分类： 未分类

Texas Governor Abbott halts all state-issued permits for data centers until grid audit is complete

2026-09-21T20:53:01.09Z / Reuters

By Liz Hampton and Laila Kearney

September 21, 2026 8:53 PM UTC Updated 6 mins ago

Texas Governor Greg Abbott seen on the sideline prior to a game at Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, US, September 19, 2026. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

DENVER/NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday barred the state’s environmental ​agency from issuing new permits for data centers until regulators complete ‌a massive audit of the energy-hungry facilities seeking to connect to the Texas electrical grid.

The Republican governor’s directive to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality effectively freezes all state-issued ​permits to data center developers, which had flocked to the region ​for its abundant electricity, land and pro-business reputation.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter by columnist Ron Bousso provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Since the artificial ⁠intelligence boom began roughly three years ago, Texas has become one of ​the fastest-growing data hubs in the world. But intensifying public backlash over the facilities, ​and fears about AI more broadly, prompted Abbott last month to freeze the connection of new data centers to the state grid and order an audit of the facilities.

By the ​time of that directive, there were more than 470 gigawatts’ worth of data center ​projects and other large energy users in line to connect to the grid — more than five ‌times ⁠the state’s peak demand.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state grid, is in the early stages of auditing data center power use, tax incentives and water consumption, among other factors.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

“Simply put, Texans must come first,” Abbott ​said in a statement. “Data centers ​must pay ⁠their own way, protect our grid and water, and complete the (audits).”

Abbott is among a swelling number of governors who ​once raced to attract data center investments — and touted their public ​benefit — but are ⁠now tightening restrictions on the developments to ease their constituents’ fears about rising power bills and environmental issues caused by the facilities.

Ed Hirs, an energy fellow ⁠at ​the University of Houston, said Abbott was walking ​back “his earlier pronouncements about data centers leading to lower electricity prices.”

Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver ​and Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by David Gregorio and Aurora Ellis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

香港IPO热：四家企业筹资上看18亿美元同日挂牌交易

2026年9月22日 07:36 / 联合早报

受AI相关的投资需求推动，香港首次公开募(IPO)市场正迈向创纪录的一年。 （路透社档案照）

四家公司准备在香港上市，合计拟集资最高18亿美元（约23亿新元），并均定于9月29日开始交易。

据彭博社报道，其中最大的罗博特科在深交所上市的股票今年一度暴涨168%后，该公司拟筹资最高6.6亿美元。

受AI相关的投资需求推动，香港首次公开募(IPO)市场正迈向创纪录的一年。彭博汇编的数据显示，今年以来企业已累计筹资超过450亿美元。

在需求依然强劲之际，AI相关企业纷纷抢滩资本市场，今年最大的交易包括阿里巴巴上个月完成的100亿美元的交易，创下香港有史以来最大规模增发，智谱9月中旬则进行了50亿美元的股份配售和可转债发行。

最新一波将上市的还有景旺电子，这家全球市佔率为2.5%的印刷电路板制造商，寻求高达6.5亿美元的融资。化学产品制造商彤程新材料目标是最高筹资3.82亿美元，本末科技寻求筹资1.38亿美元。

Rep Eric Burlison: ‘Most of my colleagues’ are ‘drunk on spending other people’s money, even Republicans’

September 21, 2026 5:32pm EDT / Fox News

‘Sadly Washington DC doesn’t like to do difficult things and fixing healthcare is the No 1 thing that we should be looking to do’

By David Unsworth, Fox News

Rep. Burlison: ‘Drunk on spending’ Washington is driving the affordability crisis

The Missouri Republican slams swamp hypocrisy on DOGE cuts, breaks down the $27,000 healthcare squeeze, and maps out a GOP plan to win back voters.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-eric-burlison-most-colleagues-drunk-spending-other-peoples-money-even-republicans

Listen to this article

6 min

Facing a national debt that has exploded past $40 trillion, Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison isn’t holding back on his own colleagues — accusing Washington lawmakers on both sides of the aisle of being “drunk on spending” while working-class families pay the price.

Burlison recently sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital to discuss fiscal prudence, healthcare, inflation, and how Republicans can lift their fortunes ahead of midterm elections just six weeks away.

CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ‘THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON’

U.S. Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO) speaks during a news conference on the declassification of federal secrets related to unidentified aerial phenomena on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 9, 2026.(Eric Lee/Reuters)

“Most of my colleagues like to spend money…they like to spend other people’s money. They’re drunk on spending other people’s money, even Republicans, unfortunately, and there’s few people up here like myself who were willing to make significant spending reductions.

“And so we had to fight tooth and nail to get any spending reductions in the Big, Beautiful Bill. And we were demonized by the left, obviously, but we had to fight members even on our own side of the aisle to make those spending reductions.

“But, look, at some point, the party is going to be over, and we are all gonna wake up in a drunken stupor with a hangover, and it’s going to be painful, and we’re going to have to figure out how to get our way out of that.

“All of these sins of overspending are haunting us. And now we’re seeing…inflation that we can’t control. We’re seeing the interest rates go through the roof. At some point, you can’t keep borrowing money…Sadly, my colleagues that weren’t willing to cut spending are going to be forced to cut spending.”

House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty)

Despite seeking to portray themselves as the party of affordability, the GOP seems to have a major messaging problem as it heads into the tumultuous midterm elections.

Burlison points to healthcare as the main problem:

“I mean, again, it’s really sad. This office has been broadcasting to the leadership every chance that we can that the American people are feeling the crunch, they’re feeling the affordability crunch. We put together a solution that we call the Great American healthcare plan. We also have another bill that addresses the housing affordability issue.

“This office has been doing everything we can to try to fix the affordability issue and have been putting these ideas and solutions in the faces of leadership for at least two years. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t get people to do the difficult things. And sadly that’s because Washington DC doesn’t like to do difficult things and fixing healthcare is the number one thing that we should be looking to do.

WE’RE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS. THE US MUST CHOOSE: EITHER $20 TRILLION IN DEBT OR MEDICAID REFORM

“Healthcare cost is eating away everyone’s discretionary dollars…In the year 2000, the average American family was paying $6,000 a year for insurance premiums for a family of four. Today, that’s $27,000 a year. If that had followed normal inflation, that would only be $11,000 per year.

“So if you ask the average family of four, would you like to be paying health insurance premiums at $11,000 a year, they would say, heck, yeah, that sounds like a great deal. That is not what they’re paying today. They’re paying $27,000. So if you think about that, just that alone, that is crowding out everything else that the average American family has to pay. You have to come up with another $16,000 that you didn’t have to come up with before, in order to pay for a healthcare system that has exceeded inflation by three-fold.

“So three times normal inflation for the healthcare premiums, health insurance premiums. It’s not sustainable, and it’s crowded out everything else, and it is the reason why young people cannot afford to buy a home. It’s the reason why people have a hard time going out to eat. It’s a reason why people aren’t going on vacation as much. People are having to make very difficult choices, and it’s not the same choices that people had to make 20 years ago.”

Elon Musk announced the launch of his third “America Party” via X.(Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As Elon Musk and DOGE-fervor swept across the nation’s capital at the beginning of 2025, Burlison’s initial enthusiasm soon turned to disappointment as he saw colleagues avoid much-needed spending cuts:

“DOGE was the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen in politics. And I was super excited about it. But I also was skeptical. I watched Elon come give speeches to my colleagues. And what was ironic is that some of the most swampy members of Congress were rushing to the microphones to embrace Elon to talk to him to tell him where he should go to look for spending reductions.

“And yet those very people were the ones that were voting against every spending reduction that you would ever bring to the floor. We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of opportunities to cut spending… We submitted hundreds of amendments to the appropriations committees to cut spending and yet each and every time, anytime there’s ever a vote to cut spending, they fail.

“So, look. All we have to do as Republicans is look in the mirror and say where’s the problem? It’s me, it’s us…I’m one of these almost going extinct members of the Republican Party that still believes in fiscal prudence, still believes and in cutting spendings this small government free market conservative. But unfortunately, that’s not how all of my colleagues feel.”

