Iran’s president takes the U.N. stage today after arriving in New York, with U.S.-Iran talks already underway and President Donald Trump warning he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if there’s no deal.
Plus, Missouri’s congressional map fight is back before the Supreme Court for a third time, even as absentee voters are already casting ballots using the state’s 2022 districts.
And Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail, starting with Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as Democrats try to close party divisions left by a contentious primary.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026.
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Iran set to take UN stage after lengthy talks with US in New York
Iran’s president prepares to take the same U.N. stage where, on Tuesday, Trump threatened to “annihilate” the Islamic Republic.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New York late Tuesday night, vowing to “firmly defend” Iran’s position on the war. However, he arrived with diplomacy already underway.
U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff said American and Iranian negotiators held lengthy, indirect talks on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Tuesday. He didn’t say what they discussed, only that he hopes the talks will prove “constructive and promising.”
Trump called it a “very good meeting” and told reporters another round is scheduled for the very near future.
That’s a very different tone from the one Trump struck on the U.N. stage just hours earlier, threatening to wipe out Iran, while also saying he believes a deal can still be reached.
“But I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran? That lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East, or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election.”
President Donald Trump
A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign minister responded to that threat early Wednesday morning, saying, “These remarks don’t stem from strength; they stem from desperation.”
US expands military presence in Greenland, adding two defense areas across island
Also at the U.N., Trump signed a new security deal with Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday, clearing the way for a much larger U.S. military presence on the island. The agreement adds two U.S. defense areas in Greenland and allows the military to expand its existing space base there.
Greenland remains under Danish control.
The deal has no expiration date and would remain in effect even if Greenland eventually becomes independent.
“You go back way back in the line of presidents, and almost every president at least mentioned it, but most of them just mentioned it,” Trump said. “Some really wanted to make a deal and never got it done. But we’re getting it done. So this is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody and for Greenland. It’s going to be incredible.”
One of the two sites is Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland. The U.S. military has been here before. It hosted a major American base during World War II and the early Cold War, before it closed in the 1950s.
The other is Mestersvig, roughly 950 miles away on Greenland’s east coast. That site is already a military outpost used by Denmark’s Sirius dog-sled patrol, a special forces unit operating in the Arctic.
The agreement also bars non-NATO countries from establishing their own military bases or a permanent military presence in Greenland unless the three sides agree otherwise.
“Mr. President, you have been very clear,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. “You don’t want adversaries to come too close. I fully agree, and with this deal, they are not.”
The deal follows a broader military push in the Arctic. Just last week, U.S. F-16s flew over Greenland alongside Danish F-35s and Canadian F-18s during Operation Arctic Vanguard.
The exercise was designed to get U.S., Canadian and NATO forces working more closely together in the region.
Judge orders man shot by ICE in Austin to court
A federal judge has ordered the Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Texas to appear in court as his lawyer fights to prevent his deportation.
The order comes as Austin police release a new video showing 28-year-old Wilber Garcés Pérez in his car moments after Sunday’s shooting.
The video does not show the shooting itself.
Garcés Pérez’s lawyer said he was taken back to the hospital this week and has since been returned to federal detention. She said he’s still in a lot of pain, with the bullet lodged near his spine.
On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered him to appear in person next Wednesday as his attorneys fight his deportation.
Garcés Pérez entered the U.S. in 2024 through the Biden-era CBP One program. His lawyer said he was later ordered deported after missing a hearing because the notice went to an old address.
NBC News reported the ICE officer who shot him had been issued a body camera but wasn’t wearing it. Another ICE officer was wearing one, but DHS said that video doesn’t capture the shooting.
Missouri redistricting fight returns to Supreme Court as absentee voting begins
For the third time in three weeks, the fight over Missouri’s congressional map has returned to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The latest round follows a federal appeals court order requiring Missouri to use new districts backed by Trump, a map the Supreme Court has already blocked twice from taking effect in November.
The new map reshapes a Kansas City-area district held by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver and was drawn to help Republicans pick up an additional U.S. House seat.
But the timing has become messy.
Absentee voting is already underway under Missouri’s 2022 districts, and more than a million potential voters could be reassigned to different districts depending on which map wins.
UPDATE: Missouri redistricting opponents asked the Supreme Court to clarify whether its earlier stay also prevents a new permanent injunction requiring use of the 2025 map in November. They alternatively seek a new stay. Justice Kavanaugh requested a response by 2 p.m. ET today. https://t.co/RlUYyYMzIq pic.twitter.com/1fBnNVFIZA
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) September 23, 2026
The appeals court put its own ruling on hold until Monday, giving the Supreme Court time to step in again. The justices have asked supporters of the new map to respond by midday Wednesday.
Harris hits campaign trail with El-Sayed as Michigan midterm push ramps up
Kamala Harris has returned to the campaign trail, beginning in Michigan. The former vice president made her first major midterm campaign stop Tuesday, appearing with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit.
The two sat down for a roundtable on Black maternal health, and Harris made a direct pitch for El-Sayed.
“His will be a voice, Abdul’s, that is a voice representing the people of this state. And it will be a national voice,” Harris said.
Harris has more midterm stops planned, including Nevada, California and Georgia. But not every Democrat has wanted her on the campaign trail. The New York Times reported that Senate candidates in Alaska, Iowa and Kansas have publicly said they don’t want her campaigning with them.
However, El-Sayed does.
The two have had significant differences, especially over Gaza. El-Sayed has been a vocal critic of U.S. military support for Israel. Harris was part of the Biden administration, which faced intense pushback over its Gaza policy, particularly in Michigan, home to a large Arab American community.
“My disagreements with the then-vice president’s positions on Gaza are clear. And I still disagree with the position on which she ran in 2024.
There are going to be issues on which there are disagreements in the party. And there’s a lot of issues on which there are agreements. So what does it look like to bring people together around the issues on which we agree? That’s what a mature politics looks like. And we can have our positions, our differences. I endorsed Vice President Harris for president. And I endorsed her because I understood that Donald Trump would be worse.”
Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate candidate
El-Sayed is now working to unite Democrats after a divisive primary. He faces Republican Mike Rogers in November for the open seat vacated by Democratic Senator Gary Peters.
Democrats need to hold Michigan and pick up at least four seats held by Republicans to take control of the Senate.
Olive ridley sea turtle makes history on Orange County beach
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said an olive ridley sea turtle laid its eggs on a beach in Orange County, marking the first documented sea turtle nest in California. Olive ridleys usually nest in much warmer waters, including Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Scientists said sightings this far north could become more common as Pacific waters warm, especially during El Niño years.
NOAA will monitor the nest during incubation, which could last up to two months. They’re asking beachgoers to give it plenty of space.
And one for the water cooler: olive ridleys are the smallest of the sea turtles. Adults weigh up to about 100 pounds.
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Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions of suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Visit the National Crisis Line website or call or text 988 for immediate support.
John DeMay found his teenage son Jordan dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound early on a spring morning in 2022.
The most horrifying experience a parent can imagine was rendered all the more agonizing by a crushing sense of uncertainty.
“He was an all-American kid,” DeMay told Straight Arrow. “We live in a safe area, a safe community and he was popular.”
Jordan didn’t seem depressed and had no history of mental health challenges. He was a talented athlete who earned good grades.
Why would a 17-year-old with his entire life ahead of him end it so suddenly?
