Greetings! Happy National Good Neighbor Day to those celebrating.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

🇨🇳 China’s No. 2 uses UN stage to cool the temperature with Washington. Premier Li Qiang told the United Nations (UN) that Beijing and Washington “must manage differences responsibly”, pitching détente on trade and tech while reiterating red lines on sovereignty and data. His remarks followed a year of tariff volleys and export controls that have rippled through supply chains worth trillions of dollars. Li signaled readiness for further leader-level talks at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 in South Korea next month, framing climate coordination and AI safety as near-term deliverables. American officials welcomed “constructive language” but tied progress to verifiable steps on market access and curbs on cyber theft. The speech was calibrated to reassure investors after a bumpy recovery and property-market stresses at home. It also underscored how the two largest economies (together accounting for ~40% of global GDP) now treat UN Week as a venue to message financial markets as much as foreign ministries.

☀️ New US satellites head 1 million miles out to watch the sun’s tantrums. A trio of space-weather probes launched toward the Sun–Earth L1 point to improve forecasts of geomagnetic storms that can disrupt power grids, aviation, and satellites. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say the mission will sharpen warning lead times for solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which have caused multi-billion-dollar outages in past cycles. The constellation will take separate vantage points to triangulate incoming space weather, feeding real-time models used by grid operators and airlines. Severe storms can induce currents that overload transformers; milder events still degrade Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy and high frequency (HF) radio. The launch continues a stepped-up investment in heliophysics ahead of the next solar maximum. Agencies expect the new data stream to cut false alarms while catching fast-moving events that legacy monitors miss.

✈️ Spirit Airlines plans to furlough 1,800 flight attendants as it restructures. The low-cost carrier said furloughs would begin with voluntary leaves in November, followed by seniority-based cuts starting December 1 if targets aren’t met. Spirit cited persistent losses (more than $2.5 billion since 2020) alongside weak demand on some routes and a heavy debt load. The airline also plans to suspend service in roughly a dozen American cities and sell assets to reduce costs. The Association of Flight Attendants is coordinating interviews for affected crew at other carriers while pressing for severance and recall rights. Network reductions will concentrate capacity in a smaller set of bases and focus markets. Management said the moves are intended to stabilize cash flow through 2026 while it evaluates fleet and lease obligations.

🚨 Michigan church shooting and arson leave 1 dead, 9 injured. A 40-year-old man rammed his vehicle through the front doors of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, about 50 miles north of Detroit, then opened fire as hundreds were inside, police said. One person was killed and nine were injured; investigators say the suspect also deliberately set the building on fire before leaving the scene. Two officers pursued the man and exchanged gunfire; the suspect was killed, according to Grand Blanc Township Police Chief William Renye. Authorities have not identified a motive and are searching the suspect’s residence in nearby Burton. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze as law enforcement secured the area and processed the scene. The injured were transported to area hospitals; officials did not immediately release their conditions. Police said additional details, including victim identities, will be released after next-of-kin notifications as the investigation proceeds.

📈 GDP surprise: Q2 growth revised up to 3.8% annualized. The Commerce Department lifted second-quarter United States growth from 3.3% to 3.8%, attributing the upgrade to firmer consumer spending and a sharper drop in imports. The revision follows a -0.6% contraction in Q1, highlighting a volatile first half shaped by tariff timing and inventory swings. Inflation remains above target, with the Federal Reserve’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index running near 2.7% year-over-year (YoY) in August and core at 2.9%. Hiring has downshifted to roughly 50,000 to 60,000 jobs per month this year, complicating the soft-landing narrative. Private investment sagged, and inventories subtracted from Q2, tempering the headline beat. Markets now price fewer additional Fed cuts as the growth picture firms at the margin.

🛰️ NASA’s new Earth-mapping radar returns striking first images. The agency released initial radar snapshots from its latest Earth-observing mission, revealing fine-scale features along the Maine coast and North Dakota farmland. Radar imaging can see through clouds and at night, enabling consistent coverage for flood mapping, land-use tracking, and disaster response. Scientists said the instrument’s resolution will improve after calibration, with global mosaics expected on a regular cadence. The mission complements optical satellites by capturing texture and elevation changes that visible sensors can miss. Researchers plan to use the data to refine models of coastal erosion and soil moisture that feed agriculture forecasts. Public datasets will be posted in phases as validation milestones are met.

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That’s all for today!

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See you tomorrow!

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