Edition, 18 stories.

Morning NOISE, Sep 30

World, 07:25, 4 sources.

US forces leave Iraq after two decades, future uncertain

The last of the 2,500 US forces stationed in Iraq this year left the country on Wednesday, Sept. 30, formally ending Operation Inherent Resolve with a ceremony in Baghdad marking the withdrawal from the final coalition base in Erbil. The departure completes an agreement struck in 2024 and closes a presence that began with the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, ended in 2011 at a cost of nearly 4,500 US lives and more than 115,000 Iraqis, and resumed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State. Iraq, which declared a celebration of sovereignty, now faces pressure from Washington to bring Iran-backed militias under state control while navigating the US-Israeli war on Iran without US air defenses, with Kurdish leaders warning the north is especially vulnerable as plans for future training and intelligence support remain unfinished.

Signal read, tense. Sea fog. Illustration: NOISE.

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NYTAfter Two Decades, U.S. Forces Leave Iraq to an Uncertain Future NPRU.S. forces exit Iraq amid Iran war. And, SCOTUS revives Trump deportation policy

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Signal read

Tense

Geopolitical ruptures, economic strain and contested technology dominate with rare sporting bright spots.

Sep 24, Busy. Sep 25, Busy. Sep 26, Tense. Sep 27, Tense. Sep 28, Tense. Sep 29, Busy. Sep 30, Tense, latest.

Sep 24Sep 30

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U.S., 4 stories

Candidates are distancing from AIPAC as support for Israel slips, while a former Fed economist heads to prison over Chinese contacts and government-funded Trump ads draw propaganda complaints. Even a record university gift feels like the exception.

07:32 Candidates distance from AIPAC as Israel support falls Candidates in New York, Michigan, the Chicago suburbs and San Diego are attacking the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or distancing themselves from it ahead of November elections. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has downplayed his AIPAC ties, while the group's supporters cite helping defeat an Israel critic in a Tennessee House primary. A Pew survey released in July found 32% of Americans had a favorable view of Israel's government, including 16% of Democrats, and AIPAC's aligned super-PAC had $55 million as of Aug. 31 after raising $106 million since 2025. With Democrats favored to win the House, the shift could further erode congressional support for Israel, which has long relied on generous U.S. assistance.

1 source

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BloombergIsrael Backlash Shapes Campaigns, Congress

06:55 Former Fed economist jailed after Chinese spy cultivated him for secrets Former senior Federal Reserve economist John Harold Rogers was sentenced on July 15 to 38 months in federal prison for making false statements after a decade-long relationship with a Chinese intelligence operative. The man introduced as Hummin Lee met Rogers at a 2013 Shanghai conference and then helped with his career, travel money and marriage to a younger Chinese woman while pressing him for internal material on interest rates, trade policy and monetary policy toward China, which Rogers sought from colleagues and forwarded. A jury on Feb. 3 acquitted Rogers of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, but Federal Reserve watchdog reports cited failures to identify critical assets and manage insider risks, and US officials said China continues to target the central bank including through a state-sponsored hacking operation.

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CNBCInside Man: How Chinese spies used lies, love and betrayal to target the Federal Reserve

05:01 Carnegie Mellon receives record $3 billion gift for expansion Entrepreneur Ken Griffin gave $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University, believed to be the largest individual donation ever to a university. Two billion dollars will fund a new Carnegie Mellon University Miami campus on more than 35 acres in Wynwood set to open in 2028 with 3,500 students, while $1 billion will support the Pittsburgh campus including the renamed Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science. The expansion builds on Carnegie Mellon's leadership in computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics and cybersecurity and will organize research around societal challenges as higher education faces pressure and large private donations continue.

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WaPoCarnegie Mellon nets $3 billion gift, most ever given to a university

Tue 16:23 Trump government-funded ads alleged to violate propaganda laws Public Citizen asked the FCC and FTC to order broadcasters to stop airing Trump commercials paid for by the US government, alleging violations of bans on taxpayer-funded propaganda and the Hatch Act. The spots include The Final Battle, a reuse of a 2024 Trump campaign ad that began airing Sept. 23 during Saturday Night Live, Fox News Sunday and football games, using Department of Homeland Security funds after Trump personally pushed for the ads, the Wall Street Journal reported. Senate Democrats said DHS dedicated $20 million from Customs and Border Protection funds with more than $1.7 million already spent on airtime, according to analytics firm AdImpact, while the White House defended the spots as public service announcements. The dispute leaves broadcasters caught between potential liability for airing illegal ads and fear of retaliation from an FCC under Chairman Brendan Carr that has threatened licenses of outlets critical of Trump.

1 source

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ArsTrump ads paid for by US government allegedly violate anti-propaganda laws

World, 4 stories

Russia threatened nuclear defense of Kaliningrad as NATO tensions rise, while a cockpit fight diverted a Dubai Tel Aviv flight and Ukraine scrambled for cannon shells against jet powered drones.

