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US Democrats look to stop Trump’s Saudi nuclear deal

2026-09-17 16:49:19 / Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman hold hands during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• Nuclear resolutions of disapproval have never passed
• Lawmakers question enrichment, waste reprocessing in Saudi deal
• Relations with Israel remain unsettled issue
• House is out of Washington until November

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – US House ​of Representatives Democrats raised concerns on Thursday about President Donald Trump’s civil nuclear ‌agreement with Saudi Arabia, and said they had introduced a resolution of disapproval seeking to block the deal from coming into force.

Trump sent the proposed agreement to Congress in August, opening a 90-day window for lawmakers’ review ​and giving them an opportunity to try to pass a resolution of disapproval.

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Democrats and ​nonproliferation advocates have criticized the nuclear pact for not barring Saudi Arabia ⁠from enriching uranium or reprocessing nuclear waste, two potential pathways to a nuclear weapon. The ​United Arab Emirates agreed to such measures, known as the gold standard, in its 2009 civil ​nuclear deal with Washington.

“A region already gripped by conflict and escalation does not need another nuclear power,” the four Democrats — Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Brad Sherman ​and John Garamendi of California, and Don Beyer of Virginia — said in a statement.

The Trump ​administration says the deal has nonproliferation measures required by law.

It is not clear whether Saudi Arabia will get ‌the ⁠deal without normalizing relations with Israel. Trump has said the pact will only go into effect if Riyadh does so, but congressional aides said there is nothing in the agreement addressing that issue.

Members of Congress have also called for all of the agreement — including classified “side letters” reached with ​Saudi Arabia — to be ​made public.

The 30-year nuclear ⁠deal calls for the construction of AP1000 reactors, a project worth tens of billions of dollars that would benefit Westinghouse, jointly owned by Canada-based ​Cameco

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and Brookfield Asset Management

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.

It is unclear when the House might ​vote on ⁠the resolution. Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday sent members home until after the November 3 midterm elections.

Additionally, while Congress has passed dozens of disapproval resolutions over the years, no resolution regarding nuclear power ⁠or civil ​nuclear cooperation has ever successfully passed.

Under Section 123 of ​the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, agreements for peaceful nuclear cooperation automatically go into effect after 90 days if Congress ​has not passed a disapproval resolution to block them.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Nia Williams

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Patricia Zengerle has reported from more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China. An award-winning Washington-based national security and foreign policy reporter who also has worked as an editor, Patricia has appeared on NPR, C-Span and other programs, spoken at the National Press Club and attended the Hoover Institution Media Roundtable. She is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.

Dr. Rachel Danis joins husband Patrick Clancy for 60 Minutes interview

September 17, 2026 / 12:12 PM EDT / CBS News

This Sunday on 60 Minutes, hear from Patrick Clancy’s wife, Dr. Rachel Danis, for the first time since her private life exploded into public view.

Patrick Clancy’s marriage to Danis became a subject of fascination on social media as Lindsay Clancy stood trial for the 2023 killings of her children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan.

Ross Douthat sat down with Patrick Clancy and Danis just weeks after Lindsay Clancy’s case ended in a mistrial. Prosecutors in the case have yet to announce if they will seek a retrial.

Patrick Clancy talked about grief, mental health, and conspiracy theories that flooded social media since the trial.

And he reflected on his memories of his children, telling Douthat he still talks to his kids “all the time.”

“What do you say?” Douthat asked.

“Help me. All the time,” Clancy said.

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US economy notches remarkable new record, sparking cheers: ‘Good job everyone’

Median household income also reached a record $87,460, but inflation erased the gains as consumer sentiment remains negative

September 17, 2026 3:44pm EDT / Fox News

By Robert Schmad

Trump’s economic message faces major midterm test

Janelle King, co-chair of Let’s Win for America Action, dissects a recent Fox News poll revealing widespread economic dissatisfaction among voters. King explains that while President Trump highlights “Trump accounts” as long-term benefits, voters are feeling immediate financial heat. She also expresses concern over the surging far-left influence in key Midwest primaries, noting a shift towards emotional voting.

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Americans may not feel it in their wallets, but two major measures of economic well-being improved in 2025, as the nation’s poverty rate fell to a historic low and inflation-adjusted median household income reached a record high, according to new Census Bureau data.

