“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”
You can never go wrong quoting Fitzgerald on the magic of fall, the warmth of winter dreams, or the glistening summer nights Gatsby spent gazing toward Daisy’s green light as it bounced off the Long Island Sound.
You could also go back to the summer of Mark “the Bird” Fidrych and be moved by the opening lines of Boston’s instant classic “More Than a Feeling”:
I woke up this morning
And the summer’s gone
Turned on the music
To start my day
And dreamed of a girl
I used to know
I closed my eyes and she slipped away …
Instant. Classic.
I love Septembers in New York, but really love Octobers in Boston, because that means I’m in the seats at Fenway Park watching the Red Sox in the playoffs.
Since I refuse to set foot in Yankee Stadium, here’s hoping the Sox get past their wild card matchup in the Bronx to play a few games in the old ballpark.
In the meantime, this is the last official weekend of summer. Here’s how to make the most of it:
In New York City, Little Italy’s signature festival is celebrating 100 years of the San Gennaro Feast. Mott, Mulberry, and Grand streets will be packed with arancini, zeppole, braciole, and lotsa mozz. Buon appetito.
In Boston, What the Fluff? — now in its 21st year — is doing what it does best: turning marshmallow creme into civic pride. Expect gooey competitions, sticky tributes, and Fluffernutters at every turn.
Over in Detroit, the Savannah Bananas are bringing Banana Ball to Comerica Park on both days this weekend — Firefighters vs. Party Animals, trick plays, and everything traditional baseball was afraid to try.
In Chicago, Riot Fest takes over Douglass Park through Sunday with Tool, Alanis Morissette, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, and about 85 other acts spanning punk, hip-hop, metal, and whatever genre Insane Clown Posse occupies. You might even see a wedding.
Down in Charleston, the Sweet Tea Festival is celebrating the birthplace of the South’s most sacred beverage in nearby Summerville. Measured by the gallon, served with a side of Southern charm — take a sip, or several, and vote for your favorite.
Munich’s Oktoberfest begins this weekend, and Miami said “hold my beer.” Tanktoberfest will have Oktoberfest beers, a brass band, and all the bratwurst-adjacent behavior you can muster at the Tank Brewing Co. Fall hasn’t arrived in South Florida, but the steins don’t care.
In Los Angeles, Bob Baker Day honors the city’s legendary puppeteer with an all-day celebration on Sunday at L.A. State Historic Park — a puppet village, marionette shows, a dog costume contest, and, for when the marionettes get to be too much, a reading nook.
And Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, begins at sundown on Sunday. Communities are marking it their own way: kayaks on the Potomac in D.C., Persian and Syrian musical traditions in Manhattan, Kol Nidre on Venice Beach in L.A. — and the Laugh Factory trading stand-up for prayer.
Elsewhere: Karol G takes MetLife Stadium in New Jersey tonight; Bill Burr is in New Orleans tomorrow; and for our Canadian friends, AC/DC closes out Sunday in Winnipeg.
Now, let’s read some mail.
MAILBAG
Hi, my name is Finn. How different is the GOP from when you were in politics?
— Finn H., Mass.
When I was a Republican in Congress, we balanced the budget four years in a row. That’s the only time it has been done in 100 years.
Since I left Congress in 2001, Republicans and Democrats have run up $35 trillion worth of debt between them. The Trump record on deficits and debt has been the worst by far.
Republicans used to believe in free trade and reasonable immigration policies. Now Republicans champion tariffs that would make Herbert Hoover blush, and immigration policies that would bring Ronald Reagan to tears.
China, North Korea, and Russia were adversaries to be feared, while Canada, Europe, and NATO were alliances to be celebrated.
There has always been a hard edge to the party and Republicans have always pushed certain policies I never supported. But at least the GOP of my youth was driven by a belief that the answers to America’s problems didn’t depend on the celebration and enrichment of a strongman, but instead on the power of the individual, the protection of democracy, the reverence for a free press, and the defending of Madison’s constitution.
