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Is Trump’s AI obsession walking the world into disaster?
Jonathan Freedland speaks to Guardian US tech editor Blake Montgomery about the calls for a slowdown in artificial intelligence, and why President Trump is not moved by the doomsday predictions | Politics Weekly America
Lancaster County public sales: Sept. 18, 2026
Kline, Kreider & Good Auctioneers, of Bowmansville, conducted a public auction of real estate Aug. 11 for Norman G. and Eunice B. Hoover at 765 Glenwood Drive, Ephrata. A farmhouse,
Analysis | Congress is getting older, and Americans aren’t happy
This was a significant week in the debate about aging politicians.
Louisiana prepares to pay more to its remaining private Medicaid plans
The Louisiana Department of Health has proposed new, larger contract extensions for the four health insurance companies that will remain a part of the Medicaid program. The deals were shared with state lawmakers Thursday and will follow the exit of two private companies that are leaving the state — and up to 580,000 enrollees — by the end of the year.
Congress has failed to regulate AI for years – and there’s little sign that’s changing
In December 2024, a bipartisan congressional task force studying the possible perils of artificial intelligence issued 85 recommendations for how lawmakers could act on the issue. GOP Rep. Jay Obernolte, a key figure on the task force, asked Republican leaders to go even further, establishing a special committee to draft legislation.
Longtime staffer talks legacy of late Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl
TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) - Former Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, a longtime lawmaker who represented the state in Congress for more than 25 years, has died at the age of 84.
New attractions highlight Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta opening Tuesday
This year's festival, which runs Tuesday through Sunday, will feature some new events and a record number of restaurants.
New York lawmakers push tighter PFAS drinking water limits amid federal changes
New York lawmakers are pushing to tighten the state’s drinking water standards for several so-called “forever chemicals."
U.S. 17 Corridor Improvements Project begins in North Myrtle Beach, business worries for impacts
Work has begun on the South Carolina Department of Transportation’s U.S. 17 Corridor Improvements Project.
Thomas Massie launches push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Crescent Springs, who has less than four months left in office, wants lawmakers to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Thomas Massie launches push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Crescent Springs, who has less than four months left in office, wants lawmakers to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Danny Murphy explains why Dowman is struggling for game time
Max Dowman has been one of the most exciting players around the senior Arsenal team since last season, with the youngster delivering fine performances for the Gunners whenever he gets the opportunity ...
How to spot and prevent bank account fraud: Better Business Bureau tips
After a Memphis woman stole over $50,000 using stolen account details, Daniel Irwin from the Better Business Bureau shares warning signs that your financial accounts are compromised and key steps to protect your money.
Colorado House harassment committee recommends censure, restrictions for lawmaker after 6 confirmed complaints
A Colorado House committee found harassment occurred in six complaints against an unidentified lawmaker and is recommending censure, restrictions and mandatory training, saying the conduct would trigger termination in the private sector.
Disney names insider Adam Smith as chairman of streaming business
Walt Disney on Thursday named insider Adam Smith chairman of its streaming business, as the company seeks to sharpen its focus across its direct-to-consumer platforms such as Disney+ and Hulu.
DOL/EBSA Narrows Mental Health Parity Enforcement Focus to Three Priority Areas
On September 8, the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03, outlining how it
Ratepayer bill aimed at data center buildout blocked in Senate
WASHINGTON — High-profile legislation amounting to lawmakers’ first real stab at addressing voter anger over data centers stalled in the Senate on Thursday after securing overwhelming support in the House
Person of interest arrested after Beloit business robbed with non-explosive object
One person was arrested, and no injuries were reported after someone robbed a Beloit business with an object they claimed was a bomb, the City of Beloit Department announced Thursday.
Oregon lawmakers introduce federal bill to end ‘corporate America’s chokehold’ on health care
Oregon’s fight against corporate control of medicine moved onto the national stage on Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle and Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden were among a group of lawmakers to introduce a federal version of Oregon’s landmark ban on the corporate practice of medicine.
Jon Kyl, long-serving lawmaker from Arizona who shaped water policy, dies at 84
Kyl spent almost three decades in Congress, serving in both chambers, and watched his party undergo a drastic transformation, with his career spanning Ronald Reagan’s presidency to President Donald Trump’s first term.
State Street Launches New RIA Custody Business
State Street is now marketing its custody offering to larger RIAs, with plans to go live with an anchor client in the next couple of months.
Rodo Sayagues Signs With Brillstein Entertainment Partners (EXCLUSIVE)
Filmmaker Rodo Sayagues has signed with Brillstein for management. He continues to be represented by WME and attorney Karl Austen.
Detroit Free Press
Abdul El-Sayed takes on politics, Islamophobia and critics in Jewish, Black communities in race for U.S. Senate seat. See link below ⬇️ 📸 Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press
Apple Increases Battery Replacement Fee for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
In the U.S., Apple is charging a higher $129 out-of-warranty fee to replace the battery in an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max compared to previous models, according to its website. Apple has always charged $119 to replace the battery in iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro models, so the fee has increased by $10 for the iPhone 18 Pro models, which have larger batteries.
Arsenal turned down Jack Wilshere’s request to sign youngster
Max Dowman has remained one of the best players to come out of the Arsenal academy in recent times, but he is not getting as much game time as he would have liked with the senior team.This has led to ...
Romania's president nominates a new prime minister to break a political deadlock
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian President Nicusor Dan nominated Liberal European lawmaker Siegfried Muresan on Thursday to be prime minister as he seeks to end a monthslong political crisis after his previous two picks failed.
Former US Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, a ‘workhorse’ who shaped water policy, dies at 84
Former US Sen. Jon Kyl, a longtime Republican lawmaker from Arizona who shaped landmark water policies in the US West and guided the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has died. He was 84.
Irish PM worried over hostility to politicians after lawmaker assaulted
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on Thursday condemned an assault on an independent politician as "an attack on democracy" and said the country needed to take very seriously a rise in hostility to those in office.
Health insurers covered 112,000 fewer Mass. residents’ GLP-1 weight-loss drugs this year, report finds
Insurers restricted coverage for obesity after years of financial losses.
The Week in Health: Diabetic Wound Care, Public Health Workforce
Mölnlycke's diabetic amputation data, COFEPRIS's Edomex deal, and hospital groups on scale define this week's Health coverage.
The latest in entertainment headlines with Side Dish Co-Host "Headkrack"
Law Roach squashes rumors of tension between him and an actress, and Sheryl Lee Ralph is apologizing after saying her series was the only "real" comedy nominated at the Emmys.
T-Mobile adds monthly fee to a new iPhone feature for customers
T-Mobile is giving customers another way to use their iPhones, but it comes with an unexpected trade-off.
Insight Health to take over management of shuttered Weiss, West Suburban hospitals
The deal came last night after months of wrangling in court over control of the failed system.
US Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Assist Cannabis Businesses in Getting Insurance
The bipartisan legislation aims to shield insurance companies that serve the cannabis industry from federal prosecution and liability.
Open AI and the million dollar maths problem
In early September, OpenAI announced it had solved a major mathematics problem that has stumped humans for nearly a century. The news left mathematicians reeling, and many expressed concern over what will be left for humans as AI becomes ever more adept at unravelling complex problems. Now 25 recipients of the Fields medal – often called the Nobel prize for maths – have signed an open letter expressing their fears of a ‘severe misalignment’ between AI companies and their field. To find out how AI is likely to upend maths – and how mathematicians might respond – Ian Sample speaks to Colva Roney-Dougal, professor of pure mathematics at the University of St Andrews
'Underrated derby' will be tough to call
BBC Radio WM's Steve Hermon looks ahead to West Bromwich Albion's derby visit to Wolves.
Newman Regional Health celebrates Inpatient Rehab Week
Inpatient Rehabilitation Week is coming to an end, and Newman Regional Health's department director joined KVO...
California wants to ban child marriage. Why are these civil rights groups trying to stop it?
Anyone under the age of 18 can get married in California. While lawmakers seek to restrict the practices, these liberal groups tried to block it.
Insurance Companies That Provide Coverage For Marijuana Businesses Would Be Shielded From Federal Punishment Under New Congressional Bill
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have filed a bill to provide a safe harbor to insurance companies that work with state-legal marijuana businesses. The Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act was filed by Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) on Wednesday. The legislation would protect insurers, brokers and agents from being penalized […]
Broadband access predicts health tracker use, UWM research suggests
As Fitbits, Apple watches and Oura Rings grow ubiquitous, UWM research suggests digital inequity doesn't allow them to reach those who could benefit most.
The Strange New Politics of AI. Plus. . .
It’s Thursday, September 17. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Douglas Murray asks, why do we allow terrorists to die of old age? The American nonprofits backing Hamas. A conversation with Dara Horn and Coleman Hughes. And much more. But first: inside the unlikely coalition warning that AI may kill us all. Last week, an AI researcher named Jacob Coxon made headlines around the world after saying that he had resigned from Anthropic because he believes AI might cause human extinction—and his co-workers do, too. Unlike the rest of us, potentially, the story just won’t die. The Pro-Human Assembly, a conference held Tuesday in Washington, D.C., about the existential dangers of artificial intelligence, couldn’t have come at a better time—or with a more eclectic coalition. The Archbishop of San Francisco was there. So was Steve Bannon, screaming about the Chinese. Bernie Sanders did a quasi-dramatic reading of messages posted to an online forum by rogue AI agents. Ashley Judd paraphrased a graphic Andrea Dworkin quote for reasons that remain a mystery to me still. It was odd. People in the AI industry have talked openly about the possibility of this technology causing human extinction for years, but it hits differently in the wake of the Hugging Face incident. If you don’t know what that is, all the more reason to read my dispatch today. As the doomers see it, the best-case scenario is a future in which humans are basically kept as pets: well cared for, but with zero autonomy. The worst-case scenario, obviously, is the everyone dies thing. What should be done? I heard lots of ideas but no easy answers. There are currently zero federal regulations on AI, which is sort of strange even to think about. After all, we regulate microwaves, and the people running the microwave industry have never once refused to rule out the possibility that their products will end all human life on Earth. What I saw in D.C. left me even more convinced that you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who believes nothing should be done. You know, except for President Trump. — River Page River Page • Tech and Business [ The AI Doomers Have a Plan to Save Us. I Went to Find Out What It Is. