David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart talked about recent political events, including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States. They discussed how President Donald Trump welcomed Xi and the decision to ban some journalists from the White House.
Key Facts
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a state visit to the United States.
President Donald Trump gave Xi a warm welcome during the visit.
Some journalists were banned from entering the White House by President Trump.
David Brooks writes for The Atlantic.
Jonathan Capehart is a commentator on MS NOW.
The discussion took place on a news program hosted by Amna Nawaz.
The topics included politics related to China and press access at the White House.
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The U.S. Supreme Court stopped a last-minute change to Missouri's election maps before the November vote. This means the state will keep using the older 2022 map that some groups have worked to protect.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court issued an unsigned order to block a recent federal appeals court decision.
The appeals court had required Missouri to use a new election map favored by Republicans.
The Supreme Court's decision keeps the current election map in place for the upcoming election.
Some voting has already started in Missouri under the older map.
Democrats and voter advocacy groups supported keeping the 2022 map.
The ruling ended a long legal fight over redrawing congressional districts in Missouri.
There were no noted disagreements among the Supreme Court justices in this decision.
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More than 167,000 pounds of beef, pork, and goat meat were recalled because they were made without proper federal inspection and had fake inspection labels. This recall is part of a larger group of food products, including frozen blueberries and deli meats, that have been removed from stores due to risks of harmful bacteria like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
Key Facts
Over 167,000 pounds of meat were recalled for lacking federal inspection.
The recalled meats include beef, pork, and goat.
The meat had false federal inspection labels.
The recall was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Other foods recalled this summer include frozen blueberries, deli meats, and broccoli sprouts.
These food recalls are linked to outbreaks of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
The recalled products have been removed from store shelves to protect public health.
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Caleb Flynn, a former pastor and American Idol contestant from Ohio, is on trial for the murder of his wife, Ashley Flynn. Prosecutors say he killed her to be with his girlfriend and tried to make the crime look like a home invasion, while Flynn denies the charges.
Key Facts
Caleb Flynn is charged with aggravated murder, two counts of felonious assault, and three counts of tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors say Flynn shot his wife twice in the back of the head while she was sleeping.
Flynn allegedly wanted to be with his girlfriend, Alleigha Botner, and told her he fantasized about killing his wife.
Flynn sent Botner love songs created with artificial intelligence (AI).
Ashley Flynn found texts between her husband and Botner during their 15th wedding anniversary cruise.
Botner ended the relationship after Flynn said he would get a divorce.
Ashley’s sister did not know about the affair until after the murder and said the couple’s children were very upset by the news.
The trial is ongoing and expected to finish next week.
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The Supreme Court stopped Missouri Republicans from using their preferred new congressional map. Instead, Missouri must use an older map for the upcoming November elections after a dispute over redrawing districts.
Key Facts
The Supreme Court ruled against Missouri Republicans’ plan to use a new congressional district map.
The GOP’s proposed map favored their party with 7 districts to 1.
The court ordered that Missouri must use the previous, older district map for the November elections.
This decision came after a long and difficult process of redrawing the state’s political boundaries.
The ruling prevents Republicans from using a map seen as more beneficial to their election chances.
The court’s action shows it will not let Missouri change maps so close to the election.
The case highlights ongoing conflicts over how voting areas are drawn in the U.S.
Redistricting is the process where state maps are adjusted after population counts to decide political district lines.
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The White House defended a recent TV ad featuring President Donald Trump by comparing it to past public service announcements (PSAs) on health and wartime efforts. The ad shows patriotic images and policy highlights and is labeled as government-paid, but critics say it violates rules against political campaigning with government funds.
Key Facts
The ad uses the song "Love Me" and features President Trump with patriotic symbols and key policies like tax cuts.
It aired on Fox News and is also on the White House website and YouTube channel.
The White House says the ad is not a campaign ad because Trump is not on the ballot and there is no call to vote.
