Today's News with Larry Schweikart
TODAY'S NEWS, September 17-18, 2026
Episode Summary
Today’s news brings political scandals, election-fraud cases, Trump policy moves, increasingly troubling AI developments, stronger border enforcement, low jobless claims, rising growth estimates, and fresh medical findings. Internationally, Venezuela is opening energy resources, Europe faces continued energy and immigration problems, and “net zero” is losing ground. And finally, a new cat species has been identified for the first time in a century.
Episode Notes
IN POLITICAL NEWS
- New Hampshire: Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald resigned after acknowledging three judicial-conduct violations involving hiring practices and a female staffer.
- Jon Kyl: Former Republican Arizona Senator Jon Kyl died at 84. He served two separate periods in the Senate and later became a key figure in Arizona politics.
- Fraud enforcement: The House voted to make the federal Fraud Enforcement Division permanent, with some Democrats joining Republicans.
- Elections: Chris Pappas reportedly cut his advertising in New Hampshire, while an anti-Trump Detroit newspaper endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan.
- Public lands: Trump signed orders expanding access to federal lands for hunting and fishing and reversing some Biden-era restrictions.
- ActBlue: A woman alleged that her deceased mother's bank accounts showed unexplained “micro withdrawals” and political donations to ActBlue.
- Voter-fraud cases: Multiple new cases were reported, including seven arrests in Texas, a Russian national sentenced for registration fraud, a Colorado man accused of voting twice, an alleged illegal-voting case involving a Louisiana mayor, and six additional federal charges in California, Kansas and Louisiana.
- Missouri: A prosecutor reportedly died by suicide inside a courtroom.
- Threat against Trump: A Kansas man was arrested over alleged threats to kill President Trump and Ben Shapiro.
- Los Angeles County: The county reportedly experienced the largest population decline of any U.S. county.
IN AI NEWS
- Data centers: The House overwhelmingly passed legislation requiring data centers to cover their own energy costs, described as “Bring Your Own Energy.”
- AI safety: OpenAI disclosed six additional incidents involving reportedly concerning AI behavior. The roundup questions whether some industry safety concerns could also encourage regulatory structures that favor established companies.
- Students and AI: Universities are warning about “cognitive surrender,” where students become overly willing to accept AI-generated answers without independent evaluation.
- U.S.-China competition: China is reportedly applying elements of the Soviet Union’s Cold War strategy to its effort to close the U.S. AI lead.
- AI cybersecurity: Anthropic’s Claude was reportedly used in an attempt to break into ChatGPT, highlighting emerging AI-on-AI security risks.
- Drug manufacturing: Anthropic is reportedly exploring entry into pharmaceutical manufacturing, prompting concerns about the expansion of AI companies into sensitive industries.
IN ILLEGAL CRIMINAL ALIEN NEWS
- Border releases: Border Patrol reportedly recorded zero illegal releases into the United States for the 16th consecutive month.
- Indiana: A five-day ICE operation resulted in 426 arrests, according to the cited report.
IN CULTURAL NEWS
- Family relationships: Ryan Burge’s latest analysis finds that most parents and adult children generally get along, although evangelical parents and their children show a roughly 25-point gap over whether parents adequately prepared their children for adulthood.
- Peter Max: Counterculture-era artist Peter Max died at 88.
- Young men and marriage: A cited analysis says nearly three-quarters of young men want to marry but often lack traditional guidance or preparation for marriage.
- History: The roundup highlights Larry’s review of the 2005 Civil War book Retreat from Gettysburg.
- Kennedy Center: Trump and the Kennedy Center board say the building requires major repairs, while preservation groups are seeking continued operation and have asked a federal judge to place the institution into receivership. The political dispute over the center’s future remains unresolved.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS
- Jobless claims: Weekly unemployment claims reportedly fell to their lowest level in 57 years.
- Venezuela: Venezuela plans to move roughly $4 billion in gold from the Bank of England to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
- Toys “R” Us: The retailer plans to open 150 new stores, targeting the growing “kidult” market of adults who remain interested in toys and collectibles.
- Federal Reserve: Trump continues calling for lower interest rates, but persistent inflation led the Fed to raise rates slightly.
- Berkshire Hathaway: Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, with his son designated as successor. Buffett cited the limits of aging and time.
- GDP: The Atlanta Fed’s Q3 GDPNow estimate increased from 4.4% to 5.1%.
IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- Venezuela: Oil billionaire Harold Hamm has moved into developing Venezuelan oil fields, while Venezuela has also opened rights to a major gold mine.
- Fashion industry: Fashion-sector climate emissions reportedly increased by more than 14% in two years, while Middle East energy disruptions are contributing to higher clothing costs.
- Shipping: Maersk is testing wind sails on cargo ships to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
- Poland: A major oil discovery near the Polish-German border could cover roughly 5% of Poland’s oil needs, although German opposition is reportedly complicating development.
- “Net zero”: A cited analysis argues that the term “net zero” is losing public appeal and may increasingly be replaced by different terminology.
- Ceuta: A report describes a major migrant surge in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, with police struggling to contain the crowds.
IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
- Arizona Cardinals: A player was fined for writing “Glory be 2 God” on his eye-black.
- Hollywood: Spencer Pratt claims Paramount is leaving California, with entertainment-industry workers reportedly considering relocation to Nashville.
- Disney: Families can reportedly purchase luxury homes inside Disney World’s Golden Oak residential community, with prices reaching around $2 million.
IN MEDICAL NEWS
- Melatonin: New research suggests melatonin may have significant pain-relief potential, particularly for people whose chronic pain is associated with poor sleep.
- Vaccine safety: A BMJ paper reportedly examines evidence that U.S. officials knew some COVID-19 vaccine safety standards were flawed and that concerns raised by an FDA physician were not adequately addressed.
- Medication cascades: Research cited in the roundup suggests that taking one medication can sometimes lead to additional medications being prescribed to manage resulting side effects.
- Multiple sclerosis: Researchers have identified a significant association between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis.
AND FINALLY . . .
- New cat species: Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized cat species, reportedly the first newly identified cat species in roughly 100 years.