House Republicans returned to Washington and introduced a non-binding resolution supporting the SAVE America Act. This act proposes changes that would make voting rules stricter.
Key Facts
House Republicans introduced a non-binding resolution after the August recess.
The resolution supports the SAVE America Act.
The SAVE America Act aims to change voting laws.
These changes would make it harder to vote.
A non-binding resolution means it expresses support but does not have the force of law.
The focus is on making voting rules stricter.
The effort is led by the Republican members of the House of Representatives.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes planned for Thursday and sent lawmakers home early before the midterm election break. This move stopped a vote on a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and delayed possible legislation on artificial intelligence regulation.
Key Facts
House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes scheduled for Thursday.
Lawmakers were sent home one day early before the midterm election recess.
The canceled votes included a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
There was a strong effort to pass laws regulating artificial intelligence (AI) before the recess.
Johnson opposes pausing AI development, citing concerns about losing an advantage to China.
More than 100 House Democrats asked Johnson to keep lawmakers in session to vote on AI rules.
Other votes on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations were moved up to Wednesday.
Democrats criticized Johnson for canceling votes and called for more time to do legislative work.
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Maye Musk spoke about her son Elon Musk, describing him as a genius who wants to do good but faces criticism for it. She also shared her own life story about overcoming hardships, raising her children, and succeeding as a model and author.
Key Facts
Maye Musk called Elon Musk a genius who wants to help the world but sometimes upset people.
Elon Musk was the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) during President Trump’s second term, where he cut funding and restructured government programs.
Elon Musk criticized President Trump online after leaving the government, but their relationship has recently improved.
Elon Musk backed Republican candidates in recent midterm elections and took SpaceX public, becoming the first trillionaire.
Maye Musk said Elon is "a little awkward" and may be on the autism spectrum.
Maye Musk’s memoir, "Timeless," describes her escape from an abusive marriage and struggles raising three children in Canada.
Her children helped her buy an apartment in New York, allowing her to relaunch her modeling career in her 70s, including a Sports Illustrated cover in 2022.
Maye Musk views aging as gaining wisdom and feeling confident to pursue what feels right.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the House will likely finish its work and start a break soon, despite ongoing discussions about artificial intelligence laws and impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Democrats criticized the decision, urging more action on AI regulation and other issues before the break.
Key Facts
House Speaker Mike Johnson said lawmakers will probably end their session and go on recess soon.
Debates and votes on AI legislation and articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth remain unfinished.
Democrats urged Johnson to delay the break to vote on AI regulation bills.
Over 100 Democrats signed a letter asking for a halt to the recess to address AI concerns.
Johnson said President Donald Trump and other Republicans are talking with tech leaders about AI safety.
The House has seen more than 65 AI-related bills introduced this Congress; only a few have become law.
Some votes planned for Thursday may happen earlier to finish before the break.
The break could last several weeks.
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Barack and Michelle Obama announced that their family dog Sunny has died at the age of 13. Sunny was a Portuguese water dog who lived with the Obamas during and after their time in the White House and was known for her playful and loving nature.
Key Facts
Sunny was a Portuguese water dog who joined the Obama family in August 2013.
She lived with the family during Barack Obama’s second term as president and beyond.
Sunny was 13 years old when she passed away.
She was known for being energetic, playful, and protective, especially towards the family’s other dog, Bo.
Sunny was especially close to the Obamas’ daughters, Malia and Sasha.
The family described Sunny as loyal, sweet, and adventurous.
Bo, the other Obama dog, died in 2021 after battling cancer.
The Obamas shared their statement about Sunny’s death on social media.
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Labour held a drinks event at No 10 Downing Street for major donors as pressure grows to limit political donations. The party is responding to large donations received by the Reform UK party from two crypto-billionaires by increasing fundraising efforts from its members.
Key Facts
Labour hosted major donors, including business leaders, at No 10 for a drinks reception on a Tuesday evening.
The event was organized before news of Reform UK receiving £72 million from two crypto-billionaires over 48 hours.
Labour’s chair sent fundraising emails encouraging members to help compete with Reform's large donations.
Trade union leaders called for action on big political donations but did not fully support a cap on donations.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said union donations are “the cleanest money in politics.”
Since 2020, Labour has received nearly £43 million from affiliated trade unions.
Labour has lost more than a fifth of its membership in the past year but membership may be rising again.
Labour’s income from donations has dropped 84% since the election year, and the party reported a £2.6 million deficit last year.
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Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri is asking Republican politicians and candidates to sign a pledge called the “Declaration for Life.” This pledge commits them to support laws that limit abortion. Hawley made this announcement after holding a prayer meeting with many pastors in Washington, D.C.
Key Facts
Senator Josh Hawley is leading the effort to get Republicans to sign the “Declaration for Life.”
