Welcome! Less than 40% of electric school buses purchased under a multibillion-dollar Biden-era program have been delivered.
‼️ NEWS: White House still blocks some reporters despite judge’s order lifting Trump ban - CNBC
🇨🇳 HAPPENING NOW: Trump Greets Xi at White House - NYT
🔥 MUST READ: What No One Will Tell You About Xi Summit - Leland Vittert
⛈️ WEATHER: East Coast eyes strengthening nor’easter already battering Mid-Atlantic shores - CNN
➡️ NOTABLE: NRSC Chair Tim Scott leaves Georgia, North Carolina off his list of top Senate targets - Politico
🎟️ GET YOUR TICKETS: It’s the Not Safe For Radio show, things not safe to say on radio, not safe in front of kids or my mom, but a ton of fun stories on an off-the-record night, October 10th at the Gas South District / Gas South Theater, great hotel on site, tickets are on sale now.
👂 The Show Notes is my blueprint for radio but is only for subscribers. You can subscribe and listen here.
With less than 40 days until Election Day, the disparity in ad reservations between Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaigns is jaw-dropping for a race that most polls have within or near the margin of error.
Jackson has nearly $32 million in reserved ads after 9/28, while Bottoms has $0.
Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing serious allegations after a New York Times investigation detailed what former aides described as years of angry outbursts, profane attacks, and abusive behavior behind the scenes.
The Times interviewed nine former staff members and reviewed text messages and other records. One former aide said Peltola shoved a male staffer in the chest during a 2024 confrontation, an account corroborated by two others who said they were told about the incident at the time. Peltola’s campaign disputes that account, saying she accidentally bumped the aide.
Four former staffers also told the Times they heard Peltola say the word “faggot” over the years, sometimes referring to members of her own staff. Her campaign denies the allegation. The Times also reviewed a text in which Peltola used the word “retarded” which her campaign says she regrets using.
The allegations come after a staff shake-up just before Alaska’s primary last month. Peltola declined an interview with the Times and did not answer reporters’ questions about the story Wednesday night.
Javier Milei just blasted the United Nations… at the United Nations.
The Chinese government has taken possession of potentially sensitive F-35 stealth aircraft parts that were inexplicably diverted to Hong Kong while being sent to the US from Australia, people briefed on the incident said.
UPS was shipping a cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from an Australian military F-35 that was being sent to the US for inspection and possible repair or disposal in late May, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters.
Both parts, supplied by Lockheed Martin Corp., were coated with radar-absorbing material that enhances their stealth capabilities, two of the people said.
Full story at Bloomberg (paywall).
A global bond selloff is intensifying, pushing U.S. borrowing costs to levels not seen in nearly two decades.
Details: The 30-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest level since 2004, while the benchmark 10-year yield — a major influence on mortgage rates — reached its highest level since July 2007. The selloff has also spread overseas, hitting bond markets in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and emerging economies.
Impact: For American consumers, the pain is showing up most clearly in housing. Thirty-year mortgage rates are back above 7%, putting additional pressure on affordability and increasingly forcing sellers to cut prices or offer concessions to get deals done.
Bloombergreports that nearly one in five homes for sale saw a price cut in August, the highest share for that month in Redfin data going back to 2020. Another 45% of August sales included some form of seller concession.Homes are also sitting on the market longer. The typical property now takes 50 days to sell, while the number of homes for sale has climbed to 1.5 million — up 46% from 2023.
The Trump administration is running into a wall of opposition over the idea of restricting U.S. diesel exports.
More than 30 energy, manufacturing and business groups — including the American Petroleum Institute, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufacturers — are urging Trump to back off. That puts much of the U.S. energy industry and two of the country’s most powerful business associations publicly against the White House on energy policy — a striking split for a Republican administration.
The backlash follows reports that the administration was considering a 90-day diesel export ban to bring down domestic prices. The White House has denied that a flat ban is under consideration, while Energy Secretary Chris Wright has warned that export limits could backfire by forcing refiners to cut production.
The industry’s argument is simple: restricting exports may sound like a way to boost supply at home, but it could instead mean less diesel, less gasoline and higher prices.
The conventional wisdom is that Chinese leader Xi Jinping meets President Trump today from a position of strength.
The conventional wisdom is wrong.
Yes, China is flooding foreign markets with cutting-edge electric cars at knockdown prices, its robots are beating human sprinters and its AI is nipping at the heels of top American labs. But that technological wizardry isn’t translating into a better life for Chinese citizens.
Retail sales are a decent barometer of how the typical household is doing and the message is grim: Adjusted for inflation, China’s retail sales fell 0.4% in August from a year earlier. They grew 2.6% in the U.S., and are also up in Japan, Canada, even Western Europe. China’s economy is K-shaped, with capital investment rising in high tech but declining almost everywhere else. Underemployment is pervasive.
Full story at WSJ (free).
Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon says “this is not about three letters” amid DSA criticism -
CBSClaims for unemployment benefits drop to 197,000, the lowest since mid-July as layoffs remain rare -
APOpenAI’s agents breached Australian government data. Its human response may do more damage. -
PoliticoInside China’s mind on AI -
AxiosFlock Safety weighs selling itself -
SEMAFORMore than 167,000 pounds of meat recalled nationwide -
ABCParamount weighs tapping Musk for equity investment -
SEMAFOR
For years, I’ve warned about the dangers of big banks using the financial system to push political agendas. But thanks to Consumers’ Research and the Open Banking Rule, consumers have access to more competitive banking options than ever before. That’s why I’m proud to stand with Consumers’ Research as they fight to keep you in charge of your financial future, not big banks that discriminate against conservatives and crush competition. Learn more about their work here.
For years, my friends at the American Energy Institute sounded the alarm on the progressive war on affordable energy. But thanks to the Trump administration’s commitment to safe, reliable nuclear energy, America’s energy future is brighter than ever. That’s why I am partnering with my friends at American Energy Institute to drive economic prosperity through abundant, affordable, and reliable energy for everyone. Learn more about the bright future of American energy here.
