25 years after 9/11
Today, we honor the memory of 2,977 victims who were murdered in the September 11, 2001, terrorist assaults. The victims were killed by 19 Islamist al-Qa’ida hijackers who weaponized four commercial jetliners in a plan hatched in Afghanistan by Osama bin Laden. On the evening of September 10, those victims prepared for the next day’s work and travel. The 11th started as an ordinary day for each of those victims, but only one would live beyond 10:30 on September 11 — a Pentagon victim who died six days later. In addition to the 2,977 people who were murdered in those attacks, there were more than 6,000 others injured, and many more afflicted with the invisible injuries of trauma and loss. Many others would die from health conditions associated with Ground Zero. Twenty-five years later, the Islamist threat is still a clear and present danger. We will never, NEVER forget.
Inflation held steady in August
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August, meeting expectations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that the annual inflation rate rose to 3.4%, which also met the Dow Jones consensus. The leading drivers of inflation last month were food and energy prices. Energy costs were the biggest cause, with gas prices rising 3.9%. Without those two volatile factors, overall inflation rose only slightly (0.1%), while core annual inflation hit 2.4%. This report will inform the Federal Reserve, which meets next week to vote on interest rates. Chief economist at Nationwide, Kathy Bostjanic observed, “[Fed Chair Kevin] Warsh and others signaled that interest rates can remain on hold only if disinflation continues and today’s August report did not deliver that.”
It’s another record: diesel over $6 a gallon
Rising faster than regular gasoline, diesel prices in the U.S. have broken another record, with the national average reaching $6.05 a gallon — up from $3.70 this time last year. Diesel prices directly affect transportation costs for everyday goods, especially perishable groceries like meat and produce. Businesses are already passing those costs down to consumers with online order fees. Escalation in the Iran war and the bottleneck in the Straight of Hormuz drive up the price of crude oil, the main ingredient in diesel. Additionally, production has fallen because of Houthi terrorist attacks on Saudi facilities. Adjusted for inflation, however, diesel was higher both in 2008 during the Great Recession and in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Most important, the alternative of allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons would have a much more severe cost.
McConnell to return to Senate next week after three-month absence
After suffering from health issues for months, Mitch McConnell is finally expected to return to the Senate next week. Since suffering a fall in June, the Kentucky senator has been hospitalized and has even been rumored to be on his deathbed or already dead. He was discharged from the hospital last month and has since been recovering at home. While it’s good to see that McConnell has bounced back and can come back to work, he illustrates the growing problem of age in Congress.
Midterms may serve as the launchpad for Vance’s ’28 campaign
Vice President JD Vance was greeted with enthusiastic applause as he gave the next-to-last speech at the Republican midterm convention Wednesday night. Fans chanted “JD 48” while he gave a thumbs-up and smiled. Vance insisted that the focus remain on the upcoming midterm elections, saying, “Please, we’ve got to take care of business this November, then we’ll worry about what comes next.” That said, he likely previewed his presidential campaign message: “My job is to fight for every single person in this room, every person watching at home, as if they were my family, as if they were my own kin.” Vance has not officially announced his intentions for the 2028 election cycle, but Ohio insiders, including a Republican National Committeeman who helped launch Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign, say, “He’s running.”
New Missouri map struck down by SCOTUS for midterms
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Missouri cannot use the new congressional map that could have given Republicans another seat in the House in this year’s midterm elections. This decision blocks federal judge Stephen Clark’s Tuesday order that the new map could be used. There were no dissents to the Supreme Court’s ruling, nor did the justices say why they blocked the new map. This order comes despite the fact that the redrawn map was already used for Missouri’s August primary elections, and having to go back to the 2022 congressional map now will cause confusion and destabilize the state’s midterm elections. Missouri Republicans enacted the new map last year as part of the redistricting effort to hold the majority in the House.
Talarico backtracks on support for boys in girls’ sports
Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico is playing a wolf in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be a moderate when he’s actually a radical. Talarico had previously opposed initiatives requiring athletes to compete in sports based on their biological sex. As a Texas state representative in 2023, he voted against a law prohibiting gender transition surgeries and hormone treatments for minors. However, he now says he would vote for that prohibition and says he would support a national ban on gender transition surgeries for minors. Talarico also now opposes transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports “if it endangers safety or fairness.” He claims he has been “consistent on this issue,” but his record proves otherwise. When asked about his assertion that there are six biological sexes, he “explained” that he “missed the mark” on some of his previous statements.
Talarico interview on Jimmy Kimmel won’t be aired on TV amid FCC lawsuit
In compliance with federal guidance, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel announced that a filmed interview with James Talarico will not air on television but will instead be posted on the show’s YouTube account. This comes amid an FCC investigation into ABC and Disney over diversity and inclusion practices, as well as the partisan balance of airtime given to candidates. Disney sued the FCC in response, claiming First Amendment infringement. Kimmel says the FCC threatened him and the show’s production to keep the interview from airing. Kimmel should wisen up and not attempt to break the law, especially with a major federal agency breathing down his neck. He clearly can’t be funny, so maybe he can be serious.
Ivy League restores SAT requirement, but most U.S. universities haven’t
During the COVID pandemic, most American universities and colleges suspended the SAT or ACT testing requirement. However, a new report from Fair Test found that 90% of these schools have not reinstated standardized testing requirements. The exception is the Ivy League, with all member schools having reinstated standardized testing requirements. Other major universities that have also reinstated standardized testing requirements include MIT, Stanford, Georgetown, Auburn, Purdue, Caltech, Vanderbilt, Miami, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and the University of Texas at Austin. According to College Viability founder Gary Stocker, “Colleges are making their decisions on tests based on their own revenue needs.” Jake Williams of Ivy Brothers in New York City observes, “A lot of state schools across the country are in a dire financial situation, so requiring test scores and enrolling even fewer students would be disastrous.”
More people stop shootings than the FBI records
How often do “good guys with a gun” stop crazed gunmen? According to the FBI, out of 408 active shooter incidents between 2014 and 2025, 16 were stopped by civilians exercising their Second Amendment rights. The Crime Prevention Research Center reports a radically different number. Out of 615 shooting incidents the CPRC identified, armed civilians ended 225 of them. The CPRC also suggests that 35 other incidents were likely stopped before the attacker started firing. CPRC President John Lott says the FBI’s undercount is concerning; the FBI claims to make “every effort” to identify cases where armed civilians stop attacks, but Lott says the bureau refused to update its numbers despite his efforts to highlight cases that meet the FBI’s criteria. Lott explained the need to update the numbers: “These reports are used by the media; they’re used in legislative debates.”
Headlines
- Prosecutor leading probe into “grand conspiracy” against Trump suddenly resigns (Daily Mail)
- Former college soccer player takes on Nike over gender-transition surgeries for minors (NY Post)
- Did Netflix just make a Charlie Kirk murder joke on the anniversary of his assassination? (Not the Bee)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, Jacob Geoffrey, Hudson Baldwin, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.
