| September 6, 2025 
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Good morning. We spend a lot of time thinking of reasons we shouldn’t do things. What if we decided to default to yes?  | | María Jesús Contreras |
Offer acceptedThis past week, true to my vow to continue engaging in summer activities until the equinox, I picked raspberries and flowers at a farm under the impossibly clear September sky. I was joined by my friend Aliza. I knew Aliza would be up for the outing because she operates on a policy that dictates if something is “on offer,” you should avail yourself of it. Of course, berry picking is not a hard sell. But I’ve been observing the way decision-making becomes simpler if you default to accepting what’s on offer: taking the slice of pie, staying out just a bit later, stopping at the strange little fair you happened to drive past. All tiny things one could easily decline, all things with potential for pleasure. We spend a lot of time hemming and hawing, coming up with reasons we shouldn’t do things, even things that fall under the rubric of “Things We’d Probably Enjoy.” We decide not to try the dance class, afraid of looking foolish. We skip the picnic because we don’t know any of the people going. We consider the downsides and decide to stick with what’s familiar. As much as I try to be a “yes person,” I have an unfortunate talent for turning opportunities into obligations. “It’s on offer” is such a gentle (and British) way of considering what’s available. I might decide I am, in fact, too tired or not interested in whatever’s on offer, but I’m examining the opportunity as an option, a gift, an offering — not viewing it as a problem. “I think it’s a protection against regret, or too much judgment — often my go-to feelings,” Aliza said when I asked her about her position. She reminded me of a day this summer when we were wandering around a town we’d never been and came upon a run-down winery. A guy with a guitar was belting some off-key Jimmy Buffett covers on the patio. Should we stop and try some suspiciously inexpensive rosé? It was on offer! The wine was not great, but that wasn’t the point. By taking what was on offer, we took a departure. What could have been an otherwise unmemorable day was made indelible. One should not, it seems worth noting, be doctrinaire about taking every single thing that’s on offer. Breadth of experience can come at the expense of depth, and what’s on offer could end up being expensive, or dangerous. I’m thinking of “take what’s on offer” as a default that can be overridden. It feels of a piece with a question I’ve taken to asking myself when I’m worried about something: “What if it all works out?” This is my attempt to shift my thinking from worst-case scenarios to best- or better-case ones. Being open to what’s on offer is similarly optimistic. This stand-up comedian could be terrible, this party could be boring, this offering could be one I will wish I’d refused. But it could also be great. Politics  | | Trump National Doral in Florida. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times |
- President Trump announced that next year’s Group of 20 summit would be held at Trump Doral, a resort he owns near Miami. He dropped a similar plan during his first term because of ethical concerns.
- ICE arrested nearly 500 workers, mostly South Korean citizens, at a Hyundai plant in Georgia. U.S. officials called it the largest ever Homeland Security enforcement operation at a single location.
- Democratic lawmakers warned that severe staff cuts at an office that monitors election threats will open the door for Chinese interference.
- Advisers have been crafting a plan for Trump to nominate Eric Adams, New York City’s mayor, to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
- Federal grand jurors have become an extraordinary source of resistance to Trump’s crime crackdown in D.C., repeatedly refusing to indict their fellow residents over interactions with officers.
- By renaming the Defense Department the Department of War, Trump is restoring a name that was used until shortly after World War II. Here’s the history.
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Economy - The U.S. job market stalled this summer: Employers added only 22,000 jobs in August, below expectations, and revised numbers from June show that employment actually fell that month.
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- The weak report makes it even more likely that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its meeting this month.
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Other Big Stories - Joseph McNeil, who jolted the civil rights movement when he and three other students held a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., has died at 83.
- The European Union fined Google roughly $3.5 billion for unfairly undercutting smaller rivals.
- The A.I. company Anthropic agreed to pay authors and publishers $1.5 billion after a judge ruled it had illegally downloaded millions of copyrighted books.
- Tesla’s board proposed a pay package that could make Elon Musk, its chief executive, the world’s first trillionaire.
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Theater  | | Julio Torres David Billet for The New York Times |
- Julio Torres always seems to be adding hyphens to an already multihyphenate life — “S.N.L.” writer, children’s book author, stand-up comedian. Next up: his first Off Broadway play.
- This month, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter — friends since they appeared together in the “Bill and Ted” films — will bring Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” to Broadway.
- A forthcoming biography of Lin-Manuel Miranda tells the story of how he created “Hamilton.” Read an excerpt.
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Film and TV - Even as “The Conjuring” horror movie franchise continues making money, there has been a noticeable decline in quality, writes Beatrice Loayza. “The Conjuring: Last Rites” is a disappointing send-off.
- “Saturday Night Live” announced five new cast members for its upcoming season. Learn about them here.
- Our critic reviewed “Riefenstahl,” a cleareyed documentary on how Hitler’s favorite filmmaker tried to rewrite history.
- Dwayne Johnson’s pivot to a dramatic role as a drug-addicted U.F.C. fighter in “The Smashing Machine” earned a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
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Music - Sting is being sued by two of his former Police bandmates, who say the singer has underpaid them for the “digital exploitation” of songs like “Every Breath You Take.”
- Sabrina Carpenter became one of pop’s new queens of quirk last year. But on her newest album, “Man’s Best Friend,” she’s hiding behind her characters, writes the Times critic Jon Caramanica.
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More Culture  | | New museums in Harlem and Princeton, N.J. |
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