Bragging rights meet battlefield reality as Trump’s peacemaker pitch falls flat at UN: Politico reports Trump appears more interested in claiming victory than dwelling on the details to get there.
Agent Melania: The path from reluctant to ruling first lady: Diplomats and foreign powers believe President Trump’s wife could hold the key to influencing the administration’s foreign policy. Katy Balls
Trump’s pivot toward Ukraine was inevitable: Putin had every chance to make peace. Instead, he escalated the war. You don’t do that to Donald Trump. Marc A. Thiessen
Tusk issues stark reality check about Trump’s pro-Ukraine pivot: Politico reports the US president’s words actually mean he might be done with Kyiv, Poland’s prime minister warns.
‘They’re encircled, and we’ll wait until they surrender, withdraw or die’: Ukrainian troops surround hundreds of Russian infantrymen, restoring hope after a brutal summer and, they say, swaying Trump in their favour. The Times
AP: Russian warplanes detected flying near Alaska for ninth time this year, US military says
Bloomberg: Europeans privately tell Russia they’re ready to shoot down jets
NATO states should shoot down intruding Russian jets, says Mark Rutte: The Times reports NATO’s secretary-general says he agrees with President Trump after a series of incidents over European airspace.
Danish authorities say 'professional actor' behind drone airport disruptions: Le Monde reports drones were seen on Wednesday and Thursday at Danish airports in Aalborg, Esbjerg, Sonderborg and the Skrydstrup air base before leaving, police said.
Drones seen at 4 more Danish airports in ‘systematic’ attack: FT reports an airfield used by military shut down for several hours as Europe remains on alert over airspace violations.
Xi climate speech highlights China's push for global leadership: Beijing sees opening as US under Trump shuns international cooperation. Nikkei
Chinese premier signalsdDesire for stable US ties: WSJ reports Li Qiang, China’s No. 2-ranking official, urged US executives in a New York visit to help maintain a fragile detente between Beijing and Washington.
Xi hails China's 'correct' rule of Xinjiang in face of global criticism: Nikkei reports the Chinese leader's visit marks 70 years of region's autonomous status.
Why Xi Jinping now accepts Kim Jong Un at the grown-ups’ table: China is grudgingly mending ties with North Korea. Economist
Hong Kong airport in talks with 20 global airlines to launch flights to city.
Microsoft disables some cloud services used by Israel’s defense ministry: WSJ reports the software company found ministry used the services to surveil Gaza citizens.
‘Palestine is ours,’ Abbas tells UN General Assembly: NYT reports Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, vowed that his people “will not leave our land.” His address came days after 10 Western countries joined 150 other nations in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Trump assures Arab leaders he won’t allow West Bank annexation, officials say: NYT reports after more countries recognized a Palestinian state, President Trump told Mideast and Muslim powers that he would not permit Israel to annex the territory, people familiar with the matter said.
Trump presents new Gaza peace plan to Arab and Muslim leaders: FT reports it is unclear if Israel will accept permanent ceasefire proposal that includes limited role for Palestinian Authority.
Could Tony Blair run Gaza? Many are vying to run the devastated territory. Economist
Saudi Arabia aims to work with Asian countries on AI: investment minister: Al-Falih highlights kingdom's low energy costs and access to Middle East and Africa. Nikkei
Chinese lobbyists must register jobs by Wednesday amid spy concerns: The Times reports Dan Jarvis, the UK security minister, says all state backed consultants could be jailed if they fail to sign the foreign influence registration scheme.
UK defense pledge to fundamentally alter British state, IFS says: Bloomberg reports delivering the UK government's pledge to lift defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product would require cuts to other services equivalent to eliminating all spending on police, border force, courts, and prisons, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said.
