Democrats organize against election interference

Plus: Fed defies Trump with rate hike  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Richard Hall | September 17, 2026     Hello there. When was the last time you sat down with a good book? There may be a certain irony in posing that question to readers of a newsletter that prizes brevity, but we’re reporting today on new research that suggests reading for pleasure could have a significant impact on your well-being.  We’re also sharing an unmissable video of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum performing a unique annual tradition while presiding over her country’s Independence Day celebrations, and news of the Democrats’ plan to fight election interference.  IN TODAY’S BRIEF Fed defies Trump AI and the environment Houthis cross a ‘red line’ Read a book to stay healthy Democrats organize to fight election interference Mortgage rates spike Mexico celebrates         READ THIS FIRST Trump’s handpicked Fed chair raises rates Yuri Gripas—Abaca/Bloomberg/Getty Images Donald Trump lashed out at the Federal Reserve after it defied his persistent calls for lower interest rates and instead raised its key interest rate on Wednesday for the first time since 2023, in an attempt to quell elevated inflation. “Interest Rates in the United States should be 1%, or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World—BY FAR,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!” The Fed’s newly minted chair, Kevin Warsh, whom Trump appointed in May to succeed Jerome Powell, said Wednesday that all 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee, including him, voted unanimously for the 0.25 percentage point hike. The federal funds rate now ranges between 3.75 and 4%.  A rate hike counters Trump’s steady campaign last year against Powell, whom he appointed in 2018, to pressure him to significantly lower interest rates. —Chad de Guzman         SPONSORED Global hiring is evolving fast. Join Oyster's webinars and events to learn how leading companies are hiring, expanding, and staying compliant worldwide. Watch live or on-demand         THE CONTEXT Both Democrats and Republicans are increasingly worried about AI's environmental impact Myung J. Chun—Getty Images As data centers break ground in communities across the country, Americans are growing more concerned about the environmental impacts. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, which found that about half (53%) of Americans are “extremely” or “very” concerned about AI’s environmental impacts. The number is up from 41% last year.  The concern is shared across all party affiliations. More Democrats, Republicans, and independents said they are “extremely or very” worried about the environmental impacts compared to last year—with 65% of Democrats, 42% of Republicans, and 49% of Independents reporting their concern this year.  There are currently 1,287 data centers in operation in the U.S., with more than 2,000 planned projects, according to Cleanview, a market intelligence company tracking U.S. power infrastructure and data center development. The growth is driven by the rise of hyperscale data centers, which are larger, more powerful, and often used to train and run large-scale AI models. —Simmone Shah         HAPPENING NOW Saudi Arabia calls Mecca a ‘red line’ after alleged Houthi drone attack Ali Atmaca—Anadolu via Getty Images Saudi Arabia on Wednesday accused the Iran-backed Houthis of an attempted attack on Mecca, the holiest city in Islam and a site of pilgrimage for Muslims worldwide. Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen, said that the Houthis launched a drone toward Mecca on Tuesday evening, but it was shot down by the Saudi Air Defense Forces before entering the city’s restricted airspace. “The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” said Al-Malki, who warned that the Saudi-led coalition “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures” against the Houthis.  Riyadh referenced a previous similar incident from July 2017, in which it accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca. The Houthis acknowledged launching a missile from Yemen, but said that it was aiming for the King Fahd air base in Taif.  The Yemeni militia group has denied the allegation, accusing Riyadh of spreading “false accusations” on Wednesday. —Callum Sutherland         HEALTH CHECK The surprising health benefits of reading a book Maryna Terletska—Getty Images Over the past couple of decades, the share of Americans reading for pleasure has been steadily dropping, with one large study finding that only 16% of people read for pleasure.  But a new review published in Psychological Medicine suggests that reading for pleasure—sitting down and focusing on a book you actually look forward to cracking open—can have significant impacts on your brain and wellbeing.  