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A powerful nor'easter is pounding the Atlantic seaboard this morning, threatening millions with major coastal flooding and damaging wind gusts. Norfolk, Virginia is already seeing water in the streets, with storm chasers filing live from flooded neighborhoods. Coastal communities from the Mid-Atlantic into New England are under the gun through the weekend.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to immediately reinstate hard-pass credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The order runs 14 days, and the judge found the outlets likely to prevail on the merits. Trump had announced the ban last week, saying the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES."
Chinese President Xi Jinping toured the National Archives with President Trump after morning tea at the White House, capping a three-day state visit focused on tariffs, rare earths and fentanyl. The summit follows earlier understandings in which Beijing paused planned rare-earth export controls and pledged tougher fentanyl enforcement in exchange for tariff relief. Taiwan arms sales and alleged Chinese intelligence support for Iran hung over the talks.
S&P Global's flash PMI jumped to 58.4 in September from 56 in August — the strongest reading in 62 months — with the chief economist calling US business "clearly booming." The S&P 500 is hovering near its August record around 7,780, up roughly 13 percent on the year, helped by softer crude. The catch: the 10-year Treasury yield just hit a 19-year high, and gas is sitting near $4.15 a gallon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a mass walkout at the UN General Assembly — Israeli officials counted 77 delegations absent or departing — and fired straight back from the podium. He predicted Iran's "evil regime will fall," vowed "we're going to win," and accused governments condemning Israel publicly of thanking it privately. Iran's delegation left a photo of slain Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani behind on their seats.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, mediators shuttled between American and Iranian delegations on a phased arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US naval blockade in exchange for sanctions relief and returned assets. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told Fox News he'd be willing to dilute Iran's enriched uranium while blaming Washington for the war. Trump is betting economic pressure works better than more strikes, for now.
Saudi air defenses shot down six ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, aimed at the cities of Taif and Yanbu. Yanbu is a major Red Sea energy hub, making the target choice a direct swipe at Saudi oil infrastructure. It's the clearest sign yet that the Iran conflict is spilling across the Arabian Peninsula.
Merck and Moderna's personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, paired with Keytruda cut melanoma recurrence or death by 49 percent in five-year follow-up data. The shot is built from mutations found in each patient's own tumor, teaching the immune system exactly what to hunt. Researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns; a phase 3 confirmation trial is underway.
Archaeologists in Roskilde, Denmark used ground-penetrating radar ahead of an underground parking project and turned up St. Clare's Convent, a massive 13th-century complex missing for centuries. The site had been sitting under a soccer pitch the whole time. It's a showcase for how non-invasive survey tech is rewriting what we think we know about European town centers.
Thursday night's state dinner for Xi Jinping served a squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass with bok choy, and a vanilla crémeux finished with ice cream made from White House honey — harvested from the First Lady's own South Lawn beehive. Conspicuously absent: beef, steak, or red meat of any kind, from a president famous for his fast-food habits. The menu ran essentially pescatarian from start to finish.
