Good Morning! Today’s edition is 920 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Immigrant worker decline

• FSU upsets Bama

• Population peaks

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Big Stories

Afghanistan Earthquake

• A 6.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 800 people and injured over 1,300 in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border on Monday. The quake struck at midnight in a remote mountainous area where mud brick and wood construction worsened building collapses.

• The earthquake's shallow depth of 5 miles made it particularly destructive, trapping families under rubble for hours. One survivor lost his wife and two sons while rescuing three other children from his collapsed home. Poor construction in rural areas and difficult mountain terrain have complicated rescue efforts while aftershocks continue.

• The disaster strikes Afghanistan during a severe humanitarian crisis, with 23 million people needing aid due to drought and conflict. Afghanistan suffers frequent deadly earthquakes, including western province quakes that killed 4,000 in 2023.

Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized

• Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized Saturday with a fractured thoracic vertebra after his rental car was struck from behind at high speed in New Hampshire. He stopped to help a woman who flagged him down, claiming to be a domestic violence victim, called 911, and stayed with her until police arrived. A Honda struck his SUV shortly after he returned to the highway.

• Giuliani suffered multiple lacerations, contusions, and injuries to his left arm and lower leg in addition to the spinal fracture. His spokesperson said he was released from the hospital Monday night and is in 'good spirits and recovering tremendously.'

• Two days after the crash, Trump announced he would award Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Trump called him the 'greatest Mayor in the history of New York City' and an 'American Patriot.‘

Immigrant Worker Drop Off

• More than 1.2 million immigrants left the US labor force from January through July under Trump's stepped-up immigration policies, according to Pew Research Center data. Immigrants make up nearly 20% of the workforce, including 45% of farming workers, 30% of construction workers, and 24% of service workers.

• The effects are already visible. California farms reported crops going to waste during peak season due to worker shortages from ICE raids. Construction employment stalled in about half of US metropolitan areas, with Los Angeles alone losing 6,200 jobs. Healthcare faces a potential shortage too, since immigrants make up 43% of home health aides.

• Economists warn that the workforce contraction could slow job growth. Immigrants normally account for half of new US employment gains and supply much of the “prime working age” labor.

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Quick Stories

US News

• House Republicans withdrew their subpoena for Robert Mueller after learning he cannot testify due to Parkinson’s disease. Mueller, the former FBI director, was sought over the committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation. (More)

• A US judge halted deportation flights of 76 Guatemalan children Sunday, ruling the Trump administration may have violated legal protections. The minors will remain in shelters while the case proceeds. (More)

• Labor unions staged over 1,000 "Workers Over Billionaires" protests nationwide on Labor Day, demonstrating against Trump and the wealthy elites supporting his administration. (More)

World

• Russia allegedly jammed GPS on EU chief Ursula von der Leyen's plane over Bulgaria during her tour of nations bordering Russia, but she landed safely. (More)

• Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto cut lawmakers’ $3,000 housing allowance after protests over political perks turned deadly, leaving six dead, including two students and a motorcycle taxi driver killed by police. (More)

• A Ukrainian ex-parliament speaker, Andriy Parubiy, was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday. Police arrested a disguised suspect on Monday, linking the attack to Russia. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Friday (S&P -0.64%, Nasdaq -1.15%, Dow -0.20%). Despite Friday’s decline, all three indexes ended the month in positive territory. (More)

• Alibaba's Hong Kong shares jumped 19% Monday after strong cloud computing growth helped drive quarterly results, with the stock hitting its highest level since March. (More)

• Financial planner Bill Bengen updated his 4% retirement rule to 4.7%, meaning retirees can now safely withdraw slightly more from their savings each year. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Canadian First Nations actor Graham Greene, known for Dances with Wolves, Longmire, and Reservation Dogs, has died at 73 in Toronto. He was an Oscar nominee and Grammy winner. (More)

• Florida State upset No. 8 Alabama 31-17 behind quarterback Tommy Castellanos' 78 rushing yards, ending Alabama's 23-game season opener winning streak. (More)

• Naomi Osaka reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021 by beating No. 3 Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-2 at the US Open.  (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists found that reed-covered “islands” on Utah’s shrinking Great Salt Lake are fed by hidden underground water. The water source could support wildlife, reduce dust storms, and guide lake protection efforts. (More)

• The University of Exeter found that drinking beetroot juice twice daily for two weeks lowered blood pressure in older adults by improving mouth bacteria, offering a natural way to reduce heart disease risk. (More)

• A Wisconsin tour operator found a 137-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan while scanning satellite photos, leading archaeologists to identify it as the Frank D. Barker cargo ship. (More)

Extra Credit

Watch: Volcano-cooked hot dogs in Iceland.

Mapping when each country will reach its population peak.

Mother unexpectedly delivers baby at Burning Man.

Three brothers rowed from Peru to Australia.