The pledge focuses on supporting laws to restrict abortion rights.
Hawley worked with Christian groups to promote this pledge.
The announcement happened after the Missouri Prayer Breakfast event.
The event took place in the Kennedy Caucus Room at the Russell Senate Office Building.
Dozens of pastors attended the prayer breakfast with Hawley.
The effort targets Republican officeholders and candidates nationwide.
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The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would require new cars sold in the country to have AM radios installed as standard equipment. This law aims to ensure people can access emergency broadcasts and local information through their car radios.
Key Facts
The bill is called the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
It would require the transportation secretary to create a rule mandating AM radios in new vehicles.
The bill passed with strong support in the House.
Similar bills have been considered before but did not advance.
The goal is to keep emergency alerts and local programming available on AM radio.
AM radio use has decreased over time but remains important for public safety.
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The U.S. government is greatly increasing spending on military space programs, including weapons in orbit, while cutting funding and inspections for nuclear plant safety. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission plans to reduce staff, inspections, and independent security exercises at nuclear plants despite recent drone incidents at a nuclear base.
Key Facts
The Air Force Secretary confirmed the U.S. has weapons in space that defend against enemy attacks.
The Space Force budget is proposed to rise from $32 billion this year to $71.1 billion for 2027, more than doubling.
A $17.1 billion additional fund named Golden Dome is proposed for space defense programs.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) budget is set to decrease by 8.1% to $892 million in 2027.
NRC plans to cut nuclear plant security inspection time by almost half and reduce the number of inspection procedures.
Cybersecurity inspections at nuclear plants will happen less often, moving from every two years to every three.
NRC will stop leading force-on-force security exercises by 2028, leaving plant operators to conduct tests while NRC observes.
Barksdale Air Force Base, which houses nuclear bombers, faced unauthorized drone flights over sensitive areas in March.
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A strong heat dome is causing very hot and humid weather across 12 U.S. states starting September 16. Temperatures could reach near or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, creating dangerous conditions, especially in the southern and mid-South regions.
Key Facts
Heat advisories are in effect for Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
The heat dome keeps hot air trapped near the ground, causing high temperatures and humidity to build over several days.
Temperatures could reach up to 110 degrees in parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Heat index values, which show how hot it feels, may hit 107 degrees in eastern Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas.
Cooler air in the Central Plains and Midwest will create a strong temperature difference between north and south.
High humidity makes it harder for the body to cool down by sweating, increasing health risks.
Heat waves cause about 1,220 deaths each year in the U.S. due to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Vulnerable groups include older adults, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and athletes.
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The Pentagon has set strict rules requiring military members to meet specific body size and grooming standards to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “State of the Force” event. These rules include meeting waist-to-height limits and having neat grooming.
Key Facts
Troops must meet waist-to-height ratio limits to qualify for the event.
The Pentagon requires “impeccable” grooming from service members attending.
The rules were shared via emails from the Pentagon to Army commanders.
The event is called “State of the Force” and is led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The event will happen later this month.
The guidelines aim to ensure all attendees meet high personal appearance standards.
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President Donald Trump believes that the news media is against him and wants to take legal action against them. The article suggests that he should consider withdrawing from lawsuits against the media, following an example from Thomas Jefferson.
Key Facts
President Donald Trump views the news media as hostile.
He is pursuing lawsuits against news organizations.
The article references Thomas Jefferson’s approach to dealing with the media.
Jefferson chose not to use lawsuits to fight the press.
The suggestion is for Trump to reconsider his legal actions against the media.
The article focuses on the relationship between Trump and the news media.
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Sunny, the Obama family’s Portuguese Water Dog, died at 14 years old. Barack Obama shared the news on social media, remembering Sunny as full of energy and a beloved family member who joined them in the White House in 2013.
Key Facts
Sunny was the second Portuguese Water Dog owned by the Obama family, after Bo.
She joined the White House in August 2013 during President Obama’s second term.
Sunny was known for being energetic, sometimes causing minor accidents like knocking over a toddler or biting a visitor.
She was born in June 2012 in Michigan and came from a breeder.
The Obamas made a donation to the Washington Humane Society when they got Sunny.
Barack Obama described Sunny as loving and helpful to the family and their staff.
Sunny lived to 14 years old and was remembered fondly by the Obama family.
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Two Republican representatives from Iowa voted for a war powers resolution in the House of Representatives for the first time. The resolution, supported by Democrats, aims to limit President Trump’s ability to take military action in Iran without Congress’s approval.
Key Facts
Two Iowa Republican members voted in favor of a war powers resolution.
This is the first time these two GOP lawmakers from Iowa supported such a measure.
The resolution was passed in the House of Representatives.
Democrats backed the war powers resolution.
