Edition, 18 stories.

Evening NOISE, Sep 21

Business, 17:11, 5 sources.

Paramount settlement with states clears path for Warner merger

Paramount reached a settlement with a California-led coalition of Democratic state attorneys general to resolve the lawsuit over its $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, though a judge must still approve the agreement. NPR reports the concessions include operating Warner Bros. Studios and Paramount Pictures separately, minimum theatrical release commitments with financial penalties, additional US film spending, and a board to insulate CBS and CNN, with CEO David Ellison claiming complete clearance. Ars emphasizes criticism of the deal from advocates and former FTC Chair Lina Khan, who argue behavioral remedies fail to preserve competition and journalistic independence.

Signal read, busy. Estuary tide. Illustration: NOISE.

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NPRParamount makes concessions to salvage $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal ArsCalifornia settles lawsuit against Paramount/Warner merger, angering advocates

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Signal read

Busy

Merger scrutiny, AI energy demands, Gulf tensions and domestic politics dominate.

Sep 15, Tense. Sep 16, Busy. Sep 17, Tense. Sep 18, Tense. Sep 19, Tense. Sep 20, Tense. Sep 21, Busy, latest.

Sep 15Sep 21

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U.S., 4 stories

President Trump's approval slid to 32 percent as cost of living discontent grows, even as midterm money moves slowly. Meanwhile severed fiber snarled East Coast flights and Arizona voters brace for a tense election watch.

16:11 Trump approval falls to 32 percent as living costs bite Reuters reported President Donald Trump's approval fell to 32 percent, down from 35 percent a week earlier, with just 17 percent approving of his handling of the cost of living. Republican support dropped to 73 percent from 82 percent, with 51 percent of Republicans now disapproving of his handling of costs compared with 44 percent approving. Reuters linked the dissatisfaction to higher fuel prices since the war on Iran launched in February, citing a poll of 1,277 US adults with a 3 point margin of error.

1 source

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ReutersEXCLUSIVE: Trump approval falls to record low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

17:17 Verizon fiber cut disrupts flights to Newark, New York and Philadelphia CNBC reported hundreds of flights to Newark, LaGuardia, JFK and Philadelphia were canceled, delayed or diverted Monday after a Verizon fiber cable was accidentally cut during construction in New Jersey, knocking out primary and backup data feeds to the Philadelphia TRACON facility. The FAA halted inbound flights, with more than 600 cancellations at Newark and nearly 200 at Philadelphia by late afternoon plus close to 100 diversions, according to FlightAware and Flightradar24 data cited by CNBC. Verizon said construction contractors cut its cable and that it bears no responsibility while technicians work on repairs, NJ Transit said its crew was operating about 10 feet from utility markings, and United Airlines and American Airlines waived change fees for affected travelers.

2 sources

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CNBCHundreds of flights into Newark, New York, Philadelphia disrupted after Verizon fiber line cut

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16:34 Trump's promised midterm spending yet to materialize, filings show CNBC reports MAGA Inc. ended August with $415.8 million after raising $23.7 million and spending $11.4 million, despite Trump saying Sept. 4 he would deploy $400 million to $500 million for Republicans. So far in September the group has disclosed about $15 million in Texas Senate spending, while two newly formed Trump-linked super PACs have reserved about $126 million in ads. The filings follow public pressure from Republican leaders including Sen. John Kennedy and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to spend in Texas.

1 source

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CNBCMuch of Trump’s promised midterm election spending has yet to surface, new filing shows

17:30 Arizona activists build map to track federal agents at polls Axios reports that Arizona immigration advocates led by the Arizona Center for Empowerment are building a live heat map to alert voters if federal agents are spotted near polling places in Maricopa and Pima counties. Advocates say even the threat of ICE presence could deter turnout, especially for mixed status households, after state Republicans proposed requiring agents at polls and President Trump said he would do anything necessary for honest elections. DHS says ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations, while the Arizona Secretary of State's office says officials will prepare through training and coordination with local law enforcement.

1 source

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AxiosAriz. activists build map to show federal agents at polls

World, 4 stories

Iran warns of wider war as a tanker is struck near Hormuz and Trump meets Gulf leaders, while Russia presses Europe with deniable attacks and Yemenis flee across the Red Sea.