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-ai-doomers-have-plan-save-bernie-sanders-bannon) Read story How Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr—and How to Better Fight Antisemitism On Monday, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a group of other NFL owners banned Macklemore from performing at their stadiums after the rapper delivered a “Free Palestine” speech while opening for Ed Sheeran. Kraft cited the rapper’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.” Once multiple venues refused to host shows with Macklemore on the lineup, the tour’s promoter officially dropped him. Today, Josh Kaplan says that the move was counterproductive, arguing that though well-intentioned, Kraft’s decision turned an irrelevant footnote into a martyr. “You cannot cancel people into liking you,” Josh writes. Read his column on what a better response to Macklemore would have looked like. Read [ Robert Kraft Made Macklemore a Martyr ](https://www.thefp.com/p/robert-kraft-made-macklemore-martyr-antisemitism-palestine) This raises the question: What actually works against antisemitism? On the latest episode of Conversations with Coleman, recorded in front of a live audience in New York, Dara Horn joins Coleman Hughes to talk about her new book The Final Solution to the Jewish Question. She argues that antisemitism is a script that has repeated itself across countries and ideologies, and that most people don’t understand that well enough to fight it. Don’t miss their conversation. Watch [ The Lie at the Center of Antisemitism, with Dara Horn ](https://www.thefp.com/p/the-lie-at-the-center-of-antisemitism-coleman-hughes-dana-horn) Listen now Douglas Murray • U.S. Politics [ Douglas Murray: The 9/11 Failure That Still Haunts America ](https://www.thefp.com/p/douglas-murray-911-failure-justice-terrorist-guantanamo-bay) Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, the men who planned them have still not faced trial. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and most of the accused have been locked up in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. Judges have retired, and plea deals have collapsed. Today, Douglas Murray examines how this happened and argues that a justice system that allows terrorists to die of old age in an interminable pretrial process is one that has failed. Read his latest column on what that failure says about our unpreparedness for the era we are now living in. Read story The Editors • U.S. Politics [ When Nonprofits Support Terrorists ](https://www.thefp.com/p/when-nonprofits-support-terrorists) A newly declassified CIA brief from 1998 found that Osama bin Laden used nonprofit shell organizations—including U.S.-based Islamic groups—to fund his terror plots. Today, a similar story is unfolding as multiple organizations on American soil present themselves as nonprofits, taking advantage of tax-exempt status while seeking to advance the ideological mission of terrorist groups like Hamas. Read our editorial on the latest evidence of this dangerous trend—and why there’s no excuse for making the same mistake the CIA revealed 28 years ago. Read story Simon Sebag Montefiore and Bari Weiss Live in New York For decades, the Middle East has shaped American foreign policy and loomed large in the public consciousness. Few understand its influence on our politics better than Simon Sebag Montefiore, who argues that America’s quagmires in the Middle East stem from a deep misunderstanding of the region—on both the left and the right. Join him October 1 as he sits down with Bari Weiss live in New York City to kick off his U.S. book tour for The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Get Tickets Now MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS [ Sydney Sweeney’s Naked Truth ](https://www.thefp.com/p/sydney-sweeneys-naked-truth-caitlin-flanagan) Caitlin Flanagan Read story [ I Thought Ukraine Was Losing. Then I Was Almost Hit by a Russian Drone. ](https://www.thefp.com/p/elliot-ackerman-ukraine-drone-gas-station-train) Elliot Ackerman Read story [ The Dangerous Ideology Behind the AI Warnings ](https://www.thefp.com/p/dangerous-ideology-effective-altruism-artificial-intelligence) Shyam Sankar Read story [ Amanda Knox: Patrick Clancy Can’t Win ](https://www.thefp.com/p/amanda-knox-patrick-clancy-grief-internet-crime) Amanda Knox Read story THE NEWS The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point, its first hike since 2023, signaling that another increase could follow as the central bank tries to bring inflation under control. President Donald Trump fired back by demanding that rates be cut sharply, though he stopped short of criticizing Fed Chair Kevin Warsh by name. The Houthis fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, including a major oil port on the Red Sea, and Saudi jets struck back with air strikes across Yemen in an escalating front of the Middle East war. (For more on the Houthis, read Zineb Riboua’s column from earlier this week.) A sweeping Russia and Iran sanctions bill passed the House in a 262–159 vote and is now heading to Trump for his signature. Named after the late senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation would hit countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil and gas with tariffs of up to 100 percent, and is aimed at cutting off revenue that funds Russia’s war in Ukraine. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the European Union’s first-ever “associate member,” drawing a standing ovation from European lawmakers. The proposal, framed as a response to a world grown more hostile, faces an uncertain path as EU member states would have to approve it, and one diplomat said that “nobody really knows what it means.” The House voted unanimously to send billionaire Leon Black a criminal contempt referral after he defied a congressional subpoena to testify and hand over documents related to his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Black chose to fight the subpoena in court rather than comply. Charlie Kirk’s family filed a wrongful death notice Wednesday against Utah Valley University, alleging that a series of security failures left him exposed to a rooftop sniper. The notice is a required legal step before the family can sue. Merriam-Webster added 1,400 words and definitions to its dictionary, including looksmaxxing, vibe coding, and cuffing season. The publisher said the new entries offer “a window into the world today.” The Free Press earns a commission from any purchases made through all book links in this article.