The resolution aims to limit President Trump’s military actions related to Iran.
The vote came ahead of the 2024 midterm elections.
Iowa is traditionally a strong Republican ("deep-red") state.
The resolution seeks to give Congress more control over decisions about military conflicts.
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The Trump administration plans to send large 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in a weapons sale worth $2.8 billion. These bombs had caused the Biden administration to pause their delivery two years ago due to concerns about possible mass casualties in Gaza.
Key Facts
The weapons sale is valued at $2.8 billion.
The bombs weigh 2,000 pounds each.
These bombs are powerful and capable of causing large-scale damage.
The Biden administration stopped sending these bombs two years ago.
The pause happened because of worries about many civilian deaths in Gaza.
The Trump administration now plans to proceed with sending these bombs to Israel.
The news came from a France 24 report dated September 16, 2026.
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President Donald Trump’s administration has cut or frozen up to $177 billion in federal grants across all states since he started his second term. These cuts mainly affected health, nutrition, the environment, and disaster relief programs.
Key Facts
The total amount of grants cut or frozen is $177 billion.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia were affected.
Major areas impacted include health, nutrition, the environment, and disaster relief.
Grants related to maternal health in Michigan, education research in Mississippi, and minority farmer assistance in Iowa were among those affected.
California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and North Carolina saw the largest amounts of grant interruptions.
The amount cut equals nearly 10% of federal discretionary spending, which is money the government can choose how to spend.
Some courts have ruled against the administration’s grant cuts.
The tracking tool, called Lost Funds, uses data from USASpending.gov and will update as new information comes in.
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President Donald Trump will visit North Carolina to support Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley in his race against Democrat Roy Cooper. This will be Trump's first campaign rally since the midterm convention, and he plans to make more trips before Election Day.
Key Facts
President Trump is campaigning for Michael Whatley, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
Michael Whatley is a former Republican National Committee chairman and was Trump's pick for that role.
Whatley is running against Roy Cooper, the Democratic former governor of North Carolina.
Senator Thom Tillis, the current holder of the seat, is retiring after conflicts with President Trump.
Whatley is new to running for public office and has been behind Cooper in recent fundraising and polling.
Trump’s support is important but could be challenging because Whatley needs both Trump’s core supporters and moderate voters.
Trump’s visit is his first campaign rally after the midterm convention in Dallas.
Trump plans to make many more campaign trips ahead of Election Day.
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House Republican leaders have decided to end the final week of lawmaking before the midterm elections one day early. Lawmakers will leave Washington after voting on Wednesday instead of Thursday. A vote on California environmental rules planned for Thursday was moved ahead.
Key Facts
House GOP leaders shortened the last legislative week before midterm elections.
Lawmakers will finish work and leave Washington on Wednesday instead of Thursday.
The announcement came from Rep. Tom Emmer’s office; he is the GOP whip.
A vote originally scheduled for Thursday on California environmental rules was moved up to an earlier day.
This change reduces the number of working days in the week by one.
The decision affects the timing of votes and lawmakers’ schedules.
The midterm elections are happening soon, making this the last legislative week before voting.
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Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University in 2025. His family says the university and state officials made serious mistakes that allowed the assassination to happen and are planning to sue.
Key Facts
Charlie Kirk was speaking at a Turning Point USA event on the university campus when he was shot by a gunman on a nearby rooftop.
The family’s legal notice claims the event lacked proper security and monitoring, making Kirk an easy target.
The notice says the university did not do a good security check, did not assign enough police, and had no ambulance on site.
Warnings about securing rooftops near the event area were ignored.
The family mentions a previous rooftop assassination attempt on President Donald Trump as a reason the risk should have been taken seriously.
The accused shooter, Tyler Robinson, is 23 years old and denies charges including aggravated murder.
Prosecutors want the death penalty for Robinson.
Utah Valley University said they are aware of the claims but focused on supporting their campus community and following legal processes.
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The House Oversight Committee voted unanimously to recommend holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt for not following subpoenas related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse praised the committee and called for Congress to continue investigating powerful people connected to Epstein.
Key Facts
The Oversight Committee voted 41-0 to recommend holding Leon Black in contempt of Congress.
The vote is about Black refusing to provide testimony and nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) linked to the Epstein investigation.
Leon Black paid Epstein approximately $170 million from 2013 to 2017 for tax and estate services.
Black denies any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Black appeared once before the committee but refused to answer questions about NDAs.
Black did not attend a required deposition and filed a lawsuit claiming the subpoenas were invalid and invasive.
The committee’s chair, Representative James Comer, introduced a new bill called the Survivor’s Voice Protection Act to help abuse survivors speak freely despite NDAs.
The legislation would also require reporting suspected grooming behavior to law enforcement to protect minors.
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