Politics news summaries — Page 26
Essential facts and source links for recent politics stories.
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New Hampshire poll puts Chris Pappas 8 points ahead of John Sununu
Democrat Chris Pappas leads Republican John E. Sununu 50%-42% in New Hampshire’s open Senate race, a University of New Hampshire poll finds. The Sept. 17–21 survey of 1,418 likely voters has a 2.6-point margin of error; Sununu was ahead 45%-43% in the pollster’s August survey. -
Kaja Kallas says Greenland push and tariff threats weakened US-EU trust
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland and tariff threats over the EU’s proposed closer ties with Canada damaged trust with the United States. Europe wants to work with Washington on shared challenges, she said. -
Melania Trump says Donald Trump is doing “the best that he can”
Melania Trump said on Fox & Friends that Donald Trump is “doing the best that he can” in his second term, describing him as focused and working nonstop. She said the world situation is different from his first term; his approval reportedly fell to 32% this week. -
October rules shift SNAP costs to states and restrict Medicaid for some immigrants
From October 1, 2026, federal SNAP administrative funding drops from 50% to 25%, leaving states to cover 75%. Federal full-scope Medicaid funding will be limited for many lawful noncitizens unless states fund alternative coverage; emergency Medicaid remains. -
Anti-Netanyahu rally outside UN brings at least 30 arrests
Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Chi Osse were among at least 30 arrested at an anti-Netanyahu protest outside the UN Thursday, before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s General Assembly speech. Around 200 people gathered at the rally. -
Judge's 14-day order restores White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico
The White House said it restored access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after a federal judge ordered their press passes returned and suspended the ban for 14 days, finding the revocations likely violated constitutional due-process rights. -
Senate focus on college sports bill draws criticism before recess
The Senate spent much of its final week before a campaign recess on the Protecting College Sports Act, a bill covering athlete revenue, transfers and media rights. Senators from both parties criticized the focus as concerns over Iran, gas prices and AI remained. -
Newark social justice convention set for Saturday with 200-plus endorsers
Organizers say over 200 organizations have endorsed a free social justice convention set for Saturday in Newark. Sponsored by the People's Organization for Progress, it will focus on coalition-building and voter mobilization ahead of the midterms. -
Trump-Xi summit extends trade truce by two months, leaving disputes open
At the Trump-Xi summit, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US and China extended their trade truce, due to expire in November, by two months. Tariffs and other disputes remain unresolved; Xi urged Washington to handle Taiwan with “prudence”. -
Trump appointee ends preservation review of planned Washington arch
Trump appointee Travis Voyles ended consultation on the planned 250-foot Washington arch, cutting off a federally required review before construction. The National Park Service says the project would adversely affect 42 historic properties. -
Tech executives join Trump at White House dinner for Xi Jinping
President Donald Trump hosted China’s Xi Jinping at a White House state dinner Thursday, attended by tech leaders Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk. Earlier talks covered Taiwan, trade and artificial intelligence; guests dined on sesame-crusted sea bass. -
US-Iran talks follow Trump’s UN threat as he weighs renewed military action
After Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran’s Islamic Republic at the UN, US-Iran negotiators held mediated talks—the first known in months. Marco Rubio said they shared ideas; Trump says a deal remains possible but is weighing renewed military action and sanctions. -
Court pauses Trump media ban, restoring access for CNN, Politico and MS NOW
CNN, Politico and MS NOW regained White House access after a federal judge ordered their press passes restored, saying the ban likely violated their constitutional due-process rights. The order bars enforcement of the ban for 14 days; an emergency hearing was canceled. -
Judge blocks Oklahoma from excluding Jewish group from charter program
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction barring Oklahoma from excluding the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation from its charter program, ruling the religious bar violates the First Amendment. Charter schools receive state funds. -
Xi and Trump stress cooperation as White House talks focus on trade and AI
Xi Jinping began his US state visit Thursday, telling Donald Trump the two countries must avoid conflict. Trump said talks would cover trade, security and AI; Xi called for fair treatment of Chinese firms and healthy, bounded competition. -
Cabinet secretaries sat farther back than Ivanka at Xi's White House event
Ivanka Trump sat with her 15-year-old daughter, Arabella, and Vice President JD Vance and his wife in the front row for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s White House remarks Thursday; Cabinet secretaries were seated farther from the podium, prompting online criticism. -
Stevens bill would let workers in strenuous jobs claim full Social Security benefits at 60
Rep. Haley Stevens introduced a bill to let workers in physically demanding jobs, including construction, roofing, nursing and manufacturing, collect full Social Security benefits at 60. It still needs congressional approval. -
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to block third-country deportation ruling
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to block an appeals court rule requiring a meaningful chance to object to third-country deportations. The ruling does not ban removals outright; the administration said it forced cancellation of a 70-person flight. -
At UN, Netanyahu accuses NYC Mayor Mamdani of antisemitism and promoting Hamas supporters
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism and promoting Hamas supporters at the UN, saying Jews no longer felt safe in New York. Mamdani called the claims “baseless lies” and accused Netanyahu of genocide in Gaza. -
House-passed bid to end US war with Iran fails in Senate, 49-50
The Senate rejected a House-passed resolution to end the US war with Iran, 49-50, on Thursday, despite four Republicans voting for it; Democrat John Fetterman opposed it. The conflict has passed 200 days and killed 19 US service members. -
Angela Paxton urges GOP women to put the Senate seat ahead of candidates
Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton urged Republican women on Sept. 18 to vote for the party’s candidates, saying the U.S. Senate seat mattered more than a candidate, even if party members were angry. She did not name her estranged husband, GOP nominee Ken Paxton. -
Karoline Leavitt says Trump may listen to women more than men
Former Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sean Hannity’s podcast that Trump may listen to women more than men and has “such respect” for them. She cited his appointments of women to senior posts and said he appreciated her criticism of journalists. -
Senate rejects Iran war powers measure in 49-50 vote before midterms
On Sept. 24, the Senate rejected a House-approved resolution to end U.S. military action in Iran, 49-50, in its final vote on the war before the midterms. Four Republicans—Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Rand Paul and Susan Collins—joined Democrats in supporting it. -
Netanyahu defends Israel in U.N. speech as attendees walk out
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday as many attendees walked out, defending Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank and focusing on Iran amid criticism from leaders across Europe and the Middle East. -
Trump TV drew fewer than 700 viewers as rain stream topped 4,000
The White House’s 24/7 Trump TV livestream had fewer than 700 viewers Thursday, while a rain-sounds stream recorded more than 4,000 views and a wildlife feed drew over 2,000 viewers; a black screen with box-fan noise also briefly outdrew it. -
Research group flags 14-day evidence deadline in DWP Universal Credit reviews
The Administrative Fairness Lab says the DWP reviews over 1 million Universal Credit awards yearly, giving claimants 14 days to provide evidence or risk losing benefits; only 21% of reviews find any incorrect payment. The checks are due to expand to Pension Credit. -
Anonymous-source report says NSA told lawmakers it is spending billions on AI tests this year
Two people familiar with classified estimates say the NSA told lawmakers it is spending billions this year to test frontier AI models. No public budget document confirms the amount, and the Pentagon has not commented. -
Bipartisan bill seeks 20% federal tax credit for U.S. film and TV production
Bipartisan lawmakers introduced a bill for an uncapped 20% federal tax credit on U.S. labor costs for eligible film and TV productions, including crew, actors, writers, post-production and visual effects; bonus provisions could raise it to 30%.
