Daily briefing · 2026-09-20

Progress 96 delivers three tons of supplies to ISS

Roscosmos’ uncrewed Progress 96 spacecraft docked with the International Space Station’s Poisk module at 13:44 UTC on September 19. Launched from Kazakhstan on September 16, it delivered about three tons of food, fuel and other supplies for the Expedition 75 crew. NASA said the spacecraft will remain attached for about five months before departing with station refuse for a planned destructive re-entry. Progress 96 Cargo Spacecraft Docks to Station to Resupply Crew — NASA

U.S. and China open talks on AI, trade and minerals

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began talks in New York on September 20 ahead of a presidential summit. The agenda included possible AI safeguards, tariffs, investment and supplies of rare-earth magnets and other critical minerals. Their governments also face the November 10 expiration of a trade truce. The discussions matter for global commerce and advanced technology because China is a major supplier of critical minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing. US Treasury’s Bessent, China’s He to launch talks on AI, trade, critical minerals — Reuters

Fed official says U.S. inflation remains broad

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said September 20 that inflation remained too high across the U.S. economy even after excluding volatile food and energy prices. He supported the Fed’s quarter-point rate increase to a 3.75%–4.00% target range. Kashkari said interest-rate policy cannot reopen disrupted oil routes or directly lower oil prices. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh separately estimated that the central bank’s preferred inflation measure was about 3.6% in August, with the official figure still pending. Fed’s Kashkari says inflation is still too high across US economy — Reuters