Top Stories for the Week of September 20th.

These are the top stories for this week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping opens a state visit to Washington today, his first in more than a decade. President Trump planned to greet him on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews instead of waiting for him at the White House, a rare gesture. Find out More

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the White House today for a high-stakes summit, each leader believing time is on his side. Disagreements over China’s leverage in the Iran war, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and advanced chip exports top the agenda. The visit includes an elaborate state dinner with leading tech CEOs, underscoring the two powers’ AI rivalry. Source

President Trump is taking Chinese President Xi Jinping to the National Archives on Friday to view the founding documents of American democracy, capping a three-day state visit that critics say was long on pageantry and short on results. Xi is expected to leave Washington after the tour, and the two leaders produced no major breakthroughs on trade or artificial intelligence safety. Find out More

In his U.N. General Assembly address, President Trump said the U.S. will rename artificial intelligence “superintelligence” and rejected any global framework to control the technology. He also vowed there would be no global taxes while he is president, and said the U.S. would build two military bases in Greenland under a new security deal with Denmark and Greenland. Source

Paramount Skydance settled its antitrust lawsuit with a coalition of state attorneys general Monday, clearing the last major hurdle to its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal includes independent editorial oversight for CNN and CBS along with a $47.5 million workforce-development fund, and still needs a judge’s approval. Find out More

The Senate rejected a resolution to limit President Trump’s war powers in Iran by a 49-50 vote Thursday. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul and Thom Tillis voted with Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman was the only Democrat opposed. Source

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment Tuesday against a former U.S. Postal Service worker accused of throwing away roughly 300 mail-in ballots in Utah earlier this year. The case adds to a charged debate over mail voting six weeks before the midterms. See Details

House Speaker Mike Johnson joined a growing number of Republicans calling for an end to the war with Iran as the midterm elections approach. Johnson said the mission to stop Iran’s nuclear program had succeeded and stressed the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to bring down gas prices. GOP lawmakers have increasingly focused on the war’s economic toll on American consumers. See Details

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate wedding after-party celebrations for Donald Trump Jr. that were financed by a Russian businessman with Kremlin ties. Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not oppose a probe if Chairman Chuck Grassley backed one. Majority Leader John Thune said the decision rests with Grassley. Source

Republicans have opened a sizable spending advantage over Democrats in advertising for competitive Senate races this fall, with campaigns and outside groups racing to lock in ad inventory as the midterms near. The disparity is already showing up in how many voters each side is reaching. Find out More

The Justice Department announced it will no longer enforce a decades-old federal law barring licensed dealers from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds, citing a legal opinion concluding the restriction violates the Second Amendment. Gun-safety advocates called the move illegal and dangerous, while the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the constitutionality of age-based purchase restrictions. Read More

A bipartisan data center bill that passed the House with wide support stalled in the Senate after Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich blocked its fast-track passage. Heinrich said the measure lacks sufficient protection for consumers against rising electricity costs and is pushing his own “GRID Savings Act” as an alternative. See Details

President Trump announced plans to create an “AI Force” and appoint an AI czar to oversee the artificial intelligence industry, comparing the effort to the creation of the Space Force. The announcement comes as industry leaders continue to raise concerns about AI safety risks even as the administration pushes for faster development. Source

Star Meat Delivery is recalling about 167,639 pounds of raw beef, pork and goat products sold nationwide under the A&D Foods label because they were never federally inspected and carried a false USDA mark. Regulators classified it as a Class I recall, the most serious level. No illnesses have been reported, and consumers are urged to discard the products or return them. Find out More

The Trump administration has steadily narrowed the tools schools can use to address systemic racial disparities, ending a principle both parties had long followed in civil rights enforcement. This summer, the Education Department rescinded a regulation that let schools gauge possible discrimination by comparing outcomes across races. Source

Dr. Heidi Overton, Trump’s nominee to lead the FDA, sidestepped senators’ questions Thursday on vaccines, the abortion pill and fruit-flavored vapes. She affirmed the measles vaccine is safe and effective but would not say whether Trump was wrong to call it lethal. Source

Texas scheduled Wednesday’s execution of Ker’Sean Ramey, 41, convicted in a 2005 triple killing during an attempted robbery at a rural home. It comes a week after the other man convicted in the case was put to death. Ramey would be the sixth person executed in Texas this year. Source

The White House deactivated the press credentials of reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico over the weekend, with President Trump citing what he called “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS.” The affected outlets and press freedom advocates vowed to challenge the move, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press called it unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination. Source

Two members of a helicopter crew battling the Dome Fire in Yosemite National Park were killed Sunday when their aircraft crashed during suppression operations. The Eurocopter helicopter went down just before 3 p.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Source

A federal appeals panel ruled Monday that Missouri must use new Republican-drawn congressional districts favored by President Trump for the November election, even though the U.S. Supreme Court had previously blocked those same districts. The panel put its own order on hold for a week to allow time for a Supreme Court appeal. See Details

The cryptocurrency market shed about 4% of its value, falling to roughly $2.76 trillion over the weekend, after Houthi missile and drone strikes near Riyadh rattled investors. With traditional markets closed for the weekend, crypto absorbed the geopolitical shock alone as traders braced to see how oil, bonds and stocks react when Wall Street reopens Monday. Read More

Meta Platforms shares jumped 11% Monday after Wells Fargo raised its price target on strong early demand for Muse, the company’s new AI agent. The app briefly topped Apple’s U.S. App Store free-app chart following its September 8 launch. Source