The Reform UK-leaning areas where Labour will pump in millions: We map the constituencies that Labour has marked for its Plan for Neighbourhoods scheme to defeat Nigel Farage at the ballot box. The Times
Digital ID cards to be compulsory for British workers under PM’s plan: Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal would be part of efforts to tackle illegal migration by verifying right to live and work in UK. The Times
Trump wades into bailout politics in offering a lifeline to Argentina: A $20 billion loan to support Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, could come with economic and political risks. NYT
Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals: The Pentagon has summoned military officials from around the world for a gathering in Virginia. Even top generals and their staffs don’t know the reason for the meeting. WP
Hegseth is said to have summoned US military brass from around the globe: The unusual directive, without a stated reason, came after the defense secretary fired several top officers and ordered a reduction in four-star officers. NYT
ABC: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted days after Trump demanded his DOJ move 'now' to prosecute enemies
James Comey indicted on false statement charges: WSJ reports the federal prosecution against the former FBI director comes days after Trump pressured the attorney general to bring the case.
Justice Dept. official pushes prosecutors to investigate George Soros’s foundation: NYT reports the directive suggests department leaders are following orders from the president, a major break from decades of past practice meant to insulate the agency from political interference.
Former FBI director James Comey indicted amid Trump push to prosecute foes: WP reports Comey faces two counts in connection with allegations that he lied to Congress. A grand jury declined to indict him on a third count sought by prosecutors. He has denied wrongdoing.
Trump gets his Comey indictment: The president’s nemesis has been charged. A conviction won’t be so easy. WP-Editorial
The H-1B visa needs surgery, not a sledgehammer: The administration’s $100,000 fee for high-skilled immigration visas could devastate businesses. WP-Editorial
Trump signs order advancing TikTok deal, in boost to corporate allies: WP reports the deal would create an American version of the popular video app owned by some of the president’s wealthiest supporters.
Bloomberg: Trump signs TikTok order with US app valued at $14 billion
US strikes deal with Musk’s xAI in sign of rapprochement with Trump: Contract agreed just days after the president and his billionaire backer met at memorial for Charlie Kirk. FT
CNBC: Ken Griffin knocks Trump’s corporate deals, says ‘all of us lose’ when government starts picking winners
Trump says he'll use tariff revenue to bail out farmers: Politico reports Hill Republicans and powerful agriculture lobbying groups have been pressuring the administration to deliver some kind of farm aid.
Trump says he wants to give aid to struggling farmers: NYT reports the president said some revenue from tariffs would go to crop farmers, but the agriculture secretary said a plan wasn’t yet ready.
China bought $12.6 billion in US soybeans last year. Now, it’s $0. NYT reports China stopped buying soybeans from America in May, placing a retaliatory tariff on the bumper crop after President Trump increased levies on goods from China.
Bloomberg: Trump plans 100% tariff on brand drugs unless US Plants underway
+ Trump announced new industry-specific tariffs targeting heavy trucks, kitchen cabinets, and bathroom vanities, as well as upholstered furniture.
Rare-earth prices soar beyond China restrictions as US hoards magnet metals: Nikkei reports used in EVs, neodymium-praseodymium hits highest level since 2023.
Justice Department sues six states seeking private voter data: NYT reports the Trump administration has been increasingly focused on an effort to bolster President Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. More than 30 states have received requests for information.
Democrats dig in on shutdown stance after White House threatens to fire workers: WSJ reports Republicans want short-term deal to keep government open, while Democrats seek healthcare funds.
Democrats dig in on shutdown after White House layoff threat: Politico reports multiple lawmakers weighed in Thursday to say they would not be cowed. GOP leaders were quieter.
Democratic anger at their own party fuels 2026 primaries: NBC reports that with the party's image at record lows and declining even among Democratic voters, candidates for Senate see an opening to win by positioning themselves against leaders.
Why some Democratic Senate candidates are saying ‘hell no’ to Schumer: Across the country, candidates are putting space between themselves and the Senator amid a growing appetite for newer leaders waging aggressive fights against Trump. WP
Charlie Kirk and the new Christian GOP: Religious conservatives were part of the Reagan coalition but are far more central to the party now. Peggy Noonan
Oklahoma education chief who promoted Bibles in schools will resign: NYT reports Ryan Walters had drawn criticism from liberals and conservatives alike over his push to place Bibles in classrooms and bring more prayer into public schools.
