Today's Headlines: Trump Wants Putin to End the War. He May Offer Russia Business Deals First.
Blanche’s Political Campaigning Breaks an Ethical Norm Going Back to Watergate
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines
September 18, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Trump Wants Putin to End the War. He May Offer Russia Business Deals First.

A new sanctions bill is meant to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to end the war in Ukraine. But President Trump is doubling down on a different approach: offering enticements to Russia.

Blanche’s Political Campaigning Breaks an Ethical Norm Going Back to Watergate

The attorney general’s campaign politicking for Republicans adds to the degradation of post-Watergate values at the Justice Department.

Photos Spur Speculation About Possible Demolition of Kennedy Center

Images captured through the windows of Air Force One showed President Trump reviewing a poster with the title “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.”

World

Trump Moves Ahead With F-35 Jet Sales to Saudi Arabia Despite Intelligence Concerns

U.S. intelligence agencies have warned in internal reports that China could acquire or steal U.S. warplane technology if F-35 jets are sent to Saudi Arabia.

Fighting Intensifies in Yemen as Militia Advances on Key Provinces

Clashes between Iranian-backed Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed government forces have been reported near oil-rich Marib Province.

Locals Call It the World’s Largest Cesspool, and Blame It for Surging Cancer

For decades, the Mexican authorities have sacrificed a rural valley to flush away the capital’s waste and power the economy. Now, local communities are paying for that decision — often with peoples’ lives.

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U.S.

For a Border Tribe, Trump’s Wall Is a Betrayal: ‘They Want to Erase Us’

An escalating confrontation on Native land southwest of Tucson threatens to upend decades of uneasy cooperation between the Tohono O’odham Nation and the United States.

How Trump’s New Green Card Policy Could Affect Immigrant Families

The policy, set to take effect Friday, would give immigration officers broader authority to deny permanent residency to people using public benefits.

S.U.V. Driver Charged With Murder in Los Angeles Bus Crash

Prosecutors said the driver was impaired by drugs and ran a red light before ramming a city bus on Tuesday. Two people died. Compounding the tragedy, a news helicopter also crashed.

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Politics

Former Institute of Peace Workers Warn Trump May Push to Engrave Name on Building

As part of a lawsuit, the workers have asked a federal court to stop any plans to engrave the building with President Trump’s name.

G.O.P. Representative Breaks With Trump in Ad: Hispanic Voters ‘Feel Betrayed’

Representative María Elvira Salazar, a three-term representative from Miami, won re-election by 20 percentage points in 2024. Her ad suggests worry among some Republicans about their standing with Hispanic voters.

Montana Ban Would Strike at Political Spending, and the Supreme Court

A measure aimed at stemming the tide of corporate money in politics will be on the November ballot. Opponents say it violates a high court ruling.

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Business

Japan Raises Interest Rates in a Decision Muddied by U.S. Pressure

The Bank of Japan’s widely expected move followed an unusual campaign by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for tighter monetary policy.

China Stockpiled Oil, and Now It Could Dominate the Energy Landscape

The war with Iran revealed just how much influence the world’s biggest oil importer has over prices and other countries’ supplies of jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.

Searing Elon Musk Film Nears U.S. Release Amid Overseas Concerns

Alex Gibney’s “Musk” will arrive in United States theaters next month. Universal says it remains committed to releasing it overseas but has yet to set dates.

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Technology

Microsoft and OpenAI Workers Worry About ‘Largest Theft of Labor’ in History

Newly unsealed court documents showed concern within Microsoft and OpenAI over the use of millions of news articles to develop A.I. systems.

4 Strategies to Battle ‘Techflation’

With phone and computer prices soaring, it helps to know the true cost of owning electronics so you can bring those numbers down.

The Awesome and Alarming A.I. Visions of Anthropic’s C.E.O.

The collected essays of Dario Amodei help explain why some people are so worried about artificial intelligence.

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New York

Can a Republican Become Governor of New York? Blakeman Makes His Case.

Bruce Blakeman is trying to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, attacking her on the economy, crime and immigration by using Trump-like tactics and A.I.

Ex-Editor of Hip-Hop Magazine Pleads Guilty to Lying in Fraud Case

Kimberly Osorio, the former editor of The Source, admitted to making false statements about hiding the phone of a man she was involved with who faced embezzlement charges.

New Plan for Park Avenue Redesign Adds Bike Lane

The mayor’s office said the updated redesign, which would create a protected bike lane and a wider walking path, imagines the street as a “greener, safer and more people-centered corridor.”

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Arts

Peter Max Franchised the Cosmic ’60s Into Commercial Success, Without the Museum

For decades, his bold colors and benign peace-and-love message captivated those who saw America shining.

Weird and Wonderful, the Lucas Museum Lands in L.A.

A billion-dollar behemoth that looks like a spaceship houses the art collection of the “Star Wars” filmmaker George Lucas and his wife, Mellody Hobson. It’s an instant landmark.