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HAPPENING NOW: Trump To Zero In On Iran’s Nuclear Threat As Global Powers Gather

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Former President George W. Bush fundraised in Texas on Monday for Senate Republicans running in key races across the country — with one notable exception. 
The Dallas fundraiser, hosted by outgoing Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), benefited Republican candidates in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio. Noticeably absent on the list of campaigns benefiting from the fundraiser was Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary in May. 
The event raised money for a joint fundraising <a href="https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00953331/1989977/">committee</a>, called Maintain the Majority, backing Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jon Husted (R-OH) as well as candidates Mike Rogers in Michigan, John Sununu in New Hampshire, Ashley Hinson in Iowa, and Michele Tafoya in Minnesota.
The New York Times first <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/us/politics/bush-cornyn-paxton-senate-fund-raiser.html?eafs_enabled=false">reported</a> on the fundraiser. 
Since leaving office, Bush has been relatively quiet politically with a few forays into fundraising for politicians like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and former anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY). Texas Public Radio <a href="https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2026-09-02/as-republicans-plan-to-gather-in-bushs-backyard-his-influence-is-largely-absent-from-the-party">reported</a> earlier this month that Bush told them he had “retired from politics.” 
Republicans are attempting to hold seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and Ohio while targeting Michigan and New Hampshire for potential flips. In Michigan, Republicans believe the nomination of the leftist Abdul El-Sayed gives them an opportunity to pick up a seat in the Senate. 
The outcome of these races will determine what party controls the Senate for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term. 
In Texas, polls show a close race between Paxton and leftist James Talarico. The apparently tight race comes after an expensive Republican primary that saw Cornyn and his allies spend over $90 million in a losing effort against Paxton. 
Paxton’s campaign has been bolstered in recent weeks with about $15 million in support from MAGA Inc., a political action committee aligned with Trump, and $54 million from a PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). 
Republicans are also looking to shore up support in reliably red states like Kansas and Nebraska as polls continue to show close races. The projections have triggered alarm bells from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who spent the weekend campaigning for Republicans in the Midwest. 
&#8220;I’m going to Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa to help raise money and campaign for our very good candidates,” he said last week. “If you told me six months ago I was gonna be having to spend my time in those three states, I wouldn’t have believed you. Those ought to be fat guy layups for us. Now we’re going to win there, but the races are close.”

Former U.S. Presidents Gather For The Obama Presidential Center Dedication Ceremony

Dubya Comes Off The Sidelines To Fundraise For Battleground GOP Candidates

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President Donald Trump is storming back to his old Manhattan stomping grounds Tuesday morning to deliver a forceful message to the United Nations General Assembly.
In the speech, Trump is reportedly set to cast himself as a master dealmaker who &#8220;confronted complex problems head-on&#8221; while the United Nations sat on its hands.
The 47th president is set to take the global stage in the premier morning slot traditionally reserved for American commanders-in-chief, following U.N. Chief António Guterres and Brazilian President Lula da Silva.
According to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4734405/trump-complex-problems-united-nations-address/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFor%20the%20most%20part%2C%20at%20least%20for,also%20believes%20in%20the%20importance%20of%20diplomacy.">plans</a> to hit the podium to speak of his foreign policy wins. The president is expected to discuss his record of tackling world conflicts that previous administrations &#8220;neglected,&#8221; tout his administration’s economic surges, and highlight his peace plans, including the 20-point Israel-Gaza framework.
He won&#8217;t be holding back on the military front, either. Trump is set to defend ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran and reiterate a non-negotiable line: the rogue regime in Tehran can never be allowed to hold a nuclear weapon.
&#8220;He will touch on the importance of Iran never having a nuclear weapon,&#8221; Waltz told reporters ahead of the big speech.
Trump’s triumphant return comes with a side of long-brewing bad blood between the United Nations and the administration. The president has made no secret of his disgust for the U.N. apparatus, famously blasting the institution as a talk shop of &#8220;empty words&#8221; that does nothing to solve real wars.
Trump’s U.N. feud goes back to his days as a New York real estate mogul, when he offered to rebuild the entire dilapidated U.N. complex for $500 million using lavish marble. The U.N. rejected his offer, opted for a far cheaper design, and proceeded to blow up to $2 billion in taxpayers&#8217; cash on a budget-busting project that Trump argued produced a &#8220;far inferior product.&#8221;
More recently, Trump has been angry over the United Nations&#8217; institutional sabotage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-for-investigation-into-triple-sabotage-of-his-united-nations-speech-a-real-disgrace">mechanical mishaps</a>, targeting the building&#8217;s infrastructure after getting trapped on a stalled escalator and dealing with a glitched teleprompter during his appearance last year. That prompted U.N. officials to build a dedicated setup just for the American delegation this week.
The hostility isn&#8217;t just about bad machinery, either. The address comes as the United Nations continues to actively oppose Trump’s &#8220;America First&#8221; priorities. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166816#:~:text=In%20a%20news%20release%20on%20Friday%2C%20High,abuse%20and%20denigration%20of%20migrants%20and%20refugees.%E2%80%9D'">release</a> in January blasting Trump’s border crackdown, whining over ICE deportations, and accusing federal agents of &#8220;routine abuse.&#8221; Meanwhile, U.N. sub-agencies continue to draw Trump&#8217;s irritation for actively bankrolling migrant caravans with cash and supplies on their way to the U.S. southern border.
Trump&#8217;s core message to the globalist gathering will be his consistent message during his political career: national sovereignty beats globalism every single time.
&#8220;The future does not belong to globalists,&#8221; Trump has warned the assembly before. &#8220;The future belongs to patriots.&#8221;
Following his speech, the president is scheduled to go directly into a packed lineup of diplomatic meetings. Those will include his very first meeting with new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and top leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Trump addresses the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in NYC