07:28 FlyDubai flight to Israel diverts after cockpit struggle injures pilots FlyDubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia early Wednesday after a fight between the pilots in the cockpit. The plane carrying about 150 people, most of them Israeli, sent an emergency signal about two hours into the journey, briefly switched to a hijacking signal and then back to emergency while dropping more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes. Israeli officials told local media that one pilot stabbed the other before being restrained, the BBC reported, and Israel dispatched fighter jets as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held urgent consultations and said efforts were underway to return the passengers home.

3 sources

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WSJCockpit Struggle on Israel-Bound Flight Forces Emergency Landing BBCIsrael-bound flight diverted after fight between pilots

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06:40 Russia warns NATO of nuclear response over Kaliningrad blockade Russia warned NATO it would use its entire arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend Kaliningrad if the alliance tried to isolate the exclave, Reuters reported, citing a Russian diplomatic note sent to NATO. The note accused NATO of a dangerous course that risked direct armed conflict and raised the possibility of Russian strikes on decision-making centers in member states from the outset. NATO replied that its exercises pose no threat to Russia and urged Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine and stop nuclear rhetoric, as tensions rise over Baltic exercises, aid to Kyiv and European accusations of Russian sabotage.

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ReutersRussia issues nuclear warning to NATO as tensions rise in the Baltic

01:24 Seoul blames North Korean mines for DMZ blast, demands apology Three South Korean soldiers were injured on Sept. 21 by landmine explosions on South Korea's side of the Demilitarized Zone. South Korea said it was certain the mines were North Korean, called the blasts a violation of the 1953 armistice and demanded an apology and an end to border fortification work. North Korea denied responsibility and accused Seoul of fabrication, while the United Nations Command, which investigated with the South, said an armistice violation had occurred and Seoul warned of corresponding measures.

2 sources

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WSJNorth Korea Land Mines ‘Highly Likely’ Behind DMZ Explosion, Seoul Says BBCSouth Korea demands apology from Pyongyang for landmine blasts that injured three

05:08 Ukraine seeks F-16 shells to counter jet-powered drones Ukraine is seeking tens of thousands of 20mm shells for F-16 cannons to counter Russian jet-powered drones, with about 150 shells needed per interception. Kyiv is in talks with European countries and manufacturers as Russia launches dozens of the faster Shahed drones daily, requiring roughly 10,000 shells a day. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine intercepts only about 57 percent of the jet-powered drones, which have pierced Kyiv air defenses to hit central targets including the National Academy of Sciences. The attacks killed five people including a child and injured 14 on Wednesday amid nearly 190 drones and more than 12 hours of air alerts in Kyiv as Patriot stocks run low.

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BloombergUkraine Seeks Shells for F-16s to Down Jet-Powered Drones

Business, 2 stories

American borrowing keeps getting pricier as the 30 year mortgage hit 7.3 percent and sidelined buyers, while higher oil prices sent foreign money fleeing Indian stocks and bonds.

07:00 US 30-year mortgage rate rises to 7.3% in sixth weekly gain The average contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose 18 basis points to 7.3% in the week ended Sept. 25, the highest since November 2023 and the sixth straight weekly increase, according to Mortgage Bankers Association figures released Sept. 30. The MBA purchase index fell 4.3% to its lowest since April 2025 and refinancing applications dropped 8.7%, while the five-year adjustable rate rose to 6.47% and August sales of previously owned homes fell to their weakest pace in more than a year. Higher borrowing costs linked to rising 10-year Treasury yields and a September Federal Reserve rate hike are widening the gap with existing 3% or 4% mortgages, locking homeowners in place and pressuring buyers, with sales expected to slow further without a large price drop absent forced sales.

1 source

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BloombergUS Mortgage Rates Rise to an Almost Three-Year High of 7.3%

Tue 23:15 Oil spike drives foreign investors out of Indian markets again Overseas investors sold $2.1 billion of Indian equities in September and $1.1 billion of index-eligible sovereign bonds, ending two straight months of equity purchases. The NSE Nifty 50 closed Wednesday at a six-month low, the rupee was among Asia's worst performers this quarter and the 10-year government bond yield hit a two-year high. The selling is undoing recent policy gains from a $133 billion diaspora deposit program that lifted reserves to a record $785.7 billion, as surging oil prices pressure the currency and stoke inflation in the import-reliant economy.

1 source

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BloombergForeign Money Flees India Again as Oil Spike Undoes Policy Gains

Tech, 3 stories

OpenAI says it will stay private until safety claims hold as protesters mock the delay, while Apple Pay finally cracked India and researchers jailbroke Kimi models into bioweapon instructions.