In 2025, the poverty rate in the United States dropped to an all-time low of 10.2%, down roughly half a point from 2024, according to the Census Bureau. Even as the proportion of people living in undesirable conditions declines, however, the percentage of people who told Fox News pollsters that their personal financial situation was worsening or not changing held steady at around 85% for the duration of 2025.

Many have attributed President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, which some conservatives fear could cost the GOP control of Congress in November, to his economic policies. Amid Republican unpopularity and consumer pessimism, even states that are usually reliably conservative, like Texas, Ohio and Alaska, could very well send Democrats to the Senate.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS

President Donald Trump holds a chart on household income in the Oval Office of the White House in Washigton, Aug. 7, 2025.(Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Census Bureau defines poverty depending on the number of people in a given household and their income. A family with two adults and two children, for instance, would need to make less than $32,649 a year to be considered impoverished. The threshold for poverty increases as inflation lowers the value of the dollar.

Median household income also reached an all-time high, growing by 2.6% to $87,460 in 2025. That gain, however, is erased by inflation as the dollar’s value declined by about 3% between 2024 and 2025.

A number of factors could explain the gap between economic perception and improving macroeconomic indicators.

“See a lot of mutuals on here in DC, New York, LA talking about high prices. Meanwhile folks I know in Alabama, Indiana, Georgia getting new jobs, raises, or expanding and growing,” Andrew Beck, a partner at the consulting firm Beck and Stone, wrote on X. “Doesn’t help young folks in the blue states, but the South is booming.”

THE RED STATES CHARGING AHEAD WITH AMERICA’S WEALTH AS RIVALS WATCH BILLIONS SLIP AWAY

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 07: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the jobs report from the Oval Office at the White House on March 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate rising slightly to 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Economic growth in Southern states has consistently outpaced that of the United States at large, spurred by internal migration and friendly business environments incentivizing large enterprises to move south.

High gas prices, sparked by the president’s military operations in the Middle East, and price increases attributable to tariffs have also proven unpopular, hurting the president’s approval ratings even as poverty rates dip and incomes climb. Roughly two-thirds of voters in a recent Fox News poll said that they believe the Trump administration is making the economy worse.

THE OVERLOOKED WAY THE IRAN WAR IS MAKING GROCERIES, AMAZON PACKAGES AND NEW HOMES MORE EXPENSIVE

Lower taxes, cheaper housing and affordability concerns have helped fuel population growth across many Southern and Sun Belt states, Census Bureau estimates show.(Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis/Getty Images)

Conservatives on social media have used the Census Bureau’s data to take a victory lap.

“Poverty is bad. Every American should celebrate poverty rates are now the lowest on record. Good job everyone,” Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-WA, wrote on X. “Keep it going.”

“Good news we can all celebrate,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, a critic of the president, posted.

The number of people without health insurance also remained near historic lows, according to the Census Bureau.

Some on the left, however, deny that poverty rates are actually declining.

“Our elites terrorize the entire world while ordinary Americans continue to foot the bill. We spent trillions ‘fighting’ the terror we created to provide cover for our oil barons stealing 3rd World resources,” Twitch streamer Hasan Piker wrote on X Thursday. “It only amounted to more death overseas, more poverty at home. All while the military industrial complex ballooned. No houses, no hospitals, no schools-just a growing crisis of homelessness, underemployment and diseases of despair in the wealthiest country on earth.”

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Even as Americans have gotten wealthier over the past few decades, the price of housing has significantly outpaced wage growth. With personal homeownership holding strong cultural importance to Americans, rising home costs fuel pessimism in ways that improvements in other areas can’t necessarily offset.

What the Fed’s interest rate hike reveals about Warsh, Trump and inflation

September 17, 2026 / 2:12 PM EDT / CBS News

By

The Federal Reserve did what investors expected on Wednesday by raising interest rates for the first time in three years. Then Chairman Kevin Warsh delivered a surprise — a decidedly hawkish message that opened the door to additional rate hikes as the central bank looks to snuff out stubbornly high inflation.