Trump’s Return To The U.N. Comes With A Warning And A History Lesson

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Homeless New Yorkers raved about their new living conditions under New York City democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 
The relaxed enforcement has led to the appearance of new encampments across the city, including one directly across the street from New York University dorms. Homeless individuals told the New York Post that street life is “much better” under Mayor Mamdani. 
A homeless man who goes by Raymond said, “The past mayor had the police and they just came through and took stuff. Now they ask if we are OK and need help.&#8221;
Mamdani initially halted New York City’s encampment sweeps after taking office, reversing a policy aggressively pursued by former Mayor Eric Adams. He later reinstated the sweeps after at least <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-abandons-key-leftist-policy-as-homeless-new-yorkers-freeze-to-death">18</a> homeless people died outdoors during the city’s record-breaking cold winter. The renewed sweeps, however, remain far less aggressive than those conducted under Adams, who made clearing encampments a major priority of his administration.
Under Mamdani, the Department of Homeless Services, rather than the New York Police Department, takes the lead in addressing encampments. Under the previous administration, authorities could dismantle an encampment within a day. Mamdani’s policy instead requires the Department of Homeless Services’ staff to visit an encampment daily for one <a href="https://invisiblepeople.tv/mayor-mamdanis-broken-promise-on-encampment-sweeps/">week</a> and offer its residents services before the city can clear it.
The Mamdani administration has framed the slower process as a more humane approach aimed at connecting homeless New Yorkers with services rather than simply removing their belongings. Critics, however, argue that the policy allows dangerous and unsanitary encampments to remain in place while failing to address the conditions that cause many homeless people to avoid the city’s shelter system.
Former New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdani-abandons-key-leftist-policy-as-homeless-new-yorkers-freeze-to-death">told</a> The Daily Wire that many homeless New Yorkers remain on the streets because they fear what could happen to them inside the city’s shelters.
“They fear going into a shelter where they’re going to be preyed upon, where what few, few items that they may have will be stolen from them, where they can be sexually abused and physically harassed, and just again turned into a human piñata,” Sliwa said.
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

