Trump Welcomes Xi as Countries Extend Trade Truce

Judge Orders White House to Restore Press Passes

Kansas Race Widens Fight for Senate Control

States Seek Fuel Relief as Industry Opposes Diesel Export Ban

FDA Advisers Back Cancer Blood Test Despite Evidence Gaps

Trump Welcomes Xi as Countries Extend Trade Truce

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 23, for his first state visit to the United States since 2015, with President Donald Trump greeting him on the tarmac. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries had agreed to extend their trade truce through Jan. 10, delaying the return of higher tariffs that had been scheduled for November. The agreement lowered tariffs, paused Chinese restrictions on rare-earth mineral exports and barred new trade barriers. Beijing had sought an extension through January 2029, but administration officials favored a shorter period, citing delays in Chinese commitments on rare earths and purchases of American soybeans and aircraft. The visit reciprocates Trump’s trip to Beijing in May, with formal talks and a state dinner scheduled for Thursday. The extension preserves a pause in the trade dispute while the leaders face disagreements over artificial intelligence, Taiwan and China’s ties to Iran.

AP / NPR / NBC News

Judge Orders White House to Restore Press Passes

Shortly after midnight Thursday, Sept. 24, a federal judge issued an emergency 14-day temporary restraining order requiring the White House to restore permanent press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly found the outlets were likely to succeed on their claim that officials revoked the passes without adequate due process, offering an appeal only after confiscating the badges Saturday. Kelly also found little support for the administration’s national security justification, noting that Trump had cited the outlets’ reporting when announcing the ban. Trump, who appointed Kelly during his first term, criticized the judge before Wednesday’s emergency hearing and said the administration would appeal. The Justice Department argued that White House access is a privilege rather than a right. The order temporarily restores the outlets’ ability to report from White House grounds while their legal challenge proceeds.

CNN / NBC News

Kansas Race Widens Fight for Senate Control

Kansas, a Republican stronghold that has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932, has emerged as a potential battleground in the fight for control of the U.S. Senate. An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey covered by Citizen Journal put Democrat Adam Hamilton at 45% and Republican incumbent Roger Marshall at 43%, a gap smaller than the poll’s 3.6-percentage-point credibility interval. Marshall called Wednesday on X for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to coordinate with local law enforcement after detentions in southwest Kansas. He had championed additional ICE funding in June and accused Democrats of demanding that Republicans “handcuff our agents.” The operation began Tuesday, Sept. 22, in Liberal, Garden City and Dodge City, prompting school alerts about detained family members and shift delays at National Beef’s Liberal plant. The cities house four major beef-packing plants employing more than 10,000 people, many of them immigrants, and local officials said federal authorities provided no advance notice.

Kansas News Service / KWCH / Marshall / Citizen Journal / Emerson Polling / U.S. Senate / Kansas Historical Society

States Seek Fuel Relief as Industry Opposes Diesel Export Ban

Ohio Republican legislative leaders said Wednesday, Sept. 23, that lawmakers would return Sept. 30 to vote on a 90-day suspension of the state’s gasoline and diesel taxes, a measure also sought by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s emergency order took effect the same day, temporarily waiving state penalties for using untaxed off-road diesel in qualifying farm and timber trucks during harvest. More than 30 groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, urged Trump in a joint letter Wednesday to reject fuel export restrictions, warning they would reduce refinery output and raise costs. Trump and several Republican Senate candidates have backed a diesel export ban as the administration weighs a full or partial restriction. The House is not scheduled to resume voting until after the Nov. 3 midterms, limiting the immediate path for new legislation. Trump could invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to restrict exports without a new congressional vote, provided the action meets the law’s requirements for responding to a declared national emergency.

WVXU / Statehouse News Bureau / WAFB / AFPM / Roll Call / House Majority Leader / U.S. Code

FDA Advisers Back Cancer Blood Test Despite Evidence Gaps

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the agency approve Grail’s Galleri blood test to screen adults 50 and older for dozens of cancers, many without routine screening tests. The panel voted 10-0 on safety, 6-4 on effectiveness and 7-2, with one abstention, that the test’s benefits outweigh its risks. The recommendation is not binding on the FDA. The evidence included studies involving more than 140,000 people in Britain and more than 35,000 in North America. A reduction in cancer deaths has not been established, and panelists cited missed cancers, especially early-stage cases, and false alarms that could lead to invasive follow-up tests. Galleri is already available by prescription and generally paid for out of pocket, but FDA approval could expand access by opening the way to insurance coverage.

STAT / AP / NPR

SEPTEMBER 24, 1789: FIRST U.S. SUPREME COURT IS ESTABLISHED

Congress passes the Judiciary Act of 1789, creating a six-justice Supreme Court with life tenure. President George Washington immediately nominates John Jay as chief justice and five associate justices, cementing the new federal judiciary’s authority.

This article was written using our proprietary AI system, Cronkite. The final decision to publish this article was made by a human. For more info, read our AI policy.

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:

citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 34 cities across 5 states. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!

Brought to you by (click me!)

Sources

1. AP via OPB / NPR / NBC News
2. CNN / NBC News
3. Kansas News Service via KCUR / KWCH / Marshall on X / Marshall’s Senate Office / Citizen Journal / Emerson Polling / U.S. Senate / Kansas Historical Society
4. WVXU / Statehouse News Bureau / WVXU / WAFB / Business and Industry Letter to Trump / AFPM / Roll Call / House Calendar / 50 U.S.C. § 1701 / 50 U.S.C. § 1702
5. STAT / AP via Local 10 / NPR