|
Sep 26, 2026
Pope Leo XIV has praised the "enthusiasm, energy and commitment" young people bring to the Catholic Church as dense crowds attended an open-air Mass in Paris.
An estimated 700,000 people had gathered for the Mass celebrated by the Pope from a special altar on the Place de la Concorde, on the second day of his four-day visit to France.
It began after the pontiff rode down the Champs-Élysées Avenue waving to crowds from his open-topped popemobile.
Many senior politicians attended the Mass. On Friday, the Pope met French President Emmanuel Macron.
During Saturday's Mass, the Pope told worshippers that Catholics should not keep their faith to themselves but "let it overflow so that those you meet may be refreshed".
The leader of the Catholic Church also addressed young people in his speech, describing them as "today's Church".
"How beautiful it is to see your enthusiasm, energy and commitment, and the joy you bring to Christian communities," he said.
[Reuters]
After being welcomed by Macron on Friday, the Pope was joined by 80,000 young people at the Stade de France in northern Paris.
Macron did not attend Saturday's event and will not be at any of the Pope's Masses during his visit, largely to avoid appearing to breach France's strict rules on the separation of Church and state.
But the Mass was attended by Macron's wife Brigitte and French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
Several candidates for next year's presidential election also attended.
Marine Le Pen of the hard-right National Rally party and conserv
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
A powerful nor'easter is battering the East Coast this weekend, bringing major coastal flooding, damaging winds and heavy rain from the Carolinas to southern New England.
About 84,600 homes and businesses were without power across five Northeast states by midday Saturday, according to PowerOutage.us, with New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island hit hardest. Wind gusts topped 60 mph on Long Island, Cape Cod and the islands, according to the National Weather Service, and more than 400 flights were canceled nationwide, most of them at Boston Logan.
Water rose more than 3 feet above the normal high-tide mark Saturday morning at the Jersey Shore and in New York Harbor, according to preliminary NOAA data. In Queens, video showed people kayaking to the Howard Beach-JFK subway station. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have both issued emergency declarations, and more than 20 million people from Virginia to New Jersey are under coastal flood warnings.
Forecasters warned that flooding could return with Saturday night's high tide as the storm moves toward the Jersey Shore late Saturday into Sunday, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The storm is expected to weaken slowly Sunday night and move northeast Monday.
How to stay safe:
Never drive or walk through fl
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
President Donald Trump's threat to curtail diesel shipments abroad comes with a risk: the perception that he's reneging on his promise to shower the world with U.S. fuels.
That move would inflame tensions between the U.S. and Europe while jeopardizing American credibility as a trading partner, energy experts and administration allies said. And it could compel nations to seek other suppliers, limiting Trump's ability to wield energy as a negotiating tool in the future, they added.
"This is going to damage our reputation," said an external adviser to the Trump administration, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. "The whole premise of energy dominance was that the United States would be able to supply our allies around the world. Curtailing that is going to raise question marks."
Plans to limit U.S. diesel exports are under discussion at the White House as the fuel's price soars because of oil supply disruptions stemming from the Iran war. The Trump administration is considering different options, from a full-scale 90-day export ban to incremental limits on outbound diesel. The idea is fiercely opposed by the oil and gas industry over worries that it could make them less competitive in overseas markets.
The effort to corral fuel prices comes less than six weeks ahead of midterm elections that threaten strip control of Congress from Republicans — and break Trump's unfettered influence over the Legislative branch.
A White House official said Trump is evaluating all his options to lower diesel prices, which have soared from $3.74 a gallon to $6.52 over the past year.
The European Union has increased U.S. diesel imports to record levels because of the Iran war, with imports rising by 1.5 million barrels a day in August, a 50% increase since
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
"I want real news. I love an open, free press," Trump said on Saturday morning to reporters when asked about the bar. "What I don't like is the fake press, where a group like CNN, with few people watching, or MSDNC," the name that he calls MSNOW, formerly MSNBC.
On Friday night, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced the news on his show. CNN was slotted to cover Trump on Saturday on behalf of the television pool - where ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and FOX take turns covering Trump and sharing camera feeds with the other networks. CNN White House Correspondent Alayna Treene explained to Cooper that White House's guidance for the next day was released and CNN was not included on the list of outlets traveling with Trump.
"The White House is barring CNN from flying on Air Force One on Saturday as part of the news outlet's duties covering the president on behalf of major television networks," CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins said in a post on X.
This comes amid a legal dispute after the president attempted to block three news outlets - CNN, MSNOW and Politico - from the White House. Here's the timeline:
September 18: Trump announced on Truth Social that the three networks were banned from the White House.September 19: Journalists fro
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
By Joshua McElwee and Elizabeth Pineau
PARIS, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Crowds stretched the length of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris on Saturday, as Pope Leo urged Catholics to find happiness in faith, not material things, at the biggest event of his visit to France, an ?outdoor Mass with an estimated 800,000 people.
Chants of "Leo, Leo" and "Long live the Pope" echoed down the roughly 2 km (1.2 miles) tree-lined boulevard, from ?the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, as people pressed against security barriers for a glimpse of Leo as he arrived in an open-top popemobile.
The vehicle paused frequently as people ?waved white and yellow Vatican flags and Leo blessed people with disabilities, children and babies passed forward by volunteers.
Attendees included Brigitte Macron, the French president's wife, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is leading in the polls ahead of next year's presidential election, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Bernard Arnault, the billionaire chairman of French luxury group LVMH.
Cheers rang out in the crowd as Leo thanked God in his sermon for the chance to visit France on a whirlwind four-day, three-city tour, during which ?he is seeking to repair the Church's standing after abuse ?scandals caused nationwide shock.
The pope told Catholics that only their faith would provide true happiness.
"Only God can fill the emptiness within us," said the pope.
Benoit Dedieu-Anglade, 67, said after the Mass that he had been impressed by the speech.
"We must not ?give in to the easy path or distractions — and I was moved by how he expressed this in such clear, lucid French," he said.
PRAISE FOR POPE'S PEACE MESSAGE
Attendees began assembling before sunrise to hear the pontiff speak at the mid-afternoon Mass.
The pope, who has forcefully decried the direction of global leadership in recent months, warned in a speec
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
Four Americans were among the six people who died after an explosion and building collapse in Athens' tourist district of Plaka near the Acropolis on Friday, officials said.
The blast, which occurred at dawn on Friday, was likely caused by a gas leak, according to Athens Mayor Haris Doukas.
The two other people killed were an elderly British man and his Greek wife who lived on the second floor of the three-story building, Greece's state broadcaster ERT reported.
The American family of four had been renting an apartment on the first floor and were preparing to go to the airport hours later Friday for their return to the United States when the blast occurred, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.
The explosion brought down the residential building and damaged properties and vehicles along the street. Two other women were injured from an adjacent building on Lysikratous Street, fire brigades said, according to the Associated Press.
The New York Times reported that the U.S. family was composed of a couple, their son and his girlfriend. Greek authorities did not immediately give their identities, ages or where in the U.S. they came from.
On Saturday, AFP reporters saw mechanical diggers moving debris at the site and thermal-imaging
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
James Talarico's poll lead over Ken Paxton in the crunch Texas Senate battle has fallen by one point according to two new opinion polls, which also showed the number of undecided Texan voters has been reduced.
Democrats are hoping to win control of the Senate at the November midterms and victory in Texas—a traditional Republican stronghold that last elected a Democratic senator in 1988—would significantly boost their chances.
Friday saw the publication of the latest Texas Public Opinion Research survey which polled 1,007 likely Texan voters between September 19 and 22. The poll, which had a 3.6 percent margin of error, found state Representative Talarico leading current Texas Attorney General Paxton by five points with 49 percent of the vote against 44 percent.
The last Texas Public Opinion Research survey, of 1,000 likely Texas voters conducted from August 21-24, gave Talarico a six-point lead, with 48 percent of the vote against Paxton's 42 percent.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaking during a "Talarico for Texas: Frontera Tour" campaign news conference at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection - World Trade Bridge on July 14, 2026 in Laredo, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)Notably the proportion of undecided voters has also fallen from seven percent in August to three percent this month, with Libertarian candidate Ted Brown also gaining two percentage points. However, the decrease in Talarico's support remains within the margin of error.
Separately a new
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
Higher bond yields, tariffs, and a spike in energy prices haven't been enough to slow the economy down.
This week, the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond — which influences mortgage rates and other borrowing costs — rose to 5.2%, marking its highest level in nearly 20 years.
While analysts and economists have pointed to a cocktail of sticky inflation juiced by higher oil prices, demand for AI companies' bonds, and a record $40 trillion federal debt, a debate has emerged about how much of the rise in yields is being driven by a strengthening economy — and how much the economy can take.
"The main reason that bond yields rose sharply is that the US economy is booming," said Ed Yardeni, chief investment strategist of Yardeni Research.
This week, a report that generally garners little attention, the S&P's purchasing managers' index, showed the economy could be picking up steam. The report, which measures manufacturing activity, registered its biggest monthly increase since 2022, while a reading on the service sector jumped to the highest le
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
SHANGHAI, Sept 26 (Reuters) - China said on Saturday it had agreed with the US on a $30 billion reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement and on launching a dialogue on ?AI, under an eight-point consensus reached during President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
The two ?sides have also agreed to set up a trade council and extend the outcomes of earlier talks in Kuala ?Lumpur, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The agreement follows an earlier move by the world's two largest economies to extend by two months a trade truce that had been due to expire on November 10, allowing more time to work on a potentially bigger trade deal, US Treasury Secretary Scott ?Bessent said on Wednesday.
The three-day ?summit between Xi and President Donald Trump, which ended on Friday, showcased personal diplomacy rather than big public breakthroughs. Xi has since landed in Beijing, ?Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
"This historic visit enriched the constructive and stable China-US relationship, upheld the overall stability of bilateral ties, opened a new chapter in China-US relations, and will ?have ?a far-reaching impact on world peace and development," Chinese ?Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in ?a statement.
DIALOGUE ON AI
On artificial intelligence, the two sides agreed to hold a dialogue on the technology's risks and benefits, with the next round of discussions set for November, and to set up a communication channel for AI-related incidents, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry also said in a separate statement that Beijing valued Washington's use of the term "super intelligence" in place ?of "artificial intelligence". As AI technology continues to advance, the ?two sides should step up exchanges and work toward ?consensus in line with new developments, it ?said.
The two sides also agreed to support each other in hosting the ?Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' me
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
An intensifying early season nor'easter has arrived in the Northeast and is set to deliver a prolonged stretch of strong wind, soaking rain and coastal flooding to the region through the weekend.
More than 40 million people will feel the storm's impact through Sunday. Areas from Boston to the New York City metro and New Jersey are starting to see the storm's wind-driven rain and coastal flooding, conditions that will increase into Saturday. Strong wind could knock out power and down trees, especially on the immediate coast.
?? ?In the areas at risk? Track the storm, find out your local risk and get more detailed timing from meteorologists in the CNN Weather app ??
Here's what to know:
Power outages incoming: There were nearly 55,000 customers without power across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania by early Saturday, according to PowerOutage.us. More are expected as the wind and rain peak throughout the day. Gusts could hit 50 mph for the New York City area and 60 mph near Boston. The heaviest rain totals — up to 5 inches — are expected in eastern Massachusetts, including Boston. That's more than a month's worth of rain for the area.Battered shorelines: Tides are rising ahead of Saturday's full moon, worsening coastal flooding. Areas near the water in the New York City area could see up to 3 feet of inundation. Much of the Mid-Atlantic, from North Carolina to New Jersey, has experienced coastal flooding since Wednesday as the storm pushes ocean water into seaside communities and onto roads.Emergency operations: New York Gov. Kath
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's three-day visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping was filled with pomp and circumstance: a red-carpet arrival, a tour of the National Archives and a state dinner of yellow squash velouté and sesame crusted sea bass.
But the hearty welcome left a bad taste in the mouth of the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party," Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said on the Senate floor Sept. 22.
Wicker, one of a growing number of Republicans who have publicly disagreed with the president, may also strike a chord with voters who have told pollsters that the cost of living will be their top priority in the upcoming elections. Lopsided majorities have disapproved of Trump's handl
|
|
Sep 26, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump has posted an image of the Strait of Hormuz labeled "Trump Strait" shortly after Iran proposed a deal to open the waterway within a week if the U.S. meets certain conditions.
Meanwhile, Iranian media outlets say the country's president has left New York after the United Nations gathering of world leaders that included Iran's indirect talks with the United States. And Saudi Arabia says it has intercepted another missile it blames on Iran -backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen.
Here is a look at the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. More coverage of the U.N. General Assembly is available here.
Trump posts a map calling key waterway ‘Trump Strait'
Trump posted an image early Saturday morning on his Truth Social platform of the Strait of Hormuz labeled "Trump Strait," in the first public indication of his thinking after Iran proposed the new deal and suggested it might help Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
The White House on Friday said only that U.S. officials were having positive and constructive conversations with mediators on the Iran war. Earlier in the week, Iran held hours of indirect talks with the U.S.
Iranian outlets say the country's president has left New York
Semiofficial media outlets in Iran reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has departed New York for Tehran after the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders.
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
By Deepa Seetharaman, Raphael Satter and Jeff Horwitz
SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Two months after OpenAI disclosed the accidental hacking of Hugging Face, the ChatGPT maker is still working to understand the full scope of its rogue agent activity, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The latest example came on Friday when OpenAI said its agents had leaked 53 images from ChatGPT users. OpenAI declined to say if the images were AI-generated or identified real people. It also declined to say when the ?images were posted.
