Trump administration starts sending $500 Obamacare refund checks — who stands to benefit

CNBC - Sep 30, 2026

The refunds come after millions of people lost premium subsidies for their health insurance and right before the midterm elections.

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Trump to unveil $200 billion investment in US projects by S. Korea, White House says
Sep 30, 2026
Trump to unveil $200 billion investment in US projects by S. Korea, White House says

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will announce on Wednesday plans for South Korea to invest $200 billion in U.S. projects, including $54 billion to build the long-planned Alaska liquefied natural gas project, a White House official said. The announcement will detail the first major projects under a broader $350 billion strategic investment package South Korea made as part of a trade agreement with Washington last year. The $350 billion package includes $150 billion for shipbuilding and $200 billion for strategic investments. The White House official said the investments would include the Alaska LNG pipeline project, eight large-scale nuclear power plants and a 6-gigawatt power generation facility in Texas. The announcement would be part of a series of economic and investment deals Trump is highlighting ahead of November's midterm elections, as he seeks to reinforce his economic record amid voter concerns over the Iran war and high gasoline prices. The Alaska LNG project also comes as Republicans seek to retain incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan who faces Democrat Mary Peltola. "Today, P

Republican committee chief urges 'heightened vigilance' over S. Korea-China ties: report
Sep 30, 2026
Republican committee chief urges 'heightened vigilance' over S. Korea-China ties: report

WASHINGTON — The Republican chair of the congressional committee on U.S.-China competition has called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to maintain "heightened" vigilance over the warming relationship between Seoul and Beijing, which he said poses "significant risks" to the United States, a report said Wednesday. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), chairman of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party, sent the letter, citing deepening leader-level relations between Seoul and Beijing, South Korean semiconductor investment in China and "unfair" treatment of U.S. firms in Korea compared with Chinese rivals, according to Reuters. Moolenaar portrayed South Korea as a "major American ally" but pointed out the "potential for frictions to develop into a structural shift in Seoul's alignment." He expressed concerns over what he called the "unprecedented" pace of leader-level engagement between Seoul and Beijing, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping visited South Korea for the first time in 11 years last year, and that South Korean President Lee

What to know about the terrifying FlyDubai flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia
Sep 30, 2026
What to know about the terrifying FlyDubai flight forced to land in Saudi Arabia

One pilot stabs another as he attempts to take control of a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel with the aim of crashing it, according to Israel's prime minister. Passengers, many of whom are Israelis, fear for their lives as the FlyDubai aircraft loses half its altitude in about a minute. As Israel scrambles fighter jets out of concern for a possible hijacking, a passenger and crew member break into the cockpit to subdue the attacker and other crew members gain control of the aircraft, which lands safely in Saudi Arabia. The terrifying incident on Wednesday occurred just days before the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that launched the war in Gaza. It has rekindled anxieties about airline security and focused attention on an unsettling question: Are pilots a significant threat to the flying public's safety? Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about what happened on FlyDubai flight FZ1073: A fight, an alert and a rapid descent The distress call came at 8:44 a.m. local time, about two and a half hours after the flight with about 170 passengers left Du

US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete
Sep 30, 2026
US military says its withdrawal of troops from Iraq is complete

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military announced Wednesday that it completed the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to fight the Islamic State group. The last U.S. troops left an air base in northern Iraq under a deal between Baghdad and Washington. The withdrawal, agreed on two years ago, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing war between the United States and Iran that has also sometimes spilled over into Iraq, with Iran-backed militias firing on U.S. troops and the U.S. striking the groups' strongholds. In recent years, Washington has appeared to seek to shift its focus from the Middle East toward Asia, but that shift has been inconsistent, with the Pentagon alternating between reducing its Mideast presence and then finding itself engaging in new conflicts — including the ongoing war in Iran. Baghdad touted the end of the U.S. mission as a sign of the country's increasing strength and sovereignty. The withdrawal was also celebrated by Iran-backed groups but raised concerns among some other Iraqis, particularly in the Kurdish region, where many fear a res

Pilot carrying Israelis stabbed co-pilot, apparently tried to crash: Netanyahu
Sep 30, 2026
Pilot carrying Israelis stabbed co-pilot, apparently tried to crash: Netanyahu

TEL AVIV, Israel — A pilot on a flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel stabbed another pilot Wednesday and then apparently tried to crash the jetliner carrying around 170 people, Israel's prime minister said. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia. As some passengers screamed, the FlyDubai flight issued an emergency alert and abruptly descended thousands of feet (meters). Israel scrambled warplanes amid concerns about a possible hijacking. As a plane carrying passengers from the flight landed Wednesday evening in Israel, it was not clear what motivated the attack. Video footage circulating on social media and reviewed by The Associated Press showed two men on the plane's floor, bloodied and wounded. Two people appeared to be providing medical treatment, while two others guarded the cockpit. “We are guarding the pilot,” one person said in Hebrew. In another video, passengers wept and cried out as the aircraft shook. Those who intervened “saved many lives and prevented a major disaster,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya

US inflation rises below expectations in August; consumer spending robust
Sep 30, 2026
US inflation rises below expectations in August; consumer spending robust

WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation increased less than expected in August and price pressures were more moderate in the prior month than previously reported, likely reducing the urgency for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again in October. Another rate hike this year, however, remains on the table as the report from the Commerce Department on Wednesday showed consumer spending surging last month. The economy so far appears to be holding up despite headwinds from the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has raised energy prices, with diesel prices at record highs. Financial markets knocked down bets for a rate increase next month. "The less-than-feared price data for August may buy the Fed time to await more data and pass on October 28, but still-elevated inflation and a resilient consumer and economy point to another rate hike by year-end," said Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. The Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index rose 0.3 percent last month after a downwardly revised 0.1 percent gain in July, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis s

S&P 500, Nasdaq advance as soft inflation tempers Fed rate-hike bets
Sep 30, 2026
S&P 500, Nasdaq advance as soft inflation tempers Fed rate-hike bets

The Nasdaq jumped more than 1 percent on Wednesday, leading gains among Wall Street's main indexes, as a softer-than-anticipated inflation reading buoyed hopes that the Federal Reserve might not hike rates as soon as next month. A Commerce Department report showed the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index stood at 3.4 percent on an annual basis in August against estimates of 3.7 percent, per economists polled by Reuters. Separately, second-quarter GDP data showed that the U.S. economy grew at a solid clip. "The PCE report today was under a microscope as participants try to get a handle on how aggressive the Fed needs to be with future rate increases," said Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist at BOK Financial. Traders now see a roughly 38 percent chance of an October hike, compared to a more than 50 percent chance seen one day prior, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. Barclays analysts also noted that recent methodology changes in calculating PCE by the Bureau of Economic Analysis also contributed to a lower reading. Most megacap and growth stocks ticked higher, with Am

Joy mixed with fear as US forces quit Iraq leaving potential security vacuum
Sep 30, 2026
Joy mixed with fear as US forces quit Iraq leaving potential security vacuum

BAGHDAD — Iraqis celebrated the departure of U.S. forces after more than two decades of war on Wednesday, though many feared that any security vacuum could increase the power of Iran-backed militias or provide an opening for the return of Islamic State. The withdrawal of the final troops, mainly from an airbase in Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, ended the biggest U.S. war of the century, which brought widespread devastation and chaos from which Iraq has yet to fully emerge. Iran, which has entrenched its influence in Iraq through allied armed groups and is determined to drive all U.S. forces out of the Middle East, views the U.S. pullout as a triumph for its "axis of resistance" of allied armed groups across the region. Iraqi troops paraded in vehicles through the streets of Baghdad and the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf to mark the pullout. The withdrawal "fills our hearts with joy," said Baghdad resident Ahmed Salah, who said he felt reborn at the age of 70. But he also said it was now time for powerful militia groups to surrender their weapons, "and let the government be th

US Justice Department accuses Minnesota federal judges of misconduct
Sep 30, 2026
US Justice Department accuses Minnesota federal judges of misconduct

The complaint specifically names Judges Patrick Schiltz and John Tunheim, along with other district judgesThe US Justice Department has filed a judicial misconduct complaint against nearly all federal district judges in Minnesota over comments they made about the Trump administration’s...

US-Iran War Live Updates: Iran Says It Received US Response To Latest Ceasefire Proposal
Sep 30, 2026
US-Iran War Live Updates: Iran Says It Received US Response To Latest Ceasefire Proposal

US-Iran War Live Updates: Trump has denied offering Iran concessions to end the war, dismissing reports of easing sanctions for progress on talks over Tehran's nuclear program

Trump Says Spoke To Netanyahu About Flydubai Incident, Calls Co-Pilot 'A Terrorist Or Whack Job'
Sep 30, 2026
Trump Says Spoke To Netanyahu About Flydubai Incident, Calls Co-Pilot 'A Terrorist Or Whack Job'

Trump said the captain was badly injured but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene.

Trump hijacks ‘Hispanic Heritage’ event to tout ballroom, Iraq war and ... Giants QB Jaxson Dart
Sep 30, 2026
Trump hijacks ‘Hispanic Heritage’ event to tout ballroom, Iraq war and ... Giants QB Jaxson Dart

Along the way, he made false claims about his support among Latinos, the result of the 2020 election and then capped it all off by uttering a racial stereotype about Hispanics, writes John Bowden

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