentenced
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Ukrainian brigades detail Starlink crackdown: Russian terminals “became just bricks,” assaults disrupted

From the Ukrainian side, Viktoriia Vyshnivska, a senior analyst at the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO), told Euromaidan Press that sanctions on Bureau 1440 are not a magic button—but they are not pointless, either. Because Bureau 1440 uses Western equipment, designating the company would directly affect trade in those boards and components, she said. Any Western manufacturer that kept doing business with the company would also risk investigation and legal consequences.

Given the reach of Russia's sanctions-evasion networks and its close ties with China in joint production and technology sharing.

"We shouldn't expect a magical effect," Vyshnivska said.

But sanctions would make direct trade impossible and raise the cost and difficulty of sourcing Western components.

Even if the useful window is short, making supplies more expensive and harder to find is the point.

Many of the goods Bureau 1440 uses are already banned from sale to Russia under EU export controls, Vyshnivska noted. Yet Bureau 1440 itself is still absent from the sanctions lists. Her recommendation: Bureau 1440, its current owners, its parent company, the key related entities and individuals, and its main suppliers should all be designated.

Illustration of the Russian Rassvet satellites by Bureau 1440
Illustration of the Russian Rassvet satellites by Bureau 1440

Diplomacy: Ukraine goes to the ITU

Beyond that, Ukraine is trying to act on its own on several fronts.

The first is diplomacy. On 28 August, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine had sent a formal note to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency that coordinates radio frequencies, demanding that Ukrainian territory be excluded from Rassvet's service areas across all frequency bands. The system's use over Ukraine "has nothing to do with civilian purposes," he wrote on X.

Today, we officially addressed the International Telecommunications Union @ITU requesting an exclusion of Ukraine’s national territory from the declared service areas of all beams of the Russian military satellite system 'Rassvet' satellite networks in all frequency bands.

The…

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 28, 2026

Days later, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland, Sybiha handed partners a list of nine legal entities linked to the project and urged them to impose sanctions.

The EU had already moved once: its 21st sanctions package, adopted on 23 July, targeted the Rassvet network. But the main gap is not closed, and that round stopped short of the manufacturer, leaving Bureau 1440 and its chief executive off the lists.

Hitting the supply chain with weapons

Another lever is direct strikes. In mid-August, Ukrainian-made Flamingo cruise missiles struck an industrial zone in Samara that houses the Progress Rocket Space Center—the only plant in Russia that serially assembles the Soyuz-2.1b rockets used to launch Rassvet into orbit. Satellite imagery published by the Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ showed a collapsed roof section 85 meters long and 35 meters wide over Building 106A, the hall where crews wire the rockets' control systems and cabling. The channel reported two missile hits on that hall.

The aftermath of a strike by two FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles on the Progress Rocket and Space Center
The aftermath of a strike by two FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles on the Progress Rocket and Space Center. Photo: t.me/exilenova_plus

If the hall was destroyed, production could stop entirely, and switching to other Russian launch vehicles would take significantly longer and add complexity. Drones also attempted to strike Plesetsk Cosmodrome, from which both 2026 batches were launched.

Both targets—the factory that builds the rockets and the site that launches them—are needed if Russia is to expand Rassvet production.

The timeline: 5.5 to eight years, if nothing changes

Russia plans to expand the constellation to 292 satellites by the end of 2027, Deputy Chief of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence (HUR) Vadym Skibitskyi said. Moscow's longer-term goal is 924 satellites by 2035.

Soyuz spacecraft (TMA version)
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After SpaceX cuts off Starlink access, Russia launches first 16 satellites of its own “Rassvet” alternative

With 32 satellites already launched in two batches, 260 more are needed. At 16 satellites per launch, that requires roughly 17 launches. At a four-month interval between launches, deploying them would take roughly 5.5 years even if every launch succeeded and every satellite reached its target orbit. That most likely won't fully work out: one satellite from the first batch is already lost, two from the second batch may be lost as well, and none of them has yet reached the required altitude.

Russia also depends on the scarce Soyuz-2.1b rocket. The rocket has averaged only six to eight launches per year since 2022—most committed to GLONASS navigation satellites, ISS resupply, and military payloads—limiting Russia to a theoretical maximum of roughly two Rassvet-dedicated launches per year, or 128 Rassvet satellites over four years at that rate.

