Trump Says CNN, MS NOW and Politico Are Banned From the White House; Reporters From the Three Outlets Were Still There Friday
Trump announced the ban in a Truth Social post; the three news organizations say it would violate the First Amendment, and no formal steps to carry it out had been reported as of Friday afternoon.
U.S.
Pennsylvania Reports a Fourth Measles Death as CDC Count Reaches 3,471 Cases for 2026 Through September 17
Pennsylvania's coroners and health department have confirmed four measles-associated deaths this year; the CDC's national dashboard still lists zero, and the two sides disagree over how such deaths should be counted.
Federal Judge Voids Education Department Directive Behind About $600 Million in Teacher-Training Grant Cuts
Judge Angel Kelley ruled the February 2025 directive was arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedure Act, but said claims to recover the lost money belong in a different court.
ICE Reports 50,925 Arrests in August, a Third Straight Monthly Record; Share Without Convictions Rose in July Data
The Department of Homeland Security says ICE averaged 1,642 arrests a day in August, while separately released case-level data for July show 73.5% of people arrested had no criminal conviction.
Federal Judge Orders 30 Days' Notice Before Any Demolition or Major Physical Change at the Kennedy Center
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the order on Sept. 17, two days after the Kennedy Center's board voted to close the building and hours after President Trump was photographed with a placard reading "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED."
Trump Signs H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, After House Vote of 262-159
The law lets the president sanction Russian banks, energy firms and tanker operators, and authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Trump Says All 50 States, D.C. and Puerto Rico Have Joined Medicaid 'Most Favored Nation' Drug Pricing Model
The White House says the GENEROUS model will cut Medicaid prices on selected brand-name drugs to levels paid abroad; the separate ACA cost-sharing proposal Trump referenced dates to his January 2026 plan and still needs Congress.
N.C.
Four Hospitals in Granville, Vance, Person and Franklin Counties Placed in State Health Plan's Non-Preferred Tier for 2027
State Treasurer Brad Briner's office says the new three-tier network will cut costs and protect rural access; a Democratic state legislator and hospital leaders say patients in one multi-county area north of the Triangle have no nearby preferred or access hospital.
NC Utilities Commission Denies Duke Energy's $584 Million Gas Turbine Near Planned Amazon Data Center
Regulators said Duke had not proven the 255-megawatt turbine was needed or shown how customers would be shielded from its cost; one commissioner dissented, and Duke may reapply.
North Carolina Elections Board Votes 3-2 to Reject Unsealed Mail Ballot Envelopes, Hours Before Ballots Went Out Sept. 4
The state board's Republican majority put parts of delayed rules into binding memos on the morning county offices began mailing 2026 general election ballots; Democratic members and voting groups objected to the timing.
National Weather Service Logs 69 MPH Gust at Greensboro Airport as Storms Cut Power to More Than 20,000 in Guilford County
Forecasters issued a string of severe thunderstorm warnings across central North Carolina on Friday, September 18; utilities and city crews reported downed trees and outages into Saturday.
Speakers at Two NCDOT Hearings Oppose 135-Foot Fixed-Span Option for Cape Fear Memorial Bridge; Comment Period Runs Through Oct. 15
More than 60 people spoke in Wilmington on Sept. 14 and about 30 in Leland on Sept. 15, with speakers backing the movable-span design and opposing tolls, as NCDOT says a roughly $773 million to $800 million gap remains on a project now estimated above $1 billion.
Navy Opens Leased Aircraft Maintenance Complex at N.C. Global TransPark in Kinston; State Loaned $350 Million for the Site in 2023
Gov. Josh Stein and Navy officials cut the ribbon Sept. 17 on a state-built, Navy-leased maintenance hangar that officials say will employ more than 400 people in Lenoir County.
Finance
Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Hathaway Chairman; Son Howard Buffett Takes the Post
Buffett, 96, becomes chairman emeritus and stays on the board, nine months after handing the CEO job to Greg Abel.
Netflix Closes Down 4.67% After Wells Fargo Cuts Stock to Underweight and Target to $57
Analyst Steven Cahall cited falling viewing time per subscriber and a thinner second-half slate of original series; 38 of the 52 analysts who cover Netflix still rate it a buy or strong buy.
Oil Falls for a Third Session as Aramco Targets Half of East-West Pipeline Capacity 'Within Days'
Saudi Arabia says it can bypass the damaged section of its Red Sea crude line in days and fully repair it in about six weeks, and crude benchmarks slipped for a third straight session on Sept. 18, 2026, though reported closing prices differ by source.
Paramount Skydance and 12 State Attorneys General Hold Settlement Talks Over Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, Reuters Reports
Reuters reported Friday that talks over the $110 billion takeover have advanced and could produce a deal within days; a court-ordered settlement conference is set for Oct. 14-15 and trial for March 2, 2027.
U.S. Expected to Hold Off on Announcing New 'Excess Capacity' Tariffs Until After Sept. 24 Trump-Xi Meeting, Bloomberg Reports
A Section 301 report that would recommend a 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods is not expected before the Washington summit, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg; the administration has not given a public reason.
World
Saudi Arabia Asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for Air-Defense Help as Interceptor Stocks Run Low, Regional Officials Say
Two regional officials say Riyadh is short on missile interceptors and has asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for help after a week of Houthi missile and drone attacks — though Pakistani and Turkish officials say they've received no such request; oil prices fell over the same week as traders bet Saudi crude would keep flowing.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Says It Struck the Togo-Flagged Tanker Trend Near the Strait of Hormuz; Crew Reported Safe
The IRGC Navy says it hit the vessel for an "illegal" transit attempt; a maritime watchdog logged a fire from an "unknown projectile" without naming an attacker, and U.S. Central Command has not confirmed Iran's account.
Russian Guided Bomb Hits Sumy Apartment Building, Killing 2 and Injuring 8
The Sept. 18 strike on a nine-story block came hours before President Trump signed a new U.S. sanctions law on Russia; officials in Kyiv and Moscow disagree sharply over what that law will do.
Ukraine's Parliament Votes 317 to Dismiss Prosecutor General Kravchenko; Zelensky Names Kovalskyi Acting Successor
Kravchenko left Ukraine days after anti-corruption detectives searched his office, then said he had signed charges against the head of the agency investigating it; the agency says no charges were ever served.
Iran Summons German Ambassador After Merz Calls on Tehran to End Hormuz Blockade
Iran's foreign ministry called in Ambassador Axel Dittmann on September 17 over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's September 15 remarks and what it described as interventionist activity by the German embassy.
Myanmar Deports American Adam Castillo After U.S. Officials Meet Junta Representatives in Naypyidaw
Castillo, a former U.S. Marine and ex-head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained June 11 and flown out September 16; Myanmar's presidency said the deportation was meant to maintain friendly relations with Washington.
Analysis
Unbiased, evergreen deep-dives on the bigger questions — not breaking news.
What Fauci's Released Diary Documents About the U.S. COVID-19 Response — and What It Leaves Unresolved
A 1,141-page personal diary released by Sen. Rand Paul's committee is roughly one-third routine administrative logging; a minority of entries bear directly on contested questions, and a few conflict with contemporaneous public statements.
Eight Months of Mamdani: What New York's Record Actually Shows, and What It Cannot Yet Show
A claim-by-claim audit of what Zohran Mamdani has delivered, how New Yorkers judge it, and what the evidence does and does not license anyone to conclude about the rest of the country.