The disclosure and researcher reports on Friday of other previously unknown activity involving several US agencies reveal a new area of privacy risk for the company, and illustrate how difficult it is even for an AI firm at the cutting edge of ?the technology to inventory all the unauthorized activity tied to its agents. OpenAI's ongoing battle also reflects a yawning gap between the strength of the models the company is testing and its capacity to oversee or even track their actions.
As of mid-September, one person briefed on the matter estimated that OpenAI had found roughly two dozen incidents of its agents acting ?in undesirable ways. But the number has continued rising as OpenAI teams sift through internal logs of the agents' activities and find previously unknown cases, the two people close to the company said.
OpenAI said its review would take months to complete given the scale of the work.
The company also said it had notified dozens of third parties about improper activity.
Most of the leaked images have been taken down and OpenAI said it was lobbying hosting providers to remove the rest.
OpenAI's agents had access to these images because the company relies on anonymized user data for part of its model-training process, according to the company, former employees and outside researchers. Enterprise data is not eligible for training, w
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
By Deepa Seetharaman, Raphael Satter and Jeff Horwitz
SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Two months after OpenAI disclosed the accidental hacking of Hugging Face, the ChatGPT maker is still working to understand the full scope of its rogue agent activity, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The latest example came on Friday when OpenAI said its agents had leaked 53 images from ChatGPT users. OpenAI declined to say if the images were AI-generated or identified real people. It also declined to say when the ?images were posted.
The disclosure and researcher reports on Friday of other previously unknown activity involving several US agencies reveal a new area of privacy risk for the company, and illustrate how difficult it is even for an AI firm at the cutting edge of ?the technology to inventory all the unauthorized activity tied to its agents. OpenAI's ongoing battle also reflects a yawning gap between the strength of the models the company is testing and its capacity to oversee or even track their actions.
As of mid-September, one person briefed on the matter estimated that OpenAI had found roughly two dozen incidents of its agents acting ?in undesirable ways. But the number has continued rising as OpenAI teams sift through internal logs of the agents' activities and find previously unknown cases, the two people close to the company said.
OpenAI said its review would take months to complete given the scale of the work.
The company also said it had notified dozens of third parties about improper activity.
Most of the leaked images have been taken down and OpenAI said it was lobbying hosting providers to remove the rest.
OpenAI's agents had access to these images because the company relies on anonymized user data for part of its model-training process, according to the company, former employees and outside researchers. Enterprise data is not eligible for training, w
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
The White House has banned CNN reporters from flying with Donald Trump on Air Force One for his upcoming trip to Tennessee, the network says.
Despite a judge's order restoring CNN's access to the White House after Trump banned the network, along with MS NOW and Politico, from covering his daily activities, reporters are still being denied entry to certain events.
In the latest roadblock, the White House announced in a Friday night note detailing the president's schedule that CNN will not be allowed on Air Force One when Trump flies to Knoxville on Saturday for a college football game, the network reported.
CNN is part of a rotating press pool that covers White House events for major TV networks. No other outlet was listed to replace CNN in the memo, according to the network. Without a designated pooler, major networks won't be able to televise his trip.
The network's journalists were also stopped by a press wrangler when
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
NAALEHU, Hawaii — Hurricane Nolo is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane in the Pacific Ocean over the weekend and unleash intense rain, the possibility of life-threatening flash flooding and dangerous surf for Hawaii's Big Island.
Nolo was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph early Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said, as its outer rainbands hit the Big Island. Hurricane conditions are possible on the island, especially in areas with steep terrain, the weather service warned.
The storm was moving north-northwest at 10 mph on Saturday morning, but was expected to turn northeast and head toward Baja California Sur on Monday.
This marks the third hurricane in less than two months to whip past Hawaii (following Lala and Lowell). The active Pacific hurricane season is likely due to a record-setting El Niño — a natural climate pattern characterized by a rise in sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, which can spawn more intense and frequent cyclones there.
Tess Kala, a South Point resident who grew up in the area, said the back-to-back storms are a shock to locals.
"Honestly, this is the first like, whoa, what happened? We had a lot of family and friends that have lived here all their lives through generations and neve
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A woman walks past a banner showing missiles being launched, in northern Tehran, Iran. (AP)
President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire and told aides he expects U.S. bombing of Iran to resume after the November midterm elections, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported Friday that Trump has turned down Tehran's proposal, which would halt hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.
Under the proposal outlined by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the end of a seven-day period if Washington agreed to a series of conditions, including lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waiving sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and observing a ceasefire that would include Lebanon.
Araghchi said Thursday that Iran had presented the plan to the United States through intermediaries and that implementation could begin once Washington accepted the terms.
The New York Times reported Friday that the proposal closely mirrors a memorandum of understanding reached by the United States and Iran in June but subsequently unraveled, although the new plan compresses the timetable for moving toward nuclear negotiations.
The latest proposal came as U.S. and Iranian officials have renewed indirect diplomatic contacts in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.
Reuters reported Thursday that U.S. and Iranian negotiators were exploring a phased arrangement under which Tehran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while Washington lifted its economic blockade of Iran.
The talks have includ
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is canceling nearly $1 billion in spending approved by Congress, the White House announced on Friday, using a rare and contested power to axe funding for immigrant services and diversity-focused initiatives.
Trump's Office of Management and Budget described the funding cut as focused on "the most harmful government spending."
Most of the cuts are focused on Health and Human Services programs that serve refugees and unaccompanied minors accused of being in the country illegally. The administration says the funds are no longer necessary because illegal border crossings have diminished considerably.
Also targeted for cuts were a Department of Education program for migrant students, a Department of Justice office focused on reducing racial tensions, a business development initiative for minority entrepreneurs, housing counseling services from the Housing and Urban Development Department and a series of grants from the Health and Human Services Department that the administration called "outright harmful and blatantly ideological."
A White House press release announcing the funding rescissions notes that some of the organizations are led by people who worked in the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama.
Trump's move was condemned by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a Republican in a tough reelection campaign and chair
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
[Anadolu via Getty Images]
Current and former FBI agents have spoken to BBC News of their shock, fear and anger following a hack that appears to have exposed the private and personal information of the agency's entire workforce.
"This is really bad for our undercover agents," says one former FBI agent, who fears for the safety of his colleagues.
The former cyber investigator is in a group chat with current agents who are worried their personal information could soon be freely available online to criminals and hostile nation-state hackers.
He says staff fear they could be targeted, or that criminals could use the data to create highly convincing phishing attempts, scams or demands for bribes.
The hacking group ShinyHunters is threatening to publish the stolen databases and documents within four days unless its demands are met.
Some agents are also concerned about the risk of physical attacks from cyber criminals they have investigated.
"One of the things we are discussing in the group chat is 'violence-as-a-service' attacks from young online gangs," says the former worker.
"They could use this information to harass an FBI agent who has worked on their cases."
Personal concernsGroups similar to ShinyHunters - believed to be an English-speaking gang - have in the past been linked to swatting incidents, and even petrol bomb attacks against law enforcement officers and rivals.
The group claims it breached FBI systems on Monday and later po
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday turned away an attempt to use a new Missouri congressional map backed by President Donald Trump, putting an end to a long-running legal dispute as absentee voting is underway in the midterm elections.
The justices halted a federal appeals court ruling that would have revived the Republican-friendly map for the November elections, which will determine control of Congress. There were no noted dissents.
The Supreme Court instead let stand a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this month that a citizen petition prevents the new map from being used unless first approved by voters in a November referendum. The decision means Missouri residents will vote under the same congressional districts used in the 2024 and 2022 elections.
"At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos," the high court wrote in an unsigned opinion. "The District Court and Court of Appeals should not enjoin or otherwise prohibit the use of the 2022 map in the 2026 congressional election in Missouri."
Republicans had hoped the new House map — which already was used in the August primaries — could help them win an additional seat as part of a nationwide redistricting battle pushed by Trump to gain an edge in the midterms.
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
MTV, the 45-year-old network and music video pioneer, was once the arbiter of cool. They played all the hottest new songs from some of the biggest stars the country has ever seen: Madonna, David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Prince. They ushered in the era of boy band domination and made a space for teen culture to thrive.
Now, MTV isn't dead, but it's more of a nostalgic icon than a network that people turn on to actively watch or listen to music. These days, you'll find seemingly endless reruns of the 49-season clip show Ridiculousness, which stopped making new episodes in 2025.
Gen X-ers and millennials remember MTV's former life fondly: They recall rushing home from school to catch Total Request Live. But somewhere between "Thriller" and Jersey Shore, the cable channel shifted its iden
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
(Fernando Llano/Associated Press)
Cattle industry groups in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas warned Thursday that sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in southwest Kansas are delaying beef shipments and could push record retail prices even higher.
The Kansas Livestock Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, and Texas Cattle Feeders Association said in a joint statement that thousands of fed cattle bound for slaughter had been sidelined, producing "millions of dollars in lost revenue and additional costs."
The groups reported workforce disruptions at feedyards, dairies, processors, feed and grain firms, and transportation hubs, and said the harm would linger for days and weeks after the raids conclude.
Federal agents swept through Dodge City, Garden City, and Liberal earlier this week.
The three southwest Kansas towns anchor a region that produces about 22% of the U.S. grain-fed beef supply, according to data from the Kansas Livestock Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
National Beef Packing Co., one of the country's largest processors, adjusted shift schedules at its Liberal plant.
Cargill, which also operates in the region,
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Dale Caldwell outside his home in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on 9 September.Photograph: Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock
Dale Caldwell, the lieutenant governor of New Jersey, resigned from his position on Friday, after the release of a report accusing him of sexually harassing a female staffer, among other ethics violations.
New Jersey's governor, Mikie Sherrill, announced on Friday afternoon that Caldwell had submitted his resignation to her earlier in the day.
The decision by Caldwell, 66, came one day after Sherrill called on him to step down after an investigation determined he violated state ethics rules and engaged in behavior that constituted sexual harassment.
Related: New Jersey datacenter fined $1.1m after visual investigation showed dozens of unpermitted generators
The 61-page report said it found credible evidence that Caldwell made romantic advances toward a female staffer's friend, tried to secure a promotion for his girlfriend and gave tickets to personal guests without reimbursement.
The New Jersey Globe was the first to report on Caldwell's resignation.
Thomas Calcagni, a lawyer for Caldwell, said in a statement they would "continue to forcefully challenge the report".
"Dr Caldwell's resignation, submitted to put an end to the targeted campaign to discredit his character, does not in any way diminish our outrage concerning the investigative process and its specious findings," Calcagni said. "Counsel is fully exploring all legal remedies to ensure a true, balanc
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Millions of people along the East Coast are bracing for a powerful nor'easter that is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds and coastal flooding from the Carolinas to Maine, forecasters say.
The storm, which formed off the mid-Atlantic coast, is expected to stall as it approaches the Northeast and New England, according to the National Weather Service, increasing the likelihood of flooding and beach erosion in parts of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The Jersey Shore, Long Island and Cape Cod could see up to 3 feet of inundation, especially during high tides.
"This storm may be remembered for its destructive coastal flooding and severe beach erosion, especially along eastern Long Island and the Massachusetts coast," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.
The system has already caused coastal flooding in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. A stretch of highway on North Carolina's Outer Banks was closed due to "severe overwash" on the roadway.
"We expect similar conditions to continue over the next few high tide cycles until the storm passes," North Carolina's Department of Transportation said on Facebook. "There is currently no timeline on reopening the highway."
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Hawaii's southern islands are bracing for a brush with Hurricane Nolo, the latest in a gauntlet of Pacific storms thrown at the state during a tropical season supercharged by this year's super El Niño.
Potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides are again possible as the state faces its third impactful swipe from a hurricane in just six weeks.
Nolo rapidly intensified into a Category 2 hurricane Friday morning. The hurricane was about 185 miles south of Hawaii's Big Island moving generally north. Rapid intensification is an increase in maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less, and it's happening more frequently in a world warming due to fossil fuel pollution.
The Big Island will see the worst of Nolo's impacts as it continues to strengthen and makes its closest approach late Friday through Saturday local time. Extreme rain will be its most serious threat, but Nolo will also bring strong wind and dangerous seas.
??? Check your local forecast in the CNN Weather app
Hurricane Lala took a similarly close track to the Big Island in mid-August as a Category 1 storm and unleashed catastrophic flooding there. On the other side of the state, Hurricane Lowell delivered a blow to Kauai and Niihau in early September as a Category 2 storm.
H
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A new report on Charlie Kirk's assassination says his Turning Point USA organization insisted he speak outdoors despite security concerns, while the university where he was killed didn't properly assess dangers such as the possibility of a rooftop shooter.
Those were among the key findings in an after-action report released Friday by Utah Valley University. The external, independent review found that the university failed to conduct a formal security assessment, did not create a written event action plan and deferred critical decision making for the conservative activist's talk to Turning Point USA.
Kirk, 31, was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, by a sniper perched on a rooftop more than 400 feet (122 meters) away, authorities said. He had been debating students in an outdoor courtyard on the Orem, Utah, campus surrounded by tall buildings and elevated walkways, and with several thousand people in attendance.
The report makes nearly 150 recommendations, including hiring a police sergeant to focus on campus events and creating clear criteria for when events must be moved indoors or to more controllable venues because of crowd size and line-of-sight concerns.
In a statement, Utah Valley President Jon Anderson said the university has a responsibility to "learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations."