The White House compares the ad to past PSAs from other presidents during wars and health crises.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin claims the ad breaks laws banning government resources for political campaigns, including the Hatch Act.
President Trump’s White House launched a 24/7 video channel called "Trump TV: The Essentials Station."
Critics see this use of government resources as unethical, but the White House argues it is public education.
Past presidents like Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt used similar methods to communicate with the public during major events.
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Several Democratic senators have raised concerns that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may have hidden a deal to receive money from a vaccine lawsuit settlement. They say this is against the ethics agreement he made when confirmed, as he promised to remove himself from the lawsuit.
Key Facts
Senators from the Democratic party are questioning Secretary Kennedy’s actions.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the current Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Kennedy pledged to end his involvement in a vaccine-related lawsuit before his confirmation.
There are questions about whether he hid a financial agreement related to that lawsuit.
The lawsuit involves a vaccine manufacturer and possible settlement money.
The senators want to know if Kennedy broke ethical rules agreed upon earlier.
This issue came up during or after his confirmation process last year.
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A U.S. appeals court allowed the Trump administration to blacklist Anthropic, an AI company, for not enabling certain AI features. The court said the government has the authority to do this under a law that does not require malicious intent, especially because of concerns about military use of AI technology.
Key Facts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 to uphold the blacklisting of Anthropic.
The court said the government can blacklist companies even if they do not act with bad intent.
The blacklisting relates to Anthropic withholding some AI features important for military use.
The court cited concerns about AI models either shutting down unexpectedly or making wrong decisions that could affect military operations.
Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered federal agencies and defense contractors not to use Anthropic products.
Anthropic sued the government, arguing the blacklisting was unlawful under a different law requiring malicious intent.
A different court in California ruled the blacklisting was illegal under that other law, but the appeals court said the Trump administration acted under a different legal authority.
Anthropic says it disagrees with the ruling and may appeal again.
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A report found that Turning Point USA insisted that Charlie Kirk speak outdoors at Utah Valley University despite security concerns. Kirk was assassinated at the outdoor event, and the report says the university should have kept control over key security decisions but allowed Turning Point USA to manage them.
Key Facts
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University (UVU).
UVU and its police chief raised security concerns about holding the event outdoors weeks before it happened.
Turning Point USA insisted on the outdoor location, creating challenges for security.
A planned face-to-face security briefing between UVU police and Turning Point USA’s security team did not happen.
UVU asked for expected attendance numbers, but Turning Point USA did not provide them.
The university report says no UVU employee acted in bad faith but says UVU gave Turning Point USA control over important security decisions.
UVU’s president says the university is learning from the report and has improved campus safety.
Kirk’s family plans to sue UVU, saying the event setup endangered him.
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The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent millions of taxpayer dollars wastefully while quickly trying to increase detention space. The report highlights financial mismanagement during this rapid expansion.
Key Facts
ICE tried to quickly increase the number of detention beds.
This rapid expansion led to wasted spending of millions of taxpayer dollars.
The Government Accountability Office investigated and released the report.
The wasted funds were linked to poor planning and rushed decisions.
The report aims to improve future spending and operations in ICE.
ICE is a U.S. government agency responsible for immigration enforcement.
Taxpayer dollars fund ICE operations, including detention centers.
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Sheri Mecklenburg, a federal prosecutor, resigned from the Department of Justice after conflicts over a case involving six protesters charged near an ICE facility. She criticized U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for directing the case and mishandling allegations of misconduct in the grand jury process, which led to the charges being dropped.
Key Facts
Sheri Mecklenburg was the lead prosecutor for felony charges against six protesters at the Broadview ICE facility near Chicago.
The protesters faced felony conspiracy and misdemeanor obstruction charges; the felony charges were dismissed first.
Before the misdemeanor trial started, allegations of misconduct during grand jury proceedings caused those charges to be dismissed as well.
Boutros said he only learned about some misconduct in late April and confirmed improper actions like a prosecutor vouching for the case with grand jurors.