Mayor Mamdani Commemorates America’s 250th Anniversary

Street Life ‘Much Better’ Under Mamdani, Homeless Rave

curtis sliwa

eric adams

homelessness

new york city

zohran mamdani

President Donald Trump is set to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House this week, just two months after accusing Beijing of interfering in U.S. elections during a prime-time address.
Xi is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Wednesday, where he will be personally greeted by Trump at Joint Base Andrews. The visit is expected to include bilateral talks and a state dinner, with trade, artificial intelligence, national security, Taiwan, and the war in Iran among the issues likely to be discussed. 
This is the second meeting between the two leaders this year, following Trump’s visit to China in May.
The timing puts a series of unresolved disputes between Washington and Beijing in the spotlight alongside a high-profile diplomatic meeting. The two countries are still negotiating trade issues, including rare-earth exports and technology restrictions, while clashing over China&#8217;s relationship with Iran and broader national security concerns.
The visit also comes after Trump delivered a prime-time address in July accusing China of obtaining the personal information of as many as 220 million American voters and engaging in election interference. The White House said the declassified intelligence showed China and its proxies had bought, stolen, or hacked American voter registration data.
In his July 16 address, Trump said Chinese officials had pursued efforts to undermine his political support dating back to 2018, including attempts to influence the 2018 midterm elections and the 2020 presidential election. He said a Chinese policy adopted in 2018 sought to leverage “any domestic and foreign elements opposed to Trump” to reduce his support, force his resignation, or prevent his re-election.
Trump said China also obtained American voter data beginning during the 2020 election cycle.
“Newly declassified documents show that over a period of years starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People’s Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history — resulting in China’s illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files,” the president said. 
The White House said the compromised information included names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party preferences, adding that U.S. intelligence agencies had learned in 2020 that voter data from 18 states had been bought, stolen, or hacked by China.
Trump also alleged that Chinese activities included an attempt to manufacture illegal ballots for then-candidate Joe Biden. He said raw FBI intelligence from 2020 described the alleged effort and that dozens of CIA and NSA reports concerning China’s targeting of the U.S. election were kept out of the Presidential Daily Briefing.
“The reason they wanted me to lose is because they knew I was wise to them, charged them billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs, and built the strongest military anywhere in the world,” Trump said. 
But the election-interference allegations have largely faded from Trump&#8217;s public messaging ahead of Xi&#8217;s visit, with no consequences imposed on the Chinese Communist Party. Instead, the two leaders will likely focus on the broader U.S.-China relationship, with trade and economic issues high on the agenda.
Trade is expected to be a central issue, with the two sides discussing the continuation of their existing tariff truce, Chinese purchases of American goods, and access to rare-earth minerals. 
A key deadline is also approaching: Temporary agreements suspending Chinese export controls on rare-earth products and delaying expanded U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductor chips are both set to expire November 10. 
American companies have continued to report difficulty obtaining some Chinese export licenses for rare earths used in specialized magnets, while Beijing has also restricted exports of phosphate, a key fertilizer ingredient, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/09/17/nx-s1-5971293/trump-xi-summit-china">reported NPR</a>.
The two sides will also have to address trade commitments made during Trump’s May visit to China. Beijing agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft, but the deal has encountered obstacles as U.S. restrictions have complicated the delivery of replacement parts for Boeing planes and China’s C919 commercial jet, which still relies heavily on American and European components. 
Chinese officials have also reportedly objected to recent Federal Communications Commission restrictions on Chinese-made drones, routers, inverters, and robots, arguing that the measures violate the framework for “strategic stability” established during Trump’s spring visit to Beijing.
Artificial intelligence is another major area of competition. The two countries are seeking to manage AI-related risks while simultaneously competing over advanced technology and semiconductor access. Notably, several high-profile executives from the AI sector are invited to the state dinner with Xi. 
Trump did brag about the U.S. being ahead in AI earlier this week.  