The Fed on Wednesday delivered a widely anticipated quarter-point interest rate hike, a modest increase that will make credit cards and other loans incrementally more expensive. Yet stocks tumbled, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding 631 points, or 1.2%.

What unsettled investors was the gap between the Fed’s economic forecasts and Warsh’s remarks. Policymakers projected one additional hike in 2026 and none in 2027, but Warsh signaled a willingness to further raise rates if that’s what is required to finally bring inflation under control.

“In this press conference, Warsh revealed his true inner hawk and a willingness to lead in that direction,” Tim Duy, chief U.S. economist at SGH Macro Advisors, told clients in a research note.

Here are three key takeaways from the Fed meeting.

Warsh is determined to tame inflation

Warsh, who was named by President Trump to succeed longtime Fed Chair Jerome Powell earlier this year, has previously vowed to tackle inflation. But economists had been unsure of his commitment to that goal, given that he had also echoed some of Mr. Trump’s views that the economy could benefit from lower interest rates.

What changed? Between the time Warsh was nominated in January and this week’s Fed meeting, inflation has sharply accelerated, driven largely by the Iran war’s impact on global oil prices.

In January, consumer prices were rising at an annual rate of 2.4%, within touching distance of the Fed’s 2% target. But soaring crude prices have reversed that progress, sending the Consumer Price Index to a three-year high of 4.2% in May. While inflation has eased slightly since then, dipping to 3.4% in August, it’s still far higher than Fed officials like.

“The plain fact is that inflation is too high, and has been for too long,” Warsh said in a press conference after the Fed announced the rate hike on Wednesday, stressing that the Fed wants to take a “timelier” approach to curb price increases.

Those comments were interpreted as pointing to “higher rates for longer,” Jaison Davis, economic research analyst at GlobalData, said in a report. “The bar for easing [rates] is now much higher, and it rests on clear evidence that inflation is heading back to target.”

The Iran war is complicating life for the Fed

Warsh pointed to the impact of the war in Iran as one reason Fed officials were unanimous on the need to hike interest rates. The conflict, which has no end in sight, has severely reduced the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf, while an escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen threatens another vital waterway.

Crude oil prices have jumped above $100 a barrel in recent weeks. The price increase has pushed fuel costs higher for Americans, who paid a record-high $6.40 per gallon for diesel on Thursday, a 73% jump from a year ago. Gasoline reached $4.44 a gallon, 38% higher than a year earlier, according to AAA data.

“There’s no hiding from hot spots around the world, and our judgment about what is the most likely or least likely of the geopolitical situation has changed,” Warsh said during the news conference.

While Warsh noted that the Fed can’t control oil prices, he added that the central bank must ensure that the impact of higher energy costs doesn’t ripple through the rest of the economy.

“We cannot affect any individual price, whether it be oil prices, whether it be foodstuffs at the grocery store. But what we can do and will do is ensure that any changes in relative prices don’t broaden out,” he said.

The Fed is willing to buck the White House

Warsh’s commitment to subduing inflation is upping his credibility among investors — a vital reputational resource in how Fed officials manage expectations about the economy.

“After yesterday’s Fed meeting, not just because of the hike but also thanks to the hawkish tone, the new Fed Chair has established his credibility,” said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial, in a research note.

After the Fed meeting ended, Mr. Trump on Wednesday afternoon posted on social media that he believes interest rates should be “1% or less, because we are the Best Credit in the World — BY FAR.” He added, “LOWER THE INTEREST RATES FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FAST!”

Economists interpreted Warsh’s comments about inflation as signaling the Fed is willing to do whatever it takes to reduce inflation, even if that means going against the White House.

“Hiking was the right move, and it restores Fed credibility that the central bank will curb inflation no matter what the White House or anyone else says,” Heather Long, chief economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union, said in an email.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Talarico hit with ‘blatant corruption’ allegation over hefty salary from consulting firm, campaign pushes back

September 17, 2026 3:19pm EDT / Fox News

Republicans allege a ‘pay-to-play scheme’ linking Talarico’s salary from MAYA Consulting to millions awarded by the TEA

By Peter Pinedo Fox News

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EXCLUSIVE: Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico, who has repeatedly accused his Republican opponent, Ken Paxton, of corruption, is now facing Republican accusations of “blatant corruption” over consulting work he performed for a progressive firm while serving on the Texas House’s influential Public Education Committee. Talarico’s campaign has denied the allegation as a “lie.”