West Virginia lawmaker raises concerns over Rural Health grant recipient
A state lawmaker raised concerns about one organization set to receive a grant of more than $1 million in Rural Health Transformation funds.
CT adds guardrails on AI use in some health plans. It could expand to all
In January, Comptroller Sean Scanlon will recommend lawmakers require all state-regulated plans to adhere to the same policies.
Memphis Sports Hall of Fame honors 2026 inductees
It was a big night in Memphis sports Wednesday as the Memphis Sports Council inducted another group of greats into the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame.
Oregon lawmakers introduce federal bill to end 'corporate America’s chokehold' on health care
Oregon’s fight against corporate control of medicine moved onto the national stage on Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle and Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden–all Democrats–were among a group of lawmakers to introduce a federal version of Oregon’s landmark ban on the corporate practice of medicine.
As shortfall looms, Pillen installs allies on board meant to keep politics out of budget forecast
Decades ago, lawmakers created a board that predicts Nebraska's tax receipts in an effort to keep politics out. Last week, Gov. Jim Pillen appointed two political allies to serve on it
Lawmakers, industry leaders continue push for federal film tax incentive
Hollywood is looking for Washington lawmakers to save domestic film and television production
Lawmaker requests emergency hearing into Kennedy Center closure
WASHINGTON — A Democratic congresswoman asked for an emergency court hearing into the closure of the Kennedy Center, suggesting the move may violate a court order against an earlier attempt
N.Y. lawmakers renew push for rural suicide prevention council after Hochul veto
The council would be tasked with identifying barriers to mental health and substance use treatment in rural New York.
Commentary: No such thing as nonpartisan politics
A former development opponent argues that resisting new housing in Encinitas conflicts with progressive values.
Speaker Johnson recesses the House early as Rep. Thomas Massie pushes Hegseth impeachment
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Mike Johnson is closing up the House early, sending lawmakers home Wednesday to campaign for the midterm elections after what he claim
House breaks early for election recess amid Hegseth impeachment push
Rep. Thomas Massie said Speaker Johnson sent lawmakers home to protect fellow Republicans from an impeachment vote. Johnson dismissed the claim.
What Does the Science of Climate Change Really Look Like?
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series on how the Right should think about environmental and climate policy. Read Chris Barnard on Reclaiming Environmental Policy from the Left. More than a decade ago, the world’s governments negotiated and signed the Paris Climate Agreement, committing to hold global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. In the following years, climate had immense cultural power. Greta Thunberg emerged. Fortune 500 companies established net-zero plans. The U.S. got the Inflation Reduction Act. Then the pendulum swung back. President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, speaking of green energy as a “scam” and carbon footprints as a “hoax” and on all matters of international policy emphasizing bilateral engagement and power over globalism and cooperation. The technology companies that had been at the forefront of net-zero pledges and green leadership discovered the importance of all-of-the-above power to their visions for artificial intelligence and began quietly postponing or removing their targets. On the left side of the political spectrum, rising concerns about inflation and cost pushed climate lower down in the stated priorities of voters and stump speeches of politicians. The moment is ripe for a reset on the politics of climate change and for conservatives especially to chart a course that acknowledges and addresses the real challenges in plausible ways. So what should we think about climate change as we enter a post-peak climate era? If it is neither an apocalypse nor a hoax, what will hold up as a durable view of climate change? And how does it project onto the concerns and priorities of the right-of-center’s emerging coalition? New to Commonplace_? Subscribe below to get the magazine in your inbox._ Subscribe A Solid Foundation As the politics and economics of climate careened over the past ten years, the physics carried on regardless. In 2015, the year the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted, the world emitted 41.2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. By 2025, emissions had risen only 2.4%, to 42.2 gigatonnes, because falling emissions from land use offset increasing emissions from fossil fuels. But slow growth in annual emissions is not rapid decline, let alone net-zero, so carbon dioxide kept accumulating in the atmosphere, going from 399 to 426 parts per million. Global temperature kept rising too, from about 1.1 degrees Celsius above the 1850–1900 average in 2015, to 1.4 degrees above it in 2025. None of this should surprise anyone. Even most prominent skeptics, like the authors of the 2025 report commissioned by the Trump administration’s Department of Energy, accept the basic physics. Carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere at industrial volumes accumulates and traps heat that would otherwise escape to space. That heat warms the upper ocean and increases temperatures at the surface. Increased ocean heat and melting of land ice cause sea levels to rise. Changes in the climate become noticeable to us as subtle shifts in temperature and precipitation, seasons arriving early or late, changes in the surrounding ecosystem, and weather extremes. The much more meaningful debate is not about whether these things are happening, but about what it all means for human societies. (While it is a proxy measure of overall risk, no one experiences global surface temperature.) This debate invokes at least three interesting questions: how much today’s warming is showing up in regional climate trends, how much more warming we should anticipate, and how extreme weather events can be understood in the context of climate change. Recent scientific advances give us new insights into each of these, but there is still much to learn. This is the context in which the next generation of conservative leaders will be the first to deal with significant climate change as a fact, not a forecast. It will be with them for their entire careers. Our evolving scientific picture of climate change will come from weather and climate records stretching further into the past, new kinds of observations in the present, better modeling