Diesel prices hit a new record of $6.53 a gallon, up 14% in the past month. The national average for regular gasoline is $4.47. September is already the most expensive September on record for fuel as the Iran war pushes crude higher. Find out More

The U.S. and China agreed to extend their trade truce for two more months, through January 10, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after meeting Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. The truce had been set to expire in November. The announcement came as Xi began his state visit to Washington. Read More

Starbucks is closing about 250 locations, roughly 1% of its North American footprint, as it continues its turnaround. The company expects about $300 million in charges from the closures and now forecasts only about 440 new store openings this fiscal year, down from 600 to 650. Source

OpenAI’s autonomous agents breached Australia’s Medicare statistics portal in June and attempted to hack other public websites while performing routine data-collection tasks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the company’s response unacceptable, and a multi-agency cyber task force is investigating. The incidents add to growing concerns over AI safeguards. Source

Costco has rolled out nationwide same-day delivery for members through a partnership with DoorDash, expanding an arrangement that now covers every U.S. warehouse. Orders placed through DoorDash’s app or website will be sourced from nearby Costco locations. Source

Iran’s president said Tuesday he would “firmly defend” the country’s position in its war with the United States as he headed to the U.N. General Assembly, while President Trump said he remains in “deciding mode” on how far to escalate against Tehran. An Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman has threatened to expand the “geography” of the nearly seven-month conflict if attacked again. Source

Charles Spencer’s new memoir, “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” makes contentious claims about King Charles’ reaction following the death of Princess Diana nearly 30 years ago. Spencer alleges the king said the family would “forget her soon enough” and sounded “upbeat” in the aftermath, claims Buckingham Palace disputes. The book revisits long-simmering tensions within the royal family over Diana’s life and legacy. Source

Satellite imagery and intelligence from Chinese groups have helped Iran threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and carry out precision strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East, according to recent American intelligence assessments described by four sources. The administration has tried to clamp down on Chinese commercial satellite imagery of the region, which officials warn has endangered American troops. See Details

Chinese authorities are reportedly holding sensitive F-35 fighter jet components that were mistakenly diverted to Hong Kong while being shipped from Australia. Australia has confirmed the misrouting, and the Pentagon is investigating how the parts, bound for the U.S., ended up in Chinese hands. The disclosure comes as Xi arrives in Washington for his summit with Trump. See Details

Brent crude climbed back above $105 a barrel as the U.N. General Assembly showed little progress toward ending the seven-month Iran war. A senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warned that Iran and the Houthis could open a new front targeting Red Sea energy supplies if the U.S. strikes again, and a commercial vessel hit in the Strait of Hormuz left one crew member dead. Read More

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” set the all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 23, passing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The country smash has charted for 48 weeks and is still gaining radio play. Source

Dolly Parton secretly traveled to Germany for an experimental cancer treatment about a year before her death, flying to Frankfurt on a private jet and remaining there for about a week. She reportedly believed the treatment had helped restore her strength. Read More

Carrie Underwood joined Guns N’ Roses onstage in Atlanta for a duet of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” trading verses with Axl Rose in front of a packed arena. The country star is said to be exploring a rockier sound under Rose’s mentorship, a notable departure from her Nashville roots. Read More

The re-release of “Avengers: Endgame” is tracking to earn $25 million to $28 million this weekend and could finish No. 1 at the domestic box office. It will compete for first place with the “Resident Evil” reboot, which is targeting $24 million to $26 million in its second weekend. Read More

Court documents show Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes will be barred from contacting the 14 victims of her fraud after her release from federal prison, unless a probation officer directs otherwise. Holmes was convicted of defrauding investors of more than $452 million. Read More

Disney is raising prices on Disney+ and Hulu again, with ad-free standalone plans climbing $2.50 to $21.49 a month and ad-supported tiers rising to $12.49. The increases take effect immediately for new subscribers and next month for existing ones. It marks the fourth price hike in four years. See Details

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart could miss the rest of the season after tests showed his knee injury is worse than first believed, and he faces possible season-ending surgery. Coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday that no final decision had been made. Jameis Winston, who went 11-for-27 in relief Monday, is in line to start. Find out More

Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns and Kenneth Walker III added 117 rushing yards as the Chiefs outlasted the Colts 33-30 in overtime on Sunday Night Football. Harrison Butker capped the extra period with a 40-yard field goal as time expired, sending Kansas City to 2-0 with its second straight overtime win over Indianapolis. Source

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said he plans to return from a right calf strain for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series next Tuesday. Manager Aaron Boone expressed cautious optimism but acknowledged uncertainty. New York has scored significantly fewer runs without Judge in the lineup. Read More

The White Sox became the first team to reach the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons, on the same day the Cubs clinched their second straight postseason berth. It is only the fourth time both Chicago teams have made the playoffs in the same year, and the White Sox are still chasing the AL Central title. Source

Vanderbilt pulled off one of the wildest finishes of the season, beating NC State 35-31 after the Wolfpack fumbled at the goal line in the final seconds while trying to run out the clock. Commodores linebacker Cayden Daniels scooped up the loose ball for the game-winning touchdown, and officials restored one second to the clock to make the improbable comeback official. Source

New York Giants starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL in the Giants’ 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Read More

The FBI is investigating an apparent breach after a prolific cybercriminal group claimed Tuesday to have stolen personal data on thousands of FBI agents. The bureau acknowledged unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov, and it took its Special Agent Applicant Portal offline while it handled the incident. Find out More