The Lone Star State’s Senate race is entering its final stretch, with Talarico leading Paxton in recent polling. A Republican loss could damage the GOP’s chances of retaining its Senate majority.

Paxton has projected confidence that, after emerging from a particularly bitter primary race, Texans will respond to his campaign once they hear his message. Talarico, meanwhile, has continued targeting Paxton through major ad buys, including one in which the Democrat calls him “the most corrupt politician in Texas.”

Republicans are now responding with allegations of their own, characterizing Talarico’s past arrangement with the consulting firm as a “textbook pay-to-play scheme.”

SHOCK POLL: TALARICO TIES PAXTON IN TEXAS SENATE RACE, THREATENING GOP STRONGHOLD

Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico listens to a question during the conclusion of a “Talarico for Texas: Frontera Tour” campaign rally at the International Center for Trade convention center in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 13, 2026.(Getty Images)

They are pointing to paychecks Talarico received from a firm called MAYA Consulting that simultaneously drew in millions in state contracts awarded by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), which he helped provide oversight to as a member of the Public Education Committee.

Talarico announced he was joining MAYA Consulting in a 2019 Facebook post. In the post, he stated that as a consultant he would be “working with districts, nonprofits, and communities to build excellent and equitable educational opportunities for all our students.”

According to a Senate campaign financial disclosure filed in 2025, Talarico worked with MAYA Consulting, which has since been rebranded as VIDA Collaborative, from 2019 until 2025.

During those same years, official legislative records show that Talarico served as a voting member of the Texas House’s Public Education Committee from 2019 to 2025. Among its responsibilities, the committee oversees the Texas Education Agency, which awards government contracts to firms for services, including then-MAYA Consulting.

TED CRUZ, CONSERVATIVES RESPOND AFTER TALARICO CRITICIZES BIBLE-RELATED EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AS ‘PROPAGANDA’

HOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district’s overall score by 10 points in two years.(Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

TEA registers from 2021 and 2022 show that the agency awarded MAYA two contracts worth $3.578 million and $1.635 million, respectively. The contracts were related to priorities Talarico was pushing in the Texas House at the time, including addressing learning loss due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Talarico’s disclosure shows that he earned $83,333.40 from the nonprofit in 2025, in addition to his $13,904.92 part-time salary as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Kassi Longoria, CEO of VIDA Collaborative, confirmed with Fox News Digital that Talarico served as an “independent contractor consultant” with the group from 2019 to 2025. She said that Talarico “has no current role with our organization” and clarified that “during his time at VIDA, his consulting work was structured, specifically to remain separate from his role as a Texas state legislator.”

She said that Talarico “never worked under, received compensation from, or was involved in securing any state- or federally-funded contracts.” She noted that “as a matter of standard practice, VIDA discloses any outside employment or potential conflicts of interest for our staff — including Rep. Talarico’s legislative role — in our proposals when we apply for publicly-funded opportunities” and that “similarly, Rep. Talarico’s relationship with VIDA was disclosed in his required public financial disclosure filings.”

However, Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft accused Talarico of wrongdoing, calling the Democrat’s involvement with MAYA an example of “blatant corruption.”

TEXAS DEM CANDIDATE TO HOLD HIGH-DOLLAR HOLLYWOOD FUNDRAISER WHILE GOP GATHERS IN DALLAS: ‘FAKE COWBOY’

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, left, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images)

“We are looking at a textbook pay-to-play scheme with James Talarico steering millions in taxpayer funds to his DEI consulting agency under the condition he gets commission through a scam no-show job,” Kraft told Fox News Digital.

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As a member of the Texas House’s Public Education Committee, Talarico was not involved in TEA’s process for awarding outside contracts and did not vote on the contracts. Fox News Digital is also not aware of any evidence that Talarico received a commission for contracts awarded to MAYA, a claim that both the organization and Talarico’s campaign denied.

Kraft alleged that Talarico is “one of the most morally bankrupt individuals to ever run for public office in Texas.”

JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, pushed back, saying, “This is a lie.”

