Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Trump Headlines First Night of Republican Midterm Convention
President Trump headlined the first night of the Republican National Committee’s inaugural midterm convention in Dallas, pledging a $5,000 “Trump dividend” payment to American adults if the GOP holds Congress. He did not detail how the payments would be funded, and Vice President JD Vance later suggested wealthy Americans would not qualify. Source
The United States is banning imports of some Canadian dairy products, most alcoholic beverages, and motorcycles starting September 29, escalating a trade war that shows no sign of cooling. The move follows retaliatory tariffs Canada imposed on $20 billion in U.S. imports after trade talks between the two countries broke down last month. Find out More
The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog is asking its board to hold Iran accountable for failing to uphold safeguards meant to prevent development of nuclear weapons, diplomatic officials announced. Since February, when the U.S. and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran, inspectors have been unable to visit any Iranian nuclear facility other than the Bushehr power plant, breaking the agency’s “continuity of knowledge” on the country’s enrichment program. See Details
Politics
The Trump administration proposed changing the national census to count only U.S. citizens and permanent residents, a move that could significantly shift political representation and federal funding among states. The proposal would exclude legal immigrants from the 2030 count and drop some questions about race and ethnicity. Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court rebuffed an appeal from Missouri officials seeking to use new, Trump-backed congressional districts in the November election, a setback for Republicans hoping the redrawn map would help protect their narrow House majority. The old map, in place since the last census, will be used instead after the state’s top court ruled the new districts were automatically suspended by a citizen referendum petition. Find out More
The contests that will decide control of the Senate are now set as the 2026 primary season wraps up, with Republicans defending a 53-seat majority built largely on states Trump carried comfortably in 2024. The unpopular war with Iran and persistent affordability concerns have made several GOP-held seats more competitive than expected. Source
U.S. News
Investigators are examining new information from the flight data recorder of an Amazon-branded cargo plane that crashed into an airline cleaning company’s van in Miami, killing five people. The plane overshot the runway before the fatal collision. Source
Temporary Protected Status for more than 175,000 Salvadoran immigrants is set to expire without resolution from the Trump administration, following a June Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for similar protections to be lifted. Salvadorans represent one of the largest Central American immigrant communities in the U.S., concentrated heavily in California, Texas, Maryland, and New York. Find out More
A former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst was sentenced to 10 years in prison after her manipulation of DNA data cast doubt on hundreds of criminal cases, including homicides and sexual assaults. At least one murder conviction was vacated as a result of her misconduct. Find out More
Business
Stocks fell for a third straight day as Treasury yields jumped to their highest levels since 2023 and oil prices continued climbing past the $100 mark. The selloff came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the government would triple its bond buyback operation in an effort to steady the debt market. Read More
Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, new AirPods, and updated Apple Watches at new CEO John Ternus’s first keynote. Prices rose across the lineup, with the foldable starting near $1,999 and older iPhone models also getting a $100 bump. See Details
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains well below its 10-day average, with just six commodity vessels transiting the waterway Tuesday compared with roughly 12 typically. The figures, drawn from preliminary tracking data, underscore the continued disruption to one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. Source
World News
Oil prices topped $100 a barrel for the first time in more than a month after Iran fired missiles in retaliation for U.S. strikes that disabled five Iranian oil tankers. Iran’s United Nations representative separately condemned a new resolution referring the country to the Security Council, calling it the product of “political pressure” from Washington and its allies. Read More
A Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, of unlawfully blocking a former reporter from becoming head of a press union, while clearing the company of unlawfully firing her. The journalist said she was dismissed in 2024 after refusing editors’ demands that she sever ties with the Hong Kong Journalists Association. Source
A manhunt continued in southern France for two thieves who broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer and made off with paintings valued at roughly nine million euros. Surveillance cameras caught the pair fleeing after a five-minute police response, though they abandoned two of the stolen works in the museum garden. See Details
Entertainment
Dolly Parton’s sister Stella said the country music icon chose to keep her cancer battle private in the months before her death last month because she didn’t want people to worry. “She did not want people sad,” Stella Parton said in an interview describing her sister’s decision to shield family and fans from the diagnosis. Source
Miley Cyrus’s upcoming pair of Hollywood Bowl shows have become some of the hottest tickets in live music, drawing 1.5 million people into the presale queue, organizers said. The demand marks one of the largest presale turnouts the venue has seen in recent memory. Source
The Spice Girls teased a “big announcement” with a cryptic video filmed on the same staircase used in their “Wannabe” music video, sending fans into a frenzy. The clip featured a mock newspaper ad seeking a “superfan” with singing and dancing ability, fueling speculation about a reunion. Source
Sports
The Seattle Seahawks began the defense of their Super Bowl trophy by defeating the New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold left the game with an injury. See Details
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is set to host the Season 52 premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” continuing the show’s tradition of tapping recent champions. Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA title in more than half a century earlier this year. Source
Tyler Reddick was awarded the provisional pole for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway after rain washed out qualifying, with the field set by the rulebook instead. Legacy Motor Club separately announced that driver Herbst will join the organization for the 2027 Cup Series season with longtime partner Monster Energy in tow. Find out More
Off the Wall
The driveway of a coastal Malibu mansion owned by actor Nicolas Cage collapsed into a giant sinkhole amid heavy coastal flooding, prompting a gas leak and a temporary shutoff of natural gas service to the street. Utility crews said the leak was brought under control within hours. Source