My, how far this party has fallen.
The tech guys have said that AI could eliminate civilization within the next decade. How would that happen? (I don’t trust it.) I would appreciate reading your thoughts and opinion. Thanks.
— Patsy M., Temple, Texas
Patsy, that is the most important question before us today.
Some leaders of the artificial intelligence revolution have warned that frontier systems that engage in recursive self-improvement — where AI platforms rewrite and upgrade themselves around the clock — could lead to a tipping point where machine learning could result in human tragedy.
The New York Times website is leading with a story that gives a good summary of where this divided White House is on the issue.
I am no more an expert on AI in 2026 than I was on credit default swaps or collateralized debt obligations in 2007. Back then, I couldn’t sort through the novel financial instruments Wall Street had created to repackage and resell bad debt, so like other Americans, I found myself at the mercy of the “smart guys” on Wall Street— who told us everything would work out fine.
It didn’t.
Their CDOs created a subprime mortgage crisis that almost destroyed America’s economy.
Now some of the “smart guys” in Silicon Valley are telling the White House to trust them. That everything will work out just fine.
I wish I could believe that, but I can’t.
As Reagan said of the Soviets, “Trust but verify.” And I’ll keep trying my best to do just that.
I was born in Canada and eventually moved my family to the U.S. for my work. We became citizens along the way and one of my sons served in the U.S. Air Force. Recently I have not recognized my adopted country. The founding values have mostly disappeared. I have voted for both parties. What advice do you have as a former Republican congressman that will give me confidence that America will once again earn the admiration of others around the world?
— Robb W., Dallas
Robb, I am grateful for the long-running friendship Canadians have shared with the United States throughout the years.
I also thank you and your family for the confidence you showed in America’s promise by becoming U.S. citizens. I believe we all have a responsibility to prove that your family’s confidence in our great country was not misplaced.
Defending America today sometimes means putting on a uniform to defend against foreign enemies; but it also means that U.S. citizens must use all legal means to push back against flagrant abuses of power enacted by this administration.
When the history of our time is recorded, I am confident future generations will take inspiration from the heroic acts shown by Minneapolis residents who risked their lives to resist federal agents’ most flagrant abuses.
As you know, Alex Pretti and Renee Good tragically sacrificed their lives seeking justice for refugees, immigrants, and Americans who had their rights trampled by the Trump administration.
While we mourn their passing, we also take heart in the courage shown by those heroes and other Minnesota residents who stood up to be counted when history called.
I remain confident Americans of goodwill still have the upper hand in the battle for America’s soul, and we will win at the ballot box this fall.
Democrats, independents, and Republicans who cherish freedom, democracy, and the values that first brought you to this country should come together and renew your faith in America.
Robb, I still think the good guys have them outnumbered. We will prevail.
When and why did you become a Liverpool fan — I watch regularly and love hearing you, Jon, and Rog talk about the Premier League (and the Red Sox with Mike!!) — just wondering where it came from?
— Scott J., Brooklyn, N.Y.
After the 2006 World Cup, my oldest son and I decided to select a Premier League team to cheer for in the coming year.
My son chose Chelsea, which I joked was a bit like cheering for Microsoft. But I narrowed my own choices down to Arsenal and Liverpool.
One of my good friends happened to be a Liverpool fan and tried to get me hooked on the Reds by dramatically recounting Liverpool’s remarkable come-from-behind victory in the Champions League the prior year.
By the time he finished singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” I was sold.
While the first decade was a bit rocky at times, the team began making great strides after Jürgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk got on board with Liverpool. This year has also started off a bit bumpy, but hope springs eternal, even if Liverpool fans remind me regularly that it is the hope that kills you.
Happy weekend and remember, You’ll Never Walk Alone! #YNWA
The post “I remain confident Americans of goodwill still have the upper hand in the battle for America’s soul”: Joe Scarborough answers reader questions appeared first on MS NOW.