Ennis said that “James’ relationship to MAYA was fully disclosed in compliance with Texas House rules” and that “James had no involvement in MAYA Consulting securing any public contracts and his contract with MAYA barred him from representing MAYA before the Texas Legislature or education agencies.”

“Ken Paxton is making up lies about James to distract from the fact that he’s been impeached by his own party for bribery, reported to the FBI by his own staff, and indicted for investment fraud for scamming his own friends,” Ennis alleged, while adding, “Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas, and this November, Republicans, Democrats, and independents will come together to reject Ken Paxton’s corruption and stand up to this broken, corrupt political system.”

In July 2015, Paxton was indicted on charges that he misled and defrauded tech startup investors and failed to disclose that the startup was paying him to promote its stock. Prosecutors agreed in 2024 to drop the charges under a deal requiring Paxton to pay about $271,000 in restitution, perform 100 hours of community service and complete 15 hours of legal ethics courses. Paxton did not enter a plea under the agreement and was never convicted.

Meanwhile, Madison Cercy, a spokeswoman for Paxton’s campaign, told Fox News Digital, “It couldn’t be clearer: James Talarico sees Texans tax dollars as his own personal slush fund.”

Fox News Digital is not aware of any evidence that Talarico has misused tax dollars.

Cercy called Talarico a “taxpayer-funded DEI consultant whose employer receives millions of dollars from Texans while pushing radical ideology in our schools.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

Republican candidate in Florida warns Trump his immigration agenda has ‘gone too far’

2026-09-17T17:17:33.63Z / reuters.com

U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo

• Summary

• Salazar says Latinos who helped Trump win in 2024 now feel betrayed
• New 30-second ad marks her first general election spot airing across South Florida media
• Message highlights rare public criticism from a congressional White ​House ally

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – A Latina Republican lawmaker facing a competitive reelection race in ‌Florida warned US President Donald Trump on Thursday that his signature immigration enforcement agenda had overreached.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said in a

new ad. “The same Hispanics who helped ​you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

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The 30-second ad, recorded in ​front of the White House in English and Spanish, is a sign that one ⁠of the issues that helped return Trump to the White House may be working against his Republican ​Party as it tries to retain control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.

The White House did ​not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Salazar, who represents the heavily Latino district in the heart of Miami that includes historic Little Havana, faces a challenge from Democrat Eliott Rodriguez, a former television news anchor. Nonpartisan analysts rate the ​race as “likely Republican,” meaning it is somewhat competitive, though Democrats view the seat as one of their ​better pickup opportunities.

Salazar’s appeal follows months of fallout from Trump’s immigration crackdown, which initially featured large-scale street-level enforcement operations in which ‌federal ⁠agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year. After public backlash, the administration scaled back some highly visible operations, though deportations have remained high.

WANING APPROVAL RATINGS

A September Reuters/Ipsos poll found 39% of Americans approved of Trump’s handling of immigration, down from 50% shortly after he returned to office in January 2025.

Trump’s ​overall approval rating stood ​at 35% in a ⁠September 11-14 Reuters/Ipsos poll, near the lowest level of his presidency.

Trump is asking voters to treat the midterms as a referendum on his presidency, sparking unease from ​some Republicans.

Salazar’s ad does not blame Trump directly, instead urging him to “be careful ​what your immigration ⁠advisers are telling you about immigration policies.” The message reflects a broader sentiment among Latino voters, especially those who backed Trump in 2024, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the administration’s immigration policies.

Other Republicans in competitive races have also ⁠taken steps ​to distance themselves from the president.

Earlier this week, two Iowa ​Republicans facing tough reelection campaigns, Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, joined Democrats in voting to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran.

Reporting ​by David Hood-Nuño; additional reporting by Jason Lange and Nathan Layne; editing by Andy Sullivan and Rod Nickel

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White House pulls ICE director nominee

2026-09-17 12:56 PM ET / CNN

By Priscilla Alvarez

Updated Sep 17, 2026, 1:24 PM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 17, 2026, 12:56 PM ET

Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, was nominated to be the next director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Department of Homeland Security

The White House is pulling former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer’s stalled nomination to serve as director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In June, President Donald Trump abruptly announced that he would nominate Schroyer, putting a little-known candidate in line to lead an agency critical to the administration’s immigration crackdown.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had chosen Schroyer after his first proposed pick for the role caused friction with some White House officials. Mullin called Schroyer, who was part of his security detail in the Senate, a “good friend of mine” at a National Sheriffs’ Association event this year.