“We&#8217;re leading China in AI. We&#8217;re the most sophisticated country in the world and, frankly, I want to keep it that way — because whoever wins AI wins,” <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099155148576542928">he said</a>. 
Iran is also likely to feature in the discussions. The Trump administration has repeatedly raised concerns about China&#8217;s economic relationship with Tehran, including its purchases of Iranian oil. 
China’s foreign minister met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday and vowed that Beijing is prepared to protect Iran’s “legitimate rights and interests” as the U.S.-Iran conflict continues.
Trump has worked to remain diplomatic ahead of the meeting, dismissing a report this week that Chinese entities provided Iran with satellite imagery before a July missile strike on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed three American troops. 
“You know what they say? That China spies on us. I say you&#8217;re right, and we spy on them, too,&#8221; Trump said.
The state dinner will add another layer of complexity to the visit, with limited seating creating a diplomatic dispute of its own.
When Trump visited China in May, Xi hosted him with a formal welcome and elaborate state dinner. Now, the two leaders are preparing for a similar display of diplomacy in Washington, but the logistics have already created friction.
The White House is planning a dinner with about 100 seats, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Y6ria4Xq0Eg">according to Trump</a>, who continues to stress the need for the planned White House ballroom. Chinese officials have asked for more than half of the available seats, in part so Xi can bring Chinese business executives with him, according to two people familiar with the discussions who spoke to NPR. The request has prompted pushback from the White House.
First lady Melania Trump offered a glimpse of the preparations Thursday, posting a video showing flowers and table settings being arranged for the dinner. “Every detail considered. An experience thoughtfully conceived and exquisitely realized for our distinguished guests,” she wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
THE WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER
Every detail considered. An experience thoughtfully conceived and exquisitely realized for our distinguished guests. <a href="https://t.co/MSVh8IY1SA">pic.twitter.com/MSVh8IY1SA</a>
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) <a href="https://x.com/FLOTUS/status/2100603347044585925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, following Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s opening address. He is also set to meet with various world leaders, including those of the Gulf States and possibly Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Xi is skipping the U.N. gathering this year and will instead only travel to Washington for his meeting with Trump later in the week.

SKOREA-US-CHINA-DIPLOMACY

Trump Set To Roll Out Red Carpet For Xi Weeks After Explosive Accusation

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The ultimate &#8220;looksmaxxing&#8221; influencer’s luck may have run out.
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Controversial 20-year-old internet personality Braden Peters, known to millions of online followers as &#8220;Clavicular,” is facing criminal charges on Cape Cod, including rape, drugging a victim for sex, and supplying booze to a minor, <a href="https://www.thebulwark.com/p/scoop-looksmaxxer-clavicular-charged-with-criminal-rape-drugging">according</a> to The Bulwark.
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The criminal charges, filed in a Cape Cod courthouse on September 8, stem from a May 23 incident. The influencer hasn&#8217;t been arrested but was ordered to attend an October 14 arraignment. If convicted of rape, Peters faces up to 20 years in state prison and a mandatory spot on the sex offender registry.
Clavicular&#8217;s publicist declined to comment on the accusations, but the social media influencer commented on a post on X about the charges, writing, &#8220;What is this sh*t? Community notes?&#8221; A community note was then added to Clavicular&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/clavicular/status/2102208329330397217">post</a>, stating, &#8220;A community note is not needed in the quoted tweet as Clavicular has indeed been charged.&#8221;
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The criminal case closely aligns with a civil lawsuit against Peters in Florida filed by influencer Aleksandra Mendoza, who goes by &#8220;Alorah Ziva&#8221; online. Mendoza claims she was just 16 years old when she crossed paths with Peters. After being paid to appear in his viral videos, she alleges Peters paid for her to travel to his family’s Cape Cod pad, got her drugged, and sexually assaulted her while she was too intoxicated to consent.
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Mendoza’s lawsuit claims Peters injected a fat-dissolving substance straight into her face and caused serious injury. The lawsuit hits as the Hoboken, New Jersey, native has reached viral fame. Peters built an empire preaching &#8220;looksmaxxing,&#8221; a subculture trend involving extreme workouts, unauthorized hormones, and dangerous DIY methods to maximize male physical attractiveness. He even pushed the term all the way into Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.
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Peters claims he <a href="https://people.com/who-is-clavicular-11950454">started</a> his journey around age 14, ordering testosterone off the internet without a doctor’s note. He routinely bragged about abusing unapproved anabolic steroids and following extreme diets. That behavior got him kicked out of Sacred Heart University after dorm room raids uncovered his hidden stash, he said.
He built an online following through a forum called Looksmax.org before expanding onto TikTok, Kick, and Instagram, eventually launching a paid coaching program.
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Peters got invitations to top podcasts, launched a lucrative paid coaching service, and even walked down a New York Fashion Week runway, drawing profiles from <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/inside-claviculars-thirsty-tour-of-new-york-city">GQ</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/style/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html">The New York Times</a>.
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Mental health experts have <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/looksmaxxing-viral-trend-young-men?utm_source=gemini#The-line-between-healthy-self-improvement-and-unhealthy-behaviors">warned</a> that “looksmaxxing” advice poses severe physical and psychological risks to vulnerable young men.
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Clavicular

