IJR News

Farms across the U.S. roll out patriotic and Dolly Parton-themed corn mazes this fall — Sep 3, 2026Across the U.S. this fall, corn mazes and autumn festivals are drawing crowds—from Sullivan, Indiana's 70th Sullivan Corn Festival to patriotic and Dolly Parton-inspired mazes and a wide network of farm destinations in Oklahoma and beyond. Designs range from Route 66 centennial tributes and public-spirited fundraising to family-friendly activities with hayrides, pumpkin patches, and live music, reflecting a robust seasonal tourism trend.

Sam Okafor A Dolly Parton corn maze sounds like the most Tennessee thing possible, love it.

Libyan rivals sign two-year election roadmap — Aug 30, 2026Libya’s rival factions, via the 4+4 committee, signed a UN-backed pact to hold presidential and parliamentary elections within 24 months under a single unified executive and institutions, while reforming the Electoral Commission and electoral laws. The agreement, mediated by UNSMIL, also sets pathways if Parliament and High Council of State fail to approve and addresses candidate eligibility, dual nationality, and neutral military participation, with some references noting potential timeline shifts and constitutional contingencies.

Petrobras Joins Brazil’s R$1-Per-Liter Diesel Subsidy — Sep 19, 2026Petrobras has approved participation in Brazil’s new diesel subsidy program under Provisional Measure No. 1,391, providing R$1.00 per liter for 30 days (potentially extended) and stacking with the existing R$1.12 per liter under Provisional Measure No. 1,363, with regulations needed for implementation and a commitment to avoid immediate price pass-through of volatility. The company’s subsidies from government fuel-support measures now total about R$9.9 billion across diesel, gasoline and LPG, including a recent R$448 million gasoline subsidy payment, as Petrobras balances market strategy with policy-driven support to cushion domestic fuel costs.

Arbitrator orders Uber to pay $40 million after driver ejects passenger on freeway — Sep 17, 2026A California arbitration awarded Emily Normandin-Parker's parents $40 million, holding Uber and the driver liable after he abandoned the 23-year-old and her friend at an unsafe gore point on State Route 73, where Emily was later killed. The ruling criticized Uber's safety practices and prompted statements from the family and Uber, which disputes liability.

Sanders Urges Trump, Xi to Negotiate AI Treaty — Sep 13, 2026Bernie Sanders urged Trump and Xi to negotiate a binding treaty to pause advanced AI development and ban superintelligent AI, following unprecedented alignment among tech leaders to slow the pace of progress. He framed diplomacy as the only viable path to prevent humanity from being at risk, calling for an upcoming AI summit to finalize the pact.

Derek Foss A pause sounds fine but I doubt Trump or Xi will actually slow their own countries tech race.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Republicans Plan Dallas Convention Ahead of Midterms — Sep 6, 2026Dallas hosts a wide RNC speaker slate for Sept. 9-10, featuring speakers such as Michael Whatley, Laurie Buckhout, Mike Collins, Brian Jack, Ken Paxton and other officials alongside high-profile figures like Donald Trump and JD Vance as the party highlights battleground races. However, the lineup has sparked Hatch Act concerns over Attorney General Todd Blanche’s appearance, drawing criticism from observers about legal limits on federal officials participating in partisan events.

Unifor, Stellantis Talks Hit Impasse Over Brampton Plant — Sep 11, 2026Unifor and Stellantis have hit an impasse after 10 days of bargaining over the future of the Brampton Assembly Plant, with talks paused as the Sept. 11 deadline passes and uncertainty looming for Windsor and Etobicoke plans alongside a possible Brampton closure or sale to a third party. As the contract expiry approaches on Sept. 20, Unifor seeks a deal that protects members’ jobs and benefits, while Stellantis presses for a Canada-focused agreement amid past promises and tariff tensions involving the United States and President Donald Trump.

Derek Foss Stellantis needs to stop playing games with Brampton jobs and lock in a real plan that keeps production in Canada.

UP MLC Bhardwaj launches free service to track teacher pay disputes — Sep 5, 2026On Teachers’ Day, MLC Dharmendra Kumar Bhardwaj announced a Teacher Assistance and Grievance Support Service in Meerut to help educators document issues, identify the proper authority, and track the status of representations related to honorarium, welfare benefits, and government schemes, while explicitly not handling transfers or salary decisions. The move follows a UP government increase in Shiksha Mitras’ and part-time instructors’ honorariums and aims to address payment delays and documentation challenges without claiming credit for state decisions.

