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TDFP News Roundup 9/24/26

Writer: Yossi S
Yossi S
3 hours ago
6 min read


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Trump flaunts US military might to Xi with B-2 flyover at White House summit:

President Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House Thursday for a bilateral meeting and state dinner, staging a Rose Garden military review capped by fighter jets and a B-2 bomber flyover. Xi arrived shortly after 10 a.m. following Trump's rare tarmac greeting at Joint Base Andrews Wednesday, with tech leaders including Sam Altman and Jensen Huang among the dinner guests.


Judge blocks Trump White House media ban, but CNN, MS NOW, Politico still turned away:

U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly ordered the Trump administration Thursday to immediately restore White House press passes for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, finding the Sept. 18 ban likely unconstitutional and lacking due process. Hours later, reporters including CNN's Betsy Klein and MS NOW's Laura Barron-Lopez were still denied entry at a Secret Service checkpoint despite the 14-day restraining order.


Expert urges Trump to warn Xi against dangerous alliance with Iran:

Foundation for Defense of Democracies executive director Jonathan Schanzer told Fox News Digital that President Trump should press Chinese President Xi Jinping at Thursday's White House meeting to halt drone parts, dual-use chemicals, and economic support aiding Iran's war effort. A senior administration official said Trump and Xi previously agreed in May that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz should reopen without tolls.


Report: China ships dual-use drone and missile components to Iran's defense ministry:

The Jerusalem Post, citing a Wall Street Journal report based on Iranian customs data, said China has sent about 1,300 dual-use component and chemical shipments to Iran's defense ministry usable for drones, missile guidance, and ballistic missiles. U.S. officials also said Chinese banks and front companies helped Iran evade sanctions worth billions as Sen. Elissa Slotkin urged Trump to raise the issue with Xi.


Hamas claims readiness for Board of Peace Gaza roadmap, blames Israel for blocking it:

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Thursday the group is prepared to implement the Board of Peace roadmap for Gaza's future and accused Israel of blocking the plan and escalating aggression. Qassem called on all parties to facilitate entry of a technocrats committee and deployment of international forces under the ceasefire agreement and roadmap.


Iran launches drone attack on Iraqi Kurdistan hours after Pezeshkian UN speech:

Iran IRGC fired three drones at a Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran site near Soran in Iraq Erbil province early Thursday, wounding one Peshmerga fighter, according to Rudaw. The strike came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indirect U.S. talks and a day after President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed at the UN that Tehran would not bend to Washington.


Netanyahu arrives in New York for brief UNGA speech with no Trump meeting planned:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set Thursday for an unusually short New York visit of about six hours centered on his UN General Assembly address, with no meeting planned with President Trump or Secretary of State Marco Rubio. His office said he will meet several Latin American and other leaders, return before Sukkot, and devote much of a roughly 40-minute speech to Iran nuclear and missile rebuild.


Tehran threatens to strike regional airports that comply with US Iranian airline ban:

Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Iran will attack airports in neighboring countries that cooperate with U.S. sanctions forcing Iranian airlines to stop operating. Georgia and Azerbaijan suspended Iranian flights after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned of secondary sanctions, while some Iranian routes still listed destinations including Guangzhou and Shanghai.


IDF cuts southern Lebanon force from eight brigades to six:

Army Radio reported Thursday that the IDF reduced its southern Lebanon presence from eight brigades to six, pulling the Commando, Golani, and two reservist brigades and replacing them with the 188th Armored Brigade and the Ground Forces Training School Brigade. A military source said the drawdown aims to ease manpower strain and let reservists return home as conditions allow.


At least 6 major hospitals end child sex-change procedures after Trump DOJ deals:

NYU Langone Hospitals and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center joined Mount Sinai, Texas Childrens, Cleveland Clinic, and Connecticut Childrens in agreements with the Justice Department to stop puberty blockers, hormones, and surgeries for minors who identify as transgender. The latest deals include a combined $9.45 million payment as AG Todd Blanche said hospitals that fraudulently bill for such procedures will be held accountable.


Missouri AG investigates Students for Justice in Palestine over possible terror funding:

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued a civil investigation demand requiring national Students for Justice in Palestine and its University of Missouri chapter to disclose where Missouri charitable funds went and how recipients were vetted. Hanaway cited reports of possible terror-linked financing and SJP praise for Hamas October 7 attack, saying Missourians must not unknowingly finance radical Islamic terrorism.


Pentagon racing to recover F-35 parts seized by China after Hong Kong diversion:

The Pentagon said it is actively working with U.S. authorities and industry partners to retrieve unserviceable F-35 components including a radar-absorbing cockpit canopy and weapons-bay door from an Australian jet seized by China after a May shipment was diverted to Hong Kong. The disclosure came as President Trump hosted Xi Jinping in Washington, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin warned China is always seeking sensitive U.S. military information.


US military spending $500M on war-ready lasers zapping drones in Iran and at southern border:

The Department of War confirmed U.S. forces are using directed-energy lasers in the Strait of Hormuz to down Iranian drones and cruise missiles at far lower cost than kinetic interceptors, while Joint Task Force Southern Border has downed at least 11 cartel drones. Experts said the Army awarded a roughly half-billion-dollar contract for war-ready high-energy laser systems operated in part with Xbox-style controllers.


Ukraine transfers two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, Zelensky says:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.N. General Assembly that Kyiv recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war captured alive in Russia Kursk region to South Korea. A South Korean opposition lawmaker said the soldiers arrived days ago via a third country as North Korea has sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to fight for Russia since 2024.


First Circuit formally blocks Trump third-country deportation policy:

The First Circuit issued a mandate dissolving a stay that had allowed ICE third-country removals to continue, formally endorsing a lower-court rule that migrants get a meaningful chance to challenge deportation to an unfamiliar country. The ruling came as ICE tried to move a Peruvian migrant identified as John Doe to Ghana, with Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy due-process order left intact.


New home sales hit 8-month high as builders cut prices:

New U.S. home sales jumped to an eight-month high in the latest Commerce data as buyers responded to discounts, with the median new-house price falling 5.8% year over year to $393,700 in August. The rebound signals some cooling in housing costs even as mortgage rates and inventory remain central midterm economy issues.


Less than 40% of Biden-era EPA EV school buses delivered as districts bail:

Fewer than 40% of electric school buses purchased with Biden-era EPA Clean School Bus Program grants have been delivered, prompting many districts to exit the $5 billion initiative over slow deliveries and reliability concerns. Critics say taxpayer dollars have effectively vanished as districts abandon the electrification push.


New York sues Polymarket, calling prediction market an illegal gambling operation:

New York sued Polymarket on Thursday, accusing the prediction-market company of running an illegal gambling operation that skirts state regulations. The case is the latest state challenge to online event-contract platforms as wagering on politics and sports expands.


Eight sailors in USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide on record deployment:

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed that eight sailors in the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide during a nine-month deployment. The disclosure highlighted mental-health strain after an extended carrier mission amid ongoing Middle East operations.


Starbucks to close another 250 stores after white-collar job cuts:

Starbucks said it will close another 250 company-operated stores that are underperforming financially or failing to deliver the experience the chain wants for customers and employees. The closures follow earlier cuts of hundreds of white-collar jobs under the current CEO turnaround plan.


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