Sep 2026 briefs
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 30, 2026 · time not supplied
A September 30 order in National Urban League v. Trump preserved the availability of $57.5 million appropriated for HUD's Comprehensive Housing Counseling program while the court considers preliminary relief.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 16, 2026 · 8:04 AM EDT
AP reports that an analysis by Grant Witness identified more than $177 billion in federal grants canceled, cut or frozen under the Trump administration, with effects described across every state and several policy areas.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 16, 2026 · 6:00 AM EDT
The House approved by unanimous consent a resolution holding billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress after lawmakers said he did not comply with subpoenas in their Epstein-related investigation. AP reports that the matter was referred to the Justice Department.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 15, 2026 · 12:45 PM EDT
AP reports that the Supreme Court rejected, for now, the administration's request to allow challenged mail-ballot restrictions to take effect before the midterms.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 15, 2026 · 10:50 AM EDT
AP reports that a whistleblower alleged the Department of Homeland Security is reviewing state voter rolls and Social Security data on a scale experts say may conflict with state privacy rules and wrongly implicate U.S. citizens.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 15, 2026 · 6:36 AM EDT
AP reports that FBI Director Kash Patel faced a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing amid disputes over bureau independence, leadership changes and hiring standards.
Money & Influence · Source published: Sep 15, 2026 · time not supplied
AP, citing ProPublica, reports that Donald Trump Jr.'s planned wedding to Bettina Anderson is being partly funded by a couple that includes Umar Kremlev, a Russian boxing official and businessman. AP reports the couple confirmed helping arrange and pay for wedding-related expenses.
Money & Influence · Source published: Sep 15, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that Senate Democrats blocked cryptocurrency regulation legislation after demanding stronger limits on President Trump and his family's crypto interests.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 11:19 AM EDT
Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled DHS acted unlawfully by taking over FEMA's personnel authority and steering it toward a workforce cut of roughly half.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 6:20 AM EDT
Reuters reports that Trump said he would welcome the eventual unification of Ireland and British-administered Northern Ireland. Downing Street subsequently said Prime Minister Andy Burnham's position remains unchanged: he had said there would be no referendum without evidence of majority support.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 6:18 AM EDT
Reuters reports that Trump said Iran was probably responsible for an aerial attack that shut Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 12:14 AM EDT
AP and Reuters report that Trump asked the Smithsonian to install an 11-foot George Washington statue for Constitution Day, later replace an outdoor sculpture with a 30-foot Washington statue, and create an exhibit and a Center for American Heroes.
Money & Influence · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · 12:07 AM EDT
AP describes the trip as combining official talks in Dublin with attendance at the Irish Open on a golf course Trump owns.
Money & Influence · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · time not supplied
Reuters and AP report that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slowing the development of advanced AI models so safety measures can catch up. Both report that Elon Musk responded on X that Amodei was right; AP also reports that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman supported one of Amodei's proposals.
Money & Influence · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that the Queens house where Trump lived until age four sold for $1.93 million after developer Tommy Lin renovated it. Lin bought the property for $835,000 in 2025 and said he spent about $500,000 on renovations; the new buyer was not disclosed.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that 41% of 102 felony-assault cases against protesters were dismissed, 34% ended in misdemeanor pleas, 10 defendants pleaded guilty to felonies and none of the 12 cases that reached trial produced a felony-assault conviction.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · time not supplied
AP published September 12 photographs of Donald Trump Jr. and his children walking at Dublin Airport after disembarking Air Force One and, in an expanded gallery, of Trump Jr., his wife Bettina and their children being greeted by President Catherine Connolly at Áras an Uachtaráin.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 12, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that Africell announced a $99.6 million U.S. Export-Import Bank loan, advancing the financing beyond Reuters's earlier report of a planned announcement. Africell says it will use the financing for American and European telecommunications technology in Angola.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 8:50 PM EDT
Reuters reports that Trump told Fox News he would be comfortable with Chinese automakers opening plants in the United States if they hired U.S. workers, while opposing cars built in Mexico for shipment into the United States.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 8:08 PM EDT
Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge George O'Toole blocked the Office of Personnel Management from continuing to ask civil-service applicants how they would advance Trump's policies and executive orders.