tools for the future, and simply more time to observe the emergence of climate signals and their tangible effects on ecosystems and communities in the United States and around the world. The policy landscape will be shaped by not only the impacts of changes in the climate, but also by the ways in which societies respond and by the emergence of new technologies for both altering the trajectory of emissions and adapting to new climate realities. Global climate records now show the fingerprints of warming in different phenomena around much of the world. The IPCC, in its most recent assessment report, documents warming trends over all land regions, even as natural variability adds substantial variance to local trends. And the highest temperature extremes have become more intense and frequent, almost everywhere, since the 1950s. Scientists are highly confident that these changes are attributable to human influence. But confidence in detecting trends and attributing them to human influence degrades across heavy precipitation events; drought trends are heterogeneous and not attributable to human activity with great confidence. For hurricanes, tornadoes, and other severe storms there is even less confidence in trends or their relationship to climate change. In general, a fair summary of the evidence is that for well-observed phenomena, like surface temperature or heavy rainfall, with a clear relationship to warming, our multidecadal observations are consistent with human influence overcoming natural variability over long time periods and extremes increasing. For regions that are sampled more sparsely, or phenomena with a higher noise-to-signal ratio, we will need to observe them longer to understand the magnitude of the climate signal or improve dynamical understanding using models and observations together. But for Climate For those who can’t wait, we also have new techniques that attempt to understand the role climate change has in influencing particular extreme events. When the climate is changing and disaster strikes, it is natural to ask whether that disaster was somehow “caused” by climate change. For scientists and policymakers acting in good faith, answering that question helps develop a more accurate picture of the problem, how it may be getting worse, and what preparations we should be making to respond to it. It may, at some point, give some weight to how liability is assigned by courts or adaptation funding is distributed by society. But how we ask this question is extremely important. It is easy to get the analysis wrong by discounting the role that meteorology plays. As meteorologist Theodore Shepherd explained in a clear 2016 review of climate attribution methods, “if a weather or climate event is truly extreme in the present climate, then perforce it requires unusual meteorological conditions, which means that climate change is at most a contributing factor.” Share Scientists have two ways to probe climate as a contributing factor, both of which have entered media coverage of extreme weather events. One asks a probabilistic question: How much more likely is a particular event (e.g., a temperature record over a particular area) amid global warming? The answer involves using historical records and computer simulations to estimate the likelihood of such an event in both a changed and a preindustrial climate. The findings are less about the specific event, and more about events of that nature. The other question is: How has the changed climate affected the specific event in question? Here, scientists try to understand what a similar event would have looked like in the preindustrial climate. This is sometimes called the storyline approach, where the story is the specific meteorological details of the event. These methods offer ways to test the intuition of scientists about real weather extremes. In late June and early July of 2021, a persistent high-pressure ridge, or heat dome, set up over the Pacific Northwest and an extraordinary heat wave affected the area from Oregon to British Columbia. For six days, it shattered temperature records across the region and hundreds died from heat-related causes, in an area where such high, and persistently high, temperatures were well outside of experience and many live without air conditioning. Scientists have studied its connection to climate change using multiple approaches. This specific event was created by a rare combination of meteorological factors, a strong high-pressure ridge created the conditions for extreme heat, which occurred on top of higher average temperatures in the region from global warming. Probabilistic analyses showed that climate change increased the likelihood of such an event by at least 8-fold to more than 100-fold. One standout example found that such an event had effectively zero probability of occurring in the preindustrial climate. The enormous range in these assessments reflects how hard it is to estimate probabilities of events at the tail of the historical record. Estimates of the effect on the temperature of the event are more clustered. A recent review paper documents how multiple methodologies have found a positive influence, roughly 1-2 degrees Celsius of an anomaly that exceeded 15 degrees, of climate change on the temperature magnitude of the event. Multiple studies have investigated and found some positive influence of climate change in other extreme events. Attribution studies found climate likely increased the heavy rainfall that accompanied Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and surrounding regions in 2024. The extensive fires that struck Los Angeles in 2025 illustrate how the causal chain can become messy, though. Studies do detect a positive influence of climate on the event’s likelihood, but while climate change likely contributed to underlying aridity, it would not have played a role in the heavy winds or land practices that preceded disaster. These event attribution studies will become more common for extreme, or damaging, weather events. They can be produced quickly, and often are reported before peer review. As the Pacific Northwest heatwave example shows, when multiple methods converge on a positive attribution, the finding should probably carry some weight even if you have to be careful about accepting the results from a single study. I expect that as climate change proceeds and the climate thus departs further from a preindustrial counterfactual, the influence will become more detectable across a variety of extreme events and more easily identified. This will be used to cast blame, but can also be used to inform how communities and society adapt to ongoing change. We May Still Be Surprised One positive development, insofar as less climate change is better, has been that our central estimates for future climate change should probably be revised