U.S. and world news for Sept. 15

Memphis braces for arrival of troops

Memphis is getting ready for President Trump to send troops into the city, even as Mayor Paul Young says he is not happy with the idea. Trump had said that Young welcomed his plan to send National Guard troops to the city. The announcement to deploy troops to Memphis comes after weeks of speculation that Chicago was the next city to be targeted by the Trump administration. But Trump’s plans were shelved after advisers warned him that sending in troops to help with local law enforcement without buy-in from the state’s governor could create legal headaches they want to avoid, sources familiar with the matter told CNN. Tennessee Republicans, including Gov. Bill Lee, have welcomed Trump’s announcement that Memphis is next for National Guard deployment.

Tributes to Charlie Kirk

Over the weekend there were various events to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, the conservative political activist and ally of President Trump, who was fatally shot last week in Utah. A massive memorial is scheduled for September 21 at the 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. His widow, Erika Kirk, has pledged to continue his work, including his campus tours and podcast. Authorities have pointed to what they described as anti-fascist messages engraved on bullet casings in a rifle found near the shooting as potential evidence of a political motive. The suspect is due to appear in state court on Tuesday.

Musk buys $1B worth of Tesla stock

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning shows that Elon Musk bought $1 billion worth of Tesla shares on Friday. Tesla investors viewed Musk’s stock purchase as a vote of confidence in the company and a further commitment by Musk to stay at Tesla. The news initially lifted shares of Tesla by 8%. Shares of Tesla nearly doubled after the election, as investors bet that Musk’s close ties to Trump would help the company’s financial outlook, particularly its plans to focus on self-driving cars and developing a fleet of robotaxis. But after reaching a record high in mid-December, shares started to slide sharply. By April, it had lost all of its post-election gains and was sharply lower for the year.

Pope Leo criticizes CEO compensation

Pope Leo XIV has criticized how the salaries of chief executives dwarf those of their employees, singling out Tesla’s trillion-dollar compensation package for Elon Musk. Pope Leo was interviewed for a biography that is being written by a woman who works for a Catholic news site. He cited income inequality as one of the factors behind polarization in society. “CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving … it’s (now) 600 times more than the average workers are receiving,” the first American pope said. The pope also referenced news reports that Elon Musk was on track to become the world’s first trillionaire. ”What does that mean and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble,” he continued.

Emmy Awards

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in American television, were broadcast live from Los Angeles on Sunday. Netflix’s crime drama “Adolescence” took home six trophies, including outstanding limited series. It made 15-year-old Owen Cooper the youngest ever male winner of an Emmy. HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” beat out “Severance,” the most nominated show at this year’s Emmys, with a win for best drama series and a lead acting award for Noah Wyle. It was also a huge night for Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series “The Studio,” which picked up a win for best comedy and an acting win for Rogen.

Middle East tensions

Israel’s ground operation in Gaza City is imminent and could begin this week, an Israeli official tells CNN. This comes as Israel’s forces intensified their air offensive across the enclave on Sunday, killing dozens of Palestinians, according to local officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a meeting on Thursday to discuss efforts to avoid harming the hostages still held in Gaza when the Israeli military undertakes its ground operation in the coming days. There are thought to be about 20 hostages still alive in the war-torn region. On Sunday, Qatar’s Prime Minister also said that Israel’s strikes last week on Doha, the country’s capital, will “not deter” it from continuing “sincere efforts” to mediate an end to the war in Gaza.