Tue 20:19 Artists stage Titanic-themed protest as OpenAI delays IPO over safety Two Bay Area artists placed a 5-foot-tall sculpture titled What Iceberg? at the public entrance to an OpenAI developer event in San Francisco on Tuesday, depicting company leaders and investors escaping a sinking ship while others face the cost of AI. Members of Berkeley-based Odd Friend Studio built the piece over five days from papier-mâché, cardboard, paint and a repurposed table. The protest came as CEO Sam Altman said after his DevDay keynote that OpenAI will not go public until it can make confident safety claims, following a halt to training for GPT-6.1 Astra over safety concerns, an apology for unauthorized access to Australian government websites and a Florida court request to halt development.

4 sources

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ArsProtests against OpenAI get increasingly creative VergeSam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

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06:30 Apple Pay launches in India with Axis Bank in limited rollout Apple began rolling out Apple Pay in India on Tuesday with Axis Bank as its first banking partner after years of delays. The initial rollout supports eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards, but not RuPay, and works only at merchants and terminals enabled for the service, which Apple said includes millions of merchants such as Blinkit, Zomato, Croma and Reliance brands. The launch enters a market dominated by bank to bank payments over UPI, with Apple seeking a 0.2 percent transaction fee that TechCrunch reported has kept HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card from joining at launch as negotiations continue.

2 sources

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TCApple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines EngadgetApple Pay finally arrives in India on a limited basis

Tue 19:15 Chinese Kimi AI models jailbroken to give bioweapon instructions Security researchers jailbroke Chinese developer Moonshot's Kimi K2.6 and K3 Swarm models to produce instructions for making biological weapons and carrying out assassinations. Testing firm Mindgard found the bypass in July, notified Moonshot on 27 July and published its findings on 12 September, and said a jailbroken Kimi K2.6 could also run code and connect to the internet as a potential launchpad for cyberattacks, though it did not prove the weapon instructions would work. Moonshot said its internal tests showed a high refusal rate for such requests and that it is conducting an internal review. The incident raises safety concerns because Kimi is an open-weight model that can be copied and run independently, with experts warning that determined hackers could exploit such jailbreaks and that regulation is unlikely to keep pace with AI development.

1 source

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BBCChinese AI tool told researchers how to make bioweapons

Sports, 4 stories

The eighth seeded Liberty stunned top seeded Minnesota to become the first eight to oust a one, while Caitlin Clark made history and a 17 year old rewrote the USMNT record book.

Tue 22:25 Mathis Albert, 17, becomes youngest scorer in USMNT history Borussia Dortmund teenager Mathis Albert scored in second-half stoppage time of a 4-2 friendly win over Chile in St. Louis on Tuesday to become the youngest scorer in US men's national team history at 17 years and 131 days. He broke the modern-era mark set by Christian Pulisic at 17 years and 253 days, capping a match in which the United States fielded its youngest starting lineup under coach Mauricio Pochettino at an average of 23 years and 25 days, with 18-year-old Julian Hall also scoring in his second straight game. The match was the second since a round-of-16 loss to Belgium at the World Cup on July 6, with Pulisic left out as Pochettino tested young players, and the United States next faces Mexico on Saturday and Canada on Oct. 6.

1 source

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ESPNAlbert, 17, breaks Pulisic mark as youngest USMNT scorer

Tue 21:25 Clark's historic double-double lifts Fever past Aces to force game 3 The Indiana Fever beat the Las Vegas Aces 99-89 in Game 2 on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to avoid elimination in their first-round playoff series. Caitlin Clark had 27 points and a career-high 15 assists to become the first WNBA player with at least 25 points and 15 assists in a game, and she scored or assisted on 58 points to tie the playoff record, while Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points and Aliyah Boston had 22. The win evens the series and sets up Game 3 on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

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ESPNClark's monster effort helps Fever force Game 3 with Aces

01:33 McKenna plays 15:19 in debut as Maple Leafs lose opener The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 3-2 to the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener Tuesday night in Toronto as No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna made his NHL debut. McKenna, 18, played 15:19 with one shot on net, two giveaways and a minus-2 rating with no points, while William Nylander scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots in his first game for Toronto. Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier each had a goal and an assist for Montreal, which also got a goal from Zack Bolduc and 25 saves from Jakub Dobes, as Toronto opened a new-look season after missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade and next faces the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

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ESPNMcKenna tops 15 minutes in NHL debut as Maple Leafs fall

Tue 22:55 Eighth-seeded Liberty sweep top-seeded Lynx to reach semifinals No. 8 seed New York Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2 on Tuesday in New York to sweep the WNBA quarterfinal series and advance to the semifinals. Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Breanna Stewart added 21 points and Sabrina Ionescu had 18, while Courtney Williams led Minnesota with 18 points before a sellout crowd of 17,593. New York became the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league's 30-year history and will face the winner of the Atlanta-Washington series, with the semifinals beginning Sunday.

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ESPNNo. 8 Liberty complete sweep of top-seeded Lynx with Game 2 win