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🎧 The majority of the Democratic caucus has expressed that they won’t help unless Republicans address expiring subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, NPR’s Claudia Grisales tells Up First. Subsidies don’t expire until the end of the year, but open enrollment is next month, which is the driving force behind Democrats' argument that it needs to be handled now. The GOP insists that they should pass a short-term continuing resolution and subsidies will go into a separate bill. Democrats worry there’s a chance this option is a bait and switch, Grisales says. 

🎧 Job growth has slowed down in recent months, and forecasters had expected today’s report to indicate that employers added around 50,000 last month, says NPR’s Scott Horsley. That would be more jobs than August’s numbers, but a slowdown compared to this time last year. A key question for policymakers is whether the U.S. is adding enough jobs to keep pace with the labor force and prevent the unemployment rate from rising. It is difficult to know the answer without solid data from the government.  

🎧 The nine colleges that received letters include Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Texas, according to NPR’s Elissa Nadworny. The chairman of the UT System Board of Regents said that the system was honored and welcomes the new opportunity. Other schools have stated they are still reviewing the information. Critics say this is a threat to free speech and to academic independence. The American Association of University Professors is urging colleges not to sign the agreement.