There is still time to shut this project down or slow it. Vyshnivska put the useful window to slow Rassvet at about a year. Russia, by Ukrainian calculations, needs five to eight years to see it through.

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How a $60 loaf of rye bread went viral in New York City: ‘It’s a conversation piece’

Bread experts weigh in on whether the rye sourdough that bakers ‘feed every day’ is worth that much

A loaf of bread has become New York City’s latest viral hit and, somehow, status symbol.

At Rye, the first US outpost of Austrian bakery Martin Auer, a 3.3lb loaf of 100% rye sourdough sells for $60 in SoHo. Made with just water, flour, salt and time, the bread has attracted the kind of attention once reserved for rainbow bagels, cronuts and skyscraper milkshakes. Which raises the inevitable question – is it actually worth that much?

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© Photograph: Robert K Chin/Alamy

© Photograph: Robert K Chin/Alamy

© Photograph: Robert K Chin/Alamy

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Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says

David Perdue’s remarks come after a Taiwanese minister spoke of the ‘severe’ military threat posed by Beijing to the self-ruled island

Donald Trump offered to sell weapons to China while hosting its leader, Xi Jinping, last week, the US ambassador to China said on Sunday.

David Perdue told Fox News on Sunday: “President Trump continues to say, hey, we sell arms to other people around the world. He actually asked President Xi, would he like to buy some at one point.”

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© Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA

© Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA

© Photograph: Ritchie B Tongo/EPA

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AI leaders have known about the extinction threat for decades | Judith Levine

Scientists and entrepreneurs knew the dangers of AI a quarter-century ago. But animated by curiosity and profit, they went ahead anyway

Over the past few weeks, many of us have struggled to concoct a mental image of brains in the cloud jumping their “sandbox”, sneaking on to the internet, recruiting “swarms” of other “agents” to cheat on a test, and, after discussing the ethics of the act, hacking into a wiki platform with the weird name Hugging Face.

We knew that artificial intelligence was devouring our jobs, degrading our kids’ education and deepfaking our politics; that datacenters were sucking up our water and electricity and sending us the bills. But until 8 September, when the Anthropic computer scientist Jacob Coxon posted his existential terror on Twitter/X, few of us suspected AI might be endangering our survival.

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© Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/EPA

© Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/EPA

© Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/EPA

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What We Saw in One Venezuelan Gold Town

With U.S. support, traders arrived and cut deals. That investment has so far failed to improve the bleak conditions in the mining industry.

© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times

El Callao, the town at the heart of Venezuela’s gold mining industry.
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Under Trump, Commodity Futures Trading Commission Scales Back Enforcement, Worrying Farmers

The fate of two cotton brokers highlights how the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has scaled back its regulatory actions not just for crypto cases but also for the kinds of cases it has long policed.

© Kylie Cooper/Reuters

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, led by Michael S. Selig, has slowed enforcement. It has filed an average of one new complaint a month, one-fifth as many as during the Biden administration.
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Trump Brought Venezuelan Gold to the U.S., but Refiners Won’t Touch It

The administration is brokering deals in a notoriously corrupt industry, including one with a company that the United States deems a security threat.

© Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times

Gold miners at work in El Callao, Venezuela.
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Their Sons Are Dying on Battlefields in Ukraine. They Still Back Russia’s War.

The Russian region of North Ossetia has suffered a heavy toll, yet many accept the Kremlin’s line that the fighting must continue until victory is secured.

Oksana Abaeva and her husband, Khetag Zaseyev, at the grave of her son, Albert Abaev, in Vladikavkaz, the capital of the Russian region of North Ossetia.
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Hurricane Nolo still threatens Hawaii as Mexico’s Baja braces for Hurricane Polo

Hurricane Nolo is moving away from Hawaiian islands but threat of heavy rain, flash floods and strong winds persists

Hurricane Nolo was moving away from the Hawaiian islands on Sunday, but the threat of heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds persisted in areas of the island chain still recovering from previous storms.

Nolo was about 365 miles (585km) south-south-west of Honolulu and moving away from the Big Island at about 12mph (19km/h). But the Hawaii county civil defense agency said a high wind warning, wind advisory and high surf advisory remained in effect for parts of the island through Sunday evening as Nolo’s maximum sustained winds rose to 115mph.

