TODAY'S NEWS, September 17-18, 2026

IN POLITICAL NEWSNew Hampshire: Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned after acknowledging three judicial-conduct violations involving hiring practices and a female staffer.Jon Kyl: Former Republican Arizona Senator Jon Kyl died at 84. He served two separate periods in the Senate and later became a key figure in Arizona politics.Fraud enforcement: The House voted to make the federal Fraud Enforcement Division permanent, with some Democrats joining Republicans.Elections: Chris Pappas reportedly cut his advertising in New Hampshire, while an anti-Trump Detroit newspaper endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan.Public lands: Trump signed orders expanding access to federal lands for hunting and fishing and reversing some Biden-era restrictions.ActBlue: A woman alleged that her deceased mother's bank accounts showed unexplained “micro withdrawals” and political donations to ActBlue.Voter-fraud cases: Multiple new cases were reported, including seven arrests in Texas, a Russian national sentenced for registration fraud, a Colorado man accused of voting twice, an alleged illegal-voting case involving a Louisiana mayor, and six additional federal charges in California, Kansas and Louisiana.Missouri: A prosecutor reportedly died by suicide inside a courtroom.Threat against Trump: A Kansas man was arrested over alleged threats to kill President Trump and Ben Shapiro.Los Angeles County: The county reportedly experienced the largest population decline of any U.S. county.IN AI NEWSData centers: The House overwhelmingly passed legislation requiring data centers to cover their own energy costs, described as “Bring Your Own Energy.”AI safety: OpenAI disclosed six additional incidents involving reportedly concerning AI behavior. The roundup questions whether some industry safety concerns could also encourage regulatory structures that favor established companies.Students and AI: Universities are warning about “cognitive surrender,” where students become overly willing to accept AI-generated answers without independent evaluation.U.S.-China competition: China is reportedly applying elements of the Soviet Union’s Cold War strategy to its effort to close the U.S. AI lead.AI cybersecurity: Anthropic’s Claude was reportedly used in an attempt to break into ChatGPT, highlighting emerging AI-on-AI security risks.Drug manufacturing: Anthropic is reportedly exploring entry into pharmaceutical manufacturing, prompting concerns about the expansion of AI companies into sensitive industries.IN ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIEN NEWSBorder releases: Border Patrol reportedly recorded zero illegal releases into the United States for the 16th consecutive month.Indiana: A five-day ICE operation resulted in 426 arrests, according to the cited report.IN CULTURAL NEWSFamily relationships: Ryan Burge’s latest analysis finds that most parents and adult children generally get along, although evangelical parents and their children show a roughly 25-point gap over whether parents adequately prepared their children for adulthood.Peter Max: Counterculture-era artist Peter Max died at 88.Young men and marriage: A cited analysis says nearly three-quarters of young men want to marry but often lack traditional guidance or preparation for marriage.History: The roundup highlights Larry’s review of the 2005 Civil War book Retreat from Gettysburg.Kennedy Center: Trump and the Kennedy Center board say the building requires major repairs, while preservation groups are seeking continued operation and have asked a federal judge to place the institution into receivership. The political dispute over the center’s future remains unresolved.IN ECONOMIC NEWSJobless claims: Weekly unemployment claims reportedly fell to their lowest level in 57 years.Venezuela: Venezuela plans to move roughly $4 billion in gold from the Bank of England to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.Toys “R” Us: The retailer plans to open 150 new stores, targeting the growing “kidult” market of adults who remain interested in toys and collectibles.Federal Reserve:</strong