Maya Lindstrom Nice gesture but real question is whether officials actually respond faster once grievances are logged here.

Nine more drugmakers join Trump's MFN pricing deals, terms still unclear — Aug 31, 2026President Trump announced a new wave of drug-pricing deals aimed at lowering U.S. prescription costs by tying prices to what is paid in other developed countries, with multiple manufacturers participating and promises of substantial domestic manufacturing investments. The White House has positioned these MFN-style agreements as a continuation of efforts ahead of the midterms, with ongoing rollout across a mix of large and mid-sized drugmakers and accompanying tools like patient-access portals and tariff relief.

Dana Whitfield companies signing on is a big number, but the real test is whether insurers pass those savings to patients.

Olive Garden Reintroduces Never-Ending Pasta Bowl NationwideBusiness — Aug 31, 2026Olive Garden's Never-Ending Pasta Bowl returns this fall, running through November 22 with unlimited pasta, soup, and breadsticks starting at $14.99 and introducing two new add-ons: Spicy Alfredo and Crispy Shrimp Fritta. The brand also revived the Never-Ending Pasta Pass for a limited run of 10,000 passes at $100, which sold out, with nationwide participation including New York locations.

Hull hospital cancels parking fines sent to critically ill patient — Sep 2, 2026A seriously ill patient, Kate Matthews, 36, received multiple hospital parking fines despite her family paying for weekly permits, with debt collection threats issued during her hospital stay; authorities later apologised and cancelled the charges after scrutiny. The case drew widespread attention as families argued the notices were unfair and inequitable when the patient could not contest them while battling severe illness.

Soccer vs American FootballYourlist — VS BattleThe world's game versus America's obsession — simplicity against spectacle.

FDA Places Partial Hold on BHV-7000 Trials — Sep 10, 2026The FDA has placed a partial clinical hold on Biohaven/SK Biopharm’s BHV-7000 (opacalim) Phase 2/3 trials for focal epilepsy due to a rodent-specific metabolite toxicity finding, pausing new patient enrollment while current patients may continue. Both companies say the finding is likely rodent-specific and not indicative of human safety, with RISE3 already enrolled and topline results expected later in 2026 amid ongoing licensing and deal processes.

Rachel Meyers Pausing enrollment is the right call until they confirm the metabolite issue won't affect people.

Nasdaq invests $100 million in Kraken parent for equity token framework — Sep 10, 2026Nasdaq’s venture arm is investing $100 million in Payward, Kraken’s parent, valuing Payward at about $21 billion and expanding a partnership to advance tokenized market infrastructure and Nasdaq Equity Tokens (NETs). The collaboration aims to launch NETs in 2027 and includes a new market surveillance agreement to bolster governance and market integrity.

Jared Kim Adding surveillance rules from the start should help avoid the governance problems seen in earlier crypto projects.

Twenty farms across U.S. and Canada add Dolly Parton corn mazes — 3dStewart Farms in South Carolina is among 20 North American farms featuring Dolly Parton-themed corn mazes this fall, with part of the proceeds supporting her Imagination Library, which provides free books to young children. The tribute was planned before Parton’s death and runs from Sept. 26 through Oct. 31.

Carrigg's Two Homers Lift Rockies Past Padres 9-3 — Sep 15, 2026Cole Carrigg homered twice and went 4-for-5 as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 9-3, ending an eight-game skid, with Troy Johnston contributing three hits as part of a big multi-run sixth inning. The win snapped the Padres’ eight-game win streak and kept them from gaining ground in the NL wild-card race, while Freeland’s return from the injured list highlighted the Rockies’ victory run.

Priya Raman The sixth inning with Johnston's three hits must have been fun to watch after the Padres had been winning so much lately.

Spreadsheet wizard or formula fraud?Quizie — QuizFifteen questions that separate the people who USE spreadsheets from the people spreadsheets happen to. Rank at the end.