"This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices, and a commitment to act on what we learn," said Anderson, who took over as president last month. He added that
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico jury on Friday found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections on the social media platform.
It is now up to the judge to determine how much the company would pay, with attorneys representing the state asking for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation.
The two-week trial in Santa Fe centered on accusations that Facebook deceived users about a data breach stemming from a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, to generate targeted ads. The now-defunct firm's clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump.
Jurors sided with prosecutors, finding Facebook's failure to protect users' data impacted New Mexico's entire population of more than two million people.
Jurors also found Facebook misled the public about investigations into data brokers following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, finding the company liable for over two million violations.
During closing arguments, lawyers for Facebook claimed the state's evidence was outdated and that despite having five years to gather material, New Mexico failed to find more than one other instance of a data breach.
Meta agreed in August to pay up to $18 billion to settle the multistate lawsuit surrounding child safety issues. Buried in the 130-page settlement was an agreement to release Meta from future liability related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, making New Mexico the only state to pursue a case. Florida was the only other state that did not sign the settlement, saying it was not tough enough on Meta.
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
By John Kruzel
WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The US Supreme Court revived on Friday an expanded immigration database that President Donald Trump's administration said aims to combat voting by noncitizens but critics contend could disenfranchise eligible voters.
The justices granted the Justice Department's request to block a judge's order that had stopped state officials ?from using Social Security numbers and other information to conduct sweeping checks of the citizenship status of registered voters against federal records.
The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. ?Its three liberal justices dissented from Friday's order.
The majority said the plaintiffs' arguments likely fail because federal law expressly authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to request and receive information relating to citizenship and immigration status from other agencies, ?including the Social Security Administration.
The administration's data-sharing arrangement is one in a series of actions boosting the federal government's involvement in voting ahead of November's midterm elections in which Trump's fellow Republicans seek to maintain control of Congress. The U.S. Constitution gives individual states the primary authority to run and administer elections.
The Department of Homeland Security last year redesigned a federal database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, used to verify a person's citizenship and immigration status. The revamp allowed users to search many records at a time and to conduct searches using individuals' Social Security ?numbers.
Since then, several Republican-led states have compared their voter lists to ?the database, and some voters flagged as potential noncitizens have had their registrations canceled.
Critics say such election-related actions by Republicans are driven less by concerns over election security than by an attempt to gain poli
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A strengthening nor'easter moving up the East Coast on Sept. 25 is expected to last through the weekend, with deteriorating conditions spawning even stronger winds and coastal flooding.
The large-scale low-pressure storm system will bring more rain from North Carolina to New England, with significant impacts expected in the Outer Banks, New Jersey, Boston and New York City.
Power outages are likely, according to AccuWeather's latest forecast.
Nor'easters are named for the strong northeasterly winds that blow in from the Atlantic Ocean and across coastal states.
The strong storm, taking place through the weekend's full moon, will raise tide levels and lead to major coastal flooding, meteorologists predict. Pounding surf will cause "extensive beach erosion" from North Carolina to southern Maine. Dangerous rip currents will extend as far south as Florida's Atlantic coast, according to the forecast.
"This storm may be remembered for its destructive coastal flooding and severe beach erosion, especially along eastern Long Island and the Massachusetts coast," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.
Coastal flood warnings are in effect for Virginia Beach, Virginia; Dover, Delaware; and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The most severe flooding expected from the northern Out
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Meta launched Muse, its new AI agent, earlier this month — and it's already claiming to help some consumers save money.
At the 2026 Meta Connect conference, Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang spoke about Muse's ability to shop for products online, manage travel plans, save money on insurance costs, negotiate utility bills, and more.
Now, he's challenging people to use Muse to save them $1,000 in what he's dubbed the #MuseMoneyChallenge on X. With the agent's help, users can do everything from create a budget to cancel unused subscriptions.
Here's a closer look at Muse's personal finance capabilities, and some risks to weigh before handing over your financial information.
Read more: Meta's Zuckerberg says Muse AI agent will take small fee from transactions
What is Muse?Muse is Meta's personal AI agent. The company describes it as "an agent that takes on more of the work so people can focus on what matters to them."
Plenty of other AI agents exist today with features that allow users to help with tasks — whether that's setting up a work meeting on a shared calendar, writing code, or planning a summer vacation.
Instead o
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
In a single day in January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spent more money than it had on any other day in either of President Trump's terms, federal spending records show.
The agency advanced billions to Chicago Title Insurance in escrow to acquire detention facilities, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. Over the next two months, ICE used $1.07 billion of the funds to purchase 11 warehouses it planned to convert to detention megacenters, seven of which the agency now plans to sell.
The rest of the money sat with the firm for months after ICE abandoned the warehouse plan. In July and August, ICE moved $2.2 billion from Chicago Title to purchase four detention facilities from CoreCivic, a private prison company it separately pays to continue operating them.
In its rush to expand detention capacity, ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars, the Government Accountability Office found in a report released Thursday. The agency failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring detention centers and lost $20 million in unrecoverable costs purchasing the warehouses it no longer plans to use, the review found. Even more could be lost if ICE sells the warehouses for less than what it paid for them, the GAO report said.
Barring any undisclosed purchases, $1.55 billion still sits with Chicago Title Insurance for acquiring detention centers as ICE continues its push to double the number of detention beds in service of the president's mass deportation agenda. Just this week, ICE awarded several companies contracts that could reach a
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft is pictured. The SR-71 is the fastest, highest flying air-breathing aircraft in the world, flying at more than three times the speed of sound at altitudes in excess of 80,000 feet.
A legendary spy plane has vanished from a California military base — it comes as NASA teases a mysterious new aircraft sparking speculation the two could be related.
The SR-71 Blackbird, tail No. 844, had been displayed for years at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, which is collocated with Edwards Air Force Base.
Satellite imagery indicates it has not been seen since at least May 17, according to Aviation Week defense editor Steve Trimble, who first reported the disappearance.
The spy plane had been displayed for years at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. Getty Images
The timing is hard to ignore. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled a silhouette resembling an SR-71 during last week's All-In Summit in Los Angeles while promising that the agency is rebuilding its fleet of experimental X-planes and pushing back into extreme-speed and high-altitude flight research.
"In the serv
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Watch: The world's two most powerful men just met. How did it go?
US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping exchanged warm words at a lavish White House state dinner but gave little indication of progress on pressing issues.
Xi stressed that they should ensure AI remain "under human control" and act "as responsible major countries", while Trump toasted a future of "harmony, peace and success" for both nations.
But tensions remain despite the diplomatic niceties, including over Taiwan - with Xi urging Trump earlier in the day to take the "correct position" on the self-governing island which Beijing claims, amid a weapons package paused by Trump.
Billionaire business leaders and US tech CEOs joined the leaders at the extravagant dinner late on Thursday.
Their arrival was marked by protesters shouting from just outside the White House gates, some of whom were arrested.
Trump lavished praise on Xi during his first visit to the US in over a decade, telling those attending the dinner that while the two countries had "different systems", they had "never gotten along better".
Xi meanwhile welcomed the "historic juncture" in US-China relations - and said both leaders' ambitions could "surely be mutually reinforcing".
"China and the United States must act as responsible major countries to meet the expectations of our peoples, keep pace with the trend of our times, and explore a new approach for major countries to get along with each other," he said.
While Xi said he and Trump had shared "in-depth exchanges and reached common understanding on many issues", little mention was made of the crucial matters which divide the leaders of the world's two most powerful countries.
China believes the US is trying to contain its rise as a superpower, and
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
By Timour Azhari and Hatem Maher
RIYADH/CAIRO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs are to discuss help for Saudi Arabia as it faces attacks by Yemen's Houthis, while Iraq further curtailed Iranian flights on Friday in line with US pressure, and an Iranian official threatened retaliation.
The Houthis have launched strikes on the Saudi-backed government in ?Yemen and repeatedly fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world's largest energy exporter, as part of a wider Middle East war that began with US and Israeli ?strikes on Iran on February 28.
The military escalation continued this week despite a push during the UN General Assembly in New York to revive diplomacy to end the conflict, which quickly spread to Lebanon and the Gulf in March before escalating ?in Yemen in recent weeks.
With talks stalled and during a lull in direct fire by the US and Iran, Washington had shifted tactics to extend the reach of its financial sanctions by targeting companies from third countries that do business with Iranian firms through "secondary sanctions".
Iranian airlines were barred from neighbouring countries including the United Arab Emirates and Oman on Thursday in response to new US sanctions, the first big impact of the shift.
On Friday, the three other Iraqi airports that operate flights to and from Iran joined Baghdad airport in suspending them, sources and state media said.
A flight ban, if sustained, could deepen Iran's isolation and worsen an economic crisis ?in the country, which is already facing a US blockade of its ?seaports.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, accused regional countries of "alignment with America" for blocking flights.
"If Iran does not have the possibility to fly and receive airport services, then no country in the region will have this possibility either," he said in a social media post.
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A voting booth sits at a polling station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in April 2020. - Thomas Werner/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File
President Donald Trump and his allies inside and outside his administration are aiming to blanket polling places with an expanding network of party and federal election monitors this November, intensifying scrutiny of the nuts and bolts of voting as Trump hunts for what he claims, without evidence, is widespread cheating and fraud in US elections.
Trump's Justice Department says it will dispatch more than 1,000 monitors on Election Day in what Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon has called the "biggest DOJ election observer effort in history" — hundreds more than the Biden administration deployed in 2024. New records reviewed by CNN suggest that several DOJ monitors deployed during this year's primaries helped challenge Trump's 2020 election loss. Another pleaded guilty to illegally accessing a government elections website in 2016.
While most jurisdictions that hosted DOJ monitors during the primaries reported no issues with their presence, federal observers sent to Wyoming were accused of disruptive behavior by Republican officials in the state.
Critically, there is no evidence that the monitoring efforts will disrupt polling places or prevent anyone from voting in November. Justice Department monitors and partisan observers have long been part of Election Day.
Separ
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Residents in Hawaii have been told to prepare for hurricane conditions as Nolo intensified into a hurricane on Thursday, threatening Hawaii's Big Island with potentially catastrophic flooding.
Some areas of the Big Island are expected to see up to 35 inches of rain, with life-threatening flash flooding possible, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Nolo is one of three storms currently brewing in the Pacific.
A second, the Category 5 Hurricane Polo, is off Mexico's Pacific coast and is expected to approach Baja California Sur on Monday, according to the NHC. A third storm, Hurricane Odalys, strengthened into a Category 3 storm but is churning over open water far from land.
Hurricane Nolo is expected to remain south of the Big Island through Saturday before turning west and moving away from the island, the NHC said. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin on the Big Island on Friday night, with hurricane conditions possible Saturday, particularly in areas of steep terrain.
John Bravender, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said of the projected heavy rainfall, "That by itself could cause catastrophic flooding, but when you put that on top of grounds that we've been raining off and on for the last couple of months … that rain could cause even more damage."
In a video message on social media, Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda told residents, "This is a very serious situation. We do believe that the rain is going to
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
By Sriparna Roy
Sept 25 (Reuters) - When Stacy Cox, a self-employed photographer in Kanab, Utah, dropped her Obamacare health insurance plan this year, routine preventive care became a financial dilemma. Now she finds herself weighing $1,200 for a mammogram against survival of her business.
"It's scary," the 49-year-old Cox told Reuters. "Every month we come to the table and we have a discussion. Is it ?time to close a business? Is it time to seek employment somewhere in the hopes of gaining health insurance?"
Cox is at high risk for breast cancer due to family history and has ?an autoimmune disease requiring regular medications.
She is among 3 million Americans who dropped out of the Affordable Care Act marketplace, created by President Barack Obama and often called Obamacare, due to sharp increases in premiums and deductibles at the beginning of 2026.
The plans, which offer subsidies ?based on income, covered 19.2 million people as of February, according to government data. Expiration of enhanced COVID-era premium tax credits at the beginning of the year contributed to sharp cost increases.
Cox is one of nearly a dozen Americans who told Reuters they shifted to skimpy, short-term health plans that provide less comprehensive coverage, or have joined health-sharing programs, where members pool monthly contributions to help pay each other's medical bills. Many Americans have opted to go without health insurance altogether, a situation that the ACA was originally meant to address.
Several hospital operators have flagged rising costs tied to treating uninsured patients, including Universal Health Services, a Pennsylvania-based hospital system with more than 500 facilities. In July, its ?CEO said it seemed most patients who had dropped ACA coverage were now ?uninsured.
Enrollment data on short-term coverage remains limited.
A spokesperson for the US Centers for Medicare & M
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
The battle for Congress will see either Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., left, or Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in line to lead the House majority in 2027. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images file)Democrats are heading into the final stretch of the 2026 midterms with their largest lead yet in the race for Congress and President Donald Trump's approval rating at a significant low, according to NBC News' newly released polling averages.
A 9-percentage-point advantage for Democrats when it comes to control of Congress is part of a steady deterioration of the political environment for Republicans. The parties started the road to this November effectively tied in the weeks after President Donald Trump returned to office last year, but independents have gradually begun to prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress. And those voters have soured on Trump and his economic policies in particular.
The congressional average, which stands at 52% to 43% after adjusting to a likely voter scale, measures whether Americans prefer a Congress controlled by Democrats or Republicans before things like individual races and candidates come into play.
Individual polls can bounce around, but an averag
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Washington — The U.S. Army Reserve is examining whether it can provide the military's Southern Command with police forces, medical personnel and other support units within the next four months, according to an internal Army message reviewed by CBS News.