Schroyer was listed among other nomination withdrawals on the White House website.

It’s unclear why his nomination was pulled, but it had already faced steep challenges in the Senate, where Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul had yet to schedule a confirmation hearing. The Kentucky Republican has long had a contentious relationship with Mullin, a former Oklahoma senator. The two got into a heated argument during Mullin’s confirmation hearing earlier this year.

Immigration hardliners, as well as some Homeland Security officials, had also cast doubt on Schroyer’s nomination given his lack of experience in immigration enforcement and leading a large agency.

CNN reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and White House for comment.

ICE hasn’t had a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Canada’s Mark Carney and the EU shrug off Trump’s threats, looking to forge an “Alliance for the Future”

2026-09-17T12:54:00-0400 / CBS/AP

Strasbourg, France —_ Canada and its Prime Minister Mark Carney have drawn regular scorn from President Trump as the two nations remain locked in an escalating trade war, but European leaders gave the visiting Canadian premier a standing ovation on Thursday.

Carney embraced the prospect of his country becoming the European Union’s first associate member, shrugging off a threat by Mr. Trump and saying closer ties with the EU would ensure no country could control Canada’s markets or undermine its sovereignty.

In a speech to the European Parliament, Carney repeatedly extolled cooperation between Europe and Canada — but the now-souring relationship with the U.S., which has defined Canada’s economy for decades, hung over the Thursday address.

Mr. Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions, and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state have pushed Ottawa to reduce its dependence on its neighbor and seek a far deeper economic, security and political relationship with Europe.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (2nd from right), next to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (left), in Strasbourg, France, Sept. 17, 2026. Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty

Carney told the parliament that he welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s partnership proposal, unveiled Wednesday, though he acknowledged that “associate membership” remains to be defined.

But the Canadian leader outlined his own vision: deeper integration across trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services to make both sides less vulnerable to economic and geopolitical pressure. He later told reporters he was not pursuing full membership of the EU.

“We do not seek power to dominate others,” he said. “On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.”

Carney got a warm welcome when he walked into the chamber in Strasbourg, France — with many lawmakers coming up to shake his hand and pose for selfies. His address got a standing ovation.

Trump says EU-Canada “hostile act” would draw more tariffs

Speaking Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, after von der Leyen floated the idea of welcoming Canada as an associate EU member, Mr. Trump threatened to respond by imposing more tariffs on the European bloc, possibly even cutting off trade completely in certain areas.

Mr. Trump conditioned his latest threat on the “intention” of European leaders, saying: “If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.”

He didn’t say how he would discern the intentions of any eventual move by the EU to grant Canada a new, special status with the bloc, but he mocked the prospect as “laughable” and called America’s neighbor to the north a “terrible trade partner.”

New bridges to replace the “old world order”?

Carney’s address appeared to show his determination to push forward in shaping a new “world order,” without shedding any tears over what he said in January was the death of the old one.

For generations, Canada built its economy around integration with the United States. But in a very loosely veiled jab at the world’s longtime singular superpower, Carney warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos that great powers like the United States were using economic dependence to bully smaller nations.

He said there had been a “rupture in the world order” and warned that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, “we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered.”

” We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it,” Carney said in Davos. “We believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just. This is the task of the middle powers.”

He clearly signaled his desire to forge closer ties with Europe in that address eight months ago, touting “a comprehensive strategic partnership with the EU” to deepen defense procurement collaboration, as well as “efforts to build a bridge” economically that he said “would create a new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people,” combining European and Canadian markets.

Mr. Trump rebuked him the next day, and Carney’s speech on Thursday could further strain the relationship with the U.S.

“As close as we possibly can”

The “associate member” status that von der Leyen proposed for Canada does not currently exist in the bloc’s treaties, and it would have to be created and the terms negotiated.