TikTok Star Clavicular Charged With Rape, Drugging Minor

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During the press conference with President Donald Trump by his side, the press peppered New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani with questions about why he was cooperating with the president.
“There aren’t too many Democrats who would roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump. You did that today,” one reporter said before asking Mamdani what the relationship had accomplished. “Do you think you should be criticized for taking time to meet with the president?” another asked. “I think a lot of people see your strategy around the president as curbing your criticism of him. I feel like you don’t often launch personal attacks on him…Do you still think this tactic is worth it?” said another. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1182979" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-2295968954-1.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-2295968954-1.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-2295968954-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-2295968954-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/GettyImages-2295968954-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Getty Images
Each time, Mamdani gave the same answer. That he would “meet with anyone, work with anyone who could deliver for New Yorkers.” 
Trump said he ultimately wants what’s best for New York. “If I had the choice of him being a bad mayor or a horrible mayor, I don’t want that. I want him to be a great mayor. And he’s certainly got potential. Got great potential,” the president said. 
The meeting marked the third time Trump and Mamdani have met in person. Despite their stark political differences, their conversations have repeatedly centered on what they agree on—fixing affordable housing in New York City. 
Mamdani has a proposal on the table to develop Sunnyside Yard in Queens, estimated to cost <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/mamdani-trump-sunnyside-yard-development">$21 billion</a>. “We’ve agreed to set up a new level of that conversation between our housing and operations team at City Hall and the White House team,” the mayor said, adding that meant the conversation would now become technical as the White House team and Mamdani’s team examined the engineering and legal authorization needed to make the project a reality. 
“I can tell you that Sunnyside is a big job. I’ve been watching it for 35 years,” Trump said. “I would say that was a very federally oriented job. You’ll need a lot of federal funding and probably federal approvals.”
Trump also said affordable housing would need to be a major part of any development.
“I know a lot about affordability because I did that housing,” he said. “I did a lot of low-income and moderate-income housing over the years. I think Sunnyside would have to have a pretty substantial component of that.”
Towards the end of the conference, Mamdani revealed a politically savvy move. The mayor said he remembered that, in past conversations, Trump had shared fond memories of visiting Gracie Mansion and invited him to the mansion for the meeting. On the way there, Trump even shared on social media that Gracie Mansion was one of his favorite places in the world. 
“I just want to thank the mayor for the invitation,” Trump added. “I love New York, and this place represents New York. It’s a very important place. The two leaders also addressed their continuing disagreements, including over immigration and the administration’s decision to bar several news organizations from White House grounds.
“I told the president that we are going to have all the members of the press here on the lawn, and that is something that I believe in,” Mamdani said.
Trump responded by pointing to the reporters gathered at Gracie Mansion. 
“It’s interesting because they said they were going to boycott me, but they’ll never boycott me,” Trump said. “Look at all that press.”
Trump argued that news organizations have an obligation to report fairly and defended his decision to exclude outlets he accused of pushing “fake news.” Mamdani said that while he disagrees with the president on immigration, their last meeting led to a Columbia University student being released from ICE custody hours later.