15:48 Trump weighs next steps as Iran warns US before Gulf meeting Update AP reported Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned Monday it would "change the geography of the war" if the US escalates, as the British military said an unknown projectile struck a tanker entering the Strait of Hormuz. Wire excerpts say President Donald Trump is set to meet leaders from six Gulf countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly as the administration weighs next steps. Bloomberg emphasized a different angle, reporting the UN has rechecked escalators and teleprompter arrangements ahead of Trump's Tuesday speech.

2 sources

Follow-up to Trump weighs Saudi plea for help against Houthis before Gulf meeting, September 21

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BloombergUN Scrambles to Avoid a Repeat of Trump’s 2025 Escalator Snafu APIran’s Revolutionary Guard warns US over escalation, and other Mideast developments

13:55 Russian grey zone attacks test Europe as Ukraine strikes back The Economist reports that Russia's sabotage and deniable provocations across Europe have grown more brazen, citing warnings from Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk and incidents including drone incursions, airspace violations and the Leipzig-Halle airport attack. AP emphasizes a different angle, reporting that Ukraine fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia, including what Moscow described as the largest ever attack on the capital. Together the coverage frames intensifying grey zone pressure on NATO allies as long range strikes between Russia and Ukraine continue.

3 sources

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EconomistRussia’s grey-zone attacks on Europe are growing more brazen APUkraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including ‘largest ever’ attack on Moscow

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10:14 Yemenis flee to Djibouti as Red Sea fighting escalates BBC reports from Markazi camp in Djibouti that more than 3,000 Yemenis have arrived in recent days, part of an estimated 120,000 displaced by fighting along the Red Sea coast. It attributes the surge to a Houthi advance toward Bab al-Mandab and hundreds of Saudi air strikes in response, with Houthi drones and missiles also hitting south-western Saudi Arabia. Refugees interviewed cite fear of bombing from all sides and say they will return only if peace returns.

2 sources

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BBCYemenis flee across Red Sea as Houthis and Saudi-backed forces escalate war

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16:36 Zelenskiy meets CIA chief Ratcliffe in Ireland en route to UN Reuters reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met US CIA chief John Ratcliffe at Shannon Airport in Ireland, citing two people familiar with the matter who declined to disclose details. The meeting occurred as Zelenskiy traveled to New York for the United Nations gathering of world leaders, while Ratcliffe was returning from meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It comes less than a month after Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow to meet Russian intelligence officials, where one source said he discussed Ukraine.

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ReutersZelenskiy and US spy chief Ratcliffe meet in Ireland, sources say

Business, 2 stories

Wall Street is cooling on data center IPOs as SB Energy and others pause offerings, while China faces its weakest growth since 1991 under weak spending and property losses.

17:20 Wall Street questions data center boom as IPO plans stall The NYT reports SB Energy delayed its planned IPO amid investor doubts over a sought valuation of $50 billion or more, while Holtec paused its offering citing uncertainty of data center development and Aggreko slowed its process. It attributes growing Wall Street skepticism to public backlash, execution risks, high valuations and broader economic uncertainty despite continued demand for AI computing power. The Economist emphasizes a different angle with Australia's $156bn data center boom, driven by cheap renewable energy, space and its role as a secure cable hub serving Asia.

4 sources

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NYTWall Street Is Growing Skeptical of the Data Center Boom EconomistAustralia’s giant data-centre boom

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06:00 China faces weakest growth since 1991 amid weak spending WaPo reports China expects less than half its former 10 percent growth pace this year, its weakest performance since 1991, with some independent economists saying growth is barely positive. The outlet attributes the slowdown to a collapsed property bubble that destroyed $10 trillion in household wealth, household consumption at 40 percent of the economy, debt above 300 percent of output, and state-led manufacturing investment. It describes weak wage growth, flat retail sales, youth unemployment at 18.9 percent in August, and more than 280 million people in gig jobs.

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WaPoWhy China’s economy may be headed for its worst year since 1991

Tech, 4 stories

California now makes data centers pay for grid and water upgrades, while the UN talks AI safety without the US and China and Meta's Muse tops the app charts.