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© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

© Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

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Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

President Trump made the offer to Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said David Perdue, the ambassador to China. The White House later said the U.S. had no plans for such a sale.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

President Xi Jinping of China arriving for a state visit last week. China has the world’s fastest-growing military.
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Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

President Trump made the offer to Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said David Perdue, the ambassador to China. The White House later said the U.S. had no plans for such a sale.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

President Xi Jinping of China arriving for a state visit last week. China has the world’s fastest-growing military.
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USA’s McNulty transcends chaos of Montreal road race to claim ‘miracle’ world title

  • Arizona rider first US champion since Lance Armstrong

  • Pre-race favourite Evenpoel fails to add second gold

Brandon McNulty, a UAE Emirates teammate of Tadej Pogacar, succeeded the Slovene as world champion with an unexpected solo win in the men’s UCI road race in Montreal.

In the biggest triumph of his career, the 28-year-old American took his country’s first win in the UCI’s blue riband event since Lance Armstrong’s lone victory in Oslo in 1993.

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© Photograph: Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrej Ivanov/AFP/Getty Images

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A Growing North Korea Problem

In an interview with The New York Times, South Korea’s president dropped a bold proposal for how to curb North Korea’s nuclear program.

© Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, during an interview earlier this month.
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Blanche defends Trump’s White House media ban: ‘It is a privilege, not a right’

US attorney general argues that president was ‘sick and tired’ of inaccurate reporting by CNN, MS Now and Politico

Donald Trump’s attorney general, Todd Blanche, argued on Sunday that the administration was permitted to ban three news outlets from the White House because “it is a privilege and not a right to be there”.

Appearing on the ABC News program This Week during the second week of the White House’s dispute over press credentialing and access, Blanche also said that the administration took the decision to ban CNN, MS Now and Politico beginning on 19 September because the president was “sick and tired” of what he considered to be those media outlets’ inaccurate reporting.

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© Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

© Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

© Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

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A Transcript From The Times Interview with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada

New York Times journalists pressed the Canadian prime minister about a range of topics in an hourlong interview last week. Here’s a transcript of their conversation.

© Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at The New York Times on Sept. 23, 2026.
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Republican senator criticizes White House for taxpayer-funded Trump ads

John Kennedy pushes back against such spending as pro-Trump ‘public service announcements’ air before midterms

As the White House expands a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign to promote Donald Trump’s political agenda before the November midterm elections, Senator John Kennedy told CBS News on Sunday “there ought to be a rule” against such spending – before tacitly admitting such spending is “probably” illegal.

Kennedy, the US president’s fellow Republican, was asked by Margaret Brennan, the CBS Face the Nation host, about the White House spending to air multiple ads featuring Trump – including one that was produced for his 2024 election campaign.

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© Photograph: White House

© Photograph: White House

© Photograph: White House

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Trump’s 2024 ‘Final Battle’ Ad Returns, Funded by Public Money

The ad, which ethics experts said could violate federal law, shows Mr. Trump vowing to “expel the warmongers” from the government and fight the “deep state,” even as he wages a war with Iran.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump boarding Air Force One in Medinah, Ill., on Sunday.
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Giant Pandas, Icons of China’s Soft Diplomacy, Arrive in Atlanta

A male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang landed on Sunday, days after China’s leader said he would dispatch “envoys of friendship” to the United States.

© Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male panda, at the San Diego Zoo in 2024. Two pandas were sent on Sunday to Zoo Atlanta, bringing the total number of giant pandas in the United States to six.
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Giant Pandas, Icons of China’s Soft Diplomacy, Arrive in Atlanta

A male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang landed on Sunday, days after China’s leader said he would dispatch “envoys of friendship” to the United States.

© Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male panda, at the San Diego Zoo in 2024. Two pandas were sent on Sunday to Zoo Atlanta, bringing the total number of giant pandas in the United States to six.
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Nor’easter storm batters US east coast with heavy winds and power outages

At least one person killed and about 110,500 households still without power from North Carolina to New England

A strong, deadly storm known as a nor’easter battered the US’s east coast over the weekend, bringing power outages, flooding, damaging winds and hazardous ocean conditions.

Trees and power lines were knocked down across the region, at least one person was killed and hundreds of thousands were left without electricity.

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© Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images

© Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images

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Two giant pandas arrive in Atlanta from China after Xi-Trump summit

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to live at Atlanta zoo in Georgia as part of loan deal between Chinese and US governments

Two giant pandas from China arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday morning as part of an agreement between the Chinese and American governments.