Burlison argues that the GOP has a fundamental messaging problem and has urged his colleagues to zero in on their economic pitch to the American public, with a particular focus on the healthcare crisis:

Healthcare costs are set to rise for Americans across the U.S. starting next year, both Republicans and Democrats warn.(Wodicka/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

“So, in my opinion, it’s not enough to run against a platform. If you have to provide a vision to the American people, and if you ask the American voter today, what will the Republican Party do if they’re reelected…I don’t think that they would know. And so to me, the vision that I would provide is to say, ‘we’re going to fix healthcare. We’re going to make healthcare affordable. We’re gonna to make it a free market. The prices are going to be transparent, and you’re going to know exactly what you’re buying’.”

Finally, Burlison has a quick prescription for bringing down pain at the pump tied to the engagement in Iran:

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Well, conservatives, we love cutting taxes and I think that we should be cutting the fuel taxes during this period of time. I would love to eliminate the taxes altogether, but at least it would make sense that during this conflict that we should cut taxes on both gas and diesel until this war is resolved.

“I think that that would have a pretty good impact on people’s pocketbooks. I mean you’re talking for diesel that would be 40 cents a gallon. That’s, that’s pretty significant.”

David Unsworth reports on Latin America. You can follow David Unsworth on Twitter @LatinAmerUpdate

Ex-federal prosecutors say Trump media company’s scheme to sell early access to Truth Social posts is likely criminal

September 21, 2026 5:17 PM EDT / CBS News

A group of 53 former federal prosecutors and agents told a court Monday that President Trump’s media company is likely committing federal crimes by selling Wall Street investors faster access to his Truth Social posts.

In a court filing, the former law enforcement officials took aim at Trump Media & Technology Group, which recently launched its Truth API data feed, which charges Wall Street subscribers $100,000 for “real-time access to posts from the highest-ranking Truth Social accounts.”

The Truth API data feed is now at the heart of a lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of New York brought by the Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation. The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction to block the transmission of early access to President Trump’s posts on the grounds that the new service is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit, which was filed against Mr. Trump, his aides Natalie Harp and Dan Scavino and the White House, alleges that selling early access to Truth Social posts is “profoundly corrupt” and runs afoul of the First and Fifth Amendments.

The former federal prosecutors filed a proposed amicus brief in the case on Monday in support of the media groups’ request, saying the business model of selling early access to market-moving information likely violates a raft of criminal laws, including laws that prohibit insider trading.

“The Truth Social scheme poses an obvious risk of corruption, defying the compelling anti-corruption interests embodied in the Constitution, ethics codes, and federal laws,” the former federal prosecutors and agents wrote in the court brief.

They went on to say: “It implicates federal public corruption laws imposing criminal penalties, including the Securities Exchange Act; the federal prohibitions on illegal gratuities, conflicts of interest, and outside compensation for federal employment; and the Trade Secrets Act.”

“Because the scheme is so far from legitimate that it is possibly criminal, it cannot serve any legitimate government interest,” the former prosecutors said.

CBS News has reached out for comment to the White House and to the Justice Department, which is defending the government in the case.

The brief noted that the scheme could create criminal liability not only for executive branch officials, but also for anyone who is paying the fee for the early access to Truth Social posts, as well.

As an example, the brief cited a hypothetical case in which President Trump decides to announce at 11 a.m. that he is imposing tariffs on a country that exports computer chips. The paid subscribers gain access to the news at 9 a.m. and one subscriber sells computer chip stocks. When the news becomes public at 10 a.m., computer chip stocks plummet.

“The President and the paid subscriber would have therefore violated the Securities Exchange Act and could be criminally liable, just as they would be if the President had secretly emailed or texted the subscriber market-moving information, and the paid subscriber traded on that information,” the former prosecutors and agents wrote.

The brief was signed by former officials including Ryan Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor in the Public Integrity Section who resigned last year in protest after senior Justice Department officials moved to dismiss an indictment against former New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Others who signed it include Michael Bromwich, a former prosecutor and former inspector general, and Ty Cobb, a former prosecutor who previously served as counsel in the White House during Mr. Trump’s first administration.

The brief was organized jointly by the law firm Singleton Schreiber and the Campaign Legal Center.

A hearing on the request for the preliminary injunction is slated for Oct. 7 at the federal courthouse in Manhattan.

