Leading AI companies are adding shutdown tools and tighter monitoring after a string of high-profile incidents raised new questions about whether advanced systems can be contained. The debate is now shaping policy discussions in California and Washington as regulators weigh formal kill-switch requirements.

President Donald Trump used a July 3 appearance at Mount Rushmore to encourage South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden to move ahead with efforts tied to placing Trump’s likeness on the monument. The renewed push lands against longstanding National Park Service guidance that no additional face can be carved into the memorial.

President Donald Trump said the United States has reached a Greenland agreement with Denmark and Greenland that would expand the U.S. military role on the Arctic island while leaving sovereignty with the Kingdom of Denmark. Danish and Greenlandic officials said the arrangement does not transfer ownership, but key details remain undisclosed.

Americans received sharply larger federal tax refunds during the 2026 filing season, with the IRS issuing about $43 billion more than at the same point a year earlier. Federal data shows the increase came alongside higher average refunds and a larger share of refunds sent by direct deposit.

Scientists have formally identified Leopardus tilcayo, a small spotted wildcat from Bolivia’s cloud forests, as the first newly named living wildcat species in more than a century. The finding, published Sept. 17 in Current Biology, also reshapes how researchers classify tiger cats across South America.

President Donald Trump has said prices are coming down, but the latest federal inflation data shows consumer costs were still rising through August. Energy, shelter and restaurant prices remained key drivers, even as a few categories posted declines.

Tennessee is preparing for higher SNAP costs as new federal rules shift more of the program’s expense to states. Policy analysts say the state’s total added obligation could reach $243 million a year if payment error rates stay above federal thresholds.

A series of Harvard CAPS/Harris polls shows the 2026 congressional landscape moving from a narrow Democratic edge in March to a dead heat by April and remaining highly competitive through the summer. The polling also points to inflation, gas prices and voter views on the economy as central drivers of the shift.

The Pentagon told Congress on September 18 that the U.S. war with Iran has cost $45.1 billion so far and that another $28 billion is needed to replace munitions used in the conflict. The updated figure adds fresh pressure to budget talks as lawmakers weigh supplemental military funding.

A 502-page proposed rewrite of Pennsylvania’s disease-control rules has triggered a fight over how much authority state health officials should have in future outbreaks. Supporters call it a long-overdue update, while critics say the proposal raises new questions about privacy, schools and executive power.

The Trump administration has approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, sending the proposal to Congress despite intelligence and congressional warnings about potential Chinese access to sensitive technology. The move would deepen U.S.-Saudi defense ties while raising fresh questions about regional security and safeguards around one of Washington’s most advanced aircraft.

President Donald Trump said September 18 that CNN, Politico and MS NOW are banned from the White House and signaled other outlets could be next. The move immediately raised constitutional questions and left key details about enforcement unresolved.