US-NEWS-NYC-TRUMP-MAMDANI-NY

Trump-Mamdani Meeting Takes A Turn Liberal Media Didn’t Expect

affordability

immigration

The White House launched <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4gNgHfZ-v4">Trump TV</a> on Monday after the press pool boycotted covering President Donald Trump, dropping hints all day about what was to come.  
“Trump TV IS STREAMING NOW,” the White House said. “24/7, updated in real time, with top past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration all in one place. Not every big moment has made it on your tv, now it can.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
IT&#8217;S LIVE. 📺🦅
TRUMP TV IS STREAMING NOW. 24/7, updated in real time, with top past moments, announcements, and the latest and greatest from the administration all in one place.
Not every big moment has made it on your tv, now it can.
📲 <a href="https://t.co/3KwWkBZ69m">https://t.co/3KwWkBZ69m</a> <a href="https://t.co/g4v7n2J04s">pic.twitter.com/g4v7n2J04s</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2102172574822048160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
According to the New York Post, the first broadcast was a July 3 speech that Trump delivered at Mount Rushmore.
First, the White House posted an image of a disconnected TV saying, “Something&#8217;s coming. Stay tuned.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Something&#8217;s coming. Stay tuned. 👀📺 <a href="https://t.co/IZSvMR1Glo">pic.twitter.com/IZSvMR1Glo</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2102044890733449541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
Hours later, it teased a video of a truck pulling into the White House with a cable satellite dish pictured on the side and back of the truck.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/eZr8ViTY4t">pic.twitter.com/eZr8ViTY4t</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2102112151330508863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
Trump banned Politico, CNN, and MSNOW from the White House on Friday. On Monday, the White House television pool — Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News — suspended TV pool coverage of the president. 
Each network takes turns serving as “pool chair,” meaning it provides video coverage of presidential events designated as pool events. The networks share the same video feed to conserve resources while maintaining television coverage to all five outlets.
The pool networks <a href="https://press.foxnews.com/2026/09/joint-network-statement-on-white-house-press-ban">issued</a> a joint statement condemning the White House’s move. 
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” the networks said in the joint statement. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.” 
All five networks agreed to suspend TV pool coverage of the president’s trip to the United Nations General Assembly, with no television crew providing video coverage.
Other outlets, including the Washington Post and the New York Times, have joined a coalition to not publish photographs of “today’s Presidential events.” The Washington Post <a href="https://x.com/WashPostComms/status/2102107463969321069">said</a> it was &#8220;joining a collective effort with photographers in other newsrooms covering the White House in a show of support of the banned outlets.” 
The outlets will resume publishing photographs after midnight, Eastern Time.

U.S.-WASHINGTON, D.C.-GOVERNMENT-SHUTDOWN

Trump Just Upped The Ante In His Fight With Left-Wing Media

politico

press pool

trump tv

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) argues that where he’s campaigning says a lot about how Republicans are trending with the American people before the midterm elections in November. 
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa to help raise money and campaign for our very good candidates,” he said last week. “If you told me six months ago I was gonna be having to spend my time in those three states, I wouldn&#8217;t have believed you. Those ought to be fat guy layups for us. Now we&#8217;re going to win there, but the races are close.”
Kennedy&#8217;s message amounts to a warning to his party: if traditionally safe Republican states like Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are now competitive, no seat is safe heading into November.
Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa are traditionally Republican strongholds. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2024presgeresults.pdf">won</a> Iowa by 13%, Kansas by 16%, and Nebraska by 20%. 
Vice President JD Vance did a campaign event for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) last week. A recent Emerson College poll <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6096719-hamilton-leads-marshall-kansas-senate-poll/">found</a> Marshall is trailing Democratic senatorial candidate Adam Hamilton by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6096719-hamilton-leads-marshall-kansas-senate-poll/">two</a> percentage points. 
Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling, said, “This poll finds Democrats with their best chance to win their first Senate seat in Kansas since 1932, in part driven by Democrat Hamilton’s appeal to independent voters, leading by 15 points.” 
Kennedy argued the Senate’s achievements are to blame and that he is “very disappointed” about what the Senate has accomplished since passing the Big Beautiful Bill. “The public is upset about a lot of things. They’re upset about the cost of living. They would like answers to what’s going on in Iran. They’re upset about artificial intelligence.&#8221; 
Republicans are struggling with voters on affordability. A Fox News Poll <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-squeezed-costs-frustrated-voters-turn-democrats">shows</a> voters trust Democrats over Republicans on inflation by a 15-point margin ahead of the midterms. Under the Biden administration, prices rose <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/TRUMP-ECON-AUTOMATED/INFLATION-CUMULATIVE-LIVE/lgvdxlrlmvo/">21.4%</a>; under President Donald Trump, prices have increased 5.5%. In Trump’s first term, prices rose 7.7%. 
One of the biggest burdens on American households has been rising fuel costs due to the Iran war. Last Thursday, Diesel hit a record <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/diesel-prices-hit-all-time-high?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Diesel+Prices+Hit+All-Time+High">$6.40</a> per gallon, up 73% from last year. Gas prices are also elevated, with the national average hovering around $4.50 per gallon. A national poll conducted in June found that roughly two-thirds of registered voters<a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_15dcff3d-45ef-4739-b167-d547844ec229.html"> said</a> fuel costs would likely influence how they vote in November.

