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Mass. — Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children in 2023, ended their second day of deliberations Friday without reaching a verdict and will return Monday morning to continue weighing the case.

The 12-person jury, made up of nine women and three men, has now deliberated for roughly 10 hours over two days, spending about three and a half hours Thursday and roughly six and a half to seven hours Friday, according to the Boston Globe and CNN. Judge William F. Sullivan told jurors, “It’s been a long day for everybody,” before sending them home for the weekend, with deliberations set to resume Monday at 9 a.m.

Clancy, 36, a former labor and delivery nurse, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. Sullivan has instructed the jury that it may return verdicts of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter on each of three separate verdict slips, one for each child. Both the prosecution and the defense agree Clancy strangled her children with exercise resistance bands and then attempted suicide at the family’s home in Duxbury on Jan. 24, 2023. The central question for jurors is not what happened, but whether Clancy was “criminally responsible” for her actions, a legal standard requiring that she understood the wrongfulness of what she was doing and was able to control her behavior in accordance with the law.

Prosecutors called more than 70 witnesses over five weeks of testimony, arguing Clancy “acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly” when she killed her children and that she retained the ability to distinguish right from wrong. In her closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague told jurors, “I’m not saying she was happy about it. I’m saying, it was what she had to do to end her misery. But it was a choice. It was a choice.” Prosecutors pointed to evidence that Clancy sent her husband out to run errands before the killings and that she asked for an attorney upon waking in the hospital, arguing those actions reflected calculated, rational behavior rather than a break from reality.

Clancy’s defense, which called 10 witnesses, argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for her actions. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington told jurors in closing arguments that Clancy’s collapse came “because of the damn medicine and the lousy medical care that she got,” pointing to the more than a dozen psychiatric medications she had been prescribed in the months before the killings to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia and suicidal thoughts. Clancy did not testify during the trial. She remains partially paralyzed as a result of her suicide attempt and has been held at a state hospital in Tewksbury since 2023.

Testimony from Clancy’s former husband, Patrick Clancy, traced her mental health decline back to September 2022, as she prepared to return to work following parental leave. “She just had a really hard time being separated from them,” he testified, according to CNN. Her condition worsened in the following months, particularly after she began taking the antidepressant Zoloft in October 2022, and she checked herself into a hospital twice, once in December and again over the New Year’s holiday. Clancy wrote in a note on her phone at the time, “Medication stole my motherhood and my life,” Patrick Clancy testified. Doctors who treated her before the killings said she did not display a suicide plan, thoughts of harming others or signs of psychosis, and her psychiatrist testified that Clancy told her the day before the killings that she was “doing all right.”

Competing psychiatric experts offered sharply different assessments of Clancy’s mental state at the time of the killings. Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist who testified for the defense, said Clancy was “frankly psychotic” during the killings and described an auditory hallucination she reported experiencing. “Not only did she hear a command, but she felt that her body was taken over by an external force where she was in a dream state and did not have control of her own body,” Resnick testified. “It was almost like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings.” Dr. Kirk Heilbrun, a psychologist who testified for the prosecution, disagreed, saying Clancy understood right from wrong and was in control of her actions, while expressing skepticism that she had ever reported hearing a voice before or after the killings. Both experts agreed, however, that Clancy’s actions were rooted in a distorted sense of love and protection toward her children rather than malice.

During deliberations Friday, jurors asked to review physical evidence including Clancy’s prescription pill bottles and the knife she used during her suicide attempt, according to Reddington. Sullivan did not publicly disclose the jury’s specific question, discussing it instead with attorneys during a private sidebar conference.

The trial has drawn national attention to questions surrounding maternal mental health, and supporters wearing pink gathered outside the courthouse in Plymouth last week in a show of solidarity with Clancy. If the jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict, Sullivan could declare a mistrial. If convicted of murder, Clancy faces a sentence of life in prison. If jurors find her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, prosecutors have said they may petition the court to have her committed to a psychiatric facility rather than released.

This case involves serious mental health and suicide-related content covered here for its factual, legal significance; readers who may be personally affected by similar issues are encouraged to seek support, including from a mental health professional or a crisis helpline.

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ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn stressed at the Shangri-La Dialogue that US-China tension-easing efforts are vital for South-east Asia. He urged the “constructive strategic stability” framework to translate into regional peace, while emphasizing ASEAN’s commitment to avoiding coercion and choosing sides.

Key Points

• ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn emphasized at the Shangri-La Dialogue that US-China efforts toward “constructive strategic stability” are vital for South-east Asia, as both superpowers are the region’s most consequential security and economic partners, following tensions sparked by sweeping tariffs and trade disputes since early 2025.

