Trump Says he is Banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House over their Coverage
By BRIDGET BROWN, BERNARD MCGHEE, KATIE VOGEL, NELL CLARK AND PETER ORSI
Here’s what we’re following:
- President Donald Trump said Friday that he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatened that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow. CNN denounced the move, saying it stands behind its White House team and their “fair and accurate reporting.” “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” it said in a statement on the social platform X.
- Trump said Friday he has a deal with Denmark to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland after months of threatening to take island by force from the NATO ally. Trump in a social media post announcing the deal said the agreement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns.” The office of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement that “the agreement recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Greenland and Denmark and upholds both people’s right “to self-determination.”
- In-person voting for this year’s midterm elections is underway in Virginia, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress at a time of a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues. Voters in Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, can cast absentee ballots in person.
Ban on selling handguns to adults under 21 is unconstitutional, Justice Department says
Federal law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling to them is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced, the department said in a legal opinion released Friday.
The opinion from the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel said the law, aimed at making it harder for 18- to 20-year-olds to get handguns, violates the Second Amendment.
The opinion indicates that the Trump administration will not defend or prosecute cases under the law, which has been the subject of competing court rulings in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court decision that transformed the legal landscape.
Federal appeals courts have split on whether handgun age limits are constitutional, and the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to weigh in on the federal law in the wake of the 2022 landmark decision that changed the test used to evaluate challenges to firearm restrictions.
Gun control groups called the Justice Department’s opinion misguided and dangerous.
Judge rules EPA illegally terminated $7 billion solar program intended to help poorer Americans
FILE – Solar panels operate, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)
The Trump administration illegally terminated the Solar for All program, designed to make solar power accessible to more than 900,000 lower-income people, the federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Friday.
The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the Solar for All funds in August 2025 after Trump’s massive tax and spending law passed in Congress. Administrator Lee Zeldin called the Biden-era grant program a “boondoggle.”
District Judge Mary McElroy wrote in the ruling that Congress clearly intended the EPA to continue administering the Solar for All grants that were already obligated. The EPA acted contrary to this intent and without any other statutory authority, McElroy said, and she vacated the termination.
The EPA said it was reviewing the decision and considering options for appeal.
The lawsuit by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO labor organization and others highlighted the importance of the program for local workforces and lower-income communities seeking access to clean-energy project funding.
Somaliland president seeks greater US recognition, offers Red Sea access
After concluding various meetings with U.S. officials and lawmakers, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi said Friday that establishing a U.S. diplomatic post in the capital of Hargeisa or the city of Berbera, a major port near the entrance to the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that has played a critical role in the Iran war, is a priority for his government.
A number of lawmakers have called for the Trump administration to recognize Somaliland as an independent country, particularly after Israel did so earlier this year.
While the administration has stepped up ties with Somaliland — providing it with $6.2 million in counterterrorism, security and humanitarian assistance — it continues to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, which includes Somaliland.
Trump administration begins building border wall in West Texas’ Big Bend region
The start of construction marks a milestone in the administration’s $46 billion plan to line the border with walls, barriers, roads and technology. Customs and Border Protection says it has doubled the pace of building.
CBP said in a statement to AP that “border wall panel installation is underway” in a 47-mile stretch of Hudspeth County known as Big Bend 1. There are a total of five project areas that make up the roughly 500-mile Big Bend region, stretching from an area of Hudspeth County south of El Paso to Lake Amistad.
In this photo provided by Scott McWilliams, crews install the first sections of a new border wall in the Big Bend region of west Texas, on Sept. 16, 2026. (Scott McWilliams via AP)
The agency said the first panels were erected Sept. 15. On the agency’s website a photo shows a crane lifting one of the 30-foot tall steel wall panels into place.
In the broader Big Bend region, CBP has run up against opposition from landowners, environmental groups, business owners and ranchers who say the remote area is not a high-traffic area for illegal immigration.
Greenland deal looks similar to previous one but comes at a steep diplomatic cost, expert says
“They were always looking to potentially grow that military presence as well as welcome U.S. investment in a variety of sectors,” he added.
But Trump’s repeated demands for Greenland and threats to take it by force rattled the NATO alliance and discomfited European allies, Bayoumi said.
“I think Americans really underestimate how damaging it was for the image of the United States in Europe,” he said. “I think Greenlanders, Danes, Europeans saw this as a real attack on their sovereignty, and it’s going to take a lot of work to repair.”
US officials say Washington and Beijing may be ready to ease some tariffs on some nonstrategic goods
Speaking on a call with reporters, senior officials said there have been discussions ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington about reducing certain tariffs in nonstrategic sectors.
The officials, who insisted on anonymity as ground rules to hold the call, said such a move might affect a narrow band of goods that would advantage both sides. They did not elaborate.
The officials do not expect the U.S. to be ready to ease export controls to allow for greater flow of rare earth minerals into the global market.
They said China maintaining an acceptable flow of such minerals would be discussed but there is unlikely to be an exchange involving reduced U.S. export controls.
Trump administration official suggests Iran war won’t dominate UN General Assembly agenda
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said artificial intelligence will also be a focus.
A meeting focused on the governance of AI is to be led by France’s foreign minister.
The official said a G20 meeting on Ebola and the administration’s response to the crisis in parts of Africa is also on the schedule. The official said other discussions will cover undersea cables and seabed minerals.
US removes Eritrea sanctions imposed over conflict with Ethiopia
The Treasury Department said Friday in a notice that it allowed an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden during the height of a conflict between Eritrea and neighboring Ethiopia to lapse.
In addition to six individuals, two companies and the country’s main political party, which controls the government, the step removes U.S. sanctions from the Eritrean Defense Forces.
Trump defends bid to put his name on the Kennedy Center
A judge recently blocked plans to return Trump’s name to the building and ordered 30 days’ notice before any major changes.
Trump called the judge “hostile.”
The Kennedy Center board, aligned with Trump, voted to close the center indefinitely for repairs.
Artists canceled appearances after the board added his name to the facade.
White House announces schedule for Chinese president’s state visit
The next day the president and first lady Melania Trump will welcome the couple at an arrival ceremony on the State Floor of the White House.
The leaders will participate in a military review in the Rose Garden before their closed-door meeting. The first lady and Madame Peng will follow a separate schedule.
Xi and Madame Peng will also be the guests of honor at a state dinner Thursday in the East Room.
Xi and his wife return to the White House on Friday morning for tea with the Trumps, who will then take them on a tour of the National Archives, home to some of the United States’ most important documents.
Xi will return to Joint Base Andrews.
Rubio hails accord with Denmark and Greenland, says US interests will be forever protected
“Greenland will forever be part of the strategic defense area of North America and exclude any adversary from it and the surrounding area,” Rubio said in a statement. “This deal permanently and completely addresses our national security concerns in Greenland.”
The State Department said following Trump’s announcement of the deal that it will allow the U.S. to increase the number of bases it has in Greenland at will.
Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, was already covered by NATO defense guarantees and previously hosted U.S. military facilities, although there was no proscription against non-NATO members establishing bases there.
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Original source: https://apnews.com/live/trump-mail-voting-midterms-kennedy-center-news-updates-09-18-2026