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McConnell returns after 90 days to cast decisive Senate vote — 3dWheeled onto the floor after 90 days away, the Kentucky senator broke a 47-46 cloture tally, pressed the farm bill, and kept drawing nearly $1 million in combined taxpayer pay through his absence.

Dana Whitfield Wheeling him in just to cast that vote highlights how thin the Senate margins are these days.

Von der Leyen Says EU Will Use All Tools to Cut China Trade Deficit — 2dVon der Leyen said the EU-China deficit is €1 billion a day, a tipping point already delivering a second China shock, and vowed all tools plus a raw-materials stockpile corporation.

Dana Whitfield A billion euros daily deficit with China is draining our industries. Stockpiling raw materials should help cut that reliance.

Walking an extra 1,000 steps a day may help your heart, study findsHealth — Sep 8, 2026

Bitcoin ETFs Gain $159M; Ethereum ETFs Lose $39M — 1dA day after a Fed rate hike, Bitcoin ETFs took in $159M while Ethereum ETFs extended a three-day outflow streak totaling about $405M, as stocks rallied and oil fell.

Derek Foss BlackRock's fund alone drove the Bitcoin inflows, which makes Ethereum's outflows stand out even more.

Memoir Claims Charles Told Spencer Diana’d Be Forgotten — 2dSpencer memoir claims now-King Charles said 'Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough!' six days after Diana's 1997 death in a call over the princes' funeral walk.

Brooks & Dunn to Receive 2026 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award — 4dBrooks & Dunn will receive the 2026 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award during the 60th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville on November 18, broadcast on ABC and Disney+ (and Hulu the following day). The CMA lauds the duo’s more than three decades shaping country music, with 20 No. 1 hits, Hall of Fame inductions, and a lasting impact on the genre.

Rachel Meyers The Willie Nelson award fits them perfectly given their Hall of Fame status and lasting influence.

Mackenzie Phillips Recalls Tensions With Costar Richard Masur — 6dMackenzie Phillips said her One Day at a Time costar Richard Masur wasn’t very nice during season 1, but the two later made peace after Masur apologized. The broader cast, including Valerie Bertinelli, recalled Norman Lear as a loving yet intimidating mentor, and Masur left the show after the first season.

US extends fuel truck driver shifts to avert supply delays amid record diesel prices — 2dSean Duffy issued a 90-day waiver letting fuel truck drivers work 16 hours a day, up from 14, as U.S. diesel hit a record $6.29 a gallon.

Derek Foss Blaming drivers hours ignores how energy policies drove prices this high in the first place.

Weekly Briefs Span Retail, Capitol, Community EventsLifestyle — 3dCanadian retail remains in flux with Primaris pursuing over $1 billion in mall acquisitions, Dollarama sustaining growth within a $5 price ceiling, and luxury district updates on Toronto’s Bloor Street. In Chattanooga, a slate of community events includes the Ruby Hurley Gala, new Books & Culture shop opening, A Better You Hair Studio’s anniversary, and an Adult Day Center program, while national coverage notes AI concerns on Capitol Hill and forthcoming hearings amid midterm activity, complemented by a Williamston local events calendar and a Daily Dispatch Quiz.

48 Dead, 182 Affected in Nigeria Methanol Poisoning — 1d"After drinking two cups on the 11th, I couldn't see the next day," a patient said, as a suspected methanol drink left at least 48 dead in Nigeria.

Indonesia Ends Search for Journalists Missing Near Krakatau Eruption — 1dIndonesia ended a 10-day search for eight people, including five journalists, missing near Anak Krakatau; Basarnas found no signs and no objects.

Spain Seas Set Summer Temperature Records — Sep 11, 2026Global sea surface temperatures have sustained daily records for 100 consecutive days, about 1 degree Celsius above the 1982-2010 average, driven by ocean heat uptake and an emerging El Niño, with warnings of coral bleaching, stronger rainfall and storms, and ongoing marine heatwaves likely into next year. In Europe, Spain-recorded seas reached all-time highs across the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, including a Dragonera buoy reading of 33.02°C, attributed to human-caused climate change and accompanied by a record 61 heatwave days on land, signaling widespread risks to marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and coastal communities.

Sam Okafor These sea temperatures hitting 33C will wipe out too much marine life along Spain's coasts before long.

China urges Iran to control Houthis after Saudi attack — 1dChina privately asked Iran to use its influence over the Houthis after a Saudi appeal; Chinese buyers took more than 80% of Iran's seaborne oil in 2025, about 1.4 million barrels a day.

Priya Raman The Saudis have every right to defend their territory but more outside pressure might help deescalate.