Reporter’s Notebook: Congress faces a crisis that the ‘AI godfather’ warns it may not be ready to address

The Nobel laureate called a recent AI incident where agents went rogue and hacked a company a ‘little Chernobyl’

September 21, 2026 4:25pm EDT / Fox News

By Chad Pergram

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on House lawmakers leaving Washington for recess before passing artificial intelligence safety legislation. Pergram details briefings from computer scientist Jeffrey Hinton and Senate opposition to proposed kill-switch mandates following a cybersecurity breach involving Google Gemini models.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Listen to this article

8 min

To hear estimates about the growing power of AI, one might ask AI chatbots how long it will take Congress to regulate the technology.

But you might not need to do that.

You could just inquire with your trusty Capitol Hill correspondent. Let’s call this chatbot “ChadGPT.”

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS MEETS AI AS FEARS OF HUMAN EXTINCTION JOLT CAPITOL HILL

Bipartisan lawmakers, including Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal, introduced the GUARD Act to protect minors from unregulated AI chatbots.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

And it truly doesn’t require that much congressional clairvoyance to divine when lawmakers could address AI – despite the forecast of a looming crisis.

You just need a little understanding of the congressional parliamentary posture over the next few months.

It’s doubtful that Congress will do anything about AI until after the midterms. Or, maybe even early next year. Results of the midterms will likely consume the lame duck session – regardless of which party wins or loses. Plus, lawmakers must fund the government by mid-December. If either the House or Senate flips, it might be March or April next year until Congress returns to AI. It simply takes Congress a long time to accomplish anything. Especially when there’s a change in who runs the place.

The Senate is scheduled to meet for the next two weeks. But House Members fled the Capitol last week – a day earlier than planned and two weeks earlier than the original schedule – even as the “godfather of AI” visited Capitol Hill.

Geoffrey Hinton is professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. He’s a 2004 Nobel laureate for his work on “artificial neural networks.” He proffered a stark warning for lawmakers.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., summoned Hinton to Capitol Hill for a bipartisan, bicameral briefing on AI. Sanders has called for a ban on “superintelligence.” Many lawmakers are furious over what’s unfolded with AI over the past few weeks. They want action now.

I had a battery of questions for Hinton when he emerged from the briefing late last week in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. We’ve heard that Congress is lagging when it comes to taking action.

ANTHROPIC CEO CALLS ON AI INDUSTRY TO SLOW DOWN TECH RACE, DRAWING SUPPORT FROM ELON MUSK, SAM ALTMAN

The proposal comes as Republicans seek to convince voters that keeping the GOP in power would translate into more money in Americans’ pockets.(Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

“How much time do lawmakers actually have to get ahead of this before this is a big problem,” I asked.

“Very little,” replied Hinton.

“What is ‘a little,’” I countered. “A few weeks? A month?”

“Maybe a year,” opined Hinton. “But not much more than a year.”

Sigh.

Hinton characterized the incident where AI agents went rogue and hacked another company as a “little Chernobyl.”

For the uninitiated, that was the epic meltdown of the nuclear reactor in the former Soviet Union in 1986. It’s one of the most extraordinary human-made disasters in history.

But some Republican leaders – and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in particular – are downplaying potential doom. Especially after President Trump declared on Truth Social that AI concerns were a “HOAX.”

“Do you remember when AOC [Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.] said, was it climate change? What was her stupid thing? She said, ‘we’re all going to be dead in ten years,’” said Johnson. “This is what the President is saying. You’re not all going to be dead in ten years. That’s a hoax.”

Johnson isn’t opposed to legislative action on AI. But he’s certainly taking his cues from President Trump. And even though many Democrats and some Republicans demanded that the House remain in session to wrestle with AI, Johnson predicted that the exercise would be moot.

REP. TED LIEU: AI IS ALREADY TOO POWERFUL. WE NEED A KILL SWITCH BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks at a press conference with other members of House Republican leadership in Washington, DC on May 6, 2025.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“If I called an emergency session today and I brought everybody in the House and said, ‘let’s regulate,” I tell you, nobody in the room knows yet what that should look like,” said Johnson. “We’re going to have steady hands at the wheel on this.”

