THE WEEKLY STEEP

Happy Labor Day. Care, culture, even cauliflower, this week reminds us how traditions find new stages, from hospitals to arenas to kitchens. Remember: what we build together is most meaningful when it’s shared together. ☕

WHAT’S BREWING

U.S.: Tragedy in Minneapolis, turmoil in Washington, shake-ups in comedy, a rocket to the stars, and a pop-culture milestone that felt like a national holiday.

  • School Shooting: Minneapolis Catholic school attack left 2 children dead, 18 injured. FBI probing as domestic terrorism + hate crime. Read More

  • Fed Shock: Trump tried to fire Fed Gov. Lisa Cook, first in Fed’s 111 years. Lawsuit over Fed independence now looming. Read More

  • SNL Exodus: Devon Walker, Emil Wakim & Heidi Gardner depart ahead of Season 51. Walker called the workplace “toxic as hell.” Read More

  • SpaceX Super Heavy: Elon Musk’s rocket roared skyward, marking another milestone in private spaceflight. Read More

  • Swift-Kelce Engagement: Taylor + Travis announced their engagement, pulling 17M+ likes in hours. Dubbed “America’s Royal Wedding.” Read More

South Asia: Modi courted Asia, India & Pakistan fought floods, Bangladesh eyed elections and Bollywood + Tamil rap stole the cultural spotlight.

Global: Wars intensify, leaders fall, and China stages its counter-club.

  • Kyiv Hit Hard: Russia launched 598 drones + 31 missiles, killing 23, worst strike since war began. Read More

  • Middle East Heat: Israel killed top Houthi leaders in Yemen after missile attacks on Israel. Read More

  • Iran Snapback: UK, France, Germany triggered UN sanctions over 60% uranium enrichment. Read More

  • Thai Shake-Up: PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra ousted. 6th Shinawatra fall in 20 years. Read More

  • China’s “Axis”: Xi to host Putin, Kim, Iran at Sept. 3 parade, dubbed the CRINK coalition. Read More

  • Taiwan Tensions: U.S. senators met President Lai; Beijing blasted a “serious violation.” Read More

At The Weekly Chai, we’re championing what billions already know - gobi is global, but digitally invisible. Read the stats

From paranthas to pakoras, from biryani to Buffalo wings, cauliflower shows up everywhere except your emoji keyboard. That’s not quirky, it’s unfinished business. Join the movement →

MONEY MOVES

Powell’s glow dimmed, retail flexed, tech stumbled and toys made billionaires.

Market data via Stocktwits. Consult a financial advisor before investing.

PLAY BY PLAY

  • Tennis (US Open): Coco Gauff’s tearful win showed the pressure of competition. Tommy Paul survived a 4.5-hour epic; Medvedev melted down. Alcaraz buzzcut debut; Venus bowed out early.

  • Football (NFL): Cowboys stunned by trading Micah Parsons to Packers. Wentz to Vikings, Robinson Jr. to 49ers, Pickett to Raiders. McLaurin signed $96M; Hendrickson ended Bengals holdout.

  • Soccer: Tottenham shocked Man City; Arsenal signed Eze. Man Utd fell to 4th-tier Grimsby. Messi scored twice to send Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup final.

  • Other Highlights: Schwarber blasted 4 HRs in one game. Banchero signed $239M with Magic. PV Sindhu exited Worlds. Ashwin retired from IPL. Blaney won Daytona. Chinese Taipei claimed their 18th Little League crown.

  • Looking Ahead: US Open middle rounds (Djokovic-Sinner?). F1 Dutch GP (Aug 29-31). NFL Week 1 (Sept 4, Chiefs-Ravens). Arsenal tested in PL. College Football: Ohio State vs. Texas.

RAISING ROOTS: Kerala’s Nurse, America’s Backbone

This Labor Day, we honor Kerala’s nurses. 9 in 10 women, trained in one of the world’s strongest nursing pipelines, and now essential across U.S. hospitals. Their work sustains not only patients but families, communities, and economies, sending billions in remittances home while raising generations of South Asian Americans. Care is their profession, and their legacy. Read more

LIVING WELL: Heritage in Motion

When Gujarati families first carried garba across the ocean, it was a memory of home. Forty years later, thanks to FOGANA, it’s become a spectacle that fills American arenas with rhythm, color, and community. From New Jersey halls to California classrooms and Dallas conventions, what began as devotion has evolved into an anthem of belonging. Read how FOGANA turned tradition into movement

COSMIC CHAI: Weekly Horoscope (Aug 29-Sept 5)

Mood: Reset with a side of déjà vu.
Virgo season is tidying the stage, but Saturn retrograding back into Pisces (Sept 1) says: “Wait, didn’t we already do this scene?” Yep, spiritual boundaries, karmic clean-ups, and lessons you thought you’d graduated may resurface.

Mercury enters Virgo (Sept 2), scrubbing mental fog and sharpening your notes, while Mars in Libra squaring Jupiter (Sept 4) stirs big debates around fairness vs. comfort, basically, the family WhatsApp chat in transit form. By week’s end, Uranus retrogrades (Sept 6), slowing innovation but giving you an inner reset, right before the Pisces Lunar Eclipse curtain rises (Sept 7).

  • ⛰️ Earth Signs: Practical, focused, ready to turn clarity into progress.

  • 🌊 Water Signs: Emotional tides rise, boundaries and breakthroughs both call

  • 🔥 Fire Signs: Passionate and restless, learning patience as your superpower.

  • 🌬 Air Signs: Sharp-minded, socially magnetic, turning ideas into strategy.

Vibe Check: This is the “clean up your room before the relatives arrive” week. Edit, refine, reset, because eclipse season is about to demand center stage. Full Horoscopes

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EDITOR'S PICK: Sanjay Patel

Illustrator. Animator. Storyteller of the divine made delightful.

For two decades, Sanjay Patel has shaped worlds on screen and page. At Pixar, he brought his artistry to films beloved worldwide and directed Sanjay’s Super Team, an Oscar and Annie Award–nominated short that bridged heritage and imagination.

Sanjay Patel, creator of Ghee Happy 
Image Credit: Animation Magazine

Through his venture Ghee Happy, Sanjay reimagines Hindu deities with bold color, whimsical charm, and a cosmic wink, inviting children (and adults) to see tradition through a playful, modern lens.

Most recently, he brought Ghee Happy to life as a Netflix animated preschool series.

Living at the intersection of culture and creativity, Sanjay, continues to show how stories rooted in tradition can bloom into new forms of joy and wonder.

At The Weekly Chai, we raise a toast (of chai, of course) to Sanjay Patel, showing us that even the divine can dance, doodle, and delight. ☕🪩🎨

UPCOMING WEEK

  • Aug 27-Sept 6: Ganesh Chaturthi: 10 days of community pujas, modaks, and public pandals in celebration of Lord Ganesha.

  • Sep 1: Labor Day (U.S.): Celebrating workers’ contributions with parades, community gatherings, and a national day of rest.

  • Sep 4: National Blood Donation Day (U.S.): Raising awareness and encouraging lifesaving donations as part of National Blood Donation Week.