Treasury Secretary Yellen And Fed Chair Powell Testify Before Senate Banking Committee On CARES Act

GOP Senator Issues Stark Warning Ahead Of Midterms

john kennedy

kansas

roger marshall

Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney is calling for an intrusive investigation into the holdout juror who refused to find the Massachusetts mother not guilty in the deaths of her three children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan.
In a new motion <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2026/09/21/lindsay-clancy-lawyer-juror-doe-domestic-violence-cellphone/">filed</a> Friday, attorney Kevin Reddington urged a judge to preserve records from all 12 jurors, including juror questionnaires, surveillance video recorded outside the deliberation room, and sign-in sheets for the jurors’ electronic devices, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/lindsay-clancy-defense-demands-investigation-holdout-juror-blocked-not-guilty-verdict">according to Fox News.</a>
Reddington is also honing in on 48-year-old Michael P. Desronvil — the Haitian man who refused to go along with nine women and two other men to find Clancy not criminally responsible for killing her children. 
One vote away from victory, Reddington is now seeking personal information about Desronvil, including his juror questionnaire, probation records, and any record from the statewide domestic violence registry. Reddington’s unusual request also asked the judge to probe whether prosecutors had any contact with the juror and to order an &#8220;independent examination” into his phone records from each day of deliberations, Fox News reported. 
Reddington’s escalation comes after Desronvil <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lindsay-clancy-holdout-juror-just-got-an-unexpected-trump-connection?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Lindsay+Clancy+Holdout+Juror+Just+Got+An+Unexpected+Trump+Connection">retained an attorney</a> who has represented President Donald Trump, as the holdout faces mounting scrutiny from the media, fellow jurors, and now the Clancy legal team.
Attorney Edward Paltzik, who has represented Trump in several high-profile lawsuits against major mainstream media companies, is representing Desronvil, who has remained largely silent since the Sept. 4 mistrial, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lindsay-clancy-holdout-juror-just-got-an-unexpected-trump-connection?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Lindsay+Clancy+Holdout+Juror+Just+Got+An+Unexpected+Trump+Connection">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
“I can now confirm that I am representing the courageous and heroic lone holdout juror from the Lindsay Clancy Trial. He is an American Hero and Champion of Justice,” Paltzik <a href="https://x.com/EdPaltzik/status/2100711456287174755?s=20">said</a>. “Please pray for him and help us protect him.”
He added Desronvil is “safe and sound” at an undisclosed secure location in rural Northern New England, vowing legal retaliation for what he called the “evil people” who have attacked this “American hero.” 
“In the meantime, though, he has persevered and remains utterly unbroken thanks to his devout Catholic Faith. As a devoted father and man of God, he will not be defeated or shattered by the wicked who wish harm upon him,” Paltzik said of the holdout juror.
The deadlocked 11-1 jury was dismissed after 39 hours of deliberations. Since the mistrial, other jurors have publicly criticized Desronvil for being “arrogant” and disengaged. Desronvil disputed those accounts in a statement to the media, insisting he repeatedly tried to explain alternative theories but was “cut off” by other jurors.
“I didn’t have any doubts,” Desronvil <a href="https://x.com/BrianEntin/status/2100734698850849003?s=20">said</a>. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses, and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned.”
Desronvil has also faced scrutiny over allegations involving his personal life, including a previously dismissed domestic violence charge and a restraining order. He has never been convicted of a crime, but the defense will likely argue Desronvil shouldn&#8217;t have been seated on the panel. Reddington repeatedly sought to bounce the juror before the mistrial was declared, but the state’s highest court denied his request for emergency relief.
Desronvil&#8217;s brother, meanwhile, said the overwhelming media attention led to their family being doxxed and harassed.
“My family cannot leave the house,” the brother <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lindsay-clancy-holdout-jurors-brother-reveals-immigrant-twist">said</a>. “They are leaving notes at my mother’s house. They won’t leave us alone, and we don’t know anything. People have been calling me like crazy. It’s crazy.”