But other Republicans harbor more fear of rapid AI development.

“What would happen if we created an independent species that became superior to a human species?” asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

Shortly after the briefing with Hinton and others, Kennedy went to the Senate floor and implored his colleagues to pass a bill on the spot requiring AI firms to install a kill switch if their agents rebelled again.

However, Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked that on the floor. He feared that such a mandate could stifle innovation.

“We’re going to just put this blanket regulation on the whole economy with no discussion in one fell swoop, on one day, by unanimous consent?” questioned Paul.

Paul’s objection stymied the Senate.

The Kentucky Republican is sanguine about what’s ahead for AI. But he worries about congressional intervention.

“People have feared technology since the beginning of time,” said Paul. ” I wouldn’t put Congress in charge of a McDonald’s.”

Jeffrey Ladish of Palisade Research assesses the risks of new technology. After the briefing, Ladish offered his own foreboding prediction about AI running amok.

“How is this allowed to happen? And how do we ensure this never happens again?” asked Ladish. “Because right now, I guarantee you this will happen again. We are not on track for fixing this.”

Ladish argued that even researchers “don’t know how to control it.”

That’s why some lawmakers insist that Congress must move fast to combat AI – perhaps even treating it as a new threat.

“The people who are the greatest innovators and creators in the world in the AI space are warning us of serious danger. So shame on us if we don’t listen to them,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., is studying for a master’s degree in AI at George Masson University. He says people are skeptical about AI. But he suggests that the public may grow even more skeptical if one party tries to legislate on AI without bipartisan buy-in.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW ‘AI FORCE,’ VOWS TO PROTECT INDUSTRY AS AI CZAR ANNOUNCEMENT NEARS

Rep. Donald Beyer Jr., D-Va., attends a protest in Washington.(Tom Williams/Getty Images)

“We need to do it together. Also, if we do it together, Democrats and Republicans are much less likely to try to reverse it when political winds shift,” said Beyer.

Some lawmakers are already targeting a scapegoat. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairs the House Progressive Caucus. He pins the issue on big tech.

“This is on a few billionaires who are the Silicon Valley guys who have developed technology they can’t even control,” said Casar. “What if it’s a hospital next? What if it is nuclear facilities next? That should not be allowed.”

That introduces a wedge into the debate. Some Republicans are increasingly saying that Congress should lay off the industry and let it innovate. But Casar is producing a foil which has bedeviled both political parties: big tech.

Don’t forget that we are just six weeks before an election. Democrats are already jockeying for political positions on AI.

“The AI safety issue is very real,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “That’s why it’s so irresponsible that Mike Johnson and House Republicans have gotten out of town before sundown.”

Could another AI catastrophe compel lawmakers to move sooner? Especially since an expert like Ladish suggests it’s just a matter of time? What if the political battle lines are drawn already between Republicans and Democrats? As far as anyone could tell, John Kennedy was the only Republican who attended the briefing last week. And what if there simply isn’t the political will to move during the lame duck? Or, if Democrats flip the House and Senate, do they try to advance something next year – but it’s viewed as partisan and “big government” by Republicans, standing behind President Trump?

You don’t need ChatGPT to grasp how challenging this may be for Congress. You don’t even need “ChadGPT.” These are just the legislative realities.

As Mary Shelley wrote in Frankenstein, the acquisition of knowledge can be dangerous. Especially if who acquired that knowledge is suddenly more powerful than those who built it.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Frankenstein is a tale of unhinged hubris, ethics and ambition. Congress has tried to legislate guardrails for those mortal flaws for more than two centuries now. Those laws are for humans. And whatever Congress comes up with might not matter to AI.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/reporters-notebook-congress-faces-crisis-ai-godfather-warns-may-not-be-ready-address

Critics say California got too little in deal to let Paramount buy Warner Bros

2026-09-21T21:24:00.933Z / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Critics swiftly decried a California-driven settlement with Paramount Skydance

(PSKY.O)
that cleared the way for its $110 billion acquisition ​of Warner Bros Discovery

(WBD.O)
, saying it will hurt competition in Hollywood, failed to protect jobs and lacks substantial concessions from the media conglomerate.