downward. Mostly, that is because the high-end warmings that scientists regularly analyzed about ten to 20 years ago, driven by high emissions throughout the twenty-first century, now appear to be somewhere between unlikely and impossible. At one time, the upper end of mainstream climate projections extended well into 4 to 6 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of this century, which, models suggest, would have wrought enormous real-world damage. Current energy and policy trends now point toward 2.5 or 3 degrees. Damages and risks are commonly modeled as increasing steeply with more warming, so this is already a better-than-previously-expected outcome for the climate (which is independent of the physical response to emissions). But we should maintain a wide range for plausible outcomes and prepare for the possibility of being surprised. Emissions trajectories are subject to deep uncertainty, the physical climate response is still developing, and whatever change occurs in the climate will then be mediated through unpredictable economic, social, and political institutions. Over the past decade, the pace of warming surprised some keen observers and appeared to accelerate, though not yet outside the range of expectation provided by climate models. The reasons for that apparent acceleration are being actively studied (as was the apparent pause in warming from 1998 to 2012), but no single driver has emerged. Some blame it on the El Niño, variability which would have no bearing on climate. Some think it is a result of factories in East Asia and global shipping fleets cutting aerosol emissions, which in the strongest version of the argument would indicate higher climate sensitivity to carbon-dioxide emissions. Others are more measured, not yet ready to draw solid conclusions as to whether climate projections require revision. We will have to see. Long-Term Thinking Climate change asks us to think over long time scales. But the pace of human-driven warming is compressing a large global change into a century. Changing weather patterns and extreme events are already causing adjustment costs and damages and will do more. Adaptation will help, but it is not free. For some communities, these costs will erode livelihoods and well-being, and may force migration. Are we prepared for large-scale managed retreats in the United States? Thankfully, American wealth, geographical diversity, and moderate climates may leave us better prepared than many around the world. But wealthy countries can still suffer serious disruption from narrowly concentrated costs, even if they appear entirely manageable in aggregate. Readers of Commonplace are familiar with the challenges of rapidly adapting to economic forces. The displacement that came from the China Shock is barely perceptible in aggregate GDP and employment data, but it affected millions of people and those people were far less mobile than economic models tended to assume. Deindustrialization rippled through the nation with enormous effects for not only our economic vitality, but also our national security. The forces surrounding climate change may not be so different; the world gets richer and must accept some diffuse costs. Those may be modest overall, but cause all manner of unpredictable effects with which policymakers must cope. In the case of the China Shock, our faith in a growing pie served us poorly. We’ll need to do better on climate. Leave a comment
As budget shortfall looms, Gov. Pillen installs allies on board meant to keep politics out of budget forecast
Pillen’s board shakeup, biggest in forecasting board’s history, includes appointment of two prominent former Republican lawmakers
Google confirms a dangerous Pixel security flaw was exploited by hackers
Pixel owners were hit by zero-day attacks
Electors bill pitched as protection against political coercion
Massachusetts has never had an issue with presidential electors swapping their allegiance at the last minute, but lawmakers heard support for a bill they say will proactively protect the “wil…
Healthy Living w/ USA Health: Sickle Cell Awareness
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month— a time to spotlight the genetic blood disorder affecting roughly 100,000 Americans and millions worldwide.
IATSE Joins Special Ambassador, Lawmakers, and Coalition for Press Conference Unveiling Film & TV Incentive Study
At a September 15 press conference hosted by the newly formalized U.S. Film & TV Production Coalition, IATSE joined a broad alliance of labor organizations, studios, guilds, industry advocates, and […]
WATCH: House Democrats blasts 'do nothing' Republican majority in midterm pitch to voters
Tennessee Secretary of State warns of bogus mail scam targeting newly formed businesses
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning new business owners not to pay a bogus, overpriced fee to an entity calling itself the Business Resource Center.
Health Check: The importance of quality sleep
Struggling to feel rested even after a full night's sleep? St. Joseph health breaks down why sleep quality matters more than you think — and how your sleep needs change as you age. 💤
House Primary Results 2026: A Closer Look at the Numbers Behind Incumbent Defeats
The biggest headlines from this year’s primary season seemed to trumpet races in which centrist incumbents from both major parties were ousted in favor of nominees with more extreme views. President Donald Trump publicly targeted Republican lawmakers he thinks have not been sufficiently loyal to him ...
GOP lawmakers blindsided by new revelations about Trump Butler shooter: 'Awfully strange'
Thomas Matthew Crooks' father searched for ways to block his son's gun access months before the Butler Pennsylvania assassination attempt on Trump.
Creator and Actor Juanpa Zurita Signs With WME
Juanpa Zurita, the multihyphenate Mexican actor, producer and content creator with a huge internet following, has signed for representation with WME. WME will work alongside Zurita’s longtime manageme...
Raymond James Adds IRA Option for Small Business Owners
The move by Raymond James follows a trend of wealth managers offering their advisors an in-house small-business retirement plan for clients.
Business in the U.S. is still betting on clean energy
The global clean energy industry has a remarkably positive story to tell.
Hollywood Gets New Bipartisan Caucus on Capitol Hill
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is launching a new congressional caucus focused on Hollywood, music, sports and the creator economy.
Why companies are rethinking the way employees access business data
Learn how Nithish Shetty uses plain-language analytics and governed data models to eliminate reporting bottlenecks.
Murmurs: Fancy Mental Health Care Tracker Underwhelms Key Lawmaker
“I’m not going to hide my shock and disappointment at this.”
