Happy Thursday. The UN is still buzzing, Trump and Xi are face to face, and science had a quietly great week. Here’s what’s worth your time today.

The List

1. Judge orders Trump administration to restore journalists’ access to White House (NPR). CNN, MS NOW and Politico get back in for now, and the ruling is an early test of how far a president can go in picking his own press corps.
2. Trump and Xi meet at moment of global consequence (NPR). Trade, AI and Iranian oil are all on the table, so whatever comes out of this room will ripple through markets and alliances.
3. Iran president addresses U.N. in rare speech at war with U.S. (NPR). Pezeshkian spoke a day after Trump threatened to annihilate Iran, and his tone offers clues about whether talks have any room to grow.
4. U.S. futures inch higher and oil prices slip for 6th straight day after U.S. and Iranian officials meet (AP via CP24). Cheaper oil eases inflation fears, which matters a lot right after the Fed’s surprise rate hike.
5. Russia’s strikes on Kyiv, Donetsk kill six after Trump-Zelenskyy talks (Al Jazeera). The attacks landed the same day Ukraine floated a ceasefire plan backed by 50 countries, a stark reminder of how far apart the two sides still are.
6. Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez promises elections at UN, gives no date (Al Jazeera). A promise without a calendar is easy to make, so watch whether the opposition talks she mentioned actually produce one.
7. Meta Connect 2026 live coverage (Tom’s Guide). Meta showed off a new VR headset, third-gen Ray-Ban glasses and a tiny AI pendant, a clear sign it thinks your next computer lives on your face or around your neck.
8. One of America’s largest reservoirs just hit a record low (ScienceDaily). Lake Powell supplies water and power to millions across the West, and a dry winter just pushed it below any level ever recorded.
9. Scientists say a critical Atlantic Ocean current is weakening and the effects could be global (ScienceDaily). This current helps keep Europe mild and shapes rainfall worldwide, so steady evidence of a slowdown is a big deal.
10. First stellar stream beyond the Milky Way could reveal dark matter (ScienceDaily). Astronomers spotted a faint ribbon of stars in a galaxy 115 million light-years away, and it gives them a brand new way to weigh the invisible stuff holding galaxies together.

That’s the day. Thanks for reading, and see you tomorrow.