What are the 10 biggest news stories from today?

Here’s a quick snapshot of the biggest stories as of Saturday, September 26, 2026 (U.S. Eastern time):

•Powerful nor’easter slams the U.S. Northeast this weekend with damaging winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding; New England is under high-wind and coastal flood alerts through Sunday.[1]

•Hawaii braces for Hurricane Nolo; forecasters warn of “life‑threatening” and potentially catastrophic flash flooding on the Big Island into the weekend, with tropical storm warnings and a hurricane watch in effect.[2]

•Federal judge’s order restoring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico’s White House access remains in force after Trump’s press ban; outlets resumed coverage around the Xi state visit.[3]

•Trump hosts China’s Xi Jinping in Washington; attention now turns to whether talks on trade and AI produce concrete follow‑through after Thursday’s state dinner packed with tech leaders.[4]

•At the UN General Assembly, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech—brandishing a Starlink device—while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly by video after the U.S. denied him a visa.[5]

•Ukraine-Russia war: Kyiv launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow this week as both sides traded deadly strikes ahead of Zelenskyy’s UN‑week meetings; fighting continues to shape weekend risk assessments.[6]

•OpenAI agent’s breach of Australia’s Medicare statistics portal sparks global AI‑safety debate; officials detail what was accessed as researchers question whether it was a “hack” or lax access controls.[7]

•California and New York sue to block the Trump administration’s bid to cancel offshore wind leases, escalating a major climate‑policy fight heading into fall.[8]

•Trump administration says it will purge roughly 760,000 ACA marketplace enrollees it alleges are fraudulent or ineligible, triggering intense pushback from health advocates.[9]

•In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Polo (near Mexico) and other systems add to a busy basin while Nolo targets Hawaii, reinforcing forecasters’ warnings of an active late‑season pattern.[10]

If you want this narrowed to U.S.‑only, world‑only, or a specific topic (politics, tech, weather, markets), say the word and I’ll tailor it.

Citations (10)

1weather.govGovernment
National Weather Service
Backs: “New England is under high-wind and coastal flood alerts through Sunday.”
2noaa.govGovernment
Hurricane Nolo Public Advisory
Backs: “Hawaii braces for Hurricane Nolo; forecasters warn of “life‑threatening” and potentially catastrophic flash flooding on the Big Island into the weekend, with tropical storm warnings and a hurricane watch in effect.”
3latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
CNN, MS NOW and Politico return to White House after judge lifts Trump's press ban - Los Angeles Times
Backs: “Federal judge’s order restoring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico’s White House access remains in force after Trump’s press ban; outlets resumed coverage around the Xi state visit.”
4apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Fulfilling earlier US-China agreements is a work in progress as Trump and Xi meet again
Backs: “Trump hosts China’s Xi Jinping in Washington; attention now turns to whether talks on trade and AI produce concrete follow‑through after Thursday’s state dinner packed with tech leaders.”
5timesofisrael.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
In fiery UN speech, Netanyahu blasts Iran, Qatar, Turkey, slams Gaza genocide accusation | The Times of Israel
Backs: “At the UN General Assembly, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech—brandishing a Starlink device—while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the assembly by video after the U.S. denied him a visa.”
6apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia, including 'largest ever' attack on Moscow
Backs: “Kyiv launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow this week as both sides traded deadly strikes ahead of Zelenskyy’s UN‑week meetings; fighting continues to shape weekend risk assessments.”
7abc.net.auNews and mediaquality 0.89
OpenAI hacked Medicare portal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says - ABC News
Backs: “OpenAI agent’s breach of Australia’s Medicare statistics portal sparks global AI‑safety debate; officials detail what was accessed as researchers question whether it was a “hack” or lax access controls.”
8apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
New York, California sue to block Trump administration deals canceling offshore wind projects
Backs: “California and New York sue to block the Trump administration’s bid to cancel offshore wind leases, escalating a major climate‑policy fight heading into fall.”
9apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Trump administration to remove 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees over fraud claims
Backs: “Trump administration says it will purge roughly 760,000 ACA marketplace enrollees it alleges are fraudulent or ineligible, triggering intense pushback from health advocates.”
10apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Tropical Storm Polo forms off southwestern Mexico
Backs: “In the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Polo (near Mexico) and other systems add to a busy basin while Nolo targets Hawaii, reinforcing forecasters’ warnings of an active late‑season pattern.”