An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: How Trump could gain more power; Afghanistan earthquake; the trouble with age-verification laws; and more

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By Hannah Jewell

Good morning. It's Monday, Sept. 1, and if you have to deal with difficult people this week, the "gray rock method" may get you through it. Now let's catch up with the news.

More than 800 people died after an earthquake hit Afghanistan last night.

Source: USGS (The Washington Post)

What to know: The 6.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Jalalabad injured 2,800 people, the Taliban-run government said. Witnesses said entire villages were destroyed.
This morning: Rescue and relief efforts are underway, officials said. Afghanistan has been frequently hit by deadly earthquakes. This year, the U.S. cut nearly all aid to the country.

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A judge blocked the deportation of about 600 unaccompanied children.

A plane used for deportation flights lands Sunday in Harlingen, Texas. (Michael Gonzalez/AP)

Yesterday: Guatemalan children were removed from deportation planes after an emergency order. The Trump administration had tried to deport them without notice, their lawyers said.
Related news: Immigration enforcement authorities arrested firefighters as they were battling a wildfire in Washington state. And these noncitizen U.S. veterans could be deported.
One more thing: What we saw in the protected lands disrupted by Alligator Alcatraz.

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President Donald Trump is seeking even more power from the Supreme Court.

How? His attempt to fire a Federal Reserve governor and other cases are likely to reach the nation's top court — and could expand Trump's authority as president.
Looking ahead: Chicago officials are resisting Trump's threats to send in troops. And we have five big questions about Trump and Democrats in this fall's elections.
In other news: Former Trump attorney and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani was hospitalized after a car crash.

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	The U.S. is considering a postwar plan to remove Gaza's entire population.

The details: A plan circulating in government envisions a "Riviera of the Middle East" and the paid, "voluntary" relocation of more than 2 million Palestinians. See the document here.
In related news: The Israeli military is trying to force nearly 1 million residents out of Gaza City. And the U.S. denied visas to Palestinian officials ahead of this month's U.N. General Assembly.

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Medicaid cuts are threatening rural hospitals and maternity care.

How? Trump's budget bill, passed in July, cuts Medicaid spending by almost $1 trillion. Hospital closures could force rural women to travel farther to safely have a baby.
More health news: As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. upends America's public health system, Trump is cheering him on. And, as the CDC crumbles, the future of vaccines is in doubt.

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Age-verification laws for the web are having unexpected consequences.

Like what? A new U.K. law requiring some websites to scan users' faces or check IDs boosted traffic to pornography sites ignoring the law. Similar laws could come to the U.S.
Other tech news: Bosses are seeking "AI literate" job candidates — here's what that means. Plus, Google's AI image manipulation just got an upgrade. The results are impressive.

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A California city plagued by geese is turning to drones.

Canada Geese gather in Leo J. Ryan Park in Foster City, California. (City of Foster City, Calif.)

Goose busters: Geese are producing hundreds of pounds of droppings a day in Foster City, polluting local lagoons and frightening children. The city plans to fight back.
How? By spending nearly $400,000 on drones shaped like falcons, remote-controlled floating devices and teams of Border Collies to scare them away.

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Before you go … farewell, summer: We hope these nine trends don't survive to fall. Plus: A preview of 62 upcoming books for readers of all kinds.

One more good read: This delicious protein source could lower your risk of heart disease.

And finally … take a game break: