Labor Day trips; 9/11 trial; best summer video games: NPR
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The best stories of the day
Do you have travel plans for the long weekend? Whether you’re traveling by plane or car, this Labor Day weekend is expected to be one of the busiest of the year.
Malta Mueller/Getty Images/fStop
Malta Mueller/Getty Images/fStop
- “The best advice is to get to the airport early and be patient,” Associated Press reporter David Koenig said. First Today, he says, even though airlines have recovered from the disruption caused by Hurricane Idalia, they have struggled even in good weather. They also see a shortage of air traffic controllers. Drivers should hit the road early in the morning or later in the day.
The 22nd anniversary of September 11 arrives this month. All the while, no trial has yet been held for the five men accused of plotting the attack. Settlement talks began last year. But government prosecutors now say they will stop negotiating unless the defense reaches an agreement today.
- NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer says Efforts to hold a death penalty trial for the September 11 attacks were “a total failure”. This is happening in Guantánamo, which is a “logistical nightmare”. The men were also tortured, creating legal problems. The goal of last year’s settlement negotiations was to get the defendants to plead guilty and receive life in prison. Many Pfeiffer families supported plea deals. They say they don’t believe a trial will ever take place, and if it does, the verdict could be appealed or overturned.
- Pfeiffer spoke to a whistleblower in an exclusive interview about the “gross” waste of Guantanamo spending in 2019. Listen to the interview or read the article.
The government releases new employment figures today. Forecasters predict steady but not spectacular job creation.
- Despite the forecast of a slowdown in hiring earlier this year, NPR’s Scott Horsley said employers are still creating enough jobs to keep unemployment at a 50-year low. An economist tells him that the Federal Reserve will be relieved that the slowdown does not come from the layoffs. According to Horsley, the question now is whether the labor market can remain stable or if further budget cuts are to be expected.
A survey conducted by the military times and the Texas Grandstand found that Texas National Guardsmen violated long-standing guidelines by intercepting the communications of human traffickers and posing as migrants. The mission, called Operation Lone Star, had guards collecting WhatsApp chats involving migrants and smugglers to determine when southern border crossings would take place.
- “There’s a reason foreign intelligence “It’s usually the import of the federal government,” said Davis Winkie, senior reporter for the Army Times. Diplomatic relations are complex and revealed spy missions can be disruptive. An expert tells Winkie that even when well-meaning people break the rules, it can jeopardize everyone’s safety.
deep dive
A maintenance worker sweeps the street in front of a row of new homes in Fairfax, Virginia on August 22. Sales of new homes are taking off as current owners are reluctant to sell their homes because they would face a higher mortgage for their next one.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
A maintenance worker sweeps the street in front of a row of new homes in Fairfax, Virginia on August 22. Sales of new homes are taking off as current owners are reluctant to sell their homes because they would face a higher mortgage for their next one.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
Mortgage rates are the highest they have been for more than two decades. Here’s how it’s changing the housing market:
- potential buyers are being evaluated.
- Owners who bought or refinanced a home earlier at lower interest rates don’t want to sell it. There is a lot of competition among buyers.
- new houses are in high demand.
- The average size of a new house has fallen.
Choice of the weekend
Screenshots of Immortals of Aveum, Baldur’s Gate 3 And My friendly neighborhood.
Electronic Arts/Larian Studios/DreadXP
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Electronic Arts/Larian Studios/DreadXP
Screenshots of Immortals of Aveum, Baldur’s Gate 3 And My friendly neighborhood.
Electronic Arts/Larian Studios/DreadXP
find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
Movies: Downstarring Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott, is set in a classic Hollywood genre: horny teenage girls desperate to lose their virginity. TV: Revisit Pop Culture Happy Hours FX conversation Archer before the premiere of the final season of the violent and dirty series.
Books: Looking to start a new book this weekend? Choose from fiction, non-fiction and young adult finalists for the 2023 Kirkus Prize.
Music: Before Justin Vernon formed Bon Iver, he was in a band called DeYarmond Edison. A lavish new box set is a treat for fans looking to explore their early influences.
Games: NPR’s roundup of the best video game releases this summer has it all: “mascot horror,” Hello Kitty island building, and backdrops inspired by French Impressionism.
Theater: The new musical adaptation of Back to the future has a few tricks up its sleeve, including a DeLorean that actually flies towards the public. Take a look behind the curtain.
Quiz: This week’s quiz will test if you read news outside of this newsletter. A few stories were not featured! Test yourself here.
3 things to know before you go
Employers are increasing their in-person work requirements this fall, prompting employees to return to some of their pre-pandemic office routines.
SolStock
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SolStock
Employers are increasing their in-person work requirements this fall, prompting employees to return to some of their pre-pandemic office routines.
SolStock
- Looking for a new remote job? Good luck. Many US employers (even Zoom!) are introducing stricter back-to-office policies this fall.
- The biggest names in late night TV joined forces for a Spotify podcast. All proceeds from Strike Force Five, starring Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, will be used to support their staff during the writers’ strike.
- Consecutive World Cup Champion Julie Ertz is retiring from football. She joins Megan Rapinoe, her US Women’s National Soccer teammate, who is retiring.
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.
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