A new ranking of 97 NYC spots scored on conversation-friendliness and ambiance puts a Williamsburg jazz bar, St. Mazie, at No. 1: but the West Village dominates, claiming four of the top 15 first-date restaurants.

— via NY Post, Jeanne Erickson

Thousands of California security guards walked off the job Friday outside Salesforce's San Francisco headquarters, pushing for a $30 minimum wage. Their current contract pays less than $2 above minimum wage, and one 36-year veteran says he's been robbed, assaulted and held at gunpoint on the job.

— via KQED, Steph Rodriguez

Félix Auger-Aliassime rallied from a set down to beat world No. 31 Arthur Rinderknech, clinching Canada's spot in the Davis Cup Final 8 and extending his singles win streak to ten straight matches. France, a ten-time champion, missed the cut for the sixth time in seven years.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

The Fed just raised rates for the first time this year. Here's what actually happens when it does, and why it ripples through everything from mortgages to your savings account.

— via NPR, Rafael Nam

Assaults on NYC transit workers are up 13% this year: and the union says judges keep letting attackers walk. One suspect, freed on $5,000 bail after allegedly beating a bus driver's head into the pavement, was back in cuffs months later for attacking an FDNY marshal.

— via NY Post, Tina Moore, Sonya Gugliara

A young editorial assistant at NPR worked her way up to reporter and editor, then helped build one of its most popular annual franchises: the Books We Love reading guide.

— via NPR Arts & Life, Elizabeth Blair

Brian Eno and Bette A. are selling 444 hand-numbered, dual-signed paintings at a Highland Park bookshop, bundled with a white-vinyl ambient record and a hardcover for $444 apiece. Neither artist plans to show up for Saturday's opening; proceeds go to climate and women's-storytelling causes.

— via Hoodline, Jake Rodriguez

Toronto clinched a playoff berth despite rushing for -1 yards, leaning entirely on Chad Kelly's arm and a 285-pound defensive lineman's 55-yard fumble-return touchdown to beat Edmonton 24-19.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

Italy is logging West Nile virus over a broader stretch of the country and a longer stretch of the calendar. Health officials point to warmer, longer summers giving mosquitoes more time and territory to spread the disease.

— via NPR, The Associated Press

A 20-year-old who doesn't drink is touring 40 campuses to crown America's top party school, scoring frats and tailgates on a 1-to-10 scale. So far the University of South Carolina leads at 8.2, thanks to a parking lot packed with 15 frat tents.

— via NY Post, Angela Barbuti

A federal judge refuses to toss threats-of-violence charges over Gab posts vowing to "go postal" on a synagogue and kill lawmakers, ruling their menace isn't for a court to decide alone. The defendant called it hyperbole; the judge says a jury gets to weigh that.

— via Volokh Conspiracy (Reason), Eugene Volokh

Fresno raid nets 2,500 pounds of meth, 500 gallons of liquid product and 15 arrests, but investigators say the liquid alone could have yielded 2,000 more pounds of crystal meth. The years-long, eight-agency operation targeted conversion labs feeding the Central Valley's drug supply.

— via Hoodline, Michelle Johnson

France snapped Félix Auger-Aliassime's 13-match Davis Cup winning streak in doubles, but Canada still leads its tie 2-1. Auger-Aliassime gets another shot Saturday against Arthur Rinderknech, with a spot in the Bologna Final 8 on the line.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

A collapsed sewer line has been dumping raw human waste into Clove Lakes Park's lake for decades, and it took a week after The Post exposed it for the city to even shut down boating and fishing. Staten Island's borough president says the neglect wouldn't fly in Central Park, and now wants answers on who knew what and when.

— via NY Post, David Spector

Only 15.9% of San Diego's used cars come in a color other than white, black, gray or silver, ranking the region second-to-last nationally, just ahead of Los Angeles. Turns out white, the local favorite, also loses the most resale value while rare colors like yellow hold onto theirs.

— via Hoodline, Roma Chang

Canada's Gen. Jennie Carignan lost her bid to chair NATO's military committee, with German Gen. Carsten Breuer elected instead in Copenhagen. A win would have made her the first woman in the role but forced her out as Canada's top military commander.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

A pet living quietly at a Bolivian sanctuary turned out to be a wild cat species science had never named, the first in more than a century. DNA from over 30 cats and museum specimens untangled it from lookalike tiger cats scientists had long lumped together.

— via PBS NewsHour, Paola Flores, Associated Press

A Queens man is facing charges nearly two months after allegedly hurling a glass bottle at a cop's head during a chaotic NYCHA housing complex melee, leaving the officer hospitalized with a gash.

— via NY Post, Daniel Cody

A Sept. 4 fire shut down Puerto Rican Street Cuisine's block, and Oeste says nine years of rising costs will close it in October. Daruma Sushi has new owners, but Berkeley diners will have to wait to find out when it reopens.

— via The Oaklandside, Momo Chang

Ottawa skipped a joint statement from Germany, France and four other countries condemning Turkey's roundup of roughly 300 LGBTQ+ activists this week, issuing only a vague statement that never mentions Turkey. Canada is currently negotiating a free-trade deal with Ankara.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

Ronny Mauricio is back with the Mets for the fourth time this season, with just eight games left to prove he belongs. His minor league numbers are solid, but a fractured thumb, a torn ACL and years of inconsistency have left his future murky heading into a decisive offseason.

— via NY Post, Mark W. Sanchez

Young lawyers are quitting over culture, not pay, says psychologist Cheryl Donaldson. Her fix: three non-negotiables firms keep skipping, plus why hybrid work is quietly costing talent.

— via Above the Law, Steve Fretzin

Berkeley's Daruma Sushi shut its doors at the end of August, but a new couple is taking over the space. Meanwhile, a nine-year-old Oakland bar plans to close in October citing costs, and a fire down the block from Puerto Rican Street Cuisine has forced a temporary shutdown there.

— via Berkeleyside, Momo Chang

A jeweller's mountainside sanctuary on North Pender Island is for sale for $1.7 million, complete with kilns, a tea house and a guest cottage. Built in homage to Frank Lloyd Wright, it was designer Karl Stiggen's home for the last 30 years of his life.

— via Vancouver Is Awesome, author

Jason Sanders survived a rough camp and a badly missed 54-yarder to nail two 50-plus field goals against the Titans: and it was enough to keep his job. Aaron Glenn also previews rookie corner D'Angelo Ponds' expected debut and updates injuries ahead of Sunday's game against Green Bay.

— via NY Post, Dan Martin