FilmOne Entertainment becomes Nigeria's sole representative among six African buyers at TIFF's new market
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UM System honors six faculty with Curators’ Distinguished Professorships
The designation is the highest academic rank bestowed by the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
House Lawmakers Launch Movies, Music, Entertainment & Sports Caucus
The caucus will focus on the economic impact of the creator economy, as well as sports, music and other forms of entertainment.
UM System honors six faculty with Curators’ Distinguished Professorships
The designation is the highest academic rank bestowed by the University of Missouri Board of Curators.
Arsenal’s Max Dowman breaks another record amid Arteta praise
Max Dowman broke another record by scoring a brace for Arsenal against Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, and he impressed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty ImagesBy scoring two ...
Dowman double sees Arsenal teenager match Wayne Rooney record
Max Dowman starred as Arsenal booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 4-2 win at Ipswich Town.The teenager scored twice on his first start of the season as the Gunners eased t...
A top Democratic donor says time is running out to stop Americans from hating AI
LinkedIn co-founder and influential Democratic donor Reid Hoffman says industry and government must show Americans how they can benefit from artificial intelligence.
I don’t care if science has vindicated literary slop. Not all reading is equal
We’re told it doesn’t matter what literature we consume, just that the mere act is good for us. I disagree
Vargas: Privacy laws shouldn’t hurt local businesses
I hope lawmakers remember that consumer privacy and small-business success are not competing goals.
New Mexico, Santa Fe kids' modest math gains offset by science drops, tests show
Santa Fe Public Schools leaders point to ongoing reforms, including lessening reliance on digitally delivered instruction.
Encompass Health provides free health screenings to Columbia residents
Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbia provided free health screenings in honor of National Rehab Awareness Week.
Banco Patagonia buys Banco Industrial’s retail banking business
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle (Argentina) has helped Banco Patagonia acquire a part of Banco Industrial’s retail banking business for a reported amount of US$60 million.
Inside the automotive supply chain: Empirical evidence from Italian business-to-business trade data
Europe’s automotive industry is undergoing a significant transformation. This column uses firm-to-firm data to map the Italian automotive supply chain, covering both direct suppliers and firms connected through indirect linkages. Around 40% of the value added of the supply chain is generated by car manufacturers, with the remaining 60% split between direct suppliers and indirect suppliers. The supplier network is diverse across sectors and regions of Italy, reflecting both agglomeration forces and long-standing patterns of industrial specialisation. It estimates that demand shocks to the automotive sector would propagate through the supply chain and lead to large network multipliers.
Bessent defends Trump economic record in House hearing
Bessent faced tense exchanges with lawmakers
Bessent defends Trump economic record in House hearing
Bessent faced tense exchanges with lawmakers
Is having a ‘gut feeling’ real? What science says about your microbiome
Ever wonder if a "gut feeling" is actually real? Science says yes. Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that play a huge role in both your physical and mental health.
New 'StarCraft' game announced, but it's a grim open-world shooter and it's not coming until 2030
Blizzard Entertainment is returning to StarCraft with an all-new game that's leaving the series' real-time strategy roots behind.
GOP lawmaker slams Dems' push to rein in Trump on Iran: 'Political stage'
Rep. Marlin Stutzman spoke with Fox News Digital ahead of a Democrat-led House vote on reining in President Donald Trump's war powers in Iran.
West Monroe, WMWO Chamber to host community breakfast on retail growth, business investment
The City of West Monroe and the West Monroe–West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce announced it will host a free community breakfast focusing on retail growth and economic development on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026.
Polk County Women Mean Business Builds a Community Around Women Entrepreneurs
The new organization pairs traditional business networking with mentorship, mental health resources, professional clothing and a monthly market.
Jon Ossoff mentions Natalie Harp while condemning Trump's administration
During his 16 August campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff mentioned White House aide Natalie Harp when condemning the Trump administration's handling of the Iran war and USS Lincoln sailors
Lawmakers seek to bolster 988 Lifeline with $100 million
Communities would be able to apply for funding to build up their mobile crisis response teams.
Vance steers clear of AI regulation during ‘rah-rah political speech’ for House GOP
Vice President JD Vance did not address calls for guardrails to be placed on artificial intelligence development during a Tuesday morning meeting with the House Republican conference. The vice president spoke to GOP lawmakers at the Republican National Committee as a final pep talk heading into the November elections. But multiple GOP members emerging from […]
Nine Wisconsin Companies Designated as ‘Business Friend of the Environment’
MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), with support from award sponsor WM, announced the nine recipients of the Wisconsin Business Friend
DeSantis splits with the state GOP on Amendment 1 and reserve funds
It would increase the amount of money lawmakers can put into a key reserve fund. DeSantis called it a "foolish" proposal.
State health officials say Medicaid work requirement rollout is going well
State health officials last week told lawmakers the rollout of work requirements for people on Medicaid is going well. Montana soft-launched Medicaid work requirements July 1, months ahead of the federal deadline to do so.
Ranking Members Markey, Velázquez, American Small Businesses Fight Back Against Trump SBA’s Discriminatory Anti-Immigrant Lending Policies
More than 120 small businesses and organizations pen letter of support for Ranking Member Markey’s resolution striking down Trump’s ban on awarding SBA loans to green card holders Letter (PDF) (Washington, September 15) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today garnered additional support from Main Street small businesses for his Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s discriminatory policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. In a letter of support, more than 120 American small businesses and community organizations, led by Small Business Majority, applauded Ranking Member Markey’s efforts to overturn the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant lending ban and advocated for the passage of Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution in the Senate. House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-7) is leading the resolution in the House of Representatives. The Trump administration’s green card holder ban is the most recent escalation of SBA’s draconian citizenship restrictions that are killing jobs and putting the American Dream further out of reach for entrepreneurs. In Fiscal Year 2025, Trump’s SBA made an estimated $5.5 billion in loans to green card holders, which supported more than 80,000 jobs nationwide. “The Trump administration’s continued attacks on American small businesses and jobs are anti-American, they’re discriminatory, and they’re dragging down our communities and our economy. Thanks to partners like Small Business Majority, countless small businesses, and community organizations, we are fighting back and holding them accountable,” said Ranking Member Markey. “I will not stop fighting to rescind this hateful policy that attacks American entrepreneurs and prevents them from pursuing the American Dream.” “Small businesses and organizations across the country are sending a clear message that the Trump administration's discriminatory lending rules are bad for business,” said Ranking Member Velázquez. “I want to thank Small Business Majority for leading this effort and amplifying the voices of the entrepreneurs who create jobs and strengthen our local economies. As Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, I will keep pushing to stop these attacks on the American Dream and ensure that every eligible entrepreneur can access the capital they need to succeed.” In the letter, the small businesses write, “Congress must reaffirm its commitment to serving those who are rightfully and legally entitled to accessing key government guaranteed loan programs in pursuit of the American Dream. Restoring access to responsible, government-guaranteed loans for such a critical segment of our economy will allow thousands of small businesses to access the capital they require to grow and invest in American communities. If Congress does not act to protect access to the very ideals that our country was founded upon by rewarding those who adhere strictly to legal immigration pathways, local economies, communities and Main Street will pay the price.” Ranking Member Markey’s CRA resolution follows his introduction of the Investing in the American Dream Act alongside Ranking Member Velázquez earlier this year. The Investing in the American Dream Act would roll back the SBA’s draconian lending restrictions and restore previous SBA lending policies for immigrant entrepreneurs lawfully in the U.S., including green card holders, refugees, and asylees. More than 100 organizations have called for the passage of the legislation and more than 60 Massachusetts state legislators have raised concerns about the impact of the citizenship restrictions in their local communities. Ranking Member Markey is fighting for small business owners and immigrants that rely on SBA loans to start and run their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to their communities. In July, Ranking Member Markey and Ranking Member Velázquez introduced a bicameral resolution to rescind the Trump administration’s policy that bans green card holders from accessing essential SBA loans to start and grow their businesses and invest in Main Streets nationwide. In May, Ranking Member Markey highlighted the significant contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in Massachusetts and across the country and condemned the Trump administration’s repeated attacks on immigrant communities at a Small Business Committee hearing. MIRA’s Elizabeth Sweet, who participated in Ranking Member Markey’s listening session earlier in May, provided testimony at the hearing. Also in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a listening session at the Urban College of Boston to hear directly from several Massachusetts immigrant small business owners, lenders, and chambers of commerce how President Trump’s cruel and callous anti-immigrant policies are hurting Main Streets in the Bay State. Earlier in May, Ranking Member Markey hosted a press conference alongside Ranking Member Velázquez, Democratic lawmakers, and stakeholders to condemn the Trump administration’s harmful anti-immigrant lending policies and to introduce the Investing in the American Dream Act. In March, Ranking Member Markey released a comprehensive report detailing the harms to small business owners, workers, and consumers caused by the Trump administration’s ICE raids in communities across the country. In February, Ranking Member Markey introduced the Small Business ICE Disruption Fund Act, which would provide grants to small businesses that have been impacted by the Trump administration’s violent immigration enforcement actions on Main Streets across the United States. Earlier in February, Ranking Member Markey, Ranking Member Velázquez, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) sent a letter urging the SBA to rescind their lending rule change that bars legal permanent residents from receiving SBA loans. Previously, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez released a statement condemning the actions of the SBA after it announced that small businesses with legal permanent residents will be barred from receiving SBA loans. In December 2025, Ranking Member Markey and all Democratic members of the Senate Small Business Committee sent a letter to the SBA reiterating concerns with the SBA’s citizenship requirements and highlighting a drop in SBA lending volume. In September 2025, Ranking Member Markey heard directly from SBA lenders about the issues with the citizenship verification requirements. In July 2025, Ranking Members Markey and Velázquez sent a letter to the SBA expressing serious concerns with the agency’s new, draconian citizenship verification requirements that require small businesses seeking SBA loans to be 100% owned by U.S. citizens, nationals, and legal permanent residents. ###
Zach Leonsis named president, vice chair of Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Zach Leonsis, son of Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder and CEO Ted Leonsis, has been named president and vice chairman of MSE.
Man out on bond shoots buyer over PlayStation in business parking lot, deputies say
A man is in custody after allegedly shooting a buyer during an online sale gone wrong in a store parking lot, according to investigators.