Starship Launch, MLB Playoffs, & Spooky Ranch

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
September 29, 2026

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SpaceX launched Starship into orbit for the first time Monday, marking a major milestone after 13 previous full-scale test flights went no farther than partway around Earth. The spacecraft completed several hours in orbit before safely reentering over the Pacific and splashing down north of Hawaii.
One Starship engine shut down early, but the spacecraft reached its intended orbit and successfully deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites. SpaceX then cut the planned 10-hour six-orbit mission short after about three hours to ensure safety. The company did not immediately explain what prompted the early return.
The orbital flight is a key step toward making Starship fully reusable and qualifying it for NASA's Artemis moon program. Depending on what engineers learn from Monday's flight, SpaceX could attempt to return and catch Starship at its Texas launch site during its next test.

Major League Baseball's postseason begins today with 12 teams chasing the World Series. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay earned the top seeds while the Dodgers and Guardians also received first-round byes. The remaining eight teams open with four best-of-three Wild Card series before the Division Series begins Saturday.
The opening round features several familiar rivals. Boston visits the Yankees for a second straight postseason while Philadelphia travels to Atlanta. The White Sox face Houston, and the Cubs visit San Diego. Every game in the best-of-three round is played at the higher seed's ballpark.
Despite Milwaukee winning a franchise-record 103 games and finishing with baseball's best record, the two-time defending champion Dodgers enter as clear World Series favorites. Los Angeles added reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to one of baseball's most expensive and star-studded rosters as it attempts MLB's first three-peat since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000.

U.S. airfares could remain elevated even if jet fuel prices begin falling as airlines work through months of volatile fuel costs and reduced flight schedules. Fares were 23% higher in August than a year earlier while jet fuel remained nearly twice its 2025 average.
Holiday travel is already reflecting the increase. Hopper estimates average round-trip domestic fares at $402 for Thanksgiving and $452 for Christmas — up 31% and 23% from last year. American, United, and Southwest have also cut less-profitable flights as fuel expenses climbed.
Those schedule cuts could keep fares elevated even after fuel prices retreat by leaving fewer seats available. Airlines plan capacity months ahead, and analysts say cheaper fuel would need to persist before carriers have enough confidence to restore flights and sustained fare relief follows.

Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences — the oldest natural history museum in the U.S. — closed after nearly 200 years open to the public as declining attendance strained finances. (More)

New York prosecutors are reopening an investigation into an alleged 2024 sexual assault at a Cornell fraternity after a recent civil lawsuit raised new allegations. (More)

FBI co-deputy director Andrew Bailey is stepping down after one year at the bureau and returning to his family in Missouri. (More)

Pakistan deployed tens of thousands of police and barricaded Islamabad ahead of a nationwide protest demanding jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release. His PTI party postponed the march until Oct. 4. (More)

British counterterrorism police released five British nationals on bail after they were arrested near a U.S.-used air base on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. (More)

South Korea is demanding an apology after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the previously secret transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers from Ukraine to Seoul. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed lower on Monday (S&P -0.77%, Nasdaq -0.92%, Dow -0.67%), weighed down by a jump in Treasury yields. (More)

Nvidia announced a record $150 billion increase to its stock buyback program Monday. The move brings its total authorization to $235 billion as CEO Jensen Huang cited strong cash generation and confidence in continued AI growth. (More)

The U.S. and China agreed to cut tariffs on $60 billion in bilateral trade. Each country selected $30 billion in non-sensitive goods for lower rates, including U.S. corn and Chinese appliances and toys. (More)

Stephen Curry agreed to a two-year $116 million extension with Golden State through 2028-29. (More)

Toronto acquired Blue Jackets leading scorer Kirill Marchenko in a blockbuster trade for a package headlined by Matthew Knies. (More)

The Vikings traded quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the Giants to fill in for the injured Jaxson Dart. (More)

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 8,000 confirmed cases as a shortage of health workers hampers containment. (More)

Northwestern researchers found reaction times were 41 milliseconds faster during exhalation than inhalation. (More)

NUS researchers developed an ultrathin electronic skin that turns pressure into visible light in real time. The high-resolution device could improve surgical tools, health monitoring, and robotics. (More)

Hidden Valley releases all-black Ranch dressing for Halloween.

Science explains how often to wash your sheets and towels.

Fast-food chain Wendy’s goes emo, releases 6-song EP.

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