Monday, Sept. 21
U.S. proposes AI incident alert system ahead of talks with China
On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during weekend discussions with China, the U.S. proposed a new “notification mechanism” targeted toward artificial intelligence incidents that threaten national security, according to the Associated Press.
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump ignores calls to slow AI development in the U.S. He claims slowing down allows Chinese AI companies to catch up to U.S. ones, according to the AP.
The weekend discussions laid the groundwork for a series of talks between Trump and China’s President, Xi Jinping, on Thursday in Washington, D.C., according to the AP.
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Trump announces meeting between U.S., Iran shortly after threatening Iran
Trump announced Tuesday he sent his chief envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to meet with Iranian officials. During his address to the U.N. General Assembly, Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal is not reached by the two countries, the AP reported.
Trump provided few details on the talks, while Witkoff posted on X he was hopeful the effort between the two countries “will prove constructive and promising,” according to the AP.
Trump said in his address that a deal could be made with Iran which would allow it to rebuild, or he could “annihilate” the country, according to the AP.
Wednesday, Sept. 23
Rural voters share opinions on Trump as midterms approach
A survey done by KFF Health News and the AP showed that ahead of the midterm elections, many rural voters are unsatisfied with Trump’s performance, especially considering the economy, according to the AP.
KFF polled over 2,000 rural voters and found over half believed the economy is worse off now than at the beginning of Trump’s second term. The cost of gas, groceries and healthcare are main concerns for the voter base.
Some Republican voters shared they are considering not voting in the midterm elections. That decision could negatively impact Trump’s Republican Party, as rural voters have traditionally voted Republican and have been a support base for Trump, according to the AP.
Thursday, Sept. 24
Judge orders Trump to lift White House ban on 3 U.S. news outlets
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered Trump to "immediately return, reinstate and restore” the press credentials of CNN, MS NOW and Politico after Trump banned them from the White House days earlier, the AP reported.
Journalists from the three outlets were initially denied entry to the White House Thursday morning, and it took over two hours for the Secret Service to reinstate their access following Kelly’s order.
Although their access was reinstated, CNN and MS NOW both reported not having access to a state dinner on Thursday welcoming the arrival of Xi to the White House, according to the AP.
Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday. He gave both parties until Oct. 5 to file arguments as to whether he should rule a preliminary injunction, which is a more permanent order, according to the AP.
Friday, Sept. 25
Trump, Xi meet for high-stakes talks
Trump met with Xi on Thursday to discuss issues such as the Iran war, trade and AI, according to the AP.
Trump indicated he wanted Xi’s visit to be impressive, ensuring the new helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn of the White House was completed. Trump spoke of his great friendship with Xi, who also commented on the mutual interests of the two nations, according to the AP.
Xi issued a warning that the two countries should avoid the Thucydides trap, which is when a rising power threatens to displace a current one, often resulting in war, according to the AP. On Wednesday, the two agreed to extend a one-year-long trade truce by two months.
Sunday, Sept. 27
Supreme Court allows Trump’s revamped voter eligibility database
The Supreme Court lifted restrictions on Trump’s controversial federal voter database on Friday, according to the AP.
The emergency order allows states to use the Department of Homeland Security's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, or SAVE. The program determines the eligibility of voters, but received scrutiny over the use of personal data and for occasionally flagging eligible voters as noncitizens, according to the AP.
The state’s use of SAVE is voluntary, which limits the ruling’s impact on the midterm elections, the AP reported.