While in Washington DC for a three-day summit with Donald Trump, Chinese president Xi Jinping announced that the pandas would arrive in Atlanta in the coming days. The loan of the pandas to the Atlanta zoo was one of the few concrete outcomes to come out of Xi’s state visit with the US president, which saw expressions of goodwill between the leaders, but no fixes to any of the longstanding differences between the two countries.

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© Photograph: FedEx/AP

© Photograph: FedEx/AP

© Photograph: FedEx/AP

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Iran Still Awaits ‘Official’ U.S. Response Despite Trump’s Rebuff of Cease-Fire Offer

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said a history of contradictory messaging meant that President Trump’s rejection might not be a final position.

© Lexi Parra/The New York Times

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, at the United Nations in New York on Friday.
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Grizzly reality: US states grapple with uptick in encounters between bears and humans

Bears are increasingly entering places where humans live in the US, forcing wildlife workers to make tough decisions

Dan Thompson, supervisor of the large carnivore section of the Wyoming game and fish department, enjoys the field work of capturing mountain lions, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears to study them.

“I have always been personally intrigued with carnivores and their role throughout any ecosystem,” Thompson said. “I actually feel very fortunate to get paid to do what we do.”

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© Photograph: Amber Baeslar for The Washington Post via Getty Images

© Photograph: Amber Baeslar for The Washington Post via Getty Images

© Photograph: Amber Baeslar for The Washington Post via Getty Images

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White House Claim of Finding $250 Billion in Fraud Uses Questionable Numbers

Par : Linda Qiu
The ledger used by a task force created by President Trump is difficult to verify and includes cases that were identified and went to trial during the Biden administration.

© Shelby Tauber for The New York Times

Some of the numbers Vice President JD Vance and his task force have promoted are either overstated or lack specificity.
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Bill Gates says unchecked AI could ‘cause a billion deaths’ in call for regulation

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist speaks with NBC’s Kristen Welker in interview airing on Sunday

Bill Gates has called on the US’s federal legislators and law enforcers to regulate the development of artificial intelligence (AI), saying in an interview airing on Sunday that the technology left unchecked could cause “a billion deaths” and “no one thinks self-regulation is enough”.

“You need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like,” the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist said to Kristen Welker, the NBC Meet the Press host. “And that has to be a required thing.”

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© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

© Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

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The Surprising Reasons China Is Skeptical of A.I. Safety Calls

Par : Lily Kuo
In China, A.I. doomsday warnings can feel distinctly Western or like a ploy to stop Chinese A.I. companies from trying to overtake their U.S. rivals.

© Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

For many in China, A.I. doomsday warnings feel remote and distinctly Western.
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Recreational Aerial Craft Become Weapons in Myanmar’s War

Years after a coup, the military is increasingly using motorized paragliders and gyrocopters to bomb towns and villages in rebel-held territory.
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Trump Promotes Criticism of Republican Who Broke With Him on Immigration

The president amplified negative social media comments about Representative María Elvira Salazar of Florida, a move that drew a rebuke from at least one Republican.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Representative María Elvira Salazar in May.
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Trump Rejects Iran’s Cease-Fire Proposal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

The president said the deal was not “acceptable” and demurred on whether he would restart military strikes after the midterm elections.

© Lexi Parra/The New York Times

President Trump threatened Iran in a speech on the first day of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
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Trump Rejects Iran’s Cease-Fire Proposal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

The president said the deal was not “acceptable” and demurred on whether he would restart military strikes after the midterm elections.

© Lexi Parra/The New York Times

President Trump threatened Iran in a speech on the first day of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
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‘Traffic is going to get a lot worse’: San Francisco Bay Area faces potential death spiral of transit system

A marvel of engineering and a model of sustainability, Bart has been financially distressed since the Covid pandemic

A marvel of engineering and a model of sustainable public transportation, the San Francisco Bay Area’s transit system, financially distressed after years of declined ridership, is now staring down a fiscal cliff – and a potential death spiral that would have massive repercussions for everyone in the globally influential metropolis.

