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Grok 4.5Sep 24, 2026x-ai/grok-4.5-20260708

What are the 10 biggest news stories from today?

I'll search for the top news stories from today.Next, I'll check a couple of major news sites for the latest top stories.Here are 10 of the biggest news stories from today (September 23, 2026), based on major outlets including AP, The New York Times, NPR, and others. Stories are ranked roughly by prominence across sources (UNGA diplomacy, US-China relations, and weather dominate coverage). Note that news evolves quickly; this reflects reports available around this date.[1][2]

1.Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for a high-stakes state visit with President Trump

Xi received a rare planeside welcome. Talks focus on extending a trade truce (reportedly by two months), AI competition, and broader tensions. Trump has downplayed some Chinese actions while portraying a personal relationship with Xi. This is a major geopolitical moment amid global rivalries.[3][4]

2.Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian delivers a defiant UN speech amid escalating US-Iran tensions

A day after Trump warned at the UN General Assembly that he could “annihilate” Iran (or drive it “into hell”) without a deal to end the nearly seven-month conflict, Pezeshkian called out the US, saying Iranians have been “victims of terrorism” and will fight “until our last breath.” US and Iranian officials held sideline talks (about three hours), with mixed signals on progress. Diplomacy efforts continue.[2][2]

3.Hurricane Polo intensifies into one of the strongest Pacific storms in decades, threatening Mexico

The “extremely dangerous” storm (winds around 150-155 mph) is expected to skirt Mexico’s southwestern coast as a major hurricane, raising fears of life-threatening flooding, mudslides, and landslides. A separate system (Nolo/tropical storm) is nearing Hawaii, and other weather concerns (e.g., potential East Coast nor’easter) are noted.[1][5]

4.Federal judge hears arguments in lawsuit over Trump’s White House ban on three news outlets

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico challenged the ban as a First Amendment violation. The DOJ defended it as a “privilege” tied to national security. The judge heard arguments without an immediate ruling (promised soon) and appeared skeptical in some reports. This highlights ongoing press freedom tensions.[2][6]

5.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the UN General Assembly

He urged world leaders to continue choking Russia’s revenues and impeding its war efforts, warning of the global spillover (fuel prices, drone tech). This followed Russian daylight drone attacks on Kyiv that killed 2 and wounded 23. Related: NATO jets scrambled in response to Russian activity near Poland/Romania; Trump invited Putin to a G20 summit in Miami.[1][7]

6.Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in prison

The former Hollywood producer was sentenced in New York for a 2006 sexual assault conviction involving TV production assistant Miriam Haley. This continues the long-running #MeToo-related legal saga.[5][8]

7.AI leaders and lawmakers push for stronger global controls

CEOs including Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Dario Amodei (Anthropic) urged the UN to set safeguards, warning of risks like losing control of the future or threats to humanity. Separately, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Greg Casar introduced a bill to ban artificial superintelligence, pause advanced AI development, and create a Department of AI. AI vs. climate as existential threats is a growing theme.[2][1]

8.Eight sailors in the USS Lincoln Strike Group attempted suicide

The Navy reported the incidents amid the carrier’s extended deployment (over 300 days at sea) supporting operations related to the Iran conflict. The group has a crew of about 5,000.[9][3]

9.Other notable developments in conflicts and diplomacy

Fighting in Yemen left up to 169 dead as Iran-backed Houthis clashed with government forces, displacing thousands. A mass shooting at a South Africa house party killed 11 (including a pregnant woman). Trump signed a Greenland security deal expanding US military presence. Moroccan elections and other UNGA speeches (e.g., Venezuela) also featured.[10][1]

10.Domestic and miscellaneous headlines

These include rising US bond yields (biggest one-day jump in some time, linked to rate expectations); ICE-related incidents (fatal crash inquiry in Michigan, mistaken detention of a US citizen); first recorded sea turtle nesting on a Southern California beach (linked to warming waters); and Hollywood business moves (e.g., David Ellison/Paramount-Warner Bros. developments). Economic pressures like housing affordability and midterm polling (Trump’s unpopularity as a factor) also circulated.[3][11]

These reflect a heavy focus on the UN General Assembly, US foreign policy (Iran, China, Ukraine), extreme weather, and domestic institutional tensions. For the absolute latest, check AP News, NYT, or similar live updates, as situations (especially storms and diplomacy) can shift rapidly.

Citations (11)

  1. 1union-bulletin.comNews and media
    https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/national/ap-news-summary-at-7-49-a-m-edt/article_9af59ace-1ac0-5bdf-a477-74960ae54a1e.html

    Backs: “Stories are ranked roughly by prominence across sources (UNGA diplomacy, US-China relations, and weather dominate coverage). Note that news evolves quickly; this reflects reports available around this date.”

  2. 2mankatofreepress.comNews and mediaquality 0.61
    https://www.mankatofreepress.com/news/state_national_news/ap-news-summary-at-4-57-p-m-edt/article_8e0d0b0f-6d3c-51f0-96b3-265ba551c167.html

    Backs: “Note that news evolves quickly; this reflects reports available around this date.[[1]](https:”

  3. 3nytimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
    https://www.nytimes.com/

    Backs: “Trump has downplayed some Chinese actions while portraying a personal relationship with Xi.”

  4. 4nytimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
    https://www.nytimes.com/ca/

    Backs: “Trump has downplayed some Chinese actions while portraying a personal relationship with Xi. This is a major geopolitical moment amid global rivalries.”

  5. 5apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
    https://apnews.com/

    Backs: “A separate system (Nolo/tropical storm) is nearing Hawaii, and other weather concerns (e.g., potential East Coast nor’easter) are noted.”

  6. 6npr.orgNews and mediaquality 0.93
    https://www.npr.org/sections/news/

    Backs: “This highlights ongoing press freedom tensions.”

  7. 7wvnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.76
    https://www.wvnews.com/newsfeed/

    Backs: “Related: NATO jets scrambled in response to Russian activity near Poland/Romania; Trump invited Putin to a G20 summit in Miami.”

  8. 8wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events/2026_September_23

    Backs: “The former Hollywood producer was sentenced in New York for a 2006 sexual assault conviction involving TV production assistant Miriam Haley. This continues the long-running #MeToo-related legal saga.”

  9. 9nytimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.86
    https://www.nytimes.com/section/us

    Backs: “The Navy reported the incidents amid the carrier’s extended deployment (over 300 days at sea) supporting operations related to the Iran conflict.”

  10. 10youtube.comSocial media and video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vQPNlB5y9g

    Backs: “Trump signed a Greenland security deal expanding US military presence. Moroccan elections and other UNGA speeches (e.g., Venezuela) also featured.”

  11. 11npr.orgNews and mediaquality 0.93
    https://www.npr.org/sections/national/

    Backs: “Economic pressures like housing affordability and midterm polling (Trump’s unpopularity as a factor) also circulated.”