Mecklenburg accused Boutros of blaming her unfairly and hiding information from her about the misconduct investigation and court hearings.
She claims Boutros threatened to fire her if she defended herself against accusations made by defense attorneys.
Mecklenburg resigned to protect her healthcare benefits earned from government service and said Boutros personally directed the felony prosecution despite her objections.
Boutros announced reforms for how grand jury materials are handled and plans to review over 1,000 previous cases involving Mecklenburg and others.
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A new report revealed that Utah Valley University faced several security problems on the day political commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated on its campus. The report said university staff and security relied too much on the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) team and did not create a formal security plan.
Key Facts
The report covers security issues during the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
It is an independent review consisting of 158 pages.
University staff and security let the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) team make important security decisions.
There was no formal, written security plan for the event.
The report suggests this poor planning led to security gaps on campus that day.
The report was released on a Friday.
Charlie Kirk is a political commentator.
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A federal judge appointed by President Trump held the administration in contempt for deporting a young asylum seeker to El Salvador despite court orders to stop. The judge ordered the government to return the man to the U.S. and to follow legal rules before deporting him again.
Key Facts
The judge is U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, appointed by President Trump.
The administration deported a 19-year-old asylum seeker named E.L.A. to El Salvador, violating three court orders.
The court orders were issued in November 2024, April 2025, and July 2026 in a class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit began in 2019 and involves young asylum seekers challenging policies that limited their asylum applications during removal proceedings.
This is the second time the government deported E.L.A. despite legal protections.
The judge ordered the government to return E.L.A., give back his property and documents, and not finalize deportation until his asylum case is decided or the case ends.
The government acknowledged a communication error led to E.L.A.’s wrongful removal and said it is considering steps to fix this.
The judge asked for an update by October 2 on whether E.L.A. wants to come back and the plan for his return.
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Police in Mississippi said that Tasia Fortune, a Black woman found hanging from a tree, was already dead before her body was placed there. They believe she was killed in a dispute involving drugs, and multiple arrests have been made in connection with her death.
Key Facts
Tasia Fortune was found hanging from a tree on abandoned property in Jackson, Mississippi, in August.
Police stated the hanging was staged after she was already dead.
Officials suspect her death is related to a drug dispute.
Jackson is a majority-Black city with a history of racial violence and lynching.
The medical examiner ruled Fortune’s death a homicide.
Jarques Ratliff, 51, was arrested, pleaded not guilty, and is held without bond.
Earnest Lloyd Jr., 25, was also arrested, and a third suspect is being sought.
Police have not publicly shared the exact cause of death or detailed reasons for believing the staging of the hanging.
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Many candidates in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections are choosing not to participate in debates. This includes races for governor and Senate, with voters often missing the chance to see candidates discuss their views and respond under pressure.
Key Facts
In 2026, 21 out of 36 governor races will have no debate between major party candidates.
The number of governor races without debates has grown from 2 in 2018 to 21 in 2026.
For the Senate, 21 of 35 seats up for election in 2026 have no scheduled debates.
Candidates say they avoid debates for reasons like avoiding false claims, differences being too large, or not responding to debate offers.
Ohio gubernatorial Democrat Amy Acton declined to debate Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, accusing him of spreading lies.
Alabama gubernatorial candidate Sen. Tommy Tuberville said debating was pointless due to large differences.
Texas Republican Ken Paxton has ignored debate offers despite initial commitment, continuing a pattern from previous campaigns.
Experts say skipping debates can hurt voters by limiting their ability to evaluate candidates’ ideas and performance under pressure.
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A former church youth group leader in Pennsylvania was convicted of sexually abusing a young boy between 2004 and 2006. The man, Richard Garnett, used his church position to harm children and was previously convicted for abusing two girls in the 1980s.
Key Facts
Richard Garnett was the "games director" at Roaring Brook Baptist Church in Pennsylvania.
Garnett sexually abused a boy in the church basement multiple times when the boy was in first or second grade.