Though the message makes no reference to Cuba, the request is for continued military planning aimed at Cuba, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
There is no indication in the document that any units have received deployment orders. But the planning comes as the Trump administration puts intense economic pressure on Cuba and urges the island nation to make political reforms.
The message does not identify how many troops would be needed in the Southern Command's region, which covers Central and South America, including the Caribbean. It also does not specify where the forces could be sent or what operation they would support.
The document reviewed by CBS News says Army Reserve headquarters is seeking feedback from subordinate commands on the possible availability of six types of formations that would fall under the authority of U.S. Southern Command. The units would "possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days," according to the message, which directs commands to provide feedback to Army Reserve headquarters by Sept. 25.
Among the units is a combat sustainment support battalion that specializes in coordinating logistics such as transportation, maintenance, fuel and supply needs, along with an engineer battalion. The document also seeks an expeditionary sustainment command that would oversee logistics across a theater of operations.
The document generated last week also calls for a medical brigade to command and coordinate medical units, as well as a forward resuscitative and surgical detachment to provide emergency surgery and trauma care closer to U.S. forces. Finally,
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
A drastically diminished Justice Department workforce is struggling to keep up with its civil side caseloads, according to documents obtained by The Hill and NewsNation.
A series of charts, apparently inadvertently shared and then recalled, show how the number of attorneys within the civil division has plummeted under the Trump administration.
The charts substantiate a dynamic long suspected: that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would not be able to swiftly replace a crew of veteran attorneys after a wave of firings and resignations.
Stacey Young, who founded the DOJ alumni group Justice Connection, described the staff turnover as a "massive exodus."
"The workload has skyrocketed, particularly in the civil division offices that have lost the most lawyers. So what we're seeing is that the lawyers who are left are overworked, stressed out, many have lost those who led their office because they were pushed out by this administration. And because of the difficult circumstances under which they're working, I expect that the rate of departures won't slow down anytime soon," she told The Hill.
"Putting out this data seems to me like a desperate cry for help. It seems like the civil division knows how badly it needs more funds to hire more lawyers to make up for the purge of longstanding experts that they caused."
According to the Office of Personnel Management, the Justice Department
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Journalists from CNN and MS NOW were denied access to Chinese President Xi Jinping's state dinner arrival on Thursday amid the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and three news organizations.
CNN reported that the White House approved credentials for an audio technician and photojournalist to cover President Xi's arrival, but excluded a reporter and producer. MS NOW said White House reporter Laura Barrón-López was turned away from the arrival ceremony. The organization said it had requested credentials for the event, but had not received a response.
According to the Associated Press, the four other broadcast networks that are part of the so-called "video pool" also declined to air coverage of President Xi's arrival in a show of support for CNN, meaning there was no live broadcast by a major U.S. network.
President Trump said in a Truth Social post that CNN and MS NOW "refused to cover one of the Biggest and Most Beautiful Events to take place in many years, the arrival at the White House of the Highly Respected President of China, Xi Jinping."
The development was the latest in a showdown between the Trump administration and multiple outlets.
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
Editor's note: This story contains graphic descriptions of wartime injuries and fatalities.
The southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky -- under Russian occupation since 2022 -- has become "hell on earth," local officials and humanitarian workers told ABC News, as thousands of remaining residents face starvation and hundreds flee through a war zone littered with mines and bodies.
Oleshky is located close to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, which since Ukraine's liberation of the city of Kherson in the fall of 2022 has formed the frontline between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the southern theater.
Recent weeks have seen voices from the city and its surrounding rural communities emerge anew as Ukrainian officials and humanitarian organizations seek to bring attention to the deteriorating situation on the Dnipro's left bank, in view of the Ukrainian forces holding their positions only a few miles away along the right bank.
Tetiana Hasanenko, a Ukrainian official serving from the western side of the Dnipro as the head of the Oleshky Military Administration, told ABC News that the area's prewar population of around 40,000 people has fallen to as low as 6,000, with only around 2,000 in Oleshky city.
Global Images Ukraine via Getty - PHOTO: A damaged church can be seen in occupied Oleshky on the eastern side of the Dnipro River, on Nov. 13, 2022 from Kherson, Ukraine.'The basement saved me': Frontline Ukrainian city under fire amid US peace push
|
|
Sep 25, 2026
After months largely on the sidelines in the U.S.-led war against Iran, the Houthi rebels mounted a stunning offensive earlier this month along Yemen's Red Sea coast that sent global oil markets reeling.
Now, as the Iranian-backed militia group continues to push for more territory and the military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally-recognized government increasingly fights back, a brutal civil war has been reignited. A humanitarian disaster is on the horizon.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
The developments in Yemen, an impoverished country of 35 million at the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula, are directly linked to the war in Iran, analysts and officials say, with the Houthis capitalizing on it to make their push for control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. But the Trump administration, which last year launched a brief military campaign against the Houthis because of its attacks on U.S. ships in the Red Sea, so far is avoiding getting involved.
Pleas by the Yemeni government to Washington for airstrikes on the Houthis have gone unanswered, according to two Yemeni officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The administration previously had eliminated the position of special envoy to Yemen and did not appoint a permanent ambassador. Trump also slashed U.S. foreign assistance to about $53,000 last year from $763 million in 2024.
"Militarily, diplomatically and in terms of support, the United States put Yemen in the rearview mirror after Operation Rough Rider," said April Longley Alley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, referring to Trump's bombing campaign against the Houthis, which ended in Ma
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson continued her ongoing criticism of how her colleagues are handling emergency appeals, telling an audience on Sept. 24 that requests for immediate intervention can't become a "special avenue that certain privileged litigants can use selectively."
"As one of my colleagues recently suggested in an opinion," Jackson said during remarks at the University of the District of Columbia law school, "some frequent emergency docket filers have the court on speed dial."
Although Jackson never mentioned the Trump administration, she was referring to Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent last year when the conservative court backed the administration in a dispute with a federal judge over the administration's attempt to deport eight migrants to South Sudan.
In her own opinions, Jackson - one of the three liberal justices - has complained that the court is showing preferential treatment for the government, along with a willingness to undercut lower court judges.
She did so last year when the court allowed the administration to block $783 million in grants for health research.
"This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist," Jackson wrote, referring to a made-up ga
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Journalists for CNN and MS Now were denied access to the White House state dinner in honor of Xi Jinping, China's president, on Thursday evening, hours after a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must allow them in after imposing a ban last week.
"About an hour before Xi's arrival was scheduled, the White House said CNN could cover the event, but only with a photojournalist and audio technician, notably excluding the network's editorial team consisting of a reporter and producer," CNN reported.
MS Now, another outlet banned from the White House by Trump last week for what he calls overly negative coverage of his presidency, also said its White House reporter, Laura Barrón-López, was prevented from covering Xi's arrival for the state dinner despite applying for credentials to cover the event. When Barrón-López asked a White House staffer why she was denied access, the staffer said she should "talk to Steven", apparently meaning White House communications director Steven Cheung, MS Now reported.
Xi's arrival for the dinner, with his wife, Peng Liyuan, was streamed live on YouTube by the White House, but none of the major US networks provided live broadcast video of the event in solidarity with CNN, a member of the broadcast pool.
Earlier on Thursday, journalists for CNN, MS Now and Politico, which was also part of the ban issued last week, were finally granted access to the White House after days of being barred from the building.
Earlier attempts by the journalists to enter the building had been unsuccessful, and lawyers representing the three organizations had told a judge that the White House has already "repeatedly violated" his overnight order requiring the Trump administration to return the press
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
A computer model forecast of the storm's location and wind speeds on Saturday evening. - CNN Weather
An early fall nor'easter is gathering strength along the central East Coast, pounding beaches in several states with heavy surf and threatening to bring coastal flooding, wind and rain to parts of the Northeast through the weekend.
?? ?In the areas at risk? Track the storm, find out your local risk and get more detailed timing from meteorologists in the CNN Weather app ??
The nor'easter, named for the direction its punishing winds come from, currently sits several hundred miles off the Mid-Atlantic coast and will begin to track north and strengthen over the next two days. More than 40 million people will feel the impacts from the nor'easter from now through the weekend, from either wind, rain, coastal flooding or some combination of those.
Areas from Boston to the New York City metro will start to feel the effects of the storm's biggest punch of wind-driven rain and coastal flooding by late Friday or early Saturday. It could dump up to a month's worth of rain in parts of eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Boston and Providence.
unknown content item
-
Coastal flooding and hammering winds are already underway from North Carolina and Virginia to New Jersey, part of a dayslong coastal flood and erosion threat that will extend into New England as the storm ram
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Los Angeles City Hall serves as a backdrop for a homeless encampment in downtown Los Angeles in August. (Christina House/Los Angeles Times)A federal appeals court has rebuffed a Trump administration effort to dictate how homeless service organizations in Los Angeles can seek millions of dollars in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The ruling released Thursday also frees up federal funding that already had been approved but not distributed to homeless service organizations in Los Angeles.
At issue was whether the Los Angles Homeless Services Authority could submit an application on behalf of dozens of organizations seeking $239 million in federal funds.
In a 2-1 decision posted Thursday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld a district court ruling that restored LAHSA as the applicant for the organizations seeking federal funds.
HUD suspended LAHSA in June, citing a record of mismanagement, and said organizations should apply directly to the government for the 2026-27 funding cycle. The initial application deadline was the end of August.
Trump administration's attempt to take control of L.A.'s homelessness programs blocked by court
LAHSA sued to block the move. District Court Judge David O. Carter
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
One of the spectators shot during the assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died, officials and his family attorney said Thursday.
James Copenhaver, 76, of Moon Township, died on Wednesday "surrounded by his loved ones," an attorney for his family said in a statement.
Copenhaver was one of three attendees struck when a gunman opened fire at the rally in Butler on July 13, 2024, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
He was "gravely wounded" in the shooting, attorney Joseph Feldman said in a statement on behalf of Copenhaver's family.
Man killed at Trump rally 'died a hero,' Pennsylvania governor says"Throughout that difficult time, James faced every challenge with the same strength and resolve that defined his life, and the kindness shown by so many brought great comfort to him and to those who love him," Feldman said.
Copenhaver and his family "have been deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support they have received over the past two years," Feldman said.
Copenhaver is remembered by his family as a "devoted husband, father, and grandfather" and a veteran of the armed forces whose "dedication to this great country was a defining part of his life," Feldman said.
Courtesy Copenhaver Family - PHOTO: James Copenhaver is one of the men injured at the Trump rally in Butler, Pa, July 13, 2024.Copenhaver died at a hospital in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, accor
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian flatly denied Thursday that Tehran wants a nuclear bomb while claiming Iran is willing to submit its nuclear program for international inspection, blaming Washington for the nearly seven-month war in the Middle East and accusing it of blocking diplomacy.
Asked point-blank during an exclusive interview on Fox News' "Special Report," "Do you want a nuclear bomb or not?" Pezeshkian firmly rejected the premise.
"Not at all. Not at all. Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal," he told Bret Baier, referencing religious edicts issued against weapons of mass destruction.
Iran 'Already Agreed' To Giving Up Nuclear Weapon Ambitions, Trump Reveals
The Iranian leader's public denial came amid long-term international scrutiny of Iran's nuclear program and its enrichment of uranium to levels well beyond those typically used for civilian nuclear power.
This became President Donald Trump's central rationale for launching Operation Epic Fury in February.
Read On The Fox News App
On Thursday, however, Pezeshkian indicated Tehran would be open to lowering its enrichment levels and allowing outside verification as part of an effort to ease nuclear tensions.
"So, that weapon's mass destruction. We said we're willing to dilute them. It's not a big deal. We are willing to submit ourselves to verification," he said.
Pezeshkian also
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
A new ad campaign glorifying President Trump is on the air on national cable and national networks including CBS beginning Thursday, and it's being paid for by American taxpayers.
The first ad, which hit the airwaves Wednesday and aired on Fox News Channel, opens with Mr. Trump vowing, "We will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America." Set over a soundtrack of JMSN's song "Love Me," flash-cut random shots from the president's second administration appear with text on screen. The photos show the president at rallies, pardoning turkeys, at the White House with Christmas decorations, standing with the FIFA trophy, surrounded by flags, flanked by military leaders, outside the Taj Mahal, and more.
The ad repeatedly flashes "America will never be a communist country" on screen and also touts his administration's tax cuts and other broad expressions of support for domestic manufacturing and law enforcement in text on screen. It ends with the voice of Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, declaring, "He's the toughest, most resilient (man) I've ever met and nothing was going to stop him from fighting so hard for the country he loves."
In a post on X, JMSN said he did not grant a license for the use of "Love Me."
"To anybody who has followed my career and knows what I stand for and built my career on, it should go without saying that I would never authorize my music to be used for ANY political agenda or campaign," he said, and he indicated that no one asked him for permission to use it.
The ad, which appeared Wednesday night during "Primetime with Jesse Watters" and on Thursday afternoon, contains an on-screen disclosure that it was "Paid for by the U.S. Government."
A second ad that recounts the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and features Mr. Trum
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
By Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, with talks on trade and artificial intelligence and the growing strategic rivalry between the countries all in the spotlight during an elaborate state visit.
Here are some major takeaways from ?the talks:
TRADE DEAL EXTENDED, FOR NOW
The US secured an extension of its trade truce this week - but only a short one.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides agreed ?to extend by two months a trade agreement that ended last year's trade war and was due to expire in November. The extension would give Washington and Beijing "more time to see what we can do on the economic front," he said.
