Hello! This is September 1, 2025.

Rep. Maxine Waters Urges 25th Amendment Review of Trump After Firing of Fed Governor Lisa Cook

During an appearance on MSNBC’s The Weeknight, Rep. Maxine Waters called for invoking the 25th Amendment to assess President Trump’s fitness for office after he removed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Waters argued the move risks destabilizing the economy and affecting Wall Street and interest rates, and urged swift action rather than waiting for the courts.

Treasury Flags Chinese Money Networks Tied to Drug Cartels

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a nationwide advisory warning banks and other financial firms to watch for Chinese money-laundering networks that move cartel cash through the U.S. system. Treasury officials said these networks help Mexico-based organizations traffic fentanyl, move people, and commit fraud, and that they touch U.S. real estate, casinos, and even some adult daycare operations in New York.

Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler Will Not Seek Reelection

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., says he will retire after 34 years in Congress, citing the need for generational change. In remarks to the New York Times, the 78-year-old lawmaker said the party should make room for younger leadership, noting he already yielded his Judiciary Committee role this term to a younger colleague.

Bessent: Trump May Declare National Housing Emergency This Fall

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the White House is weighing a national housing emergency to tackle high prices and tight supply, the first such move since the post-2008 crisis. Options under discussion include encouraging standardized zoning, trimming closing costs, and granting tariff exemptions for key building materials while avoiding direct preemption of state and local control. The push fits a broader affordability message ahead of the 2026 midterms, alongside the new “No Tax on Tips” provision. Bessent predicted a stronger economy in 2026 on expected Fed rate cuts and the administration’s reciprocal tariffs, while acknowledging uncertainty about how costs flow through to consumers.

A Bad September to Remember? Time to Move to Safe Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks

September has a long record as the market’s weakest month, and with major indexes near record highs after a sharp spring and summer rally, profit-taking and quarter-end rebalancing could add pressure. The piece argues that shifting some gains into sturdy dividend payers can reduce volatility while keeping income flowing. It highlights five long-proven names: Coca-Cola for its global beverage dominance and century-plus dividend streak; Eli Lilly for durable pharma franchises and growth in obesity and diabetes treatments; Procter & Gamble for essential household brands and consistent cash returns; PPG Industries for diversified coatings tied to autos, aerospace and infrastructure; and UGI for utility and propane distribution with a long record of payouts.

Drinking Specific Vegetable Juice Could Reduce Older Adults’ Blood Pressure

A University of Exeter study found that nitrate-rich beetroot juice lowered blood pressure in adults in their 60s and 70s over a two-week period, while a nitrate-free placebo did not. The trial compared younger adults under 30 with older adults and used a crossover design with a washout between phases. In older participants, the nitrate juice also shifted the oral microbiome, reducing Prevotella (linked with inflammation) and increasing Neisseria. Experts say dietary nitrates from beets and leafy greens are converted to nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax, improving vascular function and reducing blood pressure. Younger participants did not show the same blood pressure change.

AI Helps Brit Rediscover Her Lost Voice After 25 Years

Sarah Ezekiel, a London artist who lost her speech to motor neurone disease in her 30s, can now communicate in a voice that sounds like her own. Using an eight-second, low-quality clip from a 1990s home video, U.K. firm Smartbox isolated her speech and worked with ElevenLabs to generate a natural-sounding synthetic voice that preserved her accent and slight lisp. Voice banking usually needs long, clean recordings, and older tools often sounded robotic, so producing a lifelike result from such a short sample is notable.