Stories

Browse major news stories and see what officials have said.

Sep 17, 2026

The Pentagon’s Europe Review Puts Its First Numbers on Paper — 25,000 to 40,000 of the 80,000 U.S. Troops in Europe, Below the Floor Congress Set in Law — and Eight Senate Democrats Tell Rubio That American Ambassadors Have Been "Excluded From Consultations"

The Europe Force Posture Review, launched in June 2026 and run out of the office of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, is due to deliver a final recommendation to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on November 6, 2026. On September 17 and 18, Reuters and NBC News reported the first numbers the review has put on paper: options to withdraw between 25,000 and 40,000 of the roughly 80,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe, along with aircraft and ships, with Germany, Italy and Spain among the countries hosting the largest affected deployments. Either figure would take the U.S. presence below the 76,000-troop floor Congress wrote into the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which bars a reduction below that level without a prior security assessment and certification to lawmakers. On September 17, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led seven Senate Democrats in a letter to Marco Rubio — who holds the dual role of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor — objecting that the review is being conducted without meaningful State Department participation, and that U.S. ambassadors in the countries that would be affected have been kept out of it. The senators wrote that the Pentagon had sent allied governments a questionnaire covering diplomatic priorities that properly sit with the State Department. The same week, Trump posted that "major progress" was being made toward a U.S. Army base in Poland — the administration’s answer to the drawdown reporting being that forces are being repositioned toward NATO’s eastern flank rather than pulled off the continent. A final recommendation is not due until November 6, three days after the midterm elections.

“Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland.”
Donald Trump (R-FL) · Sep 17, 2026

The Administration Notifies Congress of a $24.3 Billion Sale of 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia as a House Intelligence Democrat Warns It Could "Put the Crown Jewels of American Military Technology Within Reach of the Chinese Communist Party" and Ed Markey Moves to Block a Separate $5 Billion Saudi Bomb Sale

On September 17, 2026, the State Department formally notified Congress of a proposed $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighters, 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and associated equipment. If completed, Saudi Arabia would be the first Middle Eastern country other than Israel to fly the F-35. The State Department said the sale "will not alter the military balance in the region" and that "President Trump has made clear that Saudi Arabia is an anchor for regional security." Its notification certified that the sale does not erode Israel's legally protected qualitative military edge; reports said Saudi jets could be fitted with a less capable software suite than Israel's. U.S. intelligence analysts have repeatedly warned that the kingdom's ties to Beijing could expose F-35 technology to China through espionage or partnership. The notification lands in the middle of a Saudi-Iran proxy war in Yemen and the U.S. war with Iran, and weeks after Trump sent Congress a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Riyadh. Congress has 30 days to object. The same week, Sens. Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley and Bernie Sanders introduced a joint resolution of disapproval against a separate $5 billion sale — notified September 4 — of more than 10,000 JDAM guidance kits and 500- and 2,000-pound bombs.

“Further escalation in the Saudi-Iran proxy war will worsen an already dire humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen and risks setting off a nuclear arms race between Iran and Saudi Arabia.”
Ed Markey (D-MA) · Sep 17, 2026

The Pentagon Owes the Senate Armed Services Committee a Defense Strategy Update and Elbridge Colby Arrives Without One — a Republican Says He Would "Just Sort of Dodge and Punt," Another Says "They Owe Us a Report, and We Did Not Get the Report," and Asked About Troops at the Polls He "Never Once Said 'Yes' or 'No'"

Under the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the Pentagon owed the Senate Armed Services Committee a classified briefing and implementation report on the Trump administration's National Defense Strategy by September 15, 2026. On Thursday, September 17, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby appeared before the committee in a closed session — and, senators of both parties said afterward, did not deliver it. Lawmakers said Colby gave unsatisfying answers on the Iran war, depleted munitions stockpiles and whether the administration has discussed deploying the National Guard to polling places during November's midterm elections. According to Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer, Colby acknowledged he "had heard about some of those discussions taking place" but said he was not leading on the issue and never answered yes or no. Republicans Cramer and Mike Rounds joined Democrats Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly in criticizing the session. Republican Jim Banks dissented, calling it "constructive" and "substantive." Committee Chairman Roger Wicker declined to comment on the classified briefing. The session came days after the Pentagon Inspector General reported "strategic inventory shortfalls" from munitions spent in the Iran war, and amid a broader fight over the flow of information from the Pentagon to Congress.