The MAGA media takeover: Trump and his powerful friends are creating a dangerous moment for free speech. David Karpf
Donald Trump is trying to silence his critics. He will fail: But the country could still lose. Economist
Epstein’s emails reveal his elite supporters as investigators closed in Bloomberg
Bloomberg: The LA fires destroyed 11,000 homes. Less than 10% have permits to rebuild
Auto industry is flashing a warning sign on US economy: WSJ reports CarMax, the biggest seller of used cars, said that sales and profit plunged in the latest quarter. Its shares closed down 20%.
Bosch to cut 13,000 jobs in blow to Germany's auto industry: Le Monde reports the cuts represent about 10% of Bosch's total workforce in the country, and 3% of its staff worldwide. Workers' representatives vowed to resist the cuts, labelling them 'unprecedented.'
Toyota launches Woven City project site to test self-driving: Nikkei reports Daikin, Nissin, and other Japanese companies join the experimental community in central Japan.
Amazon reaches $2.5 billion settlement over allegations it misled Prime users: WSJ reports the agreement requires the e-commerce giant to give money back to customers and change its subscription practices.
Amazon will refund Prime subscribers to settle claims that it deceived consumers: WP reports the refunds are part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that Amazon tricked people into signing up for the shipping service and made it difficult to cancel. The settlement is one of the largest in US history.
The future of war? AI fighter jets trained in a matter of hours: Europe’s first uncrewed AI fighter jet, which beat human pilots in simulations, could be set for deployment within five years. The Times
Bloomberg: David Einhorn sees ‘tremendous’ capital losses from AI spending
San Francisco's comeback is fueled by AI giants: Le Monde reports San Francisco's new mayor, Daniel Lurie, boasts about the city's falling crime rate, the return of residents and tourists, and its rise as a hub for artificial intelligence, though he admits problems remain.
OpenAI is upping the ante massively: Calculated display of self-confidence is intended to signal it is still leading the charge to superintelligence. Richard Waters
Accenture to ‘exit’ staff who cannot be retrained for age of AI: FT reports the group details $865mn restructuring programme and outlook reflecting sluggish corporate demand for consulting projects.
AI coding start-ups reap $7.5bn wave of investment: FT reports Sequoia, NEA, and Nvidia invest $50mn in Factory in bet software engineering will be critical application for the tech.
Google DeepMind unveils new robotics AI model that can sort laundry: FT reports new technology advances reasoning capabilities in general-purpose machines in push to make them more useful.
Million-year-old Chinese skull may rewrite human evolution theory: Discovery of the Yunxian 2 skull challenges the view that humans first evolved in Africa, hinting Homo sapiens may have appeared 400,000 years earlier in Asia. The Times
The misunderstood genius of Taylor Swift: More than just a pop star, she’s a great songwriter who proves that mass appeal and lyrical subtlety can go together. WSJ
Why Britain’s top comedians are headlining a festival in Saudi Arabia: The Riyadh Comedy Festival opens this weekend with a bill of starry UK and US stand-ups — who are being paid handsomely ‘to look the other way.’ The Times
Paul Thomas Anderson's epic race across a divided America in 'One Battle After Another': Le Monde reports the filmmaker explores the extremist drift in the United States today in his new film, loosely adapted from Thomas Pynchon's novel 'Vineland.'
Milan Fashion Week: Gucci stages Demna's debut: Le Monde reports a palazzo turned into a movie theater, a short film and a parade of celebrities: The Florentine fashion house masterfully orchestrated its new creative director's arrival on the opening day of the Spring-Summer 2026 Women's collections.
Climber shuns bottled oxygen in historic Everest mission with skis: The Times reports Andrzej Bargiel has become the first person to climb then ski down the world’s highest mountain without the aid.
Why Israel faces no sanctions from international sports bodies, unlike Russia: Le Monde reports Israeli teams, clubs, and athletes continue to participate in international competitions, despite mounting calls for their exclusion. Independent UN experts urged FIFA and UEFA to impose sanctions on Tuesday.
New England Patriots valued at $9bn as sport deal flurry continues: FT reports Sixth Street and US financier Dean Metropoulos buying 8 percent stake in Robert Kraft’s NFL team.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
A11. | September 26
