The areas in the storm’s path experienced gorgeous sunsets last night. I posted the view over Fenway Park up above. Here’s one above the city skyline. I asked Google’s AI what caused these stunning sunsets. Here’s the response:

High-altitude ice crystal clouds pushed out by the advancing storm’s outflow caught and filtered the setting sun from below. [1]

The breathtaking pink, purple, and orange hues seen across New England and the Mid-Atlantic on Friday, September 25, 2026, were created by specific atmospheric dynamics related to the incoming nor’easter:

• Storm Outflow (“Exhaust”): The powerful nor’easter generated strong upper-level air movement at 30,000 to 40,000 feet, casting out thin, wispy cirrus clouds far ahead of the storm center. [1, 2]

• Ice Crystals: These high-altitude clouds consist entirely of tiny ice crystals that filter sunlight rather than blocking it completely. [1]

• Illumination from Below: Because the western edge of these clouds extended over regions like the Hudson Valley, the setting sun was able to shine directly underneath and illuminate the delicate crystal structures, producing the vivid colors. [1]

You can view stunning photo galleries of the event via The Boston Globe, or read more about the science behind the phenomenon in Matthew Cappucci’s Weather Update. [1, 2]

Interesting.

By Mari Takabayashi

I’d better get back to politics news, unfortunately.

This week, Iran made a proposal of a cease fire and immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz, but Trump rejected it. I think he actually wants to keep the war going until after the midterms. He has said several times that he plans to start bombing again once the elections are over.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs at The New York Times (gift link): Trump Rejects Iranian Proposal for Cease-Fire and Opening of Strait.

President Trump said on Saturday he turned down Iran’s latest cease-fire proposal that offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on the country’s nuclear program in exchange for U.S. concessions.

“They made a proposal, but I rejected it,” Mr. Trump told reporters as he left the White House on Saturday morning.

Mr. Trump demurred when asked if he expected to restart military strikes after the November midterm elections, saying Iran wanted “to make a deal where they open the strait immediately because they’re losing so badly.”

Mr. Trump’s rebuff was the latest turn in what has been a cycle of bombings, peace proposals, grandiose threats and conflicting messages throughout the nearly seven-month U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Mr. Trump’s public rejection of Iran’s offer came after his aides held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week in New York.

In his speech at the United Nations, Mr. Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, saying its leaders could strike a deal with the United States or risk annihilation….

Mr. Trump also suggested Iran was dragging the war out to the midterm elections in the hopes of politically damaging Mr. Trump and Republicans. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil and gas, has surged energy prices across the globe.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told reporters on Thursday that the seven-point proposal that Mr. Trump rejected closely mirrored the commitments laid out in a so-called memorandum of understanding that was struck between the United States and Iran in June but quickly unraveled.

Mr. Araghchi added “it would be better” if a deal were reached before the U.S. midterm elections.

He said that the proposed agreement would end fighting for seven days, including in Lebanon, and require the United States to release Iranian frozen assets estimated to be at least $12 billion, waive sanctions on Iranian oil and lift the naval blockade on Iran. Then, on the last day, the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.

So Trump is definitely the one trying to drag this thing out.

Robin Wright at The New Yorker: Iran’s Bitterness and Bewilderment Over How to Make Peace with Trump.

On a whirlwind trip to New York this week, Mahmoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, looked exhausted. His country has been at war with the United States and Israel for seven months. Dark, puffy bags sagged under his eyes. His tone—at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, on the sidelines of negotiations with U.S. envoys, in meetings with other world leaders, and at briefings for nuclear specialists, think-tank experts, and members of the media—alternated between bitter, biting, and bewildered.

Aoyama, Masaharu – Black Cat – Woodblock 1950s-1960s

The scenes were often surreal. Since February 28th, when the war began, Pezeshkian has frequently run his government from an underground location, to avoid the fate of his former boss, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of other politicians and military officers, all killed in air strikes. This week, however, the U.S. Secret Service and the New York Police Department provided Pezeshkian protection in coördination with his own security detail of Revolutionary Guards, an Iranian military branch that has repeatedly been targeted during the war. It was the first time that the President of a country at war with the United States has been allowed to pay a visit.

