Telegraph: Hamas response to Trump’s Gaza plan ‘could take days’
Accept peace deal or pay in hell, Trump warns Hamas: The Times reports a big decision looms for Hamas as the US president issues a stark ultimatum. The group faces severe consequences if it rejects a 20-point peace plan.
With new US proposal to end Gaza War, a rare moment of triumph for Netanyahu: In President Trump’s plan, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got almost everything he hoped for in the end, despite mounting international isolation. NYT
How Donald Trump’s Gaza deal came together: The hurried diplomacy and backroom arm-twisting that shaped the White House plan. FT
ST: Netanyahu is happy with Trump’s Gaza peace plan, but will Hamas bite?
A big majority of Israelis support Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan: Economist reports that Binyamin Netanyahu hopes he can use this to his political advantage.
Israeli far right hits out at Benjamin Netanyahu over US-backed Gaza peace deal: FT reports finance minister Bezalel Smotrich describes proposal as ‘resounding diplomatic failure’ that will ‘end in tears.’
Keir Starmer used his conference speech to welcome the US and Israeli peace plan for Gaza and won huge applause in the conference hall for his recent move in recognizing Palestine.
Bloomberg: Blair’s return in Gaza role drives wedge into wary Labour Party
Britain’s leader promised to defeat populism. So far, he’s losing. Keir Starmer was billed as a European litmus test for pragmatism over populism. After a year in office, he trails in the polls. WSJ
Farage is a snake oil merchant who does not like Britain, says PM: The Times reports Starmer used his Labour Party conference speech to accuse the Reform UK leader of pursuing ‘the politics of grievance’ with racist policies.
Memo for Labour: Globalisation is good, actually: This government is in many ways the party returned to its factory settings. But the product was faulty in the first place. Stephen Bush
Meloni's deficit reduction masks Italy's struggling economy: Le Monde reports while Rome boasts of ratings agencies upgrading its public debt, Italy's economy continues to suffer from sluggish growth, anemic productivity, persistent poverty and a continuing brain drain.
How Europe can strike back at Putin without starting World War Three: As Russian drones and fighter jets test NATO’s resolve, the West gears up to defend itself. Roland Oliphant
NATO's new engagement rules mark a turning point in response to Russian incursions: By opening the door on Tuesday, September 23, to shooting down Russian fighter jets that violate the Alliance's airspace, NATO allies have moved beyond supporting Ukraine with weapons and intelligence from behind the front lines. Le Monde
The flashing red threat from Russia’s dark fleet: NATO navies struggle to contain a new danger on the seas. Economist
Germany jails Chinese spy, marking new low in China-Europe relations: WSJ reports Europeans are growing skeptical about Beijing’s interest in solving a series of economic and political disputes between the two blocs.
Germany: Ex-AfD aide convicted of spying for China: DW reports a former assistant to far-right lawmaker Maximilian Krah has been jailed for nearly five years for working with Chinese intelligence. The court said Jian Guo passed on sensitive EU documents and spied on dissidents.
China’s Communist Party replaces senior diplomat: WSJ reports Liu Jianchao is latest to be caught up in leader Xi Jinping’s disciplinary purges.
Saudi comedy festival draws big names and backlash: Human rights advocates and some comics say the festival, at which Bill Burr, Louis CK, Dave Chappelle, and Kevin Hart are performing, whitewashes abuses. WP
South African ambassador to France found dead: FT reports former police minister Nkosinathi Emmanuel Mthethwa had been named in corruption allegations this month.
A world with two predatory superpowers: Nations must work out how to contend with Trump’s America and China. Martin Wolf
Can the West survive an age of brinkmanship? It is time to relearn the cold-war arts of escalation management. Economist
Trump, Hegseth lecture military leaders in rare, politically charged summit: WP reports the hastily organized event became a forum for the president to tout his political agenda while his defense secretary lectured the brass on standards.
Trump and Hegseth recount familiar partisan complaints to top military leaders: The US generals and admirals summoned from around the world had been given little information about the planned event. NYT
Hundreds of officers. Two long hours of political theater. WJ Hennigan
‘Could have been an email’: Officials balk at Hegseth's generals meeting: The last-minute gathering featured hundreds of senior military officials, who swear an oath to the Constitution, attending something more akin to a campaign rally. Politico
Hegseth uses rare meeting of generals to announce new military standards: Politico reports he warned commanders who don’t support the changes could leave the service.