• Panellists highlighted pressure on smaller nations, with Lithuania and New Zealand drawing parallels between geopolitical coercion in Europe and Asia, stressing the importance of upholding international rules and collective regional cooperation.

• Dr Kao addressed rising defence spending concerns and Myanmar’s crisis, supporting recalibrated ASEAN engagement including virtual talks with Myanmar’s foreign minister, while maintaining the Five-Point Consensus peace plan remains active.

US-China Relations and ASEAN’s Strategic Priorities

The easing of tensions between the United States and China represents a critical development for South-east Asia, according to ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 30. Dr Kao emphasized that both superpowers are ASEAN’s most consequential security and economic partners, making their relationship of direct regional importance. The newly introduced framework of “constructive strategic stability” — built on the idea that competition and cooperation can coexist — emerged following meetings between President Trump and President Xi in May, offering cautious optimism for regional peace and development.

Trade War Tensions and the Path Toward Normalization

Sino-American relations deteriorated sharply after Trump’s return to office, with sweeping tariffs reaching 145 per cent, triggering Chinese retaliatory measures including export controls and restrictions on rare earths and critical minerals. A partial breakthrough in October 2025 saw tariff reductions and resumed trade flows, though full normalization only followed the May Trump-Xi summit. Dr Kao stressed that ASEAN nations must be able to pursue security and prosperity without coercion or being forced to choose sides, underscoring the bloc’s firm commitment to strategic independence amid intensifying great-power rivalry.

Geopolitical Pressure, Defense Spending, and the Myanmar Crisis

Smaller nations facing geopolitical pressure was a recurring theme at the plenary session, with Lithuania’s Defense Minister drawing parallels between European and Asian coercion tactics, and New Zealand’s Defense Minister advocating collective regional strength. On rising defense expenditure, Dr Kao cautioned that diverting resources toward military spending is “not very healthy,” reaffirming ASEAN’s preference for preventive diplomacy. Regarding Myanmar, Dr Kao signaled a recalibration of engagement, with ASEAN foreign ministers agreeing to a virtual meeting with Myanmar’s counterpart — a notable shift — while reaffirming the Five-Point Consensus peace plan remains the guiding framework.

Source : Easing of US-China tensions crucial for South-east Asia: ASEAN chief

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MIAMI — Lionel Messi scored four goals and added an assist Saturday night as Inter Miami routed CF Montreal 7-1, snapping the team’s winless run in emphatic fashion and pushing the Argentine superstar to the top of Major League Soccer’s scoring race.

The victory at Nu Stadium marked a club record for goals scored in a single match for Inter Miami, according to ESPN, and came after the team had gone five games without a win. Miami improved to 12-4-6 on the season, ending August with a 1-2-2 record for the month despite the emphatic finish.

Carlos Casemiro opened the scoring in the 20th minute, heading in a corner kick from Telasco Segovia for his first goal in his sixth appearance for the club, while the assist marked a career-best ninth of the season for Segovia in his second MLS campaign. Montreal answered in the 37th minute when Fabian Herbers scored his first goal of the year to level the match at 1-1.

Messi took over from there. He put Miami back in front in the 40th minute with a free kick that deflected off a Montreal defender and past goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, marking his 15th goal of the season. He extended the lead to 3-1 in the 52nd minute, dribbling through a cluster of Montreal defenders before finishing with his right foot, a goal that pulled him level with FC Dallas forward Petar Musa atop the league’s scoring chart. Messi then set up Luis Suarez for Miami’s fourth goal in the 80th minute before completing his hat trick three minutes later, chipping the ball over Gillier following a pass from Rodrigo De Paul to make it 5-1. Eighteen-year-old rookie Alexander Shaw added a sixth goal in the 89th minute, his first in three MLS appearances, before Messi capped the rout with a curling free kick deep into stoppage time to make it 7-1.

The four-goal outing marked the eighth time in Messi’s career that he has scored four or more goals in a single match, and the first time he has done so since joining Inter Miami, according to ESPN. His last previous four-goal performance came in February 2020 for Barcelona against Eibar in Spain’s La Liga. He is also now the fastest player in MLS history to reach 20 multigoal games in a regular season, doing so in just 72 appearances for the club. With the performance, Messi moved to 18 goals for the season, two ahead of Musa for the league’s Golden Boot lead, and now has 62 career hat tricks at the club level.

Inter Miami teammate Casemiro praised Messi’s continued influence on the team following the match. “That’s what it means to have Messi on the team,” Casemiro told Apple TV. “We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history. We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best.”