In New York, Iran made a new bid to end the conflict during indirect talks with U.S. envoys. The proposal, which would expedite a resolution in a mere seven days—peace on steroids—called for the U.S. to lift economic sanctions and end its blockade of Iranian ships, and for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to all international shipping, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Thursday….

The proposal also outlined an end to hostilities between the U.S and Iran, a ceasefire in Israel’s campaign in Lebanon, the release of an estimated twelve billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and the resumption of negotiations on the future of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. These reflected the main points in the so-called memorandum of understanding negotiated in Islamabad in June and signed, from afar, by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian. That deal broke down in July, when Iran struck three ships that were passing through an “unauthorized” route in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. responded with fresh rounds of punishing air strikes.

The new proposal was relayed to the U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during three hours of indirect talks, mediated by Qatar. Witkoff described the meetings as “encouraging, constructive and successful.” Trump called them “very good.”

Earlier in the day, however, Trump had mused, during a speech on the U.N. floor, about whether he should “annihilate the Islamic Republic, and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again.” Trump said that he was willing to drive Iran “into Hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations” if it does not agree to end the war on his more ambitious terms, which include sweeping steps to dismantle any remaining aspects of a nuclear program that could be used to make a weapon. On Friday night, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump had indeed rejected Iran’s proposal, and that he expects to resume bombing the country after the midterms, though an unnamed U.S. official said that Washington and Tehran continue to negotiate.

It’s a long article, and very interesting. You might have to empty your cache to get past the paywall.

The visit from China’s dictator wrapped up yesterday. What we saw happening was mostly Trump showing of his vanity building projects, including taking his dinner visitors into his ballroom-in-progress and dedicating it to Xi.

Will Weissert and Michelle L. Price at AP: Trump relishes showing Xi his Marine One chopper and new White House helipad.

President Donald Trump showed off some of his favorite things at the White House for the visiting leader of communist China on Thursday — bringing him inside his Marine One helicopter and exhibiting a new granite landing pad he built for it, along with the hulking, nearby construction site that will one day be a ballroom.

Xi was making his first state visit to the U.S. in 11 years, and the geopolitical rivals had a long list of thorny subjects before them, including the risks of unchecked artificial intelligence, Taiwan, trade tensions over tariffs and the war in Iran, a country with which Beijing has close economic ties.

By Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831–1889)

But Trump made time for a tour of his White House projects. After 90 minutes in the Oval Office, he walked his Chinese counterpart out to the South Lawn, where his chopper had been parked in advance on the new granite landing area.

As the leaders approached, a Marine opened the door and saluted as Trump and Xi climbed aboard with a small group of aides and translators. They looked around and chatted with the pilots for several minutes, though the aircraft never took off.

Trump also spent time gesturing toward the ballroom he is building where the East Wing once stood. Xi peered at two hulking concrete towers under construction as Trump intently watched Xi’s face while he spoke about the project, out of earshot of a group reporters summoned for the occasion….

The president’s attempts to impress Xi come as he’s built his party’s midterm election messaging strategy around slamming Democrats as “communists.” [….]

“We had a great meeting and he has great interest in granite,” Trump said after giving Xi a first-hand look.

“He’s an expert on stone, aside from many other things — and he loves good granite,” he said.

I don’t know if any U.S. media outlet reported this, but Trump mocked former president Joe Biden as he showed Xi a photo of an autopen that he had framed in place of a photo of Biden.

Owen Scott at The Independent: ‘Utterly disgusting’: Trump savaged as ‘un-American’ for his mockery of Biden to communist dictator Xi.

President Donald Trump has been branded ‘un-American’ for mocking former President Joe Biden during a state visit by Chinese officials.

​The controversial moment, which has even been labeled as “utterly disgusting,” unfolded Thursday, as Trump showed Chinese President Xi Jinping around the White House on the second day of the historic three-day visit.

​The pair were walking in the White House colonnade when Trump stopped Xi at the Presidential Walk of Fame – a row of portraits commemorating those who have served as commander-in-chief. It was one of many additions Trump has made to the White House since he returned to office.