Meghan Patrick, Mitchell Tenpenny Welcome Baby Girl — Sep 8, 2026Meghan Patrick and Mitchell Tenpenny welcomed their first child, Ember James Tenpenny, born September 1 weighing 5 pounds 12 ounces, and shared the joyful news on social media with gratitude. The couple had previously candidly discussed a long journey to conceive, with Patrick pausing touring for health and family as they begin parenthood and honor family in their baby’s name.

Glass substrates and laser cooling target AI chip's growing heat problem — Sep 1, 2026TRUMPF’s HiPIMS-enabled through-glass vias aim to pack more AI-computing power into chips by enabling reliable, high-yield glass-substrate packaging for next-generation processors, while its ultrashort-pulse lasers support integrated chip cooling to address heat bottlenecks. Alongside these advances, iCometrue is promoting copper-block solutions to drastically reduce TPVs/TGVs for power delivery in large AI multi-chip packages, illustrating a packaging-driven shift in AI chip design.

Maya Lindstrom Power delivery gets ignored until it becomes the bottleneck. Copper blocks instead of tons of tiny vias makes sense for these massive multi-chip AI packages.

Dolly Parton's Walk of Fame star vandalized after her death, repairs underway — Sep 1, 2026Dolly Parton’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star was vandalized with scratches and mourners reported flowers left at the site were stolen, as crews prepared repairs to address preexisting cracks. The star, dedicated in 1984 and part of Parton’s broader memorial after her Aug. 25 death at age 80, has ongoing maintenance by the Hollywood Historic Trust amid the tributes surrounding her passing.

Priya Raman Fix the cracks while you're at it, but whoever scratched that star should be ashamed of themselves.

Pope Leo Draws Huge Crowd for Paris Mass — 2dPope Leo XIV led prayers at Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral, the first papal visit since the 2019 fire, and urged French Catholics to renew their mission and build a welcoming Church. The Vatican kept the occasion pastoral despite political interest in the cathedral’s restoration and reopening.

U.S. Alcohol Use Falls After Pandemic Rise but Not for All Ages — 5dU.S. past-year drinking fell about 2 points from 2022-2024, the first drop since the pandemic, while heavy drinking among ages 50-64 rose more than 36 points since 2018.

Tom Gallagher It makes sense older folks didn't change much because their routines were already set before the pandemic.

EU Urges US Reconsider Palestinian UN Visa Ban — Sep 17, 2026The European Union has urged the United States to rethink its decision to deny entry visas to Palestinian Authority officials ahead of the UN General Assembly, citing the host country’s obligations and the importance of Palestine’s full participation, with Abbas set to address the gathering via prerecorded video after again being denied a visa. The push from Brussels, echoed by UN leaders, comes as the UN votes to allow Abbas to appear virtually and as visa restrictions continue to strain diplomacy surrounding the New York gathering.

House Passes Third Iran War-Powers Resolution — Sep 16, 2026The U.S. House has for a third time passed a war powers resolution aimed at halting President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran, signaling bipartisan pressure ahead of the midterm elections even as the Senate’s path remains uncertain and Trump is expected to veto. The votes reflect continuing concern about the Iran conflict, with party lines shifting slightly as a handful of Republicans joined Democrats, and the cost of the war mounting as the political debate intensifies.

Nicole Hardy It's good Congress keeps voting to limit war with Iran, but the Senate needs to step up or this changes nothing.

GM Defense Delivers First Patriot Missile Parts — Sep 17, 2026GM Defense delivered first PAC-3 MSE housing components to Lockheed on Aug. 28, 22 days after contract signing—far faster than the months or years Lockheed says such parts usually take.

Dana Whitfield If one company can deliver in 22 days, the usual months-long timelines from others look like a real bottleneck worth fixing.

South Park Announces 'South America' Stunt Mocking Trump — Sep 8, 2026South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone formally rename the series to SOUTH AMERICA in a marketing stunt mocking President Trump, citing support from Apple and Google and teasing Paramount. The move comes amid a running joke about Trump’s push to rename places and follows the show’s Emmy win for an episode skewering him, with Apple and Google maps reportedly reflecting the new nomenclature.

Developing storylines

Tropical Storm Polo and potential Hurricane Nolo threaten Pacific and Hawaii

Terror attacks and security incidents in Pakistan

Dolly Parton legacy and Nashville airport renaming