US-CRIME-TRIAL-CLANCY

Lindsay Clancy’s Defense Makes A New Move Against The Holdout Juror

jury misconduct

kevin reddington

lindsay clancy

massachusetts

michael desronvil

The shoe brand Converse has apologized after social media users accused the company of putting out a “racist” advertisement.
The ad in question, which shows K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers, caused controversy as critics accused the company of promoting the KKK and lynching.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Converse apologizes for ad compared to KKK, lynching.
Details: <a href="https://t.co/5V78A1PhZY">https://t.co/5V78A1PhZY</a> <a href="https://t.co/4vewFSYNcs">pic.twitter.com/4vewFSYNcs</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://x.com/TMZ/status/2101087656457142650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
“How any American who is remotely educated can look at this horrifying ad &amp; not see a klan hood and the feet of a hanging body…makes me speechless,” one person <a href="https://x.com/NanaSueSpeaks/status/2101137347966304613">said</a>, echoing what many others were saying. 
&#8220;No, you’re not crazy. Yes, the Converse ad is racist. Yes, it looks like a Klan outfit. Yes, it looks like a lynching. And no, &#8216;it’s just a shoe ad&#8217; is not a defense,&#8221; another popular comment <a href="https://x.com/rabbitSZN2/status/2100765192816869830">said</a>.
The backlash got so bad that Converse released an apology via social media.
“We’re sorry,” the Boston-based company said in the statement, per ABC 7. “We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened and we will do better.”
Karina has yet to release a public statement, but followers have also targeted her for participating in the photo shoot, even though she didn&#8217;t know what the final ad would look like. Several users have referenced the original, uncropped photo to defend her involvement.
Plenty of people are wondering what all the fuss is about.
“When you look hard enough, you find racism in everything,” one X commenter <a href="https://x.com/Daearentv/status/2101714307516191052">observed</a>.
“It&#8217;s not about reality. It&#8217;s about the reality that the Party tells you exists,” another person agreed.
The Converse brand launched in 1908 and is best known for the popular Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker. Converse is now owned by Nike.
This incident comes on the heels of Target yanking a so-called racist costume from shelves after followers started freaking out about it.
Photos of the costume, which was called “Kids’ Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown,” showed a young black child modeling the outfit. The costume included a black-and-orange printed bodysuit and hood with an oversized smile and a mini top hat.
The listing and photos led customers to compare the costume to blackface performances from the Jim Crow era.
&#8220;We removed an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment,” Target wrote in a statement last month, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-pulls-halloween-costume-after-customers-call-it-racist-you-have-to-see-it">reported</a>. “It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry.”

Converse

Converse Apologizes For ‘Racist’ Ad, Promises To ‘Do Better’

cancel culture

converse

lifestyle

nike

racism controversy

target

An Amtrak construction crew cut a fiber line in New Jersey on Monday, causing a telecom outage that forced the FAA to pause flights across the Northeast. 
More than 1,000 flights were delayed or canceled across the affected airports Monday, according to FlightAware. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said flights are resuming at New York&#8217;s LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport but remain paused at Newark Airport, New York&#8217;s John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. 
Duffy said aging infrastructure was to blame. 
“The incident underscores the need for additional funding to modernize aging infrastructure to prevent disruptions like this in the future,” he said. In 2025, Congress directed $12.5 billion to address air traffic control systems and boost air traffic controller hiring. 
The FAA’s replacement circuit also failed. “When it went to flip into the backup, we discovered that the backup fiber had a break, and that fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive, I’m told. Meanwhile, we’ve got the new circuit ready to install now,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. 
Some airlines are <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/flights-disrupted-across-us-northeast-185615828.html">allowing</a> customers to change flights without fees, and the FAA advises all travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. 
Both President Donald Trump’s helicopter ride to New York City and the UK Prime Minister’s plane <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c6j9xpgl8pzwt">were</a> unaffected during their travels to the UN General Assembly. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s flight was unaffected as it was already in the air. Leaders who had not yet taken off likely had their flights impacted. The FAA did not restart its systems for incoming flights at affected airports. Bedford explained it was to “make sure the airspace is safe.” 
President Trump’s helicopter left after the outages but still landed as scheduled. After landing, President Trump traveled to Gracie Mansion to meet with New York City Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of the UN General Assembly.

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