THE TWIN BRIEF
Midweek wire — Sukkot is two days out. Finish the sukkah checklist before Friday night candles.
Dvar Torah
Guests under temporary roofs
Ben Ish Chai (Parashat Emor / Sukkot teachings) stresses that the sukkah is meant to remind us we live under Hashem’s protection — not under a permanent ceiling we control. The walls can shake; the schach lets in rain and stars. That’s the point. He also links the festival to hachnasat orchim: opening your temporary home to guests. For teens: the week before Sukkot is practice for both ideas. Help finish the sukkah so someone else can sit in shade. Invite a friend who might otherwise eat alone. Real protection isn’t a locked door — it’s choosing to make room under a roof that isn’t finished yet.
Source: Ben Ish Chai · Emor / Sukkot — temporary dwelling & welcoming guests
World
UN week: Iran–U.S. shuttle talks · Zelenskyy backs energy truce
- On the UN sidelines in New York, U.S. and Iranian teams held mediated shuttle talks about ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said envoys had a “productive” meeting; Tehran still wants the naval blockade lifted and frozen assets freed before any Hormuz reopen (Iran had floated ~7 days if pressure eases).
- After meeting Trump, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready for a bilateral energy ceasefire — pause strikes on power, heat, and fuel — if Russia stops hitting Ukraine’s grid. He also asked for more Patriot missiles ahead of winter; no deal locked yet.
- G7 foreign ministers condemned recent Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and urged Iran to stop arming them, as Red Sea / Gulf shipping risk stays a live headline.
Tech
OpenAI ships cheaper GPT-6 Sol & Luna · Anthropic answers with Opus 5.5
- OpenAI expanded the GPT-6 lineup with updated Sol (heavier tasks / coding) and Luna (high-volume summarise / Q&A). API price is about half the prior Sol/Luna generation, with claims of fewer factual and coding mistakes — Astra-level reliability at lower cost.
- Anthropic released a cheaper Opus 5.5 almost the same hour, underscoring how fast the “good enough + cheap” AI race is moving. For teens: the free/cheap tiers you use are getting closer to last year’s premium models.
Money
Oil soft near $100 as Gulf supply + Iran talks ease fear · Nasdaq hits record
- Brent hovered under/near $100 (futures around the high-$90s) after Saudi’s East–West pipeline resumed and Iran–U.S. diplomacy talk cooled some Hormuz panic. Diesel cracks spiked on chatter about a possible U.S. diesel export curb — crude softer, pump/diesel politics still loud.
- U.S. stocks were mixed: Nasdaq closed at a record while the Dow slipped as oil and financial names lagged. The Fed’s Sep 16 hike to 3.75%–4.00% still frames borrowing costs into fall.
Sports
Oilers take Jets 2–1 in OT · next stop Vancouver
- Oilers: Edmonton beat Winnipeg 2–1 in overtime Tuesday at Canada Life Centre (preseason). Atro Leppänen tied it in the first; Viljami Marjala won it 1:26 into OT (assist Zach Hyman). Devon Levi stopped 16. Next: @ Vancouver Thu Sep 24, then vs. Calgary Sat Sep 26. Regular-season home opener still Sep 29 vs. Vancouver.
- NFL: Week 3 opens Thu Sep 24 — Falcons @ Packers (8:15 PM ET, Prime). Sunday slate still includes Jets @ Lions and Ravens vs. Cowboys in Rio; Monday: Eagles @ Bears.