As soon as early 2027, Bay Area Rapid Transit could be forced to close as many as 15 stations, reduce frequency of service by 63%, increase the cost of rides and parking fees by 30% and end all service at 9pm. If service becomes less frequent and more expensive, there will be fewer commuters, less fare revenue and a downward cascade of financial austerity with ripple effects for all Bay Area residents, not just those who use public transit regularly.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

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In Coastal Towns, the Nor’easter Upended Wedding Plans

Across the northeast, couples were forced to postpone, relocate or cancel weddings they planned to hold outdoors this weekend.

© Gabriela Herman for The New York Times

Couples across New England have been hastily rearranging their planned outdoor weddings ahead of this weekend’s storm.
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A Tetris-Like Maze Blocks Protests in Pakistan’s Capital

Pakistani authorities have barricaded Islamabad with more than 1,500 shipping containers to stop opposition protesters, choking off access to the capital.

© Asim Hafeez for The New York Times

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At Summit, Xi Sought to Tilt Trump’s Stance on America’s Place in Asia

In his talks with President Trump, the Chinese leader used praise, warnings and wartime history to challenge American support for Taiwan and Japan.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

Xi Jinping, China’s leader, and President Trump during a welcoming ceremony at the White House on Thursday.
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Trump Proposes $810 Million in Education and Health Cuts, Defying Congress

The attempted clawback represents the second time in as many years that the White House has sought to cancel funding approved by lawmakers.

© Salwan Georges for The New York Times

White House rescissions appear to target pots of funding that have the weakest constituencies on Capitol Hill, including $25 million of $52 million appropriated for migrant students.
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30 College Students Splattered With Condiments and Liquids in Hazing, Police Say

Two University of Wisconsin-Madison students face charges of suspicion of hazing in the episode, which happened on Wednesday in a sweltering basement, officials said.

© Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times

An anonymous tip led the police in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday to discover 30 fraternity pledges in a litter-covered basement where the thermostat was set to 81 degrees, officials said.
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Four Beluga Whales Die Weeks After Major Rescue Mission

The belugas were among 30 whales transferred to aquariums in the United States and Spain from a closed marine attraction in Canada.

© Rachel Mittelstaedt/Shedd Aquarium, via Associated Press

A beluga whale named Osiris at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago in August. It was one of four belugas to die after being transferred from a closed marine park in Canada.
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U.S. Rejects U.N. Declaration on Preparing for Future Pandemics

Most member nations spoke in support of the declaration, but some rich countries had strong objections.

© Jim Wilson/The New York Times

The United States rejected a declaration by member countries of the United Nations pledging international collaboration and solidarity in preparing for and responding to pandemics.
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As Xi Leaves Washington, Divisions Still Simmer Beneath the Surface

President Trump welcomed Xi Jinping of China for a state visit that was heavy on pomp and ceremony. But surprisingly little time was spent on the issues that most divide the two superpowers.

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Turning Point USA knew of security concerns yet insisted Charlie Kirk speak outdoors, report says

Par : Maya Yang

According to report, school staff recommended event move to a more secure location weeks before Kirk was fatally shot

A new report says that Turning Point USA insisted the conservative political group’s leader Charlie Kirk speak outdoors at Utah Valley University – where he was ultimately assassinated – despite security concerns raised with his team by the school’s leaders and its police chief.

The independent report with those findings was commissioned by UVU and released on Friday. The report examined security procedures leading up to the 31-year-old’s fatal shooting on 10 September 2025 during a talk at the university’s campus in Orem, Utah.

The Associated Press contributed reporting

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© Photograph: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Reuters

© Photograph: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Reuters

© Photograph: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Reuters

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Carney Seeks New Trade Partners for Canada, But Knows the Limits

Canada’s prime minister is pursuing deeper trade, defense and cultural ties with China, India and the European Union, but none are likely to replace ties to the United States.

© Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

As part of an effort to lessen dependence on the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada has signaled a pivot toward trading partners in Europe and Asia.
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China’s Xi Snubs a Troubled U.N. for Trump, Overshadowing Its Big Week

The U.S.-China summit offered a sharp contrast with the action at the faltering United Nations in a gridlocked New York.

© Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China standing together outside the White House on Friday.
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Beaches Are Disappearing in Southern California as El Niño Bears Down

Beachfront homeowners and beachcombers are watching the sand vanish into the ocean as torrid waves strike the coast.

© John Francis Peters for The New York Times

Powerful swells this year have swallowed beaches and damaged homes in parts of Southern California.
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