“[It was a] constructive, substantive [briefing that] answered all my questions.”
Jim Banks (R-IN) · Sep 17, 2026

pentagon

national-defense-strategy

elbridge-colby

6 statements

Sep 17, 2026

In the Middle of Active Measles Outbreaks, RFK Jr. Keynotes the Anti-Vaccine Group He Founded — Saying He Now Leads "the Department That Can Put the Full Weight of the Federal Government Behind Answering Those Questions," as Ron Johnson Asks "Why Don't More Americans See It as Obvious as We See It?"

On September 17, 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a keynote address to Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization he founded and led before joining the administration. It was his first public appearance with the group since becoming HHS Secretary. The timing is the story: the United States is in its worst measles year since 1991, with active outbreaks and reported deaths, and Kennedy's own nominees for Surgeon General and Deputy HHS Secretary had broken with him on vaccine safety under oath at Senate hearings the day before. Kennedy told the conference he now holds the authority to direct the federal government toward the questions the group has long raised. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) opened the conference. Several other sitting Republican members of Congress were reported as speakers. Stances below are relative to the administration's vaccine posture as presented at the conference.

“I have the privilege and the responsibility of leading the department that can put the full weight of the federal government behind answering those questions.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I-CA) · Sep 17, 2026

At a Gastonia Rally for Senate Nominee Michael Whatley, Trump Tells the Crowd He Won't Send Pending Hurricane Helene FEMA Money to North Carolina "If Michael Loses" — Then Says He's "Only Kidding," but Gov. Josh Stein, Sen. Andy Kim and Gov. Gavin Newsom Take Him at His Word

Campaigning for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley at a September 16, 2026 rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport, President Trump referenced roughly $2 billion in Hurricane Helene FEMA funding already delivered to western North Carolina and pending additional money, then told the crowd: "Now, if Michael loses, I'm not sending it, ok?" He immediately added, "No, I'm only kidding. You're gonna get it Michael." The remark, coming a week after Trump unveiled his $5,000 "dividend" pledge conditioned on Republicans keeping the House and Senate, drew swift reaction. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein posted that it was "no way to respond to a tragic disaster, no way to run a country, no way to campaign for office," and pressed the administration to fund the state's $10 billion Helene recovery request. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said he doubted the "joke" framing, pointing to the administration's record of withholding disaster aid from Democratic-led states recovering from last winter's storms. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the threat "SICK" and "UN-AMERICAN." The White House has approved a lower share of disaster requests from states with Democratic governors and senators than from Republican-led states, according to FEMA's own data.

“Trump isn't joking. He did this to New Jersey and other blue states seeking funding to recover from last winter's storms. What kind of leader does that to their own people?”
Andy Kim (D-NJ) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

The Fed Raises Rates for the First Time Since 2023 as Trump's Own Chair Says "The Plain Fact Is That Inflation Is Too High and Has Been for Too Long" — Trump Answers That Rates "Should Be 1%, or Less," Calls the Board "a Bunch of Politicians," and Says He Told Kevin Warsh "You Might as Well Vote With the Board," While Elizabeth Warren Calls Warsh Trump's "Sock Puppet"

On Sept. 16, 2026, the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to raise its benchmark rate by a quarter point, to a range of 3.75% to 4%. It was the Fed's first increase since July 2023 and the first under Chair Kevin Warsh, whom President Trump picked and the Senate confirmed in May. Updated projections showed 16 of 18 officials expect another hike before the end of the year. At his press conference, Warsh said inflation, 3.4% as of August, was "too high" and pointed to a strengthening economy and "hot spots around the world." Renewed U.S.-Iran fighting has pushed gas prices up. The hike came 12 days after Trump threatened to "stop trading" with deficit countries unless the Fed cut rates. Trump wrote on Truth Social that rates "should be 1%, or less," called the board "very political," and told reporters he had said to Warsh beforehand, "you might as well vote with the board because it's not going to matter." Asked about that conversation, Warsh said, "I've got nothing for you on a discussion with the president." Trump said he still has confidence in Warsh. A day before the decision, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett had said the White House would "respect the process." Democrats blamed Trump's tariffs and the Iran war for the price increases behind the hike.

“It’s a monumental mistake. … When the Fed raises rates on top of an energy price shock, it runs the very real risk of an overreaction in driving the economy down into a recession or worse. … It is inexplicable that the Fed and Kevin Warsh do not understand that history. [What the Fed is doing is] ahistorical and bad economics.”
Peter Navarro (R) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

With the House Already Adjourned for the Midterms, the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus Drops Four Anti-Gerrymandering Bills — Fitzpatrick Says "Gerrymandering Is a Problem That Both Parties Are Guilty Of," and Jeff Hurd Says Redrawing Districts Midway Through the Decade Is "Wrong"

On September 16, 2026, the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus held a press conference unveiling four bills aimed at ending the mid-decade redistricting war that both parties escalated ahead of the 2026 midterms. The bills were formally introduced the following day. The package came out of a bipartisan task force the caucus stood up earlier in the year to study what it called "extreme partisan gerrymandering," and it arrived the same week the House cancelled its remaining votes and adjourned until after the election — meaning none of the four bills will get a floor vote this Congress. The four bills: - **H.R. 10378 — Problem Solvers TRUST Act** (Transparent Redistricting Under Stable Timelines), led by Reps. Ed Case (D-HI) and Jeff Hurd (R-CO), would limit congressional redistricting to once per decade following the census, barring most mid-decade redraws. - **H.R. 10379 — Problem Solvers MAPS Act** (Mapdrawing Accountability and Principled Standards), led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA), would require congressional districts to be equal in population, contiguous, reasonably compact, and respectful of communities of interest and existing political boundaries. - **H.R. 10380 — Problem Solvers Independent Commissions Act**, led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), would push states toward independent redistricting commissions by withholding federal election assistance funding from those that decline. - **H.R. 10381 — Problem Solvers COURTS Act** (Nonpartisan Congressional Uniformity and Oversight of Redistricting Trials), led by Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) and Ed Case (D-HI), would standardize how redistricting litigation is handled. Caucus co-chairs Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) led the rollout. Notably, several of the sponsors represent states — New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, California — that have been at the center of the redraw fight.

“Congressional districts should be drawn around communities, not political interests. Politicians in states like New York and Texas should not be able to choose their elected representatives.”
Michael Lawler (R-NY) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

In Two Days the Government's Own Scorekeepers Put a Number on the Iran War — the Pentagon's Inspector General Says the Munitions Spent Have Caused "Strategic Inventory Shortfalls," and the CBO Says the War Has Cost $38 Billion and Will Add Half a Point to Inflation — While Trump Posts That America Is "Producing More Exquisite and Elite Weapons Than at Any Time in Our History"

On Sept. 14, 2026, the Defense Department's inspector general delivered its first congressionally mandated report on Operation Epic Fury, the war with Iran that began in late February. Covering Feb. 28 through June 30, the report put the cost to the Pentagon and State Department at $33.4 billion, $22.3 billion of it in expended munitions, and found that "the munitions expenditure on OEF has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply." It also documented that Iranian strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan — the first formal public accounting of American losses in the war. The next day, Sept. 15, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its own estimate: the war has directly cost the Pentagon more than $38 billion through the beginning of August and is on pace to consume $2 billion to $3 billion more every month. CBO also projected that the war will push inflation roughly 0.5 percentage points higher than previously forecast into the first quarter of 2027, driven largely by reduced oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted Red Sea shipping. The CBO score was produced at the request of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Senate Democrats, who had written that "the administration has not been fully truthful or transparent in its public accounting of the war's costs so far" — a concern they tied to an expected administration supplemental funding request of as much as $200 billion. Both reports landed against months of administration assurances to the contrary. Two weeks earlier Trump had said US ammunition stocks were "virtually unlimited"; on Sept. 14, the day the IG report dropped, he posted that the United States is "producing more Exquisite and Elite Weapons than at any time in our History," without addressing the findings. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the supplemental would wait until after the November midterms.

“Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent. … Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget.”
Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

On Its Last Day Before the Midterms, the House Votes 417-3 to Make AI Data Centers Pay for Their Own Power — Speaker Johnson Says Families "Won't Foot the Bill," Kathy Castor Says Big Tech "Should Pay for Their Power and Grid Upgrades," and Frank Pallone Warns Voters' Concerns Keep Getting "Ridiculed by President Trump and Republican Congressional Leaders"

On Sept. 16, 2026, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act 417-3 under suspension of the rules. It was expected to be the chamber's last day in Washington before the November midterms. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Reps. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), directs state utility regulators to consider, within two years, a standard requiring data centers and other "large-load" customers using more than 100 megawatts to pay the full cost of the new generation, transmission and grid upgrades built to serve them. It leaves the final decision to the states. The bill was the only AI-related measure on the House schedule that week. Polls show wide opposition to new AI data centers: NBC News found about 70% of adults oppose one in their neighborhood. Republican leaders said the bill protects ratepayers while keeping AI development in the United States. Many Democrats voted yes but called the bill a modest first step. Pallone blamed President Trump and GOP leaders for sidelining voters' concerns. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) voted no. No Senate action is expected until after the election.