But ?rather than locking in a durable agreement, the extension appears to push the central questions — tariffs, Chinese purchases, rare-earth supplies and technology restrictions — into the next round of negotiations.
Bessent said on Wednesday that Beijing was meeting its requirement in the earlier agreement to buy 25 million tons of soybeans but was lagging on its pledge to buy $17 billion in other agricultural goods. US officials have said rare-earth deliveries were also falling short, another sign that significant gaps remain.
For companies, the result is a familiar form of instability: tariff rates remain lower for now, but decisions must still be made against a shifting policy backdrop.
DRESS TO IMPRESS
For ?Trump, Xi's White House visit was an opportunity to show off ?a Washington being remade in his image.
After Xi treated Trump in Beijing to a tour around a Ming dynasty temple and a walled-off garden retreat rarely opened to foreigners, the US president returned the favor with a different kind of spectacle: Troops wearing wigs and tri-corner hats marched in formation and played
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — A tech-heavy guest list, the fashion choices of those on it, who sat where and what was on the menu marked the softer — often and glitzier — details of diplomacy as Donald Trump threw a Thursday night state dinner honoring China's leader Xi Jinping.
The event featured a cavalcade of billionaires, Washington powerbrokers, business leaders and the type of festivities that most excite Trump, who has a reputation for reveling in hosting parties.
"President Xi and I both understand we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we've never gotten along better," Trump said during his toast, adding that "together, we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations."
Trump has done his best to impress Xi during China's leader's during Xi's three-day visit to Washington, and praised their close personal relationship — even as he has decried top Democratic candidates as "communists" ahead of the November midterm elections.
Xi and Trump discussed tensions over Taiwan, trade and artificial intelligence during business hours — even as an ongoing First Amendment fight over press access at the White House has unfolded. But Trump publicly c
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Shahid Beheshti University in the Velenjak district of Tehran, Iran, after a US military strike on 6 April.Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic effort to end the US war with Iran, voting down a House-passed war powers resolution as the conflict that has killed 19 American service members passed the 200-day mark.
The measure, which passed the House last week with bipartisan support, failed in the Senate by a 49-50 vote. Senate Democrats, led by the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, and the senator Andy Kim of New Jersey, forced the vote under the War Powers Resolution, which allows lawmakers to bring such measures to the floor.
The proposal attracted some Republican support, but not enough to pass. For the first time, Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted for the resolution, as did Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, who had backed previous efforts.
But Bill Cassidy of Louisiana - whose vote was key to passage of a resolution in June - voted no, as did John Fetterman a Democratic senator of Pennsylvania, ensuring the measure's defeat.
Ron Wyden, the Democratic senator from Oregon, acknowledged the uphill fight for the minority. "We're going to stay at it until we win," he said.
Democrats have kept up a steady pace of war powers resolutions ever since Trump ordered the US military to attack Iran in conjunction with Israel at the end of February. While one proposal passed in June, support for others has oscillated - in July, after a ceasefire in the conflic
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
The family of Nolan Wells on Thursday released the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy report, which found that the cause and manner of death are "undetermined."
"This 18 year old male was found face down in the water at Horn Island. Because the circumstances surrounding this death are unknown, the cause and manner of death are best classified as undetermined," the state autopsy report states.
Jackson County Sheriff's Department - PHOTO: The Jackson County Sheriff's Department released this photo during the search for Nolan Xavier Wells, 18, in Mississippi.The state autopsy report indicated that the pathologist found "evidence of injury" to the back on Wells' head that is described as "two dark red-purple subcutaneous scalp contusions."
The report did not conclude how this injury occurred. It also found that there were "no external scalp injuries" and "no fractures" in the skull.
No criminal charges in the death of Nolan Wells: Grand jury reportThe State Medical Examiner's office report comes after a grand jury reviewing the evidence in Wells' death found that no criminal charges are warranted at this point, according to the report released on Monday night.
The state autopsy report's conclusion matches the findings of the private autopsy commissioned by Wells' family, which was released in July. It preliminarily ruled his cause and manner of d
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Tel Aviv — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as his country faces broad condemnation and growing isolation over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
As Netanyahu took the stage, many attendees walked out.
"If there are any other moral cowards who haven't yet left this hall, please do so now," Netanyahu began.
Netanyahu arrived in New York early Thursday morning and is due to leave just a few hours after his speech.
Leaders from Europe and the Middle East, including France, the U.K., Jordan, Syria, Qatar and Turkey, devoted at least some of their time at the U.N. podium Wednesday to harshly denounce Israel.
Analysts expected Netanyahu would take advantage of the critical focus on Israel to demonstrate his ability to defend his country on the international stage just weeks before a tightly contested Israeli election.
It's an unusually brief trip to New York for Netanyahu during the General Assembly. He has often capitalized on the autumn visits to meet with other world leaders, particularly the American president and secretary of state.
Referring to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack carried out by Hamas, Netanyahu said that instead of collapsing, "we rose and fought like lions."
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. (Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images)Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday suggested his government was willing to make a deal with the U.S. to end the war before Americans head to the polls this November.
"We don't want it to get to the midterm elections," Pezeshkian said in a brief meeting with NBC News and other news organizations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
"We wish Americans to return to the MOU before the midterms," Pezeshkian added, referring to a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran that laid out plans for a temporary ceasefire. The agreement, signed in June, eventually collapsed.
In response to NBC News' request for comment, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "The Iranian regime has murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscrimina
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco arrives at the Supreme Court of California in San Francisco on Aug. 24 for a hearing about his seizure of more than half a million 2025 election ballots. (Noah Berger / Associated Press)The California Supreme Court excoriated Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco over his seizure of hundreds of thousands of Proposition 50 ballots earlier this year, ordering the former gubernatorial candidate to immediately hand over all remaining materials in a pair of scathing decisions Thursday.
"We hold that the seizure of the ballots was unlawful," wrote Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. "While allegations of election improprieties are a very serious matter, our Elections Code contains numerous established mechanisms for investigating and proving misconduct that do not compromise the integrity of voted ballots — contrary to the means employed here."
California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50 in a special election last fall, blessing a new congressional map that all but eliminated Republican districts in response to gerrymandering efforts in Texas and other deep-red strongholds.
Bianco, a popular MAGA personality and former Republican candidate for governor, doggedly pursued claims the Riverside County returns were fraudulent, seizing on a discrepancy between the registrar's voluntary hand tally and the o
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish
Sept 24 (Reuters) - US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path out of war that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the talks said.
The strait has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the nearly seven-month US-Iran conflict, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade that is choking its economy and Washington seeking free passage for ships on the ?global oil supply route now blocked by Tehran.
The talks face a big obstacle as neither side wants to be the first to surrender its leverage, according to comments to Reuters by two Iranian sources, two regional officials and two Western diplomatic sources, but behind Iran's ?stance is a recognition of the economic cost of prolonged confrontation.
A senior Iranian official said the most plausible way to end the impasse would be a phased arrangement, with Iran allowing navigation through Hormuz in return for the US lifting its economic blockade and Tehran potentially gaining access to frozen assets.
"One way forward would be to solve the crisis in stages. The first would ?be to end the blockade and reopen Hormuz," he said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
That would involve US President Donald Trump accepting another temporary fix, after an earlier understanding collapsed in July. So a central challenge facing the negotiators is not just to sketch out a deal but also to ensure any concessions are durable enough for both sides to trust, the sources said.
Trump has said he thinks the US and Iran could reach a deal after midterm elections to Congress on November 3. A senior European official said the Iranians "have a very long list of demands."
A White House official said that while "Iran is desperate for a deal, President Trump holds all the cards and will ma
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
CNN White House reporter Betsy Klein was reportedly denied access on Thursday [Reuters]
CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters have been allowed back into the White House after they sought an emergency court hearing to restore their revoked press access.
They accused the White House in a court filing of having "repeatedly violated" a judge's order lifting President Donald Trump's ban on the three media outlets.
But the White House said in a filing that it began reinstating access shortly after 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT) on Thursday.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico reported they were granted entry hours after some of their staff were turned away. Trump initially said he barred the outlets because of "fake news". The White House later cited national security.
In the early hours, Judge Timothy Kelly had ruled the ban on the outlets should be temporarily lifted because it "likely violated their constitutional due process rights".
The White House in its filing said that the press passes had been restored by 09:07 local time and that confiscated badges were available starting at 09:45.
The standoff limited some TV coverage as Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House ahead of a state dinner.
CNN said some of their journalists were denied entry, including senior White House reporter Betsy Klein. But a producer was allowed to enter, the outlet reported.
Politico said one of its reporters was denied access to the White House and had his press credentials confiscated.
MS NOW reported that its White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were barred and had their passes taken, but another MS NOW produ
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
By Samia Nakhoul, Parisa Hafezi and John Irish
Sept 24 (Reuters) - US and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path out of war that would involve Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade of Iran, sources close to the talks said.
The strait has become the central bargaining chip in efforts to end the nearly seven-month US-Iran conflict, with Iran seeking relief from the US blockade that is choking its economy and Washington ?seeking free passage for ships on the global oil supply route now blocked by Tehran.
The talks face a big obstacle as neither side wants to be the first to surrender its leverage, according to comments to Reuters by two Iranian sources, two ?regional officials and two Western diplomatic sources, but behind Iran's stance is a recognition of the economic cost of prolonged confrontation.
A senior Iranian official said the most plausible way to end the impasse would be a phased arrangement, with Iran allowing navigation through Hormuz in return for the US lifting its economic blockade and Tehran potentially gaining access to frozen ?assets.
"One way forward would be to solve the crisis in stages. The first would be to end the blockade and reopen Hormuz," he said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
That would involve US President Donald Trump accepting another temporary fix, after an earlier understanding collapsed in July. So a central challenge facing the negotiators is not just to sketch out a deal but also to ensure any concessions are durable enough for both sides to trust, the sources said.
Trump has said he thinks the US and Iran could reach a deal after midterm elections to Congress on November 3. A senior European official said the Iranians "have a very long list of demands."
The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this article.
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
By Ahmed Aboulenein
WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Dr. Heidi Overton, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the embattled US FDA, told senators on Thursday that all vaccines on the US market are safe and effective, as the health committee's Republican chairman pressed her on immunization at ?her confirmation hearing.
In his opening statement, US Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana pressed Overton to affirm the safety of the measles, mumps and ?rubella vaccine and to commit to keeping politics out of the agency's decisions.
He criticized Overton for standing behind Trump when the president signed an executive order breaking up the childhood vaccine schedule into ?more doses, a move physicians' groups and vaccine makers strongly oppose. Cassidy, himself a physician, said the order was based on "zero scientific evidence" and would raise costs for families.
Cassidy, noting Overton's presence when Trump called the MMR shot "potentially quite lethal", pressed the nominee on whether she would break with the president's characterization of the vaccine at a time when the country is experiencing its worst measles outbreak in decades due to declining vaccination rates.
Overton affirmed its safety. "The MMR vaccine is not lethal," Overton said.
"Yes, senator, ?the MMR vaccine is safe and effective," she said. "Every vaccine ?on the US market right now are safe and effective according to the FDA," she added, when Cassidy asked her if any were not.
TRUMP'S 'AMERICA FIRST' PICK
Trump nominated Overton, a White House policy aide, in August, turning to an "America First" ally to ?steady an agency shaken by staff losses, low morale and fights over vaccines, the abortion pill and drug approvals.
If confirmed, Overton will take over a Food and Drug Administration that has lost more than 3,000 staff over the past year, including division heads, and is under pressure to rebuild confidence among in
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
An aerial view of a housing development on August 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Mortgage rates reached a grim milestone this week, topping 7% for the first time since January 2025 and reaching their highest level during either of Donald Trump's presidential terms.
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 7.03% this week, up from 6.95% last week, according to data released Thursday by Freddie Mac.
It's the fifth-straight week of rising mortgage rates, putting a deeper squeeze on housing affordability. Higher rates mean larger monthly payments and less purchasing power for buyers.
"Beyond the immediate financial constraints, the 7% threshold is a foreboding psychological barrier," said Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant. "Crossing this mark could create a chilling effect on the market, leading to home sales transactions to slow considerably this fall."
However, mortgage rates remain well below the 7.79% peak they hit in 2023, when inflation was running at decades-high levels.
About seven months ago, the average 30-year mortgage rate briefly dipped below 6% for the first time in years, prompting hopes that cheaper borrowing would finally unfreeze the housing market. Instead, those hopes have faded as the war in Iran has pushed oil prices higher, adding fresh pressure to overall inflation and mortgage rates.
Consider the difference between a homebuyer who locked in their mortgage rate in Feb
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
A fifth teacher and her student died during a field trip to an Iowa nature reserve this week, investigators and school officials said.
Hannah Jorgensen, 24, a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary School in Coralville, and Ahmed Osman, 10, died while on the trip at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area on Tuesday, the Iowa City Community School District said in a statement.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office received a call around noon of two persons in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway at the nature reserve, which is roughly eight and a half miles north of Iowa City.
Google Maps Street View - PHOTO: Coralville reservoir is shown in Coralville, Iowa.The bodies of Jorgensen and Ahmed were eventually found in the reservoir, investigators said. The circumstances behind their deaths during the trip are still under investigation, according to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.
Police investigating 2 Ole Miss students' deaths after kratom found"Hannah and Ahmed were deeply valued members of our school district community, and their loss is being felt throughout Borlaug and across our district," the Iowa City Community School District said in a statement Wednesday. "Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, as well as Hannah's colleagues and students, Ahmed's classmates and friends, and everyone who knew and cared for them."
