Saturday, September 26, 2026

A powerful nor'easter moved along the Atlantic coast Saturday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding from Virginia to Maine. A wind gust of 74 mph was recorded in Surf City, New Jersey, and waves of 16 feet or more were reported off the Jersey Shore. Thousands lost power, flights were canceled, and New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency across more than a dozen counties.

A hurricane watch remains in effect for Hawaii County as Hurricane Nolo approaches the Big Island. Forecasters have warned the storm could dump up to 3 feet of rain, causing catastrophic flooding, along with powerful winds and flash flooding. Preparations, including building berms to guide floodwater and clearing debris, were underway ahead of the storm's arrival.

The White House left CNN off Air Force One for President Trump's Saturday trip to a college football game in Tennessee, CNN said. The exclusion is described as part of an ongoing dispute between the administration and the network over media access.

House Democrats have laid out plans for extensive oversight investigations into the Trump administration. Democratic lawmakers said impeachment remains a possible option, though no formal proceedings have been announced. The plans cover multiple areas of the administration's conduct.

President Trump said Saturday he rejected Iran's seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, calling the deal not "acceptable" and declining to say whether he would resume strikes after the midterm elections. U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal that Trump had privately rejected the plan and was considering renewed strikes after the November elections. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said the choice to reopen the strait "rests with the United States," and that shipping could resume within days if a deal is reached.

An explosion destroyed a building near the Acropolis in Athens, killing six people, UPI reported, four of whom were Americans due to fly home Friday afternoon. Earlier reports had said two American tourists died and four people, including a second American couple, were missing. The building included a holiday rental. The mayor of Athens said the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak.

Trump and Xi agreed to establish a channel focused on AI safety while continuing separate trade and military talks between the two countries. The White House said the leaders agreed to use the term "super intelligence" rather than "artificial intelligence" to describe the technology.

Hurricane Polo returned to Category 5 intensity Saturday off Mexico's southwestern coast after weakening to a Category 4 storm earlier in the week, the hurricane center said. Forecasters expect the storm to begin weakening by the weekend. Reuters separately described Polo as a Category 4 storm and said landfall was expected Monday.

At least seven people were killed as Russia and Ukraine exchanged strikes. Ukraine said it struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region, where three people died and a fire broke out. A Russian drone hit an office building in Kyiv. Ukraine has continued attacks on Russian energy infrastructure while defending against waves of Russian drones.

South African police said Saturday another woman's body was found near Johannesburg, bringing to 10 the number of victims in a series of killings under investigation. Police have identified similarities among some cases but said they have not found conclusive evidence the same person or people are responsible. The deaths have prompted national outcry over violence against women in South Africa.

Authorities declared a disaster zone across Bangkok after days of heavy rain flooded the Thai capital. Flooding submerged roads, disrupted traffic and prompted evacuations.

Germany's foreign minister and Russia's Sergey Lavrov met Saturday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, in what is believed to be their first direct talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meeting occurred amid rising tensions between the European Union and Russia, shortly before Lavrov addressed the assembly.

A suicide bombing struck a police checkpoint in Dera Ismail Khan in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 11 people. Reuters reported 30 others were injured. The attack targeted the checkpoint, though no group has been confirmed as responsible in the reports.

President Trump said on Sept. 26, 2026 that the United States and Cuba will make a deal. He did not specify any terms or a timeline for the potential agreement.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in an interview during the UN General Assembly that Russia is trying to intimidate Europe into reducing support for Ukraine. "Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia," she said, adding that yielding to intimidation would lead to more aggression. Kallas's mother was deported to Siberia as an infant during Soviet-era mass deportations from the Baltic states.