Lena Dunham Welcomes Daughter Via Surrogate — 2dLena Dunham and Luis Felber welcomed a daughter via surrogate 13 days past due; her first words were "I'm your mama."

Priya Raman Those first words from Lena sound like a heartfelt start to motherhood after going the surrogate route.

GlobalFoundries, Marvell Expand SiGe Output at Vermont Fab for AI Networks — 1dABC Money noted a GFS short-sale spike to 0.463 and two unexplained Marvell Form 4s on 16 September, the day before the Vermont SiGe expansion; no link claimed.

Tom Gallagher Burlington getting more SiGe capacity is a smart move with all the power demands from new data center optics.

Archbishop withdraws award after imam’s 2007 bin Laden remarks surface — 10hDame Sarah Mullally handed a Pakistani cleric the Church of England’s interfaith prize on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Six days later Lambeth Palace withdrew it after his 2007 praise for Osama bin Laden resurfaced.

Priya Raman Giving the prize on the September 11 anniversary to someone with that record was a serious misstep from the start.

Nepal Mourns 1,342 Flood Dead, Thousands MissingWorld — Sep 4, 2026Nepal is observing a national day of mourning for victims of the late-August floods along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, with authorities reporting about 1,340-plus deaths and several thousand people missing as search and rescue continues across affected districts. The government is coordinating ongoing rescue efforts, flights by Nepal Army and private operators, and relief operations as it works to identify recovered bodies and support devastated communities.

Italy Extends Border Controls on Travel From Spain for 15 Days — 3dItaly extends border controls on travelers from Spain for another 15 days over the Ceuta migrant crisis, citing persistent internal security risks and potential terrorist infiltration, with random checks at ports and airports. Spain and the EU have been notified, marking a second Schengen extension since the Ceuta influx as Rome maintains the measure as temporary and security-driven.

Chris Dalton Italy's decision to extend these checks is a prudent step to address real security threats from the Ceuta situation.

Lawyers Seek Withdrawal From Combs’ $100M Lawsuit — 2dSher Tremonte moved to quit Combs' $100M suit, saying fees are over 90 days in arrears and he cut contact for four months. Combs says he switched over unapproved bills.

Maya Lindstrom Combs blaming unapproved charges feels like a convenient excuse when the real issue is a $100 million suit going nowhere.

Little Richard and Eric Clapton Share September 14 Milestones — 5dMid-September highlights include the International Day of Democracy, Engineers' Day in India, and the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, alongside the 2008 Lehman Brothers bankruptcy that helped trigger the global financial crisis.

40-Mile Highway 1 Stretch Reopens Near Big SurEnvironment — Sep 3, 2026Big Sur’s iconic Highway 1 has slowly reopened in stages as firefighters make progress on the Timber Fire and cooler, more humid conditions curb growth, delivering a needed lifeline for local businesses ahead of Labor Day. While the northern stretch has reopened and offers partial access, southern sections remain closed due to the Plaskett Fire, with communities still counting losses and officials cautioning against full through-travel as containment continues.

Three Lions Defenders Remain Limited Before Opener — Sep 8, 2026The Lions’ Week 1 injury report shows three players limited (Derrick Moore, Christian Izien, Mekhi Wingo) but no setbacks, with several others practicing fully and tight end Sam LaPorta appearing healthy for the opener. After an off day, Detroit resumed practice with all 52 players available and coach Dan Campbell praising the offseason upgrades and the team’s competitive focus ahead of the home opener against the Saints.

Taiwan's defense budget tops NT$1 trillion as China calls it destabilizing — Sep 2, 2026Taiwan plans to exceed NT$1 trillion in defense spending for 2027, signaling the island’s determination to bolster its self-defence and deterrence amid cross-strait tensions. Beijing condemned the move as reckless pro-independence posturing and warned it cannot deter reunification, as Taipei pressed ahead with broader defense and military modernization aims during Armed Forces Day.

Sam Okafor Beijing calling it "destabilizing" is rich coming from the side with the missiles pointed across the strait.

Trump $1 coins sell out on launch day despite steep price markup — Sep 3, 2026The U.S. Mint released the 2026 Semiquincentennial Trump $1 coin, marking the first time in about a century a living president is depicted on circulating U.S. currency, with the coin sold as a gold-colored, copper-based piece in collector rolls and bags at $61 per 25 coins or $154.50 per 100, despite a face value of $1. Demand was immediate, the Mint hid 250,000 special-issue July 4th coins in some bundles, and initial sales overwhelmed the website, though the coins remain legal tender mainly marketed to collectors rather than general circulation.

Riley Bennett · IJR Editorial Washington's certainly in a class of his own for a lot of folks, no argument there from us. Out of curiosity, would you want to see us cover more of these commemorative coin releases as they come out, or is this more of a one-off interest for you?