Jorgensen's body was first discovered Tuesday and Osman's the next day, investigators said.
School officials said that counselors will be on hand to help with the school community.
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
US President Donald Trump grimaced as B-1 bombers staged a noisy flyover (Brendan SMIALOWSKI)Xi Jinping called Thursday for the United States and China to manage their superpower rivalry and keep AI under human control as President Donald Trump gave his Chinese counterpart a lavish welcome at the White House
Trump shook hands with Xi at the start of a day full of pomp and pageantry, but their talks will focus on tense issues -- particularly how to handle the rising challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
The 80-year-old US president hailed what he called his "truly great friendship" with the Chinese leader, with whom he has met three times since returning to power last year.
"Working together, President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries," Trump said.
"During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and super intelligence -- SI."
But while billionaire Trump has repeatedly dismissed fears that AI could pose a threat to humanity, Xi took a more measured tone on the issue.
"We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control," he said at the White House.
Xi added that the two countries had a "historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress" and should "strengthen communication."
The Chinese leader also announced that a pair of pandas -- a traditional symbol of Beijing's diplomacy -- would be heading to a US zoo in a few days.
- 'Strong, vibrant and fit' -
Few breakthroughs are expected during Xi's state visit. Instead the trip is likely to be more about pomp and pageantry as the world's two biggest economies seek to manage their riva
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Hurricane season is showing no signs of slowing down, with three storms brewing in the Pacific.
Powerful Category 5 Hurricane Polo is sending bands of heavy rain and strong winds across Mexico's southwestern coast, while Tropical Storm Nolo is forecast to intensify into a hurricane late Thursday, threatening Hawaii's Big Island with potentially catastrophic flooding.
Some areas of Hawaii are expected to see up to 35 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A third storm, Hurricane Odalys, is churning over open water far from land.
Polo is forecast to remain a powerful major hurricane for the next few days, with its core expected to stay offshore before moving farther out to sea, according to the NHC. Nonetheless, the storm could produce up to eight inches of rain in parts of Guerrero, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides.
Hurricane conditions caused by Tropical Storm Nolo are possible as early as Friday night in Hawaii County, the NHC said. The National Weather Service said Tropical Storm Nolo would likely strengthen before closing in on the Big Island on Friday or Saturday.
John Bravender, a weather service warning coordination meteorologist, said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the heavy downpour "could cause catastrophic flooding," adding, "but when you put that on top of grounds that we've been raining off and on for the last couple of months … that rain could cause even more damage."
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
|
Per Live Nation, the "Free Palestine" tour will "bring Macklemore together with artists and friends for a series of performances that center Palestine and Palestinians, and help provide humanitarian aid and support to the movement."
More from VarietyAt Ed Sheeran's Philadelphia Concert, Fans Shrug Off 'Attempted Cancellation' and Praise His Onstage Remarks: 'It Brought a Tear to My Eye''SNL U.K.' Brings Back Princess Diana as King Charles' AI Assistant: 'It's That Woman From the '90s!'Ed Sheeran Addresses Macklemore Controversy While on Stage at First Concert Since Rapper Dropped From Tour: 'What Is Happening in Gaza Is Catastrophic and Unjustifiable'
Additionally, all proceeds from the concerts will benefit the following organizations: Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, HEAL Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children's Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians. Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.
"If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it's that something has shifted over the last three years," Macklemore wrote in a sta
|
Sep 24, 2026
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, ordering the White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters who had been banned by President Trump.
In his 8-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ordered the White House to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" access to the news outlets for a period of 14 days, saying their lawsuit against the president was likely to succeed in showing that their press passes were revoked without due process.
But hours after the ruling was issued, some reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were still denied access to the White House grounds, and the outlets requested an immediate hearing.
"This morning journalists from each of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO attempted to enter the White House and were turned away, and Secret Service agents confiscated the hard pass of journalists whose hard passes had not previously been confiscated," the outlets said in a court filing early Thursday.
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Millions across the Northeast are bracing for an intense, multi-day Nor'easter this weekend that is forecast to bring heavy rain and strong wind gusts to the East Coast.
Forecast models still disagree on the storm's exact track, but one thing is clear: wherever it goes, it will hit the region hard. Forecasters have high confidence in a long-duration onshore wind event that could bring significant coastal flooding.
Coastal flood warnings and high wind watches are already in place along much of the East Coast, with more alerts likely to be issued throughout the day Thursday.
The highest rainfall totals — 2 to 3 inches or more — are most likely from Rhode Island to eastern Massachusetts.
Powerful winds, including gusts up to 50-60 mph, risk toppling power lines and trees. Small shifts in the storm's track will determine where outages and downed trees are most likely to occur.
Coastal flooding is expected to run 1 to 3 feet above high tide, and a full moon Saturday night could intensify the tides and worsen the flooding. Waves along the coast are expected to reach 12 feet in Ocean City, New Jersey, and up to 22 feet in New England.
Moderate to major flooding is likely from North Carolina to Nantucket, Massachusetts, with southeastern Virginia — particularly the Virginia Beach-to-Norfolk area — at highest risk for major coastal inundation of 1 to 3 feet.
Meanwhile, a separate storm is already pummeling the Eastern Seaboard, generating high winds and rough surf.
In Massachusetts, residents were seen this week hauling their boats out of the bay, worried about high tides and flooding from the Nor'easter. One person told NBC News he'd been "prepping all week for both wind and water."
One couple even changed their wedding plans because of the storm — they had been set to marry this weekend on a Massachusetts beach.
And the Boston Red Sox moved Sunday's game — the season finale — up to Friday to avoid any weath
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
By Alexander Cornwell and Emily Rose
TEL AVIV, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use his UN address on Thursday to berate New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for calling him a war criminal, a feud that highlights the Israeli leader's growing isolation ahead of elections at home that he may lose.
Addressing the mayor directly ?in a video statement this week, Netanyahu said he was going to New York "to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers" and "to tell the truth about you." He falsely accused ?Mamdani of supporting Hamas militants.
Mamdani campaigned for office on a promise to have Netanyahu arrested for alleged war crimes should he visit the largest US city but later said he determined he lacked the legal authority to do so. This ?week, Mamdani described Netanyahu as "the architect of a horrific genocide against Palestinians."
Netanyahu, who rejects war crimes allegations, will be making his first visit to New York since Mamdani took office in January. Israelis opposed to Netanyahu's right-wing government are planning to protest in New York.
Ahead of his speech, Netanyahu's government paid to place 500 pro-Israel and anti-Iran billboards and dozens of trucks carrying messages in support of Israel across Manhattan, Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
"Freedom doesn't defend itself. America and Israel stand together against terror," one of the billboards states. Under it appears the subtext: "Paid for by the State of Israel".
NETANYAHU ADDRESS TO RESEMBLE 'CAMPAIGN SPEECH'
Israel ?holds a general election in five weeks that opinion polls suggest could ?end Netanyahu's long hold on power.
The campaign is unfolding amid mounting criticism of Israel's Gaza war and without a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump.
"He's not really speaking to the UN, he's speaking to the Israeli public," said former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, who expect
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Republicans' 2024 gains among young men have evaporated — and that could have instant ramifications this November, according to a new Cygnal poll.
President Donald Trump narrowly carried young men in 2024, according to exit polls, a big swing toward the GOP from past elections. But Democrats' generic ballot lead among male likely voters ages 18-30 now sits at 57%-40%, according to the new survey.
Trump's favorability is underwater at just 38%-55%, and Republicans' net favorability among the demographic now sits at -9 points, with 40% viewing the party favorably and 49% unfavorably.
One silver lining for the GOP: Among all registered voters sampled, including those least likely to turn out in November, the Democratic generic ballot lead is much smaller, 44% to 41%.
"It is not a very good electorate, if you're the Republican Party, among the people who are the most determined to vote," said Alex Tarascio, pollster and principal at Cygnal, in an interview with POLITICO ahead of the poll's release during Thursday's Symposium on Young American Men.
Young men alone likely won't determine control of Congress; they make up a fraction of the electorate, and they are less likely to vote than women of the same age or their older counterparts. But that lack of enthusiasm itself is a warning sign for Republicans, who will need to motivate their base ahead of November if they wish to maintain control of Congress.
The young men sampled are overwhelmingly concerned about cost-of-living issues — the same reason that many swung toward the GOP two years ago.
When given a list
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
President Donald Trump dismisses climate change as a hoax. He calls federal policies aimed at curbing it a wasteful "Green New Scam." His administration has worked furiously to gut such policies and unleash unbridled consumption of fossil fuels.
But the Trump agenda has inadvertently dealt a sizable blow against global warming.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
His war on Iran, now in its seventh month, has led to a plunge in the consumption of oil and gas around the world as fighting disrupts production and transportation.
Analysts had initially forecast that the shortages would be just a blip in the global economy, with the conflict winding down quickly and fuel exports ramping right back up to where they were. That is not how things are playing out.
The shortages have gone on for so long that they are aggressively driving down how much carbon is being released into the atmosphere, a Washington Post analysis of data from the International Energy Agency shows. People worldwide are using significantly less oil and gas, which means less climate pollution.
These charts show how the revised 2026 forecasts for oil, gas and coal use from the International Energy Agency have markedly changed the emissions outlook. They build on a development first spotted by the outlet CarbonBrief.
In January, IEA forecasts anticipated big increases in emissions from the fossil fuel sector compared with 2025. By this month, the outlook had changed drastically. Even with a spike in coal burning, as countries race to replace the oil and gas they can no longer access or afford, fossil fuel emissions this year are on track to be significantly lower than they were last year.
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Republican support for the war in Iran is dropping as Senate GOP candidates speak out against it and voters increasingly blame high gas prices on the nearly seven-month conflict.
Growing public opposition among even Republican voters has put incumbents such as Sens. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in a tough political position.
Several of these Republican candidates, including Husted; former Rep. Mike Rogers (R), who is running for Senate in Michigan; and Rep. Ashley Hinson, the Republican Senate candidate in Iowa, are calling for a swift end to the war.
"The war with Iran needs to end, and end quickly," Rogers urged in a campaign video Monday.
Hinson on Monday wrote on social media that "the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end."
Husted told Politico on Tuesday that "the war needs to come to an end as quickly as possible so that we can lower gas prices."
The calls are also coming from the lower chamber.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in an interview with a local TV station urged "a resolution" to the war.
Recent polls show that Rogers and Husted are trailing their Democratic opponents, Abdul El-Sayed and former Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), respectively.
Hinson, meanwhile, is locked in a tough race the Cook Political Report last month shifted to "toss-up."
A Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss voter frustration over the war and high gas prices said there's growing political pressure on GOP candidates to oppose the unpopular conflict.
"People are very, very con
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Hawaii's Big Island was under a hurricane watch late Wednesday night after Tropical Storm Nolo formed in the Pacific Ocean earlier in the day, the National Hurricane Center said.
Nolo is expected to become a hurricane by Thursday night and could become a major hurricane by the weekend, the center said. A storm is considered a major hurricane when it reaches Category 3 or higher on the hurricane scale, meaning it has maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph.
Maps show Tropical Storm Nolo's pathStorm Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of late Wednesday night local time. Its core was some 460 miles south-southeast of Honolulu and 285 miles south of South Point, which is on the Big Island.
Nolo was crawling north at 2 mph, but a "general north to north-northeast motion is expected through Friday, followed by a sharp westward turn by Saturday in the vicinity of the Big Island," the Miami-based hurricane center said.
Nolo is expected to approach the Big Island on Friday and Saturday.
The storm is expected to bring around 15 to 20 inches of rain to the Big Island, with up to 35 inches possible in some areas. The heavy rain could trigger "catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," the hurricane center warned.
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Democrats are begging for more money ahead of November. But they're torn over what to do with the limited funds they already have.
After months of downplaying their financial concerns, the four Democratic groups most responsible for delivering control of Congress are now issuing public pleas for more donations as Republicans swamp them on the airwaves. And party leaders are grappling with tough choices on which races to spend their limited dollars as campaigns clamor for backup.
"We need more cash" to expand the map, said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Executive Director Julie Merz.
Mike Smith, who leads House Majority PAC, warned if Democrats "can't compete dollar-for-dollar in these closest races, they risk putting winnable seats out of reach."
Devan Barber, who runs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, expressed excitement about "opportunities to expand the map further. But, "Additional investments require additional resources."
Added Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French: "We want to win the majority, and that costs money."
Republicans are poised to massively outspend Democrats on advertising: Since the start of August, they have placed $820 million in ad buys across the Senate map, compared to $556 million from Democrats, including future bookings through Election Day. That includes outspending Democrats in all but one of the nine most expensive Senate races, according to a POLITICO review of data from AdImpact, which tracks political advertising.
On the House side, the GOP has spent or booked $454 million across the map to $381 million for Democrats. That disparity grows even larger in the districts that were within 10 points at the presidential level in 2024.
House Democrats are currently planning to spend more in more heavily
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
With six weeks to go until Election Day and early voting already underway in a handful of states, the conventional wisdom is that Republicans may be in for some setbacks in the midterms.
As it defends its fragile House and Senate majorities, the GOP is fighting political history, which has traditionally seen the president's party lose congressional seats during the midterms. It's also battling high costs at the grocery stores and gas pumps tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, as well as President Donald Trump's underwater approval ratings.
But Democrats are saddled with their own issues, from an ideological civil war between the party's left wing and the establishment that has handed Republicans plenty of political ammunition, to a brand image that's nothing to brag about. Add to that the Democrats' major disadvantage as the GOP floods the airwaves with attack ads.
