A Terrorist Attack at a British Synagogue Leaves Two Dead, Several Injured

Summary

WSJ What’s News – PM Edition (October 2, 2025)

Main Theme:
This episode primarily covers the deadly terrorist attack at a Manchester synagogue, contextualizing rising antisemitism in the UK, and then shifts to significant political and business developments globally—including the ongoing US government shutdown, a potential aid package for farmers, US-Ukraine defense cooperation, a Delta Air Lines taxiway accident, and Tesla’s record-breaking sales quarter.

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1. The Manchester Synagogue Attack

[00:18–02:13]

Summary of the Incident

• Event: A terrorist attack occurred outside the Heaton Park Synagogue, Manchester, UK, during Yom Kippur.
• Impact: 2 dead, 4 seriously injured.
• Method: The attacker rammed a car into a group then stabbed a bystander. Security guards and worshippers prevented his entry. He wore what appeared to be explosive devices. Police shot him dead within minutes.
• Significance: Highest-profile antisemitic incident in the UK in two years, amidst a rise in antisemitism since the Gaza conflict.

UK Response and Public Concern

• Rising Antisemitism: Growing isolation and concern among British Jews.
• Government Reaction: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack and stated extra security measures are being enacted at synagogues nationwide.
• Notable Quote:

  "While this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with, we must be clear. It is a hatred that is rising once again and Britain must defeat it once again."
  — Keir Starmer [01:59]

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2. US Political Developments

[02:13–05:49]

Trump Administration's Response to Tariffs & Shutdown

• Farm Aid Considered: The White House is discussing at least $10B in aid to US farmers affected by tariffs, potentially using tariff revenue as funding.
• Shutdown Standoff: The government shutdown enters its second day; pressure mounts between Democrats (demanding healthcare subsidy extension) and Republicans (refusing negotiation as long as the government’s closed).
• White House Strategy: Press Secretary Caroline Levitt indicates that thousands of potential layoffs are being considered to pressure Democrats.
  • Quote:

    "It's likely going to be in the thousands. ... These discussions and these conversations, these meetings would not be happening if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open."
    — Caroline Levitt [03:34]

Political Risk & Public Opinion

• Analyst Perspective: Trump’s plan to use the shutdown to force negotiations entails significant political risk, especially concerning the possible lapse of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
• Polling: Majority blame Republicans for shutdown, but public opinion is still split.
• Notable Quote:

  "Millions of Americans, including a lot of Trump voters and people in states that Trump won, receive those subsidies, and if they go away, their premiums are going to skyrocket. That's a big risk for Trump and his fellow Republicans heading into the midterms."
  — Alex Leary [04:49]

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3. International Affairs

[05:54–07:17]

US-Ukraine Defense Technology Deal

• Deal in Progress: Ukraine in talks with the US to share its advanced, battle-proven drone technology. In exchange, Ukraine would receive royalties or other compensation.
• Significance: Marks a notable shift—Ukraine, once a recipient of US weapons, is now a producer of sought-after military technology.
• Government Stance: Supported by both President Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelensky.
• Deal Value: Could be worth billions, with negotiations expected to take months.

Delta Air Lines Incident at LaGuardia

• Event: Two regional Delta jets collided at low speed—no passenger injuries; one flight attendant hospitalized (non-life-threatening).
• Operational Impact: None; investigation ongoing.

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4. Tesla’s Surprising Sales Jump

[07:48–10:01]

Record Sales and Underlying Drivers

• Highlight: Q3 Tesla deliveries up 7.4% YoY—a turnaround after two consecutive quarters of decline.
• Reason: The expiring $7,500 federal EV credit on Sept 30 prompted a last-minute surge in purchases, benefiting not only Tesla but competitors like GM and Rivian.
  • Quote:

    "On September 30, this $7,500 federal EV credit exp spurred a lot of consumers to make that purchase at the last minute. So we saw Tesla sales surge, but we also saw great sales at its competitors for GM, Rivian."
    — Becky Peterson [08:11]

The Road Ahead for Tesla

• Sustainability of Growth: Analysts predict future sales may not keep pace; rival Rivian has revised its own forecasts downward. Tesla is pivoting toward "Cybercab" (fully autonomous vehicle) and robotics.