The Pardon Desk · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 4:27 PM EDT
Reuters reports that British BitMEX co-founder Ben Delo said he would donate £36 million to Reform UK in monthly installments before Britain's next national election.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 4:02 PM EDT
Reuters reports that Atlantic Industrial Coatings told the administration that errors in its work and flaws in the repair plan caused the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner to peel and break loose.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 1:13 PM EDT
AP reports plans for meetings with Irish leaders and attendance at the Irish Open at Trump's Doonbeg resort.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 12:49 PM EDT
The linked case records the court challenge and government's stated rationale.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 12:48 PM EDT
CBS reports that Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilbert Joseph Castañeda, whom a Navy official confirmed remained on active duty, appeared onstage with former hostages at the Republican midterm convention.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 10:22 AM EDT
Reuters, citing Nielsen, reports about 2.5 million Fox News viewers for Trump’s opening-night address.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 8:30 AM EDT
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that August consumer prices rose 0.4% from July and 3.4% over twelve months. Gasoline rose 3.9% during August.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 6:03 AM EDT
Reuters reports that five of 15 Republicans it interviewed at the Dallas convention questioned whether focusing the midterm campaign on Trump would help candidates, while others supported the strategy.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 6:02 AM EDT
Reuters reports that Trump-affiliated No Going Back reserved more than $24.9 million in television advertising across six battleground states, while Musk's America PAC and Trump's MAGA Inc. added $2.4 million and $10 million, respectively, in the Texas Senate race.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 1:07 AM EDT
AP reports that the Trump administration is urging International Criminal Court member states to leave and has sanctioned court personnel. A State Department spokesperson told AP that the United States welcomed the five withdrawal announcements reported over the past year and welcomed more.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · 12:03 AM EDT
Reuters reports that EXIM plans a nearly $100 million Africell loan, citing an unnamed source and a draft release, to support alternatives to Huawei.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
AP found several convention claims false, unsupported or missing context.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that the Trump administration's Census Bureau proposed residence criteria that could exclude some people without permanent immigration status from the apportionment count and proposed restrictions on demographic questions, including race.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
The White House reports four bills signed: H.R. 2069 expands federal spending-transparency requirements to other transaction agreements; H.R.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
Reuters, citing two people familiar with administration plans, reports consideration of Defense Production Act support to expand US refining capacity.
The Washington File · Source updated: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
AP reports that Trump and Melania Trump attended the Pentagon commemoration and that he delivered remarks. Reuters also confirms his speech.
The Washington File · Source updated: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
Two sources told Reuters that Saudi Arabia requested help against the Houthis in September 10 calls. They said Washington declined direct military action for now but offered intelligence sharing and targeting assistance.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
The White House published a Rosh Hashanah greeting from Trump and the first lady. It includes stated commitments to religious liberty and addressing antisemitism.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
Executive Order 14427 revises energy-related Defense Production Act delegations, including independent authority for the Interior and Energy secretaries and a process for resolving energy disputes.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
DOJ says an August 20 removal order for Nazira Haji Zada was unsealed September 11 after her removal. It says Blanche certified the July 15 application, and that Zada, represented by counsel, conceded the statutory terrorism ground and waived appeal.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 11, 2026 · time not supplied
A primary court filing shows that the IRS and Treasury noticed an appeal to the Eleventh Circuit from the July 13 order in the tax-disclosure lawsuit brought by Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and the Trump Organization.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 9:20 PM EDT
Live coverage reports his speech ended by 21:20 EDT.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 8:16 PM EDT
Reuters reports that Fox broadcast Laura Ingraham’s interview with Trump on Thursday. He defended his decision to go to war with Iran.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 6:43 PM EDT
Bessent said an unnamed large bank would face sanctions on Monday, September 14, as part of pressure on Iran.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 5:56 PM EDT
DiGenova confirmed his departure to Reuters. The Florida-based inquiry had produced no charges.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 2:45 PM EDT
Carney said he recently discussed Ukraine and Iran with Trump in multiple conversations.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 12:56 PM EDT
States and voting organizations challenged the rule. The First Circuit denied a stay, finding the government unlikely to prevail on the Elections Clause issue.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 12:49 PM EDT
Krishnamoorthi sought action on reported driver disengagement.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 12:37 PM EDT
A new complaint alleges private contacts undermined public participation in the Fed’s capital-rule process.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 12:35 PM EDT
September 10 reporting describes SpaceX’s suit against disclosure of tax-incentive records.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 11:22 AM EDT
Reuters reports a proposal to remove the 60-day window for some visa holders to find another sponsor after losing employment.
Courts & Power · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · 10:30 AM EDT
The Supreme Court suspended a federal ruling allowing Missouri’s 2025 map. State officials said the 2022 boundaries would be used.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
Campaign Legal Center requested an investigation into disclosed payments from Trump, alleging possible salary supplementation.
The Washington File · Source updated: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
Reuters updated its report on a proposed census restricted to citizens and permanent residents.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
The White House says Trump signed legislation authorizing a Medal of Honor commemorative work on the National Mall.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
The September 10 release promotes Trump’s proposed $5,000 payment per adult U.S. citizen, conditional on Republicans retaining both chambers of Congress.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
The White House announced $500 refunds for nearly one million eligible unsubsidized federal-exchange enrollees, with mailing planned for October.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
A California appeal upheld an investigatory subpoena concerning alleged unequal treatment and retaliation. The defendant is SpaceX.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
Common Cause and Michael Khalili filed a challenge to alleged intimidation and misuse of observers’ information.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
CREW alleges misuse of the Judgment Fund, citing the attempted Anti-Weaponization Fund and other settlements. Its new paper proposes disclosure and independent review requirements.
The Washington File · Source published: Sep 10, 2026 · time not supplied
AP confirmed the address ended. Newly retrieved AFP pool reports place Trump's stage arrival at 22:08 ET, the start of speaking at 22:09 ET and the end at 22:35 ET on September 10.