Here are six forces that will likely determine whether Republicans can turn back a possible blue wave and hold power in Congress.
Who's Up And Who's Down In The Latest Fox News Midterm Election Polling
Gas prices have ticked up in recent weeks amid renewed fighting in the Middle East.Six weeks until Election Day, and just as the voting begins, fuel prices keep rising, with the national average for gas nearly $4.50 per gallon and diesel topping $6.50 per gallon, according to AAA.
Read On The
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BICustomer service workers have gotten used to the now-common question coming from the other end of the line: "Wait, are you an AI?" Being mistaken for the technology your employer hopes will replace you has become a regular, if awkward, part of the job. Now, the people who staff call centers are finding themselves in a perhaps stranger position, wondering if it's actually the "customer" that's a robot.
Those suspicions are proving to be true. AI agents are increasingly being used to call customer-service lines, sit on hold, and try to negotiate bills or cancel subscriptions, all while the people they're "working" for don't lift a bureaucratic finger. With user-friendlier agents such as Meta's Muse and the upstart
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Residents along Mexico's west coast stacked sandbags to fortify beachfront shops and evacuated their homes, while Hawaii's Big Island and Maui braced for potentially catastrophic flooding, as separate hurricanes swirled in the Pacific on Thursday.
Nolo became a hurricane in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday night and was expected to strengthen while turning toward the Big Island, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters warned that the Big Island could see rainfall totals of 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 centimeters), with higher amounts possible through Saturday. The island of Maui also could be hit with life-threatening floods, the hurricane center said.
Meanwhile, heavy rains from powerful Hurricane Polo could cause torrential flooding and landslides in Mexico, according to the U.S. hurricane center. In the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas, seawater already swept through homes Thursday and left wooden planks and furniture strewn on the streets.
Polo has fluctuated between Category 4 and 5, both major-hurricane strength. It was expected to regain Category 5 status on Friday, then gradually weaken Friday night and Saturday, the hurricane center said.
After skirting Mexico's coast, Polo was expected to move farther out to sea Thursday night and Friday before hooking back toward land to the north on Saturday.
The series of powerful storms comes as the weather phenomenon El Niño prompts major environmental shifts across the world, fueling drought in some areas and flooding in others. El Niño traditionally
|
|
Sep 24, 2026
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's move to ban three news outlets from the White House grounds, saying early Thursday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored.
It's the latest development in an escalating showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump announced he was banning the outlets Friday, assailing what he called "fake news." More recently, the president has said negative coverage was dangerous for the country.
The outlets argued they were singled out because of the content of their coverage — in other words, viewpoint discrimination — and called the ban a "blatant violation" of the First Amendment.
In an order, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the media outlets had met the legal thresholds to obtain a temporary restraining order, in effect for 14 days. He said they were likely to succeed in showing that their passes were revoked without due process.
"This is a high bar, but Plaintiffs have met it," he wrote.
Kelly said case law requires that the government have clear standards governing conduct that would lead to revocation of a press pass. He called the standard of objectionable reporting outlined in letters that the White House sent the outlets days after banning their reporters "so vague it hardly does the trick."
Kelly — whom Trump nominated in 2017 and who ordered a CNN journalist's access restored in a similar case in 2018 — heard arguments Wednesday and ended the hearing without ruling.
Temporary restraining orders are typically designed to preserve the status quo pending a closer review of the c
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
In a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, the chair of the Senate GOP's campaign arm made the case that the party can still outrun a difficult political environment and hold on to the Senate in the November midterms, multiple people in the room confirmed to CBS News.
"We're in the fight for our lives with a record number of toss-up races," Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), told his colleagues during Wednesday's meeting, CBS News has learned.
With just under six weeks until the midterms, Scott said the group will focus its future spending on a handful of tight races where it is either defending GOP-held seats or attempting to flip Democratic seats, the people said.
Scott pointed to Maine, Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Alaska as among the seats the party is defending. As for opportunities to go on offense, he named New Hampshire and Michigan.
Semafor was first to report on Scott's comments.
The meeting came as Republicans aim to defend their narrow majorities in the House and Senate — and prepare to face down political headwinds wrought by President Trump's sagging approval ratings, tied in part to voter dissatisfaction with the cost of living and frustrations with the Iran war. Democrats have sought to capitalize on the political environment, mounting strong challenges against GOP Senate candidates in red states like Ohio, Texas, Iowa and Alaska.
Historically, the party that controls the White House almost always loses ground in the midterms. During his closed-door presentation, Scott argued Republicans could follow a trajectory similar to the one their opponents traced in 2022, when Democrats gained a Senate seat despite losing the House and struggling with then-President Joe Biden's rough approval ratings.
Senators were also told during the presentation that Republicans are aiming to take advantage of a
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
WASHINGTON - Maine Sen. Susan Collins' Republican colleagues swiftly came to her defense the day after the news outlet ProPublica published an investigative story that laid out evidence of alleged involvement in a pay-to-play scheme involving a defense contractor.
The story, which came out on Tuesday, Sept. 22, said that records and emails showed the FBI sought to launch a sweeping investigation examining Collins' interactions with a top donor who won lucrative federal contracts. By late 2024, the agency reportedly had enough evidence to pursue a sweeping bribery probe involving Collins and other members of Congress.
But that effort, according to the ProPublica story, evaporated after the Trump administration purged the Justice Department and FBI of its teams that handle public corruption cases.
It's unclear whether the accusations laid out in the article will resonate with Maine voters in November, when Collins is up for reelection in a toss-up race that will prove crucial to whichever party ultimately controls the Senate.
The story does, however, add to a maze of obstacles she's facing to retain her coveted seat in Congress. While she has a track record as a Teflon political candidate in the Pine Tree State, her campaign is already being hurt by
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
By Renju Jose and Chris Thomas
SYDNEY, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorised access to files, in what could be the first ?known instance of an AI agent hacking a government website.
The breach is one of the highest-profile incidents of ?AI agents accessing external systems outside the United States,coming on top of several recent breaches globally by rogue AI agents that have alarmed governments and companies.
Prime Minister Anthony ?Albanese said the OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to the medical statistics portal of a government agency responsible for non-sensitive health data and statistics, including public medical spending.
"Evidence currently available is there is no broader compromise to the ... network. Nonetheless, this situation is obviously unacceptable," Albanese said during a media briefing in New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly. Investigations continue and Australia had ?voiced its "extreme concern about this incident" to OpenAI ?CEO SamAltman, Albanese said, adding that he was deeply disappointed by the company's delay in notifying the government. "It took until September 10 before there was any notification at all," Albanese said, adding that the investigation ?would also examine why government systems had failed to detect the breach in the first place.
He also warned that three other government websites "may be impacted" by the OpenAI agent's activity.
"The question is, when it was trying to harvest data, did it go into these other sites? So we're ?not ?confirming that that occurred," he said.
The incident comes after OpenAI and Anthropic, in ?separate submissions to a parliamentary inq
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Theranos founder and convicted felon Elizabeth Holmes has been approved for placement in a community correction center, or halfway house, and is scheduled to be placed there next year, according to an update from the Department of Justice's Victim Notification System, ABC News has learned.
Holmes is scheduled to be placed in the Austin Transitional Center in Del Valle, Texas, on Aug. 23, 2027, according to the notification.
Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images - PHOTO: Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos Inc., arrives at federal court in San Jose, Calif., March 17, 2023. When reached for comment on Wednesday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that it "does not discuss the conditions of confinement for any individual, including release plans."
"Additionally, per BOP policy, specific designation information cannot be released until after an individual arrives at their designated institution," the statement continued.
BOP said several factors go into assigning individuals to facilities, including "the level of security and supervision required, medical or programmatic needs, separation or security considerations necessary for the individual's safety, and other relevant factors, such as proximity to the individual's release residence."
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' conviction upheld by US appeals courtHolmes was originally sentenced in 2022 to 11 years and 3 months in prison for defrauding inves
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Farmer Steve Cargil is now paid $200,000 a year for hosting a solar farm on his land [Steve Cargil]
Steve Cargil's family has farmed the flat, dry land around Uvalde, a small city in southwest Texas, since 1953.
Cargil, 67, had always assumed that one of his three children would eventually take it over, the way he had from his father.
But that assumption took a hit one night in 2018 after a violent hailstorm.
Cargil and his son, Ryan, had spent months nursing crops of cabbage and onions to harvest. Then a storm rolled through and destroyed them overnight.
"I remember my son saying, 'Dad, I just don't know if I can do this. You do everything right, and we work so hard, and you come out one morning and it's all gone'," Cargil says.
Cargil's farm was at risk of ending with him, he says, with none of his three children wanting to farm full time. For years, that left him wondering what would happen to the land, and to his own retirement, since farmers rarely have a pension to fall back on.
Then in 2001 Cargil signed a deal to lease 600 acres of his land, about a quarter of the total, to a company called OCI Energy which built a vast solar farm.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that a solar project would be on my farm," Cargil says. Looking back now, he calls it a blessing.
The lease, which pays Cargil $200,000 (£150,000) a year, has let him keep his farm running through a punishing drought. He has been able to concentrate his water irrigation allowance on the land he still farms, and he has stopped losing sleep over rises in the price of things such as diesel and fertiliser. "It's changed my life."
Texas, which remains the largest oil producer in the US, earlier this year overto
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted in favor of recommending that the agency approve a blood test for multiple cancers on Wednesday. The assay, called the Galleri test, is designed to help screen for cancers before symptoms appear, according to its maker, Grail.
The 10-person panel unanimously agreed that Grail showed that the Galleri test was safe, but there was less agreement over whether it was effective or had benefits that outweighed the risks: the panel voted 6-4 in favor of effectiveness and 7-2 in favor of the question of benefits, with one panelist abstaining from the latter.
The panel's favorable vote "represents an important step forward for the field," says Ajay Goel, a professor and chair of the department of molecular diagnostics and experimental therapeutics at City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment organization.
Ultimately, however, he says that "I would still view it as an encouraging step rather than the final word on the clinical value of this type of testing."
Some cancer screening tools exist on the market already—including for breast, lung, prostate and other cancers—but no early-detection tests for multiple types of cancer have been approved by the FDA, according to the American Cancer Society. Having such a test would be clinically useful, enabling doctors to potentially det
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
CHICAGO (AP) — A U.S. citizen was left bloodied and injured on the side of the road in a Chicago suburb after a confrontation with immigration enforcement agents who mistook him for a fugitive, according to local police and a resident who tried to help the man.
The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was taken away in an ambulance after the encounter on Sunday in Evanston, a city around 12 miles (19 kilometers) north of downtown Chicago. He told police his head, neck and teeth were injured, according to a news release from the Evanston Police Department.
A federal agent told officers who responded to calls reporting an altercation at just before 10 a.m. that morning that five agents in separate vehicles were looking for a fugitive with a Chicago address and a warrant for his arrest, according to the release. The agents mistook the man for the fugitive, the agent told police.
When the man refused to give his identification, the agents tried to handcuff him, the agent said. After realizing he was a U.S. citizen and not the person they were seeking, they released him.
One police officer saw blood on the agent's hands, according to the release. The agent told police he was injured while trying to handcuff the man, and that they left the area immediately after because they feared protesters who had gathered would attack them, it noted.
Police have visited the man at the hospital and photographed his injuries, and are investigating the encounter.
Local authorities investigatingEvanston Mayor Daniel Biss said in a post on X that the man was treated at St. Francis
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington is getting a much chillier reception on Capitol Hill than at the White House as lawmakers from both parties use the visit to denounce China's actions on the world stage.
Lawmakers have long found little downside to taking a hawkish tone on China, but the U.S.'s war with Iran has inflamed tensions as U.S. officials accuse China of propping up Iran's economy and supplying its military with components and intelligence, endangering U.S. service members in the Middle East.
In speeches, letters, press conferences and hearings, lawmakers from both parties aired criticism of Xi's visit. Their actions and events stand in stark contrast to the warm welcome that Trump gave Xi on Wednesday as he arrived in Washington for a lavish state visit.
Republicans air their dissenting views
Sen. Roger Wicker, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, took to the Senate floor Tuesday night, offering a list of issues for Trump to raise with Xi, but not before suggesting that Xi shouldn't have been asked to visit Washington at all.
"Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party," Wicker said.
Wicker seemed particularly taken aback by the honor of a state dinner. Over the salad course, Wicker said the president could ask Xi about the Chinese Navy's harassment of Filipino fishermen and sa
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Aircraft on the deck of the US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as it docks for a rest stop at Laem Chabang Port, Thailand, on September 3, following a long deployment in the Middle East. - Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story contains discussion of suicide. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988 for help. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.
Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a period that included when the ships undertook combat operations against Iran and the carrier set a modern record for its time at sea, according to a letter from the service's acting secretary, which was obtained by CNN.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao revealed the number, which has not been previously reported and covers crew members from several ships that travel together, including the carrier, in written responses to questions posed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand about the morale and mental health of the USS Abraham Lincoln's crew. Cao wrote that no service members had killed themselves during the deployment.
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
President Trump's decision to ban a trio of news outlets from the White House complex last week and revoke their hard press badges appeared to be on thin ice Wednesday after a key hearing where the sides presented their arguments.
Due process "wasn't followed here," U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, said near the start of the afternoon hearing.
CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued on First Amendment grounds after they were denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday. The five major television networks that comprise the rotating pool covering Trump's daily activities have since pulled out in solidarity with the banned outlets.