  • Quote:

    "The next car that they're set to release is the Cybercab, which doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals. So it's hard to see how the sales numbers are going to keep up when it will require such a big shift for consumers to be buying their cars."
    — Becky Peterson [08:48]

• No New Consumer Incentives Announced: Unlike others, Tesla remains focused on future technologies, not direct EV sales incentives.

Stock Market Reaction

• Tesla Stock: Despite positive sales, shares dipped after a recent run-up, but are still up 21% YTD.
  • Quote:

    "Tesla's stock tends to be a rollercoaster, so it's not always tied to its performance."
    — Becky Peterson [09:47]

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5. Business and Tech Briefs

[10:01–End]

• Market Rally: NASDAQ (+0.4%), Dow (+0.2%), S&P 500 (+0.1%).
• FICO News: Now offering mortgage lenders direct credit scores, undercutting Experian, Equifax, TransUnion—causing FICO shares to surge, credit bureaus tumble.
• OpenAI Investment: $500B valuation as SoftBank, UAE-based MGX, and others buy $6.6B in employee-owned shares—a sign of ongoing AI investor enthusiasm.

---

Featured Quotes & Timestamps

• Keir Starmer (UK Prime Minister):
  "While this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with, we must be clear. It is a hatred that is rising once again and Britain must defeat it once again." [01:59]

• Caroline Levitt (White House Press Secretary):
  "It's likely going to be in the thousands. ... These discussions and these conversations, these meetings would not be happening if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open." [03:34]

• Alex Leary (WSJ White House Reporter):
  "Millions of Americans, including a lot of Trump voters and people in states that Trump won, receive those subsidies, and if they go away, their premiums are going to skyrocket. That's a big risk for Trump and his fellow Republicans heading into the midterms." [04:49]

• Becky Peterson (WSJ Tesla Reporter):
  "On September 30, this $7,500 federal EV credit exp spurred a lot of consumers to make that purchase at the last minute. So we saw Tesla sales surge, but we also saw great sales at its competitors for GM, Rivian." [08:11]
  "The next car that they're set to release is the Cybercab, which doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals. So it's hard to see how the sales numbers are going to keep up when it will require such a big shift for consumers to be buying their cars." [08:48]
  "Tesla's stock tends to be a rollercoaster, so it's not always tied to its performance." [09:47]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:18: Synagogue attack coverage begins
• 01:59: Starmer’s statement
• 02:13: US farm aid, government shutdown segment begins
• 03:34: White House Press Secretary on job cuts
• 04:49: Political risk of ending health care subsidies
• 05:54: Ukrainian drone technology deal
• 07:48: Tesla’s sales record and analysis
• 10:01: Business and tech news wrap-up

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This episode delivers fast-paced, factual reporting on major current events, seamlessly blending hard news analysis with concise business updates—living up to the show’s "What’s News" promise.

Transcript

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[Alex Osola]

An attack at a synagogue in the United Kingdom leaves two dead and four seriously injured. Plus, as the government shutdown continues, President Trump ratchets up pressure on Democrats. But that could backfire.

[Alex Leary]

Millions of Americans, including a lot of Trump voters and people in states that Trump won, receive those subsidies and if they go away, their premiums are going to skyrocket. That's a big risk for Trump and his fellow Republicans heading into the midterms.