“[The Ratepayer Protection Act is] the most meaningful, bipartisan step Congress could take to protect the American people from higher prices for electricity. … It is a shame that this opportunity has been missed today.”
Jon Husted (R-OH) · Sep 17, 2026

Artificial Intelligence

Data Centers

Energy

13 statements

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

The Republican Nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner Posts a Photo of Asian American Students Cheering at a Longhorns Game and Writes "The Problem Is Now Obviously Far Worse Than Anyone Imagined" — John Cornyn Asks Whether Republicans Will "Look the Other Way," the Texas House Speaker Says It "Crossed the Line," and Greg Abbott Says Only "That Is Not My Message"

On Sunday, September 13, 2026, Bo French — the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner and a former Tarrant County GOP chair — posted a photo of seemingly Asian American students celebrating in the stands at Texas's comeback win over Ohio State the night before, writing: "I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn't believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined." He added that the scene showed "how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners." Sen. John Cornyn called it racism and challenged other Republican officials to condemn it; French answered that Cornyn and "the other America Last losers are mad that Texas Republicans are starting to put America First." Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, former Speaker Dade Phelan and state Reps. Jared Patterson and Drew Darby — who chairs the committee that oversees the Railroad Commission and warned that the Legislature's trust in the agency "can be revisited" — also condemned the post, while state Rep. Andy Hopper attacked Cornyn instead. Gov. Greg Abbott distanced himself without naming French. James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee, challenged his opponent Ken Paxton to "condemn this blatant racism," and Paxton answered that he condemns "racism in all its forms" before turning the charge on Talarico. French faces Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal on November 3.

“He's an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he's going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments. … I may just leave it blank.”
John Cornyn (R-TX) · Sep 17, 2026

Sep 17, 2026· Updated

Trump Nominates Former Oklahoma Trooper Lance Schroyer as ICE Director — Then Withdraws Him After Rand Paul Refuses a Hearing Over the Minneapolis Shootings

On June 27, 2026, President Donald Trump announced he intends to nominate Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with roughly 29 years of law enforcement experience, to serve as Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Schroyer currently serves as a senior adviser to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and previously led large-scale enforcement operations in Oklahoma under the 287(g) program. If confirmed by the Senate, he would become the first Senate-confirmed ICE director since 2017, ending a stretch in which the agency has operated under acting leadership. The pick, which followed the May resignation of former director Todd Lyons, drew immediate praise from Oklahoma and Republican officials, while analysts noted his relative lack of federal-agency experience is likely to be scrutinized at a confirmation hearing. Update (September 17, 2026): The White House withdrew Schroyer's nomination in a brief statement that gave no reason. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul had declined to schedule a confirmation hearing until DHS provided an update on its internal investigation into the January fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. Paul said he learned of the withdrawal when it was made public. David Venturella continues to perform the duties of ICE director; the agency has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017.

“I don't have a concern with who the nominee was. I had asked them to give me an update on the internal investigation into civilian deaths. And I'm still waiting.”
Rand Paul (R-KY) · Sep 17, 2026

The House Votes a Third Time to End the Iran War, 220-204, as Three More Republicans Cross Over — and the Same Day Thomas Massie Files Eight Articles of Impeachment Against Pete Hegseth, Saying He "Is Breaking the Law and Must Be Held Accountable," Before GOP Leaders Cancel the Rest of the Week's Votes

On Sept. 15, 2026, the House passed a war powers resolution directing President Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, 220-204 — its third such vote, after a failed attempt in March and passage in June and July. Seven Republicans voted yes, the largest GOP defection yet: Reps. Tom Barrett (Mich.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Warren Davidson (Ohio) and Thomas Massie (Ky.), who had backed earlier resolutions, joined for the first time by Nancy Mace (S.C.) and Iowa's Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn. The concurrent resolution does not go to the president; the Senate is to take it up by Oct. 2. Hours earlier, Massie rose on the House floor to introduce eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth without notifying party leaders. The 34-page resolution accuses Hegseth of waging the Iran war for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, defying Congress, causing needless civilian casualties, retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly for protected speech, and — in its seventh article — the "kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader" in the January operation that seized Nicolás Maduro. Because Massie offered it as a privileged resolution, leadership had to act on it within days; Majority Whip Tom Emmer then announced that the week's last votes would be Wednesday afternoon, and Massie accused leaders of "canceling Congress" to avoid the vote. The Pentagon called Hegseth "a transformative leader," and Attorney General Todd Blanche said he "follows the law." The votes came the same week the Congressional Budget Office put the war's cost through August at $38.1 billion.

“It's a publicity stunt by someone who wants attention. … Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job. … It will immediately be tabled, of course. But we probably won't do that today. … It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make the case to the American people.”
Mike Johnson (R-LA) · Sep 16, 2026

PreviousPage 6 of 31Next