Wednesday's hearing came as each of the major networks weighed how to cover Trump's expected return to Washington from New York, where he traveled to meet with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.
The president is slated to greet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday evening, an event that typically would garner a large amount of media attention and drive the news cycle for hours.
"These are urgent matters," Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for the media outlets, told the judge. "We're at war. World leaders are coming to Washington."
Boutrous urged Kelly on Wednesday to immediately restore the three outlets' credentials, arguing that Trump's ban amounted to "v
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The heads of major artificial intelligence firms pleaded with the United Nations on Wednesday to set controls over the burgeoning technology they are designing in order to save the world — or, at least, its people.
"If managed poorly, I even believe AI could be a risk to humanity as a whole," said Dario Amodei, the chief executive officer of Anthropic.
"We could lose control of the future to AI," said his competitor, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI.
Both said the countries of the world, though the U.N. Security Council, where they testified Wednesday afternoon, have to set safeguards, which would be actual controls to prevent the technology from getting too powerful to rein in. They also called for the world to make sure that the power of AI isn't concentrated in one company or country.
For world leaders, one key question about AI is this: Who should control life-and-death decisions — human or machine?
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday huddled with top technology leaders to figure out if the increasing abilities and pervasiveness of artificial intelligence should be controlled and, if so, by who. Other lingering questions: How could it be done? When might it be just too late?
The day before, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of "killer robots." Experts and European leaders said that's not hyperbole but something that's already a reality or at least perilously close.
This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/heads-ai-firms-tell-un-195335966.html
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
NEW YORK — Sunny Hostin told her fellow panelists on "The View" that she was the holdout juror responsible for "The Butcher of Tompkins Square Park" being found not guilty by reason of insanity in his 1991 murder trial.
East Village resident Daniel Rakowitz was charged with killing and mutilating a female acquaintance in 1989, then trying to get rid of the evidence by making soup out of her remains and serving it in Tompkins Square Park.
Hostin said on Tuesday that she felt a connection to the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, whose case ended in a Sept. 4 mistrial with all but one juror believing the defendant's compromises mental state exempted her from criminal culpability.
"The reason … I feel so strongly about this holdout juror is because I was a holdout juror in a case, in the Daniel Rakowitz case," she said to her shocked castmates.
Hostin, whose name was Asuncion Cummings at the time, said she sat on the jury before starting law school. She went on to become a federal prosecutor, then a television legal analyst.
To make her point, Hostin read a New York Times article about the case that mentions her resistance.
"Several jurors questioned afterwards said one holdout juror was principally responsible for preventing them from returning a guilty verdict," the article said.
She continued telling her story to her stunned colleagues.
"That was me, and it was because clearly I saw he was psychotic, he was in psychosis, he did not mean to kill her and once he killed her he panicked," the 57-year-old legal expert explained. "He chopped up her body parts, yes, boiled her body parts, tried to commit the perfect crime."
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
By Parisa Hafezi, Humeyra Pamuk and Jana Choukeir
UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Iran and the United States remain far apart on how to end their war but diplomacy must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, after Iran's president told the UN General Assembly that Tehran would never surrender to US pressure.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his speech in ?New York, condemned what he called "signs of a bullying mentality" from US President Donald Trump, who had used the same forum on Tuesday to threaten to "annihilate" Iran.
The duelling speeches at the annual ?UN gathering bookended the first shuttle talks between the US and Iran for months, though they appeared to have yielded no concessions in the public stance of either side towards ending the war.
The senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran was reviewing Washington's ?response to its peace proposals, which prioritise lifting a US naval blockade on Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
"There are still many differences between the Iranian and US positions, but diplomacy is continuing," the official said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on Wednesday that a deal with Iran would involve hard work over a period of time, adding that Trump also had military options.
The US has also said it will impose so-called secondary sanctions against any country that allows Iranian flights after Wednesday. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state TV Iran would ensure neighbouring countries' airports could not function if they stop Iranian flights.
IRAN 'WILL NOT BOW TO PRESSURE', ?PRESIDENT SAYS
In his address to the 193-member General Assembly, Pezeshkian homed in on ?the US blockade of Iranian ports and on the Strait of Hormuz, conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
The full fury of a significant September nor'easter will target New England, where high winds lead to extensive power outages and heavy rain swamps outdoor activities this weekend.
The storm and its effects are occurring through the full moon this weekend, which will raise tide levels and lead to major coastal flooding. Long-duration pounding surf will cause extensive beach erosion from North Carolina to southern Maine.
"This storm may be remembered for its destructive coastal flooding and severe beach erosion, especially along eastern Long Island and the Massachusetts coast," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.
The pressure difference between high pressure over the interior Northeast and developing low pressure off the mid-Atlantic coast is strengthening northeast winds from North Carolina to New York. These winds are pushing ocean and bay waters toward shore, causing coastal flooding. Flooding will be worst around high tide through Friday in the mid-Atlantic region.
Water levels will be 2-3 feet above the average monthly tide level, with some locations approaching 6 feet above that level. The worst conditions are forecast for southeastern Virginia, where water will become trapped at the lower end of the Chesapeake Bay, causing backups along the region's tidal rivers.
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge heard arguments Wednesday but did not rule from the bench in a case on President Donald Trump's ban of three news outlets from White House grounds.
The hearing marked the latest development in an extraordinary showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico beginning Friday, assailing what he called "fake news." More recently the president has said negative coverage was dangerous for the country. The outlets argued they were singled out because of the content of their coverage — in other words, viewpoint discrimination and called the ban a "blatant violation" of the First Amendment.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly — whom Trump nominated in 2017 and who ordered a CNN journalist's access restored in a similar case in 2018 — didn't immediately rule on the news outlets' request for a restraining order. It was unclear when he would issue a decision.
He opened by reminding both sides that he's required to apply case precedent.
The rulings in two prior cases over press access — including one that went to the U.S. Supreme Court — made clear that journalists were entitled to an opportunity to be heard before they have their press passes revoked.
Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik has argued that the rulings in the earlier cases were wrong.
"Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but currently as a district judge I have to apply them," Kelly said.
Arguments began with Theodore Boutrous Jr., attorney for the outlets, calling the ban an "unprecedented, unreasonable punishment" and saying there was "not a semblance of due pro
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is investigating an apparent breach of its jobs website as a criminal hacking group claimed to have accessed "very sensitive data" on nearly all agents and job applicants.
"The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating," the bureau said in a statement. The website, the main portal for prospective employees to learn about the FBI and initiate the application process, remained offline Wednesday morning.
A message that circulated online from a hacking group known as ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the hack.
The message, directed to FBI Director Kash Patel as well as the assistant director in the charge of the FBI's cyber division, said the hacking group had "compromised very sensitive data on almost ALL FBI Agents and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job."
The claims could not immediately be verified, and an FBI spokesperson declined to comment further. An email to an address associated with the organization was not immediately returned.
In its message, ShinyHunters said it would give the bureau one week to correct or remove what it says are false allegations in an FBI public service announcement from May that described the organization as a "cyber criminal group specializing in large-scale data breaches and extortion."
That announcement characterized ShinyHunters as "threat actors" who often "use their real or exaggerated claims of access to sensitive or personal information to prompt payment from victims," commonly harass or threaten victims and "may falsely claim to have sensitive or compromising information, including embarrassing pho
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Donald Trump; Melania Trump on ‘Fox & Friends'
Speaking on Fox & Friends on Wednesday, Sept. 23, Melania, 56, praised Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City the day prior when questioned whether he'd asked for any feedback from his wife.
"I told him he had [a] great delivery, he did very well. And a great speech," the first lady — who was on the show to discuss the launch of Imperia, a network for women CEOs, and her Fostering the Future Together initiative — said.
She added of her husband, "So I tell him the truth. Sometimes he doesn't want to hear it, what I tell him, but that's okay. I always say the truth."
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Donna Ganger, the mother of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this year, said Tuesday she voted for President Trump and thought that federal immigration officers would "protect" Americans.
Ganger said it is "torture" that "as a mom and as a family, we could not protect" Good, who was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Jan. 7 in an incident caught on video that triggered a nationwide discussion on the Trump administration's immigration efforts.
"But no one can protect against others who are determined to disregard our country's constitutional rules and values," Good's mother added. She spoke during a public forum hosted by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.).
"I'm a registered Republican," Ganger said. "I voted for President Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States, innocents like our family and the others here, against terrorists, certainly not to accuse those of us here of being terrorists and take precious lives."
After the officer fatally shot Good, a 37-year-old American citizen with one son, multiple Trump administration officials said the woman committed "domestic terrorism" by allegedly driving her car toward the ICE officer.
"This was an act of domestic terrorism," then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
By Parisa Hafezi, Humeyra Pamuk and Jana Choukeir
UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a speech at the UN on Wednesday that Tehran would never surrender to the US but still believes in diplomacy, a day after President Donald Trump used the same forum to threaten to "annihilate" Iran.
The duelling speeches at the ?annual UN General Assembly in New York bookended the first shuttle talks between the United States and Iran for months, which appeared to have yielded no concessions in the public ?stance of either side towards ending the Middle East war.
In his speech, Pezeshkian defended Iran's military actions as defensive, and insisted Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons.
In a potential new flashpoint, Iran also threatened to act against its neighbours if they ?abide by new US sanctions intended to ground Iranian civilian aircraft worldwide.
Washington has said it will impose so-called secondary sanctions against any country that allows Iranian flights after Wednesday. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state TV Iran would ensure neighbouring countries' airports could not function if they stop Iranian flights.
The annual UN gathering in New York provided the occasion on Tuesday for Iranian and U.S. officials to hold their first known indirect talks since a ceasefire collapsed in July, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicating through mediators on the sidelines.
"Steve and Jared had a ?very productive meeting today with mediators of Iran," Trump said on Tuesday ?after his own speech. "I think there's a lot of momentum for them to make a deal. It's what we're hearing from everybody."
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Two of the key faces of the left in elected office, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, met at an economic event in Manhattan on Wednesday, as world leaders gather in New York for the U.N. General Assembly.
Their meeting is the latest in a slate of encounters between left-wing U.S. politicians and kindred figures abroad as they seek to forge ties to counter the rise of right-wing populism.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Organizers behind these formal and informal gatherings say the efforts to bring together U.S. left-leaning Democrats in office and their ideological counterparts aim to contend with the well-organized, growing international movement of populists in step with President Donald Trump's administration, as the anti-immigrant and nationalist Alternative for Germany party gains traction, and France's Marine Le Pen and her party, National Rally, lead in polls ahead of a presidential race next year.
Wednesday's event at Gracie Mansion, Mamdani's residence, was billed as focused on "building an economy for the many." Sánchez touted the success of Spain's minimum-wage increases as "proving that another economic model is possible."
"That is why the powerful fear us. Because day after day, we show that a different path is possible, and it works," Sánchez said at the event, which also included the prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and European Council President António Costa, who is a former socialist prime minister of Portugal.
Mamdani nodded to the
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - US states may have added more than 30,000 self-declared non-citizens to the nation's voter rolls since 2000 because of software glitches and clerical errors made while processing their driver's license and state ID applications, according to official records reviewed by Reuters.
The cases expose weaknesses in voter registration systems across a dozen US states governed by both Democrats and Republicans, but at numbers that experts said were too small relative to the country's more than 170 million registered voters to impact elections. Reuters was not ?able to determine how many of these non-citizens actually cast a ballot.
The findings suggest that inadvertent bureaucratic failures, rather than organized efforts to register immigrants illegally, are a major source of non-citizen registrations, and raise questions about whether legislative efforts to require proof of citizenship for voter registration ?would eliminate the issue.
President Donald Trump and his supporters have claimed, without evidence, that non-citizen voting is widespread and part of an organized conspiracy led by Democrats who hope to retake Congress in November's midterm elections, and are pushing lawmakers to toughen up voting requirements.
New Jersey announced the most recent high-profile case of errant voter registrations over the summer, saying a technology glitch added about 6,600 non-citizens ?to voter rolls between June 2023 and June 2024, even though they answered "no" when asked if they were citizens while applying for licenses and IDs.
Bureaucratic errors have also been reported in at least 11 other states - including Republican strongholds like Iowa, Texas and South Dakota - bringing the nationwide figure above 30,000 since 2000, according to the Reuters reporting.
A nationwide tally of such mistakes has not previously been reported.
Reuters used data from t
|
|
Sep 23, 2026
Former Vice President Kamala Harris (Getty Images)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned for Michigan's Democrat Senate nominee this week, one of five Democrats taking visible steps toward possible 2028 presidential campaigns.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrat nominee for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, joined Harris at a Detroit event on Black maternal healthcare this week; her fall schedule also includes stops in Nevada and Georgia, the Associated Press reported.
Harris has said she has "not decided if I'm going to run again," even as she works the phones with donors and skips major policy speeches, Fox News reported.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is weighing both a 2028 run and a primary challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate's minority leader, she said in an interview with The New York Times, as Reason reported this week.
"Life doesn't wait for you to be ready for things," she said, adding that deference to Schumer would not drive her decision.
The comments follow a staff shake-up: her longtime campaign manager, Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, is leaving after running her operations since 2020, he told Axios.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is term-limited and leaves office in January, toured South Carolina, an early presidential primary state, from Sept. 3 to 6, visiting Aiken, Columbia, and other stops while stumping for state Democrats.
He acknowledged that his 2028 ambitions were factored into the trip, but said other goals ranked higher.
Days later, in a CNN intervie
|
|
