TODAY'S NEWS, September 17-18, 2026

Today’s news brings political scandals, election-fraud cases, Trump policy moves, increasingly troubling AI developments, stronger border enforcement, low jobless claims, rising growth estimates, and fresh medical findings. Internationally, Venezuela is opening energy resources, Europe faces continued energy and immigration problems, and “net zero” is losing ground. And finally, a new cat species has been identified for the first time in a century.