The Cut

President Trump is pressing Congress to cut short its recess and return to Washington to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security, according to the White House. The request comes as the government shutdown continues with no agreement in sight between the White House and lawmakers over funding legislation.

The US Federal Reserve has kept interest rates unchanged while new figures show inflation climbing to its highest level in three years. The combination leaves policymakers in a difficult position: cutting rates could push prices up further, while raising them risks slowing the economy. Analysts are watching closely for signals on when the central bank might move next.

Electric car sales in Europe have surged 52% as gasoline climbs to roughly $10 a gallon. Bloomberg reports the spike in EV purchases is being driven by record-high fuel costs, with drivers across the continent switching to electric vehicles to cut running expenses.

SpaceX's Starship, the rocket developed under Elon Musk, completed its first-ever orbit of Earth but ended its flight earlier than planned. The test flight marks a major milestone for the reusable spacecraft, though the early finish has drawn attention to questions about what caused the mission to cut short. Coverage is focused on what the results mean for future Starship launches.

Discussion is focusing on how US consumer spending is splitting along a K-shaped pattern: higher-income households continue to spend freely on travel, dining and goods, while lower-income households cut back as prices and borrowing costs strain budgets. Analysts at PwC are among those highlighting the divide, arguing retailers and policymakers can no longer treat American consumers as a single group, with implications for the holiday season and the wider economy.

Former Osaka governor and lawyer Hashimoto Toru is trending in Japan amid reports that Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Yanase allegedly said he would cut local budget allocations before taking office, tying spending to election outcomes. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said the matter is under investigation, and Hashimoto's commentary on the controversy is drawing public attention.

A Wall Street Journal piece examines the growing number of adult children who have cut off contact with their parents, exploring the reasons behind family estrangement. The article looks at how therapy culture, shifting norms around boundaries and family obligations, and rising awareness of childhood trauma are reshaping relationships between generations, and what parents and children on both sides of a estrangement say about the decision.

The Cato Institute's immigration analyst Alex Nowrasteh reports that legal immigration from majority-Muslim countries has fallen by 96% since 2024. The finding points to a sharp collapse in green cards and other lawful admissions from those nations under current US policy. The figure is drawing attention in debates over the scope and targeting of recent immigration restrictions.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation aimed at stopping large corporations from shutting out smaller competitors, alongside measures to cut red tape and speed up business permitting in the state. The announcement came via the California state government portal. Supporters frame the law as a historic step for fair competition and faster approvals for businesses operating in California.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to reduce the number of general and admiral positions by 20% by January 1, a sweeping cut to the military's senior leadership ranks. National Guard general positions would be trimmed by at least 10%. The move is drawing attention as one of the largest shake-ups of senior officer staffing in decades, with debate over its impact on military readiness and command structure.

The French government has decided to apply under-indexation to pensions and to reduce the tax abatement, according to Libération. The move means pensions will rise more slowly than inflation, effectively cutting retirees' purchasing power, while the reduced abattement increases the tax burden. The decision comes amid ongoing debate over the contentious pension reform.

The A7 motorway was cut off near Montélimar in southern France following an accident involving three heavy goods vehicles and a car. France 3 reports the closure disrupted traffic on the busy Lyon–Marseille corridor, with drivers facing major delays while emergency services worked at the scene and authorities worked to reopen lanes.

Amazon's Prime Day sales event has brought discounts on fitness trackers, with early coverage highlighting price cuts on devices from Garmin, Samsung and Fitbit. Shoppers are being pointed to curated selections of the best offers on popular wearables as the deals window opens.

The RSPCA is urging people in Britain to cut back on burgers, arguing that eating less beef would improve the lives of farm animals. The animal welfare charity's message has drawn attention on social media, with users debating whether dietary change is a fair ask and how reducing demand for beef would affect livestock farming.

The Indian government has announced its decision on interest rates for small savings schemes, including Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Public Provident Fund (PPF) and other deposit schemes. Navbharat Times reports the announcement as a major update for savers, though the snippet does not specify whether rates were raised, cut or left unchanged. Small savings rate decisions are closely watched as they affect returns on popular household savings instruments.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to reduce the number of general and admiral positions by 20% by January 1. The move is part of a broader effort to streamline military leadership and cut what officials describe as bureaucratic bloat at the top of the armed forces.

The Chunichi Dragons have notified infielder Bright Kenta, their first-round pick in the 2022 draft, that he will not be offered a contract for next season. He played only five games this year. The move follows notices to six players the previous day, including 2023 third-round pick Tsujimoto Rintaro, who hopes to continue his playing career. Only two players from the ten-man 2023 draft class remain with the club after three seasons.

A developer named mksglu has released Context-mode, an open-source TypeScript tool for optimizing the context window of AI coding agents. It claims to sandbox tool output for a 98% reduction in tokens, persist session memory between runs, and enforce routing across 17 platforms via the Model Context Protocol and hooks. The project is gaining early traction on GitHub.

MI5 has alerted British academics and universities, urging them to cut ties with a Chinese-linked institute over espionage concerns. The warning, reported by the Financial Times, is the latest sign of Britain hardening its stance on Chinese influence in higher education, with security services concerned about technology transfer and covert state involvement on campuses.

AI researcher Timnit Gebru, one of the field's most prominent critics, argues in a WIRED interview that fears of artificial intelligence wiping out humanity are misplaced. She says the current doom narrative serves as a marketing tool that helps tech founders raise money, rather than a genuine concern, and that real harms come from present-day bias and exploitation.

President Donald Trump has reportedly told congressional leaders he is canceling billions of dollars in federal funding. The news spread rapidly across political commentary and late-night television, where hosts and viewers debated the scale and legality of the move. Lawmakers are expected to press for details on which programs will be cut and whether the cancellation can proceed without congressional approval.

Education advocates in Maryland are pressing the legislature not to cut funding for the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, the state's sweeping education reform plan. They are making the case that the multi-year plan, which boosts school funding and support for students and teachers, should remain fully funded in upcoming budget decisions.

Jan Paul van Hecke, a baseline defender for the Netherlands national team, left training early, raising questions about his fitness ahead of the upcoming match against Greece. Reports in Dutch media, including De Telegraaf, ask whether the Greece fixture is now in jeopardy for the defender, while fans await clarification on the severity of the issue.