[Alex Osola]

And what drove Tesla to a new sales record last quarter? It's Thursday, October 2nd. I'm Alex Osola for the Wall Street Journal. This is the PM edition of what's News. The top headlines and business stories move the world today. We begin this evening with news of a violent incident in the United Kingdom. Two people were killed and four people severely injured today in a ramming and stabbing attack outside a British synagogue. Police have described the incident as a terrorist attack during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. According to police, the attacker drove a car into a group of people in the northern English city of Manchester just after 9:30am local time. He then got out and stabbed a member of the public. Security guards and worshippers stopped the man, who was wearing what looked like explosive devices, from entering the temple. Within minutes, armed officers arrived and shot the suspect dead. The attack at the Heaton park synagogue was the highest profile anti Semitic incident to hit the UK in the past two years. Since the start of the war in Gaza, growing numbers of British Jews say they feel increasingly isolated and unsafe amid a sharp rise in antisemitism. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack.

[Alex Leary]

While this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with, we must be clear. It is a hatred that is rising once again and Britain must defeat it once again.

[Alex Osola]

He added that police are deploying extra security to synagogues across the UK we're exclusively reporting that President Trump is considering providing at least $10 billion in aid to US farmers as the agriculture sector warns of economic fallout from tariffs. That's according to people familiar with the discussions. They added that the president and his team are weighing using tariff revenue to fund much of the aid. The aid would likely go toward helping soybean producers as well as other parts of the farm economy. A senior administration official stressed that the deliberations are ongoing and nothing has been finalized. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The government shutdown is rounding out its second day, and lawmakers remain divided. Democrats are demanding that Republicans agree to extend expiring health care subsidies. And senior Republicans say they won't negotiate as long as the government is closed. Meanwhile, the White House is pushing Democrats to come to the table, in part by threatening to turn worker furloughs into layoffs, an effort that analysts say is unprecedented. In a briefing today, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt answered a reporter's question about how substantial the cuts may be.

[Financial Advisor]

Look, it's likely going to be in the thousands. It's a very good question. And that's something that the Office of Management and Budget and the entire team at the White House here again is unfortunately having to work on today. These discussions and these conversations, these meetings would not be happening if the Democrats had voted to keep the government open.

[Alex Osola]

For more on where the shutdown stands, I'm joined by WSJ White House reporter Alex Leary. Alex, President Trump was scheduled today to meet with budget chief Russell Vote. We haven't yet heard what's come out of that meeting, but what are we expecting?

[Alex Leary]

Trump is really ratcheting up the pressure here on Democrats and this meeting. He and Russ Vogt, the budget director, will be sitting down to talk about which agencies or job cuts can be made. Trump and Republicans have long viewed the federal government as way too big and bloated. We saw with the Elon Musk led Doge effort, significant cost cutting and job slashing. And this is seen as an opportunity to continue that work at a real pressure point and a way to punish Democrats for the shutdown.

[Alex Osola]

I'm curious about this, whether this presents a political risk at all for Trump and for Republicans. I mean, the showdown over the shutdown, the possibility of not extending the health care subsidies, which is really at the heart of this, is there a risk here for him?

[Alex Leary]

Absolutely. Trump and the GOP definitely have some risk here. They're fighting the immediate war over messaging and in some ways are sort of dominating that. Although there is some polling out today from the Washington Post that shows that more people blame Republicans for the shutdown. But the poll also said that a lot of people are undecided. Broader, though, is a definite and distinct risk for Republicans over these Affordable Care act subsidies which are going to expire at the end of the year. Millions of Americans, including a lot of Trump voters and people in states that Trump won, received those subsidies, and if they go away, their premiums are going to skyrocket. That's a big risk for Trump and his fellow Republicans heading into the midterms. They're aware of that. That's why we're seeing some movement from Republicans saying let's negotiate that at another time. Trump is receptive to that we're reporting. So definitely a risk for Republicans.

[Alex Osola]

That was WSJ White House reporter Alex Leary. Thanks, Alex.

[Alex Leary]

My pleasure.

