Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Trump and Xi Meet for U.S.-China Summit
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. See Details
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking the president’s ban on the three outlets. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly found the outlets were likely to succeed on their due-process claims and rejected the administration’s national security justification. The White House did not immediately respond. Source
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered a defiant address at the U.N. General Assembly, accusing the U.S. and Israel of aggression and insisting Iran would never surrender. A U.S. delegate walked out during the speech as protesters gathered outside. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded that Iran’s sponsorship of terror groups leaves it with no credibility on human rights. Source
Politics
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. Source
Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to seek another term as Republican leader regardless of whether the GOP keeps its Senate majority in November. Thune’s strategy gives vulnerable candidates room to distance themselves from Washington and lets senators vote their conscience on issues like Iran war powers. Allied groups are deploying nearly $280 million in advertising to defend GOP seats. Source
Senate negotiators are racing to finish a bipartisan overhaul of federal environmental permitting before lawmakers leave town for the campaign trail. Key senators say most major obstacles have been cleared, but Democrats still want assurances that the administration won’t block wind and solar projects. Leaders signaled the Senate could adjourn until November, pushing the bill to the lame-duck session. Find out More
U.S. News
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. Source
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency to prepare for what scientists expect could be the strongest El Niño on record this winter. The order mobilizes flood-fighting supplies, National Guard support, and infrastructure reinforcement. Forecasters warn of severe storms, flooding, and coastal erosion along the Pacific coast. Find out More
Hawaii’s Big Island is under a hurricane watch as Tropical Storm Nolo churns toward the islands and is expected to reach hurricane strength by today. Forecasters warn Nolo could become a major hurricane by the weekend and bring 15 to 20 inches of rain, with up to 35 inches in spots. The islands are still recovering from Hurricane Lowell earlier this month and Hurricane Lala in August. Source
Business
Stock futures slid Thursday morning, with S&P 500 futures down 0.4% and Nasdaq futures off 0.5%, as a bond sell-off pushed the 10-year Treasury yield to its highest level since 2007. Crude oil climbed more than 2% amid inflation worries. Costco and Darden report earnings today, along with weekly jobless claims and new home sales data. 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. Find out More
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. Read More
World News
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. Find out More
Pakistan launched airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan early Thursday, saying they were used to launch drone attacks on Pakistani territory. Afghan officials said four civilians were killed in Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces and warned of consequences. The escalation threatens mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Source
President Trump met with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly and told her elections need to happen. He gave no timeline, and administration officials are weighing a 2027 or 2028 vote while Venezuela works through a $300 billion debt crisis. Rodriguez told the assembly elections would come at the right moment. Source
Entertainment
"Home Improvement" star Jonathan Taylor Thomas was arrested in Westlake Village, California, after refusing deputies’ orders to stay inside a car during a traffic stop, law enforcement sources said. He was booked for obstructing or resisting an officer and public intoxication. He was released shortly after booking. Read More
Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison following his New York sexual assault retrial. The conviction stems from a 2006 sex crime. Source
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. Read More
Sports
Michael Penix Jr. will start at quarterback for the winless Atlanta Falcons tonight against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. It will be his first start since a season-ending knee injury last November. Atlanta has been outscored 54-16 through its first two games. Source
The Miami Marlins denied the Chicago Cubs a playoff clinch for the second straight night with a 3-2 win at Wrigley Field. Kyle Stowers hit a two-run homer and Sandy Alcantara closed it out, while Kevin Gausman took the loss. The Cubs get another chance in Thursday’s series finale. Find out More
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 Presidents Cup gets underway today at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago with five opening fourball matches. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker paired world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler with Sam Burns, while International captain Geoff Ogilvy leads off with Adam Scott and Ryan Fox. Coverage begins with a noon ET opening ceremony. Source
Off the Wall
Fat Bear Week is back at Alaska’s Katmai National Park, and voting was so popular it crashed servers, forcing organizers to extend the first round by a day. Sixteen hefty brown bears are competing, with defending champion Chunk seeking a repeat. Fans can vote through Sept. 29 on Explore.org. Source