Miami interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos, who was serving under a suspension and unable to be on the bench for the match, echoed that sentiment afterward. “There are no words to describe such footballing beauty,” Hoyos said. “So much is going on that words simply fall short.”

Miami’s dominance extended well beyond Messi’s individual tally, with the team controlling 57% of possession and finishing with 11 shots on goal, according to MSN. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair made three saves for Miami, while Gillier finished with five saves for Montreal, which fell to 5-11-6 on the season and has now lost five consecutive matches to Inter Miami. Miami’s rout also comes at a significant point in the Eastern Conference standings, providing a substantial confidence boost as the club looks to remain in contention for a top playoff position down the stretch of the regular season.

The result caps a particularly productive individual stretch for Messi, who at 39 years old continues to anchor Inter Miami’s attack alongside longtime national team teammates Suarez and De Paul. His performance Saturday further cements his status as the driving force behind the club since his 2023 arrival, with Saturday’s four-goal haul standing as one of the signature individual performances of his MLS tenure to date.

Download this episode on Apple Podcasts/Spotify or listen below:

August’s jobs report could cement a September rate hike. (0:17) Broadcom earnings give another look at the AI spending. (1:24) John Ternus takes the reins from Tim Cook at Apple. (1:56)

The following is an abridged transcript:

This week brings the August jobs report, which could be crucial for the Federal Reserve’s next move.

Following what traders saw as a hawkish Jackson Hole speech from new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, odds of a quarter-point September rate hike have jumped to 57% from 40%, with an 18% chance of another hike in October.

Economists expect a modest rise in August nonfarm payrolls of 55K, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.1%.

Wells Fargo economists say alternative indicators “suggest job growth has stabilized, rather than continuing to deteriorate.”

“Hiring measures from regional Fed surveys have improved in recent months, small business hiring plans have perked back up, and job openings have leveled off. Meanwhile, initial jobless claims remain near multi-decade lows, underscoring that layoffs are still contained.”

SA Analyst Damir Tokic expects a strong August jobs report to “cement” a quarter-point rate hike.

“Warsh clearly stated in his Jackson Hole speech that the labor market is strong, as the unemployment rate at 4.1% is very low by historical standards,” he said. “The main implication for monetary policy is that the labor market is fine, thus, the focus shifts entirely to inflation.”

On the earnings front, Broadcom (AVGO) will give further insight into AI spending when it reports Wednesday. Analysts expect EPS of $3.24 on revenue of $29.4B.

SA analyst Dustin Quasney says the stock faces elevated near-term downside risk ahead of earnings due to high expectations set by Nvidia’s recent results.

For those long the stock, he recommends covered calls that prioritize downside protection.

Here’s how the rest of the earnings calendar shapes up:

On Tuesday, Palo Alto Networks (PANW), Dell (DELL), and Medtronic (MDT) report.

Snowflake (SNOW) weighs in on Wednesday.

Ciena (CIEN) and Zscaler (ZS) are up Thursday.

Also this week, on Tuesday, John Ternus will step into the role of Apple (AAPL) CEO, taking over from Tim Cook, aka Tim Apple, who has led the tech giant since 2011. Cook will move into the role of executive chairman.

SA analyst Envision Research says they are confident the new leadership will preserve the company’s “well-established earning power and shareholder return mechanisms.”

They also see “additional opportunities for Ternus to capitalize on the vast installed (customer) base and to continue growing the base with his deep understanding of the company’s various hardware lineups.”

And Tesla (TSLA) plans to hold an invite-only Cybercab launch event Thursday in Austin, Texas, that will also be livestreamed.

The compact two-seater is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, with fully autonomous passenger transport as its sole purpose. Reports indicate riders may be able to request a Cybercab through Tesla’s existing Robotaxi app in Austin as early as next week.

In the news this weekend, Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is a notable omission from Time Magazine’s newly released list of the 100 most influential people in artificial intelligence for 2026.

On a list featuring SpaceX (SPCX) CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI (OPENAI) CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic (ANTHRO) CEO Dario Amodei, Huang’s absence raised eyebrows.

Huang was included in the three previous TIME100 AI editions.

And for income investors, Northrop Grumman (NOC) goes ex-dividend Monday, paying out on Sept. 16.

Nike (NKE) and McDonald’s (MCD) go ex-dividend Tuesday. Nike pays out on Oct. 1, and McDonald’s pays out on Sept. 16.

Qualcomm (QCOM) goes ex-dividend Thursday, with a Sept. 24 payout date.