Opponents ‌of the merger accused California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom of caving to wealthy interests, particularly Paramount CEO David Ellison, after Paramount threatened to leave the state if the lawsuit was not dropped.

“Today, billionaires have yet again bribed, censored, and bullied their way to the top,” said Alvaro Bedoya, a former member of the US Federal Trade Commission and adviser ​at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Layoffs will follow. People from L.A. to Atlanta will lose their jobs, small businesses will lose their contracts, your cable ​bill and movie ticket will be even more expensive.”

Disappointment with the settlement rippled beyond Hollywood, illustrating a growing split in ⁠the Democratic Party between moderates, who are more business-friendly, and progressives, who seek a harder line to deliver affordability for US consumers.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat ​from Massachusetts, criticized the deal, and said Paramount is a “clear candidate for antitrust scrutiny in a future pro-competition administration.”

“This settlement greenlights an anti-monopoly disaster that will result in ​higher prices and fewer jobs, and enables a handful of billionaires to call the shots in the American media,” she said.

‘NOT A VOTE OF SUPPORT’

Bonta, in a press conference on Monday, said the settlement is “not a vote of support” of the acquisition, because “it does not serve competition well.” But he also argued it would amount to more production in California.

Ellison said on Monday ​that the deal will strengthen competition and benefit consumers and workers.

Spokespeople for Paramount and Bonta did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reaction ​by critics of the deal.

Bonta had said from the outset that structural remedies, where a company sells off part of its business, are superior to promises to change or uphold business practices.

Yet ‌the settlement ⁠does not require Paramount to sell off any cable channels, or any component of what Bonta said made Paramount and Warner such a formidable combo in theatrical film distribution, such as its lucrative intellectual property.

Paramount owns name-brand franchises including “Top Gun”, “Mission: Impossible”, and Star Trek, while Warner Bros holds the rights to Batman, Harry Potter, and “Lord of the Rings”.

The settlement includes the creation of independent editorial boards for CNN and CBS, and a $30 million penalty per film for any shortfall against Paramount’s pledge to ​release 30 movies annually, as well as ​a commitment to bargain separately with ⁠television distributors. The commitments are temporary, however, and expire within three to five years.

Ensuring the merger would not harm the US entertainment industry by reducing the number of theatrical and television productions was a top priority for many after the lawsuit ​was filed in July. Consolidation as well as cheaper alternative production locations have led to job losses in Hollywood.

John Bergmayer, legal ​director at Public Knowledge, ⁠said the merger “leaves fewer studios competing for scripts and talent, gives one company greater power to dictate terms to distributors, and reduces streaming choices. Consumers will face higher prices, while writers and other creative workers will have fewer employers bidding for their work.”

Bonta’s bid to block the deal had its detractors, too. Iowa and Montana asked the US ⁠Supreme Court ​to step in and block the case, in a bid to protect the deal.

Cinema United, a ​trade organization representing theater owners, had urged Bonta to discuss a settlement with Paramount, in hopes of avoiding further uncertainty and disruption in the industry. Cinemark, AMC and Regal are part of the group, ​which represents 30,000 US movie screens.

Reporting by Chris Sanders in Washington and Jody Godoy in Austin, Texas; Editing by Bill Berkrot

习特会登场前 美国重申对亚洲核心盟友防务承诺

2026年9月22日 07:16 / 联合早报

9月21日，韩国外长赵显（左起）、美国国务卿鲁比奥、日本外相茂木敏充，在纽约出席第81届联合国大会期间会晤。 （路透社）

在中国国家主席习近平即将访问美国之际，特朗普政府重申对日本和韩国这两个关键亚洲盟友的防务承诺。

分析人士指出，美国在亚洲的盟友感到焦虑，担心特朗普在白宫接待习近平时，可能在台湾和贸易等问题上向中方让步，以换取与北京达成经济成果。

官方消息称，日本首相高市早苗与韩国总统李在明均有意借赴纽约出席联合国大会之机，与特朗普举行会谈。这三位领导人星期二（9月22日）都会在联大发表讲话。

路透社报道，美国国务卿鲁比奥星期一与韩国外长赵显及日本外相茂木敏充在纽约会晤。三方在联合声明中誓言，坚定“反对经济胁迫与非市场政策及行为”，并反对“扰乱供应链的任意出口限制”。此举显然意指中国

