President Trump addressed the UN General Assembly Tuesday, defending the six-month US-Iran war and framing the road ahead as a binary choice — a deal that lets Tehran rebuild, or rapid annihilation of the Islamic Republic. He called Iran the world's "number one sponsor of terror" and declared it "no longer the bully of the Middle East," while Iran's delegate reportedly sat stone-faced. Trump also pushed a Gaza peace framework, a UN overhaul, and told the chamber there is "no human right to illegal immigration."
After an ICE officer shot and wounded 28-year-old Venezuelan national Wilber Rafael Garces Perez during a Sunday vehicle confrontation, protesters spray-painted "Kill Donald Trump" and threats against ICE officers on overpass pilings near the scene. A federal judge has now temporarily blocked Garces Perez's deportation while he remains hospitalized. Democratic officials' near-instant reactions to the shooting have drawn heavy local and online backlash.
Following last week's surprise quarter-point hike — the first increase in over three years, to a 3.75–4% target range — new Fed projections show inflation not returning to the 2% target until 2029. Chairman Kevin Warsh cited stronger growth, stubborn inflation, and rising geopolitical risk behind the unanimous 12-0 vote. Sixteen FOMC members now forecast at least one more hike before year's end.
Trump met New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his own turf Monday, the first sitting president at Gracie Mansion since Reagan visited Ed Koch in 1981. The cordial sit-down focused on the Sunnyside Yard affordable housing project — roughly 12,000 rental units plus schools and retail — along with broader cost-of-living issues. Trump said the democratic socialist mayor has "great potential," a compliment that's complicating GOP messaging.
Satellite data shows Saudi crude moving through the Strait of Hormuz averaging 2.9 million barrels a day over the past six days — up from roughly 700,000 in August — pushing Brent below $100. Trump voiced optimism a US-Iran peace agreement is within reach, while Washington floated a $5 billion fund to rebuild Middle East energy infrastructure and reduce regional dependence on the strait. European officials are pressing for full reopening with no transit tolls.
Xi Jinping is expected at the White House September 24, and reporting suggests he'll press Trump to halt arms sales to Taiwan. A $14 billion Taiwan arms package has sat awaiting Trump's approval for months — held "in abeyance" since the May Beijing summit and described by Trump himself as "a very good negotiating chip." Beijing has reportedly hinted it could scrap the summit if Washington approves the package first.
Trump held his first face-to-face with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the UN Tuesday, months after Burnham replaced Keir Starmer in July. As Manchester mayor in 2017, Burnham refused on principle to meet Trump over what he called "hateful, extremist" politics; he has since invited the president to Manchester. Trump used the sit-down to tell Britain it needs "good leadership" — while seated beside the prime minister.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched August 30 on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, has moved through spacecraft commissioning and is being readied for its science mission. Roman will survey the Milky Way and catalog an estimated 20 billion stars — what would be the largest astronomical catalog ever produced — while probing dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets. First images are expected in January 2027.
Measles cases in the United States have passed 3,000 for 2026, with health officials warning that declining immunization rates are fueling the spread. Philadelphia logged two possible public exposures in a single week, the latest at Philadelphia International Airport. Officials are urging travelers who passed through the terminal during the exposure window to monitor for symptoms.
Trump says the US is working on a "massive deal" to buy potash from Belarus at a lower price than Canada offers — an unusual pivot given Canada is the world's dominant potash supplier and its potash was specifically exempted from US tariffs. The move follows sanctions relief for Belarusian potash firms Belaruskali and the Belarusian Potash Company, granted as part of a negotiation that also secured prisoner releases. Farm-belt fertilizer supply, it turns out, is now a geopolitical bargaining chip.
