Newsletter Sep 19, 2023

Quick Six

Biden takes political risk to free five Americans from Iran
President Joe Biden hailed a prisoner swap with Iran as cause for celebration Monday, but Republicans criticized the politically risky deal ahead of the 2024 election. The White House defended the exchange, in which five "innocent Americans" flew out of Iran following the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds. Five Iranians held in the US were also freed. However, the decision did not involve any US softening on Tehran, which Washington accuses of being the world's leading sponsor of terrorism.
SEE THE LONG LIST OF US SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON IRAN

Fed likely to pause rate hikes before making a pivot in 2024
In its regular September meeting held this week, the Federal Open Market Operations (FMOC) will likely pause interest rate hikes again. The Fed will leave the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) unchanged at the current 5.25%-5.50% level, according to the CME's FedWatch Tool, as the economy is close to where policy-makers want it to be: at near full employment and steady prices.
THE FED IS NEAR THE END OF ITS TIGHTENING POLICIES

Diplomat Musk? Tesla CEO meets leaders of Turkey, Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged tech tycoon Elon Musk to open his next Tesla factory in Turkey in a weekend meeting, becoming the latest leader to lobby one of the world's richest men. Also, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged Musk to fight anti-Semitism on his X platform as he sat down with the tech tycoon to discuss artificial intelligence.
SEE HOW MUSK HAS BEEN PLAYING A ROLE IN DIPLOMACY

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Markets

DJIA	34,624.30	0.02%
S&P 500	4,453.53	0.07%
Nasdaq Composite	13,710.24	0.01%
Japan: Nikkei 225	33,533.09	1.10%
UK: FTSE 100	7,652.94	-0.76%
Crude Oil Futures	92.32	0.92%
Gold Futures	1,955.20	0.09%
Yen	147.59	-0.01%
Euro	1.07	-0.02%
* As of market close

US, China leaders discuss Biden-Xi meeting

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China's foreign minister Wang Yi held talks in Malta amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between the world's two leading economies. The two sides issued separate statements, noting that the meetings were "candid, substantive, and constructive." The White House said that the two governments expressed commitment to pursuing "additional high-level engagement and consultations" in key areas, with a potential face-to-face meeting between leaders Joe Biden and Xi Jinping "in the coming months."

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF A BIDEN-XI MEETING THIS YEAR?

Missing F-35 located in rural South Carolina

The debris of an advanced Marine Corps F-35B jet fighter that went missing during a weekend training flight was located in a rural section of South Carolina on Monday. Authorities, who termed the incident a "mishap," reported finding a debris field from the plane that crashed near Florence, SC, after the pilot was forced to eject from the plane. The pilot survived the incident and is in stable condition at the hospital.

WHY AUTHORITIES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CAUSE OF CRASH

Age before beauty: 'Super Models' streams

America's Cindy Crawford, 57, and Christy Turlington, 54, Britain's Naomi Campbell, 53, and Canada's Linda Evangelista, 58, are back, recounting how they revolutionized fashion as the first supermodels in the 1990s in a new series for Apple TV. "The Super Models", which launches on the streaming platform on Wednesday, looks back on the four women who created a template for today's uber-influencers.

HOW '90'S SUPER MODELS SET THE STAGE FOR INFLUENCERS

Extra point

Who was the first model to appear as a Playboy centerfold? What year?

Monday's answer: A recent genomic study revealed that Aboriginal Australians are the oldest known civilization on Earth, with ancestries stretching back roughly 75,000 years.

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