此外，三方也欢迎启动美日韩经济安全三方磋商机制，以进一步推动三方在强化供应链和关键技术领域的合作。

声明指出，美方“重申了对日本和韩国防务坚如磐石的承诺，这一承诺以美国无可匹敌的军事实力（包括核能力）为后盾，并再次确认了对日韩的延伸威慑承诺”。

声明也说，三国外长强调了他们致力于强有力安全合作的承诺，以及维护台海和平与稳定的重要性。声明还“对台湾有意义地参与相关国际组织表示支持”。

针对朝鲜问题，三方“重申致力于朝鲜实现完全无核化的坚定决心”，并呼吁朝方恢复对话。

分析人士说，除了关切台海局势，日韩也将密切审视习特会可能发布的贸易声明，评估声明对自身竞争力的潜在影响。即使美国只是小幅降低对华贸易壁垒，也可能削弱日韩的竞争优势。

中国外交部21日证实，习近平应特朗普邀请，将于9月23日至25日对美国进行国事访问。

Man shot by ICE in Austin being held in detention center with bullet in his back, lawyer says

September 21, 2026 / 6:35 PM EDT / CBS News

A Venezuelan man who was shot by an immigration officer while delivering a DoorDash order in Austin, Texas, was transferred from the hospital to a detention center with a bullet still in his back, his lawyer said Monday.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer after the officer sideswiped the 28-year-old’s car early Sunday afternoon, attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told reporters at a Monday news conference. Garces Perez was then taken to the hospital, and his family was notified four hours later that he had been taken to the South Texas Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas, approximately a two-hour drive away from Austin, Lincoln-Goldfinch said.

Garces Perez spoke by phone during the news conference, saying in Spanish that he was in a lot of pain. He explained that the bullet wasn’t removed because it was lodged close to his spine.

“I am not doing well, and I am not receiving the medical attention that I require,” Garces Perez said, adding that he’s being held in a cold room with no bed.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said her client also doesn’t have access to pain medication at the detention center.

Multiple law enforcement sources told CBS News the ICE officer who allegedly opened fire at Garces Perez has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard for officers involved in pending investigations.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement late Sunday that Homeland Security Investigations, which is a part of ICE, is leading the investigation into the shooting with the assistance of the FBI. The spokesperson said Garces Perez illegally entered the United States under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal.

“This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information becomes available,” the spokesperson said.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said Monday that Garces Perez entered the U.S. from Venezuela in 2024 using the Biden-era CBP One app, which allowed more than 900,000 migrants from countries across the globe who were seeking asylum to enter the U.S. at official ports along the southern border after booking appointments.

Garces Perez had a work permit and was seeking asylum, but he had received a deportation order in absentia after missing a court hearing because the notice was sent to his old address, his lawyer said.

DHS has also terminated the parole status of those processed under the CBP One app last year and urged them to leave “immediately.” In April, a federal judge in Boston ordered the Trump administration to restore their legal status, but DHS argued the president has the authority “to determine who remains in this country.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat who represents parts of Austin, said Garces Perez has no criminal record and condemned ICE’s presence in the city. Immigration arrests of those without criminal records reached a record high in July, according to federal data.

“The vast majority of people being pulled over have zero criminal records,” Casar said Monday at the news conference. “ICE has not made us more safe by arresting 5-year-olds, by shooting delivery drivers, by raiding construction sites. We will all be more safe when ICE gets the hell out of Austin, Texas.”

Lincoln-Goldfinch, Casar and other local officials have called for transparency and demanded that ICE release any body camera footage of the incident.

“The public deserves more than an agency’s account of a shooting or killing. We deserve to see the evidence,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said in a social media post. “ICE traffic stops also need to end. Too many of these encounters have resulted in violence, shootings, detention, and families desperately searching for loved ones who have been taken away.”

Garces Perez’s shooting comes a few months after an ICE officer shot and killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, of Houston, in July after federal agents driving unmarked vehicles pursued him while he was taking his construction crew to a job site. Lorenzo Salgado Jr. said his father had lived in the U.S. for over three decades.