[Alex Osola]

In other news, a Ukrainian team is in Washington this week to craft a landmark deal with the Trump administration that would involve Kyiv sharing its battle tested drone technology with the U.S. in exchange, Ukraine would receive royalties or other forms of compensation. That's according to officials from both countries. The prospective deal, which has the backing of President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, would be a shift in the security relationship between Washington and Kyiv. For years, the Ukrainian military has received US Weapons. Now, though, the Ukrainians are well ahead in mass producing cheap unmanned aerial vehicles that have proved to be effective in battle. A US Government official said that finalizing the detailed agreement, which could be worth billions of dollars, is likely to take months and Two regional Delta Air Lines jets collided late yesterday on a taxiway at New York City's LaGuardia Airport while traveling at low speeds. No passengers were injured and one flight attendant was transported to the hospital with non life threatening injuries. The collision didn't impact airport operations. Delta said that it will work with authorities to review the incident. Coming up, Tesla set a new sales record, but will the good times last? More on that after the break.

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[Alex Osola]

Tesla said today that it set a new sales record in the third quarter as its global vehicle deliveries grew 7.4% compared with a year ago, beating Wall Street's expectations. It's a surprising reversal of the steep declines that have plagued the electric vehicle maker this year. Becky Peterson covers Tesla for the Journal and joins me now. Becky, what was behind this pickup in sales?

[Becky Peterson]

This is an exceptionally good quarter, especially after their sales declined two quarters in a row. They were down 13%. That was really bad performance for them for the first half of the year. On September 30, this $7,500 federal EV credit exp spurred a lot of consumers to make that purchase at the last minute. So we saw Tesla sales surge, but we also saw great sales at its competitors for gm, Rivian.

[Alex Osola]

So does that mean that this growth in its sales numbers is kind of a one off, or can we expect more growth in the future?

[Becky Peterson]

So Rivian revised its numbers down for next quarter, which I think is a sign that other automakers don't expect it to last. In the case of Tesla, Musk has already told us that they're pivoting away from selling EVs as its primary business. The next car that they're set to release is the Cybercab, which doesn't have a steering wheel or pedals. So it's hard to see how the sales numbers are going to keep up when it will require such a big shift for consumers to be buying their cars.

[Alex Osola]

Does Tesla have a plan to incentivize EV buyers or is it more preoccupied with shifting its business away from EVs?

[Becky Peterson]

Everything we've heard from Tesla so far is about Robo Taxis, about its humanoid robot, Optimus. I haven't heard yet from Tesla that they are going to be subsidizing the incentive the way that some other automakers announced this week.

[Alex Osola]

So despite these better than expected numbers, Tesla shares were down this morning. What's going on with that?

[Becky Peterson]

So they were down this morning, but that was after this big run up and actually they're up 21% since the beginning of the year. Tesla's stock tends to be a rollercoaster, so it's not always tied to its performance.

[Alex Osola]

That was WSJ reporter Becky Peterson. Thanks, Becky. Thank you. U.S. stocks rallied today, pushing major indexes higher. The NASDAQ led the gains, adding about 0.4%. The Dow was up about 0.2% and the S&P 500 closed about 0.1% higher. In business news, Fair Isaac, better known as FICO, said today that it's giving mortgage lenders a way to offer its credit scores without buying them from experian, Equifax and TransUnion. FICO says it will charge $4.95 a score, roughly half of what lenders typically pay after bureau markups. Shares of FICO surged while the credit bureau stocks fell sharply. And OpenAI has struck a deal with investors that values the company at about $500 billion. That's according to people familiar with the matter. A group including existing investors SoftBank and United Arab Emirates based MGX paid about $6.6 billion to buy shares owned by OpenAI employees, the people said, finalizing a deal that began taking shape this summer. The sale speaks to the frenzy around artificial intelligence and the sky high expectations for OpenAI. And that's what's news for this Thursday afternoon. Today's show was produced by Pierre Biennime and Roddy Davis, with supervising producer Yolanda McBride. I'm Alex Osola for the Wall Street Journal. We'll be back with a new show tomorrow morning. Thanks for listening.