September 20, 2026 6:54 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump ran for office a decade ago, he called China a menace to the U.S. economy. Today, the Republican president had changed his tune. He’s playing down the impact that Beijing has on trade, artificial intelligence and other issues. His new strategy of currying favor with China’s Xi Jinping has helped undermine traditional U.S. economic and national security alliances. Xi will be in Washington for a state dinner Thursday. Meanwhile, other Western leaders have found themselves trying to shore up their economic ties with China, too. Trump’s focus on having a good relationship with Xi has left experts questioning whether the U.S. is adequately positioning itself to compete against China.
September 20, 2026 6:56 am
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to meet to deepen economic and security ties on the North Atlantic archipelago of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Macron arrived in the French territory on Saturday. He emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral ties. Carney recently embraced the idea of Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member. This move comes as Canada seeks to reduce dependence on the U.S. Macron also aims to secure oil and gas supplies amid global market disruptions. The leaders will discuss partnerships in aerospace, energy, and advanced technologies on Sunday.
September 20, 2026 7:00 am
Russian officials say Ukrainian forces launched over 1,000 drones at Russia, including hundreds targeting Moscow. Moscow’s mayor described Sunday’s attack as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital. The attack killed two people and wounded 20, while also damaging a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack aimed to hit oil and logistics facilities to pressure Russia’s economy. This occurred during Russia’s parliamentary elections, which lack opposition to President Vladimir Putin. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones across Russia and Crimea on Sunday.
September 20, 2026 6:58 am
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea, according to South Korea’s military. The launch on Sunday came two days after North Korea threatened to bolster its nuclear capabilities in response to U.S. hostilities. The missile flew about 450 kilometers toward the North’s eastern waters. Hours later, another projectile was launched, but details are unclear. South Korea has boosted its surveillance and is exchanging information with the U.S. and Japan. The launches follow a series of weapons tests by North Korea, even after the U.S. scaled back a military exercise with South Korea. North Korea’s actions continue to heighten tensions in the region.
September 20, 2026 6:52 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico have been denied access to the White House. Reporters from the two cable networks both went live to report they’d been barred following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump. The actions escalated Trump’s long-running efforts to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable. It’s the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump said Friday he would ban both organizations and also Politico, because of their coverage — which he called “fake news.” Politico said its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry to the White House and had her badge confiscated.
September 19, 2026 4:32 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has a deal with Denmark to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland. The announcement Friday comes after months of threatening to take the island by force from the NATO ally. The agreement also keeps the Arctic territory in Denmark’s hands. Trump says in a social media post that the agreement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.” The office of Denmark’s prime minister says the deal will be signed by all three governments next week during the United Nations General Assembly, but parliamentary action is still needed by the Danish and Greenland governments.
September 19, 2026 4:28 am

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatens that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow. Trump wrote on his social media site Friday that effective immediately, “I am banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico “from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” It is the administration’s latest test of constitutional First Amendment protections.
September 19, 2026 4:26 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced that all 50 states will join a program to provide Most Favored Nation pricing for some Medicaid drugs. The administration claims this plan, called the Medicaid “GENEROUS” model, will save billions on prescription drug costs. Last year, Trump signed an executive order to pay the same price for medications as the lowest-paying nation. The White House estimated these deals could save $529 billion over 10 years. However, details of the deals remain unclear, raising questions about the true savings. The announcement comes as cost-of-living issues are a major concern for voters.
September 19, 2026 4:24 am
COMSTOCK, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration has started building the border wall in the Big Bend region of west Texas. This marks the first major construction in an area where the plans have faced heavy opposition. Customs and Border Protection has doubled the pace of construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. In the Big Bend region, landowners, environmental groups, and ranchers oppose the construction, arguing the area isn’t a high-traffic zone for illegal immigration. The agency is building an average of 12 miles of barriers a week. Activists say they’ll continue to fight against the wall-building plans.
September 19, 2026 4:22 am
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s power grid has collapsed, leaving millions of people across the island without electricity. The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced the blackout on its official X account without mentioning the cause and added that officials had begun “activating service-restoration protocols.” Power grid collapses have become increasingly common over the past two years because of the severe economic crisis gripping the island. They have worsened since January, after the United States imposed an energy blockade aimed at forcing a change in Cuba’s political system. The two most recent nationwide blackouts occurred in early August, following others in July and March, as well as several regional outages.