She said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to “the highest level possible,” moving beyond their existing free trade agreement to create an “Alliance for the Future” encompassing a “common prosperity and economic security space.”

Carney will host EU leaders for a summit in Montreal on Oct. 29 and 30, where the two sides are expected to discuss the proposed new relationship in more detail.

Canada sends roughly 70% of its exports to the United States, making it highly exposed to Mr. Trump’s tariffs. Ottawa has, nonetheless, retaliated and rejected U.S. demands that Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty. Europe took a different path, shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15% on most EU exports to the U.S.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, said Wednesday that Canada is not seeking full EU membership because that would require surrendering some sovereignty. Instead, Ottawa wants “to get as close as we possibly can” to Europe while increasing Canada’s independence.

Canada has already taken a major step toward European integration. This year it became the first non-European country to join the EU’s 150-billion-euro ($173 billion) SAFE defense procurement program, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe increases defense spending. The two sides have also discussed closer cooperation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.

“The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong U.S. leadership and to act accordingly,” said Daniel Béland, a political-science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said: “Carney’s shrewdness in dealing with Trump has captured Europe’s attention.”

Wiseman said Europeans have long regarded Canada as a country that understands the United States particularly well because of their deep economic and political ties. Carney’s willingness to resist Mr. Trump rather than quickly accept Washington’s demands has reinforced that perception, he said.

Trump’s golf course renovation could cost up to $49 million, documents show

2026-09-17T17:40:20.750Z / CNN

By Sunlen Serfaty

Updated 1 hr 10 min ago

Updated Sep 17, 2026, 2:56 PM ET

PUBLISHED Sep 17, 2026, 1:40 PM ET

An excavator surrounded by caution tape sits near the edge of the golf course at East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, DC, on September 2.

Annabelle Gordon/Reuters

President Donald Trump’s proposal to build a championship golf course in Washington, DC, could cost up to $49 million dollars, according to a document reviewed by CNN.

The National Park Service outlined in the document that it will start soliciting bids to remake the public golf course in East Potomac Park into an 18-hole professional course in January 2027.

The preliminary scope of the cost is estimated to be between $20 and $49 million.

It is one of numerous public construction projects around the nation’s capital that Trump has sought put his stamp on — and which have drawn intense public backlash and a multitude of lawsuits.

The president said over the summer he wants to break ground on the golf course this month, even as legal drama over his attempts to rename the Kennedy Center and build a triumphal arch in the city continues.

Separately, the Department of Interior has just awarded a contract for nearly $400,000 to Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., a company headquartered in Massachusetts, for “e-design” services for the course.

Rep. Jared Huffman of California, a Democrat, revealed the existence of the contract during a House committee hearing on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department told CNN: “The full course design is yet to be finalized, so any type of cost estimate speculation over an advance notice of solicitation is premature and irresponsible, especially from a Member of Congress.”

Trump, an avid golfer, first publicly proposed the idea of taking over and expanding the municipal golf course in May.

After touring it, he had complained that the course was “dilapidated, worn out, and very dangerous and outdated.” He said he would build “one of the Greatest Golf Courses anywhere in the World,” and that it would remain open to the public.

A lawsuit seeking to stop Trump’s proposed changes to the course is making its way through the courts, but critics had warned that proper approvals and legal battles have hardly handicapped the president before. In the past few weeks, bulldozers have been seen on the grounds, though the Interior Department contended that they were for maintenance of the course.

In response to the contract that was awarded, on Wednesday Democratic lawmakers wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to request documents providing more details about plans for the golf course by September 30.

This story has been updated with additional details.

‘I want Hasan Piker to go away!’: Michigan congresswoman voices frustration after left-wing streamer’s recent interview

3:09 PM EDT, Thu September 17, 2026 / By Blake McGill, CNN

‘I want Hasan Piker to go away!’: Michigan congresswoman voices frustration after left-wing streamer’s recent interview

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) reacts to left-wing streamer Hasan Piker’s recent Axios interview. Dingell tells Piker to “stop going on television” if he wants Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to win in November. El-Sayed has attempted to distance himself from Piker in recent weeks after Piker received blowback for comments he made about the Jewish community.

2:02 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/17/politics/video/cncpm-hasan-piker-debbie-dingell-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-race