Biden is the only president whose portrait is not shown among those of other commanders-in-chief, which were installed as part of Trump’s extensive renovations to the White House. Instead, an autopen takes his place in a reference to Trump’s claim that his predecessor’s administration heavily relied on the machine – a claim Biden denies.

​“Let’s be very clear on this one point,” former Democratic Rep. John Delaney wrote on X. “The President mocking a former President in front of the communist leader of China is the most un-American thing an American president has ever done.”

Trump is such an embarrassment. Fuck anyone who voted for him.

David Perdue, Trump’s ambassador to China claims that Trump asked Xi to stop helping Iran kill American troops.

Jennifer Bowers Bahny at Mediaite: ‘They Assured Us’: US Ambassador to China Says Xi’s Word Is Good on Iran Aid.

The U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue told Fox News Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping has “assured” the U.S. it’s not aiding Iran, despite reports to the contrary.

Uto Gyoshi, Musk Cat,

“Well, this has been a continual conversation over some period of time,” Perdue said of China aiding Iran. “President Trump did a great job making sure that China knows that this is unacceptable. We’ve seen some movement over the last month as well, but this isn’t the first time President Trump has brought it up with president Xi.”

Anchor Bill Hemmer asked, “Okay, does that mean that Beijing will stop in their aid and assistance to Iran?”

“Well, We’ve seen movement Bill, on that already,” Perdue answered. “That’s what the commitment is. They assured us yesterday that they aren’t doing that. We know that in the past there was some intel and some potential parts that went to, either directly or indirectly — but President Trump made it clear it is unacceptable to have any interaction with Iran with support of the war.”

“Well, We’ve seen movement Bill, on that already,” Perdue answered. “That’s what the commitment is. They assured us yesterday that they aren’t doing that. We know that in the past there was some intel and some potential parts that went to, either directly or indirectly — but President Trump made it clear it is unacceptable to have any interaction with Iran with support of the war.”

I seriously doubt if Trump actually confronted Xi on helping Iran target U.S. bases in the Middle East, which we know is happening.

This morning we learned that Trump is still carrying on his war with the White House press.

Brian Stelter and Alayna Treene at CNN: White House bars CNN from covering Trump on behalf of major TV networks as he travels to Tennessee.

The White House is barring CNN from flying on Air Force One on Saturday as part of the news outlet’s duties covering the president on behalf of major television networks.

CNN had been scheduled to fly aboard the president’s plane on his trip to Tennessee for a college football game as part of the White House TV press pool — a small, rotating group of journalists that cover the president in areas where space is limited and share the information they gather with other TV networks.

The move — announced Friday night in a White House note that lays out the president’s schedule — represents the Trump administration’s latest salvo against CNN and the broader White House press corps. No outlet was listed as replacing CNN, meaning there will be no television pool coverage of his trip….

It was unclear how the White House’s move might affect CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s litigation. The outside lawyer representing CNN had previously told anchor Jake Tapper he believed the restoration of the outlets’ access included the White House pool. MS NOW and Politico are a part of separate pool rotations from the five major TV networks.

A judge has given the news organizations until Monday to file a request for a preliminary injunction — which would put Trump’s promised ban on hold for a longer period of time….

In two posts on Truth Social Saturday morning, Trump said CNN and MS NOW should not be allowed in the White House, calling the organizations “perpetrators of FAKE NEWS.”

Later that morning, as he took questions from reporters while departing for Knoxville, an MS NOW reporter asked Trump if he only wants outlets that support him to be part of the White House press pool, to which Trump responded, “I want real news, not fake news.”

“I love an open, free press. What I don’t like is the fake press,” Trump said as he singled out MS NOW and CNN. “What we don’t want is — we don’t want fake news.”

What a complete and utter asshole.

A troubling story on rogue AI behavior broke last night.

 Kate Conger, Ana Swanson, and Cecilia Kang at The New York Times (gift link): OpenAI’s Systems Meddled With U.S. Government Sites After Going Rogue.