Reading has an effect from a very young age, says Barbara Sahakian, an emeritus professor of clinical neuropsychology at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and an author of the new paper. In one study of about 10,000 children in the U.S., she and her colleagues found that kids who started to read for pleasure early in life were better adjusted later, regardless of their socioeconomic background. “They had better cognition, they had reduced symptoms of mental-health problems, they had better attention,” she says. They also spent less time on screens and slept longer. —Veronique Greenwood         SPONSORED Make Your Screen Time More Productive Instead of wasting hours on mindless content, spend 10 minutes learning something that can actually improve your life. Shortform distills the key ideas from the world’s best nonfiction books, articles, and podcasts into concise, actionable summaries. Turn 10 minutes a day into a smarter, more capable you. Get 49% OFF         IN FOCUS How Democrats are mobilizing to counter potential election interference Mike Kropf—Richmond Times-Dispatch/Getty Images With the midterm elections less than two months away, Democrats are training thousands of volunteers on how to respond to any potential incidents of voter intimidation at the polls in November. The New Battlefield Project—an initiative that is being coordinated by the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC), which operates under the Democratic National Committee (DNC)—involves training at least 10,000 volunteers so that they’ll be equipped to counter interference or intimidation at polling locations across the country if such situations arise, says Jane Kleeb, the chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and president of the ASDC. The on-the-ground team—dubbed the “Democracy Protectors”—will be wearing blue to distinguish themselves, and will be trained in de-escalating conflicts and documenting any potential “bad actors and bad behavior.” Information about such incidents would then be passed along to the state party and the DNC to take action where necessary. Kleeb says the volunteers will also be helpful resources to voters—for instance, they can help direct people to the right polling locations. The trainings, Kleeb adds, are based on constitutional observer trainings that the Minnesota Democratic Party coordinated amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the state.  In addition to the Democracy Protectors, the New Battlefield Project includes teams that are focused on encouraging citizens to register to vote and to vote early, as well as on dispelling any misinformation or disinformation spreading online ahead of Election Day. The DNC musters an election protection program every year, and states sometimes train volunteers to perform similar tasks. But this year’s effort is larger in its scope and is being coordinated nationwide. Kleeb says Democrats were spurred to launch the initiative because of speculation and concerns they were hearing from voters, candidates, and elected officials that President Donald Trump could send federal agents to polling places. “About six months ago, state parties really started to put in place a program that we thought would address the threat of Donald Trump and what we think his allies are doing this cycle,” Kleeb says. “We heard Trump and Steve Bannon talking about how they could potentially be sending the National Guard, the military, or ICE agents outside of polling locations.” “We take them very seriously,” she continues. —Chantelle Lee         ONE NUMBER 7.08% Thirty-year mortgage rates hit a one-year high on Wednesday. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage reached 7.08%, according to the Mortgage Research Center. SOURCE: MORTGAGE RESEARCH CENTER         A VIRAL MOMENT Cry of Independence Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum delivered her second Cry of Independence on Tuesday, on the eve of the country’s Independence Day. The tradition commemorates the anniversary of Mexican priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s Cry of Dolores (Grito de Dolores)—a call for revolt against Spanish rule in 1810.         SPONSORED Up to $1M in identity theft recovery If identity theft happens, Coveron doesn't leave you alone. Get dedicated case managers, legal support, and up to $1M in recovery assistance. We handle the mess so you don't have to. One scam can cost you everything - protect yourself now. The first 100 users get 20% off with code beehiivenewsletter. Get protected today 30-day money-back guarantee. Terms and conditions apply.       Linked In this addictive word-association game, find the steps that will unite two seemingly unrelated words in just four moves. PLAY NOW       ALSO WORTH YOUR TIME IDEAS The Politicization of ‘DEI’ Bike Lanes HEALTH  The Best Ways to Stop Yourself From Crying       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +HEALTH MATTERS +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: thebrief@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME   PRIVACY POLICY     © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe