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The Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Department of Homeland Security can use its expanded SAVE system — which cross-references Social Security records against voter rolls — while the case moves through appeal. The administration says it's a tool to remove non-citizens from voter registration lists. Practical impact on the November midterms is limited, since most states can't purge rolls within 90 days of an election.
The University of Michigan's final September sentiment index came in at 48.1, down roughly 7 percent from August and nearly 13 percent year over year. Year-ahead inflation expectations jumped to 4.6 percent from 4.0, the highest since June. Meanwhile the 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.2 percent today, its highest since 2007, with the 30-year near 5.5 percent.
Xi Jinping's first Washington visit in more than a decade closed with the Busan trade detente extended from November 10 to January 10. Treasury Secretary Bessent framed the extension as runway for a broader deal while Washington presses Beijing on existing commitments. The two sides also agreed to stand up a Board of Trade proposal and open a formal AI dialogue — with Taiwan, rare earths, and Chinese support for Iran hanging over the room.
Governor Mikie Sherrill is publicly demanding the resignation of Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell after an investigation substantiated sexual harassment allegations plus two ethics violations. It's a rare intra-administration break at the very top of a state ticket. Caldwell has not yet stepped down.
Iranian mediators submitted a plan to the White House to begin talks on reopening the strait inside seven days, with nuclear negotiations the day after — contingent on the US lifting oil sanctions, ending the war on all fronts including Lebanon, and releasing some frozen assets. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed the offer Thursday. Crude prices slid Friday on reports of US-Iran side talks at the UN.
Before the Israeli prime minister said a word, 77 delegations streamed out of the General Assembly hall. Netanyahu opened anyway: "If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now." Outside, more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested blocking a Manhattan street, including actress Susan Sarandon and a New York City Council member.
After meeting Trump on the UN sidelines, Ukraine's president said the US has decided to grant Kyiv a production license for Patriot missiles — something Zelensky has pressed for over months. Separately, the White House has floated a three-way technical-level meeting with Ukrainian and Russian delegations, with the Emirates suggested as a venue.
Stanford researchers have successfully grafted human brain tissue into mice to model complex neurological disorders, and the work has ignited a serious ethics fight. The team reportedly halts experiments once the human cells hit a six-month developmental milestone, specifically to head off questions about consciousness. Critics say the guardrail is arbitrary.
NASA is moving on a plan to announce more than a dozen uncrewed lunar base missions by year's end, with the first three targeted to launch before 2026 closes. The agency calls it the groundwork for humanity's first permanent outpost beyond Earth. The recently completed Artemis II flight validated the capability set the base plan depends on.
A Memphis man who confronted someone stealing his vehicle fired at the thief, missed, and is now charged with seven felony counts. The thief's legal exposure is considerably lighter. The case has become a flashpoint over how self-defense statutes collide with reckless-endangerment charges when the shots don't land.