NBC: Hegseth says 'no more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression'
Telegraph: Fat generals banned from Trump’s new-look US military
Trump, justifying domestic military action, tells Pentagon leaders to ‘handle’ the ‘enemy from within’: Politico reports the president suggested “dangerous” American cities should be used as Pentagon “training grounds” during a dark and winding 72-minute speech.
Trump tells generals the military will be used to fight ‘enemy within’: WSJ reports president says some US cities he considers dangerous should become training grounds for American troops.
Donald Trump says US cities should be used as military ‘training grounds’: FT reports defence secretary Pete Hegseth also tells admirals and generals they must restore ‘warrior ethos.’
Donald Trump tries to enlist the top brass for “the war from within”: A gathering of generals turns into a surreal, and worrying, political show. Economist
Trump says not winning Nobel would be 'insult' to US: Le Monde reports Trump's administration recently listed the seven wars it said he has ended: Cambodia and Thailand; Kosovo and Serbia; the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda; Pakistan and India; Israel and Iran; Egypt and Ethiopia; and Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trump said that if the Gaza plan works out, 'we'll have eight in eight months.'
Trump says government shutdown likely as no last-minute deal emerges: WSJ reports funding will lapse at 12:01 am Wednesday unless Congress passes a stopgap spending bill.
Bloomberg: Democrats leverage US shutdown to try to dent Trump’s dominance
Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries face a big leadership test in the shutdown fight: NBC News reports some Democrats are still furious with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for caving in the last shutdown fight, while his House counterpart, Hakeem Jeffries, is relatively untested.
The Hill: Fetterman: Shutdown ‘would be the ideal outcome for Project 2025’
The Hill: Republicans refuse to swear in newly elected Democrat, delaying success of Epstein petition
Trump announces deal with Pfizer to lower drug prices, new ‘TrumpRx’ website: WP reports the White House has been pursuing efforts to lower US drug costs by linking them to the cheaper prices paid abroad.
KMUW: Kansas sorghum farmers will have their biggest yield in years. But tariffs killed the market
#farmageddon
Tariffs mean you pay more for worse products: Even if America could make as much coffee as Colombia, it wouldn’t be nearly as flavorful. Scott Burns + Caleb S. Fuller
US vows to maintain tariffs regardless of Supreme Court ruling: Jamieson Greer says Trump administration has other ways to impose levies if use of emergency powers is struck down. FT
The man behind Trump’s push for an all-powerful presidency: Russell T. Vought spent years drawing up plans to expand presidential power and shrink federal bureaucracy. Now he is moving closer to making that vision a reality, threatening to erode checks and balances. NYT
Why Trump is going for Soros: The philanthropist is as close as the world’s strongmen get to a cross-border demon. Edward Luce
Americans view Trump, Vance and congressional leaders in both parties more negatively than positively Pew
+ 58% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Trump, while 40% have a favorable view. This is identical to his approval rating.
+ 51% of Americans view Vance unfavorably, while 40% see him favorably. Another 8% say they have never heard of him.
After volatile summer, Trump’s approval remains low but stable, poll finds: A new Times/Siena survey shows the president retaining the support of nine out of 10 GOP voters, even as the government races toward a shutdown on Wednesday. NYT
How Zohran Mamdani built a campaign around food: The front-runner for New York mayor is leveraging his lifelong love of eating to inform his policy plans and spread his message. NYT
The legend of Zohran: NYC’s mayoral candidate has Kennedy-like charisma, a global profile, and nepo baby instincts. He is also a proud democratic socialist who has both Donald Trump and the left-wing establishment in a lather. Is Zohran Mamdani the future of American politics—or a fantasy? Vanity Fair
With Mamdani, Republicans should be careful of what they wish for Chris Stirewalt
‘AI for America’ wants to be a New Deal for workers and communities. But it needs teeth: Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s plan to protect workers amid the AI revolution starts the conversation, but here’s how it could take the fight to the companies building the future at a breakneck pace. FC
‘I have to do it’: Why one of the world’s most brilliant AI scientists left the US for China: In 2020, after spending half his life in the US, Song-Chun Zhu took a one-way ticket to China. Now he might hold the key to who wins the global AI race. Guardian
Top AI researchers leave OpenAI, Google, and Meta for new start-up: Founded by a co-creator of ChatGPT, Periodic Labs aims to build artificial intelligence that can accelerate discoveries in physics, chemistry, and other fields. NYT
AI fighter jets and cockroach spies: Inside the changing business of war: Russia’s war on Ukraine changed the course of a generation of start-ups and investors that have applied a new business model to Europe’s military buildup. NYT
Are AI glasses the next smartphone race between the US and China? Meta Ray-Ban Display and rival devices may make personal AI agents a reality soon. Nikkei
Variety: Emily Blunt calls AI actress Tilly Norwood ‘really scary’ and warns Hollywood agencies: ‘Don’t do that’
OpenAI launches video generator app to rival TikTok and YouTube: WSJ reports the company’s new social media app allows users to create short videos with audio from text prompts and insert themselves in AI-generated scenes.