Also in July, 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian man, was shot by an ICE officer in Maine. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin told him the man wasn’t the target of the ICE operation.

And in Evanston, Illinois, on Sunday, federal immigration officers allegedly tried to arrest a man who turned out to be a U.S. citizen. The man reported injuries to his head, neck and teeth, local police said.

Nicole Sganga contributed to this report.

Trump approval falls to record low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

2026-09-21 18:13:45 UTC / Reuters

EXCLUSIVE

Trump approval falls to record low of 32% as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

By Jason Lange

September 21, 2026 6:13 PM UTC Updated 29 mins ago

US President Donald J. Trump looks on as he makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., US, September 18, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

• Summary

• Approval among Republicans drops to 73% from 82% in previous week, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows
• Just 17% approve of Trump’s handling of cost of living, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows
• Poll surveys 1,277 US adults nationwide and has 3 percentage-point margin of error

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s approval rating fell to 32% – the lowest ‌of his political career – as his fellow Republicans soured on his handling of the cost of living amid the unpopular Iran war, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The four-day poll, which closed on Sunday, showed 73% of Republicans approved of Trump’s job performance, down from 82% in a ​Reuters/Ipsos poll a week earlier. His overall approval stood at 35% that week.

The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Trump returned to the White House ​in January 2025 on promises to tame inflation and end foreign wars. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll ⁠conducted in the hours after he was sworn in, he enjoyed a 47% approval rating.

Just 17% of respondents in the new poll ​approved of his handling of the cost of living – the top issue Americans say will determine how they vote in ​the November 3 midterm elections, when Trump’s Republicans are defending narrow congressional majorities.

IRAN TAKES A TOLL

Dissatisfaction among Republicans on the subject has been growing since Trump launched the war on Iran in February that has pushed gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher. Now for the first time, Republicans ​who disapprove of Trump’s handling of the cost of living outnumber those who give him a thumbs up – 51% to ​44%.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Trump’s approval rating is lower than any recorded for his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, whose presidency was also marked by surging inflation and ‌who ultimately ⁠ended his reelection bid after a poor debate performance heightened concerns about his age.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed registered voters in the poll picked Democrats over Republicans – 43% to 35% – when asked how they would vote in the midterms. The 8-point gap was the biggest lead for Democrats in Reuters/Ipsos polling this year. For Republicans, losing control of either chamber could complicate Trump’s agenda in ​the last two years of ​his term.

The poll results ⁠on congressional voting plans provide an overall view of which party Americans nationwide want to see in charge in Congress, though the results don’t capture all the nuances of the state-by-state ​and district-by-district contests that determine control of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Trump remains popular ​among Republicans on ⁠the issue of immigration – with 79% of his party backing him – but only 36% of Americans overall support his approach to the matter and 55% disapprove. Some Republican allies in Congress have warned that his aggressive campaign to deport people in the country ⁠illegally risks ​alienating voters with family who recently immigrated to America, like some Hispanics.

Just ​24% of Americans back his approach to the conflict with Iran.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered 1,277 responses from US adults nationwide. It ​had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; editing by Scott Malone and Deepa Babington

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

US lawmakers urge Trump to maintain ban on Chinese automakers

September 21, 2026 4:59 PM UTC / Reuters

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI) speaks to reporters following a House Democratic Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – More than two dozen Democratic ​lawmakers on Friday urged ‌President Donald Trump to keep in place a ban ​on Chinese automakers out ​of the US market, ⁠ahead of his meeting ​with China’s President Xi ​Jinping this week.

“We urge you to maintain strong protections against Chinese ​automobiles and connected ​vehicle technologies and ensure that China ‌does ⁠not gain access to our market through direct imports, local production, and ​other avenues ​of ⁠circumvention,” said the 27 lawmakers led ​by Representative Debbie Dingell.

The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Earlier ​this ⁠month, Trump told Fox News he would accept Chinese ⁠car ​companies building ​cars in the United States.

(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in the headline.)

Reporting by ​David Shepardson Editing by Nick Zieminski

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.