News Wrap: Biden downplays threat of auto workers strike

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• Geoff Bennett:

  Welcome to the "NewsHour."

  On this Labor Day, President Biden has touted unions and played down the threat of an autoworker. The president spoke today in Philadelphia. He emphasized the number of jobs created since he took office and noted the new energy of organized labor.

  Separately, the president said he does not think the United Auto Workers will walk out. But with a strike deadline just 10 days away, the union's leader said — quote — "He must know something we don't."

  Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's not ready to renew a deal on Ukrainian grain shipments just yet. It's been two months since Moscow pulled out of the agreement that guaranteed safe passage for Ukrainian vessels hauling grain in the Black Sea.

  Today, Putin met with Turkish President Erdogan, who helped broker the original deal. Afterward, he insisted the West must make the first move.

• Vladimir Putin, Russian President (through interpreter):

  We will be ready to consider the possibility of reanimating the grain deal, as I told the president today, as soon as agreement on lifting restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products are fully implemented.

• Geoff Bennett:

  For his part Erdogan said he's ready to negotiate a new agreement and believes one can be reached in a short time.

  A new report from the U.N. nuclear agency shows Iran may be slowing its pace of uranium enrichment. The Associated Press says a confidential document finds the Iranian stockpile is growing at its slowest rate since 2021. The slowdown could indicate that Tehran is trying to ease tensions with the U.S. amid negotiations on prisoner swaps and frozen assets.

  The first African climate summit kicked off today in Kenya. More than a dozen heads of state gathered in Nairobi. Kenya's president said Africa needs help, but could also help reduce global greenhouse emissions.

• William Ruto, Kenyan President:

  For a very long time, we have looked at this as a problem. It is time we flipped and looked at it from the other side. In Africa, we can be a green industrial hub that helps other regions achieve their net zero strategies by 2050.

• Geoff Bennett:

  As the summit convened, hundreds of protesters marched in Nairobi to press the world's wealthiest countries, the biggest polluters, to deliver on pledges of financial assistance.

  Thousands of people at the annual Burning Man Festival in Nevada began leaving today. Bad weather had blocked the main road out since Friday, but crews managed to reopen it.

  William Brangham has the latest.

• William Brangham:

  They have spent three is stranded in the remote Black Rock Desert of Nevada after the normally hot dry landscape was transformed into slick, sticky mud.

  The so-called Burners who come to this vibrant arts and culture festival in the desert tried their best to keep their spirits up.

• Woman:

  We are thriving out here at Burning Man, in spite of all the chaos, I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Burning Man community was going to come together and support each other in this, like, this — all this chaos.

• William Brangham:

  The rains began Friday night, turning desert sand to thick puddles.

  By Saturday, the more than 70,000 visitors we're told by organizers to shelter in place and conserve their food and water. Burners usually spend about nine days in Black Rock City, the town they specifically construct for the event about 100 miles outside Reno, Nevada.

  The festival is renowned for its towering art installations, eccentric costumes, sense of community and self-expression, with ample partying around the clock.

  But because of the rain, the path in and out of the festival, usually a two-lane road, was impassable.

• Man:

  Don't get stuck in the mini-river.

• William Brangham:

  Others attempted to leave on foot, among them, deejay and music producer Diplo, who posted that he and comedian Chris Rock and a few other notables trekked five miles through the muck until they could hitch a ride.

  Both the partying and the communal spirit continued, despite the weather.

• Woman:

  This has given us the opportunity to rise to radical self-reliance and to support each other in the community. And I'm having the best time.

  (LAUGHTER)

• William Brangham:

  Organizers say the rain and mud won't stop the festivals final iconic ritual, the burning of a towering 60-foot manlike effigy. It will be set alight later tonight.

  For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm William Brangham.

• Geoff Bennett:

  One death has been reported at the festival, a man in his 40s, but organizers say it was not related to the weather.

  And a passing of note. Steve Harwell, a longtime lead singer of the rock band Smash Mouth, died today at his home in Boise, Idaho, of acute liver failure. Harwell formed the band back in 1994. And they scored two platinum albums.

  Here they are performing the Grammy-nominated "All Star" in a music video in 1999.

  (MUSIC)

• Geoff Bennett:

  Steve Harwell was 56 years old.