AP: Amazon unveils new generation of devices all powered by AI
Amazon unveiled the latest generation of connected products on Tuesday, featuring enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities designed to make interactions with AI more frequent and natural.
Why Amazon went all-in on balls for its new line of speakers: FC reports three years in the making, Amazon’s new spherical Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max are built to raise the bar of Amazon’s audio quality and usher in the next generation of smart home.
How Nvidia’s Jensen Huang became AI’s global salesman: Chipmaker’s chief is urging countries to build their own AI ecosystems — but using its tech. FT
The murky economics of the data-centre investment boom: How similar is it to the 1990s telecoms bubble? Economist
Will our robot future be Rosey? Or will it look less like ‘The Jetsons’ and more like ‘Desk Set’? Gregg Opelka
Komatsu says autonomous dump trucks carry social impact of $2.4bn: Nikkei reports the Japan construction equipment maker discloses annual nonfinancial figures for first time.
AP: DoorDash is expanding into restaurant reservations and robot deliveries
Daniel Ek, founder of Spotify, to step back from running business: The Times reports Ek will relinquish the day-to-day running of the music streamer to become executive chairman in January.
Elon Musk hit by exodus of senior staff over burnout and politics: Churn at Tesla and xAI comes amid disillusionment with billionaire’s activism, strategic pivots, and mass lay-offs. FT
Shein fails on human rights, wages, and environment, says OECD: The Times reports the Paris-based authority said the Chinese fast-fashion retailer “does not comply” with several of its guidelines related to corporate social responsibility.
Berkshire Hathaway nears $10 billion deal for Occidental’s petrochemical unit: WSJ reports Warren Buffett’s sprawling conglomerate could unveil its largest deal in years in coming days.
Exxon CEO sought security assurance from Mozambique for $30bn project: FT reports US oil major in final stages of deciding whether to go ahead with LNG export terminal amid jihadist insurgency.
This windowless plane is vying to be the private jet of the future: Flexjet to buy 300 business planes from Otto Aerospace. WSJ
A low-cost Icelandic airline suddenly folds, stranding passengers: NYT reports Play Airlines said it was ceasing operations, becoming the second low-cost airline in Iceland to collapse in the last six years.
You can now buy your next car straight from Hertz online: FC reports that with its new e-commerce site, Hertz aims to make direct-to-consumer sales its biggest resale channel.
ABC: Starbucks new protein lattes, protein cold foam now on menus
Why whiskey collectors are flocking to Unicorn’s $125 million marketplace: Unicorn’s logistics web—vans, vaults, and verification—has created a $125M marketplace for spirits collectors. FC
The $400 million restaurant man: Stephen Starr has become one of America’s most successful restaurateurs, making and replicating dining magic at places like Pastis and Osteria Mozza. NYT
The invention of Jane Birkin, French girl: In an excerpt from her new Birkin biography, ‘It Girl,’ Marisa Meltzer marks the moment when a 16-year-old Brit began her ascent toward becoming the ultimate French style icon. WSJ
The world’s most influential rising stars Time
Bad news, America. The numbers say we’re getting another Yankees-Dodgers World Series. Baseball’s most prestigious teams haven’t had the best of seasons. But the odds say they’re poised for a Fall Classic rematch for one simple reason: They both hit a ton of home runs. WSJ
Yahoo: Lynx star Napheesa Collier calls out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, calls for more consistent officiating
+ Collier: 'We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world."
Napheesa Collier reveals shocking Caitlin Clark conversation with WNBA commissioner: SI reports Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier had a lot to say about WNBA leadership in a prepared statement during her exit interview.
MAGA-tinged melee casts a shadow over the Ryder Cup: Vulgarities and beer were tossed about at this year’s golf competition staged in New York. Sujeet Indap
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
A11. | October 1
