Change and Climate: Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington today is expected to announce a national “cap and trade” program that will both limit and put a price on the emission of greenhouse gases. China is the world’s largest polluter.

While disagreeing on some major issues, Xi and President Obama are linking in an attempt to make China and the US leaders in the fight against climate change while influencing other countries to bring down their emissions. It won’t be easy for China, which is heavily dependent on coal to fuel its industries and even many households. But Xi is expected to pledge a stop in the growth of greenhouse emissions by 2030.

Behind the smiles though, Xi and Obama are in direct conflict over Chinese cyber attacks on American computer systems.

PopeTour: Pope Francis is scheduled today to address the largest ever collection of presidents and prime ministers at the United Nations. He arrived in New York yesterday afternoon to streets lined with faithful greeters.

Earlier yesterday Francis addressed a joint session of Congress in which he took on immigration, poverty, the international arms trade, climate change, and violence in the name of religion.

Slyly skewering his notoriously partisan congressional audience, Francis said, “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics.”

House Speaker John Boehner was a leaky faucet during the entire event. The man who weeps at the opening of an envelope was fighting his emotions with trembling lips as Frances was greeted by a crowd of thousands.

Still later, Congress failed to pass a spending bill because of a partisan fight over continued funding for Planned Parenthood.

Econ 101: Heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, one of the country’s major exporters, announced yesterday that it plans to lay off as many 10,000 employees. The company is reacting to a stall in the mining and energy industries as commodity prices fall and production is dialed back. The softening of the Chinese economy is also a factor.

World: The death toll after the stampede at the Hajj in Mecca has risen to 717 with 850 injured. Authorities say they don’t know what started it. Other Muslim countries have expressed anger at Saudi Arabia for failing to safely conduct the crowd. Iran’s National Security Council accused the Saudis of “incompetence.”

Pen and Sword: Little noticed in the news is that Syrian anti-government cartoonist Akram Raslan, who was arrested in October 2012, has been reported by a Damascus news service to have died, possibly as the result of torture, in the spring of 2013. Raslan drew as many as 300 cartoons supporting Syrian rebels and opposing the regime of Bashar al Assad. Palestinian cartoonist Fadi Abou Hassan posted on the website “Cartoon Movement,” that, “Raslan was one of the most brave cartoonists in Syria, his works were known for being very direct in opposing the Syrian regime and its head.”

Upgrade: The new iPhone 6s hit the stores this weekend and Apple watchers expect 12 to 13 million sales. If you care you already know this, but we are giving this story a push because the editor of The Rooney Report is heavily invested in Apple stock.