Good morning. In this edition:

• 🏛️ Comey’s controversial indictment
• 🏟️ Biggest-ever US concert
• 🧀 Olympic Games of cheeses

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.68-minute read (978 words).

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“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”

–Vince Lombardi (1913-1970)

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted and charged by a federal grand jury on Thursday evening, marking an escalation of a legal campaign by President Trump against his political opponents.

State of play: Comey faces charges of lying to Congress and obstructing justice over testimony he gave in a 2020 Senate committee hearing, which covered the FBI’s handling of two 2016 investigations:

1. Its probe into pro-Trump election interference by Russia
2. An investigation into Sec. of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server

Both of Comey’s charges stem from allegations that he lied by saying he didn’t authorize someone to leak classified FBI information to the media about both investigations.

• Comey, who was indicted less than a week before the statute of limitations expired, denies the charges against him. He faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

Comey’s indictment came days after Trump publicly demanded that AG Pam Bondi charge his political enemies, including Comey, New York AG Letitia James (D) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Trump declared the trio "guilty as hell," and said they need to serve swift "justice" for the roles they played in congressional investigations, criminal probes, and civil lawsuits against Trump during his political career.

• The President also took credit for firing Erik Siebert, the US attorney who had previously declined to bring charges against James and Comey due to concerns of insufficient evidence.
• Trump said he replaced him with Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney, because Siebert wouldn’t prosecute those cases.

Trump’s move has drawn pushback

To Democrats and many members of the legal establishment, the charges against Comey represent an unprecedented case of political persecution for revenge, especially given the fact that the indictment was brought forward immediately after Trump publicly demanded retribution against his political enemies.

On the flip side: Many Trump officials and GOP lawmakers frame the charges against Comey as a justified response to the government "Deep State," which has unfairly conspired to harm Trump’s political career over the past decade through various methods—like Comey’s Russia probe, James’ civil lawsuit, federal indictments, and more.

Looking ahead…Trump on Friday denied that he had a "list" of enemies to prosecute, but also told reporters: "I think there will be others. They are corrupt."

Other names floated by Trump and his officials in the past include Schiff, James, former CIA Director John Brennan, former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, and former national security adviser John Bolton—all of whom are currently under DOJ investigation.

📊 Flash poll: How do you feel about the Trump admin’s decision to charge former FBI Director James Comey?

• Support
• Oppose
• Unsure/other

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🤖 Walmart CEO Doug McMillon says it’s “very clear that AI is going to change literally every job”; company execs say AI transformation means the size of Walmart’s global workforce will stay roughly flat over the next three years, even as revenue climbs.
• 🚘 Federal EV tax incentive of $7,500 per new and $4,000 per used vehicle purchase officially expires at the end of day tomorrow (Sept. 30).
• 🫘 China ordered zero soybeans from US farmers as the fall harvest began for the first time on record; Americans sent $12.6 billion worth of soybeans to China last year, making it the largest single export to the country.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 📺 One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, tops domestic box office with $21 million in its opening weekend. | Nexstar joins Sinclair in bringing Jimmy Kimmel Live! back to their local TV stations following a temporary suspension.
• 🎟️ Zach Bryan holds highest attended ticketed concert in US history at Michigan’s football stadium in Ann Arbor (112,000+ sold); it marks first-ever ticketed show at the Big House.
• 🏟️ CFB: See a full Week 5 recap (link). | NFL: See a full Week 4 recap (link). | Ryder Cup: Team Europe won golf’s biggest team prize by a 15-13 score despite an intense comeback from Team USA, who trailed by a record-high seven points entering Sunday. | MLB playoff picture is finalized after regular season ended yesterday; postseason action begins tomorrow.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 💎 “Almost impossible” diamond offers the first direct evidence of reactions predicted to occur deep in Earth’s mantle, the layer between the crust and core.
• 🧓 DNA study of 117-year-old woman reveals a rare and exceptionally young genome; findings could lead to new strategies for increased human life expectancy.
• 🤕 Scientists identify new method to block pain while still allowing for inflammation, which helps the body recover.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🪖 President Trump said he is directing the Pentagon to send troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect federal facilities “under siege from attack by antifa”; it's currently unclear which military branch will be sent, and when; Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said troops weren’t needed in the city.
• 🗽 NYC Mayor Eric Adams ended his re-election campaign; analysts say the move will likely boost former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s chances against Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani in November’s election.
• 🙏 Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at 101 years old; he’s set to be replaced by Dallin H. Oaks. | At least two people killed and several others injured after a gunman drove through doors of a Michigan church and opened fire; police believe the gunman also set fire to the church—which belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and said they may find additional victims.

☝️The Olympic Games of cheeses—formally known as the Mondial du Fromage—was held this month in Tours, France, pitting 1,900+ cheeses against each other in a battle for dairy supremacy. The top wheel went to Switzerland’s Le Gruyère AOP Vieux, crafted by Simon Miguet.

🤔 Did you know? Lego’s most expensive set retails for $999.99. The Star Wars Death Star replica with 9,023 pieces and 38 minifigures is essentially a small moon—and a financial black hole.

📰 Worth a read: The US town with a pumpkin-based economy

🖱️ Clickbait: What in tarnation Is ‘tarnation’?

What if reading about money was the easiest part of making it? The Average Joe strips markets down to what matters and gives you financial insights you’ll actually use.

It’s read by more than 200K people — and roughly one in five are millionaires.

Do they read it because they’re rich, or are they rich because they read it?

We don’t run those studies.

Monday: National Coffee Day (as if you need another excuse)

Tuesday: US gov’t faces midnight deadline to avoid shutdown; start of MLB playoffs; Chad Powers starring Glen Powell debuts on Hulu; 

Wednesday: October 1; start of US gov’t's fiscal year 2026

Thursday: Weekly unemployment claims

Friday: Taylor Swift debuts The Life of a Showgirl, her 12th studio album

On Friday, we covered how China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, announced a new landmark goal to cut carbon emissions at the UN’s high-level climate summit, which stands in contrast to the US’ recent withdrawal from the Paris climate accords under Trump.

❓ Our question to you: Which of the following best describes your opinion of the threat posed by climate change?

• It’s a major threat: 73%
• It’s a minor threat: 14%
• It’s not a threat: 13%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 1,075 votes and 118 longform responses.

Can you guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words?

1. Acr
2. Cant
3. Fel
4. Kudo
5. Nav

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1. Acr = Height (e.g., acrobatic)
2. Cant = Sing (cantor)
3. Fel = Cat (feline)
4. Kudo = Glory (kudos)
5. Nav = Ship (naval)

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