16:29 California signs bills making data centers pay for energy upgrades The Verge reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven bills requiring AI data centers to pay for local grid and water upgrades and disclose estimated water and energy use. The package directs the California Public Utilities Commission to create a new rate classification and ties streamlined approval to efficiency requirements. Wired takes a different angle, focusing on AI competition, tariffs and rare minerals ahead of Trump's summit with Xi Jinping.

6 sources

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VergeCalifornia tightens rules on AI data center energy and water use WiredAI, Tariffs, Rare Minerals: What to Expect From Trump’s Upcoming Summit With Xi Jinping

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15:25 UN struggles for relevance as US and China race on AI Update The NYT reports the United Nations is pressing AI safety and cooperation at General Assembly meetings this week even as the United States and China deepen their lead and pursue bilateral talks. Secretary General António Guterres called for shared safeguards, while 22 countries adopted a declaration on human oversight that the US and China did not join. Experts told the outlet the UN has been sidelined because AI development is a two-player race dominated by Washington and Beijing.

2 sources

Follow-up to US and China discuss mutual alerts for AI national security threats, September 21

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NYTU.N. Seeks Relevance on A.I. as the U.S. and China Race Ahead

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16:51 OpenAI forms math advisory group after claiming 100 problem breakthroughs According to TC, OpenAI announced the Advisory Group on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence hosted at the Institute for Advanced Study after publishing a Navier-Stokes solution and claiming the same model resolved more than 100 additional open problems. The group will assess the significance of results and coordinate their release while giving mathematicians input into math research. TC reports the move follows criticism from mathematicians, including an open letter signed by 25 Fields Medalists about the pace of AI-driven solutions.

2 sources

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TCOpenAI forms math advisory group as its AI resolves more than 100 open problems

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15:19 Meta’s Muse AI app tops US charts after strong launch Update Bloomberg reported that Muse ranked as the No. 1 free app on the US Apple iOS App and Google Play stores as of Monday. Citing Sensor Tower, it said Muse was downloaded more than 902,000 times in the six days after its Sept. 8 introduction, compared with 773,000 downloads for its predecessor Meta AI in the same post-launch period. The assistant lets users create customized AI agents to complete digital tasks, respond based on social content and connect to third-party services, which Evercore ISI analysts described as a tangible sign of product innovation.

2 sources

Follow-up to Amazon blocks Meta Muse AI agent from shopping on its site, September 21

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BloombergMeta’s New Muse AI App Tops Charts, Draws Strong Reviews

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Sports, 3 stories

The scariest Sunday moment was Bregman taking a foul ball to the face in the on-deck circle, while Reed's back injury and Penix getting the Thursday start shake up Green Bay and Atlanta.

16:25 Packers receiver Jayden Reed suffered back injury, not neck injury Packers receiver Jayden Reed suffered a back injury rather than a neck injury as originally announced during Sunday's 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Reed was injured on Green Bay's second play from scrimmage, was taken from MetLife Stadium to a nearby hospital and did not travel home with the team but was expected to return to Green Bay on Monday. Coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that Reed was able to move all of his extremities.

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ESPNPackers WR Reed sustained back, not neck injury, source says

16:50 Cubs' Bregman suffered facial fractures from foul ball, sources say Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after being struck by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle Sunday, sources told ESPN. The ball came off the bat of Michael Busch in the fourth inning of Chicago's 9-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds and struck Bregman in the left cheekbone under the eye, causing bleeding and swelling. Manager Craig Counsell called it a terrible accident. Bregman will not undergo surgery and is hopeful to return in the postseason.

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ESPNSources: Cubs' Bregman suffered facial fractures from foul ball

16:37 Falcons to start Michael Penix Thursday against Packers ESPN reported the Falcons announced Monday that Michael Penix Jr. will start Thursday night on the road against the Green Bay Packers. It will be his first start since Week 11 last November, when he tore his left ACL. Penix steps in after Tua Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury in practice and Cooper Rush struggled in the Falcons' first two games.

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ESPNFalcons to start QB Michael Penix on Thursday vs. Packers