The boy was told not to tell anyone and was told "God would want you to do this."
Garnett was convicted of several crimes including sexual assault and child endangerment.
He was previously sentenced to at least six years in prison for abusing two girls in the early 1980s.
Garnett remains in custody and will be sentenced in December.
The case began after a search warrant was executed at the church in 2017.
Garnett admitted he was attracted to children decades ago but claimed he no longer has those urges.
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A new study shows that more than 1 in 5 older Americans take combinations of medicines that could cause serious interactions. The use of multiple prescription drugs and dietary supplements by older adults is increasing, raising concerns about health risks and hospital visits.
Key Facts
The study used data from nearly 5,000 U.S. adults aged 62 to 85.
Taking five or more prescription drugs (polypharmacy) rose from 31% in 2015-2016 to 35.7% in 2021-2023.
Use of five or more dietary supplements also increased from 12.6% to 16.7% in the same period.
The rate of potentially harmful drug interactions among older adults slightly decreased from 25.7% to 22.3%, but remains above 20%.
Antidepressants, statins (cholesterol drugs), and antiplatelet therapies (blood thinners) are the medications most involved in risky combinations.
These commonly used medicines are important for heart and mental health but can cause serious side effects when combined.
Experts say managing many medications in older adults is difficult and increases chances of side effects and hospitalizations.
The study highlights the need to improve medication safety and reduce unnecessary drug use in older people.
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Senator Thom Tillis said Republicans should not be seen as disloyal just for disagreeing with President Donald Trump. He criticized White House officials for expecting strict loyalty and said it is okay to have different opinions on policy within the party.
Key Facts
Senator Thom Tillis is from North Carolina.
Tillis said lawmakers should be allowed to disagree with President Trump without being called disloyal.
He has supported President Trump in over 90% of important votes.
Tillis criticized the White House for demanding a "loyalty test" from Republicans.
He said his main responsibility is to voters in North Carolina, not just to please the president.
Tillis mentioned disagreements about the war with Iran as an example of legitimate policy differences.
Tillis has publicly criticized some Trump administration officials, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Tillis joined other Republicans supporting a Senate resolution calling for congressional approval to continue the Iran war.
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Some Republican candidates running in close U.S. races want to end the war with Iran. At least 17 Republicans in Congress or running for office have called on President Trump to stop the conflict, partly because higher fuel prices and public disapproval are affecting voters.
Key Facts
At least 17 Republican members of Congress or candidates have spoken out for ending the war with Iran.
These Republicans want Congress to limit President Trump’s power to continue the war.
Diesel fuel prices have risen nearly 60% since the war began in late February 2026.
A CNN poll shows 67% of Americans disapprove of President Trump's job overall, and 73% disapprove of how he is handling Iran.
73% of Americans say the war with Iran hurts their finances, including 59% of Republicans.
Some Republican candidates, like Mike Rogers in Michigan and Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin, are publicly urging an end to the war.
Rogers says ending the war will lower energy costs but wants any deal to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Some Republicans have voted with Democrats on war powers resolutions, but these do not force the president to act.
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President Donald Trump promised to campaign in 35 key competitive districts before the November midterm elections, but he is starting his rallies in Alabama and Oklahoma, which are strongly Republican states. These rallies will attract loyal supporters but highlight challenges the Republican Party faces in less favorable areas.
Key Facts
President Trump pledged to campaign in 35 important battleground districts before the midterms.
He is starting his rallies in Alabama and Oklahoma, two solidly Republican states.
The rallies are expected to have large, enthusiastic crowds of Trump supporters.
Campaign organizers say these locations help reach wider media markets across state lines.
Republicans are investing money in safe red states to support candidates facing voter challenges.
Some Republicans are distancing themselves from President Trump to appeal to a broader group of voters.
Trump’s events aim to energize the Republican base and increase voter turnout in the midterms.
There is concern about Trump’s low popularity in many parts of the country during this campaign season.
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