By Jamie Ross and Izin Akhabau

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Good morning, It’s Monday, Sept. 21, and George Lucas’s huge museum in Los Angeles opens to the public this week. Culture critic Philip Kennicott called it a maddening absurdity. Let’s catch up.

	President Donald Trump is increasingly isolated as he begins a week of diplomacy.

• In the coming days: Trump is expected to meet with several world leaders at the United Nations in New York. On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will embark on a U.S. visit.

• Trump is hampered by a lack of allies: His policies have forced nations to rethink their relationships with Washington. As he heads into this week’s meetings, he will largely stand alone.

Trump said his planned 250-foot arch will now be a “top grade” military complex.

• In a post yesterday: Trump said the arch, which he wants to build near Arlington National Cemetery, will house drones and snipers. Previously, officials said it’d be a tourist attraction.

• Why the change? Veterans groups and preservationists are trying to stop the arch. Trump’s new claims about it resemble his security justifications for his White House ballroom.

	Secret deals are powering the Trump administration’s deportation operation.

• According to records seen by The Post: Officials have authorized or pledged at least $410 million to facilitate deals with 31 nations to accept migrants who are not their own citizens.

• In other immigration enforcement news: An ICE agent shot and wounded a man yesterday in Austin, according to city officials. The man is said to be in a “stable but serious condition.”

• One more thing: A woman cheered an anti-ICE protest, then police charged her.

Republicans have launched an ad blitz in midterm races across the country.

• For months: Republicans have worried that Trump would keep the party’s single largest war chest closed for the midterms. But, in recent weeks, money for ads has started to flow.

• Trump is concerned about the midterms: In private, he has been hearing blunt news from advisers about the GOP’s chances. He has accepted some of the problem is of his making.

Is AI going to kill us all? Experts are weighing up the possibilities.

• In recent weeks: AI leaders have warned the technology is advancing too fast. One Anthropic researcher resigned and voiced concerns that AI could ultimately wipe out humanity.

• Choose your own extinction: We broke down some apocalyptic scenarios here, including AI accessing nuclear weapons or engineering Earth to be inhospitable to human life.

The ongoing El Niño weather phenomenon has officially reached record levels.

• On Saturday: Sea surface temperature in part of the Pacific hit its highest peak on record. The anomaly is shifting weather patterns, with major U.S. impacts forecast for this winter.

• Later this week: A rare September nor’easter is set to intensify off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Millions across the East Coast may be hit by heavy rain, gusty winds and rough sea conditions.

A new study found which jobs pay six figures without requiring a degree.

• As college costs rise: More people are looking for high-paying jobs that skip a bachelor’s degree. Such opportunities are rare and some require federal certification or specialized training.

• But these jobs do exist: See which workers earn more than $100,000 without a degree here. The roles include air traffic controllers, elevator installers and nuclear reactor operators.